checking in

Have you given up on your new years resolutions yet?! I'm kinda just getting started. I TRY to be healthy - key word being try. I have a hard time because I love food SO MUCH. After the 90 day detox I was feeling rebellious. I over indulged and I've realized that I'm heading down a path I don't really want to go. The past few months have been tasty and glutinous. So I'm back on track - for now. I got back into my Barre Method classes and it has me wanting to eat healthier and make better choices (you know, minus those paddy's day themed cupcakes I'll share with you next week). All about moderation, right?! 

I came across the idea for this dish back in July when a blogger I follow posted this recipe. I love asian food but I'm not a fan of peanut sauce. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of peanut sauce... creamy, salty, and oh that texture!!! BUT I HATE peanut, absolutely can't stand it. So when I saw that she made the dish with cashew butter instead of peanut butter, I immediately thought, GENIUS! I of course had to put my own spin on the recipe and I have to say, it rocks! A little bit of tang from greek yogurt and fresh lime juice really make the dish. I add in some siracha for a subtle kick and a pinch of brown sugar to balance it out. This was my go-to recipe while we were on the detox (minus a few ingredients that weren't permitted) but I have to say I prefer it MUCH better with the dairy and citrus. I hope you give this easy asian dish a try! 

Side note - don't be turned off by some of the ingredients if you've never heard of them. Edamame is a tasty vegetable that's actually an immature soybean. That might sound a little scary but it's not. It's a very mild flavored bean with a creamy texture. Siracha is that red sauce you see at most asian restaurants. It's just a hot sauce so it's easily substituted if you don't have any. See all the improv suggestions below! Also, this is great cold the next day for lunch as leftovers!

asian noodles with edamame + tangy cashew lime sauce

adapted from very culinary inspired

yields 4 - 6 servings (depending on your appetite)

ingredients:

for the sauce:

½ c. cashew butter

¼ c. greek yogurt

1 t. grated fresh ginger

2 scallions (white + green parts)

2 T. lite soy sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. Siracha

2 limes

1 T. brown sugar

for the dish:

8 oz - 1 package soba noodles

¼ c. pasta water

¼ c. cashew pieces

½ c. frozen shelled edamame

2 T. chopped scallions

1 red bell pepper thinly sliced

2 T. basil thinly sliced

lime wedge (optional)

In a food processor, dump your sauce ingredients and blend the heck out of it. If you don't have a food processor, that's ok. You can finely chop your ingredients and mix by hand, use a blender, or even egg beaters. Just make sure if you do the latter that you chop your scallions and ginger as small as you can first. Once mixture is smooth and creamy, set it aside.

In a large pot, bring your water to a boil. Dump your noodles in (make sure you remove the paper wrappers around them... I didn't see them, doh). While your noodles are cooking, slice up your red bell pepper. I like mine nice and thin so they're easy to eat. Dice 'em, chop 'em, whatever you want! In a small pan, place your cashew pieces and toast them up. Make sure you don't let them go too long. They'll start to turn golden brown in places and you'll smell them. That's how you know they're done. Right before the noodles are done cooking, drop in your frozen edamame. Cook for one minute more (or whenever the noodles are done to your liking).

Grab a bit of that pasta water before you drain the noodles. Dump the noodles and edamame back in the pot after you've drained them. Pour the sauce over and give it a good toss. Add in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until you've got a nice creamy sauce. Remember, you can always add more so go slowly! 

Top with scallions, bell pepper, basil, cashews, and a lime wedge! Ta-da! Easy asian noodles. So easy in fact, you can make the sauce a few days ahead and assemble the rest later. I make a batch on the weekend for a quick weeknight meal. Once the sauce is made it literally comes together in 15 minutes. Talk about convenient! 

