Persimmon Bread

My fruit bowl has been overtaken with Persimmons! In Korea I loved persimmons, but I think they were a different kind. The ones I have been getting in my veggie box don't have the same texture and their flavor is not as good for eating plain, so I made bread out of them. It was really good! I still don't know where my camera is so not photo, but i am sure you can use your imagination; picture banana bread :)

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups ripe Hachiya persimmon pulp

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a bowl, stir together the sugar, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, oatmeal, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and baking soda, until well mixed. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir persimmon pulp with applesauce, vegetable oil, and eggs until well blended. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, stirring until free of lumps. Divide batter between two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean.

Pie Crust

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am going to post my pie crust recipe. It's nothing fancy, but it works for me. There are tons of little tricks that people use to make their pie crust, but I pretty much ignore all of that stuff. Freezing the bowl, using vodka, chilling for hours, etc. My sister literally takes an hour to make pie crust. This recipe is simple and easy.

2 cups white pastry flour (or regular)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
water (chilled is better)

In a large bowl, mix the flours and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter. When the butter is mostly mixed in, cut in the shortening. Continue until you have pea-sized lumps. Slowly add the water and mix until you can form a ball. Too much water or mixing with make the crust hard and too crunchy. Too little water makes it hard to work with. It may take you a while to realize just how much water is right. I guess that is the hardest part. When you are rolling out the dough, be sure to generously flour the surface. Using parchment/wax paper helps.

For Thanksgiving, I made an apple sour cream pie. It was yummy. Check it out at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Silver-Palate-Sour-Cream-Apple-Pie-106665

Yummy Chanterelles Courtesy of Mols

Molly gave me a bunch of mushrooms that she had hunted last weekend and Aleta and I made a feast out of them. We sauteed onion lots of garlic and chicken then added the shrooms and a little butter. Then we added some beautiful chard and let it cook down a tad. We served it all over red Quinoa (the kind rach and mols went crazy over last week) topped with fresh parmesean. This was the perfect simple fall meal, although it felt extravagant because it was so colorful and beautiful. This picture from Leat's phone really does not do it justice...I gotta find my camera!

Weird Veggies Trifecta

Here's my final installment for the bizarre vegetable series. Now, with the inclement weather arriving, it's time to head indoors and cook up all the pumpkin and butternut squash from this season (heaps of them this year). Happy Fall!

Though not weird, this is pretty much my last harvest from the garden. It's always kind of bittersweet... just like the kale this time of year.

The stuff nightmares are made of...

Sometimes it is best to let the picture speak for itself.

I didn't think it was possible to be hypnotized by a watermelon, until today.

*note: I carved nothing into this thing. Anyone know what causes this?

Mutant Veggies Pt. 2

Here is a creepy cucumber to add to Jake's earlier post!

White House kitchen Garden

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Oddball Veggies: Part I

The gardening in Corvallis this year has been interesting, albeit a bit slow for the tomatoes for some reason. Every year I try to grow several new vegetables, sometimes just to find out if I like them. Among them are the veggies that I just can't grow or aren't very palatable to me. The Radicchio just didn't pan out, as it tasted similar to what I imagine Skunk-cabbage tastes like. My Roma tomatoes last year were as hard as billiard balls. I've also found that often the stranger something looks, the better it tastes. A friend said that Kohlrabi looks like "some kinda weird space alien thingy...whatever..." And it does, but its taste is akin to a sweet and tender broccoli stem.

Then there are the truely bizarre, the outliers in which some process of cell division went horribly wrong. I'll post them here as I find them, and feel free to post your own in a similar fashion. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of some of them. Among the missing are the pontoon boat shaped zuchini, The two lobed lemon cucumber, and the V shaped pole bean.

The two headed fairy eggplant. I'll leave it to you to decide which part of the human anatomy this looks like.

Possibly my favorite: the so-called "Frankentuber," the oddest potatoe I've ever seen

A Crockpot is a New Mexican's Best Friend

Being back in New Mexico, I have reverted back to my old "burrito a day" habits. (and looking at my parents stash of beans I could probably eat 3 a day) .Beans are soooo good especially when they are homemade in a crockpot. I made the most amazing pot of shredded buffalo and beans last night.

I bought a couple pieces of buffalo meat and threw it in with pinto beans, red chile powder, garlic and onion, turned the crockpot on low and let it cook 24ish hours. The buffalo cooked down and shredded. I ate my bowl of beans with lots of green chile and cheese. YUMMY!

