And the Dish

Summer 2013 Update

2013-09-25T19:46:00.003-04:00

It's been so long since my last post, I forgot my password. Since, let's see... May 21st... Summer happened. Summer included our 7th (omigosh 7th!) annual Creekhouse Reunion...

I love these people.

Loved 'em back in 2007, too.

There was also a road trip to Texas, including giant catfish...

And of course a bountiful garden, complete with busy bees.

2 new beds! But for whatever reason *cough*neglect*cough the squash and cukes planted there did not really thrive.

Just before we put the second tier of frames on. June?

The bees have been fun. They're mostly sweet, docile ladies -- no stings except those two when we deserved them. No honey yet... we ought to have checked on them by now to see what they've done up top, but we haven't. I figure they've capped enough honey to make it through the winter on the bottom box. We probably won't harvest all of the top this first year b/c I really want to make sure they survive the colder months, but we may get in there and explore this weekend. I'll let you know. Maybe :). If I post again before next spring.

Cauliflower Pasta "Sauce"

2013-05-21T10:07:00.000-04:00

Meant to post for "Meatless Monday," which I haven't done in months... Oh well!

We go through phases where we'll eat this dish almost every week. I like to use Trader Joe's brown rice pasta. The cauliflower "sauce" would go well on a number of dishes, though... like on rice or quinoa, or even to top a pizza.

Ingredients

1 med. sized head cauliflower

1 head of garlic

olive oil

1 small onion, sliced thin

maple syrup

1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

kosher salt

pepper

1/4 c. half & half (to thin, if desired)

Roast garlic:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Slice the head off of the garlic, so that just a bit of most of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle a Tablespoon or so of olive oil onto a sheet of foil and place the cut side of the garlic down onto the oil, then wrap it tightly in the foil. Stick it in the hot oven while you prepare the rest. (About 30 minutes is fine, but longer is okay, too.)

Steam cauliflower:

Chop the stem off of the cauliflower, leaving the head whole. I cut a ~1/4" thick X into the bottom, too -- whether this really helps it cook, I don't know. Probably not, but there you go. Place in a large saucepan w/ 1-2" of water in the bottom and cover. Bring to a simmer and simmer until fork-tender. You want it tender enough to mash up easily, but not so tender that it completely falls apart when you remove it from the pan. If it does fall apart, though, it's okay -- really more of an inconvenience. The sauce will still be yummy.

Caramelize onions:

Heat a couple Tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. I use a mandolin slicer to quickly slice the onion at the thinnest setting. Saute the onion until transparent, then reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple of teaspoons maple syrup. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until caramelized to your liking.

Relax a bit while everything roasts/steams/caramelizes. There is no exact time here. Cook your pasta if you're going to put it on pasta. Prepare your pizza crust if you're doing pizza, etc.

Combine:

Carefully "pop" the garlic cloves out of the skin. Sometimes I do this while it's still quite hot -- use a fork; sometimes I let it cool enough that I can squeeze them out w/ my fingers. Remove/drain cauliflower and mash it down a bit. Add the onions. Using an immersion blender, blend it all together. I like to blend until smooth, but you can blend until the texture you prefer. Now stir in: parmesan cheese, nutmeg (this is really optional, but it reminds me of a béchamel sauce, which I love), salt and pepper to taste. Thin it out w/ the half & half, if desired.

Enjoy!

Oh - and use your leftover pasta and/or sauce in a frittata for the next day's dinner. This one was tasty:

Included leftover pasta w/ cauliflower sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Lunchbox Brownies

2013-05-02T11:18:00.001-04:00

This is my mom's "Fudge Brownies" recipe. She'd whip it up on movie nights or anytime we needed a quick and tasty treat. She does not make brownies from a box, and thankfully this recipe is easy enough, that I don't either!

Lately, I've been making them to pack in the kids' lunches for dessert (and doing my darnedest not to snack on them all day long). They are addictive... You can halve the recipe and bake it in an 8 or 9" pan if you must -- just lower your cooking time by 10 minutes or so.

It also helps if, after they've cooled, I go ahead and cut them up and wrap the kids' lunchbox portions up individually in plastic wrap. Then I keep them in the fridge, ready to grab. Makes the morning routine just a bit easier when I'm not scrounging around for lunch items, and makes my day a bit less fattening when there's not an entire pan of brownies lying about.

A note about cooking time: If you're making the full batch (9x13), then set your oven timer for 30 minutes. At that point, give them a little jiggle... You want the edges to appear fully cooked and pulling away from the pan a bit; you want the middle to be cooked just past a jiggle. Does that make sense? Mine go for 35 minutes in an oven that runs a bit cool.

Ingredients

2 c. sugar

8 TB (good, need I say it?) cocoa

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pay no mind to the fact that these brownies have exactly the same amount of sugar as they do flour. Disregard the butter content, too, for that matter. Treat yourself!

Melt your butter in a large pyrex mixing bowl, in the microwave (something I love about this recipe is it's quick and it uses one bowl). Add in the dry ingredients and stir well (it's thick). Add the eggs -- unbeaten, and vanilla. Mix well. No need to get out the electric mixer -- just stir it up w/ a spatula and discount the calories from the brownies you're about to enjoy.

Pour/spread into a lightly greased 9x13" pan (I use glass, fwiw). Sprinkle the top w/ chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Bake for 30-35+ minutes, until edges appear cooked and pulling away from the edges and the center is just past a jiggle.

Housemarmary

2013-04-30T12:09:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was an extremely productive kitchen day for me: first-ever batch of crockpot yogurt, homemade granola, sandwich bread and brownies.

You see, we have re-examined Ye Olde Household Budget. I won't say Josh's discovery of this guy didn't have anything to do with it. "Early Retirement through Badassity"... I sense a new life-motto for my husband, who has always said he wants to retire by 40.

He is 33, which means we've got some serious saving to do. (And by "retire," he means stop having to work for someone else, not stop working altogether, btw.) ANYway. Budgets. We've also hopped on the Mint bandwagon. Which has an app. Which means Josh knows exactly how much money I've spent on mochas. and yarn. Like, ever. I'm happy to report, however, he is still speaking to me ;-).

Also happy to report that it's true what they say -- the little things add up! If you save a little here and there by enjoying homemade iced mochas (which are actually pretty darn good), homemade yogurt (which I've done in the past, but hope to be more consistent about), and fresh baked bread (who doesn't love that?), you will likely be pleasantly surprised by what's left in your account at the end of each week/month. I know I am!

Homemade Iced Mocha = Jar of strong coffee left over from the morning, stuck in the freezer for 2 hours (It freezes just a bit around the edges, so you don't need ice) + milk + chocolate syrup + whipped cream, if you're lucky.

I've always (and by always, I mean 4 or 5 times) made yogurt on the stovetop...

