Dawn – Page 35 – First Look, Then Cook

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Published on September 22, 2011September 24, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

Late again…I swear I will get back to my regular rhythm this weekend. Maybe if I keep telling myself that it will happen? I decided to abandon the messy kitchen, or making lunches for the girls tomorrow just to post this entry. I figured if I didn’t do it now, it would never get done, so here it goes. Don’t worry, they will have lunch to eat at school, it just might be very late before I get to it…

Have you ever noticed that food always tastes more delicious when it is free? It always amazes me that when I take the girls to CostCo, they eat everything – every little sample that they give out – and they love every bite. As soon as I buy it and serve it to them at home, they won’t eat it. I have learned my lesson – they can eat whatever they want when we go there, but I never buy anything I wasn’t planning to buy before I entered the store. I have to admit, at work – when there is food lying around in the kitchen, it really doesn’t matter what it happens to be, I will eat it. Yes, because it is free.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit a long time ago. This was one of those recipes that sat in my pantry for months upon months, waiting for me to find the right time to make them. As I have mentioned before, only half of my family loves cheesecake, and this is an expensive recipe to make unless you are planning to eat the whole thing. I wanted to make sure I brought it somewhere it would be eaten. So – I brought it to our block party. I have to admit they were pretty awesome – cheesecake and caramel, two tastes that belong together. They were gone pretty quickly, so I think everyone else felt the same way – but then again, they were free…

Ingredients

Crust

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (from about 17 whole graham crackers)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling

3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche*
3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
Fleur de sel

*A thick, sweet sauce made from caramelized sugar in milk or from sweetened condensed milk; available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and at Latin markets.

Preparation

Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

Filling

Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

Glaze

Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm).

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars

Arroz Con Pollo

Published on September 19, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

Well, we had our few weeks of summer, then fall hit with a vengeance. It is strange how quickly it came this year – although, what I think really happened was that summer was just not long enough. Usually by this time I am happy for the clouds to come back, but this year was an exception. I would have been happy with a couple more weeks of sun – shhhh – don’t tell anyone, I constantly tell people I hate the sun, which is why I love it here so much…

I am hoping that this will be the week I can catch up on stuff – things have gotten so out of control, I am even off schedule on my blog postings. I just know I will get back to normal soon (let me keep dreaming). I feel like all I have been doing is baking recently, so I am happy to post something different for a change. Chicken and rice, a staple in my house – especially when fall arrives. I love changing things up a bit though, and this recipe definitely did just that. I found it in the Sunday Pacific NW Magazine by Greg Atkinson – which I adapted to suit the needs of my family, who do not necessarily love very spicy food. This was delicious, and the kids loved it – especially the sausage. I will definitely make this again…knowing that I have many more cloudy days ahead of me before summer comes again.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch discs
6 boneless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups long-grain white rice such as jasmine or basmati
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup water
1 generous pinch saffron threads
1 1/2 cups green peas, fresh shelled or frozen
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Preparation

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage pieces in the olive oil until they are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift the sausage out of the oil and keep nearby.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and brown them in the oil left in the pan, turning once to brown evenly on both sides, about 5 minutes in all.

Lift the chicken out of the pan, and in the oil left behind, sauté the onion and pepper until the vegetables are soft and the onion is beginning to brown. Stir in the rice, garlic and smoked paprika, then pour in the beer, the fire-roasted tomatoes, the water and the saffron threads. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Put the sausage and chicken pieces back in the pot, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer until the rice has absorbed the cooking liquid and the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Five minutes before serving, stir in the peas and the parsley, cover the pan and let the finished dish rest undisturbed until the peas are heated through.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Arroz Con Pollo

Plum Kuchen

Published on September 15, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

What a week, and it isn’t over yet…ugh. I am staring at the mound of bills and papers on my desk at home, just wondering when I am ever going to get through everything – let alone the emails in my inbox that just keep piling up. If I owe you a mail, I am not ignoring you, I swear. I hate these types of weeks. After a week like this, I need an entire day just to bake. It is the only way I can get through it. I have already decided what I am making this weekend…and I can’t wait. The swimming pool closed last weekend, which means fall is here – and fall baking is my absolute favorite.

