The following is a guest post by my husband, Mike, a/k/a “Mr. Flamingo”.  Mike is also a registered participant in the upcoming Eat Write Retreat food blogger conference, and as such, received his own mystery ingredient box and some special tools from OXO to participate in the EWR Culinary Challenge. His challenge ingredient: California Ripe Olives.  As a student of history and a darned good cook in his own right (Did I ever tell you about our first date? No? Another time.), Mike especially enjoys the history behind the products we use and foods that we eat, and he was really taken with the history of California Olives. But, I’ll let him tell you about it.

The Hessians are coming! The Hessians are coming! … With olives.

Behind every Greek hero, Roman senator, and Spanish conquistador stood a good…olive. The path of Western civilization might as well pass through the roots and branches of the olive tree, since every one of these ancestral empires relied on the olive to survive. So, America owes its favorite martini garnish to some unsung Mediterranean olive mogul who spread olive trees across America like some latter-day Giovanni Olive-seed, right? Nope. Not even close.

America’s olive capital is California, and it owes its $53 million a year olive industry — and America’s owes its love affair with the little green fruit – to a 19th century German immigrant who probably never gave the olive a second thought until she was fifty-six, widowed, and practically penniless.

Freda Ehmann managed to escape Germany’s Hesse-Kassel (yes, the very same Hesse where Britain recruited mercenaries to fight in the American Revolution) when it suffered its own revolution in 1848. Freda married another refugee, Dr. Cornelius Ehmann, and the story might have ended there with Freda and Cornelius living a long, prosperous and relatively anonymous life in Illinois, had Dr. Ehmann not died in 1892. Freda sold off everything and moved to join her son in California, who convinced her to invest virtually all of her money in an 1800 acre olive grove. Then the bottom fell out of the real estate market; Freda was left with twenty of her original 1800 acres, and the advice of the men in her life— including her son— to simply give up and declare bankruptcy. Freda, however, hadn’t survived the vicissitudes of revolution and exile in order to surrender to fate. She was about as eager to declare bankruptcy as she was to stand stark naked for an afternoon on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. She decided to make a go of her twenty acres.

The problem was, Americans liked olives alright, but olives didn’t like to travel much. In the era before refrigeration, the best way to send produce long distances was to can it, but the canning methods of the day weren’t up to preserving olives— or at least, any olives anyone would want to eat, because not only did they taste terrible, they ended up looking like the losing boxer in a punishing match. They came out of the can in splotchy shades of orange, purple, black, brown and any other number of equally nauseating color combinations to match their unsavory taste.

Freda thought she could do better. She set up her laboratory— a couple of wine casks cut in half— on her daughter’s back porch in Oakland and spent every day from dawn to considerably after dusk perfecting her recipe. Thanks to Freda’s straitened circumstances, everything was done as economically as possible, and that included the backbreaking labor of carrying gallons of water to the casks by hand. The resulting olives weren’t any more decorative, but the taste was vastly improved. When Freda brought some to the dean of the local agricultural college, he told her they were the best olives he’d ever had. And so did hoteliers and merchants, first in Seattle and Vancouver, then Philadelphia and Chicago, and then across the country, and she soon had more business than she could handle. By the time Freda passed on in 1931, she was the undisputed empress of California olives, buying the crops of hundreds of other olive growers in California’s Central Valley and canning them in her own massive Oroville plant. Today, there are two canners of olives in California, and both are multi-generational family businesses: Bell-Carter Foods, Inc. / Lindsay Olives in Lafayette, and Musco Family Olive Co. in Tracy.

So here’s my tribute to the uniquely independent Freda Ehmann— a California ripe olive gelato appetizer that I hope is as memorable and individual as she was.

