My parents are hosting Christmas dinner for the extended family this year, which gives me some say in what happens with the food. I think about food, I read the magazines, I like organizing and making lists...it's only fair. I prefer the non-traditional - trying new dishes, keeping things fresh, maybe even leave cheese off a few dishes (!), NOT having turkey and stuffing. My dad is requesting the later and I quote him, "I don't want any of that esoteric shit." This is a man who would qualify roasted squash or some sort of kale salad as esoteric. Oy. Whatever the food, I am really looking forward to it. My mom sets a beautiful table, my grandma will make a few innocent while still slightly offensive comments and my sister and I will be silly at our corner of the table.
It got me thinking of dishes that are exceptional in their own right, for their simplicity or purity, before getting creative with them. I can't say there is much of that on this site, besides Hugh's coffee posts. I could even argue this topic is subjective between those preferring the traditional versus the modified, but a classic brownie recipe is something I need to have in my back pocket. If I am going to identify myself as a food blogger, there needs to be a brownie recipe on this site. It's an unspoken expectation. Not one with black beans or applesauce or mashed banana but let's start with straight up buttery, rich brownies. The kind I would eat warm with a scoop of ice cream and feel guilty about.
I flipped through David Lebovitz' Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes because with a title like that and a reputation like his, I knew there would be a brownie recipe and it'd be exceptional. Holy moly was my gut correct on this one. These brownies are decadent, very rich, and deeply chocolatey, so much so that even one with a fierce sweet tooth can have one small square and be satisfied. These are fudgy brownies but not so fudgy that you feel like you're eating underdone batter. This is chocolate in all its glory. Excellent on their own, and still a perfect canvas for adding in what you please. THAT is the brownie recipe I want. A la mode of course.
sprouted kitchen
sprouted kitchen
BROWNIES
Makes 12 small
Adapted from David Lebovitz Ready for Dessert
David notes that the minute long stir to incorporate the flour is crucial for everything staying together. I used oat flour, which gave reason for a slightly crumbly brownie but they stayed together just fine. I grind my oat flour from old fashioned oats, so it's coarse as you'll notice in the photos. Once the brownies are baked, I don't believe it compromises the texture at all.
directions
Preheat the oven to 350'. Line the inside of a 8'' square pan with parchment or foil allowing the excess edges to extend beyond the edges of the pan. Lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder, coffee, sugars and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and the oil. Fold in the flour, pinch of salt and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped nuts of preferred add ins.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top and bake until the center is almost set, about 25 minutes. Don't overbake! Let them cool completely before lifting out the parchment to remove brownies.
These brownies will keep well for 4 days and can be frozen for one month. For a clean cut, chill the brownies to get even edges and clean the knife between slices.
ingredients
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, some reserved for topping
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. finely ground coffee or espresso powder
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp. neutral oil (grapeseed or avocado)
1/2 cup oat flour or unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
Add-in options
1 cup toasted and chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)
1/3 each cup chopped dried cherries and cocoa nibs
1 tsp. mint extract and crushed candy canes for topping
sprouted kitchen
sprouted kitchen
sprouted kitchen
Sara Forte
2019-04-17
Brownies
12
This is chocolate in all its glory. Decadent, very rich, and deeply chocolatey brownies from David Lebovitz.
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped, some reserved for topping
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp. neutral oil (grapeseed or avocado)
1/2 cup oat flour or unbleached all purpose flour
pinch of salt
Add-in options (from both David and myself):
1 cup toasted and chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts)
1/3 each cup chopped dried cherries and cocoa nibs
1 tsp. mint extract and crushed candy canes for topping
Preheat the oven to 350'. Line the inside of a 8'' square pan with parchment or foil allowing the excess edges to extend beyond the edges of the pan. Lightly grease with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the chocolate and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and the oil. Add the flour, pinch of salt and stir energetically for 1 full minute, until the batter looses its graininess, becomes smooth, and begins to pul away from the sides. Stir in the chopped nuts of preferred add ins.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle the remaining chocolate on top and bake until the center is almost set, about 25-30 minutes. Don't overbake. Let them cool completely before lifting out the parchment to remove brownies.
These brownies will keep well for 4 days and can be frozen for one month. For a clean cut, chill the brownies to get even edges and clean the knife between slices.
I have fallen into the black hole that is Instagram. While this space is pretty intentional, I like being able to share snapshots of everyday food and life. The people on there, they are hungry. Hungry for recipes. And while I just want that to be for fun, not for recipe sharing, a few eager voices requesting the recipe from the day I was experimenting with black beans and pumpkin in vegetarian burger form, seemed desperate. I didn't need too hard of a push to make them again. So here we are with a gluten free, dairy free, fiber packed, super easy meal idea.
A veggie burger salad is my go-to lunch, so it seemed appropriate to share a version here. I love food in bowls - my entire meal made easy to eat in one vessel with one utensil. Primarily greens, something crunchy, avocado if there is a ripe one or a bit of cheese if not (both if I can't help myself), with hints of a dried or fresh fruit, a protein and maybe a bit of a grain if both aren't going to be present in veggie burger form. There is a science to this bowl-food habit. While against all things theme-y to post a recipe with pumpkin AFTER Thanksgiving, as we usher in December, I figured now is as good a time as any to give you a fiber packed meal idea. Treats will follow either way, no? Yes.
