Cookie Stacking and Other Things...

Hello Internet People.  I'm sorry I've been a little absent, but this has been a busy and emotional week.  Therefore, I present to you this scatterbrained post of odds and ends...

Many of you have been curious about the infamous "cookie stacking" Instagram post (infamous, really Siri?).  The origin of this layered dough can be found in this recipe for Peanut Butter Honey Cookies.  I was instantly intrigued to see if by stacking two blobs of dough on top of each other, the result would be a cookie that spread less, as suggested.  Well, perhaps I did something wrong, but my cookies just ended up looking like butts, so... delicious recipe, however.  Honey?  Peanut Butter?  Yes.

Last Thursday I was all set to appear on the Today Show, and you may have caught a glimpse of me even, however, breaking news about the Pope's whereabouts interrupted my segment.  Of course, I didn't mind in the slightest, and it was actually very exciting to witness... yet another reminder of how surreal it is to be a small part of a news institution like Today.  If you're interested in the recipes I was planning on preparing, you may click here: Buffalo Chicken Dip and Ultimate Queso Dip. 

Last night, I was very honored to be a part of the launch of Keurig Kold, a revolutionary new drinkmaker that brews perfectly chilled beverages like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and so, SO much more.  It is available for purchase today on their website... check it out!

And finally, I wanted to repost this recipe in honor of a great woman, Lucy.  If you've been following my blog for awhile then you probably know this sandwich, but to have known the woman behind it was something else.  The heavens above gained a beautiful soul.  Team Lucy forever!

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Taco Tuesday on Today

I have many irrational fears.  Like of spiders crawling into my mouth while I sleep or clowns popping out of the sewers as I walk by.  And don't even get me started about driving over bridges.  (By the way, I love that you can google ANYTHING and Buzzfeed has already turned it into a list.)  Some of my fears involve trains.  Like realizing you're on the wrong one or falling asleep, missing your stop and waking up in Alaska.  This morning, I witnessed the terror in a poor girl's face as the train ticket person (I'm sorry, I'm sure there's a more official name for that person) very nonchalantly told her that she was on the wrong train.  And then, not long after that, it happened.  I fell asleep!!!!  I woke up in a flash, nearly dropping my coffee everywhere, and realized I was only one stop away from my own!  So uh, yeah, it all worked out and I didn't end up in Alaska.  BUT JUST THINK OF WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED!?  (Oh, I would have been just fine?  Ok.)  

  I was so tired, because all three of my kids decided to wake up at different intervals last night.  And why wouldn't they do that?  I actually had something important to do this morning!  I was on the Today Show!  So of COURSE they wanted to give me as little sleep as possible!  (I love my kids I love my kids I love my kids I love my kids.)  Well, after a cold shower and a LOT of hot coffee, I woke up and had a great time cooking and grilling with Carson... it's Taco Tuesday!  We made a basic street taco with the tastiest steak ever, homemade corn tortillas that only require one ingredient, and a stripped down delicious margarita.  If you missed the segment or want to check out the recipes, you can find everything here at Today.com.

Photos by Samantha Okazaki.

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Baked Zucchini Fries with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

While we were recently in Los Angeles for 2 weeks, we ate.  A lot.  When you're hopping from one hotel to another, you're forced to eat out, a lot!  And as much as you may try to eat healthy at restaurants, it's never easy.  Especially after 2 weeks.  Veggie burger?  Not so bad.  With french fries? Sure, okay.  Salad?  Healthy.  With a Fried Zucchini Sticks appetizer?  Yes!!  After devouring an order of those, it got me thinking about making a healthier alternative when I got home, which is exactly what I did last night.  And guess what?  We devoured them as well!  Crispy baked shell, tender, juicy zucchini inside with a tangy, yogurt-based sauce.  Fried food, schmied schmood.  

Baked Zucchini Fries with Yogurt Cucumber Sauce

(Makes approx. 24 "fries" and 1 cup sauce)

Printable Recipe

For Fries:

2 zucchinis, cut into 3-inch spears

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp salt, divided

1 tsp pepper, divided

2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Crack egg whites into a small bowl, stirring briefly.  In another bowl, stir together flour with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.  In one more bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan and remaining salt and pepper.  Taking one spear at a time, dip first in the flour (shaking off any excess), then in the egg whites and finally in the bread crumbs, pressing lightly with your fingers to make sure crumbs coat zucchini.  Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining spears.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fries are golden.  

For sauce:

1 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup diced, peeled cucumber
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.

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Three Cheese Hot Artichoke Dip

Good day to you!  How were your Super Bowl Sundays?  Were you so bored with the game that you ate way more than you should have?  I did.  And I'm usually bored with football so imagine boredom on top of boredom on top of multiple dips on top of multiple chips.  One appetizer that I consumed too much of was this Artichoke Dip my sister made.  It's a Paula Deen recipe (posted here), so you know it's going to be, well, worthy of Super Bowl eating (that's a polite way of saying full of cheese and mayo).  Although halfway through the game I started dipping carrots in it, so that's halfway healthy, right?  My sister did a few things differently - she used 2 cans of artichokes instead of 1, added some garlic salt and omitted the Worcestershire sauce.  It really is a crowd-pleasing dish so I suggest you bookmark this for the next time you're bored with sports and want to eat a lot.   

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Pesto, White Bean and Broccoli Dip

I was sent a copy of The Truly Healthy Family Cookbook by Tina Ruggiero and after a brief page-through I knew it was a keeper.  You can usually tell when a healthy dish will end up stale and flavorless just by reading the recipe, and all of these sound delicious (yes, I read recipes for fun, what's it to you?).  Some of the meals on my to-do list: Risotto with Mushrooms, Butternut Squash and Kale, Mini Salmon Sliders and Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze.  Yes, please, all of that.  

Right off the bat I made this Pesto, White Bean and Broccoli Dip because I'm trying to feed my daughter more iron.  Beans and Broccoli are great sources of iron!  Iron, iron, i-ron... that's a weird word.  Anyway.  This was simple to make, yielded a HUGE batch, and was great on pasta or crackers.  

Thanks for the book, Tina!  Recipe here.
  

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Smoked Albacore Dip

I am in vacation mode.  Every August, we rent a house in the same town on the same road and I do the same things that I never do the rest of the year: I read, I ride a bike, I watch Showtime series, I paint rocks.  Yup, I really paint rocks and it's becoming an unhealthy obsession.  I also cook, and although that's nothing new, I try to cook light, beach-y meals.  Like this dip Carson and I attempted two years ago.  Only this time, we made it with Smoked Albacore (found at Gelson's) and instead of flaking the fish with a fork, we put it in a food processor.  It gave the dip such a lovely and professional quality.  In fact, we might set up a Lemonade Stand and sell our dip on the side.  Of course, you'll also be able to purchase my painted rocks for only $500 a pop.  What, they're really special.  

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