Chocolate Chip & Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

It has been way too long since I baked. In theory that should mean I’m eating less baked goods, but somehow they find me. I remember when I attempted to give up sweets - or maybe it was just candy – for lent. It lasted three days before a total meltdown, fall-off-the-wagon, relapse. I was a little more realistic this year and gave up eating farm animals.

This is my attempt at a healthy (using that term lightly) dessert. I adapted it from a Food Network recipe, but liberally added ingredients.

Chocolate Chip & Craisin Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 2/3 cups oats
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/4 chopped pecans
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup craisins
cinnamon (sprinkled on top before baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir the flour, oats, coconut, baking soda, powder, salt, flaxseed, and pecans together.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg until smooth, then add in maple syrup and vanilla until incorporated. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour-oat mixture. Blend just to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips and craisins.

Drop tablespoon sized balls of dough onto a nonstick cookie sheet spaced 3 inches apart. Flatten with fork and sprinkle a little cinnamon over cookies. Bake for 9 minutes until cookies are lightly browned on top.

Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Lasagna

I’ll admit it was risky to make up a recipe for a dinner party… but Quin and I were feeling confident. We got the idea for it on Pinterest (our obsession) and picked it for our next dinner party because spinach and artichoke-anything sounds amazing to me.

Does it qualify as lasagna if you don’t add ricotta? We left it out and didn’t miss it.

Spinach, Artichoke & Chicken Lasagna

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 box no boil lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups low-fat milk
1 can artichoke hearts, diced
1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups packed fresh spinach
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic. After a minute, add flour and whisk until cooked through. Whisk in milk and continue whisking until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and mix in chicken, artichokes, salt and pepper.

In a 9x17 pan, cover bottom with a layer of crushed tomatoes, followed by a layer of pasta, 1/2 the chicken artichoke mixture, 1/2 spinach, 1/3 mozzarella cheese, then repeat with final layer. Top with a layer of noodles, cover with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs and parmesan. Bake for 50 minutes, until pasta is bubbling. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Strawberry Nutella Crepe Cake

Happy Valentine’s Day! I was more excited for this day than usual this year, and it’s probably because I got to try a new recipe I’ve been eyeing for a while: The Crepe Cake. Quin and I hosted a couple girls over for a “Galentine’s Day” dinner (is that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?) Quin was in charge of making a chicken, artichoke and spinach lasagna-eque entre, I made dessert, Melissa brought wine and Kat brought a spinach salad. I made the crepes the night before and it took over an hour and a half to make about 30 crepes. I wanted this thing to be tall.

When I got home I made the vanilla whipped cream, covered and let it chill, while I cleaned up the house - and myself. Then the fun part, assembling: crepe, nutella, crepe, whipped cream, crepe, nutella with sliced strawberries... Isn’t she pretty?

Dinner was wonderful, and topped off with a glass of champagne. Recipe for the chicken, artichoke and spinach lasagna coming tomorrow…

Nutella Strawberry Crepe Cake

3 cups flour|
6 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 ½ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

1 carton heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Nutella
Strawberries, sliced

Blend ingredients thoroughly with beaters or in blender until very smooth. Ladle approximately ¼ cup mixture into nonstick skillet, and swirl until batter covers bottom of pan in one thin layer. Cook until light brown on the bottom, and flip. Repeat until all the batter is used. If making ahead, cover and chill in refrigerator overnight. (Though I don’t recommend, the crepes are not as fresh)

Using beaters, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to use. Lay crepe on base of cake pedestal or plate, spread with layer of nutella, top with crepe, spread with whipped cream, add crepe, layer of nutella with sliced strawberries, and so on. Chill until ready to serve.

PB Chocolate Banana Cups

The uses for wonton wrappers are infinite, but combining banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips has to be one of the best. More specifically, two slices of banana, teaspoon of peanut butter and 4-5 chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes and serve with Greek yogurt and cinnamon.

Two turned into four really quickly…

Homemade Greek Pizza

Last night, Quin and I stayed in, made a homemade pizza and watched the Super Bowl The Help. We both got over that New Year's Eve feeling of having to be somewhere, with people, eating and drinking, watching The Game. Since we couldn't care less about watching football and didn't feel like pigging out on unhealthy foods, we did our own thing. Though homemade pizza isn't quite as incredible as a wood fired Italian pizza, ours was healthy at least! We used the wheat dough recipe from Baking Illustrated- Cooks Illustrated. The ticket is getting the crust super-duper thin, and probably using a pizza stone - though we didn't have one. 

Homemade Greek Pizza

1 pizza crust (dough)
marinara sauce
buffalo mozzarella, sliced thin
torn basil leaves
artichoke hearts, quartered
spinach
feta cheese
kalamata olives, halved
red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Assemble pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Vegetable Tabouli with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Red Pepper Hummus

I shouldn't be allowed to buy basil plants anymore. I always kill them, no matter what I do. So instead of wishing and hoping this one would live, i decided to butcher it up from the start and make it into some hummus. Hummus, like Greek yogurt, I can and do eat on top of everything. So it made for the perfect topper on my dinner. 

Vegetable Tabouli with Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup bulgur wheat
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup yellow corn
1/2 zucchini, diced
kalamata olives, halved
1 carrot, grated
shredded mozzarella
spinach

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes

Add bulgur wheat to pot with 1.5 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, add in vinaigrette, vegetables, cheese

Red Pepper & Basil Hummus 

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
handful basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 roasted red pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.