Good Morning (Healthy) Muffins

The adventures of healthy/vegan muffins began for me during college with some neglected and consequently well-browned bananas begging me to eat them. While the overripe fruit would normally meet its fate in the trash can, I decided instead to find a way to incorporate them into a healthy snack. A few google searches later, I landed on a vegan banana muffin recipe that would quickly become an apartment favorite.

After moving out of my college apartment the muffin baking subsided, until I recently returned home over the holidays to find that my mom, by way of a friend, had discovered a kicked up version of the healthy muffin concept. I'm starting to think that I am my mom's informant, here to write about all her great recipes, but nonetheless, I couldn't resist making some of these muffins to bring back to NYC with me.

So how does this whole healthy muffin concept come together into a tangible baked good? Baking without the eggs, butter or sugar may sound counter-intuitive to some, but with the right ingredients to substitute the outcome is a moist, delicious, and satisfying snack. These deserving substitutes include apple sauce and agave which are incorporated with the other ingredients - parsnip, carrot, nuts, dried fruit and apple.

Now set your skepticism aside, and give them a shot!

The recipe:

2 c. white whole wheat flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c, parsnip, grated
1 c. carrot, grated
1/4 c. dates, chopped
1/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. toasted pecans, chopped
1 apple, chopped (Granny smith works well, but other varieties work as well)

3/4 c. oil, I used canola, original recipe calls for Sunflower or Safflower
3/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. apple sauce (used in place of 2 eggs)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (if not using eggs)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Measure and sift the flour. Add soda, cinnamon and salt to the bowl and stir together. Add in parsnip, carrot, dates, raisins, coconut, pecans and apple to the flour mixture and stir together.

In a separate bowl (or in a measuring cup) combine oil, agave, apple sauce, vanilla and vinegar, mixing until smooth.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Scoop the batter into muffin cups (an ice cream scoop works well for this). The muffins won't rise all that much so filling to close to the top of the cup is not a concern.

Bake until golden brown and the tops spring back to the touch. For regular size muffins ~30 minutes is a good start. Smaller muffins will only need ~18 minutes.

Variations: I substituted white whole wheat for the original 1 c. all purpose flour and 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour. The original recipe calls for a full cup of oil, but I substituted 1/4 c. of the oil for apple sauce, bringing the apple sauce used in the recipe to 1/2 c.

Wasabi Pea Crusted Tofu with Bok Choy and Ponzu-Soy Dipping Sauce

How does one come to enjoy eating tofu? Well, after severely abusing chicken on the George Foreman grill during my sophomore year of college, I cut myself off from the protein and decided to make the switch to tofu. I have since reintroduced chicken into my cooking rotation, but for about 2 years my go-to was the spongy scary white blob that many prefer to avoid.

While my use of the ingredient often leads to a stir-fry of some sort, I'm always on the hunt for ways to feature tofu as the main event. When I came across a recipe for pistachio crusted tofu, the hunt was over. I decided that a twist on the idea would be a great direction for my first tofu blog post (I can't believe it has taken so long!). Instead of using pistachios, the accompanying ingredient would be, drum rollll...wasabi peas!

Interestingly, wasabi as we know it in the US is really just a colored horseradish-based substitute, rather than the expensive and difficult to cultivate root vegetable found in Japan. "Western wasabi" is often found alongside sushi and sashimi or in this case, incorporated into a coating on green peas. Usually famous for their heat, this particular variety of wasabi peas did not have quite as much kick to them as others I have tried, however I still enjoyed the flavor they added to the tofu. I'm sure blending with some additional wasabi powder or paste would have solved the heat dilemma.

One of the funniest memories I have of tofu is my mom trying to get me to eat it in 4th grade through some sneaky tactics. By putting the tofu in "burger" form she managed to trick me...at least for a few bites. But with dessert on the line, I had to find a way to get through the meal. This phase of highly nutritious, tofu laden dishes often left my dad craving a greasy Whopper every now and then, but he too has come around.

