Nummy Kitchen

Tex-Mex Vegetarian Lentil Chili

2012-10-17T14:05:00.004-04:00

The theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week is Lentil Love -- so here is a yummy fall dish chock full of lentils, Tex-Mex Vegetarian Chili, from Madhur Jaffrey's book World Vegetarian. I've had this book for years and not cooked much from it, so I am really looking forward to the next six months with IHCC cooking her recipes.

Tex-Mex Vegetarian Chili
adapted from Madhur Jaffrey -- World Vegetarian

3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped (I used roasted garlic cloves that I mashed)
1/2 large green pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped (I forgot to add this!)
1/4 to 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crumbled sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup lentils, picked over and washed (I used red lentils, which cook down a lot, the recipe doesn't specify a specific lentil)
1 cup cooked dried or canned kidney beans
2 to 3 canned plum tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 cups corn (frozen or canned would work, my addition)

Put the oil in a medium pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion, garlic, green pepper, and jalapeno. Stir and fry for about 3 minutes or until the seasonings just start to brown. Turn down the heat to medium-low and continue to saute for another 3 minutes. Now put in the cumin, paprika, thyme, sage, oregano, and cayenne. Stir briskly once or twice and put in the lentils, 4 and 1/2 cups of water, the red kidney beans, plum tomatoes, cilantro leaves, and salt.

At this point I thought it would be nice to add some corn and used 1 can of sweet corn kernels, rinsed and drained.

Bring to a boil. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook gently for 50 minutes.

Mix the cornmeal with 3 tablespoons water and then pour the mixture into the chili pot. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Serves 4.

~~~~

This was a hearty and delicious late weekend lunch to watch a football game with. I served it sprinkled with shredded cheddar and with some honey corn muffins (baked in my cast iron cactus pan) on the side. All three of my kids ate this without complaint and the most surprising part was that picky husband even ate this, liked it, and had a second bowl! He does not do meatless very often, and I was ready to make him something different, but he gave this vegetarian lentil chili and try and actually ate it, yay :)

Bagels

2012-10-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

Our Tuesdays with Dorie pick this week is...BAGELS! What a fun baking project. I love bagels and have made them a few times but not in the past couple of years so this was the perfect recipe to get back in the swing of bagel making.

I split the dough in half and made five cinnamon raisin bagels, by just kneading in some raisins and a cinnamon sugar swirl before shaping. I cut the second half of the dough into eight smaller pieces and those bagels ended up being just the right size for homemade pizza Bagel Bites.

The cinnamon raisin were a special request by picky husband...

They turned out absolutely delicious! Picky husband and kids all loved these. The kids even helped shape a few of the plain batch and had a ton of fun making bagels with mommy. I would use this recipe again for sure. I did boil a little less than directed, just kind of watched them until they began to float and then flipped then, I also subbed out the shortening and used butter in the dough. Lastly I lowered the baking time and temperature, they were perfectly chewy/crunchy/soft inside after about 17-20 minutes at 375. Yum, yum! Perfect bagels, if you ask me :)

Honey Corn Muffins

2012-10-14T18:19:00.000-04:00

These Honey Corn Muffins are our second Club: BAKED pick for the month of October, thanks to Karen for hosting. The recipe will be posted at Karen's site soon! I absolutely love cornbread and make it often, the kids and picky husband are all sweet cornbread fans. This recipe was great and produced a moist and sweet cornbread muffin. I baked these in my cast iron cactus pan and corncob pan and served them with some vegetarian chili. I only got a couple of pictures because these were such a huge hit with the kids and picky husband and got gobbled up quite quickly :)

Indian Cauliflower with Potatoes -- Gobi Aloo

2012-10-13T10:14:00.001-04:00

This week at I Heart Cooking Clubs the theme is Spice Bazaar. I decided to give Madhur Jaffrey's Gobi Aloo a try from her book Flavors of India. I'd always heard this dish called Aloo Gobi and had tried it at restaurants before but never made it myself.

I'd say this definitely fits into the theme Spice Bazaar since I got to use five spices from my spice rack, one being a spice blend.

Cauliflower with Potatoes Banquet Style -- Gobi Aloo
adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Flavors of India

1 large cauliflower (to yeild 18 oz florets)
2-3 medium potatoes, peeled (I used two but wish I would have used three)
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium sized onions, finely chopped (I do not like the texture of onions and used onion powder instead)
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very fine slices and then into very fine slivers
2 medium sized tomatoes, grated or very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1-1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt (I forgot to add the salt and it was plenty flavorful)
1/2 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds

Break the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Cut the potatoes lengthways into halves and then cut each half leghthways to get chunky chips.

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the potatoes and fry them until they are medium-brown and just barely cooked through. (This took about 7- 10 minutes for me) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper towels.

Put the florets into the same oil and fry until golden brown and just barely cooked through. (This took another 7-10 minuter, I think I took mine off a little early) Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the oil from the wok or frying-pan (I did not need to remove any oil, only about 3 tbsp remained after frying the potatoes and cauliflower).

Put the onions and stir until they are light brown. Put in the ginger and continue to stir and fry until the onions are medium brown.

Add the tomatoes and keep frying until they turn soft and darker and the oil seems to separate from the sauce. Add the cayenne pepper, turmeric, coriander and salt. Stir and fry for a minute.

Put in the potatoes and florets. Stir to mix gently. Sprinkle a tablespoons of water over the vegetables (I used more like 1/4 cup). Cover. Turn the heat to low and cook gently for 3-5 minutes. Uncover. Add the garam masala and ground roasted cumin seeds. Stir gently to mix and turn off heat.

I made this one day for lunch while picky husband was at work and the kids were at school. I knew they wouldn't be too keen on trying this, but I thought it was a delicious and very flavorful dish. When I offered the Gobi Aloo left-overs with dinner they all did not want to try it! Go figure. I was wishing I had some coconut rice to go along with it and will definitely pair those two together next time I give Gobi Aloo a go.

Curried Peas and Mushrooms with Parathas

2012-10-07T14:47:00.000-04:00

This post will be serving double duty! First off I wanted to get back to doing my Random Recipes, that's where the Curried Peas and Mushrooms come in, and secondly I am excited to get cooking Madhur Jaffrey recipes with my friends at I Heart Cooking Clubs, that's where the Parathas come in.

We'll start with the Parathas, they are from Madhur's cookbook Flavors of India which I have checked out from the library. The only Madhur Jaffrey cookbook I own is World Vegetarian, and I wanted to take a peek at her other cookbooks too, so I just had to check this one out!

Parathas -- Flaky Breads from Punjab

4 cups chapati flour or a combination of 2 cups sifted wholewheat flour and 2 cups plain (all-purpose white) flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons ghee, melted, unsalted butter or vegetable oil for cooking the parathas -- I used homemade ghee

Sieve the flour into a large shallow bowl. Make a well in the center and slowly pour in about 1 and 1/4 cups water. Mix. When all the water is incorporated, knead to form a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest in a cool place for 45 minutes. This is the basil paratha dough.

Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and form into balls. Dust with flour.

Set a tava or large heavy frying-pan over high heat. I just used my electric griddle turned up to the highest setting (400 degrees).

Meanwhile, flatted one ball between the palms of your hands to make a disc. Put the disc on a lightly floured surface and, with a rolling pin, roll it out into a circle about 6 inches is diameter.

When the tava is hot, grease it lightly with a little ghee or the butter or oil and slap on the paratha. Cook for about 30 seconds. Flip the paratha over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Flip over again and brush about 1 and 1/2 teaspoon ghee over the top. Cook for 30 seconds, pressing down all over the surface with a spatula. Flip over again and brush the second side with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the ghee. Cook for another 30 seconds, again pressing down with a spatula. Flip over a few more times, leaving the paratha to cook for about 10 seconds at a time. It should now be a nice golden-brown with a couple of dark spots. Remove and keep covered. Repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough. Keep the stack of parathas covered as you make them. Parathas are best when they are freshly made.