You might think that gelato is an unusual choice for an appetizer.  That olives are a choice garnish for the cocktail hour is no surprise, and they’ve been the inspiration for countless tapenades, salsas and salads, but the sweet richness of olive oil gelato provides a worthy backdrop to the fruity taste of the black olives and the flaky texture of Maldon salt for a special appetizer that will surprise you. Maldon salt is hardly news on the culinary scene, but for those of you who may not have encountered it, it’s literally salt harvested in Maldon on England’s North Sea coast. The process yields a mild, flaky salt with great texture and no bitterness. If you don’t have access to Maldon salt, you can substitute kosher salt, or even a medium coarse fleur de sel (if you want a bit of crunch in the finished product). Do not try to substitute table salt, as that would affect both taste and texture— and not for the better.

Since this is an appetizer, I consider it prime dinner party fare, so the amount below easily serves 8-10. It’s rich, but not as rich as a dessert gelato, and I’ve already reduced the sugar from standard gelato recipes, so the sweetness takes a bit of a back seat to the saltiness and subtle brininess (is that a word?) of the olives. Although the Parmesan Tuiles are an optional garnish, do make them. The tuiles add another layer of savoriness and really enhance the olive flavor.

California Ripe Olive Gelato (serves 8-10)

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• Large pinch kosher salt
• 8 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 6 oz. (1 can, drained) California ripe olives
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Maldon salt

Stir together the first four ingredients in a saucepan and place on moderate heat. Stir occasionally. When you see little bubbles forming against the sides of the saucepan, it’s ready.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until they’re frothy.

Now comes the “tricky” part. Pour the contents of the saucepan in a thin, steady stream into the beaten egg yolks, while continuing to beat the yolks. Pour the resulting mixture back into the saucepan and stir over low to medium heat until it’s a thin custard, i.e. you can dip a wooden spoon into the mixture, draw your finger across the back of the spoon and leave a clear path that doesn’t fill in. Needless to say, perform this part carefully or you’ll be eating an omelet and not gelato!

Make an ice-water bath, filling a large bowl or pan with ice and water, but leave enough space for the bowl you’ll be mixing the custard in.

Pour the custard into the empty bowl that you set in the ice water bath, and whisk it until it’s cool. If you think a little scrambled egg formed in the custard (despite your best efforts) while it was still in the saucepan, you might want to pour the custard through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl in the ice water bath. Pour the cooled custard into a container, cover, and put it in the refrigerator overnight (or minimum 6-8 hours).

Drain the olives, setting aside a few whole ones for garnish.

Remove the custard from the fridge, and whisk in the olive oil while pouring into the custard in a thin, steady stream. Once it’s thoroughly mixed, put the custard in your ice cream maker and let it churn until it’s the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Meanwhile, roughly chop the drained olives in your food processor (pulsing it about six times should give you the right consistency).  You can also do this by hand.

When the gelato in the ice cream machine is ready, pour it into a large bowl. Fold in the chopped olives and salt until the pieces are well distributed. Work quickly, because the gelato will be doing its best to melt into soup, and instead of being spread throughout the gelato, the olives will end up falling into a layer on the bottom.

Spoon/pour the gelato into a container, seal, and keep in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it. (Note that the taste of the olive oil will get stronger with time.)

*Optional Garnish: Parmesan Tuiles (or Fricos)

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Prepare a baking pan by lining it with either parchment paper or a silicone pan liner.

For each tuile, place 2 Tablespoons of cheese in a mound on the baking pan, about 2 inches apart (they will spread).  Bake for about 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and flattened out. Allow to cool on the baking sheet until the cheese has set. Remove to a sheet of paper towel to blot any excess oils. Serve within several hours.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Mike’s contribution to the blog today, and that you’ll try this recipe. We’ve been addicted to it since he received his Eat Write Retreat mystery box and was inspired to create this ingenious and unexpected appetizer!

One of my favorite parts of the annual Eat Write Retreat food bloggers conference, is the Culinary Challenge.  This year, all the participants registered by April 15^th were sent boxes containing one of four Mystery Ingredients (along with a boatload of OXO tools to help us out). The challenge is to create at home, an Amazing App centered on the ingredient that was randomly assigned to each of us.  My ingredient? The potato.

