Peanut Butter Teff Cookies

-peeeeeeeanutbuttttttter mmmmmmmm-

who ever invented peanutbutter cookie deserve a noble peace prize. seriouslyeverything about peanutbutter cookies says: fun childhood stuff, make love not war - that kind of jargon. just the name makes me happy - how can you go wrong with a cookie made out of creamy lovely goodness, its on the same level as chocolate chocolate cookies, no? but there is something about peanutbutter cookies that is so humble and simple that makes them so perfect. they stand out, just enough, from other cookies; they aren't of the "spiced" variety or the "fill-in-the-blank chunk" variety. nope, they are simple, unassuming and just waiting to be loved. so does anyone know how or why the fork print stamps got on these treats? i suppose it has to do with cooking them evenly??? i don't think anyone really cares. so i'll move on.

so i got some teff flour in hopes that i would be successful in making injera and when that end in a stinky failure i turned the bag over and discovered a simple, and brief, recipe for teff peanutbutter cookies. i made a few changes as per, well just per me and making them heart healthy-er. the earthy-ness of the tiny teff grain paired really well with the peanutty-ness and since teff has no gluten the crumb is pretty close to perfect. whip up a batch and before you throw em in the oven add a tsp of banana jam to the center - oh my god.

PEANUTBUTTER TEFF COOKIES

1 1/2c teff flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 c coconut oil

1/2 maple syrup

1 tbs vanilla

1c peanut butter (smooth, unsalted)

*preheat oven to 350F

*combine the teff and salt

*in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients until completely smooth

*add the teff mixture and stir to completely combine

*drop by tbs full, roll into a ball, place on cookie sheet and flatten a little (with a fork if you please)

*bake for 12-14 minutes

Brown Rice Pudding

-nectar of the gods-

this.recipe.makes me very very happy. firstly; i adore rice pudding. i love it warm. i love it cold. i love it sweet. i love it savory (aka risotto). and being you know, somewhat health conscious i have been trying to pin down brown rice pudding for - and i am not exagerating here - years. years people. sometimes it was totally disaster: pellet textured rice imprisoned in rubbery milk mortar. sometimes it was just simply not right: your taster just looks puzzled at the first bite (the worst feeling in the world). i think my biggest problem layed in my resistance to pre-cook the rice. as much as i love the idea that the rice is completely fused with the sweetened milk from the get-go, cooking long grain brown rice this way is just not going to workour for me. maybe you can pull it off, i most definately can not.

precook that rice, or use left over from chinese take-out whatever you like just make it easy on yourself and trust me that this is delish and somewhat, yeah ok i'll call it nutritious.

BROWN RICE PUDDING

adapted from honey & jam

1c long grain brown rice, steamed in 2 1/2c water

1 tbs butter

2 1/2c whole milk

1 1/2c skim milk

2 tbs cane sugar

3 tbs honey (or agave or maple - i used a combo of maple and honey)

1 cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds removed

*combine milks, sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla seeds in large pan over medium heat

*bring milk mixture to boil

*add the cooked rice and butter, bring to a moderate simmer

*stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes - do not let it boil over or scold

*take off heat, remove cinnamon stick

*serve warm or chilled

Dark Chocolate Orange Cranberry Crackels_(GF / Vegan)

-beat that hersheys-

do you remember halloween? no i don't mean the college through mid-to-late 20's halloweens of dressing up like some form of your morally repressed inner personality (aka "sexy kitty cat", sexy cowboy, nurse or any profession / animal with the prefix sexy attached), going out to a public party and doing vaguely shameful things, like meowing (if you still do this, stop). not that i've ever been so shamed, being from louisiana we don't have such things.

but no, that is not the halloween in which i am referring. i'm talking about putting a tutu on your face and dressing up like a sunflower. that's right - take a moment and indulge yourself...

