Hearty Chicken Sausage Rotini

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Hearty Chicken Sausage Rotini

In early June, I had a “batch cooking” day with my daughter.  We always love cooking together and on that day, we were especially productive. In a mere 3 ½ hours, we prepared enough for her household (and for the two adults in my home) including bread, cookies, pulled barbecued turkey meat for sandwiches, chicken chili (enough for 16 guests), and this whole wheat rotini pasta dish.  Other items were created, but it was such a whirlwind, I cannot remember them.  Oh yeah, Caesar salad dressing and fresh croutons, cut up veggies for the fridge…on and on.

This is one of the recipes we chose to make together.  Although this has been in my files for a long time, I forgot how unusual and delicious it tastes!  I like this pasta iteration because, ratio wise, there are less noodles and a lot more  tomatoes, chicken sausage and olives – the good stuff.  This is a great make ahead dish if you choose.  When ready to reheat, remove the serving dish from the fridge at least an hour beforehand. Either microwave to reheat or add some of the pasta water or milk, grate cheese on top and cover with foil.  Heat at 350 until piping hot.

This is kind of a seasonless recipe, although when my cherry tomatoes are growing at their peak, they make a recipe like this extra good.  With both yellow and red small tomatoes, it will be lovely!

Hearty Chicken Sausage Rotini

Serves 6

pf-icon2

 

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat Fusilli pasta (or regular semolina pasta)
  • 5 links of Chicken Basil Sundried Tomato Sausage (or any kind) casings removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, drained and halved
  • 12 brown mushrooms, stems removed mushrooms sliced thick** (see note if you or yours do not like mushrooms)
  • 1  pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ½ cups fresh Parmigiano Reggiano, grated on the microplane
  • An additional cup of grated cheese, and a few basil sprigs (to serve)
Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta, add 2 teaspoons of sea salt and add fusilli after it starts boiling. Cook a little al dente or about 1-2 minutes less than what the pasta package calls for.  Drain but reserve about a cup of the pasta water and set aside.

Heat a large, 12-inch skillet and when hot, add olive oil.  Wait one minute then turn the heat to medium and add chunks of sausage.  Turn the sausage so it starts to brown, and after about three minutes add the garlic, olives and mushrooms**. Continue cooking until the sausage is done.  

Add the drained noodles to the pan and then add the tomatoes followed by the capers. Add some pasta water if the dish seems a little “dry”

Add the grated cheese to the hot pasta in the skillet and stir to combine.   Taste and add more salt or pepper to taste.  I rarely add much salt due to the kalamatas, capers and cheese!

Serve in bowls with additional grated cheese and fresh basil.

** Regarding the mushrooms, if you are serving this to children who are mushroom-averse, you chop them very finely in a food processor or nutribullet.  The flavor from the mushrooms is so good, and not having chunks of identifiable mushroom seems to make this a child-friendly dish.

Share
Posted in Pasta, Poultry | Tagged | Leave a comment

Triple Lemon Coocakes

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

lemon-cookies-plated

Luscious Lemon Coocakes

I am a lover of most things lemon, or most things citrus for that matter.  I mean, what vegetable isn’t improved with a squeeze of lemon?  And pastas?  Salads? Soups?  Fruity things?   

So when I spotted a recipe for lemon ricotta cookies, I investigated further.  This highly touted recipe for lemon cookies began with Giada over at Food Networks.  Right off the bat I could tell that Giada, as cute and peppy as she appears, is not a cook like me.  Who would want to battle with mushy batter for cookies?  The cookies spread out and weren’t attractive in my eyes.  And why would she show a quart sized container of ricotta cheese?  I could tell from looking at the recipe that her original formula would be way too sweet for my taste – especially when I thought of eating them with coffee in the morning (in my humble opinion there is nothing wrong with cookies for breakfast).  

And so, before I even started, I began conjuring my version of these cookies and am happy to report that they turned out to my liking.  And to the liking of my son and my grandson and my daughter.   I would not call these little lemon-infused desserts cookies or cakes, but rather a hybrid of the two.  They are mixed together like cookies but have the texture of cake, or even a scone of sorts.

Cooled and glazed and ready to eat!

