Cake, Batter, and Bowl

Christmas Mac & Cheese (aka Three Cheese Mac & Cheese with Roasted Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomatoes)

December 22, 2011

Happy Hanukah! Merry Almost Christmas! We’re on a bus right now headed to New York City, where we’ll be spending the holidays with my family. I’m really looking forward to eating our way through the city, and I’m especially excited about heading over to The Doughnut Plant, which my friend Britt has been urging me to check out forever. She knows how much I love donuts – I’m so excited!

I also kind of love the fact that the internet is working on our bus, and I’m blogging away. Multitasking just makes me happy – I wish I could do this daily during my regular commute! Anyway, I won’t be cooking for Christmas this year, but if I was, I think I would add this mac & cheese to the menu. It’s super creamy and packed with fontina, asiago, and goat cheese. Plus, the festive red and green sun dried tomatoes and roasted broccoli, respectively, just make me smile. I even snuck in some protein-packed chicken for Apolinaras, so this was a one dish meal for us, but you could leave it out and feature it as more of a side dish too. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Christmas Mac & Cheese (aka Three Cheese Mac & Cheese with Roasted Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomatoes)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli florets (I had 5 cups, 11 ounces)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound orecchiette pasta
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
2 cups shredded fontina cheese
1 cup shredded asiago cheese
8 ounces goat cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, well drained

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F. Place broccoli florets on a large cookie sheet and drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes at 400°F or until tender.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain and place back in a large pot.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat and sauté chicken for 5 to 7 minutes or until fully cooked and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from pan and place in the pan with the pasta; add roasted broccoli to the same pot.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one more minute or until mixture starts to brown. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and mix in fontina, asiago, and goat cheeses, and salt. Heat 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth, whisking occasionally. Mix cheese sauce with the pasta, chicken, and broccoli in the large pot; stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition: 847 calories, 31.3g fat, 5.6g fiber, 57.5g protein per serving
Cost: $2.20 per serving

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Nutella Gingerbread Scones

December 18, 2011

We currently have a bunch of cookies in our snack drawer at work, and lately I’ve been reaching first for the gingersnaps dipped in chocolate. They are just so good! Then the other day I had a light bulb moment – you know what would be even better? Gingersnaps topped with Nutella! I couldn’t get this idea out of head, but since I’ve been on a bit a cookie overload, I decided to bake some Nutella gingerbread scones instead this weekend.

Baking with Nutella is always somewhat tricky because even if you put a hefty dose of the stuff in your batter, you often can’t really taste it in the finished product. On top of this dilemma, I also wanted to balance the Nutella and strong molasses gingerbread flavors. But don’t worry, I was up for the challenge, and instead of mixing Nutella into my scones, I stirred in both cocoa powder and toasted hazelnut flour, which I bought last summer from King Arthur Flour. I also added molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, and then after the scones cooled, spread a bit of Nutella on top of each one. Is there anything Nutella can’t make better?

Nutella Gingerbread Scones
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup toasted hazelnut flour (I bought mine from King Arthur Flour - but you could also pulse toasted hazelnuts in the food processor until ground to make your own)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons molasses
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup Nutella

Directions:
Heat oven to 375˚F. Place all-purpose flour, hazelnut flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Place flour mixture in a food processor and add in cold butter chunks. Pulse several times with a food processor until a coarse meal forms; place in a large bowl. Mix cream, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract in another small bowl. Stir wet into dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.

Place dough onto a greased pizza pan, knead several times if needed, and form into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into eight wedges and separate the scones on the cookie sheet with a spatula so they are each at least 1 inch apart. Bake at 375˚F for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each scone comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour, and then evenly spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella on top of each scone. Makes 8 scones.

Nutrition: 395 calories, 23.2g fat, 2.6g fiber, 6.3g protein per scone
Cost: $0.66 per scone

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Spiced Caramel Pecan Bars

December 14, 2011

I’m finally starting to get into the Christmas spirit! I’ve been humming along to Christmas carols and doing a bit of online gift shopping. I love finding the perfect little something for everyone. I’ve also already squeezed in a little holiday baking!

