Indian-Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup

Chilly March days deserve soup for lunch. I was cleaning out the deep-freeze late one morning last week (I had bought some clear plastic bins and was striving for some springtime reorganization!) and found rather small amounts of cooked chickepeas and red lentils in small plastic freezer bags.Not wanting to put these back in the freezer, where they would get shoved behind larger bags and disappear for another year, I decided to make soup for lunch. I saw a package of Trader Joe’s Tandoori Naan in the freezer as well and, since Indian food is one of my favorites, I decided to make a chickpea and lentil soup with Indian flavors.

This soup would also be good with cooked basmati rice stirred in if no naan was to be had to serve it with. It was quite good, a tomato soup spiced with cumin and coriander, with a nice tang of flavor from the lemon juice and the creamy yogurt. It can be made in less than a half hour, and is quite filling with the hefty amount of fiber which it contains.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Indian-spiced Chickpea and Lentil Soup

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1/2 cup lentils -- red lentils preferred

1 teaspoon canola oil

3/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

14 ounces canned diced tomato -- undrained

14 ounces low-sodium vegetable stock

1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper -- (to taste)

9 ounces cooked chickpeas -- (about one 15-ounce can, drained)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Combine lentils with 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until lentils have softened and started to break apart. Remove from heat but do not drain.

After the lentils have started to cook, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a saucepan. Add the mustard seeds, shake the pan to coat the seeds with oil, and cook over medium heat until the seeds begin to pop (about 30 seconds). Turn off the heat and stir in the garlic and ginger. Add the canned tomatoes (this will spatter a little, so be careful) then pour in the vegetable broth. Add the spices (coriander through red pepper) and chickpeas, turn on the heat to medium, stir well, and bring to a boil Cover partially, turn down the heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the lentils are done, add them (and their cooking water) to the tomato mixture. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and divide between soup bowls. Garnish with dollops of yogurt.

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Per serving: 241 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat (trace Saturated); (13% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 321mg Sodium; 11g Fiber

Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Since this was made on the fly, during a "cleaning day", I did not take the time to snap a photo and now I wish I had. Once we started eating, and I realized just how good this soup was, I just knew that I needed to post it. :)

The eating of the green… :) And just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

I needed to make a light lunch the other day, and just happened to have the ingredients on hand for a soup which I had marked to try from an old issue of Vegetarian Times.

I made the recipe as directed except that I subbed a little dried chipotle (for some zing) and shredded lowfat Jarlesberg (for Jack). I decided to incorporate the yogurt-and-milk mixture into the soup and found that, when the last step says to whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth, you need to absolutely whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth. Completely smooth. Lest you have little bits of yogurt floating through your potage. This is why I will use the photo from the VT website… my try at this recipe (this time) was not pretty, but tasted very, very good. And the next time, I will dollop that yogurt mixture on top, as per their directions.

I wish I had a photo of the expression on Jack's face when I told him that we were having spinach soup, but that quickly reversed when he tasted it. Served with slices of multigrain sourdough bread, this was perfect for lunch.

Creamy Spinach Potage

Vegetarian Times Issue: January 1, 2006

Sweeter, creamier and more flavorful than white potatoes, parsnips form the ideal vegetable base for a French potage, or thick, creamy soup. Choose small to medium parsnips that are heavy for their size, and slice them in uniform pieces for even cooking.

Ingredient List

Serves 8

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs. low-fat milk or plain soymilk
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add 6 cups water, vegetable bouillon cubes and parsnips. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until parsnips are tender.
2. Increase heat to medium-high, and stir in spinach. Cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts but is still bright green.
3. Transfer soup in batches to blender or food processor, and purée until soup is smooth. (Or purée soup in pot using an immersion blender.) Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Return soup to pot, and keep warm. If making soup ahead of time, refrigerate it until an hour before you plan to serve it, then warm soup over medium heat, but do not boil.
4. Just before serving, whisk yogurt and milk in small bowl until smooth. Serve bowls of soup topped with dollops of yogurt mixture.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 82, Protein: 2g, Total fat: 1g; Carbs: 16g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 280mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 1g

Hoisin-Glazed Salmon

Some days, you just need a good quick dinner…

This is one of Jack’s favorite meals and, coincidentally, it just happens to be so fast that it’s one of my favorites as well. I walk in the door, go to the freezer, dig up a packet of salmon, and place it in a large bowl of cool water. This will thaw the fish nicely in about a half hour. Then I do whatever I have to (change clothes, unload the car of grocery bags, etc.) for fifteen minutes or so, put some rice on to steam, prep veggies, make the sauce for the salmon, and then it’s time to start cooking.

