Pumpkin Crunch

After a very long work day, I decided to bake pumpkin crunch because I needed something to take to work, and it's pretty easy. It's just time consuming. Everyone's been asking if this recipe is from Pinterest, but I've actually had this recipe for years. My mom sent to me when I first started cooking, and I like to make this every once in awhile. The butter and yellow cake mix is quite delicious.

 

Pumpkin Crunch

Prepare 9"x13" pan by lightly greasing then line with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350.

Pumpkin Mixture

3 large eggs, beaten

1 large can evaporated milk

1 lb. can of pumpkin

1 C sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t nutmeg

Combine all pumpkin mixture ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

Crunch

1 box cake mix (yellow, white or lemon) *I use yellow*

1 C nuts (almond, walnut, pecan or macadamia)

2 blocks butter, melted

Gently spoon dry cake mix onto pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle nuts evenly. Spoon on melted butter. *You want the melted butter everywhere*

Bake for 50 minutes. When done, put on rack to cool for two hours, turn upside down onto serving tray.

*I like it and serve it like this, but you can also add a cream cheese topping, which is below.*

Topping

1 8-oz. carton cream cheese, softened

3/4 C powdered sugar

1 small container cool whip

Mix softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and cool whip until blended.

Quick Quiche

I love this quiche recipe from the Food Network. It is super easy, and it always gets such a great response. The only adjustments I make are to use white cheddar cheese, and I defrost and squeeze the water from the spinach.

Quick Quiche
adapted from the Food Network 

4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup mayo
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 ounces shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese*
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Hand whip the eggs, half-and-half, mayo, and flour in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown.

The Chocolate Haupia Pie Did Not Go Over Well

I am so disappointed.  My first chocolate haupia pie was kind of a fail.  Kind of because it looked right and tasted right, but apparently I should have shared with those who have acquired the taste for such a pie.  Mr. Sweeth Tooth did not like it.  Something about the consistency.  Granted, the chocolate pie was a not as light as I would have liked, but I didn't feel like it was that bad. 

Insert sad face here.

The recipe came from Hawaii's Best Local Desserts.  It was an easy recipe, the hardest part was finding frozen coconut milk.  In fact, I could not find the frozen stuff easily, so I bought the canned version.  To confirm, I sent a text to my friend who I figured would know, and of course she knew (she writes the myfoodaffair blog).  When she make haupia, she uses canned coconut milk, and finds it more flavorful. 

By the way, haupia is a coconut dessert from Hawaii.  It's kind of like jello.

Here's the recipe, hope it goes over better for you than it did for me.  By the way, I added my notes directly in the text below (I'm being lazy), and made the copy bold.

Chocolate Haupia Pie
adapted from Hawaii's Best Local Desserts

• 1 frozen prepared pie crust (9-inch)
• 1 can frozen coconut milk, (12-oz), thawed (canned coconut milk is okay)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• semi-sweet chocolate (7-oz)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Shaved chocolate for garnish

Bake pie crust at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.  Cool.

To make the haupia, whisk coconut milk, milk, and 1 cup sugar in a sauce pan.  In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water.  Bring the coconut milk mixture to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and whisk in cornstarch mixture until thickened.  I don't think you have to use the entire cornstarch mixture, but I could be wrong (maybe someone can comment on this for me).

Microwave chocolate pieces for 1 minute, or until melted (I go for soft and then stir so it doesn't get too hot).  Pour half the haupia into a bowl.  Mix the remaining haupia with melted choclate and pour on bottom of pie crust.  Spread out evenly.  Layer white haupia on top.  Spread evenly.  Cool the pie in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Whip heavy whipping cream with 1/4 sugar until stiff peaks form.  Garnish the pie with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.  Chill for 1 hour.

Pizza! With Spinach, Caramelized Onion and Bacon

I do heart pizza.  It doesn't even have to be gourmet, and I'll probably love it.  But, I do appreciate the fancy stuff too.  This particular pizza is one I would categorize as fancy.  The toppings include spinach, caramelized onion, and bacon.  I think I made it because I had a ton of spinach to use, and pizza just made sense. 

In this instance, I used a regular pizza sauce, but the recipe actually calls for a garlic cream sauce.  On another occasion I made the white sauce version, and honestly, whatever floats your boat is what you should use. 

Hope you enjoy!

