Soup

This delicious soup is from a Martha Stewart recipe. It was pretty simple and tasted amazing. I also think it would make a good starting point for modifications - spicier, more vegetables, a creamy base, etc...
Ingredients
3 scallions
1 large white onion, quartered lengthwise, root end kept intact
2 large fresh poblano chiles (8 ounces)
1 1/2 pounds frozen corn kernels, thawed and drained (about 3 1/3 cups), divided
1 tablespoon coarse salt
4 cups plus 3 tablespoons water, divided
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal or masa harina
Queso fresco cheese, crumbled, for sprinkling (I skipped this step and it was still delicious)

Directions
1. Cut dark-green tops off scallions, and finely chop. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Place scallions, onion, and chiles in skillet, and cook, undisturbed, until charred on bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn vegetables with tongs, and cook, undisturbed, until charred on other side, about 5 minutes. (Vegetables can also be broiled on a baking sheet.)

2. Transfer scallions to a blender. Continue turning and charring chiles and onion until charred on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat. Transfer onion to blender.

3. Transfer chiles to a bowl, cover immediately with plastic wrap, and let steam 15 minutes. Peel and discard charred skin from chiles, and remove stems and seeds. Halve chiles lengthwise, and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips.   4. Add 2 1/2 cups corn, the salt, and 2 cups water to blender. Puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer puree to skillet. Stir in remaining corn and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 8 minutes.

5. Whisk together cornmeal and remaining 3 tablespoons water. Stir into soup along with chiles, and simmer until it has the consistency of porridge, about 2 minutes.

6. Divide soup among 6 bowls; garnish with chopped scallion greens, and sprinkle with cheese. Soup can be refrigerated 2 days; let cool completely before refrigerating. Gently reheat in a covered pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

Almond Biscotti

As part of my plan to eat right and live healthier, I tried a new biscotti recipe. Wait...well anyway, it was delicious and much easier to make than I'd expected. Naturally, I found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen, one of my very favorite online places to explore. She adapted the recipe from one published in Bon Appetit in December of 1999. Follow the recipe yourself for some tasty(and impressive) treats.

Makes approx. 3 dozen.

 

Yum Yum Yum

When you really put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything - even baking a two layer cake (with a filling!) from scratch. Click here for easy-to-follow instructions from Real Simple. Mine is a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting (I've got a real sweets lover on my hands) with a fresh strawberry filling in the center. Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart haha! 

Oh, Yotam...

I'm not sure where I found the courage, but I tried another recipe from Plenty. As with the others, it was a considerable amount of work but turned out (if I do say so myself) rather amazingly. Here's the magic formula (serves 4 – 6):

1 red bell pepper // 1 yellow bell pepper // about 6 T olive oil // 1 medium eggplant, cut into 2-inch dice // salt and black pepper // 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice // 1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice //  2 medium onions, thinly sliced // 2 bay leaves // 11 oz pie crust dough // 8 thyme sprigs, leaves picked // 1/3 cup ricotta // 4 ¼ oz feta // 7 cherry tomatoes, halved // 2 medium eggs // 1 cup heavy cream // I also added a few Kalamata olives and sprinkled them on top at the end
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Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Use a small serrated knife to cut around the stem of the peppers and lift it out along with the seeds. Shake the peppers to remove all the remaining seeds; discard the stems and seeds. Place the two peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little oil and put on the top shelf in the oven. Mix the eggplant in a bowl with 4 T olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread in a large baking pan and place in the oven on the shelf beneath the peppers.

After 12 minutes, add the sweet potato dice to the eggplant pan and stir gently. Return to the oven to roast for another 12 minutes. Then add the zucchini to the pan, stir and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes. At this point the peppers should be brown and the rest of the vegetables cooked. Remove all from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325˚F. Cover the peppers with foil and cool, then peel and tear roughly into strips.

