Romance in the Kitchen - Valentine's Dinner at Home!

It is Valentine's Day this Thursday - do you know what your dinner plans are? If you are undecided about whether to go out for dinner or stay home and cook, follow Food Snob's wise advice - stay home and cook!  It can be romantic to cook a delicious and simple dinner together with your valentine(s).  (Okay, Food Snob admits that her husband doesn't really think cooking in the kitchen is all that romantic, but he definitely is in love with eating the results!)  Whether you are one, two, or a family of four or more, by cooking your Valentine's dinner at home, you avoid: (1) the crowded restaurant scene, and (2) the prix fixe dinner, which always costs more than you want to pay and includes more food than you want to eat.

A number of years ago, my husband and I discontinued dinner out on Valentine's Day, opting instead for a cooking at home.  It's a great time to splurge with a wonderful entree and a rich chocolate dessert - after all - it IS Valentine's Day! You can include the kids - or wait until they've gone to bed - and enjoy a bottle of wine while you eat dinner by candlelight.  Take the time to set a pretty table, and make a simple, but delicious meal, such as the one highlighted in this week's blog.  You won't be getting home late, you won't be stuffed, and you won't be exhausted when you head back to work the next day.

Last Valentine's Day, Food Snob stopped at the local grocery store to buy a Valentine's Day card, and sitting by the check-out, packed in ice, was a display of wild-caught, frozen lobster tails.  Food Snob hadn't decided on her Valentine's dinner menu yet, but the lobster tails sparked her interest, and she purchased two tails for dinner later that evening.  For those of us that aren't lucky enough to live by the coast, a lobster tail is a viable option, and at about $6 for a 4 to 5 ounce tail, lobster is affordable.  Food Snob's husband, who grew up on the east coast and LOVES lobster, always wants TWO lobster tails.  Even if you serve a family member two lobster tails, you will be paying a lot less that eating lobster out!

Food Snob grilled the lobster tails, brushed them with a little melted butter, and served them with rosemary smashed potatoes and baked asparagus spears. Since it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without chocolate, she topped off the meal with chocolate lava cakes, served hot from the oven with vanilla ice cream.

Food Snob breaks all the rules on Valentine's Day and prepares a menu that does not meet her usual low-fat, low-calorie standards.  After all, Valentine's Day is a special evening - a night to splurge - within reason, of course.  Instead of serving the lobster tails with drawn butter and dipping each bite, Food Snob brushes the tails with butter before serving.  This technique will save you and your sweetie TONS of calories while sacrificing little in flavor.  The chocolate lava cake, which is very rich, is served in smaller portions so that you can enjoy its rich flavor without overdoing on the calories.

Lobster tails have been on sale in Denver everywhere this past week, as they usually are the week before Valentine's Day.  Food Snob, taking a friend's advice, found fresh asparagus on sale at Sprouts this week for $1.60 a pound. The ingredients for the smashed potatoes and the chocolate lava cakes are sitting in your pantry right now.  You can put this dinner together in about 45 minutes after you get home from work - and less if your Valentine helps you. What are you waiting for?  It's time to cook!

Valentine's Day Dinner Menu - serves 2, but can easily be doubled

Grilled Lobster Tails with Butter and Lemon
Rosemary Smashed Potatoes
Baked Asparagus
Chocolate Lava Cakes with Vanilla Ice Cream

Put two 4 - 5 ounce lobster tails in a plastic freezer bag and thaw them in cold water while you prepare the lava cakes.

Chocolate Lava Cakes - makes 4 small servings - save 2 for another day

Butter four 5-ounce ramekins.  (If you don't have small ramekins, use two larger ramekins and SHARE the dessert.) Dust the ramekins with flour.

In a small bowl, combine:

one whole egg plus one egg yolk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and the sugar until light yellow (about 2 minutes).  In a small microwave safe bowl, combine:

1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (I like Ghiradelli) 
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons canola oil

Cover and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted.  Allow to cool slightly and add the chocolate to the egg mixture along with:

1 Tablespoon flour

Stir together and divide the batter between the four ramekins.  Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and set aside for later.

Baked Asparagus - serves 2

Wash and trim:

1 bunch asparagus (I prefer fatter asparagus to the skinny asparagus - if you use skinny asparagus, your cooking time will be shorter)

Dry the asparagus thoroughly with paper towels.  Line a large, rimmed baking pan with foil, spray lightly with cooking spray or with an olive oil mister.  Place the asparagus on the pan in a single layer.  Drizzle with:

2 teaspoons olive oil
kosher salt - to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Using your hands, coat the asparagus spears evenly with the olive oil and the salt - set aside for later.

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes - serves 2

Scrub but do not peel:

2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes

Cut in quarters, lengthwise.  Slice potatoes in about 1/4 inch slices.  Place potatoes in a steamer basket and steam over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from steam and allow to drain.

In the bottom of a sauce pan, over medium low heat, add:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, or the leaves from one large sprig of fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Cook the rosemary and garlic in the olive oil for about a minute until fragrant - but do not let the garlic brown.  Add the steamed potatoes to the olive oil mixture and use a hand-held potato masher to "smash" the potatoes.  The mixture will be thick, so you can add a small amount of non-fat greek yogurt, or some half-and-half, to help the potatoes come together.  Since it was Valentine's Day, Food Snob went for the half-and-half!  Just a tablespoon or two . . . then add kosher salt or sea salt and some pepper to taste.  Keep warm while you cook the remainder of the meal.