Spinach, Caramelized, and Bacon Pizza
found on myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• Pizza dough

Topping:

• 4 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach (I used baby spinach)
• 2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) sliced onion 
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal (did not use cornmeal, used flour instead)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. To prepare topping, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Set bacon aside. Add spinach to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes or until wilted. Place spinach in a colander, pressing until barely moist. Add onion and 2 teaspoons sugar to pan; cook 12 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 3 tablespoons flour and pepper, stirring with a whisk; cook 30 seconds. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Preheat oven to 475º.  If you are using store-bought dough, follow the directions on the package.
4. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim. Spread milk mixture evenly over dough; top with spinach and onion.
5. Bake at 475° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with bacon and cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Spicy Margarita

 Apparently it's hip to add a little kick to your margarita.  After trying different versions at some local bars, I said I would make one at home.  So, I got out my favorite margarita recipe and added peppers.  The bad thing is that this recipe makes one drink at a time, and squeezing the limes is way more labor intensive than I would like.  That being said, the work is pretty worth it.


Spicy Margarita
adapted from Food Network Kitchens' Margarita recipe

Ingredients 

• Ice cubes
• 3 oz. tequila 
• 2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup (see below for recipe)
• 1/2 to 1 t orange liqueur
• 1/2 Serrano pepper or 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 T kosher salt

Directions 
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Slice pepper (do not de-seed or de-vein if you want it spicy) and muddle.  Add pepper, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and simple syrup to shaker.  Cover and shake until mixed and chilled, about 30 seconds.  Place kosher salt on a plate.  Press the rim of a chilled glass into the salt to rim the edge.  Strain margarita into the glass.


Simple Syrup 

• 1 C sugar
• 1 C water

Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissovles.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.

What a Bunch of Kale

My cooking experience with kale is pretty much non-existent.  So what was I to do with a bunch of kale that the B bought at the Farmer's Market but failed to use?  Luckily, the Food Network had a recipe for braised kale with toasted almonds.  It called for one bunch of kale, and the rest of the ingredients, I pretty much had on hand.  Other than stemming the kale, which is kind of slow, this is an easy recipe, and even better, it was yummy!  Plus I felt like I was being pretty healthy cooking up a bunch of kale, even if I used a lot of butter.


Braised Kale with Toasted Almonds
from the Food Network

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon butter*
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup minced onions
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and sliced thin
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon*
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

In a large saute pan over low heat, toast almonds for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned (the will brown more throughout cooking so don't worry if they aren't all that brown). Add butter and allow to brown. Add garlic and onions. Cook for 3 minutes until slightly caramelized. Add kale and toss lightly. Add broth, bouillon and pepper. Cook kale for 5 to 6 minutes until tender and liquid has evaporated. 

*One tablespoon of butter didn't seem like enough, so I added more; probably about two more tablespoons (yikes, I know).  I used chicken base because I didn't have bouillon, and I cut it down to 1/2 teaspoon of the base.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting (again)

These are some rich cupcakes.  They are a bit much for me, so I don't usually eat them; I just bake them for others.  Although, now that I think about it, I bet they go really well with a strong cup of black coffee. 


The cupcake recipe makes two dozen cupcakes, while the frosting makes about three cups.  I always forget that it's not quite enough frosting to do just one batch!  Or maybe I'm just heavy-handed with the frosting?  I can't help it,  it's good stuff!

Enjoy the recipe, it's an easy one, and I think the frosting is the best part!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes 
from America's Test Kitchen

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream

•  Microwave the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, about one to three minutes.  Let cool until just warm to the touch.
• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk the sugar until combined.  Whisk in the chocolate mixture.
• Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the batter, then whisk.  Whisk in the sour cream.  Sift the remaining flour mixture over the batter and whisk completely.  The batter will be thick!
• fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.  Bake about 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Rotate the pans halfway through baking.
• Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for five minutes.  Remove from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting
from America's Test Kitchen

2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or natural peanut butter)

Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together until the salt dissolves.  Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds.  Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth, about two to five minutes.  Beat in the cream mixture.  Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about four to eight minutes.  Beat one cup creamy peanut butter and sugar mixture.

