Tri to Cook

Superbowl Party Ideas

2012-01-27T13:31:00.000-05:00

Alternate Title: How to Cater a Party for 40

While this was going to be a post about how I catered the party my parents had over the holidays, it seems almost more appropriate to give you some good ideas about what to make next weekend for the big game.

Menu, courtesy of Dad

First, some tips on how to get it done:

Figure out how many people are coming.
Timing matters! (or perhaps your inviation will dictate whether people expect a meal or snack)
Are there any dietary restrictions/allergies?
Plan a menu, taking care to pick mostly things that can be made ahead of time.
Make lists your friend. Shopping lists, to-do lists... better to have it written out than forget it.
Accept help! Whether it be another set of hands, a last-minute grocery run, or a dish you don't have time to focus on, welcome the opportunity to make your life a little easier.
When it gets close to game time, don't worry about things that didn't quite get finished. Chances are good that no one will know what is missing, it's more important to enjoy the party!

And now the Menu:

Bar Nuts
Snack Mix (Made by Mom)
Dips w/crudite: balsamic onion, hummus, eggplant caponata
Brie w/fig preserves and sliced almonds (baked at 350deg for ~30min)
Stuffed dates
Sausage Roll (Made by my Aunt)
Spinach & Gorgonzola roll (Made by my Aunt)
Bruschetta Apple Bruschetta
Chicken Satay w/Peanut Sauce
Herbed Turkey Meatballs w/Cranberry BBQ sauce (I made them smaller and kept them warm in the crockpot)
Kielbasa w/mustard
Herb Poached Shrimp w/Cocktail Sauce (recipe can also be found here)
Carrot Buttermilk Tart (I scaled up, but need to play around with proportions before I share my version)
Assorted cookies (from Mom, Aunt, and guests)
Pomegranate vanilla punch w/prosecco

Are you throwing or attending a Superbowl Party?? If so what will you be making? Whatever you chose, don't forget to root for the Giants :)

Balsamic Onion Dip

2012-01-25T08:13:00.000-05:00

A perfect addition to your Superbowl spread, this is a an onion dip with a little bit of character from balsamic vinegar. If you have any leftover, I can see this as a wonderful spread on your sandwich as well!

Onion dip is on the left
(eggplant caponata in the middle, hummus on the right)

Balsamic Caramelized Onion Dip
adapted from my previous version
yield ~3c

2 1/4lb onions, cut in half and sliced into halfmoons
2T extra virgin olive oil
1/2c water
1/4c balsamic vinegar
1/4c cider vinegar
1t brown sugar
2c greek yogurt
8oz reduced fat cream cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and become translucent. Add water, vinegars and brown sugar and continue to cook on medium-low until onions are caramelized. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the greek yogurt and cream cheese. Beat until smooth and then stir in the caramelized onions. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or up to two days.

Let stand at room temperature for a bit before serving with crudite.

POM Vanilla Punch

2012-01-19T04:53:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I don't have great pictures of this punch, but it was party time. You can understand, right? I made two batches of this and it was gone before the guests, so you don't have to take my word for it that this was delicious!! Perfect for kids and adults alike, I served it with some bubbly on the side for those who wished to imbibe.

Pomegranate Vanilla Punch
adapted from How Sweet It Is
yield ~ 10-15 glasses

1 lg orange, sliced
1 lg apple, sliced
1 lg pear, sliced
airls of 1 large pomegranate
2 cinnamon stick
seeds and pod of 1 vanilla bean (optional)
1T vanilla extract
48oz pomegranate juice (not from concentrate, I used POM Wonderful)
1L vanilla seltzer
prosecco, optional

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients except prosecco. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Serve with prosecco on this side!

This one's a keeper folks!

Stuffed Dates

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-05:00

I like to call Medjool dates nature's candy. Soft, caramel-y and delicious, I adore medjool dates. So when I got an email from Laura Hartung asking if I wanted to attend a dinner at Form sponsored by Bard Valley I didn't hesitate to say yes.

I joined some fellow Boston bloggers including Janel, Elizabeth, Nancy and Liz at Forum restaurant for a four course dinner (with wine pairings) featuring medjool dates. But it wasn't just about tasting-- we learned quite a bit as well!

Did you know that medjool dates are actually fresh? I had assumed they were dried, but it turns out that's how they grow! Chock full of fiber, potassium and polyphenols (antioxidants!), dates are a great way to add some healthy sweetness into your life :)

Our meal started with a Medjool date, orange and almond salad with goat cheese was quite delightful, and something I could see myself serving again and again.

Not a huge fan of duck, I was surprised by the main course, where a pan roasted duck breast was paired with black rice, broccoli rabe and a vanilla date puree. I can see that vanilla date puree being used as the base of an ice cream... :)

The last course of the evening left us all swooning- a Medjool date pudding cake with caramel infusion. Holy moly, this was decadent and delicious.

We were lucky enough to be sent home with some leftovers and dates to enjoy. And enjoy I did, creating this appetizer from my memory of the ones served at my favorite tapas restaurant! I've served these two times in the past month and since I had people I didn't know telling me they loved me, I'm going to say they were a hit ;) Want to make these vegetarian? Try my friend Cara's version!

Stuffed Dates
Recipe by Shannon

If you're lucky enough to have an additional pair of hands helping you prepare these, it's quickly done in an assembly line-- one person can pit the dates another stuff. Then both of you can work on the wrapping!

Medjool dates
Marcona almonds
goat cheese
proscuitto di parma (or serrano ham)

Preheat oven to 375deg.

Begin by pitting the dates, slicing lengthwise along half of the date and then removing the pit.

Once the dates are pitted, stuff an almond and 1-2t goat cheese (depends on the size of the date) and then close the date, bringing the two edges as close together as you can. Set aside as you continue to stuff the remaining dates.

Cut each piece of proscuitto in half lengthwise and wrap each date in one half. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining dates.

Bake until dates are warmed and proscuitto is crispy, 10-12min.

I think these eclipsed my medjool-based running fuel as my favorite way to use dates :) What's the most creative way you've used or eaten dates before??

Butternut Farrotto

2012-01-12T11:47:00.000-05:00

Farro has quickly become my favorite whole grain. No doubt it was only a matter of time before I threw it into a risotto. Paired with butternut squash and sage (a few more of my favorite things), this dish should be on your menu next week!

Butternut Farrotto
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 2-4

2c 1/2" peeled butternut squash cubes
2-3T extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/2c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced/pressed
2T chopped sage, divided
3/4c farro
1 1/4c broth (or more water)
1 1/2c water
1-2oz gruyere, finely grated

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Toss butternut squash cubes with 1-2T olive oil, some coarse sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast in preheated oven until tender, ~20-30min, stirring after 15min.

While squash is roasting, begin cooking the farro. Heat 1T olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened but not brown, 5-8min. Add garlic and 1T sage and cook until fragrant, 1-2min. Add farro, stir to coat and toast the grains for a few minutes.

Add broth and water, stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring often, until the farro is tender, 20-25min. Once the farro is tender, stir in roasted squash, remaining sage and grated gruyere. Taste and adjust seasonings, then serve topped with crispy sage if desired.

Are you on the farro bandwagon yet? :)

Cardamom Orange Cookies

2012-01-10T04:30:00.000-05:00

The past few years, I've taken to sending some homemade goodies to friends whom I don't get to see all that often. This cookie was a surprising mention from a couple of people, so I knew I'd be remiss not to post the recipe for you! These are perfect with a cup of chai tea :)

Cardamom Orange Cookies
adapted from Gourmet
yeild: 5-6 dozen

These cookies can be done in stages, the dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before baking, or even frozen for up to 1 month (just thaw in the refrigerator before baking).

3c white whole wheat flour
1t baking powder
3/4t kosher salt
3t ground cardamom
1/2t ground cinnamon
1/4t ground ginger
zest of 1/2-1 orange
2 sticks of unsalted butter, RT
1c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
2 lg eggs
1t vanilla extract
sprinkles, if desired

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour through zest).

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, preferably in a stand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, then beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide dough in half and place on separate sheets of plastic wrap. Using a spatula and the plastic, form into logs (squares or rectangles, whatever is easiest!). Place on a baking sheet or large plate and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Make sure your oven racks are in the upper and lower thirds of the oven so you can bake two sheets of cookies at a time, then preheat the oven to 350deg.

Add sprinkles to a shallow bowl, a little at a time. Using a serrated knife, cut ~1/4" slices from one log and roll the edges in the sprinkles. Place, 1" apart on 2 large, ungreased baking sheets. Wrap the remaining log and place back in the refrigerator. Bake cookies 10-12min, switching the position in the oven halfway through, until edges are golden and the cookies are set. Cool on the baking sheets for ~3min, then transfer to cooling racks. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Store in an airtight container.

What was your favorite holiday treat this year?

Butternut Apple Bruschetta

2012-01-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

I'm posting this recipe today to prepare you for your next party, as this recipe is not to be missed. First at the cookie swap, and then at another holiday party, these bruschetta got rave reviews and are nothing short of fantastic!

Action shot! Thanks Cara :)

Butternut Apple Bruschetta
inspired by Joanne & Jen
Serves a crowd

I didn't count how many bruschetta I made, but I'm guessing I could've gotten ~3dozen from this recipe. The butternut squash and apples can be roasted ahead of time, just bring them to room temperature before assembly.

1 lg butternut squash
1 lg, crisp apple (or 2 small, I used honeycrisp)
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt (I used coarse for roasting and fine for seasoning the ricotta)
freshly ground black pepper
1 15oz tub fresh ricotta cheese
cranberry bread (the Savory Cranberry loaf I used the first time was stellar, but cranberry walnut also worked well)
fresh sage
reduced balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375deg.

Cut the butternut squash and apples into similar sized cubes, I went for ~1/2" dice. Add cubed squash and apples to a large bowl and toss with 1-2T olive oil, some coarse sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30min, tossing halfway. Set aside to cool.

Melt a small slab of butter in a skillet (probably ~1T) over medium-low heat. Add fresh sage leaves (a handful? I just made sure they were in a single layer in the skillet) and cook until beginning to brown, ~2-3min/side. Once crispy, transfer sage leaves to a plate lined with paper towels and drain until ready to assemble crostini.

Slice bread into thin slices, then into smaller, easy to hold pieces. The cranberry bread I used was bigger than a traditional baguette, so I cut each slice into 3 pieces. Lay out in a single layer on a cookie sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt and then bake, a few minutes on each side until they are beginning to brown and are crispy.

While the bread cools, finish preparing the remaining components. Add a bit of salt and a good dose of freshly ground black pepper to the ricotta and mix well (do this right in the container, no need to dirty another bowl!). Crumble the crispy sage into a small bowl. To prepare the balsamic vinegar to top the crostini, add 1/4c balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until it has reduced by about half.

To prepare the bruschetta, top each crostini with a heaping tablespoon of ricotta and a spoonful of roasted squash and apples. Repeat with remaining crostini and add to a serving dish. Once they're all done, sprinkle the crispy sage over the bruschetta and drizzle on the balsamic vinegar.

What was the best appetizer you had this past holiday season?

Sweet Potatoes & Red Lentils

2012-01-03T04:30:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!

I can't quite believe it's already 2012, but hopefully you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to get this year started right ;) If you didn't catch my 11 Best of '11, there are some goodies in there!

While there are quite a few things I have to tell you about, I chose something a bit healthier to start off with, in case you're still in a cookie coma! This dip morphed into a delicious soup, so you could certainly go whichever route you're craving. Is it 50 in december? Perhaps you'll prefer some crisp veggies and dip. If it actually feels like winter where you are, I'd opt for a nice bowl of this delicious soup!

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Dip
adapted from Whole Foods
Yield: 4c

1-2T extra virgin olive oil
1 sm onion, chopped
1 lg garlic clove, chopped
2 sm sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
1" knob of ginger, grated
1t cumin
1/2t curry powder
1/2t smoked paprika
1/2t garam masala
1/4t coriander
1/2t sea salt
few grinds black pepper
1 1/2c red lentils, picked over
3/4c light coconut milk
2 1/2c water
juice of 1 sm lemon

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally until softened, ~5-7min. Add sweet potatoes and spices (ginger through pepper) and saute until fragrant. Stir in lentils, water and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the sweet potatoes (and lentils) are soft, ~20min. If your liquid cooks off before the sweet potatoes are tender, add a little more water (but not too much, or that will make for a thin dip).

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool a bit. Add lemon juice to the mixture and puree using a blender or food processor. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil or chopped herbs, if you remember ;)

Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup

leftover sweet potato and red lentil dip (recipe above)
remaining coconut milk from the can
water/broth, if desired

Add dip and coconut milk to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Stir or whisk to combine and add any water to reach your desired consistency. Serve warm, topped with chopped scallions or herbs, or some greek yogurt.

How did you ring in the new year?

Best of 2011

2011-12-31T14:47:00.002-05:00

I'm not quite sure where 2011 went, but it has sure been a delicious one!! Looking back at 2011, I realized it has been quite a creative year and it would be fun to do my first ever best-of on Tri To Cook. Without further ado, here are 11 highlights from 2011 :)

1. The most viewed post was my sweet and savory Tomato Jam, and I'm certainly with y'all here. Along with the Savory Cheesecake and Pop Tarts I made with the tomato jam, I was so excited about this I had to share it with as many people as I could!! I can't wait until next summer to make a few more batches (apparently three wasn't enough ;))

2. I never thought that I would like fresh wasabi, but thanks to Marx Food's Ridiculously Delicious Challenge, I got the chance to play with it... and play I did! I created an Asian Sundae (incorporating Asian condiments into each component) and White Chocolate Wasabi Truffles (with a crystallized ginger center). Both surprised and delighted everyone that tried them, and I'd call that a success :)

Asian Sundae

White Chocolate Wasabi Truffles

3. My favorite breakfast was easily Potato Pancakes w/Spinach, Smoked Salmon & Poached Eggs, recreated from a brunch at Zaftigs. A great, healthy start to any day!

4. Another restaurant-inspired dish was the Kaddo Pizza I made last month. Slow roasted sugar pumpkin, spiced beef and a refreshing mint yogurt sauce, and you've got a winning dinner. If you've never given Afghani food a try, do yourself a favor and make this pizza!

5. One of my favorite meals was the Mushroom Crepe Cake I made this summer. My first attempt at making crepes turned out easier than expected and the mushroom filling amazing. This meal was special not only because of the decadent crepe cake but also for the person whom it was made it for ;)

6. Another favorite was this summers' Goat Cheese Ice Cream with Roasted Cherries. Everyone loved it, and I'm sure my parents wished I had made a second batch ;) Next time I might cut the cherries in half, but the goat cheese ice cream base could be enjoyed by itself or with other fruits!

7. My favorite grain this year has been farro, and this Farro with Roasted Tomatoes and Eggplant. The picture surely doesn't do it justice, but it was packed with flavor and an incredible dish highlighting some of summer's finest produce.

8. While I have never eaten chicken and waffles, I think my take on this southern classic turned out fantastic. Potato Waffles with Poached Salmon and Lemon-Dill Sauce is a recipe that surprised me with how well it came together, and one I'll definitely go back to. Hopefully next time I won't overcook the salmon :/

9. I began playing with cocktails this year, and my favorite was the Strawberry Meyer Lemonade Cocktail over the 4th of July, although the Peach Sangria was a close second. This stuff was so delicious, it's certainly worth the cheers :)

10. One of my goals for 2011 was to complete in an Olympic distance triathlon. Finishing the Lobsterman triathlon in just about 3 hours was quite a moment for me, and an achievement I'm definitely proud of. Any ideas on what my goals should be for 2012? (I'm having a hard time this year...)

11. This year wouldn't be complete without acknowledging a big project that I undertook with my good friend Rebecca. Together, we baked a cake and 100 cupcakes for our friends wedding reception (chronicled here and here)! This was quite a learning experience, but a lot of fun and the empty table at the end of the night made it all worthwhile :)

There are probably 10 more I could add to the list, but then it wouldn't be the 11 Best of 2011 ;)

Here's to a tasty, healthy 2012! What are you doing to ring in the new year?

Rosemary Ginger Fizz

2011-12-28T04:20:00.000-05:00

One cannot live on cookies alone (or can they?), so when I was planning my cookie swap, I wanted to provide a drink option... besides water and almond milk. A make-your-own drink sounded like fun, so I prepared some simple syrup and sugared cranberries (perfect as they can be done ahead of time!) and let everyone serve themselves. Sweeter, not so sweet, your choice!

Drink Station: assembly required

I actually forgot the lemon slices at the cookie swap, but I liked the dimension it added when I went to try and take another photo the following day, so I'm including it in the recipe.

Rosemary Ginger Fizz
Recipe by Shannon

for the rosemary ginger simple syrup:
1c water
1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
3 sprigs of rosemary
2" knob of ginger (or more), peeled and sliced into thick coins

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the temperature a simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let steep 10min. Strain out the rosemary and ginger, then transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

to prepare the drink:
rosemary ginger simple syrup
ice
seltzer
lemons, cut into wedges or slices
sugared cranberries, for garnish if desired

Add seltzer to a glass with ice, then mix in your desired amount of rosemary ginger simple syrup and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir and taste, then adjust as you see fit. For the wine glasses shown below, I was using ~2T simple syrup and the juice from 1 slice of lemon.

