Nutella!!!

I didn't think this post needed a more elaborate title than that. After all, it is only the most delicious spread to grace our pantry shelf! And lo and behold, Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso have made a holiday for it!! World Nutella Day is on Febuary 5, and what could be better, especially if you are like the little sister and down almost a jar a week!

Nutella was first imported from Italy into the U.S over 20 years ago, in 1983, mainly in the Northeastern part of the country. The popularity of Nutella grew steadily over the next 10 years, and demand became so strong that the Ferrero company decided to build a plant in the U.S., in Somerset, NJ. Since then, Nutella has been sold in the peanut butter aisles in grocery stores, warehouse clubs and mass merchandisers all across the United States. (nutellausa.com)

Most of the time, Nutella in our household is slathered on bread or kaiser rolls for lunches, and I don't know if my mom has ever made a dessert with it. It is a popular flavour with the Italian side of the family, though, so I'm sure that either of these recipes would go over well regardless. I'm posting two Nutella-riffic recipes today - one an un-tried but decadent looking, fibre filled bread with the Nutella baked right in (found the recipe on a label from an old jar!) and the other an invented-today, absolutely divine, espresso-spiked frosting and filling that I'm using in some cookies for Valentines day, and possibly a doughnut or two this week. But don't get me started on piping decorations or doing any cakes, okay, not until I stop dreaming of palette knives! (Can you tell what I did in school yesterday?)

As fibre-rich as this bread is, I still wouldn't go so far to say that it is in any way a "health food". I had to roll my eyes when, a few weeks ago at the store, I heard a woman saying to her husband that they needed to buy the "value-size" jar of the spread because "it's a way for [her child] to get some vitamins, since she doesn't eat fruit!". Erm, okay then, if you really would like to stretch and go with the fact that nuts are the fruit of trees....

Nutella Fibre Bread
Serves 16
¾ c warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast
½ c apple juice
1 tbsp + 1/3 cup Nutella
1 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole-wheat flour
2/3 barley flour
¾ c quick-cooking (but not instant) oats
1 ¼ tsp salt

1. Dissolve yeast in water, let stand 10 minutes.
2. Stir in juice and 1 tbsp Nutella.
3. Gradually stir in white flour until a loose batter is formed. Beat with a wooden (not metal!) spoon approximately 100 strokes.
4. Cover with a damp towel and let rest in a warm, draft-free place 1 – 1 ½ hours.
5. Sprinkle salt over top of batter, and fold in along with remaining Nutella.
6. Fold in whole-wheat flour, barley flour and oats.
7. Beat until dough comes away from sides of the bowl.
8. Knead minimum 15 minutes, until dough is smooth and a little glossy.
9. Place in greased bowl and turn to grease the top. Cover and let rise in warm place 1 hour.
10. Punch down and knead 1 minute.
11. Form into tight loaf, place in large greased loaf pan.
12. Cover and let rise 40 minutes.
13. Preheat oven to 350F.
14. Bake loaf 55 minutes.
15. Turn out immediately onto wire rack to cool.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 129.1
Total Fat: 2.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 223.7 mg
Total Carbs: 22.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 3.5 g

So, this is the frosting I came up with using another frosting of mine as it's base. It is rich in good fats from the macadamias (and a little bit from the Nutella, I suppose!) and has only 2 tsp of butter in the whole batch, but is nice and high in protein (for a frosting) because of it's "secret ingredient" (which really isn't so secret, if you've been reading this blog very long). It makes a spreadable but still thick concoction that isn't too sweet, since the other frosting is something I made for some mini red-velvet cakes that were on the sweet and rich side (something featured here soon, I promise!) which I am bringing in for my healthy baking and cooking seminar on Wednesday. You can swap the nuts for another type too, if you'd like!

Hazelnut - Espresso Frosting
Serves 12
3 oz soft tofu
2 tsp salted butter, soft
1/2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
1 tbsp Nutella
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1 tsp espresso powder
3 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch

1. Combine tofu through macadamia nuts in a food processor or blender.
2. Process until very smooth (it took me about 5-6 minutes of grinding for this to happen).
3. Stop the processor, scrape the sides of the bowl and add the espresso, sugar and cornstarch.
4. Process again until thick and well blended, about another 2-3 minutes.
5. Chill before using.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 72.8
Total Fat: 5.6 g
Cholesterol: 1.8 mg
Sodium: 10.7 mg
Total Carbs: 5.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 1.1 g

Colour Coordination for Wear Red Day for Heart Disease Awareness

Good morning everyone! If you read yesterday's post you will know that today is a special day, and I'm not just talking about my post for Sweetnick's ARF / 5-A-Day event! Everyone coordinate their wardrobes, now, and throw on some red for heart disease awareness!

I'm still in my PJ's *blush* but at least I know that my kitchen can be colour coordinated! We have a few red-skinned potatoes lying around our house, so to keep in the spirit of things I'll whip them up into a yummy side dish. After all, who doesn't love slightly crispy, creamy, deliciously roasted potatoes anyway? The result of just a few household additions turns an everyday potato into a sweet, salty and delicious side-dish that is so elegant that you could serve it on a holiday table, but since it's really so easy, it doesn’t have to be holidays-only!

