Stir It Up!

Eggs Florentine

2012-01-26T11:09:00.000-06:00

So, I've been doing some research. I always seem to be doing research on something, but this is different. This is the difference between Eggs Benedict and Eggs Florentine. Do you know? (Actually, I'm thinking everyone on the planet knows but me...so much for my research efforts.)

Here's the story... You remember Benedict Arnold right? He was that American general turned British general back in the 1700s (aka, traitor!). Well, we never read this in our limited history books in grade school, but while he was still on our side he had a cooking duel with a guy named Eglen Florentine.

Just kidding...

Well, I always think of Benedict Arnold when I make Eggs Benedict! Don't you?

Really, I haven't a clue how these breakfasts got their names, but I do know the difference now.

Eggs Florentine - Poached eggs over spinach, traditionally made with Mornay sauce, which is a bechamel sauce with cheese added to it.

Eggs Arnol...I mean Benedict - Poached eggs over ham, smoked salmon or other kinds of meat, served with Hollandaise sauce.

Technically, this recipe isn't either, but typically, Florentine is occasionally made with Hollandaise sauce, so that's the name I went with. Besides, I like the name Florentine better - it doesn't come with all those bad connotations.

Anyhow, this recipe takes about 15 minutes to make - if you use all my short cuts. If you don't, try doubling the time.

Start by making the hollandaise sauce -

You will need a small sauce pan that is 3 to 4 inches high and a bowl that fits about an inch down into the sauce pan. Place about 2 inches of water in the sauce pan (you don't want the water to touch the bottom of the bowl.) and bring to a boil.

Separate 2 eggs, placing the yolks in the bowl. Squeeze the juice of a 1/4 to a 1/2 of a lemon into the bowl with the yolks and whisk until combined.

By the way, I love, love, LOVE, this whisk! And wouldn't you know, I've never found another like it. If you ever see one just like this, let me know, won't you?

I'll love you forever. (Depending on who you are of course!)

Place the bowl over the pot of boiling water and whisk constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. It won't take long at all, I promise. Drizzle in 1/8 of a cup of olive oil and remove bowl from heat. Most hollandaise sauces call for melted butter, but that requires another pot and more time. Hence, short cut #1.

Sprinkle in about a pinch or two of salt and one of cayenne pepper.

And if it gets too thick simply pour a little bit of the boiling hot water in and whisk. Short cut #2.

Now, set the sauce aside and focus on the skillet of peppers that you should have started already. I used frozen assorted peppers because that's what we had, but my choice would be jarred roasted red peppers and you could omit this step all together- bonus short cut. Sauté until slightly charred, stirring frequently.

I started the frozen peppers in a dry skillet to keep them from steaming. When they are to your liking, add some butter, then some spinach and cook just until wilted.

While you are doing that an english muffin should be toasting in the toaster. Pop it out, toasted to perfection, and place on a plate. (I used Bays Original English Muffins, but I have a great recipe if you're feeling industrious and want to make your own.) Top with spinach and peppers.

Did you keep that water boiling? I hope so, 'cause we need it now for short cut #3. Sprinkle some salt in. Then crack an egg and slowly let the contents slide into the boiling water.

It will only take a few minutes for it to soft cook. Using the back of a slotted spoon you can tell how firm it is and cook to your liking. When done, scoop it out with the said slotted spoon and let drain a moment before placing on the spinach and peppers. Repeat with another egg if you so desire.

Back to the hollandaise sauce... give it a good whisk, and if it has thicken too much add a bit more of the boiling water (making sure not to get any bits of boiled egg white in there.). Spoon over eggs and serve.

I like my eggs soft. I like this picture too. The color yellow is just cheery, don't you think?

Yum! I love breakfasts and I love eggs. They are so good and good for you too. So have a happy, healthy breakfast to start off your day!

2011 Culinary Highlights

2012-01-12T15:43:00.001-06:00

Is it really, really the middle of January? Wow! 2011 was a great year for me - new adventures, new places, new people and lots of lessons in the journey of life.

And, of course, we can't forget new recipes!

It was a year ago this month that I started the Penarious Challenge. I'd have to say that the most interesting challenge was the attempt to recreate Heinz ketchup in the kitchen. I learned more about ketchup than I ever wanted to know and came pretty close, but not close enough. Heinz Tomato Ketchup recipe remains a secret.

One of the most exciting moments in my culinary blog world was getting interviewed by Ian Lamont of Slickepott, the fudge sauce company. You can read about all that in this post if you haven't already.

And, if you haven't already, click on over to his website and buy some fudge!

Most Complicated Recipe Award goes to the Orange Almond Cream Cake.

My, was it good though!

Here are the recipes that made the "You Gotta Try" list. No, it's not every recipe I posted last year either. :D

Sweetness -

Raspberry Cheesecake

Swedish Mazarinmuffins

Cherry Almond Oatmeal

Savory -

Gnocchi with Spinach Cream Sauce

Reubens

Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Salad

It's another adventure to take on 2012! I annually wonder what the next year will hold and before we know it, it will all be memories!

So don't forget to savor the moments - stop to smell the roses, give a hug, breath in fresh air, try a new recipe, or count your blessings!

Happy TwoThousandTwelve!

~Sarah

Asian Spring Rolls

2011-12-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

Dad and I ran some errands in Oklahoma City the other day and, since we were going to be near the Asian District anyway, we stopped by a store that I've been wanting to go to for a while now - Super Cao Nguyen, one of the biggest Asian markets in town.

I have so much fun in stores like these and I regret that I didn't have my camera along so I could show you some of the unusual things I found. This particular store reminded me alot of the Asian market we went to in LA. Although it wasn't as big, it still had fresh seafood tanks, an aisle of dried fish and seafood, a bakery that had amazing smells wafting from it, a gift section and aisles of sauces, oils, rice products, fresh produce, etc.

My purpose - second to just browsing about enjoying myself - was to get ingredients for spring rolls. The first time I had spring rolls was this summer with my friend in Post Falls. I had to share the experience with my family. :D

The Menu

Orange Chicken

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Miso Soup

This was the hardest part of the spring rolls - cutting all the vegetables into julienne strips. I think shredding would work as well - and might even be better for eating. You can't beat the looks though, aye? :D

Outside - Clockwise from left: carrots, yellow pepper, cucumbers, green onions.

Second row - radish sprouts, cilantro

Middle - minced fresh ginger

The other main ingredient for the filling is vermicelli, which is a type of pasta made with rice and is very elastic. It comes dry in a package like pasta. Boil some water in in a sauce pan, remove from heat, place vermicelli into hot water and let sit to soften.

This is the rice paper I used.

To assemble, place a sheet of rice paper in a tray of warm water until softened. Spread out on a plate and layer the vegetables in a 3 inch by 1 inch rectangle in the middle. Top with a small amount of noodles. Fold the sides over the top of the filling, then fold the bottom over. Firmly roll the filling up to the top of the wrap.

You can serve soy sauce to dip the rolls in, or to put inside the rolls. I made two different sauces - one soy sauce based and one hoisin based.

This is a messy way to eat one...

I'm not going to post the orange chicken recipe I used here, as I think it could use some help, but here are a couple pictures.

My brother came and fried the rest of the chicken so that I could make the sauce and get some other things done.

I really really love it when someone else will do the frying, 'cause I really really don't like to fry. I think I make something that needs to be fried about once a year - or maybe every two years. :D

This was the chicken before it was tossed in the orange sauce. And, my apologies, but I have no pictures of the final dish. Terrible of me to let you down like that, I know!

The Miso Soup...

We love this stuff. It is soooo easy and soooo yummy. Just start off with some homemade chicken stock, add soy sauce to taste (or, we use Braggs Liquid Aminos), heat to boiling, add sliced mushrooms, minced ginger and sliced green onions. Serve with miso paste on the side to mix in individually.

When we were in LA our friends took us to a Japanese restaurant where we had some amazing sushi. For dessert they brought out these fun little desserts called Mo Chi, so when I saw these at Cao Nguyen I had to try them out.

These are made with rice and a green tea or red bean based filling. It's hard to explain what they are like. Chewy. Gummy. Interesting flavor. There you go. Worth trying, but I wouldn't get them again. One thing I learned is that there are different kinds of Mo Chi and the kind we had in LA was Mochi Ice Cream. That, I will have to try to find. :D

Mochi with raspberry sauce.

And that was the end of our Asian Dinner!

The Reuben - Redone

2011-12-15T13:29:00.000-06:00

So I couldn't help it. The last post really was the last one of the year...until last night.

I was just going to make Reubens - without the camera. But as I put all the ingredients together, something possessed me and I ran upstairs for my trusty Canon. This recipe was just too good not to share with you.

If you are a lover of Reubens, as I am, I hope you'll agree.

The ingredients are temptingly fresh. From the quick and easy sauerkraut, to the made from scratch Thousand Island dressing, a think you'll appreciate this combo.

The Bread - I love rye with caraway seeds, but sourdough is a good choice too. Thin slices are super nice in my opinion. There is something about a sandwich that is bigger than your mouth that just isn't appetizing. Maybe I'm just weird, I mean, I eat hamburgers with a fork.

The Meat - I roasted a turkey for these and finely shredded the meat, making sure it was is bite-sized pieces. I don't know about you, but I dislike biting into a turkey sandwich and pulling out a 6 inch long piece of turkey. Pet peeve of mine. I'm not a picky eater, but I can be pick about my food. :D

The Cheese - Swiss is traditional, but we obviously aren't going traditional here. Some members of my family like swiss, some do not (read emphatically!), so I use provolone, or cheddar... or Swiss.

The Kraut - You can buy this in a jar or a bag in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, or you can make this quick and easy recipe that is just as good or better.

1/2 head of cabbage, thinly slivered

1 t. salt

1/2 t. caraway seeds

1/2 c. vinegar (I used a mix of red wine vinegar and white)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and tamp down for about 5 minutes. ( I use the end of a french rolling pin for this step. A thick wooden spoon would work too.) This brings out the cabbage juices, helps meld the flavor and breaks up the cabbage a bit more. Cover and chill for about 3 hours.

The Dressing - You can simple buy Thousand Island Dressing or the traditional Russian dressing, but this recipe is a thousand times better. The original called for a quart of mayonnaise, which would make a lot of dressing. I scaled it down to half size here. There's a lot of chopping going on. I did it by hand because I wanted that look, but it would taste just as good mixed in the food processor using the chopper tool. As another option, here's a recipe that pretty much uses the squirt and stir method.

2 eggs, hard-boiled and diced

1/8 c. worchestershire sauce

1 1/2 t. sugar

1/8 c. white vinegar

1 pinch of cloves, ground

2 c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. sweet pickle relish

1/4 c. diced black olives

1/4 c. red bepper, diced

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill until needed.

Assemble the sandwiches with the ingredients in the order listed above.

Top with another piece of bread and butter generously.

Place butter side down in a preheated, buttered skillet, or butter side up on a panini griddle. Cook until the outside is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Oh yum!

Northwest Fishing and Fish Chowder

2011-12-02T12:18:00.001-06:00

I know, it's been forever since I said I was going to do this post. I feel terrible for leaving you hanging so long. I do have a good excuse though, or two...that is, if there is such a thing. :)

You see, I was waiting on some pictures that I just had to include in this post. Then my sister came up to visit, I finished my last day at work, we traveled around visiting friends for a week then headed down to Boise to meet Caleb. The three of us traveled two days to get home, a friend flew in the night we got back, another friend flew in for a week, Thanksgiving came and went and, well, I think I just realized I'm actually home. Weird, yeah? What's really weird is that it doesn't even feel like I left. Except that...someone changed some things around in the kitchen.

One of my favorite things about being in the Northwest is that I get to hang out with some of my favorite people. These particular favorite people do some really cool things that I was privileged to participate in and one of those really cool things was going Mackinaw fishing.

It was cold and rainy, but it was fun and we caught some delicious looking fish. My one regret is that I didn't save all the beautiful orange fish eggs that were in all those fish. Did you know caviar sells for over six dollars an ounce?!! We would be rich! :)

Being a landlubber from the plains of Oklahoma where the freshest fish you can get is bass or perch from a muddy cow pond across the pasture, I was thrilled to have fresh fish to cook with and eat. Some friends of mine had gone on a trip to Alaska and gave me some of the fish they caught as well - Halibut, King Salmon and Rock fish, so I was in fish chef paradise. :)

After our fishing camp trip, my friend grilled a very fresh mackinaw for our dinner.

