The Domestic Adventurer

Barefoot Bloggers: Greek Panzanella

2010-07-31T19:43:00.001-07:00

Greek Panzanella was this month's Barefoot Bloggers pick. Though it may not take any longer to prepare than any other salad, this is no ordinary salad. The tangy, Mediterranean flavors in the vinaigrette along with the toasted bread cubes gives this dish its original flair. It would be a great dish for a party or dinner guests as it's more memorable than your everyday salad but isn't any more trouble to prepare. It's the kind of dish that guests are sure to remember, but you won't have to sweat over it too much.

This recipe was paired with an Herb-Marinated Pork Tenderloin in the episode guide. That sounded good so me so I whipped that up too. The recipe utilizes fresh herbs and lemon juice as a marinade which compounds the tenderness of the already tender loin. A bright and cheerful dish - both to the eye and to the palette.

Greek Panzanella
(from Barefoot Contessa)

Ingredients

Good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
Kosher salt
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, large diced
1 yellow bell pepper, large diced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
1/2 pound feta cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted

vinaigrette:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place the cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. While still whisking, add the olive oil and make an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Summer Supper: Quickie BBQ and Mac n' Cheese

2010-07-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Please Note: I'm having a bit of a blog template hiccup, so the background and sidebar items may look altered until I can restore order.

I love BBQ. When I was younger and traveled around with my parents, my dad was always searching for the best BBQ. He became a self-professed connoisseur of BBQ sauces from different parts of the south. I'd never attempted making it myself until about 2 years ago - of all times, when my parents were visiting for dinner! I don't know what I was thinking. Though that first try was just average, my dad gave his compliments, but to me, I imagine he would have said it was good even if it tasted like cow dung.

Anyway, nothing speaks summer quite like BBQ. This time I followed the Neely's recipe for BBQ sauce and it yielded much better results than my last attempt. I roasted the chicken in the sauce and then shredded it. It's topped with a Green Apple Slaw.

Now Mac n' Cheese might not scream summer the way that BBQ does, but it sure goes well with it.

Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Real Restaurant Recipes

2 c. dry macaroni
4 tbs. butter
4 tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 - 3 cups milk
1 egg
2 cups aged cheddar cheese

Cook, rinse, and drain macaroni, then set aside. Melt butter in pan then add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until blended. Gradually stir in 2 1/2 cups milk (adding more later if needed for consistency) and whisk often until sauce thickens. In a large bowl, whisk the egg then add the macaroni and stir until coated with the egg. Then mix in the cheese and finally, the sauce. Pour into a lightly oiled baking dish and sprinkle more cheese on top, if desired. Bake at 350 for about 20 - 25 minutes.

Weekending

2010-07-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

Since reinstating "Pizza Friday" in April, we've been faithful in upholding the tradition. Though not always innovative with our choice of toppings (which often falls to pepperoni and olives), the crust and sauce are always homemade. In April, I referred you to Elise of Simply Recipes for a spectacular crust recipe, which with her fine pictures and directions is sure to be a success. So this time, I thought I'd share a sauce recipe.

This sauce has a balanced sweet/salty flair with the addition of the Parmesan cheese and honey. It flattered the similar sweet/salty combo of this week's choice of toppings: pineapple and Canadian bacon.

Pizza Sauce
(adapted from Allrecipes.com)

1 can tomato sauce
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
pinch pepper
pinch salt

Combine and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Spread over crust and top as desired.

In other news . . .

This was the perfect accompaniment for a stormy Saturday afternoon. In case you can't tell, the book is the Penguin Classics edition of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Since most of my Austen books were purged in a yard sale several years ago (I must have been in one of my desperate purging moods), I'm thinking of rebuilding my collection with these hardcover editions. Each cover is slightly different and they have such a nostalgic feel to them (minus the dust and musty smell of most vintage books).

I hope you're enjoying your weekend . . .

Summer Supper: Inspiration

2010-07-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Whenever I get into a food funk I try to reflect on past sources of inspiration to light my cooking fire again. These days, my sources of inspiration are mostly blogs and food websites, and of course, cooking shows (which incidentally, I watch while I'm working out - go figure).

Of course, this hasn't always been the case. The internet was just taking off when I was a teenager and we didn't have a home computer until I was in my sophomore year of high school. Growing up, my earliest influence was cooking with my mother. I worked alongside her nearly every evening, preparing dinner. When I was younger my mother was what you might call a "homestyle" cook so under her direction I learned the basics - sauteing, searing, frying, baking, all that good stuff.

However, it was travel that sparked my interest in becoming more exploratory and experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients. My dad traveled internationally for work and I often tagged along. After each trip I strove to recreate the flavors that I'd experienced abroad in my family's kitchen.

The first "gourmet" dish that I ever made was a Honey Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Fennel from the book, Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes. Both the fennel and the Mascarpone cheese that the recipe called for were virtually unexplored ingredients in our household. It was a much richer dish than my family was used to eating but it was deemed a success. I started tinkering with the ingredients and eventually transformed it into something that became a regular stand-by recipe for potlucks and family gatherings.

I would say that experience defines my approach to food which is a blend of trying out the creations of others, and then tinkering with my own additions and adaptations.

One of my recent inspirations is David Lebovitz, who I discovered when I was searching for a recipe for spanakopita. I stumbled across his and gave it a shot - it was a fabulous pairing of simple ingredients. The only thing that I left out was the nutmeg.

I served it alongside a marinated bean salad. The twangy, slightly sweet Mediterranean flavors complimented the earthy flavors of the feta and spinach in the spanakopita.

Marinated Bean Salad

3 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. chopped, fresh mint
1/4 c. parsley
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, diced
2 tbs. olives, minced
1 can of white/Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed well
squeeze of lemon juice, about 1-2 tsp.
salt and pepper, to taste
feta (option, for topping)

Whisk together oil, vinegar, and honey. Add all other ingredients, through salt/pepper and toss gently. Allow to marinate at least one hour (longer is better) in the refrigerator. Sprinkle individual portions with feta cheese, if desired.

WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION?

Too Hot to Cook

2010-07-07T10:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'll add to the plethora (don't you love that word?) of posts out there about the heat. It's hot, folks. As I went out to water my flowers this morning I grew just a little bit irritable as I broke into a sweat at 8:00AM! The heat has also impacted my desire to cook. I've been trying not to let the air conditioner run constantly so it's usually pretty balmy in my house. The last thing I want to do is raise the mercury even higher by turning on the stove or the oven. I'll admit I'm not altogether too inventive when it comes to no-cook food so it's usually just the standard salad or sandwich.

Last week, while it was still in the 80s (which seems like it would feel really nice and cool right about now) I made this pasta dish that I read about from a fellow blogger at The Hungry Dog. It seemed like it would be a nice break from the usual tomato-based pasta dish. Indeed, it was! The sauce was creamy, without the cream and no single flavor was too overpowering. I love the flavor of cooked spinach and the ham added a hint of sweet saltiness. It was a great summer comfort food; filling, but not too heavy, and best of all, simple.

