Domestic Fits

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

25.06.2013 13 Comments

My grill broke last summer. We were in the middle of a move, and I still held onto the hope that we could fix it, so it wasn’t replaced. In Southern California, grillin' isn’t just a summer activity, it’s a year long love affair, making an entire 13 months sans grill a really long time to deprive myself of the chard glory of fire cooked food.

We just replaced it this past weekend and I can’t get enough of it. I had been trying to satisfy my urge to grill via my grill pan. Although it is a pretty fantastic pan, after making this corn on my stove top in a grill pan I couldn’t take it anymore, I had to have the real thing. I think I’ve officially reached Grill Junky status, lets hope I can keep it under control.

Hope you don’t mind too much, but I’ll be posting my grilling adventures over the next few weeks. And probably well into fall.

My favorite pinterest board right now is my Grillin' like a Villain. Feel free to post links to grilled food I should be aware of!

Grilled Artichokes with Crab Filling

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 28 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Artichokes:

2 fresh artichoke
4 tbs melted butter
2 tbs lemon juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Vegetable oil for the grill

For the Filling:

4 rings fresh pineapples (cut off rind and remove core)
12 ounces fresh lump crab meat
½ cup sour cream
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp mustard powder
¼ tsp hot pepper sauce
8 large Brussels sprouts
2 ounce crumbled goat cheese

Instructions

Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water. Preheat the grill
Slice the artichokes down the center, lengthwise. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the hair from the choke as well as the inner purple leaves, leaving a cavity in the center of the each artichoke half.
Boil in the pot of lightly salted boiling water until the outer leaves tear away easily, about 20 minutes.
Grill the pineapple rings until strong grill marks appear on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill, allow to cool slightly, chop.
In a small bowl stir together the crab meat, pineapple, sour cream, hot pepper sauce, ½ tsp each of salt, pepper, chili powder, and mustard powder.
Using a cheese crater, grate the Brussels sprouts, this should equal about 2/3 cup. Stir the grated Brussels sprouts into the crab mixture.
Once the artichokes are done cooking, remove from water and allow to drain.
Mix the melted butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Brush artichokes on all sides with melted butter mixture.
Brush the grill with vegetable oil. Grill artichokes, cut side down, until nice grill marks appear, about 5-8 minutes. Baste artichokes with melted butter while grilling.
Remove from grill, fill the cavity of each artichoke with crab mixture and top with crumbled goat cheese. Return to the grill, crab side up, and cook just until the filling is warm and the cheese has started to melt, about 3 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Starting at the outside and working inward, use the artichoke leaves to scoop out and eat the filling.

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream #CAStrawberryShortcakes

20.06.2013 17 Comments

My first official assignment as a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission was to re-invent the strawberry shortcake. After a brief stop on the idea of another chocolate strawberry shortcake, and possibly a lemon lavender version, I settled on a matcha version, something I hope is new to you all (I like to feel inventive!), and matcha goes so well with strawberries.

I’ve had Matcha powder (Japanese green tea powder) in the back of my mind for a while, on my list of foods to bake with. It gives a great contrast of color and flavor to the gorgeous strawberries, if you’re a matcha lover, I think you’ll agree.

I also have a pin contest to tell you all about. It’s a great excuse to spend a little extra time on pinterest while checking out some fantastic strawberry recipes, getting inspired for those summer cook-outs and trying to win some extra cash!

Matcha Strawberry Shortcakes with Lime Whipped Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Shortcakes:

1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1-2 tbs matcha powder*
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
6 tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup whole milk

For the Strawberries:

4 cups strawberries, cleaned and chopped
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsp lime juice

For the Lime Whipped Cream:

1 ½ cups chilled heavy cream (or whipping cream)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400
Add flour, sugar, matcha, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor, pulse to combine.
Add the butter cubes, process until the butter is incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add the milk, process until just combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop large spoonful’s (about the size of a lime) onto the baking sheet, evenly spaced.
Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until the tops have just started to brown, remove from oven and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the strawberries, lime juice and granulated sugar, set aside.
Once the shortcakes have cooled, make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream, powdered sugar and lime zest until soft peaks form. While the mixer is runner, add the lime juice, beat until incorporated.
Split the shortcakes and fill with strawberries and whipped cream.

Notes

*Note: 2 tablespoons of matcha powder will give you a strong green tea flavor and a deeper green color. If you want a more mild, mellow flavor, add only 1 tablespoon.

Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)

18.06.2013 11 Comments

The anemic looking, plastic tub dwelling potato salads of my youth put a pervasive distain in my culinary soul for the union of the words "potato" and "salad." It wasn’t until I found a non-mayo based version that I really started to see potential. While I’ve used sour cream, blue cheese dressing and even bacon garlic aioli, the mustard vinaigrette edition is a fun twist. I also like to roast the potatoes rather than boil them, it prevents the possibility of the over cooked mush and it brings out flavors that might otherwise be washed away in boiling salted water.

