Chocolate Cake

i was eating my fiber 1 chocolate brownie tonight while dreaming of chocolate cake! i decided to search online for yummy cake recipes and found this choco cake which left me drooling! MMMM….

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee (or 2 tsp instant coffee in 1 cup boiling water, or simply 1 cup boiling water)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch baking pans and set aside. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in hot coffee. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

photo & recipe via foodess.com

Gingerbread Men

AWESOME- i couldn’t help myself and just added the NinjaBread Men Cookie Cutter Set to my collection!

Waffles and Ice Cream

mmmm….totally guilty pleasure snack! doesn’t this look like a yummy treat to eat while watching The Real Housewives of Orange County? (can you tell i am hungry and looking to cheat on my diet?)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 cup oat flour (make sure it’s gluten free)
1/4 cup arrowroot
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup maple sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pints vanilla ice cream
Maple syrup (I prefer Grade B for its deeper flavor)

Preheat the waffle iron. Stir together gelatin and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together the oat flour, arrowroot, sorghum, rice flour, maple sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the melted butter, eggs, milk, vanilla, and gelatin in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and pulse to combine, about 5 1-second pulses.

Using a ladle, spread an appropriate amount of batter onto the hot waffle iron. Cook waffle until golden brown (make sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions). Transfer the waffle to a plate and top with ice cream and maple syrup. Repeat process until you’ve cooked all the waffles.

If you’d like to serve all the waffles at once, try keeping them warm on a wire rack set in the oven at 200ºF for up to 10 minutes.

recipe and photo via deliciouslyorganic.net

Meyer Lemon Spaghetti with Asparagus

i recently discovered an awesome BODY PUMP class at the gym and it is making a huge difference in the way my body feels! now that i am back to building muscles, i’m trying to incorporate more pasta into my diet. last week i made this yummy pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, feta cheese and Pesto. this week i am hoping to try this recipe: (& it only takes 20 minutes!)

Ingredients:

8 oz linguine pasta

2 T extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it!)

juice of two large meyer lemons to equal about 1/2 cup

1 bunch asparagus, sliced

1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

fresh parsley for serving

Directions:

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done. When pasta is done, remove noodles with a slotted spoon, reserving boiling water. Blanch asparagus in water for thirty seconds, until bright green. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute for thirty seconds. Remove from the heat. Add the pasta, sundried tomatoes and asparagus to the pan and toss everything together. Pour in the lemon juice along with additional cooking water if the dish seems too dry. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley.

image and recipe via eatliverun.com

Pasta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Ricotta and Pesto

ok, this may be the most perfect dinner to make when i am alone. not trying to exclude my husband from this yummy dish, but i think i could eat pounds of this pasta in private and it looks like a big, sloppy mess! i may switch out the Ricotta for Feta cheese. Feta is my absolute favorite!

400g cherry tomatoes
2tbsn Balsamic vinegar
1tbsn olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
500 g pasta of your choice (I used spaghetti)
300 g Ricotta cheese, crumbled
4 tbsp basil pesto thinned out with 2tsp olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 220°c.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with the vinegar, oil and seasonings and transfer to a roasting tray.
Roast for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and the skin starts coming loose. Keep watching the tomatoes because the oven will be very hot and you don’t want them to burn.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain and combine with the tomatoes (and all their pan juices), ricotta and basil pesto.
Serve with extra Ricotta and basil pesto.

recipe and photo via Simply Delicious

Poached Salmon with Asparagus & Citrus Vinaigrette

this recipe is going to be our Saturday night dinner this week. i’ve been trying to cook 1 healthy meal/weekend. Sundays my husband usually makes jumbo shrimp cocktail or this guacamole!

