French Breakfast Muffins

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

French Breakfast Muffins

I have been a little busy lately, and didn’t have time to cook or bake anything this weekend.  My lovely daughter however finished all her homework and chores, and decided to bake some muffins for her breakfast this week.  They came out so good, I asked her if she wanted to be a guest blogger…so here she is.  This is something new for my blog, but I can tell, it is the beginning of something extremely wonderful.

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Hi, I’m Dawn’s 11 year old daughter. I really love food but this week I got braces and I’m struggling with finding food that I can eat. I also started sixth grade and my breakfast times have been cut shorter. Mostly I have oatmeal for breakfast because it’s soft and quick, but after a week of the same oatmeal, you sort of get tired of it.

I started searching on All Recipes for some breakfast items that I can actually eat and I came across these muffins. They are soft and easy to eat with braces and you can finish them off in 5 bites.  My mom was busy so I decided I would make them myself. They are pretty basic muffins but a pinch of nutmeg and the cinnamon on top makes all the difference. They are very moist and fluffy and came out looking fabulous. I only filled up the muffin cups 1/3 of the way with batter, but they rose up a lot in the oven and came out with little peaks on the top. I also love the cinnamon sugar on top and I think it gives it a nice almost sandy texture to add to the fluffiness of the muffin itself.

These muffins were really fun and easy to make so if you have kids that like to cook, maybe give them a try at these. Hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I do!

Ingredients

MUFFINS

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

CINNAMON-SUGAR TOPPING

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together egg, milk and 1/3 cup melted butter.  Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until just moistened (batter may be lumpy).  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cinnamon When muffins are finished baking, dip tops of muffins in the melted butter, and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Serve warm.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  French Breakfast Muffins

Spiced Palmiers

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

Spiced Palmiers

No, it’s not Valentine’s Day – but fall has definitely hit us like a ton of bricks here in the Pacific NW.  Fortunately we had a spectacular summer, so I am actually just fine that fall came a little early for us.  Normally September is one of our most beautiful months – but this year I feel like I live on the east coast.  The leaves are already starting to turn – go figure?

Today was a hard day – I have been dreading it for months – my older daughter got braces.  Now normally that wouldn’t be such a big deal – but my daughter is not a tough cookie.  She reminds me of the Princess and the Pea.  She definitely would know if there was a pea underneath her mattress, and wouldn’t sleep a wink.  Every little slight deviation in her body bothers her – and unfortunately I can’t relate.  I am basically on the opposite end of the spectrum.  The only reason why I stay home from work when I am sick is not to get other’s sick – and rarely do I take any type of medication.  Well, dinner was a tear-fest tonight, as she took a bite of the very soft homemade macaroni and cheese I made for dinner (leftover from last night, so even softer).  Then I tried giving her some chicken soup and dumplings (homemade ricotta dumplings that basically melted in your mouth), and that worked a little better – but the tears kept flowing.  She was in pain – and I could tell that she was thinking she would actually stay home from school tomorrow.  That didn’t last long – when both my husband and I agreed out loud, that she needed to toughen up.  I can’t believe this actually came out of my mouth – but I told her if she thinks this is bad, just wait until she goes into labor.  My husband didn’t think that was funny.

Ok – onto more brighter topics – food.  So, I am sure you are all waiting at the edge of your seat to find out about the second day of the IFBC.  It was pretty spectacular.  It started off with one of the best breakfasts I have ever had at a conference.  As if the yogurt, granola and hard-boiled eggs didn’t make me happy enough – the two types of biscuits, and smoked ham that someone was carving fresh – really took it over the edge.  I had to go back for seconds.

