Recipe: Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn and Feta Cheese

I have a confession to make.

Against all odds.  Against all of my wishes and convictions and my sense of what is good and right in this world.

I have become someone who texts before dating.

(Please don't be mad.)



It just sort of...happens. 

One minute you think you're just going to be coordinating the whens and wheres and whats of your first date. 

(Which is fine.  You can so totally be okay with that.)

Then your first date is postponed because of a little something I like to call the natural-disaster-that-wasn't (at least not in Manhattan).

And then all of a sudden you're two weeks in and texting each other about what you ate for dinner.

I know.  Gross.



The bad news is...you've become one of those people.

The good news is...you can tell a lot about someone from how they respond when you say you made peppers stuffed with quinoa, corn and feta cheese.

(I am female, therefore I over-analyze.  Hear me roar.)




If they text back "veggies = yuck".  Then you know you should never respond to them again.  (You don't want to date your father.  No matter how much Oedipus tries to get under your skin and into your neurons.)

If they text back "Quin-what?"  Then you should proceed with caution.  Wear a hard hat on your first date.  Or a really strong helmet.  Or a body condom.

If they text back "wow that sounds delicious!". 

Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200.  Just do us all a favor and go on a first date with them tonight.  Mmkay?




The air reeks of promise and potential today.

Or maybe that's the smell of peppers roasting away in your oven.

Same difference?  I think so.




These weren't the recipe I was going to share this morning but after falling in love with them last night, I couldn't wait a minute longer, especially now that it's almost September and summer veggies are going to be gone before we know it.  And, well.  You need to make these before then. 

The sweet corn and roasted peppers taste so good against the tangy salty creamy feta.  And knowing that with each bite, you're ingesting some whole grain goodness to boot? Totally restores your moral fiber after all that texting.  I swear it.  

Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Corn, and Feta Cheese
Serves 4-5, adapted from Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen


Ingredients

• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup quinoa (or in my case 3/4 cup quinoa and 1/4 cup bulgur)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch of scallions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapeno chiles, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 ears worth of corn kernels (about 2 cups)
• 1 bunch spinach, leaves only
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 lb feta cheese, cut into small cubes
• 2 large red onions, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup veggie broth or white wine
• 4 peppers

Instructions

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, then the quinoa.  Give it a stir, then cover and simmer over low heat until the grains are tender and reveal their spiraled germ, about 15 minutes.
2. Warm half the oil in a wide skillet.  Add the scallions and chiles.  Cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, corn, and spinach, along with 2 tbsp water.  When the spinach is wilted, add the cilantro, quinoa, and feta and remove from heat.  Toss everything together.  Taste for salt and season with pepper.
3. Heat a tbsp of oil in a wide skillet.  When hot, add the onions and saute, stirring frequently, until they start to color around the edges, after several minutes.  Pour in the broth or wine and deglaze the pan, giving the onions a stir as you do.  Season with salt and pepper and distribute in a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers.
4. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise.  Cut out the membranes and seeds.  Simmer in salted water until tender to the touch of a knife but not overly soft, 4-5 minutes.  Remove.  Fill them with quinoa mix and set them in the baking dish.
5. Preheat oven to 400.  Bake the peppers until heated through, 20 to 30 minutes, then switch the heat to broil and brown the tops.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

I am submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Tofu Tacos with Spicy Cabbage Slaw and Avocado

How does one prepare for an impending hurricane?  By making tacos of course!  Check out my recipe for tofu (or chicken or fish) tacos with spicy cabbage slaw and avocado on Marcus Samuelsson's blog!

Recipe: Carrot Cake Pancakes

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.


You know how they say "better late than never"?

So not true for hurricanes.

So.Not.True.



What's a girl to do, then, when a hurricane is supposed to arrive by 9pm but then decides to be fashionably late and show up at 6 the following morning?

Ummm.  She snacks.

Ob.Vi.Ous.Ly.

(Especially since she's also the kind of girl who ran 12 miles the morning of the day the hurricane was supposed to hit.  And consequently has the appetite of a seriously hungry boar.  Oy.)



