Snow-day special

Finally a post for this week! I caught the flu last weekend, and have been fighting against it ever since with lots of sleep and tea and taking it easy. The sooner I can kick this bug to the curb, the sooner I can be back to cooking and feeling fantastic. But yes, folks - even with the flu, the challenge continues...


I whipped up this recipe during Snowmaggedon Snowpocalypse Thundersnow the third largest blizzard in Chicago history. We had all been encouraged to work from home that day rather than try to brave the weather and make it into the office - and I have to say that working from the couch, in my pajamas, in the comfort and warmth of my apartment sounded A-OK to me.

I did venture out to see the car graveyard on Lakeshore Drive at lunch...yikes!

I decided to make bread because in true Pantry/Freezer Challenge form, I had used up all other 'vessels' for my homemade nut butter - crackers, pretzels, etc - and was starting to judge myself for eating it with a spoon directly out of the jar. The easy, hands-off nature of this bread recipe is incredibly appealing to someone with a mild fear of yeast and kneading, like myself - and is much cheaper than getting a bread machine! Its crumb is moist, not too dense, and has great flavor, making it a perfect vehicle for just about anything.


I've made this successfully several times, with a number of options for substitutions based on what you have on hand.

This loaf didn't rise as much as usual (it was extra dry in my apartment) - but still turned out great!

No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread
adapted from King Arthur Flour


1 c lukewarm water (about 110 degrees)
1/4 c orange juice (or lemon juice, or water/lemon juice combo)
1/4 c olive oil (or melted butter, or veg oil)
3 T molasses (or honey, or maple syrup)
2 t yeast
1/4 c dry milk 
1 1/4 t salt
3 c whole wheat flour (or a mix of whole wheat and AP)
optional: 2 T ground flaxseed


Note: This recipe is not recommended if you do not have a stand mixer. The dough is quite sticky and thick, and is no match for a hand mixer's beaters.
Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment (not the bread hook), beat for 3 minutes on high. Scoop/scrape the sticky dough into a parchment-lined and greased loaf pan (8 1/2" x 4 1/2"), and cover with greased plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, until the dough has at least risen to the top edge of the loaf pan. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and when it's ready remove the plastic wrap and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Pull the bread out of the oven and tent the top with foil so it doesn't get too dark, and return to the oven (rotated) for another 15-20 minutes. It's done when you can 'knock' the top and it makes a sound - but you can also stick in a knife to be sure :)


To make this blustery snow day extra special, I decided to turn some beautiful Stanley's apricots into a sweet accompaniment for my freshly baked bread.

Bonus Recipe: 
Makeshift Apricot Jam
(makes 1/2 c)


3 large ripe apricots, chopped
1 heaping T raw sugar
1 piece star anise
1 piece whole nutmeg
roughly 1/2 c water
1 T white wine
1 T lemon juice


In a 2-qt saucepan, add the chopped apricots, sugar, whole spice pieces and just as much water as necessary - the fruit shouldn't be covered, but almost (I used about a half cup) - and bring up to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer on low-medium low, stirring occasionally, until the apricots have softened and the water is evaporated - about 20-30 minutes (use the back of a spoon to test the doneness of the fruit - if it resists, it's not done). Remove the spices from the jam, stir in the white wine, and return to a simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and transfer to a heat-safe glass jar or container. Serve warm on freshly baked bread, or refrigerate for future use.

A sweet potato success and a fudge fail

Today I've hit the two-week mark of my Pantry/Freezer Challenge, and I'm just starting to see the bottom of my pantry drawer and the back of my freezer. This challenge has really helped me refocus on being mindful in the kitchen - about what I buy and how I prepare it.


After a trip to the local produce mart (an amazing place called Stanley's, where you can buy a whole bag of fresh fruits and veggies for under $10!), I came home with a mutant sweet potato I was itching to use for something special.

The spoon is there for your benefit, so you can see what a colossal tuber I acquired.

That something special turned out to be whole wheat sweet potato gnocchi. Why? Well, I'd never made gnocchi before, and I like eating it, so I wanted to try to make it - without using any 'special' equipment (food mill, ricer, etc). Also, I knew I could get away with using only half this sweet potato and still have enough leftover for another meal (coming later this week!).


Paired simply with sauteed portabellos and sage-infused browned butter, this homemade, healthy gnocchi was simply delicious.


Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Gnocchi
(serves 2; makes about 30 gnocchi)


1 1/2 lb sweet potato, peeled (or part of an oversized one)
1 t olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/2 t salt
nutmeg (to taste)
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 egg, lightly beaten


Cut the sweet potato into a few large chunks and roast on a foil-lined pan with the olive oil at 350 degrees until soft, about 30-40 minutes (this step can be done a few days in advance). Place the potato chunks in a medium bowl, and add the minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and nutmeg. Using a potato masher, mash the potato and the spices well until well mashed, broken down and combined. It's okay if the mixture still seems a little coarse, it doesn't have to be a fine puree. Add the egg and incorporate into the potato with the masher until the mixture is wet. Now, using a spoon, add the flour a few tablespoons at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. You want the resulting dough to still be soft, but not so wet that it sticks to the bowl and the spoon and your hands. Don't worry, this recipe is forgiving.


When you've used up all (or almost all, depending on how it feels) of the flour, place the dough in a medium/large plastic bag - this is our makeshift pastry bag, and is way easier than rolling out and cutting the dough. Move the dough to one corner of the bag and cut off the end. Squeeze the dough out of the corner of the bag and use a sharp knife to cut it off in one-inch sections, directly into boiling, salted water. Cook the gnocchi for 3-4 minutes, until they float to the surface.

