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Summer is upon us, and I have a confession to make. I don't cook much from June thru September. I blame the longer days and the evening activities that come with them. Cocktails after work with friends on the downtown mall, a few hours weeding and picking and training in the garden, fetch with the dogs and wine on the deck. By the time I start to think about dinner the sun has fallen in the sky and its past 8pm.
The fresh produce this time of year holds some of the blame as well. When you're picking sugar snaps straight from the vine outside your kitchen door and have an abundance of fresh lettuce at your feet its hard to imagine doing anything but going straight inside, dumping it all into a bowl and drizzling it with a simple vinaigrette. Or, when you've just pulled perfect little beets from the ground and realize that you still have some carrots from the farmer's market in your fridge, images of simply roasted root vegetables sprinkled with salt + pepper laid across a bed of lettuce start dancing in your head and eventually wind up on your plate (pictured above). It can't be helped, really. And how about brown rice pasta with quickly-sauteed squash from the market? The quick and simple possibilities are endless.
And then there is my attempt to follow Mark Bittman'sVegan Before 6 diet, although I hate to call it that. The d-word has such negative connotations and forces thoughts of deprivation into my head, when this new way of eating doesn't make me feel deprived in the least. I've simply been reducing my intake of processed foods and animal products by following a Vegan diet from the time I wake up until dinner time, when anything goes. If you've read about me, you'll know that Brian and I are very conscious of what we eat and where it comes from, and strive to eat as sustainably as possible. I've found that switching to a Vegan diet for two out of three meals a day (and many days for all three!) has been a very easy transition because of the way we've thought about food for some time now. And its especially easy in the summer when my appetite leans towards light salads rather than stick-to-your ribs casseroles.
So, that was a lot of excuses to say that, basically, I like to eat simply in the summertime. I love salads that I can make on Sunday and eat for lunch the rest of the week, and simple breads that become the star of the meal with very little effort put forth. The plate above was assembled on an evening when we had a few of those salads in the fridge, fresh lettuce from the garden on the counter and 30 minutes to spend making flatbread. The roasted red pepper, chickpea and quinoa salad is simple, delicious and filling...just my kind of meal. And trust me, even on a low-effort dinner night the extra 30 minutes is worth it, because this flatbread is incredible.
I haven't shared the curried tomato salad because I screwed it up the first time we made it and wasn't completely happy with the results. The concept is a good one though and I assure you that as soon as local tomatoes grace the booths at the market I'll be trying it again.
The lentil + brown rice salad can be found here.
Whole Grain Flatbreadslightly modified from Mark Bittman
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour (I also tried this with 1/2 cornmeal and 1/2 white whole wheat and didn't like it nearly as much)
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups water
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Method:
Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Slowly add the water and whisk to eliminate lumps, the batter will resemble thing pancake batter. Cover with a towel and let sit while your oven preheats, or up to 12 hours.
When ready to bake, heat your oven to 450 degrees. Put the oil in a 12" skillet (if you use a smaller skillet use less oil and give the bread more time to cook), along with the onion and garlic. Put the skillet in the heated oven and let the oil get hot, but not smoking. It should just take a few minutes - you'll know when the oil starts to get fragrant.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, give the onions and garlic a stir and then pour the batter and return the pan to the oven.
Bake 30-40 minutes (I took mine out at 30 and will probably give it just a few more minutes next time) until the flatbread is well browned, firm and crisp around the edges. Let it rest for about 5 minutes and then slide it from the pan onto a cutting board to cut into wedges.
6 oz drained jarred roasted red peppers, diced (about 1 cup) - I didn't have any so just roasted a fresh red bell pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Method:
First, if you don't have jarred roasted red peppers, roast your own. I sliced 1 bell pepper thinly, placed it in a small baking dish, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled it with salt and pepper and roasted it for about 30 minutes.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and bring back to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover pan and let cook for about 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat, drain any excess liquid and place quinoa in a medium-sized heat-tolerant bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is smooth.
Add the chickpeas, roasted red peppers and parsley to the bowl with the quinoa and stir to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the mixture and toss to combine.
Hello. My name is Andrea. I have a food blog...and an addiction. To cake. Specifically, lemon cake. If you've ever visited my recipes page, you may have noticed that I have a cake section. In that section there are currently just threecakerecipes, and one of them is Molly Wizenburg'sLemon Yogurt Cake which is absolutely delicious. Soon there will be two more cake recipes, just after I hit "publish" on this post. And those two recipes will also be for lemon cakes. See? I think that 3 out of 5 recipes warrants the declaration of an addiction. I noticed my problem as I was flipping through magazines and cookbooks trying to decide on a dessert for an upcoming barbeque. I knew I wanted something manageable at an outdoor party, a treat that could be eaten with one’s fingers while holding a napkin rather than dirtying a plate and fork. As I flipped pages and placed stickies on the recipes of interest I started to notice a trend - lemon cupcakes with raspberry glaze, lemon cream cheese bars, lemon cooler cookies - lemon, lemon, lemon. Hmmm...The issue became even more apparent when I opened my drafts folder and came across two more lemon recipes that have graced our kitchen in the last month, Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes and Lemon Bundt Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup. Clearly, I have a problem. I’ve since decided to go with chocolate for the barbeque...I think. In my defense, there are some things that you should know about lemon cakes (besides the obvious, which is that they are delicious) - and the first is that there are so many variations that one can make a different lemon cake recipe every week and never get bored. I promise. Take, for example, the Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes that I found on Joy’s site, which she herself declares are the best pound-type cake she’s ever had. Ever. Who can resist trying that recipe? And then there’s the Lemon Bundt Cake that Food Network named one of the top 7 Cakes For All Occasions. And they just had to go and drizzle it with a Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup. I dare you to defy that temptation. I certainly gave in and made it over Memorial Day weekend for a cook-out at a friend’s house. It was delicious, even though I made it the day before (as recommended) but didn’t have the proper cake covering apparatus that would have kept it from getting a little dry. Its a good thing there was that syrup to pour all over the top...Another thing you should know about lemon cakes is that they are very refreshing. This makes them especially tempting when the event for which the cake is planned will take place outdoors, during the hot Virginia summer, after a few rounds of rowdy backyard games. And, they pair nicely with a chilled glass of white wine, always a bonus. That argument alone makes me want to ditch my chocolate cupcake idea for next week's barbeque...what do you think?
So, dear readers, I fear that I lack the proper motivation to get over this little addiction of mine, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to. Which means you may be subjected to additional lemon cake recipes in the future, most likely several before the end of the summer. There are worse things, I suppose.
This recipe makes 2 cakes. After reading some comments from Joy's readers I would not recommend trying to bake this cake in any pan other than loaf pans. Also, I used ALL of the syrup. I just kept brushing layer upon layer of syrup over the tops of the cakes, allowing each application to soak in before adding another. And, when there was just a bit left in the bowl, I poured it onto the serving plate and plopped the cakes right on top of it, allowing the bottoms to soak it up and get nice and lemon-y. If you're not a lemon fanatic like me, you might want to only use 1/2 the syrup.
Lemon Drenched Lemon CakesRecipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan via Joy the Baker. Be sure to check out the lovely pictures of this cake on Joy's site, since I was a bit of a slacker and didn't get many...
Cake:
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2-1/3 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
6 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2/3 cup heavy cream
zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1 stick, plus 7 tbsp unsalted butter (15 tbsp total), melted and cooled
Syrup:
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
juice of two lemons
Method:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9x5-inch loaf pans, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Even if the pans are nonstick, it’s a good idea to butter and flour them.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Put the sugar and the lemon zest in a large bowl, working with your fingers, rub them together until the sugar is moist and thoroughly imbued with the fragrance of lemon.
Add the eggs and whisk them into the sugar, beating until they are thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the extract, then whisk in the cream. Continuing with the whisk, or switching to a large rubber spatula, gently stir in the dry ingredients in 3 or 4 additions; the batter will be smooth and thick. Finish by folding in the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions. Pour the batter into the pans, smoothing with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. As soon as the cake goes into the oven, make the syrup. After about 30 minutes in the oven, check the cakes for color- if they are browning too quickly, cover them lightly with foil tents.
Stir the water and sugar together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar melts, then bring to a boil. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl and let cool.
When the cakes test done, transfer them to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before unmolding them and turning them right side up on the rack. Place the rack over a baking sheet lined with wax paper and, using a thin skewer, cake tester or thin-bladed sharp knife, poke holes all over the cakes. Brush the cakes all over with the syrup, working slowly so that the cakes sop it up. Leave the cakes on the rack to cool to room temperature.
The recipe recommends that you make this cake the day before you plan to consume it. If you do, be sure to wrap it very well to keep it fresh overnight, or keep it in a cake dome. My gentle tenting over a dinner plate didn't work so well. And don't spoon the glaze over it until you are ready to serve.
Lemon Bundt Cake with Strawberry Saucerecipe adapted from foodnetwork.com
Cake:
3-1/4 cups cake flour, sifted (I used 1/2 cake flour and 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sour cream
zest from one lemon, finely grated
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Syrup:
about 6oz of fresh or frozen rhubarb, chopped finely
1-1/2 cups strawberry jam
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously brush the bundt pan with butter and dust with flour.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla and set aside.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together in another bowl, stirring vigorously to lighten the eggs. Gradually whisk in the oil until evenly combined. Add the sour cream mixture and stir together. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined but still a bit lumpy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes; then unmold cake onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool. (The cake can be prepared to this point a day ahead.)
When ready to serve. Combine the rhubarb, jam, lemon juice and salt in a small saucepan and simmer until the rhubarb gets translucent and syrupy, almost jewel like,, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of water, if the glaze gets too thick . Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool slightly. Spoon some of the glaze over the top of the cake, and reserve the rest for serving with sliced cake. Serve with fresh strawberries.
My goodness. I have really been slacking on the bellaterraposts. And its a shame, really, because things are progressing beautifully in our little garden. And now, looking at all of the pictures I've uploaded I feel a bit overwhelmed because there are so many things to tell you all about.
Such as how strawberries make a lovely addition to a simple salad, especially when you drizzle poppyseed dressing over the top. And how sugar snap peas are a fine enhancement for that same salad with their delightful crunch and sweet flavor. Oh, and that lettuce and spinach? Fresh from our garden as well. All the rain we've had this year has kept our lettuces very happy, we didn't have nearly the bounty in 2008 as we've had this summer.
And I can't forget to mention that a strawberry rhubarb syrup is delicious spooned over a lemon bundt cake, a recipe I'll share with you as soon as I can weed through the gazillion other drafts waiting (im)patiently in my drafts folder.
And what about the blackberries? They've multiplied exponentially this year, completely taking over the southern edge of the garden and providing respite from the afternoon sun for the tender herbs, onions and lettuces in their shadow.
Even as I write this post, these pictures I am about to share with you are already inaccurate. For now, the blackberries have started to turn a rosy red. In just a few weeks they will morph into plump purple berries the size of my thumb and provide endless possibilities for jams, pies and ice creams. I can't wait. I really can't.
