As the weather has been cooling down here in Southern California... wait... no, that can't be right. It was 70 here today. I love where I live :)
Despite the temperate climate, there's no doubt in my mind that its officially fall. Thanksgiving is coming, then Christmas - I LOVE Christmas - and this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Its also the time of year for soup! Yum.
On one of our Friday night dates, D and I ventured to this little hispanic place. It was an interesting combo of Mexican classics - tacos and such - and El Salvadorian meals. We had an order of arepas, which were quite delicious, and shared a big bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Since that night I'd wanted to recreate the fresh simple flavors of that soup at home, and here it is.
This is, as usual, a mish mash of a few recipies tweaked to suit my tastes. I like soups with a lot of stuff in them - this soup is a meal in and of itself. Each time I make it I play around with the ingredients based on the season and what I have in my crisper - I'll add potatoes in the winter, tomatoes in the summer, etc. Its never quite the same but always delicious.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb chicken breast
2 onions
Minced garlic
2 peppers of any color
3 carrots
2 zucchini
16 oz chicken stock
16 oz peeled crushed tomatoes
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
salt and pepper
dash cumin
red pepper, to taste
spicy peppers, to taste (I use a big can of green chiles)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a stockpot. Brown chicken breasts - I usually cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to ensure nice even cooking. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, it will simmer later. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, saute chopped onions and minced garlic until onions are soft. Add peppers, carrots and saute until soft. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add remaining veggies; season to taste.
Shred chicken into bite sized bits and return to soup. Add juice of 2 lemons and lots of chopped cilantro. Let simmer until flavors blend and chicken is cooked through.
Serve topped with cheese, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
November 7, 2009
November 1, 2009
The Long-Awaited Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
The Cake.
The Death-by-Chocolate-and-Peanut-Butter Cake.
The Gain-Five-Pounds-by-Reading-the-Recipe Cake.
Yum.
I've become the office baker. Birthdays are my domain. In September a girl I am close with celebrated her birthday, and requested a cake with chocolate and peanut butter... a girl after my own heart. I had bookmarked this recipe so so long ago, and was just itching for an excuse to make it. It was so so good, sinful and rich and moist and delicious. I've made it twice since then, once for another birthday and once because, well, why the hell not? (Reason why not: unhealthy BMI!) Enjoy.
Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes
Chocolate Yogurt Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cakepans.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt and blend. Slowly beat in the water, then the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs and beat until well incorporated.
Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely in fridge.
Frost and top with ganache. Refrigerate to allow cake to set. Remove 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
(I usually double this)
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly. After all sugar is incorporated, beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add peanut butter and mix until blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter over a double boiler, stirring often. Remove from heat, whisk in half-and-half, and beat until smooth.
The Death-by-Chocolate-and-Peanut-Butter Cake.
The Gain-Five-Pounds-by-Reading-the-Recipe Cake.
Yum.
I've become the office baker. Birthdays are my domain. In September a girl I am close with celebrated her birthday, and requested a cake with chocolate and peanut butter... a girl after my own heart. I had bookmarked this recipe so so long ago, and was just itching for an excuse to make it. It was so so good, sinful and rich and moist and delicious. I've made it twice since then, once for another birthday and once because, well, why the hell not? (Reason why not: unhealthy BMI!) Enjoy.
Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes
Chocolate Yogurt Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cakepans.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt and blend. Slowly beat in the water, then the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs and beat until well incorporated.
Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely in fridge.
Frost and top with ganache. Refrigerate to allow cake to set. Remove 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
(I usually double this)
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly. After all sugar is incorporated, beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add peanut butter and mix until blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter over a double boiler, stirring often. Remove from heat, whisk in half-and-half, and beat until smooth.
October 1, 2009
Zucchini Basil Soup
The Boyfriend was out of town last week. This means a few things around here: 1) The apartment was a mess. I didn't do dishes or laundry or wipe off the counters. It was pretty gross. 2) I got to eat whatever I wanted. I didn't have to fight for veggies and I didn't have to have meat at every. single. meal. It was glorious.
I went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica on Saturday morning - another novelty - most of the time I can't drag Boyfriend out of the apartment on days that football is on TV. There was so much pretty, fresh produce and I couldn't help but buy close to 3 pounds of zucchini. And a pound of pluots. And the biggest freakin' sweet potato I have EVER seen. And a pomegranate. Mmmmmmmm fresh produce.
When I got home and assesed my spoils there was no way around it - I needed to do something with all the dang zucchini. When this recipe popped up on my google reader I knew it was the one - besides the abundence of summer squash, I also have a basil plant in my little garden that is just overflowing. And so it was
Zucchini Basil Soup
adapted from caviarandcodfish.com
1 lb zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
salt to taste
Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until the onion is clear and soft. Add zucchini, salt, and chicken stock and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender along with the basil and blend until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yum.
