vegetarian

A Valentine’s Day Gift – Almost Nigella Lawson’s Everyday Brownies

It’s Valentine’s Day! Which is practically synonymous with chocolate and love. And I can’t think of a better way to highlight both than to make a batch of homemade brownies. As Nigella says in her book, “It’s not as if I were short of a brownie recipe or two.” I understand that the brownie (chocolatey, gooey, warm…) is highly subjective to personal taste. But I’m going to come right out and say it: This is the best from scratch brownie I’ve ever had.

Makes 16

1 1/4 sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted Butter

1 3/4 cups (packed) light Brown Sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup all-purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

4 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Confectioner’s sugar, to dust (optional)

1 x aluminum foil-lined baking pan approx 13x9x2 (I used parchment paper)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter over a gentle heat in a medium-sized saucepan.

When it’s melted, add the sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon (still over a low heat) to help it blend with the melted butter.

Whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt, and then stir into the pan; when mixed (this will be a very dry mixture, and not wholly blended at this stage), remove from the heat.

In a bowl or pitcher, whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and then mix into the brownie mixture in the pan.

Quickly pour and scrape mixture into a foil-lined baking pan or disposable foil pan, spreading the mixture with a spatula, and cook in the preheated oven for approx. 20-25 minutes. It will look set, dark and dry on top, but when you feel the surface, you will sense it is still wibbly underneath and a cake tester will come out gungy. This is desirable.

Transfer the pan to a rack to cool a little before cutting into 16 pieces and dusting with confectioner’s sugar. I love these gorgeously warm. But then again, I love them cold, too. Actually, when cold they are properly speaking more brownie-like; gooily tender within and chewy on top.

I agree with Nigella completely about the texture… mine were perfectly done in 20 minutes. If you’d like, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. Have a great day full of love (and chocolate)!

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No-Bake Cookies

I know, I know- everyone has a no-bake cookie recipe. But I don’t think I could have a food blog without mentioning my family’s go-to cookie. In fact, this is my second published no-bake cookie recipe. My kids and I make these often, and like to play around with ingredients, chocolates, etc.. But this is the original tried and true recipe. I got it from a book, a gift- from a collection of recipes from the Trinity Wesleyan Church in Jackson, MI… but I know it by heart.

As organic as possible:

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter (I like salted for this recipe) *And sometimes I add a pinch of salt anyway

2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (rounded)

3 cups Oats

In a large heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder stirring often. Bring to boil and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. When it’s all melted and mixed well, add the oats and stir until all of them are coated with chocolatey goodness. Use a spoon to drop little mounds onto sheets of waxed paper. Allow to cool and harden slightly before eating.

Happy Eating!

Marsh-bani Fruit Dip & Fruit Salad

It doesn’t get easier or tastier than this. Honestly it’s just delicious. The fruit dip is sweet and a little tangy, ridiculous when you think about how easy it is. Did I mention it is fat-free? Your taste buds will never know. The yogurt goodness coats the fruit nicely as a dip, but why stop there? The next thought was, oh my goodness, this needs to be in a fruit salad. And can I just tell you, it was stellar. As in: this is what fruit salad needs to taste like for the rest of my life. If you are having a party this weekend, it’s great to serve dip style or in individual cups. So because I really can’t decide which way I like more, I’m sharing both. Lastly, let me just add that if you have any left over, you should throw it into a morning smoothie, because it is awesome… and so are you.

1 cup Marshmallow Creme

1/2 cup Chobani Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and drained

2 large bananas (or 3 medium), I leave mine in the peel and third or quarter

2 apples, cut into wedges (with a couple center slices reserved for garnish)

Dipping fruit of your choice

Garnish with apple slices and fresh mint (optional)

That’s it! Two parts marshmallow creme to 1 part Chobani Vanilla Greek yogurt. Brilliant! I used a hand held mixer (with a whisk attachment) to blend the marshmallow and yogurt in a medium sized bowl. If you are blending by hand, just mix until they are incorporated. Place the mixture into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or until party time), and the marshmallow and yogurt blend will continue to infuse.