What to do with Green Beans

We've got a sudden glut of green beans from the garden. I hated green beans as a kid, but I figured I'd give them another chance. This is a very simple recipie for green beans that tastes almost as good as bacon. I'm not kidding. I haven't chowed down on beans like that EVER!
Ingredients:
enough beans to cover the bottom of a pan
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil, but make sure you salt the olive oil)
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
ginger (lightly) to taste

Melt the butter in the pan, toss in the garlic, ginger, and beans, and cook on a medium heat for about 10 min. Overcook (but don't burn) the beans a bit (the phrase "cooked into submission" come to mind here). I left them on a while longer than I thought I should have and they were perfect. When the garlic is really starting to brown and crisp is about right. Serve them seperately or with more garden veggies. I havent tried it yet, but eggplant strips would also be good in this I feel.
So easy, so nummy!

Clean Food = Clean Body

My Mom and I just recently finished a 12 day cleanse... the cleanse is different from a detox, in that you are getting enough nutrients and calories to sustain an active lifestyle. I feel great, and now know for sure that I have a gluten intolerance (my stomach wasn't so hot after reintroducing 2 slices of bread). It is interesting how we become so accustomed to feeling sick or "off", that we do not even notice what foods make our bodies feel both good and bad. I think cleaning out our system once in a while is important in order to truly listen to, and take care of our bodies.

So, here are the basic "guidelines" and a few of my favorite recipes from the 12 days. I am thinking I might make a recipe book for it!

For the ENTIRE 12 days, eliminate the "Big 10" from your life:
1. Alcohol
2. Caffeine (green tea is okay)
3. Dairy
4. Sugar (including honey/agave/maple syrup- but stevia is okay)
5. Flour (crackers, bread, pasta)
6. Chocolate
7. Soy Products (miso is okay)
8. Processed Fat/Oil
9. Nuts
10. Vinegar

Day 1 --> Pre-Cleanse: whole grains, lean protein, fruit, vegetables, healthy fat
Day 2 --> Pre-Cleanse: whole grains, lean protein, fruit, vegetables (eliminate fat)
Day 3 --> Protein Phase: lean protein, fruit, vegetables, supplements
Day 4 --> Protein Phase: lean protein, fruit, vegetables, supplements
Day 5 --> Fruit/Veggie Phase: fruits, vegetables, supplements
Day 6 --> Fruit/Veggie Phase: juice only (dilute 30% juice/70% water)
Day 7 --> Fruit/Veggie Phase: fruits, vegetables, supplements
Day 8 --> Reintroduction: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, supplements
Day 9 --> Reintroduction: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, supplements
Day 10 --> Reintroduction: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, supplements
Day 11 --> Reintroduction: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fat, supplements
Day 12 --> Reintroduction: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, healthy fat, supplements
(After this, start adding in the Big 10, one at a time- you will notice any lack of tolerance this way!)

~~RECIPES~~





Spicy Mung Bean Soup with Coconut
*2 cups of mung beans (soaked overnight)
*1 tsp black mustard seeds
*1 small clove of garlic (minced)
*1 inch piece of ginger (chopped finely)
*1-2 jalapeños (minced)
*3 bay leaves
*1 tsp tumeric
*1/2 tsp ground cumin
*1 tsp ground coriander
*1/2 tsp cayenne
*1 can diced tomatoes
*3 cups water or vegetable broth
*1 cup shredded coconut
*juice from 1 lemon
*1/2 tsp garam masala
*1/2 tsp salt
--> Heat a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Immediately add the garlic, jalapeño, and ginger and stir for a minute (be careful for flying jalapeño pieces!). Add 1/2 cup or water and bring to a simmer. Toss in the bay leaves, tumeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Stir, then add the tomatoes and coconut. Cook for another minute, then add the remaining water, and the mung beans. Simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add water if needed. Cook about 30-45 minutes, or until mung beans are no longer hard (but they should not be mushy either!). Add lemon juice and garam masala (and more water again if needed), and cook for another few minutes before serving.



Massaged Kale with Lemon
*1 bunch of kale (any type works! mix them too!)
*1 large clove of garlic (crushed)
*1/2-1 lemon
*1/2-1 tsp sea salt
--> Wash kale and strip from stalk. Tear into small pieces. Crush garlic and mix with kale. Squeeze lemon onto kale (I suggest starting with 1/2 and adding more if needed) and add salt. Massage with hands for 3-5 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes and serve. Similar to ceviche, the lemon "cooks" the kale down!