To Finish Cupcakes
Frost cupcakes.  Cut Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures in half and top frosted cupcakes.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells

In April I finally broiled something correctly, so I took a picture and posted it on Facebook.  The dish happened to be Real Simple's Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells recipe, and I guess it looked good because some of my friend's wanted the recipe.  I add prosciutto to mine because I am such the meatatarian, but this is supposed to be a vegetarian dish.  Of course this means I always have way too much stuffing leftover, but I just make a bigger dish and have more cheesy-prosciutto goodness.

My only caution to anyone making this is to be careful with the broiler.  Usually I am so scared to burn things I don't get the nice browning effect, but this time I just kept watching through the oven door.  Plus, this oven can broil on different temperatures (I don't think all ovens do this, but I'm not sure), so I had it on a lower temperature.
 

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
adapted from Real Simple 

20 jumbo pasta shells 
1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
2 15-ounce containers ricotta
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 cup grated mozzarella
4 ounces prosciutto (optional)

• Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the pasta according to the package, drain and run under cold water.
• Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large broilerproof baking dish.
• In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (and prosciutto if you're going my route).  Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Increase the heat to broil.  Broil the shells until the cheese begins to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.  

Banana Cupcakes and Honey Cupcakes

When I made the dark chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, the peanut butter frosting was well-received and a couple of people asked me what other cupcakes might go well with the frosting. I thought about it, and finally settled on a honey cupcake and a banana cupcake. Full disclosure, I love peanut butter toast with honey, and I usually only like bananas with peanut butter.

Today was someone's birthday at work, and since I signed up to make cupcakes, this was the perfect time to experiment. This person at work also happens to be one of the people who really enjoyed the peanut butter frosting.

The honey cupcake recipe came from the Half Baked - The Cake Blog, and the banana cupcake is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book. I used the ATK peanut butter frosting recipe. However, since I was worried about the banana cupcakes with the peanut butter recipe, I also made Martha's honey and cinnamon frosting.

They turned out pretty good, and everyone at worked really liked them. Phew! It was quite a long afternoon in the kitchen, and I was very worried about how they would be received.


Roasted Banana Cupcakes With Honey and Cinnamon Frosting
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 16 cupcakes

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas, plus 1 to 2 more for garnish
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Place 3 whole, unpeeled banans on a baking sheet and roast 15 minutes (the peels get dark). Sift together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Remove bananas from oven and let cools before peeling. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixture on medium-high, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs yolks, one at a time, beating until each incorporated. Add roasted bananas, and beat to combine. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Beat in vanilla.

In another mixing bowl, with electric mixer on medium, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Fold one-third whites into batter to lighten, and gently fold in remaining egg whites in two batches.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

With electric mixer on medium, beat all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately, or refrigerate up to five days in airtight container.



Honey Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
From Lauren Kapeluck on the Half Baked - The Cake Blog
Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Combine buttermilk, honey, and vanilla.

Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well.

Add wet and dry ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool for five minutes before removing from tins and placing them on a wire rack to cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 sticks, unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup creamy butter (not old-fashioned or natural)

Stir the cream, vanilla, and salt together until the salt dissolves. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium-high until smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds. Reduce the speed to medium-low, slowly add the confectioner's sugar, and beat until smooth, two to five minutes. Beat in the cream mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about four to eight minutes. Beat one cup creamy peanut butter.

Minestrone Soup in the Slow Cooker

Yes, I love my slow cooker. The only problem is that it makes so much food. Well, it's a problem for me, but not for my co-workers (who sometimes get a container full).

Since it's getting chilly in Southern California, this is a good time of year to bring the slow cooker out and make one of my go-to meals. This time I made minestrone soup. The recipe was blended from a couple of different sources (which I can't accurately recall) years ago.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cup beef broth
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 medium carrots
2 zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 medium potatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounce red kidney beans, drained
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
3 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Optional: 2 oz. pasta

Direction
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 16 hours (cook time depends on how large or small the vegetables are chopped). If you wish to add pasta, place it in the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Remove the bay leaf before serving. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

My Notes
I use two cans of beef broth, which is about four cups. This makes a very thick and hearty soup, so the extra half ounce of broth doesn't hurt. Because spices tend to lose their flavor in a slow cooking process I add more of the dried spices towards the end of cook time. If I use low-sodium broth, I add salt as well. Yes, it defeats the purpose.

Barbecue Chicken in the Slow Cooker

If I've already posted about this, my apologies. This is an easy recipe for barbecue chicken in the slow cooker, and I always get compliments when I make it. If you're wondering why there's no photo, it's because I don't think my camera skills do the dish any justice.

