Digitally Documented Dinner

Smores Cupcakes!

2010-05-14T06:25:00.001-07:00

Scott's birthday is upon us. He doesn't like cake that much, he does however like marshmallows. I just couldn't let the whole "he needs a birthday cake!" thing go. We are having a birthday party for him and I just feel like cake needs to be present. So I decided to try to make the kind of cake he'd like the most and I knew it had to involve marshmallows.

Smores naturally! Who doesn't like smores! I used Martha Stewarts recipe but tweeked it a little (I prefer milk chocolate) and some random marshmallow frosting recipe. I used those powdered egg whites in place of actual egg whites because I have serious issues with food safety and I will not eat, or serve raw egg white to anyone I love. You can risk it if you want but the powdered ones work fine.

I also don't own a kitchen torch (though I would like one) so instead of torching them, I put them under the broiler and watched them carefully. It worked fine, it's not as precise as if I got to torch them but whatever, you just chew them up and swallow them anyway.

Martha's Cupcake Recipe
(Say what you will about Martha but I always end up using her cupcake recipes. She's good like that)

2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.

3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.

4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.

5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.

6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Random Marshmallow Recipe

2 egg whites

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 Cups light Karo Syrup

1-1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

Beat together 2 egg whites & 1/4 tsp. salt with a mixer until very frothy. Add 1/4 cup sugar very slowly, and beat until smooth & glossy. Slowly, add 3/4 Cup light Karo Syrup, & beat until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold in 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

7. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large plain round or French tip (such as Ateco #867 or Ateco #809)**. Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

***I have 3 plastic tips. I need better cupcake gear I have no idea what those numbers mean I just used the one that was most like a star, because I always use that one.

Whipped cream filled Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache frosting

2010-05-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Lately my motivation for cooking and baking has been "meh". As I was searching for dinner inspiration in the new issue of eating well I saw their Chocolate-Cherry cupcake recipe. http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chocolate_cherry_cupcakes.html

"Hmm" I thought..."That sounds good but it would be better filled with whipped cream and dipped in ganache instead of that cream cheese frosting."

Actually I'm quite sure the eating well recipe done exactly as it says is wonderful. Most everything I make that magazine rocks. This is just my preference, I am not a huge frosting fan in general, so I usually prefer ganache. I also belong to the church of "whipped cream makes everything taste better" so filling that bad larry with sweetened whipped cream is only natural.

So here is the recipe just how I made it...

Cupcakes (this section copied and pasted from eating well)

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 1/2 cups chopped pitted cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained), plus 12 fresh cherries with stems for garnish

To prepare cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat granulated sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. With the mixer on low, alternately mix in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. Fold in chopped cherries until just combined. Divide the batter among the prepared cups (they will be full).
Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 26 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

From here on out you will be subjected to my bad instructions. Good luck!

Whipped Cream Filling

1 cup heaving whipping cream
some confectioners sugar ( I don't know how much just dump some in)
some vanilla (again just shake some in) it probably ended up being like a tsp.

Ganache
I used 9 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream but if I were you I'd cut that in half because I had *way* too much ganache left over. Ganche is pretty much the easiest thing in the world to make. You just throw the chocolate chips in a bowl, then heat the cream up until almost boiling. Pour the hot cream over the chips and let sit about 10 minutes (cover the bowl). Come back and then whisk it all together. Hooray! You have ganache and it sounds FANCY!

All right so you can probably figure out how to do this but I'll just write it down anyway. So you've got your cooled cupcakes. Now you hollow them out. Don't go too crazy so that they fall apart but don't take out to little either. You can save the hollowed out parts for...I don't know what. Or you can just eat them all like I did.

Then get a pastry bag and fill it with your extra whipped, whipped cream. Make sure it's really stiff so that it will hold up a few days. Fill each cupcakes with whipped cream right up to the top.

After this step I froze my cupcakes. I did this because I thought it would just be easier and make less of a mess when dipping. You can probably skip this step if you want but I am not responsible for what happens.

Ok now I have my frozen cupcakes and my freshly made ganache (make the ganache right before you want to do the dipping. Or if you make it ahead of time microwave it so it's nice and melty). Dip the tops of the cupcake in the ganache and then top with a cherry.

tadah!

Store in the fridge obviously.

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream icing and PB drizzle

2010-02-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting this blog. Truth be told I haven't been in much of a baking/cooking/blogging sort of mood. This week I made a conscious effort to try to snap myself out of it. I made a nice pork chop dish, roasted a chicken and root vegetables, made heart shaped sour cream and cheddar biscuits. They all turned out well but the thing that was missing was dessert.

For our saturday project I decided Sierra and I would make peanut butter stuffed cupcakes with peanut buttercream icing. As it turned out, we didn't have enough peanut butter to make the icing and I was not about to go out in the freezing rain to get more so I improvised and made a chocolate butter cream and drizzled the last of the peanut butter over the tops of the cakes.

You can tell which of them Sierra decorated above because she is obsessed with those little white sprinkles. At any rate I like how these turned out so I decided to share the recipe with you all. Enjoy!

First prepare the filling: In bowl, with mixer on medium speed, mix confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla until blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls using heaping measuring teaspoons. (Balls will be sticky and don't need to be perfectly shaped.) Place balls on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet; set aside.

Next prepare the cupcakes. I use Martha Stuarts one bowl cupcake recipe but if you have a chocolate cupcake recipe you really like use that one. Especially if it's a bit thick. Martha's is tasty but very liquid so the peanut butter filling can sink to the bottom. It didn't end up being a problem for us but I might experiment with different cupcake recipes if I make these again.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsps. baking soda

1 1/4 tsps. baking powder

1 1/4 tsps. salt

2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large YOLK

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps. vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsps. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups warm water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line your muffin pans with paper liners or spray your cake pans with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla and water, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill each cup up 1/3 of the way. Put a peanut butter ball in each and then fill up another 1/3 of the way.

Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a knife/toothpick inserted in the middle, comes out clean. My cupcakes took about 25 minutes.

Chocolate ButterCream Icing

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

When cupcakes have cooled completely frost them obviously ;) As for the drizzle I just melted peanut butter and thinned it with a bit of oil.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

2010-01-14T19:35:00.001-08:00

Where I work there is a little tag that says "Bananas Foster Bread Pudding $6.00 a LB" I've been waiting since I started for them to make some, and 3 months later still nothing. So I decided tonight that I'd just make some myself.

I got this recipe off of another blog www.browneyedbaker.com. And I have to say it's pretty damn good (and easy which is always excellent!) So I figured I should pass it on.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

3 eggs
2 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup ripe bananas, pureed or finely mashed (about 2 medium bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1¾ cups heavy cream
1 large French bread loaf (about 5-6 cups torn up)

Bananas Foster Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. In a large bowl combine the eggs and egg yolks and whisk until frothy.

3. Add in nutmeg, cinnamon, banana puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully incorporated.

4. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, whisking until fully incorporated.

5. Add in cream and whisk until incorporated.

6. Add bread pieces to egg mixture. Miix with a spoon or spatula until the bread has absorbed most of the custard mixture.

7. Pour the mixture into an 8×8 baking dish. Let sit for 30 minutes.

8. Place bread pudding in a slightly larger pan and add about 1 inch of hot water to the larger pan to make a water bath.

9. Bake uncovered for approximately 1 hour, or until the custard is no longer runny. Serve warm with Bananas Foster Sauce.