Quinoa and Veggie Stuffed Poblanos with Chipotle Guacamole
*6 big poblano peppers (pesillas are the same thing)
*1 cup red or black quinoa cooked in 2 cups of water
*1 small zucchini (cut into small chunks)
*1 small squash (cut into small chunks)
*6-8 white mushrooms (cut into small chunks)
*1/2 purple onion (diced)
*1 red bell pepper (diced)
*2 garlic cloves (minced)
*1/4 tsp salt
*good natural salsa
*12 toothpicks
--> Remove the tops from the poblanos (like the top of a jack-o-lantern) and remove seeds. In a big bowl combine the quinoa, all of the vegetables, salt, and as much salsa as you want (just enough to moisten the mixture without making it runny). Stuff each poblano as much as possible, using a chopstick to push some down into the bottoms and cracks. Place 2 toothpicks into the tops, and out the sides to hold the filling inside. Heat the BBQ grill, and place the poblanos on. Turn every few minutes until the skin is blackened and blistered all over.
*2 avocados
*1 garlic clive (minced)
*1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (diced)
*leftover salsa
*salt
*lemon juice
--> mash the avocado and combine everything until you have guacamole. Serve on top of the poblanos...






Chicken "Tacos" with Green Chile
*1 rotisserie chicken
*1 head of boston butter lettuce
*veggie toppings (tomato, onion, peppers...)
*chipotle guacamole (see recipe above)
*chopped green chile
*pinto beans, or black beans
--> Take apart the rotisserie chicken, shredding the meat. Chop all of the veggies, and make the guacamole. Heat the beans. Using the butter lettuce as a "taco shell", assemble tacos with everything you want.

(Sorry... no pics of these... but they were SO good, we had them twice!)


Let me know if you want any more info on the cleanse. The recipes are all amazing, and I will be using the all on a regular basis. :)

African Quinoa Soup with Vegetables

I made this the other day for Rachel's "day after her birthday" get-together, which she scarfed down before I ever made it home. She and everyone else said it was good so I figured I'd post it here.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 minced garlic clove
1 small minced fresh jalapeno pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
2 diced celery stalks with leaves
2 medium diced zucchini
1 medium diced sweet potato
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup peanut butter
black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot (I used a dutch oven) melt butter over medium high heat. When butter is hot and bubbly, add onion, garlic, jalapeno, bell pepper, celery, zucchini, sweet potato, cumin and oregano. Saute' 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your preference.

Add stock, quinoa, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until quinoa is cooked and vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add peanut butter, using a wooden spoon to blend in completely, and simmer another 10 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and enjoy.

I used chunky organic peanut butter like the recipe said, but I think it'd be better with creamy. The red quinoa I used gave the soup a chunky texture, so crunchy peanut butter was really unnecessary. All in all, pretty tasty, and relatively quick to make!

Potatoe Leek Zoopa

This was very successfully tried the other day for the first time with mostly fresh veggies from the garden ('cept the taters). You will need:
several medium leeks (4 - 3/4 in. diameter leeks or equivalent. The more the merrier!)
6 yukon gold potatoes (fist size)
1 med onion
4 cups veggie/chicken broth
1-2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp butter/oil
1/2 cup fresh parsley
a small pinch of thyme and rosemary(very easy on the rosemary as it is a strong spice)
salt & pepper
A food processor or blender

Finely chop onions, garlic, and leeks(I usualy go a little above where it turns green but sample it periodically while cutting to make sure it isnt too tough). Sautee for 3-4 min in 2 tbsp butter.
Skin and coarsely chop potatoes, boil for 5 min (or until soft but not to a mashable point yet). Add half cooked potatoes, broth, and saute mix to a pot and simmer for 10-15 min. Chop parsley, thyme, rosemary, and add salt & pepper in the last 5 minutes of simmer. Once cooked, add entire mixture (or in parts if you have a lower volume blender/food processor) to blender/food processor and puree. Add the milk to this mixture until it smooths out to the desired texture. Water can be added if need be to smooth it out more. This made enough for 6+ people in a 4 course meal.

Caesar a la Nueva Mexicana

One of my favorite go-to meals is Caesar Salad. After 4 years of college though, the classic Caesar gets a bit drab. So, here is my own spicy twist...

