Luv Cooks – Page 13 – Making alternative eating easier on YOU!

Greek Salad with Homemade Dressing and The Style Gathering

I’ve been on a quest for the perfect Greek salad for some time.

For those of you who read my previous post on grilled Greek pizza, you know that authentic, homemade Greek dressing is the start to many an amazing dish. Little did I know the importance of nailing the dressing until I spent time with my friend Buffy from The Style Gathering and she introduced me to her version– the one she learned from her college roommate after celebrating Greek Easter with her family- and it’s fantastic. Also, I realized, this was the missing link to my authentic Greek salad conundrum.

The perfect dressing — Topping beautiful Greek salad with Tina Liollio’s dressing

As opposed to the iceberg-heavy, dressing-soaked red onion fest that is some restaurants’ version, taking matters into your own hands with this recipe allows for a level of ingredient control that is much needed to make your salad amazing.

One of my first memories of an American Greek salad is at Zoes Kitchen. This was years ago, in the heart of the South, and my middle school palette was immediately intrigued at the notion of a salad missing the title “Tossed.” Upon digging into the mammoth mound of sliced vegetables, light green lettuce, black olives and (gasp) squares of Feta cheese, my fork hit something soft: potatoes. There were potatoes at the bottom of my salad. A delicious, tiny mound of roasted red potato vinaigrette underneath the stack of sheared iceberg. It was a glorious, and odd, discovery. I wanted more.

After further research, I realized that in the States, everyone does their Greek salad a bit differently. In Detroit, for example, they like to add beets to their plates. Tampa Bay does it Zoe’s style by piling their ingredients onto potato salad.

But our version, I think we got it just right. For one, Buffy introduced me to French feta cheese. Ok, I thought I knew feta. I loved feta. But feta could get beta This feta, here, is rich, light and crumbly, and oh-so-addictive. A mandoline made my job of slicing the red onions less painful. And the absence of lettuce is for a reason. I think that the best, most authentic Greek salad is chunky; full of red, ripe tomatoes, lots of fresh cucumber and a mix of both green and black olives. Toss those together, drizzle dressing on top, and add a few sprigs of fresh basil. Perfection.

Easy Greek Salad (With all of the beautiful photos by J Hagler Photography)

What You Will Need:

4 to 5 Ugly Ripe tomatoes, halved and quartered
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
1 green bell pepper, sliced into rings
1 medium-to-large cucumber, sliced (If you want to get fancy, you can alternately peel strips of the skin off with a vegetable peeler to make them appear striped before you slice them.)
1 block French feta cheese
Homemade Greek dressing, for tossing
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

What You Will Do:

1. In a large bowl, toss all of the vegetables together.

2. Crumble as much Feta cheese as desired on top of salad. Drizzle with Greek dressing, to taste, and top with torn basil leaves. Enjoy salad bliss!

Grilled Greek Pizza with Steak and The Style Gathering

It all starts with the dressing.

Greek dressing. The kind of dressing that carries you through college, graduation, work, marriage- with flavors that at the same time comfort and excite and brighten. The dressing that you use on everything that tastes great to make it taste even better. The dressing everyone asks for but it’s exact measurements are felt in your hands, measured by your palms, and known only after a finger dipped in the blender tells you where it stands.

Today I am honored and thrilled to share with you the dressing; the one that Buffy at The Style Gathering has known for years. Just click on those links and you will find her incredible recipe. And y‘all– I am part Greek (my grandfather’s name is Dionysus) and I can envision my great ancestors now, applauding and cheering Buffy and I on as we used this dressing to marinate, drizzle, and accent some amazing spring dishes that we are excited to share with you this week.

For those of you who may not know Buffy (above left), she is not only beautiful, she is talented. Her blog is a treasure of Southern style-beautiful clothes, food, travel, more yummy food, and entertaining ideas- and she is the resident expert on all things lovely. Her eye for beauty and design is refreshing to be around and I absolutely loved being in the kitchen with her.

Also, needless to say, her incredible photographer Jennifer Hagler did great work on making our food look as incredible as it does.

For this post, we landed on using her dressing to do two things- marinate a flank steak, and top a grilled pizza. Like the dressing, spring is upon us and with it comes awakening flavors and new vegetables. Which leads us of course to grilled Greek pizza, topped with her dressing and our beautiful pan grilled steak.

Also, to be fair, I am no grilling expert. My relationship with the grill resembles very closely that of a small child rewarded with a bag of Skittles every three days. When it works- bliss! When it doesn’t, a time of sulking and an emotional low known only to my husband, takes its place. However, with this pizza- and this flank steak- I have tried to create the easiest-to-follow instructions possible to help even the flame-challenged among us achieve grilling success.*

Cue the grilling montage:

Pizza Dough on Grill — Oiled pizza goes on the grill…

Pizza Dough Flips on Grill — The all important flip occurs…

6U1A1380 — The flipped side is put back on the grill…

Pizza Starts on Grill — Toppings are placed on the dough…

Buffy adds more toppings — Buffy skillfully adds more toppings…

Collaborating on Grill Time — We check to make sure the pizza feels done…

Grilled Pizza — And voila! Grilling success!

Also, if you want to do the pizza sans-dairy, Buffy and I thought that it would be amazing do do a grilled dough topped with dressing and veggies. Yummy. If you try this method, please bring us leftovers.

