Honeyed Goat Cheese and Corn Salad

As we slide into fall, and the corn starts disappearing from the grocery shelves, I wanted to share a recipe to savor those last bits of summery sweetness. This salad is a perfect summer side. The fresh corn with tangy goat cheese and bright cilantro evoke delightful thoughts of sombreros and margaritas. My favorite kind of thoughts, really. Someday soon, I really need to visit Mexico, as it's clear I'm pretty obsessed with their cuisine. This side is great with my pork and blue cheese empanada recipe, so try the two together!


Honeyed Goat Cheese and Corn Salad

Ingredients:

4 Ears of Corn, Husks Intact
2 Tablespoons of Cilantro, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Chevre
1 Tablespoon of Honey
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

Cooking:

Place the ears of corn, husks and all, on a cookie sheet and into the oven at 450 degrees. There's no need to pre-heat. Check on the corn periodically and turn with tongs so that all sides of the husk get browned. Once the husks are a medium brown color in most areas, remove the corn from the oven. Let the ears cool, then remove the husks and silk, then slice the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. Mix the corn with the other ingredients and serve!

Spicy Cilantro Sesame Slaw

Southern coleslaw can sometimes be an unappealing concoction of soggy cabbage swimming in miracle whip. This recipe is a lighter, fresher version that I have been making this summer. I love the nutty sesame flavors combined with the bite of the jalapeno and creamy, tangy-ness of the yogurt.

Spicy Cilantro Sesame Slaw

Ingredients:


1 Small Head of Cabbage, Very Thinly Sliced
4 Carrots, Very Thinly Sliced
1/4 Cup of Cilantro, Finely Chopped
2 Jalapenos, Minced
2 Tablespoons of Greek Yogurt
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Toasted Sesame Seeds
1 Teaspoon of Salt

Preparation:

In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with the carrots, cilantro, and jalapeno. Sprinkle with the salt and sesame seeds, then dress the mixture with yogurt, lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss thoroughly and serve!

Lemony Kale Salad

Greens are so good for you, but I have such a hard time eating them. It's that bitter dirt taste that turns me off. After tasting my friend, Paul's, kale salad recipe, I realized kale is very different from its collard cousin. The bitterness is less intense and can be cut with lemon juice and salty Parmesan. Now, when I make a giant bowl of this, it doesn't last longer than the one meal. One step closer to Pop-Eye!

Lemony Kale Salad

Ingredients:

20 Stems of Kale
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1/8 Cup Shaved Parmesan
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

Cooking:

Cut the stems away from the leaf of the kale and discard. Roughly chop the leaves and place into a steamer. Steam the leaves for 6-8 minutes until just softened. Meanwhile prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Once cooked, drop the kale into the ice bath. Once the kale is cooled, strain and pat dry excess water or spin in a salad spinner. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl and stir in the other ingredients with tongs until thoroughly combined. I like to put this salad into the fridge and let it marinate overnight, since the flavors seem to age well together, but it's great straight away, too!

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

I'm not a particularly picky eater, but there are a few things that I won't eat, and sweet potatoes are one of them. However, my husband loves them, and since we are celebrating his 30th birthday next week, I felt I should make something just for him. Inspired by Tartelette's gorgeous pumpkin tarts, I made a sweet potato version. You can tell that I have a long way to go before I reach her level, but it was fun to try something a little more advanced. For the crust, I modified Grace Parisi's delicious recipe a bit, and for the filling, it's an adaptation of a sweet potato cheese cake recipe, topped with toasted meringue.

Sweet Potato Meringue Tartlets

Makes approximately 12 Tartlets or 2 Whole Pies

Crust Ingredients:

1-1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Stick of Butter, Chopped into Tablespoon Sized Bits
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/4 Cup of Ice Water


Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients with the exception of the ice water. Pulse until the butter is in small crumb pieces. Slowly drizzle the ice water into the mix while pulsing. Once the mixture is moistened, remove from the food processor onto a sheet of plastic wrap and gather into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This dough can be made ahead.