Spicy Tequila Lime Chicken Caesar Salad with Grilled Veggies

Chicken Breast
Tequila
Lime Juice
Limes
Romaine Lettuce
Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
Purple Onion
Caesar Dressing (I like Trader Joes Vegan Dressing!)
Red Chile Pepper Flakes
Parmesan Cheese


*Marinate the chicken in a mixture of lime juice, chile flakes and tequila
*Slice up the veggies and toss them with a bit of lime juice. Grill all of the veggies and set aside on a plate to cool.
*Grill the chicken, adding more tequila/lime marinade as needed. Slice up and set aside with veggies.
*Tear up the romaine lettuce and place in a giant bowl. Add the dressing, chile flakes, and cheese. Toss until coated, and pour out onto a plate.
*Top with veggies, chicken, and more cheese and chile flakes.
*Enjoy!

Aristic Response

This is part of a  project I did for class. I had to create a piece of art about who I learned to do something...I chose cooking; Cómo Aprendí Cocinar. I will put up a picture of the whole piece. I translated it into English but it doesn't sound as pretty :(

The recipes of a woman are like her, always changing and developing.

 

In the beginning, I only the know the secretes of my mom. She taught me how make my grandmother’s Ruggalach. Even though I never met her I still prepare her cookies today.

 

Since then I have many memories of time spent in the kitchen with numerous women (and a few men)

 

Thanks to them and their knowledge about cooking  and food I now cook with pleasure and pride.

 

With the sounds of pots and smells of spices in the background I have learned about similarities and diferences in ingredients, preferences and perspectives.

 

They are my mothers, my sisters and my friends and I carry all they have taught me in my recipe book and my soul

 

The truth is that one shares much more than food in the kitchen.

Who I am has formed in mnay ways becuase of the time I have spent with these people cooking and chatting.

 

I am like a recipe: those who have shared their secrets with me, not only  about the kitchen, but also about life, are the ingredients.

 

 

Amazing Burritos

The other day, I was inspired to make burritos when Grandma took me to Vallarta (the Mexican grocery store down here).

First,I asked Paco how to make beans in a crockpot, and she explained that you just put beans, water, onion, garlic, and bacon in the pot and cook. Easy enough! I threw it all in overnight on low, and the smell in the morning was amazing! I decided to make refried beans, so I dumped the beans directly into a blender and pulsed until they were pretty smooth. Next, I heated a pan with oil, and yes, refried the beans for about 15-20 minutes. Super easy and delicious!

I also made spanish rice. I know that this probably isn't really the right way to make it, but it is how my Mexican roommates from studying abroad taught me. First, I cooked some white rice. Next I blended some tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a food processor until smooth. I added the tomato mixture to the rice (it will be soupy- you can add water to it if needed), and cooked for another 10 minutes or so. Normally, I would add some chili but Grandma doesn't do spicy so I added lime and cilantro instead for extra flavor.

Lastly, I made salsa verde from tomatillos. I took off the tomatillo husk and cut each one in half. I placed the cut tomatillos (cut side down) on an oiled pan and baked them on about 400 until the skins started browning. Then I put them in the food processor with a little onion, lime, sugar, salt and cilantro. Tasty!

Other items I included in my burritos: I cooked some peppers and squash, oaxaca cheese, avocado, lime, and cilantro. In case you haven't noticed by now, I don't use measurements when I cook. I have a small bowl handy and taste as I go. That way, my food tastes how I want it to in the end. I know that some people find that frustrating, but hey, I have no idea how much salt I added. I added enough so that it tasted right to me.

Tamale Making Extravaganza

Last weekend the place to be in Corvallis was the tamale making class. We made more tamales than you can even imagine and they were amazing. María the teacher was really great. We made 4 different kinds of Tamales which were are delicious! This is more of a picture than a recipe blog, mostly because I am too lazy to type it out...

Pie for Dinner

Sorry Ian, this is hardly a BBQ recipe. I have to say I'm pretty excited that it's getting to that time of year though! But I made this tasty pie a couple weeks ago and have been meaning to post it. Anyhow, my mother gave me her old copy of the Moosewood Cookbook a few months ago. I love this cookbook, I've read it cover to cover, yet I rarely cook out of it. I've decided to change that starting with the Spinach Ricotta Pie.


