The Best Mocha Brownies

Hello everyone!

It's summertime, which means as the heat ramps up, the food cools down. As families and friends gather to grill up some hot dogs and hamburgers, these main dishes are generally served with a crisp salad, juicy fruit, and a chilled dessert to combat the summer heat wave. Which means that during my family's Fourth of July barbecue, I needed to bring out the big guns.

I made the BEST Mocha Brownies EVER.



Now I know what you're thinking - are these really the best?

Yes. 

The answer to your question is yes. 

The base is made of simple boxed brownie mix which is topped with a rich and fluffy mocha and Oreo mousse blend. The brownie is then finished off by a quick piping of whipped topping, which really ties the light and cool theme together. An absolute MUST if you're a coffee-lover looking to enjoy your favorite flavor in chilled dessert form.

If you're feeling a bit skeptical, I guess you'll just have to make some for yourself to try. It takes a few rounds of work to assemble, but it uses fairly basic ingredients that can be picked up on a quick trip to your neighborhood supermarket. Trust me, one bite of these and you're never going back to regular brownies again (and you'll be the star of any summer party if you bring these along with you!).

To make these brownies, you will need:

1 package brownie mix, plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies (eggs, water, oil)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
16 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided into halves
2 packages Jell-O cheesecake flavored instant pudding
20 Oreos

Start off by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing a 9x13 pan.

Begin by assembling your brownie base. As mentioned in the instructions, it's important to choose a boxed brownie that has the option to cook cake-like brownies. Usually, this means adding an extra egg to your batter, but each boxed mix is different.

Follow the instructions on the box and stir your ingredients together. Scoop them into your pan and place them in the oven to cook for as long as your package says.

This next step takes some patience on your part - when the brownie base has finished cooking, remove the pan and set it somewhere to cool completely before moving on to the mousse step. Otherwise, the whipped topping will melt into a soupy mess. This usually takes about 2 hours, but if you're in a hurry you can place the partially cooled pan into the fridge for the second hour to speed up the cooling time.

When your brownie base is ready, it's time to begin assembling your mousse. Start by mixing your instant coffee and milk in a large bowl until all the granules are dissolved. Then, add your cheesecake pudding mix.

Next, stir in 8 oz of the thawed whipped topping until fully combined into a light and creamy coffee mousse.

Now it's time to add the Oreos. If you have a food processor, you can blend them up into roughly chopped 1/2-inch crumbles. If you don't, place your cookies in a bag and crush them into pieces with a rolling pin.

Add these cookie pieces to your mousse and fold to combine. Then spoon the mousse onto your brownie and spread this heavenly layer across the surface. Be sure to lick the spatula after you're done - there's no use wasting any!

Next comes the additional whipped topping. If you're feeling fancy, you can use a cake decorator attachment for frosting to pipe your topping in fancy lines. If not, you can always use the eloquent and foolproof put-it-in-a-bag-and-cut-the-corner method.

Using whatever method you've chosen, pipe the whipped topping in diagonal lines across your brownies. Switch sides and pipe another set of diagonal lines going in the opposite direction, creating a diamond lattice pattern. Finish by piping a ring of whipped topping around the whole dish, covering up any stray ends.

Take a moment to admire the beauty of your coffee-cookie mousse...

...before digging in and cutting yourself a hefty slice.

Cool and creamy, infused with chocolate and mocha. Is there really anything else you need in life?

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Nutella Banana French Toast

In the midst of finals season and crazy holiday shopping, there are two things that undeniably offer salvation.

Nutella.

And Bananas.

During an especially stressful weekend, I decided to mix the two together. I've done this before (example: Nutella Banana crepes, Nutella Banana muffins), but this recipe was a play off of a Jamie Oliver original. In his cookbook Jamie's Dinners, which I highly recommend, by the way, he offers up a suggestion for an easy morning meal - turning basic French toast into a sandwich.

I took his suggestion and jumped it up another level.

This sandwich is delicious, comforting, and phenomenally easy. And it starts with these few ingredients:

2 slices good bread

1/2 banana

1 large egg

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

pad of butter

as much Nutella as your heart desires

Start by making your egg wash. Blend the egg, sugar, and water together in a shallow bowl (make sure it's big enough to fit your whole sandwich in). Set aside.

Then, place a pad of butter into a pan and heat to medium.

Next, mash up the 1/2 banana and spread it onto one piece of bread. Cover with the other slice and press down to form a solid sandwich.

This part is tricky - pick up your whole sandwich and dunk it into the egg wash, covering it from all sides. Then place your sandwich onto the sizzling skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip the sandwich once, and cook it on the other side until golden brown.

Finally, take whatever sized spoonful of Nutella you deem necessary to get you through the day, and scoop it into a bowl. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for 30-40 seconds, until softened. Drizzle your Nutella over your sandwich until it's covered with the perfect amount of chocolatey goodness.

