A Mingling of Tastes

Quinoa-Crust Pizza, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

2012-05-25T10:10:00.000-05:00

This recipe is a lot of fun. I think it's fun for anyone, but if you don't eat gluten, it may be extra fun. I saw it on Tasty Eats at Home, and the description of a chewy pizza crust with olive oil-crisped edges made with little more than quinoa and water sounded too interesting not to try.

You don't even have to steam the quinoa! Just soak it for at least 8 hours, then puree in a food processor or blender with enough water to make a batter. Then you pour it into a hot skillet with a slick of olive oil, listen to it sizzle and bake until golden brown. Add your toppings (I really loaded it up as you can see--maybe a bit too much!), heat 'em up and enjoy.

This reminds me of socca, the chickpea flour flatbread that I absolutely love, yet the flavor and texture are very different. Both are great (gluten-free!) alternatives to traditional pizza crust. Socca is usually eaten as a mostly unadorned flatbread, but I make a slightly thick version and use it as a base for all manner of pizza toppings. When it comes to this quinoa crust, I like the texture so much, I'd happily eat it plain.

Before I get to the recipe, I need to back track. The lovely quinoa pizza you see above was not my first attempt at the recipe. I had some red quinoa that had been languishing forever in my cupboard, so I used that. I always thought the red variety cooked in an identical manner to the more common light brown (blond?) variety, but in the case of this recipe, it didn't work.

Actually, it sort of worked. After soaking overnight, it baked up into a cohesive base for my pizza, but the individual grains remained largely intact--more like a quinoa cake than a batter. There was no soft chewy center, like I was hoping for. I pureed the heck out of it, so that wasn't the problem. Maybe the red quinoa is naturally firmer, or maybe mine was way to old and dried out. Anyway, I was so curious to see if the light quinoa would be different, and it was! Happy ending:)

Here is the red quinoa version, half cheesy, half dairy-free.

You can see the individual grains--not ideal!

Quinoa-Crust Pizza, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Adapted from Tasty Eats at Home

The quinoa must soak for 8 hours or overnight, so plan accordingly! You need a heavy, oven-proof skillet--cast iron is ideal. The quinoa batter should be the consistency of a slightly thin pancake batter. It will not be perfectly smooth, but the individual grains should not remain intact. You can season this with any dried or fresh herbs or spices you want. As far as toppings go, have fun!

Serves 3 to 4

1 1/4 cups light brown (not red) quinoa

7 to 8 tablespoons water

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, oregano, herbs de Provence)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve. Add to a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak at least 8 hours or overnight.

Place a 10-inch (measured across the base) cast iron skillet or heavy, oven-proof skillet on a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450 F. Rinse and drain quinoa. Add to food processor or blender. Add 7 tablespoons water, and salt, herbs and pepper to taste. Puree until individual grains are no longer intact and mixture is the consistency of slightly runny pancake batter, 2 to 3 minutes. Add additional tablespoon of water to thin if necessary.

Take the hot skillet out of the oven and add the oil. Return to oven until oil is hot and shimmering, 1 to 2 minutes. Swirl the oil around the pan to coat and add the quinoa batter, spreading the batter and shaking the pan to form an even layer. Return to oven and cook until bottom side is golden, 10 minutes. Flip with a large spatula (crust should flip easily) and cook until opposite side is golden brown, 10 minutes more.

Switch oven to broil. Flip again and add your toppings. Still in the center of the oven, broil until toppings are hot and cheese is melted, if you are using cheese, 1 to 3 minutes. Watch carefully to avoid burning. If you'd rather not broil, just return to the oven and bake until toppings are heated through. Slide pizza out of the skillet, cut into wedges and serve.

Duck Ragu, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

2012-05-20T15:10:00.000-05:00

I tried a new duck recipe over the weekend, and I'm making it part of my permanent repertoire. I have a favorite recipe for braised duck legs with rustic homemade pasta (the only homemade pasta I make, it's totally worth it, and requires no special tools), but this one caught my eye because it sounded like a nice variation on my favorite.

This takes time--you are slowly braising the duck to make it gorgeously tender--but I consider it an easy recipe. Why? There aren't a lot of steps or fussy prep work. It's just like any other braise or stew: sear the meat, saute aromatics, add cooking liquid (in this case, lots of red wine) and simmer, simmer until duck is tender and sauce is thick. You can get it started and then just hang out and relax while things get tasty.

To me, this ragu is best over polenta, so now we have a naturally gluten-free meal. One note about duck: unfortunately, you can't get it just anywhere (why?!), and it's usually sold frozen, even at the great little butcher shop I go to. Ideally, you'll buy it a day ahead so you have time to defrost. On the plus side, duck legs aren't expensive, and they're just about impossible to mess up when you braise them like this.

Anyone want to share a favorite duck recipe? Or if you know where to get fresh, not frozen, duck legs in Chicago, share!

Duck Ragu, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free

Adapted from thekitchn

If you need enough to serve 4 or 5 people, add an extra duck leg (you will probably need additional wine for the cooking liquid). This is perfect over polenta—I like to make mine with good-tasting chicken broth (I love Kitchen Basics), and if you eat dairy, it’s nice with a little milk or cheese stirred in at the end.

Serves 3

2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

2 duck legs with thighs attached

1/2 large onion, finely chopped (about 2/3 cup)

1 carrot, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon (scant) dried thyme

1 to 1 1/2 cups red wine such as Malbec, Merlot or Pinot Noir

1 (28 ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes (preferably unsalted)

1 rosemary sprig

1 dried bay leaf

Fresh chopped rosemary or parsley for garnish (optional)

Trim and discard excess duck fat, leaving the fat directly covering the meat intact. Score this fat, making 3 or 4 short slashes with a sharp knife, taking care not to cut all the way through to the meat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium-high. Add duck and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Turn off heat and pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pot (if you have a lot of burnt bits or pieces stuck to your pot—this happens to me sometimes—you can discard all the fat, clean out the pot and add 1 tablespoon oil).

Turn heat to medium and add onion and carrot to pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic softens, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the wine, turn heat to high, bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juice, breaking them up with your hands as you add them to the pot. Add rosemary and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.

When duck is cool enough to handle, carefully trim away as much fat as possible (a small sharp paring knife works well). You don’t need to do this, but it means there will be less fat to skim as the ragu cooks. If you are making this a day ahead, you can skip trimming and easily skim the solidified fat once the ragu has chilled.

Add duck to simmering tomato mixture. Add additional wine as needed so that duck is just barely covered with liquid. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook, uncovered, until meat is very tender and easily comes away from the bone, and ragu has thickened, 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Skim fat off the surface and turn duck legs once or twice throughout the cooking process.

Transfer duck to a cutting board. Continue to simmer ragu until reduced to desired thickness, 15 to 30 minutes more. Remove duck meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Return to pot. Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Check seasoning and adjust to taste. Serve over polenta and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Flourless Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

2012-05-15T18:17:00.001-05:00

If you like chewy cookies, this one's for you. These cookies are also full of peanut flavor, since there's no flour of any kind to dilute the nutty taste. It's another gluten-free and dairy-free recipe in honor Celiac Awareness Month.

I do not have celiac, but I have tremendous empathy for people who can't eat gluten (in the case of celiac) or other common food allergens, like dairy. As a recipe developer, I find gluten-free baking fascinating because of all the gluten-free grains and starches there are to work with (although if I was forced to bake only gluten-free for life, I might be singing a different tune).

