superfood smoothies

Most often, I find lunchtime to be pretty lacklustre. During school, I usually skip it all together, as it's just too much of a pain to put together and bring with me. However, if I am going to do lunch (and have really been trying to lately), it's going to be a smoothie. Now that we're not stuck in an arctic tundra, smoothie consumption doesn't have to be done while sitting in front of a space heater, which I very much appreciate. Smoothies are a great option on-the-go, and are an easy way to get in fruits, veggies, and superfoods. I find that there is a delicate art to constructing a smoothie that actually tastes good, and these three fit the bill.

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These smoothie recipes contain three superfoods with pretty insane nutritional benefits. I've listed a few of the benefits here, but there are plenty more associated with each.

Cacao: Raw cacao is packed with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc, copper, sulphur, magnesium, and calcium.

Spirulina: Spirulina is also an antioxidant, promotes immune function, and is a good source of aminos. It is also high in Omega-3s, chlorophyll, B-vitamins, and calcium.

Wheatgrass: Wheatgrass is a good source of chlorophyll, which aids with liver function and stabilizing blood sugar among other things. It contains 17 aminos, all minerals, and vitamins such as A, C, and K.

ALMOND BUTTER CUP

3/4 cup (175 mL) almond milk
1.5 TBSP (14 g) raw cacao powder
1 (100 g) banana, frozen
1 TBSP (16 g) raw almond butter
1 tsp cinnamon

CHOCOLATE MINT

3/4 cup (175 mL) almond milk
1.5 TBSP (14 g) raw cacao powder
1 scoop Sunwarrior protein powder
1/2 (50 g) banana, frozen
1/4 cup fresh mint
1 tsp spirulina
ice

optional: raw honey or agave, to taste

BANANA WHEATGRASS

3/4 cup (175 mL) cashew milk (recipe to follow)
1 (100 g) banana, frozen
handful kale
1 scoop MusclePharm banana protein powder
handful wheatgrass
ice

CASHEW MILK // Makes 5 cups
In contrast to almond milk, cashew milk doesn't need to be strained after mixing, making it the easiest of the homemade nut milks to throw together. Cashew milk is delightfully creamy and is my preferred nut milk.

1 cup cashews
4 cups filtered water
4 dates, pitted
1 tsp cinnamon

Soak cashews in water for four hours or overnight. Drain and rinse cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine cashews with 2 cups of filtered water. Blend until thoroughly combined. Add remaining 2 cups of water, dates, and cinnamon. Blend for roughly two minutes. Keeps in the refrigerated for up to four days.

- s

adventures in bread making: hot cross buns

Easter is right around the corner, which means hot cross buns and challah french toast. Okay, perhaps those two bread-y indulgences are only slightly related, but when I think of the holiday I think of those... And mini eggs... And peeps. Hot cross buns were one of the first baked goods I ever made, and were the first type of bread that I made without the help of a bread-machine. For that, they have a bit of a soft spot in my heart.

For these, I used a Martha Stewart recipe slightly adapted. I think that hot cross buns are not compete without the raisins, but I know that some (ahem, my brother) would disagree. What does not find itself in here are those candied fruits that supermarket versions like to put in because, blegh. To please the masses, I split the dough in two and made half with and half without the raisins. I also swapped the all-purpose flour out for whole wheat in equal ratios and had no problems. The crosses are made with a cream cheese icing as opposed to just confectioners sugar because, well, it's just better.

HOT CROSS BUNS // Makes 24 buns
Recipe from Martha Stewart.

1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup milk
4 1/2 tsp quick rise yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups raisins
1 large egg white

1/2 package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

Heat milk until warm, but not boiling. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, milk, yeast, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs.

Fit mixer with dough hook. Add flour one cup at a time. Continue to knead until smooth, approximately 5 minutes.

If making buns with and without raisins, separate dough into two rounds. Add raisins to one bowl and knead until distributed.

Butter, spray, or coat both bowls with oil. Coat dough in the oil, and cover the bowls. Allow to rise until doubled in size, 1 1/2 hours.

