Le Cordon Q

Almond Poppyseed Scones

2011-10-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

I am really on a scone kick lately. It's just that they are so handy to have around for a quick breakfast on the go(after you've made them, of course) and these little almond poppyseed beauties are my very favorite. Like I said in the previous scone post, make sure that you do not overmix the flour. mix only until the ingredients are combined. That is the secret to getting perfectly tender, melt in your mouth scones. If you really love almond flavor, mix a little bit of the extract into the powdered sugar glaze. Keep these sealed in an air-tight container or ziploc bag and they will keep for about a week.

Ingredients:

3 cups Flour
4 1/2 t. Baking Powder
6 T. Sugar
6 T. Cold Butter
1 t. Almond Extract
1 T. Poppyseeds
1 1/2 c. Heavy Cream

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles a coarse meal.
Stir in the poppyseeds. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
Add the cream and the almond extract to the well and mix just to combine. DO NOT OVERMIX!! :)
Roll dough until it is 1" thick (I pat it out to this thickness on a floured surface).
Cut the dough into circles using a biscuit cutter, or slice with a knife into squares or triangles.
Place on tin foil lined cookie sheet spaced 1 1/2" apart.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and finish cooking for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
Cool on rack and drizzle with a powdered sugar glaze(place 1 c. powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly whisk in water until it reaches the desired consistency).

Pumpkin Spice Scones

2011-10-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

These scones are perfect when your in a fall mood. Just make sure not to overmix your flour and they will turn out soft, moist, and yummy. Add orange food coloring to the spice glaze for a bit of fun fall color.

Scones Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground ginger
6 T. cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 T. Heavy Cream
1 large egg

White Sugar Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 T. powdered sugar
2 T. milk

Spiced Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 T. powdered sugar
2 T. milk 1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Scones Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

3. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.

4. With a fork, pastry knife, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter remain. Set aside.

5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg.

6. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

7. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide).

8. Use a large knife to slice the dough into three equal portions. Cut diagonally to produce 6 triangular slices of dough.

9. Place on prepared baking sheet from step 2.

10. Bake for 14–16 minutes until scones turn light brown.

11. Place on wire rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Directions:

1. Mix the powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoon milk together until smooth.

2. Brush glaze over the top of each cooled scone.

Spiced Glaze Directions:

1. As sugar glaze firms, combine the spiced icing ingredients.

2. Use whisk to drizzle over each scone and allow to dry before serving.

Makes 6 pumpkin scones.

Homemade Butterfingers!

2011-09-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

How cool are these! And the best thing is they taste JUST like a real Butterfinger bar. The texture is not quite as crunchy, but I think I like it better that way anyway. Only three ingredients are required to make these. Chocolate, peanut butter, and candy corn. Yep, candy corn. And after trying these myself, I intend on stocking up on candy corn this fall so that I can make these all year long. =)

Homemade Butterfingers

Ingredients:
1 lb. Candy Corn
16 oz. Peanut Butter (smooth)
Dipping Chocolate

In a microwave safe bowl melt the candy corn for 1 minute and then at 30 second intervals until melted. Add the peanut butter and mix in with the candy corn. If the mixture seizes, put it back in the microwave and melt for 30 seconds more. Stir mixture with a rubber spatula until well combined and smooth. Pour into a greased 8x8 glass dish and refrigerate until solid.
Once chilled, cut into rectangles and remove from pan. Melt the dipping chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and dip each rectangle in the chocolate, coating all surfaces. Place on a piece of parchment paper and let set. Drizzle extra chocolate on top for a little flair ;).

Try not to eat them all in one day......

Pan-Seared Salmon with Warm Cherry Tomato Vinagrette & Lemon Pepper Papardelle

2011-06-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit late, but here is the meal I made for Father's Day this year. I would like to take a moment to thank Trader Joe's, who provided me with a fabulous papardelle so that I did not have to make my own. Thanks, Trader Joe's. You have saved me more time than you know. I was originally going to serve this over a potato/parsnip puree until I found the papardelle in my pantry(I guess I forgot about it!)....what was I thinking!? This salmon dish goes over pasta a THOUSAND times better than it would ever go over potatoes. If you make this, remember this little experience and serve this salmon over papardelle(or fettuccine, or even angel hair would be nice). But NOT potatoes.

Stupid, stupid, stupid...............

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Fillets(skinless), about 4-5 oz. each
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
2 c. Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 Large Shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 c. White Wine Vinegar
2/3 c. Olive oil
1 t. Fresh Thyme, chopped
1 t. Fresh Oregano, chopped
1 t. Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, shallot, vinegar, oil, thyme, and oregano. Stir lightly to mix. Add a little salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet(also, begin cooking your pasta at this stage). Pat salmon fillets dry and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Press into fillets. Place the salmon in the hot skillet and sear to a golden brown on each side. Remove the fillets from the pan and place on an oven safe baking sheet. Finish cooking the fish in the oven(salmon is done when it flakes easily and is cooked through, but just. Don't over cook!).

While the salmon is cooking in the oven, pour the tomato vinaigrette into the hot skillet and let simmer for about 1 minute, or until the tomatoes start to wrinkle. Remove from heat.

Serve the salmon on top of a bed of pasta and spoon the tomato vinaigrette on top of the fish.

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with Orange Butter

2011-06-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is what we had for breakfast for Father's Day this year. I must say the orange butter makes a nice alternative to the traditional maple syrup. For added sweetness, I dust each piece of french toast with powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

3 Oranges, juiced
2/3 stick of Butter, softened
12 slices Cinnamon Raisin Bread
4 Eggs
3/4 c. Milk
1/2 t. Vanilla
Butter, for cooking
Powdered Sugar for dusting

For the Orange Butter: (can be made the day before)
Place the freshly squeezed orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the juice simmer and reduce until there is only about 2-3 tablespoons of syrup left in the pan. Pour the syrup in to a small bowl and let cool.
When the syrup is cool, place the softened butter in the bowl and mix it in with the syrup using the back of a spoon. Blend well and chill.

For the French Toast:
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
Heat a large frying pan to medium-high. Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Once melted, dip one slice of bread quickly on each side in the egg mixture and place in the pan. Cook on both sides until crisp and lightly browned. Repeat with remaining bread.

To serve:
Spread each slice with orange butter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve in stacks of 2-3 and top each stack of french toast with a dollop of orange butter.

Chicken & Mushroom Biscuits and Gravy

2011-06-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

If you are in need of some good, hearty comfort food, this meal is for you! We ate this last night and I am still basking in it's cozy comfort. Seriously.
This dish makes great use of refrigerated canned biscuits. If you are feeling ambitious, you could always make your own, but for us busy moms the canned form will do just fine =) (Has anyone else noticed that in the last few months this blog has taken a turn toward the 'easier' route? I find this interesting). Serve with a side of broccoli or green beans.

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter
4-5 large chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
2 c. mushrooms, sliced
1 T. fresh Oregano, chopped(you can use dry, just decrease the amount to 1 t.)
3 T. flour
2-3 c. Chicken broth
3/4 c. Cream
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large, deep sided frying pan, melt the 1/2 of the stick of butter on high. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides. Remove thighs from the pan. Add the remaining half stick of butter to the pan and then toss in the onion and mushrooms. Saute until soft and onion is translucent. Add in the oregano and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir in, cooking for 1 minute more. Do not let flour brown.

Pour the chicken broth into the pan and stir until all browned bits are loosened from the pan. Add the chicken back into the pan and cover, turning the heat down to medium-low. Let simmer for 45 minutes(or until chicken is tender), stirring occasionally. After 45 minutes, pour in the cream and let cook another 5-10 minutes. Add more water to the sauce if it becomes thicker than you would like it. You want it to have the consistency of gravy.
Meanwhile, cook your biscuits.

When the chicken is tender, remove it from the pan and discard the bones and cartilage. Shred the chicken and add it back in to the gravy. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the gravy over the hot biscuits and enjoy!

*If you wanted to make this in a slow cooker, just follow the first paragraph of instructions as listed, place cooked ingredients in slow cooker and pour liquids on top. Stir, add a little salt and pepper and then cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. Check seasonings before serving!

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

2011-06-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on Epicurious (after craving a peanut butter brownie for several days) and made some modifications. These are yummy, but have a tall glass of milk nearby. You WILL need it.

Ingredients:

Brownies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour

Peanut Butter frosting and Ganache

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving long overhang; Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Place 3/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepan. Add both chocolates; stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt, then eggs, 1 at a time. Fold in flour. Spread in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; cool.

Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend. Beat in powdered sugar, salt, then milk and vanilla. Spread frosting over brownies.

Stir chocolate and 1/4 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Drop ganache all over frosting; spread to cover. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Using foil as aid, transfer brownie cake to work surface; cut into squares. Bring to room temperature; serve.

