Janet's House

Food to Feed the Soul

After another senseless tragedy in Boston I again turned to comfort via food.  After 911 I made soup…a lot.  Just ask my kids, who seemed to wonder about my constant chopping, sautéing, and simmering.  That’s also when I pulled out my old knitting needles and re-learned to knit.  I think in these times when we’re unable to control our world it’s nice to bring some comfort into our lives and cooking is pretty obvious.  I’ve heard this is quite a common reaction so I just go with it.

Upon hearing reports, then checking to make sure family in the area were safe, I automatically turned my attention to cooking up something delicious.  It’s not baked goods or sweets I crave at these times, but healthy, honest well cooked meals.  I want us to take the time to sit down,  open a good bottle of wine,  and enjoy conversation with one another.

I decided on Steelhead, asparagus and salad.  All favorites; healthy, nutritious  food to make us take our time and appreciate life.  I added roasted garlic and onions to the asparagus and cut a Meyer Lemon from my little tree, along with fresh basil from my window. Strawberries in the arugula salad added a touch of spring.

I’m old enough to remember when we never gave a thought to school shootings, bombings at sporting events or mass murders in shopping malls.  Unfortunately the generation that my children were born into never will enjoy that innocence.  How very sad that it has become a way of life for them. Peace to everyone.

Lemon Blueberry Honey Almond Pancake

Yum, just writing those words makes me feel good. I’ve been enjoying one pancake and one farm fresh egg for breakfast for quite some time now.  A little extra effort in the morning compared to dry cereal, but look at that title again…it’s hardly fair to compare.  Only one cake and one egg, no bacon...not a big, hearty, weekend style breakfast.

I begin with a good, healthy mix, like Kodiak Cakes, using a couple of hefty tablespoons. I then add a rounded teaspoon of almond meal, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, a tablespoon of lemon juice (the baking powder and lemon juice fizz and add fluffiness),  about 2 tablespoons (or a good glug or 2) of egg white and a teaspoon or two of honey.  Add a splash of water for proper consistency then pour into the (preheated and non-stick sprayed) pan.  Rinse a handful of frozen blueberries, shake off excess water and sprinkle them around the pancake.  When underside is golden, carefully flip and cook for another couple of minutes.

Served with warm real maple syrup and a perfectly cooked organic egg, you’ve got the beginnings to a perfect day.  On the weekends I simply mix up a more generous batch to share.  I can hardly wait for those warm summer mornings when I can enjoy my breakfast outside.   That really makes it the perfect morning. 

                                                                                                     Enjoy!

Just Add Ice Cream!

What to do when your son turns 19 and isn’t at home to celebrate? I decided to send him a box of celebration.

Today is his 19th birthday and he’s way off in Montana at school. I sent his presents of course but wanted to do something special too. I pulled together everything I could think of that went with ice cream and put it in a box.  Waffle bowls, syrups, sprinkles, marshmallow cream, mini chocolate chips and of course napkins, bowls, spoons and an ice cream scoop.  I know college students don’t ordinarily celebrate with ice cream but not too many will turn it down. I added some $$$ so he could supply the mandatory ice cream of his choice and he was set.  It was a fun surprise.

                                                             Happy Birthday Sammy! 19 Wow!!

 

p.s. forgot to turn on the comment field on my last post. I asked for comments then couldn't accept them. Sorry about that. Still would love to know your choice for the next wine pillow...or anything else you'd like to say. 

Biscotti

Last week I noticed there were two bananas that looked just about perfect for banana bread. You know; when they’re just this side of rotten and you know if you don’t make banana bread you’ll have to toss them.  Okay, I had rotten bananas so got everything else together to bake, using this favorite recipe for chocolate swirl banana bread. Only I didn’t have the yogurt the recipe called for, so I used light sour cream. And I didn’t have any chocolate chips (!!), so I used bakers chocolate, sugar and a splash of milk (heated and stirred to a creamy paste). I didn’t even think to add any vanilla to make up for the vanilla that would have been in the yogurt.

Anyway, the banana bread wasn’t spectacular. It was okay, but lacked sweetness and I think I baked it a bit too long because it was kind of dry.  I didn’t want to toss it out because, after all I was using up the bananas to avoid being wasteful. I decided to try and salvage my blunder by making biscotti. Biscotti requires a second baking, so I cut the proper lengths, laid them out on a cookie sheet and put them in a 250 degree oven for about an hour and a half. I checked them every 20 minutes or so and turned them often.  After I decided they were nearly dry enough I turned the oven off and left them in there to finish.

Now I am happy with these yummy biscotti to dip in my afternoon coffee. They are just sweet enough to feel like a treat but not the least bit boring.  So there you go…from banana bread to biscotti, nothing to it.

Taco Bar

What to have for dinner for college kids when they come for a visit?  A taco bar is fun, can be prepared ahead, and has something for everyone, vegetarians and carnivores alike.  Best of all they come to your house to eat! Yay!

There were chips, salsa and guacamole for starters then all I had to do was heat the tortillas and taco shells and left everyone to fill their plates with whatever favorites were at the top of their list. It's a simple meal plan because it's so easy to go bigger or smaller depending on how many guests you have.

Lots of chatter as everyone shared their first term college experiences with old friends. We joined them because when your own kid leaves for college you realize how many of his friends you miss when he goes. It was good to have everyone together again, laughing and talking, because before you know it they’re gone and everything is quiet again.

A Very Cool Gift

Every gift I received for Christmas this year was wonderful. I like to think my friends and family really know me because every single thing is something I would have picked out for myself.  My family sometimes gets frustrated with me because I don’t like to give hints…I just want them to know.  They roll their eyes and threaten to give me weird gifts if I don’t come right out and ask for specifics. They don’t want to make a mistake, but I think my plan is working; they really get me.

My sister gave me this very cool tool.  She got it on the Williams-Sonoma website and it’s for embossing stickers to go on my fruits and veggies processed from my garden.  I have to admit that although I knew it was an embosser I didn’t quite understand what I might use it for at first and thought maybe it was for embossing my garden books. I couldn’t wait to use it and grabbed one of my favorite garden books off the shelf and added my name plate.  I proudly showed it off to my sister whose look told me she thought I was a bit daft.  She wondered out loud what I was doing and I happily explained I was marking my books.  She explained what the tool was for and wondered (again, out loud) at my confusion, as she had also given me a box of beautiful Weck canning jars and the little gold stickers, all set for embossing.

Now I can’t wait to create these wonderful little stickers. Next harvest season, my jars will be properly labeled and will look very sweet upon my shelves. I can order other plates to work with the embosser, including my initials,  Janet Brown Studios or From the Library.  Now I’m certain my sister knows I not only love the gift but I know what to use it for, how to use it and where to use it. Thanks!!

Lemons in Winter

As the saying goes, when life gives you lemons,  make lemonade. Well, my little Meyer Lemon tree gave me a big bunch of beautiful lemons and I decided I’d rather make Christmas Eve lemon drop martinis.  We all agreed they were the freshest lemon drops we’d ever had; made just minutes after picking. It seems crazy to me that citrus season is in the middle of winter but what a nice treat when the weather outside is frightful.  They would be lovely for New Years Eve too.

Since I raised the lemons from blossoms, I felt they deserved a really good Vodka so I used Grey Goose Citron. I found this recipe on the Grey Goose website, so it’s aptly called Grey Goose Perfect Lemon Drop Martini and it’s delicious. The recipe below is for 4 servings, one drink each, but they're so yummy you might just need a little bit more.

Grey Goose Perfect Lemon Drop Martini

6 oz. Grey Goose Vodka
2 oz. triple sec
4 tsp. superfine sugar
3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended. Pour strained liquor into a sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

 

         

To create a sugar-rimmed glass, rub a lemon wedge round the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. The stickiness of the lemon is the perfect medium to glaze the sugar to the rim. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar. I used a wine coaster to hold the sugar, but any shallow plate or bowl will do nicely.

                                                                                                              Cheers!

Chocolate Peppermint Toffee

It must be good with a name like that. Butter, sugar, chocolate, and peppermint candy.  I was thinking about peppermint bark but felt like adding the toffee would be a good idea. It’s a great combination of flavors. Not too many ingredients, in fact you might very well have everything you need without making one more trip to the store.

I used last years recipe for Toffee Roca as my base and improvised (scroll over the red words to find that recipe).  I started with the toffee; simply melting 2 cubes of butter and 1 cup of sugar and cooking until it turns golden brown, which took about 15 minutes.  My candy thermometer registered 275 degrees.

