Blueberry Clafoutis

I cheated.

I peaked in at around 40 minutes.  I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

Living, breathing, sighing, heaving.

My clafoutis was alive.    Billowing sheets of yellow custard.   Breathing in and out.   Hot, heavy breath.

I closed the oven door and walked away.  Tried to forget what I just saw.

Five minutes more.   The buzzer.

One more heaving sigh and then silence.    A lone blueberry exuded itself through the now thin crust of  golden yellow.

This is one hot little dessert.

A classic french dessert, traditionally made with cherries, it is a cross between a baked custard and an airy puffy pancake.   Very easy to put together and the results are subtly sweet and light.   (Makes great leftovers for breakfast.)  

Do you have a favorite blueberry recipe? 

Blueberry Clafoutis

Ingredients

1 pint blueberries, rinsed
3 whole eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup flour

butter
mint for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter your baking dish and layer bottom with blueberries.   Set aside.  I used a 9 inch cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar and almond extract.    Mix in flour to form a smooth batter.

Pour batter over blueberries and let settle to reach all sides.  

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until you reach a golden topping.   Remove from oven.  The clafoutis will naturally puff and deflate.   Let sit for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.   Garnish with fresh mint before serving.

Tuscan Pork Chops

The lemon makes these pork chops amazing.   It doesn't make an appearance until the very end and could be easily forgotten, but don't, because it brings the herbs and garlic and charri-ness to life.  

I asked John to train me on the grill again.   Again.

"Are you paying attention this time?"

"Yes, I swear, I'll remember."

"So turn this and then turn this and then turn that and then push this and then step back."

"Okay.   Got it."

"Then let it heat up a bit and go to town."

"Easy.  I have this.   You go sit inside and relax.   I will make dinner on the grill."

(A proud moment.)  

I put on the random assortment of veggie kabobs.  I purposely didn't put things in order.  A couple of mushrooms here, some random tomatoes there, a red onion cap on a bald mushroom.   I'm in charge tonight.  

Grilling is fun.

I put on the sweet potatoes.   Our fourth food group.

And then I put on these gorgeous pork chops which had been bathing in a marinade of garlic and lots of herbs and olive oil.     Tuscan-like, I think.

I fended off the bugs attacking me on the deck and peaked inside periodically.

When they were done, they looked like this.

The turning-on-the-grill instructions may have gone in one ear and out the other (sorry John), but I did write down this recipe.   I hope you will try it.   We both said that it was the best we'd had in a long time.   Way better (and less expensive) than any restaurant.  

(Am I the only one who can never remember how to start the grill?)

Tuscan Pork Chops
serves 2

Ingredients
2 bone-in pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper

Preparation
Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.   Let sit out at room temperature while you prepare the marinade.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, sage, rosemary and garlic.    Pour over pork chops and marinate for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat your grill to medium high (hopefully you already know how to do this!).  

Place pork chops on grill.   Grill about 5 minutes on the first side.   Flip and grill the second side for another 4 minutes.   (Note - your grilling times may vary.   This timing worked really well for us.)

Let the pork chops rest for a minute or two and then liberally sprinkle each piece with juice of half a lemon.  

Summer Quinoa Salad with Fennel, Squash, Peas, Leeks and Corn

There is something mind numbingly peaceful about shucking peas.

The tug of the string, the snap of the casing, the pop, pop, pop of sweet little peas hitting the bowl.   (Or, the floor.)

Feisty little things. 

I'm heading out of town again.   Visiting the family in New Hampshire.     The weather report is predicting mid 70s and sunny.    A vacation from the overly balmy 98 we are dealing with in North Carolina today.  

I told myself I'd get up early and hit the trail before the sun rose and the cicadas woke up.   (Didn't happen.)

What did happen is a sweat soaked mid-day romp through the woods, fending off gnats and breathing in warm jasmine coated air.   Sunscreen dripping from my red skin.   All the more sweeter for those little gnats.   They like me.  

I think they might like this salad also.   It's sweet.   And cool.

Given our pending escape, I did a swing through the fridge to clear out the 'forgotten'.  I was rewarded with peas, corn on the cob, leeks, baby fennel and some yellow squash.  

They came together to produce a light and fragrant summer salad when combined with quinoa.   If you've stopped by here before, you know how much I love quinoa.  

