These lil snack bites will give you a boost of energy before the gym, or tide you over until dinner (hanger helper), or just generally satisfy a little sweet tooth without being over indulgent. These are date/nut based, and the way you flavor them is totally up to you. The good thing about these is that you can really do whatever you want with them, depending on what you have on hand. Here I made two versions: Goji and Maca (darker ones) and Carrot Cake. Once you’re done just pop them in the fridge and snack at your leisure!
Directions: Place all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse for a minute or two, or until the ingredients have all broken down into a crumbly, sticky consistency. If it’s just not sticking, add more dates. If it’s too sticky, add more nuts or flax. Once ready, take out small amounts and form a ball with your hands. Ingredients: Carrot Cake • 10 pitted dates • 1/3 C walnuts • 1-4 carrots, depending on thickness. (I used 4 super thin carrots. Start with less and add to your liking) •1-2 tbsp ground flax seed (this works as a binding agent..carrots are v wet) Goji and Maca • 10-15 pitted dates (you need more dates with this one. the dry goji berries are harder to blend) • 1/3 cup cashews • 1/3 cup dried goji berries • 2 tbsp Maca powder *Blend all ingredients first, then roll balls in the Maca powder.
0 Comments
I’d suggest making this when you’ve got extra time on your hands. This is a really fun dish to make because it pushes you a little out of your comfort zone, without being too technically complex. I woke up at 7 am on a Saturday morning, hungover and hungry, contemplating where the day might take me. The first thing I do in the morning, like any douche of a millennial, is check social media, and the first thing I saw on Facebook was this scratch-made-no-ravioli-mold-necessary recipe from Proper Tasty. I immediately decided that I would be making ravioli that night. Would I have made this decision if I wasn’t in a hazy, morning-after-a-3-am-night fog? Yes, probably, because I love pasta and I love cooking. The first step is to make the dough. You’ll let it rise for about an hour, while preparing the filling, shrimp, and blackened seasoning in the meantime. Once the dough has risen, you’re going to roll it out long and THIN across a floured surface. As thin as possible without being transparent. Then add dollops of the filling, evenly spaced about 3/4 inch apart, along the left half of the dough. Slice the dough down the middle, leaving about half an inch of space between the filling and the edge of the dough. Brush water (or beaten egg white) around the filling. This will act as a glue to help bind the two layers. Press the naked slice of dough on top of the strip with the filling. With your fingers, press around the filling to eliminate air bubbles, and flatten the edges while fusing the two strips together. Slice evenly between the filling bubbles in that empty, flat portion of dough. Once done, you’ll be left with this decadent masterpiece. Keep reading for a detailed step by step :) Ingredients:
Pasta dough: • 2.5 cups all purpose flour • 3 eggs • 1/4 cup water Filling (source): • 4 oz goat cheese • 2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese (or you can do 1/3 parm, 1/3 Italian 6 cheese blend) • Bag of spinach (about 9 oz) • Salt and pepper to taste • Dash of nutmeg Sauce (adapted from Damn Delicious) • 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 2 cloves garlic • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour • 1.5 cups milk (I used unflavored, unsweetened almond milk to lighten it up) • 1.5 tsp dried thyme • 1/4 cup half & half • 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese or Italian 6 cheese blend • 1/4 cup pasta water • Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley Shrimp • 1 lb raw or frozen (and thawed) large shrimp (shelled and deveined) Note: I used medium sized shrimp in this recipe, which is what I had on hand, but I think it would be better with the larger guys • 1/2 tbsp and 1 tsp paprika • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder • 1/2 tbsp onion powder • 1/2 tbsp dried thyme • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper • 1/2 tsp cayenne • 1/2 tsp dried basil Directions: Pasta Dough: add flour to large mixing bowl. Create a small well in the middle and add eggs and water. Mix with fork until incorporated, then knead with hands for 5 minutes to get the gluten working. Work those biceps, boo. Cover in saran wrap and let sit in fridge for an hour Filling: Add spinach to non-stick