As this blog has evolved over the course of the last eleven(!) years, so too has my approach to recipe selection and development. The more readers trust me to provide recipes that are delicious, reliable, and worth their time, the more I strive to deliver. In my kitchen I always make the food that I want to make, but I only share the food I think you would want to make, that deserves your consideration, and has been carefully tested by yours truly. In the early days I couldn’t have imagined testing a recipe more than once or at most twice before slapping it up on these pages but now I generally expect that three rounds of testing and tweaking will ensue before a recipe makes its way to you. When, earlier this week, I made this tropi-cobb salad and had a gut instinct while I was making it that it was ready to be photographed right then to be shared with you as soon as possible, it was such a funny feeling. It harkened back to ye’ ole’ days of blogging and also went against all of my learned instincts.

This salad truly is exactly what I want to eat right now. Summer cooking can be a challenge because the heat makes me want to avoid making anything too labor intensive or requiring a ton of time at the stove or oven, and the good weather makes me want to go outside and enjoy it. I love this salad because it is fresh and light while still super satisfying, and it doesn’t take too much time to throw together. Get the chicken in the marinade straight away and while that is doing its thang, prep the rest of the salad ingredients. The end result is perfect summer fare! The flavors excite my tastebuds and the colors are simply beautiful.

The kids loved this too, although they both complained about the basil leaves being left whole. While I think that’s crazy, maybe opt for chopping the basil if you have finicky palates to consider. It made for excellent leftovers as well! I packed the whole thing in a single container with the dressing and toppings on the bottom, lettuce on top, and was careful not to let it get shaken up before lunchtime. It worked great and now I have another excellent healthy recipe to rely on. I hope you love this as much as I do!

The post Tropi-Cobb Salad appeared first on Everyday Annie.

As those of you who follow Baking Bites on Facebook might already know, Craftsy is now Bluprint. I’ve been a Craftsy contributor for a few years now (time flies!) and have shared lots of great recipes and tutorials over there. You’ll still be able to find those older recipes and I’ll be contributing new content to the new site, which has some expanded offerings over the original. You can get your first taste with my latest post, 6 Things to Do With a Watermelon This Weekend! Over in the full post, I outline several ways to enjoy summer watermelon and I am sure that you’ll discover at least one new idea you haven’t tried yet. In fact, I recommend picking up a full size watermelon instead of one of the individual size melons so that you have plenty of melon to work with. That said, opt for seedless so you can maximize the amount of watermelon you can eat (and the amount of prep that you have to do to get to it).

Need more watermelon inspiration? Try these recipes!

• Watermelon and Strawberry Sorbet
• Watermelon Frose
• Watermelon Cupcakes (these don’t use fruit, but they’re delicious!!)
• Watermelon Salsa with Grilled Tri-Tip

The post Baking Bites for Bluprint: 6 Ways to Watermelon this Weekend! appeared first on Baking Bites.

The post The Mini Southport Dress appeared first on Everyday Annie.

This gnocchi recipe was taught to me when a friend came to visit from Genoa, Italy. Her mother came with her, and one night, alongside a small mountain of beautiful, fragrant basil, she taught us her homemade gnocchi recipe. I posted about the pesto we made to go with it in a separate post, and as promised the gnocchi as a followup. You ready!?

Gnocchi takes Patience

Gnocchi recipes aren’t for the faint of heart. Many, many things can go awry. I’m not trying to scare you off or dissuade you, I just want you to know what you are in for. Gnocchi-making takes practice, patience, and persistence. At their best, potato gnocchi can be light and delicate. At their worst, dense, rubbery, and/or soggy. The very worst are the gnocchi that come apart in the boiling water before they even reach your plate.

The Simplest Ingredients

The platter of petite, potato pillows coated with glistening flecks of basil pesto that Francesca’s mother made us that night was beautiful. The gnocchi recipe she taught us had just three ingredients – boiled, starchy russet potatoes combined with a minimal amount of flour (too much flour and your gnocchi are going to be heavy), and a bit of salt – no eggs. I’ve tweaked her version to be a little more user-friendly here, because to be honest, eggless gnocchi are very tricky to get the hang of, very delicate to handle. I’m afraid if I post the eggless version here, there will be a number of you who will try it, get frustrated, and curse me. So, a bit of egg it is.

This Gnocchi Recipe: The Details

In the version here, I incorporate just enough egg to act as a bit of a binder for the gnocchi. We still aren’t using an excessive amount of flour, and the resulting gnocchi are deliciously light. They can also stand up to a toss with your favorite sauce. You can see them pictured at the top of this post, tossed with this favorite pesto.

