Peanut Butter Cookies

I have to admit I've never been the biggest fan of peanut butter. I eat it on toasts that's it. When I buy a jar at the grocery store it usually lasts a long time!
I was never a huge fan of peanut flavor either, like in sauces and all. And as much as I love chocolate, the two together was never my thing. Reese's PB cups don't do anything for me. Sorry...BUT. Peanut butter cookies I like. They're so smooth and sweet and salty. The downfall of them is the amount of fat that's in there. I remember when I'd go visit my grandma she'd keep them a cookie box lined with paper towel that would get drenched in oil. The traditional recipes call for commercial peanut butter AND shortening. Not good.
SO when I found this recipe in Sarah Philips' "Healthy Oven" I had to try it. And I have to admit, they're amazing. And the fat amount is a lot less than grandma's cookies. Plus by using natural peanut butter it assures you there's NO shortening in here! (because we all know commercial PB is loaded with that shtuff...)
Today I thought I'd get over this whole "pb and chocolate" non-sense and add some chocolate on those cookies. It works nice. I admit, they go together quite nicely...but I still won't eat Reese's cups. Not when I can have these!!:



Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBSP unsalted butter at room temperature.
1 egg
1 TBSP light corn syrup
1 TBSP vanilla extract

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (for dipping)...(optional but recommended!!)

Preheat the oven at 350F and set the rack in the middle.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, using a mixer or a spatula (spatula in my case...my grandma never had a mixer...),beat the peanut butter, sugars and butter until well mixed. Add in the egg, corn syrup and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in 2 batches.
*You'll notice the dough will not come together quite nicely in a big ball, but don't worry. That's ok...
Roll the "dough" into little balls, about 1 teaspoon worth for each ball. Place on an oiled cookie sheet, about 1 inch appart. With a fork, press on the dough balls to create that cute peanut butter cookie pattern we all know and love...



Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool them on the sheet for a minute and transfer to a rack.
*If you need to make 2 batches I suggest you get the littl' balls ready while the first batch is in the oven...saves time...just saying..!



Now. To take it to the next level, melt some chocolate in the micro-wave and dip each cooled cookie until the top in coated. As I said you can skip this step but why would you??



Don't they look so cute?

Kiwi Strawberry Compote

This is my second attempt at making jam. Ok, I may have not chosen the easiest fruit and I have NO idea how to make "proper" jam, but the end product is pretty good. I would call it more like a compote, though, rather than jam.
I didn't have a recipe to follow so I kinda just threw things in the pot hoping for a decent result...
Here's how it all went down:

First I peeled and chopped about 6-8 gold kiwis(they were on special at Costco...) and about 2-2 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (I always forget to mesuring stuff, sorry...). In a pot with the zest of 1/2 a lemon and its juice, splash of vanilla and 1/3 cup white sugar. Doesn't seem like a lot of sugar but I figured it would be better to add more later than too much in the beginning and the compopte being too sweet. And I did end up adding more, about 1/4 cup of honey. The end result is still very tart though, but I like tart.



I let the whole thing simmer on med-low heat for about 30 minutes. The fruit gave out a lot of water so I had to strain it at the end. But let me tell ya...that juice was a-ma-zing once cooled! So don't throw it out!! Then once the fruit was all nice and soft I just turned off the heat and let it cool on that same element.



Then transfered to the fridge for a complete cool-off.
That stuff is good by itself, or on toasts, on a muffin, ice cream, etc.



I'm pretty new at making this kind of stuff...anyone has a tip on how to make things thicken like jam without going through the long process of, well, jam making??

Spinach&Feta Omelette

This is my favorite breakfast. I make it at least once a week. There's something about feta and spinach together...and with the dill...well, a-mazing!
Think Spanokopita minus the dough...