INGREDIENTS
1 skin-on wild Alaskan salmon fillet (about 1 1/2 lbs and 1 inch thick)
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs lemon juice
1 bunch medium-thick asparagus
3-5 scallions
1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp champagne vinegar
2-3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cups washed organic spinach

Fill a saucepan wide enough to hold the salmon with 2-3 inches of cold water. Stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and gently place the salmon in the pan, skin side down. Reduce the heat and cook at a bare simmer until the salmon is just opaque throughout, 10 – 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper to prevent the surface from drying, let cool 20 to 30 minutes. Once cool, the slamon can be refrigerated, covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the asparagus until crisp-tender and the color brightens, 1 – 2 minutes minutes. With a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the asparagus to the ice-water bath. Once cool, drain and pat dry.

Combine 2 sliced or minced scallions, lemon and orange zests, 2 Tbs lemon juice, orange juice, vinegar and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Arrange the spinach on 3-4 plates, topping with the asparagus. Break the salmon into pieces and arrange on top of the spinach. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garish with remaining sliced scallions. Enjoy!

recipe and photo via Liv Life

Asparagus Soup

i would have never thought to puree asparagus, but this looks so yummy (and easy!) i’m a big fan of fast and nutritious recipes!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 pound of roast asparagus**
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon white or black pepper, or more to taste
Juice of 1 lemon, zest first for optional garnish
¾ cup MimicCreme
Optional garnishes: reserved asparagus tips, lemon zest, finely chopped chives, crispy Prosciutto.

**While you are getting the rest of dinner ready, place asparagus on a foil covered rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. That’s it. Roast for 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender. Timing will depend on the thickness of the spears.

Directions
1) In a medium saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion and sauté, stirring until soft and translucent. Add garlic clove and cook one minute longer.
2) Add the chopped asparagus to the pan. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Puree in a blender, being careful with a hot liquid. When pureed until smooth, add lemon juice and MimicCreme; blend a few more seconds to incorporate.
3) Taste and season for your preference. Heat if needed gently before serving. Garnish as desired. Adjust the thickness for your preference with additional MimicCreme or broth if needed.

recipe and photography via Sally Cameron

Food for Spring

Spring Crudité & Buttermilk-Pepper Dip

Some pretty and yummy veggie ideas:
Endive. Pale green or purple. Remove outer leaves and discard, then separate leaves
Celery. Wash well, then slice in half lengthwise. Cut into sections.
Yellow baby carrots. Scrub well, then slice lengthwise into thin strips.
Yellow bell pepper. Wash well, then cut in half, remove core, and cut into matchsticks.
Baby asparagus. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes, then drain and cool. Trim to desired length.
Mini cucumber. Wash well. Slice lengthwise and trim to desired length.

Buttermilk-Black Pepper Dip

Homemade mayonnaise, plenty of fresh black pepper and a splash of tangy buttermilk make this simple dip the perfect accompaniment to spring vegetables. It’s also an ideal base dip, should you choose to personalize it with blue cheese, fresh herbs, or your favorite add-in.

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and whisk well.
Taste, and adjust salt and pepper accordingly.

recipe & photos via Simple Bites

Spicy Lemonade with Garden Fresh Mint

Ingredients:
Lemons : 2
Fresh Mint sprigs : 2-3
Honey : 1 tsp or Sugar/Sugar Syrup to taste
Salt : A pinch
Black peppercorns : few to season
Cumin Powder : 1/4 Tsp

Method:
Squeeze the fresh juice from lemons into a bowl.
Add honey or sugar to taste & a pinch of salt.

Lightly toast few peppercorns in a skillet and toss them in.
One ingredient that will make that will bring all these flavors together is fresh roasted cumin powder.
Add a pinch & stir.

Add the lemon juice mix to water.
You can add it in a glass of warm water in the morning and chilled water at other times of the day.

Add Ice as you like it, alternatively to add some twist you can, crush few mint leaves in mortar & pestle,
and add it to the ice tray for lively green ice cubes.

Lemonade is ready by tossing ice cubes and a sprig of fresh mint straight from the pot, a perfect drink to start a rejuvenating day!

recipe and photo via My Creative Flavors