'Sticky Chicken' and Mustard Mashed Yukons

2011-06-01T13:06:00.001-07:00

Here is an easy meal that your kids will love! My daughter licks her plate clean whenever we have this and is always asking for it. And not only is it easy to make, it's budget friendly too! You can find chicken legs for around 99 cents a pound at some grocery stores. Paired with the chicken are creamy, textured Yukon golds lightly seasoned with a little mustard. Your kids will never even know its in there, and eat it up! Serve the extra sauce from the chicken over the potatoes.

Sticky chicken
Ingredients:

8 chicken legs, skin removed
3/4 c. Barbecue sauce(I use sweet baby ray's)
1/2 c. Maple Syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 8x8" pan(at least 1" deep) and place the chicken legs on it. In a small bowl, mix together the barbecue sauce and syrup. Pour over the chicken, covering all surfaces of the legs. Place the chicken in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. *make sure your chicken is cooked all the way through before serving!

Mustard Mashed Yukon's
Ingredients:

5 Large Yukon Gold potatoes, Washed, skin-on
2 T. Butter
Salt and pepper tt.
1/4 c. Milk
2 T. Dijon Mustard

Slice the potatoes into 1" cubes and place in a large saucepan. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil on high heat. Let the potatoes simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the water and place the cooked potatoes back in the saucepan. Add the butter, salt and pepper, milk and mustard. Puree using and electric or immersion blender until seasonings are mixed in.

Enjoy!

My Favorite Chicken Salad!

2011-04-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is just around the corner(well, sort of) it's time to whip out the chicken salad! This is my favorite version. Simple and grapey. Just the way a chicken salad should be. If you like nuts in your chicken salad, add some lightly toasted sliced almonds to this. Served on croissant rolls, or just by it's self it will get you ready for picnic season either way =)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs Chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1/2" cubes. (I usually just throw the raw chicken into a pot of boiling water and let it simmer until the are cooked through. Then run the cooked chicken under cold water to cool down, pat dry, and dice.)
2-3 c. Red Grapes, washed and halved
4 stalks celery, diced
3 green onions, sliced

Dressing:

3/4 c. Mayo
3/4 c. Miracle whip
1/3 c. Lemon Juice
tt. Seasoned Salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, celery, grapes, and green onion. Set aside.
Place the mayo, miracle whip, lemon juice, and salt into a smaller bowl and stir with a whisk until well combined. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad and toss until thoroughly coated. Serve chilled.

Mint Chocolate Cake Pops

2011-01-29T17:06:00.001-08:00

So, these were made MONTHS ago, but I thought I'd post them anyway. I made several different kinds, but these were my favorite. I used devils food cake and cream cheese frosting mixed with mint extract and then dipped them in green chocolate melts. Head over to bakerella for the recipe. They are totally worth the time it takes to make them!

Apple Crisp Oatmeal

2010-10-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

I love apple crisp as a dessert, and thought it would be amazing as a breakfast dish. So, to get away with it, I added sweetened oatmeal to the bottom of the dish to make it more 'breakfast like'. That way you start with a crispy, crumbly top, soft sweet apples in the middle, and brown sugar oatmeal on the bottom. Top with unsweetened whipped cream(I added vanilla beans to mine) to finish. *This crisp has a LOT of topping! So, if you prefer more apples and less crisp, simply cut the crumble ingredients in half.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 c. Oats, old fashioned
3 T. Brown sugar
2 T. Butter, cut into 6 pieces
4 small or 3 large Honeycrisp apples(or other variety), peeled, cored, and sliced
3 T. Sugar
1 c. Oats, old fashioned
1/2 c. Flour
1/2 t. Nutmeg
3/4 t. Cinnamon
4 oz. Butter, cubed(cold)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place 1 c. oats in a 8x8 square or round dish. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of the oats and top with butter pieces.
Toss the sliced apples with the white sugar. Place the apples on top of the oat, sugar and butter layers, patting down as you go.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 c. oats, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Cut the butter to the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Place the crumble on top of the apples, covering the entire surface.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the crumble is browned on top.
Serve hot with whipped cream!

Purple Dessert Table

2010-10-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

For my little one's third birthday party. I will not attempt this again while pregnant =) But it was sure fun to set up!

Purple homemade marshmallows....
Blackberry vanilla swirl cake with blackberry cream cheese frosting....
Blackberry vanilla cupcakes......

Purple candied apples.....

Dahlia gift bags.....
And five little girls. I love this picture for some reason. Next year maybe I should try and do a little bit more 'age-appropriate' party. We'll see. =)

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Ganach Filling, Chocolate Mousse and a Salted Caramel

2010-09-27T09:39:00.001-07:00

These "little bits of heaven"(as referred to by a taster) really don't take much time to do if you keep a store of ganache in your fridge, like I do. Keep them chilled in the refrigerator because they are topped with a creamy mousse and filled with a thick ganache that makes for a nice little surprise in the center. For the caramel topping, simply use a piece of pre-made caramel dipped in coarse salt instead of making a homemade version, if you lack the time.

For the bundt cake:
Simply whip up your favorite chocolate cake batter, or use a mix and bake in a 350 degree oven in a greased mini bundt mold. Cool before filling and topping.

For the ganache:

Ingredients:

12 oz. bag Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
8 oz. Heavy Cream

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and pour the heavy cream over the chocolate. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until the cream starts to boil. Remove from the microwave and stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and the cream and chocolate are thoroughly combined and silky smooth. *If your ganache has lumps in it, microwave it for another 30-45 seconds and stir well again. Cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or until it is thickened, but not set.
When to this stage, pour some of the ganache into a piping bag or ziploc and pipe the ganache into the bundt holes until full to the top. Refrigerate the remaining ganache and keep on hand for another use.

For the Mousse:

Ingredients:

2 cups Heavy Cream
4 Egg Yolks
3 T. Sugar
pinch of Salt
1 t. Vanilla Extract
7 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate chips

Heat 3/4 cup of cream in the microwave until hot. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt until well combined. Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a custard. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
Pour the custard through a small sieve into the melted chocolate chips. Stir the custard and chocolate until well blended and smooth. Let cool.
Whip the remaining 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add 1/4 of the whipped cream to the chocolate custard and whisk in well to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining whipped cream to the lightened custard and very carefully fold in until the mixture is well combined.
Pour the mousse into a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip and pipe it on top of the bundt cakes. Keep cakes in the refrigerator so that the mousse and ganache can firmly set.

Top each cake with a piece of caramel dipped in coarse salt. Serve chilled or slightly cool.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Mirpoix Gravy and Apple-Pomme Puree

2010-09-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Lamb Shanks are a great hearty fall dish. When it comes to lamb, they are quite a bit cheaper then the rest of the cuts, but require slow cooking for a long period of time to soften them up. When they have been braised long enough, however, they are so tender that the meat will fall right off the bone, so plate carefully!
For the apple-pomme puree, simply add peeled diced apples to the pot along with your potatoes, cook until tender, and puree with a little cream, salt, and butter. Pears would also go really nicely with this dish.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 Lamb Shanks, trimmed of excess fat
1 T. Canola Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
2 Celery Ribs, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 T. Herbs De Provence(if you can't find these, just use thyme)
2 T. Tomato Paste
2 c. Dry Red Wine(Cabernet Savignion or Merlot are great for this dish)
2 c. Chicken Stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cornstarch, to thicken

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add the shanks to the pan and brown evenly on all sides. Remove shanks from the pan and place in a crock pot.

In the same pan used to brown the shanks, add the onion, carrot, and celery, adding a little more oil, if needed. Saute the vegetables until they begin to soften, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and saute for another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and saute until the vegetables are well coated.

Place the sauteed vegetables on top of the lamb in the crock pot. Pour the wine and chicken broth over the vegetables and lamb and cover with a lid. Cook on high for about 4 hours.

After the lamb has become tender enough to easily pull from the bone, check the seasonings in the gravy and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Mix cornstarch in a small amount of water and stir it into the gravy(stir well so there are no lumps!). Let cook for a few more minutes until thickened. Add more cornstarch mixture if needed until desired thickness is achieved.

Serve the shanks with potatoes and gravy.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

2010-09-15T16:09:00.001-07:00

This frosting is so good! You get lots of sweet, strawberry flavor and such a pretty light pink color. I think this would be equally good, if not better made with cream cheese instead of butter. I will have to try it sometime and report back, but for now....this is going on top of every cupcake I make!

Ingredients:

1 c. Whole Frozen Strawberries, thawed
1 c.(2 sticks) unsalted Butter, slightly cold but soft
1/8 t. coarse Salt
3 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/2 t. Clear Vanilla Extract

Place the strawberries in a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain out the seeds and place the pureed strawberries in a small saucepan. Heat the strawberries on medium/high heat until simmering. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium/low heat, or until the strawberries have reduced by half. Let the strawberries cool and reserve 1/4 c. The remaining can be put away for another use.

