Recipes – re-modelED

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

August 30, 2020

Happy almost Fall!

If you know me, you know I love Fall. Every year, as September approaches, my impatience gets the best of me and I start to jump into all of the Autumn activities I love. One of my favorite things to do during this season is cook. For me, nothing beats homemade pumpkin or apple desserts or a butternut squash based entree.

Today, I decided to make gluten-free Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. A few years ago, when I tried to avoid eating dairy, I made a similar recipe for Pumpkin Mac & Cheese. You can find the recipe here: Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese.

While it may truly be too early to find pumpkin in grocery stores, luckily for me, butternut squash is always a staple I get from Trader Joes all year around.

Ingredients:

1 package of pasta. I used Trader Joes organic, gluten-free brown rice pasta
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ butternut squash (I got the pre-cubed raw butternut squash from Trader Joes)
2 TB butter
⅓ cup vegetable broth
½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
2 shallots
½ tsp minced garlic
2 TB olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Cube the butternut squash (skip this step if you bought the packaged, pre-cut butternut squash) and finely chop the shallots. Place on a pan and coat with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for around 35 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked through.
In a food processor, add butternut squash, shallots, and vegetable broth. Blend until thoroughly mixed. It should be the consistency of a purée.
In a small pot, sauté butter and garlic on medium-low, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add the butternut squash mixture from the food processor, coconut milk, and cheese to the pot, mixing on medium-low until the cheese has melted and is mixed through.
In the meantime, boil water in a large pot and make the pasta based on the package instructions. I recommend storing the cheese mixture separate from the pasta.
In a bowl, gently stir in the cheese with pasta. Top with a little cayenne pepper if you would like.

Voilà!

Blog, Dessert, Recipes

Matcha Bars

May 19, 2019

Lately, I have been on a matcha kick. If you don’t know what matcha is, it is basically very fine green tea powder. For the most part, I have made matcha lattes at home, but this afternoon, I decided to branch out and make a matcha dessert: Matcha Bars. This might be one of my favorite things I’ve ever made.

Here is how to make them:

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ½ cup of almond flour (You can make your own by grounding unsalted almonds in a food processor)
½ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
2 TB of coconut oil
3 TB of pure maple syrup
1 tsp. of Himalayan sea salt.

Filling:

1 TB pure matcha powder (My favorite brand is Organic Jade Leaf Matcha)
1 cup of raw cashews
2/3 cup of almond/macadamia milk (Trader Joes has the best)
2 TB of lemon juice
3 TB- ¼ cup of pure maple syrup

Toppings:

Freeze dried raspberries (optional)

Instructions:

Crust:

In a food processor, add all dry ingredients (almond flour and shredded coconut) and blend thoroughly. Then, add coconut oil, maple syrup, and salt. Blend again until well mixed. In a small to medium baking pan (either lined with parchment paper or greased with coconut oil) press the mixture into the pan and along the sides until the bottom is completely covered. Put the crust in the freezer for around an hour.

Filling:

In a food processor, add all of the ingredients for the filling and blend. If the mixture is too thick or grainy, you can add more almond milk. If it is not as sweet as you would like, add more maple syrup. Once blended, spread the mixture on the crust and put back in the freezer for a minimum of one hour. Top with raspberries and viola!

Blog, Dessert, Recipes

Chocolate Cappuccino Cups

January 28, 2019

Happy 2019 everyone! This recipe combines two of my favorite things: Chocolate and Coffee.

Ingredients:

1 bag of dark chocolate
1 cup cashews
2 tb honey
3/4 cup coconut cream
1/4 cup coffee

Recipe:

With a double boiler, melt 1 bag of dark chocolate on medium/low heat. Once the chocolate is melted, use half of the chocolate to coat the inside of the cupcake wrappers. Put the cupcake wrappers in the freezer to harden.

