Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

darkchocolatebrownies

I don’t know about you, but my favorite kind of brownie verges on being illegal.

And by that, I mean that it probably shouldn’t be allowed without some kind of disclaimer about its addictive qualities. You won’t be able to eat just one. But then again, why would you want to?

These brownies are gooey, soft, chocolatey and rich. In short, they are everything a good brownie should be. I made them today for my friend Carly’s Valentine’s Day card party. She said that she was serving different kinds of ice cream and I thought that it would be a good pairing.

I was right. While these brownies are good on their own, adding a scoop of salted caramel, coffee or vanilla ice cream on top takes them to another level.

Another disclaimer: When you’re baking these brownies, a chocolate smell will invade your apartment/house/condo/living space that is unlike any smell you’ve ever experienced before. Most of us are familiar with the scent of baking brownies. But trust me when I say that the smell from these brownies is unreal. Proceed at your own risk.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies (from here)

Ingredients

10 tablespoons (145 g) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 rounded teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2 cup (70 g) all-purpose flour (we use Gold Medal unbleached all-purpose flour)
2/3 cup (75 g) chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions

Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 325 degrees F (163 C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. (This helps when removing the baked brownies from the pan, once cooled).

Add enough water to a medium saucepan so that it is 1 to 2 inches deep. Heat water until barely simmering. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder and the salt in a medium heat-safe bowl. Rest bowl over simmering water (if the bottom of the bowl touches the water, remove a little water).

Stir mixture occasionally until the butter has melted and mixture is quite warm. Don’t worry if it looks gritty, it will become smooth once you add the eggs and flour.
Remove the bowl from heat and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes until it is only warm, not hot.

Stir in vanilla with a wooden spoon or spatula. Then, add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.

When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until fully incorporated, then beat with the wooden spoon or spatula for 40 to 50 strokes. (The batter will be quite thick). Stir in nuts, if using. Spread evenly in lined pan.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out almost clean (you want it to be a little moist with batter). Note: Some have found they need to bake an extra 10 minutes, so keep an eye on the doneness of the brownies and use the toothpick test as your guide.

Cool completely then remove from pan. For the cleanest lines when cutting, place into freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to firm up. Cut into 16 squares.

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Banana Bread Smoothie with Cacao Nibs

bananabreadshake

Don’t let the name fool you: There is no banana bread in the making of this shake.

That’s okay, though, because the shake tastes a lot like banana bread. And the best part is, you don’t have to do the extra work involved in making a loaf.

I like to have smoothies for breakfast on the weekends, but lately I’ve fallen into a smoothie rut. I kept going with my tried-and-true recipe of frozen mangos, pineapple, banana, chia seeds and coconut, which is great most of the time. Especially when I want to pretend I’m on a tropical island, not in the middle of a D.C. winter.

But every now and again, I like to switch things up. So this weekend, I decided to riff off a recipe I saw on The First Mess for a banana bread shake.

I skipped the step of making my own walnut milk, mainly because I forgot to soak the walnuts overnight so I could blend them in the morning. I fully intend to try that out someday, though–I’m sure it tastes delicious.

The rest of the shake came together quickly. I used a whole fresh banana, and combined it with almond milk, pieces of walnut (to still get the walnut taste), cacao nibs, a little vanilla extract, cinnamon, maple syrup and nutmeg. I also added a vanilla Icelandic yogurt to thicken up the mixture. I garnished the top with more cacao nibs, chia seeds, sliced bananas and a pinch of Maldon sea salt.

I highly recommend adding the salt. It contrasts nicely with the other, sweeter ingredients in the smoothie.

Enjoy!

standingshake

Banana Bread Smoothie with Cacao Nibs (adapted from The First Mess)

Ingredients

3 cups almond or other nut milk
1 small container vanilla Icelandic yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup sliced bananas (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
1/4-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup walnuts
ice (optional)
2 tbsp cacao nibs

Toppings of your choice (I used chia seeds, sliced bananas, more cacao nibs and Maldon salt flakes)

Directions

In an upright blender, combine the milk, yogurt, sliced bananas, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, walnuts and maple syrup (and ice, if using). Blend on high until you have a creamy and smooth mixture. Add the cacao nibs and blend for 10 seconds more–just so that you have little cacao “chips” throughout the drink.

