Super Bowl brownies

Yes I know I posted a couple of healthy recipes but I'm also a baker. I have a small cupcake business that I run out of my home called Laura's cupcakes. So i will definitely posts some sinful sweet recipes as well as more healthy ones.
I've had a sweet tooth since I came out of the womb and really fell in love with baking just a few years ago. I began to read a bunch of dessert recipes and started to teach myself how to bake. I watched tons of cooking shows, read lots of cookbooks, and of course got a tip or two from my mom.
I first started off baking with quick and easy cake and cookie mixes. Then once I got the hang of how to properly bake I began reading about organic eggs and milk. I also became aware of how much processing goes into white sugar & flour to get it looking nice, white, and refined for the consumer. I began to read labels on the items I was baking with and became a little grossed out.
So I began to experiment with different scratch recipes and started to use real butter, real vanilla extract, non refined flour and sugar, and free range eggs. I honestly can taste the difference in my baking and think its worth the little bit of extra money spent.

Super Bowl Sunday and food go hand in hand in my family. I suddenly got the urge that morning to bake. I gave my kids the choice and they screamed "brownies"!!! So I went on one of favorite food apps called food gawker and found a decadent looking brownie called Oreo truffle brownies, YUM!!!! I never made them before and couldn't wait to try them.
This recipe is a standard brownie, topped with a truffle layer of Oreo cookies and cream cheese, then topped with chocolate ganache!!! What's not to love, right???
So try this recipe out when you want to splurge and make some yummy treats.

Oreo Truffle Brownies (Good Thymes and Good Food food blog)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (use real butter not a substitute)
2 cups granulated sugar (I used a non refined sugar)
4 large eggs (organic or free range)
1tsp. vanilla extract (*use real vanilla)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups all-propose flour (use non bleached flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
30 Oreo cookies (Newman's Own makes a great vegan cookie without all the artificial fillers and preservatives)
6oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup heavy cream (a bit pricey but necessary for a good ganache)
10 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13in baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside. This helps pop the brownies out easily.
2.In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together, 2 minutes. Add eggs and mix well, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add in vanilla, salt, cocoa, and flour. Mix just until combined, being careful not to over mix batter.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Remove to a wire cooking rack and cool completely.
4. While the brownies are cooling, make the Oreo truffle layer. In a the bowl of a food processor, pulse cookies into fine crumbs, removing 1/4 for topping, Add in cream cheese and pulse until combined.
5. Once brownies are completely cool, carefully spread Oreo truffle layer over brownies with an offset spatula. (The truffle layer doesn't have to be perfect because it will be covered with ganache.)

 

6. Heat cream in a microwave-safe bowl until very warm, 1 minute at a time. Stir chocolate into cream until completely melted and smooth. Pour ganache over Oreo layer and spread with an offset spatula. Place in refrigerator until fully set. Store in fridge.

*I make my own vanilla extract and it's really very very simple. I'll post the recipe later.

My mommas cooking

If any of you know my mom or had the opportunity to eat her cooking then you will understand why I posted one of her recipes.
All of my life I've always known that my mom is a great home cook. But unfortunately when I was younger and naive I didn't have the slightest interest in learning how to cook. I can remember several times growing up my mom kept trying to teach me and show me things and I could of cared less. But oh boy how funny life turns out. Trust me as an adult I'm always asking her where she got that recipe or how did she make a certain dish. Food is now one of the passions we both share and so is cooking. If I could go back in time and sit my twelve year old self down I would, but I'm learning now!

Today's recipe is a sweet pepper pasta sauce. I believe that sweet peppers are now in season because I see them in every store I'm in. One day when I was shopping I  noticed them in quite a few customer's carts. Then it occurred to me I could get my mom's recipe for her pepper sauce!
So here is her sweet pepper sauce and I can't wait to try other recipes using these peppers while they are in season and very inexpensive.

Ingredients:
1/2 red onion chopped
sliced sweet peepers chopped (about 1 cup or so)
2 garlic cloves minced  (we used 4-garlic lovers)
28oz can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is the best)
15oz can tomato sauce
Basil (1/2 cup chiffonade stripes)
Fresh ground pepper
Salt (Kosher is best)
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes (this sauce has a kick)

1) Saute the sweet peppers in garlic oil until them start to become soft. Then add the red onion and garlic. Cook until onions become translucent. At this point I added some salt and pepper to taste.
2) Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and mix with the cooked veggies.
3) Next season your sauce with the basil, salt, ground pepper, nutmeg, and chili flakes. You of course could always add more if the sauce tastes a little tart or unseasoned. I kept adding a little bit more and stirring to incorporate and kept tasting until I thought it tasted just right.

***I served this sauce over spaghetti and Vegan Italian sausage and it turned out great***

Eating healthy

As a foodie I love to cook. And most of all I'm obsessed with recipes. I love cookbooks, cooking magazines & shows, and food apps.
On this journey to become healthier I'm always on the lookout for tasty vegetarian and calorie conscious recipes. I recently subscribed to Vegetarian Times and Cooking Light magazines. I experimented with Vegan Vietnamese sandwiches, chickpea curry, and today's recipe Spaghetti with Bok Choy with poached eggs.
This recipe is low cal and packed with vitamins and minerals. The bok choy is rich in vitamin A,C, and K. It also has a lot of potassium and calcium. I love this recipe because not only does it tastes good but it's also a complete meal with protein (egg), veggies, and complex carbs (wheat pasta). Also when you slice into the poached egg and mix the pasta all together it creates a rich and yummy sauce. 😋

Here is the recipe I tried from my Vegetarian Times magazine. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed.

Spaghetti with Bok Choy, Poached Egg, and Ramano cheese. (vegetarian times)
Serves 4
Per 2-cup serving (395 cal, 14g fat)

1 Tbs. olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced bok choy (about 1lb)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
5 cloves of garlic (I used 7-garlic lovers)
1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
4 large eggs
1/2lb whole wheat spaghetti
4 green onions (I used about 6)
2oz grated Romano cheese (1/2 cup)

1) heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add bok choy, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes; sauté 8 minutes, or until vegetables turn golden. Stir in garlic, then broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and keep warm.
2) Bring skillet filled with 2 inches of water to boil. Crack eggs into skillet; reduce heat to low, and poach 4 minutes. (I use my handy poachpod).
3) Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Toss cooked pasta with bok choy mixture. Divide pasta among serving bowls, and top each serving with a poached egg, 2 Tbs green onions, and 2 Tbs Romano cheese. Season with salt and pepper if desired.