Cooled and glazed and ready to eat!

Why, I ask myself, isn’t the Food Network hiring me, a 66-year old grandma who loves to cook, to be on TV and talk up my recipes?  Well, the answer is that most viewers would rather look at cute little Giada.  What a pity.

I made these before Thanksgiving to have around for my out of towners and to give to my kids who live nearby.  35 large cookies is a lot.  I confess I put a couple dozen out of sight but I”m going to the cookie drawer daily and withdrawing a couple of these. So I hope there are still a few around when my guests arrive…

Triple Lemon Coocakes

Makes 33-35

pf-icon2

 

Cookie Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups bread flour (The package will say Better for Bread or just Bread Flour)
  • 1 tsp table salt
  • 1 tsp non aluminum baking powder
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Grated zest of 1 large lemon
  • Juice of one large lemon (at least 3 Tbsp)
  • ½ tsp lemon extract
Glaze Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 Tbsp)
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 with rack in the middle (I used my convection setting at 350 and put the three racks in there at the same time – one middle, one four inches above and one four inches below).  Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar on medium to high speed for four minutes.  Add the eggs and mix in well. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon extract and mix again.  Stir in the flour mixture until just combined – do not over mix.

Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours or even overnight.

Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of dough per cookie (my scoop said #30) onto the parchment covered cookie sheets – I made 12 cookies per sheet.  Bake 15 minutes for a single sheet in a regular oven at 375 degrees until the edges are slightly brownish.  Remember, I baked all three sheets of cookies together on convection 350 for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and put the sheets onto cooling racks – you don’t need to transfer the cookies at all (Giada, please note this).  

While the cookies are baking, make the glaze by stirring the ingredients together.  The consistency is a little thicker than maple syrup.

When the cookies are cool to the touch slide the parchment with the cookies off of the trays for easy cleanup (Giada, please note this too).   Any frosting that drips off the cookie will end up on parchment!  And just so you know, I lick any frosting drips.  Put about one teaspoon of glaze on each cookie and skim it over the entire top with a knife or the back of a spoon.  Let the frosting harden – this took me about one hour maximum.  Pack into a cute container and eat or gift them.  

I did freeze these but when defrosted the frosting became tacky.  Wait a bit and the icing hardens,  so I would still freeze them and I imagine they would keep for at least a month frozen.  HAHAHA, you’ll never have them around that long.

Share
Posted in Cookies | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Middle Eastern Carrot Salad

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Colorful Carrot Salad

I titled this “Middle Eastern” carrot salad just because…cumin, roasted garbanzo beans, tahini,  lemon, pistachios…need I say more?  This salad was calling my name and originally came from the Smitten Kitchen website.  As always, I did some tweaking and I have to say, I’m pleased with the results.  On a hot summer day when you can’t bare the thought of another lettuce salad, make this.  It is crunchy, tangy, sweet, chewy and just downright delicious.

Summertime Middle Eastern Carrot Salad

Serves 4-6

pf-icon2

 

Roasted Chickpeas Ingredients
  • 1 ½  cup cooked chickpeas, or one15-ounce can
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½  teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Salad Ingredients
  • 5 large fresh carrots, peeled and grated coarsely by hand or in the Cuisinart
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
  • ¼ cup shelled, salted pistachios
Dressing Ingredients
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced by hand
  • 1 large lemon, juiced
  • 3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes to taste
  • White pepper to taste
Instructions

Roast chickpeas:

Heat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Dry the chickpeas in a couple of paper towels and toss them with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp, about 15 minutes or even longer.  Shake or stir them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly. Set aside to cool until needed. Note: if you want to cook your own chickpeas, try your pressure cooker! I didn’t even soak the beans and they came out so darned perfectly in 45 minutes start to finish.  Fellow pressure cookerites can write me if you want explicit instructions for this.

Make dressing:

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more water if needed to thin the dressing slightly. Be aware that it thickens as it stands.  Taste but I wouldn’t mess too much with it even if you taste a lot of lemon.  This sourness contrasts nicely once you put this on the sweet carrots.