skillet, cover, and cook over low heat, allowing spinach to wilt down. Once wilted, remove cover and let cook until water evaporates. Make sure to stir every few minutes or spinach will stick to the skillet. Once water has mostly evaporated, remove from skillet and lay on paper towel. Take another paper towel and press down on spinach to absorb excess water (if you have a cheesecloth, that would be easier ~and more environmentally friendly!). Now combine all filling ingredients in a small bowl and mix. Create the ravioli: • Preheat oven to 400º • Flour work surface. Remove dough from fridge and cut in two equal halves. Take the first half and roll it out to somewhere around 16″ x 6″. Again, make sure it’s nice and thin. • Add dollops (a tbsp or so) of filling evenly along one side of the dough. Leave about 3/4 inch between each dollop. • Brush water (or beaten egg whites) around each dollop to create a glue to seal the two layers of dough • Cut the sheet of dough in half lengthwise, leaving about half an inch of space between the filling and the edge of the dough • Lay the naked sheet of dough evenly on top of the filling, and with your fingers, press around the filling to release any pockets of air. Press the top layer into the bottom, fusing the two • Cut the ravioli into individual pieces. Set aside. *now bring a large pot of salted water to a boil* Shrimp: Add all blackened seasonings to a small bowl and mix. Season shrimp with salt, then toss in blackened mixture. Space shrimp evenly across lined, greased baking sheet and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Sauce: • Melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, while stirring, until fragrant. Whisk in flour until lightly browned. • Gradually whisk in milk, thyme, and black pepper. Make sure to add the milk slowly, while whisking quickly, to avoid any clumps. • Once incorporated, stir in half & half and cheese. • Allow to simmer while pasta cooks. If sauce gets too thick, add about a quarter cup of the pasta water Pasta: Add ravioli to boiling water and cook for five minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than boxed), or until the raviolis rise to the top. Remove with slotted spoon or oil skimmer. Now just plate the pasta, pour on the sauce, top with the shrimp (if you must) and garnish with freshly chopped parsley and more cracked black pepper! Enjoy and pat yourself on the back! Is there anything in the damn world better than making something that takes no effort or skill and tastes like the angels from heaven above hand crafted a decadent dessert for you and you only? No, there’s not. Please make these. These are SOOOOOO good. This is for your own benefit. I feel like dates get a really bad rap, which I don’t approve of, but I truly think this dessert will change your mind(/life). These are peanut butter filled and chocolate covered. In this context, the dates take on this caramel quality that make these so rich and decadent and delicious. I made these with a friend and we both screamed after the first bite. Ingredients: • About 1 lb of large medjool dates (pitted) • 3 oz dark chocolate (the darker the better) • 1/2 cup nut butter of choice Optional toppings: Coarse sea salt About 1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans) Directions: • Stuff each date with a heaping teaspoon of nut butter. Place in fridge to set. • Add a shallow amount of water to small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Stack a glass bowl snugly on top of the pot, and add chocolate to the bowl. Stir chocolate as it begins to melt. Note: make sure the water does not touch the base of your bowl. this will make the chocolate seize up. Note: you could also melt your chocolate in the microwave, but that's less crafty and fun. with this option, microwave for 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds and stir. • Dip dates in melted chocolate, and thoroughly coat all sides. • Lick chocolate off fingers • Garnish with nuts and salt. I made a few different combos highlighted in the photo above. • Return to fridge for 10-15 minutes to set ENJOYYYYY Caramelized Onions. Goat Cheese. Basil. Bread. Jesus be a flatbread. This is crisp, chewy, creamy, rich, and a breeze to make. It’s a real crowd pleaser, I guarantee it. My cousin came over a couple weeks ago and cooked us a FEAST (I’m talking ribs, empanadas, salmon, arroz con gandules, everything). There was so much food, but I still wanted to contribute, so I whipped this up right quick and served it as an appetizer. Our bellies were happy (and extremely full).