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and the salt until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar. Increase the speed and beat until the butter and sugar are well combined. Add the vanilla and 1/4 c. of the strawberry puree to the mixer and mix until just combined, so that the frosting is thick and dense.
Keep refrigerated after use.

Devils Food Cupcakes

2010-09-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

I am on the hunt for a few good cupcake recipes for my daughters upcoming birthday, so I have been trying several recipes out. This one was very moist and had a great texture. I topped them with ganache, which was great, but I also made a fresh strawberry buttercream that was amazing on top of the chocolate cupcakes. I will post that recipe next! Meanwhile, give these babies a try.....

Ingredients:

3/4 c. unsweetened Cocoa Powder
3/4 c. hot water
3 c. Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Baking Powder
1 1/4 t. Coarse Salt
1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/8 c. Sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
4 t. Vanilla Extract
1 c. Sour Cream, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Whisk together the cocoa and water until smooth and set aside.
In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together, stirring until combined. Remove from the heat and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer, mix on medium-high until the mixture has cooled down, 6-7 minutes. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar, one by one, beating well each time. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and the cocoa mixture to the eggs and butter and combine well.
Add the flour into the mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream and beating until just combined after each. Do not over mix or your cupcakes will be tough!

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins, filling each liner 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, for about 17-20 minutes, or just until the tops are set.
Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.
Frost with desired frosting and serve!

This recipe makes about 28 cupcakes.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

2010-09-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

This soup has one of the tastiest broths I have ever had. It's so simple to make and makes great use of canellini beans. To make it easier, you can use cubed chicken breast in place of the chicken thighs. BUT, I will warn you now that you won't get the same richly flavored broth or tender meat. Using bone-in chicken thighs makes all the difference in the world, with any chicken based soup, really. Cooking the chicken thighs in the broth will give more chicken flavor and the bones will give the soup a really nice body because of the gelatin they impart. Chicken thighs are like gold to me!

Ingredients:

6 Chicken Thighs, bone-in
Water, as needed
1 T. Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1 T. Garlic, minced
2 t. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes(do not drain!)
1 15 oz, can Canellini Beans(do not drain!)
1 c. Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
2 T. Italian Seasoned Tomato Paste
Chicken Base, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
6 c. Baby Spinach leaves, washed
1/2 c. Shredded Parmesan

Place Chicken thighs in a crock pot and cover with water. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken from the crock pot and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the cooking water and place it back in the crock pot.

While the chicken cools, heat the olive oil in a saute pan. When it is hot, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, and a little salt and pepper and saute for another minute. Add the onion mixture to the crock pot.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the bones and chop the meat into bite sized pieces. Add the chicken to the crock pot along with the beans, tomatoes, peppers, chicken base, and tomato paste. *Make sure that you add the liquid of the beans and tomatoes to the soup too! It will give it great flavor.

Let the soup cook on high for another 45-60 minutes. Check your seasonings and add more chicken base, salt, or pepper if needed. When ready to serve, add the spinach to the soup and stir in well, just until the spinach is barley wilted. Dish into bowls and top with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan. This soup is great served with focaccia bread to soak up the broth!

Fresh Baby Caprese Spaghetti

2010-09-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

This is just for my records =) When I find the energy(this pregnancy is sucking me dry!) I will post the recipe. But the dish consists of homemade spaghetti, orange cherry tomatoes(which taste like sunshine), mini balls of fresh mozzarella, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil. Amazingly simple and yummy!

Pan-seared Halibut with Sweet Corn Zabaglione

2010-09-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

Now that Hell's Kitchen is over, Master Chef has taken over as my favorite cooking reality show. This dish was another challenge dish that I had to make myself, it looked so good. Cat Cora is the main creator of the dish, but here is my version, with my own preferences! I hope you like it!
*Try and use fresh, never frozen Halibut, if you can find it. The fish found in most grocery stores is previously frozen, although you would think it was fresh when laid out in the display case.

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

2 Halibut Fillets, skinned (about 6 oz. each)
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil, to taste
2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off
1/3 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 c. Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 c. Baby Arugula, washed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 c. Heavy Cream
1 Egg Yolk

For the Halibut: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan until sizzling. Season the fish with salt and pepper on both sides, pressing the seasonings into the flesh. When the oil is hot, Lay the fillets presentation side down in the pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip over. The fish should be golden on top. Sear on the other side for about 1 minute more and then turn of the heat, leaving the fish in the pan to continue cooking. Keep warm.

For the Salad: In a frying pan, saute 1/2 of the corn and the red onion in olive oil until soft, but not soggy. Place in a bowl and allow to cool. Add the cherry tomatoes and arugula and toss. Add olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

For the Sweet Corn Zabaglione: In a large saucepan, saute the onion and remaining corn in a small amount of olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream and let simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Place the corn/cream mixture in a blender. CAREFULLY puree until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk until broken up. Add a small amount of the strained sauce to the yolk, whisking well each time, until the yolk is warmed. Add the yolk to the sauce and whisk in well.
Cook the sauce in a double boiler until slightly thickened and hot. Season with salt to taste.

To serve: Pour about 1/2 c. of sauce onto the center of a plate. Place the halibut on top of the sauce, presentation side up. Top the fish with a portion of the salad. Eat Immediately!

Baby Greens with Beets, Chevre, Oranges, Hazelnuts and Fresh Orange Vinaigrette

2010-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

For those who don't like beets, give this appetizer salad a try. They pair amazingly with goats cheese and a fresh orange vinaigrette. This salad is great served before a fancy entree.
I had this salad at Bambara in Salt Lake for my birthday and loved it. This is my re-creation of it.*This recipe calls for sectioned oranges. I did not get around to taking pictures of that while I went, but HERE is a great tutorial for those of you who do not know how to section an orange.

Serves 6

Ingredients(Salad):

6 cups Spring Green Lettuce Mix
3 Golden Beets, roasted, peeled, and wedged
3 Purple Beets, roasted, peeled, and wedged
2 Oranges, Sectioned
6 oz. Chevre(Goats Cheese)
1/2 c.+ Whipping Cream
1/3 c. Hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

Ingredients(dressing):

1 c. Fresh squeezed Orange Juice
1/3 c. Canola Oil
1/8 t. Ground Mustard
1 1/2 T. White Wine Vinegar
1/2 t. Minced Garlic
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3 T. Honey, plus more to taste

For the dressing: Heat the freshly squeezed orange juice in a small saucepan to boiling. Reduce heat slightly and let simmer until the volume is reduced to 1/4 c. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Place the reduced orange juice in a small food processor or blender along with the oil, vinegar, mustard powder, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. Blend until emulsified. Taste and add more honey, if desired. Keep chilled.

For the Salad: Place the goats cheese in a small bowl. Slowly mix in as much cream as needed to make the goats cheese smooth and thin enough to pipe.
Pipe out the goats cheese(I just use a heavy duty quart Ziploc) onto 6 salad plates, about 6 small dollops per plate in a circular fashion. Then place 3 of each color beet wedge in between the goats cheese, also in a circular fashion.
Place 1 c. per plate of spring greens in the center of the cheese and beet circle. Add 4-5 orange sections per plate to the spring greens.
Sprinkle about 1T. hazelnuts on top of, and around the salad.
Drizzle the fresh orange vinaigrette on top and serve.

Coq Au Vin

2010-08-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

This will always be one of my most favorite chicken dishes. We served this dish at our wedding and it was perfect! Coq Au Vin is French for 'chicken with wine'. This recipe calls for white wine, but you can use red also. I like to use Chablis when cooking with white wine, and a Cabernet Savignon or Merlot when using red wine.
*For those who are new to cooking with wine, remember: When the wine is cooked, the alcohol is cooked out with it. No need to worry. And for those who are too chicken to go to the liquor store to purchase wine(which I recommend, it's much cheaper there), you can find it as cooking wine with the vinegars in your local grocery store. Just remember: Cooking wine is much more salty than regular wine, so don't add as much salt to the dish!

