Tag: tahini

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Sweet

Olive Oil Brownies

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe
one and a half slices local simple recipes food

Olive Oil Brownies

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe

I don’t really like brownies. But once a year, I’ve got to have them. 

I’ve made these twice so far this year and, I’ve got to say, the recipe is narrowing in on perfect. Chewy but not gooey. Crispy on the edges. Not too oily. Not too buttery. Maybe just slightly too sweet. And, ofc, no seed oils.

It’s got olive oil for skin and health, and tahini for the luteal phase. Texture 10/10

I mean, just look at that crumb.

For those chocolate-y days, you can have this in 45 minutes (you know, the days where your mother buys you a chocolate book for Christmas that makes you crave chocolate things every time you pick it up and you’re the slowest reader ever so it takes you four months to finish it and by the time you’re finished you’ve eaten more chocolate in those four months than you typically do in a year but hey at least it’s better quality chocolate)?

Book recommendation below. Then, the recipe.

one and a half slices chocolate cacao bean to bar bean-to-bar beantobar local recipe

what you need

*note: for baking chocolate and cacao powder,  my go-tos are Guittard and Navitas

2 large eggs, at room temp

1/2 cup (75oz) dark or semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup coconut sugar (can sub brown sugar)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons almond flour

1/2 cup cacao powder 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup good olive oil (that you would eat)

(optional) flaky sea salt, fresh nutmeg, and whipping cream

how to make it

Method: stovetop

Heat oven to 350.

In a saucepan, combine your tahini, olive oil, and chocolate over medium heat. Stir until smooth and glossy (do not let it get too hot), and remove from heat.

In separate bowl, mix cacao powder, almond flour, and salt together. Set aside. 

In yet another separate bowl, beat both sugars, vanilla, and eggs together with a hand mixer for 5 minutes until very fluffy. Pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the dry mixture until just combined.

Do not overmix.

Pour into a parchment-lined baking dish of choice (an 8×8 works great. mine was a little smaller, so the brownies a little thicker, so the cooking time +5 mins).

Top with flaky sea salt. Cook in a warm oven for ~24 minutes or until top is cracking. Let cool for 30 minutes before cutting. 

pro tip: like this needs leveling up but do it anyway. take some heavy whipping cream and whip it with some coconut sugar or maple syrup until soft peaks form. spoon it over your brownie and, HERE’S THE HOT TAKE, grate some fresh nutmeg on top. this is a game changer. a flavor changer. an all around good idea.

after all, few things are made worse by freshly grated nutmeg. 

chocolate
Categories
Veggie

Warm Brussels Caesar Salad

one and a half slices warm brussels sprouts crunchy spicy salad recipe
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Spicy Warm Crunchy Brussels Caesar Salad with Almonds

That’s a lot of adjectives in front of “Caesar Salad,” but I assure you this salad is not difficult. It is also fantastic. The spicy comes from cayenne. The crunchy comes from toasted almonds, and the quinoa if you feel so inclined to try crisping it. Crisping quinoa does involve an extra step but it makes the quinoa taste vaguely nutty and a little popcorn-esque. You could just as easily use regularly prepared quinoa, though, and this salad would be unchanged. The tahini Caesar dressing is also king – super lemony and salty with parmesan cheese as any good Caesar should be. 

what you need

2 bunches of large Brussels Sprouts, shaved or sliced very thinly

3-4 tablespoons of minced chives

1/2 cup toasted almond slivers

1 cup of Quinoa, cooked according to the package

2-3 glugs of olive oil

(optional) 1/4 cup dried cranberries

For the dressing…

1/4 cup tahini

Juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/4 cup (heaping) of parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 clove of fresh garlic, minced 

salt, cracked black pepper, and tons of cayenne pepper

2-3 glugs of olive oil

how to make it

Make the quinoa according to the package and let it cool uncovered for a while. Preheat the oven to 400. 

Chop or slice the Brussels Sprouts (a mandolin works great if you have one), toss in olive oil and salt, and spread out on a pan. Roast at 400 for 10 minutes, then stir the Brussels, and continue roasting for ~5-7 more minutes. You’re going for al dente.

If you’re going to crisp your quinoa, you can do so at the same time as the Brussels. Just spread them out on some parchment paper, drizzle with a bit of oil, stir, and roast until beginning to crisp but not burn.  

While the Brussels are roasting, make the dressing. Put all ingredients in a small chopper and blend until smooth, adding water or nutmilk incrementally as needed to thin it out. 

When the Brussels come out of the oven, place in a large bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Pour the dressing on top and toss until well coated. Add in the chives and almonds, and toss a bit more. If using regularly cooked quinoa, add it in and toss with the Brussels, but if using crisped quinoa, I like to add it on top and toss it lightly before eating. 

Top with a slight dusting of parmesan cheese and enjoy warm.

Green Vibes
Categories
Veggie

Hummus

one and a half slices recipe hummus Mediterranean
OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Hummus

one and a half slices recipe hummus Mediterranean

Guys, I am never buying store-bought hummus again. Big statement. But it is way less difficult to make than you think. This creamy, beautiful hummus requires two cans of chickpeas and not much else. It pairs well with tzatziki/cacik sauce and is a staple for any Mediterranean spread. It also has a lot of protein for those who are #plantbased. Admittedly, hummus is healthier when the dippers are cucumbers and carrots, but I have an inescapable addiction to Stacy’s pita chips so hummus, unfortunately, must be consumed in moderation in my kitchen. Highly recommend.

