I Can Cook That | Food and Beverage Recipes

Sweet and Salty Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am on a bit of a cookie kick at the moment. I’m blaming the particularly brisk weather. I also realized that Christmas is only 7 weeks away so it’s time to test out cookies that I can give away near the holidays. Cooking Light always has really delicious sounding recipes, and this one was no exception. The original used peanuts instead of walnuts, but I happened to have walnuts on hand.

Ingredients

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.

Add sugar, brown sugar, and butter to a large bowl. Beat with a mixer until well blended (about 2 minutes)

Add vanilla and egg and beat until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture. Beat on low until blended. Stir in the walnuts, salt and chocolate chips.

Add the dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about one teaspoon per cookie. Keep them 2 inches apart so they don’t run together while baking.

Bake for 12 minutes and cool on pan for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

I cooked mine for 14 minutes, and I found them to be a tad too cooked, so I suggest trying 12 minutes. You can always pop them in for a minute or two longer if need be.

I loved the random burst of salt that just enhanced the chocolate chip flavor.

I wanted a bit more walnuts though, so I’d suggest bumping the walnuts from 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup.

Past that, these were really tasty cookies!

Banana-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never seem to eat all my bananas before they get too ripe. I know the go-to saver for over ripe bananas is banana bread, but I wanted to use them for something a little different. Cooking Light had a great cookie recipe that used ripe bananas, so I tried it out.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
5 3/5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray (or parchment paper)

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Day After Halloween Brownies

If you’re like every other American adult the day after Halloween, you have a whole lot of random candy sitting in your house. My guess is you either 1. want to get rid of it ASAP or 2. consume it all in one sitting. Well friends, I have a recipe to satisfy both ends of the spectrum. Two Peas and Their Pod had a wonderful Peanut Butter Snickers Brownies recipe on their site that got me thinking. Any chocolately goodness could be thrown in these brownies to make a yummy dessert! So I used Dark Chocolate Reese’s and Peanut Butter M&M’s to make these Day After Halloween Brownies! Past that, the recipe is the same as Two Peas and Their Pod, so thank you very much for posting this great idea!

Feel free to use whatever chocolate you have lying around the house. Just be sure to end up with about 1 1/2 cups of candy to make the recipe consistent.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped candy (I used about a dozen Reese’s Cups and a bag of Peanut M&Ms)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Continue reading Day After Halloween Brownies

Venison Chili with Jalapeno-Cheddar Corn Muffins

I spent most of Saturday in the car driving to/from North Jersey in a freak Nor’easter snowfall that really made the ride quite an experience. After yesterday, it is clear that winter is (sadly) not too far away, so I better get started on some of my favorite cold weather foods. First up, chili.

I just joined a new farm club called Arganica, that just started delivering to Philadelphia. I actually joined it because my CSA share is ending and I still wanted to receive different vegetables during the winter months. However, as I was looking over their offerings, their meat and fish section is what really caught my eye. I decided to take a chance on a new type of meat I’ve never cooked with before: venison. When I mentioned I was planning on making venison chili to my boyfriend, his eyes lit up. Here’s hoping my chili can live up to whatever high expectation he has for this meal! To go along with the chili, I also made pepper Jack corn bread muffins.

For those a bit wary about venison, the meat is actually quite lean; venison is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than beef, pork, or lamb.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil

2 lbs ground venison

4 strips of bacon

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

1 can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon ground chili

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 jalapeno (or similar) pepper, seeds removed and chopped

1 cup beef stock

1/2 cup weak coffee

Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Sour cream

Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Bacon, Egg & Toast Cups with Spinach

I came across this Martha Stewart recipe this week and was kind of mad at myself for not thinking of it first. It’s brilliant. I love the idea of an entire breakfast within one little “muffin”. This would be a wonderful idea for a breakfast with guests: they look wonderful and really don’t take much time or preparation at all.

