Chai-Spiced Pear and Walnut Muffins

I came home to celebrate Christmas with two thoughts on my mind: pears and chai. I wanted to bake something that would taste sweet while still being somewhat wholesome (since I knew that I would be eating too many holiday treats this week anyway) for Christmas Eve morning. With so many tantalizing baked goods being passed around during the holiday season, I was overwhelmed by what I wanted to make: cookies? cake? bread? cupcakes? scones? Instead of carefully planning my recipe ahead of time, I just started dumping dry ingredients into one bowl and wet ingredients into another (under normal circumstances, this would turn into one big baking fiasco). By the time everything was mixed together, I realized that I had made the perfect dough for muffins...mini muffins to be exact.

Although I had made and taste-tested these little bites of goodness the night before, they were perfect on the morning of Christmas Eve. I knew I didn't want a heavy breakfast, so I had two (okay, maybe three) of these mini muffins so that I wouldn't be famished before my family's Christmas dinner that afternoon.

I started the muffin-making process by adding three peeled and diced pears to a sauce pan, adding about 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and cooking the mixture on medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. My goal was to make a pear sauce (think applesauce) to act as moisture in the muffins, while also adding that subtle pear flavor. After cooking the pears until they were very soft, I transferred them to a bowl and mashed the chunks with a fork. If the mixture appears too dry while cooking, feel free to add a half of a cup of water to the pan. The pears will become a slightly golden color, but should not brown.

Power Smoothie

With the sunshine disappearing earlier every day, I have been feeling the need for a little energy boost. No, I'm not talking caffeine...I'm talking fruit, people.

In an attempt to stave off the winter blues before they even start, I made myself a nutritious (and delicious!) power smoothie. Nothing says energy like the combination of raspberries, mango, orange, banana, and fresh ginger.

The trick to making a smoothie with the right consistency lies in the ratio of frozen fruits to regular-temperature fruits. Master that little secret and you will make tasty smoothies no matter what the ingredients.

Ingredients (makes about 2 servings):
1 banana
1 orange
juice from half a lime
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1 handful frozen raspberries
1 inch fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk)

Directions:
Plop ingredients into a blender, combine until smooth. ¡Fácil!

Grapefruit Morning

Breathe in. Breathe out. Ahhhhhhh...it's Friday morning and I have the day off of work. I slept in, practiced some yoga, and prepared broiled grapefruit for breakfast.

Did you know that the grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit? According to On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, the grapefruit "originated as a hybrid of the sweet orange and pummelo in the Caribbean in the 18th century" (McGee 376). I had no idea! Maybe it's just me, but I've always frowned upon "hybrid" fruits (like the grapple--looks like an apple, tastes like a grape) because they seem so unnatural. As it turns out, lots of fruits were once hybrids. Maybe I will have to give the grapple another try...but not today.

In college, my roommates and I used to steal grapefruits from the cafeteria. We would carefully peel the membrane from each segment and eat them as a snack just plain. Some people do not like the bitter taste of grapefruits, and I'll admit, the flavor does take some getting used to. I happen to love grapefruits, but had never broiled one before until this morning.

I am going to throw out a word of caution about grapefruits...they are packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants, but if you pile mounds of sugar on top of them, the citrus fruit ceases to be healthy. If you find the fruit too bitter for your tasting, add tiny bits of agave nectar or honey to curb the bite.

To make broiled grapefruit, set the oven to broil. Then cut a grapefruit horizontally and use a knife to slice around each segment. Slicing the fruit before cooking will make eating it all that much easier. Then sprinkle 1/4 of a teaspoon of nutmeg, and about a 1 teaspoon of minced ginger onto the grapefruit halves. Broil for 5-8 minutes and enjoy. :) Adding cinnamon, honey, agave nectar, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt would be delicious as well. 

I don't know if this citation is necessary, but the English major inside of me couldn't wait to write it:

McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Winter Sweets and a Holiday Soirée

  

When my lovely roommates and I decided to throw a little holiday soirée, I was delighted that we chose the first of December as our date. December is one of those months that flies by in a flash -- one minute I am making a list of gifts to purchase for my family, and the next I have a sparkly tiara on my head ringing in the new year. By hosting our party on the first, we now have several weeks to relax and take in all the joys this month has to offer.

With the aid of this recipe I was able to craft some gorgeous (and delicious, even if I do say so myself) speculoos button cookies. I found the metallic-colored decorative pearls and gold sugar sprinkles at a Michael's, for those of you wondering.

 

I would recommend making the dough a few days ahead of time, since it needs to be frozen anyway. These cookies were small, lightly spiced, and surprisingly chewy (not crunchy at all!). In my mind, crackers are crunchy and cookies should be soft...but that's just my personal taste.

Along with the cookies, I whipped together some vegan truffles (yay, vegan!) made of dates, crushed hazelnuts, coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a touch of espresso.

The recipe I used was based on these Choco-Almond Truffles. I substituted hazelnuts for the almonds and added espresso because...well, because I just dig espresso. After combining all the ingredients, I formed the truffles and rolled them in finely chopped hazelnuts, shaved coconut, and cocoa powder. 

Flatbread Pizza

Having several days of vacation calls for some serious sisterly bonding. My sister, Betsy, and I decided to combine our culinary skills (and appetites) to prepare some kick-ass flatbread pizzas.

The pizza on the left contains butternut squash, red onion, garlic, jalapeño, and arugula topped with Gorgonzola cheese. The other pizza is made of pineapple, red onion, sweet peppers, garlic, jalapeño, and mozzarella cheese. Can we say pizza perfection?

