Author: Dawn

Spinach Gunge

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

Before I get into the food – I am writing this without power.  Ok, I have power on my laptop, but I am without connectivity, and therefore will not be able to post this tonight like I had planned.  By the time I paste this into wordpress,  I will either be on a shuttle to work, or with some luck, they restored the power.  Good thing I actually finished making dinner before the power went out – but unfortunately I didn’t finish cleaning up, and now I have a mound of dishes in the dishwasher waiting for power.  What that also means, is that my girls are not going to have a cold lunch for camp tomorrow – I actually made them a complete lunch without even opening the refrigerator.  Peanut butter and fluff sandwiches it is!  I almost made one for myself they looked so good.

Ok, back to the post. I know what you are thinking right now – how can a dish called Spinach Gunge actually taste good?  The word gunge just sounds too much like grunge and sponge – how can anything called that be delicious?  Well, the funny thing is, when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, I thought the same thing.  Then I read the ingredients, and realized that this really was a version of creamed spinach – with a lot of cheese.  I decided to make this to see if the girls would eat it.  I knew I would eat it (because seriously, mix anything with butter, cream and cheese, and how can it taste bad?), but I wasn’t sure they would – and if they did, boy would I be proud.  So I gave it a whirl, but no such luck.  Neither one of them liked it, I on the other hand, absolutely loved it!  It was super creamy, lots of flavor – and look at that color – just spectacular!  I had to surround the bowl with more spinach just so you could see that it is exactly the same color – vibrant as can be.  So don’t be afraid – take the plunge – and make the spinach gunge!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed
  • 1 1/2 cup s(lightly packed) grated Pecorino, Parmesan, or Manchego cheese  (about 3 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup crème fraîche
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground  black pepper

Preparation

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in 4  batches, add spinach to pot, tossing to wilt between batches. Stir in cheese,  crème fraîche, and mustard. Using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food  processor, purée spinach mixture until very smooth. Season to taste with salt  and pepper.

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

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Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

Published on by Dawn1 Comment

I have to wonder what is with the cream pies lately – first coconut, now chocolate, am I suddenly becoming obsessed with cream pies?  No, don’t worry – I think after this one I am done for a while, but I have to admit, they are pretty amazing.  So, I have been putting off writing about this for a while…but I don’t think I can hold it in any longer.  My husband is allergic to dairy products – not just lactose, but dairy.  I still am not sure I have completely grasped it – but maybe writing this will help it sink in.  So what exactly does this mean?  It means that I am going to start making more sorbet, and more deserts without dairy.  It doesn’t mean that I am going to stop baking with butter though…I can’t, and my girls would be very upset if I did.  So – from now on, there will be certain deserts that he can enjoy, and certain ones that I will enjoy with the girls.  I have already starting cooking without dairy – using a lot of coconut milk, and even coconut yogurt – and for the most part it has worked pretty well.  Stay tuned…but again, if you are not interested in dairy-free cooking, you will still enjoy my blog, I am definitely not giving it up.  I am completely crazy about all things dairy…and that will not change.

So back to this pie – this has dairy written all over it (I of course used real whipped cream instead of the non-dairy whipped topping the recipe called for) – and I didn’t even try to substitute.  I brought this over to a friend’s house, so I didn’t have to consume the entire pie myself with a little help from my very slender daughters.  The pie (from Cooking Light) was outstanding – the chocolate had a hint of cinnamon (thus calling it “mexican”) and the graham cracker crust was amazing.  It was probably the last chocolate cream pie I will enjoy for a little while, I am just really glad it was so delicious…always nice to end on a high note.

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 cookie sheets), divided
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons egg white
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • Cooking spray

Filling:

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 3/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare the crust, reserve 1 tablespoon crumbs for topping. Combine the remaining crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl, stirring well. Stir in egg white and butter. Press crumb mixture into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 9 minutes or until lightly toasted; cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar and the next 7 ingredients (through egg yolk) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place the milk in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until milk reaches 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Gradually add hot milk to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Return milk mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; stir until smooth.

Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 10 minutes or until mixture cools, stirring occasionally. Spoon filling into crust, and cover surface of filling with plastic wrap. Chill for 3 hours or until set; remove plastic wrap. Spread the whipped topping over filling; sprinkle with reserved cracker crumbs.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

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Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing (Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies)

Published on by Dawn12 Comments

Whoopie pies were a big deal when I was growing up, and they seem to be making a comeback.  I remember when I was in high school, I went to my best friend’s house and we made them together.  It was that marshmallow cream filling that really did it for me.  I couldn’t get enough, or so I thought.  I also remember eating so many that I made myself sick.  Just like getting sick off of alcohol, that basically kept me away from whoopie pies for years.  Even the smell of them made me a little queasy.

Now they are back with a vengeance – you can go to stores and buy special whoopie pie pans, and at the auction we were at this winter, the basket of whoopie pies were one of the items that went the quickest.  Now you can get them in all flavors, and I must say – they no longer make me sick…  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and even though the title did not have the word whoopie anywhere, it was written all over the recipe when I read it.  I had to give these a try, just to see – and yes, these were definitely whoopie pie-ish.  A nice soft cookie, with a creamy and fluffy filling – the perfect dessert you can eat with your hands – and boy did the girls love these, even my older one that doesn’t like cream cheese frosting.  A big hit, all the way around!

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup (packed) finely grated peeled carrots (from 10 to 12 ounces; grated on small holes of box  grater)
  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising  flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground  cinnamon

Icing

  • 1 cup powdered  sugar
  • 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 large rimmed baking sheets with  parchment. Place raisins and oats in small bowl; add 1/4 cup water. Let soak  until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Beat butter and both sugars in large  bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg, then carrots. Add flour and cinnamon; beat to  blend. Stir in raisin-oat mixture and 1/2 cup nuts (batter will be sticky). Drop  batter by level tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until light golden, about 20  minutes (cookies will be soft). Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to racks  and cool completely.

Icing

Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread icing  on cookies.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

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Stuffed Zucchini with Cheesy Breadcrumbs

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

I remember the summers when we had zucchini coming out of our ears – yes literally – we ran out of ideas on what to do with them, and after making 20 loaves of zucchini bread, we just went about nuts.  I sautéed them, I grated them and made frittata, I made pancakes, I roasted them, I did everything.  One of my neighbors actually came over with a book dedicated to zucchini recipes – I still have the book, it is a classic – but now for some reason zucchini doesn’t grow well in our garden, and every year I hope and pray that we will have bushels of the stuff, and it doesn’t happen.  Isn’t that always the case?

So – for the past couple of years I have actually gone to the store and bought some – I know, it seems almost wrong, but I do – because sometimes I find a recipe I just have to make, and I can’t wait for the possibility that we might get a couple out of the garden.  I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I decided to had to go buy some to try this one out.  Boy am I glad I did, these were excellent!  The girls loved the stuffing, but not the actual zucchini – so I let them just have some stuffing, and I ate the zucchini, even that was delicious.  I had tons of stuffing left over – so I even went back to the store the next day to get some more.  What a wonderful way to use zucchini this summer…and if you don’t get any in your garden, this makes buying them in the store completely worthwhile.

Ingredients

  • 3 (1.3-ounce) slices day-old whole-wheat bread
  • 3 medium zucchini
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup canned artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Set aside.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell. Chop pulp. Place zucchini halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini pulp and onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, artichoke hearts, thyme, and garlic; cook 45 seconds. Add wine; cook 1 minute or until most of liquid evaporates. Combine breadcrumbs and onion mixture in a large bowl; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients. Spoon 1/2 cup breadcrumb mixture into each zucchini shell. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until just tender.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Stuffed Zucchini with Cheesy Breadcrumbs

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Ganache-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

Ever since I made these, I have been thinking about making them again – but doing things a bit differently to make sure that the Ganache stays intact.  Someone even commented on the post and alerted me to a web discussion going on about this very issue – with the very recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. It was an interesting discussion, I could tell that there were a lot of frustrated bakers out there.  I wasn’t that frustrated just because the cupcakes were so outstanding, so what if the Ganache ended up melting through the cake. Still, it was fascinating.  There was even one person that suggested Cook’s Illustrated PhotoShopped the picture, and made it look like the Ganache stayed together.  Whatever will be, will be.  But I wanted another chance.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it was the word “filled” that caught my attention.  I read the recipe, and there it was – fill the cupcakes after they bake.  I know, I know – of course that’s how you do it – but it was so cool to think you could actually put a spoonful of Ganache on the batter, and have the cake bake around it.  That method just wasn’t in the cards for me, and I decided that filling the cupcakes after they bake was the only way for me to be successful quickly – without making hundreds of cupcakes to figure out the best method.  Well, this one certainly worked – the problem was that the filling and the frosting were the best parts – the cake was nothing to write home about.  Nothing like the cake in the this version.  So – I bet you can guess what I am going to do next?  Exactly – this process with the other cake – I can’t wait!