But the sugar snaps, they are our greatest accomplishment yet this season. In years past we've started the seeds to0 late, so that just as the plants are starting to produce the heat zaps them and they crumple to the ground, leaving us with just enough peas to munch on in the garden but never enough to make it back to the kitchen. This year though, we've got more peas than we know what to do with. Each day I am bringing a bowl-full inside after popping half a dozen into my mouth while picking. They are delicious in salads and added last-minute to a stir-fry. The less you cook them the better - you don't want them to lose their wonderful crunch.
My latest use for sugar snaps comes from the June 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. The peas added a nice sweetness to a salad that threatened to be overwhelming with its spicy radishes, red onions and caesar dressing. I loved the textures as well - the crunchy sugar snaps and radishes were a nice compliment for the softer potatoes. Its a nice addition to any picnic or cook-out, and if you make it just for you there will be plenty for lunch all week long.
I decided to make this salad the day before we were to join some friends for dinner, thinking that potato salad is always more delicious after having sat overnight in the fridge. And it was delicious the second day, although no more so than the first, and certainly less beautiful. The vibrant colors you see below were captured just after the salad was assembled, with the potatoes still slightly warm. The next day all of the colors mellowed and meshed together, leaving a not-nearly-as-nice presentation. I won't make the mistake again.
Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peasfrom Bon Appetit, June 2009
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs unpeeled assorted baby potatoes, cut cross-wise into 1/2 inch slices
8oz trimmed sugar snap peas
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
Method:
Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer veggies to a large bowl, cool slightly, then add radishes and onion.
Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic clove and dijon mustard together in a small bowl until well blended. Whisk in parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Add dressing to potato mixture and toss to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I've had so many comments and questions about the oatmeal pictured in my last entry, that I decided to go ahead and dedicate a quick post to it. Many of you may not have been reading a few months ago when Bella Eats was more of a food diary than a space for sharing recipes. I posted so many pictures of this breakfast during those first few food diary months that I'm surprised people didn't stop reading out of sheer boredom! To those of you who have been reading for awhile, I'm sorry if this post looks familiar.This oatmeal is one of my favorite daily breakfasts, so quick to make before work and hardy enough to keep me satisfied until lunch time. I was introduced to stove-top oats through the blog world - prior to reading Kath's and Heather's sites I was a pre-packaged instant oats kind of girl. Not any more. Stove-top oats are far superior in texture and flavor, and if you get old-fashioned rolled oats they only take 10 minutes to make. They are worth the extra few minutes, I promise.Adding mashed banana to my oatmeal was something I learned from Kath, and I’ve never gone back. I love the creaminess the banana gives the oats and never skip this step even if the toppings change. Wheatberries are another Kath-inspired addition - I love their chewy texture. When I’m eating oatmeal often (nearly every day during the cold months) I’ll make a pot full of wheatberries to use all week. You buy them dried, in the bulk foods section, and boil them in water for about 20 minutes, depending on the texture you’re going for. I like mine a little chewy, so 20 minutes is all it takes. Drain them and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 7-10 days. And the figs - oh the figs - they are the best part. Their tiny little seeds and sweet flavor add so much to each bite. Love.
I've tried many different variations of mix-ins, from fresh fruit to chocolate chips to canned pumpkin, but I always come back to this combo. What are your favorite oatmeal toppings?
Stovetop Oatmeal with Banana, Figs and Almond Butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup water, pinch of salt
1/2 mashed banana
1 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp ground flax seeds
cinnamon to taste
2 dried figs, chopped
2 tbsp cooked wheatberries
1-1/2 tbsp almond butter (crunchy peanut butter is delicious too, and adds another great texture)
Method:
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally.
When the oats have absorbed most of the water, after 5-7 minutes, turn off the heat. Add the mashed banana and splash of soy milk. Stir. Add the flax seeds and cinnamon, stir.
Pour oats into bowl and top with chopped figs, wheatberries and almond butter.
Stir everything up so that the almond butter swirls through the whole mix.
Enjoy, and if you choose, comment after each bite about how delicious the texture is. I do every time.
For those of you who have stuck around since the early food diary days - Thank You! - I appreciate each and every one of you and love seeing comments pop up from familiar names as well as new readers.
This post has been clanging around in my drafts folder for months now, as is evidenced by the breakfast photo at the bottom (in our house we are fully into smoothie-mode for the morning meal since Summer has clearly arrived in Virginia...). Its sad really, because it deserves better than that. Making almond butter at home is so simple that I just wasn't sure if I should bother with posting it, and then decided that "too simple" is a really silly reason to not share a perfectly delicious recipe with my readers. Aren't we all searching for simple recipes? Especially for simple recipes that will save us some money at the grocery store?
A few months back, one of my favorite healthy lifestyle bloggers, Heather, started making her own nut butters to save money. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea and she made it seem so simple that I just had to try it. I'd been intrigued by many of the flavored almond butters on the market for months, but it is so expensive that I can only bring myself to buy one jar at a time and must use every last bit before purchasing another, so I hadn't been able to try many of them. Now, it doesn't take me too long to finish a jar since I have a tablespoon or two of the creamy spread nearly every day, but that doesn't change the fact that it is expensive and I can make it at home for less, with endless possibilities of flavor variations.
I made this almond butter in my KitchenAid food processor. At first I dumped the almonds into the smaller of the two processor bowls, with the smaller blades. After 10-12 minutes of whirring I still had finely ground almonds instead of the creamy butter that Heather promised would form after just a few minutes. Frustrated, I dumped all of the ingredients into the larger bowl with the larger blades, and within 2-3 minutes had the creamy consistency I was looking for. So, if you have a larger food processor (mine has a 12-cup capacity but I don't think it would need to be quite that big) it would be very helpful. But you may still get the consistency you're looking for with a smaller processor and additional time.
There are so many wonderful variations to this recipe (can I call it that if there are only three ingredients?) and I would love to hear about any favorites you all have tried. So, please leave a comment if you've made any nut butters of your own!
Cinnamon Vanilla Almond Buttermakes about 8 ounces
Ingredients:
2 cups whole, unsalted almonds
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Method:
Place almonds in food processor and process until fine.
My momma has been telling me about these cookies for months now. She makes them for my stepfather, Joe, because he is a BIG fan of amaretto. We’re talking about the kind of fan that, when handed a small glass containing the thick amber liquid, will take 20 full minutes to take a sip because each time he brings it to his mouth he is overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell. He’s Italian, so we’re all convinced he’s got a bit of amaretto coursing through his veins.The cookies have been in my “to make” folder ever since their name rolled off of my momma’s tongue. Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches with Amaretto Frosting. Come on...who wouldn’t add them to their list? Sadly, my folder (titled “Andrea Miscellaneous” and added to by Brian whenever he finds my printed recipes or articles torn from various magazines strewn around our house, which is often) is over-stuffed with delectable-sounding treats awaiting attention, and this recipe somehow got shuffled to the bottom. I’m lucky that it made the menu cut for our Florida visit last weekend, otherwise it may have been another few months before I tasted the gems, declared love, and shared them with you. Even if you ignore the frosting (and the only reason you should is if you’re not a fan of very sweet treats...) the cookies themselves are some of the best I’ve had. Delicately flavored with ground oatmeal, almond extract and chopped almonds, they have an extra depth that standard chocolate chip cookies lack. They are slightly crisp around the edges and still chewy in the middle, perfect CCC texture. Watch them closely as they bake, you want to pull them just as they start to very slightly brown at the edges.
I hope you’ll learn from my mistake, keep this recipe at the top of your list, make the cookies as soon as possible and share them with family and friends. Your loved ones will thank you, I promise. And be sure to go through your recipe folders, as I will be this weekend, to see if you have any other recipes tucked away that have been recommended by your momma. Because those recipes shouldn't be shuffled to the bottom.
Almond Chocolate Chip Cookiesrecipe modified from Giada De Laurentiis via foodnetwork.commakes 4 dozen cookies or 2 dozen cookie sandwiches
1/2 cup rolled oats
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
Method:
Preheat oven to 325*. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Finely chop oats in a food processor (we used a small chopper), mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer (we used a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and beat in the eggs and extract.
Add the flour mixture in 3 batches and mix until just blended.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and almonds.
Drop dough (about one rounded tablespoon each) onto cookie sheet, two inches apart. Do not flatten.
Bake until cookies are golden, about 13 minutes.
Cool the cookies on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire cooling rack.
Amaretto Frostingrecipe modified from Gale Gand via foodnetwork.commakes enough for 2 dozen sandwich cookies
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 tbsp amaretto liqueur
Method:
In a stand mixer fit with whisk attachment, mix sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
Add amaretto and continue to beat on medium speed for one more minute, adding more amaretto if you wish.
The last few days of May were spent in Florida celebrating the 10th Anniversary of my Momma and Stepfather. There was a lot of family time, spent mostly in the kitchen either preparing food for festivities or gathered around the table eating and chatting. That's how it works in my family - vacations, visits, events all revolve around our meals. If we're traveling to New Orleans we plan our entire stay around the restaurants we simply MUST dine at while there. When planning a visit to one of our houses my mom and I are on the phone no later than two weeks prior to the scheduled date of arrival planning out the daily menus.
This visit was no exception. On the drive from the airport we discussed what lunch would be the next day, a trip to my favorite Vietnamese Pho restaurant of course, since Charlottesville is lacking in Pho. Saturday's festivities menu was also discussed and last minute grocery lists were made. On Friday afternoon we got to work in the kitchen, each of the four of us with our own list of tasks and stack of recipes, all delegated at the family meeting around the kitchen table 10 minutes before. We moved around each other as if having been choreographed, the evening nearly flawless aside from my lack of preparedness with eclair ingredients - the pate a choux dough comes together rather quickly, for future reference. Saturday was spent enjoying the results of our hard work with more family and close friends, and celebrating the marriage of two incredible people. It was a lovely, lovely weekend.
Since our return I've been unusually sleepy, most likely because of the ridiculous stress of flight delays on our way there and the busyness of the weekend from the moment we stepped foot in the sunshine state. I still can't help but wonder, however, if the copious amounts of sweets consumed has anything to do with my desire to take a nap at my desk by around 3pm each day this week. I wonder how long the effects of a sugar high and the resulting crash can stay in your system... I'm kidding of course. Maybe.
I've intended to write this post each evening after work these last few days, but every time I opened my iPhoto account and glimpsed the 500+ photos taken during our stay in Florida I became overwhelmed, and even more tired. Its been a struggle to decide which recipe to share with you first, the stuffed french toast filled with sliced bananas and homemade strawberry jam, the tangy creole mustard sauce that graced the perfectly poached fillet of grouper, the unbelievably delicious amaretto chocolate chip cookies and their accompanying amaretto buttercream frosting, or the beautiful mini eclairs with their vanilla custard filling and chocolate ganache topping.
