Maple Syrup | The Wannabe Chef

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Sautéed Kale with Pecans

Written on November 5, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Kale is one of those foods that it takes effort for me to enjoy. I never jumped on the kale chip bandwagon and steamed kale just tastes too bland. Add some butter, maple syrup, and pecans though and now we’re talking.

I like this because it’s a simple, fast and delicious side dish. The less you wilt the kale the more vibrant the flavor and texture of it will be.

I like pecans to add a nice crunch factor but you could really swap in any nuts or even croutons.

Sautéed Kale with Pecans

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups loose leaf cut kale
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
3 Tablespoons chopped pecans

Method:

Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat.
Add in the kale and toss it in the melted butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the kale turns a deeper green and begins to wilt.
Add in the salt, nutmeg, maple syrup, and pecans and toss together until mixed.
Return to the stove for 20-30 seconds to heat. Serve hot.

Suddenly eating your vegetables isn’t so hard.

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Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Written on October 31, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

I’m not the best speller. In the past week I’ve learned three different words I’ve been spelling wrong all along. The first was “forcable” instead of forcible. That one could have gone either way, right? Another was “judgement” for judgment. I’m still left wondering what happened to that missing e. And then there’s “brussel sprouts”; to be fair, I don’t know anyone who’s ever taken time to pronounce that extra s.

It’s a good thing I’m better at preparing brussels sprouts than spelling them. They can seem intimidating and bland at first but with the right seasoning you’ll have no problem finishing a plateful.

Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 4 servings):

1lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems removed and halved
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, toss together all of the ingredients until the brussels sprouts are evenly coated.
Lay the brussels sprouts out in an even layer on a non-stick surface.
Roast for 30-40 minutes until the sprouts begin to brown on the outside and are tender.
Serve immediately.

If you don’t have maple syrup, use something like honey to add the sweetness.

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Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Written on October 17, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

I used to be obsessed with Panera Bread and their cinnamon crunch bagels and fancy cream cheeses; it’s not nearly as much fun to go to when you can’t have gluten so it’s been a while. But this week I had extra cream cheese to use up and a hankering for gluten-free bagels and knew exactly what to make.

This cream cheese is simple and delicious. It has just the right amount of spice to make a plain bagel really taste special. I always catch myself licking the knife clean after I’m done spreading it on because it’s too good not to.

You don’t need to use particularly fancy ingredients for this recipe. If you don’t have maple syrup you can substitute honey or molasses. Use just as much sweetener as you prefer for the flavor.

Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 8 servings):

1/2 cup cream cheese
3 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
~2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Method:

In a small bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until there are no lumps left.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks after making.

It almost makes you wonder how something so simple can be so good.

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Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Dip

Written on October 8, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

Greek yogurt is one of those foods I always keep on hand. I was so excited when Stonyfield asked me to be a part of their Clean Plate Club to make and submit recipes using their yogurts. Substituting yogurt in dips or baked goods for fattier dairy products is a great and easy way to make recipes healthier.

When I’m busy I’d much rather have a meal or snack that I can eat with my hands and don’t have to worry about it getting cold. Dips and spread are great for that. I made this dip and it lasted me over a few days of snacking and went with just about everything.

You can serve this with chopped up fruit or cut up french toast and waffles for breakfast or with some gingersnaps and snickerdoodle cookies for a fun dessert. It keeps well in the refrigerator so it’s easy to

Maple Cinnamon Cream Cheese Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1/2 cup):

2 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup plain Oikos greek yogurt

Method:

In a small bowl, beat together all of the ingredients until there aren’t any clumps(you may want to use a whisk or hand mixer).
Serve with fruit, waffles, french toast, or any other dippable breakfasts.

And in case you were wondering, Van’s gluten-free french toast sticks are excellent, especially when you’re sure the last time you had french toast sticks was at least 10 years ago.

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Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds

Written on October 1, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

The nice thing about Fall and cooler temperatures is that it gets me to use the oven more. During the Summer I’d much rather make ice cream than cupcakes but recently I’ve been using my oven more and more. The kitchen is quickly becoming my favorite room again.

Roasting nuts is something I make time to do every year. You can come up with the most fun flavors using different spices, and they always are a healthier treat, too. A lot of the time I think I like pumpkin pie spice more than pumpkin itself. These almonds have all the right flavors to make you think of Fall in a portable, no-mess snack.

