The Newlywed Chefs

Today, I’d like to talk about unrequited love. I really like sugar. A lot. To my dismay, sugar doesn’t so much dig me. I have a sweet tooth the size of Africa, and am constantly reminding myself to limit sweets. Now, I know there is a lot of talk whether natural sugars such as honey and maple syrup are in fact better for you than plain ol’ white sugar, and I’m not here to defend either side of the debate. However, I find that when I use honey, I need less of it than sugar. Either way, calories can really pile up in the morning.

The problem I find is that most sugary breakfasts (such as my childhood obsession with Reese Puffs and Oreo O’s) aren’t high in protein, nutrients, or other energy boosting ingredients my body needs (and don’t worry- mom only let me have those cereals once in a blue moon). This recipe calls for 1 cup of honey, which seems like a lot, but it makes a big batch of granola. Per serving, it’s not as bad as other sugary breakfasts, and contains protein from the nuts, nutrition from the wheat germ, and other health benefits from the coconut oil. Overall, I feel better about eating this for breakfast. And hey, it’s CHOCOLATE!

The chocolate and hazelnut flavors make this granola taste similar to Nutella. It’s a great snack with chopped dried fruit, sprinkled atop fat free frozen greek yogurt, or on its own for a late night chocolate craving. Warning: It’s addicting. Although it is healthier than some snacks, portion control is still advised.

The dry ingredients in this recipe give the granola a nice roasted flavor and satisfying crunch.

The combination of coconut oil, vanilla extract, and honey really adds that sweet flavor that makes me come back for more. I love baking with coconut oil. It adds nutritional value to food with just a hint of coconut flavor.

Simply mix the crunchy dry ingredients and sweet gooey ingredients together and spread on a silicone baking mat. Baking the granola will roast the hazelnuts and really marry all the flavors together.

Store this granola in an airtight container and keep in the fridge to maximize freshness. It will stay fresh for about a week, but if your house is anything like ours, it probably won’t last that long!

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:

3 cups oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 cup slivered blanched almonds
1 cup raw hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine the oats, wheat germ, almonds, hazelnuts, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and toss until well combined.

Spread granola evenly on a silicone baking mat atop a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, moving the granola around on the baking mat every 10 minutes.

Cool completely on the silicone mat and enjoy.

Makes 12 cups

Here in the South, greens are praised and braised! Mustard greens, collard greens, spinach, kale, arugula, the list goes on. Nutritionists encourage eating plate that resembles a rainbow, and greens are an easy way to add color to your palette. Not everyone is so enthused when it comes to cooked greens. Perhaps it’s because of the bitter taste associated with many of these leafy varieties. Or maybe folks just overcook their greens until they turn to mush. Either way, I felt like they certainly deserve a post because they’re so stinking EASY to make.

We really like kale. In many posts on this blog, we’ve featured the nutritional value of this superfood. Cooking it (like many vegetables) reduces the health benefits, but hey, it’s still better than a starchy side, right? You can find big bunches of kale at your farmers market or in the produce aisle.

It’s super important that any flavors you add to your greens don’t overpower the whole dish. That’s why we add sliced garlic as opposed to minced. Slicing the garlic adds a subtle garlic flavor without stealing the show. Plus, it looks fabulous scattered within the dish. Look how nicely it compliments our date night meal:

Easy. Beautiful. Healthy. Delicious. What more could you want from a side?

Easy Sautéed Greens
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale (about 6 cups), destalked and roughly torn
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Preparation:

Heat a small stock pot or dutch oven over medium. Add one tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the kale and toss occasionally for 2 minutes. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Makes about 4 cups

I got to hang out with the most amazing, caring, generous, funny, wise, and beautiful person this weekend: my mom. We explored new places, shopped darling boutiques, perused interesting museums, laughed until we cried, and indulged in many delicious culinary treats. During her time here in North Carolina we went to a bakery in Greensboro called Maxie B’s. This is the most fabulous bakery I’ve visited. Featured in Southern Living as one of the South’s best bakeries, Maxie B’s is one of those places that you step in to and think for just a moment that perhaps you’re really dreaming.

Dozens of picture perfect cake domes line the front counter and wrap all around the back and sides of the place showing off their scratch-baked cakes. There is no menu displayed, so everyone waits in the long line and cranes their necks to read the small handwritten flavors tied onto the top of each cake dome. On this particular Sunday afternoon, the line was to the door.

Mom ordered a piece of their decadent Devil’s Food Cake. Layers of chocolate icing alternated with rich chocolate cake to make a simply perfect chocolate dessert. Neil got a the Brown Stone Front Cake, which was made from a very old recipe with layers of light chocolate cake and caramel frosting. I ordered their best seller: Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Cake, which is a cream cheese cake layered with fresh strawberries and covered in vanilla buttercream. I cannot find the words to convey the perfection of this cake. The buttercream is unlike any other I’ve tasted. Super buttery, the right amount of sweetness, and a smooth creamy texture.

Totally inspired by this cake, I attempted to recreate the fresh strawberry taste and buttery icing. I’ve come to the conclusion that you simply can’t mess with Maxie B’s. It can’t be recreated. Or at least, I can’t recreate it. However, these mini cupcakes land somewhere in left field of the Maxie B’s ballpark and are still really, really good. Fresh strawberries really make the difference in bringing out an authentic strawberry flavor.

Once the strawberries are puréed, you can incorporate their sweet flavor into the cupcake batter.

I chopped up a few more strawberries to use as decorations atop the cupcakes. I think it’s nice when your guests automatically know what you’re serving. That bit of strawberry should clue them in.

I recently bought this mini cupcake pan and love it! Mini cupcakes can help with portion control, but it’s hard to eat just one…

If you fill each one 3/4 of the way it makes the cupcakes rise a bit over the paper lining when baked, which I think looks most attractive.

These mini cupcakes are the perfect springtime treats that mothers everywhere are sure to love.

Back to my visit with mom. As I get older, I appreciate my mother more and more. She is amazing. She balances the world of being a mother, teacher, Nana, wife, daughter, writer, friend, technology advocate, and more with style and grace. Did you know that she was the one who encouraged us to start this blog in the first place? All props to mom. I love that right now I get to see my sister and sister-in-law being moms to their little ones, my mother and mother-in-law being moms to us, and our grandmothers being moms to our parents. Life is beautiful, isn’t it? Happy Mother’s Day!

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

1 cup freshly puréed strawberries (about 10 large berries)
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries (about 3 large berries)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted buter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites

For the Frosting:

2 sticks butter, super soft
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whole milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a mini cupcake tin with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla, and strawberry purée.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to mix. Add the egg and egg whites and blend until combined. Next, add half of the flour mixture and continue to mix. Add the strawberry mixture, and mix again. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and combine, scraping the sides of the mixer to get all ingredients in the batter.

Fill each mini muffin tin 3/4 of the way and bake for about 12 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when tested. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

While muffins are cooling, prepare the frosting. Beat all of the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Top each cooled cupcake with frosting and a bit of the finely chopped strawberries. Enjoy.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes.