Recipe: Bananas Foster Bread...and a GIVEAWAY!

The only thing better than boozing up your coworkers at 10AM on Wednesday mornings right before you're all about to discuss science(!) and statistical significance(!) and appropriate controls(!) and negative results(!!) for...at least two hours...

...is boozing up your family on holiday mornings.  Right before you have to endure in and around 12 hours with them.  

And by "endure" I mean "lovingly cherish". Obviously.

WHAT?!?! Don't look at me like that.

I just say the things that you're too afraid to think.  And you know it.

Besides, we can all agree that holidays are just better with a drunk uncle in the corner.  That's a scientifically proven fact.  So scientifically proven that we should probably discuss it at lab meeting next week.  I'm putting it on the agenda.

And to think, the leading scientific journal in the world (Nature) said this week that biomedical research was at a standstill. Puh-leeeze.

I mean...just look at this groundbreaking work I've been doing! A light and healthy banana bread that doesn't taste light and healthy at all in the slightest...and that will make your Easter brunch infinitely more palatable.

Nobel Prize kind of stuff.  Fo' sho.



For real, though.  This banana bread is majorly tasty and oh so moist!  If you're really worried that it tastes too alcoholic, I promise that it doesn't.  The way one of my coworkers described it is that, while it doesn't quite taste like rum, it tastes like what rum makes bananas taste like.  (More delicious. Obvi.)  Yes, she said this after getting tipsy off it eating it.  Which is why it makes so much sense.

My point being...that if you want a show-stopping banana bread for Easter or just about any brunch/breakfast/dessert.  This is your loaf, right here.



I love GIVEAWAY!! Fridays.  They're the best.

So remember a few months ago when I told you about Eat Your Books?  Basically, it's a website that has indexed tons of cookbooks and, now quite a few blogs, by recipe.  So once you register for the site (for a meager amount of dollars a month), you can tell it the names of all of the cookbooks you own or blogs you read and then use it to search them all by ingredient, recipe type, course, occasion, etc.  Given how many cookbooks I own, I have no time to sort through them all when I want to find a recipe for whatever ingredient I have on hand on any given day, but this site makes it so.much.easier.  I use it at least three times a week.  And, trust me, no one is paying me to say that.

A few months ago I also mentioned that Eats Well With Others was going to be indexed on Eat Your Books and...it is finally DONE!  So if you're already an Eat Your Books member, then you should go and add it to your bookshelf IMMEDIATELY.  Also, if you look on my sidebar, you'll find a handy dandy tool that will allow you to use Eat Your Books to search my blog by ingredient, recipe type, etc.  I like my little Google search widget...but the Eat Your Books one is much more efficient. I promise.

Now, onto the GIVEAWAY!! To celebrate my blog finally being indexed, Eat Your Books is offering a FREE lifetime membership to one lucky reader!  So, if you want to enter, all you have to do is leave a comment telling me what your favorite Easter brunch recipe is.  Do it.



Bananas Foster Bread
Serves 16, adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 6 tbsp butter, melted and divided
• 1/4 cup dark rum, divided
• 1/3 cup nonfat or reduced fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 6 3/4 oz AP flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• cooking spray
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small nonstick skillet, combine the mashed banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 tbsp butter, and 3 tbsp rum.  Stir together, cooking over medium heat, until mixture starts to bubble.  Remove pan from the heat and let cool.  Place the cooled mixture in a large bowl and stir in the buttermilk, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs.  Beat with a mixture at medium speed until well combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon and ginger, whisking together until well mixed.  Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and beat until just incorporated.
3. Coat a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.  Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack.
4. While the bread is still warm, whisk together the remaining tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp rum, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar until well-blended.  Drizzle over the bread.

This blog post has been promoted by Cooking Light!  For more healthy delicious recipes of theirs, click here.

Recipe: Red Lentil Soup with Lemon {eat.live.be.}

If I could get away with calling this red velvet soup, without having to endure looks of total and utter disappointment upon the realization that it is not, in fact, cocoa buttermilk-flavored, nor is it finished with a dollop of cream cheese frosting...then I would.

Because that would be a much more accurate description than "red lentil soup with lemon", which sounds plain-jane at best, and is certainly not something you want to rush home and make as if your life depended on it.

