you know the desert island game, right? where you pick one food that you could live on forever if you were stranded on a desert island? well, tacos are my desert island food. i know that’s cheating a little bit, because there are so many taco ingredients. but how could i ever decide between beans, tortillas, avocado, or salsa?

i just couldn’t decide between those four items. but since i’ve talked about beans extensively on this site (black beans, garbanzos, white beans, you name it!), and i’ve talked a lot about avocados, i think it’s time to chat about salsa. (i promise to post about tortillas soon, too.)

my all-time favorite salsa is a fresh pico de gallo, one that my sister and dad picked up on a field trip to wilder ranch many years ago and we’ve been making ever since. it’s super easy to make, turns out slightly different (but still delicious!) every time, and is a great addition to tacos, burritos, scrambles, guacamole. not to mention that it’s fantastic on its own with tortilla chips. it’s a little spicy, but you can use less jalapenos or more than the recipe calls for, depending upon your spice preference.  so what are you waiting for? ditch that stuff in the jars and go make this salsa!

one year ago: tofu skewers and peanut sauce
two years ago: pizza dough

pico de gallo

yields approx 2 cups of salsa

• 3 tomatoes, diced (and seeded if you prefer)
• 2 tomatillos, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, membrane and seeds removed, and minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
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1. toss the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro in a bowl and toss
2. add salt and pepper to taste, and serve!

i can’t wait to share the amazing summer dinner recipe pictured above with you! but first, i have to share photos from a cooking class we attended on thursday night. the class was taught by joseph schultz (many of you from santa cruz might know him better as india joze). joseph danced around the kitchen and created an amazing 11 dishes during the three hour chickpea festival class:

the class begins!                                       1. soup made from chickpea flour

2. pakora with quince chutney                3. garbanzo marinata

4. cicer et elixati (roman dish)               5. chicken w/chickpeas & pickled lemon

6. bulgar w/liver                                   7. khatte kabuli (black garbanzos)

8. topig (stuffed chickpea “tamale”)        9. murg dhansak (chicken cassoulet)

10. tempeh cassoulet                            11. besan barfi (chickpea fudge)

it was amazingly inspiring to watch and listen to someone who is so passionate about food, and so very knowledgeable about cuisines across many continents! the flavors in all of the dishes were phenomenal, and we left with a cookbook chock full of chickpea recipes, tummies full of scrumptious food, and brains full of ideas, so look for some more chickpea posts on this site soon!

ok, so back to the recipe of the week: panzanella. i had heard of this type of salad, but was never tempted to make it until i read the love letter to panzanella on the blog cheap, healthy, good. do you read this blog? if not, you should – she’s such a good writer and so convincing that i immediately decided it was time to try this recipe out.

i wish i hadn’t ignored panzanella recipes before. but they’re so basic that i’d often overlooked them. bread. onions. tomatoes. basil. olives. cheese. olive oil. vinegar. salt and pepper. and that’s it! the simplicity of the dish allows every item to sing, and makes you go back for seconds. and thirds. and even leaves you with leftovers that taste better the second day than they did the first. i am planning on putting this into our weekly rotation for the rest of the summer. won’t you join me in doing the same?

one year ago: lemon feta tomato pasta salad
two years ago: raspberry bars and mango teriyaki tofu

summer panzanella

yields 4 heaping servings, or 6 regular servings
borrowed from cheap, healthy, good

• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 1 loaf french bread (whole wheat if possible)
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 4 ounces mozzarella, cut into cubes
• 1/2c fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
• 2/3c pitted kalamata olives, chopped
• 1T red wine vinegar
• 1T olive oil
• salt
• pepper
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1. turn oven on to 350°
2. soak red onions in a small bowl with ice water for 10 minutes, then drain
3. slice the bread in half, and bake 10 minutes on a baking sheet, until toasty, then remove from the oven and let cool a bit
4. while the bread’s cooling, toss the tomatoes, cheese, basil, olives, onion, vinegar, and olive oil in a large bowl
5. then, slice the bread into 1″ cubes, and throw into the large bowl with the rest of the salad
6. stir well, and let sit for 30 minutes to marinate, or overnight (i skipped this step because i was impatient and hungry, and it was still delicious)
7. sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, stirring again, and serve!

two years ago this week, i opened my laptop and began blogging about food, excited to share my favorite baked goods, dinners, breakfasts, and side dishes with all of you, my friends and family (and whomever else might stumble upon this website – hi, if that’s you! please leave me a comment and let me know you’re here!). since the inception of eclaire.name, back in july of 2008, i’ve posted 115 recipes. i have loved writing stories and anecdotes about where i found the recipes, and why i love to make the dishes.