If you are committed to trying the eggless version, try this version first. After that, perhaps the next time around, use half the egg, and the time after that go for no egg. By that time, you should have all the other steps figured out and you’ll have a better vantage point and level of experience from which to work You’ll also have a better sense of how to handle and work with the dough.

So, here it is – the long awaited gnocchi recipe. Give it a go, and let me know what you think. If you know how to make pesto, this is the time to do it! A simple toss is perfect. 

Continue reading How to Make Gnocchi like an Italian Grandmother on 101 Cookbooks

Post sponsored by the French Ministry of Agriculture. See below for more details.

One of my first forays into cooking was for my school's international dinner night. I was in French class and within the first few weeks of class, I became obsessed with French culture. I thought the language and the art was (and still is) beautiful but the food, oh the food. There's nothing quite like a meal of French food shared around a table of friends and family (plus any given day I'd gladly take a croissant and coffee for breakfast).

And so, these crepes are a bit of an updated nod to bringing French culture home. We eat savory crepes quite often and the roasted tomatoes tossed with a hazelnut-butter dressing might be my favorite summer treat. When served warm, the St. Agur blue cheese melts a bit into the tomatoes and it's so rich and delicious. What really brings this meal home is the Trimbach Pinot Blanc. The wine helps balance the richness of all that wonderful President butter and St. Agur blue cheese.

Best of all, you can make an extra large batch of the crepes to use throughout the month (they freeze amazingly well). Have these beautiful savory crepes for dinner then have a breakfast crepe or dessert crepe the following week. Or, if you're like me and have a child- a bit of nut butter and honey spread instead a crepe makes for the perfect snack!

Read more and see the recipe.

The post Crepes with Tomatoes and Butter Hazelnuts appeared first on Naturally Ella.

Stuck on an app idea that is not a cheese plate or veggies and hummus? Look at these cute little guys! So cute. I much prefer to entertain outside than in (I think we've sat at our dining table maybe twice?), so we've been inviting friends to join us for dinner more often. The appetizer is not the part of the meal I wish to put effort towards, and these little numbers take all of 10 minutes to put together and can totally be prepped ahead and dressed last minute. If you don't find yourself needing tiny things on a skewer, I put the extra bits of watermelon and cucumber over some arugula, add some salmon, the following feta vinaigrette and wa lah, dinner. 

I recently worked with 31 Bits on a shoot featuring some of their new kitchen line. I've been using the indigo plant-dyed napkins for summer dinners and a handful of other pretty items are up on their homepage at the moment. You can read more on their company on the about page, but the they're pretty awesome as a whole. A few local girls run it and their mission is to bring more job opportunities and fair wages to artisans all over the world. Anyway, we're doing a giveaway over on instagram wednesday thru friday if you want to participate. 

WATERMELON + CUCUMBER SKEWERS

Makes 12

The skewers shown are available at World Market or here.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. minced shallot
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint, divided
2.5 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 ounces feta cheese
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 mini, seedless watermelon, cut in 1” cubes
3 Persian cucumbers

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, combine the shallot, oregano, half of the mint, vinegar, oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it all a stir. Crumble in the feta and give it another stir, a few chunks are ok. 

Shave the cucumbers into strands with a vegetable peeler, lengthwise. Assemble them on the skewer by putting a cube of watermelong, folding a slice of cucumber like an accordion, and then another cube of watermelon on top. Arrange them on your serving tray and drizzle the feta vinaigrette over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh mint, a grind of fresh pepper and serve.

Chocolate and coffee are always a good combination and this Espresso Brownie Cake is the perfect dessert if you want to enjoy both together. It is made with a very generous dose of dark chocolate and plenty of espresso, along with a splash of coffee liqueur. The cake evenly delivers intense coffee and chocolate flavors that really compliment each other.

Brownies are known for their dense, chewy texture and deep chocolate flavor, but this cake isn’t as dense as a brownie is. Instead, it has brownie in the name because it also delivers an intense chocolate flavor. It is lighter in texture than a classic, chewy brownie, however, and has a tight, tender crumb that almost melts in your mouth as you eat it.

I used brewed espresso in this cake for a very strong coffee flavor. If you don’t have espresso, you can substitute strong or dark roast brewed coffee. The coffee should be warm or at room temperature, but it does not need to be extremely hot. The coffee is added to a warm mixture of melted chocolate and butter, so warm coffee incorporates much more easily than cold would. Coffee liqueur is added for extra coffee flavor, but it can be substituted for additional coffee if you prefer to have an alcohol-free cake.