Alright everyone- bust out the shorts (stylish and blush, of course), turn on the grill, and start blending up a fabulous batch of dressing. It’s sure to put a spring in your step this week.

Marinated, Grilled Flank Steak (with tips on grilling from The Pioneer Woman)

What You Will Need:

2-3 lbs flank steak
1 cup (or more, depending on size of steak) homemade Greek dressing
olive oil (for drizzling)
salt and pepper to taste
grill pan

What You Will Do

1. Put your flank steak into a large plastic bag. Pour in dressing, and swirl around in the bag until it covers all of the meat. Let marinate in fridge for at least four hours.

2. Drizzle grill pan with enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan. Heat grill pan on high heat (for about two to three minutes).

3. Remove steak from marinade, and place on the grill pan horizontally. Grill for two minutes. If you want to get fancy, you can turn your steak at a 45 degree angle (I learned this from the Pioneer Woman) and grill for about a minute or two more, to get those fancy grill marks.

4. Turn the steak over and grill for three to four minutes more (or two minutes, plus 45 degree rotation time), or until the steak reaches 145 degrees (you can also do the finger test if you don’t want to bother with a meat thermometer. #juiceslost)

5. Let the steak rest for at least five minutes before you slice. This keeps it so juicy.

Grilled Greek Pizza with Homemade Dressing

What You Will Need:

1 lb Publix (or any other brand) pre-made pizza dough, standing at room temp for one hour
Flour, for dusting
Olive oil, at least 1 tablespoon (or more) for drizzling
Grilled flank steak
Veggies (for topping): red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red onion, black olives, artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes
Feta cheese, crumbled; mozzarella cheese (Cut into circles and/or shredded if you desire. I like the combination of both!)***
Greek dressing, for drizzling

What You Will Do

Preheat grill to about 300 degrees. Now, every grill is different. So, if your grill becomes too hot during this process, turn the heat down and open the lid. If it is too cool, turn the heat up and close the lid.**
Assemble your ingredients. It is key when grilling pizza that you have all of your ingredients in place because the grilling process happens very quickly! So, chop those veggies (if desired), put the cheese into bowls, and get the Greek dressing ready to drizzle. I like to put all of my ingredients onto a jelly roll pan to stay organized.
Lightly flour a wooden surface. Roll your dough into a large circle with your palms (you can also half this dough if you like to make two smaller pizzas), then flatten into a disc. Lightly dust surface of pizza disc with more flour, then, using a rolling pin, roll out into about a 12 to 13 inch circle. The dough should feel stretchy and at a similar thickness to what you see when those fancy Italian men throw the dough towards the ceiling.
Take your now assembled pizza dough and ingredients out to the grill.
Brush one side of the pizza dough with olive oil. Place that side directly onto the grill and cook for two to three minutes with the lid off. Check the underside of the dough as you grill. It should begin to firm and you should see grill marks forming.* Once those grill marks form and the dough is firm, flip with a large spatula.
Drizzle top with olive oil, then add meat, toppings and cheese. Go light on the toppings; too heavy and your pizza will sink a bit. Grill for an additional three minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dough fills firm.
Let rest for one or two minutes, then add a drizzle of dressing, and slice! Enjoy your hard-earned Greek goodness.

To be noted:

*I once disintegrated a chicken on the grill. Literally, it’s legs burned beyond a crisp into charcoal dust. Yet it was still on fire. It’s demise may have had something to do with the fact that I set the grill to 500 then left it on for at least thirty minutes:)

**As I experienced, if grill marks are forming too quickly and your crust is burning, go ahead and flip the dough over (so it doesn’t burn) and top with ingredients. You can finish that one off in the oven. Turn down the heat on your grill, and try again. Like I said, every grill is different and takes a while to adjust to!

***Dairy-free option: If you want to go sans cheese on this, I suggest replacing the olive oil drizzle on the flipped pizza side with a good drizzle of Greek dressing. Add veggies, and cook until desired doneness:)

Pecan Praline Balsamic Roasted Carrots

Y’all, our very first Luv Cooks video debuts today!! See the full recipe here:

As a kid, I hated carrots. There weren’t many things in life I wouldn’t eat (I’ve been a bottomless pit since I was three), but my memories of carrots were either of the raw variety, zip-locked into my school lunch bag in order to balance the Oreos, or boiled until mushy and piled onto a spoon at my church’s Wednesday night suppers.

Needless to say, neither was appealing to my growing palette (which also preferred Nutter Butters over actual peanut butter, and a fruit roll-up to fruit).

But as my cooking progressed, I learned that you can’t always take a vegetable at face value. Sometimes a cooking method transforms the slight flavor of a raw orange stick to something ethereal- even addictive. Especially when swathed in The Oil and Vinegar Cellars’ Pecan Praline aged balsamic vinegar, roasted to a deep sweetness, then topped with chopped pecans. Delightful.

Carrots are also amazing for you. They have tons of antioxidants, and eating lots of carrots could help protect against unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Consumption of carrots can also help to ease stomach issues, and they are killer for your immune system!

So in the midst of this dreary, cold weather, pull out some carrots, roast those babies, hope for Spring, and enjoy a deliciously sweet vegetable surprise.