In and of itself, the average potato is only about 110 calories and quite the nutritional powerhouse, containing 45% of the daily requirement of Vitamin C – and that’s just in the flesh. Eaten with the skin, you’ve got additional dietary fiber and more potassium than a banana!  And they’re fat-free… that is, until you start adding stuff to them.  What’s not to love?  The potato is also such a versatile vegetable, the challenge wasn’t in coming up with ideas, but in narrowing it down to just one!  So, I thought about different types of appetizers:  Finger food or plated? Party food or sit-down dinner?  Ultimately, I was inspired by a common Latin street food: the Papa Rellena, or Stuffed Potato.

Papas Rellenas (pronounced ray-yé-nas) are common here in Miami, and eaten at any time of day – for breakfast, lunch, or just a snack.  Every cafetería, large and small, has a service window on the sidewalk.  Hardly anyone ever uses the door. You walk up to the window to order your café con leche or cortadíto.  There are glass cabinets on or near the counter containing a variety of pastelítos (pastries), empanadas (individual meat pies – spicy or mild), and the ubiquitous papas rellenas: large deep-fried balls of mashed potato hiding a center of delicious picadíllo (seasoned ground beef).  Your choice is placed in a deli paper-lined plastic basket and handed to you through the window with your coffee.  You eat these delights with your hands. Only gringos (the uninitiated non-Hispanics) ask for a knife and fork.  Never ask for cutlery – it’s a dead giveaway.

So, I had two challenges: (1) Transform this pedestrian ethnic street food into an Amazing Appetizer; and (2) Make it healthier.

To those ends, I started by creating a filling that contained no meat, but retained the texture and flavor profile of the original, and then decided to bake them, rather than fry.  My version is about half the size of the street food version, making them the perfect size for appetizers or party snacks, but what really makes them ready for prime time is a touch of black truffle salt.  Extravagant?  Maybe a bit, but a little goes a long way, and let me tell you – there are few things better than potatoes seasoned with a hit of truffle salt!

Vegan Truffled Stuffed Potatoes  (makes about 24 pieces)

For the filling:

• 14.5 oz  can of black beans
• 1 Tbs. canola or olive oil (your choice)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• ground black pepper to taste

Drain and rinse the black beans and set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and salt. Reduce heat to medium, stir and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add the cumin and black pepper, and stir until well mixed.

Add the black beans to the pan, stir to mix well, and using a potato masher (or other suitable tool), mash the beans and vegetables together, combining until you have a dry mixture that resembles browned ground beef.   Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

For the potatoes:

• 5 lbs. of white potatoes
• 2 tsp. black truffle salt

Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 2” pieces. Place them in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Cook the potatoes about 20 minutes, or until fork-tender.

Drain the potatoes, and while they’re still hot, put them through a ricer, or mash until completely smooth, with no lumps.  Add the truffle salt and mix very well.  Do not add any butter or liquid!

To Assemble:

• About 1 1/2 cups of finely ground, unsalted cracker crumbs (like soda crackers), or plain, unseasoned bread crumbs
• Oil of your choice for brushing

Prepare a baking sheet by covering it with aluminum foil and either brushing it with a bit of oil, or spray lightly with cooking spray.

While the potatoes are still warm, and using a large cookie scoop or your hands, scoop out generous mounds of mashed potato and roll them between your hands to make firm balls about 1 1/2″ to 2″ wide.

Cut each ball in half and, placing one half in the palm of one hand and using the fingers and thumb of the other hand, shape each half into a bowl.

Using a teaspoon or the large end of a melon baller, place a generous scoop of the filling in one half. Place the other half over it and seal the two halves together, rolling the ball between your hands and making sure there is no visible seam.

Place the stuffed potato balls onto the prepared baking sheet and put it in the freezer for one to two hours.

Preheat the oven to 450º F.

