Chocolate Bark

dark chocolate bark with cranberries, pistachios and sea salt

If you're thinking about making a chocolate treat for your loved ones this Valentines Day, there's still time to make this easy chocolate bark recipe.  Chances are you have all the ingredients in your pantry.  All you need for the bare-bones version is a bag of chocolate chips and some dried fruit or nuts!

Of course if you're like me, you may want to fancy it up a bit, but still the ingredients are very basic and simple.  I like to start with dark chocolate that's at least 70% cocoa for the health benefits, but you can use whatever chocolate you like - milk, dark or white.  If you're going to use nuts, make sure they are roasted and lightly salted to bring out their flavor.  For the rest of the toppings, it's completely up to you and your taste buds.  Here's a list of ingredients that work well for chocolate bark:

Roasted, chopped nuts:  almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, peanuts
Chopped dried fruit:  apricots, cranberries, cherries
Orange zest (my favorite with chocolate!), candied ginger, sea salt

1.) To start, you'll need to melt the chocolate.  You can do so in the microwave, but I prefer the stove-top method.  You don't need a double boiler, but to create the effect, fill a stainless steel pot with about 1-2 inches of water.  Set a glass bowl on top of the pot so the bottom of the glass bowl just barely touches the water.  Add about 2 cups of chopped chocolate to the bowl and heat on a low to medium flame.

2.) Stir the chocolate with a wooden spoon until it is almost melted.  Carefully remove the glass bowl and continue to stir the chocolate until it is fully melted.  At this point if you are going to add orange zest, do so now. 

3.) Let the chocolate cool slightly, then pour onto a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Try to keep it an inch or so from the edges.  Sprinkle the toppings evenly over the unset chocolate.  I always add a bit of coarse sea salt over the top to bring out all the flavors.

dark chocolate bark with orange zest, apricots and walnuts

3.) Let the bark sit to harden for an hour or so before cutting.  You should be able to drag the parchment paper onto a cutting board easily.

Enjoy! 

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

 "Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Almond-Walnut Butter

I've been buying almond butter at Trader Joe's for years since it's a staple in my picky son Jack's diet - and by staple I mean he eats it every day.  I usually have a pretty impressive stash of it in my pantry but for some reason Trader Joe's has been out of it for a while.  At first I panicked because almond butter is fairly pricey at most grocery stores compared to Trader Joe's.  However, the situation, and I'm sure you can see where this is going, forced me to make my own, and made me realize I should have been doing this years ago!  It's super easy and delicious.  If Jack eats it - not even noticing that anything has changed - I know it's good. 

He will eat peanut butter but since he eats it every day I wanted him to have  a variety, and it has more health benefits than peanut butter.  Almond butter has less saturated fat, eight times as much calcium, four times the amount of Vitamin E and twice the amount of iron than peanut butter.  Also, almonds are a powerful anti-oxidant and have anti-inflammatory properties. So almond butter is the clear winner here - especially for my son who eats a limited variety of foods.

I make this easy almond butter recipe almost once a week as Jack and I go through it pretty fast.  On my second batch, I thought I'd add some walnuts to pump up the healthy omega-3 fatty acids and as it turns out it's a great combination.  Next, I may try adding some sunflower seeds or ground flax seeds - any kind of nut or seed should work.

Enjoy!

 

Almond-Walnut Butter

1 lb raw, unsalted almonds
1 cup raw, unsalted walnut halves or pieces
2 teaspoons grape seed oil
coarse ground sea salt - to taste

1.)  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread almonds and walnuts out on an un-greased cookie or baking sheet and season with sea salt

 

2.)  Toast nuts in oven for 7-9 minutes - just until you can smell them, make sure they don't burn and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  You may want to add more sea salt at this point depending on your taste.

3.) When cool, add to food processor and pulse for a few minutes while stopping to scrape down the sides.  Mixture should be a coarse grain at this point. 

4.)  Add 2 teaspoons of the oil and pulse again for a few minutes until the nuts release their oils and a paste forms.  Keep on pulse until the level of consistency you desire is achieved.

5.)  Store in air-tight glass jars in refrigerator.

 

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

 

"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Jack's Ginger Snaps (and picky eaters!)

My oldest son Jack is the pickiest eater in the world.  I know I'm not alone and that many parents are dealing with their own picky eaters, but my son won't even eat "normal" kid foods.  No pizza, pasta, macaroni & cheese, grilled cheese or worst of all - no fruits or vegetables of any kind.  This drives me crazy.  Our pediatrician says he's growing just fine and not to worry, he'll grow out of it.  Well, I do worry, and I'm not quite sure what to do about it.  I do, however, make sure that of the limited foods he does eat, that they are as nutritious as possible even if it's the same foods day in and day out:

For breakfast it's organic milk and homemade waffles (loaded with extra eggs, ground flax, oatmeal and applesauce.)  Lunch is organic, sprouted-grain bread with almond butter.  For diner it's organic chicken nuggets.  I also make sure he has a daily multi-vitamin, a fruit & vegetable "pill", omega-3 tablets and extra Vitamin C.
 