Next we had a sushi cooking demonstration – and tips from the NYTs food photographer Andrew Scrivani.  He was so good, I decided to go to his session next – and learned a ton about workflow. I was a little overwhelmed at this point – but reminded me, this is just for fun, someday I will have lots of time to really perfect my photos.  Now is not that time in my life.  After that, there was another tasting show – with tons of wonderful products (the cheeses really blew me away) to sample.  The last session of the day for me was a Food and Wine Pairing by Chateau St. Michele – it was something else.  Six wines, with six different bites of food.  They were spoiling us rotten – and this was all before Saturday night.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any better – Urbanspoon came along.  They arranged over 20 wonderful dinners at local restaurants – and let me tell you – the list was extremely impressive – but all a secret from us.  I was supposed to go to Bellevue (John Howie Steakhouse), but I really wanted to stay on the Seattle side – so I got lucky.  They ended up sending me to my favorite restaurant in all of Seattle – Lloyd Martin.  Sam created a delicious 3-course family style dinner – that was just incredible.  Every course was paired perfectly with wine (thanks to Jennifer!), and there was so much food – we couldn’t possibly eat it all.  Fortunately I was local, so they packaged up some leftovers for me, and the girls and I had a wonderful dinner on Sunday night as well (my husband missed out because he was travelling).

If you are curious about the entire menu – here it is:

First: Bacon wrapped Dates; Bar cheese with house crackers; duck rillettes (OMG amazing); spicey coppa; smoked almonds; watermelon salad; heirloom tomato salad; foie gras mousse; albacore crudo

Second: Fettuccini with wild mushrooms and black truffle (homemade pasta, melt in your mouth delicious…)

Third: Lan roc pork roast; summer squash and zucchini with hazelnut agradolce; ramano beans with kimchi spice; parmesan risotto

It was a perfect way to end a wonderful foodie weekend.  So I leave you with these delicious little morsels.  If you are not feeling the fall yet – just pop these babies into the oven, and your entire house will smell of spice.  They are wonderful with a nice espresso – as you sit and watch the leaves turn (ok, who has time to do that??).  Hey – and they would even be perfect come February.  Too bad my daughter won’t be enjoying these over the next couple of days.  I better work on my jello skills…

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons ground  cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground  cardamom
  • 2 teaspoons ground  allspice
  • 1 teaspoon ground  cloves
  • 1 14-ounce package frozen puff  pastry (such as Dufour), thawed
  • All-purpose flour (for  dusting)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted  butter, melted, divided

Preparation

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix sugar and spices  in a small bowl. Unfold pastry on a lightly floured work surface into a  14×10-inch rectangle, rolling out if needed. Brush lightly with butter. Sprinkle  1/4 cup spiced sugar over. Cut in half lengthwise.  Fold both long sides of 1 pastry strip so that outer edges  meet in the center of strip. Brush with more butter; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons  spiced sugar. Fold in half lengthwise, forming a 14 inch-long log about 1 inch  wide. Repeat with remaining pastry strip.

Place logs on prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap,  and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

DO AHEAD Palmier  dough can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight in freezer. Thaw overnight  in refrigerator before continuing.

Preheat oven to 425°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment  paper. Cut each log crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Lay slices flat on prepared  baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.  Bake palmiers until golden on bottom, about 8 minutes. Using a  thin metal spatula, turn palmiers over. Brush lightly with butter; sprinkle with  more spiced sugar. Bake until sugar is bubbly and pastry is golden brown, about  15 minutes longer. Transfer palmiers to a wire rack; let cool.

DO AHEAD  Palmiers can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room  temperature.

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

Green Tomato and Fig Cupcakes

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

Green Tomato & Fig Cupcakes 2

I am sitting here at the International Food Bloggers Conference – day 2.  The first day pretty much blew me away, and if breakfast is any indication on what today will bring, I have a lot to look forward to.  Let me give you some highlights of yesterday’s food blogger’s extravaganza (per my husband):

After registration we were greeted with a delicious lunch from Chipotle and the highlight of the meal – ice cream from Cupcake Royale.  Now, I have to admit – their cupcakes are not my favorite – but their ice cream is a different story.  Wow.  I tried to mini cones – coconut and red velvet – I seriously couldn’t tell you which one I liked better, they were both incredible.