Pecan Praline Balsamic Roasted Carrots

This take on a traditional roasted carrot brings out the beautiful sweetness of carrots via aged pecan praline (or your favorite balsamic) vinegar by allowing the carrots to caramelize a bit in their juices. Crunchy pecans on top bring a rich texture into the mix.

What You Will Need:

1 16-ounce bag baby carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons pecan praline aged balsamic vinegar*, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup chopped pecans
sea salt and black pepper for seasoning
fennel fronds, for garnish

What You Will Do:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
Toss your baby carrots in a large bowl with olive oil. Add the balsamic vinegar, and stir together until the carrots are evenly coated.
Pour carrots and their balsamic glaze onto the roasting pan and make sure they are spread out evenly in a single layer.
Roast the carrots in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Toss carrots with chopped pecans, drizzle with another light layer of balsamic vinegar (about 1/2 tablespoon). Stir the carrots together once more, making sure the carrots and pecans are evenly covered with balsamic.
Add a light sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Put the carrots back into the oven to roast for five minutes. Once done, top with fennel fronds if you like. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!

*I love Taelor’s pecan praline vinegar, but any specialty or high-quality balsamic vinegar would be delicious.

Almond Cranberry Popcorn Bars with Almond Butter Drizzle

Did you ever make popcorn bars as a kid?

For our family, popcorn bars were akin to the joy experienced by Christmas stockings and dibs on the front seat of the station wagon. In fact, my best memories with them bring me back to my mom. I remember cool Friday afternoons, when the weather smelled like roast leaves and I couldn’t help but be beckoned inside. A quick sprint from the school bus drop-off landed me exactly where I wanted to be- with my momma in the kitchen.

The original pop corn ball recipe we made came from my grandmother- she loved to make these- but her version was more of a hybrid kettle corn variety. Laden with butter and sugar, they were delicious, but probably also left my mom with kids hopped up on marshmallows (this effect, however, I don’t quite remember). An incredibly hard-working nurse, my mom was a trooper to say the least for letting us imbibe.

This barred version is my spin; a take on the traditionally sweet treat, but lightened a tad with honey and coconut oil instead of butter. The real star, though, is the ever delicious combo of salted almonds with popcorn. Almonds, I discovered, are naturally awesome- high in vitamins B and E, calcium, iron, and fatty acids. They can even balance your digestive system, aid the nervous system, and provide extra energy to boot! For someone like me, a long devoted peanut butter addict, this introduction to a nut butter topping that I dig (and can substitute for peanut in recipes if I choose) and provides a nutritional boost- my kind of bar.

Plus, these bars’ roasty, salty-sweet taste is dynamite delicious, easy to make, and an excellent road trip snack, as my husband and I tested out a few weeks ago. Just doing what we can for the recipes.

So pop some corn, buy some great quality almonds, come inside from the cold, and get ready for some fun memories in the kitchen.

Almond Cranberry Popcorn Bars with Almond Butter Drizzle

What You Will Need:

10 cups popped popcorn (I like the canola oil variety)
1/2 cup good quality honey
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted almonds
1/3 to 2/3 cup dried cranberries (or dried fruit of your choice)
2 tablespoons almond butter
1.75 ounces chocolate of your choice (I used hazelnut milk chocolate for this recipe)

What You Will Do:

1. Grease an 8 by 8 inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine popcorn, coarsely chopped almonds, and dried cranberries in a large bowl.

3. Bring honey and coconut oil to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the edges are boiling, continue to boil for three minutes (it will foam up pretty well, and that’s ok!), stirring occasionally.

4. Once ready, take the honey syrup off of the heat and pour directly over the popcorn mixture (if you let it sit in the pan, it might burn). Use a large spatutal to evenly coat the popcorn, nuts and cranberries with the syrup, making sure to watch your hands (this mixture is hot), and scrape all of the syrup and nuts/cranberries that might have floated to the bottom of the bowl up and through the mixture.

5. Once combined, pour mixture into greased pan and press down with hands. It will look like a lot of popcorn, but just keep pressing until it is flat and even.

6. Heat chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave on high for 45 seconds. Add two tablespoons almond butter, then heat in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval with a fork, until chocolate is melted and evenly combined.

7. Use a spoon to lightly pour mixture in a criss cross pattern over the bars. Put in the refrigerator to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Celebrating Well and Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

For readers of The LovingKind, you are, I am sure, well aware of how amazing Mattye is. She is a creative, a dreamer, a designer, a card-making extroidinare, and the BEST baker of gingerbread cookies I have ever met.

She’s also incredible at love. You know, the kind of care that decorates said gingerbread cookies for a certain friends’ post wedding party with a royal icing dress and accompanying bow-tie clad gingerbread man. The kind of hutzpah that feels so strongly about leadership that she is willing to step out of her comfort zone and give her talents on behalf of countless people through creative ministry. The kind of joy that squeals in delight over a candle and/or tray that she knows will make a friend’s new home just perfect for her. That kind of love.

And this week, the week of the day of love, I am so excited for y’all to hear from Mattye on how we can best celebrate those special moments with the ones we love- marshmallows and all. Take it away Mattye!

I love to celebrate. From big life moments to everyday ones, I believe celebrating is one of our greatest opportunities to enjoy life and make it meaningful.

I looked up the word “celebrate,” and Merriam-Webster had a couple definitions such as, “to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc.” and “to praise (someone or something): to say that (someone or something) is great or important.”

