What's For Dessert: Vanilla-Bourbon Chocolate Pudding


I will be the first to admit that I like to end my day with a little sweet treat. D mentioned a desire for chocolate pudding the other day, so the following afternoon I put together a simple chocolate pudding treat, using almond milk in place of dairy milk. Of course, I couldn't let enough alone, and ended up putting in a dash of bourbon in addition to the vanilla the recipe I was working from called for. (Feel free to leave out the bourbon; you can double the vanilla instead if you'd like.) This pudding tastes like a rich treat, though it lacks any high-fat dairy products typically found in pudding recipes. You can dress up the pudding in a variety of ways; the three options I've shown include chopped pistachios, a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt flakes, and shredded coconut. The pudding tastes just as good on its own without any toppings; or consider making it an even more decadent treat by stirring in some semi-sweet chocolate chips.


Vanilla-Bourbon Chocolate Pudding (printer-friendly version)
makes 5 servings

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon [optional]

1. Sift together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a medium sauce pot.
2. Whisk in the almond milk. Continue stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.
3. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until thickened. (This should take about 5 minutes.)
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and bourbon.
5. Pour the pudding into individual cups or ramekins.
6. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
7. Garnish with shredded coconut, semi-sweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or other topping of your choice.

(adapted from this recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Tomato Feta Chicken


On Monday I discussed how that day's recipe inspiration came from a saltine cracker box. More often, however, my inspiration comes from typing a few key ingredients into the Google search bar and scanning through the links that result. I knew that I wanted to make something in the slow cooker, and the ingredients I had in mind were chicken thighs, tomato, mozzarella, and basil. However, my eye was immediately caught by a recipe for basil feta chicken. It met nearly all my requirements, aside from the different cheese. A quick trip to the grocery store, and with feta in hand, I put together the slow cooker recipe (along with several additions/changes of my own). This slow cooker meal is super-simple to make, and the resulting tomato feta chicken is divine.

Tomato Feta Chicken (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs
1 (14.5-ounce) can organic fire-roasted tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
~1 cup (3.8-ounce can) sliced black olives
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sumac
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces crumbled organic feta cheese (reserve a little bit for garnish)
fresh basil leaves, for garnish

1. Add the chicken thighs to the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker bowl.
2. Top the chicken with the fire-roasted tomatoes, garbanzo beans, olives, oregano, black pepper, ground sumac, and garlic. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.
3. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
4. Once cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken.
5. Serve over rice or other grain. Top with fresh basil leaves and additional crumbled feta cheese.

 (adapted from this recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Italian Sausage Soup


Where does my recipe inspiration come from? Sometimes it's as simple as a glance at the recipe on the saltine cracker box. The hearty Italian sausage soup described on the side of the box of my Nabisco Premium Saltine Crackers sounded rather intriguing, so I decided to give it a go. Since I just made a delicious minestrone soup recently, I decided to meld together some of the aspects I liked about that recipe with the one on the cracker box. The original recipe calls for the addition of pasta, but since D is a little carbaphobic of late, I left it out. Because I added in a number of additional veggies, I don't think the pasta was missed at all.

Italian Sausage Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 8-10 servings

6 ounces organic chicken Italian sausage, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon round black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) organic stewed tomatoes, undrained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can low-sodium garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen organic corn kernels
1 cup frozen organic green beans
1 teaspoon fried oregano
Parmesan [for garnish]

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage until heated through. Set aside.
3. Stir in the stewed tomatoes (with juices), vegetable broth, garbanzo beans, corn, green beans, and oregano. Add in the cooked sausage. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
4. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.
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What's For Breakfast: Cinnamon Coconut Granola


As I've mentioned before, I make a new batch of granola about every two weeks, since I eat it everyday for breakfast with Greek yogurt. For this latest batch, I decided to make it a little "healthier" by significantly reducing the sugar content. Instead of the typical addition of oodles of brown sugar or granulated sugar, I just went with a scant one-third cup of honey. I think there's still plenty of sweetness in this granola; but without the added sugar (or butter), the resulting granola lacks clumps. (And I have to admit, the clumps are typically my favorite part.) Regardless, this muesli-like granola is delicious, and it's always nice to switch things up from time to time.