Bringing a 1/2 gallon of milk slowly up to 180 degrees F, then cooling to 110 degrees F; stirring in 1/2 c. plain yogurt ("starter") w/ active cultures; finally wrapping in a heating pad & a beach towel (yes, really), and leaving to sit overnight. It's a lot.

Crockpot yogurt was So Much Easier! It's still an all-day activity and it still involves beach towels, but much less attention must be paid.

This recipe is all over the web, but I'll just go ahead and put it out there one more time.

Here's whatcha do:

-Pour 1/2 gallon milk (I used whole, have read reports of lower-fat milks not working as well) into your crockpot (mine's a normal size, I think).

-Cover, turn it on LOW and leave it alone for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

-Still covered, turn it OFF and leave it alone for 3 hours.

-Take out about 2 cups of your warmish milk and mix it with 1/2 cup or so of active yogurt, or "starter." I used some 0% Greek Yogurt we had on hand. For future batches, you'll reserve 1/2 c. of your homemade yogurt for this purpose.

-Whisk your starter mix back into the crockpot, cover it back up and WRAP IT IN A COUPLE OF HEAVY BEACH TOWELS.

-Leave it alone overnight or for 10-12 hours. I believe the longer you let it sit, the tangier it gets. I left mine at 7pm last night (having started the whole process just after 1pm), so it was ready to put in the fridge this morning.

-Refrigerate. Warm yogurt is kind of gross, plus it will thicken a bit as it cools. Homemade yogurt is not as thick as the store-bought stuff. I think that makes it even better spooned over homemade granola, though, and it's still perfect for smoothies, or wherever else you usually enjoy it.

Sandwich bread and brownie recipe soon! Granola is here, and highly adaptable to whatever you've got in the cupboard. I used coconut oil (Trader Joe's has it!) in lieu of vegetable oil w/ this batch, and it worked great.

Nutella Spoon Bread

2013-03-14T17:28:00.004-04:00

Fact: There are going to be days (exponentially more of them if you are a mom, "room mom," stay/work at home person w/ a busy spouse, Girl Scout leader and/or serial over-volunteer-er)...

There are going to be days when you disappoint.

Repeat as necessary: "I need not be every thing to every one."

It is also a fact that on these days, it is best to realize as much. It is best to stare down your mounting ineptitude and its ensuing guilt. It is best to flip that guilt the bird. (Go ahead - your kids aren't looking.)

Repeat: "I am doing my best." If at all possible, turn off the computer, silence your phone and go for a run/walk, repeating this phrase like a mantra, in time with your steps. Soon, you won't feel so bad. You will feel a lot lighter without all of that guilt.

Now it's time for the Nutella.

Because it is also a fact that on these days, chocolatey hazelnut goodness will absolutely cure what ails you. This is proven and true, and you should not fight it. You should clean up your kitchen and make something w/ Nutella. If you are pressed for time, you may choose simply to eat it w/ a spoon. And that's okay!

As it turns out for me, on days such as this, experimenting in the kitchen helps, too. It's just a bonus when the end result is fantastic. And let me tell you - it is! This spoon bread puffs a bit like a soufflé and falls upon cooling. Just out of the oven, it is soft and the tiniest bit gooey in the middle, but nice and cakey at the edges. Completely cooled, it is all cakey and denser in the middle. Did I mention the Nutella?

I can also confirm that no - I am not above chiseling the charred stuff off the side of the skillet:

Fantastic.

This is a rustic treat -- neither overly rich nor sweet, and very satisfying. It is not delicate, and it did not disappoint. Dust w/ powdered sugar if you need to feel fancy.

Ingredients

3/4 c. stone-ground cornmeal

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3 TB packed, light brown sugar

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs, beaten

1 c. whole milk

1 1/2 TB butter

1/2 c. half & half

1/2 c. Nutella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, with a rack in the middle position.

Whisk first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl. Add the eggs and whole milk; stir until well blended.

Generously grease a large (12") cast-iron skillet with the butter; plop any un-used butter in the skillet and put it in the oven, until melted.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the half & half and Nutella, until completely smooth (this takes a little while, but it will happen).

Remove the skillet from the oven, tilting the melted butter to spread around, and pour in the batter. Next, drizzle the Nutella mixture all over the top, distributing as evenly as possible.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until mostly set in the middle. (At this point, you could probably take it out for good, if you want more of a traditional "spoon" bread, and less of a cake.) Take it out and cover the top w/ foil. Bake another 5-10 minutes, until the middle seems mostly done, but not completely solid.

Let it cool a tiny bit and ENJOY. You deserve it.

Ruby Red Roast Chicken w/ Rosemary

2013-03-12T15:08:00.003-04:00

Who doesn't love an alliterative supper? You'll remember, I told you to "stay tuned" for the candied carrots w/ roast chicken that are so good I fight the children for them... Well, I ended up going a little off-script for this recipe. However, the secret to those awesomely charred and caramelized, yummy-delicious roast carrots is contained herein, so bear with me.

Grapefruits have been good this year. Really good. Really grapefruit-y.

...who am I kidding. You want to know what? I don't actually care for grapefruit much. (GASP!) Yup. I said it. I know. I'm from Texas, where probably the best grapefruit in the world is grown :). And I don't really like it all that much.

Well, to be honest, I do like grapefruit flavor imparted on other things. Like a gin & tonic.

And also chicken, it turns out! Here's what I did:

(Warning: This is more a rambling food journal post than a recipe, but you can probably follow along and end up with a tasty meal of some sort.)

Take a 3-4 lb bird. You never really want more than 4 lbs -- that's just too big. And the meat dries out faster, in my experience. Or just isn't as juicy to begin with; I'm not sure. Actually, the closer to 3 lbs, the better, though this size can be hard to find. And the fresher the better, if that's not too much stating the obvious. Once-frozen meat never cooks as well as fresh.

Okay. Take your little bird and rinse it. Pat it good and dry. Then rub about 2 TB kosher salt all over it, inside and out. Best-case scenario, you're doing this up to 24 hours in advance of cooking; but the morning before you cook it for dinner, or even early that afternoon is okay, too.

Separate the skin a bit from the breast meat and make room for 4" fresh rosemary sprigs over each side; stick 'em in there. Place two more sprigs inside the body cavity. I also saved the peel from the grapefruit and put several "sticks" of that in there, too. Next, slice the peeled grapefruit and put all but two thick slices inside. You can never go wrong with peeled cloves of garlic, either. Don't be afraid to really fill 'er up! All this flavor is going to infuse the meat, and it's gonna be great.

At this point, let the chicken rest in the fridge until you're ready to cook. Cover it tightly w/ plastic wrap or stick it in a big ziplock bag.

You'll want the oven preheated to 450 degrees F.

