Annie's Eats

Blackberry Chèvre Salad

Annie — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:30:35 +0000

Did you all have a good weekend? Mine was full to the brim with good things. Lots of fun time with the kids, nice weather for playing outside, a beautiful wedding of a friend of many years, and time cooking with some other great friends. Oh, and there was lots of great food, including this salad. It was definitely a highlight, even amongst all that goodness. So much so that I couldn’t wait even a few days to share it with you.

A few weeks ago I attended a dinner for work and ordered a starter salad similar to this. Rarely if ever is the salad the highlight of my meal, but that evening it was. I have been wanting to recreate it at home ever since, so this weekend I finally made it happen. As much as I loved the restaurant version, this was way better. In fact, this is the new reigning favorite salad in my world – kind of a big deal. The fresh blackberries, blackberry vinaigrette, creamy goat cheese and spiced nuts are each fairly simple elements but they combine to make a pretty extraordinary salad. If you can find honey goat cheese in your store, I highly recommend using it. It’s kind of amazing. I predict more future recipes highlighting this fabulous cheese…oh yes, I do.

Recipe: Blackberry Chèvre Salad

Yield: about 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
6 oz. fresh blackberries, rinsed
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1½ tbsp. honey
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the spiced nuts:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

To assemble:
Mixed salad greens
2 oz. honey goat cheese
About 6 oz. fresh blackberries
Thinly sliced vidalia onion

Directions:

To make the dressing, place the berries in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing out as much fruit puree as possible while removing the seeds. In a liquid measuring cup or jar, combine the blackberry puree with the vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is well blended and smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to use.

To make the spiced nuts, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the mixture to heat for about 1 minute, then stir in the chopped nuts. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To serve, plate portions of salad greens on salad plates. Top with crumbled goat cheese, fresh blackberries, vidalia onion and the spiced nuts as desired. Drizzle lightly with the blackberry vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Vanilla Doughnuts

Annie — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:30:45 +0000

When the first quart of spring strawberries arrived in our produce delivery bin a few weeks ago, Andrew immediately asked if we could bake something with them. I asked what he had in mind and after only a moment’s hesitation, he declared, “Strawberry doughnuts.” This caught me off guard. Doughnuts are a very rare occurrence in our house and the kid has probably had less than three doughnuts in his entire life. Not only that, but I wasn’t sure exactly what a strawberry doughnut entailed…this was clearly a spur of the moment idea for him. Unlike basically anything else he has ever thought of, he actually forgot about this idea. I, however, did not. I just couldn’t get the idea out of my head. Strawberry doughnuts…I pondered and pondered. What would be the best way to go about that?

Homemade doughnuts are so irresistible, I allow myself to make them only once a year as a treat. These most definitely were a product of trial and error, and then even more error on my part, but they were so worth it in the end. We loved everything about the way these turned out and it was tough to limit ourselves to just one. The dough has an overnight rest so they are doable for a brunch treat if you so choose.

Recipe: Strawberry Vanilla Doughnuts

Yield: about 10 doughnuts

Ingredients:

For the doughnuts:
2½ tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
2/3 cup milk, at room temperature
3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. coarse salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
7 tbsp. butter, at room temperature, cut into large chunks

For the filling:
1 quart strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

To finish:
Canola oil, for frying
1 cup vanilla sugar*

Directions:

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the yeast with the milk and whisk briefly to dissolve. Add in the flour, sugar, salt, and eggs. Continue mixing on low speed 2-3 minutes more. Add in the butter a piece at a time, waiting until each is mostly incorporated before adding another. Continue kneading about 5-6 minutes more. If necessary, add extra flour 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough is cohesive but still slightly sticky.

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and spray lightly with cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours and up to 15 hours).

Lightly flour a baking sheet, and generously flour a work surface. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and gently pat or roll out to a slab about ½-¾ inch-thick. Use a 3 to 3½-inch biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out rounds of the dough. Transfer dough rounds to the prepared baking sheet, rerolling and recutting dough scraps as needed. Cover loosely with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and nearly doubled, about 2-3 hours.

