Nutella is a guilty pleasure, and one that does not make an appearance all that often at our house. To be honest, I do not think I have ever bought a container of it. Usually we enjoy it when we are wandering the streets of Paris. It is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up while jaunting around town, in and out of museums or shops.
We have two very good friends who make Nutella. Megan stuffs her homemade Nutella between sheets of buttery pastry dough to create pop tarts. Danielle, surprises her friends with sweet little pots of Nutella during the holidays. Ever since, we first tasted their versions, I have talked about making it at home; but, never have. Until now. National Nutella Day, is today, and I could not think of a better recipe to make than homemade Nutella. This sweet treat would also be perfect for your Valentine! I know a few of ours will be getting it.
After doing some research, I found that this sticky but delicious journey would be easy to make as well as pleasurable. Nutella was first created in the 1940s during a chocolate shortage. A pastry maker by the name of Pietro Ferrero stretched chocolate by thinning out his recipes with the addition of ground hazelnuts. It became Europe’s “peanut butter”. If, Nutella did not have such a high sugar content, the nutritional value would be very similar to peanut butter. The fat comes from the hazelnuts, which is healthier than that double cheese burger you have been eyeing. And making it at home gives you more control over what will actually be in your recipe. Think of this recipe as a healthy version of Nutella.
The problem I have with Nutella is not the nuts nor the chocolate, but rather, the extraordinary amount of sugar that most recipes call for. Don’t get me wrong, I like sweets, just not over sugary sweets, which I find Nutella is. When I started out developing our Nutella recipe, I knew this would be the first area I would cut. Most recipes call for powdered sugar and large amounts of it. I decided to use unrefined sugar in small amounts. I didn’t want the chocolate to over power the roasted hazelnuts, so I used a minimal amount of cocoa powder. The cocoa nibs were added for texture. As well I wanted our recipe to be a bit different, so I added cherry-wood smoked sea salt, and a small amount of roasted hazelnut oil to give the Nutella more depth. It shined!
Why haven’t I attempted this sooner? This recipe is so easy and so sultry you will also be wondering why you haven’t made it at home. Besides enjoying it with merely a spoon, we enjoy a dab of Nutella on slices of baguette with a small sprinkle of Maldon salt. Or simply wrapped in eggy crepes; just like street food in Paris.
Happy Nutella Day! (scroll to the bottom for more Nutella Love)
Recipe: Homemade Nutella
Heat oven to 350. Scatter the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes; stir half way through. The nuts will get very toasty, and the skins will blister. Once the nuts are finished baking, remove them from the oven, and let set for 10 minutes. Spread the nuts onto a cloth towel and roughly rub them back and forth to remove the skins. Continue to do so until most of the skins are removed. Some will be challenging, and that is okay, they add a nice texture to the finished recipe. Put the nuts into a bowl and toss out the skins. Let the nuts cool.
Process the nuts and cocoa nibs in a food processor, scraping down the sides occasionally, until the mixture is a very fine meal, about 5 minutes. After a while, the mixture will form a ball around the blade. Keep processing up to 7 minutes; eventually, you will extract the oils and will have a butter mixture.
Add the sugar and cocoa powder; process for 2 minutes. Add the salt. With the food processor running, slowly add the hazelnut oil, and continue processing for 3 more minutes. Store the mixture in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, up to 1 month.
Nutella Love
I adore our friend Maggie, and one of the things I adore is that she always seems to find new and exciting foodie items. Recently she reached out to us and was wondering if we would be interested in playing with some Morris Kitchen Syrups. I had been dying to try out their syrups in our cocktail creations, and could not wait to try the Preserved Meyer Lemon Syrup.
The package arrived, just as I had imagined it; wholesome and beautiful. I have a thing for simple, clean, and interesting packaging, and Morris Kitchen drew me in. Sometimes you can tell by the cover, how wonderful it will be. I slowly opened the cap, waiting for the perfume to grab me; it didn’t disppoint. Immediately, I could smell the Meyer lemons with a hint of the sea. Then I poured a small drop onto my finger tip, and slowly swirled it into my mouth, letting every last drop linger for a couple seconds. It was perfect; sweet, salty and tart.
