Best of 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.