Oh Kitchen, What Won't You Do?

Chipotle Beet Burgers

2011-09-11T17:39:00.001-04:00

This summer has flown by. The last month in a flurry of rain. As opposed to making more excuses about not blogging I will say this: I like cooking better than writing. There, secrets out. Phew, not so bad. That being said, I really do like keeping this blog and will attempt to return to some sort of blogging schedule. There are a lot of exciting things going on in the next few months.

Number 1 exciting thing is that Philadelphia now has a FOOD SWAP!!! I am spearheading this with Marisa from Food In Jars, Alexis of Teaspoons & Petals, and Amanda of @forkspoonknife. The first event is coming up soon on September 22nd. Read more about it here. I will recap after it is over.

Onto the Beet Burgers. Our CSA, Henry Got Crops, puts out a newsletter every week that includes a section of recipes. This week offered a recipe for Beet Burgers that a CSA member had raved about. I was very intrigued by the idea and had two bunches of beets waiting in my crisper. I actually ended up searching for a different recipe because the initial one called for too many ingredients I didn't have. I landed on one from The Kitchn that seemed similar. I didn't have everything in the ingredient list so altered the recipe. They were really great. A super healthy and tasty alternative to a beef burger, and easy enough to make at home. Boca Burgers eat your heart out.

These turned into Chipotle Beet Burgers (we love spicy here) and were served with a quick salad.

Chipotle Beet Burgers
modified from this recipe
made 9 burgers

1/2 cup brown rice (about 1 cup cooked rice)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 pound beets (we used a little more than a pound, mixed red and gold)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 can refried beans (Amy's are wonderful)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp chipotle powder (more if you like spicy)
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice per directions on package.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Saute garlic and onion until fragrant and add beets and jalapeno. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add spices at the end and stir well.

Mix rice, beans, veggies and flour well in large bowl. Heat skillet back up and scoop burger-sized amounts into the pan. Cook on each side until a nice crust develops (about 3-5 minutes per side). Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Be very gentle as they don't hold together great. Mine all came out in one piece though. Serve either plain or on burger rolls.

Growth

2011-06-29T21:00:00.004-04:00

If you haven't yet checked out Georgia's new garden blog, you may not have seen pictures of her beautiful home garden. And she hasn't yet posted any pics of her garden plot at our community garden.

However, while she's away this week I thought I'd take some pictures of her veggie growth for her!

What you may not know is that I also have a garden plot at a community garden and growing vegetables has become the most fulfilling and awesome thing I have ever done. I normally visit the garden every other day and there's something new growing every time. I'm also posting some pics from my garden (as I have way more of those than of hers).

What are you most excited about growing this year and are you obsessively taking pictures like I am??

Forgive these pictures, they were all taken with my cell.

From Georgia's community garden plot:

cauliflower

peppers

baby squash

cucumber

My garden:

my whole plot

tiny baby cucumbers

just today, bigger cucumbers!

my first ripe sungold tomato

tiny peppers

The Green Monster

2011-06-23T22:15:00.005-04:00

don't mind me, I drink out of jars now

I've been following Angela at Oh She Glows for quite awhile now. Though "healthy living" isn't exactly the theme of our blog (especially my part with all the butter-laden baking), there are a few other of these go-getters that I follow who are up on things like running and find many different ways to eat kale. If it sounds like I'm being a bit cheeky, its only because I'm genuinely jealous of their zeal for health.

A couple years ago, when I first found Angela's blog, I saw the also had a link for her site The Green Monster Movement. I'm notorious for getting into healthy fads (not that Green Monsters are fads, at all - only that I end up treating thing I get into like fads... here today, gone tomorrow!), only to instantly forget about them the second I see a scone or cookie... or even think about a scone or cookie.. ... ... droool... where was I? Oh, right.

A year or so ago, I got very excited about the idea of a juicer. I don't think I blogged about it, but I spent a good two weeks after I got my fabulous Breville juicer juicing everything in sight. Then I read about how when you juice, especially sweet things like apples (which I was going through by the bushel!), you get all the calories and sugar from the fruit and none of the good fiber.

So when I realized that I wasn't drinking my meals, but essentially just adding excess calories and sugar, the juicer went silent sitting in the corner of my counter.

But sarcastic as I'm being, I do try to incorporate healthy things into my diet every single day. At the end of the day I count how many servings of fruit and veggies I've had, and I try to make sure I'm hitting more veggies than fruits. Remember, tomatoes and avocados are fruits, people! And though I've certainly gotten the equivalent of the Green Monster at health food places and when the Vitamix guy is at whole foods, I've never gotten over the hump of making one at home. Before today.

For the last month I've been going for acupuncture (which I LOVE), and the acupuncturist is always giving me Chinese Medicine food advice, which I'm terrible about taking because I don't want to go buy a crock pot - something she tries to assure me I need.

Yes, this my "chinese medicine" gif. don't ask, I have no idea.
source

Anyway, she also impressed upon me the importance of trying to get two leafy greens in before noon. WHAT?!? If you know me at all, you know I'm barely up before noon, let alone eating leafy greens for breakfast.

While I do eat plenty of leafy greens, especially since our CSA share has been inundated with them, it's really hard for me to palate eating veggies for breakfast. I know this is a silly prejudice, but I think Angela's green monster may have solved the problem.

I barely slept last night, and so this evening I took a 3 hour nap (hey, don't judge!) between 530pm and 830pm. When I woke I knew I really needed to run over to Target for some kitty food, among other people-type necessities. I cut myself a small piece of bread, slathered on some PB and honey with a glass of milk and booked it out the door.

But I'm well away a piece of bread with PB and milk is a sad substitution for dinner - even if the bread was whole wheat sprouted (told you I was healthy). While I was out I remembered that I finally put water into my ice trays yesterday and so there was probably ice. And there was definitely both spinach and kale and bananas and PB and flax and almond milk. ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A GREEN MONSTER! It was meant to be. Seriously.

So I got home and blended me up one. Guess what, it was freakin' fabulous. I did not use kale, I thought I'd play if safe with spinach for the first go around, but I could have put way more spinach in than my slight 2 handfuls.

Maybe I can make the acupuncturist happy after all.

please ignore my dirty sink. thank you.

Angela's Classic Green Monster
makes 1 serving = 2 cups
find original recipe here

my adaptation:

1 cup almond milk (or cow's milk or whatever you want)
1 Tbsp ground flax
1 Tbsp peanut butter (or whatever other nut butter you've got - I had delicious grind-your-own from whole foods)
1 packed cup raw spinach (though I could have easily done more - use your own compass)
1 banana
3 ice cubes

Put all the ingredients (except the ice) in your blender and blend till smooth. Then add in the ice and let it work its magic.

Tada! I also drizzled in about 1/2 tsp of honey at the end.

Thai Red Curry

2011-06-20T22:25:00.002-04:00

I was noticing its been over a year since I last posted and it seemed a good time to remedy that.

Curry is fairly simple, especially thai curry. And it's a great way to clean out your fridge. With the massive amount of veggies we've been getting from our CSA share, along with some carrots and potatoes that needed to get eaten, I thought I'd make a hearty veggie-protein and vegetable filled curry.

As much as I love sauteing my greens with a little garlic and ginger, I've been eating sauteed greens pretty much every day and figured I should expand my palate some.

In addition to the potato and carrots, I added bok choy from a friend's garden and left over mustard greens from last week's share. I also put a cup of chick peas and 1/3 cup of lentils. When it was finished, I served it over some quinoa for some extra fiber and protein.

Feel free to use whatever veggies you want in the curry and try serving it over rice, quinoa or any asian-type noodle.

Thai Red Curry
1-2 Tbs red curry paste (adjust to your liking)
1 14oz can of coconut milk
1-2 cloves garlic
1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 large red (or other thin-skinned type) potato
2-3 carrots
1/3 cup lentils
1 cup chick peas, drained and rinsed
1-2 cups of green of your choice (I used chopped up bok choy and mustard greens)
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs brown sugar
lime or rice vinegar
cilantro

WITHOUT SHAKING, open the can of coconut milk. Take the coconut "cream" layer off the top and put into a sauce pan along with red curry paste. Heat over medium heat and stir to combine.

Let coconut cream and curry paste come together till they thicken up and become more paste-like. Lower heat some and then add garlic and ginger (and a half onion if you want - I didn't have one in the house).

When garlic and ginger become fragrant, add rest of coconut milk, along with 1 cup of water. Add diced potatoes and carrots to the pot. Then add in lentil and chick peas.

Turn up the heat till pot boils and then reduce to a simmer. Put the lid on, but leave partially open. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentil and potatoes are soft.

Add fish sauce, brown sugar and squeeze of a lime or a splash of rice vinegar. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Turn off heat and then add greens and cilantro. Let residual heat from curry to lightly cook the green.

Serve with rice, quinoa or noodles.

Fettuccine with Butter-Braised Turnips and Sage

2011-06-17T15:41:00.003-04:00

CSAs are exciting, and I'm happy to see that they are really increasing in popularity. The Whole Foods near our house recently partnered with a few local farms to create their own version of a CSA called the Farmer's Pick Program.

From talking with the farmer at our CSA, Henry Got Crops, I've learned that people either love or hate them. The trend seems to be that you either join for one year and don't renew, or you are hooked. The biggest challenge is being given veggies that you are unfamiliar with or thought that you didn't like. Especially this time of year farmers will load your share with greens, turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, and other such produce. If you are like the majority of Americans, kohlrabi probably hasn't fallen onto your radar yet (and to be completely honest, its not entirely on mine yet - we got a honkin' big purple one on Tuesday and it has yet to be cooked).

My goal for this CSA season was not to let a single thing go to waste. I'm learning new preparation techniques and eating healthier as a result! This week was an especially generous one. They got a new intern at the farm so the harvest was HUGE! Andrew and I are splitting a share with Randi and this week's have share included: aforementioned huge kohlrabi, beautiful head of red leaf lettuce, large bunch of turnips, radishes (swapped for bok choy because I have some that Grace gave me), and half a bunch of kale. Wow.

Turnips are a vegetable that I never ate that often. But they are so tasty!!! A member of the brassica family (broccoli, cabbage, etc.) they are chock full of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron and Calcium. You can eat the root part, but also the greens as well. Roasted, yum. Mashed, tasty.

I love Mark Bittman and was quite sad that he retired from his post as the Minimalist Chef on the NY Times. However, he is still a contributor, and has been thrilling his readers with things like The Pasta Primavera Remix. He provides you with a whole bunch of different simple and modern takes the classic spring pasta. I bookmarked it and knew I'd be back.

This recipe is from the Remix. Very easy and I had everything on hand. Turnips from the CSA and Golden Variegated Sage in my herb garden. I added about a 1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes at the beginning to give it a little kick. I also chopped up the turnip greens and added them in at the end. It was really tasty. Not too heavy either. In the future I will probably add more sage, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Fettuccine with Butter-Braised Turnips and Sage

adapted from Mark Bittman

serves 8

Cook 1 pound diced turnips in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage and 2/3 cup vegetable or chicken stock, white wine or water; boil until the turnips are tender and the liquid is almost entirely evaporated, 10 to 20 minutes. Toss with pasta and chopped turnip greens. Garnish: Chopped sage.

Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

2011-06-15T14:10:00.001-04:00

As Andrew was scarfing down the last little bit of our Roasted Red Pepper Chipotle Hummus last night - I feebly protested (we just got it the day before and I only ate a little of it). I had veggies that needed hummus!!! He reminded me that we had white beans and I was capable of making my own. Oh, right. Home made bean dips.

So, today at lunch, while my beautiful mushrooms were staring at me saying "eat me, eat me with bean dip," I gave in. After a quick search on the blogosphere, I found a blogger who had made a Mark Bittman recipe, Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip, quickly and successfully! Plus, I had all the ingredients, sort of. The recipe calls for the zest of two lemons, but I only had one lemon, minus the zest. I figured I could just substitute lemon juice for the zest.

The recipe can be found here.

I didn't follow it verbatum. I added a little cilantro and some red pepper flakes, and didn't use as much olive oil (or lemon zest). However, it was still pretty darn tasty! Next time I will probably try and use his exact recipe or experiment with a lime and cilantro bean dip. Either way, five minutes later I was bathing my mushrooms in a healthy, albeit non-hummus, bean dip.

Also!

As I was dropping Andrew off at Temple Ambler this morning I noticed a tree out of the corner of my eye that was bursting with red. Cherries! I confirmed with my friend Grace that they were available for picking and came back in the afternoon. Randi and I picked what ended up picking a pound of pitted fruit and she made it into a delicious cake.

She didn't want to blog about a recipe she had already posted, but I had to give her props, because it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.... good!!! Plus free fruit!!! Yay!!!

Cherry Cake - Noms!

Chard Take 3

2011-06-14T09:52:00.000-04:00

On this blog, we have posted specifically about chard twice. Plus, there have been a bunch of chard-centric recipes. Like many others, I have only really embraced chard in the past two years. But, now that I am comfortable with it (and grown tons in my garden), I find that it is something I am constantly drawn too. Not only is it extremely tasty, it is packed with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Iron.

Swiss Chard (also referred to as silverbeet, perpetual spinach, spinach beet, crab beet, bright lights, seakale beet, and mangold) is something that you commonly see at the farmer's market or popping up in your CSA share. It is really wonderful to grow - it is a "cut and come again" green, meaning that as long as you keep harvesting, it will keep growing new leaves. Anyway, back to the meat of this post - what to do with it.

There are many, many, many wonderful recipes on the interwebs, for some great ones go to foodblogsearch.com (see right). The simplest way and best way to get the most chard flavor is to saute it with garlic and olive oil. The stem is edible too, so don't throw it away! Some people like to start the stem pieces first so they cook down more, but I like the texture variety of throwing the whole thing in together.

How to Cook Chard - In Pictures

Chard from our garden

Wash, and slice down the middle of the leave, and then across into ~1" strips. Dice the stem.

2 cloves of garlic, diced, plus about a tablespoon of olive oil. Randi gave me this great tip - If you put the garlic in with the cold olive oil, and heat up together, it infuses the oil with the garlic flavor. When the garlic starts to brown, and you can smell it, add the other ingredients.

Chard in pan (I should have used my bigger one). Salt and pepper and stir.

After about 5 minutes. I like to eat it like this, but you can cook it down more if you prefer.

Orzo and Cucumber Salad

2011-06-12T18:19:00.000-04:00

I think I may have found my new "go to" pot luck contribution! Saying that, if you are coming to a potluck which I am also attending, find a new dish! Ok, but in all seriousness, this was bright and summery and so good. The recipe is from Real Simple. It is quick and easy. I made this on Friday night in preparation for a potluck on Saturday (for our CSA - Henry Got Crops). I knew I would not have a minute to spare on Saturday, and I easily knocked this out on Friday.

The one thing I learned about pasta that I will share with you, is that for pasta salads, its really important that you rinse your pasta as soon as it is done with cold water. Really rinse it well!!! This prevents the individual pieces from sticking and makes a much better dish.

Orzo and Cucumber Salad

adapted (not much) from Real Simple

serves 8

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 box orzo

1 English cucumber, chopped into 1/2" pieces

6 scallions, thinly sliced (including a good portion of the green part)

1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh mint depending on taste

Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain, run under cold water to cool, and shake well to remove the excess water. In a medium bowl, toss the orzo with the cucumber, scallions, mint, lemon juice, toil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

New Blog

2011-06-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

Well, despite the fact that this blog has been a little (a lot) neglected, I started a new blog dedicated to garden exploits:

A Georgia Garden in Philadelphia
url: georgias-garden.blogspot.com

Check it out and let me know what you think! It's a work in progress...

Who Loves Gardening?? ME!!!

2011-06-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

Busy!

Today I commented on my friend Jenn's blog - Got Goats? - about what we were planting this year. Although "scaling back" might seem absurd based on the list below, we have! Pictures soon, but our community garden plot is so nice and neat, it seems like an invasion of the body snatchers might have occurred. Last year was such a nightmare! I guess we learned a thing or two though..

We also planted a 4' x 4' raised bed and some planters of herbs/flowers/foliage.

So, here's the list:

Herbs:

Cilantro

Rosemary

Apple Mint

Golden Sage

French Thyme

Oregano

Basil

Tomatoes (usually one of each):

Sungold

Brandywine

Black Cherry

Cherokee Purple

Sweet Olive

San Marzano

Viva Italiano

Mystery Tomato (got it unlabeled)

Early Girl

Beefeater

Wapsipicon Peach

Amish Paste

Gold Medal

Beans:

Tiger Eye (for drying)

Rattlesnake

Purple Pole

Vegetables:

Cheddar Cauliflower

Leeks

Brusselsprouts

Chard (Bright Lights, Rhubarb and Fordhook)

Jalepeno Peppers

Banana Peppers

Bell Peppers

Squash/Cucs:

Butternut

Pottimarron

Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumbers

Russian Pickling Cucumbers

YIKES! I am so, so, so, excited. We also joined a CSA, so should be eating well this summer. If I stay motivated I am going to try and keep a tally of our 2011 harvest. We'll see!

Happy Gardening! What are you excited about this year?

Conchigliette with Chicken and Arugula Pesto

2011-04-18T14:39:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite "ah ha!" moments in the kitchen is when you conquer something new. This seems to be happening a lot lately as I branch out into new directions. Things that I had never really dealt with (recipes, ingredients, etc.) have been incorporated into my usual routine.

This meal utilized two, yes TWO, new things.

1) Pesto. Ok, I have been making pesto for a little while now, but it used to be something completely foreign to me. My mom never cooked it growing up, and for a while thought I didn't like it. How silly. Not like pesto? Craziness! Last summer I tried a recipe for Simple Pesto from the back of a Whole Foods coupon book and have been loving it ever since.

2) Arugula. It was red leaf, romaine, and spinach for most of my life. Arugula was "fancy" and not something I thought too much about. Until recently my only Arugula memory came from a story from a childhood friend that involved her waking herself up in the middle of the night by shouting "ARUGULA." I'm not sure I even knew what it was back then.

