White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These cookies could quite possibly be the best cookies I have ever made. Seriously.
Recipe from here.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
  
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/2 cup white sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
  
• 1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
   
3. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Big news tomorrow! Have a great night!

The Athlete’s Palate: Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is one recipe I actually remember making when it was first published in Runners’ World a couple of years ago. I ripped out the page from the magazine to save, but luckily, this fantastic recipe made it to the book! Perfect for Valentine’s Day.

If you have celebrated any holiday with me, you know that I love red velvet. For just this past birthday, I received red velvet cake and cupcakes in one weekend.

According to Beth Pilar and Ellen Sternau, (the women who created this recipe):

“This cupcake version of the classic Southern dessert gets it’s name from the reddish tinge in cocoa, which comes from the antioxidants in cocoa known as anthocyanins. The red color intensifies when the cocoa reacts with the acids in vinegar and buttermil, but you can kick up the hue with red food coloring too. Anthocyanins, which color other red and blue fruits and vegetables, can help reduce inflammation and counteract muscle damage from exercise.”

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 24
Prep Time: 25 min, Bake Time: 15-20 min

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp vinegar

Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups confectionarers’ sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 325 and line muffin containers with cupcake holders. Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Add the wet to the dry and stir. Fill the muffin containers and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

 

Frosting
Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Frost cooled cupcakes.

 

 

 

Enjoy!
Happy Valentine’s Day :)

The Athlete’s Palate: Banana Bread

This is the best recipe I have made from this book so far. Great fuel for training! Or breakfast this morning…

 

Banana Bread
Adapted from The Athlete’s Palate
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 min/Bake Time: 45 min
1 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 mashed, ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 4 in pan. Mix dry ingredients, except for sugar.

 
As you can probably tell by now, I need some new mixing bowls…

Beat sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add oil, bananas, applesauce, sour cream and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture and walnuts.




Pour into pan. I chose to add some extra walnuts on top. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

Try not to eat the whole loaf yourself.



Because I would eat the entire loaf all by myself, I immediately cut some up to give to my mom.



*Does banana bread count as healthy??

*At the grocery store yesterday I also bought the ingredients for Walnut and Blueberry Bran Pancakes and Zucchini Muffins…apparently I am going carb crazy. It is going to be a busy weekend.

The Athlete’s Palate: Hearty Ham and White Bean Soup

A great recipe for recovery! Tastes great and its quick and easy.

 

Hearty Ham and White Bean Soup
with cabbage and carrots
Serves 6
Prep Time:10 min/Cook Time: 25 min
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion
3 carrots
1/2 small cabbage
12 ounces ham steak
1 quart chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans white beans
seasonings of choice (I used basil, oregano, and garlic powder)

Directions:
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add chopped onion and stir frequently for about 5 minutes. Add seasonings and cook an additional minute.



Slice and add carrots, cabbage, and ham.


 

And remainder of ingredients. Bring to a full simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
The perfect snow day meal!

*I have been studying ever since my last post!
*Check back tomorrow for an amazing recipe!

*Do you follow recipes when you cook or do you wing it? If you follow recipes, do you have cook books or do you just search online? How do you organize all your recipes?!

The Athlete’s Palate: Marathon Fettuccine

Athlete’s Palate Recipe #2

Before going to the grocery store yesterday, I asked Dan to pick out a new recipe from The Athlete’s Palate cookbook and this is what he chose. Unfortunately, I had to modify it a lot because my supermarket didn’t have plum tomatoes! Oh well, it still came out delicious.

 

Marathon Fettuccine in Tomato Sauce and Shrimp
Adapted from The Runner’s Palate
Makes 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 min

Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
2 table spoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons fresh basil
3/4 pound fresh fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine)

The original recipe called for 12 plum tomatoes to make the sauce but as I said, my grocery store didn’t have any so I tried to mimic the recipe the best I could with canned tomatoes. I used more diced tomatoes to get that chunkier texture.

