Showing posts with label snack. Show all posts

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Crostini with Roasted Vegetable Spread and Havarti

Crostini with Roasted Vegetable Spread and Havarti

I'm one of those people who has no problem eating the same food over and over again. So long as it's something I like, I'm totally down with leftovers...two, three, even four days in a row! I get that not everyone is that way, however, but I'm going to offer you the best of both worlds today. I'm obsessed with this roasted vegetable puree. It's easy to make (especially if you have a food processor), makes a huge batch, and is healthy to boot! I was first introduced to it earlier this year when we visited our besties Katie and Matt in New York. Katie went above and beyond her hostess duties and prepared an array of foods for us throughout our visit, this spread being my favorite. We mostly used it on sandwiches (highly recommend it with melty cheddar and avocado!), but by the time we were headed home I was dreaming up all sorts of ways to use it.

The spread has proven as versatile as I had hoped. It's excellent inside an omelet, divine as a pizza crust, and as you see here, the perfect topping for crostini. Appetizers don't get much easier than this. Slice & toast bread, top bread with the roasted veggie spread & cheese, and bake til warm and melted. I stuck with Castello's Aged Havarti, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite cheese. Much like the roasted vegetable spread its paired with here, havarti is totally multifunctional. I've broken away from always using mozzarella on pizza and find the buttery havarti adds a unique flavor element. I love what the cheese does when pressed inside two pieces of bread in my panini press. Of course it goes without saying that I don't mind it sliced and eaten with crackers, salami, and wine!

Even if I don't mind eating the same foods time and time again, you don't have to! Whip up some vegetable spread, pick up some havarti, and let creativity fly free!

Crostini with Roasted Vegetable Spread and Havarti
Ingredients:
-1 medium eggplant
-2 red bell peppers, seeded
-1 red onion, peeled
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-3 tbsp olive oil
-1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-1 tbsp tomato paste
-1 baguette, thinly sliced
-4 oz shredded Havarti

Directions:
1. To make the roasted vegetable spread, preheat oven to 400F. Cut the eggplant, bell peppers, and onion into 1-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until vegetables are lightly browned and soft (toss once during cooking).
2. Allow vegetables to cool slightly before pulsing in a food processor with tomato paste, pulsing to blend to desired level of smoothness. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. *Roasted vegetable spread can be made several days ahead of time. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. To make the crostini, line a baking sheet with foil. Place sliced bread on prepared baking sheet and bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes, until golden and toasted. Remove from oven and top each with roasted vegetable spread. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

spread from Ina Garten, crostini an original recipe

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Ginger Pear Loaf Cake

We don't buy a ton of pre-packaged snacks in our house. A large part of this is because we don't have the pantry space for excessive amounts of chips and cookies, which I've mentioned before. Granted, you will always find at least one bag of tortilla chips and a few boxes of cereal on hand, but for the most part if we're snacking, we are snacking on something homemade. I'm not claiming that baked goods are healthy, far from it most of the time, but at least I know exactly what I'm putting in whatever I'm baking and I can pronounce the entire ingredient list, which is more than I can say for a lot of the things you'll find on grocery store shelves. I don't have the time to make homemade crackers or cheez-its week in and week out, but things like this loaf cake come together in mere minutes. I bake so often that I can practically do it in my sleep, measuring out flour, sugar, and spices, whisking wet and dry ingredients, pouring into a prepared pan, and before I know it there are alluring smells wafting from the kitchen.

This snack cake is far from extravagant. I'm willing to bet you already have most of the ingredients, except maybe the candied ginger. The base recipe is slightly sweet and yields a blank canvas perfect for incorporating your favorite mix-ins. I was partial to the pear and candied ginger, being that its both seasonal and a little nontraditional, but I could also see apples and walnuts or cranberries and pistachios also working nicely. I found the cake best the first two days after it had been made, and I'm willing to bet yours won't last much longer!

One Year Ago: Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Two Years Ago: Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder and Kale and Butternut Squash Saute

Three Years Ago: Pumpkin Popovers and Turkey Tacos

Four Years Ago: Apple Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette and Kale & Bean Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

Five Years Ago: Crockpot Salsa Chicken and Tuna Chickpea Pasta Salad with Pesto

Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

I'm not going to belabor this point because you've heard me say it again and again, but peanut butter and jelly is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect foods out there. I prefer it with wheat bread and raspberry jam, but I'm indifferent on the crunchy vs. creamy debate. It goes without saying, then, that I fell hard for this peanut butter and jelly coffee cake! Thank you Maria for enlightening me because while I can totally get on board with a regular 'ol pb & j for breakfast, incorporating it into a coffee cake is straight up brilliant.