but i’ve been holding out on you, keeping these blondies away from you. why? because this recipe is my signature dish – one that i’ve made so many times that i know it by heart. and i’ve been selfish, not wanting to share it, because it’s my recipe, my favorite dessert to bring to parties, my favorite cookie. my, my, my – i sound a little like a two year old, huh? but instead of wallowing in terrible twos on my blog’s second birthday, i’m going to try to overcome them and share this recipe with you.

so how did i find this amazing recipe that i’ve been keeping to myself all these years? well, it’s probably not much of a surprise to you that i’ve been cooking and baking for a long time. i can remember standing on a chair when i was a kid, leaning over the counter to watch what my parents were cooking, and being excited about the whole process. my parents, ever supportive and fabulous chefs themselves (you might have noticed that i’ve purloined many of the recipes on this site from them), bought me a kids cookbook, called kids cooking: a very slightly messy manual, part of the klutz series. i fell in love with the cookbook, and i think we made almost every recipe held within the spiral binding. in a short matter of time, i realized i wanted a new cookbook, perhaps one that had more desserts in it. so when my school had a book fair (remember those?), i saw this cookbook called the cookie lovers cookie cookbook, and decided that i had to have it. i’d like to say that i bought it for the delicious recipes inside, but i’m pretty sure i was just drawn to it because it was pink, had a cat on the front, and was all about cookies – three of my favorite things at that point in my life.

i read through the book when i got home, and discovered a recipe for blondies, something i’d never heard of before. i was immediately drawn to the recipe, possibly because i’m a blondie, too. so i made them, and they were so easy to put together! way easier than brownies, because you didn’t need to melt chocolate in a double boiler, and everything happened in one pan. the only problem with them is that they didn’t have any chocolate in them. at all. and that, to me, was a huge omission – i mean, what’s the point of dessert without chocolate? so i threw some chocolate chips in the second time i made them. and i fell in love.

the next fall, when my parents suggested that i enter something in the baking section of the county fair, this was the first recipe that came to mind. i remember being really nervous when i made them, ensuring that none of the eggshell got into the batter, and that there weren’t any lumps of salt or baking powder. and then we delivered them to the fair, waited a few days until the judging was complete, and went to go see what happened. i jumped up and down when i saw that i won first place in my category. and then my dad noticed that i also won a c&h sugar award, meaning i would get 16 pounds of sugar for free! i don’t think i ever cashed in that prize, but both awards confirmed what i already knew: this recipe is a winner! i hope you all enjoy it, and i promise to keep sharing mouthwatering recipes for you for many more years to come! thanks for reading this blog, and thanks for sharing your favorite recipes and food with me over the years, too!

one year ago: summer lasagna
two years ago: couscous “tabouli” salad

blondies

yields 16-25, depending upon how you cut them
slightly adapted from the cookie lovers cookie cookbook, by prudence madden younger

• 1/2c butter, plus more for greasing the pan
• 1c brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1t vanilla
• 1½c flour
• 2t baking powder
• 1/2t salt
• 6oz chocolate chips
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. grease a 9×9″ baking pan
3. melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat
4. once the butter is melted, take the pan off the heat and place onto a pot holder on the counter
5. add the brown sugar and stir well
6. add the eggs one at a time, stirring fast after the first one so it doesn’t scramble
7. add the vanilla and stir again
8. combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large measuring cup (i use a 2 cup one), and stir to combine – this will ensure you don’t have any concentrated salt or baking powder lumpes
9. stir in the dry ingredients
10. stir in the chocolate chips, and pour immediately into the greased pan, so the chips don’t melt and stain the batter (we don’t want brownies, right?)
11. bake for 25-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted off center comes out clean
12. allow to cool, and then cut
13. this recipe doubles very easily, but i suggest you cook in two separate 9×9″ pans instead of a 9″x13″ – i’ve found that 9″x13″ pans leave the center too runny and the edges too dark
14. enjoy!

ok, disclaimer: i don’t really have an old favorite brownie recipe, so the title of this post is a bit of a misnomer. but this recipe, this amazing recipe, yielded the most delicious, fudgy, and scrumptious brownies that i’ve ever baked.

although this is the second brownie recipe i’ve posted in the past few months (the other was a low-glycemic index black bean brownie), brownies are not my favorite dessert, or even my favorite bar cookie. and honestly, i’ve really only baked brownies a few times from scratch, and disliked the cake-y results. i don’t know about you, but i want dense, fudge-like, stuffed-to-the-brim-with-chocolate brownies. and these ones, for the first time ever, fit the bill completely, and won a special place in my heart for brownies again!