Dorie Greenspan was the key-note speaker, and I was blown away. What an accomplished and articulate woman, and she lives in Paris.  She is my new idol.

Next was what I call “speed blogging” – where we tried a bunch of different products while people tweeted and blogged about what they thought.  The highlight for me was this Manuka honey – oh my.  Not something I ever would have bought, but after hearing about the health benefits of the New Zealand honey bees, I am completely sold.

I then chose to attend a talk by Michael Cain about WordPress.  It was very informative, and they are sticking around today asking questions at the “WordPress Happiness Bar.”

The grand finale last night was the Gift Suite – where we put together swag bags with tons of different products.  My husband and daughter had so much fun going through the bags last night – he opened at least a dozen different items, what fun!  At the same time, the had tons of Seattle restaurants highlighting different dishes for us to try.  Amazing.

So as you can see – I am pretty much in food paradise right now, and enjoying every minute.  I leave you with this very unique recipe that I found in Cooking Light.  The girls were not happy when they saw those blended green tomatoes go into the batter – but what came out of the oven was completely transformed.  The cupcakes were incredibly moist, and had a really nice flavor – but seriously the highlight for me was the cream cheese frosting.  Oh, and don’t they look adorable?

I better get back to the conference, but I have to say – this is hands down the best conference I have ever been to.  Seriously, where else can you eat all day, and be encouraged to blog?  Someone, please pinch me…

 Ingredients

  • 8 ounces green tomato, cored and quartered
  • 7.6 ounces cake flour, sifted (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2  large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
  • 4 ounces fresh Black Mission figs, stemmed and chopped
  • 3 ounces chopped pecans (2/3 cup)
  • Cooking spray
  • 4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Dash of salt
  • Sliced fresh figs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Place tomato in a blender; blend until smooth.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Place sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high-speed until blended. Stir in tomato puree and orange rind. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chopped figs and pecans.

Place 18 muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Spoon batter into cups. Bake at 350° for 17 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Place cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high-speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt; beat until smooth. Spread frosting over the top of each cupcake. Garnish with sliced figs, if desired.

Green Tomato & Fig Cupcakes

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Green Tomato and Fig Cupcakes

Cantaloupe Jam with Vanilla

Published on by Dawn7 Comments

Cantaloupe Jam with Vanilla

What a week – and it is only Wednesday!  I better pace myself, or I will not make it to the weekend, and my taste buds are counting on it.  I just came back from a really quick work trip.  Normally I travel very far away for work, but this time I spoke at a conference that just happened to be in the US – thank goodness.  Fortunately I was able to fly back today and make to a meeting that started at 1pm.  Of course, no trip can be complete without something going on at the home front.  While I was on the airplane, the school nurse called my husband – this time for my older daughter.  I am really hoping that next week we can go 5 entire days without a call from the school nurse.

I visited a serious food town this week, and I really was not expecting it.  Nor was I expecting who I was able to meet.  So Monday night I was in my hotel room studying the slides for my talk, when I got an email that one of my favorite food bloggers had posted an entry.  That was exactly the excuse I needed to stop what I was doing and procrastinate just a little more.  I actually wanted to email Kristy because I had a feeling she lived near where I was going – but that never happened.  So, instead I wrote a comment on her blog and let her know where I was.  Little did I know that she worked very close to the hotel I was staying at – so we arranged to meet for a drink.  It really brought me back to elementary school when I had a Pen Pal who lived in Maine.  One summer we decided to drive up and meet her family – and we were instant friends.  We actually formed quite a bond with all those letters.

It was exactly the same situation, but this time we have gotten to know each other through our blogs.  We have emailed each other a few times over the years – but mostly I keep up with her through her stories.  When I met her, I felt like we were old friends, and that we had known each other for years.  We had a terrific evening with excellent food, really getting to know each other – and piecing the holes together from our respective stories on our blogs.  Even though this is not at all why I started a blog – it is really a bonus to have met such a great person.