I've posted my adapted version below as well as a link to the lovely, original post at The Hungry Dog, who found the recipe in Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, which looks like a lovely cookbook.

Pasta with Spinach Sauce

1 16 - oz. package fresh spinach
3 tbs. butter
1 c. cubed ham
1 15 oz. container ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
salt
1 lb. penne pasta

In a large pot, cook spinach over medium heat until reduced and wilted. Drain slightly. (Note: I didn't excessively drain my spinach as I wanted the spinach water to replace some of the butter in this recipe, allowing the sauce to maintain a liquid consistency. ) Saute the ham in butter for several minutes until lightly browned. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, and salt to taste. Cook for several more minutes or until heated through, adding small amounts of salted pasta water if necessary to achieve the desired consistency). Cook pasta according to package instructions then drain and combine with sauce. Top with more freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy! This pasta was fantastic. Thanks again to The Hungry Dog for the inspiration.

Barefoot Bloggers: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2010-06-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

This cake was fabulous! I admit, I did make quite a few adaptations. I don't do a lot of baking in the summer, particularly baking rich, heavy foods. So the changes that I made were in an effort to make it lighter and healthier while still staying as true as possible to the original recipe and flavor.

First off, since this cake looked gigantic, I made a half batch. I also used part whole wheat flour and low fat sour cream. I opted against the glaze and instead put all of the streusel on top. The cake was moist and and the flavors light and simple - the perfect after dinner treat. This is definitely a keeper and I will no doubt be seeking this recipe out to make as it was originally intended for a special occasion or holiday.

I've posted my adaptations below - as always you can click the title to view the original recipe.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
(adapted from Barefoot Contessa)

6 tbs. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Streusel

2 tbs. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tbs. cold butter
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour single layer 8-inch cake pan (I used a cheesecake pan so that I could remove the outer rim without disrupting the topping).

Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to the batter until just combined.

For the streusel, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter, then add walnuts. Pour into prepared pan then sprinkle streusel evenly on top. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Serve and enjoy!

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Barefoot Bloggers Meets Summer Supper

2010-06-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

The BB pick for this month is Scalloped Tomatoes, but when I checked the episode guide I decided to make everything from that show in one meal. The episode was entitled Farm Stand Food and also included Zucchini Pancakes and Cape Codd Chopped Salad.

I must admit that while the scalloped tomatoes were pretty good, I enjoyed the zucchini pancakes and chopped salad more. The scalloped tomatoes were a wee bit too sweet for me and if I make them again, I'll be sure to put 1 tbs. of sugar instead of 2 - perhaps even less. I also think that the bread chunks are sufficient if the entire portion is eaten at once. However, this is almost never the case at my house as I'm only feeding my husband and myself. I typically cook 4 nights per week and the days in-between are leftover nights. When we reheated the scalloped tomatoes the second night, the bread chunks didn't hold up, and kind of dissolved into the dish. I'm glad that I tried this dish but I think I will stick with my stand-by stewed tomatoes which I prepare similar to chicken n' dumplings, by cooking mounds of dough in boiling tomatoes. All said, it was a great Summer Supper!

The zucchini pancakes were quite tasty and the Cape Cod Chopped Salad was excellent! It has the blend of flavors that I most love in a salad with the saltiness from the bacon, the sweetness of the cranberries, and the slight tang from the dressing. It is definitely one that I will make again and again.

I'm including the recipes for the Zucchini Pancakes and Cobb Salad with my minor adaptations. (I've included a link for the scalloped tomatoes but I'm not posting the recipe here since I didn't make any changes.) Of course, you can click the links to see the original recipes.
Zucchini Pancakes

2 med. zucchini
2 medium shallots, minced
2 eggs, beaten
6 tbs. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
olive oil

Grate the zucchini and then transfer to a strainer. Press zucchini with a cloth to release some of the water. Stir in shallots and eggs, then flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat then brush with olive oil. Spoon 1/3 c. pancake mixture onto pan and flatten with spatula or spoon. Note: Ina's recipe said to cook for 2 min on each side but mine took way longer than that - I'd estimate about 5-6 min. per side. I just kept checking them until they were sufficiently brown.

Pancakes can be kept warm in a 250 - 300 degree oven. I have an electric skillet so I simply threw all the pancakes back on the skillet for a few seconds to crispen them up before serving.
Cape Cod Chopped Salad

8 oz. Canadian bacon, sliced thick and cubed
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/2 c. walnut pieces
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 bag of Italian Salad mix with herbs

Dressing:

3 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
juice from 1 orange
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. maple syrup
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/3 c. olive oil

In a large bowl, toss together the bacon, apple, walnuts, and cranberries. Whisk together ingredients for the dressing then pour over the chopped mixture. When ready to serve, spoon the mixture over Italian salad mix.

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Saying Good-Bye to Spring

2010-06-20T15:28:00.000-07:00

On this, the eve of summer, it has been perhaps the hottest day of the season. I haven't checked the stats so I don't know that for a fact, but with the humidity it has surely felt like the hottest day of the season.

All day I've been daydreaming about this. . . .

I actually made this on a rather cool spring day in late April. It had been unseasonably warm for several days in a row but on the day that I made this, the temperatures took a 30-degree nosedive. Go figure. We still enjoyed the refreshing flavor of this somewhat light dessert.

So needless to say, the ingredients for a new batch of ice cream has made its way onto my grocery list for tomorrow. I contemplated making this, which I spotted on La Bella Cook. However, my hubby has requested chocolate, so I'll go with that for now. But doesn't that Margarita ice cream sound absolutely divine?

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2 c. vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. 2% or whole milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 pint fresh strawberries, smashed
a few sprigs of mint for garnish

Dissolve sugar into strawberries over low heat. Allow to come to room temperature after sugar has dissolved. Meanwhile combine yogurt and milk. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Add cooled strawberries to the mixture and combine with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds. Process in ice cream maker for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Where in the world have I been?!?

2010-06-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have had a bit of an unexplained absence lately. No, I did not fall off the blogosphere. I've just been on vacation. Now, if I was a good little blogger I would have posted to that effect and indeed I intended to but there was so much to do in the days leading up to our departure that it just didn't happen. As each day unfolded I would think to myself, when I get everything done, I'll sit down and post. . . You see how that turned out.

So where in the world have I been? Actually, nowhere too terribly exciting. I just spent a quiet week at Topsail Beach in North Carolina. We rent a house there every summer and we only go out to eat one night during the week so preparing for the trip is quite the ordeal. With all the stuff we have to take I tend to feel like I'm moving instead of going on vacation.

In the midst of the chaos before we left, I did manage to cook one good, wholesome meal. I had intended to post this as a grilled shrimp recipe for Barefoot Bloggers, however, it rained nearly every evening during the week that the post was scheduled so I finally gave up and just sauteed them. I followed the recipe for Ina's Grilled Herb Shrimp exactly, except of course, for the actual grilling part, and they were still delicious. I served them over vermicelli seasoned with garlic, salt, and parsley and alongside some sauteed kale, which we purchased locally from our Farmer's Market.