If you want to peek over to our Facebook page, we are giving away a holiday box from Crustic Bread! Madelaine is a super sweet, hard working, small business owner and she is offering one of her holiday gift boxes (which you can order until Dec. 10th!) to a lucky reader on our Facebook page!
PUMPKIN BLACK BEAN PATTIES // Makes 4
I use canned pumpkin here because it has less water content then when you make it fresh, and I needed that for these to stay together. If you prefer to use fresh, you may need to add another tablespoon of oat flour or breadcrumbs to compensate. The salad is not a "recipe". I just chop the greens pretty small and add oil and vinegar to lighty dress. Nothing fussy, but I listed the components below in case you were interested.
2 cloves garlic
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup cooked and cooled brown rice
15 oz. can (about 2 cups) black beans
2 Tbsp. flaxmeal
scant 1/3 cup panko or coarse oat flour (can be made by blending whole oats)
coconut oil for cooking
// salad //
lacinato kale, stemmed and well chopped
romaine
bit of grated parmesan
extra virgin olive oil (I used the lemon one from Nudo;- very subtle)
rice vinegar
pinch of salt + pepper
In a food processor, combine the garlic, scallions, pumpkin, olive oil, chili powder, salt and cumin. Run to combine. Add the rice and half of the beans and pulse ONLY a few times to just mix (we want minimal mixing here so it doesn't become a paste). Add the flaxmeal, oat flour and pulse them in. Add the rest of the beans and give it one or two more pulses (I add the beans in parts because I like the flecks of them in the patties). The mixture should be pretty tacky with texture to it. Not smooth. The mixture can be made in advance and kept covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Form the dough into four patties, about 1/2'' thick. Heat a thin layer of coconut oil over medium high heat in a large (non stick preferable) pan, working in batches if you need to. Once the oil is hot, gently add the patties to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until you get a golden crust, flip and cook another 2 minutes.
Prepare your salad or bun, top with you patty and garnish with cilantro and avocado if you wish.
About a month ago now, I was invited to Wisconsin to get a better look into their thriving cheese community. I was aware prior to my visit that Wisconsin is big into cheese, but I had no idea how much people live for it over there. I had seen those cheese-head hats, which yes, they do sell at the airport, but that is no joke. These people are serious about cheese. A small group of us were able to tour the grounds of some great cheese makers, both small and large scale, and I was so impressed by how passionate these people are about their craft. What a pleasure it was to learn from people who know their subject so well. I am not a cheese afficiando, I have my favorites but I eat it pretty sparingly. That said, I hadn't seen the process run its course from the start of seperating the curds and whey, adding the cultures, shaping, caring, and the details of aging the cheese. What an art. I am so attracted to people who love what they do, and do it exceptionally. Not to mention that the landscape was gorgeous and it was refreshingly chilly while we were having a 90° October at home.
I've been brainstorming what to bring for my Thanksgiving side dish and fiddled around with a cheese I had tried at Uplands Cheese. It's similar to a gruyere - creamy, nutty and bold. If you're looking for something with vibrant color and a bit of richness, squash and greens with a hint of cheese is my favorite combination. This salad is still a favorite. Not that it will only do for the holiday, but I figure that's the topic of the week, so I wanted to participate. Happy meal planning. I've got my stretchy pants ready.
sproutedkitchen
ROASTED ACORN SQUASH + HARVEST SALAD // Serves 4
The dressing included is from the House Salad in my cookbook. It's pretty mild and the perfect amount of creamy. I also think Aida's tahini dressing would be interesting here if you aren't planning on using the cheese. Or hey, maybe if you are. If you need a quicker fix, a 2:1 ratio of a great quality extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic and pinch of salt + pepper will do. In any case, go easy on the dressing or the salad portion of the dish gets too heavy.
sprouted kitchen
1 acorn squash
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil or melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
few pinches of salt
4 cups arugula
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup halved, red grapes
1 rib of celery, sliced thin
1/3 cup toasted pecan pieces
a hearty handful shaved, Gruyere-type cheese (I used Pleasant Ridge Reserve)
// dressing //
2 1/2 Tbsp. crème fraiche
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1 scallion, white part only, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
sprouted kitchen
Preheat the oven to 400'.
Cut the acorn squash into quarters, scoop out seeds and prick the flesh a few times with a fork. Drizzle the squash with the oil and vinegar and rub it around to coat, being sure the flesh is coated. Lay them cut side up on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt and bake for about 35 minutes or until the outer edges are crisp and you can easily pierce through the flesh. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a mini blender or food processor, blend all dressing ingredients until smooth and combined. The dressing can be prepared up to three days in advance. Combine all the salad ingredients, besides the cheese, in a large bowl and toss with a few Tbsp. of the dressing (or desired amount). Arrange the squash on a plate and stuff the centers with the green salad. Top with desired amount of the shaved cheese and fresh ground pepper to finish.
I was invited to Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