Remove the potato balls from the freezer.  Brush each ball with the oil, then coat with the cracker crumbs and replace it onto the baking sheet.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the balls are golden brown.  Allow them to sit on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing, permitting them to firm up.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Notes: 

Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps in this recipe.  Like most things, it takes longer to tell you about it, than to actually do it.  It’s really quite easy, and once you get going, the process goes pretty quickly.

Of all the different types of potatoes available, I chose the white potatoes because of their versatility and lovely smooth texture when mashed without the addition of fats or liquids.

Make the filling first. It doesn’t matter how cool/cold the filling gets. It does matter if the potatoes get cold, because they’re harder to work with, and cold potatoes will make the molding process take longer than it would if they’re warm.  If the potatoes get too cold, the warmth of your hands will help, but it will take a bit longer.

You can make these up to a day ahead of time, right up to the baking part. Just cover the baking sheet containing the potato balls (in the freezer at least 15 minutes, first) with plastic wrap and keep them in the freezer or refrigerator until ready to bake.  They may take an additional few minutes in the oven.

Feel free to halve the recipe, but why would you want to? Just put any you might have left over into a freezer storage bag and freeze. To reheat, place them frozen onto a baking sheet and heat in a 350º F oven for about 20 minutes.

Protein, fiber, vitamins, vegan, low-fat (so everyone can enjoy!), and flavor that says “gourmet”, instead of “calle” (street).  Now, that’s an Amazing App!

When we last left our heroes – oh, about two weeks ago – a Mysterious Package had arrived at their doors from Foods from Chile and Kitchen PLAY.

Revealing:

A bounty of diverse and delicious foods that come from Chile!  Our challenge? To concoct a recipe using some of these interesting ingredients, inspired by you.  For a solid week, my four fellow bloggers and I watched the space at Kitchen PLAY, waiting for the perfect inspiration. As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait that long.

When I read the suggestion of Renee of Magnolia Days, it hit me! Renee said: “I think a blueberry martini or cocktail of some sort using blueberry juice and/or blueberries would be great.”

Of course!  You already know that one of my signature Freakin’ Flamingo jam flavors is Blueberry Mojito.  It’s so popular that I’m not allowed to stop making it!  But if you research recipes for Blueberry Mojito cocktails, all you find are recipes that are pretty much just regular mojitos with a few blueberries tossed in. Big deal.  I use tons of fresh blueberries and their juice in my jam, so why not amp up the actual cocktail?  The bottle of 100% Pure Fruit Chilean Blueberry Juice, plus the fresh blueberries from Chile in my Mystery Crate, gave me the perfect opportunity.

A Really Good Blueberry Mojito  (Makes one cocktail)

Ingredients:

•  10 – 12 fresh mint leaves
• ½  of a key lime or Persian lime
• 2 Tbs. simple syrup (more or less to taste)
• 2 oz  100% Chilean Blueberry Juice
• 1 ½ oz  white rum
• crushed ice
• 2-4 oz sparkling water or seltzer
• sprig of fresh mint and some fresh blueberries for garnish

Method:

Place the mint leaves and lime (if using ½ of a Persian lime, cut it into several smaller pieces) in the bottom of a tall glass.  Crush them together with a muddler or wooden spoon. You don’t want to break up the mint leaves too much – just release their essence.

Add the simple syrup, blueberry juice, and rum. Stir briefly, then fill the glass with crushed ice. Top with the sparkling water or seltzer, garnish and enjoy!

The fresh blueberry juice from Chile is sweet, but not cloying, and adds a refreshing depth to the drink that I think you’ll really like.  And think of all those wonderful antioxidants! Don’t tell me that I don’t think about your health. *wink!*

So, thanks, Renee! And no, I didn’t pick her because her name is Renee. Purely a coincidence.

And now, if you don’t mind, I believe the sun is over the yardarm. Somewhere.

Don’t forget to join us tonight, Tuesday, May 7^th at 7:00 pm for a Twitter party celebrating Foods from Chile! Go register (http://kpcookchilean.eventbrite.com).  Now.  Seriously. Five more Foods from Chile gift crates are up for grabs and you could snatch up one of them!  Who knows what you’ll come up with?  All I know is, you’ll be inspired!

