Full of surprises – High protein peanut butter “granola”

Posted on April 12, 2013 by petitedecadence

From reading this blog, you might not think I like to eat healthy stuff and work out. But you’d be wrong. While I might be the first one to get on the nutella wagon and have absolutely no remorse in eating pasta with rustic bread, I also love healthy foods. Fresh ingredients, raw veggies with delicious dressings and lean fishes rock my boat as easily as any cookie recipe. Which are all the things I like to eat on regular days. (By regular days, I mean those days in which I don’t eat out, cook for friends, or make cakes, three days a week? Guilty.) And my absolute favorite meal along those lines, is breakfast. Because there’s nothing more satisfying or rewarding than eating a delicious, healthy and filling bowl of greek yogurt with just ripe bananas and peanut butter and oats topping after an exhausting work out. So that’s why I’m sharing with you this delicious recipe…because even if you’re not a health-lets-eat-gazillions-of-proteins freak, you’ll still love it and want to use it as a topping for any meal, or a snack, anytime of the day. Because who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate and oats all together?. I know, no one. And the even greater thing about this recipe, it’s the easiest thing in the world! Just mix everything in one bowl. That’s why its not an actual granola, there’s no baking or syrup making involved! Got you hooked yet? Read more for the recipe. Continue reading →

Fancy schmancy – Grilled manchego and snow pea sandwich

Posted on August 22, 2012 by petitedecadence

There really isn’t much I can say to sell you on this recipe…it contains the words grilled and cheese in the title, so I don’t really need to make an effort, do I? Everyone knows that those two words are heaven in a sandwich, guaranteed. Even if it’s just two slices of buttery grilled bread with gooey cheese in between and nothing more. But I took it upon myself to make a melt-in-your-mouth grilled cheese using wheat thins. (Not the crackers, the flat bread) I know, wheat thins don’t even count as bread, at least not in my book. But they make excellent shells for grilled cheese, because they’re so thin they become crispy and deliciously buttery. And if you pair them with semi cured Manchego de oveja*, snow peas and wilted arugula with a generous dab of dijon mustard….well…need I say more? I know, imported spanish cured cheese seems a bit fancy for wheat thins…but it’s seriously an amazing combo! Or maybe it was the peas. Or the arugula. Or the butter. Or the fact that I served them with sweet corn cobs grilled in parsley butter. Take my word for it, whatever it was, you’ll want to try one! Read more for the recipe.

*For those who don’t have it around, Manchego de oveja is a DO spanish cheese made from the milk of sheep originally from the La Mancha region, hence the name manchego. It varies in hardness according to the time it’s been cured. You can read more about it right here.

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Breaking rules again? – Homemade cheese

Posted on May 28, 2012 by petitedecadence

Anyone who knows me more than a little knows that I have a curious love hate relationship with rules. Let me get into this a bit more: I love rules, as long as they don’t apply to me. I know, it’s a brazen, shameless philosophy, but I can’t really help it. What would our world be like without the proper guidelines for doing things in life? Chaotic at best. And I do love things that work smoothly and correctly, especially when it comes to my surroundings. But just don’t ask me to be part of those guidelines, because I will probably go crazy (er?) or run away. I don’t know why, but I just feel rebellious when someone says “That’s the way everyone does it. That’s why yo should also do it that way.” Not that I have something against systems or structures. I’d just rather appreciate them from the sidelines. I guess it’s just one of those things that make us who we are, because they suit us and keep us comfortable. And indeed I was comfortable making this cheese, because I didn’t adhere to any recipes (even though it’s my first time) and instead figured I’d go with whatever sounded best in my mind. The result was a beyond delicious, creamy spreadable fluffy goodness which can be whipped up in two hours and keeps for about a week in your fridge (not that it will last that long before you eat it). And, it breaks all the rules, which is my favorite part. For the first time making cheese, it’s easy and inviting to try more challenging recipes, even if that means I’ll have to do it the pre-established way. (Because I don’t think I can make up rennet…) But imagine the possibilities once you find that cheese is so easy to make! And this home recipe is open to all kinds of herbs and additions, such as garlic or chives. No rules, no fuss. Recipe after the jump.

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Sour Cream Rosemary Potatoes

Posted on November 17, 2011 by petitedecadence

There are some things in life that are always good; finding unexpected money in one of your drawers, receiving a call from someone you miss, having warm feet….it’s a long list. And on that list (at least mine), potatoes will always have a place. I think I can say, with certainty, that I’ve never declined a good potato dish. In any of it’s variants. They’re just so good and go with everything…and there are so many ways you can cook them. They make any ingredient shine. But there’s a few ingredients that will always be glory to me when baked alongside this lovely tubers: cream, butter, rosemary, and cheese. So here goes a version using a couple of those; rosemary and sour cream. It’s an incredibly fast and easy dish, and it’s also clean. You’ll only need the chopping board, knife, and dish where you’ll be baking. And the result is so good you’ll hardly believe it was that simple. Read more for the recipe.

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Cucurbita maxima – Halloween Pumpkin Chutney

Posted on October 3, 2011 by petitedecadence

This time I’ll rant to you about something that’s happened to all of us. (I hope, unless I actually am crazy, as my family repeatedly likes to remind me). I walked into the supermarket about a week ago and dia de muertos/halloween euphoria had begun. And my supermarket mounted right on the entrance a huge display with the best looking, bright orange, smooth, with-appropiate-stem, shiny pumpkins they could find. And I knew the prettiest ones were carving pumpkins, but I could not resist. Yes, its true. I brought home an ingredient solely based on its looks. I know, I’m shallow. I could have gone for its uglier, paler, bumpier sister, the squash. But I didn’t, even though it’s flesh is softer and tastier. (Because what really matters is on the inside! *cough*men*cough) And my reward was 20 minutes of hand-pain after trying to get its lovely shell off. (Does this happen to men that only go out with models?) But in spite of its hard, not-as-strong-tasting flesh, the result was great. The resulting chutney is tangy, spicy and sweet, and very strong flavored. Great to combine with meats. AND you can actually serve it on halloween, on a dish made from itself. (But trust me, you should bribe your grocer into peeling it for you, as my hands will tell you). I’ll probably come back with the recipe for the meat to serve it with, but meanwhile, on to the recipe.

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