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness and place into a ramekin or pie tin (you can also make these in regular sized pie tins.) Trim the excess dough. Fill the crust with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove crust. Drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees, and remove the pie weights or beans, and bake until golden brown.

Sweet Potato Filling

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes, Cooked
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
2 Eggs
4 Ounces of Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons of Sugar 
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Salt
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice
1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon of Cayenne

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine all the ingredients and whip on high speed until they are fully combined and light and fluffy. Pour into the crust. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until the filling is fully set.


Meringue Topping

Ingredients:

4 Egg Whites
1/4 Teaspoon of Cream of Tartar
3 Tablespoon of Agave Nectar (If you don't have Agave Nectar, you can substitute 5 Tablespoons of confectioner's sugar)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to broil. In a mixer on high, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar together until it is a soft foam. Begin adding your agave nectar (or sugar) and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. In a piping bag, or a plastic sandwich bag with the tip cut off, pipe small dots of meringue across the pie surface. Place the pies back into the oven for approximately 1 minute or until the tips of the meringue are just toasted.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

With the holidays rapidly approaching, and numerous events to attend, I wanted to share one of my easy, go-to party recipes. It's dead simple and it's delicious on crackers, sandwiches, burgers, you name it! This is really my version of pimento cheese, but I like using roasted red peppers for a slightly different kick.

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Spread

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Cheddar, Grated (You can do this very easily with the food processor)

3/4 Pound of Cream Cheese

7 Ounces of Roasted Red Peppers, Drained

2 Tablespoons of Hot Sauce

2/3 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Preparation:

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. You can add more hot sauce if you like a little more heat. Scoop out of the processor and serve!

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

I have a weakness for all things British, especially proper tea time. I think there is something lovely about breaking the day just before evening falls with a light snack and some caffeine. The caffeine part is probably not the best habit for a good night's rest, but I do love strong black tea! 

Scones are a traditional offering for tea, the soft crumbly texture goes down very well with a strong cuppa. These scones use the same ingredient in a Starbucks Green Tea Latte, Green Matcha. Matcha is a finely ground high grade green tea, and you can find it at tea stores, or online. I got mine here and you can use it to make green tea lattes at home, as well as scones! A little goes a long way and the flavor is more intense than with the whole leaves. 

In this recipe, the bitterness of the chocolate perfectly offsets the sweet, fragrant green tea and helps keep the scone a little more moist. I also think that chocolate makes everything better! 

Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Scones

Ingredients:

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1/3 Cup of Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Salt

6 Tablespoons of Cold Butter, Chopped into Small 1/2 inch Cubes

1 Ounce of 70% Dark Chocolate, Chopped into Small Bits

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream, plus 2 Tablespoons

2 Teaspoons of Green Matcha

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and whisk together. Put in the cold butter cubes and with a pastry blender or a fork, mash the butter into the dried mixture until the mixture is crumbly with pieces no larger than a pea. Put the chocolate into the dry mix. Meanwhile in a saucepan, pour 1/2 cup of the heavy cream and the matcha powder. Whisk the two together on medium heat. Remove the cream from the heat as soon as it starts to bubble. Whisk occasionally until the cream comes to room temperature. Whisk the egg into the cream. The cream must be room temperature or it will cook the egg. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir with a spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. Take your hands and gather the dough into a ball against the bowl. When it is coming together in one piece, roll or flatten the mound out on a lightly floured surface. You can use your hands to flatten the dough. It needs to be about an inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into wedges. Place on a greased cookie sheet or a silicone sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining heavy cream. Bake for 10-12 minutes. They cook very quickly. You want the edges to be just lightly browned, but no more than that as they will get very dry. Remove and allow the scones to cool before serving.