The recipe comes from allrecipes.com, and it is super easy.

Ingredients
6 frozen, skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 12-oz. bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions
Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Combine the barbecue sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8.

My Notes

• Most of the barbecue sauce I like comes in an 18 ounce size, and I use the entire bottle. I tend to use Stubb's Original barbecue sauce or the Kansas City barbecue sauce at Trader Joe's.


• I use Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian dressing.


• I have used both frozen and fresh chicken breasts. My cook time for the frozen ones was about 3.5 hours on high, and I cooked the fresh chicken for 5 hours on low.


• At the end of the cooking process, the sauce becomes pretty watery, so I shred the chicken and put it back in the sauce. I don't think using only 12 oz. of barbecue sauce will cut down on the watery-ness. Plus, you might also not have enough sauce at the end if you shred the chicken because a lot of the liquid is soaked up by the chicken.


• Normally, like to serve this with a mac and cheese dish, but it's also good on some sort of bread roll, or in a tortilla.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade

My non-alcoholic drink of choice is usually an Arnold Palmer, but about a month ago I had my first blueberry mint lemonade. It was an incredibly refreshing drink to have on a warm day.

Last night I finally remembered to look for a recipe online, and I found one on The Cooking Photographer blog. I blame my memory lapse on the cooler-than-usual-temperatures for May and June. It took the warm humidity of this weekend for me to remember that I needed to figure out how to make a blueberry mint lemonade at home.

The Cooking Photographer's recipe is delicious, and she also points out that this makes a tasty mojito.

Blueberry Mint Lemonade
by The Cooking Photographer

Simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 1/2 C fresh lemon juice (or lime)*
1 lemon sliced (or lime)
1/2 C frozen blueberries
20 small or 10 large mint leaves
5 1/2 to 6 1/2 C water to taste

Combine all ingredients together in a pitcher and stir. Chill until ready to serve.

Simple Syrup
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water

Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Boil until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside.

*I didn't have enough lemons for the lemon juice, so I added two limes.

Ribollita

This week it's all about soup, because I haven't been feeling all that great. The second soup of the week was Giada's Ribollita. Yum.

Seth also enjoyed it. So much that he suggested that I lose my Minestrone recipe and only make Ribollita. He actually didn't know about Ribollita, and neither did I, so I Googled. It turns out that it's a Tuscan soup traditionally made of leftovers and stale bread.

Ribollita is an easy soup to make, and the pancetta adds a flavor that's quite nice. If you like Minestrone, try this soup!

Ribollita
by Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus some for the bread
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped*
4 oz. pancetta, chopped
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 T tomato pste
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1-pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1-15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained
1 T Herbs de Provence
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 Parmesan rind
4 to 6 ciabatta rolls, halved lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced
Grated Parmesan

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle the ciabatta halves with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts.* Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

*Carrots: I used two, instead of one.

*Toasts: I neglected to toast the ciabatta and use it at the bottom of the soup bowl. Even without the toast, we very much enjoyed the soup, but next time we will be trying this with toast or some stale bread.

Soupe et salade

I know I said I needed to take a break from la cuisine française, but I just had to try Julia's Soupe á l'Alil aux Pommes de Terre, or saffron-flavored garlic soup with potatoes.

The recipe for Aїgo Bouїdo was the first recipe that caught my eye in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and it sounded simple enough; until I got to the part when Julia says "Beat the egg yolks in the soup tureen for a minute...Drop by drop, beat in the olive oil as for making a mayonnaise." No, it was not the word "mayonnaise" that deterred me, it was the instruction to "drop by drop beat in the olive oil."

Luckily, one of the beautiful things about this cookbook is that Mrs. Child provides a "basic" recipe, and then some variations. A variation of Aїgo Bouїdo is Soupe á l'Alil aux Pommes de Terre. Garlic soup is supposed to "be very good for the liver, blood circulation, general physical tone and spiritual health."

The soup is different, and is a nice change from the tomato-based soups I normally make. To go with the soup, I made a Baby Spinach Salad from the Food Network.

Overall, dinner was quite nice. It wasn't a heavy meal, but it was tasty. I forgot to say that the garlic soup, is not garlicky, and you can't really tell that it is the recipe's main ingredient.

