sunflower biscotti

Biscotti are one of those things I never really realized I liked... and now I make them all the time! I think this version is John's favorite. I love it because sunflower seeds are super cheep and don't take any extra time to chop up since they are already small :) I made this version using 1 egg and 1 flax egg, next time I'm making it with 2 flax eggs!


In case you don't know, a flax egg is amazing. Basically take 1 Tbs of milled flax seed and mix it with 3 Tbs of water. It works as a great binding agent and adds some amazing health benefits!

Sunflower seed biscotti
recipe by steph chows

whisk together
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup APF
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (unsalted)

1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup splenda granulated (or 1/3 cup white sugar)
2 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips
in a small bowl beat together
1 Tbs milled flax mixed with 3 Tbs water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Add the wet to dry and stir until totally incorporated. Form into 2 rectangles on a baking mat and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and slice into thin slices, place back onto the mat and back into the oven for another 20 minutes or until toasty and browned.

Read more...

Grilled Pizza with a twist

You know how sometimes people tell you something is so so very tasty, but you just don't get around to trying it? Well I've known about grilling pizza for a long time now and have heard so many rave about it... well now it's my turn... AMAZING!!!

We moved my grill to the new house this weekend so of course I had to use it! I was given a ton of pizza paraphernalia at my NJ bridal shower so it was time to break it all out! I started with a Trader Joe's chabatta style pizza crust. John had the idea of topping it with chipotle hummus, wicked good idea! Topped that with sliced garlic (using my awesome new garlic slicer), added a few dashed of red hot. Plopped on some thawed frozen cooked shrimp, some roasted red peppers, and then topped it all off with some part skim mozzarella.


Sounds weird right? I wasn't so convinced... I thought this would be ok but not great... but it turned out FN AMAZING!!! AMAZING I say!!! Like go out and make it tonight!!

The bottom of the dough was so crisp, yet it still had this wonderful chew to it... *drool*

So here's how it goes, and perfect for a hot humid day like it was this weekend (no oven to warm up the house more!). Turn your grill on high and close the lid, let it heat up for about 10 minutes. While that is happening take a pizza peel and sprinkle it with a little corn meal. Add your dough and then cover with whatever toppings you like (see above for our version). Once grill is heated up slide the pizza right onto the grill, close the lid and lower the heat to medium. In about 10 minutes you will have a super crisp bottom and a bubbling cheesy top! (Just a side note, the dough was a precooked variety, I know you can do this with homemade dough... just don't ask me how yet!)

YUM, too bad there were no leftovers :(

Read more...

An easy packable lunch

John brings his lunch to work with him most days of the week... I'm not sure what he would bring before I showed up, but nowadays the kid gets his lunches pretty much cooked and portioned out for him each week. (nice life right?!) Don't get me wrong I enjoy cooking and if I don't have time... well lets just say he hasn't had any the last few months since I've been too busy with everything else (moving/cleaning/packing/organizing/wedding planning) so he says I've been starving him... I ask how he managed to get along before I showed up... he likes to answer with a shrug LOL


This is an oldy but goodie recipe I use to make him all the time... problem is I never blogged about it (how did that happen!?!), and I can't find the original recipe... so I hacked it together this past week... the results... not as good as I use to make it, but still tasty... so I need to do a little more testing to get it back up to snuff but here are the basics.


Cook 1 cup of rinsed quinoa in a low sodium broth of choice (we like to use mushroom). While that's simmering away slice up some chicken kielbasa in a pan with onions and garlic and cook until brown. Toss into the quinoa and add some frozen peas. Add seasoning and red hot to taste (this is the part I need to remember better about). Toss and continue heating until peas are warmed through, add a little more mushroom broth to obtain your sauciness level :) Portion out into pyrex and you are ready for the week!

Read more...

Savory Cheese Muffins

OK the muffins on this blog have all been sweet to date... it's about time I tried a savory version wouldn't you say? I received a wheel of camembert cheese from Ile de France a bit ago and was so excited to try it in something other than just eating it plain (seriously it's so good how do you not just slice it up and eat it with crackers??? YUM!)

