Lemon Lavender Energy Bites

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I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July! And after a little over indulging, it’s time to go looking for a healthier snack alternative.

I love, love, love my Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites, but when looking to expand a little for an upcoming Health Fair I’m demoing at for work, I wanted to see what else might be out there in the the wide world of bite sized energy morsels. While scrolling through Lindsay’s Healthy Bites recipes at Cotter Crunch, I found her Lemon Pistachio Shortbread Cookie Bites. These were so outside the box from the usual energy bite recipe I see with dates, chia seeds, etc., I just had to try them. After looking at the recipe closer, I knew I’d have to make some modifications for a smaller batch, so I decided to branch out further and incorporate some lavender… because I just love the lavender and lemon combo. And by sticking with almond butter, the other flavors could really shine through.

I bought my culinary lavender from Los Poblanos Farms which is a local business, but their lavender products are featured in posh hotels around the country and you can buy most all of the lavender products online – yep even their culinary lavender, all organic. In addition to their lavender farm, they also have a historic inn and restaurant (all locally sourced or onsite farm raised ingredients) on the property. C and I had our first valentine’s dinner there – I loved the atmosphere, the size and style made me feel like I was in some old Spanish town and definitely not in Albuquerque anymore. Oh, and the food was also fabulous. 🙂

Lemon Lavender Energy Bites

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c raw, unsalted, pistachios (meats, shelled)
  • 1 tsp grated lemon
  • 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour
  • 1 T turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 c creamy almond butter (do not use peanut butter – it will overpower the other flavors)
  • 1 tsp whole culinary lavender (you can add an additional 1/2 tsp based on strength of lavender flavor)
  • 1/4 c honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp lemon extract
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Place nuts and flour in the food processor first. I used a 2 cup food processor or small option if using a larger processor. Pulse until nuts resemble a course meal.
  2. Add in sugar, salt, lavender, and extracts. Process for another 3-5 second or until well combined.
  3. Lastly, blend in almond butter and your choice of honey or maple syrup. Pulse until well combined and the mixture holds its shape when pressed together. Add additional syrup 1 T at a time until mixture hold a shape without crumbling.
  4. Using a teaspoon, scoop mixture and form into round balls.
  5. Place balls in the freezer to set and hold their shape. After frozen, they can be left to be stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

I think this is my new favorite hiking snack or maybe just for work. 🙂

What are your favorite snack flavor combinations? 

Homemade Everything Smores 

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*Bonus recipe this week!*

I’m interrupting this July 4th celebration to bring you a few recipes, because you still have time to whip something together before the fireworks start this evening. Hurry, run quick!

For the past few years, I’ve been mesmerized by the idea of making my own marshmallows. I typically have a s’more maybe a couple times a year, but I am obsessed with everything s’more flavored – maybe it’s the combo of the graham and chocolate or just the toasty marshmallow. Whatever it is, I finally decided to go all out and make my own marshmallows! This time there’s nothing fancy about the flavors, just a regular vanilla, but I am pleasantly surprised that they turned out because my thermometer decided to get stuck on 200F when I needed to heat the sugar syrup to 240F before whipping in to the gelatin.

Since I’ve never made marshmallows and frankly, didn’t have the foggiest idea where to start, I turned to Alton Brown and used his recipe. They were surprisingly “easy” to make and that’s without a working thermometer and a hand held mixer rather than a standing. If you’re using a hand held mixer, I would suggest prepping the pan ahead of time to make life easier.

Now that we have marshmallows, there needs to be some s’more action – so I also followed Alton’s recipe for Homemade Graham Crackers as well. So why Alton Brown? Well, C and I have been watching some of his reruns on Netflix and I find that he really has great recipes for getting the basics down – especially if you don’t even have a clue where to start.

