Month: March 2020

Low Carb and Regular: Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Vanilla Whipped Cream

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chocolatechipcookiecups

Who doesn’t love cookies and milk? Cookies and ice cream? Cookies and cream? These are just combinations that are timeless, comforting, and remind us all of our childhood. But why not be able to indulge in this cult classic as an adult?

Going low carb/Keto hasn’t been difficult for me because I don’t feel deprived. I have an admittedly insatiable sweet tooth, and making excellent alternatives to treats is what I love to do. I realize that sugar is my health downfall–I’ve eaten healthfully my entire life otherwise. Now, I have dessert almost every night (not huge, a little something sweet), and have lost over 40 pounds in six months. This is a dessert that can be enjoyed by all. However, I posted a regular carbohydrate/sugar version for those who want it. The steps are the same–all that changes it the type of flour/sugar/chocolate chips used.

Keto/Low Carb Ingredients: Cookie Cup Layer

  • 1 1/4 cup of blanched almond flour (140 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of ground flax (13 g)
  • 1/2 cup of erythritol (96 g)- I recommend Lakanto/Swerve the most!
  • 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (1.5g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt (3 g)
  • 1/4 cup of butter, softened (56 g)
  • 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, softened (28g)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup of sugar-free chocolate chips, divided (149 g)–I HIGHLY recommend ChocZero–they are the best!

Keto/Low Carb Ingredients: Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered erythritol–I recommend Lakanto/Swerve the most!
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Keto/Low Carb Instructions

  1. First, combine dry ingredients. Add blanched almond flour, ground flaxseed,  erythritol, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine.
  2. After combining the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients which are the softened butter, cream cheese, egg, and vanilla. Make sure the butter and cream cheese are softened beforehand!
  3. Next, mix until combined and then fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Get a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. That’s the secret!
  5. About 50 minutes into the chill, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, grease your cupcake tin.
  6. Once the dough is chilled, we are going to press the cookie dough into the bottom and sides of the greased cupcake tins.
  7. We are going to bake these cups for ten minutes.
  8. Note: If the cookie dough puffs up while baking, we are going to use the back of a buttered spoon to press it back into the perfect cup shape. It makes sense to wait until they come right out of the oven, and then gently use the buttered spoon to push the dough back into the shape it should be.
  9. Once they’re done baking, allow them to cool. Again, make sure they’re cup-like in shape; if you don’t fix it while it’s hot, they will stay in the shape they were left in.
  10. Cool in pans for 10 mins, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Next, line the inside of each cup of 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate chips. Spread the chocolate along the sides as well as you did the dough. Allow it to harden.
  12. While waiting for the chocolate to harden,  make the vanilla whipped cream.
  13. Whip up heavy cream, powdered erythritol, and vanilla extract. Beat on high to form fluffy, stiff peaks.
  14. Once the chocolate shell on the inside of the cookie cup has hardened, we are going to fill each cup with two tablespoons of vanilla whipped cream. If you like, pipe the whipped cream for a nicer presentation!

 

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Cookie Cup Layer

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips semi-sweet or regular size, divided (1/4 cup is for the melted chocolate layer)

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Traditional/Regular Carbs: Instructions

  1. First, combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugars on medium-high until pale and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes). Reduce speed and add eggs (one at a time), and vanilla. Beat until combined.
  3. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups reserve 1/4 cup for the chocolate layer).
  4. Get a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour. That’s the secret!
  5. About 50 minutes into the chill, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Also, grease your cupcake tin.
  6. Once the dough is chilled, we are going to press the cookie dough into the bottom and sides of the greased cupcake tins.
  7. We are going to bake these cups for fifteen minutes.
  8. Note: If the cookie dough puffs up while baking, we are going to use the back of a buttered spoon to press it back into the perfect cup shape. It makes sense to wait until they come right out of the oven, and then gently use the buttered spoon to push the dough back into the shape it should be.
  9. Once they’re done baking, allow them to cool. Again, make sure they’re cup-like in shape; if you don’t fix it while it’s hot, they will stay in the shape they were left in.
  10. Cool in pans for 10 mins, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Next, line the inside of each cup of 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate chips. Spread the chocolate along the sides as well as you did the dough. Allow it to harden.
  12. While waiting for the chocolate to harden,  make the vanilla whipped cream.
  13. Whip up heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat on high to form fluffy, stiff peaks.
  14. Once the chocolate shell on the inside of the cookie cup has hardened, we are going to fill each cup with two tablespoons of vanilla whipped cream. If you like, pipe the whipped cream for a nicer presentation!