Meanwhile, make the strawberry jam filling. Coarsely chop the berries (use the food processor or blender, if you wish.) Transfer the chopped berries to a large skillet with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the jam is thickened and bubbles cover the surface, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool well before using.

When you are ready to finish the doughnuts, fill a large saucepan or pot with canola oil to a depth of 3 inches. Clip a thermometer to the side and heat the oil to 350˚ F. Meanwhile, line a cooling rack with paper towels. When the oil has reached the appropriate temperature add doughnuts to the oil in the pan in a single layer so that they are not crowded. Fry, turning once, until golden on both sides, about 4-5 minutes total.

Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the finished doughnuts to the cooling rack. Place the vanilla sugar in a shallow plate or dish. After a few minutes of cooling, evenly coat all sides of the doughnuts in the vanilla sugar, shaking away the excess. Repeat the frying process until all doughnuts are cooked.

Transfer the strawberry filling to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip. Gently poke the pastry bag into each doughnut and squeeze a few tablespoons of filling into each. Serve fresh.

*If you don't have vanilla sugar, no worries. Just use regular sugar. It will still taste fab. To make vanilla sugar, add spent vanilla pods to an airtight container of sugar and let stand at least 2 days. That's it!

Source

doughnuts and filling slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

Caramel Toffee Cheesecake Bars

Annie — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:30:58 +0000

Cheesecake has long been one of my very favorite desserts. That rich and creamy filling atop a buttery graham cracker crust. Mmm, mmm good. Add caramel and toffee into the mix and we’ve definitely entered into the realm of irresistible. Let’s be honest – caramel sauce can give most any dessert an instant upgrade. Ben doesn’t have nearly the sweet tooth that I do, but he does have a weakness for toffee and for caramel. Combining the two in a single dessert probably had him wondering why I might be trying to butter him up.

This is a time when cheesecake bars are superior to a traditional cheesecake, because they make portion control so much easier to manage. One square has just enough to satisfy without feeling guilty. Even better, bars are so much easier to share! Pass them off to family, friends, neighbors… I’d be willing to bet that if you do decide to share, you’ll get requests for the recipe.

Recipe: Caramel Toffee Cheesecake Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
½ cup toffee bits

For the filling:
12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup caramel sauce

For topping:
Additional caramel sauce, for drizzling
About ½ cup toffee bits

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Toss with a fork until evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the toffee bits in an even layer over the graham cracker mixture. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, but maintain the oven temperature.

To make the filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well combined, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the sugar. Blend in the egg, vanilla, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the caramel sauce. Pour the mixture over the crust in an even layer.

Return the pan to the oven and bake just until set, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Drizzle additional caramel sauce over the cheesecake and sprinkle with additional toffee bits. Slice into squares with a large kitchen knife. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Annie — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:30:12 +0000

Despite my best efforts, I fell into some sort of weird breakfast rut the past month or so. Nothing has sounded particularly good to me…I think in part due to the change in the weather. So many of the dishes I loved through winter are less appealing now. That coupled with having about two minutes available for eating breakfast each morning has led to an awful lot of smoothies and sad banana toasts. Oatmeal has become a favorite of mine in the past few years but I wanted a new spin on it. This carrot cake oatmeal was the answer.

Okay, obviously it isn’t exactly carrot cake. I mean, it’s still oatmeal. But it’s darn good oatmeal. The carrot, coconut and raisins pack a nice dose of natural sweetness so very little additional sugar is needed. This recipe will definitely come in handy for all those times that I have random bags of carrots sitting neglected in the veggie drawers. Enjoy!

Recipe: Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups water
1 cup low-fat milk*
1 tbsp. unsalted butter*
1 cup steel-cut oats
¼ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. brown sugar
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
½ cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup raisins
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. grated nutmeg

Directions:

Combine the water and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the mixture is very thick, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the salt, brown sugar, carrot, coconut, raisins, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

*To make this vegan/dairy free, use coconut milk and coconut oil in place of the milk and butter.

** This recipe can be made in advance and reheated before serving. When reheating, stir in an additional splash of milk to help loosen the cooled oats.

