Cranberry Double Chocolate Rolled Oat Cookies

These bad boys happen to be gluten-free!

Gluten-free cranberry & double chocolate rolled oat cookies…nom nom nom

White Rice Flour	580g	14.34%
Sorghum Flour	414g	10.24%
Baking Soda	20.8g	0.51%
Salt	12.5g	0.31%
Xanthan Gum	02.5g	0.06%
Unsalted Butter, melted	600g	14.83%
Brown Sugar, Light	1000g	24.72%
Egg, Whole	415g	10.26%
Gluten Free Oats	1000g	24.72%
Cranberries, Dried	500g	12.36%
Chocolate Chips, White	600g	14.83%

Blend your flours, baking soda, salt, and xanthan together. In a separate bowl, blend butter, sugar, and eggs.  Add wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until evenly incorporated. Fold in oats, cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Plop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet, and cook for 15 minutes in a 350°F oven.  You will need to form the cookies before you bake then, because they do not spread out on the pan like a traditional cookie.  Also, let the cookies sit for 5 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

Drizzle the top with melted bittersweet chocolate and a little sea salt if you are feeling sassy.

More of the same…nom nom nom

 

Six NERDSTEAK 2014 Food Trend Predictions

Since everyone and their mother has been posting what they can expect from the food world in 2014, I thought I would add my own little list of things I expect to see rise and/or fall in the following year:

The fall of quinoa – Other than pumpkin spiced everything (yes I know it is seasonal), pretzel bread, and sriracha, quinoa has been taking over restaurant and retail outlets in the US…which also means as the demand increase, so does the price.  Consumers are going to find there there is a whole list of ancient grains they can incorporate into their diet which rival the nutritional value of quinoa, such as kaniwa, amaranth, buckwheat, bulghur, farro, freekeh, grano, millit, oat groats, spelt, sorghum, and teff, not to mention all of the non-processed rice varieties.  Hurry up and buy in bulk before these other options become ‘the next big thing’ and the price increases on those as well.

Hipster Sweets – Think of all the old school desserts which the hipster crowd is ready to reinvent.  One that I am hoping for is salted butterscotch, (salted caramel knockoff)!  With the boom of specialty beverages as well, we are going to see updated versions of bananas foster, cherries jubilee, baked Alaska, mangos diablo, and peches louis…half of which the hipsters never even heard of.

Turmeric-Shakur – Indian, middle-eastern, and mid-asian cuisine is becoming more and more accepted in the US.  One ingredient in particular climbing the ladder is turmeric. It has a bright color and has been used in curries for years, as well as a coloring agent for multiple purposes.  It also contains curcumin which potentially can treat a whole list of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and allergies.  Not of these claims have been definitively concluded yet, except for turmeric being a tasty addition to your spice cabinet.

Hot Chile Time Machine – Jalapeños, chipotle, cayenne, and habanero are only four of the hundreds of varieties of chiles out there.  It is time to bring in the specialty varieties like aleppo, aji amarillo, calabrian, puya, wiri wiri, mulato, and scorpion to increase heat, build eccentric flavor, and add variety to your menu.  Consumers are accepting heat in their foods more than ever before…thanks fast food!  Sriracha will have some more time at the top, then harissa will take over…

PB&Hey, That’s Not Normal – First, we had peanut butter, and it was good.  Then the alternate nut butters came along, and they were also good.  Now it’s time to raise the bar and flavorize all these tasty spreads.  Due to the fact that the US now wants to add fat back into their diets, we will see an increase of nut and nut butter consumption, but lets take it a step further. Pumpkin spiced walnut butter?!?!?! Maple and black pepper pecan butter?!?!?! Salted agave peanut butter?!?!?! Why not throw in some sriracha bacon rhubarb jam in the mix? (Maybe TOO trendy?)

American Comfort Story – We are going to continue seeing a rise in the American comfort food arena in the upcoming year.  Chicken & waffles made 1000 ways, mac & cheese with artisan locally sourced cheese, meatloaf with specialty game meats, pies with strange crusts, weird fruits, unfamiliar seasonings, salted red velvet cronut cake-pop cupcakes…!!!!!!!!! How many desserts can we mash together???

What are some of your predictions for 2014? Your guess is as good as mine!

A Slam Poem to Bacon, By Nick Offerman

Bacon…that is all…

Food Factoids – v1.

Rapid fire food factoids…AAANNNDDD…GO!