I spread the hot caramel  onto a warm baking sheet .  Smooth out to the edges. Cool in the fridge for a few minutes then spread a thin (or thick) layer of melted chocolate over the top.  Use about half of what you’ve melted and save the other half for the other side.  Working quickly, sprinkle 1/2 of your broken peppermint pieces on top of chocolate while the chocolate is still warm. Place back in the fridge for another few minutes until everything has hardened.

When it is cooled, flip over the entire block. You’ll have to work the edge of a sharp spatula under a corner to loosen it, but the butter will not let it stick.  It will probably break into pieces but that’s  ok, as you’d be doing that eventually.  Use a pastry brush to apply the remainder of the melted chocolate, then sprinkle with the rest of the  peppermint pieces.  Return to the fridge to cool.

Once it’s fully cooled, break up any remaining large pieces and start enjoying. It’s different than peppermint bark because of the toffee, but the flavors blend in the most delicious way.  Great for gift giving or to enjoy with coffee or cocoa.  Check my notes below for suggestions for success.

 

**Notes**

• I used about 2 bars of dark chocolate and 1 of milk so we’d have two varieties
• I added a few drops of peppermint flavoring to the chocolate.
• I ran hot water over the baking sheet to keep it warm so that the caramel would flow. If the sheet is too cool the caramel will harden on contact.
• When I crushed the peppermint candy some of it was kind of powdery but I used that too because it stuck so well to the chocolate.
• Work in sections so that the chocolate is still warm when you sprinkle the peppermint.
• If there’s a little chocolate left over, drizzle it over the finished candy. It will help hold the peppermint in place.

Autumn Curry

You may have noticed I haven’t been including any recipes lately. We’re down to two around here and the food has become simple and whatever I make seems to last a lot longer. Fortunately, to satisfy my creative needs I was hosting my book group this month. I was longing for a warm curry, filled with autumn vegetables. I scanned my recipes and the internet and adapted a couple of different ones to come up with this delicious meal.

It’s full of yams and potatoes but you could also add acorn squash or pumpkin.  I love curry flavor but not too spicy so I use a mild curry and plenty of it. You’ll have to decided and adjust to your taste.  I was quite busy that day and divided the recipe into two parts. In the morning I got everything started then as you’ll notice in the recipe I set it all aside in the fridge and ran errands. When I returned I put it all in a big pot for several hours of simmering.  I didn’t want it to simmer all day and end up with mush but I wanted plenty of time for the flavors to blend. I think it worked because the dish was full of warm curry flavors, the potatoes and yams were done and the kitchen smelled wonderful.  Here’s the recipe. It can be adjusted in a variety of ways to suit your needs. This fed six of us with leftovers for two.  Perfect!

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

5-6 tablespoons curry powder (divided)

Salt

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger-divided (use 1 tsp. early in recipe, 1 tsp. later)

1 large yam, peeled and cubed

1 pound of Russian fingerling potatoes, cut small (or any potato cubed)

48 oz. chicken broth, fresh or canned

Thai basil

1 Lemon grass stalk (cut to 5-6” length)

2 cans coconut milk

1 cup golden raisins

2 Tablespoons Major Greys Chutney

Directions:

Put 2 tablespoons of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of salt on a plate. Coat chicken with mixture. Heat a large kettle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the coated chicken. Sauté until lightly browned. Remove chicken and set aside in a large bowl. Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to pan and add onion, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the ginger. Remove and lay atop of chicken. Add yam and potatoes and cook for a about 5 minutes, tossing. Remove to chicken/veggie bowl. Add chicken broth to pan, scraping up all the tasty bits. Warm slightly. Pour over bowl of chicken/veggie mixture. Lay lemon grass stalks and basil atop. At this point you can cover the bowl and set aside in the fridge for a few hours if necessary.

Later: In large kettle, heat 2 cans coconut milk just to warm. Add the lemon grass and basil (from the bowl), 1 tsp. more of fresh minced ginger, 1 tablespoon more of chopped basil, 1-2 teaspoons curry powder. Heat, stirring, then add everything from the chicken mix bowl into the kettle. Cook for 2-3 hours until yams and potatoes are cooked through. Continue to add more curry powder and salt to taste. During the last hour add the golden raisins and Chutney. Serve over rice.

*I added a teaspoon of cornstarch/water mixture to thicken.

                                                                                     Enjoy!

A Trio of Tomato Basil Soups

Please forgive me for writing one more thing about tomatoes but it seems to be all we’re eating lately. Luckily there haven’t been any complaints. This could be called the End of Summer Tomato Soup or the Fresh Tomato Basil Soup of October or the Grand Finale Tomato Soup but I wanted to make one more attempt at the perfect tomato basil soup.  I ended up with three options. All distinct enough and all very good.

 

I picked all the ripe Romas that were left on the vine. They were still warm from the sun and I reminded myself to enjoy that, as soon the selection in the grocery store would be cold and weirdly too firm for ripe tomatoes.  I ended up with 6 pounds and I rinsed and coarsely chopped them, skins and all. I added them to the 1/2 chopped onion and 3 cloves of garlic that I sautéed in olive oil.

I also picked a big handful of basil and packed (not smooshed) it into 1 cup. I rinsed and chopped the basil and added it to the tomato mixture. I put the lid on and let it cook hard (lightly boiling for about 15 minutes until everything had cooked down a bit.

I got out my hand blender and blended everything. Not too much, because I still want a textured rather than smooth soup. Remember, you can always blend more later if it’s too chunky . Then I left the kitchen and let it cook for about 5 hours, uncovered, checking and scraping the sides about every 1/2 hour. I still let it boil lightly because I wanted the crusty build up and evaporation to bring out the richness.  In the end I added a bit of water and blended it again to get the consistency I desired. The long cooking really gets it down to pure tomato flavors.

All three soups at the top of the page came out of the same pot. The one on the left is my favorite with shredded cheddar and croutons. The middle bowl is a creamy tomato. I added a bit of 1/2 and 1/2 for a rich flavor but smooth texture. The bowl on the right has a cube of pesto waiting to be stirred in.

Other options could include different cheeses, the addition of vegetables or spices. Add corn, chopped green peppers and cilantro and you’ve got Mexican tomato soup. Along with the pesto add tiny fresh mozzarella balls and you’ll have a Caprese soup. Yummm!  The leftovers went in the freezer for future meals. That Caprese idea is sounding pretty good. This tomato mixture is really a great base.  It will go wherever you take it.

                                                                                                           Enjoy!

The Ingredients

6 pounds Roma tomatoes-coarsely chopped, skins on

3 cloves garlic

1/2 onion-chopped

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup Basil, packed lightly

Salt

Pepper

Follow the basic instructions above and add your own favorites.

More Mac and Cheese

I’ve already written about my love for macaroni and cheese here but it was the “last supper” request of my son before he left for college.  I love the mac and cheese of my childhood, baked, crusted and totally delicious. The only unfortunate thing is that my childhood mac and cheese was from a restaurant, not my mothers kitchen. I love that through my own stubborn perseverance in mastering this ultimate comfort food I can share it with my own family at home.

This time I used cheddar, Gouda and Havarti cheeses. I used an organic pasta in a curly shape called Conchiglie.  Baked and served in these big soup bowls they make such a nice presentation, hardly a common kiddie food, but I can’t imagine any kid not falling for it as I did…way back when.

Roasted Tomato Paste

The sun keeps warming the soil and I keep up with the watering so the magic of tomatoes continues to happen. We are going to be eating a lot of tomato based dishes this winter and I couldn’t be happier. There aren’t too many things in my dinnertime repertoire that wouldn’t work with tomatoes.

I’ve tried a variety of processing. Last week I showed you my canned sauces. Truth be told I got nervous because I began reading more about tomato processing and how important it is to stick to the exact recipes for fear of spoilage. I rarely stick to exact recipes so I emailed the Oregon State University Extension Service and asked for their opinion. Mostly I wanted to know if it was spoilage I would see or smell. I was willing to take my chances as I was pretty sure it they would be fine. They advised that botulism is neither smelled nor tasted and suggested I put my jars in the freezer. I did.

This week I’m back to making tomato jazz. I sliced many many tomatoes very thin (1/4-1/2”) and laid them flat onto oiled cookie sheets. I sliced onion and garlic equally thin, salted everything lightly and put them in a 250 degree oven and quite literally forgot about them. Of course the house smelled wonderful and sometime in the evening there was just the slightest change in the smell. Almost burned. Not burned though, more like the sugars in the tomatoes has caramelized. I leaped out of my chair and pulled everything out of the oven. It was all perfectly finished. Often I  become impatient and take them out early so I can get everything cleaned up and done. All in all it was probably about 4-5 hours in the oven.