But rush, you should.



Because while your life itself may not exactly be at risk...

...it'll be far more full with this soup in it.

Filled with essentially pantry ingredients, this soup is revelatory in that it combines such simple things into something so darn tasty.

(Unless you are, um, me and happened to run out of just about everything in my pantry at the exact moment I decided I desperately needed this in my life.  Really, what kind of food blogger in her right mind runs out of onions and garlic?  On a Friday night, no less! Which is prime soup-cooking time.) 

(No, really. Wild, crazy, and soup-full. That's how my Friday nights roll.)

The lentils basically melt into the broth, creating a thick and almost creamy texture.  Combine that with a hint of tang from the lemon, spice from the cayenne, and smokiness from the cumin...and there you have what can only be described as a flavor orgy in a bowl.

And while we could rename it in such a way that it's lascivious nature is practically screamed from the rooftops...there's really no need.

Red lentil soup with lemon.  

Classy and understated.  Just like the Friday nights that accompany it.

 Last night, I went for a run that almost didn't happen. 

It was cold.  My legs were kinda achy breaky.  I was hungry.  It was Tuesday. 

And a million other excuses that passed through my head.  I don't know what was wrong with me because I even considered not working out at all. 

Then I thought about how I would feel tomorrow (today) when I woke up knowing that I had had the ability to do one of the things I love the most. And I didn't do it.

So I laced up my sneakers (which I think I desperately need a new pair of) and I went.  Every step wasn't perfect.  But I did it. Six miles. Done.

And when I woke up this morning, my calves rebelling with every step to the kitchen to make breakfast.  My head felt clearer.  And it felt worth it.  I had made the right choice yesterday. And today will definitely be better for it. 



Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Serves 6, adapted from In The Kitchen With A Good Appetite 

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 quarts vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until starting to brown, about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Saute 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the broth, 2 cups water, the lentils, bulgur, and carrots.  Bring to a simmer and then partially cover the pot, turning the heat to medium-low.  Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Add salt to taste.
4. Using an immersion blender (or regular blender OR food processor) puree the soup (or just puree half, leaving half chunky).  Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

I am submitting this to Souper Sundays, which is hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen.

Recipe: Cabbage and Leek Gratin with Mustard Cream

Cabbage might not be your favorite vegetable, but I guarantee you'll barely even realize you're eating it in this cabbage and leek gratin with mustard cream! Check out the recipe and my post on Marcus Samuelsson's blog.

Recipe: (Vegetarian) Coq-au-Vin-less Coq au Vin..and The Spartan Race Experience {the food matters project}

Last week, I performed my first surgical procedure as a someday-to-be physician on this right here stew.

Baited breaths were held as scalpel hit skin.  Anyone with a Y chromosome was instructed to look away or vacate the premises for fear of revolt and/or inability to remain conscious.



 
Because, you see...I castrated it.  Took the coq right out of the coq-au-vin (you knew I had to go there), replacing it instead with tofu and a tomato sauce/vegetable broth combo.

And if you want to know my honest-to-goodness opinion...it was none the worse for the wear (or sutures).  It still had that rich, meaty umami flavor and texture thanks to the finely minced mushrooms that were scattered throughout the sauce, easily weaseling their way into every bite; and the tofu that, after 30 minutes of braising and sauteeing, had been transformed from flavorless hunks of soy protein into salty smoky bites of delicious.     


This recipe was chosen by Evi + Sam for this week's Food Matters Project.  And while it was probably not something I would have made if left to my own devices, I was really glad that I did.  When served over polenta, this stew was rich and hearty while still being ass-friendly.  Who doesn't love it when that happens?  Be sure to check out their blog for the original recipe!

PS - All zipping endeavors were a GO and a fabulous time was had by all.  (And by all...I mean me.)  If you want to see pictures, check out my album on facebook. And if we're not facebook friends...then...awkward. Let's get on that.



