Officially sweets-obsessed, nothing makes me happier (and sugar-drunk) than eating Gooey Butter cake. This little piece of heaven was first introduced to me by my fabulous friend, Heidi-ho, a native St. Louis, mother, lawyer, *AND* an amazing chef and baker. Heidi grew up eating this cake, which is traditionally made in her hometown. It is the perfect combination of a brownie and a flourless chocolate cake… but without the chocolate.
Yep, folks, this is for reals. SO RIDICULOUSLY SCRUMPTIOUS.
Yes, I am on an Oregon kick, but as it’s my home state, I can’t help but NOT be. Recently, there have been so many wonderful products that have emerged from Oregon, and one of the best is Dave’s Killer Bread. Not only is the story of Dave’s Killer Bread fascinating, but the bread itself is a winner. The organic bread has more protein, fewer carbohydrates and a little less sodium than most of its commercial counterparts.
Ken and I recently took a day trip to Portland for some shopping and dining. We were fortunate to have the grandparents to babysit, so we could wander around the city like we did pre-kids. It was heavenly. And our visit to Pok Pok, was one of the highlights. Pok Pok has been in all the food magazines and blogs, thanks to their Portland flagship and their NYC opening last year. Talk of the town! We love venturing to new, hip restaurants in New York, but the restaurant has so much buzz (and no reservations) that it is a little difficult to plan. So Portland Pok Pok was the perfect place (how many sea shells at the sea shore). Continue Reading
Fruit crisps might not be the most photogenic dessert, but they sure are delicious. Even if they look gloopy and mushy (which they are), they still remind me of easy, relaxing, summer nights. This recipe for Peach Crisps was adapted from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food and can be used for any fruit crisp (raspberry, apple, blueberry, rhubarb, the sky is the limit!)
Ingredients:
Since I love granola, quinoa, and making granola, I thought trying out a recipe for quinoa granola would be a no-brainer. If you have been out of the health loop in the past several years, quinoa is considered to be a super food and one of the most healthy ingredients out there. It is protein packed, full of fiber, rich in magnesium, high in iron, and is overall magical. I first read a recipe for quinoa granola in Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook, but it took me months to find “quinoa flakes.” Once I found them, I was ready to go. And let me tell you…. quinoa granola is heavenly, light, sweet, crunchy and perfection.
Ingredients:
Quinoa Flakes!
* 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1/2 cup of maple syrup
* 3 cups of quinoa flakes
* 1 cup of shredded coconut
* 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
* sea salt
* 1/2 cup of chopped dates
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees
* In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil and the maple syrup.
I do not recommend licking the whisk / spoon after this combination.
* Then, add the quinoa flakes and mix, followed by the coconut and almonds.
Kinda like cookie dough?
* On a parchment paper lined pan, spread the mixture out evenly. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking to make sure it is not burned.
Lined up evenly.
Through wonderful friends, Ali and I were introduced to Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery and the woman behind it, Umber. Both the baked goods and Umber are such inspirations that I think about them all the time. Not only is her food incredibly delicious, scrumptious, and heavenly, but Umber is also such an elegant, eloquent, composed, intelligent, and beautiful person. Umber ‘s success, happiness, and talent shine through, immediately wanting us to become friends with her. Both Ali and I fell head over heels for Mah-Ze-Dahr AND Umber!
Mah-Ze-Dahr is a bakery created by Umber and is a Tom Colicchio Discovery brand. Umber, taught at a young age that food is a language on its own, studied genetics and business. She spent much of her career in finance on Wall Street, and then moved to help luxury brands, chefs, and restaurateurs expand their concepts globally. She also started the bakery (the perfect combination of her talents — business, science, and culture!) with Colicchio, the chef/owner of Craft restaurants (as well as a Top Chef judge).
Umber. Isn’t she supermodel worthy? HOLY COW! (Photo taken by Vanessa Rees)
Umber and Tom. Again, another beautiful photo taken by Vanessa Rees.
In Urdu, the word mazedar describes the taste essence of food, its flavor and magic that make it delicious. As Umber describes, it is the “Je-ne-sais-quoi” that describes something wonderful. It is something that one cannot describe but wants to experience over and over again. And the items from Mah-Ze-Dahr are exactly that.
The simple brown box, logo and ribbon is classic and tasteful.
MY FAVORITE! I am still dreaming of this cheesecake. Made from sour cream and cream cheese, it is light fluffy and refreshing — who knew that cheesecake could be so light and airy?
A favorite, Mah-ze-dahr bars that were featured in Food & Wine Magazine an Editor’s Top Ten Pick (February 2013). This bar has an oatmeal cookie base topped with toasted pecans and chocolate bits and covered in a brown butter caramel sauce.
