The Peanut Butter Boy

I've been meaning to post this one for a while. I've only made this recipe once before and almost forgot about it, but it was so good that it needed to be made again and with all of my friends coming to spend the night on July 4th, this seemed like the perfect time. As it turned out, this was the ultimate addition to our brunch the next day.

I made 2 different types, one with and one without chocolate chunks. I did this because some people don't like dark chocolate or at least not as much as I. Not only did the loaf with chocolate chips rise more, but it was the perfect addition to the bread, rounding out the flavor on the palette. Everyone agreed that the chocolate chip loaf was superior.

For a while I've been trying to concoct a portable healthy breakfast for days when I'm in a rush, with limited success. But as I was chomping down half a loaf, I realized that I had finally discovered the perfect breakfast to go. Banana bread in general can be a fairly healthy treat, but this one packs a nutritious punch.

The bread is sweetened with only brown sugar, contains no butter, and uses 100% whole grain flour (whole wheat pastry flour to be exact, sorry to the gluten-free readers!). And this bread needs nothing to accompany it. I tried it with plain peanut butter, cinnamon raisin peanut butter, plain cream cheese, cinnamon raisin cream cheese and lastly butter. The butter was the best, but I liked it plain even more. I recommend making these a day ahead of time because they become even more moist and delicious. Just slice it up and microwave each slice for about 7 seconds. It also freezes wonderfully.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (1/2 cup is sweet enough for me)
1T baking powder
3/4t salt
1/4t cinnamon
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1 cup skim milk
3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt
1t vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
100g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans (or muffin tins).

2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, vanilla and egg.

3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

4. Split evenly between the two pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Additional Info:

A few tips: Spoon the flour into the measuring cup, don't dig the cup into the bag. Doing so can result in using up to 40% more flour! Also make sure the bananas are very ripe, mostly brown on the outside or at least half covered in brown spots. 2 medium bananas should work perfect for this recipe and to mash them, just place them in a bowl and use the back of a fork until a fine puree is achieved.

The original recipe comes from The Recipe Girl, I just modified it to suit my fancy.

Labels: banana, breakfast, chocolate, peanut butter

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Posted by Nick on Jul 16, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

As promised, here is my recipe for the highly praised raspberry brownie. This weekend is going to rock, and this raspberry brownie is only going to sweeten the deal. For starters, I'm home in NY for our annual 4th of July party. Every year there is a fireworks show held over the Long Island Sound and every year we host a party at our house that overlooks the water. The fireworks show is about a mile out and lights up the night sky and fills the air with echoing booms and crashes. This year, not only are my good friends coming but my girlfriend is flying in from California! In preparation, my mother and I have begun to plan the menu. Now sit back and enjoy, I've got a story to share.

For as long as I can remember, raspberry brownie has been a part of my life. It began at our annual end-of-the-school-year pool parties with pizza and raspberry brownie. Kids would come from all over the neighborhood for a bite of the raspberry brownie and a dip in the pool. Now flash forward to 10 years ago, where my memory really kicks in. We moved into our new house and began having July 4th parties. The raspberry brownie tradition continues to this day, and arriving guests' first question is still: where's the brownie? Even when we invite guests we get asked if raspberry brownie will be served, and on several occasions my mother has gotten requests from relatives for raspberry brownie on less-fitting occasions like Thanksgiving.

I distinctly remember attending a friends pool party one summer where my mother brought along the famed brownie. Of course my friend and I dove right in, but the other children took in all their options first. Right in front of my mother, another adult remarked derogatively: who brought that dessert? Well that commenter ate his words and missed his chance at pure bliss, because within 10 minutes the double batch of raspberry brownie was polished off while the other snacks were barely touched. Upon first impression, the commenter had a point - this is a tacky looking dessert. It's not all that pretty to look at and if it were jewelry it would be large, gaudy, made of plastic and in the $1 bin. Indeed, the goal is almost to make it as bright, colorful and in-your-face as possible.

But before you dismiss this dessert as a simple combination of brownie and sherbet, let me say a few things. First off, it is much more than meets the eye. Something happens to this dessert in the freezer, the brownie basically turns to fudge. We're not exactly sure how, but our guess is that during the sherbet application, some of it melts and soaks into the brownie and continues to do so slowly in the freezer. When you serve it, it's the most amazing combination of textures and flavor: a rich combination of creamy raspberry sherbet with a decadent fudgy brownie that is simply irresistible. I feel a little bad divulging this family secret, but it's really no secret at all. It's so simple, but the end result is mind-boggling. In return, all I ask is that you make this, not eventually but as soon as possible, and let me know how you liked it.