For the vinaigrette I used an IPA from a brewery not to far from me, Noble Ale Works out of San Diego. A newer brewery that, rumor has it, just celebrated their second anniversary. Like most brewers I’ve been lucky enough to come across, this team seems profoundly dedicated to what they do, fiercely loyal to to their community, and in near constant pursuit of the perfect brew.

Big Whig IPA is a fine example of a West Coast IPA, with a bold hoppyness that’s balance with a pale male, citrus notes, a bit of caramel and some pine. The accessibility of this beer makes it perfect to add to your summer beer rotation and the light seasonally appropriate flavors make it perfect for a salad dressing.

Table of Contents

Warm Duck Fat Roasted Potato Salad with IPA Mustard Vinaigrette (with vegetarian option)

Print Recipe

Ingredients

2 lbs red potatoes cut into small cubes
2 tbs duck fat use olive oil for vegetarian
1 tsp salt
¼ cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic smashed
¼ cup stone ground mustard
1 tbs honey
¼ cup IPA
¼ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 weight ounces crumbled Roquefort cheese about 1/3 cup
¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped
½ cup shelled peas

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Heat the duck fat (or olive oil for vegetarian) in a large oven safe skillet (cast iron preferred). Add potato cubes and 1 tsp salt, tossing to coat. Cook until potatoes start to brown, about 5 mintues. Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
In a blender or small food processor, add the shallots, garlic, mustard, honey, IPA, smoked paprika, pepper and ½ tsp salt, process until well combined, about 2 minutes.
In a large bowl add the potatoes, mustard vinaigrette, green onions, blue cheese, parsley and peas, toss to coat. Serve warm.

I use this Duck Fat because it’s well priced and good quality. A little goes a long way so one jar will last a while. (Affiliate Link)

Join me: Facebook, Twitter

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

17.06.2013 63 Comments

I’m can’t decide what I’m more excited about, the best grilled vegetable recipes I’ve made in years, or this awesome giveaway.

Lets talk about this corn for a second. Of course the original purpose of the corn itself was merely as a vehicle for the Sriracha butter, which I adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook (you should buy it, and the Veggie Lovers version), but the sweetness of the grilled corn with the spicy butter made me forget that I had acctually made other things for dinner. This is a meal all by itself. I would also recommend serving it American State Fair style in bed of aluminum foil so that you don’t miss all that fabulous butter that will melt away. And don’t be shy about adding it to your other grilled foods, shrimp and zucchini would love to take a dip in this stuff.

Now, we can chat about this little giveaway. I’ve teamed up with some other awesome bloggers to give one lucky reader a shiny new iPad:

Give them a visit, enter to win and GOOD LUCK! And if you don’t win, you can always console yourself with some tasty, spicy, grilled corn.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Ingredients

1 stick butter, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup scallions, chopped
2 tsp sriracha
6 ears corn
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions

Place butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a small food processor) along with garlic, scallions and sriracha. Process until all ingredients are well combined.
Scrape onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into a log shape, refridgerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Remove the husks and the silk from the corn, leave stalk on, if still attached. Rub corn with olive oil, salt and pepper all sides.
Cook on a preheated grill for 15-20 minutes, rotating every 3-5 minutes.
Place grilled corn on a sheet of aluminum foil, top with a few slices of sriracha butter, fold foil around corn.

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

14.06.2013 39 Comments

This is a baking PSA, a result of an ongoing panic attack I’ve been having since I turned my book into the publisher. I’ve been convinced that most people who attempt to make my Chocolate Stout Cake with Raspberry Chocolate Ganche won’t know there is a difference between weight ounces and fluid ounces, confuse the two and end up with a failure. These things keep me up at night. Because if you make a recipe of mine and it fails, I feel awful, even if the recipe isn’t to blame. Even if you are totaly to blame for the failure, I still feel terrible.

Weight ounces and fluid ounces are not the same thing. In fact, for the most part, they have nothing to do with one another.

Weight ounces measure weight, fluid ounces measure volume. One does not equal the other.

Take a bag of chocolate chips, for example. It will probably list on the package: 12 weight ounces (often abbreviated as just "wt oz"). Pour those chocolate chips into a measuring cups and you’re bound to see it reach about 2 cups, or 16 fluid ounces.

12 weight ounces of chocolate equals about 16 fluid ounces.

Cheese is the same. 8 weight ounces of shredded cheese is about 16 fluid ounces.