This was a great summer supper! It didn't take long to cook and the flavors were fresh and crisp. Since next week marks the beginning of summer, I intend to post one "Summer Supper" per week.

I'll leave you now with a few images from my week at the beach. . .

This shrimp boat was actually way off in the distance. My awesome Nikon Coolpix s630 captured the people on board, which you couldn't see from the shore.

This is the view from Daddy Mac's, which is where we typically go for our one meal out. That night, I had some fabulous grilled shrimp skewers.

Fettucini Amatriciana with Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

2010-05-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

The flavors of the pasta in this dish are simple and subtle so that the real stars are the smoked mozzarella stuffed meatballs. I had my reservations about using smoked mozzarella. I've only had it once before, when I melted huge slabs of it over portobello mushroom caps. At the time I remember thinking that I'd be avoiding it from now on. I think it was just too much and the smokey flavor too overwhelming. I am so glad now that I didn't opt for plain old mozzarella with this one. Those unassuming little half-inch cubes in the center of each meatball were so savory, with just a hint of smokiness.

I added a few small chunks of the leftover mozzarella to our Friday pizza and I used the rest with some grilled burgers which I also topped with caramelized onions.

Fettucini Amatriciana with Smoked Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
(This is only slightly adapted from a Giada de Laurentiis recipe. Hers is titled differently since she uses bucatini pasta.)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces pancetta, diced
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Meatballs:

1 small onion, very finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. ground beef
2 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound long pasta (bucatini, fettucini, or linguine)

For the sauce: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pancetta and reserve. To the same pan, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and the cooked pancetta. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.

For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine mix together all ingredients except the beef. Mix in the beef and combine all ingredients thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches) and place on the baking sheet. Make a hole in the center of each meatball and place a cube of mozzarella inside. Reform the meatball so that the mozzarella is completely covered with the meat mixture. Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with the sauce until pasta is well coated. Top with the additional parsley and Parmesan, if desired.

Barefoot Bloggers: Spring Green Risotto

2010-05-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

I actually made this a while back and I must confess, I made a few omissions. Miguel has an aversion to peas so I left those out, and I forgot to get asparagus when I went to the store, so that's absent as well. This is the first time that I've ever made risotto and I think it turned out pretty well. Though I may have cooked it just a few minutes too long. It was not overdone but I think I let too much of the liquid cook away. I've never had risotto before but it seems like I remember seeing it on TV and thinking that it was a little more liquidy. I don't know, but the flavor was great. I was tasting it all throughout the cooking process and I can say that the addition of the mascarpone, Parmesan, and lemon juice mixture at the end really makes it special. This dish embodies the flavors and colors of spring.

You can find the recipe at Foodnetwork.com

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In other news, Thursday is meal planning day and I'm looking at my list and it's totally empty. Do you ever get into a food rut? I think I'm in one - though it's not because of a shortage of ideas. I have a whole three ring binder and a bookmark folder that's full of ideas but I can't think of a single thing that I want to cook. It seems that I often feel this way in the spring. I'm not quite ready for the cool, light meals of summer nor do I have an appetite for the heavy flavors of winter. I need something in between . . .

A Cinco de Mayo Dinner and a Yard Sale

2010-05-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

I spent a good part of my free time last week in my mother's garage preparing for a Saturday yard sale. Over the years, my parents have accumulated a lot of stuff. My childhood toys and keepsakes, the belongings of deceased parents, and their own collections have measured up to every closet, attic space, garage space, and storage space in their house being cram packed from top to bottom. And I mean that quite literally. Last week my mother finally prepared herself for the realization that she needs to purge.

It's not as easy as it sounds. As we opened up box after box, we found ourselves picking up one little item after another and saying, "Remember when . . . " It's astonishing to me how hard it is to let go of things sometimes. It's as though we think that if we let the objects go, the memories will go along with them. Inevitably, there were a few artifacts that found their way into my car rather than priced and onto the yard sale table.

When I was little my Dad worked for an airline company which added up to lots of travel and time away from home and family. He brought me a t-shirt from every place that he visited. I came across a box of about 2 dozen of those very shirts.

They were from places like:

And:

And often they had cute little sayings on them like:

And:

I also brought home a mini glass tea set given to me by my Aunt Inez,

a set of mini vases that belonged to my grandmother,

two "Depression Glass" serving plates, one from each side of the family,

and my little set of miniature Strawberry Shortcake figurines.

I wish I could say that was all but I also lugged into my car my first favorite little stuffed animal and the book that I bought with my very first allowance (It was a Care Bears book - published and bought in 1984).

In the midst of all of that, I did manage to fix a Cinco de Mayo inspired dinner for my husband and myself on Wednesday evening. We enjoyed Chicken Enchiladas with Mexican Cornbread.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb. chicken tenderloins
1-2 tsp. taco seasoning (recipe below)
12 corn tortillas
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. salsa
1 can (14 0z) fire roasted tomatoes
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 lb. shredded cheese (Monterrey Jack or cheddar)
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a small amount of oil in a saute pan, then add chicken tenders and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Saute for several minutes on each side or until done and lightly browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool slightly and then shred the chicken. To the same pan heat about 1 tsp. more oil then add onion and garlic. Saute until tender then add the salsa, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. In a separate pan, heat the tortillas over medium-high heat for just a few seconds on each side.

Grease a large casserole dish with oil and then add a spoonful of the tomato mixture to the bottom of the dish. Roll up shredded chicken and cheese inside of tortillas and arrange in the casserole dish. Pour remainder of tomato mixture over the top and cover with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Taco Seasoning

1 tbs chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

I love to make my own taco seasoning. It's super simple and when you make it yourself you can be sure that it doesn't contain any unnecessary ingredients like MSG.

Fresh and Flavorful Turkey Burgers with Homemade Burger Buns

2010-04-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like the zest that fresh herbs add to a dish. In my experience, the use of fresh herbs allows for and even commands simplicity in cooking. Pairing one or two fresh herbs with simple, unobtrusive ingredients really allows their flavor to take center stage. My turkey burgers this week were both wonderfully simple and full of flavor. They are seasoned with chopped fresh rosemary (from my herb garden) and store-bought parsley (mine's not quite ready for cutting).

Keeping it simple allows for a pleasant, fuss-free weeknight meal. A simple meal also lends itself to taking on greater baking endeavors - such as made-from-scratch burger buns! For these buns, I followed the recipe for Tassajara Yeasted Bread in the Tassajara Bread Book (the recipe can also be found at Culinate.com). I divided the recipe in half and then separated the dough into six rolls instead of placing it in a loaf pan. This recipe calls for the dough to rise three times. I assumed that it would only need to rise twice so I hadn't budgeted time for a third rise. Therefore, I omitted the first rise and all still turned out fine.

Turkey Burgers with Fresh Herbs and Goat Cheese
-adapted from MyRecipes.com-
Yield: 4 medium burgers

1 pound lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
pinch of black pepper (or to taste)
1 egg
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 ounces goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
olive oil or cooking spray

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg with herbs, salt, and pepper. Add bread crumbs and ground turkey and mix just until well combined. In a saute pan, heat olive oil or cooking spray. Add burgers and cook about 5 minutes on each side or until meat in center is no longer pink. Top with goat cheese and your choice of burger toppings. Enjoy!