I went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica on Saturday morning - another novelty - most of the time I can't drag Boyfriend out of the apartment on days that football is on TV. There was so much pretty, fresh produce and I couldn't help but buy close to 3 pounds of zucchini. And a pound of pluots. And the biggest freakin' sweet potato I have EVER seen. And a pomegranate. Mmmmmmmm fresh produce.
When I got home and assesed my spoils there was no way around it - I needed to do something with all the dang zucchini. When this recipe popped up on my google reader I knew it was the one - besides the abundence of summer squash, I also have a basil plant in my little garden that is just overflowing. And so it was
Zucchini Basil Soup
adapted from caviarandcodfish.com
1 lb zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
salt to taste
Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until the onion is clear and soft. Add zucchini, salt, and chicken stock and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender along with the basil and blend until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yum.
September 27, 2009
Jambalaya
Ok, no cake this time. Because this cake deserves documentation, and my camera is not being friends with my computer right now. So we'll come back to the cake later, maybe after I work off the 5lbs I gained eating it!
I've mentioned before that I like to cook on Sunday afternoons. D and I like to try new things on those days too - we've made dumplings, gnocchi, all sorts of goodness for the first time on Sundays. A few weeks ago I asked D what he wanted to make and he had one word for me: jambalaya.
Side note: This is why I love this man.
Anyway, neither of us have very much experience with jambalaya, and our version is less-than-authentic. He doesn't eat pork and I don't eat seafood so our meats were chicken and turkey sausage. Louisiana, I apologize. However inauthentic, it was still quite tasty!
Jambalaya
2 chicken breasts (1lb)
3 sausages (1lb)
extra virgin olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
2 onions
2 green peppers
6 celery stalks
Garlic
1/2 can tomato paste
6 green onion
chicken stock
salt and pepper
paprika
italian seasoning
cajun seasoning
4 bay leaves
1 can kidney beans
1 can black eyed peas
tabasco
3c rice
Saute chicken and turkey sausage with olive oil in a large pot until cooked through. Remove and drain meat. Saute chopped onion, pepper, and celery with garlic until onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chicken broth and seasoning to pot. Season to taste.
Add rice. Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is done.
Return meat to pot. Serve warm.
I've mentioned before that I like to cook on Sunday afternoons. D and I like to try new things on those days too - we've made dumplings, gnocchi, all sorts of goodness for the first time on Sundays. A few weeks ago I asked D what he wanted to make and he had one word for me: jambalaya.
Side note: This is why I love this man.
Anyway, neither of us have very much experience with jambalaya, and our version is less-than-authentic. He doesn't eat pork and I don't eat seafood so our meats were chicken and turkey sausage. Louisiana, I apologize. However inauthentic, it was still quite tasty!
Jambalaya
2 chicken breasts (1lb)
3 sausages (1lb)
extra virgin olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
2 onions
2 green peppers
6 celery stalks
Garlic
1/2 can tomato paste
6 green onion
chicken stock
salt and pepper
paprika
italian seasoning
cajun seasoning
4 bay leaves
1 can kidney beans
1 can black eyed peas
tabasco
3c rice
Saute chicken and turkey sausage with olive oil in a large pot until cooked through. Remove and drain meat. Saute chopped onion, pepper, and celery with garlic until onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chicken broth and seasoning to pot. Season to taste.
Add rice. Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is done.
Return meat to pot. Serve warm.
September 20, 2009
Cuban Dinner
The actual Cuban name for this is Picadillo, but in my family it is simply known as Cuban Dinner. My whole extended family goes on vacation together quite a bit, and every time we are all together we convince my grandmother to make this. Though, I won't lie, its not much work to convince her :) My grandmother grew up in Cuba - my great grandfather was in the CIA and was based at Guantanamo. This is her recipe, based on what she ate in her childhood. Nowadays picadillo can be quite fancy, with potatoes or olives or capers or all sorts of yummy things mixed in, but this recipe is nice and simple. Just like Cuba, in the 30's.
Gran's Picadillo
1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice
Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.
Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.
Gran's Picadillo
1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice
Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.
Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.
August 31, 2009
I've Done It
I've disgusted myself. With chocolate. And peanut butter. In cake form.
Its no surprise, I guess. There are 8 cups of sugar in this cake.
8. Freakin. Cups.
More tomorrow. Or whenever I wake up from the food coma.
Its no surprise, I guess. There are 8 cups of sugar in this cake.
8. Freakin. Cups.
More tomorrow. Or whenever I wake up from the food coma.
August 28, 2009
Thai part 2 - Spicy Peanut Noodles
These were SO good. I mean it. Craving good. I don't have to develop a Thai takeout addiction because I can whip up a batch of this for next-to-nothing good. The recipe I found came from allrecipies, but I played with it a bit to suite my tastes... meaning, I added more peanut butter and made it much spicier... can't go wrong there!