Grilled Lobster Tails with Butter and Lemon

Before preparing the lobster, preheat your oven to 500 degrees - you will be baking the asparagus in the oven once it is hot.

Now that the two lobster tails are completely thawed, use a scissors and cut the lobster shell lengthwise down the under side.  Pry the shell open and remove the lobster tail.  Check inside the tail and if you see any black stuff, wash it out. According to my internet research, the black stuff is part of the lobster's intestinal tract.  If one of my readers knows better, please inform!  Once the lobster is washed, dry it thoroughly with paper towels.  Coat the lobster lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Coat a grill pan or frying pan lightly with oil (you can also cook the lobster on your outdoor grill - if you can see what you are doing at night - brush with oil or coat with cooking spray before grilling your lobster).  Heat the grill pan over medium high heat until smoking.

Before putting your lobster tails in the pan, put the asparagus in the preheated oven.  If the asparagus are skinny, you will need to check them in about 3 minutes - if they are larger, you will need to check them in about 6 minutes. You want the asparagus to be tender-crisp.  Larger asparagus will be done about the same time the lobster is done - remove from the oven and keep warm.

Place the lobster tails in the grill pan and grill on one side for about two-and-one-half minutes to three minutes, depending on thickness.  While the lobster is grilling, melt in the microwave:

1/2 tablespoon butter

Turn lobsters over and grill another two-and-one-half minutes to three minutes. Lobster tails will be firm. Remove tails to a warm plate; brush the tails with the melted butter.

Serving the Meal

Food Snob likes to plate her dinners, particularly for a special occasion.  Divide the smashed potatoes between two plates.  Top each mound of potatoes with a lobster tail, drizzle with any juices.  Place asparagus spears on either side of the lobster tails.  Add a lemon slice and serve.

Before sitting down to dinner, turn your oven down to 450 degrees.  After you've enjoyed your lobster tail and your glass of wine and are ready for dessert, pop the chocolate lava cakes into the oven and set your timer for 6 minutes.  The lava cakes will bake while you are clearing the table and making coffee.

Check the cakes after about six minutes - you want to remove the cakes from the oven when the outside edges have raised and are "set," but the center is still sunken.  If the outside is not set, cook a minute or two more.  If you overcook, the cake will not be "molten."  Remove the cakes from the oven and let rest a minute or two until you are ready to serve.

Invert the cakes onto individual plates, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Next week:  Food Snob just developed a new recipe for a quick and tasty chili - it is delicious made with ground turkey, ground bison, or grass-fed beef.  It's perfect for a cold February day, can be made in about 45 minutes, and serves 8.  You can enjoy it for dinner and again for lunch later in the week!

Brownie Competition - and the Winner Is . . . .

In February 2011, the cover of Bon Appetit magazine pictured a stack of fudgy, moist brownies accompanied by the headline:  "Best-Ever Brownies - Warning:  You Will Eat the Entire Tray!"  This headline sent Food Snob on a two-year quest to determine whether the brownies featured in Bon Appetit magazine were, in fact, the best brownies ever, or whether she could find another brownie recipe that was even better.

Now, brownies are a very personal thing.  Some people like their brownies dense, chocolatey, and fudgy.  Food Snob falls into that category.  Others like their brownies lighter and "cakier;" these types of brownies work well in brownie sundaes, but in Food Snob’s opinion are not so great eaten on their own.  Some folks prefer their brownies with nuts (that would be Food Snob); others prefer theirs with no nuts.  Some prefer their brownies with frosting, chocolate chips, coffee, liqueur, or toffee filling.  The variations are endless.  Food Snob was attracted to the Bon Appetit brownie recipe because it was advertised as dense, chocolatey, and fudgy, and the brownies contained nuts.

The first step was to MAKE the brownie recipe to see how good the brownies really were.  The recipe, entitled Brown-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownies, calls for very simple ingredients:  butter, cocoa, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs, walnuts, vanilla, and a small amount of flour (small amounts of flour and the absence of milk make the brownies fudgy not cakey). You have these ingredients in your kitchen right now, don't you?

Of course, Food Snob never makes a recipe exactly as written.  EVERY recipe gets adjusted a little to reduce the saturated fat, sugar, and calories without sacrificing the flavor.  Brownies are especially challenging because, let's face it, not much about them is healthy.  However, a LOT about them is delicious, so Food Snob believes in adjusting what she can and then savoring the results in moderation.  If the brownies turned out to be the best she had ever eaten, moderation was going to be difficult.  After all, the headline had warned her that she would be eating the entire tray!

The brownie recipe, even with Food Snob's adjustments, was all it promised it would be.  These brownies are fantastic.  It IS hard not to eat the entire tray.  The secret is to freeze them and take them out one at a time and savor them slowly.  The pleasure lasts longer that way, and you can still indulge without feeling guilty.

Over the next two years, Food Snob tested the brownies against other favorite brownie recipes to see which recipe was better – in every taste trial, the Brown-Butter Cocoa Walnut Recipe was the winner hands down.  Food Snob made side-by-side comparisons with her own favorite brownie recipes, brownie recipes published in the newspaper and on the internet, and even the Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownie recipe first published in Cooking Light in September 2011.  The Cooking Light recipe, which is very good, was featured as the best chocolate recipe ever during the magazine’s 2012 anniversary year.  Still, the Browned-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownie recipe from Bon Appetit was better.  You can view the winning recipe from Cooking Light at this link: Cooking Light Brownie Recipe. 