Ingredients: (makes 4)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 slices sandwich bread (I strongly suggest the Rye-Pumpernickel Swirl bread)

4 slices bacon

12 spinach leaves

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce

Are you getting sick of my pumpkin recipes? I think this recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce actually brings me to over a dozen posts on pumpkin-flavored desserts/meals. I wasn’t lying when I said I was pumpkin obsessed! Anyways, I’ve been trying to make this recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce from Cooking Light for almost 2 weeks, but for the life of me could not find wonton wrappers. I finally just adapted the recipe to use fresh pasta sheets from By George in Reading Terminal.

Ingredients (makes 3 servings):
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided
6 pieces of fresh pasta lasagna sheets, rolled thinner if desired (I used pumpkin pasta, no surprise there!) – about 1 lb.
1 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 tablespoon egg substitute or one egg, mixed
3 tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
Fresh sage leaves for garnish

Note: It would be super helpful to have a ravioli stamp, (or ideally, to have a ravioli maker!) but you can get the same results by pressing firmly and separating using a knife.

To make the Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce, add a salted pot of water to your stove over high heat. Bring to a boil.

Begin by making the ravioli stuffing. Add the pumpkin, panko, Parmesan, minced sage, salt, pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg to a bowl. Mix to combine.

If you’d prefer to make the pasta as thin as possible, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough even more. Place a generous teaspoon of the pumpkin mixture on one sheet of pasta, evenly spaced (I used my stamp as a guide). My sheets were able to hold about 6 teaspoons of the pumpkin mixture.

Using a brush, surround the pumpkin mixture with a thin layer of eggwash. This will help hold the pasta pieces together.

Place another lasagna sheet on top of the original sheet, covering the pumpkin mixture.

Using the ravioli stamp, press firmly around each pocket of pumpkin mixture. If you do not have a ravioli stamp, just use your hands.

Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut the ravioli into individual pieces. Repeat with remaining pumpkin mixture and lasagna sheets.

Your pot should now be boiling. Add half of the ravioli to the pot. Cook for about six minutes or until the ravioli begins to rise to the top.

While waiting for the past to cook, make your sauce. Add the milk and flour to a saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute until it thinks slightly.

Remove from heat. Add the butter, stirring until it fully melts. Stir in the crumbled Gorgonzola. Add more minced sage leaves if you’d like.

Add 6 ravioli each to three plates. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the Gorgonzola sauce. Add a teaspoon of chopped hazelnuts, a few sage leaves, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.

This Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Saucewas pretty darn good. I think it could handle a boost in nutmeg though; there was something missing from the overall flavor of the dish.

I strongly suggest adding a lot of sage leaves to the plate, a bite of fresh sage with every forkful was delicious!

I liked using fresh pasta instead of wontons; wontons tend to break apart in the cooking process, especially with a heavier filling like pumpkin.

I wish I knew what ingredient would really kick this recipe up from good to great; please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!

Philly Area Food & Drink Writer Meet-Up

I love food blogging; I thought you should know. Not only it is so rewarding to try making a new meal most nights, but the people you interact with along the way are pretty amazing. I was given the opportunity to attend a Philly Area Food and Drink Writer Meet-Up over the weekend, hosted by R2L Restaurant and organized by La Phemme Phoodie and Visit Philly/Philly Homegrown. Not only was it a chance to meet some of people behind a bunch of local blogs I read all the time, but we were also given food photography tips from Eric Mencher, who has a good 35 years of food photography know-how.

Upon entering the 37th floor of Two Liberty, we were each handed a glass of champagne, a great start to my afternoon! R2L let us try some of their fantastic hors d’oeuvres: tuna skewers, smoked salmon, truffled flatbread, and my two absolute favorites truffled risotto bites and lobster mac and cheese. Swoon. If you’ve never been to R2L I’d strongly suggest getting there as soon as possible. You stomach will thank you. On top of all of these tasty bites, we were also given sips of two cocktails, their signature R2L-Evation (gin, parfait amour, luxardo, fresh lemon, cherry) and a sidecar (hennessy vs, pallini limoncello, cointreau, fresh lemon), both which were refreshing and so tasty.

