Flour Free Banana Bites

Dieting for my wedding was no fun, and there were certain cravings that I had to try and head off in creative ways.  Such as wanting cookies.  Mmmm.  Cookies.

Flour Free Banana Bites
3 super ripe bananas
1/4 cup flax seeds
1 1/4 cup quaker oats
4 Tbsp. sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine all of that goodness together in a bowl, then drop by rounded tablespoons onto a baking stone (or sheet).

Bake them at 350 for fifteen minutes, just to firm them up, and enjoy!  One of these has 78 calories (I got 19 out of the recipe - random, I know).

Because these are good sized, one was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.  And since they're flour-free, they taste nice and light!

I am writing this post pre-wedding, so right now I'm off gallivanting in a mystery country with my now-H (formerly F).  And I am hopeful that I am wearing something like this:

Jimmy Choo via Saks

They scream gallivanting newlywed, do they not?!

Brioche Rolls

To say that the culinary undertaking for Christmas this year was extensive would be an understatement.  (Prime rib with bacon porcini sauce, truffle brownies, and homemade ice cream if you're out of the loop, thus far.)

I figured that my go-big-or-go-home mentality shouldn't get in my way, so we had brioche rolls and caesar salad (more on that on Friday) too.  I had never made brioche before, in any form, but this recipe from my collection of Bon Appetit mags (going on 3 years worth) seemed like a good place to start.

I have never dealt with such sticky, buttery dough in my life; it was challenging.  And time consuming.  But like any good wannabe chef, I soldiered on.

I applied ample amounts of butter to my stone muffin pan, to be sure that the brioche rolls wouldn't stick.  As it turns out, the rolls themselves were so buttery I needn't have worried.  Better safe than sorry, though!

A little egg wash and a sprinkling of course kosher salt made all the difference.  These rolls were buttery, sweet, salty, and AMAZING.  If this is the reason I gained weight over the holidays, then I'm not mad at 'em.

What's not to love?!

Valentino via Bergdorf Goodman

I'll say it again . . . what's not to love.  If sweet, salty, and buttery applied to a flat, these would be them.  Valentino may call them Rockstud flats, but they will be known forever in my heart as brioche flats.

Turkey Parmesan Meatballs

When my mother and aunt were in town, way back in October (where did the time . . . year! . . . go?) I decided to try my hand at a turkey parmesan meatball recipe of my own creation.  I am not going to lie, it turned out well. 

First up, the red sauce.  I started by sauteing a half cup of red onion in a little olive oil, then adding four cloves of minced garlic garlic once the onions became slightly translucent.  At that point, I added one 28 oz. can Cento tomatoes (whole), sugar (about 2 tablespoons), as well as oregano, basil, red pepper, salt, and pepper (to taste).

I crushed the tomatoes as the mixture simmered, to ensure a nice thick, rich sauce.  I then covered the sauce and set to work on my meatballs (first step, preheat the oven to 350 degrees).

1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 c. parmesan
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
one medium red onion
1/4 c. chopped parsley
4 cloves garlic
To taste:  oregano, basil, red pepper, salt, pepper

Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and use your hands to combine well.  Shape the mixture into racquetball-sized meatballs.

I browned my meatballs as best I could on all sides.  And set them aside, momentarily, to drain any residual fat.  I poured a few large spoonfuls of my red sauce into a 9x13 baking dish, then placed the meatballs on top.

I poured the remainder of my sauce over the meatballs, and added a few slices of fresh mozzarella for extra credit (cheese never hurts, especially fresh mozzarella!).

After baking for about 20 minutes, I served the meatballs with some sauteed spinach and a mixture of orzo and shredded zucchini.

That photo does not do the meal justice.  The meatballs were filling, yet light, and the side dishes accompanied the cheesy flavor of the meatballs perfectly.

I think that these wedges would accompany my spring wardrobe nicely:

Pollini via Saks

I'm not familiar with Pollini, but at this price point and with shoes that are this gorgeous, I suspect we'll be great, lifelong friends. 

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Stroganoff

This recipe arrived in my inbox one fine day, a few weeks back, and I couldn't resist giving it a shot.  Having never been a fan of traditional stroganoffs, however, I decided to make a few changes and make this extra spicy.

I used spicy brown mustard instead of dijon, and added plenty of white pepper and tobasco to my sauce to make it as spicy and flavorful as possible.

I also had a hard time finding light french onion dip, so I used the heavy stuff.  That was a decision that, while not good for the waist-line, I definitely recommend, because the flavor was tremendous.

And I've never met an egg noodle I didn't like, so while I would've preferred to serve this atop some sort of healthy somethingorother, the egg noodles were an obvious choice.

My inner horseback-riding-loving North Dakota girl totally came out when I saw these boots:

via

These are totally the boots that fashionable Ash would have worn to horse camp, lo those many years ago.  And she would have rocked the shit heck out of them - so much so that I think I need them now, to reconnect with my youth.  My birthday is creeping up, and feeling 12 again wouldn't be so bad (without the things that made being 12 so awkward, that is).

Black Bean Croquettes

"What's for dinner?" the F asked me, well over a month ago.  When I responded, ever-so-casually, "black bean croquettes," a look of abject terror appeared on his face.  It was like I had told him our house was on fire, or Arnie had been kidnapped.  He was not thrilled.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this recipe was the easiest to make in the world.  It's hard to mash black beans (at least it is when you have spindly Olive Oil arms, like yours truly) and I was honestly afraid these were going to turn out badly when I started mashing.  When I started incorporating the other ingredients, though, things came together.

