Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls

The past month has literally blown by in a sea of BBQs, pool parties, get-togethers, road trips,  etc. And all this socializing has left me a little behind on recipe testing/actual cooking – I’ve been surviving mostly on leftover BBQ, thrown together salads, and a few simple standby recipes like this and this. However, in the summertime spirit of eating light to keep it tight, I thought a raw, vegan snack ready in five minutes would be a good way to go. Perfect for post-workout/road trip/breakfast-to-go type snacking.

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs | freshnessgf.com

Now, these may look like truffles, but they are more like homemade Lara Bars in ball form. Thus the name ‘powerballs’ instead of ‘powerbars’. As per usual, D was my first taste tester and I may have forgotten to tell him that part. He thought they were chocolate truffles and was pretty shocked to discover that they were raw, vegan, healthy snacks after he popped one in his mouth. Also, I left one date pit in his by accident and he almost lost a tooth.  Oopsy.

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs | freshnessgf.com

Since my first taste testing was a fail, I brought some into the office for the team to try. And guess what? They were a huge hit. I wish I had brought more because I swear there were some serious sad faces going on. But the few who did get to try them had some great suggestions like adding different nuts, rolling the balls in shredded coconut, adding orange zest, nut butters, etc. Basically, the possibilities are endless. Also, this recipe is gluten-free, vegan, free from refined sugar, dairy-free, raw, and paleo.

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

This recipe was adapted from a great blog called Cook Republic that features healthy, inventive recipes and stunning, inspiring photography. The original recipe called for pistachios, almonds, and orange zest and the combination made for most beautiful flecks of colour. I went for a Nutella inspired version with just hazelnuts and cocoa powder. What’s most exciting about this recipe is that they actually took 5 minutes to make. Quoting my colleague ‘it’ll take longer to clean the food processor’ – it wasn’t that bad cleaning it afterward but you get the point. This recipe is E.A.S.Y. and F.A.S.T.

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

These pretty, truffle-esque powerballs would also be a great gift idea – specially packaged in a mason jar and a cute homemade tag. You’ll look like a hero because they would only take you five minutes to make and it’ll look like you slaved over them.

So voila, the easiest healthy snack recipe there ever was. Plus, now I know what to bring to the next work potluck.

 

Hazelnut Chocolate Power Balls | Freshnessgf.com

Hazelnut Chocolate Powerballs

These may look like truffles, but they are more like homemade Lara Bars in ball form. Thus the name 'powerballs' instead of 'powerbars'. As per usual, D was my first taste tester and I may have forgotten to tell him that part. He thought they were chocolate truffles and was pretty shocked to discover that they were raw, vegan, healthy snacks after he popped one in his mouth. (adapted from Cook Republic)
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: chocolate, cookies & bars, corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, nuts, paleo, soy-free
Servings: 20 balls
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 cups pitted dates
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cups hazelnuts
  • 6 dried figs (stalks snipped (about 1/2 cup))
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • extra cocoa powder for rolling

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Combine first six ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are chopped and a crumbly dough starts to form. Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll gently between two palms of your hands to form a ball. Place extra cocoa powder in a small dish and roll the ball so it's mostly coated in cocoa powder. Tap any excess cocoa powder off.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week (although I have a feeling they'll be gobbled up way before that). Recipe adapted from Cook Republic.
Kedgeree (Indian Spiced Rice with Fish)

Kedgeree (Indian Spiced Rice with Fish)

It’s summer and I haven’t been doing as much cooking as normal.  There are too many patios to visit, friends to see, and outdoor fun times to be had that I’m really making salad and fast suppers for the most part. This dish is a great meal because it’s pretty fast to whip up, is full of flavour and satisfying yet light.

Spices for kedgeree

Kedgeree is a UK dish that goes back to the colonial days in India and is typically had for breakfast. Traditionally, it’s made with smoked white fish instead of fresh, which I’m sure is extra tasty. My fish store didn’t have any on hand so I improvised with fresh fish. Also, kedgeree often includes chopped boiled eggs but my version here is egg-less as I have a weird phobia of eggs unless they are scrambled.  I’ve swapped dried currents for raisins as I also have a weird aversion to grapes, including dried ones.

