The Great Cake Disaster of September 2014.

I thought to myself "healthy chocolate cake?  Why, sign me up!!!".  I love sweets.  Jacob loves sweets.  I had this grand idea that if I could make a healthier version of a chocolate cake, we could totally eat it and not feel guilty.

Right?

Wrong.

I made the Crockpot Chocolate Cake recipe from The Clean Eating Cookbook & Diet.  I was so excited.  I made it and the batter was a little funky, but I thought "what do I know about cooking healthy cake?  I'm sure it'll be great!".  So I put the batter in the crockpot and went about my evening.  What came out of the crock pot looked like a cow patty and tasted like old cardboard.

Now, usually when I encounter a failed recipe, I figure out ways to "doctor" it, make it mine and make it edible.  Unfortunately, there is nothing I could think of for this recipe.  I think this is just a 100% scrap it recipe that cannot be salvaged.

Much to both of our disappointments, the entire cake went into the trash.  I can't recall a time I've ever thrown an entire dish into the trash, not even when I began cooking at around age 8.

I shall post the recipe.  If anyone attempts it, please let me know.  If anyone attempts it and is successful PLEASE let me know!!!!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

Extra virgin olive oil for the slow-cooker insert
1/2 C whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 C almond flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 C unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 C almond butter
1/2 C honey
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Cut a piece of parchment paper (if using) to fit the bottom of your slow cooker and press it in.  Very lightly coat the parchment and sides of the slow cooker with oil.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, cocoa powder, and baking powder until well blended.

3. In a medium bowl, beat together the apple sauce, almond butter, honey, egg whites, and vanilla until combined.

4. Add applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together well.

5.  Spoon the batter into the slow cooker and turn it on low heat.  Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. To remove the cake, simply run a knife around the edges, and allow the cake to cool about 10 minutes in the insert.  Then, using oven mitts cover the insert with a plate and turn it over; the cake will pop right now.  Peel off the parchment paper.

7. Cut the cake into squares and serve warm.


Until next time.....

Baked Ratatouille

Ratatouille?  What in the world is that?!?!?!?


Ratatouille is a traditional French Provincal stewed vegetable dish originating around Nice, France.

Since I am not a big fan of stews, and I have seen the movie Ratatouille, I wanted to try my hand at BAKED Ratatouille.  First attempt: Delicious.  Second attempt: Even Better!!!

The greatest part is that you can completely tailor it to what vegetables you prefer.  Traditionally, it's eggplant, squash(es), bell peppers, tomatoes, and various herbs.  I am not a huge tomato fan and Jacob is not a huge bell pepper fan, so I chose to use eggplant, squash, and cucumber.  I wanted to use zucchini, but we picked up a lot of cucumbers at the Farmers' Market and no zucchini.  I would definitely recommend using fresh, seasonal vegetables.  Not only will it taste better, but it tends to be cheaper and better for you overall.

4oz tomato paste

Sliced vegetables

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of Herbs de Provence

Pinch of garlic powder

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

-Preheat the oven to 350*F.

-Spread tomato paste in the bottom of your casserole dish.

-Start layering your vegetables in whatever design you choose.  My eggplant was huge, so I actually put the eggplant slices down first and then alternated the squash and cucumbers on top of the eggplant for uniformity.

-Sprinkle with your herbs and spices.

-Cover with either foil or parchment paper and back until tomato paste has started to bubble into the veggies and the veggies are firm but translucent-usually about 30-40 minutes.

You can serve this over rice, quinoa, or couscous.  You can serve this dish as a side dish or a main dish.  I like to serve it as a main dish over quinoa or saffron rice.  It has been a huge hit in my household and the WHOLE house smells absolutely delicious while it's cooking!!!

I also like the customization you can do.  If you don't like a veggie, substitute a different vegetable or just take it out as I have done.  It's such a great, easy dish.

Healthy Cookies?!?!?! Why Yes Please!!

I have never really been a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies...until now.

I bought this "Clean Eating Diet & Cookbook" on Amazon and have been experimenting with recipes out of it.  It's been an adventure, to say the least.  I've now made these cookies twice with much improvement from first try to second try.  I'll post the actual recipe, then I'll post my improvements after!!!

Extra virgin olive oil for the baking sheets
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond flour or whole-wheat flour (I used almond flour)
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.

2. Lightly coat two baking sheets with olive oil.

3. In a small bowl, combine the oats and almond flour.

4. In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, and apple juice until very well blended.

5. Add the oat mixture to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.  Stir in the raisins and the coconut.

6. Drop the batter by tablespoons on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and flatten the cookies with the back of a wet spoon.