~~~

The Curried Peas and Mushrooms in Yogurt is my Random Recipe #10, from the randomly plucked from the bookshelf book, Odiyan Country Cookbook -- International Vegetarian Recipes. This book is from 1977 but I bought it sometime is the past few years, thanks to amazon. I love older books and finding hidden recipe "gems" and bought a used copy of this one, it has an ink blot on it but other than that is in decent shape for being 30+ years old.

I actually had to make this recipe twice, the first time I followed the directions...

I even had to buy a new ingredient, black mustard seeds! I figured they would be a worthwhile purchase with I Heart Cooking Clubs new chef being Madhur Jaffrey :)

But the first time, following the recipe was a big flop. The yogurt curdled up and made the dish look very unappetizing, and well, just plain gross. So I figured I'd give it another go using the spices and basic ingredients and just cooked a little differently...

Heat up 5 tablespoons ghee in pan, add mustard seeds and cook for 30 seconds until they start to pop, add in 1 and 1/2 teaspoons curry powder and 1 pound thinly sliced fresh mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly over medium high heat. Add in 1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas and saute for a couple of minutes until the are heated up. Turn off heat and let stand covered for 10 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup plain yogurt (I warmed it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds before adding to the peas and mushrooms) Add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, stir well, and serve with breads.

The kids had one tiny bite and did not like it, picky husband would not try it. I thought it was pretty good but not something I'd be clamoring to make again. The yogurt flavor was very strong (probably because I used Greek yogurt), but the sweet peas and warm curry spices balanced it out nicely. It was fun to try something new and get back into finding a Random Recipe. The parathas were a great pairing with the curried peas and mushrooms and I thought it was a pretty yummy lunch.

Cranberry Pumpkin Walnut Loaves

2012-10-02T10:46:00.001-04:00

Jumping back into Tuesdays with Dorie with this delicious fall flavored mini bread! You can find the recipe here at Rebecca's site, thank you for hosting, Rebecca! I love pumpkin baked goods (and anything pumpkin, really) and this was my first pumpkin recipe of the season, now I can't wait to make some more pumpkin goodies.

I used frozen cranberries and raisins, I debated using dried cranberries which I also have in my pantry but went with the frozen ones since I have so many to use up. They add a delightful juicy burst of tartness when you get a bite with one. I think they bread would have been a little prettier with fresh cranberries, will have to remember that for next time. I have been baking along with TwD just not posting, so I'm looking forward to the October make up date to share the rest :) Thanks for visiting!

Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake

2012-10-01T13:25:00.000-04:00

This cake was chosen for Club: BAKED as our first October recipe! I haven't baked along with Club: BAKED for a while (actually I have baked along on quite a few, just hadn't blogged about them) so this was a nice recipe to jump back in with.

Thank you to Stephanie at Ice Cream Before Dinner for picking this recipe, you can click on the link to her website for the recipe for this cake.

I am a fan of bundt cakes and love the specialty shaped pans, but decided to go with my traditional bundt pan for this recipe because of the frosting, didn't want it to clash with the cake design.

This cake has a fun optional topping, caramel candy "shards" that you make to decorate the top with. They really made this cake an attention grabber. All in all, the Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake was a nice subtle dessert, it had a mellow flavor with a hint of caramel and a pound-cake like texture. The scent while baking filled the house and seemed to say "welcome to fall baking" :)

Poblano Pepper Quesadillas with Roasted Tomato Salsa

2012-09-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

I'm sneaking back in at I Heart Cooking Clubs for the last couple of weeks of cooking Rick Bayless recipes. I've had a ton of fun making his authentic Mexican dishes for the family and really enjoy his recipes. When I made these "Crusty Griddle-Baked Quesadillas" I was surprised at what a huge hit they were. I made half with the roasted poblano peppers and half plain cheese for the kids, which they appreciated since they are not yet poblano fans. The Tomato Jalapeno sauce is so yummy, it is our new go to salsa recipe and I've made it many times. I love the short ingredient list and depth of flavor. This was a fun recipe to try with the roasting of the poblano peppers and also the homemade quesadilla dough.

Essential Simmered Tomato Jalapeno Sauce
adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen
* I usually make a half batch and only use 1 jalapeno so it is not too spicy for the kids

2 and 1/4 pounds tomatoes
3 to 4 fresh jalapeno chiles, stemmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced (I use about 1/2 tsp onion powder)
1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth

Roast the tomatoes and chiles on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes then flip and roast on the other side.

Cool, peel the tomatoes (I don't peel them), collecting all juices. Roughly chop the jalapenos (I don't bother to chop them). Coarsely puree the tomatoes (with their juices) and chiles in a food processor or blender.

In a medium size pot, heat the oil over medium. Add half the onion and fry, stirring often, until browned, about 8 minutes. (I just heat up the oil and add the onion powder with the tomato chile puree) Increase the heat to medium high and when very hot, add the tomato-chile puree mixture. Stir for about 5 minutes as the mixture sears and thickens, then reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the broth and simmer about 20 minutes, until just beginning to thicken again. Taste and season with salt. Cover and keep warm.

Crusty Griddle Baked Quesadillas -- Quesadillas Asadas
adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

For two cups essential roasted poblano rajas
1 pound 6 medium large fresh poblano chiles
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
Salt, about 1/2 teaspoon

Roast the chiles directly over a gas flame or 4 inches below a very hot broiler until blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes for open flame, about 10 minutes for broiler.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand 5 minutes. Peel, pull out the stem and seed pod, then rise briefly to remove bits of skin and seeds. Slice into 1/4 inch strips.

In a medium sized skillet, heat the oil over medium to medium-high, then add the onion and cook, stirring regularly until nicely browned but still a little crunchy about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano, toss a minute longer, then stir in the chiles and just heat through. Taste and season with salt.

1 and 3/4 cups masa harina mixed with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot water
2 and 1/2 cups shredded Mexican chihuahua cheese, or other melting cheese such as brick or Monterrey Jack

Cut two squares of medium heavy plastic (I used a zip lock bag) to cover the plates of your tortilla press. If necessary, knead a few drops more water into the masa to give it the consistency of a soft cookie dough, then roll it into 12 balls. Cover with plastic.

Turn on the oven to the lowest setting. Heat a large griddle or heavy skillet over medium. (I just use my electric griddle at the highest setting). One by one use the tortillas press to press out the dough between the two sheets of plastic, peel off the top sheet, then flip the uncovered side of the tortilla onto your hand (the top of the tortilla should alight with your index finger and fingers should be slightly spread to give support.) Carefully peel off the plastic, then, with a gentle swift motion, lay the tortilla on the hot griddle. Evenly sprinkle on a portion of the cheese, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around so the cheese doesn't run out onto the griddle, then lay a portion of the rajas down the center.

When the tortilla comes free from the griddle (it will take about 20 seconds) use a spatula to fold it in half, and gently press the edges together, more or less sealing them. Move the quesadillas to the side to continue baking as you begin the next one. Continue making and folding quesadillas, letting them bake on the griddle until crispy/crunchy and nicely browned (the masa on the inside will still be a little soft), 2 or 3 minutes in all. Keep finished quesadillas warm on a rack set on a baking pan in the oven.

When all are made immediately line them up on a warm serving platter or wooden board or basket lined with colored paper or a napkin, and serve with salsa. (I also like some sour cream on the side.)

Bucatini con Melanzane Spappolate -- Pasta in Chunky Eggplant Sauce

2012-09-13T14:11:00.000-04:00

Our My Kitchen My World destination for the month of September is Italy and we are focusing on regional Italian cuisine. I adore Italian foods and love learning more about the different regions of countries everywhere so I was very excited to give this a go. I have a few regional Italian cookbooks and used the book, Rustico -- Regional Italian Country Cooking for this cooking quest. One recipe that immediately caught my eye was Bucatini con Melanzane Spappolate from the region of Calabria, right at the toe bottom of the boot of Italy...

I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand, including two lovely eggplants that my mom brought over from her garden. This was the first time I've ever had an eggplant sauce like this, with the eggplant essentially mashed up -- spappolate is derived from spappolare which means to crush, mash, or pulp in Italian. This ended up being a delicious lunch that I wouldn't hesitate to make again, I think the sauce would be delicious with any pasta and also wonderful with spaghetti squash, which I plan to make it with next time.