The corn and freshly shucked peas add crisp sweetness and color; the fennel and basil in the dressing add fragrance.   The leeks provide a little earthiness which together with the olive oil and garlic give this salad a little more depth.   This recipe makes a huge bowl of summer salad.    Divvy it up into sides or eat as a main if you are looking for a light vegetarian dinner.

Cool and sweet and strangely calming.

Do you do this?   The fridge sweep before traveling?    

Summer Quinoa Salad with Fennel, Squash, Peas, Leeks and Corn


Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 leeks, green and white parts only, halved and sliced
1 cup freshly shucked peas*
3 ears corn, kernels removed
4 small yellow squash, chopped
1 baby fennel bulb, sliced thin and chopped

Preparation
Prepare the quinoa.   In a medium pot, add 1 cup rinsed quinoa to 2 cups of water.   Bring to a boil.   Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.   Remove from heat and set aside.

While quinoa is cooking, prepare vegetables.   In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium low heat.   Add leeks and saute for 5 minutes until softened.    Stir peas and corn into leeks and saute for another 3 - 5 minutes.    Raise heat to medium and add in squash and fennel.    Saute for another 3 - 4 minutes until crisp tender.     Remove vegetable mixture from heat and prepare dressing (below).

Combine cooled quinoa, vegetables and dressing in large bowl.    Use all of the dressing for a wetter salad.   If you prefer drier, use less.  

Basil Fennel Vinaigrette Dressing


Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, loosely packed
1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds (the dill looking part)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 - 5 turns cracked pepper

Preparation
Add all ingredients to small bowl and whisk together until combined.  

*Fresh peas add a special sweetness and crispness to this salad, but you could also substitute with frozen.

Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes

The trip home yesterday was uneventful.

I woke up.   Packed my bags.   Looked around the room.  Checked out of the hotel.   Grabbed a taxi.    Chatted with driver on a traffic free trip to the airport.    Checked into my flight.   Breezed through security.   Bought two magazines.   Read one magazine.   Found my seat at the back of the plane.   Ate peanuts.  Read another magazine.   Took a five minute nap.   Landed.    Called John to pick me up.   Walked outside.   Got in car.

Truly.  Uneventful.

After all of the buzz and excitement of the past couple of days, my re-entry into normal life was quite calm.  

I had a wonderful time at BlogHer Food in Atlanta.   Still digesting it all (pun intended).  

I'll share some of this with you here, but for now, will share our dinner from last night.  

Our conversation in the car ride home:

"I'm tired."

"Okay, so what do you want for dinner?"

"Don't care.   What do we have?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Bread, peanut butter and jelly, one egg."

I knew there had to be more to it.   Sure enough, my vegetable drawer still held a virtual bounty of last weeks  farmers market score.    A couple of sweet potatoes, some baby spinach.   Carrots.   Garlic.  Cilantro.  A bag of lentils that's been sitting in the back of my pantry waiting for the right day.  I started to develop a plan, inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe for Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes.

Ignore the fact that it was 90 degrees in North Carolina yesterday.   Not exactly soup weather.  I cranked the AC inside and was rewarded with some healthy and colorful comfort food, perfect for unwinding after a long weekend away.  Sweet and mildly spicy, highly flavorful.    The depth of the spices was lightened by liberal use of cilantro and sprinkling of lime.  Filling and nutritious.  Will definitely make this again.

(As a bonus, this recipe is multipurpose.   If you like soup, cook it less.  If you like stew, cook it more.  Great leftovers too.)

How was your weekend?   Has your re-entry into Monday been bearable? 

Tandoori Lentils and Sweet Potatoes  (6 - 8 servings)


Ingredients


1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 medium sized carrots, peeled, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 Teaspoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon tandoori spice*
3 teaspoons grated ginger
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
garnish - light sour cream, cilantro, lime juice

Preparation


Heat oil on stove in large soup pot until warm.    Add carrots and sweet potatoes and saute on medium heat until slightly softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.    Add chopped garlic and ginger and saute another minute or two until fragrant.   Stir onion powder and tandoori spice into vegetable mixture until coated.

Pour chicken broth and water into pot and stir.   Add lentils and bay leaf and bring mixture to a boil.   Cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.     Add in chopped spinach, salt and pepper and stir.   Cook for another 30 - 60 minutes on low heat until you reach desired consistency.  

Remove from heat and remove bay leaf.  Serve garnished with light sour cream and liberal sprinkling of cilantro and lime juice.

*I use Penzey's Tandoori spice, which can be found online or in local retail shops.  