One reason that I love cooking with this food that so many find repulsive is that it's very easy to transform the flavor into whatever you want. Almost like a blank canvas that gives you the artistic freedom to go to work. In this case I thoroughly enjoyed the added flavors of both the wasabi peas and the ponzu dipping sauce, which really added a memorable finishing touch.
As you know by now, adding green to my plate completes the meal for me. Bok choy is always a wonderful complement to tofu dishes so I opted to use it once again.The recipe:

(Adapted from Epicurious)
1/2 block firm tofu
1/2 c. ponzu sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup wasabi peas
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. soy sauce

Bok Choy:
2 heads baby bok choy
1 clove garlic, minced

Begin by draining the water from the tofu package and slicing the tofu block down the middle (long side). Return the unused half to the package, cover with some water and plastic wrap, unless doubling this recipe. Slice the remaining piece in half again and then form triangles from the 2 large rectangles. In reality you can do any shape you'd like.

Place the pieces of tofu between paper towels to absorb the excess water.

Mince the garlic and set aside the equivalent of one clove for the bok choy. Add the remaining garlic to a shallow dish with ponzu sauce. Then set the pieces of tofu in the dish. Be sure the tofu is at least partially covered and allow to marinate for about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Meanwhile, prepare the bok choy by simply washing and slicing the baby bok choy to the desired size and then saute over medium heat until softened. Pour the wasabi peas into a mini food processor and blend into a powder form. Once blended spread on a plate with the pepper.

Once the tofu is done marinating, dip the pieces in the wasabi pea powder to coat each side then saute in sesame oil over med-high heat until golden brown.

Reserve the ponzu marinade and combine with soy sauce for a delicious dipping sauce.

Asian Inspired Quinoa Salad

There is something about bright and colorful food that just instantly enhances my mood. I guess that could explain why I've added this recipe to my regular rotation. Not only is it made with my favorite superfood - quinoa - but it is also loaded with delicious vegetables, including sugar snap peas, which I love and red cabbage, which I would otherwise probably never eat.
Not surprisingly, the credit goes to mama dukes for introducing this recipe to me. Despite going through a few very over the top healthy phases throughout my life, she has now toned it back to recipes that tend to be heart-healthy crowd pleasers.

Although this dish has great ingredients packed into each and every bite, the flavors are enhanced by the accompanying sauce which consists of jam, vinegar, oil, ginger and salt. Originally the recipe calls for orange marmalade, however because I had it around I substituted apricot jam, which absolutely worked just as well.

The final touches call for cilantro and scallions, however I decided to mix the scallions right in leaving cilantro as the remaining ingredient. Now, I've had a lifelong battle with cilantro; once an herb I used to abhor, because I was 100% certain I was eating soap, I now appreciate the subtle way it can add an immense amount of flavor to a dish. As a result of simply not having any on hand, I didn't include cilantro in the dish this time around, however I would recommend it for the brave souls who have come to love the flavor!

The recipe:
(Adapted from WeightWatchers)

1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, grated
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup uncooked sugar snap peas, trimmed (halved if you want)
1 cup shredded carrot(s)
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 small sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted


In a small saucepan, combine broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by whisking together the rice wine vinegar, marmalade, sesame oil, ginger and salt; set aside.

After quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, toss in snap peas to partially steam them. Cover and simmer until most of liquid has been absorbed, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and stir in carrots, cabbage, peppers, scallions, sesame seeds and dressing; mix to thoroughly combine. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Garnish with cilantro if desired.

White Russian Cupcakes

For mature audiences only!

With the cupcake craze that's been sweeping the nation for the past several years, it's a mystery to me why cocktail cupcakes haven't been at the forefront. Finally, you can have your alcohol and eat it too!

One fateful day at work, a girl in my group introduced our team to Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes and there was no turning back from there. My mind immediately started racing, wondering how to make my own version of these alcohol-laced cupcakes. After a very productive brainstorming and googling session with one of my would-be-cupcake victims, I settled on the White Russian inspiration (runner up: Caramel martini cupcakes).

