Deb in the Kitchen

Early Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T18:14:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law was in for a visit from Chicago and we had an early Thanksgiving on Sunday. Courtney's only request was for marshmallows on the sweet potatoes, which normally is a no go as I love sweet potatoes in their purest form with just some butter and a little brown sugar. Found a recipe for marshmallow streusel which had a lot of appeal and here is what we ended up with.

Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Streusel

Ingredients
12 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup orange juice
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Scrub sweet potatoes and prick the sweet potatoes in a couple of spots to allow steam to escape during cooking. Place them on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake until soft, typically 45-75 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and allow to cool before peeling.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, and flour together with a fork or pastry knife. Add cinnamon, salt, pecans, and marshmallows to complete streusel topping.

Whip sweet potatoes with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup orange juice until fluffy. Place in 9x12 glass casserole and top with streusel topping, bake for 30 minutes and serve.

Roses are the Heart of Texas

2011-03-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Sheila and I drove up to the Antique Rose Emporium yesterday in Independence to cure my spring jones for roses. And, yes, I saw my first Bluebonnets of the Season so its official, it is Spring.

One of my climbers has not done well the last two years, so I bought a Parade to replace her. She is supposed to be a "mannerly" climber (my last moderate climber is about 16 feet) and a repeat bloomer. I showed restraint and only came home with some rosemary and other herbs and 3 roses (Parade, Pioneer Spirit and a Star of the Republic). As the name implies, the Rose Emporium specializes in Antique and "Found" Roses, I have grown to like them much more than my tea roses, the lady who helped me find the Parade rose said that Antique Roses are like Golden Retrievers and tea roses are like poodles! What a great analogy.

I was looking for a Ferdinand Pichard, a beautiful variegated pink and white climber but they were sold out. We stayed about 2 hours wandering throughout the garden and perching when we got tired. The roses are not too much in bloom so early in the season but the camellias were out it force and there was a beautiful fragrance in the breeze and a wonderful pianist playing for the guests arriving at the wedding being held in the old chapel on the property. So all in all a great day out in country.

The Groundhog called it...

2011-03-02T22:49:00.000-08:00

Well, my roses are pruned, I have bought my first tomato and herb plants and I have now seen 3 redbuds in bloom, so it's official, spring is blowing into Texas...

When I see my first bluebonnet it will be official...

All these signs of spring make me anxious to get my herbs and tomatoes in the ground so since I have a new supply of fresh basil, a batch of pesto can't be far behind.

White Bean Dip with Pita Chips

2011-02-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

I learned how to make hummus and pesto from a rather bohemian friend in Chicago in my early 20's. Mary also taught me how to make pizza dough, white pizza (quattro formagio) and white bean dip. When it comes to making such an extraordinarily simple dish all of the ingredients have to be really fresh and high quality. Buy the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil you can afford, it makes all of the difference.

White Bean Dip

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and zest from lemon
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the fresh rosemary, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes at 400 degrees or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

Superbowl of Snacking

2011-02-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

It wouldn't be Superbowl Sunday without plenty of treats for the game. I have one very traditional snacker: pizza, pizza rolls, nachos, chips and another who wants her King Ranch Casserole and veggies with dip. The things we all can agree on is plenty of antipasta (meats, cheeses, olives, pickled onions) and veggies and dips, especially the Love Dip.

Love Dip (adapted from the Houston Chronicle)
Ingredients:
3 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup tomato salsa
1 T. cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried tarragon or 5 leaves fresh tarragon
1 T. chopped cilantro

Mix by hand in a large bowl or in the food processor. Serve with an assortment of veggies and chips or crackers.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

2011-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is about ginger but it is one of my all time favorite flavors. There is nothing like the subtle heat of biting into a piece of crystalized ginger and my all time favorite tea is Lemon and Ginger, nothing makes me feel better than hot ginger tea with honey when it is cold and I am feeling stuffy. So, it's a cold overcast Saturday and decided to cook vegetable soup and decided these would really round off our Saturday.

Gingerbread and Lemon Sandwich Cookies (makes 7 dozen)

6 and one-third cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. ground cloves
1 and 1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 and 1/2 pounds butter (6 sticks) plus 6 Tbsp., divided, at room temperature
3 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
6 Tbsp. lemon juice (first zest, then juice)
2 Tbsp. zest from
18-24 drops yellow food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt; set aside. In a second large bowl, beat 2 and a quarter cups of butter and 2 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until pale and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Divide dough between 6 large sheets of parchment paper and roll up snugly, twisting the ends like a candy wrapper, to make 8-inch logs. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place remaining granulated sugar in a shallow dish. Cut dough logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Dip the top of each in sugar and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake until just firm around the edges, about 10 minutes; let cool completely on a rack.

In a large bowl, beat remaining butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and zest, and food coloring with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 2 minutes. To assemble sandwiches, spread frosting onto half the cookies, then top with remaining cookies.

Note: Make the dough a day or two ahead when it suits your schedule, then cut and bake the cookies later when you have a free moment.

A chicken in every pot

2011-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

Typical cold wet Saturday in January and I woke up in a cooking mood. I bought several pounds of chicken on sale this wek so I am trying to figure out how many meals I can cook and get out of the way for the week. Have a batch of boneless chicken breasts in a lemon vinegarette marinade and thinking about making chicken stock. Saw an interesting cooking segment on GMA this week. It looks super easy and a perfect way to introduce my daughter to cooking in a crockpot. Here's what we came up with.

Chicken Enchilada Chili

2 large (28 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes
1 large envelope of enchilada seasoning
2 tsp. chili
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cans (14-15 oz.) pinto beans (can use 1 c. dried)
4 chicken breasts (or whatever you had on hand)

Just layer everything in pot, cover and cook. We cooked it today on high for about 4 hours, if you want to set it in the morning, you would want to set it on low and cook for 6 hours. We are serving with grated monterey jack, sliced black olives and little sour cream.

Recipe is really open for variations, can make it all from the pantry or add jalapenos or cheese the last half hour of cooking. Good with corn bread or tortillas.

Out with the old, in with the new

2011-01-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

From my cousin Faye: I cooked collard greens yesterday (a dark leafy vegetable in the cabbage family) and have hog jowl (bacon), cornbread and black eyed peas ready to cook for New Years Day...in the South before supermarkets, you were lucky to have greens in your garden, dried peas saved from the summer garden and a hog to kill on a cold day in the fall so as to have bacon...hence this is the traditional meal that supposedly brings you luck for the year. We have certainly been blessed and are grateful for our good circumstances. We have seen that others do not have all their needs, let alone wants. It sure brings the Spirit to you when you help someone in need and it doesn’t end with Christmas.

Not quite traditional Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery (optional)
4-5 cloves fresh minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. thyme
about 1 cup chopped leftover ham
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, soak in cold water overnight and rinsed well
1 quart low-sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a medium stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and ham. Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and water. Bring the liquid up to a boil, partially cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the peas for 30-40 minutes, uncover and cook until the peas are tender (20-30 minutes longer). Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Treat to ring in the new year

2010-12-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

This recipe is courtesy of DC cupcakes, who made these with Oprah earlier this week, see the whole video at

Ingredients
Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes (36 mini cupcakes, 3 per Champagne flute)
1/2 cup fresh strawberries , diced
1/2 cup good Champagne (sweet rose Champagne suggested)
2 1/2 cups flour , sifted
1/2 tsp. baking powder , sifted
1/4 Tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs , at room temperature
2 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract + seeds from 1 vanilla bean(NOTE: move down to next line...see edits to other recipe)
1 1/4 cups whole milk , at room temperature
Champagne Buttercream Frosting
16 Tbsp. (8 ounces) unsalted butter
4 cups confectioner's sugar , sifted
1 tsp. whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup good Champagne (sweet rose Champagne suggested)
Strawberry Layer
24 fresh strawberries
1 cup good Champagne (sweet rose Champagne suggested)
Chocolate Ganache
2 cups high-quality semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
Directions
For Serving:

12 glass Champagne flutes

12 long spoons

12 indoor-safe sparkler candles

Step 1: Baking the Mini Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 mini cupcake pans with 36 mini baking cups or grease pans with butter if not using baking cups.

Dice up 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries and soak in 1/2 cup of Champagne. Set aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Place the unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition.

Combine the vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds and milk in a large liquid measuring cup.

Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined.

