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Asparagus the aphrodisiac

Google the health benefits of asparagus and you will find multiple articles (1,790,000 pages to be exact) discussing this subject.  From its antioxidant benefits to detoxifying properties, asparagus packs a big nutrient punch.  Not only is asparagus easy to make and delicious, but it is said to have aphrodisiac qualities.  Another reason to indulge in some healthy greens, a nice glass of wine, and some chocolate dipped strawberries...  Can you feel the love?
  

Ingredients:

• One bunch asparagus

• 1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or enough to coat the asparagus)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 1-2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence

• 1-2 teaspoons grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

• Lemon juice, to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  While oven is heating rinse and dry the asparagus.  Either trim the thick fibrous ends or do what Elle Woods and I do: bend and snap.  Fresh asparagus will snap the delicious green stems from the fibrous root.  

On a parchment lined baking sheet spread out prepped asparagus.

Drizzle olive oil to coat asparagus.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and Herbs de Provence.  Note: You can also omit the herbs for the salt and pepper or season with your favorite flavors.  

Cook asparagus for 5-15 minutes, or until tender. 

Once cooked, sprinkle with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese.  Serve with your choice of entree and a nice Chardonnay.  

The Best French Toast You'll Ever Have

I dare you to try making this recipe and tell me it is not the best french toast you have ever had.

Ingredients

• 10-12 (1/2 inch) slices of day old challah bread
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream with a splash of milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons butter or enough for pan frying

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Slice bread into 1/2 inch think slices.  

In a large mixing bowl combine half and half, eggs, honey, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.  

Whisk liquid mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.  

Dip bread into mixture.  Allow bread to soak for 30 seconds per side.  

Remove bread and place on cooling rack over deep baking dish.  Allow bread to drip into dish for 1-2 minutes.  

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter into a large saute pan over medium heat.  Place 2 slices of soaked bread at a time into hot pan and cook until golden brown on each side.  

Remove from pan and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Cook in oven for 10 minutes.  Continue with remaining slices of soaked bread.

Serve immediately with a pat of butter and powder sugar.  I serve my french toast with a side of strawberries.  

How to clean strawberries

Place strawberries in a bowl and cover generously with salt. 

Cover with water and soak for 10 minutes. 

Rinse strawberries thoroughly to remove all salt.  Dry, slice, and enjoy how much sweeter strawberries taste without pesticides.  

Meet My Baby Rocky

My puppy Rocky is probably the best dog ever.  Or he is at least the best dog for  being 4 months old.  Rocky has definitely kept me busy with his puppy energy.  But now that he is getting "older," and a little more calm, I have to get back to business.  The business of food.  


When I brought Rocky home in February he was 3 pounds and change.  

We are talking munchkin status.  Last time I went to the vet Rocky weighed slightly over 7 pounds.  He is growing fast, but in the dog world he is tiny and has to receive his puppy shots in small increments.  As a result he has one more series of protective shots before he is able to run about outside with other dogs.  That also means he has to wait to go to the groomers until he has had his vet approved, important shots.  So until then he is now my Rasta Rocky.  

Welcome to Jam Rock

Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Valentine's Day is coming up and what better to give than homemade sweets?  How about homemade healthier sweets?  Anytime you can sneak some fiber, protein, vitamins, and or minerals into your food, without sabotaging the taste, is a win in my eyes.  Whole wheat flour is great for you, but the taste is a little too earthy for most.  Did you know that white whole wheat flour has the same nutritional value as whole wheat flour?  The two flours are made from different wheat plants.  White whole wheat flour does not contain the compound in (red) whole wheat flour responsible for that wheat like taste.   The end result is a more mild product that still has a good nutritional advantage over refined white flour.  


This recipe calls for brown sugar which I showed you how to make in my last post (here).  Try it and you might impress yourself.


Ingredients:

• 7 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Splenda
• 1 large egg white
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Cup white whole wheat flour 
• 1/4 Cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Makes approximately 17 large cookies.


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix melted butter and sugars in a medium bowl until creamy.

Add in egg white, heavy cream, and vanilla extract making sure to mix thoroughly.

Gradually mix in flours, baking soda, and salt.  Note: I never mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  I just throw the ingredients in and get an arm workout.  
Lastly add chocolate chips.

Lay cookie dough approximately in 1 inch rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet making sure not to overcrowd the cookies.  Softly flatten the cookies.

Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Continue baking batches of cookies and or store dough for future use.  

Verdict: Chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, just like a chocolate chip cookie should be.  Plus each cookie has 1 gram of belly filling fiber.  