Source

adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, inspired by Kitchen Simplicity

Roasted Salmon Sandwich with Garlic Chive Aioli

Annie — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:30:49 +0000

Not too long ago, I mentioned my mini love affair with Taste Café in Broad Ripple. Well, it really hasn’t subsided. I meet up with friends, or coax coworkers to venture outside of a one mile radius for lunch, and whenever I do, we end up at Taste. The menu is extensive and they always have tons of great specials, but ever since trying their roasted salmon sandwich, it has been tough for me to order anything else. It’s just so good.

Recreating a homemade version of this remedied several issues at once. I can once more feel free to order other things on the menu besides the salmon sandwich, since I can enjoy this sandwich from home. Also, maybe (just maybe), I won’t feel this borderline obsessive pull to visit the restaurant in the first place. (If they had a location closer to my house however, all bets would be off for sure.) And finally, my little man loves salmon and asks for it weekly. This dinner is his ultimate and we don’t often stray from it because it’s just so simple, but this sandwich was happily Andrew approved and devoured. I made a garlic chive aioli in part because my chive plant is going crazy, and it was a really nice addition. Be sure to use a soft bread such as focaccia since, as with most fish, the salmon is fairly tender and flakes easily under pressure.

Recipe: Roasted Salmon Sandwich with Garlic Chive Aioli

Yield: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

4-5 (4 oz.) pieces salmon, about ¾-inch thick*
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

For the aioli:*
1 large egg yolk
4 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
6 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2-3 tbsp. minced fresh chives
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

To serve:
Focaccia sandwich rolls
Romaine or bibb lettuce leaves
Thinly sliced red onion
Thinly sliced cucumber
Thinly sliced tomato

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the salmon pieces skin side down on the foil. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-16 minutes, or until the internal temperature just registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, make the aioli. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with the lemon juice and whisk lightly. Begin to drizzle in the olive and canola oils in a steady stream, whisking constantly and quickly to create an emulsion. Continue whisking until the mixture is significantly thickened and spreadable. Blend in the salt, garlic and chives. Season with pepper to taste and adjust other seasonings as necessary.

To assemble, spread a thin layer of the aioli on the inside of the focaccia. Layer with the lettuce leaves. Use a spatula to separate the salmon from the skin on the foil, and place the salmon on the sandwiches. Top with layers of red onion, tomato and cucumber. Sandwich together and serve

A note about the salmon:
The thickness of salmon fillets can vary quite a bit. An optimal thickness for this is about ¾-inch. If you have a piece that is super thick (1½ or so inches), split it in half horizontally so that you end up with two pieces of the desired thickness.

A few notes about the aioli:
This calls for a raw egg yolk. If you are not comfortable with this or have a medical concern related to consuming raw egg, buy pasteurized eggs.
Though I used chives, any number of herbs could be great here. Dill is a natural pairing with salmon and would be excellent. Experiment with what you have available.
I have seen methods for making aioli using food processors, blenders, and immersion blenders. I just used a whisk and elbow grease but those methods may work just as well.

Mother’s Day Love

Annie — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:30:36 +0000

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I thought I’d give you all a little reminder as well as a few suggestions of things you to make for your mom. It goes without saying that I often express my love through the preparing of food for my family and friends, and I have no doubt that if my mom were still here today, I would absolutely be planning a spectacular meal to share with her. Also, if your mom has passed or isn’t present in your life and your dad or someone else has done double duty as a result, consider honoring them on Mother’s Day as well. The role of a mother is a big one, no matter who is filling it.

This baked French toast is a perfect option for French toast lovers. It has all that great flavor and texture but is made the night before so all you need to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. Easy peasy, pretty, and delicious!

I don’t remember a lot about what foods my mom loved, but I do remember that she loved scones and she made them on Christmas morning. I wish I could make these blueberry scones for her. They are tender, buttery, and the hint of lemon zest is a really nice finishing note. Don’t tell any of the other scones, but I really think these are my favorite.

Make them for breakfast or even for dessert, but I do suggest you make them. These chocolate swirl buns are out of this world.

Whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, my family knows that this breakfast panini with herb butter is my ultimate. It’s the thing guaranteed to put a smile on my face. If your mom is a fan of breakfast sandwiches, this will make her day.

Moving right along to lunch, these garlicky shrimp and avocado open-faced sandwiches are a great option. Light, quick and easy but still incredibly tasty.

Greek pita pizzas are a great choice for a lunch that is light, yet full of flavor. I’ll take one, please!

Grilled cheese is pretty much my all-time favorite lunch, and this spinach artichoke version would be a fantastic Mother’s Day treat in my book.

If you are looking for a dinner that is easy but impressive, look no further than caramelized scallops. This is my absolute favorite way to prepare scallops and it requires pretty minimal effort.

Lasagna-stuffed portabellos are a simpler version of a classic comfort food and I love them for that.

Cinco de Mayo may have been this past weekend, but in our house Mexican food is always the right answer. These chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite special occasion/celebration dinners, and I would love to have them on Mother’s Day.

Lastly, a pasta dish that is always welcome on my table, pasta alla vodka. Classics like this never go out of style.

Of course, if your mom has a sweet tooth, I have too many options too really begin to narrow it down. Here are just a few of my favorite suggestions.

Oh, tunnel of fudge cake, you chocolate lover’s dream. How can I resist that gorgeous chocolate glaze and gooey chocolate center? Oh yeah, I can’t.

Raspberry chiffon pie is pretty, pink, and a lovely choice for spring.

Tiramisu cupcakes. Just do it.

Homemade rocky road ice cream could be a fun thing to make together with mom, or just a really delicious surprise.

Churros

Annie — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:30:46 +0000

It may be cliché, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make churros in time for Cince de Mayo. Over the past year or so, I’ve become slightly enamored with them thanks to the fantastic churros at XOCO, one of Rick Bayless’ restaurants in Chicago. Really, fantastic isn’t an adequate word to describe them. They deserve their own superlative. A simple piece of fried dough coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture and dipped in ice cream or chocolate sauce. Holy moly, they are deserving of the hype. When we are in Chicago, we always make time for XOCO, even if we’re only there for less than 24 hours. I was excited at the prospect of making these at home, and I was also curious to know whether they would be difficult.

As it turns out, these are actually easier than most other doughnut-like things. The batter is mixed and since it isn’t yeasted, it’s pretty much ready to be used right away. Piping the dough into the hot oil was a bit of a guessing game as to how the shapes would turn out, but I was able to make pretty consistent U shapes without too much trouble. I almost never make fried things at home but these were worth it.

Have you ever made churros? Or if you have at least eaten them, what do you like to dip them in? I think the vanilla ice cream is totally the way to go, but Ben likes the chocolate sauce. I know some people dip them in hot chocolate, which also sounds pretty great. I hope you all enjoy some amazing Mexican food this weekend. I know I will!

Recipe: Churros

Yield: about 8-10 (depending on size)

Ingredients:

For the churros:
4½ tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup water
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Pinch coarse salt
1 cup flour
3 large eggs, beaten
Canola oil, for frying

To coat:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean (optional)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the chocolate dipping sauce:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter, at room temperature

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, sugar and salt over medium-high heat. Stir frequently. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor (a stand mixer would also work.) Add in the flour. With the feed tube open to vent steam, pulse (or mix) briefly to incorporate the flour. While continuing to mix, gradually pour in the eggs in a slow, steady stream until fully incorporated and the mixture is just smooth.

Heat a large pot of canola oil (at least 2-3 inches deep) to 375˚ F. While the oil is heating, transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with decorative tip. When the oil has reached the desired temperature, pipe lengths of the batter into the oil, using scissors to snip each length off into the pot. Keep the churros only in a single layer and avoid crowding them. Fry, flipping once, until light golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the oil with a slotted skimmer and transfer to a rack lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter. Be sure the oil returns to 375˚ F before adding a new batch.