In the end I've decided on this simple salad. It will probably seem bland and boring after the list of possibilities I gave above, but it really should not be ignored. Perhaps that's why I decided to feature it first, to emphasize that although a lentil + brown rice salad may not have been the star at our festivities in Florida, it was certainly a nominee for best supporting side dish. The ingredients are simple - after returning home to a nearly empty fridge and pantry I still had everything I needed to make this salad Sunday night. It was the first thing I did after loving on our dogs and making a quick dinner. Subtle and earthy with a lemony kick and a firm crunch, it has become the star of my lunches each day this week and will continue to make appearances at our table in the future.
Lentil + Brown Rice Saladmodified slightly from this recipeI realized after just reading Giada's recipe again that I forgot to add the kalamata olives (sorry Joe!). I bet they would be a delicious addition...
Ingredients:
1 large carrot, peeled and diced finely
1 medium onion, diced finely
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1-1/4 cups lentils (we used green in Florida, and I used French lentils at home)
Saute' carrot, onion and garlic over medium heat until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add lentils to pot and stir to mix. Add 2 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover, simmering for about 20 minutes until lentils are tender but still firm. Remove from heat, drain. Pour lentils into heat-proof bowl and allow to cool.
Cook brown rice according to instructions, using broth instead of water.
When lentils have cooled, stir in the herbs and zest. Add the cooked rice and mix well. Salt + pepper to taste.
Top with crumbled feta when serving, if desired.
Congratulations Momma + Joe. We love you very much!
Last weekend was the epitome of the perfect Spring weekend. Saturday was kicked off with a trip to the farmer's market, where a lovely assortment of spring greens, asparagus, green onions and fresh eggs were purchased as we browsed the stalls, cup of coffee in hand. After that was strawberry picking in the country, where Brian and I desperately tried to find enough perfectly ripe berries in the sea of green-tipped adolescents to make our 25 minute drive worth it.
Apparently the field had been picked clean by a gaggle of girl scouts the weekend before and hadn't quite recovered yet. Now I have nothing against girl scouts, but when they clean out the strawberry field I am left with a few bitter thoughts in my head. If you've been reading for awhile, you'll know that Virginia's strawberry season is short and I look forward to it all year long. Luckily my momentary bitterness was nothing a strawberry frozen yogurt and a trip to the reservoir to let the dogs swim couldn't fix.
On Sunday we continued our celebration of spring weekend by grilling out with friends. Brian has been working to perfect ribs on our Big Green Egg grill for a year now, with a long hiatus in the middle for those cold winter months. We thought that this weekend was going to be it, the moment when the ribs would come off the grill after spending hours smoking over low heat, perfectly moist and fall-off-the-bone tender.
I anticipated telling you all about them and had their post written in my head. It was going to be so perfectly coincidental that our first attempt at ribs on the Big Green Egg had been exactly one year prior, on the weekend of my graduation from UVA's M.Arch program, and that exactly 12 months of debates and research and a dozen racks of ribs later I would be sharing with you the perfect rib recipe. Sadly, it isn't so.
While their flavor was delicious, as it always is, the tenderness of the ribs just wasn't where Brian wants it to be. We'll get there, I promise, and you all will be the first to know - after we call all of the friends whom we've been experimenting on to gleefully tell them that we have finally mastered ribs on the Big Green Egg and to please, please, stop by for another taste-test.
Until then, a recipe for ginger bundt cake with ginger-infused strawberries will have to do.
And it will do, I promise, because here's the thing about this cake - it. is. delicious. I knew it would be a success as I was blending the farm-fresh eggs into the batter and it was turning the beautiful golden color you see above. The texture was just what cake batter should be, and the color given to it by those vibrant orange egg yolks (which you just can't get from grocery store eggs) was so beautiful that I did a little dance after each addition. The ginger-infused syrup for the strawberries is so perfect that I can't help but think of cocktail recipes that will utilize it all summer long.
This cake fits right in at the backyard barbeque, nestled in between ribs on the grill and the last few games of Baggo. It has a consistency similar to pound cake, and if you choose to forego the strawberries one could easily eat a piece with their hands without it crumbling to bits. This would be very helpful if a second serving were desired after the backyard games had begun, which is not unlikely.
I hope you'll give it a try this Memorial Day weekend, and if you do, be sure to save some for the next day. For as good as it is on a sunny afternoon piled high with gingered strawberries and accompanied by a glass of white wine, its even better with coffee the next morning. Trust me, it will do.
The recipe for Double-Ginger Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Ginger-Infused Strawberries can be found here, or in the April 2009 Bon Appetit.
The turbinado sugar I dusted on the inside of the bundt pan didn't stay crystalized like the pictures show in the magazine. Instead the sugar melted and formed a perfect crust on the outside of the cake. We loved it.
I substituted white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose and it was delicious.
The Sunday mornings of my childhood were lazily spent at the farm table in our kitchen under a classic stained glass lamp that still hangs in the exact same spot, over the exact same table. The pantry door would be swung open wide, the small t.v. hidden inside providing the morning soundtrack - Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt. I'd fish through the stack of papers on the table until the Sunday comics surfaced, and after devouring those would peruse the classified ads, always looking for the perfect pet pony or a yorkshire terrier for my momma.
The smells that accompanied these mornings were varied but always indulgent. Sometimes we'd have flakey buttermilk biscuits with sliced ham and provolone, or my daddy would fry up eggs that we'd sop up with buttered toast alongside lil' smokies or pan-fried bacon. And some mornings there were cinnamon rolls or even better, orange danishes. Popped from a can, baked for 15-18 minutes and then slathered with glaze - those Sunday breakfasts were my favorites.
These days, now that I'm all grown up (some might argue with the truth of that, even me...) Sunday mornings are still somewhat lazy and indulgent. Saturdays are started early, sometimes with a long run, and always (during the season) with a trip to the farmer's market for breakfast and the week's produce before embarking on the day's agenda full of errands, chores and projects. Saturdays are busy and productive, the perfect justification for the extra 30 minutes in bed on Sunday mornings and the indulgent breakfasts that typically follow once my feet hit the floor.
And even better than my extra 30 minutes in bed is the fact that Brian typically requires an extra 2 hours in bed on Sundays, leaving me with the kitchen all to myself. This is my baking time. I wake up to a quiet house and kick the dogs out to the back yard to ensure that it remains quiet. I clean up any leftover dishes from the night before while going through breakfast ideas in my head. This is the time when new pancake, biscuit and scone recipes are realized. This is the time when I finally get to try out a recipe I've had bookmarked for quite some time, one that takes me right back to my childhood even though the lamp, readingmaterial and soundtrack have changed.
These cinnamon rolls were delicious, certainly a step up from the canned variety although they take about 3 times as long to prepare. I substituted spelt flour for some of the all-purpose and loved the extra flavor that the whole grains provided. I've become a big fan of spelt flour lately, experimenting with Wiggs' cookies from on high (post to come soon) and these biscuits, with fabulous results. I've noted my other substitutions below.
The original Cook's Illustrated recipe can be found here, via Leite's Culinaria. I made a few exceptions [I can't help it!].
I used 1 cup of spelt flour and 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
I substituted turbinado sugar for all of the sugar in the dough (but still used confectioner's for the glaze)
Its been awhile since I've had abellaterra post and I am WAY overdue. Things are actually happening out there in our 20' x 20' patch of veggie heaven and its not just about herbs anymore. But, because I'm behind and because spring herbs should be prolific pretty much everywhere right now, I'm going to give you another herb post. But don't worry, not only did we plant tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers today, we also harvested our first spinach and bibb lettuce as well so you should be seeing some diversity around here very soon.
The chives are in full bloom...aren't they lovely? I clip them to put in vases around our house, not only because I love their color but also because if the flowers are left to reach full maturity in the garden we will have chives popping up in every nook and cranny next year. They are incredibly hardy and reproduce like crazy - we divide them to give to friends each year just to keep things under control. Luckily, we are big fans of cooking with chives in our household so those we keep rarely waste away in the garden.
We've also recently discovered that thyme is a very useful herb in a variety of dishes. Keep it whole in soups or as a bed for baked white fish or salmon (it will infuse the fish with a delightful flavor and scent). Or, gently pluck the leaves from the stem and stir them into a buttery barley risotto, our newest discovery and one that fast-tracked its way to the top of our favorites list.
This meal is one that I concocted while sitting at my desk in the office, waiting for the last 30 minutes of the work day to tick by. My mind tends to wander towards food often, especially when dinner is eminent. On this particular day I realized that things were getting a little sparse in our refrigerator, other than a little baggie of brussels sprouts I'd picked up at Whole Foods the weekend before that needed to be cooked as soon as possible. We always keep a variety of grains in our pantry and luckily so because on this day, thoughts of risotto topped with golden brussels sprouts danced into my head and refused to be silenced.
I wanted a risotto heartier than the typical white rice variety so chose to use barley instead. If you've never tried using barley in risotto I insist that you do, as soon as possible. Barley adds an earthy depth to the dish that is especially good with herbs, spinach or mushrooms. It may take a bit longer to cook than the traditional rice dish but it is more flavorful and filling*.
Brian and I ate in complete silence this night, save the occasional "this is SO good" or "I could eat this EVERY night" comments. The thyme complements the barley and the brussels sprouts beautifully, and the high-quality butter was worth the extra splurge. I used Heidi's recipe for the brussels sprouts, which never disappoints. They were perfect.
I'd like to say something about risotto. Not only is it delicious, its relatively simple. I think it gets a bad rap because of the rather lengthy period of stirring that it takes to reach perfect creaminess, but if you've got someone to hand the spatula over to every now and then and a glass of white wine to sip when its your turn, the task really isn't that daunting. And it is completely worth the effort.
Buttery Barley and Herb Risotto with Golden-Crusted Brussels Sproutsserves 3-4
Risotto:
24 brussels sprouts - rinsed, stems removed, chopped in half
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
salt + pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Method:
Heat the broth in a small saucepan over medium heat and keep at a low simmer.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large, heavy-bottom saute' pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute' over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the barley and stir to coat with the butter, about 1 minute.
Add the white wine to the pan and stir briskly to deglaze. When the wine has evaporated add 1/2 cup of broth to the pan. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed and repeat. Stir often, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and letting it absorb before adding another. You may not use all of the broth, but you'll know the risotto is done when the barley is tender but not mushy. The risotto should be creamy and hold together without any liquid around the edges.
Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp butter, parmesan cheese and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.
While risotto is cooking, prepare the brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts should be rubbed in olive oil before being added to the pan. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in large non-stick pan. Place brussels sprouts, flat-side down, in pan and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove a sprout from the pan after 5 minutes and test for tenderness. If tender, remove cover from pan and toss sprouts to quickly brown on round side, about 2 minutes.
Dish risotto immediately onto plates. Top with brussels sprouts and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.
*Don't get me wrong, I love a good arborio rice risotto as well, but I typically reserve it for when the risotto is a side rather than the centerpiece. Arborio rice has a milder flavor and is tasty with butternut squash or other sweeter vegetables like beets.