My Favorite Sandwich

Do you have a favorite sandwich?

I'm on a crazy egg kick at the moment.   Such a perfect little food.   The "incredible edible egg" all wrapped up in a biodegradable package, full of protein and so versatile.  I've been playing with frittatas and quiches lately but I always come back to the simple fried egg.   A little crispy on the edges, but still oozy in the middle.   Definitely has to be oozy.

Did you know that the egg has 13 essential minerals and vitamins and only 70 calories?   Not too bad.

The egg is really the cornerstone of this sandwich.   Add a little avocado and some mustard and you have yourself a great little lunch.   I'm not even sure this qualifies as a recipe, given how simple it is, but sometimes simple truly is best!

What's your favorite? 

Egg and Avocado Sandwich


Ingredients

1 egg, fried
1/2 avocado, sliced thin
two slices whole wheat bread
Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation


Fry egg to your usual preference.  I recommend sunny side up and soft in the middle, purely for the ooze factor.

Lightly toast two slices of bread.   Spread one side with Dijon mustard.   Top with avocado slices.

Add egg to second slice.    Season with salt and pepper.   Put the two parts together and enjoy!

Greens and Beans

It's Friday.   Pretty happy about that.   Yesterday was one of those days that I wanted to do a do-over on starting around 3pm.   No real reason.   Was a beautiful sunny blue sky day, I got lots done, but just wasn't working for me.    Some days are just this way. 

Last night we took a walk around the neighborhood and talked about ordering pizza for dinner tonight.    I can't remember the last time we did that.  I should make it myself, but feeling supremely lazy.  

One more night of what John calls "Vegetable Surprise".  

This one consists of farm fresh arugula, white beans and baby green garlic.    Have you tried green garlic before?    It has a subtler flavor than regular garlic, but looks more like a leek with an onion attached to the end.  Was a nice alternative.  

Thanks to all of you for your supportive comments earlier this week.  It really meant a lot.   

We had a nice night celebrating.   The pesto with summer roasted vegetables and whole wheat pasta was better individually than the sum of its parts.     Something about the whole wheat and pesto didn't mesh.   Plus, it turned a really strange unphotogenic shade of green.   The summer vegetables were wonderful though... fresh corn, radishes, grape tomatoes and asparagus, tossed with olive oil and roasted at 400 degrees for about twenty minutes.      

The flowers were a gift from me to me and from John to me.    I must have been sending out an "I need flowers" vibe that day. 

Arugula, White Beans and Green Garlic Wilted Salad


Ingredients


1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks green garlic, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 can great northern beans, rinsed
2 bunches arugula
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation


Heat olive oil in large pan on medium low heat.    Add diced onion and green garlic to pan and saute 3 - 4 minutes.    Add drained can of beans to onion mixture and heat for another 2 - 3 minutes.  

Add arugula to pan and saute until slightly wilted, 1 - 2 minutes.  

Remove immediately from heat and toss with apple cider vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

**************

I happen to love arugula.  I love the spiciness and bitterness of it.   For those that aren't huge fans, the apple cider vinegar helps to tone it down a bit and round out the flavor with a bit of brightness.   This is a refreshing summer side dish that only takes a few minutes to put together. 

I'm still looking forward to pizza tonight though... 

What are your plans for this weekend? 

Birthday Pesto and Memories of Cinque Terre

Today's is my mother's birthday.   Even though she is no longer with us, every year it is easier for me to imagine that she would fully expect us to spend the day celebrating.    

As time heals and happier memories replace more difficult times, I've found comfort in doing things she loved.    My mom loved to cook and we often cooked together.   When I was older this was mostly over the holidays when we'd travel to get together with family.    My dad would always politely complain that we would make too much and would warn us to keep it simple.    But really, that's not much fun is it?

But today is all about fun and simple and definitely celebration.    With warmer (and almost downright hot) temperatures finally here, I start thinking again about summer foods.  Fresh pesto tops the list.  When the basil is still young, green and fresh and hasn't yet blossomed out of control, or worse yet, wilted and withered into dusty shades of old brown crispy leaves.  

This simple pesto begins with the most basic ingredients:   spinach, basil, olive oil, lemon, pine nuts and parmesan cheese.    Thrown into the blender and that's about it.  