Ok, so the one thing I did “conceive” myself – the Cayenne Chocolate Gnache. If we’ve never met, I will try and use chocolate gnache for whatever I can and just tweak the recipe (frosting, mousse, sauce, etc.). Although it’s melty and drizzled below, the real treat about gnache is that if you store it in the refrigerator, scoop a table spoon on a graham cracker, top with a toasted marshmallow, and it will get all ooey gooey and delicious.

Cayenne Chocolate Gnache

Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 c heavy whipping cream
  • 1 c dark chocolate chips
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (can modify based on taste preference)
  • Pinch of salt

Directions

  1. Heat cream, chocolate, salt, and cayenne in a small pot on medium heat. After the first minute whisk continually until chocolate melts into the cream and you are left with a rich chocolate sauce.
  2. Do not over heat.
  3. Pour warm over marshmallows or store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use. The trick I love most about gnache is that it gets shiny again once heated and melting.

Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite summer time treats? 

Wild Rice Salad with Honey Mustard Viniagrette 

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As I was exploring Minnesota my internet wasn’t the greatest, so I didn’t hit publish on this post until I returned. I wanted to share one of my favorite Minnesota dishes – Wild Rice Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.  I first had this salad at the Douglas Lodge at Itasca State Park (the headwaters of the Mississippi) and then proceeded to buy their cookbook because it had this recipe! I have preceded to change it a little and make it my own and my mom continues to make this salad every time I come to visit or we get together in the summer. It may seem like a strange combination of food and flavors, but believe me it works pretty darn well. Celery adds crunch, grapes add sweetness, rice is chewy, and the almond can be toasted too for more flavor enhancement. Wait, I almost forgot about the water chestnuts and I’m the one who throws a fit if they get left out of the actual salad – they add a refreshing crunch although not super strong in flavor.

Wild Rice Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 6 or 4 large dinner salads

Ingredients

  • 1 c dry wild rice
  • 2 c water
  • 1 c halved red grapes
  • 1/2 c craisins or raisins
  • 1/2 c sliced water chestnuts
  • 1 c chopped celery
  • 1/4 c sliced almonds

Honey Mustard Dressing

  • 1/4 c cider vinegar
  • 1 T spicy ground mustard or other grainy mustard variety
  • 1/4 c honey
  • 1/4 c olive oil
  • Pinch of Cayenne (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Pour all salad dressing into a mason jar and shake vigorously. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Prepare wild rice: Rinse rice prior to cooking.  Bring wild rice and water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until grains have split and rice is chewy but not hard. Rinse rice in cold water and drain.
  3. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Then add in rice and enough dressing to coat (you will not use all of it the first time. The salad gets better as it sits, but you might need to add more dressing over time as the rice and raisins tends to soak up the dressing.

Just a nice short and sweet recipe!

Although this morning I’m exhausted, vacation was a much needed break where I really tried to unplug (didn’t look at work email once!) from my normal routine, see family and friends I haven’t seen in years, and really remember what’s important in life. Now it’s back to work and back to reality for me.  Hope everyone is having a great week!

Savory Waffles with Bacon and Chiles

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I’m back to the most important meal of the day – brunch, obviously. So maybe you’re not a sweet breakfast/brunch person. Why ever not?

For me, I typically need something a little sweet – usually in the form of fruit of some kind, but C needs his three egg omelet on the weekends and will only yield to something sweet for a side. So when I’m trying to compromise, I make some of my “sweet” breakfast favorites into something more savory. The bacon is of course optional if you’re going vegetarian but I wouldn’t cut out the spice.

Savory Waffles with Bacon and Chiles

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c buttermilk (I’ve also tried it with kefir – still good)
  • 1/2 c all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c corn meal
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 c chopped green onions (divided)
  • 2-3 T green chiles (roasted and diced)
  • 2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled/diced
  • 1/4-1/3 c shredded Pecorino Romano cheese or other dry hard cheese such as parmesan
  • Additional eggs for topping

Directions

  1. Cook bacon as desired (pan, oven, microwave) until crisp. Let cool and crumble.
  2. Beat buttermilk and eggs in a large bowl. I
  3. n a medium bowl sift together flour, cornmeal, paprika, baking powder, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Stir in bacon, green onions, chiles, and cheese.
  5. Cook waffles until golden brown in your waffle iron. Spray with non-stick spray between each batch to keep from sticking.
  6. While the waffles cook, fry over-easy or sunny-side-up eggs in a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan. Top waffles with the runny eggs for a scrumptious “syrup”.