This past week, and just in time for the Super Bowl, People Magazine and the Denver Post featured John Elway’s favorite brownie recipe, served on the menu at Elway’s restaurant.  See John Elway's Brownie Recipe.  Since she was planning on featuring her brownies in this week’s food blog, Food Snob dutifully baked both recipes:  John Elway’s brownies and the Browned-Butter Cocoa Walnut brownies.  Family and friends who compared the two brownie recipes nixed John Elway’s recipe, and the Brown-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownie was the runaway favorite from 100 percent of testers hands down (okay, Food Snob only asked five people to test the brownies).  In fairness to John Elway, his recipe does state that the restaurant serves the brownies with ice cream and caramel sauce.  Food Snob’s family had them for dessert one night with ice cream and caramel sauce and we agreed that the brownies were better that way.  Still, we weren’t inclined to “eat the whole tray.”   

So, were you thinking about bringing brownies to a Super Bowl party tomorrow?  Do you want to treat a loved one to something more special than a box of chocolate for Valentine’s Day?  Try this brownie recipe and Food Snob promises that your brownies will be more interesting than the Super Bowl.  Wrap them up in a pretty box and your Valentine will be thrilled with a treat that tastes better than truffles.

A word about brownie mixes.  Do not even THINK about making your brownies from a brownie mix!  Brownie mixes contain all sorts of artificial ingredients to make them shelf stable and they do not taste anywhere near as good as the Browned-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownies.  The Cocoa Walnut Brownies are fool-proof, require only one pot to mix the batter, and can be in the oven almost as quickly as a mix.  Food Snob refuses to eat brownies from a mix EVER; when she goes to a pot luck she can tell just by looking which brownies are made from a mix and which are not and she stays away from the ones that are made from a brownie mix.  They are not worth the fat and calories. 

There are several secrets to success when making the brownie recipe that follows.  First, the recipe calls for browned butter – browned butter is what gives the brownies such an amazing flavor.  Do not skip this step.  Food Snob has already reduced the amount of butter in the recipe – to reduce it more compromises the flavor.  Second, the recipe asks you to line your pan with foil – leaving several extra inches of foil on each end.  This amazing technique allows you remove the brownies from the pan after they cool, while still in the foil, and after peeling back the foil, create absolutely perfect squares. No sticking to the pan!  Finally, Food Snob has reduced the sugar and the nuts, and cuts the brownies into 24 squares instead of 16 squares.  Smaller brownies are just as satisfying as large brownies and have fewer calories.  These brownies weigh in at 120 calories each, with 2.4 grams saturated fat and 8 grams total fat. 

Browned-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownies – makes 24 pieces

Browned-Butter Cocoa Walnut Brownies are on the left;
Classic Fudge-Walnut Brownies from Cooking Light are on the right 

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees.  Line a 9 inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving a 2 inch overhang.  Coat foil with cooking spray. 

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place:

5 Tablespoons good quality butter

Melt butter and continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at the bottom of pan, stirring often about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add, stirring until melted:

5 Tablepoons trans fat free spread for baking, such as Smart Balance

When melted, immediately stir into pan:

7/8 cup sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons)

¾  cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spoon into measuring cup, then level)

2 teaspoons water

¼ slightly rounded teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Let mixture cool about 5 minutes.  Then add, one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition:

2 eggs

When mixture looks thick and shiny, add

1/3 cup flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled

Stir until blended.  Beat vigourously 60 strokes.  Stir in:

1 cup walnuts, measured and then chopped coarsely

Once combined, transfer batter to prepared pan.  Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes.  Do not overbake  Cool in pan on rack.  Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan.  Cut into 4 strips.  Cut each strip into 6 brownies.  Can be frozen for several weeks – if they last that long!

Now Promise Food Snob that you won't eat the whole tray!  When you try these brownies, comment and let Food Snob know what you think. If you have a favorite brownie recipe, please share!

Next week's blog - skip the restaurants and cook a quick and elegant dinner for your Valentine!  Food Snob supplies the menu; you supply the wine and the candles!

In Love with Leftovers - Braised Chicken with Red Wine

Food Snob is a BIG fan of leftovers - in fact, family members who do not like leftovers are not welcome at Food Snob's dinner table.  For people with limited time to spend in the kitchen - and who wants to spend all day in the kitchen - leftovers can be lifesavers, as long as they are healthy and delicious.

Leftovers can be challenging, however, since many fish, chicken, and meat dishes never taste as good warmed up as they do when they are freshly prepared.  Introducing "Braised Chicken with Red Wine," which is the one of the most incredible chicken dishes I have ever eaten - and it is just as good reheated as it is when freshly cooked.  In fact, the recipe recommends the dish be made ahead and reheated.  This chicken stew reheats well because it uses only chicken thighs or legs - no chicken breasts. Chicken breasts are easily overcooked and do not reheat easily; hence chicken breasts are not good candidates for any stewed or braised dish.  I have served this marvelous winter dish to dinner guests and family members alike and received rave reviews every time.

The recipe for "Braised Chicken with Red Wine" was first published in John Broening's column in the Denver Post in early 2012.  Food Snob is a big fan of both John Broening's Denver restaurants and his weekly column in the Wednesday food section. John recommends seasoning the chicken overnight and cooking it the next day; Food Snob, who is always in a hurry, has seasoned the chicken immediately before cooking and the dish was still delicious.

