Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites

Give me nuts or give me seeds! Wait, give me both. Try a couple of these bites with a sliced apple to get over that 3pm slump. They are full of protein and really take care of your sweet tooth. Really, they are almost like peanut butter cookies without the mess of baking up a batch.

Ingredients (makes 28-30):

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons honey or agave syrup

1 cup instant oats

1 scoop protein powder (I use unflavored whey protein powder, you do you)

¼ cup ground flax seeds

1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seed kernels

1/2 cup salted or unsalted pepitas (shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds)

Directions: Stir the peanut butter, vanilla and honey/agave together in a bowl. Add in the oats, protein powder, flax seeds, sunflower kernels and pepitas. Mix until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls. Store in the fridge. That’s it!

Fire Roasted Green Chile, Corn, Onion and Tomato Tostadas

Green chiles rule! I just scored 2 pounds of fresh Hatch New Mexico green chiles and couldn’t wait to get them on the grill. I love the relatively mild heat from the green chiles with the sweetness of fresh sweet corn, tomatoes, onions and both creamy and salty cheeses. I kept the seasoning down to just some salt because I wanted the veggies to shine here. If you are having a group over, consider having all the ingredients in separate bowls and letting people put their own toppings on the tostadas-you can get all the fire roasting done earlier in the day or even the day before.

Ingredients (makes 15):

1 pound fresh green chiles

15 small white corn flour tortillas

2 small white onions, peeled and cut into quarters, root end intact

3 plum tomatoes cut in half lengthwise

3 or more baby bell peppers (‘cuz they are fun and have lots of color and flavor)

2 ears fresh corn, steamed for 4 minutes in the microwave (just put a few tablespoons of water in a large microwaveable container, place the corn in and zap)

1 Tablespoon canola oil

½ cup Monterey jack or block mozzarella, diced

Salt to taste

½ cup Queso Fresco, crumbled

2 limes, cut into quarters

Fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium high heat and throw on the chiles. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until all sides start to blacken. Toss them in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 15 minutes to steam then pull off and discard the skins. Cut off the stem and cut in half to remove the seeds. You can do this all easily with your fingers under a gentle stream of cool water. Don’t put the stems, skins and seeds down the garbage disposal, though. It will clog it up. Cut the chiles into strips.

Next, put the tortillas on the grill. Cook for about 2 minutes per side, or until just starting to color. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Place the onion quarters, tomato halves, baby bell peppers and corn cobs on a large tray (a baking sheet is great here) and sprinkle on the oil. Rub the oil over all the veggies to keep them from sticking to the grill.

Place all the veggies on the grill and cook for about 5-10 minutes until soft and starting to char. Remove back to the tray.

Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels from the corn and place in a mixing bowl. Chop the onions, tomatoes and bell peppers and place in the bowl with the corn. Add in the diced Monterey jack and strips of green chiles. Taste and add salt to your preference.

Place a few tortillas back on the grill and put a spoonful of the veggie mixture on top. Cook until the Monterey jack melts and then remove to individual plates. Garnish with Queso Fresco, cilantro or parsley and lime quarters, squeezing some lime juice over the top.

Mushroom, Shallot and Gruyere Bread

This dish speaks to my very soul on a rainy Saturday. First, there is the crispy bread shell, then a rich mushroom and herb filling topped by nutty, golden cheese. Perfect for a lazy day and a good movie.

Ingredients:

1 demi-baguette (mini) French bread, about 12 to 14 inches long

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

½ cup shredded Swiss cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons butter

1 whole shallot, finely chopped (about ¼ cup chopped)

1 (108 ounce) package of cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 4 cups sliced)

1 Tablespoon vegetable stock (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.

Cut the bread in half vertically and then cut each half through the middle to create four long pieces of bread. Using your fingers, pinch out some of the soft interior bread to create about a 1 inch bread shell on each piece. Hint: Store those bread pieces that you removed in a zip top bag in the freezer—you can use them for fresh bread crumbs in a future dish).

Place the bread shells on your baking sheet and brush the interior with the olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes and remove.

While the bread shells are baking, combine the cheeses in a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the shallots. Cook for a few minutes until they are soft and then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft. Add in the stock (if using), salt, parsley, chives and thyme.

Spoon the mushroom mixture evenly into the bread shells and top with cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven up to broil and broil for 2 minutes with the oven door cracked open. Garnish with a little extra parsley, chives and thyme.  