In a food processor, blend the cashews, coconut cream and honey until the consistency is smooth and fluffy. If it is too soupy, add more cashews and if it is too chunky, add more coconut cream. Take half of the cashew mixture and add to the remainder of the melted chocolate. Next, stir in the coffee in the chocolate as well. Scoop a little more than a tablespoon in each of the cupcake wrappers then add a tablespoon of the plain cashew mixture on top. Put the cappuccino cups back in the freezer for at least an hour. Top with coco powder and viola!

Blog, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks

Maple Almond Butter Cookies

September 9, 2018

Fall is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the beginning of my favorite season than to make a fall inspired sweet treat. Here is the recipe for Maple Almond Butter Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup crunchy almond butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs
3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Fancy sea salt for sprinkling on top
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Scoop the cookies in about 1 inch circles on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes. Let them cool, and then they are ready to eat!

Viola!

Blog, Dessert, Recipes

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

March 25, 2017

A few years ago, I lived in Hong Kong for a couple of months while I modeled and I could have stayed there forever. I fell in love with the city and their incredible food. One dessert Hong Kong is famous for is their Egg Tarts. You could buy them anywhere- at the beach, on the mountains, on street carts, and in all of their bakeries. I’ve always wanted to try to make them myself and thanks to a recent obsession with watching The Great British Baking Show on Netflix, I decided to give them a try. Here’s the recipe!

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cup butter
1 egg – beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
9 eggs – beaten
1/2 vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375

For the crust:

Mix together the confectioners’ sugar and flour in a medium bowl.

Then, mix in butter with flour and sugar with fork or hands – Make sure the butter is not in large clumps and that it is evenly mixed with the dry ingredients. Next, stir in the beaten egg and vanilla until the mixture turns into dough.

Form the dough into 1 – 1½ inch balls then roll out and press them into mini tart pans (I used jumbo sized cupcake foil cups)

For the filling:

Pour white sugar and water together in a pot on the stove and bring to a boil or cook until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. Take the pot off heat and let cool until it is at room temperature. It is very important that the water isn’t too hot or else the eggs might curdle. Whisk the 9 beaten eggs into the sugar mixture. Then, stir in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Strain the filling through a sieve (I strained mine twice just to be sure) and fill the tart shells.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown. Stick a toothpick in the tarts to see if the filling comes off on the toothpick. If it does, then they are not done. Let the egg tarts cool before peeling off cupcake foils or taking out of tart tin.

Blog, Dessert, Recipes

Coconut Raspberry Cups

February 14, 2017

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.” – Charles M. Schulz

Happy Valentines Day!

I personally love a holiday that gives you a reason to eat chocolate all day. Today, I made Coconut Raspberry cups.

For the chocolate:

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
1/3 cup of honey

For the filling:

1 cup shredded coconut
Organic raspberry preserves

Mix melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and honey into a bowl and stir until there are no lumps. Place parchment cupcake liners on a baking tray. Then, pour a little bit of the chocolate mixture until it covers the bottom of each cupcake liner. Put cupcake liners in the freezer for 30 min to an hour. Set the remaining chocolate off to the side to use later.

While the chocolate is hardening, pour a cup of shredded coconut in a food processor and mix for 20-30 minutes until the coconut turns into a buttery consistency.

After the chocolate has hardened, put half a teaspoon of the coconut butter and half a teaspoon of the raspberry preserves in the center of each cupcake liner on top of the hardened chocolate. Cover the coconut and raspberries with the remaining melted chocolate and place the coconut cups back in the freezer for an hour.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Mimi’s Cornbread Dressing

December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Do you and your family eat stuffing or dressing for Christmas? If you are from the North you probably eat stuffing, but down here in the South most people make dressing. They are actually two totally different recipes and dishes. This is a true southern recipe and one of my family’s favorite.

Cornbread dressing is a Christmas tradition in my family and my Mimi has made this recipe for years. I had such a fun time getting to make it with her this Christmas. She makes it for all of us every year and I can’t imagine Christmas without it.

