Spiced cocoa roasted almonds

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I’m a big snacker. I really try to snack on “healthy” things but sometimes I just want something sweet. These almonds are the perfect snack for times like that. Sweet and healthy (and they’ve got a little kick). Enjoy.

Spicy Cocoa Roasted Almonds Recipe
(Adapted from My Kitchen Addiction)

Ingredients:
3 cups whole almonds
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
Few drops of water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (I prefer dark cocoa powder, but whatever works!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (see tip below)
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 275°F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or with parchment paper.  Set aside.
Whisk together the egg white, vanilla bean paste, and a few drops of water in a mixing bowl.  Beat mixture until it is light and frothy.  Add the almonds and toss to evenly coat with the egg white mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugars, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt.  Whisk together very well, being sure to remove any lumps.  Add the almonds, and toss to coat.  Spread the coated almonds out on the prepared baking sheet.  Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.  Keep a close watch on the almonds because they will burn quickly.
Once the almonds are done, spread them out on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper until they have cooled completely.  Store in an airtight container.
Tip:
If you’re not a fan of spicy, cut the cayenne to just 1/2 teaspoon.

Roasted Potato Leek soup

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There is nothing like curling up with a warm bowl (or two) of soup and some homemade bread when the weather is cold.

Temperatures dropped yesterday so I finally dusted off my soup cookbook and made Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Potato Leek soup. I’ve made this several different times, but this time I decided to change it up a bit. There was no arugula at the store so I substituted fresh rosemary instead. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, but it was delicious.

The recipe is a little time consuming since you have to roasted the potatoes and leeks for about an hour before hand, but it’s so worth it.

Roasted Potato Leek soup
adapted from the Food Network, Barefoot Contessa

  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
  • 3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (4 leeks)
  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
  • 6 to 7 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarians)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (I used milk, cut down the calories a bit)
  • 8 ounces creme fraiche
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they’re all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan.

Delicious (and healthy) chocolate mousse

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This is my new obsession. The pudding is delicious. And NO ONE ever guesses that it’s actually made with avocados, and, therefore, healthy. At least it is if you don’t eat the whole container in one sitting. But it’s hard not to. Seriously. And on top of being super delicious, it’s super easy. So, really, there is no reason you shouldn’t try it.

Chocolate avocado mousse
from “If It Makes You Healthy” by Sheryl Crow and Chuck White

2 large, ripe avocados (halved and pitted)
1/2 cup agave (or honey)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mousse is very smooth. If not sweet enough add more agave/honey. Serve chilled and garnish with raspberries. Or shortbread cookies.

Eggs baked in an avocado

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I love trying new recipes, especially simple ones. We finally got around to making these eggs baked in avocados this morning. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. It was missing something. We sprinkled some paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper on top. For the second half, I added a slice of cheddar on top and put it back in the oven for a minute to melt. That definitely helped. And I ate it on homemade bread, which, in my opinion, makes everything taste better.

I will make this again. I’m determined to make it mouth-watering.

Eggs baked in an avocado

Preheat oven to 425 degree. Slice avocado in half and remove the pit. Place the avocados, cut side up, in the pan and crack the egg inside the hole. (Warning: some of the egg white will likely spill out, so it might be helpful to scoop a bit of avocado out to make a bigger hole) Sprinkle any seasonings on top and bake in oven until the eggs are done the way you like them. Good by itself of on top of toast.

Carrot Almond Soup

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Photo by Sara Davidson

It’s a new year, with new goals and resolutions.

For the past several years I’ve tried to come up with 100 new recipes for the year. I’ve been pretty successful and have found some real gem recipes that we now eat over and over and over again. This is one of them.

The yogurt sauce is the perfect balance of cream and tang and goes perfect on top of the soup. I can never get enough and eat seconds and thirds and then clean my husband’s and my plate with homemade bread.

It’s the perfect winter meal.

Carrot Almond Soup
from the Food Network
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole almonds
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the almonds and stir until toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts with a slotted spoon to a small plate and reserve.

Add the carrots, onion, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, and pepper to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until the vegetables brown, about 4 minutes more.

Add the water and chickpeas to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the beans are very tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir together the yogurt, cilantro, and lemon zest in a small bowl.

Roughly chop the reserved almonds. Transfer half of the almonds and half of the soup to a blender. Pulse at first, and then puree, to make a smooth soup base. Return the pureed soup to the pot and heat. Stir in the yogurt mixture, divide among warmed bowls, and serve with the remaining chopped almonds sprinkled on top.

Chilean cuisine

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I love food. And even more when I travel. It is one of the things I love most about traveling. I’m fascinated with the culture of food, the meals, the flavors, everything.

We recently made a trip to Chile where we had some fantastic meals: empanadas, ceviche, rolls, pisco sours and fish. It was all amazing. Delicioso!

Now that I’m home and it’s a new year I’m inspired to recreate some of these dishes at home.

Homemade Chai

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I can’t completely give up my coffee but there are several days a week when tea (with a little milk and honey) sounds so much better than a cup of strong, dark coffee. I’ve been making some homemade chai for a couple years since a friend sent me some of hers as a birthday gift. Because I never really measure anything, it comes out slightly different every time, but here’s a good start.
About equal parts:
Cardamom seeds, from the pod
Fennel seed
Black peppercorns
Star of Anise
A slightly less:
Whole cloves
Coriander seed
One vanilla bean, cut in pieces
And lots of:
Candied ginger, cut in to small pieces
And optional is:
Tea, I use Sadaf’s special tea blend with cardamom flavor
Throw all the ingredients but the vanilla bean, candied ginger and tea in the oven at 300-degrees to toast. When they become fragrant, they are done. Add the vanilla bean, candied ginger and tea.

Banana bread French toast

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Banana bread French toast is nothing new. But, I forgot how yummy it is and fun to make. I had a craving this morning (and very overripe bananas), so I got up a bit early to make a couple of loaves. It hit the spot.

Banana Bread
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 over ripe bananas, peeled
1 egg
1/3 to 1/2 cup yogurt (plain or vanilla)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add bananas and mix thoroughly until mashed and blended. Beat in the egg and yogurt. In a separate bowl mix the remaining ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. Stir until all flour is mixed in a moistened and it becomes doughy. Put the batter in a greased, loaf pan and bake at 350-degrees for 60 minutes. Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes before taking out and cooling.

French toast
5 thick slices banana bread
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla together in a bowl. Dunk the banana bread so soaked pretty well on both sides.
Cook in a buttered pan on the stove until golden brown on each side.