There is a generous amount of dark chocolate in this cake and I recommend using one with a cacao content somewhere between 55 and 70% for best results. Chocolate in this range will give you a great chocolate flavor without making the cake too bitter. Although the cake recipe calls for a fair amount of sugar, it really isn’t overly sweet thanks to the intensity of the dark chocolate and the espresso/coffee in the batter.

This is a great cake that can be serve all year round. Although it’s not a layer cake, it’s a fairly tall cake and has a real presence on the dessert table. In the summer, you can pair it with ice cream or fresh berries. In the winter, you can serve it alongside a cup of coffee or with some caramel sauce drizzled over the top to make it even more indulgent.

Espresso Brownie Cake
7 oz dark chocolate (55-70%), coarsely chopped
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups espresso or dark roast coffee, warm or room temperature
1/4 cup coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt together dark chocolate and butter, stirring until mixture is very smooth. Stir in espresso/coffee and coffee liqueur, followed by the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture, mixing just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 70 minutes, or until cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.
Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before removing the sides of the springform and sliding the cake onto a serving plate.

Serves 10-12

The post Espresso Brownie Cake appeared first on Baking Bites.

It’s about time this awesome sauce got its very own post. Everything that I drizzle this Lime Crema on is elevated to “OMG” status. It’s just so freaking good. It only takes a few simple ingredients and about five minutes to make, so it’s totally worth adding this to your next southwest-inspired meal. If you want to take your recipe from just “good” to AH-MAZ-ING, this Lime Crema is your key.

Lime Crema

How to Use Lime Crema

So what do you use this magical Lime Crema for? I like to drizzle it on tacos, nachos, tostadas, and have even used it as a sort of salad dressing. Swirl it into a soup or chili, or even use it as a simple tangy chip dip. Why not? It’s just an all around yum sauce.

Step by Step Photos

First, zest the lime and then squeeze its juice into a small bowl. You’ll want about 1 tsp zest and 1 Tbsp juice. 

Add 1 tsp zest, 1 Tbsp lime juice, one small clove of garlic (minced), and 1/4 tsp salt to an 8 oz. container of sour cream. Stir to combine, then use immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.

I usually just prepare my lime crema before I begin my meal, so it has at least a few minutes for the flavors to infuse into the cream as I cook, but I can verify that it’s still super tasty just after mixing (I always have a hard time not licking the spoon!).

What do you like to add Lime Crema to? Leave your favorites in the comments below!

The post Lime Crema appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Spontaneity has never been my strong suit. I’ve always admired it from afar, nodding my head approvingly at the idea of carpe diem, going with the flow, and all of that. But acknowledging its value and actually welcoming it into my life are two very different things.

I know that my resistance to spontaneity has to do with my attachment to control, or the idea of it, which is something I’m trying to let go of. It’s not easy to let go of things, though, when letting go is often more uncomfortable than not. When I try to be more spontaneous or to roll with the punches I usually end up feeling destabilized and off-kilter, which doesn’t encourage me to do it more often.

Sometimes being freewheeling with my schedule and saying yes to things at the last minute means that I lose time for the actions and routines that keep me grounded and healthy: yoga, cooking, moving at a steady pace, consciously creating solo time if I’ve been around people a lot. It’s taken me a while to figure out how important these things are to my overall well-being, so of course I work hard to preserve them. But I know that there’s a fine line between protecting my nourishing habits and clinging to routine. And the more set in my habits I allow myself to be, the more convinced I become that I can’t handle changing them—a sense of fragility that I neither want nor need.

This week, I played around with being spontaneous—not intentionally, but because chances to do it came up. On Wednesday, a friend ended up with a gap in his work schedule and asked me whether I’d like to meet up for a while. I’d had a long morning of cooking and was immediately inclined to say no, but when I tried to imagine how it would be to sit down and catch up with him, I realized how much I wanted to say yes. I did said yes, in spite of being a little worn out, and our time was really energizing. I was glad he asked, and I thanked him for doing it.

On Friday, I realized that the plans I thought I’d committed to for Sunday were in fact happening on Saturday. As soon as I realized my error, I wanted to bail, because the day had taken shape in my mind already. Once again, I thought about what saying yes would feel like, and it was a positive enough visualization that I could push through the discomfort of the unanticipated changes in timing.

As it turned out, most of my Saturday shifted around under my feet; the day I thought I’d be having isn’t a bit like the one I had. But the one I had was fun and rich and sweet, and it’s very possible that the Saturday I’d initially counted on would have been less so. Or at least, it wouldn’t have been this Saturday, with the experiences it contained. So I’m happy I gave myself over to the flow of things, rather than tensing up against the unanticipated.

Not long ago, I wrote about the importance of saying no, and I stand by those words. But it’s important for me to resist rigid thought patterns that coax me into thinking that, if one thing is true, something oppositional must be untrue. Saying no is the right choice for me sometimes. Saying yes is right sometimes, too. Siding with one at the expense of the other saves me the work of learning to carefully discern whether a “yes” or a “no” is right for me in any given moment, which is part of the greater work of learning to tune into my own needs and listen to my intuition. But that’s good work, work that wants doing.

Navigating the space between openness and boundaries isn’t a straightforward business, and as I keep trying I know that I’ll inevitably have some missteps. I’ll opt in to things that tire me out, or I’ll miss out on moments that might have been fun and rewarding.

That’s OK. Another tendency I’m working on these days is my tendency to be precious, to regard each moment as a one-shot deal. I’m constantly assuring my nutrition clients who a) have the privilege of steady food access and b) have a tendency create a lot of suffering around getting food choices “right” or “wrong” that no single meal is all that important; there will be others, lots of opportunity to make different choices. So too with connection and experience. There’s always another chance to practice, if we’re up for it.

Wishing you a week full of yes’s and no’s, as the case may be, and appreciation of them all. Here are my recipe picks and reads from the past week.

Recipes

My friend Amanda just celebrated a burger month on her blog, with plenty of incredible recipes, and this crispy quinoa cauliflower burger is my favorite so far.

This vegan kimchi mac n’ cheese has been bookmarked for my next comfort food craving. So much cheesy and umami goodness!

I can never get enough smashed chickpea salad recipes, and right now I’ve got my eyes on Brandi’s awesome caesar version. What a cool idea to use artichoke brine.

Sara’s beautiful grilled mushroom bowls with muhamarra are inspiring me to get my grill pan out for the first time this summer.

Almond butter fudgsicles, anyone?

Reads

1. I loved reading Eric Kim’s tearjerker of an ode to the five cookbooks that have made him cry. Zahav is the only one I’ve read, but they’re all on my wish list now.

2. Speaking of my wish list, I’m eager to take a closer look at this list of 39 health and science titles for the summer.

3. A new research review points to the benefits of a plant-based diet for heart health.

4. I really like this article on raising vegan/vegetarian kids and teens—it’s both supportive and evidence-based, and the dietitians interviewed offer good tips and guidelines for parents.

5. This post was written for Mental Health Awareness Month, which is behind us, but I’m sharing it because I’m so glad that my friend Stepfanie had the guts to share about her experience with anxiety. I can intimately relate to the digging of nails into tender flesh to help distract oneself from racing thoughts or irrational fears—and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

Each time any of us takes the time to put experience into words, we contribute to a culture in which mental health struggles can be acknowledged without stigma or shame. Thanks, Stepfanie.

My long day of cooking earlier this week was the most I’ve done in a long time; it’s a summer of hands-off meals for me, which feels totally alright. But I do have a new recipe to share this week, as well as some summer appetizer inspiration to chat about. Till then, take good care.

xo

The post Weekend Reading, 7.29.18 appeared first on The Full Helping.

Living in California now for over 5 years, I've learned that most food produced here is just as good (if not better) than most any place else. California tomatoes, olive oil, wine, stone fruit, beans, and grains occupy a majority of our meals. However, and I've had arguments with people about this, the Midwest has the best sweet corn. Give me Illinois peaches & cream sweet corn any day.

Of course, I'm not so picky that I'll refuse California sweet corn. It's still delicious and I inevitably end up with an abundance (the $4/1 price is just too good). While I use it to make quite a few recipes during the season, I also like to save the kernels and cobs to make items I can use throughout the year.

continue reading

The post Saving the Season: 3-Ways with Sweet Corn appeared first on Naturally Ella.

Let’s talk about how to make a great vegetarian poke bowl. Poke is a much-loved, traditional, raw fish preparation, long popular in Hawaii. Fishermen would season bits of their catch, and snack on it while working. Poke (pronounced poh-kay) has exploded in popularity, well beyond Hawaii, in recent years. The version I’m posting today is for any of you who love the idea of poke or poke bowls, but don’t eat fish for whatever reason. Vegetarian poke bowls are particularly fantastic this time of year because they’re light, clean, filling but not heavy, You know?