Through our experimentation over the years, we have determined that any brownie mix will work, but the lower fat mixes seem to work best. We now use the No Pudge brand and it is just as fudgy, if not fudgier, than with higher fat brownies. We've never made a homemade brownie underneath, but I'm sure it would work just as well. Another intriguing option would be to try the original quick version of black bean brownies, where you simply buy a regular brownie mix (not lowfat), add a can of pureed black beans and disregard the other required ingredients listed on the box - thereby creating a nonfat brownie. Try if you wish, but we dare not deviate from the time tested formula. One bonus to this dessert is that it is fat free and fairly guiltless - although you'd never know it.

The only deviation is this past time as you'll notice in top portion of the picture above. I applied Breyer's nonfat double-churn strawberry ice cream to about 1/3 of a double batch of the brownie. This ice cream is soft and creamy right out of the freezer so I thought it might be incredible. I haven't tried it yet, but I'll report back once I have.

Ingredients:

1 package No Pudge brownie mix (or other low/non-fat brownie mix)
2/3 cup (~6oz) nonfat vanilla yogurt (not needed if using other brownie mix)
1 quart raspberry sherbet (not sorbet)
sprinkles or other decoration (optional)

Instructions:

1. If using No Pudge, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together No Pudge brownie mix and yogurt and bake for 30 minutes. You don't want to over-bake and under-baking is somewhat preferred, so a few minutes less is fine.

If using any other brownie mix, bake according to instructions on the box.

2. Let the brownie cool completely, about 3-4 hours. Remove sherbet from the freezer and let it soften for a few minutes. Take a large serving spoon and scoop out layers of sherbet about 1/2" to 3/4" thick, or about the same thickness as the brownie, and place on top of the brownie. Repeat until most of the brownie is covered, and use the back of the spoon to smooth it all out. You should use close to a full quart of sherbet. It will start coming together when the sherbet softens to a specific point where it becomes very creamy and easily molds together.

3. Top with sprinkles or other decoration, cover with tinfoil and freeze for 4-6 hours, but preferably at least 1 day. Using a spatula, cut and serve the frozen brownie. Enjoy immediately. Stores well for at least 4 months.

Additional Info:

I cut a corner piece out to take a picture, you'll notice the layer of fudge forming between the sherbet and the brownie. Don't be fooled though, the entire brownie is like fudge, not just that thin layer. Now enjoy our family's tradition for over 15 years!

Labels: chocolate, dessert, peanut butterless

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Posted by Nick on Jun 30, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

This is a first for me. Never have I ever made cupcakes. I don't bake often because I generally don't eat sweets, I often eat too much during a meal to fit dessert in. However, the most recent Peanut Butter Exhibition for (Cup)Cakes required a Peanut Butter Boy entry. Speaking of which, the deadline for entries is June 30th @ Noon (PST), giving you one last weekend to submit your entry! So plan ahead for this weekend and get baking!

Cupcakes are much more interesting than cake, in my mind. I know cupcakes are meant to be indulgent, but I wanted to attempt a slightly more nutritious version. At first, I wasn't going to make them healthier, but the better half of me couldn't resist - plus, I see it as a challenge. And since I'm home in NY for a bit, I had my mother help. She has a lot more baking experience than I, but very little with cupcakes. With no prior cupcake experience, I needed a recipe with which to modify. I found a great looking recipe for Peanut Butter-Banana Cupcakes at Visions of Sugar Plum. Given the planned modifications, I cut the recipe in half in case my attempt yielded dog food.

The frosting magically came together on the first try. All in all, I consider these "adult" cupcakes. First reason being that I meant to add amaretto to the batter, but forgot. Second reason is that they are not overly sweet, you can actually taste the cake and the frosting separately. With most cupcakes I've had, the cake is just a base for a monster glob of frosting. I wanted the frosting to be just a tad sweeter than the cake but also compliment it. These cupcakes are a little more refined and quite a bit healthier.

One note about the frosting: I used store brand regular peanut butter, not the natural stuff. First off, anyone familiar with my site knows that the only peanut butter I use is Trader Joe's natural creamy w/ salt. But the stuff is so runny that there was no chance of the frosting holding together. Instead, I used America's Choice (store brand) peanut butter, which is much tastier than Skippy and the others, but uses fully hydrogenated oil (no trans fat) instead of partially hydrogenated (trans fatty).

Aright...on to the good stuff...