But, perhaps my favorite definition was this one: “to mark by festivities or other deviation from routine.”

It’s the “deviation from routine” that makes celebrations so enjoyable and special. When we take a moment to change our routine and say “you are special,” “this moment is important,” or “I’m grateful,” our environment changes and people are happy. As a believer in celebration, and I want to keep finding ways to be a better celebrator! In fact, one of my 2015 goals is to celebrate well (#33).

This got me wondering, what keeps us from celebrating well? I think the answer is that we often overlook chances to celebrate because we are intimidated, assuming we have to create an over-the-top expression for it to be a celebration. Additionally, as is so easy to do, we simply get so caught in our everyday flow, that we just don’t take the time to think about celebrating, much less to actually do it.

So, as Valentine’s Day, my favorite holiday, approaches, I wanted to share some thoughts with you to help make celebrating feel doable. And of course, Callie and I collaborated to share a fun, Valentine treat with you to inspire you in your own celebration of love this year! I hope the ideas I’m going to share will help you view celebrating in a new way, and make you realize that YOU can be a great celebrator!

There are so many ways to make moments, days, and people extra-special, and here are some that I practice, and want to continue doing more and more!

1. Mark your calendar

The first step to celebrating well is to know what you want to celebrate. Marking your calendar for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions, is a great way to say “this is important,” which lays the foundation for making a heartfelt celebration happen. In the midst of your planning, don’t forget to leave room for spontaneous and everyday celebrations along the way! This could be anything from sending a note to a friend to say “I’m celebrating our friendship,” to baking cookies to celebrate that it’s Friday!

2. Dress for the occasion

As you can see in the photos in this post, I embrace this idea wholeheartedly in my Valentine-heart sweater and love-red pants! Whether you’re putting on your favorite dress for a date with your husband, wearing your favorite team’s colors, or covering yourself in hearts for Valentine’s Day, a great way to celebrate is to dress for the moment! Show people that you are excited and grateful through a celebratory ensemble.

3. Give a card

If you spend a few moments in the TLK Shop, you’ll see how much I adore greeting cards! Whether creating them or giving them, cards are one of my absolute favorite ways to celebrate what matters. A card is a simple, yet extremely thoughtful way to celebrate the moments and people you love! Whether it be a note to say, “I’m thinking of you,” a “Happy Birthday” card, or a “Congratulations” for a special milestone or accomplishment, handwritten cards are like mini celebrations in an envelope!

4. Make treats to enjoy and give

Just like the strawberry marshmallows we’re sharing with you today, a special treat is a tasty way to celebrate life! I love our strawberry marshmallows because they reflect the color of the holiday, and by dipping them in chocolate and sprinkles they feel whimsical, special and handmade. If you’re unsure about giving the homemade marshmallows a go, you can buy marshmallows and just do the chocolate and sprinkle dipping by hand! Last year for the launch of The LovingKind,which was on Valentine’s Day, I created goody bags to give out to friends with a tag introducing The LovingKind and with a handwritten note. This treat not only celebrated the holiday, but also an exciting launch! I had so much fun giving them and seeing people “deviate from routine” and enjoy a moment of celebration with their treat!

5. Gather people

There is nothing like the energy of people gathered together for a celebration. From my wedding reception, the biggest celebration of my life, to our low-key Christmas cookie swap we hosted this year, when gathered with others, there is a special feeling in the air of “this matters.” If you want to gather with others and plan an elaborate menu, gorgeous decorations, and a guest list two miles long, go for it—it sounds amazing! But just remember, it’s the heart behind the celebration that matters most. So, be confident that with the right heart, you can have just as meaningful moments with people around a pot of your favorite homemade soup as at an event trimmed, decked, and covered with all the fixin’s you can dream up!

6. Decorate

This is the area I am working on and hope to keep getting better at because I love when I enter people’s homes and can feel the spirit of celebration. If your entire home feels like too much, just pick one room or just go for the front door! One of my friends, Blaine Taylor, always has something on her front door celebrating the current season, and it makes me so happy every time I pass her home! Putting festive items around you and others just makes the space feel special and it’s a reminder to celebrate.

Friends, I hope today you’ve found new ideas, and the heart of your inner celebrator has been encouraged or rekindled. In 2015, I hope you find yourself celebrating more and enjoying this precious life you’ve been given. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

What you will need for the marshmallows:

1/2 to 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup cold filtered water, divided
2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

For the strawberry swirl:

1 pint fresh strawberries, halved and tops removed
1 tablespoon sugar

What You Will Do:

1. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan well with cooking spray. Scoop about ¼ to ½ cup confectioners’ sugar into the pan and toss the sugar around to coat the top and sides of the pan, discarding extra sugar.

2. In a large bowl, pour ½ cup cold water over the gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften.

3. Put halved strawberries and sugar into a blender to sit while you prepare the marshmallows.

4. In a heavy saucepan, cook the granulated sugar, corn syrup, remaining ½ cup water, and salt over low heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until all of the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook without stirring the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat, and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture (don’t worry if you now have a gelatin dome- just keep blending), stirring until dissolved.

5. Beat mixture with a mixer on high speed until fluffy and tripled in size, about seven to ten minutes. Once it gets so sticky that your beaters aren’t really working anymore- stop there!

