February 17, 2011

Lemon Date Energy Bars

I was sitting on the couch the other day, watching a recorded episode of Glee, Cooper was napping and I finally finished the chores on my loooong TO DO list. I started plowing through a “Lemon Bar” flavored LÄRABAR and thought, “Damn! These are GOOD!” I checked the back of the package and was shocked to find that it contained less than FIVE ingredients. In true Tracy fashion, all I could think was: MUST MAKE THESE. LIKE. RIGHT NOW. All of the ingredients were just chilling in my pantry. Glee can wait!

I looked at the ingredient list from my Coconut Date Rolls to help me cess out these bars because dates are the main binder in both! After a few tweaks & pulses in the food processor, I think I totally got it! My very own Lemon Date Energy Bars! They’re a bit dense, a little sticky, kinda chewy, super nutty, naturally sweet and totally lemony! They taste pretty darn close to the original bar that inspired them. On the next batch, I’ll leave a few of the nuts chunkier and I’ll cut the bars smaller. I can’t wait to tinker with more recipes! Watch out food processor, you’re gonna get USED!
CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

February 16, 2011

Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash

You know a dish is a winner when you find yourself making it twice in one week. Say hello to my new addiction, Brussels Sprout-Potato Hash! Breakfast potatoes just got a WHOLE lot better with the addition of Brussels Sprouts! They add lots of depth to the dish, rounding out all the carbs. Yes. I can never get enough carbs, but sometimes my guilt takes over! I don’t feel as bad binging on breakfast potatoes now when there’s a huge heaping pile of caramelized Brussels Sprouts in the mix. I must also note that the addition of lemon zest & thyme make this hash stellar. Casey immediately asked me “Ooh! what’s this spice?” Thyme, baby. Thyme. Other things to note: vegan, low fat, low calorie, gluten-free & fantastic!

around the home, Uncategorized

February 15, 2011

Valentine’s Day 2011

On Valentine’s Day we sat around the kitchen table with Cooper and ate frozen pizza. Sounds totally glamorous, right? Don’t worry, we exchanged cards. There was love! When we planned our Valentine’s day meal, we decided to make it all happen on Sunday, the day before V-DAY. This way we could have time to cook and enjoy a meal together after Cooper went down for the night. No stupid traffic to contend with, no road rage or wiped-out-from-work attitudes between the two of us. Nope! Just a relaxing evening cooking in the kitchen and sharing a bottle of wine…being all adulty, but wearing pajamas while doing so. Nice pajamas. Cuz you know…it’s Valentine’s Day.

The menu:

Arugula salad with a fig balsamic dressing with shaved Parmesan
Bay Scallop Gratin (that made me a scallop lover! Thanks Ina!)
Risotto Bianco (was good, but would never attempt it if I was on Top Chef! Those judges are harsh!)

The best part? Being surprised by my husband with #19 from my 31 comes before 32 list. We’re taking a cooking class together! I’m so glad that I don’t have to teach him how to cook! It’s gonna be a total riot.

recipes, Uncategorized

February 14, 2011

Winning Hearts & Minds Chocolate Cake

The other night, Casey and I had a discussion about chocolate cake. He seems to think that the best part of chocolate cake is the frosting. I disagree. I think the CAKE in chocolate cake is the best part. I’m actually one of those people who scrapes the frosting off chocolate cake and leaves it to the side of my plate. Does that make you think less of me? I hope not… It’s just too much chocolate for me to take! I always make sure to give Casey my extra frosting. This is love.

This cake is the perfect compromise for both of us. A cake that needs NO frosting because it’s moist, delicate, fluffy and oh so fudge-y. Frosting on top of this cake would be absolutely insane. I do believe that a light dusting of powdered sugar spruces it up and makes it cute! Slightly sweetened whipped cream makes is decadent but somehow even lighter! Who would have thought that was possible? See the heart on top? I made this sweet little cake for our Valentine’s Day last year and in the course of a few days that cake disappeared hunk by hunk from the kitchen counter. It’s no wonder Molly decided to serve this cake as her wedding cake. Hope you win some Hearts & Minds this Valentine’s Day! XOXO
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Photography, Uncategorized

February 12, 2011

365-Week 6

A food related photo every day til 2012. Here’s week 6:

42/365 Playing with my food! That’s me!

CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

February 11, 2011

FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!

Today I’m opening up the vault and letting you in on a few of my cooking & baking FAILS! I’ve got a bunch of pretty pictures wasting precious space on my hard drive because the recipes were bunk or I failed at executing them! It’s time to clear up some space!

Ahhh mistakes….We all make them! The most important thing is to learn from them! That’s the only way to get better. Here’s some failures for ya….

This Lentil & Bulgur Soup sounded too good to be true! I was attracted to the recipe because the ingredients list was short. Little did I know the soup would be short on taste! I tried to add more vinegar to the recipe to wake it up. Unfortunately, the vinegar only made it worse. Parmesan cheese didn’t even help it. How lame is that? FAIL.

recipes, Uncategorized

February 10, 2011

Everyday Chickpea Salad

Everyday. Chickpea. Salad. Everyday–meaning this salad is so good, you could eat it every day and can use everyday ingredients to make it! Nothing fussy, nothing crazy, just GOOD simple ingredients in a delicious/healthy salad that will make you feel full AND exceptional afterward.

I’m such a sucker for adaptable salads because there’s a nice ease to making stuff with what I already have in the kitchen. When I went to gather the ingredients for the dressing, I looked to see how much olive oil I needed to measure out and realized that there IS NO OIL in the recipe! Brilliant! The cashews and Dijon mustard act as the emulsifiers! The combo of balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard make it tangy! I love how the dressing soaked into the couscous, adored the crunchy sweetness of the peppers, and loved the creaminess of the chickpeas. I’m glad to have this salad & dressing in my current rotation.

Whitney & Anna both seduced me into picking up a copy of the Appetite for Reduction cookbook. Everything is entirely vegan, low calorie, low fat, but definitely NOT lacking in flavor. I made the Brussels Sprouts Potato Hash (post coming soon!) for lunch this week and now I’m totally hooked. I have over 15 recipes marked to try! I love that feeling.

So yeah, I’m back on the salad wagon (again). It’s such a nice wagon to be on. It always makes me feel fantastic, healthy and light! I hope my friend Jenny (who is going vegan for a week) LOVES this salad!