Ingredients:

Cake

1/2+1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon Smart Balance
6T firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute (equivalent of 1 egg)
1/4 cup + 2T finely mashed ripe banana (1 medium)
1/4 cup + 2T skim milk

Frosting

3/4 cup nonfat cream cheese
1/4 cup peanut butter (not natural)
6T confectioner's sugar

Instructions:

1. Make the frosting by whipping the cream cheese and peanut butter together until very creamy. You can use an electric mixer to add fluffiness, but I used a fork. Add the sugar and mix well. Taste frosting and add extra sugar if desired. Place in the refrigerator, covered.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift or whisk together the first four ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter, sugar and peanut butter in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the eggs, vanilla and mashed banana and beat for another minute. Gradually add the flour mixture and milk alternately. Mix well.

3. Divide batter evenly into 6 muffin cups lined with muffin papers. Bake for 21-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

4. Remove muffins from the pan after about 10 minutes and let cool completely before icing. We had a decorative icing kit, but you can use a knife or a plastic bag with a small hole cut in the corner to pipe it on.

Additional Info:

The cupcakes were good. The flavors were right on but the cake was a tiny bit chewy. I only had a very small banana which may have contributed. but the chewiness wasn't bad and actually provided a neat texture. Next time I may add a bit of applesauce, and also add some chopped walnuts to the batter for some crunch.

One of the cupcakes below is different, can you tell which one? I chopped up some organic 70% chocolate and mixed the chocolate into the batter for that one cupcake. A combination of banana, peanut butter, cream cheese and chocolate? That reminds me of something...

Labels: banana, chocolate, dessert, PBE, peanut butter

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Posted by Nick on Jun 26, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

So I'm back in NY for a few weeks. As soon as I got here, I was greeted with thunder storms and chilly summer weather. Can't complain though, the comforts of home outweigh the bad weather, not to mention I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the color green today. It's totally unlike the west coast in terms of greenness. When I went out early in the day and took in my surroundings, my eyes went into overdrive with the sheer amount of shrubbery: I have become accustomed to its absence. Then again, we live in a heavily wooded location, although I suppose that's like most of the areas around here.

What does chilly weather call for? Toast! Cinnamon raisin toast is my fav, especially a fresh baked bakery loaf. I decided to try out a new spread with some inspiration from Kristina at The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery. I devised a delicious combination of some of the world's best ingredients: chocolate, peanut butter, honey and cream cheese. I prefer my spread with more of a cream-cheesy base, but you can certainly up the honey, peanut butter and chocolate for a more decadent treat. If you're like me, you'll try to put the cream cheese back in the tub only to discover about 50% extra, which naturally takes a journey on the flying spoon and straight to the mouth.

Hey folks, don't forget about Peanut Butter Exhibition #3 - Cakes/Cupcakes. We've already got some darn good recipes, be sure to submit yours! I'll be developing my own creation for the contest as well.

Ingredients:

1 tub (8oz) fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt
2T good-quality cocoa powder
2T honey

Instructions:

1. Empty the cream cheese tub into a small bowl and whip with a spoon or whisk until very smooth and creamy (an electric mixer or blender works better). Mix in the cocoa powder until well distributed. Add the peanut butter and honey and mix well. Spread on everything!

Additional Info:

Once you add the above quantities, adjust according to your personal taste. You may want it less sweet, more chocolatey or more peanut buttery. Alternatively, you could add peanut butter and melted dark chocolate into the cream cheese, omit the cocoa powder and only add honey as necessary.

Just look how creamy it comes out!

Labels: chocolate, honey, peanut butter, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Jun 18, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I did it. I gave in. I caved. I bought a jar of Skippy, the epitome of heavily processed, trans fatty goo and my least favorite brand of peanut butter. The only saving grace was that I didn't buy the original variety, which I think tastes over-processed, pasty and awful. [As a side note, I recently saw a food network tidbit about an independent company that rates commercially available foods and awards the winning company a gold label which they can proudly display on their product. Somehow, Skippy managed to win best tasting peanut butter, which leads me to believe that the test is rigged.]

The other day I was discussing peanut butter flavors in the comments section of Honey Roasted Peanut Butter and was reminded of the honey roasted flavor that Skippy makes. I used to keep a jar of crunchy honey roasted in my desk drawer at work. While I never liked plain Skippy, I refused to put the honey roasted Skippy on anything because it tasted so good by itself. I ate about 1/4 of the jar every day with a spoon, wishing that the jar was just a little bit deeper.

While I was in the store the other day gathering ingredients for the pie you see above, I realized that Trader Joe's peanut butter was very runny (some jars even more so than others) and might not be the best choice for this recipe. I planned on using it anyways, but I decided to scope out the peanut butter aisle just in case something was on sale. Lo and behold, honey roasted Skippy was on sale for $2.50 a jar. Not as cheap as Trader Joe's but not a bad price at all. Before I could even compute the price difference, the jar was in my basket. I proceeded to the nearest checkout, returned home and dug in. While I think my version of Honey Roasted Peanut Butter is superior, there is definitely something to be said for Skippy's version.