Admire your creation momentarily before digging in.

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Pumpkin Butterscotch Scones

Since the leaves are starting to turn and the wind is getting chillier, it's time to unveil the perfect fall recipe.

These delightful beauties are from a joyofbaking.com recipe that I altered to fit the ingredients I had in my kitchen. Needless to say, waking up on a Sunday morning and whipping up a batch of these will sooth your soul with cinnamon and pumpkin (and make your house/apartment smell phenomenal).

To make a batch of 8, you will need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light or dark brownsugar

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup butterscotch baking chips

1/3 - 1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (no spices added)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 largeegg

1 tablespoon milk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Start by combining all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl and mixing them together. Add your butter pieces.

Next, work the butter into the dry ingredients by mashing the two together with a fork. The effect will look something like this:

Continue doing this until all of your butter has been mixed in and the powdered mixture looks like crumbled pie crust.

Next, stir in your chips.

In a separate bowl, combine your pumpkin, buttermilk, and vanilla. 

When it turns into a smooth orange puree, you're ready to add it to your main bowl.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into your other ingredients until the dough just comes together. Transfer to a floured surface and knead it 4-5 times. Carefully pat your dough down into a circle. Next, turn your hand into a sword and slice your dough circle in half. Then, slice each of the halves in half. Finally, slice each of the quarters in half. This should give you 8 relatively uniform triangles.

Lay these out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. In a separate bowl, mix your egg and milk together. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers), cover the tops of your scones with the egg wash.

Heat for 20 minutes and make yourself a nice big mug of coffee. When your timer dings, take these beautiful golden treats out of the oven.

The proper thing to do would be to let them cool for 10-15 minutes before digging in. But let's be real - they look WAY too good to wait.

Pair with your hot mug of coffee, a thick sweater, and falling leaves.

Happy autumn!

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Spicy Southwest Quinoa Salad

If you're one of those people who eats a salad for lunch and gets hungry 3 hours later (or 2 hours later if you have my appetite), this recipe is for you.

Not only is it extremely delicious and quick to put together, it's packed with protein from the chicken and quinoa, making this salad a meal that will truly last you through the day.

I was inspired to make this salad after my summer in Chicago. I regularly visited a restaurant called The Protein Bar, which was famous for stocking its entire menu with protein-heavy and quinoa-filled burritos, bowls, and salads. After having their burrito (or Bar-Rito as they call it) several times, I opted for a southwest salad one day, but requested to have buffalo dressing instead of the much spicier Cholula hot sauce doused on top. What emerged was a delicious combination of flavors that come together quickly to make an easy and filling meal. 

After re-creating it myself several times, I feel it's finally ready to be shared with the public.

To make this salad, you will need:

1 chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
olive oil
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 container Trader Joe's Super 8 Veggie Mix (or bagged salad)
Sprouts
1/2 avocado, cut into chunks
Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce 

Start by making your quinoa. Follow the directions according to the package (I generally boil 1/2 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water until the kernels crack)

Next, heat a glug of olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add your chicken and toss on some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is browned.

Next comes the layering. You'll start with your veggie mix as the base. I went with Trader Joe's version because it gives you a nice variety of pre-chopped nutritious veggies for only $2.99. (Side note: I've found this veggie mix to be extremely versatile in other dishes as well - I'll add a cup or two into salads, a stir-fry, a noodle dish, etc. I highly recommend it for new veggie recipe experiments.)

Then add on your sprouts - I went with organic pea shoots for this part, but you can choose whatever is most convenient for you.

Next, add your quinoa.

Then your chicken.

Then your avocado.

Now here comes the fun part. Grab your bottle of buffalo sauce and toss on as much or as little as you'd like, depending on your spice preferences. Give the bowl a stir, sample your creation, and add more if you need to. Enjoy your hearty salad with a glass of cold water.

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Indian Spinach & Tofu

I've always considered myself someone who couldn't really cook convincing Indian food. I always found the spices to be a tad too unfamiliar for my taste buds, and I never trusted myself to re-create something that would taste as good or better than what I could buy at a nearby takeout joint.
Fortunately for me and my budget, this recipe happened.

Introducing deliciously tasty and ridiculously easy Indian Tofu & Spinach. I developed this recipe quickly when I needed to use up some leftover spinach and tofu, and it's become one of my new favorites.
To make enough for one, you will need:

Vegetable oil

1 small block of tofu (about 1x4'), sliced into 1-inch by ½-inch blocks

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ cup red onion, chopped

1-inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon white pepper

salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

3 big handfuls of spinach

¼ cup greek yogurt, plain

garlic salt

Heat the oil in a pan until it's good and hot. Add your tofu and fry until brown on both sides.

While it's cooking, use a food processor or blender to blend red onion and ginger together until finely minced.