It was amazing.

I topped that trip off with a solo hike up Smalley Creek.

The "bear hair" hanging from the trees gave the already misty morning a surreal feeling. It was so beautiful and quiet...

Until I heard something crashing it's way through the brush. I froze. It froze. I moved. It moved. I think we were both trying to figure out what the other one was. It got scared and ran first. I was scared but I didn't run. Don't ask me who was smarter. :D Anyway, from the sound of it, it was a moose. I was very disappointed that I didn't get to see it. I'm certain it wasn't at all disappointed that it didn't see me.

Anyway, it was exciting...for both of us, I'm sure.

But, now that I've made you all very envious of my adventures, I'll move on to the fish chowder. After all, this is still a cooking blog...I think. :D

I made fish chowder twice while I was in Idaho. Once with rock fish and the other time with halibut. I'm a huge halibut fan, but it's all about personal tastes. Any white fish will do in this recipe.

Another FYI, this soup is super versatile, so I'm not giving any measurements or specific ingredients. Don't be mad at me please. Just use your creativity and go with what you think sounds good.

Start by placing the fillets in an oiled skillet over medium heat. Season heavily with smoked paprika and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let cook until it looks like the bottom half is done. Flip and season the other side. When the fish flakes easily, remove from pan and reserve for later.

The vegetables can be added according to your taste. From top left clockwise I have celery, red pepper, zucchini, frozen corn and peas and onion.

Add a little more oil to the skillet and saute the onions until caramelized. Then add the other chopped veggies. Saute until slightly soft.

Turn the burner down to low and toss in a handful of flour. Stir the mixture as you pour in chicken broth and/or milk until you have a gravy consistency. Flake the fish into large chunks with a fork and add to soup.

Season with salt, paprika, garlic and pepper.

For added smokey flavor, serve topped with smoked Gouda or sharp cheddar cheese.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A couple more pics before I go. When Anna came to visit me, our friend took us to Smalley Creek Falls. It's just below where I started my solo hike, so I hadn't seen it before. It was a beautiful place, especially with the icicles framing the falls.

So, this marks the end of my Idaho summer! I can't believe 2011 is almost over! I'm guessing this will be the last blog post for this year, so have a wonderful December and a great beginning to 2012!

A Day in the Life of a Barrista...

2011-09-19T17:07:00.000-05:00

4:30 a.m. Really? I seriously have to get up now? This is insane.

I think I think that every morning when I open the shop on weekdays. It's really not that bad, I just like to be dramatic sometimes.

This morning I turn the oven on preheat and return to my basement room where I get dressed for work - company t-shirt, pants and my coffee stained canvas shoes.

Back upstairs, I line frozen chocolate and cranberry almond scones on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven. When the buzzer goes off, I'll have had my breakfast, made my lunch/snacks for my shift and done everything else I need to do before 5:15 a.m.

It takes less then ten minutes to get to the shop, but I always allow fifteen. I like to be early, I don't like to be rushed and I never speed. hem! The wafts coming from hot scones are almost unbearable on the short drive. No, I don't have one bite. Not one. Not today anyway.

With my few spare minutes, I'm able to prepare the shop for the morning before turning the open signs on promptly at 5:30. Smells of fresh ground coffee permeate the cool morning air. The smells here...oh my, they are simply amazing!

I have a few early morning customers, but the rushes don't start until 7:00 or so. Thankfully, my friend and co-worker, Cherie, arrives at that time and we serve car after car. Sometimes we have breaks, sometimes we don't. A school sends in an order of 8 drinks and Cherie takes off to deliver while I man the shop.

I though I was going to regret not bringing a book, but after Cherie's shift ended at 10:00, I stayed consistently busy with a few "slams" in between. Slams denote the "four cars or more at a time" routine. I'm convinced that they have someone watching to see when the second worker leaves. As soon as they see her drive off, they give a shout out to come flood the coffee shop. Hmmm...we need to break this up abit!

So, in between customers, I made you a drink. It's the new special, though you won't find it on the menu - and don't ask Gabe about it, 'cause there really are no new specials. It's just my special especially.

Size first...

I like yellow.

Then the milk gets steamed. It's cold outside this morning, and rainy, so I knew you wanted a hot one.

The coffee beans are ground as we go throughout the day, so now I pull the shots.

Two for you. Though two would make me shake for the rest of the day. Yikes!

Now for the flavor - Ghirardelli white chocolate powder...

blended with orange and almond syrup. It's that Italian flare coming out again from somewhere.

Pour in the espresso shots and steamed milk...

...and stir as you go with these fancy spoons. I like them.

Would you like straws with that? What about a chocolate covered coffee bean?

It was busy today, very. I made over 35 dollars in tips. Nice! My shift ends at 1:00. That's after I've had my Rock Fish Chowder for lunch. But that recipe is for another post.

The rest of the day? Well, we need more farm fresh eggs at the house, so perhaps I'll go pick them up. Maybe fit in a nap, finish the book I started yesterday, and pick out a song I've been wanting to do on the guitar. I'll probably go on a run this evening at the park.

My schedule is always different. One day Mandy and I went to a friend's house and got our hair cut and styled.

Last week I spent the night with some friends down near Princeton. It's gorgeous down there. We went horse back riding to the river and sat and talked for hours. It was good. I needed that.

Then they sent me home with two big boxes of produce from their amazing garden!

One afternoon Tesia took me to The Kitchen Engine, a gourmet foods and kitchen gadget/ equipment store in Spokane. *Sigh!* Someday I will have a 1,000 dollars just to spent there. :D As it was, I made it out of there 50 dollars poorer. It was too fun.

So yeah, that's what I've been up too! Fall is in the air now and I'm wondering what the next months will bring. Change for sure - in the weather, in my routine, in life...who knows what will happen.

Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer. Stay tuned for my Northwest Rock Fish Chowder recipe!

Raspberry Cheesecake again...

2011-08-26T19:12:00.001-05:00

I'm sure no one will complain though, right?

I didn't think so. :D

I am worse than horrible about carrying a camera around with me and getting pictures of places I've been and people I'm with.

I really wanted a pic with Caleb when he came up to visit.

And I really wanted a picture of the raspberry patch that we raided on our way back from the river with friends.

I really wanted a picture with those friends on the river and all the crazy stuff they were doing behind the boat.

I wish I could have had a picture of me and Caleb being ejected off the jet ski - I'm sure Caleb's face was priceless. :P

The list goes on...and you would think I'd learn, right? Like I said, I'm horrible.

However, I do have raspberries that said friends sent home with me - and apricots - and lots of good memories.

I made Apricot Puree with most of the apricots.

Mandy and I plan to make almond waffles for breakfast some morning to go with it and that will be amazing. The rest I froze for Apricot Orange Smoothies and just ate plain by the handful because they were just that good.

For some odd reason raspberries just scream "cheesecake!" loud and clear to me. I don't know why. It's weird. They usually get their way...that's not good is it? I mean, what will I be like as a parent? Yikes...

Anyway, this time I blended those delightful berries into the cream cheese filling. It was hard at first - they were so good just by themselves, but the results were totally worth it. Totally.

Crust -

1 - 9oz. box lemon cookies

3 T. butter

1/3 c. almonds, finely ground

1/2 t. lemon zest

2 T. sugar

Filling -

4 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

1/2 c. yogurt

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

remaining zest from lemon

1 t. vanilla

1 c. fresh raspberries, though I believe frozen would work as well - thaw first

Grind cookies and almonds together in a blender or food processor. I used Back to Nature brand - California Lemon. They are yummy! Melt butter and add to crumbs along with lemon zest and sugar. Mix well and press into a spring form cheesecake plan.

Blend cream cheese (Philadelphia original - use anything else and I won't guarantee that it will taste good. :P I'm picky about brands...another weird fact about me. Not that you needed any more of those...), yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Add 3/4 of the berries and blend well. Fold in remaining berries and pour into awaiting crust.

I thought the color would have a little more punch than this, but it's perfect after it's done.

Bake @ 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes. It will be a bit jiggly and that is good. Remember how I am about cheese cake right? Over cooking kills.

Oh my word! Isn't that an amazing picture?!! Not to gloat or anything, but I love it! :P

So, today I went on a picnic with some friends. We drove in a crazy big truck and took cheesecake. It was pretty much perfect. :D

Here's one of my friends -

His name is Areli. We like to read books, drink through straws, and go on runs - though I think the later kind of gets boring for him. His mom and I like it though. Someday, I'll get a picture of the three of us and post it...I hope. :D

This is the park I swim and run at. It's beautiful. I was going to get a picture of the actually beach, but it had too many people on it today. Next time...maybe.

This is what my running trails look like. I love them. In the early mornings, they are absolutely empty.

Yes! :D

And these...

...are the wheels that get me all the places I want to go. Some one told me it was just about the ugliest car ever. I can't go that far. What it lacks in looks it makes up in plush comfy seats and the way it drives. I like the way it drives. I'm thankful for it, very! If it wasn't for this car... I would be really good on a bike by now. And I wouldn't have seen much outside of Post Falls. Post Falls is nice, but not that nice.

That back tire there? That's the one I changed all by myself - and it has a bend bolt to show for it. :D

This is me (obviously) with my "sweet ride". I'm trying to hide it with the towel. :D I should have tried to hide me with the towel - I don't take good pics of myself....

So there you have a few of the very rare pictures that I took that don't involve food. I'll try to be better...or, if you like I'll just stick with foodography. I'm totally happy with that!

Changes...

2011-07-27T16:18:00.000-05:00

At this moment in time I am sitting at a table in the Post Falls Library in Idaho. And I can't believe it - still. I've been working at this cute little coffee shop located on Chase and Seltice for about a week.

I say working, but more factually, I've been being trained to work. :D It's going very well and I'm loving it. It's been crazy trying to learn everything though - crazy and challenging, very! We have 50 different flavors to choose from and I don't even know how many drinks!

This is the espresso machine. Although intimidating at first, I find that it makes life as a barista much easier than it could be. :P

Blue skies and sunshine today... I won't tell you the temperature as it might make my southern friends and family jealous. I have to laugh every time I hear someone complain about the weather up here. They don't even know what hot is.

So anyway, I'll be up here until September at least. Maybe I'll move here, I don't know yet. I like it, so we'll see...

I'm all by myself for the week as my friends I'm staying with have gone on a trip to Oregon. It's strange living by myself, to say the least. I've always loved quiet, but I find I like to have music on when I'm home. The house doesn't feel quite so empty.

I wasn't sure how I would like cooking for one, but so far I love it. I've been craving tomato mozzerella salad since I've been gone, so here's my 1 to 2 serving recipe.

1 tomato, diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

2 T. sliced fresh basil

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. balsamic vinegar

salt

fresh ground pepper

fresh mozzarella balls

lettuce

one thick slice sourdough bread

2 t. butter

Two of my must have kitchen staples...

Combine tomatoes, garlic, basil, balsamic and oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. I like to go heavy on the salt since the mozzarella is unsalted. Set aside, or refrigerate for a couple hours.

You can get several different sizes of mozzerella balls. Mine were big enough to slice, but you can serve them whole or quartered if you prefer.

I found this amazing green olive sourdough bread at a store here and couldn't resist buying it as it was a dollar off. It is so yummy! Cube your sourdough bread and toast in a skillet with butter or oil.

Arrange lettuce on a plate. Top with mozzerella balls and tomato mixture. Sprinkle on the fresh croutons and there you have it! I promise you that it is simply amazing. :)

Hope you all are enjoying your summer! Leave me a note or send me an email! I'd love to keep in touch. And definitely drop by for a coffee if you're in the area. We make the best! :D

Blessings,
Sarah

Swedish Mazarinmuffins

2011-06-18T11:08:00.001-05:00

My mormor (mother's mother) has a Swedish friend named Ruth who has been giving me amazing stamps from her communications throughout the world. Many of them are from Sweden. I may be partial, but I think Swedish stamps are some of the most beautiful.

The detail on these is amazing!

Looking through them brings back memories from my childhood. Even though I have never been to Sweden, my life is full of Swedish accents, thanks to my Mom and Mormor.