Coq-au-Vin-less Coq au Vin
Serves 4, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, cubed
• salt
• 3 oz tempeh bacon, cut into small strips
• 1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and patted dry, cubed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 10 oz frozen pearl onions
• 1 lb cremini mushrooms, minced or food processed into tiny pieces
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• several sprigs fresh thyme
• several sprigs fresh parsley
• 8 oz green beans
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 cup polenta
• 4 cups water

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the eggplant liberally with salt and let it rest in a colander for 20 minutes in the sink.  Rinse and pat dry.  (This will make the eggplant less bitter.)  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven.  Cook tempeh bacon over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to brown, 2 minutes.  Add the tofu to the pan.  Sprinkle with salt and black pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until the outside starts to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the onions, mushrooms, and eggplant to the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables give up their liquid and start to dry out and brown, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the garlic after about 5 minutes of cooking.
3. Add the broth, tomato sauce, bay leaves, herbs, and green beans to the pan.  Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently but steadily.  Let the liquid boil until it is reduced by about half and becomes thick and saucy.  Lower the heat again. Stir in the butter.  Remove the bay leaves and herb sprigs.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Serve over polenta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Spartan Race for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you learned anything in sixth grade history class, it should have been that of all the ancient civilizations in our past...

...the pyramid-builders, the fertile crescent-dwellers, the Confucianists.

It really all came down to two.

The Spartans.  And everyone else.

You see, the Spartans were the baddest of the bad.  They talked the talk, walked the walk, AND flung the javelins.  Quite the force to be reckoned with, they were.

(Might this have anything to do with the fact that they gave women more rights and equality than any other classical civilization…I can’t say for sure. But we all know that behind every great nation-state, there’s a fabulous woman.  So my hunch is…yes.)

Unfortunately, they were defeated by the Thebans in 371 BC.  But thankfully, for us, their spirit lives on today. In the form of the Spartan Race.

Spartan races are combined races and obstacle courses that test not just your cardiovascular abilities but also your brute strength.  That’s not to say you have to have the physique or physical prowess of a Spartan in order to participate in one!  There are races for all shapes, sizes, and levels of endurance, ranging from beginner 5K mud runs, to kids races, to 40+ milers for the really insane among us.  One of my coworkers is actually participating in one in June, and this is a girl who has never run or worked out a day in her life.  Until now.  There’s something about the out-of-the-box nature of this race (and the opportunity it affords her to run through fire...yes she's a little crazy) that appeals to her, as I’m sure it would to many of you!  So I highly encourage checking it out and considering participating in one, especially if you’re one of those people who thinks running is boring.  This is definitely a great way to incorporate fitness in your life in a fun and challenging way!  To learn more about the Spartan Race and to see frequently asked questions and answers about it, check out this link.

As for me…I’m excited to channel the spirit of the Spartans through my coworker and watch her as she completes her first race! And who knows…I may find that I too have an inner Spartan inside of me, just bursting to get out.

Recipe: Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache

For argument's sake.

Let's pretend that tomorrow at approximately 6pm, you had to squeeze yourself into a SIZE TWO.  (yes. ONE plus ONE = TINY)  Brown, shiny, highly form fitting Calvin Klein dress.

To go to a formal. With the boy who you made sweet potato pesto lasagna rolls for last week.

!!!

Right?




And, you know....hypothetically speaking.

Could you please explain why, instead of going on a cabbage diet or some kind of juice cleanse detox like any sane and rational human being would do for at least the month before (okay, so...you totally did make a dish with cabbage in it last week. Baby steps)...you were in the kitchen making CUPCAKES with PEANUT BUTTER and JELLY and CHOCOLATE and everything else that is good and right in this world?

You could at least have been baking things that you knew you wouldn't love with the fiery passion of a thousand suns!!! At. Least.



I am an enigma even to myself sometimes.

I mean...my "friend" of a "friend" who all of this babbling nonsense is totally about is an enigma even to myself sometimes.

Seriously...she's such a weirdo.



So...to sum everything up.

These are crack. You should make them immediately.  Amen.

Oh and...if you could think skinny, size two thoughts for my "friend" of a "friend" at approximately six pm eastern standard time tomorrow (Saturday) which is when my...err..."her" zipper will be being...zipped.  We would really appreciate it.

And PS - for the peanut allergic out there...these can totally be made with sunflower butter!  DO IT.


Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache
Makes 2 dozen, adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes and Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• 1 3/4 cups AP flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably natural-style
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves (I use Bonne Maman...because what else is there, really?)

For the Frosting:

• 6 oz lowfat cream cheese
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (NOT natural this time)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Ganache:

• 8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 375,  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and mix in peanut butter.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated (about 30 seconds each) and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Mix in vanilla.  Gradually add the flour and beat until just combined.  Mix in the greek yogurt and peanuts.
3. Divide batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each until 3/4 full.  Bake, rotating tins halfway, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 22 minutes).  Transfer tins to wire racks and cool completely before removing cupcakes.
4. When cupcakes are completely cool, use a knife to cut a shallow circle in the tops of the cupcakes (go about halfway down the cupcake). Pop out the cylinder you just made.  Try not to eat all 22 of them.  And fill them with the preserves.

For the Frosting:
5. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add salt and peanut butter and beat to combine.  Beat in vanilla.
6. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk cream until medium-stiff peaks form.  Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture.

For the Ganache:
7. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup.  Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
8. Remove from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream.  Place in the fridge.  Stir every ten minutes until chocolate on the outside of the bowl starts to set.  Spoon about 1 tbsp ganache onto the center of each cupcake (on top of the jelly!).  Using a 1M Wilton tip, pipe the peanut butter frosting in a circle around the ganache.

This post has been submitted to Project PB&J - a blogger cooking contest celebrating National PB&J Day!

Recipe: Sweet Potato Spinach Pesto Lasagna Rolls {eat.live.be.}

How does one explain to a normal, sane, not-indoctrinated-into-the-sweet-potato-loving-cult-in-which-you-live, person that you've put sweet potatoes in their lasagna rolls?

That orange vegetable consumption is a way of life around here?

That yes, there are, in fact, more orange vegetables out there than just carrots?




How soon is too soon to show the person you're dating the shrine to orange vegetables you have oh so carefully nestled under your pillow?


And what can you do, other than thank the heavens multiple, very profuse, times that said person, even though he is not sure that he even likes sweet potatoes in any form other than marshmallow-covered, digs in. With vim and vigor.

And decides that, um yes.  He'll have thirds.




Many rules were broken on Friday night's dinner date.  Not only did I let a male individual into my apartment without first taking a road trip to the local police station for a thorough background check...

...but I cooked a never-before-seen-or-made, totally original dish.  That could have totally bombed.

One is not supposed to take chances like that on fourth dates.  That's like...definitely a law in some states.

But sometimes you have to have faith in your own abilities. In your own taste buds.  In the power of the sweet potato!

(No, really...it's a force to be reckoned with.  Especially when combined with pesto.)

But did you really expect any less from the most nutritionally dense vegetable out there?  I think not. 

Between good Friday night dates and fabulous half marathon Sundays.  It's been a pretty good week so far around here.

Not to mention some fantastic news that I got yesterday...being that I WON THE SAUCY MAMA RECIPE CONTEST!!!  Honestly, I couldn't have done it without you and all your votes and support so thank you thank you thank you! 

And honestly, what I think it's come down to is positive thinking.  Believing that everything is going to be okay.  Beyond okay.  Great, even.

I truly think that when you're in a better frame of mind, you just make good things happen for yourself.  It's self-perpetuating.  A domino effect.  So let's not only expect the best...let's make it happen. 



Sweet Potato Spinach Pesto Lasagna Rolls
Serves 5-6 (or one hungry boy and three normal servings), an Eats Well With Others Original


Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 oz basil, leaves torn off
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 oz spinach
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta
• 6 oz mozzarella, grated, divided
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 12 lasagna sheets
• 2 cups tomato basil sauce
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and set a pot of salted water to boil.  In the meantime, combine the garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil, and spinach in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Add salt to taste.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, half of the mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and pesto that you just made.
3. Poke sweet potatoes all over with a fork.  Wrap each in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 2 minutes per side or until fork-tender.  Remove from microwave.  When cool enough to touch, remove the skin and mash the sweet potato flesh in with the ricotta-pesto mix.  To make it REALLY smooth, food process it until totally blended.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. When water comes to a boil, add the lasagna noodles.  Cook until just al dente.  Line two large baking sheets with wax paper.  Using a pair of tongs, remove the noodles from the cooking water one by one and place them next to each other on the cookie sheets.
5. Spread 2-3 tbsp of sweet potato-ricotta filling on each noodle. Beginning at one end, loosely roll each sheet.  Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Place the rolls, seam side down, into the baking pan, fitting them as snugly against each other as possible.  Top with the remaining tomato sauce and mozzarella.
6. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

I am submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted this week by Juli of Pictures of all my Princesses. 