The recipe is undoubtedly very decadent, but the end result was so delicious. I'm sure my basketball teammates (the recipients) would vouch for them and would also maybe argue that I was a bit of a lush when it came to the Kahlua in the buttercream icing...oops!

The cupcake recipe in and of itself was pretty straightforward, but interestingly it called for instant pudding mix, which made the cupcakes extra moist and spongy (in a really good way).

Combining a few recipe ideas, I decided to fill the cupcakes using some newly purchased decorating tools. I settled on Irish Cream filling, which certainly did the trick, though I refuse to ever manually whip heavy cream into a solid state again without the help of an electric appliance. Despite my frequent trips to the gym, my arms just are not cut out for that.

The finishing touches were piping on the Kahlua buttercream icing and dusting with some chocolate shavings. Sugar coma accomplished.

The recipe:
Cake mix (Vanilla, 18.25oz)
Sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding (1.7oz)
1 c. vegetable oil
3/4c. milk
4 large eggs
1/4 c. vodka
1/4 c. kahlua + 2 tbsp.
1 tsp. vanilla

Irish Cream Filling:
8 oz. heavy cream
4 oz. Irish liquer (Bailey's)

Kahlua Buttercream Icing:
1 stick butter
3 c. powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. Kahlua (or my preferred method, to taste)
Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients for the cake into a bowl, setting aside the 2 tbsp of Kahlua for later. Scoop about 1/3 c. batter into each cup (they should be about 2/3 full) and bake for 17-20 mins. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes, then brush the tops with the remaining Kahlua.

Meanwhile, make the filling by whipping the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Continue mixing and slowly add in the Bailey's. (This is all best served using an electric mixer of some sort).

Then make the icing by creaming the butter and adding in powdered sugar, salt and Kahlua.

To fill the cupcakes, use a pastry bag and long nozzle/decorating tip. Insert the tip and squezze in the filling while pulling the bag up away from the cupcake. Then, to ice the cupcakes, use a pastry bag again and squeeze out icing following a circular motion until the top is covered. Using a grater/zester, garnish the cupcakes with chocolate shavings.

Tips: Keep the cream filling and the icing refrigerated until you are ready to use them. Also, I would recommend refrigerating the cupcakes after so the alcohol doesn't cause the icing to start melting.

Spaghetti Squash Fritters with Yogurt Chive Sauce

In another wave of squash inspiration, I decided to do some experimenting with spaghetti squash. My mom first introduced me to the vegetable a number of years ago and I still to this day think it's a bit strange and unexpected...which I'm sure my college roommate would attest to given the look on her face the first time I cooked with it in our apartment. It makes for a great pasta stand-in, however, instead of "pasta", this time around I decided to attempt a fall version of a summer favorite, zuchinni fritters.

Zuchini fritters made their way into my repoitorie this summer after a Saturday stroll through my local Whole Foods, where they have made a tradition of hosting "Saturday Smackdowns". Each week a new feature ingredient is incorporated into a recipe in each of the different departments, which shoppers can then sample and vote on. One thing that caught my attention about the fritters was the use of chickpea flour instead of regular flour, which I decided to also adopt for my recipe. It might appear I have a mild obsession with everything chickpea, but the flour is high in protein, fiber, iron and is gluten free - who's complaining?

Aside from the cooking time to get the squash to its characteristically stringy, spaghetti form, the recipe was very quick and easy. I rarely am completely surprised by the outcome of the dishes I concoct, but the pairing of the squash with the fresh sage and other ingredients made for a delightfully light savory evening treat.

The recipe:

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash or 1/2 of a whole spaghetti squash)
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tablepsoons chopped Fresh Sage
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground Pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp canola oil

Chives

Plain greek yogurt

Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Roast, cut side down, on foil-lined, cooking sprayed baking sheet for ~35 minutes. Allow the squash to cool. With a fork, scrape the squash strands into a strainer resting over a bowl. Sprinkle with salt to help draw out the excess water. Meanwhile prepare the other ingredients, then squeeze the remaining water from the squash.