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Now if you want to turn it into fruit salad…

Hull and half (or quarter depending on size) your strawberries, peel your bananas and cut them along with the apples into bite size pieces. Place the fruit into a bowl, drizzle with the Marsh-bani Fruit Dip and gently toss. I take the extra step of tossing the fruit salad in a separate bowl from the one I am serving in, especially for a party… but that’s up to you. The dip can be made a day in advance, but I would not dress and toss the salad until ready to serve. Present in a bowl with a serving spoon or in individual serving dishes for guests to help themselves. Indulge yourself in this sweet treat!

 

 

 

Life Bellissima’s Peanut Butter Fudge

I’ve only attempted fudge a few times in my life- and not very successfully. It seems like it should just be something in one’s repertoire. Like every homemaker makes fudge, at least in my mind. Once I even tried making a sugar-free fudge for my diabetic grandmother, which was a disaster. I live hours away from Mackinac Island, where they produce world famous and delicious fudge. It’s just like one of those things that has been a part of my life all of my life. Making good fudge is important! Is it a Michigan thing? Is any of this making sense?

Then came Anna of Life Bellissima. She shared a Peanut Butter Fudge recipe that was special to her, because it’s the same recipe her dad used to make. And I thought to myself, “I’m going to try again.” And I can now feel comfortable saying that I do make fudge- good fudge, successfully (at least one kind of it). I have my own family recipe! My husband and kids loved it, and my kids had fun helping me make it.

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My favorite tip was that Anna said to pour it onto a plate! My first reaction was no way, it’s going to go everywhere and make a hot mess! But, mind you, I’ve never been successful at fudge making. And I thought about the times I’ve tried to dig it out of a baking dish… or try to prep a dish with wax paper. And I trust Anna, and if she said that’s how she does it, then by golly that’s how I’ll do it! I dumped that hot peanut butter fudge right onto a large (buttered) dinner plate, and it worked!


Without further ado, straight from Life Bellissima:

Sue’s Easy 15-Minute Peanut Butter Fudge

*I prefer to use organic ingredients

-In medium saucepan, combine:

1 cup raw cane sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

-Stir with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to softly boil. Cook to 240 degrees. (For some reason, mine tends to heat fairly quickly, and I take it off of the burner at 230 degrees.)

-Remove from heat, and add:

1 cup mini marshmallows (or homemade marshmallow recipe here)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

-Mix with a wooden spoon for several minutes. Candy will become creamy, thicken and start to lose it’s gloss.

-Spread onto a buttered dish (Dad and I always used a large dinner plate.)

-This recipe can easily be doubled.

Thank you Anna for a great new recipe!

And I’ve had a request for Life Bellissima’s Homemade Marshmallow recipe too. Which she got from www.kitchenfrau.com, who got the no-fail recipe from her mother-in-law, Mabel’s cookbook. Don’t you just love modern conveniences? She includes some great step-by-step photos too. (Just click on the website above!)

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I don’t know anyone that doesn’t like a lemon poppy seed muffin. They’re like light little yellow cakes, beautifully polk-a-dotted with tiny black beads. Like little cake pieces of art, that you can eat- that taste like lemon. They are great for luncheons, brunches, and breakfast… nice with coffee or tea. Lemon poppy seed muffins are perfect to serve alone or along side a salad. And they are great in all sizes from jumbo to mini-muffins. I just love ’em.

Makes 12 medium muffins

As organic as possible:

1/2 cup Butter (1 stick), softened

3/4 cup Sugar

2 Eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking soda

2 Tbsp Poppy seeds

zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Milk

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 Tbsp)

1 tsp Vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a standard 12 cup muffin pan and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with a hand held mixer (or a spoon and determination), until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, trying to keep a creamy consistency but not over-beating. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients; flour, baking soda, poppy seeds, zest and salt. Thirdly, in a liquid measuring cup, stir milk, lemon juice and vanilla. Alternate adding and mixing the “dry” ingredients (flour mixture) and the “wet” ingredients (milk mixture) to the creamy butter mixture- just until incorporated. When all ingredients are combined, scoop batter into prepared muffin pan about 3/4 full. (Side note: I like to use an ice-cream scoop to keep an even amount in each cup. It helps them bake evenly.)