I'm happy that I can create and post some recipes for those with celiac or gluten intolerances. Unlike the scones in my last post, however, these cookies are SUPER simple. With just a few ingredients, and NO GRAINS AT ALL, they take no time to put together. I included weight measurements, but since there are no flours involved, you don't need a scale (but it does make measuring all that sticky peanut butter crazy-fast).

I considered skipping the chocolate and doing straight-up peanut butter cookies, but then I spontaneously regained my sanity and decided to add chocolate chunks. They are Enjoy Life brand, so they're dairy free. I'm snobby about good chocolate, so I didn't have high hopes for this stuff, but I was oh-so wrong--they're great. I love how the chunks look in these cookies, but their large size makes it harder to form the dough into balls. Regular-size chips would probably make it easier, but as you can see, I muddled through. The dough is much easier to handle if it's chilled, so plan that into your baking time.

Flourless Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Adapted from Baking Bites

These cookies bake up crisp at the edges and soft and very chewy in the centers. They are ridiculously easy to put together, and without any flour the peanut flavor really shines. The original recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, so that will definitely work. I don’t know about natural nut butters, but they will likely produce a very different finished product. I didn’t measure out my chocolate chips by volume, but it should be about 3/4 cup.

Makes 20 to 22 cookies (recipe should double easily)

258 grams chunky peanut butter (not natural; I used Jif) (1 cup)

165 grams light brown sugar (3/4 cup packed)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

3 ounces dairy-free chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, salt and egg. Mix on lowest speed until just combined (you can also use a handheld mixer or stir by hand). Increase speed to medium-low and mix until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Add chips and mix on lowest speed until combined.

Transfer bowl to freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop rounded tablespoon-sized balls of dough, shaping them into balls with your hands as necessary (dough is very chunky, so you’ll have to press it together) and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Flatten balls VERY slightly. Bake in the center of the oven, one sheet at a time, until edges are light golden brown, 9 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

Cranberry-Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

2012-05-07T17:22:00.000-05:00

I could not be happier with these gluten-free, dairy-free scones! Baking with gluten-free grains and meals (like cornmeal) is challenging because they lack the elastic, chewy characteristics of gluten-full flours. Gluten helps hold baked good together, and is often replaced by xantham or guar gum to create gluten-free treats with a similar texture.

A lot of great gluten-free bakers and bloggers, however, don't rely on gums and make gluten-free flour blends that are heavy on nutrient-rich whole grain flours like teff, brown rice, amaranth, millet, almond meal and cornmeal, and light on starches. The starches are absolutely necessary parts of a good gluten-free blend, but I love that I can bake gluten-free with so many interesting, nutritious ingredients and still get a fabulous finished product.

The texture of these scones is soft and tender on the inside with a pleasantly substantial crumb. They are neither heavy nor rubbery. The credit for the recipe goes to two sources: Gluten-free girl, whose blog is full of inspiration and resources for delicious, natural gluten-free cooking and baking. In her post on baking without gums and using more healthy grains, Shauna laid out her template for a flour blend that is 70% whole grains/meals and 30% starch. Blending a variety of gluten-free flours is often the best tactic because they all have different characteristics and perform differently in recipes.

There is so much to learn about gluten-free baking, and I'm just scratching the surface, so I'm not going to pretend to be an authority. But Shauna's approach is working for me, at least where scones are concerned, and that leads me to the second credit for this recipe. The original scones come from the book, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang.

A quick, but important, aside: After making this scone recipe, I bought the book. Not just because I loved the scones, but because all the recipes include measurements in grams. This is so incredibly important for success in baking, especially gluten-free baking, and it drives me crazy that every baking book doesn't include weights. Here's the thing: a cup of teff flour has a different weight than a cup of all-purpose, and a different weight than a cup of brown rice flour and a different weight than a cup of almond meal. You cannot swap cup for cup, but you can substitute an equal weight of gluten free flours for all-purpose and have a much better shot at a great finished product. If you'd like to read more about that go here. For more info on GF flours and starches, check this out, along with this and this. For baking tips in general, the Gluten-Free Goddess is full of wisdom here. I've said enough for now, so here is my version of Joanne Chang's scones adapted by Shauna at Gluten-Free Girl.

Cranberry-Orange Scones (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang and Gluten-Free Girl

The original recipe makes 8 large scones. I cut it in half and made 6 medium-size scones. You can use your own gluten-free flour blend, but the best bet of course is to substitute flours and starches with similar properties to the ones below. My blend, like Shauna's is 70% grains and 30% starches. You'll see that I used a total of seven flours/meals/starches. I'm fairly sure that your blend needn't be quite so complicated, but this did work for me.

Shauna's version is not dairy-free like mine, so it adheres more closely to the original, which gets extra richness from creme fraiche. I replaced the creme fraiche with soy yogurt, so I added an extra tablespoon of (vegan) butter to make up for some of the fat from the creme fraiche, giving my dairy-free version plenty of richness. I used sucanat for the sweetener, which has a mild molasses flavor, but I think either granulated sugar or evaporated cane juice sugar will work well. And, you can certainly switch up the add-ins! Use up to 1/2 cup of dried fruit and/or nuts of your choosing, as well as any citrus zest, spices or extract you like.

Makes 6 medium scones

71 g cold vegan buttery baking sticks, i.e. Earth Balance (5 T)

30 g plus 60 g plain soy yogurt

30 g plain almond milk

50 g superfine brown rice flour

30 g cornmeal

29 g teff flour

28 g almond meal

20 tapioca starch

20 potato starch

18 g sweet rice flour

35 g sucanat

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp (generous) salt

1/2 beaten large egg (25 grams)

Zest of 1 medium orange

40 g cranberries

For topping:

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut vegan butter into roughly 1/2-inch chunks and stick them in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.

2. Line a baking sheet (or something that will fit in your freezer, such as a plate) with parchment paper.

3. In a small bowl, combine 30 grams of the soy yogurt and the almond milk; set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 7 grains/meals/starches, sucanat, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: remaining 60 grams yogurt, egg, orange zest and almond milk/yogurt mixture.

6. Take the butter out of the freezer and add to dry ingredients. Mix with a pastry blender, your fingers or a fork until you have a shaggy mixture with some chunks of butter the size of small peas, and some a bit larger. Add the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until moistened (mixture should not come together in a ball yet, and you may still have some dry bits at the bottom of the bowl).

7. Turn dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with brown rice flour. Quickly knead dough into a ball with floured hands and pat into a thick disk. Lightly dust with flour and roll into a 1/2-inch thick circle. Cut into 6 triangles with a large, sharp chef’s knife. Transfer to prepared baking sheet or plate, about 2 inches apart, and freeze for 15 minutes.

8. If using a plate, carefully lift parchment and transfer scones and parchment to a baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake until bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Fully cooled scones freeze beautifully in a heavy-duty zip top bag. Defrost at room temperature, or microwave on medium power for 10-second intervals until just defrosted and warmed, taking care not to over heat.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Coconut Banana Pancakes

2012-04-30T17:59:00.000-05:00

I made some fantastic pancakes this past weekend. So fantastic, in fact, that I had no patience to make the photo very pretty. But I promise they were great--very moist, satisfying and tasty. Also relatively low in calories and fat and high in protein.