Assemble salad:

Place grated carrots in large bowl and toss with the parsley. Mix in a little over half of the dressing, adding more if desired. Taste, then more salt and pepper if needed. Right before serving, sprinkle with the roasted garbanzo beans and pistachios.  

Notes:
  • I get my pistachios at Costco in huge bags – I’m a pistachio fan so they are always in my pantry.)
  • I often make just the oven crispy chickpeas as a type of pre-dinner munchie.  I learned this from my Israeli friends, and adults as well as kids adore them.  
  • Finally, I made this again and used fresh roughly chopped mint leaves.  It tastes totally great and is a nice refreshing change from parsley.
Share
Posted in Salads & Dressings | Tagged | Leave a comment

Savory Summer Corn Pudding

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Marilyn

Reposting an old favorite … hopefully you’ll have time to whip this up while our beautiful corn and tomatoes are in season! (Originally appeared on July 22, 2015!)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Click here to view recipe.

Comforting Corn Pudding with Colorful Tomatoes

Comforting Corn Pudding with Colorful Tomatoes

I love brunch in the summer – more specifically, Sunday morning gatherings with friends or family.   Most of the invitations I receive or brunches that I host become potluck events – easy, casual ways to entertain.  Unlike many people, I never sign up for bringing fruit, or coffee, or orange juice or bagels (not that there’s anything wrong with that!).  I suppose I figure, because cooking is easy and joyful for me – why not make something homemade. And I tend to make food that presents as more hearty, a little eggy, often a savory dish.  One of my “go to” recipes has been Spinach or broccoli frittata. This summer, however, I have a new fave.  I’ve been buying fresh sweet corn to grill, to put into salads or soups and this week I remembered an old recipe in my files for a corn “pudding.”

Some recipes require a lot of chopping, sauteeing, baking, what have you.  This little gem requires nothing.  Nisht.  Nada.  Just get the ingredients, stir them together and VOILA.  It’s not the most healthful thing in the world, but it’s quick and fresh tasting.

Let me report that this savory dish flew off the buffet I just brought it to … fortunately I had made a second pan full.  Everyone wanted the recipe…and so I present to you SUMMER SAVORY CORN PUDDING.  It could just as well be a dinner item, and leftovers reheat beautifully.  Make it while there is fresh, succulent sweet corn at the market.  And because it is a bit drab in the old appearance department (golden yellowish brown), slice some ripe tomatoes to serve alongside or include other side dishes with pretty colors.

Corn Pudding in My Favorite Dish

Corn Pudding in My Favorite Dish

I try to use an oval, ceramic dish to bake my corn pudding – like the one pictured.  I find it much more appealing than preparing it in a clear glass pyrex container. It’s like night and day really.

Summer Savory Corn Pudding

Serves 10

pf-icon2

 

Ingredients
  • 5 large eggs
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 cups half and half
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 2 large ears)  or leftover grilled corn kernels
  • 1-15 oz can cream corn* (see “PPS” note at the bottom)
Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 and put the rack mid oven.  Spray an 9 x 12 baking dish.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl to blend, stir in dry ingredients but DO NOT add THE CANNED AND FRESH CORN until the end.  Whisk to blend, adding both types of corn last.  Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

PS: I have been known to make this in the winter months using frozen corn kernels, defrosted and drained on paper towels.  It is still a wonderful thing but not as tasty as when you make it from sweet corn just cut off the cob.

PPS:  It kind of grosses me out to be using creamed corn from a can!  I never, ever use canned vegetables and I’m including the creamed corn here as an option for you.  However, next time I am going to measure out 1 ½ additional cups of fresh corn, puree it slightly then add ½ cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken it slightly.

 

Share
Posted in Breakfast, Side Dish | Tagged | Leave a comment

One Pan Seafood Fajitas

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Marilyn

I feel like I was way ahead of today’s “one-pot meal” movement.  Since the beginning of time, I have made my version of one pot meals or sheet pan dinners and did so as part of “batch cooking.”  If only I’d capitalized on this huge trend…

Although this recipe is for fajitas, I usually serve this seafood fajita style one night, then repurpose the leftovers as a topping for brown rice or even a hearty cabbage/kale/romaine salad.  The spice mix also works for chicken if you want to make chicken tacos or fajitas later on! So double or triple the mix for later use! The fajita filling is so good but 1 ½ pounds of seafood is just too much for two (old) adults.  If you are cooking for a family, you could double the filling ingredients for planned leftovers.  Or invite friends and family and have a party!