Bucatini con Melanzane Spappolate
Bucatini in Chunky Eggplant Sauce
adapted from Rustico -- Regional Italian Country Cooking by Micol Negrin

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped (I used roasted garlic cloves, smashed)
3/4 pounds eggplant, peel on, cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced (I used 1 pound of canned imported San Marzano tomatoes, and forgot to chop them, just ended up mashing them in a potato masher)
1 teaspoon minced oregano
12 basil leaves, torn
1 pound bucatini (long hollow spaghetti type noodles, also called perciatelli from what I've read)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch saute pan over a medium flame. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then add the eggplant, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper.

Cook, stirring often, for 25 minutes, or until soft.

Crush the eggplant with a fork into a coarse puree while it is still in the pan, then add the tomatoes and oregano and cook 5 minutes more.

Stir in the basil and keep the sauce warm.

Meanwhile, bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the bucatini and the remaining 2 tablespoons of salt and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. (Side note -- my pasta box said cooking time was 11 minutes for al dente, so be sure to taste test the pasta before you drain, you do not want it underdone, mine had to cook for about 12 minutes and was still plenty al dente!) Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Toss the bucatini and sauce in a bowl.

Dilute with enough of the reserved cooking water to coat the bucatini and serve hot, dusted with the Pecorino.

If you are an eggplant / tomato / pasta fan, I bet you would enjoy this southern Italian dish too! Can't wait to browse through my cookbooks and try some more regional Italian cuisine!

End of Summer Tomato Sandwich

2012-09-01T19:25:00.002-04:00

Was it really May when I last posted?!? I'm still here! I guess the summer just got the best of me and I decided to just go with the flow and enjoy every crazy minute of it, which meant no time to blog. Here it is September 1st and for whatever reason I figured I'd put a simple post up and try to get back in the blogosphere...

This is barely a recipe but it has been one of my go to lunches while picky husband is running the grill. Instead of burgers or hot-dogs, I have a yummy tomato sandwich! I have not always loved tomatoes, infact, I didn't like them at all as a child. Tomato sauce, yes, but not anything with an tomato texture in it, thank goodness my tastebuds have changed over the years and I now thoroughly enjoy the once forsaken tomato.

Here are my musts for a tomato sandwich...

toasted bread (preferably and most often homemade French bread from this recipe)
mayonnaise (not too much, but a little on both slices)
fresh tomatoes (this year I grew Cherokee Purple tomatoes and they made amazing sandwiches!)

I also love to add thin slices/crumbles of goat cheese, it adds that perfect tangy touch!

I hope everyone/anyone who reads this has had a wonderful summer! I can't wait to get back into the blogging grove and hope to have some yummy recipes to share soon :)

Enchiladas with Creamy Roasted Poblano and Spinach Sauce

2012-05-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

These were the best enchiladas I've ever tasted! The creamy roasted poblano and spinach enchilada sauce is what really puts them over the top. I will be making this sauce all the time. It's also wonderful as a dip with tortilla chips. I found the recipe here while I was looking for a recipe to use up some spinach and poblanos I had in the fridge. The original recipe calls for 3 cups of chicken, and I used diced roasted sweet potatoes instead of chicken and also made some with just cheese and they were both amazing!

Enchiladas with Creamy Roasted Poblano and Spinach Sauce

Enchiladas Especiales Tacuba Style

adapted from Rick Bayless's website, originally from Cafe Tacuba

2 fresh poblano chile

1 cup (lightly packed) roughly chopped spinach leaves

2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth ( I used vegetable broth)

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter—or you can use vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped (I used roasted garlic)
1/2 cup flour

Salt

3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken) (I used roasted sweet potato cubes in some and cheddar and colby jack cheese in some instead of the chicken, use whatever you like :) )

12 corn tortillas (I made homemade tortillas for these, totally worth the extra effort)

A little vegetable oil for brushing or spraying

About 1 cup Mexican melting cheese (Chihuahua, quesadilla, asadero or the like) or Monterey Jack, brick or mild cheddar

A little chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Make the sauce. Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame...

or on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler, turning regularly, until the skins have blistered and blackened on all side, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes under the broiler.

Place in a bowl, cover with a kitchen towel (paper towel worked fine) and, when handleable, rub off the blackened skin, tear open and pull out the seed pod and stem. Quickly rinse to remove any stray seeds or bits of skin.

Roughly chop and put in a blender jar. Add the spinach.

In a medium (3-quart) saucepan, combine the milk and broth, set over medium-low heat to warm. (I just warmed these in the microwave)

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, melt the butter (or heat the oil) over medium. Add the garlic (I used about half a head of roasted garlic) and cook for a minute to release its aroma, then add the flour and stir the mixture for a minute. Raise the heat to medium-high. Pour in the warm broth mixture and whisk constantly until the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Pour half the hot sauce into the blender with the chiles and spinach.

Cover loosely (I remove the center part of the lid, secure the lid, then drape a cloth over the whole thing) and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sauce.

Taste and season with salt, usually about 2 teaspoons. (I started with one and tasted from there, 2 seems like a little too much.)

2. Finish the enchiladas. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Smear about 1/4 cup of the sauce over the bottom of each of four to six 9-inch individual ovenproof baking/serving dishes or smear about 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the ~~chicken~~ (sweet potatoes, for just cheese enchiladas I did not add extra sauce to the cheese, just rolled them up with cheese only and did sauce on top).

Lay half of the tortillas out on a baking sheet and lightly brush or spray both sides of the tortillas with oil; top each tortilla with another one and brush or spray those with oil. Bake just to warm through and soften, about 3 minutes. Stack the tortillas and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Working quickly so that the tortillas stay hot and pliable, roll a portion of the chicken up in each tortilla, then line them all up in the baking dish(es).

Douse evenly with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the enchiladas are hot through (the cheese will have begun to brown), about 20 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve without hesitation.

~~~~~

I thought these were absolutely wonderful! The homemade corn tortillas were amazing in this recipe. I used Rick's recipe for them using just Maseca and water and my new tortilla press and was so impressed. I usually prefer flour tortillas over corn, but these were just perfect for soaking in that delicious sauce and sopping it up. They did not get mushy like store bought corn tortillas and had a really nice toothsome texture after baking. So delicious! I loved the gorgeous green color of the sauce before baking, it was so pretty. It darkened up a bit while baking but I just couldn't get over that soft mint almost seafoam green color.

Unfortunately my kids and picky husband wanted nothing to do with this dinner, not even the cheese ones, I was kind of anticipating that so made them something else instead as an option. Maybe next time I make these they will give them a try. I think if you took just one taste of this luscious sauce you would be a fan for sure :) Since I am the only enchilada fan I am linking these over to IHCC for their theme of the week, For Mom.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pancakes

2012-05-03T14:04:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe in one of my older cookbooks, Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cookbook from 1963.

I love these retro / vintage cookbooks and have fun paging through them and trying a recipe that may have been a favorite back in the day.

I made these one weekend morning when I wanted to try a new pancake recipe, they seemed simple enough that even picky husband, a pancake traditionalist, might like them.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes

Better Homes and Gardens Bread Cookbook

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda (baking soda)

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 slightly beaten eggs

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Sift flour, soda, salt, and sugar into bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter, stirring only until flour is barely moistened. (There will be a few lumps.) I'm going to add to just make sure they aren't big lumps, I like to whisk everything together pretty well so there are no flour clumps in pancakes, haven't had that issue with this recipe, but have in the past with recipes that say to barely stir anything.

Bake on hot, lightly greased griddle or electric skilled heated to 375 degrees. For uniform pancakes, use a 1/4 cup measure - or use a drip-cup pitcher and count 1-2-3 as you pour.

Turn cakes when center springs back to touch, or when bubbles on surface break. Flip cakes only once. Makes about 1 and 1/2 dozen 4 inch cakes. I made them a little bigger and got a good dozen.

~~~~~

These were great, they definitely had that old fashioned buttermilk tang that lots of pancakes nowadays miss. I love trying pancake recipes and do have a favorite non buttermilk pancake recipe that I've perfected over the years to my family's tastes but this is now my go-to buttermilk pancake recipe. A nice recipe to have when you find yourself with a half used container of buttermilk on the verge of expiring and want to use it up...