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
August 11, 2009
Tom Kha Gai
One of our favorite restaurants in LA is a little hole in the wall Thai place near Hollywood. Its quite a drive from our little beach town so we don't go very often - usually only when we have guests in town - but it is deeeeeeeelicious. Last time we went was with D's parents (in town for the Greatful Dead concert!) and they introduced us to a few new dishes, including this one. Its a coconut and chicken soup flavored with lemongrass and hot peppers - so yummy!
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
August 4, 2009
Pollo con Espinaca
I like to cook on Sundays. Its relaxing, to be able to plan a meal, grocery shop, prep, cook, and of course eat everything. Its one of my favorite ways to end a nice weekend, and great to begin the week with because we always have leftovers!
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
July 23, 2009
Recipe: Brioche Plum Tart
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup whole milk, just warm to the touch
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
about 14 ripe plums, preferably italian prune plums
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds (I used pecans)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plum jam (I used sour cherry with rhubarb)
To make brioche: Put the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, and fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Working on low speed, mix for a minute or two, just to get the ingredients together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 7 - 10 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape down the bowl and the hook, until the dough is stretchy and fairly smooth. The dough will seem fairly thin, more like a batter than a dough, and it may not be perfectly smooth - that is fine.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 30 - 40 minutes.
Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours. Then if you’ve got the time, leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight - it will be tastier for the wait.
To Make The Tart: This tart looks prettiest when it’s made in a fluted pan. You can use either a 9-inch metal tart pan with a removable base or a porcelain baking dish, the kind sometimes called a quiche pan. Generously butter the pan.
Press the chilled dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides - don’t worry if it’s not even. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the filling. Halve and pit the plums. If you are using large plums, cut each half into 2 or 3 slices. Set aside. Toss the chopped nuts with the sugar and set aside.
Remove the tart pan from the fridge and push and press the dough up the sides of the pan. Spoon the jam onto the dough and spread it over the bottom. Arrange the plums cut side down in a concentric circles covering the jam. Scatter over the nut mixture, and cover the tart lightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Uncover the tart and bake for 20 minutes. Cover it loosely with a foil tent to prevent the crust from getting too dark, and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crust is firm and beautifully browned - it will sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup whole milk, just warm to the touch
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
about 14 ripe plums, preferably italian prune plums
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds (I used pecans)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup plum jam (I used sour cherry with rhubarb)
To make brioche: Put the yeast and warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl, and fit the mixer with the dough hook, if you have one. Working on low speed, mix for a minute or two, just to get the ingredients together. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 7 - 10 minutes, stopping a few times to scrape down the bowl and the hook, until the dough is stretchy and fairly smooth. The dough will seem fairly thin, more like a batter than a dough, and it may not be perfectly smooth - that is fine.
Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 30 - 40 minutes.
Deflate the dough by lifting it up around the edges and letting it fall with a slap into the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Slap the dough down in the bowl every 30 minutes until it stops rising, about 2 hours. Then if you’ve got the time, leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight - it will be tastier for the wait.
To Make The Tart: This tart looks prettiest when it’s made in a fluted pan. You can use either a 9-inch metal tart pan with a removable base or a porcelain baking dish, the kind sometimes called a quiche pan. Generously butter the pan.
Press the chilled dough into the bottom of the pan and up the sides - don’t worry if it’s not even. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
While the dough is in the refrigerator, prepare the filling. Halve and pit the plums. If you are using large plums, cut each half into 2 or 3 slices. Set aside. Toss the chopped nuts with the sugar and set aside.
Remove the tart pan from the fridge and push and press the dough up the sides of the pan. Spoon the jam onto the dough and spread it over the bottom. Arrange the plums cut side down in a concentric circles covering the jam. Scatter over the nut mixture, and cover the tart lightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Place the tart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Uncover the tart and bake for 20 minutes. Cover it loosely with a foil tent to prevent the crust from getting too dark, and continue baking for another 10 minutes, or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the crust is firm and beautifully browned - it will sound hollow when tapped. Transfer the tart to a rack to cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.
July 12, 2009
Boston Cream Pie
Man, I am a little slow here... this was the pie I made for Pi Day back in March!
5 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) plain cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Every year near March 14th, some of my friends and I get together to have a little party - like I need a convenient excuse to make and eat pie. I was trying to decide what kind of pie to make and I found my friends planning to cover the basics - Apple, Pumpkin, and Cherry - so I tried to think a little bit out of the box. Voila, Boston Cream Pie.
This was my first time making a custard, and I have to say I didn't do a very good job. I didn't have enough time to let it (or the ganache...sigh) set properly so the whole thing was just a little runny. That didn't make it not delicious though!
Boston Cream Pie
(Cake from Joy of Baking, Custard from anon. old fashioned baking website, Ganache is ganache)
Sponge Cake
5 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) plain cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup (35 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line the bottoms of two - 8 inch (23 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper.