Gently fold in the diced Champagne-soaked strawberries, just until incorporated.

Scoop batter into baking cups and bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. If using paper baking cups, peel off all of the paper baking cups from the cupcakes at this time.

Step 2: Making the Champagne Buttercream Frosting

Place the unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Add the confectioner's sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated.

Add the vanilla extract, milk, salt and Champagne, and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Place frosting in a disposable piping bag with a large round tip.

Step 3: Preparing the Strawberries

Slice 24 strawberries lengthwise and soak in 1 cup of Champagne for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 4: Making the Chocolate Ganache

Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or 2 of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium glass bowl over the saucepan and melt the chocolate chips. Stir occasionally until the chips are completely melted. Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the saucepan. Pour the ganache into a plastic squeeze bottle. (If a squeeze bottle is not available, you can drizzle with a spoon.)

Step 5: Assembling Layers in Champagne Flutes

Line up 12 glass Champagne flutes. Insert 1 mini strawberry Champagne cupcake in the bottom of each glass. Next, pipe a swirl of Champagne buttercream frosting on top of each cupcake. Add several slices of Champagne-soaked strawberries, and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. Repeat layers. Finally, place a third mini strawberry Champagne cupcake at the top of each glass, pipe with a final "Georgetown Cupcake signature swirl" of Champagne buttercream frosting, and top with a final drizzle of chocolate ganache.

Step 6: Serving

Insert 1 indoor-safe sparkler candle in the top of each glass. Light the candles at midnight, serve with spoons, and enjoy!

Christmas French Toast Casserole

2010-12-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Houston - blustery and cool. Worked on recipes for Christmas Brunch and came up with this adaptation of a Paula Deen recipe. Still fooling with cooking time, cooked at home for 45 minutes but needed additional time once we arrived at my sisters because the middle was still wet. The trick is that it will rise and become puffy once it is done.

1 loaf French bread
8 large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups milk
2 cups egg nog
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Slice French bread into 20 slices, one inch thick. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9x13 glass baking dish in 2-3 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, egg nog, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and whisk until blended. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make Praline Topping:
1 stick room temperature butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup orange juice
1 stick melted butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 60-75 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Ensalada de Noche Buena (Christmas Eve salad)

2010-12-24T14:51:00.000-08:00

I started making my Red and Green Salad a couple of years ago and over time have jazzed it up by using red and yellow beets, pickling the red onion, adding pomegrante seeds, adding blood oranges, etc. My kids aren't very wild about it because they have a mental block about beets and they had never even tried jicama but even they like this version. After I wash the beets, I cut off the tops and set them aside, my dad is particularly fond of beet greens. If you don't know how to cook them, find my collard greens recipe and use the same method. So, here is a very Texan version of the traditional holiday Red and Green Salad, enjoy.

For the salad:
1 pound beets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste
2 pounds navel oranges, peeled and diced
1 pound jicama, peeled and diced
1/2 pound apples, cored and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Seeds from 1 pomegrante
6 cups torn Romaine lettuce leaves

For the dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 canned chipotle chile, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Clean the beets and remove any leafy stems, reserving for another use. Place the beets on a sheet of foil and toss with the olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and then wrap the beets in the foil. Place foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes or until you can easily stick a fork into the beets. Once cool, rub the beets with a paper towel to remove the skin. Slice the beets into half-moon shapes and place the sliced beets into a large bowl.

Add to the beet bowl the diced oranges, jicama, apples, cilantro, peanuts, pomegranate seeds and Romaine lettuce. Toss until well combined.

To make the dressing, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, orange juice and chipotle chile. Taste and add salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

Pumpkin Crisp

2010-12-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

My youngest sister has been a non-foodie most of her life but over the last several years has gotten busy in the kitchen. Here is one of my personal favorites from her Thanksgiving repetoire.

Pumpkin Crisp

1 can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz)
3/4 c. evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp. salt
1 package moist deluxe yellow cake mix
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Whipped topping

Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Pour into 13x9x2 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly across pumpkin mixture. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Sprinkle pecans over top for last 10 to 15 minutes of baking time. Cool and serve with whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Twenty Ways to Get Your Oatmeal On

2010-12-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

Cooked Oatmeal Recipes

1. Almond Joy Oatmeal: Top warm, cooked oatmeal with shredded coconut, sliced almonds, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

2. Apple Pie Oatmeal: Chop a cored apple in the blender with 2 cups of apple juice or cider. Pour into a saucepan with 1 cup of rolled oats, raisins and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

3. Apple Walnut Oatmeal: Top a bowl of cooked oatmeal with chopped apple, chopped walnuts, a shake of cinnamon, and some maple syrup.

4. Apricot Honey Oatmeal: Put 2 cups water, 1/2 cup chopped apricots, 1 T. honey, shake of cinnamon in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup oatmeal, stir occasionally until done.

5. Banana Cream: Puree one banana in 2 cups water in blender. Pour into saucepan with one cup oats. May add honey to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally. Add blueberries or fresh sliced bananas on top before serving.

6. Banana Date Oatmeal: Add chopped bananas, dates, and nuts to cooked oatmeal before it is finished cooking.

7. Banana Orange Oatmeal: Put 2 cups orange juice, 1 cup oatmeal, and 1 chopped banana to saucepan. Cook, add a pinch of nutmeg to taste.

8. Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal: Top cooked oatmeal with real maple syrup, a pat of butter and cinnamon.

9. Blueberry Almond Oatmeal: Top cooked oatmeal with blueberries, slivered almonds, and ground flaxseed.

10. Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal: Add 1/4 cup chopped dried cherries to oatmeal and water. Cook according to directions. Stir in a spoonful of vanilla, and serve topped with cherry jam.

11. Fruit Porridge Oatmeal: Puree a banana, a cored apple, and several strawberries in 2 cups of water in a blender. Pour into saucepan. Add 1 cup of oatmeal and cook, stirring occasionally. Serve plain or topped with yogurt and nuts.

12. Peaches 'N Cream Oatmeal: Chop 1 fresh or frozen peach into 2 cups water. Add 1 cup oatmeal and cook. Serve, topped with whipped cream if desired.

13. Pineapple Oatmeal: Pour 8oz. can of pineapple tidbits with juice into saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally. Serve and enjoy.

14. Savory Oatmeal: Cook oatmeal according to package directions, adding garlic powder, salt, and oregano.

15. Strawberry Oatmeal: Cook oatmeal according to package directions. Top with a dollop of yogurt, brown sugar and sliced, fresh strawberries. (Good with Blueberries, too)

Uncooked Oatmeal Recipes: (do not use quick-oats)

16. Fruit Juice Muesli: Pour one cup of fruit juice - any variety - over one cup of raw oatmeal. Refrigerate overnight, and eat in the morning.

17. Vanilla Almond Muesli: Chop 1 banana. Add 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 raw oats, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and honey. Refrigerate 3 hours or more, so milk is absorbed. If you don't like it cold, you may slightly warm it before eating, but it is not necessary to "cook" the oats. ***my personal favorite***

18. Triple-Berry Toasted Oatmeal: Mix 2 cups raw oatmeal, 1 cup sliced almonds, 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. Spread on cookie sheet and toast twenty minutes at 350 degrees until light golden brown. Cool. Add 1 1/2 cups of sliced fresh berries - try blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, or what ever is available.

19. Swiss Oatmeal Muesli: Pour 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup rolled oats. Top with chopped apples, lemon juice and brown sugar. Eat and enjoy.

20. Oatmeal Muesli: Soak raw oatmeal overnight in refrigerator in enough water to cover. In the morning, remove any excess water. Top it with sliced strawberries, bananas, or chopped apples. Add honey or cinnamon to taste.

courtesy of Lorelei at http://www.suite101.com/content/losing-weight-with-lorelei---day-17-a320032#ixzz182O7rFin

Red and Green Salad for the Holidays

2010-11-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

At the request of several of my good friends. Here's one of my favorite holiday favorites.

DEB’s RED AND GREEN SALAD WITH ROASTED BEETS AND BALSAMIC RED ONIONS

An overnight pickling tames the red onions.