Flour is even worse. Most bakers weigh their flour rather than measure it in cups (although most recipes will say cups) but if you see a baker call for ounces of flour, she probably means weight, not volume. Have I lost you yet?

Generally, 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) of flour is only 4 weight ounces.

Most of the time, the difference is easy to distinguish, and lucky for us, beer is equal when it comes to fluid ounces and weight ounce. 8 fluid ounces of beer equals 8 weight ounces (one less thing to worry about!)

The biggest worry in the cooking and baking world are generally cheese and chocolate. Mostly because they are sold in weight ounces, but recipes vary when it comes to what they call for. Recipes should call for those items in weight ounces, but if you aren’t familiar, and just load up your measuring cup with shredded cheese or chocolate chips and think you’re looking for fluid ounces, you’ll most likely have a recipe disaster on your hands.

The take away:

When you see a recipe calling for ounces: figure out what type of ounces or your recipe may not work.

Thank you for letting me get that off my chest, I feel better. Although I still want to kick the crap out of the a-hole who decided to use the same word for both.

And take moment to check out those glorious cherries in the middle of that pie.

Table of Contents

Chocolate Stout Cherry Pie

Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 pie crust
2 3.5 ounce bars 60% chocolate (total 7 weight ounces)
3 tbs unsalted butter cut into cubes.
2 tbs light corn syrup
1/3 cup stout
3 tbs heavy cream
2 1/2 cups pitted dark sweet cherries such as Bing, about 16 wt ounces pitted

For the Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs stout optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Rough out pie dough, transfer to a 9-inch pie pan, trim off excess. Prick several holes in the bottom.
Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Allow to cool.
Break the chocolate into chunks and add to the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water along with the butter, corn syrup and stout. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted. Add the cream and stir until completely incorporated. Add the cherries, stir until all of the cherries are well coated. Pour into the crust. Refrigerate until set, about 4 hours and up to 24.
Once the pie has cooled make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract (and stout, if using) to a stand mixer. Beat on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Notes

Note about chocolate: you can use up to 70%, but the higher the percentage (which indicates the amount of cocoa in the bar) the more bitter the chocolate, therefore the more bitter the pie. If you use a really low cocoa content, like a 30%, the pie may have a harder time setting up because of the lower cocoa content, and higher milk content. I would stay between 55% and 70%.

Join me: Facebook, Twitter

Ginger Lime Daiquiri

13.06.2013 12 Comments

Did you know rum used to be an accepted form of currency in the United States? This was, of course, a really long time ago. Before whiskey and beer took firm hold of the American liquor scene, the US was all about the rum. So what happened? I blame frat boys and The Captain for our current view of rum, but these days rum is starting to find it’s way back into the hearts of craft liquor lovers. I’m not much of a hard liquor drinker, I tend to favor good beer and cheap wine, but after researching the history of rum for an article I wrote, I have a newfound respect. I also found the taste of Ten Cane Rum to be stellar, by far my favorite of all the rums I sampled.

I also realized that although most people think of that syrupy pink blended guy as a daiquiri, the original version is all about well made rum and some lime juice.

And I threw in some ginger simple syrup for good measure.

Ginger Lime Daiquiri

Yield: 1 cocktail with plenty of simple syrup for several more drinks

Ingredients

Ginger Simple Syrup:

½ cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup ginger, peeled and sliced

Ginger Lime Daiquiri (makes 1)

2 ounce golden rum
1 ounces lime juice
1 ounce ginger simple syrup
Dash fresh ginger, grated with a microplane or fine zester

Instructions

Make the ginger simple syrup: Add water, sugar and ginger to a pan over medium-high heat. Stir continually until sugar has dissolved, remove from heat. Allow the ginger to steep until syrup has cooled to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Strain out the ginger and store simple syrup in a plastic squeeze bottle or jar in the fridge until ready to use (can be made up to a week ahead of time).
Make the Daiquiri: Add rum, lime juice and ginger simple syrup to a shaker full of ice. Shake gently for 15-30 seconds, strain into a cocktail glass. Grate fresh ginger into the glass.
Notes

Ginger simple syrup also makes a fantastic addition to watermelon margaritas

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies

06.06.2013 30 Comments

This post is evidence that I am a totally sucker. Twice.

First, my three-year-old lifts a huge tub of blueberries into the shopping cart and says, "Can I have the blueberries? I love them." I agree. Sucker.

The next day, she climbs in my lap and says, "Can we please make cookies?" I agree again. Sucker.

I would show you the picture of her helping me scoop the dough into the cookie sheets, but she did so naked. She’s in a naked phase, as soon as we walk in the door she strips off all her clothes, yells, "Naked lady on the loose!" and runs through the house. I’ve decided not to fight this battle, we’ve just had to come to an agreement about when it is, and is not, appropriate to be naked. Which makes me say things like, "Honey, we don’t get naked at the post office." I’m assuming she’ll grow out of it. Or someday find happiness at a nudist colony, preferably in a warm climate.