This could certainly be made alcoholic, if you're into that kind of thing ;) Which alcohol would you pair with this?

Pumpkin Blondies

2011-12-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

First things first, let me say thank you for entering my giveaway, you all make me smile every day. Random.org chose the winner, Brandi! Tomato jam and an appearance on the Dr. Oz show?? I don't know what more a girl could ask for ;)

I hope you haven't had too many cookies. Because I've got two more for you, one a bit more decadent and another a healthy snack. In the indulgent corner we've got a pumpkin blondie. I did my best to retain a traditional blondie texture, but pumpkin is tough... I did manage to retain the slightly crackly top! The centers of the pan were a bit thinner (more gooey) than the outer edge (a bit cakier), but both parts were delicious in their own right ;)

Pumpkin Blondies

Pumpkin Blondies
adapted from Martha Stewart
Yield: ~3 dozen

If you don't have an 11x15" pan, I'd suggest halving the recipe and baking it in a 9"square pan for the best results.

2c white whole wheat flour
1t baking soda
3/4t sea salt
1t cinnamon
1/8t freshly grated nutmeg
3/4t ground ginger
dash cloves
dash allspice
2 sticks butter, RT
1 1/4c dark brown sugar (not packed)
1 egg
1t vanilla extract
1c pumpkin butter (I used TJ's)
1c mini cinnamon chips
1/2c chopped toasted, skinned hazelnuts (pecans or walnuts would also be great)

Preheat oven to 350deg. Spray an 11x15" pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, salt and spices (cinnamon thru allspice). Stir to combine, then add cinnamon chips and chopped nuts and toss to coat. Set aside.

Cream together butter and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add pumpkin butter and mix well. Fold in dry ingredients or mix on low speed.

Pour batter into pan, then spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 30-40min, until the center is no longer jiggly and a toothpick comes clean. Cool completely on a rack before cutting into your desired size blondies!

pumpkin blondies (left), pumpkin oaties (right)

In the healthy corner, we have Pumpkin Oaties, which probably fall closer to snack than cookie due to the absence of added sugar. Don't let this deter you, they're quite tasty and a nice guilt-free treat ;)

Pumpkin Oaties w/Rosemary Pecans & Cranberries
adapted from Enlightened Cooking
Yield ~2 dozen

I used a Trader Joe's mix of Rosemary Pecans and Cranberries in these cookies, but if you don't have access to a trader joe's, I'd use a mix of dried cranberries, salted pecans, and 1t fresh chopped rosemary.

1/2c mashed very ripe banana
1c pumpkin puree
1/3c mild-flavored oil (I used a mix of extra virgin olive oil and canola)
2t vanilla extract
1 1/4t cinnamon
1/4t fine sea salt (increase if using unsalted nuts)
1/2t baking soda
2c oats
1-2c Rosemary Pecans and Cranberries (see headnote)

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Mix banana, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Let sit for 15min, then add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Scoop out ~1T cookie mix and place on a cookie sheet. Flatten a bit with your fingers or a fork and repeat with remaining mixture. You don't have to leave too much room in between cookies, they won't spread.

Bake for ~10-12min, then let cool on the sheet. Store in an airtight container.

I'm submitting the Pumpkin Oaties to Ricki's Wellness Weekend!

Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and all that jazz :) Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season!!

Sugared Cranberries

2011-12-20T08:20:00.000-05:00

These might be my new favorite snack. A little sweet, a little tart, a little juicy. Originally made for a drink garnish, I couldn't stop grabbing these as a little sweet snack :) These would also be gorgeous decorations for a cake or even around your home this time of year!

Sugared Cranberries
slightly adapted from gastronomy & 101 cookbooks

1c fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed
1c water
1c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
1/3c mix of sugar for rolling (I used a mix of turbinado & evaporated cane juice)

Add 1c sugar and water in a small, heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-high, and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool a bit (you don't want the cranberries to burst!).

Place cranberries in a bowl or tupperware and poor slightly warm simple syrup over the cranberries. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4hrs).

In the morning, prepare the sugar for rolling the cranberries by adding it to a shallow dish (I added a little at a time to prevent clumping, however I'm not sure this was completely necessary. Get out a cookie sheet to dry the cranberries on, and then go ahead and drain your cranberries (you can reserve the simple syrup for another use... say cranberry cocktails?). Roll drained cranberries in sugar mixture, a few at a time, and then place on the cookie sheet to dry. Repeat, until you've rolled all of the cranberries. It should take ~1hr or so for them to dry.

Have you ever tried sugared cranberries before?

Cookie Swap v.3

2011-12-14T10:15:00.003-05:00

Cookies!!

It's that time again-- time for my annual cookie swap! As in years past, I invited fellow Boston bloggers over to my apartment to enjoy a couple of savory snacks and swap some delicious cookies. I'll save the savory stuff for later, as there's still time to add these gems to your holiday baking list :)

photo by Cara

To get the party started, I made Pumpkin Blondies (on the left) and Pumpkin Oaties w/Rosemary Pecans & Cranberries (on the right). It took a couple of tries to get my blondies to have my desired texture, but I think these came out pretty well. Both recipes to come soon ;)

photo by Cara

Next up we have Cara's Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (on the right) and Cinnamon Coffee Pecan Cookies (on the left). Both vegan and free of refined sugars, these are a great option for any GF friends you might have!

photo by Cara

Bridget brought along her mom's Butterscotch Brownies, aka blondies from Betty Crocker ;) They had exactly the texture I was going for with my pumpkin version, so I'd say ~~Betty~~ Bridget's got it right!

photo by Cara

Elizabeth made some Nutella Oatmeal Cream Pies. I used to love those little packaged oatmeal cream pies when I was a kid, but these blew my memory of those out of the water!

photo by Cara

Christmas came early when Joanne arrived at my door to hang out for the afternoon :) She brought along some Rainbow Cookies that are so much better than any I've ever had on an Italian cookie plate!

photo by Cara

Spiced Caramel Pecan Bars were Kerstin's contribution to the swap. The name says it all here, and loving all things caramel I was definitely a fan!

photo by Bridget

Although Lauren couldn't stay for the swap, she dropped off some Better than Crack Brownies to contribute. We all missed you Lauren! And while we debated whether or not the name was accurate (none of us have ever tried crack), we figured they were delicious enough to let the name stand :)

Lizzy kicked up the traditional chocolate chip cookie by creating two variations- one with Andes Mints (on the left) and Hot Chocolate Cookies (on the right). No need to choose, take one of each ;)

photo by Cara

Melissa made Chocolate Mint Cookies, highlighting a combo that we all apparently love as it showed up in three different cookies!

Photo by Cara

Rounding out the swap were Ranjani's Caramel Pecan Cranberry Bars. Sweet and just a little bit tart, I bet these would be pretty popular on a cookie plate.


Back Row: Myself, Joanne, Kerstin, Ranjani, Elizabeth; Front Row: Bridget, Lizzy, Cara

But wait! There's more!

This year, I teamed up with Allison at King Arthur Flour to bring a little holiday cheer to the Best Cookie! I'm already a huge fan of King Arthur's top-quality flours, but did you know that they have a Baking Hotline where you can reach experts to help with your baking??? I should've called them about my pumpkin blondies ;) Connect with KAF on Facebook, too!

photos from KAF

While I think everyone at the swap this year was a winner, leaving with boxes full of cookies, the Best Cookie will win Peppermint Crunch, a set of Luster Sugars and Fiori di Sicilia to play with. Thanks Allison!

To help decide the Best Cookie at our swap, cast your vote by Saturday Dec 17th, noon EST.

Gift Ideas & a Giveaway

2011-12-11T20:29:00.001-05:00

How is it already December? I feel like this year has flown by, and low and behold it's that time of year when we think about things to do for loved ones. I thought I'd throw out some ideas in case you're still in search of that perfect gift!

Source

For the home cook:
Cookbooks (Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams and Blue Chair Jam might be at the top of my list!)
Fun food products (specialty ingredients like vanilla beans or heirloom beans, or a Molecular Gastronomy kit)
Kitchen Toys (a Vitamix, a Kitchen Aid or the ice cream or pasta maker attachment, even a gel mat!)
Basics (silpats, beater blades and microplanes are great bets)
The Kitch'n also has some great ideas for pairing cookbooks with a kitchen gadget!

For the (tri)athlete:
Trigger Point Therapy (the Grid >> traditional foam rollers)
Whoohagear (I'm eye-ing the Tri Hearts Hoodie, I Made a Promise and I Tri Tees)
Race Registration
Snazzy Apparel (SOAS race kit anyone?)
Gear (a GPS, tri bag, sneakers, bike, wetsuit, or fuelbelt are solid options!)

What's at the top of your list?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it might involved some tomato jam?! In that case, this giveaway is for you :) I've put together a few goodies to celebrate the holiday season, as I'm grateful for all of my readers!

The loot:
Homemade Sweet & Spicy Tomato Jam
Peppermint Pig (from back home, for good luck!)
Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
Reusable bags
Garlic Zoom XL

To enter: leave a comment telling me what's on your list this year. For an extra entry, like Tri to Cook on Facebook, and leave a separate comment telling me you've done so. Hurry, you have until Friday, Dec 16th, 12pm EST!

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

2011-12-08T09:41:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a unique gift to bring to a party this holiday season, look no further. This loaf is what you've been searching for! Don't be afraid to bring this for your host(ess), they can just pop it in the freezer to enjoy later if there's already too much food!

The olive oil is front and center here, so be sure to use one with good flavor. And if you're someone who doesn't care for rosemary, feel free to reduce the amount or mix it up. I bet thyme, sage, or even lavender would create lovely versions.

Don't be scared by the olive oil and rosemary. There's just enough chocolate here to bring you back to the sweet side of things :) When served warm, the smallest bits of shaved chocolate melt into the loaf... it's pretty delicious!

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
adapted from 101 cookbooks
Serves 8-12

I used a 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, but you should feel free to use whatever you like, just adjust the baking time accordingly.

1c AP flour
1/2c white whole wheat flour
1/2c semolina flour
2t baking powder
1/2t kosher salt
3/4c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
3oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3lg eggs
4.5oz olive oil (I used TJ's Spanish Extra Virgin)
1/2c greek yogurt (I used 2%)
1/4c almond milk
1 1/2T freshly chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Sift together flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add sugar and chocolate and mix well.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Add oil, yogurt, milk and rosemary and whisk until ingredients are well combined. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and gently mix until just combined. Pour into a loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake for 55-65min, until the cake is nicely browned and a skewer comes clean. Cool on a rack and serve, warm or room temperature. Store any extras wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.

What do you bring along to a party?

Fregola Pudding

2011-12-04T15:17:00.058-05:00

Fregola Sarda. No, not fraggle rock. Fregola is a toasted Sardinian pasta similar to couscous. Made from durum wheat and toasted, fregola is a coarsely textured, nutty pasta. I recently received a sample of fregola from Marx Foods for a challenge... to make dessert!

Along with the fregola, we got samples of star anise, vanilla beans and saffron. I chose the saffron and got to work, creating a pudding with persian flavors. With hints of rosewater, coconut and saffron, this fregola pudding was delightful. I loved the contrast of textures between the chewy fregola and crunchy pistachios.

Fregola Pudding
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 2

1 can light coconut milk
2c unsweetened almond milk
1/2c fregola sarda (or your favorite grain)
1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
2T rosewater
scant 1/2t saffron
chopped pistachios, for garnish

Combine all ingredients (except pistachios) in a medium pot, crushing the saffron between your fingers as you add it to the pot. Heat over medium heat until the milk begins to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 30-45min, until most of the milk is absorbed and fregola tender. Serve warm or RT, topped with chopped pistachios.

Have you ever tried fregola?

Disclaimer: The fregola and saffron used in the creation of this recipe were free samples provided by Marx Foods.

Butternut Thyme Bars

2011-12-02T08:13:00.000-05:00

I promised another use for my Butternut Coconut Jam, and here it is. To find the recipe, head over to Beantown Baker for my guest post :) While you're there, take a peek at some of Jen's awesome creations (cannoli cupcakes anyone?), she's quite the talented baker!

Click here for the recipe!

Butternut Coconut Jam

2011-11-29T04:14:00.001-05:00

With an abundance of butternut squash thanks to my CSA, I set out to try something different. A quick perusal of my saved recipes and I found my inspiration. Butternut coconut jam. Oh yes. Grated squash, cooked down to a jam-like consistency? Awesome.

A unique addition to a cheese plate, this jam goes perfectly well with an assertive cheese. I tried it with goat cheese, surprising no one :)

crostini w/goat cheese and butternut coconut jam

It also worked well in a pork tenderloin (1lb) that I stuffed with sage (1-2T), butternut coconut jam (1/2c) and gorgonzola (~1/3c). I didn't write down an exact recipe, but it was similar to this technique.

stuffed pork tenderloin w/roasted brussels, sweet potatoes, onions and cranberries

Some other potential uses for the jam:
     as a cupcake filling
     inside a grilled cheese (w/sage or rosemary, nuts and/or apples)
   stirred into oatmeal
     on top of goat cheese ice cream
     in a fall s'more, between homemade graham crackers and marshmallows

Butternut Coconut Jam
adapted from The Kitch'n
Yield:

1 butternut squash (2-2.5lbs)
2c unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
1/2c dark brown sugar (mine was unpacked)
1 cinnamon stick
8 whole cloves
2 vanilla beans
1c dried unsweetened coconut

Peel the butternut squash and cut into pieces. Grate the squash (I used my food processor), or cut into small pieces. Add squash, milk, sugars and spices into a large, heavy pot. Split the vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds and add to the squash along with the scraped pods. Cover and cook over medium heat until the squash is soft and tender (~15min or so).

Once the squash is tender, remove the cover and continue to cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture is reduced and thick like... jam :) Mine took ~1hr or so. Remove from pan from the heat and stir in the coconut. Once cool, fish out the cloves, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean pods. I left the jam as-is as I wanted to retain some texture, but if you prefer a smooth jam mash or puree the mixture. Store in the refrigerator.

How would you eat this butternut coconut jam? Check back later this week for another use!

Apple Crisp

2011-11-25T09:18:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday! I'm still feeling quite grateful, for my family, for my friends... for you. Thank you for reading and for making me smile with every comment :)

Guess what I made for you? Apple crisp! Fitting, I think, as apple crisp makes me think of my mom. Along with blueberry and strawberry-rhubarb pies, it is one of her go-to desserts in the fall.

Apple Crisp w/Rosemary & Honey
Recipe by Shannon

5-6 lg apples
1T arrowroot
1t fresh lemon juice
1/2-1t freshly chopped rosemary
1t vanilla extract
1/4c clover honey

1/3c oat flour (ground oats)
1/3c brown sugar
1/3c rolled oats
1/3c chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4t salt
1/4-1/2t freshly grated nutmeg
2T extra virgin olive oil (or melted butter)

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Add chopped apples to a large bowl. Add arrowroot, lemon juice, rosemary, vanilla and honey and toss to combine. Pour into a large casserole (a 9x13" pan or two smaller ones).

In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar, oats, nuts, salt and nutmeg. Add oil and stir together. Sprinkle over the apple mixture. Bake, until the topping is browned and apples bubbling, ~30-45min.

In case you were looking for recipes to use some leftover turkey...
Curried Turkey Salad
Crustless Turkey and Spinach Quiche
Spicy Turkey Soup w/Yogurt, Chickpeas & Mint
Sweet Potato Hash with Turkey & Eggs

What was the best thing you ate yesterday??

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

2011-11-21T22:32:00.004-05:00

Cranberries are traditionally part of Thanksgiving dinner, but I wanted to come up with a slightly different way to highlight these rubies. Deciding upon a cranberry upside-down cake, I consulted no fewer than 10 recipes for various upside-down cakes, cranberry and otherwise. None were quite what I was envisioning, so I got to work on my own recipe. Maple and orange were invited to the party, and a little semolina flour helped add some depth to the thin layer of cake.

Cranberries swimming in a browned-butter maple caramel

It smelled heavenly while cooking (I mean, it's essentially a browned butter caramel that ends up topping the cake), and it was delicious. This would be a fantastic addition to your Thanksgiving table, and it might very well end up at mine again!

Cake, pre-bake

The best part about this cake? It had nothing to do with the creative process of developing the recipe, my healthy modifications, or even how it tasted. It was who I got to share it with. Good friends, whom I wouldn't have met had it not been for this blog (thankful!). We divided and conquered the meal, leaving us with time to catch up, share some laughs, relax and imbibe.

Good living isn't only about the food you eat, it's about who you get to eat it with.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 8-12

A few notes on this cake; the cake is not too sweet and could totally pass as breakfast. The maple sugar imparts a subtle maple flavor, but if you can't find it feel free to substitute the regular stuff. It also could be baked in a smaller skillet if you prefer a thicker layer of cake, increase the baking time a bit.

