Author: Dawn

Honey-Lemon Custard with Fruit

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

I am back from my quick trip to China – and what an amazing experience it was.  I really had no expectations – it was a work trip, and I was focussed on the content I was there to present.  I loved getting to know the employees in our Beijing offices, I loved the food, the silk market – and I loved getting a Chinese foot massage (that is really like a body massage) where they kick the crap out of you, and it actually feels amazing – if you can control yourself from laughing.

So when I go to new cities, there is one place I always want to see – the super market.  I know it sounds crazy, but that is how I really embrace the culture.  I was a little afraid to tell the people I was travelling with about my quest – so I decided to keep it quietly to myself.  I was pretty sure I wouldn’t find one, since I had very little time to explore – so I told myself not to be disappointed.  After the first few meals, I was so impressed, I almost stopped thinking about trying to find one.  The dumplings kept me happy enough – oh, and the breakfast at the hotel – it was a global breakfast dream.  They had everything and anything you can think of – the highlights were the pork dumplings, honey yogurt and the watermelon smoothies.  Believe me when I say, you could get ANYTHING.

The weather in Beijing could not have been any better – it was blue sky, high 60s and clear as can be.  I could see the mountains, and again, I had no idea how beautiful it was going to be.  I finished my meetings at 3:00 in the afternoon, and decided to take a little walk around the office building.  I heard there was a shopping mall not too far down the road, and I needed a little adventure.  On my way there, I saw a sign – for Carre Four – I found it!!!!  That is a French super market that I love going to in Paris – I couldn’t believe it!  I had to go down a big escalator, and then walk quite a bit through these subway tunnels – but I finally found it.  They had a big dollar section right when I walked in – but in China, it was like the penny section – I bought some noodles for pennies.  I loved walking around and seeing all the packaged and fresh foods – the flat chickens were really the most unusual.  They were hanging with the salami – and they looked like they had been flattened and then dried.  Wow.

I could go on and on about the food – like the night we went for Peking Duck, and after they carved the meat off the bones, they crushed the bones, and deep-fried them.  The man sitting next to me just went to town – crunching away.  Or, the night we went to a 4.5 star dumpling place that looked like a fast food joint.  The food was pretty good (although the first dumpling place we went to was better), but they brought this mango custard that was amazing.  We weren’t really sure what it was, but I had to try it – and I was so glad I did – it was my favorite part of that meal.

I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and had made it before I left for China.  It was not as sweet as what I ate there, but this was also amazing.  Let it sit for a day or so before eating, so the flavors really have a chance to develop.  I put mango on the top, but really any fruit would be excellent.  If you like a lemon custard, this is your dessert – and you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to try some!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons honey, divided
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 3 2-inch strips lemon peel
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
  • 1/4 cup light rum
  • 1 cup berries or sliced mango

Preparation

Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Heat cream, 2 tablespoons honey, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until just beginning to simmer. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Add lemon peel; remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes (cream should register about 160°F on an instant-read thermometer). Remove vanilla bean and peel. Gently stir in 5 tablespoons lemon juice.

Divide custard among ramekins and chill to let set for at least 1 hour or, covered, up to 1 day.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon lemon juice with rum in a small bowl. Stir in fruit; let sit until juicy, about 1 hour. Serve with custard.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Honey-Lemon Custard with Fruit

French Apple Cake

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

It is apple season, and in the state of Washington, it is a wonderful thing.  The farmer’s markets have more varieties of apples than you can imagine.  There is one podcast that I listen to called SpilledMilk – and last year at this time they played a little game, Mathew read names of apples to Molly (some of which were real, some of which he made up) and she had to guess which ones were real.  It was hilarious listening to these names, and would you believe that I got most of them wrong?  That is how many varieties there are.