1 large red onion, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
chives
6 large beets (about 2 1/2 pounds)
6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds haricot verts

1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme

1 large head of radicchio or arugula
Blue cheese chunks
Sunflower seeds or walnuts

Place onion, 1/4 cup vinegar, and herbs in large jar or medium bowl, whisk. Season generously with salt and pepper. Pour over green beans, Cover and chill overnight. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place large piece of foil on baking sheet. Place beets in center of foil. Drizzle beets with 1 tablespoon oil and sea salt. Top with another piece of foil; crimp edges to seal tightly. Roast beets until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely, peel and slice.

Layer arugula, layer of beets, green beans, beets, blue cheese and nuts. Could add orange slices or craisins for color or substitute raspberry vinegarette.

Commander's Palace also has a famous recipe for their Pickled Pink Onions in which they add some grenadine for the pink color.

New Orleans and Supercomputing

2010-11-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Spent much of last week in New Orleans at Supercomputing, lots of technical symposiums and plenty of good company and food. Sampled meals at Pelican Club, Arnaud's, NOLA and Calcasieu and of course had to grab a muffaletta at Johnny's.

Had one of the best cosmos ever at NOLA and great appetizer of Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp and Remoulade.

Ingredients
12 green tomato slices, each about 1/4-inch-thick
1 cup flour, all-purpose
2 eggs, large, beaten with 2 tablespoons whole milk
2 cups bread crumbs, fine dried
Emeril's Original Essence
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound cooked peeled shrimp, for serving
White Remoulade Sauce, for serving

White Remoulade Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons green onions, finely chopped (green part only)
2 tablespoons yellow onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground

Directions
Season both sides of the sliced tomatoes with salt and black
pepper. Put the flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs in 3 separate
shallow dishes and season with the Essence. Dredge each tomato
slice first in the flour, then in the egg wash, letting any
excess drip off, then dredge in the breadcrumbs, coating evenly.

Heat 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil in each of two skillets over
medium-hot heat. Fry the tomatoes until crispy, about 2 minutes
on each side. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and
black pepper. Divide the tomato slices evenly among 4 or 6
plates, and top each serving with some of the shrimp. Drizzle
with the remoulade sauce to taste.

White Remoulade Sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk lightly to blend.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until needed. (It
will keep for up to 2 days.)

Yield: About 1 cup

*Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, courtesy Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia, Inc.

Herb rub

2010-10-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Spice mixtures are one of my secret shortcuts to get a meal done quickly and get a lot of great flavor into a dish without a lot of salt. I make double quadruple batches of this in a canning jar a couple of times a year and use it for everything even pasta sauce. If I am making it to use right away, I use fresh herbs instead of dry and add lemon juice. In the spring I plant a large pot with 4 or 5 of my favorites: 2 different basils, chives, parsley and just snip as I go. I drop a pot or two of rosemary into the ground right with my roses and it will usually last a year or two if I don't let it get too woody. Fresh this makes the best seasoning ever for Sunday roast chicken.

Same day recipe:
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallots
zest of one lemon
fresh parsley

Pantry recipe (larger batch use in smaller quantity):
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons minced rosemary
2 tablespoons minced thyme
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons minced oregano
3/4 teaspoon minced sage
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
2 tablespoons minced shallots or onions
2 tablespoons chopped freeze dried parsley

Store in a mason jar in cool dark place.

Local Honey

2010-10-02T03:46:00.000-07:00

A recent visit to a local pediatrician yielded the following advice: if you want your allergy prone kids to be healthier, buy and consume local honey. Consider the logic: the bees are collecting nectar from the very plants that are making you sneeze and sniffle.

It has also been used as an antiseptic or ointment for skin rashes and a great skin moisturizer. To get the benefits for seasonal allergies, you want to consume local raw honey, not honey that is heat treated. I like mine best in tea or just drizzled on my toast in the morning. It's also great on waffles.

David's Birthday

2010-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

September is our big birthday month with my sister, my son, my nephew and my mom all having their birthdays in a 14 day span. Add to that my daughter having her birthday October 1st and that leads to back to back celebrations all month long.

For David's birthday dinner, Sheila wanted spaghetti and I added meatballs to add a little something special (see recipe in my May blogs). I had a lot of beautiful peaches but didn't feel like making a pie so I "cobbled" this together.

Peach Crumble

1 package Nestle sugar cookie dough
2-3 ripe peaches, sliced
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
Juice from 1 lemon
1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup quick cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly spray a 9-inch glass casserole with non-stick cooking spray. Press cookie dough into pan to create a bottom crust.

Arrange peach slices on top of cookie dough, add in raspberries. Sprinkle with lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, crumble the butter into the flour-sugar mixture. Add the oats and stir to mix evenly. Sprinkle the flour mixture on top of the fruit. Bake until peaches are soft and the topping is browned, about 30 minutes.

Brown Butter Peach Bars

2010-09-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

I always say that the berries and stone fruits are one of the best things about summer and now that we've crossed into summer, those are fast disappearing. But they are still great for jams and bars. I found this recipe and couldn't wait to try it. The recipe came from Big Sur Bakery in Big Sur, Calif.

Brown Butter Peach Bars For the jam:

1 cup sugar

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

½ vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

4 cups ½ inch diced, peel-on, peaches (about 2 pounds whole)

For the crust:

1 cup unsalted butter

½ cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 ½ cups flour

For the filling:

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

Zest of 2 oranges

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

½ vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped

10 tablespoons unsalted butter.

1. Make the jam: in a 3 quart pot and using a wooden spoon, mix together the sugar, orange zest and juice, and vanilla bean and seeds. Place a candy thermometer in the pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes, until it reaches 220 degrees. Add the peaches and boil, stirring occasionally, until the peaches turn into a thick jam and the thermometer returns to 220 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes. Wear long oven mitts as the jam can splatter. (When the jam begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, it's nearly there). Transfer the jam to a wide pan to cool. Remove the vanilla bean.

2. Prepare the crust by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook until the white milk solids start to brown and smell nutty, 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve set over a heatproof container. Freeze until solid.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the confectioner's sugar and flour. Scoop the chilled brown butter into the flour mixture and, using a pastry cutter, blend until crumbly. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and firmly pat it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the crust until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

4. Make the filling: whisk together the eggs, sugar, zest and flour in a large bowl. Place the vanilla bean and seeds and the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the white milk solids start to brown and smell nutty, and then strain through a fine sieve. Carefully add the brown butter to the egg and flour mixture, whisking until the butter is incorporated. Remove the vanilla bean.

5. To assemble the bars, spread half of the filling over the baked crust. Spoon large dollops of the peach jam over the filling, reserving a quarter of the jam. Pour the remaining brown butter filling over the peach jam, and finish by spooning smaller dollops of the reserved jam over the top. Bake until the filling is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely. Makes 24 bars.

Summer Berries

2010-08-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

The huge variety and selection of fresh fruit is one of greatest pleasures of summer. And I love them all, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, melons but what would summer be without berries. Our little local farmer tore up his blackberry brambles last fall so we have been without a good source of fresh blackberries until recently. We have a new farmer's market on Huffmeister at Old Hempstead Highway and they have a great variety of fruits and vegetables.

Gluten-Free Blackberry Cupcakes

makes 1 dozen cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup cane sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/3 cup blackberry puree
1/4 cup yogurt
3/4 cup superfine brown rice flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light. Add the zest and the eggs. Scrape the bowl and mix again. Add the blackberry puree and yogurt and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the batter in baking cups and bake at 350F for about 20 minutes.

Babycakes Allergan Free Brownie Bites

2010-08-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

I was discussing food allergies with in kids last night over dinner with friends and was trying to remember the name of the lady who taped a similar segment on Martha Stewart who had a vegan bakery and then I found it: Babycakes

She described common substitutes:

•Cow's milk can be substituted part-for-part by rice milk or soy milk
•Instead of eggs, you can use 3 tablespoons of applesauce for each egg
•You can substitute sugar with agave nectar, which comes from a cactus and can be found in your organic supermarket
•Use 2/3 cup agave nectar per 1 cup of sugar

And even better, I found one of her brownie recipes online:

Allergen-Free Brownies
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for pans
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons garbanzo and fava bean flour
1/4 cup potato starch
2 tablespoons arrowroot
1 cup unrefined sugar or 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup store-bought unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup brewed coffee or hot water
2 cups vegan gluten-free chocolate chips, such as Tropical Source

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush 3 dozen mini-muffin pans with oil; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and unsweetened cocoa powder; set aside. In a large bowl, mix together applesauce, 1/2 cup canola oil, and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture, stirring to combine. Stir in coffee until it forms a batter. Fold in chocolate chips.
Place 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Transfer muffin pans to oven, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before unmolding.