Ingredients: • 1 Flatbread. I used this one from Stonefire. I think it was about 8×9″ • 2-3 tbsp olive oil • 2 medium sweet onions (sliced) • 6 oz fresh goat cheese • 8-10 leaves of fresh basil (chiffonade… I don’t know if this is a verb or an adjective) • Splash of balsamic vinegar • Tsp of sea salt • Pinch of sugar • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper • Cracked red pepper Directions: Note: We are cooking these onions looooow and sloooowwww (about 30 minutes) to build maximum flavor, texture, and sweetness. • Preheat oven to 425 degrees • Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet over high heat. Once hot, add onions, and allow most of them to develop a nice sear, stirring every so often so as not to burn • Once most of the onions have seared, reduce heat to low. Add salt, black pepper, sugar, and a splash of balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Stir. • Now let the onions do their thing. And you can go do yours (set the table, read a book, twerk to Work, whatever). Just come stir them every 5-10 minutes. • Once the onions have caramelized to candy perfection, take the remaining oil and brush it all over the flatbread. • Sprinkle evenly with the onions, and add small dollops of the goat cheese to any empty spaces so that every bite is delicious. So that it cooks evenly, press the goat cheese down with your thumb to flatten it out a bit. You could also brush a little olive oil over the cheese, to help it stay moist in the oven. • Place the flatbread on a lined baking sheet and bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the edges have browned and the goat cheese has softened. • Chiffonade (verb? adjective?) your basil. Here’s how to do it. • Remove flatbread from oven and top with basil and cracked red pepper • Serve immediately • Take a bow This meal is creamy, zesty, and spicy, and each component adds an amazing textural element, which is so important when foregoing meat and cheese. Like, so important.
This is a sweet potato stuffed with southwestern sautéed kale, tomato corn salsa, black beans, and avocado. This recipe is so filling, so easy to whip up, and also healthy af. I mean, I purchased my veggies from Walmart and baked my potato in the microwave, so mine may have been a little less healthy, but I have student loans and a busy schedule and no time for judgment. Here you're getting a massive dose of omega-3's, vitamins A and C, B6, protein, fiber, and potassium, to name a few. This basically translates into glowing hair, skin, and boosted immunity. Another great thing about this stuffed sweet potato concept is that it’s exceptionally versatile. Topping options are endless. Feta/sundried tomato/sauteed broccoli, or chickpea/raisin/lentil, or caramelized onion/roasted tomato/poached egg…… So anyway, if you wanna get your lil southwestern potato party pants on, here’s what you gotta do: Ingredients (serves 2): • 2 sweet potatoes (scrubbed) • 1/3 to 1/2 cup canned black beans • 1 avocado • 2-3 cups raw curly kale • 1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil • 1/4 tsp chili powder • 1/4 tsp ground cumin • dash of garlic powder • dash of paprika • salt and pepper to taste Corn/Tomato Salsa • Half large red onion (diced) • 2 medium tomatoes (chopped) • Juice of 1 lime • Half cup corn kernels (frozen and thawed or fresh) • 1-2 green jalapeño (seeded and diced) • Half cup chopped, fresh cilantro • 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste Notes: these measurements will yield about 1 cup of salsa Additional toppings: chopped green onion, pepitas (did you know these are pumpkin seeds? because I just found out a few months ago), cheese of choice Directions: Bake the potatoes: -Oven method (approx 45-60 min): Preheat to 400 degrees. With a fork, pierce the skin of your potatoes all over. Place the potatoes on a lined baking sheet, and bake until tender. -Microwave method (approx 8-10 min): With a fork, pierce the skin of your potatoes all over. Place on a microwave safe plate and nuke (I hate that word) until tender. **caution, your plate will be HOT as HELL when done** Make the salsa: Combine all of the salsa ingredients in a bowl. Allow everything to marinate while you’re baking the potatoes. The lime juice and salt are going to soften up the onions and help all of the flavors come together Kale: Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the kale and seasonings. Stir every so often, until soft. Beans and avocado: Rinse beans and season with a dash of garlic powder and chili powder. Slice avocado Once your potato is cool enough to touch, slice it down the middle and top with kale, beans, salsa, avocado. Enjoy :) |
Hi! I'm Shantal.
Categories
All
|