Wasa bread and cheese is a staple at our house.

And Pippi Longstockings, the Swedish fictional character that could pick up her horse, piqued my imagination as a child.

I love this series of stamps - stinky fish...Sweds are known for it. :D

They are also know for their sweets served at tea time.

This recipe is one such sweet. It was given to me by Ruth - in Swedish. Sadly enough, my Swedish doesn't go beyond the basics of thank you and good day, but I got out the dictionary and translated it well enough to make it.

It was a great success, judging from the fact that they were gone in no time flat once everyone got home. Here I share my translation with you. Because you need this recipe. It's perfect for tea and unusual enough to make it very special for us Americans.

Marzipan muffins

5 oz. (or 10 T. Or 150g) almond paste

½ c. Sugar

8 T. butter

2 eggs

1/3 c. flour

¼ c. sliced almonds

Line 9 muffin cups with paper muffin liners. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together almond paste, butter and sugar.

Add eggs and beat until combined. Stir in flour. Spoon into muffin cups, filling to ¾ inch full.

Sprinkle with sliced almond and bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool ten minutes before serving with coffee or tea.

If you like coffee, here's a coffee drink for you to try...

1 c. hot Hazelnut coffee

one drop almond extract

a sprinkle of your favorite sweetener

almond milk

cream

Njut av dina muffin och kaffe!

Enjoy your muffin and coffee!

Slickepott Interview and Recipe of the Month

2011-05-27T17:08:00.004-05:00

Dear blog readers,

I know, I've been horribly remiss about posting. You see, we no longer have high speed internet at home. However, that's a lame excuse and I intend to continue blogging at the local coffee and tea shops around town. This particular one is called Rick's in Guthrie and has amazing chocolates - skip the coffee drinks for me, I'll take dark chocolate, thank you!

Speaking of dark chocolate...

Ian Lamont, maker of Slickepott Fudge Sauce, invited me to do an interview and submit a recipe using the Slickepott fudge sauce for his monthly newsletter. I've mentioned this amazing chocolate sauce before on my blog and, if you haven't tried it before now, I know that you'll want to after this blog post.

I was so excited to be featured foodie and my cranium immediately began working to create the perfect recipe to submit. That, my friends, is a supremely difficult job since Slickepott is just good on almost every dessert imaginable!

My first idea was almond flavored Belguim waffles with ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream...

...until my sister told me that Ian and his family make waffles at festivals. Nix that idea! I'm sure I couldn't beat their recipe!

I think I was feeling very reminiscent of our Europe trip that happened just one year ago, so I traveled from Belgium down to Italy and created a Pistachio Orange Biscotti - with a bit of Swedish cardamom thrown in - to go with a chocolate pudding that closely resembles the hot chocolate that Anna and I drank on that rainy day on Cinque Terra trail. Top that with Orange Creme and warm Slickpott Fudge Sauce and you've got a dessert for any occasion.

I know it sounds complicated, but I was surprised how easy it really was. Ian demonstrates this in his May 2011 Recipe of the Month video featuring this recipe. Fabulous job, Ian! I could never do that! I know I should get over it, but I am sooo camera shy. :D

So, there you have the video. Here you have the interview. And right here you can put in an order for Slickepott Fudge Sauce. Go ahead, just do it. You know you want to...you know you're missing out if you don't. :D Once you have the Chocolate sauce, here are the recipes to try out.

Cioccolato with Pistachio Cardamom Biscotti & Orange Crème

Biscotti

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cardamom, ground
1 T. orange zest
1 egg yolk
1/3 c. milk
1 T. orange liqueur (optional)
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
1/2 c. roasted, salted pistachios, chopped
extra flour - up to 1/2 cup

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, with electric mixer, gently combine flour, sugar, soda, powder, cardamom, and orange zest.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk, milk, liqueur, and orange juice. Add to flour mixture. Beat until dough is formed and stir in pistachios.

Place dough on floured surface and knead several times, adding more flour if needed to prevent sticking. Divide dough in half. With floured hands, form each piece of dough into a flat 2x12 inch log. Arrange logs at least 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 35 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Place logs on cutting board and slice crosswise and diagonally into 3/4 inch thick slices. Arrange slices on baking sheet and return to oven and turn off heat. Let dry in oven for 30 minutes to an hour.

Cool and store in airtight container for up to 1 month.

Makes 3 dozen

Orange Creme

1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. fresh orange juice
2 T. powdered sugar

Whisk all ingredients until well combined. Use whipped cream whipper for best results, or beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.

Italian Chocolate Pudding

2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. organic corn starch
1/4 t. salt
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. milk 4 lg. egg yolks
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

In a large sauce pan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk milk and egg yolks in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients. Place on med/high heat and whisk constantly until mixture thickens. Add butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and chill for later use.

Assembly of dessert -

Spoon warm chocolate into dessert dishes. Place a piece of biscotti in the pudding. Top with orange creme, drizzle with warmed Slickepott Fudge Sauce and garnish with whole or chopped pistachios.

Garden Herb Frittata

2011-04-28T13:04:00.002-05:00

I wonder, what is life like with reliable internet connection?

I've been trying to post this for days, but our internet has hit it's "summer time mode" - meaning it only works for minutes at a time. My brother informed me that it works great from 4:00am to 6:00am. I guess I don't care that much. :D

I suppose if I want reliable I should go back to dial-up - sllllooooow and stead she goes!

Anyhow...I planted a garden!

It's exclusively edible flowers and herbs. The fresh herbs just waft anticipation of all the delicious dishes I intend to make this summer. Oh yum!

Oregano

This is a new one for me - Lime Basil - and it really does have a lime flavor!

Parsley

Italian Basil

Dill - I crave Swedish pickled herring, new potatoes and sour cream just smelling it!

My favorite - Rosemary

It's just a baby garden with baby plants, but I couldn't resist picking a few leaves to try in this Fritatta, hence the name in the title. The fresh herbs just take it over the top.

Garden Herb Frittata

serves 2-4

butter

4 eggs

1 c. shredded cheese

(I used cheddar since that is what was on hand,

but gouda, swiss or emmentaler would take it to the next level.)

1/4 c. milk

dash of sea salt

pepper

chopped fresh herbs - rosemary, oregano, basil

1 leftover baked or boiled potato

4 sliced turkey bacon

1 1/2 c. fresh spinach, torn or sliced into bite-sized pieces

Start by whisking together the eggs, 1/2 c. cheese, milk, salt, pepper and herbs. Set aside. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt butter in a 10 inch, oven proof skillet and saute turkey bacon and potatoes until golden. If you don't have leftover potatoes on hand, try a cubed, crusty bread, or make without for a low carb option.

Toss the spinach on top and stir to wilt a bit.

Turn heat to med low/low and add egg mixture. Stir occasionally, just until the mixture starts to thicken.

Top with remaining 1/2 c. cheese and place in the heated oven for 15-20 minutes.

Slice and serve.

Cherries, Almonds, and Oats

2011-04-21T11:35:00.006-05:00

I came upon this fabulous breakfast dish quite by accident. It all started with a leftover bowl of oatmeal in the refrigerator. I love leftovers and I thoroughly dislike throwing perfectly good food away. Now, I'm sure there are some that would argue that a bowl of cold oatmeal is not a "perfectly good food", but I am here to prove that hypothetical "some" wrong.

This recipe is great cold as a snack, but this morning I made it fresh just for you.

2/3 c. water

1/3 c. oats
one tiny pinch of sea salt

one drop almond extract

The most important step is making the perfect bowl of oats. See, I like my oats to look like oats even when they are done cooking. There's nothing better than a slimy bowl of mush to make one walk right out the door without breakfast. And we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So let's not do that!

Bring the water to a full boil in a small sauce pan. Add oats and stir occasionally until the oats have absorbed the water.

Stir in salt and almond extract and spoon into a breakfast bowl.

I bet you can't guess what that is on top! No, it's not ice cream. (Though I'd be tempted to do that if it was homemade vanilla.:D )

I think I'll take you on a little detour down Coconut Lane.

I bought two coconuts at the store on a whim. The last time I cracked open a coconut I made a mess, so Dad showed me how to do it. First he poked all three eyes out and drained the coconut milk into a glass. It was cold and ever so slightly sweet and just delicious. Each coconut gave about 1 1/2 cups of milk, so I bottled some away to take to work with me the next day.

Just in case you don't know, coconut water is nature's perfect energy drink. It's packed with all the essential electrolytes plus other vitamins and minerals.

Did you know that a coconut is not a nut at all, but a drupe?

drupe [droop] -noun : (scientific definition) A simple fruit derived from a single carpel. A drupe usually contains a single seed enclosed by a hardened endocarp, which often adheres closely to the seed within. In peaches, plums, cherries, and olives, a fleshy edible mesocarp surrounds the endocarp (the pit or stone). In the coconut, a fibrous mesocarp (the husk) surrounds the endocarp (the shell), while the white edible portion is the endosperm.

Beautiful, isn't it? This would make a perfect bowl for my oatmeal. Unfortunately, I didn't have one on hand.

As you can see, there is quite a lot of meat inside. It took a while to pick all the coconut out, but it was way worth it. Two coconuts yielded about 4 cups of fresh coconut meat.

I ran all the meat through our Champion Juicer to make coconut cream.

And that, my friends, is what you saw on my oatmeal.

The remainder of the coconut left over from the juicing was about 3 cups of raw coconut flakes. I froze a cup or so for a later use and blended the rest with dates, orange peel and vanilla for a snack.

Okay, the detour is over and we're back to our bowl of oatmeal. It's looking pretty bleak at the moment, but just wait for the grand finale.

I know the whole coconut thing looks like a lot of work, but I highly recommend the experience. It will take you right to tropical beaches - sea breeze, pineapples, white sand between your toes, sunshine on your face... Just stick a straw in your coconut, close your eyes and dream!

Now where were we? Oh right, what to put on a bowl of oats....(Thankfully oatmeal stays perpetually hot in pictures.) If you don't have coconut cream on hand, you can substitute regular cream or a bit of butter.

Top with dried cherries and sliced almonds and drizzle with maple syrup.

Enjoy one beautiful bite at a time. It seriously tastes like Europe.

Gee, can you tell I've got the travel bug terribly?!! One year ago, on this very day, Anna and I were walking down the mountain path that separates Murren from Gimmelwald after being atop the famed Schilthorn, breathing in the Swiss Alp air, trying to find alpen cheese to buy, and eating fondue for dinner in Interlaken. Happy sigh...wonderful memories...

In honor of this momentous anniversary, I present you the best ever bowl of scrumptious deliciousness -

Cherry Almond Oatmeal with Coconut Cream.

So tell me...
What is your favorite breakfast food?

Breakfast Series - Fruit Omelet? Really?

2011-04-15T14:18:00.004-05:00

Really.

Don't worry, you'll get used to the idea by the end of this post.

See, I'm a strong believer in eating protein with every meal and, well, eggs definitely go well with the breakfast crowd. So I eat eggs for breakfast about, oh 98.9% of the time. That means I'm always looking for new, quick, easy, one person breakfasts and tend to get really creative with my eggs. Most of the time I like what happens. Though I must admit, I've made a couple doozies...ahem! Anyhow...

Eggs are just incredible! I absolutely love them. They are so versatile and soooo packed with yummy nutrients, including omega 3s - how can anyone not love them?

Anyways, I found a variation of this recipe when I was researching online nutrition courses. To be honest, I was skeptical, too. I mean, it's just a bit weird or something. But I gave it a whirl and was impressed by all the different ways one could prepare this omelet. I still haven't tried all my ideas out yet - not enough breakfasts in the day - but here are a couple to get your brain waves spinning.

The omelet base for a 10 inch skillet -

2 farm fresh eggs

1 T. milk, coconut milk, or cream

dash of cinnamon or a couple drops of vanilla

1/2 t. honey, maple syrup or other sweetener (optional)

Whisk together in a small bowl until well combined. Pour on to a well buttered and heated skillet and cook on low until almost set. If you're adventurous you can flip the omelet over to complete cooking. If not, place a lid on the skillet after pouring in the eggs and cook through out on very low heat. Invert or slide omelet on to a plate.

The fruit -

Now here's where the fun starts. Strawberries are a great option. So are peaches, mango or blackberries. Just use what you have or what suits your fancy at the moment.

