Make it... for Breakfast!

In all the craziness that is the weeks leading up to the National Stationery Show, I feel like I barely get out the door in the morning, let alone grabbing a Greek yogurt (my fave!) from the fridge.  This weekend, I took a step back and prepared some food for the week... Healthy lunches, bags of vegetables for snacks and homemade granola to top that yogurt for breakfast.  Give it a go - it just might give you that boost that I find myself needing in the morning!

Homemade Maple Granola

1/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup maple syrup 2 tsp almond extract 4 cups oatmeal (not the quick stuff… you want the old fashioned oats!) 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil and almond extract. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Drizzle syrup mixture over oat mixture until all syrup has been incorporated.

Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and stir mixture around on cookie sheet. Return to oven for 8 minutes more or until golden brown.

Let cool and serve. (If stored in an air tight container, granola will keep for a couple of weeks.)

Enjoy!

Cupcake Love

I have a huge obsession with monograms...and cupcakes! Nothing makes me happier than seeing the two combined. Monograms add such a special touch to these delicate little treats! They’re perfect for parties, weddings and bridal showers! Check out these wonderful cupcakes and others below. Enjoy!

1. http://www.evokephotoandvideo.com

2. http://www.sprinkles.com/wedding-cupcakes/custom-decorations

3. www.marthastewart.com

4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/deathbycupcake.com

5. http://www.georgetowncupcake.com

Make-it Monday : Milkbar-Style

Chocolate-Chocolate Cookiesby Christina Tosi Makes 10 to 15 cookies

An ode to my favorite baked good of all time, the fudgy brownie, this cookie has a healthy salt content and, to me, is perfection.

INGREDIENTS 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 cup glucose 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ounces 55% chocolate, melted 1 1/4 cups flour 3/4 cup cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona 3 g baking powder 3/4 teaspoon 1.5 g baking soda 1/4 teaspoon 7 g kosher salt 1 3/4 teaspoons 1/2 recipe Chocolate Crumb (below) PREPARATION Combine the butter, sugar, and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, vanilla, and melted chocolate, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Still on low speed, add the chocolate crumbs and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature--they will not bake properly.

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. It's tough (kind of impossible) to gauge if a cookie that is this dark with chocolate is done. If after 18 minutes, the cookies still seem doughy in the center, give them another 1 minute in the oven, but not more.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Chocolate Crumb Makes about 2 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS 2/3 cup flour 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1/2 cup sugar 2/ 3 cup cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona 1 teaspoon kosher salt 6 tablespoons butter, melted

PREPARATION Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.

Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.

Spread the clusters on a parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.

Let the crumbs cool completely before using in a recipe or eating. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep fresh for 1 week at room temperature or 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

Recipe from bonappetit.com

D.C. American Lamb Pro-Am!

Hi All :)  Thanks for coming on over to check out this recipe I put together for the very first D.C. American Lamb Pro-Am Challenge!   I have a little experience with this lean, mean grazing machine from a ways back, but love trying new techniques!  I was thrilled when I opened my refrigerated bag to find a hunk of a piece (boneless leg) of lamb from Border Springs Farm down in Southwest Virginia.  I knew I just had to try baking it in a salt crust - one of the oldest methods for cooking fish that always keeps the flesh perfectly moist and tender!  And if that seems odd that fish and lamb can be cooked the same way, give it a whirl, your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised!  (And if you'd like, you can go vote for my lamb in the Pro-Am Challenge here!)  Recipe and more pics after the jump!

Salt Baked Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• One 6-7 pound boneless leg of lamb
• Fresh pepper for seasoning
• One 48 oz. box of Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup Herbs de Provence
• 8 large egg whites
• Thyme Sprigs for garnishing, if desired

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit
• Remove the lamb from packaging and season with the freshly ground pepper
• In a large frying pan that is safe to go in the oven, heat the olive oil until hot.  Add the lamb and let cook on each "side" on medium high heat until browned - about 7-10 minutes.
• While the lamb is browning, make the salt crust mixture by placing the egg whites in a mixer and beating just until frothy.  Add the Kosher salt and Herbs de Provence and mix until combined.
• When the lamb is finished browning, remove the pan from the heat and pack the salt mixture all around the lamb, leaving no open spaces (you don't want the steam/moisture to to escape when baking).
• Place the lamb in the oven and roast until the meat registers 120° Fahrenheit for medium-rare.  This should take 40-60 minutes, so check early to be sure to not over cook the meat!
• Remove the roast from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes for the salt crust to set.  Then, crack off the crust to reveal the meat.  Discard the salt and droppings in the pan.
• Place the lamb on a serving platter and let set for another 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

White Bean & Garlic Smash with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (the perfect accompaniment for this lamb!)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cans of cannellini beans
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 15-20 garlic cloves, pealed
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions:

• Start by roasting the garlic in the olive oil in a small dish (I put this in with the lamb).
• Once the garlic is softened and gently toasted (about 20 minutes), remove from the oven and add the salt, beans and sun-dried tomatoes.
• Place the dish back in the oven so the flavors can roast and meld together while the lamb is still cooking.
• Remove from the oven once golden brown on top and serve along side the lamb.  Enjoy!

Make-it Monday : Japanese-style

We had a ton of fun yesterday making one of my favorite foods... homemade sushi!  It's really not that hard and fun to do in a group - everyone fills their rolls with their favorite Japanese morsels and then you have bites of all different combos!  The key is buying fresh fish and good nori.  Here in Washington, DC, I love to get the seafood at BlackSalt and you can get fresh roasted nori at the H Mart groceries.  More photos and steps after the jump... There are some great online sources (and videos) for step by step instructions and recipes for the rice... Here are a couple I would recommend:

How to make the rice: http://www.makemysushi.com/index.php/Sushi-Preparations/sushi-rice.html

How to roll the sushi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz9EAqTBrNw&feature=relmfu

Happy Sushi Making!