My friend Kacey had given me some homemade blueberry strawberry jam that I used and it was awesome, but you can definitely swap in your favorite jam or jelly. (Side note: I cannot get behind grape jelly! As in, I can't eat a pb & j if the j is grape!) Thankfully I had plans to bring this to church or else I would've demolished the entire pan; don't say I didn't warn you! My only change would be to use crunchy peanut butter (Maria did; I didn't have any on hand) or add some chopped peanuts to the streusel for a little bit of texture.

For more pb & j inspired creations, try this fruit crisp, these dessert bars, or these ice cream cheesecakes!

One Year Ago: Mexican Pot Pie
Two Years Ago: Peanut, Cabbage, and Carrot Slaw and Roasted Vegetable and Refried Bean Tostadas
Three Years Ago: Curried Chickpeas with Couscous and Pumpkin Oatmeal Scotchies
Four Years Ago: Roasted Eggplant Pasta with Goat Cheese and Pumpkin Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Apple Buttermilk Muffins

I made these a few weeks ago, when I decided it was high time to kick off my fall baking. I had a Granny Smith apple on hand and with only one apple, pie or apple crisp was out of the question, so muffins it was! After surveying the contents of my fridge, I found a bit of leftover buttermilk, and a quick Google search led me to a Martha Stewart recipe that I decided to play around with.

If I'm making "everyday" muffins that I'm not planning to share with friends or guests, I try to err on the side of healthy. For these, I reduced the sugar, used whole wheat flour, and added some flaxseed. I figured they'd be good--aren't all muffins?--but I didn't expect them to wow me. Guess what? They wowed me!

These apple muffins are light and fluffy, with just enough crunch from the apples and walnuts and spice from the cinnamon. I froze my entire batch and would throw a few into my lunchbox to enjoy, thawed the next day, at work. These might be "everyday, healthyish" muffins, but don't let that keep you from sharing these...although I totally understand if you don't want to!

One Year Ago: Tuna and Artichoke Sandwiches
Two Years Ago: Root Beer Float Cake and Bacon Turkey Burgers with Savory Apple Compote
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Chile Nuts and Black Bean and Walnut Salad
Four Years Ago: Magic Cookie Bars and Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns
Five Years Ago: Whole Grain Waffles and Homemade Granola Bars

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

In the spirit of full disclosure, these weren’t my favorite dessert bars. WAIT—before you click out of the site, hear me out. They may not have been my favorite, but only because my expectations were in the wrong place. In my mind, dessert is always caloric and indulgent, full of (for better or worse) butter and sugar. These definitely err on the side of ‘healthy desserts’ in that they make use of whole wheat flour and slightly less butter than what you’ll usually find in a pan of blondies. If you’re expecting dense, gooey dessert bars, make these instead. However, if you want something a little heartier with a firmer texture, you’ll like these. They’re actually great dipped in milk or crumbled atop ice cream, but they’d also be a great healthy-ish dessert to throw into your kid’s lunchbox.

It’s like going to the movies expecting to see a comedy and finding out it’s a drama instead. It’s not bad, it’s just different than what you were going for so you were a little thrown off. In this case, I’m telling you ahead of time that you’re seeing the drama, not the comedy, so you know exactly what you’re getting and should be totally satisfied! Or, for a dramatic comedy, scrap the whole wheat flour in favor of white flour or toss in a few extra tablespoons of butter!

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Two Years Ago: Chicken, Apple, and Sage Pesto Sandwiches and Black Bean and Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado

Three Years Ago: Whole Wheat Jam Filled Ebelskivers and Snack Bars

Four Years Ago: Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with POM Syrup and Maine & Boston Foodie Recap

Five Years Ago: Cinnamon Cranberry Almond Oat Pancakes and Double Oat Breakfast Cookies

Sweet Potato Zucchini Quick Bread

We’ve had a lot of fun introducing Brecken to solid foods. Starting at six months, we started giving her bits of food…both mashed up pieces of things for her to gnaw on and also purees that she took from (her favorite part!) a spoon. Unsurprisingly, I’ve been making her food. From the day people heard I was pregnant, they’d be commenting on how the food blogger must be so excited to start making baby food for her (then future) baby. That actually wasn’t the case! We held off on solids in part because we didn’t see a nutritional need to begin before six months, but also because the thought of adding one more thing to my plate (pun intended) left me overwhelmed. Thankfully baby food is insanely easy and can be made and frozen in large batches, so the task hasn’t been nearly as daunting as I had originally worried.