-yes that is a tutu and no, i don't know what it looks like i'm about to puke-

yes, that is me at, i believe, age 9. mom, dad you wanna back me on that? and if you were wondering no, i am not wearing pants and yes, those are green socks over my shoes. and btw former self: sunflowers aren't usually pink. okay so we've all had a good chuckle on my behalf.

down to the really important stuff. halloween candy. that's why we dressed up like fools, parading ourselves around the neighborhood as shameful entertainment for the adults and stood at strangers' doors so they could ask stupid questions like "and what are you suppose to be". what do you mean?! i'm a sunflower you idiot! immediately your confidence begins to fade because you begin to realize, huh maybe i don't look as cool as i though i would. its a long night ahead little girl - and your socks are going to rip 10 minutes in. BUT, it was all so worth it once that bucket of cheap sugar is dumped out onto the living room floor. woo hoo! my favorites where (and still to this day) the mini chocolate bites - such as the ever wonderful krackel.

chocolate and crunchy somethings, need i say more? yum! but you know me better than that, i'm much to much of a crazed foodie to just go out and buy a bag of bite sized hershey chocolates. besides once you try my version, believe me you forget about the brand name krackels. because i am a serious chocolate purist i used seriously dark chocolate (90%), do not do this unless you know you can handle it. i am calling out for semi or bitter-sweet here (35 - 50%) try that first. i used crispy brown rice but you can use rice krispies if its easier. the addition of orange oil and the tart cranberries are just "adult" enough that i can see myself putting these out as a "finger food" dessert-ish item at a dinner party or better yet, a halloween party.

and fyi - these are rightfully called crack-els. honest to god; i ate half the batch. it started with "just the scraps" and moved on to just shamelessly eating face sized pieces. go ahead and calculate the chocolate (90%) load for that, about 30 minutes later i felt like i actually had just smoked crack , i ended up vacuuming my wood floor.

DARK CHOCOLATE ORANGE CRANBERRY CRACKELS

(gluten free & vegan)

* 8oz semi-sweet (or bitter sweet) chocolate

*2 cups crispy brown rice

*1/4 tsp orange oil

*1/3c chopped cranberries

*line a baking sheet with parchment

*over a double boiler melt the chocolate, stirring just until smooth

*take off heat and stir in the orange oil

*in a separate bowl combine the crispy rice and cranberries

*add the chocolate to the crispy rice, stir to completely combine

*evenly spread the mixture on prepared pan, place in frig for an hour to let chill

*break into pieces or cut into squares with knife

**flavor variations ideas:

coconut and chopped apricots: 1/2tsp coconut extract & 1/3c chopped apricots

cardamon & ginger: 1tsp ground cardamon & 1/3c chopped crystalized ginger

ancho chile & coffee: 1 tsp chile pwd & 1/4c coffee bits, about the size of cocoa nibs.

PPS: i also made a "pre workout snack" version with a mix of grapenuts and kashi puffed grains cereal - i love, love, love it! not very sweet and just guiltless enough you can consider it an energy snack.

Pan Sautéed Soft Shell Crab w/ Pasta & Kale

-make me feel better little crab man. oh, and sorry we're killing your home with oil -

ever miss home so much you know the only way to cure the home missin' is to just get down to it and recreate it? hm, yeah maybe not but stick with me - i'll make this one short.

i made the trek back home to Southwest Louisiana this weekend, hung out w/my awesome family, drank a glass of wine with my best friend and shared the woes of this massive ongoing oil spill that is threatening everything from the birds to the bayous, not to mention the amazing gulf seafood. oh woe is me. so i was thrust back into NYC life somewhere around this afternoon. the morning i left i had the heater on, cursing the lousy "spring" of NYC. thankfully as i exited the innards of laguardia it was hot and humid outside; just like home. ahh someone up there does kinda like me. so after a brief and typical argument with my cabbie i strolled into my apartment, said hello to my mildly excited dog and dyeing plants and because, sitting on a crammed 3 1/2 hour plane ride isn't enough for me i plopped down on the couch. inthralled in pouting about having to be back in "work till you want to kill yourself" NYC i decided to get off my toosh (my parents ready this, ok) and whip up my fix-anything comfort food dinner: quick sauteed soft shell crab, whole wheat pasta and seared kale.

it did the trick. i actually ended up folding my laundry and straightening the apartment (gasp) in prep for yet another long monday.

PAN SAUTEED SOFT SHELL CRAB

1 soft shell crab, rinsed in cold water, patted dry

salt & pepper

1-2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

olive oil

1/2 lemon wedge

*over medium high heat add enough oil to lightly coat a medium sized pan

*while the pan heats up season your crab w/ salt and pepper

*add the crab to the hot pan, sprinkle about half of the thyme leaves over the crab

*let it cook about 3 minutes on each side to get a nice rust colored "crust"

*squeeze the lemon and remaining thyme over the crab - let sizzle a minute and place crab on plate, tent with foil to keep warm if you wish.