Spring Harvest Dinner: A Lesson in Waiting

2010-04-27T13:33:00.000-07:00

Our Sunday dinner this week was inspired by an effort to eat more seasonally. Here in zone six, asparagus and strawberries are ready for harvest. So I put together a spring-inspired dinner of asparagus soup (that I made with locally grown asparagus), homemade rosemary bread, and strawberries, which I served with a cream cheese dip.

I've been doing some reading lately (more on that later) and it's gotten my wheels turning about being more conscious of my food choices. As I flipped through my meal plan notebook from the past few months, I realized that I ate a lot of asparagus in January. I'll be honest, if you had asked me a few months ago when asparagus was harvested, I probably would have guessed in the spring, but truly, I hadn't really thought about it. I suppose that's pretty much the norm in our modern lives. We can go into the nearest grocery store and get pretty much whatever we want, whenever we want it, regardless of where we live or what month of the year it is.

As I did my grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon, I was happy to plunk into my cart a number of conscious spring-time choices; a load of spinach for a mid-week spanakopita, strawberries for sorbet, and lettuce to use in salads and turkey burgers. I was also aware that it was not yet harvest-time for the potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers that I also tossed into my cart, which means that they have likely traveled across more than a few state lines.

In recent years, I've experienced the reward of purchasing seasonal, local produce. It looks better. It tastes better. I feel better about buying it. Better yet, I know where my money's going when I buy it - right into the hands of the farmer who produced it. I had that kind of experience this week when I bought my local asparagus. It was 10 times more flavorful than the asparagus that I prepared in January and I all but laid eyes on the very soil where it came out of the earth.

I learned a lesson. It pays to wait.

My first memorable experience in patience and restraint when it comes to food was with apples. Six years ago I started eating organic apples that I bought from the local health food store. They were so superior in flavor and texture that when I bit into a conventional apple, I nearly spit it out. I was sold. From then on I knew that, if nothing else, I would only eat organic apples.

As the season waned, I noticed the abundance of apples starting to dwindle, until one day I walked back to their usual spot on the bottom produce shelf and found that there were none - something that I rarely, if ever, experienced with conventional foods at the regular grocery store. For a moment, I pondered stopping at that regular grocery store on my way home and picking up some apples there. However, I knew from previous experience that I'd just be disappointed. So that was it. I didn't eat another single apple until early autumn of the following year.

Let me tell you, it was worth the wait.

Cooking notes: For the Asparagus Soup, I followed the recipe in The Big Book of Soups and Stews. I winged it with the cream cheese dip. I mashed up about four strawberries, mixed them with 4 oz. cream cheese, and then kept adding vanilla yogurt until the consistency was right and it tasted sweet enough. The rosemary bread is from the Tassajara Bread Book.

Long Live Pizza Friday!

2010-04-26T10:14:00.001-07:00

I've reinstated "Pizza Friday" at our house!

For the first few years of our marriage, "Pizza Friday" was a weekly tradition. That tradition has evolved quite a bit since it's inception. In the beginning, we ordered take-out pizza, then we bought regular frozen pizzas, moving on to frozen pizzas in the organic foods section.

When I first starting making pizza at home, I used the pre-mixed dough packages that you can get in the store for something like .79 cents. There was our vegan phase when we topped them with nutritional yeast flakes. No your eyes aren't playing tricks on you - yeast flakes. Sounds appetizing, right? (Actually, it wasn't all that bad.) Eventually, I moved up to rapid rise yeast and finally graduated to regular slow-rise yeast.

What a difference the good, old fashioned yeast makes! If only I had known years ago how tasty and relatively easy a homemade pizza is. We could have been devouring it years earlier! Oh well, better late than never.

Since I started with the slow method, I've experimented with a number of different crust recipes. However, I keep returning to this one by Elise from Simply Recipes. It yields a crust that is so light and airy.

This week we went with a traditional pepperoni pizza (obviously our vegan phase has ended), though we like to vary the toppings from week to week. Oh, and the olives are only on Miguel's half. :)

Barefoot Bloggers: Jam Thumbprint Cookies

2010-04-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, these cookies are so very, very delicious.

They came out so much better than I thought they would. When I first started to prepare them yesterday, I intended to make a half-batch. Then as I was mixing together the flour with the other dry ingredients I had a change of heart and decided to make the full batch and give some of them away. Later, after all the ingredients were mixed together I turned the dough out onto the carving board and attempted to bring it all together in the disc that was to go into the refrigerator. The dough kept crumbling and would not come together! I was beginning to get worried and thought that possibly in my decision to make a full batch I had miscounted the cups of flour and dumped in too much. So I divided the dough in half in order to make it easier to work with and kept at it until I finally formed two cohesive discs.

I remained unconvinced, however, that my little cookies were going to be okay. In fact, I was so sure that they were irreversibly wrecked, that while they baked in the oven, I composed a whole post in my head about kitchen failures and what that does to my inner chef (or in this case, my inner baker).

So you can imagine my delight when I pulled them out of the oven looking all sweet and dainty. I could barely allow them enough time to cool before I bit into them. They were soft and scrumptious; not at all the dry, crumbly mess that I had envisioned. In retrospect, I think my blunder may have been, in my haste, not waiting for the butter to fully come to room temperature. Thankfully, it ended up being just a tiny mistake that didn't affect the outcome.

I really think that the quality of the jam makes or breaks this cookie. Use an ordinary jam and you will have an ordinary cookie. Use a quality jam and you will have a fabulous cookie!

For about 1/4 of the cookies I used this seedless raspberry jam from West Virginia. I love that this jam does not contain corn syrup. It's hard to find store-bought jams and jellies that aren't made with corn syrup.

For most of the cookies, I used this orange marmalade that my parents brought back for me from Florida. They were so good that when I made the second disc of cookies I used only the marmalade.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies - a Barefoot Contessa Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

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Banana Bread

2010-04-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said I never, ever eat raw over-ripe bananas? (In a previous post I showed you my Banana Pancakes.) Well, it's happened again. That resolution that I made at the grocery store this week to eat a banana every night for dessert vanished when my hubby came home with a half-gallon of Breyer's ice cream ( an unavoidable weakness ). So there my little bundle of good intention bananas sat, exponentially gaining brown spots by the day until I deemed them inedible.

Not one to be wasteful, I promptly arranged to make

Banana Bread.

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
3-4 over-ripe bananas, smashed (preferably 4 - for a moister bread)
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. strong brewed coffee (I usually just use my leftover morning coffee)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a loaf pan with oil and flour. Combine the first three ingredients and set aside. Cream together sugar and butters with an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, then add bananas, milk, vanilla, and coffee. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Fold in walnuts. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until inserted knife in center comes out clean.

I've also followed this same recipe for Banana Muffins. It makes exactly 12 large muffins. And tastes great with a cappuccino!

