The Best of 2017

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! Ours was nice and relaxing, with a simple but lovely dinner of roasted Cornish game hens and potatoes, plus a loaf of fresh homemade sourdough that turned out much better than I anticipated. If you had seen what it looked like before I baked it, well, let’s just say it’s a Christmas miracle!

As is becoming tradition, I’d like to take a stroll down memory lane and look back to the best recipes of 2017, both posts published this year as well as recipes from previous years that are still going strong. I’m often quite surprised when I pull up these reports – the posts that often get the most views aren’t what I expected!

(By the way… have you checked out our facebook group yet? You should totally join! It’s becoming a valuable resource for anyone looking for cooking/baking tips and inspiration… not to mention a downright lovely group of likeminded folks!)

2017 by the numbers:

• Posts published: 94
• Comments received: 4,632
• Words written: 74,373
• Most used words: recipe, just, like, chocolate, make, time, well, cookies, cake, cream, flour, flavor, milk, really, cheese, food
• Photos taken: 19,147 (388GB worth!)
• Most commented: Win the Ultimate KitchenAid® Stand Mixer Bundle (2051 comments)
• Most commented that’s not a giveaway: Unicorn Hot Chocolate (36 comments)
• Most liked: Chocolate Fudge Pecan Pie (see the other photos that made my Instagram top 9 here… I’m sensing a theme here.)
• Least liked: I thought this was a pretty cool picture from our trip to Japan. You guys don’t like giant potato churros?!
• Most pinned: Unicorn Hot Chocolate
• Miles traveled: 35,130 (plus or minus a few trips to the grocery store)
• Books read: 82 (I’ll do another good reads post soon!)
• Cats in scarves: 2 (Desmond isn’t a fan though the other two don’t mind!)
• Cats in hats: 0 (Cats – 1, hats – 0)

It’s been an eventful year, that’s for sure!

Anyway, moving forward (and looking back)… here are best and most popular posts from 2017 (be sure to click through to see all of them, including your favorites, my favorites, and some pretty tasty eye candy!)

Your Favorites

These were the most popular posts published in 2017, based on total pageviews. I do think these posts tend to be skewed towards posts published earlier in the year (my spritz cookies, for instance, are well on their way to being an all-time favorite, but since I only just published it a few weeks ago, they haven’t had time to rack up the points).

1. Tomato Cucumber Salad / 2. Unicorn Hot Chocolate / 3. Crazy Japanese Kit Kat Flavors (and where to find them) / 4. Mini Quiche Bites / 5. Chocolate Fudge Pecan Pie / 6. Cinnamon Swirl Layer Cake / 7. Zucchini Lasagna Rolls / 8. Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup / 9. Homemade Udon Noodles

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2C6qifU

Holiday Mulled Latte

Mulled cider and mulled wine are holiday staples, but have you ever had a mulled latte? No? Well, time to change that!

This festive and fragrant latte would be perfect for Christmas morning (or any chilly morning, for that matter). It’s a soothing cup of holiday cheer that will warm your hands and your body from the inside out.

The milk is steeped with traditional mulling spices, including star anise, cloves, allspice, and fresh orange peel, before being frothed and poured into the freshly brewed coffee. The spice is very light, not overpowering in the least, but gives the coffee a subtle holiday flavor.

It feels like a fancy coffeehouse coffee, but made in the comfort (and warmth) of your own home. While this recipe is written for two (and originally made using the KitchenAid® Precision French Press), you could also easily make a bigger batch of using a drip coffee maker and have a big pot of warm spiced milk on the stove ready to serve as your holiday house guests slowly come back to life after a late night of holiday cheer.

And before the coffee snobs get all snobby, yes, this is technically a cafe au lait, or brewed coffee with milk. A latte is always made with espresso and frothed milk, but unless you have an espresso machine, that’s hard to achieve at home. So we compromised. We frothed our milk a bit (using this nifty little gadget) so this technically falls somewhere in between latte and au lait.

No matter what you call it, there’s no doubt that you’ll love it!

Happy holidays, everyone!