This dish will be entered in the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission‘s No More ‘Mallows Recipe Contest. Because sweet potatoes aren't just for sugary casseroles anymore.

Recipe: Lentil Mango Picadillo

An oldie but a goodie, though I originally posted this recipe for a tropical and delicious vegetarian version of the Cuban classic, picadillo, last year, this warm weather has convinced me to relive its deliciousness and share it over at Marcus Samuelsson's blog!  Please go over and check it out!

Recipe: Curried Tomato Soup with Hard-Boiled Eggs {the food matters project}

The minutes before the gun goes off are some of the most excruciating. 

It's like they're somehow passing both in slow motion and at warp speed, time simultaneously ebbing and flowing so that you're not really sure which way is up or down, past or future.

And while it seems like you have forever before you really have to commit to this act of insanity (putting one foot in front of the other for 13.1 miles - who does that?).  Suddenly, without warning.  It's time.

You can feel a change in the crowd as you and everyone else in your corral move, as a herd, forward.

Towards the start.  Towards the beginning.  Towards who-knows-what.



For a brief second, you think about jumping ship.  Collecting your mother, brother, sister and roommate on your way out and saying, "hey, let's just go eat pancakes instead". 

But then you're across that start line.  And any chance you had for any kind of rational thought is over.  You've entered another state of being.

A "zone".

It's just one foot in front of the other.  No pain.  Barely any thought.

Just movement.



It's exhilarating.

Especially when you look down at your watch and know that, not only are you hitting your paces, but you're surpassing them.  You're doing this.

You're back.

On Sunday, I ran a half marathon in 1 hour, 56 minutes, and 44 seconds.  Each mile was a sub 9-minute mile.  There was even a sub 8 thrown into the mix (it was as I was running through Times Square and one of my coaches ran with me...nothing like some serious crowd support to get you moving). 

And I fought for every one of them. 

But that's what makes it feel so good in the end.  Knowing that you took something that you thought was impossible. Pushing yourself harder than you could have imagined. And making it possible.

As you can guess, I've still got a little bit of that runner's high coursing through my veins.  I can't help it. 



Running makes me want to be better, stronger, healthier.  It makes me want to get my spoon out of the peanut butter jar.  Stop the mindless chocolate chip munching.  And do everything I can to be the best that I can be.  Because that feeling of accomplishment - of knowing that I took myself to my limits and then I took one step further.  Is breathtaking.  And I want it. All the time.

So let's start with this soup.  It's full of all things good for you and yet still manages to be insanely flavorful. Spicy and satisfying.  And the perfect healthy fare to fill your stomach up with after a good run, or just about any time that you want to feel like you're doing something really good for yourself.  This was my recipe choice for the Food Matters Project and I couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.  To see how everyone else liked the recipe, check here!



Curried Tomato Soup with Hard-Boiled Eggs
Serves 4, adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• pinch of sugar
• 2 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 small cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

1. Put the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  When it's hot, add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chile.  Cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the curry powder, cumin, and sugar.  Cook and stir until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add the potatoes and carrot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring for a minute or 2.  Add the broth, coconut milk and tomatoes with their liquid.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the mixture bubbles gently.  Cook, stirring once in a while, until the potatoes and carrots are soft, about 15-20 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower and adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently.  Cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes more.  Serve garnished with the hard-boiled eggs and cilantro.

 

Recipe: Irish Car Bomb Moon Pies

For a girl who drinks sparingly at best...

...these moon pies pack a seriously alcoholic punch.

Bailey's, Guinness, and whiskey.  All wrapped up in one marshmallow-filled, chocolate-covered TRIPLE.DECKER. cookie sandwich.

