Best Bonnie Bakes

Mini Apple Crumb Pies

2011-12-30T16:21:00.000-08:00

This is my salute to semi-homemade. I used storebought pie-crust, canned apple pie filling (there's always a first for everything), and I made the crumb topping. They came out really yummy! And so simple to make. I cut the circles out of the pie dough with a biscuit cutter, greased a muffin pan, and plopped the dough in. I put about a tablespoon or two of apple filling in the dough. I made the crumb topping with 1/2 cup each of brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and butter. And I baked them at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 20 min to 1/2 hr. That's it!

Black and Blueberry Rustic Tart

2011-12-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

Well, this gives new meaning to the word rustic. It has holes in the crust, it's misshapened, the juices bled into the crust, but that doesn't change the fact that it was delicious. The cornmeal in the pastry was divine! The tart was hardily and happily consumed by all. The recipe is from epicurious here.

Rustic Nectarine and Blackberry Crostata with Cornmeal Crust

Crust

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)*
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon (packed) grated orange peel
3/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup (or more) ice water

Filling and baking

1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 medium nectarines, each pitted and cut into 16 slices (i substituted blueberries)
1 1/2-pint basket blackberries
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
Raw sugar crystals

Chicken Thighs Stuffed with Feta Cheese

2011-12-30T15:50:00.002-08:00

Another simple but delicious, yet lowfat dish. Take boneless, skinless thighs and roll them around a thick chunk of feta cheese. Sprinkle with fresh oregano and dump a can of fire-roasted dice tomatoes on top. Bake 350 degrees 30 min. Yum

Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers

2011-12-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

I love these baby bell peppers. I buy them all the time from Costco, where here in Hawaii they are $2 a pound as opposed to $5.99 lb in the stores for red and yellow bell peppers. (It's expensive to eat in paradise!). I mixed goat cheese with a little cream cheese and a tablespoon of mile to loose the mixture, then added some finely chopped garlic and salt and pepper. I used a little olive oil on the pan so they wouldn't stick and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Then I baked them in the oven at 350 degrees until they were softened and browned, about 15-20 min. The filling did run out a little, but I let them cool slightly and pushed the filling back in. They made a great little appetizer before dinner!

Beer Can Chicken

2011-12-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

Best. Chicken. Ever.
Two whole chickens+ Two cans of beer+Dry rub=Best. Chicken. Ever.
Un-freaking-believeable!!
My son-in-law made these and he never uses the same rub twice. He empties about 1/2 of the beer (i.e. drinks it) and he throws garlic and some rub in the can. He puts the chicken off to the side of the flame so it doesn't blacken. The chicken was so incredibly good that I bought two more for him to cook again the next weekend. He uses a basic rub recipe with lots of spices and herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. He never makes the same rub twice and they always turn out fantastic. This is a must try technique.

Passionfruit Cinnmon Rolls

2011-11-16T17:49:00.001-08:00

Passionfruit Cinnamon Rolls

This is a recipe I have had for years for Orange cinnamon swirl bread. I don't know where it was
originally from, but I have made in many, many times.
Now, I have soooo much lilikoi juice that
I am putting it in everything.

Dough:
1 pkg yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup of passionfruit/lilikoi juice
6 1/2-7 cups flour, approx.
1 egg, room temperature

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons water

Icing:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
4 teaspoons passionfruit/lilikoi juice

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Melt butter with milk, sugar, juice and shortening over low heat. Cool to lukewarm. With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Pour in yeast mixture and one slightly beaten egg. Beat well. Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time until dough is no longer stickey and pulls from the side of the bowl. Turn onto floured board. Knead til smooth. Place in greased bowl. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough. Divide in half. Let rest. Combine sugar and cinnamon for filling. roll each piece of dough in rectangle 15x7" approx. 1/2" thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar. Sprinkle with water. Roll, pinch to seal edges. Cut approx 2' thick rolls or to your liking. Place in greased pan or cookie sheet. Let rise until double again. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Then 325 degrees for 30 min. Cool and frost,

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

2011-11-14T20:47:00.001-08:00

These are addicting. Chewy, yummy, can't stop with just one cookie. I gave them away so I wouldn't eat them all!

I found the recipe on mybaking addiction here and she refered back to rock recipes here.

Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of one large lime, finely minced
3 tbsp lime juice
½ cup unsweetened toasted coconut
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.
4. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Pasta with Feta, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Cilantro

2011-10-02T22:56:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a new way to use up a humungous bag of cilantro that my friend, Malia, gave me when I came across this recipe. I often make pasta and feta with basil, so I was curious how it would taste with cilantro. Some people absolutely detest cilantro and I cannot, for the life of me, understand why. I love it. Surprisingly, the cilantro was very mild in this dish. My daughter was a tad leery also, "cilantro and feta?" she said. But considering that the bowl was emptied, no leftovers whatsoever, I guess it was tasty!! I love making pasta dishes that you don't have to cook anything except the pasta. I also love feta hot. It changes entirely, creamier, less pungent, less salty. Amazingly good!

Pasta with Feta, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Cilantro

1 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta (I used spaghetti)

1/4 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

3 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, softened and chopped

1 (8 ounce) package tomato-basil feta cheese, crumbled (I used plain)

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (I added more!)

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water until done; drain. Return pasta to the pot.
Mix in olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, feta, and Parmesan cheese. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm

Roasted Portabella Mushrooms with Gorgonzola Sauce

2011-10-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

My husband and daughter declared this to be a Halloween pupu (appetizer for those unfamiliar with the Hawaiian word pupu) because of the lovely orange and brown colors. Then they proceded to wipe the dish clean. Portabella mushrooms are so versatile. Lately, we have been observing meatless Monday's and portabella's make a great meat substitute. We've made cheese "steak" sandwiches and "burger"s out of portabella's and as I have been keeping them in the fridge lately, I decided to try making an appetizer out of them for yet another meatless meal.

Roasted Portabella Mushrooms with Gorgonzola Sauce

2 portabella mushrooms, stems removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

1 roasted red bell pepper (I used jarred peppers, drained)

4 oz gorgonzola cheese

1/8 cup red onion, chopped

cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish

Rub olive oil over entire mushroom. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cool and cut into wedges.

In a food processor or blender, blend bell pepper, cheese and onion til smooth. Spoon over mushrooms. That's it!

Chicken Chili

2011-10-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

I tried chicken chili for the first time recently and decided it was my new favorite chili! It is even better leftover the next day, so be sure to make a big batch! I added grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro toppings which would make even burnt toast take good! As always, I read multiple recipes before making something and read several for chicken chili that added cream or 1/2 and 1/2, but I like it with just stock and spices! Save the extra calories for the toppings!

Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or use breasts)
1 7 oz. can diced green chili's
1 box organic chicken stock
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
2 teaspoons chipolte chili powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
2 cans white kidney beans
1 can cannelini beans
salt and pepper

Saute onions and bell pepper in olive oil til slightly softened. Remove from pot. Add chicken and 1/2 of all the spices and saute until chicken is no longer pink. Return vegetables to pot. Add chili's, stock, the other 1/2 of the spices and beans. Simmer 1/2 hour.
Top with grated jack cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro as desired! I like my chili really spicy. You can adjust the seasoning if you like.

Panzanella Salad

2011-10-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

It has been so hot lately I don't even want to think about turning on the oven. We have been having salads at least once a week. This is a great salad to use up leftover stale bread. I toasted the bread cubes with garlic and olive oil before adding all the vegetables, some panzanella recipes call for soaking the bread in water and squeezing out the liquid, but I like the crunch of the croutons much better! The beauty of this salad is that you can put virtually any vege that you have on hand in it and it's always good!

Panzanella Salad

1/2 loaf Italian bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 roma tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 avocado
1 cucumber
2 green onions
1/2 red onion
1 cup cubed mozzerella
6-8 pepperoncini

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the bread into 1" cubes. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and minced garlic. Toast in large skillet on medium high heat until lightly browned and crunchy. Cut all vegetables and cheese into bite-sized pieces.
Toss bread and veges with dressing and let sit for about an hour. Mange!

Coconut Rice Salad with Mango

2011-09-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

This salad was fantastic! I substituted passionfruit juice for the pineapple juice concentrate which worked great! First you add coconut oil to the hot rice, then add hearts of palm, mango, coconut and cashews and chill it. All I can say is YUM!! You can find the original recipe on absolute-hawaii.com here

Coconut Rice with Mango and Passionfruit

3 cups water (for white rice, 4 cups for brown) or according to package direction
2 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 cups bite size fresh mango
1 12-ounce can hearts of palm, drained well, cut into pieces
1/3 cup roughly chopped macadamia or unsalted cashews
1/4 cup minced Italian (flat leaf) parsley + 1/8 cup minced cilantro
3 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate (I used passionfruit jce)
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
Red pepper water or red pepper flakes to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1. Cook the rice and while still hot add the coconut oil and stir.
2. Cool the rice, separating gently with a fork.
3. Right before serving, toss all the remaining ingredients with the rice, reserving some coconut for garnish.
4. Serve cool, but not cold.

Roasted Garlic and Ricotta Stuffed Meatloaf

2011-09-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

This meatloaf recipe is a bit of work, but it's worth it. First, you must roast a head of garlic. With a recipe that starts with roasted garlic it can't be bad, can it? Guess you gotta love roasted garlic, I certainly do. The other not really so tricky part is shaping the loaf and stuffing it with the filling. Then it will look like this:

I found the recipe on www.whatwereeating.com that was posted for National Meatloaf day, go figure. I never knew. It has a little kick to it with the sambal oelek mixed in with the hamburger.

Roasted Garlic and Ricotta Stuffed Meatloaf

1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
3/4 lb hot italian sausage, not in casings
1/8 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp sambal oelek
2 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the filling:
2 bulbs garlic
drizzle olive oil
8 oz ricotta
3 oz goat cheese, softened
1/8 cup flat leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1/8 cup fresh basil ribbons (chiffonade)
1 egg
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the garlic bulbs to be roasted: cut the ends off of each bulb and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Wrap in alluminum foil and roast at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until just starting to caramelize and completely softened. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

While the garlic is roasting, saute the veggies for the meatloaf. Add canola oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan and oil are hot, add the diced onions, carrots, and red bell pepper. Sweat the veggies over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the minced garlic to the pan. Stir and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Once the garlic has been removed from the oven, begin preparing the rest of the meatloaf. To a large mixing bowl add the sauteed veggies, ground beef, italian sausage, parsley, bread crumbs, 1 egg, sambal oelek, worcestershire sauce, and a liberal pinch of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Using your hands, mix the ingredients together working the meat as little as possible, the more it gets rough around the tougher it will be. Stop mixing once all the ingredients are just barely combined.

Make the filling, in a mixing bowl cream together the softened goat cheese and ricotta. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the bulbs and into the bowl with the cheese. Also add the parsley, sage, and mint. Mix until the garlic has broken up and the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as necessary with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. After adjusting seasoning, add one egg into the bowl, mix until the egg has been completely incorporated.

Form the meat loaf. Place a piece of parchment paper onto a sheet pan. Using about 2/3 of the ground meat mixture form a rectangular "boat" on the parchment paper. There should be about 1 1/2 inches of meat on all sides and on the bottom with a large valley that will be filled with the cheese. Next, spoon the ricotta mixture into the bowl of the meatloaf "boat" ;-) . Not all of the cheese mixture may be necessary. Carefully take the other 1/3 of the ground meat mixture and press it out into a similar rectangle that will fit over top of the filled meatloaf "boat". Work the edges of the top piece of meatloaf into the sides of the bottom piece to for a sealed meatloaf. No filling should be visable. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.

Place the stuffed meatloaf into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Some of the cheese may ooze out during the cooking process but that's okay. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy! PS: The leftovers go great cut up and tossed with pasta!

Peanut Butter Cookies

2011-07-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

What to do when you buy two big jars of peanut butter from Costco and you already had a jar left? Make cookies. What to do with three dozen peanut butter cookies. Share them with friends!

Peanut Butter Cookies

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix butter, sugar and peanut butter together. Add eggs, flour, baking soda and vanilla extract. I use a small scoop to make the cookies uniform. Then dip a fork in sugar and flatten cookies slightly.
Bake at 350°F for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Beer Puffs with Corned Beef Filling

2011-06-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

Kinda blurry pic, I know, but they were so good I had to post them anyway. I am trying to learn how to use my daughter's very fancy Nikon D5000 camera. Looks like I need a few more lessons. These little puffs are choux paste, like eclairs are made of, or Liliha Bakery's Coco Puffs (if you live in Hawaii). But you make them with beer! How bad could that be?? Then you fill them with chopped up corned beef, mustard and onions. Man food, for sure. I found these on food.com.

Beer Puffs with Corned Beef Filling

1 cup beer
1/4 lb butter
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs

2 cups corned beef
2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon horseradish
2 tablespoons mustard
2 teaspoons mayonnaise

Bring beer and butter to a boil. When butter is melted, add flour and salt. Cook this over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.

2 Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

3 Beat in eggs one at a time until dough is shiny. Drop by teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let cool. Split with scissors and refrigerate until ready to fill.

4 Prepare filling: Combine all filling ingredients and chill.

5 When ready to serve spoon the filling into the puffs and put on a platter.

Lilikoi (Passionfruit) Poundcake

2011-06-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's lilikoi time again! My lilikoi vine is growing exponentially! Up the hill and across the back fence! Which means time for more lilikoi recipes (and more martini's!). Swapna's cuisine posted this recipe and when I saw the picture she posted I knew I had to try it. I was also looking for new ways to use buttermilk, so it worked for me two ways! Lilikoi is the hawaiian word for passionfruit. The juice is wonderful, but it is a bit of work to get it. The fruit is full of tiny black seeds that some people eat, but I think are a little too crunchy, for me anyway. The trick is to blenderize seeds and all on a low speed. That separates the juice from the seeds, then you can strain out the seeds. The juice is wonderful, strong and tart! I love it!