Anyway, I digress. Both of these things are awesome, not nearly as intimidating as they could be and oh so tasty. Also, apparently arugula is very easy to grow according to this post by Susan of Farmgirl Fare and In My Kitchen Garden. PS - Check out her blogs for great recipes and CUTE pictures of her farm animals.

My final words of wisdom for the day - TRY NEW THINGS!!! You will be pleasantly surprised.

This meal came together in about 30 minutes. While the pasta was boiling and the chicken cooking, I made the pesto. The pesto recipe is from Simply Recipes. Another great blog.

Oh, and in case you were wondering conchigliette is just a nice little shell pasta, any small pasta will do.

Conchigliette with Chicken and Arugula Pesto

serves 4

1 lb chicken breast

1/2 lb pasta

3 tbs arugula pesto (I used this recipe and froze the extra)

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Prepare pasta according to directions.

Salt and pepper chicken breast and saute in olive oil in a deep frying or saute pan. About 5 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Remove chicken from heat and slice into bite size pieces.

Prepare pesto according to directions.

Drain pasta and put into the pan you used for the chicken. Add pesto and chicken and mix well. Heat for a few minutes and serve.

Couldn't resist adding a picture of my little babies!

Also - check out Three Cookies for this week's Presto Pasta Nights round up.

Pasta Puttanesca

2011-04-05T11:29:00.000-04:00

Pasta Puttanesca or "Whore's Pasta" is something that I have ordered many, many times in restaurants. How can you resist something so poetic? However, I had never tried to cook it at home. I'm not really sure why this is, apparently the name originates from ladies of the night being able to quick rustle this dish up between clients. Quick and easy and delicious, what a winning combo! Rachael Ray eat your heart out :)

The ingredients aren't particularly exotic. Everything is easily found at your local market. I know that some of the ingredients in this might freak some of you out - mostly the anchovies - but trust me, worth it. I personally love anchovies, but for those of you who don't, they add a really nice salty flavor without any fishiness.

Not our own pic, but pretty darn close! (www.seriouseats.com)

I don't have a picture of my own, because we were too busy gobbling it up (even Andrew loved it, and doesn't really care for olives). The recipe is from Epicurious, adapted for our personal tastes. I have included the original recipe here, but wrote it as I prepared it.

Pasta Puttanesca
serves 6 to 8
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, diced
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes with basil
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
8 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 tbsp capers
1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
1 heaping teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you want it milder)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or a few grinds with pepper mill)
1 lb fettuccine or other long pasta
Grated Pecorino Romano

Cook pasta as desired. You can't go wrong with al dente though.

Heat oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes. When pasta is done, add to sauce and toss over low heat until well combined.

Serve with grated cheese.

Oat Bran - Molasses Bread

2011-02-05T16:55:00.000-05:00

I love making bread.

There, I said it. And no, not with a bread machine. Its easy and the results are so so so good. I think that if I had to set one culinary mission, it would be get more people to give it a try. You don't need any special equipment and while the process itself is rather time consuming, the hands on time is minimal.

There are many great books and blogs dedicated to artisan bread making at home. Also, if you are in the area you can come bake with me anytime you want!

Ok, enough of this prattling on about bread making. The point is, its awesome! Especially on these cold, gross days. Nothing is better than slicing into a loaf of homemade bread right out of the oven. I have taken this to heart and have been baking bread weekly. My current favorite recipe is an adaptation of Susan's Farmhouse White from Farmgirl Fare. She has tons of wonderful recipes (and the cutest pictures ever from her farm in Missouri).

One thing that I have learned is that if you have a kitchen scale, use it. A lot of recipes come with measurements for grams, ounces, etc. and these are so much more accurate. Especially for bread!

Here are my changes (check her blog for the instructions). The measurements below are for one loaf. I just took the original recipe and divided all grams by three. Easy peasy.

Oat Bran - Molasses Bread
1 loaf

White Whole Wheat Flour - 189 grams
Yeast - 8 grams
Olive Oil - 10 grams
Honey - ~20 grams
Water - 300 grams
Bread Flour - 225 grams
Oat Bran - 50 grams
Salt - 7 grams
Molasses - ~10 grams

Click here for the entire recipe.

Proofing Bread Dough

All Done!

Butternut, Apple, Caramelized Onion Pizza

2011-01-20T13:36:00.001-05:00

Last week we were in Southern California at Joshua Tree National Park. This week we are back in chilly Philadelphia and trying to be as budget conscious as possible after spending way too much money on vacation. Whoops! Budget conscious for us means not going out to eat when we feel lazy. So after eating out way through delicious pasta and leftovers the first half of the week, I had to figure out what to make last night for dinner. Although in cold weather I am always craving pasta - I decided that we might need a break. So I ventured down to our neighborhood market to see what I could rustle up for dinner. Their produce selection was bleak (they only stock local goods, and those are scarce this time of year), but they had butternut squash, apples, and some other odds and ends.

I had mentioned homemade pizza earlier in the week to Andrew, and that is what I decided on! There is a local pizza chain near us called Jules (seriously go there if you are in the area) that had a pizza on their menu with butternut squash, apple, and ricotta, a personal favorite and inspiration for our dinner.

This was so good! I used a recipe for pizza dough from Farmgirl Fare with some slight substitutions. I used a mix (about 50/50) of bread flour and white whole wheat flour, and added about a tablespoon of olive oil to the dough.

For the toppings I used:

-Goat cheddar

-Caramelized Onions and Garlic

-Roasted Butternut Squash

-Sliced Apple

Instead of a tomato sauce, I just drizzled olive oil over the raw dough before I added the toppings. Simple and delicious!

Gingerbread Disaster

2010-12-23T12:34:00.002-05:00

Can you believe that Christmas is so soon? I feel like it snuck up on us this year. I still have about a billion projects to finish - mostly sewing/crocheting related. Yikes!

Last night a few of my friends and I got together for a holiday movie/cookie making session. We watched "A Muppet's Christmas" and made and decorated several types of cookies. Val made some scrumptious almond sugar cookies. Carolyn brought gingerbread bees and Randi brought regular sugar cookie dough.

Found this image on this blog and couldn't resist!

For our contribution, I also made gingerbread dough. I love gingerbread so wanted to make sure I had my fill. I made some really tasty gingerbread cookies with a lemon glaze last year, but couldn't find the recipe (read - I was too lazy to get it off of our external hard drive). I found this recipe on epicurious and decided it would be good enough!

Well, after tasting a little of the dough, I knew something was off. It was not nearly sweet enough. When the first batch came out of the oven, it was confirmed. Gross. One batch of dough in the trash. I double, triple checked that I followed the ingredients and I HAD!

A mystery...

When I came home I had an idea where I had went wrong and quick checked the molasses bottle. Ugh...in small letters on the back of the bottle under ingredients it read: Blackstrap molasses. Not regular molasses. Too dense, not sweet enough. And it didn't say it on the front of the bottle! There was no indication that they weren't normal baking molasses. No wonder the dough was gross.

Here's the kicker - I already had blackstrap molasses in the house for bread baking, but knew I needed regular molasses for the cookies. We went to the store specifically to pick some up. Whoops.

Oh well, at least the mystery is solved.

Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, New Years from our kitchen to yours!

Spaghetti Carbonara

2010-12-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

My mom always made a very simple spaghetti carbonara growing up. Pasta, egg, cheese, peas, and ham or bacon. Now, whenever I go out to Italian restaurants and see spaghetti carbonara on the menu, it always is served with some sort of thick, creamy sauce.

Olive Garden's Chicken or Shrimp Carbonara: Chicken and shrimp with bucatini pasta in a parmesan cream sauce with pancetta bacon and roasted red peppers, baked and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs.

Olive Garden's Carbonara - 1,440 calories later!

Initially, I thought that my mom just made her version of the dish, and it was supposed to be a heavier pasta, with a cream sauce. WRONG! Apparently, my mom had it right all along. The authentic, Italian version is a simple pasta, with a light sauce. I guess when you make something way more cheesier/creamier this is called "Americanizing" it. Not that this version doesn't taste good, but the original is far superior. There's no school like the old school, even when it comes to pasta!

I made this the other day because I was craving pasta....cold weather will do that to you! Oh man, it was so good. I left the linguine a little more al dente than usual, and the result was a chewy, hearty dish that warmed us up.

If you only have a few minutes and are in the mood for some yummy pasta, this meal is for you. It literally takes about 20 minutes. Basically, just the time to boil / cook the pasta. Give it a try!

I used my dutch oven, so I could just mix everything in the pot, but alternatively you could use a large bowl if you want. The key is to make sure everything is ready when the pasta is cooked, because it needs to be hot when you mix everything.

Spaghetti Carbonara
6 servings

1 box linguine or other long pasta
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
8 oz pancetta, bacon, or ham, diced
1 large clove garlic, diced
2 cups baby peas
1 tsp dry parsley
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil water and add pasta. At the same time, saute the garlic and pancetta (or other pork product) in olive oil, until it is crispy. Add peas to warm.

If using a separate bowl, you should spoon your pancetta mixture into it now.

When pasta is ready, strain and dump into your dutch oven or mixing bowl. Reserve some of the water. Stir in raw eggs (the heat from the pasta will cook them on contact), cheese, and parsley. Stir really well to incorporate all the ingredients! Salt and pepper to taste. If you need to, you can add a little of the pasta water to thin the sauce.

And because it is pasta, I sent this one over to Ruth for Presto Pasta Nights.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

2010-12-02T10:21:00.000-05:00

Life has been a little hectic in this blogger's household this past week. But I thought it would be foolish to let Thanksgiving pass without giving it a word or two. We hosted Thanksgiving for 11 in a one bedroom apartment. Yikes! All went according to plan, and besides a few stressful moments, everything was great! My dad was recently told he needed to watch his blood sugar levels, so I tried a few new sides that were lower in carbohydrates. The only dish that I wasn't thrilled with was the stuffing. Disappointing, but there were so many other yummy things it wasn't such a big deal. Plus, it got better with a little time, and it makes a good leftover snack.

I wanted to share with you our meal and give credit to those blogs that I borrowed recipes from. I hope everyone had a great holiday!!!

Appetizers:
Cheese and Crackers
Sweet and Spicy Rosemary Nuts (Food Blogga) YUM!

Main:
Turkey (Meadow Run Farm, courtesy of Food for All Market)
Irish Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Stuffing (Cornbread, sausage, apple, walnut)
Honey Roasted Carrots (I blogged about this recipe here)
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Figs (Mark Bittman)
Cranberry Sauce (Simply Recipes - I added orange zest)
Biscuits

Desserts:
Pumpkin Pie
Twofer Pumpkin Pecan Pie (Dorry Greenspan, blogged by Food Blogga)
Blueberry Pie
Apple Pie

Too much food to think about, but we're working our way through the leftovers! How are you using up your leftovers? Holiday sandwiches? Turkey Soup?

Turkey with Mustard Sauce (the anti-stew)

2010-11-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

Oh Andrew, my beloved Andrew, what will we do with you? Despite my attempts to convert him to a pot roast / brisket / stew lover, I have failed. Its not that he doesn't like the flavors, or necessarily all versions of these dishes. He doesn't like mushy vegetables for dinner. Who doesn't love delicious mushy veggies and stringy meat? My husband apparently.

So, when I came across this recipe on Simply Recipes - Slow Cooked Turkey with Mustard Sauce - it was a little bittersweet. It sounded delightful, but alas it was slow cooked, and that meant it would probably entail some mushy-ness.

But it looked so good!!!! In a stroke of creative genius, I came up with a way around the slow cooking part and decided I would make a deconstructed version of this dish. Deconstruction is all the rage right? On the bandwagon I jumped. I decided that instead of cooking it all together in a slow cooker, I would roast the veggies, braise the turkey, and make the sauce separately. Then I would whip up some brown rice and top it with everything.

It was great. AND Andrew loved it and was pleased with the consistency. A+ for me. Brownie points for wifey. Excellent. (As I am writing this, he is doing the laundry, so I would say he's worth it.)

The turkey takes about 2 hours to cook, and the veggies about one hour. This is a meal that takes a little planning and time, but its worth it.

Turkey with Mustard Sauce and Seasonal Vegetables

Adapted from Simply Recipes

serves 6

Ingredients

2 turkey thighs, bone in

2 turkey legs (or two additional thighs)

1 cup white wine

salt and pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

6-8 redskin potatoes, diced into 1" pieces

2-3 large parsnips, sliced into 1" pieces

1 lb carrots, sliced into 1" pieces

Sauce

3 cups chicken stock

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/3 cup yellow mustard (just do it)

1 heaping tbsp dry mustard powder

2 tsp chipotle or chili powder

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

1/4 cup whole grain mustard

6 servings cooked brown rice

Salt the turkey well and set out at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tbsp on medium olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven. When oil is hot pat the turkey dry with a paper towel and set them skin side down in the hot oil to brown. Let them brown well (3-5 minutes) and turn them over and repeat on the other side. When they are browned, pour in the wine and turn heat to low. Cook until tender, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in a baking pan and oil, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 1 hour (or until nice and roasted), stirring occasionally.

Place stock in saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve turkey and veggies over rice. Top with a generous helping of sauce.

Southwestern Stuffed Squash

2010-11-11T11:30:00.001-05:00

Our kitchen looks like it is having squash babies. We have pumpkins, butternuts, buttercups, and more. Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my! They are on our counters and kitchen table. I swear sometimes that when we get up in the morning, there are more! Multiplying squash, that would be fantastic. Some are from our garden, some from my mom's garden, and some from random impulse buys. We have a 22 pound Long Island Cheese Pumpkin that we got at the Co-op because it was advertised as making the smoothest pies ever. As smooth as cheesecake! Pumpkin cheesecake, what, what??

In reality though, I am happy to have such a plethora of these wonderful gourds, because they are delicious, healthy, and last a long time!

Nevertheless, we are trying to put them to good use. Anytime I see a yummy looking squash recipe I get excited. This is from a book that my friend Carolyn gave me for my birthday a few years ago - EatingWell in Season. The recipe calls for acorn squash, but I thought that Buttercup Squash would be a good substitute. Buttercup squash is a winter squash that is coming into popularity. My mom grew them, but I've seen them in Whole Foods too. They are about the same size as acorn squash, but are a little denser and sweeter. One interesting difference is that the cavity is a little lower and deeper, making them ideal to stuff. NPR just ran an article on winter squash. This is what they have to say about this little guy: It was developed in 1932 at North Dakota Agricultural College and many consider it an almost-perfect winter squash. The skin is a dark forest green, and it has a distinctive protrusion on the bottom. The orange flesh becomes creamy and sweet when cooked.

Sounds good, right??

I love trying new varieties of produce that I love. You never know what you are going to find!

Southwestern Stuffed Acorn Squash
Adapted from EatingWell in Season

3 buttercup or acorn squash
0.5 lb turkey sausage (you can find bulk or just squeeze it out of the casing - I used an Andouille turkey sausage and it was great)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili or chipotle powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 15-25 oz can black beans (the big cans were on sale at the co-op, so I used a 25 oz can)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several dashes hot sauce to taste
6 slices pepper jack cheese or 1 cup shredded

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly coat with cooking spray.

Cut squash in half horizontally. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet and bake until tender (about 45 minutes).

Meanwhile, preheat skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned (3-5 minutes). Add onion and pepper, cook until softened (3-5 minutes). Stir in garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook for about a minute. Stir in tomatoes, beans, salt, and hot sauce. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 12-15 minutes.

When squash are tender, reduce oven temperature to 325°. Fill the squash cavities with the bean/turkey mixture. Top with cheese. Put back on baking sheet and bake until the cheese has melted (8-10 minutes).

Recipes I bookmarked lately: Rabbit Stew w/Mushrooms (Simply Recipes) and Spinach, Mushroom, and Bacon Fondue (Steamy Kitchen)

A Happy Meal: Local and Sustainable Dinner!

2010-11-08T10:23:00.002-05:00

This was a truly excellent meal. Andrew at one point commented that it was "restaurant quality." And you know what? I actually agreed with him (which is rare because I often am the first to criticize my food). I can see it now: Grass Fed Sirloin with a Smokehouse Rub, Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots and Butternut Squash Risotto. Sounds good, right?

The food itself wasn't complicated in itself, the pleasure was from the ingredients. Besides the risotto (which despite what you might think is not all that difficult), everything else was prepared very simply.

While we were eating we did an inventory of the ingredients and determined that the majority of them were either from local sources or our garden. Below, in the ingredient list, I have added where they originate.

THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!

And not all that hard to pull off. Unless you are eating meat with every meal, it is not even that expensive. I didn't give the recipe for the steak, because all we did was season it and grill it. Let me tell you though, a happy cow makes a tasty steak! This particular cow was from Country Meadow's Farm (a vendor at the Lancaster Central Market).

What we like to do is stock up on meats (beef, buffalo and some lamb) every once in a while and stick it all in the freezer. Today in fact we got two pounds of ground beef and a flat iron steak from our meat vendor, Red Haven Farm, at the Mt. Airy Farmer's Market (sad news - today is their last day of the season - NOOOO!!!). Plus a dozen gorgeous eggs it cost about $18. Not too shabby and we'll take it out when we need some iron in our diets :)

Also, this is only the second time I've ever made risotto. It freaks me out a little, but once I start making it, I realize I'm silly, its not that difficult (just a little time consuming) and the results are delicious!!

Recipes:

Honey Roasted Carrots
This recipe is inspired by our little neighborhood market. They have a prepared foods section and commonly sell these. Its not the real recipe, but my best guess. Either way, noms.

1 bunch rainbow or orange carrots, cut into large slices (Weaver's Way Farm)
Honey (My parent's neighbor has hives)
Olive Oil
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 bunch fresh
S&P

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss carrots with olive oil, rosemary and a large drizzle of honey. Salt and pepper. Cook for about 60-90 minutes, tossing occasionally. The carrots will be ready when they are soft and caramelized.

Butternut Squash Risotto
Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light
Makes 6-8 servings (good leftovers!)

1/2 cup water
1 quart chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
3-4 cups butternut squash, 3/4" dice (about 1 pound) - from our garden!
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or other short grain
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 cups grated cheese (we used a local goat Gouda)

Bring stock to a simmer in large saucepan (do not boil). Keep it warm over low heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add the water, squash, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until squash is tender. Add rice and stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of broth and cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Add the remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed.