While the eggs are still cold separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in one large mixing bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the two remaining eggs. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the whole eggs and yolks and 6 tablespoons (75 grams) of the sugar on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are thick, fluffy and light colored (when you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract.
In another clean mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, at low speed, until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until soft, moist peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites folding just until incorporated. Sift half of the flour mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Do not over mix.
Make a well on one side of the batter and pour the melted butter/milk mixture into the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the butter mixture into the batter. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until light brown and springy to the touch. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Immediately run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pans and then invert the cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and re-invert. Cool completely.
Pastry Cream
2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.
Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. (The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.)
Ganache
4 ounces (120 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and butter just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a 3-5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it has thickened to pouring consistency.
Assembly
Place one cake layer on your serving plate, bottom side facing up. Spoon the pastry cream onto the cake, spreading to make an even layer. Place the second cake layer (bottom side up) onto the filling. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread the glaze, with an offset spatula, to the edges of the cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. Let the cake sit until the glaze sets, about one hour. Serve. This cake is best eaten the same day it is made. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
July 5, 2009
June 20, 2009
June 15, 2009
Thoughts on Food
I went to the grocery store today on my lunch break because I was in desperate need of some afternoon snacks. After a quick run through the store I got in line with a full basket: Triscuits, cheese, fresh fruit, dark chocolate and olive oil, which was not for snacks but rather was on sale and who can resist decent Italian olive oil on sale? Not me, for sure.
As I waited in line I couldn't help but notice the goods belonging to the woman in front of me. I don't know how to describe it all except for confused, which is exactly what I think this woman was about 'healthy eating'. She was trying, for sure... she had sugar free popsicles and organic soy milk and whole grain wheat bread. She gets a gold star on the bread, but HFCS is not any better than sugar (and is probably worse) and unless she was lactose intolerant or vegetarian (which I doubt, given the frozen meat lasagna) the soy milk is pretty useless as well. Which made me think about how much better Americans as a whole would eat if they only knew what was good for them.
Now, I'm no dietitian or self-proclaimed expert in healthy eating, but I took some basic classes in college and now work for a doctor who is board certified in nutrition. In other words, I feel like I know a little more than your average bear. I can tell you what things like iron and vitamin B9 do in your body, and why you need to eat them. I can even tell you where to find some of these kinds of things (leafy greens for iron; fruits, veggies and nuts are good sources of B9.)
That being said... I eat FAR from the perfect diet. I love white starches... pasta, rice, bread. I eat too many fats, and don't get enough omega-3's. I eat too much red meat and not enough vegetables.
As I waited in line I couldn't help but notice the goods belonging to the woman in front of me. I don't know how to describe it all except for confused, which is exactly what I think this woman was about 'healthy eating'. She was trying, for sure... she had sugar free popsicles and organic soy milk and whole grain wheat bread. She gets a gold star on the bread, but HFCS is not any better than sugar (and is probably worse) and unless she was lactose intolerant or vegetarian (which I doubt, given the frozen meat lasagna) the soy milk is pretty useless as well. Which made me think about how much better Americans as a whole would eat if they only knew what was good for them.
Now, I'm no dietitian or self-proclaimed expert in healthy eating, but I took some basic classes in college and now work for a doctor who is board certified in nutrition. In other words, I feel like I know a little more than your average bear. I can tell you what things like iron and vitamin B9 do in your body, and why you need to eat them. I can even tell you where to find some of these kinds of things (leafy greens for iron; fruits, veggies and nuts are good sources of B9.)
That being said... I eat FAR from the perfect diet. I love white starches... pasta, rice, bread. I eat too many fats, and don't get enough omega-3's. I eat too much red meat and not enough vegetables.
May 30, 2009
Charoset
Someday, maybe I'll finish my Passover menu... someday :)
I was first introduced to charoset at the first Seder I attended with D and his family, and I was hooked from the first bite. I very seriously considered making it outside of Passover, but never really got around to it. When Passover rolled around this year I was so excited to have a bite of this appley goodness again.
Whats good about charoset is... well... everything. Its tasty, its healthy, its got booze in it. What else do you need? My version is a little non-traditional, but its the way I like it. Yum.
Charoset
6 Apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups raisins
1 cup nuts, chopped fine (I used almonds and walnuts, but walnuts are the most traditional I believe)
Splash red wine
Honey
Its pretty straightforward... chop the apples, chop the nuts, (I use a hand chopper... makes everything so easy!) throw everything in a bowl, let sit overnight. Add the honey and wine to taste, and remember that the honey will sweeten everything and the wine will mellow as it sits. Enjoy, preferably in mass quantities!
I was first introduced to charoset at the first Seder I attended with D and his family, and I was hooked from the first bite. I very seriously considered making it outside of Passover, but never really got around to it. When Passover rolled around this year I was so excited to have a bite of this appley goodness again.