"Braised Chicken with Red Wine" does not comply with one of Food Snob's most basic recipe requirements - to be able to prepare the dish and get dinner on the table in 45 minutes or less.  The stew requires 1 and 1/2  hours in the oven. However, the dish is quick and easy to prepare, so you can make it during the weekend and enjoy it as a quick meal during weeknights.  So, if the Super Bowl gets boring on Sunday, have these ingredients on hand and you'll have a wonderful meal ready when the game is over - or for supper the rest of the week!

Food Snob has made some adjustments to the original recipe, primarily to (1) reduce the fat, (2) reduce the sodium, and (3) increase the vegetables.  The adjustments have improved the health of the recipe without sacrificing its fantastic flavor.  Comfort food at its best!

Braised Chicken with Red Wine - serves 8 to 12 depending on size of chicken thighs

Overnight, several hours, or right before cooking, combine the following ingredients for the seasoning mix:

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 Tablespoon fennel, crushed with a mortar and pestle or with the side of a knife

Wash, dry, and remove the skin and all visible fat from:

12 large bone-in chicken thighs (purchase natural or organic chicken for the best flavor)

Coat the chicken thoroughly with the seasoning mix.  If you do not plan to cook the chicken right away, refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.  When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat a large Dutch oven (or heavy, oven-safe pot with lid) over medium heat; coat with cooking spray and add a small amount of canola oil - just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.  When the Dutch oven is hot, dredge the chicken thighs in flour, shake off any excess and brown in the Dutch oven in batches, six at a time.  If you cannot eat gluten, omit the flour. Adjust the temperature of the Dutch oven so that the chicken browns slowly and evenly, but does not burn. Turn the chicken occasionally so that it browns on all sides; add a little more canola oil or cooking spray if needed. If you are in a big hurry, which Food Snob usually is, you can heat both a skillet and the Dutch oven and cook all 12 chicken thighs at the same time.  When the chicken is nicely browned, remove from the Dutch oven and put on a plate or platter (do not stack the thighs).  Add to the Dutch oven:

1 large yellow onion, diced
4 to 5 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut in 1 inch lengths
10 to 12 shitake mushrooms, washed and chopped coarsely

"Sweat" the vegetables over low to medium heat  for about 10 minutes until vegetables soften. (To sweat vegetables, cut a round circle of parchment paper just a little bit smaller than the size of the Dutch oven and cover the vegetables with the parchment paper.  The parchment paper lets the some of the steam escape, but prevents the vegetables from drying out.  For a more complete description of "sweating vegetables," see Food Snob's January 5, 2012 Posting.)  Add:

1 Tablespoon minced or crushed garlic

Cook vegetables for about a minute longer - but do not allow the garlic to brown.   Add:

2 cups red wine

Cook the wine and vegetables until the wine is reduced by about half.  Then add:

1 cup tomato puree
2 cups low sodium, reduced fat chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Allow the mixture to return to simmer, then add the chicken back to the Dutch oven.  Cover and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.  Remove the chicken from the oven. If you want to eat the chicken right away, remove the chicken from the sauce and place it in a casserole or serving dish. Keep warm (you can place the chicken in a 180 degree oven).  Put the Dutch oven and sauce back on the stove and cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, to reduce the liquids to a sauce consistency.  Stir in:

1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar (do NOT skip this ingredient - if you don't have sherry vinegar, use  wine vinegar)
16 green olives, cut in half

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with polenta, mashed potatoes, or pasta. Cool any leftovers and refrigerate for another meal.

If you decide you don't want to eat the chicken stew right away and you decide to finish the sauce later, you can refrigerate the chicken and sauce after you remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. When ready to eat, reheat the chicken and sauce in the Dutch oven and when the chicken is hot, remove it to a casserole or serving dish and keep warm.  Finish the sauce as described above.

Next Week:  Don't miss the results of Food Snob's Brownie Competition - just in time for Valentine's Day!

Pancakes for Breakfast! The Saturday Morning Comfort Food

It's been freezing here in Denver in January and Food Snob has eaten her way through pot after pot of soup - check out her previous recipes for Red Lentil Soup (February 2, 2012) and Chicken and Barley Soup with Dill and Lemon (March 8, 2012) - she's made both of these in the past two weeks.

Even though the weather has warmed up a bit the past few days, January is the month for comfort food.  Comfort food is especially important in Denver right now, since we are all suffering depression from the Bronco's recent playoff defeat and we need all of the comforting we can get.  "Eating healthy" also tops the list of New Year's Resolutions for many of us, so not just "any" comfort food will suffice; comfort food in January must also be made from healthy ingredients and be low in calories and fat.

Pancakes for breakfast - made from scratch - are one of Food Snob's favorite comfort foods.    Pancakes, which can be healthy and are quick to fix, are served at Food Snob's house every Saturday morning.  Saturday breakfast without pancakes on the table earns glares from Food Snob's family members, who are disappointed with any alternative.  And, what question does Food Snob's husband ask when he wakes up every Saturday morning, guaranteed?   Without exception, he wants to know what kind of pancakes we are having this morning.

Although Food Snob loves to go out for breakfast, she typically stays away from pancakes served at even the best breakfast restaurants.  Pancakes in restaurants are heavy on white carbohydrates and sugar, and portions are too large.  When Food Snob wants pancakes she makes her own.