As I am sitting here in the airport writing this, I am wondering what is in season where I am going.  Fortunately I am going with a few people who have been there before, and they know I love food – so I am excited.  It is funny how things change – when I little, I was always so focused on the food I would get on the airplane – I could really care less about what I would eat when I landed.  Even today,  my little one commented on the food that was served on a flight we were on last year – it was disgusting, but to her, it was such a special treat.  Unfortunately for them, they don’t really serve food on the airplanes anymore – because that was definitely my favorite part of flying when I was their age.

So – I am leaving you tonight with this delicious apple cake – a Cook’s Illustrated classic recipe – it was really outstanding.  The recipe didn’t come out like it was supposed to – and I was really glad it didn’t.  This was more like an apple pudding cake – rich and delicious – perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients

  •  1/2 lbs granny smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges, and sliced 1/8 inch thick crosswise
  • 1 tablespoon calvados
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar (7 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • confectioners’ sugar

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9-inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray. Place prepared pan on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Place apple slices into microwave-safe pie plate, cover, and microwave until apples are pliable and slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Toss apple slices with Calvados and lemon juice and let cool for 15 minutes

Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. Whisk egg, oil, milk, and vanilla together in second bowl until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and whisk until just combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to separate bowl and set aside.

Add egg yolks to remaining batter and whisk to combine. Using spatula, gently fold in cooled apples. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using offset spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges, gently pressing on apples to create even, compact layer, and smooth surface.

Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons flour into reserved batter. Pour over batter in pan and spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth surface. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over cake.

Bake until center of cake is set, toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, and top is golden brown, about 1 1/4 hours. Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of pan and let cool completely, 2 to 3 hours. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges, and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  French Apple Cake

Crunchy Eggs with Piquillo Peppers

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

There are two phrases that always seem to stick in my mind that have to do with cooking and bakeing – “It’s better with butter” and “You can basically fry anything and it will taste good.”  I think the latter really has to do with deep fat frying, but if you know what you are doing, and you get the pan to the right temperature, you can make it happen without the fryer.

I have done a lot of frying in my day.  In fact, my husband is pretty good at it himself.  When we were dating and living in Colorado, one of his most favorite things to make was…wait for it…fried mozzerela.  I remember the day he figured out how to make these morsels – without a deep fat fryer.  It was genius, I must admit.  He took a mozzarella stick, dipped it into an egg batter, then covered it in bread crumbs.  He got the pan nice and hot with some oil, and started browning each side.  They were delicious.

We don’t pan fry as much as we used to – but I am always looking for new and interesting ways to make things crispy.  As you know, poached eggs are my absolute favorite – especially when they are served over a savory hash or rice.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I was intrigued immediately.  I couldn’t get past the crunchy eggs.  At first, it freaked me out a little – were they crunchy because of the shells?  There was no picture, so I had to read the recipe.  Ah, a breaded egg – this is amazing!!  Well, I was right – what an incredible texture – and the piquillo pepper mixture with ham was the perfect pairing.  My husband, who hates eggs for dinner, LOVED this – he would have eaten twice as much as the recipe called for.  So – the next time you are in the mood to fry something, why not try crunchy eggs (without the shells) – and if you get really adventurous, you can serve them with the fried mozzarella sticks.  Could life get any better – maybe with just a little bit of butter…

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 4 extra-large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 ounces thinly sliced Serrano ham or prosciutto, cut into 2×1/4″ strips
  • 1/2 cup canned piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers from jar, cut lengthwise into 1/2″-wide strips
  • 1/2 cup dry Sherry
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Preparation

Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Pour water into a large skillet to a depth of 2″. Bring water to a boil; lower heat to maintain a simmer. Add vinegar. Break 1 egg into a small ramekin or bowl. Partially immerse cup in water and quickly slide egg into water. Repeat with remaining 3 eggs. Cook until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to prepared sheet. Trim eggs’ ragged edges with a knife. Slide eggs into a medium bowl filled with ice water. Cover bowl; chill until cold.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add ham; sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers, Sherry, and marjoram; simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a kitchen towel to drain. Mix panko, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Place egg whites in another medium bowl; whisk to loosen. Gently roll 1 poached egg in egg whites, then in panko mixture (some bare spots may remain). Place on plate. Repeat with remaining eggs, egg whites, and panko.