PASTA & KALE

2 oz whole wheat

2-3 kale leaves, stalks cut away and roughly chopped

salt and pepper

**while the crab is cooking, be boiling your pasta in salted water.

*cook to almost al dente, they should finish around the same time, drain reserving 1/2 - 3/4c of the pasta water

*as you remove the crab, turn heat up a bit, add the kale and about 1/4c of the pasta cooking water

*de-galze the pan with the kale and starchy water, season lightly (crab should be fairly salty) and let cook 1-2 minutes until the leaves are bright green and wilted.

*add your pasta and a bit more of the reserved water, let them cook together another 2 minutes, adding more water only if the pasta or kale begins to burn/ smoke.

*if you can squeeze any more out of the lemon, add it in, if not then remove and plate.

-i feel better already, now about that massive oil spill... -

Whole Wheat Walnut Loaf

-my new favorite bread-

many a times i have made this "no-knead" bread, usually with rosemary and lemon which is my mom's favorite - and actually in my oven as i type. every once and again i take a stab at a whole wheat version, which is always successful - but not necessarily loved - if you know what i mean. so not to long ago i was literally stumbling around in kitchen - a little too wound up from the excessive tea drinking - and decided i would throw some stuff together and take yet another gander.

beautiful! this bread is off the charts perfect. at the last minute i realized that i needed to throw in some dark brown sugar, just to take the edge off the whole wheat, and that was exactly what it did. don't be fooled this bread is not sweet but almost more sourdough-y. my theory is that the bit of sugar gave the yeast some real feeding opportunities and thusly it got a nice quickly "aged" flavor. does any of this make sense? most likely not.

i made a breaded chicken sandwich out of a few slices and it was heavenly. be sure to finely chop - not powder - the walnuts. you want the texture to be more even than studded.

WHOLE WHEAT WALNUT BREAD

1 1/2c whole wheat flour

1 1/2c AP flour

1/4 tsp yeast

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbs dark brown sugar

1 1/2c (+) warm water

*in a large bowl sift together the flours, yeast, salt and sugar

*stir in the water, mix to combine. the dough will be very shaggy - if it seems a bit dry add another 1-2tbs water.

*cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let rest for 12-18 hours (will be very bubble and puffy)

*heavily flour a kitchen towel

*dump the dough onto the floured towel, sprinkle (generously) the top of the dough pile and place another towel on top

*let rest 2 hours

*preheat oven to 450F

*dump the dough - just kinda throw the dough blob into the bowl via the bottom towel - into a non-stick sauce pan or dutch oven

*cover and cook 30 minutes

*remove the cover and cook 20-30 minutes until nicely browned

*remove from oven let cool a bit, remove from pot and enjoy with some honey butter...

Multigrain Maple Pecan Muffins

this will be short since i have a ferocious headache and i am procrastinating my duty to pack. i'm heading back home to the great state of Louisiana to warm up a bit, see my best friend & hang with my rents. oh and to score a few soft shell crab poboys, frog legs and bloody marys. all of which can only (properly) be found in that hot and sticky state. stay tuned for pictures of my culinary adventures.

but to these muffins - they rock, basically fat free, full of whole grains & sweetened with pure maple syrup. perfect for breakfast or when made into a minis as a snack.

MULTIGRAIN MAPLE PECAN MUFFINS

1/4c buckwheat flour

1/4c AP flour

1/4c wheat bran

1/4c rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger root

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2c dark maple syrup (pure!)