True story: On Saturday night, a friend brought me a loaf of babka (jewish sweet bread) form a new bakery (Breads Bakery). By Sunday, I had eaten the entire gift (with the help of my husband) and was so in need of the another loaf that I traveled 46 blocks to get my fix on Monday. Yep, a babka junkie. Because OH MY GOD, this sweet delicious amazing ridiculous cake slash bread is to-die-for. I literally had one hour free of time between a work commitment and my kids waking up from nap, but I had to HAD TO go get another loaf.
Or four.
This heavenly piece of cake is from Breads Bakery, an Israeli bakery in Union Square that opened in February 2013. Israeli (Danish trained) Uri Scheft is a seasoned baker with a store in Tel Aviv and now in NYC. The bakery carries a variety of savory breads, cookies, rugelachs, and most importantly, babka.
This babka is worth the calories and the travel time. You want (and will) eat every crumb. The babka is made with cultured butter from France, and then a mixture of Nutella and Belgian dark-chocolate chips. This sounds amazing, right? But then it is topped off with sugar syrup that gives it a rich, crisp crust with a moist, soft inside. Holy crap, that good (thank god I am not diabetic). The babka lasts several days, and tastes good defrosted (so if you stock up like me and want to hoard them, they still taste good!) During checkout, my first question to the cashier was whether or not they deliver (answer: not currently).
Old time bakery feel.
Everything about Breads Bakery looks and smells delicious. They are dedicated to producing artisanal, handmade breads using traditional baking techniques (and many made with whole grains). Being in the bakery makes me want to run away and become a baker. But since that is not going to happen, the next best thing is eating a loaf of babka every week.
The cashier asked me if I was throwing a party (when I bought 4 babkas and 8 rugelachs). OOPS! Party in my BELLY!!!!!
Some more sweet options on the menu.
Three of the four loaves.
Here is a simple, fresh, and delicious vegetarian dish. One of my go-to mid-week meals that is filling, satisfying, and easy to make. Enjoy!
Ingredients
* 1 pound firm tofu
* 1 pound broccoli (including stems)
* 2 cups chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon canola oil
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 chopped scallions (green and white part)
* 3/4 cup peanut (or almond butter)
* 3/4 cup hot water
* 6 tablespoon rice or cider vinegar
* 3 tablespoon soy sauce
* cayenne to taste
Directions
* Cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes and place them in a pot. Cover the tofu with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about ten minutes. Drain and set aside (this helps the tofu keep its shape)
Nothing better than cutting something into a perfect cube.
* Cut the broccoli, shaving the tough parts of the stems off, but using most of the broccoli.
Soak the broccoli in cold water to maintain the color.
Ginger, onion, scallions! chop chop chop
* Heat the oil in a skillet. After a minute, add the oil and onion. Cook for two minutes over high heat.
I love anything with coconuts. Coconut water, coconut lotion, sunscreen with a coconut smell, coconut flakes…you get the point. I am nuts for coco-nuts. And the most recent coconut obsession is creamy coconut “mylk” from Organic Avenue.
Organic Avenue is a NYC based boutique that sells organic (shocker) juices, salads, wraps, and anything else healthy and wholesome. It also features beautiful (and sustainable) packaging, catchy phrases, and delicious drinks and snacks. You walk into the store, and you want to buy everything because it all looks so healthy and delicious. And the coconut mylk is no exception.
Creamy Coconut Mylk is a natural drink that is recommended to maintain electrolyte balance. Good for athletes — especially when consumed POST workout.
Some recent studies have suggested that coconut mylk has a number of medical benefits, including hyperlipidemic balancing. Amazing! And let me tell you, nothing tastes richer, better, complete than this Organic Avenue Coconut Mylk after a long run.
And of course, it is also a good match with Clearly Coconut Water ,which is also delicious and is a good source of hydration PRE run.
Call me crazy, but I have been craving egg salad recently. I know — bizarre! (Especially since I am not pregnant… I mean, I better not be pregnant). I found this delicious recipe from 101 cookbooks (and slightly altered it). Trust me though; it is creamy, healthy, and ever so tasty.
Ingredients:
Ingredients
* 6 eggs
* 1/2 bunch of chives (scallions will do if you can’t find chives)
* 3 stalks of celery
* 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
* 1/2 tablespoon of dijon mustard
* salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
* Boil 6 eggs. Now, HOW to boil eggs is key. And apparently I have been boiling eggs the WRONG way for my entire life. And I had no idea that I was doing it wrong. Until now. BIG MISTAKE. First, put the eggs in a pot of cold water until the water boils.