Lilikoi Poundcake

Ingredients:1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup vanilla or plain sugar
2 eggs
100ml buttermilk {or substitute recipe below} (6-7 tablespoons)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 tbsp passion fruit pulp without seeds
Zest of 1 orange
To make buttermilk substitute at home:
Take 100ml milk at room temp; add 1 tsp white vinegar. Let it stand 5-10 minutes. When it curdles, it’s ready.
Glaze:
5 - 6 tbsp passion fruit pulp without seeds or as required (I didn't use nearly this much and still had to add more powdered sugar)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Grease and flour the sides of a loaf pan or 8″ ring tin, or a 6″ round tin. Line the bottom.(I didn't bother with this and it might have gotten a little browner due to that.)
Preheat the oven to 170C. (350 degrees)
Sift the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve.
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, passion fruit pulp and orange zest.
With beater on low add the flour and buttermilk alternately in three lots.
Bake for 50-60 minutes till golden brown on top, and the tester comes out clean.

Yo Gabba Gabba Cupcakes-Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry

2011-06-06T02:28:00.000-07:00

My grandson turned One! And I made 90 cupcakes! My daughter wanted chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry so I made 30 of each. I used the vanilla bean recipe from a previous post for these Brobee cupcakes (that's the green guy).

For Muno and Foofa, I made Sprinkles Strawberry cupcakes with strawberry icing from this previous post.

And I made chocolate cupcakes from a new recipe I wanted to try with buttermilk. I made a test batch but I didn't like the vanilla frosting nor did any of my guinea pig testers, so I made a chocolate buttercream that was yummy. Courtney put Flex on top of the chocolate cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

4 oz fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 cups hot brewed coffee (I used espresso)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat the inside of your cupcake wrappers with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine the chocolate and the hot coffee and let stand, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

With your electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and thick (about 5 minutes). Slowly add the oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and the previously melted chocolate mixture to eggs/sugar mixture. Beat until well incorporated.

Add the flour mixture in 3 increments and beat until smooth.Divide the batter among your cupcake liners and bake for about 25 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
I found the chocolate buttercream frosting on BrownEyedBaker and it is excellent!

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1. Using the wire whisk attachment of your stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
2. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add the melted chocolate and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the chocolate.
You can store any unused buttercream in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Stuffed Zucchini

2011-06-06T01:31:00.000-07:00

I accidently missed this zucchini in my garden. My daughter, Courtney, spotted it. It weighed in at two and a half pounds. All my friends suggested stuffing it, so that's what I did. I decided to make it meatless, although everytime I make a vegetarian dish my husband tells me how great it would be if it just had sausage, or hamburger, or ham in it. He is a bit of a carnevore. This is another recipe I found on Allrecipes. It didn't even make it off the baking sheet. I cut it in slices and everyone ate it off the pan!

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, halved

1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

2 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons butter, diced

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

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add zucchini and cook until tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Scoop out the flesh of the zucchini, making a 'boat'.

In a medium bowl combined zucchini flesh, bread crumbs, Cheddar cheese, onion, parsley, salt, most of the Parmesan cheese and egg. Fill zucchini boats with mixture. Dot tops with butter and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Orzo with Grilled Shrimp, Vege's and Pesto

2011-06-06T01:15:00.000-07:00

I have a cast iron grill pan from Williams Sonoma that I love, so the shrimp and vege's were "grilled" indoors and didn't get the nice char marks. This is great dish hot, cold, or room temp. I grew the summer squash and tiny roma tomatoes in my garden, but I cheated on the pesto and used storebought frozen pesto. It was still wonderful. I started to follow this recipe from epicurious, but ended up making it with the pesto sauce. But I did marinate the vege's and shrimp according to the recipe before I decided to toss all the rest of the pesto in with the dish. I love pesto and couldn't resist.

8 ounces orzo (about 1 1/3 cups)

6 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided

2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 9 ounces total), cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 red or yellow bell pepper, quartered (i didn't have any so i left this out)

3 tablespoons purchased pesto ( i used about 1 cup mixed into orzo)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined

2 heirloom tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total), cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish

1 8-ounce ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon oil.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk 2 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl. Brush zucchini and bell pepper with oil mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk pesto, lime juice, remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl for pesto vinaigrette. Place shrimp in medium bowl. Add 2 tablespoons pesto vinaigrette; toss to coat.

Grill zucchini and bell pepper until crisptender, about 3 minutes per side for zucchini and 4 minutes per side for bell pepper. Transfer to work surface. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; grill until charred and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place shrimp in bowl with orzo. Chop zucchini and bell pepper; add to bowl with orzo. Add remaining vinaigrette, tomatoes, sliced basil, and mozzarella; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Raspberry Almond Creamcheese Coffeecake

2011-06-06T00:50:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe for quite some time. I had some raspberry jam on hand that was from Switzerland that I wanted to use. I didn't even realize the recipe had almond extract in it or I probably would have made it sooner! I haven't blogged in over a month. My daughter, son-in-law, and grandson moved back home to Hawaii and I have been so busy since then. It takes alot of energy to keep up with a one-year-old! Anyway, this recipe was worth the wait! It wasn't difficult to make either. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.

Raspberry Almond Creamcheese Coffeecake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup cold butter

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

FILLING:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Remove 1 cup and set aside. To the remaining crumbs, add baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream, egg and almond extract; mix well. Spread in the bottom and 2 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan.
For the filling, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg in a small bowl until blended. Pour over batter; spoon raspberry jam on top. Sprinkle with almonds and reserved crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; remove sides from pan.

Apple Almond Cinnamon Scones

2011-04-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

What to do with two sad old apples in my fridge? Scones! These are the most moist scones I have ever made. Although, I might have added a little extra yogurt while making them, just to finish off the carton. I am also on a almond high, here. Love that almond extract! Instead of making individual scones I patted the dough into a big circle and scored it into sections before baking. I can't wait to have one for breakfast tomorrow! I found this recipe on Allrecipes., which is a great site that I peruse quite often. It's worth a visit!

Apple Almond Cinnamon Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons shortening, chilled
2 apple - peeled, cored and chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1 tablespoon milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.Stir the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Use two forks or a pastry blender to cut in the shortening with the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir in the apples.

3.Whisk 1 egg, yogurt, milk, and almond extract together in a small bowl until smooth. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until blended. Gather the dough, and place the dough on a lightly floured surface; knead 4 to 5 times. Pat dough into a 7 inch diameter circle about 1 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough into 8 wedges, and place on prepared baking sheet.

4.To make the scone topping, whisk the milk and 1 egg together in a small bowl. Brush tops of scones with the egg mixture. Sprinkle each scone with cinnamon sugar and almonds.

5.Bake in preheated oven until tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

2011-04-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

I have rediscovered my bread machine. It has been sitting in my pantry for at least 10 years, unused. I like baking bread, and up until now, I have always liked making bread by hand. It's theraputic. The kneading, rising, punching down, rising up again process was always somehow calming and soothing. Now I have been on a bread machine frenzy. Throw everything in and turn a switch, that's the way to have fresh bread to eat while bearly lifting a finger. These hamburgber buns are one of many bread machine recipes I got out of a book called "Bread Machine Magic" by Linda Rehberg & Lois Conway.

Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

5/8 cup water

1 egg

1 1/3 cup AP flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine, select dough setting, then start. When dough is done (machine beeps) remove dough from machine and turn onto floured surface. Gently roll and shape dough into 12" rope. Cut into 8 pieces and shape like hamburger or hot dog bun. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise 10-15 min. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 min til golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on rack. Will keep in freezer 3-4 wks.

Spinach Salad with Mango, Gorgonzola, and Candied Walnuts

2011-04-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

The first mango of the season! Did you know that mango's are eaten all over the world more than any other fruit? Surprising to me because I never had one until I moved to Hawaii. Now I have a tree in my backyard and covet my mangos. This salad was so easy to make and fantastic. Even grumpy hubby raved (and that takes alot to do, trust me).

Spinach Salad with Mango and Candied Walnuts

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup pecan halves ( I used walnuts)

1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 large mango, peeled, pitted, cut into thin wedges
3/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola (I added this to the original recipe)

Spray sheet of foil with nonstick spray. Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in heavy medium skillet over medium heat until sugar melts and syrup bubbles, about 3 minutes. Mix in pecans. Stir until nuts are toasted and syrup coats nuts evenly, about 7 minutes. Turn nuts out onto prepared foil. Using fork, separate nuts and cool completely (coating will harden).

Combine spinach, mango and cooled pecans in large bowl. Whisk remaining 5 tablespoons oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Toss salad with enough dressing to coat.

Carmelized Onion, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Pizza

2011-04-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

I like to make my own pizza dough. I usually make two pizza's at a time with vastly different toppings. I found this recipe on epicurious and like the idea of gorgonzola on a pizza. I also made a mushroom with three cheese pizza because I figured hubby the grouch wouldn't be thrilled with gorgonzola or walnuts on a pizza (I was right!)

Carmelized Onion and Gorgonzola Pizza

6 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/4 pounds onions (2 large), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
14 to 16 ounce pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1/4 pound Gorgonzola dolce, crumbled (1 cup)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used dried)

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat until it shimmers, then cook onions with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, covered, stirring occasionally, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and keep warm, covered.
Put pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500 degrees. (The original recipe called for grilling the pizza).
Stretch dough into two roughly 12-14" circles on a large cutting board sprinkle with cornmeal or semolina to prevent it from sticking. Slide dough/transfer carefully to pizza stone and bake 5-8 min.
Sprinkle with onions, cheese, nuts, parsley and bake another 10-15 min until crust is brown and cheese is melted. Transfer to cutting board. Let cool slightly. Slice and Eat!

For the second pizza I used the same pan as the onions and I sauteed about 1/2 lb of crimini mushrooms. I topped it off with 4 slices of provolone, shredded mozzerella, and parmesan cheese, just because that is what I had in the fridge. No sauce, just mushrooms and cheese. It was yummy, too! It was a little funny shaped because I had a hard time getting onto the pizza stone. Hubby said it was the rustic look!

I used a pizza dough recipe that I like a lot but no one else did so I guess I won't be using it much. Hubby and roomate like my whole wheat pizza dough better. This pizza dough on fabulousfoods.com has semolina flour in it and it is chewier, but I like that. But I bow to the consensus.

Cheri's Favorite Pizza Dough
1 1/2 cups very warm water
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
16 ounces (about 2 3/4 cups) bread flour
3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt

Makes 2 Medium Pizzas, Each Serving 2-3 People
Using your food processor, you can make a perfect pizza dough in under 5 minutes with hardly any mess to your kitchen. Of course, you could also mix the dough in a heavy duty stand mixer, in a bread machine, or by hand (although the latter would be serious workout).

Place very warm water, yeast and sugar in food processor and pulse once or twice to mix. While most recipes will tell you to use lukewarm water when making yeast dough, I find that by the time you take hot water, put it into a measuring cup and then into a food processor, it has cooled significantly. I always use water that is almost too hot to the touch, and have always had great luck with this dough. Let sit while you measure out the dry ingredients.

After 2-3 minutes you will see small bubbles forming in the liquid in the food processor, which indicates that your yeast is working. Dump in the dry ingredients and turn on the food processor. The machine will go all the work, including the kneading. After about a minute the dough should form into a ball going around in your food processor. Open the machine and take a look. If you think the dough is too wet, you can add a bit a flour, but know that too wet is better than too dry, and the dough will loose some of its stickiness as it rises.

Place about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Take the dough out of the food processor (putting a little olive oil on your hands will keep it from sticking) and form it into a ball. Place in the bowl and turn to lightly coat with the olive oil. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft free place for about an hour or until doubled in size, before rolling out and baking. For a crust with a perfect pizzeria taste and texture, I recommend baking on a pizza stone in a very hot oven (500 - 550°F for about 10 -12 minutes.
Make Ahead

Make several pizza doughs ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (the dough develops an even better flavor this way). let rise once, punch down, and store on a zipper tops gallon bag in fridge until ready to use. Let dough come to room temperature before proceeding. You also let the dough rise and freeze it for future use. Thaw for a couple of days in the fridge or for about 4-6 hours on the counter. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Guava Sweet Chili Ribs

2011-04-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

My husband is the rib man. He thinks he makes the best ribs in the world. I never once cooked ribs. Too much competition in the kitchen. Til now. Til this recipe. Also, he never, ever boils ribs. Always baked or grilled. Well, of course, this recipe calls for simmering them on the stove. And you know what? They were awesome and cooked in half the time it takes in the oven. I thought they came out quite good, but I could see it in hubby's eye's, he was thinking how good they would be with BBQ sauce. Some things you just can't change. He liked them. He said they were good. But you could just tell he missed his BBQ sauce bragging rights.

Guava Sweet Chili Ribs

3 lbs pork babyback ribs
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1/3 cup guava jelly
1/3 cup Thai sweet chili sauce

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add ribs. Return water to boiling point then turn down to simmer. Simmer 1-1 1/2 hrs until tender. Remove ribs and drain well. Mix jelly and chili sauce together well. Line baking sheet with tin foil. (the sauce will seriously ruin the baking sheet without lining it) Place ribs on pan and brush with guava chili sauce. I saved a little to brush on again halfway thru baking. Bake for another 20-30 min. If you wanted to at this point you could grill them for a minute or two just to make a nice smokey crust on the ribs, but boiling and baking was enough for me.