Pour the raw banana bread shake into glasses and garnish with toppings if you like. Serve cold.

Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Drinks, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Coconut Curry Hot Chocolate

coconutcurryhotchocolate

Sometimes, you stumble across your recipe soul mate. That’s what happened when I saw this coconut curry hot chocolate.

The recipe combines two things I love, chocolate and curry. And it also offers a lesson in patience and damage control, as I attempted to make the marshmallows from scratch.

Joy the Baker (who originally blogged about the recipe) said that it would be easier than you’d think to make the marshmallows. She also mentioned something about powdered sugar getting all over the kitchen, but I took that worth a grain of salt. I like to clean up as a I cook, and I’m not a very messy baker.

Well, Joy did not lie about the powdered sugar. Halfway into making the marshmallows it looked like the beginning of #snowmg in my kitchen. But she was wrong about it being easy. I thought the recipe was challenging, not so much from a labor perspective but from a timing perspective. You have to keep an eye on the sugar as it cooks down, and make sure it gets to 240 degrees. You also have to pour it very carefully into the mixer with the gelatin and make sure that it doesn’t splatter.

But in the end, everything worked out for the best. I let the marshmallows sit overnight, and when I woke up in the morning, they were the perfect consistency: fluffy and light like a cloud. The hot chocolate comes together quickly, so it makes up for all the steps you had to do to make the marshmallows.

Coconut Curry Hot Chocolate (slightly adapted from Joy the Baker)

Ingredients

For the Marshmallows
1 cup cold water, divided
2 1/4-ounce packages unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon curry powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon for the pan and topping
1 cup powdered sugar, for coating the pan and topping the marshmallows

For the Hot Chocolate
2 cups coconut milk
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 ounces dark chocolate (65% or higher cocoa content), chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Directions

To make the marshmallows, spray an 8×8-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and coat with the powdered sugar and a sprinkling of curry. Set aside.

Pour 1/2 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment. Pour the two gelatin packs over the cold water and let sit for about 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar, corn syrup, salt and the remaining 1/2 cup cold water to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring mixture up to 240 degrees F. There’s no need to stir the mixture, just let it get hot.

When the sugar is heated to 240 degrees F, turn the mixer with the gelatin and water on low speed. Carefully stream the hot sugar mixture into the bowl as the whisk moves. Be careful not to pour into the whisk and spatter the hot sugar all over the sides of the bowl. Gradually increase the speed of the mixer until you’ve added all of the hot sugar mixture. Beat on high for several minutes until a thick, fluffy, white marshmallow batter has formed, about 8 minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon curry and beat for another 2 minutes.

Spread the marshmallow mixture into prepared pan and smooth with a clean, wet spatula to prevent sticking. Top marshmallow with powdered sugar and a sprinkling of curry powder, let set and rest for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

When set, remove marshmallow from the pan and place on a large cutting board coated with powdered sugar, Use a pizza cutter, coated with non-stick cooking spray to slice marshmallows. Coat the knife blade in a bit of powdered sugar if it begins to stick to the marshmallows during slicing.

To make the hot chocolate, place coconut milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm to steaming and add the sugar and chopped chocolate. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and chocolate is completely melted. Stir in curry powder. Serve warm with a marshmallow.

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Kale Broccoli Bowl with Roasted Chickpeas

greendetoxsalad

Everyone, meet kale broccoli bowl. Kale broccoli bowl, meet everyone. I’m going to introduce you to coconut curry hot chocolate later this week. But I thought I’d get this introduction out of the way, first.

Sunday nights are a time for reflection, and usually, this involves thinking about what I ate during the past weekend. I like to indulge on weekends, with as many cookies and sweets as my heart desires. So sometimes, I bring it down a notch on Sunday nights and go with a healthier option. Tonight, this kale broccoli bowl fit the bill.