(This post is sponsored by Kitchen PLAY and Foods from Chile. All opinions are my own, as always. Really? You had doubts? Please.)

Although I already knew that Chile produces some very fine wines, and fruit like blueberries, grapes and plums, I have to admit that I was a little nervous – I had no idea what to expect.  I took this wooden crate out of the packing box and I almost felt like I was in an episode of Chopped. Well, you know, except for the fact that I was still in my jammies and Ted Allen was nowhere to be seen.  Still!

So what was inside? Here you go:

Click on the image to make it larger!

And man! What a surprise! There was smoked trout! And smoked salmon – that’s right – lox!  There were also: Mussels packed in olive oil, fresh grapes, a plum, fresh blueberries, raisins, prunes (do you feel hipper calling them dried plums? fine.), a bottle of blueberry juice, fig chutney with merken (a spicy condiment made of smoked, dried red chili pepper and toasted coriander, ground together), an OXO avocado tool, and a very generous apron (I like very long strings that you can wrap around and tie in the front. No, I don’t work out. Why do you ask?).  *Deep breath!*  Alas, no wine. But almost as exciting, there was a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil!

Did you know that Consumer Reports named Chilean Olive Oil the best imported olive oil in its September 2012 issue?  I’ll bet you were thinking it would be Italy, right? Nope!

So, I have a job for you.  And if you play your cards right, there just might be a little sump’n sump’n in it for you, too.  Click on over to Kitchen PLAY and give me some ideas of what you think I should make with these great Foods from Chile. Unlike Chopped, you don’t have to include every single item (and frankly, I won’t cry if you skip the fish and mussels, seeing as I’m not a fish/seafood person).  If I choose your idea as my inspiration, you’ll win your very own bag of goodies containing Foods from Chile (valued at $30)!

Of course, I love your comments here! But in order for me to consider your idea, you must leave it at this link for Kitchen PLAY.  That way, even if I don’t choose yours, one of the other four bloggers participating in this challenge might, and you could still win!  So, leave your idea or recipe for a dish made with some of the great ingredients I received in my Mystery Package by 11:59 p.m. on April 25th.  On May 7th I’ll unveil the dish inspired by you, and announce my chosen winner and inspiration.

Also on May 7th at 7:00 p.m., we’re having a Twitter party! We’ll be talking about our recipes and you, some of the great foods that come from Chile, and we’ll give away five more gift crates packed with Chilean goodness!  Go ahead and reserve your spot at the party here, put on your party hats and thinking caps (for some of you, that’s the same thing), and give me some great ideas!

(This post is sponsored by Kitchen PLAY and Foods from Chile. All opinions are my own, as always. Really? You had doubts? Please.)

A couple of months ago, my friend Elle of Elle’s New England Kitchen posted a recipe for a Campbell’s copycat tomato soup. I wondered if I could take it a step (or five) further, and turn it into my favorite vegetable soup, but without the fillers and excess sodium.  Using Elle’s tomato soup as a base (minus the butter), I decided to give it a try. Because, you know, anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.

Now, tomato soup is much thicker than the vegetable soup, so I had to thin it down a bit with some water (using frozen mixed vegetables helped, too).  You won’t find any salt in this recipe, either, because I find that most vegetable broths already contain plenty.  And I didn’t have any small pasta shapes in the house, so I added a drained can of chickpeas (you can use a can of whatever bean you like or have in the pantry).  And it does cook for about 20 – 30 minutes longer (to get the potatoes cooked-through).  In the end, though, we had a chunky, satisfying vegetable soup that hit all the right notes and was truly “Mmm, mmm, good!”