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

 

With the last rays of summer drifting away, I am slowly, slowly adapting to fall. Actually, I think I'm getting into fall, and then, with a new week, another cold front moves in and I want summer back all over again! So, clinging to the last warmth of the year, but acknowledging that summer is gone and we need something hearty,  I'm sharing my Quinoa Stuffed Tomato recipe. 

Quinoa, if you haven't already heard of it, is an amazing Peruvian grain. I use it like couscous, and it's so much better for you. It's a fantastic source of protein, and it takes flavor wonderfully!

Quinoa Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

4 Large Beefsteak Tomatoes

1/2 Onion, Diced

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Cup of Quinoa (Black or White or Mixed, as Shown Above)

2 Cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 Tablespoon of Butter

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

1 Teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes

4 Tablespoons of Crumbled Feta Cheese

Salt to Taste

Cooking:

Slice the tops off the tomatoes, just at the apex of the curve so that you have a nice bowl shape. Take the tops and dice the edible bits to reserve. Scoop out the innards of the tomatoes carefully with a spoon and place those with the diced tops. You may need a knife to cut away the spines from the outer walls of the tomato. 

In a small dutch oven, pour in your olive oil and saute your onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add in the the reserved tomato guts, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir for another minute. Add in the quinoa, butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the stock is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add salt to your taste. Removed the quinoa from the stove. 

On a baking sheet, place your 4 tomato bowls. Fill them with the quinoa mixture and top with a tablespoon of feta. Place into an oven at 375 degrees. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the feta is browned just slightly at the top.

Lavender Chai Tea

With the advent of fall, I start thinking of amazing warm drinks. A fantastic blog, called Three Many Cooks, wrote a post in January this year called Spiced Chai Concentrate. It's one of the best tea recipes I've ever tasted, and you can make it at home! It's better than any chain-coffee-store chai that I've tried. It's also very adaptable! I don't particularly like the orange flavor in my tea, so the recipe I used below leaves that out. While I was in Chicago this summer, my friend, James, introduced me to another awesome version of chai, Lavender Chai. Inspired, I decided to take the Spiced Chai Concentrate recipe and add my own lavender twist. While chatting with one of my foodie friends, Paul, he suggested infusing the milk with lavender. Brilliant! 

Spiced Chai Concentrate  

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of Strong Black Tea (I prefer Darjeeling or Ceylon, but if you don't have loose leaf tea, use 5 Twinings English Breakfast teabags)

4 Cups of Water

2 Cinnamon Sticks

10 Cloves

5 Allspice Berries

2 Star Anise

1 Teaspoon of Fresh Ginger

A Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg 

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

Cooking: 

In a stock pot, pour in all of your ingredients except the honey, vanilla and sugar. Bring this to a boil, then immediately remove from the heat and cover for 15-20minutes. In a pitcher, pour in your honey, sugar and vanilla. With a mesh strainer, pour in your steeped tea into the pitcher. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. I like to store my tea in a resealable bottle. This will keep for at least a week, but I bet it won't last that long!

Lavender Cream

Ingredients:

4 Pieces of 3" Long Fresh Lavender

3/4 Cup of Half and Half

Cooking: 

In a saucepan, pour in your half and half. Bring it to just barely simmering. Remove from heat and stir in the lavender pieces. Let sit until cool, then strain and store.

Lavender Chai Tea

Preparation:

Pour in the Spiced Chai Tea Concentrate to the Lavender Cream in a 2 to 1 ratio. Warm in the microwave or the stovetop. Enjoy! 

*I want to add a note to this recipe. I'm aware that lots of the spices above can be expensive, but I recommend going to the Dekalb Farmer's Market for your spice source if you're in the Atlanta area. The spices are very affordable there! Also, all of these spices are great to have on hand if you like Indian food! If you don't have the whole spices in your cabinet, don't panic. I have made this using the ground versions with great success, you just need to strain it through a bit of cloth* 

Fried Egg and Mushroom Toasts

I think I may have said before, but Brunch is my most favorite meal! I just cannot think of a single thing wrong with a leisurely weekend morning that ends in a meal half-breakfast, half-lunch, especially when combined with a spicy Bloody Mary. Occasionally, I will make a tartine for a quick brunch. Tartines are open faced sandwiches, meaning they can be extra messy (in the best way) because you're not eating them with your hands. This is a recipe that I have basically adapted from Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home Series (my favorite cooking show.) You can watch their great mushroom hunt here. I love the idea of foraging in the woods for a good breakfast!