Soupe á l'Ail aux Pommes de Terre
by Julia Child

INGREDIENTS
1 separated head or about 16 cloves of garlic (whole, unpeeled)
2 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cloves*
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 bay leaf
4 parsley sprigs*
3 T olive oil
3 cups diced potatoes
Pinch of saffron

DIRECTIONS
Drop garlic cloves in boiling water, and boil 30 seconds. Drain, run cold water over them, and peel.

Place the garlic and the salt, pepper, cloves, sage, thyme, bay leaf, parsley and olive oil in 2 quarts of water. Boil slowly for 30 minutes.

After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes, strain it. Press the juice out of the garlic.* Return the strained soup to the pot. Simmer the potatoes in the soup with the saffron for about 20 minutes or until tender. Add seasoning to taste.

*The recipe calls for 2 cloves, but I only had ground cloves, so I used 1/8 tsp of the ground cloves.
*I can't seem to figure out if "parsley" means regular parsley or Italian parsley. I settled on regular parsley.
*Before I actually made the soup, I wasn't sure what to do with the garlic cloves once I "pressed the juice" out. It turns out that there isn't much left after you press the garlic in the strainer. Some of it falls back into the soup.




Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Red Onions, Pecans, Dried Cranberries, Crumbled Goat Cheese, and Citrus Dressing
from The Food Network

INGREDIENTS
1 medium red onion
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Citrus Dressing, recipe follows
8 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped*
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the onion into thin wedges, through the root end. Toss with the olive oil, season with salt, to taste, and spread out on a baking sheet. Roast until just soft and brown, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Put the spinach and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss. Add more dressing as needed; spinach should just be lightly coated. Divide salad among 4 chilled plates. Top with pecans, goat cheese, and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

CITRUS DRESSING
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T freshly squeezed orange juice
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp fine salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon, honey, thyme, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Gradually whisk in the oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream, to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.*

*I made a mistake with the dressing and added everything to the olive oil, rather than the other way around. It turned out just fine. Seth actually liked the salad; which is saying something since he always chooses to get Caesar Salad at restaurants.

Please Hold the Mayo

Some people love their mayonnaise. I tolerate it.

While I recognize the necessity for mayo in certain recipes, I tend to avoid it. There's just something about the smell and look of mayo that is completely unappetizing for me. I will eat potato salad, and I will overlook the use of mayo in spinach artichoke dip, but I steer clear of tuna sandwiches and secret sauce on hamburgers.

Sometimes, it's impossible to dodge this necessary evil. Last night I made Real Simple's Artichoke and Spinach Relish. Up until I added the mayonnaise, it sounded like addition to crackers. As I stirred the mayo in, I found myself suddenly disgusted by the relish. Then I started to panic a little and wondered if it would taste good. I knew I just couldn't make myself taste it, so I read the comments online, and they seemed positive, so I decided to bring the relish to the party I attended earlier today.

My cousin Mr. T. was the guinea pig, and he liked it. So, I bit the bullet and had a taste. Surprisingly, it was tasty. I'm not sure that I would make this again, but it's good and easy enough to make.

Artichoke and Spinach Relish
by Real Simple

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup walnuts
1 13.75-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper
crackers and cut-up vegetables, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 400º F.

Spread the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.*

In a small bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesan, mayonnaise, lemon juice, walnuts, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve with the crackers and vegetables.

*I used pre-chopped walnuts, so I toasted mine on the stove-top.

Râpée Morv Andelle

It's hard to believe, but after making Julia's boeuf bourguignon and pommes de terre sautées, I was still in mood for more French food. My next attempt was her râpée morv andelle, or gratin of shredded potatoes with ham, eggs and onion. Even though it's classified under "entrées and luncheon dishes" I made it for dinner.

The gratin smells delicious as it's cooking, but Seth could immediately tell that it would be "bad" for us. Between the whipping cream, Swiss cheese, and butter, it's a heavy meal. I tried to balance out the decadence by serving salad with the gratin. I also will not be cooking anymore French food for at least two weeks so we can take a break from all the butter.

Julia's gratin is a good dish, but I tend to prefer stronger cheeses (I make my quiche with white cheddar rather than Swiss), so this was a bit mild for my tastes.