When I make omelettes I usually use only 1 egg and 2 eggwhites(for 1 person, otherwise double it!), that way it's lower in fat!
So, for one omelette:

1 egg
2 eggwhites
2-3 TBSP milk
pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill(i rarely buy the fresh stuff, so I use dry. but if you use fresh dill add more!!)
1/2 baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1-2 green onions

Mix the egg and whites, milk and seasonnings. Add the onion and half the spinach and combine well.
In a pan(med-high heat), melt some margarine or butter, pour in the egg mixture and let it set for about a minute, add the feta and the rest of the spinach.
When it looks like it's set enough to flip and it's slightly gold at the bottom, fold it in half and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. Basically you just want the cheese to melt.



What a great way to start the day!

(...forgive me but I'll have a bit of ketchup on the side...)

Citrus Squares

This is my "bring something to a pot-luck" dessert. It's rich yet light, sweet but tangy, creamy and crumbly...in other words, one bite of this is a whole range of sensations and tastes that just go together so amazingly and make you go "Oh My" at every bite. And it's so unbelievably easy to make, it requires very few ingredients, and it's also adaptable. Like if you don't have limes just use lemons, or vice versa, if you don't have lemons use orangs, tangerines, clementines, etc. Any citrus works here so there's really no excuse!! I usually do these with lime only because I really love limes but this week I happenned to have also lemons AND oranges, so I did a mix of all three. CRA-ZY good! But, I also have to admit, the graham cracker crust is what makes this thing. There's just something about these crackers...Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling and give you the recipe so you can try them too! I got it from "Healthy Oven" by Sarah Philips(yes, her again...)



First, make the crust:
(well, actually, first turn on the oven at 325F and set the rack in the middle...)

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crubs
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted.

-Stir all 3 ingredients together until combined.
-Press the mixture firmly and evenly in the bottom of a 8-inch square pan (that you previously sprayed with oil lightly), and set aside.

Then for the top part:

3 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP cornstartch
One can LOW-FAT sweetwened condensed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP grated zest of whatever citrus you'll be using...
1/2 cup juice of those same citrus fruits...

*this time I used the zest of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 an orange and one full lime. for the juice I used the whole lime, 1/2 an orange and 1/2 a lemon (see how I did this reverse...? clever, I know...)

-Mix the sugar and cornstarch and add the condensed milk slowly while stirring. Then add the egg, zest and juice and mix until just combined.
-Pour over the crust.
-Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges look firm but the middle is still giggly a bit. It will firm up when cooled, I promise!!
-Let it cool at room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing.



Bring this to a diner party and people will think you're a genius!
...or, keep it all to yourself, 'cause it's that good!

Simply Grilled Trout Filet

Trout has got to be my favorite fish, ever. I love salmon and cod too but when I go to the fish store and find nice fresh pink trout, I gotta have it! I always get filets, which are really easy to bake, grill or fry, but eventually I will give a go at baking whole trouts, the little ones you can stuff and cook in the oven. Seems easy enough... But that's another post...
Yesterday afternoon I stopped by that fish place I always go to at the Atwater market and picked up some trout filets, and had a nice little grilling session. I've always been a bit scared of putting fish on the grill, always thinking it would stick and make a big mess...it actually happened once last year I put a big salmon steak on, without oiling it first...big mistake. Anyway now I know as long as you oil the grill and the fish there won't be any problems! Thank you Food Network!!
So, with this fish it was pretty simple:

1-Get some nice trout filets, rince them and pat dry.

2-Marinade it a bit, 30 minutes is plenty long:

*On a plate, squeeze over the fish half a lemon, pour a BIG glug of olive oil and season with salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, parsley and a bit of cayenne. Rub it all over and flip the filets, so they're skin side up, cover with plastic wrap and let them chill in the fridge for about 30-45 minutes.

3-Get the grill started on med-high heat, and take the fish out of the fridge.

4-Once the grill is hot, oil it gently with a towel(carefull not to drop any on the flames...ouch...), then place the fish SKIN SIDE UP first. After 3-4 minutes flip it and let it cook for another 5 minutes, more or less depending on the thickness of your filets, and how cooked you like it. I'm not the biggest fan of raw fish so I always cook it through but if you like it a bit raw inside by all means...!