i read about these brownies on one of my favorite food blogs, smitten kitchen, way back in january, and i was so won over by the description that i immediately bookmarked the recipe. so when one of my dearest friends mentioned she would like brownies for her birthday, i jumped at the opportunity to try this recipe out. my friends, do not wait as long as i did to try this recipe. find any excuse – be it a weekend bbq, a dinner party, or even just a free hour that you want to spend in the kitchen, and make these absolutely divine brownies asap!

one year ago: mole sauce

favorite brownies

yields 16-25 (depending upon how you slice)
borrowed from smittenkitchen.com

• 10T unsalted butter
• 1 ¼c sugar
• 3/4c and 2T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4t salt
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2c all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut pieces, optional
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 325°F
2. line the bottom and sides of an 8×8″ baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang
3. heat water in a pan until boiling, and then either use a double boiler or place a heat-proof bowl over the pan
4. in the double boiler or bowl, place the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt, stirring to combine
5. when everything’s melted and combined, remove the bowl or double boiler from the heat
6. stir in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time
7. next add the flour, stirring until shiny
8. add the nuts if using (these are totally optional – i made one pan with them and one pan without, and loved both options equally)
9. spread the batter into a lined pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted off center comes out with just a little bit of batter
10. let cool completely in the pan, then lift up the brownies using the edges of the foil and cut into pieces

you guys!! guess what i did today??!?!  zzzzzzz….oh, sorry about that, i dozed off for a second there. why i am i so sleepy? because mike and i woke up before 5am this morning so we could stand in line to get the new iphones!

we were both due for an upgrade to our current iphones, and were excited to be able to pre-order the newest model and wait with all the other excited geeks outside our closest apple store this morning. to make things even geekier, we brought along these scones, cut out with our new star wars cookie cutters. after waiting for many hours in line, we had very few minutes to play with our new phones before rushing to work. so tonight, we decided to make a very quick (but tasty and healthy, of course) dinner to allow more time for playing with all the new iphone features.

as you may know, i love to eat savory pancakes for dinner – i’ve featured veggie pancakes and chickpea patties on this website in the past. i adore the taste of savory pancakes, how quickly they come together (perfect for a weeknight dinner!), and how many fun toppings can be piled on the yummy base.

this particular recipe tastes a little like a taco, mostly because i pile cheese, black beans, avocado, and salsa on top of the delicious corn fritter. the fritter itself is quite light inside, crispy on the outside, and the corn (which is officially in season!) adds a great crunch. i could rave about this dish forever, but i need to get back to playing with my iphone. so you’ll just have to trust me on this one, and make them for yourself when you want a great weeknight meal. and please do me a favor and let me know in the comments if, in my sleep deprived excitement about the new iphone, i missed sharing anything about this dish.

one year ago: vegetable gratin

corn fritters

yields 6-8 servings
slightly adapted from vegetarian times

• 1c whole wheat flour
• 1c polenta
• 2t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2c (soy) milk
• 5T olive oil
• 1/4c maple syrup
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 10oz bag frozen corn, or 10oz fresh corn
• butter or oil for frying the fritters
• 2c black beans, optional
• 1/2c grated jack cheese, optional
• 1 avocado, optional
• 1/2c salsa, optional
  ______________________________

1. combine the flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl
2. in a separate bowl, whisk the soy milk, olive oil, maple syrup, and egg yolks
3. stir the liquid ingredients into the dry
4. stir in the corn, making sure to only mix until combined
5. beat the 2 egg whites in a third bowl until stiff peaks form
6. fold the egg whites into the batter
7. heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter or oil to grease the pan
8. pour the batter into the pan in approx 1/4c portions
9. allow the batter to cook until large bubbles form and the edges turn brown, somewhere between 3-5 minutes
10. flip the fritters and allow another 3 minutes on that side
11. serve the fritters with warm black beans, grated cheese, avocado, and salsa as desired, and enjoy!

i don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but here it’s been hot – so hot that we actually went for a refreshing dip in the freezing cold pacific ocean last weekend!

when it gets this hot, i start craving light (but filling) dinners, like this spinach souffle. ironically, this souffle is normally a vegetarian entree at our thanksgiving table, but it’s light enough and versatile enough to be enjoyed any time of the year.

the basis of the souffle is a standard white sauce. i love white sauces, because they can be the base of so many different and delicious meals, and they’re quite easy and quick to make. you just start with a little butter in a pan, add flour, stir, slowly pour in some milk, and then vigorously stir until it thickens. at this point, if you were going to make a white sauce for pasta, i’d add some garlic and salt and pepper and some more milk, and then let it thicken up a bit more.

