mini chocolate peppermint cupcakes (or are they brownies?!)

I've never understood the real difference between a chocolate cupcake and a brownie, but whatever.  I picked up some peppermint extract from Trader Joe's today and literally couldn't wait to add it to something chocolatey...so there you go.

mini chocolate cupcakes/brownies
active time: 8 mins | bake time: 12 mins | yields: 6-8 mini cupcakes (or I'd guess 3-4 regular-sized ones)
adapted from here (they've got a legit-looking chocolate frosting recipe o'er there)
ingredients
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar***
3 teaspoons cocoa powder***
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon (dash) salt 
4 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon applesauce
1/8 teaspoon (dash) vanilla extract***
1/16 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)***
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees.  spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray and set aside.
whisk all the dry ingredients together in a small bowl. 
in a second small bowl, combine the wet ingredients. 
add the mixed dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until combined. 
divide batter between six muffing tin cups and sprinkle with chocolate chips. (next time, I'd mix some into the batter too so there's melty chocolate throughout)
bake for 12 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. 
remove from muffin tins and allow to cool before frosting (or don't frost them, like me!  those melty chocolate chips are enough).

these came out chocolatey and light.  they weren't overly sweet.  the chocolate chips on top helped take this from meh to pretty good.  

*** future modifications

I'd consider adding another tablespoon of sugar and another teaspoon of cocoa powder, and will definitely be doubling the amounts of the extracts in the future.

potential twists

add coconut, sliced banana (fresh or chips), peanut butter, chopped nuts, dried berries or serve with ice cream...

chicken & spinach lasagna roll-ups

so I lost the link to where I found this idea and later modified it, but a big high-five to the person who came up with it!  we noticed that this tasted better the second day, so I could recommend mixing up the filling and fridgeing it overnight.

active time: 20 minutes | cook time: 30 minutes | servings: 9 roll-ups

Ingredients:



9 lasagna noodles

2 ½ cups jarred or homemade tomato sauce

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 clove garlic, minced (next time: use more)

1 shallot, diced (next time: use more and/or regular onion)

3 cups fresh spinach

1 frozen basil cube (~1 teaspoon)

dried oregano

garlic powder

onion powder

salt & pepper

2 cups shredded Mozzarella

preheat oven to 350F.

boil 8-10 cups salted water in a large pot and cook lasagne noodles until al dente. (note: it may be worthwhile to add 1 or 2 extra noodles in case of breakage)

drain and rinse the noodles with cold water to prevent them from sticking to each other.

lay out each noodle individually and blot dry with a paper towel.

while noodles are cooking, mix 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella, cottage cheese, spices, frozen basil cube, and cooked shredded chicken in a large bowl.

heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small pan. 

saute shallot, garlic and spinach over medium heat until fragrant, seasoning with salt and pepper.  remove from heat once spinach has wilted and shallot is translucent. 

once cooled slightly, add to cheese and chicken mixture (don't do this right away or your cheese will melt too much). 

season to taste.

spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom of the pan (about ½ cup).

spread about 5 tablespoons chicken cheese spinach mixture evenly over each noodle, leaving the 'last' 2 inches or so bare. start at one end and roll the noodle over the toppings, working toward the 'bare' end.

place the roll-ups in the pan, one by one, seam-side down so they don't come undone.

once they are all in the pan, pour the remaining tomato sauce over and top with remaining cheese.

bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

autumn squash salad

I went on a bit of an aggressive veggie-buying binge recently.  there are worse things to crave.  

I literally threw this together the other night and it tasted like Fall.  it was so simple that I won't even take the time to type out every step.

how long it took

roasted spaghetti squash

active time:  3 mins | cook time: 30-60 mins, depending on size of squash

rest of ingredients

active time: 10-15 mins

yields: up to 6 cups, depending on size of squash

what ended up in the bowl

roasted spaghetti squash + olive oil + sautéed brussels sprouts slaw (from trader joe's, or just use chopped brussels sprouts) + sautéed diced apples + barely wilted spinach + dried cranberries + chopped almonds + a little maple syrup + some lemon juice + spices + shredded cooked chicken = MONEY.

next time, I'd like to caramelize some onion to add to the mix, and/or add some crisp chopped bacon.  

funfetti cupcakes (small batch-style)

because, duh: funfetti.  and cupcakes.