Last weekend my neighbor dropped off a huge bag of plums from their tree. I am pretty sure they are not bakers – and they do not know I have a blog – but I figured I had no excuse not to make something with all those plums. I saw a recipe a while ago in Cooking Light for Plum Kuchen, and made it soon afterwards – and it was surprisingly delicious. I don’t even like plums, but the cake had a layer of caramelized sugar around it, and the plums basically baked right into the batter. It was pretty awesome. I even made it for my family when I was visiting them back east, and everyone seemed to love it (or else they were just happy to have me bake). I barely made a dent in the plums they gave me, so can you guess what I am baking this weekend?

Ingredients

6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
7 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds plums, quartered and pitted
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Cut in 4 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine milk, vanilla, and egg in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir until just combined.

Spoon batter into a 9-inch round metal cake pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange plums in a circular pattern over batter.

Combine remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, lemon rind, and allspice in a small bowl, stirring well. Place remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 30 seconds or until butter melts. Stir into sugar mixture. Sprinkle plums evenly with sugar mixture. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until browned and bubbling. Cool in pan 1 hour on a wire rack. Cut into wedges.

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

Strawberry Cobbler

Published on September 11, 2011 by Dawn6 Comments

Today is such a significant day – not for food, but for life. This day 10 years ago was one of the saddest days I can remember, and what followed in my life a few days later changed my life forever. I remember getting into my car a little after 6am PST to drive to the gym before heading to work, and they were talking about how an airplane just hit the World Trade Towers. I was shocked, and immediately called my husband to turn on TV. Both of us very naively just assumed it was an accident – but then not too long afterwards, it happened again. I knew then it was not an accident.

At this point I was at the gym watching for myself on the television screens. I was in awe, I loved those buildings, I had visited the top deck many times, and it was one of my favorite places to visit in NYC. I kept thinking about the people inside, and how they were all going to get out. I thought about the people I knew that worked around that area, hoping they were safe. When the towers came down, it just about killed me. What killed me more though was how little people understood out in Seattle the true magnitude of what had happened. Most of the people I worked with had never visited these buildings. I barely made it through the day, it was all I could think about – and that lasted all week. I walked around in a haze, my heart going out to all the people who lost someone, and to the people of NYC whose city was invaded.

Saturday of that week, I learned that I was pregnant with my first daughter. Unfortunately I wasn’t even happy about it at the time, I was just too consumed with what had happened that week. Eventually my mind shifted to our new baby, and away from the World Trade Towers, but it took a while. When she was born, it was love at first sight – and to this day, I am reminded of the wonderful gift I received that week, when so many people were suffering.

This recipe was all her idea – I wanted to make a cobbler, but she wanted a strawberry dessert – so she convinced me to try a strawberry cobbler. I looked for a recipe, but found nothing, so instead, I used one from the Mixed Berry Cobbler in Bon Appetit and adapted it heavily. This was outstanding, one of the best cobblers I have ever made. I loved the strawberry color all baked into the crust – it was sweet, and delicious, the perfect summertime dessert. I am reminded daily of the wonderful gift I received that week – although my heart goes out to the people who continue to suffer…

Ingredients

Filling

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
7 cups (1 3/4-2 pounds) fresh strawberries (halved if large)

Dough

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for surface
1/4 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
1/2 cup chilled whole milk plus more for brushing
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Preparation

Filling

Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400°. Whisk sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Add strawberries to bowl and toss to coat. Transfer berry mixture to a 2-quart baking dish about 2″ deep. Set aside to macerate while making dough.

Dough

Whisk 1 1/3 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; using fingertips, rub in butter until coarse meal forms. Add 1/2 cup milk and stir just until dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead 5 or 6 times, then pat or roll dough into a 9×6″ rectangle. Cut dough in half lengthwise, then crosswise 3 times, forming 8 rectangles. Arrange biscuits 1/2″ apart over fruit. Brush tops lightly with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake until fruit is bubbling and biscuits are just cooked through and golden all over, about 35 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes; serve with vanilla ice cream.

DO AHEAD: Cobbler can be made up to 3 hours ahead. Rewarm at 350° if desired.