Get your bird back out of the fridge, and rub a couple of teaspoons ground black pepper all over it. You can dust a bit of the salt off here too, if you want. Or not. Course-chop several carrots. Potatoes, sweet potatoes; I even added in red cabbage with this meal -- use what you've got. But do take note: the cabbage, and perhaps the water content from the grapefruit thwarted the usually charred/candied carrot effect. They were good carrots in the end. Just not worth fighting over. If you want that kind, then leave out the cabbage and cut back on the amount of grapefruit inside the bird.

Toss those veggies into a roasting pan. I LOVE our All-Clad for this. A large cast-iron skillet would work well, too.

Truss it up, if you like -- secure the drumstick ends and double back to secure the wings underneath, like so:

It's not the end of the world if you don't truss. It's worked fine for me without, but it feels fancier to truss a bird before roasting it, I guess.

Now, just rest the chicken, breast side up, right on top of the veggies in the pan. Put a couple of thick slices of grapefruit on top. Drizzle the top w/ olive oil (1-2 TB?). And put it on the second-to-lowest rack in the oven at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Ready to roast. A bit of grapefruit peel amongst the chopped veggies, which flavored them nicely -- but not for eating. Very bitter.

After 30 minutes, assess: If the skin is getting charred, lower the rack down to the lowest position. If the veggies at the bottom are too dry and getting crispy, put a few pats of butter or sprinkles of olive oil or a splash of chicken broth in there. But they'll probably be fine.

Lower the temperature to 425 degrees and roast for another 45 minutes. Your kitchen smells amazing.

When you take the chicken out, you can test the temp if you want. You should probably test the temp. 160 degrees in the middle of a breast, right? (I don't do this anymore, though, and we're all still alive.)

Take it out, but do not cut into it right away. This does something to the juiciness of it... You need to "tent" it with foil, letting a bit of steam escape, and wait 10 minutes. Which is fine for me. It takes at least that long to get everyone around here in a state fit to enjoy such a fine meal.

...

Now, this was last night's dinner, and actually we didn't all get to sit down together. Ingrid and I ran off to a Girl Scout meeting while it was still in the oven, and Josh fed the younger two while we were gone. All that to say, I don't have a lovely photo of a golden-brown roast chicken w/ veggie garnish, ready to eat. I've got a photo of a carved chicken breast, with roasted grapefruit on top, that I just took a bite of. Sorry!

Roasted grapefruit was quite good!

This made such a perfectly juicy roast. I will definitely be making it again. And I may try a recipe for just plain roasted grapefruit now, too. OH yeah - serve w/ a tasty and citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc. Veramonte is a good (and cheap) one I've found. Or a gin & tonic w/ a grapefruit twist. Whichever!

Dear Reader,

2013-03-06T12:23:00.001-05:00

Yeah, so Hi. It's been a month. (Requisite opening line.) Only this time it's more like a month and a half. I was going to write a sweet & lovely navel-gaze-y post about what's been keeping us all so busy, but unless you're related to me, you probably don't care.

Actually, if you're reading this blog, you probably are related to me. So, here goes...

...shoot. There's nothing keeping us busy that doesn't keep every family of five too busy to write. School, volunteering at said school, activities, birthday parties, obsessive late-night knitting.

I'll just keep to the interesting stuff, then... aw hell. Life is happening, folks. And I'm grateful for that, though it's definitely happening WAY too fast. Maybe you're wondering, Why does she keep a blog? Does she even cook anymore? Does she just feed her kids girl scout cookies and noodle soup every night?

Okay. Well, I can't promise it's interesting, but here's a little tidbit from each of the lives of our family of 5.3 (yes, I'm assigning each of our animals a tenth of a human point. So sue me.)

Here goes for real: Joshua is in the planning stages of a very exciting business venture. Intrigued? Well, sorry. It's a bit beyond the scope of my little food blog. Next! Ingrid is an 8 year old. She will start horseback riding lessons next week. She's officially left me in the dust with our whole "let's learn violin together" idea from a while back. She's amazing. Malcolm learned how to knit and is now teaching his kindergarten class this valuable life-coping skill. Beatrix is still the boss, but as her second year wanes, she is becoming somewhat of a more benevolent dictator. I will give her that. Canines: Hutch has some sort of endocrine disease that makes him drink a lot and get fat and anxious. (There but for the grace of God, am I right?) Young Rose gets yelled at less and less as her second year wanes. She's a pretty good dog. The cat still bites.

As for me, I will share that I'm no longer employed on the weekends, but am still working part-time from home on this and that for my awesome local yarn shop. I am also as-of-now renewing my vow to blog more consistently. (Btw, I did not so much stick to the plan outlined in the previous post. Are you surprised? It's girl scout cookie season, people.)

Lastly, I'm roasting a chicken tonight. I'm going to steal Josh's secret for making the carrots roasted with the chicken taste like candy. So much so that the kids actually fight over the carrots! And I have to settle the fight by eating all of them. (The carrots, not the kids.) Stay tuned!

Juice for Breakfast

2013-01-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Click here to get an idea of what I'm up to for the next 3 weeks... This magazine just showed up the other day, and I thought it's New Year "action plan" looked pretty good. Today's breakfast was supposed to be a Mango-Tahini Smoothie, but the green grocer was out of mango this week, and I don't fancy a trip to Trader Joe's today.

Have I mentioned Washington's Green Grocer before? I'm sure I have. If we've spoken in person about food, then I know I have. They have a new local-only box that we recently switched to; then I just add on whatever else we need for the week. Since we joined a couple of years ago, they've greatly expanded the selection. If they sold paper goods & toiletries, I might not go to the store at all!

Anyway, back to breakfast! I opted to adjust tomorrow's scheduled breaky for today:

Pears, cucumbers and ginger from the original recipe are a check, but I also added some mint, a beet and a few carrots that were screaming for my attention. (That's the great thing about juicing - even if a juicer seems expensive, it'll probably save you lots of wasted produce dollars over it's lifetime. It doesn't care if the carrots are a bit limp-ish.)

I peeled/cored and chopped all ingredients because our juicer works better that way, and it was good. I tossed it in a blender with a handful of ice and blueberries and strawberries (juicer's not so efficient with soft fruits)... and it was GREAT.

P.S. The orange thing on top of the mason jar is a cuppow. As long as I'm recommending things, I love that, too!

Start Fresh!

2013-01-16T15:57:00.002-05:00

Well, somebody must've gotten me a subscription to Whole Living magazine for Christmas... Was it you? I really don't know who! If it was you, then Thank You. The feature article in this Jan/Feb edition is "Reboot Your Body." Page 40. And I think I'm going to give it a try! What I like about this plan is it's simplicity and it's non-craziness. I won't be eating pulverized kale 3 meals a day for a month. Instead, for the next 21 days, I'll stick to "cruciferous vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins."