The Moosewood's Spinach Ricotta Pie

Yield: One 9" pie

Cut together 1 cup of flour and 1/3 cup of cold unsalted butter and ¼ t. salt. Then add about 3 Tbs. cold buttermilk and mix together lightly. Gather together into a disk, wrap and chill for at least an hour.

Roll out into a thin disc to fill a 9" pie pan and set aside.

The Filling:

1 lb. ricotta cheese
3 eggs, beaten
½ lb. chopped spinach – sautéed in butter with black pepper, ½ tsp. salt and ½ tsp. butter.
1 small onion, diced
3 tbs. flour
½ c. grated sharp cheese
dash nutmeg

1 c. sour cream
paprika

Mix everything together, blending well. Spread into unbaked pie shell. Top with sour cream, spreading to the edges. Sprinkle generously with paprika.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

BBQ season

hey, Col and I got a BBQ, so that leads me to two things:
1) Can you all post any nummy bbq type recipies you have up your sleeves (marinades, shishkibab combos, weird craziness that I can't even think of...)
2) You all need to come over to enjoy the next sunny day and try out said recipies.

Amaretto Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

This cheesecake was a special request. But after searching and searching I couldn't find a recipe I liked, so I adapted a Dorie Greenspan recipe. It was a fantastic success. Keith has raved about steaming cheesecakes before like Dorie does in this recipe, but this was the first time I'd done it. I'll never go back to baking cheesecake again.


For the Crust:

1 ½ c. graham crackers crumbs
3 T. sugar
a pinch of salt
½ c. ground almonds
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bottom of a 9" spring form with two layers of heavy aluminum foil. Mix the dry ingredients in a shallow bowl and then pour melted butter over. Mix thoroughly until damp and then press into the spring form pan going half way up the sides. Bake the crust for ten minutes until lightly browned. Cool, then wrap and freeze while preparing the rest of the cheesecake.

For the Cheesecake:

2 lbs. cream cheese (4 8-oz. packets), room temp.
1 1/3 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 ½ t. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temp.
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. minus 2 T. heavy cream
2 T. amaretto
½ t. pure almond extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put a kettle on the stove to boil.

With a stand mixer use a paddle mixer, and beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and then continue to beat for another 4 minutes, until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Add the eggs one by one, beating a full minute in between each one. Reduce speed and mix in the sour cream, amaretto, and heavy cream. Pour the mixture into the crust and then place in a large roasting pan. Fill half way up the side of the spring form pan with boiling water and place in the oven. Bake the cheesecake for 1½ hours. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let the cheesecake sit for another hour. Then carefully remove the whole contraption, take out the pan, and remove the foil. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then cover with saran wrap and chill in the refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Raspberry Coulis:

2 c. frozen raspberries
1-2 t. lemon juice
sugar to taste
2 t. cornstarch

Cook down the raspberries; then strain the berries through a fine sieve. Return strained berries to pan and add lemon juice and sugar to taste. Put cornstarch in a separate bowl and add just enough water to make a thin paste. Slowly stir into the raspberries until slightly thickened. Chill until serving time.

Bird's Nest Cupcakes for Spring

I've been on a cupcake kick lately. So on a lazy Saturday this month, I spent most of the afternoon frosting cupcakes. These are lemon flavored, but really any white cake and frosting would work. The fun part here is really the decoration.



Lemon Cupcakes:

2 ¼ c. cake flour
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt
1 ¼ c. whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 ½ c. sugar
2 t. grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp.
½ t. pure lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line 22 muffin cups with cupcake papers.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Whisk together the milk and the eggs whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. Beat in extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, then add half of the eggs whites and milk, alternating until all added. Then give the batter a good 2 minutes of beating, and divide among the cupcake papers. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.


Lemon Meringue Frosting:

½ c. sugar
2 large egg whites
1 ½ sticks butter (6 tablespoons), at room temp.
2 T. fresh lemon juice
½ t. pure vanilla extract

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
44 jordan almonds

Put the sugar and the egg whites in a double boiler, and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. It should look like glossy marshmallow cream.

Transfer to a mixer, and beat on high speed with a whisk attachment until cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to a paddle attachment and then add butter in pieces until fully incorporated. Then bean 6 to 10 minutes until very smooth. On medium speed beat in lemon juice and the vanilla extract. Place a piece of saran wrap over the frosting until ready to use.