Once the broiler is turned on, I start the vegetables. By the time the fish is cooked, the veggies and the rice are as well and we can eat. :)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Hoisin-Glazed Salmon

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 tablespooon hoisin sauce

1/2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup orange juice -- DIVIDED

12 ounces salmon fillet

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

Preheat broiler or grill.

Mix the hoisin sauce through sesame oil in a small microwave-safe cup. Add 2 tablespoons of the orange juice and stir. Brush over the surface of the fish and broil for 3 minutes. Turn, brush with some of the remaining hoisin mixture, and broil an additional 3-4 minutes or until done. Meanwhile, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice to the remaining hoisin mixture and microwave on high until it comes to a boil (about 1 minute).

Serve fish drizzled with the hoisin/orange sauce, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

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Per serving: 320 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (26% calories from fat); 36g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 88mg Cholesterol; 716mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 5 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Soba Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

In order to increase the amount of whole grains in our diets, I have slowly begun to use more brown rice than white over the past year or so. Fortunately, the food co-op sells brown basmati in bulk for a low price and I also found a brand of brown parboiled for those times I use something other than basmati (not often, but it happens).


Whole wheat pasta has long been a pantry staple here, and our local grocery carries a selection of spaghetti, linguine, and penne that has a nice (not grainy) texture. I usually cook about 2/3 wheat and 1/3 semolina when I make pasta.


A few months ago I saw Japanese soba and udon noodles in, of all places, Big Lots. Soba noodles are flat, narrow, and made from whole wheat and buckwheat flours; udon noodles are wider and made from wheat flour. Having used both, we decided that we prefer soba, both in taste and width.


It is easy to boil these noodles until they break apart into tiny pieces. The package instructed that they are to cook for 8 minutes, but I have learned to start testing them, every 30 seconds, starting at 6 minutes.


I made one of my favorite on-the-fly noodle recipes for dinner last night. Until now, I’ve never really measured the ingredients but I did and now can post it. Jack calls this my “best noodle recipe ever”. In fact, two hours after we finished, he complimented me on it yet again. There are lots of veggies and lean chicken strips tossed with the noodles in an absolutely delicious hoisin/soy based sauce, and the best part is that it can be put together in twenty minutes. The first thing that I did was to only partially thaw the chicken breast, which made it very easy to slice thinly; it thawed the rest of the way while waiting for the veggies to be cut and the sauce put together.


Now this is a bit higher in sodium than I am comfortable with, even using low-sodium soy sauce (is there such a thing as low-sodium hoisin? I’ve never noticed it), so watch your sodium intake for the rest of the meals around this one. We don’t eat many prepared foods at all, so we are able make that sodium-splurge occasionally.


And one more note, this makes 2 very nicely-sized servings. I have been trying to watch my portion sizes closely and am often disappointed by how little food actually gets onto my plate...





* Exported from MasterCook *

Soba Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables


Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water-- if it is available, using chicken or veggie broth would be more flavorful
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 large garlic clove -- crushed
3/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
6 ounces soba noodles – can also used whole wheat linguine
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- sliced into thin strips
3 ounces carrots -- julienned, about 1 cup
4 ounces broccoli florets -- about 2 cups
4 ounces red bell pepper -- cut into 1/4" wide strips, about 1 cup
2 large green onions -- sliced; save green tops to garnish
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts


Place a pot of water on the stove to boil for cooking the noodles.
Combine the hoisin sauce through the Sriracha sauce in a small cup and set aside.


Prepare vegetables and chicken and set aside.


In a nonstick wok over medium-high heat, drizzle one teaspoon of the canola oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the chicken is opaque and no pink remains. Remove, with a slotted spoon, to a bowl and set aside.


At this point, add the soba noodles to the boiling water. Since they can overcook so easily, set a timer for a minute or two less than the time indicated on the package instructions. Whole wheat linguine, if used, is much less time-sensitive (also, if using the linguine, delay starting the next steps for a few minutes since these take longer to cook than the soba noodles).