That first drop had me, and rum, gin, vodka, tequila; all sorts of cocktail combinations started to whirl through my mind, but the one that kept coming back was Mezcal. The thought was so intense that I could almost taste it, even before making it; smokey, sultry and salty. Like the end of the day, laying in the sand on an exotic beach.
Eat Boutique sells Morris Kitchen syrups in their amazing cocktail gift box – a wonderful gift, but you will want one for yourself! As well you can head over to Morris Kitchen to find out how to purchase their syrups; they have three flavors, Ginger, Apple Cider and Preserved Meyer Lemon. They are also great to cook with.
** reminder: if you love to keep updated on fun cocktail venues as well as recipes, we partnered with Liquor.com and you can sign up for their newsletter on Chez Us – off to your right, you will see the widget. Their newsletter is full of full cocktail related news.
Being a regular reader, you know that I don’t usually post recipes that match up with “current” events. Well, that may change, if I can get my cooking act together! HA!
It has been one of those days. I have been wasting the afternoon, looking through food blogs, peeking at Tastespotting, and what have I found? Great Super Bowl ideas. So, I thought I should share some of our favorites, as well as some favorites I have just discovered.
We, okay, Lenny made this hearty chili last week. It is so good, that I wish I had a bowl of it now, instead of the diced up pears I am eating. This chili recipe is full of meat; two kinds to be exact, as well as three kinds of beans. All that is left to make this recipe complete is your favorite chili toppings, icy cold beers and some killer margaritas. Guarantee if you make this for your Super Bowl party this weekend, you will be the star chili maker. It is really rock’n (did I just say that).
Other recipes that would be great to serve during the Superbowl
Chicken Spring Rolls - I am so making these
Crunchy Chicken Wings
Asian Inspired Chicken Wings
Spicy Tomato Sauce Chicken Wings
Baked Chicken Wings with Octo Vinaigrette
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wings
Spicy Peanut Butter and Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings
Queso Dip - lived on Queso when I was recently in Austin; LOVE
Crocker Pot Chicken Santa Fe – if I had a slow cooker, I’d be making this too
Baked Jalapeno Poppers
Super Bowl Sandwiches
Edamame Meyer Lemon Dip
Baked Kale Chips
Avocado Fries - they have to be heathy; right?
Now, that we are working from home more often, I am always looking for quick and easy lunch ideas. I don’t want to rely on making sandwiches, salads or just soup; a little variety would be nice. Lentils are a great go-to legume when your body wants something healthy, warm and filling. As well they make a great addition to a vegetarian meal.
I recently wrote about making your pantry healthy during 2012, one item that can always be found in ours is lentils. Lentils are perfect in recipes from salads to egg dishes and are a good source of protein. If you aren’t familiar with lentils, you should be. Lentils are legumes that tend to have a nutty flavor. They grow in pods that have two to three seeds in them. The seeds are sold whole or split and hulled, and they do not need to pre-soak before cooking, like a lot of legumes do need to do. Lentils come in an assortment of colors, from black to red. Green and brown lentils are the most common in the US, they hold their shape when cooked, and go really well in soups. Then there are French green lentils, which are small, and hold their shape when cooked. They have a slight peppery taste and are great in salads. Orange and red lentils break down when cooked and are a bit softer. They are often used in Middle Eastern dishes. For this recipe, I used orange lentils, which, I think are great in curry based dishes.
This recipe is really simple to make, and you can have lunch (or dinner) on the table in 35 minutes. I cook the lentils, until they are slightly soft, as I like them to hold their shape a bit. If you like yours a bit softer, cook for an additional 10 minutes. The seasoning I use is a madras curry powder, which is a bit spicy. If you don’t like a lot of heat, use a more mild curry powder. Right before serving I stir in a generous amount of spinach, which not only adds gorgeous color but also added fiber, making this a really healthy go-to meal. If you would like to add some protein, a poached egg is a wonderful addition.