Ingredients:

3 cups cornmeal
1 cup butter, divided
1 cup flour (if use all purpose, add 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1-1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda)
7 large eggs, divided
3 cups buttermilk (add vinegar to sweet milk if dont use buttermilk,)
3 cups soft bread crumbs, I use loaf bread
2 medium onions, diced, 2 cups
Large bunch celery, diced, 3 cups (also use green tops, diced)
1 tbsp dried sage
6 (10 oz.) Cans chicken broth, undiluted
1 tbsp black pepper

Recipe for cornbread:

Place 1/2 cup butter in 13×9 pan, heat in 425 oven for 4 minutes

Combine cornmeal and flour

(if you’re not using self-rising cornmeal, add 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda)

Whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk.

Mix buttermilk and eggs into dry ingredients. Pour hot butter into batter, stir until blended. Pour into pan. Bake at 425 for 30 mins. Or until golden brown. Cool.

Dressing recipe:

Crumble cooled cornbread into large bowl, stir in 3 cups soft bread crumbs. Set aside.

Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat.

Add diced onions and diced celery, including green tops.

Saute until tender. Stir in 1 tbsp sage.

Stir in vegetables, remaining 4 eggs, beaten slightly, and chicken broth, and 1 tbsp black pepper into mixture. Pour into lightly greased 13 x9 and 8 inch square baking dishes.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Thai Pumpkin Soup

October 22, 2016

It is finally Fall! What is there not to love about this season? We have cold weather, sweaters, changing leaves, and my absolute favorite part… pumpkin. There are so many delicious ways to eat pumpkin. Today, I am giving you a twist on everyone’s fall favorite: Thai Pumpkin Soup.

This recipe has only a handful of ingredients and, believe it or not, takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

2 cans of organic pumpkin
1 can of coconut milk
4 cups of chicken broth
1/4 cup of red curry simmer sauce (or any type red curry paste)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red and yellow peppers
1/2 TB cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t like it as spicy)
cilantro for garnish
1 TB salt or more (or less) to taste.

Instructions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the curry paste for about 1 minute then add the broth and the pumpkin and stir.
Cook until soup starts to bubble. Add the coconut milk and cook until hot, about 3 minutes.
Chop the peppers and add them to the soup along with the cayenne pepper and salt. Let the soup simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Serve and add cilantro on top.

Viola!

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup

November 25, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Obviously, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the food. The good thing about making a ton of food is having lots of leftovers to last you a solid few days after Thanksgiving.

Soup is a fantastic way to make use of any leftover roasted vegetables. Here is my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup. The good thing about this recipe is you can add whatever cooked root vegetables you have into the blender and incorporate it into the soup.

Here is how you make it…

Ingredients:

2 butternut squash (I used 1 large bag of Trader Joes pre-cut butternut squash)
1 large onion (diced)
1 cup of carrots (diced)
1 cup of celery (diced)
1 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 cup of half and half
6 cups of chicken (or veggie) stock
salt and pepper to taste
paprika
red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Peel and cube butternut squash (unless you are using pre-cut butternut squash) and coat with olive oil and salt. Roast in oven on 425 for 30 minutes or until golden and tender. While the squash is roasting, sauté veggies with butter and olive oil in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat until translucent and cooked. When butternut squash is done cooking, add to blender along with the cooked vegetables and blend until smooth. Add back to the soup pot and stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Stir in half and half (you can use more depending on how creamy you want it) and add seasoning (I used salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes).

I made havarti grilled cheese to go along with my soup to make it a complete meal.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Ceviche

July 12, 2015

Ceviche is so fresh and easy to make. It’s perfect for any summer get together. You can eat it with chips, put it in a tortilla, or just eat it by itself.

Heres how you make it…

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 cup diced seeded tomato
1 avocado, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

How to make it:

Combine 2 Quarts of water and 1/4 cup salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and immediately turn off the heat.

Let the shrimp sit until just cooked through for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a medium metal bowl.

Add lemon, lime and orange juice, then add the cucumber, onion and jalapeño.Refrigerate for 1 hour.

After refrigerated, stir tomato, avocado, chopped cilantro, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the shrimp mixture.Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving then top with cilantro.

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