Stir in parsley, cheese, butter and remaining olive oil. Serve immediately!

Learn how to make risotto here.

Recipes I bookmarked this week: Butternut Squash Crumble (White on Rice Couple) and Spaghetti with Chickpeas (Smitten Kitchen).

Williams-Sonoma Ads

2010-11-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

So those that regularly read the blog (thanks!) will notice that the normally blank space on the left is now filled with Williams-Sonoma recipes/ads. I wanted to explain two things:

1) A girls gotta eat! I'm sure I will generate about 2 cents of income from them, but still...
2) I genuinely like their recipes and have made them many times in the past and they have a great product line!

Done and done. So, if you ever want to get something from their online store, do it!

Thanks :)

Sausage and Lentil Soup

2010-10-30T12:25:00.004-04:00

I made this soup about a week ago. The recipe came from GRID magazine (a great local magazine on all things sustainable), in a special article with soup recipes. The author, Marisa McClellan, also blogs at Food In Jars, one of my favorite canning blogs!

I altered the recipe slightly, and my adaptations are below. The original recipe can be found here.

This is a terrific cold weather soup! Well, a terrific soup in general! It was soooooooo....good. Thanks Marisa!

Very hearty, but not too heavy. I substituted lentils (because I love lentil soup) and omitted the celery (because Randi and Andrew have an aversion to celery).

I didn't not take any pictures because we were starving when it was ready. Served with some nice multi-grain rolls, delicious!

Sausage and Escarole Soup - Photo Courtesy of GRID Magazine and Marisa McClellan

Sausage and Lentil Soup
Courtesy of GRID Magazine and Marisa McClellan of Food In Jars

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 leeks, well-washed and chopped into thin half-moons
3 carrots, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 pound bulk sausage (I used spicy Italian sausage)
2 quarts chicken stock
6 cups water
2 cups dry lentils
1 head chard, well-washed and chopped
1 tbsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add leeks, carrots, onion and rosemary, and brown for seven to eight minutes. When the vegetables are golden, push them to the edges of the pot, creating a well in the center. Drop the sausage into that center well and break it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks.

Once the sausage is brown and has been stirred into the vegetables, add your liquid and lentils. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and let cook for approximately 2 hours (until lentils are soft). Ten minutes prior to serving, add chard. Serve when the greens are fully wilted.

Moroccan Inspired Shepherds Pie

2010-10-28T20:14:00.001-04:00

Butternut Squash have been flourishing this year! Our garden has produced a bunch, and luckily for us, our friend Grace's garden has been exploding yummy Butternuts. She gave us a few of hers (I think she had eaten about all the squash she could, plus frozen a bunch), along with some ideas of ways to eat them. Butternut Squash is one of my favorite things in the fall, but like zucchini, I only have a few recipes and am always looking to find new creative ways to eat this great squash.

Grace had blogged about a shepherd's pie made with a butternut squash topping and that inspired me to try something similar. Although I liked the idea of it, I had a bunch of things in my fridge that I wanted to incorporate, so they wouldn't go bad. I searched and searched the inter-web, but couldn't find a recipe that I liked. Ultimately, I just decided to wing it. We had ground lamb, leeks, butternut squash, chard, eggplant and a bunch of spices. These things seemed like they could mesh well together.

I still don't have tons of confidence when it comes to spices, so I didn't have tons of confidence that this would come out well. AKA I didn't take any before pictures. However, it was delicious! Between myself, Andrew and Randi we scarfed down the entire pan in one sitting. I barely got a few pics before it was gone.

Update: I made this with sweet potatoes instead of the squash and it was a fail. Not bad tasting, but the texture was all wrong.

Moroccan Inspired Shepherds Pie
Serves 6

Give this a try if you are looking for something a little different. It was really tasty and a fun meal. I can see this as something that would be good for a pot luck.

For the Filling:
1 pound ground lamb
1 pound eggplant, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 leek, sliced into half moons
1/2 bunch chard, sliced (including stems)
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the Topping:
1 large butternut squash, diced into 1-2" cubes
1 tbsp half and half
1-2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Season butternut squash with salt, pepper, and olive oil and bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the squash is soft and browned. After it is done cooking, add all the topping ingredients into your Kitchen Aid or mixing bowl and mix until you have a nice "mashed potato" consistency. Set aside.

Sauté the leeks and garlic in olive oil. When caramelized, add the eggplant and lamb. When the lamb is cooked through, add filling spices. Cook down for about 10 minutes. At the very end, add the chard and mix together.

Empty filling into the bottom of a baking dish (8" or so) and top with squash mixture. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes, until the topping has browned a little.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Pancakes - Perfect Potluck Fare!

2010-09-16T11:01:00.003-04:00

Like many of you out there, we have been inundated with zucchini this summer. So, when I came across a blog post for Zucchini Pancakes at The Wednesday Chef it was immediately bookmarked. Zucchini and I have a love hate relationship. They are delicious, and I do have a few ways that I always put them to use (grilled, veggie lasagna, other pastas, etc.), but I always end up with far too many and hate seeing them go bad. I think a lot of people feel this way. They are so darn prolific!

Earlier this summer in July we attended all three days of the XPoNential Music Festival in Camden, NJ. This wonderful festival is a yearly event put on by our favorite radio station, XPN (public alternative excellence for those who are not familiar). It was a terrific festival and there were some amazing artists present - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Grace Potter, Dr. Dog - and MORE! One of the best parts of this event is that it is put on at a park, so for seating everyone brings picnic blankets and camp chairs. Naturally, we planned picnics to go with the music listening, and I busted out the zucchini pancake recipe. It seemed like a great picnic food. In the blog post the author took a NY Times recipe for Turkish Zucchini Pancakes and gave it her own twist. The original recipe included dill and feta, while the adaption was a sweeter cilantro based pancake. I decided that I was more inclined to the original recipe, so reverted to that.

The recipe calls for you to squeeze out all of the excess zucchini water. I squeezed, and squeezed, but I don't think I did a good enough job. It tells you to use a kitchen towel, but that didn't feel right.

Another problem I encountered was the batter was too thin. It got a little oozy and the first pancakes I made were just weird. I added a little more flour and that did wonders to achieve a better consistency. Maybe it was because I didn't squeeze enough water out.

This past weekend we had two potluck picnics to go to, and I decided to try this zucchini pancake thing again. This time I used cheesecloth instead of a kitchen towel for the zucchini squeezing and that was a huge improvement! I made a double batch and added even more flour. Man, were they good. They were gobbled up and I was a little sad I didn't make a triple batch so we could have leftovers!

The NY Times article also includes a recipe for a dip to go with the pancakes. I made it the first time, but then out of sheer laziness bought some Tzatziki at Whole Foods. It was just as tasty in my opinion.

What is your favorite way to use zucchini??? Let me know in the comments!

Turkish Zucchini Pancakes (adapted from this recipe)
yield - about 12-15 pancakes

3 medium zucchini, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 4 oz and sheep's milk if you can find it)
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped dill
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 to 6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil, more as needed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to cheesecloth, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.

In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.

Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and heat until shimmering (my pancakes turned out better with less oil). Place heaping tablespoons of zucchini batter in pan several inches apart, allowing room to spread. Flatten them with a spatula if necessary; pancakes should be about 3/8 inch thick and about 3 inches in diameter. Fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry again until golden on other side. Repeat once or twice, frying about 5 to 6 minutes total, so pancakes get quite crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels, and keep warm in oven. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Serve hot.

Spicy White Peach Salsa

2010-09-12T14:04:00.009-04:00

Before this summer started, I had already started a list of all the things I wanted to preserve once the bounty of our garden and farmers markets hit. Eating well is very important to us, and one of the ways to make sure that we can still get a taste of summer, while still eating locally is to preserve local ingredients. Canning has been getting a lot of press lately, and one of the articles (actually an article based on an NPR interview) was "Overloaded from Your Garden? Just Can It," an interview with a DC food blogger, Cathy Barrow of Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen. Cathy's blog is great, and she has some really creative and inspired recipes!

The NPR story had four recipes that went with it for different preserved concoctions. The two that really called my name were Fig, Lemon and Thyme Confiture (um, yeah, delicious - maybe my baby fig tree will produce enough for this) and Spicy Peach Salsa. Peaches are one of my favorite fruits and since we happen to be in peach season, I decided that this was the one to try first. I ended up using White Peaches, instead of yellow and substituting half of the peach called for with tomato. On her blog, Cathy wrote that this was another great combo.

I got some pretty pint jars and set to work. The one disappointing thing about this recipe was I only got 3 pints, not 4 out of my ingredients. Maybe I let them cook down too much? Either way, it looked and smelled delicious. I can't wait to open a jar up!

Oh, and because a lot of people have been saying things like "Oh, I have always wanted to try canning..." to me. YOU SHOULD!!!! It's a lot of fun, economical, and not very hard. You don't even really need special equipment (although a $3 jar lifter is a life saver). One caveat. Always. Always. Always. Use a recipe. That way you won't risk getting botulism. That said, with a recipe, it isn't a very hard thing to do, and is very rewarding.

Spicy White Peach Salsa (adapted from Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen)
makes 3 to 4 pints

3 cups ripe white peaches, peeled and diced
3 cups tomatoes, diced1-1/4 c red onion
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1 c sweet red pepper
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c fresh cilantro
3/4 c cider vinegar
2 T honey
2 tsp cumin
1/2 t cayenne

Prepare pint jars (either run through the dishwasher or boil for 10 minutes). Put lids in a small pot of simmering water. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the peaches for 2-3 minutes, depending on the size of the fruit. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Slip the peels from the peaches, then remove the pit and cut into a 1/2" dice.

Add the peaches and tomatoes to a 5 qt. non-reactive pan. Add the cider vinegar, honey and spices and stir well. The vinegar will keep the fruit from discoloring.

Put the onion, peppers, garlic and cilantro in the food processor and pulse until everything is cut up quite small, but not liquified in any way. Or - if you don't have a food processor (which I don't), chop by hand, but make sure the pieces are smaller than the pieces of peach.

Add the chopped vegetables to the peaches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring gently so the peaches do not break apart.

Put hot salsa into hot pint jars (make sure to wipe down the mouth of the jar before putting on the lids) and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Peaches and Tomatoes Just Added

Cooked Down into Salsa

Canning Setup

Boiling Water Bath

OMG! A Blog Post!

2010-08-27T20:13:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, we disappeared for a while. A long while. So long that I'm sure many of you wondered whether we'd left for good.

Well. Good News! We're not dead. Nope, just a combination of lazy, busy, procrastinate-y, lazy, etc. Not lazy in the kitchen necessarily. We have been cooking up a storm. Andrew and I just recently (read two months ago) moved to Philly proper and have been hard at work using all the wonderful garden and farmer's market produce. Also, I got a new and exciting bread book (Local Bread by Daniel Leder) and have fallen in love with the art of bread making. PS - my new bread making hero is Susan of Farmgirl Fare.

This past year has been pretty hectic. I got married, lived in two places at once while taking classes and working two jobs, moved, graduated, and more. Yikes! This is my excuse for the poor performance on this blog. I will let Randi give her own. In less than a month I celebrate my one year wedding anniversary, so I guess that excuse is about to expire. So, hopefully this marks a come back in the blogisphere. I will aim to be more diligent and so on and so forth.

Honeymoon :)


Paddling in Michigan

Lily loves to hike!

LOST! Finale

Back to the food.

Like I previously mentioned we've been getting a ton of produce this summer, and doing some pretty yummy things. Dill pickles, strawberry rhubarb jam, blueberry jam, blueberry butter, salads, sauces, etc, etc. My other new hero is Marisa - a local Philadelphian who is a whiz at canning! Check out her blog here.

The recipe that brought me back to blogging is below. A delicious pasta dish devised using what we had in the kitchen plus a few items purchased. I guess I could name it Spinach and Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes. Wordy, but yum. The roasted tomatoes were rich and sweet, a perfect combination with the spinach and creamy goat cheese. Not to toot my own horn, but it was so tasty that I am drooling thinking about it. Plus, it was my very own brainchild. So good that I got off my lazy you know what and posted a blog entry! On to the recipe.

Georgia's Summer Pasta
serves 4 (or more if you up the pasta)

1/2 bunch of spinach, sliced
1 cup fresh basil, sliced
4 oz herbed or regular goat cheese
1 onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, diced
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 box farfalle or other interesting pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Warning - this recipe has several things that all happen at once, so read through and determine how you will best manage your time. Pretty much everything except the pasta can be left to cool, so time your cooking around the pasta boiling.

Preheat oven to 450. Lay the tomatoes face up on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Drizzle on olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast about 30 minutes or until cooked down.

Boil pasta. While pasta is boiling sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until caramelized. Mix raw spinach and basil together and put in a large serving bowl.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and mix with the caramelized onions and garlic, and goat cheese. The hot pasta should melt the goat cheese, and you should have a nice creamy pasta sauce. You can add a little pasta water to thin it if desired.

Dump the pasta over the spinach and basil mixture. The heat of the pasta will par-cook the spinach, leaving it a little wilty. Top with the roasted tomatoes. (We also sautéed some shrimp and served that with the dish. Yum.)

Portabello-Spinach Strata

2010-05-20T15:00:00.003-04:00

A few weekends ago Andrew and I had an all day cook-athon. This was preceded by a wonderful day shopping at the Lancaster Central Market. We stocked up on grass fed beef, lamb and pork, veggies, goat milk, cow milk (in fun glass bottles), goat cheese, strawberries and rhubarb. These ingredients were turned into strawberry-rhubarb jam (we used an awesome recipe from Marisa at Food in Jars with lemon zest and cinnamon), goat and regular yogurt, and a super delicious strata from a recipe I got at Whole Foods. In addition, Andrew made blueberry muffins for breakfast and I made some whole wheat bread.

I told you we did a lot of cooking!
Although everything we made turned out really well, the strata was amazing! The recipe originally called for using asparagus and sour dough, but we used spinach and rye bread. It was pretty easy and quick, probably only taking about half an hour.

This would be a great entree for a potluck and could easily be altered to meet your personal tastes.

Portabello & Spinach Strata (adapted from Whole Foods)
serves 8

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 lb spinach
1/2 tsp salt
8 eggs
1 cup low fat milk
2 tbsp Dijon mustard (we used whole grain)
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or a little less dried)
Black pepper to taste
5 cups bread, cubed (1")
4 oz goat cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and thyme and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, and salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, parsley, pepper, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Spread half of the bread over the bottom of a lightly oiled 9x13" baking dish. Top with half of the mushroom mixture, and a third of the goat cheese. Layer with remaining bread and mushroom mixture, and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. If you want, cover and chill overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If chilled, bring strata to room temperature. Sprinkle remaining goat cheese over the top. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Steak Sandwich with Goat Cheese, Carmelized Onions & Arugula

2010-04-12T20:24:00.005-04:00

I have a dining secret. Well, not really a secret, I guess - as I tell everyone. Here's the secret: I cannot resist a crab cake sandwich.

Now I bet you're thinking: Wait - wasn't this about a steak sandwich? Well, yes. I went out to dinner on Friday to a place I've never been before - a place with a menu filled with foodie delights, and many many pages (another secret weakness, a many-paged menu). And this delicious-looking steak sandwich with blue cheese, caramelized onions and a balsamic reduction was high on my list of must-haves. But then (you guessed it) I saw the crab cake sandwich. Damn you crab cake! It came on a brioche roll with parmesan aioli, and that clinched it.

So I did what any normal foodie would do - I made the my own steak sandwich the next day. I saw some inexpensive flat iron steak, caramelized an onion to which I added some balsamic vinegar, added in some arugula and changed the blue cheese to goat cheese. Put that all on a french baget, and sandwich magic happened. Before the magic though, I marinaded the steak, and that is the simple magic I'll be sharing today.

Sliced Flat Iron Steak

Place steak in a bowl with equal portions soy sauce and red wine vinegar. Add two cloves chopped garlic, a couple splashes worcester sauce, 1 tsp of dried mustard (or dijon if you want), salt and pepper and a healthy dose of olive oil. Mix together and let marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours (really though, the flat iron is fairly tender and so doesn't suffer from a short marinade time).

Remove steak from marinade, and let return to room temperature (if was in fridge). Season with salt and pepper on each side of the steak. Lightly oil and heat a grill pan on high till you can only hold your hand over the pan for a few seconds, and sear steak on both side. Lower heat to medium, and let steak cook on each side for 2-3 minutes (for medium/medium rare). Remove steak to the cutting board, untouched and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly against the grain. Tada!

Chase away the Blues with Coconut Pancakes

2010-04-11T12:01:00.006-04:00

This weekend Georgia's been away in the Big Easy for the big American Planning Association conference (and JazzFest as the case may be) leaving me to fend for myself with the Blues of a different color. It's the first weekend we've been apart since we started dating in 2007. Lonely is an understatement. On another note, she's left me a short "honey-do" list that mainly consists of vacuuming and maybe finishing what's left of the laundry. Yesterday I took Lily (our now 2 yr old black Lab) for a great hike on the AT in Dauphin Co. which means today, I must vacuum. Georgia won't be home until late Tuesday night, but I know I won't have any motivation to clean tomorrow or Tuesday after work.

But before I could embark on my husbandly duties, I needed a pick-me-up to get going and take my mind off missing G. Often on Sunday mornings we'll cook breakfast together and nine times out of ten, it's pancakes.

(As a side bar, I LOVE coconut! I can't get enough of it, so much so that my birthday cake this year was a chocolate-coconut confection whipped up by Georgia that was something like an Almond Joy cake. So, of course, I made coconut pancakes from the leftover coconut extract and flakes.)

We had perfected our pancake recipe about a year or so ago based on the one in G's indispensible fav, The Joy of Cooking. Originally composed for Banana Walnut Pancakes, I switched out the 'nanners and nuts for the Coconut. I used unsweetened, organic coconut flakes and coconut extract and reduced the amount of sugar that our original recipe called for too, as I do battle with my ever-persistent sweet-tooth.