I’ve been holding out on you. Not because I’ve wanted to, in fact I knew as soon as I made this salad that I would be sharing it with you as soon as possible. I was just hoping to get some additional photographs for the presentation because it is such a beautiful salad and so absolutely delicious. Even though it is incredibly simple (or maybe because it is incredibly simple?) it deserves fanfare. And a lot of photos. The task shouldn’t have been so difficult - I make this dish all the time. But each time since the first I’ve either been in a rush, or made it at a friend’s house without my camera present (gasp!) or its been too late and too dark to shoot anything decent. So, I’ve caved and am giving it to you now, just a few photos short.One of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville is Bizou. The atmosphere is dark and quirky - perfectly cozy on a blustery winter day or a welcome retreat from the blinding summer sun. They have a great daily menu and a variety of specials that never disappoint, along with a nice selection of wine. Every single dish I’ve tried has been very good, but I am always disappointed if I don’t get my tried and true favorite - Golden Beet Salad. So simple, such a perfect combination of flavors, so so so delicious.A couple of months ago I was at the grocery store and noticed that they had golden beets. I rarely see them so jumped at the opportunity to replicate my favorite salad. And I’ve jumped each time I’ve seen the sunny globes in the produce department since, because you just don’t know when they’ll be present again.
My salad isn’t exactly like Bizou’s, but its close. I haven't given quantities of anything because its not necessary to be that precise. Just keep tossing ingredients together until you've got a good variety of textures and colors in your bowl. The picture above is missing walnuts, a key ingredient and one not to leave out. I did on this one occasion because we were sharing it with a friend who is allergic, but it is definitely best with them. The honey mustard dressing is an Alton Brown recipe that is delicious as it is and I’ve never taken the time to play with it. However, Bizou’s dressing had mustard seeds and I love the crunch they provide - its worth experimenting with. Also, buy good quality chevre to crumble on top. You won’t be sorry.
Golden Beet Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Salad:
golden beets, peeled, chopped and roasted with 1 tbsp olive oil for 25 minutes at 425*.
grape tomatoes, halved
cucumber, sliced thinly
red cabbage, sliced thinly
spinach or a mesclun mix
chevre, crumbled
walnuts, chopped and toasted at 425* until fragrant, 8-10 minutes
Dressing:
5 tbsp honey
3 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Method:
Roast beets. Toast walnuts
Toss spinach, tomatoes, cucumber and cabbage together.
Sprinkle chevre and toasted walnuts on top.
Whisk dressing ingredients together and drizzle over salad.
Oh my, what a weekend. With our deadline at the office behind us Brian and I were finally able to relax for Two. Whole. Days. We took advantage of the sunshine on Saturday with a trip to the farmer’s market and tasks in the garden, while Sunday’s rain allowed time for baking and reading to the mellow sounds of somefavoritebands. We even entertained Friday night. As far as weekends go, this one was definitely good for our mental health, and much needed.
Our kitchen finally feels loved again, as do our stomachs. Simplicity was key to most of what was prepared and consumed because we were still in recovery from the weeks of late nights and take-out food (sadly, crockpot minestrone only lasted for a couple of days). After that long of a hiatus one really doesn’t want to rush into anything too complicated too quickly, and we were in need of some instant gratification.
So many good, simple recipes came from the grill, oven and food processor that I had a hard time deciding which to share first. Ultimately I decided on this one because it was the most recent of my options and looking at the photographs caused my mouth to salivate at the memory they evoked. Also, I love that the simple pasta dish uses fresh ingredients purchased at the farmer’s market Saturday morning - sweet Italian sausage from one favorite farmer and tender mustard greens from another. If only I’d stopped by the Everona Dairy booth I’d have had local sheep’s milk cheese to use instead of store-bought parmesan. Next week...
Spring greens are abundant right now and any variety would do, but I think that the spicy bite of the mustard greens really makes this dish shine. If you decide to use a milder green such as kale or swiss chard, you might want to kick up the flavor with hot Italian sausage instead of sweet, or some red pepper flakes tossed in the skillet with the onion and garlic.Pasta with Sausage and Spring Greensserves 3
Ingredients:
3/4 lb brown rice pasta
1 bunch mustard greens (about 1 lb), leaves separated from stems and rinsed well (stems discarded)
1 lb sweet italian sausage, removed from casing and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus extra for topping
1 tbsp fresh parsley
salt + pepper
Method:
Boil pasta, drain, return to pot and set aside.
Rinse mustard greens and drain.
Saute' sausage in non-stick skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and onion and continue to cook until sausage is browned.
Add mustard greens to skillet and cover. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted (4-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, heat chicken broth over medium heat in small saucepan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Add fresh parsley and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour parmesan broth over cooked pasta. Add sausage/mustard green mixture and stir well.
Serve immediately with parmesan shaved over the top.
My dear readers...I've missed you! I won't apologize because you all were so kind to point out after my last absence that I have no reason to, but I will say that life has been, in one word, busy. The kind of busy that comes with having a house guest for two full weeks. The kind of busy that sends you to Florida for an unexpected family emergency. The kind of busy that keeps you in the office until 3am to meet a deadline. The kind of busy that leaves you with little time to cook, let alone time to write about what you cook.
And, in the midst of all of that busyness, I've become completely obsessed with this book. And this one. So, the little spare time I've been able to find over this last week (you know, like when I should be sleeping), I've spent engrossed in the world of Edward and Bella. Its been so long since I've read a romance, let alone a fantastical one involving vampires and werewolves, that I'd forgotten how nice it is to step out of my own busy world for chunks of time to get lost in a fictional one. I don't know how I managed to resist the inexplicable pull of the saga for so long, especially with all of the hype the movie created last fall (which I finally watched last weekend in Florida with my stepsisters and which led to my buying the first book in the airport on the way back home) but the escape has been welcome. I feel a bit silly, especially when I read reviews that state "teens will relish this newest adventure...", but as a friend pointed out, there's just something about a good vampire romance that the female population can't resist, no matter how juvenile the books may be. And this female can't disagree.
When life gets hectic Brian and I try to plan meals that are quick to prepare and last for days. Our crock pot comes in handy on these occasions, acting as our own personal chef slaving away while we're at the office. This particular soup was the result of us running home on our lunch break to read a chapter of Twilight let our dogs out and discovering while hastily making sandwiches for lunch that we had some veggies in the fridge that needed to be used up. Knowing that there would be no time after work to prepare dinner (this was to be the 3am night), I pulled down the trusty crock pot and got to work. In one hour's time Brian and I ate lunch, made dinner, cleaned the kitchen AND I got a little reading in. Talk about productive.
That evening I hurried home, ladled soup into pyrex bowls, grabbed a bottle of wine and our dogs and got back to work. Even though dinner was eaten while sitting in front of my computer it felt good to know that it was homemade and healthy, so much better than the take-out that is usually consumed on such late nights.
This week will be busy as well (I had to work this weekend to prepare for it) but hopefully things will be back to normal soon. And, I'm halfway through the Twilight saga, for which my kitchen (and my husband!) will be grateful, I'm sure.
Obviously this recipe can be modified in many ways to suit different tastes. I personally think that adding a bit of spice to the broth would be delicious.
Crock Pot Minestroneserves 6, or 2 for three meals
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, or 2 small, diced into bite-size chunks
2 summer squash, diced into bite-size chunks
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped ham
28-oz can of diced tomatoes (I used the kind with basil)
8 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried cannellini beans
1 cup Israeli cous-cous, or other small pasta
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
Method:
Put the chopped zucchini, squash, bell pepper, ham, tomatoes, beans, bay leaves and fresh thyme in the crock pot.
Heat oil over medium heat in saute' pan. Add onion and saute' for 3 minutes. Add garlic and fresh oregano and saute' an additional minute. Add mixture to crock pot and put pan back on heat.
Add chicken broth to saute' pan to de-glaze the pan. Pour into crock pot.
Cook soup on high for 6 hours. When the beans are tender, add the cous-cous or pasta and fresh spinach. Place lid back on crock pot and continue to cook until pasta is tender and spinach is wilted, about 15 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste. (be sure to remove thyme stems and bay leaves before serving)
Do you ever have nights when you just don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen? I know you do. I can usually tell early in the afternoon when it is going to be one of those nights because I am either dreading the process of preparing what we’ve got on the menu or I have no interest in thinking about something to cook. Leftovers come in handy on such nights as do Amy’s pizzas stashed in the freezer. Sometimes a quick batch of guacamole won’t seem too daunting and Brian and I will spend the evening snacking on seven-layer dip, other times we resort to picking up the phone and ordering various tofu dishes from our favorite Chinese take-out place. But my favorite no-effort meal is, by far, of the crusty loaf of bread, hard cheese and simple salad variety.
I was in one of these moods on Sunday after arriving home from the cabin. We’d spent the weekend cooking in a foreign kitchen for extra people - which was a blast - but by the time we got back to our own house and unloaded the car and the coolers of leftover food I knew that there would be no cooking happening that evening. Even so, a grocery trip was on the afternoon agenda so that I could pick up necessary ingredients to eventually make this and these for Meghann'sblogger bake sale [during which she made an incredible amount of money and exceeded her fundraiser goal by over $1000!!!]. I hadn't made a menu for the week so spent the first 10 minutes or so wandering through the produce department looking for inspiration. And I saw these:
Radishes and I don't have much of a history. In fact, until Sunday, I didn't think that I even liked radishes. But as I stood in front of the deep scarlet globes in the middle of a very busy produce department and racked my brain trying to think of why I didn't like them I could not come up with one recollection of ever actually eating a radish. Maybe once or twice, shaved over baby greens on a salad, but never on their own or displayed proudly and prominently as a key ingredient in a dish. And, since I'd been reading Molly's book while in West Virginia and had come across this recipe, I decided it was time to give the bright red beauties a fair review.
I even, coincidentally, picked up Plugra. The same salted European butter that Molly recommends on Orangette for this very treat, although I didn't know it at the time. Armed with a French baguette I arrived home and happily announced to Brian and our last lingering house guest that we would be having sliced, salted radishes on fresh bread for dinner, along with a salad. Though they weren't convinced at first (and we did add a hunk of fresh sheep's milk cheese from the local farmer's market to the mix, separate from the radish ensemble) they came around after the first bite. For thinly sliced radishes with delicately shaved butter and sea salt on a fresh baguette is a delicious combination. Truly.
So impressed was I with my first official radish experience that I came home from the office today to make a salad with radishes for lunch, stopping first at the local market for an avocado. I made this soup [scroll to bottom] for dinner last night and knew that it was destined to be my mid-day meal, but couldn't resist the urge for fresh Spring greens to accompany it. A quick search on epicurious for a good radish salad [remember, I'm new to them] yielded this recipe. The avocado and fresh cilantro seemed to be the perfect compliment for the radishes and ultimately my spicy tomato-based soup, and I wasn't disappointed. Oh radish, I'm your newest fan.
The recipe describes a lovely presentation for the salad on the plate, but in the name of time [and simplicity], I just dumped everything in a bowl. It was still delicious, although the display would be lovely if you have the time.