Roll out dough into a log and cut into sections to make 24 rounds. Roll into a bun shape and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. With a sharp knife or scissors, slice a cross into the top of the buns. Wash buns with a mixture of egg white and water. Allow to rise for another hour.

Heat one to 375F. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

To make the cream cheese icing, combine cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. When the buns have cooled slightly, pipe crosses into their tops.

adventures in bread making: mast brothers chocolate bread

Lately, I've been doing a fair share of baking. Three cakes in the span of two weeks, two successful batches of macarons, cookies... I find myself doing a lot of sampling as I go along, but once I reach the finished product I am never quite satisfied. In the past, I would have considered myself to be a big fan of desserts, but these days it's all a bit much. I enjoy sampling obscure flavours, but overall I get little satisfaction from them. What I do come back to time and time again is, of course, chocolate. With the richest chocolate you only need the teeny tiniest bit for total satisfaction. It really is blissful.

I thought we'd change pace a bit around here and try a recipe that's a little more user friendly. Anyone who is a fan of chocolate knows the Mast Brothers reign supreme. Late last year, they released a cookbook that I have flipped through numerous times at the bookstore, but still have yet to purchase. I have managed to scribble down a few recipes though, and this chocolate bread is one of them. Chocolate? Bread? What's not to love.

The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, which I'm sure would have been nice as well. In congruence with the chocolate and hazelnuts, I thought that the bread called for something a bit more robust. I opted for a 50/50 blend of whole wheat and rye flours. The result is really quite lovely.

CHOCOLATE BREAD // Makes two loaves
Adapted from Mast Brothers Chocolate: A Family Cookbook

1 TBSP + 3/4 tsp quick rise yeast
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups water, 30-35 degrees Celsius
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups rye flour
1 TBSP cacao powder
1 tsp salt
3 egg yolks
2 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cream

In a large bowl, mix yeast and brown sugar with water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour, cacao powder, salt, 1 egg yolk and butter. Using a stand mixer, knead dough for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, and then knead again for 10 minutes more. Add dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and raisins. Separate dough into two balls, cover, and allow to rise for two hours. Turn out onto a floured surface and punch down once. Place dough in two, lightly floured 9-inch loaf pans. Whisk the remaining two egg yolks with the cream, and brush each shaped dough with the wash. Leave to proof for 45 minutes until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425F. Bake for 12 minutes. Lower oven to 350F and continue to bake for 20 minutes.

- s

adventures in bread making: 75% whole wheat with levain

Working at a gym, I am well versed in all the crazy trendy diets out there. One that I don’t really get is the gluten-free thing when you aren’t even gluten intolerant. I can guarantee that these (mostly) women have read or at least seen snippets of Wheat Belly and have since condemned wheat and specifically gluten as the devil. Of course, most of the conversations that I overhear go something along the lines of, “Have you tried that great gluten-free bread/snack/packaged something-or-rather,” at which point I have to roll my eyes a little. That slice of bread that you’re giving up? It would do you a lot less damage than that gluten-free garbage that you’re having instead.

Being so interested in food, food politics and cooking, it’s hard not to define myself by my diet. Vegetarian? Vegan? Paleo? Keto? I made the decision a few weeks back to reintroduce meat into my diet, and while I have yet to actually do so, it struck up an interesting conversation between Gabi and myself about the slight identity crisis that comes with this sort of thing. Our take on the matter is that since we have followed strict-vegetarian diets for so long, our identities are ultimately wrapped up our eating habits. We both follow plant-based diet for different reasons—Gabi more so for the animals, and myself as a political and health stance. My decision to move away from a strict-vegetarian diet and furthermore to move away from labeling my eating habits in general, was not an easy one. However, it’s something that I’ve been thinking about for nearly two years, and now feels like the right time.

There is so much more that goes along with the consumption of food than the actual act. There are cultural aspects in regards to food preparation and practices, as well as the social aspect of food. Instead of smacking a label on eating habits and defining ourselves this way, we ought to focus on the important thing: finding nourishment and utter enjoyment in the bounties of the Earth.

I find great pleasure in the simplicity of enjoying a fresh-baked loaf of bread. The actual act of breaking bread with friends and family is something that I hold near and dear, much more so than any of the restrictions that I—we—place on ourselves from attempting to categorize our eating habits.