Ingredients:

1 c. Flour
1 t. Pepper
1 t. Salt
2 T. Olive Oil
8 bone-in Chicken Thighs, skinned
2 c. Mushrooms, quartered
2 c. Baby carrots
1 large Onion, sliced along the grain
1 1/2 T. Fresh Thyme, chopped
2 T. Tomato Paste
2 t. Minced Garlic
1 c. White or Red Wine
3 c. Chicken Broth
2 T. Butter

Combine the flour, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the skinless chicken thighs and coat each one in the flour mixture. Set aside.
In a large, deep sided frying pan, heat the olive oil to medium-high.
Add the dredged chicken thighs to the hot oil.
Brown the chicken thighs evenly on both sides.
Remove the chicken from the pan(but leave the pan on the heat) and place on a plate. Set aside.
Add the mushrooms, carrots, and onion to the hot pan and saute for 2 minutes.
* Try to use fresh thyme with this dish, if it is available. Fresh herbs make such a difference!
Add the chopped thyme to the vegetables and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and the minced garlic to the vegetables.
Toss the vegetables until they are all well coated with the tomato paste.
Add the wine and the chicken broth to the pan.
Place the browned chicken thighs back in the pan, under the liquid. Try and spoon the vegetables over the chicken, so that the chicken is completely submerged in liquid.
Cover the pan with a lid and let simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The chicken is done when the sauce is reduced so that it thickly coats the back of a spoon and the chicken is tender. Add the butter to the sauce and stir until blended. Serve with mashed potatoes to use up all the yummy sauce.

Quick Tip #2 - Shredding Chicken made EASY!

2010-08-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

It's such a pain to shred chicken breast by breast with a fork. To shred your chicken in 30 seconds or less, just put your cooked chicken breasts in the bowl of a large electric mixer(I use a KitchenAid), put on a paddle attachment, lock the mixer and turn it to medium-low speed for 20-30 seconds. The chicken shreds perfectly and it takes almost no time at all!!!
I will never use a fork again!

Cream Cheese Danishes

2010-08-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

These danishes make the best breakfast. I mean, who doesn't want to eat a flaky pastry filled with sweetened cream cheese in the morning? And you will love them because they are SO easy to make. Here are a few tips to help you along:

Set your frozen puff pastry in the fridge to thaw overnight. It will be thawed by morning time and easy to use. Puff pastry is sticky and difficult to work with when defrosted in the microwave.
Set your cream cheese on the counter to soften overnight. It will not go bad, I promise ;) This was a trick I learned in cooking school where large amounts of soft cream cheese were often needed. The softer your cream cheese, the smoother it will be when blended with the other ingredients and the better it will melt in your pastry.

Ingredients:

1 sheet Frozen Puff Pastry, thawed
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 c. Sugar
3/4 t. Lemon Juice
3/4 t. Vanilla Extract
1 T. Sour Cream
1 Egg
1 T. Milk

Makes 6 servings.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Cream the mixture until smooth. Set aside.
Unfold the puff pastry and lay it on a floured cutting board. Lightly roll out the pastry until it looks more like a rectangle that a square. Roll the pastry so that the two lines left from the folds are elongated and running vertically. These lines are important for the next step.
Your pastry should have three even sections running vertically. The center section is where you will place the cream cheese mixture. With the other two sections, use a sharp paring knife make 1/2" slices going horizontally down the pastry.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture onto the middle section of pastry and evenly spread it out. It should look like you have fringe running down each side of the cream cheese. Take each strip of pastry and fold it across the top of the cream cheese to the other side of the pastry, alternating sides until you reach the bottom. Secure the last strips of pastry underneath the pastry and transfer it to a greased cookie sheet.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk until blended. Brush it onto the top of the pastry using a basting brush.
Bake your pastry for 20-25 minutes, moving to the very top rack for the last 5 minutes of cooking to help the top achieve a nice brown color. Remove, cook slightly and slice into 6 pieces.

Pretty things....

2010-08-21T18:19:00.001-07:00

I LOVE LOVE LOVE finding treats like these at the grocery store. Golden Raspberries. Aren't they lovely? My daughter ate every last one of them, so tempting were they. Anywho, Just wanted to share my beautiful find.
So sorry for the lack of posts lately!!! I have been up in Utah visiting family for the last week or so. But I am BACK and ready to share some more great recipes with all of you, so stay tuned!

Seared Flank Steak with Pear Puree and Pancetta Hash

2010-08-04T20:13:00.000-07:00

Are any of you Hell's Kitchen fans? I admit that this season, I have HAD to watch it. I love watching the challenges the contestants are faced with. Everything always looks SO amazing and I often wish that I was eating what they are cooking as I watch the show. Last night, the remaining contestants were challenged to recreate one of chef Ramsay's dishes that he had prepared for them, going only off of the taste.....no recipe. It was venison with a pear puree and pancetta hash with a beef glaze drizzled around it. It looked AMAZING.
I have been craving that dish all. day. long. So I decided to recreate my own version, using flank steak instead of the not so readily available venison. I honestly have no Idea what was in the dish besides the meat and puree, so I just guessed on the rest.
It turned out fantastic and the funny thing is, it only took me about 20-25 minutes to make!
Give it a try if you would like something unique and delicious, but fast and easy.

Ingredients:

2 lb Flank Steak or London Broil(let sit at room temperature 30 min. before searing!)
Kosher Salt and Pepper, to taste
Herbs De Provence, to taste
2 c. Beef Stock
1 Russet Potato, Peeled and cubed
3 Anjou Pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 T. Butter
3 T. Heavy Cream
1 Carrot, peeled and finely diced
1/2 Sweet Onion, finely diced
1 Anjou Pear,peeled and finely diced
3/4 c. Pancetta, finely diced

For the Steak: Coat both sides of the steak liberally with salt, pepper, and the herbs. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the Flank steak and sear on both sides. Cook to medium rare or medium. *flank steak is best cooked to this degree. Any more done and it will be tough.
Remove the steak from the pan and tent with foil on a plate. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes. To serve: Slice on an angle into thin strips, going against the grain.

For the glaze: Pour the stock into a small saucepan and heat to simmering. Let it continue to simmer until it is reduced to about 1/4 c. Remove from heat. The glaze should be thick and syrupy. You only need a little bit to accent the dish.

For the Pear Puree: Add the cubed pear and potato to a large saucepan and cover with water. Heat on the stove until the water is boiling. Continue to cook the potato and pear until they are both tender. Drain the cooking water off of the pear and potato and put back on medium heat. Let the dish cook until all the remaining liquid is cooked off. Remove the pan from the stove and add the butter, cream, and salt to taste. Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Keep warm until service.

For the Pancetta Hash: Heat a saute pan to medium high and add the pancetta. Cook for 2 minutes, then add in the carrot, onion, and pear. Saute the mixture until the ingredients begin to caramelize. The carrot should be soft.

To serve: Spoon the pear puree onto the plate and top with several thin slices of beef. Spoon the hash across the center of the dish and then drizzle the glaze around the edges. Enjoy!!!

A few tips:

You should be able to cook all the dishes at once, as long as you have a stove with four burners. Keep items that are finished cooking before others warm in an oven set to 170 degrees.
If you can not find or do not have an Herbs De Provence mixture, use a blend of thyme and oregano.
When making this dish during the Fall season, substitute the carrot for sweet potato or squash to make the most of Autumns vegetables!

Swiss Parmesan Salad

2010-08-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

This salad is one of summers easiest and best. It's so simple with a simple dressing to boot. Garlic and Lemon give it the zing while toasted slivered almonds add the crunch. Whenever I make this for dinner I find myself snacking on the leftovers for at least two days. Yes, it is so yummy that I will eat it even if the lettuce is a bit soggy. I think it's the bacon.

Ingredients:

1 head Iceberg Lettuce, washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
12 oz. Smoked Bacon, diced and cooked until crisp.
1/2 c. Slivered Almonds, toasted
2 c. Swiss Cheese, grated
2 c. Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
3/4 c. Canola oil
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 c. Lemon Juice
3 garlic cloves, minced

For the dressing: In a seal-able container, combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly and shake until the ingredients are combined. Chill until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, bacon, almonds, tomatoes, and Swiss cheese. Pour half the dressing over the salad and then toss with tongs until the ingredients are well distributed and the dressing coats the salad. Add more dressing, if desired.

Creme Brulee

2010-07-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite desserts of all time(I think I say that about every dessert I post) is Creme Brulee. It is surprisingly easy to make, the real trick with this dish being that it needs to be closely watched and not overcooked. If the custard is cooked too long it will curdle and separate. Not yummy. So watch it carefully!
I spent many baking sessions perfecting the ratio of cream to eggs and I think that this is the perfect balance. Not to egg-y and just thick enough. Let me know what you think if you try this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Heavy cream
1 ½ cups Half & half
½ teaspoon Vanilla
¼ cups Sugar
6 Egg yolks
Superfine sugar

Preheat oven to 300º.

In a large small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and half & half. Bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sugar. Whisk until smooth and pale yellow. About 2-3 minutes. Quickly stir the cream mixture into the egg mixture one cup at a time. * Adding all the cream at once will cause the egg yolks to cook and curdle*.

