The week after Christmas, I was gifted some leftover hazelnuts that a friend of mine was going to throw away. I have to admit, the concept of cooking with hazelnuts is pretty new to me, but when she said she had them, the first thing that came to my mind was Nutella.

Ahh, Nutella – your creamy, chocolatey, nutty goodness is unlike any other. I wasn’t sure if a homemade version could even do justice to the kind in the jar, since I already had such a love for it. But it most definitely did. Here is the recipe I followed.

Homemade Nutella (Adapted from Instructables):

Ingredients

• 7 ounces of hazelnuts
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup fat free milk (heated)

Directions

1. Toast hazelnuts in a saute pan over low to medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Nuts should smell roasted, not burnt.

2. Let hazelnuts cool, and then remove the skins. This is a fairly tedious process, but worthwhile to avoid the bitter taste they would add to your Nutella.

3. Place hazelnuts in a food processor, and process until they become the consistency of peanut butter, scraping the edge of the bowl frequently. I forgot to take a picture at this point in the process, so this photo is courtesy of Instructables.

4. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl on a low power setting for 2 minutes at a time, stirring after each 2 minutes, until melted. Stir sweetened condensed milk into melted chocolate.

5. Combine chocolate mixture with hazelnut spread until fully combined. Texture will be thick.

6. Stir in warm milk a little at a time until spread reaches your desired consistency.

And voila! Nutella!

Stay tuned for my post next week (celebrating World Nutella Day!) with a delicious recipe I plan to bake up using this tasty treat. Assuming I don’t eat it all with a spoon before I make it to next week

I love Sangria. And there are so many different ways to make it that when I first started looking up recipes, I got very overwhelmed. But then I realized that this was a great opportunity for me to try to make my own recipe.

I’ve had this blog for a while now, but still have yet to create my own recipe. Like really, my own, not a rip-off of someone else’s with a change here and there depending on what’s in my pantry. So I decided to take my first attempt at recipe creation with something I know and love so well. And I’m happy to say, it turned out even better than I expected!

Melanie’s Magical Sangria

Ingredients

1 750 mL bottle of red wine (I used Pinot Noir)
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 cup flavored sparkling water (I used Raspberry Lime)
1 cup pre-mixed Country Time pink lemonade
Pinch of sugar
2 lemons
2 limes
2 oranges
3oz raspberries
Directions

First, pour the bottle of wine into a pitcher. Then, juice 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 orange into the pitcher with the wine. Add the remaining liquid ingredients (Triple Sec, sparkling water and lemonade) and a pinch of sugar, and stir with a wooden spoon.

Next, slice the remaining lemon, lime and orange into thin circular slices. Depending on the size of the fruit, you may need to slice the rounds in half. Add the fruit slices and raspberries to the pitcher, and stir again.

Cover and refrigerate Sangria for at least 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. For best results, let it sit overnight. The more the fruit absorbs the wine and the flavors mix, the better the Sangria will taste.

Pour over ice into wine glasses and enjoy!

I especially loved the addition of the raspberries, because my favorite part about Sangria is eating the wine-soaked fruit at the end… and the raspberries made a really tasty finisher!

My next attempt will be a white Sangria. I’m tentatively thinking strawberries, raspberries, citrus and apple… suggestions are welcome!

Have you ever made your own Sangria? If so, what did you put into it and how did it turn out?

I admit, I have a long-standing obsession with Eva Longoria. No, I’m not a pre (or post) pubescent male… Yes, I know she isn’t the world’s best actress… But I just love her for all that she is and all that she stands for.

But when she came out with a cookbook, I was skeptical. Sure, she’s gorgeous and she can act. But can she cook?!

As much as the obsessed side of me wanted to instantly buy this cookbook, I held off. I really had to think this one through and make sure it wouldn’t just end up being something else to clutter my kitchen and collect dust. So you can imagine my excitement when, while visiting my best friend in Colorado, I discovered that she had this cookbook! I looked through it, and was amazed at how delicious and unique the recipes seemed to be.