Mulled Cafe au Lait

Yield: 2 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

A festive and fragrant latte made with frothed milk steeped with mulling spices. A perfect treat for Christmas morning!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 1-inch strips orange peel
• 2 whole star anise
• 6 whole cloves
• 12 whole allspice
• 2 cups (450 grams) brewed coffee

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk and spices over medium heat until steamy. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes, then strain out spices.
2. Fill mugs half way full with hot brewed coffee. Top with warm milk (frothed if desired). Serve warm and enjoy!

All images and text © Lindsay Landis / Love & Olive Oil

Did you make this recipe?

Let us know what you think!
Leave a Comment or share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #loveandoliveoil.

Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with KitchenAid®. All opinions are my own. Be sure to share your take on this recipes on Instagram using #ForTheMaking for a chance to be featured on the @KitchenAidUSA account!

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2CU1uUr

Peppers Stuffed with Plant-Based Proteins

Work the plant-based trend into your menu with these colorful filled peppers that are protein-rich with edamame, yellow split peas, brown rice, and optional pumpkin seeds.

They are a satisfying and nutritious entrée that may be reheated and served hot or at room temperature. Serve them alone or drizzled with sauce.

Yield: 6 peppers
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Shelf Life: 3 days


Ingredients

Sea salt
¾ cup brown rice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 medium-large red, orange, yellow, or green bell peppers, tops, seeds, and membranes removed
½ cup dried yellow split peas
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup ½-inch diced butternut squash
2 tablespoons honey
¾ cup thinly sliced scallions, plus a few for garnish 
1 tablespoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup ½-inch diced zucchini 
¾ cup shelled frozen edamame, defrosted
½ cup diced canned tomatoes with juice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice and grated zest of 1 lime
¾ cup chopped cilantro, plus a few leaves to garnish
¼ cup dried currants
Sauce
1 cup plain yogurt or vegan substitute
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sriracha or other hot sauce, to taste

Preparation

1. 
In a small pan, combine the rice with 2 1/4 cups lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid; stir in the turmeric and cinnamon.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the peppers for 3 minutes. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain with the cut ends down. Return the water to a boil. Add the split peas and cook until almost soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and drain. Set aside. 
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Wipe out the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, heat over medium-high heat, add the butternut squash, and sauté until lightly colored, about 5 minutes, turning often. Add the honey, turning to coat, then stir in the scallions, garlic, a teaspoon of salt, the Aleppo pepper, and black pepper to taste. Add the remaining oil and zucchini and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the edamame, tomatoes, and thyme.
5. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the split peas and combine with the squash mixture. Add the lime juice and zest, cilantro, and currants. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
6. Fill the peppers with the stuffing, place in a baking dish just large enough to hold them upright, and add ½ cup of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake until the peppers are quite tender, about an hour or longer if the pepper walls are quite thick. Remove and let stand.
7. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, blend the yogurt, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, and Sriracha. Drizzle over the peppers, 
if desired.
    

from Prepared Food Recipes http://ift.tt/2B686hV

Marzipan Apple Pie

You’re the apple of my pie.

No, seriously, you’re sweet enough to eat.

This pie was truly a labor of love… and a product of this amazing community.

Yes, I made it, but it wouldn’t have happened at all without my inspiring friends, readers, and the food blog community at large. The filling recipe is loosely adapted from Bravetart’s amazing cookbook and the crust is Laura’s miraculous stand-mixer pie crust (seriously). Not to mention that the inspiration to make an apple pie with marzipan came from one of you!

I’ll admit, I’ve never really loved apple pie (I’ll choose a chocolate dessert over a fruit one any day) and probably never would have chosen to make one for Thanksgiving. But when reader Michelle commented in my facebook group that she likes to add cubes of marzipan to the apple pie filling… well you don’t need to say marzipan twice to get me on board.

Of course it took me a few tries to get it right (easy as pie my a$$) but the end result is well worth it.

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2z3wmPK

New Beverages to Debut at Winter Fancy Food Show

Sonoma Syrup Co. will introduce its Peppermint Simple Syrup at the upcoming Winter Fancy Food Show. The syrup contains non-GMO ingredients including cane sugar, water, organic peppermint extract, organic peppermint oil, vanilla extract, citric acid and vitamin C. It can be used in peppermint hot cocoa, mochas, and on ice cream.