Heat 3/4 cup olive oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Gently slide eggs, one at a time, into oil; cook until crumbs begin to brown, about 2 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer eggs to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Divide pepper mixture among 4 plates. Top each with 1 egg and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Crunchy Eggs with Piquillo Peppers

Damson Plum Jam

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

There is something to be said about making something out of nothing.  I know what it is like to be completely bombarded with fruit from your trees.  It stresses me out.  I find my self force feeding it to the family, and then no one is really enjoying it.  I don’t want to waste a single bit – and that’s why canning is just such a gift.  I have found my calling.

The other week I happened to see my neighbor outside.  It was just after I finished making the fig jam from my other neighbor’s bounty.  He mentioned that his plum-tree was exploding with fruit this year.  Little did he know who he was really talking to…not all of my neighbors know about my little hobbies.  I am not a big fan of plums, but that was before I started jamming.  My eyes got bigger, as I almost burst with excitement.  He asked if I wanted some – and boy did I ever.  I asked if he could spare about 5 pounds, and he looked at me like I was crazy.  I told him that I recently became obsessed with making jam, and I was dying to try this Damson Plum Jam (slightly adapted below) that I found in the Food in Jars book.  I promised I would bring some over for them afterwards.

I had no idea that plum jam could taste so good.  I was also shocked that it came out such a beautiful purple color – especially when the flesh is basically a golden-yellow.  I guess just a little of the purple skin goes a long way, even though all the fruit was peeled.  I decided to add a little cinnamon because my family loves that spice – and it was amazing.  It was so good that I actually called up my neighbors and asked if they had another 5 pounds to spare.  It was like a win-win for both of us – they gave the plums to someone who was going to put them to good use, I got to make jars and jars of delicious plum jam, and they got some as well.  My husband was so proud – who would have thought that plums would give us all so much joy!

Ingredients

  • 8 cups of damson plum pulp, from about 4 1/2 pounds
  • 4 cups of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 2 packets (1 box) liquid pectin

Preparation

Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound.

Put plums in 1 cup of water, and simmer until the skins pop.  Then peel and pit the plums – and squish in your hands until you make pulp.  Add plums and sugar to a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes, until the jam begins to look molten and syrupy. Add the pectin, cinnamon and lemon juice/zest and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes.

Turn off the heat under the jam and fill jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 4 pints (yield varies depending on width of pot, cooking length and juiciness of fruit).

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Damson Plum Jam

Brookies

Published on by Dawn12 Comments

Remember this commercial?  I actually don’t, but the saying is something I will never forget.  Each one is delicious on its own, but when you put them together – WOW!

When I started this blog, I was taking a leap.  I was doing something that was bottled up in my head for years, and I was finally getting it out.  As I have written before, most of my good friends enjoy their food, in fact I can even go as far as to say that many of them LOVE their food.  But there is a difference – I am consumed by food, and in a good way.  I have not let it affect my life in a negative way, but it brings me an immense amount of joy.  I love cooking and baking for my family – and with my family – and I love sharing what I make with others.

I remember when I started the blog, people started to find me.  I started to find people who were like me – they had regular jobs and families, but who loved food – they were obsessed like me.  I remember going to one of my first food photography classes at The Pantry, and finding out that there were a ton of people just like me.  It was great to be able to bond with them.  One of the people who found me was Keren Brown.  Her story is amazing – she was new to Seattle, and created a blog to connect with the Seattle food scene – and what a scene there is.  I had no idea.  I was so flattered that she invited me to one of her food events, it was like a dream come true.  Unfortunately I don’t get to participate as much as I would like to – my job is just slightly demanding (ha!), and when I am not working, I am spending time with my family – but occasionally I do something just for me – and it is pretty incredible.  She calls her events Foodportunity  – and they are just that – they are an opportunity to be surrounded by food.  Food to eat, food to discuss, and people to meet who are obsessed with food.  It is food attached to people who love it – getting them eating and talking about food, the perfect combination.