These were absolutely delicious with some butter and grade B maple syrup. The whole family enjoyed them and that always makes me smile! Happy breakfasting :)

Hungarian Strawberry Shortbread

2012-05-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

Our Tuesdays with Dorie treat of the week is Hungarian Shortbread. I had never heard of Hungarian Shortbread before but love shortbread so was excited to give this recipe a try.

Cookies with jam in them are my favorite kind, and I love making jam, but was unable to find the rhubarb called for. The recipes says that you can also use your favorite flavor or preserves so I went with some homemade strawberry jam.

Hungarian Shortbread uses a technique I'd heard of but never tried myself, grating / shredding frozen dough! I used my salad shooter with the shredding cone, which made this recipe super easy. I couldn't wait to see what it looked like after it baked...

Here it is just out of the oven. I had to add an extra 5 minutes on the baking time because the middle seemed undone at 40, but when it checked it 5 minutes later it looked just right! These are absolutely delicious and I would make them again for sure! They seem like the perfect bar cookie to take along for a picnic.

And now I have a couple of photos of our last TWD recipe assignment, a lovely Lemon Loaf Cake...

I baked along with everyone two weeks ago but just didn't have the time to post on time so thought I'd save my pictures and put them up with the Hungarian Shortbread.

I love lemon loaf and this one was pretty yummy! The kids enjoyed this one as well. And now one last photo to share, an inside shot of my Mushroom Pizza Rustica that we made a month ago. When I blogged about the recipe I didn't have any photos of a slice of it showing the filling. I took this photo of the leftovers the next day and it had been sitting in my "Cooking Photos" folder of pictures for the last month, so I thought I'd share that one this week too. Thanks for visiting -- happy baking, everyone :)

Salsa and Cheese Sopes

2012-04-30T08:39:00.000-04:00

I had heard of sopes before but hadn't tried them and weren't quite sure exactly what they were. Now I know that they are little masa "boats" or cups that are pretty much made from corn tortilla dough and filled with any kind of Mexican filling you'd like. I made these on a whim and hadn't done any sope googling, I did that after I made these, just to see if mine looked like what they are supposed to look like, well, after looking at the google image sopes page I've come to the conclusion that I did some major skimping on the filling! These are supposed to be stuffed to the brim with yummy fillings and I barely put anything in them...oh-well! They were still delicious and now that I know better I will make a very well stuffed sope next time I make them :)

Perfectly Simple Sopes (Masa Boats)

Sopes Sencillos

adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexico One Plate at a Time

1 and 3/4 cups powdered masa harina mixed with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

Salt

About 1/2 cup chopped white onion (I left this off, not an onion fan)
Vegetable oil for the griddle
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
about 3/4 cup salsa (I used Rick's Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa, recipe below)

about 1/3 cup grated Mexican gueso anejo or other dry grating cheese such as romano or parmesan (I used Cotija, a Mexican grating cheese that I had never tried before this, it is delicious!) About 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Forming and griddle-baking the sopes. Heat a well seasoned or nonstick griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Put the masa (fresh or reconstituted) into a bowl and knead in 3/4 teaspoon salt. If necessary, knead in a few drops of water to give the masa the consistency of soft cookie dough. Divide into 16 pieces, roll into balls and cover with plastic to keep them from drying out.

One by one, form the fat little tortillas that will become the sopes: Line a tortilla press with two pieces of plastic cut to fit the plates (to be on the safe side, cut them from a food storage bag; the thicker plastic usually works better for beginners). Gently press out a flattened ball of dough between the sheets of plastic to about 3 and 1/2 inches in diameter (it should be a little less than 1/4 inch thick). Peel off the top sheet of plastic, flip the fat little tortilla - uncovered side down - onto the fingers of one hand and then gently peel off the second piece of plastic. In one flowing movement, roll the tortilla off your hand and onto the heated griddle or skillet. After about 1 and 1/2 minutes, when the tortilla has loosened itself from the cooking surface and is lightly browned, flip it and cook for another minute or so - this cooking is just to set and brown the surface of the tortilla but not to cook the masa all the way through. While the first tortilla is cooking, continue pressing out others and adding them to the griddle or skillet; just be careful not to leave them on so long that they cook through.

Remove each lightly browned tortilla to a plate. Cool just until handleable, then use your thumb and index finger to pinch up a masa border about 1/2 inch high around then edge of the tortilla - in doing this you are transforming the fat little tortilla into a sope, a little masa boat. Press out the center to uniformly flatten it. Cool the sopes, then cover them with plastic to keep them from drying out.

2. Finishing the sopes. In a strainer, rinse the onion under cold water, then shake off the excess moisture. Set out the remaining ingredients near the griddle. Heavily oil the skillet or griddle (my 12 inch griddle takes about 1/4 cup to oil it properly) and heat over medium. Fill the griddle with a single uncrowded layers of sopes, flat side down, then brush each one with oil. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon salsa into each sope, then sprinkle with a little chopped onion, grated cheese and chopped cilantro. Leave on the heat until the bottoms of the sopes begin to crisp and the salsa is warm, 1 to 1 and 1/2 minutes . (You may see the salsa boiling around the edges.) Serve on a warm plate or a wooden board without a moment's hesitation - your guests will love biting into this simple perfection.

~~~~~

These were really delicious! I'm sure I'll be making sopes often and filling them to the brim with yummy cheese and maybe beans and salsa. I made half of these with just cheese for the kids since the salsa was quite spicy. The other plate I made I brought out to the living room for my husband and I to snack on and went back to the kitchen to pass out some to the kids, well by the time I got back picky husband had finished off the whole plate of these! At first he was a little apprehensive since he doesn't like to try new things but he really liked these. He is a corn tortilla fan and these had that nice toasty corn scent and flavor so I kind of thought these would be a big hit and they were :)

Here is the recipe for the salsa I made to go with these...

Roasted Jalapeno Tomato Salsa with Cilantro
Rick Bayless - Salsas that Cook
5 cups salsa

3 pounds ripe tomatoes
4-6 jalapeno chiles, stemmed
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup water (I did not add this, the salsa was plenty fluid without extra water)
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 generous teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1. Heat the broiler. Lay the whole tomatoes and jalapenos out on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Set the pan 4 inches below the broiler and broil for about 6 minutes, until darkly roasted - even blackened in spots - on one side. With a pair of tongs, flip over the tomatoes and chiles and roast the other side for another 6 minutes or so. The goal is not simply to char the tomatoes and chiles but the cook them through while developing nice roasty flavors. Set aside to cool.

2. Turn the oven down to 425 degrees. Separate the onions into rings. On a similar pan or baking sheet, combine the onion and garlic. Roast in the oven, stirring carefully every couple of minutes, until the onions are beautifully browned and wilted (even have a touch of char on some of the edges) and the garlic is soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes total. Cool to room temperature.

3. In a food processor, pulse the jalapenos (no need to peel or seed them) with the onion and garlic until moderately finely chopped, scraping everything down with a spatula as needed to keep it all moving around. Scoop into a big bowl. Without washing the processor, coarsely puree the tomatoes - with all the juice that has accumulated around them - and add them to the bowl. Stir in enough water to give the salsa an easily spoonable consistency. Stir in the cilantro. I just processed it all together.

4. Taste and season with salt and vinegar, remembering that this condiment should be a little feisty in its seasoning. If you're planning to use your salsa right away, simply pour into a bowl and it's ready, or refrigerate it covered and use within 5 days.

~~~~~

The salsa was pretty yummy and very spicy. Picky husband liked it, yay! It was too spicy for the kids. My only personal thing was not liking the onion, but I know most people like onions so that's my problem :) I think from now on I will leave the onion out unless it gets completely pureed or just use onion powder. The sopes were awesome and I'm so glad I now know what they are and will be making them often. They were fun to make and were my first time using my new cast iron tortilla press, I've wanted one of those for years and finally got one since IHCC will be cooking Mexican for the next few months! Yum!