Bananas Foster Sauce

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 bananas, sliced
3 tablespoons rum

1. Heat a large skillet over low heat.

2. Add butter and brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, just until sugar begins to melt into butter.

3. Add banana slices. Moving the skillet back and forth, cook for 1 minute.

4. Remove skillet from heat and add the rum. Return the pan to the stove and tilt the pan to ignite the rum.

5. After the alcohol burns off add the cream. Whisk to make sure it is fully incorporated.

Mini Broccoli Quiches

2009-11-08T11:56:00.001-08:00

A little over a month ago, my boyfriend and I moved in together. In doing so he made a pretty significant sacrifice. His commute went from a 2 minute walk, to a 45 minute (on a good day) drive. We are not morning people and he was skipping breakfast and just running out the door. So I started making muffins that he could just grab on his way out. I'm tired of making muffins every sunday, and he's probably tired of eating them for breakfast all week. This week I decided to try my hand at making some grab & go mini quiches he can just throw in the microwave for 30 seconds and run out the door with. They didn't turn out half bad....

Tara's Mini Broccoli and Cheese Quiche cups

1 Tbl butter
1/2 an onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 cups fresh chopped (small) broccoli
2 9 inch pie crusts
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded mozzerella
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400
Cook the onion, garlic and broccoli in the tbl of butter until soft
mix together the cheddar & mozz cheese. Set aside
mix together eggs and milk with some salt and pepper set aside
Cut circles out of the dough and line 10 muffin cups with dough
Press a bit of the cheese mixture into the bottom of each cup (you will have about 1/2 the mixture left when you are finished with this step, it's ok we are going to use it)
Then distribute the broccoli mixture evenly between the 10 cups
Use a turkey baster to suck up the egg mixture and distribute egg mixture evenly
Then use the rest of the cheese to sprinkle on the top of each cup.
Bake at 400 for about 18-20 minutes.

Nana's Kale Soup

2009-10-27T15:52:00.001-07:00

A lot of people have asked me for this recipe recently so I've decided I might as well post it here. One of the really clear memories I have from when I was a little girl was of the day my Papa taught me to dip my portuguese bread in my kale soup. My advice to you when making this is to go get yourself a good loaf if you have access to one, rip on a giant hunk, butter it, and dip it into this soup. The soup alone is good, but when you dip your bread in it....it's next level.

1 lb Kale washed & Chopped
1 lb Chorizo sliced
4 medium potatoes cubed
3 medium onions chopped
3 cans chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato juice (or V8 I use V8 more frequently)
16 oz water
19 oz can kidney beans
1/4 tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, celery salt & crushed red pepper

In a large pot add oil chorizo & spices. Brown the chorizo and then all everything except for the beans. Bring to a boil & simmer 2 hours. Add beans and simmer another 1/2 an hour

Plum Tart

2009-10-10T17:52:00.001-07:00

Tonight I had my Mom and Grammy over for Shepherds pie. I almost made pumpkin pie again and then I remember my Grandmother saying not too long ago how she really wanted to make a Plum Tart. Since we just consumed an entire pumpkin pie in 24 hours I figured a Plum Tart might be a better idea.

I found an easy recipe on allrecipes.com and lessened the amount of sugar used (my plums were quite sweet on their own) and added a few spices to it. Here is the recipe as I made it.

Plum Tart recipe

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
2 tablespoons cold water
FILLING:
2 cups sliced plums
4 Tablespoons of sugar, divided
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt; cut in the shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until a ball forms. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-1/2 hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 9-in. circle. Transfer to a foil-lined 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.
In a bowl, combine the plums, 3 tablespoons sugar, ginger, cinnamon and flour. Place on the center of pastry. Bring edges of pastry over filling, leaving 3-1/2 in. of filling uncovered. Brush crust with egg, then sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Maple Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

2009-10-08T17:59:00.000-07:00

I cannot for the life of me remember what magazine I got this recipe out of. I tore the clipping out and promptly lost it after making it the first time and being blown away. I scoured the internet for the recipe to no avail. My one replacement attempt was an epic fail and ended with me throwing the whole pie in the trash while a stream of obscenities came flying out of my mouth.

Then one glorious day not too long ago as I was cleaning out the junk drawer I found it. Torn, crumpled and with something spilled on it. I quickly copied it down to an index card and put it in my recipe book. Tonight I made it to go along with the leftover corn chowder. Instead of my usual baking soundtrack of "Minor Threat" I went with some "Iron & Wine". It's just that kind of day. Sierra helped make the whipped cream. She's an excellent helper....