Shrimp
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
20 shrimp

The recipe called for 20 large shrimp, but I had a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer so I just used what I had. I also threw in the rest of a bag of frozen scallops.

Directions
Get the sauce going first. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft (2-3 min). Add crushed red pepper flakes and cook another 30 seconds.

Start boiling the water for the pasta and cook pasta when water is ready.

Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper and cook another 20-30 minutes. Stir in basil. Add cooked pasta and stir.

 

 

Heat oil for shrimp in a saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are golden brown on both sides (approx 1-2 minutes per side).

Plate pasta and top with shrimp. Serve with crusty bread and vino :)

*What is your favorite type of pasta?
I love to put shrimp and scallops on pasta and play around with the different types of pasta and sauces.

Mom’s Birthday Carrot Cake

Or how I went from this:
 

to this:

 

There is something about winter that makes me want to cook and bake. In the summer I only want to eat cereal and sandwiches but in the winter I just want to make things.

Mom’s Birthday Carrot Cake
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 cups grated carrots
2/3 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round pans. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs; add oil in a thin stream and beat well. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda together; add egg and mix well. Fold in carrots and nuts. Pour into pans and back for 35 minutes. Set to cool.

Cream Cheese Icing
3 (8oz.) packages slightly softened cream cheese
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and beat at high speed until smooth.



I am so proud of how this cake came out!

 

I decided to get fancy and add the remainder of the nuts on the side.



I had a blast decorating.

 

And everyone loved it.



By the way my booty is super sore from yesterday’s Pilates class. Anyone who says Pilates is not a difficult workout is lying.

My school is on a delayed opening today because of an ice storm in New Jersey so I am taking my time to get ready and out the door. Not a bad way to ease into the week. Unfortunately, that means treadmill running later.

*What is your favorite dessert?

The Athlete’s Palate: Recipe Series

 
 So as you all know, this is not a food blog, and there is good reason for that. I am a terrible cook. For Christmas, my dad gave me a cookbook called, The Athlete’s Palate. There are so many amazing recipes in this book and I am very excited to try them all. I thought it would be fun to do a recipe series. Each time I make a recipe from the book I will post about it.

Since I was home on a snow day today, I had plenty of time to cook. I decided to make the Naan Pizza. In the book, each recipe is labeled for training or recovery. This recipe is labeled training.

Disclaimer: If the recipe comes out poorly it is most likely due to my poor cooking skills and is in no way a reflection of the authors of this book :)

Here we go, Recipe #1



Naan Pizza with Pesto, Canadian Bacon, Asparagus, and Fontina Cheese
Recipe adapted from The Athlete’s Palate 
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 min, Cook Time: 15 min

2 (9'”) whole wheat naan (1-8 ounce package)
1/2 cup prepared pesto
10 asparagus spears (tough ends snapped off, cut into 1 1/2” lengths)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
3 slices Canadian bacon (cut into thing strips)
3/4 cup grated fontina cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Rack should be in the lower-middle of the oven. Place naan on baking sheet. Scoop pesto onto naan and  spread around. Toss asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread spears of asparagus around naan, then add Canadian bacon strips. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until asparagus is bright green. Remove from oven and an even amount of cheese across each naan. Place back in the over and continue to back for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Cut and serve.

 

Cut asparagus and Canadian bacon…



Put in oven for 10 minutes.

 

Top with cheese and place back in oven for 5 minutes.

 
 

So good. It even looks like the picture in the cookbook and it was so easy to make. I took a few liberties with the recipe and made some substitutions. The original recipe calls for ricotta cheese to be mixed with the pesto before being spread on the naan but I despise ricotta cheese- yes that includes ravioli and lasagna…I am a terrible Italian, but I still think it came out great!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Question: How often do you cook? Do you follow recipes or just know what to do?
I try to cook at least 4-5 nights a week. I know how to make a few dishes really well but am attempting to expand my cooking skills. Any recipes you swear by? Send them my way please!