The dairy -

Cottage cheese, ricotta, or yogurt. Again, it all depends on what you like. This morning, I topped mine with cottage cheese, strawberries and vanilla yogurt.

Toppings -

Try chopped pecans with peaches, sliced almonds with strawberries or toasted coconut with mango. You can even drizzle on some maple syrup if you like things sweeter. It's better than french toast. Seriously.

So, I have a few bloggy questions for you now. Tell me...

Is this recipe just too uncomfortable for your taste buds, or would you like to see more "wacky" and unusual recipes?

Do you think this background is too dark? Is it hard to read sometimes?

Last question...Who goes back to blogs and reads comments to see if the blogger responded to their comment?

Thanks for reading and please let me know any thoughts and ideas you might have. I'd love to hear from you!

Sarah

Come With Me to the Land of Ketchup...

2011-04-07T14:20:00.011-05:00

I should warn you before hand that it will be an interesting journey, to say the least. I knew that when I started singing "To life, to life, to ketchup!" (Think Tevye and Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof ) as I was finishing off the last batch.

Then I dashed by my dresser and grabbed my mp3 player to plug my camera into my laptop. Hmmm...do you really want this recipe? Seriously, ketchup does strange things to people. Or is it just me?

This was an amazing Penarious Challenge - Replicate a healthier version of Heinz (and Heinz specifically) Ketchup without using cornstarch.

I immediately googled Heinz ketchup and found a copy cat recipe to use as a base - minus the corn syrup. To be quite honest I didn't think it would be all that hard.

The fresher the better is my "motto", (but I'm of the mind that that is where Heinz and I begin to differ...) so these were my starter ingredients -

I blended it all up in the processor and boiled it down to ketchup consistancy.

Guess what? It tasted too fresh.
So I switched up ingredients -

It still wasn't right.

Was it because I was using Hunt's tomato products? What was the secret ingredient?

I did some more research...and learned some very interesting tidbits about America's favorite condiment.

It's got fans all over the world -

but tastes different depending on the country.

Ketchup was originally a spicy fish sauce called

Ke-Tsiap from east Asia.

600 million bottles of ketchup are sold annually.

Only a few very special people know what natural flavoring

and spice on the ingredient label really are.

Ketchup has a "speed limit" and each batch is tested

for the right flow speed.

And did you know that people make cake with it???? How about a slice of Ketchup Cake? Any takers? Yikes!

Then I came upon this very interesting video - How it's Made:Heinz Tomato Ketchup.

Ah ha! One must start with fresh tomatoes and stomp them with their feet!

Or not.

After 3 batches, I thought I had a pretty good copy on the taste, but the texture wasn't happening. Have you ever noticed that there are no flecks of tomato in Heinz ketchup? That's it on the left...

...then Hunt's, then a couple batches of homemade.

I thought tomato juice might be the solution and strained every particle of tomato flecks out...

But that made for a nice ketchup syrup.

I thought if I added more liquid and boiled it down longer it might result in a smoother consistency...

That didn't help either.
So I went back to the paste. It's mind boggling really! How does Heinz do it?!!

Do we really want to know?

After 7 batches of ketchup, I decided the first one was the best, with a few changes. And that is what I give you here. It's not Heinz, but it's not Hunt's either. It's healthier. It's good...for ketchup. :P

1 6oz. can of tomato paste

1 c. water

1/4 c. evaporated cane sugar

(or brown sugar)

3/8 c. white balsamic vinegar

(or apple cider vinegar)

1 t. salt

1/8 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

pinch of cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. (Take my word for it - you want a large pot even though it doesn't look like much ketchup in the bottom of it. It makes a bubbling, sticky mess!) Bring to a boil and stir constantly until liquid evaporates and mixture is as thick as ketchup. Bottle and chill before using.

Like I said, I've learned a lot about ketchup -

# 1) It's not good on fingers.

# 2) It's equally undesirable on spoons.

Now, what to do with a lifetime supply of homemade ketchup... :D

Breakfast Series - Pancakes

2011-04-03T19:54:00.001-05:00

This isn't just any pancake recipe though! These pancakes are amazingly yummy because they can easily be a completely balanced meal all in one nifty flapjack - protein, carbs, healthy fats and veggies! Don't believe me? Just wait! It gets better.

1 c. oats

1 c. plain yogurt

1/4 t. sea salt

1 T. raspberry jam

(I use Polaner's, of course, as it's all fruit and just because I'm a huge fan.)

1 T. ground flax seed

4 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. baking soda

First of all, you soak the oats overnight in plain yogurt. This makes the oats more easily digestible and also makes absorption of vitamins and minerals more efficient .

The next morning spoon the oats into a blender and add salt, jam, soda, flax seed, eggs and vanilla. Blend until smooth. (See, I said it'd get better - you've got your good proteins, fiber rich seeds and some great flavor.)

Rub coconut or olive oil on a griddle and heat on medium low until a drop of water sizzles on it. Ladle on a 1/2 cup of batter and cook into bubbles form all over the pancake's surface, like this -

When you flip it over, it should look like this -

If it's too brown, the heat needs to be turned down. Stating the obvious here...

They say that Kansas is as flat as a pancake. They could be right...

Top the finished pancakes with a bit of butter or coconut oil and some melted raspberry or strawberry jam. (Add some water to jam before melting for a syrupy consistency.)

Okay, so I'm sure you're wondering about the veggie part, right? Well, you won't believe it (or maybe you know me well enough by now to believe it! :P ), but I added a handful of fresh baby spinach to this batch of batter before blending.

Spinach is just awesome! It blends easily with so many foods and keeps it's lovely green color even after it's cooked. I put it in my smoothies all the time. You can barely taste it, but it packs the nutritious punch I'm always looking for.

Cook and serve the same way, or omit the vanilla and jam from the recipe and top it with a fried egg and cheese. Come on, be brave! You know you want to try it! :P

Next post up - Penarious Challenge Ketchup!

Blog note - Our internet has been down for a few weeks, hence the long delay in posting. I'm sure you were beginning to wonder. You also may have noticed that my blog heading disappeared. Oops! When I mentioned it to Jeremy, he acted like he knew just what happened to it, so it should be up again shortly. :D

Thanks for visiting!

~Sarah

Chicken Asparagus and Artickoke Casserole

2011-03-11T13:28:00.003-06:00

Penarious challenge - create a casserole that does not include starch
Recipe name - Chicken Asparagus and Artichoke Casserole

Difficulty rating - quick and easy

Time invested - 15 minutes prep time, 35 minutes to bake

Taste rating - 5 stars (of course! :P )
Serves - 6 people

Meet the cast -

This trio has got to be one of my all time favorites. Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em! Anyway, anyhow, anywhere...almost. And so, they are featured in this casserole, along with lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

They perform well together, if you ask me.

4 cups boneless cooked chicken, cut in bite-sized pieces (a rotisserie chicken from the store would work fine)

1 can artichoke quarters, drained

4 T. butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 8oz carton mini portabella mushrooms, quartered

1 pkg frozen asparagus, (or one bunch fresh asparagus) slightly thawed then cut into 1 inch pieces

2 c. cream

1 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

zest from one lemon

sea salt and pepper

Place chicken and artichoke quarters in an un-greased 9x13 casserole dish.

Melt butter in a skillet or pot and add garlic and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are soft.

Yum! That just makes me hungry!

(Never mind that it's lunchtime, so I'm hungry anyway...)

Add asparagus and saute just until thawed, or tender if you are using fresh.

Arrange mushrooms and asparagus on top of chicken and artichokes.

Pour 2 cups cream into the just emptied skillet and heat on med/low. Add 1 c. Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk until cheese is melted and sauce thickens. Pour over chicken and veggies and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Broil for a few more minutes before removing from oven if you like the cheese brown.

Serve with a large salad for a low carb dinner or serve over rice, pasta, french bread or baked potatoes if you like.

Tonight We Will Have Lamb

2011-03-04T16:05:00.000-06:00

I'm currently working on two Penarious Challenges (and munching some 85% Lindt extra dark chocolate. It's stimulates the "think cells", you know...) and have a host of blog ideas and food series to start, but the last few days have been tremendously busy. I've barely been able to keep up with e-mails, let alone post an entry. Busy is good. But I don't like the "getting behind" feeling much. So, today is "ketch up" day, and in more than one way seeing one of my penarious challenges is to copy Heinz ketchup to the last tasty drop. Today, I hope to master the last batch. Wish me luck! It's simmering as we speak. You won't believe some of the things I've learned about ketchup, but I'll save that for later.

My brother, John, has become a regular farmer these days. If you took a stroll down our driveway, you'd end up in the middle of his menagerie just after you crossed the creek. Sheep and lambs, an adorable sheepdog pup, a very pregnant donkey and three beef cows. Caleb added some chickens to the barnyard just this week. I'm so proud of my bros and am excited about the fresh farm products we will enjoy in the future.

The steer and donkey. I don't think either of them have a real name. I call the donkey Ortega. It just fits.

One of the lambs.

The two heifers.

Sheepdog. He's 9 weeks old and weighs over 40 pounds. He will be huge!

This is Mac. He's my running/biking buddy - well, in his own way. He takes all the shortcuts and acts like it's time to stop every ten minutes.

Daffodils already! Wow!

This is what Riata does all day long. She turns into a wild wolf at night.

John's first experiment with lamb is in the freezer now. That is, what's left of it is in the freezer. It's the best lamb we have ever had. Ever. This stew recipe is the best stew John has ever had. Ever. (I think it's because his lamb meat was in it. He's kind of partial. :D ) It is good. And it's easy. And it's healthy. And it went really well with oven roasted potatoes and my homemade ketchup. ( That's how you get taste testers working for free. ;P )

Lamb Stew

3 lbs. cubed lamb

3 cloves garlic, sliced

2 T. olive or grapeseed oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, cubed

1 can garbonzo beans, drained

1/2 c. green olives

1/4 c. flour

1-3 cups lamb or chicken broth

salt and pepper

Start by sauteing the lamb and the garlic in the oil until browned all around.

Add the carrots and onions.

And saute a few minutes. Add garbanzo beans and green olives. You can slice the olives if you like. We like them whole. (In other words, I'm too lazy to slice them.)

Now toss in a handful of flour and stir to coat. Add broth until you have the desired consistancy.

Serve over roasted potatoes if you like.

Okay, so there's something about fennel...I don't get it. I've tried it several times - caramelized, baked, raw, every which way. And...well, I'm just not a fan. But there's something about it that makes me want to like it, so I try it again, and again and yet again. I still don't like it much, but this salad was pretty good. If you like fennel... and pineapple, you'll like this salad.

Fennel and Pineapple Salad

1 fresh pineapple, cubed

1 bulb fennel, cut into small pieces

carrot shavings, use a lemon zester for long strips

sprinkle of sea salt

a couple dashes of white balsamic vinegar

Toss it all together and serve over spring lettuce mix or baby spinach.

Stay tuned for the next Penarious challenge!

Penarious Challenge - Orange Almond Cream Cake

2011-02-23T14:04:00.003-06:00

Recipe name - see post title

Difficultly rating - 9 out of 10

Time invested - About 4 hours

Taste rating - 5 stars

Would I do it again? Only with variations!

Wow! If you ever need a difficult recipe to follow go directly to Bon Appetit or Cooks Illustrated. I love these places, but I've never found a recipe more confusing than when I try to follow one of theirs! I can't say that all their recipes are like that, 'cause of course I haven't tried all their recipes, but that has been my experience. (Perhaps this is because I'm "instructionally challenged" in this department and have to exercise immense self-control in order to follow the exact directions for any given recipe.) However, they do have some amazing and delicious recipes, so if you're up for a challenge, go for it!

I was "up for the challenge" (so I thought) and actually started a day ahead as the recipe insisted! Do I hear a round of applause? I should! :D

I first made the amaretti cookies (which are basically Italian macaroons) the recipe called for. Those were easy and fabulously yummy. The recipe is below, as I know you'll want to make them just to eat by themselves. Here's a tip - dip them in chocolate, or some Slickepott fudge sauce as I saw "someone" doing, for double yumminess. (Yes, it's a word. Do you doubt me?)