Fried Egg and Mushroom Tartine

Ingredients:

2 Pints of Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced

6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

6 Stems of Fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons of Butter

2 Tablespoons of Half and Half

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon of Hot Mustard

1 Teaspoon of White Wine Vinegar (or a Citrus Vinegar)

2 Slices of Buttered Toast 

Salt and Pepper

Cooking:

Grab a frying pan, pour in your oil, and turn the stove heat to medium-high. You want to wait until the pan is nice and hot. Once hot, toss in your creminis, thyme and garlic. Stirring often, wait until the mushrooms have cooked down until nice and brown. They will be about half their original size. Add in your half and half and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Stir until the butter is melted, then pour into a bowl and set aside. Place your remaining butter in the mushroom pan and fry your eggs. Meanwhile, mix your yogurt, mustard, vinegar and a salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. To assemble, take your toasts and spread your yogurt sauce on, then top with your mushrooms, and finally your fried egg!

Cheddar-Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits

For the past year or so, I have been perfecting my biscuit making. I was trained in proper Southern drop biscuit tradition, where you make a well in the flour, and dump in your fat and milk, swishing it all together with your fingers. While fun, the problem with this technique is that the ratio can lack precision and sometimes end in dry, crumbly biscuits; perfectly fine if you are making dressing, but not so delicious with Sunday supper. So, having found a buttermilk biscuit recipe that was delicious every time (that I didn't burn it,) I felt I needed to make it just a little more delicious with some cheddar and rosemary. I served these at a Low-Country Boil we had a couple of weeks ago, and the extra deliciousness seemed appreciated! 

Cheddar-Rosemary Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients: 

2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tablespoon of Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda

2 Pinches of Sugar

2 Pinches of Salt

1/2 Cup of Grated Cheddar

1 Teaspoon of Rosemary, Finely Chopped

1 Stick of Butter, Chopped into Small Cubes

1 3/8 Cups of Buttermilk

Cooking:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sift your dry ingredients together, then stir in your cheddar and rosemary until the flour evenly coats the ingredients. With a pastry cutter, fork or your fingers (I sometimes use all of the above,) mash your butter into your dry ingredients until the butter is crumbled into the flour in very small bits. It should look like fine gravel. Then add in your buttermilk. Fold with a rubber spatula until it just comes together, then turn it out on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or a knife into desired shapes. Place the biscuits on a Silpat or a greased cookie sheet and bake until the tops are golden brown or about 20 minutes. You can broil them at the end for a minute or 2 for extra color on the top, but this is where I always get into trouble and forget them. I have burned a batch almost every time I've made them! The broiler is my nemesis! So, don't make my mistakes and be sure to put a timer on!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes with Lime Curd Filling

So, this is the culmination of my Strawberry-Rhubarb-Lime kick. As you might have read in my Lime Curd post, I made some of Martha Stewart's delicious Meyer Lemon Cupcakes for my cousin's wedding shower. I loved that surprise of the lemon curd on the inside, so for a summery and slightly different take, the rhubarb goes into the cake batter and icing, with the tart lime curd hidden in the center. It's perfect for a summer party!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes with Lime Curd Filling

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Large Eggs, Separated
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cake Flour (not self-rising)
1 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream
1/2 Cup of Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote
1 Cup of Lime Curd 
Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream Icing (See Recipe Below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin, this recipe will make approximately 12 cupcakes. Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Pour in your vanilla, then add egg yolks, one at a time until they are incorporated. Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl and slowly add these dry ingredients into your mixer while it's on low. Once the flour has just been incorporated, add in your Greek yogurt. Finally, add in the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Transfer this mixture to another large bowl and clean your mixing bowl, then dump in the egg whites. Mix your egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into your batter bowl, one-third of the egg whites at a time. Fill the muffin cups halfway and place in the oven to bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. (Approximately 20 minutes.)  When the cupcakes have completely cooled, scoop out some of the center and spoon in a dollop of lime curd. Pipe your Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream on top. You can decorate with a strawberry or a bit of lime to hint at the hidden fruit.