funfetti cupcakes
adapted from here (in fact, go look at those awesome pics cuz my recipe doesn't have one and hers are real pretty)

active time: 5 minutes | cook time: 8-15 minutes | yields: 2 regular-sized cupcakes or 6 mini cupcakes
ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon skim milk
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sprinkles
non-stick cooking spray

directions
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.  set aside.
beat the canola oil, applesauce, egg, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar together.
mix in the flour and baking powder.
add the sprinkles. stir just to combine evenly - don’t overstir!
pour into prepared muffin tin.
bake for about 8-10 minutes for mini cupcakes or 15-18 minutes for regular-sized cupcakes, or until a toothpick/knife comes out clean.
cool, frost, and enjoy.

note
I like to bake my minis for 8 minutes, then turn the (toaster) oven off and crack the door for about 5 minutes, then open it all the way until cool.

beer bread with pears

beer bread is super easy, since the yeast in beer is yeasty enough to make the bread rise.  this recipe is a great way to use up really ripe fruit or a beer that you took a chance on and hate.  in my case, it was a Blue Moon Caramel Apple Spice beer and a dying pear.  I've made regular ol' beer bread with this recipe in the past (and an oatmeal stout beer) and liked it, so I thought I'd toy with it.  the result was pretty good - not really sweet, but not really savory.  next time, I'd probably bump up the amount of sugar a bit, add some vanilla, and try adding more fruit if I have it.

beer bread with pears
active time: 5 minutes | cook time: 60 minutes  |  yields: one loaf (6 to 8 slices)
adapted from here
ingredients
3 cups sifted flour
3 teaspoons baking powder - omit if using Self-Rising Flour
1 teaspoon salt - omit if using Self-Rising Flour
1/4 cup sugar (next time: bump up to 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
(next time: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla)
1 (12 ounce) can/bottle beer
1 chopped pear or apple
1/4 cup melted butter

directions
preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  

mix dry ingredients and beer.  add a little water, if necessary, to get everything all mixed.

mix in chopped fruit.

pour into a greased loaf pan.

pour melted butter over mixture.  sprinkle with additional cinnamon, if desired.

bake 1 hour, remove from pan and cool for at least 15 minutes.

notes
- pouring butter over top before baking creates a very hearty bread with a crunchy, buttery crust. alternatively, mixing the melted butter into the dough results in a softer crust.
- you can omit the sweet stuff to make a savory bread.
- try using rosemary and lemon juice or oregano or other dried herbs/spices instead of the sweet stuff.

horrible photo courtesy of my cell phone.  deal with it.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins

I've been on the hunt for a mini muffin tin for months.  months.  have you seen the limitless options of what you can make in (and on) those things?!

with fall creeping in quickly here in the Midwest, I finally pulled the trigger this week.  I'm a nerd and was so pumped to find a tin that fits in our counter-top toaster oven.  I have a strong sense that this thing will see a lot of work on Sunday mornings this fall and winter.

these were supposed to be more like cake-style donut holes, but mine ended up as straight muffins.  good ones, too.

pumpkin-spiced mini muffins
adapted from here and here
active time: 20 mins | cook time: 12 mins | yield: 24-28 mini muffins 
ingredients
for muffins
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon ginger + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for spiced sugar topping 
(these are approximations only - modify as you'd like.  bonus: if you make too much, you can use the spiced sugar in morning coffee)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

directions
preheat oven to 350F. lightly grease two mini muffin tins with butter or cooking spray.  set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, milk, pumpkin, sugar, applesauce, brown sugar (work out those clumps), melted butter, and vanilla.

sift in baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and flours. mix until just combined. 

using a tablespoon, drop batter into preparted muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (12 on the nose for me!).  let cool in tins for 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack.

just before serving, mix sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a ramekin or shallow bowl.  dip one muffin's top into melted butter and use it to apply some butter to another's top, like a sponge brush.  this will help avoid dripping butter into your cinnamon sugar and getting clumps.  roll the tops of the muffins in the spiced sugar mixture.

note
if you plan to store these in a plastic baggie or any sort of storage container, don't add the spiced sugar topping until you're ready to eat them.  the sugar 'melt' under the humidity and make a mess of things.

whole wheat bread in a crock pot

who doesn't love the smell of fresh-baked bread?  and who can help but love coming home to a warm, slow-cooked meal?  tonight was spaghetti night, and nothing goes better than crusty bread to sop up that sauce.  thanks to good ol' pinterest, I didn't have to leave the house to get a loaf and I didn't have to babysit a hot oven all evening.  I yoga-ed and dodged raindrops instead.

this is a quick peasant bread, meaning that its pretty dense and not particularly tall. (this is one of those moments where I'd love to have a peasant friend so I could add something funny here about his or her lack of smarts and height challenges, but I don't currently know any, so...).  there's no resting the dough, so it won't rise much but will save a ton of time.  it's a solid side for soups, stews, chilis, and soppin' up sauces.

