POPCORN obsessed!

About a year ago I discovered just how tasty and nutritious making popcorn on the stovetop can be. After all, you get to control the amount your making. From the kernels, to the amount of oil, it's all up to you. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to cook the popcorn too long, and end up setting off the fire alarm. OOPS! I also tend to burn the bottom of the pot, leaving marks that never come off, something my mom will probably never let me live down. So needless to say, I was sooo excited and curious when I read about this way to make popcorn. Who would have thought that all of those microwave popcorn brands were on to something?! Well, with a brown paper bag, popcorn kernels, a touch of oil, and a pinch of salt, you too can be the next Orville Redenbacher, healthy edition! So start popping away and become just as obsessed as I am! Seriously I've made this 4 times already this week....

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of popcorn kernels

1/2 teaspoon of oil ( I use canola, but others could be interesting)

A pinch of salt

1 brown lunch bag

Pour the kernels, oil, and salt into the brown lunch bag. Fold the bag two times and give it a good shake to mix everything up. Microwave for 1 minute 45 seconds and stay close. Microwaves vary, so keep an ear out and pull out your popcorn when the popping slows. You'll also be able to see how full the bag is (it should be about 1/2 to 3/4 full when fully popped. Open the bag and enjoy! And best of all, no clean up, so feel free to keep munching!

Suggestion: Popcorn is such a fun food. Try adding different flavorings, from classic butter, to cinnamon sugar, to parmesan peppercorn, popcorn is your blank slate, so go crazy!

Holy Cheesecake Brownie!

I found this recipe on stumbleupon.com a few days ago. Tonight I was sitting in my bed trying to decide what to do for the night. Seriously, no joke, for about an hour I had a conversation with myself that consisted of "Make the cheesecake brownies, don't make them, MAKE them, don't you dare make them,". Finally, I gave in and ventured into the kitchen where my roommate squealed for joy that I was making something with cheesecake. My other roommate groaned that I was making another dessert, but deep down I know she is one happy camper! So anyways, I ended up making the cheesecake brownie recipe, and boy was it AMAZING! Sweet, chocolatey, yet complex and tangy because of the addition of the cream cheese, this is my favorite cheesecake brownie recipe yet. The beautiful swirl and amazingly intriguing taste make this recipe a winner in my book. Best of all, this is a one dish recipe. Clean-up was a breeze, and it leaves me begging the question, "When do I get to make this again,"? Tomorrow perhaps.... :)

Cheesecake Brownies by David Lebovitz on stumbleupon.com

One 9-inch (23cm) square pan

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips

8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line a 9-inch (23cm) square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180C).

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

5. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

6. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

7. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set.

Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.

Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well, too.

Suggestion: Go nuts! Literally, throw some nuts in there, jelly, marshmallow, different types of chocolate, you name it! Go crazy and make this YOUR best brownie ever!

Dutch Apple Pancake, truly a show stopper!

The other day I made brunch for some friends. I wanted to WOW them, and I wanted to try something new. I had stumbled upon this Martha Stewart recipe a few months back, but hadn't had time to try the recipe. This was the perfect opportunity and it was worth the wait! Gooey, sweet, and filling, this eggy pancake made the brunch special and intimate. If you want to really make your guests feel special and serve them something that they truly would never find anywhere else, this is the dish to make!

Dutch Apple Pancake- from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add butter. When melted, add apple wedges. Cook until softened and lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in honey and cardamom, and remove skillet from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients, except confectioners’ sugar, until smooth. Pour over apple mixture. Bake until puffed and brown, about 20 minutes. Slide pancake onto a serving platter. Serve immediately, cut into wedges, with confectioners’ sugar sifted over the top.

Suggestion: I didn't have cardamom, so I substituted cinnamon instead. It was delicious and paired with the apples perfectly!

Fresh and Fabulous- pasta pasta!

I love fresh food. I'm not a fan of many jarred foods, tomato sauce being one of them. My favorite way to eat pasta is to keep it light and fresh, adding delicious and juicy in season ingredients. For summer, my favorite go to pasta dish, and one that takes literally minutes to prepare is filled with lemony fresh basil, juicy tomatoes, rich and creamy mozzarella, flavorful garlic, and one of my favorite ingredients, heart healthy olive oil. These simple ingredients mixed with the goodness of whole grain pasta, leave me feeling satisfied knowing that I ate something fresh, healthy, and in season!

Simple Summer Pasta

1 box of pasta

3 tomatoes, chopped

A handful of basil, chopped

Fresh mozzarella, chopped

Two cloves of garlic, minced

A few tablespoons of olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Pick your favorite pasta and cook to the package ingredients. Make sure not to overcook, al dente is best for this dish! When the pasta is still hot, combine with chopped basil, tomato, mozzarella, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The pasta will cook all of the ingredients and the flavors will come together in a really nice way. Dig in while still warm and enjoy the simplicity!