1/2c buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4c plain yogurt

1/2c chopped pecans

*preheat oven to 350F, line your muffin pan

*sift together all the dry ingredients

*in separate bowl lightly beat the egg, then add in buttermilk, vanilla, yogurt and ginger

*stir the wet into the dry until just combined

*fold in the pecans

*pour into prepared pan, sprinkle with some extra oats and nuts

*cook 20 - 25 minutes until toothpick is clean

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

i believe it was monday when josh turned to me and asked what i was going to rsvp to the southern food themed dinner party we were invited to this weekend. as usual i started rattling off confections, red velvet cake, pecan pie, kings cake - oh my! mid-thought i was abruptly interrupted with "you need to make your beans". ok, firstly: these are not "my beans" - technically they are ina garten's beans. but this is beside my point.

besides dictating what i will be making for dinner on sunday he put beans on in my brain. and that lead to a production of bean based veggie burgers (via NYTimes health section). we both adore burgers and fries but never have buns on hand, because well that would be weird to have a stash of burger buns at any given time. right? so in the candice world i live in the resolution to this missing buns predicament is to, of-course, bake a small batch (so they are lovely and i have total control of what we ingest -yes i am freakish like that) and then freeze what i don't use for later enjoyment.

i don't yet know how they will be "later" when they are defrosted. but these-are-perfect. perfect. they are soft and fluffy, not in your face but still notable. the honey makes them slightly sweet and the wheat makes them worth your while. i mean, why serve scrumptious veggie burgers with an overpriced, tasteless, self destructive, 2-month old bag of chemical puffs, known as buns? you have to love your burgers enough to give them a good bun.

ps- they are so loved, josh had one hot out of the oven w/ marmalade for breakfast. they're just good eatin'.

WHOLE WHEAT HAMBURGER BUNS

(makes 8-9)

1 1/4c whole milk

2 1/4 tsp yeast

1 1/2c whole wheat flour

1 1/2c AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4c honey

2 tbs sesame seeds

*egg wash made with 1egg and 1 tbs water*

*over low heat warm the milk, do not let it get over 110F - if it does let it cool down to this

*stir in yeast and let sit for 10 minutes to activate

*in separate (large) bowl sift together the flours and salt

*in a small bowl whisk together the egg and honey

*add the milk mixture and the egg mixture to the flour, stir until it is a loose dough

*turn out and begin kneading adding flour as needed for 6-8 minutes to elastic and soft. as always DO NOT OVER KNEAD!

*place in grease bowl, cover with plastic and let rise to double 1 1/2 hours or so

*punch down, divide into 9 equal rounds (about 3.25 oz each), roll into balls and place on baking sheet lined with a slip pad or parchment

*smash the balls down to 3-4" disks, cover and let rise 45 (ish) minutes.

*preheat oven to 350F

*brush the buns with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds, place in oven and cook 15 minutes so the tops are a light golden.

*let cool, cut in half down the middle and enjoy!

Kumquat Date & Honey Bread

before you let your brain wonder to fruit cake or something let me just tell you this is a great breakfast bread. yes, it is dense. yes, it is packed with fruits and nuts. and yes it has that "grown-up" taste to it - whatever that may mean. kids probably wont gorge themselves on this treat, nor will husbands raised in age of little hostess oatmeal pie "breakfasts". but i adore it. the flavors are deep thanks to the cinnamon and dates, bright thanks to the citrus burst of the kumquats and earthy due to the oats and flax. it has a subtle, yet lasting presence of honey and the walnuts make this a completely substantial snack for pre/ post exercise .

this would be great for diabetics or hiking heath-foodies. yum!

KUMQUAT DATE & HONEY BREAD

1c kumquat puree (seeds removed, pulsed in a processor)

3/4c honey

2 tbs coconut oil (or whatever you have)

2 eggs

1 tbs vanilla

1 1/4c whole wheat flour

1 c oats (not instant - i used multi-grain)

1/4c flax seed meal

1 tbs baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1c chopped walnuts

1/2c chopped pitted dates

*preheat oven to 350F, lightly grease a loaf pan

*sift together the flour, oats, flax, baking powder, soda & salt

*in a separate bowl beat together the kumquat puree, honey, oil, eggs and vanilla

*stir in the kumquat mixture into the dry mix. stir to completely combine.