Now what does this jam have to do with all this?  Well, I made this jam at my mother’s house this summer.  I love cantaloupe – and when I saw this recipe in Food in Jars, I had to give it a try.  The problem is that we really don’t get great melon out here.  Growing up, I would always have the most delicious melon at my grandmother’s house – so I waited until I was on the east coast to test it.  This jam was out of this world.  I had it for breakfast almost every morning – it seriously tasted like a creamsicle.  What an incredible treat.  Just like meeting Kristy.  It was an unexpected treat, which is definitely the best kind.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups chopped, peeled cantaloupe
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 (3 ounce) packet liquid pectin

Preparation

Prepare a small boiling water bath canner and 3 half pint jars. Place lids in a small pan of water and set to a bare simmer.

Combine the cantaloupe, sugar, and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 8-10minutes.  Add the lemon juice, zest and pectin and return to a boil for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, until the bubbles look thick.  Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard.

Carefully ladle jam into jars (depending on the concentration of the sugars in the fruit, it may reduce down further and leave you with just two half pints. Prepare to be surprised). Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your small boiling water canner for 10 minutes.  When time is up, remove jars from pot. Let cool. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals. If seals are good, store jars in a cool, dark place. If any of the jars did not seal, put those jars in the fridge and use within a month or two.

Yield: Makes 3 half-pints

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cantaloupe Jam with Vanilla

Banana Cream Pie

Published on by Dawn8 Comments

Banana Cream Pie 2

My younger daughter is a super-smeller, like me.  We have a ridiculous sense of smell.  Now I am not sure I am a super-taster, but I swear she is probably the closest thing to a super-taster that I know.  This comes in handy when things spoil – particularly milk.  My older daughter is pretty good too, but not as good as her little sister.  Years ago we were visiting some friends – both of my kids love milk – but for some reason they just weren’t drinking their milk.  After the second day, I asked what was going on – and they quietly told me that the milk tasted funny.  They thought it was because we were not at home, and maybe our friends bought a different type of milk.  I tasted it – and there it was – the milk had gone sour.  Oops.

Yesterday was a nice day – it was a holiday, and I was fasting – but what do I do when I fast?  I bake.  My excuse was that we were having some friends come over for dessert after break-the-fast.  Truthfully, I have a much easier time fasting when I am in the kitchen.  Don’t ask me why – and since I do consider my kitchen to be my place of worship – I thought it was only fitting.  I had a great day reflecting, as I slowly made this Banana Cream Pie – a recipe that I found in Bon Appetit.  The only problem with baking while fasting, is I am not able to try things along the way.  At one point I asked my older daughter (who is not old enough yet to fast) to try the filling – just to make sure we were on the right track – and boy did she love it.

It was right before dinner when I decided to make the whipped cream topping for the pie.  I whipped up the cream, and spread it on the pie.  It looked amazing.  It looked so good that I decided to take pictures before the sun came down.  I got a few good shots and then stuck it back in the refrigerator to keep cool.  At this point I was knee-deep into preparing dinner, and I just left the bowl on the counter with a few streaks of whipped cream waiting for someone to take a lick.  I finished making dinner when my husband declared fasting was over. I went right over to that bowl with the whipped cream and scooped up a little of the leftover cream – wow, that was not good.  I tried it again, boy that tasted horrible – I ran over the refrigerator and grabbed the leftover cream in the carton and took a whiff…oh my goodness, the cream I had purchased that day (with an expiration date of October 20th) was completely rancid.  I couldn’t believe it.