The finished gnocchi, with mushrooms and sage-brown butter. Yum!

Marshmallow Fluff No-Fail Fudge


So the real P/FC part of this meal was the dessert. I wanted to use up a half-jar of Marshmallow Fluff I've had in my pantry forever for some fudge to bring into work, in celebration of my coworker passing the US Citizenship Exam (congrats on being able to read the sentence, "Where is the White House?", Athos!). However, contrary to its name, this no-fail fudge failed me. Or I failed it. Either way, I set out for fudge, and this is what I got:

Chocolate dirt candy. Let's just say I played it off as congratulatory 'ice cream topping' rather than fudge.

It's a pizza party

Hi friends! This week I'm still trekking along with the Pantry/Freezer Challenge. I've  significantly whittled down my supply of assorted muffins and baked goods from the freezer (served along with some frozen fruit for breakfast), and I've given serious thought as to how to creatively use up the rest of my ingredients.


Even just a few days into this challenge, it's reminded me to be thoughtful and intentional about shopping and eating - something that was a big part of my life during my year in Americorps. It's so easy now to take for granted that I can run to the store for whatever I need, rather than make use of what I already have on hand.


So, in the spirit of resourcefulness and creativity, PIZZA seemed like a great way to use up random foodstuffs. Anything tastes good on a pizza, right? I made the dough Thursday night, then invited some girlfriends over to make and eat the pizza Friday night...proving that even when cooking straight from the pantry, you can still have a party! (I think three of us still counts as a party - don't you?) :)

Kathleen forming her crust

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
(makes 2 small crusts)


1 T active dry yeast
1 t sugar
1 1/2 c warm water (110 degrees - use a thermometer if, like me, you cannot approximate this exact temperature of water and don't want your yeast to die or not activate)
1 T olive oil
1 t salt
2 c whole wheat flour
2 T ground flaxseed (optional) (F)
2 T fresh chopped oregano and rosemary (optional)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour


In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water. Sprinkle on the yeast, and let it stand and foam for 10 minutes. Stir in the oil and the salt. Add the whole wheat flour, flaxseed and herbs (if using) and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour and mix with a fork or spoon until the dough comes together. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour over a clean, dry surface and turn out the dough. Knead it, incorporating the rest of the flour, for about 5-10 minutes. Spray the mixing bowl with some nonstick spray, and place the dough back in the bowl, covered with sprayed plastic wrap. Let it double in size, which will take about an hour (you could totally go to the gym while it's rising, like me). Remove the plastic wrap, cut the dough in half, form each half into a ball, place each in their own sprayed bowl, and cover with sprayed plastic wrap. This time, let it rise for another 30-45 minutes. At this point, you can refrigerate and use the next day or use right away. I don't like soggy pizza, so I always pre-bake my crust before adding the toppings (350 degrees for about 6-7 minutes).

Amazing* From-Scratch Pizza Sauce
(makes enough for your 2 small pizzas)


1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained well (over strainer) and juice reserved (P)
2 T tomato paste (F)
1 t olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 heaping t fresh chopped oregano and rosemary
1/2 t dried basil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t sugar
black pepper


Add the whole peeled tomatoes (which have been drained well over a strainer) to a food processor/blender along with 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato juice and buzz until pureed. (You'll have 1 1/2 cups of tomato juice left over.) In a medium saucepan, add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, minced garlic clove, fresh and dried herbs, salt, sugar and pepper. Stir well to combine everything, and simmer on low heat at least 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before adding to pizza.


*Not to toot my own horn here, but this sauce did taste pretty amazing. I've always used store-bought pizza sauce, but I didn't have any, and challenge rules are challenge rules! The key to using canned whole tomatoes is draining them well and adding only some liquid back - which makes for the perfect consistency!


We topped our pizzas with artichoke hearts (P), roasted red peppers (P), spicy olive bruschetta topping (P), pesto (F), spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Yum!

Pizza glamour shot

What do you like on your pizza? Any ideas how I can use that extra tomato juice? 

Harry Potter's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday night, my friend Jess and I settled in for a night of Potter-watching and getting psyched for the 7th movie release (on Thursday night at midnight, in case you live under a rock). In between Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince, I decided that freshly baked cookies would accompany our movie-watching perfectly. Half an hour later, we were sitting down to a batch of these. Fresh from the oven they're chewy yet crispy, and I like the nuttiness from the oats and whole wheat flour - plus, there's a little less sugar than normal.


I can only imagine that Harry, Ron and Hermione would enjoy these cookies as much as we did!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes 2 dozen small cookies, or 1 dozen big cookies - if you ask me, go for the BIG ONES!)


3/4 cup rolled oats, coarsely ground in blender/food processor/coffee grinder
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips


(Per usual, adding up to 2 T of ground flaxseed or oat/wheat germ/brand is optional and encouraged!)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your cookie sheets with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, combine ground oats, flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until fluffy. Add oil, both sugars, egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, and beat until just combined. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in the chocolate chips. Eat an enormous bite of your dough. I used a large spring-loaded cookie scoop to make a dozen large cookies (about 2 T worth of dough), but two spoons would also work well. For smaller cookies, drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets about an inch apart. If you want more dome-shaped cookies, leave the scoops as-is; if you want them to spread a little, flatten the tops with your fingers. Bake about 14 minutes, rotating cookie sheets one time. Leave on the sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.