This morning I scrapped everything into the food processor and whirred it until it was a chunky paste. I froze some of it in ice cube trays and a bit more in small containers. It is so rich and full flavored that I won’t need much in any soup or main dish. If you’ve got an abundance of tomatoes I highly suggest roasted tomato paste.

The Tomatoes Are Ripe!!

A cool weekend upped my productivity in the kitchen. I picked all the ripe roma tomatoes to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce. There are still loads of green ones, and weather permitting I’ll get a chance to make more before the fall rains.

               I added fresh garlic, oregano and basil from our garden so we’re sure to have delicious dinners this winter. I simmered it for hours to cook it down, down, down until it was rich and thick. I canned it all in much smaller (1/2 pint) jars and then continued to cook the remainder until it was thick enough for pizza sauce. I canned this intense sauce into very small weck jars and I can’t wait to use it on my homemade pies. Cooking down yields much smaller batches but it’s well worth the full flavored results.  It was lots of work and the kitchen was a steamy mess but there’s something quite satisfying in preparing food for the coming winter months…especially after the kitchen is cleaned up and back to normal.

                                                                                                  Enjoy your week! 

Tomato Jazz 2012

So far not exactly an abundance of tomatoes, but enough to make a batch of tomato jazz. This year I’ve decided to try something a bit different since there are only two of us to feed and I don’t want to waste any food. I cut up Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves and onion and laid them on an oiled cookie sheet. I put them in the oven at 250 degrees for about 5 hours. At this point last year I froze the mix before going to the next step, but this year I dumped everything onto one cookie sheet and put it in the refrigerator until morning. The next day I put all of it into the food processor and added a couple of handfuls of basil.

 

 

 

 

A few good pulses and everything was well mixed.

 

 

 

 

 

I scraped every last bit into my large muffin tins (sprayed with non-stick)and put it in the freezer until frozen solid.  Each cup holds about 1/3 cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t want to risk freezer burn so I took the time to wrap each large cube in plastic wrap and added a little seal with the date. Now they can all go into one big freezer bag to be retrieved shortly before dinner. It’s the perfect amount for a small pizza or to stir into hot pasta. Cooking for two sounds like a breeze!

Freezing Herbs in Oil or Chicken Broth

I decided to try something new in herb freezing. A friend sent me this link on a couple of different ways to freeze herbs. I liked the suggestion to think about the ways you’ll use the herbs and then decide on the best way to freeze them.

I froze the rosemary in chicken broth because I’ll probably use it for turkey soups during and after the holidays.  I did some of the basil in olive oil and some in chicken broth for tomato soups.  I chopped the cilantro with red onion before freezing in oil and the oregano got both treatments to see which I like better for spaghetti sauces. It’s a pretty cheap test.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was easy enough to chop the herbs and put them in ice cube trays. I then poured a couple of tablespoons of oil or broth to just about cover them. After freezing overnight I placed them in labeled freezer bags and returned to the freezer.

 

I suggest making a little notation to keep track of everything.

They’ll look a bit different after freezing.

 

 

                          There are a lot of different ways to freeze herbs. This is just a way I hadn’t tried yet. It looks promising.

Oregon Wine Country

Saturday we took a drive to the little town of Dundee, which is full of some of Oregon’s favorite vineyards and is right in the heart of the wine county.  We were starving on our arrival so chose to eat lunch at the Dundee Bistro.Everything on the menu was tempting with lots of local food choices. I opted for the cheese/meat platter which was served on a very country organic style slate serving tray. The salad was beautiful with fresh Oregon blueberries, toasted hazelnuts and chevre cheese.  The meats and cheeses were wonderful; everything combining nicely. The day was hot so we asked our server for his recommendation for a fresh cool wine. His suggestion was spot on with a 2011 Pinot Noir Rosé from the Ponzi vineyard. After lunch and a quick purchase of a couple of bottles from the Ponzi tasting room next door we headed up the hill to the Winderlea Vineyard, recommended by the staff at Ponzi’s. The name Winderlea means wind in the meadow and it’s a beautiful place to sit and taste their Pinots.  We joined their wine club which means that twice a year they’ll select an assortment for us. To claim our wines we join them at the winery for dinner. Sounds like a good plan. I can hardly wait until November for our return visit.

Perhaps these grapes will make it into a future bottle of ours. Notice how red the soil is. It’s part of what makes the world class Pinots that come out of this area. The grapes sure seem to like it. A hot Oregon summer day was the perfect day for the 30 miles drive from Portland. Something else to put on your list of things to do on your next visit to Oregon.

Summer Harvest Meal

My neighbor brought me fresh green beans from her garden the other day (thanks Sandy!) so I planned a simple meal around them. I nipped the ends off and tossed them in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes until just tender. I drained them and set them aside while I set the sausages on the grill and peeled the fresh peaches from the farm stand. Just before serving I heated the pan back up and tossed in a sliced onion, adding a drizzle of olive oil and just a dab of butter. I let the onion cook for about a minute before I added the beans.  I threw in a big handful of slivered almonds, a bit of salt and let everything sizzle a bit before sliding it all onto the serving plate.

By then the sausages were ready along with a big salad of fresh lettuce and home grown tomatoes. We took everything outside and enjoyed it with a glass of home made beer from another friend. Great to have friends, don’t you think?

Dinner With Friends

Last evening we enjoyed dinner with very dear friends. We enjoyed drinks and appetizers outside while the meat was grilled, then moved inside for dinner as the evening began to chill. Our hostess served one of my favorite salads, a variation on traditional potato salad. I wrote about it here last year but she had changed it just a bit and I think it was even better than before. I’m listing the recipe as she made it last night. Try it. I’m sure you’ll love it too.

The addition of Kalamata olives added a wonderful flavor, while the lack of mayonnaise leaves me almost guiltless.

Here’s the latest version of the recipe:

 

Red Potato and Tomato Salad

1 pound baby red potatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)

1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

1/3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large lemon, zested

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan with enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Set the saucepan over medium heat. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and allow them to dry for 5 minutes.

In a serving bowl, add the potatoes, tomatoes, scallions, olives, parsley, capers, thyme, olive oil, lemon zest and mustard. Toss gently until all the ingredients are coated and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour and gently toss again before serving.

                                                                                                         Enjoy!

Fresh From the Vine

I finally got around to making jam. I love raspberry jam so I used some of my own and some from the farm stand.  I love that we have a farm stand nearby. I was short on time so I made freezer jam. It’s so easy and tastes so fresh, since you don’t have to cook it. Really, just a few minutes and there’s jam to last several weeks, if not months.

The longer I have my garden, the more I’m liking the fruits. As I was watering tonight I was mentally planning where I can add more raspberries and blueberry bushes. They are just such a treat. Veggies are great but fruit is oh so sweet!

                                                                 Have a lovely weekend!

Another Delicious Salad

Looking through the fridge the other night, I only had to come up with the makings for salad for one. Me. Everyone else was out doing something or other. I found the little bit of bacon left over from Fathers Day breakfast, enough lettuce to get by, crumbled bleu cheese, beets and pistachio nuts. Perfect! A bit of oil and balsamic and I had a great salad.       

I set the table, because after all I was going to take a picture and besides, I like nice. This little tablecloth made me think how silly of me not to wander out to the garden and pick strawberries instead of canned beets. Luckily I thought of them in time for dessert. A small glass of Limoncello, a favorite book and dinner wasn’t lonely after all.

English Muffin Recipe from The Beekman Boys

I’m kind of a weirdo when it comes to lunch. Most days when I’m home I eat a toasted peanut butter and jam sandwich, and depending on the season I have either cocoa or chocolate milk. If it’s really warm out I’ll have an iced coffee. Must be the whole comfort food thing or reaching back to my childhood. My kids think its very boring, but every day at noon, that’s what sounds good. Sometimes I get busy and make something more creative or even more healthy, but most days it’s just me and my PB &J.

I do enjoy a good organic peanut butter and homemade jam and I like it best on an English muffin like the one above with homemade raspberry jam (thanks Laurie!). I saw this recipe for homemade muffins on the Beekman Boys website and decided to give it a try. Yum! You’ll need a cookie cutter and some time to spend in the kitchen, but they’re worth it. They’re not baked, they’re cooked on the griddle, then left in a warm oven as each batch is completed. Upon flipping each muffin I pressed it down just a bit for a flatter finished product. My griddle doesn’t give degrees but I found it worked best at medium low. Slow but steady, they cook 10 minutes on each side. On my second batch I found using the 3 1/2” ring from a canning jar was the perfect muffin cutter. This recipe makes about 24 muffins.

                                They really are far superior to any packaged brand I've tried.  I'm hooked!