Radish and Avocado Salad with Fresh Cilantromodified from epicuriousserves 2
Ingredients:
leafy green lettuce, such as butter or bibb
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
4 medium radishes, halved and sliced thinly
2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
1 tbsp minced shallot
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cabernet vinegar (I'm out of champagne vinegar, which the recipe calls for)
2 tsp dijon mustard
Whisk last 4 ingredients together to make dressing. Divide first 4 ingredients into 2 bowls and drizzle dressing on top.
The recipe describes a lovely presentation for the salad on the plate, but in the name of time [and simplicity], I just dumped everything in a bowl. It was still delicious, although the display would be nice if you have the time.
I am aware that my posts have been a bit sporadic lately, but I think I've had a pretty good excuse. Life. And the house guests that come with it. Brian and I have been playing host and hostess to a slew of old friends these last couple of weeks, which has been just fabulous but also very time-consuming. We've had a barbeque on our back deck, nights out on the town, quiet evenings in with a bottle (or two!) of wine and, the best by far, a weekend get away to West Virginia. Specifically, LostRiverModern, our favorite modern, pre-fabricated cabin in the woods.
I know that this is a food blog. But you have to understand that I am also a designer, armed with 6 years of education at two different architecture schools and several years of practical experience. And I simply cannot return from such a fabulous place with such wonderful memories and not share it with you. I just can't. So please bear with me - there are plenty of food photos and I even have a recipe for a simple and healthy chicken salad waiting for you at the end. And, when you're through, you should really check out LostRiverModern'swebsite and blog. And then book yourself a weekend get-away. You won't be disappointed.
I'll be back to regular recipe posting this week, as I have a backlog of drafts to publish. And, thank you all for the very sweet comments on my last post for key lime butter cookies. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. As for the cookies, I made a batch (for the third time - in one week) to take with us to the cabin. They were gone the first day.
[taken when we visited last October]
[potato salad with olives]
[burgers with roasted cherry tomatoes and pepper jack cheese]
[turkey and veggie chili mac]
[many games of rummy - I had to throw this in because of my incredible, once-in-a-lifetime lead. In case you can't read it, my column says "550" while Brian's says "20". Oh yes.]
[the owners are dog-friendly!!!!!]
[love.]
We can't wait to return. Many thanks to Chris and Sarah for sharing their beautiful home.
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnutsserves 4 as a filler for a lunch wrap or a side with dinner
Ingredients:
3 medium chicken breasts, cooked (I baked mine for 35 minutes at 350*, with a bit of olive oil and salt + pepper]
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp plain, nonfat yogurt
3 tbsp honey mustard dressing (I make my own and keep it in the fridge, always, using this recipe)
When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time at my grandfather's house. We were lucky enough to have him living just 2.1 miles from us, a distance I wouldn't think twice at running these days but didn't even dream of walking back then. I never had the experience of having a teenager down the street sit with me when my parents went out with friends because Papa was so close - he was always my babysitter. Staying with him was such fun. I am his only grandchild so, of course, I could do no wrong.
One of the best aspects of going to Papa's house was his well-stocked kitchen. And by well-stocked I don't mean fresh produce, top-quality olive oils or a superb selection of dried fruits and nuts (my grandfather used his oven for storage and ate most of his meals at the local all-you-can-eat buffet). Instead, he stocked all of the classic junk food that I wasn't allowed to eat at home - "t.v. dinners", Little Debbie cakes, KoolAid popsicles, frozen Snickers ice cream bars, Campbell's Chicken + Stars soup. I'd run straight to the kitchen as soon as we arrived to see what goodies he had picked out especially for my visit (because of course, it was all about me).
My favorite treat, and his too, were the Danish Butter Cookies that were always on his counter. You know the kind I'm talking about...blue tin, 5 or 6 different varieties of perfectly crunchy yet melt-in-your-mouth, bite-sized, sugar-topped, golden, butter cookies. I loved them all, but my favorites were the squarish sugar-crystal topped variety - Papa saved them just for me and I ate them by the handful.
Papa was recently moved into a new assisted living facility that provides a more home-like environment than his last residence. For some reason, when discussing his new home with my mother, I get images of him sitting in his wheelchair at a sunny window with a butter cookie tin in his lap. I've had him, and those cookies, on my mind for the last couple of weeks. It was only a matter of time before I searched out a recipe to replicate them, and only appropriate that my adaptation of them involved another of Papa's favorite flavors - key lime. He is the 6th generation of Floridians in our family after all, making me 8th until I moved 5 years ago. Key lime juice is practically in our blood.
The above picture is misleading...please don't follow its direction. My first batch of these delights was baked on a cookie sheet with no grease, as the recipe specified. The result? Cookie shrapnel, as pictured below.
My trusty Silpat saved the day, as always. I really don't know why I even bother to try baking without it, except that this time the recipe specified an ungreased baking sheet. The recipe is wrong, and the Silpat is necessary. Also, lean closer to the 1/4" dimension when slicing the log than the 1/8" - I think that thinness may have contributed to my first batch of shrapnel.
I sprinkled unsweetened coconut over the tops of my cookies (except for one batch, on which I forgot it and regretted it) and loved how the subtle toasted coconut flavor complimented the key lime. Also, I really like citrus. Really. So if you don't, you might want to reduce your key limes to 4 instead of 6.
One last thing - these cookies are addicting. If you don't want to eat all 36 of them I highly suggest that you share them with friends and co-workers. Because if they are in your kitchen you will eat them. I promise. By the handful.
Key Lime Butter Cookiesadapted from epicuriousmakes about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
zest of 6 key limes (about 3 tbsp)
juice of 6 key limes (about 3 tbsp)
course sugar or shredded coconut for topping (optional)
Method:
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer, 6 with a hand-held mixer. Beat in egg, vanilla, lime juice and zest.
Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
Form dough into a 12-inch log (2-inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours.*
Put oven rack in middle of oven. Preheat to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or other silicon baking mat.
Cut dough log into 1/4" slices, just enough to fill baking sheet with 1" between cookies. Refrigerate the rest of the dough until ready to bake. Sprinkle cookies with course sugar or shredded coconut.
Bake cookies until edges are golden, 14-16 minutes. You may want to rotate the cookie sheet midway through baking if your oven bakes unevenly, as mine does, or you will have some brown cookies and some golden. Watch the cookies CAREFULLY. Each of my batches took a slightly different amount of time and it doesn't take long for them to over-bake.
Cool on sheets for 3 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Bake remainder of cookies on cooled cookie sheets. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days, but don't count on them sticking around for that long.
*Dough can be chilled for up to 5 days or frozen (wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap) for 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced.
A few years ago Brian and I bought a house. Its a small house, just 800 square feet, but it has a large backyard for the dogs and a great central location in the city. Its been a work in progress since before we moved in - first the bathroom, then a new air conditioner and after that a full replacement of all of our plumbing, with lots of little projects in between. The kitchen has been on the list for quite some time and while we’ve been able to make a few changes, it still hasn’t gotten the full overhaul that it needs deserves.We love to entertain and, as everybody knows, company gravitates towards the kitchen. Why wouldn’t they, when that’s where the good smells, conversation and open bottle of wine are located? Because our kitchen is small with little space for two cooks let alone extra conversationalists, our guests typically wind up in the doorway, leaning on the frame and trying to stay out of the way as Brian and I hustle about preparing a meal. We’ve gotten good at the “kitchen dance”, one of us putting a hand on the other’s back as we pass behind them with a hot pan or using a hip to “bump” the other aside so that the oven door can be opened. Its fun and amusing, but less than ideal.Eventually the kitchen will be re-designed and our guests will have a proper place to sit with a spot to rest their drink as they watch us cook. Until then, when entertaining, we will continue to try and prepare as much as we can ahead of their arrival so as to limit the amount of time that two of us are required in the kitchen together. Getting the meat in the oven, assembling the cobbler for dessert, chopping the veggies to be sauteed just before the meal - anything that will allow us to enjoy our guests without worrying that in our frenzy we might miss a step of our dance and burn an arm. If you’re looking for a main dish that has a maximum return for your relatively low effort, - that you can dress quickly, pop in the oven and after 40-60 minutes and a few bastings be rewarded with a beautiful and delicious star component of your meal - this is it. Not only does it make a lovely presentation, but the pork stays incredibly moist with the figs at its center and the flavors compliment each other wonderfully. There is a wine and fig sauce that came with the original recipe but in the interest of saving time and minimizing effort we chose not to make it. I’m sure it would be delicious.And the pork is perfect for sandwiches the next day, if you’ve got any leftover.Pork Roast Stuffed with Figsrecipe from The New York Times
Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin, about 2 pounds
1 cup dried figs
about 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper
wine, if necessary
Method:
Cover figs with hot water and allow to soak. Preheat oven to 425.
Trim pork loin of excess fat as necessary. Wriggle a thin, sharp knife into each end of meat, making a hole. Then, use the handle of a long wooden spoon to force a hole all the way through meat, making it as wide as your thumb.
Drain figs when they are tender, but not mushy. Reserve the liquid. Stuff the figs into the roast, all the way to the center from each end.
Combine salt, pepper and rosemary and rub it all over meat. Place meat in a roasting pan and pour about 1/2 cup of fig liquid over top of it. Roast undisturbed for 20 minutes.
Lower heat to 325 and continue to cook, basting with pan juices every 15 minutes or so. Add liquid (wine or water) if necessary.
When an instant-read thermometer registers 145-150 degrees - probably after 40-50 minutes - remove roast to a warm platter. (when checking temperature, be sure that thermometer is in meat, not fruit)
Let sit for 15 minutes. If you wish, make sauce described here. I did not, and the roast was still delicious.
In The Blog World:
My cousin Meghann is hosting an Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods Giveaway! Be sure to check out her blog and enter to win by midnight Friday. Also, don't forget that she is hosting another Blogger Bake Sale starting next week. She's been posting daily Baker's Spotlights to introduce all of the talented and generous bakers who are donating their goods for a great cause. Get to know the bakers so you're ready to bid on your favorite items!
The lovely ladies over at Keep It Simple Foods are hosting a Quaker Giveaway...who wants a free box of Quaker Simple Havest Trail Mix Bars? Me!!!
Click here for a FREE Barney Butter sample! Thanks Hangry Heather for mentioning it. I'm intrigued by this stuff, aren't you?
Bobbi of NHerShoes is giving away a Danskin workout jacket in a beautiful honeysuckle color...one can never have too many workout clothes!
I hope you all have a great Friday and weekend!!!