In a medium bowl, combine the squash spaghetti, sage, grated nutmeg, onion, garlic and pepper. Stir in the egg and flour and mix well until combined.

Form fritters by hand or using a 1/4 cup measure and sauté them in a pan using canola oil. Cook until the fritters are golden brown on each side, 4 to 6 minutes. After the fritters have cooked for a couple minutes. Place fritters on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

To prepare the yogurt chive dip, mix together plain greek yogurt, chopped fresh chives, salt and pepper to desired flavor.

Baked Falafel with Cucumber Sauce

With the growing popularity of food trucks in New York City, many have taken it upon themselves to dabble in the diverse cuisines now available. From waffles to Korean BBQ, there doesn't seem to be anything these trucks won't whip up. However, before the advent of the trendy food truck, food carts stuck to the basics of halal and hot dogs and many hungry midtowners have not turned their backs on these staples. This is where my enthusiastic colleagues come in.

I was once told that you can say anything you want as long as you follow it with "bless her soul", so to my colleagues that regularly bring the distinct smell of "street meat" into the office, bless their souls. To be quite honest, I don't mind the smells so much anymore and frequently enjoy hearing "I am the King of Rafiqi's" (a popular food cart) shouted across the office. And while I do not partake in these food truck/cart lunches, I do still appreciate the types of food they serve...on my own terms.

I'm not sure when exactly it was that I discovered my love of Mediterranean food, but I have come to savor the intensely flavorful dishes of the cuisine. As these discoveries tend to go, when I love a food, I want to learn how to make it myself, so a little over a year ago, I found a falafel recipe that is so phenomenal, I now think my homemade version tastes better than many restaurants! Call me a falafel snob, but it is what it is. This particular recipe combines very healthy amounts of spices to create a savory, delightful end result and the added bonus - I actually know what is going into the mixture. The double bonus, they are baked, rather than fried, so I like to think they maintain a high level of nutritional value.

I have made this recipe a few times now, and after an incident with my blender breaking down the last time, I decided to take full advantage of my mom's functional food processor while home for Thanksgiving to make it once again. (Attempting to get parsley, onion, and garlic into a "puree" form with a knife proved to be a time-consuming and dismal task).

One other potentially problematic step is mashing the chickpeas by hand. A fork or potato masher are your best bet for this operation. Though I have never actually tried, I imagine really tough-to-mash chickpeas could be soaked in warm water for a while to help soften them up.
I did make a few adjustments from the original recipe, including replacing the bread crumbs with a healthier option. I have tried the recipe with both FiberOne bran cereal and most recently Kavli Crispbread, both of which I like, but can change the flavor very subtly. Considering I am the main consumer of my creations, I'm willing to experiment and do enjoy the healthy swap. I also nixed the mayonnaise from the cucumber sauce, because it is plenty tasty without it.

When all is said and done, these falafel, in addition to tasting great with just the cucumber sauce, make great pita sandwiches (+ baby spinach and feta cheese) or they also work well in salads.

The recipe:
(Adapted from Sean's Falafel)

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed under cold water
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs/healthy substitute

Cucumber Sauce:
1 (6 ounce) container plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt and pepper to taste


In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin.

In a blender or food processor, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.

In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil.

Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed.

Form falafel balls - I made each about 1 inch, but this is up to you. Spray a foil lined cookie sheet with cooking spray and place the falafel balls on the tray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, turn the tray 180 degrees and bake for another 5-10, until the falafel balls are browned on the surface.

In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

"Holy" French Toast

Every year my Mom attends Thanksgiving morning mass at our church, where they have made a tradition of distributing loaves of blessed "holy" bread to parishioners at the end of mass. After the third time Mom suggested I have some holy bread on Thanksgiving morning, I offered to take the fate of the loaf in my hands; I couldn't risk getting too full before Thanksgiving dinner! What was to come - a new take on one of my favorite french toast recipes, originally courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa.