Amaretti

2 1/2 c. almond flour or 3 c. blanched almonds ground

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 egg whites

1 t. almond extract

Process almonds in food processor until fine. Add sugar and pulse until blended. Add egg whites and extract and pulse again. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough by the teaspoonful on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-30 minutes. They should be golden brown.

Now, I should just post the link to the recipe to save room, but I'm going to copy it right here for dramatic effect. Just keep scrolling down...and down...and down. Eventually you will get to the end of the recipe and I will continue my dialog.

Orange-Almond Cream Cake

Similar to zuppa inglese (an Italian trifle) [Blogger's note - Zuppa inglese is Italian for "English soup". That confused me. I didn't want it to confuse you, too.] , this impressive dessert layers an amaretti-and-cream filling and orange segments between syrup-soaked sponge cake. Many of the components can be made ahead; start with the filling so that it can chill overnight.

8 to 10 servings

Recipe by Zov Karamardian

Photograph by Brian Leatart

March 2004

Ingredients -

Cream Filling

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur

Cake

1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 teaspoons grated orange peel, divided
8 large navel oranges
3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup coarsely crushed amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons)*
1/4 cup apricot jam, melted

*Available at Italian markets and some supermarkets.

Preparation

For cream filling:

Bring milk and orange peel to simmer in heavy medium saucepan; remove from heat. Using electric mixer, beat yolks in large bowl to blend. With machine running, add sugar and beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, about 4 minutes. Add flour, beating until well combined. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture. Return custard to same saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer cream filling to medium bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface. Refrigerate cream filling overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.

For syrup:

Bring sugar and 1 cup water to boil in small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil 5 minutes, swirling pan occasionally. Cool syrup slightly. Stir in Grand Marnier. Cover; chill until cold. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

For cake:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line each pan with parchment paper round. Bring milk and butter almost to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs in large bowl on high speed 2 minutes. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat until mixture is light yellow and thick, scraping down sides occasionally, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high; add vanilla. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture in steady stream. Immediately add dry ingredients and beat until just blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl (batter will be thin). Mix in 3 teaspoons orange peel. Quickly divide batter between prepared pans.
Bake until cakes are golden, pull away from sides of pans, and spring back when pressed in center, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes; peel off parchment paper. Turn cakes right side up on rack and cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in plastic and let stand at room temperature.
Using small sharp knife, cut off peel and white pith from oranges. Working over strainer set over large bowl, cut between membranes to release segments. Transfer orange segments to paper towels to drain.
Beat cream and 1/4 cup sugar in large bowl until cream holds peaks. Fold 1/2 cup whipped cream into cream filling, then fold in crushed amaretti and remaining 1 teaspoon grated orange peel.
Using serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half, creating 4 layers. Place 1 layer on plate, cut side up; brush generously with syrup (about 6 tablespoons). Spread 3/4 cup filling over. Arrange 1 layer of orange segments (about 20) over filling. Repeat layering twice more with cake, syrup, filling, and orange segments. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Brush cake with syrup. Fill pastry bag fitted with large star tip with 1 cup whipped cream. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Pipe cream in rosettes around top edge of cake. Cover center with orange segments. Brush oranges with melted apricot jam. Refrigerate cake 3 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Hello, again! Did you read it? I didn't think so. It is impressive though, isn't it!

So, I did make the filling to chill over night.

And I made the cake and the syrup in advance, so they could cool in time.

And...the rest of it was rather last minute. But, hey, that's okay, right?!

I diligently followed the recipe to the last detail...well, that might be exaggerating a bit. Actually, I did, except for one mistake that was caused by mistranslation of badly explained directions. At least that's my excuse. I only now just figured out what I did wrong! (Not that I've been doing nothing but pondering it for the last few days...)
I folded the amaretti and the orange peel into the cream, not the cream filling! Ah ha! I knew that was weird!

You want to know one of my pet peeves in recipe writing? The word divided after an ingredient. For someone that only skim-reads recipes, that is a sure sign of impending disaster. Thankfully, I caught each of those nasty "divideds" in this recipe. But still, I hate them.

Whew, glad I got that off my chest! :D

Here's what my cake looked like...

Definitely not as fancy. I'm not a fan of digging out the cake frosting tools from who-knows-where for one cake once a year, so I simply used a gallon-sized Ziplock with a hole cut in the corner to pipe it on and a knife to spread it.

Here's my thought the whole time I was assembling the cake, filling, syrup, oranges and frosting - "This would be just as good and way easier as a trifle. Why isn't it a trifle anyway?...It should be a trifle..."

And next time? It will be a trifle.

And I will use canned mandarin oranges. The End.

Gnocchi with Spinach Cream Sauce

2011-02-20T11:50:00.005-06:00

Well, I'm not going to lie to you. Gnocchi is NOT easy. And it's NOT fast. But it IS yummy! And it IS rather fun to make. And both of those positives negate the previous two negatives, because, as we all know, two negatives before two positives = all positive...or something like that... It's been a long time since I've picked up an Algebra book.

It was one of those snowy days that happened a couple weeks ago - the kind of day you tend to forget about when it's sunny and 80 degrees outside a couple weeks later - and I decided to make something time consuming because, well, that's what I had on hand - lots of time. One of my brothers had asked for gnocchi (Sometimes, when I'm feeling really uninspired, I ask everyone what they want on the dinner menu in the next week. Funny how they pick the meals that take half a day to make - Eggrolls, Gnocchi, Peppercorn and Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi with Roasted Asparagus and Rosemary Hibiscus Pilaf...no, I'm kidding about that last one, but you get my gist. :P) and, since work was canceled - and everything else in the schedule - I figured it would be a great day just for gnocchi. Sage volunteered to help, so we went at it.

It's a simple recipe, really...

Potatoes, eggs, salt and flour. That's it.

Peel and boil (or you can boil and peel...personally, I'm a peel and boil fan.) 2 lbs of russet potatoes - the more starch the better.

Don't boil then too much - just soft enough that you can stick a fork into them. See, I learned this the hard way. We made one batch which was perfect, but not enough we decided. So we made another and I left the kitchen a little too long and boiled the potatoes a bit too much and, well, you'll see later why you shouldn't do that.

This a ricer. It is AWESOME for gnocchi! If you have one, definitely pull it out of the corner of the bottom cabinet where it's been collecting dust...because who on earth uses a ricer nowadays, anyway?

Hopefully yours will be in better condition than ours. It worked perfectly the first time - that's why I know it's so wonderful for gnocchi. But the poor thing couldn't make it through the abuse of a second round of potatoes and broke right in half. I'll spare you the pictures. It was sad.

So! Without a ricer, one can use a fork! Forks are awesome too. And I've never had one break on me...well, not the metal type.

Try to keep them fluffy while you mash. And when all the mashing is over with, sprinkle the potatoes with a little bit of sea salt and let cool just enough that the eggs won't cook when you mix them in. Meanwhile crack two eggs and give them a good beating. (This is a great way to release tension in the kitchen. :P) Pour over the mashed potatoes as you fold them in to keep them from slithering off your work board.

Begin incorporating a cup of flour into the potato mixture. Use the fork just until it's dry enough to handle with your hands.

The dough will be very light, but should be firm enough to shape easily. You might need to add more flour as you knead. Think "gentle" the whole time...or another word with the same meaning.

Action photos captured by Sage.

Divide the dough into 8 parts.

That was the easy part.

Roll each part into a 1/4 inch rope and cut into 2/3 inch pieces. (I'm totally estimating lengths here, so if you get off a fraction don't stress about it.)

That part was a bit harder.

This is the hardest part of all, but don't be daunted. It's easy to master...if your dough is right. This second batch was too sticky because I boiled the potatoes too long.

Pictures are worth thousands of words... Start like this -

I like this explanation from 101 Cookbooks best -

"To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork, cut ends out. With confidence and an assertive (but light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy."

Make sure you flour the parchment surface that you place the finished gnocchi on.
Like I didn't.
And they stuck.

Isn't it cute?

When you are ready to cook the gnocchi, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook about 20 gnocchi at a time. You will know when they are done because they float to the surface. How cool is that?!

Toss with your serving sauce, or olive oil if you are serving the sauce separately, and cover to keep warm while you cook the remaining pasta.

Gnocchi and Creamy Spinach Sauce paired with Chicken Sausage and a big salad.

These little dumplings are fabulous with caramelized onions, but here's a Spinach Cream Sauce to try as well. I LOVE the green color!

3-4 hand fulls pre-washed baby spinach
1 cup cream
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
milk
salt and pepper

Place spinach and cream in a blender and blend until smooth.

In a large sauce pan, on low heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Add the spinach mixture and stir to thicken. Add milk to make desired consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

By the way...which way do you think gnocchi is pronounced?

nyawk-kee neeo-kee jee-no-chee

Oklahoma Snow!

2011-02-01T15:50:00.006-06:00

After months of no precipitation whatsoever, the skies have finally opened up and a wonderful, white blanket of snow covers the drab colors of an Oklahoma winter.

It's still snowing a bit, or maybe it's just the wind blowing it around. Five inches is a significant amount for us "southies", but I hope we get more. I hope we get feet and feet of this wonderful stuff!
I suppose that's a selfish wish though... Most Oklahomans would prefer nicer road conditions. Click this link and this one to see what John was doing in the snow today. :D

I love winter ! I love the snow and cold, the warm winter clothes, hats and scarves, sweaters and boots, fleece and flannel. I love cozy fires and cups of warm chai, books and down comforters.

I also love winter foods - soups and stews, roasts and potatoes, mac and cheese and grilled cheese dipped in tomato soup. Mmmm! Am I making you hungry yet? :P

My winter recipe for today is a fun twist on the classic meatloaf. One of my brothers stated this was the best meatloaf ever, so there you go! Do you need more recommendation than that? :P It also fits the bill for fast and simple preparation.

Once again, I made a monstrous amount, but I've paired the recipe down here for a reasonable 6-8 servings. So here we have it -

Jalapeno, Cheese and Potato Meatloaf

1 lg potato, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

1/4 c. fresh cilantro, stems removed, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, cubed

2 lb. ground beef

1 t. salt

1 t. cumin

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk, cream or half and half

Combine onion, potato, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro.

Beautiful isn't it?

Add the cheese....

Cheese is my favorite food. Did you know that? So now you know what to get me for my birthday...

So yeah, add more cheese if you like, and spices and cream and eggs. And don't forget the meat.

Mix it all up. Dump it all into a 9x13 casserole dish and form into a loaf. For fast cooking, form into two loaves. For even faster cooking form into several individually sized loaves.

Surround with wedges of purple and white onions. Bake at 350 for 2 hours, checking at about 1 1/2 hours to cover if it's getting too brown.

Serve with an avocado and citrus salad and mashed potatoes. Or try a new take on cauliflower. I've been seeking to incorporate more veggies into our meals - even more than usual that is, and we were all pleasantly surprised with this dish. One of my brothers (Not the one mentioned earlier, another one.) said they tasted like mashed potatoes - gone weird. :P

Anyway, if you want the recipe let me know. :D

Now, I'm off to make a pumpkin dessert with another one of our porch decorations!

Have a lovely winter everyone!

And check out my brother's (Nope, neither of the two mentioned above - the other one.) photograph site for some amazing micro shots of our snowflakes !

2010 - From a Purely Culinary Point of View

2011-01-02T11:21:00.001-06:00

I think I'm going to miss 2010. It will definitely hold a special place in my heart anyway. Looking back over the year I see a treasure of memories - some sweet, some salty (as in tears) - a perfect mix actually, as we all know how often we take the good for granted in life.

About this time last year I was stressing over Europe trip plans. I have to admit that's all I remember doing from January to the middle of April when our flight finally took off for Holland.

European food was definitely one of the highlights of that trip. If I had to nominate a recipe as the crowning glory of my Taste of Europe Series the Dutch Kerststol would be it.

However, Flemish Beef Stew with Pear Sauce would come in a close second.

And I just have to say that the Swiss Smoked Gouda and Apple Cider Fondue wins the prize as my favorite post in the series.

This summer, I was privileged to spend 5 wonderful weeks in one of my favorite places - Georgetown, Colorado and the surrounding area.

Picking wild huckleberries (the first I had every found in Colorado), raspberries, and currants and eating them out of hand was definitely a treat. And the wild Mushroom Hunting was extraordinary!