6. In the bowl of a separate stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and almond extract.

7. Add egg white mixture gently into the sugar mixture with your wooden spoon until combined and still fluffy.

8. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, using an oiled spatula (or spoon) to spread the mixture evenly.

9. Make the strawberry puree: Blend the strawberries in blender until smooth.

10. Use a wooden spoon to dallop 3/4 cup strawberry puree in center, then corners of pan. Using a toothpick, make a pretty swirl pattern, gently combining the strawberry puree with the marshmallows.

11. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and up to a day. I found it helpful to spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, then stretch it over the top of the marshmallows.

12. To remove the marshmallows, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Cut marshmallows in to a grid of your desired size. Use a spatula or knife to remove. Enjoy!*

*As you can see, Mattye and I fully embraced the celebratory nature of Valentine’s Day treats with a fun white and dark chocolate dipping station! All you need is some melted chocolate and festive sprinkles. We melted a Divine ginger chocolate bar and white baking chocolate. Once dipped, sprinkle the mallows to your heart’s content! This is the one case where double-dipping is officially allowed! :)Let the taste-testing begin!

Cheers to homemade treats!

The true focus of our laughter…

As you can see, these mallows are officially endorsed by Mattye and I:)Happy Valentine’s Day luvs!

Coconut Cacao Raw Energy Bars

I will be the first to tell you that I luv a Mounds bar. Sweet coconut dipped in rich dark chocolate- sign me up for that.

But ever since I have been in on what I like to call a “cleaner” eating plan, the truth is that I am constantly on a quest to find chocolate options I can eat more than every time my eyes wander longingly at a vending machine. You know, as the saying goes, some chocolate a day keeps the doctor away. Well, something like that.

I have also recently discovered raw cashews and am a bit obsessed. Raw nuts are amazing in their ability to gently blend into whatever you might need them to be. Need a non-dairy cheese option? Throw some raw, soaked cashews in a blender with nutritional yeast (queso recipe coming soon that I promise is going to knock your socks off). Milk substitute? Soak raw almonds, then run them through a blender with water. Need a bar to satisfy your constantly nagging/slightly annoying sweet tooth? Enter coconut cacao heaven.

These bars are uber simple to make, and unlike most raw food bars, don’t use an over abundance of dates.

By the way, can we all be real for a second? Dates are not my favorite. They remind me a bit of the smell of my grandmother’s (loved her!) closet drawer.

Instead, these bars are chocked full of raw almonds, cashews, cacao powder, and coconut. They hold together beautifully, and are so easy to assemble. Plus, they have lots of healthy fats, which will hopefully fuel you on your journey past the vending machine. Plus, my husband, his friends, and everyone I handed one of these to thought it was delicious.

So, Mounds world watch out- there’s a new bar in town.

Coconut Cacao bars (Inspired by About.com, recipe adjusted by me)

What You Will Need

2 cups raw cashews
1 cup raw almonds, soaked (this is one cup measured before you soak the almonds)*
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 tablespoons chia seed
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened (or unsweetened if you prefer) coconut, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon water
wax paper

What You Will Do

Line an 8 by 8 inch square pan with wax paper.**
Blend the cashews, almonds, dates, chia seed, cacao powder, vanilla extract, and salt in a food processor until the pieces are about the size of fine gravel.
Add 1 tablespoon water and coconut to the processor.
Pulse the mixture until it begins to form a large “dough” ball in the processor, or until the motor sounds like it’s whistling angrily (maybe this was just me.)
Use a spatula or your hands to press the “dough” into an 8 by 8 inch baking pan.
To get the top of the bars super smooth, use one more strip of parchment paper (cut as wide as the baking pan), and press it into the top of the bars. Use your spatula to gently press the mixture down, starting at the top of the pan and working downward, then side to side, until it is evenly smooth on the top.
Peel off the wax paper, then sprinkle with as much coconut as desired.
Cover and chill the mixture for at least an hour.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

*Soaking nuts is a whole new world to me, but all you have to do is pour them into a bowl, then add enough water to cover them. Sit them out at room temp for at least eight hours, and up to 12.

**The easiest way I have found to line baking pans is this: Begin to stretch the paper off the roll and across the width of your pan. Cut the paper right before it reaches the edge of the pan. Turn the pan counterclockwise, and do the same thing for the other side. Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray, then insert one strip of paper. Spray cooking spray on the first strip, then top with the final one. Viola!

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Baby Smash Cake

In my book, babies are absolutely precious. In fact some are so cute I actually feel like my heart might explode with joy and undeniable mushiness. Full of life, cooing at every glittery object dangled across their tiny little faces; arms outstretched to the object’s owner, inviting them to cuddle. My absolute favorite baby is one with what I like to call “Michelin” arms- a.k.a. the chubby rolls of skin that fold over their tiny elbows, waiting on the little one to grow a bit more before they unfold.

Now, I don’t actually have a baby, so I realize that my view of them is probably a bit romantic. Maybe they aren’t always cooing, maybe sometimes they cry. But in my mind, until this situation changes and reality hits, I will cling to the dreamy, giggly Gerber moments I see on Publix commercials.

That being said, I was over-the-moon thrilled when my friend Celine asked me to make a low sugar baby smash cake for precious Pace’s first birthday. Pace has yet to eat sugar, and being new to the realm of whole foods nutrition, it was a challenge to find a recipe I felt good about. Some were so far left I had trouble, in my newbie mind, recalibrating the ratios to resemble something that might delight a little one. Others seemed more towards center, but their appearance resembled something close to play dough. (Which, by the way, who didn’t love play dough as a kid? I think I loved it so much I ate it.)