75%+ WHOLE WHEAT BREAD WITH LEVAIN // Makes 2 loaves
Every so slightly adapted from Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast

For your levain
100g mature levain
400g all purpose flour
100g whole wheat flour
400g 32C water

For your final dough
50g white flour
750g whole wheat flour
660g 35C water
20g sea salt
1/2 tsp instant dried yeast
360g levain

Feed your mature levain six to eight hours before mixing the final dough. More information regarding creating a levain can be found in the book. In a large tub, combine white and whole wheat flours with water by hand. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Add salt and weighed levain and mix by hand using folding and pincer methods. Cover and allow to rest. The dough needs three folds, which should be made within the first 1 1/2 to 2 hours after mixing.

Roughly five hours later after the dough has doubled in size, it is ready to be divided into two. Shape the dough using methods outlined in Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast, then place the dough into proofing baskets (or large bowls lined with floured kitchen towels) overnight.

Preheat the oven to 475F an hour before cooking. While the oven is heating, place 2 Dutch ovens on the rack with lids on. Turn out the dough into the Dutch ovens. Bake with lid on for 30 minutes, followed by ~20 minutes with lid off.

I found it's great served with a pat of butter or honey.

- s

recipe: superfood granola

Everyone's got that particular type of food that they just can't resist. You know, the one you're found red-handed scarfing down by the light of the refrigerator. For me, it's granola (also chocolate, peanut butter and pizza, but we'll get to those another time). We keep the store-bought stuff in the house pretty infrequently, because I can mow through a thing in a matter of hours. Not to mention that a lot store-bought stuff is laden with sugar. By making granola at home, it allows you to control the amount of sugar that you're adding, not to mention you can pick and choose your add-ins.

I'm all about the super foods right now, and this granola contains three, plus a whole whack of other goodies. The recipe is based on Kelsey's banana hemp granola, with a bit less sugar and the addition of the super foods. What it produces is a perfectly chewy snack with an almost buttery flavour. It really is a treat.

Mulberries are sweet little flavour bursts that are packed with nutritional benefits. They are touted as being an anti-aging superfood due to its high concentration of resveratrol. Furthermore, they combat inflammation and promote heart health. Mulberries are also a great source of iron, calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. Goji berries are very well-known for their antioxidant properties. Goji's contain 18 amino acids, including the essential aminos, making them a great snack for vegans and vegetarians. Goji berries also contain over 20 vitamins and trace minerals including vitamin C, A, B, zinc, riboflavin, and iron. That's a pretty big punch in a teeny-tiny package. Last but not least, goldenberries also reduce inflammation and aid in immunity. They contain high levels of vitamin A, C, and a good fair bit of protein.

Goldenberries, in contrast to mulberries and goji berries, are not particularly sweet and lend more of a sour flavour. I find that the contrast against the granola itself, as well as the mulberries and goji berries is really quite nice. They balance each other out very well and the goldenberries add another element of flavour. If that's not your thing, feel free to substitute with raisins or dried cranberries.

SUPERFOOD GRANOLA // Makes 5 cups
Slightly adapted from Happyolks

2 bananas, mashed
½ cup organic virgin coconut oil, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ cup hemp seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
a hefty pinch of salt

½ cup white mulberries
½ cup goji berries
1/3 cup golden berries

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine bananas, coconut oil and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add oats, hemp seeds, cinnamon and salt. Mix until it all comes together. Spread into one layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

Mix in mulberries, goji berries and golden berries. Store in air airtight container.

- s

adventures in bread-making - jim lahey's no-knead bread

One of my intentions this year is to master bread-making. It's an art that I began to play around with last year in an attempt to rid the family pantry of preservative-laden breads that are found in the supermarket. Furthermore, I had an ideal of the perfect loaf of bread that I'd tasted in Seattle at Sitka & Spruce that I wanted to replicate at home.

Bread and our health

The obvious assumption is that a loaf of bread contains only the necessary four components: flour, water, salt and yeast, with maybe an additional cheese or spice to kick things up a notch. The reality of conventional bread looks a bit different.

