The Life-Changing Loaf of Bread
I added Sarah Britton’s Life-Changing Loaf of Bread to my Pinterest Board as soon as she posted it back in February. I have been on a major Eli’s Health Bread kick lately, and was inspired to make my own (rather, My New Roots’ version). Aside from buying some ingredients that may not already live in your pantry, the recipe is incredibly simple. I even baked it in my toaster oven. Don’t fret if you don’t have a flexible, silicon loaf pan. I didn’t either, nor could I find one at Sur la Table, but a regular loaf pan, lined with parchment paper, does the trick. This nutty-seedy loaf is incredibly dense and filled with fiber, protein and vitamins. This morning, I toasted and topped it with skyr (Siggi’s version of Greek yogurt), a sprinkle of cinnamon and fresh berries. This is a great “bread” to slice and carry pieces with you as a snack. Next time, I may experiment by swapping pepitas for the sunflower seeds and almonds for hazelnuts.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Coconut Chia Pudding
Coconut Chia Pudding
Serves 4
This is a decadent pudding that is also surprisingly sweet. It’s filled with nutrient dense ingredients and is a cinch to make.
Ingredients
1/3 cup chia seeds (I used already ground)
4 brazil nuts
1 can coconut milk (organic and unsweetened)
2 dates
splash vanilla extract
sprinkle of: cardamom, cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg & sea salt
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in food processor (I used my Vitamix). Blend on high speed until blended smooth. Eat right away (slightly warmed from the blender) or cover and chill in the fridge for later.
A Clip from the Kitchen
Efficient in the kitchen? Yes. Tech savvy? Not so much. Though it has taken me months to upload this video, I thought it would be fun to share with you all. It’s a clip from a promo reel I participated in last spring. I’m not aware that anything has become of it, but it’s a nice little demo for my personal reel. The recipe I make is also described in this post. Have a great weekend!
10 Simple Tips For The Perfect Roast Chicken
10 Simple Tips For The Perfect Roast Chicken:
- Buy a pasture-raised bird; the flavor is so worth the price.
- Season with salt, pepper and dried chives. Dried chives give the skin a caramelized effect, just like caramelized onions.
- Leave bird out, and seasoned for 1 hour before cooking. This allows the salt to penetrate and dry the skin, resulting in a golden brown, crispy crust.
- Cook bird at least 20 minutes per pound (at 400 degrees).
- Baste, baste, baste! After the bird has been in for 30 minutes, baste every additional 10 until it is cooked through.
- Let the bird sit for at least 10 minutes before carving. This allows the natural juices to be re-absorbed, meaning they’ll be in the meat, not running out all over your cutting board.
What Not To Worry About:
- Trussing the bird. Letting the legs hang freely, as opposed to tying them together against the cavity of the bird, allow them to cook through and crisp.
- Roasting the bird on a rack. Just not necessary. I like the way chicken turns out better when put directly into a large baking dish (do make sure the sides of the cooking vessel come at least 1/3rd of the way up the bird.
- Flipping the bird (hehe), just put it in breast up and leave it alone.
- Stuffing the bird. Yes carrot, celery, herbs, lemon and garlic are great flavor enhancers, but I think they interfere and lengthen cooking time. The more moisture put into the bird, the less the skin will crisp on the outside.
Your Next Dinner Party
Last night’s Valentine’s dinner was a huge success. Bon Appetite’s recipe for short ribs is foolproof and better then any short ribs you’ve ever had in a restaurant. The rich and tender, fall-off-the-bone meat pairs perfectly with the tangy potato and celery root mash. The only change to this recipe that I made was swapping crème fraiche for sour cream. For greens, I simply steamed some chicory and watercress. Chicory is a new favorite green of mine, which has the heartiness of kale, yet is tenderer to the tooth, like bok choy or escarole. Our decadent meal called for a decadent bottle of wine, to which we opened a 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape. The bottle to the right (three photos down), is what I used for the short ribs, a reasonably priced ($12.00), dry Multipulciano, recommended to me by the wine folks at Eataly. After about an hour of preparation, this meal is largely unattended, which is why it is the perfect menu to serve to and wow your guests.
This chocolate cake is ridiculous. Its texture floats somewhere between soufflé and mousse, but with sharp flavor. It is essentially melted semi-sweet chocolate, butter and eggs, with the addition of one tablespoon each of flour and sugar. I whipped up some fresh heavy cream, with a tiny splash of vanilla, bourbon and the lightest dusting of cinnamon. From here on out, I’m calling this dessert, Light’s Out Chocolate cake, because after I finished it, along with my last sip of wine, that was it…food coma…goodnight indeed.
Valentine’s Dinner – with little help from moi
Today I played pre-Valentine’s Day prep chef for Amanda, a first time client, who now has all the elements to whip up a fabulous meal for her and her boyfriend to enjoy at home. In case you didn’t hit up Open Table exactly 30 days ago for a coveted two-top, rest assure, cooking at home is so much more romantic than sitting next to strangers. For tomorrow night, Amanda and her man will…
Nibble On
- Marcona Almonds
- Chorizo
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Manchego
All of these items were purchased at Eli’s (any specialty food store will have them). Tomorrow, she’ll arrange on her favorite serving platter and serve at room temperature. Perhaps with a tequila cocktail to start?
Eat
- Hanger Steak (marinated overnight in tequila, olive oil, cumin, coriander, pimenton, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper). Seared and served over a bed of Southwestern Black Bean and Veggie Confetti Salad.
- Mache and Watercress Salad, tossed with avocado, radish, toasted pepitas and citrus vinaigrette.
This meal will pair beautifully with a red Tempranillo or Rioja
And for Dessert
- Homemade Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups
Sounds like a pleasant evening, huh? Made with love, shared together, nothing can be better.
What am I whipping up for my Valentine you ask? I thought I’d take Bon Appetite’s lead and prepare: Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs with Potato and Celery Root Mash. That, with a big, fabulous bottle of red and Evelyn Sharpe’s French Chocolate Cake for dessert. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Overnight Pear Pecan Muesli
It has been far too long since my last post, so to start things off in 2013, I share with you what I eat for breakfast, in some variation or another, 3 to 4 times a week. This is a wholesome take on the standard cereal with milk, filled with whole grains, yogurt, fruit and nuts. And the best part of all, no cooking; only assembly required.
Overnight Pear Pecan Muesli
Serves One
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill Muesli
- ¼ cup whole rolled oats
- 1 cup organic, whole-milk yogurt (thinned with water if necessary) or kefir
- 2 tablespoons raw wheat germ
- 1 to 2 drops almond extract and or vanilla extract
- Sprinkle cinnamon
- 12 (approx. ¼) cup pecans, toasted
- ½ ripe pear (red or green D’Anjou), cut into bite-sized pieces
Procedure
Combine all ingredients through cinnamon in a cereal bowl, cover with cellophane and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, toast the pecans, cut up the pear and add both to the soaked muesli. Enjoy.
A few more things
- During cold winter months, I take the bowl of muesli out of the fridge first thing, while I get ready in the morning. This way it’s at room temperature when its time to eat.
- For the best pecans you will ever taste, buy online from: www.sunnylandfarms.com
- I like the “Extra Fancy Junior Pecan Halves” – store in the fridge or freezer
- Play around with other fruit and nut combinations like: apple & walnuts, apricots & almonds, cherries & hazelnuts. For a wheat free version, swap out flax meal or chia seeds for the wheat germ.
