Category: Breakfast

Frittata Bites with Spinach, Sausage, and Feta

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

Frittata is one of those dishes that I struggle with.  There are just so many combinations that work well, it is very hard to decide what to put in the mixture.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I loved the idea that this was considered an appetizer by cutting up the frittata in small squares.  Normally when I make a frittata, it is the main course – and I cut it into large wedges – but as I have mentioned before – there is something about small bites that everyone (especially kids) love just a little bit more.

When it came down to actually making the frittata, I was torn.  I knew I was going to use spinach (instead of the chard that the recipe called for) – and I liked the idea of spinach and sausage – but then came the hard part – the cheese.  I was very tempted to use parmesan, since I love the combination of spinach, sausage and parmesan – but I just couldn’t get that feta out of my head.  I knew I had to go for it.  The result was extremely delicious – the combination worked perfectly.  It made a wonderful side dish at dinner, and then a great breakfast the next morning.  What a bonus! 

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 12-ounces baby spinach
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 8 ounces mild Italian sausages, casings removed, sausage broken into 1-inch pieces
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 41/2 ounces)
  • Fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add Swiss chard and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Drain. Finely chop chard, then place in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Set chard aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and sauté until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until brown and cooked through, breaking up with fork, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Add chard and cooled sausage mixture, then feta; stir to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish.

Bake frittata until set in center, 45 to 55 minutes. Transfer baking dish to rack and cool frittata 15 to 20 minutes. Place platter atop dish with frittata. Using oven mitts, hold baking dish and platter firmly together and invert frittata onto platter; place another platter atop frittata and invert again so that frittata is right side up. Cut frittata into 20 pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Place frittata pieces on rimmed baking sheet. Cover and chill. Rewarm in 325°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Transfer frittata pieces to platter. Garnish each piece with parsley; serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 small squares.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Frittata Bites with Spinach

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Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

Ingredients

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup plain yogurt
  • 3 cups fresh blueberries

Special Equipment

  • 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk flour and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and honey in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl until creamy. With mixer running on medium speed, gradually add egg mixture; beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture just to blend. Add ricotta and yogurt; beat on low speed just to blend. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Scatter 1 1/2 cups blueberries over. Spoon remaining batter over in dollops, then spread to cover blueberries. Scatter remaining blueberries over. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.

Serves 12

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

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Pop Tarts

Published on by Dawn9 Comments

Pop tarts.  Those two words meant so much to me as a child – the forbidden fruit…I had heard about them, but never actually tasted them myself.  I remember when I was about 10 – my sister and I were visiting my grandparents at the beach.  For some reason there were a lot of kids at the beach and probably 2 babysitters.  We somehow started playing a game with the other kids – and I specifically remember one of the babysitters saying that after we finish the game, it would be time for a snack.  I looked over by the sea wall, where the babysitters stuff was, and there was a box of Pop Tarts.  I felt like I won the lottery.  I couldn’t believe it – I was actually going to taste one.

A few minutes later my grandmother called down to my sister and I, and it was time for us to head back for lunch.  I asked if we could stay, but for some important reason (which I obviously can’t remember now, so it must have been REALLY important) we couldn’t.  I missed my chance.  I couldn’t believe I was so close, but couldn’t snag the prize.

Years later I actually did try my first Pop Tart, and I wasn’t that impressed.  I thought, maybe they need to be toasted to be really super delicious.  So, I toasted one, and again – I wasn’t that impressed.  I was so disappointed!  I had built up these Pop Tarts in my mind so much, and after waiting so many years – what a bummer.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and there was no way I was passing these babies up.  I decided that maybe if I made them from scratch, they would be everything I dreamed about.  I was right – they were.  They were tender and buttery – with just the right amount of sweetness – and when you broke them apart, the filling oozed out.  What a treat.  Next time I am trying them with the brown sugar filling…

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus additional for shaping and rolling
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 4 tablespoons ice water
  • 12 tablespoons strawberry preserves (preferably organic homemade)
  • Powdered sugar
  • Fresh strawberries

Preparation

Whisk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, coarse salt, and sugar in large bowl. Add butter. Using fingertips or back of fork, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water by tablespoonfuls, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball. Divide in half; shape each half into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough on floured surface to about 13×11 inches. Trim to 12×10-inch rectangle, then cut into eight 5×3-inch rectangles.