Vegetarian Poke Bowl: The Components

I typically use a watermelon poke, a version of this sushi rice (but any favorite sushi rice / blend will do), and a host of other vibrant toppings. Here you see firm, organic tofu, sliced avocado, blanched asparagus, shaved watermelon radish, and micro sprouts. The bowl is drizzled, simply, with good soy sauce. And there’s a sprinkling of sesame seeds and scallions. The other topping I really crave, not pictured here, is a showering of crispy, fried shallots. 

Seasonal Variations

When it comes to toppings, what you see here is just a jumping off point. And I encourage you to play around with all the components. For example, you might trade in roasted squash cubes for the watermelon later in the year. And do roasted onions in place of scallions. Or, play around with the drizzle on top. For a quick poke bowl, I just do a soy sauce drizzle, but you could whip up something more complex. Have fun with it!

Although, it can be argued, a vegetarian poke bowl isn’t a real poke bowl, it’s a great meal just the same. Keep your eyes peeled for other inspiration as well. I love seeing the creative vegetarian and vegan poke bowls on menus at poke spots all over. Lots of ideas there that you might replicate in your own kitchens!

Continue reading How to Make a Great Vegetarian Poke Bowl on 101 Cookbooks

Happy Sunday, you baking fools. If the day of rest has you hankering seasonally appropriate yeast breads and some light morning reading, you have come to the right place! I have your weekend round-up of things to eat, wear, and read, plus a blueberry brioche that just might be the baking challenge your week needs. Let’s get started!

Bon Appetit’s Take on The Bachelorette

You don’t have to be an avid viewer of “The Bachelorette” to know that these people rarely eat on camera. Do they over-imbibe? Yes. Do they engage in childish antics? For sure. Do they get way too dressed for a cocktail party in their living room? 100%. But I absolutely love this list of food not eaten during the last part of Becca’s season. And PS, I’m totally making eyes at the bundt cake on Colton’s dining room table.

A French Woman’s Guide to Success in Food

It’s no secret that I secretly want to be French. For the love, I wrote a whole post about it here. In my quest to become a little more like our European friends, I’m checking out this article from Food52 about how to have success in food and life. Along those lines, check out this list of essential French recipes that every cook needs to master. 

Hair Trends for 2018

I’m by no means a trend forecaster, but I love sporting a new haircut like the best of them. Check out this list from Southern Living to land a new look of your own. I’m personally leaning towards the deep side part or the wash and wear long. What do you think?

Eat Cookie Dough While You Meet Mickey Mouse

This just in: Walt Disney World is now serving cups of edible cookie dough. BRB, planning my trip ASAP. In the meantime, check out two of my favorite cookie dough recipes here and here. 

2018 World’s Best US Cities

Travel + Leisure just released their annual “World’s Best” lists, and I’m scoping them all out for the low-down on where to go, what to see, and what to look forward to in my upcoming travels. I was particularly interested in this list of best US cities and was tickled to see two of my favorites recognized. For more on travel, be sure to check out my guides to Charleston, Chicago, and Portland. 

What to Wear

Up until a month ago, I didn’t own a single jumpsuit, but I now have three to my name. I’m scoping out this little cutie from Madewell to be number four, and I might even pick up this apron dress while I’m at it. PS, if you’ve got the shopping fever right now, be sure to check out Nordstrom’s anniversary sale, happening right now! 

Blueberry Brioche

I think we’re tough- we don’t shy away from a baking challenge. We don’t get nervous or intimidated by kitchen terminology or techniques that are foreign to us. We strap on our aprons, get our hands dirty, and resolve to master new and delicious foods. Today’s recipe for blueberry brioche is the perfect challenge to tackle this week and the outcome is nothing short of fab. Let’s chat the ins and outs.

Brioche is a French pastry-like bread that is loaded with egg and butter. Whether knotted into rolls, folded into loaves, or rolled into buns, brioche is always light, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender. If bread could be dessert, brioche would be right up there with babka. It’s that decadent.

Although cinnamon bread has been the go-to breakfast treat in our house, I wanted a secondary recipe to use up the beautiful summer produce that has been landing in my farmer’s market baskets. This blueberry brioche is the answer to that desire and I am so thrilled to share it with you today.

To make loaves of blueberry brioche, we start in the bowl of our stand mixer. Yeast is dissolved in some lukewarm milk with a bit of sugar. Once the granules of yeast have liquified, we add in the remaining sugar, some cinnamon, salt, and flour. Paddle the mixture until it comes together into a wet dough and begin adding the butter.