The recipes in Eva's Kitchen pack some serious flavor and spice!

From traditional Latin-American cuisine to other dishes infused with a Latin flare, the recipes in Eva’s Kitchen really reflect her personal family and heritage. So far, I’ve tried just a couple of the recipes, but my cookbook is littered with bookmarks of so many others I can’t wait to dig into.

Stay tuned for more posts inspired by one of my favorite Hollywood stars! And in the meantime, do yourself a favor and go out and buy Eva’s Kitchen. Although you may be skeptical, I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed!

Last week, I got very excited when I found out that the Improper Bostonian had posted their Boston’s Best 2011 list. So excited that it inspired me to get back to posting on my blog again after a 3 month hiatus (whoops!)

Today’s post won’t be about something I cooked, but rather will highlight some of the places featured in the Improper Bostonian article that I’ve been wanting to try for some time, and hopefully will be visiting (and reviewing here) over the next few months.

There are about 100 different places in Boston that I haven’t been able to dine at yet that I’d like to, but after reading this year’s Best of Boston list, my desire to go to these three places in particular has increased tremendously.

3. Ten Tables

Founder Krista Kranyak’s concept of fresh/farm-sourced, local and seasonal food was one that really hit home for me, as I start learning more and more about the evils of processed foods and also become a lot more aware of supporting the local economy and jobs.

As much as the concept of the restaurant holds credence of its own, many of the menu items I’ve heard about have really peaked my interest. From goat cheese croutons to chocolate terrine with sea salt and Thai basil ice cream, my mouth is watering just thinking about having a meal at Ten Tables.

2. Oleana

I first heard about Oleana after chef / owner Ana Sortun appeared on Top Chef Masters. While she didn’t last too long on the show, she definitely shined as a master of creative Mediterranean cuisine. A former James Beard award winner, Sortun has a long resume behind her and brings a lot to the table at her newest endeavor, Oleana. From Warm Buttered Hummus to Fried Mussels with Turkish Tarator Sauce, Oleana’s menu is creative, inspired and very unique among the other dining options in the area.

And as much as I admire Ana Sortun, I’m almost equally as excited to try the creations of pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick. From rose petal jam to creative homemade ice cream such as lime leaf and hazelnut praline, Kilpatrick’s desserts sound as delicious and inventive as they come. Never mind the fact that there’s nothing better than enjoying a tasty, cool ice cream on one of Boston’s best patios, which Oleana also boasts. I’m really hoping to get reservations here before the summer is over, and even though you can’t reserve the patio in advance, I fully intend to try to get one of the highly coveted seats!

1. Craigie on Main

I often find myself drawn to two things: things that are hard to get, and burgers. Craigie on Main pretty much sums up the combination of those two things perfectly. The perfect burger… that’s really, really hard to get.

After the Craigie burger started gaining rapid popularity as the best burger in Boston, chef / owner Tony Maws had to take it off the menu. While that might sound like it doesn’t make sense, Maws had limited supply of ingredients for the burger (which is made from a mixture of grass-fed short rib, brisket, suet, bone marrow and dehydrated miso paste), but refused to compromise its impressive recipe in order to meet demand, so the burger is only available for those who know about it… ask and you shall receive, but only if you’re early enough. Craigie on Main only makes about 20 of the esteemed burgers per day, so you have to get there early for your chance to try it.

And now that Tony Maws has officially locked down the James Beard award for Best Chef – Northeast, I’m sure it isn’t getting any easier. But I’m still determined.

Is there a local restaurant you’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t yet? Or have you tried any of the places on my top 3 list above? Let me know what you thought!

I have a confession to make.

I have an addiction. To healthy food.