Heat the remaining oil in the wok (still over medium-high heat) and add the carrots and broccoli. Stir fry for 2 minutes and add the red bell pepper and stir fry for another minute. Add the green onions (except for the green tops) and stir fry for one additional minute. Add the chicken, with the accumulated juices in the bowl, and the sauce. Stir. Drain the noodles, shake the colander to get rid of excess water, and fold the soba noodles into the chicken and vegetable mixture.


Divide between 2 plates, sprinkle with reserved green onion and chopped peanuts.



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Per serving: 545 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat (1g Saturated); (10% calories from fat); 38g Protein; 90g Carbohydrate; 49mg Cholesterol; 1698mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew

I was leafing through a past issue of Cooking Light and a recipe caught my eye. After I made a note to copy it from the website, I took another look at the recipe beside it. “Sweet and Spicy Chicken and White Bean Stew” was a reader submission and, a few months ago when this issue came out, the name did not appeal to me so I passed it by. However, as I read the ingredients more closely now, I was intrigued. Featuring a definitely Indian list of spices, so I decided to give it a go. With several modifications, of course. And why do I cook if not for an excuse to do my own thing????

The directions called for not draining the white beans but I did because, well, that thick, whitish liquid was kinda gross. :) I added an equivalent amount of low-sodium chicken broth to make up for that. Also, I had no fire-roasted tomatoes, as specified in the original recipe, so I added some ground chipotle pepper for a smoky flavor (and more heat).

A cup of light coconut milk was called for. I don’t like to use all coconut milk, even light, in recipes and prefer to sub half skim milk and add a little coconut extract at the end of the cooking time. This, I have found, gives a more coconut-y flavor with much less fat.

When I tasted the stew near the end of the cooking time, I felt that it lacked something. I doubled the spices then added cumin, and this helped a lot. Some frozen cut green beans for color and an extra serving of vegetables, and it was done.

This stew was fantastic! The coconut milk added a smoothness (and a wonderful coconut flavor) to the tomato-based broth, with the mixture of spices dancing around, none overpowering each other at all. The lemongrass is listed as an option, but do try to add it. I bought several stalks while at the Strip a few weeks ago and froze them-- texture or flavor was not compromised. I am writing this a week after I made the stew and I've already put it back on my lunch rotation for this week (I do not often repeat recipes, especially this soon, unless they are worthy).

This next time I will use chickpeas instead of the white beans (which will bump up the fiber content by almost 300%), and perhaps leave out the chicken altogether because it will make a great vegetarian stew (subbing veggie broth for the chicken, of course). It was very, very flavorful, and a piece of Trader Joe’s naan was the perfect side.

The recipe contains a long list of ingredients, but prep them first and putting it together will be a snap. And we found that the leftovers taste even better.

Because of the many changes I made, I am now renaming this and calling it my own creation. But I do appreciate the author’s idea, and also her use of cardamom, a spice which I have in several forms but never seem to use much.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Spiced Chicken and Chickpea Stew

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 4

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 teaspoons canola oil

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 large garlic cloves -- minced

7 ounces finely chopped onion

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

9 ounces chickpeas -- cooked (or use a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- diced into 1/2" pieces

3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1/2 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass -- optional

14 1/2 ounces canned diced tomato -- undrained

8 ounces white potato -- diced 1/2"

2 cups frozen green beans -- (or fresh, cut into 1/2" lengths)

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a nonstick Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the cardamom, cloves, and garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the onion, turn the heat down a little, and sauté for 6 minutes or until onions are just tender.

Add the chili powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chipotle pepper and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and chicken, stir to mix; then add the next 7 ingredients (chicken broth through canned tomato). Mix well and add the potato. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer, cover, and cook until potato is almost done (about 20 minutes).

Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes (8 minutes for fresh green beans). Stir in coconut extract and ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Yield:

"8 cups"

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Per serving: 499 Calories (kcal); 9g Total Fat (2g Saturated); (16% calories from fat); 40g Protein; 68g Carbohydrate; 50mg Cholesterol; 623mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies; Brownie Cupcakes; Nutty Phyllo Logs

As I write this, a friendly Verizon repairman is trying to locate the reason why we have had only intermittent telephone service for the past week. This is why I haven’t had the opportunity to post, since we have dial-up internet. He seemed rather surprised that we still have dial-up… and no cell phones or cable, either. We’re just a couple of basic people, I suppose. Well, except for shelling it out for really good rum and food. Seriously, who needs anything else?!

