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Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce

If you follow me on Instagram stories, you may have noticed that I have been on a pasta kick the past month. My go-to dinner being pasta - all fluffy and tender with rich yummy tomato sauce coating every pasta-y crevice - vegan Parm on top and served in my fave cozy bowl. And on the side, some sort of veggie or giant salad. I will sometimes add veggie meatballs or sausage to my pasta too.

Homemade Sauce. And on those super busy nights, a bottle of pre-made marinara sauce is easy and great. But when I have the time, like anything, I much prefer to make my sauce from scratch. And today's Chunky Summer Veggie Pasta Sauce is my go-to tomato sauce when I want a chunky texture and a few veggies in every bite.

For this recipe, I am using in-season zucchini as my veggie, but you could easily swap with mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper or whatever veggies you have on hand.

So boil some pasta and simmer this sauce for a one-bowl meal worth turning on the stove for...

It's all in the sauce...

I seriously need a pasta sauce that I can eat by the spoonful because it is my favorite part of pasta night.

There are three vegan cheeses that I like on pasta. The Follow Your Heart shreds. The Galaxy vegan Parm crumbles. Or my DIY walnut-nooch cheese. Or go cheese free. Some fresh basil or toasted pumpkin seeds would also be nice on top. A few fresh capers adds a pop of color and brininess.

So what about these ingredients? - capers: I love the salty, punchy flavor a few capers add to sauce. I also love them on pizza! They have this fragrant briny flavor that I just adore. - olives: similar to the capers, salty and punch of flavor - you could use just one or the other too. - zucchini: seasonal veggie. You could sub with mushrooms or pepper or even kale or spinach. Carrots or even corn also work! add veggies that add texture and some color too. - EVOO: the dreamy ingredient to bring some smooth body and richness to your sauce. You can start with just three tablespoons and add more as you crave it. Many store-bought sauces are heavy handed on the oil and salt, so if you want to achieve that sort of oomph, don't be shy with those two ingredients. But if you want something lighter, stay light on the EVOO. - bay leaf: I always add a bay leaf to my sauce or soup. It adds a zingy depth of flavor that I can only really describe as a hum of flavor. - spices: I used a dry seasoning blend. It included oregano, marjoram, thyme, basil, rosemary and sage. - tomatoes: I prefer San Marzano for their rich red color and flavor, but you can use any organic tomatoes you'd like. - vegan sausage: This is optional, but I love the flavor and 'meatiness' that a Field Roast sausage adds to my sauce. It really makes it feel more like a meal. You could also play around with adding lentils or beans. - garlic: Always add more garlic if you are a garlic-lover like me! I used six large chunks, but could've easily added six more. Yes, I love garlic that much. - nutritional yeast: totally optional, but it adds a cheesy depth of flavor and a few added nutrients like B vitamins.

You could call this a marinara sauce if you'd like because it's all veggies and a tomato base. Pasta sauce, marinara sauce, your call.

Really, this sauce tastes even better the next day because all the flavors marinate just a bit more and the sauce reduces a bit. Yummy on day one, extra yummy on day two. And if you have leftovers, you can chill for a few days or freezer for next week.

I used Rigatoni pasta today because I think it just looks so pretty in giant floppy shapes, the sauce wiggling into the noodles. But any pasta will work!

Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce

By Kathy Patalsky

Published 07/18/2019

This chunky, colorful, veggie-filled marinara sauce is perfect on your fave pasta for an easy, delicious plant-based meal.

Ingredients

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup zucchini, chopped

2oz black olives, sliced

2 Tbsp capers

1 vegan sausage, chopped - I used Field Roast Italian flavor -- optional

2 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning blend (salt-free)

2-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

28oz can of diced tomatoes (San Marzano used)

28oz can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano used)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

start with a 1/2 tsp salt and add more to taste

optional: splash of white wine

optional: 1 small onion, diced

Instructions

Add the oil and garlic to a large sauce pot over medium heat. Cook for two minutes. Then add in the zucchini and optional onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender.

Add in all the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for at least twenty minutes. The longer you simmer, the more developed and bold the flavors will become.

Do a taste test and add more salt to taste if desired. You can also add more red pepper flakes or nutritional yeast to taste.

Boil pasta and drain. Toss with sauce. Add some vegan Parm to serve. This pasta is delicious same day, but the sauce is even better the next day! Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Or you can freeze leftovers for about a month for best flavor.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 30 mins.

Total time: 35 mins.

Tags: pasta,marinara,sauce,marinara sauce,italian,dinner,vegan,summer,zucchini,tomato,

Pin this recipe for later...

Before the cheese on top..

Source: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2019/07/chunky-veggie-pasta-sauce.html

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Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies (Date-Sweetened!)

These Double Chocolate Cookies are made with 100% whole food ingredients— no flour, no oil, and no added sugar. But don’t let these healthy ingredients throw you off. These cookies still have a rich and fudgy flavor and texture, almost like a brownie in cookie-form.

I based these cookies off the recipe for my Healthiest Cookies Ever, which remind me of my childhood favorite “soft batch” cookies, and since they’ve been such a hit with everyone who tries them, I figured a chocolate variation was in order.

For this version, I added a hefty dose of cocoa powder, and used pecans instead of walnuts for a more mild flavor.

(I tested this recipe with walnuts, as you can see from these photos, but I found their flavor overwhelmed the cookie, so I couldn’t taste the chocolate as much– keep this in mind if you plan on making substitutions!)

How to Make Date-Sweetened Cookies

When using dates as a natural sweetener, you’ll need a machine that can break them down, and I find that a food processor does that best. (I’m using this one.) Narrow blender jars tend to need more water to keep the dates moving, and that can cause the motor to give off a burning smell. In a pinch, you could probably finely chop the nuts and dates on a cutting board, and then mix them together with your hands for a chunkier cookie.

If you want a 100% naturally sweetened cookie, you can leave out the optional dark chocolate chips, but I love adding something extra for texture here, so I’ll usually throw them in for a “double” chocolate flavor that’s reminiscent of a brownie.

Some refined-sugar-free add-ins would be:

cacao nibs

extra chopped nuts

dried fruit, like raisins (look for no added sugar on the label)

shredded unsweetened coconut

rolled oats

Feel free to experiment, and let me know in the comments below if you try something that you love.

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies

I keep these cookies egg-free by using a flax egg, which is simply ground flax (or chia seeds) stirred together with water. These two ingredients will gel together within a few minutes, creating a gooey vegan “egg.”

If you’re not vegan, feel free to use a chicken egg in its place. (Omit the water and flax seed in this case.)

When making cookies in a food processor, be careful not to over-process them. If you process nuts too long, they will release their natural oils, making for a very oily, greasy cookie dough. The cookies will still bake fine, but they will be a little more messy to work with.

These cookies will not spread the way a cookie made with egg would, so you’ll need to use your fingers to press them down into a cookie shape before baking. They will look very similar when baked, but drier.

I hope you’ll enjoy this healthy cookie recipe the next time a chocolate craving strikes!

Vegan Double Chocolate Cookies (Date-Sweetened!)

This healthy cookie recipe is made with 100% whole food ingredients-- no flour, no oil, or refined sugar! Naturally sweetened with dates, you can make these vegan cookies in just minutes!

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

1 cup Medjool dates , pitted (about 12)

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 chia or flax egg (1 tablespoon ground chia or flax seeds + 3 tablespoons water)

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an “S” blade, process the dates and pecans together until a crumbly texture is formed. Add in the cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and chia or flax egg (see how to make a flax egg here) and process again until the batter is relatively smooth, a little stickier than traditional cookie dough.

Add in the chocolate chips and briefly pulse, just to combine.

Spoon the batter onto a lined baking sheet, and use your hands to gently flatten the cookie dough. These cookies don't spread much, so be sure to shape the cookies the way you'd like them to look when they're done baking. (Tip: Wet your hands with water to prevent sticking!) Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are firm and your house smells like brownies. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Serve immediately, and store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge or freezer for best shelf life. These cookies should last a week in the fridge, and for several months in the freezer.

Per cookie: Calories: 75, Fat: 5g, Carbohydate: 7g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 1g

Recipe Notes:

As I mentioned above, feel free to make substitutions as you like, but keep in mind that different nuts and seeds will change the flavor of these cookies. I liked the pecan flavor best, but if you love walnuts or almonds, feel free to use those instead. I find that buttery nuts, like walnuts and pecans, are easiest to break down in the food processor, though.

If you don’t have access to dates, another dried fruit, like raisins, may work.

As always, please leave any substitutions you try in the comments below, so that we can all benefit from your experience!

—

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite type of cookie?

Source: https://detoxinista.com/healthy-double-chocolate-cookies/

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How to Cook Chicken in the Microwave

How to cook chicken in the microwave is just what you need to know how to do when you need shredded chicken in a hurry.

One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how do I cook chicken?  Whenever I mentioned shredded chicken in a recipe I will get several messages asking me how I do it.

I have a fool proof method, in fact I have several fool proof methods, it just depends on which appliance you want to use and how much time you have.  Today we are going to talk about how to cook chicken in the microwave, the quickest way to do it.  If you want to know how to cook chicken in the crockpot check out this post and to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot, go here.  I use the crock pot or the Instant Pot when I have to cook up a lot shredded chicken and I have a bit of time but when I need it NOW, I use the microwave.