My mother sent me this recipe, and I was hitting myself for not thinking of this myself.  This recipe comes from the Brooklyn bakery Baked – and boy have they got a winner here.  Two great tastes that taste great together – is it a cookie or a brownie, no wait – it is both!!!  It was almost like someone dropped chocolate chip cookie dough onto a brownie, and it was genius – just like those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were.  Personally, I prefer a Brookie.  In a way, it was like a Foodportunity.  An opportunity to be surrounded by two of the most classic american baked goods, and opportunity to taste two favorites as one, and boy will this get people talking about food…

Ingredients

chocolate chip cookie dough

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

brownie batter

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, plus more for muffin tin
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 5 oz. dark chocolate (top quality, 60 to 72 percent cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Using butter or nonstick spray, grease the bottom and sides of a 24 cup mini-muffin tin.  Set aside.

chocolate chip cookie dough

Add flour, fine grain sea salt and baking soda to a large bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together butter, white sugar and dark brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix until just incorporated. Add half of the flour mixture to bowl. Mix for a few seconds on low then increase the speed to medium. Beat until just combined (15 – 20 seconds). Add the remaining flour mixture and repeat the process above. Do not overmix here. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.  Cover bowl, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours before using.

brownies

Add flour, fine grain sea salt and cocoa powder to a medium bowl, whisking to combine. Set aside.

Bring a large pot filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer. Set a heatproof bowl on top of the pot, but make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water. Add butter and chocolate to the bowl, stirring until melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl on the pot. Whisk white sugar and light brown sugar into the chocolate mixture. Remove the bowl from the pot and let cool to room temperature.  Add eggs to the chocolate mixture, whisking until just combined. At this point, switch from a whisk to a spatula. You want to avoid adding extra air to the batter. Add vanilla and stir until just combined. Gently fold flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until just incorporated. Do not overmix here.

Fill each well of the muffin tin halfway with batter. Transfer muffin tin to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 1 hour. Both the cookie dough and brownie batter must be well chilled before baking to insure even cooking.

Preheat your oven to 375°F and place a rack in the center of the oven (please see notes above regarding cooking times and temperatures).

Once thoroughly chilled, take the muffin tin from the refrigerator. Using a small spoon, scoop out a small amount of chilled cookie dough. Using your hands, shape dough into ball then slightly flatten it into a disk. The disk should be a bit smaller than the top of the muffin tin wells. Gently press the disk into one of the wells of batter. Repeat this process with remaining 23 wells.*

Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake until the cookies are golden brown ( 11 – 13 minutes), rotating the muffin tin halfway through.

*You will have extra chocolate chip cookie dough leftover. Don’t throw this out. Make cookies. Roll remaining dough into balls. Slightly flatten the balls into disks and place on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Bake in a 375 oven until golden brown (9 – 11 minutes depending on the size of your disks). Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Or enjoy warm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Brookies

Nectarine Lime Jam

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

I know that nectarine season is just about ending, but I had to get one more jam in before moving onto the apples and pears.  Before I talk about this jam though, I have recap my culinary adventures over the past few days – nothing too outlandious, but definitely some highs and lows.  Just another fun week.

