Strange But Good: Creamy Blue Cheese & Wasabi

January 10, 2014 By Laura

I struggle with brevity in recipe-naming.

Funny, because I’m always telling my mom she uses too many words.

I really wanted to name this Wasabi-Avocado-Blue Cheese Massaged Kale and Broccoli Salad. Despite my restraint, the title is still too long. How does one communicate all of the delicious elements of a dish in 3-5 words?! I feel so trapped.

In writing out my original title, you probably already have an understanding of what this salad is. Wasabi and blue cheese dressing was a strange combo to me when I first had it in Portland, but it was so good that my sister and I couldn’t stop eating it.

Naturally, I had to recreate it at home. I used Lighthouse Blue Cheese (a Greek yogurt-based dressing). Maybe not the cleanest ingredient, but it’s good and not too bad for you as far as dressings go. I amped up the cream-factor (I can’t re-read that without laughing) by mashing avocado into it. The wasabi I used is a paste, but you could also use the powdered variety. Adjust it to your liking… I like it really hot.

What you are left with is a delicious tangy, spicy coating for your kale salad. You’ll also love the texture contrast between the sturdy kale and the creamy dressing. I added some broccoli and grapes in mine, and topped it with fish (you know I need my protein).

The best part is that, because kale is so hearty, you can make it a day or two in advance and take it to work!

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Creamy Blue Cheese & Wasabi Kale Salad

2 T blue cheese dressing
1/4 fresh avocado, mashed
Wasabi paste, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
~2 C Kale

In a small bowl, mix together blue cheese, avocado, wasabi, and pepper.

Place kale in a large bowl and massage the dressing into the leaves.

Can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in fridge.

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How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Between the shock of being back in the office after the holidays and the insane weather, I couldn't be happier for this week to END.

What is your favorite salad dressing?

Are you on a greens kick? I can't get enough after Dessert December!

Strange But Good: Roasted Grape & Kabocha Kale Salad

January 3, 2014 By Laura

Luck and wealth are good things to start 2014 with.

We certainly ate like lucky wealthy people on New Years Eve.

This salad would be good at any time, but it’s ingredients make it especially good for NYE. Grapes for luck and greens for wealth. We also had the black-eyed pea hummus. This year should be extra lucky!

The part that may be strange is that I roasted the grapes in this salad. You know how blueberries warmed from oatmeal burst in your mouth? How decadent and sweet and juicy they are? Roasted grapes are like that, but better because they’re bigger. (Insert dirty joke here.)

When roasted, grapes become even more delicious. Their sugars caramelize a bit, the skin softens, and the native sweetness shines. The thick, savory balsamic and rosemary balances the sweetness perfectly. Make this once and you’ll never be satisfied with dried fruit on a salad again.

The thick, jammy juice that forms during roasting is the perfect thing to use as a dressing. Combined with olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, it makes a fabulous warm coat for the kale.

Salads are so easy to make larger or smaller, so below is hardly a recipe. There are no measurements for anything besides the dressing. Even that is just equal parts oil and vinegar, so you can adjust that up or down to suit your needs.

You don’t even have to bother with the salad if you aren’t feeling it. Just pop some grapes in the oven and you’ll have a simple, decadent snack in 15 mins or less.

Roasted Grape and Kabocha Kale Salad

Grapes
Fresh rosemary
Aged balsamic vinegar
Kabocha squash (or other winter squash)
Shallot, diced
Olive oil
Kale
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C champagne vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Reserved juices from roasted grapes
Salt & pepper, to toast
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss grapes on a foil lined pan with vinegar and rosemary. On a second pan, toss kabocha with shallots and a bit of olive oil. Roast each for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. The skin of the grapes should be slightly crisp but the inside still soft. Note: the kabocha may take longer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Strain excess grape juice into a small bowl to reserve for dressing.

Add oil to small skillet and allow to warm over med heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min). Stir in grape juices and champagne vinegar, cooking 2-3 mins longer to allow dressing to thicken a bit.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper to preference.

Place kale in large salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over the kale and massage the greens to soften. Add grapes, kabocha, and fresh parmesan (if using).

Enjoy!

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I’m thinking I need to do these for breakfast on a biscuit or coffee cake thing…

What is your favorite salad topping?

Have you ever had roasted grapes?

Top 13 in 2013

January 1, 2014 By Laura

You guys like dessert.

I guess that’s why we get along?

Happy New Year!!!