Chunks of room temperature unsalted butter are added to the mix until it is well incorporated, and then the dough gets worked over for a few minutes. Once thick, stringy pieces of dough are snagging the beater, we gently add a cup and a half of fresh blueberries. Warning: this part is a little tricky. The blueberries may not want to incorporate and may even burst under the pressure of your stand mixer. Feel free to use your hands to barely mix them in and then dump the mixture into a large greased bowl to rise. I leave my blueberry brioche dough to rise in a warm spot of my kitchen, usually under a warm light or next to the oven. After about and hour and a half or two hours, the dough should have doubled and you’re ready to form your loaves. 

Split the blueberry brioche dough into two equal pieces and gently pat each one out into a rectangle on a floured surface. The short end of each dough piece should be about 8″ long before you fold each piece lengthwise as you would a letter. Simply fold the bottom third up and the top third down until you have another rectangle-shaped piece of dough. Repeat this process and then work the small rectangle into a roll of dough that will fit into your greased bread pan. Cover each loaf with a sheet of plastic wrap to rise a second time.

Just before baking you can sprinkle on some crumble topping if desired. I love the extra bit of sweet and salty crust this lends each loaf of blueberry brioche, but it’s totally optional. Bake the bread in to oven until puffed, golden brown, and the inside of each loaf registers at 190 degrees. Allow the loaves to cool briefly in the loaf pans before cooling completely on a rack.

This blueberry brioche, while somewhat of a task in the kitchen, is a delicious treat that is perfect for breakfast, snacking, or even dessert. I like to toast thick slices until golden and then slather it with butter and cinnamon sugar. Regardless of your preferences, bread making is a beautiful art that, given patience, attention, and love, is really rewarding and insanely delicious. I hope you’ll take a chance on this bread and enjoy every bit of it. Happy Sunday and happy baking!

Blueberry Brioche

The recipe for blueberry brioche yields two loaves of fluffy, rich, blueberry-studded bread with a crumble topping. Simple enough for breakfast and decadent enough for dessert, this blueberry brioche is the summer bread to beat! 

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 30
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 300
• Yield: 2 Loaves

Ingredients

For the dough:

• ½ cup (80 gm) lukewarm milk (I use whole)
• 1/3 cup (70 gm) sugar
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2-3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons (395 gm) all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups (225 gm) blueberries

For the topping:

• 5 tablespoons (40 gm) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (50 gm) sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk

Instructions

1. Pour the lukewarm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk in half of the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top of the mixture and allow it to dissolve, about five minutes. You may need to stir the yeast after a few minutes to allow it all to dissolve. Once dissolved, stir in the rest of the sugar, 1 cup of the flour, the eggs, salt, and cinnamon. Once incorporated, add in an additional 1-3/4 cups of flour, stirring on low to combine. Using the paddle attachment, increase the speed to medium (I use 4 on my mixer) and begin adding the butter a piece at a tim, stirring to barely incorporate after each addition. Continue to beat, scraping the sides of the bowl twice throughout the process, for 4 minutes or until the dough is moistened and stretchy, forming strands of stringy dough between the beater and the bowl. Toss the blueberries with the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour and stir or knead the blueberries into the dough on low speed until they’re combined and barely starting to burst. If you feel like the of the blueberries are squishing before they are incorporated, you can try to fold them in with your hands. Don’t worry- they’ll integrate well after the first rise. Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to rise in a warm spot of your kitchen until doubled in size, about 1-1/2- 2 hours. I like to let mine rise on the counter next to a warm stove or oven.
2. Once the dough has doubled in volume, dump the dough out onto a barely floured surface and divide it in two equal pieces using a bench scraper or a sharp knife. Pat one piece of dough out into a rectangle roughly 8” wide on it’s shortest side  and fold it lengthwise like you fold a letter, folding the bottom third up and the top third over top of it. Rotate the dough 90 degrees and pat it out into a rectangle again, repeating the folding process. Lightly grease two loaf pans (8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 ¾) and gently work the dough into each pan with the seam facedown and cover the pans with plastic wrap. Allow them to rise a second time, about 1-1/2 hours until the bread has risen just barely over the lip of the pan, about ½-1”. The bread will continue to rise in the oven, so don’t worry if it’s not a lofty loaf yet. Keep in mind if you use a larger or smaller loaf pan, your rise will be slightly different.
3. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make the crumb topping. Stir together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Then, use a fork to cut the butter and vanilla into the mixture until it is a coarse meal consistency. When the loaves have risen, gently brush them with a thin layer of cream and sprinkle the crumbs on top. You may have some crumbs leftover. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the loaves have tanned and are 190 degrees in the inside. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan and then continue cooling on a cooling rack.