7 vegetable summer salad

2010-08-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of my experiment salads, it is always a little different depending on what is fresh and what I have on hand. It is always a great favorite at family meals in the summer.

Haricot Vert, 1 bag fresh in the produce department
5-6 small red potatoes, cooked and cooled
2 ears corn, cooked until just done
1 large cucumber, unpeeled, washed
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Artichoke Hearts, 1 can drained
Red Onion, about a quarter cup, very thinly sliced
Chives, rough chopped
Basil, handleful of leaves chiffonade
Newman's Own Basalmic Vinegarette

Microwave one bag of haricot vert, immediately place in large plastic bowl with sealable lid. While beans are still warm add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegarette, seal lid and shake to coat. Add artichoke hearts and 2-3 more tablespoons of vinegarette, toss to coat, let marinate if you have the time. I slice cooked and cooled potatoes to medium thickness with skin still on, add to beans. Cut cucumber longways into quarters (like pickle spears) and then thinly slice into bowl. While corn is still warm, use sharp knife to cut strips off of cob, keep in chunks as much as possible. Cut tomatoes in half. Toss into salad with 2-3 more tablespoons of vinegarette. Toss with fresh chives and basil. This salad is wonderful just after preparation or chilled for several hours.

Summer tart

2010-08-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

My asparagus tart is one of our family favorites and is frequently requested by my sister when we are having a family dinner at her house. In fact, on one occasion she had requested it, I left it on the counter in my kitchen and I wasn't sure I was going to be allowed in! Here's an updated version with summer squash.

One sheet puff pastry dough, thawed
1 each, zuchinni and summer squash, sliced lengthwise, very thin
2 T. butter
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll puff pastry dough thin and place on lined baking sheet and gently fold up the edges about one half inch to form a lip all around the square.
Slice squash, thinly along the grain, lengthwise and lightly salt to pull some of the moisture out. Lightly saute the squash on medium low temperature until just lightly cooked. Remove from pan and allow to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle cheese over puff pastry and thin alternating green and yellow squash form a lattice or checkerboard pattern on top of the cheese. Brush exposed pastry with cream, top squash with extra cheese and green ontion or parsley as a garnish. Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

More DC Dining

2010-07-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a return to an old friend the Old Ebbitt Grill, in my twenties it was expensive, 30 years later its prices were a bargain. The Wild Alaska Salmon was wonderful but my favorite was the Summer Tomato salad with Beefsteak Tomatoes topped with fresh oregano, extra virgin olive oil and feta cheese and the most incredible sweet and tender Sun Gold tomatoes.

But far and away the experience of the week was The Equinox, one of Washington's top restaurants, with a reason. I started with the Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho, yes, you read correctly. Tomato and Watermelon, incredible. Can't wait to try making it myself, here's my first attempt:

Tomato and Watermelon Gazpacho

6 cups cubed seeded watermelon
3 cups chopped tomatoes, use 2-3 varieties
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil, divided
very small cherry or grape tomatoes for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Place 5 cups of the watermelon, cups of the tomatoes, shallots, oil, vinegar, half of the basil, salt and pepper into a blender and puree until smooth, chill for at least 1 hour.

Cube remaining watermelon and add small tomatoes and remaining basil in a bowl. Pour chilled soup into bowls or glasses and top with watermelon-tomato mixture.

Dining experiences at Microsoft Partner Conference

2010-07-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Just back from Washington DC and my 11th(?) Microsoft Partner Conference. I look forward to Partner Conference every year not just for the new information but the time to catch up with old friends over dinner. I had dinner Sunday evening at Art Smith's Art & Soul restaurant. Naturally, you had to try the Fried Green Tomatoes and I had a hard time deciding between the Shrimp & Grits or the Tomato Salad for a starter. Monday evening was dinner at Clyde's with

Chopped Salad with Fried Goat Cheese

Candied pecans
Roasted beets
Dried cherries
Sun Gold cherry tomatoes
Roasted corn
Balsamic onions and
Sherry Vinaigrette

Buttermilk Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

2010-07-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

1 c. rolled oats
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg, unbeaten
1/4 c. warmed honey
1 c. whole wheat flour (pastry)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. canola oil
1 cup fresh blueberries

Soak oats in buttermilk at least 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Beat egg into oat mixture. Add honey and combine thoroughly. Whisk together flour, salt, soda and cinnamon. Stir into oatmeal mixture then add oil. Mix only until combined. Fold in blueberries. Bake in buttered muffin tin 15-20 minutes until brown. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Rainy Blueberry Days in Houston

2010-07-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

We have had 4 straight days of soaking rain here in Houston about 10 inches all told, courtesy of Hurricane Alex. So the average daytime temperature is only about 82, a welcome relief from a very hot and humid June and not so hot that don't want to turn on the oven. So what better to do on a rainy summer Saturday than bake with one of my favorite summer ingredients -- blueberries.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread (with modifications)

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
½ cup applesauce
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 4 mini-loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray. Shred zucchini (may want to shred into collander to allow excess moisture to drain), set aside

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add zucchini. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and then gGently fold in the blueberries. Transfer loaf pans. Bake 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire rack.

Rosemary Gahlic Marinade

2010-06-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

One of my summer mainstays is chicken breasts marinated in Emeril Lagasse's Rosemary Garlic Marinade and grilled on a very hot grill to seal in all of the juices. Unfortunately it disappeared from the market 2 years ago and I have exhausted by stockpile and have to resort to experimentation. Here is my latest attempt...

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 T. finely chopped rosemary
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

I throw all of the herbs onto my mezzaluna and chop away until all of the oil and scents combine. I love the aromas. Then toss it all into a bowl and add in the lemon zest and juice and drizzle in the olive oil and whisk. Pop chicken breasts and marinade into gallon ziploc bags and refrigerate 2-4 hours before use. I sometimes freeze them just like that if I have more than we can use. If a grill isn't available, I cook the chicken in a glass dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Hot Summers Need Cool Salads

2010-06-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite summer salads and is great for potlucks and baby showers.

1 bag European or Mixed Green Salad Mix
1 bag frozen sugar snap peas, thawed
1 box edamame (soybeans), shelled and thawed
1/2 pint raspberries
Poppy Seed or Kraft Naturals Raspberry Salad dressing

Layer greens with sugar snap peas and edamame, toss in salad dressing, add raspberries last. If raspberries are not available, I use mandarin oranges. This salad is also good with pistachoes or sliced almonds for a little crunch. To transport for a party, I layer ingredients and bring the salad dressing to add upon arrival.

Banana Pudding

2010-05-20T01:33:00.000-07:00

My cousin Faye is this amazing southern cook. Not a fancy cook but the kind you remember from when you were a kid, You remember... Sunday dinners at Grandma's with the best fried chicken, that aunt that made the most amazing coconut cake, the lady from Sunday School who brought brownies to choir rehearsal... That kind of cook.

My dad remembers her teaching us how to make collard greens the way Grandmother Price did and my kids always remember her macaroni & cheese and her brownies during a family reunion. And they still talk about when we went to visit her in South Carolina and the amazing meals she cooked with all of their favorites. I love her for her endless trove of sage advice and her jello salads... Here's one of my favorites with a couple of substitutes to make it somewhat guilt free.

Banana Pudding

¾ cup sugar (splenda blend will work as well)
3 Tblsp flour
3 egg yolks
2 cups skim milk
1 tsp vanilla
Box of vanilla wafers
4-8 bananas

Mix the flour and sugar until no flour lumps remain. Add yolks and milk. Cook stirring until it just barely begins to boil. Add vanilla and put lid on the pan. Refrigerate until cold. Layer pudding, vanilla wafers,pudding, banana slices, and repeat once.

One recipe works for 2 or 3, 1 ½ recipes for 8 or 9” square pan. It's a shame to serve without whipped cream but its a standout on its own and even spiffs up lowfat Cool Whip but trust me, use the good stuff...

Awash in Squash

2010-05-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

A colleague at work brought in pictures of his adorable kids and their beautiful organic squash straight from the garden on Friday. Here in Texas, you can usually plant as early as February or March, if you start from seed (ambitious project for younger gardeners than myself) and they are already "awash in squash." This recipe is a variation of my mom's lasagna and dedicated to Ron, Lisa, Lindsey and Parker...