Also, when I only need to cook up a couple of chicken breasts I almost always do it in my microwave.  It is quick and easy and this method will give you a nice juicy chicken breast every time.

How to Cook Chicken in Microwave

I like to pound my chicken breasts so they are an even thickness.  This helps them to cook quicker and more evenly.  Place the chicken breasts on a hard surface and cover with wax paper.  Use a meat tenderizer to pound the breasts so they are more even in size.

Use a dish that will fit the number of chicken breasts you are using.  If I am doing two, they will usually fit in an 9 x 9″ pan.

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and add enough water so that it comes about 1/3 the way up the chicken breast.

Cover the top of the dish with wax paper or plastic wrap.  This will help create a steam bath for the chicken.  Cook in the microwave on high for about about 4-5 minutes per chicken breast, it will depend on size and thickness of chicken.

I always use my Thermoworks Thermapen to check the temperature of the chicken.  You want the chicken to be 165 degrees F.  I pull it out about 5 degrees before that as it will continue to cook after taking it out of the microwave.  Don’t cut into the chicken to see if it is cooked through as this will release all the juices from the chicken and you will end up with dry chicken.

Easy Shredded Chicken

After you remove it from the microwave allow it to sit for a few more minutes and it will continue to cook.  Word of caution:  as you remove the plastic wrap from the dish be careful of the steam that will escape.  You don’t want to burn yourself.

Remove chicken from dish and place on cutting board.  After it cools cut into pieces or shred with a fork. Perfect chicken every time!!

How do I use shredded chicken?

For all of my other favorite kitchen products and tools visit my Amazon Store.

Did you know I wrote a cookbook?  Check out the Holiday Slow Cooker Cookbook for 100 delicious recipes

Microwave Shredded Chicken

Print<![CDATA[.wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg *fill:#343434]]>

How to Cook Chicken in the Microwave

How to cook chicken in the microwave is just what you need to know how to do when you need shredded chicken in a hurry.

Course Chicken

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Leigh Anne

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts skinless, boneless

salt and pepper

water

Instructions

Pound chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper to make them thinner and more even in thickness.

Place chicken in a dish and fill dish with water so the water level comes up about 1/3 of the way on the chicken.

Cover with wax paper or plastic wrap and cook in microwave on high for 4-5 minutes per breast.  Use a thermometer to check temperature.  Meat should be 165 degrees F.

Allow to cool and then shred or slice.

Nutrition

Calories: 257kcal | Protein: 47g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 836mg | Vitamin A: 1.4% | Vitamin C: 3.3% | Calcium: 1.1% | Iron: 4.6%

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Hi – I’m Leigh Anne! Food, family and friends are three of my favorite things. I love sharing easy, delicious recipes and entertaining ideas that everyone will love. When she started her blog, Your Homebased Mom, over 9 years ago she had no idea that it would one day house over 2,400 recipes and ideas! .

Latest posts by Leigh Anne (see all)

Source: https://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/how-to-cook-chicken-in-the-microwave/

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Seared Scallops with Citrus Salsa

Last night I had to dig deep. I really wasn’t in the mood to cook, procrastinating all day long before I even gave dinner a thought. When the dinner hour approaches and you have no ideas in mind, and almost nothing sounds appetizing other than take-out, the temptation to pick up the phone and place an order is real.

We all have these uninspired days when you feel like you’ve had too much chicken or, at this point in winter, soup. I’ve been trying to keep things fresh and exciting, but as simple as possible.

Resisting all temptation to go get burritos, I drove to my favorite market and made it to the seafood counter. And there, just beautiful and glistening behind the glass, were the most gorgeous scallops. Meaty and pearly white, I knew it was just what I needed to get out of my rut.

Seared Scallops with Citrus Salsa are the perfect antidote to avoiding the kitchen, if you ask me. The beauty of scallops, other than simply being delicious, is that they cook in mere minutes; limited time can never be an excuse for not having something delicious for dinner.

To keep things bright, I made a citrus salsa with some of the beautiful winter citruses we have on hand — I was a little overzealous at the market and had perhaps too many cara cara and blood oranges in the fruit bowl. And since quinoa is a quick-cooking seed that matches the rapid cook of scallops, I served the scallops and citrus salsa over a quinoa pilaf.

Simple and wholesome, these scallops were a huge hit with my family! It felt like a weeknight indulgence — and truly, this dish is elegant enough that you could serve it as a cozy dinner for two, for a dinner party, or simply when you’ve run out of time, the latter of which seems to happen a lot, in my case.

More Quick Cooking Seafood Dinners to Try

Greek Shrimp, Pearl Barley and Kale with Feta Kale and Shrimp Scampi Sole Meunière Instant Pot Fish Stew with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers Baked Halibut with Olives and Tomatoes

Seared Scallops with Citrus Salsa

Scallops cook in just minutes, so get dinner on the table in no time with these flavorful Seared Scallops with Citrus Salsa!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Pescetarian

Keyword citrus, pescetarian, salsa, scallops, seafood

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 253kcal

3 teaspoons olive oil divided

1 1/4 pounds large sea scallops

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped citrus e.g. mandarin, tangerine, blood orange

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Cooked quinoa for serving

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Working in batches, lightly season the scallops with salt and pepper, and sear for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Flip the scallops and cook for about 2-3 minutes more, until the other side is also golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the citrus, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with kosher salt.

In a separate bowl, stir together the quinoa, almonds, scallions, and remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Season to taste with kosher salt.

Serve the scallops with cooked quinoa and top with citrus salsa.

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 558mg | Potassium: 597mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6.8% | Vitamin C: 63.1% | Calcium: 8.9% | Iron: 7.3%

Source: https://kitchenconfidante.com/seared-scallops-with-citrus-salsa

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Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

This Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is too easy; it’s pretty much heating and mixing everything together. This dip is irresistibly creamy and every bite is loaded with spinach and artichokes. Watch the video and you’ll be craving it big time!

Spinach and Artichoke dip is our #1 party appetizer and it always disappears fast. If you love easy party appetizers, try our shrimp avocado salsa and cowboy caviar next!

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe:

My co-worker Jason brought this in to work one night and it was so good! I asked for the recipe and wrote it out (on a random piece of paper that later took me 2 days to find) as I was wolfing down the artichoke dip. Thank you Jason for sharing this keeper of a recipe with us. I

should warn you – make this spinach and artichoke dip only when there are plenty of people around to share it with, otherwise you will inevitably eat way, way, way too much (guilty).

Ingredients for Spinach Artichoke Dip:

This dip can be lighter with reduced fat cream cheese and light sour cream.

The canned jalapeños add nice heat without being overpowering.

We use canned quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated)

Can I Use Fresh Spinach?

You can make a fresh spinach and artichoke dip. One of my readers, Victoria, shared her very helpful review on that: “I have made this dip probably a half dozen times or more. I have used fresh spinach (anywhere from 6 to 10 ounces). Works great and so yummy! No need to squeeze anything. Just trim the stems, rough chop and add it in. The heat causes it to wilt just enough.”

How to Make the BEST Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt together 8oz cream cheese, 16 oz sour cream, 1 stick butter and 1.5-2 cups parmesan cheese, stirring frequently until melted and an even consistency. It should start to bubble.

2. Stir in coarsely chopped artichoke hearts, your drained jalapeños and drained spinach (I used my hands to squeeze spinach over the sink to remove excess water). Finally, stir in 2-3 pressed garlic cloves.

This spinach and artichoke dip is dangerously good – it’s no wonder it’s been pinned millions of times on Pinterest. This recipe is a keeper!

Watch How to Make Spinach and Artichoke Dip:

This spinach artichoke dip is so good, you will want to lick the pot (hundreds of reviews agree!)

If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe to our Youtube Channel and click the bell icon so you’ll be the first to know when we post a new video. THANK YOU for subscribing! We love spending time with you on our Youtube Channel.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is too easy; pretty much heating and mixing. This dip is irresistibly creamy and every bite is loaded with spinach and artichokes.

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $9-$12

Calories: 207 kcal

Servings: 10

8 oz cream cheese reduced fat is ok

16 oz light sour cream

1 stick 8 tbsp unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

14 oz quartered artichoke hearts drained and coarsely chopped

4 oz can diced jalapeños drained

10 oz frozen spinach thawed and drained

2-3 garlic cloves pressed

In a medium pot over medium heat, melt together 8oz cream cheese, 16 oz sour cream, 1 stick butter and 1.5-2 cups parmesan cheese, stirring frequently until melted and an even consistency. It should start to bubble.

Stir in coarsely chopped artichoke hearts, your drained jalapenos and drained spinach (I used my hands to squeeze spinach over the sink to remove excess water). Finally, stir in 2-3 pressed garlic cloves.

Serve hot with chips or crackers or toasted baguettes.

Nutrition Facts

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 207 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 9g 45%

Cholesterol 54mg 18%

Sodium 660mg 28%

Potassium 266mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 1g

Protein 8g 16%

Vitamin A 82.4%

Vitamin C 5.7%

Calcium 29.4%

Iron 18.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Source: https://natashaskitchen.com/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-recipe/

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Tortilla pinwheels with buffalo hummus

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Tortilla pinwheels with buffalo hummus are a fun finger food option for potlucks, parties, and lunches. Loaded with fresh vegetables, they have plenty of flavor & crunch. Vegan & gluten free optional.