The result was a resounding success! I dined al fresco with French-pressed coffee courtesy our recently purchased Bodum press as Edith Pilaf serenaded me via the iPod. I texted Georgia down in New Orleans sending her pictures of the scene so she could feel like she were there. A poor substitute for the real thing, but it'll have to do until her return with a promise to make more pancakes for her if I've finished all of the ones from today. And I still have to vacuum!

Coconut Pancakes

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
1 cup organic coconut flakes (unsweetened)
pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
2 tbs melted butter

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients over the dry, mixing gently until lumpy.

Spoon batter onto griddle on medium heat, cook until top is bubbling then flip. Cook other side until lightly browned. Remove promptly with a spatula into a warm oven until all are prepared. Serve with syrup and butter. Enjoy!

Let There Be Bread

2010-04-04T20:05:00.003-04:00

Well hello faithful (and bored) blog readers. This blog has become very infrequent lately, and for that, I apologize. Hopefully, when I graduate come May, there will be posts on a regular basis.

Exciting things are on the horizon - guess what? Spring has sprung! That means that just around the corner lies gardening!!! Woo-hooo!!!! This summer, my husband and I have a community garden plot at Temple Ambler. An entire 230 square foot space just for us! I went a little crazy ordering seeds, but we're going to squeeze as many fruit and veggie babies out of there as possible. Many things are already growing in the greenhouse and I can't wait to get started outside (pics soon, I promise!).

But, this blog entry is not about gardening, it is about bread. More specifically, my Easter bread adventure. We were having dinner today at Andrew's parent's house and I promised that I would bring the bread. I had seen a great recipe in the NY Times for a Greek Easter bread and told my mother in law, not to worry - I was on the job.

So, last night, I looked and looked and looked through the NYT Easter recipes, but nothing materialized. Sure, there were tons of other tasty recipes - but I wanted to make bread. I searched the history of the computer. Nothing. Googled "NY Times Easter Bread." Nothing. Just as I was about to give up (after a painful hour or so of searching and frustration) I remembered that the recipe was from NPR.org. Whoops. Ok, I felt pretty dumb, but at least I had the recipe for this morning.

So, I got started. The bread is a eggy, buttery, braided loaf. Tsoureki Paschalino. Traditionally, it has a hard boiled egg that has been dyed red stuck in the end. I thought that was a bit too much, so opted to bake the loaf sans-egg. I followed the recipe to the word (well, except I proofed my non-instant yeast first) and although the recipe reads - "Knead for at least 10 minutes at medium speed, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from becoming too sticky, although it will be somewhat tacky if kneaded in a mixer." - my dough was hard and tough. More like play-doh than bread dough. I was pretty sure I was screwed. With only about 3 hours to go before Easter dinner, I quietly panicked. This dough look horrible. It wasn't sticky, it wasn't bread dough like, and I though my wrists were going to break trying to knead it.

I threw it into an oiled bowl and hoped it might, by some Easter miracle, rise. Still in my sucky bread dough panic, I reached for old faithful (aka Joy of Cooking) and looked for a comparable bread recipe. Challah called my name and seemed like a delicious, if not slightly ironic addition to the meal (hey, it was just Passover - so it was a little homage to my Jewish roots I suppose). The only problem here was that it called for a second rise of 4-12 hours. YIKES! I decided that it might be ok. Made the dough (much better than the first) and set both bowls in the glorious April sun to rise.

You know what? Both rose. A lot. A super lot. And they baked up great. Now, we have lots of bread. Everyone was happy, and they were delicious! I have included NPR's recipe below. This holiday bread has orange zest, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, and is so tasty. Try it (and let me know if you have the same tough dough problem).

Happy baking!

Lily wanted some too.

Tsoureki Paschalino (Easter Bread)

Makes 2 loaves

6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 package instant yeast (I used 2 1/4 tsp regular active yeast proofed in warm milk, then added to the rest of the wet ingredients)

1 teaspoon salt

Zest of 2 large oranges

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup whole milk, warmed to room temperature

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten slightly

2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 medium egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water added

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine 6 cups flour, sugar, yeast, salt, zest, nutmeg and cinnamon.

In another large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine milk, butter, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Add flour mixture and combine well using a large spoon or the paddle attachment on the stand mixer.

If mixing by hand, scoop dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for at least 15 minutes.

If using a stand mixer, swap to the dough hook. Knead for at least 10 minutes at medium speed, adding more flour as needed to keep the dough from becoming too sticky, although it will be somewhat tacky if kneaded in a mixer. Scoop dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Form dough into a ball by folding edges into the center, turning over and forcing into a ball shape using your palms and fingers to shape.

Clean and dry the largest bowl, then spray lightly with cooking spray. Place dough, seam-side down, in bowl and spray top lightly with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk — 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and scoop onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand for 3 to 5 minutes. Divide in half, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

Shape half the dough into a rope 24 inches long, fold in half and braid. Repeat with remaining dough. If you wish, place red-dyed, uncooked egg in center of the fold before braiding. They'll end up perfectly hard-cooked but difficult to peel.

Place the loaves on a greased cookie sheet or baking pan, spritz lightly with oil, and cover with plastic. Let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Thirty to 45 minutes before dough has completely risen, heat oven to 350 degrees.

Make an egg wash using 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush loaf with the wash. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. You can tell the bread is done in the center by tapping the top of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, the loaf is finished. Cool on a rack.

Homemade Pizza OR One last splurge before a detox

2010-01-09T22:43:00.008-05:00

A special thanks goes out to Georgia and her husband Andrew for my fabulous new William-Sonoma pizza/baking stone that I bought with their very generous gift card. I love new toys, I always want to use them right away. Right now!

So as soon as I got the pizza stone I was dreaming up lots of great pizzas and breads I could make. I went on my usual search of my favorite blogs for pizza dough recipes and found smitten kitchen's "really simple pizza dough." Perfect! I promptly made the dough, only to realize that my pizza stone was in the trunk of my car, FREEZING, and may not respond well (read: crack my new baby) to suddenly being heated up. Sigh, pizza would just have to wait till the next day.

I can be impatient though, so promptly at lunch time, I grilled some chicken, caramelized half a red onion, chopped up some cherry tomatoes and crumbled some goat cheese. Pizza deliciousness!

Lately though, I've been reading about a lot of detox's fellow bloggers are doing as a result of holiday excesses. I'm not sure I was doing much excessive anything over the holidays so much as excessive eating for the last six months. Perhaps a detox has been long in the works. And while things like the Master Cleanse always appeal to me, I think I'd give up after the first day. So, though it sounds gimmicky, I'm going to the try the Gwyneth Paltrow (GOOP) detox. Though I'm likely to add in more to eat than it suggests, since I don't want my body to go into starvation mode. I'll be sure to blog about it, but the week-long diet and recipes are posted here.

**update**
So, after I posted this, I remembered that I have reservations with my parents to go to Peter Luger's - famous steak joint in Brooklyn - on Thursday. I definitely can't eat steak on a detox.. So right now I'm weighing starting the detox next week or doing it for the 4 days before steak-eating. I'm concerned eating steak right off a detox will tank my stomach.

Like my rationalizations? Detox is postponed till next week :) As a result, I'll likely be posting some cake recipe in the next week.

Happy New Year!

Really Simple Pizza Dough
(courtesy of smitten kitchen, find the original here)

Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza. Double it if you like your pizza thick and bready.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl.

Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can.

Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball. If you are finding this step difficult, leave the dough in a lightly-floured spot, put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it and come back in 2 to 5 minutes.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl, dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on a floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like.

Bake it for about 10 minutes until it’s lightly blistered.

2009 Holiday Cookies

2009-12-24T21:45:00.004-05:00

I love holiday cookies.. mostly because I LOVE to bake, but I do not want to be eating whatever I bake for myself, like I do the rest of the year (and notably have gained some notable weight this year). Last year I made lime meltaways, which went over great at a cookie exchange, and the year before, Georgia and I slaved over tons of butter and gingerbread cookies. On a whim the other day, I tried the Lenox Biscotti from Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home to Yours and they were AWESOME. (Other cookies pictured are lime meltaways, salt and pepper cocoa shortbread, and obviously rice krispie treats)

I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing these were. Usually I am not a biscotti fan - something about its dry texture turns me off - even with a cup of coffee. These, however, are a little softer, and the 1/2 cup of cornmeal in them gives the soft texture a fun crunch. Amazing - truly - I got tons of compliments on these.

And, as an extra endorsement, I'll say that I've made this recipe three times in the last week. That's how incredible they are. INCREDIBLE. I added orange zest to mine, in addition to a little squeezed orange juice.

Lenox Almond Biscotti
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From my Home to Yours

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 orange (or other citrus fruit)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cornmeal and whisk again to blend.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and orange zest together at medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light, smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. You'll have a soft, stick-to-your-fingers dough that will ball up around the paddle or beaters. Scrape down the paddle and bowl, toss in the almonds and mix just to blend.

Scrape half the dough onto one side of the baking sheet. Using your fingers and a rubber spatula or scraper, work the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. The log will be more rectangular than domed, and bumpy, rough and uneven. Form a second log with the remaining dough on the other side of the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes (I needed more like 17-18), or until the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack and cool the logs on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

If you turned off the oven, bring it back up to 350 degrees F.

Using a wide metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board and, with a long serrated knife, trim the ends and cut the logs into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet — this time standing them up like a marching band — and slide the sheet back into the oven.

Bake the biscotti for another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm. Transfer them to racks and cool to room temperature.

An Old Family Fav for a New Wife!

2009-12-07T20:26:00.007-05:00

This past October while the Phillies battled the Yankees for the World Series title, Georgia, a life long Yankees fan (I'm a devout Phillies Phan!) celebrated her 27th birthday. Setting rivalries aside, I decided to be a good new husband and bake her an old family favorite, the 1-2-3-4 Cake! The name of this traditional bundt cake is derived from the 4 basic ingredients and the quantity used of each. 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. This has been a staple in my family for years - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries - you name it, we made a bundt cake for it. My family has experimented with many flavor combinations over the years: yellow cake with chocolate frosting, chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, yellow cake with orange frosting, and my personal favorite, orange cake with vanilla frosting! The possibilities are nearly endless.

Per G's request, I went with the traditional classic of yellow cake with chocolate frosting. After being married for only a little over a month, I really wanted to impress my new bride with my baking prowess! So I got the cake recipe from my Mom, a brand new bundt pan from Williams-Sonoma, and sought out a good chocolate frosting recipe!

I ended up using Ghirardelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened Chocolate after much deliberation in the baking aisle of the Super Fresh on my lunch break at work. I used the recipe on the inside of the wrapper for Mocha Buttercream Frosting sans the mocha. And to add a special twist to the cake, I substituted 1 cup of brown sugar for the white.

The result was a grand slam! ( If only the Phils could've used it to their advantage!) The buttercream frosting was rich and delicious and the addition of the brown sugar really added depth to the flavor of the cake. Georgia was very impressed with my baking feat as were our friends who came to celebrate the following Saturday with burritos and baseball! A winning combination, unless of course you're a Phillies Phan like me! Oh well, the Yanks' win was nice gift for G. Maybe next year. . .

1-2-3-4 Cake

1 cup of butter - 2 sticks
2 cups of sugar - 1 brown, 1 white
3 cups of flour
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
Dash salt

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Mix with other ingredients.
3. Grease bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder for easy removal.
4. Pour batter into bundt and bake at 325 for an hour.
5. Remove and let cool before overturning bundt onto wire rack.
6. Let cake cool for an hour before frosting.

Ghirardelli Mocha Buttercream Frosting recipe can be found on the inside wrapper of the bar or at their website: www.ghirardelli.com

The King of Brownies

2009-12-02T23:00:00.004-05:00

I love brownies. No, wait. i LOVE brownies. We made and ate lots of brownies in college. Mostly, however, from a box. As an adult though, I keep cocoa powder in my house and hence am capable of the real thing. And what's more real than using the King Arthur Flour recipe?

The coolest thing about this recipe is the process of melting the sugar into the butter and then reheating the mixture before adding it to the dry ingredients. The process creates the shiny sugar look on the top of the brownies I so often see in food mags or in blogs. I did not use the espresso powder, and it was fabulous without it - but I'm sure with it would be awesome.

I only used half the recipe, using an 8 x 8 pan instead of an 9 x 13. Below I'll post the full 9 x 13 pan recipe.

Fudge Brownies
(King Arthur Flour recipe)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F, and grease your pan.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and then removing from the pan from heat, add the sugar. Stir to combine. When fully combined, return the pan to the heat till mixture is shiny as your stir - before bubbling or boiling.

In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat with cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso (if adding), and vanilla.

When combined, add the butter/sugar mixture.

Add the flour and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Add to pan and spread with a knife or spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before slicing - or just dive right in, that's what I do :)

Thanksgiving Virtual Potlock

2009-11-22T13:11:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone! In honor of my FAVORITE holiday - Thanksgiving - I am having a virtual potluck. If you are making a fun dish that you think the blogosphere needs to be aware of (or just feel like participating) than this is for you!!! I know this is short notice, but I kind of just thought of it. I know there are a bunch of readers of this blog that will be making interesting and delicious Thanksgiving recipes. I know that Randi is hosting Thanksgiving this year and I will be preparing at least two dishes.

So, the details - If you have a blog and want more traffic - send a picture of your dish and the link to kitchensuccess at gmail dot com. If you do NOT have a blog (or did not blog on the dish you made) and still want to participate (which you should!!!) just send a picture and a sentence or two about what you made to the same address. Send your entries by December 7th to be included!

Thanks!
Georgia

Honey Give-Away Results and Apple-Ginger Upside Down Cake!

2009-11-19T12:00:00.005-05:00

Honey Give Away

As you may know, last month I submitted an entry to the Royal Foodie Joust hosted by Jenn at The Leftover Queen. I made Pumpkin Flan with Guinness Caramel for the orange and black challenge. Unfortunately, I did not win :( There were a lot of great entries, and I will have to try harder next time! You can see the winners here.

In conjunction with the post, we had a contest to give away a jar of raw honey from the bees at my school, Temple University. The honey is delicious, and a great prize! In order to win, all you had to do was leave a comment. And now is the moment you are all waiting for - the winner! And the winner is....

Christine!!!

And, no, I was not guilted into picking her (although she did mention such things in her comment). I used a random number generator (Random.org) and she was selected at random. So, congratulations Christine, enjoy your winnings!

For the rest of you, please keep commenting, and we will be having another give away soon.

Now for the blog...

Apple-Ginger Upside Down Cake

I saw this recipe in the New York Times a few weeks ago and put it on my "to make" list. I love love love upside down cakes (how can you not?) and this one really looked like a great seasonal dessert. Andrew and I have probably been eating a few too many desserts lately - he made me an awesome cake for my birthday (which he promises he will eventually blog on), which we had to eat of course. So, I knew that I had to bide my time and wait for a good excuse to make this cake. Luckily for us, a good excuse came around and our friends Mike and Tamara held a pot-luck dinner last week. Great! I could make the cake, and then only have a piece or two or three. But, NOT the entire thing.

Wow, was this good. It also took about two seconds to make. Well, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but it was really quick. The apples were soft and caramelized and the cake was almost like gingerbread! People loved it and one guy who normally hates ginger came up and told me how great it was. "Not too sweet, just right!"

In the future - and there will be a future - I will add more spices and a little more sugar. Nevertheless, this was another winner. If you need something to make for Thanksgiving, I suggest giving this recipe a try. People are sure to love it. I could also see making it as a breakfast cake. Haha, breakfast cake. Yum.
Apple-Ginger Upside Down Cake
Adapted from Karen Bates at the Philo Apple Farm

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup dark-brown sugar

4 apples (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges.

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Very softly whipped cream.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the rim of a 10-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter and then place it in the pan. Set the pan over very low heat and melt the butter across the bottom of the pan. Add the brown sugar and distribute evenly.

2. Make circles of overlapping apple slices on top of the brown sugar. Chop any remaining slices and place them in the gaps.

3. Using a mixer, blend 1/2 cup of the butter and the sugar on medium-low speed. Increase the speed to high and cream until light and fluffy.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, molasses and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Alternate mixing the flour and molasses mixtures into the butter mixture, adding the next once the last has been incorporated.

5. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a platter. Serve warm or cool with very softly whipped cream.

Serves 12.

Last Chance & Lentil Spinach Salad

2009-11-07T17:16:00.004-05:00

Today is your last chance to enter our Local Honey Giveaway. Comment on this post with a valid email address and the winner will be picked tonight at midnight EST!

Another great blogger whose recipe suggestions I love to try is Lindsay and Taylor of Love and Olive Oil. Not too long ago they posted a delicious looking Spinach and Lentil Salad with Blue Cheese and Tart Cherry Vinaigrette and I just had to try it asap.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the puy (green) lentils they raved about, but even with just regular brown lentils this salad was tops. Some gorgonzola and bacon crumbles made it especially fantastic and dynamic. Lentils pack great protein and fiber - an ideal substitute for meat.

This recipe originated at Epicurious.

4 to 6 servings

3/4 cup green lentils
7 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
8 bacon slices (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dried unsweetened tart cherries (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 1/2 cups baby or regular spinach leaves
1/3 cup blue cheese (about 2 ounces)

In a heavy saucepan cover lentils with water by 2 inches and simmer until just tender but not falling apart, about 15 minutes. Drain lentils well in a sieve. Rinse lentils under cold running water to stop cooking and drain well. In a bowl toss lentils with 2 tablespoons vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. (Lentils may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring lentils to room temperature before proceeding.)

In a skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and with tongs transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble bacon.

In cleaned saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook shallot, stirring, until golden brown. Stir in water, cherries, sugar, and remaining 5 tablespoons vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Add half of vinaigrette to lentils and toss well. In another bowl toss spinach with half of lentil mixture, half of bacon, half of cheese, remaining vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide remaining lentil mixture among 6 plates and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle salads with remaining bacon and cheese.

Inspiration Everywhere

2009-11-04T19:51:00.007-05:00

Don't forget to comment on this post to try and win our Local Honey Giveaway! The winner will be drawn on November 7th (Saturday).