March is a big birthday month in our household. We kick it off right with Brian's at the very beginning, end it with mine and have a whole slew of friend and family celebrations in between. I've never attempted to actually calculate the numbers, but if I had to guess I would say that 30-40% of the birthdays we actively celebrate fall within March. That means a lot of cake and cocktails, which, following a winter of heavy comfort foods makes the whole month seem like a last hurrah for indulgent eats before the panic of a looming swimsuit season sets in. The mostly dreary weather of March has put a damper on my running habit as well. Although the coldest temperatures of the month are typically much higher than those in January and February, the occasional 60* teaser days make the moderately cold ones completely unbearable. I have a hard time motivating myself to tie my shoes and hit the road on a 40*, overcast evening (which in February would have felt downright warm) when my previous run had me in shorts and a tank top.And now here I am on the eve before the start of April, my legs sore from last night’s run after the prior week’s hiatus, my mouth craving a sweet because its become a daily habit and, dare I say, my body a couple of pounds heavier than it was just one month ago. I started this blog originally to hold me accountable in my healthy eating and exercise habits, but found (along with an amazing community of people and many new friends) that the creative aspects of photographing and writing about food were more compelling for me than the keeping of a food diary.
Its been about a month since I switched formats, and although the timing may have been poor what with all of the celebrations that March holds, I think the changes I've seen in my daily habits prove a point. Food diaries work. At least for me they do, which is why I'll be keeping a closer tab on myself starting tomorrow. But don't worry, I won't be switching things up on you again. I really love the direction the blog is heading and from the positive feedback I've received, I think you do to. What you will be seeing are some lighter, healthier, simpler and hopefully more economical recipes popping up on Bella Eats this month, starting with this one.
This soup was delicious. So good that Brian and I haven't been able to stop talking about it for two days. Its very simple, using ingredients that we always have on hand - carrots, celery, onion, canned beans, canned tomatoes, dried mushrooms, dried grains, good olive oil and fresh herbs are staples in our kitchen. The mushrooms added such a wonderful earthiness to the broth that I don't know if I'll ever be able to make vegetable soup without mushrooms again. And the infused olive oil adds so much depth. Please - please - don't leave it out. You won't be sorry.
Mushroom White Bean Soup with Rosemaryrecipe inspired by keep it simple foods and the new york times
Ingredients:
1/2 oz porcini mushrooms, dried
6 cups veggie or chicken broth (I used chicken)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, cut in half and sliced into 1/4" pieces
3 celery stalks, sliced into 1/4" pieces
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (15oz)
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
2 cans cannelini or navy beans (15oz each), drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
Method:
First make infused olive oil, recipe below. It will need to sit for 2 hours before serving, so be sure to plan ahead.
Boil 2 cups of water. Place dried mushrooms in a glass bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let sit for 30 minutes. Place a fine mesh strainer over a separate bowl. Lift mushrooms out of water and squeeze over strainer, collecting liquid in second bowl. Rinse mushrooms in strainer with cold water and squeeze out excess over sink. Chop mushrooms and set aside. Pour the mushroom soaking water through the strainer into the second bowl. Add water as necessary to make 2 cups. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom soup pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute' for 5-7 minutes, until starting to tenderize. Add the garlic, rosemary and thyme and saute' an additional 30 seconds.
Add the chicken broth, mushroom liquid, chopped mushrooms and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a heavy simmer and add the barley. Continue to simmer for 12-15 minutes until the barley is tender. Add the beans and salt + pepper to taste.
Serve immediately with rosemary + porcini oil drizzled on top.
Rosemary and Porcini Infused Olive Oilrecipe modified from bon appetit
Ingredients:
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 whole garlic clove
1/2 oz porcini mushrooms, dried
Method:
Place mushrooms in a strainer. Rinse under hot water and drain well. Pat dry.
Combine mushrooms, oil, rosemary and whole garlic clove in small, heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat until thermometer inserted into oil registers 180*F, about 8 minutes. (I am currently without a thermometer so left my oil on for 9 minutes, just in case).
Remove from heat, cover and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Oil can be refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
Thank YouAll for the great comments you write on my posts, they really make my day! Welcome to my new readers who have found your way here from Tastespotting and Foodgawker, I look forward to hearing from more of you and to sharing some simple, healthy recipes with you this month. Enjoy!
One of the things I miss about living in Florida is the extended growing season for fruits and veggies. Our local farmer's market starts up in a couple of weeks (so excited), but it will be at least a month after that before we start seeing any fresh local fruit. Right now, in Florida, strawberries are abundant and I miss being able to stop at a farm stand to pick up a flat for several months out of the year. We do grow strawberries here in Virginia (we even have a few plants in our garden!) but the growing season is limited to about 4 weeks starting in mid-May. During that time I make it a point to visit the closest pick-your-own patch at least twice, coming home after each trip with a giant flat of berries, a slight sunburn and a full belly.
We manage to consume most of the berries we come home with while they are still fresh, but towards the end of the season I'll make a final trip to the patch to pick the few remaining berries that haven't been zapped by June's high temperatures, just to freeze for smoothies later in the summer. Strawberries you've picked and frozen yourself bear no comparison to those you buy in the freezer section of your local grocery and I will surely be freezing some again this year. But I've also decided on another method of preservation for this May (JAM!!!), or maybe its merely an excuse to buy even more at the patch. Because really, nothing makes me much happier than loading up a cardboard box with mounds of freshly picked berries.
In the meantime I'll be making do with the fresh Florida strawberries I'm finding at Whole Foods, which are absolutely delicious even if they do lack the nostalgia that comes with picking them yourself. Canning is a new process for me, and I want to be sure to get some practice in before facing the challenge of preserving enough berries to make my fresh Virginia strawberry nostalgia last me from June 2009 until the following May. Luckily I remembered reading a Molly Wizenburg article in last June's Bon Appetit that outlined the process quite precisely, and was able to adapt her recipe to use strawberries and their favorite partner, rhubarb.
The result was delicious, although I might consider reducing the sugar in my next batch so that the tartness of the rhubarb shines through a bit more. This recipe can be adapted to use an endless variety of fruit, and I plan on experimenting with as many as I can come summertime.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jambasic jam recipe from Orangette via Bon Appetit
Ingredients:
24oz fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
1-1/2 lbs rhubarb (about 5 stalks), sliced into 1/2" chunks
2 cups of sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Method:
Place sliced strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Mix to coat and let sit for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Place 2 saucers in freezer.
Transfer fruit mixture to large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Use a hand-held mixer or immersion blender to puree the fruit as best you can. Reduce heat to medium and boil gently until mixture begins to thicken, stirring often, about 18 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat to test jam for gelling point. Drop 1 teaspoonful jam on chilled saucer and return to freezer 1 minute. Remove saucer and push edge of jam with fingertip. If jam has properly gelled, surface will gently wrinkle. If not, return saucepan to heat and cook jam a few minutes longer; repeat test.
Ladle hot jam into jars. Allow to cool and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.*
* If you'd like to preserve the jam for longer, follow Molly's method here. The jam will keep for months, unopened in the pantry, if you follow a proper canning method. Then, you can send a jar to friends and make them very, very happy.
Thank you all for the sweet Happy Birthday messages! I had a fabulous day, or weekend actually, filled with cake (friday, saturday AND today!), dinner out, brunch in and lots of great company. I could not have wished for more, and your messages have put it over the top. Thank you!!!In the Blog World:Roseis giving away one of those fantastic Quaker robe and slipper sets! The deadline is midnight tonight, so hurry up! And after you enter, stick around to read more of Rose's wonderful blog and fabulous oatmeal stories...she is such a creative lady!
Its approaching 4 years since Brian and I packed up and moved to Virginia. We came from North Carolina, but had only lived there for one year so were really still Floridians at heart. Having spent the first 22 years of our lives in the Sunshine State we were new to the whole idea of seasons, or at least noticeable seasonal changes. Each year I discover new subtleties in the transitions from one season to the next. I'm getting good at knowing which flowers in my yard will be first to wake from their winter slumber (snowbells) and which trees will show the first signs of life (plums). I've even finally realized that just because the temperature reaches 70* one weekend in early March, it doesn't mean that we won't have snow two days later. I know this, yet I'm still surprised each year.Even with all I've learned in the last four years, I’m still trying to get used to the radical temperature swings that Virginia sees when transitioning from Autumn to Winter and Winter to Spring. Last weekend the highs were forecast to be in the mid-60's, perfect weather for getting seeds planted in the garden, yet when I woke up Sunday morning my bedside thermometer read 28*. Since I knew what was to come later that day, I quickly called my walking buddy Christine (due any day now with her baby girl!!!) and rescheduled our stroll for the afternoon, when the weather would be more pleasant. And then I crawled back in bed.Though it postponed my morning exercise, what this cold morning did afford me was longer snuggle time under the covers with Brian and our dogs, a large pot of coffee after finally making my way to the kitchen and the opportunity to make this recipe that I found at Seven Spoons some weeks earlier. We all know that I love oatmeal (who doesn't? really?) so I was excited not only to discover Tara's lovely blog on Tastespotting, but to be introduced to it through a recipe that was so very perfect for me. Oats, fresh fruit, almonds and pepitos and some of my favorite spices all baked together into a warm, satisfying breakfast...what's not to love?This dish was really delicious. I substituted fresh strawberries for Tara’s frozen blueberries and added some orange zest because, well, I think everything is better with a bit of citrus. There are endless possibilities of fruit and spice combinations, and I think you could even substitute some or all of the sugar for honey or maple syrup. It would make for a great meal when you have a couple of house guests but it also heats up exceptionally well the next day if you want to keep it all for yourself.Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and Bananasoriginal recipe from seven spoons
Ingredients:
Softened butter for greasing the pan
2 cups large flake rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup pepitas, lightly toasted
2 teaspoons flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
zest from 1 medium orange
2 cups milk (I used plain soymilk)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
3 medium bananas, diced
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
Coarse sugar, optional
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease the inside of a baking dish, 2-quart capacity.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, brown sugar, pepitas, flax seeds, baking powder, orange zest, spices and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, almost all of the butter (save about 1 teaspoon for drizzling over the finished dish), vanilla and maple syrup. Set aside.
In the prepared baking dish, spread the diced bananas in an even layer, then scatter the strawberries over top. Pile the oat mixture to cover the fruit, but do not pack too tightly. Carefully pour the wet milk mixture over the oats.
Drizzle over the reserved butter, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the oatmeal is puffed and set, with a golden brown top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
In the Blog World...Meghann is hosting another Blogger Bake Sale to raise money for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society! Not only do I love Meghann because she is my cousin, but this girl is so incredibly inspirational. I love reading about her accomplishments with running, fitness and healthy eating. She's competed in many races and come up with some really great recipes. Read about her first bake sale here - she raised $1320 for a great cause!!! I'll be donating this and this, so be sure to check her blog on April 6th to place your bids!!!
The fresh produce this time of year holds some of the blame as well. When you're picking sugar snaps straight from the vine outside your kitchen door and have an abundance of fresh lettuce at your feet its hard to imagine doing anything but going straight inside, dumping it all into a bowl and drizzling it with a simple vinaigrette. Or, when you've just pulled perfect little beets from the ground and realize that you still have some carrots from the farmer's market in your fridge, images of simply roasted root vegetables sprinkled with salt + pepper laid across a bed of lettuce start dancing in your head and eventually wind up on your plate (pictured above). It can't be helped, really. And how about brown rice pasta with quickly-sauteed squash from the market? The quick and simple possibilities are endless.