We have tried to get him to eat other things, and he did when he was very young, but as he grew up he got pickier and pickier and the nightly food battles were getting us nowhere and causing tremendous stress in our family.  He claims his taste buds are "different" than ours and that's why he eats the way he does.  I will always worry about his limited eating habits, but he is growing fine and doing well in school, so we'll keep doing what we're doing and hope and pray he branches out with his food choices.  (For the record, my youngest son eats everything: sushi/sashimi, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, pickled ginger, sardines, anchovies...quite the extreme)

Because of Jack's "special taste buds" there isn't much I can cook or bake for him that he will eat, so when we discovered that he loved my Ginger Snaps we were thrilled and surprised at the same time because they are rather spicy.  (I know it's just a cookie and who wouldn't love a cookie? but believe me, Jack won't eat just any cookie)   So every year for Christmas I make these Ginger Snaps specially for Jack who thinks they're "awesome."

While I've been baking these cookies for years, I've always felt bad about using one ingredient:  shortening.  There is plenty of butter in the cookie, which is fine, but the shortening is needed to make the cookie perfectly round.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist (perhaps a little OCD) when I bake.  Although Crisco claims to be "trans-fat free" it's full of hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated crap that I just don't feel good about using even if it's a small amount. This year I used coconut oil instead (in the winter months coconut oil has the same consistency as Crisco) and I'm happy to report the cookies not only taste great but are perfectly round and beautiful!  

  Enjoy!

 

Jack's Ginger Snaps

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of sugar reserved for rolling
4 cups of all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs, beaten


1.)  Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.)  In a bowl, cream butter, coconut oil, and 2 cups of sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed.  In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger.

3.)  Add molasses to butter mixture;  beat to combine.   Beat in eggs until well combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low;  slowly add the reserved flour mixture, a little at a time until well blended.

4.) Place the remaining cup of sugar in a small bowl.  Measure about 2 teaspoons of dough;  roll into a ball and roll dough in sugar.  Transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Repeat, spacing balls 3 inches apart.  Bake for 11 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Tomato Tart

If you're wondering what to do with the bounty of tomatoes from your garden, try making them into this delicious tomato tart.  It's fairly easy to make, just a bit time consuming only because the crust has to rest in the refrigerator for 45 minutes, then again for 20 minutes before blind baking it.  To make things easier, you could use a store-bought crust but if you have the time, this homemade version is well worth the trouble. Just plan accordingly and you'll be fine.

I've made this tart twice and have experimented with the crust's ingredients and the one I'm sharing here is what I believe to be the best option.  It calls for all-purpose flour and yellow corn meal but I replaced some of the flour and corn meal with whole-wheat pastry flour which made it, one:  easier to work with, and two: a tastier, more crumbly crust.

The first time I made this I used two large Purple Cherokee heirloom tomatoes.

The second time I used a variety of heirloom tomatoes which gave it this glorious array of colors.  However, I went a bit overboard and used too many tomatoes which took away slightly from the rest of the flavors of the tart.  It was still wonderful, but next time I will stick to only two layers of tomatoes no matter how beautiful they look.

I think I will still make this tart in winter and spring even if I don't have garden fresh tomatoes because it is so good.  I will probably use vine ripe or hot house tomatoes which are acceptable alternatives when garden tomatoes are unavailable because roasting them does improve their taste.  I'm not into canning my tomatoes yet, but I'm sure that would work just fine. :)

Enjoy!

Tomato Tart

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan-reggiano cheese

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, thinly sliced

2 1/4 pounds fresh garden tomatoes

Kosher salt

1 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon breadcrumbs

3 Tablespoons each - chopped fresh chives and fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Freshly ground pepper

To make the crust:  Pulse flours, cornmeal and fine salt in a food processor to combine.  Add the butter and 3 Tablespoons of parm-reggiano cheese; pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal with pea-size bits of butter.  Drizzle in 4 Tablespoons of ice water and pulse until the dough comes together; add 1 more Tablespoon ice water if necessary.  Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk with more plastic wrap on top.  Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

Keeping the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, roll or press it into a 13-inch round disk.  Transfer the dough to a 9 1/2 inch deep pie/tart plate.  Fold the overhang under itself and crimp the edges.  Pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.  Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the crust with foil, then fill with dried beans (this is blind baking!).  Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans and continue baking until golden all over about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

To make the filling: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring until golden about 15 minutes.  Let cool.  Meanwhile, thinly slice tomatoes, toss with 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Let drain, gently tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temp to 375 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, combine the Asiago cheese, 2 Tablespoons of parm-reggiano, mayo, breadcrumbs, 2 Tablespoons each chives and parsley, the thyme, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper and the sautéed onions.  Spread in the crust.  Arrange the tomatoes on top.  Drizzle with the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon of parm-reggiano cheese and season with pepper.  Bake until tomatoes are browned, about 40-50 minutes.  Top with remaining chopped chives and parsley.