Not something you hear every day. Unless you talk to someone who owns Now Eat This: 150 of America’s Favorite Comfort Foods, All Under 350 Calories by Rocco DiSpirito. I’ve owned a lot of cookbooks in my life, but I’ve never truly been sold on them. Every time I try to make a recipe from one, it’s either too hard, the ingredients are too expensive, and/or it’s WAY too unhealthy. But Rocco sold me on cookbooks… or at least his. The week I got it, I made 3 different recipes (including the one below) and I have plans both to repeat those and make many more.

Rocco is brilliant… he makes healthy substitutions for unhealthy ingredients, using things you would NEVER otherwise think of. I mean, would you ever eat brownies if you knew they had black beans in them? Probably not, but if you didn’t know it, you’d never know the difference.

The Mac & Cheese recipe was another one that intrigued me with its substitution. This recipe contains no milk, no cream, and no butter. Typically, that sounds like no good. But the addition of an onion-garlic puree, which is apparently supposed to mimic a béchamel sauce, is pure genius. Now I’m not going to lie and say this is the best mac & cheese I’ve ever had. Butter, oil, cream or milk will of course make any mac & cheese taste absolutely dreamy. But for 227 calories, it’s a definite win.

Note: My recipe below is slightly modified from Rocco’s original. One key change I made was adding the asparagus… needed to get in my veggies!

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
Salt
1/2 box elbow macaroni
Small bunch asparagus
1/2 cup onion-garlic puree (see recipe below) *
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded 50 percent reduced-fat cheddar
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mist an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set it aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions, drain.

Meanwhile, bring onion-garlic puree, mustard, and cayenne to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Whisk in cheddar until melted. Remove from heat and whisk in yogurt.

Whisk the cheese sauce to remove the lumps!

Saute asparagus in a medium skillet. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Once cooked, chop into 1/4-inch pieces and add to cooked macaroni.

In a medium bowl, toss the macaroni and asparagus with the cheese sauce. Season with salt to taste. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle panko over the top. Top with Parmesan.
Bake until Parmesan is melted and macaroni is hot throughout, about 10 minutes.

Doesn't look like an under-250-calorie meal, does it?

* Onion-Garlic Puree

1/2 large Vidalia onion
5 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup water

Combine  ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave on high 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a food processor; blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

One of the top tips to eating healthy is making sure there are a lot of bright, vibrant colors on your plate. So I got pretty excited when I went to the supermarket last week and mangoes were on sale… my mind immediately drifting to thoughts of a delicious mango salsa. I’ve had mango salsa a few times on fish at restaurants, but never made my own before, so I started researching some recipes as soon as I got home to find some inspiration. I ended up finding a perfect one on Cooking Light that I only slightly modified for my version below.

Note: I love cilantro – and I know it’s one of those things that you either love it or you hate it. If you hate it, don’t try this recipe.

Fresh Mango Salsa
Inspired by this Cooking Light recipe

• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2  cups  diced peeled ripe mango
• 1/2  cup  diced white onion
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  tablespoon  cider vinegar
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
• 2  cloves garlic, minced

Combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic. It’s that easy! And voila…

Delicious fresh mango salsa

The best part about this salsa is that it has a lot more to offer than just it’s delicious, refreshing flavor. It’s incredibly versatile… you can use it to top fish (any white fish, salmon, the possibilities are endless) or chicken to add a splash of color and fresh flavor to a main course, or you can serve it with tortilla chips as a snack or appetizer… or you could even eat it with a spoon if you love it as much as I do!

There are also so many variations you could make to this recipe. I’m already thinking of adding a pop of spice to my next batch – perhaps adding some diced jalapeño and maybe a touch of cayenne pepper. If you don’t love spice, bell peppers would add a nice crunch and some more bright colors to the salsa. Pineapple would also make a delicious addition if you want to make it more sweet and fruity to add to the mango.

I still have more of my salsa left over and I’m so excited to eat it, and also anxious to finish it so I can make more and try new versions of this recipe. I was shocked that even my husband, who is a very straightforward and not-so-daring eater, loved the addition of the fresh fruit and herb flavor on top of his fish. I definitely think that this recipe is going to become a staple in my spring and summer cooking!