Strawberry-Rhubarb Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature, Cut into Small Pieces
1-3/4 Cups Confectioners' Sugar, Sifted
Pinch of salt
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1/8 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup of Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Directions:

In your mixer, beat your butter until creamy and then slowly add the confectioners' sugar and pinch of salt. Add the vanilla, then slowly add the milk, then the Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote, and mix until smooth. Place into a piping back or resealable sandwich bag with the corner cut off and decorate away!

Delicious Delicious Lime Curd

Last year, for my cousin's wedding shower, I decided I needed to be ambitious and make Martha Stewart's Meyer Lemon Cupcakes from scratch. Making cupcakes for 50 people is exhausting, and I was so glad I cheated and bought lemon curd. Thinking on it more though, I felt I really should give the lemon curd a try, but maybe with limes, since I love limes even more! This is my Lime Curd recipe, based on Martha's Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. It's delicious in cupcakes, or on scones, or poundcake, or pancakes, or just straight from a spoon! I think I'm going to try some at the bottom of some panna cotta. I'm sure the creaminess would perfectly offset the tart limeyness. 

Lime Curd

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Sugar

Zest of 2 Limes

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2.5 Ounces of Chilled Butter, Chopped into Small Cubes

Tools:

Instant Thermometer

Fine Mesh Strainer

Cooking:

In a mortar and pestle, grind your zest into your sugar. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can make do with a bowl and the back of a spoon. Prepare a bowl with ice water and set aside. Fill a saucepan or double boiler with water and bring to a simmer. Place a heat proof bowl on top and add your sugar, eggs and egg yolks. Whisk constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, add your juice and whisk until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat and add your butter one piece at a time. Once your butter is incorporated, put the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store the curd in a sealed container until ready for serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

I LOVE rhubarb! Just a few years ago, rhubarb was introduced to me via an amazing pie with strawberries and huckleberries in Montana. A convert was born! Rhubarb is not a vegetable I grew up with and I am still amazed that something so celery-like can produce such a delicious, tart flavor.

I made this dish a few weeks ago to include in a cupcake recipe, but I've since been enjoying this sweet, summer compote on all kinds of goodies. It's wonderful over ice cream, biscuits, toast and even great on pound cake!  

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients:

6 Stalks of Rhubarb, Chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Pint of Strawberries, Roughly Chopped

1/2 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Cup of Water

Cooking:

In a saucepan, combine all your ingredients and bring to medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook the fruit down until the fibers are soft and it's a preserve-like consistency. Enjoy!

Home-made Pesto Butter

I saw a post recently, on designsponge.com, about homemade butter, and it set me thinking. I haven't made butter since I was a child at camp, in those small jars which they told you to shake until your arm wants to fall off. After reading the post, it made me long for the amazingly fresh tasting butter, so I thought I would give it an adult try, but with a twist. I would normally make the pesto to go into the butter, but my basil is not quite big enough to harvest yet, so jarred pesto did the trick this time. This butter is great on baked potatoes, steak, toast, and all kinds of other things you want to make extra delicious!

Home-made Pesto Butter

Ingredients:

1-1/2 Cups of Organic Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of Pesto
1/2 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

Preparation:

Let the heavy cream come to room temperature. The butter will not clump properly unless the cream comes to a temperature around 72 degrees. Pour the cream into an electric mixer and mix on medium until the butter separates from the liquid. This will take somewhere around 7 minutes. Pour the mixture into a fine mesh strainer and allow the liquid to drain away from the solids. You can use the milk as you would buttermilk! Place the solids onto a cooking board and massage out the excess liquid by folding the butter in on itself several times with a rubber spatula. Move the butter to a mixing bowl and add your pesto and chili flakes. Mix until combined. Next you can place the butter into a dish, or you can put onto a sheet of parchment paper and roll into a log. Refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to serve. It will keep for a week or two in the fridge, but for a long while in the freezer!