During week one, that means lentils, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. A bit more variety, including fish, gluten-free grains and eggs are introduced in weeks 2 and 3. I'll modify the menu a bit here and there for what we've got in the fridge, and I. will. not. cut. coffee. But I will opt out on dairy and sugar, so I'll drink my coffee black. A personal goal is no coffee past noon, with hopes of sleeping a bit better. And tax on my liver be damned, I may opt for a glass of red wine here and there. Let's just be honest.

Not counting book club last night, which was at a yummy wood-fired pizza joint that has Bell's Two Hearted Ale on tap, I've really limited refined grains and dairy, and have pretty much cut beer and sugar (well, excessive sugar) so far this year already.

I think my chances for sticking to this (only slightly modified) reboot/detox are pretty good. Won't you follow along? Do you have a favorite detox plan or something you do to get healthy after the holidays?

Tomorrow's menu = smoothie for breakfast; French Lentil Salad for lunch and Creamy Broccoli Soup for dinner. Stay tuned...

Basic Granola

2013-01-02T10:11:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year all! Yesterday, I woke up moved to make a batch of this:

Not a bad way to start the year. Actually, I go through phases where yogurt & granola is my set breakfast, for months at a time. And I'm not complaining! A daily dose of probiotics from yogurt is great; nuts provide long-lasting energy and a bit of get-up&go from sugar & honey doesn't hurt, either (in my opinion).

If you've never made your own granola before, then may I suggest 2013 be the year you begin. I'd wager you don't go back to the store-bought kind, if for no other reason than making your own -- and experimenting with endless add-ins and substitutes -- is so much fun!

I've tried a lot of granola recipes. Some use a bit of water, and this is supposed to aid in clumping; some warm the wet ingredients before combining with the oats. Some use a million spices. Peanut butter... agave nectar... bran... wheat germ: endless combinations, and none of them bad. But this recipe here is my current go-to, and I rather like it. If you prefer a less clumpy granola, skip the pressing part.

Try this recipe as a jumping-off point. Experiment, then enjoy your unique creation w/ berries and yogurt (my fave) or on top of ice cream or all by itself. Hippie! ;)

Ingredients

2 c. rolled oats (not quick-cooking; I used Trader Joe's gluten-free)

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch fresh grated nutmeg

pinch (no more than 1/2 tsp.) kosher salt

1/8 c. cacao nibs or flax seeds or combination of both

3 TB plus 1 tsp oil (I used Trader Joe's coconut oil; vegetable oil or even extra-virgin olive oil works, too, though it does impart some flavor)

1/4 c. honey or pure maple syrup

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 c. nuts (I used half sliced almonds, half chopped pecans)

2/3 c. dried fruit (I like sour cherries)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. Mix oats, spices and nibs/flax in large bowl. Mix oil, honey/syrup sugar and vanilla in small bowl until well-combined. Pour wet mixture onto oat mixture and use your hands to mix. Squeeze and clump and make sure all the oats are exposed to the wet mixture.

Spread evenly (leaving some clumps here and there) on prepared sheet and bake on the middle rack of oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread nuts over the top. Bake another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and add dried fruit. Bake another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven and place sheet on a cooling rack. Using a spatula, firmly press/flatten the granola mixture. Let it cool completely. Once it's cool, break it apart (it's kind of like peanut brittle) into the size clumps you want. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or so.

Belated Holiday Cookies

2012-12-31T11:10:00.006-05:00

Happy Holidays, everyone!

If my resolution for 2012 was to blog recipes more often... I may have failed. So, what have we been up to lately? Still working at the knit shop; Josh busy with his grown-up job. Room-momming Halloween and Holiday parties; chaperoning field trips to the Smithsonian and a whole bunch of other stuff.

Still cooking, though! Always. Here are two of this year's Christmas cookie hits, both adapted from Bon Apetit recipes. And if you're like me, and you sometimes bake "after-Christmas" cookies for the kids' teachers because you were maybe a bit over-commited before the fact, then these will come in handy for you! Enjoy!

Holiday Biscotti

Ingredients

1 3/4 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. old-fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs

3 TB vegetable oil

1 TB organic orange zest

2 tsp. organic lemon zest

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. sliced almonds

1/2 c. unsalted, shelled pistachios

1 c. dried sour cherries

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

12 oz. white or dark chocolate chips (or 6 oz. each)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line heavy baking sheet w/ parchment. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. In medium bowl, combine eggs, oil, zests, and extract. Add egg mixture to large bowl/dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in cherries and nuts.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and gently knead until it holds together. Divide dough in two and shape each half into 12-14" log and transfer to baking sheet, 5" apart. Flatten each log a bit, so they're at least 2-3" wide. Bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until browned and set ~30 min.

Cool on rack for 10-15 minutes, then transfer logs to cutting board. Reduce oven to 250 degrees F, and arrange racks so that one is in top third, and one is in lower third. Line a second baking sheet with parchment.

Use a serrated knife to slice logs, semi-diagonally into 2/3" slices. Arrange slices on lined baking sheets, cut side down and bake 40 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking time.

Cool completely. Melt chocolate chips in microwave and stir in peppermint extract. Dip ends of biscotti in chocolate and arrange on wax-paper until chocolate is set. Refrigerate if you need them to set quickly.

Store in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 4 dozen. Recipe doubles well.

Chewy-Snappy Ginger Cookies

"Chewy-Snappy" because they are wonderfully chewy for a couple of days, but for the rest of the week (if they last that long!), they're more like ginger snaps, and still very tasty.

Ingredients

2 1/4 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. canola or vegetable oil

1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 egg

1/2 c. molasses

2 tsp. peeled, grated ginger root

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. organic lemon extract

1 c. turbinado (raw) sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and arrange racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two heavy baking sheets with parchment. Whisk first 7 ingredients together in medium bowl. Using electric mixer on high, mix brown sugar, oil and butter in large bowl, until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, add egg, molasses, grated ginger, vanilla and lemon zest; mix until blended. Add flour mixture and beat on low just until blended.

With raw sugar in a shallow bowl, form tablespoon sized dough balls and roll in sugar. Place 1 1/2" apart on prepared sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool completely and store in airtight container at room temp. Makes about 4 dozen.

Lemon poppy seed scones

2012-10-27T09:29:00.006-04:00

I'm renaming this blog, And the Scone....

These are super-flaky, light and fluffy, and crispy in all the right places. I recommend not overworking the dough (don't knead it so long that it all sticks together - let it crumble a bit as you pat it into place); the envelope-fold is crucial for flakiness and so is patting. No rolling pins! Also, try lining your pan with foil -shiny side up. I did this instead of my usual parchment lining, and I felt like the bottoms of the scones were crispier for it.

Ingredients

3 c. unbleached white flour

3 TB granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 TB poppy seeds

10 TB frozen butter

1 c. plain, whole milk yogurt

zest of 2 (preferably organic) lemons

juice of 1 lemon

Glaze:

~1/2 c. powdered sugar

~1 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix yogurt, juice of 1 lemon and zest of 2 in med. bowl (be careful not to "zest" into the white pith of the lemon - it's bitter!).