But this recipe, sent to me by Celine and found on Fit Mama Real Food was a blessing. I loved Heather’s take on real food for kids. Her recipes are right on target, nutritious, and I was pumped to find out about her site. Knowing Pace’s love for all things fruit, I thought blueberries would be a nice tie-in for him, since blue appears to be a good color for boys’ birthday parties and all.

Below is my spin on her awesome recipe. I hope you have time to make this for the precious, giggly munchkins in your life; I think they’ll love it. Bon appetit and happy smashing!

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Smash Cake

What You Need

For the cake

5 ripe, medium sized bananas
3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour (just grind rolled oats in a blender, then measure)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural no sugar added applesauce
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted), plus more for greasing cake pans
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup thawed frozen blueberries

For the frosting

8 ounces organic heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional fresh blueberries for topping

What You Will Do

1. Preheat your oven to 375, and use coconut oil to grease two 9-inch cake pans.

2. Mash bananas! This is somewhat tedious if you do it with a fork, but hey, gotta show the babies some luv!

3. Combine both flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

4. Add mashed bananas, applesauce, coconut oil, vanilla extract and mix until just combined.

5. Gently stir in blueberries, trying not to break the skins (this has the potential to turn the inside of your cake purple).

6. Making sure to distribute the batter evenly, pour it into each cake pan. My recipe took about 1 1/3 cup batter per pan.

7. Spread the batter into the edges of the pan. Use a butter knife to even out the top of the batter. This will help your cake layers lie flat when you stack them.

8. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or until the cake is golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. Let the cake cool.

10. Once cooled, flip the cake out of the pans onto a cutting board. To make the cake baby size, I used the rim of a small bowl and cut two circles out of each layer. Save the scraps for an adult snack later on! It’s delicious. Now get ready to get your frost on!

For the frosting

1. Pour cream and vanilla extract into a chilled mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

To frost the cake

1. Find a pretty platter, and put the base cake layer on the plate.

2. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread a generous amount of whipped cream onto the top of the base cake layer. Put next cake circle on top. Repeat the process until you reach the top of the cake.

3. Pile whipped cream on the top layer, then use your spatula to spread it downwards, covering the sides of the cake. Use extra whipped cream to cover any cake left uncovered.

4. Top with fresh blueberries, and voila! Enjoy!

Vegan Cranberry Breakfast Cookies

Have you made any New Years resolutions?

Typically this question unnerves me. Should I have made a resolution? When was the last time I actually kept one of these? What exactly does “resolve” mean anyway? It seems like a softer way to say “pledge”, which both remind me of household cleaners that smell funny.

Once again my new years resolutions this year seem to be hanging in mid-air, frozen in a sea of procrastination and intimidation. Labeling something as a “resolution” feels so final and committal. And restrictive. Like all of the options for daily life have suddenly been zapped into a to-do list, which makes me want to flee for the exits. #freespiritproblems

Honestly though, I really do like to start a new year by pairing down what is in my pantry and getting back to the basics of eating- fruits, vegetables, slow-simmered soups and warm tea. And of all the eating styles I have studied, vegans seem to have this plan down. Like, all natural, no dairy, no meat- a stick-to-the-basics kind of thing. But like a resolution, when I first started researching these vegetarian recipes they felt so limiting. You are telling me I can’t have cheese? Or a steak? What?!! But what I have found is that yes, there are the obvious elemental constraints- but as every creative knows, it’s the constraints that allow creativity to flourish. The more lovers of food I meet, the more I realize that a good cook knows that the best home chefs are the ones who can take what is in their pantry and make it taste great.

So this January, instead of a constrictive resolution, I’ve landed on a push to get out of my comfort zone and make something unfamiliar in a genre of eating I am not accustomed to. Also, for heaven’s sake, I have so many compiled ingredients over a season of holiday cooking that it makes me feel like Pioneer Woman to rally the troops, use my brain and make something out of it all!

And these cookies, inspired by Kumquat blog, are a fantastic way to begin a year of healthy breakfasts. They are gluten free and packed with peanut butter protein and punchy dried fruit. The extra hit of salt takes the flavor up a notch, and before you know it, these cookies will most likely become a staple of cleaning out your pantry, wooing your neighbors, and all around impressing anyone craving a cookie, vegan or otherwise.

Here’s to a year of adventures in the kitchen, fresh starts in your life, and showing luv to anyone- regardless of their eating style- who comes across your kitchen.

Vegan Breakfast Cookies (Inspired by Kumquat Blog’s Dried Fruit and Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies)

What You Will Need:

½ cup crunchy peanut butter
¼ cup warm coconut oil
1 large egg (or chia seed egg substitute, which I used. Great recipe here)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ scant teaspoon ground nutmeg (you could add 1/8 if you like less nutmeg)
¼ teaspoon salt

What You Will Do

Preheat your oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
If using, assemble chia seed egg substitute (mix together 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds, 3 tablespoons water) and let sit for 5 minutes.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and stir thoroughly.
Add remaining ingredients to peanut butter mixture; stir until well combined.
Press 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture into a 2½-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter onto your baking sheet. (I just scooped the mixture into the cookie cutter, then used the back of my tablespoon to press it into a somewhat flat circle.) Continue with remaining mixture.
Bake at 350° for 14-16 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Let the cookies cool on the pan.* *Be patient here; I got hungry and tried to move mine too soon and they crumbled a bit. I promise it is worth the wait to let them set!