Suffice it to say, these are not for the faint of heart.

Or the diabetic.

Or the recovering AA member.

Or any child under 21 years of age.  (18, if you're my mother who still believes that that is the legal drinking age. I'm neglecting to tell her otherwise.  For my sister's sake.)  


But a group full of scientists at 10AM on a lazy Wednesday morning who are supposed to be discussing the metabolic state of cancer cell microenvironments and showing graph upon graph full of negative and completely meaningless results (ummm that last part was just me)? 


Well, let's just say that completely not statistically significant data looks much more promising after you've gotten your Irish car bomb moon pie buzz on.  For realz.


I'm fairly certain this holds true for just about any work meeting environment...so go forth and bake...and then force what you've baked upon your unsuspecting coworkers.  And if you happen to neglect to mention just how much alcohol was in these babies until everyone is back at their lab benches and too tipsy to hold a pipette...


...I'll tell you to join the club.  Shrug.  Oops!




Okay, but the real deal with these is that if you are anyone other than a constantly-slightly-dehydrated 25 year old female...these will like not have any effect on you other than the placebo type.  Which is to say that all this sugar and chocolatey deliciousness will rush to your head and make you very.very.happy.

Which isn't such a bad deal either.



They're also perfect for those of us who are absolutely prohibited from drinking on St. Patrick's day this year...due to the whole running-13.1-miles-at-7:30-in-the-morning-the-next-day half marathon thing.

(Not that we were really going to anyway...but at least now we have a less lame excuse than "I don't wanna!")



To be totally honest with you, these are seriously time consuming but in a totally worth your while kind of way.  The chocolate guinness cookies are the easiest roll-out cookies I've ever worked with.  I rolled them out on parchment paper and didn't have to flour either the table or my rolling pin.  That kind of easy.

The marshmallow creme frosting requires boiling sugar and a candy thermometer...but don't be scared.  Once you get over the fear of pouring 230 degree sugar all over your limbs, it's really smooth sailing.  Wear a rubber body suit if you're really concerned...maybe the one from Britney's "Oops! I Did It Again" video.  It's a classic.

And once you get through all that...the chocolate glaze is a piece of cake.  Err moon pie.  Same difference.

Irish Car Bomb Moon Pies
Makes about 2 dozen, cookies adapted from here, marshmallow creme and chocolate glaze adapted from here

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Guinness Cookies:

• 24 oz guinness
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 cups AP flour
• 1 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
 

For the Bailey's Marshmallow Creme:

• 2 egg whites
• pinch of cream of tartar
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Creme
• 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

For the Whiskey Chocolate Glaze:

• 12 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp whiskey

Instructions

For the cookies:

1. Add the beer and brown sugar to a medium saucepan.  Reduce the liquid over medium high heat until it thickens to a syrup and measures approximately 1/3 cup.  This will take about 30-45 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly before using.
2. Preheat oven to 350.  Sift together flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk in salt and baking powder until evenly incorporated.
3. Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, until well incorporated, scraping the sides after each addition.
4. Add the Guinness syrup and beat until incorporated. Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into four pieces with a knife or bench scraper. Shape each mound of dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour.
5. Roll out one disk of cookie dough onto a sheet of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles using a 2-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll out scraps of dough and cut into cookies until all is used.  Repeat the rolling/cutting process with the remaining disks of dough. Bake cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.
6. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

For the marshmallow creme:

7. Using a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the salt until firm peaks form, gradually increasing from medium-low speed to medium-high speed as the egg whites gain volume. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, boil the corn syrup over high heat without stirring until it registers 230 to 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Slowly drizzle the hot corn syrup into the egg whites and beat at high speed until glossy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, beat in the vanilla extract, Bailey's, and the powdered sugar.
8. Using a small cookie scoop, mound the marshmallow filling into the center of 1/3 of the cookies.  Top with another cookie and press lightly to spread the marshmallow to the edges.  Add another mound on top of this cookie and top with a third cookie, pressing down to fill the edges again.  Repeat with remaining cookies.

For the glaze:

9. Using a double boiler, heat the chocolate and the vegetable oil until melted and completely smooth.  Stir in the whiskey.  Place the assembled cookies on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper.  Spoon the melted chocolate over each cookie so that it drips down the sides and covers most of the cookie (nudge it if you have to!).  Allow to set up at room temperature for at least two hours before serving.