Thankfully, I almost always have Greek yogurt on hand for situations such as these.  It's my favorite post long run snack,  And pre-bedtime dessert.  And mayo/sour cream substitute.

I can't even tell you how much of the stuff I go through in a week.  (Though...my grocery bill can.  It's shameful.) 

But it's just so thick! and creamy! and also just happens to taste so perfectly wonderful with peanut butter swirled into it! I would almost feel bad eating so much of it...except that it's incredibly healthy to boot.  High in protein and calcium, it'll keep you full for hours and will keep your bones strong (very important for a stress fracture-prone runner like myself!).  Plus it's low in calories and fat!   

Dannon Oikos greek yogurt may be new to the Greek yogurt table, but it makes up for it's youthfulness with it's great flavor and perfect texture.

Here are some nutritional stats: Dannon® Oikos® Plain and Fruit on the Bottom contains 0% fat, while the Dannon® Oikos® traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat. Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular lowfat yogurts.  Dannon® Oikos® 0% varieties contain active yogurt cultures and range from 80 calories (Plain) to 130 calories (Fruit on the Bottom) per 5.3 oz. cup.

See what I'm saying?



Added bonus - it also tastes really good de-healthified.

Check it - carrot cake pancakes.  With maple greek yogurt icing as syrup.

(Stop the accusatory eyes!!!  We were in the middle of  waiting for a HURRICANE people!)

Desperate times.

And desperate measures.

Delicious desperate measures.

(So.Worth.It.)

--

I just want to thank all of my fabulous readers for their concerned tweets and texts and messages over the past few days.  Knowing that all of you guys were out there thinking about me kept me strong.  Thankfully, all is well here and we experienced no power outages or flooding but my thoughts are with everyone who did not fare quite as well! 

Carrot Cake Pancakes
Serves 2, adapted from Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup multigrain flour mix or whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 6 oz vanilla Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• confectioner's sugar, to taste

Instructions

1. Mix the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, sugar and carrot.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray.  Pour the mixture into the pan in 1/4 cup increments.  Heat each pancake until the surface starts to bubble, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter.
5. Mix the greek yogurt and maple syrup together.  Add some powdered sugar until it is as sweet and thick as you'd like.
6. Serve the pancakes in stacks with the yogurt sauce drizzled in-between each pancake.

I am submitting this to Meatless Mondays, hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory.

Recipe: Spelt Berries with Roasted Pepper Sauce

I need a crash course in natural disaster survival skills. 

The earthquake a few days ago?  That was a close call.

By which I mean, I thought the girl sitting behind me in lab had moved her brand new super huge Mac desktop, which would obviously cause the entire lab (and the building across the street) to shake.  (Neurons - WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE???)

You see what I mean?  How can I survive a natural disaster if I'm not even aware that it's happening?!?!?

I'm doomed.



I currently have approximately 48 hours until Hurricane Irene hits. 

And if you think I'm battening down the hatches or holding down the fort or taking any number of hurricane prep measures/learning from my mistakes. 

You'd be wrong.

I haven't bought a single ounce of bottled water.  Not one canned good.

And last night I was up until ungodly hours baking a tart.  I need something to stress eat while the world falls down around me.  Ob.Vi.Ous.Ly. 



I have, however, made exactly one good life decision in the past few days and that was to choose this recipe for spelt berries with roasted pepper sauce to celebrate Lidia Bastianich, who is next on Gourmet's list of 50 Women Game-Changers.

While it's addictive qualities can certainly be, at least in part, attributed to the vibrant flavors of fresh summer tomatoes and sweet savory roasted bell peppers, it's also just one of those dishes that revels in it's own simplicity, taking the most basic of Italian ingredients and turning them into a dish that you'll want to eat all day every day all the time.

Proving (as if Eataly and her Italian restaurant empire weren't evidence enough) that Lidia is quite the force to be reckoned with.  The kind of person who you want to have in your kitchen in such dire times as these.

