Apricot Honey Bran Cakes from Chef Stephanie Ito

We are hosting Easter Brunch on Sunday so I was super elated to read personal Chef Stephanie Ito's best thing I made this month would fit in perfectly with our menu. Here's what Stephanie has to say about her yummy Apricot Honey Bran Cakes:

Breakfast is without a doubt my favorite meal of the day, and I am always on the hunt for new brunch recipes. I especially love muffins and other baked goods for breakfast. I don’t think it’s really breakfast unless there is a bite of something sweet. (Even if that “something sweet” is a banana cut up on my cereal, which is my typical weekday breakfast.) On the weekends I often splurge on something slightly more decadent than my regular Flax Plus cereal.

These little cakes, baked in individual ramekins, are a delicious sweet treat for brunch, but they also contain lots of fruit in the form of dried apricots (feel free to substitute your favorite dried fruit – I have also used dried cherries with great results) as well as fiber from the oat bran, and a healthy 8 grams of protein. I like to serve them with scrambled eggs or yogurt and fruit. I think they are the best of both worlds – just like all the foods I try to bring to my clients – tasty, sweet, and moist while still providing vitamins and minerals essential to feeling good and staying healthy.

They only take 10 or 15 minutes to put together and another 15 to bake, so they can be ready and on the table quickly, just like muffins. But since they are baked individually they have a more elegant feel to them and I love feeling like I have a whole little cake to myself. These would be the perfect treat for an Easter brunch or Mother’s Day (of course someone other than the mother being honored needs to be in charge of making them!) or any of the other spring holidays coming up.

They keep for several days covered with plastic wrap either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. I think they’re especially good leftover if you zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to warm them up again.

I hope you enjoy the spring treat! Happy eating!

Apricot Honey Bran Cakes
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 ½ cups diced dried apricots (about 7 ounces)
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup apricot nectar
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
3/4 cup oat bran
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton plain fat-free yogurt
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan; place over high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until apricots are plump. Remove from heat; cool.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, bran, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.
Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through egg white) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Gently fold in apricot mixture.
Spoon 1/2 cup batter into each of 7 (6-ounce) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Place ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Baking gone way wrong!

Where was Chef Stephanie last night when I needed her?! See Exhibit A above.
I learned a big cooking lesson last night that I'm happy to pass along so the above mess doesn't happen to you. You can NOT substitute gluten free flour for all-purpose flour.
Can you even tell what was supposed to come out of the oven? See Exhibit B below: Molassas Crinkles

The sadest part of it all, is that my nine-year-old son had made the dough all by himself and had even decided to make a double batch. Then his silly - trying to be healthy parents - asked him to substitute gluten free flour.
He actually handled the catastophy better than me. I was so looking forward to biting into these delicious treats, but instead had to dump them in the trash.
Here's the Molasses Crinkles recipe from Fine Cooking. We'll be trying another batch tonight, made with good old fashion all-purpose flour.

Chef Stephanie's February Treat: Barbecued Pulled Pork

I've been down with mono so I'm a bit behind blogging on Notions! Chef Stephanie of Nourish treated us to her best meal in February, I'm just a little late sharing it with you. It looks to be as yummy as all the other recipes she has shared with us.


February 27, 2009 – Barbecued Pulled Pork
During the winter, I love my slow cooker! But I find myself a little bit limited, because I don’t like the way chicken comes out of it – I find it a little bit dry and stringy. So I usually just slow cook beef and pork. I have a great recipe for Guinness-Braised Beef Brisket that I love (maybe I’ll share that one with you soon – I do have a can of Guinness in the fridge waiting to be used), and this is one of my other favorites. With a couple more months before I put my slow cooker away for the summer, I thought I would share this recipe with you now. And actually, now that I think about it, this recipe would also be perfect for a summer get-together. Who doesn’t love sloppy, saucy barbecue for a summer party?
There is very little prep involved in making this dish, which is great when you want dinner to be ready for you when you get home, but don’t have a lot of time in the morning. All you have to do is trim the meat, chop one onion and one pepper, put a spice rub on the pork and pour the (store-bought) barbecue sauce over the meat. Voila – you are done and dinner is waiting (and making your house smell really good) when you get home from work or from running errands with the kids. Definitely get a good-quality barbecue sauce, since that provides a lot of the flavor of the dish. Here in Chicago we get Frontera Grill sauces at Whole Foods, which I like because not only are they delicious and come in lots of varieties, but they also have no high fructose corn syrup in them, which most barbecue sauces are loaded with. (And despite what the Corn Refiners Association wants you to believe from their commercials, I don’t think anyone should be consuming a whole lot of HFCS.)
I usually serve this over rice or with flour tortillas, but it would also be great on a bun for a pulled pork sandwich (add a little coleslaw on top and yuuummmmm). Bon Appétit!

Barbecued Pulled Pork

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pound boneless pork roast (shoulder or butt)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, sliced
1 jar (18 ounces) barbecue sauce
Cooked rice and flour tortillas (optional)

Preparation:
Trim excess fat from pork. Combine salt, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and ground red pepper in a small bowl; rub over pork. Place onion and bell pepper in slow cooker; add pork. Pour barbecue sauce over meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (or on high for 6 hours). Remove pork from slow cooker and shred with two forks, discarding any fatty pieces that are left behind. Return pork to slow cooker to combine with sauce. Serve over rice with tortillas, if desired

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Chef Stephanie's January Treat: Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

This picture speaks for itself! Here is what Personal Chef Stephanie Ito of Nourish has to share about January's best recipe.

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

This month I’ll share another sweet item with you – partially because I have been making and consuming a lot of sweets even after the holidays this year (darn sweet tooth) and partially because they were such a hit last night when I took them to a friend’s house for dessert. And who doesn’t love dessert?

Generally speaking, I prefer a fruit-based dessert which some of my friends claim isn’t even dessert. They say that if there is no chocolate in it, then the dish doesn’t properly qualify as dessert. But, I do love a good mint-and-chocolate combination, so these brownies were perfect. Lately I have been really enjoying York peppermint patties and mint M&Ms – so these fit the theme well.

The brownies aren’t too dense, and stay nice and moist and gooey in the middle – just how I like them – but with a chewy corner crust. The cheesecake swirl lends some lovely mint flavor but also a nice creamy texture to the brownies. AND, believe it or not, these come from Cooking Light (one of my very favorite sources for recipes) so they can’t be that bad for you. Though I do admit that I didn’t cut the brownies into the 16 pieces that the recipe says you’ll get – I got nine very generous servings. Bon appétit!

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies

CHEESECAKE BATTER:
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

BROWNIE BATTER:
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cheesecake batter, place cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add granulated sugar and peppermint extract; beat well. Add 1 egg and 1 egg white; beat well. Add 1 tablespoon flour; beat mixture just until blended.

3. To prepare brownie batter, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, 2 egg whites, and 1 egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.

4. Reserve 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Pour remaining batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over top; spread evenly to edges. Dot cheesecake batter with reserved brownie batter. Swirl top two layers of batters together using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350° for 26 minutes or until top is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Chef Stephanie's December Treat!

Chef Stephanie has blessed us again with another fabulous recipe. I've just about over dosed on sweets so this sounds especially appetizing.

Oven-Fried Cajun Chicken

I don’t know about you, but this time of year I always end up with extra buttermilk in the fridge from baking various Christmas treats. Usually I am wishing I could buy a much smaller container of the stuff – how can you possibly use an entire pint!?

Well, I have a dinner recipe for you to use up the rest of that buttermilk. Turns out not only does it give a nice, tender crumb to cakes, but it also magically tenderizes chicken.

This recipe is so fast to put together, it is perfect for these harried holiday evenings when you don’t feel like you have time to make a proper dinner. And it is delicious, thanks to the crispy panko breadcrumbs (look either in the Asian section or with the other breadcrumbs) which are larger and airier than regular breadcrumbs and give a great texture. If you can’t find them, though, it is fine to substitute regular breadcrumbs. And, you could substitute any spice mix that you want for the Cajun spices, but I love the savory spiciness that they lend. You can use white meat or dark meat chicken too – but my favorite for this type of recipe is chicken legs (usually I use only legs for the recipe) – they stay extra moist and are most reminiscent to me of eating fried chicken at my grandma’s house.