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

2012-04-27T09:54:00.000-04:00

I made these enchiladas for I Heart Cooking Clubs theme of the week, From the Earth. This recipe has 10 goodies from the earth (tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapenos, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, zucchini, counting the corn in the tortillas and the cilantro), not to mention the cheese and cream from our bovine friends, so I thought it would be the perfect pick this week. This is probably the most in depth Mexican recipe I've ever made. It was something totally new to me since I'd never cooked with tomatillos before and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, and enjoyed this dish very much! I'm sure I'll be buying many more tomatillos as we cook through Rick Bayless recipes for the next few months.

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas with Creamy Tomatillo Sauce and Melted Cheese

Rick Bayless -- Fiesta at Rick's

1 lb. (6 to 8) tomatillos, husked and rinsed (thank you Whole Foods, for being the only place to have tomatillos in a 100 mile radius of my house)

1 medium white onion, sliced about ¼ in. thick (even though I don't like onions I did use them in this sauce since I knew they would be pureed)

3 garlic cloves, peeled

Hot green chiles to taste (2 to 3 serranos, or 1 to 2 jalapeños), stemmed

1 1/2 tbs. vegetable oil, plus extra for vegetables and tortillas

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, plus a little extra if needed
1/2 cup Mexican crema, crème fraîche, or heavy whipping cream
8 cups cubed vegetables (about 1/2-in.) -- I used sweet potatoes, parsnips, zucchini, and carrots
Salt
12 corn tortillas
2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese like asadero, or Monterey Jack or cheddar
Sliced white onion rings, for garnish
Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (not in the photo but I did use it :) )

Roast tomatillos, sliced onion, garlic, and chiles on rimmed baking sheet 4 in. below preheated broiler until tomatillos are soft and blackened in spots on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn vegetables over; broil about 4 minutes longer. Remove and reduce oven temperature to 400°F.

Scrape tomatillo mixture into food processor or blender. Process until smooth purée. Heat 11/2 tbs. oil in medium-large pot over medium-high heat. When drop of purée sizzles in oil, add remainder of purée. Stir constantly for several minutes until darker and thicker. Add broth and crema, reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Spread cubed vegetables on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and mix to coat evenly. Place in oven and roast, turning vegetables regularly, until crunchy-tender, about 25 minutes (reduce roasting time for broccoli and other green vegetables by 5 to 10 minutes).

If sauce has thickened and is no longer consistency of light cream soup, stir in a little more broth (or water). Taste and season with salt, about 1 tsp. Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with oil. Stack, wrap in damp paper towels, and microwave on high (100%) for 1 minute to warm and soften.

Spread about 1 cup sauce over bottom of 13-by-9-in. baking dish. I got out my cast iron fajita pans and made individual plates of three enchiladas, this is how it is served in the book. Working quickly, roll equal portion of roasted vegetables into each tortilla while tortillas are still hot and pliable. Place them side by side in baking dish.

Douse evenly with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Garnish with onion rings and cilantro sprigs. Serves 4 to 6.

~~~~~

These were fun to make, I viewed it more of a project recipe, this is not something I'd say to try for a quick weeknight meal, but if you have a few hours of free time in the kitchen to play around with, this was a nice cooking experience. I made these along side traditional American tacos for the rest of my family since I knew they would not be that interested in trying this. The kids had a bite of it but did not like it, picky husband was of course a no go since he is not a vegetable fan. It has a neat flavor and everything meshes together really well. This is like something I'd order at a high end Mexican restaurant. I made only one serving at a time and just put everything else back in the fridge in individual containers and enjoyed this meal quite a few times over the week (only had to assemble and bake) since I was the only one eating it. If you like veggies and want to try something new (or already love tomatillos or have some adventurous eaters at your table) I would definitely recommend giving this recipe a try! I would make it again for sure, there are so many veggie combinations that sound like they would be delicious in these enchiladas, and it is always more fun to eat off of a fajita skillet :)

Guacamole Sampler

2012-04-21T09:00:00.001-04:00

I love avocados but guacamole for me is hit or miss. Sometimes it has just too many indiscernible add-ins for my liking. I was excited to try some of Rick Bayless's guacamole recipes, he has so many varieties to choose from. I thought I would start with the basics and try two of the three recipes for Guacamole Three Ways from his book Mexican Everyday; Simple Guacamole which can then be turned into Herby Guacamole.

Simple Guacamole

Rick Bayless -- Mexican Everyday

makes 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 cups

2 medium ripe avocados

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press

Salt

To make it herby, add:

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Cut the avocados in half, running your knife around the pit from stem to blossom end and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to free the pit, and pull the halves apart. Dislodge the pit, then scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl.

Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you've chosen. Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate - preferably for no more than a few hours.

~~~~~

I made these guacamoles for a quick lunch for my four year old and myself one day while my other two kids were at school and picky husband was at work. Picky husband does not like avocado and has never wanted to try guacamole. If it comes with his dish at Mexican restaurants he always passes it on to me :)

The simple guacamole was my favorite. To me it was the best guacamole ever, since it was such a nice pure avocado taste. The herby guacamole was nice too but I liked the simple one better. My four year old liked them both equally and we both enjoyed this nice little lunch snack. I'm looking forward to trying some of Rick's other guacamole variations as we cook his recipes with I Heart Cooking Clubs for the next six months.

Sesame Street Waffles

2012-04-14T07:43:00.002-04:00

This is our family favorite waffle recipe, and trust me, I've tried a ton! I've been making these for about two years and have adapted and scaled the recipe for our family of five (with usually a few leftover waffles the kids like for weekday breakfasts). I heard about these all over the internet and finally found the original recipe, Waffle of Insane Greatness, at foodnetwork. It is scaled down from a restaurant version for home use. I have a few waffle makers and have them all heating up at once so I can make a big batch quickly for my hungry family.

The kids love fun shaped waffles, like these Elmo and Cookie Monster Waffles. I have to admit I'm a sucker for shaped waffles too, they are just so much fun! I've had the Sesame Street waffle maker since my kids were babies and it has proven to be very useful. They are pretty much out of the Sesame Street years (they are almost 7, 6, and almost 5 -- sniffle, sniffle) but they still get excited about Elmo and Cookie Monster on a waffle :)

My husband on the other hand will only eat a big, thick, crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside Belgian Waffle...so I have to have the Belgian waffle maker heating up for him. I like waffles any way you make them just about, and am not nearly as picky about them as picky husband. I tend to like mine a little softer than picky husband.

Family Favorite Waffles

adapted from foodnetwork

makes about 6-8 servings, depending on the size of your waffle maker

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cornstarch

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar (you can use less but don't use more or it will stick in your iron)

3 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional, but I love it)

Whisk together all dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients and whisk together until well blended, it may be a touch lumpy but most of the big lumps should be broken up. Let batter sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, plug in and heat up waffle maker. Pour batter into ungreased and unsprayed waffle maker and cook following manufacturers directions.