Whats good about charoset is... well... everything. Its tasty, its healthy, its got booze in it. What else do you need? My version is a little non-traditional, but its the way I like it. Yum.
Charoset
6 Apples, peeled and chopped
2 cups raisins
1 cup nuts, chopped fine (I used almonds and walnuts, but walnuts are the most traditional I believe)
Splash red wine
Honey
Its pretty straightforward... chop the apples, chop the nuts, (I use a hand chopper... makes everything so easy!) throw everything in a bowl, let sit overnight. Add the honey and wine to taste, and remember that the honey will sweeten everything and the wine will mellow as it sits. Enjoy, preferably in mass quantities!
April 27, 2009
Matzoh Ball Soup
I have a love for matzoh that could only exist in someone not born Jewish. When I tried matzoh in the form of soup a few years ago at the first holiday I spent with D's family I was absolutely sold. I've gone to Chompie's in AZ just for a taste of matzoh. I even occasionally buy matzoh to use as crackers. Yes, I'm a little nuts.
Despite this, I'd never made matzoh anything before I made this soup. I'm a little intimidated by matzoh. Its so simple... just flour and water... that its almost a little scary. How in the world does something so plain turn into something so delicious? Besides, you always hear that matzoh balls are a tough thing to get right. They must be not too big but not too small, not too solid but not too fluffy, not too bland but not over seasoned. No pressure. Right?
I found a recipe that looked pretty straightforward and I went for it. And you know what? It didn't turn out half freakin bad. Its not Chompies by any means, but it was more than edible and I went back for seconds. Without further adieu...
Matzoh Ball Soup
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup Matzoh meal
1/3 cup oil or melted shortening
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
Beat eggs. Add water, melted shortening, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add matzoh meal and stir thoroughly. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Form into balls and drop into soup or into 1 1/2 quarts of boiling water. Cook 20 minutes.
Despite this, I'd never made matzoh anything before I made this soup. I'm a little intimidated by matzoh. Its so simple... just flour and water... that its almost a little scary. How in the world does something so plain turn into something so delicious? Besides, you always hear that matzoh balls are a tough thing to get right. They must be not too big but not too small, not too solid but not too fluffy, not too bland but not over seasoned. No pressure. Right?
I found a recipe that looked pretty straightforward and I went for it. And you know what? It didn't turn out half freakin bad. Its not Chompies by any means, but it was more than edible and I went back for seconds. Without further adieu...
Matzoh Ball Soup
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup Matzoh meal
1/3 cup oil or melted shortening
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
Beat eggs. Add water, melted shortening, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add matzoh meal and stir thoroughly. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Form into balls and drop into soup or into 1 1/2 quarts of boiling water. Cook 20 minutes.
April 24, 2009
First Seder!
Passover was a while ago now... almost a month! But I still want to share the dinner I put together because I was incredibly proud of myself. I'm not Jewish but D is so I wanted to do something special for him since it was his first Passover away from his family. I was verrrrry happy with how everything came out!
First course... Matzoh Ball Soup!!! It was my first attempt at matzoh anything and while they were pretty oddly shaped, they were quite delish.
The Seder Plate. A little non-traditional, but not so bad :) Salt water, charoset, horseradish, lamb shank, egg, and spring greens.
View of the table. I even bought flowers! Please excuse the rest of the messy apartment. Its temporaryyyyy.
Dinner! I made a brisket with roasted asparagus and lemon rosemary potatoes with a cheesecake for dessert. You should have seen my oven... At one point I had the brisket, lamb bone, cheesecake, asparagus, and potatoes all in there at the same time. It was one busy kitchen appliance!
D thinks I'm crazy... but I'm already excited for next year's Seder!
March 23, 2009
Gnocchi with Pesto
Gnocchi and pesto are two of my favorite recent discoveries. I had gnocchi for the first time last summer at a little cafe in Brooklyn - unbelievable. How had I never tried them before is beyond me. A few months later I decided to try to make them on my own with pesto, and now I can't imagine my life without pesto. I seriously can eat it by the forkful. It grosses the boyfriend out, but yummmm. I kinda wing it when I make gnocchi and pesto. The recipes are pretty easy and very very tasty - and I love eating the leftovers for the next few days!
Gnocchi
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
4 big potatoes
2 eggs
Flour
Wash the potatoes and chop into big pieces so they will cook faster. Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, the potato skins should peel off easily.
After the skins have been removed, mash the potatoes however works best. I use my hand mixer but if you have a ricer or a masher that should work too, as long as you get rid of all the chunks you possibly can.
When the potatoes are smooth, crack in 2 eggs and some flour (I start with a cup or so). Knead until everything is incorporated. The mixture needs to get to the point that its not sticky any more, so keep adding flour by the cupful and kneading in until your mixture is not sticky.
