Comfort Foods and Indulgences

31 Days Of Pie, Day 31: Gaby’s S’more Pudding Pie

Day 31 of 31 Days of Pie is Gaby’s S’more Pudding Pie, via Joy.

Well here we are at the last day of our 31 Days Of Pie. I won’t bother with a count, but I’m sure there were dozens of eggs, pounds and pounds of butter, endless calories, and tons of wonderfully sweet moments throughout the month. I don’t know about you, but I’m beyond excited to ring in 2015 and see all the wonderful things it will bring. I saved this pie for last because I think it’s one of the most beautiful pies I’ve ever seen thanks to Adam, and it comes from the world’s-best-friend-anyone-could-ever-hope-to-have Gaby by way of Joy, another fantastic friend of mine. It has a little bit of everyone in it, and it sums things up about how I feel about pie: they bring people together. And thank you for reading and commenting about this pie thang, it’s been so much fun!

Gaby’s S’more Pudding Pie

So Gaby says she took a few recipes from Joy’s latest book and crafted her own creation. This pie is the result. And it is FANTASTIC. Thank you, Gaby! Thank you, Joy!

Jalapeno Black Bean Dip

Adapted from Best Recipes
Serve with your favorite dippers while rooting for your team.

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and mashed
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes

Drain black beans and mash them with a fork. Add 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, mayonnaise, jalapeno pepper, ground cumin, garlic powder and parsley flakes and mix until combined.

Spoon mixture into a 1-quart casserole, then top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Place onto a baking sheet and bake at 375°F uncovered for 20 twenty minutes or until heated through. Serve with your favorite dippers.

– Recipe courtesy of The Noble Pig

Guilt-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins

Noble-Pig-Guilt-Free-Chocolate-Banana-Muffins What is a guilt-free muffin anyway? I guess that means something different to everyone. Let's face it, muffins do not usually equal health food, but there are ways to make them better for you. A healthier muffin to me means, a little protein and fiber, with a lot less cholesterol causing ingredients and lower in calories.

I am literally shocked at how good this muffin tastes with just a few little ingredient changes. There is no oil or butter in these muffins! And they are satisfying and sweet; dense, but in a good way. They are also completely moist, even after four days.

I used my tips and tricks for the Best Banana Nut Muffin and applied them to this recipe. The two-cup method does work when it comes to creating a banana muffin you will love.

Consider it the perfect gateway snack in between meals, with a cup of black coffee of course.

31 Days Of Pie, Day 26: Macadamia Nut Pie

Day 26 of 31 Days Of Pie is a Macadamia Nut Pie

Macadamia Nut Pie If you’ve noticed a theme here (other than pies), you’ll notice a love for the nuts+pie combo. Perhaps it’s a contrasting textural thang, or maybe it’s a way of rationalizing eating so many pies (i.e. nuts are healthy, right?) At any rate, this pie is a tropical breeze in a pie shell, using macadamias for crunch on top of sweet vanilla pie filling. It’s a good one from Epicurious. Enjoy!

Macadamia Nut Pie

Ingredients
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 frozen 9-inch deep-dish pie crust
2 cups roasted unsalted macadamia nuts
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Stir Your Risotto Less, Work Your Glutes More

When we first moved to Southern California, we thought we were in pretty good shape; turns out that “pretty good shape” is a relative phrase. Even the guy bagging our groceries knows his body fat percentage. In fact, the popular gym chain, 24 Hour Fitness (yes, they are open 24 hours a day), originated here. That pretty much says it all.

After a killer leg workout at the gym this past Sunday, we wanted to treat ourselves to a mega-carb meal. Since I had a butternut squash saved and had just purchased some fresh rosemary, I decided to make butternut squash risotto.

I prefer fresh rosemary to dried because its soft needles are much more redolent and its flavor is brighter. In this butternut squash risotto, it heightens the flavor of the squash and balances the pungent blue cheese.

I know some people don’t make risotto because it takes too long and the continuous stirring is tedious. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret: I’ve been making risotto for years, and I don’t stir it continuously.

Comfort Foods and Indulgences