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl and grate the frozen butter in (a lovely tip from America's Test Kitchen). Toss to coat butter.

Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients. Stir just until clumps form, then turn out onto lightly floured surface.

Knead just about 8 times until dough *mostly* holds together. Pat into rectangle 1-2" thick. Fold like an envelope then pat into rectangle again. Cut rectangle in half and pat/shape each half into circle about 8" in diameter. Cut each circle into as many wedges as you want (I do 8).

Reduce oven to 425 degrees and bake on lined sheet pan for about 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown to your liking in spots on top.

For Glaze (go for the glaze!)

Sift and mix powdered sugar and about 1 TB lemon juice (use the other lemon you zested and adjust to affect thickness) to make glaze and spoon over partially cooled scones. Enjoy.

Makes 16.

Spiced pumpkin seeds

2012-10-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

I made these several weeks ago to garnish butternut squash soup, and they'd do just as well atop pretty much any fall dish. Or with your morning yogurt & granola? Plus, they make a tasty snack all by themselves and with garam masala (quite possibly my favorite spice blend), your house is gonna smell great.

I will admit to buying pumpkin seeds in the bulk section. But you can make use of your jack-o-lantern innards, too. You're gonna want to rinse then simmer those fresh seeds in salted water (about 2 c. water for every 1/2 c. of seeds) for about 10 minutes, then drain and proceed.

Ingredients

1 c. raw pumpkin seeds

3/4 tsp. garam masala*

1/4 c. granulated sugar

pinch kosher salt

1 egg white

1 TB water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine egg white and water in medium bowl. Toss pumpkin seeds, sugar, garam masala and salt in another bowl, then add to egg white mixture and stir. Drain this mixture in a mesh sieve (give it at least 5 minutes and a couple of stirs to make sure some of that extra goop drips off). Spread the pumpkin seed mixture on a heavy baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes, stirring once during cooking time. Cool, then scrape off the pan and enjoy!

*My favorite is the Whole Foods brand garam masala.

Oven-roasted sweet potatoes

2012-10-16T18:10:00.002-04:00

Served over rice with crumbled bacon.

Well over a month. Wow. Well, I'm keeping it simple as I dip my toes back into the blogging world. It doesn't get much easier than this!

And I won't bore you with all the details of what's been keeping me busy.

Okay, maybe I will just a little (it's all good stuff):

I got to spend a child-free (Thanks Gma & Gpa!!) weekend in Chicago with this guy:

On the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier.

...for a really fun wedding (Thanks and CONGRATS Caroline & Steve!!):

Don't ask how many gin & tonics I'd had at this point ;)

I've been crafty as all get-out...

Pattern here.

Re-usable sandwich & snack bags from this online tutorial.

A cardigan I knit.

And of course, the kids started school! They're doing great. Second grade, kindergarten and nursery school. (I can barely say that out loud.)

Now, on to the super-simple recipe. Quick -- before another month passes me by!

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes, 3/4" cubes (about 4 c.); organic, so you don't have to peel!

2 TB coconut oil (vegetable oil works, too)

2 TB maple syrup

1 TB soy sauce

1 tsp minced, fresh ginger

1 large clove garlic, minced

pinch of black pepper

Can be prepped early in the day; cover or store in ziplock bag and refrigerate until ready to roast. Toss all ingredients and spread out on a half sheet pan.

Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until tender and browned (30-45 minutes), stirring at least once during cooking. Serve as a side or over rice with crumbled bacon on top.

Olive Oil Drop Biscuits

2012-09-03T09:13:00.001-04:00

Omigosh. I swear to you that we here do not live on baked goods alone. I actually wanted to blog about this really pretty good and extremely healthy soup I made out of roasted beets and carrots and fennel, sweetened with just a little maple syrup, then blended until smooth with a little chicken stock. But it wasn't great... Josh added some lemon juice to the leftovers and it was better. It needed the tang. I love the idea of just tossing roughly chopped healthy stuff into the oven, then pureeing it into dinner. But that recipe needs tweaking before I post it. I will post it, though, and I will post other healthy stuff. I will, I will.

Roasted Beet Soup

We've also been very into salads lately, because they're so easy. A baby greens & herbs salad, on top of a slice of toast, with a lightly-poached egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. That's healthy, right? We eat stuff like that, too.

But for now: Biscuits. Tasty, tasty baking powder biscuits with olive oil instead of butter. See? I am totally concerned about your HDL.

Ingredients

2 c. all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

2 TB sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 - 1 TB citrus zest (lemon or orange)

1/2 c. sliced almonds

1/2 c. olive oil (the better the olive-oil the better your biscuit!)

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment.

Sift together dry ingredients. Toss in zest and almonds. Make a well in the center, then pour in oil and milk. Stir just until all batter is moistened. Plop down large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for ~12 minutes, or until toasty-brown on top. You could also plop into lightly greased muffin tins, if you prefer a more uniform shape.

These bake up crispy on the outside and downright pillowy in the middle. They are over-the-top awesome with Peach Rosemary Jam. Would also be good with a handful of dried cranberries mixed in, I think.

Makes ~12.

Chocolate Chip Scones

2012-08-28T09:33:00.003-04:00

Yesterday morning I lay in bed, awake though resolutely opposed to appearing so, having stayed up past midnight glued to cliffhanger episodes of Breaking Bad on Netflix. Anyway, right on time (that is just shy of 7 am) the two year old comes to me as I lay in bed and asks, "Stuck?" I pretend to be asleep.

A little louder now, "Mama stuck?" I pretend harder. She digs for my hand under the covers, tucked under my legs, and grimaces mightily as she pulls. And puuuullls. She sounds too cute not to open my eyes, just a little, but then the jig is up... and so am I.

After getting everyone settled with juice or milk, pouring my coffee and sitting down to a row or two of contemplative knitting, I remember a promise made, to provide a homemade breakfast dish to the kids' school. In honor of the teachers' first official day back. To be delivered by 8:15. Whoops. I immediately think about just grabbing a box of donut holes or something... anything... I just wanna sit and drink my coffee!

But, no. Scones are entirely too easy. And even if all you do is dump a cup of chocolate chips into them, they're delicious. (Plus, they looked damn fancy next to all the boxes of Munchkins at the staff breakfast!)

Today, the kids wanted some scones of their own, and well, I don't blame them. This version differs from yesterday's by using 1/2 whole wheat flour; adding in some flax seed meal; using brown instead of white sugar; and using 1/2 Crisco instead of all butter. Both versions are good. I guess I just have a hard time cooking the same scone twice.