but if you’re making this souffle, you add some cheese, then take it off the heat and add the spinach. after that, temper beaten yolks. (temper = put some of the hot white sauce into the egg yolks, then put some of the yolk mixture back into the white sauce, then add all the yolks – the goal is to ensure the yolks don’t scramble.) then, you just fold in the egg whites, dump into a souffle dish, and throw it in the oven. serve it with some salad and good bread, and you have a dish that is perfect all year round!

one year ago: vegetable pancakes

spinach souffle

• 3T butter
• 4T flour
• 1/4t salt
• dash cayenne
• dash nutmeg
• 3/4c (soy) milk
• 4oz jack cheese, grated
• 1 bunch spinach, rinsed well and chopped (or 10oz frozen spinach, thawed)
• 4 eggs, separated
  ______________________________

1. preheat the oven to 350º
2. grease an 8″square pan or a 9″ souffle dish
3. melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat
4. stir in the flour, salt, cayenne, and nutmeg, whisking to combine
5. slowly add the soy milk, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth and has thickened
6. add the grated cheese, and continue to whisk until the misture is smooth again
7. take the mixture off the heat and add the spinach, stirring well to combine
8. beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff
9. beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl until light yellow
10. add a spoonful of the yolks to the spinach misture, stirring well
11. stir a spoonful of the spinach mixture back into the yolks
12. then, add all the yolks to the spinach mixture and stir until incorporated
13. fold the whites into the spinach/yolk mixture, using a gentle figure-8 motion
14. pour the souffle into the greased pan and bake for 45 minutes, until the souffle has risen and is golden brown
15. serve with a salad and bread and enjoy!

hi my dear readers! how are you? i have some news to share! remember how i hinted at big changes way back in april? well it’s officially official! i’ve accepted admission to a masters of public administration program at the university of washington, and mike and i will be moving up to seattle at the end of the summer. it’s going to be a big change for us – we’re excited to try living in a new city, and i’m excited to go back to school, but we’re also going to miss all of our friends and family here in california.

to celebrate our upcoming move, my beautiful little sister’s birthday (click here and here for pics), and noah passing his phd qualifying exams, i’ve made some rice pudding. this is a great recipe for using up leftover rice. all you have to do is boil some milk, throw in the leftover rice, some raisins, and a cinnamon stick, and you’ll be enjoying a warm, simple, and delicious dessert. i hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as i do, and i promise to keep you updated as mike and i prepare for the big move to seattle!

one year ago: creme brulee

rice pudding

yields about 8 servings
adapted from cheap healthy good

• 4c (soy) milk
• 2c cooked jasmine rice (or 1c dry jasmine rice, 2c water, simmered over low heat for 20 minutes)
• 1/2c sugar
• 1/2c raisins
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2t vanilla
• dash of cinnamon, to garnish, optional
• fresh fruit to garnish, optional
  ______________________________

1. put the (soy) milk into a large sauce pan and bring to just under a boil
2. add the cooked rice, sugar, raisins, and cinnamon sticks to the soy milk
3. reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. when the the pudding is thick, remove from the heat
5. throw away the cinnamon sticks and stir in the vanilla
6. serve warm with fresh fruit and cinnamon, if desired, and enjoy!

a few weekends ago, we meandered down to the farmers market near our house and were so excited by the fresh produce that we bought things without much of a game plan.

it’s rare for me to buy things without a plan – usually i pick out recipes, make a list, and buy according to that list. but this was so much more fun! we just walked from stand to stand, grabbed whatever looked good, and all of the sudden, our bag was overflowing with produce.

when we got home, we put all of that produce out on the counter, added a few items from our cupboards and fridge, and voila, dinner was served! is this something i should be doing more often?? how do you shop for food, my dear readers? with lists? or by picking out what looks good when you’re at the store and creating things?

one year ago: chickpea tacos

beans and greens over barley

• 2c vegetable broth
• 2½c water
• 1½c pearled barley, rinsed
• 2T olive oil
• 1/2c leeks, chopped
• 2 summer squash, sliced into bite sized rounds
• 1 small zucchini, sliced into bite sized rounds
• 15oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2c spinach, washed and roughly chopped
• 2t dried basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2T parsley, minced
• 1/2c parmesan cheese (or more!)
  ______________________________

1. boil the broth and water, then add the barley and allow to simmer for 40 mins
2. meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan, then add the leeks and saute for 5 minutes
3. add the summer squash and zucchini and saute 3 more minutes
4. next, add the beans, spinach, dried basil, and salt & pepper, and saute until warm
5. take the pan off the heat, and toss in the parsley
6. serve the beans and greens in a bowl over the barley, sprinkling liberally with parmesan cheese, and enjoy!