I sat there for a second not knowing what to do.  I certainly couldn’t let this pie go to waste – but we couldn’t eat the cream either.  So, after dinner – my husband ran out to the store to get me another carton of cream (I instructed him to open it in the store to make sure it was good), and I scraped the cream off the top of the pie into the sink.  Banana Cream Pie – take 2.  Fortunately the next batch of whipped cream was delicious – and I spread it on top of the pie.  Amazingly it was all completed before our friends arrived.  The pie was delicious – particularly with that sweet cream on top.  The filling though was perfect – nice and creamy with chunks of banana.  Oh, and everyone loved the thin layer of chocolate between the crust and the filling.

There are lots of things I plan on doing differently this year, as always – but there was one thing I added later in the day.  From now on, I am always going to smell what is in that carton before doing anything more with it – whether it is fresh off the shelf or has been sitting in the refrigerator for weeks.  I definitely learned my lesson there.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • Prebaked 9″ pie crust
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 sliced bananas
  • 1 cup chilled heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoons vanilla  extract

Preparation

Melt 2 ounces bittersweet  chocolate with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and brush over a prebaked 9″ pie crust;  chill until set. Meanwhile, whisk 3 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, 3  tablespoons cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan, off heat,  until smooth. Gradually whisk in 2 cups whole milk. Whisking constantly, bring  to a full boil over medium heat and boil until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove  from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla  extract. Fold in 3 sliced bananas and let cool slightly. Pour filling into  prepared pie crust, cover with plastic wrap, and chill until firm, at least 3  hours and up to 1 day. Beat 1 cup chilled heavy cream with 2 tablespoons sugar  and 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract until firm peaks form; spoon over pie and  swirl decoratively.

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

Chicken-Spinach Sliders

Published on by Dawn4 Comments

Chicken Sliders with Spinach

We are in the second week of school (the first full week), and I get a phone call from the nurse today.  My younger daughter is not feeling well and needs to be picked up.  Ugh.  There’s nothing like getting thrown right into the fire.  Fortunately our college babysitter hasn’t started back at school yet and was able to go get her, so my entire work day was not gone – but still.  Just the stress of knowing you have a sick child at school is not fun.  We are also just in the beginning of the after school activities, and trying to come up with a good rhythm for everything.  I basically come home frazzled every night not knowing where to turn.  There is still paperwork to be filled out, homework to help with, bills to pay, lunches to make – and oh, there is dinner…  Now more than ever I am looking for really healthy and delicious meals to serve and are quick and easy.

Once I get into the groove, I will get back to my recipe planning on the weekends, but I haven’t gotten there yet.  It is really funny how quickly you forget once you get out of the routine.  In August – I was determined to cook during my time off from work – and I definitely did just that.  I can’t wait to repeat some of the dishes I made, they would be perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner – like this one (which I adapted) from Bon Appetit.  My younger daughter has decided that she doesn’t like chicken.  Basically she is just sick of it – we make it so often – mostly because I love it – but it is easy, versatile, and very healthy.  So lately I have been looking for interesting chicken recipes that I can make, where she doesn’t really know it is chicken.  This was definitely a winner – for so many reasons.  Not only was the chicken a big hit – they both loved the spinach – in fact, they hardly knew it was in there.  I served these with the zucchini fritters, and actually used the soy dipping sauce with these as well – what an awesome meal.

So I hope that everyone else is easing into the new school year – I know I will get there, I just need a little more time.  I guess I am still in denial – we finally had the nicest summer on record, and it is still going strong.  A real sunny and hot summer that is unlike anything I have seen in Seattle for 17 years.  The silver lining?  There will be a lot more grilling during the week, and maybe I don’t need to get organized so quickly…it is a perfect excuse to pass this off to my husband the grill master.  If he cooks, it is definitely quick and easy for me…

Ingredients

  • 1/2 bunch flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed, leaves chopped (about 4 cups)
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 12 slider buns or small dinner rolls, split, lightly toasted (for serving)
  • Mayonnaise, sliced red onion, and pickle slices (for serving)

Preparation

Combine spinach, scallions, garlic, chicken, and cumin in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Using a fork, mix gently just to combine. Form chicken mixture into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook patties until golden brown and cooked through (resist the temptation to press down on patties with your spatula while cooking), about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Serve chicken -spinach patties on buns with mayonnaise, onion, and pickles.

