NuM NuM

I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs. She always has new innovative recipes and makes them sound so appetizing. Since I was leaving for a business trip I thought I'd make these egg rolls for lobster so he'd have something to munch on all week. But after I had one, I liked them so much I left him only a few and froze the rest so WE could eat them together when I got back :) Hey, it's the thought that counts! I liked these egg rolls especially because they're a "freezable meal." These would also make a great gift to give a friend who's about to have a baby since they won't have much time to cook with a screaming peaceful, sleeping baby around.


Southwestern Butternut Squash & Black Bean Egg Rolls
Adapted from Cara's Cravings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 200gm)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash
3 tbsp canned diced green chilies
2 tsp cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 packages egg roll wrappers (I used Nanka Seiman Golden Dragon Egg Roll Skins)
Mae Ploy Sweet chili sauce for dipping

Roast butternut squash for 25 minutes at 425F flipping halfway through until you can pierce them easily with a fork. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, green chilies, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper, and cook for a few more minutes. Add the black beans, cilantro and lime juice and stir to combine evenly. Remove from heat.

Place the butternut squash and the onion mixture in a large bowl and mash to combine. These will be best if the mixture is left a little bit chunky.

To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper on your surface with one corner pointing down (diamond position). Place a couple tablespoons of the squash mixture onto the wrapper, and use a pastry brush dipped in water to wet the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner up, then fold the outside corners in, and roll it all up. Make sure you place a damp paper towel over the wrappers and finished egg rolls as your making them or else they will dry out. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue until squash mixture is used up; I got about 24 egg rolls using a large ice cream scoop for the squash portioning.

To bake: Place a baking sheet in the oven while heating at 400F. When it's hot, remove from the oven, spray with nonstick cooking spray, and place the egg rolls on the sheet. Spray them well with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.

Extra egg rolls can be frozen and baked straight from the freezer. To freeze for later consumption place egg rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in freezer for about an 1 1/2 hours. Once frozen place them all in a freezer zip lock bag and keep frozen.

Serve these with Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce. The sauce goes especially well with the egg rolls since they're kinda spicy and the dipping sauce is a little sweet.

***I also stuffed these inside of a pita pocket and enjoyed them just as much. Simply cut a pita in half, insert the stuffing into one half and roast in a pre-heated 400F oven for seven minutes or until pita is brown and nice and crispy. However, of course this does defeat the purpose of a freezable meal.

If you are looking for a healthy alternative to potato chips, and want to satisfy your salty crunchy craving, give these kale chips a try. I was a little skeptical too at first. I thought, "like roasting a piece of lettuce is gonna taste good?! All these food bloggers must be on crack." BUT my friends, this is GOOD! Even lobster who said he doesn't even like kale was gobbling these up. Try them and you too can be a member of the kale chip fan club.

I made these along with another recipe called the "world's best lasagna," which ended up being the "world's heaviest lasagna" and just tasted okay. It was my first time attempting lasagna from scratch and with that amount of time and energy I expected something spectacular, but it was just aiiight.....booooo! But the kale was a nice texture contrast to the soft lasagna so maybe try the two together next time you make lasagna and/or something soft and mushy.


Baked Kale Chips
Photo and recipe adapted from Steamy Kitchen

4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces - tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
PAM olive oil spray
kosher salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Rinse the kale thoroughly. Put the leaves in a salad spinner and spin to remove all of the water. Dump the water from the spinner and repeat one or two more times to ensure the kale is completely dry. Place the kale on the prepared baking sheet.

Drizzle the olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves with the oil. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the leaves are crisp. Be sure to check the kale often toward the end of its baking time as you don't want to let the leaves turn brown, which will make them bitter. You'll know the kale is done when the leaves are crisp and fragile. If they feel soft, give them another minute or two and check again. Once they're done baking, remove them from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt before serving

I love making dishes that I've never tried before and this one seemed like an interesting combination of flavors. I knew it would be sweet and salty and that's always a winner in my book. The sweet watermelon and salty feta compliment each other very well and make the salad very refreshing. The colors on the plate are gorgeous and would be a great starter when you have company over. Impress your next guests and serve this salad.


Watermelon, Arugula, and Feta Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
2 servings

• 2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tbs minced shallots
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 2 tbs good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1 cup seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1/2-inch cubes (watermelon should be cold)
• 2 ounces good feta cheese, crumbled (I used Greek feta)
• 2 tbs whole fresh mint leaves, julienned

Directions
Whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place the arugula, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately

**When I tasted the vinaigrette it seemed a little bland but when tossed with the salad it was perfect

At almost every restaurant today they always have some sort of lava cake on the dessert menu. You know which one I'm talking about. That warm chocolate cake with the ooey, gooey melted chocolate center. The kind when you break into it and the chocolate just flows like lava in a volcano. The kind of lava I would looove to bathe in :) Okay, sorry for the visual, but holy mother this dessert is sooooo good and decadent and a chocolate lovers dream come true. Soooo good it makes you want to roll your eyes back....yes, it's that good. Best of all, it has less calories then a regular lava cake so that means more room for ice cream :) (Love how I can justify things) You could probably get three servings out of this because it's so rich and it would completely satisfy your sweet tooth. I shouldn't even be sharing this recipe with you b/c I want to hoard it for myself but OMG...NUM NUM NUM you too will be doing the happy dance soon after eating this. Try it, you won't be sorry!


Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes
2 servings
390 calories each
Adapted from here

• 3 tbs all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tbs unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 tbs granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 oz bar dark (71% cocoa) chocolate (such as Valrhona Le Noir Amer) or semi sweet chocolate, chopped into chunks

Preparation
1. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. Place butter in a large bowl; beat with a hand mixer at medium speed 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars, beating until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg and vanilla, beating until well blended. Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture until fully incorporated and nice and glossy; fold in chocolate. Divide batter evenly among 2 (4-ounce) ramekins; arrange ramekins on a jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.
3. Preheat oven to 350°.
4. Let ramekins stand at room temperature 10-12 minutes. Uncover and bake at 350° for 12-13 minutes or until cakes are puffy and look the tiniest bit underdone in the center, center should be soft and not jiggly. Serve immediately with ice cream.

**Next time I will try and invert these onto a plate like a traditional lava cake. To do that, you can butter the ramekins and lightly flour. Tap out the excess flour, then butter and flour them again. Divide the batter among the molds, bake and invert each ramekin onto a plate and let sit for 10 seconds, unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately. (NOTE: I have not tried this and can't guarantee it will work but if all else fails, you can just eat them straight out of the ramekins like we did)

With summer just around the corner it's time to get into shape. There's going to be lots of B&B's. Barbecues and bikini's! So our bod's need to get into tip-top shape and these sammies are a great healthy start. I was a little skeptical when I saw this recipe at first, but since I like tofu I thought I'd give it a shot. This sammie was super light and refreshing. I couldn't wait to feed it to lobster and trick him again. He really liked it too but thought something was a little "different" about the texture. I think he thinks everything I give him that's white and crumbly is tofu now - must have tricked him one too many times :) But if you decide to trick someone for the first time, I'm sure they'd believe it was egg salad. Try it.

I ate the tofu salad between two slices of Oroweat Sandwich Thins. Next time I would try eating this in a pita that way I can have more salad to bread ratio and I won't have to worry about tofu squirting out of the sandwich. Then a light bulb went off! What if the tofu was trapped, stuffed inside of a pita - problem solved! I also made these as open faced sammies on top of some good crusty multi-grain bread. The crunchy bread was a great contrast to the soft salad and it was the perfect combo. Nice and light. Pleasure on the lips and good for the hips :)


Tofu Sammie
4 servings
Adapted from here and here and a little bit of me :)

1 14 oz block of firm tofu
2 tbs chopped parsley
1/4 cup minced onion greens
1/4 cup fennel, small dice
2 tablespoons mayo
4 tbs sour cream or greek yogurt
2 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp onion and garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder or cayenne
2 tsp capers drained, chopped
Lime juice to taste
Season with lots of S&P
Arugula
Sliced tomatoes 1/4" thick

Directions
Drain the water from the tofu and cut into 1/2" slices. Place tofu in one layer between a few paper towels and place a heavy pan on top so tofu releases all liquid for fifteen minutes.
Put the tofu in a bowl and mash with a fork
Add the onion greens, parsley and fennel and stir.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, mustard, and rest of the ingredients through the capers. Season to taste with lime juice, and S&P
Add the mayo mixture to the tofu and stir until well blended and season with more S&P. If mixture seems dry you may need to make more of the sauce or add a couple more spoonsfuls of sour cream and season again to taste.

This is one of my all-time FAVORITE chocolate desserts. It's so simple to make and not that bad for you - unless you eat it with three scoops of vanilla ice cream like me.

It's so nice having your own individual serving of dessert - that way you don't have to share :) This recipe makes two serving and is only 319 calories each. Soooo good and decadent, you'll make this dessert over and over again. Nummmmm!


Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
Adapted from here

Try not to chop the chocolate too finely so you'll have good-sized chunks to bite into. Hawaiian bread pudding is a soft, sweet bread found in the bakery section of most grocery stores. Leftovers are good for ham and Swiss sandwiches.

1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur), optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°.
Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°.
Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray;sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.
Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

**I eat this with vanilla ice cream

This was a dish I was really excited about making. I've always enjoyed eating Cuban sandwiches and thought this was a great twist on it. You're basically taking all the ingredients that are usually inside of the sandwich and stuffing them inside the pork instead - you don't even miss the carbs whatsoever. I inhaled mine and lobster said it was a new fav! The flavors in the marinade are amazing and the combination of ham and gouda are an added bonus. The original recipe calls for swiss cheese but I find swiss rather bland so I substituted with gouda which has a much sharper taste IMO. This dish would be great to serve to company since it's a unique dish and the flavors pack a yummy punch.


Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops
Adapted from Grill It With Bobby Flay
4 servings

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup canola oil
4 (8-ounce) pork chops, butterflied and thinly pounded cut side up 1/4" thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 thin slices of Gouda
8 thin slices of boiled ham
2 sour dill pickles, thinly sliced (need about 16 slices)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Kitchen twine*

Directions
Heat the grill to high.

Whisk together 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons oregano, the garlic, cumin, and canola oil in a large baking dish. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chops on a flat surface, cut-side up and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, a few slices of pickle and another slice of cheese on 1 half of the chop. Fold over brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Place the chops on the grill, oil side down and grill until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chops over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Whisk the remaining orange and lime juices, oregano, and the cilantro with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon over the chops and serve

*To keep the pork together on the grill, I tied it horizontally with one piece of kitchen twine

***To make this an authentic cuban pork "sammie," next time I'll put in a layer of yellow deli mustard inside the stuffing too.