Cinnamon Coconut Granola (printer-friendly version)
about 10 cups

4 cups rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon granulated orange peel [optional]
3/4 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup raw honey

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Pour in the vegetable oil and honey. (If you add the vegetable oil first, the honey will slide right out of the measuring cup of you add it second.) Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all the ingredients are lightly moistened.
3. Spread the granola onto the prepped baking sheet.
4. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the coconut is lightly toasted.
6. Remove the granola from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally as it cools.
7. Store in an airtight container.

(inspired by this recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Lazy Girl Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Chops


Happy First Day of Spring! Apparently springtime is still a long ways away up here in Northern Wisconsin. It was -14 with windchill this morning when I took Leroy for an abbreviated walk around the cul de sac. I have to admit, as much as I love the snow (and have had fun learning how to cross-country ski; although given the bruises currently on my knees, I have a long way to go), I am SO ready for green grass and blooming flowers. I'm also considering signing up for a half-marathon that occurs in early May; I could really use some snow- and ice-free roadways, as I just cannot deal with running on a treadmill for more than 4 miles. I hear that the "mud season" lasts for quite awhile up here as all the piles of snow melt ... we shall see.

All this to say that given the cold temperatures, it appears I won't be giving up my slow cooker meals just yet. (In the warmer months, I tend to stay away from slow cooker meals and instead focus on meals that feature the fresh produce that arrives in the late spring and is available all summer long). For today's slow cooker recipe, I'm sharing a super-simple (and let's face it, super-lazy) recipe for BBQ pork chops. I made this last week when I was (randomly) craving some barbecue pork and was swamped with work. Though I have made barbecue sauce from scratch in the past, I didn't have the time to whip up a batch this time around. So instead I opted to use the bottled variety, and found a brand that had an ingredient list I could get behind (and was quite similar to the ingredients I would have used if I had made the sauce from scratch myself). To make this dish, you just pour some sauce into the crockpot, add the pork chops, and add enough sauce so that the chops are covered. Set it on low, and let the slow cooker work its magic for 6 hours. The result? Amazingly-delicious barbecue pork chops with almost zero effort.

Lazy Girl Slow Cooker BBQ Pork Chops (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 servings

4 pork chops
1 bottle (20-24 oz) barbecue sauce (I used American Stockyard Smoky Sweet BBQ Sauce)

1. Pour about half the bbq sauce into a 2-quart slow cooker bowl. Add the pork chops. Pour in more bbq sauce if necessary to completely cover the chops.
2. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
3. Shred the meat or serve the pork chops whole. I served the pork chops over a bed of wild rice (and had some steamed broccoli on the side, not pictured, obvs.)

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What's On the Side: Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad


Our friends invited us over for a little get-together yesterday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day/the End of Winter. (Albeit, with all the snow still on the ground, and temperatures forecasted to be in the 20s this week, I'm not quite convinced much will change when the season turns to Spring on Wednesday.) Our friends supplied the corned beef and guests were tasked with bringing along a dish to share. (Which of course is right up my alley, since that means I can make a huge batch of ("blog-worthy") food and D won't complain about an endless amount of leftovers in the fridge.) In addition to baking up a batch of Guinness chocolate cupcakes (I couldn't help myself), I also put together a Brussels sprouts salad -- the perfect way to use up a 2-pound bag of Brussels sprouts in our fridge and, hey, it's green to boot, making it just right for a St. Patrick's Day celebration.

This salad comes together quite quickly, particularly if you use a food processor to shred the sprouts. You can easily customize this salad by using whatever hard cheese or nuts you have on hand. I jazzed up my version with dried cranberries and the addition of fresh herbs to the dressing. The salad is best served the day that you make it, but it is also good as leftovers when eaten within one or two days.