Have you ever made a mango salsa before? What other ingredients do you like to include?

As you may have figured out from my Balsamic Chicken post, I’m a big fan of pairing balsamic vinegar with chicken. So it should come as no surprise that when I saw Balsamic Chicken Pizza on the menu at Wildfire Brick Oven Pizza in North Providence, I fell in love. And luckily, that love did not end with the menu… it may be one of my favorite foods ever (and I’m not good at picking favorites… especially with food!)

The last time we went to Wildfire, my husband decided that I needed to try to recreate this pizza myself. That’s a tall order… and I wasn’t sure I was up to it. Not only did I feel that I could never measure up to the real thing, but I was also afraid of ruining this pizza that I love so much, and potentially having a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) for this pizza as a result.

Needless to say, I was curious enough to see if I could come close, so I gave it a shot. While it certainly didn’t come out as good as the original (my husband says it did, but I guess that’s why I keep him around), it did actually do it justice. The delicious flavors were all there, and I added my own touches to the pizza to make it my own, while still preserving what I loved so much from Wildfire’s version.

Disclaimer: My version is nowhere near as pretty as theirs. This is something I need to work on…

Ingredients:

For pizza

• 1 package fresh pizza dough (either white or whole wheat)
• Flour
• Corn meal (optional)
• 1-2 cups tomato basil sauce
• 1 cooked, sliced chicken breast
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

For glaze

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Flour a large surface and roll out dough into a large circle. Sprinkle corn meal onto pizza stone (if desired to help dough slide off stone – I never use corn meal and I don’t have any problems!) and place dough on stone. Reshape if necessary.

Spoon pizza sauce in center of dough and spread to cover pizza center. Use as much or little sauce as desired. Add peppers, broccoli, and chicken. Sprinkle whole pizza generously with cheese.

Place pizza stone in pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.

While pizza is in the oven, bring balsamic vinegar and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat and pour into bottle for drizzling (or if you’re good at using a spoon to drizzle, leave it in the pan!)

Take pizza out and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Return it to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, or until edges of crust begin to brown. Slice and enjoy!

As I said, it's not as pretty as Wildfire's version, but it tasted great!

Have you ever tried to re-create a dish you loved from a restaurant? Did it compare to the original or fall flat?

Last Thursday was St. Patrick’s Day, and I wanted to get in the spirit of the holiday (in a way other than just consuming lots of green beer). I was inspired by a friend of mine who made these cupcakes that not only encapsulated the spirit of the holiday, but did so using some of my absolute favorite ingredients and flavors. I’m not sure I’ll ever drink an Irish Car Bomb ever again, now that I know eating them is so yummy!

I’ve made a lot of cupcakes in my life, but I typically like to spend most of my time decorating them in a fun and creative way, so I’ve always used boxed cake mixes to save me the time it takes to actually create and bake them. So making this cupcake from scratch was very rewarding, both as my first experience and also because it allowed me to experiment more with flavors and really make the cake taste the way I wanted it to.

I had a great time making these cupcakes, and while it took me quite some time (don’t attempt to make these unless you have at least 2 hours… it took me close to 3 but I was also taking pictures along the way and making sure I did everything right since it was my first foray into cupcakes from scratch!). I followed this recipe from Annie’s Eats pretty much to the T, but now that I know what I’m doing I might play around with my own cupcake recipes soon… or borrow someone else’s less generously

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup Guinness
16 tbsp. unsalted butter ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the Guinness and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend.  Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine.  Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. (Note: Chopping the chocolate was a lengthy process, so make sure this is done before you move forward!) Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.  Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth.  If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds).  Add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. Be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.  Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this).  Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated.  Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth.  Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading, and has your desired flavor. I started light on the Bailey’s and then added a little bit more and taste-tested until it was just right. Place frosting in a piping bag using your preferred tip or use a knife to spread frosting over cupcakes. Chill cupcakes in the fridge for about an hour to ensure that the frosting doesn’t melt.