Sweet potatoes were one of the first purees I made, and a huge hit with Lady B. We have pictures of her covered in sweet potato and it’s not unheard of to find a bit of orange goop stuck in one of her neck or thigh rolls…even post-bath! Turns out as great as sweet potato puree is for chunky babies, it’s also good for moms and dads—especially in the form of this quick bread! Shredded zucchini and sweet potato puree make for an incredibly moist (sorry) bread that’s reminiscent of pumpkin bread but without the pumpkin flavor (for you—crazy!!!—pumpkin haters). Even better, it’s relatively healthy on the spectrum of baked goods. I loved all of the fall spices in this—nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon—normally I like to add chocolate chips to quick breads for a little extra pizzazz, but with all of the flavor from the spices and the crunch from the walnuts, this was perfect as is! Whether you’re baking sweet potatoes for baby food or your own food, make a few extra to puree and throw into this bread.

One Year Ago: Odds & Ends
Two Years Ago: Chicken Vegetable Black Bean Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce
Three Years Ago: Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers and Pineapple Ginger Granola Bars
Four Years Ago: Greek Turkey Burgers and Fruited Bulgur Salad
Five Years Ago: Eggplant Lasagna and Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Cilantro Yogurt Chickpea Dip

Every night around 8:30 pm, a snack monster creeps into our house and invades my body! It's been a few hours since dinner and it's not quite bedtime and suddenly ALL.THE.SNACKS. sound good to me! It's often a battle between sweet vs. salty, and when savory wins out, the chips and crackers in our house disappear with alarming speed. I'm not really looking to curb the snacking...as an exercising, nursing mom, I figure I probably need the calories, but I am trying to have healthy options on hand to balance the less healthy options from time to time!

This cilantro chickpea dip is just what I need. I've packed it in my lunch to motivate me to eat my veggies (I find it's particularly good with bell peppers and broccoli!) and I've pulled it out in the evening to satiate the snack monster, usually eaten atop pita chips or Triscuits. It takes five minutes to toss the ingredients in the food processor and make a batch. I find the combo bright and refreshing and I actually have plans to double my batch next time so that I can use the leftovers in some sort of a Southwestern-style wrap or sandwich. Stay tuned!

One Year Ago: Lighter Broccoli Salad
Two Years Ago: NYC Eats Part II and Tomato Bacon Basil Pizza Rolls
Three Years Ago: Red Onion and Kalamata Olive Tuna Salad and Spiced Peach-Carrot Bread
Four Years Ago: Tandoori Grilled Vegetable Kabobs and Chicken & Artichokes in White Wine Sauce
Five Years Ago: Whole Wheat Banana Bread

Quinoa Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

Pre-Brecken, I would sometimes spend an entire Saturday in the kitchen, knocking out half a dozen recipes. Sometimes it was for blog content, sometimes it was to relieve the stress of weeknight cooking, and sometimes it was simply because there was a recipe I was dying to try. Nowadays it's rare that I'll spend a big chunk of dedicated time in the kitchen, although I do try to squeeze in blocks of cooking during weekend naps! Brecken has always been a fantastic nighttime sleeper, spoiling us with 11 hours a night without a peep (KNOCK ON WOOD), but naptimes aren't nearly as predictable! Because I never know if I have 30 minutes or 90 minutes, and I want to spend her awake time focusing on her, the recipes I plan for naptime have to be relatively fast!

Quick breads are the perfect naptime recipe. The preparation time is mere minutes and then it's off to the oven! I got a little experimental with this bread, starting with a King Arthur recipe for a base and then throwing a bunch of my own stuff into it. I had some leftover quinoa that I threw in there and was excited to discover that it completely disappeared, unlike the banana quinoa muffins I'm so fond of. If there was ever a need to sneak quinoa into someone's tummy, this is a surefire way to make it happen! I loved the crunch from the walnuts and the bites of sweet craisins, but you could just as easily leave plain (I bet it'd be really good with jam spread atop!) or toss in your favorite mix-ins. I only had sweetened applesauce on hand, so I reduced the amount of added sugar to the recipe, but you could just as easily experiment, depending on how sweet or healthful you want this to be.

Even if you aren't trying to squeeze baking in and around naptimes, you won't complain about this quick quick bread!