Another beverage debuting at the Show is Dry Zero Sugar Sodas, a line of sugar-free, organic and Non-GMO Project Verified sodas that are sweetened with stevia leaf extract and crafted with six to seven ingredients. The drinks will be available in Cola, Peach Tea, Mountain Berry and Island Fruit flavors.

Food and beverage categories are also blurring as product innovations meld the two. San Francisco-based small-batch ice cream brand Humphry Slocombe will sample new flavors of its ice cream including Dirty Chai which is Chai ice cream mixed with espresso. It will also showcase its new ice cream starters which are available in Williams Sonoma stores in flavors like Secret Breakfast (Bourbon & Cornflakes), Vietnamese Coffee, and Malted Milk Chocolate.

from Food Trends http://ift.tt/2CEXln9

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Harissa

One of the things I love most about my Indianapolis neighborhood is not the houses or the old trees or the parks. While those are wonderful, the best part is this: walkability. I grew up in the suburbs in Minnesota, and we had to drive everywhere. Most places were a 10 to 20-minute car ride away. But when I moved to Indianapolis after graduating college, I gradually found that the city was structured in a way where you could walk to things. I walked to the grocery store and to the coffee shop, to the produce stand in an old gas station, and to the little shack transformed into an ice cream shop. The more I walked, the more I loved it. I felt connected to my place in a way that’s not easily put into words.

Recently, I had the honor of speaking with an incredible entrepreneur, Majora Carter. She’s been working in urban revitalization and real estate development for years, and gave one of the first ever TED talks back in 2006. She lives in the South Bronx, and has been working to beautify her community for years. One of the things that struck me from her work was that she surveys people about what the ideal community they want to live in looks like. Time and time again, cafes, restaurants, and good grocery stores are at the top of the list.

The fact that I live so close to places offering quality food and gathering spaces literally endears me to my community. It makes me feel like I’m part of something greater, even when I’m just walking to the grocery store or grabbing a cup of coffee. My little corner of Indianapolis is buzzing with activity: people meeting each other to chat over a drink, or picking up some ingredients for tonight’s dinner. It brings and energy and vitality to our place that is palpable. Part of Majora’s work has been to bring gathering places with quality food to low status communities. She helped start a coffee shop in the South Bronx called the Boogie Down Grind Cafe that’s a spot of beauty in a rough zip code. Along with high-quality coffee, it provides servings of vegetables, too.

This roasted Brussels sprouts recipe was inspired by one of those walkable restaurants in my neighborhood, a pub called Twenty Tap. Along with a huge craft beer list, the food is top-notch with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. And it’s a 5-minute walk from our house (or 2 minutes if I cut through my neighbor’s yard). A few weeks ago, we went with my family and among other things, ordered an appetizer with Brussels sprouts, harissa, and goat cheese. There were a few other components (and it was too spicy for most of my family) but I loved the concept and took it home to our kitchen to play with. Personally, I find Brussels sprouts are best roasted in a very hot oven so that they become blackened and crisp. I used my favorite roasting method, then mixed the Brussels sprouts with a store-bought harissa and topped them with dollops of cool goat cheese. It was so tasty that I knew we had to share the recipe here. If you’re not into spicy food, find a mild harissa for this one; it adds fantastic flavor without the heat.

Not long ago, I would have frowned at the thought of Brussels sprouts on my plate. These days, the little green guys are seeing a big comeback. I hope that they’ll continue to delight eaters everywhere, especially with creative recipes that add big flavor. We ate these as a snack for a movie, though they’d be a fantastic side dish or appetizer. Either way, they were born of the community around us: yet another reason for continuing to engage in community around us.

Looking for more Brussels sprouts recipes?

Brussels sprouts have made a major comeback, especially roasted Brussels sprouts. Here are our favorite Brussels sprouts recipes:

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecorino and Pecans
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Rice with Tahini Miso Dressing
• Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Salad
• Heart-Shaped Caramelized Onion and Brussels Sprouts Pizza

Did you make this recipe?

If you make these roasted Brussels sprouts with goat cheese and harissa, we’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks.