Almond Cake

2011-04-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

If I had to choose my last meal, this almond cake would be the dessert. I had to control myself not to eat the whole thing. Obviously, I couldn't wait to eat a piece before I snapped a shot and if the picture is blurry, it's because I was swooning. And it's such an easy cake to make. One bowl. Mix and dump into a pan. No fuss. Almonds are supposed to be good for you, right? The first place I saw this recipe was on the Safeway website. They have some great recipes there. Tried and true!

Almond Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter
2 Large Eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup sliced (not slivered) almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together sugar and butter until blended. Stir in eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Stir in mond extract, vanilla, and salt. Stir in flour until it is incorporated.
Pour batter into a greased 9-inch cake pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle sugar over the top. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden. Cake will not test clean with a toothpick.

Cut into wedges and serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Nicoise Salad with Blackened Ahi

2011-04-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

I love Ahi! I based this salad on Ina Garten's nicoise salad recipe, but I spiced up my tuna a little. I liked that she marinated her potatoes so I marinated the fresh green beans and potatoes together. I used fresh dill and basil from my herb garden. I seared the tuna with some spices and then chilled it. That is my favorite way to eat ahi. I put tomatoes on the salad, too, but we ate them all. I made this plate for the picture with leftovers.

Seared Ahi

1" thick ahi steaks
1 teaspoon of chipolte chili powder
1 teaspoon of seasoned garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper

Sprinkle both sides of fish with spices. Preheat a frying pan or grill pan over high heat. Sear ahi about 30 seconds per side. Seriously, this is all it needs. It should be red in the center. Do not overcook the fish! Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar (Ina uses champagne vinegar, yummy, but I had none :( sherry vinegar was good!)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper

Salad

Hard boiled eggs, cut in wedges
Blanched green beans
Kalamata olives
Tomato wedges
Small red potatoes, cut into small pieces
Lettuce and/or spinach leaves

Cook the potatoes til tender about 10 min. Blanch the green beans, 5 min, then cool in ice bath to stop cooking process. Pour dressing over potatoes and green beans while still hot so they absorb some of the dressing.
Arrange eggs, olives, tomatoes, seared ahi, potatoes and green beans over a bed of lettuce or fresh spinach leaves. Enjoy!

Almond Puff Loaf with Peach Mango Jam

2011-03-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

I have an almond puff loaf recipe that I copied from a magazine. It has been in my recipe file for years, but I have never made it. Then, as I was browzing around food blogs, I found the same recipe on cookistry.com, and she added blueberry jam on top of the almond puff loaf. That pushed it over the edge. I had to try it. I had some peach mango jam from Switzerland that I wanted to try. The final result was delicious. It came out pretty good, but I felt a bit like I was playing with playdough. And wasn't pleased with my efforts to make it a neat 11"x3" panel. But that just means I will have to try it again. Til I get it right. Still tasted awesome!

Almond Puff Loaf

Adapted from a recipe on the King Arthur Flour website

First Layer (this is like a pie crust)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pats or cubes
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt (only if you're using unsalted butter)

Second Layer (this is like a choux paste)
1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs, at room temp
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt (only if you're using unsalted butter)

Topping
jam or preserves, about 1/3 cup per pastry
lemon curd, pastry cream, your choice
1/2 to 2/3 cup sliced almonds ( all I had were whole, so I chopped them and toasted them in the oven for 10 min)

Icing
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond (I added this-I love almond flavoring)
4 teaspoons water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

First layer: this is just like making a pie crust
Combine the butter, flour, and salt, working the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir stir in the water. The dough will become cohesive, but not smooth.
Divide the dough in half. Shape each piece of the dough into a rough log. Pat the logs (I used a small pastry roller) into 11 x 3 rectangles on the baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches between them, and 2 inches on each side.
Second layer: this is just like make choux paste for protiferoles or gougeres.
In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil. Stir until the butter melts, then add the flour (and salt, if you're using it) all at once. Stir the mixture with a spoon till it thickens, begins to steam, and leaves the sides of the pan. This happens quickly.
Move the dough to a mixing bowl and beat it at medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute, to cool it down a bit. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Keep beating until the dough loses its slimy look, and each egg is totally absorbed, then mix in the almond extract.
Divide the batter in half. Spread half the batter over each of the dough strips on the pan, covering them completely. When the batter completely covers the entire bottom layer, smooth it out as best you can.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until it's a deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and transfer the pastries to a wire rack.

Topping
Spread each warm pastry with about 1/3 cup of jam or preserves.
Sprinkle the almonds on top of the jam.
By this time the pastry will have started to soften and deflate a bit. That's what they're supposed to do
Icing
Stir together the sugar, extracts, and water to form a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

I also put homemade Blueberry jam one loaf. Jam that my friend, Judy made and gave to me as a gift. But the pictures didn't turn out as well.

Mahi Mahi with Piccatta Mushroom Sauce

2011-03-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Reading over my previous posts, I recognized a pattern. I start every post with I love....whatever it is. Well, here I go again. I love FRESH FISH! My husband, on the other hand, loves red meat. But, he is kind enough to cook fish for me and a steak for himself. How's that?! So this is his recipe, guest post, I guess you could say, although I am posting it for him. He and his good friend, Peter, used to fish alot, and we all enjoyed the bounty! But not so much lately. They have been busy with other things in their lives. So this Mahi Mahi was storebought, but very fresh and equally as delicious.

Mahi Mahi with Caper, White Wine, Butter, and Mushroom Sauce

2 6oz Mahi Mahi fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup capers, drained (i like lots of capers!)

1/4 1b mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup white wine

4 tablespoons butter, put in the freezer for 10 min

Melt butter and EVOO in saucepan. Season fish with salt and pepper and saute 2 min per side until just cooked thru. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and cook til moisture evaporates, 5 min. Deglaze pan with white wine. Simmer til reduce to 1 tablespoon. Add capers. Add very cold butter 1 tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Do not boil or sauce will not thicken, but will separate and become watery. Plate fish and cover with white wine sauce, mushrooms, and capers.

Serve with rice, pasta, or potatoes.

Craisin Raisin Irish Soda Bread

2011-03-17T18:19:00.000-07:00

This is Grandma Andrew's Irish Soda Bread (not my gramma, but somebody's I'm sure) from AllRecipes.com , but I tweeked it ever so slightly by substituting one half cups craisins for the raisns so now I guess it's Granny Sullivan's Craisin Raisin American Irish Soda Bread. How's that! I have been having a tad bit of trouble with my flour lately. I keep having to add more than what the recipe calls for. The bread dough was so very sticky, even after adding extra flour, same thing happened with my Guinness cookies. I think this turned out rather like a very large scone, but you know what, that may not be such a bad thing!

Granny Sullivan's Craisin Raisin American Irish Soda Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup corn oil
1 cup raisins ( or 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup craisins)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.

2.In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and corn oil. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Add the raisins, and stir a few times, just until the ingredients come together into a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and with floured hands shape dough into a ball. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet, and cut a large cross in the top with a sharp knife.

3.Place the bread on a middle rack of the preheated oven, and bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Guinness Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how good Guinness tastes in desserts! It is such a subtle flavor. I think, if you didn't mention that there was Guinness in it, you would never guess that it did. But it adds such a great flavor! Beer. Go Figure. This recipe is supposed to go well with the Guinness Mousse in my previous post. But these cookies would be great anytime!

Guinness Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Guinness

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Cook Guinness in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/2 cup. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place butter and both sugars in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, cream until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, reduced Guinness, and vanilla, beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add oats, both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined, 15-30 seconds. Stir in chocolate chunks.
Scoop 1/2 tablespoon portions of cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a 1 inch space between each. Bake 6-9 minutes, cookies should look slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Let cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Keep raw cookie dough in refrigerator while baking.

Guinness Chocolate Mousse

2011-03-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Is it St. Guinness Day? I think so. After I made the Guiness Chocolate pudding, my friend, Paul, who usually always stocks Guinness in his fridge emailed me two more Guinness dessert recipes from SeriousEats. So I had to try them, right? I like this even better than the pudding. It's so light, but soooo chocolatey!

Guinness Chocolate Mousse

8 ounces dark chocolate (60%), roughly chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces1/2 cup Guinness
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over a low simmer, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from heat and stir in Guinness, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, until thoroughly combined. Cool 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites on high speed into soft peaks. With mixer running, slowly add sugar, until thick and shiny. Slowly fold 1/3 of egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remainder of egg whites until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix or mousse will lose volume.
In an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream on high speed into stiff peaks. Slowly fold into chocolate mixture until completely incorporated. Put into serving bowls; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours for flavors to meld.

Pasta E Fagioli

2011-03-16T01:13:00.000-07:00

I love to make soup. It really is so simple and such comfort food. I can't eat canned soup anymore. It's yucky. This dish really borders on being a stew or a stroup as Rachael Ray would say. It's very thick and filling. First grumpy husband said, "Is this what we're having for dinner tonight, soup?". Which later turned into a compliment, thankfully, after he ate a bowl of it and gave it his seal of approval. My husband was an Executive Chef for about 25 years and he is strickly a meat and potatoes man. But I have learned to make what I like sometimes, even if it means he runs home to take over the kitchen the next night so he make himself a steak! I searched a bunch of recipes before I found one that I really liked. I based this on For the Love of Cooking-recipes blog's recipe and only changed a few things.

Pasta E Fagioli

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb spicey pork sausage (or turkey sausage, or italian sausage whatever you like best)
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, blended
4 cups of chicken broth
2 15 oz cans of white beans, drained
1 tsp of dried basil
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 cup of ditalini pasta
12oz bag of fresh spinach
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the sausage and cook until done and well crumbled. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds then add the chicken broth. Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl, blend the tomatoes thoroughly with an immersion blender (or just use a blender) then pour into the Dutch oven. Add the drained beans and seasonings to the soup and simmer partly covered for 1-2 hours.

When you are ready to eat, turn the soup up to a slow boil then add the pasta and cook per instructions. Taste the soup and re-season if needed. Once the pasta is cooked, add the fresh spinach and parsley. Serve with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy.

Note: Be careful not to add too much pasta because it will thicken up the soup too much.

Cheddar Cheese Popovers

2011-03-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

I love popovers! They are so light and airy! Mariposa at Neiman Marcus (needless mark-up) is an expensive place to shop but a wonderful place to have lunch! They serve popovers with pineapple butter, fresh and hot to your table. They walk around with big baskets of them. Yum! This recipe is from KAF (King Arthur Flour) which has wonderful recipes. I decided to add the cheese, though. I love cheese! They are not as tall and puffy as some, but I sprinkled the cheese on top before baking them. Then I read in the same recipe to mix cheese right into the batter. There are special pans for popovers, but they are fantastic right out of a muffin tin! And they are just so darn easy to make!!

Popovers

4 large eggs, warmed in a cup of hot water for 10 minutes before cracking
1 1/2 cups milk (skim, low-fat, or full-fat), lukewarm
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

1) Preheat the oven to 450°F. Position a rack on a lower shelf. The top of the fully risen popovers should be about midway up the oven. What you don't want is for the tops of the popping popovers to be too close to the top of the oven, as they'll burn.

2) Use a standard 12-cup metal muffin tin, one whose cups are close to 2 1/2" wide x 1 1/2" deep. Grease the pan thoroughly, covering the area between the cups as well as the cups themselves. Make sure the oven is up to temperature before you begin to make the popover batter.

3) Use a wire whisk to beat together the eggs, milk, and salt. Whisk till the egg and milk are well combined, with no streaks of yolk showing.

4) Add the flour all at once, and beat with a wire whisk till frothy; there shouldn't be any large lumps in the batter, but smaller lumps are OK. OR, if you're using a stand mixer equipped with the whisk attachment, whisk at high speed for 20 seconds. Stop, scrape the sides of the bowl, and whisk for an additional 20 to 30 seconds at high speed, till frothy.

5) Stir in the melted butter, combining quickly.

6) Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

7) Make absolutely certain your oven is at 450°F. Place the pan on a lower shelf of the oven .

8) Bake the popovers for 20 minutes without opening the oven door. Reduce the heat to 350°F (again without opening the door), and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they're a deep, golden brown. If the popovers seem to be browning too quickly, position an oven rack at the very top of the oven, and put a cookie sheet on it, to shield the popovers' tops from direct heat.

9) If you plan on serving the popovers immediately, remove them from the oven, and stick the tip of a knife into the top of each, to release steam and help prevent sogginess. Slip them out of the pan, and serve.

10) If you want the popovers to hold their shape longer without deflating and settling quite as much, bake them for an additional 5 minutes (for a total of 40 minutes) IF you can do so without them becoming too dark. This will make them a bit sturdier, and able to hold their "popped" shape a bit longer.

Chocolate Guinness Pudding

2011-03-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I usually opt to make dessert whenever my friends get together for dinner, so I began looking for "irish" desserts earlier in the week. I didn't want to make green cupcakes, that's just not my style, but when I saw this recipe on epicurious.com I knew it was a winner. It's chocolate pudding with beer in it! Yeeha! Epicurious had cute minature beer glasses so it really looked like a glass of Guinness!

Chocolate Guinness Goodness

8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
One 14.9-ounce can Guinness Draught
3 cups heavy cream
7 ounces high-quality bittersweet (70 to 72% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped

Special equipment: Six 8-ounce old-fashioned glasses

In large nonreactive mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
Open can of Guinness and slowly pour into 4-cup measuring cup, pouring down side of cup to reduce foaming. Pour half of Guinness (about 7/8 cup) into heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan. Add 2 1/4 cups cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium heat and heat, whisking occasionally, until bubbles just begin to form at edges. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

Slowly pour hot chocolate mixture into eggs, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. Return mixture to saucepan and set over moderately low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and coats back of spoon, about 15 minutes. (Pudding will look separated.) Pour into blender and blend on high for 1 minute. (Do not skip this step!Trust me!) Divide pudding among glasses, leaving at least 1 inch of space at top of each. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set.