I've been experimenting with gluten-free flours, and what you've heard is true. Gluten-free baking ain't easy, but it is really fascinating. You've got so much raw material to work with: teff, rice flours, oats, sorghum, cornmeal, coconut...the list goes on. Problem is making it all come together (literally--binding can be a challenge, especially if you don't want to use gums). If you have no clue what I'm talking about, that fine. For these high-protein pancakes, you might have the necessary ingredients on hand already.

I adapted the recipe from some previous high-protein, low-grain pancakes I've made, and to tell you the truth, every version has been fabulous. I love this one--it's the right balance between filling you up and not being too heavy, which I feel happens frequently with pancakes made mostly from grains, whether the grains are gluten-free or not. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Coconut Banana Pancakes
Adapted from my other high-protein pancake recipes, which started with other various sources.

I used liquid egg whites (not egg substitute), but fresh egg whites will work too (1 large egg white should measure 2 Tbs plus 2 tsp, so you need a lot to get to 3/4 cup). If you freeze your very ripe bananas whenever you have some and thaw them overnight in the fridge, they are the perfect consistency for recipes like this--practically liquified. I forgot to weigh the potato starch (sorry!), but I dipped a tablespoon scoop into the starch and leveled it. The batter will be on the runny side, but the starch gives it enough thickness that it sets up with no problem when you pour it into the hot pan.

Serves 2; Makes about 11 small (3 to 4-inch) pancakes

40 grams rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)

15 grams unsweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup egg whites

2 very ripe medium bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

1 tablespoon (scooped and leveled) potato starch

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans

Maple syrup for serving

Add oats to a blender and blend until chopped up into smaller flakes, about 1 minute. Add coconut and blend to combine, about 20 seconds. Add egg whites and bananas and blend to combine. Add vanilla, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves and pulse a few times to combine. Add potato starch and blend until combined, about 20 seconds. Rest 5 minutes to thicken.

A few minutes before you're ready to cook, add baking powder, and pulse to combine. Preheat a skillet on medium-low to medium heat and mist with cooking spray. Using about 3 tablespoons batter for each pancake, add to pan and sprinkle with pecans. Cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

2012-04-23T18:12:00.001-05:00

After a long winter in blog hibernation spent writing a cookbook, I finally have a new recipe! I love brownies, and these rich red velvet ones with a thick layer of cheesecake swirl are a fun twist. It's hard to imagine getting tired of chocolate brownies, but even I like something different occasionally.

I am linking to two very similar versions of this recipe. The one I used calls for a very cool ingredient: red velvet bakery emulsion. It's basically concentrated red velvet flavor and color in one. It's like an extract, but it's also meant to create the signature red velvet color in cakes and in these brownies. It's from my favorite source for baking flavors, LorAnn (I have no relationship with this company and have never gotten anything free from them, just so ya know.).

I really liked how easy it was to make red velvet brownies with the emulsion (and I think it would be amazing for cake), but I get that not everyone wants to bother ordering one little ingredient to make some brownies. Here's a very similar red velvet cheesecake brownie recipe from the blog, Baking Bites, that looks like it would work great and doesn't require special online ordering. But, if you do want to get some red velvet in a bottle, you can order it from LorAnn or from King Arthur (I love KA, and I consider the fact that they stock this stuff to be a great endorsement for it!). Enjoy!

Maple Oat Nut Scones

2012-01-28T08:43:00.000-06:00

These are my clone of a great scone they used to have at Starbucks (I still see it once in a while). I think my version is better! The recipe is modeled on the one I use for my oat scones with cinnamon chips, and it began its life as a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. This maple-nut incarnation is one of my favorite scones EVER.

Lately, I'm feeling like the best scones have oats. I always use rolled, or "old-fashioned," oats for the best texture, and toast them in the oven (just like nuts) to bring out some flavor. Toasting the oats is a Cook's Illustrated trick, and it's totally worth it. I also used toasted hazelnuts in this most recent batch, along with pecans, and that added an extra, tasty element.

Have you ever had the Starbuck's scone (I think they called it "maple walnut")? Regardless, I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!

Maple Oat Nut Scones

I use Lorann flavoring oil to get the maple flavor in this recipe. You can use extract, but increase the amount because the oil is stronger. For the nuts, I like using half pecans and half hazelnuts.

Makes 12 medium scones

For scones:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (120 g)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat (or AP) flour (195 g)

2 Tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

8 Tbs cold unsalted butter

6 Tbs half and half

1 large egg

2 Tbs pure maple syrup

1 tsp maple flavor

1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts, or a combination (56 g)

For glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar (120 g)

1 Tbs pure maple syrup

2 to 3 Tbs water

1/2 to 1 tsp maple flavor

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Spread the oats on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once, or until fragrant and lightly browned (keep an eye on these; they can over cook quickly). Set aside to cool.

Raise oven temperature to 425 F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt,cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Cut cold butter into 1/2-inch chunks and add to bowl. With a pastry blender or your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until you have an uneven, shaggy mixture with some pieces of butter still intact.

In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the half and half, egg, maple syrup and maple flavor.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and briefly stir until barely combined. Add the oats and nuts and continue stirring just until evenly combined (dough will not come together in a ball).

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a ball. Divide into two equal pieces and shape each piece into a thick disk. Roll each disk into a 6 to 7-inch circle, about 1 inch thick. Cut each circle into 6 wedges, and place about 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 12 to 16 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until scones are lightly browned on the bottom and cooked through. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, maple syrup. Add just enough water to form a thick glaze. Stir in maple flavor. Spread over cooled scones and allow glaze to set before serving.

My 5 Favorite Recipes of 2011

2012-01-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

It was so much harder than I expected to narrow this list down to just 5 recipes! Another issue is the fact that I work as a recipe developer for magazines. I have made so many recipes in 2011 that have not appeared on this blog because they belong to the publications that paid me to create them! It gets confusing. I should cook some of my published recipes and post about it. It's hard to remember them all, even the ones I love and swear I'll cook again. Is that something you guys would like to see?

But back to this list. In the end, it came down to one key deciding factor: whether or not I made the recipe more than once. So here's the list. Tell me what you think of it! Do any of the choices surprise you?

My 5 Favorite Recipes of 2011

In no particular order...

1) Beer bread. I've made it multiple times, and will make it many more. It's just so easy. And how can it be this delicious and healthy? I don't know! And it makes the ultimate grilled cheese...ridiculous!

2) Pumpkin penne. I threw this together one night in November, and I've made it like 4 times since then. With chestnuts, caramelized onions, chicken and spinach, it's just incredibly tasty and hearty.

3) Socca pizza. I make this over and over with whatever toppings I feel like. Just try it. The chickpea crust has such a dense, satisfying texture. And it's different enough that it doesn't need to replace traditional pizza (in case you were worried).

4) Brisket. We made it for the first time this year, and it was sort of a revelation. Easy, easy. The meat is quite lean, and the leftovers make a fantastic sandwich.

5) The best chocolate chip blondies. No frills here! Just a lot of quality chocolate chips. If you don't "get" blondies (believe me, I also adore brownies), I respect that. But I love them, and these moist, chewy ones are perfect.

Honorable Mentions:
1) Peanut butter and jelly truffles. Totally worth the effort.
2) Pumpkin scones with cranberries and walnuts. I had to put a scone recipe on the list!