Recently I've been aggressively increasing the number of recipes on my "to try" list from blogs I read on a regular basis. Ever since making the ginger soup with chard at 101 Cookbooks I've been really inspired to make some more of Heidi's recent recipes. Her Broccoli Cheddar Soup called out to me. Though I may have made some adjustments, mostly out of laziness or a missed ingredient when grocery shopping, this recipe turned out amazingly.

With a mild broccoli taste, smooth cheddar and mustardy kick both in the soup and in the croutons, I wanted to eat my way through the entire pot. I highly recommend giving this one a try when you have friends to eat it with you. As Heidi points out, re-heated Broccoli soup is much less appetizing. The homemade croutons baked with mustard are an idea I simply love and can't wait to try again in the future.

See the recipe at 101 Cookbooks, and definitely give this one a try.

Also, I am now the proud owner of a kitchen aid mixer (finally!), so prepare to see a lot more baking from me in the near future. Thanks Mom!

Winter Lentil Soup

2009-10-25T12:14:00.006-04:00

UPDATE - The honey give away is still open, so read the Pumpkin Flan post and comment to enter!

Fall is usually my favorite time of year. The blue skies, red leaves, brisk weather make for one awesome season. However, this fall has been a mix of rain, humidity and frost. Not so much of an awesome season. Today is looking up and hopefully we will get a few days of true autumn and not transition directly to winter.

The one culinary benefit of this yucky weather is it makes me crave soup. And squash. I found this recipe in Real Simple and was immediately drawn to the combination of lentils, tomatoes and leeks. How much more comforting can you get?

Andrew had never eaten lentils before (I know, the nerve!). When we were at my parent's a few months ago, my mom had made some tasty lentil soup but someone, and I have NO idea who, ate the leftovers before he could try any. Needless to say, after a poor description of what they taste like (legume-y), I decided he would like them and we would eat this soup.

I made a few adaptations and cooked it up in one of our new Le Creuset dutch ovens (one of the extraordinary benefits of getting married - registries). I subbed butternut squash for the original sweet potatoes, spinach for kale and added a little crushed red pepper. Although we had ambitions to bake bread, we ran out of time, so I picked up a loaf of freshly bakes Garlic Tuscan bread from the big Weg. (Wegmans for the uninitiated).

YUM!!!! This was excellent and will definitely be something we make again. The flavors were great and it had just a bit of kick. Perfect for a lazy, rainy day.

This recipe is also getting shared at Magazine Mondays, hosted by Ivonne of Cream Puffs In Venice. One magazine recipe down, a million to go...

Winter Lentil Soup
adapted from Real Simple Magazine

2 leeks, white and light green parts only (about 4 cups)
1 bunch baby spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups water
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 cup brown or green lentils
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine
grated Parmesan (optional)

Slice each leek in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons. Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, for 5 minutes.

Add the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the spinach, butternut squash, wine, red pepper flakes, lentils, thyme, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Spoon into individual bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan (if using).

Pumpkin Flan for the Royal Foodie Joust (and HONEY GIVE-AWAY!)

2009-10-22T11:52:00.007-04:00

We have never participated in the Royal Foodie Joust before, so I figured it was about time! It is a monthly event put on by Jenn, the Leftover Queen, where she provides some basic ingredients and you have to be creative. This month's challenge was inspired by Halloween and the dish had to include an orange squash (pumpkin or other) and a dark beer. Fun!!! I immediately thought of a custard type dish like crème brûlée or flan. Flan won out as I don't have the right equipment for crème brûlée....boo.

This dessert was sort of a disaster in the beginning...but overall turned out pretty awesome! Mainly a disaster because I had invited over a few of my classmates for "tasty pumpkin flan with Guinness caramel" on Sunday and didn't look at the recipe until noon on Sunday...oops. I briefly panicked when I read that it needed to chill for 6 hours and thought about cancelling. But, how could i cancel on flan??? How!!! Andrew ran to the store and got the ingredients we needed and we got to work. He made the flan part (super easy, just toss everything into the kitchen aid) and I worked on the caramel. The recipe called for 2/3 cups sugar and 1/4 cup water. I figured I could just substitute the water for Guinness and call it a day. Wrong.

The "caramel" foamed and was weird and then when I finally thought it looked sort of right it hardened as soon as I poured it in the pan. Needless to say, it did not coat the bottom. I tried again with water and sugar and it looked great until all the water evaporated and it was just one big gloppy mess in the bottom of our brand new all clad sauce pan. I again panicked and threw in enough water to redissolve the sugar. I poured it all in the bottom of the pan, poured on the flan mixture and crossed my fingers. After that I texted my friends and telling them to come later in the evening and hoped that the freezer would do a good job at setting up the flan.

And you know what? It worked! The flan turned out to be super super yummy, the caramel on the bottom was perfect and it set up great! Success! I also made a Guinness syrup to pour over the top. It was pretty, but a little bitter...the flan was better without. Oh well...
ALSO!!! This week we are doing a give away to a lucky blog reader. Up for grabs is a jar of raw honey from the bees at my school. You can read more about the arboretum where they live here. To enter to win, please leave a comment and I will draw randomly! The drawing will take place on November 14th.

Pumpkin Flan
recipe from Gourmet

1 1/3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups heavy cream

In a small skillet combine 2/3 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup water and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Cook the syrup, swirling the skillet, until it is a deep caramel, pour it into a warm 2-quart glass loaf pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly, and let the caramel harden.

In a bowl beat the eggs with the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, beat in the pumpkin puree, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cream, and pour the custard into the loaf pan. Set the loaf pan in a deep baking pan, add enough hot water to the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan, and bake the flan in the middle of a preheated moderate oven (350 degrees F) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the flan cool and chill it, covered, overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge of the loaf pan, invert a platter over the pan, and invert the flan onto the platter. Serve the flan, cut into slices, with the cinnamon whipped cream.

More On Chard

2009-10-14T10:06:00.003-04:00

While I was in Senegal the average temperature was 90 F, with a heat index that made it feel like 100. It was hot. And there was nary an air conditioner anywhere. While I was baking away, Fall was descending on the mid-atlantic. Though normally Fall seems time to wear cosy clothes, drink apple cider and eat pumpkin-related items, right now it just feels downright COLD. Seriously, I'm freezing.

So when I got home I instantly began looking for some new soup recipes. Luckily 101 Cookbooks had a delicious looking soup that featured not only my love, ginger, but CHARD! I knew it was meant to be.

I made the mistake of not adding the ginger when I put in the other veggies, so I had to let it sit a little longer, which of course caused the veggies to lose a little bit of their consistency, but it was still delicious. The extra lemon juice at the end seemed bizarre, but really gave the soup a kick - I ended up adding a little extra.

For this great recipe, check out Heidi's post for this Green Soup with Ginger.

Senegal Restaurant Food

2009-10-12T16:51:00.006-04:00

I've just recently returned from a trip to visit some friends doing research in Senegal, and was fortunate to eat in some really tasty restaurants while I was there. Unfortunately, my camera had already died when we were eating more traditional meals at home, though I'll see if my hosts have some pictures they can send my way.

I have another chard themed post I'm working on (camera needs to charge!), but I thought I'd share some of my trip/food photos. Enjoy!

Pie, Pie, I Love Pie - And Tarts, Quiches, Etc.

2009-10-11T10:57:00.008-04:00

I was quite pleased to see that Randi was on top of blogging these last few weeks. As she mentioned in one of her posts I was a little bit pre-occupied. I got married September 19th - left for Paris and Greece for two weeks - and have been generally a bad blogger lately. Pre-wedding planning and stress takes up a lot of time and although I wasn't blogging, I was cooking! Now that the wedding is over (and it was great!) I can dedicate more time to posting about the delicious things we make and consume.

In Front of the Parthenon

A small aside: We ate our way through Paris, Athens and Santorini. I lived my foodie dream a lunch consisting of cheese and baguette at a cafe overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. I highly suggest all three of these locations for travel!

Grilled Kalamari in Fira, Santorini

I digress...We FINALLY got to go back to our regular routine of Saturday morning farmer's market shopping yesterday. I was inspired by Randi's previous post on Swiss Chard and Leek Tart (and did remember the awesome chard we had at our wedding) so wanted to make something similar. Unfortunately, there was no Swiss Chard to be found...but we did pick up some great sausage, cheese, and other goodies!

Knowing we would have to head back out to the store, I looked at Randi's recipe to see if it was a) something I definitely wanted to make and b) included any ingredients we had on hand. Ultimately, we decided to look for a recipe that was more quiche-y. I stumbled across a recipe from Jenn at The Left Over Queen that looked great. A quiche with swiss chard, cheddar and APPLES! Which was great, because apples are tasty, and we have more than we know what to do with right now!

Jenn raved about the recipe (even though she is not an apple lover) - and that was good enough for me. The following is a direct quote from me during quiche consumption:

"Oh My God, Jenn is a GENIUS!!!"

This quiche is absolutely 100% super duper tasty! It sounds a little strange at first, but the flavors are spot on. I might use a little more cheddar next time (or throw some on top) but it was sheer perfection. I had to stop myself from eating the entire dish! Andrew and I made this together as our first "hey, we're married!" meal and it was a lot of fun. Not too time consuming either.

(The only major difference was that I made a whole wheat crust - yum)

Andrew Cutting the Red Chard

Demonstrating Our New Bad-Ass Shun Utility Knife!

Doesn't It Look Good???

The link to this recipe is here.

Yeah, yeah, I'm lazy - oh well. Jenn's blog is awesome anyways and you should check it out!

A Dessert Worth Atoning For

2009-09-26T20:24:00.012-04:00

Yom Kippur started tonight at sundown, and though it seems stupid, my family always eats a big meal the evening before the day of fasting. I suppose the idea is to keep you full while you fast for 24 hours, but in reality it likely stretches your stomach out, creating more hunger. Regardless, we eat a big meal the night before the fast and a small, light (typically dairy-based) meal to break the fast.

I'm going to be making another Leek and Swiss Chard Tart to break fast with, but I told my mom I would make a dessert to go with dinner before the fast begins. My mom had already made a pistachio loaf, and she requested I make something chocolate to suit my dad's tastes.

empty, blind baked

Chocolate? Ugh. Maybe your jaw dropped reading that "Ugh," but unfortunately chocolate doesn't really do it for me. I like it, I'll eat it, it's good, but I just don't get excited about it. And I really don't know what things a chocolate lover might get excited about.

full, pre-made the day before

Well, I had an extra pie crust, so I thought what about Chocolate Cream Pie? Something like that has to exist, right? And then I went on a food mag search and found Gourmet's Chocolate Pudding Pie. I used a pre-made crust cause I had one to use, but this recipe comes with a recipe and there are tons of others out there that make great crust. The one from the Lemon Meringue Pie is one of my favorites.

with whipped and a sprinkle of cinamon
not the cleanest cut, but tasty

Chocolate Pudding Pie
from Gourmet August 2009

For pastry dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For filling
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
4 oz bittersweet chocolate (not more than 60% cacao), finely chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chilled heavy cream

Make dough:
Blend together flour, butter, shortening, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps.

Drizzle 2 Tbsp ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated. Squeeze a small handful of dough: If dough doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until incorporated. (Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.)

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all of dough together, with a pastry scraper if you have one, and form into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Make pie shell:
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold overhang under and crimp edge decoratively.

Prick bottom and side of shell all over with a fork, then chill shell 30 minutes. While shell chills, preheat oven to 375°F with a baking sheet on middle rack. Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights.

Bake on baking sheet until pastry is set and edge is pale golden, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil, then bake shell on baking sheet until pale golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool shell.

Make filling:
Whisk together cornstarch, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a 2-qt heavy saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, 2 minutes (mixture will thicken). Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Pour filling into cooled shell and chill, its surface covered with wax paper (if you want to prevent a skin from forming), until cold, at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, beat cream with remaining 2 Tbsp sugar until it just holds soft peaks. Spoon onto pie.

What To Do With Swiss Chard?

2009-09-25T16:05:00.008-04:00

Every time I'm in the grocery store I glance guiltily over at the green sections, eye-ing the kales, chards and various lettuces. I want to use them, but short of making a salad, I pretty much have no idea what to do with them. Without a pre-made plan I rarely pick up produce I am not sure what to do with.

BUT at Georgia's wedding last weekend, sauteed swiss chard was present along side delicious pulled pork, bbq chicken, fingerling potatoes and caesar salad. Many people were raving about the awesome swiss chard, including me, and so I thought, "I can do it! I too can make swiss chard!"

So the other day I picked up a bunch of swiss chard. Guess what? I had no idea what to do with it. I wasn't making any big dinners, so just sauteing the chard for a side dish didn't exactly suit. So of course I checked out the Food Blog Search to see what fellow food bloggers had come up with. One recipe in general stood out to me, and even better, it was from a blog I love and trust, Smitten Kitchen. Deb had found the recipe for Leek and Swiss Chard Tart she posted in a 1999 issue of Bon Appetit, and recreated it in January of 2008. Any recipe that lasted the test of time has me sold.

And though this recipe (and Deb's pictures) looked super scrumptious, I woefully noted a lack of cheese. Well that just wouldn't do. I grated an ounce of parmigiano-reggiano, which I sprinkled over top before the tart went in the oven. I will admit though that I used a premade tart shell from ye ole grocery store. It would probably be fabulous with the puff pastry from the original recipe or a simple tart dough. I lack patience however, so grocery store shell it is! It's no lightweight recipe, but give this one a try ;)

straight out of the oven

cooled for about 20 minutes, not exactly set
too delicious to wait...

made a mess cutting a slice

approx. 1 minute after the above picture
was taken

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart
Originally from Bon Appetit and found at Smitten Kitchen
Altered by Moi.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used a premade tart shell from the store)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes.

Add chard; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl.

Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust. (Sprinkle grated parm over top if so desired)

Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

Wedding Presents

2009-09-23T15:04:00.007-04:00

This past weekend was Georgia's wedding, and I'm going to go ahead and blame wedding preparation on the last on blog posting :) I know Georgia has some pictures lined up for posts when she gets back from her honeymoon.

Not only did the bride and groom get presents for their wedding, but those of us in the bridal party got a snazzy present from the couple. Georgia got us really beautiful stoneware cookie jars and accompanying organic scone mix. I LOVE mine, and I got to choose the best flavor (I think), Blueberry Ginger. I think foodies would agree that this is a scone win.

beautiful cookie jar

tasty scone mix

Though I'm usually a fan of the fully homemade variety of baked good, this Lollipop Tree brand is pretty excellent - lots of great organic flavors and simple ingredients. I only added three tablespoons of butter, 1/4 cup of water and 2 eggs to the mix. I opted not to roll out the dough and instead made drop scones. These were quick, easy and delicious. Thanks Georgia and Andrew! I'll likely be taking this to a cheese party I'm going to tonight ;)

Want some of our own? Check out the Lollipop Tree website.

Empanada Buffet

2009-08-25T20:08:00.008-04:00

It's been a loooong time since I've posted, but now that I've finished grad school and have more time on my hand, I've been excited about cooking again. The last few months have been a rotation of tacos, broiled fish and pizza. But now that Georgia has been staying with me a few nights out of every week, its inspired me to cook something that takes more than 15 minutes.

While wandering around the grocery store trying to decide what to make for dinner, I noticed the empanada discos in the freezer section. I was psyched and decided that since I've never made empanadas, I would try filling them with a variety of thing. With a couple more ingredients in tow, I headed home and made delicious dinner.

Fillings included: Caramelized onions with spinach and ricotta; sauteed eggplant with marinara sauce, cumin and nutmeg; taco style - with ground turkey, taco spices, cheddar, tomato and avocado; and dessert - sweetened goat cheese and pureed blackberries.

Some of the empanadas popped open, but I did put more filling in each then I probably should have.

I was debating whether to add the egg wash on top of the empanadas, but I think they look pretty beautiful with it, so I'm glad I did.

A really delicious and easy meal to make a come-back with :)

Daring Dumplings! Our First Daring Cooks Challenge!

2009-06-19T11:22:00.005-04:00

The creators of Daring Bakers have launched their new website - thedaringkitchen.com - and with it a new group called the Daring Cooks. As Randi already partakes in the Daring Bakers, I thought it only right to join this new group. Fun!

This month's challenge was to make traditional dumplings. Jen of Use Real Butter was the host and did a great job explaining the process and coaching the novice through. And trust me, we where novices...Her wrap up and the recipe here.

I have been making sushi by hand for years, but never ventured into dumpling making. They always intimidated me a little, so I am incredibly appreciative of this challenge! Although I had grand ambitions to make one batch of shrimp/pork dumplings and one batch of potato-leek dumplings, we ran out of steam after the first ones were done and couldn't wait to dig in.

The dough was really tough (as she warned) but did soften up a smidge after sitting for 15 minutes. Next time I will add a bit more water to the dough. Because they were so tough, it was a little hard to roll them into nice circles for the wrappers. Andrew did the pleating and did the best with what he had. Besides the fact that they weren't quite as pretty as some of the others (I think these things take practice), they sure did taste great! I can't wait to experiment with other flavor combinations. Thanks again Jen!

Andrew gets his hands dirty!

Potstickers Away!

Lily thinks she might want one too...

Oh so tasty!

Giada's Penne with Spinach Sauce

2009-06-15T13:51:00.003-04:00

When in doubt - turn to Giada! She has got me out of a food jam many times. Well, I suppose, this did not constitute as a jam...but it was a "what do we make for dinner?" moment. I made this pasta dish a few months ago and remembered how delicious and easy it was. And as you must know by now, delicious + easy = Georgia's favorite type of recipe!

Also, this is on the healthy side of pasta recipes, especially if you use wheat pasta (which you should!). Full on fiber and cancer-fighters, this pasta dish is a winner. I love pasta - my quarter of Italian ancestry is a strong one. Unfortunately, if you are not careful, pasta meals can be high in calories and fat. Boo! I love finding ways to satisfy my carb cravings in a more heart and waist healthy way.

You could do this dish hot or cold - we opted for hot this time. Giada uses a plain goat cheese, but we found a garlic-chive goat cheese at the farmer's market that made our dinner extra garlicky!!! Good thing we both had garlic breath, wink wink...