2-3 large zucchini
1 large egg, beaten
1 large(15 ounce) container low-fat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
Approximately 32 oz. favorite spaghetti sauce, with meat or meatless to your preference
1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (optional)

Wash and pat dry zucchini and cut lengthwise in long thin slices using mandolin, sharp knipe or vegetable peeler/box grater with thick slice setting. You want these no more than 1/4" thick. Sprinkle slices with salt and allow the salt to sit for a while releasing some of the moisture from the zucchini. Mix cottage cheese, beaten egg, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, set aside. Setup spaghetti sauce in a bowl with large spoon, add basil and arrange with other ingredients in production line fashion.

In glass or ceramic casserole begin layering with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan, then zucchini, followed by cottage cheese mixture and then mozzarella. Repeat one or two times, ending with a generous layer of sauce. Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree oven. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes before cutting but this recipe is typically a bit soupy because of the cottage cheese and moisture of the squash.

In college, I often used one box of thawed and drained spinach and mixed with cottage cheese mixture for a meatless lasagna that was also a big hit.

Saturday Night Supper

2010-05-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

The kids had guests in Saturday so I was looking for something that wasn't too time intensive, could be made ahead and they could serve their friends on their schedule. Haven't made meatballs in years but spaghetti and meatballs seemed like the perfect answer.

2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, freshly ground
6-8 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium white onion, finely chopped or grated
4 eggs
8 oz. Kraft parmesean, romano and asiago cheese blend, grated
1/2 c. milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups Progresso italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Mix first 4 ingredients well and then alternate in remaining ingredients. Shape meatballs by hand, slightly larger than a golf ball and place on cookie sheet with a rim, makes 26-30 meatballs. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray to make them easier to come off.

Remove meatballs from oven and cool. I like to make a classic tomato pomodoro or marinara sauce ahead and add meatballs directly into sauce. You don't really need any additional cooking time but I like the meatballs covered in sauce. I serve with classic spaghetti noodles but the leftovers are popular for sandwiches (if there are leftovers).

To make this a classic, ladle 4-6 big spoonfuls of sauce into saute pan and add cooked noodles to coat noodles before serving. Reserve some of the cooking water from the noodles and add to saute pan to help it all come together.

Cucumbers and Cantaloupe and Catnip, Oh My

2010-04-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Courtney and I got in a gardening kind of mood Sunday. It was a perfect Texas April weekend, warm but not hot, surprisingly low humidity and I sent Courtney to Lowe's for some vegetable plants on sale. She came back with gerbera daisies, the herbs and veggies I asked for a several watermelon and cantaloupe plants. So I potted all the herbs and a new patio tomato while she found spots for the squash, cucumbers and melons. Its been a few years since we've done any melons but we have space in one of the beds where one of my big antique roses was (was as in an overly ambitious pruning took her out). So this year that bed is for cantaloupes, cucumbers and watermelon. It should be interesting. We already have 3 tomatoes in the ground so we put up tomato cages, planted some parsley and catnip and a couple of summer squash. It will be fun to see what our little garden patches will do, the neighbors will think we have some odd new flowers...

First basil from the garden this week

2010-04-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

We started several pots of herbs in March and just recently the basil has gotten big enough to pick, so its time for pesto!

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (you can also substitute fresh parsley for up to half the basil)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
a couple of squeezes of lemon juice and a little lemon zest for added perk
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Romano cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
1-2 pinches Sea Salt (to taste)
3-4 grinds black pepper (to taste)

In a food processor or blender, pulse garlic with small amount of olive oil. Add basil or basil/parsley mixture and use rubber spatula to push it down. Start blender or food processor and drizzle in olive oil in a constant stream, using the spatula to scrape sides and push down leaves so they are well chopped.

When serving pasta with pesto, I usually use a large flat pasta bowl and layer pesto herb/oil mixture at bottom of bowl and sprinkle with cheese and then add hot pasta. I use a pasta server or two large wooden spoons to toss the hot pasta, cheese and herb mix and then drizzle in a little extra olive oil, if desired. We like the pine nuts whole. Pine nuts store best in the refrigerator.

Roses Are Blooming, Spring is Here!

2010-04-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's official, first roses of the season are out. My David Austin climber, Teasing Georgia, has her first big display of the season. She's just started her big show of the spring with about 15 blooms and we stopped counting at 50 buds, she'll show off big for the next 2-3 weeks and then just a couple here in there until June and then she'll pop again. The pink tea roses in the back yard are covered in red and green foliage and lots of buds, they'll do great until the black spot sets in during the June rains and they'll get leggy and produce a constant stream but not enough for cutting. I think we got a little crazy cutting back the antique roses (they've never even been trimmed before) so not sure what they'll do but it had to be done, we could barely get through the back yard gate. The bridal wreath looks great and the crepe myrtles went from no leaves to full foliage in about 3 weeks. I expect the mocking birds will be building a nest in the corner tree and chasing the squirrels along the fence line... Everything here has been covered in yellow-green pine and oak pollen for the last 2 weeks and now the indian hawthorne has started up. No rest for the allergies...

Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

2010-03-12T14:58:00.000-08:00

Didn't mean to tease, so here it is... These are the bomb! I use a small ice cream scoop and this makes a huge batch (but they are gone in no time)...

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Directions
Bake Time: 17 to 20 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.

In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.

For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

Bake in 350 F oven for 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.
Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Copyright 2000, Laura Bush

Texas Winter

2010-02-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my last post, the budding of Bradford Pears is one of the surest signs that we have at least one more "hard freeze" to come. (A phrase peculiar to Houston, which means that it really got below 32.) And in fact, we had another one this last week and may get one more this week. The last 2-3 winters have been mild almost to the point that if you blinked, you missed winter. Not this year, this has been a long and unusal winter here in Houston. With two snows... I have lived in Houston most of my 50 years and only remember it snowing 2-3 times in my life and it never sticks but twice in one winter, never.

I dutifully trimmed my roses on Valentine's, the traditional day in Houston (except for my antique roses). And over the last week my climber in the front year has set a vast number of green leaves, which brings me back to my dilemma about her. This climber is a David Austin named Teasing Georgia and she is a tease. The description was that she was a medium climber of about 8 feet. Well she fooled us all. She is on a 7 foot obelisk trellis which she has totally engulfed and has grown out of the top of and taken over the sidewalk. So I need to come up with a new solution for her. Last season she bloomed in about 4-5 waves and was quite spectacular. Her first way was in late March and she set out about 150 buds and then had a spectacular run for 3-4 weeks. She repeated this pattern several times during the season but never with the show she put on in early spring. So begone winter, Georgia is ready to make her debut...

Spring Cleaning

2010-02-21T15:27:00.000-08:00

With sightings of the first robins last week and then the first hint of green leaves on the Bradford Pears (a sure sign we will get at least one more frost). I started thinking that I should be starting spring cleaning, so of course I headed into my office at the house and on to the computer. A made a list of projects that need to be done, I got my tires on the car rotated and two replaced, a made a grocery list and I watched the birds and started a big batch of vegetable soup... That made me thing what else I should be cooking and that sent me onto some of my favorite foodie blogs where I found this. What a perfect addition to a late winter/early spring day...

Apple and Olive Oil Cake with Maple Icing

For an 8 inch cake that serves 6-8 (either 2 layers with icing in between or 1 cake with lots of icing on top or no icing and just dusted icing/confectioner's sugar)

For the cake:
3oz sultana raisins
4 tbsp water
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 vanilla pod
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 Bramley apples or 4 Granny Smiths
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 egg whites
icing/confectioner's sugar (optional) for dusting - if not making the icing*

For the icing:
1 stick - 2 tsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
3 oz maple syrup
1 cup cream cheese

For the cake:
Heat the oven to 325F
Spray a springform pan with non-stick spray (8 in.) in diameter, then line the bottom with baking parchment.

Put the sultana raisins and the water in a saucepan and simmer on low heat until the water has been absorbed completely. Set aside to cool.

Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, bakiing soda) and set aside. Peel, core and dice the apples into 1/2 inch cubes. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, mix the olive oil and sugar together by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Slit the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into the oil and sugar. Beat until well mixed (the vanilla can clump when you scrape it out so make sure to "de-clump" it). Add the lightly beaten eggs gradually, leaving you with a thick, smooth batter in the end. Add the diced apples, sultanas, and the lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients, folding in gently (you can do this in one go). In a separate clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the whisked egg whites very gently (to lose as little air as possible) into the main batter in 2 additions. 2 additions is best as the more additions you do, the more you are folding the batter and losing air. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the surface (there can be errant pieces of apple sticking out). Bake for an hour and a half or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool completely in the pan.

The flavors of the cake mature over time so for best results wrap the cake in cling film/saran wrap and refrigerate for up to three days before assembly. That means make the icing on the day you will be eating the cake.

For the icing:
Beat the butter, muscovado sugar and maple syrup together either by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I used my stand mixer for this) until light and airy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating until thoroughly blended and smooth.

To assemble:
If you wish to put icing in between two layers, cut the cake in half using a serrated knife.

Spread the icing as you wish, between two layers, over the top of the cake only, on top and on the sides, knock yourself out.

Spring is in the Air

2010-02-20T10:12:00.000-08:00

Driving to work on Thursday, I saw the field behind our house was full of birds. Robins! A whole field of them... Always one of the first signs that Houston is ready for spring.

We pruned the tea roses on Valentines and the big climber out front is covered with new leaves. I need to take a serious whack at my antique roses, they've gone rogue but I can't bear to cut them back but I am sure my neighbor is ready for me to. I planted a passion flower on the side fence 6-7 years ago and it has creeped along the side fence line all the way back to the back fence line and up a tree, it must be close to 75-80 feet.

One thing I try to do in winter is gather my rose hips, those are the round knobs left behind when a rose is allowed to fully blown and expire on the vine. They are often a bright orangy red in winter. If you're like me and don't use any pesticides on your roses, you can snip them to makes teas. They are a great source of vitamins C and E and antioxidants.

Here's my favorite Rose Hip Tea recipe for winter:

1 tea bag (of course I use Red Rose band)
1 Tablespoon dried rose hips
3 to 4 whole cloves
honey to taste
1 cup boiling water

Steep tea bag, rose hips, and cloves in boiling water for five minutes. Remove hips and cloves. Reheat if desired. Sweeten to taste with honey.

Superbowl Sweet Treats

2010-02-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

It just wouldn't be Superbowl Sunday without some type of junk food and sweets. We weren't much in the mood for something big so I just made a big pot of spaghetti sauce in the morning and let it simmer and then the kids wanted sandwiches! So we ran out to the store for sour dough bread from the bakery and roast beef from the deli and we had fresh roast beef sandwiches with horseradish sourcream, colby cheese, tomatoes and red onions. And it just wouldn't be a football game without cheeto's. So much for health food.

A friend of mind found this recipe and we just had to try it out. Had to say it was pretty darn good.

Homemade Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust. (Yes you can cheat and use sugar cookie dough from the grocery instead. Hint: add some vanilla and no one will ever know)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Tailgating

2010-01-05T17:55:00.000-08:00

Courtney's Cheer Squad was invited to be a Texans Allstar Cheerleading Squad and was one of 9 local High School teams featured at half time at the Texans game last month. (Our first and only appearance on an NFL field as a cheerleader--hopefully) Some of the parents had a big tailgate party before the game and here is one of the most asked for recipes with just a little Newman workover... Oh, and here is the YouTube link to see our little darlings. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4ZE2e2X0vM&feature=player_embedded

Cardiac Potatoes
This recipe serves 8.

9 large baking potatoes
1 stick of unsalted butter, room temp
12 ounces cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup sour cream (I substituted low fat)
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs (you can buy these)
Chopped green onions, salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes fully in a 350-degree oven (about an hour).
Scrape out the meat of the potatoes into a mixing bowl.
Add butter, cream cheese, cut up into smaller chunks, mix.
Mix in everything else except the bread crumbs.
Grease the bottom on a baking dish with non-stick spray and pour in the mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top (can also use cheese instead).
Either cover and refrigerate for baking later, or bake immediately and serve. If cold, potatoes should be baked uncovered for approx 45 mins, or until hot.

*** Quick Trick: Substitute onion and chive cream cheese or sour cream and save a step. And, I suppose in a real pinch you could use instant potatoes :) I cut the butter in half and used reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream to help on the richness.

First Post of Twenty Ten

2010-01-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

I heard on a news program over the weekend that there was a huge debate on whether this year could be called Twenty Ten or could it only be called Two Thousand Ten (the first being preferable because it was one word fewer). Seriously... Some of these people have just entirely too much time on their hands. Either way you prefer, I am just thankful to see the new year come in on a safe note and hope you and your family are safe and happy. New Years Day is usually my big day to cook for all of my friends and family but we decided to have a quite holiday this year. But I was still thinking of years past and the grand buffet we have had and the many many friends that have celebrated with us. Here's one of our favorites.

Shrimp and Grits

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup coarse grits (not quick-cooking)
2 tablespoons butter
2 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can(s) (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice (of course we like Rotel)
1 pound(s) large (16-20) peeled and deveined shrimp
1/4 teaspoon tabasco

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add onion and garlic to fat in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes (with their juice) and 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; cook, stirring, until opaque throughout, 2 to 4 minutes. Add Tabasco, a couple of shakes at a time, to taste.

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 1/2 cups salted water to a boil over high. Stir in grits; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until grits are creamy and tender, about 25-30 minutes; stir in butter. Serve shrimp over grits, sprinkled with bacon (I also add chopped green onion for color).

The Last List Before Christmas

2009-12-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

The wind is whistling past the windows and it has dropped about 15 degrees since this morning so we will have a cold if not snowy Christmas. I am going through my menu for tomorrow evening (as opposed to tomorrow morning, which is at my sisters and I only have one assignment -- bring my asparagus tart).

Banana-Nut
Overnight French Toast
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 1⁄2 cups packed brown sugar
5 large ripe bananas, cut diagonally into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices (see note)
1 (12-ounce) long loaf French or Italian bread, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 cup sliced almonds or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
In microwave-safe small bowl, heat butter in microwave oven on high 1 minute or until melted. Stir sugar into butter until moistened. With fingertips, press sugar mixture onto bottom of 13-by 9-inch glass baking dish. (It’s OK if mixture does not cover bottom.) Spread fresh or dried fruit over sugar mixture; top with bread slices, cut sides down.
In medium bowl whisk eggs; beat in milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Slowly pour milk mixture over bread; press bread down to absorb egg mixture. Sprinkle with nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 45 to 50 minutes or until bread is golden brown and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Note: If you don’t have bananas, substitute 3 to 4 very ripe pears or peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced; or 1 cup dried cherries, cranberries or raisins.

On the twelve days of Christmas

2009-12-21T15:48:00.000-08:00

A friend forwarded to me and I thought it was worth sharing...

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.
What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,
swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out
of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

This week, I found out.
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
even swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Merry Christmas!

Ridiculously easy Butterscotch Sauce

2009-12-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

Running through the menu for Christmas, making grocery lists and gift lists for friends. We make many of our gifts to friends and family -- one year we made Blackberry Preserves and Quick Pickles (that's a whole story in itself), one year we learned how to force tulips, another year we made bath salts and lip gloss (Courtney was 10) and another year we made candied lemon and grapefruit peel. And when the Bush's were in the White House, I gave out the recipe for Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion cookies along with a bag of nuts... Read into that as you will. I think that was the same year I gave out the recipe for Tipper Gore's Ginger Snaps along with a jar of molasses.

One of my favorites is a small gift of a key ingredient with a recipe that would make it easy to get something on the table. Here's a fun (and easy one for you to try)

Ridiculously Easy Butterscotch Sauce
Yields about 3/4 cup

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, to taste

Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, cream and salt and whisk until well blended. Bring to a very gentle boil and cook for about five minutes, whisking occasionally.

Remove from heat and whisk in one teaspoon of the vanilla extract, stirring to combine, dip clean spoon into sauce and carefully taste (it's hot, so be careful not to burn your tongue) to see if you want to add additional pinches or salt or splashes of vanilla. Tweak it to your taste, whisking well after each addition.

Serve room temperature or warmed over vanilla ice cream, roasted pears or pound cake. The sauce will thicken as it cools. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container and reheated in a microwave or small saucepan. Keeps at least two weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

Twas the week before Christmas

2009-12-19T18:52:00.000-08:00

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, mom has stashed presents and shops with her mouse. The stockings are hung on the mantle with hooks and mom is neck deep in Christmas Cook Books.... Well, you get the picture...