To boost both the taste and nutrition value of her pancakes, Food Snob has developed recipes that are 100 percent whole-grain, high in protein, and low in sugar and fat.  To do so, she has adopted the following pancake-making rules:

• Eliminate all fat from the recipe (trust me - your pancakes will not stick if you have a good griddle - you can coat the griddle lightly with cooking spray).
• Add protein to your pancake batter - protein helps the pancakes to "stick with you" longer. Eggs, fat-free greek yogurt, and fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese increase the protein and help level out the "insulin spike" you may have when you eat food heavy with carbohydrates and sugar.  Family members who think they don't like yogurt or cottage cheese will never know that they are eating it - and let's just keep that OUR secret (unless the family member is allergic or cannot tolerate dairy products - then eliminating dairy is essential).  Adding a small amount of nuts to the pancakes provides healthy fats, crunch, protein, and great flavor.
• Use whole grains in your batter.  For example, by substituting white flour with whole wheat pastry flour, you can create pancakes that are 100 percent whole grain.
• Top your pancakes with fruit and use syrup sparingly.  Warming the fruit, adding lemon juice, sweetening with a small amount of agave nectar and a bit of no-calorie sweetener such as Splenda or Truvia, if you need it, can create a delicious topping that minimizes the need for syrup.
• Splurge on real maple syrup, and use it sparingly.
• Limit portion size.  Two six-inch pancakes (three or more if you are my son, who can eat more pancakes than anyone I've ever seen) will fill you up and keep you full for hours.

Food Snob uses different pancake recipes depending on the season - a winter favorite is Organic Spelt Pancakes with Berry Compote.  Spelt is an ancient cousin of wheat that is higher in fiber and lower in gluten.  Spelt pancakes are fast, easy, and delicious - you can make these pancakes in about the same time as pancake mix (which, by the way, is not allowed in Food Snob's kitchen).  You can purchase organic spelt flour at your local grocery store and whole wheat pastry flour at Sprouts, Vitamin Cottage, or Whole Foods.  Food Snob serves her pancakes with low-fat organic turkey sausage, meatless sausage patties, or turkey bacon.  One sausage link or patty, or one slice of bacon, provides great satisfaction without overdoing it.  

Here are a few rules on making pancakes from scratch, if you aren't used to doing this:

• Pancakes are a quick bread, so don't over-stir your batter once you add the wet ingredients, all at one time, to the dry ingredients.  Stir gently just until all dry ingredients are moistened and don't worry if the batter isn't perfectly smooth.
• Use an electric griddle, if you have one, set at 375 degrees.  Electric griddles allow you to cook a lot of pancakes at one time and create a consistent, even heat.  If you don't have an electric griddle, you can use a large frying pan.  Heat it on medium heat.  
• Test the griddle by sprinkling with a few drops of cold water before adding your batter.  The drops will spatter and jump if the griddle is hot enough.
• Pour the batter onto the griddle with a measuring cup (Food Snob uses about 1/3 cup to make a 6-inch pancake).  The pancakes will spread out into a six-inch circle if the batter is the right consistency. Top the pancakes with a few nuts, and wait for bubbles to appear on top of the batter.  Flip the pancakes before the bubbles start bursting.  If you wait until the bubbles burst, you will have cooked the pancakes too long. Do not smash the pancakes with the spatula, once you flip them.  A family member, who shall remain unnamed, did this once, to Food Snob's horror!

Food Snob's recipe for Organic Spelt Pancakes was modified from one she found in Bon Appetit magazine.  She reduced the fat and sodium in the recipe and added pecans for crunch.  Here's her recipe:

Organic Spelt Pancakes with Berry Compote - makes 8 to 10 six-inch pancakes

To prepare Berry Compote, place in a medium, microwave safe bowl:

one-half of a 16-ounce bag of frozen triple berry medley (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)

Microwave on high for about two minutes.  Stir the mixture and add:

one 6-ounce container of fresh blackberries, washed

juice from 1/4 of a lemon, freshly squeezed

1 Tablespoon organic agave nectar (may substitute maple syrup)
ground cinnamon, to taste

Taste, and if more sweetness is needed, add a small amount of Splenda, Truvia, sugar, or more agave nectar, depending on your preference.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Set mixture aside while preparing pancake batter.  

To prepare Organic Spelt Pancakes, preheat electric griddle to 375 degrees. Stir together with a whisk in a large bowl:

1 cup organic spelt flour

2 Tablespoons yellow corn meal

1/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar (packed)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk together:

3 organic, high omega-3 eggs

1 cup rice milk, soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, or skim milk

1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir together until all dry ingredients are moistened; mixture will not be perfectly smooth.  Do not over mix!

Test griddle with drops of cold water as described above.  Spray griddle lightly with cooking spray.  Pour about 1/3 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Pour slowly and allow batter to spread evenly. Immediately top each pancake with:

a few pecans, broken into large pieces

When small bubbles begin to form on the top of the pancakes, flip them over. Do not wait until the bubbles break.  Cook until brown on the underside. Remove pancakes to individual serving plates, top each pancake with warm berry compote. Serve with warm maple syrup or agave nectar, applied sparingly!  Prepare to be comforted!

Watch for Food Snob's comfort food recipe for next week:  The Best Chicken Stew - perfect for cold January days and equally delicious when served as a leftover meal on another day!  

Eat THIS White Food - It is Delicious!