Also, because this is a pasta recipe, I submitted it to Presto Pasta Nights hosted this week by Daphne of More than Words.

Penne with Spinach Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
serves 6

1 pound whole wheat or multi grain penne
3 garlic cloves
2 ounces goat cheese
1 ounce reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the penne and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

Mince the garlic in a food processor. Add the goat cheese, cream cheese, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and half of the spinach leaves. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set the cheese and spinach mixture aside.

Meanwhile, place the remaining spinach leaves in a large bowl.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Spoon the pasta atop the spinach leaves in the bowl. Scrape the cheese and spinach mixture over the pasta mixture and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and serve.

Brioche s'il vous plaît

2009-05-31T12:04:00.002-04:00

One of Andrew's constant complaints about Central Pennsylvania is there aren't any good french bakeries (if you know of any, let us know!). He loves brioche and is sad that there are no local sources...well until now! Because I am the world's best girlfriend I told him that I would try to bake some. I have been baking regular yeast bread for years, so figured that it would not be too much of stretch. I got a recipe out of the Joy of Cooking and had at it. I am not including the recipe here, because I assume that most of you have or have access to a copy of this book. If not, GET ONE!!! It is a must have and has saved my butt on several occasions.

In the recipe, they say that the dough is a little sticky and not to worry. Ok, a little sticky is a bit of an understatement. And, yes, I was worried. It had no shape whatsoever when it first was mixed together and even after adding some more flour would have been impossible to knead. My second little setback was that I didn't realize that the dough required a few hours refrigeration. The plan was to make these for breakfast, but oh well. After three hours in the fridge the dough doubled nicely and they were a nice afternoon treat.

Looking back, they were pretty easy to make and relatively fool proof. If you are having a brunch or just feel like a special breakfast, make these. Not exactly health food, but a nice treat.

Get some good butter, good jam and runny cheese and be transported to a cafe on the Seine.

photography by Andrew of Falling Leaves Photography

My Coping Method - Cooking

2009-05-18T10:47:00.004-04:00

The last few weeks have been a bit hectic. My semester is done - finally - but involved three final exams and a final project on top of each other. In addition, my grandmother passed away and the funeral was up in Connecticut. It was a stressful week, one that I wasn't necessarily prepared for. My grandmother was a wacky lady, full of life at 81 and her death was very unexpected. I have a lot of great memories of her and her funeral was a true celebration of her life!

Although I did not really have the energy to blog or take photos, I was cooking up a storm. I found that when Andrew and I were in the kitchen, it distracted me. The kitchen is my happy place. We made brioche (post to come tomorrow), strawberry muffins (above and not worth mentioning further), a great one pot meal - Chicken with Tarragon and Leeks - from Real Simple. We had friends over for a semester's end bbq and grilled steak, peppers and rosemary potatoes. Martha Stewart Surprise Cookies were the dessert (yum!). These cookies were basically a devils food cookie with a marshmallow topper and covered in a fudge icing.

We grilled, we baked, we coped.

My mom is forever reminding me that I do not cook for them enough. Granted, this is tough as I live four hours away now, but in honor of Mother's Day and going to CT, I made a new version of the Orange Olive Oil Cake that I posted about in April. OMG - it was delicious!!!! I substituted lemon peel for the orange and poured the batter over about 2 cups of blueberries. Wow. I had to cook it a little longer (the berries were frozen), but it wound up being more of a pudding than a cake. It was moist and flavorful. I got compliments from everyone and will definitely make it again.

Anyway, the only picture unfortunately was of the blah strawberry muffins. These could have been called un-strawberry muffins. You win some, you lose some.

Blogging will be back on track this week!

Rest in peace Grandma, we all love and miss you.

Whole Foods Challenge

2009-05-04T23:39:00.007-04:00

Every Tuesday Whole Foods does this thing where each department has samples out. Last week though they were trying something new. Since its asparagus season the store was featuring asparagus and therefore each department's sample was asparagus based. Also more awesomely, they were asking everyone to vote for their favorite. It was an awesome Whole Foods Department Challenge.

The produce department had two samples, a grilled baggett with roasted asparagus and fresh mozzarella and an asparagus leek soup. Even though the bakery department had super delicious asparagus and feta croissants, I felt that on asparagus deliciousness alone, the asparagus leek soup was my favorite. It might have had something to do with how cold and rainy it was outside, you never know. Either way, I picked up the recipe and resolved to make it this week for dinner. I might have cooked it down some more to make it a little thicker after pureeing it, but otherwise it was tasty, filling and good for you.

Asparagus Leek Soup

1 large leek, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1.5 inch pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1/4 cup cream
parmigiano-reggiano grated over top of each bowl

Using only white and pale green parts, cut leek in half and rinse. Then chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Saute with better, shallots, salt and pepper.

When leeks are softened, after 3 minutes, add cut asparagus, broth, and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for about 10 minutes or until asparagus is tender.

Using either the traditional blender or an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Pour through a sieve if desired (I didn't do this, I like pulp), then return to pot and add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer till hot. Serve immediately and grate parmigiano-reggiano over top.

A Late Dinner - Curried Eggplant With Tomatoes and Basil

2009-05-03T12:51:00.006-04:00

My semester is almost done!!! Only three take home finals left and then freedom - for a few weeks anyway...One of the best things about the end of classes is that I can focus more on cooking. My classes are at night, so on the three days that I had to drag myself to school, it was hard to put together anything but a quick meal. Yesterday we loaded up at the farmers market with fresh veggies with some good dinners in mind.

Last night's dinner ended up being super late, because we decided it was a good time to advance our photo setup and build a white-box (probably the wrong term) for light reflection. Needless to say, with building the setup, shooting the muffins we made (post on these later), and shooting the curry, dinner did not commence until about 8:45pm. Oh well.

This recipe is from Real Simple, which is my go to magazine for good recipes. As we had been stuffing ourselves with meat for the last week, I opted for this vegetarian dish. It looked light and simple, a perfect summer meal. The flavors were good, but lacked a little pop. We ended up sprinkling more salt and curry over our plates and that helped. Also, definitely serve with plain yogurt, it does wonders. All in all, the combination of eggplant, tomatoes, basil and curry is a winner. Thumbs up again RS!

I submitted this post to Magazine Mondays over at Cream Puffs in Venice for her blogging event.

Curried Eggplant With Tomatoes and Basil
four big servings

1 cup brown rice
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt (preferably Greek), optional

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine rice, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 18 minutes. (Do not lift the lid or stir!) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork before serving.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve over the rice with yogurt, if using.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

2009-04-30T08:19:00.006-04:00

Good News!

The quality of the food photography on this blog is likely to improve. As some of you may know, Andrew went to photography school and has quite the eye! I finally decided that he should be recruited for the blog. He loves to eat, cook and take photos, so why not combine the three? We have been studying different techniques and hopefully will have great results!

On a different note, I made this cake last weekend for his parents who are recovering from a bug (not the Swine flu, don't worry!). I was inspired by the blueberry crumb cake I made a few weeks ago, in which I substituted olive oil for some of the butter.

After doing a quick search, I found this recipe for Orange Olive Oil cake. It is from more than burnt toast, but is an Anna Olson recipe. Be sure to check out her post, she has some great info on Ms. Olson and the cake. Apparently someone at work is paying her to make this because they loved it so much!

Wow, was this cake yummy! The orange flavor was on the subtle side, but worked perfectly. Because of the olive oil, the cake was very moist. You may notice that on the picture below it looks almost uncooked in the middle, but that is just from the olive oil sinking a little. I think I may have stirred it too long. Anyway, I will be sure to make more baked goods with EVOO in the future.

Olive oil is healthy right? How can you go wrong?

I am also bringing this cake to a virtual bakesale. Lauren, from I'll Eat You is holding a virtual bakesale in honor of her one year blogiversary. Way to go Lauren! She is raising money through firstgiving to donate to the World Food Program. What a great cause? Check out the site and give a little if you can :)

Orange Olive Oil Cake

2 eggs
1 -1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup 2 %milk
zest of 2 oranges or tangerines
1 cup + 2 T all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash salt
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 °F and butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add olive oil, milk and orange zest and mix well. In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to olive oil batter and stir just until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let cake cool completely, then turn out onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar.

Everything Tastes Better Grilled

2009-04-20T10:26:00.004-04:00

A few years ago, Bobby Flay grilled pizza on an episode of Boy Meets Grill. It looked absolutely delicious and I knew that it was something that I had to make. After all, what doesn't taste better grilled? My first attempt at this pizza challenge came shortly after, when I was living at home with my parents. It was pretty good, but I recall having some troubles with the dough...either way, when Andrew and I were headed out to the local farmer's market on Saturday morning, I suggested that we get some ingredients to grill pizza. As usual he was game and we stocked up on some goodies. We both got chorizo sausage (there is a place at the market that makes seriously the best chorizo I have ever eaten) and I got a portabello, ricotta and basil. Andrew got some yellow peppers, sheep's milk feta and a red onion.

A word of advice, have all the ingredients prepped before you start. I forgot how quickly the dough cooked and snapped a little teensy bit in my frenzy.

Andrew!?! Stop snacking and help me with the pizza!!!!

I later realized I could just turn off the grill and get stuff ready....turn off grill??? Novel idea!

Because I was lazy, we got some pre-made pizza dough at Wegman's which worked fine. If you oil the dough before you put it on the grill, it doesn't stick at all.

This is a really fun meal to make and pretty impressive if I do say so.

I didn't write the entire recipe from the episode, just listed the ingredients we had on hand. You can find Bobby's method here.

Grilled Pizza
Pre-made pizza dough
Pizza sauce
Feta cheese
Ricotta cheese
Yellow peppers, sliced
Portabello mushroom, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Chorizo sausage, grilled and sliced

Keep an eye on your dough to make sure it doesn't get too singed...I had a small accident, but it still tasted great!

Confessions of a Foodie

2009-04-12T11:40:00.008-04:00

This morning, as I was lying in bed, I thought of exactly what I wanted to write about today. Unfortunately, as I did not write it down...I don't exactly remember. Oh well, here goes nothing...

If I could I would wear a t-shirt and jeans every day (which I do pretty well at), I hate shoes and own significantly less pairs than my fiance, I don't have that great a sense of interior design. Although I order a snooty drink at Starbucks (Grande, non-fat, 130 degree Latte) I am one of the least snooty people I know. I hate shopping for clothing or shoes, but could spend hours walking around Williams-Sonoma or Crate & Barrel. When I get their catalogs in the mail, I bring them to the bedroom and read them like a good book. This is what my love of food has done to me. My kitchen is loaded (and will be more so after our wedding) with goodies - a phat KitchenAid mixer, Brevelle Juicer, Le Crueset tea pot and much more. You know what - I use them all. My kitchen is my domain.

But I digress, the reason for this rambling intro is that last night we had some friends over. I decided to make a recipe out of the Williams-Sonoma catalog. Chipotle Chicken Paninis. The recipe called for their new Spicy Chipotle Rub which we promptly went and purchased. Wow, am I glad we did, the stuff is amazing!!! Seriously, get some.

We decided to grill the sandwiches outside and used ciabatta, not sandwich bread, but other than that, followed the recipe pretty closely. These things were AMAZING. I went to bed thinking about them and woke up thinking about how I wish we had more...I also submitted this recipe to Magazine Mondays over at Cream Puffs in Venice, because although not technically a food magazine, I think it counts because it ended up in the "will make someday" category. The image above is what their version looks like and what made me drool enough to want to make them. Below is our creation:

Lily wanted one too...

To go along with the sandwiches, we had a simple caprese salad and I made a Blueberry Crumb Cake from a Dorie Greenspan recipe. The cake was equally awesome. Put it this way - four people housed an entire cake in one sitting...maybe I shouldn't admit that - eh, whatever. The only change I made for the cake was substitute 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 of butter. This resulted in a moist, slightly healthier cake. I think in the future I'd up the blueberry amount also.

Either way, an evening of excellent food and good company - we even got to play dominoes!

Chipotle Chicken Sandwich
inspired by Williams-Sonoma recipe

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, each about 8 oz., tenders
removed and breasts butterflied

8 tsp. spicy chipotle rub

1 loaf ciabatta, cut into quarters and sliced

Olive oil for brushing

8 tsp. mayonnaise

8 oz. Pepper jack cheese, cut into slices

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick

Rub each chicken breast on both sides with 2 tsp. chipotle rub. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side, until done. Transfer to a plate. Construct sandwich with mayo, cheese, avocado and chicken breast. Put sandwiches back on grill for a few minutes, until slightly toasted. Serves 4.

Comfort Food from Childhood - Potato Puffs

2009-04-10T18:29:00.005-04:00

Growing up, whenever we had any leftover mashed potatoes my mom would make potato puffs the next day. I'm not sure if there was ever an official recipe or it was just something she threw together....either way I was always very excited when she made them. Who doesn't love fried potato products??? Not this girl. Trust me, once you make these once, they will become a staple. They are very easy, not too time consuming and make excellent leftovers. I just had two cold for a little snack :)

These little bundles of potatoey goodness are my mom's version of a potato pancake. As it is the Passover season, I thought it would be a fitting solute to my quasi-Jewish heritage to cook them. Andrew and I made roasted-red pepper mashed potatoes (yum!) the other night and I purposefully made extra with these in mind. I didn't get my mom's recipe prior to cooking them, I just went by feel. As a consequence, they aren't as fluffy as hers were. Still delicious though! Below is the actual recipe, but these can't really be messed up....

Potato Puffs
per one cup of mashed potatoes

1 cup mashed potatoes
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup of milk
a dash of salt and pepper
oil to fry (I suggest EVOO)

Whisk all the ingredients together until light and fluffy. In the meantime, heat about 1/2 inch of oil on medium high. When the oil is ready, drop in dollops of the mixture. When the edges start looking cooked through flip them. The end result should be nice and golden brown.

The frying process should be done by feel, much like a pancake.

Greek Shrimp with Lemon and Feta

2009-04-03T20:31:00.003-04:00

After the temperature remains consistently over 40 degrees, the word barbecue clicks on in my head. Any day that is slightly warmer and sunnier (over 50 usually) and that is all I can think about. I know that to some of you barbecue has one definition - ribs, pulled pork, etc. To me it means lighting up the grill.

Luckily for me, I met a man who also loves to grill, so when I call him at work and say, "you know, its hot and sunny, do you want to BBQ tonight?" I know the answer. So far this year we have unearthed our grill umpteen times from its super stylish green tarp covering. Last weekend we were planning our weekly dinners and decided to do some kabobs on Tuesday (the weather forecast looked favorable). Andrew has a book that he bought from Weis of all places (a local grocery store) entitled, "Kabobs - 52 Easy Recipes for Year Round Grilling." We have made several of these already and all have been super tasty. The page we settled on was - Greek Shrimp with Lemon and Feta. Sign me up!

Tuesday turned out to be gorgeous, so I played hooky from school to give this meal and the man the attention they deserve. Plus, who wants to be learning about planning law when it is 65 and sunny, come on!

They turned out great. We used scallops along with the shrimp and served them over Kashi Seven Grain Pilaf mixed with some spinach and leftover marinade.

Greek Shrimp and Scallops with Lemon and Feta
serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 pound large shrimp
1/2 pound sea scallops
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup feta, crumbled
1 lemon, cut into wedges

For marinade: Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Mix well. Add the shrimp and scallops and stir together so that all the seafood is covered with marinade. (You could also use a big Ziploc bag) Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours.

Thread the scallops and shrimp on skewers (we have metal) and grill until firm - about 2 minutes per side. The shrimp will be pink and the scallops firmer. Be careful with the scallops, they are fragile, but if you are gentle with them, it will all work out fine.

Serve over the pilaf with the lemon wedges. Sprinkle feta over top.

Enjoy! Happy Grilling Season!!!

For the Next Time You Need to Bring an Hors d'Oeuvres...

2008-12-25T22:36:00.003-05:00

Randi asked me the other day "What should I bring as an appetizer?" I feel like this always comes up. You are asked to bring an hors d'oeuvres to a party and all you can think of are simple and boring things - chips and dip, guacamole, cheese dip...etc (props to you if you have an arsenal of good recipes). I slightly panicked when Andrew's mom told us that we needed to bring one to Christmas dinner, but I remembered a recipe I saw Giada make that looked amazing (another problem I have is that I see things that look good, but forget to make them). Thank goodness I saw the episode recently! See, bumming around and watching TV comes in handy for entertaining :)

I doubled this recipe for 8 people and had leftovers (including the three that fell on the floor and got to be a special Christmas snack for the pooch). It was really easy - just simple assembly and oh so good. I will be making this for years to come! Also, I can imagine that it would be easy to modify with different protein/cheese.

Oh Giada, I love you! You are a life saver yet again!!

Apricot and Chicken Bruschetta
makes 10 pieces

1/2 loaf ciabatta bread
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup apricot preserves
5 ounces fontina cheese, thinly sliced
6 ounces roasted chicken breast, cooled and thinly sliced
3 ounces (about 5 slices) prosciutto, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the bread into 10 slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Brush the bread slices with the olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until crisp and golden. Cool to room temperature.

Spread each slice of the toasted bread with the apricot preserves then place a slice of the cheese on top. Arrange the sliced chicken on top of the cheese. Cut each piece of prosciutto in half and place on top of the chicken. Transfer the bruschetta to a serving platter. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

How Sweet It Is - Salmon and Sweet Potato Frittata

2008-12-25T22:09:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been on a big salmon kick. Apparently, you are supposed to eat two servings of Omega-3 rich fish per week (hard to do admittedly but a worthy goal) and I got tired of the usual salmon recipes, so I've been experimenting. Last week I made a Roasted Salmon with Fennel and Onions (which was totally awesome and I will post on when I make it again for Andrew), but this week I made a Salmon and Sweet Potato Frittata - mostly because I love sweet potatoes and had a few in the fridge.

Sweet potatoes are a funny vegetable, you either love or hate them. I love them. LOVE THEM. We grew up eating baked sweet potatoes on a regular basis and I make them whenever I get the chance. People douse them with sugar and butter to make them more desert like, which I don't totally understand, because they are so yummy (and very good for you, lots of beta carotene and fiber).