Enjoy, and happy holidays!


Cajun Oven-Fried Chicken
(4 servings)

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon salt-free Cajun seasoning (such as Spice Hunter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), skinned
2 chicken drumsticks (about 1/2 pound), skinned
2 chicken thighs (about 1/2 pound), skinned
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken, one piece at a time, into buttermilk mixture; dredge in panko.

Place chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until done, turning after 20 minutes.

From our favorite Chef: Cranberry-Ginger Upside-Down Cake

How delicious does Nourish Chef Stephanie Ito's cake look. Here's what she's got to say about it.

Two years ago for my mom’s family Christmas, I made this cake – one of my favorite fall/winter cakes. It is really hard to get anyone in my family to try a dessert that is not a pie, but at the end of the day this cake was gone, as were about four assorted pies.

This cake requires a couple of bowls and a hand- (or stand-) mixer to whip the egg whites into stiff peaks. When you fold the fluffy egg whites into the rich vanilla batter, it gives the cake a bit of a lift – making it much lighter than it would be otherwise. Despite the extra dishes to do, this cake is worth it! It is perfect for the December/January holidays, especially with its dark-red cranberry-studded top.

The lovely soft cake serves as a pillow for the caramelized cranberries and ginger on top of the cake (or on the bottom while it is in the oven). The cranberries and brown sugar and ginger turn into a jammy sort of layer, still slightly tart to contrast with the sweet cake. And even better, the recipe is originally from Cooking Light magazine, so it shouldn’t contribute (at least not TOO much) to holiday weight gain.

I made this cake again last night (I make it at least once a year around this time) and served it to friends. Fortunately for me, it makes a pretty generously-sized cake, because I can’t wait to have a piece again tonight for dessert, maybe warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave. Even better!

Happy Holidays!!

Cranberry-Ginger Upside-Down Cake

Cooking spray
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat a 9-inch round cake pan over medium heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter to pan, stirring until melted. Stir in ginger; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; arrange cranberries on top of brown sugar mixture.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine 1/4 cup butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with a mixer at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter; pour batter over cranberries in prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; run a knife around outside edge. Place a plate upside down on top of cake pan; invert cake onto plate.

I absolutely love receiving Chef Stephanie's email each month with her “the best thing I made this month” recipe and photo. The new and always fabulous dish seems to arrive at the perfect time.


Chicken and Dumplings with Leeks and Tarragon

With the weather quickly getting cooler and the end of daylight saving time right around the corner, I have already started craving heartier dinners – stews and soups, root vegetables, and squashes. One of my absolute favorite fall/winter dishes I just discovered last winter: Chicken and dumplings.


I know there isn’t a lot to “get” about Chicken and Dumplings, but I kind of didn’t get it. I have a vague memory from my childhood of my favorite babysitter in the whole world canning chicken and dumplings and the dumplings were super mushy. Gross. And this was not a dish that was served in my house, so the canned dumplings were all I knew. But then I came across this recipe and it looked so good, and it featured my favorite herb, tarragon. So I thought maybe it was time to give it another try. And was my bravery rewarded!

To me, this is more of a weekend meal, because it is slightly time consuming. That said, I did make it on a weeknight the other day when I had just a little extra time, and I think it took about an hour from start to finish. But, let me tell you, the results are totally worth it. Plus, half of the time to make it is hands-off while it simmers, and it is really a one-dish meal. All you have to do is steam up some broccoli or green beans and you have a complete balanced meal.

The stew is meaty and smooth and savory, and the dumplings are light and not mushy at all. They even retain their light texture as leftovers. So, I hope that you will try my winter favorite, and that you enjoy it as much as my husband and I do!

Chicken and Dumplings with Leeks and Tarragon

Serves 6 to 8 (I usually make half and it is good for the two of us with leftovers)

For the stew:
5 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 medium leeks
1 large onion, minced
6 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry (or any kind of wine...)
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves

For the dumplings:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. For the stew: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and the remaining chicken. Remove the remaining chicken from the pot.