So I think it's time to take stock. As you can imagine, I've got a good bit of peanut butter in my kitchen. To be exact, my cabinet currently contains the following:

1 jar creamy honey roasted Skippy
1/4 jar Crunchy Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
1/4 jar Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter
1/2 jar Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
1/6 jar Maple Peanut Butter
1/2 jar *secret flavor* peanut butter (to be continued...)
1/8 jar Wild Oats creamy peanut butter (not as good as Trader Joe's)
5 1/2 jars Trader Joe's creamy peanut butter (5 unopened)
1 1/2 jars Trader Joe's crunchy peanut butter (1 unopened)
1 jar almond butter

So I had my pick of which to use for this recipe. As it turns out, I used two different peanut butters this time around (including my new acquisition), each playing a different role.

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 1/2 cups crumbs, Puffins Peanut Butter Cereal
6T Skippy honey roasted peanut butter (any brand should work)
~1/4 cup water, as needed

Filling:

1 banana, 1/8" slices
2 packages (1 oz each) fat free instant chocolate pudding
2 cups skim milk, cold
16oz fat free cream cheese
2T honey (an afterthought, optional)
2oz dark chocolate, melted (an afterthought, optional)
Peanut butter, to drizzle

Instructions:

1. Place cereal (another cereal or graham crackers can be substituted) into a food processor or blender and process until fine crumbs are formed. Place the 2 1/2 cups crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and knead the mixture with your hands until well combined. Add the water, 1T at a time, until the mixture begins to stick together and a pie crust can be formed. Place mixture into a 9" pie plate and press down and around the sides to form a pie crust. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until crust has hardened and formed.

2. Place sliced bananas on top of the crust as depicted below and drizzle melted chocolate on top (if using):



3. In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese with a spoon until very creamy. In a large bowl, whisk the pudding powder and honey (if using) into 2 cups of cold milk until combined. Add the cream cheese to the pudding mixture and whisk until well mixed. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for 1 hour. You will have extra filling, so either eat it all like I did, or pour into custard cups and refrigerate.

4. When it's ready to serve, get out your creamiest, runniest peanut butter (or microwave a small dish of it for 20 seconds) and scoop out about 1tsp with a knife and drizzle on top of each slice. Trader Joe's creamy natural peanut butter works best here.

Additional Info:

Final verdict: delicious! The crust was a little bit mushy, not in a bad way, but it is to be expected from a non-baked crust. It scooped out of the pie dish very well and never collapsed or made a mess. My version didn't have the added honey or dark chocolate because it was perfectly sweet for me, but some people might like it sweeter. The sliced bananas add a nice touch, but make sure to slice them very thin. Instead of or in addition to the peanut butter drizzle, a spray of whipped cream goes very well with this dessert.

Health factor: While I didn't computer the nutritional info, look at the ingredients and just picture what you're eating. In 1/8 of the pie, you'll be consuming about a half serving of a whole grain cereal, 1T of peanut butter and a serving of fat free pudding made from skim milk and fat free cream cheese. The filling alone is a great source of protein and along with cereal and a little peanut butter, this truly is not just a dessert. I had a large slice as part of my second lunch the other day. Considering how healthy this pie is, it is certainly a keeper. Now you can have your pie and your waistline too!

Labels: banana, breakfast, chocolate, dessert, peanut butter, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Apr 9, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Certain cravings must be fulfilled. Sleep is a good example. We all need it, our bodies crave it. If we don't give in, the body protests and decreases our energy level until it gets what it wants anyways. You simply have no choice in that matter. Peanut butter is a similar craving for me, one which resembles the need for sleep in that I eat or think about it approximately 8 hours per day.

The past two weeks I've been busy with approaching finals but I can't help thinking about bread. Homemade bread. Crispy, chewy, doughy, satisfying bread. After much searching, I found several bread-machine-less recipes for 100% whole grain bread. It's not as easy as it sounds, especially if you're looking for a good white-bread replica. I wasn't sure which recipe to use, each looked promising for different reasons. I couldn't stop thinking about it. One night I woke from a dream where I was about to start baking bread. I said, outloud, "I think we use whole wheat flour". I realized I was talking to nobody although it made sense at the time and the statement clearly reflected my dilemma.

Then I stumbled upon an unique recipe for Chocolate Bread at the Village Vegan. It sounded too good to be true, but the recipe seemed to call for regular flour. At this point I really didn't care: I wanted bread and now I wanted chocolate too. But then I remembered a 5lb bag of whole wheat pastry flour I had just bought at the store that needed using.