Beer Bread Grilled Cheese with Avocado and Caramelized Onions

2011-12-16T16:35:00.000-06:00

Remember beer bread? I wrote about it here. Well, it makes THE BEST grilled cheese. And if you can load it with caramelized onions, thinly sliced avocado and some spinach leaves, even better.

If you haven't tried beer bread, you must! It's the easiest quick bread I make, and the payoff is huge. You can eat it with butter as a nice accompaniment to a stew and then use it to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The last loaf I did was with Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. It's fun to add different twists with new beers. The only ones I like to stay away from are the bitter types like IPAs. Otherwise you can't go wrong.

For the grilled cheese, it's just as easy. Although you could, I don't even butter the outsides of the bread. It just doesn't seem necessary to me. I mist them with cooking spray and put the sandwich in a hot cast iron skillet, covering it part of the time to help the cheese melt. The bread gets nice and toasty on the outside, but is still tender and chewy toward the middle. That's it! No recipe. Done.

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Walnuts

2011-12-09T17:02:00.001-06:00

I've had this pumpkin scone recipe bookmarked for over a year. It's from King Arthur, and I'm so glad I finally tried it. I look at a bunch of pumpkin scone recipes, and this one was the most straightforward and simple. Of course, it turned out GREAT. These are some of the best scones I've made, maybe ever. Perfect tender texture, great rise, perfect size, great flavor, and on and on.

Two cool things about the recipe: First, it does not call for a dairy ingredient such as milk, buttermilk or cream. Two eggs and the moisture of the pumpkin take care of that (but you do need to brush the scones with milk in order to help the sugar adhere--perhaps egg wash would work?). If there's ever a scone ingredient I don't have on hand, it's the dairy. Second, the KA bakers came up with a weird technique I've never seen before. They swear that freezing the unbaked scones for 30 minutes (and no more; you don't want them frozen rock solid) creates a higher rise and better texture (it's explained more here). I did it, but who knows if it really made a tremendous difference. If I was utterly pressed for time, I think they would be good without the chill time. But I'm unlikely to mess with a good thing.

Pumpkin Scones with Cranberries and Walnuts
Adapted from King Arthur
KA used cinnamon chips and crystallized ginger as mix-ins...yum. You can use whatever appeals to you (up to 2 cups of mix-ins according to KA, which I personally think is a lot). I used KA white whole wheat flour, which I absolutely love for scones. You can use AP, and whole wheat pastry should work well, although I haven't tried it. I made these in my stand mixer for a change, but you can do all of it by hand, using fingers or a pastry blender to incorporate the butter.

Makes 12 medium scones

2 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose) (326 grams)
1/3 cup sugar (74 g)
1 Tbs baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (113 g)
1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (2 oz)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 large eggs
2/3 cup canned pumpkin (164 g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Milk for brushing tops
Coarse sugar (such as turbinado) for topping

Just so you know, you'll preheat the oven later, while scones chill. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the first 8 ingredients (through allspice). Add butter and mix on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment until mixture is unevenly crumbly with some chunks of butter remaining (I broke up some of the large chunks of butter with my fingers at this point). Mix in walnuts and cranberries on low just until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs to break them up, then whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Add to flour mixture and mix on medium speed, just until flour is moistened, scraping down bowl as needed (I did this partially by hand; do not over mix).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, briefly knead into cohesive mass, and divide in half. Pat each half into a thick disk, then roll each one into a 3/4-inch thick circle, about 7-inches in diameter. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Transfer wedges to 2 parchment-lined plates (or anything that will fit in your freezer), about 1-inch apart. Brush with milk or cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Freeze 30 minutes while oven preheats to 425 F.

Transfer scones ON THE PARCHMENT to a large baking sheet, rearranging the scones slightly if need to keep them roughly 1 inch apart. Bake in center of oven, turning baking sheet once until bottoms are deep golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp. These freeze beautifully; thaw at room temp.

Whole wheat penne with pumpkin, chestnuts, chicken and spinach

2011-11-22T16:00:00.001-06:00

I put this pasta together on the fly when I was home alone. I made one serving, and now I want to make it again as soon as possible. Thanks to baaaaad recessed lighting in high ceilings (and hasting shooting), the picture doesn't do it justice.

The "sauce" is canned pumpkin gently sauteed with some garlic and sage to take off the raw edge. I tossed it with penne, chopped leftover chicken breast, caramelized onions, chopped chestnuts (from a jar) and sauteed spinach. Then I used some of the pasta cooking water to loosen it up a bit.

I just loved this. I multiplied the recipe to serve 2 or 3, depending on your appetite. It is so filling and hearty. If you aren't the type to hoard jars of chestnuts around the holidays (therefore having them on hand on a random weeknight), you could skip it, or replace them with sauteed mushrooms. As a matter a fact, you could add a lot of different veggies or meat. It's the tasty pumpkin sauce that's kind of special here. And always remember: caramelized onions make anything wonderful.

Whole wheat penne with pumpkin, chestnuts, chicken and spinach

You can use rotisserie chicken if you’re not one to have leftovers on hand. You can also use chicken sausage or go veg and use cannellini beans. When I first made this, I used caramelized onions that I had on hand, but you can certainly cook up a fresh batch. To do it, thinly slice an onion and slowly cook it in 1 Tbs oil on medium-low to low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once in a while.

Serves 2 to 3

1 Tbs unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 to 6 sage leaves, finely chopped, or pinch of dried thyme

1/4 cup caramelized onions

3 huge handfuls spinach leaves

6 oz whole wheat penne or rigatoni

6 oz cooked chicken breast, chopped

12 cooked (from jar or vacuum pack)chestnuts, broken up or chopped

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet on medium low. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add pumpkin, season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing and turning, 3 minutes. Add sage or thyme and cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl. Add onions.

Mist the same skillet with cooking spray and add spinach. Season and cook until wilted and tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in well-salted water to al dente. Before draining, reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Add pasta to bowl with pumpkin and combine. Microwave the chicken to warm it up, then stir it in along with the chestnuts. Stir in spinach. As you combine the pumpkin and pasta with the other ingredients, add reserved pasta water in small amounts to loosen up the consistency as desired. Divide among 2 or 3 bowls and top with grated Parmigiano.

Restorative Kale and White Bean Soup with Egg Yolks

2011-11-04T16:04:00.000-05:00

Soup is quite restorative in general, but for me, this one absolutely exemplifies the renewing, nourishing qualities that a healthy soup can have. It is the perfect thing to make if you've just returned from a vacation that involved lots of eating; if you're getting over a cold; or if you just want to give your body a fresh start.

First of all, it's packed with kale, a truly restorative vegetable if there ever was one. Just eating it makes me feel healthy. There's no meat, but plenty of satisfying beans. Finally, because I firmly believe that you can't just simmer some veggies in broth and expect it to taste good, I used a slightly surprising ingredient to add richness and a little backbone. Egg yolks, stirred in at the very end when the soup is at a bare simmer, create a creamy texture. In other recipes, yogurt, sour cream, a sprinkling of cheese or a chopped nuts would serve a similar "richness-making" function.

Have you ever added egg yolks to soup? If not, would you try it?

Restorative Kale and White Bean Soup with Egg Yolks
This would be delicious with chicken, but it some seems more restorative if your body doesn't need to digest any meat. Grated parmesan would also be a nice addition. If you want to really eggy, feel free to use a bit less broth and an extra yolk. And don't skip the lemon!