Onions and rice

rice done cooking

The spices and ingredients for this dish are simple but pack in a lot of flavour. The fish was gently boiled in water with lemon and bay leaf – super easy and happened in tandem while the rice is cooking.  You can also use any flaky white fish or smoked trout if you like.  I used pickerel here, but cod would be great too.

fish with lemons and bay leaf

pickeral on plate

Once you’ve assembled the rice and flaked fish, you can garnish with all the traditional fixings including nuts, raisins, chutney,  fresh lime, and lemon wedges.  I really love the toasted cinnamon pumpkin seeds that I added here as they gave a great salty crunch to the rice.   Sweet, salty, crunchy, flavourful rice – way easy, way tasty.  

Kedgeree | Freshnessgf.com

 

Kedgeree - Indian Spiced Rice with Fish

Kedgeree is a UK dish that goes back to the colonial days in India and is typically had for breakfast. The spices and ingredients for this dish are simple but pack in a lot of flavour. Adapted from Living and Eating by John Pawson and Annie Bell, Jamie Oliver)
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, fish & seafood, gluten-free, nut-free, pasta, rice & grains, rice, soy-free
Servings: 4
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons butter or canola oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger (minced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 ¼ cup basmati rice
  • 1 pound firm white fish such as cod (pickerel)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • Dried currants and lime wedges to serve (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • Salted Pumpkin Seeds
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground chili (optional)
  • Coarse sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat a large heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat. Add butter or canola oil and add onion, ginger and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and slightly golden, stirring occasionally. Add ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and basmati rice. Stir so all ingredients are combined and cook 2 more minutes.
  • Add 2 cups of water and stir, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and add peas. Cover and allow steam to continue to cook rice and warm peas for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, add fish, 3 slices of lemon and bay leaf to a sauce pan. Add enough water to just cover and bring to simmer and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until fish is cooked and flaky. Remove fish from cooking liquid and allow to cool slightly. Using two forks, flake the fish apart.
  • In a small frying pan on medium high heat, add oil, pumpkin seeds and a pinch of cinnamon, chili powder, and salt. Gently stir pumpkin seeds so they don’t burn. Remove from heat after a couple of minutes or when they are slightly browned.
  • Assemble kedgeree. Add fish and chopped coriander to rice, salt, and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings and garnish with a sprinkle of chili powder (optional), fresh coriander, pumpkin seeds and dried currants.
Adapted from Living and Eating by John Pawson and Annie Bell, Jamie Oliver.
Easy Perfectly Cooked Bacon

Easy Perfectly Cooked Bacon

Weekend brunch is so over-rated. The line ups alone are enough to kill me. Seriously, I cannot even bear it. I see it all the time – huge lines outside popular brunch spots, folks just waiting around, probably hangry, to get a table. I’ve been guilty of the same thing, waiting sometimes up to an hour during prime brunch time to sit down with friends over coffee and eggs, etc. And all the while, I always thought to myself, damn, with the same money and time I spent waiting for brunch, I could have just MADE brunch. In my PJs.

bacon on foil

Now feeding a crowd can be daunting – I totally get that. I hosted a birthday brunch for my sister this past weekend and I made a lot of different things. I had some hearty eaters coming, 11 adults and 2 kidlets in total, and these included several food allergies/intolerances including nuts, gluten, and sesame. To accommodate, I made a huge spread of sweet and savory dishes so everyone could enjoy a bit of something.

table

The menu included (clockwise from top left): Potato crusted quiche, chocolate chip waffles, mixed berries, croissant BLTs with brie, jalapeno cheddar cornbread waffles, melon kebabs, bacon, and berry stuffed french toast.