whole wheat bread in a crock pot
adapted from here
active time: 15 minutes | cook time: 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on the crock pot | yield: 1 6-inch diameter round loaf

ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (could use honey)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking yeast
1 1/8 to 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (don't do what I did and accidentally triple this because you're not paying close attention to your fractions when you halve a recipe.  whoops.  I noticed it in the end result...the Boy did not.  he's got a pretty sophisticated palette.)

directions
stir together the water, sugar and yeast, and let sit 8-10 minutes for the yeast to bubble.

add 1 cup of the whole wheat flour to the yeast mixture, followed by the olive oil and salt.  stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to develop the gluten in the wheat.

gradually mix in as much of the remaining flour as you need to create a dough that does not stick to your hands, but remains slightly sticky.   knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding flour when dough becomes sticky.  shape dough into a ball.  (optional: for decoration, make a few cuts [or a cute shape, see below] on the top of the bread with a sharp knife, cutting approximately 1/4-inch deep.)

spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (could use parchment) and place the ball of dough in the middle.  cover the cooker with 2 layers of paper towels and top with the lid.  bake on LOW until the top and sides are lightly browned (1 1/2 to 3 hours - I popped the lid about an hour in and probably shouldn't have.  I think a lot of heat escaped and made my cooking time insanely longer).  remove with a metal or silicone-tipped tongs.  cool on wire rack. 

curry nut chicken

this is about as close as I can get to homemade butter chicken.  there are endless variations, too.

curry nut chicken
adapted from ??
yield: 4-6 servings / active time: up to 45 minutes / total time: up to 90 minutes (if you cut the chicken smaller and cook it through more before adding tomatoes, etc, your time can get down to 60 minutes...though the flavors aren't as thouroughly developed.  it'll still be awesome.)

ingredients
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (could use up to 3/4 cup, depending on your preferences)
2 cups onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (do not use less than 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (note to self: when cooking for the Boy, use less)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and soaked in water and/or lemon juice as long as possible
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons (6 cubes) Trader Joe's frozen cilantro cubes, or up to 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup cashews or almonds
1/2 to 3/4 cup greek yogurt

optional 
diced potato or sweet potato; spinach; golden raisins; chopped nuts
accompaniment
cooked rice, quinoa, or couscous
garnish
fresh cilantro, chopped

directions
head butter in a large, wide, heavy pot or wok over moderately low heat, until foam subsides.  cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

add curry powder, salt, cumin, paprika, and chili powder.  cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

turn heat up to medium or medium-high.  add cubed chicken, chick peas, and potatoes if using, stirring to coat, and cook 3-7 minutes (depending on how quickly you'd like to eat...cook for fewer minutes if you've got the time to spare, more minutes if you don't)

add tomatoes, their juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer.  cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have combined, 30-35 minutes.

just before serving, throw a couple handfuls of spinach and/or the raisins into the pot, if using.  pulse cashews or almonds in food processor until finely ground.  add finely ground nuts and yogurt to curry and simmer gently, uncovered, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  if you're counting on leftovers, scoop those out into storage container before this step.  then, when you're ready for leftovers, do this.  don't do it too early or things'll get soggy.  spoon over rice, quinoa or couscous.

note
curry, without yogurt and cashews or almonds, can be made up to 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before chilling, covered.  reheat over low before stirring in yogurt and cashews or almonds.

homemade (and way cheap!) granola

add this to some greek yogurt or ice cream.  or a spoon.

homemade granola
adapted from too many recipes to bother linking
makes about 3 cups (a quart-sized ziploc)
active time: 15-20 minutes / cooling time: 30 minutes / totally done in: 1 hour
ingredients
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup sliced/chopped nuts/seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc)
1/4 cup dried sweetened coconut (A: you could leave this out altogether [lookin' at you, Summer]; B: I'd rather use unsweetened coconut but can't find that stuff anywhere)
sprinkle o' cinnamon

directions
spread oats on baking sheet and toast under broiler, stirring occasionally.  keep a close eye on them so they don't burn!  remove from oven and set aside.  turn off broiler.

if using raw nuts/seeds, toast 'em in a dry pan over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.  I chose to do this separately from the oats so the nut/seed oils wouldn't mix in with the oats and possibly sog things up.

at this point, I scooped the toasted oats and nuts/seeds into a giant liquid measuring cup so it'd be easier to dump them into the skillet later.  this was a really good move, since attempting to pour the oats from a giant rectangular pan into a much smaller circular one would have been certain disaster.