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I've noticed an increase of toast offerings at local coffee shops. Avocado, vegetables, and fruit are all popular items but what caught my eye at the last coffee shop was the ricotta toast. Good ricotta is delicious (and better yet, it's actually quite simple to make at home). Add it to toast and you have one delicious breakfast. Take it sweet (peaches, pears, berries) or take it savory, like this ricotta toast with peppers.

So why peppers? This time of year is the best for peppers, especially my favorite: Jimmy Nardello. Most of the non-bell varieties have amazing flavor. I've given two options for this recipe: tame and spicy. If you're not a heat fan, find the Jimmy Nardello peppers (or in a pinch, bell peppers). If you like a kick, use the Fresno peppers- you won't be disappointed.

Read more and see the recipe.

The post Ricotta Toast with Butter-Fried Peppers appeared first on Naturally Ella.

A free 7-day flexible meal plan including breakfast, lunch and dinner and a shopping list. All recipes include calories and Weight Watchers Freestyle™ SmartPoints®.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend, if you have any suggestions for recipes you want to see next week, let me know! I included the famous Bagel Recipe and Chickpea Egg Salad to make ahead on Sunday so you’ll be ready for the week.

If you’re new to my meal plans, I’ve been sharing these free, 7-day flexible healthy meal plans (you can see my previous meal plans here) that are meant as a guide, with plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food, coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc or swap recipes out for meals you prefer, you can search for recipes by course in the index. You should aim for around 1500 calories* per day.

There’s also a precise, organized grocery list that will make grocery shopping so much easier and much less stressful. Save you money and time. You’ll dine out less often, waste less food and you’ll have everything you need on hand to help keep you on track.

Lastly, if you’re on Facebook join my Skinnytaste Facebook Community where everyone’s sharing photos of recipes they are making, you can join here. I’m loving all the ideas everyone’s sharing!

THE DETAILS:

Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, are designed to serve 1 while dinners and all meals on Saturday and Sunday are designed to serve a family of 4. Some recipes make enough leftovers for two nights or lunch the next day. While we truly believe there is no one size fits all meal plan, we did our best to come up with something that appeals to a wide range of individuals. Everything is Weight Watchers friendly, I included the updated Weight Watcher Freestyle Points for your convenience, feel free to swap out any recipes you wish or just use this for inspiration!

The grocery list is comprehensive and includes everything you need to make all meals on the plan. I’ve even included brand recommendations of products I love and use often. Cross check your cabinets because many condiments you’ll notice I use often, so you may already have a lot of them.

And last, but certainly not least, this meal plan is flexible and realistic. There’s plenty of wiggle room for cocktails, healthy snacks, dessert and dinner out. And if necessary, you can move some things around to make it work with your schedule. Please let me know if you’re using these plans, this will help me decide if I should continue sharing them! 

MONDAY (7/30)
B: Easy Bagel Recipe* (3) with 1 egg (0), 1 ounce avocado (1) and 2 slices tomato (0)
L: Chickpea Egg Salad* (2)
D: Veggie Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (6) with a green salad** (2)
Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 950***

TUESDAY (7/31)
B: Easy Bagel Recipe (3) with 1 egg (0), 1 ounce avocado (1) and 2 slices tomato (0)
L: Chickpea Egg Salad (2)
D: Southwest Chicken Skillet (5)
Totals: Freestyle Points 11, Calories 957***

WEDNESDAY (8/1)
B: Easy Bagel Recipe (3) with 2 tablespoons light cream cheese (3), 2 slices each: tomato (0), red onion (0) and cucumber (0)
L: Chickpea Egg Salad (2)
D: Unstuffed Cabbage Bowls (8)
Totals: Freestyle Points 16, Calories 950***

THURSDAY (8/2)
B: Easy Bagel Recipe (3) with 2 tablespoons light cream cheese (3), 2 slices each: tomato (0), red onion (0) and cucumber (0)
L: Chickpea Egg Salad (2)
D: Bacon Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce (6) and corn on the cob (0)
Totals: Freestyle Points 14, Calories 969***