On the sweet side of life, we had Blackberry Dark Chocolate Macadamia Ice Cream and Raspberry Orange Cheesecake.

Soft Pretzels and Chicken Pot Pies satisfied the salty cravings.

Makes me wonder what 2011 will hold! What recipes will be the next great discovery?

Well, this is where you come in! I've dubbed it the

2011 Penarious Challenge.

Check out the new page on the header tab bar to see what it's all about! You'll also find other new additions to Stir It Up!

The Food Favs page gives a list of handy kitchen helps - books, videos, websites and more. This list will be growing constantly, so don't just check it once.

About the Chef - that explains itself...

And once again, there's a new search bar on the right where you can find any of my recipes in a jiffy - as long as you know one key ingredient, that is. :D

With all that said, I hope you enjoy these new features in 2011! Feel free to leave me comments, suggestions, or criticisms!

Thank you to all my readers and have a wonderful year!

~Sarah

Pumpkin

2010-12-26T15:45:00.002-06:00

I've always wondered what it would be like to be a locavore... You know, one of those people who eat nothing but what they can buy from local farmers or grow themselves. I think they are amazing. But I always wonder how on earth they keep their meals interesting this time of the year. That would certainly take some major creativity. I'm temped to try it...but only for a minute. Now, if I lived by myself, it would be a different story...and I think I'd start in the spring. :P

Anyhow, that really wasn't just a random thought. It is directly related to our featured item, pumpkins, because pumpkins are still in season! I love pumpkins. They exude warmth and cheeriness and happy thoughts. However, most people don't explore the pumpkin beyond it's cheery orange skin - unless they do it with a can opener, which just doesn't count.

It's easy to prepare a fresh pumpkin for use in pies, cakes, bread or soups. Just cut the top off and scrape out the seeds and strands. At this point, you can use it for a beautiful center piece for your table and a soup tureen to serve your pumpkin soup in.

I cut mine in half and rubbed the inside with salt, pepper and olive oil, since this pumpkin is going to be soup before it's day is over.

Roast in an oven heated to 375 for several hours.

Don't just throw out the seeds. Wash them off in a colander, season with salt, pepper, chili powder and olive oil and roast along with the pumpkin until golden. Pumpkins seeds are packed with Potassium, Phosphorus and Magnesium, just to mention the most predominate minerals of the ten found therein.

Now, I have a confession to make. As much as I love the looks of pumpkin, I'm not a fan of the taste unless it's had some major doctoring up. I've tried making several different soups with different winter squashes and they were all disappointments. For some reason though, I just can't give up on the idea! I know, weird. But a vegetable this packed with vitamins A, K and C, folate, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium can't go to waste as mere porch decor! Right? Of course, right!

Besides, if I were a locavore, I would be living on pumpkin right now. I WILL learn to love the taste as well!

I chose to go Southwestern with this soup. It's so easy you don't need a recipe. Saute onions and garlic in butter, add some flour and make a gravy consistence with chicken broth. Add a couple cans of diced tomatoes with chilies, some cream cheese, and the pureed pumpkin. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle in some cumin. Add more chicken broth as needed and heat to serve.

It's a perfect soup for a cold winter night. Serve with Taco Salad fixings, nachos, or burritos.

Blog news -

Check out the search button I've added on the right! Type in a keyword to find a recipe.

Not just a trifle...

2010-12-20T15:02:00.004-06:00

Some good friends came over for a visit the other day and brought us a bunch of fresh cherries and some gorgeous paper snowflakes.

They are hanging on our chandelier in the dining room and will welcome the first real snowflakes that fall from our Oklahoma skies. The cherries however, will not last nearly as long because I found a gem of a recipe. We all think so. I'm only sharing it with you because that's what recipes are for and just because it's probably the best dessert you'll ever have in your life.

I happened upon it while googling around for cherry desserts. Way back in 1999 some amazing person put this recipe in Bon Appetit under the title of Cherry-Almond Trifle. Why they use a word like "trifle" to name something like this, I'll never know... unless it was a trick to keep people who didn't know how good it was from eating it! Ah-ha! The truth unveiled!

Now, I'm going to copy the recipe here, but I don't want you to get discouraged by how long it is. It's really not that difficult. Notice that the directions say to begin preparing this at least a day ahead. You can probably guess that I didn't exactly do that. I started around 2:00 and we ate it for dessert that night. However, cakes are always better the next day, so definitely do what they say, not what I do, okay?

The most time-consuming part is pitting 5 cups of cherries. And let me tell ya', your fingers will be stained for days!

So, here goes -
Serves 10-12, or so they say.

For jam

2 cups fresh cherries (about 12 ounces), pitted, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

For cake

1 7-ounce package almond paste, cut into small pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For custard

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
6 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used almond extract instead of vanilla and it was amazing!)
2 cups half and half

3 cups fresh cherries (about 18 ounces), pitted, coarsely chopped

1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Cherries with stems
Slivered almonds, toasted

Preparation:

Make jam:
Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until jam is thick, stirring often, about 22 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Cover and chill up to 3 days.

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom with parchment; butter parchment. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until mixture resembles fine meal, about 1 minute. Add butter and vanilla and blend well, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Using on/off turns, blend in flour, baking powder and salt (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan. Place pan on baking sheet; bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and top is golden, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 day.

Make custard:
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan to blend. Beat in yolks and vanilla. Gradually whisk in half and half. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils. Transfer to bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface; chill 1 day.

Cut around pan sides to loosen cake; release pan sides. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers; discard parchment. Spoon thin layer of custard over bottom of 3- to 3 1/2-quart trifle bowl. Trim 1 cake layer to fit, if necessary; place in bowl. Spread with 1/3 of custard. Mix chopped cherries into jam. Spoon 1/3 of jam mixture atop custard; spread to edge of bowl so that jam shows. Top with second cake layer, half of remaining custard and half of remaining jam mixture; spread to edge of bowl. Top with third cake layer. Spread with remaining custard, then jam mixture.

Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe cream in center of trifle. Pipe rosettes around edge; top rosettes with whole cherries. Sprinkle trifle with almonds. Cover; chill at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Look closely at the table and you will see the shadows of the snowflakes in the background.

Last bite...errr...serving!

Penarious Craziness?

2010-12-08T16:02:00.001-06:00

Or just good taste?

Before I explain myself, let me introduce you to a little bit of history. Did you know that hundreds of words die out of the English language every year? Cool words like, nidifice, seplasiary, gumfiate, sagitipotent and locupletative. Savethewords.org is dedicated to getting words like these - and thousands more, back into circulation. If you love words, like I do, you can adopt one into your everyday talk. How fun is that?

So, penarious is my adopted word. Have you guessed what it means yet? "Of or pertaining to food supplies or provisions". Rather appropriate, aye? If I had known about this dandy when I started my blog, my url would have been something like www.penariousendeavors.blogspot.com. Oh, well! It is what it is.

Okay, that's an odd start for one of my posts, right? Well, I guess you're in for it today, because things are going to get even more bizarre. Like putting rosemary in cookies and sweet potatoes in Mexican food!

I have to admit, I've been pretty unmotivated lately - with cooking anyway. More leftovers anyone?

One of the ways to get myself out of that is to browse magazines, find a simply crazy-looking recipe, and try it.

These cookies got my attention right away, as pretty much anything "Tuscano" does - Rosemary-Kissed Orange Thumbprint Cookies Tuscano. You'd think she could have come up with a shorter title, but hey, it uses more words. And no, I'm not even going to type the recipe here - you'll have to go to the Better Homes and Gardens site that I linked above. I'm feeling lazy.

Easy, easy recipe. Delightful flavor.

My next crowd pleaser had a horribly unappealing name - Sweet Potato Hash. Can you imagine? Yuck! I wouldn't even tell anyone what I was making. "It's a surprise!" They really don't know what to think when I say that. :P Well, here's my name for it -

Southwestern Sweet Potato Penarious with Frizzled Eggs and Chipotle Sauce

Wow! Was I just criticizing Miss Cookie-lady for her long recipe title?

Now, the frizzled eggs were my idea because the recipe just needed more protein. And I really think it was a great idea, if I must say so myself. You might be wondering though, where the frizzled thing came from. Well, when Anna and I were in Europe, Paula from our B&B in Haarlem made us the best eggs I've ever had. I couldn't figure out how she did them, but when I came across a Frizzled egg recipe, I thought I had hit on the secret. Not to disappoint you, but they still don't taste like Paula's. Sad...very sad. I guess I'll just have to go back to Haarlem for egg cooking classes. It's still a fun way to cook an egg though.

How to frizzle an egg -

Break eggs into skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook eggs for 4 to 5 minutes or until whites are completely set and yolks start to thicken. For more doneness on top, cover during the last 2 minutes of cooking. I sprinkled mine with chili powder for this dish.

So there you have it - our dinner last night. And I promise, I won't do too many crazy posts like this one. :D

Chicken Pot Pies

2010-12-01T11:54:00.002-06:00

Brrr! It's chilly tonight! Perfect night for something warm and tasty. Like this...

I roasted a couple chickens this morning, hoping to stretch them to last a couple meals...I think they'll make it actually, even though we cut into one for lunch - by accident, of course.

I haven't made chicken pot pies for ages! After all, it's so much easier to dump the filling in a giant casserole dish and top it with biscuits. I don't know what possessed me this afternoon. But not more than half way into it, I had a light bulb moment - "Wow! This is why I don't make these!". Anna came to my rescue in the nick of time and made the second batch of pie crust. And guess what? Her crusts were better than mine. And that was a tinsy bit annoying. ;P For the life of me, I can't figure it out!

Anyways, here's the recipe for the crust. Or you can use your tried and true favorite - which just might be safer.

2 c. white flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. cold butter

1/2 t. salt

ice water

Now I'm suffering from an inferiority complex, so I feel like I should have Anna explain how to make the crust, but I guess I'll give it a shot...

Mix flour and salt on a bread board and cut in butter. I always use my fingers for this part, though I started off with butter that was frozen solid, so a knife helped a lot. Once the butter is incorporated throughout the flour - and there's not a bit of it bigger than the size of a pea - add ice cold water just until moist enough to hold it all together. They say not to work pie dough anymore than you have too, but I did that and Anna didn't, so I don't know what to tell ya. Just play around with it a bit and see what happens.

Now, you can make individual pies in cool little ramekins (aka custard cups) like these...

...or you can make a pie sized one. Pot pies can be cooked in anything really. In fact, way back when (pot pies have been around since the Middle Ages!), pots were lined with crust - not to be eaten, mind you, but to keep the iron pot taste from infiltrating the food! Hmmmm...we've come a long way - now we get our crust and eat it too.

So yeah, this recipe will make about 6 ramekins or one pie crust. For ramekins, divide the dough into 12 portions and roll out into circles. You'll want the edges of the bottom crust to have 1/2 an inch of excess dough hanging off, as you'll see in the picture below.

While all that crust stuff is happening, you should have a nice pot of chicken broth simmering on the stove. I absolutely LOVE this idea for making bone broths - Place all the bones and anything else you want to use to flavor the broth in a pasta colander inside a large pot and fill with water. To strain the broth you simply remove the colander. Sweet, simple, super nifty - no fuss, no mess, no pouring hot pots of liquid through strainers into other pots, or trying to balance pot lids to act as strainers as you pour. Yikes, the things we did before we knew!

Now the best part of pot pies - the filling.

2 t. butter

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch asparagus, cut into one inch pieces

3 c. chicken, cooked and cut up

1/2 c. flour

2 c. chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of thyme

pinch of basil

The awesome threesome.

Melt butter in a large pot. Saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic just until tender. Add chicken and asparagus. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir as you add chicken broth. The consistence should be like thick gravy. Salt and season to taste.

Spoon filling into awaiting bottom crust and top with, guess what? The top crusts. (Sometimes recipes seem so redundant, have you noticed? Or is it just me?)

Pinch top and bottom crusts together, fold over the top and tuck gently into the inside of the crust. Slit the top with a knife so steam can escape.

Bake @ 425 for 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Allow to cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Yes, I know how hard that is, but you'll be amazed at how hot these babies stay! Learn from the wise ones...