Tonight this pesto will transform a summer pasta dish I am experimenting with for our little birthday party.     Whole wheat pasta tossed with all of the best (almost) summer vegetables I could find, roasted in the oven and bursting with flavor.     Treated with a coating of freshly made pesto, I'm thinking this is not only going to be good, but celebration worthy.   And that's really what today is all about.

Before we get to the recipe, here's a few images from a family trip to Italy about five years back which inspired this birthday menu.    We spent a memorable day together in Cinque Terre, hiking the hills, sipping local wine and eating fresh pesto with even fresher pasta on the edge of the sea.    Cinque Terre is everything that good pesto is.   Simple, beautiful, fresh, lemony, earthy, and just a touch salty.

Spinach Basil Pesto


Ingredients


2 1/2 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
juice of one medium lemon
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Preparation


Add the first five ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until combined.   Add in cheese and blend again.   Salt to taste.

***********************

It's that simple!

I'll let you know how the summer pasta turns out.    Wishing you a celebration of your own kind tonight!  

Farmers Market Frittata

I'm feeling like my last post was all doom and gloom.   I didn't intend for that, but it really was an altering experience.   I was talking to John about it after he read my post and he said it was a good thing I closed my eyes when I did.   We were truly lucky.

Despite the storm and the disappointment that my family wasn't able to make it in due to weather related travel disruptions, Easter weekend turned itself around.    We had a great visit with family, ending with a  fabulous Easter brunch filled with gorgeous fruits, eggs, pastries and ham.    I wish I had hauled out the camera so I could show you a picture of the beautiful table, but I was preoccupied with eating it all.   So good!

The day ended with an Easter egg hunt for all the little ones.    We had some tears, white clothes and knees turned muddy, kite flying and tons of nostalgic cuteness.   I can remember my own days of Easter egg hunts in the yard on Easter morning.    I'm pretty sure my brother and I fought over an egg or two.    Kids are funny (and cute).

In keeping with the Easter/spring theme, I thought I'd share a quick and easy recipe that is perfect for a Sunday morning at home.     I used a bunch of ingredients we had left over from this weeks CSA box, but you could easily substitute your own "end of week" vegetables in this very adaptable recipe.

Farmers Market Frittata (serves 2)


Ingredients


2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup red onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups baby spinach, rough chopped
4 large eggs
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons skim or reduced fat milk
1/2 teaspoon dill
salt and pepper
1 small tomato, diced

Preparation


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crack four eggs into medium size bowl.   Whisk until blended.   Add 1/4 cup shredded cheese, dill and two tablespoons milk.    Stir and set aside.

Heat medium sized skillet over medium/low heat.    Add and melt butter in skillet.    Add red onions and saute for 3 - 4 minutes until slightly softened.    Add garlic and saute 1 minute until fragrant.    Add sliced mushrooms to vegetable mixture and saute 3 - 4 additional minutes.   Add spinach and saute until wilted, about another minute.   Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour egg mixture over vegetables in skillet and swirl pan until fully coated and even.   Cook for 4 - 5 minutes over medium low heat on stove until eggs are mostly set.    Remove from heat and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Place skillet in oven for another 5 minutes until ready (cheese is melted and slight browning).    Remove from skillet and serve with fresh diced tomato.

**********************

On another note, I'm beginning to grow a small addiction to eggs lately.    I'm thoroughly excited that I just received my first batch of farm fresh eggs in the box this week.   They look like regular eggs, except for being a nice mixture of brown and white.   I can't wait to see how they taste!   I read an article on the plane this weekend about urban chicken coops.   I'm not ready to go that far yet, but this might be a nice alternative.

Thai Basil and Mint Shrimp Stir Fry

This is my idea of a perfect dinner.

Fresh, healthy, colorful, quick.   (With a twist of lime and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.)

Back at home in North Carolina following my quick trip to visit my family up north.   Arrived home to a sparkling clean house.   A good sign that my husband really whooped it up while I was gone.   I was happy.

Time to start doing some personal cleaning.   Need to get rid of all the excessive carbs and salt from my travel.   Since I consistently gain five pounds as soon as I set foot into a restaurant setting, I usually require some detoxification time, a little damage reversal.   I always feel a gazillion times better afterwards, so it is in everyone's best interest to support me in this.

Today's recipe is just what I needed.   I love shrimp.  They take about two seconds to make (okay, three minutes) and it all ends up being very light.   This one throws in some vibrant thai flavors that, along with my super clean house, made me a very happy girl.