We actually made these twice. I’ve told you this before, but my version of The Perfect Cookie is chewy, not cakey. And despite my best intentions, the first batch came out cakey:

And although I was disappointed in the lack of chewyness, I still ate five (for real, don’t judge). The second round was exactly what I wanted, soft, chewy, slightly puffy, and not cakey. But I do understand there are those of you who do like the cakey version, also they would be fantastic to make blueberry whoopies with, so I’m posting both.

But the chewy ones were better.

Chewy Lemon Blueberry Cookies (both cakey and chewy versions listed)

Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

Cakey version:

2 ½ cups All Purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup white sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
3 tbs lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup fresh blueberries

Chewy Version:

1 1/4 cups All Purpose flour
1 cups bread flour (can use AP flour, but won’t be as chewy)
1 ¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 additional egg yolk
3 tbs lemon juice (about 1 large lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 ½ cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium-sized bowl mix together the flour(s), baking soda, (baking powder if making the cakey version) and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat both kids of sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg(s), beat until very well combined, about 3 minutes. Mix in the sour cream (cakey version only). Add the lemon juice and zest mix until well combined.
Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, stir until just combined. Gently stir in the blueberries.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop golf ball sized mounds onto a cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper (if making cakey version, chill for 20-30 minutes prior to baking or they will spread too much. Chewy version does not need to be chilled).
Bake at 350 for 12-16 minutes or until the top just starts to turn a very light golden brown.
immediately slide the parchment onto the counter, allow the cookies to cool to room temperature.

Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs

30.05.2013 13 Comments

I love breakfast, I eat it every day.

Saturdays and Sundays I always make it an ordeal, several dishes, coffee, juice, and my husband and I chat, lingering over the last bits of the meal. I love it because I almost never blog about it, so it’s not "work," it’s whatever I want to make. I love that we both just want to sit and talk to each other, long after my daughter has powered down her bacon and eggs and started to torture the dog with dress up clothes.

I especially love when I have breakfast guest, which is rare. They always offer to help, assure me that they are fine with just toast or cereal, but I love that I get to include more people in this weekend ritual we have at the house of Team Dodd. This was a breakfast guest meal that I will make again. I made it for my Mother in Law, who loved it so much she wrote down the ingredients on the inside cover of her crossword book before I could assure her that I would post it. It’s easy to throw together the night before, giving you more time to spend with your breakfast guest. Or to make Bloody Marys. You should make Bloody Marys.

Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs

Prep Time: 6 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 lbs crusty bread, cut into cubes
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
8 ounces raw chicken sausage, removed from casing, crumbled
8 eggs
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
3 ounces shaved or shredded parmesan
6 eggs poached (or substitute a large dollop of sour cream on each serving)

Instructions

Arrange bread cubes, spinach and sausage crumbles in a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix the eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Pour mixture over bread cubes evenly, toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until eggs have set.
Cut into squares, top with poached eggs or sour cream.

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

29.05.2013 20 Comments

Really, this pie was a necessity. I love the way those banana cream pies look, but I have such a deep loathing for those yellow peeled devils I can’t even bring myself to try one. But they look amazing, so creamy and fluffy, but with the foul stench of banana lurking beneath all that fabulous whipped cream. (Banana Council should accept my sincere apologies, I completely support the consumption of such a healthy fruit, as long as I don’t have to do the consuming. And said consuming does not happen in my near vicinity).

But unlike my mint aversion, this hatred was not triggered by a traumatic event. Nor do I have a desire to fix the issue, I’m cool with a banana free existence.

That’s because I have other fantastic yellow fruits, like pineapple, to pick up the slack. although, I will admit, banana’s do make a much more convenient grab-and-go snack, be it not for the inconvenience of the inevitable projectile vomiting that would ensue if I were forced to eat one. (I may be the only person that has used the term "projectile vomiting" while trying to get you to make a pie).

Pineapple picks up quite a bit of slack in the tropical fruit department, I love them. I was in Costa Rica a few years ago and ordered "Pina y Agua" smoothies several times a day for weeks and never got sick of them. I’ve fully admitted my bias already, but I really think pineapple pie is the new banana pie. And I added beer to try and get you on my side.