Wait a few minutes at least, until it stops steaming. If you do not "know" you waffle maker you will need to find out the perfect time to pull out to waffles to your liking. Don't open too early or it will be a big stuck on sticky mess. Don't wait too long or they will be hard and too dark. This all is so variable to your specific waffle maker, so expect to have a few mess-ups before you get to know your maker. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you do not grease or spray the waffle maker with cooking spray, which I used to always have to do. This provides a nice and crispy exterior with a fluffy interior.

~~~~~

If you give these a try I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does. They are kind of waffle snobs and this one is really enjoyed by everyone. Make sure to serve these warm (if you are making a big batch, for best taste serve them ASAP after they come off the iron) with butter and lots of Grade B maple syrup. Grade B is thicker than the Grade A that you can get at most supermarkets and has a more intense maple flavor. If you are a maple syrup fan once you try Grade B you will never go back. Happy waffle making :)

Almond Joy Tartlets

2012-04-13T10:19:00.000-04:00

I made these a while ago for Club: BAKED and fell in love with these little tartlets! I was too busy to post about them when the group baked them, but I couldn't just leave the pictures in my "Cooking Photos" folder any longer so here they are...honestly the are one of the best things I've ever tasted. But, I am a huge coconut fan and love Almond Joy candies (I never buy them though, but, when Halloween rolls around, you can bet these are the first things I request from my kids :) )

Almond Joy Tart

Baked: Explorations
For the Almond Tart Dough
1 large egg1/4 cup whole toasted almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ( 1 stick ) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

For the Coconut Filling
8 ounces good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut ( if you are coconut obsessed, go ahead and use 2 1/4 cups) -- I did
1 tablespoon light rum (I used Whaler's Killer Coconut Rum, love this stuff, very mellow with lots of coconut flavor)

For the Chocolate Glaze and Garnish

2 ounces good quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 ounces good quality dark chocolate ( 60-72% ), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
6 whole toasted almonds (I just added sliced almonds to the top)

Make the Almond Tart Dough

In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg and set it aside.

Put the almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely ground. Add flour and salt and pulse again just until mixed. Add the butter and pulse until sandy ( about 6 to 10 quick pulses). Pour in the egg and pulse just until the dough begins to cohere into a ball. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Make the Coconut Cream Filling

Place the white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the cream just to a boil. Pour it over the white chocolate and let it stand for 30 seconds. Slowly, starting in the center of the bowl, whisk the cream and white chocolate until smooth. Cover and refrigerate the ganache for 4 hours or overnight before proceeding.

Assemble the Tart

Dust a work surface with flour. Place the disk of chilled dough on the work surface and divide it into 6 equal portions. Shape each into a smooth disk. (Note: The dough will be sticky. Make sure to turn it with a bench knife or offset spatula as needed and keep the working surface floured.) Use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a 5 1/2 inch circle just over 1/8 inch thick. Very gently press each dough round into a 4 inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Place the tart pans in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the tart crusts with aluminum foil, and fill each one three-quarters full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake them for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and weights and bake for another 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer the tart pans to a wire rack to cool. (I had some shrinkage problems because I didn't use pie weights, I would say for this recipe they are worth the extra effort, but if you don't care if you have a shrunken crust, don't worry about it :) )

Make the Coconut Cream Filling

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the white chocolate ganache at medium speed until soft peaks form. Do not over whip. Gently fold in the coconut and the rum. Divide the filling evenly among the cooled tart shells and place them in the refrigerator while you make the chocolate glaze.

Make the Chocolate Glaze

Place the milk and dark chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it is just about to boil. Pour it over the chocolates and whisk to combine. Let the mixture set for about 10 minutes. Remove the tarts from the refrigerator and spoon the glaze evenly over each one. Top each tart with one almond and refrigerate again until the glaze sets up, about 10 minutes.

The tarts can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

~~~~~

Like I said earlier, these were one of the most delicious things I've ever had or made. They are that good if you are a coconut fan. Thanks to Linda at Sassy Is Baking for hosting this back in December 2011. I am wishing I had these all over again, such delicious and decadent treat for any coconut fan!

Mexican Rosettes

2012-04-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

The theme over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week is Sweet Tooth, so here is some sweetness for ya...Mexican Rosettes! This recipe is from Rick Bayless's book Fiesta at Rick's and it titled Light-as-Air Rosette Pastries / Bunuelos de Viento in the book. I was surprised to see this recipe in Rick's book because I had always thought of Rosettes as a Scandinavian treat, not realizing they were also popular in Mexico.

I love rosettes. The irons are a novelty to me and I enjoy the different shapes and sizes. I have 12 of them currently. My most recent rosette iron purchase was a dinosaur shaped rosette iron. I decided to give it a go with Rick's recipe, along with a few other shapes. Now I have to warn you that if you are looking to make dinosaur rosettes, this is not an easy task. Rosettes are tricky as is, and this dinosaur one was quite the challenge. When I bought it I thought, oh, my kids like dinosaurs, this will be a fun shape to make for them. Well, my visions of a tray of cute little dino rosettes with green sugar sprinkles quickly went out the window when I started using this one since it is just a really tough shape to do and the screw in point is off centered making it extra awkward to use.

I did succeed at a few of these, out of about 10 tries I got 3 good ones, since I have three kids I thought I'd stop myself right at 3 dinos and move on to other easier to make shapes.

Light-as-Air Rosette Pastries

adapted from Rick Bayless -- Fiesta at Rick's

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons anise seed (I used two whole star anise since I have a whole bunch of it)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon sweet sherry

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

I made a powdered sugar/milk glaze to dip them in and added sprinkles

1. Flavor the milk. In a small saucepan, combine the milk, anise seed, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar completely. Simmer 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Strain into a measuring cup; discard all but 1/2 cup.

2. Finish the batter. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and sherry until frothy, then whisk in the lukewarm milk, then the flour. Whisk just until combined, not until foamy.

3. Fry the bunuelos. In a heavy deep skillet or shallow saucepan, heat at least 1 and 1/2 inches of oil over medium until it reaches 365 degrees. (I used my electric skillet with temperature control dial.) Dip a rosette iron in the hot oil for half a minute or so to heat it (American-made cast aluminum ones heat much quicker than the rolled metal Mexican ones), then remove, shaking as much oil as possible back into the pan. Dip the iron into the batter, making sure to leave the top 1/8 inch uncoated so that you'll be able to slip the fried pastry from the mold. Remove the mold from the batter and immediately lower it into the hot oil. Fry until crisp, about 50 seconds. While it's still submerged, gently tap the iron to release the pastry. Remove the iron. Let the pastry bob about in the oil for another 10 seconds to ensure that it is completely crisp and golden. Remove and lay the bunuelo upside down on paper towels to drain. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with powdered sugar and you're ready to serve.

~~~~~

I did not grow up with rosettes, I know some people have grandmas and moms that make them every year for the holidays and I bet that is a wonderful way to learn the tricks to these since they are a tricky treat to make. I've found that after heating up the iron in the oil, once you dip it into the batter leave it there for 10 seconds sizzling to make sure the batter has adhered to the mold. I had a few slip right back into the batter as I was pulling out the mold after dipping if I did not wait long enough.

If anyone has any rosette tips please let me know! I think they are a fun cooking activity and hope to get better making them. It seems like every time I pull them out to make them I am a little intimidated with good reason, but I would love for these to become a family tradition so I keep trying...

I made a quick glaze with powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of milk and then dipped them into the glaze and quickly shook nonpareil sprinkles over the top. These brightly colored sprinkles always make me think of cookies from a Mexican bakery. Can't wait to share these with my family, it's been about a year since I pulled out the rosette irons, so they are in for a treat :)

Stuffed French Toast with Blueberry Sauce -- Random Recipe #9

2012-04-10T13:08:00.001-04:00

Time for another Random Recipe from my cookbook collection. This week I let me oldest son (who is 6) pick the book and flip to a recipe, he was excited to help :) He picked Taste of Home 1999 Annual Recipes from the bottom bookshelf. The bottom bookshelf is where I keep most of my annual recipes books, mainly Taste of Home, Southern Living, and Sunset.

I love Taste of Home and have enjoyed reading through the homey recipes for years. The annual recipe books are great because they are supposed to have every recipe from the past years magazines in one compact book. There were a bunch of recipes on the page my son flipped to so I had him close his eyes and point to one, lots of fun for a 6 year old, as I'm sure you can imagine. This is the recipe he landed on, Stuffed French Toast with Berry Sauce. My other two will be taking turns picking our Random Recipes as well in the future :)

French Toast is the least served of the breakfast carb trifecta (French toast, waffles, and pancakes) in our house. We all love waffles, which are picky husband's favorite, so I make those often. Pancakes are so easy that they are a close second choice. French toast always sounds good but the recipes are often hit or miss and I don't have a tried and true favorite. Last month I made this White Milk Bread and ended up making French toast with it that turned out perfectly! I think a lot of it had to do with the dense bread, it doesn't sop up too much liquid and get mushy, and I have since decided this is my definite French Toast Bread recipe and whenever the need for French toast arises in the future, I will be baking this loaf.

Stuffed French Toast with Berry Sauce

adapted from Taste of Home 1999 Annual Recipes

*I followed the recipe when I made this but found out I needed to double the mixture to dip the bread in and also the blueberry topping. I am writing the ingredients as written so you may also need to double the milk/egg/vanilla and the Blueberry Sauce ingredients. Feel free to halve the recipe for four servings since one slice is plenty filling. The original recipes says 4-6 servings but I think it's more like 8.

Filling:

1 package 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

French toast:

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 slices French bread (1 inch thick) I made a loaf this White Milk Bread and it was just enough

Syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 and 1/2 cups frozen blueberries

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon until smooth; set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine eggs, milk, and vanilla. Cut a pocket in the crust of each slice of bread. Stuff each pocket with 1 - 2 tablespoons filling. (This is a little tricky.)

Dip both sides of bread in egg mixture and pat down briefly sopping up some of the egg/milk/vanilla mixture. Fry on a greased (I did not grease mine since it's nonstick) hot griddle (I set my temperature to about 345) for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

For syrup (not sure why they are calling it syrup here when in the title it is Berry Sauce...), combine water, maple syrup, sugar, and cornstarch in a sauce pan. (I would make sure to use a little of the water to make a cornstarch slurry before adding it all together so it doesn't get lumpy). Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add blueberries. Simmer for 5-7 minutes or until berries are tender. Serve over French toast.