 

 

Pan-Seared Salmon with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce

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salmon

Happy Saturday, everyone!

This is one of those recipes that is elegant enough for entertaining, but easy enough for a weeknight. It’s my famous Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Dill Cream Sauce. My mother, who is an excellent cook, begs me to make this for her when I see her. One of my friends said something I found rather humorous. She said, “you know your recipe is good when your mom asks YOU for the recipe.” It’s true–most of the time, it’s the other way around. We always want our family members to pass down their secrets for which we cannot trade.

This salmon is so good that I’ve made it twice in a row this week! Many of my Instagram followers have been asking for the recipe. I did a demonstration on my story, so now I figured it would be best to write it down so you can enjoy it as often as I do!

P.S: If you’re following the low-carb or Keto diet, this will fit in well with your macros.

Ingredients (two servings)

  • 2 Norwegian, skin-on salmon filets (or any salmon you can find), ideally 10 ounces (5 ounces per serving–you can make the recipe if they’re smaller, but this is the best amount!)
  • 1 bunch of fresh dill (2-3 tablespoons should be minced!)
  • 1 lemon (half for slicing, half for juicing)
  • Heavy Cream (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup)
  • Butter (1 tablespoon)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 teaspoon)
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cooking Instructions

  1. Paper towel dry excess moisture from salmon on both sides. Blot generously until very dry!
  2. Season skin side up with freshly cracked salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat a saute pan on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Next, drizzle a little olive oil (maybe a teaspoon), and grab a paper towel to evenly coat the pan for a good sear.
  5. Once the oil is heated, place salmon skin side down and sear 3-5 minutes.
  6. While the skin is cooking, put salt and pepper on the flesh side. Use your fingers/fork to gently press down to create contact with the pan. This will ensure you have a crispy sear on both sides!
  7. Once the time is up, look carefully underneath to look at the skin to ensure it’s golden brown and crispy!
  8. Once the skin is cooked as described above, flip over and cook the flesh side for 3-5 minutes. Like before, use your fingers or fork to press the salmon down to create a good sear! You know you’re ready to flip when you have a golden brown sear fully across.
  9. Remove salmon from pan and place on cutting board.
  10. Let the pan cool down. Once cooled, wipe out the excess oil with a paper towel. You will be using the same pan to make your sauce.
  11. In the same pan, melt a tablespoon of butter and whisk about 1/4 cup of cream (add up to 1/2 cup, depending on your preference).
  12. Increase the heat slightly and whisk constantly to thicken.
  13. Once the sauce thickens, lower the heat to low and add the juice of half a lemon, 1-2 tablespoons of freshly minced dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to whisk sauce occasionally.
  14. Put salmon back into the pan with sauce and squeeze more lemon on top of fish (use the other half of the lemon that was cut from before).
  15. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh dill on top and enjoy!

Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice and “Non” Naan (Garlic/Za’tar)

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butter1

Hello everyone!

You should watch my Youtube Video Tutorial to see all the steps in action!

I am obsessed with Butter Chicken–it’s one of my Indian go-to orders (but I also love, in no particular order, Navratan Korma, Chicken Korma, and Saag Paneer). This recipe I have today was an exclusive one from Cook’s Illustrated. I made a few tweaks to their version of Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani), but they deserve all the credit and praise for this one. I have tried many home cook renditions of this, and it just never has that authentic taste. This one absolutely does!

The spices absolutely matter–do not substitute them. Also, don’t use standard “yellow” curry powder–for this recipe, with a few simple spices you can find, you can make your own, and it’ll be that much better. In fact, I hand ground my spices (I had coriander and cumin seeds) with my mortar and pestle, and I think freshly grinding the spices took it to the next level, for sure.

And although I am team “make your own everything,” Garam Masala is a difficult spice blend to master. This, I would suggest, buying already prepared.

Garam Masala gives the Butter Chicken its sweetness (Garam Masala tends to be some sort of variation of cinnamon, cardamom, etc.). It’s absolutely divine.

In addition, this recipe is smart because it uses yogurt to tenderize the chicken, and there’s use of tomato paste (instead of sauce) for better concentration of tomato flavor. In addition, I made this recipe so that both low and high carb eaters can enjoy (yes, even the “non” naan).