Of course my mind drifted to muffins. Perhaps something with a spicy kick? I didn't want to use up all the cheese so I made a 6 muffin batch.

That's one cheesy mess...

I wasn't head over heels for them... I'd rather eat the cheese on a nice cracker or with some grapes, but a coworker was raving about them so they can't be too bad right :) I think I'm just not a savory muffin kinda gal... I'm too sweet for them ;) har har har


Spicy Cheese Muffins
recipe adapted like mad from Kayotic

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
4.5 oz chopped camembert cheese
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
butter (for greasing)
2 eggs (beaten)

Basically dup everything but the cheese in a bowl and beat until lumpy, stir in cheese. Place into greased cups (I'd use cupcake liners next time). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Read more...

Anticipation

That's how I feel when I bake loaves... it always seems like they take forever in the oven...

hurry up and get done already!!

The sad part is I still didn't wait long enough... my impatience got the best of me and even though the tester came out clean this loaf was still a little too moist in the middle. It was still cooked... and tasty... just not exactly the right texture yet... whomp whomppppp

I need to learn to be more patent... or stop baking loaves ;)

Recipe for the 9x9 pan version (which takes much less time and is perfect for impatient people like me) here.

Read more...

Coconut rhubarb muffins

So I'm 99% moved into our new house, but I'm lacking a few things... TV, internet... a couch! Well the couch part will be solved on today WOOHOOO somewhere to sit??? So exciting. The TV and internet wont be moving over until John transfers his service... so I'm still a few weeks out from that. In the mean time I'm left to my own devises at night... which lately has led to random baking at 9pm. It's about the time I realize I've done all the random things on my list and am bored silly. In all reality I should be working on that quilt I started who knows how long ago... maybe one of these nights...


These muffins came about since Jeanne smuggled me some rhubarb across the border when we met up a few weeks ago... mmmm illegal canadian rhubarb LOL actually it's probably not illegal per-say... or is it illegal to carry fruits over the boarder??? Don't come arrest me boarder patrol!!!

I went about mixing and mashing and then realizing I was missing things like cinnamon... enter in the cinnamon agave!! (note to self: remember to pick up cinnamon next time I'm at the store). These muffins are super moist... possibly a little too much so... although the coworkers disagree and ate them up super fast (always a good sign).

Coconut rhubarb muffins
recipe by steph chows

2 cups chopped rhubarb (preferably of the illegal canadian variety)
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
dash fine grain sea salt
½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/4 cup granulated organic zero (or granulated splenda or white sugar)
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon agave
2 Tbs milled flax seeds (plus 6 Tbs water) whisked together
½ cup fat free sour cream


Whisk together the flour, coconut, baking powder and salt to aerate and combine; set aside.

Beat together apple sauce and sugars. Beat in vanilla extract. Add the flax seed mix, beating well. Add the dry mixture in three additions, alternately with the sour cream. Begin and end with the dry mixture and beat briefly until just smooth.

Gently fold rhubarb in and divide into 12 greased muffin tins.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs when removed. Cool pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, then unmold directly onto rack, right side up, to cool completely.

Read more...

Flax seed waffles and maple agave nectar

So did the title get your attention? Hope it did, because these are not to be missed things! First off I want to tell you about how I love to make homemade pancakes and I think mixes are just vehicles for gross chemicals and I'd never ever buy one. Now I want to tell you about a mix that is amazing, delicious, and contains only REAL ingredients and totally something I would buy.


Pizzey's Premium pancake and waffle mix. This product was brought to me by Flax Matters and I'm so grateful they found me!


The mix is super quick and easy. 1 cup mix plus 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 1 Tbs oil. Mix, let sit 2-3 minutes, and you are good to go! How simple is that!?! And all ingredients you can read and understand! Whole wheat flour, flax seeds, delicious.


I whipped them up and plugged the waffle iron in to heat up, a few minutes later I had these tender with just the right amount of chew waffles on my plate. Delicious and better than some homemade recipes I've used before.