Honey Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

The other night our lovely neighbors had us over to their house for dinner. My husband and I scrambled around a bit coming up with something we could cook on the fly as a starter. I think our powers combined to make a fantastic dish! I've made it several times since and cannot get enough of the sweetness of the honey and the tartness of the tomato and goat cheese. It's definitely one for the rotation!

Honey Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients:

1Tablespoon of Honey

1/2 Teaspoon of Dried Oregano

3 Pinches of Salt

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2 Cups of Cherry Tomatoes

2 Cloves of Garlic

4 Tablespoons of Chevre (Creamy Goat Cheese)

2 Slices of Toast

Cooking:

Place your tomatoes on a cookie sheet with one of the cloves of garlic. Drizzle first the honey, then the olive oil over the tomatoes. Add the seasonings. Toss to coat the tomatoes evenly. Place the pan into the oven on broil. Watch the tomatoes carefully. You want a bit of char, but obviously, don't want them burned. Once they start to char a bit on the top and seem to be releasing the juices (this probably only will take a couple of minutes, depending on how hot your oven.) Give the tomatoes a stir, trying to get the non-charred side to the top and place back in the oven to finish cooking both sides. Take the tomatoes out and set aside. I don't own a toaster, so I toast my bread in the oven. After the bread is toasted, rub the top of the toast with the remaining garlic clove. This just gives the essence of garlic, without overwhelming the dish. Next spread each toast with 2 tablespoons of Chevre, then top with your tomatoes and drizzle some juice on top. Serve and enjoy!

Zesty Marinated Olives

Olives are one of my favorite foods and this has become one of my go to dishes for a quick and easy get-together. I love how fast it is to make, but also love that it looks a little fancy (at fancy, read: tongue in cheek.)

Zesty Marinated Olives

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Mixed Olives

4 Pieces of Lemon Zest

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Teaspoon of Chili Flakes

1 Clove of Garlic, Very Thinly Sliced (Think Goodfellas)

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients together and let sit at room temperature for 30 min to 1 hour before serving. So easy!

Dark Chocolate Torte with Chambord Cream

I have recently noticed more and more people with gluten allergies. This is a really delicious dessert which is gluten free, but will also appeal to gluten lovers. It's very dark and rich, which makes the light and fluffy Chambord cream a perfect compliment. It's also very easy to make!

Dark Chocolate Torte

Ingredients:

16 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Chopped or Chips
1 Cup of Unsalted Butter
2 Tablespoons of Chambord
9 Eggs, Separated
1 Cup of Sugar

Tools:

9" Spring Form Pan
1 Round of Parchment Paper, Cut to fit the inner bottom of the pan

Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a double boiler, or if you don't have one, I use a pyrex bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water, pour in your chocolate bits, butter and Chambord. Melt slowly while stirring. Turn off heat once completely melted and allow to cool. Rub butter across the interior of a spring form pan very uniformly.Place your parchment paper inside the pan and smooth across the bottom. In a mixer, whip your egg whites into soft peaks. Remove from mixing bowl and set aside. Add to the mixing bowl your egg yolks and sugar, mix until a creamy, soft lemon color. Add 1/3 of your yolk mixture into your chocolate and combine. Repeat with remaining thirds until the mixture is incorporated. Remove 1/3 of this mixture and reserve for icing. To the remaining yolk/chocolate mixture, fold in 1/3 of your egg whites very gently. Once it is just incorporated, add another 1/3, and repeat until all the egg whites have been incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into your pan and bake for approximately 45 min, until the sides start to pull away just slightly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Unlatch spring form sides, and gently lift away. Place a cake plate upside down on the cake top and pick up the whole assembly and flip gently. Remove spring form bottom and parchment paper. Ice the top of the cake with the reserved batter from earlier.