This recipe is…

Vegetarian, gluten-free. For plant-based or vegan, omit the goat cheese.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese & Harissa

 

Print

by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: 4

What You Need

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons mild or spicy harissa (to taste)
• 2 ounces goat cheese crumbles

What To Do

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Cut the Brussels sprouts off of the stalk if necessary. Cut off any hard ends, then cut each in half or larger sprouts into thirds. In a bowl, mix them with the olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes until tender and blackened (no need to stir).
3. When Brussels sprouts are done, mix them with the harissa and top with goat cheese crumbles. Serve warm.

3.5.3229

 

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

from A Couple Cooks http://ift.tt/2kdwFTG

Chocolate Chip Cookie Chocolate Bark

Dark chocolate meets crunchy chocolate chip cookie crumbles meets WOW.

A holiday chocolate bark is becoming somewhat of a tradition around here. Well, if you don’t count the last two years which I embarrassingly skipped. Still, before that we had fruity chocolate bark, peanut butter cup chocolate bark, and mint chocolate swirl bark (and don’t make me choose a favorite because I refuse).

Chocolate bark makes a great handmade holiday gift, and, once you get the hang of tempering chocolate, is super easy to throw together. You could really top it with just about anything. Once your bark is set, break it up into bite-sized pieces, pack it into a cello gift bag and tie with a pretty ribbon and gift tag.

This bark was made for crunchy cookie lovers (you know who you are). If you prefer chewy cookies, use room temperature butter instead of melted butter (and cream with the sugar before adding the other ingredients). Identical proportions, vastly different results. The melted butter bakes into a crunchy cookie crumble, while the creamed butter version, with identical ingredients otherwise, stays softer and chewy after the same time in the oven. Go figure.

While I am a chewy cookie fan through and through, in this case I decided the crunchy kind was the winner. It’s the perfect textural complement to the snappy chocolate.

OR if you want to be really wild… don’t even bake the cookie crumble. It’s eggless afterall, so it’s perfectly safe to eat raw, and you’ll have yourself some wicked chocolate chip cookie dough bark. It’s not quite as portable as the baked version (you’ll want to keep it refrigerated), but how awesome does that sound?

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2kFzJYk

The Ultimate Christmas Cookie Recipe Roundup

In the 10+ years I’ve been blogging, let’s just say I’ve made a lot of cookies. It’s one of the most populous categories (not to mention popular), and for good reason!

Cookies. Are. The. Best.

In honor of cookie season, I’ve gathered some of my favorite holiday cookie recipes from over the years. It’s not all of them (for that you’ll want to check out the cookie recipe category), but these are the favorites I’ve deemed most holiday appropriate.

(Also, before I get any hate mail, while the image above is fun and festive and perfect for the intro to this ultimate recipe roundup, those cute little star cookies are certainly NOT homemade. Shame. Truthfully though, I’ve been known to buy store-bought cookies on occasion, and these little shortbread stars from Trader Joe’s are one of my seasonal favorites. That’s reality for you.)

So whether you’re shipping cookie boxes to far-away relatives, taking a tray of freshly baked goodies to a holiday shindig, or leaving a plate out for Santa, I’ve got you covered.

Now, on to the recipes (hold on to your Santa hats!)

1. Italian Ombre Layer Cookies // 2. Funfetti Sugar Cookies // 3. Granola Chocolate Chip Cookies // 4. Mint Truffle Cookies // 5. Chocolate Salt & Pepper Sable Cookies // 6. Dulce de Leche Thumbprint Cookies // 7. Chocolate Black Seasame Cookies // 8 Marzipan-Stuffed Almond Sugar Cookies // 9. Vanilla Almond Spritz Cookies

1. Dipped Colorblock Sugar Cookies // 2. Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache) // 3. Almond Lace Sandwich Cookies // 4. Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies with Sea Salt // 5. Chewy Muscovado Sugar Cookies // 6. Stuffed Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies // 7. Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Sugar Cookies // 8. Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookies // 9. Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

(Click through for even more holiday cookie recipes… seriously, this is just the half of them!)

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2jXoaMr

Squid-Ink Spaghetti with Sea Urchins Bests Other Pasta Dishes

Spaghetti Neri ai Ricci di Mare (squid-ink spaghetti with sea urchins) won the fall edition of the Influencer NYC Pasta Challenge, Wednesday night. Instagram influencers taking part in the year-long series will ultimately elect the Best Pasta Dish of New York. The challenge is hosted by Sola Pasta Bar in collaboration with Urbani Truffles.