Meanwhile, pour remaining Guinness into small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 20 minutes. Pour syrup into small bowl and let cool.

Beat remaining cream until soft peaks form. Add Guinness syrup and beat until combined. Divide cream among 6 glasses of pudding and serve.

Frozen Banana Bites

2011-02-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

These little morsels are soooo good! And only three ingredients, banana's, chocolate and toasted almonds. My husband brought me home chocolate samples from work. My friends were thrilled! I got to experiment! Everybody is happy!

Frozen Banana Bites

2-3 banana's
1/4-1/2 lb of chocolate (I used a mixture of light and dark chocolate)
1 cup almonds, chopped

Melt chocolate in a double boiler, then cool slightly. Toast almonds til lightly browned. (I put them in the oven @ 350 degrees for about 10-15 min). Cut banana's into bite size chunks. Dip banana's in chocolate. ( I used a toothpick to dip them and lift the out of the chocolate) Then roll in nuts. Place on waxed paper and freeze til firm.

I also toasted coconut, but I liked the toasted almonds best. You could also roll in chopped toffee, or chopped candies like M&M's, whatever you fancy.

Tangerine Curd

2011-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

I have made lemon curd and lilikoi curd and love to put a tablespoon on my yogurt in the morning or on toast. So when my friend, Judy, gave me a bag of tangerines (and oranges) I decided to make some tangerine curd. I added a couple of extra egg yolks and reduced the amount of butter and sugar this time, just to reduce the sweetness and thicken it up a bit, but basically I used the same recipe as the lilikoi butter I posted previously. It is really very simple to make!

Tangerine Curd

4 eggs (i added an extra two egg yolks)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups tangerine juice

4 tablespoons butter

Mix eggs, yolks and sugar in saucepan over low heat. Slowly add tangerine juice. Cook for 15 min, stirring constantly, til thickens. Add butter one tablespoon at a time. Cool and refrigerate. Thickens more as it cools!

Grilled Cesar Salad

2011-02-01T21:03:00.000-08:00

This is soo yummy and soo easy (especially if you aren't doing the grillin'!). I think I have devised a way to have salad, entree, and dessert all grilled. No cooking in the kitchen for me!

Grilled Cesar Salad Recipe

1 head of romaine, trimmed and cut in 1/2
EVOO
Homemade or bottled cesar salad dressing
parmesan cheese
black pepper

Very lightly brush the lettuse with olive oil just so that it doesn't stick to the grill. Lightly grilled just a couple minutes until outer lettuce leaves and slightly charred and warm, but lettuce is still cool in the middle. Drizzle one tablespoon of dressing on lettuce. Sprinkle with parmesan. A local restaurant here in Kailua serves theres with chopped fresh papaya. Yum!

Orzo with Shrimp, Feta, Tomatoes, and Peppers

2011-02-01T20:27:00.000-08:00

I love the small sweet peppers they sell in a 2lb bag at Costco. If you read my blog at all I guess you can tell I like to shop at Costco. The 2lb bag was $3.50. We had grilled roasted baby peppers with a steak for dinner earlier in the week, so I used them in this dish. I love feta when it's warm. It's not as salty and the texture is creamier. It just melts into this pasta dish. I found this on the Rachel Ray Show website, she calls it Orzo with Everything.

4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 lemons
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 pounds jumbo shrimp
Salt and coarse black pepper
1/2 pound orzo pasta
1 red onion, chopped (I used white, it was all I had)
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I used orange and yellow)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 pound Greek feta, crumbled
3 to 4 Greek hot peppers, chopped or a couple of tablespoons of banana pepper rings, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for orzo pasta.

Crush 2 cloves of garlic and place in shallow dish with about 1/4 cup EVOO along with 1 thinly sliced lemon, red pepper flakes, oregano, chicken or shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When meat or shrimp has marinated for 10 minutes, and pan is screaming hot, add chicken or shrimp and lemons. Cook chicken 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally or cook shrimp 6-8 minutes or until pink and firm, tossing with tongs frequently. Squeeze the juice of remaining lemon over pan and serve.
When you add chicken to pan, drop orzo in boiling water and start vegetables, see below. If you’re cooking shrimp, start orzo then start vegetables, then throw shrimp in hot pan.
Meanwhile, heat a second skillet with 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add red onions and bell peppers and season with salt and pepper, cook 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves chopped garlic and toss a minute, then add olive and tomatoes to the pan and cook a couple of minutes more. Drain orzo and toss in serving dish with vegetables along with parsley and feta and hot peppers and shrimp. Adjust black pepper to your taste and drizzle with a little extra EVOO.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Scones

2011-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, I am officially obsessed with scones. These scones were delicious, but I haven't had a homemade one I didn't like yet. I found this recipe on artfulfood.blogspot.com here and I added small chunks of cream cheese at the last minute. I also learned a trick from another scone recipe and that is to grate the butter. What a stupendous idea! I grate really cold or frozen butter and then just toss it into the dry ingredients. It is a very simple way of cutting the butter into the flour without actually cutting into it.

Blueberry Scones with Cream Cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling tops
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I used a grater and really cold butter)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (I left this out)
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ounces cream cheese, very cold, cut into little pieces

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Place a baking mat on a baking sheet, and set aside.
2.Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and mix. (I think the scones are flakier if the butter chunks are larger, so don't over-pulse if you like flakiness).
3.Using a fork, whisk together cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and pour in cream mixture. Stir lightly with fork just until dough comes together.
4. Gently fold in blueberries and bits of cream cheese.
5.Form into large egg-sized balls (I used an ice cream scoop) and place on baking sheet, and press lightly to flatten. Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

Marsala Short Ribs

2011-01-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've been trying different short rib recipes only because I had never made short ribs before. I think I found a winner. Of course, anything with 3 cups of Marsala in it is first rate in my book. I love Marsala. I found this recipe here on a blog named, Mike's Table.

Beef Short Ribs Marsala Pasta

•3 strips bacon

•~5 lbs beef short ribs
•salt
•pepper
•2 shallots (I used onions)
•2 carrots
•2 celery
•1 red bell (I used an orange one)
•8 cloves garlic
•3 cups marsala wine
•2 bay leaves
•several sprigs rosemary
•handful parsely
•2 cups beef stock
•~8 oz shitake mushrooms (I added peas, instead)
•~1.5 lbs pasta
Cook the bacon and set aside. Season the shortribs with salt and pepper and brown them in the remainin bacon grease for roughly 2-3 minutes per side, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Set these aside.
Finely mince and then sauté the shallot, celery, carrot, and pepper in the remaining grease for roughly 8 minutes.

Then add the finely minced garlic for a minute further.Deglaze the pot with 3 cups of the wine, scraping up all the brown bits.
Reduce the wine on high heat by roughly half (figure around 10 minutes).
Add the stock and herbs before you return the shortribs to the pot. Raise the heat up to a boil, cover the pot, and transfer to a 350°F oven. Let this go for roughly 3 hours and give it a stir once or twice. Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

Foccacia Pizza

2011-01-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe for Truffle Foccacia here on epicurious.com, originally a Bon Appetit recipe. I tried it and I really liked the bread, but didn't care for the topping which included two teaspoons of salt, plus I didn't think you could taste the truffle oil. But I LOVED the bread. And I LOVED the odd recipe for no kneading, no punching down, no re-rising the bread. The recipe called for mixing the dough into a soft, sticky, gooey mess, rising it in the bowl, and then just sliding the whole mass onto a baking sheet, stretching and squishing it to fit and baking it. Too Fun!

I decided to put arugula pesto that I had just made onto one half. The other half I put fresh rosemary from my garden and grape tomatoes. I love grape tomotoes. I eat them like candy!

Then I sprinkled mozzarella cheese all over the top and a little parmesan and baked it. It was delicious. I love this foccacia recipe, it is so easy to make and so versatile! I didn't take pictures of it baked and there is only a small corner left, but I may take more pictures today!

Lilikoi Butter

2011-01-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

The first trick is extracting lilikoi juice. Some people like to eat the seeds, I don't care for them. They are pretty crunchy. If you put the lilikoi in a blender on low speed it will separate the pulp from the seeds. Don't put it on high, though. I tried that and had little tiny pieces of chopped up seeds in my juice that was almost impossible to strain out. Then you strain it through a sieve. Then you get this intense, orangey, tart, tangy, juice!

Lilikoi butter is really a curd, but everyone in Hawaii calls it lilikoi butter. I found a few recipes on some blogs like lavalily.com here, who writes from the Big Island, but I have a friend who lives in Hawi on the Big Island and she gave me this recipe.

Lilikoi Butter

4 eggs

1 1/2- 1 3/4 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups lilikoi juice

1 stick of butter, melted

Mix the eggs and sugar on low heat. Slowly add the lilikoi juice. Then the butter. Cook for approx 15 min. until desired thickness.

Arugula Pesto

2011-01-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

I have been growing lots of arugula in my garden. I grew some in the summer and thought I would try to grow some more during the "winter". It did take a little longer to grow in the winter months, but now I have another bumper crop. I've always wanted to try arugula pesto, but for some reason I was wary of it. I have no idea why I was holding back. I love this stuff! I should have known better because I love pesto, but this stuff is amazing, hot and peppery, rich and garlicky. I am making some homemade foccacia and I think I will put the pesto on top and make a pizza!

I found this recipe for Arugula Pesto here on SimplyRecipes.com. I love this site! Great recipes.

Arugula Pesto Recipe

2 cups of packed arugula leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup of shelled walnuts ( I used macadamia nuts)
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 garlic clove peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Brown 6 garlic cloves with their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and remove the skins.
2 Toast the nuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly brown, or heat in a microwave on high heat for a minute or two until you get that roasted flavor. In our microwave it takes 2 minutes.
3a Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, salt, walnuts, roasted and raw garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
3b Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar. With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with the other ingredients until smooth.

Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob

2011-01-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

This is really a "guest" post from my son-in law, John. He is the grillmeister! He makes the best grilled corn. Actually, after I had corn cooked on the grill I vowed I would never boil corn again. He made this corn for us on several occasions. He is also a master at fish taco's. Next time he makes them I will definitely post his recipe (if I can get him to give it up!)

Grilled Corn

6 ears of corn, husked and cleaned
butter, mayo, chipolte mayo, or garlic aoli, your choice
parmesan cheese
fresh cilantro
hot sauce

Grill the corn over hot coals until slightly charred and tender. Roll or spread with butter or seasoned mayo. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cilantro. Sprinkle with hot sauce.

Cherry Hot Chili Pepper Jelly

2011-01-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

My friend, Paul, gave me some homegrown serrano chili's from his garden so I was looking for a recipe to make with them. I didn't have much in the way of staples to make any mexican food or salsa, then I started thinking hot pepper jelly after the successful and easy mango chili pepper jam I had made previously. After reading a few pepper jelly recipes I came across one using cranberry juice that I thought looked interesting, so I used that recipe that I found here, but I added the cherries to the recipe.

Cherry Serrano Chili Pepper Jelly

Makes 2.5 pints/5 half pints

6 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and quartered (wear gloves!)
(I used 1/2 cup of serrano chilis that I put in the food processor and 3 small red hot hawaiian chili peppers that I chopped up small)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1.5 cups cranberry juice cocktail (I'd stay away from anything low sugar or diet though)
5 cups sugar
2 packets Ball liquid pectin (6 oz. total)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped dark red cherries and 10-12 halved cherries (I like the big chunks of cherries in there randomly!)

Bring jalapenos, vinegar and juice to a boil. Reduce and let simmer 10ish minutes. Remove pepper bits by straining. (I did not strain my peppers, I ground them in a food process or before cooking) Combine pepper juice liquid with sugar and bring to a hard boil, stir continuously. Add pectin, keep at hard boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat. Skim the foam and ladle into sterilized jars. Place in water bath for five minutes. Once cooled make sure the dent in your lids is depressed, otherwise just keep them in your fridge.

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup

2011-01-15T20:59:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com here and wanted to try it even though it had some mixed reviews. Some commenters said it was too sweet, which I would agree with IF you neglect to add the crispy proscuitto on top. The salty, crunchy proscuitto makes the soup. I thought it was yummy.

Apple Cheddar Squash Soup with Crispy Proscuitto

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cups chopped peeled butternut squash, fresh or frozen
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup apple cider
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
Crusty bread, for serving (optional)

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened. Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potato is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto and cook until crisp, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add the cheese to the soup and stir over medium-low heat until melted. Puree in a blender in batches until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the prosciutto, more cheese and chives, if using. Serve with bread, if desired.

Wild Rice, Corn, and Turkey Sausage Soup

2011-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

It has been cold and wet and rainy (for Hawaii), so I wanted something warm for lunch. I have had this recipe forever, it's from Bon Appetit 1995, but I ran across it again on epicurious.com here and finally decided to make it after I read some of the reviews. I cut the recipe in half, though, and I used fat-free evaporated milk rather than 1/2 and 1/2. I don't think it compromised the flavor and I am sure it's less fat. My husband ate 3 bowls of it and he normally shuns anything "fat-free".

Wild Rice, Corn, and Turkey Sausage Soup

12 1/2 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/4 cups wild rice (about 7 1/2 ounces)
6 1/4 cups frozen corn kernels (about 2 1/2 pounds) thawed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used turkey sausage and I put in 14 oz even though I cut the soup in half!)
3 carrots, peeled, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups half and half (I used fat-free evaporated milk)

Bring 5 cups broth to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add wild rice and simmer until all liquid evaporates and rice is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend 3 3/4 cups corn and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth in processor until thick, almost smooth puree forms. Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and onions and stir 3 minutes. Add remaining 6 cups chicken broth and bring soup to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer soup 15 minutes.
Add cooked wild rice, corn puree and remaining 2 1/2 cups corn kernels to soup. Cook until wild rice is very tender and flavors blend, about 15 minutes longer. Mix in half and half. Thin soup with more chicken broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Soup can be prepared 2 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm soup over medium-low heat before continuing.)
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chives and parsley and serve.

Mango Pomegranate Guacamole

2010-12-30T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is the first time that I have had fresh pomegranate. It was a bit messy. I love the crunchy little seeds, though. And I loved this guacamole. The mango gave it sweetness, the hawaii chili peppers gave it a punch, and the pomegranate seeds gave it great crunch. Just yummy! I found this recipe here on Epicurious.com originally from Gourmet Magazine.

Mango Pomegranate Guacamole

4 ripe avocados (2 pounds total)
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 fresh serrano chiles, finely chopped (2 tablespoons), including seeds (I used red hawaiian chili peppers)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or to taste
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
3/4 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Coarsely mash in a bowl. Stir in onion, chiles, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, then fold in pomegranate seeds, mango, and cilantro. Season with salt and additional lime juice.

Lemon Snowflakes

2010-12-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Lemon Snowflakes

These are one of my favorite cookies that my Mom always makes at Christmas. This year I had an epiphany while making them and added some lilikoi to the icing on the last dozen. But I think I like the lemon the best. Some things you just shouldn't mess with in life, like lemon snowflakes. Here's my Mom's recipe.

Lemon Snowflakes

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
3/4 cup cornstarch (no this is not a typo)
1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Icing: 1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cream the butter then gradually beat in remaining ingredients. Shape into 48 balls. (I never get quite that many) Drop the balls onto 1 cup finely chopped pecans scattered on wax paper. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in flour. Put nut side up on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 min. Cool and then ice. Store airtight. Can be frozen.

Spritz Cookies

2010-12-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas trees, wreath's, and butterflies? My Mom makes cookies every christmas, tins and tins of them. Even after both she and Dad retired and there is only two of them, lots and lots of cookies. I can't even come close. Spritz cookies are one of my fav, though. I think because of the little bit of almond flavoring in them!

Spritz Cookies

Cream: 1 1/2 cups of butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 egg well beaten, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.

Add: 4 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix dough. Add coloring if desired. Press thru cookie press. Bake @ 400 degrees 8-10 minutes.

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Scones

2010-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

This is the exact same recipe as the raspberry scones with white chocolate chips from a previous post, just replacing the raspberries with blueberries. I love this innovative scone recipe from pickycook.com that calls for freezing and shredding the butter instead of cutting it into the flour. It makes a light airy scone with minimal effort. I went a little crazy with the blueberries and chocolate, though. Mighta overstuffed it a little.

But they rolled up okay. And they tasted great. I thought adding a little more that 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips might be a good idea because they sort of melt into the scone and you barely notice that they are there.

Here's the recipe again, in case you missed the previous one.

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (you will only use about 1/2 of it)
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (blueberries)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips (I used about 1/2 cup)
vanilla sugar to sprinkle on top

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place raspberries in freezer until needed.

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle raspberries and white chocolate chips evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving

Chocolate Bark with Dried Cranberries and Almonds

2010-12-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

I have to say I kinda winged it on this one. I watched an Emeril LaGasse show once where he had three double boilers going with three kinds of chocolate, white, milk, and dark. He melted the chocolate and just threw in all over a cookie sheet and topped it with dried fruit and nuts, let it cool, broke it in pieces, and Voila' Chocolate bark. So I did the exact same thing. I had part of a huge bar of milk chocolate given to us by some Lucerne Switzerland visitors. I had dark chocolate that my husband had brought home from work. And I had white chocolate chips in the freezer. The white chips did not melt. I ended up just sprinkling them in. I greased a cookie sheet and poured the melted chocolate onto it and swirled them all together. I had alot of the dark chocolate. Then I threw dried cranberries and whole almonds on top and pressed them down lightly. Then I chilled it. It sat on the counter for an hour and was still really soft. So I put it in the fridge. Stuff melts in Hawaii. Even in the winter.

Mango Hawaiian Hot Pepper Jam

2010-12-21T19:05:00.000-08:00

I can't wait to make this again.

Only next time, I will make it hotter!

I found this recipe on a great site called Share Your Table here .

5 cups chopped mango
1 red bell pepper, seeded
2 hawaiian chili peppers, seededs
1 lime
1 cup sugar
1 box powdered pectin
5 8-ounces jars

Run the peppers through a food processor, then drain excess liquid.
Place peppers and mango into a large pot, squeeze the lime juice through a sieve into pot, add remaining ingredients and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cook on medium heat stirring frequently for 1 hour.
Place your jar lids in hot water (not boiling). Fill your jars to approximately 1/4 inch from the top with jam, put the warm lids on the jars and fasten with the rings.
Place the closed jars in a large pan of boiling water for 5 minutes, remove from water and allow to cool. If you plan to eat your jam immediately, just allow to cool and refrigerate. It will keep for 1-2 months without spoiling and even longer in the freezer.

Dried Hot Hawaiian Chili Peppers

Homegrown!

Cinnamon Stuffed Scones

2010-12-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

I have been addicted to scones lately. Ever since I saw this recipe on my kitchen addiction here
I have wanted to try it. But I couldn't find cinnamon chips at the local grocery stores. I'm glad I made them anyway, because I think they delicious without the chips.

Cinnamon Stuffed Scones
(adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cookbook)
For the filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

For the dough:

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (I used white flour)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup milled golden flax ( I used whole wheat flour instead.
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter (cold)
6 ounces plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup lowfat milk plus additional to brush on tops of scones
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips
Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling on top of scones

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a nine-inch cake pan and cut a circle of parchment to line the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, using a fork to evenly incorporate the butter to form moist crumbs. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the dough – the rolled oats, white whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, milled golden flax, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use a pastry blender (or your fingertips) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles sand or cornmeal.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients and the cinnamon chips to the dry ingredients. Use a fork to incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry, just until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and use your hands to gently knead the dough and form it into a ball.Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a disc that is approximately 9 inches in diameter (to fit into the pan). Place one of the discs of dough in the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Spread the prepared filling on top of the first disc. Top with the second disc of dough, pressing down lightly to remove any air bubbles.Use a dough scraper to cut the scones into 12 wedges (this sounds like a lot, but the scones will really bake up… 12 servings worked out to be the right size, in my opinion!). Brush with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Lilikoi Bars

2010-11-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I started a lilikoi plant about a year ago and it has grown exponentially! I have had lots of lilikoi's, so I have been trying lots of new recipes! My friends said this is the best one so far. Several asked for the recipe. They are very sweet! They are just like lemon bars with a shortbread crust, but I think what makes them special is the icing. The icing really brings out the lilikoi flavor.
I found the recipe here on a blog from a fellow Kailua, HI resident.

Lilikoi Bars

For crust:
1 cup Flour
1/4 cup Powdered sugar
1/3 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Butter

For filling:
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tsp Grated lemon rind
2 Tbs Flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
2 Eggs, beaten
1 Tbs Lemon juice
3 Tbs Lilikoi juice

For icing:
2 Tbs Butter
3/4 cup Powdered sugar
2 tbs Lilikoi juice

For crust:
1 Sift 1 cup flour with 1/4 cup powdered sugar and the salt. Cut in the 1/2 cup butter. Press firmly in the bottom of an 8 inch square pan. Bake 15 minutes at 350°. Do not brown. Cool 5 minutes.

For Filling:
1 Combine the granulated sugar and lemon peel; let stand 5 minutes.
2 Sift the flour with the baking powder, add to sugar mixture.
3 Stir in eggs, lemon and 3 tablespoons of the Lilikoi juice. Spread over crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350°.
4 Lower heat to 325°and bake 5 to 20 minutes more. Cool.

For icing:
1 Cream butter and powdered sugar together.
2 Mix in 2 tablespoons of the lilikoi juice.
3 Spread over the cooled layer. When completely cool, cut into bars. Makes 20 bars.

Maple Butterscotch Scones

2010-11-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

I have to admit my first attempts at scones were not that appealing to me. Until I discovered all the multitude of flavors that you could create. Now I love them! This recipe was for maple pecan scones, but I didn't have any pecans so I substituted butterscotch chips. Besides, alot of people do not like nuts. These were great! I found the recipe here on epicurious.com. I like reading the comments on the recipes on epicurious, one of comments was that they thought the maple flavor from extract made these so much more flavorful than just using maple syrup in the scones. I happened to have maple syrup extract, I can't remember why I bought it. I made a batch for Thanksgiving breakfast and this was the only scone left to take a picture of. You gotta be fast when something tastes good!

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans ( I used butterscotch chips!)
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 teaspoons maple extract
1 egg, beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze) (I sprinkled sugar on top)

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in chopped pecans.
Whisk cream, egg yolks, and maple extract in medium bowl to blend. Pour over flour mixture; stir until moist clumps form. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth, about 4 turns. Pat dough out to 1/2-inch-thick round. Using 2-inch-diameter fluted cutter, cut out scones. Gather scraps. Pat out dough and cut out additional scones. Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze.
Bake until scones are browned and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 16 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature

Ina Garten's Frozen Key Lime Pie

2010-10-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

I have a lime tree in my backyard. It was the first fruit tree that I planted and it has produced alot of limes. I bought it from Home Depot and really had no clue what I was buying. The limes are wonderful, small, and seedless and it produces year round here in Hawaii. I love it. When I have an overabundance of limes I juice them and freeze the juice, so when my friend, Judy, said her favorite pie was Key Lime Pie I knew what to do with the juice. Not technically key lime pie, but with 3/4 cup of lime juice in it I don't think anyone will miss the lime flavor! I got this recipe off the food network here.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

For the decoration:
1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Thin lime wedges

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.
For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.
For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight.
Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest.

Lilikoi Cookies

2010-10-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for recipes using Lilikoi ever since I planted a vine in my backyard. The first dozen or so went into martini's! I found this recipe on Livlifetoo here. I have to admit her's are prettier. My dough was really really soft. In fact, I added extra flour, sugar, and cornstarch and then chilled it and it was still soft. I think my passion fruit must have produced alot more juice than hers. Next time I will actually measure it. I don't like recipes that call for say, juice of one lemon, one lemon could yield 2-4 tablespoons. You know what I mean? But I don't want to belittle her recipe, because the cookies are fantastic. Here is her recipe which she called:

Passion Fruit Melting Moments

1 stick (125g) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (115g) all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup (45g) powdered sugar, sifted (icing sugar)
1/3 cup (50g) cornstarch (cornflour)
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind
Strained liquid from 2 passionfruit
Filling:1
1/2 stick (60g) butter, softened
1 cup (150g) powdered sugar (pure icing sugar)
1 passionfruit
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Line baking tray with baking paper or silicone mat. Using an electric mixer, at the butter until pale and creamy. Add the passion fruit juice. Mix well. Next, add sifted flour, icing sugar, starch (cornflour) and lemon zest. Stir well with a wooden spoon until combined.
Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls. Place on lined baking tray, about 1 inch apart. Dust back of a fork with cornstarch and gently flatten. Repeat process with remaining dough. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Set aside on the tray to cool for 3 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool.
To make the filling, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar, passionfruit pulp and lemon juice and beat until combined.
Spread a small amount of icing onto one side of a biscuit then sandwich with a second biscuit. Repeat with remaining biscuits and filling.

Ina Garten's Sour Cream Banana Pancakes

2010-10-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love banana pancakes. I love Ina's recipe for banana pancakes. She mashes ripe banana's and mixes it in the batter and then tops them off with fresh bananas. Yumm. I found her recipe here on the food network.

Sour Cream Banana Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup
Directions

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Mini Meringue's with Passionfruit Curd and Raspberries

2010-10-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is another recipe out of my hors d'oeurves cookbook. I thought it was a cute idea to make individual meringues as opposed to a pavlova. But for some reason I decided to whip the eggwhites by hand with a wire whip. Bad idea. Shoulda used the kitchen aid. My arm just got too tired and I don't think the eggwhites were quite stiff enough to make little bowls to hold the curd. But they were yummy anyway, even if the passionfruit curd ran down the sides. Here is the recipe for the meringues, the passionfruit curd is on a previous post.

Vanilla Meringue
2 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the eggwhites in a large, clean bowl and whisk until the meringue holds soft peaks. Add the sugar, 1 tablesppon at a time, whisking well after each additin. Continue whisking until the whites are stiff and glossy. Fold in vanilla with a rubber spatula and any additional flavoring.

Kale and Butternut Squash Minestrone

2010-10-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

I happened to have a butternut squash in my kitchen and kale in my garden so when I came across this recipe on yummysupper here, I knew I had to try it. Great soup, although mine was so thick you might call it a stew, or a stoup as Rachel Ray would say. I even added more liquids than called for. I put parmesan cheese on top of it, which I think is the best way to eat minestrone.

Kale and Butternut Squash Minestrone

•1 cup dried Cannellini or Borlotti Beans (or 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked beans) ( i used a can of white kidney and a can of pinto beans, drained)
•1/ 4 cup olive oil
•2 celery stalks, finely chopped
•2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•1 bay leaf, dried
•4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
•2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
•1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
•2 teaspoons salt
•3 cups water
•1 14 ounce can of stewed tomatoes
•1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
•1 large bunch kale, stems removed, and roughly chopped
•1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes ( about 2 cups)
•fresh ground pepper
•Parmesan, grated

Soak beans overnight in 4 cups water. Drain. Place beans in sauce pan and cover with at least 2 inches of water. Simmer for 2 hours or so. Add more water if the level gets low. Salt and set aside tender beans. ( I skipped this by using canned beans, pinto and white kidney, easier!)
In a dutch oven or stew pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add bay, sage, rosemary, garlic and salt. Cook for 5 more minutes.
Add chopped kale and tomato (add all the tomato liquid too) and cook another 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups water, simmer 15 minutes.
Add sun dried tomatoes and squash. Cook until tender about 10-15 minutes. When squash is tender, add the cooked beans. Add salt if necessary.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and ground pepper.