Whole grain whole wheat flour including the germ, water, glucose-fructose/sugar, yeast*, vegetable oil (canola or soybean), salt, wheat gluten, vinegar, calcium propionate, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, monoglycerides, acetylated tartaric acid esters of mono and diglycerides, sorbic acid. May contain calcium iodate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulphate, cornstarch, ammonium chloride. *order may change. May contain soybean, milk ingredients and sesame seeds.*

Um, what? The amount of processing that now goes into something so fundamental and so simplistic is mind-blowing. Of course, the relatively long shelf life of a conventional loaf of bread should perhaps be a telltale sign of tampering from the get-go.

One would think that switching to whole wheat instead of white bread would make a huge difference in regards to health benefits. You’d be half right in that white bread is basically a glucose hit to the bod, but supposed whole wheat bread isn’t that much better. Case and point: the above label comes from a loaf of whole wheat bread. In Cooked, Pollan discusses just how much whole wheat flours have changed since we started making bread. It’s an interesting discussion, and one that included many facts that I did not know about the state of our whole grain flours.

Resources

I knew that there would be a few loaves that I would be making on my journey to master bread-making. Of course, I had an idea as to which would yield the result that I was after, but that it would be worthwhile to give the other methods a go. My first memory of home-cooked bread (or really, my only memory) came from a bread-maker. We purchased one again a few years back in an attempt to reduce the amount of supermarket bread that graced our table. Next, I took out both Tartine and Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast from the library, more so in the quest for exquisite pizza dough than bread. Nevertheless, I made one loaf with my own starter from each book and received decent results.

Recently, I read Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan. His book devotes an entire section to bread-making, and was ultimately the reason why I picked it up in the first place. Everything that could be said about the romanticism of bread-making is said in Cooked, so I'll leave it to Pollan to provide those words. What the book provided me was an excellent starting point in my attempt to understand the science behind the perfect loaf of bread. Pollan writes of his mentorship with Chad Robertson of Tartine Bread and the science behind Robertson's perfect white loaf. That is my starting point. I couldn't agree more with Pollan that most of the literature out there begins with mastering a good loaf of white bread as opposed to wheat, since white bread has been so commonplace for such a long time.

The health detriments caused by white flour and white bread are hard to ignore, and it slightly (very slightly) pains me to begin my bread-making journey there. However, I feel that, much like Pollan, in order to feel comfortable messing around with wheat flours I must first be knowledgeable in the creation of a white loaf. My first experiment of the year came in the form of Jim Lahey's no-knead bread, the infamous no-frills recipe that popped up on the web some years ago and has since gained cult status. Looking back, it seems perhaps a peculiar place to start. Why not a very simple loaf made by the bread-machine? I don't really have an answer for that, except that I was looking for something a little more artisan and Lahey's recipe seemed the perfect fit.

The process

I mixed the dough the night before I planned to cook the bread. Just flour, water, salt and yeast mixed together to form a somewhat shaggy dough with a surprisingly high level of hydration. I covered it with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let it sit for the maximum eighteen hours, falling into early afternoon of the following day. As the recipe suggests, the dough seemed aerated, with bubbles forming on the surface. I turned it out onto the counter (wetting my hands to avoid sticking, as I'd learned in Tartine), gave it a few turns, and allowed it to sit for the recommended fifteen minutes before leaving it for its second rise.

Ah, the second rise. This is the point where the dough is transferred to a bowl sitting on a floured kitchen towel. I had trouble with this process when I made my Tartine-inspired loaves last year, and I had the same issue with Lahey's loaf. The trouble being that my kitchen towel never seems to be floured quite enough, resulting in the dough sticking and ultimately deflating it when trying to peel it into the dutch oven. Furthermore, I'm concerned that at this point I skewed the process a bit by letting it rise longer than Lahey recommended. I left the house for a few hours and debated delaying the second rise a bit by putting the dough into the refrigerator. I didn't, and instead left it on the counter. Instead of a two-hour rise, I'm sure that it was more like four by the time I returned home and pre-heated the oven. 450F, pre-heat for an hour, followed by a half-hour cook with the lid on, followed by anywhere from an additional fifteen to thirty minutes with the lid off to form a browned crust. I cooked mine for the maximum length, hoping that my loaf would resemble one of the Tartinian ones I'd made in the past, only to find that it didn't brown quite the same, or get nearly as dark as I recalled. No, what resulted instead was a crust that I found to be a bit to crusty for my liking (although perhaps the better reasoning is that I need better knives).