And then there is my attempt to follow Mark Bittman's Vegan Before 6 diet, although I hate to call it that. The d-word has such negative connotations and forces thoughts of deprivation into my head, when this new way of eating doesn't make me feel deprived in the least. I've simply been reducing my intake of processed foods and animal products by following a Vegan diet from the time I wake up until dinner time, when anything goes. If you've read about me, you'll know that Brian and I are very conscious of what we eat and where it comes from, and strive to eat as sustainably as possible. I've found that switching to a Vegan diet for two out of three meals a day (and many days for all three!) has been a very easy transition because of the way we've thought about food for some time now. And its especially easy in the summer when my appetite leans towards light salads rather than stick-to-your ribs casseroles.
So, that was a lot of excuses to say that, basically, I like to eat simply in the summertime. I love salads that I can make on Sunday and eat for lunch the rest of the week, and simple breads that become the star of the meal with very little effort put forth. The plate above was assembled on an evening when we had a few of those salads in the fridge, fresh lettuce from the garden on the counter and 30 minutes to spend making flatbread. The roasted red pepper, chickpea and quinoa salad is simple, delicious and filling...just my kind of meal. And trust me, even on a low-effort dinner night the extra 30 minutes is worth it, because this flatbread is incredible.
I haven't shared the curried tomato salad because I screwed it up the first time we made it and wasn't completely happy with the results. The concept is a good one though and I assure you that as soon as local tomatoes grace the booths at the market I'll be trying it again.
The lentil + brown rice salad can be found here.
Whole Grain Flatbread
slightly modified from Mark Bittman
Ingredients:
This recipe makes 2 cakes. After reading some comments from Joy's readers I would not recommend trying to bake this cake in any pan other than loaf pans. Also, I used ALL of the syrup. I just kept brushing layer upon layer of syrup over the tops of the cakes, allowing each application to soak in before adding another. And, when there was just a bit left in the bowl, I poured it onto the serving plate and plopped the cakes right on top of it, allowing the bottoms to soak it up and get nice and lemon-y. If you're not a lemon fanatic like me, you might want to only use 1/2 the syrup.
Lemon Drenched Lemon Cakes
Recipe adapted from Dorie Greenspan via 
The recipe recommends that you make this cake the day before you plan to consume it. If you do, be sure to wrap it very well to keep it fresh overnight, or keep it in a cake dome. My gentle tenting over a dinner plate didn't work so well. And don't spoon the glaze over it until you are ready to serve.
Lemon Bundt Cake with Strawberry Sauce
recipe adapted from 
Such as how strawberries make a lovely addition to a simple salad, especially when you drizzle poppyseed dressing over the top. And how sugar snap peas are a fine enhancement for that same salad with their delightful crunch and sweet flavor. Oh, and that lettuce and spinach? Fresh from our garden as well. All the rain we've had this year has kept our lettuces very happy, we didn't have nearly the bounty in 2008 as we've had this summer.
And I can't forget to mention that a strawberry rhubarb syrup is delicious spooned over a lemon bundt cake, a recipe I'll share with you as soon as I can weed through the gazillion other drafts waiting (im)patiently in my drafts folder.
And what about the blackberries? They've multiplied exponentially this year, completely taking over the southern edge of the garden and providing respite from the afternoon sun for the tender herbs, onions and lettuces in their shadow.
Even as I write this post, these pictures I am about to share with you are already inaccurate. For now, the blackberries have started to turn a rosy red. In just a few weeks they will morph into plump purple berries the size of my thumb and provide endless possibilities for jams, pies and ice creams. I can't wait. I really can't.
But the sugar snaps, they are our greatest accomplishment yet this season. In years past we've started the seeds to0 late, so that just as the plants are starting to produce the heat zaps them and they crumple to the ground, leaving us with just enough peas to munch on in the garden but never enough to make it back to the kitchen. This year though, we've got more peas than we know what to do with. Each day I am bringing a bowl-full inside after popping half a dozen into my mouth while picking. They are delicious in salads and added last-minute to a stir-fry. The less you cook them the better - you don't want them to lose their wonderful crunch.
My latest use for sugar snaps comes from the June 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. The peas added a nice sweetness to a salad that threatened to be overwhelming with its spicy radishes, red onions and caesar dressing. I loved the textures as well - the crunchy sugar snaps and radishes were a nice compliment for the softer potatoes. Its a nice addition to any picnic or cook-out, and if you make it just for you there will be plenty for lunch all week long.
I decided to make this salad the day before we were to join some friends for dinner, thinking that potato salad is always more delicious after having sat overnight in the fridge. And it was delicious the second day, although no more so than the first, and certainly less beautiful. The vibrant colors you see below were captured just after the salad was assembled, with the potatoes still slightly warm. The next day all of the colors mellowed and meshed together, leaving a not-nearly-as-nice presentation. I won't make the mistake again.
Caesar Potato Salad with Sugar Snap Peas
from Bon Appetit, June 2009
Ingredients:
I've tried many different variations of mix-ins, from fresh fruit to chocolate chips to canned pumpkin, but I always come back to this combo. What are your favorite oatmeal toppings?
For those of you who have stuck around since the early food diary days - Thank You! - I appreciate each and every one of you and love seeing comments pop up from familiar names as well as new readers.
A few months back, one of my favorite healthy lifestyle bloggers, 
I made this almond butter in my KitchenAid food processor. At first I dumped the almonds into the smaller of the two processor bowls, with the smaller blades. After 10-12 minutes of whirring I still had finely ground almonds instead of the creamy butter that Heather promised would form after just a few minutes. Frustrated, I dumped all of the ingredients into the larger bowl with the larger blades, and within 2-3 minutes had the creamy consistency I was looking for. So, if you have a larger food processor (mine has a 12-cup capacity but I don't think it would need to be quite that big) it would be very helpful. But you may still get the consistency you're looking for with a smaller processor and additional time.
There are so many wonderful variations to this recipe (can I call it that if there are only three ingredients?) and I would love to hear about any favorites you all have tried. So, please leave a comment if you've made any nut butters of your own!
Cinnamon Vanilla Almond Butter
makes about 8 ounces
Ingredients:
I hope you’ll learn from my mistake, keep this recipe at the top of your list, make the cookies as soon as possible and share them with family and friends. Your loved ones will thank you, I promise. And be sure to go through your recipe folders, as I will be this weekend, to see if you have any other recipes tucked away that have been recommended by your momma. Because those recipes shouldn't be shuffled to the bottom.
Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe modified from Giada De Laurentiis via 
This visit was no exception. On the drive from the airport we discussed what lunch would be the next day, a trip to my favorite Vietnamese Pho restaurant of course, since Charlottesville is lacking in Pho. Saturday's festivities menu was also discussed and last minute grocery lists were made. On Friday afternoon we got to work in the kitchen, each of the four of us with our own list of tasks and stack of recipes, all delegated at the family meeting around the kitchen table 10 minutes before. We moved around each other as if having been choreographed, the evening nearly flawless aside from my lack of preparedness with eclair ingredients - the pate a choux dough comes together rather quickly, for future reference. Saturday was spent enjoying the results of our hard work with more family and close friends, and celebrating the marriage of two incredible people. It was a lovely, lovely weekend.
Since our return I've been unusually sleepy, most likely because of the ridiculous stress of flight delays on our way there and the busyness of the weekend from the moment we stepped foot in the sunshine state. I still can't help but wonder, however, if the copious amounts of sweets consumed has anything to do with my desire to take a nap at my desk by around 3pm each day this week. I wonder how long the effects of a sugar high and the resulting crash can stay in your system... I'm kidding of course. Maybe.
I've intended to write this post each evening after work these last few days, but every time I opened my iPhoto account and glimpsed the 500+ photos taken during our stay in Florida I became overwhelmed, and even more tired. Its been a struggle to decide which recipe to share with you first, the stuffed french toast filled with sliced bananas and homemade strawberry jam, the tangy creole mustard sauce that graced the perfectly poached fillet of grouper, the unbelievably delicious amaretto chocolate chip cookies and their accompanying amaretto buttercream frosting, or the beautiful mini eclairs with their vanilla custard filling and chocolate ganache topping.
In the end I've decided on this simple salad. It will probably seem bland and boring after the list of possibilities I gave above, but it really should not be ignored. Perhaps that's why I decided to feature it first, to emphasize that although a lentil + brown rice salad may not have been the star at our festivities in Florida, it was certainly a nominee for best supporting side dish. The ingredients are simple - after returning home to a nearly empty fridge and pantry I still had everything I needed to make this salad Sunday night. It was the first thing I did after loving on our dogs and making a quick dinner. Subtle and earthy with a lemony kick and a firm crunch, it has become the star of my lunches each day this week and will continue to make appearances at our table in the future.
Lentil + Brown Rice Salad
modified slightly from 
Congratulations Momma + Joe. We love you very much!
Apparently the field had been picked clean by a gaggle of girl scouts the weekend before and hadn't quite recovered yet. Now I have nothing against girl scouts, but when they clean out the strawberry field I am left with a few bitter thoughts in my head. If you've been 
On Sunday we continued our celebration of spring weekend by grilling out with friends. Brian has been working to perfect ribs on our Big Green Egg grill for a year now, with a long hiatus in the middle for those cold winter months. We thought that this weekend was going to be it, the moment when the ribs would come off the grill after spending hours smoking over low heat, perfectly moist and fall-off-the-bone tender.
I anticipated telling you all about them and had their post written in my head. It was going to be so perfectly coincidental that our first attempt at ribs on the Big Green Egg had been exactly one year prior, on the weekend of my graduation from UVA's M.Arch program, and that exactly 12 months of debates and research and a dozen racks of ribs later I would be sharing with you the perfect rib recipe. Sadly, it isn't so.
While their flavor was delicious, as it always is, the tenderness of the ribs just wasn't where Brian wants it to be. We'll get there, I promise, and you all will be the first to know - after we call all of the friends whom we've been experimenting on to gleefully tell them that we have finally mastered ribs on the Big Green Egg and to please, please, stop by for another taste-test.
Until then, a recipe for ginger bundt cake with ginger-infused strawberries will have to do.
And it will do, I promise, because here's the thing about this cake - it. is. delicious. I knew it would be a success as I was blending the farm-fresh eggs into the batter and it was turning the beautiful golden color you see above. The texture was just what cake batter should be, and the color given to it by those vibrant orange egg yolks (which you just can't get from grocery store eggs) was so beautiful that I did a little dance after each addition. The ginger-infused syrup for the strawberries is so perfect that I can't help but think of cocktail recipes that will utilize it all summer long.
This cake fits right in at the backyard barbeque, nestled in between ribs on the grill and the last few games of 
The recipe for Double-Ginger Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Ginger-Infused Strawberries can be found 
The smells that accompanied these mornings were varied but always indulgent. Sometimes we'd have flakey buttermilk biscuits with sliced ham and provolone, or my daddy would fry up eggs that we'd sop up with buttered toast alongside lil' smokies or pan-fried bacon. And some mornings there were cinnamon rolls or even better, orange danishes. Popped from a can, baked for 15-18 minutes and then slathered with glaze - those Sunday breakfasts were my favorites.