Arrange 4 rectangles, spaced apart, on each sheet. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons preserves in row down center of each rectangle. Top preserves with second dough rectangle. Using fingertips, gently press all edges of each tart to seal; press all edges with tines of fork to double-seal. Using toothpick, poke a few holes in center of top dough rectangle. Cover; freeze tarts on sheets at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake frozen tarts uncovered until golden, reversing sheets after 15 minutes, 25 to 30 minutes total (some preserves may leak out). Immediately transfer tarts to rack. Sift powdered sugar lightly over. Serve warm or at room temperature with fresh berries.

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

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Scrambled Eggs with Leeks, Fava Beans, Crispy Breadcrumbs and Parmesan

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

Breakfast for dinner – I love it.  In fact – I make it a point to serve breakfast for dinner one night each week.  My kids just love it.  Most of the time I serve egg sandwiches – occasionally I make pancakes – and every once in a while I find a recipe that I want to make that takes us in a completely different direction. 

Last month in Bon Appetit I saw this recipe and all I could think about was spring.  Fava beans and leeks just remind me of spring – one of the most memorable dishes I remember eating before my older daughter was born (and she was born at the end of may) was a risotto with fava beans.  The funny thing is, I saw my neighbor who helps out at the local farmers market and asked him if there were a lot of fava beans at the market – and he said it was too early!  He did have some extra leeks for me – but I had to head to the regular market to find the fava beans.  So maybe in the Pacific NW, fava beans are more late spring. 

This dish was delicious – although I would have much preferred fresh from the farmer’s market fava beans.  The crunchy breadcrumbs on top were a great combination with the eggs – and 4 of us almost completely devoured this.  It is not too often that I eat 3 eggs for dinner, but when it is so good, you can’t stop.

Ingredients

Crispy breadcrumbs:

  • 1 1/2 cups coarsely torn French bread
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fine sea salt

Eggs:

  • 1 cup peeled fresh fava beans or frozen (double-peeled)
  • 12 large eggs (preferably organic)
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • 2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 2 large)
  • Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

For crispy breadcrumbs:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bread in medium bowl. Drizzle oil over, tossing to coat. Scatter bread pieces on small rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake until bread is golden brown, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm 3 minutes in 350°F oven before using.

For eggs:
Cook fava beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes. Drain. Whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in large bowl to blend.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add leeks. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Mix in fava beans. Increase heat to medium-high. Add egg mixture. Stir with heatproof spatula until eggs are almost set but still creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with pepper.

Transfer egg mixture to platter. Sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs. Grate Parmesan cheese over and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Scrambled Eggs with Leeks

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Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

There was a period in my life when I thought that biscuits were only made from Bisquick.  Boy am I glad I was wrong about that.  I just couldn’t understand why the biscuits I would make tasted so different from the biscuits I would get elsewhere.  Then I made my first buttermilk biscuit, and I was forever changed.  Biscuits made from flour and buttermilk can be so fluffy they almost melt in your mouth.  I love when they get crisp on the outside, and so nice and tender on the inside.  My favorite way to eat a biscuit is dipped in honey.  Although, a biscuit stuffed with a fried egg and ham is also pretty fantastic.

I saw these biscuits in Bon Appetit, and they were calling out to me.  Ok – biscuits made with bacon and cheddar – what could be better?  Nothing.  And these biscuits, they were amazing.  Beautifully fluffy on the inside, and so buttery tasting, they didn’t even need butter.  After I had one plain, I took another and dipped it in honey, and oh my goodness – what a treat.

This recipe makes 12 large biscuits – if you are looking for smaller biscuits, drop them by 1/3 cup instead of 1/2, and cook them for about 15 minutes or less.  Also – I cooked the bacon in the oven using my convection setting – at 400°F.  I left the recipe as is, since many people prefer to fry bacon up in a pan – but if you have a convection oven, I highly recommend that – it is easy, clean, and makes very crispy bacon.

Ingredients

  • 6 thick-cut bacon slices
  • 3 3/4 cups bread flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
  • 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk
  • Honey (optional)

Preparation

Position rack just above center of oven and pre-heat to 400°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired.  Makes 12 large biscuits.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

What is the difference between a Coffee Cake and a Crumb Cake?  This was the question I got when I served my daughter a nice big wedge.  I love the questions – because they really get me thinking – and sometimes I get to make up the answers – one of the benefits of being a Mom.  I told her that a Coffee Cake is a cake that goes well with coffee in the morning, and a Crumb Cake is a cake with a crumb topping.  They are not mutually exclusive.  Improvising at it’s finest – and I think she bought it.  Truthfully – I really don’t know the answer.  To me, a Crumb Cake is one of these – which were forbidden in my household growing up – but occasionally I would get lucky and one of my friends would share one with me at school.  When I went to college, these were definitely one of the first things I bought at the mini-mart when I was looking for a snack.  Now that I look back at them though, the problem was the topping, it blended in too much with the cake. 