The winning dishes from the Winter, Spring, and Summer editions will face off with the latest winner during the Grand Finale of September 2018 to elect the Pasta Dish of the Year.

Related: 5 Trends Driven By Wellness, Aesthetics; Instagram Ranks Commonly-Shared Food Spots.

from Food Trends http://ift.tt/2ku0G0R

10 Healthyish Holiday Cookie Recipes

When we asked on Instagram if you needed healthyish cookie recipes, the responses was overwhelmingly YES! So, we’ve put together a list of recipes for our favorite healthy cookies, or really, healthyish cookies. What’s healthyish? Well, cookies aren’t healthy, per say. We’ve tried to make healthy holiday cookies in the past, and they’re not all that good. Healthyish is the sweet spot of using ingredients that are nourishing, just enough sugar, and intriguing spices and flavors to make sure the cookies still taste decadent. In fact, if you’re looking for podcasts, we recently talked to Obama’s White House pastry chef about this very thing. And last week Alex and I were on Live TV sharing a few of the recipes below. (Since healthyish is not a word, I’ll also use healthy cookies interchangeably below. You know what I mean!)

Here are our 10 favorite healthyish cookies for this holiday. Each one is a recipe we’ve created, made multiple times, and loved.

1. Chai-Spiced Snowball Cookies

These cookies are a healthyish version of a snowball cookie, but you’d never know they were a healthy cookies spin! They taste just like that cookie from childhood. The base is almond flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free and filled with nutrients. We’ve cut back a bit on the sugar versus the traditional recipe (using coconut sugar). And, the addition of chai spices helps to keep the cookies bursting with flavor, even with the slightly decreased sweetness. They’re one of our favorites this time of year.

 

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

If you live in the Midwest, buckeyes are where it’s at! These chocolate-dipped peanut buttery balls of goodness were one of my favorite discoveries when I moved to Indiana. To make these into healthy cookies, the centers are made out of Medjool dates blended with peanut butter. Instead of the traditional butter and sugar, the dates add a natural sweetness and nutrients without compromising on flavor.

3. Soft Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe has become a tradition in our household (and see this years updated shape, below!). I prefer soft gingerbread over crispy, so we created a version that’s to my liking. The spin to make these healthy cookies is that the dough has some almond butter and applesauce, to cut back a bit in the butter department and up the nutrient level. There’s also a bit of wheat flour, and they’re topped with turbinado sugar instead of icing. While they’re not a health food, they’re a bit closer to incorporating some good-for-you ingredients.

4. Dark Chocolate Cherry Quinoa Bark

This one is as natural as they come: dark chocolate, dried tart cherries, quinoa, and pepitas. We love how adding quinoa gives this chocolate bark a little crunch. With the red and green of the cherries and the pepitas, it’s perfect for the holidays: and so simple to put together.

5. Bliss Bites

We talk about these a lot around here, but they’re our most popular recipe on the website. Essentially the baby of a peanut butter cup and a no-bake cookie, they’re also gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweet. We love seeing people all over the world share photos of the bliss bites they’ve made with us on Instagram! The ingredient list is short and simple: cocoa powder, peanut butter, oats, coconut oil, and maple syrup. (And yes, you can substitute other nut butters to compensate for allergies!)

6. Peppermint Meringues

These stunning meringues are healthy cookies to the max: they’re filled almost entirely with air! Basically sugar, egg whites, and air, they’re a great treat when you’re looking for a little sweet. When adding the red stripe, look for natural food coloring if you can find it.

 

7. Blackberry Balsamic Vegan Cheescakes

These aren’t technically a “cookie”‘, but they’re shaped like one! These mini cheesecakes too delicious not to mention in our healthy cookie roundup. Cashews, coconut oil and maple syrup make the cheesecake vegan; it’s set atop a crust of oats and pecans. Like our bliss bites, these are gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweet: and they taste incredible. The vibrant purple color from the blackberries makes them visually stunning as well.

8. Dark Chocolate Pistachio Clusters

We like lazy treats, so how about a super simple and all-natural nut cluster? Like our quinoa bark above, these are all natural: dark chocolate, pistachios, and dried cranberries. The red and green makes them festive without using any unnatural food coloring. And they taste fantastic! These are the ultimate in healthy cookies without sacrificing any flavor.