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 7 1/2 ounces; do not exceed  61%  cacao)

Filling and Frosting

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (do not exceed 61% cacao)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Pinch of coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup standard muffin pans  with paper liners. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into medium  bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and  fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well incorporated  after each addition. Beat in vanilla, half of flour mixture, then 1 cup hot  water. Add remaining flour mixture; beat just until blended. Let batter stand  until cooled and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.  Divide batter among muffin papers (about ¼ cup batter each).

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out with  some crumbs attached, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool cupcakes completely in  pans.

Filling and Frosting

Bring cream just to boil in heavy small saucepan. Place  chocolate chips in medium bowl; pour hot cream over. Let stand 1 minute, then  whisk until melted and smooth. Let stand at room temperature until cool and  firm, about 2 hours. (Alternatively, chill ganache until cool and firm, stirring  occasionally, about 1 hour.)

DO AHEAD Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let  stand at room temperature.

Whisk 1/3 cup water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and  coarse salt to blend in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely  simmering water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until soft peaks form, about  5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water and continue beating until frosting is  cool to touch, stiff, and billowy, about 2 minutes. Beat vanilla into  frosting.

Using thumb, press down center of each cupcake from top to  bottom, forming deep pocket. Spoon or pipe ganache into pocket  of each  cupcake.

Frost cupcakes, forming tall peaks.

DO AHEAD Cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room  temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Ganache-Filled Chcoolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

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Pistachio and Dried-Cherry Biscotti

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

I love a good biscotti – in fact, I would much rather have a biscotti than a cookie any day of the week.  I didn’t always feel that way though, over the years I have grown to love that crunchy-not-too-sweet cookie.  I remember when I went to college, and my grandmother sent me a care package.  I was so excited, I ripped the box open, and there was a big tin of Mandel Bread.  I was a little let down.  Yes, I did love anything she made for me, but Mandel Bread was just not my favorite.  It was hard and crunchy, and not very sweet – but my grandmother was smart.  Mandel Bread stays fresh for days, even weeks, in a container.  At that point I didn’t drink coffee – but now that I think back to that delicious Mandel Bread, it would have been perfect dunked into a strong cup of espresso.

So – over the past few weeks, with the end of the school year – things have been a little crazier than usual.   In addition, work has been keeping me extremely busy these days, starting very early in the morning and going late into the evenings.  I have had a lot of baking to do for specific events, and I have had to choose my baked goods very carefully – looking particularly for ones I can bake ahead of time.  I found this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I knew they would last at least the three days they mentioned in the text.  Usually I like to make biscotti and coat them in chocolate, but the dried cherries with the pistachios looked so flavorful that I would be able to skip a step.  These were outstanding – so nice and crunchy, and chock full of cherries.   They had a wonderful flavor that went perfectly with a nice cup of espresso.  I think they were a big hit at the event I made them for…and fortunately I was good and ready and not stressed beforehand.  Thanks Nan for turning me onto these amazing treats…

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1  cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 tsp. baking  powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking  soda
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher  salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp.vegetable  oil
  • 1 Tbsp. orange  zest
  • 2 tsp. lemon  zest
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. almond  extract
  • 1 cup dried cherries
  • 1 cup unsalted, shelled pistachios

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with  parchment paper. Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted  with a paddle. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl,  whisk together eggs and next 5 ingredients. Add egg mixture to flour mixture;  beat on low speed until combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Fold in cherries and  pistachios.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; divide in half.  Using floured hands, shape each dough half into a 16″-long log. Brush off excess  flour; transfer logs to prepared sheet, spaced 5″ apart. Flatten each log into a  2″-wide strip. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until browned and set,  about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to  250° and arrange 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom  third.

Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer  biscotti to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut each strip diagonally  into 2/3″-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking  sheets.

Bake biscotti, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until  crisp, about 40 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks; let cool.