in a medium skillet, melt butter.  add honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt, cook for 1 minute.  add toasted oats and nuts/seeds, cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.  mix in dried fruit and coconut, cook 1 minute more.

spray baking sheet lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  spread granola evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon.  throw the whole thing back on the top rack of the still-warm oven for 15 to 30 minutes to get everything nice and crunchy.

remove from oven and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before shovelling into your face or a plastic bag for storage.  

next time: 
- since the coconut was sweetened and raisins are pretty sweet on their own, I'd probably cut back the brown sugar to 1 tablespoon.  if I'd used just cranberries, I'd leave the brown sugar measure at 2 tablespoons
- I'd stir it around a little less after it comes out of the oven to leave some bigger chunks intact

(faux) banana ice cream

just do it.

(faux) banana ice cream
ingredients
ripe banana(s)
a freezer
about 8 hours

directions
slice a ripe banana into coins. 
freeze ‘em solid. 
throw the chunks in a food processor and hit go, scraping down the sides periodically and adding a splash of milk if needs loosening. 

there you are, Peeeter.

its crazy, and comes together really suddenly. some good mix ins (I recommend blending 'em in, then popping the whole thing in the freezer for a few minutes, since the other ingredients'll bring down the temp of the ice cream and make it melt): peanut butter, frozen strawberries, chocolate chips…the options are endless.  I like mine best top with something crunchy, like crumbled homemade kind bars.

DIY KIND bars / fruit & nut bars

the Boy loves-loves-loves Clif bars and KIND bars and the like.  I love to cook and bake and figure out how to make things for a fraction of the market price.  I stumbled across a recipe on a blog and the rest is history...
fruit & nut bars (knockoff KIND bars)
adapted from here
ingredients
1 1/3 cups toasted or raw nuts, coarsely chopped after measuring
1/4 cup crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup seeds
1/3 cup dried fruit, chopped after measuring
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
1/4+ cup honey (see notes, below)
directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. line an 8-inch square pan with foil and lightly spray with non-stick spray (if you don't, you'll be sorry!).  tear off a separate piece of foil for pressing, spray with non-stick spray and set aside. 
in a medium bowl, combine the chopped nuts, seeds, and chopped dried fruit.  add salt and honey, stir to coat evenly.
scrape/dump mixture into prepared pan. Use sprayed foil piece to to press mixture evenly into pan.
bake for 18 minutes (the bars will not be hard at this point). place pan on cooling rack and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes until partially set up.  use the sides of foil to lift the bars from the pan. do NOT try to remove from foil at this point — they're not ready yet! cut into 8 bars.
allow bars to cool completely. once cooled, the bars will lift right off of the foil. Wrap in cling wrap, parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

notes
the first time we made these, we didn't use enough honey.  the second time, there was too much and the bars didn't really solidify.  I'll try about 1/3 cup next time, that might be the winner.
optional
for just nuts bars: omit seeds and dried fruit, increase nuts to 2 cups, keep other ingredients and process identical. 

rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins

we tend to overbuy bananas.  so we get ambitious, whatever.  at 19¢ apiece, I don't let 'em go to waste.  this is a tweak of one of my previously-posted recipes.  there's booze in this, so I'm obviously pleased.


rum-roasted banana oatmeal muffins
adapted from here and adding a twist to my own concoction born here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins

ingredients for rum-roasted bananas:

3 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoons dark rum


ingredients for muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (from above)


directions for rum-roasted bananas:
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. peel the bananas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  sprinkle with brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and rum.  wrap loosely (but securely, or you'll get a mess!) and roast in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.  allow to cool.


note: do yourself a favor here and spoon into a little dish all the goop that the 'nanas'll be swimming in.  use it as a topping right when you serve these muffins and you'll be cooler than an American Gladiator in the mid-90s.  it doesn't appear to set up/harden much, so it probably isn't the best to use for muffins to be stored.


directions for the muffins:
while bananas cool, crank oven heat up to 400 degrees F.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas.