After snacking and hearing a bit about Philly Homegrown, Visit Philly, and even a hello from R2L Chef Daniel Stern, we were given a workshop by Eric Mencher which was so helpful. The best part was yet to come though, R2L plated many different meals for us to try to photograph in *gasp* natural sunlight. I was giddy. I live in a tiny condo, with very little natural sunlight. I never get to photograph in natural light! Not to mention, the food was beautifully plated. I was excited to try my hand at photographing these gorgeous plates. We were given the opportunity to photograph the following:

Smoked Salmon Brunch Pizza

Roasted Rabbit, fresh + pickled squash, eggplant, yellow steuben gravy + basil

Roasted Rabbit

Steak tartare

Sushi Sampler

Donut Ice cream Sandwich

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Variations of Chocolate

Pumpkin spiced cupcakes

Gingerbread cakes with ginger marshmallows and cassis pate de fruit

Chocolate chip cookies, Chocolate fudge pecan cookies & Gingerbread cakes

Blueberry lemon tarts with lavender marshmallows

Chocolate Eclairs & Huckleberry buttermilk panna cotta with green tea streusel

Huckleberry buttermilk panna cotta with green tea streusel

How’d I do? 🙂

Last but not least, we were allowed to partake in the dessert cart, which we all promptly devoured.

This used to be a chocolate peanut butter cup

Chocolate chip brownies and cinnamon hazelnut blondies

We even left with a nifty goodie bag including a “Who’s Your Farmer?” apron from Philly Homegrown (I desperately needed an apron, thanks!!) and a Visit Philly beer coozie, plus more helpful information on Philly Homegrown.

The event was a huge hit. I left with new knowledge on how to take a nice photograph, I was able to meet some amazing other local food bloggers, I ate myself silly, and left with a true appreciation of (and slightly envy of those who have) natural sunlight in photos.

Thanks again to La Phemme Phoodie, R2L, Visit Philly, and Philly Homegrown for a fantastic and informative day!

Bread Pudding with Peanut Butter-ROOT Sauce and Sliced Bananas

I have wanted to make bread pudding for a long time. But I’ve been too lazy to actually search for inspiration. So when the “How to Cook Like A Top Chef” cookbook literally showed up on my door step containing a recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bread Pudding, I knew it was time for me to finally make the delicious treat. I actually made this for a really decadent breakfast over the weekend, a little treat for making it through a long week.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

(adapted from Ash & Ashley’s Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bread Pudding)

3 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 brioche knots, cut into cubes (I got 9 cubes per knot)

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 oz ROOT liqueur

1 banana, sliced

Begin by whisking together the eggs and honey vigorously until combined and fluffy.

In a pot, add 1 cup heavy cream over medium heat until it begins to bubble lightly. Reduce the heat to low. Add a little bit of the warm cream to the egg/honey mixture, whisking vigorously so that the eggs don’t curdle. (This is called tempering). Add the egg mixture to the pot with the remaining cream, whisking constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Prepare the brioche rolls, cutting into cubes. I bought the rolls at Trader Joe’s, they are the perfect size for individual servings of bread pudding.

Add the bread cubes and the custard to a large bowl, stirring lightly to coat. Add the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for at least a half hour at room temperature. If planning ahead, you can do up to this step the night ahead of time and allow the bread to soak overnight.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the bread mixture to a loaf pan. Place the loaf pan into a cookie sheet with sizes. Add hot water into the cookie sheet so that the entire bottom is covered.

Cook for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the pudding is cooking, make the sauce. Add 1/2 cup cream and the condensed milk to a pot over medium heat.

