The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers about...what else? Cookies. He was mentioning his preferences in cookie flavors, when he made a shocking statement. "I don't like chocolate. And I don't like peanut butter." I opened my mouth in shock and horror. "My wife," he continued, "always says-" and at the exact same moment as he finished his wife's statement, I was verbalizing the exact same sentiment. "What is wrong with you?!" This may be insulting to some, especially to said coworker who had such nice things to say about my blog, but I truly believe that it's difficult to be happy without chocolate. Throw in some peanut butter? That's pretty much bliss. Assuming you are among … [Read more...]
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
I am a recovering soup-aholic. Don't get me wrong. I still love soup, enjoy soup, even crave soup. But there was a point in my life when all I wanted every day, all day, was soup. This was in the days before I spent quite so much time in the kitchen, so most of the soup I consumed during that period of my life was bought. Here's the funny thing about store bought soup, though. You can order something very benign sounding, such as "vegetable soup" or "broccoli soup" and instead of a healthy dish, you just inadvertently consumed half of your daily allotment of calories. If I had tasted this soup in a restaurant or any other food establishment, I would have been wracked with guilt, convinced … [Read more...]
Nutella Filled Puff Pastry Pockets
I didn't have a good reason to make this dessert. Ok, in the interest of honesty, I rarely have a good reason to make any dessert. But this one seemed a whole let less logical than most. Most treats that I make are a chance for me to experiment and have some fun in the kitchen. This wasn't like that. I took one delicious ingredient, Nutella (or in my case, a non-dairy version of it) and stuffed it inside another super delicious ingredient, namely, puff pastry. It's simple math, really. How could it equal anything but delicious? And just like that I pretty much gave you my recipe. It's that very simplicity that makes me glad I made this dessert. The number one complaint that I get from … [Read more...]
Mocha Chocolate Chip Bars
I'm in love with a dessert. This dessert. I know, it shouldn't happen, especially to a gal who doesn't try her desserts, but...well, I can't help loving this recipe. For starters, it has coffee. In multiple forms. In my book, coffee=awesome. A dessert recipe with coffee? Double awesome. Then there's the matter of how absolutely quick these are to make. The first time I made these, I stuck them in the oven and looked at the clock in amazement. The entire thing had taken just minutes from start to finish! I mentally swore off every other kind of cookie besides for bars, then, because I am crazy that way, I set out to make super complicated cookies. Because making such an easy recipe was like, … [Read more...]
Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers
As the clock struck midnight, we ushered in a new year. And with it, a brand new resolve to eat healthier and watch our weight. While this may be sadly short lived for many of us, it's still the first day of January, and the proverbial ink is barely dry on the list of New Years resolutions. Posting a cookie recipe today feels a little cruel, doesn't it? (Just) for today, I will put my delicious baked goods on the back burner and share with you one of my favorite healthy recipes. Here's what happened. It was late one night when I realized I hadn't prepared my lunch for the following day. I was going to make my easiest, go-to recipe, roasted chic peas. I turned my pantry upside down … [Read more...]
Healthy (Mock) Breaded Cauliflower
Healthy Mock Breaded Cauliflower is crispy and delicious, without all that fat! It's Chanukah now, which means that most of my readers, particularly the Jewish ones, will be expecting all kinds of deep fried delicacies to appear on the front page of this blog. After all, what kind of good Jewish girl isn't making latkes and donuts now? Okay, so I won't go so far as to say that I am not making any fried goodies this week. In fact, I have a whole bunch of deliciousness up my sleeve, (or in my frying pan, as the case may be). Hopefully, those will be here soon. But in the meantime, I figured I would preempt the unhealthy treats with my latest veggie creation. I think obsessed is a … [Read more...]
Glazed Raspberry Cookies
I don't know if you've noticed, but I am kinda sorta..alright very into how things look. A delicious cookie is a delicious cookie, and don't anyone get the impression that I undervalue a delicious cookie, but a delicious cookie that looks nice...well, that's a winner on every front. I know, some people read: guys absolutely wouldn't know the difference between a pretty cookie or a non-pretty cookie if it bit them in the nose. Just the other day, one of the guys I work with, a big fan of my cookies, invited me into his office to taste a cookie that his wife had made. And probably to get my expert opinion. It only seemed fair, he reasoned, that after all of the cookies I had given him, he … [Read more...]
Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies
Let's talk for a minute about dieting willpower. I know, the title doesn't seem to introduce a post about diets, and the recipe certainly isn't intended for someone on one, but hear me out, there is a point here. There are different kinds of willpower people have when dieting and losing weight. There's the minor form of willpower. That's the kind that is generally found in skinny people who want to lose a pound or five. They can't figure out why they can't stay motivated to lose weight. I can. They don't need to badly enough. The second kind of willpower is the kind you find in someone with a significant amount of weight to lose. These people know how much depends on their weight … [Read more...]
Creamy Orange Vegetable Soup
I realize that the title of this post is kind of misleading. When you see the word creamy, you probably imagine a rich and creamy soup, full of...well, cream. In actuality, this soup is thick and rich. However, it is not only devoid of cream, but it's pretty healthy. I've been making this soup for years, and it is one of my all-time favorites. While this soup is delicious all year round, the flavors and colors are absolutely perfect for fall. And because this soup freezes magnificently, I freeze it in single servings, and pop one in the microwave when I come home from work late on a frigid fall or winter night. This soup is thick and filling, and warms you right to the very core. Best of … [Read more...]
Grilled Mustard Marinated Chicken
I've always read and heard great things about using a grill pan, but I've been too scared to use one. Why, you ask? Simple. I have a relative who is a huge fan of the grill pan, but everything they've ever cooked on it has come out dry and overcooked. [Let us all take a moment now to say a collective prayer that said relative doesn't actually read my blog.] Let's go on. So I left the grill pan in the back of the cabinet, opting instead for the outdoor grill, the George Forman grill, or in a pinch, the broiler. Then the blackout happened. And for three days I faced very limited cooking options. 30 degrees and a foot of snow meant no outdoor grill, the lack of power eliminated the … [Read more...]