 

NANCY’S ENGLISH MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

¼ cup melted butter

2 TBS white sugar

6 cups all-purpose flour [King Arthur is best]

1 [.25 oz.] package yeast

2 TBS Wheat Germ

1 cup warm water [110 F]

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles; then remove from heat. Mix in the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let cool until lukewarm. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, wheat germ, butter, salt, and 3 cups flour of the flour. Beat until smooth, add salt and add the remaining three cups of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place. Usually about 1 hour.
3. Punch down. Roll out to about ½ inch thick. Cut rounds with biscuit cutter [you can also use a drinking glass or empty tuna can]. Sprinkle waxed paper with cornmeal and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust tops with cornmeal also. Cover and let rise for ½ hour.
4. Heat greased griddle [to about 270 F]. Cook muffins on griddle for about 10 minutes on each side. Keep baked muffins in a warm oven [250 F] until all have been cooked [about 20-30 minutes for each batch]. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast. Can be frozen!

                                                                                                          Enjoy!

Summer Salads

We’ve been eating loads of salads lately and loving them. We’re all good fruit and vegetable eaters so it’s been fun to have salad bars. We started out eating a variety of wraps and then we moved on to include burritos with a variety of fillings. Pretty soon we  started leaving the carb filled wraps behind and filled our bowls with all kinds of salad fixins’.

This  salad features arugula and smoked salmon. I layered the bowl with spinach, lettuce and my favorite green, arugula. It’s got a spicy bite to it that I just love. Next I added a smoked and peppered Chinook salmon.  I included feta cheese, avocado, pistachio nuts and Roma tomatoes. I drizzled it with a light bleu cheese dressing. It was perfectly complimented by a small glass of Limoncello. Click on the link for that recipe.

I was worried that there might be complaints that all we’ve been having is salad, but quite the contrary. Everyone is happy and creativity abounds in the wide variety and combination of each salad.  Our nightly salad bar includes shredded cheddar, beets, almonds, grilled chicken, sliced strawberries, cranberries and a variety of dressings and toppings. It keeps everybody happy and imaginative in their food selections.

A salad bar is a great summertime dinner. No hot kitchen, everyone can fill up on what they love best and clean-up is minimal. Preparation can be done hours ahead when the house is still cool so there’s really no excuse. It’s a meal with very little guilt so if you need that dab of ice cream later, or a bowl of fresh berries, what the heck, go ahead!

I usually offer a different protein like ground beef, chicken or fish. Then I build around that. For instance if I’m using ground beef I’ll add some taco seasoning , lite sour cream and salsa to the salad bar. Chicken always calls for avocado and nuts, for me at least. That’s the point, everybody can put together their favorite every time.

Here are a few recent favorites:This one was delicious! Kind of a BLT with avocado. Spinach, lettuce, bacon, tomato, avocado, bleu cheese chunks, oil and vinegar dressing. The bacon, from the farmers market and was thick sliced and oh so delicious. A little went a long way.

                                                    Lettuce,  shredded cheese, tomato, corn, beef with bleu cheese dressing

 

                          Bar-B-Q beef, spinach, avocado chunks, bleu cheese crumbles, red onion, balsamic dressing

I had this salad last night. It might be my new favorite. For the salad dressing, I’ve just been drizzling one of my new olive oils from our recent trip, then another drizzle of really good aged balsamic , salt and pepper. That’s it. The salad itself consists of lettuce, spinach, avocado, Roma tomato, crumbled bleu cheese, slivered red onion, tuna chunks. Yum! 

Our weather has finally improved and it appears we are in for a stretch of sunny days! Yay! Let the outdoor dining begin.

A Little Summer Reading

I got a new cookbook for my recent birthday.  If the truth be told, I bought it for myself. No guilt though; I’ll use it to guide me through the recipes to feed friends and family. Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard,  by Nigel Slater is a big beautiful book with a strong emphasis on fresh grown, summer ripe fruit.  What could be more wholesome??                                            

The time the author takes to describe a particular fruit or berry fresh from his English garden is like reading poetry. He is truly in love with fruit. In the introduction he sets the tone for the book:  “The last berries, apples, and plums, wet and almost rotting from the late sun and autumn rain, lend a mellow, alcoholic scent to the space, like the dregs of an abandoned glass of wine. The garden is falling asleep with an air of damp tobacco and wood smoke, but it still abundant too, with late blackberries, damsons, and a grapevine at breaking point.” Ahhh!

The author shares much of his early gardening experience, including the failures of too close plantings and pollination issues. His entertaining, over the top enthusiasm for his fruit garden and his humorous self deprecation of his gardening mishaps make for a fun read. His garden is small but it sounds like he’s learned how to use it to full advantage and I’m quite sure he loves every single piece of fruit he harvests and every square inch of ground on which it’s planted.

                                          This photograph reflects the same colors as the needlepoint I’ve been working on.

It’s fun to read of his beautiful garden and then pick out favorite recipes to count on this fall. It makes gardening all the more worthwhile when you know what you plan on doing with your bounty. There are some less typical recipes like a casserole of apple and rabbit or rollmop herrings with beet and apple, but then I turn the page for mouth-watering suggestions like little fig and blackberry pies.  I’m anxious to work my way through this delicious book, earmarking particular recipes for the ripened fruit from my garden and the farmers market. If you want to fall in love with fruit, consider giving yourself the gift of Ripe as an addition to your cookbook shelf.

                                                                                                          Anticipation!

Perfect Iced Coffee

Anyone who knows me well, knows I like my coffee. My morning coffee is like a little ritual and I require the perfect balance of coffee, half-and-half and rich brown raw sugar. Even after 20 years I’m hesitant to let my husband prepare my coffee because I’m a bit of a perfectionist in this area. It’s the beginning of the day and it must be just so. Because I dress it up I like the coffee very dark and rich. I often mix espresso beans with a good Italian or French roast to get the heartiness I desire. I don’t drink a lot of coffee; I prefer quality over quantity.

I’ve been anxious for warm weather because I also enjoy a good ice coffee sometime during the day; most often a perfect break from working in the garden. I already use my leftover morning coffee to make coffee cubes. (Just pour the dregs into an ice cube tray and next time you fix an iced coffee, add the coffee cubes so you don’t dilute your drink.) I also decided to make milk cubes. Why not??  I found this iced coffee recipe (almost too simple to be called a recipe) on the Pioneer Woman Website.  Like I said, it’s very simple. It’s brewed with cold water and all it has to do is sit overnight, strain and it’s ready.

 

This elixir will keep in the fridge for several weeks if covered. I cut the recipe in half because of space limitations. I used this container that previously held Orville Redenbacher popcorn from Costco. It held 1/2 pound of coffee and 4 quarts of filtered water.

 

It’s easily as good as any coffee shop iced coffee and for a fraction of the price. Win win! I’m taking it on our road trip to California next week. No stops at the coffee drive through for us. We’ll have our delicious coffee ready for pool side.

 

Here’s the recipe as given on the website. Remember, I cut it in half. Give it a try this summer.

Perfect Iced Coffee

1 pound ground coffee (good, rich roast)

8 quarts cold water

In a large container mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over top a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds. Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

              

To make iced coffee: Pack a glass full of ice (coffee) cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add a healthy splash of half-and-half (or milk or cream).  Add sugar, vanilla syrup or sweetened condensed milk to taste. 

                                                                                                      Stir and enjoy!

Farmers Market

It’s finally opening day of the Beaverton Farmers Market. One of the largest markets in the Northwest and so close to home that we could easily walk or bike ride, but we know we’ll be bringing home several bags of produce, meat and berries so we opt to drive. We attempt to arrive early but spend time winding our way up and down the neighborhood streets, eventually ending up parking in the high school parking lot and walking several blocks to our destination.  Oh well, it’s a perfectly beautiful morning and that’s why everyone has come to celebrate.  I love seeing people so happy to be out shopping for their food. It’s crowded yet there’s no crabby edgy feeling; just a wonderful community atmosphere. It’s fun to see what the new vendors are offering this year and of course visit our favorites. There are stalls with many varieties of tomato plants which makes me think I must go home and prepare the beds to accept them.

There are beers, wines,  gluten free everything, honey, meat, fish, wild game, eggs, and vegetables. The market holds the vendors to high standards and all produce must be farm fresh, direct from a local grower, and grown, raised, produced or collected in Oregon or Washington.

We carefully plan our evening meal to include fresh line caught halibut, roasted red pepper hummus, strawberries and hand made beer.  I’ll work in the garden this afternoon then we’ll enjoy our Oregon fresh meal. So nice to have the market open again. Spring has really arrived!

 

 

Just for fun I’ll be showing off this   and this     at Funky Junk Interiors this weekend. Follow the link to see what’s happening over there.  Have a sunny, happy Saturday everyone!