This is one of a pair of Mourning Doves nesting in a tree outside of our kitchen window.

While I was preparing this bread one of them kept dashing down to the ground and fluttering back up again with food (I assume seeds of some sort. I don't think they eat worms). Mourning Doves are one of my favorite birds so I'm happy to have them as neighbors. I love the way they look, move, and sound. Interestingly, they also tend to form strong bonds with their mates, often staying with them through the winter, after the breeding season is over.

First Project of the Season

2010-04-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

This time of year, my wheels get to rolling and I think up way more projects than I'm ever able to accomplish. There's just something about spring. I suppose it evokes thoughts of new beginnings, rejuvenation, and new life. Well, in addition to preparing my garden soil for new life I've also given new life this week to an old step stool that has been in my parent's garage since my grandmother died in 2004.

This is what it looked like when I started:

The tag on the bottom says "Cosco Product." I suspect that it was made somewhere around the late 1940s. I found an image for a Better Homes and Gardens ad for one on this Flickr site. The stool was originally red but as you can see it's been painted many colors since then. All through my childhood I remember it looking pretty much like this. At my grandparent's house, it served as my chair at the dinner table up until I was about 7 or 8 years old. I loved to sit in it. I suppose I thought it was special because it was different from everyone else's chair. (In reality, it was probably my chair so that my head would reach up over the dinner table.) When my mother was in high school she used it to paint her room a blinding blue for a home ec project. Before I painted it you could still see little specks of the blue paint.

After pouring over paint colors at Home Depot, I finally settled on "Green Apple." Here's the result:

My plan is to adorn it with little plant specimens in all sorts of non-traditional containers - i.e. tins, colanders, old tea pots, things of that sort. For now there's just this lonely little Pothos. It was once a glorious plant, bushy and trailing as far as 5 feet. However, at the end of last season I left it outside too long at it got bitten by a hard frost. There was one little sprig that I thought I could salvage so I clipped it and brought it inside where it's been rooting all winter in my front window. I've had this plant for 13 years so I knew I had to at least try and save it.

What's been on the menu this week? I was inspired by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution to make this stir fry dish:

Unfortunately, I have no recipe to post. I used this one as a loose guide but I never strictly follow stir fry recipes. It's very much a "dash of this, dash of that" type of dish for me. Therefore, I never really make the same one twice. For this one, I stir-fried the beef (3/4 lb. top sirloin) in a mixture of vegetable and sesame oil with a little soy sauce, fresh sliced ginger, and garlic. Then I removed it from the wok and added red peppers and mung bean sprouts (also with a generous splash of soy sauce). Once they were tender I added the beef back into the mix and sauteed it for a few more minutes to ensure that everything was heated thoroughly. I served the mix over Japanese noodles.

Barefoot Bloggers: Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

2010-04-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

The Barefoot Blogger pick for this week was Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies. The timing of this recipe could not have worked out better for me. 1) My mom recently gave me a ton of toasted pecans and I had no idea what I was going to do with them all. 2) I'm going out of town tomorrow to visit the in-laws and had yet to think up something to bring. I always bring with me a little hospitality gift - usually a quick loaf of some sort but I wanted to do something different this time. This fit the bill. I also had the added bonus of already having all the ingredients in my pantry.

I thought these cookies were a success. I left out the raisins because my hubby is not a big fan. Otherwise, I did everything according to the recipe. They seemed to retain quite a bit of their chewiness after cooling completely, which is nice. I loved the simplicity of this recipe. The measurements are standard and easy to remember. I can imagine making these another time or two and then never having to look at the recipe again. It's that simple.

Also, this is the first time I've ever baked with parchment paper. There's no turning back now.

For the in-laws, I put about a dozen cookies in two large treat bags (there are two because my husband's parents are divorced) and whipped up a couple of little tags to adorn them. They're sure to bring smiles tomorrow.

Future Note: This would be a good recipe to revisit this summer as an ice cream sandwich with some homemade vanilla ice cream.

I'm a Barefoot Blogger!

2010-04-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

Woo hoo! I'm now a Barefoot Blogger.

Barefoot Bloggers is an online community for those who love Ina Garten, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, on Food Network. The group makes two BC recipes per month and posts about them on a specified date. I love love love her recipes and have always had pretty good success with them so a while back I requested to join the group. I mistakenly thought that I would get an email confirmation so I'm not sure exactly when I was added but I just checked the site this morning and my blog was on the participant list.

The posting for yesterday was supposed to be Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies. I have all the ingredients so I'm going to whip up a batch after I run some errands and hopefully have a posting up by this evening.

Check back soon to see how they turned out!

The Portal Cake

2010-04-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Miguel's birthday. When we lived in our town the first time (we moved away and then moved back) we traditionally bought each other cakes from a local bakery - usually decorated in some theme based on something that we were interested in at the moment (I'm blessed with a husband with a variety interests and hobbies so decorating and gift ideas are pretty easy). The above cake is a replica of the cake from the end of the video game, Portal, which my husband loves. You can see an image of the actual cake from Portal HERE.

I thought about ordering one this year but ultimately decided against it. In line with my newly enhanced domesticity, I thought it only appropriate to make one. Over the last week I've been researching just the right recipes for both the frosting and the cake.

In the past I haven't had a lot of luck with frosting. I can almost always achieve an excellent flavor, but I have had more difficulty with the consistency - particularly with a two layer cake. Most often, it's too runny and oozes out of the sides. With that in mind, more recently I've been too cautious and it's been too thick to spread.

The frosting for this cake had both a good flavor and consistency - and that consistency has so far remained constant - always important.

I only slightly adapted the recipe from the Joy of Baking website by using less milk and more vanilla. For the chocolate I used two 4 oz. Semi-Sweet Ghirardelli baking bars.

Chocolate Frosting

8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter, cut into cubes
3 c. confectioners sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

If, like me, you do not have a double boiler, you'll need to "invent" one. One of my medium pots fits nicely on top of one of my tall soup pots so I used that. Combine the first four ingredients in the top bowl or pot. In the lower pot, bring enough water to boil so that the upper container just barely touches it.

Stir the mixture until it's completely melted. Then remove from heat.

Next add the three cups of confectioners sugar and whisk until it looks like this:

It will be a little runny - that's okay. If necessary, transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for several hours, or until firm. About 15-30 minutes before you're ready to spread the mixture take it out of the refrigerator and let it sit so that it starts to come to room temperature. Beat the frosting for a minute or two with an electric mixer until it is spreading consistency.

For the cake, I followed to a tee, the recipe from Smitten Kitchen for the perfect birthday cake. I think the key ingredient in this cake is the buttermilk. I've only recently (gasp, I know) started using buttermilk in my baking and now I'm addicted. For years I shied away from it because I don't like to drink it and I was always worried that it would make my goodies taste like curdled milk. How wrong I was! I've since learned that buttermilk actually enhances the flavor of many baked goods and improves rise and tenderness.

Along with the cake, I made a few Portal inspired gifts. If you're unfamiliar with the game, these gifts will seem a bit strange.