Food Snob met a gentleman a few years ago that told her he had just succeeded in losing 25 pounds. She asked him how he did it. His doctor had told him "not to eat any food that was white." In carrying out the doctor's orders, this man had avoided foods like white bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta, and sugar in favor of more complex carbohydrates (think whole grains), vegetables, and fruits. Many foods that are "white" are high on the glycemic index. They metabolize quickly, have little nutritional value, and spike your insulin level, causing you to lack energy and be hungry shortly after eating them.

Food Snob has since read many articles about the impact of "white" foods on health and nutrition. Avoiding "white" food is an easy trick that folks can use to avoid foods that are high in calories or fat and low in nutritional value without having to spend a lot of time thinking or analyzing what they are eating. But, not all "white" food is bad for you. Fish and eggs, for example, can be part of a healthy diet.

Cauliflower is one of those "white" foods that is not only good for you, but is wonderfully delicious. It is low in fat and calories and high in Vitamin C and fiber. Okay, Food Snob knows you have just stopped reading this because you have hated cauliflower all of your life and as you recall, cauliflower was a soggy, mushy vegetable smothered in some kind of cheese sauce (Food Snob only hopes it was not Velveeta). Your mom insisted that you eat it because it was good for you, and somehow you managed to choke it down (or did you try to feed it to your dog when your mom wasn't looking?).   

If you are still reading this - Food Snob wants you to know that cauliflower, along with most of the members of the cruciferous vegetable family (such as cabbage and broccoli), can be incredibly delicious when caramelized either by roasting in the oven or by sautéing over high heat on top of the stove. Preparing cauliflower this way requires almost no fat and brings out the vegetable's nutty, sweet flavor. Food Snob has success sautéing frozen cauliflower on top of the stove, but when cauliflower is fresh, she likes to roast it in the oven. Roasting takes about 15 minutes (depending on your oven) and very little attention, so the rest of the meal can be prepared while the cauliflower is roasting. As you know by now, Food Snob does not like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen after a long day of work, so roasting vegetables is a wonderful way to add style and flavor to your dinner entree with minimal effort and time.

This recipe for roasted cauliflower, below, is enhanced by the addition of toasted pine nuts, which add a nice crunch. You can toast the pine nuts in your toaster oven in about 2 minutes while the cauliflower is roasting and you are preparing the rest of your meal. Food Snob admits that she like roasted cauliflower so much that she will eat the leftovers - cold from the refrigerator - for a snack the next morning. Irresistible!

Roasted Cauliflower with Toasted Pine Nuts (serves 4)

hands on time about 5 minutes; total time 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 head fresh cauliflower, cut into 1-inch flowerets or pieces
kosher salt
1 or 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup raw pine nuts, toasted in the toaster oven at 350 degrees for about 2 minutes


Preparation:


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large rimmed pan (such as an 11 x 15 x 1 inch jelly roll pan) with foil.  Spray the foil-lined pan with cooking spray. Place the cauliflower pieces into the pan; drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt (try about 1/2 teaspoon). Spray the cauliflower lightly with cooking spray or with olive oil from an olive oil mister. Use your clean hands to distribute the oil and salt so that the cauliflower is evenly coated.

Roast in the oven for about 7 to 8 minutes. Using a metal spatula, flip the cauliflower over (usually the side touching the foil has started to brown). Check one piece for doneness and seasoning.  If cauliflower is starting to soften, reduce the remaining cooking time. Otherwise, roast for another 6 to 7 minutes.  Remove from oven; cauliflower should be just tender, but not mushy. Toss with pine nuts and serve.

Food Snob served her roasted cauliflower recently with stuffed red peppers, mashed sweet potatoes, and a green salad tossed with walnut vinaigrette (see Food Snob's January 19, 2012 posting for the recipe for walnut vinaigrette). And yes, Food Snob ate the leftover cauliflower cold from the refrigerator at 10 a.m. the next day! Really!  

Recovering From My 5280 Coma

Food Snob is in culinary heaven right now.  For the past two weeks or so (ending this Friday), she has been indulging in Denver's annual Restaurant Week celebration.  For two wonderful weeks, locals can dine on a three-course meal at some of Denver's best restaurants for only $52.80 for two people; or $26.40 for one.  Restaurant week menus usually include a selection of appetizers; at least one meat, one fish, and one meatless entree; and one or more dessert selections.  It's a great time to try out new places, new dishes, and new trends and see if you can replicate some of the "winners" at home.

Food Snob rarely eats an appetizer AND an entree AND a dessert by herself. The portions are too large, and Food Snob has a rule that she ALWAYS takes half the entree home for lunch the next day. Not during Restaurant Week, however. The portions are a little smaller--too small to split--so she just gives up and eats the whole thing.

What to eat the rest of the week, then?  Time for something incredibly nutritious, low in calories, and delicious (it's Restaurant Week, after all - we must at least TRY to keep up with the competition). Food Snob found the perfect antidote - Chicken Barley Soup.

The inspiration for this delicious soup came from the March edition of Food and Wine magazine, given to me by my friend, MaryAnn. The ingredients in this month's Chicken and Barley Stew with Dill and Lemon were the starting point for Food Snob's version of this soup.

