recipe: Martha Stewart LivingINGREDIENTS
· flour, for work surface
· 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
· 5 1/2 oz. (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
· 1 1/2 lb. medium or thick asparagus· 1 tbsp. olive oil
· salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS
· preheat oven to 400°
· On a floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle and trim uneven edges
· place pastry on a baking sheet
· with a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle
· using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2 inch intervals
· bake until golden (about 15 minutes)
· remove pastry shell from oven and sprinkle with Gruyere
· trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit lengthwise inside the tart shell and arrange in a single layer over the Gruyere, alternating ends and tips
· brush with oil and season with salt and pepper
· bake until spears are tender and cheese has melted, about 20 to 25 minutes
This is such an easy, yet elegant side dish to add to any homemade meal. If you haven't cooked with Gruyere, you should start. It is a creamy and nutty French cheese that melts with ease. Its distinct flavor adds complexity to any dish, without over powering it. Gruyere is often used in fondues. The mix of this lovely cheese with asparagus and the crunchy pastry dough is just too good to be true.
Recipe: Shape Mag
January 2010
INGREDIENTS
· 2 tbsp. evoo
· 1/2 cup chopped onion
· 1 tsp. dried rosemary
· 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (or veggie stock)
· 1- 15 oz. can of white beans, rinsed and drained
· salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
· zest of 1 lemon
· 8 slices (1/2 inch each) whole-wheat baguette, toasted
· 2 plum tomatoes
· 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
DIRECTIONS
· combine olive oil and onion in skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender
· add rosemary, broth, and beans to the onions- simmer gently for another 5 minutes or until the broth has reduced or thickened
· remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper
· fold in parsley and lemon zest
· top each baguette slice with a tomato slice and 2 tbsp. of the bean mixture
· garnish with pine nuts and serve.
This is a healthy dish to serve as an appetizer or alongside soup for lunch. You could also add the bean mixture to any pasta or rice for an easy dinner. I have always liked the use of beans to replace meat. It's still hearty, just not heavy. Beans are also easier for your body to digest. One of my goals for 2010 is to eat less meat. I would like to find alternatives. Beans are a great replacement. Beans, Beans the're great for your heart....that's all we need to know.
Enjoy!
recipe from: cookie mag
INGREDIENTS
· 2 1/2 cups green or red grapes, halved
· 1 tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
· 3 tbsp. EVOO
· 1 lb. homemade pizza dough (read next post for recipe)
· 8 oz. soft goat cheese
· kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
· preheat oven to 450 degrees
· toss together the grapes and rosemary, and 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, set aside
· divide the dough into thirds and stretch each portion into a 10 inch circle
· place the rounds in the oven until cooked through, about 6 minutes
· distribute the grapes, spoonfuls of the goat cheese, and the remaining olive oil on the pizzas
· heat pizza in the oven until cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes
This dish is a grown-up take on the toaster oven pizza. I haven't tried it yet but I have been keeping this recipe close at hand with hopes of making it real soon. If you are not a fruit + savory person, you could replace the grapes with grape tomatoes, sliced the same way. That's what is fun about homemade pizzas, you can mix and match the toppings to create you own masterpiece.
Mangia!
DADDYS CIDER
· 3 oz. apple cider
· 1 oz. bourbon
· sprinkle of cinnamon
· drizzle of grade A maple syrup (optional)
· preheat apple cider just below boiling.
· pour bourbon into mug followed by the warm apple cider.
· sprinkle cinnamon and stir well.
· garnish with a cinnamon stick
· add syrup
SNOW LIFT
· 1 1/2 oz. heavy cream
· 1 1/2 oz. bourbon
· 3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
· 2 tsp. sugar
· sprinkle of nutmeg
· garnish of marshmallows and fresh rosemary
· stir all ingredients together in a small pan and heat.
· pull off heat before it boils and pour into a mug.
· garnish with a marshmallow and a rosemary sprig. (very important)
SMASHING PUMPKIN
· 2 oz. white rum
· 1 oz. heavy cream
· 3/4 pumpkin puree
· 1/2 oz. ginger simple syrup
· dash cinnamon & allspice
· combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice.
· shake for a while to blend and chill.
· strain and pour into a cocktail glass
· top with additional dash of cinnamon
(recipes found in Kansas City's local Tastebud mag)
I apologize for the light posting lately. It is not due to lack of cooking or lack of eating for that matter. A couple of weekends ago, I made homemade donuts for breakfast and surprised JJ in bed with them. It is a lot easier than it looks. I found the recipe in a Real Simple few years ago and remembered it because it was truly "real simple."INGREDIENTS
· tube of biscuits from the grocery store (Grands makes larger donuts)
· canola oil (or vegetable)
· cinnamon sugar
DIRECTIONS
· Mix the cinnamon & the sugar together. Just under a 1/2 cup for one tube of biscuits.
· Pour the canola oil in a pan just covering the bottom of the pan over medium heat. I am not a big fan of frying because it is not healthy but mostly because hot oil in the kitchen scares me. But, for donuts, it is essential.
· Open of the tube of biscuits (which for me, is a daunting feat. I never know when it will pop and I do not like surprises.)