Serves 4 to 6

1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 to 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
Salt and pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Red chile flakes to taste
1/4 tsp EACH dried thyme and dried rosemary
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 lb kale, thick stems removed, and chopped
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 egg yolks
Lemon wedges
Optional for serving: sriracha or hot sauce

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium high. Add onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until slightly softened and lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Add garlic, chile flakes and dried herbs and cook 2 minutes, stirring often. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Add kale, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. If pot is very crowded, add an additional cup of water.

Add beans and adjust heat to maintain a low simmer. Place yolks in a medium bowl and whisk in about 1/2 cup of the soup broth. Slowly pour yolk mixture into soup, stirring as you go. Check and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and serve with plenty of lemon wedges and hot sauce if you like.

Gambas al Ajillo

2011-10-06T18:18:00.001-05:00

This is our version of the classic Spanish tapa, gambas al ajillo, or shrimp with garlic. This is so easy to make, especially considering the deliciousness of the payoff. There is one key ingredient you can't skip: dry Sherry.

Fresh, sweet shrimp, lots of fresh garlic, some butter and fresh parsley are all important if you want a great result, but the Sherry provides the signature flavor. We went to Spain for two weeks last May, and had our share of pintxos, tapas and all-around amazing food. Making this is a nice way to revisit the trip.

We didn't take many pictures of food, but here I am at the world's oldest restaurant, where we went for their famous suckling pig!

Gambas al Ajillo

Serves 2 to 4 as a tapa; doubles easily

1 to 2 tsp olive oil

8 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt and pepper to taste

3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Pinch chile flakes

1/3 cup dry Sherry

1/2 Tbs unsalted butter

Chopped fresh parsley or thyme leaves

Heat a thin film of oil in a medium skillet on medium high. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, but not cooked all the way through, turning once or twice, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and chile flakes, and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is reduced by about half and shrimp are cooked through. Just as dish is about finished, add butter and swirl into the sauce. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle with herbs.

Classic Chicago Hot Dogs

2011-09-19T18:04:00.003-05:00

This is my farewell to summer. I've been holding on to this great photo of our homemade Chicago dogs for months. I meant to post it around the 4th of July, but was off galavanting around the east coast for a wedding. Then I meant to post it for Labor Day, but got all busy throwing a big cookout. So, now that temps are dipping and there's an unmistakable cool, crisp quality to the air, I'm finally posting it.

I'm certainly not writing out a traditional recipe, but the pic is too great not to post. I will however give you the classic formula for Chicago-style hot dogs that won't put you in hot water with any regional food scholars or proud Chicagoans.

It's easy. You just need to buy the correct ingredients. The only challenge is fitting all of them onto those standard-size poppy seed buns. If you want to make true Chicago dogs, these are the requirements. Not a lot of wiggle room here...

1) Poppy seed buns; common brand: Mary Ann

2) All-beef hot dog; may be kosher; common brand: Vienna Beef

3) Pickle spear; this one is basic and easy

4) BRIGHT green sweet relish; see it right above the pickle? common brand: Rolf's, Vienna, Puckered Pickle Co.

5) Fresh chopped or minced white onion

6) Yellow mustard; easy, like French's

7) Sport peppers; little pickled green peppers, about 1 1/2 inches long and medium-hot to hot; can be hard to find outside Chicago; common brand: Vienna

8) Fresh tomato wedges

9) Celery seeds

And absolutely NO KETCHUP. I personal cannot eat a hot dog without ketchup. My favorite style is a charcoal-grilled hot dog (blackened a bit) with Heinz ketchup and nothing else. My husband is the one who put together the specimens you see above. I ate some of the toppings, but had to use ketchup too.

On a different note, this is my first post in a month! The simple reason is that I haven't been cooking a lot of new and/or interesting things (unless I'm cooking for a work project). It's summer, right?! So it's been lots of grilling. Fantastic marinated grilled chicken. Vacation. But I think now it's back to regular programming.

Have you ever had a real Chicago dog? Are you resisting Summer's end, or are you already in full-on Fall mode?

Grain-Free Coconut Protein Pancakes

2011-08-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

These pancakes look beautiful and delicious in spite of my bad pancake photography, don't you think? I know you may not believe me, but the pancake you see above contains absolutely no grain flour. Yet somehow, it was incredibly tender and moist, substantial and easy to make.

The key ingredients are unsweetened shredded coconut and potato starch. Coconut flour (in this case, shredded coconut blitzed in the food processor) is often used in gluten free baked goods, giving them body and lovely flavor. Potato starch is another magic ingredient, which is most often used as a thickener for pies and soups or gravies. It adds tenderness to vegan baked goods.

These fun, change-of-pace pancakes are definitely grain-free and I think they're gluten-free too (I'm not an expert on that, so I don't want to make a mistake!). I had half a bag of coconut and a lot of potato starch on hand from a recipe development project, and I thought it would be interesting to use them in my favorite protein pancake recipe. The version I usually make calls for oats. This version is equally good (possibly better), and so different. Great texture and flavor (you'll taste lightly sweet coconut, not so much banana); filling, but not heavy. They make me want to experiment with alternative ingredients more often.

Grain-Free Coconut Protein Pancakes
These are based on a recipe I adapted from askgeorgie.com. I also got some pancake inspiration and learned a bit more about coconut flour here and here.

Serves 2 generously

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (45 g)
2 Tbs potato starch
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup liquid egg whites
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 packets Splenda or 1 Tbs sugar
1 medium to large banana
Chopped toasted walnuts

Add coconut to food processor and run until coconut is very finely shredded. Scrape around edges of bowl to loosen any coconut. Add potato starch and baking powder; pulse to combine.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine egg whites, cottage cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and Splenda. Add to coconut mixture, along with banana. Process until combined. Transfer to a liquid measuring cup or medium bowl for easier pouring.

Heat a nonstick skillet to medium and coat with cooking spray. Pour on batter, making a 4 to 6-inch pancake, and sprinkle with walnuts (start with smaller pancakes until you get the hang of flipping them; batter will more liquidy than standard pancakes, and takes slightly longer to cook). Cook until bubbles form all over surface and bottom is golden brown. Flip gently and continue cooking until opposite side is golden brown. Serve with maple syrup.

Pistachio Scones

2011-07-29T13:41:00.002-05:00

Here's another delicious scone. These came out extra-good, for a three reasons:

1) I used white whole-wheat flour (King Arthur brand; organic). I usually choose whole wheat pastry flour for scones, but decided to change it up because I like white ww in quick breads and because I needed to use it. I'm convinced it has a slightly sweet flavor that worked particularly well here. It doesn't taste "wheaty" and the texture is similar to what you'd get with white or ww pastry flour.

2) I used the tastiest pistachio flavoring oil and the "right" (for me) amount of butter. The pistachio flavor in the scone was so nice (it has a similar depth and intensity to almond extract). I also used food coloring to get a green tint, which didn't show up well in the pictures. This is just a visual element, but I'm a fan of it. I don't make excessively buttery scones and considered skimping, but 8 Tbs was the perfect amount in this recipe for a good texture.

3) Icing. If you're in doubt, make a simple glaze and any quick bread gets that much better. Enjoy!