DO AHEAD: Patties can be formed 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

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

Peach-Drop Biscuit Cobbler

Published on by Dawn12 Comments

Peach-Drop Biscuit Cobbler

I can’t believe that in only two weeks, I will be attending my very first food bloggers conference.  It is not just any conference, it is the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC), and it just happens to be in Seattle this year.  I have a little confession to make…I think I might be allergic to conferences.  Actually, I am allergic to crowds of people where you are supposed to mingle and talk to one another.  I am an introvert – not with my friends, but with pretty much anyone I have never met before.  I have trained myself very well at work to smile and make conversation with new people, but it does not come naturally to me.  When it comes to parties, conferences, or any large gatherings of people whom I do not know – I would rather be at the dentist.

The strange thing is, I have no problem speaking in front of large crowds of people – in fact, it almost gives me a rush – and I would rather speak in front of people I didn’t know to people I know in a heart-beat.  I teach a few classes a year, and I love it – it is almost like I am on stage acting, and for some reason I can play the part very well.  If only I could somehow figure out how to do that when I am just speaking to a few people – or if I could just get past the “Hi, I am….”

I have been to a couple of food blogger events in Seattle, and I always have to talk myself into actually entering the room.  The last one I went to, I talked to one person, then made a beeline out the door.  I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and it was really a shame.  The food looked incredible, but I was too anxious to enjoy myself.  I am already nervous about this Food Blogger conference, but I keep looking at the website, and at the agenda, and it looks just amazing, so I am not backing out.  Not this time.

Not to change the subject, but it always makes me feel better to focus on food….

I couldn’t let peach season come to an end without at least one type of peach cobbler.  Something happened to me a few years ago, and I can no longer eat peaches unless they are cooked.  My entire mouth swells up – particularly my lips.  At first I thought it had something to do with the fact that the peaches were not organic, but next time I bought organic ones, and the same thing happened.  Peaches used to be my favorite fruit, and I really miss eating them – but fortunately I can cook them and I don’t get any of those strange side effects. This cobbler was terrific, of course the topping was just as good as those sweet and juicy peaches.  It was not a sweet topping, and it really didn’t need to be.  The recipe in Bon Appetit that I adapted for this recipe was really meant for blueberries, but I think peaches were just perfect.

So – I was able to figure out a way to overcome my peach allergy – I am hopeful that maybe I can get over my allergy of conferences as well.  I just have to keep my eye on the prize, and if you are reading this – and happen to be going to this conference – please look for me.  I always do much better when someone comes up to me – particularly if food is involved.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups plus 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2′ pieces
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. crème fraîche or sour cream
  • 2 pounds fresh peaches, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; using your fingertips, incorporate until only pea-size lumps remain. Gently mix in crème fraîche. Knead in bowl until a biscuit-like dough forms, 5–7 turns (overmixing will make dough tough).

Combine remaining 3/4 cups sugar, remaining 3 Tbsp. flour, peaches, juice, and zest in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Pour into an 8x8x2′ glass baking dish or divide among six 6-oz. ramekins. Tear biscuit topping into quarter-size crumbles; scatter over berries.

Bake cobbler until juices are thick and bubbling and topping is cooked through and deep golden brown, 20–25 minutes for ramekins or 45–50 minutes for baking dish. Let cool for at least 1 hour.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Peach-Drop Biscuit Cobbler

Peach-Drop Biscuit Cobbler 2

Zucchini Fritters

Published on by Dawn6 Comments

Zuchini Fritters

I can’t believe summer is over…and school is about to begin again (we think – more on that below).  This was definitely a summer that I will remember forever, for so many reasons.  So many good memories, and of course some I would like to forget, but that is the way life is.  Fortunately I was able to do a lot of cooking in August to make up for a very busy July.  I feel nice and refreshed, and ready to tackle the real world again.  There are some important things I need to take care of, and I finally feel like I am in a position to do so.  It is amazing what a couple of weeks of clearing your head can do, and that’s exactly what I did.