When the mixture is smooth, grab a big handful and roll into a rope just like you used to to with Play Doh when you were a kid. I like big fat gnocchi so i roll big fat ropes - but not too big, because you want them to cook through. Cut into bite sized pieces. Drop by the batch into a pot of boiling water; the gnocchi will sink. When they rise to the top they are done; remove with a slotted spoon.
This recipe makes a LOT - enough for dinner and 2 lunches for the 2 of us PLUS more to freeze. Adjust accordingly.
Pesto
1 pack basil
Garlic (I used the chopped stuff)
Olive oil
Parmesan Reggiano cheese
I don't use pine nuts because they are too expensive. I grab a big sharp knife and chop everything together until its a nice paste. Garlic to your taste; I like lots of it. Add enough olive oil so that you form a coherent paste, but not so much that its oozy. Enjoy!!
Gnocchi
Adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe
4 big potatoes
2 eggs
Flour
Wash the potatoes and chop into big pieces so they will cook faster. Bring enough water to cover the potatoes to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, the potato skins should peel off easily.
After the skins have been removed, mash the potatoes however works best. I use my hand mixer but if you have a ricer or a masher that should work too, as long as you get rid of all the chunks you possibly can.
When the potatoes are smooth, crack in 2 eggs and some flour (I start with a cup or so). Knead until everything is incorporated. The mixture needs to get to the point that its not sticky any more, so keep adding flour by the cupful and kneading in until your mixture is not sticky.
When the mixture is smooth, grab a big handful and roll into a rope just like you used to to with Play Doh when you were a kid. I like big fat gnocchi so i roll big fat ropes - but not too big, because you want them to cook through. Cut into bite sized pieces. Drop by the batch into a pot of boiling water; the gnocchi will sink. When they rise to the top they are done; remove with a slotted spoon.
This recipe makes a LOT - enough for dinner and 2 lunches for the 2 of us PLUS more to freeze. Adjust accordingly.
Pesto
1 pack basil
Garlic (I used the chopped stuff)
Olive oil
Parmesan Reggiano cheese
I don't use pine nuts because they are too expensive. I grab a big sharp knife and chop everything together until its a nice paste. Garlic to your taste; I like lots of it. Add enough olive oil so that you form a coherent paste, but not so much that its oozy. Enjoy!!
March 10, 2009
Incoming!
I haven't been good lately... I've been cooking, just not posting :) I'm still getting the hang of this take-pictures-of-your-food-so-it-can-go-on-the-internet thing. So weird. But I have a big week of baking coming up... a cake for a friend's birthday on Thursday AND pie for 3.14.2009. I don't know what kind of cake I'm going to make yet... thinking something with an obscene amount of chocolate... and the pie will be Boston Creme. Yum! But, long story short, things should be picking up around here verrrrry soon!
March 8, 2009
Rugelach: Fail. Then Redemption.
First of all... I like Jews. I think they are great people. I love Paul Simon. I love my Jewish boyfriend, and I love love love being around for his holidays, because if its one thing Jews like to do, its eat. My kind of people. I can go on and on about the merits of a good kugel, or what I think makes latkes perfect, or why challah really does make the best french toast. One thing, though, that I think is sorely lacking in Jewish cooking is dessert. I'm a chocolate lover, and things like honey cake and hamantaschen and mandelbrot just don't do it for me. Le sigh.
One dessert I had really enjoyed was rugelach. Rugelach has been floating around the food blogging world ever since the Tuesdays with Dorie group made them, and I thought they would be a perfect way to get rid of the extreme amount of jam I had sitting around my house: 1 jar of blueberry, 2 strawberry, 1 blackberry, 1 orange, and 1 grape. Sheesh, and I don't even really like jelly!
Let me tell you... it wasn't pretty.
I followed Dorie's recipe for the cookie exactly. It came out perfectly... a little flaky, with a delicious cream cheesey flavor. The filling I just kinda made up as I went, mainly because I wanted to get rid of as much jelly as possible so I wasn't wasting any time with nuts or fruit!
4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Let the cream cheese and butter rest on counter for 10 minutes. It should be slightly softened but cool.
Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and mix, just until the dough forms large curds. Do not work the dough too long.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide into half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to a day. (dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
Shape the cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 round of dough into an 11- to 12-inch circle.
Spoon (or brush) a thin gloss of jam over the dough, and spread with jam.
Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges, or triangles.
Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each triangle becomes a little crescent.
So this is where things started to go wrong... I definitely did not spread "a thin gloss of jam over the dough." I slathered it on there. I wanted this jelly out of my fridge! Bad move.
Bake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until they are puffed and golden.
Transfer the cookies to racks to cool to just warm or to room temperature.
The first batch was a MESS! The dough had unwrapped and all the jelly had come spilling out all over the place.