Make your own brown sugar

My world got a little sweeter when I learned how easy it was to make my own brown sugar.  I now make what I need when I need it and never have to worry about finding a hard sugar log where my fluffy, brown sugar once rested.  Save the jokes folks.

Like D'Angelo, I want some more brown sugar...since chocolate chip cookies sound good on a lazy Sunday.  

Recipe: For every one cup of granulated sugar mix in 1 tablespoon molasses.  

Mix by hand or with a power mixer and within a few minutes you will have light brown sugar.

If your recipe, or taste buds, calls for dark brown sugar add 2 tablespoons molasses per 1 cup granulated sugar.  

If you don't believe me then try it yourself and remember I said, "I told you so."

Ricotta Gnocchi and Hearty Bolognese

I have been cooking, but nothing to write home about.  Most of my cooking these days has been crock pot soups and cookies, two things that get me through these cold days.  We just had our first snow fall of 2012 so a rich, hearty home cooked meal was in order.  But what to cook?  I must admit that I have been going out to eat a lot lately which is not good for the waistline, but does inspire me with some recipe ideas.  Light, fluffy gnocchi has been on my mind.

My boyfriend's mother gave me the most wonderful gift for Christmas: a lime green Chantal Dutch Oven.

Ba bam!  As far as I'm concerned you do not have a complete kitchen until you have a Dutch Oven and what better to make to christen this pot then delicious meat sauce to go with ricotta gnocchi.  

Ricotta Gnocchi

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce container whole-milk ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (any grated cheese will work)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and extra for salting the water
• 3/4 cup flour (more may be needed)

Directions:

Most gnocchi recipes made with ricotta say to drain the ricotta.  Unless you are using fresh ricotta you will not get most of the moisture out of the ricotta sold in the tubs at your local grocery store.  If you want to drain the ricotta through paper towels for an hour feel free to.  I, however, omit this step.  

In a large bowl mix the ricotta, egg, cheese, salt, and flour until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Note: This is the point that I begin making the sauce.  

After 15 minutes the dough should be tacky and roll easily between your fingers.  If the dough is sticky, or gum like, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until the dough becomes workable.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 15 minutes.  

Put a large pot of salted water on the stove to bring to a boil.  Sprinkle your work surface with flour as well as a plate or tray to place the rolled gnocchi on before cooking.  Break off a golf ball size of dough and roll into a 3/4 inch log.  

With a sharp knife cut the rolled dough into 3/4 inch pieces.

To make the gnocchi look a little more fancy roll them off the back of a fork to get the traditional grooves.

Place finished gnocchi on a floured sheet.  Repeat making gnocchi until all the dough is prepped.  If you are not going to cook the gnocchi in a relatively short period  cover and place back in the refrigerator.  

Cook gnocchi in two batches to prevent over crowding.  Gently place half gnocchi in boiling water.  Carefully stir to make sure gnocchi do not stick to each other.  Once the gnocchi rises to the surface cook for an additional two minutes.  Remove gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain.  

Continue cooking gnocchi until all gnocchi are cooked.  Place in a bowl, top with warm sauce (recipe to follow), and gently mix.  Serve immediately.  

Hearty Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 pound organic, grass fed lean beef
• 4 heaping teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/4 cup dry red wine or table wine
• 1 - 28 ounce San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 cup dried basil
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat begins to brown, approximately 5-7 minutes.  

Stir in garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes.  Add 1 cup of the red wine mixing thoroughly.  Mix in the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  

As you can see in the picture the sauce will thicken as it reduces.  As long as the mixture is at a slow simmer you can cook it up to an hour.  

Right before the sauce is ready to serve (when the gnocchi are cooking away) add nutmeg, basil, cream, and remaining 1/4 cup of wine.  

Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Then mix in 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Toss gnocchi with sauce, add an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.

Delicious and worth the work.  

Salami Cheese Rolls

The boyfriend came up with this recipe and it is so easy, yet so good.  I bet you can't just have one, unless you have really good willpower.  Great served as an appetizer.


Ingredients:

• 1 package Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (8 rolls in container)
• 8 slices Genoa salami, medium cut
• 4 slices deli sliced Provolone cheese, cut in half
• Red sauce, to dip rolls in

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll crescent rolls. Place one slice salami and one half slice provolone on top of dough and roll so cheese and salami are wrapped in the dough. Bake for 15 minutes or until dough is golden brown. Serve with a side of warm red sauce.  

New Year, New Attitude

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.”  ~ Maya Angelou


This year I will treat myself with love and respect.
This year I will floss everyday.
This year I will do something every day for me.