After allowing it to cool, the first cut revealed an airy interior. The taste was good, but the scent was better. The slight sourness that comes with anything yeasted lent more to the loaf than the actual taste itself, and thankfully that smell lingered in the house for hours to come. I enjoyed the heel, still warm, with a pinch of butter. The rest I cut up and left to my family for sandwiches. They sang praises, thankfully.

It's easy for me to pick out where I went wrong in the process of making the no-knead bread, although I don't quite understand the science as to why. I have a lot more investigation to do before I come to that conclusion. For now, I suppose that I'll be satisfied with the result. In Cooked, Pollan mentions that he hasn't yet been satisfied with his results and that he has a-ways to go before achieving that perfect loaf. I imagine that for me, my bread-making experience will be a bit like that. The happiness that even a "mediocre" loaf of bread can bring my family is enough to subside my feelings of the need for improvement.

- s

*From Dempsters.ca

recipe: my favourite pancake/waffle

Breakfast is likely the most sacred part of my day. Most days, I'm up before anyone else, allowing me an hour of peace and quiet to perform the ritual that is preparing the first cup of coffee for the day and breakfast. I've got it down to such a science now that I can heat the water for the coffee, prepare the cup and have this waffle/pancake on the table in ten minutes flat, with both being done at precisely the right moment. I'm patting myself on the back for that one.

Breakfast is supposed to be "the most important meal of the day," right? Well, what happens when what you're choosing to have for breakfast is not exactly the healthiest option, and is instead some sugar laden cereal or a greased up McMuffin? Personally, I love something sweet in the morning. I've tried to get on the egg bandwagon, but for the life of me it just doesn't feel right. Pancakes and waffles though? That's where it's at. Unfortunately, most pancakes and waffles contain their fair share of not so great ingredients. This recipe contains a very short ingredient list and can be used to make either a pancake or a waffle. What I like about it is that it provides a healthy ratio of carbs, protein and fat, while amping up the fiber and having very low sugar content.

A word of warning: if you're making a pancake, don't expect this to be super fluffy. It's a lot more wholesome than that, but still as delicious. I like to make one large pancake in a small pan, but I imagine the recipe would do just fine making numerous smaller pancakes if you omit the non-dairy milk (the batter is quite thin with it). For toppings, on a waffle I like plain yogurt with some seasonal fruit or on a special occasion some maple syrup, while with pancakes I gravitate towards nut butters. Whichever way you choose to go, you can rest assured that this will keep you satisfied until lunchtime. 

FIVE-INGREDIENT PANCAKE or WAFFLE // Makes 1

1/2 banana, mashed
1/3 cup oat flour
1 TBSP (7g) ground flax
1/4 cup (63g) egg whites
30g non-dairy milk (omit if making a waffle)
1 tsp baking powder (omit if making a pancake)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. For waffles, pour into waffle maker and follow waffle-maker instruction manual. If making one large pancake, pour into a small pan greased with coconut oil over low heat. Once the edges cook a bit, carefully flip (the center will still be uncooked and a bit tricky to flip the first couple of times). The key here is to cook over low heat.

Enjoy!

- s

recipe: gingerbread macarons with chocolate ganache

Is anyone else having a really hard time believing that Christmas is two weeks away? Holiday baking is in full force around here, as there are a plethora of work, friend and family events on the horizon. I've been making a lot of molten chocolate cakes and savoury aolis that ask me to use only the egg yolks, therefore I have a ton of egg-whites leftover. What better to make with leftover egg-whites than macarons? These are the first of a few flavours I hope to play around with over the coming weeks.