So school…back to that topic.  It is actually been nice to see my daughter’s friends start emailing each other about how excited they are for school to start.  Imagine my older daughter’s disappointment when we got the phone call last week explaining why that might not happen.  Yes, Seattle Public Schools may go on strike.  Their contract expired this weekend, but as of Monday they seemed to have reached a tentative agreement – thank goodness.  They were supposed to vote tonight at 5pm, but we have not heard anything yet.  I am hoping that no news is good news…

While we are still in summer mode, I wanted to talk about zucchini – a vegetable that seems to do well in just about every garden except for ours.  I still remember when I would have so many zucchini’s from the garden, we were almost on an all zucchini diet (in fact, I have done my share of zucchini posts on this blog…check them out: zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini, garden rice casserole, even these which look very familiar to this recipe, but with a focus on dill) – now I have to rely on friends to share, or support our local farmer’s at the Saturday Market.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and had to get my hands on some zucchini to test it out.  I love potato pancakes, and thought these would give them a run for their money.  Oh boy did they – these were tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and that dipping sauce gave the pancakes just a zing of flavor.  What a perfect way to get your kids to eat some veges, if they were where my kids were a couple of years ago.  Of course now my kids dug right in, and they loved them.

If your kids started school last week, I hope things are going well – and if you are supposed to start this week – I wish you luck.  For all of you in Seattle, let’s hope that the right decision gets made – for our teachers and our children.

Ingredients

Soy Dipping Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

Fritters

  • 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

Soy Dipping Sauce

Mix vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Fritters

Place zucchini in a colander set in the sink and toss with 1/2 teaspoons salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then wring zucchini dry in a clean kitchen towel. Place zucchini in a large bowl and gently mix in egg, flour, chives, and cornstarch; season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, drop 1/4-cupfuls zucchini mixture into skillet, flattening slightly; cook until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to a paper towel–lined plate; season with salt. Serve with soy dipping sauce.

DO AHEAD: Fritters can be made 30 minutes ahead. Keep warm in a 200° oven.

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

Zucchini Fritters 2

Watermelon Whirl

Published on by Dawn2 Comments

Watermelon Whirl

When I was pregnant for the first time, I thought I would miss drinking alcohol – it is not that I drank very much, but it was nice to have a drink every once in a while.  At that point in my life, I really loved a good bottle of beer.  I was mostly into fruit beers, like apricot, raspberry, and oh blueberry (just thinking about it makes me want one) that we found in a brewery in Boulder one weekend….but would be happy with a nice Belgium brew without fruit as well.  This was before I was into the cocktail craze, and if I did order a cocktail – it was a Cosmo.  Pregnancy turned me into the mocktails, that is for sure.  All of a sudden whenever I went out to dinner, I would scour the menu for a good mocktail.  I felt like it was ok to have a few sips of my husband’s beer here and there, but for me, it was mocktails all the way.

There is another baby joining the family soon – my cousin is pregnant, and she is just about the cutest thing I have ever seen.  They are both so excited about their daughter who is due in November, and my younger one is even more excited thinking about the possibility that this baby could come on her birthday.  My cousin is not just a typically pregnant mother-to-be, she is also a scientist.  I happen to know the type of person who becomes a scientist – since I have been married to one for almost 17 years.  There are no simple answers to a scientist – and that’s when her blog was born.  If you are pregnant – this is a great source of information – not medical advice, just different mysteries of being pregnant (as she puts it) “from a scientists perspective.”  The Pregnant Scientist is not only informative, it is actually quite fun to read whether you are pregnant or not.