I ran to Whole Foods and picked up some wheat gluten, a 70-80% protein flour to help in rising. Wheat gluten is often called vital wheat gluten and I believe high gluten flour in some stores, but the product itself has about 6g carbs and 23g protein per serving. The end result isn't quite a muffin and certainly isn't regular bread. It has a slight wheat/nutty flavor but a distinct taste of cocoa with bursts of melted chocolate. I recommend it toasted and spread with peanut butter, what else?

Ingredients:

Starter:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2t wheat gluten
1/8t instant yeast

Dough:
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2T wheat gluten
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6T sugar
1 1/2t yeast
1 1/4t salt
1 cup (scant) warm water
2T margerine, in small chunks (Smart Balance Light)
3oz dark chocolate, chopped (70% or higher percent cocoa)
1/2 cup dried cranberries or cherries, diced
Skim or soymilk
Raw sugar

Instructions:

1. Mix the starter ingredients together in a small bowl and let sit at room temperature for 6 hours.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the starter and dry ingredients through salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast water and knead in the bowl or on a floured surface. Knead the margerine into the bread and knead for about 15 minutes. Knead the chocolate chunks and any dried fruit into the dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rise for about 3 hours, or until double in size.

3. Shape the bread, either put in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet to make a loaf. I cut it into small pieces, rolled into balls and placed on a baking sheet. Let the dough rise for another 2 hours or in the refrigerator overnight. If refrigerating, let the bread sit out at room temperature while the oven is heating.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Brush the dough with milk or soymilk and sprinkle raw sugar on top. Place bread in the oven and reduce temperature to 350. Bake for 40-45 minutes for a loaf, I only baked it about 30 minutes for rolls. Let cool completely on a cooling rack. Store for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.

4. To eat, toast until warm and slightly toasted. Spread on peanut butter or better yet, use Dark Chocolate or Honey Roasted (my new fav) peanut butter.

Additional Info:

They came out a tiny bit dry, but the melted chocolate really adds a nice creaminess and burst of sweetness. I recommend trying 4t canola oil instead of the margerine.

Like I always say, 2 balls are better than 1:

Labels: breakfast, chocolate, honey, peanut butterless, snack

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Posted by Nick on Mar 16, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I've heard several rumors circulating the internet about "healthy" brownies. Several sources that I discovered claim that you can buy a standard brownie mix from the store, ignore the required ingredients (oil, eggs, etc..) and simply add a can of pureed black beans. Everyone seems to say they cannot tell the difference and apparently even children who are clueless to the contents love them. Either way, store-bought brownie mix contains heavily processed flour and sugar which certainly aren't good for you, although I will have to try this at some point (perhaps with the No Pudge brownie mix).

The brownies before your eyes are a different kind of experiment. Back when I was looking up peanut butter cookie recipes and making my Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, I discovered an obscure comment from "Anonymous" who claimed that the simple addition of an extra egg, mashed banana and cocoa powder would yield delicious brownies. I was intrigued, but the exact quantities were a little vague. I followed them as best I could and lo and behold, a form of flourless brownies was born.

Now, these brownies are a bit different and definitely need fixing. I decided to post my results and see if anyone has suggestions for my next batch or wants to experiment on their own. I see great potential here but I am not an experienced baker and don't feel like wasting 47 bananas and 28 jars of peanut butter to figure these out =).

Here's what I did:

Ingredients:

Test Recipe (Changes Needed):

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 very ripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1t vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix peanut butter, honey, banana, eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Add cocoa powder and mix well.

2. Pour batter into an ungreased 9x9 baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Results:

1. The brownies came out too "eggy" and had a sponge-like texture
2. The flavor of chocolate was not very pronounced.
3. They were sweet enough.
4. The brownies got better with time. After letting them sit in a tupperware for a few hours, they got very moist and the egg flavor/sponge texture started to disappear. They were even better the next day (but still not wonderful).

I think the 2 eggs were necessary for rising and baking, but other additions are needed. From my limited baking experience, I suggest the following:

Increase cocoa powder to 1/2 cup.
Add a second mashed banana.
Add 1/2 cup light yogurt.

Maybe these additions well keep the brownie dense to begin with while keeping it moist? Perhaps I need some flour (1/3 - 1/2 cup)? Any thoughts/suggestions?

Labels: banana, chocolate, dessert, peanut butter

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Posted by Nick on Mar 5, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Update: I received some feedback saying that you can just as easily pop the corn on the stove. I tried it out and it works really well. I have updated the cooking method below.