FRIDAY (8/3)
B: Skinny Green Monster Smoothie (7)
L: LEFTOVER Bacon Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce (6) and an apple (0)
D: Grilled Salmon Kebabs (0) with Corn Tomato Avocado Salad (3)
Totals: Freestyle Points 16, Calories 1,002***

SATURDAY (8/4)
B: Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread (3) with 1 cup fruit salad** (0)
L: Greek Nachos (5) (Recipe x 2)
D: DINNER OUT!
Totals: Freestyle Points 8, Calories 353***

SUNDAY (8/5)
B: LEFTOVER Roasted Strawberry Banana Bread (3) with 1 cup fruit salad** (0)
L: Lentil Bowls with Avocado, Eggs and Cholula (2) (Recipe x 2)
D: One Skillet Chicken with Bacon and Green Beans (2) with ¾ cup brown rice (5)
Totals: Freestyle Points 12, Calories 905***

*Make Easy Bagels and Chickpea Egg Salad on Sunday

**Green salad includes 4 cups romaine ½ cup each: tomatoes, cucumber and light vinaigrette. Fruit salad includes 2 peaches, 1 pound sliced strawberries, 2 mangos, 6-ounces blueberries

***This is just a guide, women should aim for around 1500 calories per day. Here’s a helpful calculator to estimate your calorie needs. I’ve left plenty of wiggle room for you to add more food such as coffee, beverages, fruits, snacks, dessert, wine, etc.

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Are you ready for another almost-no-cook summer dinner? Yeah, me too. I love these Spiced Chickpea Tostadas not only because they are they light, cool, and refreshing, but they are the perfect “sweep the kitchen” recipe. You can add whatever you want to your tostadas, based on what you have on hand, so get creative and use up those leftovers! I’ve got some great ideas for substitutions and add-ons below. And don’t worry, if trying to eat a tostada without having the whole thing crumble into a pile of toppings onto your plate sounds too obnoxious, you can totally just make these into tacos instead. ;) 

And a quick special note about the prices listed below. I bought almost all of the ingredients for these tostadas (everything except sour cream and radishes) at Aldi, and if you know Aldi, you know their prices are extremely low. If you can’t get prices like this, don’t fret. You can still make some super cheap tostadas by swapping out some of the more expensive ingredients that I used for some of the substitution ideas I have listed below.

Spiced Chickpea Tostadas

Swaps and Add-Ons

As I mentioned above, tostadas are a great way to use up leftovers in your fridge. Here are some other toppings that will go really well with these spiced chickpeas: refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomato or pico de gallo, cheese, jalapeños (pickled or fresh), pickled carrots, pickled red onions, roasted corn, grilled zucchini, or shredded cabbage.

Radish: I don’t buy radishes often because they’re not my favorite, but when they’re sliced paper thin they provide the PERFECT fresh crisp crunch on these tostadas. I only used three radishes for the whole batch of tostadas though, which presents the problem of the remaining 2/3 of the bunch. I plan to slice up more to add to salads throughout the week and then I plan to pickle the rest using the same method that I used for my pickled carrots. If you don’t want to use radish on your tostadas, I highly suggest using some other fresh crunchy vegetable in its place to lighten things up. I would either slice some carrots paper thin or add a layer of shredded lettuce or cabbage. Just as with the radish, you want whatever vegetable you use to be sliced or shredded very finely.

I don’t suggest skipping the lime crema, though. That stuff is magic and the tangy and creamy flavor is the PERFECT contrast to the spiced chickpeas. If you can’t have dairy, all I can suggest is trying to find a non-dairy sour cream substitute, although I can’t guarantee how that will taste.

Step by Step Photos

Make the lime crema first, so the flavors have a little time to blend. Zest one lime and squeeze the juice into a small bowl. Add about 1 tsp of the zest and 1 Tbsp of the juice to an 8 oz. container of sour cream, along with one small clove of minced garlic and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir to combine and set aside.

To make the spiced chickpeas, rinse and drain one 15oz. can of chickpeas. Add 1 Tbsp oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the chickpeas and 1/2 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and a little freshly cracked pepper. Stir and cook the chickpeas in the oil and spices for about five minutes, or until you begin to see and hear them gently pop. 

Wash and VERY THINLY slice three radishes. Pull a handful of cilantro leaves from their stems.

Now it’s just time to assemble! Smear a thin layer of guacamole on each tostada…

Add a scoop of the spiced chickpeas and a few slices of radish…

And finally, add a drizzle or dollop of lime crema and some of the fresh cilantro. Now EAT! :D

The post Spiced Chickpea Tostadas (or tacos) appeared first on Budget Bytes.