Ingredients

1.5 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

1.5 c. whole wheat flour

3 TB packed, light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder

2 TB flaxseed meal

5 TB shortening (Crisco)

5 TB cold, unsalted butter

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/4 c. milk

half & half

course sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. Whisk together dry ingredients. Break up clumps of brown sugar with your fingers, if necessary. Cut in shortening & butter with pastry cutter or two knives or a fork until texture is like course crumbs. Toss in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and add yogurt and milk. Stir just until mixture begins to hold together.

Turn onto counter and knead about 8 times. Dough will be soft. Pat into small rectangle (~ 4" x 8") and fold bottom third up halfway; top third down over that. Like a letter. Pat into same size rectangle again. Cut in half with a large knife and shape each half into an 8" round, patted about 1.5" thick. Slice each round into 8 wedges. Place on prepared sheet and brush tops with half & half; sprinkle with course sugar. Bake 15 minutes or until tops/edges are golden brown and your kitchen smells good.

Makes 16. This dough, once cut into wedges also freezes well, too. Place on baking sheet and freeze until solid, then place in a freezer bag. Good for a few months, at least.

Summer Peach Muffins w/ Bacon-Pecan Streusel Topping

2012-08-05T11:13:00.000-04:00

I had a hard time naming this recipe. Fresh-picked peaches, pecans and... BACON. Enough said? It's no secret I'm a fan of fruit and fried pork. It is probably true that most things taste better with bacon. Peach muffins certainly do!

I also had a hard time deciding whether these would be muffins or scones or what. This recipe makes a wet, sticky dough that is perfectly appropriate for drop-scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or - given a few kneads on a floured surface - shaped scones, too. You might mix the bacon in with the dough and just do a simple glaze on the top of shaped scones. The possibilities are endless! I chose to bake mine in a muffin tin and pack on as much bacon-y streusel goodness as humanly possible. So, calling them muffins instead of scones seemed appropriate.

The other thing you might do, because these really are quite decadent as a morning muffin (not complaining!) is save the sugary liquid that you will drain off of the peaches...

...and reduce it down a bit on the stovetop. Then serve these puppies after a special dinner, drizzled with what will basically amount to peach simple syrup. With a little ice cream on the side, why not? Call them cakes. Either way, you should probably save the syrup. You will find something fun to do with it!

Brown sugar, bacon, pecans. Makes me smile.

~1/4 c. drops of dough into muffin tins.

Unbaked, packed with topping. Sweep the extra into the sides; it will stick to the baked & cooled muffins.

These smelled so. good.

What's next? I still have a lot of peaches left...

Ingredients

4-5 slices bacon, cooked, cooled, crumbled/chopped (~1/3 c.)

2 large peaches, diced (~2 c.)

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 tsp baking powder

6 TB cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 c. vanilla yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Struesel topping:

1 c. light brown sugar

1/4 c. shortening

4 TB flour

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

bacon

1/2 c. pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease (I use Crisco) a 12-cup muffin tin (mine is dark, non-stick).

You can start cooking your bacon now, if you haven't already. It needs to be cooled before mixing in with the topping.

Mix peaches with sugar and set aside while you work with dry ingredients. This allows time for some juicing.

Whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking powder. (If you're making scones, and you like them a bit denser, you may reduce baking powder by a TB or so here.) Work in cold butter with a pastry cutter, until mixture resembles course crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs and vanilla until well combined.

Drain peaches, reserving liquid if you plan to reduce it and use as a syrup/topping for the muffins/cakes.

Add wet ingredients and peaches to the dry ingredients, stirring just until most of the flour is incorporated. It will pull from the sides of the bowl.

Plop scant 1/4 c. scoops into greased muffin tins (drop-scones onto parchment-lined sheet; or work as shaped scones).

Prepare streusel topping. Sprinkle and lightly press onto tops, sweeping extra into the sides of the muffin tins. Don't be stingy. This recipe makes a ton of topping!

Reduce oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes (mine took 18), until risen and topping is quite brown in spots.

Remove and cool a few minutes. It might help to sort of scrape & loosen the overflowing topping from the top of your pan with a knife or fork, so that muffins come out more easily when cooled. Cool & remove & enjoy.

Makes 12.

Just Peachy! Margarita

2012-07-20T17:43:00.000-04:00

Yessiree. It's Friday night, and I have a little treat for you. I just hope you have peaches on hand! (And tequila. And limeade. And agave.)

Ingredients

3 oz. silver tequila

6 oz. limeade

1/2 oz. agave nectar

1/2 of a ripe peach

Using an immersion blender, puree your 1/2 peach and transfer to a cocktail shaker. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake it up. Strain if you like, but I don't mind (natural) floaties in my cocktails. Enjoy! ...responsibly ;)

Honey-Basil Wheat Bread & Blueberry Marmalade

2012-07-17T19:53:00.001-04:00

Time to hit the farmers market for the last blueberries of the season! (At least around here.) We got a good deal on a whole flat of them last week. It also happens to be time for some serious basil consumption. I planted a ton! And I'm getting (just a little) tired of pesto...

We happily ate nothing but this for dinner one night last week. My soon-to-be 5 year old helped quite a bit with both components, and was proud of his simple supper! I think if we'd had some chèvre to go between the bread and the jam, it would have been just perfect. It paired well with a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. Try this jam with anything herby, or slightly savory. Or you could try it atop warm brie...

Later in the week, we lopped it onto pork tenderloin for dinner (just think of the leftover pork sandwiches for lunch the next day... on honey-basil wheat bread, with chèvre and blueberry marmalade). YUM!

The more canned stuff on top of my fridge, the happier I am!

Blueberry Marmalade

Ingredients

1 lemon

2 medium-sized oranges

1.5 c. water

1/4 tsp. baking soda

8 c. blueberries, rinsed, picked over and crushed (that's 8 cups of crushed blueberries)

5-7 c. sugar (depending on the sweetness of your berries)

4 tsp. Pomona's Pectin + 4 tsp. calcium water (This pectin will make jam set without as much sugar as some recipes call for. If you don't use it, increase regular pectin a bit, according to package instructions.)

Sterilize your jars and lids/rings. I got 7 jars out of this batch...

Peel citrus and dice the zest. Combine the diced zest, water and baking soda in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain away liquid, reserving zest.

Meanwhile, remove as much white membrane from the citrus as you can and chop. Set aside.

Combine crushed blueberries (run them through a blender or use an immersion blender on them if you like your jam on the smoother side), calcium water (if using Pomona's Pectin) chopped citrus pulp and all but 1 cup of sugar in a very large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Make sure the sugar is dissolved. If you're using Pomona's pectin, mix the pectin powder with the reserved 1 cup of sugar. Add this to simmering pot and bring back to boil for 1-2 minutes, enough time to dissolve this last bit of sugar.

Remove from heat. Let cool a bit and add your drained, diced citrus zest. Let it cool a bit more so that foam settles a bit at the top.

Skim off the foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle into sterile jars, leaving 1/4" space at the top. Cap and seal.