Movie night! Tonight on the menu is a flick called "Black Sheep". When I saw the movie title, I assumed it was that classic comedy from 1996 with one of my favorite actors, Chris Farley. It seems the title was rehashed in 2006 for a very different type of movie, one about blood-thirsty zombie sheep. Eli and I watched the trailer and while she usually balks at the idea of watching a scary movie, she eventually agreed to watch this one. Without spoiling it for you, lets just say the movie was funnier than it was scary. I believe the movie was trying to be funny, but only in its own ridiculousness. But what better way to enjoy zombie sheep than a steaming-hot bowl of popcorn?

Popcorn is not generally considered health food, but I intend to change that. Corn is a whole grain, therefore popcorn is a whole grain. Popcorn kernels contains more fiber than an apple, a banana, 2 oranges, a serving of brown rice, whole wheat or barley. The problem with popcorn is that it is usually drenched in melted butter, ruining any nutrition value. Well the way I make it is not only healthy, but cheap too! That bowl of heaven up there was my dinner the other night.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup popcorn kernels (yellow pops bigger, white is smaller)
2t sugar
2T creamy natural peanut butter (Dark Chocolate flavor is great)

Instructions:

1. Place a heavy saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat. Let pan warm for 1-2 minutes.

2. Pour kernels into the pan and cover with a lid. Take two potholders and shake the pan every 5-10 seconds, while also holding the lid down. Once all kernels have popped, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.

3. Spray with olive oil or canola oil cooking spray and sprinkle 1t sugar on top. Toss popcorn, spray again and sprinkle remaining sugar on top. Drizzle peanut butter flavor of choice across the top.

Additional Info:

To achieve the creaminess required for drizzling, I use Trader Joe's natural creamy peanut butter w/ salt (I actually use this brand for everything). If your peanut butter is not that creamy, microwave it in a small dish for 15 seconds.

I had it with plain peanut butter and I think I liked it better:

Labels: chocolate, dessert, fiber, peanut butter, snack

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Posted by Nick on Mar 2, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Ahh, the smoothie... What could be more satisfying then a big frosty glass of a thick and creamy drink that tastes almost as sinful as Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream. On a hot summer day (or a cold rainy one like today), there is nothing more refreshing than a smoothie for lunch or perhaps lunch #2.

If you Google the term "smoothie" you'll receive about 9,000,000 results and you can bet that each page has at least a couple recipes. So what's the perfect smoothie? The beauty of the smoothie is that there is no perfect smoothie, each person can customize it to their taste. To start off, however, here is my basic criteria: it must be cold, and it must contain peanut butter. From that wonderful starting point, I've created a great smoothie base that is very adaptable to suit your fancy.

Healthy? You bet! These smoothies have no added sugar, contain plenty of fiber, vitamins and nutrients: All without using ice. Don't be afraid to experiment, you can throw almost anything (edible, of course) into that blender without drastically affecting the taste (see "Could" Additions).

Ingredients:

Base:

1 frozen banana (freeze in plastic wrap without peel)
1 (6oz) container light yogurt, any flavor
1 handful frozen strawberries (or other frozen fruit)
milk (skim, soy, almond or fruit juice)

"Must" Additions:

2T peanut butter
1 handful frozen wild blueberries, cherries, etc..

"Should" Additions:

2-3T cocoa powder
1-2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1t cinnamon

"Could" Additions:

2T flax seed, wheat germ, wheat bran, etc...
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (omit yogurt)
3/4 cup non-fat cottage cheese (omit yogurt)
3/4 cup pumpkin mousse (recipe coming soon!)
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 multivitamin

Toppings (Get a small dish and mix any of these together):

1/2 cup high fiber cereal (I mix Kashi Go Lean and Go Lean Crunch)
10-15 almonds
1 handful dried fruit
3 broken-up Peanut Butter Cookies

Instructions:

1. Break banana into chunks and place all ingredients into blender except for milk/juice. Pulse until the motley of goodness begins to chop up. Slowly add milk/juice as needed.

2. When your mixture reaches the consistency of frozen yogurt, you're done! Pour into a large mug, sprinkle with toppings and eat with a spoon.

3. Sprinkle, eat, repeat.

Additional Info:

Strawberries are a better base than mixed berries because they are naturally sweeter. The cocoa powder gives a wonderful chocolate flavor and adds tons of antioxidants as well as some fiber and protein. Surprisingly, adding the cottage cheese and pumpkin had no discernible effect on the flavor. Experiment and leave a comment with your results!

Most Recent "Perfect" Smoothie:

1 frozen banana
1 (6oz) container light vanilla yogurt
8 frozen strawberries
2T creamy natural peanut butter
2-3T cocoa powder
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (optional)
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk, as needed

This smoothie turned out the perfect consistency - about that of frozen yogurt. I topped it with Kashi cereal and ate it with a spoon. Leave out the protein if you don't want it.