Last Thursday evening, I was invited to a work event by an external collegue.  I almost never go to these types of events, but this one really caught my attention.  It was an evening with Tom Douglas.  He was going to do a couple of demos, and serve food from his array of restaurants in the Seattle area.  I had to really think about this though – I couldn’t take my husband, so I would have to do this alone.  I am an introvert – I get anxiety thinking about entering a room of people I don’t know, or people I don’t know well.  My husband is the same way – so we are a perfect match.  Most of the time, we stick to ourselves, have a great time, and leave.  If we end up meeting a couple of people along the way, it is not because we approached them.  So – I got to the event, and actually had to sit in my car for about 30 minutes before mustering up the courage to enter.  I kept reminding myself why I was doing this – I love food.  It would be worth it.  Boy was I right, it was spectacular.  He is quite an amazing person – he was so approachable, and it was a pretty small crowd.  I ended up finding a few people who I knew, which also helped.

Fast forward to Saturday night.  My husband and I love our date nights – we love going out for dinner, being able to talk to each other (with two girls, we don’t have a lot of opportunities) and to try new restaurants.  The last new restaurant we tried was a HUGE winner – in fact, we went back a couple of weeks later, it was that good.  So last night we rolled the dice again, and went to another new place.  It wasn’t entirely new, but they moved to a new space.  We were only at the old space once, but we both had a good meal there, so we were excited to try it again.  When our cocktails came, we were a little disappointed – but then again, we have high expectations in that area.  Most of our friends know wine, we know alcohol – good alcohol, and this was not up to par.  Moving onto the salad, I knew we were in trouble when I couldn’t find the roasted beets in the beet salad.  The main course was a complete disaster – we shared one (since the waiter told us it was a huge portion), and it was almost inedible.  We were both trying to stay positive though, but we finally couldn’t do it anymore.  By the time they brought us the desert menus, we were done with that place, never to return again. We paid the check and ran out as fast as we could.  What a dissappointment.  I guess you win some and you loose some – we had a wonderful smoked chicken for dinner tonight – which wiped out all the bad memories of last night.  For those of you who live in Seattle and want to know the name of this place, feel free to leave a comment – and I will email you back.  Maybe it was just last night – but we won’t be trying it again to figure that out.

So back to this jam.  I wanted to try a completely different recipe in Food in Jars (like my love of trying new restaurants), but this one came through – even though I love stone fruit with vanilla and cinnamon, the lime in this recipe really gave the nectarines a punch.   This is not the type of jam I would serve for breakfast, this is more of an appetizer jam with cheese.  I let my younger daughter eat the samples from this picture, and she was on top of the moon.  She especially loved licking every bit of jam off the spoon.  The best part about this jam?  You don’t need to peel the fruit – what a time saver.  So – if you are looking to try something new – give this one a try.  It won’t cost you as much money as we spent on our dinner last night – and if you don’t like it, give it to a friend, I know someone will love this jam.  I promise.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups pitted and chopped nectarines (about 3 pounds)
  • 3 cups of sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 limes, zested and juiced
  • 1 packet (3-oz) liquid pectin

Preparation

Fill your canning pot with water and begin to bring it to temperature. Wash your jars and rings in warm soapy water and set aside. Put your lids in a small pot of water and heat (but do not boil) in order to soften the sealing compound.

Combine the nectarines and sugar in a large pot.  Bring to a boil and let the jam boil for about 15 to 20 minutes over high heat, until the fruit softens and can be mashed with the back of a wooden spoon.

If you prefer a smoother jam, use a potato masher or immersion blender (taking care not to burn yourself with hot jam) to break down the chunks. If you prefer a chunkier jam, just leave as is.  Add the lime zest and juice and stir well.  Add the pectin and bring to a rolling boil for a full five minutes, until it looks molten and syrupy.

Turn off the heat under the jam and fill jars. Wipe rims and apply lids. Screw on the bands and lower into the water. Process in the hot water bath 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from water and cool on the counter. When the jars are cooled, check the seal by pressing on the top of the jar. If there’s no movement, the jar has sealed. Store up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 3 pints (yield varies depending on width of pot, cooking length and juiciness of fruit).