So back to the drinks.  Watermelon is summertime’s classic fruit.  When I was visiting my mother, instead of serving all the watermelon for dessert – I decided to experiment a little – and boy was I glad I did.  This drink was exactly what I was looking for – just the right amount of natural sweetness, and a flavor that screamed summertime.  Of course after I mastered the cocktail – it was time for the mocktail.  The girls loved them, in fact – so did I!  I found myself sneaking sips of there’s when I was done with my cocktail.  So give this watermelon a whirl, and see what you think.  Whether you drink or not – are pregnant or not, which ever drink you choose, I think you will agree that it is a party in a glass – a nice summertime garden party overlooking the ocean.  Cheers!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons watermelon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Chartreuse (cocktail only)
  • 4 tablespoons Gin (cocktail only)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (and more for garnish)
  • 6 mint leaves
  • Club Soda (mocktail only)

Preparation

Place watermelon chunks in a blender and puree until liquefied.  Strain the liquid so you are left with just watermelon juice, and the discard the solids.  Place the mint leave in a shaker with some ice, and muddle the leaves with the back of a wooden spoon.  Add the watermelon juice, Chartreuse, Gin and fresh lime juice.  Shake the drink and strain into a martini glass with a fresh slice of lime as a garnish.  If you are making a mocktail, omit the Chartreuse and Gin, and after you strain into a glass, add some ice and club soda.  If you like a sweeter drink, you can add 1 tablespoon of agave nectar.

Makes 1 drink

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

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Published on by Dawn5 Comments

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Egg Salad, just writing the words puts a smile on my face.   I am not sure when the obsession with egg salad started, but it is certainly up there with fennel, cream cheese frosting and cucumbers in cocktails.  The problem with egg salad is that there can be so much variation in how it is made, I find myself almost afraid to order it in a restaurant unless I am absolutely sure it is made “my way”.

So let’s talk about where things can go wrong – and understand, this is completely my opinion, I think that egg salad can definitely be an emotional topic, where people feel very strongly that there way is the best.   I personally can’t stand Miracle Whip – I am not into that taste – I am a purest when it comes to mayonnaise.  I like Helman’s (on the east coast), and Best Foods (on the west) – it is the classic eggs and oil mayonnaise – and over the years, I have become partial to the “light” variety.  I think the regular version is just too heavy.  In addition, I like my egg salad to be heavy on the egg, and light on the mayo.  A rule of thumb for me is if you can take a spoon of egg salad, turn the spoon over, and it stays on the spoon, it is perfect.  You have to get the right portion of egg to mayo for that to happen.

Next is the celery – there has to be celery, and if there is no celery to be found, a substitution of fennel, red bell pepper, or something else crunchy will do.  You need that crunch to go along with the softness of the hard boiled egg.  Herbs are another plus – I love putting dill in my egg salad – it takes it to that wow level that I just love.  Then there are the extras when you put the sandwich together – like bacon, lettuce, even tomato goes incredibly well.  I have made mine with black olives, pickles, roasted red peppers, sprouts, the sky is the limit – as long as the base is good – it always comes back to the egg salad.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I had never made egg salad with yogurt before –  I couldn’t wait to try it.  This recipe was OUTSTANDING!!!  What a perfect recipe – the consistency was exactly the way I love it, the hot sauce was an amazing addition, the arugula was a welcome green, and oh those bacon crumbles.  An all around winner in my book – it was so good, I made it multiple times this week just to get my fill.  It was exactly what I needed.

Ingredients

  • 2  center-cut bacon slices
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon plain fat-free yogurt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6  hard-cooked large eggs, chopped
  • 2 cups arugula
  • 8  whole-grain bread slices

Preparation

Cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Place bacon in a large bowl. Stir in onions and next 5 ingredients (through salt). Gently stir in eggs.

Arrange 1/2 cup arugula on each of 4 bread slices. Top each serving with 1/3 cup egg mixture and 1 bread slice.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Egg Salad Sandwiches