ok, so picture this: it’s saturday morning. your kitchen is a mess. there isn’t much food around, just a few old brown bananas. you’re hungry, but you want something fast, so going out is not an option. you want something kinda healthy, but delicious – i mean, it’s saturday morning, after all!

so what’s the solution? make these banana pancakes! they whip up almost faster than the pan can heat up, and they’re quite healthy, comprised of mushed bananas, whole wheat flour, an egg, and very little else.

of course, by the time i smother them with maple syrup and serve them with a piping hot cup of coffee, they’re a little less healthy, but still light enough that they won’t prevent a post-breakfast run (depending upon how many i eat, of course!).

in case you’re not a feeling like a pancake pro, there are four important things to do when frying pancakes (i’m stealing these tips from mike - he’s the one who handles the frying of pancakes in our home, because i’ve been known to violate all three). 1. temperature: the pan should be hot enough to sizzle when the batter is poured into the pan, but not hot enough for the pancakes to burn. keep the heat on medium! 2. avoid sticking: grease the pan well. we like using real butter, or coconut oil, which adds a bit of a tropical flair to these pancakes. fake butter seems to make the pancakes stick. 3. be patient: do not, i repeat DO NOT, press the pancakes down with the back of your spatula. 4. enjoy the process, even if they burn or don’t flip well, they’ll still be delicious!

one year ago: hummus

banana pancakes

yields approx 12 small pancakes

• 1/2c whole wheat flour
• 1T brown sugar
• 1t baking powder
• 1/4t salt
• 1/2t cinnamon
• 1/2c mashed banana (about 2)
• 1 egg
• 1/2c (soy) milk
• butter or coconut oil to fry them in
• syrup and jam, optional
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1. heat a large frying pan on the stove over medium heat
2. mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl
3. in another bowl, mash the bananas, then whisk in the egg, then the (soy) milk
4. mix the liquid ingredients into the dry, just mixing until combined
5. put a generous amount of butter or coconut oil into the pan, then use a spoon or an ice cream scoop to place small amounts of the batter into the pan
6. allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until large bubbles are forming in the middle of the pancakes, and the edges are turning golden
7. flip the pancakes, and allow to cook for a few more minutes on the other side, until brown
8. either serve immediately, or keep them warm in the oven while the rest bake
9. serve with maple syrup and/or jam, and enjoy!

i left you all hanging with the last post, huh? in case you didn’t read it, i professed my utter distaste for broccoli, and let you know that i finally found two recipes that made broccoli actually taste good (at least to me).

i was amazed to hear the reactions from my friends and family – so many of you absolutely love broccoli! although i am still not on the broccoli loving team with you, i’m glad that you enjoy it, because this second recipe is very broccoli heavy!

what is it? i’m sure you have all guessed by now (the title and pictures must have tipped you off), but the second recipe is  broccoli mushroom pizza, with a delicious white sauce in lieu of tomato sauce on the pizza.

it might just be the copious quantity of cheese, but i am pretty crazy about this pizza – we’ve made it many times over the past month, often doubling the recipe to make lots of delish leftovers – and i have a sneaking suspicion that you’ll be pretty crazy about it, too!

one year ago: glazed seitan

broccoli mushroom pizza

yields 4 servings (of two slices)
borrowed from vegetarian times

• 3T butter (divided)
• 6oz mushrooms, sliced (approx 2c)
• 8oz broccoli florets (approx 3c)
• 1/3c water
• 1T all purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4t salt
• 1c (soy) milk
• 1/2c grated mozzarella (divided)
• 1/4c grated parmesan (divided)
• 1 pizza dough – either store bought or homemade
  ______________________________

1. place a pizza stone (if you have one) in the oven and preheat to 425°F
2. melt 1T butter in a large skillet
3. add the mushrooms and saute 5 minutes
4. add the broccoli and water, and cover the pan, allowing to steam for 4 minutes
5. in a separate pan, heat 2T butter over medium heat
6. add the flour, garlic, and salt to the butter mixture and whisk well
7. slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth
8. when the mixture has thickened (about 4 mins), remove from the stove and add 1/4c mozzarella and 2T parmesan, stirring until smooth again
9. place the pizza dough on the pizza stone (or a baking sheet), and cover the dough in the white sauce
10. use a slotted spoon or tongs to place the broccoli and mushrooms on the pizza (so you don’t get excess water on the pizza)
11. cover the entire pizza with the remaining mozarella and parmesan
12. bake about 18 minutes, until the edges of the pizza are browning and the center is hot. enjoy!