FYI – this was one of the dinners I made for my grandkids in California while filling in for their parents in March.  The kids (16 months, 5 and 7) loved this and loved the leftovers too.

Sheet Pan Fajitas

Ingredients for Spice Mix-you can make more and have this on hand for furture use too.
  • 2 teaspoons ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for Fajitas
  • 3 medium bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced (I used green, yellow and red)
  • 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced garlic-I do this by hand
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 2 Tbsp and 1 Tbsp
  • 1-½  pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined OR 1 ½ lbs of raw firm fish – cut into 1-inch squares.  (I have used salmon, halibut or cod)
Ingredients for Serving
  • Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
  • Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish
  • 4-6 large flour tortillas
  • Your favorite toppings (Choose what you love: sour cream, shredded spicy cheese, avocado, diced tomato, shredded cabbage, hot sauce, etc.)
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly spray a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or lightly brush with oil.  Even without parchment, it’s not hard to clean.

Prepare the seasoning by stirring the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.

In a large bowl, toss together the peppers, onions and garlic. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with about half of the spice mixture and toss again to coat evenly.

Spread the seasoned vegetables evenly on the baking sheet and bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp or cubed fish in the same large bowl in which you tossed the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the fish or shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over the seafood or shrimp and toss again to season.

After 13 minutes, remove vegetables from oven and evenly add pieces of seafood or shrimp to the roasted vegetables. Return to the oven.

Place tortillas (I dampen them a bit) wrapped in aluminum foil on the top rack of the oven. Bake an additional 7-8 minutes, or until shrimp or fish is cooked.

Before serving, drizzle the entire sheet pan contents evenly with lime juice and sprinkle with the desired amount of chopped cilantro.Scoop into heated tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Share
Posted in Fish & Seafood | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daniel’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Reuben-Approved Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

As I type this, I wonder … does it seem boring to post a recipe for a common cookie like Oatmeal Raisin?  Perhaps. However, these are anything but boring for those who love this old “standard”.  Late this winter, when I was in California taking care of my three grandkids for a week, I cooked my brains out and wanted to leave food behind so everyone would miss me after I returned home.  My son Daniel always has loved these cookies that I often made for catered events; after all, they are a non-chocolate option (as you may recall, Daniel – unlike me – is not a huge chocolate fan. Go figure…).  

Levi & Yael give them the thumb’s up too

The original recipe started with Gayle’s Bakery near Santa Cruz, California where Sister Sue lives.  I adore Gayle’s — I love their bakery and every item on their menu. In fact, everything I have ever made that was inspired by what I’ve devoured at Gayle’s has been perfect.  From the original recipe I did cut the sugar down and find them still plenty sweet!

For this recipe, soaking the raisins and adding some cinnamon, then changing proportions a bit makes these the best recipe ever.  They remain chewy and soft, And for your information, I did leave about 30 dough balls in my son’s freezer, ready for when they have an urge for freshly baked cookies. Yes, they love me. And so I present:

Fresh out of the oven!

Daniel’s (Really, modified Gayles) Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes about around 35 large cookies or 60 smaller ones
pf-icon2

 

Ingredients
  • 1 C (2 sticks) salted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed (I use dark brown sugar but light brown is fine too)
  • 2 whole large eggs
  • 1 egg  yolk
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 C unbleached white flour
  • ¼ tsp table salt
  • 3 ½ C raw old fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 ¼ C brown raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained well)
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Cream butter & sugars. Add eggs, one at a time; mix in vanilla

In a separate bowl combine cinnamon, flour, salt & baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture just until incorporated.

Add oats and raisins and mix until just combined

Refrigerate the dough in the same bowl for a ½ hour, then spray or oil a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop and scoop the dough into cookies balls, two inches apart.  Smash down the balls into disks about three inches in diameter for large cookies  If you prefer smaller cookies, use a 2 Tbsp scoop but still smash them flatter than balls.   Place the cookie sheet on the center rack for 12-14 minutes or until golden and still soft in the center. Cool on wire racks

Cook’s Notes:

You can substitute chocolate chips (regular or bittersweet)  in lieu of the raisins for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  I don’t do this but I’ve had them, and they are good.  