I actually didn’t like fried eggs, much less runny eggs until just two years ago when I had it with polenta for the first time. Needless to say I was hooked and now it’s my go-to whenever I’m looking to add some more protein to a leftover pizza, polenta, or stir fry.

Dig in!

Black Bean Hummus for the Ultimate Veggie Snacker

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Black beans two weeks in a row? … at least one is sweet and the other savory? Oh well, I’m over that embarrassment, because this is another tasty healthy recipe.

I adore hummus as a healthy snack option. And find it really difficult to get bored of something you can customize so easily when you make it yourself. Traditional hummus is made from garbanzo beans, but whenever I make the original version in my little 2 cup food processor, it never gets quite as smooth. So I typically opt for a softer bean and my first favorite type of bean – the black bean.

This spread/dip is thick enough to be used on sandwiches, but my favorite is just for packing a flavor punch with veggies. 🙂 For some extra color try different color carrots, home grown or pickling cucumbers, and heirloom baby tomatoes. Oh and for a little extra crunch I’ve thrown in some Nut-Thins – seriously so good especially with the hint of salt in the sea salt variety.

Black Bean Hummus

Makes 6 to 8, 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients

  • 1 can black beans (~2 cups), rinsed and drained
  • 2 T tahini
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 c chopped green onion
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder (your favorite kind), adjust for spiciness
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste
  • Additional water to improve consistency if needed.

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor (I used a 2 cup version) but you can also use the smaller bowl option on your large processor.
  2. Pulse and blend until smooth.

Yep, two steps – super simple.

Now you can pick your favorite veggies to accompany.

Happy snacking!

My other favorite hummus is the edamame hummus from Trader Joes.

What’s your favorite brand or type of hummus? What are your favorite snacking veggies?

 

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Black Bean Mocha Brownies

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Achilles heel? Kryptonite? Whatever way you like to phrase your weakness, brownies are mine. I can turn away from cake; I can turn away from cookies; I can even turn away from ice cream, but put a brownie in front of me and I crumble… especially the fudgy brownies. And if they’re the crunchy top brownies, I’m finished, vanquished. With that being the case, I’m alway on the look out for a healthier brownie version; and while I’ve found some great options with almond flour gluten free brownies, pumpkin, and a few others, black bean will always be my favorite. Beans in brownies? Yes it may seem crazy, but is so so good. I stumbled upon this recipe probably 6 years ago or so – which means I honestly can’t pinpoint where the original recipe came from.

While there are a lot of black bean brownie recipes out there, this is by far my favorite and the easiest in my opinion. And because we’re replacing the oil and eggs with the beans, depending on what brownie mix you pick, they’re definitely vegetarian but can also easily be vegan as well.

Over the years I’ve ramped up the coffee in the recipe to really make them more of a mocha. 🙂 I also started experimenting with cold brew coffee, but you can use just strong black coffee or even espresso instead.

Black Bean Mocha Brownies

Serves 16-20

Ingredients

  • 1 box chocolate brownie mix with chocolate chips (the chips in there make a real difference, I use Ghiraradelli), or another rich mix
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 c cold brew coffee or other strong coffee
  • 2 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/4 c additional water or coffee

Directions

  1. To puree the black beans, process in a food processor with 1/4 cup of cold brew coffee until very smooth and you don’t see large pieces of bean skin (hull?).
  2. Then mix with the rest of ingredients, remaining coffee, and last additional 1/4 cup water or coffee (depending on how much mocha flavor you want) until batter is your desired consistency. Adding a little less water will help with the texture, but the full 1/4 cup are guaranteed to make the brownies extra fudgy.
  3. Follow the directions on the brownie box, baking at about 325 for 35-40 minutes; you want to undercook them a little bit so they’re not dry.
  4. Bake in an 8×8 pan, and they’re still pretty thick. I typically use a 9×9 pan because my brain works on size of the top of the brownie and doesn’t always register how thick it is when it comes to portion sizes.