Vegetarian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (26 oz) box of Pomi Strained Tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup raw potatoes (skins on, if you like), diced small (optional)
• 1 14.5 oz can chickpeas (or other bean), drained (optional)
• 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (you can add another cup, if you want)

Preparation:

In a 4 quart (or larger) saucepan, combine the Pomi strained tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, water, garlic powder, and sugar.  Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring very well to make sure the tomato paste and sugar are dissolved.

If using the potatoes, add them to the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Add the chickpeas and frozen vegetables, return to a simmer, and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes.  Check the potatoes and vegetables for your desired doneness.  If the soup is too thick for you, add a little more water, stir well, and bring it back up to a simmer to heat through.

Serve with Grilled Cheese Croutons.

Normally, I might have this soup with some saltines or soda crackers on the side.  But these mini-sammies came together in just a few minutes, while the soup was simmering, and satisfied the urge of having a nice grilled cheese with our soup.  And they fit on a spoon! Okay, fine. I admit it. I didn’t have any full-sized bread in the house. Still!

Grilled Cheese Croutons! Can you stand it?

Ingredients:

• 1 small baguette sliced thin
• cheddar cheese slices or shreds
• olive oil (for brushing)

If you have a panini press, heat it to 350°F. If you don’t have one, heat a grill pan, griddle, or frying pan on top of the stove, until a drop of water dropped onto the surface bounces around before evaporating.

Match up your baguette slices for sandwiches and put your cheese (cut to fit the bread) or shredded cheese on one bread slice. Cover with another slice of bread. Brush the outsides of your sandwiches with a bit of the olive oil and place on your preheated grill. If using the panini press, close the top and grill for about 3 minutes, or till toasted. If using your stove, you’ll have to turn your mini-sammies after one side is toasted, and repeat.

Float several mini-sandwiches on top of each bowl of soup.

Fun to eat, great for kids, and husband-approved!

For more hearty and healthy soup options, try:

• Elle’s fast and fabulous Tomato Soup
• Lentil Mushroom Barley Soup
• Butternut Squash Stew

It’s what’s for breakfast!

We love our yogurt here at the ol’ Flamingo Pond. So much so, that we just can’t leave it alone. And we’re always looking for ways to change it up just a little, to make it a bit more, um, interesting. So, I’m going to share one of our little secrets with you – yogurt cheese.  Okay, so it’s not exactly a secret, but if you’re trying to find a tasty and economical way to bring yogurt’s health benefits into your family’s diet, without the artificial flavors, thickeners, and whatever else is being thrown into the commercial stuff these days, try making yogurt cheese and mixing in one of Freakin’ Flamingo‘s fun and delicious all-natural jam flavors.

Let’s start you off with a smaller quantity, and you can double it the next time you make it. And you will make it again!

Yogurt Cheese With Jam

You’ll Need:

• 2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt
• Cheesecloth
• Fine sieve or tofu press fitted with the light-duty spring
• 2 Tbs. (or more, to your taste) Freakin’ Flamingo Jam

How-To:

Line the sieve or tofu press with the cheesecloth.  If using a sieve, make sure it’s suspended over your sink. (Did you really need me to tell you that?) Spoon the yogurt into the cheesecloth.

Fold the cheesecloth over the top of the yogurt. If using the tofu press, make sure the cheesecloth is tucked in neatly, then cover with the press plate (make sure you’re using the “light-duty” spring.

If using a sieve, make sure the yogurt is covered completely by the cheesecloth and twist the ends closed.  Place a plate on top, with a light weight on top of the plate, such as a large can of tomatoes.

Allow to drain for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight.

Unwrap the cheese parcel and place into a bowl or container. What you have now should be the consistency of cream cheese. And will taste like really tangy cream cheese.

Break up the block o’ cheese, add the jam, and stir until it is completely incorporated.  The result? Sweet and tangy, smooth and creamy, utterly spreadable yogurt cheese! Make sure to cover and refrigerate the unused portion.

I used Freakin’ Flamingo Sugar-Free Blueberry Cardamom Jam here, but you can use any flavor you love!