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

Pina Colada Sorbet

Published on September 7, 2011 by Dawn8 Comments

First day of school, and we made it…whew! My older daughter started fourth grade today, and my younger one started kindergarten, what a milestone! My older daughter was thrilled that she was given a low locker in the high school they moved her program into – and the cushion we brought in to put on the chair actually propped her up enough to reach the desk. It’s the little things that count… My younger one was ecstatic about her teacher, and the fact that I got to pack her a lunch today. Even though her pre-school friends were split up into separate classrooms, she made a new friend today and was so proud. Aside from the fact that the bus dropped my older daughter off an hour late, at least they picked her up this morning, which was more than other people could say. All in all, it was a very good day.

Now, back to the weather, my favorite blog topic of late. All summer we were waiting for the sun to come out, and in the last two weeks, we have not seen a cloud. The schools are not air-conditioned, and those poor kids coming out of my younger daughter’s classroom, they all looked completely droopy by the end of the day. The ice-cream man could have made a fortune coming by the school when the bell rang today. Well, I didn’t have any ice-cream in the house – but this Pina Colada Sorbet from Cooking Light sure was perfect for a day like today. The pineapple really made this sorbet, and I used very ripe, fresh stuff – as sweet as can be. For a dairy-free dessert – this cannot be beat. So – I asked both my girls today if they had any homework today – and they said, “No, but you do”…now I have to get back to the mountain of papers to fill out – lucky me!! I thought they were the ones in school?

Ingredients

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light coconut milk
2/3 cup cream of coconut

Preparation

Place first 3 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth and sugar dissolves. Combine pureed pineapple mixture, coconut milk, and cream of coconut in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon sorbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Pina Colada Sorbet

Cilantro-Scallion Bread

Published on September 3, 2011 by Dawn18 Comments

Today I finally did something that I have been wanting to do for years…I took a food photography class!! When I bought my camera, I had all the good intentions of reading the manual – but there was that little problem called time. I had no time, and every spare moment I had, I wanted to be snapping pictures, not reading. So, instead of learning the correct way, I just learned by trial and error. Up until today, I really had no idea what I was doing, but my pictures were turning out ok, so I just kept going. Believe me, after one class, I am no means an expert, but at least I know what white balance is!! I am so excited.

So back to this class, it was amazing, everything about it. I took the class The Pantry, which I believe was started by Brandi. It is also affiliated with this awesome pizza restaurant which is owned Molly and her husband Brandon. All of a sudden the Seattle food world seems to be getting smaller and smaller… The class was taught by a women named Ashley who takes photographs for Bon Appetit …and I met people like Holli, Stacy and Bray – I felt fortunate to be in the company of these talented women.

I am excited to start experimenting with what I learned…but in the meantime, I will post this fabulous recipe that I found in Bon Appetit. These were quite easy and quick to make, for a yeast recipe that is, and they were delicious. The girls both loved them, which was really amazing – since they pretty much stay away from anything green these days. I will definitely be making these again, and next time I will take an even more striking picture…let’s hope anyway!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 3/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped scallions
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (if you can find them)
3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for bowl and brushing

Preparation

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour 1/2 cup warm water (105°-115°) into a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar over; let stand until mixture bubbles, about 10 minutes.

Place flour, butter, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar in bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat in egg, yolk, and yeast mixture, scraping down sides.

Knead on medium speed until dough is soft and smooth, about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball; transfer to a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine scallions and cilantro in a food processor and pulse to finely chop. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in all sesame seeds and 3 tablespoons oil and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll dough into a 18×9″ rectangle. Spoon scallion mixture evenly onto center and spread mixture to corners of dough. Working from one short edge, roll dough rectangle into a cylinder. Cut cylinder into 3/4″ dough swirls. Transfer dough swirls to prepared baking sheet; brush with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cilantro-Scallion Bread

Classic Coleslaw

Published on August 31, 2011 by Dawn2 Comments

The good old classic coleslaw, it almost goes synonymous with a summer holiday weekend. Coleslaw goes with anything, especially anything that has been grilled. This summer in NYC, we visited one of my favorite delis, the one that brings a big metal bowl of pickles and one of coleslaw to every table. I couldn’t even wait for my corned beef sandwich to come, I just had to dig right in. Fortunately there were six of us, so they brought us a few bowls of coleslaw, because I plowed through one of them pretty quickly. By the time my sandwich came, I had to dig into the second bowl. Their coleslaw is amazing, there is no mayonnaise, just a vinegar dressing that the cabbage has been soaking in for probably days. It is crunchy and absolutely addicting – by itself, or in between a sandwich that is already bigger than your mouth. Oh wait, and did I tell you about the chocolate soda they bring around after your meal? Just classic.