Labels: banana, breakfast, chocolate, dessert, fiber, lunch, peanut butter, peanut butterless, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Feb 25, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

My life is an enigma: Peanut butter is my favorite food but Mexican and Japanese are my favorite cuisines. I've been to plenty of Mexican restaurants and have never seen peanut butter in any dish, a deficiency that I am currently working on. It's difficult to incorporate peanut butter into Mexican cooking but considering I cook Mexican food all the time, I am confident that inspiration will strike eventually.

The same goes for Japanese cuisine: I have yet to find a dish that contains peanut butter. The difference here is that I don't cook Japanese food at home so I fear I may never experience the combination of the two. I love sushi and can't get enough of it, but I would rather enjoy professionally made sushi rolls at a restaurant. However, while posting alternative ways to make a Peanut Butter Hot Dog, I had a revelation!

The geoduck (pronounced "gooey duck") is a species of clam and considered a delicacy in China and Japan (more info here: Geoduck). They sell for about $30 per lb and can be eaten cooked or raw sashimi style. The geoduck also starred on the Dirty Jobs TV show a while ago. Now, guess what that pale oblong substance running through the center is in the picture above?

Ingredients:

1 (8") soft whole wheat tortilla
2T creamy natural peanut butter
1 banana (or geoduck)
1T currants or raisins
cinnamon
honey

Instructions:

1. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter across the entire tortilla, leaving about 1/4" gap at the edge. Shake cinnamon on top of the peanut butter. Bend/mush the banana in an attempt to straighten it and place in the middle of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla tightly and leave seam-side down on the plate.

2. Cut into 8 pieces with a small pairing knife. Drizzle honey across the top in a zig-zag pattern so that some lands on the plate too. Place the currants on top of the roll and shake cinnamon on top.

3. Final and most important step: eat with chopsticks.

Additional Info:

I didn't use Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter because I wanted it to roll up nicely. However, I do recommend trying it with Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and replacing the currants with chopped dried cherries.

Labels: banana, chocolate, cinnamon raisin, lunch, peanut butter, snack

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Posted by Nick on Feb 24, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I recently submitted my peanut butter hot dog recipe to Allrecipes.com, a recipe site I use often for ideas and jump-off points. Apparently, every submitted recipe goes through a review process and even if it is accepted, it can take several months to appear on the site. Well, the peanut butter hot dog slipped through in under 2 weeks! You can view it here: Peanut Butter Hot Dogs.

The excitement provoked me to post some optional additions and modifications to the traditional peanut butter hot dog.

Modifications:

Original Style
2 slices soft whole wheat bread
2T cinnamon raisin peanut butter
1 banana
drizzle of honey (optional)
shake of cinnamon (optional)
strawberry jelly (optional)

Prepare like normal. Spread peanut butter onto each slice of bread and place half of a banana down the middle of each slice as shown above. Fold up and place any optional ingredients on top of the banana.

Mexican Style
1 (8in) low carb tortilla
2T cinnamon raisin peanut butter
1 banana
grape or strawberry preserves
pinch of chipotle or cayenne pepper (optional)
light vanilla or strawberry yogurt (optional)

Burrito: Spread peanut butter on one half of tortilla. Place banana on edge of the plain side and roll up. Consume, pack to go, or toast in a pan.

Quesadilla: Spread peanut butter on one half of the tortilla. Slice the banana into 1/4" slices and arrange on top of the peanut butter half. Sprinkle chipotle or cayenne powder onto bananas if using. Fold tortilla over and spray the top with cooking spray. Toss into a pan (top-side down) on medium-high heat and coat the new top in cooking spray. Flip after about 45 seconds, or until toasted. After another 30 seconds, remove from pan and cut into four wedges. Dip into fruit preserves or yogurt to cool the spiciness.

Appetizer
2 slices soft whole wheat bread
2T cinnamon raisin peanut butter
1 banana
cinnamon

Toast bread in the toaster. Slice the banana into 1/4" slices while toasting. When bread is medium-dark brown cover each slice with peanut butter and top with banana slices. Shake cinnamon on top and cut into squares, one for each banana slice. Stick toothpicks into the top of each bite and serve.

Petits Fours Dessert
2 slices soft whole wheat bread
2T dark chocolate peanut butter (milk or white chocolate would work)
1 banana
shredded coconut
cocoa powder

Toast bread in the toaster. Slice the banana into 1/4" slices while toasting. When bread is medium-dark brown cover each slice with peanut butter and top with banana slices. Sprinkle shredded coconut over the top and shake cocoa powder on top. Cut into squares, one for each banana slice. Stick toothpicks into the top of each bite and serve.