Survival instincts - I've totally got 'em.

For more Lidia Bastianich today, check out these blogs:

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green  



Spelt Berries with Roasted Pepper Sauce
Serves 4 as a main dish, adapted from Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy

Ingredients

• 2 bell peppers (I used purple bell peppers that I got from my CSA)
• 4 cubanelle peppers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 lb summer tomatoes OR 35-oz San Marzano plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 lb spinach
• 1/2 lb spelt berries, wheat berries, farro, or barley (soak spelt or wheat berries the night before)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano
• 2 tbsp parsley or basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray the bell peppers with cooking spray or rub with oil.  Season with 1/2 tsp salt and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Roast for 30 minutes, turning the peppers occasionally, until their skins are wrinkled and slightly charred.  Place the peppers in a paper bag or plastic container immediately upon removing them from the oven and close tightly.  Let cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, cook the spelt berries.  Put in a heavy saucepan with 6 cups cold water, a bay leaf, and 1 tsp salt.  Bring to a boil, then set the cover ajar and adjust the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer.  Cook for an hour or until spelt is cooked through but still al dente.  Turn off the heat, pour off any liquid not absorbed by the grain and keep covered.
3. While the spelt cooks, prepare the sauce.  Peel the charred skin off the cooled peppers.  Slice them in half lengthwise, discard the stem and scrape out the seeds.  Cut the peppers into 2-inch squares and let the pieces drain and dry in a sieve.
4. Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a big skillet.  Set over medium heat.  Scatter in the sliced onion, bay leaves, garlic clove and red pepper flakes.  Cook, stirring for a couple of minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
5. Meanwhile, chop your tomatoes if using fresh and stir them into the pan.  Season with 2 tsp salt.  Bring sauce to an active simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted.
6. Toss the raisins into the simmering sauce.  Stir in the spelt .  Season with another tsp of salt, or more to taste.  Gently stir in the cut pepper pieces.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until the spelt is hot again.  Turn off the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese, and top with basil.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

I am submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Rinku of Cooking in Westchester.

Recipe: Vegan Mango Banana Muffins with Crystallized Ginger...and Wanna (Bean)Chat?

There are big decisions to be made in this world. 

Is it better to sleep with your contacts in? Or take them out after you've cut two jalapenos and still have burning fingers even though you've showered a grand total of five times and may or may not have dipped your fingers in a bowl of bleach? 

Exactly how immoral is it to "borrow" a box of rubber gloves from lab for jalapeno-cutting endeavors such as this? 

How immoral is too immoral? 



If your roommate leaves rotting (i.e. not green) bananas on top of her refrigerator for more than 48 hours, can you control the urge to curl up into fetal position and stress eat an entire container of nutella using only your index finger as a spoon at the thought of a yellow banana in your apartment? 



Or is the compulsion so strong that you really have no choice but to mash them together with sugar and flour, mix in some mango and ginger, bake at 350, and then bring them into work in order to bribe your coworkers into liking you?

Do you even realize before it's too late and they are all eaten within an hour that your roommate didn't even get to try one?!?!?  Oops. 

Your bad.



This is why sometimes decision-making by yourself is just too hard.

It's really a team effort kind of a thing.  Majority rules.

I say tomorrow morning at 10AM EST we all meet to discuss some of life's most important issues.  Jalapenos.  Bananas.  Good chocolate.  Which lab I should choose to do my PhD in.  Whether my hot pink leggings really are inappropriate for real life.

No, really, I can make that happen.  You see, I've been invited by Gevalia to host one of their BeanChats tomorrow!  So tomorrow at 10AM, if you want to talk to me LIVE and IN PERSON, all you need to do is go onto the Gevalia Facebook Fanpage and click on the little BeanChat icon on the left hand side.  We have important things to discuss (see above). 

See you there!