And on an adventurous note, this recipe gave me a chance to conquer my fear of Asian Fish Sauce.   Perhaps, an irrational one, but a fear nonetheless.    Fear, no more.

Thai Basil and Mint Shrimp Stir Fry


Ingredients


2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons southeast Asian Fish Sauce
5 teaspoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 medium red onion, cut into 1 inch dice
1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1 inch dice
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation


Combine soy sauce, water, fish sauce and honey in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat wok on stove over medium high heat.   Add olive oil until hot (water droplets should sizzle when added).   Add ginger and garlic.   Saute for 30 seconds until fragrant.    Add shrimp to wok and stir fry for two to three minutes until just pink on all sides.   Remove shrimp with slotted spoon and set aside in medium bowl.

Add onion, pepper and snow peas to wok and stir fry two minutes until just browned.    Add soy sauce mixture to vegetables in wok and stir.   Add shrimp to mixture and bring to a boil for another minute until shrimp is lightly glazed.

Add tomatoes to wok and stir fry another 15 to 30 seconds until coated.  

Remove wok from stove and pour into serving dish.   Add freshly squeezed lemon, basil and mint to top and gently mix.    Serve immediately.

Recipe Source:  Adapted from Food Network.    Substituted honey for the brown sugar.  Substituted olive oil for the peanut oil.   Eliminated chili's and jalepeno.   Added additional garlic and snow peas.    Served with quinoa.

What is your 'go to' detox dish? 

Strawberries and Mangoes and Avocados ...... (oh my!)

Here's exactly how I know it is officially Spring.

Strawberries, mangoes and avocados all go on sale at exactly the same time.     Crazy, right?

The obvious signs of Spring can be sprouting all around me, but it is not officially Spring until this happens.   Daylight savings, the obnoxious coat of yellow pollen, the ten foot black snake that appears on my walking trail, the frantic spring cleaning.  All great indicators, but they do not have the final say.

I know when it happens because every year I get excited that my favorites are all on sale and I buy too much.   And every year, without any sort of master plan, the first thing I always make is my special fruit salsa.

I am going to share it with you today, because I like you and I think you might like it.   It is about as non-recipe as you can get.    More a lesson in superior chopping skills.  

If there's any flaw here, it is in the fresh herbs.    Inevitably, by this time each year, I have procrastinated on planting my herb garden pots and have to give in to buying the ridiculously overpriced herbs in the plastic packaging with the dirt and roots.   I like to think there's some sort of wash rule in effect where the reduced price of the fruits cancels out the exhorbitant amount of money I spend on basil and cilantro.

What's with those packaged herbs anyway?   Is one suppose to plant these or just lop off the leaves?   (serious question.)

Strawberry, Mango and Avocado Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

5 - 10 strawberries, diced
1 mango, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Preparation

Add everything to a medium sized bowl and mix.    Add several generous splashes of red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.  

Super easy and very fresh.   Everything good about spring in a colorful little fruit salsa.    If I don't end up eating it all with spoon, I like to serve it with grilled chicken.

What is your official sign of spring? 

Interstate Pigs and Bean & Leek Soup with Caramelized Radish

Interstate pigs and bean soup?   This might sound a little crazy, but there's a connection, I promise.

I've been having recurring thoughts about pigs lately, spurred by two totally unrelated signs that began with my trip to Charleston this past weekend.  

Let me explain.

We were driving, as you do on road trips.    Staring aimlessly out the window.    Kind of tuning out.  I saw a truck ahead of us.    Now, you see a lot of trucks when driving, really not that unusual.   But this truck was special.   It had special cargo.  

I spotted little tails poking out the side of the truck as we passed.   Piglet tails.  Sweet, soft, tiny, curled up little pink pig tails.   Awwww.  That's when it dawned on me.   These pigs were going somewhere.   It wasn't just another road trip for them.  

I grew sad as I do when I think about animals that we eat.  It is why I regularly go back and forth between being a vegetarian and not.    The more I read and learn about how animals are 'produced' in this country, I am sickened by the conditions and the fact that this all ends up in our bodies.      Don't get me wrong, I do eat meat occasionally and certainly don't judge anyone else who does.  I've just been thinking more about what I consume, where it comes from and the effect that it has on my health.

Those little pigs heading to their next stop in the production process were nestled in my memory.  I settled back into vacation mode and ordered the pork ribs for dinner that night.   And they were amazing.   And I temporarily forgot all about the little pigs piled up in the back of the truck.

