Tag: Winter

Chocolate Chip and Walnut Banana Bread

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Not all banana bread is created equal. Some banana bread veers a little too healthy, resulting in a cardboard-like texture. Hard pass. This banana bread recipe, however, manages to straddle the line between delicious and healthy: it’s not too sweet or buttery, but it’s studded with dark chocolate so you’re not missing any decadence. A mix of flours keeps the texture balanced.

Ingredients:
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees and coat a 9″x5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas using a fork until they are the consistency of applesauce, then stir in the egg, vanilla, and maple syrup.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the banana mixture and mix until fully combined, then gently fold in the chocolate chunks and walnuts.
  4. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan, then bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the banana bread from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or in the fridge up to 5 days.

Blood Orange Aperol Spritz

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I know we reached peak Aperol spritz saturation sometime around mid-2024, but this blood orange Aperol spritz is the perfect cocktail to carry you through the springtime. It’s sunny, it’s citrusy, it’s herbaceous. Warmer weather is almost here, I can feel it.

This recipe makes enough for 8 servings, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bottle Prosecco or other sparkling wine
  • 2 cups Aperol
  • 1 cup club soda
  • Juice of 2 blood oranges
  • About 20 basil leaves
  • 8 slices blood orange, to garnish
  1. Pour in the Prosecco, Aperol, club soda, and blood orange juice into a pitcher. Add the basil leaves and stir gently to combine. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish each with a blood orange slice.

Kale Salad with Tahini-Honey Mustard Dressing

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I promise you that this kale salad doesn’t taste like a plate of twigs. It’s got the perfect texture and thanks to chickpeas and hemp seeds, it’s nutty and full of protein, too. And honestly? The roasted spiced chickpeas make a terrific snack on their own too. Make sure to use curly kale here, as Tuscan kale will be too rough for the salad.

Ingredients:

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch curly kale, washed and stemmed
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 radishes, diced
  • 2 Persian cumbers, diced (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

For the roasted chickpeas:

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the tahini honey mustard dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  1. Make the roasted chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 400F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then pat dry. On the baking sheet, toss the chickpeas with the avocado oil, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne. Roast the chickpeas for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.
  3. Make the tahini honey mustard dressing: In a small bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, mustard, and honey. Whisk the dressing to emulsify. Whisk in up to 1 teaspoon water to thin as needed. Set dressing aside.
  4. Make the salad: Tear kale into bite-sized pieces, then add to a large bowl along with the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and massage for 30 seconds or until the kale appears softened. Add the roasted chickpeas, radish, cucumbers, hemp seeds, and nutritional yeast.
  5. Drizzle the dressing and toss to combine, and serve.

Chili Crisp Charred Beets with Ricotta

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I can’t get enough chili crisp and I know you can’t either. This unlikely pairing of chili crisp, beets, kale, and creamy ricotta has won me over and honestly, I can’t stop making (or eating) it. Adapted from Bon Appetit, you can easily prepare the beets a day ahead of time and assemble the rest of the dish the day of. And this side dish is just as delicious without the ricotta, too.

Ingredients:

  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons chili crisp
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems and ribs removed
  • 1 pound prepared cooked beets, drained
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • 4 ounces ricotta cheese
  1. Prepare a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Stir garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chili crisp, and salt in a medium bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Set dressing aside.
  2. Toss kale, beets, and oil in a large bowl with your hands until coated. Cook kale and beets, turning occasionally, until kale is crisp and charred and beets are charred, about 4 minutes for kale, 12 minutes for beets. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cut kale into large pieces. Cut beets into quarters. Add beets to reserved dressing and toss to coat. Let sit 20 minutes.
  3. To serve, spread ricotta on a platter. Add kale to bowl with beets, toss to combine. Spoon mixture over ricotta and drizzle remaining dressing all over.

Classic Ragu with Pasta

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Everyone needs a good ragu recipe in their back pocket, and this one is it. Cook a big batch slow and low, freeze it, and warm it up when the weather is chilly and you’re craving something super satisfying. Easy.

Ingredients:
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • Black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 pound spaghetti, fettuccine, or similar
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
  1. Prepare the meat: place the milk, 2 tablespoons olive oil, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a pinch of black pepper into a large bowl and stir. Add the beef and gently massage the marinade into the meat with your hands. Let the meat stand at room temperature for up to 1 hour while you prepare the sauce.
  2. Make the sauce: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
  3. Add the meat to the pot, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook, without stirring, for about 5 minutes. Stir and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until the meat is browned.
  4. Add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes, until the wine is reduced by half. Pour in the tomatoes and juice, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands before the go into the pot. Add a pinch of black pepper and let the sauce simmer, partially covered, over low heat, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Using tongs, transfer the pasta directly from the water to the sauce to finish cooking, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water and gently toss. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.