OK now onto the topping. My peeps at wholesome sweeteners (love this company) have been up to it again and have now come out with flavored agave nectar!!!! Seriously!!!


mmmmmmmmmm Obviously there will be more posts to come using these bad boys in recipes and not just as toppings (I'm thinking up so many good ideas you have no idea). But for today I had to try the maple agave on the waffles, and I was NOT disappointed. I mean don't get me wrong I love me some REAL maple syrup, not that fake kind, but if you are looking for a lower glycemic index way of having your wonderful maple flavor... this is it right here. Not at all fake/gross tasting, I say give it a go!

Another thought... I kinda want to make the waffles again but use a flax egg instead of a real egg... flax overkill? perhaps... but I still want to try it!! Good thing they sent me some milled flax seed too! Results to come :)

Keep your eyes peeled the cinnamon agave should be making a baked goods appearance shortly :D

Read more...

One more

Amazingly I was just given the ok to put up another picture from this weekend. It totally cracks me up :)


John and his dad :) love it!


Some delicious flax seed waffles coming up tomorrow along with maple flavored agave????

Read more...

Weekend bits

This weekend John's nephew and godson had his first communion. His mom made a delicious cake... yes I had two slices :)

brotherly love...

wait... that's more like it!

Read more...

Open Face

If you live anywhere near Rochester NY you have to check out Open Face. The eatery just celebrated their 6th anniversary and are going along strong!

Eclectic sandwiches, soup, salads, cookies, and a tea pharmacy make this place one of a kind. The people who work there have been there since it opened and always remember you when you walk through the door. My mom and I stopped by this past weekend while she was in town visiting and we weren't disappointed.

Mom had the above picture.genoa salami with roasted red pepper and mixed greens, topped with a parmesan wafer and drizzled in olive oil on baguette. She was in love with it.

Sandwiches come with a choice of ginger carrots (super strong and tasty), side salad, or baguette chips. Mom and I both went with the chips. Full menu here.

I have so many favorites here and this weekend I went with the toasted yam - havarti cheese topped with yam crisps and melted over wheat, sourdough or rye. AMAZING

Seriously if you are in town... go there.. now... and don't forget to pick up a cookie split (half cc cookie, half chocolate chocolate chip cookie) yum

Read more...

Pad Thai- we dual again

So some of you may know that me and pad thai have this love hate relationship... love to eat it out... hate to make it at home... since I can't EVER get it to taste right. After many many recipes I think I've found the winner. It comes from a woman in my pottery class from last summer. She brought this dish to the final class for potluck. I asked her for the recipe, she gave me her email... I then lost her email. I was BUMMED!!! It wasn't until last month when I was packing up all my belongings that I found the torn off piece of paper with her email. SCORE!!!! I emailed her immediately... and she wrote me back... love her

So now I bring it to you dear readers, since I love you, and always have to share :) OH only change I did was I used shrimp instead of chicken... since I had it on hand... and didn't have any chicken.


Easy Chicken Pad Thai
recipe by my awesome pottery class friend

Ingredients: Serves 2

Marinade for Chicken: 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tb soy sauce
1 to 11/2 cups raw chicken breast

8 oz thai rice noodles
4 cloves garlic mince
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts
1/4 chicken stock
1/8 tsp white pepper

Pad Thai sauce:
3/4 Tb tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 Tb fish sauce
1-3 tsp chili sauce (more if you like it spicy)
3 Tb brown sugar

Oil for stir frying
Lime wedges for serving


Bring a large pot of water to boil, then remove from heat and add rice noodles. Allow the noodles to soak while you prepare other ingredients. You will be frying these noodles later so they need to be softened but still a little crunchy. Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.

Make Pad Thai sauce and set aside.

Slice chicken in strips and pour marinade over chicken. Set aside.

Heat wok. Add oil and garlic and stir fry until browned. Add chicken and marinade and stir fry. As chicken fries, add chicken stock as needed until chicken is cooked. Add noodles to wok and pour Pad Thai sauce over all. Toss noodles like a salad and keep stir frying for about 1-2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and sprinkle pepper. Cook another minute or two until noodles are chewy-sticky.

Taste test and add more fish sauce as you like tossing well.

Serve noodles topped with cilantro, green onions, and chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges-squeeze some lime over top all as desired.

Read more...