Place 6 ramekins inside of a large baking dish. Pour egg/cream mixture into each ramekin so that mixture is evenly divided among them. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven, keeping the oven rack pulled out about 1/3 of the way. Pour boiling hot water into the baking dish until it reaches about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the ramekins. *This is what is called baking in a hot water bath. Cooking the cream brulee in a hot water bath will allow the custard to fully cook, but not curdle*. Slowly slide the rack back into the oven.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the cream brulee is set, but not firm (will jiggle slightly when lightly shaken). Remove from water bath and let cool for 10 – 15 minutes. Move to the refrigerator and let cool for a further hour and a half to two hours.

Just before service, remove cream brulee from the refrigerator. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon+ of superfine sugar on top of each custard, making sure that all surfaces are coated. With a brulee torch (a small torch designed specifically for the caramelization of sugar) caramelize the sugar on each custard. The surface of each custard should be a dark golden color with a glasslike texture.

Serves 6

*Note - If you do not have a small torch, you can caramalize your sugar under an oven broiler. Watch it VERY closely if you try it this way.

*Also, cream brulee is just as good hot, if you don't want to wait for it to cool!

Herb Crusted Salmon

2010-07-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

For Nikki in her search for good fish recipes, here is my all time favorite. Salmon fillets brushed with melted butter and then crusted in fresh herbs. You can use any herb combination that you like. I usually combine fresh thyme, oregano, parsley and rosemary. But you can also use basil or chives or as few or many herbs as you like. Try cooking this on the grill(wrapped in foil still) during the summer time. Serve it with roasted potatoes(Did I tell you I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for $5? I found a 5 lb. bag of fingerling potatoes at Costco for$5!!!) and broccoli or asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 large fillet of Salmon, skin on is fine
1/2 c. Butter, melted
1/4 c. Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/8 c. Fresh Thyme, chopped
1/8 c. Fresh Oregano, chopped
1/8 c. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 T. Kosher Salt
1 t. Ground Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Set out a baking sheet and tear two sheets of tin foil , each 1/2 times the length of the baking sheet. Lay the foil overlapping on the baking sheet so that the salmon fillet can be wrapped in it once it's ready to bake.
Lay the Salmon fillet on top of the tin foil on the baking sheet. Brush the entire fillet with the melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the herbs, salt, and pepper *Do not do this step before this point or the the mixture will become wet and difficult to sprinkle.
Sprinkle the herb mixture over the salmon, making sure that all areas are evenly covered. Pat down to help it stick.
Wrap the foil loosely over the salmon and place in the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes and is no longer translucent. Do not overcook!

I hope you love this dish as much as I do!!

Best of the Best

2010-07-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

If you ever get the chance to go to New Zealand, pick up a few bottles of this stuff. It is by far the best ketchup(New Zealander's call it tomato sauce) that I have ever had. It's sweet and tangy and so.....tomato-y. My sister has been living in NZ for the last year and gave me a bottle of it for my birthday(alright, fine. She sent us home some for Christmas and I fairly begged her to send me some for my birthday. It's just that good).

*A little disclaimer, however. The deliciousness of this sauce has caused me to eat over 1 1/4 pounds of ground beef in the last 24 hours. So be wary and pace yourselves.

Featured on bitty bits & pieces

2010-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

My oh-so kind former neighbor, Kim Walus of bitty bits and pieces has done a very(and I mean VERY) nice feature on this blog.

You can check it out here.

Also, take look around at her site. She is immensely talented with a needle and thread and makes amazing quilts and crafts!

Thanks, Kim! You are wonderful!

Quick Tip #1.........Eggs!

2010-07-23T21:39:00.001-07:00

When you cook your eggs in boiling water, add a little olive oil too. It will make peeling them super easy and the olive oil adds a nice, subtle flavor to the egg also. Don't do this, however, if you are making hard boiled eggs to dye. The oil will repel the vinegar in the dye. Works great for everyday hard or soft-boiled eggs, though!

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2010-07-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

These little lemon cupcakes are filled with a lemon curd to give it that really "lemon meringue pie" sort of taste, along with a Swiss meringue piped on the top and toasted.

I found Meyer lemons at the grocery store and was so excited! Finding little treats like that is a rare occurrence in this town. Click here to learn more about Meyer Lemons... they are just lovely.

If you would like to make these cupcakes, simply find a lemon cake recipe that you like(or use a boxed mix) and bake in cupcake wrappers. When they have cooled down, cut the tops off, fill with a little bit of lemon curd. Make a Swiss Meringue, pipe on top of the cupcakes, and toast underneath your oven broiler until lightly browned (it only takes a 30 seconds or so, so watch them closely!!)
Here are my recipes for a lemon curd and Swiss Meringue:

Lemon Curd:
2 1/3 cups sugar
4 t. cornstarch
1 cup lemon juice
4 large Eggs
4 large Egg Yolks
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, cut into ½ inch cubes

For Curd:

Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a heavy large saucepan. Slowly add the key lime juice, whisking until all cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Add butter. Stir over medium heat until curd boils and thickens, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Chill until cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
*Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd to prevent crust from forming and keep chilled.

Swiss Meringue:
2 large egg white
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the meringue:Put the sugar, cream of tartar, and egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (the bowl should not be touching the water) and allow the sugar to melt into the eggs. Once warmed, add the vanilla and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 3 - 5 minutes, set aside.

A few tips~

* Lemon curd can be made up to a week in advance.
* Try using other citrus juices to make curd with, such as key limes or Meyer lemons.
* You can use a creme brulee torch to toast your meringue, but I think it is a little too time consuming and prefer the broiler method.
* Keep these cupcakes in the fridge, I think they taste even better cold!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffle Mousse Torte

2010-07-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Recipe to come as soon as I have time to post it!

Balsamic Caramel Apple Cream Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Mash

2010-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the results from Saturdays Black Box! My very sweet husband really surprised me by saying that this dish was in his top five favorites of all time. I think it's the sauce that makes it special. I will defiantly be making this again when autumn rolls around. The apple sauce and sweet potatoes really embody fall cooking. This is why I love black box. It gives you the opportunity to create something entirely new that sometimes turns out very yummy!

To make the sweet potato mash, simply peel and cube sweet potatoes and then boil until tender. Drain and mash with a little sour cream, brown sugar, and salt. Serve with the chops.

Ingredients:

4 Pork chops, bone-in or loin chops
2 T. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Kosher Salt, to taste
2 T. Olive oil
2 T. Butter
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and diced(1/4" cubes)
1/4 red onion, sliced into thin strips
3 T. Brown sugar
1 pinch Kosher Salt
3/4 c. Heavy Cream
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large saute pan, heat the oil to shimmering. Coat the pork chops with the rosemary and salt on both sides and add to the hot oil. Sear until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. When both sides are browned, remove from the pan and place in a baking dish. Place in the oven to finish cooking(about 5-8 minutes more) while you make the pan sauce.
Add the butter to the pan the pork was cooked in. Stir the butter as it melts to remove the browned bits from the bottom of the pan *this will give you a lot of flavor!
Add the apples and onions and saute over medium heat until the apple begins to caramelize. Add the brown sugar and salt to the mixture and stir until dissolved. Let cook for 1 minute more and then pour in the cream and balsamic vinegar. Stir will and let the sauce cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cream reduces a bit and is thick and caramely.
Remove the pork chops from the oven and serve with the sweet potato mash. Pour the cream sauce over the pork chops.
*The potatoes are great eaten with the sauce also!

Black Box!

2010-07-17T10:36:00.001-07:00

Black box is my favorite way to creatively get rid of food that needs to be used up.
I used to work at an eating disorder treatment center as the head of the culinary department where I would teach weekly cooking classes to the clients. This was one of my favorite things to throw on them. I would gather all the items I had in the kitchen that needed to be used, set them on the counter and set them to the task of creating a meal using every ingredient there.
Always so much fun and they often came up with great results!
I still like to do it myself when the need arises, so, without further ado, today's participants are.........

Pork chops that have been in my freezer forever.
Granny Smith apples that are getting quite old.
Rosemary left over from the Rigatoni Alla Amatricana.
Red onion left over from the Mediterranean Pizza.
Balsamic vinegar, which I have bought too many bottles of.
An extra container of sour cream. I go through a lot of ranch dip, people.
Slowly aging sweet potatoes.

Check back later for the results of today's black box! let's hope it's edible...(just kidding! This is a pretty good group of ingredients.)
What do you make with your leftover food?

Rigatoni Alla Amatricana

2010-07-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my favorite pasta dish of all time made with the lovely canned Italian plum tomatoes I brought back from my vacation. And boy did they live up to my expectations. All I had to season the sauce with was salt and the flavor was perfect. Usually I have to add brown sugar to most tomato sauces to off-set the bitterness of the tomato, but these were just right on their own! I first had this pasta at an incredible Italian restaurant in Cache Valley called Le Nonne. This is my version of it....almost exactly the same except I use bacon and add chopped rosemary to mine. Traditionally, Amatricana sauce is made with a smoked pancetta, but that can be hard to find and is usually on the expensive side. If you can find it and afford it, USE IT. If not, use a center cut bacon if you can. There will be less fat to trim and the slices will be thinner.
Ingredients:

24 oz. Canned Plum Tomatoes
12 oz. Bacon, cut into small slices(trim what fat you can)
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 Yellow Onion, small dice
1 1/2 T. Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Liquid Smoke, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
12-16 oz. (dry weight) Rigatoni pasta, cooked *cook more or less, depending on how you like your pasta/sauce ratio.