Until yesterday morning.    The pigs reappeared.    Back on the interstate again, except this time in a local news story about five pigs who got loose from a truck and ended up in the middle of morning commute traffic.      And while admittedly, some of the comments in the article are pretty darn hilarious, the whole thing just makes me sad.  
I guess the point of all this is that seeing these pigs triggered something in me that makes me want to re-examine my personal position.     I don't know if this will be fleeting or a more solid commitment, but for the moment I'm going to take a little break from meat while I reconcile my feelings.

Long story short, I made bean and leek soup for dinner last night and instead of flavoring it with bacon, I got creative with my seasonings and CSA box and came up with this version instead.  The spice mixture, containing natural hickory smoke and ginger, replicated the smoky flavor of the pork.  The caramelization of the radish added a little sweetness and a tiny bit of crunch.  A wonderful bacon substitute garnish.  The salted butter also helps to round out the flavor in this soup.

I didn't miss the bacon at all.

White Bean and Leek Soup with Caramelized Radishes

Ingredients

For the Soup
1 pound dried white beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salted butter
3 leeks, cleaned, halved and sliced thinly
3 celery heart stacks, diced
48 ounces low sodium chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pork chop seasoning (I used Penzey's)
sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Radishes
1 small bunch of radishes, 7 - 10, large dice
2 teaspoons salted butter
sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Prepare beans using overnight or quick method as directed on the package.   Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons salted butter on medium low heat in large soup pot.     Add sliced leaks and celery hearts.   Saute vegetables until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes on medium low heat.   Add 1/2 teaspoon pork chop seasoning to vegetables and mix for a minute or two until combined.

Add beans back into soup pot.    Add the chicken broth to bean and vegetable mixture.    Simmer for an hour until flavors are fully combined.  

Meanwhile, prepare radishes to finish prior to serving soup.    Melt 2 teaspoons salted butter in small saute pan on medium heat.     Add diced radishes and saute on medium low for about five minutes.   Increase heat to medium and saute until radishes begin to caramelize and form a dark crust, about another five to ten minutes.   Salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.   (Radishes are best served just out of the pan as they retain a little crunch.)

After about an hour, blend soup with immersion blender or blender until smooth.   Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Pour soup into serving bowls and top with radish garnish.

Heading back to Charleston next with less deep thoughts and more on our weekend away!

Meanwhile, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic.   Do you think consciously about where your food comes from and how it is produced?  If you do, how does it impact your eating habits?

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

File this one away under "Ridiculously Good".    I say this without the slightest bit of exaggeration.   My pet peeve for recipes that claim to be the best ever (ever. ever. ever.) keeps me cautious on my use of superlatives.

I am one of those strange women who never enjoyed chocolate until my thirties, when some massive hormonal shift took over and swayed my taste.    I didn't like ground beef either, but that's a different story and completely unappetizing in the context of chocolate.

The cravings started with those those little volcano chocolate cakes with the melting centers.  These did the job until they started appearing on menus everywhere and quality took a nosedive.    As a rule, I now only order "the volcano" when the menu requires a twenty minute lead time, otherwise, I don't bother.

Lately, I have been looking for a chocolate dessert that I can serve at home.   A dinner party staple.   Something easy, but, fabulous.   This is the recipe.    A layer of buttery chocolaty crust, topped with a truffle like (extremely rich) interior, brushed with a thin layer of fresh raspberry preserves and finished with a smooth dark chocolate glaze.    

Smooth, rich, creamy chocolate heaven.   Seriously.  The best dessert I've ever made.  

Strawberry and Vanilla Cupcakes

I like pink.

(Not afraid to say it.)

I also like pretty sparkly things and dinner by candlelight.

I like long walks on the beach and romantic sunsets.

(For the record, I like Justin Beiber too.   (Yes, I know.))

So, naturally, I love Valentine's day.

Orange Scented Black Bean Vegetarian Tacos

I have a terrible record with oranges lately.   Love them, just can't seem to eat them fast enough.

January usually has me craving citrus.     A month when oranges are actually good and not those dried up flavorless versions you find during non-citrus months.  

I also have a small addiction for buying boxes of little cuties clementines.    (Whoever came up with the idea of little cuties is a marketing genius.)

So, this week, I found myself with an aging box of cuties and a bag full of fresh from the backyard oranges from a friend.    As if this wasn't enough, John arrived home from work with a gift box filled with perfectly wrapped Cushman honeybell oranges which we promptly taste tasted and declared to be some of the juiciest, sweetest oranges we've ever had.  

Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Whole Wheat Pasta

Lately, you've been seeing a lot of baking showing up here on the blog.   There's actually a bit of method to my madness.  

I have always been one who expresses my creativity in the kitchen.   Helps relieve stress.   My zen time.   My husband views it as the opposite, affectionately referring to me as the 'little tornado'.    

I was thinking that maybe there was some truth in this observation.  Perhaps my cooking could use a little more precision.   Hence, all of the baking as of late.    As you know, following the recipe is pretty critical to achieving the end results.   Definitely requires focus.

(A minor, but surmountable, challenge for me as I've never been one to follow directions or play by the rules.    That said, it has been a wonderful learning experience and well worth the effort.)

Today's recipe is getting back to my roots, one of those random creations that actually turned out quite well, and I might add, is full of lots of healthy nutrients which for me, is most important.   Plus it contains so many of my favorite ingredients... what's not to love?  

Before you cringe at the combination of red pepper, avocado and lemon, it is actually very good. The avocado adds creaminess and the roasted red pepper and lemon add extra depth and brightness.   Top that with a little feta cheese and green onion... makes for a very striking and vivid presentation.


Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Whole Wheat Pasta

Ingredients
2 roasted red peppers*, sliced and seeds removed
1 medium sized ripe avocado, pitted and quartered
juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
fat free feta cheese
sliced green onion
1 pound whole wheat pasta (your choice, I used penne)

Preparation
1.   Boil water in large pot.    Add whole wheat pasta and cook until al dente.   Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water and set aside.
2.   Add roasted red peppers, avocado and juice of lemon to food processor.    Process until creamy and any lumps removed.   Set aside.
3.  In large skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat and saute garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.    Add diced tomato, cook another 1-2 minutes.  
4.  Add reserved pasta to large skillet and toss with tomato and garlic until warm and mixed.  
5.  Add roasted red pepper sauce to skillet and toss until heated.    Add additional pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
6.  Serve with fat free feta cheese and sliced green onion.

*I roasted my own red peppers, but I think this could also work well with drained roasted red peppers in a jar.

Healthy, colorful and hearty enough for a cool winter's evening.    Comfort food with a creative twist.

What's your cooking style?    Creative, throw stuff together type?   Baking queen?   A little bit of both?

Lemon Snowflakes

Lemon Snowflakes.    Aren't they pretty?

As I prepare to escape the frigid North Carolina weather, I wanted to leave you with something that I think you might enjoy.    Sweet, light, fresh and a little sparkly.    Like a cold winters day, but you can enjoy these inside, where it is warm and cozy.   Maybe with a cup of tea?    

Perfect for a cookie swap or holiday dessert table which is exactly what I made these for.   I am looking forward to sharing the entire table of goodies with you, but for now just a little taste.  

Originally hearts in this recipe from Good Housekeeping, I swapped these for the beautiful snowflake design and decided that snowflakes are very deserving of a sprinkling of silvery edible glitter.    

Lemon Snowflake Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 tablespoons salt
3 sticks butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh lemon peel
1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Lemon Glaze Ingredients
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 and 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel

edible silver glitter

Preparation
1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2.  Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in small bowl.
3.  Combine butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed.   Add in lemon peel and extracts.  
4.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture.
5.  Divide dough in half.
6.  Roll each half to about 3/8 inch thick.
7.  Using snowflake cookie cutter, cut as many cookies from sheet as possible.  
8.  Place cookies on ungreased large cookie sheet, about an inch apart.
9.   Bake about 15 minutes until a pale golden color.
10.  Repeat with dough scraps and second half until all cookies are baked.
11.  Transfer to rack and let cool about ten minutes.
12.   While cookies are baking, make lemon glaze.    Add powdered sugar, lemon juice and peel to small bowl and whisk until smooth.
13.   Dip each warm cookie into glaze and place back on rack to cool and set.
14.   Before fully setting, sprinkle with glitter (optional).

Stay warm and bon appetit!

Homemade Pasta

And here we are.

Just like that.    October.  

All right.   So my question for you today is, have you tried your hand at homemade pasta?  

The mixing of flour and eggs and kneading and rolling and cutting by hand type all while making a glorious mess in your kitchen kind of homemade pasta?  

I'd so love to hear how it turned out for you.   But first, my story.