9. Gingerbread Narwhal Cookies

Our new holiday cookie this year was a narwhal cookie to honor our favorite Christmas movie, Elf! We used the dough from our soft gingerbread cookie and decorated with a dusting of powdered sugar. Obscure animals make the best cookies, we think.

10. Chocolate Almond Flour Skillet Cookie

This one is not the typical holiday cookie, but we’ve made it before cut into small strips which I could imagine on a cookie platter! The healthyish spin here: it’s made of almond flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free. The almond flour makes for a chewy texture similar to a brownie or even biscotti. It’s a tried and true favorite.

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

from A Couple Cooks http://ift.tt/2Cm4mtS

Happening in the Solution Center: Trendspotting A Year-Round Effort

“You may remember the SFA Trendspotter Panel as a group that announced the trends coming out of each Fancy Food Show. Now, trendspotting will be a year-round effort. The panel is setting its predictions for the coming year and will regularly report on the trends’ trajectory – what’s growing, fading, or emerging – throughout 2018,” says Specialty Food Association editor, Denise Purcell, in an SFA Blog post in which she presents the panel’s Top Trends for 2018.

from Food Trends http://ift.tt/2ChXBJg

Chocolate Salt & Pepper Sable Cookies

I take inspiration where I can get it.

This recipe, for example, was inspired by the Salt & Pepper chocolate bar, one of my favorite flavors from Nashville’s own bean-to-bar chocolate company, Olive & Sinclair. The bar features 67% dark chocolate sprinkled with flake sea salt and black pepper. I’ve been wanting to turn that bar into a chocolate sable cookie for some time now (why sables? Because “salt & pepper sable cookie” just sounds cool, I guess?) and finally got my scattered thoughts together to actually make it a reality.

Now, I know the idea of black pepper with chocolate might sound strange to you, but trust me, it’s really something unique and rather delicious. Especially with the sea salt, it’s like a megaphone for flavor.

The cookies, rather than being sprinkled with S&P (because that would be boring and expected), are dipped in dark chocolate and then set on a cookie sheet that’s been sprinkled with flake sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. The chocolate settles into the spices as it hardens, giving the cookies a hidden punch of flavor in each and every bite.

They’re not topped. They’re bottomed.

You could also dip one side of the cookie in chocolate instead of the bottom, and sprinkle that with salt and pepper, but you’d end up with a salty peppery side and a plain side. You could also sprinkle the unbaked cookies with a bit of sea salt and pepper and skip the dipping altogether, but where’s the fun in that?

The secret to super rich, ultra-chocolaty, and delightfully sandy sable cookies? Three kinds of chocolate for one thing, including dutch-process cocoa powder and grated chocolate in the dough, and a dip in dark chocolate after baking.

The other secret? European butter. The high fat/low water content in the butter keeps the cookies tender and not tough, and the dough workable and not crumbly. Trust me on this one. I personally used salted Kerrygold Irish butter, but any other European or French-style butter would work well too.

(more…)

from Love and Olive Oil http://ift.tt/2AEYui6

Narwhal Gingerbread Cookies

 

Alex and I met in college, so our tastes weren’t the most sophisticated when we first met. Read: lots of Austin Powers, Zoolander, and dorm McDonalds. One movie, though, fit our college sensibilities and remains a classic to this day: Elf. The classic Christmas flick starring Will Farrell as Buddy the Elf came out in 2003 during our college careers. What’s made it evergreen today, I don’t know. Maybe it’s just that Alex and I have become nostalgic and think that it’s still funny. Whatever the case, I’ve heard people of all ages reciting the lines: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” “A Christmasgram? I want one!”

In honor of Elf, we’ve created super nostalgic, throw-back-to-2003 Christmas cookies. Yes, narwhal cookies. What’s a narwhal, you ask? My sister gifted our son Larson a stuffed narwhal over Thanksgiving, and my parents asked the same question. And we realized then that most of what we know about narwhals we know from Elf (though it appears Elf did not make it into the Literature mentions of narwhals on Wikipedia). A narwhal is an arctic whale with a large tusk, which can grow up to 10 feet long. It appears in this classic narwhal scene from Elf where the narwhal bids Buddy goodbye as he travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his dad.