• The Trinidad Scorpion Moruga Blend is the current world record holder for hottest chile with over 2million SHUs.
• It is recommended that honey should not be fed to infants, the elderly, or people with weakened immune systems due to the honey naturally containing botulism spores.
• The myth of a McDonald’s hamburger lasting 12 years due to chemicals in the meat is false.  With little moisture, small size, and topical seasonings, the burger dehydrates before it can spoil almost preserving it like jerky.
• The optimal doneness for a steak is medium-rare.  This allows most of the marbled fat to render and provide and juicy and flavorful steak.  Too rare, and you will have unrendered fat which will not provide optimal taste…too well and you will have excess fat and moisture loss.
• The juice that comes from steak is nat actually blood.  It is called myoglobin, and is only found in the bloodstream during injury.  It normally resides in muscle tissue, which is the part we commonly eat.
• It does not matter if you use Crisco, margarine, butter, lard, canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, or palm oil…they all contain 9cal/gram of fat.  There are other positive and negative health concerns associated with each, but they still supply the same amount of calories.
• 80% of the world’s nations eat bugs as a form of food.
• Heavy mayonnaise weighs less than regular mayonnaise.
• One of the main flavoring agents in Worcestershire sauce is anchovies.
• Taste, texture, and apparence actually have little do to with the flavor of food compared to its odor.
• There are more Subway restaurants on the planet than there are McDonald’s.
• There is only one McDonald’s in the world that does not have golden arches. it resides in Arizona, and is turquoise so it does’t clash with the natural red rock formations.
• Durring emergencies, coconut water can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.
• Alaskans eat more ice cream per capita than any other state.
• Cotton candy only costs about $0.06 to make, making it one of the most profitable snacks at any state fair.
• Bubblegum will melt at 125°F.
• It is estimated that 40% of all bottled water is actually standard tap water with no additional treatment.

Add to the list!

The Food Eater’s Diet – Low Calorie Options

Random chubby guy eating pizza. Ooohhh the irony…

Like I said before, I like to feel full when I eat.  This causes a problem when also on a calorie restricted diet!  Here is a list of low calorie food options that you should add to your diet to pack in the VOLUME of food you want, with a low amount of calories!

• Arugula – The is a peppery flavored leafy green packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  There are also some findings that dark leafy greens improve your libido. (Wink wink, nudge nudge…know what I mean?!)
• Cabbage – The darker green and brighter purple the better.  Very affordable, great crunchy texture, and contains properties that may reduce your risk of cancer and stink up your house when cooked.
• Kale – You have seen, and will see this ingredient popping up more and more on menus and store shelves.  It has been classified as one of the best super-foods, which means it packs an amazing nutritional punch with very little calories. You can also call yourself a hipster while eating it.
• Beets – A slightly sweet, earthy vegetable with beautiful color and rich in iron, potassium, and folate.  It is also growing on the ‘trendy’ side by being added to veggie burgers, and new improved salads. Dr. Dre would be proud.
• Cauliflower – Another great source of vitamin C and folate, this vegetable is wonderful in place of mashed potatoes, used in indian curry dishes, and a whole head can be sliced into planks and grilled for cool presentations.
• Mushrooms – No matter if you use standard button mushrooms, or branch out into the hundreds of varieties available, mushrooms are low in calories but are full of immune-boosting antioxidants.  They also contain the elusive UMAMI flavor profile which will add some savory meat flavor to your recipes.
• Tomatoes – Real tomatoes are actually very low in calories! It is only when we associate they with pizza, ketchup, and meat sauce do they pack in the calories.  Tomatoes contain all those healthy vitamins and minerals you are looking for plus some natural sweetness.
• Zucchini – This squash is VERY low in calories while being VERY easy to grow in your own garden. It is pack with vitamin A and is a tasty treat raw, or cooked. Call them courgettes to be extra fancy.
• Egg whites – 1 whole cup of egg whites has about 120 calories and 26 grams of protein. HHHMMM maybe make an omelet with all the above ingredients mixed together?!?!?
• Cod – This is a mild white fish that is very high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.  Since it is so mild, it will easily blend with any other flavors you add to it.
• Bison – If you are a red meat fan, grass fed bison is actually a healthier option due to minimal fat marbling, and it contains just as much omega-3 fatty acids as salmon. It also contains even fewer fat calories, and lower cholesterol than skinless chicken! Also, Dances With Wolves is a must watch 😉
• Fat-free cottage cheese – You can get about 11g of protein for a half cup serving with only 70 calories.  This type of protein is digested very fast, so it is perfect for recuperating after a tough workout.
• Coffee/tea – It is only when you blend with heavy cream, sugar, whipped cream, honey, chocolate syrup, and caramel do these beverages become high in calories.  There is also, of course, caffein which has been shown to improve your calorie burning thru the day, but still does not increase the quality of your work, or make that morning meeting any better.

Now before you yell at me…yes I know there are plenty of other healthy, low calorie food options (feel free to post your favorites!)  Before you troll my post…yes I know there are other, more nutrient dense foods like fruits, whole grains, legumes, and all that fun stuff.  Before you comment with your biased opinion…yes I know you feel that processed foods are to blame for being fat, and you should eat clean.  Before you post about your vegan, paleo, or gluten-free diet…maybe this post isn’t for you.  Read the title and you will get it 🙂

p.s. There is no spoon…