When it bubbles, reduce to low and whisk in the peanut butter, ROOT, and vanilla extract. ROOT is a flavored liqueur that slightly resembles the taste of root beer. I made an awesome chocolate cake with it before so I thought it would work great in a sauce for bread pudding. You can read my post and more information on ROOT here. (If you’re making this for kids, feel free to just omit the ROOT.)

Whisk until smooth. If you want it a bit thinner, add more cream.

Spoon the sauce over the bread pudding while still warm. Top with banana slices.

What an absolutely delicious bread pudding. I can’t believe I ate this for breakfast, but I’m not ashamed either, it was amazing! I’m glad I only made a serving each for my boyfriend and I, or I’d eat this all day!

I had some of the sauce left over, which I plan on saving for ice cream!

The flavors work really well together in this dish (and how could they not??): chocolate, peanut butter, banana, with a hint of root beer at the end.

Meatloaf Muffins

I don’t think I’ve ever had a craving for meatloaf. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’ve only had meatloaf once. So I never actively seek out making meatloaf, much to my boyfriend’s disappointment. However, we both had long, exhausting work weeks, so I thought he deserved a comfort-food meal. Cooking light had a recipe for Meatloaf Muffins that I thought would work great; he could eat as much as he wanted and then have perfectly portioned “muffins” that I could freeze.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
3 bell peppers (I used one orange, yellow & red), chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut out of its casing (I used 2 sausages)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your onion, carrot, garlic, and peppers. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, basil, parsley, garlic and peppers. (Note: I completely forgot about the peppers and had to go back and saute them on their own. Just pretend they are in the photos. Shh.)

Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the sausage, cut out of the casing, beef, 1/2 ketchup, sriracha, panko, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper, eggs, and the cooled onion mixture in a large bowl.

Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Add the mixture to the muffin tins. (I used large muffin tins so there were only 6. This recipe also works with the standard size 12. For the large, 1 muffin is a serving. For the standard, 2 muffins are a serving.)

Top each with two teaspoons ketchup. (I got bored/creative)

Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. (The larger muffins ended up taking about 35 minutes total).

Serve with sauteed green beans and baked potato wedges if desired.

So what’s the review from my boyfriend? Very good! There was a slight hint of sriracha without making the meatloaf spicy. The sausage added a smoky taste to the meatloaf, and the peppers added a slight crunch to the meal. He ate the meatloaf with a side of ketchup mixed with hot sauce and seemed to really enjoy it.

The best part of this dish is the remaining “muffins” can be frozen for future meals.

Yum

Meatloaf “Muffins”

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
3 bell peppers (I used one orange, yellow & red), chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut out of its casing (I used 2 sausages)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your onion, carrot, garlic, and peppers. Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, basil, parsley, garlic and peppers.
Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the sausage, cut out of the casing, beef, ½ ketchup, sriracha, panko, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, ground pepper, eggs, and the cooled onion mixture in a large bowl.
Coat a muffin tin with cooking spray. Add the mixture to the muffin tins. (I used large muffin tins so there were only 6. This recipe also works with the standard size 12. For the large, 1 muffin is a serving. For the standard, 2 muffins are a serving.)
Top each with two teaspoons ketchup.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. (The larger muffins ended up taking about 35 minutes total).

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Creamy Asparagus Soup with Prosciutto

It’s about time I finished my review of Pomi! This time, I am working with their Alfredo Sauce. As a reminder, Pomi products come in boxes and are BPA-free.You can find them in most supermarkets (I was even able to find it in Reading Terminal, huge plus!)

The Alfredo Sauce would be yummy just over your favorite pasta with some fresh parsley, but I once again wanted to use the sauce a little differently to show how versatile the product is. (Don’t forget, I also have a giveaway to win a box of both the Alfredo Sauce AND the Vodka Sauce on my other post! Go check it out for details — ends Friday October, 21 12:00pm EST.)