Holy yum! And I don’t feel as guilty eating one of these a day (until the pan is finished)… or maybe two? But in order to avoid the dreadful task of having to eat theses all by yourself because your partner in life, food, and fun can’t reconcile that these delicious treats are made with beans – I suggest you share with another group of fine people.

Enjoy!

Stone Fruit and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

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By no means can I take all of the credit for this recipe, since I got all of the inspiration from Tiffani Theissen – I loved her on White Collar and Saved by the Bell I suppose. On a flight this past March (I think I was headed to or coming from Minnesota) Southwest had TV and movies you can watch on your mobile devices. Since I was looking for something to occupy the time, I decided on Travel and Food shows – finding a few I didn’t even know existed (Booze Traveler & Dinner at Tiffani’s). On an episode of Dinner at Tiffani’s,  she was making brunch with Bree Turner (who I like from Grim) and Lance Bass and his husband. While the people were lovely, the food got me thinking. She made a peach and tomato caprese salad and I knew I had to try and recreate it… Because searching for the recipe on the internet would have been difficult?

Stone fruits weren’t in season at that time – and neither were good heirlooms, so I bidded my time and waited for growing season to start. This past week, Sprouts had a great sale on produce and ripe white peaches and a few heirloom tomatoes. Naturally I snatched them up and ran home to make the salad I had been dreaming for months.

Stone Fruit and Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

Serves 2 or 4 if you’re feeling generous

Ingredients

  • 2-3 medium white peaches
  • 2 large or 3 medium heirloom tomatoes
  • 8 oz of burrata cheese
  • 10 basil leaves

Directions

  1. Wash and dry produce, then starting from the bottom, slice tomatoes horizontally about 1/4 in wide. Cut peaches into slices.
  2. Arrange tomatoes and peaches on a plate, then cut or tear burrata and nestle on top.
  3. Lastly drop basil leaves over everything and serve. This is great with an aged balsamic (what I had on hand didn’t drizzle the best, so it’s not pictured).

It’s so simple and looks (and tastes) amazing! I highly encourage you to hit up your farmer’s market this season and get some local produce to try this. For me, I’ll be picking those peaches off my tree when they’re ready – yum!

 

 

Central Restaurante – 2016 #4 Restaurant in the World, Lima

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The second of the our reservations at two of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants was the #4 ranked restaurant Central Restaurant located smack in the middle of Miraflores (about half a mile from the apartment we were staying in). We opted to do a lunch reservation and brought along the newly engaged couple (C’s sister and her fiance) – it’s more fun to share with more people! The menu titled “Mater Ecosystems” provided each course with ingredients found at various altitudes.

We started with cocktails – although wine or juice pairings were also an option (we didn’t notice the juice pairing until well into the meal – whomp, whomp – it would have been fantastic). While I can’t recall the exactly, but I think what I ordered was the Pisco Torontel · Aperol · Elderflower Tonic.

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Spiders on a Rock -5M (Sargassum, Limpet, Crab) Our first course consisted of a thin crisp (cheese?) with a crab meat filling set on what could be a rocking coast line.

Valley of the Tree 230M (Avocado, Panca Chili Pepper, Paico) The second course came with avocado in three forms, the first beings fresh chunks of avocado covered in Panca chili pepper. The next being a piece of crunchy brown bread with avocado mousse and edible flowers (beauty through adversity). And lastly an avocado puree covered with petals on a softer sponge.

High Jungle 860M (Yucan, Baston, Bark) This course was not necessarily my favorite. It’s wasn’t bad or not tasteful but maybe seemed that they had been cold too long – almost with a frozen interior (which lent nothing to being able to taste the flavor). It’s always great to try new vegetables, but I was hoping for more with this.