*fold in walnuts and dates

*pour into prepared pan and cook 40-50 minutes until toothpick is clean

Chocolate Balsamic Prune Cookies

evidently i'm becoming increasingly negative. or so my love says. i like to think of myself as humorously wry - i find stupid things funny and just so happen to think there are a lot of stupid things out in the world. hmmm ok well i suppose i should try and get myself to be more positive to counter-act this negative force.

here's something friggin possitive: these fudgy dense, yet fat-free, cookies. there are a few "secret ingredients" that i like to throw in when baking w/ chocolate that just seems to make life more positive (that's 1). those secrets include, but not limited to: coffee, cinnamon, prunes and balsamic vinegar. really they are positively (2) wonderful when paired with the dark silky goodness of chocolate. they are all ingredients that you would never really know are there but know you miss when they aren't - they are like a positive (3) outlook, or a silver lining of sorts.

so i included 2 of these above mentioned secret positives (4) in these healthy little treats. the result is a positively (5) chewy, rich and finely textured cookie that's super high in fiber and low in calories. don't worry you won't even know there is vinegar in these - yes i am positive (6) about that, trust me - think red wine and chocolate truffles.

i used sugar-in-the-raw so that that there is a little bit of a sugary crunch, i find this to be a positive (7) attribute; if you're not positive (8) you would agree just use regular brown sugar instead.

CHOCOLATE BALSAMIC PRUNE COOKIES

1/4c AP flour

1/2c whole wheat flour

1/4c buckwheat flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1/2c + 1tbs cocoa powder

2/3c sugar in the raw / brown sugar - unpacked

1/2c prune puree *see note below*

1/3c yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

*preheat oven to 350F, line baking pan w/ parchment

*sift together fours, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder

*in separate bowl whisk together sugar, prune puree, yogurt, vanilla and vinegar

*stir in the flour mixture to the prune mixture

*place tbs fulls on prepared pan, smashing down with your fingers

*bake 10-12 minutes

**Prune Puree: soak 1c dried prune in near boiling water for 1-2 hours. Drain the prunes and puree in food processor until uniform and as smooth as you cab get it

Curried Couscous

so i am huge fan of ina garten. several of her recipes have become staples in our little apartment. mind you every now and again i just can't bring myself to make the full fat versions of her creations, but again they are always on the mark. so when i found out there was a barefoot blogger's community out there - i signed up immediately. so bi-weekly i will be turning my kitchen into semi-ode to my cook crush mrs. garten.

first up is the curried couscous. typically i don't like curry but knowing there are some many beneficial spices in curry i've been tell myself to just try it until i like it. great logic right - i think that may be the definition of insanity. anyways the original recipe called for chopped red onions and scallions. i don't do very well with raw onions, not to mention i didn't have any in the frig so i omited them. also i used raisins because my mom had sent me a few tons of them a while back, but you should use currants or cranberries if you have them. and my customizations aren't over (told you i just can't leave something alone); i al

ways, always always use whole wheat couscous. there is no reason to use anything else, no one can convince me otherwise. annnnd i used fat free yogurt... ok you know what if you want the real ina garten recipe check it out here. if you want to be insane like me see my adaptation below. as usual though th

e finished product was delish and i will make it again.

so with all that said below is my altered version of ina's curried couscous. i quickly baked a fillet of salmon and it was a perfect meal!

CURRIED COUSCOUS

1 1/2c whole wheat couscous

1 1/2c boiling water

1 tbs butter

1/4c fat free plain yogurt

1/4c olive oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 c grated carrot

1/2c raisins

1/2c parsley, finely chopped

1/4c chopped raw almonds

*melt butter in boiling water

*pour in couscous, stir to combine and cover tightly, let sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork

*in a separate bowl whisk together the yogurt, oil, vinegar, turmeric, curry, salt and pepper

*stir yogurt mixture into the couscous

*stir in carrots, parsley, raisins and almonds

Roasted Cherry Tomato Whole Wheat Pizza

last weekend i went to a friends apt that i hadn't seen in a while. actually its the friend that involuntarily put josh and i together (long semi-interesting story). anyways the night turned out to be a total bachelor dude party, with poker and the whole nine.

back track with me a bit. earlier that day when my friend called me up he mentioned that we would probably grab some pizza and a few beers etc etc. needless to say - i had my heart set on the pizza. by the time i arrived everyone had already partaken in eating and beer to a extent that no one agreed with my pleas to order pizza from the place literally two flights of stairs away from us. ugh! guys right? such bad hosts. so i was aggressive enough and after a few hours of hassling everyone with the occasional threat of the place closing and leaving us all to starve in that NYC luxury apartment i was joined in placing an order. i chose the pizzas that i was denied last time when my friend somehow still thought i still didn't t eat meat - huh. i should stay in touch more i guess. it was a thin crust with pineapple, bacon and basil. amazing. i scarfed it down and then trekked back to my little apt. to do something other than watch basketball and mediocre poker playing.

for a week now i have been obsessed with pizza. i really don't make it enough. its so easy, versatile and cheap there are no excuses not to. and so i did just that today. you have to use a whole wheat crust - its just simply better. better people, better - that means just use whole wheat. I added in cornmeal into the dough this time and it was perfect; adding just enough crunch at the ends.

WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

1 1/2c whole wheat flour

1/2c cornmeal

1c AP flour

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tbs olive oil

1c warm water

*in a large bowl sift together the flours, cornmeal & salt

*stir in the water and oil w/ a wooden spoon. stir until it becomes to difficult.

*turn out dough onto floured surface and knead with your hands until smooth and elastic

*grease a large bowl, put the dough into the bowl and turn to coat w/ oil

*cover with plastic and let rise to double 1-2 hours or put in frig and let rise for a bout 6-8 hours

*preheat oven to 525F, sprinkle your pan w/ cornmeal or flour

*divide dough into 2 (for larger) or 4(for smaller) balls, let rest covered for a few minutes.

*w/ your hands press and/or pull the dough into a round, again let set cover a few minutes

*roll out the rounds to your desired thickness (i always go for a thin as possible)

*place on prepared pan and lightly spray or brush w/ olive oil

*top w/ your desired foodstuff and cook for 10-15 minutes until everything is golden and to your liking. see below for what i used and was more than delighted with.

ROASTED CHERRY TOMATO & CILIEGINA MOZZARELLA

1c cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 oz fresh ciliegina mozzarella, each piece cut into thirds

1c homemade** roasted tomato basil soup

2 tsp dried basil

**i make a lot of this soup in the summer and freeze, if you don't happen to have any of your own homemade (which i understand is highly unlikely) just use good quality store bought.

*heat soup to a medium simmer in a small sauce pan

*in a small cup (shot glass works well) combine 1 tsp cornstarch w/ 2 tsp water

*add mixture to the simmering soup stirring to combine well, let simmer a few minutes then take off heat

*spread as much sauce as you prefer on to prepared dough

*continue with the remaining ingredients - its a pizza, don't freak out about it!

Spinach Whole Wheat Tortellini

i adore tortellini. even more i love to make my own, which is exactly what i am doing today. somewhere around once a month i devote a weekend to tortellini making and thus stocking up the freezer with a small assortment of delicious little pasta pockets. really i can't think of anything better than knowing you have a fabulous fall back dinner in your freezer just waiting for you to boil up, sprinkle with olive oil and devour in less than 15 minutes.

to me there are about 3 standard tortellini filling all of which equally deserving of attention and praise: butternut squash, spinach & ricotta and wild mushroom. of those three the easiest to make has to be the spinach. get yourself a small package of frozen spinach, defrost, drain and mix. you got yourself a stuffing.

and being myself i had to make the pasta whole wheat, just for good measure. oh and don't think for a minute that you can buy wonton wrappers for this. seriously people they are called wonton wrappers. did i say anything about making wontons? not to mention they are old and sitting around a grocery store being gross and born in a factory. really! pasta is so simple and easy there are no excuses. invest in a pasta rolling machine and it will serve you well for the rest of your pasta making life.

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA DOUGH (eggless)

1c AP flour

1c whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbs olive oil

3/4c hot water

*combine the flours and salt in a bowl, make a well in the center

*pour in the hot water and oil

*begin mixing with a fork, gradually in corporation the flour into the water

*when it starts to get difficult to continue, turn out onto a floured surface and begin to knead

*add flour if too sticky or water if to dry, the dough should be firm and elastic

*wrap in plastic wrap and let sit 30minutes

*cut off about 1/5 of the dough and roll it out with your pasta machine - or a wood roller if you are real old school

*do with it as you please

SPINACH AND RICOTTA FILLING

1 1/2c whole milk ricotta

10 oz frozen spinach

1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

1/4c chopped fresh parsley

1c parmigiana reggiano

1 egg

salt

*defrost the spinach, drain all the liquid out and chop if needed

*combine all the ingredient in a bowl, cover and chill if not using immediately

*depending on how big you want your tortellini then you will use more or less - use your judgement here. but i generally like to stuff as much as possible into each one.