· Cut out the centers of the biscuits to create the donut shape. I use a pineapple corer. (Keep the centers- those will be your donut holes!)
· Put a few of the donut shaped biscuits in the pan when the oil has reached it's temp. They will cook fairly quick. You are going for a golden brown color and once one side has reached golden brown, flip the donut to cook the other side.
· Once your donuts are cooked in the oil, take them out of the pan and place them on a plate layered with paper towels. This will absorb the extra oil.
· Then, dip your cooked donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a serving plate.
· Repeat steps until all biscuits and donut holes are cooked and sugary.
Best served warm.You donut know how good these are until you try them!
Enjoy!
Lately, I cannot get enough salad! The warm summer weather keeps me out of the hot kitchen and craving all things fresh. The best part is you can get inventive and insanely creative with the combinations you come up with.
Out of 101 salad recipes that I found in Tony Cenicola's article on the New York Times website, I posted 20 of my favorites here. These salads are fast, delicious, and perfectly seasonal. Read through the list. I am sure you will be able to find a concoction that makes your mouth water.
Vegan Salads
1) Watermelon Tomato Salad:
Cube watermelon and combine with tomato chunks, basil and basic vinaigrette. You can substitute peach for the watermelon or the tomato (but not both, O.K.?). You can also add bacon or feta, but there goes the vegan-ness.
2) Fresh Off the Vine:
Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice.
3) Sweet Harvest Salad:
Grate carrots, toast some sunflower seeds, and toss with blueberries, olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of black pepper. Sweet, sour, crunchy, soft.
4) Boc Chewy:
Chop and steam baby or grown-up bok choy until crisp-tender, then shock it in ice water. Drain, then toss with halved cherry tomatoes, capers, olive oil and lemon juice.
5) Chickpea Tabbouleh:
Roughly chop cooked or canned chickpeas (you can pulse them, carefully, in a food processor) and toss with olive oil, lemon juice, lots of chopped fresh parsley and mint, and a few chopped tomatoes.
6) Italian Flag Salad:
Mix cooked cannellini or other white beans, chopped cherry or grape tomatoes and arugula or baby spinach. Lightly toast sliced garlic in olive oil with rosemary and red pepper flakes; cool slightly, add lemon zest or juice or both, then pour over beans.
7) Peanut Cole Slaw:
Shred Napa cabbage and radishes. The dressing is roasted peanuts, lime juice, peanut or other oil, cilantro and fresh or dried chili, all whizzed in a blender.
8) Mexi-cali Salad:
Combine chopped bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, chilies and cilantro, then toss with corn tortilla strips, toasted in a 350-degree oven until crisp (or yes, use packaged chips; why not?). Dust with chili powder and lots of lime juice.
Salads with Cheese
9) Grilled Cheese Crouton Salad:
Make a crisp grilled cheese sandwich, with good bread and not too much good cheese. Let it cool, then cut into croutons. Put them on anything, but especially tomato and basil salad.
10) Red Pepper Caprese:
Slice roasted red peppers (if you must use canned, try to find piquillos) and fresh mozzarella. Toss with cooked white beans, olive oil, red wine vinegar, a chopped shallot and fresh rosemary or parsley.
11) Lox Salad:
Mix watercress with chopped smoked salmon, avocado, red onion and capers. Make a vinaigrette with olive oil, sherry vinegar and mustard powder.
Seafood Salads
12) Spicy Crab Salad:
Mix crab meat with pan-roasted corn, chopped avocado, halved cherry or grape tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and perhaps a bit of cilantro and crumbled ancho chili.
13) Warm Shrimp Salad:
Stir-fry small or chopped shrimp in olive or peanut oil with lots of ginger; while still warm, combine with tomato wedges, chopped romaine, cilantro, scallions and lots of lime juice. Good in pita.
Salads with Meat
14) The Little Italy Salad:
Chop or julienne salami and prosciutto, then toss with cubed mozzarella, chopped tomato, pepperoncini, oil and wine vinegar.
15) Dressed Fig Salad:
Slice fresh figs and top with crumbled bacon, balsamic vinegar and crumbled blue cheese.
16) Philly Non-cheese Steak Salad:
Toss thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onions with olive oil and red wine vinegar. Sear a skirt steak and let sit a minute; slice it thin. Toss salad greens with the onions, roasted red peppers, and steak; add a little more oil and vinegar if necessary.
Noodle Salads
17) Cold Noodle Salad:
Combine about a half-cup peanut butter with a tablespoon soy sauce and enough coconut milk to make the mixture creamy (about a half cup), along with garlic and chili flakes in a blender or food processor. Toss sauce with cooked and cooled noodles, a load of mint, Thai basil, and/or cilantro, and lime juice. Shredded cucumber and carrots optional.
18) Warm Pasta Salad:
Toss cooked pasta with roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, fresh goat cheese, basil and olive oil.
Whole Grain Salads
19) Cereal For Grown-ups:
Start with puffed brown rice; toss with chopped tomatoes, scallions, a minced chili, cooked or canned chickpeas and toasted unsweetened coconut. Dress with coconut milk and lime juice.