I made my first batch of cookies this weekend to share at Shannon’s annual cookie swap! There were tons of decadent treats and such lovely company – Boston really has the best food blogging community. To check out what everyone brought (and vote for your favorite cookie!), check out Shannon’s recap here.

My bar cookie contribution was centered around warm spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and cloves), an ooey gooey layer of caramel, and a crunchy pecan topping. After whipping up a spiced sugar cookie dough, I mixed a small portion of it with both ground and chopped pecans. I baked the remaining dough, topped the partially baked bars with caramel sauce, and then crumbled the pecan dough on top and finished the up in the oven. Yum!

Spiced Caramel Pecan Bars
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground pecans (I pulsed whole pecans in the food processor until ground)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 10-ounce jar Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe’s

Directions:
Heat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract; stir in flour, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, baking powder, and salt until soft dough forms. Place 1/2 cup dough (4.5 ounces) in a medium bowl and stir in ground and chopped pecans; knead until the nuts are well incorporated. Spread remaining dough in bottom of a greased 13×9-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350˚F or until light golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and evenly spread caramel sauce on top. Crumble pecan dough evenly on top and bake an additional 13 to 17 minutes at 350˚F or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour, and cut into bars. Makes 32 bars.

Nutrition: 201 calories, 11.5g fat, 1.1g fiber, 2.3g protein per bar
Cost: $0.26 per bar

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Peppermint Mocha Brownie Bites

December 10, 2011

Whenever I need a little afternoon pick me up at work, I head over to the Starbucks across the street from my lab. I was never really into coffee until a few years ago when I tried lattes – mmm, just thinking about them makes me smile, and since a latte is mostly protein-packed milk, it’s a pretty healthy snack…..right? I especially love going during the holiday season because of all the festive choices – caramel crème brulee, pumpkin, gingerbread – so good! Peppermint mochas are also one of my favorites and I was inspired to make some fun brownie bites with this flavor combination.

I stirred espresso powder and peppermint extract into my brownie batter and baked little brownie cups in a mini muffin pan. As soon as they came out of the oven, I made an indentation in each one with the back of a teaspoon and then filled the valleys with a peppermint espresso chocolate ganache. After the ganache set, I topped them with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. Crushed peppermint candies would be a great garnish too. These would be perfect for a holiday party!

Peppermint Mocha Brownie Bites
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Brownie Bites:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder (I used this one)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Toppings:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
24 tablespoons whipped cream (I just used a spray can)
2 1/2 tablespoons mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the brownie bites, heat oven to 350°F. Microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwavable bowl at high power until the butter is melted, about 1 minute. Stir until smoth, then mix in the vanilla extract. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl and then add in the melted chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until a smooth batter forms; stir in peppermint extract. Evenly spread batter into 24 cups of a greased mini muffin pan. Bake at 350°F for 17 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Immediately press the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon into each brownie to make a round indentation in each mini brownie bite. Let brownies cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack and let brownies cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the ganache by placing regularly sized chocolate chips, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a medium microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds. Continue stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, microwaving 10 additional seconds, if needed; stir in peppermint extract. Evenly spoon ganache into the indentation of each mini brownie cup. Place in the refrigerator and cool for an hour or until set. Right before serving, top each bite with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. Makes 12 servings of 2 brownie bites each.

Nutrition: 260.4 calories, 15.6g fat, 1.3g fiber, 2.7g protein per serving
Cost: $0.47 per serving

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Bacon Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cherry Glaze and Gorgonzola Cheese

December 4, 2011

We’re back from New Zealand! It was an absolutely amazing trip, and I can’t wait recap all the highlights and share a few recipes inspired by our journey! I’ve gotten into the habit of keeping a detailed journal with notes about all our activities and meals whenever we travel, mainly because I don’t want to ever forget a single moment. While I was skimming through it during our flight home, I couldn’t help but start outlining a few recipe ideas. I love how traveling inspires my creativity, even though sometimes it takes a few months before I actually get around to making the dishes. Case in point with these burgers.

When we visited Nosh up in Portland, Maine, back in May, I immediately knew I wanted to recreate their tasty Nosh Burger (pork and beef patty/blue cheese spread/bacon/fried egg/roast garlic sauce/brioche bun), and finally got around to doing so right before we left for New Zealand.