~~~

I dusted the French Toasts with powdered sugar, isn't that a must?

Here you can see the cream cheese middle. Now personally I liked the cream cheese / orange combo but my youngest was not liking it much and I think that was because he was expecting the filling to be sweeter, but it really is more a basic cream cheese flavor and you get your sweetness from the blueberry sauce. You could add some extra sugar to the filling, which I would probably do if making this for kids again.

The kids mostly enjoyed this, except my youngest not liking the filling. I loved it, especially the lovely blueberry maple sauce. Picky husband does not like blueberries or cream cheese so he did not have any, don't worry, I made him something different. This was a fun recipe to try that I probably would not have made had it not been our Random Recipe for the week. There are no photos of this recipe in the book so it kind of gets lost with the other recipes, some of which have photos. The only little problem I had was the the French toast dipping mixture and the blueberry sauce definitely need to be doubled for this to work. Now that I've found the perfect French Toast bread I am looking forward to making FT more often :)

Zucchini Mushroom Tacos with Homemade Tortillas

2012-04-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

These delicious vegetarian soft tacos are my pick for I Heart Cooking Clubs 1st week cooking Chef Rick Bayless's recipes. This is actually the first Rick Bayless recipe I've ever tried! I do not own any of his books yet (I have ordered one and it is on the way), so checked out a few from the library. I had heard of Rick Bayless before and knew he was known for Mexican cooking, but didn't know much else about him. Thanks to IHCC I've now got a TiVo season pass for his show, "Mexico One Plate at a Time," (before IHCC I didn't even know he had a show!) and am looking forward to learning more about "true" Mexican cuisine throughout the next six months while IHCC cooks Rick Bayless recipes.

I love Mexican food and having lived in Texas for a little bit, have experienced a little bit of everything from semi-authentic to Americanized Tex-Mex (which picky hubby and I love, we are always looking for a new Mexican place to try on date night). I also love to cook Mexican (once again, more like American Tex-Mex) at home and we often have Mexican nights with the standard tacos plus enchiladas, chimichangas (these are often requested), burritos, etc. and lots of sides. I also love doing a Mexican buffet when hosting parties at our house since there is something for everyone to enjoy!

Zucchini Mushroom Tacos

Tacos de Calabacitas y Hongos

adapted from Mexican Everyday

Serves 4

1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick (I used 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)

3 ounces mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, portobello or the like), stemmed and sliced about 1/2 inch thick (you'll have a scant cup) -- okay, I used potobellos and weighed out 3 ounces and that was only one portobello...next time I would use a ton more mushrooms

One 15 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted), drained -- I used Muir Glen Fire Roasted

1 canned chipotle chile en adobo, seeded

1 and 1/2 teaspoons chipotle canning sauce

2 medium (about 12 ounces) zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Salt

1/2 to 3/4 cup (2 to 3 ounces) crumbled Mexican queso fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese -- I used feta since I had some on hand, but would love to try this with some queso fresco and goat cheese

12 warm corn tortillas, store bought or home made -- I made flour tortillas

Hot sauce for serving

Add the oil to a very large (12 inches) skillet and set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes more, stirring regularly, until their liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are beginning to brown.

While the mushrooms are cooking, pour the tomatoes into a food processor or blender. Add the chipotle chile and its canning sauce and process until smooth.

When the mushrooms are ready, add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of canned tomato sauce, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the zucchini and continue to cook, stirring every once in a while, until the zucchini is cooked through but still a little crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt, about 1/2 teaspoon.

Scoop into a bowl...

and garnish with the crumbled cheese.

Serve with the warm tortillas and hot sauce for everyone to make soft tacos.

~~~~~

These were very yummy, nice fresh flavor with a little kick! I made them for dinner one night while picky husband was working late (he doesn't like mushrooms or zucchini) for the kids and myself and was pleasantly surprised when all three kids ate their tacos and liked them! Score one for Rick Bayless! They said they were a little spicy but not too much and loved the feta cheese. I often make veggie tacos but never like these! These were a delicious change of pace and I will make them again for sure, just adding some more mushrooms since three ounces was not enough mushroom for a mushroom fan like me :)

Mushroom Pizza Rustica

2012-04-03T17:25:00.000-04:00

This week for Tuesdays with Dorie we made a Pizza Rustica! I wasn't quite sure what a Pizza Rustica was, I thought it was more like a filled two crusted pizza but this to me was more like a savory ricotta pie and it was pretty yummy!

Since I don't eat meat I swapped out the prosciutto for some mushrooms sauteed in butter and brandy. They were delicious. I even got a double mushroom! How fun!

Above are the mushrooms just starting to cook...and below they are being added to the ricotta and cheese mixture.

For the ricotta I used a mixture of two brands, Biazzo was wetter than the Frigo but they tasted pretty much the same (I am a ricotta fan and did a little ricotta taste test :) )

The lattice top was a little tricky. I usually forget to use my ruffled pastry cutter so it was nice to have a reason to pull it out.

Below is my Pizza Rustica before going into the oven. It baked up nicely although I did add an extra 5 minutes or so on to the cooking time. Picky husband does not like ricotta cheese so he passed on this one (I also made a lasagna that night since I knew this would be a tough sell) and my kids all tried it but didn't like it. Thank goodness I had my mom over for dinner when this was served because she really enjoyed it and could appreciate something like this. I liked it as well and am really glad I added the mushrooms since they added a nice depth of flavor. I packed up half of the pie for my mom to take home and I will probably have some as leftovers for lunch this week.

Not Quite Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

2012-03-31T20:52:00.000-04:00

It's my turn to host for Club: BAKED! I thought it would be fun to give these Red Velvet Whoopie Pies a go and then forgot to add the red food coloring, go figure! So here are my Brown Velvet Whoopie Pies :) I've never had or made whoopie pies before although I see them all over. They've always looked like a fun treat to me and now I know that they are!

These were a big hit with my whole family, they are definitely a delicious treat and quite easy to make! I loved the cream cheese frosting and walnut combo. Thanks for baking along with me this week, I hope you all had fun with this recipe and I can't wait to check out your red desserts :)

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Baked Explorations
Yield:10-12 large or 15-17 small pies

For the Whoopie Pies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder ( like Valrhona)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red gel food coloring

For the Cream Cheese Filling
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Assembly
1/2 cup toasted walnuts,chopped coarsely

Make the Pies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour,cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the canola oil and buttermilk.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening until smooth. Scrape down the bowl and add the sugars. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, add the red gel food coloring, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds to incorporate. Do not over mix.

Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, in three separate additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl , then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill the batter in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Remove the batter from the refrigerator. Us a a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-20 minutes, until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling.

Make the Cream Cheese Filling

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until it is completely smooth. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth. Be careful not to over beat the filling or it will lose structure. (The filling can be made 1 day ahead. Cover the bowl tightly and put it in the refrigerator. Let the filling soften at room temperature before using.)

Assemble the Whoopie Pies

Spread the walnuts in an even layer on a small plate.

Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down (flat side facing up)

Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to drop a large dollop of filling onto the flat side of the cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Turn the whoopie on its side and roll through the walnuts. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before serving.

The whoopie pies will keep for up to 3 days on a parchment lined baking sheet covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

Fried Noodle Cake with Hoisin Vegetables -- Random Recipe #8

2012-03-31T10:48:00.001-04:00

Doesn't this look yummy? I really lucked out with this week's Random Recipe! My randomly selected cookbook was Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks #198, Stir-Fries Cookbook from August 1997.

I've had this book for many years and have never cooked anything from it. My randomly selected recipe was...

Twice-Cooked Noodles with Hoisin Pork. Since I don't eat pork I swapped out the pork and added extra veggies (the same amount of veggies by weight as was called for with the pork). The recipe also includes "purchased stir fry sauce" and I made my own. I grew up eating stir fries all the time and I don't remember ever buying a sauce. This one called for garlic ginger stir-fry sauce, so here is a quick and easy home made version, you can just up the ingredients if you want a bigger batch of sauce and vary the spices to taste, I usually add some Chinese Five Spice powder but kept this one simple since it was to go with the hoisin sauce...

Quick and Easy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce

double if desired, this makes enough for one small stir-fry

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or minced garlic)

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (or minced fresh ginger)

1 tbsp cornstarch

Whisk together all ingredients thoroughly, add to cooked vegetables in hot wok and stir for 30 sec - 1 minute until thickened and glossy. To use it in this recipe just whisk it all together and add it in when the recipe says to add stir fry sauce to the wok.

Twice-Cooked Noodles with Hoisin Vegetables

adapted from Pillsbury Stir-Fries Cookbook

8 ounces uncooked fresh Chinese noodles or angel hair pasta, broken into 2 inch pieces (I used a 10 ounce package of lo-mein noodles)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons peanut oil (I used vegetable oil)

1 and 1/4 pounds mixed fresh vegetables, cut into like sized pieces -- I used 1 red pepper, about 6 mushrooms, about a cup of broccoli florets, and 1 small zucchini

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup stir fry sauce (see recipe above)

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain well. In large bowl, combine cooked noodles, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut or vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet or work over medium0high heat until hot.

Add noodle mixture, pressing to form pancake, cook 8 to 12 minutes or until bottom of noodle pancake is

golden brown.

Slide pancake from skillet onto plate (this is a little tricky); invert pancake onto another plate, browned side up. Add another 1 tablespoon oil into skillet or wok. Slide the noodle pancake into skillet, browned side up; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until bottom is browned. Slide onto serving plate, cover to keep warm.

In same skillet or work, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil until hot, add veggies and stir to coat.

Add water and cook 6 to 8 minutes until veggies are crisp tender,stirring occasionally. Stir in stir fry sauce and hoisin sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until thoroughly heated and sauce has thickened and is glossy.

To serve, with sharp knife or kitchen scissors, cut hot noodle pancake into wedges. Top pancake with vegetable mixture.