Toast the coconut on a baking sheet in a 300 degree oven until lightly brown, about 8 minutes. Use a folk to stir the coconut every few minutes to get an even toasting. Let cool completely before using.


To Decorate:

Spread a generous amount of frosting on the cupcakes, mounding it higher around the edge. Press toasted coconut into the soft frosting, completely coating it. Place a couple Jordan almonds into the depression in the center.

and...

Pecan Praline Cupcakes
In February I made these cupcakes for my sister-in-law's birthday. I used a white cake recipe, topped them with a melted brown sugar icing, and candied pecans.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Lavender & Polenta

Made this delicious salad and it's a definite keeper :)

4 chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups polenta

3 3/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup butter

spinach

small tomatoes

pecans

feta

Marinade fro chicken:

dried lavender

2 tsp grated orange rind

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 tsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram

(mix together and spread on chicken. leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes)

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add polenta and cook on low heat 3-4 minutes, until thick stirring continuously. Spead into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Let cook until hard. Cut into 1 inch cubes. Heat butter in frying pan and cook cubes until golden brown. Also grill or broil chicken. 

Serve chicken and polenta over a bead of spinach topped with tomatoes, pecans and feta. 

Portabello Marinade (10 min or less)

Ok, here goes my first attempt at recipeeeez! This has been adapted from Colleen's veggie cookbook... The marinade can be strong (salt from miso and sour from balsamic) if you are eyeballin' the ingredient amounts, so be careful and dilute with water if necessary.
3-4 portos
2 tbsp Miso Paste
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp balsamic
1 tbsp water
Optional depending on desired flavor is grated garlic, ginger, or pepper to taste.

Add the portos to a gallon ziploc, then add the above ingredients after mixing separately in a bowl. Seal the bag almost all the way, but leave a small space to blow into. Inflate the bag (a la, Franzia volleyball), and gently shake for a minute. The inflated bag will keep the shroomies from crushing. heat oven to 350 degrees, and by the time the oven is warm, the marinade should be sufficiently soaked in. Lay the caps out, gills up, on a cookie sheet and cook for around 10 min (depends on how cooked you like your mushies.

You cant go wrong with this and it is really easy and quick to make, though not very appetizing looking unless you can figure out something to put it on/garnish. (parsley anyone?)

No Knead Bread

I blatantly stole this recipe from my cousin Erik, who deserves much of the credit for perfecting the technique. This recipe is EASY, and on a given batch you probably do 15 minutes of actual work; the rest is just rise time, temperature and equipment. The bread has the good, springy texture of artisan bread complete with the big gas bubbles. I have had great results letting the dough rise 24 hours (my house is about 65 degrees F) and you could let it rise for up to 36 hours, depending on the the temperature. A longer rise time will typically yield stronger flavors, and this is part of the reason the bread is tastier than plain ol' white bread. I baked mine in a dutch oven and sprinkled on cornmeal, which makes for a spiffy crust. The recipe doesn't mention, but I usually wet the towels to hold in moisture. I also like a bit crispier crust so I bake the bread out of the dutch oven and right on the rack for the last 5-10 minutes. Think that's it. Enjoy!



Recipe: No-Knead Bread
Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street BakeryTime: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

Olive apricot and pistachio quinoa

I tweaked a Martha Stewart couscous recipe and it was really good. I used quinoa instead of couscous and upped the apricots, olives, pistachios and added feta. Its a great mixture of flavors, i was really pleased with how it came out.

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

½ cup dried apricots chopped

½ cup green olives chopped

1/3 cup pistachios chopped

juice for ½ a lemon

feta

 

cook quinoa until mostly done. Add apricots an olives and continue to cook. When finished, mix in pistachios and lemon juice. Serve topped with feta J

Lard; Why are we so afraid of it?

 LARD...dun dun dun. Who cooks with lard? "I don't want all that fat going straight to my ass... talk about a a heart attack waiting to happen...I don't eat stuff like that." Sound familiar? 

Why are we all of the sudden so afraid of something our ancestors have been doing for centuries? I know that many of my favorite recipes from home call for lard... or if you are weary of animal fat you can opt for the Crisco substitute, which I always have been. But, I've got to thinking, hy is it that we look down upon traditional ways of cooking as unhealthy, and instead use processed chemically derived ingredients? 