You will be able to tell when it's done by sticking a fork in it gently in the thickest part, if it flakes easily it's done!



All that's left here is a nice squeeze of lemon(once it's off the grill of course! by this time the fish is done, it's on the plate ready to eat!).

And don't forget the Sauvignon Blanc!!

I love grilling fish!

Mediterenean Quinoa Salad

Here's a fresh, simple, healthy and delicious salad, perfect for a hot summer day!
(No need to say more...just enjoy!)



For 2 approximately servings:
1/2-3/4 cooked quinoa
1 zucchini
3-4 mini peppers
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half or whole if really small
1 cup green peas
2-3 green onions
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
Salt&Pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil, or more

Cut the zucchinis in whatever shape you feel like(rounds, half-moons, or quaters, you decide!).
Chop the peppers into small pieces, as well as the green onions.
Cut the tomatoes, and sprinkle with salt so they release their juices and flavor!
If you use frozen peas, thaw them nicely in the micro-wave...(did I mention this salad is sooooo easy??!)
Mix all the veggies together, add the quinoa, basil, lemon juice and oil, salt and pepper to taste and that's it...



Add a nice crusty bread on the side if you wish and bon appetit!

Plum Chutney/Jam

I have to admit right away I had NO idea whatsoever what I was doing when I made this. It's simply a bunch of fruit, either too ripe to eat or too sour for my personal taste, thrown together in a pot with some sugar and a bit of liquid, simmerred until it was all cooked and reduced by about 1/3...I thought it was gonna be more like a chunky jam, but it turned out more like chutney. Either way it's amazing on toast, or meat. So it's both!

I used black plums, the mini ones. They were a little too sour for me, even after sitting on the counter for one week. I just chopped them up in quaters, without peeleing because the peel here gets really soft. I think I had about 2 cups of those. Also in there I threw in some ground cherries. Unusual I know but they were also dying in their little basket so in the pot they went. I cut the bigger ones in half and left some whole. Total amount here is unknown...I'm guessing about 1/2-3/4 cups..?(I'm really bad with mesuring when I cook!) Finally I tied it all with an apple, peeled and chopped finely.
In a pot with about 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup apple juice, I let it simmer and stirred occasionnaly for about 30 minutes, or maybe 45...added some golden raisins about half-way(i believe it was about 1/2 cup...), 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, a bit of cloves, pinch of salt and a squeeze of honey. Here it's up to you to add more sugar, depending on how tart you like things...
When it got to a nice thick consisitency I turned off the heat and let it cool.



Now I have to apologize for the lack of pictures...it was a little tricky to get the right color to come out...this is the only one I was able to get that actually looks like it really is! Dark and chunky and really delicious. Alos I didn't know how it would turn out so I didn't really "document" anything during the process...sorry...next time...

I can't wait to experiment and make other sorta chutneys and jams with different fruits!

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

Whoever invented/came up with using bananas for baking is a genius. I mean, really! They're amazing for muffins, and cakes, and well, bread. And it's kinda recomforting to know that when there's 2 bananas on the counter, dying and blackening as days go by, it's not a total loss...in fact I almost, sometimes, let them "mature" on purpose, so that I have an excuse to bake something!!
So this week I was gonna, again, make muffins, but I decided to make a loaf for something different, and for some new material for this blog(yes, I'm still thinking of you, readers, even if I don't show up on here all that often..:))
This recipe came form "Healthy Oven", yet again. It uses buttermilk, but if you're unable to find buttermilk(or in my case decide at the last minute to make a loaf rather than the usual muffins...)make your own:
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt+1/3 cup 1% milk=1 cup buttermilk.
It's that simple, and it works!
On to the recipe:

Dry ingredients:

2 cups flour(mix half whole wheat, half all-purpose...)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas(about 2 bananas)
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 large egg
1 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:


Mix all the dry ingredients and set aside.
Mix all the wet ingredients, by hand or with a mixer for about 2 minutes, making sure everything is well combined.
Pour the wet in the dry, add chocolate chips and mix, without over mixing though or you'll end up with a tougher loaf. In this case it's ok if there are still lumps of flour here and there...
Pour in a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula and sprinkle more choco chips on top(!!!).
Bake in a 350F oven on the middle rack for 55-60 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes while still in the pan, unmold and cool completely on a cooling rack...



or...if you have no self control like me have a few slices while it's still too hot and burn your tongue...(no seriously, don't. it hurts...)