Have you tried lentils? If so, which one is your favorite? Do you have a favorite lentil recipe?
We have a couple fun give aways and you have until January 31, 2012, to play along.
Recipe: Curried Lentils and Spinach
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup sour cream
In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, stir, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat to low, add the garlic, 1 teaspoon curry powder and lentils. Stir. Cook for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup tomatoes; freeze the reminder of the tomatoes in a freeze-able container, for later use. Add the stock, and stir. Cover with a lid, that is slightly tilted, and cook for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. You may have to add a little more stock. While the lentils are cooking, mix the sour cream with the remainder 1 teaspoon of curry powder. Before serving, stir the spinach into the lentils, stir until wilted; about 1 minutes. Season with salt. Serve with the sour cream. Eat.
A New Year! New Beginnings! And for a home-chef, that means a Clean Pantry! In our case, it is a new pantry to boot. This is the first time in our adult lives, that we actually have a pantry. Remember our tiny 20 sq. ft. kitchen? We only had one big cupboard, which kept all of our pantry items, as well as dishes.
Now we have a six shelve pantry to fill, I have vowed not to overstock it with things we would never use. I have also dedicated only three shelves to ingredients. Just because we have space now, I refuse to over-stock the kitchen with food items that we don’t use, and that will go to waste.
We were thrilled when Whole Foods reached out to us about contributing to their event, Win Pantry Staples for a Year. The premise behind their event is that you can stock the pantry with healthy and affordable items for $50; enough items to create 14 meals. All you have to add is some fresh ingredients and spices. Fifty dollars may not seem like a lot of money to stock your pantry; but, if stick to buying their brands and/or shopping in the bulk area, that money will go far. I shop the bulk area very often, as I have control over how much of an item I need, and I only buy what I will be using. As well, their brand items are a lot less than “other store” brand items.
Here, is their list of items that will help you stock your pantry:
- 1 lb black beans
- 1 lb lentils
- 1 lb quinoa
- 2 lbs brown rice
- 2 (32-oz) boxes vegetable broth
- 2 (32-oz) box chicken broth
- 1 lb rolled oats
- 2 cans cannellini beans
- 1 lb orechiette pasta
- 1 lb pasta, your favorite kind
- 1 can black beans
- 1 jar unsweetened applesauce
- 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened almond milk
- 1 (5-oz) can tuna
- 3 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
- 1 package no-oil sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 jar pasta sauce
We were working a lot this week, and having dried pasta and a jar of sauce that was full of veggies, on hand was nice. We used some sauce and put the rest into the freezer for another quick meal. As well I made a delicious curried lentil dish using some of the lentils and diced tomatoes. I am excited to make these staples last another couple weeks; cannot wait to share the recipes with you!
In addition to sharing the Whole Foods pantry list, I thought I would share our Pantry List:
- Olive Oil - 2 bottles, one for cooking and a high quality for dressing dishes and salads
- Canola Oil
- Tea Seed Oil or Grape Seed Oil – for high heat cooking
- Coconut Oil – for baking
- AP Flour
- Unprocessed Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Honey - great drizzled over oatmeal, ricotta or yogurt. Also good in tea and hot toddys
- Kosher Salt
- Mixed Peppercorns – I mix black, pink and white together
- Chocolate Chips – for those last minute baking sessions
- Chickpeas – great in soups, stews, dips or on their own
- Pasta – always have one kind of pasta in the pantry for late night dinners
Here is our “fresh” pantry list – these are fresh items that we always have on hand:
- Shallots
- Fresh Garlic
- Yellow Onions
- Butternut or Kambocha Squash
- Lemons – can use in savory or sweet dishes, as well as in tea
- Limes – need for cocktails
- Parsley or Cilantro
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Fresh Ginger Root – great for cooking and in tea
To get you started on stocking your pantry, healthy, we are giving away a $50 gift card to Whole Foods. Details below.
Recipes from Whole Foods using their pantry items.