For the pie you will need:

15oz pumpkin ( I used canned. If you're feeling feisty go ahead and roast one. See if I care)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
Bottom crust

Preheat oven to 375
Line Pie Pan with dough
Combine Pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon & salt
Add eggs and mix all together
Add milk gradually
Pour into pie shell
Cover the crust with foil or a pie shield (I LOVE those things!!) and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover crust and bake another 30
When you can insert a knife and have it come out clean your glorious pie is done.

Now while your pie is cooling you can make the whipped cream. I kind of just wing it. I use a cup of heavy whipping cream. Probably a little more than 1/8 of a cup of maple syrup and a sprinkle a bunch of cinnamon in. Whip it all up. You want to be able to see the cinnamon in there.

Top the cooled pie with whipped cream and a dash more of cinnamon.

Tara's top secret (well not anymore) Chowder recipe

2009-10-07T17:33:00.001-07:00

Corn Chowder is one of my favorite fall/winter time meals. This recipe is one I adapted from my Grammy's recipe and my ex-mother in laws. They both had elements I really liked and then some I didn't so I smooshed them together to make what I consider to be perfect corn chowder. And yes it does contain copious amounts of bacon...duh.

You will need:

2 medium onions chopped
3/4 of a stick of butter
10 strips of bacon
4 medium potatoes
2 Tbl flour
2 cans of creamed corn
24 oz of half and half
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot start the potatoes cubes to boil.
While they are boiling fry the bacon in the pot you will make the chowder in.
When the potatoes are soft but firm take them out and put them aside.
When the bacon is crispy remove it and put it aside.
Dump all but about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat out and then cook the onions with some salt and pepper in that.
Dice the bacon and add it to the onion.
Add the flour to the onion mixture and blend until smooth
Then add: Potatoes and the stick of butter, corn, 1/2 & 1/2 and milk.
Stir it all together and heat over low/medium heat for 1/2 and hour 45 minutes stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can set it over night but I find it's plenty thick using just a 1/2 cup of milk.

Queso! Umm yum!

2009-08-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

It was taco night at the Sully residence tonight. Only this time, I was going to make not only tacos but to try my hand at making some fresh, and hopefully close to authentic queso. A quick search on the internet yielded so many variations I didn't know which direction to take. I've never actually *had* queso. I've only read about it, and seen lovely pictures of it.

I decided that I would use Emeril's recipe. It had good reviews, and I could get everything I needed for it from a quick trip to the grocery store. No wine, or strange peppers they don't typically carry on cape cod. The one special thing I did need to do though was to put together a spice combination that Emeril likes to call "Baby Bam". Why...I don't know, but I will give him this, it is a good combo and I was glad to bottle it up so that I can use it for other things. The recipe for "Baby Bam" (everytime I type that I cringe) is as follows:

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons paprika

Mix it all together and store in an old spice container.

This Queso is AMAZING. As I said before this was my first time having queso so maybe i'm not the best judge but it was so good I only had ONE taco. That's saying a lot, typically I eat 2 or 3 tacos. I'm excited to get into this stuff tomorrow, and i'm excited to bring it to the next potluck I attend.

Ingredients

Tortilla chips, for serving
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup canned, chopped mild green chiles
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (1/2 pound), shredded (about 2 cups)
8 ounces white Cheddar cheese (1/2 pound), shredded (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1 teaspoon Baby Bam
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot, about 1 minute.

Add the onion and Baby Bam and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato and garlic and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cheeses and chiles. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the sour cream, white pepper, and salt and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

YIELD: 3 cups, serving 6 to 8

Fried Green Tomato BLT's

2009-08-07T06:44:00.001-07:00

My garden is full of green tomatoes so last night I decided to put them to good use. I probably shortened my life span a bit my eating this sandwich, but it was totally worth it. Oooooh Yum!!

