Peanut Butter Pumpkin Doggie Treats

So, as many of you may know, I recently became a dog owner. After years of wanting a puppy and not being able to have one (apartments, law school, ect...) we finally got the cutest (and craziest) puppy in the universe. Archer is now 19 weeks old and already 27 lbs! He is growing like a weed and eating constantly. He is completely and totally obsessed with food. I realized that I cook special meals and treats for all the people in my life, it's about time I made something special for my little meatball. So, in honor of his graduation from puppy kindergarten this weekend, I decided to whip him up some tasty treats.

There are many different ways you can go about creating doggie treats. I decided to just throw some things together and experiment. Archer goes bananas over peanut butter, so I knew that had to be a big part of the treat. He also loves these natural dog treats that are made of pumpkin, so I did some research. Turns out, pumpkin is great for dogs because it is high in fiber and beta carotene. The dog food we feed him is grain free and wheat is generally not great for their tummies. I decided to use garbanzo bean flour instead. I bought a big bag months ago to try baking with. I was unhappy with the results, so I figured I'd give it another try. Most commercial wheat free and allergy sensitive dog treats are made with it. Plus, it has a lot of protein and fiber.

So I threw these various ingredients together and hoped for the best. After a few experimental batches, I got the best result with these quantities. The dough is quite sticky. This will make for a cookie that is still slightly soft, even when totally cooled. This allowed me to break them into small pieces to feed him. I need to get some tiny cookie cutters so make smaller ones in the future.

So what's the verdict? Archer went CRAZY over these. I had to hide them because he kept trying to jump on top of the counter to grab the plate. So I'm happy because he likes them, they are good motivation for when we're training, and they don't have lots of scary additives in them. Plus, they took about 20 minutes to make.

Read more for the full recipe!
Read more »

Takeout Makeover: Crab Rangoon

Are you ready to have your mind blown? I just developed a recipe for tasty crab rangoon that have ONLY 41 calories a piece! And then take 15 minutes, start to finish, to make. Hold onto your hats because there is a bit of a back-story...

I was in a bit of a blogging slump this weekend. I love blogging, it is something that has become an amazing outlet for me as well as a way to connect with lots of wonderful people. My day job is very serious and analytical, so I appreciate the opportunity to be creative with food, writing and photography. But, as any food blogger will tell you, sometimes all the shopping, cooking, styling, photo taking, cleaning up, writing, posting, and editing gets exhausting. So I was feeling a little down about it and, of course, Craig comes to the rescue. He started throwing out dozens of yummy recipe ideas and offering to help with the cooking and clean up. He is such a sweetheart. One of the things he begged me to make was crab rangoon.

Now. I don't like crab rangoon. I've never understood the appeal of deep fried pockets of melted cream cheese. I will try one from time to time, but its not something I ever order or enjoy. Apparently, this puts me in the minority because most people think I'm absolutely insane. Our favorite new Thai place in Somerville, Sweet Ginger (see post about our visit there) makes curry crab rangoon, which is quite a nice twist. Everyone who tries them has raved (including the Boston Globe). So. Craig begs me to make curry crab rangoon and all of a sudden the wheels start turning in my head.....

I figured there has to be a better way to prepare these. So I thought about what I don't like about the ones I've had. First, that they are deep fried, and second, that there is so little crab and too much cream cheese. With my new inspiration, I set out to makeover the traditional crab rangoon. Make them light and healthy while keeping the delicious flavors and texture associated with the unhealthy version.

I am so happy to say these were a smashing success! I LOVED them. I couldn't stop gobbling them up. I made 24 and Craig and I demolished them in 5 minutes. Here's the best part: my skinny recipe has only 41 calories per rangoon!!!!!! So you can enjoy this indulgence without racking up a ton of calories. These also can be made in only 15 minutes.I was going to make a dipping sauce for these, but turns out the flavors are so intense that you don't need one at all. I decided to forgo the extra calories of a sauce and just enjoy the complex curry deliciousness.

Here's the deal: I bought some really nice jumbo lump crab meat (frozen will do fine if you thaw it first) and mixed that with curry powder, ground ginger and cayenne. I added just enough cream cheese to make them melty and creamy, but not to overpower the delicious crab and spices. I then placed wonton wrappers in a mini muffin tin, filled them with the crab mixture, and folded the ends over. 10 minutes in the oven and you are ready to serve. I am just bummed I didn't make these before the holidays - this would be a fabulous party food! Now I want to have a party just for an excuse to make them again...

Read more for the full recipe!
Read more »

Winter Minestrone

We've been having an insane winter. No snow, and crazy temperature fluctuations. On Thursday, I went out to run an errand during lunch and it was 55 degrees. Today, it was 21. Super cold and windy, it was a perfect day for thick, hearty soup. Minestrone is the most ubiquitous Italian soup, there are so many different variations and flavors you can incorporate. Different regions of Italy have different preparations, and many vary seasonally as well. I love minestrone, but I find that in restaurants, it's usually quite salty. My goal with this recipe was to cut back on fat and sodium while adding a ton of protein and fiber.

I decided to make a tasty winter minestrone, that incorporates lots of gorgeous winter produce. Instead of pasta, which can get soggy in soup, I used farro, which has both a ton of fiber and a chewy texture that holds up well in the soup. In addition to farro and beans, I used carrots, turnips, kale and rainbow chard. I used a small amount of smoked bacon to add flavor, but you can omit for a vegetarian version. All and all, this soup takes around an hour to prepare and makes 6-8 servings. I made a huge pot of this to use for multiple lunches and dinners. Because it is packed with protein, fiber and healthy veggies, it is a totally complete meal.

Also: how completely adorable are these soup crocks? My amazing Grandma Jackie sent them to me. They are the perfect serving size and both oven and dishwasher safe. I am so excited to use these for all kinds of soup and stew!

Read more for the full recipe!
Read more »