Since I enjoy getting a bit of bacon in every bite, I mixed cooked chopped bacon right in my ground turkey patties instead of putting it on top. I decided to amp up Nosh’s roasted garlic sauce by making a roasted garlic cherry jam glaze, which added a nice sweetness and kept the burgers moist. I struggled a bit with adding the perfect amount of gorgonzola. It can be tricky since you don’t want the blue cheese to overpower the other flavors, but finally got the right balance for my palate with the amount below. Definitely feel free to experiment and see what works best for yours though. Thanks to Nosh for the inspiration!

p.s. Did you notice my cute piggy cutting board in the pic? Nosh is known for their tempura bacon and general pork love, so I couldn’t help but break it out for the photos!

Bacon Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cherry Glaze and Gorgonzola Cheese
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Gorgonzola Cheese Spread:
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
3 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

Roasted Garlic Cherry Glaze:
1/2 head of roasted garlic, finely chopped (I used this technique)
1/2 cup cherry jam
1/8 teaspoon salt

Bacon Burger Patties:
6 hickory smoked bacon slices, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup grated yellow onion
1 teaspoon salt

Assembly:
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted

Directions:
To make the gorgonzola cheese spread, mix gorgonzola cheese, milk, and salt together in a small bowl until smooth and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the roasted garlic cherry glaze, place roasted garlic, cherry jam, and salt in a small bowl and mix well.

To make the bacon burger patties, heat oven broiler. Place chopped bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and sauté for 7 to 9 minutes or until crispy. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels. Place cooked bacon, ground turkey, grated onion, and salt in a large bowl and gently mix all the ingredients together with your hands; form 6 burgers that are slighty larger than your buns. Place patties on a large cookie sheet and broil for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center.

To assemble the burgers, evenly spread gorgonzola cheese spread on the bottom piece of each bun. Place a patty on top and evenly spread the roasted garlic cherry glaze on top of each burger. Add the burger tops and serve. Makes 6 burgers.

Nutrition: 495 calories, 18.3g fat, 5.0g fiber, 32.6g protein per burger
Cost: $1.87 per burger

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Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Pumpkin Bread Croutons

November 27, 2011

I have a love-hate relationship with carrots. Carrot cake is my very favorite (although I’m not sure that really counts!), and I tend to enjoy hearty carrot chunks in vegetable and chicken noodle soup, but raw carrots just don’t do it for me. I always pick around them in salads or pawn them off to Apolinaras. I’ve recently warmed up to roasted carrots though and actually really loved them pureed in this soup, alongside some roasted parsnips.

I mixed the roasted carrots and parsnips with shallots, garlic, and a touch of toasted cumin and ginger to warm things up. Then I pureed the veggies along with some chicken stock and added a touch of cider vinegar for some acid and heavy cream for richness. I garnished the soup with croutons made from pumpkin bread, which I’ve been wanting to make ever since I whipped up these cornbread croutons. So good – roasting veggies always makes them better!

Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Pumpkin Bread Croutons
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
1 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large shallots, chopped (1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 thick slices pumpkin bread (I used my pumpkin beer bread), cut into crouton-sized cubes

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place carrots and parsnips on a large cookie sheet and drizzle evenly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Mix well and roast at 400˚F for 40 minutes or until tender.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add shallots to the pan and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Stir in ground cumin and ginger until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add roasted carrots and parsnips, chicken broth, and salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth; stir in heavy cream and apple cider vinegar and heat 2 to 3 more minute or until warmed through.

Meanwhile, place pumpkin bread cubes on a large cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 400˚F, then flip over the cubes and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Ladle soup evenly into 4 bowls and top with croutons. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 292 calories, 15.6g fat, 5.3g fiber, 5.3g protein per serving
Cost: $1.58 per serving

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White Chocolate Cheesecake Tart with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Cranberry Topping

November 18, 2011

We’re at the San Francisco airport right now, and I’m feeling quite productive working on a blog post while we wait to board our flight to New Zealand! We’re so excited to explore the country and take a much needed break from the daily grind. We’re already off to a great start – we somehow scored exit row seats for the 13 hour flight and enjoyed surprisingly delicious sushi at the airport. The only downside is that we won’t really be celebrating Thanksgiving this year, but if we were home, I know I’d be making this dessert (along with pumpkin pie, of course!).