In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the sugar and the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean pod. Massage together until the vanilla bean is evenly distributed in the sugar. Stir in the cinnamon. Dredge the cooked churros in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, shaking off the excess.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a simmer, pour over the chocolate, and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk together until a smooth ganache forms. Whisk in the butter until fully incorporated. Reheat as necessary to keep liquid for dipping.

Source

slightly adapted from Mowielicious

april {in an instagram}

Annie — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:30:39 +0000

1. At the beginning of the month, we took a family road trip to Atlanta to visit my brother and his fiancee, as well as my friend Josie! We couldn’t resist a trip to the Georgia Aquarium, and I loved this pic of Caroline with the jellies!
2. I posted a picture of this banana toast on my annieseats Instagram feed and one follower gave the best caption EVER: “Sad banana is sad.” Can you see the frowny banana seeds? HA! I crack up every time I think of this now.
3. SO glad it’s time for evening walks around the neighborhood again.
4. Now that Caroline has gotten big enough, she loves walking hand in hand with me when we go places. And it melts my heart pretty much the entire time. I love walking with my girl.
5. She also knows how to get down with some Trader’s Point mac and cheese. Enthusiastic eater, for sure!
6. My guy may be growing up, but he still likes to cuddle. I can’t resist that sweet face!
7. Pretty spring magnolia at my childhood home.
8. I’ve always adored these pretty little violets that carpet our yard at home. They look so beautiful in the spring time.
9. I baked these tuxedo cookies for a couple’s 25th wedding anniversary and absolutely loved how they turned out. Thanks Sweet Sugar Belle for the fantastic idea!
10. I was able to attend a family picnic field trip with Andrew’s class and oh my gosh, we had so much fun! I’ll never be too old for parachute. Never.
11. He loved smelling the pretty daffodils on campus.
12. One day I missed my homemade morning coffee and decided on an afternoon pick-me-up from Starbucks. The barista added a little flair to the name on my cup to make it what I’m pretty sure is the best caption ever on an iced coffee. (Get it?)
13. Still crushin’ on ranunculus.
14. Silly goose.
15. The kids had spirit week at school and one day was “When I Grow Up”. That day Andrew felt like being a “builder guy” and Caroline had no clue what we were talking about, so she was a chef.
16. The poor girl caught a stomach bug and missed a couple days of school. One evening when I came home this was all she wanted to do and cuddled with me for two hours straight! I don’t like her being sick, but I loved every minute of this.
17. Happy to see me after work while she was still home sick. Most enthusiastic greeting ever!
18. I reused a shoebox, some wrapping paper and toilet paper rolls to make this marker holder for the kids. Fun way to reuse from Pinterest, and Andrew has been loving the heck out of this!
19. My good friend Gail recommended this book to me, and as a fellow knitter I couldn’t resist. It’s our current favorite bedtime story. So precious.
20. There are no words for how happy I am that this is our dinnertime view again. Warm weather FTW!

Most of these images are from my personal (private) Instagram account. You can follow my public stream here: user annieseats.

Massaged Kale Caesar Salad

Annie — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:30:18 +0000

It’s the beginning of the week. The time when we start out with all our high expectations and all the best intentions. To work out every day, to eat good-for-you foods all week long, to organize every digital file on your computer into a fabulously streamlined system, etc. etc. Whatever your goals for the week may be, starting things off with a hefty dose of leafy greens that also happens to taste crave-worthy sounds like a great start to me.

Massaged kale salad is really nothing new, but this is the first time I’ve been compelled to make one immediately upon seeing the recipe. I have a major thing for Caesar salad and I like almost every version I try. Whether the dressing is thick or thin, classic or jazzed up, it’s all good to me. This one especially intrigued me because it has all the deliciousness I expect from a Caesar, but with a nice nutritional boost from using kale instead of lettuce. We enjoyed this for lunch yesterday and it was such a hit, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. I have a feeling this is going to become a frequent weekend lunch and quick dinner around here. We are definitely satisfied with just the bowl of greens and some garlicky croutons but I’m sure this would also be excellent with the addition of some grilled chicken or shrimp. So go ahead and start the week off right, and if by Friday you want to enjoy this alongside a glass of wine that’s okay too. More likely than not, I’ll be right there with you.