Brussels Sprouts Salad (printer-friendly version)
makes 10-12 servings

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cinder vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. Rinse and dry the Brussels sprouts. Tear off any wonky leaves and chop off the woody stems.
2. Use a food processor (I used a 2 mm slicing blade) to shred the Brussels sprouts. Alternately, you could use a mandoline or slice them (carefully!) with a sharp knife.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast until fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Shake the skillet or stir the walnuts occasionally to prevent burning. Turn the walnuts out onto a cutting board. Let cool slightly and then roughly chop. Set aside.
4. In a jar, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are well-combined.
5. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts to a serving bowl. Add in the grated Parm, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries. Pour in the dressing and toss to combine.
6. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this Gluten-Free Girl recipe via Shutterbean)


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What's Baking: Honey Poppy Seed Banana Bread


A few weeks ago, my friend Sheri posted a recipe for banana bread that featured honey and poppy seeds, and I immediately pinned the recipe. Fast forward to last week, and what should I find on my kitchen countertop but three bananas that were quickly reaching the overripe stage. Ah, kismet! I listened to what the universe was telling me and made a loaf of banana bread using the new-to-me recipe. The addition of honey really gives this banana bread an additional depth of flavor, and I also was a huge fan of the added texture and crunch provided by the poppy seeds. This recipe (which is from the book Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito) is a keeper, for sure.

Honey Poppy Seed Banana Bread (printer-friendly version)
makes one 9" loaf

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup organic skim milk
1/2 cup raw honey
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9"x 5" loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mashed bananas, vegetable oil, milk, honey, and eggs.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Stir in the poppy seeds; do not overmix.
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
7. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack, and allow it to cool completely.
8. Once cooled, wrap tightly in aluminum foil.

(adapted from this recipe)
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What's For Dessert: "There's What in My Pudding?" Chocolate Pudding


Last week, Ashley at {never} homemaker posted a recipe for black bean + avocado chocolate pudding, and I was immediately intrigued. I had used avocado in a chocolate mousse recipe before, but I had never used black beans in a dessert recipe. (Though I've seen plenty of recipes for black bean brownies and the like, so I knew it was "a thing.") Since I had the ingredients on hand along with a hankering for some chocolate pudding, I decided to give the recipe a try. I did tweak a couple of things, such as replacing the almond milk with coconut milk, which I still had leftover in the fridge from a different recipe.

I think this is definitely one of those recipes that you will either love or hate. You can place me firmly in the "love" category. The black beans give a little "earthy" edge to the flavor, but I found that the flavors melded together pretty well, particularly after a couple of days chilling in the fridge. The addition of a tiny spoonful of mini chocolate chips also helps to amp up the chocolate flavor and add a contrasting crunchy texture to the smoothness of the pudding.

Give it a whirl, and let me know what you think!

There's What in My Pudding? Chocolate Pudding (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1 ripe avocado, pitted and flesh scooped out
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 - 1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey 
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
mini semi-sweet chocolate chips [stir in at the end, optional]

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a double-broiler over medium-high heat. Stir with a rubber spatula to ensure even melting. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine together the avocado and black beans. Slowly add in 1/4 cup of the coconut milk, pulsing between additions.
3. Add in the honey, cocoa powder, melted chocolate chips, chia seeds, and vanilla extract. Process until smooth. Add in additional coconut milk to achieve your preferred consistency. I added in about 1/4 cup more.
4. Spoon the pudding into a bowl with a tight lid. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
5. If desired, stir in about a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips into each portion of chocolate pudding before serving.

 (adapted from this {never} homemaker recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Vegetable Minestrone Soup


I ended last week with a soup recipe and I am starting this week with another one. Perhaps I need a soup intervention? Maybe. But soups are just so easy to make! And as the snow began to blow yet again around our little lakeside cottage last night, the thought of a warm bowl of soup served fireside just seemed like the right thing to do. I used a recipe from Real Simple as the inspiration for my minestrone soup; I meandered quite a bit from the original ingredients; but given the lackluster recipe reviews, I knew the soup would need a little something more to make it the hearty and flavorful soup I desired. I added in macaroni (cooked separately) as an afterthought; you could also just throw it into the simmering soup and cook it once the soup is nearly ready to serve as well.