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.


line muffin tin(s) with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes

whoa.  these are awesome.


whenever I make something and take my first bite, the sentence I utter usually starts with "next time, I'll ___".  we're all our own biggest critic, right?  to be honest, I can think of few instances in which I didn't find something I wished I'd done differently.  these cheesecakes currently top my don't-you-dare-touch-this-recipe-it's-perfect list.


berry compote-topped mini cheesecakes
adapted from here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 25 minutes | yields: 6 cupcake-sized cheesecakes
ingredients

for the graham cracker crusts
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted


for the mini cheesecakes 
1 (8 ounce) package light/reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature


for the berry compote
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, anything goes!)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest


directions
preheat oven to 325 degrees F. grease a 6 cup muffin pan, or line with paper cupcake liners.


in a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter with a fork until combined. measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing down firmly. bake for 5 minutes, then remove to cool.


while the mini crusts cool slightly, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. mix in the egg and whisk until smooth.


pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full.  bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes. cool completely in pan before removing. refrigerate until ready to serve.


just before serving, remove cheesecakes from refrigerator and remove paper liners.  bring a small saucepan to medium heat, add berries, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.  heat slowly, squishing some berries with the back of a spoon.  once the berries have released about half of their juices, add remaining 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.  spoon compote over chilled cheesecakes, top with sliced almonds and serve.

black bean & quinoa burgers

I try to mix it up, and aim to prepare one vegetarian meal per week.  most weeks, its easier to just use meat when I fail to plan ahead.  the grill has been getting w.e.r.k.e.d since the weather's been so nice, and these feel grilled without having to use up any more propane.  these were surprisingly easy, really quick, are high in keep-ya-full protein, and came together just like normal burgers would have.  I have a feeling they'll be added to the rotation 'round here.

black bean & quinoa burgers
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes | cook time: 12 minutes | yields: 4 decent-sized burgers
ingredients
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup Trader Joe's broccoli slaw (could use grated carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, or even coleslaw)
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (here's how I made my own!)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder blend (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 large egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 whole wheat english muffins, bread slices, or burger buns


directions
prepare quinoa according to package instructions.  if the package gives a range of minutes, use the shorter time period, as the quinoa will cook a bit more once its part of the burger.

pulse broccoli slaw in food processor into 1/8-1/4 inch bits.

in a medium bowl, give the beans a rough mash with a fork, leaving some beans whole. mix in quinoa, broccoli slaw, bread crumbs, cilantro, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and egg. mix with your hands, and score a + sign across the top.  separate the mixture along the lines you've 'drawn', and pack into 4 similarly-sized patties.

heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  once oil is hot, gently drop in patties, cooking for approximately 5 minutes per side. just before flipping, spray/brush/drizzle a little oil on the uncooked side to protect it from sticking to the pan and to help it crisp up the 'meat'.

serve on toasted english muffin, topped with your favorite burger ingredients.  store in refrigerator, wrapped in foil.  these reheat just fine, but do dry out a little bit.  I recommend frying up an egg to top your leftover burger to give it a little extra moisture.

note to self (08.28.2012): don't try to up the moisture levels by adding liquid to the dried breadcrumbs and letting 'em soak...the burgers'll fall apart and you'll have to put 'em over a giant salad and top them with ranch dressing and Kinder's barbeque sauce and a fried egg, which isn't so bad, but still.

strawberry lemonade bars

it seems that every summer, I get on a super lemon kick.  all lemon, all the time.  thanks to a recent Costco visit, our freezer subsists solely of frozen strawberries, so I've been looking for uses.  on an unseasonably cold and rainy day a while back, I itched for some sunshine in edible form, and these guys were born.


strawberry lemonade bars
for the oatmeal-pretzel crust
adapted from here
prep time: 5 minutes | cook time: 10-12 minutes | cooling time: 20 minutes
ingredients
1 cup finely crushed pretzels
1 cup slightly crushed quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted


for the bars
adapted from here
prep time: 15 minutes | cook time: XX minutes | yields: 9 2x2-inch bars
ingredients
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup liquid honey
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup strawberry juice and pulp (from about 2 1/2 cups frozen berries, thawed)




directions
preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  pulse preztels in a food processor until they resemble graham cracker crumbs.  dump into a small bowl and set aside.  separately, pulse oatmeal slightly, just to break up some of the big bits - don't grind it up too much: chunks now = sugary buttery crunchy chunks later.  add melted butter and sugar, stir to combine.  spread in 8x8-inch pan that has been coated with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper, working crust up the sides of the pan.  bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.  let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.




