In A Nutshell

I wanted to make a lower carb cake with less sugar as well; I thought it turned out pretty good! It is adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Cake: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used 2%) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup sugar substitute blend (I used Splenda baking blend-- this is mixed with real sugar) zest of one lemon 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 eggs 1 cup flour 2/3 cup almond meal 1 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/8 t salt Grease a 9"round pan; preheat oven to 350º. Whisk the yogurt, oil, sugar blend, lemon zest and juice; add the eggs one at a time and whisk well. Dump the dry ingredients right over the batter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined (you can whisk or sift the dry ingredients together first in a separate bowl if you want to). Bake for about 35 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces: 27 g carbs per piece (as opposed to 45 g per piece using the original recipe). Raspberry Sauce : 12 oz. raspberries 1/4 cup water 3 T granulated stevia 2 t sugar 1 T fresh lemo...

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit; it is festive and delicious! Enjoy with a margarita or beer and some refried beans. For the steak marinade : 3 lbs skirt steak 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped  6 T lime juice 6 T EVOO 1 T hot smoked Spanish paprika 1 T mild paprika (it doesn't have to be Spanish) 2 T chopped cilantro 2 t salt 1 T cumin 1 t onion powder freshly ground pepper Whisk marinade ingredients and pour over the skirt steak, taking care to make sure that it is completely dunked on both sides. Marinade all day or overnight. Grill the steak over high heat for about 3 minutes per side, depending on how thick your steak is. Slice thinly and cover while you grill your vegetables. For the vegetables : 1 small head red cabbage, cut into 4ths 1 large white onion, cut into 4 wedges 1 bunch scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces salt and pepper EVOO for brushing the vegetables lime juice for squeezing over the veg after they are grilled Brush the vegetables wit...

This is from Barefoot Contessa Parties ; it's really the best Caesar salad ever. You can sub in kale on occasion for a change of pace. The dressing is so lemony and delicious that you'll never want to buy a bottle from the store again! For the dressing : 1 organic egg yolk, at room temp. 2 t Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, pressed 8 anchovy fillets (optional- I leave this out) 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 t kosher salt freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 cups olive oil (do not use extra-virgin olive oil or it will separate) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan In a food processor, place the egg yolk, mustard, garlic lemon juice, salt and pepper and process until smooth (ish). With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil through the tube and process until thick. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse a few times. For the salad : chopped romaine lettuce roasted cherry tomatoes (drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper and roast at 450º for 20 minutes) cooked choppe...

This delicious and easy pasta recipe comes from Fine Cooking magazine. The only trick is to work quickly when tossing the pasta with the eggs so that they don't cook. 1 lb dried or fresh spaghetti 1/2 lb diced pancetta or chopped bacon 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 3 eggs, room temp. 4 oz. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano freshly ground black pepper Cook pasta al dente in well-salted water; reserve 1 cup of the water. While pasta water is boiling, cook the pancetta in the olive oil (or if using bacon, omit the olive oil) in a deep 12" skillet (not cast iron). Cook until crisp. If you are using bacon, remove most of the fat. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmigiano and black pepper; slowly whisk in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Immediately after draining the spaghetti, add it to the skillet with the pancetta and quickly pour in the egg mixture, briskly tossing it with tongs until the pasta is well-coated- don't dilly dally here. Add more of the reserved pasta ...

This takes me back to childhood when the sound of a pull-tab popping on a can of Snack Pac made my heart sing, and I risked injury to my tongue just to lick off any little bits of pudding sticking to the top of the can. Now they are made from plastic... where's the fun in that??? Adapted from Bon Appétit magazine. 1 cup sugar 2 T cornstarch 2 T unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder pinch of kosher salt 4 egg yolks 2 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 t vanilla bean paste (much easier) 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted (I used a combination of dark and bittersweet from Trader Joe's) 1 T unsalted butter 1 t vanilla whipped cream and crushed pretzel thins (I just got to thinking that chocolate-covered pretzel thins or chocolate-covered potato chips from Trader Joe's might be divine) for topping In a heavy saucepan, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, salt and cocoa powder. In a medium bowl, whisk yolks, milk, cream and van...