Grapefruit and avocado are two of my favorite things, and crispy chickpeas also rank highly. I think chickpeas taste best when they’re roasted and crunchy, and combined with the perfect amount of salt and seasoning. The ones in this recipe have a dash of spicy cayenne and soy sauce, which gives them a kick.

Toward the end of making this salad, I realized that this song was playing on my Spotify. It seemed kind of ironic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2ppnw_VowY

Feel free to add your own soundtrack. And enjoy!

Kale Broccoli Bowl with Roasted Chickpeas (slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest)

Ingredients

Lemon Tahini Dressing
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
juice + zest from 1 lemon (use only half of the zest)
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
salt + pepper, to taste

Kale Bowl
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups Tuscan kale, roughly torn
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parley + cilantro, roughly chopped
hemp seeds + chia seeds, for topping
2 red grapefruits, segmented
2 ripe, but firm avocados, sliced or chopped

Directions

Lemon Tahini Dressing: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust salt + pepper to your liking. Alternately you can add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The dressing can be made a week in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.

Kale Bowl: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the chickpeas out on a towel and dry them completely. Add the chickpeas and coconut to a baking sheet and toss with the soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the chickpeas around and roast another 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are browned and the coconut is dark brown. Remove from the oven. Save any leftovers for snacking on later.

Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale for 2-3 minutes until the kale is well coated and has slightly softened. To the bowl add the broccoli, cabbage, parsley and cilantro. Toss well. Add the dressing and continue to toss until all the veggies are coated. Add the grapefruit segments and avocado. Gently toss to combine. At this point, you can cover and store the salad in the fridge for up to 24 hours or continue on with the recipe.Divide the salad into bowls. Top with the crunchy coconut chickpeas and a sprinkle of chia + hemp seeds.

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Pistachio Rose Water Shortbread Cookies

Pistachio Rose Water Cookies

I’d never had rose water cookies until I lived in France. There was a Middle Eastern bakery on one of the popular streets in Orleans, right across from a bar that my friends and I would go to. One night, I got hungry after I started drinking and I saw that the bakery was still open. My friend and I decided to go inside.

Walking through the door was a little like stepping into a different world. There was sitar music playing, you could smell mint tea and behind a glass case, there were rows and rows of colorful cookies, all tiny and delicately shaped. There were also stacks of Turkish delight, vibrantly colored and dusted with powdered sugar. I remember saying to my friend, how am I going to choose? In the end, I think we just got one of everything.

I still miss that shop in France, and I’ve had trouble finding something similar in the U.S. And I never forgot the rose water pistachio cookies I tried there. So this weekend, I decided to try to recreate them.

Rose water is so fragrant and sweet, it’s almost like a perfume. But don’t worry–it’s not so perfume-y that putting it in cookies doesn’t make sense. Once you bake the cookies the flavor becomes more subtle, and the pistachio balances out the sweetness.

The original recipe calls for baking the cookies at 325 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, but I found that was too short. I ended up increasing the heat to 350 degrees, and it took around 25 minutes for them to bake. But if you start with a higher temp and check them often, I bet you can bake them for around 15 minutes.

Pistachio Rose Water Shortbread Cookies (adapted slightly from here)

Ingredients

1¾ cups flour
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
1½ sticks of unsalted butter (cut in cubes)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ Tbsp. rosewater
1 Tbsp. water
½ cup pistachios

Directions

Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times until well blended.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend until the mixture begins to form a ball.

Remove from food processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Bring together into a large ball.

Cut ball into two equal parts.

Roll out each part into a 9″ log that’s about 1 inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 3 hours (or overnight if you want to).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut cookies into ½ inch circles, place on a greased baking sheet and bake approximately 12-15 minutes or until they appear golden brown on the edge.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar after they cool.

 

Posted in Cookies, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Baked Banana Oatmeal with Raspberries and Cashews

bakedoatmeal

Nothing says the day after a blizzard like baked oatmeal. I woke up the morning after the snow stopped in D.C. and I was going to make a smoothie.