Here, we’ve recreated the classic narwhal scene using nothing but cookies and sugar. And what’s more festive than that? We’ve used our soft gingerbread cookie dough as the base. They’re our favorite gingerbread cookies that incorporate a “healthy-ish” take using almond butter, applesauce, whole wheat flour, and lots of spices. To decorate, we’ve dusted the narwhal cookies in powdered sugar, then covered the tusks with edible glitter. Since Christmas and the holidays is all about nostalgia, these narwhal cookies are our top pick for this year.

Let us know if you’re dying to get a cookie cutter to make your own narwhal cookies; we’ll share our source.

How about you: what cookies and movies are most nostalgic to you this time of year?

Looking for more cookie recipes?

These narwhal cookies are the most fun Christmas cookie we’ve made. However, here are a few more of our favorite Christmas cookies with a gingerbread vibe:

• “The Best” Soft Ginger Molasses Cookies
• Almond & Maple Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
• Gingersnap Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

Did you make this recipe?

If you make these narwhal cookies, we’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks.

This recipe is…

Vegetarian and healthy-ish

Gingerbread Narwhal Cookies

 

Print

by: a Couple Cooks

Serves: About 20

What You Need

• 1 egg
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup almond butter
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons allspice
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• Edible glitter, for decorating
• Powdered sugar, for decorating

What To Do

1. In a medium bowl, whisk to thoroughly combine the egg, brown sugar, molasses, almond butter, melted butter, and applesauce.
2. To the wet ingredients, stir in the ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice, kosher salt, baking soda, all-purpose flour, and whole wheat flour until well combined. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Dust a flat surface with flour, then flour the rolling pin and roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out narwhals, about 20 total. Place the narwhals on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. If using edible glitter, add gently press the glitter onto the narwhal tusks.
5. Bake the cookies about 8 minutes, until puffed and slightly firmed. Let rest on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
6. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar using a sifter or sieve, covering the tusks with parchment paper. Store covered at room temperature for several days or freeze for several months.

3.5.3229

 

 

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

from A Couple Cooks http://ift.tt/2C9JPbM

Algae, Cannabis Among CCD Innovation Food Trends for 2018

Cannabis cuisine, stunning and unique Mexican inspired dishes, and Asian treats and sweets like dumplings and black sesame ice cream are among the culinary trends on the horizon for 2018, according to Kara Nielsen, CCD Innovation’s vice president of trends and marketing.

Nielsen also foresees a shift in interest in how food is grown, produced, and sourced, that will give way to a rise in biodynamically grown ingredients used in wine, cereal, tea, and kids’ food; an expansion of traditional, heritage, and new varieties of grain; and consumer questions about poultry production.

Food innovations with algae being turned into everything from butter to “shrimp,” foods that fuel the brain and alternative sweeteners such as dates, monk fruit and new styles of stevia, are also on the list.

“These nine trends matter because they reflect 2018’s core food values grouped into three areas – Culinary Culture, The Source and Nutrition,” says Nielsen. “They also reveal what foods, beverages and ingredients are emerging to impact our foodscape in 2018.”

Related: SFA's Trendspotters' Top Trends for 2018; Shared Kitchens, Convenience Trend in 2018.

from Food Trends http://ift.tt/2iUOtlt

Prepared Food Focus: Sustainable and Satisfying

People striving for a healthy diet often cite seafood as a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega 3 fatty acids. Yet, in 2013, Americans ate only about 14.5 pounds of it—compared with 110 pounds of beef. Of the 300 to 500 species of fish and shellfish available in the marketplace, 10 types account for 90 percent of all seafood eaten. Shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna make up more than half of that number. 

Familiarity is a hard habit to break. But worse, such single-mindedness results in overfishing, which is running rampant in the seafood industry. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, currently nearly 75 percent of the world’s fisheries are overfished or in danger of becoming so. 

Organizations like the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Marine Stewardship Council are working to educate consumers and the industry on making sustainable seafood choices. Their stamps of approval mean a product was farmed or caught in responsible ways that promote the continued vitality of diverse oceans. 