Mango Banana Muffins with Crystallized Ginger
Makes about 18, adapted from Joy the Baker 

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 mango, cut into chunks
• 1 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas well.  Mix in the oil, sugar, and vanilla.  Whisk to incorporate.
3. Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Use a wooden spoon to mix until all ingredients are just combined,.
4. Stir in the mango and the crystallized ginger, mixing until just combined.
5. Transfer batter to the muffin tins, only filling cups until 3/4 full.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before transferring out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool.

I am submitting this to Bake with Bizzy!

Summer Vegetable Stir Fry with Quinoa and an Opportunity From Buitoni!

In case you ever wondered how vegetarians manage to get all the protein they need, check out my Summer Vegetable Stir Fry with Quinoa over at Marcus Samuelsson's blog!

I was recently contacted by the awesome folks at Buitoni letting me know about a contest they're hosting and as soon as they did, I knew I had to let you guys in on the details.  Buitoni is the official pasta sponsor for the New York City Wine and Food Festival.  I got to go to one of the tastings at the festival last year...let's just say I should have worn stretch pants and not skinny jeans. 

Anyway, to celebrate, they are giving away two tickets to the festival as well as a trip to NYC for two, including travel and accomodations to one lucky grand prize winner!  In addition, 5 first prize winners will win a prize pack of 5 Buitoni VIP coupons!

So now I know you're asking...how is this possible and how can I make this happen for me.  For a chance to win, Twitter followers just have to tweet @Buitoni, tag #NYCWFF #BuitoniTonight and tell or show with a picture how they beautify their meal time.  (I've seen your posts...I know you all have beautifying skills.)  Anyone who does so will have a chance to win!  The contest runs from now through August 26th and winners will be announced on September 5th, so get tweeting!  You can read and link to the official rules here: http://www.buitoni.com/twitterrules.aspx.

DISCLOSURE: I was not compensated in any way for this post and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recipe: Pasta with Tomato-Peach Sauce

You know things are bad when you find me eating mozzarella sticks at 2AM. 

In a diner.  Across the street from a Doubletree Hotel.  In Tarrytown, New York.

Like.  Really bad.



You see...I don't eat mozzarella sticks.  I love them.  But I don't eat them.

I also don't eat in diners.  General rule.

It's just...I can make my own pancakes, you know?

And then there was Tarrytown.  The land that good food forgot.



The land where five slices of grilled zucchini served on top of half a cup of rice was considered a "vegetarian entree". 

And well, I know I exaggerate a lot around here.  But that's the plain and simple completely realistic unadulterated truth.  It was a sad state of affairs.

Tarrytown, for those of you not from the tri-state area, is a town in Westchester, about 40 minutes north of NYC.  Far enough to feel like the country but close enough that you expect them to know that people who don't eat meat actually do exist in this world.    We went for our MD/PhD Retreat, which is basically two days of talking about science, one night of uncontrollable drunkenness, and, apparently, four meals worth of awful food.

Unfortunately for the people at Doubletree, I've become one of those people who gets livid about being served awful food.  I ask to talk to managers and head chefs.  I throw around the phrase "food writer".  And I write blog posts about my terrible experience and then email them to whoever has the guts to take responsibility for the situation

So that is how I ended up eating mozzarella sticks.  (The beer and two glasses of wine I had on a near-empty stomach also helped.)



I could not have been happier to get home to my kitchen full of real food.

And my refrigerator full of this pasta.  You might be looking at the phrase "tomato-peach sauce" thinking that two days of near-starvation has put my taste buds out of whack.  But hear me out.  Something magical happens when you combine these two summer fruits in a baking pan and roast them until they are caramelized and richly flavored.  Especially when you mix in some cinnamon and chipotle chili powder. 

Sweet, spicy, savory bowls of carb heaven.  Vegetarian food done right.


Doubletree - take note.