As I looked back at the top posts of 2013, I knew there would be a lot of sweeter dishes. But whoa. Of the top 13 2013 posts, 6 were sweet recipes. What I didn’t realize was that the Work It Out posts are popular too! I’ll do a better job to writing more of those in 2014 – I’ve been pushing it at the gym, but slacking on the writing.

Thank you to everyone for all of the visits, comments, and many, many laughs in 2013. I’ve loved getting to know so many awesome people this year, and look forward to continuing these relationships for years to come.

Enough much! Here’s the lucky (top) 13 to start out ’14…

Top 13 in 2013…

Read More »

Strange But Good: Mexican Chocolate Cake

December 20, 2013 By Laura

Dessert is my favorite part of a fiesta.

Christmas counts as a fiesta, no?

I made this for Thanksgiving, but it would be fantastic for a Christmas dinner, too. Or New Years. Or just for breakfast.

When you read the ingredients in this cake, you’ll see that it actually wouldn’t be so bad to have at breakfast. It’s full of healthy fats and protein, and sugar-free! This brings me to the strange. The healthy fat in this one is avocado. It’s good, I swear.

Between the avocado, eggs, and yogurt, this is one of the lightest, moist cakes you’ll ever have. It’s the perfect end to a heavier dinner. You could eat half of it without blinking an eye. ~~Not that I would know.~~

The almond, cinnamon, and cayenne are the Mexican part. If you’re concerned about the cayenne, you could leave it out. It’s not overwhelming; it simple gives the smallest hint of “hmmmm” at the end of a bite.

The icing on this cake was yet another healthy fat addition. I whipped coconut cream into a pillow-y spread for the cake. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem stiff enough at first – it will firm up as it settles.

You can have fun with the flavors here. I added vanilla and cinnamon, but a liqueur like Frangelico or pie spice would be excellent as well.

I know several of you made these Chocolate Avocado Cookies or these (Vegan) Blood Orange Scones… vouch for me! You really can’t taste the avocado.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

1 small avocado
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 C xylitol (or other sugar substitute)
3/4 C Icelandic yogurt (or Greek)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Coconut Icing

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a bundt pan.

In a small blender, mix the avocado and eggs until smoother. Stir in xylitol, yogurt, and extracts until combined.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet.

Once combined, add in milk and beat well.

Pour into bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10-15 minutes in pan and then transfer to wire rack to completely cool.

Eat as-is, or ice the cake with whipped coconut cream frosting. I used this recipe for the coconut cream whip, only I subbed more xylitol for the sugar, and added vanilla and cinnamon.

Note: Like most cakes, the flavors improve after that cake has a day to rest. Do wait to frost it until the day of.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

My mom took home a couple of slices and called the next day (at breakfast) to tell me it had gotten even better! I think day 2 is the perfect storm for this one.

Avocado. Would you bake with it? Have you ever?

What is your favorite dessert for the holiday season?

Strange But Good: Whiskey Bacon Brownies

December 6, 2013 By Laura

Strange is the new normal.

It is with my dessert-making, anyway.

For some reason I can’t get enough whiskey and bacon in my desserts this season. If you choose a spirit laced with notes of caramel and vanilla, it perfectly compliments a sweet dish. It also is strangely good with bacon. Sweet and salty, ftw!

These brownies are of the fudgy variety. I do love a cake-like brownie, but the richness of my add-ins called for a decadent dense chocolate background.

Even if you don’t do bacon or booze, these would be an incredible dessert. The cocoa powder gives them a deep flavor, and makes them no quite as tooth-achingly sweet as morsels would. Each bite is thick, rich experience. ~~Just how I like my dates.~~

Bonus: If you make extra bacon and reserve the fat when cooking, you’re well on your way to making a Whiskey-bacon Apple Pie.

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Whiskey Bacon Brownies

1 stick (1/2 C) salted butter
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1 C (200g) sugar
1/2 C (100g) light brown sugar, packed
1½ tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
1/2 C plus 2 T (60g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 C (120g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 C + 1 T good-quality whiskey (I used Balcones Baby Blue)
1/2 lb sliced bacon

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9 x 13” pan.

In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the sugars and apple sauce, stirring until fully incorporated. Remove the pot from the heat, then quickly whisk in the eggs (work fast so they don’t become scrambled egg brownies). Whisk in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just until incorporated.

Stir in 1/4 C of the whiskey then pour the batter into baking pan. Bang the pan on the counter a couple of times to release some of the air bubbles.

Bake for 20-25 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of your brownies comes out clean. Brush the top with remaining 1T of whiskey (this is optional, but really brings out the whiskey flavor).

Allow the brownies to cool slightly before cutting.

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Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

A word of advice: make these fresh and get them out of the house ASAP. I couldn’t be trusted with them alone!

Do you bake with booze? How about bacon?

What’s your favorite #strangebutgood baking add-in?

Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

November 22, 2013 By Laura

Soufflé is really a fluffy egg dish.

Winter makes me want fluffy things.

A soufflé is a “light, fluffy baked dish made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients.”

If you can fluff an egg in the oven, why not in the microwave? It sounds strange… but it’s good! And quick.

Since my competition, I have quick eating chicken first thing, but I have yet to stop running late and ~~shoveling down~~ eating breakfast in the car. A microwave breakfast is just the thing to make on the fly and go.

What better combo than peanut butter, apple, and egg? Protein and sweet, carb-y fruit to begin the day right. I love berries, but I missed heartier fruit during prep!

I scooped this out into a to-go cup after taking pics.

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Apple Peanut Butter Soufflé

1/2 C egg whites
1/4 tsp no-salt baking powder
1/4 tsp butter extract (or vanilla)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
2 T peanut flour*
1 small apple, chopped

In a small (cereal) bowl, beat eggs, baking powder, and extract.

In another small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, tossing with apple pieces to coat. Add apple mixture to the egg, stirring to combine. Microwave for 1-1.5 mins.

Remove and top as desired (I used more apple and freshly grated nutmeg).

*Note: You can also use coconut flour or a combo of the two here – just as delicious but a more cake-like texture.

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Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

Reminder: next week there will not be a #strangebutgood link up. Being around family should be enough strange, and hopefully it’s a good time for all! 😉

What is your favorite quick breakfast?

Do you have a favorite breakfast fruit? I like apples at breakfast and cherries for dessert.

Strange But Good: Pinterest Edition

November 15, 2013 By Laura

Eating tilapia, asparagus, and sweet potato is strange.

Not necessarily good.

In lieu of a recipe from me this week, I want to share some of the #strangebutgood creations you’ve linked up that I can’t wait to try!

This list is certainly not exhaustive…. you guys are brilliant creators of strange! Check out more on the Pinterest board. I’ve been collecting them to make post competition.

1. Banana Cornbread from Suzanne. Can you imagine the luscious texture?!

2. Lean Beef Balls… with a twist from the twerking king, Arman. Because you know I love some fruit with my beef!

3. You will NEVER guess what makes this Lemon Shortbread Oatmeal so creamy!

4. It’s been way too long since my last kabocha squash. Or my last brownie. These Fudgy Kabocha Brownies from Sarah are at the top ‘o the list.

5. This is a little bit of a cheat. I’ve made it before, but I want Broccoli Heather’s Peanut Butter Cup Omelette. It’s delicious.

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Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

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My last figure competition of the year is Saturday! I'm in Colorado with Heather, who's going to be competing in the bikini division - her first one! Follow our craziness and post-show debauchery on Instagram. 🙂

Have you made any of the #strangebutgood link ups?

What would be the first thing you eat after walking off the stage?

Strange But Good: Tofu Jalapeño Poppers

November 8, 2013 By Laura

You could stuff jalapeños with the typical mixture of cheeses.

But you know I need my protein.

In a strange twist, I found the solution in the form of a vegan protein source. Tofu.

Tofu is the chicken of the vegetarian world. It is a neutral protein that can take on any flavor. I’ve use it in the past to as a cheese replacement in Eggplant Rollatini, as an egg replacement in an Indian-Inspired Scramble, a chicken replacement in baked Chili-Nutty Tofu, as a thickener in Carrot Cake Batter Protein Shake, and even a protein add in this Tofu Grilled PB&J.

I use tofu here with a delicious mix of garlic and onions cooked with Mexican-inspired herbs and spices. You can experiment with any type of filling in these poppers! It makes for a fantastically creamy, low-fat, high protein stuffing!

Tofu Jalapeño Poppers

12 fresh jalapeños
9 oz extra firm tofu, squeezed of excess water and crumbled
Juice of 1 small lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp dried cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried cilantro

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the jalapeños and remove ribbing and seeds. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients using a fork to smash together.

Stuff each pepper half with tofu mixture.

Set each pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for ~20 mins, until the peppers have softened.

Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

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I’m on the road to KY for my competition this weekend! Thank you all SO MUCH for the well-wishes. I’ll be over-sharing (as usual) on Instagram. 😉

What is your favorite way to use tofu?

Have you made anything strange but good lately?