The Feastie Blog

Continuing on our homemade granola streak, I thought I'd try to find a recipe that produced actual granola clusters instead of just loose granola. You know what I mean? When you buy it in the store, granola comes in little clusters and clumps - that can be difficult to recreate at home when you're not using a ton of sugar and fat to bind the oats together. So I did a little searching and found this granola clusters recipe from Kitchen Heals Soul. The method used in the recipe is what creates those delicious little clusters - you do NOTHING! In every other granola recipe I've made I've stirred the oat mixture every 15 minutes during baking (baking usually takes an hour or so) - this recipe instructs you to do the exact opposite, that is pack the oat mixture into the baking sheet and just LEAVE IT ALONE while it bakes. And guess what - it totally works! I was worried that the oats would burn, or that the granola would cook unevenly, but neither of those things happened - I just ended up with completely yummy, cluster-y granola. I haven't tried this method with any of my other granola recipes, but I don't see why it wouldn't work for them all. A word of advice, though - don't make this granola unless you have extremely good self-control (I can't help but take a handful every time I pass by the pantry), you're going to be sharing it with others, or you're okay with incessantly snacking on granola. Because it's pretty irresistable. 

You had to see this coming - a round-up of our favorite healthier Super Bowl party recipes! Super Bowl is, of course, one of the biggest "food days" of the year (second only to Thanksgiving). It's estimated that over 111 million people will be watching the big game this Sunday. And what will they be eating? The usual - pizza, veggies and dip, chips and dip, guacamole, chicken wings, etc. Which all sound good to us - if not a bit heavy. Hey, remember those New Year's resolutions? Eat more veggies? Eat more healthfully? Super Bowl doesn't have to be the undoing of all your healthy eating resolutions - you can have delish party food without all the guilt, and trust us, this does not mean compromising on flavor. In fact do yourself a favor and share some of these dishes with friends - they'll never know what they're missing (all the saturated fats and empty calories), they'll just thank you for bringing yummy game day noshes! We've rounded up the top 5 healthier Super Bowl party recipes on the web this week - but don't forget to explore the thousands of amazing party recipes on Feastie! 

Healthier Crock Pot Cincinnati Chicken Chili from Jeanette's Healthy Living
Photo from Jeanette's Healthy Living

This past December I took The Mr. to a fancy shmancy restaurant for his birthday dinner. We had four courses, plus amuse bouches, plus dessert - it was an epic meal. And every course was incredible - it was like each plate was even better than the next. When it was time to choose dessert, I was faced with an impossible decision between all of the unbelivebly delicious-sounding desserts, so I asked our server for a recommendation. "Sticky toffee pudding. Definitely. That's my favorite." I'd never had sticky toffee pudding before, so I trusted his opinion - kind of took a shot in the dark. I love toffee, I like dates, and it came with brown sugar ice cream - what could be bad? And then the dessert arrived. HOLY $%#*. It was by far my favorite dish of the night. It was so amazing, so delicious, so sticky and sweet and gooey - I was actually ANGRY with myself for having missed out on this for the first 30-some years of my life. It was all I could think about for days afterward - that ridiculous dessert. I wanted to try to recreate it at home, but in a healthier way - I'm fully aware that anything with the word "toffee" in it isn't considered a health food. And most recipes I saw called for lots of butter and sugar. And then I came across this sinless sticky toffee pecan pudding from Oh She Glows. Sinless? Toffee? Really? But will it be good? Sinless? I figured it was worth a shot - I had all the ingredients in my house, so I gave it a go. OMG. I had to sit down - I actually took a bite of this and had to sit on the kitchen floor before I just straight-out collapsed in happiness. I'm giving this dessert the official title of My Favorite Dessert of 2012. And I've had some stellar desserts this year - but this one takes the cake, literally. Is it exactly the same as the one I had in the restaurant? Nope. But is it just as good? Yep. It's hard to believe that something with the word "sinless" in the title can be this good, because it really does feel sinful. And no, it's not "healthy", but it's certainly healthier than a conventional dessert loaded with tons of sugar and butter. And while yes, it does serve 8, I ate the majority of this cake within 3 days. By myself. I'm not proud, but I do feel it's worth disclosing since it's another testament to HOW FREAKING GOOD THIS IS. 

At Feastie we love homemade versions of our favorite takeout dishes - you can make healthier versions of your favorites and save money as well. Besides, what's better than Indian food on demand?! Not much. The long list of ingredients in a curry can be intimidating at first glance, but most spices can be purchased by the ounce in the bulk spice bins at your local health food store or Indian grocery. In fact - if you haven't already shopped the Indian grocery for spices, you're missing out - you can save major moolah by buying spices at speciality ethnic markets. We've rounded up the top 5 Indian recipes this week for you to try at home - just a mere glimpse into Indian cuisine, but a great way to get inspired to cook Indian dishes in your own kitchen. 

Chana Saag Wtih Rogan Josh Fritters from MarocMama
Photo from MarocMama

There's a part of me that really wants a slow cooker. There's another part of me that is apprehensive about buying yet another kitchen appliance.  I know some people swear by it - make most of their meals in it - and you can make incredible stuff in there! But I have this mental block about buying one. I've been seeing a lot of slow cooker pulled chicken recipes lately and I couldn't stop thinking about it - I need some BBQ pulled chicken. I do have a dutch oven, though - and I came across this stove-top recipe for spicy pulled chicken on Portuguese Girl Cooks, which made me very happy. The Mr. LOVES pulled chicken - pulled anything, really (that sounds weird, but you know what I mean). So I decided to make him one of his favorites - this is what he always orders at a BBQ joint - spicy BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. And what are pulled chicken sandwiches without the slaw?! Gotta have coleslaw. So I made my healthier version of cole slaw and we piled that with the chicken and sliced pickles on soft white wheat buns - oh yeah. These are easy enough for a weeknight meal, as long as you can start early - the chicken takes about 90 minutes to cook (totally hands-off). The chicken was even better the next day - all saucy and tender and yum. This is a pretty healthy rendition of something that can be a bit naughty at a regular BBQ joint - I'll definitely be making this again soon, probably for company. In any case, these chicken sandwiches were amazing, and The Mr. was very excited. 

