Tag Archives ⇒ old_recipes

Foodie Friday – Dark chocolate brownies (revisited)

· Lauren

First of all, I must apologize for neglecting my webpage. Again. I’ve been working on a few posts, but I just haven’t been able to finish any of them. Traditionally there’s a lull in posts in the summer and it seems this year is no different. It’s a lame excuse, I know, and I’m working on rectifying the situation. But for now, check out these amazing dark chocolate brownies!

It took about four iterations, but I finally perfected this dark chocolate brownie recipe. I posted the original recipe last fall (check it out here), but I knew there was room for improvement. So I increased the amount of every ingredient except the eggs, which I reduced. And the result was incredible. These brownies are really dark. Both in the sense of the chocolate flavor and the actual color. Does anyone else sneeze when they eat really dark chocolate? No? Well, it might just be me, but these brownies sometimes make me sneeze. That’s how chocolatey they are. Everyone who tried these brownies loved them, including me. I had to share them with my co-workers because I could have eaten all of them myself. So if you’re looking for a brownie recipe with more chocolate flavor than you could ever imagine, give this one a try!

INGREDIENTS:
1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 c Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
1 c flour

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. You can use an electric mixer, but I usually just use a wooden spoon. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat/stir until combined. Add the flour and cocoa powder and stir until just combined. Spread the dough into an 11×7″ pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. This makes for easy removal from the pan when the brownies are cool and less dishes to wash later. Bake at 350 deg F for 25-30 min, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Don’t overbake! Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Based on Shugary Sweets’ Perfect Dark Chocolate Brownies.

Foodie Friday – Coconut oil roasted green beans

· Lauren

I’ve shared a roasted green beans recipe before (roasted Parmesan green beans back in 2013), but I have much more experience making them now. Just about every week I whip up a batch for my lunches, which means that I’ve absolutely perfected my recipe. And I’ve learned a few lessons from failed experiments too. First of all, coconut oil is a must. The nutty flavor is fabulous. You can substitute olive oil if you want, but I think coconut oil is just a lot tastier. Also, salt is not an optional ingredient. When roasting other vegetables I can simply use a salt-free seasoning (like Mrs. Dash) and they turn out great, but the green beans need salt. Without it they turn out bland and tasteless. so don’t skimp on the salt and pepper. Other than that, these green beans are basically foolproof!

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb French cut green beans (I get the pre-washed bags)
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp coconut oil
Salt
Black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Dump the green beans into a large bowl. If yours aren’t the pre-washed variety, you might need to wash them and snap off the ends first. But I’m lazy and I buy the bagged ones to save time. Put your coconut oil into a small bowl and melt it in the microwave. This should only take 20-30 seconds. My apartment is pretty chilly most of the year so my coconut oil is always solid. Chiseling it out of the jar is a pain, but I think the flavor of the green beans is far superior using coconut oil rather than olive oil. Pour the melted coconut oil over the green beans and stir with a spatula to coat. (I have to do this quickly before the coconut oil solidifies again!) Generously season with salt and pepper, and stir as needed to distribute the spices. Pour the green beans onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray (I use Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray), and spread out as much as possible. A single layer is preferable, but I always have some overlap. Roast at 375 deg F for 15 minutes. Stir the beans and roast for another 10-15 minutes. I always end up cooking them the full 30 minutes because I like it when they start to shrivel and char a little. Enjoy!

Based on The Rising Spoon’s Oven Roasted Green Beans with Coconut Oil.

Foodie Friday – Roasted broccoli

· Lauren

I love roasted broccoli! Seriously, I can’t get enough of it. Every week I make a batch for the lunches I take to work, but it’s always gone too soon. I do my best to rotate other vegetables into my diet (carrots, green beans, asparagus, etc.), but broccoli is by far my favorite. A couple of years ago I shared the Parmesan lemon roasted broccoli recipe that I made for Christmas 2012 so I was already somewhat aware of how delicious it could be. But what I didn’t know is how simple it is to make an amazing vegetable dish for my grain-free homemade meals. Just a few ingredients, less than a half hour in the oven, and you have a healthy and scrumptious side dish that goes with just about any protein. Sometimes I even grab a few florets off the cookie sheet and pop the right into my mouth after they cool. This means my lunches have a little less broccoli, but I can’t resist!