This is what is known as the "Weighted Companion Cube." I made it out of perler beads. In fact, it took nearly 2,000 perler beads to complete this project.

This is an image from the game that I embroidered. I printed off the image then used transfer paper to convert it to fabric as a pattern. It is stitched almost entirely in split stitches, with a few french knots in the text. I adhered it to a piece of sticky foam board before framing it.

Here's a detail of the stitching:

Unfinished Projects

2010-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

Well, the spring cleaning carries on. Unfortunately, it makes for a pretty lame blogging topic so I haven't been posting as much since it started. I'm getting there, but I'm getting a little tired of it now. Spring cleaning has, however, had some more attractive side benefits in the completion of a few unfinished projects. (Of which there are many to choose from at my house.) I'm a "starter." I hear so many others say that their trouble is in the beginning, if only they could just get started then there would be no problem. Oh, how I only wish that were the case. Today, as I organized my craft closet I saw that there must be no less than twenty started (but not finished) projects in there.

What can I say, I love beginnings. I relish in picking out a project, going to the store and pouring over all the materials, deliberating, and carefully selecting each one. Then I'm usually off with a bang and I'd say I get at least 1/2 way through every project that I start. Sometimes I see it through and other times, the romance dies, and it gets placed into one of about 1/2 dozen collections of other failed romances.

I do eventually get around to completing things though - like these necklaces for instance. They've been on my craft table for nearly two months - completely strung and ready to go minus one little thing - a clasp (the less fun part - now you see where my weakness lies).
They were in the way - that's how many of my unfinished projects finally get done.

I've still been leaving enough time for cooking and I'm really pleased with how this recipe turned out. As the temperatures slowly rise and the days get longer, I've been trying to eat a little less heavy. This makes for a nice in between meal - not exactly summery light but not quite winter heavy either. I love the hint of sweetness from the golden raisins. I'm sure you could substitute regular raisins but I think the flavor may be too strong. Golden raisins have a less intense flavor.

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous

olive oil
3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. of salt (or to taste)
1 28 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 c. golden raisins
chopped fresh parsley, for topping
chopped roasted almonds, for topping

Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil and heat on medium. Add chicken and saute then remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic, squash, and carrots to the pan. Saute until slightly tender. Add spices and chicken. Cook for another 2-3 minutes then add tomatoes and 1/2 can of water. Simmer until squash and carrots are tender - about 45 minutes to one hour (adding small amounts of water as necessary). Serve over couscous and top with chopped fresh parsley and roasted chopped almonds.

Note: For the couscous, I typically follow the package instructions. However, sometimes I also add a handful of golden raisins, chopped onion, or carrots.

The First Day of Spring

2010-03-23T05:05:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know this is not actually the first day of spring. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to post that day so I'm writing about it now. The first day of spring here was lovely. The sun was shining, the temperature was just right. So I thought it was only appropriate to take down the snowflake garland over the fireplace and transform the winter wreath into a spring one.

For nearly five years now I have used the same grapevine wreath over and over again, season after season. I try to use things that simply need to be sandwiched between the vines but if something needs to be glued I use a hot glue gun and usually the glue will pop off with a little coaxing when I'm ready to change things up again.

So on Saturday morning my front door went from this:

to this:

For a late morning breakfast I enjoyed some yogurt with homemade blueberry vanilla granola.

Blueberry Vanilla Granola
(Note: Recipe adapted from Food Network)

3 c. oats
1 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-2 c. dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 250. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, salt and brown sugar. In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, combine maple syrup, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Pour over oats mixture and mix well. Spread out granola onto two cookie sheets. Cook for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Allow to cool, then add blueberries. Store in an airtight container.

*****

In other news, it seems that my spring cleaning opened a can of worms. . . um, no wait, not worms - spiders! (Warning: If you're arachnophobic ( or my husband), you may want to stop reading now).

It seems that this:

drove these right out of their hiding places:

Here's the scary part. I've killed eleven of these big guys in our house since I started my cleaning last Thursday. Eleven. I feel like our home has been transformed into a movie set for Arachnophobia.

I've learned over the past few days though, that trying to do something like identify a spider on your own over the internet is like typing your symptoms into Web MD, you're sure to end up thinking you have something way worse than you actually do. I was starting to become convinced that we infested with some kind of a poisonous hobo spider (these guys are frighteningly huge). I submitted the above photo to allexperts.com and as it turns out the spider was identified as a hacklemesh weaver, harmless to humans but apparently they can still have a nasty bite.

Needless to say my spring cleaning list just got longer. Short of using harsh chemicals, my remedy so far has been to wash down all the baseboards with the lavender oil (I read that this may repel spiders) and place "sticky pads" in strategic locations around the house. I don't really want to used chemicals but I also don't want these things taking over my house. We'll see. . .

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted. Spring cleaning is in full force around here. In the past I've never had time for spring cleaning. At least that was my perception. Now I see it as one of the perks of being unemployed.

It's funny how perceptions change. When I was working, I dreaded any kind of cleaning with the same fierceness that I might dread a tooth extraction. And while I was cleaning I was about as happy as I'd be during a tooth extraction as I woefully considered all the other things I'd rather be doing. Now though, with more time on my hands, I don't mind it as much.

The exertion of spring cleaning calls for a hardy lunch. This was supposed to be a Monte Cristo Sandwich with Sweet Mustard Sauce but I made so many adaptations I don't think you could really call it that. The whole "Monte Cristo" thing sounded too rich for my taste so basically what we have here is a ham and turkey sandwich. After I finished making the mustard sauce I decided that it was too messy for dipping so I added 1/4 c. of mayo and turned it into a spread. It was just as tasty that way and much less messy.

Sweet Mustard Spread - (Adapted from MyRecipes.com)
1/4 c. red currant jelly
2 tbs. Dijon mustard
1 tbs. orange juice
1/4 c. mayonnaise

For the pasta salad I used the same dressing as the one for my BLT Salad. To the pasta I added 1 pint of halved cherry tomatoes and one bunch of lightly boiled asparagus. I also topped each individual portion with one chopped scallion. It was even better the second day!

Meatloaf Nostalgia

2010-03-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

I love the way cooking meatloaf makes the house smell. Usually, when I cook meatloaf I also slow cook a pound of lima beans in the crockpot along with mashed potatoes. I didn't quite get there with the Lima beans yesterday, but still the smell was wonderful - and wonderfully nostalgic. The savory smell of the meatloaf and the starchy aroma of the potatoes takes me right back to my childhood. It makes me feel like I'm walking into my grandmother's kitchen 20 years ago.

I spent weeks at a time in the summer with my grandparents and it didn't matter if it was 102 degrees outside - something was cooking in the kitchen. It was usually something aromatic and savory like meatloaf or pot roast. I can remember coming into the house after playing all afternoon in the yard - or helping out in the garden, sweaty and covered in a fine layer of red soil dust and the farther I walked into the house the stronger the aroma. You'd catch a whiff of it right when you opened the door.