((note: this is a ton of butter, right?  I think you could probably get away with about 1/2-2/3 of the amount, but I'll report what I did this time around.  next time though, I'll use way less so I'll feel way less guilty housing a whole pan...alone.))


while your crust cools slightly, puree thawed berries in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender.  measure and set aside approximately 1 cup puree/juice.


in a large bowl, whisk together eggs and flour until no lumps remain.  add honey (warm the honey just slightly if it’s solid), lemon zest and freshly-squeezed juice.  whisk together until smooth.  finally, add in the strawberry puree and whisk together again.


pour the mixture over the slightly-cooled crust and place in 350 degree F oven.  bake 28-30 minutes until the filling is set (the very center may still wiggle a little, but will set completely as it cools).


remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares (or eating directly from the pan).  store remaining bars (yeah, right) in the refrigerator, in the pan covered in plastic wrap.


optional
dust with powdered sugar just prior to serving

banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries

I had some bananas that needed using.  isn't that always why we make banana bread/muffins/anythings?!  like, I've never walked into a store with 'old brown bananas' on my shopping list.  anyways, I also had a handful of cherries lying around, so I worked those bad boys in, too.  on to the good stuff...these came out really moist and are reasonably healthy since they're oil-free.


banana oatmeal muffins with roasted cherries
adapted from here and here
prep time: 20 minutes |  cook time: 18-20 minutes  |  yields: 18 muffins
ingredients

1 cup cherries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas


directions
preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  halve/pit the cherries and place them cut-side-up in a foil-lined pan.  sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and roast for about 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  


drop the heat down to 400 degrees F and allow the roasted cherries to cool slightly while preparing remaining ingredients.


combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon.


in a separate small bowl, mash bananas and roasted cherries.  (alternative: if you'd rather have chunks of cherries throughout the muffins, chop them roughly and toss 'em into the dry ingredient mixture listed above.  then, proceed as directed below.  a coat of dry ingredients will help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the tins when baking.)  


in a large bowl, beat egg whites lightly. stir in the milk, applesauce, and vanilla. add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. stir the flour mixture into the banana/cherry mixture until just combined.  


line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray a silicon muffin tin with non-stick spray.  fill tins approximately 3/4 full and bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.  turn out onto wire rack for cooling.


optional
before baking, top with toasted chopped nuts and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  pick up tin and drop onto flat surface to help nuts/sugar really stick to the batter.

(r) roasted cherry chunk (l) topped with dry roasted pecans

{celebrating 10,958 days: Blackbird + The Signature Room + iNG + BigStar}

as a new Chicagoan with a mission to enjoy all that this amazing city has to offer, my thirtieth birthday was (shockingly!) centered around food.  

we started with lunch at Blackbird, a restaurant that's been perched (see what I did there?  perched?! like a bird!??!) near the top of my 'must try' list.  

since Rob and I really need no excuse to imbibe, and actually had an excuse, we ordered (left to right):

Something Borrowed and New: XXX Shine (white whiskey), stewed citrus fruit, Bittermans Hellfire Habanero Shrub

Blackbird Orange: Murphy's Law Reisling (wine), Bianco Vermouth, Pharoah's lemon peel, orange-ginger puree

I still don't understand like two-thirds of the ingredients, but the drinks were good.  really flavorful, citrusy, and not overly sweet.

I ordered from the lunch prix fixe menu, and got an appetizer, entree and dessert.  Rob spotted one thing he wanted and didn't need to look any further...

our appetizer: kombu cured fluke (fish) with spring mojo verde, spruce tips and lardo

the fish was really light and delicate, and a bite with a little of everything was awesome.  you can barely see the flakes of salt, which added a ton o' flavor.

my entree: wood-grilled sturgeon (fish, again) with green cabbage (braised), enoki mushrooms (those little fried 'trees'), walnuts and kaffir lime (sauce)

wow - this was super flavorful.  a little smoky, with lots of different textures.  sturgeon is pretty meaty, so I actually had a difficult time finishing the entire thing.  I was a pinch disappointed by how salty it was, but good nonetheless.

Rob's entree: short rib burger with smoked provolone, capers, pommes frites (fries!) and a (pickled) spring squash salad

sweet jeebus, I will never not want this in my mouth.  so meaty and tender.  those fries...gah.  I would go back just for this dish.

our dessert: espresso chiffon (cake cubes) with blood orange segments, honey and turnip ice cream

I tend to gravitate toward the 'odd' when it comes to food.  my m.o. is to never order something I can ever make myself.  I often ask for the strangest item on the menu, because life is too damn short to eat boring food.  so yes, you read that right: turnip ice cream. and did it ever taste turnip-y!  the candle was a cute little touch, too.  the little white chunks had the shape, size, and texture of a macademia nut, but tasted kinda earthy.  odd.  and awesome.

after lunch, Rob packed up his work stuff and we headed home for a pre-dinner nap.  on our way to dinner, we headed up to the 96th floor of the Hancock building for a drink at the Signature Room.  the building is so tall you can actually feel it sway in the breeze.  the views are stunning, as expected.  the drinks are stronnnnnng. (have I mentioned that one of my fave things about this city is that I never ever ever have to worry about drinking and driving, since we don't even have a car?  cabs are cheap enough)

looking North, toward our neighborhood

we actually tried to spot the buildings near our place, but we live a handful o' miles away, so it wasn't easy...besides, we were focused on the beverages (and making our dinner reservation!)...

take a guess as to who ordered what...

