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.

 

Dipped

Warning: these are highly addictive.

All you need to do to make these is melt some milk chocolate chocolate chips and dip the pretzels into the soft chocolate. Eh voila! A beautiful and perfectly delicious little gift.

Bottoms Up

Recipe from Vintage Cocktails.

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! 

"Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers"

Pickles are YUM! I followed this recipe (but doubled the red pepper flakes) from one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen. Pickled veggies are delicious year-round, but I find them a particularly tasty edition to summertime picnic food. Be careful, though: vinegar is very potent haha (oops)

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!

A Tuesday Treat

Is it only Tuesday?? To help ease the pain, I thought I'd share this delicious spin on a classic recipe, a little house-warming gift I cooked up over the weekend.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars
4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Packaging inspiration from Cupcakes and Cashmere

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.

Meal Deal

I made this enchilada recipe from the Epicurious app, originally from Bon Appétit, June 2007. Uh…mazing. I served it with corn on the cob with cilantro and chile powder, avocado salad with red onions and red wine vinegar + olive oil dressing, and red sangria. Aside from almost making the sangria with bourbon instead of brandy (oops!), everything went well and was delicious. Try it!

Stacked Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Cheese 

(makes 6 servings, unless you're really hungry, in which case I count it as 4 servings...)

What you’ll need:
2 poblano chiles (8 ounces total)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
12 (5- to 6-inch diameter) corn tortillas [I used white corn]
4 cups salsa verde, divided
2 cups shredded roasted chicken, divided
¾ cup sour cream, stirred to loosen, divided
6 ounces grated Emmenthal, Meunster, or Mexican Chihuahua cheese (about 1 ½ cups packed)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

What to do:
Char chiles directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened all over. Enclose in paper bag; let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed, then cut into 2 x ½ inch strips.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla to skillet; cook until slightly softened, about 15 seconds per side, turning with tongs. Transfer tortilla to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding oil to skillet as needed.

Spread ½ cup salsa over bottom of 8 x 8 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Arrange 4 tortillas over salsa, covering bottom of dish completely, overlapping slightly, and extending about 1 ½ inches up sides of dish. Scatter 1 cup chicken over tortillas, then half of poblano strips. Spoon 1 ½ cups salsa over, spreading evenly. Spoon ¼ cup sour cream over in small dollops. Cover with 4 tortillas, overlapping slightly. Layer with remaining 1 cup chicken, remaining poblanos, 1 cup salsa, and 14/ cup sour cream. Cover with remaining 4 tortillas, then 1 cup salsa, and remaining ¼ cup sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake casserole until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces; divide among plates. Sprinkle with cilantro. [I also added a few fresh green onions to the top for a little added flavor.]

Salsa!

Homemade salsa, perfect for Cinco de Mayo! Put a red onion, jalapeno, lots of cilantro, fresh lime juice, half of a red bell pepper and a box of cherry tomatoes into your food processor, and turn it on. Next, pour the freshly chopped contents into a serving bowl and add just enough black beans and corn to enhance what you chopped up in the food processor. Then, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Easy Easter

It's almost Easter, which means it's time for another perfect occasion (excuse) for me to get crafty and bake stuff! Normally, I take a good amount of grief for my craftiness and interest in baking new, and sometimes random, dishes for the family to try. When you have a family as large as mine, it's bound to happen that one of the boys won't understand the need for baby chick-shaped place settings or papier-mache Easter eggs, but please answer me this: What isn't there to love about brightly colored Easter eggs made of paper and pastel garland in the shape of bunnies?? I thought you would agree with me.

Getting back to the food (I mean, let's keep our eyes on the prize!), here are a few recipes I'm thinking of bringing to the table this Sunday.

Sparkling White Wine Sangria

Ingredients
1 bottle sparkling wine (such as Cava or Prosecco)
1 1/2 cups apricot nectar
1 1/2 ounces triple sec
Directions
In a pitcher, mix together the sparkling wine, apricot nectar, and triple sec. Serve in wineglasses.

Lace Cookies












Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375F
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter, sugars, corn syrup, and salt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from heat and mix in the flour and almonds just until incorporated.
3. Drop level teaspoons of the batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 4 inches apart.
4. Bake until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
5. Cool on the baking sheets until firm, 8-10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Scalloped Potatoes with Creme Fraiche

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 pounds waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn), peeled
3 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground mace
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped chives
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Rub the garlic all over the inside of a 3-quart baking dish, then mince it.
2. Grease the dish with about 1/2 tablespoon butter.
3. Slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick (a mandoline works well).
4. Combine in a large saucepan with the minced garlic, the remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, the half-and-half, creme fraiche, flour, thyme, mace, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens slightly, 1-2 minutes.
6. Stir in the chives and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, shaking it to distribute the potatoes evenly.
7. Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 1 hour 5 minutes, occasionally spooning some of the liquid over the top. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
You can also make the scalloped potatoes in individual ramekins; bake about 40 minutes.

Yum!

Recipes and food pics from: Real Simple, Real Simple and Food Network.

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.