I started by baking up an oatmeal cookie crust in a tart pan and then filled it with a white chocolate cheesecake and a tart topping made from dried cranberries and lignonberry jam from IKEA. It’s just perfect for any holiday celebration and yes, that’s a Christmas placemat – apparently I got it out early this year! I’m hoping to post about once a week while we’re traveling since I really love blogging, but we’ll see how it goes. I hope everyone in the states has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

White Chocolate Cheesecake Tart with an Oatmeal Cookie Crust and Cranberry Topping
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Oatmeal Cookie Crust:
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups instant oats

White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
2/3 cups white chocolate chips
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cranberry Topping:
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup lingonberry jam
1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
To make the oatmeal cookie crust, heat oven to 350˚F. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and stir until creamed. Mix in vanilla extract and egg; stir in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until soft dough forms. Stir in oats and press cookie crust dough evenly in greased 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom, bake 15 minutes at 350˚F or until light golden brown at the edges and puffed in the middle.

To make the cheesecake filling, place white chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir until smooth. Beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl, stopping to scrape side occasionally, until smooth. Mix in eggs, the melted white chocolate chips, and vanilla extract until smooth. Carefully pour cheesecake mixture into the center of the partially baked cookie crust (the cookie will deflate), leaving a crust around the outside edges. Bake at 350˚F for 28 to 32 minutes or until cheesecake is set around edges and centers are almost set but just slightly wiggly. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely set and chilled.

To make the cranberry topping, place cranberries and jam in a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 1 minute. Spread topping evenly over the cheesecake filling and top with white chocolate chips. Makes 16 servings.

Nutrition: 412 calories, 22.7g fat, 3.0g fiber, 5.3g protein per seving
Cost: $0.47 per serving

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Jerk Chicken and Sweet Potato Pot Pies

November 13, 2011

I’m sort of in denial that it’s somehow already November, but the bright side is that peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes are back, and I’m finally getting some use out of all my cute boots. Plus, now that there’s a bit of a chill in the air, I’ve been brainstorming up some ideas for comfort food! Soup and mac & cheese always top my list, but chicken pot pie also warms me up, especially when it’s topped with puff pastry.

For my version, I made individual servings with my cute little French onion soup bowls again, but any small oven-safe dishes would work well. I couldn’t resist topping them with the aforementioned puff pastry, and I decided to give them a bit of Caribbean twist. I spiced the filling with jerk seasoning and added roasted sweet potatoes and plantains in with the chicken. Ahh, plantains just make me happy, and I really loved this flavor combo. It’s a cold weather comfort dish with some island flare, ironic perhaps, but very tasty!

Jerk Chicken and Sweet Potato Pot Pies
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium yellow plantains with brown-black spots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 box puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place sweet potato pieces on a large cookie sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix until evenly coated with oil and roast at 400˚F for 15 minutes. Add plantains to the cookie sheet, mix well, and roast for an additional 10 minutes at 400˚F or until sweet potatoes and plantains are tender; place roasted veggies in a large bowl.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet and add chicken pieces. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken from heat and place in the bowl with the sweet potatoes and plantains. Add chopped onions to the skillet and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add onions to the bowl with the veggies and chicken and mix well.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and cook one more minute or until mixture starts to brown. Whisk in milk, chicken broth, jerk seasoning, and salt and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened. Place in the bowl with the chicken and veggies and stir until well combined. Evenly distribute filling into 6 mini oven-safe pot pie serving dishes. Place dishes on a large cookie sheet.

Roll out puff pastry and cut to fit over the 6 dishes (I used 3/4 of the package). Place cut puff pastry on top of the dishes. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl; brush egg wash evenly over the puff pastry and poke a few holes in the top of each puff pastry. Bake at 400˚F for 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: 707 calories, 30.2g fat, 5.2g fiber, 46.8g protein per serving
Cost: $2.40 per serving

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