If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, there are plenty of recipes online to make your own. If you don’t feel like looking up a recipe, just toss together cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg to get a range of flavors.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup raw almonds
1/2 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients until the almonds are coated well.
Lay out the almonds on a non-stick baking tray.
Bake for 15-20 minutes disturbing the almonds halfway through until they’ve roasted to a darker brown. They should still be slightly sticky when you take them out.
Let the almonds cool, break any that are stuck together apart, and store them at room temperature.

These are a great snack to leave out at a party. Clean out a mini-pumpkin and serve it in that for something festive.

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Vegan Honey Mustard Dip

Written on September 12, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Sauce

Last week I moved back to Providence. Now that everything’s been unpacked and I’m settled, there are really only two things I sorely miss: HGTV and the Food Network. While they aren’t my favorite channels, they’re certainly my favorite to have playing in the background when I’m working on other projects. And even better they’re perfect to get ideas from.

One of the last shows I watched was Melissa d’Arabian’s cooking program where she made an easy honey mustard dip. It instantly reminded me of the type of sauce you’d get from McDonalds with an order of chicken mcnuggets and knew it’d be good. However I wanted to make it more like something that I’d eat.

Instead of mayonnaise this recipe uses a vegan mayonnaise substitute that’s tofu based. While I’m sure that doesn’t sound appetizing, I actually prefer the flavor of it to traditional mayonnaise. Instead of honey I used two non-animal based sweeteners: maple syrup and agave. The maple syrup gives an earthy flavor while the agave makes the dip taste a little bit fruity.

Vegan Honey Mustard Dip

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
1/4 cup stone ground mustard
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon agave nectar

Method:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Add more or less sweetener to taste.
Keep cold in the refrigerator when not eating.

This dip has been great with pretzels, apples, and carrots. You can also eat it with chicken or tofu. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about pouring this on a salad even though it’s not quite a dressing; it’s just too good to ignore.

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Maple Almond Granola

Written on July 6, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Granola is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods. I’ve been eating it morning, noon, and night. It’s just a matter of time before I buy some oversized glasses and Toms and join a coop.

It’s so much more appealing to make your own because it gives you an endless possibility of flavors. You can have chocolate, banana, peanut granola one morning and maple almond granola the next. And since oats are cheap(well, unless you’re stuck buying name-brand certified gluten-free oats—but let’s not go there), it’s not a meal that’s going to bleed your pockets dry.

The hint of cinnamon in this recipe adds a familiar warmth that doesn’t overpower the other flavors. Make sure to use a tasteless oil like canola or safflower unless you’re looking to add the flavors of coconut or extra virgin olive oil into the mix.

Maple Almond Granola

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 3 cups):

2 1/2 cup oats*
6 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons neutral flavored oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons shaved almonds

*Make sure these are certified gluten-free if you’re dealing with a gluten allergy.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, maple syrup, oil, salt, and cinnamon.
Lay the oats out in a 1/2-inch thick layer on a baking tray. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the oats are crispy and toasted, occasionally breaking the granola with a fork or other utensil while it bakes.
Remove the granola from the oven and let it cool completely.
In a separate bowl, combine the granola, raisins, and almonds and toss together until completely mixed.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can toast the almonds for an extra level of nuttiness before adding them to the granola. I’d also suggest adding almond extract to the raw oats before baking for a kick of flavor but it’s not necessary.

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The Best Tempeh

Written on January 12, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

People who are vegetarian or want to eat less meat always ask me how to cook tofu to make it taste less… well, like tofu. Here’s my answer: I don’t really eat tofu all that much; tempeh has a much more natural taste and texture to it and the process for making it is a little less sketchy.

The second part to the answer is this recipe. Sometimes I eat tempeh plain because it tastes fine on its own to me, but when I do cook it I use this sauce. It’s only 2 ingredients and incredibly easy to make; it’s a great one for beginner cooks who aren’t looking to tackle long ingredient lists for flavorful food.

This dish is also really easy to make gluten-free. Just make sure to use wheat-free soy sauce and that the tempeh doesn’t have any grains fermented in it; the ingredients should just be soy beans, vinegar, and salt.