What to cook, what to cook... Looking for the ultimate Christmas Brunch casserole, one that I can make the night before and throw in the oven when we start opening presents. I have the Camper's Egg Brunch recipe which is always easy and good but I wanted something with a little more pizzazz for company so here's what we're going with this year.

Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding
1 1/2 pounds loaf Farmhouse Bread, crusts trimmed
1/3 pound ham, shaved
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
8 large eggs
4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons grainy style mustard
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons black pepper, or to taste

Butter or spray a 9" x 11" casserole. Slice bread into long slices, about 1/3" thick. You should have 6 or 7 slices. Arrange 3 of the slices in one layer in the buttered pan. Top with half the ham. Cover with half the cheese ad half the herbs. Arrange 3 more slices of bread over this (it doesn't matter of the bread doesn't fit snugly, although you can use the extra slice to fill in any gaps). Arrange remaining ham, cheese and herbs over bread. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs until combined. Add milk, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until light and frothy. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread, using the entire mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Pre-heat oven to 325° F. and bake on the bottom rack in the pre-heated oven for 1 1/2 hours until puffed and browned. Let pudding rest for 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Feeds 8.

Cornbread gone high brow

2009-11-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Making cornbread with the little blue box from Jiffy was the first way I learned how to make cornbread and it was a staple of my repetoire for many years. Over the years I learned to double and triple it for a crowd, to substitute buttermilk for regular milk, to add in canned or creamed corn to add a little texture or just to top it with some fresh butter and a very fine sprinkle of sugar or chopped chives for a little extra zing. And then, a couple of years ago I discovered this and it just isn't the holidays without it.

Cornbread Souffle

2 beaten eggs (beat until frothy)
1/3 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 stick melted butter
1 pkg Jiffy cornbread mix (blue box)
8 oz. sour cream
1 can creamed corn
1 can corn (drained) 16oz.

Mix beaten eggs, milk & butter. Add corn bread mix and mix together, add
sour cream and mix, add both corns and pour into a 9 inch round greased casserole. Cover and Bake at 350 degrees (325 degrees for glass pan) for 45 min. to 1 hour (until golden and solid). Top with chopped chives or parsley.

Favorite Holiday Cookies

2009-11-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

This recipe came to me through Treebeard's, a well known cajun restaurant in downtown Houston. It is consistently a favorite with family and friends and one of the first cookie recipes my kids learned to bake. When they are little, unwrapping the kisses is their favorite job, although you have to factor in temptation. And then they graduate to shaping the balls and rolling them in the sugar... We typically double or triple this recipe when we bake, but it does not multiply well past that.

Treebeards’ Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3T granulated sugar (for rolling)
12 Hershey kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375°F. Beat together butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and granulated sugar, egg, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking soda. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in 3 T granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie, pressing down firmly. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Getting Ready for the Holidays

2009-11-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite time of the year, I run through my favorite recipes, test new ones, make lists and generally live the entire holiday through in my mind, weeks ahead of the actual one. This year is no exception, except that I am trying to find my Sweet Potatoes Brulee recipe with no success...

Here's one of my favorites, good any time of year but a special hit with my gang at home.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1/2 C. grated Parmasean or Romano cheese
1 large clove garlic
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, firmly squeezed to remove moisture
1 (6-1/4 oz.) jar artichoke hearts, drained, patted dry
1 (8 oz.) container of soft garlic-chive cream cheese
2 large eggs
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 F. Put Parmasean cheese in a food processor with metal blade. Turn motor on and drop garlic through feed tube to mince. Stop machine and add spinach, artichokes, cream cheese and eggs. Process until thoroughly blended; turn into medium bowl. Fold in mozzarella and transfer to a 2 to 3 cup baking dish; bake until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips, sour cream and salsa. Makes 16 servings. Make sure you serve with Picante sauce and sour cream and crispy tortilla chips.

Drizzly and Wet Sunday

2009-10-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

What better way to spend a drizzly wet October Sunday than catching up on laundry and football. Perfect weather for a great soup or chili, some cornbread and a sweet treat. These are perfect wrapped and tucked in a lunch or the perfect accompanyment to a spicy chili.

Coconut Dream Bars
Makes approximately 18 bars
• FOR THE CRUST
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 crackers)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• FOR THE TOPPING
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
2. To make the crust: In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and salt. Pour mixture into prepared pan and press into bottom of pan using your fingertips.
3. To make the topping: In another medium bowl, mix together chocolate chips and coconut; sprinkle evenly over crust.
4. Pour condensed milk evenly over coconut and chips, covering the entire surface. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan halfway through baking, making sure the milk does not get too brown or bubble over in the pan, 25 to 30 minutes.
Allow to cool completely and cut into squares.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2009-09-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

I know it is stretching the healthy effects of oatmeal by thinking of oatmeal cookies as a health food but you have to start somewhere. Here is a recipe I modified this summer with a little less processed sugar and flour. Courtney and I made a batch so I could take them to my office and they were a big hit. I substituted whole wheat pastry flour for the AP flour and the Splenda Brown Sugar blend for most of the sugar. We also added about 3/4 cup of pecans to ours. If you want to continue on the modifications to make these "good" for you, substitute dark chocolate for the white and walnuts for the pecans.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (packed)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, cranberries, and white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 1 - 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Grilled Romaine

2009-09-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite restaurants in the Seattle area is the 3rd floor Fish Cafe in Kirkland, directly on Lake Washington and not far from Microsoft's Redmond campus. Not only is the food and the service noteworthy but the view is spectacular particularly in spring or summer. Among my favorites is a Grilled Romaine salad that I almost never miss.

Here is my version (although I believe they use a roquefort vinegarette)

Combine in a blender:
2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
2 anchovy filets, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Add good quality sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 heads romaine lettuce heart, quartered lengthwise and trimmed
1 thinly sliced green apple
1/2 cup fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

Arrange lettuce in an even layer on a baking sheet and top with dressing covering lettuce completely. Layer with apple. Top with Parmesan cheese. Broil lettuce just until cheese melts and begins to turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Top with crumbled fresh bacon if desired, serve while warm.

Nicoise Salad with Salmon

2009-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

I was making a green salad one Sunday (my sisters and my kids will tell you that it is never a Sunday without my making salad) and was trying to come up with something different. Spinach salad? Red & Green Salad? Caeser? Summer Salad? I started out making an arugala salad (my current favorite greens) and realized I had leftover salmon from the night before so a Nicoise Salad it became:

Ingredients
6 small New Potatoes or Yukon Gold (something slightly waxy), boiled and halved or quartered
1 pound green beans, steamed
1/2 pound mixed salad greens (spring mix or arugala are my favorites
1 cup artichoke hearts
6 tomato wedges
3 hard boiled eggs, halved
1/2 cup nicoise olives or other good quality black olive
6-8 ounces leftover cooked salmon filets (see my previous posting for Spicy Salmon), served warm or cold
Lemon or Red Wine Vinegarette

Toss salad greens in large flat bowl with just enough vinegarette to lightly coat. Strategically group each ingredient on top of greens so your guests can serve themselves accordingly to their own preferences. I usually group the green beans and tomatoes next to each other and drizzle with a little more of the dressing.

Since this salad is so straightforward, you really just want the best ingredients you can find. I often substitute other items I have if I am mixing an ingredient (artichoke hearts make a wonderful substitute or addition) and I use the pre-packaged haricot verts from the produce section and let the microwave do the work. I'm also not an olive snob so I am known to use whatever I have, even canned will do although I confess I have gotten hooked on kalmata olives.

I serve this with a classic Lemon Vinegarette, this one is adapted from Julia Childs

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced (at least 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon finely minced shallots or scallions
1/2 cup excellent olive oil

Grate the lemon peel into a screw-top jar, add the salt, several grinds of pepper, mustard, minced shallots, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Shake well to blend, then pour in the oil and shake vigorously again. Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon, salt and pepper if needed.

Spicy Salmon

2009-09-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Rubs and spice mixes are among my favorite tools that make it easy to put together a memorable but fast meal. This one is my all time favorite. It even got my kids to eat fish! I make multiple batches at a time and store it in a glass jar in the pantry, that way it is always ready when I am. I have already adjusted this up to make enough for about 6-8 uses. You only need about 2 Tablespoons per whole salmon filet (side).