7. Bake the cookies until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.  Store in airtight container.


This recipe seems all well and good, except my first attempt yielded dry, nearly inedible cookies!  Much to my dismay (I love cookies!).

After a little internet research and drawing on 20 years of cooking/baking experience, I found a few improvements...

1. Add more apple juice.  The mixture shouldn't feel dry.  At all.  If you suspect it's at all dry, it'll be even more dry after baking.  I ended up adding probably 2-2 1/3 cups of apple juice total.

2. DO NOT let the oats sit in the mixture.  I made this mistake my first time because the oven was in use.  Bake them immediately, or do not add in the oats.  Oats will soak up any moisture in the batter if they're allowed to sit for any period of time.

3.  Add cinnamon.  I added cinnamon until I could slightly taste it in the batter.  It gives them a little extra depth, otherwise they're a little boring.

4. Make sure you flatten them!  I missed this step my first time making these!!  Wet the spoon and flatten them a bit.  If you don't, the middle will not be fully baked and will be dry as a bone.

5. DO NOT bake them for 30 minutes!  If you're cooking anything with oats, it's generally good practice to undercook it by several minutes.  This will help prevent the cookies from drying out.  I cooked this last batch for 20 minutes and they turned out marvelously.  They're not dried out and they're fully cooked.

This is definitely in my favorite recipes box.  I like taking 2-3 for a snack every day.  I will definitely be doctoring the recipe further and trying out different variations on a theme, but for now, I think I've found some pretty yummy and HEALTHY cookies!!!!  I also really like cooking with almond flour.  It's different for me and way more exciting than whole wheat flour.  It has different properties and a slightly nutty taste.  I highly recommend trying it!!!

Drink more water!

The first step in a healthier lifestyle is making sure you drink water.  I know a lot of people who can't stand drinking just plain water.  Personally, I love water and I'd be perfectly happy if water were my only beverage option.

I am not, however, everyone.  So my advice to you is, if you are one of those people who hate water, buy a water infuser.  I bought an infuser bottle and I am absolutely in love with it.  You can do absolutely anything with it.  It doesn't leak.  It's easy to clean.  It's easy to use.  And it encourages you to drink yummy, flavored water without adding sugars or preservatives.  Amazing, right?

Which bottle should you choose?  Well, that's really up to you.  What are your personal preferences?  I was looking for a bottle that was sturdy, didn't leak, had the infuser almost the whole length of the bottle, and was big enough to make it worth it.  There are many bottles on the market.  Some have small infuser baskets.  Some have drinking spouts (though I've read reviews that these ones tend to leak).  I am always on the go and I wanted to make sure the bottle I purchased would stand up to my lifestyle. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L1WQFKU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This was the bottle I chose.  It had excellent reviews on amazon, it's from a small company and it seemed to meet my requirements.  I've now been using it about 2 weeks and I love it.  It doesn't leak, it's super easy to clean.  It can hold enough fruit and enough water for my liking.  It's sturdy and it's easy to clean.

But what can I put in the infuser?

ANYTHING!  You can google search different infuser recipes, or you can just make them up depending on your favorite fruits!

So far, I've tried plain strawberry, raspberry (as pictured above), strawberry kiwi, strawberry mint (can you tell I like strawberries?), raspberry mint, strawberry raspberry, and pineapple.  All have been excellent.  When I added mint, I lightly bruised the mint leaves as I put them into the infuser so they would release more flavor.  It seriously tasted like a strawberry mojito.  Absolutely delicious.

So go out and drink water!  Your body is almost 60% water and it cannot actually store water, therefore it is very important to consume enough water for cell growth, organ function, and more.  Don't miss this extremely important step in health eating!!!

Until next time...

Introduction...

My name is Kara.

 I love to cook.

 Recently, I have been focusing on cooking clean, whole, healthy foods. I've always wanted to eat healthily, but the biggest problem I've had is snacks and full meals. Yes, I can make a healthy chicken, but with what do you pair that chicken? I have discovered the joys of healthy cooking and I have been experimenting with full meals and different recipes. It's been an adventure.

 Thank goodness my boyfriend and my friends love being my guinea pigs!!!

 My goals are to post healthy recipes, talk about my experiences with these recipes, share some pictures, have some fun. Cooking is fun. In the words of Gusteau "Anyone Can Cook!".

Stayed tuned for my Kitchen Adventures.  I can't wait to share them!