Check back at Sweetnick's on Tuesday night for Cate's weekly roundup, and some more heart-healthy inspiration!

Sweet Red Roasties
Serves 4
1 pound red potatoes, quartered
¼ cup diced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 9x13” inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place potatoes in a single layer in prepared dish, top with onion.
3. In a small bowl, combine oil, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle mixture over potatoes and onion.
5. Bake 35 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
6. Turn broiler to High, broil 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 139.4
Total Fat: 3.6 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 7.4 mg
Total Carbs: 25.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g
Protein: 2.3 g

And if heart disease awareness wasn't enough charity toting for one day, I saw Rachael Ray's talk show today where Mario Batali mentioned his coalition with Barilla and Second Harvest. The bonus is that we consumers dont have to spend a dime in order to help the hungry, and you get a free virtual cookbook out of the deal too! All you have to do is go to this link and download the cookbook, and presto-change-o, $1 from Barilla is given to Second Harvest. You can even choose which division gets your dollar, and the recipes are yummy!

The Delicious War: Doughnuts

Who doesn't like, no, love the aroma of freshly made doughnuts? Early in the morning when you swing through the drive-thru on your way to work, or as a special treat for yourself and the kids on a Sunday afternoon, I don't think there is a more enticing smell for the sweet teeth in all of us. Even the people that work at doughnut shops (and believe me, I know a few, and I was even a Timmies bitch myself for a summer!) love the delicious disks of slightly sweetened cake or biscuit when they're fresh, covered in glaze, frosting, or simply rolled in sugar!

The inevitable problem with these delightful snacks is, well, the fact that they aren't exactly all that good for you. Granted, they were not intended as an everyday breakfast item when they were first created in Holland (even then, their name translated to oily cakes!), rather, they were a festival and holy day food! However, since they have seemed to become that type of commodity these days, I'm sure that many waistbands have been loosened as a result of this ever-craved food. I did a bit of number crunching with two popular brands (the Canadian coffee Mecca Tim Hortons and the US favourite Krispy Kreme) to show you exactly what I mean by the not-so-fine status of the (in this case plain with glaze) doughnut.

For one doughnut:

Tim Hortons:
Calories: 270
Fat: 17g
Sat. Fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 10g
Fibre: 1g

Krispy Kreme
Calories: 200
Fat: 12g
Sat. Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 5g
Fibre: 1g

I was actually quite surprised that the Krispy Kremes were lower in calories and fat than the Timmies ones, but really, 200 calories is still nothing to sniff at.

Enter: the oven. Yes, I know, doughnuts are supposed to be fried, but why do we have to stay in that rut all the time? With the help of a little friend I call Aunt Jemima, I made these tangy sour-cream doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar. And, come to think of it, they smell even better than the fried kind because the oven smell permeates the whole house and leaves you watching the oven intently for the few minutes they do take! If I had had more time (and more doughnut-eaters) on my hands, I would have made these baked doughnuts from Heidi, but they are on my list with their own variations, without fail!

Since these are relatively quick to whip together, they are not that big a deal to mix up as an afternoon snack or a late breakfast on the run. Just remember, though... they are still essentially pastries and they are covered in sugar, so don't make it a habit, OK? If you are looking for more of an indulgence than my (semi-virtuous) doughnuts are offering, head on over to either Tartlette or Peabody's sites for their Time to Make the Doughnuts event, and look after Feb. 15th for a delicious doughnut roundup!

Sour Cream Baked Doughnuts
Makes: 10 servings (1 doughnut each)
2 cups buttermilk pancake mix (not complete)
3 tbsp brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup low-fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten until light and frothy
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix pancake mix, brown sugar and nutmeg until well blended.
3. Stir in sour cream, vanilla and egg.
4. Place dough on lightly floured surface; knead 1 minute.
5. Roll dough to ½ inch thickness. Cut with floured 2” doughnut cutter.
6. Repeat rolling and cutting with dough scraps until all of the dough is used.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, flipping once.
8. Mix remaining sugar and the cinnamon in shallow dish; set aside.
9. Spray both sides of hot doughnuts with cooking spray (or brush with melted butter).
10. Press lightly into sugar mixture; turn to evenly coat both sides.

Amount Per Doughnut
Calories: 138.7
Total Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 26.0 mg
Sodium: 184.9 mg
Total Carbs: 28.0 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g

And everyone, don't forget that tomorrow is Wear Red Day for Heart Disease awareness! Their goal for now is a 25% reduction in women's heart disease and stroke risk by the year 2010. 32% of all male deaths in Canada in 2002 were due to heart-related diseases and with women, the toll was even higher: 34%. Whether you volunteer your time, sponsor a jump roper or shop from either store, you will be doing your part to help leave these statistics in the dust!

You Wanna Burrito?? I'll Give You a Burrito!!