Table of Contents

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Crust:

9 standard sized graham crackers
2 tbs brown sugar
pinch salt
4 tbs melted butter

For the Filling:

1 ¾ cups pineapple chunks
3 tbs cornstarch
6 ounces cream cheese softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup pale ale

For the Topping:

1 cup whipped cream
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tbs pale ale
¼ cup sweetened coconut flake
¼ cup almond slices

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a food processor add the graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt process until only crumbs remain.
While the food processor is still running add the melted butter, process until it resembles wet sand.
Dump into the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan. Starting with the sides, press the crust evenly into the tart pan.
Put the pineapple chunks in the food processor, sprinkle with cornstarch, and process until smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Mix in the pineapple puree. Add the beer, mix until well combined. Pour into the tart shell.
Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top of the tart turns golden brown. Allow to cool at room temperature for ten minutes. Refrigerate until set and chilled, about 3 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the whipped cream, powdered sugar and pale ale. Beat on high until soft peaks form. Add to the top of the cooled tart. Chill tart until ready to serve.
Add the coconut and almonds to a dry pan. Add to medium high heat, toss continually until toasted, about 5 minutes. Top the tart with toasted coconut and almonds just prior to serving (it will get soggy if it sits on the tart too long. If you want to make the tart ahead of time, store toasted topping separate, garnish just prior to serving).

Join me: Facebook, Twitter

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

22.05.2013 13 Comments

I’m so excited to tell you that I’ve been asked to be a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission. Given my complete love of strawberries, this is fantastic for me. To be honest, I’ve been asked to be a brand ambassador before but it was never a good fit, I ended up turing other companies down. I can’t endorse a company that I don’t have complete faith in putting my name on the line for. I’m absolutely proud to represent a product as fantastic as California strawberries and I was thrilled to be asked and accepted without hesitation. I love strawberries and the best ones come from California.

I’m working on some strawberry recipes, I have a great savory recipe that just isn’t ready to post yet. It’s good, but I want it to be great so I’ll be working on it a bit more before I’m ready to send into into digital print.

May is National Strawberry Month, but really, you don’t need an excuse to grab some strawberries now that they are everywhere. But if you do need some ideas, here are some strawberry recipes that I love so much:

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes:

Strawberry, Goat Cheese And Quinoa Salad:

Strawberry Brie Mini Galettes:

Strawberry Sriracha Margarita

And now, the man of the hour, a recipe for a strawberry granita that requires no special equipment and makes a great final dish for those summer dinner parties on the patio that we are all looking forward to.

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

Ingredients

For the Granita:

1 cup very hot tap water
½ cup sugar
3 cups strawberries, chopped
1 lemon, juiced and zested

For the Candied Mint:

10-15 mint leaves
2 tbs corn syrup
1 Tbs very hot tap water
3 tbs white sugar

Instructions

Put the very hot water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves (microwave for 30 seconds if the sugar doesn’t dissolve).
Add the sugar water, strawberries, lemon juice, an lemon zest to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Pour into a glass baking dish (7×11 or 9×13 will work well) place in the freezer.
Stir every 30 minutes, combining the frozen edges into the center. Once the granita is mostly frozen, rake the surface with a fork to create flakey mound. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

To make the candied basil:

Preheat the oven to 175.
Place 2 tbs of corn syrup and 1 tbs hot water in a small bowl, stir until well combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dip the leaves in the corn syrup water, lay them on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar, turn over, sprinkle with additional sugar (make more leaves than you need, some of them don’t survive the process as well as other, you’ll want extras).
Place in the 175 degree oven for 20 minutes, flip over and cook until dry and sugar has crystalized, about 30 additional minutes.

Notes

Boozy Option: To make this a Strawberry Mojito Granita, add 1/4 cup white rum and 5 mint leaves to the blender with the sugar water, strawberries, lemon zest and lemon juice and just proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

20.05.2013 13 Comments

I wasn’t going to do a post on this, because it’s not a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions. But then two things happened, first, I keep making it for parties, and people keep loving it. Second, I went to a goat cheese making class this weekend and was sent home with a bag of fantastic Redwood Hill Farms goat cheese products, including a fabulous goat feta.

I could eat chèvre goat cheese every day of my life, it’s one of my favorite foods, and by far my favorite cheese. Which I found out is a good thing since goat milk products are easier on the human digestive system and lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than cow cheeses. Which reminded me to try smoked goat cheddar next time I have a craving for a late night grilled cheese, at least I’ll feel less guilty about it.

Speaking of less guilty, this dip is a less guilty version of that other seven layer dip, that one that has refried beans, cheddar, sour cream, you know the one. It’s great, I love that guy. But this one is just as tasty, but with much fewer calories and you don’t even have to resort to "fat free" or fake ingredients, it’s just a big pile of tasty produce sandwiched between hummus and that naturally lower in calorie cheese we talked about. It’s just about winning at party dip making while bikini season rears its ugly head.