Fresh Greek Shrimp Summer Rolls with Garlic-Herb Dipping Sauce

If you like Greek salad as much as I do, you are going to love this handheld version with shrimp and dressing on the side. These may sound like a lot of work, but they go together so fast and, if you use precooked shrimp, there is no cooking involved. Fresh and light, these are the perfect summer dinner appetizer.  Every ingredient here is just a guide-feel free to leave out anything you don’t particularly care for.

Ingredients (serves 6 as an appetizer, 3 as a main course):

Dipping Sauce:

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 fat cloves of garlic, minced

½ teaspoon anchovy paste (optional, but it is so good!)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

½ to 1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Rolls:

6 spring roll wrappers

Warm water

Filling:

1 cup baby spinach leaves

12 fresh mint leaves (optional)

20 or so fresh oregano leaves (optional)

½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced into half moons

½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

1 small red pepper, thinly sliced

½ of a medium cucumber, peeled and cut into thin strips about 4 inches long

½ of a carrot, julienned

2 teaspoons nonpariel (small) capers

½ pound shrimp, cooked and cut in half lengthwise (from back to front instead of down the middle)

Directions:

Dipping Sauce: Make this a few hours ahead, if possible, to let all the flavors marry. Just combine everything from the olive oil through the lemon zest, cover and let rest at room temperature until you are ready to serve.

Rolls: Put very warm water into a wide, shallow bowl or frying pan. Quickly dip one spring roll wrapper at a time in the warm water, shake off excess water and place it on a clean work surface. Mine were sticking to my plastic work surface, so I sprayed it with just a touch of canola oil spray. Worked like a charm.

Wrap it up: On the side of the wrapper nearest you, place a few spinach leaves. Top the spinach with 2 mint leaves, some fresh oregano, a few red onion slices, a bit of chopped olives and then a bit of feta cheese.

Next to that, about in the middle of the wrapper, place some red pepper slices and top them with a few slices of cucumber and carrots.  

On the side of the wrapper farthest from you, place several of the shrimp slices and a few capers in a row, orange side down.

To fold, tightly roll the end of the wrapper nearest you over the veggies and cheese. Roll once more over the cucumbers and red peppers. Fold the sides in and roll once more over the shrimp. Turn it over and admire your handiwork. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Then serve whole or cut in half with the dipping sauce.

Decadent Brownie Bites (Gluten Free and Vegan)

(A dessert for Terrie)

Good night, sweet Prince. These are really phenomenal. Deep and fudgy, they have a beautifully crispy crust. Please, try these even if you aren’t feeding anyone who is gluten free and/or vegan. They are perfect. Note: These look thin because I didn't fill my muffin cups up to the halfway point--I did about 1/4 of the way up and made 16. 

Ingredients (makes 12 small muffin size bites):

2 Tablespoons ground flax seed

6 Tablespoons warm water

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

½ cup butter and oil replacement made from rehydrated prunes and apples (like Sunsweet ‘Lighter Bake’®)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ cups dairy free dark chocolate chips, melted

¾ cup gluten free multipurpose flour (I used King Arthur®)

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Make an egg substitute by combining the ground flax seed with the warm water in a cup. Refrigerate at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 12 cup muffin tin (small cups, please, not the huge size) with vegetable oil spray.

In one mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, butter/oil replacement, vanilla and melted chocolate chips. Stir to mix well. Add in the flax seed/water combo and stir again—everything should start to pull together after this because the flax seed acts as a binder.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and sugar.

Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry and spoon into your prepared muffin tins about halfway full and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the tray once, halfway through baking. Remove and let cool, then run a knife around the edges of each brownie and gently remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Coconut Cream Filled and Chocolate Glazed Cream Puffs

I had a new post earlier today for Fresh Peach Ice Creamwith Salted Caramel Brittle in honor of what would’ve been my Father’s 92^nd birthday. Now, I want to honor the memory of my Mother on what would’ve been her 92^nd birthday tomorrow (yeah, they were born a day apart—isn’t that wild?). Mom loved Éclairs and Cream Puffs. I mean loved them. She also adored coconut. I’m using coconut 4 ways in a cream puff just for you, Mom! Happy birthday and I love you!

Cream puffs are so easy, even though they look so elegant. I remember making these in Junior High Home Ec (yes, I am that old, thank you very much). They always work and you can fill them with anything from chicken salad to this really wonderful coconut cream. The filling is so incredibly silky and creamy; it just dissolves in your mouth. And the chocolate glaze? Think of this as a richer version of that chocolate sauce that hardens when it becomes cold. Use any leftover glaze on ice cream, frozen banana slices, whatever. It’s so good you will want to double it.