I did a survey on my Instagram Stories recently about the kinds of recipes people would like to see as we move into the hot days of summer. One answer came up again and again.

Easy recipes that don’t require turning on an oven.

I hear you loud & clear. And I’ll be keeping that in mind for the months ahead. (If you have other requests, let me know in the comments!)

So we’re going to start with a super easy appetizer or lunch recipe. This one repurposes my buffalo hummus dip into a handheld appetizer. 

Tortilla pinwheels 

If you are a big fan of buffalo like I am, you’re going to love these tortilla pinwheels. They have that buffalo sauce flavor I crave, as well as crisp vegetables.

While buffalo-style appetizers are often on the heavy side, this one is surprisingly light.

It’s all rolled into a tortilla for fast finger food that goes over well with crowds.

Tortilla pinwheels are a fun option for graduation parties, potlucks, and picnics. They can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature.

But they’re not only for parties! They also make really convenient packed lunches. Serve them in pinwheels or leave them whole as a wrap.

How to make tortilla pinwheels with buffalo hummus

Spread buffalo hummus onto each tortilla.

Top with a few splashes of hot sauce, chopped romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, and cilantro or chives.

Roll it up tightly. Cut into even bites about 2 inches in length.

And serve!

Make these tortilla roll-ups your own:

Add your preferred chopped vegetables like thinly sliced cucumbers, red bell pepper, or spinach.

Add finely chopped vegan chicken – seitan, Soy Curls, or chick’n strips.

Instead of slicing into pinwheels, make it a wrap! I like mine burrito-style with a couple of hot-out-of-the-oven chickenless strips stuffed inside.

Serve with vegan blue cheese dressing as a dipping sauce. (Use store-bought or the recipe that is listed with the buffalo hummus.)

Not in the mood for buffalo? Use your preferred hummus, jalapeño cashew cheese spread, or non-dairy cream cheese.

My plain easy hummus recipe, pizza hummus, and kalamata olive hummus are all great here!

If your tortillas are on the dry side, warm them in a dry skillet or quickly in the microwave to make them more pliable before rolling.

Tortilla pinwheels with buffalo hummus

It doesn't get easier than tortilla pinwheels! They are a tasty & convenient appetizer option for graduation parties, picnics, roadtrip snack, and lunches. They are filled with buffalo hummus & crisp vegetables.This recipe makes 16 pinwheels for appetizers. Or it can serve 4 people for lunch.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: easy, no oven, party food

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 16 pieces

Calories: 44kcal

Ingredients

3/4 cup buffalo hummus

4 tortillas*

Splashes Frank's red hot sauce to taste (Or your preferred hot sauce)

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or chives

Instructions

Spread a layer of buffalo hummus onto each tortilla. (I use about 3 Tablespoons per tortilla, but amounts will vary depending upon the size of the tortilla.) The tortillas will seal the best if you spread the hummus all the way to the edges.

Add 3 or 4 splashes of hot sauce onto each tortilla.

Now it's time to add the vegetable toppings. For easiest rolling, leave about an inch gap around the perimeter of the tortilla (i.e. don't put your fillings all the way out to the edge.) Sprinkle about a quarter cup romaine lettuce, two Tablespoons shredded carrots, and a Tablespoon cilantro or chives onto each tortilla. (Don't worry too much about the amounts being exact, but be wary of overfilling. If they are too full, they are harder to roll & prone to breakage.)

Roll the tortillas as tightly as you can.** Use a serrated knife to evenly cut the tortillas into pinwheels, roughly 2 inches in length. Move onto serving platter.

Notes

*I used 8-inch sized whole wheat tortillas from Trader Joe's. If you're using larger tortillas, you may need larger amounts of the fillings. For a gluten-free option, use gluten free tortillas. **If you plan to serve the pinwheels later, I recommend waiting to cut into them. You don't want the fillings to get dried out. Wrap the individual tortilla roll-ups in plastic wrap, and cut them just before serving. If your tortillas are on the dry side, warm them in a dry skillet or quickly in the microwave to make them more pliable before rolling.

Nutrition

Calories: 44kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 14.2% | Vitamin C: 0.5% | Calcium: 1.4% | Iron: 3.1%

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/tortilla-pinwheels/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

WOMEN’S WORK PROJECT: LISA CONGDON

Hello gang! This feels like the best dose of inspiration for a Monday. A thoughtful, uplifting interview with the amazing Lisa Congdon! I spent some time with her in her home studio and painting studio on a rainyish spring day last year, and I am so happy to finally have the images and her interview ready.

“The actual process of making art has never lost its magic for me. In fact, as my skills have grown over the years (which took awhile because I am self-taught), my excitement about making art has only intensified. The days I get to go to my painting studio and paint are the days I wake up the most excited.”

“…. Yes, the world of art and design is very male dominated, very white male dominated — at least those are the folks getting the platforms. But that is changing, slowly. And galleries and press and museums and conferences are all more focused now than ever on highlighting not only women, but queer women and women of color in the field. I feel like we are in the midst of something really exciting, not just in the art, illustration and design worlds, but in the world in general. ”

Follow the link for the complete photo essay along with Lisa’s interview.

Source: http://theyearinfood.com/2018/01/womens-work-project-lisa-congdon.html

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Hot Pot Sugar Cookies

No bowls needed for this sugar cookie recipe! You’re just one small pot away from the chewiest, sweetest and most amazing sugar cookies EVER!

I am on a roll. The Hot Pot cookie craze continue to roll on at my house. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, look here or here.)

I love a good chocolate cookie, but man oh man, depending on the day, I could hurt someone REAL BAD for a bite of a proper chewy, buttery, vanilla-y sugar cookie. I don’t make the cut out kind very often anymore because it makes such a mess and it’s a little more time consuming than the old scoop and bake method. (Plus, I gave all my cookie cutters away when we moved to NYC.) The sugar cookie bars are a great option if you are looking to mimic the same sort of taste but I wanted a proper cookie STAT.

So off I went into hot pot territory (not the drugs, Mom) and created this recipe, based on my first two posted to the blog earlier in the year. A few corrections and tweaks here and there and several minutes later, I was pulling beautiful, soft and chewy sugar cookies out of the oven! They cooled while I threw together a simple glaze (an optional step for sure) and then went to town, drizzling away! One dozen stayed classy, and the other dozen looked a little bananas because my kids got ahold of the sprinkles. But both were fantastic and they completely hit the spot. When you haven’t had a proper cookie in a while, it makes it taste even better, methinks.

I put a lot of details into the recipe card, so take care when reading it through so you don’t miss any steps. The almond extract is optional (but delicious) and take note of the 325 bake time. Keep in mind every oven is different, so my bake time may vary slightly from your bake time. That’s why I gave you a bake time as well cookie characteristics to look for before removing them from the oven. Not hard, just something you might want to pay attention to 🙂

Happy baking, friends!

Hot Pot Sugar Cookies

No bowls needed for this sugar cookie recipe! You're just one small pot away from the chewiest, sweetest and most amazing sugar cookies EVER!

Ingredients

3/4 cup salted butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring optional

Instructions

Melt butter in medium-sized pot. Remove from heat. Stir in granulated sugar until well combined.

Add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until lighter in color.

Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir well to ensure a smooth, well stirred batter.

Preheat oven to 325.

Let batter it sit 10 minutes or so to let the flour soak into the rest of the batter. (The batter should be warm and obviously sticky. As it sits and cools, the batter will thicken to a more obvious dough. This is when you would scoop the dough into cookies.)

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop cookie dough onto prepared pans, using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop.

Bake 8-9 minutes, rotating sheets half way through baking. When you pull your cookies out of the oven, they will looked cooked around the edges and undercooked in the center.

Leave the cookies on the hot baking pans for 5-7 minutes or until you can remove them without falling apart. Place onto cooling racks and cool to room temperature before glazing.

For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar together with milk and vanilla until thick glaze forms. Should be the consistency of white school glue; add the milk in slowly! Add in food coloring if desired and then drizzle over cookies. 

Best eaten in the first 24 hours after baking; store in air tight containers.

Recipe Notes

As the cookie dough rests and cools, the flour will get absorbed. If you let it sit too long, your cookies may not flatten as much as mine did. No problem! Gently flatten the tops of your dough balls before baking.

If you notice your cookies are too buttery or too flat, you may need to let your dough cool longer OR add a touch more flour to help with the structure of the cookie.

Source: https://laurenslatest.com/hot-pot-sugar-cookies/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

everything bagel mac and cheese

Ok, as long as no one we know gets surprised engaged and decides to surprise go to Hawaii and get married at the last minute, we are done going to weddings for a few good months, which I’m kind of sad about because the Rent the Runway dresses I’ve been finding have been off the hook. And I love a good dance party. And the far off destinations that we get to go to. This past weekend we were right on the Idaho/Wyoming border for an Eggcousin wedding at a ranch that made me want to go back and watch Hey Dude reruns. (Was that a good show? Or just an obstacle on the way to Bug Juice and Double Dare? Will we ever know?)

