Dark chocolate (Nutella) almond cookies

Chocolate Nutella Cookies


I made these dark chocolate cookies almost two months ago. Talk about a delay. :)

We had some dark chocolate spread in the house (knock-off Nutella), and I really wanted to make cookies with it. The above recipe is the one I chose, but I tweaked it a little. Instead of using chocolate chips and only 3 tablespoons of chocolate spread, I omitted the chips and used about 6 oz of chocolate spread, or almost half a container of the stuff. I also added almonds and sprinkled powdered sugar on the finished cookies.

These cookies would go perfectly with morning coffee. They are extremely dense but they are small, so they make the perfect bite. Nutella (hazelnut spread) or any other chocolate spread would work for this recipe. I know World Market carries a variety of flavors, like caramel, white chocolate, and the dark chocolate kind.

Greek yogurt with toasted pecans and honey

I am in love with Greek yogurt. My mom bought a big container at Whole Foods last week and I've been eating it every chance I get. Actually...I just had some with blueberries. Yum!

But the best way to eat Greek yogurt is with toasted nuts. I'm sure any nut would work, but the pecans are really delicious. Just spread the nuts out on a baking pan and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes. Mix it with a tablespoon of honey, and you really feel like you're eating a big bowl of ice cream. Plus, it's packed with protein and much more satisfying than ice cream!

I mean, just look at the picture, it speaks for itself. MMMM!

Cabbage and walnut stir-fry

I am so behind on food blogging...there are literally about 50 new pictures sitting around on my desktop that I haven't gotten around to posting. So I should have a lot of new posts in the next few days.

This is the first recipe I tried from my new Vegetarian Bible, which was a gift from Alejandro (even though he's claimed he won't eat anything out of it).

The book is full of gorgeous pictures and I was actually shocked at how yummy these vegetarian recipes look. There are several that I can't wait to make.

I made this cabbage dish for dinner this past weekend and everyone liked it, but it didn't seem filling enough to eat alone, so keep that in mind and pair it with something more substantial. Still it's got great flavors and it's perfect for you if you're a fan of cabbage, like my friend Adam, who also has a food blog, with much more beautiful pictures than my own.

Here is the recipe as published in the book.

Cabbage & Walnut Stir-Fry
serves 4

12 oz white cabbage
12 oz red cabbage
4 TB peanut oil
1 TB walnut oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 scallions, trimmed
8 oz firm tofu, cubed
2 TB lemon juice
1 C walnut halves
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp poppy seeds
salt and pepper

Using a sharp knife, shred the white and red cabbages thinly and set aside until required. Heat the peanut oil and walnut oil in a preheated wok. Add the garlic, cabbage, scallions, and tofu and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the lemon juice, walnuts, and mustard, season with salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Transfer the stir-fry to a warm serving bowl, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and serve immediately.

Honey-nut biscotti

Nut and Seed Biscotti from 101 Cookbooks
approx. 26 pieces, with 130 calories and 2.5g protein a piece


Biscotti takes practice. Let me tell you. I don't think I baked it long enough before cutting, so the loaf wasn't hard enough, and it was crumbling. Then I thought it was ruined because the thick pieces weren't getting crispy. But in the end, they crisped up fairly well and they tasted good. Slightly sweet, crunchy, and nutty.

I made the following variations to the recipe:
I used a mixture of sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, and poppy seeds. Instead of natural cane sugar, I used 1/3 c honey and 1/3 c granulated sugar. The calories listed above are based on these variations.