Although the ingredients are mostly the same, the dish is quite different for several reasons:  First, I wanted to reduce the fat in the recipe; second, I wanted soup, not stew; and third, since the recipe calls for chicken breast, I wanted to "poach" the chicken rather than "stew" the chicken.  Chicken breast, it turns out, is one of the most difficult parts of poultry to cook properly.  If it cooks one minute beyond "just done," it becomes dry and stringy.  Hence the source of the annual discussion on how to cook the Thanksgiving turkey so that the dark thigh meat is done and tender (requires more cooking) and the breast meat is not overdone (requires less cooking).  Volumes have been written on the subject.

Food Snob learned the secret to poaching chicken breast and making perfect chicken soup when she attended cooking classes at Cook Street last summer.  Chicken breast is poached in stock (at a temperature just below simmering) only until just done (the meat is no longer transparent, but still very juicy).  Then the chicken breast is immediately removed from the stock and allowed to rest, wrapped in foil, so it doesn't cook any more.  When the soup is finished, cut the chicken breast into 3/4 inch cubes, divide among your soup bowls, and then ladle the soup on top.  The difference between stewing and poaching is absolutely amazing, in terms of quality and flavor!

For best results, use good quality, organic chicken breasts or chicken tenders (chicken tenders will cook more quickly).  Food Snob tried the same recipe with chicken breasts she had purchased at the supermarket and previously frozen and there was no comparison.

In the recipe that follows, cooking the pearled barley takes the longest time (about 40 to 45 minutes), so that is why you should start with that step.  The rest of the recipe comes together quickly.  The recipe makes six big servings, so if you aren't planning on eating it all at once, add the rest of the chicken to the broth once it has cooled and then reheat only what you plan to eat, and only until just hot, or the chicken will overcook and become dry and stringy.  Food Snob has been eating this soup for lunch all week.  Here is the recipe:

Chicken and Barley Soup with Dill and Lemon (serves 6 to 8)
Preparation time:  about 45 minutes

Spray a medium saucepan with cooking spray, and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Heat over medium heat.  When hot, add:

1 and 1/2 cup pearled barley

Stir the barley and allow it to toast lightly for about one minute (watch carefully).  Remove from heat and add:

2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water


Stir; reduce heat and allow to simmer until done - about 35 minutes.  Meanwhile, spray a large, heavy bottom stock pot with cooking spray and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.  Place over medium heat and when hot, add:

3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced

Stir the vegetables and "sweat them" for about 10 minutes, until soft (see Food Snob's blog dated January 5 to learn how to "sweat" vegetables).  Stir in:

2 cloves garlic, minced


Stir garlic for about a minute, and then add:

4 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine
4 sprigs fresh tarragon, 4 sprigs fresh italian parley, and one bay leaf, tied together in a bundle
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders, washed and patted dry with paper towels
1 two-inch square piece of rind from hard cheese (if you have some)


Turn heat down, allow stock to heat to just barely below a simmer.  Cook chicken until just done - about 10 minutes for chicken breasts and less for chicken tenders. Test for doneness by removing one piece and cutting into it - the meat should be opaque and juicy.  Remove chicken immediately, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, and cover with foil to keep warm.

Allow the stock to continue simmering until the barley is tender.  Remove the herb bundle and add the cooked barley to the soup.  To finish the soup, add:

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons port wine or sherry
2 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
fresh ground pepper

Do not skip these last five ingredients - they are essential.  Taste for seasoning; add sea salt or kosher salt if needed.  Divide chicken between 6 or 8 serving bowls; stir the soup and ladle over the chicken.  Garnish with fresh parley or dill and serve with a delicious piece of whole-grain bread.  Food for the soul!

Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies Calm Your Sugar Craving!

Have you been wondering what happened to Food Snob?  Well, she is trying to recover from the news, just in time for Valentine's Day, that sugar is so addictive that the government is considering whether it should be regulated.  This news, untimely as it was, hit a hot button for her.  How sad that our restaurants, bakeries, and food manufacturers have capitalized on the "high" we get from eating sweets by loading our foods with unnecessary sugar and other unhealthy substances (think high-fructose corn syrup and trans fats) to keep us coming back for more.  We have been told that the U.S. now faces an obesity epidemic and sugar, which we once ate in moderation, is now so prevalent in food that some folks believe sugar should be a controlled substance!

Food Snob, along with many other people smarter than she is, thinks we can change our sugar addiction by changing the way we think about sugar and its role in our diet.  First of all, sugar (dessert) is a treat!  Since it is a treat, desserts should be served in small portions, savored (eat it slowly!), be homemade and fabulously delicious, be eaten after a meal, and eaten, if you wish, every day.  After all, we all deserve treats every day, right?  We might not gorge ourselves on that huge, average-tasting cookie from the average bakery if we know that we have an incredibly delicious, homemade cookie in our lunchbox that we can have, after we eat our lunch, instead.

Desserts, even when made as healthy as possible, are loaded with calories and fat.  If you are going to spend part of your daily calorie allotment on anything with sugar in it, it had better be worth it!  An average piece of candy, a store-bought cookie, a cake from a bakery--these are not worth it!  You don't even know what is in them!  If you make them yourself, you know what is in them and you know they are delicious.  Homemade desserts, made with care and concern about what is in them, are WORTH IT!

Come to Food Snob's house on any day and she will likely have a homemade dessert (cookie, brownie, cake) in her refrigerator or freezer.  Ask her kids - they know where to look in the freezer to find the homemade cookies.  Visit Food Snob's mom, and you are likely to go home with three or four types of homemade cookies and piece of cake or pie, all made without trans fat or extra sugar. There is always more than one type of cookie at HER house.