I have made these with tart dried cherries, adding some grated orange zest rather than using raisins.  This is my preferred combination since I am not a raisin lover, but my kids like the original raisin variety.

I also pre-scoop balls of dough, flash freeze them and then put the dough balls into a container in the freezer.  If you get the urge for a cookie at night, simply defrost the cookie dough ball for about a half hour, smash it down with the heel of your hand into a circle and bake in a preheated toaster oven (on a small sheet lined with parchment) for about 10-12 minutes.  For me, I prefer to “bake as I go” so I rarely bake a huge batch of cookies at one time. 

My California grandkids dipped the warm cookies in milk.  I am not a dipper but my kids and husband love to do this.  

Cookies or dough can be frozen for up to six months.

Share
Posted in Cookies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Early Spring Nutty Citrus Miso Dressing

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Colorful, Healthful Salad – My Favorite!

I am obsessed with all the fresh kale and greens this spring, so every day for the past two weeks I’ve been playing around with different salad dressings and ingredients.

My favorite so far?  A hearty green salad filled with nutritious nuts, seeds, avocado, mango, etc., etc. — the ingredients and combinations are endless! One day I used previously served, shredded halibut and blood oranges instead of chicken and mango.  A few days ago, my daughter stopped by on her way home from work so I made her this salad for lunch, sans the mango since she does not care for chicken and fruit in a salad together.  The citrus dressing was OK for her too.  Incidentally, this combination is now one of my favorites.

I hope you try this soon — particularly while the little Manila mangos are still available.  They are so yummy we have been eating two mangos per day (for two adults, not bad).  And remember that this is a perfect salad to pack for work or on the go.

Nutty Citrus Miso Dressing (can be doubled or tripled)

pf-icon2

 

Dressing Ingredients
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
  • ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • ½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
Dressing Instructions

Place all ingredients in a  blender or Nutri bullet and blend thoroughly.   Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.  I use about three tablespoons per serving so this amount will make 4-5 salads

Salad Ingredients (for each salad)
  • ½ large just-ripe avocado, peel and slice thin
  • Approximately 1 cup of cubed chicken breast (see note below on how I do this)
  • ½ mango, finely sliced -optional
  • 1 celery stalk, finely sliced
  • ¼ yellow or red pepper, finely sliced
  • Approximately 2 cups of fresh arugula or romaine or napa cabbage a combination of these greens.  I usually do a combo.
  • 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 2 Tbsp toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 1 Tbsp roasted unsalted  sunflower seeds
  • About 3 Tbsp of salad dressing
Salad Instructions

Layer all of the ingredients above in any way you wish: I always put the lettuce on the bottom of a jar or glass pyrex dish then add groupings of the ingredients.  Pour about 3 Tbsp of dressing into a small container alongside the salad.

When ready to eat, coat the salad with the dressing and mix well.  
Note: If I plan to add chicken to salads or pasta during the week, I take chicken breast halves on the bone with their skin  Blot off any moisture with paper towels, then place the chicken on a square of foil, season the skin liberally with salt, pepper and smoked paprika and seal the foil tightly.  Bake on a tray in the toaster oven (preheated to 425) for 40 minutes.  Cool, remove skin and bones and shred or cube.  I keep the bones in the freezer for chicken stock.    

Share
Posted in Salads & Dressings, uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Late Winter Apple Muffins

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Hearty Apple Muffins

Right before Passover, I spotted this muffin recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.  Since I love King Arthur flours, particularly the white whole wheat variety, I decided to try these breakfast apple muffins.

I cut the sugar way, way back and still find these pleasantly sweet for me and for the rest of my extended family too.  I added some grated lemon zest because, in my humble opinion (or IMHO as the kids say), lemon makes everything taste better. And I added crunchy turbinado sugar, just a bit, for the topping in lieu of more brown sugar for texture.

Right out of the oven!