It was so funny, the expression on his face when Jack mentioned our dial-up connection speed. I’ve honestly never seen anybody’s “jaw drop”! He has something called Fios (of course, he works for Verizon!). He asked how we can stand waiting for things to download. I answered “patience”. In a former life, I used to hurry. No more.

Today I will continue with my review of my Valentine’s Day Baking Extravaganza with Jenni.

I know that I mentioned the peanut butter fudge in my last post, but I really do need to reiterate that this stuff is seriously addicting. I am determined to ignore its little peanut-buttery voice, calling me from the laundry room refrigerator, but some days I am simply too weak. :)

Next up,yet more cookies.

I found this recipe on A Spiced Life and Laura reviewed them very favorably, so we made a double batch. Lots and lots of cookies! Ten dozen, I believe, were the final count.

Now I have gone over and over how I prepared these and I cannot figure out what exactly went wrong but there seemed to be something missing. Jenni agreed with me, but Jack and my Mom thought that they were delicious. I think that they should have had more sugar, but that would my personal preference (being that I have such a sweet tooth…). The toasted hazelnut flavor was just spectacular, though, and I will make them again, perhaps adding an extra ¼ cup of brown sugar to a single batch of dough. And they freeze very well, too.

Following is the recipe as copied from A Spiced Life. Laura got 34 cookies when she made them, but ours were smaller (I used a 1-tablespoon capacity cookie scoop) and we got about 60 per single batch. And, regarding grinding the nuts to powder, I did that and kept a close eye on them (since the time it takes to make hazelnut powder into hazelnut butter is mere seconds). Laura's way is safer, but I was impatient...

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Nancy Baggett's The All-American Cookie Book

7 oz (1 1/3 cups) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned

252 g (2 cups) AP flour

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

heaping 1/4 t salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) shortening, room temperature (I used Earth Balance buttery sticks as it was what I had but white is what she calls for)

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 T milk (I used 2%)

2 t vanilla

1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

Set a baking rack in the top third of the oven. Preheat to 350 F.

If you have had success grinding nuts to a powder before, then separate out half of the nuts and grind you a powder--chop the other half. What I did instead was partially grind all of them in the food processor until I got 3.5 oz to sift through as powder. The remaining chunks I left as they were.

Whisk together the hazelnut powder, the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and shortening together until totally blended and then add the sugars and cream to fluffiness. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and totally blend together. Add the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Add the chocolate chips and the hazelnut pieces and mix those in. Set the dough aside, preferably in a cool place, for 15 minutes (this is not necessary but I like it as it allows the dough to meld better and firm up a bit--if I had easy room I would always do in the fridge).

Using a mid size ice cream scoop, scoop out level balls of dough, about 12 to a sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, rotating front to back halfway through. Because they should bake in the top third of the oven, only one sheet at a time can cook. I got 34 cookies. Let them cool on a rack on the sheet for about 3 minutes and then transfer the individual cookies to a cooling rack.

Next, and my to-die-for favorite, the chocolate brownie cupcakes with fudge icing. Kill me, I’m in heaven.

I had a stash of heart-decorated cupcake liners, but I wanted to make something more substantial than cupcakes to mail to my parents.

For some reason, I am unable to locate the source of this recipe. Once we have a reliable internet connection I will search for it because this was a keeper recipe. The brownie cupcakes were dense, fudgy, and chewy (like my favorite kind of brownie), and didn’t even need the frosting. I dusted the tops with powdered sugar on the cupcakes I mailed to my parents.

However, that frosting was fantastic! I needed to thin it with milk, though. To frost the remaining cupcakes I used a pastry bag with a closed-end flower tip. The recipe, however, made an awful lot of frosting and I will cut the ingredients in half next time. And what did I do with the remaining fudge frosting, you might ask. I left it at Jenni’s. Her willpower is way, way stronger than mine. I would have eaten it with a spoon… seriously.

Brownie Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup (105 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

4 ounces (12 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups (1600 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 12 muffin tins with paper or foil baking cups.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.

Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then stir (can also use a hand mixer) in the sugar. Add the vanilla and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the flour and salt until well blended.

Evenly divide the batter between the muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake has moist crumbs.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, using a large Wilton 6B closed star tip to make little rose buds.

Chocolate Frosting:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Here is a photo of the resulting “cookie plate” (minus the biscotti which I posted about earlier). The brownie cupcakes are such a rich, dark color that it was impossible to photograph them well.

And for the final cookie produced for Valentine’s Day this year, ta-da, this one came from this past December’s issue of Eating Well. I’m not big on lowfat cookies because so many of them taste lowfat, and I dismissed the entire “Holiday Cookie Recipe Winners” article because first place was an (ick) no-bake cookie (oh come on, for Christmas?! Seriously, now.). But Jenni suggested the recipe for Nutty Phyllo Logs and I am glad that she did.

Jenni had prepped the filling before I arrived, so these were extra-easy to make. A few sheets of phyllo, spray with butter-flavored cooking spray, sprinkle with filling, cut into pieces, roll up, spray again, and bake. These were finished with a drizzle of chocolate. They were quite good, very crispy (Jack nicknamed them Explod-O-Logs) and the nutty-orange filling and chocolate complimented each other beautifully.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/nutty_holiday_logs.html

The recipe claims that you can freeze these logs without the chocolate drizzle, but I did and found out why-- the drizzle falls off when the cookies freeze! Not a problem since, by the time I did this, there were only a few left and they were "just for us".

Because of this Mad Cookie Frenzy, the next several posts will be of healthy, light food and hopefully no sweets. Five weeks until Easter and I have to get my sweet-tooth shipped back into submission...

Almond Macaroons, Orange-Almond Biscotti

With last week being Valentine’s Day, and my Mom’s birthday, I set aside a few days to do some baking. Because Mom’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, I get to go a bit overboard on the “heart” theme and this year was no exception. Her gifts were wrapped in pink and red paper with hearts, the box in which I mailed them was lined with red shredded paper and pink tissue paper with tiny white hearts; even the box of goodies which I sent to her and Dad had the same colors and theme and lots of curly ribbons as well. What the heck, it’s a long winter. ;) I feel that we have had a lot of snow here, but they have had to deal with much more. Time for a break!

For me, too. I love to bake, but since I also love to eat, I try to hold myself back as much as I can. Christmas, of course, is a biggie in the baking schedule. As is Easter. And Valentine’s Day. During these holidays, I pretty much forget about “light” baking. I probably shouldn’t, but when I give these goodies as gifts, I want them to be extra-good, and that means (cover your eyes!) butter. I rationalize that I bake healthy during most of the year, I can take on a few splurges.

My friend Jenni suggested getting together to bake at her house, so I spent the day before baking a couple of “extra” items. The resulting list of Valentine’s Day goodies was:

• Chocolate-dipped Almond Macaroons
• Chocolate-drizzled Orange Almond Biscotti
• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Nutty Phyllo Logs
• Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

Today I will post about the first three.

I have made these coconut macaroons for a few years now. Last year, they spread a little more during baking so I drizzled them with chocolate. This year they stayed relatively in the ball-shape which they were scooped onto the baking sheet in, so I decided to dip the bottoms I melted chocolate. Seriously, words cannot describe how good these little babies are—coconutty, almondy, chocolatey…. All non-words, but perfect in their description! The macaroons are moist (do not overbake!) and chewy. Wrapped individually in bits of plastic wrap, they travel very well, too.

I buy hunks of almond paste at an Italian grocery and, wrapped tightly and placed in a heavy freezer bag, it will last for several months (or, in my case, Christmas baking through Easter baking!). The batter for the macaroons is rather stiff, and it takes some work to incorporate the beaten egg whites into it, but persistence will be rewarded. I used a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out the macaroons, but next year I hope to remember to buy a slightly smaller scoop so the cookies will fit better into small candy cups for serving.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Heavenly Almond Macaroons

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 30

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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3 1/2 ounces almond paste

3/4 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon orange zest -- freshly grated is preferred

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

14 ounces sweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 large egg white -- room temperature

2 ounces dark chocolate -- chips will melt more evenly

2 ounces milk chocolate -- chips will melt more evenly

3/4 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a small food processor or blender, chop the almond paste.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and puree until well blended. Add the extracts, salt, orange zest, and flour and pulse until combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the coconut and mini chips. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the egg white at high speed of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Dollop the egg whites onto the surface of the coconut mixture and fold in gently until the egg is incorporated into the dough.