I made mine extra spicy (of course) and got WAY more than 8 balls, as the serving size suggested in the recipe (I ended up with about 12).  I also baked mine on my baking stones, and used store-bought (aka lazy) salsa instead of making my own.  All worthwhile edits, in my opinion.

We ate them with avocado, fat free sour cream, more lazy salsa, and whole wheat, high fiber tortillas.  Two balls were so filling that I don't know how the recipe wanted me to make them bigger.  Despite his initial reaction, the F loved these and took the leftovers for lunch, willingly, for the rest of the week.  Success!

I was catching up on my favorite website, Go Fug Yourself, recently, and (as they often do) were discussing the Duchess of Cambridge and her penchant to successfully wear (and look fabulous in) Alexander McQueen.  And then, shortly thereafter, I saw these:

Alexander McQueen via Bergdorf Goodman

The serendipitous viewing of the Duchess looking stunning in McQueen, followed by these shoes being stunning McQueen's, leads me to believe that the two should unite.  I like it when she steps outside of her pretty pretty princess box, and these shoes would certainly do the trick!

Energy Balls

This recipe for no-bake energy bites (which I prefer to call "energy balls," given my affinity for ball-shaped foods) thrilled me the moment I stumbled across it on pinterest.  With my minimal modifications I can assure you, peeps, that these will become a staple in my house.

I went with reduced-fat, creamy peanut butter in place of regular, wheat germ in place of flax seed, and chopped dark chocolate in place of the mini chocolate chips. 

I brought some of these into work, and they were as big of a hit in the library as they were at home.  The F has even requested them since, which is definitely a success, in my book!

I think that I'm going to request a pair of these, and see what happens.

Christian Dior via Bergdorf Goodman

I am quite certain that there is not a single person in my life who would grant such a request, but it may be worth a (long) shot.

The Super(ball): Part Three

The final event in the Super(ball) extravaganza occurred thanks to Tasting Table, which arrives in my inbox everyday and delights me to no end (today's recipe was about pork and bourbon.  What's not to love?!).  Typically I am not a lover of these sorts of meatballs, but the title "Have a Ball:  Meatballs get Cheesy" won me over, and I went for it.

This was the first time I'd used fresh bread to make my bread crumbs, and I really do believe it made all the difference (I also used the fresh bread for these balls, too).

These balls did require a bit more work than the last, in that they required a brief stint in my grill pan prior to baking.  But it was well worth it.

The F didn't even think that these balls required sauce, which is saying a great deal as he prefers nearly all foods with sauce.  These were great reheated as well as an appetizer, and would be ideal thrown on top of some spaghetti.

The F is in the throes of planning our honeymoon and telling me enough to make me want to know more but not enough so that I have any idea what he's planning.  I do, however, have reason to believe that it will involve Europe and yours truly rockin' these:

Miu Miu via Barneys

Flat, comfortable-looking, and go with any and everything.  Perfect for a European honeymoon.  Or a beach honeymoon.  Or a safari honeymoon.  Or an Alaskan honeymoon.  Ok, maybe not that.

The Super(ball): Part Two

Because yesterday was simply a part one, today I present to you balls part deux.  Part dos.  Part awesome.

These buffalo chicken meatballs (discovered in the local paper by the F) were wonderfully easy to make, healthy, and delicious.  Get yourself some ground turkey, wing sauce, butter, celery, and bread crumbs and you have the makings of a tasty ball, peeps!

Baked up and served up with a dipping sauce of your choice (bleu cheese for me, ranch for the F) and these make a mean appetizer for a crowd (Yes, there are approximately 53 meatballs in that pan.  Yes, the F and I watched the Superbowl by ourselves.  Yes, sometimes I make too much food because I like to cook and we have no friends.  IS THAT A CRIME?!)

Are these?

Lanvin via Barneys

I want to like them.  I do.  I just . . . I can't.  That leather toe with the espadrille bottom.  Just.  No.

The Super(ball): Part One

I'm not going to lie, my two favorite things about this year's Superbowl were seeing Cee Lo Green dressed as some sort of bedazzled priest, and listening to Gisele complain about the game.  "My husband can not f****ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time."  Thanks, Gisele.  I'm sure it eased the pain of the loss for poor Tommy.

My other favorite thing about the Superbowl:  the balls.  And not the balls on TV (take that as you may).  The F and I enjoyed a feast of balls this year, beginning with these deep-fried cheddar cheese balls.  You'll need a one pound block of cheddar diced into half inch cubes (then put in the freezer so they get REALLY cold) and the following:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup beer
• a deep frier or a lot of hot oil in a pan

Mix the first five ingredients together, then dip the cheese cubes in the batter and lay them out on a sheet of wax paper.  Then freeze them for a few hours.

They will look like this when they're frozen (which is to say, weird) but don't fret, all will make sense.  Heat your oil to between 375 and 400 degrees, and drop those suckers in 5 or 6 at a time.  Let them fry until they're golden brown, then drain them on a cooling rack (with ample paper towels underneath).

Eat them hot, and with a vat of ranch dressing if you're so inclined (and we were, if you couldn't tell by the ceramic football full of ranch.  Don't worry, it was light).

Not light:

Edmundo Castillo via Saks

Don't get me wrong, those are some beautiful colors.  But I think they look heavy.  Like peeps on the street might think I fancy bricks as footwear.  What say you, peeps?