I grew up with my mom making fresh pasta at our kitchen table.   It was one of those weekend event things, usually in preparation for a dinner party with similarly Italian loving friends.    Or sometimes it was just for her family, when she wanted to give us a little extra special love.     It was always appreciated and I have fond memories of her having fun doing it, looking forward to the process and results.    I know this love for making pasta was amplified by many return visits to Italy, where, of course, they've got this down.

So by now you know that while I was in Rome, I spent a day in a chef's kitchen learning some tricks of the trade.   The highlight, for me, was making the pasta from scratch.   Despite having watched my mom do it, I never attempted it.    Fear, I suppose.   I know, dumb reason.

Our results from that class were so fabulous.   You could just taste the love mixed up in our dishes, made all the more better by getting to share them with new friends.  

With this as background, I decided to try and recreate my experience at home.    I have to tell you, I had built it up in my head for a couple months and I was pretty excited.  I had visions of delicately tossing the pasta by hand, perfect strands of pale gold, ready to jump into that boiling water and turn into something fabulous.  I had high hopes.  

First, I'll share the recipe.  Seriously, two ingredients.   Sounds simple, right?  

Fresh Pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 cups all purpose flour, sifted first
4 eggs

Steps

On a cooking sheet, silpat type object or some other surface that is clean and can get a little dirty in the process, dump your flour into a small pile in the center.    Turn your pile of flour into a small volcano type object by making a deep hole in the center.   Be careful to leave a layer of flour at the bottom.

My Sad Looking Volcano

Crack eggs into the well in the flour.    With a fork, very gradually whisk those eggs into the flour.    Be patient with this process.   It is really meant to go slow with a very gradual taking of flour from the sides of your 'volcano' into the egg mixture.    Eventually you will get to a point where it the flour is incorporated and dough like mixture begins to form.     Keep going until you have everything incorporated.  I used my hands at the end to get everything in there.   It is also not an exact science, so you'll have to use a little personal judgment as to when to stop.   Don't let things become too dry (this is where practice and experience helps).

So now you have dough.

Dust a little more flour on your working surface and on a rolling pin and start rolling out the dough.    You can also do this in a pasta machine if you have one.   After you roll it out, fold it over and start rolling again.    Keep repeating this process until you achieve the right level of pliability (you will get a feel for this as you go).   When 'ready', begin rolling out your dough until very thin, almost transparent.   I found this almost impossible, so my advice is just to keep going and get it as thin as you can without tearing it.  

Do as I say, not as I do.   I wouldn't exactly call this transparent.  

When ready, you can begin cutting your dough into thin pasta resembling shapes.   I prepared for this by dusting my work surface with a little cornmeal and the top of the pasta sheet with a little cornmeal.   This will help prevent things from sticking.   Roll your dough very gently until you have something that looks like a jelly roll.    From here, you can begin slicing the ends off, each slice producing a new strand of pasta.    Cut as thin as you possibly can.   Once you have all of your slices, gently open them up and toss them lightly with cornmeal again and lay them out on a surface to rest.   Let them 'dry' for a couple of hours in the open air if you can.  

Comparing this to our version from class up above makes me giggle. 

Now you are ready to make the pasta.     Get some water boiling in a large pot.    Add your pasta to the boiling water.    Stir in a tablespoon of salt.   Stir often to prevent from sticking.   Taste your pasta after 3 or 4 minutes to see if it is done (it should be!)    Drain your pasta and use as you see fit!


Okay, having made this, I am now truly convinced that pasta making is an art that requires skill, practice and lots of love to perfect.  I now also understand why my mom got so into it.   She too wanted to reach that level of culinary achievement.  

She also had a pasta maker which I truly believe is necessary for my novice self.  I just do not possess the arm strength to roll out the dough to the perfect thinness.   I really did try.   And tried.   And tried.   It just didn't happen.   Our pasta was 'thick' and 'chewy' (not in a good al dente way).  

It wasn't perfect, but it was made with lots of love and determination, and this found its way into the end product.    Kind of like life, I think.    You get out of it what you put into it.  

And guess who's getting a pasta maker as a wedding gift?   Yup, so next time I'm here pontificating about homemade pasta, we may have a slightly different story.   Practice makes perfect, but I think strong arms, or a little machinery, will help.     I am very much looking forward to my next trial.

I'd love to hear your stories.   Successful attempts?   Not so successful?   The real question is... did you have fun with the process? 

Ciao.