Toffee Triangle Cookies

Tis the season to bake cookies and boy, do I bake some cookies.  Holiday baking has been an obsessive hobby of mine since I was very, very little.  I take pride in accurately measuring each ingredient and decorating every single cookie to perfection.  Ironically, this only pertains to holiday baking.  Any other time of the year, I have no patience for the precision that is required for the art of baking.  That being said, I try to take advantage of my inclination when it strikes.  Every year around this time, I wrap up my final exams, put on some holiday tunes and turn my kitchen into my own personal rendition of Santa's bake shop.  Every single recipe I make is very special to me; most of them are passed down from my Oma and have become holiday staples in my mother's kitchen, year after year.  This is only my humble interpretation of my mom's cookies, which always seem to turn out better than mine, simply because they are made with so much love. 

What makes this bite better?

Love.  Lots and lots of love.

 Toffee Triangles 

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Approximately 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg yolk
2 cups of flour
10-12oz Chocolate (milk, dark or a combo!)
Sea Salt

Mix together butter and brown sugar then add the egg yolk and vanilla.  Add flour.  Grease a large cookie sheet with butter and then press dough evenly into the sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden.  Remove from the oven and immediately place chocolate pieces onto the cookie.  Spread evenly. Sprinkle walnuts and sea salt to finish. Gently press the walnuts into the chocolate. Let cool completely and store in the refrigerator until needed.  Cut diagonally into triangles.  Store in an air tight container. 

Spicy Cauliflower

Thanksgiving this year, as in every year past, was fantastic.  It was filled with family, friends, laughs and of course, too much food.  When the preparation responsibilities were divvied up,  I was assigned the obligatory task of preparing "healthy" sides. I was determined to prepare vegetables that upstaged even those dishes covered in cream sauce and marshmallows.  I wanted to prove a point. Vegetables are just as tasty, exciting and essential to a holiday spread as any other dish.

What makes this bite better?
If you are going to prepare a spicy dish to compliment any meal, it should be Thanksgiving.  A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that adding red pepper to a meal significantly decreased subsequent calorie intake- a real benefit on a day when calorie counts are through the roof!  The researchers also found that chili may stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for our bodies internal processes including digestion. The benefits of chili pepper were further highlighted in an article published in a Harvard Health Letter that showed adding chili to a meal reduces appetite, increases metabolism, speeds up fat oxidation and regulates insulin levels.  On a day like Thanksgiving, when our bodies can absolutely use a little help in digestion, limiting calorie intake and controlling blood sugar, spice it up!  Keep this recipe on hand for the days of heavy eating that lie ahead.

Spicy Cauliflower

1 head of cauliflower

2 red chili peppers 

3-4 large pieces of garlic

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Parmigiano reggiano cheese

Lemon

Salt

Pepper

Clean and cut the cauliflower into bit size pieces.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toss the cauliflower lightly in olive oil.  Spread evenly on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Toss frequently to cook evenly on all sides.  Cut the chili pepper and garlic and place in a bowl. Add the crushed red pepper chili flakes and cover in olive oil.  Once the cauliflower is cooked through and has a nice browning, remove from the oven and heat a sauté pan over medium on the stove. Heat the olive oil mixture and then add the cauliflower.  Add the juice from one half a fresh lemon.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Allow the flavors to blend and adjust spice to preference by adding more chili flakes.  Remove from heat and finish with parmigiano reggiano cheese.  Serve and enjoy!

Apple Chips

In order get in the spirit of fall, my best friend Kate and I went to a farm in upstate New York to drink apple cider, sample local wine and pick all the apples we could carry.  We lugged home bags upon bags of apples.  While pies and crumbles were on our list of treats to make, we just did not have enough time or enough recipes to make use of all our apples.  Making apple chips was a great way to turn the remainder of fall fresh apples into an easy, healthy snack.  The cinnamon adds a nice spice and they fill the house with an amazing aroma; an ideal treat for the approaching holidays!

What makes this bite better?

Apparently scientitsts have decided the old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" has some validity.  Recent research on apples has given these fruits, traditionally reserved for the teacher's desk, a more prominent place in the diet.  Other fruits and vegetables, such as berries and dark leafy greens, usually get all the credit in disease prevention.  However, a recent study published in Stroke, the journal of the American Heart Association, has shown that a higher intake of white fruits and vegetables, such as apples, was inversely associated with risk of stroke.  Risk was further reduced as intake increased.  Fruits from the other color groups did not show the same association. 