Recipe courtesy of Annie’s Eats

My birthday was last month, and the coupon-lover that I am, I knew in advance that I had a lot of sweet deals coming my way. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but those newsletters you get in your email every day that you may find annoying really do pay off. It may only be once or twice a year, but your birthday is definitely one of those times.

To share the wealth, and also to give props to the amazing brands that gave me birthday gifts, I wanted to post about them here and give my readers the opportunity to see all the fun things they may (or may not) be missing! So here they are… my Top 10 birthday treats of 2011:

10. Panera Bread: Free pastry of your choice (must have a rewards card in advance)
9. Dunkin’ Donuts: Free medium coffee, latte, tea, Coolatta® or hot chocolate (must be a member of Dunkin’ Perks in advance)
8. Starbucks: Free Drink of your choice (must have a registered Starbucks gift card)
7. TGI Friday’s: Free Dessert (must have a Stripes card in advance)
6. Red Robin: Free burger on your birthday (must be a member of their eClub and have a loyalty card in advance)
5. Sephora: Free Philosophy Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath (must be a member of the Beauty Insiders Club)
4. DSW: $5 off (must be a member of DSW Rewards)
3. Express: $10 off any purchase
2. Victoria’s Secret: $10 off any purchase

And my #1, while it is unfortuantely only local to Boston, I chose as #1 because I really loved their thoughtfulness. Not only are they giving you $10 off, but there’s an added bonus (and wine always scores high with me)!

1. Tasca: $10 food certificate, and an added bonus of a free bottle of champagne for birthday parties of six or more

Other than the added benefit of giving you a free bottle of champagne, Tasca’s offer is also brilliant from a business perspective because they encourage you to bring parties of six or more to their restaurant. And it’s nice that they don’t force you to go in ON your birthday – the offer was valid for the whole month.

While I didn’t take advantage of ALL of these offers because (for the same reason I’ve been neglecting the blog!) I’ve been extremely busy these past few months, I definitely took advantage of some of them, and they all gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. So here’s a big shout out to all of these brands for helping me have a fabulous birthday!

• 4 ounces chocolate graham crackers (I used Teddy Grahams, and needed more than 4 ounces… use as much as needed to coat the bottom and sides of the pan as directed below)
• 3  tablespoons  canola oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2  cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2  cup sugar
• 1/4  cup seedless raspberry jam
• 3  tablespoons water
• 1  cup  sugar
• 2 1/2  (8-ounce) packages block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1  cup  plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon  salt
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Wrap outside and bottom of an 8-inch springform pan tightly with a double layer of heavy-duty foil.

Place crackers in a food processor; process until finely ground. Drizzle with oil; pulse until combined. Press mixture into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 8 minutes; cool on a rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Place cranberries, sugar, jam, and water in a saucepan; boil. Cook 8 minutes or until cranberries pop and mixture is syrupy. Cool 20 minutes. Place mixture in a food processor; process 1 minute or until smooth.

Combine 1 cup sugar and cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in yogurt, vanilla, and salt. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Place 2 egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form using clean, dry beaters.

Fold beaten egg whites into cream cheese mixture. Pour filling over crust.Spoon cranberry mixture over filling; swirl together using the tip of a knife.

Place springform pan in a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 2 inches. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes or until center of cheesecake barely moves when pan is touched (it took a little over an hour to cook completely for me)

Turn oven off. Cool cheesecake in closed oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven. Run a knife around outside edge. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 8 hours.

This was definitely one of the most difficult desserts I’ve ever baked before, but it turned out great! Not only did it look fun with the cranberry swirls, but it really tasted delicious and creamy like a cheesecake should… but just light enough that you could eat a whole piece without feeling like you need to diet for a week.

Have you ever made a “healthified” dessert that tasted just as good (or better) than the full-fat version? Share your recipes in the comments!