It was my first time in Wyoming and I gasped when I saw the scenery. Mountains are so good. On our first night we stayed at the adorable Anvil Hotel in Jackson and had a delicious and inspiring crispy honey chicken with creamed corn at Glorietta. I pretty much never order chicken at a restaurant unless it’s schnitzeled but our server said get the chicken so we got the chicken and it was one of the best decisions we’ve made at a restaurant all year. The next morning we hiked up Snow King mountain, ate an apple and peanut butter at the top, and then came down and drove across a Teton to the ranch in Idaho for the wedding. Wowee zowee, it was beautiful. We rode horses, saw a bunch of wildflowers, sat around a campfire, and Eggboy played music for the ceremony!! It was the best. 

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Now we’re back, just in time for National Macaroni and Cheese Day!!!! Which is the only food holiday besides donut day that I take seriously for now. It’s on Saturday. And I know, it’s kind of dumb to have it fall in the middle of summer when we should be taking advantage of fresh summer vegetables, but I don’t make the rules. So here is a recipe that I’ve been making in my low key mission to everything bagel (v.) all of the things. It was partly inspired by Alex and Sonja’s Everything Bagel Pasta, which looks sooo good. And the things that make this mac bagel-y are: 

-Cream cheese in the cheese sauce, which adds a delicious tang 

-Chives, because chive cream cheese is the best cream cheese

-Just a tiny bit of barley malt syrup, a sweet sticky substance that’s a key ingredient in making bagels taste bagel-y 

-Tons of everything bagel seasoning on top. It seems like a lot when you’re making it but it gets all crunchy in the oven and adds perfect texture. (I’ve included measurements below to make your own seasoning but you can certainly use store bought. If you use storebought: sprinkle it on to taste because some of them, like the one from Trader Joe’s, are extreeeeemely salty.)

-And if you’re feeling extra, sub out the panko breadcrumbs for bagel crumbs!

-And for bonus points: add hot dogs or veggie dogs and then it’s bagel dog mac and cheese.

…And there is no bagel-driven reason for the ketchup. I just like it.

Everything Bagel Mac and Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 lb (226g) pasta, I prefer rigatoni Olive oil 1/4 c (68g) unsalted butter 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped Kosher salt 1/4 c (33g) all-purpose flour 2 1/2 c (590g) whole milk 4 oz (113g) cream cheese 4 oz (113g) white cheddar or gruyere or a mix of both, shredded 1 oz (28g) parmesan, shredded 1 1/2 tsp barley malt syrup, optional Crushed red Black pepper 1/2 c chopped chives or scallions Bonus points: 2 cut up cooked hot dogs or veggie dogs

Topping

3/4 c (75g) panko breadcrumbs 1 tb unsalted butter, melted 1 tb each: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced garlic, dried minced onion A few pinches of Kosher salt

Ketchup, for serving  

Clues

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Prepare the pasta according to the directions on the box, cooking for one minute less than directed. Drain, toss with a drizzle of olive oil, and set aside. 

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium high. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until soft, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of the milk and cook, whisking continuously, until thickened, and then repeat with another cup, and then the remaining 1/2 cup. Add the cheese and stir until melted, and then add the barley malt syrup (if using), a few pinches of crushed red pepper, a few turns of black pepper, and salt to taste. Stir in the pasta, chives, and hot dogs, if using. Transfer to an 8” baking dish or a dish that’s a similar size. In a medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and melted butter and then distribute it over the top of the mac and cheese. Combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, dried minced garlic, and salt in that same medium bowl and sprinkle it liberally over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool slightly and then serve with ketchup.  

P.S. I have a few fun appearances on Food Network this weekend!! 

On Saturday at 11am eastern I will be making peanut butter cake on one of my favorite shows, The Kitchen!!!!

👆🏼👆🏼Feeling very at home in the presence of Jeff Mauro and his great Chicago accent.

And on Sunday at 9pm eastern I will be a guest judge on Food Network Star!

Bobby and Giada were soo nice!!!! 

And on Sunday at 11am eastern on Girl Meets Farm, we will be celebrating Eggsister's baby shower!!! There will be donuts!! And ~walking tacos~! 

Source: http://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2018/7/everything-bagel-mac-and-cheese

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Stone Bowl BiBimBap

Hi! Dolsot Bibimbap is one of the most popular Korean foods among visitors to Korea. Today I will show you how to make this delicious food at home. This is my updated version of bibimbap recipe that I posted years ago. I had to delete my original bibimbap video on Youtube. To make the bibimbap video again, this time I made it even better by adding some other ingredients and show you how to make stow bowl bibimbap in details. I hope you like my upgraded version of bibimbap. 🙂

Yield: 2-3 Servings

Short Korean Lesson

Dol (돌) = Stone

Cheol (철) = Metal

Video Instructions

Main Ingredients:

Fernbrake Side Ingredients:

2 Cups Soaked Fernbrake

½ Cup Onion

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tsp Garlic, Minced

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Sesame Oil

Beef Ingredients:

Sauce Ingredients

Directions

In my opinion, bibimbap is all about good sauce. Whatever vegetables and other sides you put in your bibimbap, the sauce makes your bibimbap taste good. To make good bibimbap sauce, mix 3 Tbsp of hot pepper paste, ¼ tsp of soy sauce, ¾ tsp vinegar, 1 tsp of sugar, ½ tsp sesame oil, ¾ tsp of sesame seeds and ½ tsp of minced garlic. If the sauce is too thick, add about 1 Tbsp of water.

Next, let’s marinate the ground beef. In a bowl, mix ½ cup of ground beef, 1 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of cooking wine (optional), 1 tsp of sesame oil, ½ tsp of minced garlic, 2 pinches of salt, and 2 pinches black pepper all together.

Set it aside while you prepare the other ingredients. You can substitute the beef with mushrooms or firm tofu.

We call fernbrake ‘gosari’ in Korea. If you buy dried gosari, soak a handful in water overnight. If it is still not soft the next day, then boil it in water until it becomes soft.

We need 2 cups of softened gosari. Ready to use gosari can also be found in Korean grocery stores.

Cut the gosari into 3-inch long pieces, you can also slice up ½ cup of an onion to add to it.

In a pre-heated pan, add the gosari, onion, 1 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tsp olive oil, and 1 tsp of minced garlic. Fry it for 10 minutes on medium-high. Then, the sogari namul is done.

Along with the gosari namul, I will also use about 1 cup each of musaengchae (korean radish side) and sigeumchi namul (Korean spinach side),

bokkeum kimchi (fried kimchi) (or chopped fresh kimchi), and kongnamul muchim (Korean soy bean sprout side) for today’s bibimbap recipe. These are typical ingredients that can normally be found in bibimbap, but seriously there is no rule for it, so you can grab whatever Korean sides or vegetables you have on hand for your bibimbap.

Now, let’s prepare some vegetable ingredients for better color, flavor, and nutrition. You can pick your favorite vegetables, but these are the common vegetables we use for bibimbap in Korea.

I will chop ½ cup worth of onion, ⅓ cup worth of carrot, ⅓ cup worth of zucchini, and ¼ cup worth of green onion into 2-inch long thin strips. The similar size of the vegetables makes your bibimbap look more neater when you assemble the dish.

Wipe a heated pan with an oiled paper towel to slightly grease the pan. Fry the onion with 1 pinch of salt for 3 minutes on medium-high.

After 3 minutes, remove the onion from the pan and do the same thing for the green onion. Fry it for 1 minute. The next one is zucchini for 2 minutes.

Fry the carrot with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. I fried all the vegetables separately for a better appearance. However, many times, I just fry all the vegetables together at once in the same pan. For example, I start to fry the onion, then add carrot and zucchini, then add the green onion, and so on, based upon the cooking time of each vegetable.

Finally, fry the marinated beef for about 3 minutes on meidum-high.

We are getting closer to the end of the preparations. Cut about ½ cup worth of roasted dried laver into thin 2-inch strips with scissors.

Some people add the eggs raw, but if you want them cooked, fry them now. So, all the ingredients for bibimbap are ready now. Now, it is time for the fun.

To make deliciously crispy rice on the bottom of your stone bowl, as you get in a Korean restaurant. 😉 Drizzle 1 Tbsp of sesame oil on the bottom surface of your stone bowl for bibimbap. Swill it around your bowl so that the oil will be spread out evenly on the bottom. Make sure to get the oil about 2 inches off the bottom.

Put about 1¼ cups of freshly cooked short grain rice in the bowl and spread it on the bottom. I press down gently on the rice so that it cooks better with the sesame oil and becomes crispy golden brown later.

On top of the rice, put some of each ingredient that we prepared earlier.

It already looks very colorful and tasty.

Put your fried egg in the center of the bowl.

Place your stone bowl on your stove top and start to cook it on high. Depending on your stove temperature, the time can be slightly different, but it should be done in 5-6 minutes. When it is almost done cooking, you will hear this sizzling sound from the bottom of your bowl. That means your rice is getting crispy.

After 5 minutes, steam will come out of the bowl with a crazy amazing smell. Put your desired amount of bibimbap sauce in your bowl.