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz broccoli florets (I get the bagged, ready-to-use variety)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (or another 1 Tbsp olive oil)
Seasoning (salt, pepper, or other)

DIRECTIONS:
Throw the broccoli florets into a large bowl, breaking up any that aren’t already bite-sized. Drizzle the olive oil and sesame oil (or just olive oil) over the broccoli and gently stir with a spatula to coat. Season as desired. I haven’t tried every option, but I figure you can use just about any variety of seasonings. Sometimes I use simple salt and pepper, but other times I just sprinkle some Mrs. Dash on the broccoli and nothing else. It’s all a matter of taste. You can’t really go wrong here! As far as how much, I usually add a little seasoning, stir a bit, and then add a little more. Dump the seasoned broccoli onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray (the Trader Joe’s coconut oil spray is my new favorite). Roast a 375 deg F for 15 min, stir, and then roast for another 10 min or so. Check for doneness after 5 min. I like it when the florets start to get a little crispy. So delicious! Enjoy!

Based on Rachel Cooks’ Best Broccoli Ever.

Old recipe – Spiced pumpkin bread

· Lauren

Forgive me for posting more than one recipe in a week, but I haven’t been able to get it together enough to write anything else this in the last few days. I was pretty busy at work last week and I’ve been all over the place this weekend. At the beginning of a weekend I always feel like I have tons of time to do everything that I want to, but then the two days pass so quickly that I hardly know how I spent them. It’s a bit frustrating, really. But that’s a subject for another time.

Getting back to the food, I can’t believe I’ve never posted either of my favorite pumpkin bread recipes before! I must remedy this error as quickly as possible. Since fall technically started last week I decided to bake some pumpkin bread for my co-workers. Of the two most successful recipes I’ve tried, this one is the easiest since it doesn’t require any out of the ordinary ingredients. (The other recipe calls for “cook and serve” vanilla pudding mix which I never have just lying around.) I’ve had a couple of cans of pumpkin sitting in my cupboard since last year, begging to be made into yummy treats, so I didn’t even have to get any at the store before whipping up this delicious seasonal treat! By far the best thing about this pumpkin bread is the mix of spices. I added the pumpkin pie spice myself, and maybe next time I’ll throw in a little cardamom for good measure. You really can’t go wrong. I’m not sure anything tastes more like fall than this pumpkin bread. Plus, the recipe makes 2 or 3 loaves. It’s so good you’ll need that much to go around!

INGREDIENTS:
1 c canola oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
2/3 c water
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 c granulated sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl (or extra large if you have it – this recipe produces a lot of batter!), stir together the canola oil (you can substitute 1/2 c butter and 1/2 c oil if you want), pumpkin, water, eggs, vanilla, and sugar (you can use a mix of white and brown sugars if you want). Add the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice, and stir until combined. Now it’s time to break out the electric mixer (if you haven’t already). Add 2 c of the flour (I used a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour) to the bowl and blend until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Add the other 1 1/2 c of flour and blend until combined. Divide the batter between a couple of greased loaf pans. The original recipe calls for three 7×3″ pans, but since I don’t have any of those I used one 9×5″ pan and one 8×4″ pan instead. Bake at 350 deg F for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Keep in mind that if you use pans of different sizes, like I did, the smaller one will be done faster. Enjoy!

Based on All Recipes’s Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread.