2. Add the leeks, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pot and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 30 minutes.

3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew.

4. For the dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl on high just until warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

5. Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Following the steps below, drop golf-ball sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

To make the dumplings:
1. Gather a golf-ball sized portion of the dumpling batter onto a soup spoon, then push the dumpling onto the stew using a second spoon.
2. Cover the stew with the dumplings, leaving about 1/4 inch between each.
3. When fully cooked, the dumplings will have doubled in size.

Lots of baking to be done

We made our way to Jonamac Farms in DeKalb, Illinois this weekend for our fall family tradition of apple picking (just like their tagline LOL!). Because we always pick more apples than we can eat, we also make it a tradition to try new recipes that involve apples in the weeks that follow. Here's one we plan to make this evening for Dutch Apple Cake from allrecipes.com.

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

A serious believer in at least one treat a day (I'm eating chocolate covered raisins as I type this post!), I am very excited to try Chef Stephanie Ito's, The Very Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies. Here's what she has to share:



I really do try to exert some control over my sweet tooth. I have learned that a cut-up banana on my morning bowl of (whole grain) cereal means that I don’t have to pour sugar on my cornflakes or eat Apple Jacks. I know a lot of sugar isn’t good for me. But, it is the rare evening that I don’t indulge in dessert. Usually it’s a scoop or two of ice cream or an ice cream bar. You have to have a little treat every day in order not to feel deprived.

This week I HAD to have chocolate chip cookies. There is a recipe I discovered earlier this year that I have made way too many times for my own good since then. These are seriously the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had.

Since I didn’t want to eat all 24 of them, I took most of them to book club this week to foist on my friends. One of my friends from culinary school is in the book club, and when she e-mailed me after our meeting to tell me that the cookies were “a religious experience” I knew what the best thing I had made this month was.

Before I give you the recipe, I want to tell you the four things that I consider to be the secret to this recipe:
1. The pecans (or walnuts if you prefer) MUST be toasted and chopped up nice and fine. I put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven when I turn it on to preheat. They’re generally nice and toasty by the time I am ready to stir them into the batter.
2. This is a dough you don’t want to work too much. Don’t beat the butter and sugars “until light and fluffy” – just stir them together until they are combined. This goes for when you add the flour too – just beat the dough until it comes together, no more.
3. BUTTER – never shortening, never margarine.
4. Don’t over bake the cookies. The edges should be just starting to brown and the middle should still be a little soft.

So, here you go. Enjoy! (And don’t eat them all in one day – you will be tempted.)

The Very Greatest Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick/115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (130 grams) pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300˚F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches apart on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito has gifted us with another wonderful treat, Height-of-Summer Gazpacho. Here's what she has to share:

With just a little bit of summer remaining and heirloom tomatoes still flooding the farmer’s markets, at least in my neck of the woods here in Chicago, I am excited to share my best discovery of the month with you. I am calling it Height-of-Summer Gazpacho, because I discovered it at the height of summer. Like last month, I have already made this dish three times in the last few weeks, and am planning on having it for lunch again today. It has quickly become my favorite lunch – a big bowl of flavorful gazpacho with a piece of whole grain toast slathered with cream cheese. I can hardly wait the three hours until lunchtime.
My husband doesn’t eat cucumbers, so I have never really found a gazpacho recipe that we can both get behind. This one uses zucchini in place of the cucumber, so it has a less pronounced flavor and really lets the tomato and avocado shine through. There is a hearty amount of red wine vinegar in this dish too – it might sound like a lot, but it adds a tremendous amount to the flavor – with its tartness it brings out the sweetness and flavor of the heirloom tomatoes I have been getting at the Evanston Farmer’s Market.
The original recipe that I adapted this from called for a bunch more ingredients – olive oil, feta cheese, basil, pine nuts, cumin seeds – but with produce at the peak of its season I don’t think you need all those other things. If you are feeling inspired, feel free to garnish the gazpacho with cheese, nuts, herbs, etc. as you desire. But, rest assured, it will be delicious in its unadorned state.
Bon appétit!