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until edges are just starting to brown and cake is light and spongy. Insert a clean toothpick into center muffin to test. If it comes out clean, they’re ready!

 

 

 

The Chef’s Egg Rolls

Can I just reiterate that I love having a chef in my family? This time she gifts us little brown packages of fried Asian awesomeness! One of the best things about homemade is that you get to pick and choose your favorite flavors. And I’m not sure I could get enough water chestnuts, ginger, cabbage, carrots, garlic, soy sauce, etc. wrapped in a crispy egg roll wrapper. In fact, I’m pretty sure I can’t.

Makes about 35 egg rolls
So you will need 30-40 egg roll wrappers depending on how you fill them

4 cans sliced Water chestnuts (drained)
1 10 ounce bag shredded Carrots
4-5 Tbsp chopped Garlic
3-4 Tbsp chopped Ginger
1/4 cup Soy sauce

Stir fry in vegetable oil about 3 mins.
Set aside this mixture

In a stock pot place
10 cups shredded Cabbage (cole slaw is what I used)
2.5 cups Chicken broth (can use vegetable broth)
3/4 cup Soy sauce
3/4 cup reduced sodium Soy sauce
3 Tbs Sugar
Bring all ingredients to to a boil, reduce to simmer for 5 minutes then let cool for 10 mins

Strain cabbage and combine with shredded carrot mixture.

Make a paste with flour about 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water mixed.

Lay the wrapper like a diamond with a corner pointing at you. Place about 3 Tbsp of filling into each egg roll wrapper, across the center (in a line between the two middle corners), then fold bottom corner over filling then both sides, then use finger to apply paste along the edge of top corner and roll the filled wrapper over the pasted corner. Press anything that didn’t seal down and it’s ready for frying.

Side note: I work in batches because egg roll wrappers dry out quickly (not as bad as wonton wrappers) so I make like seven at a time and fry because I can fit that many in my skillet

Fry in a pan with 3/4 inch of vegetable oil in pan, after first side is browned (about 1 minute) turn and brown other side.

Place finished egg rolls on paper towel. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. *Sadie suggests plum sauce 😉

Hot Artichoke Dip

I am a sucker for hot cheesy dips. Melted flavorful cheese is hard to resist. Period. Give me a cracker, a chip, or a spoon.  I know I’m not alone. The best part of these dips is that they are good all year round. Bring ’em to a pot luck or a party; you won’t disappoint anyone. I am also fond of artichokes. They are great hearty and healthy vegetables that can stand up to a lot of flavor. The combination is perfect as an appetizer, for a midday snack or a light meal …A little reminder that food can taste really good.

As organic as possible:

1 – 12 oz jar Marinated artichoke hearts, drained

1 – 14 oz can Artichoke hearts, drained

8 oz Cream cheese

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 tsp granulated Garlic

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground Black pepper

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

3 Scallions (green onion), chopped

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place half of the jar of marinated artichoke hearts into a food processor and set the rest aside. Add the can of drained artichoke hearts, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and scallions into the processor and pulse (not to liquify) until all is incorporated together.

Chop the remaining marinated artichoke hearts into small bite size pieces. In a large bowl add artichoke mixture, chopped artichokes and Parmesan cheeses. Stir until combined. Check for taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Spoon cheesy artichoke goodness into a medium sized baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly (and maybe just starting to brown around the edges). Serve with tortilla chips or crackers. Savor.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Sadie’s Fruitcake

I can’t tell you why fruitcake gets a bad rap. Maybe I haven’t eaten a bad one. I can tell you that I could eat this one every day. I’m really proud of it. A blogger friend of mine, Natascha of Natascha’s Palace, made a fruitcake challenge and I accepted. I’ve tweaked this cake to perfection, if I do say so myself. It’s a little sugar, spice and everything nice (with less emphasis on spice or heavy on the everything). This fruitcake is dense and moist and outright delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