Because it’s fall, and I cannot manage to satiate my craving for soup, I am making a Creamy Asparagus Soup topped with Crispy Prosciutto.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I am using Melt, a butter substitute)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried parsley

3 cups chicken broth

1-2 bunches of asparagus, woody ends removed

1 box Pomi Alfredo Sauce

3 slices of prosciutto, cut into thin strips

Salt, to taste

Garlic croutons, optional

Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

Begin by preparing your asparagus. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. Take the tips (maybe about 10 of them) and reserve for a later use. Chop your shallot and garlic clove.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add ice water to a bowl.

In another pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped shallots, garlic, and dried parsley. Cook for two minutes, stirring.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the asparagus (without the reserved tips) and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour the mixture in batches into a blender and blend until smooth.

Return to the pot. Cook for ten minutes over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

At this stage, your pot of water should be boiling. Add the reserved asparagus tips to the boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes and drain. Move the asparagus tips to an ice bath to cool. Once cool, remove from the ice water and set aside.

While waiting for the soup to cook, add the thin strips of prosciutto to a dry saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until crisp.

Transfer to paper towels and allow to cool. When cooled, roughly chop the prosciutto and set aside.

Add the Pomi Alfredo Sauce to the pot and stir to combine. Depending on your tastes, you might want to just use half a box. If you want it cheesy, go for the whole thing; if you want it more asparagus-y (is that a word?) use between 1/2 and the full box. Cook for about 5 minutes.

To serve, top with crumbled prosciutto, 2-4 asparagus spears, and a few garlic croutons.

Oh my. This was delicious! I really wish I was able to make this in the spring, when asparagus is it’s freshest, I can only imagine how tasty this soup would be!

The Alfredo sauce complements the brightness of the asparagus and adds to the smooth texture. I loved the bites of prosciutto, which added a burst of saltiness to the soup. The asparagus spears and garlic croutons added nice crunch to an otherwise silky soup.

It’s quite nice looking too isn’t it?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway here for a chance to win a box of this alfredo sauce (plus a box of the vodka sauce) so that you can try these tasty sauces for yourself!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

At the request of a coworker (and by request I mean he brought in cans of pumpkin puree), I finally made a pumpkin classic — Pumpkin Bread. Although usually made with walnuts or pecans, I instead decided to use chocolate chips. I used a recipe from Cooking Lightas a base for the recipe.

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves to a medium sized bowl.

Combine using a whisk.

Add the sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a large bowl.

Using a mixer, beat on high until well mixed.

Add 2/3 cup water and the pumpkin puree.

Beat on low until blended.

Add the dry flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and beat on low until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips. Combine using a spatula. Be sure to not overmix.

Add batter into 2 9×5 inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Using a knife to loosen the edges, remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

You can either half this recipe, or freeze the extra bread for up to one month. Just tightly wrap it in plastic wrap before putting it in the freezer.

The original recipe topped the bread with pecans or chopped walnuts, feel free to do that as well before baking.

If you think the bread is browning too much on top, cover it with tin foil towards the end (with 10-15 minutes left).

This bread is so so yummy. I love when I can pass off a dessert-like bread for a breakfast also. (Shh.)

I limited a bit of the spices, more so than I usually would, so that the star would be the sweetness from the chocolate chips. Definitely a winner!

Tomato Seafood Chowder &Review of Pomi Vodka Sauce

We all have those nights where we are absolutely too exhausted to cook. I tend to go straight for pasta whenever these nights come up, but recently I’ve been running low on my homemade tomato sauce. Sigh. I will of course whip up a batch of my tomato sauce when I have time, but it takes a good three hours to make!

Luckily, Pomi must have sensed my tomato sauce drought, and asked if I’d be willing to try some of their new sauces, specifically the Vodka Sauce and the Alfredo Sauce. (They also have traditional Marinara and Tomato & Basil sauces.) Not only do I get to try theses sauces, but Pomi is also going to send one lucky reader one box each of the Vodka Sauce and the Alfredo Sauce! I will discuss the giveaway at the end of this post, so stick with me!