DO  AHEAD Can be made at least 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room  temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Pistachio and Dried-Cherry Biscotti

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Jalapeno Corn Pudding

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

Growing up on the east coast, I looked forward to the short window that would open each summer when we would finally get fresh corn on the cob.  During that window, I think we had it with dinner almost every night.  If I remember correctly though, the window didn’t last very long, and then you were back to frozen or canned until the following year.

When I moved to Denver, the window seemed to be much bigger – it must have been because of the long hot summers we had.  One summer by boyfriend (now husband) decided he wanted to grow his own corn in our small 3×10 rectangle of land we called our garden.  He carefully mapped out just a small portion (since he didn’t want to give up on any of the other veges) of the plot to attempt the corn.  Sure enough, come August, we had a few ears of fresh corn to eat, right from our own garden.  It was pretty amazing.

Now we are here in Seattle, where the window for fresh corn on the cob is the biggest yet – it starts in mid-June and easily goes through August.  Seems a little counterintuitive, since we have only had about 3 days so far above 70 degrees, and barely any sun? But yes, the corn gets shipped in from Eastern Washington, and for the most part it is pretty good.  Nothing like right from the garden, but better than frozen or canned.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and even though the corn was not nearly as sweet as it will be this summer, the dish was still wonderful.  You definitely want to serve this immediately for best results, since it comes out of the oven nice and puffed up (due to the egg whites), but I was still eating leftovers a few days later, and warmed up in the microwave, it was still delicious.  It is perfect next to a delicious rack of ribs, or some other BBQ food – but we had it with some delicious Carnitas at a friend’s house, and it was the ideal side dish.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup fresh corn kernels
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped seeded jalapeno chiles
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipped cream
  • 1 cup chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 1 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese or sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butt a 2-quart shallow baking dish.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, corn, jalapeno, and garlic; saute until soft, about 4 minutes.  Stir in cornmeal.  Add milk and cream; stir over medium heat until thick batter forms, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in red peppers, green onions, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper;  cool 15 minutes.  Stir in egg yolks. Using mixer with clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form.  Fold whites into batter.  Transfer to dish.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake pudding until top is golden and center is just set, about 35 minutes.  Serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Jalapeno Corn Pudding

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Mango-Coconut Sherbet

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

My family goes a little nuts over mango.  Ok, yes, I have my own obsessions that are slight oddly:  fennel, cucumbers in cocktails, cream cheese frosting – but mango?  Definitely not one of my must haves in life.  I actually love the flavor of mango – I just hate cutting them up.  I hate that strangely shaped pit – and I also hate it when you cut the mango too close to the pit, and the mango gets a little fibrous – almost hairy.

For a while I was getting mango in our CSA basket, and I dreaded the day I actually had to slice them open.  I swear my girls (even my husband) would circle like vultures, trying to get as much mango as they possibly could – making it almost a competition between the three of them.  I always had to tell them to go sit down and let me slice in peace – the last thing I wanted was to slice one of their hands instead.  I finally stopped getting them, it was getting too dangerous.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I have to say, I do love a good mango sorbet.  The fact that this had coconut milk in it made it that much more interesting to me.  I pretty much love anything with coconut milk – yes, I guess another one of my obsessions.  I had to buy some mango to make this, but I told my family that these were off-limits.  They waited patiently all week for them to get ripe, and for me to make the sherbet.  Well, I think it was worth the wait – this was pretty spectacular.  I swear I could have just stopped before putting the mixture in the ice-cream machine – it was so smooth and delicious – tasted just like a mango smoothie – but the final product was excellent.  I served it two ways – with shredded coconut on top, and with grated lime peel.  Both were delicious.  If you are looking for a light dessert this summer, definitely mark this one down.  If I ever happen to have some spare mango lying around, I know exactly what to do with it – right, who am I kidding?

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cubed peeled ripe mango
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preparation

Combine cubed mango, sugar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and coconut milk in a blender; process until mixture is smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions to soft-serve consistency. Spoon sherbet into a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze 2 hours or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with coconut.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Mango-Coconut Sherbet

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Chicken and Carrot Stew

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

I was stuck inside a conference room all day today with no windows.  In a way, it would have been nice to look at the partially blue sky.  When I finally left the building, I decided not to put my jacket on because, after all, it is June.  That was a mistake – even with as nice as it was outside – it was still freezing.  Ok, so maybe not literally freezing, but certainly not a week away from summer weather.  Yes, in the Pacific Northwest, we call this Junuary.  The most dreaded month of the year.  The month when you finally start wigging out because of the weather.  At least in my family.