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Nectarine Lime Jam

Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

If you are a regular on this blog, you know that we don’t eat a lot of pasta in our house.  Believe me, if I could have pasta every night I would – but since my husband is not a huge fan, I have created a special place for pasta in our house.  My husband has to travel from time to time, and my girls hate it when he goes away – they definitely love their Daddy.  So, a while ago I decided that as a treat when he is away, we have pasta for dinner.  There are no more tears when he is away now – all because of a little pasta – wow, I bet you never knew pasta could be that powerful.

Needless to say, we have a lot of pasta recipes cut out of various magazines that my daughters are waiting for me to make.  It used to be that they would only eat plain pasta – no sauce, no vegetables, no nothing.  Just noodles.  Slowly I have broken them out of this mold.  Now, remember my story about the Spinach Bites, and how I got my older daughter to eat spinach, not just eat, but LOVE spinach?  Well, it was time to try something new – and see if that carries over to other dishes.  I found this recipe in Cooking Light and figured that it was basically like a mac-n-cheese with chicken and spinach – well, not only did my older daughter devour this, my younger one ate her entire helping, and asked for more!  Success!!  I was seriously impressed – but this was a pretty delicious dinner, I had three helpings.  So – if your kids hate spinach, don’t try this first – go for the Spinach Bites.  But if you have moved past that, and are ready for something a little more risky – I have got the recipe for you.  Go on, give it a try, what’s the worst that can happen, you have to eat the chicken and spinach remnants from their bowl?  You will still thank me…

Ingredients

  • 2  (6-ounce) bone-in chicken breasts, skinned
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 8 ounces uncooked linguine
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup)
  • 4 cups fresh spinach leaves

Preparation

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 8 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 10 minutes. Carve chicken off bones, and thinly slice.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well; keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spinach; stir until spinach wilts. Add pasta and chicken; toss to combine.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Grilled Chicken Florentine Pasta

Fig Jam

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

When I was little, I thought that Fig Newtons were like a cruel joke.  I didn’t get dessert very often, and when cookies were an option, the last variety I was looking for was a Fig Newton, they were almost as bad as Oatmeal Raison Cookies (purely because of the raisins).  As you can see, there was a pattern, I was just not fond of dried fruit.  In fact, I wasn’t much of a fresh fruit person either.  I guess I had to counter balance the lack of sweets in my life – if I didn’t get non-healthy sweets, I wasn’t about to eat the healthy ones either.

As an adult, some things have changed.  I still don’t like raisins in my cookies – but figs are almost like a delicacy.  I remember the first time I had some fig jam with cheese – it was a remarkable combination.  I just couldn’t believe how perfect the cheese went with the figs (but that was before I tried the truffled honey…talk about out of this world), I was actually starting to like figs.  I even remember trying a Fig Newton as an adult – and wow, I loved it.  Of course this was after the cheese incident, which made me appreciate figs in a whole new way.

I saw a recipe in Food in Jars for Fig Jam, and I couldn’t wait to give it a try.  I waited for the figs to go on sale at Whole Foods, and I bought a whole bunch.  They made the most wonderful jam – I was eating it with a spoon.  The next weekend, I saw my neighbor post something about his fig tree – I couldn’t believe it, more figs!!!  So, what does that mean?  More jam – yes, I know I have a problem, and you haven’t even seen my pantry.  My next project?  Turning that jam into Newtons…boy does life come full circle.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups coarsely chopped fresh figs (about 3 pounds)
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 3-ounce packet of liquid pectin

Preparation

Prepare a boiling water bath and 3 half-pint jars.  Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the figs and sugar in a large pot and stir well to help the sugar pull the juice from the figs.  When the mixture starts to look juicy, place the pot over high heat and bring to an active simmer.  Cook for approximately 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the figs have started to break down and the liquid starts to look syrupy.  At this point you can choose to have chunky jam, or use an immersion blender to make it smoother.