I was excited to try Pomi. Unlike most tomato sauces, Pomi products actually come in boxes and are BPA-free. BPA, or bisphenol A is a compound used to make polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are typically used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles, and baby bottles. Epoxy resins are mainly used to coat the inside of metal products, such as food cans. The issue is there is evidence that BPA can seep into food and be absorbed into the human body, causing damage to the cardiovascular and reproductive systems, possibly leading to cancer, diabetes, asthma and obesity. Although more research needs to be completed, it has been suggested that consumers should try to limit their BPA exposure. Pomi also uses 100% natural tomatoes (no pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified seeds are used) and they do not add preservatives or artificial flavors to the end result.

Naturally, you can used these sauces just poured over freshly cooked pasta. But I decided to also test how versatile these sauces are. To save from a ridiculously long post, the Alfredo Sauce post will be coming shortly!

I decided to use the Vodka Sauce to make a Tomato Seafood Chowder. Pomi’s vodka sauce ingredients include: tomatoes, heavy cream, vodka, onion, cheeses, garlic, basil and parsley, which sounded like a wonderful base for a soup.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup orzo, uncooked

1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound raw bay scallops

1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup chicken broth

1 box Pomi Vodka Sauce

1/2 can diced tomatoes, optional

1 dozen clams
8 oz crab meat

2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil, for garnish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Cook the orzo according to package instructions on the package. Drain and set aside. While the orzo is cooking, prepare your ingredients: chop the onion, garlic, basil and parsley.

In a large pot, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion ,garlic, dried basil and dried parsley. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the scallops and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring.

Add the clam juice and chicken broth. If you want, you can sub out the clam juice for all broth. Add the Pomi Vodka Sauce, red pepper flakes, and diced tomatoes. If you do not want a chunky stew, you can leave out the chopped tomatoes.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the clams and cover, cooking for 3-5 minutes or until the clams open.

Stir in the orzo and the crab meat and serve with day old French bread.

There is plenty of salt from the clam juice, chicken broth and Pomi Vodka sauce so you really don’t need to add any. Feel free to add a bit of ground pepper if you’d like.

The Pomi Vodka sauce added plenty of flavor to the soup. It created a wonderful base and tasted awesome with the clams, crab meat and scallops. I strongly suggest adding the red pepper flakes for a tiny bit of heat, it works so well with the tomatoes. My boyfriend, who was really wary of trying the chowder, ended up polishing off his bowl, and he doesn’t even like scallops!

So now, for the giveaway! As a reminder, one reader will receive one box of Pomi Alfredo Sauce and one box of Pomi Vodka Sauce, mailed to your home. Unfortunately, this is only open to U.S. residents.

To enter, please leave a comment below letting me know how you’d use one of the sauces (this one is mandatory).

For extra entries, you can do as many of the following as you please. Leave me a comment below letting me know you’ve done them, each comment counts as a separate entry!

Like I Can Cook That and Pomi on Facebook (comment saying you did so or let me know if you already do)
Follow I Can Cook That on twitter (comment saying you did so or let me know if you already do)
Tweet the following: “I just entered @icancookthat’s Pomi Sauce Giveaway! https://tinyurl.com/3c56eep” (leave a comment saying you did so below)

The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced Friday, October 21. All entries must be received by 12:00pm EST on Friday, October 21. Good luck!

Note: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for participating!

Wilted Tatsoi with Sauteed Tofu

One of my friends asked me if I’d be willing to add some tofu recipes to my repertoire. I was pretty wary to try it. I don’t mind tofu, but I can’t say I’ve ever had a hankering for it. Well, for some reason, I picked up some tofu this week so I decided to finally make a recipe including it for my friend. I also received tatsoi in my CSA share, which is the perfect opportunity to use the tofu in this recipe for Wilted Tatsoi with Sauteed Tofu.

Ingredients:
2 bunches of tatsoi
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
A dash of rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
4-6 oz tofu, cut into cubes

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger and brown sugar to a bowl and mix to combine and reserve.