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

Ingredients

10 wt ounces hummus
1 red onion, chopped
4 persian cucumbers, chopped
1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
4 wt ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Starting with the hummus and ending with the feta cheese, layer all ingredients in an 8X8 baking dish or similar sized serving dish. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes

Make sure and chop all vegetables smaller than you would for a salad, they need to be small enough so that all seven layers make it into the same bite. 2. If you find raw onions too intense, soak them in ice cold water, rinse and allow to dry before proceeding with this recipe.

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

14.05.2013 23 Comments

I’m on my way to New York right now to cook on The Today Show. I’d like to say that I’m cool enough to not think this is a big deal, but I’m not. I’m thrilled, and also a little nervous (significant nervousness is scheduled for the late 9am hour on Wednesday morning).

Before I left on my journey across the country I wanted to leave you with this cake. It’s really easy, really rich and insanely good. A perfect cake to pair with a stout or even one of those black IPA’s I’ve become so found of.

Table of Contents

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For The Cake

½ cup butter chopped
7 weight ounces 60% chocolate chopped
1/3 cup stout
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tbs cornstarch

For the Frosting

3 tbs butter softened
8 ounces mascarpone
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.
In the top of a double boiler over a simmering water add the chocolate and the butter. Stir until the butter is almost melted, turn off heat and continue to stir until butter is melted. Remove the top of the double boiler and place on a clean kitchen towel. Stir in the beer. Whisk in the sugar. Check to make sure the chocolate is room temperature or below, then whisk in the eggs and the yolks. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and the cornstarch over the chocolate, gently stir until combined.
Place a round of parchment paper inside a 10 inch spring form pan, rub the inside of the pan and the parchment paper with butter.
Pour the batter inside the prepared pan, smooth out into an even layer.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top looks dry and the top is slightly springy, don’t over bake of cake will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. Transfer to a cake pan, refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and the mascarpone, beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and zest, mix until well combined. Frost the cake with the mascarpone frosting, chill until ready to serve. (Don’t be afraid to make this a day ahead of time, it’s better the next day).

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

13.05.2013 25 Comments

I’m cooking on The Today show on Wednesday.

I wish I was cool enough to have a witty lead in and build up to the exciting news, but I’m just going to digitally blurt it out:

I’m cooking on The Today Show, in New York, on Wednesday. I’ll be battling it out with two other cooks in The Joyful Cook-off for supreme Healthy One Pot Meal domination, although the big prize is merely bragging rights. With a free trip to New York, and the opportunity to cook on The Today show, I feel like I’ve already won.

Back to these potatoes, that will forever be known as Beverly Hills potatoes. I went to Bazaar in Beverly Hills with a friend for her birthday a few months ago. The food was beautiful, intricate and far beyond my culinary abilities. Then there were these lovely and delicious miniature potatoes that had been salt roasted, served on tooth picks with a side of pesto butter. It’s a good thing I choose to fall in love with the one thing I could actually duplicate at home, although there were these fantastic Japanese Taco’s I’ll need to stop thinking about because I’ll never be able to figure out how to make those.

The hardest thing about this dish is finding these miniature potatoes, although I have seen them in several markets. They are far smaller that the baby red potatoes that you might think of, closer to the size of large grapes. I’ve seen them called "teeny tiny potatoes" and "miniature potatoes," either way, they are really small.

Now I’m hooked. I’ve served them as a side dish, and also put toothpicks in the and served them as an appetizer.

And this is what happens when I try to photograph anything while tater is awake. She was laying down the potatoes with toothpicks in them saying, "Potatoes are tired boys."

She’s the best.

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Ingredients

1.5 lbs miniature potatoes
1 to 2 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup pesto
2 tbs melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
Wash the potatoes well, prick each one with a fork.
Place potatoes in a loaf pan. Pour salt over potatoes until most of the potatoes are covered.
Roast for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. Break up the salt crust with a fork, pour into a large bowl or pot, remove the potatoes (insert one tooth pick into each potato if serving as an appetizer).
To make the pesto butter, combine the pesto and melted butter. Serve alongside the potatoes.

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce

08.05.2013 20 Comments

I’ve started to think about dishes that have made an impact on me over the years, a salt roasted whole fish I ate in italy, curried soup I had in New York, even pancakes from my Grandfather. I didn’t grow up in a culinary family, I grew up in a defrost-and-feed family and decided I wanted to figure out this cooking thing when I was in High School. I met a guy who was older than me, SO old, in fact, that he had his own apartment. I wanted to impress him, so I offered to cook him dinner. Newly licensed, I drove to the grocery store all by myself for the first time. I had planned to buy steak and try to figure that out, but a combination of seeing these tiny chickens and realizing how expensive good steak was made the decision easy. Two "tiny chickens" were only $4, and I peeled the price tag off so that he wouldn’t know how cheap I was.