Apple Chips

Apples
Lemon

Sugar (optional)

Cinnamon (optional)

Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Squeeze one half of a fresh lemon into the water.  Clean and slice the apples using a mandolin.  Remove all seeds and immediately place the apple slices in the water bath to prevent browning.  Set the oven to 200 degrees.  Dry the apples slices and place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Mix equal parts cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the apples, if desired.  Bake at 200 degrees until the apples are completely dehydrated, approximately 2 hours. Enjoy :)

Grilled Heirloom Tomato Flatbread

They say it takes 7 to 10 exposures of a new food to acquire a taste for it.  There is some validity to the statement based on the fact that I have integrated previously despised foods into my diet through repeated encounters: olives, beets, peppers, spicy foods, cabbage- the list goes on.  Despite that, I have eaten raw tomatoes hundreds of times and I just can't seem to develop a liking for them.  However, when it comes to heirloom tomatoes, my dislike suddenly disappears.  Heirlooms are exceptionally different from processed, mass-marketed, genetically modified, average run of the mill tomatoes.  The amazing colors and flavor not only rationalize my dislike for the inferior tomatoes but become a sensory experience.  I hoard heirlooms into fall until they slowly start to disappear and I have to wait a whole year for their return.

What makes this bite better?
Just as family heirlooms are highly valued, an heirloom tomato is no different.  Known for their inherited unique characteristics, genetic variation and perfect imperfections, heirloom tomatoes are some of the few diverse foods that still exist in a food system that has been genetically drained and homogenized.  In addition to the enjoyment of their complex flavor, eating heirlooms benefits your health and the environment.  Farmers are more inclined to grow heirlooms locally and organically eliminating the risk of pesticide ingestion or consuming foods that have been artificially ripened or transported environmentally threatening distances. Since heirlooms are grown organically and allowed to fully ripen, they have a higher nutrient content.  In general, tomatoes are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, other antioxidants and lycopene.  Lycopene promotes prostate health and immune system function in addition to preventing chronic disease and certain types of cancer.  Heirlooms come in a array of colors which indicate varied nutrient content.  So grab a few in every color!

Grilled Heirloom Tomato Flatbread

1 pre-made pizza dough

Corn meal (or other coarse flour)

Heirloom tomatoes

Onion

Basil

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

Spread corn meal or flour on a flat surface to prevent dough from sticking and work dough into a flat circle.  Heat a grill to high.  Brush olive oil on one side of the dough and place oiled side down on grill.  Brush olive oil on the remaining side.  Thinly slice one half of an onion and grill the onions until slightly charred.  Slice the heirloom tomatoes and dress with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Once the pizza has developed grill marks, flip to the other side.  Place onion and heirloom tomatoes on the flatbread and close the grill to allow the tomatoes to heat through.  Finish with basil, additional salt and pepper if needed and parmigiano reggiano cheese if desired.  Slice, serve and enjoy.

Granola Bars

I am not a morning person.  I snooze my alarm at least 4 times before I get out of bed and that's on a good day.  Needless to say, I don't leave myself a lot of time in the morning to get out the door, let alone to make a healthy breakfast.  However, I have also found that breakfast is the most difficult meal to eat on the run.  Some of the easy choices are just not healthy- bagels with butter, donuts, pastries, processed bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit? Yuk.  

I love granola bars and often grab them when I am in a hurry.  But the good ones are expensive and the cheap ones are full of high fructose corn syrup and preservatives (check the labels people).  Granola bars have been on my list of recipes for quite some time, so I finally buckled down and made my own.

It took me two tries to get a recipe I was happy with.  The first batch came out like cardboard.  I was trying to find a substitute for butter, which most recipes call for.  For the first batch I tried almond milk which did not work.  For the second batch I used peanut butter.  This helped maintain moisture while adding extra flavor, protein and healthy fat to substitute for the butter.  It was also important to decrease the amount of oats and increase the amount of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. 

Enjoy the granola bars on their own, topped with almond butter or crumbled with yogurt and fruit.  Breakfast for the week? Check. Now I can sleep in...

What makes this bite better?
Since ancient times, honey has been highly-regarded not only for its sweetness but also for its healing properties.  Honey is rich in antioxidants, specifically phenolic compounds.  Recent studies have identified the phenolic compounds found in honey to be beneficial in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.  These compounds have also been found to reduce cancer cell proliferation and thus may have important implications in cancer prevention and treatment.  In addition, honey is a great source of energy due to its high carbohydrate content.  This makes it ideal for athletes and children.  Ever since I started training for the NYC marathon I have used honey during training rather than sports gels or chews.  The addition of honey to your diet can have valuable antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects that other sugars and sweeteners do not provide.