Process in a boiling-water-bath canner for 10 minutes. You may have to adjust for altitude.

Honey-Basil Wheat Bread

Ingredients

1.5 TB active dry yeast

pinch of maple sugar (brown sugar works, too)

1 c. warm water (105 degrees F - 115 degrees F)

1.5 c. room temperature plain low-fat yogurt

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. canola oil

1 TB kosher salt

3 c. whole-wheat flour

3.5-4 c. bread flour

1/2 c. packed fresh basil, chopped

Bread is really an intuitive thing for me... This is the first recipe I've written down. If you don't bake bread often, but want to try this, here's some advice: Don't use all of the flour if you don't need it. Adjust your oven temp/timing according to your oven's quirks -- mine runs cool. Don't knead it until it's rock hard; you want it a bit sticky. And please don't be offended if you bake bread like all the time and my recipe says all the obvious stuff ;).

......

In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes (if yours doesn't foam, try fresher yeast).

In a large bowl or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine yogurt, honey, oil, salt and 2 c. of whole-wheat flour. Stir until creamy, about 1 minute with mixer. Beat in yeast mixture, basil and remaining 1 c. whole-wheat flour. Add in the bread flour, 1/2 c. at a time, until you can no longer stir it, or if using mixer - until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Switch to dough hook if using mixer, and continue to knead on low speed, adding flour 1/4 c. at a time, until smooth but slightly sticky when pressed (about 5 minutes). If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto slightly floured surface and knead in the remaining bread flour, stopping when dough is smooth but slightly sticky (5-10 minutes, depending on your kneading).

Transfer the dough to an oiled, deep bowl and turn it once to coat with a bit of oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warmish place until doubled, 1-1.5 hours.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide in half. You will make two circular loaves. One half at a time, press the dough flat then form into a ball. Using both hands, stretch the sides of the dough downward and under, rotating the ball as you do and pulling the surface tight to form a compact ball. Repeat for second half, and set at least 4" apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with lightly-greased plastic wrap and let until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Using a thin, sharp knife gently slash an X into the top of each loaf. Place in the oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Bake until loaves are golden brown and make a nice sound when you knock on them (a hollow-ish sound), about 30 minutes, but this depends on your oven, really. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

Maple-Sugar Glazed Carrots

2012-07-11T19:08:00.002-04:00

How is it possible that it's been a month since my last post?

How many bloggers do you think open with that question? (Probably not very many successful ones!)

I haven't even posted about my garden. Which, I planted back on Memorial Day weekend... It's huge now. The tomatillos have mounted a full-scale takeover of bed #1, while too many zucchini planted in bed #2 are quickly overpowering my poor, stunted peppers. In three years of backyard gardening in this locale, I've never grown a robust pepper. I should probably read up on what sort of soil everything likes, but I mostly just plant and pray. Don't get me wrong -- I have learned a bit here and there, and I call my green-thumbed mom for advice pretty often.

Anyway... I wish I could say I grew these carrots! We grew them our first year here, in our deepest raised bed, but they came out small and stubby. I suppose we should have tilled the ground more, before installing the bed, but we were eager beavers. Not to mention spoiled by the Vermont farm soil we left behind. This year I planted: black zucchini, Brandywine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, basil, cilantro, parsley and "fake" jalepenos (they are not supposed to be spicy). Maybe I'll get around to posting the garden pictures next month.

We've been up to other stuff, too... I canned Blueberry Marmalade today. (Will post the recipe once I'm sure it sets up*.) My oldest is doing Vacation Fibre School at fibre space, and she LOVES it. She's a real knitter now. When I try to get her out the door to swim practice, it's "Just let me finish this row, Mom!"

I love it!

We spent an awesome, too-short weekend with our Creekhouse gang, in Seven Springs, PA. This was the best location for all of us to sort of meet in the middle, coming from CT, IN and VA. It was great. Getting together with those people and enjoying each other and all of our crazy, growing kids is never anything short of amazing.

I'm sure there's some other stuff... There are posts drafted for Mojito Cake, Louisiana Chocolate Pound Cake and The Best Way to Roast a Chicken. We are always cooking!

Tonight I made this. It's simple. It's good. And I think you should try it. I got the Maple Sugar in the baking aisle @ Trader Joe's, but I've seen it elsewhere, too. It subs for sugar about 3/4 c. maple sugar to 1 c. sugar, and adds a great depth of flavor along with sweetness. I would like next to try rubbing it on fish before it hits the grill -- I'll let you know if I do, of course.

*UPDATE: The blueberry marmalade set and pairs perfectly, spread over pork tenderloin!

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped into 3" long 1/4" thick julienne

3-4 TB butter

heaping 1/8 tsp ground ginger

2 -3 tsp maple sugar

kosher salt

ground pepper

Melt butter in large, deep pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and maple sugar; stir to dissolve. Add carrots and stir to coat with butter. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water just to cover about halfway up the carrots in your pan. You don't want to add too much, lest they turn soggy as you try to cook all of that water off. Cover and return to boil. Once water is boiling, cook about 1 minute covered, then remove the lid and stir & cook over high heat until most of the water has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped herbs, if desired. I did -- just took the picture before I added the parsley. Rosemary would be good, too...

Cherry Chocolate Pistachio Scones

2012-06-18T10:44:00.003-04:00

Saturday evening, I stopped by the Whole Foods on my way home from work and grabbed a little bit of this, a little bit of that. You know how you do when you're foolish enough to walk into Whole Foods without a list. Now, Monday morning -- the first morning of all three kids home from school and camp (plus it's raining, so no pool), I'm hit with "What's for breakfast?" Only nobody's in the mood for the typical school-day menu (read: cereal, cinnamon toast or fruit & yogurt). After all, it is after 9 am, and we are still in our PJ's! No, this is definitely not a cereal morning. Instead, something special, preferably made from the ingredients that are already out the counter, will have to suffice. Scones are certainly simple, however I think the fact that these have chocolate and cherries and pistachios in them may have set a dangerous precedent for summer breakfast fare. Oh well... At least I've got plenty of helpers!

Ingredients

3 c. all purpose flour

3 TB granulated sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

10 TB cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 c. cold buttermilk

3/4 c. fresh, sweet cherries, chopped away from the pits

1/4 c. roasted, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

1/4 c. chopped dark chocolate (I used 70%)

1 egg white

1 TB water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment, and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and, using fingertips or pastry cutter, work quickly into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir just until a sticky dough forms. Stir in chocolate and pistachios just until evenly incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a rectangle, about 11"x 6". Distribute the chopped cherries evenly over the top of the rectangle and gently press into the dough a bit. Fold the top and bottom of the rectangle in like a letter. Pat and press this new rectangle back out to about 11" x 6" again. (Adding the fruit like this, instead of stirring it in, prevents the dough from changing color throughout, and makes for a prettier scone. A little trick I learned from America's Test Kitchen!)