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Heirloom Tomatoes

I started planting heirloom tomatoes in my garden just a few years ago and have never looked back. No, they’re not going to win any conventional beauty contests, but like regular garden tomatoes, their taste is far superior to any perfectly round, plump red tomato you’ll find in your neighborhood grocery store.

An heirloom is an open-pollinated or naturally-pollinated (non-hybrid) cultivar of tomato which dates back to the early 50's when people saved their seeds each year for next year's crop.  They look odd and deformed but taste amazing. I like to call them the Steve Buscemi of Tomatoes because they’re “kinda funny-lookin’” but outperform their contemporaries. There are hundreds, even thousands of different varieties each with their own unique color, taste and shape. I also love the names: Green Zebra, Mr. Stripey and Purple Russian to list a few.



two purple cherokees and one brandywine

Tomatoes are loaded with antioxidants, dietary fiber and vitamins, and they’re naturally low in calories. When cooked, their antioxidant (lycopene) content increases which can help protect you from certain cancers and also give your skin a healthy, youthful glow; but they are still loaded with health benefits when eaten raw. And, I recently read that tomatoes are an aphrodisiac which might be the reason behind that healthy glow.

Heirloom or not, if you grow your own tomatoes or buy them at a farmer’s market, you know how amazing they taste with little or no enhancement. Their intense flavor can stop you in your tracks. I like them naked, or with a simple dusting of sea salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Here I have some with goat cheese and basil….

 And here they are made into a pizza…

Enjoy your fresh garden or farmer’s market tomatoes now….in a month or so they’ll be a distant, fond memory, but something to look forward to next summer for sure.

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Pistachio-Herb Pesto

If you have a garden, you most likely have an overload of fresh herbs this time of year and making pesto is probably on your to-do list.  Here is a recipe I’ve been making for a few years now and it’s truly wonderful.  It uses a variety of fresh herbs, lemon zest and pistachios – one of my favorite nuts.  You can use any nut you like, I think walnuts would also work well with this recipe or you could use the traditional pesto nut: pine nuts. 

The list of health promoting properties that fresh herbs have is enormous.  For example, parsley which is a main ingredient in this pesto helps with circulation and is a natural diuretic.  Rosemary is a powerful antioxidant, stimulates the immune system and fights the signs of aging.  Oregano is also a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.  And the list goes on and on…

There are unlimited uses for pesto with pasta being the most popular; you can also add it to soups, serve over grilled chicken or shrimp, or use it as a topping for bruschetta.  My favorite way to use this pesto is on pizza.  Here is a photo of a pesto pizza I recently made, very simply with some Asiago cheese, a small amount of tomato sauce and fresh tomatoes.  We were in total pizza heaven – it was so good .  Pair it with a bold red and Bob’s your uncle.

Enjoy!

Pistachio-Herb Pesto

1 small clove of garlic, peeled

2 cups packed Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon-thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh sage leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano leaves

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary – chopped

½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

¾ cup roasted & lightly salted pistachios

zest of one lemon

salt & pepper to taste

2/3 cup olive oil

In a blender or food processor, pulse the garlic until finely chopped.  Add all herbs, cheese, pistachios, lemon zest, salt & pepper to the garlic and blend until finely chopped.  With the blender/processor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream until the mixture becomes creamy and emulsified.  You may need to add more salt or pepper at this point.  Use immediately or when cool, can be refrigerated for a couple of days or freeze for later use.

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil

"Let Food be thy Medicine and Medicine be thy Food." - Hippocrates

Lemon-Thyme Bars

I don't bake a lot these days because I don't like to have too many sweet treats around tempting me to eat them!  So when I do bake it's usually for a special occasion or I'm entertaining.  One dessert I've made several times over are these little lemon-thyme bars.  If you like lemon, you must try these bars.  They are loaded with lemon flavor and small enough not to feel guilty if you have one (or quite possibly three...) 

I came across this super easy recipe a few years ago from Giada de Laurentiis on The Food Network and they always get rave reviews every time I make them.  I love adding fresh, savory herbs to desserts which is common in Italian baking, with thyme being one of my favorites.

I love the smell of fresh thyme and have a huge crop of lemon-thyme growing in my garden that returns year after year.  I keep small clay pots of silver thyme around in the summertime just because I think it looks so lovely.  And of course the lemon juice and zest add intense flavor to these bars.

Lemon-Thyme Bars

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

Glaze:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup powdered sugar

lemon zest

1.) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.

2.) In a small bowl combine flour, thyme and salt. Set aside.

3.) Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or hand mixer, beat together 1 stick of butter and powdered sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.

4.)  Beat in the lemon juice, zest and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture.

5.) Using damp fingers, press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:

In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice (more lemon zest if desired) and powdered sugar together until smooth.  Spoon the glaze over the cooled crust. Allow the glaze to harden, at room temperature, for at least 1 hour.  Cut into 16 squares.

Enjoy!

"The Greatest Wealth is Health" - Roman Poet Virgil