For me, I really had to plan ahead and I tried to be as organized as possible, especially to prepare all this in my tiny kitchen. Here’s how it went down:

cheddar waffles

Week Before: I mapped out my menu, figured out my colour theme (black, white, polka dots), and created a shopping list by store and item (i.e. Costco – bacon, cheese,  etc.) and shopped for the groceries and decor during the week after work. I also set the table and got all the cutlery, cups, decor set up a couple of days before. I made the waffles in the evenings and reheated them during the brunch which saved a lot of time.

cupcake

These are the cupcakes I baked for dessert. I used nut-free/gluten-free chocolate cake mix from Kinnikinnick and everyone enjoyed them, especially my niece and nephew who ended up bouncing off the walls afterward.

Night Before: I baked the cupcakes and frosted them the night before and scooped out the melons for the kebabs. I also made the potato crusted quiche and ordered take out for dinner. D was a huge help and his puttering around after me and washing up made the whole process a lot easier.

IMG-20140517-WA0002

Morning of Brunch: I made the french toast filling and pan-fried them before keeping them warm on a baking sheet in the oven at 170 degrees for about 45 minutes. I reheated waffles, put out fruit, assembled sandwiches, and made a lot of bacon.

Whenever I’ve hosted a party, no matter how organized I tried to be, I generally had a bit of a meltdown about 20 minutes before guests arrived. Not this type of meltdown, more like this. This time it was over forgetting to get/make coffee. Oh well, it worked out in the end with my cousin doing a Tim Horton’s run on her way over. Despite my best efforts to be organized, invariably something always goes a little awry where I go a little mental, but thankfully, I tend to calm down once everyone starts to eat. D has also become very skilled at snapping me out of my crazy.

bacon on tray after baking

Brunch can be made a lot easier too by baking the bacon in the oven. You can make tons of it, and it comes out perfectly every time with almost no cleanup. Menu-wise, your guests would probably be happy with a cup of coffee, boatloads of bacon and some simple eggs and toast. I know I would. But probably not as happy as these people.

brunch happy

 

Easy Perfectly Cooked Bacon

Brunch can be made a lot easier too by baking the bacon in the oven. You can make tons of it, and it comes out perfectly every time with almost no cleanup. Menu-wise, your guests would probably be happy with a cup of coffee, boatloads of bacon and some simple eggs and toast. I know I would.
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, meat, nut-free, paleo, soy-free
Servings: 6 people
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 to 2 pounds bacon

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. Lay slices of uncooked bacon side by side, close that they are just barely touching but not overlapping. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked to your desired crispiness up, to 20 minutes. Use tongs (or chopsticks) to remove bacon and place on paper towel lined plate to absorb excess fat and serve immediately.
For cleanup, let the oil in tray cool slightly and pour it into a container and refrigerate. To discard, let the fat cool completely and discard in the foil.
For extra crispy bacon, lay a metal cooling rack over the foil and place bacon strips over top before baking.
Recipe adapted from The Kitchn.
Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

I have a food-fession:  I am obsessed with nachos. I spent almost an hour stuck in traffic today talking about food with my carpool and I would say a good chunk of it was about our mutual adoration of nachos. We discussed different kinds of nachos, how to make the perfect nacho, where the best ones in town are etc. And you can’t talk nachos without immediately craving them real bad right?

toritillas on board

Both of us are trying hard to be healthy so we both decided against immediately pulling over to indulge in happy hour nachos. But wait, I think there’s a way to shave a few calories off nachos – bake your own tortilla chips. I know I know, you’re probably thinking ‘who does this stuff?’ and ‘gimme a break, why bake them when you can buy them already made?’ I thought the same thing. Actually it never even occurred to me that you could make your own tortillas without deep-frying them. That is until I saw an episode of Rachael Ray and there she was, baking her own tortilla chips and making it look super easy and healthy.

tortillas ready to bake

I tried it and hot damn, these things were good. Crispy, crunchy, and super easy, just like she promised. So here’s the recipe for you folks.  Happy nacho eating to all, and to all a good night.