Well, with Super Bowl Sunday coming up this week, the talk of many foodies is turning to football party fare, including nachos, dips, chilis and pizza. I'm going to dive into the fray too even though I'm not all that into the whole football thing (I'm not really into hockey either, which is bad, being a Canuck!). What can I say, I'm a girly girl! Gimme a Disney cartoon or Pierce Brosnan movie over 6 hours of sports any day.

And yet, I am still in love with the whole sport party food thing. And what I came up with would fit the bill perfectly, even though it was inspired by a place far and away from New England or New York. Can you guess where? I'll give you a hint: this pyramid isn't in Mexico!
Yup, these rolled-up bundles of deliciousness are inspired by my all-time favourite meal at Walt Disney World in Orlando, the Wet Burritos found at Cantina de San Angel in EPCOT's Mexican pavillion. The menu description reads: "Soft Flour tortillas filled with beef, black refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and Adobo sauce". They are SO much more than that, and though these aren't exactly the same, they're similar enough to evoke memories of days gone by. I gave these a veggie twist with my aforementioned ground meat replacement TVP, and I like mine with a little extra kick, so I throw in a little chipotle chili powder along with the "hot" style chunky salsa. The result is ooey, gooey, crispy and all-around decadent. Just make sure to bring your knife and fork!

Veggie Wet Burritos
Makes 10 burritos
1 ½ cups dry Textured Vegetable Protein
1 ¼ cups boiling water or vegetable stock
2/3 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup diced green chile peppers
1 ½ cups black beans, slightly mashed
2 cups spicy vegetarian chili
½ cup salsa
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
10 (12 inch) tortillas, warmed
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup shredded sharp cheese
½ cup chopped green onions (optional)
Sour cream to serve (optional)

1. Pour hot liquid over TVP, stir and let sit 10 minutes.
2. Heat a spray of PAM in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
3. Add onion, and cook until translucent.
4. Add reconstituted TVP, and season with garlic, cumin, salt and pepper.
5. Stir in the chiles and black beans until well blended. Turn off heat, but keep warm.
6. In a saucepan, combine the chili, salsa and enchilada sauce.
7. Mix well, and cook over medium heat until heated through. Turn off heat and keep warm.
8. Place a warmed tortilla on a plate, and spoon a generous portion of the TVP and bean mixture onto the center. Top with lettuce and tomato.
9. Roll up tortilla over the filling. Repeat for remaining tortillas and filling.
10. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce over the top, and sprinkle with cheese and green onions.
11. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 402.9
Total Fat: 10.4 g
Cholesterol: 11.9 mg
Sodium: 1,017.4 mg
Total Carbs: 56.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 8.8 g
Protein: 20.2 g

Nummy Moroccan Stew

Today was definitely a comfort food day for us. Andrew was coming over to stay the night after pulling a nasty 3-12 shift at Tim Hortons, and I know how he loves a good stew (or chili) to warm up his belly! He's trying to eat a better, more balanced diet still (as is his father) even though he gave up his quest to be a vegetarian after Christmas. Even though he's given up the lifestyle I'm more or less forced to live, he doesn't mind eating my veggie cuisine. In fact, more often than not he still eats meatless meals when he's cooking for himself!

Andrew was a great help to me today (though he was falling asleep at the chopping board!) while we were preparing the squash and onions for this Moroccan-esque meal, so he's sleeping it off now so that he's all prepared for a few rounds of bowling tomorrow! It is definitely a little labour intensive but the heartiness and flavour of the chickpeas, butternut chunks and spices is worth it, trust me! Full of vitamins and protein too, this is definitely going to be a keeper in my book. Good thing it gets better as it keeps, because it makes a bunch and that way Andrew will have some work meals for the coming week! Save yourself the hassle of cooking chickpeas fresh, since the canned is perfectly fine, and definitely add the cumin to the couscous water for some extra smokiness. Whole wheat couscous is also highly reccomended (both for nutrition and flavour) as a bed for this meal.

Given that couscous is, in fact, a type of pasta, I'm selecting this stupendously yummy recipe to send in to Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights (which gets rounded up this Friday!!). There's also a decadently put-together Facebook group for it, so check that out for past editions!

Tomato Butternut Stew With Couscous
Makes 7 servings, 1 1/4 cups stew over 1/2 cup couscous each
2 lb whole butternut squash
1 cup chopped sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
1 ¾ cup vegetable stock
2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 19 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 ½ cups water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups whole wheat couscous, uncooked

1. Peel and remove seeds from squash. Cut into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
2. Heat ¼ cup of water in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in garlic, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and ½ teaspoon cumin. Cook 1 minute more.
5. Add broth, squash, chickpeas, and tomatoes.
6. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
7. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 25 minutes or until squash is tender.
8. Heat water to boiling in medium saucepan.
9. Stir in remaining cumin and salt; then stir in couscous.
10. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
11. Serve stew over couscous in large shallow serving bowl.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 296.4
Total Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 816.1 mg
Total Carbs: 62.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 9.3 g
Protein: 10.6 g