Recipe: Massaged Kale Caesar Salad

Yield: 2 full size or 4 side servings

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
3-4 anchovy fillets
2½ tbsp. mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 oz. Parmesan cheese, finely grated

For the salad:
1 bunch curly kale, about 8-12 oz.
1 tbsp. olive oil
Croutons
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and garlic in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Blot any excess oil from the anchovies, then smash repeatedly with the tines of a fork until a paste has formed. Add to the olive oil-lemon juice mixture. Add in the mayonnaise and whisk briskly until a smooth emulsion has formed. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Rinse and towel dry the kale leaves. Remove and discard the ribs from the leaves, and tear the curly green portions into bite size pieces. Add the kale to a large salad bowl with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and toss briefly. Massage the kale leaves for a few minutes until the leaves have become shiny and a deeper green color, about 2-3 minutes. Add croutons to the salad as desired. Drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to coat. Taste and add additional dressing as necessary, a little bit at a time. Top with additional grated Parmesan and serve.

Source

adapted from Three Many Cooks

a pretty pink bridal shower for rebekah

Annie — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:30:58 +0000

I’ve talked about my family many, many times on here, so if you’ve read for any length of time, you may have discerned that I have two pretty fantastic younger brothers. Even though they are most definitely adults, I will always think of them as my baby brothers. As much as I adore them now, it wasn’t always so. They are very close in age to each other, but several years younger than me. Add to that the fact that they were both 1000% boy and it probably wouldn’t surprise you to know that things weren’t always peachy growing up with them. Our dad aptly described it many times as “like raising wild dogs.” Every chance I had, I would beg my mom for a younger sister. She was at the top of my Christmas list many years in a row. Eventually I resigned myself to the fact that I would not be getting a sister.

Any older sister is bound to be protective of her younger brothers, but when Mom passed away and we were all still so young, it definitely added another dimension to my worries. As they grew out of the “wild dog” phase and into the “teenage boy reeking of Axe” stage, I began to worry specifically about the girls they would date. I was generally glad that they didn’t seem overly preoccupied with girls, and that Davy never seemed to have an official girlfriend. Finally around Davy’s senior year of high school I caught wind of a girl in his life – Rebekah. I remember the first time I met her vividly because I was so, so nervous. I worried that I wouldn’t like her for any number of nebulous, vague reasons, or that she and Davy would seem like a bad fit. But all of that worrying was for nothing. I loved her from the start and even better, I could tell that she loved Davy. He’s definitely a unique personality in many ways but every time I see them together, I’m reassured because she so totally gets him.

I have loved seeing how much he clearly adores her. He has grown so much into a man (still baby brother, though) that I am incredibly proud of, and I know Rebekah deserves at least some of the credit. I normally try not to pry but it they had been together for a long time and I just couldn’t resist anymore so one day I asked Davy, “When are you going to marry that girl?” To my surprise he responded, “As soon as possible.” I was overjoyed to help pick out her engagement ring and help Davy plan a surprise proposal. Now we’re just a few weeks away from the wedding and though she has really been part of our family for some time it feels awesome to say, I’m finally getting a sister.

I was honored when Rebekah agreed to let me host a bridal shower for her friends and some family. Since our families are from Bloomington and many of her friends are still there, we decided that would be the best location for the shower. I pondered a few different venues for the shower and inquired at Deer Park Manor, a former mansion-turned-wedding and party space that seemed like it might work. I was delighted when the person responding to my inquiry was none other than my former Girl Scout leader Sue, now the event planner at the venue. I could not have asked for a better situation! I toured the venue and decided yes, it was exactly what I was hoping for. By the time all the details were worked out, I was already in a bit of a time crunch so my amazingly talented friend Courtney whipped up some invitations for me. Rebekah had suggested a pink champagne sort of theme at some point along the way, so Courtney came up with this beautiful bubbly motif that was so perfect.