Passion fruit curd with Greek yogurt and Raspberries

2010-10-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

I am growing lilikoi (passion fruit) in my backyard. I love it! I made some passion fruit curd and decided to have some for breakfast with greek yogurt and raspberries. Raspberries have been on sale at costco (can you tell i shop there quite often?) Raspberries, or berries period, are rare and expensive in Hawaii, so when they are in season I buy them everytime I go to the store. It is lovely having mango's and passion fruit in my back yard, but I miss mainland fruit. It is hard to get sweet, ripe fruit in Hawaii. My sister gave me an hors d'oeuvre book that I love. It is called simply "hors d'oeuvres" and is by Eric Treuille & Vicotria Blashfor-Snell. I used their recipe for passionfruit curd.

Passionfruit Curd

5 passion fruit, halved
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten

Scoop passion fruit pulp out of each half with a teaspoon. Either blend on low speed in a blender and then sieve to remove the seeds, or place in a sieve and mash with the back of a spoon (takes longer) to remove seeds. Some people leave the seeds in, but it is a little too crunchy for me.
Combine passionfruit pulp, lemon juice, and sugar in a saucepan. Add butter and place over a low heat. Stir occasionally, until the butter has melted. Beat egg constantly, while gradually pouring in the hot passionfruit mixture, until well blended. Return mixture to pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and continue stirring until cooled slightly. Cool completely.

Kabocha Squash Soup

2010-10-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thick and creamy, easy to make, fall flavored soup. I made it two ways, first with coconut milk, then with the last half of the soup I added curry and greek yogurt. Both soups were delicious, comfort food. The basic recipe I used was from lafujimama.com here. After eating a bowl of two over the next couple of days I decided it needed a little extra kick so I added a couple teaspoons of curry to the soup and stirred in a dollap of greek yogurt. It was fantastic. The yogurt was really tasty with the curried squash!

Kabocha Squash Soup

1 medium to large size kabocha squash
1 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, separated
2 small, or 1 large, yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 14-oz. can coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
2 cups chicken stock (can use whatever kind of stock you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste
curry powder to taste
greek yogurt to dollop!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut kabocha in half, scoop out seeds and stringy insides, then prick flesh with a fork. Brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil on flesh and set halves face down in baking sheet in approximately 1/2 inch of water. Bake for about 45 minutes until flesh is soft.
3. While kabocha is baking, caramelize onions in 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil.
4. After kabocha is finished cooking, scoop flesh out of skin.
5. In a food processor, add kabocha, onions, coconut milk, stock, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Serve.

*I suggest adding half of the coconut milk and half of the stock and then tasting it. Depending on your tastes, you may want to add all of the coconut milk, or you may want to add more stock. Also, if the soup is too thick, add additional stock until it reaches the consistency you desire.

Italian Sausage and Wild Mushroom Risotto

2010-10-21T13:51:00.000-07:00

I had nothing planned for dinner. I had no idea what to make. I happened to have portabello mushrooms in the fridge, so I did a search on epicurious.com and found this recipe here. I always have Italian Sausages in my freezer as a go-to dinner Sausage and Peppers are a breeze to make. Hmmm, need to post that one. Anyway, this recipe is Fantastic! My husband loved it. Very very tasty. Put it in the will make it again file!
Here it is:
Italian Sausage and Wild Mushroom Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sweet sausage, casings removed, crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, stemmed, dark gills scraped out, caps diced
10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 cups Madeira ( I used Marsala wine)
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice or other medium-grain rice (about 13 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add all mushrooms, thyme, and oregano and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Madeira; boil until almost absorbed, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Bring stock to simmer in large saucepan; remove from heat and cover to keep hot. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup Madeira; simmer until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot stock; simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more stock by cupfuls, stirring often and allowing most stock to be absorbed before adding more, about 25 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass cheese separately.

Raspberry and White Chocolate Chip Scones

2010-09-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

I think these are the best scones I have even eaten. I found them on pickycook.com here. She has some helpful pictures if you want to try to make these. I didn't even get a shot of them baked. They were gone in the blink of an eye. I think the next time I make them (and there definitely will be a next time) I will add more white chocolate chips. They melted into the scone so it was hard to know they were there, except ever once in a while you could taste a sweet bite of white chocolate. I used fresh raspberries because they were on sale at Costco and I bought about 2 lbs of them. These were sooooo good!!

16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (you will only use about 1/2 of it)
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for work surface
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips
vanilla sugar to sprinkle on top

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place raspberries in freezer until needed.

2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes.
5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle raspberries and white chocolate chips evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving

Almond and Amaretto Apricot Tart

2010-09-29T16:33:00.000-07:00

I went to Montreal for the first time last summer. Come to find out that my parents lakeplace in upstate NY is only 140 miles from Montreal. Why I never realized that I don't know, but I loved Montreal. I loved the Marche De Jean Talon, It is a humungous, ubiquitous, look that one up, open farmer's market surrounded by fish, cheese, and meat markets and bakeries. AMAZING! I found these apricots in amaretto in a little store in downtown Montreal, though. They are wonderful over ice cream or yogurt, but I decided to try them in a tart that I found the recipe for here on Fork Spoon Knife.com.

Almond and Apricot Tart
1/2 tart dough (recipe below)
6 apricots, peeled and halved
3 T almond meal
1 T butter, room temperature
2 T powdered sugar
2 tsp honey
melted butter for brushing
2 tsp sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Tip: To peel the apricot, score a X at the twig end and soak for 30 seconds in boiling water. Remove to ice cold water and then peel skin. It should come away easily.

Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out the tart dough into an approximate 8 inch circle. Mix together the almond meal, butter and powdered sugar to make a paste. Spread the paste in the center of the dough. Line the apricot halves, seed side down, leaving 1-1.5 inch border. Fold the dough edges over the apricots decoratively. Drizzle the honey over the exposed apricots.

I also made my own almond meal for this recipe. It is so simple. I ground 1/4 cup of whole almonds, skin and all in a coffee grinder. It worked great!

Freeze for 10 minutes. Brush the folded edges of the dough with butter and sprinkle sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges have turned golden brown. Remove and cool for a few minutes before slicing.

Flaky Tart Dough

1-1/4 cups flour
6 T cold butter, cubed
1/2 tsp lemon zest ( I used orange zest because that is what I had, it tasted great!)
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 T ice cold water (approx measure)

Toss everything together and freeze for 30 minutes. When ready, slowly stream the water while working the mixture into a dough. Stop adding water, when it comes together somewhat. Kneed gently to gather the dough and form into a ball. Pat into a rough circle, wrap in plastic and freeze for atleast 30 minutes before rolling.
If you are using only half portion divide the ball before patting into circle

Passion Fruit Mojito and Passion/Mango Martini

2010-09-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe here on food.com. I had fresh mint from my garden and lilikoi from my yard, so it was the perfect summer drink to try. After drinking one of these, my friend Debbie and I tried a passion mango martini from here on the foodnetwork. At that point taking another picture of the martini was hopeless, but I will include the recipe!

Passion Fruit Mojito

2 ounces white rum

1/8-1/4 fluid ounce lime juice, a good glug
4 ounces passion fruit juice
3 -4 mint sprigs, plus more for garnish
1 drop vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar

1 Muddle mint springs, vanilla and sugar together. 2 Place in cocktail shaker half filled with ice. 3 Add rum and juices and shake 10 times. 4 Strain into glass filled with ice. 5 Garnish with mint.

Mango Passion Martini

1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into chunks, reserve some for garnish

1 cup passion fruit nectar
1 lime, juiced
4 shots vodka ( I used Vanilla Vodka, yum!)

In a blender puree the mango, passion fruit nectar and lime juice until smooth. Strain through a mesh strain and set aside.
In a cocktail shaker full of ice combine 1 part vodka and 1 part of the mango and passion fruit puree. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Repeat with remaining ingredients and garnish each glass with a piece of mango.

Passion fruit, banana, mango yogurt smoothie

2010-09-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

I love greek yogurt. I was barely aware of it's existence until my son starting working for a company that distributed Fage yogurt. Luckily for me and a bunch of my close friends, his company accidently waaaaay overordered cases of the stuff. My son scolded me for eating yoplait and reccommended that I read the labels and compare. I thought boston cream pie yoplait was the best, until he hooked me on greek yogurt. Now that is all I will eat. It is my go to breakfast with fresh fruit. And when I drink my breakfast, I make one of these smoothies. The lilikoi (or passion fruit) I grew in my backyard. In fact, I planted it less than a year ago and it grew like a weed. Seriously, like 200 feet along the fence in my yard. So I have been going nuts collecting lilikoi recipes. Mostly though, they have been either going into smoothies or martini's! The mango's also came from my backyard. I sliced and froze so many of them that my husband swears that is all that is in the freezer. And the banana came from my girlfriends new house that has banana trees. She gave me a baby (keiki) banana sprout and it is now growing in my backyard. So hopefully, by this time next year, I will have my own bananas also!!

Hawaiian Tropical Smoothie

1 small banana

1/2 cup diced mango

2 tablespoons passion fruit juice

1 cup greek yogurt

Blend til smooth. Eat and enjoy!

Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza

2010-08-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

I thought this pizza was yummy, but my husband and son-in-law both chose meat pizza over goat cheese. Honestly, I think the carmelized onions made the pizza great. I found a recipe for fig and goat cheese pizza, but it called for dried figs. I obviously made this one with fresh figs and I thought it was wonderful. I made this pizza while I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law in San Diego and they have this grocery store near them called Fresh and Easy. It is a wonderful little market to pick up things to put together a fast and easy dinner. They sold fresh pizza dough for $1.50. It was great.

Fig Pizza

1 ball fresh pizza dough
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 fresh figs, coarsely chopped
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup mozzerella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Saute onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil til wilted and carmelized about 7-8 minutes. Stretch and press pizza dough to fit 12" pizza pan or on a cookie sheet lighted oiled. Distribute sauteed onions on dough. Sprinkle with fresh figs and crumbled goat cheese. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake @ 425 for 10-15 min until crust is brown and cheese is melted and lightly browned

Fig Cookies

2010-08-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

Besides fig newtons, I don't think I had ever had a fig in my entire life until I moved to Kona. My neighbor had a fig tree, but she didn't like the figs from her tree, so we gladly accepted her figs. I ate figs almost every day for a month. We had figs baked with chicken, figs stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in proscuitto, sauteed figs with brown sugar, figs and yogurt. So when I saw figs in Costco, I had to buy them and I wanted to try some new ways to use them. I found this recipe on epicurean.com here. They are pretty good cookies, but I decided that I like figs best fresh, in salads, with yogurt, or just eaten like an apple!

California Fig Cookies

1 cup coarsely chopped golden or black figs (about 1/2 pound)
1/3 cup water
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
walnut or pecan halves (optional)

Cook figs with water, stirring frequently, 5 min til thick (this took me more like 10-15 min). Cool. Beat butter with both sugars til light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Mix into butter mixture. Stir in figs. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Top with walnut or pecan. Bake @ 375 degrees for 10-12 min.

Kale and Feta Stuffed Baked Onions

2010-08-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

I was looking for interesting Kale recipes. I have Kale from my first ever in hawaii vegetable garden that I am oh so proud of. Anyway, I found this recipe with spinach, but decided it would kill two stones. Use my kale up and use some of the huge bag of onions I bought from Costco. :) I found the original recipe here on the foodnetwork.

Baked Stuffed Onions with Kale and Feta

4 large Spanish onions (about 1 pound each), skin-on

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 large sprigs fresh thyme, plus 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic
20 ounces spinach, stems removed, washed and dried ( I used Kale!)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
Pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
1 cup sourdough bread crumbs
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Trim the ends of the onions, leaving the skins on, and cut them in half horizontally. Put the onions, cut-side up, in a baking dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the oil; scatter the thyme sprigs over the top and season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups of water, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake, basting with the pan juices until the edges of the onions are browned, about 45 minutes to 1 hour more. (Add more water if pan is running dry.) Remove from the oven and cool.
Smash the garlic clove with the side of a cook's knife. (I chopped the garlic and left it in with the kale). In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat, add the garlic and stir until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Working in batches, add the spinach, stirring to wilt before each addition. When all the spinach has been added, raise the heat to high, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until fully wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain the spinach in a colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible and coarsely chop.
Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F.
Scoop out the center of each onion, leaving at least half an inch of the outer rings, to make onion "bowls". Coarsely chop half of the onion centers, and reserve the remaining for another use. In a mixing bowl combine the chopped onion, spinach, lemon zest, eggs, cayenne, breadcrumbs, chopped thyme, and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture evenly among the scooped-out onions. Drizzle the tops with the remaining olive oil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature

Pasta with Roma Tomatoes, Capers, Kalamata Olives, and Feta Cheese

2010-08-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

I had alot of Feta cheese, which I love, from Costco AND I had homegrown, in my own backyard, roma tomatoes. I haven't had a garden in 20 years. Oh, I have an herb garden and a patio full of plants, but I haven't had a full-fledged grow my own vegetable garden since we moved to Hawaii. So as much as I think this recipe was great, my big acheivement is the little tomatos in it!

My tomatoes!

Pasta Recipe
8 oz whatever shape pasta you like
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups roma, grape, cherry or any small sweet tomato
1 cup green onions, top part, sliced diagonally in 1/2" slices
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced in 1/2
4 oz Feta cheese cubed.

Cook the pasta in salted water til al dente. Saute tomatoes in olive oil until warmed and skins start to split. Add green onion, capers, and olives, heat til warm. Add feta and drained pasta.