"The only thing I don't like about these is that I burn my tongue every time I eat them"

~ Anonymous

Homemade Tortillas

2010-11-09T11:41:00.002-06:00

I don't know if you all have them where you are, but here in the south we boast this really cool Mexican restaurant, with this really cool griddle, that makes some amazingly hot homemade tortillas. If they ever go out of business (which they probably won't 'cause they're so cool), I am so buying that tortilla griddle from them!

If you've never had homemade tortillas fresh off the skillet, then you are in for a treat. Slathered in butter and dipped in fresh salsa or queso...oh my! Yum!

This recipe was given to me by two sisters who spent a lot of time in Mexico. So, yeah, they should know their stuff when it comes to tortillas. As long as you aren't feeding armies of hungry, tortilla-loving workers right off the job, (a.k.a. the Naylor family), this recipe is fast and easy - like, you'll have fresh tortillas for dinner in no time flat even if you do start dinner at dinner time.
Makes 12, but feel free to cut the recipe in half.

3 c. flour (I use whole wheat and white - ratio 1:2)

1 t. salt

1/3 c. olive oil

3/4 - 1c. HOT water

Stir together flour and salt. Add oil and then water small amounts at a time. Knead until soft and not sticky. (I do all of this in my Kitchen Aid mixer fitted with the kneader from start to finish.) Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes - or even several hours. (Although you can safely skip this step if you're livin' the "dinner is late" scenario.) This will give the dough more elasticity and make it easier to handle.

Pinch off dough the size of a golf ball and roll into the shape of said object. Dip in to a bowl of flour.

Flatten, with your palm, onto a bread board and roll out flat with a rolling pin. Don't get into a tizzy if you can't get them perfectly circular on your first few tries. It takes practice...and a french rolling pin (see note below).

Cook on a hot skillet for one minute or less, turning once.

Store or freeze as you would any other tortillas. However, they are very best eaten not more than 30 seconds old. Trust me on this.

A word on rolling pins - I am a huge fan of the French rolling pin as opposed to the classic rolling pin with the handles on the sides.

This pin is so much easier to handle and I like that you can "feel" the dough underneath it. The design also makes it easy to roll circles.

Where as, with this one, I feel like I'm using one of those asphalt flattening machines you see with road construction crews. No dexterity whatsoever!

But, maybe that's just me... I'm strange like that. :D

Orange Date Bars

2010-10-17T14:21:00.006-05:00

Dates... 

They aren't the most popular fruit out there these days. I, however, fully intend to do my part to change that.

Do you know that dates are loaded with nutrients? What other sweetener on the market boasts 8 grams of fiber, 2 grams of protein, small amounts of Vitamins A, B6, B12, C, E and K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, niacin, Folate, Calcuim, Pantothenic acid, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium in a 100 gram (I know, I'm going European on you....that's about 4 dates.) serving size?

That's why dates make a great sweetener for certain tasty treats like these Orange Date bars. Simple ingredients, amazing flavor, complex nutrition. Yeah!

Orange Date Bars

1 1/2 c. dates

2 T. butter
1 orange 

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. grated unsweetened coconut

Zest orange, then cut in half and juice.

Combine dates, butter, zest and 2 T. orange juice, vanilla and cocoa powder in food processor.

Blend until ingredients are well combined.

It can be smooth, or chunky depending on your preferences.
If it's too sticky add more cocoa powder.

I know, it's not very pretty, but just wait!

Shape into logs, then roll in coconut.

Freeze for a couple hours before serving.

Soft Pretzels

2010-10-13T11:18:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time... a long, long time ago, there was a little girl who loved to make pretzels. She had a little sister who just loved pretzels. And so, two decades later, this little girl rediscovered the soft pretzel, much to the delight of her little sister and her five other siblings.

I have to say that the new pretzel recipe is quite a bit better than the old one (though the old pretzel memories are fondly remembered) or perhaps our taste buds have matured over the years. Either way, in tweaking with this recipe, I've learned a few tricks of the trade (64 pretzels later), that make the process fun and easy.

Soft Pretzels

(And, no, this recipe doesn't make 64 pretzels - just a good baker's dozen, or fewer if you like bigger, thinner pretzels.)

1 T. yeast

2 T. brown sugar

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 c. whole wheat flour

3 c. white flour, plus some

2 c. warm water

1/4 c. baking soda

melted butter

salt

Combine yeast, water, and sugar. Stir to combine and let sit a couple minutes. Add half the flour and salt and beat to mix thoroughly. Knead in remaining flour until dough is soft, but not too sticky. Place in an oiled bowl, flip once, and cover with plastic wrap, or a damp bread towel.

Let rise one hour.

I know you're thinking this just doesn't look right, but it totally works. Work the dough into a ball and divide into as many parts as you want pretzels. In my case it was eight - times four.

Roll each portion into a rope about 12 inches long - don't worry about looks at this point. This step is just to get the dough working properly. You'll notice that the ropes quickly shrink in size. Let them rest for about 5 minutes, before rolling them out long and thin.

While you're waiting that five minutes, mix the soda and 2 c. warm water in a bowl big enough to dip the pretzels in.

And melt some butter.

Back to the dough... The longer, the better. They will shrink up a little bit still, so keep that in mind. Sometimes, you have to get creative about where you put the one end of the dough while you're rolling out the other end a mile away.

I didn't even think to get step by step pictures on how to make the pretzel shape, but it's a lot easier than it looks. Just create a U with the rope. Holding both ends, twist together once before resting the ends on the bottom part of the U. Now grab the bottom of the pretzel where the ends meet and quickly dip into the soda mixture before laying on a buttered cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with salt and bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Brush with melted butter immediately after removing from oven and let them sit on the baking sheet a minute or two before removing to a cooling rack. This helps them release from the pan without a fight.

Serve them warm with melted butter and cinnamon sugar.

Or melted butter and Italian garlic Parmesan cheese.

Or melted butter and cheese all over the top.

Or just plan melted butter.

And so, with their pretzels and melted butter, the seven siblings lived happily ever after.

The End

Inspiration Oddness

2010-10-07T14:10:00.007-05:00

Sometimes culinary inspiration comes from the most unlikely places. Like, say, a clothing catalog from a company called Boden.
No, I'm not kidding. Seriously.

Color combinations have always intrigued me. Who says red and fuchsia can't be worn together? Or gray and brown? Or olive and spring greens?

Not Boden, that's for sure.

So, not only has Boden inspired me to look at colors differently and be bolder with my palette combinations, they also inspired this unusual salad.

I call it my Boden Chopped Salad

with Caper in the Herb Garden Dressing.

It's that simple really. Clockwise from the top left the ingredients are chopped carrots, celery, beets, red pepper, pumpkin seeds and radishes. This huge variation of color guarantees a generous amount of nutritious vitamins and minerals. How awesome is that now?!!

Toss with chopped romaine lettuce...

and spoon on your favorite dressing.
That was the hard part for me - coming up with a fun, unusual dressing that would compliment the salad without taking away from the goodness of all those veggies.

Mom had just brought in the last of the basil from our garden, so I minced that along with some fresh chives and stirred it into my yogurt and mayonnaise base. A squeeze of lime juice, a shake of salt and a couple teaspoons of capers later and it was ready to serve.

The main course though, is what I'm really excited about. I've been reading this fabulous book called A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi. I'm not a fan of novels, but Marlena has totally won me over with her Italian phrases, descriptions of Tuscan food and delicious recipes. It helps to have experienced a small, very small, taste of what she writes about and makes me want to plan a return trip to Italy just to cook.

However, that's not happening any time soon, so I decided to bring Tuscan food right through my own back door with a bottle of Extra Virgin Olive oil. Well, that was for starters anyway.

First of all, let me introduce you to one of my best culinary friends - Rosemary...

Before you think I'm crazy (that is, if you don't already) let me explain. I know what you're thinking... "That's an impressive looking weed...", and you're right! It seriously is amazing. Behind these humble looking sticks covered with tough little leaves is one of the most superbly amazing flavors in the world!

If you don't believe me, try it with roasted chicken, or in soup, or bread, or sausage, OR this new recipe...

Tuscan Chicken, Artichoke and Butter Bean Soup

with Parmesan and Olive Oil

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

3 chicken breasts, diced

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 can Butter Beans, undrained

1 can Cannellini beans, undrained

1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained

1 tablespoon minced rosemary

Parmesan cheese, grated

extra virgin olive oil

Chop onion and saute in oil until just soft. Add chicken and brown until cooked thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.

Dish into large bowls or trenchers, sprinkle with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with a chewy sourdough bread to soak up all the juices.

Tip of the post - how to cut an onion.

I know, you're probably laughing right now. I mean, who doesn't know how to cut an onion, right? Well, anyone can cut an onion, but let me tell you, it's not always pretty. Since chopping is one of the most tedious things I do in the kitchen, I've made it my mission to make it as fast and efficient as possible. After all, once the chopping is over, the real fun starts.

Cutting an onion shouldn't be something to shed tears over, but I've seen a few people demonstrate this act in a way that makes me want to cry. Learning this simple technique limits the time the onion juices have to start your eyes watering and, before you know it, it's sizzling away in the pan a conquered enemy.

Start by cutting both ends of the onion off. Run it under very cold water while you peel the skin away. Place on a cutting board with a cut side down and cut in half.

Place the new cut side flat on the board and slice around the onion in a fan, like so...

Now, simply turn the whole half onion 45 degrees and slice again.

And that's it. You're done. This works just as well for mincing as it does chopping, it just takes a little more precision.

With that said, I leave you with my beautiful Boden colors and best wishes for a happy chopping experience.
Remember, don't be afraid to try new foods, or mix new colors. Be bold. Enjoy life!

My new line - "It's just sooo Boden."

Rain and Raspberries

2010-09-12T18:23:00.001-05:00

I love rainy days!

Even when I have to run errands out in them. It just makes the ordinary seem not so "the same", you know? It's not everyday that I get to go splish-splashing through puddles to shop for my groceries. And it's certainly not every day that I find sunflowers this gorgeous!

There should always be sunflowers at farmer's markets on rainy days, don't you think?

...And raspberries too! The moment I saw these huge beauties, my mind went, "Cheesecake!!"
just like that.
"What? Okay, whatever".
And I bought some. After all they were a great deal.

This cheesecake recipe was created just for rainy days like this.

Never bake bread on rainy days - always make cheesecake. Simple as that!

Crust things first...

1 c. almonds

1/2 c. flour (whole wheat if you like)

1/2 c. sugar (or 1/8th c. honey)

1/3 c. butter (1/4 c. if using honey)

Blend the almonds in a food processor until finely ground.

Add sugar and flour and a pinch of salt.

Grind until very fine and add butter. Let blend until it starts to stick together.

Press into a cheesecake pan.

Filling...

4 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

4 egg whites

1/2 c. sugar (or 1/3 c. honey)

1 t. vanilla

juice of one lemon or orange

6 oz. Polaner's Orange jam

2 T. water

Beat the whites until soft peaks form. Did you know it only takes about 5 minutes to do that with a hand whisk? Seriously. I had to try it, since it was raining outside, of course...

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and citrus juice. Fold in whites. Pour into the waiting crust and smooth over with a spoon.

Tip - try kneading lemons or oranges around on the counter top before juicing. When they are soft they yield more juice. Just be careful when you cut them open!

Now, do you remember the orange jam I raved about a couple posts back? That's what you need for this part. Stir in a couple tablespoons of water and dollop on to the filling.

With a butter knife, create a marbled effect in the top quarter inch of the cream cheese mixture.

A note on using honey - It actually works very well in this recipe. The crust won't have the same texture, but the cream cheese part is fabulous (you might need to cook it a tad longer) and that's what counts, right? (My Dad would totally disagree. :P)

Place on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Not a minute more. Yes, I know, it jiggles like jello when you pull it out, but trust me. It's perfect.

One of the biggest mistakes in making cheesecake is cooking it until the edges are dry and the inside is hard. One should not need a glass of milk to choke down cheesecake.

Slide a knife around the edges to keep it from cracking as it cools. Sometimes, I do this about 30 minutes into baking just to make sure. Let it cool, then refrigerate until nicely chilled. Overnight works well if one is patient enough. *cough* That never happens here...

Top with fresh raspberries and enjoy!