I just rubbed them with butter (probably margarine, to be honest) and salt and pepper, and cooked them until I thought they were done. They turned out amazing, I think I was more impressed than he was. It was my first official Kitchen Win, Roasted Cornish Game Hens at 16 years old, in the kitchen of a crappy post war era apartment off George Washington Way.

I haven’t made them since (until now), and I can’t even tell you why. I make roast chicken all the time, and this is just as easy, and if you are having a dinner party, it’s really impressive, everyone gets their own tiny chicken. You don’t even have to tell them how cheap they are.

A beer brine is incredible, the combination of the subtle flavors and the meat tenderizing properties of beer give you a fantastic final product. I usually use brown ale, I love the notes of molasses and nuts that are easy to find in brown ales. I remembered Brother Thelonious from North Coast, a strong, dark, Belgian Style Abbey Ale . The notes of nuts, fruit, malt, brown sugar and cherries, along with a relatively high ABV of 9.3%, it was exactly what I was looking for. North Coast is a stellar brewery out of Northern California, that has brought us such hits as Old Rasputin and PranQster. North Coast has been preaching the craft beer gospel for 25 years, producing beer that is diverse and on point, you’ll never hear anything but praise out of me for North Coast.

Another reason to enjoy the Brother Thelonious is that a portion of the proceeds go to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, It’s a beer with a mission.

The sauce can be made with what you have "leftover" from the beer brine, but let’s be honest, it probably won’t last that long. You can also use a lighter wheat beer, or a pale ale. Just a warning, alcohol intensifies heat so the higher ABV you use, the higher the heat level will be. Removing the seeds from the pepper gives you a greater control over the sauces final heat level. Most of the heat of a pepper is found in the seeds, with almost no flavor.The flesh of the pepper still has significant heat, but also contains the flavor of the pepper. If you are worried about the heat not being high enough, reserve some of the seeds and add them into the sauce as needed.

Table of Contents

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the chicken:

12 ounces Belgian ale wheat beer, or brown ale
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tbs white sugar
1 tbs whole cloves
2 cups ice
2 Cornish game hens 1.75 to 2 lbs each
1 large lemon
2 tbs melted butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

For the sauce:

1 habanero chili
2 cara cara oranges juiced (about 1 cup)
1 tbs corn starch
1 tbs white sugar
¼ cup wheat beer
1 tbs white vinegar
1 tbs red chili flakes

Instructions

In a pot over medium high heat, add the wheat beer, salt, sugar and cloves. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat. Add the ice, stir until dissolved.
Rinse the game hens inside and out, place together in a large bowl. Pour the brine over the hens, refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 425.
Remove hens from brine, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
Place in a roasting rack of a roasting pan or on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut lemon into quarters. Place one quarter into each hen, place the remaining two in the roasting pan beneath the hens.
In a small bowl combine melted butter, salt and pepper.
Brush the hens liberally with the butter mixture.
Roast at 425 for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
While the hens are roasting, make the sauce. Using gloves remove the seeds from the habanero, discard seeds and stem, chop remaining pepper.
Add habanero, orange juice, cornstarch and white sugar to a saucepan over high heat, whisk frequently until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, add beer and vinegar, bring to a boil just until re-thickened, stir in about half (1-2 tsp) of the 1 tbs chili flakes. Taste sauce, add additional red chili flakes for a higher level of heat.
Serve the orange chili sauce in small sauce dishes along side the hens for dipping.

Notes

This recipe makes an abundance of sauce, enough for 4 to 6 servings. If you make more Game Hens, you won't need to double the sauce unless you make 8 or more servings. If you are worried about the heat not being high enough, reserve some of the seeds and add them into the sauce as needed.

Jalapeno Peach Martini

01.05.2013 61 Comments

This knife is bad ass.

There are much more eloquent ways of explaining how fantastic this Wüsthof knife is, like it’s forged from a single piece of specially tempered high carbon steel to ensure outstanding strength, or that The slight curve of the blade makes the Chai Dao ideal for cutting, but that just doesn’t get to the meat of the explanation.

This knife is bad ass.

It’s a strong cleaver that’s the perfect size, large enough to slightly scare anyone in your immediate chopping vicinity, but not so large that it’s unmanageable. It’s also sharp enough to slice jalapenos paper thin.

Although I don’t think it’s necessary to buy high end when it comes to all kitchen equipment, knives are the exeption. Knives are an important investment, a tool that will last long enough to pass down to your children, spend money on knives. Don’t buy a cheap block with multiple cheap knives that you will inevitable have to replace in a year (we’ve all done that).