Salmon Burrito

In our never ending quest to eat healthy A-list foods, we thought we’d try a salmon burrito. I pulled in a few other healthy options like yams and avocados, and left out the cheese. We opted for brown rice and fresh Pico de Gallo. Rather than make everyone eat their burritos the way I thought they should, I laid out a burrito bar. It was fun to see the different choices and the ways each of us assembled our individual dinner.

Left to right we have grilled salmon, shredded cabbage,  guacamole, low-fat refried beans, sliced olives, lite sour cream, Pico de Gallo, sliced limes, brown rice, cilantro, chips. yam/onion/garlic/zucchini/polbano chili mixture (recipe below)

                       This was my preparation of choice, wrapped in a warm low-carb tortilla. No beans or olives. Yum!

                              In a variation on a theme my son chose to enjoy each selection independent of the tortilla.

Setting out choices has worked well for us. It doesn’t take long to lay out all the ingredients and the assembly process seems to make each person more creative with their meal. If someone is eating less and someone else comes home starving, this can fill both needs. If somebody is running late, everything is still available and easily assembled when they arrive.  My kids are old enough to put together their own plate and often their choices look much more interesting than what I was planning.  I always go last to see what everyone comes up with.

This works great with tacos, all kinds of wraps and even pizza. Instead of making one large pizza I sometimes make individual crusts. The toppings are available to each one of us before we pop them into the oven or on the grill.  Always good to keep mealtime happy and this helps them with their own cooking experience. Try it!

For the yam mixture:

1 yam- cubed

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 zucchini-unpeeled-cubed

1 garlic clove-minced

Poblano chili- chopped (I had one in the freezer that had been grilled). Any smoky chili will do

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in large fry pan. Add yams and toss with garlic. Add onion and zucchini and toss until yams have softened.

 

                                                                 Don’t fear the yam! It’s good for you. Enjoy!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

This wonderful soup was served at my mother-in-laws 90th birthday celebration in February. It is so rich and delicious, and I was anxious to serve it to my recent guests.  I followed the recipe ingredients and directions except chose not to bring the broth to a boil. Being a milk based soup I didn’t want to take the chance that it might curdle.  It tasted perfect and served  with salad and bread it was plenty filling; a perfect mid-week meal.

Here is the recipe as listed from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food.

• 6 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (I used Pike Place Fish) 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 pound large peeled and deveined shrimp
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Cut off tip of each cob. Stand corn in a wide shallow bowl; using a sharp knife, slice downward to release kernels. Scrape length of each cob with a spoon to release pulp. Discard cobs.
2. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium-high until crisp and browned, 4 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels.
3. Add scallion whites and potatoes to pan; cook, stirring, until scallions have softened, 1 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add milk, seafood seasoning, thyme, and 2 cups water.
4. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn, shrimp, and scallion greens. Cook until shrimp are just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Season chowder with salt and pepper. Serve topped with bacon.

 

                      A big garden bouquet, bowls and plates ready, favorite tablecloth, new napkins and dinner is served.

                                                                                                  Enjoy!

Planning for Easter Brunch

I just realized that Easter is next Sunday. Yikes!! Time to do a bit of menu planning for brunch. Flowers are the first step and the spring colors in this mixture of daffodils and green tulips are an obvious choice. The sweet vase is a vintage milk bottle I found in my favorite antique shop on my recent Montana visit.

Always a top menu choice are my favorite oat scones. The original recipe is from Deborah Madison’s cookbook Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. I’ve made a few changes over the years and have listed my recipe below.

Pears are always a wonderful choice for brunch. They add a sweetness to a spinach salad or are perfect in a pear torte.

Brunch is a fun way to entertain. Mid morning meals lend themselves to an easy-going atmosphere. The food can be simple and fresh and everyone always seems more at ease in the morning. With a few simple plans you can make sure you, as the hostess are having fun too.  Enjoy yourself!

Here’s the scone recipe. It’s also a great choice if you’ve been invited to someone else’s home for brunch. They travel quite well and you can bring along a delicious jam or spread.

Oat Scones

1 cup rolled oats, plus extra for the counter
1 ½ cup all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 425 F. If you have a baking stone, heat it for an extra 10 minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients together, then cut in the butter with your fingers or two knives until coarse crumbs are formed. Beat the egg with the milk and vanilla and stir it into the dough. Mix just enough to moisten the dry ingredients evenly. Scatter some oats on the counter and turn the dough out on top of them. Pat into a circle about ½” thick, then cut into eight wedges and place each piece on the hot baking stone, if using, or on a sheet pan. Bake until nicely browned, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Fresh Berry Nut Bars

 

My son and I have been toying with this recipe for a week or two, each time adjusting and refining until it was healthier and tastier than before. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com via another blog but have since changed it so much I’m pretty sure I can call it my own.

The original calls for 1 cup of flour, but we kept reducing the amount of flour and replacing it with almond meal (I’ll tell you how), until we no longer felt the need for any flour at all. The original also called for 3/4 cup of seedless raspberry jam but after several different fillings that all tasted too sugary we opted for smashed fresh strawberries. We cut them up and combined them with a squirt of lemon juice and a scant teaspoon of sugar to draw out their juices. We tried frozen but they made the bars too damp and a little gooey. Still good but not the best presentation. If frozen berries are your only option, I’d suggest draining them before using. We also opted to add the teaspoon of organic vanilla.  I think when our own berries are ripe this recipe won’t need any added sweeteners. Yum! I’m also anxious to try other fruits as they come in season; think figs, pears or raspberries!

In our quest for a more healthy dessert we were able to leave out the carbs of the flour while adding in the almonds. We couldn’t quite get away from the butter. We tried coconut oil in one of our trials and it was good but after researching found it has more saturated fat than butter. These are really a nice little bar that as far as my family is concerned ‘hits the spot.’ In some ways it’s less of a bar because its center is soft and the outside crumbly. It’s best eaten with a fork rather than fingers. More like dessert than a grab and go bar. Let me how you like them.

 

Here is our recipe:

1 cup rolled oats + 1/4 cup reserved

1 cup almond meal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter (1 stick, cut into small pieces)

1 cup fresh strawberries chopped small-combined with 1 teaspoon of sugar or 1/2 packet Truvia

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/2 cup ground almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 X 8 inch square pan with cooking spray (sides and bottom)

 

Place oats, almond meal, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla into food processor and process for about 10 seconds to blend.

Add butter while processor is running and continue until mixture is well combined. The dough will be crumbly and dense.

 

 

 

Spread about 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture in pan. Press. Set 1 cup aside. Place this cup of crumb mixture back in food processor and add reserved cup of oats. Pulse briefly to combine. This will make the topping a bit more crumbly.

Spread the berries over the dough to within about 1/4” of the edge. Press. Spread remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press it into the berries. Sprinkle ground almonds on top and press again.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

 

Notes:

• To make almond meal: Place 1 cup of raw almonds in food processor and pulse until a soft meal is formed.
• For ground almond topping simply do the same as above but for a shorter time. When the almonds are chopped coarsely they are ready.

 

                       Can’t wait till summer! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings

We had hamburgers the other night. The beef was from the half quarter we got this fall. Healthy, grass fed cow that I think of and thank every time I make a meal using it.

For the fries I peeled and cut up a yam. We used bagel thins for our buns and spinach for our greens. All in all a pretty healthy dinner.

For the sweet potato/yam fries I put the cut yams in a pan on the stove. I added a slight drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. I tossed them around then set aside.

 

I did the same with the onions then brought them back together and put them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.We used the onions in the burger and ate the fries with our fingers, as usual. The whole family enjoyed the meal.

I can’t believe that after all these years my family finally likes sweet potato fries, even home made ones. Yay!

                                  Enjoy!

Rustic Roasted Cherry Tomato Bisque

I love a good bisque. I saw this recipe, of all places, in the Family Circle magazine. Soup recipes always catch my eye as I love making them almost as much as I enjoy eating them.

I decided to try this recipe because it calls for 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes. I’m anxious to grow lots of cherry tomatoes in the garden this year because if we continue to experience our cooler, shorter summers, the only tomatoes to really produce are the little ones.

If I have a good harvest I think I’ll roast the tomatoes and garlic as the recipe calls for and freeze the mixture for making the bisque throughout the winter. I usually roast a lot of the tomatoes in much the same manner but this will be for this specific recipe. By simply adding chicken broth and half-and-half, dinner will be ready.

Here’s the recipe as written in the magazine. I’ll add my notes and changes at the end.

