DIY Wednesday: Chocolate Caramel Candy

July 22, 2015July 22, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Sometimes you just need something sweet, preferably covered in chocolate. There are days that a piece of fruit is just not going to satisfy your sweet tooth. I used to think that I had to fight that sweet craving because it was a sign of my weakness. I would ignore it and tell myself that I was making my willpower stronger. I was really just making myself miserable.

Having a craving for sweet stuff doesn’t mean that you are weak, it means that you are human. Indulging in a sweet treat every once in a while is totally fine and better for your sanity in the long run. You just have to do it the right way. If you find yourself reaching for a candy bar multiple times throughout the day, then maybe you need a little sugar detox. But if you’re looking for a little bite every now and then, this DIY is just for you.

Homemade food is always going to trump store bought because you are in control of the ingredients. That is especially true for this candy. It’s only two simple ingredients, but will still satisfy that craving for a little something decadent. You can even add nuts or seeds for a little crunch and texture. Make a batch and keep them on hand for whenever you need a little bite of chocolatey caramel-y goodness!

Chocolate Caramel Candy

10 Medjool dates, pitted and sliced in half (you could also use prunes)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (read notes for another substitution)
1 tbsp coconut oil
pinch of sea salt
peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds (optional)

Place pitted and sliced dates into a bowl and cover with hot water. Let dates soak for 10 to 15 minutes until very soft
Drain the dates and place them into a blender with the pinch of salt. Blend until everything is completely smooth.
Spoon about a teaspoon or so of the date caramel mix into a silicone mold. You could also put them on a parchment lined cookie tray. If you’re using nuts, press one into each caramel now. Freeze for 30 to 45 minutes.
Melt the 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1 tbsp coconut oil. You can do this in the microwave in 20-second intervals stirring until all the chips are melted and it’s smooth. Or you could melt the chips in a double broiler.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the frozen date caramel and pop them out of the molds. Using a fork, dip the caramel into the chocolate and place onto the cookie sheet, working quickly. Place the sheet into the freezer once they’re all covered
Freeze for 15 minutes then enjoy! Keep the candy in a container in the freezer so they don’t melt.

*Note* You can also use baking chocolate for the coating. Use 100% cacao and melt in a double broiler with 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey. Stir constantly until completely smooth.

DIY Wednesday: Fruit Chips

July 15, 2015July 15, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Does anyone remember the Seneca brand of apple chips? They came in all these super delicious flavors like granny smith and my absolute favorite, cinnamon. When I was younger my sister and I only got to eat them once in a blue moon. My mom considered them a treat and not an everyday snack. She was smart to do that because those things were loaded with added sugar.

Well, today’s DIY was partly inspired by those chips. I wanted to make a snack that tasted just as good but didn’t have all the added sugar. Fruit is naturally sweet and when you dry it out you concentrate those sugars even more. Fruit chips don’t need to have any added sugar and they can still be a sweet snack.

For those of you who have a dehydrator, fruit chips are simple to make. You just slice the fruit, place it on the trays, and go about your day. Hours later you get tasty fruit chips. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can still get fruit chips with a few simple steps. I tried this with apples, bananas, and peaches. You can use whatever fruit is your favorite. Strawberries, mangoes, and pears would also be really good.

DIY Fruit Chips

1-2 of your favorite fruit (apples, bananas, pears, strawberries)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon, optional

Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, 170-200. Wash your fruit and dry it thoroughly. Slice the fruit VERY thin. The thinner you slice the fruit the crispier your fruit chips will be.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Place the fruit slices in a single layer on the baking sheet. Make sure they don’t touch.
Sprinkle the lemon juice and cinnamon over the fruit. Bake the fruit slices in the oven for 2-4 hours, flipping every so often. The baking time will vary based on the temperature of your oven. The chips are done when they’re lightly brown, starting to curl, and no longer soft.
Once the chips are done, let them cool on the sheet until completely cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie & TV Talk

July 10, 2015July 10, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Friday’s have always been for recipes. I like coming up with new and creative ways to make food not only healthy but tasty too. Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring and I have a whole page of recipes to prove it. Friday’s are still going to be for recipes, but they are also going to be for something else.

TV and movies.

Yeah, that one probably came out of the blue. Why would a health blog talk about TV or movies? Because I love them and want to talk about them just like everyone else. Plus it’s something fun to add in with a yummy recipe. Even better. Go make my food and then come back and talk about TV while you’re eating it! Best of both worlds!

I work from home and usually have a show on in the background to pretend like I’m not alone with my cats for the majority of the day. Don’t worry it isn’t as sad as it sounds. I tend to be a solitary person and my cats are awesome. Netflix is amazing because I’ve been able to watch shows that I’ve always wanted to watch but never had the time. And no commercials. It’s a dream.