The manor at Deer Park is an amazing, spacious, and ornate home, and it provided a lovely base that required only minimal decoration for hosting an elegant shower. In addition to the invites, Courtney created coordinating printables including this adorable bunting. It was just the thing to decorate the head of the room where we played games and opened gifts. (Side note: My standard prize for winning shower games is sitting there on the mantle – Godiva truffles and Starbucks gift cards. You can never go wrong with coffee and chocolate :)

Since this was a bridal shower and not a baby shower, a champagne bellini bar was totally appropriate and very, very much enjoyed! We had raspberry, blackberry, and peach puree available for making the bellinis. They were all great but the classic peach was definitely my favorite combination.

I also made sure to include a non-alcoholic option for the expectant moms in attendance. This sparkling pink lemonade has long been a favorite of mine and is every bit as fun as a cocktail, in my opinion.

To help the girly up the room where the food was served, I floated two dozen balloons over the food table and cut the ribbons to an appropriate length. This added a nice festive touch and I think carried that bubbly theme through a bit more.

Since the shower was at lunch time, I wanted to make sure there was plenty of food. I served a few savory items and then had a small array of pink desserts to round out the menu. Almost everything was able to be made in advance, which was essential for this party since I wasn’t in my own home. The full menu was as follows:

Savory
Cucumber Bites with Salmon Mousse (a hybrid of these two recipes)
Pineapple Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Tortellini Veggie Salad (just something I threw together, no real recipe)
Mac and Cheese Bites (I made and assembled these in the morning and then baked them at the venue just before party time)

Sweet
Raspberry Lemonade Bars
Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits
Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes (I did a riff on this recipe)
Fresh Raspberry and Vanilla Macarons

I’ve seen macarons before with a piece of fresh fruit inside (usually a raspberry) surrounded by buttercream. I decided to try it this time and wowza – these were my favorite macs yet. Davy also agreed when he tasted the leftovers. I just loved the surprise of the fresh fruit inside. (If you do this, just assemble them the day you plan to serve them.)

Can we just talk for one second about how gorgeous ranunculus is? I love the graceful swirls of the petals. I swear, I could just stare at them for hours! Also, a little entertaining tip – hurricane or other large candle holders also double spectacularly as vases. Don’t go buying new vases if you have good candle holders around.

After we had all finished eating, we refilled our champagne glasses and then gathered round for some shower games. I try to keep these fairly short, sweet, and non-embarrassing for anyone involved. One game was a cooking knowledge quiz from a Hallmark book of bridal shower games from the late ’70s. It was actually fairly challenging! The next game is what is pictured above, The Price is Right. (I played this once at a shower and loved the idea so much, I had to use it myself.) I bought a variety of household items for the bride and groom to keep – mostly cleaning supplies, headache medicine, dental floss, etc. Everyone writes down their guesses for the prices of the items (I also tell them what store the items were purchased at, since prices vary) and the person with the closest total price without going over wins! I am personally absolutely terrible at estimating things like this, so I was incredibly impressed with the winner. She came within about $1.50 of the total! Lastly, I had asked Davy 15 questions before the shower and I asked Rebekah the same 15 questions. For every answer they matched up, I gave them a $5 toward a date night out at a restaurant of their choosing. They did really well at about eight!

Then Rebekah opened her gifts. It’s always such fun to see brides getting fun equipment and dishes to stock their kitchens. Rebekah is a fantastic cook so I know all of it will be put to good use.

After gifts, many guests lingered a while longer and we made sure to finish off the leftover champagne. I had little boxes of caramel corn as favors, spruced up by some gold glitter ribbon, gold twine, and cute tags from Courtney. I was sad for the shower to end but it’s okay because in no time at all it will be the big wedding day! What a wonderful day that will be.

Vendors
Venue: Deer Park Manor
Flowers: Gillespie Florists (Indianapolis) – supplied flowers, I arranged them myself
Invitations and party printables: Courtney of Cook Like a Champion
Envelopes and liners: Paper Source (I made the liners myself out of these sheets because paying $14 per set of 10 little liners is cah-razy!)
Popcorn boxes, gold twine, pink dot straws, pink stripe baking cups: TomKat Studio Shop