Monkfish with Lemongrass-Scallion Sauce + Ozeri Green Earth Pan Review

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Have you ever tried monkfish?  It's also known as "poor man's lobster", and it's a mild, firm, white fish that won't fall apart when you cook it.  I am calling it "starving grad student lobster", and it's my new favorite fish.  Inspired by the color of my new Ozeri Green Earth pan, I smashed lemongrass, scallions, olive oil, and pepper into a paste for the sauce.  This stuff will make you pucker your lips after the first bite and want to lick your bowl after the last.

In addition to being a wonderful, mood-lifting shade of chartreuse, the Green Earth pan is special because of its health- and eco-friendly design.  The nonstick ceramic coating is free of PTFE and PFOA, so it won't release harmful chemicals.  The bottom of the pan has a raised honeycomb pattern that enables you to cook with very little oil and makes sure that nothing sticks to the pan.  You can find out more about Ozeri's products on their site.

Salted Nutella Cookies + Cuina Baking Mat Giveaway

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Ever since a friend of mine brought over some amazing nutella brownies a couple weeks ago, I've been dying to make a dessert of my own with the addictive chocolate hazelnut spread.  With a little research, I discovered that you don't have to add many things to nutella to make a delicious brownie batter or cookie dough.  You can even make gluten-free nutella brownies with just three ingredients.  However, I decided to make cookies--I was craving something that was both chewy and crunchy, and wanted another chance to use my Cuina silicone baking mat.

I was almost all set to make these cookies--I just needed a jar of nutella.  So, in case you were wondering, here is how to spend most of your day on a desperate search for chocolate hazelnut spread:

1. Wake up and tell your boyfriend he can take the car to work, since it's your spring break and all you really have to do all day is make cookies.

2. After he leaves, immediately regret your decision when you remember you need to go out and buy nutella for the cookies.

3. Eat some leftover bacon & sweet potato chili with a fried egg on top for breakfast, while wondering if there's any way to get nutella delivered to your home.  You decide there probably isn't.

Mini Grasshopper Parfaits + Epica Cocktail Muddler Review

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

I thought about calling these mini grasshopper fools, but that sounded like a bit much.  

Have you ever tried a fool?  It's an old-fashioned dessert consisting of pureed or mashed fruit, usually berries, folded into sweetened whipped cream.  I made a strawberry moscato fool last spring, and it was delicious. These parfaits are similar to fools, but with mint instead of fruit.  They're the perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day (or any day).

(In case I lost you at "grasshopper", I use the term to describe minty desserts, usually also involving chocolate. The name was first used for a green cocktail made with creme de menthe.)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins + Pure Indian Foods Grassfed Ghee

I had a snow day last Wednesday, and spent the morning making these banana chocolate chip muffins.  They're a worthy project for any morning, unexpected day off or not.  Here are some reasons to give these muffins a try: they're gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, and lactose-free, they're high in protein, they're sweetened mostly (or entirely) with fruit, and they're delicious.  Oh, and they have chocolate in them!

Baking with just coconut flour requires a lot of eggs, but the finished muffins don't taste eggy.  They're moist and bursting with chocolate chips, and they have a subtle banana flavor.  Unlike many muffins that are packed with sugar and low in protein, eating a couple of these makes for a pretty balanced breakfast in terms of protein, carbs, and healthy fats.  That means they'll keep you full for longer, but they still taste like treats.