 The key to creamy hummus is in how long you blend your chickpeas. The flavor is all in the toppers. Get creative and enjoy!

🍋🧄🍋

Lemony, garlicky, imminently dippable, and minimal. 

what you need

2 cans (30oz) chickpeas

1 cup of the chickpea liquid from the can

1/2 cup tahini

1/4-1/2 cup good olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste 

one hell of a powerful blender

For serving: chickpeas, cucumber, halved tomato cherries, drizzle olive oil, minced parsley, sprinkle of sumac and/or paprika and/or cayenne pepper

how to make it

Place chickpeas, half of the chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and spices into your ‘one hell of a powerful blender.’

Puree on high for approximately 2 minutes, adding additional chickpea liquid after two minutes if the texture isn’t becoming smooth enough. The secret to smooth hummus is just to keep blending…

Taste for flavor and add spices as needed. Spoon your hummus onto a plate and spread it out drizzling with olive oil and adding your toppers. These can be cucumbers, thinly sliced bell peppers, small feta cheese crumbles, halved cherry tomatoes, roasted pistachios, and, of course, healthy sprinkles of sumac And cayenne.

More Mediterranean
one and a half slices borek cigara boragi recipe

Borek

Borek [boh-rek] (plural Böreği) is a delicious Turkish/Eastern European street food that I added to the OneandahalfSlices repertoire in college when a Turkish friend took the time to teach me a little of his home cuisine. I would go as far as to call borek the Balkan empanada – pervasive with a distinct variation on the theme in every country. It can be baked, fried, filled with cheese, filled with greens, filled with meat, but usually involves Phyllo dough (unless you are me and are too lazy to deal with Phyllo dough). This particular borek is called Sigara because it is rolled into tubes like a cigarette. It makes a great brunch, lunch, or light dinner option (as pictured here) and has its origins in Ottoman cuisine.

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May 28, 2022 3 Comments
oneandahalfslices turkish chicken kebab kabob yogurt marinade

Turkish Chicken Kebab

Bowls. I mean, how versatile. Perfect for weeknight dinner. Maybe you all have tried my Mexicali bowls made with homemade black beans. Consider this its Mediterranean best friend. Yogurt chicken is a Turkish staple. The probiotics and enzymes in the yogurt serve to tenderize the meat keeping it super moist and juicy. The chicken chunks are best marinated overnight though, if you are really feeling lazy like I was in this recipe, I simply used half a batch of tzatziki sauce that I had whipped up for snacking as the marinade.

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December 11, 2022 1 Comment
one and a half slices tzatziki cajik turkish greek

Tzatziki

Tzatziki sauce is a staple of Mediterranean cooking. There are several variations on the theme to include the Turkish Cajik and Haydari sauces. The basic idea is to combine cucumber, dill, mint, lemon, or garlic in some meaningful way and use it as a dipping sauce. It’s great with fresh vegetables or pita, but also delicious as a dipping sauce for red meat as in a kofte or kebab. Authentically, at least for Cajik, the cucumber is grated and then pressed to expel water, but this version is a whole lot simpler. It was part of our recent Mediterranean dinner

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July 16, 2022 2 Comments
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Categories
Veggie

Peanut Sauce

OneandahalfSlices food blog recipes One and a half Slices Virginia eat local

Peanut Sauce

This is the versatile Peanut Sauce. Ironically, only the variation is made with actual peanut butter. The version I typically make is peanut-free! But this is THE sauce for healthy Pad Thai, Weeknight Stir Fry, rice attire, salad dressing, noodle accoutrement, etc. If you’re missing an ingredient, don’t panic. There is a substitution for almost everything. So customize away!

what you need

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons almond butter (or any nut butter)

Juice from half a lime

1/2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 whole garlic clove, peeled

1 small knob of fresh ginger (no need to chop or peel)

3 tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)

1/2 tablespoon fish sauce

1/4 cup cashew milk (or other nut milk, or regular milk)

Salt, black pepper, & cayenne pepper to taste

 

 

See below for sweet peanut variation.

how to make it

Place all ingredients in chopper or small blender (I use the smallest container in this 3-in-1). Blend until smooth adding milk or water to reach desired consistency, noting that if adding to stir fry over heat, the mixture will thicken slightly.

Notes on texture: The amount of liquid controls how thick or thin this sauce becomes. Add more or less milk depending on desired thickness.

Notes on ingredients: This recipe is SUPER flexible. The substance comes from the nut butters. My favorite blend is tahini + almond, but peanut is a good option as well. If lacking tahini, you could make the entire thing with 4 tablespoons of almond butter.

Lime and vinegar give you the tanginess. I would be hard pressed to make this without lime juice but, technically, you only need one of the two, and could probably get away with lemon in a pinch. Similarly, you could skip the ginger OR the garlic OR the fish sauce and not be hurting for it.

To make this recipe sweeter: add 1 tablespoon fresh honey, 1 tablespoon of Hoisin sauce, or 1 tablespoon of molasses.

Sweet Peanut Variation

what you need

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup lime juice or 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar

2-3 tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)

1/2 teaspoon fermented chili paste (or sriracha)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2-6 tablespoons of water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

(optional) 1 garlic clove, finely grated

(optional) 1 fresh ginger knob, finely grated

 

how to make it

Whisk together all ingredients excluding the water. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Since natural peanut butters vary in consistency from very thick (Whole Foods or Publix brands) to very thin (some in jars), you will need to adjust the amount of water to achieve the consistency that suits your dish.

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