Who doesn't love a cupcake? There's not one cupcake reality show - there are no less than three (that we know of) cupcake reality shows on TV. It's your own personal cake! Perfect frosting-to-cake ratio, portion control, and way cuter than regular cake. There has been much debate over what differentiates a cupcake from a muffin - in our humble opinion, FROSTING. So we've rounded up the top 5 cupcake recipes on the web this week - all topped with copious amounts of frosting! If muffins are more your speed, we've got those, too - but we suggest you engage your sweet tooth and enjoy the sugary goodness. 

Funfetti Cupcakes from I Sing In The Kitchen
Photo from I Sing In The Kitchen

Hanukkah was over a month ago, but it's always a good time for latkes. I make them once a year, every year, and always promise myself I'll make them more often, but it never happens. Which is a good thing, in some ways, as they're completely addictive and you can't eat just one. I have a rule when I make latkes - a taste testing rule. The first 3 latkes in the pan are the test batch. Therefore, one of the test batch latkes must be taste tested (with sour cream, of course) before I continue and fry the rest of the latkes. Then halfway through the entire batch of latkes another latke must be tested (with sour cream) - just to be sure that the oil is still hot enough and the latkes are crispy enough. Assuming all is well, the rest of the latkes are fried and set to drain on paper towels. But at that point I need to sit down and really taste test another one - after all, I just finished cooking so shouldn't I reward myself with a latke? So by now I'm 3 latkes in and we haven't even sat down to dinner yet. 

In any case, I've been making latkes since I was a wee little one - it's been a holiday tradition for as long as I can remember. And my family has been through so many latke recipes I don't even remember half of them - at one point we used the box mix but added our own potatoes, then we went the all-potato route but used yukon gold, then we tried russets, etc. After many experiments with many varieties of potato and many methods of cooking, as well as plenty of arm-hair burned off in the process (man that oil is HOT), I've finally happened on my perfect latke recipe. I discovered this recipe/method 3 years ago and I've been making them the same way ever since - they never disappoint. They're perfectly crispy, with a crunchy, salty exterior and a hot, creamy inside. They're not too big, they're not greasy, and when topped with sour cream they probably rate up there as one of my all-time favorite foods. So without further ado - perfectly crispy latkes. 

While most of us make a valiant effort to maintain healthy eating habits year-round, those pesky New Year's resolutions to "eat healthy" and "eat more veggies" may be nagging at your conscience more than usual right now. But that's a good thing! Eat those veggies! It can be difficult to keep up with those healthy habits, but we've rounded up the top 5 veggie-packed, meat-free meals on the web this week to help you out. Meat-free Monday is a great habit - try going meat-free a few more nights each week. Even the most dedicated carnivore can find something satisfying and delish here - be sure to check out our meat-free meals and sides board on Pinterest for even more great recipes and ideas. 

Caprese Salad Quinoa Stuffed Portabellas from Snixy Kitchen
Photo from Snixy Kitchen

While I'm not big into New Years resolutions, I did make a pledge to eat more vegetables this year. Whipping up a stir fry on a weeknight is one of the easiest, healthiest, quickest ways to make a veggie-ful dinner. This spicy shrimp and broccoli stir fry from Everyday Food is ridiculously simple - there are literally 4 ingredients. BUT! One of the ingredients is a magical, wonderful, spicy, flavorful, delicious condiment that everyone should have in their fridge - garlic chili sauce. It's so savory and spicy - but not overwhelmingly so. If you love Sriracha (and I do) you'll love this sauce. Basically take any veggie and any protein you have, stir fry in a bit of vegetable oil, then toss with the chili sauce. DONE. That's how simple this "recipe" is - because it's not so much a recipe as a suggestion that you buy this garlic chili sauce! I served this over long grain brown rice and The Mr. and I loved it - he took the leftovers to work the next day and they reheated perfectly. Keep this recipe in the back of your mind - if ever you're agonizing over what to make for dinner, or you're wandering, lost and lonely, through the grocery store trying to put together dinner, this recipe will save you. 

When it comes to cookies, I generally prefer them soft, thick, and chewy. But for some reason, this past weekend I was craving thin, crispy, buttery oatmeal cookies - the exact opposite of what I usually make. No raisins, no chocolate chips, no cinnamon - just plain old buttery oatmeal baked into a thin cookie that will snap when you bite into it. Mmmm. I'd had one in a bakery before, but never attempted them myself. In these situations, I generally turn to Cooks Illustrated - although their recipes are sometimes convoluted and complicated, the results are almost always worth the extra work! These cookies are easy peasy, though - no weird or extra steps in this one. And the result? AMAZING. Exactly what I was looking for. The cookies are so thin and buttery and delicate, and when you bite into them, they're perfectly crispy. If you've never tried cookies like this before, I highly recommend you bake up a batch immediately! I'd bet you already have all of the ingredients in your kitchen, too - you're probably less than an hour away from eating these cookies, if you start now.