Foodie Friday – Olive oil chocolate chip cookies

· Lauren

I bet you’re thinking, “She finally ran out of chocolate chip cookie variations so she’s rehashing old ones, hoping we won’t notice.” Well, that’s where you’re wrong! I actually have four chocolate chip cookie experiments on deck, but I want to get some photos before I write about them. This means I have to make each one of them again, with perhaps a slight alteration or two to improve the results. But even if all of that wasn’t true, these olive oil chocolate chip cookies are so good that I know you’ll forgive me for not posting something original this week. I originally wrote about these back in January (hence the festive sprinkles in the above photo), but they are so good that I wanted to share the recipe. If it looks familiar, you’re right. This is my perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe with an equal amount of olive oil (extra light – not extra virgin!) substituted for the butter. Using olive oil makes these cookies healthier, and actually simpler too. No melting the butter, or even waiting for it to soften – the oil is already in liquid form! So if you need to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies in a hurry, try this recipe. Believe it or not, you won’t miss the butter!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c extra light olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, cream together the olive oil and brown sugar. You can use an electric mixer for this, but I usually just use a wooden spoon and stir vigorously for a couple of minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat/stir until combined. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour and stir until almost combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, which should help incorporate the rest of the flour. Don’t over mix! Press the dough into an 8×8″ pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. This makes of easy removal from the pan when the cookies are cool and less dishes to wash later. Bake at 350 deg F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Based on Cooking on the Weekends’ Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies and My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Foodie Friday – Grapeseed oil chocolate chip cookies

· Lauren

This is another revisit of a chocolate chip cookie recipe, but an extremely successful and delicious one. Chocolate chip cookies #43 revisited. With some leftover grapeseed oil from my previous batch I figured I’d try making them again, but this time using my personal favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe as a guide. All I did was replace the stick of butter with 1/2 c of grapeseed oil, and I thought the result was awesome! Somehow the cookies had a wonderful buttery flavor without actually including any butter. I don’t know how that happened, but I’m not asking any questions!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c grapeseed oil
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, cream together the grapeseed oil and brown sugar. You can use an electric mixer for this, but I usually just use a wooden spoon and stir vigorously for a couple of minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat/stir until combined. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour and stir until almost combined. Fold in the chocolate chips, which should help incorporate the rest of the flour. Don’t over mix! Press the dough into an 8×8″ pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. This makes of easy removal from the pan when the cookies are cool and less dishes to wash later. Bake at 350 deg F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Based on Cookies and Cups’ Grapeseed Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies and My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Foodie Friday – Indian-spiced almonds

· Lauren

I haven’t done much cooking lately so I’m having to look back pretty far to find recipes to post these days. But there are some chocolate chip cookie recipes calling my name so hopefully that will change soon. For now I’ll have to share a tasty treat that I made for Thanksgiving.

About a year ago I made Indian-spiced chickpeas to share with some friends. I thought the flavor was good, but despite cooking them much longer than the recipe stated, the chickpeas weren’t crispy enough. So when I needed a simple, low carb snack to take to San Francisco for Thanksgiving I tried the same recipe with almonds instead. I actually think it worked out better that way! While they weren’t as popular as the rosemary pecans, but everyone seemed to like them.  So if you’re looking for something quick and healthy give these Indian-spiced almonds a try!

INGREDIENTS:
3 c almonds
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, drizzle the almonds with olive oil and stir to coat. Then add the curry powder, garam masala, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper and stir to evenly coat the pecans with the spices (I used my hands). Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 400 deg F for about 20 minutes, stirring once, or until the nuts are toasted. Be careful not to burn them! Enjoy!

Based on A Spicy Perspective’s Indian Roasted Chickpeas.

Foodie Friday – Coconut oil chocolate chip cookies

· Lauren

I made coconut oil chocolate chip cookies in my 15th chocolate chip cookie variation, but I wasn’t completely satisfied. So a couple of weeks ago I gave it another shot, using my perfect chocolate chip cookie bar recipe as a base. But it took two attempts to get these right. The first batch turned out really oily. I wasn’t sure whether too much coconut oil or too little flour was the culprit, so I slightly tweaked both ingredients the next weekend when I made some more. And I think I hit the jackpot! These cookies are chewy, chocolately, and delicious. You wouldn’t know they were made with coconut oil in place of butter unless someone told you because the coconut flavor isn’t obvious. I’m tempted to add some toasted shredded coconut to these next time (and maybe even some coconut extract for triple the coconut). So if you’re looking for a healthier cookie variety that still tastes like a classic chocolate chip cookie, this is a good place to start!