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth with roasted vegetables

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

 

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, thyme and pepper. Spread onto a large rimmed baking sheet and roast at 425 for 30-35 minutes, stirring once.

Spoon tomato mixture and any accumulated liquid into a large soup pot. Add chicken broth and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer; cook 10 minutes. Transfer in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and stir in half-and-half and balsamic vinegar. Cook 3 minutes until heated through (do not boil).

It was really good. I highly recommend making a batch!

                            Enjoy!

                           

Notes:

• I looked but couldn’t find chicken broth with roasted vegetables so used regular chicken broth.
• I didn’t have fresh thyme leaves (I will in the summer), so used dry.
• Next time I will only add 1 cup of half-and-half. The soup was very tasty and rich before adding the dairy, which cut the flavors a bit. I ended up adding some home made tomato paste I had in the freezer and a little of my smoky salt (Fumee de Sel)
• I grated a nice Asiago cheese over the top at serving.

Happy Birthday Harper!

 

Today marked the first birthday of my daughters dog, Harper.  We decided to make dog biscuits to celebrate. I found this recipe on allrecipe.com.

We had all the ingredients and had just purchased these really cute dog cookie cutters. We found them at a local baking shop, Sweetwares. They’re quite small, only 1”.

I like this recipe because we were able to put in a smaller yield amount, press the calculate button and the recipe would magically adjust the ingredients needed for our batch. I calculated for 18 because we were using such small cookie cutters. We ended up with about 72 one-inch cookies.

Rather than list the recipe for you here, you might as well follow the link so you can adjust as needed. The basic ingredients are: oats, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, beef bouillon, sugar, egg, milk, cheese. We added a dollop of peanut butter because we knew Harper would like it. There are loads of recipes all over the internet so give one a try. Your dog will love you even more.

Take a Leap and Try Yam Chowder

It all started when I was in the mood for clam chowder. Well, really it began when I had a couple of strips of bacon and thought “hmmm, what can I make?” Now, back to my plan for clam chowder. I rounded up one can of clams…dated 2010. Oops, time to clean out the cabinet. I found a leftover potato in a bag in the garage. It was dimpled, squishy and was growing eyes. Ok, no clam chowder because I didn’t want to go to the store.

I eyed a yam. Yes, I thought, this will do nicely. I grabbed an onion (fresh) and dinner was on the way. My Yam chowder turned out to be quite good, even to my non yam loving housemates. It was rich, sweet and a beautiful color. I only made enough for 2-3 servings, as it was only an experiment.

Here’s what I used:

1 small yam, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, chopped

2 strips thick sliced bacon, chopped

1 1/2 cups half and half (more or less depending on your taste)

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

pinch of pepper

pinch of paprika

pinch of parsley

Here’s how I did it:

Add bacon to pan and sauté for about 2 minutes on medium high heat. Add onion and yam. Cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes, until bacon looks done (longer if you like your bacon crisp). Lower heat to low and add remaining ingredients. Heat very slowly for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it so milk won’t curdle or scald. Just warm until yams are tender. Serve.

                                     Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

We had an abundance of Valentines candy left over, so my son decided to make cookies and add the candy. Good idea!! He found this recipe on Joy of Baking website, but being like his mother, he decided to use it as a guide rather than follow the exact directions.

Although the muffin cookies sounded good, he chose to use the batter to make a more traditional cookie. The cookies turned out wonderfully light and the peanut butter candy in the center was warmed to perfection. He also used candy kisses, just to use up all that extra candy, you know.

Here's how it did it:

 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

48 miniature peanut butter cups (and/or chocolate kisses), unwrapped

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy (2-3 min). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Use a small scoop or spoon to place rounded spoonful's on cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges but still soft in the center.  Remove the cookies from the oven, and gently press one miniature peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter cup should be even with the top of the batter. Return the cookies to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

                        Makes about 48 cookies.

                              

                         Enjoy!

Another Chili Evening

Sometimes all it takes is a cool, wet day to inspire a big pot of chili.  My family will tell you that I’m not the biggest chili fan, and they’re right, I’m not, but they are so I make it fairly often. They tell me my chili is quite good, so I’ll share what I’ve come up with.

It’s a little bit tricky to know if you’re making the best chili possible if you’re not that into it so I set out to see what it is that makes it a less than favorite meal for me. I decided that I really don’t like kidney beans. Easy enough; there are lots of beans from which to choose. I’m also not so hot for chili that’s too hot. That’s easy too.

I think this should be called Four Bean Chili, because, obviously I’ve chosen four beans: pinto, black, garbanzo and white kidney. I like the different colors they bring to the chili (and they make a pretty picture, don’t you think??). As far as spices go, I suggest getting it started and conservatively adding spices to taste. You can always add more. I buy a chili spice bag at the grocery store. Sniff each one carefully before adding; you can tell which ones will add the heat. I used a smoky salt which added a nice flavor.

 

The  Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped coarsely

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef (coarsely  ground, if possible)

4 cans of your choice of beans (drained)

2 large cans (28 oz. each) diced tomato and juice

2 teaspoons chopped fresh or frozen cilantro

chili powders/spices to taste

1 cup (or more) water

salt (regular or smoked) and pepper

 

Assembly:

Brown onion and garlic, set aside. Brown meat. Add onion/garlic back to pan with meat, along with the tomatoes.  Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add drained beans and all other ingredients. Cook for at least an hour and a half over medium heat.  

Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream or whatever your favorite toppings. I served it along with cornbread, green salad and a cold beer.

                                    Enjoy!

Chicken Love

I found this recipe in Ina Garten’s book Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That? It’s called Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken. In her cookbook Ina tells the story that it’s also call engagement chicken because when a girlfriend makes this dish for her boyfriend, she ends up engaged. What better choice for a Valentine’s Day dinner?  I’ve made it several times lately and it’s easy, the whole house smelled delicious and we all loved it.

It begins with a roasting chicken and placing a whole head of garlic and 1/2 of a lemon inside the bird. After cooking you make a wonderful gravy with the onions, lemons and leftover juices. Yum! I served it with mashed potatoes and a garden salad. Luckily we have leftovers, because I’m not quite finished enjoying it.

Here’s the recipe:

1 (4-5-pound) roasting chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

1 whole head of garlic, cut in half crosswise

good olive oil

2 Spanish onions,, peeled and thickly sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

In these pictures I was roasting 2 chickens so I’d have enough for my book group, family and leftovers. It doesn’t take much more effort but left me with lots more chicken. Well worth it!

Remove and discard the chicken giblets. Pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Cut the lemons in quarters and place 2 quarters in the cavity along with the garlic. Brush the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the chicken in a small (11 X 14-inch) roasting pan. (If the pan is too large, the onions will burn.)

Place the reserved lemons and the sliced onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.                    Pour the mixture around the chicken.

Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan. Cover the chicken with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.

Place the pan on top of the stove over medium–high heat. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect on the platter under the chicken and taste for seasoning. Carve the chicken onto the platter and spoon the onions and sauce over it. If the lemons are tender enough to eat, serve them, too, sprinkle with salt and serve.

                         Enjoy

Nothing Says Happy Birthday like Flank Steak

We had a birthday around here last week and flank steak always proves to be my go to birthday dinner. Everyone loves it and it requires little effort so more fun can be spent enjoying the festivities.

I purchased two steaks, total weight about 4 pounds. There would only be six of us for dinner, but the leftovers are too terrific to miss.  I made a marinade and let them sit for several hours.

 

The marinade:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 clove crushed garlic

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

salt and pepper

 

I turned the steaks once during the marinating process. Before grilling I sprinkled a salt, onion, garlic spice on both sides. Just use your favorite all-purpose spice. I cooked them on the outdoor grill but if the weather is uncooperative you can broil them in the oven. Keep an eye on it all.

I served it with the equally traditional grilled asparagus. I lined up the asparagus on a cookie sheet, drizzled with olive oil and just a bit of balsamic then sprinkled with sea salt. Watch them closely under the broiler and turn once during the cooking.

 

 

 

 

A big salad, a beautiful loaf of bread and what else does one need for a wonderful birthday gathering? Oh, yes, presents and pie!

 

 

       Enjoy

                 

A Winter Salad

I needed a salad to take to my book group last week and decided this combination of ingredients would be a delicious cold weather salad. It’s very similar to my Harvest Salad but it’s meatless and I used a different cheese.

Salad:

Greens-combination of red lettuce and spinach

1 red apple, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

blue cheese crumbles

maple walnuts (see below)

Honey mustard vinaigrette (see below)

 

Vinaigrette:

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard

• 1 teaspoon salt

• dash of black pepper

 

Maple Walnuts:

• 2 cups walnut halves and pieces

• 1 tablespoon butter

• pinch of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup

In a heavy or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the salt and cinnamon. Stir in maple syrup and then stir in the nuts.

