Author Archives: vanessa

PB&J Bars

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  • 1½ c. all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. salt and
  • ½ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ c. coconut oil or butter
  • ¾ c. dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1¼ c. natural peanut butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1½ c. jam
  • ½ c. roasted peanuts
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan with a 13- by 18-inch sheet of parchment to facilitate removal of baked bars. Grease and flour parchment and set aside.
  2. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat coconut oil and sugar until smooth; beat in egg, then peanut butter, and finally the vanilla extract until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low, add flour mixture, and beat until fully incorporated.
  3. Press ⅔ of the peanut butter dough into the prepared pan; spread jam over the dough to cover. Mix peanuts into remaining peanut butter dough, crumbling it over the jam to form a topping
  4. Bake until jam is bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand until set, about 5 minutes. Using parchment handles, remove bars from pan and set on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve

Pork Carnitas

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  • 1 bone-in pork shoulder, about 2 kilos (4 1/3 pounds)
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. ground chili pepper
  • 2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 200 grams (7 ounces) sliced bacon
  • 4 cloves garlic, halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 orange

 

  • Rub the meat with the cumin, oregano, chili pepper, and salt, and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
  • Line the bottom of a Dutch oven with the sliced bacon. Place the pork shoulder on top, along with the garlic and bay leaves. If using the orange, squeeze its juice over the meat, cut the peel into four pieces and add to the pot.
  • Cover and place the Dutch oven in the oven. Set the temperature to 120°C (250°F) and let the meat cook for 6 to 8 hours, basting it every hour or so, until fork tender and nicely bronzed.
  • Remove the orange peels and bay leaves from the pot, and shred the meat using two forks. Discard the bone.
  • Serve with corn tortillas and/or lettuce leaves to wrap into tacos, with a sprinkle of cilantro and onion, slices of avocado, a squeeze of lime juice and a drizzle of salsa.

 

 

Stewed Rhubarb

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6 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. water

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 15 min or until slightly thickened and rhubarb is in threads. Let cool. Can be refrigerated up to 5 days. Makes 3 cups.

Iced Coffee

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1/3 cup whole coffee beans
1 1/2 cups cold water, preferably filtered
Ice, to taste
Milk, to taste
Sweeteners, such as flavored syrups, caramel, or melted chocolate, optional

  1. Grind the coffee beans: Grind 1/3 cup of coffee beans until they are coarse enough to be filtered by the French press, yet fine enough to infuse well. On my burr grinder, I grind right in between middle and fine.
  2. Combine the ground coffee and water in the French press: Pour the ground coffee into the French press and top with 1 1/2 cups of water.
  3. Stir to incorporate: Gently stir the coffee with the water until well-blended.
  4. Put on French press lid: Make sure the plunger is in the up position.
  5. Steep the coffee overnight in the fridge: Leave the plunger in the up position so the grounds infuse the water overnight.
  6. Plunge to separate the coffee from the grounds: The next morning, plunge the French press to separate the coffee from the grounds.
  7. Make your iced coffee: Fill a glass with ice cubes and fill partway with milk. Fill the rest of the glass with iced coffee. Stir to combine and enjoy!

Everything topping

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  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon garlic flakes
  • 1 teaspoon onion flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon large-flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

 

Coconut Curry Sauce

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  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
  • 1 can (13 1/2 Oz. Size) Coconut Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 whole Lime, Juiced
  • Hot Sauce, Optional

Cauliflower Stirfry

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  • 1 whole head cauliflower
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 lime (or rice wine vinegar)
  • 2 sliced green onions
  • 1 tbsp. sriracha
  1. Break up the cauliflower into small florets.
  2. Heat oil in a skillet
  3. Add the cauliflower and garlic, stirring until it browns a bit
  4. turn heat to low, add soy sauce, lime juice, most of the green onion
  5. stir, cook for 1 minute, add hot sauce
  6. serve with green onion sprinkled on top

Creamy Tortellini Pasta Salad

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  • 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Crackers

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Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, or a mix of all-purpose and whole grain flours
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup water
Optional topping: 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon sea salt

  1. Heat the oven to 450°F: Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat to 450°F. Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with flour and set aside.
  2. Mix together the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
  3. Add the oil and water: Add the oil and water to the flour mixture. Stir until a soft, sticky dough is formed. If a lot of loose flour remains in the bottom of the bowl and the surface of the dough, add more water a tablespoon at a time until all the flour is incorporated.
  4. Divide and shape the dough into a square: Divide the dough into two halves and set one half aside. Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour and set the other half on top. Pat it into a thick square with your hands.
  5. Roll out the dough: Working from the center of the dough out, roll the dough into a rectangle roughly 1/8-inch thick or thinner. If the dough starts to shrink back as you roll it, let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
  6. Sprinkle dough with topping (optional): Brush the surface of the dough very lightly with water. Combine the seeds in a small bowl and sprinkle half of them (roughly 1 1/2 tablespoons) evenly over the surface of the dough. See Additional Notes below for additional ideas for toppings and flavorings.
  7. Cut the dough into cracker-sized rectangles: Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into individual crackers roughly 1-inch by 2-inches. Alternatively, cut the crackers into squares, diamonds, or use cookie cutters.
  8. Transfer crackers to baking sheet and prick with fork: Transfer the crackers to the baking sheet using a metal dough scraper or spatula. It’s fine to crowd the crackers very close to each other. Prick each cracker with the tines of a fork to prevent them from puffing during baking.
  9. Bake for 12-15 minutes: Bake the crackers in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are browned. Thinner crackers will bake more quickly than thicker ones; you can remove the crackers as they brown to your liking and continue baking the rest. While the first batch of crackers is baking, roll out and cut the remaining dough.
  10. Cool and store the crackers: Transfer the baked crackers to a wire rack to cool completely. The crackers will crisp further as they cool. Store the crackers in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days. If you’re crackers are a little old and less-than-crispy, lay them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.