I am submitting this to the March Sweet Adventures Layer Upon Layer blog hop!


Speaking of eggs, can we talk about eating them raw for a second?  And no, I'm not talking Gaston from Beauty and the Beast style consumption, but rather...the ingestion of tempered eggs.  Eggs that you think you've scrubbed of all their salmonella by bringing them into contact with warm liquids.  Eggs prepared such as those in ice cream or mousse or swiss meringue buttercream or...this marshmallow creme frosting.  Well...we were wrong about them.  As it turns out, they're not as safe to eat as we've always believed.  And while it will probably be okay for those of us with totally efficient immune systems to ingest them, the same is not true for the immunodeficient - those on chemo, small children, and pregnant women, to name a few.

Thankfully, as I learned at an amazing event hosted by Rose Levy Beranbaum a few weeks ago...there is now a solution - Safe Eggs.  These eggs are pasteurized, making them totally safe to eat raw.  Not only that, but they behave exactly the same as non-pasteurized eggs in baking and cooking (and even make for more stable meringues, according to Rose!).  I used them in this marshmallow creme frosting with great results.  And it definitely helped me sleep at night knowing that there was not a single chance that anyone was going to get a bacterial infection from ingesting them.  Score.  I'll definitely be using them in the future for all my raw egg needs!

Thanks so much to Safe Eggs for inviting me to attend the event and to Rose for being so amazing! She was full of the most insane baking tips and was one of the nicest people I've ever met, staying afterwards to talk shop with my friend Lauren and me long after the event had ended.  And did I mention that she baked us a cake?  Key.to.my.heart.  (It was good.  Seriously so.)   

Recipe: Golden Thai Curry with Green Beans {eat.live.be.}

Crazy things are afoot this week.

This morning, I ate peanut butter and jelly for breakfast and didn't taste test the entire jar in the process.  Strange. And unusual.

Yesterday afternoon, I told myself I only had to run 4 miles.  And then I actually only ran. 4. Miles. 



Last night, I shook my life and schedule up and went on an impromptu date.  For a neurotic control freak like myself who has every minute of every day planned...

...this was an exercise in living.  I like living.  I should do it more often.



And on Sunday, I'll be hitting the streets of NYC, weaving my way through Central Park and then Times Square, all the way down to the financial district.  13.1 miles.  All before 10AM.  (Hopefully.)

Like I said.  Crazy things.

I blame it on the tapering.  It gives me all this pent up energy that I'm not supposed to be using to lift weights or run double digit miles.  And so obviously I have to expend it in other ways...

...and well.  There is more than one way to get a cardiovascular workout in, after all.

Like, you know...

...curry making.  And then curry eating.  Those are two of my favorite workout alternatives.  The heat of the curry gets your adrenaline pumping and your heart racing, but then the sweet notes of the coconut milk and sweet potatoes bring it back down.  It's like interval training.  But for the soul.

And will it make me faster on half marathon day?  Well.  That has yet to be determined.  But I'm definitely excited to find out.

PS -  if any of YOU guys want to follow my progress on Sunday, you can sign up to have updates sent to your phone!  Just click here and enter in my name (Joanne Bruno).  I think it costs 99 cents to have the text messages sent to you but you can also track me online in real time, for free.   



Golden Thai Curry with Green Beans
Serves 4, adapted from Vegetarian Times March 2012

Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet potatoes, cubed
• 3 medium carrots, cut into half moons
• 1/2 lb green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 tbsp penang or yellow curry paste
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 13.5 oz can light coconut milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tbsp thinly sliced basil leaves

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the potatoes for 7 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.  Add carrots, cook 10 minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon.  Add green beans and cook 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon.  Set aside all vegetables.
2. Heat oil in pot over medium heat.  Add onion and cook 7 minutes, or until starting to brown.  Stir in garlic, curry paste and peanut butter.  Cook 1 minute.  Add coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and sugar.  Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir in potatoes, carrots and bell pepper.  Simmer 10 minutes.  Add green beans and basil, and cook 2 minutes more.