Height-of-Summer Gazpacho
Makes 4-6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

3 large heirloom tomatoes
1 yellow pepper
1 large zucchini
1 ripe avocado
1 large shallot
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper

Coarsely chop all the vegetables and puree them all together in a food processor, or in batches in a blender. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Chill four hours or until cold. Couldn’t be easier!

Playgroup Breakfast Pizza

Passed along by our Chicago Sales Representative, Nancy Fullerton, this Playgroup Breakfast Pizza recipe is sure to be a hit at your next get together!

1 lb pork sausage or ground beef
1 pkg(8) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup frozen or thawed loose packed hash brown
potatoes
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
(Many times I use two cups(one bag) of Italian mixed
shredded cheese instead of the Cheddar and Swiss))
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese(optional)
fresh vegetables(optional)

In a skillet, cook sausage till browned, drain off
excess fat. Separate crescent rolls into eight
triangles. Place in a ungreased 12" pizza pan with
points toward the center. Press over bottom and up to
form a crust, seal perforations. Spoon sausage over
crust. Sprinkle with potatoes. Top with Cheddar and
Swiss cheese.

In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
Pour over crust. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and/or
vegetables(bell pepper, brocolli) of choice.

Bake in 375 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes

Nourish Personal Chef + Catering Feature: Black Bean and Mushroom Bowls

I basically ran out the door to pick up ingredients for this fabulous dish from our feature chef, Stephanie Ito of Nourish Personal Chef + Catering the moment I opened her email. Here's what Stephanie has to share about her favorite dish from the month of July, Black Bean and Mushroom Bowls:

This month I surprised myself by the recipe that I chose as “the best thing I made this month”. I made it at the beginning of the month, and then again less than three weeks later. That NEVER happens in my house. I am always trying new recipes, and I like a lot of variety and not to eat the same thing all the time. But, this recipe is so delicious and satisfying and healthy that I wanted to have it again. The first time I cooked it for myself and my husband for dinner, I ate it that night and then the next FOUR days for lunch. And I am not a fan of leftovers - this was definitely an exception to that rule.

I might not have made this recipe at all, not being a big fan of black beans. But, I made this in burrito form (the original recipe that I adapted to get to the bowls) for one of my clients. One of the cardinal rules of being a chef is that you have to taste everything – to make sure the seasoning is right and everything tastes good. I was surprised when I LOVED the filling. Since there are also a lot of mushrooms in the dish, the texture of the beans (which is what I object to) was not overpowering.

This is an easy meatless meal that is a snap to put together. It takes one skillet and a rice cooker or saucepan. On its own it is even vegan (if you don’t add cheese and sour cream like I like to). Using purchased salsa as one of the ingredients adds a lot of flavor with a minimum of fuss, so it is perfect for a weeknight meal. (I like the Frontera Grill and Salpica salsas for this dish if you can find them in your grocery store.) When I made this dish this week for dinner, it took about 20 minutes start to finish. This recipe can also be adapted in lots of ways. For example, when I made it this week I didn’t have any red peppers on hand, so I used chopped baby carrots instead. Use your favorite vegetables, and enjoy this easy weeknight dinner! I think I’ll have the last of our leftovers for dinner tonight too.

Mushroom and Black Bean Bowls
Adapted from Bon Appétit, January 2003
Makes 4 generous servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
10 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
¾ cup purchased tomatillo salsa
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups cooked white or brown rice

Additional ingredients for garnishing (optional):
Reduced-fat Mexican Cheese Blend
Reduced-fat sour cream
Chopped Avocado
Chopped Tomato

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add next 3 ingredients; sauté until onions are soft, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder. Sauté until juices evaporate, about 5 minutes. Add beans and salsa, sauté 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper.


In each bowl, mound about ¾ cup rice and top with the mushroom mixture. Garnish as desired with cheese, sour cream, avocado and tomato. Enjoy your burrito-in-a-bowl!

Nourish Personal Chef + Catering provides customized meal services in the Chicago area, offering the convenience of ready-to-eat meals with the taste and nutrition of home-cooked food. We can save you hours each week that you would normally spend preparing meals and going out to eat! We use only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure that your meals are not only delicious, but also well balanced and healthy.