We moved here from Denver, one of the sunniest places in the US, and the first year we were here, I thought my husband was going to pack his bags and run back.  We have lasted 15 years, and I have no intention of ever leaving (except to go live in France that is…) – but every year June starts to wear me down.  What gets me through it?  Cooking.  At least when it is cool out, I still feel like cooking in the kitchen, and turning on the oven.  After all, we don’t have air conditioning when it does actually get warm out.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and even though it is technically not stew weather – it is here.  I really had no intention of posting this one, but it was my family that convinced me.  They loved it – all of them, especially the girls.  They even ate the cooked carrots, which is virtually impossible to get them to do.  The flavor of this stew was wonderful, and it really wasn’t too rich – even with the heavy cream.  It was a perfect meal to serve in Junuary.  For your sake, I hope you are firing up your BBQ – but if you get the urge to cook inside, or if you happen to live somewhere like me – here is a recipe that will make you smile.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 1/4-inch-thick rounds peeled carrots  (about 3 medium-large)
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2  medium)
  • 1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • Sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping  cream
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon  mustard
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • Fresh thyme sprigs (for  garnish)

Preparation

Cook carrots in large saucepan of boiling salted water 3  minutes. Add leeks to pan with carrots and cook until carrots are tender, about  3 minutes longer. Drain; set aside.

Sprinkle chicken with sea salt and freshly ground black  pepper. Whisk flour, thyme, and paprika in medium bowl. Toss chicken in flour  mixture. Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat. Add  chicken to skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Add wine;  boil until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Scatter carrots and leeks over  chicken. Add broth, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15  minutes. Add cream and mustard. Stir until sauce thickens slightly, about 2  minutes. Season sauce to taste with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to large  shallow bowl. Scatter parsley over and garnish with thyme  sprigs.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Chicken and Carrot Stew

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Coconut Cream Pie

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Coconut cream pie has always been one of those desserts I have held in very high regard.  It is a multi-step process, that if done right, is completely outrageous.  I remember growing up my grandmother used to make a lemon merengue pie – and every time she served it I secretly hoped that she decided against the lemon flavor and went with a coconut filling.  No such luck.  Her lemon merengue pie was outstanding, but lemon desserts were not my thing growing up.  When I finally got my first taste of coconut cream pie, I was hooked.  It was amazing – the best diner food ever.  After that, whenever I would see it on a menu, I had to go for it.  I have had a lot of different kinds over the years, but have never attempted to make one myself….until now.

There is a bakery in downtown Seattle that serves the most amazing coconut cream pie – they use real whipped cream as the topping with big pieces of shredded coconut.  The problem is that it is almost too rich for me.  A few bites is all I really need to feel satisfied that I had an amazing dessert.  I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and what appealed to me the most was the fact that the topping was merengue instead of whipped cream!  It reminded me of my grandmother’s pie – the way I longed for it – with coconut cream in the middle instead of lemon.  This pie was incredible.  You would never know it was a light recipe – it tasted just as rich and creamy as you would want your coconut cream pie – but the merengue offered it a lighter balance.  Both girls went nuts over the pie – especially my younger one, who seems to take after me when it comes to sweets.  She ate it nice and slow – to savor every bite.  I loved watching her eat it.

So, give this a try – perfect for an afternoon BBQ or a fancy dinner party – just so versatile, and your guests will be very impressed – and happy that you saved them a few calories in the process…

Ingredients

  • 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups 1% low-fat milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under; flute. Line dough with foil; arrange pie weights or dried beans on foil. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes; remove weights and foil, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Combine milk and half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 cups coconut. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; stir seeds and pod into milk mixture. Bring milk mixture to a simmer; immediately remove from heat. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve into a bowl. Gather edges of cheesecloth; squeeze over bowl to release moisture. Discard solids.

Combine 2/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter; whisk until smooth. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 6 minutes, stirring to cool. Pour into prepared crust. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Place 3 egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high-speed until soft peaks form. Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 250°. Pour hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over egg whites, beating at high-speed until thick. Spread meringue over pie. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top with toasted coconut before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Coconut Cream Pie

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