Maple Soy Tempeh

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 servings):

1 block of tempeh
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons maple syrup

Method:

Dice the tempeh into bite-sized pieces
Heat together the tempeh, maple syrup, and soy sauce in a large pan over medium heat.
Turn the tempeh occasionally as the liquid boils off into a glaze. Make sure all sides get covered in sauce.
When most of the liquid has boiled off, remove the pan from the heat and scoop the tempeh out. Serve hot or cold as leftovers.

If you have trouble cleaning the pan afterwards, simply put it back on the hot burner and pour in some vinegar to loosen the glaze. Wipe the rest off with a folded paper towel or reduce it and pour over as a sauce.

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Raw Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Torte

Written on January 2, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Happy New Year! I wanted to get the year off to a sweet start, so here’s the dessert I made for Christmas, which just happened to turn out to be one of my favorite desserts ever.

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it. I love things that are salty and sweet and pecans are never a bad thing either; add chocolate and you have to have a winning dessert.

I actually think it’s easier to make raw tortes and pies than cooked ones; you don’t have to worry about cutting cold butter into the crust or cooking them in a water bath. This recipe comes together extremely quickly and is full of flavor.

I used maple syrup because I had plenty on hand. To make this fully raw, use agave nectar or raw honey.

Raw Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Torte

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 torte):

For the crust:

6oz(about 1 1/2 cups) dates
6oz(1 1/2 cups) pecans

For the caramel:

2oz dates
6 Tablespoons maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

For the filling:

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
Sea salt and pecans for garnish

Method:

To make the crust, pulse the dates and pecans in a food processor until it forms a dough ball. If after a while the dough hasn’t come together, add water by the tablespoon slowly until it does.
Grease a 9-inch pan lightly with coconut oil. Press the dough into the pan and spread it out evenly into a pie crust shape, raising it at the side. Make sure there are no holes in the bottom.
Make the caramel by blending together the maple syrup and dates in a food processor until smooth and golden in color. Once it’s blended into a sauce, add in the sea salt and mix gently.
Pour the caramel in a thin layer on top of the bottom of the crust, spreading it out evenly.
To make the filling, blend the melted coconut oil, cocoa powder, and maple syrup in a food processor until it’s uniformly mixed.
Carefully cover the caramel layer with the chocolate layer. For me it was easiest to add a little bit of topping all around the pie and lightly blending the top together with a soft spatula.
Garnish the top with pecans and sea salt if desired.
Refrigerate your torte until the filling sets. Remove it from the refrigerator about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving. Personally I liked this when it was still slightly chilled but you can also eat it at room temperature.

I would have liked to have gotten better pictures of this but it was too good not to just dig into. It may not be one of the prettiest desserts, but it’s by far one of the tastiest I’ve made in a long time. I can’t wait to make this again.

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Maple-Sriracha Lentils

Written on December 16, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Hi, again. I’m back after a short posting hiatus. I figured I needed to post something if only so that my parents don’t think I died. I’ve done plenty of writing over the past few days, but not about food; it’s mostly been commentaries on ancient elegiac and epic poetry, and I figured no one wants to read that(I don’t even really want to read that). And cooking? Oh, cooking. Well, there’s plenty of time for that now.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I really don’t like sriracha sauce—at least not on its own. It’s far too spicy for me; even just thinking about pouring large amounts of it over food makes jump back. I do, however, love the flavor it adds to sauces with a little sweetness to balance the heat. I’ve made this sauce with maple syrup and soy sauce a few times lately and poured it over everything: Lentils, quinoa, eggs—there’s no bad combination.

If you’re a sriracha fan, I’m sure you’ll love this. Even if you’re not a sriracha fan, give it a shot and you might just be surprised how much you like it.

Maple-Sriracha Lentils

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 cup dry lentils
3 cups water
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 Tablespoons sriracha sauce

Method:

Cook the lentils for 30-40 minutes in the boiling water until they’ve become tender and soaked up all the liquid.
Turn off the heat and add in the soy sauce, maple syrup, and sriracha and mix, letting the lentils sit over the burner for a couple minutes to absorb the sauce.
Serve hot or cold as leftovers.

The sriracha adds a great complexity to a sauce that’s only 3 ingredients. For a little more depth of flavor you can add a Tablespoon of toasted sesame oil at the end of cooking.

And now I have 6 weeks with not much to do and a full kitchen at my exposal so expect to hear a lot more from me.

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