Thank you, Whole Foods, for providing this giveaway!
Giveaway Requirements:
- Answer the following question in the comments section: How are you going to make your pantry “healthy in 2012?
- You may NOT enter using multiple email addresses. Automatic disqualification.
- Additional entries must leave a separate comment.
- Contest ends January 31, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. PST.
- Winner will be chosen via random.org and will be announced on February 1, 2012. Winner will have 2 days to respond before being disqualified and a new winner chosen.
Extra Entries:
Additional entries can be earned by doing any of the following, giving you a total of 6 entries. Leave a separate comment for each of your entries.
- Follow Chez Us and Whole Foods on Twitter and ReTweet the following message: Win a $50 Whole Foods gift card @chezus http://tinyurl.com/78f9lae #giveaway – come back here and leave the tweet in the comments.
- Become a fan of Chez Us on Facebook – come back here and leave a comment that you did so.
- Become a fan of Whole Foods on Facebook - come back here and leave a comment that you did so.
- Subscribe to the Chez Us RSS Feed “The Daily Dish” - come back here and leave a comment that you did so.
- Subscribe to the Chez Us monthly newsletter “Culinary Capers” - come back here and leave a comment that you did so.
Other Give Aways we have going until January 31, 2012
Disclosure: This post was written as part of my participation with Whole Foods Stock Your Pantry event. I was given $50 worth of staples to facilitate my review, as well as a $50 gift card to give to one of our readers. All opinions expressed are my own.
The winner of the $50 Whole Foods Gift Card is Kristina of Former Chef! Congrats Kristina. Drop us an email with your mailing address and we will get you your gift card.
The other day as I was driving to the market, I got to thinking about how most people adore summer time produce. While all those heirlooms and juicy berries are sexy, I think musky root veggies, hard squash and juicy pears and apples are just as appealing. I have definitely been taking advantage of all that winter has to offer, since coming back from the holidays.
I find that butternut squash is about one of the most versatile squash out there. I use them in everything from soups to baked goods; they can be sweet or savory. I love their rich color and firm texture. I was working on a few different butternut squash recipes the other day, and decided to take a snack break. I had a gorgeous Comice pear sitting on the counter next to me; I grabbed it and took a bite. It was one of the juiciest I have ever had. As I let the juice run down my lips and the gritty texture lingered on my tongue, I started thinking how it would be lovely mixed with the caramelized pieces of onion and butternut squash. Keep in mind this is a huge step for me as I never mix sweet and savory when cooking. I took rest of the pear, cut it into chunks and tossed it in. The natural sugars started caramelizing instantly, and the sweetness of the pear started to soften the pungent onions. After letting everything simmer with some rich vegetable stock, I pureed the mixture into a thick and rich, cream-free soup. It was luscious.
This vegetarian soup recipe is rich, you don’t need much more to make a complete meal. A little bread and a simple salad, and you have the perfect meatless meal.
What is your favorite soup recipe that combines sweet and savory?
Have you entered our give-away? No? Hurry we are giving away a copy of the Plenty cookbook; our favorite vegetarian cookbook.
Recipe: Butternut Pear Soup
- 1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
- 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 pear, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
In a dutch oven, over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft; about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and pear, stir, and cook over low heat, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the garlic and the thyme, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, bring to a medium boil, stir and cover. Bring the heat down to a low simmer, and let cook for 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cook for 15 minutes. Puree in batches in a food processor. Return to the dutch oven and gently reheat for 10 minutes. Serve. Eat.
Gratins are my fall back on side-dish when I don’t have anything else to serve with roasted meat. I always have a few potatoes, as well as sweet potatoes in the pantry, just in case, I need something to eat for lunch, or a thicker for a soup or stew or a weekend hash. A few other staples in our kitchen are good butter, heavy cream and rosemary. Guarantee you will always find these three items lurking somewhere.
I have to admit I am a potato kind of girl, and if I could eat them every day, I would. I grew up eating them, and I will die eating them. One of my favorite food-related childhood memories is potato gratin. Steaming hot, bubbly with richness, and slightly mashed potatoes. God, I loved it!
