Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Ina Garten knows her stuff. This soup is simple and really delicious. Even if you don't like curry, don't shy away from this recipe! I promise. My boyfriend is not a curry fan, and he loves this soup. The curry powder just gives the soup more depth of flavor and a nice warmth.  It's a bit labor-intensive to prepare (a lot of peeling and chopping), but it is completely worth it. Just set aside at least 20 minutes to prep the ingredients and about an hour to cook everything. The original recipe includes a list of suggested toppings.  I've made this soup about 10 times, and somehow every time I go to the store, I forget to buy the toppings... so I can't comment on what's best. They all sound like great flavor compliments though, so I'll include them for those of you who are capable of remembering a full list of ingredients while grocery shopping.

Soup Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs. butternut squash - peel and remove seeds
2 medium-small yellow onions
2 McIntosh apples - peeled and cored
3 tbs. olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
Garlic powder *This wasn't in the original recipe, but I think it tastes better with it
2 to 4 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. curry powder

Toppings:

Scallions (white and green parts - chopped on a diagonal)
Flaked sweetened coconut - lightly toasted
Roasted salted cashews - toasted and chopped
Diced banana

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
2. Cut the squash, apples, and onions into 1-inch cubes
3. Place them on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper
4. Divide the chopped mixture between 2 sheet pans to spread out in a single layer on each pan
5. Roast for 30-45 minutes until very tender, tossing the mixture occasionally for even roasting
6. Meanwhile, simmer the chicken stock on a low heat
7. When the squash mixture is done roasting, transfer the mix in batches into a food processor (or a blender). Puree to desired texture (I like to leave a few chunks, but you could make it completely smooth if you like). Add some of the chicken stock to help puree the mixture more easily.
8. Pour the pureed veggie mix into a large pot and add enough chicken stock to make a thick soup
9. Add the curry powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and a few good sprinkles of garlic powder (I've never actually measured out how much I put in... but it's always good to start with less because garlic powder is some strong stuff)
10. Add toppings (or don't) and eat!!

So. Much. Soup.

America's Favorite Cookie

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

I was really excited to try this recipe. It was one that I had bookmarked about a year ago, but could never bring myself to try for fear of ruining an American classic. Thankfully I received a particular request to try this recipe, which was the push I needed.

Although these cookies were good, I don't think I would prefer them over the store-bought originals. I know that I should prefer the homemade option that doesn't include things like high fructose corn syrup in the ingredients... but they just weren't quite the same. The difference in the two lies in the cookie. Something about the flavor of the cookie in this recipe is not quite lined up with the cookie in a real Oreo. This problem could simply be a matter of ingredients - maybe my vanilla extract or my cocoa powder are lower quality than Nabisco's, which could have a huge impact on flavor.  However, the cream filling recipe is spot on. It was d-licious. If you prefer double (maybe triple...) stuffed Oreos, and/or like to sample while you bake, I would recommend doubling the cream filling.  Overall, these were tasty, but it may not be fair to directly compare them to the real deal.

Oreo Cookie Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
1 large egg

Oreo Cream Filling Ingredients*:

1/2 stick unsalted butter - room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

* For those double/triple stuffers out there, double these ingredients

1. Move two oven racks to the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Doing this made me so uncomfortable

3. Cut the butter into chunks and add to dry mixture. *This part of the recipe worried me, because for most cookies, you mix the butter with the sugar, then add eggs/vanilla, and then add the dry ingredients to butter-mixture. Adding the butter last is more common for things like pie crust. But I followed these instructions and it made a legitimate dough, so I think it's okay. With the electric mixer turned off, manually use the beaters to begin incorporating - cutting the butter into the flour to get a crumbly mixture (see picture)

This is what it should look like prior to the egg

4. Add the egg and continue to manually incorporate until the flour-mixture is moistened enough to turn on the electric mixer. Once you can turn on the mixer without covering yourself with flour, mix these ingredients until the dough comes together in a mass.

5. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper - about 2 inches apart.  Using the bottom of a large glass sprayed with cooking spray, flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. *Trust me. Teaspoons sounds and looks tiny, but once you flatten/bake these, they get way bigger than you think they will

6. Transfer the baking sheets to cooling racks and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes. Once set, transfer the cookies directly to the cooling racks.

7. For the filling, cream the butter and shortening together in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
8. Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.
9. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing on a low speed to avoid spraying powdered sugar everywhere. Beat on low until all the sugar is added, then turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 minutes until the filling is light/fluffy. *At this point it is wise to taste-test the filling... frequently.
10. Using a pastry bag (or for people like me, a plastic baggy with a hole cut in it), pipe blobs of cream onto the flat side of one cookie and then place another cookie of similar size on top. Lightly press them together to fill the sandwich.  Continue this process for all the cookies.

Yellow Split-Pea Dahl

Recipe from Sunflour Jane

Unfortunately, pictures of dahl do not do it justice. I know this looks like a pile of brownish-greenish mush on top of rice, but it is so flavorful, so delicious, and so good for you. The combination of spices and fresh ingredients in this recipe are perfect. I have never tried a different dahl recipe simply because I don't want to. This one is that good. Plus it makes a lot, so you can have dahl for days.

I don't have any alterations to the original recipe. However, I did discover that green split peas work just as well as yellow split peas. I've made this recipe using both (the pictures above and below are from a batch made with green split peas); the end result is the same either way. So, if you have any trouble finding yellow split peas in your local grocery store, go green!