This one-pot meal was another hit from Real Simple (I'm on a kick, what can I say). It made great leftovers. I cut the cheese a little to make it a little healthier.

Salmon and Sweet-Potato Frittata
serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (3 cups)
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 pound skinless salmon fillet, diced
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups Swiss cheese, diced (8 ounces)
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 375° F. In a deep 8- to 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sweet potatoes and onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add salmon and cook 5 minutes for the salmon or until cooked through. Remove the skillet from heat.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, tarragon, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and add to the skillet. Stir. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 20 minutes or until set. Transfer the frittata to a plate; cut into wedges.

Long Overdue!

2008-12-25T12:07:00.003-05:00

I am not going to give excuses. Randi and I have been painfully negligent of this blog for the past million months - mostly me I suppose as it is registered in my name...But on this Christmas morning, I decided to use the new year (a little early) to get back in the game! This is the first of three recipes I will post this morning. So here goes:

My future mother in law gave me a subscription to Real Simple magazine for my birthday (thanks Dorry!) and they always have spectacular and simple (hence real SIMPLE I suppose) recipes. The thing I love about their recipes is that although the ingredient combinations are sometimes a little odd, the flavors are spot on! This recipe calls for Savoy cabbage, which I'd never used before. If you are like me, I have a love-hate relationship with cabbage. However, this cabbage will change your mind. When I bought it, the card next to it read "Great to cook with!" This cabbage is not bitter like green or purple cabbage and has a really pleasant flavor. It cooks down really nicely, but is great raw in salads too.

I also experimented making my own pasta for this dish. I had never done it before, and sans pasta machine it was still pretty easy (I will definitely get a pasta maker though, as it is a little hard to roll out the dough). Unfortunately, I can't find the exact recipe I used, but don't be afraid, you should give it a try!

Anyway, this was quick, easy and delicious - a total winner. I am also submitting it to Presto Pasta Nights of course - to start off 2009 right, the creator of PPN, Ruth, will be doing the roundup this week. I will be making it again for sure:

Pappardelle with Cabbage, Prosciutto and Sage
serves 4
8 ounces pappardelle or some other wide pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 head Savoy cabbage -- quartered, cored, and sliced (8 cups)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the cabbage and broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto, butter, and sage and cook until the butter has melted. Serve over the pasta.

Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa - The Side Dish

2008-08-01T11:55:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago I was watching one of Food Networks newish shows - Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffman and watched her make an absolutely scrumptious Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa. I think on the show she served it with grilled shrimp and mango, but the salsa really caught my eye.

Because it was pay-day and we hadn't spent much time in the kitchen recently, Andrew and I decided to go all out on dinner last night. We opened a chilled bottle of a super yummy Pinot Gris (Luna) and got to work. To go with the salsa (hehe), we marinated and grilled some sirloin and grilled sliced zucchini basted with white wine/lemon/olive oil.

The salsa was very very good and a lot of fun to make. You get to roast corn, woohoo!! Also, we got to use one of our first engagement presents, an avocado slicer (this thing is genius, you should definitely get one!). I only made half a recipe, but should have just done the whole thing...sorry for the less than stellar pics, it tastes better than it looks. I also added black beans to make it more of a substantial side, but tastes pretty good with tortilla chips too (which I am eating right this second). Also, as this is a PERFECT PARTY DISH, I am submitting it to Dhanggits Kitchen for her Perfect Party Dishes Blog Event.

Roasted Corn & Avocado Salsa
adapted from Simply Delicioso

Ingredients
4 ears corn, husks and corn silk discarded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1 lime, juiced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 can black beans

Directions
1) Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high (you may also preheat the oven broiler.)
2) Rub the corn with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the corn directly on the grill grates (or put in a baking pan if using oven method) and cook until the kernels are slightly charred on all sides, turning every couple of minutes. Remove from the heat.
3) Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the kernels off of the cobs and put in a mixing bowl. Add the avocado, lime juice, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno, cilantro, vinegar, black beans and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper.

We're Baahhack!

2008-07-19T14:55:00.005-04:00

A lot has been going on recently, most excitedly, my boyfriend proposed to me on vacation a few weeks ago!!! So, with wedding planning on the brain and all sorts of other good things, I keep forgetting to write on the good ole blog :(

Anyway, Andrew and I made this quick and easy dinner the other night for the two of us. It has been so hot out we wanted something that wasn't too heavy. We found a recipe in an old Cooking Light cookbook - 5 Ingredient/15 Minute Cookbook and added a few things of our own to make this side into a main course. Wild Diver Scallops have been on super sale at Wegman's for the past few weeks, but of course when we went to buy them, the sale was over! We still used them, because we had our hearts set on them.

In addition, as this is a pasta meal (couscous is pasta!) I have submitted it to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by Katie of Thyme For Cooking (a really great blog - check it out!).

Couscous Salad with Scallops
yields 4 servings

Ingredients
16 oz package frozen stir fry veggies (some broccoli mix)
1 1/4 cup water
5.6 oz package garlic Couscous
Caesar dressing
1 package fresh spinach
2 oz feta cheese, diced
1 pound diver scallops
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
lime wedges

Directions
1) Combine the veggies, water and couscous flavor packet in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add couscous, stirring well. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
2) Season scallops and sear in olive oil on medium-high heat on both sides until slightly golden brown.
3) Put spinach in bowl, top with couscous and Caesar dressing (to taste), feta and finally scallops. Squeeze lime on scallops. Enjoy!

PPN#66 - Sausage and Peppers Pasta

2008-06-04T18:18:00.005-04:00

For dinner last night, I experimented with a pasta dish based on the traditional "Sausage and Peppers". When looking through my sorta bare cabinets, I stumbled upon the basic ingredients for the traditional meal, but not in large enough quantity to feed two people comfortably. I had one large onion, two Johnsonville Brats leftover from my sister's graduation party and one roasted red pepper (from a giant can my mom bought at a Greek grocery store in CT). Although in typical street food form, you will find a sausage on a bun with peppers and onions on top, my mom always made the filling (with sliced sausage) and topped some orzo with it. Yum, yum, yum. This seemed like something I could work with.

What a great way to use up some leftovers in a creative way. Also, I am submitting this recipe to Ruth's Presto Pasta Night! Be sure to check it out, there are always great recipes.

Very simple, but according to Andrew, good enough to secure my "Genius Cook Girlfriend" title for another night.

Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Approximately 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 roasted red pepper (mine was store bought, but you could roast your own)
2 sausages
2/3 box pasta (I used Rotini)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
s&p

Directions:

1) Saute the garlic and onions (in a large deep saute pan) in olive oil at medium heat until tender. Season with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. At the same time cook your pasta.
2) Add sausage and red peppers. Cook until sausage is done. Add pasta, butter and parsley. Cook another 3-5 minutes, or until the butter is melted and the pasta warmed through.
3) Enjoy!

I'm not a daring baker, but...

2008-06-03T11:32:00.008-04:00

OK, so I do not claim to be a wonderful baker like my good friend/co-author Randi, however, occasionally I get inspired and go at it. This time it was a recipe that the wonderful Food Blogga provided that made me drool (literally drool). Let me tell you, this woman is a genius! She turned a normal pineapple upside down cake (which I also love) into something truly inspired - Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside Down Cake. When Andrew and I went to the local farmer's market on Saturday we were extraordinarily lucky to find some gorgeous South Carolina peaches (not totally local - but still delicious!). The cherries were not to our liking there, but Wegmans solved that pickle. Side note - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Wegmans! There is one right near our new place and I practically live there.

Anyway...moving on, this cake was superb. Seriously the best cake I have ever eaten in my life. I decreased the butter a little bit, because I was trying to heart healthy it a smidge. Although Andrew loved the buttery/sugary fruit, I might even decrease it a little more in the future. That said, if you do not try this recipe, there is something wrong with you. It is a perfect thing to bring to a summer picnic, everyone will fawn over this one. Thanks Food Blogga!!!

Also, let me introduce you to the newest member of this blogger's family, Lily:

Fresh Cherry and Peach Upside Down Cake
8-10 servings

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
3-4 small, ripe peaches, pitted and halved
1 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Place butter in a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add the peach halves, cut side down, then add the cherry halves, filling in all of the nooks and crannies.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted flour, baking powder and salt, and stir.

Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla extract, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Daring Bakers: It's Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings

2008-05-28T12:18:00.008-04:00

In case I don't say it enough, I'll say again now: I LOVE being part of Daring Bakers :) Despite the many steps to this recipe and the 3.5 hours it took to make, along with the tons of scraps this cake made (yum), baking complicated recipes totally motivates me. I get focused and excited and even though I get less excited about eating it, something about making it is totally cathartic. Anywho, now that I'm done gushing... The fat lady has sung, and this Opera Cake challenge is over.

Even though I didn't keep my Opera cake completely yellow, I'd like to give a shout-out to Barbara of Winos and Foodies, who hosts LiveSTRONG With A Taste Of Yellow to give support to all those people and families touched by cancer. Friends and family who read this blog know that my Dad was diagnosed with first stage Colon, Ureter, and Lung cancers in 2005. My whole family suffered as Dad went through countless surgeries, procedures, chemo appointments, and although my Dad is now cancer free, we're all just beginning to heal emotionally. My Dad is an incredibly brave man who almost never complained and pushed his way through an unbelievably hard period of his life. My Mom suffered the hardship of caring for someone dealing with cancer, and so this cake is also dedicated to my parents.

Of course a big thank you to Lis, Ivonne, Fran and Shea for hosting this month. Make sure to check out their beautiful cakes, as well as a the ever-growing Daring Bakers Blogroll for countless variations and full recipes.

I didn't have too many struggles with this challenge.. aside from forgetting to put buttercream in-between the top two jaconde layers and having to carefully remove the top layer and add extra buttercream in. I flavored the jaconde with a tiny bit of vanilla, used a lemon/honey syrup, added a raspberry puree to the buttercream (which almost caused it to break), and ground some of the Lust ginger, rose and lime sugar (Thanks Mom!) over the white chocolate glaze. I left off the mousse because I'm not wild about white chocolate and instead just used an extra buttercream layer, but I was actually kind of disappointed that my white chocolate glaze layer came out as thin as it did. I should have let the glaze cool further to make sure it stayed thick.

This is a great show-piece cake for a special event. Despite the ingredients, this cake was decadently light, and I had no problem eating a piece at 10am. With a little effort (a little more than I put in :P) it can look really clean and beautiful. Feel up for a challenge? This one will do the trick.

Whipping Up A Party

2008-05-26T12:29:00.011-04:00

My mom will never admit it, but I believe she secretly loves entertaining large groups of people in our home (I can see the face she's making as she reads this :) Hi Mom!). And from as far back as I can remember most of those entertaining occasions have included a dessert that I've begun to think of as my mom's signature dessert: Chocolate Mousse Cake.

While chocolate mousse cake is not a complicated dessert, easy to make with simple ingredients, its no joke. This beast features 12oz of chocolate, 2 pints of cream and 8 eggs, along with the light, yet decadent, lady fingers. You can't be making this dessert all willy-nilly. This dessert needs a purpose. And as I like to think about dessert: build it and they will come.

Ok, so, I didn't make the cake and then people magically appeared or anything, but I had the idea for the cake and a party presented itself. Sarah, one of Georgia's younger sisters, graduated this weekend from Lafayette and the graduation party was held at our humble Lansdale apartment. The party was great fun, minus the ballons getting stuck in a tree, and I know I'm not alone in having eaten too much.

If you've got a party event coming up and you want to wow people with a simple, decadent dessert, this is the one to try. Thanks Mom!

Chocolate Mousse Cake
48 (6 packages lady fingers)
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (reserve 1 oz for topping)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tbs cold water
8 large eggs separated
2 pints heavy whipping cream

**This recipe should be made at least 5 hours to one day in advance of serving**

Start by melting the chocolate with 1/4 cup of sugar and 4 Tbs water over a double boiler (or make-shift double boiler in my case), stirring to distribute heat. When chocolate is shiny and melted, and the sugar/water has incorporated, remove bowl from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

While the chocolate is cooling, line a 10 inch spring form pan with high sides (I used a 9x11 casserole dish, and you can probably use any dish that accommodates 2 quarts) with lady fingers - both around the sides and on the bottom.

*Make sure to use a big bowl - the mixture will increase 3 fold in volume* After chocolate has cooled thoroughly, quickly stir in egg yolks, one at a time until fully incorporated. Then, using a mixer in another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then carefully fold whites into chocolate mixture. In another bowl, beat the cream until whipped, and then fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

To assemble, pour a third of the chocolate mousse over the lady fingers and spread evenly. Cover the mousse with lady fingers, add another third of the mousse and cover again with lady fingers. Add the final layer of mousse and sprinkle reserved chocolate chips on top. Refrigerate 5 hours to 1 day before serving.

Using my 9x11 pan, I estimate there were about 18 small-to-medium size servings. I'm going to include nutritional information here, but for all of you that would rather not know, now is the time to quick look away. Ok, ready?

Calories (1/18th of a 9x11 pan) 669; Fat 28.7g; Cholesterol 570mg; Sodium 219mg; Total Carbs: 88g; Fiber 2.2g; Protein 17g.

one last photo so you can see delicious layers

Potato-Corn Chowder w/Love

2008-05-23T10:00:00.004-04:00

This weather has just been downright odd. Temperatures ranging from 40 to 80 with storm clouds rolling over the bright blue sky. This has got to be some sort of apocalypse...And with all the cold blustery weather that we've been seeing in Pennsylvania, hearty comfort food is a must. However, unfortunately, hearty food can be cholesterol-laden and calorific, so I opted to try a more heart and waist healthy alternative.

Bring in the CHOWDER! I know, I know....some head scratching is happening I'm sure. Many of you probably imagine a rich, creamy bowl in front of you (stop drooling). Typical chowder is anything if not sinfully delicious. However, my mom taught me a neat trick and that is to make a rue-based chowder with milk/olive oil/flour to fool you into thinking that you are eating something with heavy cream. Trust me, the taste does not fail on this one. We had it for dinner on Monday night and then again for dinner last night (leftovers = awesome). Yum, yum, yum. Bowl licking tasty.

Potato-Corn Chowder w/Bacon
serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, diced into half inch cubes
1 15 oz package frozen corn
2-3 strips bacon, cooked and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz package mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
**up to 1/3 cup flour, stop when reach desired consistency
2 cups milk
2 cups water
2 tbsp butter or butter substitute
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Saute garlic, onion, mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil until cooked almost all the way through.
2) Melt butter with remaining olive oil in large stock pot over low heat. Add flour slowly while whisking until the flour makes little pea-sized globs. Slowly add milk while mixing to create a creamy base. Turn heat to medium-low and cook for about five minutes.
3) Add corn, thyme and sauteed mixture...stir. Cook for another five minutes, covered. Add water, stir. Add potatoes and bacon. Cook covered until potatoes are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Kitty, Come Home (Or: Copy Cat)

2008-05-13T14:00:00.008-04:00

So, I wanted to call this post "Copy Cat," but the cat talk got me missing The Kitty. The Kitty is the figure you see in the picture above. Not a good picture, mind you, but really can you properly photography a mythical figure?? Ok, so he's not a mythical figure, he's actually just Georgia's cat. What's mythical about him are two things: 1. he's gone through a series of names: first, Silkk the Shocker (don't ask), then Elliot Stabler (long live SVU), and then simply Kitty or The Kitty (aka kitty-bear, kitty-cakes, kitty-bearshen, popcorn kitty, inspector kitty and many, many others) and 2. he's been moved out.

Spooned haphazardly

Now, I had no intention of turning this post into a WCB, but Georgia has been spending more time in her future apartment with Sir Boyfriend and the kitty has been moved to their future residence. Now, I'm not a cat person, but I'm a The Kitty person. Anywho, on to the real purpose of this post, Apple Self-Saucing Pudding.

A million years ago (read February) I read Lis' recipe for the magic that is Self Saucing Pudding. I'd never heard of such a thing, but the pictures won me right over and I did a patented jump-off-the-couch-and-bake after dinner. I've made this twice now and I luuurrrve it. So, major props to Lis and Cook sister (where Lis found the recipe) for helping me find a new favorite dessert (imagine clouds parting, the sun coming out and buddah himself smiling down on me while a choir of angels sings).

mmm, serving for one

To see the recipe I made, check out Lis' post on this awesome dessert, and indulge here, there and everywhere on the joy of food porn. ;)

don't you just want to bathe in it?

Pop Goes The Weasel

2008-04-27T23:16:00.008-04:00

Posted 4/27 *********Okay, okay, so the Daring Bakers challenge is supposed to be posted today, but I thought (until I saw that all my favorite DBers had posted theirs today) it wasn't supposed to be posted until Tuesday. Anywhoo, I haven't made the recipe yet... but I will! I swear! Tomorrow!

So, check back here tomorrow in the evening for the delicious and awesome (I hope) Cheesecake Pops. Thanks to Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah of Taste and Tell for hosting this month and choosing this yummy looking recipe. Check the Daring Bakers blogroll while you wait with bated breath for my recipe post tomorrow. Thanks!*********

Posted 4/28
Let it never be said that I'm always right. In fact, I'm frequently wrong. Like that time when I said I didn't like cheesecake, I was wrong. I'll admit, I raised a skeptical eyebrow when I saw the Cheesecake Pop recipe - although it sounded cool and looked like a fun recipe to put together, who, I wondered, will be eating these 35-40 cheesecake pops I'll be making??

Well, I think I figured out the answer. ME! Normally I have a problem with eating cold things... people think I'm crazy, but if its colder than room temperature, I'm not wild about it. But, as you can tell from pictures, I couldn't help myself from eating a nice chunk out of the corner of the room temperature cake. IT WAS SO GOOD!

Thanks again to Elle of Feeding My Enthusiasms and Deborah of Taste and Tell for opening my eyes to the wonder and deliciousness of cheesecake and the fun of making pops!

Cheesecake Pops
adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Makes 30 – 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs (I used 3 eggs when I baked half the recipe without a problem)
2 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, seeded
¼ cup heavy cream

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, chopped or in chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees.

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes (Randi says: took more like an hour).

