Don't waste food. That's what my grandmother always told me. I took that simple idea to heart.
When we go out to eat, I bring home what we don't eat. Especially the
bread. Why let good bread get thrown away?
And if you're in the grocery store, and you see a loaf of marked-down white bread, buy it and you'll be able to make a dessert that's as easy-to-make as it is elegant looking and delicious.
My friend Pat Loud says that chocolate is ALWAYS the best choice for dessert at a dinner party. What I love about Pots de Crème is that it can be made ahead (up to 3 days) and it packs a great chocolate punch. The satiny texture takes “chocolate pudding” to a whole new decadent level. Many recipes require a baking the dishes in a hot water bath, but this recipe is much simpler and uses a cooked custard (crème anglaise) method which is poured over the bittersweet chocolate.
You can cut the recipe in half to serve 4 or increase as needed depending on how many you are serving. Small porcelain dishes or espresso cups make great serving dishes and because it’s so rich, a small amount goes a long way. Although I like to serve it with a small butter waffle cookie and my recently discovered Yoku Moku cookies from Japan (http://www.yokumoku.com), a simple dollop of cream and some chocolate shavings will deliver beautiful dessert for any occasion.
This site is Foodie Porn!
(You do not want your friends to know about Goldbely...honestly. And, word of warning, do not check out this site unless you have TUMS at your fingertips)
I tripped on this awesome web site today and scrolling down the imagery, it became obvious that there was nothing...N*O*T*H*I*N*G on this site that comes under the heading of “healthy.” About time!
Goldbely declares, “We are on a mission to discover all things delicious… seeking out the legendary local restaurants, amazing artisans and great gourmet food purveyors that produce amazing regional products…Our vision is an online marketplace that connects curious eaters with America's best gourmet food purveyors. We are creating an alternative to the food conglomerates.”
Their goal - “To make the world a yummier place.”
When I asked what I could bring for dessert to a recent gathering, my friend told me that her husband loves “anything pumpkin” - particularly healthy recipes - but also a little decadent.
Always up for a challenge, I consulted my well-worn copy of Whole Grain Baking from King Arthur. They have a wonderful recipe for Pumpkin Layer cake which uses both whole wheat and whole barley flour. It’s a quick and easy cake recipe and the barley and pumpkin keep it nice and moist.
I opted for cupcakes which are easier to transport and decided to frost them with a Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Buttercream. For a finishing touch, I made some candied pecans with pumpkin seeds and crystallized ginger.
The result was an over-the-top cupcake with a very “healthy” vibe.
I have been making this sandwich again and again over the past two weeks and decided it's probably time to share them with all of you. Heck, just look at them...what's not to love?
Just this morning I shoved one into the hands of my oldest son as he was running out the door. Turns out it's perfect school bus food too. Lucky him. The ingredients are simple and you probably already have most of them at home.
My main inspiration for this recipe were my beautiful California avocados. There is rarely a day that goes by that I don't enjoy an avocado with one of my meals or as a snack. They truly are nature's butter and require nothing to make them an amazing and healthy treat. Avocados are one of the few fruits that provide good fats in our diet (3 g of mono and 0.5 g polyunsaturated fat per 1-oz. serving) and are heart healthy.
And don't be afraid to buy extra avocados and keep them in your fridge. I store mine in the crisper drawer and they keep for weeks. This means I always have a ripe avocado to use when I'm ready...which is daily. After you scramble your eggs, place them on top of your toasted bagels and sprinkle with shredded cheese. It will melt nicely on top of the hot eggs.