Place the plum tomatoes(and the sauce that comes with them) in a food processor.
Puree until smooth and then set aside.
Place a large saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until it starts to brown, stirring occasionally. This is a good time to start cooking your rigatoni, also.
When the bacon starts to brown, but is not yet fully cooked(see above), add the rosemary and the onion.
Adding the onion and rosemary at this stage will allow the bacon to become crisp and colorful while allowing the onion to soften and soak up that bacony flavor.
If the bacon isn't cooked to this stage it will be mushy and fatty once it is cooked in the sauce
When the bacon is golden and the onions are soft, add the pureed tomatoes and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, add the salt and liquid smoke to taste. *I add the smoke flavoring because I find this sauce is best when it has a little help from the flavoring to add in what the bacon didn't. It just needs that little extra 'kick'.
The sauce is finished when the tomato sauce has reduced enough that you can see chunks of bacon at the top. Adjust seasonings.

Drain the cooked rigatoni and add it to the pot of sauce. Toss the pasta until the noodles are well coated and serve. *One of the best things about this sauce? It clings to every surface of the noodles. And that makes me happy. I love my sauce, and lots of it!

Watermelon Agua Fresca

2010-07-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Do you ever cut up a watermelon and wonder how in the world your family will eat it all? This is my solution. I save half a sliced watermelon for my family to eat, and with the other half I make my favorite summertime drink! This is a popular drink in Mexico, sold commonly by street vendors. Agua fresca means "fresh water". Fresh indeed, and great for summer bbq's!

Ingredients:

1/2 Watermelon, seeded and cut into a large cubes
4 small limes, juiced
Sprite or Ginger Ale, to taste

In several batches, fill a blender to the top with watermelon and pour in sprite until half way full. Puree until the watermelon is liquid. Strain the juice into a pitcher *I pour the juice through a small sieve first, and then again through a very fine sieve that only lets liquid through. I have pulp issues. Repeat until all the watermelon is used up. Add the lime juice to the pitcher and then fill the rest of the way full with sprite, if desired. You shouldn't need any extra sugar...the soda and melon should add enough sweetness on it's own. Chill and serve!

Flourless Chocolate Raspberry Cakes

2010-07-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

This has long since been one of my favorite desserts. Served chilled, these individual cakes are dense in texture and rich in flavor. I top mine with a white chocolate cream(for which the recipe is embarrassingly easy) and a fresh raspberry. To plate them individually, set them on top of a raspberry coulis for more raspberry flavor.
You can bake these cakes in muffin tins or 1/2 c. ramekins. For small servings(this cake is rich), I bake mine in mini bunt molds.
I promise these will be a hit anywhere you serve them! I sent my husband to work with a plate of them and he seemed quite upset that I didn't save more for us to eat(meaning himself) =)
*This recipe is gluten free!

Ingredients(Chocolate Raspberry Cakes):

8 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 T. (1 3/4 sticks) Butter, diced
2 T. Seedless Raspberry Jam
4 large Eggs
1/4 c. Sugar
1 T. Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease 6 1/2c. ramekins(arrange dishes on a baking sheet) or 9 Muffin tins.
Place the chocolate, butter, and jam in a saucepan. Melt over medium/low heat, stirring well, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm, stirring often, about 10 minutes.
While the chocolate mixture is cooling, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture.
Divide the batter among prepared dishes. Bake cakes until a tester inserted into the center comes out with some moist batter still attached, about 20 minutes.
Let cool. serve cakes warm, room temperature, or cold.

Ingredients(white chocolate cream):

10 oz. good quality White Chocolate Chips
16 oz. Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed.
Melt the white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl over a hot water bath. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Melt 1/2. c. of the whipped topping and whisk into the white chocolate *This will help the chocolate not to harden when the whipped topping is folded in.
Add the remaining whipped topping to the mixture and gently, but quickly ford it into the chocolate. Chill the mixture, stirring it on occasion to help it set evenly.

Ingredients(Raspberry Coulis):

1 c. fresh or frozen Raspberries
2 T. Sugar

Place the raspberries and sugar in a small food processor. Puree until liquid. Strain the puree through a sieve and chill.

Mediterranean Pizza

2010-07-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

In honor of my friend Amy's request, here is a summery pizza with a vegetarian spin on it. Instead of using traditional tomato sauce, the crust is coated in pesto. Mozzarella and feta cheese are melted on top along with fresh basil, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onions, olives and bell peppers for an authentic Mediterranean taste.
*I used a few blanched and skinned bell peppers that I had left over from the Heirloom Tomato Bisque. If you don't want to go to that much trouble, just slice raw bell peppers or use canned roasted bell peppers. Both will work just fine.
**Add grilled cubes of chicken for a meatier version. I like it either way!

Ingredients:

1 Refrigerated Pizza Crust (I use Pillsbury when I don't want to make my own!)
1/4-1/3 c. Pre-made Pesto (Costco & Sam's sell HUGE bottles for around $5 - just freeze what you don't use)
10 oz. Shredded Mozzarella
1/3 c. Feta, crumbled
1/4 c. Fresh Basil Leaves, packed
1/3 c. Canned Artichoke Hearts, Chopped
1/3 c. Black Olives, quartered lengthwise (or use Kalamata olives for a stronger flavor)
1/3 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper, sliced 1/4"x2"
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
On a greased cookie sheet, spread out your dough in a rectangular shape.
Evenly spread the pesto on top of the dough leaving 1/4" uncovered along the edge.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and feta cheeses evenly across the surface.
Lay the basil leaves flat on top of the cheese, placing evenly across the surface.
Evenly sprinkle the artichoke hearts, olives, onion and peppers over the pizza.
Bake the pizza for 20-25 minutes on the top rack of the oven.
When the pizza looks like it has 2-3 more minutes to cook, remove from the oven and top with the tomatoes. Return to the oven and bake for a few more minutes. Cheese should be lightly browned in spots when the pizza is done. *adding the tomatoes at the end of cooking will stop them from becoming mushy and leave them more fresh and juicy.
Slice the pizza into squares and serve. Makes 12 slices.

Heirloom Tomato Bisque with Basil Butter

2010-07-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for an appetizer soup to impress, try this one. Heirloom tomatoes have that garden fresh taste that you can't find in any other store bought tomato. Colors range from deep purple, red, orange, green and yellow. I used a variety for this recipe with the majority being yellow for a lighter colored soup.
The basil butter is the perfect complimentary topping when you serve the soup hot. It melts into the soup, not only imparting a basil infused butter, but the solids melt into a green foam that looks so pretty against the orange soup.
If you want to serve the soup cold in the hotter summer months, simply stop blending the butter when it is still at the cream stage and you will have a nice, cold basil cream to drizzle on top.
Ingredients(Basil Butter):

5-6 large Fresh Basil Leaves(washed), stems removed
3/4 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 t. Salt

Place the basil leaves and cream in a small saucepan and place on a stove top over medium heat. As soon as the cream begins to simmer, remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the mixture into a plastic container and refrigerate until cold. When the mixture has chilled, pour it into a small food processor or chopper. Add the salt and begin pureeing *If you want a basil cream, puree for about 30 seconds and then remove the cream, cover and chill. To make butter, continue to blend for a good 2+ minutes, or until a butter has formed. Drain the remaining liquid and refrigerate the butter until ready to use.

Ingredients(Heirloom Tomato Bisque):

2 lb. Heirloom Tomatoes, washed
1/2 Bell Pepper(orange or yellow), washed and seeded.
2 T. Butter
1/2 Vidalia Onion(yellow will work too), cut into a small dice
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 bay leaf
4 c. Chicken Stock(use vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian soup)
1 c. Heavy Cream
Kosher salt and pepper to taste *I used a grinder with black, green, and pink peppercorns and it looked so pretty ground on top of the soup!

Begin by removing the stems from the tomatoes. You want to remove the skin of the tomatoes and pepper before chopping the tomatoes. The easiest method is to blanch them. Fill a stock pot with about 4" of water and bring to a boil. With a slotted spoon, gently drop each tomato(and 1/2 pepper) into the boiling water and let cook for about 30 seconds each.

Working quickly(you don't want to overcook the tomatoes yet!), remove the tomatoes from the water using your slotted spoon and place on a paper towel or wash cloth to cool.