4T butter
1c maple sugar, divided
1T maple syrup
1/4c water
2 1/2c cranberries
1c white whole wheat flour
1/2c semolina flour (or AP flour)
1/4-1/2t orange zest (I eye-balled this)
2t baking powder
1/4t salt
2 lg eggs
1c greek yogurt (I use 2%)
6T neutral oil (I used 2T melted coconut oil and 4T canola)

In an oven-proof 12" skillet, melt butter over medium heat until it starts to brown and smell nutty. Whisk in 1/2c maple sugar, maple syrup and water and remove from the heat. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Add cranberries to the skillet once cool, making sure to cover the surface of the skillet. Sift dry ingredients (flours through salt) together into a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, oil and 1/2c maple sugar. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Dollup the batter onto the cranberries and spread into an even layer. Bake for 35-45min, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean.

Cool the cake for 15min. Place a plate/platter on top of the cake, then flip the skillet over and remove the skillet from on top of the cake. Serve warm or RT.

Suggested accompaniments: maple greek yogurt, maple whipped cream or ice cream

**Edited to add: If you don't have a large enough skillet, you can also prepare this in a springform pan or cake pan. Simply prepare the caramel sauce in a saucepan, and then pour into your desired pan lined with parchment paper (sprayed with nonstick spray on both sides). Add cranberries (you might not need as much) and then proceed as above. Adjust the cooking time according to the size of your pan and thickness of the batter.

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway.

Persimmon Apple Spice Bread

2011-11-17T22:40:00.008-05:00

Fuyu persimmons

In late fall I look towards the appearance of persimmons in the market. No, they're not grown locally, but they're in season somewhere, and that's ok in my book.

Trying your first persimmon shouldn't be taken lightly. One variety (hachiya) is quite astringent when unripe, so you want to be a little careful! The short, squat variety (fuyu) can be eaten at any time like an apple, but the acorn shaped ones must be ripe (very soft, almost mushy and bright orange) before using the flesh.

Wanting to embrace the season, I added in another fall favorite, apples! Together with some Chinese Five Spice I had picked up awhile back, you've got a deliciously warming quickbread that's perfect for breakfast, a snack, or an addition to brunch.

Persimmon Apple Spice Bread
adapted from Food Blogga
Yield: 5 small loaves

You could certainly bake this in 2 normal loaf pans or even muffin tins, just adjust the baking time accordingly.

1 3/4c white whole wheat flour
3/4c AP flour
1 1/2t baking soda
3/4t baking powder
1t salt
1t Chinese Five Spice
1/2t cinnamon
1/2t nutmeg
1 1/4c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)

3 lg eggs
1/2c oil or melted butter (I used a mix of melted coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil)
1/4c unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2c pureed persimmon pulp (traditionally made from hachiyas, but fuyus will also work)
3/4c chopped apple
3/4c toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350deg.

Add the dry ingredients (flour through sugar) to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add toasted walnuts and toss to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add oil/butter, applesauce and persimmon pulp and whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined. Fold in the chopped apples. Divide into mini loaf pans sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 25-35min, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes clean. Cool on a rack.

Serve warm or room temp, apple butter optional! Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap to store for a few days, or freeze to enjoy at a later date.

If you're looking for different persimmon recipes, try persimmon pudding, fall harvest muffins, persimmon cookies and persimmon date bread!

If you've tried persimmons, how would you describe the taste?? I was struggling with this, but I'd say sweet, with hints of honey or mango. I'd like to know your thoughts!

Kaddo Pizza

2011-11-09T16:44:00.000-05:00

Good Living.

My definition of good living has certainly evolved over time, but these days it often involves food. Food so good that you get excited just thinking about it (like these pop tarts). Food so good want to share it with your friends and family. If only it would last that long ;)

The idea for this pizza came together a bit serendipitously at work one day, but it immediately went on the meal plan for the weekend. I may or may not have immediately shared my plans with one or two co-workers. Too bad they had never had Afghani food and did not share in my excitement!

I thought back to the first time I tried Afghani food, with my friends Adeeb and Christina, at Helmand in Baltimore. It was then that I fell for kaddo, a baked sweet pumpkin served on a yogurt mint sauce and topped with a meat sauce. This would be the basis of my pizza.

I made some of my usual choices to keep things on the healthy side (whole wheat crust, greek yogurt, reduced sugar and good quality beef) but not at any sacrifice of flavor. Oh the flavor... the sweet caramelized pumpkin, spiced beef and cooling mint yogurt. Not your traditional pizza, but delicious and one worth sharing!

Kaddo Pizza
inspired by Helmand, loosely adapted from Tiny Urban Kitchen
Yield: 2 10-12" pizzas

1lb whole wheat dough (if you like thick crusts, you'll need closer to 2lb of dough)

For the pumpkin:
1 sugar pumpkin
3T coconut oil, melted
1c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)

For the sauce:
2c greek yogurt (like 2%)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2t dried mint
1/2t salt

For the meat mixture:
2T extra virgin olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
1lb grass-fed beef
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 lg garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2t ground coriander
scant 1/2t sea salt
1t freshly ground pepper
1/2t ground tumeric
2T tomato paste
1/2c water

Preheat the oven to 300deg. Halve and de-seed the pumpkin (I use a spoon to scrape out the seeds). Peel (or cut off the skin of) the pumpkin and cut into wedges. Place the pumpkin in a large baking pan or rimmed baking sheet. Top with oil and sugar, then cover with foil. Bake for 2.5hrs, then baste the pumpkin pieces with the accumulated juices. Cover and return to the oven for another 45min or so. Once pumpkin is nice and caramelized (deep orange in color), remove from the oven and set aside to cool. [You can save the pumpkin sugar syrup here and use it for your morning oatmeal or latte!]

While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the sauce and meat mixture. For the sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until it's time to make the pizza.

For the meat sauce, begin by heating the oil in a large heavy bottomed skilled over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until they're golden brown (5-10min). Add the beef and continue to saute until the meat is no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spatula or spoon to avoid large clumps. Once the meat is browned, add the tomato, garlic and spices, then stir to combine. Add in the tomato paste and mix well. Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the liquid has evaporated, then set aside.

Once the pumpkin is out of the oven, turn to 400deg. Preheat your pizza stone, if you're using one. Dice the cooked, cooled pumpkin. Roll out half of the dough on a surface dusted with a little cornmeal to your desired thickness (I went thin). When it's the size of your pizza stone (or cookie sheet), remove the preheated stone from the oven, top with yogurt mint sauce, half the beef mixture, and then the roasted pumpkin. Bake for 10-12min, until crispy. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Serve, with leftover yogurt mint sauce for dipping :)

I couldn't help but smile when eating this pizza, the memories of good friends, my first experience of Afghani food, and the creation of a new recipe. Good living, indeed.

As part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher program, I have been entered for the chance to win a trip to Greece courtesy of FAGE. You too can enter to win one of three trips to Greece by entering the FAGE Plain Extraordinary Greek Getaway here: http://www.fageusa.com/community/fage-greek-getaway.

Gingersnap Apple Pie w/Bacon Crisp

2011-11-04T08:53:00.000-04:00

You still have some apples left, right?

I hope so, because it's time to make apple pie!!

I'm sure it's no surprise by now that I like to mix things up a bit. Well, if you're like me, then you'll like this twist! That is if you like bacon... and who doesn't love bacon?

Ok, maybe vegetarians. Although there are vegetarians out there who make exceptions for bacon. For those of you who don't fall in that camp, you can leave it out. The gingersnap crust is still delicious, and I've never met someone who doesn't like a good crumb topping.

Gingersnap Apple Pie w/Bacon Crisp
adapted from Tasting Table

For the crust:
1/4c pecan halves
1c Trader Joe's Ginger Cats crumbs (or other gingersnap cookie)
3/4c white whole wheat flour
pinch salt
1/4c oil (canola, walnut, or other mild-flavored oil)
3T maple syrup

For the filling:
5 medium apples (I used a mix of some from the orchard)
juice of 1 lemon
1t cinnamon
1/8t ground cloves
1/4-1/2t freshly ground nutmeg
1/4c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
2T white whole wheat flour

For the topping:
6 pieces applewood smoked bacon, cooked (baked or fried), drained and crumbled/chopped
1/3c rolled oats
1/3c white whole wheat flour
1/2c brown sugar
2T ground flaxseed
2T cold butter, cut into small cubes
2-3T greek yogurt

Preheat the oven to 375deg.

To make the crust, add pecans, cookie crumbs, flour and salt into a food processor. Pulse until pecans are ground and the mixture begins to resemble a coarse meal. In a small bowl (or mixing cup), whisk together oil and maple syrup. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well (I used a fork). Add crust mixture to the pie plate and press into the bottom and sides of the dish.

Bake crust for 10min, then remove and set on cooling rack.

For the filling, peel and thinly slice apples and place in a large bowl. Add lemon juice to the apples and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, sugar and spices) and mix well. Add the spiced flour to the apples and fold until the apples are just coated. Spread apples into the cooled pie crust.

To assemble the topping, add oats, flour, sugar, flaxseed and bacon to a bowl. Add yogurt and butter, then cut in with knives or rub between your fingers until you get pea-sized crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the apples and bake the pie ~45min, until the top is browned and apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Are you a stickler for tradition or do you like to mix things up a bit?

Now, if only I could decide whether I like this or my Apple Pie w/Rosemary Crust & Gruyere Crumble better...

Pop Tarts

2011-11-01T04:36:00.004-04:00

You never know where and when inspiration will strike. Often it's when you least expect it. I was eating lunch with some folks at work when the conversation somehow turned to pop tarts. They were never my thing as a kid, and given my penchant for healthier cooking these days, I didn't give them a second thought.

That is, until I thought about my tomato jam. I know, I know, I've already posted about it several times, but this jam uses some of summer's finest produce and a totally intriguing way. Challenging myself to use it different ways has been part of the fun.

While I don't have a go-to healthier pie crust recipe yet, I used a cue from Winnie and used greek yogurt for some of the butter in her dough. This seemed like a great idea and definitely helped create a healthier treat suitable for breakfast or a snack!

Enjoying food so good it makes you smile; that's good living at its finest.

Sweet & Savory Pop Tarts
crust adapted from Healthy Green Kitchen

You can certainly use whatever jam you have to fill these, and if you want to make them sweet, swap out the rosemary for 1T sugar.

2c white whole wheat flour
1/2c finely grated gruyere
1/2t sea salt
1t chopped fresh rosemary (mine was heaping)
1 stick butter, cubed
1c greek yogurt (such as Fage Total 2%)
2-4T almond milk
1 egg
tomato jam

Add flour to a large bowl along with gryere, salt and rosemary, then stir to combine. Add butter and yogurt, and cut in using a pastry blender or a couple knives. The dough should resemble some large pebbles at this point. Stir in milk, 1T at a time, until the dough just comes together. Divide dough in half, flatten into a loose rectangle, wrap in saran wrap and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight (I only waited an hour and it was fine).

Take your dough out of the fridge and let it soften a bit for ~15min. Place one half on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle at least 9"x12" in size (I used a ruler). Repeat with the second half of dough. Cut each 9"x12" rectangle into nine smaller 3"x4" rectangles. Set the trimmings aside.

Beat the egg in a small bowl to use as an egg wash. Brush over the surface of the first dough (9 rectangles), this will be the inside of the pop tart and help hold the top on. Add a heaping tablespoon to the center of each rectangle (Deb advises leaving at least 1/2" perimeter of bare dough around the filling). Place a small rectangle from the second dough (not egg washed) on top of the filling. Press around the filling with your fingertips to seal the dough on all sides, and then press with the tines of a fork. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork (for the steam to escape). Repeat with remaining rectangles.

Carefully add the tarts to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Top with grated cheese or egg wash and coarse sea salt.

Here's where I goofed. I accidentally skipped the 30min refrigeration and found they baked better at 400deg for 18-20min, until lightly golden brown. However, original instructions called for refrigerating them for 30min while you preheat the oven to 350deg. Then they're baked for 20-25min. I'd say you could do either option.

Let the pop tarts cool on the cookie sheet on a cooling rack.

These are best not too long after coming out of the oven (just don't burn your tongue!), although they will be ok for a day or two at RT. Pop the tarts (haha) in the toaster to reheat them a bit before enjoying!

Catlyst

2011-10-28T04:30:00.000-04:00

I'm not usually one to visit restaurants right when they open, but a chance to dine at Catalyst with some fellow bloggers made me think twice. Why? Chef/owner William Kovel was aiming to create a modern space where simple, delicious food is made from the best ingredients from local farms and food producers. Sign me up!

Located in Kendall Square, Catalyst occupies a huge space with a dining room, bar, outdoor patio, fireplace, and even areas for private parties. A fan of simple, modern design, I thought the space was beautiful.

photo courtesy of Daisy

Elizabeth, Emily, Megan, Bianca, Daisy and Bridget were welcomed by Chef William and treated to a sampling of the menu. Appetizers and entrees were brought out to share, and then once we were full, individual dessert platters came out to make sure we left sufficiently stuffed!

The rosemary potato foccacia was deliciously salty and I couldn't keep myself from a piece. Ok, two. And then the appetizers started coming out...

(L) grilled scallions (R) hiramasa (courtesy of Daisy & Megan)

The grilled scallions were dressed in a walnut pesto, and were a favorite of the table. The seared spice crusted hiramasa was served with a cucumber radish salad and an orange-yuzu syrup. The citrus was a good pairing to the fatty, mild fish.

(L) veggie salad (R) quail (courtesy of Daisy)

I was a little underwhelmed by the farmer's market vegetable salad with peppercress and crispy onion. The vegetables were solid, it was just described as pickled vegetables to us and I was left wanting more bite (barely detected vinegar). I've never tried quail before (at least that I recall), but I did get a small, tasty bite of crispy quail, served with black mission fig, gastique, mizuna and autumn berry jam.

(L) sunchoke soup (R) chicken liver mousse (courtesy of Daisy)

The Jerusalem "Sunchoke" Artichoke Soup we tried was served without the lobster that normally accompanies it, but it was still delicious and creamy. Not a huge fan of liver, the grainy mustard served with the chicken liver mousse seemed like a great accompaniment to cut the richness of the liver.

(L) garganelli w/chicken oysters (R) mushroom ravioli

We started our pasta tasting with garganelli (a ridged egg pasta) that was served with chicken oysters, bacon and finished with black truffle butter. The pasta was cooked perfectly and chicken oysters tender and tasty. The mushroom ravioli were another winner, served with hen of the woods mushrooms and a rich sauce.

While all of the pasta dishes were good, the Georgia candy roaster squash tortellini were my personal favorite. The only thing I didn't like on the plate was the braised escarole, as it was drowning in butter. A lighter hand with the butter would've been appreciated so one could actually taste the greens.

Secretly wishing we were done, I quietly let out a sigh as the entrees made their way out to the table. First up was the chilled pork. I can't recall all the components here, but there was the smoothest of apple purees underneath some room temperature pork that was perfectly cooked. On top was an apple cilantro slaw of sorts. Very well executed, I was happy to take home leftovers!

For the last savory dish of the evening, we tried the lemon sole, served with roasted baby fennel, creamed leeks and lobster vermouth butter. At this point I mustered a small bite of the sole, which was cooked well and had notes of lemon, but I had to save room for dessert, right?

(clockwise from top L) pear cake, creamsicle ice cream bar, butterscotch pudding, cantaloupe sorbet
(courtesy of Daisy and Megan)

So glad I did :) I don't even know where to start... The cantaloupe sorbet (served with hazelnut butter) was delicious and light, a great palate cleanser. The one dessert I thought fell short was the ice cream sundae... the creamsicle ice cream was so mildly flavor it couldn't stand up to the chocolate "magic shell". I really enjoyed the Bosc pear tart, simple and unassuming. And then there was the butterscotch pudding. Rather, butterscotch and passion fruit pudding with a warm pound cake crouton. Holy heck. I didnt' think I liked butterscotch pudding, but I cleaned out this little cup!! Absolutely amazing.

(courtesy of Daisy)

And with that our night at Catalyst ended. I can envision another visit, perhaps sitting by the fireplace with a bowl of caramelized onion soup! And pudding, definitely won't be leaving that out :)

Thanks to Elizabeth for organizing, Daisy and Megan for letting me use some of their photos, and for Chef William for the meal! To see what everyone else thought, be sure to check out their reviews (linked above)!

Disclaimer: While the meal was complimentary, the opinions are all mine.

Beet Crostini

2011-10-25T12:03:00.002-04:00

When I read about Jen's Power of Pink Challenge to promote breast cancer awareness, I knew I'd have to participate. It's amazing how much this movement has evolved-- I can't say I ever expected to see NFL players sporting pink apparel!

Whether you walk, run, or support those who do, it is certainly important to be well-fueled :) These beet crostini provide a great way to do that- chock full of antioxidants, folates, vitamins, minerals and calcium. Plus the beet puree came out a gorgeous magenta color that you can't help but love!

Beet Crostini
Recipe by Shannon
Serves a crowd

The beets can be roasted ahead of time and refrigerated until you're ready to prepare the crostini. Alternatively, the puree can be prepared ahead of time and kept cold until you're ready to serve.

1.5lb beets
5.5oz ricotta
1.5oz goat cheese, plus more for topping if desired
1T fresh thyme leaves
1 clove garlic
salt and freshly ground pepper
clover honey
chopped walnuts
1 lg baguette

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Cut off beet greens and scrub beets. Wrap in a piece of aluminum foil and place in the oven. Roast for ~45min (will depend on the size of your beets), until the beets are tender and easily pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and roughly chop. Add beets, ricotta, goat cheese, thyme and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process until pretty smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.