improv style:

soba noodle?! who keeps that on hand? not to worry, you can use your favorite noodle... even spaghetti noodles will be just fine! if you're gluten free try it with a rice noodle and tamari instead of the soy. rice noodles are little more delicate but it still works just fine! cashew butter is spendy. if you like peanut butter, use that instead! you could also try this with any other nut butter (almond?!). if you do, let me know how it turns out! if you don't have greek yogurt you can use plain non-fat yogurt or even sour cream (light, fat free, full fat) whatever you want. if you're dairy free you can leave it out. that's what i did on the detox. i really like the tang and consistency that the yogurt gives the dish though. no fresh ginger?! i think this is a pretty important ingredient. i buy a big hunk of it and keep it in the freezer so it doesn't go bad. if you don't have any you could try dried ginger but i really recommend you go out and get yourself a hunk of the fresh stuff! same goes with the rice vinegar. you could use another type but rice vinegar has a nice subtlety to it. in a pinch i would use white wine vinegar. if you don't have siracha you can use dried pepper flakes, your favorite hot sauce, cayenne, or if you're not into spicy, leave it out. you can adjust the heat to your liking. this version is VERY subtle on the spicy front. if you don't like scallions, leave them out. you can put your favorite veggies into the dish. it's really flexible. 

tutti

My youngest sister Carolyn LOVES potato soup. She requests it multiple times a week. So earlier this week when it was freezing and I was missing home and my family, I turned to this soup. 

My potato soup is slightly different from my moms due to my picky sister's preferences (love you tutti). I have a feeling this is the version my mom would make IF she didn't have to deal with so many people to please. It's a chunky potato soup with salty chunks of ham and a subtle sweetness from caramelized leeks and onions. I like my soup on the hearty side but this recipe is easily adapted to your soup preferences. 

potato soup

yields 7 cups

ingredients:

2 leeks

1 large onion

4 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

¼ c. flour

1 c. white wine (i like chardonnay)

4 c. milk

6 potatoes peeled and diced

16 oz (1lb) ham diced

In a medium sized saucepan, add oil and butter and melt over medium heat. Once heated up, add your diced onions and leeks and cook them down until they're transparent. 

While your onions are cooking down, peel and dice (cut into cubes) potatoes. I've taken the lazy route and skipped the peeling part to much regret. I think it would probably depend on the type of potato you use. If it's a yukon gold or red potato it might work. I say take the extra step and peel those babies! 

Once your onions are cooked down, add in the flour and stir until the flour turns to a thick paste. Cook for about 1 minute and then add in your white wine. Give it a stir and then add in your milk. Add your potato cubes and cook at a gentle simmer until potatoes are fork tender about 20 minutes depending on the size of your chunks. 5 minutes before serving, add in your diced ham chunks. My first thought was to add it in the beginning so it would flavor the soup but it actually dries out the ham and that ain't cool. 

improv style:

if you don't have leeks, you can leave them out. i like doing a mixture of the onion family for the subtle flavor variants but it will taste just fine without. if you want to lighten up the soup a bit you could make it with chicken or veggie stock instead of milk and add a hint of cream at the end or greek yogurt. i think this soup would be even more awesome if you made it with buttermilk. you can leave the ham out if you want it to be vegetarian. sometimes i throw in frozen corn or peas into the mix and that's good too. 

if you like your soup on the thinner side, add more liquid. you can also puree the soup before you add the ham chunks if you're not into the chunky thing. i like my potato soup rustic. this is an easy recipe to adjust to your taste. you could even do a twist on a loaded baked potato and do bacon and chives with cheddar cheese on top, mmmmm!

a sweet for your sweet

Valentines Day is coming up soon. I've never been a big fan of the day until I met my current boyfriend. Honestly, V-day was notoriously a HUGE disappointment for me before him. I dated the typical jerk who didn't ever go out of his way to do special things for me. So when I met Matt, I told him NO VALENTINES DAY BULLSHIT. We're not celebrating, we're not doing anything, I might give you a call, that's it. Ha! Even long distance dating (He was in Singapore, I was in Miami) he wouldn't let me get away with that. February 13th not one, but two bouquets of gerber daisies (my fav flower at the time) showed up at my door with a card that said "Happy non-valentines day" - very funny. In fact, it kind of melted my heart, but also made me a little cranky. This guy thought he was so clever with his little loophole. The next day, some of Ina Garten's pancake mix showed up with a note. Not only did the dude not listen to me, he sent me a gift of food... I know the saying goes that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it's so true for me too! 