Râpée Morv Andelle
by Julia Child

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup finely minced onions
2 Tb olive oil
4 Tb butter
1/2 Tb butter, cut into pea-sized dots
1/2 cup finely diced cooked ham
4 eggs
1/2 clove crushed garlic
2 Tb minced parsley and/or chives and chervil
2/3 cup grated Swiss cheese
4 Tb whipping cream, light cream, or milk
Pinch of pepper
1/4 tsp salt
3 medium-sized potatoes (about 10 oz.)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the onions slowly in the oil and 2 Tb butter for about 5 minutes, until tender, but not browned.

Raise heat slightly, stir in ham, and cook a moment more.

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with the garlic, herbs, cheese, cream or milk and seasonings. Then blend in the ham and onions.

Peel the potatoes and grate them (use the grater's larger holes). A handful at a time, squeeze out their water. Stir potatoes into egg mixture. Check seasoning. The gratin may be prepared ahead to this point.

Heat 2 Tb butter in an 11 to 12-inch baking dish or ovenproof skillet about 2 inches deep, or 4 individual baking dishes about 6 inches in diameter. When the butter is foaming, pour in the potato and egg mixture. Dot with 1/2 Tb butter that has been cut into pea-sized dots. Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is nicely browned.

Cuisine Française

My sister gave me Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking for my birthday, and since April I have been trying to find the time to try out a recipe. Finally, I had a block of several hours to dedicate to the kitchen, and for Sunday dinner I made Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon and Pommes De Terre Sautées.

Neither recipe is exactly difficult, but there are many steps, and it is time consuming. My Boeuf Bourguignon was not as tasty as I have had in a restaurant, but it's the best version I've made so far. Even the sauce was a rich brown color. The Pommes De Terre Sautées were tasty, and they are similar to Alice Water's Braised Fingerling Potato Coins (or maybe the potato coins are similar to Pommes De Terre Sautées).

There were a couple of moments where I had to refer to the internet, or just make some guesses and/or adjustments on what Julia meant in her recipe:

• I used a dutch oven rather than a 9 to 10-inch casserole dish.
  
• After browning the sliced carrots and onions, it was not clear what to do with them. I decided to remove them from the dutch oven, and returned the beef and bacon to the dutch oven. This is when you sprinkle flour on the beef and bacon and put it in the oven for 4 minutes at a time (8 total). I added the vegetables back in when I added the wine, beef stock, etc.
  
• I used Chianti rather than trying to find the other wines Julia suggested.

Here are Julia's recipes:

Boeuf Bourguignon

STEW INGREDIENTS
6 oz. chunk of bacon (ask your butcher and make sure it has rind on it)
1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil
3 lbs. lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tb flour
3 cups of full-bodied, young red wine, or a Chianti
2-3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
A blanched bacon rind
18 to 24 small white onions brown-braised in stock (ingredients and directions follow)
1 lb. quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter (ingredients and directions follow)
Parsley sprigs

BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS INGREDIENTS
18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil
1/2 cup brown beef stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs (or 2 tsp dried parsley), 1/2 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheese cloth

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS INGREDIENTS
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions, salt and pepper

COOKING TOOLS
9 to 10-inch ovenproof casserole dish 3 inches deep
A slotted spoon
A 9 to 10-inch enameled skillet
Cheesecloth

DIRECTIONS
Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté the bacon in the oil (1 TB) over moderate (medium) heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté beef, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add the beef to the bacon. Do not drain oil/fat.

Brown the sliced carrots and onions in the oil/fat. Pour out the oil/fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole, uncovered, in the middle position of the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the mat and return to oven for 4 more minutes. This browns the flour and covers the meat in a light crust. Remove the casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in the wine, and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done with a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

Skim the fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Season to taste. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. The recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS DIRECTIONS
When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. They will not brown uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove the herb bouquet.

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS DIRECTIONS
Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté, the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes, the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Optional: Toss the shallots and green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes.


Pommes de Terre Sautées

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boiling, fingerling or new potatoes
4 to 5 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley, chives or fresh tarragon, or a mixture of fresh green herbs
Big pinch of pepper

DIRECTIONS
If you have fingerling potatoes, peel them neatly and sauté them whole. If you have boiling or new potatoes, peel them and cut them into elongated olive shapes, all the same size, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches long and 1 to 1 1/4 inches at their widest diameter. Do not wash, just dry them well in a towel.