Heat 2 T olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Saute the onions with the bay leaves and some salt for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they turn brown, soft and sweet. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves and set aside.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loose-bottomed tart pan. Roll out the pie crust dough to a circle roughly 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line the pan, plus extra to hang over the rim. Carefully line the pan with the dough, pressing it into the corners and leaving the excess hanging over the top edge. Line the dough with a large sheet of parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the paper with the weights, then bake for another 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it turns golden brown. Remove and allow to cool a little.

Scatter the cooked onion over the bottom of the crust and top with the roasted vegetables, arranging them evenly. Scatter half the thyme leaves over. Next, dot the veg with small chunks of both cheeses and then with the tomato halves, cut-side up.

Whisk the eggs and cream in a small bowl with some salt and pepper. Carefully pour this mix into the tart; the top layer of tomatoes and cheese should remain exposed. Scatter the remaining thyme over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until the filling sets and turns golden. Remove and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes (you'll need a rest here, too!) before releasing the tart from the pan and serving.

Plenty

A few weeks ago, I bought Yotam Ottolenghi’s new recipe book, Plenty. I bought it because the cover photograph on the book jacket was overwhelmingly beautiful and completely irresistible at lunchtime, which I happened to be spending at Anthropologie, which isn’t really here nor there…but I digress. Last night, I tried one of the recipes from the vegetarian cookbook, and came away with a new respect for legitimate cooking. Read: this isn’t your quick-n-easy-Rachael-Ray-30-minute-meal. But if you can make it through each of the culinary hoops Ottolenghi sets up for you, you will be rewarded with delicious, impeccably balanced and perfectly crisped fritters. Good luck, and enjoy!

Leek Fritters - serves 4
3 leeks, 1 lb total trimmed weight
5 shallots, finely chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
¾ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
1 egg white
1 tbsp baking powder
¾ cup and 1 tbsp self-raising flour
4.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup milk
1 egg

Sauce:
½ cup greek yoghurt
½ cup sour cream
30g coriander leaves, chopped
20g parsley leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt

First make your sauce. Blitz all the sauce ingredients together in a food processor or blender until pale green. Set aside for later.

Slice the leeks into 1” thick pieces, then rinse and drain in a colander. Pour half the olive oil in a medium pan and cook the shallots and leeks on a medium heat for 15 minutes, or until they have softened. Place the mixture in a large bowl, add the chilli, parsley, spices, sugar and salt, then leave to cool. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks in a medium bowl, then gently fold into the cooled leek mixture.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, egg, milk and butter to form a batter. Spoon in the vegetable mixture and gently stir to combine.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan on a medium flame. Once hot spoon in half the batter to form four large fritters. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Remove, drain on kitchen towels and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter. Enjoy!

Better Off Bread

Am I alone in consuming copious amounts of carbohydrates this time of year? Why is it that everything good and delicious in this world is made of carbs?? That said, I do try to temper my carb intake with complementary amounts of sugar and sodium, as is evidenced below. I just can't help myself - I love to cook, and this is the perfect time of year to do it!

Honey Oat Bread


Stew with Dumplings

Some healthy greens

Thanksgiving Recap


Fresh Cranberries

Rustic Dinner Rolls



Here's one simple recipe you definitely have to try: Marinated Olives.
Ingredients

• 2 cups assorted unpitted olives, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 thin orange slices
• 3 thin lemon slices
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
• Red-pepper flakes

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, combine olives, olive oil, orange slices, lemon slices, and fresh thyme. Season to taste with red-pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer olives, fruit, and herbs to a serving dish; reserve oil for another use.
  

Cook's in the Kitchen

I've been taking advantage of the cooler weather and rain we've been having and using the time indoors to try some new (and some time-tested) recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - a classic


Homemade Chocolate Milk

Creme Brulee C made for my Birthday

Tomato Sauce (before I put the tomatoes in haha)

Grilled Butternut Squash

Here's one you definitely have to try: Savory Palmiers. Leave it to Ina to come up with something so simple yet so beautiful and delicious! My photo doesn't begin to do them justice.