To this day Matt and I have never had a "typical" Valentines Day celebration. Going to a fancy restaurant, paying for a crazy expensive pre-fixe menu, dealing with everyone and their mother's brother being out that day, AND all of the overly mushy crap? It's just not us. We take turns every other year "running the show". One year I made a big comfort food meal and topped it off with a pumpkin brioche bread pudding with crème anglaise and a bourbon caramel sauce. He's been asking me for it ever since. I really need make that again and share it with you, it was to die for! Last year it was Matt's turn and our first year in Chicago together. He took one from Oprah and did "Mo's Favorite Things" (in the awesome high pitch Oprah voice). This year it's on me again and I'm not exactly sure what my full plan is. But I do know one thing, it will definitely make our bellies happy. 

When I think of a typical V-day dessert my mind goes to chocolate, heart shapes, and red velvet. Matt likes chocolate alright but it's not his #1. He happens to love crème brûlée - me too for that matter! So this dessert was with him in mind. But I couldn't just do plain crème brûlée... I'm usually a purist but I wanted to give it a twist, do something a little extra special. And that's when it hit me... I love cream in my tea in the morning. Naturally the custard base would pair beautifully with my favorite earl grey. And with that I give you earl grey crème brûlée. It's a fun twist on a classic (when you're looking for something just a little different). If your Valentine isn't a chocolate person, maybe give this recipe a try! And if they are a chocolate person, try my quick molten chocolate cakes. They're easy, gooey, and hit the spot every time!

earl grey crème brûlée

adapted from paula deen

yields 4 - 6 servings (depending on your dish size)

ingredients:

1 pint (2 c.) heavy cream

2 tsp. loose leaf earl grey leaves (or 1 tea bag - I used teavanas earl grey creme)

1 vanilla bean split lengthwise 

4 egg yolks

¼ c. sugar + 4 - 6 TBSP for the brûlée top

In a medium saucepan, heat cream, tea, and vanilla bean over medium - medium low heat for 10 minutes. You want it to heat up the liquid but not simmer or boil. Basically you're warming the cream so that the flavors can infuse. Set aside to cool for another 10 minutes. 

While the liquid is cooling, beat your egg yolks in a bowl until they turn fluffy and light. It will take about 5 minutes on high speed. Once it turns a pale yellow and thickens, slowly add in a ¼ c. sugar. Beat for another 2 minutes until it's well combined and the sugar dissolves into the eggs. 

After your cream mixture has fully infused, strain it through a fine mesh sieve. You don't want any tea leaves getting into your beautiful custard! Discard the vanilla bean, it's done its job. Slowly pour the cream into the egg mixture while beaters are on. If you're not coordinated enough for that, pour a few small batches at a time into the bowl (it's called tempering). You just want to make sure you don't scramble the eggs at this point. 

Once mixture is combined, strain it one more time to make sure you get any cooked egg pieces out (cautionary measure to make sure you tempered properly). Place your ramekins or whatever dish you want to use in a baking pan with deep edges. You're going to cook the custard in a water bath so that it cooks evenly. Pour custard mixture into ramekins or dish. Place warm or hot water half way up the sides of the dish and pop into the oven for about 30-40 minutes depending on how deep your dish is. You'll know it's done cooking when the custard just wiggles a bit but doesn't look runny. Let them cool to room temperature and then pop them in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 2 - 3 days in advance. 

Right before serving, pull out of the refrigerator and top with about 1 TBSP of granulated sugar. You want to get a nice thick sheet of brûléed sugar on top. I found when I lightly dusted the sugar I didn't get quite as much of that crunch. Use a blowtorch and gently graze the flame across the surface of the custard in a circular motion. I find that when i quickly move the torch over the sugar it melts more evenly caramelizing the sugar instead of just burning it. If it starts to get a little too deep in color, pull the torch away for a few seconds and then start again. This will make sure you end up with crunchy, tasty sugar and not black, burnt flavored brûlée. 

improv style:

you can make any tea flavored crème brûlée you like. this recipe is a great base custard to impart your favorite flavors into. if you omit the tea leaves, you'll have your basic vanilla crème brûlée. from there you can go crazy... tea, liquor - think gran marinier or chamboard, citrus - grapefruit, lemon, orange, coffee, chocolate... you get the idea?! you'll be able to tell how your custard will taste by dipping the tip of your finger in and checking*. If the flavor isn't strong enough, add more. remember, you can always add but you can't really take away. the first time i made this recipe i used WAY too much tea and the custard tasted like a tea leaf. 