But, it won’t last long! Slather it on a bagel or English muffin for breakfast or spread it on crackers for a snack. Try other mix-ins like roasted garlic and/or other finely chopped veggies to make a savory spread.

The only limit is your imagination!  What else would you mix in?

Try this recipe that I adapted slightly from my friend and cookie maven, Marye Audet-White, prolific author, recipe developer and food blogger at Restless Chipotle, and her book, The Everything Cookies and Brownies Cookbook:

Almond Linzer Heart Cookies

(makes about 24 cookies) Adapted from The Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook by Marye Audet

Ingredients:

•  ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ – 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups finely ground almonds
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Approx. 1 cup strawberry jam for filling (Of course, I recommend Freakin’ Flamingo jams)
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation:

In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric hand mixer, until fluffy.  Add the lemon zest, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl, occasionally.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, until well blended.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry, until well incorporated and the mixture becomes a smooth dough.  Shape the dough into a circle or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, wrap well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350º F.

After refrigeration, roll the dough out to about 1/8” thickness and cut out cookies, using 3”-4” heart-shaped cutters.  Place on parchment or non-stick foil lined baking pans.  Using a ½” to 1” cutter, cut the centers out of half of the cookies.  Bake for about 12 minutes.

When the cookies are baked, allow them to cool for a few minutes, then assemble:

Dust the cookies that have the cut-out centers with powdered sugar.  These are the tops.

Take a solid cookie and spread with about a teaspoon of jam.  Carefully place the tops on the jam-spread bottoms, and press them gently together.

The cookies can be made a day or two ahead. Store in an airtight container with waxed paper or parchment paper between the layers.

You don’t have to restrict yourself to strawberry preserves/jam, you know. Use your favorite flavor (or the fave of someone you love… hint, hint!)

Whatever you choose, the Love comes through loud and clear.  Happy Valentines Day!

P.S. -  Need more Valentines Day ideas?  Try:

• Heart-Decorated FrenchMacarons
• Stained Glass Lemon Cookies with Heart Cut-Outs
• Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

Who knew that we’re making “health food” here at Freakin’ Flamingo?

Did you know that the herb Lemongrass is thought to have numerous health benefits? Especially when used in combination with other spices such as garlic, fresh chillies, and coriander. In fact, scientists are now studying Thailand’s favorite soup: Tom Yum Kung, which is thought to be capable of combating colds, flu, and even some cancers. Why is that?

Lemongrass contains large amounts of citral, which is a powerful antioxidant and has been shown to kill off cancerous cells. A study in 2006 found that no normal cells were harmed, but the malignant cancerous cells “committed cell suicide”. This is an incredible find, and even more so that the health benefits of lemongrass tea are gotten by using only one gram of lemongrass in hot water to get the desired effect! It can also help aid the digestive tract, stop nausea, menstrual problems and can reduce fevers. It is also known to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure levels.

Now, I’m not saying that Freakin’ Flamingo, LLC’s Hot Lemongrass Pepper Jelly, made from concentrated lemongrass tea (that we grow ourselves) and Thai Dragon Chili Peppers (one medium-sized pepper will provide almost the entire daily adult requirement of vitamin C, and also contains vitamins such as B1, B2, D, plus numerous minerals), will cure all your ills, but it IS a delicious addition to many of your favorite dishes, and complements cheeses, chicken, fish, and lamb.

Making Hot Wings? Try melting some Freakin’ Flamingo Hot Lemongrass Pepper Jelly on top of the stove or in the microwave, then toss it with your freshly baked or fried chicken wings for a sweet and spicy kick!

Like your Mama said – It couldn’t hurt!

Have you heard??? Freakin’ Flamingo‘s having its first ever SALE! This weekend only – and online only – visit the website, load up on all your favorite Freakin’ Flamingo and Oxford Falls products, and get 15% off your total purchase at checkout with the coupon code: CyberSale.  Valid only from Small Business Saturday (November 24th) through Cyber Monday (November 26th), so start shopping!

Now, while you’re waiting for your order to arrive, more free stuff!