Cut the baguette into thin slices (~1/2" thick) and set on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place in oven until the edges start to brown. Flip the slices over and return to the oven until toasted and crispy.

Transfer toasts to serving dish and top with 1-2T of beet puree. Drizzle with honey and top with a little more goat cheese (if desired) and chopped walnuts. Serve!

Spinach Basil Pesto

2011-10-18T04:49:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought summer produce was pretty much done, I came home with a bag full of basil, spinach, eggplant and a tomato from my CSA! To celebrate I whipped up a batch of spinach basil pesto.

Short on nuts, I used some ground almonds, but you should feel free to use whatever you have on hand (pinenuts, walnuts, hazelnuts...). While it would have gone well with pasta, my spinach basil pesto found different fates. Quite a few grilled cheeses were made with pesto and tomato jam- a heavenly combination if you ask me :)

Grilled cheese with spinach basil pesto and tomato jam, roasted green beans on the side

Another tasty use was in a side dish of some roasted eggplant and fresh tomato slices. Layered with spinach basil pesto and topped with some Parmesan, an elegant side dish was thrown together easily! Layer in some mozzarella, and you've got a more substantial appetizer/side.

Spinach Basil Pesto
Recipe by Shannon
Yield ~1c

1c packed basil
2c packed baby spinach
1-2 garlic cloves
juice of 1 lemon
2-3T almond meal
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Add all ingredients (basil through almond meal) to a blender or food processor and with the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until it's well combined (you'll probably use 1/4-1/2c). Scrape down the sides as needed, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

What's your favorite use for pesto??

Chile Chocolate Tart

2011-10-13T04:27:00.004-04:00

I recently received a random package from Marx Foods. The package itself wasn't unexpected, but the contents surely was!

Dried chilies, dried black trumpet mushrooms, dried marrow beans and coconut sugar filled my box... two of which I needed to use to create a recipe for the Random Recipe Challenge! My first thoughts involved mushrooms and beans, but then I recalled a treat I've made at least four times in the past month and still haven't shared with you ;)

I morphed the chocolate avocado pudding I've been making into this mexican chocolate tart, incorporating both types of dried chilies as well as coconut sugar. I'd highly recommend giving this chocolate pudding a try if you haven't already, with or without the crust, and with or without the chilies!

Chile Chocolate Tart

For a completely no-bake version, you could make a nut & date-based crust! The choice is yours on how spicy to make this- 1 or 2 New Mexico chilies add more flavor than heat, while 1 Japones chile will kick things up a bit ;)

For the crust:
1/4c Trader Joe's ginger cats crumbs (or any other gingersnaps)
1/2c pecan halves
3/4c rolled oats
1/2c white whole wheat flour
pinch salt
1/4c canola oil
3T maple syrup

For the filling:
2 ripe avocadoes
1/2c nut butter
1/4c coconut sugar
1/4c agave nectar (or more coconut sugar)
4-6T cocoa powder (depends on how intense you want it, I used 5)
1/8t sea salt
2T vanilla extract (or the seeds from one vanilla bean)
1-2 dried chilies (I used 1 New Mexico chile & 1 Japones chile)
1t ground cinnamon
1/4c strong brewed coffee or water

Preheat oven to 375deg.

To make the crust add dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse until the nuts and oats are pulverized, the mixture resembling coarse sand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil and maple syrup. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well combined. Transfer crust to a tart pan or pie plate and press into dish. Bake for 20min, then set aside to cool.

Grind the chilies in a spice/coffee grinder and pick out any large pieces left behind, you want as close to a powder consistency as you can get. Add all ingredients for the crust to a blender or food processor and blend until well combined. Add a little extra water if you need to thin it out any more, you're looking for a thick, but spreadable consistency. Add filling to the cooled crust and Refrigerate 1-2hrs or overnight before serving (this will help it firm up and make it easier to cut).

Disclaimer: The coconut sugar and dried chilies used in the creation of this recipe were free samples provided by Marx Foods.

I'm also submitting this to Ricki's Wellness Weekend and Go Ahead Honey's October Event!

Savory Cheesecake!

2011-10-06T16:03:00.000-04:00

By now you've had some time to make tomato jam, right? Or is that this weekends' plan? :) Perhaps you're going to a gathering and need something to bring? Perfect! You'll be making a savory cheesecake with tomato jam. I made it for a get together at Elina's and couldn't get enough, it's such a great vehicle for tomato jam!

Savory Cheesecake with Tomato Jam
Recipe by Shannon

I'm sure you could halve the recipe and bake it in a smaller 4" springform, but I didn't have one so I scaled up!

8oz 1/3rd less cream cheese, RT
8oz ricotta, RT
7oz goat cheese, RT
6T chopped fresh basil
2T chopped fresh parsley
1/3t sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 eggs, RT
tomato jam

Preheat oven to 330deg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the three cheeses. Add herbs, salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well after each addition. Pour batter into a 9" springform pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake at 330deg for 15min, then lower temperature to 300deg and bake for 30min. Turn oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1hr. Then remove and cool. If making ahead of time, cover and refrigerate. Remove from fridge an hour or two before serving.

To serve, top with tomato jam and provide crackers, pita chips, or your favorite dipper!

Have I sold you on tomato jam yet? It's sweet and spicy, and has some texture... more complex than ketchup (since Ricki asked). I'll be making my third batch this weekend, and giving canning a shot... wish me luck!

Duxbury Beach Tri 2011

2011-10-04T17:59:00.002-04:00

Location: Duxbury, MA
Distance: Sprint (.5mi s, 13mi b, 3.1mi r)
Time: 9am start
Weather: mid-70s(?) and humid
Participants: 535

A couple of Saturdays ago I headed to Duxbury for my last tri of the year. Only two weeks after my first Oly (instead of the planned month), I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Recovery from Lobsterman was a little rough and I hadn't exactly been sleeping so well with the move/unpacking/adjusting to a new sleep schedule. No time expectations here, just the goal to have fun and push based on how I was feeling.

View across the bay

I got there pretty early, so I had plenty of time to figure out where to go, set up my stuff, then trek back to the car for my inhaler, find my parents and some friends, get in the water and acclimate... and gosh knows what else. Luckily the weather cleared and we had a dry (albeit humid) race!

Swim
We had to walk the 1/2mi across the bay to the swim start (it was a point-to-point), and then run a fair bit to/through transition... not ideal for someone who has been dealing with alignment issues and normally wears orthotics. The water in Duxbury Bay wasn't bad, my guess would be close to 68, comfortable in a wetsuit. There were definitely some swells (I could feel myself bobbing a bit), but there was plenty of room to swim (no turns!). I came out of the water in 11:46 and headed to transition.

Coming out of the water, I'm in the middle, front

Bike
The bike starts and ends on Powder Point Bridge, where no passing is allowed. Starting in the third wave, in the midst of plenty of people, both slower and faster, this can be a little frustrating. In fact, the woman behind me was complaining about losing the lead she had out of the water. But we're all in the same boat, and there's not much you can do except loosen up your legs and get ready to work!

Heading out on the bike (towards the right)

Winding through historic Duxbury, the bike course has some rolling hills, but no major climbs. My legs weren't complaining and it was a nice ride. Towards the end I started playing a game of cat and mouse with three other women in my AG, and while I may have come in behind them at 41:18 (18.9mph), I kept them in my sights as we came back into transition!

Run
The run was pretty flat and I felt good throughout, keeping a decent pace (from what I could tell) and picking people off! I was smiling to myself as I debated whether I like passing men or women in my AG more :) Those three women from the bike? Caught them and never looked back! Ended up with a 25:04 run (8:05min/mi).

Off and running!

Overall time: 1hr 24min 15sec (6/21 in my AG)

Final Thoughts: Although it wasn't my fastest sprint tri, I enjoyed the race and was reminded of how much I love triathlon. I could stand to work on my transitions (a couple more races in a wetsuit and a second pair of orthotics should help), but I was definitely happy at the end of the day. Duxbury was definitely a great end to the season as well, and maybe next year men and women can get the same color tee ;)

What will next year bring?? That's a good question!

Tomato Jam

2011-09-30T12:37:00.002-04:00

I don't think it's too late for this tomato recipe... at least I hope not! Quick, go buy some tomatoes and then come back :)

A bunch of field tomatoes from my CSA were sitting on my counter, giving me the evil eye for not using them. I had to do something, and quick! Dawn's Tomato Pie was almost the winner until the thought of a tomato jam couldn't get out of my head.

whole grain pita bites topped with goat cheese and tomato jam

It took awhile to cook the juicy red fruits down, but oh it was worth it!! I fell in love immediately with this sweet and spicy jam and immediately started brainstorming things to do with it.

scrambled eggs with corn and tomato jam

Scrambled eggs with corn and tomato jam
Cheese and crackers with tomato jam
On sweet corn poundcake
On a sandwich... egg and cheese or grilled cheese anyone?
And a few other things that you'll see soon ;)

sweet corn poundcake with tomato jam

Tomato Jam
adapted from the NY Times and food52
Yield: ~2c

You can probably use whatever kind of tomatoes you have on hand or can find at the farmers market. I just used field tomatoes - which are pretty juicy and took awhile to cook down.

3 to 3 1/2lb tomatoes, cored and chopped
1sm onion, diced (~1/2c)
zest & juice of 1 lemon
1/2c brown sugar
1 1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
1/4c cider vinegar
1/2t cinnamon
2t salt
1t cumin
1/2t coriander
1/8t cloves
red pepper flakes or cayenne, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan or stock pot. Heat over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and reached a jam-like consistency, 2-3hrs.

Transfer to sterilized glass jars and cool. Can be stored in the refrigerator 1-2 weeks or use a hot-water canning bath for 15min for long-term storage.

What would you put this tomato jam on??

Cleaning out the Pantry

2011-09-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to get better about using the ingredients in my pantry. I really have. When I rummaged through them the other day I came across some refried black beans and garlic salsa that I pulled out and set on my counter to use. A few days later I used them, along with some sauteed onions, zucchini and summer squash from my CSA to make delicious tacos for dinner!

Made even better by homemade spelt tortillas! (Spelt flour being another thing I was apparently hoarding for a rainy day). A fun project, these were soft and tasty, albeit a little tough to work with in my warm, humid apartment. Some (ok, a lot of) extra flour and a little perseverance was all that was needed ;)

I also uncovered a little bit of Israeli couscous from who knows when ;) Really, I don't want to know. When an eggplant arrived in my CSA I knew just what to make!

Don't let my sub-par photo deter you (I was exhausted and couldn't bring myself to get out my light box), the warm spices and creamy roasted eggplant totally won me over.

Israeli Couscous w/Roasted Eggplant

slightly adapted from bon appetit

serves 2

This could be served as a side, or bulked up with some greens and chickpeas to serve as a vegetarian main dish. Feel free to toast your own cumin seeds and grind them fresh as the original recipe suggests. I was short on time, so opted to take the easy way out.

1- 1lb eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes

1/2c israeli couscous

2-3T extra virgin olive oil, divided

1T white balsamic vinegar
1t ground cumin

3/8t ground cinnamon

2T finely chopped shallot

2T golden raisins

4 cubes of fresh frozen cilantro (found at Trader Joe's, could also use 1-2T fresh chopped)

Preheat oven to 450deg.

In a bowl or on a baking sheet, add 1 1/2T olive oil, salt and pepper to the eggplant. Toss to coat and then roast until tender and golden, 20-40min. (Mine were done rather quickly, they may have been on the smaller side)

Meanwhile bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook Israeli couscous in salted, boiling water until just tender, a little over 5min. Drain and then rinse with cold water.

After the couscous and eggplant are cooked, prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, add vinegar, 1-2T olive oil, cinnamon and cumin. Whisk well, then add in onion and season with salt and pepper. Once cooled to RT, add couscous, eggplant, raisins and cilantro. Fold together, taste and adjust seasonings.

CSA items used: 4
Pantry items used: 6

I might have a ways to go, but I'm making progress!!

Do you have a tendency to stock up on ingredients you use normally or have a small pantry and have to pick up everything you need each week?

Farro w/Roasted Tomatoes & Eggplant

2011-09-20T04:54:00.000-04:00

This recipe was born from the bounty of a friend's garden. Slowly roasted tomatoes as sweet as candy (reminding of the tomato tarte tatin from last year!). Chewy farro. Soft roasted eggplant. Aromatic roasted garlic. The success, I think, is in its simplicity.

Farro w/Roasted Tomatoes & Eggplants
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 4

I served this along some fish (not worth repeating), but it would also pair well with roasted garlic sausage, tofu or your favorite protein.

1c farro
2lb grape tomatoes
1 lg eggplant, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic
extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 250deg (or 300deg if you're a little short on time).

Add tomatoes to one baking sheet and eggplant to another. Drizzle both with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Wrap garlic cloves in foil and place on one of the pans.

Bake, stirring every 15min or so, until the tomatoes have begun to burst and release their juices and eggplant is soft and browned.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add a bit of salt and farro. Cook until tender, 15-25min. Drain and add to a large bowl. Add roasted eggplant and tomatoes. Squeeze roasted garlic out of the cloves. Mix well, then taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

Are you a fan of farro? Or perhaps you prefer quinoa, wheat berries or another grain?

Lobsterman 2011

2011-09-16T13:16:00.000-04:00

Location: Freeport, ME
Distance: Olympic (.93mi s, 24.7mi b, 6.2mi r)
Time: 9am start
Weather: gorgeous (70s?)
Participants: 615

I can't begin the race recap without acknowledging Aaron Brooks (Perfect Postures) and Mike Carey (Performance Health Therapy). Without them, training for an olympic distance race wouldn't have happened. I've talked about it before, but over the past year I've been working Aaron and Mike to get my hips and feet back in proper alignment so that I can run (and bike) without that nagging ache in my left heel. Obviously, it worked and I can't say enough good things about these guys!

My goal for this year (my first year in the 30-34AG) was to do an olympic distance tri. Given the above, I picked a late season race to make sure I could ease back into training. I was ready and looking forward to a fun race with a cheering section set to attend. Then Hurricane Irene arrived, and said race was cancelled. Understandable, but disappointing to say the least. A week later I heard about another race up in Maine that was still open... hmm.

BPC friends help keep the nerves at bay pre-race ;)

To add another race or not? After the let-down of Irene/no race, I took a week off of training, I just couldn't do it. That's a bit of a long taper :) And the course profiles couldn't be more different-- the race I trained for was pretty much flat, maybe some rolling hills. This new race had hills. Oh, and did I mention I was moving the day after the new race? So I adjusted my goals-- just enjoy the race. On Tuesday before the race, I officially signed up.

Our wave is off!

Swim
Given the wetsuit requirement and temperatures in the low 60s earlier this week, I was a bit worried about how cold the swim would be. Luckily it wasn't bad (announced as 68), and the only thing that was a bit chilly were my feet. The course had three buoys, and we were in the 6th wave. Things went well from the start, I felt pretty good through the first two buoys.

At least I wasn't the only one swimming off course ;)

After rounding the second buoy I couldn't find the 3rd buoy (due to a poorly placed raft/boat), people from the wave behind me started to catch up, the water was getting a bit choppier, and I was getting a bit tired. I tried to catch some feet, but that didn't last more than a couple of strokes as I was likely going off course :) Somehow I made it to the third buoy and headed to shore. I was guessing/hoping for ~30min, so 33:16 probably takes into account the extra distance covered by searching for buoy 3.

That's me in the purple cap and ear plugs!

Bike
Up a little hill to transition and back to my bike, I got out of my wetsuit without any issues and got ready to head out on the bike. My chilly feet came back to life pretty quickly and before I knew it I was heading up the first hill out of the park.

As I mentioned before, the course is has some hills (see above). There are more challenging courses out there, for sure, but for my untrained legs I was a little weary. After all, I still had to run a 10K! The course definitely keeps you on your toes; I hung out in my granny gear on a couple hills but tried to take advantage of the downhills and maxed out on the other end a few times as well.

I'm sorry for taking a screen shot... is that copying?

I safely maneuvered the packed gravel around mile 8, kept my cool when a couple people passed me and then stopped pedaling (really?), and I pulled back into the park just under 1:28 (16.8mph ave). I'll take it!

Run
While I survived the bike, I wasn't really looking forward to the run (usually my favorite part). You see, I had ridden the first part of the run, and, well, it had the same sort of hills.

There's not really much I remember about the run... my hips were really tight off the bike, but after walking up the second half of the first hill they loosened up so that was good. My stomach wasn't feeling awesome (nerves? salt water?), and I tried to keep my focus to one mile at a time. Reminding myself of my goal (have fun! enjoy the scenery!) and my move the following day, I didn't push it and walked up a few of the hills. Unusual for me, but I was totally okay with it and somehow I finished in 58:50.

Hey look, my feet are moving!

I did see a retriever with his owner walking along the side of the road towards the end of the run. He suddenly copped a squat and wouldn't budge, must have been tired of spectating/cheering :) I feel the same way, Buddy!

Where is the finish line already??