Strawberry Mojito: the usual mojito ingredients with muddled strawberries

Lake Shore Martini: Grey Goose vodka, Marquis sparkling wine, raspberry liqueur

my drink bordered on paint-thinner, it was so potent.  it was fun to look out over the city and find our fave spots with a drink in hand.

the sun was so bright from the west that half of the pics were silhouettes..whatevah.

a quick cab ride (with an awesome Romanian cabbie...so funny) later, and we pulled up at iNG restaurant (it lives right between Moto and Next...holy shit.  the Fulton Market area is a gee-dee food mecca.)

iNG is a tasting restaurant, with a set 6-course menu featuring really cool and creative drink pairings.  it's a sister restaurant to Moto, which features waaaaay more courses.  to be perfectly honest, I'd never even heard of iNG until Friday.  Rob did a ton of research and knew a lot about it, but had suggested that I just go with the flow and do the digging later, so I did.  as if I weren't excited enough for a 6-course paired tasting menu (my mouth is watering just typing that.), Chris Jones from Top Chef season nine friggin' greeted us as we walked in.  not kidding.  what a surprise ... everything Rob had read said that he typically didn't work in both kitchens, so it was such a cool twist.

I watch a ton of Top Chef, and always joke that the appetizers I make at home are amuse bouches.  you can probably imagine how stoked I was to have a little bite placed before me (with a glass of champagne, since they discovered it was my birthday!).  instant baller status.  these little popcorn balls were filled with honey and seasoned with Old Bay seafood seasoning.  such a fun, yummy start to the meal.  

nothing about this place it typical.  the menus were folded up as cubes, and I almost destroyed mine trying to get it open.  Rob had no trouble with his, which was pretty ironic.  the menu only listed a few key words for each course, to leave a little bit lot of mystery.  we were encouraged to go as quickly or as slowly through the courses as we wished, and took full advantage (more on that later...).

we decided to kick off (continue???) the celebration with some fun beverages before diving into dinner.  per our server's expert suggestion, we tried (left-right):

my champagne

Domaine du Salvard's Cheverny: Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend

The Kimura: vodka, St. Germaine (elderflower liqeuer), aperol and grapefruit

that Cheverny was so awesome.  it had the perfect blend of Chardonnay's buttah and Sauv Blanc's bright and floraly notes.  the Kimura was really complex, despite the simple list of ingredients.

after beverages, we alerted Scott that we were ready to get our show on the road.  most of the meal was focused around the South African miracleberry, which affects the tastebuds that pick up sour/bitter notes and makes them register sweetness.

our first course was called strawberry rhubarb, and featured the most melt-in-your-mouth olive-poached salmon.  holy crap.  the rhubarb element was in the rhubarb-jalapeno vinaigrette served in a little pipette, alongside the ginger-dressed arugula salad and the carbonated orange.  we were instructed to try each component individually, then together.  next, we should let a little bit of miracleberry dissolve on our tongues, and then repeat the process.  it was awesome.  sweet stuff was a little sweeter/brighter, and the acid in the vinaigrette and ginger dressing totally changed.

please pardon the dark pics, but that up there is a shot of two test tubes on the rocks.  one contains sour ale, and the other holds Lambic vodka, green chartreuse, cherry, and lime.  as with the food, we were told to try each part, then mix them up however we liked in the rocks glass, and then try it with the miracleberry.  pretty damn cool.  the ale was definitely sour, and really played off the ginger in the salad. 

our second course was called the thaw, and blew me away.  pork belly sat atop a kombu noodle with maitake mushrooms and puffed rice, and was dusted with a 'snow' of ...get this...pulverized packaging peanuts (a.k.a. cornstarch).  kombu broth was poured over the top and the snow melted into deliciousness.  the pork belly was a little crispy, even after spending some time in the broth.  there were so many flavors happening at once that it should have been a disaster, but it just flowed so well.  this course was served with a hoppy Belgian pale ale called Atomium by Brouwerij Van Steenberge.  we typically don't love Belgian beers, but this one was really tasty and not too 'white'.  I'd drink it again...