Once the tomatoes have cooled, you should be able to easily slip off the skins. After removing the skins, seed and dice the tomatoes(and pepper) and then set aside.

In a large stock pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for one minute more.

Add the diced tomato, pepper, and bay leaf and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes, or until the tomato liquid is reduced by half.

Add the chicken broth to the tomato mixture and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for at least 30 minutes, or until steam stops rising from it.

Remove Bay leaf. Place the soup in a blender(you may have to blend in 2 or more batches) and puree for at least 45 seconds, or until the soup is smooth.

Transfer back to the stockpot. Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring back to a simmer. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

To Serve: Garnish with a thin slice of an heirloom tomato, a scoop of basil butter, and a dash of freshly ground pepper.

Serves 6.

Brie & Raspberry Salad with Chicken....and Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette

2010-07-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

This is the PERFECT summer salad. Raspberries are in season and at their cheapest right now, so it's a great time to throw them into a salad and make a dressing with them, BOTH of which this recipe contains.
Before I share the recipe, let me tell you of my love for Brie. I LOVE it. So much(you too, Honey! I know you read this blog.).
I was most upset to find that pregnancy rules out the eating of many soft-ripened cheeses(because most are made with unpasteurized milk), my beloved brie being one of them.
I was at Costco the other day and found myself looking at their assortment of brie's, wishing one could be mine. THEN, I actually read the label and found that 3 of their brands of brie were made with PASTEURIZED MILK. Yes. I was quite put out that I have spent the last 3 months avoiding brie at all costs when I could have gone through 3 rounds by now.
So I am making up for missed cheese consumption and this salad is one of the ways I am doing it.
Enjoy! This recipe is very simple, so ingredient amounts will just be estimated.

Ingredients(DRESSING):

1 c. Fresh Raspberries, washed
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1/4 c. Canola Oil
1/4 c. Raspberry Vinegar
1 T. Lemon Juice
1/2 t. Dijon Mustard
1/4 c. Sugar (will need to add more to taste)

For the dressing, place all ingredients in a small food processor. Blend until the mixture is completely emulsified. At this point, taste the dressing and add more sugar, if needed(I added orange blossom honey...a LOT of orange blossom honey, and it was fantastic).

Once the dressing seasoning is adjusted to your taste, strain through a small sieve to remove the raspberry seeds and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Ingredients(SALAD):

Baby Spring Greens, washed(Costco and Sam's sell bulk containers for cheeeeep.)
Fresh Raspberries, washed
Brie, sliced into long strips, cubes, whatever you like. De-rind if you prefer it that way.
Chicken, grilled or pan-fried(Season generously with salt and pepper!!) and sliced into strips.

For the salad, simply pile the desired amount of each ingredient on dinner plates, making sure all the ingredients are well distributed. Make sure the chicken in HOT! It will make the brie all gooey and melty. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.

*This salad is also great served with a blueberry compote in place of the raspberries and dressing. Try is sometime!

I come bearing gifts.....

2010-07-10T16:31:00.001-07:00

I know I've been absent on this blog for a while, but with good reason, I assure you =). My husband and I took a little trip to California over the fourth of July weekend to escape the brutal Vegas heat. Lucky for us, his grandma lives a block from the beach so we got to spend a lot of time by the ocean(and it's only a 4 hour drive!)
But I brought you all back something special....canned Italian plum tomatoes!!!
OK, maybe that doesn't sound very exciting, but believe me. If you want to make the very best tomato sauce for pasta of your life, this is ESSENTIAL. I found a great Italian deli by the Pier full of Italian imports.
I don't know what it is about those little tomatoes, but they are so much more flavorful than the boring canned variety we have around here. You can find tomatoes like these in Italian specialty stores(make sure the can says PLUM tomatoes!). World market also carries them.
Look for a Rigatoni Alla Amatricana recipe to come soon, using these beauties!

Braised Beef Short Ribs

2010-06-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

This dish makes an excellent Sunday night dinner. There is a little bit of prep to do before you can get it in the crock pot, but it's well worth it. I did the prep before I left for church, and then it cooks for about 6 hours. Then you just need to finish the sauce and it's ready to serve. I paired the short ribs with mashed potatoes mixed with a little chive and onion cream cheese. SUPER good, and the sauce makes a fantastic gravy for the potatoes.
*If you can't find beef short ribs in the store(which can get a bit pricey), country style will work also.

Ingredients:

2 lb. Beef Short Ribs
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 c. Flour
2 T. Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, diced(small)
2 Carrots, peeled and diced(small)
2 Celery stalks, diced(small)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Tomato Paste
3 c. Red wine(Cabernet sauvignon or Merlot work great)
2 c. Beef Stock
1 Fresh Rosemary Sprig

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour. In a large saute pan, heat the oil. Brown the ribs on all sides and transfer to the base of a slow cooker. Top the beef with the rosemary sprig.

Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pan and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Add one cup of the wine and stir until all browned bits are removed from the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by 3/4. Add the remaining wine and beef stock. Bring to a simmer. Pour the liquid and vegetables over the beef and rosemary. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours(or 4 on high).

When the ribs are tender, remove them from the slow cooker and keep warm on a plate in the oven. Discard the rosemary stem. Allow the liquid and vegetables to cool for a few minutes before pureeing. Transfer equal amounts of liquid and vegetables to a blender and puree for 30-45 seconds. The puree should be perfectly smooth. If not, pass the sauce through a sieve before transferring to a saucepan. Once the sauce is completely pureed, pour into a saucepan and heat to simmering. Let simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until the sauce reaches the thickness you would like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the short ribs and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Strawberry Pana Cotta

2010-06-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is a classic Italian dessert that basically consists of cream set with gelatin. The literal translation of panna cotta is 'cooked cream'. This recipe is flavored with fresh, pureed strawberries. I like to make a strawberry coulis by pureeing an extra cup or two of the berries, straining the seeds and combining with sugar to serve on the side of the panna cotta as a dessert sauce.
This recipe calls for 1 package of gelatin, but, if your feeling ambitious, try only adding 3/4 of the package instead of the full. The best panna cottas are set with the smallest amount of gelatin possible.
*** These panna cottas are deceptively easy!***

Ingredients: Serves 6

3 cups Strawberries, stems removed
1 1/2 c. 1% Milk
1/2 c. Whipping cream
1/3 c. Sugar
1 envelope gelatin(Knox is a great brand)
1/2 t. Vanilla

Puree 2 cups of strawberries in a food processor. Pour puree through a strainer, pressing with a rubber spatula to extract as much puree as possible. Discard the remaining seeds. Reserve puree.
Whisk the milk, cream, and sugar in a heavy medium saucepan.
Sprinkle the gelatin over the liquid and let it stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
Whisk the mixture constantly over low heat just until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture is lukewarm(about 3 min.) Remove from heat.
Whisk in the pureed strawberries and vanilla.
Divide the mixture evenly among 6 3/4c. custard cups or molds. ***Very lightly greasing the molds with a canola oil cooking spray before filling will help the panna cottas come out easier when serving.
Refrigerate the panna cottas for at least 4 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, use your pointer finger to lightly pull the edges of the panna cotta away from the mold. This will help loosen it and enable you to invert the mold onto a plate without the dessert breaking.
Garnish the panna cotta with a strawberry coulis, or toss sliced strawberries in honey and spoon over the top of the panna cotta.

Chicken Fricassee

2010-06-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

The sauce on this dish is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Sort of a cross between a chicken veloute and a hollindase, it's smooth and creamy and lemony and just makes me happy. I'm a sucker for a good sauce.
This recipe comes from a giant text book of recipes from the Le Cordon Bleu school. It is very authentically French and is really quite easy.
Chicken thighs are great for braised dishes, such as this. Cooked for long enough, they are always tender and flavorful.

Ingredients: Serves 6.

12 Chicken Thighs (boneless & skinless)
Kosher Salt to taste
White pepper to taste
3 oz. Butter
1 large Sweet Onion, cut into strips(1/4"X2")
1/4 c. Flour
24 oz. Chicken Stock
1 Bay Leaf
1 small piece Celery
4 Parsley Stems
1/4 t. Thyme leaves
1 Egg Yolk
1/2 c. Heavy Cream
Lemon Juice, to taste
Nutmeg(ground), to taste

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in a deep-sided frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and the onion. Saute very lightly so that the chicken is seared on all sides, but do not brown.
Add the flour and stir so that it combines with the butter to form a roux. Cook for 2 minutes without browning.
Gradually stir in enough stock to cover the chicken. ***adding the stock slowly and stirring after each addition until the sauce has thickened will prevent lumps from forming.
Add the herbs, tied in a cheese cloth. ***I use a tea ball(those little mesh balls with a chain attached for brewing tea), stuff the herbs into it, close it, and hang it from the top of the pan so that the ball is submerged in the broth. You don't want herbs floating around in this dish or it will ruin the effect of the flawlessly creamy sauce.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for an additional 40-45 minutes, or until the thighs are very tender. Make sure to stir occasionally while cooking so that the bottom does not brown.
Remove the chicken from the sauce and keep it warm in a covered pan or a plate covered with tin foil.
Strain the remaining sauce in the pan and discard solids. Press on the solids in the herb sachet to extract juices into the sauce and discard solids. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce until thickened, if necessary.
In a bowl, combine the egg yolk and cream. Temper with a little bit of the hot sauce and then add the egg mixture to the sauce and stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL. ***Temper means to slowly add small amounts of a hot liquid to a cold to warm it up, so that it does not curdle the mixture when the hot liquid is added all at once.
Remove the sauce from the heat. Season to taste with the lemon juice and nutmeg. Add more salt and white pepper, if needed. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Serve with basil mashed potatoes, or a colorful rice pilaf.