Suggestion: Not interested in tomatoes, or other ingredients in this dish? Substitute them for your favorites. Use your imagination and then eat up!

Doughnut Plant- Moving in ASAP

I have always loved donuts. Soft, sticky, flavorful, and comforting, they are always delicious. So of course when I found out that I was going to be in New York City this summer, I knew that I had to go to the famous Doughnut Plant (Lower East Side).

Almost unexplainable, these donuts tasted nothing like the round pastries I have eaten my entire life. Many of the donuts were square and all were the freshest of fresh. I tried 4 donuts: Peanut Butter and Blackberry Jam, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Chaos, and Blueberry. Hands down, the peanut butter and blackberry jam donut was the best. Creator of the Doughnut Plant, Mark Isreal, designed a unique way of making square jelly donuts so that each bite has the taste of his freshly made jams.

This is the best donut of your life. It will leave you speechless, and chances are, you'll never look at a donut the same way again. Not only was it the best donut I have ever had, but I would go so far as to say it was the best peanut butter and jelly "sandwich" I've ever had too. Totally fresh tasting and full of interesting flavors, this is a donut worth the trek to NYC!

Suggestion: Even if you don't like jelly donuts/peanut butter, give this donut a try. It just might change your life.

Doughnut Plant

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

When two worlds collide

Sick of eating the same old things and always tasting the same flavors? Look no further. Try mixing ethnic cuisines and the result is an explosion of unexpected flavors. These Spinach Ricotta Tacos combine the best of two worlds. The creamy ricotta, a very Italian ingredient, beefs up the rest of the dish and leaves you feeling satisfied, while the tomatillos, Mexican inspired, spice up your mouth and bring those Mexican flavors to the fiesta in your mouth. So be creative and start mixing different ethnic cuisines. The result might just surprise you. Bon Appetit!

Spinach Ricotta Tacos (From Food Network Kitchens)

• 8 ounces ricotta (preferably fresh), at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 white onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
• 2 (4-ounce) cans sliced green chile peppers, drained
• 2 bunches fresh spinach (about 1 pound), stemmed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 to 12 flour tortillas
• Salsa verde, for serving
• Directions:
• Combine the ricotta, cilantro and 1 clove garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt.
• 
  
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and cook without stirring until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles, spinach (in batches) and cumin and cook, stirring, until the spinach begins to wilt. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, about 3 more minutes. Season with salt; transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
• 
  
• Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or wrap in a damp towel and microwave 1 to 2 minutes. Divide the spinach mixture among the tortillas, top with the ricotta mixture and a spoonful of salsa verde and fold.

Suggestion: Try mixing it up with different kinds of tortillas. Try whole-wheat for the added health benefit, or a corn tortilla for some crunch!

Cozy, Creamy, and Satisfying- Fried Rice

It used to be that my idea of a comforting dish was mashed potatoes and melted cheese. That will always be a winner in my book, but once I realized that it wasn't the healthiest food to be eating every time I wanted some warm, gooey comfort, I had to come up with another dish that did the trick.

Stir fry. Simple and sophisticated, the egg added in at the end of the cooking process leaves the rice creamy and smooth. Eaten piping hot, this dish is just plain comforting. So pull out your woks, fire up that high heat, and reinvent your favorite warm and cozy dish!

Fried Rice

Makes 3-5 servings

1 cup dried Brown Rice (cook to package instructions)

4 scallions

3 large cloves garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger (buy it fresh; it's worth it!)

1/2 red pepper

1 cup cooked, shelled edamame

1 cup fresh corn

1 handful of broccoli florets

1 handful of chopped asparagus

2 medium mushrooms

6 ounces firm tofu

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Canola Oil

Salt

Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes

Cook the brown rice according to the package instructions. While the rice cooks, chop all vegetables and the tofu into bite sized pieces. Mince the garlic and ginger. Using a wok or a frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil on medium heat. Cook the vegetables one type at a time until just tender.

When all vegetables are cooked, add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and cook until softened and you begin to smell the ginger. Place the tofu into the pan and "fry" until it begins to turn golden brown. Mix all vegetables, garlic, ginger, tofu, and add the rice to this. Make a well in the center of the rice and vegetable mixture, add 1 teaspoon of canola oil and add the eggs. Cook until nearly completely scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, add 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Incorporate all spices into the dish. Pull out your chopsticks and dig in!

Suggestion: Not a fan of tofu? No worries! Substitute in your favorite protein. Try pork, chicken, beef, fish, black beans, whatever!