tortilla chips on tray

Baked Tortilla Chips

I think there's a way to shave a few calories off nachos - bake your own tortilla chips. I know I know, you're probably thinking 'who does this stuff?' and 'gimme a break, why bake them when you can buy them already made?' I thought the same thing. Actually it never even occurred to me that you could make your own tortillas without deep-frying them.
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: corn, dairy-free, fast, kid-friendly, nut-free, soy-free, tacos, tortilla, yeast-free
Servings: 2
Author: ness

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 Day old corn tortilla chips
  • Plain cooking oil
  • Sea salt (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray or brush each side of the tortillas with oil. Stack tortillas and cut into eighths. Place wedges in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Sprinkle with salt if desired.
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Steak Bavettes (Flap Steak)

Steak Bavettes (Flap Steak)

For a long time, I thought a good steak meant splurging at a bistro/steakhouse or buying a crazy expensive cut of meat from the butcher. I didn’t really grow up in a steak type of family – we were more a stir-fry beef with broccoli type house. However, I’ve recently discovered a steak cut and recipe that is both amazingly delicious and inexpensive. It’s the bavette cut, or flap steak, that comes from the bottom sirloin butt cut of beef and is typically pretty thin (about 1 inch). It’s very flavourful, and you’ll probably see it on a bistro menu for north of $25 bucks a pop, but now you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost.

Steak bavettes marinating

Gluten-free eating can already be super expensive – I’ve resigned to paying over $6 for my gluten-free bread a long time ago. It now feels normal but in the beginning, I would rage about the insane mark up on GF groceries. The bavette cut is a generally inexpensive cut, so you can get your steak on without breaking the bank.

bavettes with steak spice

The beauty of steak bavettes is their thin, flavourful cut. It’s a tougher cut of meat, but with some marinating, steak spice, and a hot grill pan, you’re set for a tasty meal. Just be warned that this cut is best rare (but not too rare). I personally love my steak medium-rare, and I like it with a simply dressed salad on the side.

The original recipe is from a great cookbook from Garde Manger by TV chef Chuck Hughes, named after his restaurant in Montreal’s Old Port. We went to this place a few years ago and this steak brings back fun memories of listening to DMX, Nirvana, and Cyndi Lauper while watching his tattooed chefs shuck oysters behind the bar. Bon appetit.

Steak Bavettes (Flap Steak) |Freshnessgf.com

Steak Bavettes (Flap Steak)

I've recently discovered a steak cut and recipe that is both amazingly delicious and inexpensive. It's the bavette cut, or flap steak, that comes from the bottom sirloin butt cut of beef and is typically pretty thin (about 1 inch). It's very flavourful, and you'll probably see it on a bistro menu for north of $25 bucks a pop, but now you can make it at home for a fraction of the cost.
Course: Main Course
Diet: Gluten Free
Keyword: corn-free, dairy-free, egg-free, meat, nut-free, soy-free
Servings: 2
Author: ness

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

  • Cast iron skillet

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 bavette flap steaks (about 1/2 lb each)
  • canola oil for grilling
  • 2 teaspoons steak spice (see recipe below)

Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary or leaves of 1 fresh rosemary sprig (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or leaves from 1 fresh thyme sprig (finely chopped)

Steak Spice:

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large bowl or large plastic resealable bag, combine marinade ingredients and whisk together. Add steaks and turn so they are well coated in marinade. Cover/seal and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
  • Meanwhile, combine steak spice ingredients in a mortar and pestle and crush. This makes more steak spice than is needed for this recipe - store any extra steak spice in airtight container.
  • Remove steaks from marinade and discard any extra marinade. Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season each side with 1/2 teaspoon of steak spice. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat and add canola oil.
  • Once pan is hot, add steaks and cook for 4 minutes on one side, and then flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other side. Remove from heat and loosely cover with foil and allow meat to rest for a few minutes before serving.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, no worries. Just mix the spices together in a small bowl and press spices down with the back of a teaspoon to crush up the spices. Also, you may have to head to your local butcher to find the bavette cut - ideally, they should be about 1" in thickness. 
Recipe adapted from Garde Manger by Chuck Hughes.

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