If you haven’t heard of Michael Natkin and his terrific vegetarian blog, Herbivoracious, you’ve been really missing out! Natkin’s blog is all about vegetarian cooking (not vegan – he uses plenty of dairy products and eggs, too) and features delicious recipes and gorgeous photography to lure you in.  He doesn’t preach at you or try to convert you, but you’ll learn something with every post.  It’s vegetarian for the rest of us. And he brings that style home in his book, Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes. It has been on Top Ten lists from National Public Radio and Amazon.com, has received favorable reviews from just about everyone you can think of, and is in a second printing.

Sure, you can buy a copy through my Amazon Store (or click on Flamingo’s Favorites over there in the sidebar), or you can WIN a copy, along with a very nifty OXO Mini ChopperAND an awesome Freakin’ Flamingo Market Bag!

Because it’s the HOLIDAYS! And you need PRESENTS!  And I won’t even make you jump through (too many) hoops to enter!

Just leave a comment on this post. I dunno, say whatever you want to say. You know, using basically family-friendly language. Wish me a happy holiday season. Or tell me about your fave Freakin’ Flamingo flavor (say that, 3 times, fast! Out-loud.)  Just make sure there’s a working email address associated with your comment, so if you win, I can contact you.

You’ve got one whole week! After I get home from the NEW Farmers’ Market opening, next Saturday, December 1, 2012, and I wake up from my nap, say around 6:00 PM (US / Eastern time), I’ll pick one lucky winner through Random.org.  It’s as simple as that! One comment/entry per person, please, and yes, I’ll send it to you no matter where in the world you live! Happy Holidays!

So, SHOP then ENTER!  And if you’re a local, come see me and help celebrate the opening of the NEW Southwest Community Farmers’ Market, next Saturday, December 1st and enter my raffle for a Freakin’ Flamingo Market Bag there, too!

Click on this image for full details!

Introducing Freakin’ Flamingo’s new Holiday Table Sampler: One 4 oz jar each of Anne Bonney’s Pirate’s Reserve Caribbean Cranberry, Hot Lemongrass Pepper Jelly, and Carambola (starfruit) Cranberry.

What can you do with them? Why, give your guests a tropical twist by putting these on your table to compliment your turkey, or even your potato pancakes. Enjoy them alongside a variety of cheeses at your next holiday get-together, whether it’s a cocktail party or festive brunch. Add a little to your holiday baking, or even your meatloaf!  Makes a unique stocking-stuffer or elegant hostess gift, too.

Oooo! Shiny!

“Whoa! Back up, there. Did you just say meatloaf???”  I did! Take your humdrum, everyday meatloaf, and change it up by adding a couple of spoonfuls of Freakin’ Flamingo jam. Using Freakin’ Flamingo jams in your cooking not only adds flavor, but makes things like meatloaf even moister and juicier. Try this:

Flamingo-Style Sweet ‘n Sour Meatloaf  (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup uncooked dry oatmeal
•  1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4-5 Tbs Freakin’ Flamingo Carambola Cranberry (or any favorite flavor) – divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a small oven-proof glass casserole dish, combine all of the ingredients, using only 2 Tbs of the Freakin’ Flamingo jam.  Combine lightly with your hands, and shape into a loaf shape, about 8″ long.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Melt the remaining jam in a small dish in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds, or until just brushable.  Using a small brush, brush the remaining jam onto the meatloaf until completely glazed. Return it to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165º F.  Remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Have some additional jam on the table for those who like a little extra sauce, like me!

Serving suggestion:

Toss hot veg with Oxford Falls Comeback Salad Dressing!

(Okay, yeah, there was supposed to be some mashed potato on this plate, too, but I discovered I only had one potato. Oh, like it’s never happened to you. )

If you’re going to cook with my tasty twisted jams, I suggest you visit Freakin’ Flamingo today and get a full-sized 8 oz jar of your favorite flavor and leave the Table Sampler for, well, the table.