Additional Info:

I hope you enjoy these modified versions. Leave a comment with any suggestions or modifications of your own.

Labels: banana, breakfast, chocolate, cinnamon raisin, dessert, honey, lunch, peanut butter, snack

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Posted by Nick on Feb 5, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Individually, dark chocolate and peanut butter are two of my all time favorite ingredients. But when these powerhouses combine forces, you've got a rich, creamy gourmet spread that is unlike anything else.

However, a few words of wisdom: It does not work with everything. A toasted chocolate peanut butter and banana sandwich? Incredible. But, a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich may or may not hit the taste buds correctly, it all depends on the jelly. For example, dark cherry preserves will complement fabulously while a grape jelly will clash with the chocolate peanut butter. In addition, the sweetness level is fairly low, my cinnamon raisin peanut butter is a good amount sweeter. Add some sugar if you like more sweetness.

Second word of wisdom: Keep spoons away from the jar. This peanut butter is extra creamy and extra delicious, resistance is futile.

I've mentioned using chocolate peanut butter in a few of my previous recipes, but here it finally is.

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) jar creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt
100-150g (3.5-5oz) dark chocolate (60-75% cocoa), broken up
1-2T sugar, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place chocolate in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on medium for about 2 minutes. Remove and stir. If chocolate is not fully melted, place back in the microwave for 30 second intervals.

2. Pour chocolate directly into peanut butter jar or combine the two in a separate jar along with the sugar and stir until mixed.

Additional Info:

Note: To see my favorite uses for dark chocolate peanut butter on or in recipes, click the category "Dark Chocolate" on the navigation menu on the right.

If you aren't a dark chocolate fan, milk or white chocolate both work wonderfully. Enjoy! Here is the finished product:

Labels: chocolate, peanut butter

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Posted by Nick on Feb 2, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

It should be obvious by now that I've always been a peanut butter fan. As of a few years ago I started consuming it about twice a day, and since this past summer I'm up to three times a day.

Over this past summer, I also discovered the Peanut Butter Company sandwich shop in Greenwich Village in Manhattan as well as their line of peanut butter flavors. The company also published a cookbook which contains a recipe for a peanut butter parfait. It's categorized as a dessert (truly tastes like one) but my version is so nutritious and delicious, that my girlfriend E has adopted it as her normal breakfast and my mother creates one for lunch almost every day. Here's my version of this culinary masterpiece:

Ingredients:

1 medium banana, in 1/8" - 1/4" slices
2T peanut butter
1/3 cup low-fat granola
1 (6oz) container light yogurt (Cherry vanilla rocks)
raisins or chopped dates (optional)

Instructions:

1. In the order listed above, layer ingredients into a bowl.

2. Take a large spoon and start digging. Make sure you get some of each ingredient in every bite.

You can use cinnamon raisin or chocolate peanut butter but I feel the flavor gets lost in the whole parfait. As for the granola, I highly recommend Dixie Diner's Apple Berry Granola. It's almost scary how tasty it is while still providing 11g fiber per serving. I strictly ration it out only for these parfaits. It's a little expensive, but shipping from netrition.com is $4.99, independent of the order size, so I order at least 10 bags at once.

Labels: breakfast, chocolate, cinnamon raisin, dessert, honey, lunch, peanut butter, snack

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Posted by Nick on Jan 24, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

No, I'm not making that face because it doesn't taste good. I'm making that face because I'm disgusted with myself for not having discovered this sooner. On a recent car ride to Montreal, I had my normal supplies of peanut butter, bread and a few bananas. I was driving, so making a peanut butter banana sandwich would be difficult, even for my girlfriend, the passenger.

Then, a stroke of brilliance: I asked my girlfriend Elisabeth to spread some peanut butter on the bread and place a half banana on top. I wrapped the bread up the sides and voila!, the peanut butter hot dog was born. This quick and delicious creation is a perfect snack on the go. I sometimes make two of these puppies to bring to class as they hold up well throughout the day (the cinnamon raisin peanut butter starts to penetrate the bread and begins to taste more like a cinnamon roll - a phenomenon I may try to exploit at a later date).


Ingredients:

2 slices soft whole wheat bread (Pepperidge Farm Carb Style is ideal)
2-3T peanut butter (plain, cinnamon raisin or chocolate flavor)
1 banana

Instructions:

1. Spread peanut butter onto each slice of bread.

2. Place half of a banana down the middle of each slice.

3. Roll up and scarf down.

Labels: banana, chocolate, cinnamon raisin, honey, lunch, peanut butter, snack

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Posted by Nick on Jan 16, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post