Cabin Fever Recipes (a.k.a. The Crunchiest Post Ever)

Winter, you're pretty, but please go away! (A.Gross; February 2014)

I get a few good-natured digs from friends and family who think I'm a little "crunchy." You know the type - certain Portlandia sketches, this crunchy mama spoof, and pretty much any food-related post on Stuff White People Like are a little too accurate. "Rabbit food" often describes what we cook and eat. When I was first called "crunchy granola" (hi, Christina!), I didn't know quite how to feel about the term, but I've learned to tone it down a bit and, ultimately, embrace it. 

So, why this reflection? I'm going to sound like every other annoying New Englander when I write this, but it's been a rough winter. I just want it to go away. I tried and still try to be Zen about it ("Spring's just around the corner, Al!!"), but this has been a lame season. The local vegetable options are becoming slightly boring. Sorry, roots. I also have zero interest in baking again after the holidays, especially after the dozens of cookies that I decided to make as part of a Simply Smiles fundraiser. (I don't regret it - I won a trip! Thank you! But, I'll need to rethink the best mode of incentivizing in the future...) 

But, as with most things, you don't get anywhere by complaining. You're a total bummer to be around, so that's enough of my complaints. Exercise and food are two easy ways to beat the winter blues, and, even if you're on a health kick, you can still have satisfying, nourishing, mood-boosting snacks. Without further hesitation, here are two tasty recipes: No-bake Apple Butter Bites and Chocolate Alternative Squares - perhaps the crunchiest recipes ever posted on SWYF. (Think homemade Larabars and Mounds bars!) You may not have every ingredient on hand, but the next time you venture out into the world and reach for less healthful items, consider these recipes. Get crunchy!

(Oh, and if it's possible to reach a penultimate level of crunchiness, I should add that as I write this, I'm rockin' out to Pete Seeger [Is that possible? OK, maybe a toe-tap or two.] and eating hummus with carrots for lunch. You're welcome.)

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Chocolate Alternative Squares (I was first turned onto these by my friend and former neighbor Kristin Hamilton. They're like glorious, little coconut-y brownies that are actually good for you!)

Ingredients:

Chocolate Alternative Squares. Don't knock 'em 'til you've tried them! (A.Gross; February 2014)

• 1 cup dates (pits removed, of course!)
• 1 cup nuts or seeds (any combination works)
• 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa
• 1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• coconut oil, melted

Steps:

1. In a food processor, combine the dates, nuts/seeds and coconut flakes until finely ground.
2. Drizzle in coconut oil until the mixture just begins to hold together. This is usually 1-2 Tbl of oil.
3. Press the mixture into an 8" pan, cover and refrigerate or freeze for 1-2 hours.
4. When ready to eat, cut into bite-sized squares. Store in your refrigerator or freezer for a longer shelf-life.

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No-bake Apple Butter Bites. Taste like fruit and nut truffles!

No-bake Apple Butter Bites (adapted from Delicious Living)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds and/or sesame seed
• 1 cup oats (to make oat flour, which is just ground oats!)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds (you can grind whole flaxseeds yourself...and save money)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or to taste
• pinch of coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbl honey, agave or maple syrup
• 2/3 cup apple butter

Steps:

1. Place nuts and/or seeds and oats in a food processor until roughly ground.
2. Add flaxseeds, cinnamon and salt; pulse to mix.
3. Pulse in honey or other liquid sweetener until the mixture just holds together.
4. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside in a bowl.
5. Stir in apple butter to remaining, larger amount of the mixture.
6. Roll into walnut-size balls and roll in reserved oat-nut mixture. Place on a lined baking sheet.
7. Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Serve chilled.

Eating indigenously changes diets and lives of Native Americans | Al Jazeera America

Such a terrific, hopeful and exciting article! I'm devoting my graduate capstone to studying Lakota foodways, including a bioregional and historical overview of past and present subsistence patterns. Food is and should be more than a fundamental right among native cultures and people. It should also serve as a way to revive and retain important cultural traditions and as a means to building resilient, healthy communities.  

In other words: good, just food can save the world!!! (Thanks, Bryan, for the link!)

“‘The strong tie to your land influences your political system and your religious system and your social system,’ Romero said. ‘The idea was if we had kids reconnecting to traditional foods they would be reconnecting to all these other institutions that make our community.’”

— from Al Jazeera America

Recipe: Sea Salted Mocha Chocolate Bark

'Tis the season for many non-local confections, but many of them can be created using ethically sourced ingredients. My favorite, go-to recipe: chocolate bark! This is my latest concoction - sea salted mocha chocolate bark - made with Simply Smiles Casa Blend coffee!

A little bit about Simply Smiles coffee:

Your purchase helps farmers and their families through our ethical purchasing practices (Simply Smiles Coffees are a blend of certified Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance beans) and our profits support the programs of Simply Smiles - a charity dedicated to providing bright futures for impoverished children.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love cooking and baking with it. In this recipe, coffee intensifies the chocolate favor. The end result is a tasty, festive and thoughtful gift!

Sea Salted Mocha Chocolate Bark

Ingredients: * 16 oz. fair trade/organic dark chocolate (70% or more), chopped or 16 oz. of semisweet and/or bittersweet chocolate * 1.5 Tbl. of ground coffee beans (I used Simply Smiles Casa Blend) * pinch of sea salt * 1/8 c. whole coffee beans (optional)

1. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or pop in the microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted but not burned. (It can happen quickly, so watch it!)

3. When the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and fold/stir in the coffee grounds. Pour the chocolate onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. With a spatula, work quickly to spread the chocolate evenly on the sheet before the chocolate sets.

4. Sprinkle the sea salt and coffee beans, if using. Press in if needed and allow the bark to set for 30 minutes in the refrigerator or a cool place.

5. When ready (when the chocolate is not tacky to the touch), break apart with a knife or your hands and serve.

Notes/suggestions: - I used regular coffee, but decaf is a suitable substitute. - You can always use milk chocolate. - Add more ground coffee beans if desired. - For an edible gift, place bark in a glass jar, tin or decorative plate...perhaps with a bag of Simply Smiles coffee!

Sea Salted Mocha Chocolate Bark

Recipe: Coconut curry sweet potato soup

Here's a tasty, quick and dairy-free recipe to use up those mashed sweet potatoes from Thursday's festivities. If you don't have sweet potatoes on hand, winter squash works as well:

Coconut curry sweet potato soup, sprinkled with roasted-salted pumpkin seeds. (November 2013, photo by Zach Gross)

Add some heat and a kick to your leftovers with  fresh hot peppers, including cayenne. (November 2013, A.Gross)

Coconut curry sweet potato soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl. olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped or 1 c. leeks (cleaned and chopped)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes or finely chopped cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbl. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• black pepper
• course sea salt
• 2 c. roasted and/or mashed sweet potatoes (sorry, the one's topped with marshmallows don't work!)
• 1 15-oz. can of coconut milk (I used light/reduced-fat)
• water

1. Heat the oil in a soup pan over medium heat. Add the onion and/or leeks, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add pepper flakes, minced garlic and ginger. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add 1/4 c. of water, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Add water to the empty coconut milk can to remove any milk and add to the soup pot. 
3. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes, with the lid slightly ajar. 
4. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully transfer the soup into a standing blender until creamy and well blended. Heat more, if desired, and add salt and pepper if needed. Eat!

Optional: Top with toasted/roasted pumpkin or squash seeds.