This is the size you'll get if you cut 12 scones according to the recipe directions. In this batch, I also made the icing extra green.

These scones are skinnier because I didn't divide the dough into 2 circles in this batch.

Pistachio Scones
You can substitute 3/4 tsp almond extract for the pistachio oil. I adapted this recipe from these Lemon-Currant Scones, which originally came from Sunset magazine.

Makes 12 medium scones

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (300 grams)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus 1 to 2 Tbs as needed
1 large egg
1 tsp pistachio flavoring oil
Green gel food coloring as needed
8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small chunks and chilled
1/2 cup dried cranberries (I used pomegranate flavored Craisins)
1/2 cup toasted shelled pistachios, chopped (2 oz)

1 cup (approx.) powdered sugar (120 g)
Milk or water as needed
Green gel food coloring
Scant 1/4 tsp pistachio flavoring oil

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In glass measuring cup (or small bowl), whisk together the buttermilk, egg and pistachio oil. Add enough gel coloring to turn the mixture dark green (not as dark as “forest green,” but going in that direction).

Add butter to flour mixture and incorporate with a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal with some larger, shaggy chunks. Add green liquid mixture and stir gently just until dry ingredients are moist. If you have excess crumbs at the bottom of the bowl, drizzle in 1/2 to 1 Tbs buttermilk to incorporate them; add more buttermilk if needed.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead together. Divide in half and pat each half into a thick disk. With a floured rolling pin, roll out each disk about 3/4 to 1-inch-thick circle. Cut each circle into 6 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough milk (about 2 Tbs) to form a thick glaze that you can drizzle off a spoon. Add gel coloring to achieve desired tone and pistachio oil for desired intensity of flavor (a little goes far). Spread over scones and let set.

Tagliatelle with Chestnuts and Truffle Oil

2011-07-13T16:02:00.000-05:00

File this under "tasty things to do with truffle oil." A scant teaspoon of the stuff drizzled over each bowlful is so nice. This dish also involves one of my current favorite cooking tricks: Use chopped portabello mushrooms in your base for pan sauces.

You know how a lot of dishes start with sauteeing a shallot, garlic, etc? Well, just add a chopped portabello cap or two to that. Then, when those mushrooms are a couple minutes from being tender, douse them in balsamic vinegar or sherry (to keep the garlic from burning, add it just before the liquid). Let it reduce until your ingredients are still a bit wet and the mushrooms are done. Then either pull it off the heat, or continue making your dish.

In this case, I added just-cooked tagliatelle and chopped chestnuts. Then I stirred it up, added some pasta cooking water for moisture and pulled it off the heat. I plated it and finished it off with fresh parsley, shaved ricotta salata cheese and that truffle oil.

I was going to write out a recipe, but it seems like I just did. Simple, fresh and fast with little details to make it great. The dish definitely highlighted the chestnuts, cheese and truffle oil, which was the big idea. I did a similar version with that same tagliatelle and mushroom mixture, as well as shredded chicken, peas and lemon. It was nice, but I loved the chestnut version....and the next day, I used the leftovers to make these brownies.

Olive Oil Crackers

2011-07-06T14:43:00.000-05:00

Aren't these the cutest? I've noticed simple cracker recipes like this over the last couple years and mentally filed the idea away as something I'd like to try. The perfect opportunity final came up, and I wanted to test out my adorable square, scallop-edged biscuit cutters too.

The verdict: These crackers are simple enough to make, taste good, and keep surprisingly well (at least a week). The caveat for me is that I would only make these if I'm NOT also cooking a bunch of other things (like an actual meal). In that case, why on earth make crackers when you can just buy them?

My friend was throwing a cookout, so that was the ideal opportunity to try this out as my small contribution. They're fun, but only if you've got a little free time and feel like an easy baking project. Or you have an extensive biscuit cutter collection.

I used this recipe in The New York Times, but with my own toppings. The lead image features sesame and poppy seeds, along with some dried thyme. The second picture shows sumac (a red-tinted Middle Eastern spice, thyme and sesame seeds. I would also sprinkle flaky or kosher salt on with whatever topping you choose.

I've seen other recipes that call for a pasta roller to make the dough thin and uniform, but I don't think it's necessary. My rolling pin worked well. Finally, I quickly learned that it's important to prick the unbaked crackers with a fork, so they don't puff up in the oven. Are there any cracker makers out there? Have you renounced store bought forever, or do you feel the way I do (fun, but not essential)?

Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones with Lemon Glaze

2011-06-27T19:52:00.001-05:00

I know I just posted a breakfast recipe (my favorite ricotta pancakes!), but I can never have enough great A.M. treats. The funny thing is that I usually eat eggs in the morning, but the sweet stuff is a bit more interesting, isn't it? And these are the prettiest little scones. They're packed with poppy seeds and lemon flavor, but the very lemony glaze is everyone's favorite part.

I think this is the first scone I've ever made with sour cream. I'm partial to buttermilk scones (and often have it in the refrigerator), but I also appreciate the sheer simplicity of a cream scone. Since it is an acidic ingredient, I was hoping the sour cream would have a similar tenderizing effect to buttermilk, but with a more pronounced tangy flavor.

I can't say I noticed much difference in flavor or texture between the sour cream and buttermilk scones--they were just equally good! There is always reduced fat sour cream in our refrigerator (if not, it's considered an emergency), so it's nice to know I can use it for scones if I have a sudden urge to bake. I wonder if full fat sour cream would make a noticeable difference...if you can drop some knowledge on that topic, please do!

Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones with Lemon Glaze
Adapted from Cookie Madness's recipe for sour cream chocolate chips scones.

I'm really enjoying these LorAnn super strength flavored oils that I read about on Sprinkle Bakes. They are more highly concentrated than extracts (recipe includes measurements for both), and the company sells every flavor you can imagine (except pandan, darn it). If you don't want to buy lemon flavoring or extract, add a tsp of lemon zest to the egg mixture, and some to the glaze, if you like.

Makes 12 small or 8 large scones

2 cups whole wheat pastry, or all-purpose flour, or half and half (9 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs plus 1 tsp poppy seeds

1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced fat or regular sour cream
3/4 tsp lemon flavoring oil or 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

8 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks and chilled

1 to 2 Tbs milk, as needed

For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
fresh lemon juice, as needed
lemon flavoring/extract, as desired

Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and poppy seeds; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream and lemon flavoring/extract; set aside.

Add cold butter to the flour mixture. Work it in with a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers until you have a shaggy, sandy texture with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Fold in the egg mixture, stirring just until moistened. If you still need more liquid to bring all the dry ingredients together, add 1 to 2 Tbs milk, 1/2-tablespoon at a time.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead into a ball. If making small scones, divided dough in half. Shape dough into one or two 3/4-inch thick circles (I like to use a rolling pin for this). Cut the two smaller circles into 6 wedges; or cut your single circle into 8 wedges. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake about 12 minutes for small scones, 14-15 minutes for large scones, or until bottoms are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

For glaze, put powdered sugar in a small bowl and stir in just enough lemon juice to make a thick, slightly viscous glaze. Add additional lemon flavoring if desired. Spread onto cooled scones with a spoon. Let glaze set before serving.