   

My sister made the pizza dough using this recipe a couple hours ahead of time to allow the dough to rise. We only used half of the dough, which made two small pizzas--enough food for about three people. We suggest rolling the dough nice and thin--otherwise the term "flatbread" no longer applies. By the way, do you like our makeshift rolling pin? Who says an empty bottle of wine has to be thrown away? Reduce, REUSE, recycle. Love it.

While Betsy was busy rolling the dough, I chopped, sliced, and minced the vegetables and fruit. I rarely cook with jalapeño peppers, but learned (from my lovely sis) that the heat from the peppers comes mainly from the membrane surrounding the seeds. When I minced the peppers, I removed all the seeds and most of the membrane. The minced jalapeño gave both pizzas the perfect amount of heat and helped bring out the flavors of the other vegetables--star ingredient!

                         

Cranberry Orange Relish with Mint

With one of the biggest food holidays right around the corner (literally, it's tomorrow) I decided to break out a recipe I've had my eye on for over a month.

I absolutely adore Bon Appétit magazine, so when November's issue came to my door complete with lavish holiday recipes, I could hardly contain my excitement. Upon seeing the gorgeous photos of the cranberry-orange relish with mint I immediately flagged the page and made a mental note to keep that recipe in mind for Thanksgiving.

So here we are...

Cranberries! Not to be confused with The Cranberries -- that rad '90s band.

Craisins are about the closest I've ever come to cooking with real cranberries. Sad, I know, but hopefully this recipe will make up for my deliberate avoidance of the tart little berries. 

Want to know something neat? This recipe, although it takes more time than I anticipated, requires no actual cooking. All ingredients are chopped, minced, sliced, diced, and combined all without heating up the stove. Also, this fresh relish can be added to just about any Thanksgiving dish--mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, roasted vegetables--you name it.

Cozy Cooking

Cooking for one person can be difficult sometimes. I mean, yes, there are some benefits to preparing food for just myself. For instance, if a recipe flops, or I just feel like eating cereal all day, or if I eat the same dinner 5 nights in a row because I make too much, no one is forced to suffer but me. Unfortunately, though, I tend to encounter many problems cooking for just myself-- the main issue being my inability to cook just 1-2 serving meals. I never think to look at the servings, so I end up with enough food for lunch and dinner all week (talk about a boring food life).

In an attempt to counter my issue, I like to reassess my fridge situation every day or two and see which foods can be combined with others.

Enter: chard, leek, and butternut squash.

As you can remember, a few days ago I made a dish that required leek, butternut squash, and chard, among other ingredients. Today, I was able to successfully re-purpose these ingredients to make an entirely new dish. I do this constantly. You may call it creative, but I call it smart. There is no use in wasting perfectly tasty vegetables simply due to a lack of culinary imagination! Look up some new recipes, or create your own.

The entire plate was cozy and comforting. Beginning at the top and moving clockwise, you are looking at goat cheese, caramelized butternut squash, sauteed garlic, leek, and chard, couscous with dried cranberries, and freshly cubed avocado. This dish is loaded with nutrients and completely satiated my appetite.

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Sauté with Pomegranate and Quinoa

Feast your eyes on my newest creation, forged tonight on the tiny stove of apartment 3A. 

When I fall into a sour mood, I often feel the urge to scour every counter top, scrub every sink, do all my laundry, take out the garbage, wash all the dishes---see a pattern? 

On top of all that, I like to throw myself into cooking. Yes, yes, whip out the ol' frying pan and attempt a new concoction. That will surely keep me occupied while my insides boil over.

Whew!

I digress. 

This was an experiment dish for me, one I have never made before. I learned a few things.

1. Seed the pomegranate before food is already cooking in the pan--it takes longer than you think. 

2. When cooking with fresh sage, a little goes a long way. Also, cook it longer than you would typically cook other herbs, unless you're into bitter tastes.

3. Don't be afraid to try strange flavors together, or strange colors.

Brunching with the Best

Wow. Can we talk about how good this looks?

Let me give you a little back story...I have these two lovely roommates, Aravinda and Liz. Sometimes we like to do things that roommates do together. Mainly, we find ways to make delicious food.

However, on this occasion, we decided to hike up to Andersonville for brunch at M. Henry.

Spinach and Kale Soup with Tahini and Lemon Dressed Chickpeas

After a week of despicable eating (I'm talking greasy take out for breakfast and lunch, then scrounging around the fridge for dinner--so reminiscent of my days at college), my body was in need of a fresh, healthy kick in the pants.

So I turned, as I do so often these days, to my new favorite vegetarian food blog: Green Kitchen Stories. This blog contains goodness too delightful not to share. It's where I discovered the recipe for the soup that I am about to share with you right now.

My Fair Frittata

Remember the time I made roasted vegetables that yielded "copious amounts of leftovers?" Well, soon after, I found myself in a little conundrum. You see, after a day or two, eating roasted vegetables gets boring.

And I simply do not like to waste my food.

Starving kids in China? Maybe. But I like to think of my starving bank account as a better motivator to cook up and eat every morsel of food I possibly can.

Hearty Veggies for a Roastin'

I deeply enjoy farmer's markets.

There's just something so earthy and honest about them. Not only do farmer's markets provide fresh fruits and vegetables in their peak season, but I always leave feeling good that I have helped local farms.

Oh, and all of the little hippy families that tend to frequent farmer's markets (at least the ones in Chicago) are quite pleasant to encounter. :)