Continue stirring over medium-high heat as the nuts are getting hot and the syrup is bubbly. Stir constantly as the syrup bubbles and then begins to thicken around the walnuts.

The nuts are done when the syrup is a thick glaze on the nuts. Remove pan from heat and lay nuts on a plate to cool.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

Must be the snow that awakened us on Sunday that made me pull out the slow cooker to make something wonderfully tasty, and a reminder of warm places. I looked in my freezer and found a boneless pork roast and some short ribs. I defrosted them and seared them, then added them to the slow cooker.

I had 2 cups leftover of the soy glazed pork rib sauce in the freezer so I added that. I looked in the fridge and found 1/2 jar of spicy pepper jam and some Medjool dates. I cut up the dates (about 5 of them) and tossed them in. I found about 1/2 bottle of Island Teriyaki sauce and another bottle of another teriyaki to add. I don’t know if it’s the recession or the high cost of groceries but If I can use something instead of throwing it away, I’m now more earnest than ever about it.

I set the cooker for six hours. At about hour five I pulled the roast out, sliced it, and using 2 forks, shredded it. The ribs were falling off the bone, so I just made sure they were small shredded pieces. I added the meat back to the sauce and let cook for another 30 minutes or so.

This is one of those recipes that’s hard to nail down. If I make it again I’ll probably use whatever I have at that time. I think what I’m suggesting is, once again, cook with your feelings. Smell things. If they go together, dump them in. A crock pot, or slow cooker is a pretty forgiving cooking aid. It will take whatever you toss in and blend the flavors. If you stay in the same general spice arena you can’t go too wrong.

I served the shredded pork with rice with a sweet, tangy cole slaw. It was delicious and I’m sure a sign that George Clooney would win the Golden Globe award for his roll in the Hawaiian themed ‘Descendants’.

Yes, You Can Freeze Avocado!

I was at the market the other day and avocados were 10 for $10. A rare price indeed. I think maybe they had a lot that were nearly ripe. I purchased 5 and decided to freeze 3 of them. I cut them up but left them somewhat chunky. I’ll probably use them for guacomole or in a soup I’ll make soon. They won’t be good for everything, but will be fine to spread on a sandwich or bagel.

I added a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon, just because I had a cut lemon available. The main thing is to squeeze out every bit of air. The air is what will turn them brown. Flatten the bag, zip lock across the top leaving an inch or two in the top center. Tap and roll the bag, pushing out the air and quickly zip it closed. Smooth it back out and lay it flat in the freezer.

I think avocados are a bit delicate to last too long in the freezer so I'll plan on using them soon. This bag has been in the freezer for several days and is still nice and green.

 

(and yes, I did misspell avocado in the picture above)

How to Make a Good Cup of Cocoa

 

It’s getting cold here and even colder in other areas, like 9 degrees in Orwigsburg Pennsylvania, I hear. I dedicate this post to my friend who now lives there and is missing the wet sloppy days of an Oregon winter. She needs cocoa!

I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to my hot chocolate. Not too bad though; I don’t require the finest in cocoa powder, but I won’t bother to drink it if it’s made with water. I’m of the sentiment that if I’m going to eat something decadent I don’t mind putting in a little bit of time to make it really worth my while and with the extra few minutes it takes, I leave out calories, additives and preservatives.

Looking at the label on a container of Nesquik it lists more than 7 ingredients, some artificial. For an 8 oz. cup they recommend 2 tablespoons at 60 calories. My container of Hershey’s Natural Unsweetened Cocoa lists one ingredient: cocoa. 1 tablespoon is 10 calories. Since I use 1 heaping teaspoon, I’m generously figuring 8 calories. Add the 15 calories for the one teaspoon of sugar and I’m up to 23. Pretty good. I guess all those additives add calories too. Yuck!

Here’s the way I make cocoa. I’ll admit it takes up to 3 minutes to make, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Warm 1/4 cup half and half in microwave for 20-30 seconds. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Stir with a whisk. It will take a bit of time to break up the fine cocoa powder. It wants to float on top; just keep mixing. It really only takes about a minute. Fill the mug with milk and put back in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Keep an eye on it, you don’t want to scald it. For extra decadency add a marshmallow during the last 30 seconds.

Note: I use 1% milk so I suppose if you are using whole milk you could just skip the 1/2 and 1/2. But  start with the 1/4 cup of warm milk and the whisking process.

For added cocoa fun check out the Beekman Boys take on cocoa from around the world!

                     Stay Warm!

Spicy Soy-Glazed Short Ribs

I got this recipe out of a book called Secrets of Slow Cooking. Curiously I had everything in my fridge, pantry and freezer to make it. There are quite a few ingredients and mixed together they created a wonderful smell that warmed the kitchen all afternoon. I prepared this dish around noon and it slow cooked all day.

Actually the only thing I didn’t have was 2 limes, so I substituted a lemon. My short ribs were big, meaty things and I’m thinking the recipe was for the smaller bite sized ones for appetizers.  Nevertheless, these ribs made a nice meal for the three of us. I served them with rice and my favorite avocado and grapefruit salad. I like the way the citrus complimented the sweet ribs.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds beef short ribs

2 bunches scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chili-garlic sauce

1/4 cup plum or hoisin sauce (optional)

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon toasted-sesame oil

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

 

 

 

Begin with nice meaty short ribs. Trim away all excess fat.

 

 

 

 

In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ribs well on all sides, about 8 minutes total, then remove the ribs to a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour 1/2 cup water into the skillet and scrape up all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Pour the liquid over the ribs in the cooker.

 

In a medium bowl combine half of the scallions and all the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds, stirring until the brown sugar is dissolved.

 

 

Pour the mixture over the ribs.

 

 

 

Cook, covered, on the low setting for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender and almost falling off the bones.

 

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, toast the sesame seeds, shaking the skillet and stirring constantly, until they just begin to color. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

 

 

Remove the ribs from the sauce and place on a large serving platter. Spoon a little of the sauce over the ribs and rice and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the remaining scallions. Serve.

                         Enjoy!

Lemon Drop

Just in time (barely) for New Year’s Eve a delicious recipe for a Lemon Drop. I sprinkled sugar on a plate and before dipping the glass into it I ran the lemon around the rim. The sugar sticks to the glass quite nicely. Here’s the recipe. I hope you have everything you need. This makes 1 serving.

1 1/2 ounces Vodka

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

3/4 ounce freshly-squeezed lemon juice

ice cubes

twisted peel of lemon

Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake well. Pour strained liquor into sugar rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.

       Cheers! and Happy New Year!!

                     

Mom's Recipe File - Porcupine Meatballs

 

I came across my mothers old recipe box and realized I’d really never looked inside. You see, my mom was never much of a cook so I didn’t think there’d be anything of interest. I now realize that most of those recipes are from other people; favorite aunts, old friends and even a few I’d given her, always hoping she would take up cooking as a hobby. (I was always hungry!) So, although she probably didn’t make most of the recipes in her box, there are some good meal ideas and it’s fun to see her handwriting and little notes.

Mom collected recipes like she collected everything else.  She belonged to many clubs and organizations and there was always another potluck to attend. She would usually make her famous (?) pineapple upside down cake. I always referred to it as her dump cake because it consisted of dumping a box of yellow cake mix, a can of pineapple and margarine into a pan and baking. Weird but somehow good. She’d come home with an empty casserole and new recipes to try.

My mom was always too busy to cook. I don’t think she ever really liked her own cooking so she never made the effort. She preferred to be painting, gardening or attending an art exhibit; being tied to the kitchen wasn’t her idea of a good time. If something could be cooked in one pan, that was her idea of a successful dinner. It cracks me up to read some of the recipes that call for a jar of jam and dry onions dumped over chicken breasts and baked. Mom’s home cooking!

One favorite recipe she did make when we were kids was Porcupine Meatballs. We loved having it when friends came over, just waiting for the moment when they asked if it was truly porcupine meat. Of course it wasn’t, it’s just the little rice pieces poking out of the ground beef. I’m sure you could use ground turkey if you’d like. The original recipe called for a can of tomato soup, but I prefer to use my frozen soup from last summer’s tomatoes. Other than that, the recipe is as written…from mom.

Porcupine Meatballs

1/2 cup regular rice

1 1/2 pounds hamburger

1 small onion

1 can tomato soup

1/2 can (1/2 cup) water

salt and pepper

Add rice, onion, salt and pepper to ground beef. Make into small meatballs. Place meatballs into boiling soup. Cover, turn to low and cook 45 minutes.