I recreated that nostalgic smell in my house yesterday with Barefoot Contessa's Individual Meatloaves. The flavor was right on the money, however, I do think that the next time I make these that I'll use little mini loaf pans rather than placing them on a cookie sheet, in order to retain more moisture.

I've copied and posted the recipe below or you can also find it on Food Network.

Individual Meat Loaves

1 tablespoon good olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 (10 to 11-ounce) portions and shape each portion into a small loaf on a sheet pan. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees F and the meat loaves are cooked through. Serve hot.

Banana Pancakes

2010-03-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

An ongoing dilemma in our house is what to do with over-ripe bananas. I am not a picky eater by any stretch of the imagination, however, I am very picky when it comes to eating bananas. I will only eat them raw if they are completely free of even the hint of a brown spot and are still a little green. So we are inevitably left with two or three bananas from the bunch, left sitting out on the counter until I can make something else with them. Typically, they become one of two things - banana bread or banana pancakes. This week it was pancakes - topped with Vermont Maple Syrup and with a side of bacon. Yum!

Of course, if anyone has any other ideas about things that you can make with over-ripe bananas, I'm all ears. Someone once suggested Banana Pudding, however, since it's typically made using raw bananas, for me (picky, picky) they would still need to be a little green.

Banana Pancakes (for two)

1 c. all purpose flour (or whole wheat if you prefer it)
2 tbs. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbs. melted butter
2 over-ripe mashed bananas

Combine first four dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 c. milk, egg, mashed bananas, and vanilla. Mix into dry ingredients, just until combined. Fold in melted butter. (Note: you can use more milk if you like thinner pancakes). Heat pan coated with a little butter or oil over medium heat, then add desired amount of batter and cook until bubbles form in the middle of the pancake. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Yield: about 6 medium pancakes

Tip: If you're like me and you don't have a griddle where you can cook a large batch of pancakes all at once, then just preheat your oven to 250 degrees and as you cook your pancakes place them on a cookie sheet and into the preheated oven. This will keep them warm and crisp without further cooking them.

The Last Winter Stew?

2010-03-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

Could it be? Could it possibly be that last night's beef and barley is the last winter stew that I'll make this season? It sure seems that way with temperatures promising to rise into the 50s tomorrow and hold steady until at least next Friday. Of course, this could just be a typical March teaser. March likes to torment us with it's identity crisis. Is it winter? Is it spring? March plays both roles. It would not be at all out of character to take a dip back into winter late in the month. But today, the snow is already melting.

As we have had more snow this year than in the last five years combined, there have been many gripes and grumbles about the weather lately. I, however, have no complaints. My emotions and mood are very sensitive to the weather but it's not the dreary, sunless days that most people associate with S.A.D. that have an adverse affect on me. For the past few years, we've had mild winters but they've also been indecisive winters. 30 degrees one day, 60 degrees the next, and so on and so forth, for months on end. While some relish in the momentary and fleeting warmth, I feel like Mother Nature is toying with me. I feel jerked around.

This winter there haven't been those lapses into spring-like weather. It turned cold in December and it has pretty much stayed that way until now, March. Which is how it should be in the winter. Things feel in balance, not all topsy-turvy and out of whack.
(I reflect on this purely on a local level. The victims of the recent natural disasters in other parts of the world are ever-present in my thoughts and I am deeply aware that they do not feel that the world is in balance at this moment).

***

I knew I wanted to make one last hearty winter soup before the end of the season so I settled on this Beef and Barley which I adapted from The Kitchn. I served them with Herb Gruyere Biscuits, a recipe that I found on Viola with Emily. (I won't post that recipe since I followed the one on Emily's blog almost exactly. My only modifications were to use a little chopped fresh rosemary instead of the sage and I used just 1 stick of butter, instead of 1 1/2 sticks that the original recipe calls for).

Beef and Barley ~~Stew~~ Soup (The original recipe was for a stew but I added much more liquid making this more of a soup than a stew)

2 pound chuck roast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
4 celery stalks, medium slices
3 carrots, medium slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 cups beef stock
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup barley
salt and pepper

Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large soup pot on medium high heat. Add the meat cubes, in a single layer and brown on all sides (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Remove the meat and pour any remaining liquid over it. Set aside.

Using the same pot, add a little more oil and once heated add the onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and the garlic. Saute for another 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender (this soup is going to cook for a long time so you don't want the veggies to get too tender just yet).

Pour the wine in the pan to deglaze and cook until most of the wine is reduced - about 5 minutes. Add the tsp. of Worcestershire sauce, the beef, and then the beef and chicken broths. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the barley (and water if needed) and simmer for another 30-45 minutes - or until meat and barley are both tender.

Since I served this with the Gruyere cheese biscuits, I topped the soup with a little grated Gruyere cheese, just to tie things all together.

Note: After making this, I really think that a good quality meat is essential to this dish. I found a really nice looking 2 pound roast at the grocery store that had a nice thin marble running through it. As I was chopping it up, it had a nice rich and deep aroma, even before I started cooking it. It was a little pricey but in retrospect it was worth every penny. My husband said that it was the most flavorful and tender beef that I'd ever made.

Winter is Still Here

2010-03-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

Old man Winter came out to play again yesterday, if only to prove that he's still here, lurking behind overcast clouds and sparse moments of sunshine. Not that we'd forget, with the remains of the last snow storm still covering large areas of the ground. An inch or two of new snow blanketed the earth and clung to the bushes and trees, but not the roads.

It was a gentle, pretty snow. A subtle reminder that Winter lives on.

With that in mind, my salad weatherization continues with a robust BLT salad. The large chunks of homemade croutons, thick, creamy ranch dressing, and crisp bacon make this a hearty and substantial meal.

BLT Salad

Ranch Dressing

1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Salt/pepper

Whisk all ingredients together until well blended. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. I also occasionally add 1 tbs. Parmesan cheese. You can make this dressing as fattening or low fat as you like depending on the fat content of the mayo, sour cream, and milk.

Black Bean Burgers

2010-02-27T19:54:00.001-08:00

I make these burgers a lot in the summertime. They cook up quickly so it doesn't heat up the kitchen too much on hot, steamy summer days. They're also a good fall-back recipe for me because I almost always have the ingredients on hand, therefore they don't require any advance planning. I found myself in such a situation on Friday night, rummaging through the pantry wondering what I could throw together for a quick dinner. These simple, yet appetizing, burgers were the ticket.

Black Bean Burgers

1/3 c. chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
3/4 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 c. frozen corn
1 egg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
splash soy sauce
salt and pepper

After rinsing beans, place them in a bowl and partially mash them with a potato masher. Add all other ingredients and mix together well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Form into four large patties or six small ones. Coat pan with olive oil and saute for several minutes on each side until cooked through.
I served them on a toasted English muffin with roasted asparagus and sauteed potatoes.

We enjoyed a cheap, unfussy wine with our cheap, unfussy dinner. It was from Spain and though the bottle said that it paired well with pizza, our burgers were also a good combo.