Ingredients

3 tbs. vegetable oil + a dash for the split peas
9 cups water
1 lb. bag of yellow (or green) split peas
1 large onion or 2 medium onions - minced
3-6 cloves garlic -- I used about 5 because garlic is awesome
2 inches ginger - peeled and minced
15 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes -- I used all but 1 of the tomatoes in the can
2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. cumin
2 tbs. chili powder
2-3 tsp. turmeric
2 small green thai chiles -- I have made it with and without these; it's good both ways
garam masala to taste

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine the split peas, 9 cups of water, chili powder, turmeric, and a dash of oil. Boil until the split peas are very soft and have no bite. This takes about 45 minutes or so; just keep taste-testing your split peas to see if they are tender.
   
   Meanwhile.....
2. Mince the onion and set aside.  Chop the tomatoes and set aside (and again, I used most of the can but not all). Peel and mince the ginger and the garlic. Smash the garlic and ginger into a paste. I found that sprinkling some kosher salt over the garlic/ginger helped it become more of a paste while smashing.  Set this aside.
3. Heat the 3 tbs. oil over medium-low heat. Fry the cumin for about 30 seconds - just until it changes color and releases an aroma.
4. Add the minced onion and saute until translucent, stirring often.
5. Add the garlic/ginger paste and cook until fragrant.
6. Add the diced tomato and the green chiles (if applicable).
7. Simmer all of these together for about 5 minutes or so, stirring often. Once the oil separates from the tomato, you are good to go.
8. Transfer this mixture into a food processor and pulse a few times until mushy (I like to leave a little texture, but you could pulse it until smooth).
9. Once your split peas are soft, drain off any excess liquid. Because I didn't want to pour off all of the liquid and/or lose any precious peas, I did this by taking a liquid measuring cup, pressing down on the top of the peas until the cup filled with liquid, and discarding the excess liquid down the drain.
10. Once you have drained off some of the liquid from the peas, transfer the mixture from the food processor into the pot of peas. Stir/smash these together until you reach your desired consistency (I like to leave some texture from the split peas, so I don't smash it up very much).
11. Add garam masala to taste and serve over basmati rice

Oatmeal Raisin Protein "Cookie Dough"

Adapted from Chockohlawtay

I made this recipe for the first time last night, and I'm not 100% certain that I adjusted it to its full potential. I might have to re-post it after I try making it again with a few minor adjustments, but... it was still pretty darn tasty (and healthy), so it's worth making in the mean time.

This recipe is great because its texture/taste is similar to cookie dough, but it has no eggs, very little sugar, and lots of FIBER and PROTEIN. The original recipe was for sugar cookie dough, but I added cinnamon, whole oats, and raisins to make it an oatmeal raisin cookie dough. I think these additions may have dried my "dough" out a little (hence why I think it'll need a few tweaks) but it was still tasty!

The original recipe calls for things like stevia extract and granulated erythritol, but because I wasn't even sure what erythritol was, I just used sugar. Next time I will probably increase the sugar a little bit or maybe try brown sugar to give it a little more depth of flavor.**  But if your diet restricts sugar, check out the original recipe!

** I tried this recipe again using 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and it made a huge difference. The "dough" was a lot less dry and a lot tastier.

Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats - blended into fine flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
3 tbs. flour
1 tbs. cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar -- I think I would try 1/3 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar next time
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
Dash of salt
As many raisins as you like! I probably added about 1/2 cup
15 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed really well)
1/3 cup milk (any kind)
1/4 cup almond butter -- I didn't have this and it was fine, but I would recommend adding it if you do
Hefty drizzle of honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. butter extract

Mix the oat-flour, oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar, protein powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, milk, honey, almond butter (if you have it), and the two extracts until very smooth and combined. Try to eliminate as many chickpea lumps as possible. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir together. Fold in the raisins.  This "cookie dough" can be eaten right away or stored in the fridge for as long as you can avoid eating it all!

Mocha Icebox Cake

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

I'm sure Jeffrey loved this one. For those of you who have not watched "Barefoot Contessa" on the Food Network, Ina Garten is always whipping up something delicious and telling her viewers how much her husband, Jeffrey, loves whatever it is she's making. He is one heck of a lucky man.

This recipe is ridiculously easy to make. The basic layout of the recipe:

1. Mix everything but the cookies in a bowl - whipping until peaks form
2. Alternate layers of the whipped mixture with cookies in a springform pan
3. Cover and put it in the fridge overnight

Easy breezy. The best part is that it tastes decadent.  It's rich, creamy, and delicious. If you have ever made Oreo ball truffles... this recipe is similar in that the product tastes way more impressive than it should. It's great.

Ingredients:

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
12 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua
2 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. instant espresso powder (I just used instant coffee)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 (8-oz) packages flat chocolate chip cookies (Ina recommends Tate's Bake Shop*)
Semi-sweet chocolate for garnish

*I couldn't find Tate's Bake Shop cookies in the store, so don't stress out if you can't either. I tried this recipe once using really cheap, flat, store-bought cookies and a second time using Chips Ahoy; both times the recipe turned out great.

Directions:

Combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, Kahlua, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix on a low speed to initially combine, then increase the speed until firm peaks form.

In an 8-inch springform pan, place a flat layer of the chocolate chip cookies - breaking up some cookies to fill in the nooks and crannies.  Spread a layer of the whipped mixture (Ina says 1/5 of the whipped mixture -- I think I did 1/4) over the cookie layer.  Place another layer of cookies on top of the whipped mixture -- again, breaking pieces to cover as much space as possible. Spread another layer of the whipped mixture on top of this. Repeat this process until there are 4 or 5 layers of each, but make sure to end with a layer of the whipped mocha cream.  Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a sharp knife around the outside to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Remove the sides carefully. Shave some semi-sweet chocolate on the top of the cake. Lastly... cut and eat!