Add enough butter and oil to a 10 or 11-inch skillet to film it by 1/16 inch and set over moderately high heat. When the butter foams and begins to subside, put the potatoes in the skillet. Leave them for 2 minutes, regulating heat so butter is always very hot, but not coloring. Then shake the skillet back and forth to roll the potatoes and to sear them on another side for 2 minutes. Continue for 4 to 5 minutes more until the potatoes are a pale golden color all over, indicating that a seared, protective film has formed over them, so that they do not stick to the pan.

Then sprinkle the potatoes with salt and roll them again in the skillet.

Lower heat, cover the skillet, and cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, shaking them every 3 to 4 minutes to prevent them from sticking to the skillet, and to insure even coloring.

The potatoes are done when they yield slightly to the pressure of your finger, or a knife pierces them easily; they should be nice, fairly even, golden grown color. Pour out the sautéing fat.

Off the heat, add the butter (2Tb) and herbs, sprinkle on the pepper, and roll the potatoes in the skillet so they glisten with herbs and butter.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies for Easter

For my birthday I got a box of baking goodies, including little Easter-themed sugar figurines. It was perfect timing: last weekend Seth and I watched an episode of Everyday Italian on the Food Network, during which Giada was baking Lemon Ricotta Cookies. Since the cookies have a lemon glaze, I figured this would be a good opportunity to use the figures.

It's an easy recipe, and I just made two minor adjustments:

• The recipe says to spoon about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto a baking sheet. On the show, Giada appeared to make smaller cookies, so I only scooped about 1/2 tablespoon.


• I also adjusted the baking time down to 12 minutes from 15 (so that the edges were slightly golden) since I scooped out smaller mounds of dough

These are light, soft cookies. I happen to love lemon, so these are right up my cookie-alley.

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
by Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS
Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cookies
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients, about 1/3 at a time.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons per cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours.

Creamy Shells with Peas and Prosciutto

I love tomato-based pasta sauces, but Seth likes cream sauces, so sporadically I try out a recipe for him. Tonight I made the America's Test Kitchen's Creamy Shells with Peas and Prosciutto. It was a winner and will be making future appearances at dinner.

The recipe says it serves four, but I think that's a bit off. It calls for a pound of small pasta shells, and between the butter and whole-milk ricotta, it's a filling dinner plus lots of leftovers. I also cut down on the amount of salt because prosciutto itself is so salty.

Creamy Shells with Peas and Prosciutto
from the America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 T unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
Salt
Pepper
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound small pasta shells
2 cups frozen peas
1 T fresh lemon juice

Directions

• Bring 4 quarts water to a boil.
  
• Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl that's big enough for the pasta.
  
• Cook the prosciutto and olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, about five minutes; or until prosciutto is well-browned and crisp. Place prosciutto on paper-towel-lined plate. Leave the oil in the skillet.
  
• Add the onion to the skillet and cook in oil over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir the onion/garlic mixture to the ricotta mixture.
  
• When the water is boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook al dente. Add the peas during final 30 seconds.
  
• Reserve 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. Drain shells and peas. Whisk lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the pasta water into the ricotta mixture until smooth. Add the pasta/peas and toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Add the remaining pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Sprinkle the prosciutto over the pasta and serve.

Deep-Dish Pizza

I have been wanting to try this recipe for Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza a couple months. Seth and I love pizza, and especially the deep-dish kind.

This is a relatively easy recipe to handle; the dough only requires mixing a flour-cornmeal-salt combination with yeast, kneading, and rising. Seth did not love the toppings, but I thought they were pretty good. The "sauce" is only diced tomatoes, basil and oregano so it doesn't have much kick, but it works for this recipe. The crust was good, and I thought it was better than the pizza dough from America's Test Kitchen. But, the pizza-guru in the house, Seth, likes the ATK pizza better.

Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups), divided
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 precooked mild Italian chicken sausages (about 6 ounces), casings removed, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

Directions:
1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into an 11 x 15–inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; press dough up sides of dish. Spread 1 1/2 cups cheese evenly over dough. Arrange chopped sausage evenly over cheese.

4. Preheat oven to 400°.

5. Chop tomatoes; place in a sieve. Stir in oregano and basil; drain tomato mixture 10 minutes.

6. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add mushrooms to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in bell peppers; cook for 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Arrange vegetables over sausage; spoon tomato mixture evenly over vegetables and sausage. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until crust browns and cheese bubbles. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.