INGREDIENTS:
Scant 1/2 c coconut oil (6-7 Tbsp or so)
1 c light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl. If necessary microwave the coconut oil for 10-15 seconds until it’s the consistency of softened butter. My apartment is cold so this step is definitely required. Add the sugar to the bowl and cream together with the coconut oil. I used a wooden spoon and a lot of elbow grease to do this, but I suspect an electric mixer would do a better job. Add the egg and vanilla and beat/stir until combined. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour and stir until almost combined. Fold in the chocolate chips which should help incorporate the rest of the flour. Press the dough into an 8×8″ pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. This makes of easy removal from the pan when the cookies are cool and less dishes to wash later. Bake at 350 deg F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Based on Averie Cooks’ Coconut Oil White Chocolate Cookies and My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Foodie Friday – Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars

· Lauren

I almost called this post “Chocolate chip cookies #36 plus” since it is a refinement of my 36th chocolate chip cookie variation rather than something completely new, but this recipe is so good that I wanted to put the name right in the title of the post. These oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars are amazing. When I took them to work on Monday one of my co-workers tried to distract me so that he could run out of my cubicle with the whole box! Yep, they’re good enough to steal. I got the urge to bake some cookies last Sunday, and I’m so glad I did. This recipe is definitely one of my favorites. It’s just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness, and I’m already thinking of ways to take it up a notch. Maybe some butterscotch chips, dried cherries, or M&Ms. And sprinkling some colored sugar on top for the holidays is always a winner. Any way you slice it (pun intended – they’re bar cookies!), these cookies are delicious. I can’t wait for my parents to get here on Saturday so I can eat some more of them!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c flour
1 c old-fashioned oats
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c milk chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. You can use an electric mixer, but I usually just use a wooden spoon. Add the egg and vanilla and beat/stir until combined. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour and stir until almost combined. Fold in the oats, which should help incorporate the rest of the flour. Fold in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough into an 8×8″ or 11×7″ pan lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. This makes of easy removal from the pan when the cookies are cool and less dishes to wash later. Bake at 350 deg F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Enjoy!

Based on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe’s Classic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and My Original Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Foodie Friday – Vegetarian chili

· Lauren

Do you have a vegetarian coming over for dinner? No problem! Make this veggie chili and everyone, including the carnivores, will love it! It’s healthy and delicious. A few days before Christmas I made a pot of this chili for my family and friends side-by side with the incredible turkey chili I posted a couple of weeks ago. That night I actually ate a bowl of the vegetarian chili for dinner and I really enjoyed it. The seasonings are almost the same as the turkey variety except the meat is replaced with carrots, bell pepper, and chickpeas. You can probably add other vegetables too (zucchini, celery, but I wasn’t sure which ones would work best so I erred on the safe side. Potatoes or butternut squash or some kind of grain (like quinoa or lentils) would be good too. So pretty much customize it however you’d like! Next time I’ll make chili I’ll give some of those options a try. Just like the turkey chili, I wrote the instructions for making this chili in a slow cooker since that’s what I would have done if I was in my own kitchen, but simmering it on the stove top for several hours works too. Just leave the lid on, propped open to let steam escape. Delicious!

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 c sliced baby carrots
1 c diced bell pepper (about 1 medium pepper)
1 c diced sweet onion
3 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2 cans (15 oz each) dices tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) reduced sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) reduced sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) reduced sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or pot (nonstick or otherwise, doesn’t really matter). Add the carrots, bell pepper, and onion, stir to coat, and saute until the veggies start to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano,salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if desired). Stir until the spices are well incorporated and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the veggie mixture to the bottom of your Crockpot (I recommend using a liner to make clean up a breeze). Pour the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and drained and rinsed beans and chickpeas on top of the veggie mixture and stir gently to combine. Put the lid on the Crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Enjoy!

Based on Home Cooking Memories’s Veggie Chili.