As organic as possible:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/3 cup chopped dates, pitted

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10 cup tube or angel food pan. (Do yourself a favor and do not choose a decorative bundt cake pan, trust me on this one.) Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large a bowl. Gently toss the pecans and walnuts in the flour mixture. Next add the dates. I like to toss these carefully (a few at a time) in the flour nut mixture because they are the stickiest. Once the chopped dates are coated with the flour mixture, add the cherries, cranberries, regular and golden raisins, and coconut. Gently toss until all fruit is lightly coated with flour mixture.

In a separate bowl or in a stand mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and beat with the butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add vanilla, almond extract and lemon juice. Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, a scoop full at a time to creamed butter mixture, until all is combined. (I like to mix this part by hand, to not over-mix.) The batter will be very thick (like the consistency of  a thick drop cookie). Spoon the batter in the prepared pan, and gently even out the top with the back of the spoon or spatula.

Bake the cake for 1 1/2  hours. Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the edges of the cake and place onto cooling rack to cool completely before serving.

 

Chorizo & Thyme’s Quick Chocolate Bundt Cake

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t appreciate chocolate on some level. Some of us appreciate it more than others. I’ve really learned the importance of a good piece of chocolate. If laughter is the best medicine, chocolate has to be the next best thing. My friend Roberta of Chorizo & Thyme has come up with a lovely and quick chocolate cake recipe. It’s just right for a delightful indulgence… with a little more to share.

Now because my friend Roberta lives across the pond on the island of Malta, her measurements are in grams. I felt quite precise getting out my scale (thank you Owen, for my gift several years ago now). I will tell you that preheating the oven to 355° is about right in translation. Because the cake called for natural “yoghurt” I think it’s considered health food, and I really think it helped keep the cake moist. Lastly, the only addition I would make is a pinch of salt, but that’s how I like it. I’ll leave that up to you. Okay, for one more addition, I wish Roberta were here to share a slice over some coffee.

As originally posted at Chorizo & Thyme

For the cake:

250g caster sugar
215g plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
85g good quality cocoa powder
60ml vegetable oil
185g natural yoghurt
170ml water
2 large eggs
For the chocolate topping:

100g dark chocolate
small knob of butter
Preheat the oven to 180°C and brush a deep bundt tin or ring tin with melted butter or flavourless oil.

Put all the ingredients for the cake in a food processor or mixer, or in a simple mixing bowl and mix until all the ingredients are just combined.

Pour the cake batter into your greased cake tin and bake for around 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted somewhere near the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from the tin onto a cake stand or serving plate.

In the meantime melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmer water, adding a knob of butter for extra shine. When completely melted, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cake and you’re done.

Enjoy!

Thanks again Roberta for sharing this quick cake recipe. We really enjoyed it, and I loved sharing it with my guests!

Susan’s Mac & Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese is just such a real comfort food. It’s creamy, hearty and warm, and the perfect remedy for a cold day, rainy day or even a hard day. “Mac” short for “macaroni” is really a blanket term for whichever pasta one happens to choose. Big shells, little shells, cavatelli, cavatappi… cook it al dente, cover it with cheesy goodness and bake it until bubbly perfection. I’m in. This is my sister-in-law’s variation; it’s delicious.

As organic as possible:

8 oz “Mac” noodles (today we’re using medium shells)

1/4 cup Butter

2 1/2 Tbsp flour

2 cups Sharp cheddar

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cups of milk

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Cook pasta just short of the package recommendation (as they will continue to soften in the oven).

In a large sauce pan, make a roux using the flour and butter. (Over a medium heat, cook the flour and butter for a couple minutes, stirring regularly, and keeping watch not to burn.) Add milk, whisk. Add cheese and stir until melted. Mix sauce and noodles cover with bread crumbs or crumbled crackers. Bake until bubbly, about 45 minutes.