Banana Snack Cake

2010-08-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, I searched banana recipes for something other than the usual banana bread and I gravitated toward banana and chocolate. I made a banana coffee cake with chocolate chip struedel while I was visiting my daughter and son-in-law that was really good, but I didn't post it. I was too busy being a new grandma.

Anyway, this recipe is very similar, with the addition of coconut and oatmeal. It was really yummy. Chocolate and banana belong together. I found the recipe here on Allrecipes.com. I like to think it's healthy because it does have oatmeal in it. Whattayathink? Here's a copy of the recipe. Try it! It's good! Moist, nutty, chocolatey with banana's! Great way to use overripe banana's! Oh, and I used a 7x11" pan because my 9x13" pan was already in the oven with a brisket in it. Maybe I'll post that, too?

Banana Snack Cake

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts ( I used pecans)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. (I used a 7x11" pan). In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Mix in buttermilk, bananas and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix well. Finally, fold in the nuts, coconut and 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

3.Pour batter into a 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. I had to bake mine another 10-15 min because I used a smaller pan. :)

Triple Chocolate Cookies

2010-07-28T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I baked cookies. Luckily they were not all eaten before I could snap a pic. My husband is kind enough to bring me home chocolate samples from work, so I can try new recipes. Unfortunately, he does not have a sweet tooth whatsoever and rarely eats any desserts that I make. Good for my friends, I guess. I found this recipe on Epicurious.com here. I don't know why the recipe says to freeze them, but I have some in the freezer now, to experiment. Also, I made them a little saller than 1/4 cup. I used a small scoop. But here is the recipe:

Triple Chocolate Cookies

10 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir chopped chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from over water. Cool melted chocolate 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is light, pale, and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add lukewarm melted chocolate and vanilla and beat just until blended. Fold in dry ingredients, then chocolate chips.

Drop chocolate cookie batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, until tops are evenly cracked but cookies are not yet firm to touch, about 16 minutes. Cool cookies completely on baking sheets. Using metal spatula, carefully transfer 4 cookies to each of 4 large resealable plastic bags, arranging in single layer. Freeze cookies overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)

Lilikoi or Passion Fruit

2010-07-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Passion Fruit flower

I planted a lilikoi in my backyard less than a year ago and it is going nuts! This was my first fruit and my son found it on the ground. I have to admit the first 4 passion fruit that ripened were immediately used Martini's. I made Roy Yamaguchi's hawaiian martini mix and added passion fruit juice. I will have to post that one, too. I wanted to boast a little, I guess, that I can actually grow something that bears fruit. Also, I thought the flower was AMAZING! It opens for only 12-24 hrs, then closes up and starts turning into a fruit. Isn't it gorgeous? And passion fruit is so yummy and tart! Gotta love it.

Black bean, Corn, and Mango Salad

2010-07-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

We had another day of debauchery on the pontoon boat. The boat for the Pirates of the Carribean movies is in Heeia Harbor right now and we were chased away from it. If I can get my friends pics I will post a picture.

I made this black bean salad from Guy Fieri's recipe here, except I substituted mango for the pineapple and I added two avocado's. It was yummy. One reason I liked this recipe is because it calls for sherry vinegar. I bought my first bottle of sherry vinegar after scouting 4-5 grocery stores. So far, it gets an A plus, in my book.

Black Bean, Corn, Avocado, and Mango Salad

2 cans black beans, drained, about 30 ounces

1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple ( I used mango)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch ground cumin
I added two avocado's chopped up.
Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

2010-07-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since I have posted anything. I could give you a list of excuses that would sound like blah, blah, blah, blah, but I won't. I will tell you the most exciting news and my #1 main excuse for not blogging a million recipes that I have tried lately, I'm a grandma!! Yeah! My grandson, Freddie, is the best baby on earth, and the cutest, of course. But, I digress, today's topic is LOW FAT, yes, that's LOW FAT cherry almond coffee cake. From Cooking Light's Annual Recipes for 2001, my new favorite cookbook that I got from the used book store for fifty cents! .50 measly cents. And I love it!
So here's the recipe for LOW FAT (!) and delicious cherry almond coffee cake.

Cherry Almond Coffee Cake

Topping:

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup regular oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon chilled butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 cup plain low fat yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups sweet cherries, pitted and halved

2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Preheat over to 350 degrees, Prepare topping. Mix flour, brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Prepare cake mix. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and set aside. Beat sugar and butter at medium speed of blender. Add yogurt, extracts, and egg. Beat well. Add flour and beat until blended. Spread half of battery in the bottom of an 8" cake pan coated with cooking spray. Top with cherries and and 3 tablespoons topping. Repeat procedure with remaining batter and topping. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 45 min. Yeilds 9 servings. 254 cal per serving

Seared Ahi with Wasabi Aoli

2010-05-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

We love our tuna in Hawaii. This is my favorite way to eat it.

Seared Tuna with Wasabi Aoli

chili powder

cayenne pepper

garlic powder

wasabi paste

mayonnaise

Sprinkle both side of tuna with spices. I use about 1/4 teaspoon of each. Heat a small frying pan to high heat. Using tongs place each side of tuna on hot pan for 3-5 secs per side, until just lightly seared. Rechill tuna in fridge. Mix about 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with one teaspoon of wasabi or to taste, depending on how hot you like it.

Maple Liqueur Night Cap

2010-05-27T17:52:00.000-07:00

We went to a craft fair in Vermont that was the most amazing craft fair I have ever been too. There were huge heated tents with so many talented crafters. One woman knitted hats and mittens from Alpaca that she made into yarn. There was a woman who made wooden bowls and she was working on a lathe in her booth. But, of course, the most amazing tent was all food! That is where we tried this Maple Liqueur. It was delicious. We packed a bottle in our suitcase. The other great part of this fair was the beer and wine tent and the food booths. What a great way to spend the day!

Maple Night Cap

1/2 shot Maple Liqueur

1/2 shot Bailey's Irish Creme

1/2 shot of Kahlua

splash of milk or cream

Corn, Arugula, Cherry Tomato, and Gorgonzola Salad

2010-05-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on epicurious.com here to use up some of the abundant arugula from my garden. This salad was fantastic! What a great way to use the arugula. The recipe called for blue cheese, but I used gorgonzola. I would definitely make this recipe again. I also used frozen baby white corn which I love. This is a great summer salad, cold, crunchy, and tasty!

2 3/4 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed, drained

1 1-pint basket cherry tomatoes, halved
4 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 1/2-ounce packages arugula, stems trimmed, leaves chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola (about 4 ounces)

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Place vinegar in small bowl; gradually mix in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup blue cheese. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula, and Feta Cheese

2010-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Arugula, Arugula, Arugula
I started my first garden in Hawaii. I have had gardens before and I have grown lots of things in pots. But I decided to try a for real garden. The arugula has been a bumper crop. Growing like crazy. So I looked for new recipes to try. I had some feta in the fridge so I decide to try this recipe that I found here.

Campanelle with Tomatoes and Feta

from Bon Appétit magazine

8 ounces campanelle (trumpet-shaped pasta) or fusilli (spiral-shaped pasta)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pint whole cherry tomatoes
1 pint whole grape tomatoes
5 cups (loosely packed) arugula
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (about 7 ounces)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add green onions, garlic, and all tomatoes; sauté until tomatoes begin to soften and collapse, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta. Return to pot. Add tomato mixture, arugula, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil; toss until arugula begins to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to plates. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

Pavlova with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream and Summer Berries

2010-05-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

My friend, Lee, took this picture with her phone. I have been very lax with the photographs. I am not happy with my camera and want a new digital SLR. Someday. Anyway, Lee was obliging. Thank you, Lee!
I almost threw away this pavlova. I tried to bake the meringue in the shape of a basket and the sides collapsed while baking. Then when I tried to taste test a little piece of it I broke the whole thing in half. But, my husband said it tasted great, and I had all the fruit, and I really didn't want to make a whole nuther dessert. So I decided to finish it and am I glad I did. It was well received!

Pavlova with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream and Summer Berries

4 egg whites, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon distilled white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons cold water (i forgot this, still came out great!)

1 pint whipping cream

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1/4 cup sugar

1 lb strawberries, washed, hulled, and sprinked with 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1 pint blueberries

1 pint blackberries

Make meringue:

Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in middle. Trace an approximately 7-inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn parchment over and put on a baking sheet.
Whisk together superfine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
Beat whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add water (whites will loosen) and beat until whites again hold soft peaks.
Increase speed to medium-high and beat in sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more.
Add vinegar and beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes (longer if using hand-held mixer).
Gently spread meringue inside circle on parchment, making edge of meringue slightly higher than center (the "crater" is for cream and fruit). Bake until meringue is pale golden and has a crust, about 45 minutes (inside will still be marshmallow-like).
Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringue in oven
Spread whipped cream on top of meringue. Dump berries all over the top. Bon Appetit!

Spinach and Ricotta Won Ton Cups

2010-05-17T15:24:00.000-07:00

I have a facination for Won Ton cups lately. You can fill them with virtually anything. I baked these a few hours ahead of time, planning on reheating them. But then I decided they needed a little more something, so when I reheated them I put grated mozzerella and a small piece of slow roasted tomato on top. The tomato added alot of flavor. I also saw a similar recipe but with goat cheese mixed in with the ricotta. Next time I will try that. Once again, these were a hit with my friends. I think they just like food alot. I made these appetizers and pavlova for dessert. They were swooning over the pavlova. I will post that next. I found this recipe here on a blog entitled eatingthinlivingwell.wordpress.com. They were lowfat before I added the mozzerella.

Spinach and Ricotta Won Ton Cups

Vegetable cooking spray

24 small square wonton wrappers
1 cup ricotta cheese
One 10-ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cream
1 clove garlic, through a press
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
1/2 cup grated mozzerella
4-5 slow roasted tomatoes, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the cups of a 12-muffin pan with the vegetable cooking spray. Gently press one wrapper into reach cup and lightly spray the wrapper with the spray. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta, spinach, eggs, cream, garlic, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Replace 12 of the baked cups into the muffin pan. Fill with scant one tablespoon of filling mixture. Sprinkle with more grated parmesan. Lay a piece of aluminum foil lightly over the pan and return to the oven. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cups and filling. Makes 24 pieces

Crab Salad Stuffed Puff Pastries

2010-04-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

These were a little bit of work to make, but alot of fun. I just blended up a couple Pina Colada's and invited my friend, Debbie, over and we set to work!

Crab Salad Stuffed Puff Pastries

Puffs:

2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed

I used a 1 1/2" scalloped cutter and cut out the whole sheet of puff pastry. Then I took a small round cutter and cut the inside out of half of the scalloped pieces. Brush the bottom piece with eggwash, put the "donut" shaped piece on top and brush with eggwash again.

Place on a lightly floured baking sheet, spaced at least and inch or so apart.

Bake @ 450 degrees for about 7-10 min. till lightlly browned. When cooled, push down in center of each puff to make a bigger indentention for filling.

Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Crab Salad:

1/2 lb fresh cracked crab

2 tablespoons mayo

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon finely minced chives

1 tablespoon minced fresh flatleaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon finely minced lemon zest

salt and pepper

Fill puffs with about 1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of crab salad. Sprinkle addition parsley or chives on top for color.

Apple Crumb Cake

2010-04-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try a crumb cake and was looking for a recipe, when I saw this on Dinnersforayear.blogspot.com here. I thought the apple filling was a great idea! It makes a 9x13 pan and since there are only two people in the household, of course I gave most of it away to friends. Two of my good friends and I went to an edible landscaping class, which was great BTW, and I brought them each some crumb cake to eat for breakfast on the way. Hopefully, in a few months I will be making stuff from my garden, i.e. edible landscape!

Apple Crumb Cake

Apples

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 Fugi apples, peeled and sliced thin (I used 5-6, they were small)

Crumb Topping
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 1/3 cups cake flour
2 sticks butter, melted

Cake
2/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut in chunks
2 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Heat a large saute pan to medium high. Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to melt. Add the apples and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Apples should be slightly soft.
Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a small bowl, add vinegar to half and half and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low, add the butter chunks, one at a time. Mix for about 2 - 3 minutes until mixture resembles a coarse crumble. Add eggs, vanilla, and half and half mixture. Beat on medium high speed for about 1 - 2 minutes until smooth.

Spread cake batter into prepared baking dish. Top with sauteed apples. Break up the crumb topping with a spoon. The pieces should be about the size of marbles. Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar.

Greek Salad

2010-04-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

I love greek food, as I have mentioned before. Greek salads are so simple to make. Some people don't like feta cheese, it may be an acquired taste, but I love it! I wasn't even going to post it, but I snapped a picture at the last minute before I ate it so please excuse the dishtowel in the corner!

Greek Salad

2 cups lettuce, whatever you like best, romaine, butter, iceberg,red

1 whole tomato, cut in eighths

1/2 cucumber, cut in bite size pieces

3-4 slices of red onion

8-10 Kalamata olives

2-3 oz feta cheese cut in cubes

2-3 pieces of roasted red pepper (I used jarred)

dressing

1 T balsamic vinegar

2T extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Bon Appetit!

Kale Chips

2010-04-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I tried Kale. I am trying to eat more vegetables. My Dr. said to eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Do you know how hard that is? I told her there are no vegetables in a ham and cheese sandwich. But here I am eating Kale chips and liking them! There were addicting. I brought them to dinner at a friends house and even my rarely ever cooks vegetables friend ate them. And liked them! They are so simple to make, too!

