cooking ala mel

Mozzarella and Spinach Melt

March 20, 2011

We moved back into the dorms today. I caught a pretty nasty cold Friday, so I’ve been trying to fight it off before we start back up with classes tomorrow. After filling up our freezer and pantry since it was unplugged for the past week, Alex headed out to dinner with his sister and dad. On my own for dinner tonight, I decided I’d delve into one of the soups I froze a while back – tomato artichoke. I had some rye bread (my favorite) that I brought from home, so I decided I’d make a melt with spinach and mozzarella.

I sprayed a little skillet with olive oil with my misto, just so nothing would stick, and heated up some frozen spinach with Garlic Garlic, Onion Onion, dried sweet peppers and salt. Once it was cooked thoroughly, I topped one slice of prepared rye (sprayed with olive oil on one side) with the spinach, then topped that spinach with mozzarella and a tiny bit of parmesan. I then placed the other slice of rye on top and put it in the skillet and cooked each side over medium heat until browned and toasted.

The rye was definitely an interesting choice of bread for this; it’d probably be better with a crusty italian, but I really like rye so it was fine for me. The soup was definitely a perfect pairing with this sandwich!

Whole Wheat Fig Bars

March 19, 2011

While we were at home, my dad kept offering us Fig Newtons. While he was doing this, I also came across a post for homemade fig bars from steph chows. I wanted to make them, of course, but I didn’t have enough time at home to make them there (sorry, Dad!). When Alex and I were doing a bit of shopping yesterday, I found some figs and decided I’d make them.

I’m not sure whether I’d agree that these taste like fig newtons, but they’re tasty, so it hardly matters. I’d never actually had a fig before until I made these. I used honey instead of maple syrup or agave, and I think the distinct honey flavor might be what makes them so different from fig newtons, so I’ll have to test the differences later on.

I rolled out the first ball of dough between two pieces of wax paper, but it ended up sticking a good bit, so I just topped it with the filling and then pressed the other layer of dough on top. It made it so it didn’t look as neat, and there are some bars that are more dough than filling, but I was just getting way too frustrated with the wax paper.

Whole Wheat Fig Bars
recipe adapted from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar via steph chows

Filling
1 lb dried figs, hard stems removed and diced into small pieces
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (I used honey)
2 t finely grated citrus zest

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring on occasion.Dough
2 T ground flax seeds
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (or regular milk is fine, too)
1/2 cup canola oil (I used unsweetened apple sauce)
3/4 cup sucanat or other natural dry sweetener (I used sugar)
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Mix together the ground flax seeds, milk, oil, sweetener and vanilla until fully incorporated. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the flour to the wet mixture, and mix until a soft dough forms.
Divide into two balls and roll out between wax paper or press into a parchment lined pan without rolling. Top with fig mixture and then second layer of dough. Bake at 350ºF for 20-22 minutes.

Pots de Crème au Chocolat

March 15, 2011

I’m not sure when this recipe was discovered in my family – I think my mom found it at some point – but once it was found, it’s been tried, adapted with different flavorings and served at several dinners for dessert by each one of us. When my sister, Lauren, makes it, it’s a bit more boozy so you feel slightly lightheaded by the time you’re done. My mom gives it just the most subtle flavor of the rum so you can barely tell it’s there. And then there’s me, making it with the original rum and then also testing it out with amaretto and whipped cream vodka. It’s easy enough to be able to throw it together in about 5 minutes but rich and sophisticated enough to make your guests think you spent quite a bit of time making it.

I think it’s best garnished with strawberries, but a bit of whipped cream is fine if you don’t have any. Other fresh berries would be awesome, too. We use little tea cups, and I’m always tempted to fill each cup all the way, but a little goes a long way with this dessert – half way is plenty. This is definitely a very rich dessert. But for those chocolate lovers, you may want a bit more!

Don’t mind the darkness of these photos.. I forgot about the cups in the fridge until almost 9:30, so there was definitely no natural lighting left once I finally captured a picture!

Pots de Crème au Chocolat
adapted from Rachael Ray
serves 4
2/3 cup milk (have used anything from fat free milk to heavy cream – all are good!)
1 egg
2 T sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 T dark rum (or other liquor)

Heat milk over moderate heat until just boiling. Using a blender on low setting, combine chocolate chips, sugar, egg and salt. Slowly add milk and blend for about 1 minute, until smooth. Pour into four demitasse cups, and chill until set. Garnish with whipped cream and/or fresh berries.