Our services are designed for busy people in all walks of life: professionals with no time to cook, families with children and hectic schedules, older adults who have special dietary requirements, athletes with specific nutritional needs, new parents, and those who just don't enjoy cooking but do enjoy good food! All meals are made just for you - based on your likes and dislikes - and special requests are always welcome.

Featured Guest Chef: Stephanie Ito

I am so excited to introduce Notion's featured guest chef, Stephanie Ito!

As you can tell from all my Thursday posts I love food. And love to share recipes.

So I was super thrilled when personal chef Stephanie Ito of Nourish Personal Chef + Catering gernerously offered to contribute on our blog. Stephanic will be sharing "The Best Thing I Made This Month" how fun and yummy is that?!

So turn on the grill and try her Chutney Turkey Burgers and Roasted Sweet Potato Fries tonight! Here's what Stephanie has to share with us:

Turkey burgers are a great meal for summer – you can cook them on the grill or you can broil or pan-fry them. Any way you cook them, these Chutney Turkey Burgers from The Joy of Cooking are some of our favorites here at Nourish Personal Chef + Catering. The turkey stays moist, and the combination of spices and mango chutney (which you can find near the mustards and condiments in most supermarkets) give the burgers an unusual, slightly sweet, and international flavor.

Since turkey breasts have less fat than beef, these burgers can be a healthy alternative to ground beef burgers this summer – but make sure you look for ground turkey breast at the store. Some packaged ground turkey has as much fat as beef because it includes skin and dark meat along with the breast.

The perfect accompaniment to these turkey burgers is baked sweet potato “fries”. They are super easy to make, and absolutely delicious. They get a little crunchy on the outside from roasting them at a high temperature (especially if you cut them nice and thin) and have a wonderful sweet-and-savory flavor, thanks to the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes and the garlic powder that you dust them with.

Not only are these great barbecue dishes, or perfect for a weeknight dinner, they also provide you with lots of high-quality, lean protein from the burgers and also lots of nutrients (including vitamins A and C in particular) from the sweet potatoes. This is a meal you can enjoy and feel good about eating.

I hope this has inspired you to give these simple recipes a try!

Chutney Turkey Burgers
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking

For the sauce:
½ cup prepared mango chutney
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the burgers:
1 pound ground turkey breast
3 tablespoons prepared Mango Chutney
2 scallions, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Additional ingredients:
8 slices of sourdough bread (or 4 hamburger buns)
Lettuce and thinly sliced red onion

To make the sauce, stir together the mango chutney, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice in a small bowl, and set aside.

To make the patties, combine turkey breast, chutney, scallions, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper in another bowl and shape into four patties. Grill, broil, or pan fry, turning once, just until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. (If you are nervous about getting them cooked all the way through, use a meat thermometer and cook them to 160˚ - much higher than that and they can get dried out.)

Meanwhile, spread the chutney mixture over the bread, and top 4 slices of the bread with the lettuce and onion. Place the burgers on top and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Roasted Sweet Potato “Fries”From Nourish Personal Chef + Catering

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed well
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Non-stick spray

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Cut the sweet potatoes into French-fry sized matchsticks (leave the skins on). Combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick spray and then arrange the sweet potatoes on the sheet. Roast the potatoes for about 25 – 30 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking. The sweet potatoes should be slightly browned and soft inside when you take them out.

Nourish Personal Chef + Catering provides customized meal services in the Chicago area, offering the convenience of ready-to-eat meals with the taste and nutrition of home-cooked food. We can save you hours each week that you would normally spend preparing meals and going out to eat! We use only the best and freshest ingredients to ensure that your meals are not only delicious, but also well balanced and healthy.

Our services are designed for busy people in all walks of life: professionals with no time to cook, families with children and hectic schedules, older adults who have special dietary requirements, athletes with specific nutritional needs, new parents, and those who just don't enjoy cooking but do enjoy good food! All meals are made just for you - based on your likes and dislikes - and special requests are always welcome.

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