Overall time: 3hr 5min 5sec (21/42 in my AG)

Lobster Bake!

Final thoughts
I was aiming for 3hours and came in right around that on a challenging course that I didn't train for. So I am very pleased! It was great to see some friends podium too (Congrats Laura and Jeff)!

Oly? Done.

It was an absolutely beautiful day for a race, and Lobsterman was a great one. Volunteers were pretty awesome all day, and the race was very well organized. The only issue I had was at the end of the race, when all I wanted was a bottle of water and they were filling small cups of water. Bottles next time, please? Thanks!

Gajar Halwa

2011-09-15T05:31:00.000-04:00

Delicious Indian food was in abundance at the rehearsal dinner for my best friend's wedding earlier this summer. There was one dish that stuck in my mind... a cardamom-kissed dessert made with carrots, or gajar halwa. I was smitten at first taste and determined to make it in my own kitchen. What better time than when you get carrots in your CSA?

Gajar Halwa
adapted from beyond the plate

I changed the recipe a bit to retain the carrots' integrity, not be too sweet and not take too long... my personal preferences, feel free to adjust as necessary ;) Raisins could also be added if you have them!

10oz carrots, peeled and grated
2c milk (I used Lactaid)
1/4c water (supposed to prevent milk from sticking to the bottom of the pan, but mine still stuck)
1/2c evaporated milk
1/3t freshly ground cardamom (or 1/2t pre-ground)
1/4-1/2c sugar (1/2c was too sweet for me)
1/4t saffron (a pinch)
2T butter (optional)
2T pistachios, chopped (or almonds or cashews)

Add carrots, milk, water, evaporated milk and cardamom to a medium, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until milk is cooked off. I turned mine down too low (below a simmer) and it took over an hour, so cooking it at a low simmer should take 20-40min.

Add 1/4c sugar, butter (if using) and saffron (crushing between your fingertips as you add to the pot). Stir and cook until sugar is dissolved. Taste and adjust to your desired level of sweetness. Serve, garnished with chopped pistachios. It's good warm, RT or cold, or even stirred into your morning oats!

You all know I'm all about vegetables for dessert lately ;) Have you ever tried gajar halwa??

Goat Cheese Ice Cream w/Roasted Cherries

2011-09-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

So I decided to mix things up. Instead of my traditional coconut milk-based ice creams, I went rogue. Hello egg yolks! Don't worry (?), I didn't use cream. I restrained myself. Ha.

The almost too-sweet cherries were a nice complement to the tang of the goat cheese ice cream I am now in love with. If you're not as much of a fan of goat cheese as I am, try using 4oz, or perhaps substitute cream cheese instead.

Goat Cheese Ice Cream
adapted from Kitchen Confit & Ezra Pound Cake

Confession: I must have heated my custard too much, as it curdled. I continued, didn't bother straining the mixture and simply threw it in the blender before chilling and churning. I'm not sure how this affected the final texture, as I haven't done it properly yet, but worked well enough for me!

For the cherries:
2c pitted fresh cherries (or frozen, unthawed)
1/2c sugar (I'd use even less next time)
2t cornstarch

For the ice cream:
1 1/2c milk (I used Lactaid Fat Free Smooth & Creamy... I had a coupon and it was on sale!)
2/3c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
8oz goat cheese, RT
6 lg egg yolks

To prepare the cherries, preheat the oven to 400deg. Toss cherries, sugar and cornstarch in a 9"sq baking dish (or anything that's large enough to hold the cherries). Bake for 30-45 min, stirring occasionally, until the juice is thick and bubbly. Cool to RT, then store in the fridge until making the ice cream. Can be done a few days ahead.

For the ice cream, warm the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan so the sugar dissolves.

Meanwhile, crumble goat cheese into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks. Temper the egg yolks by pouring warm milk/sugar into the egg yolks, a little at a time, whisking constantly. Once the milk has been added, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.

Stir the milk/egg yolk mixture with a spatula continuously over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. You'll be able to coat the spatula with the custard and draw a line that stays once it's thick enough. Pour custard through the strainer and stir into the goat cheese until it's melted (or just use your blender like I did!). Cool to RT (use an ice bath if you need it to happen more quickly), then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, a few hours or overnight is best.

Churn ice cream according to manufacturer's directions. Once churned, pour a layer of cherries into whatever container you use for ice cream. Top with a layer of goat cheese ice cream, and continue alternating layers until the container is full or you're out of the ice cream and cherries. Don't mix, as the ice cream will turn pink! Cover with a layer of saran wrap or parchment paper and freeze until firm (a few hours).

If you really want to take it up a notch, serve a scoop with a pickled cherry brownie ;)

Pickled Cherry Brownies
adapted from Janetha's go-to brownie recipe

3 squares of Bakers unsweetened chocolate
1/2c butter (1 stick)
1 1/2c evaporated cane juice
2 eggs
1t vanilla extract
3/4c white whole wheat flour
1c pickled cherries, halved

Follow the instructions here (you can use the stove instead of the microwave), using a 9"sq pan and baking for 30-40min. Mine were done perfectly at 35 min, a toothpick came clean but they were still fudgy when cooled!

Stuffed Peppers (CSA Week 11)

2011-09-08T06:16:00.000-04:00

The purple peppers in this week's CSA screamed to be used for something special. I almost went with Joanne and Meghan's suggestion for a curry before it dawned on me-- I should make stuffed peppers! Even better, I could use some other items from my CSA and pantry, a win-win given my impending move.

Stuffed Peppers
Yield: 4-5 stuffed peppers

4-5 peppers (the bigger the better)
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 summer squash, diced
1-2T extra virgin olive oil
~1/2c frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
~1/2c frozen corn, thawed
1 package of sprouted brown rice (or 1c of your favorite grain)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes (mine were roasted w/chipotle)
seasonings (ex: s/p, cumin, oregano, hot sauce...)
1/2c grated cheddar (or more, I used grass-fed New Zealand cheddar)

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 3-4min, until translucent. Add zucchini and summer squash, stir and cook until soft and starting to brown. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.

Wash your peppers and cut them in half. Remove stem, ribs and seeds and set in a square pan with sides so they don't roll around.

In a large bowl, add spinach, corn, rice, chickpeas, diced tomatoes and cooled veggies. Mix well, taste and add seasonings. I went with a little salt, freshly ground pepper, and a few shakes of ground cumin. Stir again and then stuff your pepper halves. Top each pepper with ~2T grated cheese.

Bake for 20-25min, until cheese is melted and peppers cooked through (you can test them with a knife).

CSA items used: 3 (peppers, summer squash, zucchini)
Pantry items used: 5 (corn, spinach, brown rice, chickpeas, diced tomatoes)

Pantry items left: let's not discuss that...

Peach Sangria

2011-09-05T15:32:00.001-04:00

A couple of weekends ago, I happened upon a large basket of peaches. Topping out over 20lbs, I had fun trying to figure out what to do with them all (fun, in a stressful kind of way when they all ripen at once)!

Halfway through!

There was a request for Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream, so that was done. And there had to be pie. Joanne's Peaches and Dream Pie of course! I used a frozen pie crust from my last baking adventure and baked it right up, my only other change being 4 egg whites instead of 2 eggs (I had them after ice cream making, recipe to come). Light and peachy, everyone enjoyed :)

And then there was something I've had in mind ever since I visited Bishop's Orchard last summer. We did a wine tasting there and I picked up a bottle of wine I thought would be perfect for sangria. I planned it out before realizing it was, in fact, a peach wine (Blushing Beauty)!

Peach Sangria
Recipe by Shannon

The mint isn't overwhelming in here, but I think it adds a little something-something!

1 bottle peach wine (or other semi-dry white wine)
1c vodka (Absolut Acai Berry)
1c mint simple syrup*
3 peaches, thinly sliced
1 orange, sliced horizontally
club soda
frozen mango cubes
frozen raspberries

In a pitcher, combine wine, vodka and simple syrup. Stir to combine. Add peaches and oranges, and refrigerate a few hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, pour sangria into wine glasses (~3/4 full) and top off with club soda. Drop in a few frozen mango cubes and raspberries and serve!

*Mint Simple Syrup

1c water
1/2c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
large bunch of mint

Bring water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Once sugar has dissolved and mixture comes to a boil, turn off heat and add mint leaves. Steep for ~30min, then strain out mint leaves. Store simple syrup in the refrigerator until ready to use.

It sure was a tasty way to pass the time through Hurricane Irene!

Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream

2011-09-01T05:46:00.001-04:00

Last year it was Saffron Peach Ice Cream, this year it's a simpler Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream. I'm not sure which I like better, I'll need to make them both again for a side by side comparison ;)

Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream
A conglomeration of techniques from The Perfect Scoop, America's Test Kitchen and Eggs on Sunday

Normally I'd use sucanat instead of brown sugar without blinking an eye, but I think this recipe really benefits from brown sugar. The clusters are completely optional, if you don't want the texture in your ice cream, feel free to leave them out.

3c of peeled, chopped peaches (~4 medium ripe)
1/2t fresh lemon juice
1/4c brown sugar
1 1/2T vodka
2 cans coconut milk
2T arrowroot
1/2c brown sugar
1T vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1 ripe peach, pureed

Stir together peaches, lemon juice and brown sugar in a medium non-reactive saucepan. Let sit for an hour or so until they've released some juices and the peaches are slightly softened.

Heat peaches over medium high heat until peaches are tender and flesh has just started to break down, 3-4min. Transfer to a bowl and stir in vodka. Refrigerate until cold, anywhere from a few hours to overnight.

Reserve 1/4c coconut milk and pour the rest into a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar to the saucepan and heat over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Whisk arrowroot into reserved coconut milk and set aside. Just as the coconut milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the reserved milk/arrowroot, vanilla and salt. Cool to RT, then refrigerate until well chilled.

At this point you should have chilled peaches and coconut milk. Strain the peaches and reserve the liquid (you'll be using both the peaches and the liquid). Add liquid and pureed peach to the ice cream base and stir well (or blend). Churn the ice cream according to manufacturer's directions. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and add peaches and brown sugar clusters (if using). Fold in gently, then freeze a couple hours until firm.

Brown Sugar Clusters

1/2c oats
1/4c chopped pecans
1/2c unpacked brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350deg.

Add oats and pecans to a foil/parchment-lined sheet and toast for 8-10min. Set aside to cool.

Melt brown sugar in a pan over medium heat. When liquid and bubbing, and starting to get a bit darker, turn off heat and stir in nuts and oats. You'll need to work quickly here, and spread the mixture onto the foil-lined cookie sheet and let cool.

Break into chunks and use as an ingredient or topping for ice cream/yogurt/oatmeal/you name it!

What's your favorite thing to do with peaches??

Updates & Events

2011-08-29T16:30:00.054-04:00

Today's post was going to be a recap of my olympic distance tri. Hurricane Irene had other ideas, and Sunday's race was cancelled. Boo. Moving on.

A few small updates in case you hadn't already noticed:

Tri to Cook now has a facebook page!! It's still in its infancy, but show me the love and like me :) Come say hi and let's chat about recipes you've tried, what's cooking in your kitchen, or recipes you'd like to see me make!
You can also subscribe to Tri to Cook by email (see the box in the right sidebar), getting new posts directly in your inbox so you don't miss a thing!
There are also now sharing buttons now at the bottom of each post, so you can tweet/email/share your favorite recipe with... the rest of the world ;)

Some upcoming events for Boston-area folk...

Want to support the Breast Cancer Fund and meet some new folks on a fun run/walk? You can do both Sept 8th in Cambridge Common, 6:30pm with the Boston LUNA Chix!! Check it out and register here.

Think your pickles/preserves/baked goods reign supreme? Put them to the test at the Urban Ag Fair Sept 18 in Harvard Square! More info on the fair and how to enter the contest, click here. You have until Sept 8th to submit an entry from!!

Tomato Corn Pie (CSA Week 10)

2011-08-25T06:59:00.002-04:00

With the appearance of native beefsteak tomatoes and corn in my CSA, I knew exactly what was going to be on my menu this week... tomato corn pie!

This recipe has been on my radar for awhile, and I'm glad I finally got around to making it. Frankly I don't know what took me so long ;) Combining two of summer's best with a biscuit crust, this is certainly a winner.

Tomato Corn Pie
adpated from Gourmet
Serves 4-6

The lemon "mayo" (I swapped greek yogurt for most of the mayo) was a delightful surprise, although I'm going to suggest you put it in between layers instead of on top of all of the tomato and corn. Even after draining the tomato slices a bit my pie was still juicy when I cut into it, just pour off the liquid if this happens to you.

For the biscuit crust:
2c white whole wheat flour
1T baking powder
3/4t salt
6T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4c greek yogurt whisked with 1/2c milk (or 3/4c buttermilk)

For the filling:
1/3c greek yogurt
2T olive oil mayo
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon (could double this if you have it)
1 3/4lb beefsteak tomatoes, peeled* and sliced crosswise 1/4" thick and drained on paper towels
corn kernals from 3 ears (~1 1/2c)
3 scallions, sliced (~1/2c)
2-3T thinly sliced basil
salt & freshly grated black pepper
5oz grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400deg.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients for the crust (flour through salt). Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or your fingers), until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add milk, stirring just until a dough forms. Gather into a ball and divide dough in half.

Roll out each half of the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a size that's bigger than your pie plate. With one circle, remove one sheet of parchment, invert into pie plate. Use your fingers to pat the crust into the plate and discard the other sheet of parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together greek yogurt, lemon zest and juice, and mayo.

Arrange half of the tomatoes on the bottom of the pie crust. Top with half the corn, scallions and basil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour lemon-yogurt mixture over the filling and top with half the cheese. Repeat layering with the rest of the ingredients.

Place the other half of the dough on top of the pie and then pinch the edges together with the bottom crust to seal. Cut 4 vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape. You can brush the top with melted butter, milk or an egg wash... but I chose not to.

Bake for 30-35min, until crust is golden and filling is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*To peel the tomatoes, slice a shallow X on the bottom and drop in boiling water for 10sec. Plunge into ice cold water to cool, then drain and the peel should easily slip off!

Hang onto summer and go make this pie!!

Corn & Caramelized Onion Salad

2011-08-22T07:33:00.001-04:00

Cake, cake and pie, oh my! Time's been short, and those recipes were just easier to type up :) Anyways... this recipe was a surprise hit at a BBQ I went to recently, so I figured you'd want to know about it! I saw it on food52 earlier in the week and instantly knew what dish I'd be bringing.

Corn & Caramelized Onion Salad
adapted slightly from food52
serves a crowd

I used a mix of cooked and fresh corn kernals here because I didn't have enough corn the night I was preparing this, but liked the combination. Feel free to use one or the other entirely!

7 ears of corn, divided
1 large red onion, peeled and diced
1-2T extra virgin olive oil
2T balsamic vinegar
scant 2t evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
2oz diced pancetta (I bought mine pre-diced at trader joe's)
3-4T chopped cilantro (I used ~3T fresh frozen cilantro

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook 4 ears of corn in boiling water for 3-4min, then plunge into an ice water bath to cool. Drain and then cut off kernals from both the cooked and raw corn cobs into a large bowl.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions, balsamic, sugar and a dash of salt, stir to coat the onions. Cook for 2-3min, stirring occasionally, and then reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 20-25min, until the onions are nice and caramelized. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Add pancetta to the pan and cook on medium heat until brown and crispy. Drain pancetta on paper towel-lined plates.

Add caramelized onions, pancetta and cilantro to the corn. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro or parsley, if desired.

What was the last dish you made that was a surprising hit?

Healthy Cake

2011-08-18T15:26:00.000-04:00

At some point this summer, you're bound to have carrots, zucchini and summer squash ready and waiting to jump into your next dish. I wanted to try a play on zucchini bread and carrot cake, and this was what I came up with... it's neither of those things, but it was tasty.

I brought it to work to get some opinions and everyone enjoyed it without knowing what it was. When I inquired about what it tasted like, I think the best response was "healthy". They know me so well ;) I'm going with it, as I think it's rather appropriate!

Healthy Cake

adapted from my kitchen addiction

yield: two 8-9" cake layers

1c shredded zucchini

1c shredded summer squash

1c shredded carrots

4 eggs, beaten

1/4c mild flavored oil

1/4c greek yogurt

1/4c milk (dairy or nondairy)

1/2c applesauce

1t vanilla extract

2 1/2c white whole wheat flour (or AP or WW pastry)

1/2c sucanat (or brown sugar)

3/4c evaporated cane juice (granulated sugar)

2t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350deg.

In a large bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla). Add squash and carrots and mix well.

In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Add to the wet ingredients and fold in just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Try not to overmix!

Pour into 2 cake pans sprayed with Pam for baking (or butter and flour your pans). Bake in preheated oven for 25-30min, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely, then frost with your favorite icing, cream cheese frosting anyone?

It might not be quite what I intended, but still seemed to be a hit. Not the most indlugent cake, and full of vegetables, you can totally feel good about eating a slice!!