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)

2 Kaiser Rolls
10 strips of bacon
2 big green tomatoes
2 eggs
1 cup of cornmeal
Salt & pepper
Vegetable Oil
Lettuce
Mayo

Fry bacon in a deep frying pan. Remove and put on a plate with paper towels to soak up the grease.

I just left the bacon fat in the pan and added some vegetable oil to it. I don't know how much oil was in there just eye ball it.

Next slice your green tomatoes into 1/4 of an inch thick slices. Dip in egg, then in cornmeal/salt/pepper mixture. Fry them until they are crunchy and a nice golden brown.

Toast your kaiser rolls and spread mayo on the top if you like (which I do)

Assemble sandwiches like this: FGT, Bacon, Lettuce

It's a good thing i'm out of bacon because I would totally be making this for lunch today.
Enjoy!

Chard & Caramelized Onion Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust, Fresh Mozzarella and Ricotta Cheese

2009-08-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

Finally the chard in my garden is big enough to eat. I decided I wanted to try making a pizza with it. This won't be the most detailed recipe because, well I didn't really measure anything at all. It's a pizza though, you can eyeball it. I know you can.

I used:

1 ball of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Olive Oil
4 Cloves Garlic
1/2 onion
1 Bunch of Chard Chopped
Handful of shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella
Ricotta Cheese
Fresh Ground Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 450
First I made some Garlic infused Olive oil by heating some olive oil & the four cloves of garlic in a pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the garlic was soft.
Then I removed the garlic and mushed it up with a fork.
I brushed the oil on the pizza crust and then spread the mushed up garlic on top of that.
Then I caramelized the onions and spread them on.
Next I took a handful of shredded Mozz cheese and sprinkled that on top of the onions.
Saute the chard until it's just wilted and spread it evenly on top of the shredded mozzarella
Finally I just put dots of Ricotta and Fresh Mozzarella all over and cooked it for 15 minutes
Top with freshly ground salt & pepper and serve with a salad

Crepe Night!

2009-07-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was another recipe from Eating Well Magazine slightly changed because I hate chives. I have no logical explanation for this aversion because I like scallions, I like onions, I like green onions. I just *hate* chives. So I asked my friend Carolyn (who incidentally works for Eating Well Magazine) what a reasonable substitute would be. Dill was one of things she listed and I went with it because, well, I love dill. The other thing I changed is that they call for part skim ricotta & reduced fat sour cream. I used full fat because I think it just tastes better and i'm not on a diet.....yet.

And for dessert we had Crepes with Banana and Nutella because I had some for breakfast way back in November at a fancy buffet and i've wanted another one ever since.

Ok so first here is a basic crepe recipe:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Next here is the modified Summer Vegetable Crepe recipe (the original can be found here http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/summer_vegetable_crepes.html)

1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, divided, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/4 cups chopped green beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 9-inch crêpes

1. Stir sour cream, 1/4 cup dill, milk, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, green beans and corn and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in ricotta, Monterey Jack, the remaining 1/4 cup dill, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring gently, until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
3. To roll crêpes, place one on a piece of parchment or wax paper (or leave it on the piece of plastic separating the crêpes in the package if you use ready made). Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable-cheese mixture (about 3/4 cup) down the center of the crêpe. Use the paper (or plastic) to help you gently roll the crêpe around the filling. Place the crêpe seam-side down on a dinner plate. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling. Serve each crêpe topped with 2 tablespoons of the reserved sauce and more chives, if desired.

And dessert (my favorite part)

2 Crepes
2 Bananas
Nutella

All you do is take a crepe, spread some nutella on the inside. Fill the middle with banana slices. Roll them up. Then I melted some Nutella to drizzle over it. That's it!

Lemon Cheese Pie with Blueberry Compote

2009-07-26T19:23:00.001-07:00

Ok so it's not dinner, but it can certainly be for after dinner! Right?

Scott and I went out to dinner a few nights ago and the dessert was Lemon Cheese Pie with Blueberry Compote. When I took the first bite it reminded me of a pie my Grandmother used to make. I saw her today and asked her about it. It's the most remarkably easy dessert I think i've ever made.