Honey Whole Wheat Walnut Cake

about every 3-5 months josh and i actually coordinate our schedules long enough to make a trip out to our friend dave's "farm". why the quotations? because to me a farm has animals of some kind or a product or some form that is farmed. i have grandparents that are real farmers and yes they have cows, chickens, sheep (which i loathe. ugh what the hell is up with sheep?), corn, rice, crawfish. i mean you name it those two farmed it and it was nothing fancy just a little house, a barn, bunch of land and lot of animal poo.

so when this amazing 80 acres of land that is filled with random pieces of art from the previous owner: mr. alan d'arcangelo, is called a farm it just don't sit right you know? i would have to say its more a camp. yesss. a camp. my parents have a camp. in other words its the weekend house built out in the middle of the woods in the town my father grew up in. just a get away from the big mean city/office. yeah a camp - not a farm just a place you go to be difficult to get in touch with. am i right?

non-the-less, every time we make it up to the catskills to visit the "farm" i make sure we stop by the local old man's house who offers a gallon of local honey for $18. yes that is correct - a gallon! so needless to say we love honey in this apartment and when i came across a recipe for a honey walnut cake what was there to stop me? of-course i snuck in some whole wheat for good measure and before you know it you've got breakfast for a week.

HONEY WHOLE WHEAT WALNUT CAKE

3/4c roasted and finely chopped walnuts

3/4c whole wheat flour

3/4c AP flour

1c honey

1c unsweetened applesauce

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

*preheat oven to 350F, grease and flour a 8 1/2" spring form pan

*sift together the dry ingredients

*in a separate bowl combine the honey and applesauce until smooth

*add the eggs one at a time

*add wet to the dry, mix to just combine

*pour into prepared pan and cook for 45 minutes or until toothpick is clean

*right when you take out of the oven drizzle 2-3tbs of honey on top, brush to evenly distribute

Maple Walnut Bread

do you butter toast? i butter toast. what's all

this business about not buttering toast? josh and i got into it this morning as i was ushering him out the door and back on the road. i made him eggs and toast. buttered freakin' toast. i was sharply informed that i "always butter toast". yes, i do always butter toast because that is was people do. nope, evidentially i do it because i am "from the south". wha???? firstly: whatever. secondly: toast is toasted thus a bit dry and needs to be rehydrated with a smudge of tasty butter. can you argue that? my desk mate at work agreed with him! but to my defense: she is not a baker and i would venture to say that she is not a huge toast person either. so this case is left open. you tell me - do you butter your toast?

anyways he ate it no matter. which may have more to do with my threat to not leave it on the plate than the superior taste the butter imparted on the toast. threat you ask. yes, there were only 2 slices of bread left this morning and that was tagged for my almond butter lunch sandwich. but, being the generous and perfect human being i am i gave it to him for his pure enjoyment. i got a crappy half lunch.

as you know that leaves me without my "daily bread" for the rest of the week. i need bread more than any normal person and i have some walnut oil that is about to expire (ok, it expired 2 days ago) so that means walnut maple quick bread! i love this bread - its very simple, not too sweet, totally healthy and will compliment anything. lucky me; lunch is going to rock the rest of the week.

MAPLE WALNUT BREAD

1c whole wheat bread

1c AP flour

6 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1c buttermilk

1/3c maple syrup

1/4c walnut oil

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3c chopped walnuts

*preheat oven to 350F, lightly oil a loaf pan

*sift together the dry ingredients

*in a separate bowl beat the wet ingredients

*add the wet to the dry and mix to combine

*stir in the walnuts

*pour into the prepared pan, cook for 45-50 minutes to get a clean toothpick

*cool on rack

Dinner for One

so what do i eat when the ole fiance is away? your looking at it. hmm what it is? yeah good question. basically its the "what do i have in the frig and what can be made in about 20 minutes before i just eat cookies and cereal for dinner" recipe. i escape from work, head to the gym for a bit then come home starving and not interested in baking, broiling, simmering, whisking or anything extra curricular in nature. but what i can tolerate at moments like this is steaming and a quick saute. so here we are, 20 minutes later noshing down on a one bowl meal of cracked wheat, sautéed tofu, zucchini, carrots (fresh from my parent's organic louisiana back yard - yeah be jealous, you should be) and a handful of parsley - stems and all (i can't be bothered to cut off just the leaves, please). oh and a few sprinkles of homemade res el hanout and some sea salt.

ras el hanout is a mediterranean spice blend with such delicious things like ginger, cumin, clove, allspice and cinnamon. i use it on almost anything really, especially baked veggies. but really it works well with tofu. all i do is heat some oil in a pan, add some chopped tofu, sprinkle the ras el hanout and the rest is magic! and i think i am finally taking a break from my whole wheat couscous affair and moving on to a new obsession with cracked wheat.