One Year Ago: Photo an Hour-Road Trip Style
Two Years Ago: Peach, Avocado, and Arugula Panzanella
Three Years Ago: S'Mores Ice Cream and Grilled Chicken & Peaches Salad
Four Years Ago: Oreo Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles and Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing

Minty Spinach Dip

Happy Friday! Remember how I told you that Happy Hour (at home) is our new social gathering of choice these days? This dip appeared at one such gathering. A few Fridays ago our friends Paige and Zach were in town and rather than hit up a restaurant, my sister Julia, her husband Nate, and baby Carsten joined us for some snacks and rosé on our patio.

I was drawn to this recipe because of how easy it was. Most of the time I try to make whatever I can ahead of time, but in this case I ran out of time and instead whipped it up in less than ten minutes. After steaming and chopping the spinach, it’s simply a matter of stirring the ingredients together. The base of the dip is sour cream (I used light), but you could probably also try a mix of sour cream and Greek yogurt.

Spinach dip is pretty typical, but the inclusion of mint here makes things a little more exciting. We used pita chips, crackers, and raw vegetables for dipping…you can’t go wrong with any of them!

One Year Ago: Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies and Kale, Broccoli, and Feta Saute
Two Years Ago: Mocha Almond Fudge Ice Cream and Bourbon-Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Three Years Ago: Cheesecake Extravaganza and Sweet & Salty Brownies
Four Years Ago: Raspberry Citrus Bars and Caprese on a Stick

Strawberries and Fresh Mozzarella with Mint Pesto Drizzle

The other day I mentioned our mint predicament, and how rampant it is in our herb “garden” right now. Although I’m still looking for more ways to use it up, I actually have a week full of mint recipes for you. Come back on Friday for an awesome appetizer that features mint and then starting next week I’ll cool it with the mint for at least a little while!

I posted a picture of this salad on Instagram and said “Caprese goes rogue”. The fresh mozzarella is obviously the common denominator between the two, but the color scheme matches, which is good enough for me to draw a comparison. I’m hugely disappointed that I forgot the balsamic drizzle…I was caught up in getting the rest of the food on the table and that final step completely slipped my mind. A vinegary punch would have put this recipe over the top, but even as is it was a huge hit. Much as I love a true tomato – basil – mozzarella caprese, this version is a worthy competitor and a fun way to use up our excess of mint!

One Year Ago: Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Omelets and Chicken & Vegetable Pressed Sandwiches with Goat Cheese and Pesto
Two Years Ago: Chewy Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies and Zucchini Quiche
Three Years Ago: Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip and Spinach Salad with Nectarine, Blueberries, and Lime Balsamic Vinaigrette
Four Years Ago: Blueberry Crumb Bars and Mexican Couscous Dinner

Chocolate Almond Pudding

We aren’t huge milk drinkers in our house. We usually have almond milk on hand and use that when we eat a (occasional for me, frequent snack for Ryan) bowl of cereal. I’ll buy milk when I need it for a recipe, but more often than not I find myself begging Ryan to finish it off before it expires—part of my sincere attempt to waste as little food as possible! When he’s traveling or have a disproportionate amount of milk to cereal, I take matters into my own hands!

Sometimes excess milk goes towards homemade ice cream, but sometimes I like to change it up and instead opt for pudding! I was all set to make the peanut butter pudding that had been my solution in the past for extra milk when I spied a Ghirardelli dark chocolate bar with almonds. Suddenly a new pudding flavor was created!

Because I used a nutty chocolate bar, there’s some crunch to this pudding. If you’re a texture weirdo (no offense), just use dark chocolate and get all of the almond flavor from the extract. I’m kicking myself for not mixing some shredded coconut into the finished product to make an Almond Joy-esque pudding! (Next time!!!) This homemade pudding was equally good hot and cold, and can be jazzed up however you wish—extra almonds on top, homemade whipped cream, or a sprinkle of chocolate chips. Treats like this tempt my subconscious to pick up milk when I’m at the store simply so I’ll have an excuse to make this again!

One Year Ago: Grilled Fattoush and Blueberries and Cream Pie
Two Years Ago: Lemony Grilled Potato Salad and Spicy Squash Pickles
Three Years Ago: Bacon Bourbon Caramel Corn and Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil Panini
Four Years Ago: Mini Zucchini Cakes with Walnuts

Quinoa Granola Bars

I have always thrived on organization and schedules, but in spite of that, I was still overwhelmed with the prospect of returning to work after maternity leave. Now that I’m a few weeks in, it feels a lot more manageable, although that’s not to say it isn’t a challenge! When I get home in the evenings, I am dedicated to enjoying those precious hours with Brecken and Ryan. I’m not interested in spending excessive amount of time cooking or cleaning or doing anything else “household” related.