Salads & Cake (CSA Week 9)

2011-08-16T16:35:00.001-04:00

Week 9 goods

Weeks are disappearing before I have a chance to catch up... I really don't know how we're already halfway through August?! Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

This week I've got a couple salads that I've had the please of enjoying recently. No real recipes, just some fresh pictures and ingredients :)

Aurgula
Green beans, blanched
Fresh corn kernals, raw
Yogurt-marinated chicken, diced
Croutons, made from cubed wheat baguette, rubbed with olive oil and garlic
Leftover dressing

Baby spinach
Fresh corn kernals, raw
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Feta, crumbled

To balance out the carrots, how about some cake? (I know, you just had pie) This one is totally worth it, too, everyone at work was a fan-- especially my birthday buddy :) Unfortunately I didn't get good pictures... check out Jen's!!

Please excuse the mess and out-of-focus picture, it ended up looking great!!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake Cake

slightly adapted from Jen

I followed her instructions, but used slightly different recipes, which I'll note below. The cake was nicely spiced and not too sweet. The cheesecake, well,

Carrot Cake Layers

adaptations to the CI recipe:

Mix of all purpose and white whole wheat flour

Reduced sugar to 7oz

Reduced oil to 3/4c

Added 3/4c applesauce

Cheesecake

adapted from Louis

2 pkg reduced-fat cream cheese, RT

1c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)

3 eggs, RT

8oz greek yogurt, RT

1t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 330deg.

Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Add greek yogurt and vanilla and mix until well combined. Pour mixture into a springform pan, give the pan a tap to unsettle any bubbles.

Bake at 330deg for 30min, then lower temperature to 300deg for 15min. Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in oven for 1hr. Then remove and let cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe by Shannon

8oz reduced fat cream cheese, RT

4T butter, RT

1 3/4c powdered sugar, sifted

1t vanilla extract

Add cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy, a few minutes. Add butter and continue mixing until well combined. Gradually add in powdered sugar until frosting has reached your desired consistency (might be more or less than what I used depending on temperature/humidity/personal preference). Add in vanilla, mix well and then refrigerate for a bit before frosting the cake.

Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie

2011-08-12T15:02:00.002-04:00

It's been a busy summer.

Three weddings and a wedding cake (and cupcakes) all within 5 weeks. A fabulous holiday weekend at the Cape. Training for my first OLY tri (T minus 2ish weeks). Some Hugo-sitting and trips to visit family. A continuous stream of veggies thanks to my CSA. And who knows what else I've forgotten. Oh, right, I turned 30 last week.

Bake a pie to celebrate with me!

Luckily my aunt knows me well, so when she showed up at camp, she came with a large bucket of blueberries in tow-- fresh from the farmers market that morning! We plowed through half the bucket in 3 days, but I was determined to save enough to make a pie. And not just any pie. A blueberry goat cheese pie that first caught my eye watching and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with my parents. I've been dreaming of it ever since, waiting anxiously for blueberry season!

There's another secret ingredient in the pie, can you spot it?

hint: it's green!

Basil! I was intrigued by its addition in the pie, and it added an interesting dimension to this delicious pie. To keep this pie suitable for a friend who can't do cow's milk, I used coconut oil in the crumb topping. One taster picked up on this and commented that she would almost like more coconut, so think about adding a little shredded coconut to the crumb topping if you like!

pre-bake

Blueberry Goat Cheese Pie
adapted from this recipe
Yield: 1 9" pie

I tried this pie crust, which worked out fine, but I don't think was my favorite. Clearly I need to make more pie to come up with a go-to crust recipe ;)

1 pie crust (use your favorite recipe, or even one from the store)

For the filling:
4oz goat cheese, RT
1/2c almond milk (dairy would be fine)
1 large egg
scant 1/4c sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/4c white whole wheat flour (AP or whole wheat pastry would also work)
1/4t salt
loose 1/4c chopped basil
5c fresh blueberries

For the topping:
1/2c rolled oats
1/4c white whole wheat flour (see note about flours above)
1/4c sliced almonds
1/4c evaporated cane juice (sugar)
pinch of salt
3-4T coconut oil, melted (or melted butter or a mild-flavored oil)

Prepare your pie crust and lay into 9"pie plate. Flue or pinch the edges if you like. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350deg.

In a large bowl, whisk together goat cheese, milk and egg until the goat cheese is broken up well. Add flour, salt and basil and mix together well. Add blueberries and toss until coated. Taste and adjust as you

In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats through salt). Add coconut oil, starting with 3T, and mix. Add more oil if necessary, until moistened (there should be no dry ingredients, and the mixture will be crumbly in appearance).

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and pour in blueberry mixture. Cover with the crumb topping and bake in preheated oven for 50-60min, until it has set and started to brown on top/edges. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight, or at least a few hours before serving.

I will be making this again, for sure. Perhaps even increasing the goat cheese, since I can't get enough ;) What's your favorite type of pie??

Massaged Kale & Corn Salad (CSA Week 8)

2011-08-10T10:38:00.001-04:00

My first blueberries from Marshalls Fenway Farm CSA didn't last long-- a day, tops ;) Luckily I was able to make the other ingredients last a bit longer to pull together a dinner or two!

That sweet onion hanging out in near the blueberries got grilled up to top some simply seasoned grass-fed beef burgers.

Courtesy of my droid

The corn got shucked and added (raw) to some massaged kale (1 large head of kale, 1/2-1 avocado, juice of 1 lemon, coarse sea salt) and halved cherry tomatoes. Absolutely delicious.

Ah, summer. Please don't go.

What is your favorite thing to grill? Mine is probably onions... although I'll never complain about anything off the grill ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-03T06:21:00.000-04:00


Hugo!

Wild berry foraging

Who put the freakin palm tree in the middle of the lake??

Little piggy

Blueberries were also found!

Misadventures while hiking

What exciting things have you been up to this past week?

Zucchini Kale Lasagna

2011-07-28T22:34:00.001-04:00

It's bound to happen at one point this summer. You get a rediculously large zucchini and wonder what you're going to do with it. Or, perhaps you grab it right up and think immediately of zucchini bread or zucchini lasagna.

I'm sure you can guess which camp I fell into? :) Layers of zucchini alternating with a ricotta and kale mixture, smothered in a tasty marinara sauce, this lasagna was a delicious twist on tradition!!

Zucchini & Kale Lasagna
Recipe by Shannon
Serves 4

I had leftover zucchini and a bit of filling, so I made some rollatini with the extra components. A tablespoon or two spread along a zucchini slab, rolled up and put in a small casserole with some sauce and baked along with the lasagna!

1 huge zucchini (or 2 regular-sized ones)
1 head of kale (use however much you'll enjoy), washed and destemmed
olive oil
1 lg clove garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
8oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t dried oregano
1/2t dried basil
dash of red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
Your favorite sauce (I used jarred)
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, for topping

Preheat the oven to 375deg.

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and slice lengthwise into ~1/4" thick slabs (a mandoline would be nice to use here, if you have it, but I just used a chef's knife). Cover 1-2 cookie sheets with paper towels and lay zucchini in a single layer over them. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and set aside.

Heat 1-2T extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Roughly chop kale and add to heated oil. Saute for ~5min or so. You can also add a splash of water (carefully!!) and cover it with a lid to steam the kale a bit and get it to cook a bit quicker. Add garlic and continue to cook until all the kale has started to wilt. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the filling, add ricotta, egg and spices (garlic powder, oregano, basil) to a large bowl. Mix well, then add the cooled kale mixture and mix again. Set aside until you're ready to assemble the lasagna (can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until you're ready to use).

Check on your zucchini, you should see large beads of water on the zucchini as the salt draws out some moisture. Blot it with a paper towel to remove this moisture before preparing the lasagna.

In a 9" sq pan, add enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. Start layering zucchini, followed by kale/ricotta, then sauce. Repeat until you've reached the top of your baking dish or used up your zucchini/filling. Bake, covered in foil, for 35min. Remove foil, top with your desired amount of Parmesan cheese and broil 5-10min, until cheese has melted nicely and its bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10min before trying to cut. Top with fresh basil when serving!

How do you like your lasagna?

Sweet Corn Ice Cream (CSA Week 6)

2011-07-24T08:06:00.000-04:00

When I picked up this week's share, I was pretty excited, and if you look closely, you'll see why...

The first early corn!!! I mean, I love everything from the fresh peas and kale down to the cucumber and squash, but corn is special. :)

Call me crazy, but I've wanted to make corn ice cream for well over a year now, so I decided I would do it before it got to be too late again. There are many versions out there, but none of them seemed to fit exactly what I wanted to do so this is my version.

Sweet Corn Ice Cream
Yield ~2c

I opted to leave the corn in the ice cream to give it some texture, but it becomes a little chewy and is not something everyone will enjoy. If you're not sure, I'd strain the mixture and top it with some corn kernals if you'd like. Or perhaps some caramel sauce... caramel corn ice cream?

2 ears of corn
1 can lite coconut milk
1/3c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
pinch of sea salt
1/4c milk (I used almond milk)
1T arrowroot

Cut the corn kernals from both ears of corn and add the kernals (I got 1 1/2c) and cob to a medium saucepan. Add sugar, vanilla bean and pour in coconut milk. Turn heat to medium low and cook to boiling, stirring occasionally to make sure the sugar dissolves. Turn off heat and let the cobs steep for awhile, ~1hr or so.

Remove the cobs and transfer mixture to a blender. Add a pinch of sea salt and blend well. Strain, if desired, to remove corn pieces and store in an airtight container in the fridge until mixture is well chilled.

Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.

I might just have to put corn in some more desserts this summer ;) But first I'll indulge straight off the cob!!

Have you ever tried corn ice cream, or any other crazy dish with corn??

Vegetable Crazy

2011-07-21T11:57:00.039-04:00

The thing about having a CSA is that you get a lot of veggies. Every week. And while I like to come up with creative things to do or try out recipes that have been on my list for awhile, sometimes time and motivation are lacking.

Enter: the stir fry. Or is it just simply sauteed vegetables? I don't know the difference. Coming back from a weekend out of town I had 3 peppers, onions, corn, CSA zucchini and swiss chard. After chopping everything up, dinner came together in a snap. Heat up some oil in a large pan/wok, add veggies based on their cooking time (peppers and onions first, then zucchini, then swiss chard, garlic and corn), some herbs/seasonings (this time there was white pepper, thyme, and fresh basil), and cannellini beans for some staying power and dinner's on the table! Delicious, full of flavor, and even pretty to look at ;)

Another one of my favorite things to do with vegetables is to roast them. (No surprise there!) This time I roasted carrots, zucchini and summer squash from my CSA with onions, eggplant, and green pepper. While those were in the oven I cooked up some wheat berries. When the veggies and wheat berries were done, I tossed those with some pecorino toscano and enjoyed it for lunch!

The bottom line is that you can use whatever you hand in order to create a delicious, nutritious meal! Any myriad of vegetables will work in either preparation, can be combined with your favorite grain, vary up the protein you use, and try different cheeses! The possibilities are endless :)

Potato Green Bean Salad (CSA Week 5)

2011-07-18T09:04:00.069-04:00

Another week and what, are those peas?!? And green beans!?! (And carrots and spinach and chard oh my). Week 5 of Marshalls Fenway Farm CSA certainly did not disappoint!

All the spinach I've been getting (and the humidity) has driven quite the smoothie kick, so you won't likely see it in any recipes soon. If you haven't tried it yet, you must. Start with a small handful in your favorite blend and you won't taste it, promise (right Kerstin?)! This one contained almond milk, protein powder, cucumber (peeled), spinach, 1/2 frozen banana and some strawberries if I remember correctly. Delish :)

Green Smoothie, glass from Lancaster Brewing Co

I've never been a fan of potato salad, in fact I've probably mentioned it before. But when Rebecca made Deb's Potato Arugula Salad over the 4th of July, it was a big hit. Filled with lots of green veggies and tossed with a light dressing, this was anything but your traditional potato salad.

purple potatoes make me smile :)

When I saw the green beans and peas in my CSA, the salad came immediately into mind, except with a few different twists. More vegetables came to the party, and a little protein was added to make it more of a meal. This is a perfect light lunch or dinner for the summer, perhaps bring it to the beach or park for a picnic! It was also delicious over the course of the next few days, so don't hesitate to make it ahead of time.

Potato Green Bean Salad
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Serves 4 (as a main dish salad)

1lb fresh peas, shelled (~1c peas, could also use frozen)
1lb green beans, trimmed and cut into ~1" pieces
1 1/2lbs fingerling potatoes, sliced into ~1/2" rounds
1lb chicken breasts, poached and cut into bite-size pieces (tofu would work well here too)
5oz arugula
2oz walnuts, lightly toasted
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3T mild vinegar (I used champagne vinegar)
3T greek yogurt
1 1/2t dijon mustard
3/4t coarse salt
3T extra virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While that's heating up, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and the green beans to the boiling water. Cook for 2-3min, then add the shelled peas and cook another minute more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans and peas to the ice bath.

Add potatoes to the boiling water and cook for ~10min, until the rounds are fork tender and not falling apart. Pour potatoes into a colander to drain, as well as the beans and peas. Set aside.

In a very large bowl (or better yet, split it into two bowls so you don't spill everything onto your counter), add arugula, potatoes, beans, peas and chicken. Season with 1/2t salt and 1/4t pepper and toss to combine.

For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, yogurt, dijon and salt. Continue whisking as you add the oil, then drizzle over salad. Toss salad again and serve! Or transfer to containers to store in the fridge until you're leaving for the beach/park/work :)

Do you have a go-to summer salad?

Squash & Potato Gratin (CSA Week 4)

2011-07-15T09:27:00.000-04:00

Let's pretend that I'm on top of things and these were the veggies I got from Marshall's Fenway Farm CSA last week, k? ;)

And while we're at it, let's pretend that you see summer squash in the above photo, because the recipe I'm sharing today is one for a summer squash and potato gratin. It was CSA squash that I used, so I'm calling it good :)

This recipe is so simple, I didn't expect much of it. But perhaps that is why it tasted so amazing. I'm certainly glad I didn't pass it over, and I urge you not too, either. Especially if you're starting to get a bounty of summer squash right now!! It's a perfect summer side dish, and even reheats well!

Summer Squash & Potato Gratin
slightly adapted from The Kitch'n

2 med summer squash
3-4 sm-med red potatoes
1/2 onion
1 lg garlic clove, minced
3T olive oil (I eye-balled this amount)
4oz goat cheese
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4c milk (I used almond milk)
1/3c freshly grated Parmesan
fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Thinly slice the summer squash, potatoes and onion using a mandoline or chef's knife. You're aiming for ~1/8" or less. Add these vegetables to a large bowl with the minced garlic. Toss with olive oil.

Spray an 8" square baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread ~1/3 of the vegetables in the baking dish, then season with salt and pepper. Crumble half the goat cheese over the vegetables. Repeat with 1/3 of the vegetables, seasoning and goat cheese. Top off with the last of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.

Pour milk over the dish and then top with parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 30min. Uncover, than bake 15-20min more, until the top browns. Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil before serving (use as much or as little as you'd like, we definitely preferred more than the 1T suggested!).

If you're looking for other summer squash recipes, here are some that I remember fondly :)

Summer Squash & Basil Cornbread
Summer Squash Soup
Sauteed Squash
Summer Squash Cupcakes
Summer Squash & Onions in Brown Sugar (I never posted this, but it was delicious!)

Any other ideas for delicious summer squash??

Dessert Fries

2011-07-12T12:32:00.000-04:00

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a coupon for a free Alexia Foods product awhile back. I finally got around to picking up some Sweet Potato Fries and wanted to come up with something a little unique. Some brainstorming about dessert fries, along with a bit of mascarpone left in my fridge and this was born...

Cinnamon Sugar Sweet Potato Fries with Cinnamon Mascarpone
Recipe by Shannon

2T mascarpone

1/8t cinnamon

2/3t grade B maple syrup
1 bag Alexia Sweet Potato Fries
2T butter, melted
2T sugar
1t cinnamon

Add cinnamon and maple syrup to mascarpone and stir until well combined. This can be done ahead of time, simply refrigerate until using.

Preheat the oven to 400deg. Cut open the bag of sweet potato fries and add butter, sugar and cinnamon. Hold the bag close and toss until the fries have been well-coated. Spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 20min, or until fries have crispy edges.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with mascarpone. If you'd like, you can toss the mixture to allow the melting mascarpone to cascade over all the fries...

close up of the melting mascarpone

Fries for dessert are ok, right??

Tomato Strata

2011-07-08T14:38:00.000-04:00

I thought this Savory Bread Pudding w/Tomatoes & Herbs from the NYTimes would be a killer recipe, crusty bread, ruby red tomatoes, copious amounts of fresh herbs, cheese, farm fresh eggs...

And it was good. Except I've made another tomato strata, and I think I liked that one better. Maybe it's the goat cheese. Goat cheese has a way of always stealing my heart.

Either way, I'm posting this since It's delicious with fresh tomatoes!! Whatever variation you choose, may I implore you to use goat cheese? Thanks :)

Is there a single ingredient that can make (or break) a dish for you??