Juiced Up Carrot Cake

so josh is gone. he left monday night and won't be back to corrupt my strictly healthy dietary requirements with his seemingly unquenchable - yet starting to gradually wane - need for delicious sugary treats. i admit it: sugar and butter are delish. but sooner or later i have to get back on track, not just for me but for my poor salivating father who has to sit through these posts, week after week. sorry dad.

anyways so my plan while alone for the next 8 weeks (josh is back mondays and tuesday) is to gather a decent amount of reasonably healthy baked treats. that and kick the habit of eating cereal for dinner when alone (ugh how sad is that?). i can do it!

so here we go: healthy treat number uno. i packed away the week's supply of "daily bread" with josh and i wanted to make something i could convince myself was a healthy substitute to house my almond butter for lunch at the office. pack in the fruit, vegetables, nuts and whole wheat and viola! one day i may try to substitute the sugar with maple syrup or honey. one day.

JUICED UP CARROT CAKE

1/2c whole wheat flour

1/2c AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/2c + 2tbs sugar

1/2c peeled and grated granny smith apple

1/2c peeled and grated carrot

1/2c grated zucchini

1/4c + chopped walnuts

1/4c buttermilk

2 eggs

1/4c canola oil

*preheat oven to 350 F, grease a loaf pan

*sift together the flours, sugar, soda, cinnamon & salt

*add the apple, carrots, zucchini & walnuts - stir to combine well

*in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil and buttermilk

*add wet to dry and mix to just combine

*pour into prepared loaf pan and cook for 45-50 minutes until toothpick is clean

*let cool completely before slicing in.

My Daily Bread

when i was living in Baton Rouge there really was only about two crazy hippie health food stores. one was small, expensive and trendy. the other was weird, dark and old - i loved it. it was called "our daily bread". it was a metal shed with no windows and an amateur mural of bread and vegetables painted on the front. located on the side of a 5 laned busy street across from the "ghetto mall" and adjacent to an oversized mega store shopping center of sorts that was simply name "FLEA MARKET". it was not a flea market.

anyways i loved Our Daily Bread i would go there mostly as an excuse to get away from the studio and be around people who were more strange and secluded than my fellow architecture mates. so i would go rummage through all the dusty bags of seaweed and yogurt starter kits and generally just relax.

So this, in a way, is my ode to those odd moments of relaxation. i eat a nutbutter and jelly sandwich everyday - yes every single day - and well that means i need a lot of bread. this is just that bread. i make a loaf every weekend and well, its relaxing all the same.

josh claims its the best for grilled cheese because of the slight sweetness.

MY DAILY BREAD

2 tsp active dry yeast

2 c warm (110 - 115 F) water

2 oz unsalted butter, softened

2 tbs cain syrup / molasses

1/4c + 1 tbs honey

1 tsp salt

3c whole wheat flour

2c all purpose flour

* activate yeast in 1c of the warm water.

* whisk together the butter, honey and cain syrup. mix until its a smooth, consistent consistency.

* combine the flours and salt in a separate bowl

* add activate yeast and remaining 1c of water to the butter mixture. stir to combine

* gradually add in the flours, one cup at a time stirring well between each addition

* when you can't reasonably add any more flour turn out onto a lightly floured counter. knead to a smooth elastic consistency -- DO NOT OVER KNEAD!

* grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, spray the expose face of the dough with a bit of "pam" / butter. place a towel over the top of the bowl and set in a warm place to rise.

* let rise to double in size - about 1 hour

* punch dough down and place in a grease loaf pan

* cover with the same towel and again let rise to the desired fluffy height -- about 45 mins to 1 hour

* preheat oven to 375 F and cook the loaf for about 40 mins to get a dark golden crust

*remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing. I like to wrap in a towel and let the loaf sit out for about 4-5 hours before slicing it up.