A honeymoon in Miami

Fried Pig Ears — Crispy Pig Ears at Michael’s Genuine

My first experience with Miami began the minute our red Ford Fusion zipped out of the Enterprise parking lot and onto Northwest 25th Street. Ferraris, Porshe 4-doors and Mercedes sedans cruised alongside us as we merged onto the causeway, where I was stunned; brilliantly blue, ocean water spread out as far as our eyes could see. Radio blaring, wind whipping through my hair, hand out the window to feel the breeze- this was going to be a beautiful trip.

The weather in Miami was in the middle of what locals would call a “cold snap”- mid 50’s to low ’60’s- yet still warmer than what we have been enjoying in the southeastern sector. Jake and I’s plans to enjoy the beach were thwarted a bit in leu of warmer tourist activities, namely those that involved eating and walking, which were just fine with me. But despite the weather, the city was pulsing with life and design. The Miami skyline is one of geometric pristines; clean, clear-cut skyscrapers juxtapose golden pink sunsets and pillowy clouds. Even the textures in Miami architecture were vibrant-wavy, loose, and rhythmic.

The Wynwood Walls — The beautiful Wynwood Walls

The colors were, beside the food, my favorite element of the city. Color pulses through Miami, coloring graffiti stained warehouse walls, weaving into pastel Art Deco hotel fronts with vintage Rolls Royces parked at the curb. And and the food, like the colors, are vivid, passionate, and full of life; almost evangelically inviting passers by to experience their perspective, wooing them through the way ingredients are layered, simmered, stacked upon one another until they meet the flavor point the chef so thoughtfully constructed.

The city was always moving, through bicyclists and muscled runners and the two women who steamed milk at the Cuban counter around the corner from our condo.

Passion fruit at Robert Is Here — Passion fruit at the Robert Is Here fruit stand

I fully realize that we are rarely without bias in our taste experience; each taste informs and builds upon the other in the stream of our flavor consciousness. And Jake and I did not eat a bad meal (which is rare for me to experience when in an unknown city). Each stop brought it’s own perspective, outlook, and care for ingredients. Really, each place had heart, and that resonated with me. From our experience at Yardbird where we were greeted with two glasses of champagne and the manager (who shared how with us how honored he was that we chose to spend our honeymoon with them); to the crispy, fried beef juiceness of a Magos hot dog (so patiently explained by a Spanish-speaking waitress holding a laminated photograph of the said item in her hand). The seafood was abundantly fresh, and the tuna tartare at Wynwood Kitchen tops my list of faves, as did the vaca frita at Havana 1957-the first flavor glimpse I have been given to the Brazilian food I love in along time.

So here I offer my humble acknowledgment of the beauty and passion of Miami eating; our favorite stops, and an open invitation for you to experience the heart behind what the city has to offer. And as you do, I invite you to sit with me, and reflect on this month’s memories. Especially the good ones that propel us into the Christmas season-and all of the joy that lies ahead.

Miami Must Eats:

1. Ham, butter and cheese croissant/latte at Panther coffee: I love espresso. Like, have bought every coffee contraption outside of the $2,000 one you can get on Williams Sonoma’s website to try and make it at home. So, when I travel I am always on a quest for the perfect espresso. The lattes at Panther are some of the best I have ever had (I tried the whole milk, soy and almond milk varieties). They also offer two different roasts of espresso; I love the East Coast variety.

2. Moros Rice at La Caretta– I love feijoada (Brazillian black bean stew), and this was the closest I came to it while in Miami. They also have the best cortado I have ever tasted- and don’t miss the cinammony sweet plantains either.

3. Key Lime Pie at the Key Largo Conch House– So, apparently true key lime pie isn’t the “green stuff,” it’s the yellow. This was the brightest, most deliciously citrus cream held together by a thin graham crust I have ever tasted. You. Must. Try. This.

4. Cinnamon roll at Knaus Berry Farm– I also learned that there is an Amish community in Homestead, Florida that makes the best cinnamon roll I have ever had. The beauty of this roll is that the sweetness comes not from outward icing, but instead from a maple/honey/cinnamon glaze that creates a buttery crunch, soaking in the inside and outside of the roll, you can’t get enough of. Oh, and the batter has specks of cinnamon in it. Yes.

5. Fried chicken with cheddar chow chow waffle, pickled watermelon and bourbon syrup at Yardbird– Yardbird is doing something incredibly special with their fried chicken. Juicy and lickably moist on the inside, crunchy, dark golden skin on the outside, with a puffy cheddar waffle and bourbon-spiked syrup to soak into every square. The taste dynamic when you layer all of the elements is like a rich, chicken-sweet punch. It’s delightful! Also, if you are by chance able to try their lemon poppyseed cornbread, prepare thineself. It will change you.

6. Mago magic dog at El Mago de Las Fritas– a pure sausage dog, layered in frita and fried potato wisps, with a spicy mayonnaise. Upon putting this in my mouth, I did a happy shake in our red leather booth and through a mouthful of food attempted to squeal in pure delight (#potato-spray).