Pasta with Tomato-Peach Sauce
Serves 3, adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking For Health

Ingredients

• 4 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 2 large peaches, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
• 8 oz pasta

Instructions

1. In a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking dish, stir together the tomatoes, peaches, onions, olive oil, salt, cinnamon, black pepper and chipotle chili powder.  In a 450 degree oven, roast uncovered, stirring at least twice during cooking, until the ingredients have softened and thickened, about 40 minutes.  Stir in chickpeas, tarragon and balsamic vinegar.
2. When the sauce has been roasting for about 25 minutes, bring salted water to a boil in a large pot.  Stir in pasta and cook until al dente.  Drain well.
3. Mix the pasta with the sauce.  Divide among four warm bowls and top with feta cheese.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted by Honeybunch of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch and also to Meatless Mondays hosted by Chaya of My Sweet and Savory.

Recipe: Provence on a Plate - Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Tapenade Pizza with Goat Cheese

French women don't get fat.  That's, like...a law of nature, right?

So when Patricia Wells, who is basically the queen of Provencal cooking, was next up on Gourmet's 50 Women Game-Changers in Food (which I am cooking through with a bunch of fabulous bloggers).  I had expectations.


(By which I mean, I wanted her to tell me that eating bread and cheese all day every day for the rest of my life was absolutely the way to go.

Sometimes.  I only hear what I want to hear.)



Instead, much to my disappointment and chagrin, I discovered that the real secret is that French women arrange slices of eggplant, tomatoes, tapenade, and goat cheese into neat little stacks.

Like so.

And call it dinner.

(I may or may not have cried myself to sleep at this point.  Just saying.)



No one wants stacked food on a Friday, though.

Or on a Wednesday.  After running hill repeats for an hour.

Or on a Thursday.  After standing for 9 hours in lab.

(Maybe on Saturday when you're thinking about being on a hot date with the guy you've been messaging back on forth with on "insert dating website of choice" but who has yet to make.a.move and ask you on said hot date.  Weirdo.)



Thankfully, I remembered reading on some fabulous wonderful insightful wise-beyond-their-years blog last week that any salad can be turned into a damn good pizza (I can't remember who the blogger was, so if it's you then let me know!).  And that, my friends, is my new mantra.

That is also why I can't be accepted into the French-women-never-get-fat society.

(Except maybe on Saturdays.)

You know. I think I'll survive.

--

This pizza was the perfect mix of roasted veggie heaven, briny olive-y tapenade, and salty delicious goat cheese.  All made fresh by the basil strewn on top.  Feel free to swap out eggplant for zucchini (cough Alisa and Chris cough) if it suits you or throw feta on top if you aren't a goat cheese fan!

And check out the Patricia Wells recipes some of my BFF's made!

Val - More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne - Eats Well With Others
Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden
Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Heather - girlichef
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney
Jeanette - Healthy Living
April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud
Mary - One Perfect Bite
Kathleen -Bake Away with Me
Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen
Sue - The View from Great Island
Barbara - Movable Feasts
Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds
Amy - Beloved Green 

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Tapenade Pizza with Goat Cheese
Serves 4, inspired by Patricia Wells's Salad As A Meal

Ingredients

• 1 batch of my favorite pizza dough
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds and roasted for 15 minutes at 450
• 2 tomatoes, preferably heirlooms, sliced
• about 20 basil leaves
• 4 oz tapenade
• 4 oz goat cheese (I used Mediterranean herb-infused goat cheese)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500, or as high as your oven goes.  Grease your pizza pan with a little bit of olive oil.  Roll out your pizza dough until it is large enough to cover the pan and then place it on top of the pan.  Let it rest for a minute.
2. Layer the roasted eggplant over the top of the pizza, letting slices overlap if necessary.  Layer the tomatoes on top of these.  Distribute the basil evenly around the pizza.
3. Grab some tapenade (literally...just scoop some out with your hands) and sprinkle it over the pizza, making sure it's distributed evenly.  Take your goat cheese log and do the same, crumbling it as you go.
4. Put pizza in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza starts to become light brown.  Remove pizza from the oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

I am submitting this to Meeta's Monthly Mingle, which is being hosted this month by Kulsum of Journey Kitchen!  It has also been yeastspotted. 