Favorite Ricotta Pancakes

2011-06-23T14:51:00.001-05:00

I've made ricotta pancakes before, and I like them. But, it had been a long time, and when I noticed a couple recipes online recently, it reminded me to try them again. I started mentally comparing different recipes, and too many of them didn't seem to include a whole lot of ricotta. I want to really taste it and, since most ricotta pancakes utilize beaten egg whites for lightness, I wanted the lightest, fluffiest version possible.

I settled on this recipe from the Baking Bites. The photo of puffed, golden pancakes was a good enticement, but the ingredient list, of course, is what sealed the deal: 1 1/4 cups of ricotta and four eggs to just a cup of flour. The results were, indeed, nicely puffed, yet light and moist in texture, as this type of pancake is meant to be.

In my photo above, one pancake has blueberries and one does not. I thought I would be all over the blueberry version, but I actually preferred the plain one. For me, the juicy, tart berries were a bit distracting. All I needed was maple syrup and a side of bacon to make these pancakes sing.

Favorite Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from Baking Bites
You can play around with the spices; I can imagine ginger and cardamom or cinnamon and nutmeg. Orange zest would also be a nice addition if you have it, as would chopped, toasted nuts. I'm thinking about doing a version with chopped pistachios, flavored with a pistachio extract I recently bought.

Serves 3 to 4

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (125 g)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 Tbs sugar or 2 packets of Splenda
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated
1 Tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups lowfat ricotta

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, sugar and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla and ricotta. Add flour mixture and stir just until moistened.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Heat a skillet or griddle and use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop batter. Cook until golden brown on both sides and serve immediately with maple syrup.

Chestnut Swirl Fudge Brownies

2011-06-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

This brownie combines two things I deeply love: brownies (obviously) and chestnuts. How wonderful are chestnuts? They add a solid, meaty bite to holiday stuffing; pair gloriously with brussels sprouts; and make rich, creamy soup. They are one of those foods that don't have a substitute. What else is like a chestnut in both taste and texture?

So, these brownies came to fruition because I had a package of cooked-and-peeled vacuum-packed chestnuts in the fridge. It was a new product at my supermarket--slightly cheaper than the jars that can be hard to find at non-holiday times--and I snapped it up without much thought. Last week, I used some of the chestnuts to make a pasta dish, and immediately started pondering what to do with the remainder. I also happened to have a can of chestnut puree (the pure, non-sweetened kind), which I think has been in the pantry for a year and a half. Somehow that equation equaled brownies.

Unsweetened chestnut puree.

After searching far and wide for a chesnut-y brownie recipe or something I could re-jigger slightly, I was left empty handed. But I still knew I could adapt something and settled on this recipe for brownies with a cream cheese swirl by the highly-regarded pastry chef, author and blogger, David Lebovitz. I knew it was a solid recipe, and I had a hunch that I could substitute the cream cheese swirl for a chestnut version.

If you love chestnuts like I do, you might seek out the ingredients and try this. To simplify, you could do it without adding the chopped chestnuts to the puree, or you could simply stir some chopped chestnuts into the fantastic brownie base. I have to note how pleased I was with David Lebovitz's recipe. Simple (you only need one kind of chocolate--amen!), unfussy, and it worked. It would be a fine chocolate brownie without the swirl, but I think I need to try the cream cheese version sometime soon.

Ready for the oven: the "swirl" is more utilitarian than aesthetic here.

Finished brownies in their handy sling.

Chestnut Swirl Fudge Brownies
Adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe for Cheesecake Brownies
If you use an 8-inch pan, brownies will be very thick and fudgy. If you don’t like that very moist (but still “done” enough) center, use a 9-inch pan.

Makes one 8-inch or 9-inch square pan

Chestnut batter:
7.5 ounces unsweetened chestnut puree (200g)
5 Tbs granulated sugar (62 g)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
100 g cooked, shelled chestnuts (about 15 medium), chopped

Fudge batter:
6 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces (85 g)
4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (115 g) (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa baking bar)
2/3 cup sugar (130 g)
2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (70 g)
1 Tbs unsweetened natural cocoa powder (6 g)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips (105 g)

Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with nonstick foil (or regular foil coated with cooking spray), leaving some over hang on 2 sides to act as a “sling” for lifting brownies. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Make chestnut batter: In a large bowl, beat chestnut puree, sugar, salt and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Stir in chestnuts and set aside.

Make fudge batter: In glass or other microwave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Microwave on medium power in 20 to 30 second increments, stirring each time, just until chocolate is melted. Be careful not to over do it, or chocolate can burn. Stir in sugar with a whisk and set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Slowly add beaten eggs to chocolate mixture as you whisk. Add vanilla. Add flour, cocoa and salt, and stir just until combined. Stir in a little more than half of the chocolate chips and spread evenly in prepared pan.

Dollop chestnut batter over fudge batter and swirl them together with a spatula; smooth the surface (since chestnut batter is thick, you won’t get a pretty swirl pattern). Sprinkle remaining chips over surface and gently press them down a bit so they adhere.

Bake 45 to 60 minutes (my 8-inch took about 55), or until a thin knife comes out with moist crumbs (but not raw batter) and edges pull away slightly from sides of pan (see recipe headnote and make the call depending on pan size and how you like your brownies; as I said, the 8-inch version will be thick). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then lift the foil over hang and cool completely (still in foil) on a rack. For very neat cutting, cool at room temp, then chill for about 1 hour before cutting.

Adaptable Stir Fry Recipe

2011-06-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

This recipe is all about the sauce. That's why it's so adaptable. You can use just about any vegetable that would function in a stir fry, either fresh or frozen. The picture above is of fresh red cabbage and frozen broccoli florets that I steamed in the microwave according to package directions. The sauce, which you whisk together in seconds, is used twice: for the meat (start with raw or cooked chicken, pork, etc), and for the vegetables.

Does that make sense? It may sound confusing, but that's because you can do anything with it and not mess it up. The sauce is mainly rice vinegar, soy and honey. Sweetness perfectly balances out tangy and salty, and the honey also thickens the sauce nicely. No need for corn starch. I never really loved a stir fry recipe until I came up with this sauce. And since I can use different meats, veggies and even grains (that's pearled barley in the picture, which I love to use in place of brown rice sometimes), I make it often. Here's the recipe:

Adaptable Stir Fry
The sauce recipe is enough for 12 to 16 ounces of meat, feeding four people. I cut it in half when I only have enough meat for two servings, but the leftovers are great too. If you have pre-cooked meat (shredded chicken for example), add all the sauce when the vegetables are almost cooked; reduce slightly, then add meat and toss to coat with sauce and heat through.
Vegetables to try: cabbage, broccoli, frozen stir fry blend, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, snow peas, asparagus, bell peppers.

For sauce:

2 Tbs unseasoned rice vinegar (seasoned is fine, but note that it contains salt)

3 Tbs soy

3 to 4 Tbs honey, depending on how sweet or thick you want it

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

For stir fry:
1 Tbs neutral oil
12 to 16 ounces chicken breast or pork tenderloin, cut into thin, bite-sized pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 5 cups of vegetables (more for veggies that lose a lot of volume, like cabbage)
red chile flakes to taste
3 to 4 cups steamed brown rice or barley
toasted almonds or sesame seeds

To make the sauce, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

To make the stir fry, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat, season with black pepper and cook, stirring often, until cooked through. Whisk up the sauce again and add a little more than half to the meat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, stirring often. Transfer to a bowl.