I would have liked to do a gingerbread buttercream as a filling for these babies. I had a large container of chocolate ganache leftover from a cake that I made a while back that needed using up instead. While the gingerbread flavours did come across (I think the ginger cookie sprinkled on top helped), the chocolate is quite prominent. I don't think that it would hurt to be a little heavy handed on the spices.

GINGERBREAD MACARONS

For the shells
135g egg whites
45g granulated sugar
215g powdered sugar
125g almond flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground ginger
1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice

Ginger cookie recipe from The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set out your piping bag and twist off the bottom so that no batter leaks out when transferring.Add powdered sugar, almond flour and spices to a large bowl. Combine and sift the mixture.

In another bowl, add egg whites. Beat on low speed until frothy, about a minute. Gradually add sugar. Increase speed to medium, and continue to beat until the egg whites are foamy, about two minutes. Increase speed to high, and beat until the egg whites stiff-peaks are formed and resemble thick shaving cream. Do not over-beat.

Add the flour mixture to the egg ones in one batch and gently combine. Continue to fold the mixture until if forms a ribbon-like consistency. To test, drop batter onto a plate. If the mixture collapses back onto itself within ten seconds, you’re good to go. If it beaks, give it a few more folds, continuing to test.

Once the batter is ready, transfer to the piping bag. Pipe small rounds. Give the baking sheets a rough tap on its side, rotate 90 degrees, and tap again. This helps to eliminate any air in the piped cookies. Sprinkle crumbled ginger cookie on top of the shells. Allow the piped cookies to sit out and develop a crust, thirty minutes to an hour.

Heat oven to 200F. Bake macarons for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven, and remove from baking sheet to cool. Once cooled (30 minutes or so), remove from parchment.

For the ganache
1 cup heavy cream
5 oz dark chocolate, chopped
3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 TBSP light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

Put chocolate into a large bowl. Bring cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate. Allow to sit for roughly a minute, then stir until smooth. Sit in corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Allow to cool until thick.

To assemble, spred or pipe chocolate ganache into cooled macaron shells. These are really great if allowed to sit in the refrigerator overnight to develop the flavours.

- s

recipe: chocolate coconut energy bar

We're a big fan of Larabars around here. They are easy to grab on the way out the door on those mornings when we just don't have time to pack a proper lunch (or are simply to lazy to do so). My favorite thing about them is that they boast a short ingredient list, which in my eyes makes them a clean-eating packaged meal, if there is such a thing. The major downside is the price tag. Luckily for us, making energy bars at home is simple thanks to that short ingredient list. These bars are highly versatile (my favorite are a remake of the Coconut Cream version") by switching up the type of nuts or add-ins.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT ENERGY BARS // Makes 9

20 Medjool dates, pitted
1 TBSP raw virgin coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/3 cup dark chocolate chipsLine a 9x9 baking tray with parchment paper.

* If you are using a food processor, feel free to make the whole recipe in the processor. If using a Vitamix, I suggest transferring the mixture to a bowl after processing and mixing the ingredients together by hand. It's a little rough on the motor to blend it all in the Vitamix. I'll be giving directions for use of the Vitamix, but take note that it can all be done in one process if using a food processor.

In a food processor or Vitamix, blend dates and coconut oil to form a paste. Transfer the date mixture to a large bowl after processing. Add the almond, pecans, shredded coconut and cacao powder to the Vitamix, and process until crumbly. Transfer the mixture to the bowl, add the chocolate chips, and mix by hand until it all stays together. Press the mixture into the baking tray and refrigerate for an hour or two until firm and easy to cut.

- s

recipe: salted caramel apple macarons

If there is such a thing as "macaron anxiety," well, I get it. Majorly. Macaron making is tough business if you don't follow instructions carefully. The first time that I made them I had crazy beginners luck and they turned out wonderfully. The next few times... Not so much. I was discouraged and even afraid of making them again. Really though, they are not something to be afraid of. You do need to read through the recipe carefully and make sure that all of your bases are covered. I have read that aging the egg whites and leaving them out to form shells helps. I've also read that that's complete bullshit. These days I take all precautions and have had success.

Don't fear the macaron!