Chambord Cream

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
2 Tablespoons of Chambord

Cooking:

In a mixer, whip all of the ingredients on high speed until cream forms peaks. Cut your cake and serve with a huge dollop of Chambord Cream on top!

When You Don't Have the Energy to Cook

I work a full-time job during the day, and sometimes that means I get home around 8pm or later. On those days, it's really nice if you have something in the fridge that can be quickly warmed up. My go-to dish recently has been this Spicy Carrot and Tomato soup. It's dead simple and you can make a huge batch to store for the week. In the winter, I use canned tomatoes, but in the summer you could use fresh.

Spicy Carrot and Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
2 Dried Chilis, Crushed
1 Bunch of Carrots, Chopped into 1/2"-3/4" pieces
1 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Teaspoon of Herbes de Provence
4 Cups of Broth, Your Choice
1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream (You can substitute milk for a lighter version.)
Salt and Pepper and Your Favorite Hot Sauce to Taste (I use a Habenero version because I like it hot!)

Cooking:
In a large Dutch oven, toss in your olive oil, onions, chilis and garlic. Sweat the onions on medium heat until they are translucent, then add the carrots and Herbes de Provence. Cook the carrots until they have a glossy, bright orange color, just a few more minutes. Add in the tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are fork tender, meaning you can easily slide a fork into one, usually about 30-40min. Remove the soup from the stove top. Let cool slightly. Use a stick blender or your regular blender and puree until smooth. Add the cream and seasonings. You can serve right away, or put it in the freezer or fridge.

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Recently, I was able to make it over to Empire State South. It was a fantastic experience; truly one of the best meals I've had in a long time. While there, I tried some of their boiled peanut hummus. It was great! Like Mediterranean peanut butter. After thinking about the boiled peanut hummus, I realized that maybe Black-Eyed Peas would be another yummy, southern-take on hummus. I spread some on a toasted slice of bread with some watermelon radishes and carrots from our co-op for a delicious and healthy southern lunch!

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Hydrated Black-Eyed Peas
1 Cup of Hydrated Chickpeas
5 Cloves of Garlic
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Tahini Paste
2 Teaspoons of Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Cooking:

If you'd like to use dried peas, place them in a bowl, submerge until there is an inch of water on top of the peas, add 1 tablespoon of baking soda, and soak overnight. To begin cooking, place the strained peas in a pot with water covering them by an inch or two. Add the cloves of garlic, no need to peel. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Strain out the liquid, but reserve 3 tablespoons. Place the peas into your food processor, add the other ingredients, including the reserved cooking liquid, and puree to your desired texture. Salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!

A Cocktail to Ring in the New Year

My husband and I went crafty for our holiday gifts this year, making soap and infusing brandy. The brandy was really great, and feeling inspired by a drink at Cakes and Ale, I decided to come up with a custom cocktail to celebrate the New Year.

Quince-Pear Holiday Brandy (makes one pint)

Ingredients:

1/2 Anjou Pear, Sliced into 4 Pieces
1/2 Quince, Sliced into 2-3 Pieces
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1/4 Vanilla Bean
3 Allspice Berries

Preparation:

Place all of the ingredients into a pint sized canning jar, then cover with brandy, leaving approximately 1/2" of space at the top of the jar, place lid on jar and let cure for 6 weeks. It's actually delicious at 4, but 6 is ideal, if you can wait.


The Brandy Resolution

Ingredients:

1/2 Ounce Blood Orange Bitters
1 Ounce Infused Brandy
1 Ounce Orange Juice
1 Egg White
Cinnamon to Garnish

Preparation:

Place all of the wet ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously to foam up the egg white and pour into a martini glass. Add cinnamon to your liking. Drink up!

Happy New Year!