Most of my readers know how much I love my cooking gadgets, and today, I would like to feature my Blackstone Griddle. For those of you who don’t know what that is, essentially it’s a flat top grill, and it is one of the most versatile tools I have. The reason I use my Blackstone for this recipe is because a.) my fire alarm goes off easily, so when I use my broiler, I will have an incessant headache, b.) the Blackstone has so much “real estate”–32 inches of room to evenly sear all my chicken and not smoke my house, and c.) I can multi-task–I was able to make my sauce by putting my cast iron pot right on the griddle top and still have room to sear the chicken.

If you don’t have a Blackstone griddle, no fret. Just broil as specified below (the Cook’s Illustrated way). Any sort of grill would work here! Cooking outdoors is just something I love so much.

Ingredients for Butter Chicken (4 Servings)

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled, divided
  • 1 onion, chopped finely
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 4 teaspoons minced serrano chile
  • 3 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups of water
  • 1⁄2 cup tomato paste
  • 3 teaspoons sugar (or if you’re low carb, use a sugar substitute of your choice like Lakanto/Swerve–but use the powdered kind so it blends well)
  • 2 teaspoon table salt, divided
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt (if you’re low carb, I use the plain “Two Good” brand as it has the least amount of carbs)
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Cooking Steps for Butter Chicken Sauce

  1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is softened and onion begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Add garam masala, coriander, cumin, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add water and tomato paste and whisk until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Add sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to boil.
  3. Remove from heat, stir in cream. Using immersion blender or blender, process until smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Return sauce to simmer over medium heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Remove saucepan from heat and cover to keep warm. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 4 days; gently reheat sauce before adding hot chicken.)

Lei Mangia’s Method for Preparing Chicken (using a grill, preferably Blackstone Griddle)

  1. Dice chicken into small, bite sized pieces. Combine chicken, yogurt, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in bowl and toss well to coat. If you have time, leave chicken marinating for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
  2. Preheat your grill on high (you’re looking for 450 or higher!) for a few minutes.
  3. Throw chicken with marinade on hot griddle/grill top and cook until caramelized and cooked thoroughly. Use tongs/Heavy Duty Griddle Spatula to keep chicken moving every minute or so.
  4. Put chicken aside to put into sauce later.
  5. Tip: The yogurt from the chicken will be left on the griddle. Scrape off your grill while it’s hot to make cleaning the easiest!

Cook’s Illustrated Method for Preparing Chicken (using an oven broiler)

  1. Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine chicken, yogurt, and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt in bowl and toss well to coat. Using tongs, transfer chicken to wire rack set in aluminum foil— lined rimmed baking sheet. Broil until chicken is evenly charred on both sides and registers 175 degrees, 16 to 20 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling.

Finishing Steps for Butter Chicken

  1. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes. While chicken rests, warm sauce over medium-low heat. Cut chicken into 3⁄4-inch chunks and stir into sauce, if you did Cook’s Illustrated method. If you did Lei Mangia’s, the chicken is cut into chunks already.
  2. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cilantro and season with salt to taste.
  3. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with remaining 3 teaspoons cilantro, and serve.

Bonus Side Dish Recipes:

Basmati Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Indian basmati rice (or use jasmine rice, if difficult to find–good substitute)
  • 1-3/4 cups water
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cooking Steps for Basmati Rice

**Please don’t skip rinsing the rice–it makes a difference!**

  1. Place the rice in medium bowl and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Using your hands, gently swish the grains to release any excess starch. Carefully pour off the water, leaving the rice in the bowl. Repeat four times, or until the water runs almost clear. Using a fine mesh strainer, drain the rice.
  2. In a medium pot, bring the water, butter, salt, and rice to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is still too firm, add a few more tablespoons of water and continue cooking for a few minutes more.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Non “Naan” (Garlic/Za’tar)

**Or use actual Naan, if you have it/are making it!**

Ingredients

  • 2 pita bread/Naan bread (Pro Tip: if you are low-carb, you can use this. It works not just as a Pita, but also as a Naan substitute!)
  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder (or use two cloves of fresh garlic!)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of za’tar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cilantro (optional)

Cooking Steps for “Non” Naan

  1. Preheat a pan/griddle to medium heat for two minutes.
  2. Put a light coating of olive oil down and brush oil on both sides of bread.  (About half a teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon)
  3. Cook each side for at least 30-40 seconds to soften.
  4. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top and put seasonings on top. Take off heat.
  5. Cut into eighths to make triangles (think of a small pizza).
  6. Enjoy!