20) Sweet Grain Salad:
Mix cooked couscous or quinoa with orange zest and juice, olive oil, maybe honey, sliced oranges, raisins or dried cranberries, chopped red onion and chopped almonds. Serve over greens, or not.
Get in my Belly!
When trying to determine what to bring to a friend's poolside birthday party, I came across this recipe for Cucumber Salmon Boats in Shape magazine. The recipe ingredients seemed light and fresh- perfect for a warm summer night.
INGREDIENTS
· one large orange
· 6 oz. smoked salmon (cut into 1/2-inch squares)
· 1 large tomato (diced)
· 2 green onions, thinly sliced
· 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
· 1 tbsp. olive oil
· 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
· 1/4 tsp. salt
· 8 kirby (or Persian) cucumbers, halved lengthwise and seeded
· 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
DIRECTIONS
· Zest orange over bowl. Cut away rind and section over bowl- removing membranes and catching juices and sections into the bowl.
· Mix in salmon, tomato, onions, basil, oil, salt and pepper.
· Divide salmon mixture evenly among cucumber boats. Top each with a dollop of sour cream.
I found my small cucumbers at Costco. They came in a large bag, which was nice because I ended up making a larger batch. I halved them widthwise and lengthwise to get the boat shapes I wanted. These did not last long at the gathering. It was the perfect refreshing summer bite. The citrus broke down the saltiness of the salmon and the basil brightened up the dish.
yummy. yummy.
After doing a little spring cleaning today, I came across my photo album from the Paris trip I took with my mom and sister last year. I was looking through some of the pictures thinking about what Paris is like in the springtime and daydreaming. Oh, how I wish I could go back and visit! I love it there. Since I cannot transport myself there on a whim, listening to the French Kiss soundtrack and posting a recipe for Rice Pudding will just have to do.
An imagination is a great thing. I know you are thinking... what does rice pudding have to do with Paris? Well, while we were there, my mom and I dined at this little French bistro and they brought us rice pudding for dessert. It was thick, creamy, and delicious. It came in little jars with mini spoons and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen. Every time I think of rice pudding, it puts me back in that quaint bistro in Paris with my mom.
Today, on this rainy Saturday, I am taking a trip to Paris- won't you come with me?
RICE PUDDING
serves 4 ( 4 qty. 6-8 oz. ramekins)
Food & Wine Magazine
INGREDIENTS
· 2 cups whole milk
· 1/2 cup Arborio rice
· 8 tsp. sugar
· whole nutmeg
· 4 tbsp. heavy cream
· garnish- cinnamon
INSTRUCTIONS
· Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the middle.
· Butter 4 ramekins
· Add 1/2 cup milk, 4 tsp rice, 2 tsp. sugar, and a pinch of salt to each ramekin. Finely grate a little nutmeg over each, then stir to combine.
· Put ramekins in a shallow baking pan and bake until most of the milk is absorbed and tops are golden-brown, about 1 hour (a skin will form). Cool puddings in ramekins on a rack, about an hour.
· Discard skin from puddings, then stir 1 tbsp. cream into each. Puddings can be eaten at room teperature or chiiled. (I prefer chilled). It takes at least 30 minutes to chill each ramekin.
by Justin Large for The Voilet Hour in Chicago
··· serves 20 ···
INGREDIENTS
· 3 tbsp. butter
· 1 tbsp. curry powder
· 10 oz. pkg. of marshmallows
· 6 cups puffed rice cereal
· 2 cups toasted, salted sunflower seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
· In a saucepan, melt butter. Add curry powder. Stir over low heat until fragrant.
· Over medium heat, melt marshmallows.
· Slowly pour rice cereal and sunflower seeds into saucepan while stirring. (For gooier squares, add fewer puffs and seeds.) Gently fold mixture with spatula until rice cereal is coated.
· Pour directly into a buttered baking dish.
· Cut when cool.
I haven't tired these out yet, but I am very curious. If you decide to try it, let me know how it goes.
Reinvented snacks are the best.
Enjoy!
I found this recipe in Food & Wine magazine and thought I would share it with you. This sald reinvents the classic combo of blue cheese and honey and I have yet to make it, but it sounds exquisite!
(takes 25 minutes/ serves 4)INGREDIENTS
·1/2 cup pine nuts (2.5 oz)
·2 tbsp & 2 tsp of honey (preferably clover)
·1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
·2 tsp whole grain mustard
·1/2 tsp dijon mustard
·1/4 cup EVOO
·kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
·4 cups baby arugula
·2 Belgian endives- halved, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
·4 oz Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
INSTRUCTIONS
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat the sheet with cooking spray. In a non-stick skillet, combine the pine nuts with 2 tbsp of the honey. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring until the nuts are golden and coated with honey, 4 minutes. Pour the nuts onto the baking sheet. Using a spatula, spread the nuts in an even layer; let cool.
In a bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tsp of honey with the vinegar and the mustards. Gradually whisk the oil; season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, toss the arugula with the endives and blus cheese. Break the honeyed pine nuts into small pieces and add them to the salad. Add the dressing, toss to coat and serve.
Mangia!