Add the lemon juice and liquid pectin and return the figs to an active boil for 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars.  Wipe the rims, and apply the lids and rings, then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

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French Yogurt Cake

Published on by Dawn13 Comments

I have spent a lot of time in France.  I studied there in college, and actually lived with a family – so I feel like I did have a glimpse into French life – although when I really stop and think about it – I have a glimpse into a particular family’s life – can I really say that because they did things a certain way, that’s the way all French families did things?  Of course not, and I always have to remind myself of that very fact.

My French mother (yes, that’s what I called her to everyone else, except her – she was Madame when I spoke to her) was a very interesting lady.  She did not work, but she kept herself very busy – and now that I am a mom, I understand what she did. She went to the market everyday in preparation for the family lunch, as there was hardly anything stored in the refrigerator – some cheese, charcuterie on occasion, yogurt, and that’s about it. She also had three kids – so I assume that the rest of her day was consumed with caring for them.  There were always fresh baguettes when I came down for breakfast, that she would get from the neighborhood Boulangerie.  The only thing that was missing in my mind was baking.  She never baked, in fact, I do not remember a fresh-baked good prepared in the house the entire time I was there.  She was an amazing cook – but obviously baking was not her thing.  In fact, she rarely used the oven.  The question I have though, was it just not her thing, or with so many wonderful baked goods on every corner, is it uncommon to have a french mother that loves to bake?  I seriously doubt that.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I love a good French Yogurt Cake – in fact, I have posted one before – and it was amazing. This one looked different though – it was more of a snack cake, made in a loaf pan, with no glaze.  If French people made snack cakes, this is exactly what I would picture.  My girls loved this cake – they had it in their lunches all week, and they even had some for breakfast.  It’s not overly sweet, which makes it completely versatile.  Unfortunately I lost touch with my French family years ago – I think they would be surprised to see how consumed I am with food – and they had a part in that – at least their country did.  Even though she didn’t bake, her cooking still made an impact on me.  Fortunately my real mother’s obsession with baking gave me plenty of experience living with someone who always has something in the oven.

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.

Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

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Strawberry Smash

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

It’s the first weekend of fall, and I should be posting the Apple Cake I made today, or the jam that is sitting in my pantry setting up so it is the perfect consistency – don’t worry, those posts will come – but I had to get one more summer cocktail in before we said goodbye to warmer temperatures and long days.

When we lived in Denver, we had these very good friends that we did everything with.  This was before we had kids – and we had more time on our hands.  This was also before I knew anything about making drinks.  Our friends were from Canada, and his favorite after-work drink was a Rum and Coke.  My husband (boyfriend at the time) were more beer drinkers – but we would also have some cans of coke in the refrigerator in case he happened to be at our house on a Friday or Saturday night.

Years later, after we had our children, I took my older daughter back to Denver for a visit.  We flew in on a Friday, and as a special treat, they made me a Strawberry Margaretta.  I asked what happened to the Rum and Coke – not to worry, that was still his go-to drink, but that this was a special occasion.  I am not crazy about ultra-sweet drinks, but I had one anyway – it was like dessert in a glass.  When I saw this recipe from Cooking Light (which I adapted below), I immediately thought of that night – and decided I needed to see if this would be more my style.

I know that strawberry season is long gone, but if you are lucky, you can still find some shipped from California.  Or, if all else fails – you can always thaw some frozen strawberries.  This is still a sweet drink (omit the simple syrup if you want it less sweet), but not too sweet – it was actually perfect for me.  What a perfectly nice and refreshing drink, made with real strawberries.  So – here’s to the end of summer.  I am actually really excited for fall – it just happens to be my favorite season – for many reasons…and yes, most of them have to do with food, so stay tuned!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup strawberries
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons simple syrup
  • 1 cup of ice

Preparation

Place the strawberries in a shaker, and using the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler, smash the strawberries.  Put in the rest of the ingredients, shake well and serve, slightly strained.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Strawberry Smash