Grammy's Lemon Cheese Pie (with Tara's blueberry compote)

1 Package Cream Cheese
1 Can Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
1/3 cup Lemon Juice
1 Graham Cracker Crust

Compote
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Mix Cream Cheese & Condensed Milk together with a hand mixer until almost smooth. Add lemon juice and continue mixing until all of the lumps are out.
Pour into Crust
Let set in fridge for a few hours

Compote
Heat Blueberries, sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and then simmer until blueberries start to pop. Remove from stove.

I spoon the compote over each piece as it's served. Grammy uses that pie filling in the can and she puts it all over the top and it seems to hold up fine.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Zucchini, Summer Squash and Cherry Tomatoes in a Creamy Goat Cheese Sauce

2009-07-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Everything I make this week seems to contain cherry tomatoes, and this recipe is no different. I went and threw this together on my own, and both Scott and I were pleased with the results. Although when I was chopping everything up I was wishing I had some asparagus. I think next time I will add some.

1/2 Box of Spaghetti
1 Tbl Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic minced
1/2 a big onion chopped (i used yellow)
1 Small Zucchini Chopped
1 Small Summer Squash Chopped
1 Pint Cherry tomatoes halved
1 Cup Fresh Chopped Basil
5 oz Goat Cheese
1 Cup reserved pasta water
1 tsp salt
Fresh Cracked pepper to taste

While pasta is boiling in a salted pot saute Garlic & onion in oil for a minute, then add Zucchini and Summer Squash. Saute until soft.
Drain Pasta reserving one cup of water.
Return Pasta to the pot and add the sauteed veggies, tomatoes and basil & some fresh cracked pepper
In a separate bowl whisk together Goat Cheese, pasta water and salt until smooth
Pour sauce on pasta and toss to mix
Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.

We added some grated parmesan cheese to ours once it was plated.

Pan Fried Polenta with Fresh Tomato Bean Salsa

2009-07-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

This was even better than I expected. I actually cannot wait until lunch time tomorrow so that I can eat more. It's the perfect summer time meal, and it's simple and quick to prepare which is nice when you have spent all day getting sunburned on the beach.

Ingredients
2 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon each salt & black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (16 ounce) package prepared Polenta, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds (I used Tomato & Garlic Polenta)
¼ cup grated cheese (I used a blend of mozzarella, fontina, provolone & Parmesan)

Instructions
1. Stir together tomatoes, beans, basil, salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes to blend flavors. (I added a bit of olive oil)

2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add half the polenta slices to skillet; cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes, turning once. Remove polenta from skillet. Repeat with remaining oil and polenta slices.

3. Arrange polenta on a serving plate. Spoon tomato-bean mixture on top. Sprinkle with cheese and garnish with basil.

Recipe changed a bit from "How Stuff Works"

Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons & Parsley Brown Butter

2009-07-22T05:21:00.000-07:00

This is an "Eating Well" recipe that I just made a few changes too. It came out very well and was quick and easy. You can make your own Gnocchi or buy the shelf staple kind that is located in the "Italian" section of the grocery store. Sorry about the weird gaps in the recipe when I added in the things I changed it made me double space. I'm too lazy to figure out how to change that at the moment.

1 pound gnocchi

2 tablespoons butter
2 medium shallots, chopped

3 Cloves Garlic chopped

1 pound zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise (I used a vegetable peeler and just made strips)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi until they float, 3 to 5 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots, Garlic and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, Basil and parsley. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

2009-07-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner was Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburgers on the grill with potato chips and this simple but tasty salad. This make about enough for 4 people to have a small side serving.

2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 large cucumber peeled and chopped
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh minced dill
1 teaspoon fresh minced mint leaves
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

What's the meaning of this?

2009-07-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I love to cook.
I love to take pictures.
I love to post my pictures and talk about my food.
Sometimes this leads to people asking for recipes.
So I figured i'd put them here, all in one place for anyone who wants them.

ta-dah!