In order to keep my evenings as open as possible, I’m trying to be diligent about being productive on the weekends during naptime. These quinoa bars are the perfect thing to make a batch of, package individually, and then freeze. When I’m making my lunch in the evenings, I simply grab one and throw it in my bag without giving it a second thought. (Here’s where you could argue I could just buy granola bars…)

There are quite a few granola bars that you’ll find on The Sweets Life, and almost all of them start with an oatmeal base. The quinoa used here was a refreshing change of texture while still offering plenty of nutrition. Like many granola bar recipes, many of the ingredients are interchangeable—use your favorite dried fruits and nuts to custom make something to suit your tastes!

One Year Ago: Bacon Apple Butter Flatbreads with Caramelized Onions and Gouda and Pound Cake with Strawberry Topping
Two Years Ago: Herb Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Sage and Dried Mango Coconut Muffins
Three Years Ago: Spicy Stuffed Mushrooms and Lemony Kale Pasta
Four Years Ago: Peanut Butter Brownie Cups and Grilled Fattoush

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chia Seeds

Sometimes the line between breakfast and dessert gets a little blurry. Maybe it shouldn’t, but the older I get the more I realize life is one big gray area, so why wouldn’t this carry over into what we eat as well?! For some of you, these cookies are most definitely breakfast. They have oats, chia seeds, coconut oil…all reputable breakfast ingredients! For others, anything with peanut butter and chocolate must only be considered dessert. I’m here to convince you that these little nuggets can be both!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chia Seeds

Whether you decide to start OR end your day with these, you can’t go wrong. If you really want a win-win, turn that OR into an AND! They’re a little bit naughty, a little bit nice, and a lot of bit satisfying! This was the first time I’d ever used chia seeds in anything and I loved the crunch they added, not to mention the nutritional boost. If you don’t have chia seeds, however, they’d be just as tasty without.

Make ‘em. Eat ‘em. All day long!

One Year Ago: White Chocolate Banana Muffins
Two Years Ago: Chicken, Rice, and Bean Freezer Burritos and Arugula Salad with Mango, Cashews, and Goat Cheese
Three Years Ago: Artichoke, Kale, and Ricotta Pie and Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Bundt Cake
Four Years Ago: Strawberry French Toast and Fresh Peach Salsa

Coffee Cake Muffins

The best part of maternity leave, besides hanging with Baby Brecks of course, has been spending so much time with family and friends. I'm fortunate enough to have a sister (two actually, but one's abroad right now!) and two sisters-in-law in St. Louis, all of whom have schedules that keep them around during the day. As a result, I've spent a ton of time with Julia, Erin, and Kate, and have cherished this chance to spend extra time with them before I go back to work.

One Thursday morning, Erin headed over with Eoin, my nephew, and Kate headed over with Huxley, her babysitting charge, and we had a playdate of sorts. Nevermind that the kids were all less than half a year old and didn't necessarily "play" together, doing more eating and sleeping than anything else. Us ladies took advantage of the chance to hang out and eat muffins! True to their name, these are basically individual portions of coffee cake. The tender muffins are sweet and cinnamon-packed and topped with a buttery, crumbly streusel, like all good coffee cakes are. They're good warm from the oven or at room temperature, and if you can't eat all of them at once, freeze them and pull them out on a day you're craving coffee cake but don't want to whip up a huge pan of it!

One Year Ago: Sour Cream Pancakes
Two Years Ago: Favorite Spring Dishes and BBQ Chicken Pizza
Three Years Ago: Raisin and Pine Nut Asparagus and Chocolate Bird's Nest Cookies
Four Years Ago: Lucky Charms Treats and Cranberry Orange Sour Cream Loaf

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Crostini with Roasted Vegetable Spread and Havarti

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Ginger Pear Loaf Cake

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

Friday, October 3, 2014

Apple Buttermilk Muffins

Friday, September 26, 2014

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Monday, September 22, 2014

Sweet Potato Zucchini Quick Bread

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Cilantro Yogurt Chickpea Dip

Monday, August 18, 2014

Quinoa Applesauce Oatmeal Bread

Friday, August 1, 2014

Minty Spinach Dip

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Strawberries and Fresh Mozzarella with Mint Pesto Drizzle

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Chocolate Almond Pudding

Friday, May 30, 2014

Quinoa Granola Bars

Monday, May 12, 2014

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Chia Seeds

Monday, April 14, 2014

Coffee Cake Muffins