This guy was the worst... he was literally a flat cookie with some jelly in the middle. Arg!
But, like any good cook, I tried to learn from my mistakes. With the next round of dough I was MUCH more careful with my jelly application, and they came out great!
Yum!
One dessert I had really enjoyed was rugelach. Rugelach has been floating around the food blogging world ever since the Tuesdays with Dorie group made them, and I thought they would be a perfect way to get rid of the extreme amount of jam I had sitting around my house: 1 jar of blueberry, 2 strawberry, 1 blackberry, 1 orange, and 1 grape. Sheesh, and I don't even really like jelly!
Let me tell you... it wasn't pretty.
I followed Dorie's recipe for the cookie exactly. It came out perfectly... a little flaky, with a delicious cream cheesey flavor. The filling I just kinda made up as I went, mainly because I wanted to get rid of as much jelly as possible so I wasn't wasting any time with nuts or fruit!
4 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Let the cream cheese and butter rest on counter for 10 minutes. It should be slightly softened but cool.
Put the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, scatter over the chunks of cream cheese and butter and mix, just until the dough forms large curds. Do not work the dough too long.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide into half. Shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to a day. (dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
Shape the cookies: On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 round of dough into an 11- to 12-inch circle.
Spoon (or brush) a thin gloss of jam over the dough, and spread with jam.
Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 wedges, or triangles.
Starting at the base of each triangle, roll the dough up so that each triangle becomes a little crescent.
So this is where things started to go wrong... I definitely did not spread "a thin gloss of jam over the dough." I slathered it on there. I wanted this jelly out of my fridge! Bad move.
Bake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350F.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until they are puffed and golden.
Transfer the cookies to racks to cool to just warm or to room temperature.
The first batch was a MESS! The dough had unwrapped and all the jelly had come spilling out all over the place.
This guy was the worst... he was literally a flat cookie with some jelly in the middle. Arg!
But, like any good cook, I tried to learn from my mistakes. With the next round of dough I was MUCH more careful with my jelly application, and they came out great!
Yum!
March 1, 2009
Banana Bread
We all have one: a go-to recipe for Banana Bread. Whenever I see a few sad looking bananas browning on my countertop I know I can dig through my mom's recipe folder and find my family's recipe, the same one that my grandmother taught my mom how to make. Except this time, with these sad looking bananas, that tattered piece of paper was about 2500 miles away (and my mother is notorious for not picking up/returning phone calls) and I had to go looking for a new recipe.
I had a few important constraints when looking for a recipe, namely in ingredients. I had 3 bananas, half a stick of butter, and absolutely no motivation to go to the store. Besides the normal cast of characters this recipe calls for plain yogurt - genius! - giving it a nice moist texture.
Banana Bread
Original Recipe found here
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.
Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
I had a few important constraints when looking for a recipe, namely in ingredients. I had 3 bananas, half a stick of butter, and absolutely no motivation to go to the store. Besides the normal cast of characters this recipe calls for plain yogurt - genius! - giving it a nice moist texture.
Banana Bread
Original Recipe found here
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.
Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
February 25, 2009
Meatloaf!
This was my first attempt at meatloaf. I grew up eating it - my mom was all about frugal meals and this when ground beef was cheap. D, on the other hand, had meatloaf practically for the first time this summer at his grandparents'. Let me say, he was hooked!
We are getting ready to move so we've been trying to use up as much food as possible. We still had a TON of meat in the freezer from the last Costco run, so this was a logical choice! We both really liked it!
Meatloaf
Original recipe found here
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, chopped fine
1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute onion)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
2 1/4 lbs ground meat (I used beef and turkey)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large heavy skillet warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions andn cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cover the skillet and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.
Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.
We are getting ready to move so we've been trying to use up as much food as possible. We still had a TON of meat in the freezer from the last Costco run, so this was a logical choice! We both really liked it!
Meatloaf
Original recipe found here
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 carrot, chopped fine
1/2 cup of finely chopped scallions (can substitute onion)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
2/3 cup ketchup
2 1/4 lbs ground meat (I used beef and turkey)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten slightly
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large heavy skillet warm the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions andn cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cover the skillet and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.
In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Cover the loaf with remaining ketchup.
Bake the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour.
February 23, 2009
Tomato Basil Soup
Last week, the boyfriend wasn't feeling so great for a few days. What's better to eat when you are feeling under the weather than soup? Tomatoes were on sale at the grocery store, so tomato soup was born!
This recipe calls for peeled tomatoes, which made me scratch my head. I literally peeled 10 tomatoes with a vegetable peeler - not easy, and not fun. Afterwards I did a little research and found a much easier way to do things.
To peel a tomato, score the underside with a big "x". Plunge the tomato in boiling water for about 10 seconds, remove, and place in an ice bath for 30 seconds. Remove from the water. You should be able to easily remove the skins by pulling upwards from the flaps!
Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 large Onions, chopped
10 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 tbsp dried Basil
Salt and Pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan butter over medium heat; add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until onion becomes translucent, but not brown (5 min).
Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes start to break down, about 2o minutes.
Season - add salt and pepper, basil, and tomato paste. Mix well.
Depending on how chunky you want your soup, you can now puree all or some of the soup to the desired consistency. Use an immersion blender or just a regular blender. If you use a regular blender like I did, blend the soup in sections (not all at the same time), returning the blended liquid to the pot until you reach the creaminess you want.
This recipe calls for peeled tomatoes, which made me scratch my head. I literally peeled 10 tomatoes with a vegetable peeler - not easy, and not fun. Afterwards I did a little research and found a much easier way to do things.
To peel a tomato, score the underside with a big "x". Plunge the tomato in boiling water for about 10 seconds, remove, and place in an ice bath for 30 seconds. Remove from the water. You should be able to easily remove the skins by pulling upwards from the flaps!
Tomato Basil Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
3 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 large Onions, chopped
10 tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 Can Tomato Paste
1 tbsp dried Basil
Salt and Pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan butter over medium heat; add onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until onion becomes translucent, but not brown (5 min).
Add tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes start to break down, about 2o minutes.
Season - add salt and pepper, basil, and tomato paste. Mix well.
Depending on how chunky you want your soup, you can now puree all or some of the soup to the desired consistency. Use an immersion blender or just a regular blender. If you use a regular blender like I did, blend the soup in sections (not all at the same time), returning the blended liquid to the pot until you reach the creaminess you want.
February 20, 2009
Fettuccine Alfredo
I'm a little nervous about starting out with this. Fettuccine Alfredo isn't exactly considered a 'healthy' meal, and with what I know what the next few posts will be already, I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea!
So, first, a little about me and my theories. I like to eat... obviously. I like almost all foods, with the main exception being seafood (but I'm working on it!) When I cook I try to create healthy, balanced meals. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep my red meat intake reasonable, etc etc etc. That being said, I love to indulge! I love desserts. I have no remorse about an occasional artery-clogging meal, like this one. I only try to keep myself and my eating habits balanced and easy.
Now, on to the food...
I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this recipe. It was too buttery and not creamy or cheesy enough. It was delicious though, and the boyfriend and I polished off 1lb between dinner last night and today's lunch. I don't even want to think about how many calories that is :)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Original Recipe found here
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Bring a pot of water to boil, liberally salt the water and add pasta. Cook about 7-9 minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta will be slightly underdone but it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to fit the pasta once cooked.
Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pan. Pour cream and cheese over the pasta. Toss to completely coat the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley.
Reduce heat to low, let pasta stand 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Toss just before serving.
So, first, a little about me and my theories. I like to eat... obviously. I like almost all foods, with the main exception being seafood (but I'm working on it!) When I cook I try to create healthy, balanced meals. I eat lots of fruits and veggies, try to keep my red meat intake reasonable, etc etc etc. That being said, I love to indulge! I love desserts. I have no remorse about an occasional artery-clogging meal, like this one. I only try to keep myself and my eating habits balanced and easy.
Now, on to the food...
I must admit, I was a little disappointed with this recipe. It was too buttery and not creamy or cheesy enough. It was delicious though, and the boyfriend and I polished off 1lb between dinner last night and today's lunch. I don't even want to think about how many calories that is :)
Fettuccine Alfredo
Original Recipe found here
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter (half a stick)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Bring a pot of water to boil, liberally salt the water and add pasta. Cook about 7-9 minutes. Strain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. The pasta will be slightly underdone but it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a pan large enough to fit the pasta once cooked.
Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pan. Pour cream and cheese over the pasta. Toss to completely coat the pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add the parsley.
Reduce heat to low, let pasta stand 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Toss just before serving.
February 17, 2009
Wilkommen, Bienvenidos, Welcome, Come On In!
I like to eat.
As the young-starving-college-student I survived on bean burros (yum) and Hot Pockets - pepperoni was my flavor of choice. Um... yuk?
Now, not so many years older or wiser, I prefer real food. However, eating real food means cooking real food, and since my cooking skills were limited to about 3 real dishes, I set off to learn how to cook. Turns out, I'm not half bad!
Armed with five cookbooks and a wealth of interweb information, I'm here to add my little voice to the world of food blogging. Hello world, and happy eating!
As the young-starving-college-student I survived on bean burros (yum) and Hot Pockets - pepperoni was my flavor of choice. Um... yuk?
Now, not so many years older or wiser, I prefer real food. However, eating real food means cooking real food, and since my cooking skills were limited to about 3 real dishes, I set off to learn how to cook. Turns out, I'm not half bad!
Armed with five cookbooks and a wealth of interweb information, I'm here to add my little voice to the world of food blogging. Hello world, and happy eating!
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