These days, now that I'm all grown up (some might argue with the truth of that, even me...) Sunday mornings are still somewhat lazy and indulgent. Saturdays are started early, sometimes with a long run, and always (during the season) with a trip to the farmer's market for breakfast and the week's produce before embarking on the day's agenda full of errands, chores and projects. Saturdays are busy and productive, the perfect justification for the extra 30 minutes in bed on Sunday mornings and the indulgent breakfasts that typically follow once my feet hit the floor.
And even better than my extra 30 minutes in bed is the fact that Brian typically requires an extra 2 hours in bed on Sundays, leaving me with the kitchen all to myself. This is my baking time. I wake up to a quiet house and kick the dogs out to the back yard to ensure that it remains quiet. I clean up any leftover dishes from the night before while going through breakfast ideas in my head. This is the time when new
These cinnamon rolls were delicious, certainly a step up from the canned variety although they take about 3 times as long to prepare. I substituted spelt flour for some of the all-purpose and loved the extra flavor that the whole grains provided. I've become a big fan of spelt flour lately, experimenting with Wiggs' 
The original Cook's Illustrated recipe can be found 
The chives are in full bloom...aren't they lovely? I clip them to put in vases around our house, not only because I love their color but also because if the flowers are left to reach full maturity in the garden we will have chives popping up in every nook and cranny next year. They are incredibly hardy and reproduce like crazy - we divide them to give to friends each year just to keep things under control. Luckily, we are big fans of cooking with chives in our household so those we keep rarely waste away in the garden.
We've also recently discovered that thyme is a very useful herb in a variety of dishes. Keep it whole in soups or as a bed for baked white fish or salmon (it will infuse the fish with a delightful flavor and scent). Or, gently pluck the leaves from the stem and stir them into a buttery barley risotto, our newest discovery and one that fast-tracked its way to the top of our favorites list.
This meal is one that I concocted while sitting at my desk in the office, waiting for the last 30 minutes of the work day to tick by. My mind tends to wander towards food often, especially when dinner is eminent. On this particular day I realized that things were getting a little sparse in our refrigerator, other than a little baggie of brussels sprouts I'd picked up at Whole Foods the weekend before that needed to be cooked as soon as possible. We always keep a variety of grains in our pantry and luckily so because on this day, thoughts of risotto topped with golden brussels sprouts danced into my head and refused to be silenced.
I wanted a risotto heartier than the typical white rice variety so chose to use barley instead. If you've never tried using barley in risotto I insist that you do, as soon as possible. Barley adds an earthy depth to the dish that is especially good with herbs, spinach or mushrooms. It may take a bit longer to cook than the traditional rice dish but it is more flavorful and filling*.
Brian and I ate in complete silence this night, save the occasional "this is SO good" or "I could eat this EVERY night" comments. The thyme complements the barley and the brussels sprouts beautifully, and the high-quality butter was worth the extra splurge. I used 
Buttery Barley and Herb Risotto with Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts
serves 3-4
Risotto:
*Don't get me wrong, I love a good arborio rice risotto as well, but I typically reserve it for when the risotto is a side rather than the centerpiece. Arborio rice has a milder flavor and is tasty with butternut squash or other sweeter vegetables like beets.
My salad isn’t exactly like Bizou’s, but its close. I haven't given quantities of anything because its not necessary to be that precise. Just keep tossing ingredients together until you've got a good variety of textures and colors in your bowl. The picture above is missing walnuts, a key ingredient and one not to leave out. I did on this one occasion because we were sharing it with a friend who is allergic, but it is definitely best with them. The honey mustard dressing is an Alton Brown recipe that is delicious as it is and I’ve never taken the time to play with it. However, Bizou’s dressing had mustard seeds and I love the crunch they provide - its worth experimenting with. Also, buy good quality chevre to crumble on top. You won’t be sorry.
Golden Beet Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Salad:
So many good, simple recipes came from the grill, oven and food processor that I had a hard time deciding which to share first. Ultimately I decided on this one because it was the most recent of my options and looking at the photographs caused my mouth to salivate at the memory they evoked. Also, I love that the simple pasta dish uses fresh ingredients purchased at the farmer’s market Saturday morning - sweet Italian sausage from one favorite farmer and tender mustard greens from another. If only I’d stopped by the 
Pasta with Sausage and Spring Greens
serves 3
Ingredients:
And, in the midst of all of that busyness, I've become completely obsessed with 
When life gets hectic Brian and I try to plan meals that are quick to prepare and last for days. Our crock pot comes in handy on these occasions, acting as our own personal chef slaving away while we're at the office. This particular soup was the result of us running home on our lunch break to 
That evening I hurried home, ladled soup into pyrex bowls, grabbed a bottle of wine and our dogs and got back to work. Even though dinner was eaten while sitting in front of my computer it felt good to know that it was homemade and healthy, so much better than the take-out that is usually consumed on such late nights.
This week will be busy as well (I had to work this weekend to prepare for it) but hopefully things will be back to normal soon. And, I'm halfway through the 
Obviously this recipe can be modified in many ways to suit different tastes. I personally think that adding a bit of spice to the broth would be delicious.
Crock Pot Minestrone
serves 6, or 2 for three meals
Ingredients:
Radishes and I don't have much of a history. In fact, until Sunday, I didn't think that I even liked radishes. But as I stood in front of the deep scarlet globes in the middle of a very busy produce department and racked my brain trying to think of why I didn't like them I could not come up with one recollection of ever actually eating a radish. Maybe once or twice, shaved over baby greens on a salad, but never on their own or displayed proudly and prominently as a key ingredient in a dish. And, since I'd been reading 
I even, coincidentally, picked up 
So impressed was I with my first official radish experience that I came home from the office today to make a salad with radishes for lunch, stopping first at the local market for an avocado. I made 
The 
I know that this is a food blog. But you have to understand that I am also a designer, armed with 6 years of education at two different architecture schools and several years of practical experience. And I simply cannot return from such a fabulous place with such wonderful memories and not share it with you. I just can't. So please bear with me - there are plenty of food photos and I even have a recipe for a simple and healthy chicken salad waiting for you at the end. And, when you're through, you should really check out LostRiverModern's 
I'll be back to regular recipe posting this week, as I have a backlog of drafts to publish. And, thank you all for the very sweet comments on my last post for 
[taken when we visited last October]
[
[burgers with roasted cherry tomatoes and pepper jack cheese]
[turkey and veggie chili mac]
[many games of rummy - I had to throw this in because of my incredible, once-in-a-lifetime lead. In case you can't read it, my column says "550" while Brian's says "20". Oh yes.]
[the owners are dog-friendly!!!!!]
[love.]
We can't wait to return. Many thanks to 
Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts
serves 4 as a filler for a lunch wrap or a side with dinner
Ingredients:
One of the best aspects of going to Papa's house was his well-stocked kitchen. And by well-stocked I don't mean fresh produce, top-quality olive oils or a superb selection of dried fruits and nuts (my grandfather used his oven for storage and ate most of his meals at the local all-you-can-eat buffet). Instead, he stocked all of the classic junk food that I wasn't allowed to eat at home - "t.v. dinners", Little Debbie cakes, KoolAid popsicles, frozen Snickers ice cream bars, Campbell's Chicken + Stars soup. I'd run straight to the kitchen as soon as we arrived to see what goodies he had picked out especially for my visit (because of course, it was all about me).
My favorite treat, and his too, were the 
Papa was recently moved into a new assisted living facility that provides a more home-like environment than his last residence. For some reason, when discussing his new home with my mother, I get images of him sitting in his wheelchair at a sunny window with a butter cookie tin in his lap. I've had him, and those cookies, on my mind for the last couple of weeks. It was only a matter of time before I searched out a recipe to replicate them, and only appropriate that my adaptation of them involved another of Papa's favorite flavors - key lime. He is the 6th generation of Floridians in our family after all, making me 8th until I moved 5 years ago. Key lime juice is practically in our blood.
The above picture is misleading...please don't follow its direction. My first batch of these delights was baked on a cookie sheet with no grease, as the recipe specified. The result? Cookie shrapnel, as pictured below.
My trusty 
I sprinkled unsweetened coconut over the tops of my cookies (except for one batch, on which I forgot it and regretted it) and loved how the subtle toasted coconut flavor complimented the key lime. Also, I really like citrus. Really. So if you don't, you might want to reduce your key limes to 4 instead of 6.
One last thing - these cookies are addicting. If you don't want to eat all 36 of them I highly suggest that you share them with friends and co-workers. Because if they are in your kitchen you will eat them. I promise. By the handful.
Key Lime Butter Cookies
adapted from 
Pork Roast Stuffed with Figs
recipe from 
In The Blog World:
My cousin 
This soup was delicious. So good that Brian and I haven't been able to stop talking about it for two days. Its very simple, using ingredients that we always have on hand - carrots, celery, onion, canned beans, canned tomatoes, dried mushrooms, dried grains, good olive oil and fresh herbs are staples in our kitchen. The mushrooms added such a wonderful earthiness to the broth that I don't know if I'll ever be able to make vegetable soup without mushrooms again. And the infused olive oil adds so much depth. Please - please - don't leave it out. You won't be sorry.
Mushroom White Bean Soup with Rosemary
recipe inspired by 
Thank You All for the great comments you write on my posts, they really make my day! Welcome to my new readers who have found your way here from 
We manage to consume most of the berries we come home with while they are still fresh, but towards the end of the season I'll make a final trip to the patch to pick the few remaining berries that haven't been zapped by June's high temperatures, just to freeze for smoothies later in the summer. Strawberries you've picked and frozen yourself bear no comparison to those you buy in the freezer section of your local grocery and I will surely be freezing some again this year. But I've also decided on another method of preservation for this May (JAM!!!), or maybe its merely an excuse to buy even more at the patch. Because really, nothing makes me much happier than loading up a cardboard box with mounds of freshly picked berries.
In the meantime I'll be making do with the fresh Florida strawberries I'm finding at Whole Foods, which are absolutely delicious even if they do lack the nostalgia that comes with picking them yourself. Canning is a new process for me, and I want to be sure to get some practice in before facing the challenge of preserving enough berries to make my fresh Virginia strawberry nostalgia last me from June 2009 until the following May. Luckily I remembered reading a 
The result was delicious, although I might consider reducing the sugar in my next batch so that the tartness of the rhubarb shines through a bit more. This recipe can be adapted to use an endless variety of fruit, and I plan on experimenting with as many as I can come summertime.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
basic jam recipe from 
Thank you all for the sweet Happy Birthday messages! I had a fabulous day, or weekend actually, filled with cake (friday, saturday AND today!), dinner out, brunch in and lots of great company. I could not have wished for more, and your messages have put it over the top. Thank you!!!
In the Blog World:
Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and Bananas
original recipe from 
In the Blog World...