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 c. chili powder
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425

Place salmon filet (I use whole sides but you could use smaller filets) on parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with rub mix (about 2 heaping spoonfuls). Bake for 23-25 minutes.

This is wonderful served hot but I also frequently make enough for leftovers and it makes a phenomenol salad nicoise.

Oatmeal Crusted Pork Loin

2009-09-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite shows on Food Network is Dinner Impossible, I love how he creates fast menus with just a couple of ingredients as the inspiration of each dish. His pace makes me a little nutty but that's part of the fun. This past week his challenge was to make dinner for 400 in 9 hours inspired by Ben & Jerry Ice Cream Flavors, here was one of my favorites

Oatmeal Crusted Pork Loin

Ingredients
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 (3 to 4-pound) pork loin, boned and trimmed
4 tablespoons paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons chopped sage leaves
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large skillet over a medium-high heat, add the oil until smoking hot. Season the pork loin with paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Add to the hot skillet, turning on all sides until golden brown. Remove from the skillet to a plate and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a kitchen blender add all of the chopped fresh herbs, the bread crumbs and the oatmeal and pulse until looks a little like course powder. Add the melted butter and combine until slightly wet.

Warm the apricot preserves and water in a small saucepan over low heat until melted together. Spread sparingly over the rested pork loin and then top with the oatmeal and bread crumb mixture. Press it down firmly so it adheres to the pork.

Transfer the pork to a small roasting pan and put in the preheated oven to roast for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and continue to cook until the pork reaches the correct doneness, about 15 minutes. The internal temperature should register 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove from the oven to a cutting board and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice and arrange on a serving platter to serve.

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-09-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been to my New Year's Day Open House, this is one of my traditional and most asked for recipes. I make the chicken the night before and then boil the spaghetti noodles and make up the sauce and combine it all in the crockpot to keep it warm but it is fabulous all made at once.

I pound the chicken in between saran wrap to make it quick to cook so it stays tender and cut into smaller pieces to make it easier to handle in the skillet.

Chicken Spaghetti

3-5 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped into bite size chunks

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley and chopped tomato.

Serve with pasta or vegetables.

Basic Pesto

2009-09-16T17:53:00.000-07:00

I first learned how to make pesto from a rather bohemian vegetarian friend of mine in my early 20's. I originally learned how to make it in a blender and my kids called in Green Spaghetti. It was a good alternative to endless rounds of my classic spaghetti but I still hadn't grown to really appreciate its flexibility. Then I got my first food processor and I thought that was the only way, until I grew my first basil plant and bought a mezzaluna and wooden chopping bowl 10 years ago.

Now, it is what I think of when I think of summer, particularly in these waning days. Pesto is such a flexible cooking element. We love it with pasta, on vegetables and in salads, as part of an appetizer, almost any way at all. The smell of fresh basil is one of the greatest joys of cooking. The process of hand chopping the herbs is a great way to prolong the process and enjoy the aromas... especially if you grow it yourself. Basil, parsley and chives are thrive in container gardens and your budget will love the result...

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry (you can also substitute fresh parsley for up to half the basil)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Romano cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
1-2 pinches Sea Salt (to taste)
3-4 grinds black pepper (to taste)

In a food processor or blender, pulse garlic with small amount of olive oil. Add basil or basil/parsley mixture and use rubber spatula to push it down. Start blender or food processor and drizzle in olive oil in a constant stream, using the spatula to scrape sides and push down leaves so they are well chopped.

If making pesto ahead for later use or for use in salad, incorporate cheese and pine nuts and continue to blend.

When serving pasta with pesto, I usually use a large flat pasta bowl and layer pesto herb/oil mixture at bottom of bowl and sprinkle with cheese and then add hot pasta. I use a pasta server or two large wooden spoons to toss the hot pasta, cheese and herb mix and then drizzle in a little extra olive oil, if desired. We like the pine nuts whole. Pine nuts store best in the refrigerator.

BLACKBERRIES AND BISCUITS

2009-09-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

The summer I was 13 I spent the entire summer in Greensboro. That summer I learned to put up pickles, snap beans and pick blackberries. Grandmother and I would drive to a variety of unlikely places that she knew around town where we would fight the birds for blackberries. We would pick a couple of pints and take then home and wash them and put antiseptic on my bramble scratches.

For this recipe all you need is about a pint. Cover berries with water in a medium saucepan and add a couple of teaspoons of sugar. Bring to a boil, reserve liquid. I saw Grandmother fix this two ways: with pre-cooked biscuits or by placing refrigerator biscuits over berries in a glass casserole and then cooking until biscuits are lightly browned. Either way is delicious. Serve hot from the oven, serve with vanilla ice cream or cool whip, if desired.

Birthday Lunch

2009-09-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

My son David turned 22 this weekend and what did he request for lunch? Mac 'n cheese. So channeling Julia Childs, I turned up the volume a bit and made this adult version.

Ingredients

1 box Barilla multi-grain pasta such as farfalle
generous pinch of sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter
10 Tablespoons all purpose flour
6 finely sliced green onions, separating out green and white sections
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded mild white cheese (mozzarella or muenster)
2 cups shredded cheddar or colby cheese

Bring water to a rolling boil and add several pinches of sea salt and in goes the pasta. My rule of thumb is to stir only once or twice and then turn off the heat at 7 minutes. Wait about 1 minute and drain but do not rinse. Return pasta to original pan or large bowl.

While waiting on pasta, melt one stick of unsalted butter over low to medium heat in medium sauce pan, do not brown. Add all of the white onion slices and about half of the green. Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add first half of the flour 1-2 tablespoons at a time and incorporate using wooden spoon. Adjust cooking temperature up slightly to promote thickening. Add cayenne pepper and mustard and then alternate milk and flour, stirring constantly. Allow sauce to come just to a bubble and reduce flame and mix in cheese. If cheese sauce is too thick, add just a little more milk until it is of desired consistency. If thin, turn off flame and allow it to set up to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add in a couple grinds of fresh black pepper and sprinkle remaining green onion on top. Serve hot. Feeds 6 (or 4 hungry teenagers).

I also garnish with a little chopped parsely or cherry tomato halves. I cook with very little salt so adjust to your taste.

Passion for Cooking

2009-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

Some of my earliest memories are working in the kitchen with one of my two Grandmothers. They both approached cooking from very different perspectives. Granny (my mother's mother), lived with us when I was very young. I remember her for how patiently she would work with me to make sugar cookies at Christmas, for the thinness of her sugar dough, for the dozens of cookie cutters and how she would admire my creations. She was a well known cook, known for her dinner and cocktails parties. I only remember her using one cook book but she had dozens of handwritten recipes on cards and in notebooks. One Christmas, mother had a party for friends and Granny worked on little canapes and fancy sandwiches for days. But her piece de resistance was her Waldorf Red Cake. She made it only once or twice a year and you would be served the thinnest sliver of this wonderful rich cake which she had whipped up with her big glass bowl stand mixer and it was served ice cold. My job was to make wax paper liners for the bottom of the cake pans, I still do these even with the better pans we have now. My secret is take the wrapper from the butter and use it to grease the pans (my favorite trick) and then stick the wax paper down in the bottom of the pan. I then usually dust a very fine powder of cocoa on top of the wax paper to make it easier to peel away..

Waldorf Red Cake

1/2 c. Crisco shortening

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 c. buttermilk

2 T. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

2 oz. red food coloring

1 T. vinegar

2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour

1 tsp. soda

Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. Trace bottom of cake pan on waxed paper, cut to fit inside of pan. Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together crisco and sugar. Add eggs. Make a paste of cocoa and food color and add to mixture. Mix dry ingredients, add buttermilk and vanilla, mix two mixtures. Fold in vinegar and soda. Do not beat again. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Icing

5 T. flour

1 c. butter

1 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. superfine sugar

In medium sized saucepan over low to medium flame, gradually add milk to flour, stirring constantly, cool thoroughly. Do not leave butter out to soften. Cream sugar and butter, add to cooked mixture. Beat slightly, add vanilla. Beat until fluffy (or forever, whichever is sooner). Spread on cooked layers. The trick to this recipe is to make sure butter is cold when starting and to make sure that flour and milk mixture are absolutely cool before combining.