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
• 1/4 cup prepared pesto, store bought or homemade (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, such as Montrachet
• 1/4 cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• Kosher salt

Directions

Lightly flour a board and carefully unfold one sheet of puff pastry. Roll the pastry lightly with a rolling pin until it's 9 1/2 by 11 1/2-inches. Spread the sheet of puff pastry with half the pesto, then sprinkle with half the goat cheese, half the sundried tomatoes, and half the pine nuts. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Working from the short ends, fold each end halfway to the center. Then fold each side again towards the center until the folded edges almost touch. Fold one side over the other and press lightly. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat the entire instructions for the second sheet of puff pastry using the remaining ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes.


Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.


Cut the prepared rolls of puff pastry in 1/4 inch thick slices and place them face up 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 14 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm.

Jam Out

Below is my first attempt at homemade jam. I used strawberries C and I picked up over the weekend at a farm stand near Santa Cruz. Of course, I made way more than two people could possibly consume before it goes bad, so I've started handing out little jars to people I like at work.


Here's the very simple (yet admittedly time-consuming) recipe I used. Adapted from SELF magazine:

INGREDIENTS
3 pints strawberries, hulled
1/2 C sugar cubes (I used 3/4 C non-cubed sugar because I like things sweet and that's what I had on hand)

INSTRUCTIONS
Cook berries in a heavy pan over low heat, stirring every 15 minutes, until jam-like in consistency (about 3 hours). Add sugar, using more (up to 3/4 cup) if you like your jam sweeter, and stir until dissolved. Transfer jam to a jar, let cool and refrigerate. It's a fresh jam, so keep it refrigerated for no more than 2 weeks.

So Long, Summer

I thought I'd post a few of my favorite recent summery shots in honor of the waning season.

Fresh vegies + herbs!




Homemade smoothies with local berries


Yummy frittata with garden-grown (err...window box-grown) herbs

Melting popsicles

Lawn lounging

Looking forward to Fall next, and that's not just because I've been lusting after these boots...

Blackberry Crumb Bars

I made these delicious blackberry crumb bars from a recipe at Freutcake. They were pretty simple to put together, and everybody seemed to really like them!


1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, including zest + juice
4 cups fresh blackberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
I don't have a medium bowl, but as you can see - a large bowl works just fine haha

The amount of butter in this recipe is no joke.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blackberries. Sprinkle the blackberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.


4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Now clean up the kitchen while it bakes!

It's ready...

and delicious.

Pesto Change-o

Ready to make some pesto?! I followed the recipe below from Cuisinart to make some delicious pesto.

What you'll need:
1 ounce Reggiano Parmesan, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 clove garlic
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts

Just a few simple ingredients:

Be sure to use fresh lemon juice.


Any extra juice can be saved for lemon drops!


Basil is one of my all-time favorites!


How to do it:
Insert the metal blade into your Cuisinart. With the machine running, drop the cheese down the feed tube and process to chop, about 10 seconds. Remove and reserve. With the machine running, drop the garlic clove down the feed tube; process to chop, about 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the basil to the work bowl. Pulse to chop, 20 to 30 times. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl. With the machine running, add the olive oil to taste in a slow drizzle. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl, add the reserved cheese, pine nuts and salt, pulse to incorporate and chop the nuts. Transfer to a jar to store. Let rest for about 30 minutes before using, to allow the flavors to blend. Refrigerate to store, with a layer of olive oil poured over the top to prevent discoloration. Keeps 5 days in the refrigerator, or may be frozen.

Combine everything in the Cuisinart.


How much it'll make:
Makes 3/4 cup


What it'll cost ya:
Calories 25 (84% from fat) • carb. 0g • pro. 1g • fat 2g • sat. fat 0g • chol. 1mg • sod. 29mg • fiber 0g