I decided to make some coleslaw to go with our BBQ, and I searched for a recipe that would be good, and I just couldn’t find anything that appealed to me – until I found this on Epicurious (from Bon Appetit). I figured since it was called Classic Coleslaw, I couldn’t go wrong. Really what sold me on the recipe was the fact that it had diced dill pickles and pickle juice in the dressing. I decided to change the recipe slightly though, and added radicchio instead of purple cabbage, for a nice twist. I was glad I did, I liked the slight bitterness with the tangy dressing. So – it still didn’t hold a candle to the deli coleslaw, but it was still classic in its own way. Look at that picture, is that classic coleslaw or what?

Ingredients

2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons minced dill pickle plus 2 tablespoons pickle brine
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 cups shredded carrots
3 cups shredded radicchio

Preparation

Whisk the first 9 ingredients in a medium bowl to blend.

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

Toss the cabbage, carrots and raddichio together in a large serving bowl. Add the dressing, and mix to coat.

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

Margarita Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Published on August 28, 2011 by Dawn3 Comments

Years ago I had an idea…I should open a store where I sell different types of cookies, and different flavors of ice-cream, and you can choose the top, bottom, and insides of your custom ice-cream sandwich. I thought it was brilliant, but I wasn’t about to quit my day job, so it just ended up being a fantasy. Over the years, I have seen glimpses of this idea come to fruition – but nothing exactly like it until my last trip to New York City.

New York City is a food lovers mecca – and I have to go every year to get my fix. I love spending weeks figuring out exactly where we are going to eat, and carefully planning each meal. This last trip went extremely well, I am not sure we had a bad dish all week – and we even stumbled upon some bonus places that we were not anticipating (Eataly being one that is not to be missed). A week before we were leaving, I heard about The Meatball Shop – and even though I didn’t have a meal to spare – once I read about this place, I had to switch some things around. We had to go…and we were so glad we did. The meatballs were amazing, seriously, the best I have ever had – but get the dessert – exactly my store. They had 6 different cookies, 6 different ice-creams, and you chose the top and bottom cookie, then your ice-cream – and you have created your very own creation. For $4, it could not be beat. The entire week we were thinking about how we could go back.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I really felt like they were thinking outside the box with this one. I loved the salted sugar cookies along with the lime sherbet mixed with vanilla ice-cream – it was genius. The flavors were perfect together, and if you closed your eyes, you thought you were drinking a margarita. My daughter on the other hand, was not too excited when she bit into the cookie and realized that it was not just sugar on top, it was also salt. She was not pleased. But for adults who love that combination, it cannot be beat. So – if you can’t get to NYC anytime soon, and you are craving a creative ice-cream sandwich, here is a great one for you – although it might just be too good for kids…they need to acquire the taste first.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
5 teaspoons grated lime rind, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
11 1/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 cups vanilla reduced-fat ice cream, softened
2 cups lime sherbet, softened

Preparation

Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg, 1 tablespoon lime rind, and lime juice; beat 2 minutes or until well combined.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon table salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat just until combined.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch log. Wrap logs individually in plastic wrap; chill 3 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut each log into 16 (about 1/3-inch-thick) slices, and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cookies evenly with remaining 2 teaspoons lime rind, turbinado sugar, and sea salt. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on pans on a wire rack. Remove from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.