Apple Whole Wheat Muffins

Yield: 12 nice sized muffins

pf-icon2

 

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (120 grams) white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest, grate on microplane
  • 1 stick of  salted butter, at room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup kefir or buttermilk (I used kefir since that is what I have in the fridge always)
  • 2 large apples (I used Pink Lady), peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped into pieces about ⅓ inch by ⅓ inch
  • 3 Tbsp turbinado sugar for the topping
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spray 12 muffin cups and set aside.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, zest and cinnamon, and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and add the granulated sugar and the dark brown sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the kefir gently. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, they will reach the top of the cup or be slightly over.  Even out the thick batter with a knife that you spray with oil and sprinkle the three tablespoons of turbinado sugar on top.

Bake for ten minutes mid oven, turn the heat down to 400°F and bake for an additional five minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool the muffins for five minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Transfer to a tightly covered container.  These stay fresh for at least five days at room temperature, if you can stop yourself from indulging.  I love these slightly warmed with whipped cream cheese.

Share
Posted in Breads, Breakfast | Tagged | Leave a comment

Anytime Vegetarian Stovetop Farro

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Flavorful Farro

Call me weird, but I adore whole grains.  Brown rice, barley, quinoa, oats, barley, farro, millet — I love love love these things.  Of course, I attribute my good health and well being a lot to the food I eat.

This dish highlights farro, (also called Emmer) a hulled wheat that is popular in a lot of Mediterranean countries.   It’s texture is chewy and when I eat farro, it actually tastes like it is healthful – as if my body is being healed – if that is possible.  And it truly contains a lot of protein, fiber, iron and minerals. You can find farro in most supermarkets today and obviously online as well.  Look for the kind that says “semi pearled” or that it cooks in 30 minutes (not the fast cooking 15 minute type or longer cooking variety).

This is one of the most flavorful, easy dishes I’ve made in recent weeks.  I could eat it as a stand alone main dish accompanied by greens or a hearty salad.  As a side dish to simple fish or poultry, it is nothing less than perfect   And silly me, who loves savory things, I have eaten this early in the day for breakfast.  Now you know for certain that I am a little crazy in the head.

Stovetop farro is one-pot cooking at it’s best.  Measure out the water and farro, and while you are slicing onion and cherry tomato and garlic, the farro gets a quick soak.  Thirty minutes later, you are done and the farro is complete.  I usually top my farro with a chiffonade of fresh basil and a bit of high quality, fresh grated Parmesan cheese but it is also good as is.  This farro dish almost tastes like risotto – it is so creamy and flavorful, and the onion and tomato makes a creamy stock. . It reheats beautifully and keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Don’t forget the cheese!

I cannot wait to make this in the summer when I have an abundance of homegrown cherry tomatoes and fresh basil!

Anytime Vegetarian Stovetop Farro

Serves: 6 – adapted from Smitten Kitchen

pf-icon2

 

Ingredients
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup semi-pearled farro (Bob’s Red Mill is one of my favorites)
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • ½ large white onion, peeled
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 pinch of red pepper flakes (you can add more or less to taste depending on the level of spiciness you desire)
  • 2 Tbsp basil leaves, cut into chiffonade for serving
  • ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions

Place water and farro in a medium saucepan to pre-soak while you are cutting up the tomato and onion.  Add olive oil to the pot.

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half and add to the pot.

Take the peeled half onion, cut the onion in half again, and very thinly slice it into quarter-moons. Thinly slice the garlic.  Add both of these to the pot.

Such simple ingredients

Add the salt and red pepper flakes (to taste) to the saucepan.  Cook all the way UNcovered for 30 minutes by bringing the pot to a boil, then turning the heat down to simmer.  Gently stir the farro every 10 minutes.  In 30 minutes, taste the farro – it should be chewy but tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed. I usually take the pot off the heat and leave it alone for 5-10 minutes or so while the rest of the liquid absorbs.

I put the farro into a pretty bowl, top with sliced basil and dust with parmesan.  Serve. Reheat leftovers tomorrow! I usually make a double-batch because it disappears quickly.
PS: I am thinking of adding some tiny cubes of oven-roasted butternut squash right before serving just to make it pretty and because I have often have some on hand in the winter.