Nowadays, when I make a cake with a crumb topping, I want a real crumbly topping, one that has a little bite to it – and a texture different from the cake.  I love a good Sour Cream Coffee Cake – and so does my husband.  We were at one of my favorite bakeries over the weekend – and we were eyeing the Coffee Cake in the case.  It just so happened that I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, so it gave me a perfect excuse to make it.  This was a delicious cake – extremely moist, flavorful – and a wonderful crumb topping.  The oats gave it the perfect amount of texture that it needed.  Definitely a Coffee Cake recipe worth saving.

Ingredients

  • 3/4  cup  old-fashioned rolled oats (about 2.5 ounces), divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 4.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
  • 1  ounce  whole-wheat flour (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1  teaspoon  baking powder
  • 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/2  cup  granulated sugar
  • 1/2  cup  packed brown sugar, divided
  • 1/3  cup  butter, softened
  • 2  large eggs
  • 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
  • 1  (8-ounce) carton light sour cream (such as Daisy)
  • 2  tablespoons  finely chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 1  tablespoon  chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and light brown.

Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Reserve 1/4 cup oats; set aside. Place remaining oats in a food processor; process 4 seconds or until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine processed oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Batter will be slightly lumpy because of oats.) Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup oats, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until well blended. Sprinkle top of batter evenly with nut mixture. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, top is golden, and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers

Published on by DawnLeave a comment

Do you ever make something just because the picture is beautiful?  I saw this picture in Bon Appetit, and went nuts.  It was so beautiful, I just had to make it – it really didn’t matter at all what the ingredients were, or if it sounded delicious to me – I just had to see if I could recreate the scene.  I remember when most of my cookbooks contained very few, or no pictures at all.  You had to imagine what the dish would actually look like – sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was completely wrong.  It was kind of fun actually – but I have to say, when cookbooks started printing lots of pictures, I was hooked.  I would spend hours in the bookstore flipping through the pictures, looking at all of the beautiful food.  Now that we have the internet, I don’t have to even leave my house – and I am inundated with so many beautiful things to make. 

This dish was tasty, but it definitely looked better than it tasted.  Don’t get me wrong, there was hardly any leftovers – and there were only 4 of us eating – but I wouldn’t say it was one of my most favorite dishes.  It was a good meal – that looked spectacular – and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • Coarse kosher salt
  • 1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
  • 8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped thyme, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Tomato-artichoke sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). Bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts

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Custard-Filled Corn Bread

Published on by Dawn9 Comments

Last year I was on a quest to find the perfect corn bread recipe – I swear every weekend I made a different one.  Eventually I will post what I think was the best one…but I found this recipe in Molly Wizenberg’s book, A Homemade Life and it was unlike any cornbread I have ever made before.  I had to give it a try.

Corn bread to me is the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews, or BBQ.  Any time I made any one of those, there is usually a side of corn bread to go with the meal.  I was making soup for dinner, so I had an excuse.  The recipe is strange – you make the batter, then right before you put it into the oven, you pour a cup of heavy cream right into the center of the pan, right on top of the batter, so it just swims aimlessly around the pan.  Then you carefully put it into the oven to bake.  I left it in the oven for an entire hour – until it was really nicely browned on top – but it still didn’t seem to be done.  I took it out anyway though because I didn’t want it to overcook – and let it sit for a while.  The funny part is, this is not a cornbread that you serve with dinner – this is dessert – a wonderful custard filled cake that you drizzle maple syrup on top of – and eat it with a spoon.  I didn’t realize this until it came out of the oven.  When I finally served it – the custard had set slightly, but it was still pretty runny.  I thought it was fabulous – but my daughter loved it the next night more – the custard had hardened – but when you put it in the microwave to warm it up, it became slightly soft and just a perfect consistency.  The first night I served it with maple syrup – the second with honey – both were fantastic.  My daughter asked if she could have it for breakfast the next morning…

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup yellow cormneal, preferably medium ground
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 ½ tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9″ round pan. Put the dish in the oven to warm while you’re preparing the batter. Don’t put the dish directly on a pizza stone if you have one in your oven. This applies while baking the cornbread too.