Crisco was invented before the civil war when a soap maker James Proctar, and a candle maker William Gandle got together and invented it as a response the the monopoly that was held over lard and tallow, ingredients needed to produce their products. Scientist E.C Kayser helped them develop the science of hydrogenation which changes oils into solids, creating a lard-like substance.  It wasn't until 1911, that Procter & Gamble realized they could turn a profit by introducing Crisco into the public for cooking and baking. It was marketed under the slogan "A healthier alternative to cooking with animal fats...and more economical than butter". It was an amazing marketing scheme that demonized lard forever.  As we now know, Crisco is not healthier than other forms of fat, and hydrogenated oil has been found to increase heart disease because our bodies have a hard time processing the man made chemical  structure.

Despite all the new information about hydrogenated oils and transfats, people still seem scared of the one thing that should be the least threatening, the traditional way. Lard is all natural and worked just fine for generation after generation before we decided that we can create something better (which obviously didn't work). How disconnected from our food and our traditions have we become? How can we believe it is more healthy to put chemically altered substances in our bodies as opposed to something natural?

A couple weeks ago I made bizcochitos the traditional way...and they were delicious!

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

These are amazing. Possibly the best cupcakes I've ever made. It's funny because I'd decided to make cupcakes for a friend's birthday this weekend and got online to poke around on some food blogs to see if anything looked interesting. I went to smitten kitchen first and Deb had posted these cupcakes that very day. Ironically this exact same thing happened a couple weeks ago when I was looking for a good sandwich bread recipe and Deb had posted one that same day as well. It makes fantastic bread by the way, but I've been upping the salt to 2 1/2 tsps.... in case you give it a whirl. It's like smitten kitchen is my baking oracle; Deb knows what I want to bake before I do!


Anyways, back to the cupcakes. Considering all the steps involved, they aren't too hard to make and it's totally worth the extra time. They are super moist, and have a really rich flavor... the beer maybe?? The centers are cut out and filled with a simple ganache, I might add a splash of whiskey to it next time to make it really authentic. Then they are topped with a totally decadent Bailey's frosting. I'm not usually one for lots of icing, but I could eat this stuff with a spoon.

I also have to confess I caved and bought a cupcake tote this weekend. I feel like a total dork, but man is it nice. I could only find 12 and 36 seater boxes, and since bigger is always better... I now have the world's biggest cupcake carrier. But it makes it so unbelievably easy to carry and keep these babies, and they stay nice and fresh.

Belated Happy Holidays!

So. It looks like the New Year has kept us all a little busy! I know I've been slacking on the posting front, and I even took some pictures of my latest kitchen endeavors. It's still wintry outside and gingerbread never goes out of style in my book, so here a few recipes from the holidays.


Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

I took these to my office holiday party for a festive treat. The recipe I used is from 101cookbooks. I didn't have superfine sugar, and used granulated sugar instead. Next time I will take the extra trip to the store. The larger grains reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe I think, and they turned out a little dry, just slightly tough. I would also use fresh nutmeg next time, and maybe reduce the amount just slightly. That's coming from some one who loooooves nutmeg! But they are fun to bake and frost, and make quite an impression.


Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

These cookies are a little crisper than I was looking for, but they have excellent flavor and turned out very pretty. I tried this recipe from Simply Recipes. I generally like my gingerbread a little on the chewy side, but I ended up liking the subtle crunch these ones had. And they were a blast to frost.


Joanne Storch's Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I don't have a picture of these little guys, maybe because they got gobbled up so quickly. They just might top my list of favorite holiday cookies ever! And they are so quick and easy to make. I used the leftover dipping chocolate to make peppermint bark as well. I just mixed a couple teaspoons of peppermint extract into the leftover warm chocolate, and then spread it out on a sheet of wax paper. I then gently pressed crushed candy cane into the top and let it harden in a cool place. Then I broke it up into bite sizes pieces.


¾ c. powered sugar
1 ½ c. graham crackers (crushed)
½ c. butter
½ c. peanut butter
1 Tbs. shortening
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)

Mix powdered sugar, and cracker crumb together. Heat butter and peanut butter over low heat until melted. Stir in crumb mixture. Shape into 1" balls and let rest for a few minutes in a cool place.

Heat chocolate with 1 TBS of shortening. Dip balls into the chocolate with thongs or a fork until coated. Place on wax paper and refrigerate until firm.



I hope everyone's New Year is off to a fabulous start! I have bread rising in the kitchen, so I'll try and post again soon. :)