Cherries pressed onto top of dough.

Dough folded like a letter,

and patted into a rectangle again.

Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut scones into desired shape. I got 16 small triangles out of mine:

Make a lightly flavored egg wash by whisking together the last three ingredients. Brush over the tops of the scones. If desired, top with course, raw sugar. Bake 14-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy! An share, if possible because these are good enough to eat the whole tray.

*Note: I used fresh cherries, but this recipe would work just fine with dried ones, too. Just mix them in with the nuts & chocolate.

Discovered...

2012-06-17T20:45:00.003-04:00

My favorite planter, outside the kitchen window...

and it's tenant. A wren?

(Plus, 3 or 4 more on the way.)

Peachy Raw-Kale Salad

2012-06-13T18:43:00.003-04:00

I'm beginning to think there are three culinary-types in this world:

1.) Those who see another kale recipe and are genuinely delighted to try it. They "love" kale! (I'm totally jealous, btw.)

2.) Those of us who buy kale every other week or so because we know it's good for us. We don't not like it...

3.) "What's kale?"

I found this recipe last week, and was intrigued... Another way to use that kale in the fridge, and perhaps I'll even LOVE it.

Watch the video on the Food Network site -- Aarti says the kale will start to smell like bananas while you massage it (yes, massage it). And it's true! Weird, huh? This pampering serves to break down the fibers & cellulose in the kale, so you can actually enjoy it raw.

I changed up the original recipe quite a bit. Aside from the fact that I cannot leave well enough alone, I can't dice a mango to save my life. I don't know why. Maybe because I did not grow up eating them. Joshua manages the mango consumption in this house. I actually did have one on hand from last week's Green Grocer box, but I think it was too ripe to dice. I tried -- I really did -- to do that cool slice-it-in-the-skin-and-turn-it-inside-out thing, but it pretty much turned to mush. I put in in a bowl to save for my oldest daughter, who will be delighted, but it was obviously not meant for my version of Aarti's Massaged Kale Salad.

Now, peaches I can handle. And when I think peaches, I think pecans. Is that just the Texan in me? Instead of mango, I peeled and diced two small, still firm but slightly soft, white peaches, and nixed the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in favor of chopped and pan-toasted pecans. After I dressed the salad and tossed it together, it was still missing something... so I added black beans. And red pepper flakes. (TEXAN!)

I am especially happy with this recipe because it involves very little cooking (just a quick pan-toast on the pecans) and the prep is far from arduous. Perfect summertime/swim-team-practice-every-night-at-5 fare. Whether or not you opt for the added spice is up to you, but I really think you ought to give this kale recipe a try. No matter which culinary type you are!

Ingredients

1 bunch kale (I used purple, but any kind will do)

1 organic lemon

kosher salt

1/4 c. olive oil plus more for drizzling

2 tsp. honey (maple syrup or agave nectar would also be good, I think)

freshly ground black pepper

2 small firm/slightly soft white peaches

1/2 c. drained & rinsed black beans

1/4 c. chopped & toasted pecans

red pepper flakes (optional)

Remove stems from kale leaves. Stack the leaves and roll them, then slice into 1/8" ribbons and place in a serving bowl. Juice half of the lemon over the kale, careful not to let any seeds sneak in. Drizzle in 1-2 tsp. olive oil, and add a generous pinch of kosher salt. Massage with both hands for 1-2 minutes, until kale is wilted. Remove any tough stems you come across as you pamper your kale ;).

In a small mixing bowl, juice the rest of the lemon and add honey/syrup. Grind in as much pepper as you like (I used about 1/2 tsp.) Whisk constantly as you slowly pour in the 1/4 c. olive oil. Taste and add more pepper if you like.

Pour the dressing over the kale. Add in peaches, black beans and pecans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Top each serving with a pinch of salt and a few red pepper flakes, if using.

Adapted from Aarti Sequeira's Massaged Kale Salad.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumb Cake

2012-05-20T09:34:00.000-04:00

This morning's breakfast was a leap of faith. I studied my favorite classic Crumb Cake recipe (from Joy of Cooking) and revisited Mom's German Coffee Cake recipe, determined to incorporate at least a bit of the strawberries and rhubarb I picked up recently, in a fit of summer longing at the grocery store.

The resulting dessert-disquised-as-breakfast is a real winner. The trick is to check on it every few minutes toward the end of cooking: You want a toasty-brown top and, more importantly, a cooked center. Mine needed 43 minutes, but my oven runs cool. A better oven may do it in 35-40.

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. chopped fresh rhubarb (about 2 medium-length stalks)

2 c. chopped, fresh strawberries

1 tsp. minced, fresh ginger

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 c. buttermilk

1/4 c. vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9"x13" glass baking dish.

Combine the first three ingredients in one bowl and set aside.

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl. Gently toss fruit with the dry ingredients, then fold together wet and dry. Drop the batter in dollops into the prepared pan, smooth the top a bit, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, using your fingers or a fork, mix together:

1 c. flour

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

Pour over this, 1/3 c. melted butter (5 1/3 TB). Toss together with a rubber spatula, until clumps form. Sprinkle over the batter in prepared pan.

Center "crumb" peeled aside to check done-ness.

Bake 35-45 minutes: The top should be golden brown -- darker in a few spots, and the center should not jiggle (maybe just the tiniest bit), when you take it out. Test the doneness of the center by pulling aside a "crumb" with a toothpick to see if it's still dough-y underneath. Let it set/cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving for breakfast... or with ice cream for dessert!

UPDATE: I was worried the moisture in the fruit would make this dish soggy by day 2, but no -- Leftovers for breakfast this morning were quite good! (Stored in the baking dish, covered.)

Fast food

2012-05-15T13:15:00.001-04:00

The sort of thing we eat on our busier nights.

In college, the first year Josh and I lived together, I'm not sure we ate anything BUT pasta and vegetables. We'd recently become vegetarians, as college students often do, and we were broke, as college students often are. Add to that a like, totally deep, moral opposition to the Man and McDonald's, and fast food was OUT.

Fast forward I-won't-say-how-many years, and we're not as broke, but we're definitely on a budget. I'm still slightly opposed to McDonald's, but often in need of a quick supper... Enter the old stand-by, once again (now with bacon).

The dinner pictured above is sautéed fennel and sweet onion on tricolor pasta w/ extra olive oil, fresh parsley and bacon. Basically, what was left in our fridge at the end of the week. And it was great!

This is not a recipe, but I wanted to note a couple of things here:

1. Trader Joe's (gluten-free) Brown Rice Pasta is the best. Everything else falls apart. Though, I do recommend rinsing it in cold water once it's done cooking, lest it get all gooey.

2. Fennel and bacon are awesome flavors together. Someone should put them in a scone.

What is your stand-by quick and easy supper?