Share
Posted in Side Dish | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Famous Mint Brownies

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Marilyn

Click here to view recipe.

Magical Mint Brownies

Magical Mint Brownies

OK, my people, this is one of the most, if not THE most popular type of cookie I make.  Well, perhaps not a “cookie” precisely. Those in the midwest might call it a “bar.” But I digress… Mint brownies have been part of my repertoire for at least 40 years, no joke.  When I contracted for catering jobs we would make sheet pans full of these brownies and no matter how many I made, there were seldom mint brownies remaining.  

To this day, I keep a slab of these chocolaty treats in my freezer and when my children or special friends come to visit, I often find them rummaging through my freezer on the hunt for frozen chocolate mint brownies, regardless of the time of day.  When in doubt for what to prepare for dessert, this is my go to bar cookie.

The proliferation of designer bittersweet chocolate in the marketplace is a godsend to me, a rabid chocoholic.  I do use ordinary Bakers chocolate for the brownie itself.  But it’s nothing but the best for the ganache top layer – my favorite Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate.

My original recipe made a smaller, 8 x 8 brownie pan-full.  But really, as long as you are getting ingredients together and following all the steps, you might just as well go all in and make a 9 x 13 pan-full.  It isn’t hard but it does require paying attention to timing: time to cool the brownies, time to harden the buttercream and time to set up the chocolate topping.  In other words, it’s more than one step and a good project to do if you are home at night, watching a movie or reading a book with no time crunch.  

Just consider making these a zen experience.  Go for the end result, the prize: a dense chocolate almost candy-like square with more chocolate and mint.  It’s worth it.

Dense, Chewy Chocolaty Mint Brownies

Makes at least 50

pf-icon2

 

Brownie Ingredients (Layer #1)
  • 8 oz unsweetened chocolate (I use Bakers)
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. sea salt
Mint Buttercream Ingredients (Layer #2)
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 5 Tbs soft salted butter
  • ¼ c milk (2%)
  • A few drops green food coloring
  • ½ tsp. peppermint extract
Chocolate Topping Ingredients (Layer #3)
  • 5 oz bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffen Berger bittersweet)
  • 2 tsp. butter
Brownie Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with the rack in the center.

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan on the bottom and sides.  

The brownie layer can be made without an electric mixer.  In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter until the chocolate is just melted.  Cool for 10 minutes off the heat, and add eggs, vanilla and sugar and beat well, then add the flour and salt and stir until combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan, even the surface with a knife or spatula and bake for 30 minutes until done.  Then place the brownie pan on a rack to cool for at least an hour.  Note: you can stop here and top with powdered sugar OR chocolate icing or with plain vanilla buttercream.

Mint Buttercream Instructions:

With an electric mixer, cream the butter well, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time and finally add the milk, food coloring and peppermint extract.  If it gets too thick while adding the powdered sugar, add some of the milk halfway.

Spread this mixture evenly on top of the cooled brownies and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes is up, remove from the fridge and let the pan of brownies topped with buttercream sit on top of the counter for 5 minutes while you melt the chocolate for the next layer.  

Chocolate Topping Instructions:

Melt chocolate with butter over low heat, stirring often. I take it off the heat when the chocolate is nearly all melted, and it continues to melt off the heat.   Cool for 5 minutes off the stovetop before spreading or you will melt the green mint layer!

Pour this chocolate mixture on top of the green buttercream layer and tilt the pan to cover all the green frosting. (Lick the chocolate remaining in the melting pan!).  The chocolate will look “shiny”.

Refrigerate the three layer brownie for 20 minutes then remove from the refrigerator.  I score them right away , dragging the knife through the chocolate layer.  I remove ¼ of the brownies from the pan and cut them into 1-inch square pieces – any bigger is too much even for me!  Continue cutting the brownies into squares and wipe the knife with a warm clean cloth between cuts.  I then place the individual brownies to a tupperware container, putting waxed paper between layers.

These keep in the refrigerator, covered, for five days and freeze really well for up to three months.
Eat them cold or frozen!

Share
Posted in Cookies, Dessert | Tagged | 4 Comments