It's an AMAZING loaf, really, even after 4 days!

Carrot Raisin Bread

It seems like it's been forever since I last made a loaf of bread...but I'm happy to say I haven't forgotten the pattern!!



I had the day off today, and with a big ol' bag of carrots in the crisper, begging to be used for something, I came up with this recipe. The carrots and raisins add sweetness, and the quinoa taste comes out really nicely. I used bread flour AND all-purpose flour, to make the dough lighter, but also because I ran out of bread flour(oups..). If I make this again eventually I will use more ginger and maybe even a little cloves, to spice it up a bit.
I was also really pleased with the nice color of the finished loaf. And this time I got the braid pattern right!
So here's the formula:

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2-3 carrots
2 TBSP light olive oil
1/2 cup raisins
1- 1 1/2 cup carrot's cooking water
1 TBSP honey

Directions:

-Peel and cut the carrots in small cubes and boil until tender. Let cool and RESERVE THE WATER!!
-In the carrot water, soak the raisins, add in the honey.
-Mix flour, quinoa, yeast, salt and ginger.
-Mash the carrots with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
-Pour the water in the flour mix while stirring with a fork, when it starts coming together add the raisins and the mashed carrots and mix until in comes together in a ball. You may need to add more water or flour, so have the bag of flour on hand. I keep some in a small bowl so that my flour remains plain and "virgin" so to speak...
(*On a side note, this part was really messy for me. Stickyness, lumps of dough and carrots and raisins stuck to my fingers, I kneaded in the bowl for about 5 minutes before transfering to the table. But it worked out fine in the end...That's the thing about bread, even if it seems like it's not happening, it most probably will, it just takes time. Patience is a virtue in this case...)
-Transfer to a working surface, floured lightly and knead until the dough is soft and no longer sticky(mine was still a BIT sticky, but it's better that than tough and dry!).
-Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a clean dish towel. Let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
-Punch the dough down and shape(braid, or whatever...)
-Put the loaf in an oiled pan and let it rise again until doubled, another 30-45 minutes.
-Brush with milk and bake in a 375F oven, on the middle rack, for 10 minutes, turn down the heat to 350F and bake 25 minutes. Then turn off the oven and leave the bread in for about 5 minutes.
-When it's done it'll sound hollow when tapped at the bottom, or an instant thermometer will read 170F.
-Cool on a rack and marvell......



I will submit this to yeastspotting, a nice site about bread and baking.

Tomato and Basil Spaghetti

Yes, this is a new post...
I really have to apologize, again, for being so distant...it's not you, it's me...

So. Yesterday I actually COOKED! Well, it was a quick, under 30 minutes easy meal before running out the door, but still. Last time I made a plate of pasta...I don't even know.
This is not really a "recipe", per say, but all things that match so well thrown together for a fresh little lunch:



Cooked spaghettini
Different colored tomatoes, cut in 4(or half if they're small...)
Garlic
Button mushrooms
Fresh basil(yes, the plant is still alive!!! and H-U-G-E!)
Olive oil and butter

Sautee the garlic and mushrooms in the butter and oil until it's semi-cooked. Preferably on medium heat and stir often so the garlic doesn't burn...Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, cook for a few minutes until soft but not totally mushed. The idea is to keep the tomatoes chunky and looking like tomatoes, rather than sauce. Add basil at the end, throw in the pasta, stir to combine and voila. It's easy isn't it? Oh, and if you'd like you could drizzle a little olive oil on top, but I was a little generous with the oil in the beginning so I passed on the drizzle...



I should really start cooking again...