River Scales 180M (River Snails, Gamitana, Sangre di Grado) As the name says, this course was river snails – not something I would have picked out on my own likely, but the snails were sliced very thin and arranged on thin crisp (which did get stuck in my teeth), so the flavor was mild and relatively enjoyable for being my first time eating river snail.

Andean Plateau 3900M (Tunta, Annato, Coca) This was the bread course – a dense corn type bread, a thin bubbly crisp, and bread cooked/smoked in coca leaves (not pictured). Two spreads – a browned butter and a tomato salsa/condensed puree?

Marine Soil -21M (Clams, Sweet Cucumber, Lime) Despite my general dislike of clams and mussels, I really enjoyed this dish. The clams were thinly slices with a great citrusy sauce and covered with seas cucumbers. Yes, sea cucumbers and they were probably the best part about this (sweet and crispy, delicious).

Extreme Stem 2875M (Oca, Mashwa, Elderberry) Another fantastic course – basically the potato or root vegetable dish. Thin starch paper, translucent potatoes, and then potato bites I think look like olives – all with an elderberry sauce that I could drink plain if that was acceptable.

This is what the potatoes look like when whole – Peru has over 300 varieties of potatoes. Being raised on potatoes in Minnesota, I would love this type of variety.

Close Fishing -10M (Octopus, Coral, Barquillo) I know I’ve been saying that almost every course was a really good course, but this was probably my favorite. Grilled octopus, or just octopus in general, is not something I never thought I’d say I like – especially since I’ve tried it more than a few times and could never get over that rubbery texture. Well this octopus was incredible tender and easy to eat (the roasting smell wafted through the restaurant throughout our meal – I probably drooled every time). The coral was made from egg white and also set with a crispy corn chip (?). And once again the sauce was amazing and I can’t find a way to describe it other than that – amazing.

Let’s try and get as close to the sauce as I can, because maybe that will help me smell it again. Seriously though, someone needs to invent a way to trigger smell recall in our brain (or capture it in a camera like device for posterity).

Low Andes Mountain 1800M (Quinoas, Beef, Airampo) Now clearly the photo above is not beef because I opted for the vegetarian option for this. Lime cream (or was it quinoa milk), balls of goodness (black quinoa?), green and blue powders (blue-green algae?)- I actually had no idea what I was eating but it was damn good and incredibly rich. Although after some other research into their vegetarian menu I think it might be the Altiplano and Lake (Black Quinoa and Lime Cream) or Psuedocereal (Andean grains, ciagua, chili pepper, airampo).

I snagged a picture of C’s beef dish – also set in quinoa with shaved beef heart – yep. And apparently it was tasty. All three other dinners thought it was potentially their best course. The airampo gives some of that bright red color.

Green Highlands 1050M (Lucuma, Cacao, Chaco Clay) Now for the first of the desserts – a chocolate ice cream with lucuma cookie (but not quite a cookie – crisp?), and white chocolate with clay curls. Seriously freaking good.

Valley Between the Andes 2190M (Roots, Sanki, Sacha Inchi) Our last dessert course included a camomile type gelatin square and what we thought were chocolate candies.

Well, the thin chips were chocolate but the others had a gel texture with a liquid center. Still good.

Solar Mucilage 200M (O.I. Water, Theobromas) Our last course and palate cleanser (at least for me) was basically sun water. I thoroughly enjoyed the slightly sweet, acidic, salty, beverage while it wasn’t really anyone else’s favorite (more for me!). I never knew water could taste like that but is was weirdly addicting.

All in all we had a fantastic experience – which is exactly how I view these types of restaurants. You come for the food and are slapped in the face by the experience. The only thing I might change is to ask for a better lighting table next time. (…My eyebrows completely disappeared in the photo above because of the lighting – and it was a constant battle to not get shadows over my food pictures.)

Dream trip, dream food.