Strawberry Lemonade Cocktails

2011-07-06T11:06:00.004-04:00

Shula attempting her own version of cornhole

I don't know that the .75mi swimming, 66mi biking and 4.5mi of running I did compensated for all of the eating and drinking that happened this weekend. But it was absolutely delicious, so I'm not complaining :)

Crazy Feta, Cilantro Lime White Bean Hummus and Strawberry Mango Salsa

We're talking things like chocolate chip cookie-stuffed cinnamon rolls, homemade veggie burgers, no-bake smores bars with homemade marshmallows, chickpea salad sandwiches, crazy feta, cilantro lime white bean hummus, strawberry mango salsa, a zucchini ricotta galette, an arugula potato green bean salad, cherry pie and blueberry balsamic meatballs w/goat cheese to name a few. And did I mention I didn't do a whole lot of cooking? Rebecca did the heavy lifting this weekend with a little help here and there from the rest of us!

Rebecca and Mike with their cherry pie!

I was spoiled, no doubt about that!! Hopefully my beverages provided some refreshment for those doing the hard work ;) First up was Jessica's watermelon float, with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream in a sea of watermelon mint soda. Incredibly refreshing, and a great way to cool off after an afternoon of kayaking!!

Watermelon float

And then there was, dare I say it, the star of the two drinks I prepared... a Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail. It all started when I saw Dave's post about Strawberry Vodka. Immediately I thought of the Absolut Wild Tea in my pantry and knew it'd be amazing. I was right. Perfect on its own, in ginger ale, or homemade strawberry meyer lemon juice.

Oh yes, I made some strawberry meyer lemonade to go along with the infused vodka. I must have had some foresight when freezing down extra juice during my meyer lemon craze this year, because it created an amazing lemonade and probably one of the best drinks I've ever had. No joke. Dangerous, too, if you know what I mean ;)

Srawberry Lemonade Cocktail

Strawberry Meyer Lemonade

Recipe by Shannon

A great summer drink in its own right, this is a great addition to strawberry infused vodka! Regular lemon juice could be used as well, just taste as you might want to add more sugar.

1/3c evaporated cane juice (or granulated sugar)

1c water

1c meyer lemon juice (fresh or frozen, thawed)

1lb strawberries, washed and hulled

16oz seltzer

Prepare the simple syrup by combining water and sugar in a small saucepan and cooking over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool. This can be done ahead, simply refrigerate until using.

Blend strawberries and then pour through a fine mesh sieve (I used a hand held strainer) to remove the solids/seeds. Mix with simple syrup, lemon juice and seltzer, then serve!

Edited to add: This is also delicious when made with a basil simple syrup. Simply add a bunch of basil leaves after bringing the simple syrup to a boil. Let steep for 15-30min and then strain out basil!

How was everyone's 4th of July? Any delicious eats you'd care to share??

CSA Week 3

2011-07-02T13:30:00.000-04:00

Another week, another round of awesome produce thanks to Marshall's Fenway CSA! I wish I could say that I did something fun with the strawberries, but again I wound up simply savoring every bite :) The asparagus also just got simply roasted with some extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and thoroughly enjoyed!

With all the broccoli last week, I made Melissa Clark's Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp. I'm pretty sure this was a recipe I found thanks to Rose-Anne, but I couldn't find where she mentioned it, so thanks hun! Loved the lemon zest, coriander and cumin used to spice up a pretty simple dish.

Next up were the beets and carrots... and kale ;) Since the oven was already on, I couldn't resist throwing in my beets and carrots for a good roasting. They ended up on another delicious massaged kale salad!

Massaged Kale Salad w/Roasted Carrots & Beets

Serves 2-4

I included amounts here only as a rough guideline, feel free to add as few or many veggies as you'd like, or change up the toppings!

2 small bunches of carrots

1 bunch of beets (3 good size)

2 medium bunches of kale

2 ripe avocados

coarse sea salt

3-4T lemon juice

2-4oz goat cheese

Sunflower seeds (or other nut/seed of your choice)

Preheat oven to 400deg. Wash carrots and cut into chunks on the bias. Add carrots to a medium bowl and toss with 1-2T (melted) coconut oil, salt and pepper. Wash and trim off beet tops (save them to use for sauteed greens or another recipe coming soon!). Wrap beets in aluminum foil. Spread carrots on baking sheet and add package of beets. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake until nice and roasted. The beets will take a bit longer if they're large, to test simply pierce with a fork- if the fork slides in and out easily, they're done! Remove from the oven and set aside. Once the beets have cooled a bit, peel and chop into bite-size pieces.

While the veggies are roasting, wash the kale (I do this in a large bowl of water to make sure to get the grit from the leaves) and tear into a large bowl. Add the flesh of the avocados (I usually roughly dice into the bowl), a sprinkle of coarse sea salt and lemon juice. Rub around with your hands, trying to coat all of the kale with the creamy avocado flesh. Set aside.

To assemble the salads, plate massaged kale, then top with roasted beets and carrots. I finished mine off with crumbled goat cheese and sunflower seeds, but feel free to use whatever combination of cheese and nuts or seeds that you'd like!

I still had plenty of roasted beets after this, and wound up doing something a little crazy... a roasted beet smoothie! Different, but still pretty tasty ;) Not to mention gorgeous- something that color must be good for you, right?

Roasted Beet Smoothie

1c almond milk

cinnamon

vanilla protein powder (optional)

1/2-1c roughly chopped roasted beets

1 frozen banana

Place ingredients in high speed blender in order listed and blend away until smooth!

Craziest thing you've ever thrown in a smoothie?

Hope everyone's weekend is off to a fabulous start!

A Taste of Cambridge

2011-06-30T11:35:00.000-04:00

This week I had the pleasure of attending Taste of Cambridge, an annual event put on by the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board. Over 50 restaurants (both food and drink purveyors) and an even bigger crowd gathered in the courtyard outside the Charles Hotel to get a taste of the diverse dining scene in Cambridge! This years beneficiaries included the very worthy Salvation Army Cambridge/Somerville Corps "Restoring Lives Capital Campaign" and the Cambridge Program/Special Olympics Saturday Program.

To say there was a lot of food is an understatement! I did my best to sample from the restaurants I've been wanting to try, or those that everyone was buzzing about :) Here are some of my favorite bites of the evening...

I think this was my first taste of the night, but I can't pass up elote!! Grilled corn on the cob with cotija cheese and lime-chile salt from Ole was good, although a little too saucy.

The huge egg fan that I am, I was also excited to try the deviled egg from Russel House Tavern. Local farm eggs were topped with shrimp and micro greens, with a bit of melon. I can't say I tasted the melon in there, but certainly enjoyed this bite!

The Moroccoo Taco from Casablanca was delicious. The smoked lamb was so tender and paired well with the fried chickpeas, preserved lemon and charmoula that adorned the taco. I was totally smitten with the filling :)

Tacos were a popular item, and another popular one was the Crispy Duck Taco from Upstairs on the Square. I think the accoutrements really made the taco; with pickled jalapenos, lime sour cream,spicy cabbage and pickled shallots each bite packed some good flavors.

I totally fell for the homemade veggie burger from Christopher's Restaurant. It was packed with lots of goodies (I can't remember anything but the roasted corn, sorry!) and topped with pesto and roasted red peppers... fabulous.

Stone Hearth Pizza offered up a local, organic meatball slider that was absolutely delicious, and the ciabatta that it was served on- perfectly toasty.

Another restaurant that I can't wait to go to is Oleana, especially after tasting their toasted green wheat salad, topped with whipped feta and wild oregano. Yum!!

For a sweet ending, I tasted a few desserts from Veggie Galaxy, a vegan bakery spin-off ofVeggie Planet that will be opening this summer. I kind of wanted to try everything on the table, but settled for a bite of the vegan cheesecake, TAZO chocolate chip cookie, and coconut citrus cupcake.

I also couldn't resist the PB&J hob nob from Craigie on Main! My hob nob was a little short of jam, but I never complain about something that tastes like peanut butter-y bliss :)

Feed me please!

Only a portion of what I consumed over the evening, I left stuffed and excited about all the restaurants I need to find my way back too :) It was also great to see Elina and Adam, Meghan, Megan, Justin and Elizabeth!

Elina, Meghan and Megan

Do you locals have a favorite restaurant in Cambridge??

Disclosure: My ticket to the event was complimentary, but the opinions are my own.

BAA 10K

2011-06-28T22:10:00.001-04:00

Waking up to 66degree temperatures on Sunday, I thought it would be perfect running weather. Until I stepped outside and realized it was still quite warm and very humid. Not quite perfect, but I've run in alot worse ;) Nonetheless my nerves woke me up before my alarm and before I knew it, it was go time!

Image source

Given the events of the past nine months, I was nervous. It's been a long road to feeling good out there running again, and I didn't want to do anything stupid in the face of a race clock :) Add in the fact that I hadn't solidified a nutrition plan and I was using this race to test the waters for my big goal of this season (an Olympic distance triathlon), and let's just say I had some butterflies.

The BAA 10K started and finished in Boston Common, taking us through Back Bay out towards BU and back. The staggered start for the 3,000 runners seemed to work well, as I never felt like the course was too crowded. There were 3 rolling hills over the course, nothing too steep or long.

Somewhere around mile 1

Long story short, I couldn't be happier with how I did, finishing in 49:48. I managed to stay around a 7:30-8:30 pace the entire race, instead of going out too fast like I usually do. I picked out a guy ahead of me in a Hartford Marathon shirt that I stayed with the first half of the race, thought about achieving my goal, focused on form, and then picked out someone else to keep pace with the second half of the race when I lost Hartford Marathon guy. Mile 4 was the worst for me, I grabbed water at the stop and threw it over my head, but the finish line seemed more than two miles away. Back around the Common I was finally able to kick it, and whaddya know, there's now a race picture with both feet off the ground!

Speedy!!

A successful race to cap of the end of my first three decades ;) Now I just need to figure out how to keep this pace off a 26mile bike ride!!

CSA Week 2

2011-06-24T15:00:00.001-04:00

Days are flying by here, but here's what Week 2 of my Marshall's Fenway CSA brought me...

After all of the things I made with Week 1's goodies, the one thing that plagued me was the lettuce. Really? I don't know why, but it sat in my fridge as I came up with other fun ways to use the rest of my goods. That was until my partner in crime suggested a avocado BLT, and I was sold.

the BALT: Bacon Avocado Lettuce and Tomato

A layer of creamy avocado, topped with crispy bacon, and local tomato and red leaf lettuce made for one fantastic sandwich!!

With my leftover Six Grain & Pumpkin Seed bread I decided to run with the sandwich idea and whipped up a recipe that I've been meaning to try for some time now-- Chickpea Salad! While pegged as a mock tuna salad, I don't think it needs to be associated with tuna at all, so I'm going with its own name :) Garbanzo's are my favorite kind of bean, so I was quite smitten with this and will make it part of my regular rotation! My only change to the recipe was to use picked green tomatoes instead of straight up pickles as that's all I had on hand.

Anyone else have any more creative uses for fresh, local lettuce?

Hope everyone has a good weekend!! I've got my last race in the 25-29AG coming up... wish me luck :)

Sauteed Greens

2011-06-21T12:15:00.009-04:00

Things have been crazy over here, but I just got back from my last wedding of the summer so hopefully I'll be able to find some time to read all of my favorite blogs again! Please bear with me as I try to catch up :)

Caramelized onions... yum.

Wanting to bring you more than another massaged kale salad, I did something a bit different with the last of the dark leafy greens from my CSA! Inspired by the salad Elina bought to the Seder dinner hosted by Cara, I sauteed my greens and topped them with a host of goodies to create this awesome dish.

Sauteed Greens w/Caramelized Onions, Prunes & Goat Cheese
Serves 2-3

Alternatively, you could use this salad idea for your favorite green, say, spinach or massaged kale?

1-2T extra virgin olive oil
1 lg red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
8c chopped/roughly torn dark leafy greens (I used a mix of kale and beet greens)
1-2 small roasted beets, chopped (optional)
1/3c chopped prunes
1/4c chopped toasted walnuts
2oz goat cheese, crumbled

In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, stir to coat the onions and cook a few minutes. Reduce to low and continue to cook until nice and caramelized. Add in greens and 1-2T water, stir and let cook until greens have softened. Stir in beets and prunes, then transfer to a plate and top with goat cheese and toasted walnuts.

Now that it's officially summer, what are you most looking forward to??

Avocado Pesto Pasta

2011-06-18T09:45:00.001-04:00

My basil plant was a little out of control last week, so I took it as a sign to make some pesto! Some basil and spinach, along with the usual suspects made for a bright and vibrant pesto.

Basil Spinach Pesto

~1c (packed) basil leaves
~1c (packed) baby spinach leaves
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1-2T pine nuts, lightly toasted
extra virgin olive oil

Add basil, spinach, garlic and pine nuts to the bowl of a food processor. Whirl together while streaming in olive oil until well incorporated and a little saucy (you know, pesto consistency!). Can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container (I added a bit of plastic wrap over the surface to help keep it fresh).

And then, thanks to Maris, I remembered Angela's post about an Avocado Pasta and I started daydreaming about my pesto's fate-- Avocado Pesto sauce!

Avocado Pesto Sauce

1 recipe Basil Spinach Pesto (or ~1/3c prepared pesto)
1 avocado

Combine pesto and the flesh of the avocado in the bowl of a food processor and blend until well combined. Toss with cooked pasta or use it to sauce some roasted veggies, dip for fresh veggies, salad dressing... the possibilities are endless.

The avocado pesto sauced some homemade pasta and then I turned to the rest of my CSA goodies to finish off the meal.

Sauteed Squash

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium summer squash, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2T extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium or large skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini, summer squash and onion and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, and saute until squash has cooked through and starts to become translucent. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning and serve.

Avocado Pesto Pasta w/Summer Vegetables
Serves 2-3

1 recipe homemade pasta
1 batch avocado pesto sauce
1 batch sauteed squash
1 large ripe tomato, chopped

Cook pasta al dente, then drain and return to the pot. Add avocado pesto sauce and toss with noodles. Distribute pasta to serving dishes, top with sauteed squash and chopped tomato, then serve!

This was definitely a perfect summer pasta dish! Tell me, do you have a favorite pasta sauce?

CSA Week 1

2011-06-15T20:27:00.000-04:00

Week one of Marshall's Fenway Farm CSA brought quite a bounty. Two heads of kale, red leaf lettuce, beets, broccoli, carrots, asparagus, greenhouse tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash-- oh my!

Some things were enjoyed simply, a gorgeous tomato sprinkled with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, for instance. Roasted asparagus and carrots straight off the pan (consumed so ravenously I did not get a picture).

There was a Paleo-friendly broccoli salad...

Broccoli Salad w/Bacon & Raisins
Recipe by Shannon

3/4lb broccoli florets, blanched
1/3c slivered almonds
1/4c golden raisins
4 slices bacon, baked until crispy and crumbled
dressing: 1.5oz extra virgin olive oil, 1.5oz apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste

Add salad ingredients to a medium bowl, toss with dressing and serve.

For the first reader-inspired dish I made Annie's Vegetable Enchiladas. (Thanks Lauren!!) I always find enchiladas hard to photograph, but hopefully you'll trust me that these were delicious.

My adaptations were to use red kidney beans (instead of black beans), 12oz zucchini and summer squash (instead of 8oz zucchini), feta in the filling and gruyere on top (I didn't have any cheddar on hand). With these changes I ended up with 16 enchiladas and used all of my sauce, but they made for some fantastic lunches this week :)

Another shoutout to Erin, who turned me onto an NPR article which linked to Frog Bottom Farms, I threw together another massaged kale salad. This one was simply dressed with ~1T good olive oil, coarse sea salt and 2T meyer lemon juice, then topped with shaved carrots and raw sunflower seeds. Perfect easy salad to throw together before work!

What's the best meal you've had this week?

Project Wedding Cake II

2011-06-13T11:30:00.000-04:00

Oh, you wanted to know what flavor cupcakes we made?? I wanted to build some suspense ;) We opted for a Ginger Mango version (drizzled with sweetened mango puree) as well as an Almond Raspberry (topped with a fresh raspberry).

Ginger Mango Cupcakes
Ginger Chiffon Cupcakes - Sky High, p.133
Mango Mousse - Sky High, p. 76
Almond Cream Cheese Frosting - Sky High, p. 159

Eat me!

The ginger chiffon cake was so light and delicious, especially since we punched up the amount of fresh ginger (used 1.5X). Beware that this cake rises nicely when baking and then deflate as it cools--disappointing, but no less delicious. Mango mousse really needs no description, but with a bit of rum, it added something special to the cupcakes. Trader Joe's made this incredibly easy with their packs of frozen mango puree (which also happen make excellent popsicles or smoothie additions). We topped these cupcakes off with everyone's favorite, the almond cream cheese frosting. Downright addicting!

Almond Raspberry Cupcakes
Almond Cupcakes - Baked, p. 76
Raspberry Cream - Sky High, p. 81
White Chocolate Buttercream - Sky High, p. 83

A bit more like a traditional cupcake, the almond cupcake was rich and buttery with a nice crumb. The raspberry cream was amazing, a bit of tart from the berries and hints of rosewater. Made with Callebaut, the white chocolate buttercream was silky and rich, definitely worth a little extra effort!

Couldn't be more inviting!

This adventure was certainly a success. There was a report that someone ate seven. The bartender said she had never seen wedding cake go so fast. A few people made sure to grab a cupcake to-go. Best cake someone ever had?! Hearing all of this was the highest of praise, and humbled us both. We ended the evening as happy bakers and smiled as our heads hit the pillow for a much needed rest!