Normally I made gratins with a rich bechamel; which is another favorite of mine. This take on a classic recipe, is a bit healthier, or at least that is what I am telling myself. Instead of making a dreamy bechamel, I literally poured the heavy cream over the layered sweet potatoes, and then sprinkled a little white cheddar over the top. It still came out steaming hot and bubbly; just a little healthier this time.
HAVE YOU ENTERED OUR GIVEAWAY? IT IS DELICIOUS!
Recipe: Sweet Potato Gratin
- 1 sweet potato, peeled
- 1 medium russet, peeled
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, crushed between finger tips
- 1/2 pint heavy cream
- 1/4 cup white cheddar, grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Heat the oven to 325. Using a pastry brush, coat a shallow baking dish with the olive oil. Slice the sweet potato and potato very thin; I use a mandoline. Layer the potatoes in the baking dish, I like to alternate, to make it pretty. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top. Pour the cream, evenly over the top, and then sprinkle with the cheese. Put into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve. Eat. * season with salt and pepper to taste, after cooking. Some cheddars are salty so I did not season before baking.
Other gratins that we eat at home:
I have not been enthralled by a cookbook in a very long time. Then I received Yotam Ottolenghi‘s gorgeous book Plenty. As soon as I removed the wrapper and turned the first page; I knew a love affair was about to begin. The drool-worthy photographs and innovative recipes, made me want to cook every recipe in the book.
Before training at Le Cordon Bleu in London, where his acclaimed restaurants are located, Ottolenghi’s spent his youth in Israel. After he served in the Israel Defense Forces, he studied philosophy and comparative literature. In 1997 he moved to London where he began toying with a passion.
Ottolenghi’s is of German and Italian decent, where food was the pillar for the family. From meals cooked by his grandmother in his own private Italy, in the middle of a Tel Aviv suburb, to drinking imported Italian espresso, he learned at an early age how to appreciate food. I am sure this love provoked the career change in London.
Even though Ottolenghi is of German and Italian, his Israel roots are evident throughout the book as the dishes are heavily influenced using exotic spices that are familiar within Israel. He plays with using everyday vegetables along side grains, to create healthy and satisfying recipes; there is something for everyone in this book. The lay-out is not only gorgeous to look at but each ingredient is a chapter, making it easy to fulfill your desires. Craving mushrooms, flip over to that chapter. I found each recipe is easy to follow as well as easy to make at home. I never have had a problem finding the ingredients at my everyday market, and am hoping you don’t as well.
Every bite left us wanting more ……
We normally give away something that we love, over the holidays, this year we decided to wait until the new year. Everyone should own a vegetarian cookbook to fall back on when wanting to create new and exciting vegetable dishes. This should be the one that graces your bookshelf. We love this book so much, that we want one of you to enjoy it as much as we do. Anyone can win, it does not matter where you live! Thanks for entering and best of luck!
To enter the giveaway simply leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite vegetarian recipe is.
All entries must be received by midnight PST on January 31, 2012. You must include an email address or else we will not be able to contact you if you win. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on February 1, 2012, and they will have 24 hours to respond with a mailing address or a new winner will be picked.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Stew
*inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s chick pea stew
- 1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 yellow onion, small dice
- 2 tomatoes, chopped, keep the skin and seeds
- 2 cans (14 oz each) chick peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons madras curry powder
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups spinach, washed and dried
In a large dutch oven heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion, stir, and cook until soft; about 7 minutes. Add the butternut squash, stir, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes, vegetable stock and chick peas, stir, and cook for 20 minutes. Before serving, stir in the spinach, and gently heat for a 2 minutes. You want the spinach slightly wilted and still very green. Serve. Eat.
2/1/12 The Winner of the Plenty Cookbook is ~ Jay from Local Food. Jay, please email us your mailing address and we will get you your new cookbook. I need confirmation w/in 24 hours, or a new winner will be picked. Thanks!
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