These macarons are based on Pierre Hermé's Frivolité, which are, well salted caramel and apple. I've been told that the caramel is the flavour that you get most, so I'd suggest being a little heavy handed on the apple pieces and definitely not skimping out on the freeze-dried apples in the shells. The ones that I used are Mrs Mays, but you can also find them at stores like Costco or Trader Joe's (so I've read). I can only assume that they turned out well, because I left for work one day and came home to two dozen macarons eaten by my family...

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE MACARONS

For the apples
1 baking apple (ex. Granny Smith)
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP granulated sugar

Heat oven to 300F. Core and peel apple. Combine with fresh squeezed lemon juice and sugar. Place on a baking sheet and bake for roughly an hour until slightly dried.

For the salted caramel
Recipe via David Lebovitz

For the shells (Adapted from Bakers Royale)
135g egg whites, aged at least three days
45g granulated sugar
25g freeze-dried apple
215g powdered sugar
125g almond flour

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Create a template on another piece of parchment by drawing 1.5 inch circles. Set out your piping bag and twist off the bottom so that no batter leaks out when transferring.

Pulse freeze-dried apple in a food processor. Sift into a large bowl. Add powdered sugar and almond flour. Combine, and sift the mixture.

In another bowl, add aged egg whites. Beat on low speed until frothy, about a minute. Gradually add sugar. Increase speed to medium, and continue to beat until the egg whites are foamy, about two minutes. Increase speed to high, and beat until the egg whites stiff-peaks are formed and resemble thick shaving cream. Do not over-beat.

Add the flour mixture to the egg ones in one batch, and gently combine. Continue to fold the mixture until if forms a ribbon-like consistency. It should take no more than fifty strokes (although I lose track after the first twenty). To test, drop batter onto a plate. If the mixture collapses back onto itself within ten seconds, you're good to go. If it beaks, give it a few more folds, continuing to test.

Once the batter is ready, transfer to the piping bag. Place the macaron template beneath the prepared parchment, and pipe. Once you've finished a sheet, remove the template from that sheet and place it beneath the other sheet. Repeat. Give the baking sheets a rough tap on its side, rotate 90 degrees, and tap again. This helps to eliminate any air in the piped cookies. Allow the piped cookies to sit out and develop a crust, thirty minutes to an hour.

Heat oven to 200F. Bake macarons for 20-22 minutes. Remove from oven, and remove from baking sheet to cool. Once cooled (30 minutes or so), remove from parchment. For painting, I simply mixed some gel food coloring with a bit of water and brushed using a clean paintbrush. Allow to dry.

To assemble
Pipe salted caramel onto a macaron shell. Place a few cubes of apple in the center. Top with another macaron shell. I like to keep the macarons in the fridge overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps for three-ish days.

- s

recipe: vegetarian pad thai

Okay, we are going to start this post off by saying I am so not a food blogger. However, my roommate and I definitely had fun cooking and taking photos for this post. I have a feeling that you may see more from Sam in terms of food! All right. Let's get started!

Val (my roommate) and I often make Pad Thai when we are trying to eat up some of the ingredients in our fridge. It's simple, tasty, and makes for great lunch the next day. You'll notice in this post that I don't include exact measurements for the ingredients listed, as we don't measure anything for this recipe. We just taste as we go along, and add spices as necessary.



VEGETARIAN PAD THAI

• 1 block firm tofu (I use a local organic company's)
• 1 box stir fry noodles (we used Thai Kitchen's)
• 2 eggs
• broccoli
• carrots
• orange/red/yellow/your choice of pepper
• snow peas
• bean sprouts
• half an onion (chopped finely)
• 2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• ginger (a couple handfuls, minced)
• hot pepper (we used a green 'finger hot' and left the seeds in etc.)
• sesame oil
• soy sauce
• a few tablespoons of peanut butter
• red chilli flakes
• green onion (for garnish)
• lime wedges (for garnish)

Step 1: Clean your kitchen up, and do dishes that have been sitting in the sink, and make your space relatively presentable to take photos. Pour giant glass of wine, put David Bowie on (loudly), and eat crackers with cheese to keep hunger at bay. Wine suggestion: Apothic Red.

Step 2: Chop onion, ginger, garlic and hot pepper. Set aside some of the garlic and ginger for your marinade for the tofu. For the tofu, cut into your size preference and put into a bowl with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Let sit for 10+ mins while everything else is being prepped.

Step 3: Chop remaining veggies. Really, you could put whatever you'd like into this dish; these are just our preferences.

Step 4: Turn pan on and use whichever oil you'd like. We use a large cast iron wok and olive oil. Saute garlic, ginger, onion and hot pepper on medium-high heat. Whisk eggs in a bowl, and add in a dash of soy sauce and handful of green onion.

Step 5: I like to scramble the eggs into the sauteed onion etc., but you don't end up with very large egg pieces when you're done. Alternatively, you could scramble your eggs last and combine at the last minute.

Step 6: Add in tofu and remaining veggies, with the exception of bean sprouts and snow peas. Make sure to keep everything from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When adding the tofu in, make sure to add in the remaining soy and sesame oil as this creates the base for your sauce. Let cook until your vegetables are tender. Add a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a few teaspoons of red chilli flakes into the pan, and stir until everything is coated.

Step 7: Add noodles into pan. Depending on how 'saucey' everything in the pan is, you may not have to add too much water in. We added about 2 cups of water on top of the noodles, and stirred until the noodles were coated. Then, cover pan on medium heat until noodles are soft. Once they are soft, taste, and add more soy sauce, chilli flakes, and peanut butter if necessary. Then, add snow peas and bean sprouts. Cover until they have softened, and then turn off heat.

Step 8: Garnish with green onion and lime. Enjoy with another glass of wine.

-g

recipe: salted pretzel + peanut butter ice cream

It’s no secret that I’m a bit of a health nut, as documented on my personal blog. That considered, sometimes not-so-healthy adventures in the kitchen are more fun than the healthy ones, especially when it comes to sweets. We're in that strange seasonal transition where it's freezing in the morning and heats up quickly in the afternoon and evening. Ice cream is the perfect treat to cool down. While this sort of indulgence isn’t for everyone, I’m lucky to have an arsenal of family and coworkers to taste test.

This ice cream hits home for those looking for something salty and sweet. It’s pretzel soaked custard with homemade peanut butter ripple and chunks of chocolate covered pretzel folded in. It’s salty, it’s decadent... It’s a treat for sure.

I can't stress enough the importance of using high quality ingredients. You really don't need to be a great cook if you use great ingredients―they ultimately do the work for you. I suggest organic, local milk, cream and eggs for this recipe, as well as organic cane sugar and peanuts. Yes, they are more expensive. Yes, they are worth it. The decadence of this ice cream means that you ultimately eat less, making the product last a little bit longer.

SALTED PRETZEL + PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM | Makes 1 quart

Homemade peanut butter
3 cups organic, peeled peanuts
1 tsp salt

In a Vitamix blender or food processor, combine peanuts on high speed until smooth. Add salt and mix to combine.

Ice cream
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 egg yolks
1 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 batch of salted pretzels
1/2 batch homemade peanut butter
1 package chocolate covered pretzels, chopped

Prepare a large bowl with ice and water to serve as an ice bath for your custard. Fit it with a clean bowl and a strainer.

In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream and milk over medium heat until temperature reaches 170F. While the milk mixture heats, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl. Once the milk mixture has reached optimal temperature, remove from heat.

Temper the egg yolks by gradually adding the milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. The gradual addition keeps the egg yolks from cooking. Once roughly half the liquid has been added, return the whole mixture back to the stovetop.

Cook the custard until the thermometer reads 170F-175F (the back of your spatula will be heavily coated), making sure to stir constantly. Remove from heat and pour into the clean bowl fitted with strainer.

Allow the custard to cool. Once it has cooled, submerge a half batch of homemade pretzels into the custard. Allow to steep overnight in the refrigerator.

The following day, remove and discard pretzels, and churn custard according to your ice cream makers instructions. Fold in chocolate covered pretzels. In a container, layer pretzel ice cream and peanut butter.

Enjoy with a tall chocolate stout.

- s