Which cupcake would you have gone for?? One of each? I'm not going to lie, the ginger mango cupcake kinda stole my heart. Luckily I am not a one cupcake kinda gal ;)

Project Wedding Cake I

2011-06-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

When a good friend asked Rebecca and I if we would like to bake the cake for their wedding reception, I didn't hesitate to say yes! Luckily Rebecca indulged my craziness and accepted the challenge.

Many hours later, our hard work paid off and every last morsel was consumed! Better yet, Rebecca might even bake with me again!!

Rebecca's baking suit :)

The couple gave us free reign when it came to what we wanted to do for their baked goods... cake or cupcakes, flavors, decoration, it was all up to us. Knowing how quickly I make decisions, we're lucky they got their cake :)

After pouring over some cookbooks, a three baking sessions to test out some cakes and flavor combinations, we had a plan. One cake for cutting purposes and a lot of cupcakes. Wedding cake novices, we didn't quite have the equipment for baking a cake large enough for 70 people, nor did we feel comfortable decorating one!

My estimations for numbers (~100, 48 of each flavor) seemed spot-on, as both the cupcakes were polished off before we all left Fosters Clam Bake. However, my fear of not having enough filling and frosting did cause me to overestimate the amount of those to make, oops! Things went pretty smoothly, minus one failed attempt at finding the soft ball stage :)

Here's how it went down...

Plan of Attack:
Thursday PM- make frostings (~4hrs)
Friday- bake cake and cupcakes (~5hrs)
Saturday AM- prepare fillings (~2hrs)
Saturday noon- assembly! (~2hrs)

Thanks to a consult with Jen, transporting 100+ cupcakes was made easy through the use of under-the-bed boxes (awesome tip)! Seated in the boxes lined with grip-it shelf liner, all of our babies arrived safe in Maine safe and sound. The cake layers were simply wrapped in saran, fillings kept on ice, and frostings left out so they would come to room temperature during the car ride north.

a perfect bite (cupcake core, dab of filling and frosting)

When it came to go-time, we went with a divide-and-conquer approach, Rebecca and Mike cored and filled cupcakes while I prepared the cake.

After that was done I frosted the cupcakes while Rebecca provided the finishing touches!

Somehow we managed to finish decorating the cupcakes and get our mess out of the way just as the first guests started arriving. A quick trip to the hotel to change, it was then time to relax and enjoy the party :)

Congrats Meghan and Leo!!!

Come back on Monday to find out what flavors we baked up!

Bits & Pieces

2011-06-09T14:20:00.002-04:00

I'm in the midst of writing about the latest project, but in case you were wondering...

A wedding cake (and many cupcakes) were made last weekend!!

Luckily I've eaten more than just sugar the past week ;) In search of a mushroom-filled dinner that wouldn't require me to turn on the oven (anyone want to gift me an air conditioner for my kitchen?), Rebecca pointed me to Deb's Mushroom Crepe Cake. One look and I knew I'd be making it the next night!

A first for making crepes, it didn't seem so bad (next time will probably not go as easy ;)). There were definitely extra crepes, which made me wish I had more mushroom filling, but it was delicious!! I don't think I made enough changes to Deb's recipe to post it here, but I did cut back on the butter in filling (used 1T butter +1T olive oil), used cave-aged gruyere and almond milk in the filling, added ~1t chopped fresh thyme and didn't measure my cheese (so was probably short). The only change to the crepe batter was to use white whole wheat flour and omit the butter needed for the pan as my pan didn't require any. Highly recommended, whether it be for a brunch or dinner spread!

I also got the first share from Marshall's Farmstand CSA and I couldn't be more excited for the summer :) Check out the goods...

What should I make from my share??

Massaged Kale

2011-06-02T15:00:00.002-04:00

I don't know what's gotten into me, but kale might have overtaken spinach as my favorite green. I've been eating a lot of it lately, and not just on pizza! It started with slightly roasted kale (on the way to kale chips, but not crispy) and morphed into massaged kale.

Just like roasting slightly, massaging kale softens it a bit while retaining some of its hearty texture. More approachable than eating raw kale, I'd urge you to give it a try! You can also use olive oil instead of avocado to massage the kale, if you don't happen to have an avocado on hand.

Massaged Kale Salad
Serves 2-4

Feel free to mix up the toppings, using whatever you have on hand. I liked the play of the sweet mango with the sea salt here, and of course the creaminess of the avocado and edamame!

1 large bunch of kale, washed, destemmed and torn into pieces
flesh of 1 avocado, roughly chopped
2T lemon juice
coarse sea salt (optional, but I like it)
1 pkg shelled, cooked edamame (fresh or frozen)
flesh of 1-2 ripe mangoes, cubed
sunflower seeds

Place the kale in a large bowl (I needed two). Add avocado, lemon juice and sea salt, then use your hands to massage the avocado into the kale leaves. You really want to make sure and coat all of the kale, leaving no real chunks of avocado behind. Set this aside for a little while in the fridge.

There's no exact time to let the kale marinate, it can be as short as the time it takes you prep the rest of the ingredients or as long as a day ahead of time.

To assemble the salads, top the massaged kale with edamame, mango and sunflower seeds.

What's your favorite leafy green?

Sweet Potato Kale Pizza

2011-05-30T16:23:00.009-04:00

I don't know who came up with this pizza at Emma's, but I need to thank them. Simply known as the #3, a thin, crispy crust is topped with baby spinach, caramelized onions, garlic, rosemary sauce, mozzarella and goat cheese. Yes, please. Might've been the quickest decision I've ever made in a restaurant!

Love at first bite, I knew I'd be recreating it at home. Especially since I didn't get the leftovers ;)

I switched things up a bit and it came out just as delicious. Maybe even better? This time there were no leftovers, so I need to make it again. Soon.

Sweet Potato & Kale Pizza w/Rosemary Goat Cheese Sauce
Recipe by Shannon, inspired by Emma's
Serves 2

The components of the pizza can be made ahead of time-- my dough came out of the freezer, the onion caramelized and sweet potato roasted ahead of time, making for an easy week-night dinner.

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1-2T olive oil
1 medium-large sweet potato
pizza dough (homemade or store-bought)
kale, chopped/ripped into small pieces (I didn't measure this, maybe ~1c)
3oz goat cheese
1T chopped fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic (or more if you'd like), chopped or run through a garlic press
1/4c milk (nondairy is fine)

Preheat the oven (anywhere from 350-400deg will be fine).

Poke some holes in the sweet potato with a fork and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast for ~1hr, until nice and soft (a fork will slide right through when it's done). Let cool, then cut the sweet potato in half and remove the flesh for the pizza. The skin is still delicious, I'd recommend eating it right away :)

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet (or dutch oven) over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat in the oil. Cook for a 1-2min, then turn down heat. Cook over low heat for 15-20min, until onions become browned and nicely caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.

Raise oven temperature to 450deg. If you have a pizza stone, make sure it's in the oven now!

To prepare the rosemary goat cheese sauce, put goat cheese, rosemary and garlic into a small bowl. Add milk and whisk until it becomes smooth and spreadable consistency.

Roll out pizza dough on a surface dusted with a little cornmeal (or more flour). I rolled mine out pretty thin, so it was more like a flatbread, but feel free to make whatever style crust you prefer.

Once the oven is preheated, remove the pizza stone and assemble your pizza. Spread the rosemary goat cheese sauce over the dough, then top with chopped kale, sweet potato and caramelized onions. Bake 10-12 min, until crust is crispy!

How was everyone's weekend?

Moroccan Roasted Veggie Pilaf

2011-05-26T16:12:00.003-04:00

Lately I've been craving carrots and brussels sprouts roasted in a bit of coconut oil with some coarse salt. Easy and delicious, I've cooked them up quite a few times recently. Something about the coconut oil makes these root vegetables irresistible.

Take a moment and let that sink in Mom... I've been craving brussels sprouts :) I never thought I'd say that!!

My most recent creation used something else hiding in my cupboard- a Moroccan Curry Kashi Pilaf. I played up the spices a little bit on the veggies, added some chickpeas and feta, and called it a meal!

Moroccan Roasted Vegetable Pilaf
Serves 2-3

1lb carrots, peeled
1lb brussels sprouts, trimmed
1 red pepper
1-2T melted coconut oil
moroccan spices
2c Kashi Pilaf (or cooked quinoa, wheat berries, or other grain)
1 can chickpeas
2-3oz feta (I recommend a block made from sheep/goat's milk; or goat cheese)

Preheat oven to 400deg.

Cut up your veggies so they're a relatively uniform size. My carrots got thickly sliced on the bias and brussels sprouts got halved or quartered to match. The red pepper also got chopped into chunks about the same size.

Add veggies to a large bowl and toss with coconut oil. Season with coarse salt and moroccan spices. I went with eye-balled amounts of cumin, cinnamon, ginger and a dash of cayenne. (If you want a more precise mix, try Joanne or Dawn's recipes) Spread on a sheet pan and roast for 30-45min, until cooked through and nicely caramelized around the edges.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare whichever grains you're using and rinse/drain the chickpeas. Toss the roasted veggies with the cooked grains and chickpeas, then serve up topped with feta.

Have you tried coconut oil for roasting your root veggies yet?? How about your most recent favorite easy meal??

The Latest Project

2011-05-23T09:21:00.001-04:00

We'll need:

7c cake flour
1c AP flour
18.5 sticks of butter
27 eggs
1c shortening
10 1/2c sugar
20c powdered sugar
5c heavy cream
24oz raspberries
1c sliced almonds
12oz white chocolate
4 1/2c mango puree
32oz cream cheese

Any guesses as to what Rebecca and I will be doing in less than two weeks?? Full recap to come ;)

Lunch at L'Espalier

2011-05-19T22:48:00.001-04:00

I was lucky enough to get the chance to experience a tasting menu at L'Espalier some time ago and have been meaning to recap ever since. Hopefully you'll forgive the delay and enjoy our fabulous meal with me now-- I hope you saved room!

We started the meal (although to call it just a meal seems to short-change it) with an Island Creek Oyster with cucumber foam and American caviar. You'll have to imagine this presentation, as this was the one course I missed :(

Butter-poached Maine lobster

Next up was butter-poached Maine lobster with squash soup and piccalilli; Siberian caviar. The hand-crafted dish this was served in was incredible, I wish I could've taken it home! I'm not a huge fan of lobster, but it was certainly done well and sat above a tasty soup.

Risotto with preserved lemon

Risotto with preserved lemon. Wow. I was totally amazed by the preserved lemon risotto and need to try to recreate it at home!! It came with parmesan crisps (tasty of course) and escargot, which was... earthy. Kind of reminded me of a mushroom?

Hudson Valley foie gras terrine

Hudson Valley foie gras terrine with apple puree, ginger snap biscuit, and candied ginger. I had a feeling foie gras would be a part of the meal and here it was. I tried not to think about it too much and give it an honest chance. With a texture of butter and a taste that was spicy, almost like Christmas, it actually paired really well with the ginger snap biscuit and topped with some of the candied ginger or apple puree. It was quite a large piece of foie gras however and I couldn't eat it on its own, so our waiter graciously brought me some more ginger snap biscuits to finish it off... because, you know, there wasn't going to be more food coming ;)

Georges Bank cod

Onto the Georges Bank cod with PEI mussels, black pudding gnocchi and grilled endive. The cod was great and perfectly cooked. The grilled endive, however, was my least favorite bite of the night. Bitter and ick. I tried the gnocchi and mussel as well, and that's all I'll say about that :)

You would've thought that was the main course, right? Well I suppose it was... along with the next dish of black garlic and oat-crusted lamb loin with fennel pure and Apple Street Farm winter vegetables. I don't eat lamb that often, but this was delicious! And the fennel puree a very yummy accompaniment.

Cheese!

Of course there was a cheese course! From mild to pungent (L to R): Brie de Meaux (France), a sheep's milk cheese (Vermont), Le Chevrot (France), Organic Champlain Triple (Vermont), Cabot Cloth-Bound Cheddar (Vermont), Colorouge (Colorado), Caveman Blue (Oregon).

To accompany the cheese there were wine-poached apricots, candied walnuts, local honey and baguette slices. This could've been a meal in itself!! I seem to recall my favorite being the Champlain Triple, but it was tough to choose.

Pear Jasmine Sorbet

The pear jasmine sorbet that followed was delightful. Light and delicious, this was definitely a winner. That was dessert, right? Wrong.

Chocolate Decadence Cake

We ended the meal (appropriately!) with the chocolate decadence torte, served with vanilla ice cream. Rich but not too dense (or maybe my senses had been skewed by this point?), it stood no chance!!

Beyond stuffed.

A wonderful afternoon with a good friend, incredible food, and a kings' treatment, lunch at L'Espalier was one for the books! I was proud of myself for trying so many things I hadn't tried before or thought I didn't like (oysters, lobster, escargot, caviar, mussels, foie gras), but if I ever have another opportunity to do something like this, I'll likely opt for the vegetarian tasting :)

Which course would have been your favorite? One you might not have wanted to try?

*Disclaimer: This was a gift from a friend (not the restaurant), but was such a fun experience I wanted to share!*

A Better Stuffing

2011-05-10T17:45:00.000-04:00

I went through a phase in grad school where I made a bunch of recipes for stuffed chicken. Unfortunately more often than not they were bland and tasteless, so I thought it was hopeless

These days, I splurge for better chicken (organic, vegetarian-fed, hormone free...) every once in awhile and decided I'd put it to good use and really punch up the flavor. I wanted something in tune with the warmer weather, so basil pesto was getting used. I decided that sundried tomatoes and feta would be perfect partners.

I made this twice, since the first time I didn't have my camera. The first time I served up the stuffed chicken with some fresh pasta tossed with basil pesto. The second time, shown here, the side was kale massaged with avocado, lemon juice and coarse sea salt, tossed with some cooked quinoa, apples and roasted beets. Both ways were delicious :)

Chicken Stuffed w/Pesto, Sundried Tomatoes & Feta
Serves 2-3

Some chopped olives would also be a good addition here, if you like them :)

~1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts)
2T chopped sundried tomatoes
2T crumbled feta cheese (it's better in a block, and with sheep/goat's milk)
1-2T basil pesto, prepared or homemade
salt and pepper

For the filling, combine sundried tomatoes and feta in a small bowl. Add pesto, 1T at a time, and mix until the mixture begins to stick together. Be careful to make sure it's not too wet, otherwise it will ooze out of the chicken.

The thickness of your chicken breasts may determine how you roll them up-- for thicker ones, cut a slice down the middle, fan open and stuff as shown in the above photos. The chicken should be able to seal over the filling, but you can always secure with a toothpick if necessary.

If the chicken is on the thinner side, pound them out (between layers of saran, if you'd like), add some of the filling and then roll up. Secure with a toothpick or twine, so it doesn't unroll when cooking.

Heat a medium (nonstick) pan over medium heat. Cook, 5-10min on each side (2-4 sides depending on how you rolled it), based on the thickness of your chicken. You don't want to see any pink, and the juices should run clear. Remove from heat and set aside a few minutes to rest. Slice on a bias if you want it to look pretty, then serve!

CI's Choc Chip Cookies

2011-05-08T16:59:00.001-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there!! I know you're all great, but I think mine's the best-est :)

Love you Mom!! Don't worry, the bear's not real :)

In honor of my mom, who never let me eat raw eggs (aka cookie dough), I figured it would be appropriate to post about some chocolate chip cookies... the best chocolate chip cookies? That's what Cook's Illustrated claimed, and I had to find out for myself!

A fan of America's Test Kitchen (at least, when I used to watch cooking shows on tv), I love their scientific approach to finding out which things worked best and telling you why! It's the why that helps you learn in the kitchen, giving you tools to become a better cook/baker/recipe creater/etc. Cook's Illustrated is also my first stop when it comes to buying new kitchen equipment for reviews!

Cook's Illustrated-approved

Ok, the cookies. I followed Cook's Illustrated's recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookies, browning butter (most amazing smell ever.), weighing my flour, using CI-approved semisweet chocolate chips... and threw in some of my own tests ;) I just can't leave well enough alone!

There was a reason though... I was going to use my (very well seasoned) stoneware, as I do for pretty much everything else, and wasn't sure if this would affect their baking. My first batch was with parchment paper, the second was not. I liked the way they baked up without, so I continued on and then tried out a smaller cookie.

Does size matter?

The winner? The smaller cookie, at least in my book. I'm wondering if this had to do with the stoneware or my bigger cookie scoop (the silver one in the above photo). Looking at the pictures it appears that my bigger scoop is a #20 and they called for a #24... oops!

Of course, both sizes of cookies were delicious (I tested both, just to make sure). And don't tell my Mom, but I tasted some of the dough... I know, I know, but it contained browned butter! Browned butter!! One of the more amazing smells your kitchen can create. Browned butter should definitely be used more often. And I continue to be enamored with the melting properties of the Ghiradelli 60% bittersweet chips.

Who can resist a warm chocolate chip cookie? Clearly, not I.

Have you tried CI's recipe for chocolate chip cookies? Or have another that you think is better? I might need to do some more testing...