*since raw eggs are used in the custard, taste at your own risk. 

if you don't have vanilla beans you can use 1 tsp vanilla extract instead. you can also use raw sugar or brown sugar for the top. 


if you don't have a blowtorch, that's ok too. you can put the broiler on it's highest setting in your oven and place them for a few seconds underneath to melt the sugar. i will say that i don't like the results as much because it warms up the custard slightly. you could always try popping them into the freezer for a few minutes before to prevent that. i bought a cheap blowtorch from the hardware store for $10 and it will last WAY longer than one of those expensive/fancy "chef" torches you get at a cooking store. also, if you don't have crème brûlée dishes, a standard ramekin will work just fine. if you don't have those either, any oven safe bowl or dish will work. you could make one giant casserole dish if you wanted to be all romantic and share a dish. this would never work in my family as we're all dessert hogs :)

if you want to cut the recipe in half and make it for 2, just steep the tea back for slightly less time so that you don't overpower the mixture. i personally like making a batch for 4 so that i can eat it 2 nights in one week :) that's just me...

gooooooo GIANTS!

I'm going to be honest, I've recently become footballed-out. Yep, I'm not "the cool" girlfriend who enjoys watching football on the weekends and having to live my life around the playing schedule. Don't get me wrong, I root for my teams (Huskies and Seahawks) and I'll watch the big games (and even enjoy them). BUT EVERY WEEKEND FOR MONTHS ON END?!?! I'm over it. 

But I'm really exicted, for two reasons: 

1. football is ALMOST over

2. The Giants made it to the Super Bowl!!! 

This is the boyfriend's team and therefore my secondary team. The Seahawks were out a long time ago, so I've been trying to be "the cool" girlfriend by supporting my man and rooting for the g-men. Usually this means me sitting on the couch next to him while the game is on reading food magazines but it's the thought that counts, right?! And I am actually excited that they made it to the biggest game of the year. It's something I can get amped up about and it's an excuse for me to make fun treats for us while we watch the game. Also, our good friend Tom is a die hard Patriots fan. It's sure to be a good game considering the last time they were in the Super Bowl together, the Giants stole the Patriots undefeated season for a win, oooooooo! Wanna see how the bet between the boys turned out last time?! Sorry Tom.

I wanted to do something a little different but familiar for the Super Bowl this year. After lots of thinking, I decided (with the help of my friend T) to make buffalo chicken won tons. A play on the classic wings without the mess or dealing with chicken on a bone (I'm not a fan of the fat, grizzle, and slime of this type of meat - I know, I know, I'm un-american). Plus I used chicken breast and baked the wontons instead of frying so they're healthier, you know, if it weren't for the cream cheese. But then again, cheese is dairy and dairy is good for your body :) 

I love these won tons because they have what I call the wow factor. Something that sounds fun and tastes good.I hope you enjoy them. What's on your menu for the Super Bowl this year? 

buffalo chicken won ton's 

yields about 50 - 60 wontons. Packages vary by weight, not count which is totally weird. You'll have enough filling for about 60 wontons.

ingredients:

1 - 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature

3 large chicken breasts cooked and finely shredded 

¼ c. blue cheese crumbles

¼ c. franks wing sauce

2 green onions finely chopped

1 package wonton wrappers (about 50 - 60 sheets)

Preheat oven to 400º F. In a mixing bowl, add cream cheese, chicken, blue cheese crumbles, franks sauce, and chopped green onions. Combine until thoroughly mixed. If you want, you can combine it in a food processor to make it quicker. I would add the chicken chunks about halfway through if you're doing it this way. 

Next, get a small bowl of water and set up your assembly station (wrappers, mixture, water bowl, baking sheet). Take a damp paper towel and place it over the wonton wrappers - you don't want them drying out while you're making them all. 

Now to assemble. Place ½ TBSP of the chicken mixture in the center of the wonton. Gently rub a little water around 2 of the edges and fold to make a triangle. Press the edges tightly to seal them. If the mixture comes out of the seam, you know you have a little too much filling in there, use a little less of the mixture. Next fold one corner into the center and the other corner on top of that. You may need to secure those corners with a small drop of water too. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat for the next 59 wrappers. 

Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool. Then bake for 15 - 20 minutes until the outside is golden brown. Serve with celery and carrot sticks and a side of ranch or blue cheese. Eat any leftover mix with some tortilla chips.

improv style:

you can use canned chicken, or cook up some chicken thighs instead or do a dark/light meat combo. to save time you could buy a rotisserie chicken and just shred the meat, then you're guaranteed nice juicy chicken. or you could use ground chicken or turkey as a last resort. you can use any kind of "wing sauce" you like. franks is a classic which is why i used that but i think going forward i'd use my own hot sauce. also, green onions are optional. i think the richness of the mixture needs a little sharpness to cut through it. if you don't have any you could use chopped celery instead or leave it out. 

if you wanted to be indulgent, after-all, it IS the super bowl, you could fry these babies in some oil. these can also be made a day or two ahead of time and then baked right before serving. just make sure you store them in an air tight container with a slightly damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. you could even pop them into the freezer and defrost and serve as you want... this is a very easy recipe, it just takes a little time to fill and fold all those wrappers! 

too much work to wrap all those won tons? i don't blame you... it's not for everyone. if you can't be bothered, try making buffalo chicken dip instead! use one less chicken breast and add a little heavy cream or half and half to thin the mixture up a bit. place in a casserole dish and bake in the oven at 350º F for about 20 minutes until it becomes bubbly and warm. serve with pita or tortilla chips and carrots and celery sticks. dip away!

all about moderation

I know it's the time of year when everyone is trying really hard to watch what you eat. In fact, I'm sure most of you are still going strong on your new years resolutions to watch what you eat, how much you eat, and living an overall healthier life. Every year I find myself striving for similar goals and every year I succumb to my love of good eats. So this year I'm not swearing off sweets or fat or carbs or gluten. I'm going for balance and moderation. 

I discovered my love of poached pears last year. I had heard of them before, but never tried it or thought to try it. One night last winter I got a craving for pears. They're one of my favorite fruits. I just love the sweet, grainy texture and juicy freshness of it. So I ran to the store, only to find out there were no ripe pears in sight. I didn't let that stop me. I bought a few thinking I would wait a day or two for them to ripen up. By the time I got home, however, I could no longer wait. And then I remembered poached pears. I was sure that if I cooked them, it wouldn't matter, and it didn't! So I hit the internet and I stumbled upon all sorts of recipes. Being a huge red wine lover, I decided to try it that way. Instead of following a recipe, I decided to throw in some of my own ingredients and see how it turned out. I did, however, decide that I must top my recipe with Michael Chiarello's mascarpone filling. HOLY FOOD HEAVEN is that stuff good! 

So while it's not a completely "healthy" dessert (thanks to the mascarpone filling), it is a healthier option. All about moderation, right?! And lets be honest, it's a lot healthier than any of my usual dessert cravings (pretty much anything with chocolate and butter). Pears are fruit and fruit is healthy. Red wine is good for my heart, and well, mascarpone is dairy, which is good for my bones. So you see, I'm doing my body good! Slightly delusional, maybe - but you have to live a little! 

red wine poached pears + vanilla bean mascarpone filling

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

for the pears:

4 bartlett pears slightly under ripened

1 bottle of cabernet sauvignon

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

1½ c. water (or enough to cover pears in the pot)

½ vanilla bean

4 TBSP sugar

for the mascarpone filling:

adapted from michael chiarello

8 oz mascarpone - room temperature

½ vanilla bean

½ TBSP vanilla extract

3 TBSP half and half

2 TBSP powdered sugar

for the wine syrup (optional):

½ c. poaching liquid

3 tsp. granulated sugar

for the pears:

Peel, core, and cut pears in half lengthwise. In a pot large enough to fit the 8 pear halves, combine the wine, spices, sugar, pears and water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, until pears become fork tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears. 

for the mascarpone cream:

Meanwhile, combine mascarpone, vanilla, sugar, and half and half into a mixing bowl and beat on high until it becomes smooth and creamy. Add more half and half if you want it to be a little bit thinner. 