Mix everything with the sauce and eat. Please be careful not to burn your mouth. It is hot. When I mix it, I carefully leave a thin layer of rice at the bottom of the bowl undisturbed so that it continues cooking to get crispy. If you mix it into your bibimbap, you will not get much, if any, crispy rice.

  Please try my bibimbap recipe and share your story with us. 🙂

Source: http://aeriskitchen.com/2019/02/bibimbap-비빔밥/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

My Favorite Sleep Supplement

I wrote last week about the daily supplements I take and this week, I’m talking about my favorite sleep supplement.

I literally cannot sleep without this ever since I started taking it.

I know what you’re thinking, “it’s ’cause you’re addicted to it.”

No, quite the opposite.

I have slept with and without it but I find that my sleep is significantly better when I do take this before bed.

Just a note: it is 100% natural and non-habit forming.

What is it?

It’s called Restful Sleep by OLLY Nutrition.

It’s a gummy botanical blend that you take 30 minutes before bed.

It has a combination of melatonin, L-Theanine, and botanicals (passionflower, lemon balm, chamomile).

In my research for natural ways to cope with my anxiety, L-Theanine, passionflower, and lemon balm were all supplements that helped ease the mind and give you a calming effect.

And we all know chamomile calms you down because it’s in a lot of teas you drink before bed.

The one thing I have never taken before is melatonin.

I don’t know why I never did because there have been so many instances in my travels that could have been helped by just taking melatonin.

All three of these ingredients combined in this gummy have made a WORLD of difference in my sleep.

How does it help your sleep?

Well, first of all, like the bottle says, my sleep is restful.

I sleep through the night and I don’t wake up (unless I have to pee because I drank too much water, haha) at all. It’s incredible.

Second, it helps me wind down every night. I take it 30 minutes before bed; usually before I shower and before I brush my teeth and do my skincare routine. Basically before my nightly routine.

By the end of all that, I’m significantly more sleepy. I definitely notice it.

I crawl into bed and I can fall asleep almost instantaneously.

Sometimes I read a bit of my book but most nights, once my head hits the pillow, I’m out like a light.

It’s funny because Jason typically lays in bed with me and Winston and many nights I won’t even know he has left the room until the next morning because I have fallen asleep haha

Does the melatonin give you weird side effects or make you feel groggy in the morning?

Okay, so me personally, I don’t have any side effects of melatonin nor do I feel groggy in the morning.

I feel fully well-rested.

Additionally, I know melatonin reacts differently in others.

Some people get energized when they take melatonin, so if this is you, this supplement is probably not for you.

If you don’t know, well, there’s one way to find out, haha

What does the gummy taste and smell like?

Omg, SO GOOD. They call the flavor “blackberry zen” and it smells like blueberries and blackberries.

I will warn you, the first time you open the bottle and stick your nose in won’t be super pleasant because it’s like a giant whiff of 50-100 gummies, haha

This sounds amazing. Where can I get a bottle?

You can get it on their website, Amazon (although, they’re constantly out of stock now and the third party sellers rip you off), or you can go to your local Target and pick up a bottle (they have 50-ct and 70-ct!)

I have my friend order me the 10-ct gummy jar from Sam’s Club because I use it nightly.

Posted on September 12, 2018

sleep, supplements

Source: https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/my-favorite-sleep-supplement/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Purple Yam’s Chicken Adobo

Today’s 5 star secret recipe comes from the Purple Yam in Brooklyn, New York.  This creative Pan-Asian spot best known for its takes on rarely encountered traditional Filipino fare.  Chicken adobo is the national dish of the Philippines.  Braised in vinegar until pungent and rich, sweet and sour and salty at once, then sometimes crisped at the edges in high heat, and always served with the remaining sauce.

Enjoy!

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Purple Yam Chicken Adobo

1  cup coconut milk ¼ cup soy sauce 1½ cup rice vinegar 12  garlic cloves, peeled 3  whole bird’s-eye chilies or other fiery chili 3  bay leaves 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 3 to 4  pounds chicken thighs

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Place chicken and marinade in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, around 30 minutes.

Heat broiler. Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl, raise heat under the pot to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it achieves almost the consistency of cream, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chilies.

Place chicken pieces on a roasting pan and place under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Remove, turn chicken, baste with sauce and repeat, 3 to 5 minutes more. Return chicken to sauce and cook for a few minutes more, then place on a platter and drizzle heavily with sauce.

Source: NY Times

Until Next Time… Be Well!

Kind Regards,

Ron

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Source: https://www.recipesecrets.net/blog/recipes/purple-yams-chicken-adobo/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Vegan Des Moines: Options in Iowa’s capital

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Vegan Des Moines round-up including Brightside Kitchen, Zombie Burger, Ice Cream El Michoacano, Open Sesame, and vegan donuts at Whole Foods.

In recent years Des Moines has really stepped up its game where vegans are concerned!

It used to be that when I was visiting my hometown, it was a strain finding exciting vegan-friendly options. But nowadays, the choices are plentiful and growing.

Today I’m highlighting some of the vegan Des Moines options at restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores.

Brightside Kitchen

Brightside Kitchen is a vegan establishment owned by Deanne & Steve Bryce. It’s tucked away inside of Mercy’s Health & Fitness Center in Clive, Iowa.

They serve plant-based fare for breakfasts & lunches throughout the week. You can check them out Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 am and 2 pm. They also serve brunch on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The eatery focuses on whole foods, plant-based cuisine. Order at the counter and then you can eat it at one of the handful of tables or take it to go.

They offer smoothies, soup, salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a bowl of the day that changes throughout the week.

On one visit, I ordered the special – a Mexican-inspired bowl. It was made with seasoned lentils, roasted vegetables, and a fresh green salad.

It was popping with flavor and incredibly fresh. There was enough left over for lunch the next day.

(I enjoyed it so much, I made my own vegan burrito bowl inspired by it when I got home!)

I also had one of their signature BBQ sporc sandwiches at an Iowa Farm Sanctuary event. It’s pictured at the top of this post.

In addition to making some delicious lunches & brunches, Brightside Kitchen offers vegan cooking classes & catering.

Zombie Burger

Zombie Burger is a Des Moines favorite amongst vegans & non-vegans alike.

They have locations in the East Village of downtown Des Moines, as well as locations in Jordan Creek, and the Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

(You can read about the Coralville location in my vegan Iowa City post.)

One note about the East Village location – it does get busy. So if you’re going during a popular mealtime, prepare for a wait.

My favorite thing to order is the Undead Glenn, which is the Beyond Burger topped with shredded lettuce, pickles, and vegan zombie sauce. (My husband orders this one with a double patty, like a vegan Big Mac.)

The zombie sauce is similar to a spicy Thousand Island dressing with sriracha instead of ketchup.

I’ve also heard high marks for the Lucile, which is the Beyond Burger topped with caramelized onions, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, guacamole, and vegan chipotle mayo.

Zombie Burger really gets the Beyond Burger preparation right – crispy around the edges and meaty on the inside. Plus, the bun is nice and fresh. The downtown location also offers vegan cheese for an extra charge.

Order the burgers with a side of regular or sweet potato fries. Just make sure to get them without any non-vegan dressing.

Ice Cream El Michoacano

Ice Cream El Michoacano is a casual, order-at-the-counter restaurant on Merle Hay Road. There are tables for dining in at the restaurant. Or food can be made to go.

It’s a non-vegan restaurant. However, everything at Ice Cream El Michoacano can be made vegan. That includes flautas, sopes, empanadas, burritos, tacos, and velvety refried beans.

They have soy-based vegan meat, as well as vegan cheese that I’ve heard is Follow Your Heart.

You can ask at the counter for a vegan menu, or look on their website. 

Vegan sopes are made with a layer of masa dough that’s been fried into a cup. It’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They are topped with a soy-based meat, beans, lettuce, and vegan cheese.

A super delicious & decadent option!

Vegan flautas are filled with mild potatoes. The fried tortillas are topped with non-dairy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado. They are served with a fried jalapeño on the side. 

Vegan refried beans are topped with non-dairy cheese and guacamole.

They said that typically they serve a thin avocado sauce as their guacamole. But if you want a chunky guacamole, just ask for the thick style.

The guacamole has lots of bright lime flavors and tastes very fresh. The refried beans are beautifully smooth.

Of course, you can also get tacos. They offer a variety of sauces & styles. My husband is especially a fan of their pineapple salsa. 

Since “ice cream” is in the name, you may be wondering if they have vegan ice cream as well. It’s my understanding that they offer mango chile & lime non-dairy flavors. Although, I haven’t spent a lot of time exploring the ice cream case.

Vegan donuts at West Des Moines Whole Foods

Vegan donuts are a unicorn in Iowa – nearly impossible to come by. While other nearby states like Nebraska, Illinois, and Minnesota have vegan donuts fairly readily available, Iowa isn’t so lucky.

(Although, there is a donut shop in Cedar Falls & Waterloo that has rotating vegan options. I haven’t made it there yet to try them!)

But before you get in the car and start driving for hours to cure your donut cravings, visit Whole Foods in West Des Moines instead.

They are now selling vegan donuts in their bakery. You can buy them individually. Or they sell them in packages of six for $10.99.

FYI: These are not yeast-raised donuts. You won’t find a puffy glazed donut or cream filled vegan long john here. They are cake donuts. I’m typically not a cake donut fan. But for cake donuts, these are quite good & very fresh.