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 to 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.
Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paperlined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

We're ONE! And scallops for two.

2008-04-12T15:19:00.006-04:00

Yay! Today the blog turns one, in case that wasn't clear. It's certainly cute and exciting to look through our old posts, especially from the beginning. Georgia and I have a big plan for our one year anniversary, but unfortunately we're not together right now to execute it, so you'll all have to wait with bated breath. But in the meantime, here's an awesome and simple scallop recipe.

I was casually careening through Whole Foods the other day, not planning on making any major purchases, as I had leftovers for Monday, a date Tuesday, and plans on Wednesday. But then gigantic sea scallops were on sale. As scallops are still kinda expensive, despite the sale, I asked for a 1/4 pound.. which amounted to a whole 2 scallops, so I got two more. Anywho, I was able to cut each into 4 smaller pieces, the perfect amount for 2 people. I'm submitting this to Presto Pasta Night @ Once Upon A Feast. Thanks Ruth :)　

I surfed around for different scallop recipes, and was tempted to make a scallop carbonara, but opted for a (slightly) lighter, basic scampi as Georgia was headed to a volleyball game after dinner. I've been kinda frightened of making scallops - fearing I would spend a lot of money and then overcook them and have them turn tough. Ick. On the contrary, they were super creamy and delicious. I don't know that I'd use pasta with this dish again, maybe rice, but the scallops were incredible and pasta was heaty and filling. I did this by eye, but I'll guess at measurements in the directions

Scallops Pseudo-Scampi

scallops
butter
olive oil
salt
pepper
white wine
flour
garlic
spinach
pasta

If the scallops still have the tough arm-thing, pull that off. Rinse scallops well, and then pat dry with a paper towel. In a ziplock bag (this is just how I like to do it), put two tbs of flour and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Put the scallops in the bag, close it, and toss to close the scallops.

Heat 1/2 tbs of oil and 1/2 tbs of butter in a saute pan. On high-med heat, place each scallop into the pan, making sure to shake excess flour from scallops. Cook 1 1/2 - 2 minutes on each side. When scallops are lightly browned, remove to a plate. In the meantime, heat up water and cook as much pasta (or rice) as you'd like.

Depending on how much sauce you want, add 1/4 to 2/3 of a cup of white wine to the pan, letting it deglaze and cook down on low-med heat. When wine has reduced by half, add in 1 to 2 cloves of chopped (or minced, depending how you like your garlic) garlic to the pan. Let that further cook for a few minutes, and in the meantime wilt spinach in another pan with a drop of olive oil. Add the scallops back into the pan with the spinach, warming, for another minute. Serve with pasta (or rice). TADA!

PPN#57 - Eggplant Parm-Lasagna

2008-03-31T16:49:00.011-04:00

This past Friday I was torn between veggie lasagna and meat lasagna as we had ingredients for both. I haven't really made true lasagna before, no real reason, just haven't. Since I have an Italian heritage yummy pasta entrees were very common in my household. Stuffed Shells, Eggplant Parm, Chicken Parm, Carbonara...no lasagna though. I think for those reasons it is something I don't really make but love to eat. No time like the present though.

After much hemming and hawing (which usually happens as I have a billion recipes I want to make, but not nearly enough time or energy to make them) I felt like a genius. I would make regular lasagna (with buffalo meat) over an eggplant parmesan layer. GENIUS! I love lasagna, I love buffalo and I love eggplant parm. How could this go wrong? Well, it didn't! It was just as good as I could have hoped for if not better. It was a true comfort food. I will definitely be making it again in the future. The one small change I would make is that the buffalo meat was from Whole Foods, not our local buffalo farm and not nearly as good.

In addition, I made a loaf of whole wheat bread (Quick Whole Wheat Bread from The Joy of Cooking) to go with dinner. It turned out to be a Godzilla loaf (see above) as it rose and rose and rose. Good yeast I guess.

As this is a PASTA meal, I am submitting it to Presto Pasta Night.

Georgia's Genius Lasagna
9" x 13" pan

Ingredients:
9 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
A quart of your favorite tomato sauce
15 oz container of low-fat ricotta
8 oz part skim mozzarella, shredded
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/3 inch rounds
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground buffalo
1 Tbsp parsley
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
flour
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Whisk one egg and milk together in a wide bowl. Pour flour into another wide bowl. Season flour with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium heat. When oil is hot dip eggplant slices into egg mixture then flour and fry until golden brown. Set aside on paper towels to collect extra oil.

2) Boil lasagna noodles until cooked. Whisk ricotta, parsley and an egg in small bowl. Salt and pepper. Set aside.

3) Brown ground meat in olive oil. Season with S&P. After meat is cooked, pour about 2 cups of tomato sauce in with the meat and cook for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

The LAYERING!

4) Spread tomato sauce on the bottom of glass baking dish. Layer as follows: Noodle, eggplant slices, shredded moz, tomato sauce, noodle, ricotta mixture, tomato sauce, noodle, meat mixture, fresh moz slices.

Bottom Layer (above)

5) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes with aluminum foil covering pan and another 10 with pan exposed. Bake until mozzarella is golden brown and melted.

Enjoy!!!

Article of the week: Did Your Shopping List Kill a Songbird? (NY Times Op-Ed)

Doing Double Duty - Daring Bakers Perfect Party Cake

2008-03-31T13:00:00.006-04:00

I unfortunately had to miss out on last month's DB challenge, but I was super excited when this month's challenge was Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake. A) I LOVE cake. B) I had been reading awesome recipes and seeing beautiful pictures from fellow bloggers who are part of the Tuesday's With Dorie club, and C) my awesome friend, Christine, had a birthday in March, so this cake was served excellent double duty as a challenge requirement and a birthday cake.

When I checked out the recipe, I couldn't have been happier. Lemon, check. Delicious preserves, check. Yummy buttercream frosting, check. There were some exceptions allowed with the flavorings in this recipe, but all I really wanted to change was to add a layer of the delicious lemon curd I made for the Lemon Meringue challenge in the middle and change the flavor of the preserves to sour cherry instead of raspberry.

It turned out really beautifully. The couple problems I had were: I only got two layers out of the batter... The layers were simply too thin to really be safely cutting them in half, and I didn't have the time to make another two layers, so I simply made a two layer cake instead; also, I read the recipe for the buttercream wrong (don't ask how, it will convince you I'm a moron) and I had to improvise at the end, adding in some powdered sugar to thicken it up. Either way it was super tasty and before I knew it we were out of cake.

Thanks to the genius Morven for hosting this month - you can find the full recipe for this amazing cake on her blog. Definitely check out the other DBers cakes from the Daring Baker Blogroll, as many of them did beautiful frosting jobs and really fun flavor changes - I'm still drooling over the idea of ginger frosting.. sigh, next time. *Forgive me for the lack in quality of these pictures...*

Presto Pasta Night - Simple Spring Pasta

2008-03-24T16:25:00.003-04:00

I'm sure you have all been there - its time to start thinking about what you want to make for dinner and you don't feel like going to the store. You think to yourself, "What can I make with the meager ingredients in my kitchen?"

One of the easiest base ingredients to go with is the ever-present, filling, adaptable and oh so tasty - PASTA! In my earlier days (aka college) this would mean spaghetti and some Prego. However, nowadays with some meals under my belt and many hours spent watching the Food Network and reading cooking blogs, I try to be a little more creative with my quick pasta meals. Plus it had to good enough to submit to Presto Pasta Night!

That being said as I scoured the refrigerator for ideas I found asparagus, mushrooms and feta. Simple and yum yum yum. Healthy. Score.

PS - Asparagus is in season NOW so eat up while you can get it fresh and cheapish.

Simple Spring Pasta
yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 oz feta, diced
1/2 pound pasta
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute mushrooms and asparagus in olive oil. Cook pasta. Mix together in pan with cheese. S&P to taste.

EASY PEASY and mmmm....
What have you done on the fly to make a tasty meal?

Festival of... Lost?

2008-03-17T22:31:00.006-04:00

So this past Hanukkah, I decided I was going to make homemade latkas instead of using the store bought mix, like I usually do. In fact, there's a great story (and since I can't resist, it goes like this) from when I was in college. Sometimes, as you may know, I get startling food cravings that I must fulfill or I end up feeling like the world may end. And one late night in Junior year of college, at the beginning of Hanukka, I got a terrible craving for latkas. Georgia and I drove to the nearby grocery store and there was only sweet potato latka mix. While that sounds yummy, I wanted the real thing. We left that grocery store and headed to another. Still, they ONLY had the sweet potato latka mix. I was dumbfounded.. who knew there were some many Jews buying latka mix in rural PA. Anyway, I was about to suggest we call it quits, with great sorrow in my heart, when Georgia announced in shock that there was a box of latka mix right behind me, IN THE FREEZER ISLE. What the latkas were doing there is beyond me. I speculated that maybe someone tried to hide the very last box for themselves and we somehow managed to find it. It was a true Hanukka miracle.

For those who don't know, Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights because the myth of Hanukkah is about when the Israelites reclaimed back the Temple from Syrian monarchy. After the temple was reclaimed, Judah ordered the temple and alter to be cleansed and for the menorah to be lit and burn throughout the night for 8 nights. Unfortunately, there was only enough oil for the menorah to burn for one night. Miraculously, though there was only enough oil for one night, it burned for 8 whole nights. A Rabbi told me once while I was going through confirmation that this story is a load of crap and it was like being told Santa Claus is not real. Anyway though, the whole point of telling you this is because the miracle Hanukkah box of latkas made a total of 8 latkas (when it should have actually made 12.. no I did not rig this).

Despite my love of the box latka, making your own is far superior and totally easy. So the other night, a Thursday to be precise, I got the urge to make latkas. And while its not Hanukkah, it was a night for watching my favorite show, Lost. So I'm calling today's post "The Festival of Lost."

Latkas (AKA Potato Pancakes)

2 cups shredded potato (I used yukon gold)
1/2 large onion, shredded (I just used the food processor to shred these things, but you can use a hand box grater)
2 eggs
3 Tbs flour
1/3 tsp baking powder
salt
pepper
oil for pan (i used olive, but vegetable or another substitute works)

Shred potato and onion into a bowl and squeeze the water out using paper towels or any other method you like. Dispense of excess water.

In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine onion, potato, eggs, flour/baking powder mixture, and salt and pepper to taste.. be generous (or don't).

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in pan on med head. When oil is hot enough, add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of mixture to oil, pressing down lightly with spatula to spread out a tad. When you can see a bit of browning around the edges, flip them. If this mixture isn't holding together when you flip, either you didn't wait long enough before flipping, or you should add another tbs of flour to the mixture. Let drain on a paper towel while cooking the other batches.

Serve with applesauce and sour cream (or greek yogurt - this is what I used and it was a great substitute) on the side. I love these. Slightly indulgent, but serious comfort food for me.

American Flatbread Company

2008-03-10T14:10:00.002-04:00

Now, I know that this blog has typically been about things that come out of my kitchen (and Randi's of course, but it is the same kitchen...), but this past weekend I came across the best pizza I have ever had in my entire life. And that is no understatement! So, I figured it would be doing all of you an injustice if I didn't mention it.

Andrew and I went to Burlington, VT this past weekend for a little vacation (and birthday treat for him). Despite the fact that the weather was not exactly behaving (read rain, ice, snow and anything else that constitutes "wintery mix"), we had a great time and got to explore the area a little bit - on a side note, my Rav-4 kicks major ass and didn't slip one bit.

We stayed at the Hidden Garden's B&B (which was very cute and comfy and had three labs to play with) and ventured out into Burlington for some Magic Hat beer and Lake Champlain chocolate tasting as well as a little shopping and dinner.

The inn-keeper's landscaper recommended the American Flatbread Company - which is a wood-fired pizza restaurant and brewery. All of their ingredients are as fresh and local as you could want and the results are delicious. The crowd was pretty boisterous (but not overly obnoxious) and beer was delish. For dinner, we got the Sun Dried Tomato - Mushroom pie and YUMMMMMMMM....the crust was crispy but chewy, with a nice thin bottom and the most amazing cheesy herby taste ever! If you are ever in Burlington, VT (which you should be, b/c it is a cool town) check this place out!

PS - they also have locations in Middlebury, VT, Waitsfield, VT and Ashburn, VA.

American Flatbread Company
115 St. Paul Street
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 861-2999

μουσακάς OR Greece and Grease and Geeks, Oh MY!

2008-03-06T19:59:00.007-05:00

Now that I've written the post title, I've realized that I'm used the "oh my" line before. Let no one tell you that I'm original :) And speaking of not being original, I did a mish-mash recipe steal from the Tyler Florance show I saw today for dinner this evening. For those who read Greek, or can tell what this post is about from the picture above (really? can anyone tell?), I made a me-version of Moussaka. In case its not clear - the Greece is pretty straight forward, the Grease is cause I should have used leaner beef, and the Geeks - well I guess its just one geek, me.

The me-version of something is usually about substitution. I'm willing to buy a set of ingredients, but everything else will just have to be substituted for what we have in the house. For this Moussaka, I used 2% milk instead of whole and cream mixture, parmesan cheese for layering, tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes, and cut the eggs out of the bechamel. Also, Tyler's recipe doesn't call for a bechamel, but instead adding feta in the layers. BOO Moussaka HAS to have bechamel. This turned out tasting totally delicious, but I can't say it looks very pretty. The layers didn't set the way I would have liked, but I would still make this again and again.

Moussaka
1 lb ground meat (I used beef, but I've also used lamb)
2 large eggplants, ends cut off, peeled and sliced into 1/2 thick slices
1 medium size onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
salt and pepper
oregano and basil
1/4 cup butter
1/4 flour
2 cups milk
parmesan cheese
nutmeg
cinnamon

Salt and pepper the eggplant slices. Brown both sides of slices of eggplant in an even layer with a tbs of olive oil in a saute pan. It will probably be necessary to do this in batches. Add olive oil as necessary. After browning, let the pieces drain on a paper towel.

Add the onion and garlic with some olive oil into a pan. When the onions become translucent, add the meat and brown on med heat. Salt and pepper. After the meat has brown, add 1/2 cup white wine and let reduce. Add in tomato sauce, basil and oregano (a shake of each) to the pan. Add a final shake of cinnamon. Season more if necessary.

To make bechamel: melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour. Wisk, cooking for 5-10 minutes. Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove before adding to the roux. Add to the roux and wisk until sauce thickens significantly. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Grate 1/4 cup cheese into sauce and stir.

To assemble: In an 8x8 (I used a 9 inch pie plate) place a layer of eggplant into the bottom. Spread half the meat sauce over the eggplant. Grate a thin layer of cheese on top of the meat sauce. Add the rest of the eggplant in a layer, the rest of the meat sauce, more cheese and then pour the bechamel over top. Grate some more cheese over the bechamel and bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Let the Moussaka rest for 30 minutes, then EAT!

Do You Know The Muffin Man?

2008-03-05T21:01:00.006-05:00

I love muffins. They're sweet, but not too sweet. They're like the perfect balance of sweet and savory snack, in my opinion. How you can dislike something that is sweet and you can still put butter on it!? So tonight I got a bit of a sweets craving after dinner, waiting patiently for the final episode of Project Runway... We're low on butter, flour, fruit and completely out of brown sugar. But we had a pint of blueberries and a meyer lemon. So I lifted the delicious-looking blueberry cake recipe from Jen at use real butter. Jen posts really inspiring recipes along with beautiful pictures. Nothing makes me salivate like good pictures :) Definitely check her out.

These came out really well, though the cooking time, even for the muffins, was more than the recipe called for, about 40 minutes. I also think the did a good job with the pictures :)

Blueberry Muffins
(from Donna Hay Modern Classics 2 & posted originally at use real butter)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 cup sour cream (I used 2% greek yogurt - we didn't have any sour cream. Also yogurt is better for you, and me)
2 eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add sugar and combine. Whisk sour cream, eggs, lemon rind, and oil together in a bowl. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. To make muffins: fill a dozen 1/2 cup muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for 15 minutes or until clean toothpick stage (Like I said, this really took me about 40 minutes, but I would check at 15 and then keep checking every 5... who knows).

I also figured out the nutritional info for everyone:

Serving size: 1 muffin (or 3, if you're me)
Calories: 209.8 Total Fat: 7.7 g Cholesterol: 36.4 mg Sodium 99.4 mg Potassium 43.5 mg Total Carbs: 31.2 g Sugars: 13.3 g Protein 5 g

No Meat?? Thats cool...

2008-03-04T12:21:00.002-05:00

This past Friday I told my boyfriend that I would make him a pre-birthday dinner. The one caveat was that it must be meat-free (as it was a Lent Friday)...not too much of a setback, as who doesn't love non-meat alternatives?? I haven't been feeling like cooking too much lately, I know, I know, blasphemous! But, I can attribute this to A) getting back from a wedding in Florida and B) not watching my daily doses of Food Network. So, to get back in the swing of things, I tried to gain inspiration from Cooking Light, Gourmet and various food blogs.

As far as non-meat items go, although there are plenty of options, salmon is top on my list. Yum, yum, salmon. Give me those Omega-3s! There were two recipes I happened upon that looked birthday-riffic - Roasted Salmon Steaks on a Bed of Potatoes, Fennel and Leeks from Live to Eat and Salmon with a Creamy Orange Rosemary Sauce from Nami-Nami. Both recipes looked super tasty and decidedly meat-free, so I decided to do the creative thing and combine them.

I used the Salmon with a Creamy Orange Rosemary Sauce recipe for the salmon part and it was mighty tasty. A little heavy, I suggest using light cream. The rosemary/orange combination was great (although I overcooked the salmon a little - oops).

However, not to gloat, but the side dish that I made was superb!

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic and Caramelized Leeks

Ingredients

1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes (use organic if possible)
1 leek, chopped and caramelized
1 head garlic, roasted until soft
3 tbsp butter or butter substitute (I used Promise)
1 tbsp cream
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Caramelize leeks over medium-low heat until translucent and golden. Roast garlic in oven for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees (garlic will start to bubble out of top when done). Dice and boil potatoes until moderately soft.

2) Using mixer, incorporate all ingredients.....yum yum good!

Easy and DELICIOUS!!!