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave using medium power so that the butter doesn’t splatter everywhere. 

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cormeal, baking powder and baking soda.

When the butter has cooled a bit, add the eggs and whisk to blend well.  Then add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar and whisk well again.  Whisking constantly, add the flour mixture.  Mix until the batter is smooth and no lumps are visible.

Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour in the batter.  Carefully pour the cream into the center of the batter. Don’t stir! The cream will form a layer just under the surface of the batter. Bake for about an hour or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing.  Serve with maple syrup or honey.

Note:  Covered with plastic wrap, this bread will stay good at room temperature for 1 day.  If you put it into the refrigerator covered – it will last up to 3 days.  Leftovers are delicious at room temperature, or warmed in a low oven (or microwave).  Remember to serve with syrup or honey.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here:  Custard-Filled Corn Bread

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Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut Drizzle

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

The other day I was talking to someone about coffee cake – and my daughter asked me, “What makes a cake, a coffee cake?”  I thought about it for a minute, and decided it was all about the crumb topping.  Cakes that have a crumb topping are often called coffee cake – and for some reason that gives you permission to eat it in the morning with a cup of coffee.  I guess the crumb topping is usually in place of a sweet creamy frosting, but I have to say, a lot of coffee cakes have a nice sweet glaze on top that to me is even better than frosting.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and I love coconut, so I had to give it a try.  With my newly formed definition of coffee cake, this definitely fits the bill.  This moist cake was absolutely delicious – the coconut flavor paired perfectly with the chocolate chunks – and I have to say that the glaze was so good, I was licking the bowl after I finished drizzling it over the cake.  The only change I made to the recipe was to use unsweetened coconut on top as well as in the batter – sweetened coconut can sometimes be too much, and there was plenty of sweetness with the chocolate and glaze.

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (packed) finely grated orange peel
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate bars (do not exceed 61% cacao), broken into 1/2-inch irregular pieces, divided
  • 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Coconut Drizzle:

  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (or more) canned unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; dust pan with flour, shaking out excess. Sift 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and sea salt into medium bowl. Stir in unsweetened shredded coconut and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and orange peel in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with coconut milk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Fold in half of bittersweet chocolate pieces. Spread batter evenly in prepared cake pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate pieces over batter, then sprinkle with sweetened flaked coconut.

Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, tenting with sheet of foil if coconut atop cake is browning too quickly, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool in pan 45 minutes.

Coconut Drizzle
Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk, and vanilla in small bowl to blend well, adding more coconut milk by 1/2 teaspoonfuls until mixture is thin enough to drizzle over cake.

Carefully run small knife around sides of cake to loosen. Invert cake onto platter, then carefully invert again onto another platter, coconut side up. Using small spoon, drizzle powdered sugar mixture decoratively over cake. Cool cake completely on platter. DO AHEAD Cake can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover cake and let stand at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here:  Coconut Cake with Chocolate Chunks and Coconut Drizzle

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Fennel Hash

Published on by Dawn3 Comments

Here we go again…my fennel fetish.  A potato, celery root and fennel bulb went into a bar – and what happened?  They turned into hash!  Ok, that is really not funny at all, or makes any sense – but it is really late at night – and I am getting punchy.  I had these three ingredients – and decided that this recipe I saw in Bon Appetit was going to be my inspiration.  The recipe just called for fennel and potatoes, and then to mash the potatoes after they cooked – but I decided on something different.  Instead of using all the potatoes, I used some celery root, and I didn’t mash anything, I left them in chunks – and boy was it delicious.  I sat down to dinner, and I was blown away.  As soon as the yolk broke, I knew I should have taken a picture.  That first bite was all I needed to convince me – it was incredible.  The rich yolk over my favorite fennel combined with the celery root and potatoes – wow!  I quickly scarfed that down, and had to make another – and this time I took a picture so everyone else could enjoy it too.

Ingredients

  • 2 small fennel bulbs with fronds
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes, patted dry
  • 1/2 pound celery root, peeled, cut into 1/2-to 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

Cut fennel into 1/2-inch cubes (there should be about 4 scant cups). Cook fennel in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 minutes. Drain; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and celery root. Cook until golden and crisp, turning often, 20 to 25 minutes. Add fennel, salt, and pepper. Cook until fennel is golden, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in parsley. Serve hot with a fried or poached egg on top.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here:  Fennel Hash

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