Place vanilla ice cream and sherbet in a medium bowl; lightly fold and swirl together. Scoop 1/4 cup ice cream mixture onto bottom of one cookie, and top with one cookie. Cover each sandwich with plastic wrap; freeze 4 hours or until firm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Margarita Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chicken Breasts with Tomato-Herb Pan Sauce

Published on August 24, 2011August 25, 2011 by Dawn7 Comments

I feel like I keep harping on this subject – but I swear, this has been the worst summer in the 15 years I have lived in Seattle. We are back into red right now though with temperatures reaching into the high 70s, and you can hear the cheering from miles away – but unfortunately it came a little late this year, and it doesn’t look like we are going to have many cherry tomatoes to enjoy. My husband always planted a variety – some cherries, some big mamas, and some in between – but we always loved the cherries the best. Finally a couple of years ago – he made a big decision…the garden would only have cherry tomatoes. Why not grow just the good stuff? I thought we would be missing out – that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy that wonderful tomato sauce, or make salsa – but I was surprised. I could do all that with the cherry tomatoes, and they actually made everything taste sweeter and better!

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it sat in my pantry for quite a while waiting for the cherry tomatoes to turn ripe, when I finally couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to go to the market and actually pay for them. At least I was able to find them at the farmer’s market, where they looked reasonably fresh – although they were probably driven in from eastern Washington. Needless to say, this chicken dish was amazing. So sweet and delicious – the tender pieces of chicken took on that wonderful flavor, and it was just a party in my mouth. Even the kids liked the chicken, although I had to remove the tomatoes – but no problem at all, that meant more for me. I served this with some rice, and just scooped the leftover tomatoes on top of the rice – they were ridiculous. So if you live in a place that had a hot summer – and you are wondering what to do with all those cherry tomatoes – look no further…here is the recipe for you…enjoy!!!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram or oregano
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes (11-12 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Mash butter, garlic, marjoram, and paprika in a small bowl to blend. Season marjoram butter to taste with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 tablespoon marjoram butter in a medium heavy skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet, cover, and cook until no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Tent chicken with foil to keep warm.

Increase heat to high. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add remaining marjoram butter to skillet. Crush tomatoes slightly to release juices; stir 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon tomato sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chicken Breasts with Tomato

Cherry Hand Pies

Published on August 21, 2011August 22, 2011 by Dawn12 Comments

So remember when I posted this, I mentioned I had saved some cherries to make something else as well? I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, right around the time that we were picking all the cherries, so I was super excited. I just love puffed pastry…it is so easy to work with, and everything comes out looking so impressive when in reality it was actually pretty simple. I decided though that it was time to try a new puffed pastry…and I am so glad I did.

I mentioned a while ago that my husband has eliminated dairy from his diet. It actually has been easier than I thought – although I am still eating dairy. I have been trying to make more dairy free desserts – but I just love baking with butter, and I have not eliminated it from the house. Since there are still three people in the house that eat dairy, sometimes he just has to go without the baked goods. The other week I was in Whole Foods though, and I noticed a puffed pastry that was dairy free – I was very intrigued, because to me puffed pastry is really just about the butter – but how can puffed pastry be bad? I was about to find out. I decided to try these Cherry Hand Pies using the dairy-free dough because I knew the cherries would be amazing, and balance out any strange taste the puffed pastry ended up having. Well – I was shocked – I couldn’t tell the difference whatsoever – these were fabulous – and I didn’t miss the butter flavor at all! Best of all, my husband was extremely appreciative – so much so that he ate three the night I made them. So – if dairy is not your friend, you must go to Whole Foods and find this product – you will be so happy you did!

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
2 cups fresh cherries, stemmed and pitted, or about 12 ounces frozen pitted cherries, unthawed
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
11.4-ounce package all-butter puff pastry (preferably Dufour), thawed in refrigerator
Flour (for dusting)
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons raw sugar

Preparation

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl to blend. Combine fresh cherries and next 4 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cherry juices are released, about 5 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture; bring to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 18×15″ rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into nine 6×5″ rectangles. Whisk egg white and 1 tablespoon water in another small bowl for egg wash.

Working with 1 pastry rectangle at a time, place on a work surface and brush edges with egg wash. Scoop 3 tablespoons cherry mixture onto one side; fold dough over filling so that short ends meet, forming a 5×3″ packet. Crimp edges with a fork to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut a few slits in top of pie to vent. Place on prepared baking sheet; repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Brush tops with egg wash, then sprinkle with raw sugar. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake pastries until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely.

DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cherry Hand Pies

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Preparation

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Ingredients

Preparation

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Ingredients

Preparation

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Ingredients

Preparation

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Ingredients

Preparation

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Ingredients

Preparation

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