This is a grain salad for olive lovers. Although I'll admit I was skeptical of the outcome, the combination of flavors is very good- don't leave out the walnuts-- they really make the salad! This recipe hinges on using your absolute favorite olives in the world (in my case, the spicy olives from the Whole Foods olive bar). I did not have golden raisins, so I can't in good faith vouch for that particular ingredient but I would guess that they would enhance the salad even further. Adapted from Food and Wine magazine. 1 1/4 cups farro, cooked according to package directions and cooled 1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted 2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped olives of your choice 4 scallions, chopped chopped chives 2 T golden raisins 1/2 t crushed red pepper 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 T lemon juice 1 T honey salt and pepper shaved Pecorino cheese, for serving (I forgot to do this) Combine the EVOO, CRP, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the remaini...

This is an adaptation of another Rachel Ray recipe; it is a meal in and of itself. I used my own turkey chorizo but you can easily find it at the store (Whole Foods often has either chicken or turkey chorizo) or you can use regular chorizo. 1 T vegetable or canola oil 1/2 lb chorizo, cooked and crumbled 1 onion, chopped 1 jalapeno, small diced 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 t ancho chili powder 1 t cumin 1 t coriander salt to taste 2 cans black beans, not rinsed or drained 3 cups chicken stock eggs, over easy shredded or crumbled queso fresco chopped cilantro diced radish pickled jalapenos diced tomatoes crushed tortilla chips Cook the onion, garlic and jalapeno in the oil for about 5 minutes and then add all the spices, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add the chorizo. In a blender, blend one can of beans with 1 cup of chicken stock. Add this to the pot and then the rest of the beans and stock. Simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Add salt...

Although the color in the photo looks a little garish, this Champagne cocktail was gorgeous in person! The recipe comes from Food Network magazine and is only slightly altered. This would be a beautiful drink to serve on Christmas. Aperol Blood Orange Juice (freshly squeezed) Simple Syrup Orange Bitters Sparkling Wine Combine 1T  Aperol, 1 t simple syrup,  3T  blood orange juice and a dash of bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass and top off with some sparkling wine. Add a twist of blood orange peel. Makes 1 cocktail.

Chubby winter-me wants comfort food-- puddings and other starchy fattening things from childhood. This has always been one of my favorite desserts; we are divided in our house-- my husband and son gag at the sight and smell of rice pudding; my daughter and I, on the other hand, can't get enough of it. The recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit. 2 quarts whole milk (I often use 1% because that's what we tend to have in the house) 1 cup jasmine or basmati rice 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar (to taste- I like 2/3) 2 T unsalted butter 1 t vanilla 1/4 t salt 2 egg yolks 1 cup heavy cream (hey.... don't feel bad... you used 1% milk- right?) cinnamon for the top Bring the milk, rice, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt to a boil in a heavy 4 quart saucepan; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently (don't be put off by the crust that forms while cooking- it gets stirred away) until rice is tender and creamy, about 1 hour. Whisk eggs in a bowl and add about 1 cup or so of the ...

The recipe for these rolls comes from a Serbian blog called foodforthought ; there are English translations but I hope to simplify the recipe for you. They are incredibly tasty and not difficult to make. I used ricotta cheese for the filling but you can also use crumbled feta if you want a stronger flavor. Since my son doesn't like cheese, I left half of them empty-- those soulless vessels were delicious as well. Have you ever noticed how every bread or roll recipe tells you to "let cool completely"? I really don't get that... why would you want to eat homemade rolls cold? My advice is eat them while they're warm... even if you have to burn your tongue- they're worth it! 3-4 cups all-purpose flour 2 t instant yeast 14 oz. milk, warmed 2 heaping tablespoons sour cream 2 T corn, canola or vegetable oil 2 egg yolks 1 t salt 1 stick of butter, room temperature ricotta or feta 1 egg white, for glaze In the bowl of a mixer, place 3 cups flour, the ...

January is a terrible time if you enjoy looking at cooking magazines... it's all kale and quinoa... poached and boiled... penance on a plate; so I'm offering a stick-to-the-ribs soup with carbs and cream and all that good stuff our bodies crave during the coldest month of the year. Very slightly adapted from Food Network. Leave out the bacon and use vegetable stock to make this vegetarian. 5 slices bacon, cut into little pieces 2 T butter 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms (I used white button and shitake) 2 medium potatoes, diced 2 T flour 1/2 cup dry sherry 4 -6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 cup heavy cream chopped parsley for garnish Cook the bacon in a large pot until crisp; remove to a paper-towel lined bowl and pour off all but about 1 T of the fat. Saute the onions in the bacon fat along with 2 T butter until they are very soft, about 8-10 minutes. This will make your kitchen smell like food heaven. Add the garlic an...