When the tofu is done, remove it from the pan and set it aside. Add the cumin to the pan (and add additional oil if needed). Fry for several seconds. Next, add the ginger and red onion mixture and heat for 2 minutes. Add white pepper, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir. Add the spinach in batches, letting each round wilt. Next, place the tofu back in the pan and sprinkle in the smoked paprika, heating for 1-2 minutes. Finally, add the greek yogurt and mix until combined. Heat for 1 minute, then scoop onto a plate and serve. Top with garlic salt to taste.

Simple, healthy, and low-cal. Not to mention quick. Can you say go-to dinner recipe?

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Sunrise Melt

I've been neglecting this blog, and I apologize.
Let's just chalk it up to the fact that finals will forevermore suck up my life for at least 2 weeks out of the year.
Grades will be coming out soon, so fingers crossed that my time away was worthwhile!
Hopefully this recipe will make up for it.
In one of my classes, my friends Haley and Nikki had a morning routine. Halfway through our class together, we had a 15 minute break, during which time Haley and Nikki walked down the street to a local shop and grabbed a hot breakfast quesadilla. It always looked crispy and delicious - and someone overpriced. So, I decided to try my hand at making my own.
Introducing my super-sized and super-healthy sunrise melt!

Delicious, tangy, and filled with nutritious avocado, this sandwich is sunshine on a plate. Super-easy and incredibly delicious, it's become a new staple of mine.

To make this super-easy melt, grab these ingredients:

1 avocado
2-3 eggs
milk
salt and pepper
small block fresh feta cheese
2 masa corn tortillas

Start by mixing your eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Beat well. Add your cheese, breaking it into chunks with a fork. Pour your eggs into a pan and scramble.
Slice up an avocado. Grab your tortillas, and grill them if you can for an extra crisp and charred flavor. Layer your eggs and avocado onto the tortillas. If you really want an extra burst of crispiness, throw the sandwich onto a panini press. Slice in half and serve with a huge glass of orange juice.

Then sit back, relax, and watch the sunrise. FINALS ARE OVER!!! WOOO!

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No Thai Fried Rice

If you live in Ann Arbor or East Lansing, you've probably been to No Thai at least once under one of these scenarios.
Scenario 1: It's late. You're a little tipsy. You spent all day at the football game guzzling beer and munching on hot dogs, but after the walk home and the down time afterwards, you're hungry again. You walk past a No Thai and the smell just calls your name, so you immediately run to the door and order yourself an enormous plate of Pad Thai.
Scenario 2: You woke up at 7:30 am for your 8:30 am class. You had meetings on and off throughout the day in between your classes, and you barely had enough time to sit down let alone grab a cup of coffee. Your group project meeting just finished, and your stomach has been growling at you since 7 pm. You check your watch, see that it's 9 pm, and run down to No Thai to get your chicken fried rice fix. The only thing scarier than how badly you wanted it is how quickly you finished it.
Sound familiar?
I myself have fallen prey to the No Thai cravings, and my vice is ALWAYS the gloriously greasy chicken fried rice. While it may be literally swimming in oil and possibly over 3000 calories, every now and then my taste buds are on a mission and can't be stopped. And after I eat the whole thing, I lay down and literally wonder if that's the day that my heart is going to stop while it processes all that sodium and oil.
I usually squelch my cravings by rationalizing that I can make something better and cheaper myself. But No Thai fried rice is something I haven't been able to conquer.
Until today.

I'll admit, it's not EXACTLY like No Thai's rice. It has a lighter, fresher flavor, less oily and salty, but is still completely delicious. And it's a helluva lot healthier for you, so you don't have to feel bad about eating a huge bowl of it.

To make 4 servings of this dish, grab the following ingredients:

Stir fry sauce:
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
pinch white pepper

4 cups cooked rice
sesame oil
1 raw chicken breast
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 small white onion, sliced 
3 green onions, sliced, white parts separated
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 shitake mushrooms, chopped
2 eggs
1 cup frozen peas & carrots

Start by mixing together your stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Next, chop up your chicken and toss it with 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce. Let it marinade while you chop up your veggies.

Heat the sesame oil in a large pan on medium heat and add your onions, garlic, and the white part of your green onions.

Next, add your chopped chicken and cook until browned. Toss your mushrooms in and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.

Next, add your rice. Fold gently into the oil, being careful not to toss it out of the pan.

Gently add your stir-fry sauce in 1-2 Tbsp increments. Fold the rice after each addition.

Clear a small space in the rice so that you can see the bottom of the pan. Scramble your two eggs and toss them into the pan. Cook and chop your eggs, incorporating them through the rice. Lastly, add your peas and carrots and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Top with the green part of your chopped green onions and relish in the delicious smells coming from your kitchen.

Scoop into a bowl and eat as much as you can. Then relax knowing you're not going to get a stomach ache later.

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