Food Republic and the 7 Link Challenge

In addition to being an award-winning chef, Marcus Samuelsson is also extremely active in raising awareness about world hunger.  To that end, he'll be hosting a Twitter Livechat today along with Food Republic to generate ideas as to how we, as food bloggers, can use social media to raise awareness and spur social action to help alleviate the crisis in the Horn of Africa.  To find out more, check out this post and be sure to join in today at 2pm EST by using the hashtag #FRchat.

I've also been tagged multiple times in the 7 link challenge, so I think it's time I get to it!

1. The most beautiful post: Blueberry Lime and Thyme Pound Cake Muffins


2. The most popular post: Sweet and Salty Brownies


3. The most controversial post: Michael Symon's Mom's Lasagna...and my Vendetta Against Marie Claire


4. The most helpful post: Spinach and Onion Curry Pizza on a Pumpkin Pizza Dough Crust...a How-To!


5. The post that was surprisingly successful: Vegan Avocado Pistachio Creme Brulee


6. The post that did not get the attention it deserved: Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash with Five-Spice Marshmallows


7. The post I am most proud of: Italian Rainbow Cookies


I pass this on to...ALL OF YOU.  Seriously, I can't choose.  Plus I'm late for work. Happy Thursday!

Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Raspberry-Nutella Filling and Chocolate Ganache

Skinny jeans make me crave chocolate cake.

Umm.  Weird.  Why would I say that?

(you can back away slowly now.  no sudden movements. who knows what I might do.)



OH! Ha. Not wearing skinny jeans.  No no no.  I don't do that.

Mostly because wearing skinny jeans makes me crave broccoli.

And no one wants a broccoli-craving skinny jean-wearing girl at their party.  True story.



But seeing skinny jeans. On other people.  On a whole subculture of people.  That's another story.

As soon as I stepped on the L train to take me to Williamsburg (Brooklyn) this weekend (to go to an uber fab party hosted by Gojee!), a.k.a. "the land of hipsters".  There they were.  En masse.

Men.  Women.  Children.  Small dogs.  Someone's great grandmother.

All in skinny jeans.

Then there was me in my summer dress.  Empire waist, baby.  REPRESENT. 

(Bull.In.A.China.Shop.)



Maybe it's the Italian mother in me, but I just wanted to sit that whole subway car down with a large hunk of deep dark chocolate layer cake and force them to eat it.  Matilda-style.

(It might also be my inner sadist who wanted to see all of their jeans buttons burst at the same time.  Hmm.)

Instead, I did the next best thing.

I made one for my roommate's birthday. And my friends and I ate it.





I may not be able to stop the entire hipster community of Williamsburg (a.k.a. the entire population of Williamsburg) from wearing skinny jeans.  But I can sure as hell keep them away from everyone I associate with on a daily basis.

Otherwise I might have to start to think about fitting into mine.  And like I said before.

Broccoli, people.  Nobody wants that.



Unlike Anu's cake last year, which was almost too intense to eat, this was delicious and rich without being overly so.  The cake was light and chocolatey with the real decadence being in the filling and ganache.  And then, of course, there's the Nutella.  Need I say more? 

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry-Nutella Filling and Chocolate Ganache
Makes 1 9-inch, 4 layer cake, adapted from Sugar Plum

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk or regular milk
• 2 cups Nutella, warmed slightly
• 1 cup raspberry preserves, warmed slightly
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 3 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, using a mixer on high speed, beat egg whites (reserving the yolks) until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, with the mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and melted chocolate until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually mix in flour, alternating with  milk, until just combined, scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Fold in egg whites in three additions, until combined.
5. Divide batter into cake pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist cake crumbs.  Cool for 12 minutes on wire racks in the pan.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto wire rack to cool completely.
6. Split each cake in half (I used the dental floss method).  Spread a layer of Nutella and raspberry preserves on each cake layer, assembling the cake as you go.
7. To make the ganache, heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When it comes to a simmer, turn the heat off and whisk in the 8 oz chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Cool until it's a good consistency and then pour and spread over the cake.  Top with hazelnuts.

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