Add 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Cube the tofu.

Add the tofu to the pan.

Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until browned.

Remove the tofu from heat. Cut the stems off of the tatsoi.

Add 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil to the saute pan and turn down the heat to medium low. Add the tatsoi.

Cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add the reserved sauce to the pan.

Stir to combine. Mix in the tofu and serve.

This was so quick and easy! I actually ate this as a meal, but if you cut the tofu pieces smaller, this could also work as a yummy side.

I loved the subtle sweetness of the sauce. Tatsoi tastes very similar to bok choi, so the flavors worked really well.

I was really pleasantly surprised by the result. You might just catch me making another tofu recipe in the future!

Skinny Iced Pumpkin Cookies & Review of Melt Buttery Spread

One of the huge downsides of my pumpkin obsession is that most of the sweets made with pumpkin really should be eaten in moderation (something I am not capable of adhering to). So I am always in search of a way to lighten the calorie intake of those desserts so that I can still enjoy them without feeling terribly guilty afterwards.

Kelly from Eat Yourself Skinny recently had a post trying out a new buttery spread called Melt with rave reviews. Luckily, Melt graciously sent me two packages of their organic buttery spread for me to try out as well!

So what exactly is melt and what makes it different from other butter substitutes? Melt contains virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil, and canola oil — all healthy cooking oils and “good fats.” Typical buttery spreads are made of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, which have been liked to obesity, heart disease, etc. Melt is also organic, gluten free, soy free, kosher, and has 50% of the saturated fat and fewer calories than butter. Whew.

Melt’s, well, melt point is close to original butter’s melting point, making it perfect for baking. Typical buttery spreads usually have a lower melting point, which means they tend to separate during the baking process resulting in a flat cookie. So what better way to really test out Melt’s best qualities than making a batch of Skinny Iced Pumpkin Cookies? I adapted this recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Ingredients (this makes 3 dozen cookies):

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Melt buttery spread
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing, for drizzling:

1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons 2% milk
3/4 teaspoon melted Melt buttery spread
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Continue reading Skinny Iced Pumpkin Cookies & Review of Melt Buttery Spread

French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote

I love French toast. I may or may not have had dreams about Sabrina’s French Toast (in the Italian Market in Philly) but I always have a bit of eater’s remorse when I realize how many calories I managed to consume before 10 am. I must not be the only one, because Cooking Light had a lighter French Toast recipe that takes advantage of seasonal apples in their most recent issue.

Ingredients (4 servings):

Compote:
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon butter
3 sliced and peeled Fuji apples
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
French toast:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 knotted challah rolls
2 teaspoons butter, divided
Powdered sugar (optional)

Prepare the apples. Peel the apples and slice into somewhat even sizes so that they cook evenly. If you cannot find Fuji apples, Cooking Light suggests substituting Liberty, Pink Lady, or Jonahold apples because they will maintain their shape while cooking.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and coat the pan with cooking spray. Melt 1 teaspoon butter and add the apples. Cook for 8 minutes or until tender. Be sure to stir so that all sides of the apple get evenly cooked.

Stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon and keep warm.

In a medium bowl, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Add milk, vanilla extract, salt, and eggs and whisk until blended.

Slice each of the challah knots in half.

Add the challah pieces 1 or 2 at a time to the milk mixture, coating them well on each side.

Using the same saute pan you used for the apple compote (this will give the French toast a slight apple flavor), melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in the pan over medium heat. Add 2 bread slices and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. (Because of the knot, press down on the slices so that it can cook evenly). Repeat with remaining butter and slices.

Serve topped with compote and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

This was a very satisfying breakfast, but didn’t weigh me down. The apples caramelized, bringing out their sweetness which was a nice addition to the French toast. I loved using the individual rolls of challah, you end up with an already portioned for you meal.

This recipe was so good, I actually made it again the next morning!