But then I sat in bed for a while scrolling through pictures of oatmeal on Instagram, and I decided to change my game plan. When I saw this recipe for baked banana oatmeal with raspberries, it practically jumped off the screen saying “make me now.”

I was worried because in the picture, the oatmeal is served in ramekins. And I didn’t think that I had any lying around. Then I remembered that I had an old creme brûlée kit that came with four china ramekins, so I dug that out of the closet.

The dish comes together quickly, and the smell of the oatmeal as it bakes in the oven is nothing short of heavenly. The smell is a combination of banana bread, nuts and a berry crisp…I’m almost tearing up just thinking about it (this is not an exaggeration).

I also wanted to give a shout out to this blog, Rebel Recipes. I found the baked oatmeal recipe through the blog’s Instagram handle but then I visited the site. It’s very vegetarian and vegan-friendly and there’s no shortage of delicious, healthy breakfast recipes. I’m all about pancakes and French toast, but if you’re looking for colorful smoothies and oatmeal dishes, this is the blog for you.

Baked Banana Oatmeal with Raspberries and Cashews (slightly adapted from Rebel Recipes)

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic oats
1 mashed up banana
1 tsp baking powder
1tbsp sweetener – coconut syrup, maple, honey, agave; I used raw honey
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 cup cashews
Pinch sea salt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup raspberries
Toppings:
1/2 banana cut into slices
Few more raspberries

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl then add in the banana, sweetener, vanilla extract and almond milk.

Mix everything together and the divide between four small ramekins or two large ramekins. Top with some banana slices and raspberries.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes then allow to cool for a few minutes.

I highly recommend drizzling with some maple syrup to finish. Enjoy!

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French Lentils with Avocado and Hazelnuts

frenchlentils

I’ve basically been subsisting on lentils for the past few weeks. They’re easy and versatile, and sometimes I’ll just whip up a batch with some white wine and vegetable stock and add it to a simple salad.

But other times, I’m feeling more creative. When I saw this recipe from 101 Cookbooks, I knew it was a match made in heaven.

There are few things I love more than avocados. I don’t know when the obsession started, but I eat one almost every day. Like lentils, they can play starring roles in many dishes: Salad. Toast. Even in brownies as a substitute for butter. The options are nearly endless.

For this recipe, you cook some French lentils and top with roasted hazelnuts, sliced avocado, chopped chives and some flaky sea salt. I highly recommend going for the perfect bite; the combination of avocado, lentils, crunchy hazelnuts and chives is well worth the extra effort.

Also, if you’re looking for hazelnuts at the grocery store but you don’t find any, try looking under another name, “filberts.” It always makes me think of “filibuster”…unrelated, but at the top of many people’s minds in D.C.

French Lentils with Avocado and Hazelnuts (from 101 Cookbooks)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups cooked lentilles du Puy
1-2 ripe avocados, quartered
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/4 cup minced chives

Directions

Smash the oregano and salt into a paste in a mortar and pestle. Gradually work in the olive oil, and then the lemon juice.

Toss the lentils with 2 tablespoons of the oregano oil, taste, and season if needed. Arrange on a platter or in a bowl. Just before serving, cut the avocado into quarters, then slice quite thinly, and arrange on top of the lentils. Drizzle with a bit more of the oil, and sprinkle with the hazelnuts, and chives. A final drizzle of oil might be needed, and perhaps a bit more lemon juice.

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Rum Hot Toddy

rumhottoddy

This is the perfect drink to get you through #snowmaggedon, #snowmg, #snowpocalpyse or whatever you’re calling it these days.

I’m glad that I didn’t pour the entire bottle of rum into the bananas foster that I made for New Years. I realized that I had a little extra on my hands, so I decided to make Hot Toddies afternoon.

The honey pitches in some sweetness and the lemon juice gives it that tangy, citrus appeal. I also had some cinnamon sugar leftover from when I made brioche toast earlier, so I sprinkled it on top as a final touch.