~~~~~

This was probably my favorite Random Recipe so far! It was such a delicious lunch even though it was a bit tricky to get the noodle pancake just right. One of my very favorite things at one of my favorite Chinese restaurants is called Pan Fried Golden Noodle and it is pretty much this recipe! It is not on a lot of Chinese restaurant menus and I'd never tried to make it at home because I never thought I'd be able to find the right type of noodle but the lo mein noodles I tried were very similar to the restaurant noodles. I will be making this one again for sure, some crunchy tofu would be perfect with this. Although it is a bit time consuming for lunch, it was worth it :)

I'm sending this off to Sue for Cookbook Sundays and also to Ruth at Once Upon a Feast for Presto Pasta Nights #258.

Greek Bean Soup and White Milk Bread

2012-03-31T07:56:00.000-04:00

I can't believe we are done cooking Tessa Kiros' recipes over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week! When we started with Tessa, I honestly hadn't even heard of her, so checked out two of her books from the library -- Apples for Jam and Falling Cloudberries, the only two of her books available in our state library database! As soon as those were returned I knew I would enjoy her books so bought them all over the past six months. I think my favorite would have to be Food From Many Greek Kitchens since I've always loved Greek food and didn't know too much about it. I also loved Twelve and Apples for Jam, although all her books are gorgeous.

This simple recipe for White Milk Bread (or rolls) is from Apples for Jam...

White Milk Bread

1 cup warm (comfortable to your fingers) milk
One 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
3 and 2/3 cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Put the milk, yeast, and honey in a small bowl and stir until the honey melts. Leave it for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to froth a bit. Put the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a larger bowl. Add the yeast mixture, the egg, and butter, and mix through well. Knead 10 minutes or so and, if it seems sticky, just hold the bowl firmly and move the dough around with your hand, rather than adding more flour. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave in a warm, draft free place to rise for 1 and 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it has puffed up well.

Lightly grease a 12 by 4 inch loaf pan and dust it with flour. Punch down the dough to flatten it and shape it into a rough loaf of a size to fit the pan. Cover with a cloth and leave in the warm place for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until it puffs right up in the pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375.

Put the pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is firm and crusty and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from oven, knock the loaf out of the pan, and cool on a rack in a fly-free zone. This is best sliced warm and spread with butter, but you can keep the loaf for a few days in an airtight container (not a plastic bag) for excellent toast. Makes one large loaf or about 18 small rolls.

Fasolada -- White Bean Soup

Tessa Kiros -- Food From Many Greek Kitchens

1 pound 2 ounces dried butter (or cannellini, haricot, navy) beans -- I used navy
3 garlic cloves, 1 whole, 2 chopped
1 bay leaf
1 small celery rib
1/2 small onion -- I left this off and used a little onion powder
salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled, cut into nice chunks
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper

Below is the fresh vegetable topping which I skipped...
1 and 3/4 ounces red or green onions coarsely chopped
1/2 cup very coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
best-quality olive oil, for serving

Cover the beans with plenty of cold water and soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse them, and put into a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, skimming off and scum that has formed. Drain and rinse again. Wipe and scum that has collected on the pot, then return the beans to it. Add 8 cups of cold water, the whole garlic clove, bay leaf, celery rib, an the 1/2 onion. Simmer, partly covered, for about an hour, until tender. Larger beans will take longer and need more water. Add salt in the last 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat and saute the chopped onion until soft and golden. Add the chopped garlic and carrots and when the garlic smells good, add the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Swish about 1/2 cup of water in the tomato can and pour into the pot. Put the lit on and simmer for 10 minutes or so. When the beans are ready, pour them and their water in with the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, adding a little water if it's too thick. Ladle into bowls and serve with red onion, parsley and celery leaves on top, a drizzle of oil and a grinding of pepper.

~~~

Both the bread and soup were delicious. My whole family loved the bread and the leftovers made perfect French toast bread. I was a big fan of the soup. The rest of the family thought it was okay, they are their bowl for Saturday lunch but did not want seconds or left overs. Which means that I ate the left overs for about a week myself, but didn't mind one bit. I had never heard of Fasolada before and when I was looking it up online it was neat to find that it is considered the national soup of Greece, and that it is available in cans there already made! It was nice to use some of my huge bean stockpile and I would make this again but probably a half batch since I was the only real fan.

Since this is the last Tessa Kiros I Heart Cooking Clubs week, I thought I'd share my personal favorite recipes...a lot of these weren't big hits with picky husband or the kids, but I loved them :) Here are my top five in no particular order...

1. Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Pesto -- This was my first Tessa recipe, so yummy!

2. Whole Wheat Apple and Pluot Pie -- This was a hit with the kids and I loved using apples we had just picked at the orchard.

3. Winter Squash Pizza Bake -- I was the only one who really liked this but it had such a neat flavor combo that really got me.

4. Greek Almond Halva -- this was another one that only I liked, but it was so yummy, I'm just waiting for an occasion to make another batch!

5. Tuscan Baked Eggplant -- this was so yummy, I wanted to make batch after batch of this one, a must try for eggplant fans!

I had a great time cooking and baking along with the I Heart Cooking Clubs crew and can't wait to start on our next adventure cooking with Rick Bayless :)