the third course was baozi gyro, a fusion of Greek and Chinese flavors.  each of three jazzed-up Greek flavors was nestled on a tender bao bun.  braised lamb and hummus were awesome, I absolutely loved the tzatziki (with fennel, an olive tapenade and crispy parsley!), and Rob's favorite was the tabbouleh.  another Belgian ale make this little dish feel like a whole meal (you'd be shocked how filling these seemingly little portions can be!), this time a brown ale from the Abbaye de Leffe.  the beer was caramel-y and butterscotch-y and has definitely been added to my list of faves.

up next was april showers, a deconstructed chicken pot pie which looked like bars of sudsy soap!  the little dollops of 'shampoo and conditioner' were added at the table from those travel-sized squeezey bottles.  such awesome and thoughtful and fun touches.  one bar of soap was butter-poached capon (male chicken), and the other was a leek confit.  the suds were a pastry cream foam flavored with carrot and celery.  the shampoo was actually a spinach and cauliflower puree, and the conditioner was a puree of turnip and garlic.  I remember this course being the most filling, and taking a long time to eat...I just kept hopping around from bite to bite, mixing and matching.  the wine paired with the dish, a 2010 J. Hofstatter Lagrein from Alto Adige, Italy, was rich and refreshing.  I'd never heard of a Lagrein before...it was rad.

look at that teeny tiny carrot!

our fifth course, the first of two desserts (!!), was may flowers: a lime curd layered with andiginous hazelnut and tea cookie, and topped with edible flowers.  it was like a new-and-improved version of crushed Oreo + chocolate pudding mud pie, minus the gummy worms.  this course was served with a hefty dose of miracleberry and lemon slices.  the idea here was to try the potted dessert on its own, which tasted limey and tangy and sweet.  the addition of hazelnut was awesome and made it almost a little earthy.  then, we let the miracleberry dissolve on our tongues for about 45 seconds before biting into the lemon slice - it totally tasted like a pink lemonade!  then, with the berry still coating our tongues, we dug into the dessert again...and it tasted like an orange creamsicle.  in.sane.  the wine served with this dessert, a (hold on here, this name's a lonnnng one:) a 2009 Reisling Kabinett by Paul Anheuser Schlossbockelheimer Konigsfels was light enough that it didn't overpower the amazing flavors, but could stand on its own.

lastly, we had an easter egg hunt: black forest cake, with brandied cherry nibs, white chocolate shell, liquid-nitrogen-created chocolate drops, with phylo 'grass', a cherry gastrique and cherry dust.  so. much. chocolate.  the textures really played well together.  the cocktail pairing here was a Makers Mark whiskey with a touch of Kirsch, cream and vanilla, and served with a vanilla-chocolate truffle with a Cadbury gel.  such a perfectly sweet way to finish off an amazing meal...

after our five-hour dinner (whoopies), a long chat with Chris (sidenote: I joked with him at one point, joking that "sorry by ya'lls food sucks", which he though I meant seriously and resolved to send out course after course until I changed my mind...eeek!), and some quality time getting to know our amazing server-slash-up-and-coming-chef, Scott, we were invited to take a tour of the kitchen!  VIP treatment...it was so fun.  we chatted with the executive chef, Nate Park, about how their systems worked and how he comes up with the ideas for dishes.  after such an tremendous experience upstairs, it was really fun to peek behind the scenes and be able to compliment the team first-hand.  after our 6:30pm reservation, we finally left (stuffed, buzzed and really happy!) around midnight...

update/ed note: so I found a video explaining all of the courses in a waaaaaay better manner than I've done above.  I'm not going to bother going back to change any of my words above because I prefer to leave this account just as I experienced it, and I do notice a few little tiny differences, but here are the pros themselves explaining what we ate.

*****

the shenanigans continued on Saturday with one of my favorite activities: day drinking.  few things top getting buzzed in daylight (paired with snacks, natch), getting to bed at a decent hour, and actually being able to function the next day.  boom.

we started with a long and boozy brunch at Stanley's with our friends, Chris and Jen.  then we made our way to Big Star, a sister restaurant to Blackbird, for some killer tacos and $1 Schlitzs (I know, right?!?!).  we wrapped up the afternoon at Northside Bar & Grill before hitting the couch with a movie and some leftover pizza.  perfect. Saturday.

Sunday was for recovery, eating (mostly) healthfully, and scoping out bikes for tooling around our city. between the unreal food options and the fun, friendly people, this place just keeps growing on me...

if you couldn't tell from the post above, Rob absolutely KILLED it with the birthday celebrations...I am so so so appreciative and so very lucky to have him in my life. I couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate my 10,958th day on this planet.