Did I mention that we didn't wait long enough? Well, we had to taste test to see how good it is at 71 degrees Fahrenheit. That's what cooking and blogging is all about - testing every aspect. ;)

Down Home Southern...well, almost.

2010-09-07T15:48:00.002-05:00

I live in the South. Always have.
But for some strange reason I don't consider myself a "southern gal", nor do I cook a lot of the traditional southern foods that we are known for around here. Maybe it's because I never could pick up the accent...
or maybe it's because I thoroughly dislike frying foods.

There are a few recipes though that just aren't the same unless they are fried and, forgive me for stating the obvious, but Fried Chicken is one of those recipes. Fortunately, I have an amazing sister who will do the frying when such frying needs doing and she generally does it outside on the grill! If you've never tried that, you should. It's awesome.

So last night, it was just the two of us and Dad. Instead of getting take out, as was suggested, I decided to make fried chicken. You know, the "healthy way"...minus the oven method, of course. My grandma has a great fried chicken recipe, but it's a... well, a family recipe, so I wouldn't dare post it.

This one I came up with on the go. With whole wheat flour and cornmeal, it's a heartier version of the old classic, but pretty tasty all the same.

1 egg

1 c. plain yogurt

1 c. fresh ground whole wheat flour

1 c. white flour

4 T. cornmeal

2 t. sea salt

2 t. ground pepper

1/2 t. paprika

1/2 t. garlic powder

16 pieces chicken

oil for frying

This will serve about 6 people.

Place egg and yogurt in a cake pan and beat with a fork until combined.

I used Brown Cow yogurt, but if you can get my all time favorite, Mountain High, then feel pretty special! It is the very best yogurt ever. Who needs ice cream when you can have a cup of Mountain High vanilla with fresh wild raspberries... Oh wait, I forgot. I'm in Oklahoma, not Colorado...

In another cake pan mix all the dry ingredients.

The line up...

I used all natural chicken thighs and drum sticks. Meat with bone-in will take a lot longer to cook, so if you're going for speed, chicken tenders and thighs are great. Kitchen shears or scissors make easy work of cutting boneless chicken into the right sized pieces.

Dip the chicken into the yogurt mixture, dredge in flour and place in the awaiting oil. You can shallow fry with about 1/4 inch of oil or you can use an inch or so - depends on your pan and/or your preferences. It doesn't really affect the out come of the chicken.

There are a lot of options for the cooking oil. Sometimes I use olive oil if I'm shallow frying. Coconut oil is probably the healthiest to use for frying, but some people don't like the coconut flavor that lingers on the chicken. Peanut oil also has a higher resistance to the damaging heat affects. I find that if you're frying, your frying, so you may as well use the plain stuff. All fats get damaged from high heat and that's the fact.

We didn't use the grill last night since there were only three people to cook for. What a mess it made though!

Cook until gold brown, about 5 minutes on each side ( it all depends on how hot the oil is and how big the pieces are, so it's hard to give an exact time), turning once.

That looks pretty "down home south" don't you think?

Tomatoes from the farmer's market with balsamic vinegar, oil salt and pepper (oops, getting an Italian twang...), Fresh corn and zucchini salad, garlic Parmesan mashed potato casserole and fried chicken. Voila! Or, ummm...

...oh well, I can't think of how to say that in "southern".

Muffins in a Skillet - the English Way

2010-08-29T20:05:00.006-05:00

English muffins are one of those things that have always seemed daunting when I think about making them from scratch. A friend once gave me a recipe saying it was the best one ever, however, my results were far from that.

I haven't tried them since, thinking Thomas' does just fine in that department, but a random whim possessed me today and I looked up recipes to try it once again.

This recipe I nabbed off of www.allrecipes.com and added some whole wheat flour. It was almost as easy as making biscuits and the added bonus is that the ingredients are basic and fairly wholesome - no added preservatives, unlike the store bought variety.

So here we go...

1 c. milk

2 T. sugar (I made a mental note to try honey next time.)

1 T. yeast

1 c. warm water

1/4 c. butter, melted

4 c. white flour

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 t. salt

Warm milk. Add sugar.

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to milk mixture.

Add melted butter and 3 c. flour and mix.

You can already see the yeast bubbles working here. So cool!

Add salt and remaining flour and knead until you have a smooth dough...

...like so -

Place in a oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let rise one hour.

Dust a cookie sheet with corm meal. Prepare a plate with about a cup of cornmeal on it as well.

Roll dough out on a bread board to half an inch thick. Cut into circles with a cup, or circle cookie cutter. Press each muffin into the cornmeal on the plate, covering both sides, before placing on the cookie sheet to rise again for 30 minutes, covered.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle on medium low. Cook muffins, turning halfway through. The recipe said for ten minutes on each side, but I couldn't get my griddle cool enough for that. That would be preferable though.

Recipe makes about 18 regular sized muffins.

And now I just have to introduce you to a new favorite of mine - Polaner's All Fruit Orange Marmalade. Orange Marmalade has always been a "so-so" on my list because it's packed with sugar (if not corn syrup) and just doesn't taste right. But Polaner's has got it down. Their jams are sweetened with fruit juice only and this one in particular tastes like an orange - just like it should!

Breakfast the next morning was, you guessed it, English muffins with homemade breakfast sausage, inspired by Everyday Food, and fried eggs. Yum!

Fresh Maple Breakfast Sausage

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 t. dried sage, crumbled

2 T. maple syrup

fresh ground nutmeg

1 t. pepper

1 1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients together and divide into 8 thin patties.

Fry in a covered, greased skillet until browned on both sides.

Mushroom Hunting

2010-08-08T19:57:00.004-05:00

I've always been intrigued by wild mushrooms. However, I don't know enough about them to identify each one correctly and that, I hear, is a choice of life or death. I hesitate to try them, as yummy as they may look, even when I "think" I know what they are. Puff Balls are easy to identify and I've sliced and sauteed them in butter. Morels are another mushroom that would be pretty hard to mistake, but that's been the extent of my edible mushroom gathering walks.

Our hike the other day opened up a whole new world of mushrooms.
A couple hours. Thirty-eight varieties.

This little beauty looks like it came right out of a Swedish fairy tale. It was easy to identify as a Amanita muscaria or Fly Agaric, and is of the poisonous variety. Good to know, eh?

The Yellow Coral Mushroom
from what I can learn, is edible.

However, I don't know if I, myself, would take my word for it.

I haven't been able to discover one bit of information on this mushroom. I thought it was too adorable - if a mushroom can be referred to as adorable, that is.

Sarcodon imbricatus or the Shingled Hedgehog.
Another edible variety...though I can't say it's exactly appetizing in looks.

I know it's hard to tell from this picture, but this mushroom was gigantic - like the size of a large mixing bowl.

I posted a picture of it on Colorado Mushrooms and was told it is a King Boletus edulis. That was my guess after doing a search on the internet. Apparently, these are pretty tasty, but I'm not sure I have the nerve to try it.

Tiny, unidentified mushrooms.

Scaber stalk
Can't you just imagine an elf sitting under this?

Mushrooms come in all different shapes...

colors...

and sizes.

They grow on rocks...

on stumps...

...and forest floors.

Shiny mushrooms...

Fuzzy mushrooms...

Funky mushrooms - under huckleberry leaves.

It's a whole new world.

Amanita muscaria
This one looks poisonous.

One more of the Boletus before closing.

Wow! This one would feed 6 hungery hikers easily.

And that's my plan - to learn enough about wild plants that I will be able to identify enough edible "things" to cook out in the wilderness for all my happy campers...and keep them happy. :D

If anyone can identify any of these mushrooms, or knows one I misidentified,
please leave me a comment and let me know!
Special thanks to those on Colorado Plants for identifying a few of the mushrooms for me.

Colorado Farmer's Market and Chile Relleno Casserole

2010-08-05T22:07:00.006-05:00

There's nothing like fresh produce from a local farmer's market for kitchen inspiration. Colorado's outdoor markets are some of the best I've been to - Boulder's being tops. However, Boulder is quite a drive from Georgetown, CO, so we explored Dillon's market last Friday, Idaho Springs' market this Friday and Evergreen's on Tuesday. These pictures are from Bergen Park in Evergreen.

Baby Patty Pans. Yum!

Doughnut peaches, apricots and plums.

There's something about sunflowers that are just...wonderful!

New potatoes - purple and red. Wow! You know, I've been craving pickled herring, new potaotes and sour cream. That's got to be the Swede coming out in me.

And what goes with that better than onions and green beans!

An oddly shaped potato.... Dad got a hold of it before I could cook it. I call it the Potato Geek. He's also my constant kitchen buddy. :D

I can't help all the flower pictures...they were just too gorgeous to pass up.

Some friends of ours brought us lots of Colorado corn.

Oh my! What a treat!

One of my favorite ways to eat corn is to saute it in butter, diced jalapeno pepper and lime juice. But fresh, raw sweet corn makes great salads too. Try it with olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and shredded fresh zucchini.

For as long as I can remember, we would buy huge cans of whole green chilies here in Colorado (we can't find them in Oklahoma.) and make chile relleno casserole. This dish is super fast and easy and so delicious.

Sometimes I use fresh Poblano or Anaheim peppers and roast them myself. Dad and I found some nice ones at the market this week. Yay!

However, when you're talking about four dozen chilies, it's nice to use canned too. The fresh ones can be a very hot as well - it's hard to tell until your hand or tongue is actually burning. So, for those of you who like to play it safe, I recommend sticking with canned chilies.

Place the fresh chilies on a roasting pan and broil until skin is chard on all sides - even slightly burn. Immediately place them in a ziplock bag and seal shut.

This will make peeling the chilies a lot easier. Allow to sit for several minutes, before peeling under cool, running water. Be sure to wear gloves if you're sensitive to the heat. Dad always does it for me. :D Yes, I have an awesome Dad.

Chile Relleno Casserole

1 large can whole green chilies,

or 12 fresh roasted poblano peppers

12 oz. cheese, cut into sticks

6 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. baking powder

1 c. fresh corn

Serves 6

Cut the cheese into sticks about half an inch thick. To make it super quick you could use pre-cut cheese sticks. I use Tillamook cheddar. Stuff each chile with a stick of cheese and lay in a well buttered casserole dish.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs and add to flour mixture. Add some fresh corn if you like and pour over stuffed chilies.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

This is the fresh chile casserole...

Serve with a simple pico de gallo and sour cream.

(Look closely and you'll see a paint brush handle in this picture. No, we don't eat with them.
We've been busy painting the house here. Paint brushes are everywhere and I failed to notice this one. :) )

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2010-07-18T20:17:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, I get one of these crazy ideas that I can actually make a healthy cake that tastes good. We were pretty impressed by how this one turned out, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Zucchini... it's one of the few vegetables that all Oklahoma bugs seem to detest. Seriously. They don't even look at it. For that reason, and for that reason alone, some Oklahomans plant zucchini and get loads of it in return. It really is an amazing plant! By the middle of summer, we usually have it coming out our ears and some people start to whimper - including me. How many ways can one fix zucchini without their family knowing they're eating zucchini? After all, over half my family sides with the bugs on this "green thing".

Well, over the years I've come up with a few ways to disguise unliked vegetables and zucchini has actually become my best friend in this department. You wouldn't believe how many recipes you can slide a couple cups of shredded zucchini in - and no one notices! ...Or at least they are polite enough to pretend not to. :D

This cake is packed with nourishing vitamins, fiber and even omega-3s. I used frozen zucchini in it, but I'm sure fresh would do as well. If you're worried about "zucchini strands", just blend it in the food processor.

So, let's...

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

3/4 c. butter

1 c. raw honey

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. shredded zucchini

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 c. cocoa powder

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 c. ground flax seeds

1 c. buttermilk, yogurt, or curdled milk

Cream together the
butter,

honey,

.and vanilla.

Add the eggs and shredded zucchini.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the dry ingredients.

Alternating dry ingredients with buttermilk, blend into butter mixture.

Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, cream together the icing...

1/2 c. butter

1 c. honey

1 c. cocoa powder

2 t. vanilla

4 c. whipping cream

This is more like a mousse than an icing and we're super generous with it. If you like you can half the recipe. Or leave out part of the cream for a richer flavor. (That's what I did here, since we ran out of cream - used 1 and 1/2 cups to be exact.)

Enjoy!