In the olden days we served this over mashed potatoes, but yikes, two carbs at one meal, no way, so now I serve them over mashed cauliflower.

 

                 Enjoy!

 

Poinsettia Cocktail

This most delicious cocktail was served by good friends the other evening. It’s beautiful, colorful and will work well for Christmas or New Years Eve as it has the bubbles and fizz necessary for a festive time.

It comes from Nigella Lawson’s new cookbook, Nigella Christmas. It takes only 5 minutes prep so that goes along with my “week before Christmas things we can still make” ideas. Since there’s options on the ingredients this may be stuff in the back of the liquor cabinet that can be pulled together for added simplicity.

Here are the details:

1 750-ml bottle Prosecco lf other fizzy dry white wine, chilled

1/2 cup (125ml) Cointreau, Gran Marnier or Triple Sec, chilled

2 cups (500ml) cranberry juice, chilled

Mix the Prosecco or fizzy wine with the Cointreau (or Grand Marnier or Triple Sec) and cranberry juice in a large pitcher.

Pour into wine glasses or champagne flutes. Makes 5 2/3 cups.

                                  Cheers!

                          

Toffee Roca

All week, this week before Christmas I plan to post something we still have time to make. This candy is just like the one that comes in the pink tin and has the word Almond in front of the word Roca. That said, and not wanting trouble I will now refer to it as Toffee Roca. It’s really so simple and honestly, you might already have all the ingredients you need in your kitchen. I did.

Here’s the recipe along with a little step by step showing the batch I made the other day. By the way, it goes great with Kahlua.

Toffee Roca

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup (or more) ground almonds (can opt for ground walnuts)

1 large (3-4 oz.) chocolate (preferably dark) candy bar (or chocolate chips in a pinch)

1 cup sugar

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

 

Add sugar to butter and cook on medium heat. Bring to rolling boil and cook 5 minutes. Add almonds boil for at least 5 more minutes.  Stir constantly; timing is important, it should be golden brown. **see note below**

 

 

Pour on cookie sheet. Working quickly to spread evenly. 

 

 

Cool in fridge until hardened. This won’t take long. While it’s cooling, break chocolate into a measuring cup and place cup in a pan of near boiling water to melt.

 

 

When chocolate is spreadable and toffee is hardened work quickly to spread chocolate over toffee. Sprinkle with the ground nuts while chocolate is still warm. Work in sections to spread a little, then sprinkle. Place back in fridge for a few minutes chill (maybe 5 minutes)

 

Flip over. It doesn’t matter if it breaks when you’re turning as you’ll be breaking it into pieces anyway. Repeat chocolate and nut process so there’s coverage on both sides.

 

 

Who wouldn’t like to get this for a Christmas gift?? Don’t make it too far ahead or you won’t have it to give away; you’ll have eaten it!

 

**Note: When you’re stirring the sugar butter mixture it often takes longer than the 10 minutes suggested. This batch took at least 15 minutes. Keep stirring; the mixture will change texture and become almost fluffy. Keep stirring. It will begin to change golden, but keep stirring (get it??). When it really is golden brown remove from heat and proceed to the next step. This is the only hard part (and it’s not too bad).

                            Enjoy!!

Down to the Wire-Last Minute Gift Ideas

With Christmas just over a week away there’s not much time to pull together a complicated handmade gift. People often say that it’s difficult to give a gift to someone who’s creative. Personally, I love receiving gifts that involve a little work on my part. Even when I was a kid I liked the kits, sets and puzzles that lasted longer than the opening. When I’ve received a gift of yarn or fabric I think of the person who gave it to me with every stitch. You’d be surprised if you walk into a fabric or yarn store and ask someone to help you pick out a gift for your creative friend. There will be all kinds of ideas and the receiver will appreciate the effort. With that thought in mind, here are a few ideas that I think will help you satisfy your creative friends while tapping into your own creative side.

 

Food items can be made in an evening to give the next day. A loaf of wonderful banana bread baked in a new pan makes a useful and tasty gift. They’ll think of you every time they bake a loaf of bread. Here’s my favorite recipe (be sure to include it with your gift!).

 

 

Got a dog lover on you list? How about a basket or bowl of dog items? Pull together a new leash, chewy, biscuits, cute picture frame and maybe a good book for day hikes. Wrap it all up in a big dog bowl or basket. Don’t forget a movie they can enjoy together.

 

 

 

For that person on your list who has everything, consider gifts she or he will use up during the year. We don’t always buy wonderful soaps or lotions for ourselves, but receiving them is great fun. I found a beautiful selection at one of my favorite shops, Peggy Sunday’s. The soaps are wrapped in beautiful papers and smell delicious. They come with their own matching soap dish. Perfect! Peggy also has an awesome selection of candles, dishware, barware and loads of lovelies. Truly something for everyone.

 

 

For the cook in you life; who doesn’t need more olive oil?  Remember The Oilerie for a wonderful selection. They have recipes and ideas on how to use each oil. A bottle or two in a basket lined with a new dish towel and you’re all set. For extras, consider artisan salts and herbs tucked in with the bottles. There are wonderfully handmade cruets and bowls. Need more? Maybe a beautiful apron or napkin set.

 

 

      

    

Cook baskets are great fun to do. How about cupcake tins with sprinkles and liner papers in fun colors. Add a brightly colored spatula and you’re set. For an extra pop, add a cookbook.  Sweet!

 

For that guy who’s hard to buy for, consider a movie night basket. Depending on how much you want to spend you can do this in a couple of different ways. One fun idea is to get a couple of DVD’s, a fuzzy, warm throw and a jar of popcorn. A bit less expensive idea is to purchase a gift card from the local movie theater and wrap it with a couple of candy bars. Christmas and date night in one gift.

 

 

A stitcher in your group of friends? Most fabric stores have a wonderful selection of what are called ‘fat quarters’ (18” X 22”). It’s fun to pick out companion fabrics and they’re the perfect size for a pillow front (buy 2 matching for the whole pillow). Look for a pattern for pillows or a table runner and you have a simply perfect gift.

 

 

     

Most knitters love to get yarn. There are beautiful hand dyed yarns out there for socks and small projects. Of course the yarn shops have patterns and books to include with the yarn. A few of my favorite local shops are Twisted, Knit Purl and Close Knit. You can even go to Ravelry, an online knitting community for free patterns and ideas. With a free pattern and a beautiful skein of yarn you’ve got the perfect thoughtful gift for a knitter.

 

See, you can be creative even if you don’t think you’re creative.  It’s all about looking at things in a different way. Think of how pleased your recipients will be when they see themselves reflected in the gifts you’ve chosen.        Have fun with it!!

A Classic Cookie

My daughter needed to take something to a holiday party and decided to go with the classic chocolate chip cookie. She’s the baker in the family and we all agree that her cookies are the best, so why not share them with her co-workers. I made sure she left a few at home on the pretext that I needed a photograph, but of course we wanted to eat them.

I believe the trick to a good cookie, as well as baking is the ability to follow directions. Apparently, my daughter is more skilled at following cookie directions than I am. I’m always substituting and adjusting which I’ve now learned doesn’t work for baking. Anyway, here is the classic recipe from Debbi Fields Cookie Book, which I have happily turned over to my daughter.

 

Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup salted butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

In a medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.

Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen

 

                          Enjoy!

 

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway on my previous post. Leave a comment on that post by Wednesday December 14. I’ll randomly draw 2 names then send you a dishtowel as my gift to you. Good luck!!

Kahlua Revisited

The Kahlua has been sitting on my counter waiting and mellowing for today. A cold crisp day that called for a late afternoon cocoa. A splash of Kahlua and a peppermint stick proved perfection.

There’s still time before Christmas to make Kahlua for gift giving, entertaining or your own personal needs. Get a few jars and bottles out. You’ll need vodka, sugar, a vanilla bean and espresso powder. Check the recipe right here.  A lovely way to stay nice and toasty.

               

Cheesy Coins

This recipe comes from the Holiday Handbook special issue from Martha Stewart. These baked cheese coins are the perfect simple appetizer. The dough can be made ahead by even as much as a month if kept frozen. The little biscuit like wafers can be baked a day or two before you need them. Beware though, they are quite addictive if sampled.

 

As suggested in the recipe I used a store bought jalapeño jelly. I also opted to use just a dab of cream cheese on each one. The cool cream cheese offsets the spicy jelly nicely.

 

 

The dough is rolled in 4 separate logs and cut before baking, then cooled on a wire rack. This is when the sampling begins.

I plan on trying them again during the holidays. The amount of cayenne pepper is not overwhelming but gives just the slightest warmth.  I think they’ll become a tradition rather quickly.

 

                 Enjoy!