Vegetable Minestrone Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup green beans, quartered
1 15.5-ounce can northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen edamame
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon oregano
1 cup cooked elbow macaroni
pesto, for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add the celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until just darkened, about one minute.
3. Stir in the vegetable broth, green beans, northern beans, edamame, corn, and oregano. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cooked macaroni and simmer for an additional minute.
4. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a teaspoon of pesto. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this recipe)
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What's For Dinner: Simple Tomato Soup


Sometimes, all you need for dinner is a simple bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. This soup comes together in less than 20 minutes (seriously, it's that simple) and the grilled cheese is, well, two slices of (garlic sourdough) bread, a slice of swiss cheese, and a few minutes on the grill pan. Super simple, yet full of flavor. I may or may not have had this combination for dinner three nights in a row. Don't judge me.

Simple Tomato Soup (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano

1. Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and salt and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Carefully pour in the whole peeled tomatoes (and juices) and vegetable broth.
4. Stir in the dried oregano.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the soup has thickened slightly.
6. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Alternately, puree the soup in a blender, taking care to allow the heat to escape to avoid any splattering.)

(adapted from this Real Simple recipe)


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What's For Dinner: Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Chops


This coming Sunday marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time, and though I am not looking forward to losing an hour of sleep (I suppose I could just go to bed earlier...), I am so looking forward to more light in the evening. Rule #1 of food blogging is using natural light for photography, and since I typically don't start cooking each evening until the sun has begun to set, I have been failing at this rule all winter long. (Many food bloggers prep all their posts over the weekend, I, ahem, am not quite that organized ... and/or I'd rather spend the weekend cross-country skiing, catching up on sleep, or running errands (aka, making the 45-minute drive south for a chai latte) -- perhaps that is why my blog isn't yet a household name? Hmmm...) All this just to say that the other night I cooked up a batch of sweet and sour pork chops in my slow cooker, and though the post-sunset photograph (above) doesn't do them any justice, the resulting pork chops were actually quite delicious. The last time I made pork chops in my slow cooker, I was pining for a more substantial sauce, and the thick sweet and sour sauce in this recipe definitely does the trick.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork Chops (printer-friendly version)
makes 4 servings

4 boneless organic pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons corn starch

1. Place the pork chops in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, honey, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic.
3. Pour the mixture over the pork chops, covering them evenly.
4. Cook on low for 4 hours, or until the pork chops are tender and cooked through. Prior to serving, stir in the corn starch to thicken the sauce.
5. Serve over rice.

 (adapted from this recipe)
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What's For Dessert: Coconut Rice Pudding


I made Thai-style veggie rice for dinner last week, and since the recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of coconut milk, I had nearly a full can left over. Since I didn't want it to go to waste, one of my goals over the weekend was to use it up in a new-to-me recipe. A quick Google search led me to a recipe for coconut rice pudding. The recipe I worked from called for three cans of coconut milk, so in halving the recipe I ended up with some leftover coconut milk yet again, but this pudding is so good I think I may have to try to make one more single-serving batch. I like the addition of raisins to my rice pudding, but I know that not everyone likes them (D included), so stirring them in at the end is up to you.

Coconut Rice Pudding (printer-friendly version)
makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 cans (2 1/4 cups) organic light coconut milk
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup arborio rice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raisins [optional]
ground nutmeg [for garnish]

1. Add all of the ingredients except the vanilla extract to a medium sauce pot over medium high heat.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking for 45 minutes until the pudding has thickened and the rice is cooked. If desired, stir in raisins.
3. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with a dash of ground nutmeg.

 (adapted from this Heart of Light recipe)



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