Considering holy bread is a little difficult to come by, sticking to the original recipe, which somewhat ironically calls for Challah Bread, works just as well.
The dipping mixture harnesses the flavors of orange zest and honey to create a mouth-watering breakfast favorite. I also love adding cinnamon for a little extra spice.
One of the steps that sets this french toast apart is soaking the bread in the egg mixture for several minutes. However, use your discretion depending on the type of bread you choose, otherwise the result could be a disappointing, soppy mess.There's really no need to make this french toast post seem more elaborate and complicated than necessary, so let's get to the good part:

The recipe:
(Adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good honey
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 loaf bread

Serve with:
Maple syrup
Orange pieces
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the bread in (3/4-inch) thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for about 2 minutes on each side.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and spray with non-stick (butter is also great). Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a plate and fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding spray, until it's all cooked.

Serve hot with maple syrup, sliced orange pieces, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Thanksgiving: Practice Round

Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce & DessertDisclaimer: This is a long one.

While enduring a long car ride back to NYC through Middle-of-Nowhere, Pennsylvania, my mind got to wandering about food, the mouth-watering Thanksgiving feast my aunt and uncle prepare every year, and my minimal involvement in the operation. So with that in mind, I posed the idea of a "Thanksgiving practice round" potluck to my roommates. We determined that our poor little oven would cease to function at the sight of a turkey, so we got some help in that department, but once the remaining responsibilities were divvied up, it was time to get to brainstorming. My main task - the stuffing. With so many fantastic recipes out there it was a tough choice, but I settled on a slightly modified version of Fennel, Sausage and Caramelized Apple Stuffing from Cooking Light. Upon subscribing to CL, my close friend in media broke the news that the average reader was ~25 years my senior (ha!), but I have to say I've been thoroughly pleased with the recipe ideas thus far.
When I arrived at Whole Foods to pick up a few last ingredients, I was helped by the lady at the bakery counter who handed me a loaf of sourdough bread fresh from the oven. Now normally this would be a welcomed predicament, but I was a bit concerned about just how fresh (and still hot) the bread was - considering stuffing usually calls for at least day old bread. I decided to trust the recipe and go with it. Low and behold, the fresh bread, which ends up going in the oven to brown and crisp the edges, creates a similar effect to day-old without actually being stale.

While the bread was in the oven I went to work on the other parts of the dish aka I slaved away over the cutting board fighting back onion tears and fending off unruly flying carrot pieces.

As I continued to work my way through the recipe and the ingredients piled up in my bowl, all I could think of was Rachel Ray's "garbage bowls", but instead of reducing trips to the trash can, I was reducing the amount of time I would later hover over the sink hand-washing multiple dishes and pans. Yes, hand-washing. Sadly our dishwasher has been yet another victim of repairs our management company doesn't seem to be competent enough to arrange.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm still enjoying leftovers, but a few notes on the ingredients I chose and how I would potentially tweak them. I opted for chicken sausage to cut out some of fat and make the dish a bit lighter, which I am certain I compensated for by unintentionally using extra bread. To that note, I think a whole wheat baguette would've also been a nice choice, but regardless, be sure to keep the bread to 12 oz. so the other ingredients don't get lost. I think I've proven by now that I'm a flavor junkie, so I likely would have added in an extra sage, fennel seed, garlic and pepper. Lastly, the apple flavor was not all that present in the dish, so if that is something you want, I would go for a more "powerful" apple, like a granny smith.