Iced Mint Lemonade

2010-06-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Vegas is hot in the summer. REAL hot. I made this refreshing drink yesterday, hoping to have something cool to drink that would help beat the heat(and taste good!). I make this drink every summer and it is always the perfect thing to have in the fridge during the hot summer months. The mint really adds a cool, fresh flavor.
Sadly, pregnancy has decided to not allow me the pleasure of drinking such acidic beverages as real lemonade. One sip and I could feel the heartburn flaring up.

What?!? I'm not making this drink sound appetizing? Let me assure you that my non-pregnant husband was able to drink and enjoy plenty. So, enjoy. Unless you are pregnant, then just stay far, far away until next summer =)

*Note - Make sure the mint you are using is actually mint. I am well known for one summer picking my own "mint" down by a river bed, making a delightful(so I thought) lemonade with it, and then accidentally serving everyone what should have really been called 'Catnip Lemonade'. True story.

Ingredients:

1 large bunch of fresh Mint
5-6 Lemons
Water, to taste
Sugar or Honey, to taste

Remove the mint leaves from the stems and place in a small saucepan. Fill the pan with water, just until the mint leaves are covered. Heat the water just until it begins to simmer, and then cover the pan and remove from heat.

Keeping the lid on the pan, allow the mint to steep in the water for as long as you like. About an hour for a moderately minty flavor, several hours for a stronger mint taste.

Meanwhile, while your mint is steeping, juice your lemons and then pour the juice through a small strainer into a pitcher.

*Tip* To make the lemons easier to juice, heat each lemon for about 20 seconds in the microwave and then firmly roll on the counter to soften before cutting in half and juicing.

Fill your pitcher of lemon juice 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with water. Pour the mint water into the lemonade(strain first and press the solids into the strainer to extract maximum mint flavor!)

Add sugar or honey to taste( I like honey best), fill your pitcher with ice, sliced lemons, and mint leaves and serve!

This recipe is super easy and doesn't really need a picture tutorial. But I like taking pictures of food. So there you go.

Working with Phyllo Dough

2010-06-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few tips to help you along when working with this fragile Greek pastry:

Defrost your frozen dough in the fridge-not on the counter. This will keep it more moist as it thaws and prevent it from drying out faster once it's opened.
Before opening your phyllo, get out two dish towels and lightly dampen one of them. Make sure that the damp towel is not soaking with water or your phyllo will become soggy. It should be barely moist. Lay the dry towel on the counter. Open your phyllo and lay it on the dry towel, carefully straightening the dough. Cover the top layer of dough with the damp towel. This will keep your phyllo from drying out as you use it(and no one wants to work with paper-thin shreds!). As you use each piece of dough, remember to put the towel back over the remaining stack.
Use a large basting brush for covering your pastry in butter or oil. The larger the brush, the quicker the space is covered, leaving less time for it to dry and crack.
When making phyllo wrapped pastries or purses, make sure to brush the butter all the way to the edges(even past!) of the dough. This will ensure that when you fold your pastry over it will not crack and break and all your edges will be smooth.
Can't find the phyllo dough in your grocery store? Check the frozen section. Phyllo is usually kept amongst the frozen fruits, cool whips, and frozen desserts.

Happy brushing!

Mediterranean Tomato Phyllo Tart

2010-06-23T18:42:00.001-07:00

I love making this tart in the summertime, when the tomatoes start to become ripely flavored and deep red. I like to leave the edges of the phyllo raw and flaky for that nice, rustic look. Try making this for a light dinner on a hot summer night. It's great served with a salad of fresh baby greens and balsamic dressing. I made this last night and my husband ate half the pan!
*Note that this recipe does not need a lot of salt. The pesto and the salty feta will add enough flavor on their own.

Ingredients: Serves 6-8

1 roll Phyllo Dough
1/4 c. Olive Oil(more if needed)
1/4 c. Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 c. Pesto(Costco has a great one for cheap! Just keep the extra in your freezer.)
1 c. Feta Cheese
6 small/medium tomatoes(vine-ripened work great for this dish), cut into 5-6 slices per tomato
2 Chicken breasts, cooked(season w/ salt and pepper!) and cut into 1/2" cubes
Kosher salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin by lightly greasing a cookie sheet. Lay three sheets of Phyllo dough overlapping across the sheet so that the entire sheet is covered.
With a basting brush, lightly brush the olive oil over the surface of the phyllo, ensuring that all but the edges of the dough are covered.

Sprinkle about 1 1/2 T. of the breadcrumbs over the oil covered phyllo dough, evenly covering the surface. Repeat the last three steps(phyllo layer, oil layer, breadcrumb layer) until all the phyllo is used up.

Place the pesto onto the phyllo dough and use a basting brush to spread it out evenly.

Sprinkle half of the feta cheese evenly across the surface of the pesto covered phyllo dough
Lay the tomato slices evenly across the top of the tart, covering all surfaces.

Sprinkle the remaining feta and the diced chicken evenly atop the tomatoes.

Bake the tart for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are golden brown and flaky and the phyllo on the bottom of the tart is crisp. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter and serve.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

2010-06-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

I LOVE raspberry freezer jam(and strawberry!), but, sadly and surprisingly, have never made it. The only jam I have ever made is plum jam. When I lived in Mendon, Utah, we had several wild plums trees all around our house that would bear little tiny reddish-purple plums every fall. One year, my sister and I picked thousands of them, pitted them, and then made a cooked jam, complete with pressure-cooked jars and everything. It was good, but I am happy to say that making raspberry freezer jam was much easier, and only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. (4-6oz. cartons) Fresh Raspberries, crushed(frozen raspberries can also be used)
4 c. Sugar
1 package(3 oz.) Ball liquid pectin
2T. Lemon Juice

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the crushed raspberries and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add the entire package of liquid pectin and the lemon juice to the raspberry mixture and stir continuously for 3 minutes.

Ladle jam into clean, freezer safe containers leaving 1/2" of space in between the jam and the top of the container to allow for expansion. Let stand in the refrigerator until set and then transfer to the freezer(within 24 hours).

The jam will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to a year.

Fills 4-8oz. containers. I made one recipe and I think I am set for the year!!

Velvety Carrot Soup

2010-06-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pureed soups and is SO refreshing served chilled in the summertime. Try chilled, topped with sour cream and diced apples(tossed in lemon juice) during the spring and summer. In the fall and winter months, serve hot drizzled with cream and caramelized apples(add a dash of cinnamon!).
This soup is also VERY healthy, made almost entirely of pureed veggies and chicken stock.Ingredients: Serves 8.

5 T. Olive Oil
1 1/2 c. Shallots, peeled and chopped
2 Leeks, sliced(bulb and lower leaf portion only)
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
6 c. Carrots, peeled and diced
4 T. Sugar
1 T. Kosher Salt
8 c. Chicken Stock
3 c. Carrot Juice
3 T. Grated Ginger, juice extracted and reserved. Discard remaining solids.
2 T. Lemon Juice
2 Medium Apples, peeled and diced(small). Toss with lemon juice to preserve color

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, leeks, and shallots.

Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 5 min.

Stir in the carrots and sugar. Cover stock pot and reduce heat to low.

Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and carrot juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Leaving the pot uncovered, reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the fresh ginger juice and lemon juice to the soup.

Let the soup cool for at least 10 minutes. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender. To get the smoothest puree, I like to fill the blender halfway full of solids, add soup liquid to bring it to 3/4 full and then puree at least 30-45 seconds. If the puree looks to thick while blending, slowly pour more of the soup liquid in through the top hole as it blends. This will help you to achieve a velvet-like texture.

Once the soup is pureed, chill for at least 6 hours or overnight. Or serve hot. Both ways are fantastic!

*To serve - Top soup with sour cream and diced apples. Grilled cheese sandwiches make a great accompaniment.

**To make a vegetarian version, simply substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock.