nutella

when i lived in italy i ate mass quantities of nutella with my roommates. everything was perfect then, and the day i realized that nutella had hydrogenated oils was a sad, sad day. until now. here it is, better than ever...

nutella

1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts with skins peeled (i usually toast mine in a toaster oven at 350 F for apx 10 minutes, but once they are slightly browned and fragrant, you'll know they're ready)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (or any vegetable oil really, it's only added for consistency)
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1.5 ounces dark chocolate (i used 70%), melted and cooled
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

run the hazelnuts through a food processor until they are the consistency of peanut butter. add all of the other ingredients, giving the mixture a quick blend by hand to prevent the confectioner's sugar from poofing up at you once you turn on your machine. process until smooth and try not to eat it all in a day...

note: my final product was grainier than store-bought nutella, but i liked the added texture. it was also less sweet because nutella is made with milk chocolate.

aunty esabel tomatoes

this is a recipe based on an appetizer my aunt served without fail at every thanksgiving. it's very simple, but it's the kind of thing that my sister and i would await in anticipation for months. that was before i knew my way around the kitchen...

feta stuffed cherry tomatoes:

1/2 lb feta (i use french, but greek would also work well)
2 tablespoons chopped green onion, green and white parts (about 1 bulb)
1/2 tsp ground paprika
2 tablespoons zaatar (look for a blend that does not contain salt, but if you can't find one, a salted one will do)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons flat leaf or italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
cherry tomatoes

(this filling will stuff several tomatoes, probably around 50, so feel free to make only a fraction of it)

combine all ingredients except tomatoes in a bowl and mix well, it should appear relatively creamy. test the mixture and make any alterations at this point. keep in mind that the tomatoes will not be salted, so if the feta mixture is a bit salty, it's okay.
take the tomatoes and remove their tops and seeds. i make a circular incision to the tops and then scooped out the seeds with the smallest teaspoon i have (1/8), then used the same spoon to stuff the tomatoes with the feta mixture.
serve with bunches of parsley or sprinkled with roughly chopped parsley leaves.

anais bread

anais bread is named after its creator anais. she is both my favorite roommate and also the one who made me the most insane. we have a dynamic food history that includes eating mac and cheese out of an electric water heater on our dorm room floor in the wee hours of the morning, nibbling on boozy chocolate sent to us in gargantuan packages from her parents in the mail, hummus fests!, and of course baking as a means of avoiding sufi homework (sorry vhoff, nothing personal). this recipe falls into the last of the categories. it's a garlicy herb bread that's super easy and very flavorful. its also vegan, imagine that...

anais bread:

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tsp salt

1 package dry active yeast

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ground flax meal (whole flax seeds would also be fine, and if you don't have any flax, just skip it)

1 tablespoon each herb: dry dill, dry oregano, and fresh rosemary (roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic, well minced

 

combine the flours, flax, salt, and yeast in a large bowl. in a separate bowl combine everything else. add the wet ingredients to the dry and knead well, then coat the ball of dough in a thin layer of olive oil to prevent drying. cover and allow to rise in a relatively warm, dark place (like an oven that's been on for a 3 minutes) for 40 minutes. add the herbs and knead a little more to incorporate. cover again and allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes. coat dough once more with a thin layer of oil, score, and sprinkle with sea salt (or any salt that you have handy). bake in an oiled pan for 15 minutes at 375 F, 20-25 minutes at 350 F, and an additional 10 minutes at 300 F.

delicious both warm and cold, but best with salty, herby, olive oil for dipping.

and to anais: i'm so glad you don't suffer oil-a-phobia.

vegan chocolate cupcakes & buttercream frosting

this is a recipe i've adapted from joy the baker. it's a great vegan recipe to keep on hand, and makes a ton of cupcakes :)

cupcakes:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsweeted cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 olive oil

1 very ripe large avocado, well mashed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 cup very strongly brewed coffee + 1 cup regular unsweetened soy milk*

preheat oven to 350 F.  line and grease (make sure to grease liners if using them, the batter has a tendency to stick) a cupcake pan, set aside.

in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, set aside.

in a large bowl combine sugar, oil, mashed avocado, vinegar, and vanilla, then add the coffee/soy milk. add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth. pour batter into the perpared tins and bake apx 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
 

buttercream:

1 very ripe large avocado, well mashed

5 tsps unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp instant coffee granules

1 cup confectioners sugar (add more for a sweeter and stiffer frosting)

combine the vanilla and coffee granules with a little bit of avocado (apx 1 tablespoon) and mix until the granules have dissolved. add to the rest of the avocado and mix in the salt and cocoa. incorporate the sugar at 1/3 cup intervals.

*this recipe is really flexible, and you can use 2 cups of any liquid. i've been thinking about substituting the coffee and soy milk for orange juice and spices. feel free to modify the recipe to suit your cravings.

 

pesto pasta with veggies

this is one of my favorite standby meals. it's pretty easy, very flavorful, and can be made as light or as rich as you feel appropriate. enjoy : )

pesto:

1/4 cup pine nuts (if you don't have pine nuts, walnuts are a good substitute)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
4 cloves of garlic
2 cups basil leaves, packed
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil*
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

place the pine nuts and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. process until well minced. add the basil leaves, cheese, salt, and pepper. with the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto a desirable consistency. storing the pesto with a thin film of olive oil on top will lengthen its shelf life, but none of the pesto i've ever made has been around long enough for me to consider optimal preservation methods...

*make sure to use the best possible olive oil. selecting a variety that is first cold pressed will ensure that the flavor of the pesto is the best it can be.

for the pasta:

bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add a tablespoon of salt to the pot and 1 pound of pasta (i used fettuccine, but linguini or spaghetti would also work well). cook until al dente (apx 8-10 minutes), stirring occasionally, drain and set aside until veggies are ready.

for the veggies:

2 medium/large zucchini, cut in half then into roughly 1/4 inch semi circles
roughly 30 stalks of asparagus (mine were pretty skinny), trimmed of ends and cut into 1 inch pieces
6 smallish or 3-4 large-ish carrots, cut into roughly 1/4 inch disks

over medium-high heat saute the veggies in a large nonstick skillet, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking.  once they have browned and are tender, about 15-20 minutes, add 1/2 cup pesto, and saute 1-2 minutes more. remove from heat and add to pasta, season to taste with salt and pepper. for a creamier texture, mix in 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.

note: it is not necessary to add oil or any other initial fat while sauteing, the vegetables will still develop a nice brown color.

euro bites

today i did not eat caviar. i don't even like caviar. i did, however, rediscover this photo taken in denmark a few years ago. it tempts me to change my mind about the little orbs, but i'm not sure enough time has passed to give them a second chance just yet.
when i visited my aunt shmounie in denmark for the first time, she couldn't believe that i wouldn't like anything a danish fisherman could offer. she was convinced that the only reason i thought i disliked fish, and seafood in general, was because i grew up in chicago and we've got slim pickins on the good stuff. looking back, i'd have to say she's right, but when i first tried fish in denmark i hated it and no amount of lemon seemed enough to mask the fishyness of it...  despite the trauma, i gave it a second chance, and when i tried it again i couldn't get enough.  maybe one day i'll feel that way about these guys:

i also found these photos of marzipan fruit, taken from outside a shop in milan. those apples look pretty legit...

eat your fruits and veggies...

toasted coconut chocolate chunk cookies

these cookies are amazing. i used a recipe from firstlookthencook and tested them with both unbleached all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. the former were slightly better, but the whole wheat ones (featured above) were also fantastic and kid approved.

cookies:

1  cup  flaked unsweetened coconut
1 cup  all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
1/8  teaspoon  salt
3/4  cup  packed brown sugar
1/4  cup  unsalted butter, softened
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1  large egg
2-3  ounces  dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped into rough chunks

preheat oven to 350° F.
arrange coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. bake for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted, making sure that the flakes don't start to burn. set aside and allow to cool.
cream together butter and sugar in a medium sized bowl. add vanilla and egg. combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. stir in toasted coconut and chocolate.
depending on the desired size of the cookies, this recipe will yield apx 9-12. form roughly shaped cookies and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. bake for 10 (if using wheat flour, the cookies will take longer, apx 15) minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. remove from pan and allow to cool before serving. or if, like me and teeny, you just can't wait, try not to burn yourself on the melted chocolate chunks...