While you are at Whole Foods, pick up desserts from Chicago Diner in their bakery case, Beyond Meat sausages, and Miyoko’s cheese.

Open Sesame

Open Sesame Lebanese café is a located in the Des Moines East Village. It’s a small space, but decorated in such a way that feels like a special, hidden gem.

The vegan options are not marked on the menu. However, when we were there, the staff had no problem pointing us to vegan dishes and/or telling us how to modify non-vegan offerings.

I had the vegetarian sampler plate with hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, tabouli, and dolmas. It is vegan by default.

Everything was excellent, even the tabouli, which I don’t typically like. (I’m not a big parsley fan.) However, the tabouli had a perfect hit of lemon to balance the bitterness of the parsley.

They’re open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11-2, and for dinner from 5:30-9. They are closed Sunday & Monday.

Gusto Pizza Company

Gusto Pizza Company is a non-vegan pizza shop with lots of vegan topping options.

They have four locations – one on Ingersoll Avenue, two in West Des Moines, and one in Johnston. But I’ve only personally visited the Ingersoll location.

Gusto is a great place to go with a group, because there are plenty of long tables. And the menu is huge – meaning everyone can get exactly what they want.

Gusto uses Daiya cutting board shreds for their vegan pizzas. Regular Daiya isn’t my favorite. So I was really impressed by the big improvement of the mozzarella cutting board shreds on their dairy-free pies.

Their vegan topping options include: roma tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, kalamata olives, a variety of peppers, onions (red, green & yellow), Giardiniera relish, green olive relish, diced apples, capers, pineapple, black bean corn salsa, butternut squash, and artichokes.

5 Borough Bagels

One of my favorite low cost things to do whenever I’m visiting New York City is to walk into almost any random bagel shop and get a vegan bagel.

In places like Iowa, vegan bagel toppings are usually limited to peanut butter or hummus. But in New York City, non-dairy bagel spreads abound with fillings like olives and mixed vegetables in their vegan cream cheese.

When I’m in the city, I’ll pick up a toasted bagel, filled to the max, and walk to Central Park to sit on a rock and tuck into breakfast.

Now that experience can be repeated at 5 Borough Bagels in Clive. (Sorry. Central Park not included.)

When owners, Sarah & Toney Chem, moved to Iowa from NYC, they decided to take a doughy piece of the Big Apple with them.

They have two vegan filling offerings – spinach artichoke and cinnamon walnut. Both fillings are tofu-based and taste homemade.

The spinach artichoke spread reminds me of Kristy’s tofu chèvre with a definite taste of tofu and highlights of spinach and artichoke. The cinnamon walnut has big chunks of walnuts and some sweetness to make it more of a dessert-style filling.

They don’t skimp on the spread, which I appreciate. It pushes the bagel into meal category. They can be topped with additional vegetable slices as well.

Toney suggested adding cucumber, tomato, and spinach to my spinach & artichoke spread on an everything bagel. You know how I love a good bagel sandwich. This was perfection.

David opted for the cinnamon walnut spread on a sesame seed bagel, which he also enjoyed. The bagels were fresh and chewy, just like you want.

With the exception of the chocolate chip bagels and cheese bagels, the rest of the bagel options are vegan.

Toney checked with their bagel baker, and she confirmed that the seeded bagels do not include an egg wash. The seeds are applied right after the bagels are boiled.

They also have three types of non-dairy milk available for coffee drinks. Soy, almond, and coconut milk are on the menu. My husband ordered a black coffee, and I went with a soy latte. Both were full-bodied and delicious.

Des Moines Farmers Market

The downtown farmers market runs from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October.

It has a festive, fair-like atmosphere with food vendors, locally grown produce, live music, arts and crafts. It’s a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy the summer vibes.

Grab a smoothie, juice, or raw tacos at the Fresh Café & Market tent at the corner of 3rd & Court Avenue.

Malo

Malo is a Latin restaurant in downtown Des Moines with a nice outdoor patio and a few menu items that are vegan upon request – including a portobello taco & crispy onion and avocado taco. 

The onion & avocado taco is vegan by default. It comes with fresh avocado, chipotle crema made with cashews, pico de gallo, and crispy onions like you might find on green beans at Thanksgiving.

The Portobello taco is vegan by request. (Just ask them to leave off the queso fresco.) It’s topped with guacamole and salsa roja. The Portobello mushrooms are marinated in a spicy chili sauce.

All of the tacos can be served on corn or flour tortillas.

I was prepared to have the avocado tacos be my far and away favorite, but the Portobello mushroom tacos came in for a surprising win. They had a good spicy kick to them and a well-rounded flavor.

Cool Basil

For more of a sit-down restaurant vibe, Cool Basil in Clive is a great option.

While this Thai restaurant isn’t entirely vegan, they’re happy to prepare dishes without fish sauce, oyster sauce, and eggs when possible. You just have to ask.

Plus, when you get your receipt at the end of the meal, the words “no fish sauce, no oyster sauce” are printed right on it.  That gives some assurance that the message got through to the back of the house.

They don’t offer seitan.  However, tofu is available or they can replace meat with extra vegetables.

I like to get something different every time I go, as there are plenty of vegan-izable options to go around to vary your order.

Fong’s Pizza

Fong’s Pizza has a few locations – downtown Des Moines, Drake area, Ankeny, and Cedar Rapids. It is a quirky, divey restaurant, specializing in unusual pizzas.

They have one listed vegan pizza on the menu, or you have the option of building your own.  The white crust is vegan, but the whole wheat isn’t since it contains honey.

They offer Daiya for vegan cheese. Or you can go cheeseless, as is my preference. For the base, you can go with marinara or olive oil.

When we were there, we ordered one half and half pizza. Mushrooms, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions on one side. On the other, sauerkraut and potatoes.

The potatoes taste like they are simply blanched and sliced, as opposed to being browned on the stove or seasoned in any way. The pizza was pretty bland.

But if you happen to be in Des Moines, the atmosphere is fun. And they have late hours, which is nice.

Another pizza option in downtown Des Moines is Blaze Pizza. They also have vegan cheese on the menu, and they cook them in a brick oven. Although it is a fast food-style pizza experience, I actually prefer the flavor of Blaze Pizza over Fong’s. Read all about Blaze Pizza in this post on vegan fast food.

Centro

For a sit-down option, Centro in downtown Des Moines has some vegan options.

Tofu gnocchi is on both the dinner and weekend brunch menus. The dish includes lots of vegetables in a coating of garlicky olive oil.

When I had this dish, I found it to be inoffensive but dull. It reminded me of something you might get a hotel restaurant, where they’re feeding a lot of guests from around the globe and don’t want to be too daring with flavor.

Although I almost never use one in a restaurant, I was glad there was a salt shaker on the table to add something. I’ve heard that asking for marinara sauce instead makes for a more tempting dish.

Centro has pizzas on offer, which can be ordered without cheese. David went that route and ordered a tomato, basil, and mushroom pizza. He also got a small salad on the side.

He liked the wood-fired flavor of the crust, but didn’t think it would be a pizza he’d go out of his way to get again.

Centro offers brunch on the weekend. And it’s one of the few places in town that has a tofu scramble. It’s served with potatoes & fruit.

Des Fresh Foods

Des Fresh Foods is a vegan food truck in Des Moines.

The menu & location changes, of course, but has included things like a chick sandwich, mac and cheese bites, summer squash tacos, street corn, and lotus cookie.

I recommend going early, as when I went it was near the end of the night. And they were running out of food.

Check out their Instagram or Facebook page to see where they are and what’s on offer.

Other vegan Des Moines resources & news:

Veg Life Des Moines

VegLife Des Moines is an awesome non-profit that hosts vegan meet-ups & potlucks, restaurant tours, and a yearly Vegan Fest.

Connect with them on their website or Facebook page to keep up with the events they are organizing throughout the year.

Dirt Burger

A new vegetarian restaurant, Dirt Burger, is slated to open on June 14, 2019 in the East Village. I’ll add details once I’ve had a chance to visit!

Originally posted June 2014. Content updated June 2019.

Source: https://cadryskitchen.com/vegan-des-moines-iowa/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil Pesto | Low Carb & Keto!

AMAZING Homemade Alfredo Sauce prepared with cream, parmesan cheese, and Basil Pesto! Low Carb, Keto-Friendly, Gluten-Free, and so, SO good!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce is very simple to make from scratch with just a few pantry ingredients. Rich, creamy, and packed with garlic, basil, and parmesan flavor, this is possibly the most flavorful Alfredo Sauce that you’ll ever have. 

HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE WITH BASIL PESTO

Served over Carrot and Zucchini Noodles, keto pizza, or as a dipping sauce, our Alfredo Sauce recipe is my all-time favorite because… BASIL PESTO. It’s not much – I only use about a tablespoon – but it makes all the difference.

You can leave it out if you want, but please don’t. The basil pesto adds a certain zing to the entire sauce, and once you taste it, I don’t know if you’ll ever want to go without it. 

HOW TO MAKE LOW CARB ALFREDO SAUCE

Like all great recipes, this one also starts out with:

butter √

garlic √

heavy cream √

parmesan cheese √

basil pesto √

salt & pepper √

We first melt the butter in a large skillet and stir in the garlic. 