Educate Consumers—and Yourself 

Prepared food counters and foodservice operators have an opportunity to connect with consumers as they grow increasingly adventurous, health-conscious, and sustainability minded with their food selections. 

Seafoodwatch.org maintains a list of preferred seafood species, with simple rankings of “best choice” (the highest mark), “good alternative” and, simply, “avoid.” Take the extra step of building a strong relationship with suppliers who exercise environmentally responsible practices. A trusted dealer can also help you decide whether farm-raised or wild-caught seafood is a better option. 

[Related: Organic, Sustainable Seafood May Be Fast-Casual Industry's Next Big Trend]

Be proactive with customers. Offer brochures and signage that explains why, for example, you are using barramundi or black cod rather than grouper. (It takes 15 to 30 years to be replenished compared with faster-growing species.) When selling unfamiliar fish, describe the taste and texture, and identify more familiar species it may be similar to.

Here, find three original recipes to start or continue your path to more sustainable, and satisfying, seafood dishes.

• Mussels Steamed in Beer with Bacon 
• Poached Arctic Char Provençal with Fennel Vinaigrette
• Oven-Roasted Sablefish Veronique

from Prepared Food Recipes http://ift.tt/2z2y3R2

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sundaes

This post was created in partnership with Olive Oils from Spain. All opinions are our own. 

If you can be in love with a country, my country crush is Spain. On our website and podcast, I’ve openly gushed about my time studying in Madrid in college, now 14 years ago (gulp!). It’s where my first inkling of an interest in food started. My host mom made homemade paella for us, and I fell hard for the traditions of a food culture that’s hundreds of years in the making. Based in Madrid, I traveled to several different regions in Spain: gorgeous Galicia where waves crash against rocky cliffs, fairy-tale Barcelona with its fanciful architecture, and the magical Alhambra castle perched high on a hill in Granada. Thinking about Spain sometimes makes my heart skip a beat. The language, food, land, and people left a mark on my soul that’s been there ever since. So it’s with great pleasure that we highlight a Spanish product in today’s recipe: Olive Oils from Spain.

Believe it or not, Spain is the world’s olive oil leader in terms of the quality, production, marketing and the export of olive oils. They produce a whopping 1,400,000 tons per year, which is about 50% of all the olive oil produced worldwide. With almost 300 million olive trees in Spain, there are 260 different olive varieties that give a wide spectrum of flavors, aromas and textures. Olive Oils from Spain is the name of an umbrella brand that represents olive oil brands and products born in Spain.

For a recipe to highlight this incredible product, we wanted something simple that would let the quality of the olive oil shine through. Perhaps you’ve heard of olive oil being drizzled over ice cream? We’d heard of it for years, but had never tried it. Let us be the first to assure you: you’ve got to try this! Tasting the fruity, smooth olive oil in contrast with the rich and sweet ice cream is something otherworldly. Only the best extra virgin olive oil can be used to pull this off, so make sure to find a quality bottle. The extra virgin olive oil from Spain that we used was rich and fruity, with a peppery finish. As the final touch for our extra virgin olive oil sundaes, we wanted something a bit festive. Enter chocolate lace: a simple but showy way to add chocolate to a dessert. Simply melt chocolate, drizzle it into an irregular pattern, and freeze. The result is a delicate chocolate detail that can be placed on the sundae to add an architectural element. It looks stunning but takes only a few minutes to put together.

And there you have it! Using just three ingredients of ultra high quality, you’ve got a stunner of a dessert that’s simple and sumptuous. It’s perfect for holiday celebrations, or anytime you’re looking for a no-fuss dessert when entertaining. To find an olive oil from Spain, simply look at your local grocery for any bottle manufactured in Spain. Alex and I are hoping 2018 is the year we get to experience Spain together in person–in the meantime, we’ll stick with Olive Oils from Spain drizzled over vanilla ice cream!

To get the full recipe, head over to the Olive Oils from Spain Blog.

To read more about Olive Oils from Spain, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

This recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

Did you make this recipe?

If you make our extra virgin olive oil sundaes, we’d love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks and @oliveoilsspain.

A Couple Cooks - Recipes for Healthy & Whole Living

from A Couple Cooks http://ift.tt/2ALvfHa