for the syrup:

reduce poaching liquid with sugar until it's halved in volume. basically, cook your mixture on medium-high for about 15 minutes until it thickens. drizzle over pears

Once pears are cooked, place a spoon full of the mascarpone cream on the pear and drizzle with the wine syrup. If you have leftover cream, save it for another batch of pears (trust me, you'll be making them again that week), or you could add it to your pancakes for a breakfast treat! Also, don't get rid of that poaching liquid. You can re-poach more pears in it or drink it as mulled wine another day! 

improv style:

there are a million ways to poach a pear. first of all, if you made the mulled wine and had leftovers, you could just poach the pears in that, adding enough water to cover the pears. you can use any kind of wine you prefer, zinfandel, chianti, even white wines or dessert wines... if you're trying to keep it booze free, think about poaching it in tea or fruit juice.

you can obviously leave out the mascarpone cream, or try making it with cream cheese or creme fraiche. if you don't have a vanilla bean you can leave it out and add a little more vanilla extract. you could even try adding a different flavor of extract here or perhaps some lemon zest would be really good, too. you could leave out the sauce all together and just do vanilla ice cream or sorbet. 

for the poaching liquid, aside from changing the liquid you cook it in, you can also play with the spice mixture. love cinnamon? add 1 - 2 more sticks... don't have star anise? that's ok, leave it out! you could try putting in a few black pepper corns or go a different direction and add some orange zest or slices. get creative and play with it. it's pretty hard to mess this recipe up!

hello, snow!

Winter has finally hit Chicago. It dumped snow all day and into the night yesterday. I love when the city is covered in sparkly white. No matter how old I get the first snowfall of the year always feels magical. I still get excited like I did when I was a kid. Is it cold where you are yet? 

I'll never forget the first time I had mulled wine. I was in Prague with one of my best friends Meghan. It was a chilly summer night. We were walking around the town square, admiring the Astronomical Clock - a large, beautiful time piece from 1410! The carvings and gold details of this clock are stunning. 

Right around the corner from the clock was a small vendor selling mulled wine. I had never heard of it before but after spending 4 months in Italy, my new found love of wine had me ordering a cup. It was warm and still had tons of red wine tang but with a hint of winter spices and a slight sweetness from the fruit it was steeped with. On a cool summer night it hit the spot. 

Sitting on my couch watching the snow fall with a kitty in my lap I couldn't think of a more perfect winter warm me up than a nice big mug of mulled wine!  It's a great adult alternative to hot cocoa when you're not in the mood for rich dairy (because lets be real, chocolate ALWAYS sounds good but dairy can sometimes get in the way). I highly suggest you try some mulled wine tonight. Maybe with a little chocolate bar on the side!

mulled wine

yields 4 servings

ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon)

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise pods

5 whole cloves

1 c. dried cherries

½ an orange sliced

2 TBSP honey

In a pot, add all of your ingredients and gently simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes - enough time to let the flavors incorporate and the dried cherries to plump up. 

improv style:

there's a million different things you could do to switch this recipe up. the biggest way to change the flavor profile is with the type of wine you select. i like full bodied reds but you can use whatever type of red you prefer. also, you don't need a fancy expensive wine for this since you're adding flavors... make sure you like how it tastes but don't go breaking the bank. i think it could be really interesting to try this with a crisp pino grigio or other white wine, too. think of hot sake... 

i'm not a huge cinnamon fan but if you are, consider adding 1 or 2 more sticks to your pot. star anise... ever heard of it?! it's a common asian spice that has a subtle licorice flavor. i'm not a big fan of licorice either but it works in this. if you don't have any you can leave it out, no problem. same with cloves, they add that rich winter flavor to the wine... basically you're taking apple cider fixings and adding wine instead. you could leave out the fruit or substitute it with apples, cranberries (fresh, frozen, or dried), figs, plumbs, dates, prunes or ginger. you could even try adding some orange juice or apple juice as well to substitute the fresh fruit. brandy or a cognac could be an interesting addition to the mix as well. 

if you're looking to do a non-alcoholic version of this you could try grape juice or apple juice or even a black tea.