Whisk in the heavy cream and cook for 5 minutes, until thickened.

Next, whisk in the parmesan cheese, then the basil pesto. Cook over low heat until smooth and creamy.

Add salt and pepper; taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. If sauce is too thick for your liking, thin it out by adding a tablespoon of water or more cream. To thicken it, add a bit more parmesan cheese. 

Pour over your favorite food and serve.

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE

Let sauce cool down completely.

Store in an airtight container or jar with a lid. 

Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

Please keep in mind that cream and cheese-based sauces do thicken as they stand; to thin out the sauce, whisk in a bit of cream or water to reach desired consistency. 

You can also freeze Alfredo Sauce:

Store in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To prevent from curdling, stir well when reheating the frozen Alfredo Sauce.

This sauce is quick and easy to make, taking a total time of 10 minutes and made with ingredients you already have on hand.

If you couldn’t tell by now, I am a all about homemade sauces:

and so on…

Basically, I buy sauces from the store only if my time is limited. Homemade just tastes better, but most importantly, you have full control over the ingredients. 

ENJOY!

TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil Pesto

AMAZING Homemade Alfredo Sauce prepared with cream, parmesan cheese, and Basil Pesto!

Course: Condiments, Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: alfredo sauce, basil pesto, heavy cream, homemade sauce, keto recipes, keto side dishes, low carb recipe, parmesan cheese, pesto pasta recipe

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 202 kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Heavy Cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon (or to taste) basil pesto

salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds, or until fragrant.

Whisk in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer; continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce is reduced and begins to thicken.

Set heat to LOW and whisk in the parmesan cheese.

Whisk in the basil pesto and continue to cook over low heat until smooth and creamy.

Season with salt and pepper; taste for seasonings and pesto, and adjust accordingly.

If sauce is too thin, add a little more parmesan cheese.

If sauce is too thick, whisk in more cream or water.

Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.

Serve right away or let completely cool and refrigerate.

Recipe Notes

WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 9

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE ALFREDO SAUCE

Let sauce cool down completely.

Store in an airtight container or jar with a lid. 

Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. 

HOW TO FREEZE

Store in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Basil Pesto

Amount Per Serving (2 tablespoons)

Calories 202 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 12g 60%

Cholesterol 70mg 23%

Sodium 142mg 6%

Potassium 47mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 2g 1%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 0g

Protein 3g 6%

Vitamin A 15.8%

Vitamin C 0.9%

Calcium 10.4%

Iron 0.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Source: https://diethood.com/homemade-alfredo-sauce/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Rolled Egg Kimbap

It’s April, but it is still chilly here when the wind blows. I will go on a picnic with this kimbap with my family when the weather gets nicer. I hope everybody is doing great. Instead of using multiple strips of ingredients, just make a rolled egg with some chopped up ingredients inside. (Video intro: Picnic season is getting closer, so today, I will share a unique and delicious kimbap recipe using a rolled egg called dalgyalmali kimbap.)

Yield: 2 Rolls

Short Korean Lesson

HuiMang (희망) = Hope

SoMang (소망) = Hope

Video Instructions

Main Ingredients:

3 Sheets Dried Laver for Kimbap

3 Large Eggs

¼ Cup Spam

3 Tbsp Carrot

3 Tbsp Green Onion

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

3 Pinches Salt

Rice Ingredients:

2 Cups Cooked Short Grain Rice

½ Tbsp Sesame Oil

½ Tbsp Sesame Seeds

⅛ Generous tsp Salt

Directions

Compared to normal kimbap, this rolled egg kimbap needs less ingredients. You can replace the spam with crab sticks, hot dogs, or ham.

The key point for getting your rolled eggs perfectly round is to chop ¼ cup worth of spam, 3 Tbsp of green onion, and 3 Tbsp of carrot into tiny pieces. You can use a food processor to help with this.

Break 3 eggs and season them with 3 pinches of salt. Whisk them gently.

Add all the chopped ingredients into the egg. Mix everything together.

Pour half of the egg mixture into a preheated 8-inch nonstick pan with 1 Tbsp of cooking oil. Spread it out evenly and fry it on medium.

Since the egg mixture has many chunks in it, it is better to roll the egg quickly before the egg starts to get cooked, or it will be difficult to get a nice shape.

After rolling up the egg, keep rolling it around to cook the whole surface evenly. It took about 3 minutes total to cook this rolled egg. The rolled egg may not be perfectly round.

So, here is how to fix it. When the rolled egg is still hot, put the rolled egg on a bamboo mat for kimbap.

Roll the egg with the bamboo mat to form it into a round shape. Set it aside for a while. Meanwhile, make another rolled egg with the remaining egg mixture.

A few minutes later, the rolled egg will be round like this.

Let’s prepare the kimbap rice. Combine 2 cups of cooked short grain rice, ½ Tbsp sesame oil, ½ Tbsp sesame seeds, and ⅛ generous tsp salt. Mix everything together. You can adjust the saltiness to your tastes.

Divide the rice mixture in half to make 2 kimbap rolls.

We need 3 sheets of this is dried laver for kimbap. Cut 1 dried sheet in half.

Wrap the rolled egg with the half sheet of dried laver.

Then, place another sheet of dried laver on a bamboo mat. Make sure that the shiny part of it goes to the bottom. Put half of the rice on the dried laver and spread it out evenly, but leave about an inch of space empty at the end.

Put the rolled egg on the rice.

Roll it up with the egg inside to make the kimbap. (You can check the video instruction to see how I did it.)

Squeeze the bamboo mat so that the kimbap will become firm.

Use the same process for the other roll of kimbap. Slice the kimbap into bite-sized pieces before serving.

You can eat the kimbap as it is, but to enjoy it even more, you can also serve it with yellow pickled radish.

Our second boy, Logan loved it very much. He finished all of it quickly and asked for more. You will see how much he enjoyed this kimbap in the video too. 🙂 Make some kimbap someday and go on a picnic with your loved ones. :).

Source: http://aeriskitchen.com/2019/04/rolled-egg-kimbap/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

savory galette

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You don’t have to be vegetarian to fall in love with this savory galette recipe. It’s made with kale and beet greens cooked with garlic and sprinkled with feta, currants and pine nuts. It is baked in a free-form whole-wheat buttermilk pastry crust. You can use a combination of kale, chard or beet greens for this recipe.

I originally shared this Savory Galette recipe on June 18th, 2015. I have updated some of the text today.

Last week during our CSA pick-up we got a big bunch of Red Russian kale, rainbow chard and tender baby beet greens as well as a bag of mixed salad greens too! This is a lot, even for a green loving freak like me. Luckily when cooked, greens are not nearly as voluminous as when they are raw, so I knew that the kale, beet greens and chard were destined for the sautee pan.

I decided to make a savory galette, which is basically like a free-form pie. Galettes are made with flaky pastry crust that is wrapped around filling either sweet or savory. This one, loaded up with sauteed greens is decidedly savory (with a touch of sweetness from dried currants.)

How to Make Galette Crust

I made the crust with white whole-wheat flour with a tiny bit of cornmeal added for texture.

I barely cut in the butter, and used a technique called frisage to make the crust flakier. Don’t run away, frisage is no Big Thang! Frisage means smearing the butter into the dough to create little sheets of butter though the dough. When it bakes, the butter melts, creates steam and makes the crust crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside. It’s like cheater croissant dough. Sort of.

I also added in a tiny bit of baking powder to lighten this dough up slightly.

How to Make Savory Galette Filling

You can use any combination of greens you want to make this savory galette filling. I like the balance of earthy beet greens with the slightly bitter kale greens. But if you prefer you can use all kale or even spinach. 

The greens are cooked with garlic to wilt them down and to mellow the flavor of the garlic. You want to make sure they are not too wet. So they’ll need to be stirred pretty much continually while in the saute pan.

I love greens with dried fruit, so I added currants to this filling. I think you’ll be surprised by how the flavors go well together. If you are unable to find currants, sub in golden raisins. 

I also added in some pine nuts for added flavor and richness. If you prefer another nut, add those in, but chop them first.

I didn’t want it to seem eggy or like a quiche, so I only added in one egg to kind of hold it together, and then a touch more buttermilk for moisture. It set up really nicely after it was baked and sliced easily.

What To Serve With Savory Galette

This savory galette pairs well with dry hard cider. My favorite is Wit’s Up by Citizen Cider which is made here in Vermont. It is sugar free, so it is dry as a bone. I’d love to hear about the artisanal ciders in your area.

For a simple vegetarian supper pair this with Carrot Ginger Soup. 

For a festive holiday brunch, this makes a lovely vegetarian main course, but can be served with spiral cut ham and horseradish potato salad. 

You can also serve this with maple glazed carrots.

And for dessert, keep things simple and make one bowl brownies. 

For more on kale, be sure to check out this Ultimate Guide to Kale!

QUESTIONS:

What have you been making with all of the greens lately?

Have you heard of frisage before?

Have you made a savory galette before?

Thank you for reading. If you make this recipe please come back and let me know by leaving a star rating and review. If you’re new here you may want to sign up for my email list.