Have you ever purchased "slice and bake cookies?"  Food Snob confesses she has NEVER purchased slice and bake cookies and she refuses to make any cakes or brownies from a purchased mix.  It is far too easy to make better cookies and other baked goods yourself, in very little time.  Here are the basic secrets for baking great cookies, brownies, and cakes with less sugar, no trans fats, more whole grains, and fewer calories:

Sugar - Reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by one-fourth to one-third (25 to 33 percent) EVERY SINGLE TIME.  There is ALWAYS too much sugar in every cookie, cake, or brownie recipe.   You won't even notice the difference; in fact, the dessert will taste better because it won't be tooth-achingly sweet!

Butter - Replace the butter with half canola oil and half trans fat free/heart healthy spread suitable for baking, such as Smart Balance.  Now, I'll be honest, nothing beats baking with butter.  However, baking with butter is not worth the saturated fat.  Substituting butter with canola oil and heart healthy spread sacrifices minimally on the taste.  If you must use butter, use only a tablespoon or two for flavor and substitute one-half canola oil, one-half heart healthy spread for the remainder.  Save the all-butter baking for a special occasion and share it with lots of other people so you only eat one piece!

Flour - Buy a bag of whole wheat pastry flour (available at a reasonable price at Vitamin Cottage) and use it for one-half or more of the flour required in the recipe.  Whole wheat pastry flour boosts the fiber in the recipe and the results are delicious.

Leavening - Now, leavening may not have much to do with reducing sugar or fat, but it has a lot to do with successful baking at high altitude.  Generally, I have found that my cookies do not spread and my cake does not fall if I reduce the amount of baking powder and baking soda in the recipe by 25 percent.  Try this - and let me know if works for you!

One of Food Snob's most requested recipes is her Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, below.  This recipe contains whole grains and no trans fat.  I have never had a better-tasting, more delicious chocolate chip cookie.  You will need a food processor or a blender, in addition to a mixer, to make these cookies.  If you make them about 2 inches big (and why would you make them bigger if you plan to eat one after lunch and one after dinner?) the recipe makes about 9 dozen cookies.  Compare the nutrition results of Food Snob's chocolate chip cookies to the traditional Toll House Cookie recipe.  Food Snob's Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookies have 85 calories and less than 2 grams of saturated fat each; Toll House Cookies have 107 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat each.  And, Food Snob's cookies taste better!

Bittersweet (Dark) Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes about 9 dozen two-inch cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange two oven racks so that one is at the bottom one-third of the oven and the other is at the top one-third of the oven.  In a glass, microwavable measuring cup (a two cup measuring cup works great) measure out:

1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup trans fat free spread for baking, such as Smart Balance

(NOTE:  It is easier to measure the spread if you put the oil in the measuring cup first, and then spoon in the trans fat free spread until the oil rises up to the 1 cup line.)

Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on about 50 percent power until melted.  Pour the oil mixture into a large mixing bowl and add:

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar


Cream mixture with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add:

2 organic, high omega eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
2 T low fat buttermilk


Continue mixing until ingredients are incorporated and mixture is smooth and light.  Add:

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking power (use 1 teaspoon if you are at sea level)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda (use 1 teaspoon if you are at sea level)


Meanwhile, in your food processor, measure out:

 2 and 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal

Process until it is a fine powder.  Add the oatmeal to the cookie batter, but don't rinse out the food processor.  Now measure into the food processor:


1/2 cup milk chocolate chips


Process until fine; add to cookie batter.  Don't rinse out the food processor yet - you will need it to chop the walnuts in a minute.  Also add to the cookie batter:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached flour

Mix ingredients well with the electric mixer.  Now fold into the batter:

3 and 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli's 60 percent bittersweet chocolate chips)
1 and 1/2 cups walnuts (chop these in the food processor, using the pulse button)

Mix well with a wooden spoon.  Coat four cookie sheets with cooking spray.  Drop cookies onto the first cookie sheet by rounded teaspoonful, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies.  Bake on lowest oven rack for 4 minutes.  While the first cookie sheet is baking, fill up the next cookie sheet.

When the first cookie sheet is done, transfer it to the top rack in the oven and put the second cookie sheet on the bottom rack.  Bake for another 4 minutes, until set but still light in color and just brown around the edges.  While baking, fill up the third cookie sheet.

Remove the first cookie sheet from the oven and allow it to cool for 4 minutes (don't remove the cookies yet).  Meanwhile, move the second cookie sheet to the top rack and put the third cookie sheet on the bottom rack and bake for four minutes.  Fill up the fourth cookie sheet with cookies.

When the second cookie sheet is done, remove from the oven, and allow cookies to cool.  Transfer the third cookie sheet to the top rack and put the fourth cookie sheet on the bottom rack, bake for four minutes.  While these cookies are baking, carefully remove the cookies from the first cookie sheet with a metal spatula and allow them to cool completely on paper towels.  The first cookie sheet is now ready to fill again.

Continue filling, transferring, cooling, and removing cookies from each rack, as before, allowing 4 minutes of baking time on each rack (for 8 minutes total) and 4 minutes of cooling time before removing from cookie sheets to paper towels.  When all cookies have baked and cooled completely, the cookies are ready to be packaged and frozen.  When wrapped tightly and frozen, these cookies keep well for about 4 to 6 weeks (if they last that long!).