Line baking sheets with parchment. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets (I use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, coating the interior of the surface with cooking spray after every six cookies or so, then packing the coconut mixture firmly into the scoop to form nicely rounded mounds of dough).

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are a light golden color. Remove from oven, allow to sit on the baking sheet for a minute, then carefully transfer to a cooling rack. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, melt the dark and milk chocolate and the shortening in the microwave until almost melted. Stir until all chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.

For drizzling the macaroons:

Pour melted chocolate mixture into a small plastic sandwich bag (stand the bag up in a coffee mug for stability) and snip off a teeny, tiny part of the corner (or use a pastry bag with a #3 round tip). Drizzle the macaroons with chocolate. Allow to stand at a rather cool room temperature until chocolate firms up.

For dipping the bottoms:

Hold the macaroon by the top and dip the bottom into the melted chocolate. Lift from the chocolate, allow the excess to drip back into the bowl for a couple of seconds, then use a small spatula to remove excess as you transfer the macaroon to a sheet of waxed paper to firm up.

Store in a tightly covered container (also can be refrigerated).

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Per serving: 108 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat; (46% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 54mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

The biscotti was a relatively easy recipe, and one of the two lower-fat cookies which was baked (the other being the Phyllo Logs).

This biscotti just has so much going for it, with all of the wonderful flavors and not a one dominating the other. One caveat, you must use fresh orange peel. I’ve subbed for the oj with no major difference in taste, but subbing reconstituted peel for the fresh was not a good decision.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Chocolate-Drizzled Orange Almond Biscotti

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings : 40

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

1 tablespoon orange zest -- freshly grated, no substitutes!

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice -- in a pinch, can sub 2 teaspoons thawed, undiluted orange

juice concentrate and 1 teaspoon water

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup dried cranberries -- orange-flavored is best

3/4 cup toasted almonds -- chopped

1 tablespoon Demerara sugar

4 ounces dark chocolate

1/2 teaspoon shortening

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flours through salt in a large bowl. Make a "well" in the center of the flour mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg and egg whites until foamy. Add the orange zest through the slmond extract and mix well. Pour this mixture into the center of the flour, stir until combined. Add the cranberries and almonds and mix.

Divide the mixture in half. Shape each half into an 11" long x 2-1/4" wide log, patting top slightly (coating the log with cooking spray will help with "sticking issues"). Keep logs about 4" apart.

Sprinkle with Demerara sugar and bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the bottoms of the logs are golden (lift slightly with a wide spatula to check this or the log may start to break).

Remove from oven. Turn oven down to 325F and, using 2 spatulas, transfer the logs to a cooling rack. Set the baking sheet and parchment aside.

Cool logs for 1/2 hour. Transfer to a cutting board and slice diagonally into 1/2" slices (using an electric knife works very well). Stand the slices upright on the parchment and return to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove slices from baking sheet, cool completely.

Arrange the biscotti, cut side up, about 1/2" from each other, on a wire rack with waxed paper underneath (to catch the chocolate drips).

Melt chocolate and shortening in a small bowl and stir well. Place a plastic sandwich bag in a mug, roll back the opening a bit, and pour the chocolate in. Close the bag tightly (expel excess air). Cut a very small piece from one corner (you can always make a bigger cut, but can't make it smaller!), and drizzle the biscotti with the chocolate. Let sit in a cool area until chocolate has firmed up.

These will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container (separate layers with waxed paper) and can also be frozen for longer storage.

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Per serving: 94 Calories (kcal); 3g Total Fat (trace Saturated); (31% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 5mg Cholesterol; 72mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Jenni found the peanut butter fudge recipe at the King Arthur Flour recipe website and it has to be the best pb fudge I’ve ever had (and, yes, I’ve had a lot!). She pressed chopped peanuts into the top of the fudge and that gave the pieces a nice texture as well as an extra burst of peanut flavor. The photo will be in the next post, along with the entire cookie tray.