FENNEL, SAUSAGE AND CARAMELIZED APPLE STUFFING
The Recipe:
12 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Cooking spray
1 12 oz. package of Chicken Sausage (I used Sweet Italian)
5 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cups onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups fennel bulb, chopped
1 1/4 cups carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 cups chopped Golden Delicious apple
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 16 minutes or until golden, stirring after 8 minutes. Place in a large bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut chicken sausage into small pieces. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 8-10 minutes or until browned and crispy. Add sausage to bread.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 3 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, fennel, carrot, sage, fennel and garlic. Add 1/4 teaspoon pepper; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables to sausage mixture.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add apple and sugar; sauté 5 minutes or until apple caramelizes, stirring occasionally. Add to the sausage mixture.

Combine broth and eggs in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add broth mixture and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to sausage mixture; toss well to combine.

Spoon sausage mixture into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover with foil. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. Uncover dish; bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until browned and crisp.

HOMEMADE CRANBERRY SAUCE
Any magazine I read seems to insist that homemade cranberry sauce is a requirement for Thanksgiving, so in an effort to avoid the canned jelly blob monster, I thought I too would try my luck at making my own. Mission accomplished. Luckily I had onion left over from my earlier chopping frenzy, so the process was low maintenance.

I did cut the sugar in half from the original recipe, which meant I still used 3/4 of a cup. It felt like a lot of added sugar (maybe agave would be a substitute candidate), but it was worth it.

The recipe:
1 tbsp. canola oil
3/4 c. onion, chopped
3/4 c. sugar (yoiks!)
1/2 c. white wine
1/2 c. water
1 package fresh cranberries
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. fresh grated orange rind

Cook the onion in the oil for about 4 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, water, ginger and cranberries. Bring mixture to a boil for about 2 minutes then reduce to a simmer for about 8 minutes. Add the orange rind to the mixture once in the serving bowl.

THE FINAL ACT: PUMPKIN FLUFF LAYER DESSERT

With so much good food on the way, I wanted to make sure that dessert was light. Going with the flavors of the season, pumpkin seemed an appropriate base. I came across a pudding-type dessert that seemed just perfect - Pumpkin Fluff. I made it my own by creating a "layer dessert". This was a real crowd pleaser and a perfect way to end the meal.

1 16 oz. can pumpkin
1 1.5 oz. box sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 8 oz. container fat-free cool whip
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 pack cinnamon graham crackers

Take the cool whip out of the freezer so it has a few minutes to "thaw". Make the pudding and allow it to set (about 5 minutes). Mix in the pumpkin, cool whip and pumpkin pie spice.

In a serving dish crush 2 graham crackers to layer the bottom surface. Spoon or pour in half the pumpkin pudding mixture. Crumble 2-3 more graham crackers to create a middle layer. Add in the remaining mixture and top with crushed graham crackers. Put back in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour.

Note: If you make this too far in advance the graham crackers might start to get a little soft/borderline soggy, but I have to say, I still somehow managed to enjoy leftovers 24 hours later...proof I love dessert?

And with that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Eat well, be merry and enjoy the company of family and friends!

Flourless Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

Flourless baked goods were always a mystery to me -- until the fateful day I stumbled upon this recipe while attempting to shamelessly google my way to the secret formula for Whole Foods' Chocolate Walnut Fudgie Cookies. While the end result for this particular recipe is flat and pancake-like, there is beauty in the minimal required ingredients!

The original recipe only calls for egg whites, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt (so few that I can recite from memory!), but I decided to add in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips to prevent the cookies from spreading even more.

And for those allergic to nuts, chocolate toffee bars aren't too shabby of a substitute.

Technically if you leave out the mix-ins, these cookies have no added fat and are essentially fat free! But where's the fun in that? Also, for all you glutards out there - they're g-free!

The recipe:

(From King Arthur Flour)

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. cocoa powder
3 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Optional substitute: 1/2 c. chopped toffee bar (Skor or Heath)

Directions (if I can actually call it that):
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your baking sheet(s) or parchment lining the baking sheet. Mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Drop ~1 tbsp portions of the batter onto the baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Allow the cookies to cool so they don't crumble when you try to pick them up...trust me the wait will be worth it.