Return skillet to medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray or add more oil and cook vegetables as needed. [If you have frozen veggies, you can steam them in the skillet: add a thin layer of water, cover and simmer until tender; uncover and cook until water is evaporated. If veggies are already cooked, just toss them around in the hot skillet for a minute to warm up.] Add remaining sauce. Simmer, stirring often until absorbed by the veggies. Season to taste, and add chile flakes as desired.

To serve, top a scoop of grains with some meat and its sauce, some vegetables, and almonds or sesame seeds.

Crostini alla Romana

2011-06-15T16:23:00.001-05:00

This is a dish from one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Unfortunately the restaurant is in California. We live in Chicago. But, it's not so bad because we get to eat there every time we vacation in Southern California, which is every year or so, AND we can recreate one of their specialties at home.

This is an easy appetizer composed of a few top-notch ingredients. It's only a matter of assembling your toasty bread, prosciutto, mozzarella and sage crisped in melted butter. At Grappolo, they make this in their big, beautiful brick oven, slide it onto a plate and place it in front of you in what seems like a few seconds. When we do it, it takes a few minutes...not bad. You do have to serve this right after you make it, because that crispy toast and melty cheese is not going to improve by sitting around. It would actually do very well as a quick weeknight meal for one or two all by itself. Plus wine, obviously.

Crostini alla Romana
Inspired by Trattoria Grappolo.

For 4 pieces:

4 thick slices baguette or crusty bread
olive oil or cooking spray
1 garlic clove (optional)
8 thin slices prosciutto
4 slices mozzarella (about the size of the bread)
8 sage leaves
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Brush or spray bread with olive oil and toast both sides in a skillet, toaster, or under the broiler. Rub one side of toast with garlic clove if desired.

Place bread on a broiler pan and top evenly with prosciutto and mozzarella. Broil just until cheese is melted. Don't put it too close to the heat and watch closely to avoid burning. This won't take long.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat until foamy. Add sage and swirl until sage is fragrant and slightly crisp. Drizzle sage butter over crostini and garnish with sage leaves. Serve immediately.

Rhubarb-Blueberry Compote

2011-06-10T16:23:00.000-05:00

This was a "kitchen-sink" compote. To my immense gratification, I finally put an almost-full bag of frozen blueberries to use, as well as some dark sweet cherries that had been languishing in the freezer even longer. The rhubarb I had bought with purpose, but only needed a pound of it for my crisp. I had a whole pound left and was thinking either chutney or a jammy compote. I didn't know what I would eat with a savory chutney, so I opted for the latter.

A compote is defined as fruit stewed in a sugar syrup. That's sort of what I did. For me, this is what homemade jam looks like. I don't like it as sweet as traditional jam. Not even close. Since I am NOT preserving/canning or doing anything that requires exacting food safety standards, I'm free to use as much or as little sugar as I want. I put half the compote in the fridge and froze the rest. Since there is just over 1/3-cup of sugar in a batch that made over 2 cups of compote, I feel fine eating it with a spoon.

All you do is put everything in a pot and simmer until it reaches the consistency you want (this is also how I make chutney, by the way). Rhubarb breaks down quickly, and here it melded beautifully with the frozen blueberries and cherries, leaving plenty of bright, tart flavor. I added rose water (another ingredient hanging aimlessly around the fridge!), some fresh ginger that hadn't been earmarked for any special purpose, and cardamom for some intrigue, but you don't need to use any extra flavor elements if you don't want to.

P.S. Here's my quick fig jam from last summer using the same method. I cannot wait to make this again. So, are you a huge improviser like me, or do you have a more measured jam-making method? Share your thoughts or recipes in the comments!

Rhubarb-Blueberry Compote
You can always add more sugar for a sweeter compote.

Makes about 2 cups

1 lb rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 oz frozen blueberries
6 oz frozen, pitted sweet cherries
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs chopped fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom, or to taste
1 to 2 Tbs rose water (optional)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until fruit is broken down and compote thickens slightly (it should still be loose enough to easily run off a spoon), about 20 minutes (will continue to thicken slightly as it cools). Cool in sauce pan, then transfer to an airtight container. Keeps in refrigerator 1 to 2 weeks; freezes well.

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp with Oats, Almonds and Spelt

2011-06-07T10:04:00.004-05:00

This crisp (or crumble, if you prefer) is easy and wonderful. A pound of rhubarb and some strawberries are flavored with orange and cardamom and topped with a mixture of spelt flour, all-purpose flour, oats, almonds and brown sugar. And a little butter.

I may never make a fruit pie again. The experience is too emotionally draining (Will I slice into an awful, soggy mess after all. that. work?). When easy and forgiving crisps and cobblers are the alternative, I don't see any need to put myself through pie-related drama. Creamy, mousse-y things like this, however, are a different story.

I think the photo above does a nice job of showing that this particular topping is not only a pile of crumbly goodness, but also an AMPLE pile of said goodness. A nice big serving is very moderate in calories and fat, as far as desserts go. It doesn't skimp on sugar, but you can still taste the flavor of the fruit, especially the tartness of the rhubarb. Here it is with whipped cream:

But I also ate it for breakfast the past two days with Greek yogurt that I sweeten slightly with Splenda.

To create this recipe, I tweaked and mashed up this one from 101 Cookbooks and this one originally published in Parade magazine, which I found on epicurious.com. There are so many great-looking rhubarb recipes popping up online (see below for links), but that's no surprise. The season will be over soon, so hurry, hurry...if you have been cooking with rhubarb, what did you make?

Rhubarb-Strawberry Crisp
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks and epicurious.
The orange flavor from the zest and liqueur is really nice here. If you don't have triple sec (or cointreau or Grand Marnier), use orange juice.

Serves 6

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (42 grams)
1/3 cup spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour (42 grams)
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup lightly toasted sliced almonds
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
A few dashes cinnamon
1/4 tsp (scant) salt
4 Tbs (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 lb rhubarb, trimmed and sliced 3/4-inch thick
1/2 lb strawberries, cored and quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
zest of half an orange
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 Tbs triple sec or orange juice
1 Tbs cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 F and mist an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Drizzle melted butter over flour mixture and stir with a fork until all dry bits are moistened and you have a clumpy, sandy mixture. Press into a few patties (some crumbs are okay) and transfer to a zip top freezer bag. Freeze 20 minutes (may be made a few days ahead; defrost in refrigerator until you're able to crumble it with your fingers).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, zest and cardamom. In a small bowl, whisk the triple sec and cornstarch until any clumps dissolve. Pour over fruit and toss gently. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Crumble the chilled topping over the fruit. Bake for 35 minutes, or until liquid is bubbling and fruit is very tender. Cool on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes (this is important so filling can set...also, it will be molten). Serve with whipped cream or ice cream (or yogurt, for breakfast).

More awesome rhubarb recipes:
Using that handy food blog custom search widget in my right sidebar, I found so many tempting rhubarb recipes before devising the crisp I ended up baking. Here are some standouts:

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crostata at Lottie and Doof
Rhubarb and Raspberry Upside-Down Cake at Kitchen Heals Soul
Rhubarb Crumble at Simply Recipes
Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttermilk Pudding Cake at Sassy Radish
Cherry-Rhubarb Fool at Back to the Cutting Board
Rhubarb-Apricot Chutney at The Perfect Pantry
Rhubarb Compote at The Urban Baker