I’ve just started Orange Is The New Black. I know I’m behind but I had other important things to watch, like every single episode of Doctor Who. Twice. Don’t as questions. I don’t know how I feel about the show yet. I know everyone is crazy about it and I’m only 4 episodes in so I don’t have a strong opinion yet. I always give a show a whole season to find their groove before I pass my judgment. Even though I don’t have an opinion yet, I can already tell I’m gonna like Sophia. Girl is fierce. And Dayonara Diaz. Something about her I like.

Have you watched OITNB yet? Do you have other show recommendations for me? Are you only here for the food?

This meal is another one of my Sunday throw all the leftovers in a dish and hope something good comes out at the end dinners. If you have leftover taco fixin’s then you are all set to make this Mexican Shepherd’s Pie. If not you can still easily throw this together and have dinner on the table fast.

Mexican Shepherd’s Pie

2 cups cooked black beans, about 1 can’s worth
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 corn tortillas, torn into bite-size pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mashed potatoes (you can also use pumpkin or butternut squash puree)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tsp taco seasoning
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425. In a skillet, saute the sliced peppers and onions over medium-high heat until they are slightly softened. About 7 minutes.
While the onions and peppers are cooking, mix the beans, rice, tortillas, and 2 tablespoons of cilantro in a medium bowl. Add the taco seasoning and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the peppers and onions and stir.
In a separate bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, tomato paste, the rest of cilantro, and chili powder together. Taste and add salt as needed.
Pour the bean and vegetable mix into a deep pie dish or casserole dish. Spread out evenly. Spread the mashed potato mix on top and make sure all the bean mix is covered.
Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Like I said, if you have taco fixings you can just use those and add whatever else you would like. Use ground beef or turkey, shredded pork or chicken, or add shredded cheese if you want. This can be totally customized to your tastes.

Have a happy Friday and an awesome weekend!!

DIY Wednesday: Caramelized Onions

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Fun fact time: I have never had caramelized onions. I know what they are, I know people love them, and I’ve listened to many a chef on Food Network talk lovingly about making them just right. Despite all that, I have never eaten them or attempted to make them. I don’t have anything against onions, I use them all the time. I always have some in my kitchen and will throw them into any meal.

The biggest thing stopping me from making my own caramelized onions? Time.

If you have ever made caramelized onions, you know that it takes quite a bit of time. You have to cook them for a long time, at least an hour, over a very low heat. That’s how you get the onions to release their sugar and caramelize. I don’t know about you, but on most days I don’t have over an hour to slowly cook onions no matter how delicious the outcome. Plus, now that it’s summer the idea of standing over a hot stove for an extended period of time doesn’t sound too appealing. Have no fear though, I have the solution to our problem.

The slow cooker.

I always forget about the slow cooker during the summer because I always equate it with soups and chili’s and their ain’t nobody who wants to eat soup when it’s 90 degrees out. But the slow cooker does so much more than cold weather favorites and today it’s going to do all the work for you when it comes to caramelized onions. While this method actually takes much longer than the traditional way, you don’t have to do anything but turn the slow cooker on. Nothing could be simpler than that!

Caramelized Onions

3-4 large yellow onions, I used 3 very big onions each a little over a pound
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Peel the onions and cut each onion in half, longways (cut from the top down to the root) then cut the onions into half moons. Place all of the onions into your slow cooker. You want to leave just a little room at the top.
I actually switched to my bigger slow cooker because I had so many onions!
Drizzle 2 tbsp of the oil over the onions and toss to coat. If you need more add in the last tbsp of oil. Sprinkle the salt over the top and stir to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and cook the onions on LOW for at least 10 hours. If you can stir the onions occasionally, but this isn’t a necessary step.
At the end of 10 hours, turn off the slow cooker and let the onions cool. Drain off any liquid and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the onions in ice cube trays to be used later.
Just freeze and then pop them out whenever you need them!

See wasn’t that simple? Now go put caramelized onions on everything and enjoy the caramelized goodness!

Recipe Re-Do: Even Better BBQ Sauce

July 3, 2015July 3, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I was trying to come up with a good 4th of July recipe to give you guys today. I had some really awesome ideas, but they all involved a grill. Sadly, I don’t own a grill and didn’t have access to one in time to make any of my awesome ideas. That’s ok though, I’ll have some great grilled recipes for you later this summer.

In lieu of a grilled recipe, I thought that I would go back and re-visit some of my other BBQ-worthy recipes. I decided that my Quick BBQ Sauce could use a little make over. And what could be more important to a BBQ than the BBQ sauce? Beer, but that is beside the point.

I didn’t change too much to the ingredient list, but I did change the way you make the sauce. It does take a little longer, but it makes the flavor even better. And because it’s easy to double or triple you can whip up a big batch of this sauce for your 4th of July party and put it on everything. Maybe not the beer…

Even Better BBQ Sauce- adapted from my Quick and Delicious BBQ Sauce Recipe

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce, no salt added
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp liquid aminos or tamari sauce
1 1/2 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano

Add all ingredients to a small saucepan. Mix well
Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until it has thickened.
Remove the pan from heat and let it cool completely before moving to a jar or squeeze bottle. Keep the sauce in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.