I can’t wait to enjoy a few more of these during my weather-imposed hibernation.

icicle

Rum Hot Toddy (from here)

Ingredients

4 to 6 ounces hot water, varies on cup size
1 ounce or 2 tablespoons spice rum (recommended: Captain Morgan)
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 lemon
Cinnamon sugar, to taste

Directions

Combine the hot water and rum in a mug. Stir in the honey and squeeze out the juice from the lemon wedge. Finish with a dash on cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

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Brûléed Grapefruit with Honey and Pistachios

bruleedgrapefruit

Sometimes, all you need is some brûléed grapefruit.

Last week, my friend/co-worker Carly sent me a picture of a broiled pomelo with raw honey, pistachios and coconut on Instagram. After some discussion, we decided to go back to my place after work and make a couple. It had kind of been a stressful day, and at one point, Carly thought I was talking to her from inside of a plant. Needless to say, we needed some stress relief, ASAP.

We used grapefruit instead of pomelo, because they didn’t have any pomelos at the grocery store. But the effect was still the same. Drizzle a spoonful of raw honey on top of a sliced grapefruit, and sprinkle on some cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric. Place it in the oven and let the broiler work its magic. Then, when the surface is nice and caramelized, take it out and sprinkle some dried cherries, pistachios, coconut, almonds and chia seeds on top. This could be a delicious snack, breakfast, or even a late night treat.

Brûléed Grapefruit with Honey and Pistachios

Ingredients

1 grapefruit
1 tbsp raw honey
Roughly 1 tsp of turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg, each
pistachios, sliced almonds, chia seeds, shredded coconut and dried cherries for topping

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to broil.

Slice a grapefruit or pomelo in half and place it in a shallow pan, cut side up. Drizzle some raw honey on top until it’s well-coated, and sprinkle on some turmeric, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Place the pan with the grapefruit in the oven and wait for the broiler to make it nice and caramelized brown on top. It will take a few minutes, and make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Once it’s done, take the grapefruit out of the oven and let it cool slightly. Sprinkle with pistachios, chia seeds, sliced almonds, shredded coconut and dried cherries. Enjoy!

 

 

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SNOWMG and The Dabney

nighttime

Snowmaggedon is here.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; People have been running around D.C. all week preparing for the storm. But when I saw the snow start to fall last night, it still took my breath away. It gets me every time.

dupont

There’s something so peaceful about walking in the snow, especially at night. Maybe it’s because there are fewer people outside, and not as many cars want to brave the roads. But everything becomes very quiet, and for a second, you feel like you’re in a snow globe. It also makes me feel like a kid all over again. All I want to do is lie down and make snow angels.

Two nights ago, I decided to venture out in pre-SNOWMG to get last minute provisions. I ran into George on the way home.

george

Today, the real storm started. I’m lucky that I have a few friends from Chicago here, and they keep things in perspective for me weather-wise. A couple of them, including one of my most intrepid friends, Carly, wanted to get dinner tonight. I almost bailed, but then I decided, why not? The train was still open, I didn’t feel like cooking, and I’ve wanted to try this restaurant, The Dabney, for forever. Plus, no one is leaving their apartment tomorrow.

metro

All I can say is, I’m happy that I decided to venture out into the snow. The dinner itself made it worth it. I got the poached farm egg with grits, Virginia littleneck clams, spicy pork sausage and tomato. Whoa. I mean, WHOA.

poachedfarmegg

I highly recommend ordering the skillet cornbread as a side. Once I ate most of the grits and sausage, I used the bread to sop up the tomato sauce. As the French would say, mon dieu.

But honestly, I don’t know if anything can top the dessert. I hesitate to say this, because I’ve tasted many a good dessert in my day, but this might be one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. It’s definitely the best that I’ve tried since I moved to D.C. The sweet potato doughnuts were fluffy and dusted with the perfect amount of sugar and cinnamon, and were served alongside a quenelle of sweet potato ice cream, candied pecans and toasted marshmallow. I felt like being selfish and eating it all myself, but I let a couple people at the table try a bite. We all agreed that it was almost too pretty to eat.

sweetpotatodoughnuts

Good luck to everyone in the DMV area this weekend! And if you have a chance after the storm, check out The Dabney in Shaw. It’s well worth a trip in any weather.

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