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Description

A savory vegetarian galette made with kale and beet greens cooked with garlic and sprinkled with feta, currants and pine nuts. It is baked in a free-form whole-wheat buttermilk pastry crust. You can use a combination of kale and beet greens for this recipe or add in chard or spinach if you prefer.

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Crust

¾ cup white whole-wheat flour

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal, preferably stone ground

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

4 to 5 Tablespoons cold buttermilk

Filling

2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

8 cups chopped washed cooking greens, such as kale, chard and beet greens

1 egg, separated

3 tablespoons buttermilk

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tablespoons dried currants

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper, preferably white pepper

pinch nutmeg

1 tablespoon pine nuts

Instructions

Make Crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add cubes of butter and toss to coat with the flour. Rub butter together with the flour mixture to work it into the flour mixture slightly, leaving some large chunks remaining. Add buttermilk and toss with a fork to combine. Work with hands to bring the flour mixture together as a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Work the butter chunks into the dough by smearing the dough away from you on the work surface two or three times. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 40 minutes.

Make Filling: While dough chills, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant and just starting to brown, 20 to 30 seconds. Add greens and cook, stirring constantly until the greens are wilted and just barely cooked down, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the greens into a large heat-proof bowl to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat egg white and buttermilk in a small dish and add to cooled greens. Add feta, currants, salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir to coat the greens completely.

Assemble and Bake Galette: Lay a wide sheet of parchment on work surface. Unwrap the dough and setin the middle of the parchment. Top with another sheet of parchment. Roll dough out to ¼-inch thick round about 11 to 12-inches wide. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Peel away top layer parchment. Spread the greens out in the center of the dough, leaving a 2 to 3-inch border. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Fold the edges of the dough around the filling, using a spatula to lift. Brush the egg yolk over the crust.

Bake the galette until the crust is golden and set up, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 galette

Calories: 336

Sugar: 8 g

Sodium: 531 mg

Fat: 19 g

Saturated Fat: 9 g

Carbohydrates: 33 g

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 12 g

Keywords: galette,savory,beet greens,kale,vegetarian,holiday,easter,christmas,brunch,feta,pine nuts

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Source: https://www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com/kale-and-beet-green-galette-with-feta/

[turkeyfeet8-blog]

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Crisp melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free pecan shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate. Topped with powdered sugar, toasted pecans, flakey salt, these festive cookies will be the hit of your cookie platter. This recipe is made in partnership with Diamond Nuts.

Be careful – these cookies should come with a warning. I’ve cut out these pecan shortbread cookies into little two-bite coins, which makes it incredibly easy to eat a dozen in less than five minutes. And a whole batch in less than an hour. On any normal night when I eat cookies, I portion myself to keep from recklessly eating all the cookies. When there’s a holiday cookie plate involved, though, I aimlessly grab a cookie each time I walk past the table. In my opinion, that’s how holiday cookies are meant to be enjoyed. These chocolate pecan cookies are the perfect cookie for just that. Before you know it, you’ll have eaten the whole plate without even realizing.

This butter pecan shortbread recipe is the third in a year-long partnership with Diamond Nuts. All of my Diamond Nut recipes so far are great for the holidays. First I made poppy seed almond flour muffins – to make them for the holidays, sub in cranberries for the peaches or just leave the peaches out all together. Next I made smokey maple roasted rainbow carrots with walnuts and feta. And now, my true love: cookies. Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth pecan shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with more toasted pecans and flakey salt. 

The other day at the market, a man and his daughter put a box of gluten-free chocolate almond cookies on the conveyor belt in front of me. They caught my eye because, well, cookies. Making conversation, I asked if he’d bought them before and if they were good. He shrugged, “I think so. We’re buying them again, so I guess we liked them.” MEDIOCRE REVIEW AT BEST.

He took it a step further though, and before I realized what was happening, he’d ripped open the box and handed me a cookie right there in the check-out line, “now you won’t leave wondering.”

Guess what? I bought a box. He’s a hero.

I wish I could rip open a box of these homemade gluten-free chocolate pecan shortbread cookies for you to taste right now. You’d rush to the kitchen to make a full batch. They’ve got a crisp bite while still melting in your mouth. With loads of toasted pecans, they taste a lot like snowball cookies (or Mexican wedding cookies) except even better because they’re dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with more crunchy pecans.

Tips for making melt-in-your-mouth crunchy pecan shortbread cookies

Give the pecans a quick toast in the oven before adding them to the cookies will intensify their flavor and make them crunchy when baked up in the cookies .If you skip this step, the pecans won’t get crispy while they bake in the cookies, leaving a less than desirable soft texture. Toasting takes Diamond Nuts buttery smooth pecans and gives them an irresistible depth of flavor you’ll want to put on all the things.

To toast them, I take a bag of Diamond Nuts chopped or whole pecans and toast them as is. When they’re nice and toasty, chop the nuts up even more finely. Chopping the pecans up after baking will make sure any of the super fine dust pieces don’t get too toasty or burn in the oven.

My favorite time-saving tip is to toast more nuts than you need for the recipe. While I’m at it, I toast up a whole bag or two of pecans at a time and then just return whatever I don’t use to the bag for later use. This method also means I always have toasted nuts on hand for other recipes (browse other recipes for pecans here!). Perhaps most importantly, it ensures I’ll have enough pecans when I inevitably taste a handful before they go into the cookies.

  How to keep gluten-free shortbread cookies from spreading

The key to getting perfectly fluted shortbread cookies without spreading is to chill the dough before baking. I am very impatient though and hardly ever plan enough in advance to deal with long chill times, so I’ve got two shortcuts that cut that time down significantly!

Chill the dough after rolling it out. This pecan shortbread dough is not too soft and sticky. It’s firm enough to be rolled out between two sheets of parchment paper right after mixing. Slide the rolled out dough still in the parchment paper onto a baking sheet, stacking one dough oval right on top of the other. Chill the whole baking sheet. They’ll  chill much faster if they’re rolled out and the metal baking sheet helps too! 

If you’ve got space for it, chill the dough in the freezer. I have a pretty packed freezer, but I almost always chill my dough in the freezer. I just slide the baking sheet right on top of my freezer drawer of nuts. Like I said, I have no patience. Especially when I want cookies. Chilling the dough in the freezer cuts the chill time in half. 

Make your gluten-free holiday cookie plate in advance

The holiday dessert table in our house always has a cookie platter with no fewer than four types of cookies on it. That’s a big commitment! Baking four types of cookies all at once? Who has time for that? Especially when you’re probably also cooking a holiday meal. That’s where making cookies in advance and freezing them comes in handy.

You can bake these gluten-free chocolate-dipped butter pecan shortbread cookies up to a month in advance and freeze them in an airtight container until the big day. I tested the method for Thanksgiving this year and they tasted exactly the same as the day I made them! Just let them come to room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

For other cookies that are best warm from the oven, you can make, shape, and freeze the dough so all you have to do is plop them on a baking sheet and bake. To keep the cookie dough balls from sticking together, put the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for 30 minutes before putting them in a container or bag for longer-term freezing. Then just bake them straight from the freezer.

Bake-ahead gluten-free cookies

Freeze-ahead gluten-free cookie dough

Disclosure: Special thanks to Diamond Nuts for providing the ingredients for this recipe and sponsoring this post! And thanks to you for supporting the companies that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!

Crisp melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free pecan shortbread cookies dipped in dark chocolate. Topped with powdered sugar, toasted pecans, flakey salt, these festive cookies will be the hit of your cookie platter.

Ingredients

3/4 cup Diamond Nuts chopped pecans, divided

3/4 cup + 1.5 tablespoons (102g) finely ground blanched almond flour

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (68g) gluten-free oat flour

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon (48g) cornstarch

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (56 grams) powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Optional: Flakey salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 6-10 minutes until toasty and fragrant. Pour the pecans onto a cutting board to cool. Once cool, finely chop the pecans - you don't want the pecans as fine as dust/flour, but the finer they're chopped, the easier your dough will be to roll out. Measure out 1/2 cup of the finely chopped pecans to put into the cookie dough. Set the rest aside for sprinkling on top.

Whisk together the 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, almond flour, oat flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter on high until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix until smooth.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Roll the dough out between two parchment sheets into a 1/8 -1/4-inch thick oval. Place on a baking sheet and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.

Use a 2-inch round or fluted cutter to cut out cookies. Using a knife or bench scraper as needed to lift the cookies, transfer cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet, 1-2 inches apart. Repeat, rolling out the dough again as needed. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 20 minutes or in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Bake cookies, one tray at a time, on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before using a fine metal spatula to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining baking sheets.

While the cookies bake, Melt the chocolate. You can melt the chocolate in a double broiler, or do as I do and place it in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Repeat until the chocolate has completely melted.

Dust the cooled cookies with powdered sugar. Gently dip them halfway into the chocolate, tilting the cookie to get a clean chocolate line. Set the dipped cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet to set. While the chocolate is still melted, sprinkle the cookies with the remaining finely chopped toasted pecans and a few flecks of flakey salt. Let the chocolate firm up before serving (you can speed this process up with a quick chill in the fridge!

Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days on the counter or freeze the cookies for up to a month. Let come to room temperature before serving

Source: https://www.snixykitchen.com/gluten-free-chocolate-pecan-shortbread-cookies/