Ingredients (makes 10 cream puffs):

For the puffs:

1 cup water

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 eggs

For the cream:

1 (14 ounce) can coconut cream (from the specialty/ethnic foods section--not cream of coconut that you find by the liquor dept.)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (this helps the cream stay stable longer)

½ teaspoon coconut extract, optional

1/2 to 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (adjust to taste)

For the chocolate glaze:

2/3 cup good quality chocolate chips or 1 (8 ounce) chocolate bar, chipped into small pieces

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly (2 minutes in the microwave at 50% power ought to do it)

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup corn syrup

Garnish: Shredded coconut or coconut chips

Directions:

Puffs: Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. Put the coconut cream in the fridge to chill.

In a large saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is completely combined before adding the next.

Drop the dough by about 1/3 cup measures onto your parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cut a slit in the top of each puff with a sharp knife to let the steam escape, then let cool completely.

Coconut Cream:

In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, whip all ingredients together until fluffy peaks form. Chill in the fridge at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.

Chocolate Glaze:

Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 20 seconds. Stir and repeat microwaving and stirring 2 more times. Stir until the mixture emulsifies (comes together in one smooth liquid). Put in a container and store at room temperature—do not refrigerate or the glaze will harden.

Assembly: Cut the top 1/3 off of each puff with a serrated or sharp knife. Pull out any excess dough in the middle (which will be very little) so that you have a perfect little cup. Spoon the coconut cream evenly between the puffs and put the tops back on. Spoon some of the glaze over each and sprinkle with shredded/chipped coconut if desired. Refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

Note: If you want, you can make the puffs, cream and glaze a day ahead—just store the puffs and cream separately in the fridge and keep the glaze on the counter--assemble before serving.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream with Salted Caramel Brittle (No ice cream freezer necessary)

Today would have been my father’s 92^nd birthday. I have so many great memories of him-the things he said, the things he liked to do and, of course, his favorite foods. Dad loved peaches—just adored them. He liked his ice cream on occasion too and this one is great. It isn’t overly sweet and the flavor of the peaches really comes through. It’s also very, very creamy. And then you hit one of those crunchy little brittle—so good. This one goes out to you, Pop. Happy birthday!

PS-you can totally skip the brittle if you want or even substitute a broken waffle cone or two.

Ingredients:

Brittle:

2/3 cup granulated sugar

4 Tablespoons water

½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Ice Cream:

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups heavy cream, chilled until it is very cold

4 medium sized, fresh peaches- peeled, seeded and diced small*

Directions:

For the brittle: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet (like Silpat®) if you have one. Put the sugar and 4 Tablespoons of water in a medium sized sauce pan and stir until combined. Then turn the heat to medium high and let cook, without stirring but gently swirling the pan once or twice, until golden brown, about 8-12 minutes. Go by color here, not time because your ‘medium high’ will be different than mine. Once it starts to color, keep a close eye on it, because it goes from golden to burnt very quickly.

Pour the caramel in a thin layer over the parchment/silicone (please be careful here and use an ovenproof glove or mitt—boiling hot sugar burns like crazy-don’t ask me how I know). Sprinkle with ½ tsp flaky sea salt and set aside. Note: to clean that pan that you just cooked sticky caramel in, just place it in the sink and fill it with hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes and the sticky stuff will wash right out.

For the ice cream: Put the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the heavy cream into a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the whisk attached to whip the cream until it holds stiff, peaks, about 3 minutes.

Gently mix a scoop of the whipped cream into the condensed milk. This helps to lighten the mixture. Then, just fold the rest of the whipped cream into the condensed milk mixture. Add the peaches and fold again. Break the brittle into small pieces and fold them into the mixture (you might want to save some big pieces for garnish).

Place the ice cream in a loaf pan or other container. Place a piece of plastic wrap down, touching the top of the ice cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.

Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

*The easiest way to peel peaches that I have found is to cut a cross just through the skin on the bottoms of the peaches and then drop them into boiling water for just 2-4 minutes, or until you can see the skin where you made the cross start to peel away. Then, just drop them in a bowl of ice and water for 5 minutes. Remove; dry on paper towels and peel. Also, make sure you use a small dice—large chunks of peach will turn into peach ice cubes!