Granola Bars

1 1/2 cup oats

2 1/2 cups mixed nuts, seeds, dried fruit*

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter (almond or cashew)

Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

In a large bowl, combine dried ingredients (oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, salt and cinnamon).  Heat a saucepan over medium heat and mix honey, vanilla and peanut butter, stirring continuously.  Once combined remove from heat and pour over dried mixture.  Make sure not to let the peanut butter over cook.  The mixture should clump easily.  If the mixture is too moist, add additional oats. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water.  Cover a baking dish with parchment paper.  Choose the size of the baking dish based on your desired thickness of the bars.  Pour the mixture onto the paper and press down to mold the mixture to fit the pan, using parchment paper or plastic wrap.  Make sure the thickness is consistent.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the edges and top are golden brown.  Remove and allow to cool completely.  This may take a while and if necessary place in the fridge.  Once completely cooled, cut into squares.  Store for breakfast and enjoy :)

* For this recipe I used dried cranberries, dried raisins, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds and sunflower seeds- pretty much anything I had lying around.  Other suggestions include dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut and pecans

Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa

I have pretty much spent the summer wandering from place to place.  Luckily for me, my travels have landed me at the beach with my best friend.  Feeling settled for the first time in a while, I was able to visit a local seafood vendor and a farmer's market and finally got back into the kitchen.  In the mood for some fresh summer fare, I made fish tacos with peach salsa for dinner.  The leftovers provided the ingredients for a perfect summer salad the next day after the beach!

What makes this bite better?

I love tacos.  However, when I eat chicken or beef tacos my instincts (and taste buds) prompt me to reach for cheese and sour cream to accompany them.  Fish tacos not only provide a lean source of protein and healthy omegas but eliminate the desire for fatty toppings.  The perfect accompaniment to fish tacos comes in the form of light, fresh, flavorful salsa. In the summer I can't resist peaches and peppers.  This sweet and spicy salsa not only tickles the tongue but also packs tons of vitamins and minerals into the dish.  In addition, research has shown that capsaicin, found in hot peppers, reduces factors associated with obesity, has strong antioxidant capabilities and may increase metabolism.  Who doesn't like a little extra spice in the summer?!

Fish Tacos

1 pound fresh Grouper (or other white fish)

3-4 fresh summer peaches

1 small green bell pepper

1/4 white onion

2 serrano chile peppers (more or less based on spice preference)

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 1 fresh lime

1 T minced garlic

Approx. 1 T fresh chopped cilantro

1-2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 avocado sliced

Whole wheat or Chipotle tortillas 

Salt to taste

Peel peaches and cut into chunks.  Clean and dice the green bell pepper, white onion and serrano chiles and add to peaches.  Add 1T olive oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt and toss to combine. Place in the fridge to marinate while you prepare the fish. Salt and pepper the fish on both sides.  Heat pan over medium.  Add approximately 1T minced garlic.  Cook fish until the fish begins to flake then use spatula or a fork to break the filet apart in the pan.  Gently warm the tortillas, thinly slice the red cabbage and cut fresh avocado.  Serve each ingredient in its own bowl to create a build your own taco bar! Enjoy :)

Fish Taco Salad

You can make this salad using leftovers from the fish tacos, or just make it on its own! Cut the tortillas into strips.  Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake until crispy.  In a large bowl combine lettuce and all the ingredients from the fish tacos- fish, peach salsa, avocado, tortilla crisp and red cabbage.  Serve and enjoy :) 

Kale, Basil and Walnut Pesto

I'm not the kind of gal who gives up things I like.  And I love a good burger.  Embarrassingly enough, I actually ate two burgers on Saturday after not having had a burger for months.  After scratching my itch, I think it's safe to say that I have had enough meat to hold me off for a few days.  I will definitely be joining the meatless monday trend this week, and it might even stick for the whole week.

The meatless monday idea is simple-do not eat meat on mondays.  It's sort of like Fridays during Lent, but instead of ordering a pizza out of religious obligation, it is a challenge to incorporate healthy, meat free options into your diet.  I'm not a biggest fan of extreme diets and believe in moderation.  In order for a diet to have an effective impact on your health, it needs to be realistic.  That is why I love the idea of Meatless Mondays.  It's simple approach to making small changes to your diet that can have a large impact on your health.  It's also a great way to incorporate new foods into your diet and experiment with new ingredients and flavors.

What makes this bite better?
I limit the amount of meat in my diet not only for health benefits, but also because of the negative impact meat production has on the environment and because I can't always afford organic, free-range, or local meats. Cutting back on meat reduces dietary intake of saturated fats and reduces risk of related diseases such as heart disease.  Additionally, vegetarian cooking isn't always about avoiding meat as much as it is reaping the benefits of what you replace meat with.  Vegetarian dishes are loaded with vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts or other healthy components that create balanced, delicious meals. Sometimes, instead of thinking about what you can't eat, it's exciting to think about what you can eat instead.

Kale, Basil and Walnut Pesto

1 bunch of Kale

1 bunch of basil

Garlic

Walnuts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Clean kale and basil and add in equal parts to a food processor.  Add cloves of garlic based on preference.  I added about 3.  Add a handful of walnuts.  Add 2 parts olive oil to 1 part water.  This will create an ideal texture while cutting out some of the fat.  Salt to taste.  Toss with pasta and finish with grated cheese and walnuts. Serve and enjoy :)