Kale Chips

1 bunch of Kale
olive oil
salt
cookie sheet
silpat or parchment paper

Remove tough stem from Kale. I started by using kitchen shears, but then I just grabbed it by the stem and slid my fingers down the stem and it came right out. I saw Rachel Ray do that on her show.
You can cut them up in smaller pieces but I just laid them out on two cookie sheets, one with parchment and one with a silpat. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 min or until the edges start to brown. You can check them and if they are not light and crunchy, they are not done yet. You touch them with your fingertips and tell if they are done.
Simple, yes! I sprinkled more salt on them when they were done. Maybe it is better just to salt them afterwards.
I might have cooked mine a little too long, but they tasted great. I also drizzled them with olive oil and I think next time I might try misting them or using Pam.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipolte Lime Dressing

2010-03-22T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have been craving fish tacos, but I didn't want to have batter fried fish in them. I wanted something a little healthier and less labor intensive. This recipe was perfect. In fact, I would use the fish marinade again just for a fish dinner recipe, it was so good. My husband liked the chipolte dressing the best, but he always says he won't eat fish unless he catches it himself. Which is really baloney, because he just doesn't like fish so it is an excuse not to eat it!

I broiled the fish. I didn't grill it. I am sure grilling it would be even better, but I went for the easy way out. I found the recipe at Allrecipes.com here

Broiled Fish Tacos with Chipolte Lime Dressing

Marinade:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

1 lb tilapia fillets, cut in chunks (i used another white fish)

Dressing: (I made 1/2 this amount and still had leftovers)

1 (8 oz) container light sour cream

1/2 cup adobo sauce from chipolte peppers (i used chipolte peppers and mashed them)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest

1/4 tesapoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

1 pkg tortillas (I used whole wheat)

2 ripe tomatoes, diced

1 bunch cilantro, chopped,

1 small head cabbaged, cored and shredded

1 avocado, cubed

2 limes, cut in wedges

I broiled the fish on a cookie rack over a tin pie plate.

Seven Layer Salad

2010-03-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

I think this is a throwback to the 60's. This salad has been around forever. I love the way it looks in the dish. I still have no idea why you are supposed to refrigerate it overnight before eating, but I have always made it that way.

Seven Layer Salad

4 cups chopped lettuce or spinach
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (and divided)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 10 oz pkg. baby petit peas, thawed, drained, and patted dry (don't cook them!)
1/2 cup mayonnaise ( i used low fat)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
4 slices bacon, cooked til crisp and crumbled

Start layering ingredients in order in a nice glass dish that you can see thru. Reserve 1/2 the cheddar cheese for the top layer. Mix the mayo, sour cream, and basil and spread on top of the peas. Chill at least 5 hrs or overnight. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. When ready to serve, mix salad together!

Bacon Bites with Dijon and Brown Sugar

2010-03-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Every time I make these they disappear. I think they are "man food". This past Saturday we went out on a pontoon boat in Kaneohe Bay to the sandbar, which sits about a mile off shore, to picnic and enjoy the sunny day. I made a 7 layer salad and bacon bites and promised to post both here on my site. They are both simple recipes, easy to make, but the bacon bites was the dish that was gone in a blink of an eye. So much for the healthy salad!

I layer a cookie sheet with tin foil. Then layer about a pound of thick sliced bacon and brush with about 2-3 Tablespoons of dijon mustard. Then I sprinkle about 2-3 Tablespoons of brown sugar on top of that.

And bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 min. or until the bacon is cooked. You can put the bacon on a rack if you prefer. Do not transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. It will stick! You can let them cool in the pan or transfer wax paper or a flexible plastic cutting board to cool. I didn't take any pictures of the bacon cooked, but I like mine kinda crispy. I thought I might have actually burned a few pieces, but they ALL GOT EATEN!

Apple Struesel Bars

2010-03-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

I saw these apple struesel bars on a couple of blogs before I decided to make them. I bought a big bag of apples and they weren't that great. They were Gala apples and they were great for baking, but not so hot for just eating in your hand. Anywho, this is a fantastic dessert. So much easier than making a pie and I think better than eating a piece of pie. I found the recipe on both OurBestBites.com here and also on honeyandjam.com here .

APPLE STRUESEL BARS

SWEET PASTRY:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. real butter, softened (no substitutions!)
1 egg, beaten
APPLE FILLING:
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 c. (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples (I've used Granny Smith in the past, although this time around I used Gala and they were fabulous)

GLAZE:
2 c. powdered sugar
About 3 Tbsp. milk (whole milk is best)
1 tsp. almond extract
To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 and set aside.

To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon and toss with apples.

Spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

When finished, allow to cool completely.
To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

Pear Almond Muffins

2010-03-12T21:57:00.000-08:00

What to do with one little overly ripe pear? Make muffins. These muffins were surprisingly tender and delicious. I chopped the pears rather finely and they seemed to almost disappear into the muffin, so it was hard to tell they were pear muffins. I might make them with bigger chunks of pears next time. I found the recipe here.

Pear Muffins with Almonds

•1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

•1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
•2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
•1 teaspoon cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground ginger ( i omitted this because i didn't have any)
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 medium pear, peeled and chopped finely
•1 egg
•1/2 cup yogurt, plain
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 cup vegetable oil.

•Topping Mixture:
•3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped almonds (or whatever nuts you like)
•3 to 4 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift first six ingredients together into a large bowl, rubbing the sugar through the sifter. Stir in chopped pear.
Whisk together egg, yogurt, vanilla and oil. Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix. Fill lined muffin cups about 2/3 full.
Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle topping mixture over each muffin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Makes 8 to 9.

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce

2010-03-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have been craving greek food, so when I saw these flatbreads at the store I knew I had to make some souvlaki. Every year, on the weekend of my birthday, there is a Greek festival in Honolulu which I have attended for the about the last 12 years. But it is in August and I couldn't wait til then to have greek food again. This year my friends and I had a huge greek potluck dinner on my birthday that was phenomenal, but I missed the festival. Some day, I would love to visit Greece. My dream is to go to Santorini or any one of the greek islands. Until then, I will settle for eating greek food and hoping.

Chicken Souvlaki

1 pound chicken breast (cut into strips)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
1 tablespoon yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients and let meat marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. Skewer the meat.
3. Cook on the grill or under a broiler for about 4-5 minutes per side.

Tzatziki Sauce

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or strained yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber (peeled, seeded, and shredded, squeezed and drained)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or mint (I used both! It was fantastic!)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 splash ouzo (optional) (I didn't have any :(
salt & pepper to taste.

Directions:
1. Mix everything and let chill in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavors mingle

Almond Tart

2010-03-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

I love all things almond. This is one of my favorite recipes, so when I was invited to my friends's birthday dinner (and he also loves all things almonds) I decided to make this tart. I think I first found the recipe in an old Bon Appetite magazine, but I came across it again in a California The Beautiful Cookbook, it was referenced to Chez Panisse. It calls for one teaspoon of Grand Marnier, which could be left out I suppose, but being a stickler I went out and spent $40 on a bottle of it, just for one teaspoon. Not that I will have a problem finding other uses for the Grand Marnier! Anyway, here it is. Enjoy!

Almond Tart

Tart Dough:
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water, if needed

Filling:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2-3 drops of almond extract
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1 cup sliced almonds

To make tart dough:
In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, lemon zest and butter (cut into small pieces). And the vanilla and process until the dough forms a ball that leaves the sides of the bowl and whirls around on the blade. If the dough remains dry and will not form a ball, add the water and process for a few seconds longer. Pat it into a small cake, wrap in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes before using.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Roll out dough on floured surface and fit into a 9" tart pan. Prick all over with a fork, then press a piece of buttered aluminum foil snugly into the tart shell. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 4 more minutes, until the shell appears dry, but has not browned.
Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
To make the filling:
Warm the cream and the surgar in a small saucepan until the sugar is melted and the mixture is translucent. Blend in the almond extract and the liqueur, then stir in the almonds. Pour the mixture in the tart shell, spreading it evenly.
Bake for about 25 minutes, turning the tart once or twice to brown evenly. Remove from oven and cool.

My friend took a picture with his iphone after we had devoured most of the tart!!

Cinnamon Bunn Cookies with Cinnamon Icing

2010-02-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

Unegaminedanslacuise.com is a food blog that I like to follow and I saw the picture of the cinnamon bun cookies on her site and decided I had to try them. Apparently, she found the recipe on recipegirl.com, which happens to be another food blog that I like to follow and have already tried several of her recipes so you can find this recipe on either blog or here.

Cinnabon Cookies with Cinnamon Icing

printable recipe here

DOUGH
½ cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups (6¼ ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
MIDDLE:
1 large egg white
1 Tbs water
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
ICING:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs heavy whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Prepare dough: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. Add the flour, stirring to make a cohesive dough. Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
2. Roll the dough: Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll it into a 9×12-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and water until foamy. Brush onto rolled out dough. In another small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle it evenly over the dough. Starting with a long edge, carefully roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge (if dough sticks to parchment, gently use a metal spatula to guide it off of the paper). Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment, and freeze until firm.
3. Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two cookie sheets. Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, gently cut it into ½-inch slices. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-02-21T00:11:00.000-08:00

I love biscuits. I have made buttermilk biscuits lots of times. Ever since my Mom gave me my first cookbook in 1973 for Valentine's Day. Fanny Farmer's. It is a well-used cookbook with lots of basic recipes. But this biscuit recipe had a few pointers that I have never heard of before. One is rolling the dough and folding it in half before baking. I assume that makes a higher biscuit. And then to place the biscuits close together while baking to insure they rise up rather than out. I also learned not to twist the cutter, when cutting out the biscuits, which may prevent them from rising properly. I found this recipe on browniesfordinner.com here.

Buttermilk Biscuits
(printer friendly version)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons) butter, cold
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix together all of the dry ingredients.
Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the butter-flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir until the flour is just incorporated but the dough is sticky and loose.
Pour dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 1 minute. The dough should be smooth and no longer wet. (Sprinkle the surface with more flour if the dough is sticking).
Shape the dough into a ball, and hit it with a rolling pin, turning it and folding it in half every few whacks. Do this for a couple of minutes. [Better than a therapy session]
Roll dough until it is 1/4 inch thick and then fold it in half. Cut out your biscuits from the folded dough using a round biscuit cutter or a glass (pick whatever size you like best. I’ve used anything from a shot glass to a tumbler depending on my mood).
Place on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat or parchment paper (or grease the baking sheet if not using either of those). Make sure the biscuits are slightly touching so that they will help each other rise up instead of out.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Eat them with butter, jam, preserves, gravy or friends. Just eat them.

Fleur de Sel Caramels

2010-02-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

I was afraid of making homemade caramels, but you know what, they are simple! I made some to give to my friends and they liked them so much that I made another batch. I also tried covering some of them in chocolate instead of sprinkling them with salt, but I haven't perfected that yet. I tried dipping them, but the chocolate was too thick, so then I just spread a layer of chocolate over the top. That worked out pretty well. Although I found alot of recipes for this caramel, I used this one from 2stews.com here. If you are wary of making caramels, she has step by step pictures on her website, which does help with the confidence level. This is her picture, also, because I forgot to take one and honestly, mine were not this uniform and pretty, but they tasted great!

Fleur de Sel Caramels
(adapted from epicurious.com)

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

You will also need parchment paper and candy thermometer.
Line bottom and sides of a loaf pan with parchment paper, then lightly oil parchment.

Bring cream, vanilla, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.
Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel. Watch so it doesn't burn or get too brown. Adjust heat if needed. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and sprinkle each piece with a pinch (increase or decrease to taste) of fleur de sel.

Almond Chocolate Toffee Bark

2010-02-19T21:41:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on bigboldbeautifulfood.blogspot.com. I made it for christmas for some of my friends and no one could believe there were saltine crackers in them. I like this toffee better that the straight butter and sugar toffee, there's something about those saltines soaking up all that goodness. I borrowed her picture and her recipe from here, because again, I didn't stop to take any pictures. I gotta work on that.

Almond Chocolate Toffee Bark

(Printer friendly version)

1 sleeve saltine crackers
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted almonds

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line it with Silpat.
Line crakcers on cookie sheet in single layer, close together.
Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium pan on med-high heat, stirring often, for 3-5 min. until it turns into a nice carmel looking sauce. Pour the sauce over the crackers to completely cover.
Bake for 15 min. Remove from over and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Put in over for a minute or two til chocolate melts and smooth chocolate over top. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Cool completely and break up into pieces.

White Bean, Bacon, and Spinach Soup with Roasted Garlic

2010-02-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

This soup is similar to the Bean with Bacon soup, with some interesting additions. First of all, it includes two heads of roasted garlic, so make sure you start that ahead of time. I didn't and ended up adding it last and I don't think it made much difference. The roasted garlic just adds this mild garlic taste to the broth. This recipe also included the addition of some herbs and spices and tomatoes, so it is a little richer I think. A little more effort to make, but another winner soup recipe. I found this recipe on the foodchannel.com here. I also copied the picture from there, too. I read that as long as I reference where the recipe and picure came from, I am not infringing on any copyright laws. I plead lazy. I plead I need a new camera to take better shots!

White Bean, Bacon, and Spinach Soup with Roasted Garlic

2 heads garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound chopped bacon
1/2 cup chopped carrot
2 cups chopped red onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-oz.) cans white beans
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (12-oz.) package fresh spinach
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Break apart garlic into cloves, peel, and toss in olive oil. (I roasted the heads whole and then just squeezed out the garlic, saved alot of work!) Place in oven-proof baking dish and cover with foil. Roast in preheated 350˚F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven, place garlic in bowl and mash with fork to puree, reserve.
In large soup pot cook bacon over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Add carrots, onion, garlic, celery, rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add roasted garlic puree, white beans, and chicken broth; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Place 2 cups soup in blender or food processor and puree until smooth; add to soup pot. Stir in spinach and chopped tomatoes.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish evely with Parmesan cheese