Nothing better than watching the water boil for the eggs.
* Once the water starts to boil, take the pot off the burner and let it sit for 7 full minutes.
* During the waiting time, chop the celery and chives.
Chop chop chop
Chocolate Rolo Cookies, i.e. Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies are AN AMAZING AND INDULGENT SNACK! MAKE THESE FOR VALENTINE’S DAY and you will be sure to get some action. Just joking.
Ingredients
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 3/4 cup cocoa
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 cup softened butter
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 2 eggs
* 3 packages of ‘rolo’ chocolate covered caramels
Directions:
* In a bowl, place the flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.
Doesn’t this look delicious already?
* Beat butter and sugar until fluffy (you need arm muscles for this one).
Any recipe with lots of butter and brown sugar is heavenly.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which means PARTY IN MY TUMMY.
There's a party in my tummy! o yeah! o yeah!
One of my absolute favorite dishes happens to be green bean casserole. Maybe because I never ate it growing up, or maybe because it is so rich and creamy, decadent and savory. Whatever the case, if it is in front of me, I will eat the whole dish. So delicious.
YES PLEASE. NOW. (thanks)
As I recently discovered, fried onions are the secret to any dish. Green bean casserole, sandwiches, and salads. Seriously, you just sprinkle on fried onions and your dish becomes a party in your tummy. They are sugar-free, meat-free, and guilt-free. And I have found a brand I love: Lars’ Own crispy onions!
Savory, filling, hearty enchiladas are a perfect meal for a cold day (or for that matter, a hot day).
Ingredients:
We make a lot of homemade chicken broth, which leaves us a lot of chicken meat -- perfect for enchiladas.
* Head of kale
* Can of Enchilada sauce
* Shredded meat from 1/2 a whole chicken
* 1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheese (depending on how cheesy you want them to be)
* 1/2 cup of sour cream (or substitute like greek yogurt or cottage cheese)
* 1 sliced onions or several scallions
* 8-10 tortillas
* chopped cilantro
Directions:
* Preheat oven to 375 degrees
* Chop, de-stem, and steam the kale for 3 to 5 minutes
Steamed kale. Nothing feels healthier to me than a big head of steamed kale.
Fall Sundays often involve a decent amount of NFL football on in our household, as Ken is a huge fan. While having football on the TV (even if it’s on mute) is not my favorite thing in the world, Ken tries to make up for it by cooking something as well, so I guess you could call it an even trade. Last week, it was Pulled Chicken Sandwiches in our slow cooker (crock pot). They were really good (and definitely healthier than pulled pork).
ingredients
Ingredients:
* 2 1/2 pounds of chicken – use assorted pieces (we used breasts and thighs)
* 1 medium sized onion
* 2 peppers (any color, we happened to have yellow and orange)
* 2 carrots
* 2 stalks of celery
* 10 oz of barbecue sauce
* Buns (I like sesame)
This is the BBQ sauce we used. I am a sucker for packaging.
Directions:
* Chop up all of the vegetables.
Being a native West Coaster with a Mexican mother, Mexican food = comfort for me. For some, mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese makes them feel at home. For me, it is burritos, tacos, salsa, and cilantro. It is like cuddling up with a cashmere blanket in front of a fire. Unfortunately, New York has NO GOOD REASONABLY PRICED MEXICAN FOOD. I am against going to a Mexican restaurant and paying more than 10 dollars for beans and tortillas. I mean, really, how do the high end Mexican restaurants survive????
(I realize many of you may be reading to find out about today’s giveaway… coming at the end of the post!)
So, I was totally and utterly excited when I tumbled across this article that mentioned Tortilleria Nixtamal as one of the BEST restaurants in NYC. Not the best hole in the wall, not one of the cheapest eats, but one of the best restaurants in general. SOLD.
locations
The menu itself is phenomenal.
This salmon entree is a crowd pleaser and easy to make. No matter what you do, you really can’t mess it up (unless you really overcook the salmon.) It works well for a couple, a family, or a big group. I even made it for a birthday party with 15 people once (I called all the good grocery stores in town, shopping for the cheapest salmon. No surprise, I found it at Fairway). The simple steps are below:
Ingredients (serves 3 to 4):
I know, I know, I know. WEIRD ingredients. But, *BIG BUT* it works. Works like butta.
* 1 1/2 pounds of salmon
* 1 tablespoon of wasabi paste
* 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
Directions:
Wild salmon is my go-to fish. Check out this vibrant colorful filet! DELISH!
* Spread the wasabi paste over the salmon