7. Milk chocolate peanut butter candy bar sundae at Michael’s Genuine– Salted peanut brittle meets malted vanilla ice cream stacked on top of a crunchy dark chocolate/hazelnut brownie, with dark chocolate sauce and floating pomegranate seeds. Because it was our honeymoon, the restaurant gave us a sparkler to top off a magnificent trip. (I’ll save you the finished version, with chocolate smear on a licked clean wooden board). #luv

Honestly, these are only a few of my favorite spots we visited (and that I had the patience to photograph). I highly recommend you also checking out Spris, Dylan’s Candy Bar on Lincoln Road, Alaska Coffee Company, Wynwood Kitchen, Buenos Aires Bakery. Feel free to comment below with any menu questions! Love you guys, and merry, merry Christmas.

Ok, I couldn't resist:) — Ok, I couldn’t resist:)

Gluten Free Honey Butter Pretzels

Y’all, my life. It’s crazy.

I am getting married in one week. Yes, that is o-n-e week. And it is the wedding of my dreams. My fiance- oh my gracious-he is amazing. I knew he was a winner from our first date, when he was picking out pieces for me of white chocolate Christmas mix with extra marshmallows. He’s so creative, even-keeled (for those of you not from the South, that means he doesn’t freak when confronted with a dry, over baked biscuit), talented, unconditionally loving, hilarious. Oh, and my in-laws are amazing too. His mom, like mine, is wonderful and loves to cook! #jackpot

Honestly, everything is coming together and feels just as it should be. The decor-white rose bouquets, greenery, Christmas wreaths, all wrapped in cranberry ribbon- is lovely. It’s going to be such a beautiful day. I’ve always dreamed of getting married at Christmas, and this is it.

At the same time, in the world of reality I never considered that a Christmas wedding, though beautiful and romantic, also happens during Christmas. Like, a week after Thanksgiving and in the middle of the most busy season of the year for pretty much everyone. When gift shopping traffic at the Summit reaches a fever point and grown adults make grand “hand gestures” to offending Suburbans. So to say that my fiancé and I have been busy, stressed, had hard conversations about the guest list and wondered if we would ever make it unscathed to the altar, that would be an understatement.

In the midst of the crazy, there is always one thing I can count on. It’s my kitchen. It’s the movement of sweeping a knife through a ripe pear, taking celery, combining it with onion and carrot and making a beautiful mirepoix for hot vegetable soup. It’s my safe place- a place of rest, renewal, and a way to calm the hunger pains caused by hours of wedding registry scanning and walking the aisles of Lowes looking at fashion bathroom accessories.

And for me, trying something new is just as therapeutic. It takes my mind off the to-dos and brings me back to rolling out pretzel dough with my hands and figuring out how to shape it into a knot. Dipping light, yeasty dough into boiling water topped with baking soda and watching it bubble over. And that’s why this recipe is perfect for right now. It’s worth the extra time it takes to make these by hand. They are so, so delicious and I will pit them against any you might find while shopping at the mall. Hot out of the oven, I presented them on a platter, and ate half of them by myself. I think at one point I started staring my family down when their hands reached toward the plate. It was that bad. And by bad I mean delicious.

So, if you are like me and in the middle of holiday craziness, take some time to get to your safe place. Let your mind reflect on all the good in your life and all we have to be grateful for. Then enjoy a great soft pretzel, throw on your warmest jacket, and go out there and tackle that to-do list. No hand gestures needed.

Gluten Free Honey Butter Pretzels (recipe taken from Kumquat blog, my favorite gluten free blog I have found! It’s absolutely wonderful!)

What You Will Need:

1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°; I used a candy thermometer to measure my temp)
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon sugar, divided
420 grams (about 3 cups) kumquat’s all-purpose gluten-free flour, divided (this is a great gf flour mix!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (plus extra melted butter for topping)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda
cooking spray
coarse salt
honey for drizzling (I love local honey if you can find it)

What You Will Do:

Combine yeast, water, and ½ teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Combine 1½ cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, xanthan gum, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yeast mixture and stir until well combined. Add remaining 1½ cups flour and mix to combine.
Pour out on a surface and knead a few times to make a smooth dough. Place dough in a large, well-greased bowl (I sprayed mine with cooking spray) and cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts for 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 475° and spray your baking sheet with cooking spray. Divide dough into 5 or 6 pieces (or if you like, you can make the pretzels a bit smaller like I did; I think I ended up with 8-10 pieces).
Knead pieces in your hands until nicely smooth. Roll each piece into a 16-18-inch length and form into a pretzel shape.*
In a non-aluminum pot, bring water to a boil with baking soda. Add pretzels, two at a time, and boil 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to lift the pretzel out, and shake off excess water. Place pretzels on a baking sheet.
Using a pastry brush, spread melted butter on the pretzels and top with coarse salt. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Once out of the oven, drizzle with honey. Voila! The perfect, gluten-free, honey butter pretzel!

*This it the best way I found to shape these pretzels!

1. I like to first make a horse shoe, “u” shape with the dough, facing away from you.

2. Cross the left piece under right piece, right piece under the left piece, then flip that criss cross up and over towards you to the top of the “u” and press to seal it.

3. Shape it a bit to even out the pretzel form and you are ready to go!