Scarf Love

2010-02-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

I have a scarf crocheting addiction. I mean, who wouldn't? By mixing up different colors and yarn weights with different patterns you can get a lot of variety and flair, and the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment comes quickly. And since they are so quick to make, I don't usually have to add them to my pile of unfinished projects, which is always a relief. (I'll have to post about that sometime and let me tell you, it will be one loooong post.)

This scarf is incredibly long but can be made from one skein of yarn. The pattern is simple and easy to follow. It's from this book:

I love this book and have had good success with all the patterns that I've tried so far. In fact, right now I'm making a pair of wrist warmers (trying to break away from the scarves for a while, you know). The patterns are so fun and funky!

Winter Salad

2010-02-23T12:57:00.000-08:00

I have an incredibly hard time eating salad in the winter. Most days it’s the absolute last thing I want to eat. I readily set good intentions aside in favor of warm, nostalgic comfort food. In early January, I tried to do a cleanse of sorts – no caffeine, no sugar, super healthy meals. It seemed like a good idea after all that rich holiday food. Wrong. I made it four grumpy, pouty days and then called it quits and decided to put the whole thing on hold until spring. I simply can’t eat super healthy in the winter. It’s just not in me.

Therefore, I’ve been trying to find ways to winterize my salads to make them more appealing to my cold-weather palette. The solution? Butternut squash roasted to sweet perfection, with couscous, red wine vinaigrette, and cranberries to add a touch of sweetness. Now that's a salad I can handle in the winter!

Winter Butternut Squash Salad

The couscous:

1 c. couscous

1 ¼ c. chicken broth

1 tbs. olive oil or butter

¼ tsp. salt

1 c. dried cranberries

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2-3 shallots (or 1 small onion), diced small

The vinaigrette:

3 tbs. red or white wine vinegar

1 tbs. olive oil

2 tsp. orange zest

¼ tsp. coriander

¾ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cumin

1 tsp. of salt

Toppings:

Chopped fresh parsley

Small handful of chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash with olive or grapeseed oil and spread out on baking sheet. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (the squash should be tender but not mushy). Allow to cool completely.

Saute shallots until tender. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together ingredients for vinaigrette. Set aside.

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous, ¼ tsp. salt, and olive oil or butter. Boil for one minute then cover and remove from heat for 5-8 minutes. To the couscous, add cranberries, garbanzo beans, sautéed shallots, and cooled squash. Pour the vinaigrette over the mixture and gently mix together until all ingredients are coated with the vinaigrette. Spoon onto plates and top with chopped fresh parsley and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from - The Kitchn

Lemon Cake

2010-02-19T08:36:00.001-08:00

This is exactly what it looks like - another Barefoot Contessa recipe! I've been on a roll with her lately. This lemon cake turned out wonderfully delicious but I think it would have been even more delectable if I had not made one slightly major foible. I failed to notice that not all the sugar was supposed to go into the cake - some of it was to be reserved for the lemon syrup that is poured over the cake while still warm. Well, since I had already put more than the required amount of sugar in the batter, I thought I'd leave off the syrup, fearing that it would be too sweet. With every bite, I kept imagining what it would be like with that moist, extra lemony syrup layer at the top of the cake. So while it was good, I'll read the recipe more carefully before I start baking next time.

Try the Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Cake here: Lemon Cake Recipe

The Village Comes Down

2010-02-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

It is with a tinge of sadness that I pack away our little snow village today.

Miguel and I constructed each of these little houses by hand out of balsa wood, painted them, glittered them, and then found a special spot for each on the mantle. We placed the smaller houses on the “hills” as we thought that added to the effect of making them feel farther away. As we crafted and constructed to our hearts content, the first snow of the season blanketed the ground outside. It was December 5^th. A Saturday. In the evenings following that day, we’d gaze at it from the couch in our living room and ask each other, “Which house should we stay in tonight?”

When I packed away all the other Christmas decorations on the first of January, I just didn’t yet have the heart to take it down. Truthfully, our little village has started to lose a bit of its initial luster. We don’t notice it as much. We hardly ever light it up any more. At the same time, there’s a childish little voice inside my head that thinks if I take the snow village down it might not snow anymore. Go figure. Nevertheless, I think it’s time to take it down. Until next year. . .

Valentine's Day Dinner

2010-02-16T12:52:00.001-08:00

Valentine's Day has to be one of the worst days ever to go out to dinner. It's crowded, the wait is long, it's just not very intimate if you ask me. My husband and I don't make a big fuss over Valentine's Day anyway but we do usually try to have a nice dinner.

This year I made Barefoot Contessa's Baked Shrimp Scampi (yes, I'm on a bit of an Ina kick right now) and I served it over linguine with roasted asparagus. It was delicious! I'll definitely make this again but I think I'll reserve this recipe for special occasions because it calls for A LOT of butter. But again, really nice for a special occasion like a romantic evening with your hubby.

You can find the recipe HERE, if you're interested. I pretty much followed it to a tee. Generally, I will only post recipes on my blog if it's my own or if I've altered it in some way. Otherwise, I'll just post the link.

Enjoy!

Adventures in Wine - French Table Wine

2010-02-16T12:34:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks my husband and I have been sampling different wines with dinner and making notes about them. We're not exactly connoisseurs but it's been fun so far. Though I must say I don't understand those people who smell/taste so many different things in wine - I've heard everything from plums, to pears, to rosehips. To me, all wines either taste sweet or dry - fruity or woody. And usually the sweet and fruity go together and likewise dry and woody. I either like it, or I don't. That's it. I guess I've never thought anymore about it.

Mostly we've been trying to drink red wine because we hear it's good for you. But this week we had white. My recipe for our Valentine's Day dinner (I'll post about that next) called for white wine.

We chose a french table wine from Rhone Valley Vineyards called La Vieille Ferme.

What the bottle says:
This elegant and fruity wine comes from vines grown high on the slopes of the Luberon Mountains, one of the Rhone Valley's coolest vineyards. It has been meticulously selected and blended by the Perrin family, who also produce one of France's most acclaimed wines, Chateau de Beaucastel.

The blend of Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc, Ugni Blanc and Roussane grapes has produced a typical Rhone Valley white. Serve it chilled as an aperitif, or with grilled fish, chicken, or Mediterranean cuisine.

We had it with shrimp and it went with it very nicely. It was not overly sweet or dry, but well balanced.

Domestic Adventure No. 1

2010-02-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

I devote this blog to my daily domestic adventures in the kitchen, in the garden, in the craftroom, and in my home.

Domestic Adventure No. 1: Valentine's Day

My husband and I aren't really much into Valentine's Day, in the traditional sense. But I will savor any excuse to bake up some sweets and whip up some cute decorations.

My decorations were simple paper hearts with a ribbon pasted between them for hanging.

I baked the Barefoot Contessa's yummy Coconut Cupcakes and decorated each a little differently.

They looked delectable in the cake stand.
This was an excellent recipe, however, next time I think I'll omit the coconut from the batter and only include it in the topping. The flavor of the almond extract overpowers the coconut anyway and it will yield a smoother consistency without the coconut pieces.