Instead, start to collect. Build your collections one at a time. Start with the basics, and build. This is a great knife to add to your collection. If you are just starting, here are my recommendations:

Wüsthof Grand Prix Chefs Knife (my first big girl knife, I still use it all the time)

Wüsthof Grand Prix II Hollow-Edge 8 inch Chef′s Knife

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Paring Knife

Wüsthof Classic Chai Dao (Bad ass knife)

Because I had this knife, and was able to slice thin jalapenos, I made a cocktail. Maybe this doesn’t scream MOTHERS DAY, and fit the theme of this weeks giveaways, but I’m a mom and I love a good spicy cocktail and a sharp knife. Cocktails and knives are the new mothers day, I swear.

But maybe you wield the knife and start to chop things up with your bad ass knife before you drink that cocktail, mkay?

Jalapeno Peach Martini

Ingredients

2 ounces good quality vodka (I used Tito’s Homemade Vodka)
½ ounce dry vermouth
2 ounces peach nectar

6 thin slices fresh jalapeno

Instructions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add all ingredients, shake gently for about 10 seconds.
Pour through the strainer into a chilled martini glass.

Apricot Peaches and Cream Turnovers

30.04.2013 65 Comments

In honor of moms everywhere, and the upcoming Mothers Day holiday, I’m hosting some giveaways this week with a Mothers Day brunch theme!

If you are a coffee drinker, you need to get a French press. This is the best way to make coffee at home, and it doesn’t get any easier. You get an amazing coffee-house flavor, and it doesn’t even need electricity. I fell in love with French press coffee in Europe and I’ve used them ever since.

This gorgeous version from Le Creuset is available at Sur La Table, and as I’ve told you before, I’m a huge fan of Sur La Table.

For a gorgeous, thoughtfully stocked, kitchen store, their prices are outstanding (remember that marble rolling board? Shockingly inexpensive!) and the store has everything I’m looking for, I’d take this over shoe shopping any day (ok, most days).

Sur La Table and I are giving away this fabulous Le Creuset French Press (that I adore) and some amazing Sarahbeth’s Peach Apricot jam that has quickly become a favorite of mine. The ingredients are amazingly simple: sugar, water, peaches, apricots. The simplicity of the recipe puts the focus on the amazing fruit. Try turning over the jar of jam at your local super market and you’ll know why I’m so thrilled with this jam. Most commercial jam is full of dozens of unpronounceable ingredients, and even food dye (why the heck does my apricot jam need to be oranger?!). Sarahbeth’s jam is amazing, I’m a fan of the honest ingredients and incredibly huge flavors of real life fruit.

Because this jam is so gorgeously simple, I wanted a recipe that was simple as well. Something easy to throw together for your Mothers Day brunch, but that will show off that fabulous jam.

Just roll out a sheet of puff pastry and cut it into squares.

Fill those squares with a little sweetened cream cheese and jam (the stuff that breakfast dreams are made of).

Seal it up to keep all the good stuff inside.

Brush it will a glaze made from jam and a little water to thin it.

Bake it to golden brown perfection.

Apricot Peaches and Cream Turnovers

Yield: Yield: 6 Pastries

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
¼ cup Apricot jam
2 tbs jam plus 1 tbs water for glaze
pearl or sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.
In a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese and the powdered sugar, set aside.
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 equal sized squares.
Add 1 tablespoon sweetened cream cheese towards one corner of the squares, leaving about ½ inch edge empty. Top with 1 tablespoon jam.
Moisten the edges with water, fold the puff pastry over into a triangle.
Use a fork to seal the edges, transfer to a baking sheet that has been covered with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, wisk together the 2 tbs jam and 1 tbs water. Brush each pastry with the glaze, sprinkle with pearl or sanding sugar if desired.
Bake at 400 for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake

29.04.2013 81 Comments

In honor of moms everywhere, and the upcoming Mothers Day holiday, I’m hosting some giveaways this week with a Mothers Day brunch theme!

To kick us off is Le Creuset with a gorgeous cake stand (I love cake stands) that is perfect for a cake, pie, cookies, lets be honest, I’d serve roast chicken off this thing, it’s gorgeous! But not just that, we are also throwing in some beautiful French preserves by Bonne Maman. The winner also gets four jars in fabulous flavors like Fig, Strawberry and Golden Mirabelle. I love that these are jams that have simple, honest ingredients, jam like your Grandmother would have made in her own kitchen, with the fruit from her trees.

To celebrate these gorgeous jams, I wanted to give you a recipe that works well with all the great flavors. Of course, I looked to Martha, a woman who is no stranger to French jams. I adapted her amazing crumb cake recipe for the use of these jams, making it three times to get it just right. I love this so much, and I love that it works with all of these fabulous jams.

The winner will receive: One cherry red Le Creuset cake stand, four jars of French Bonne Maman preserves, shipped anywhere in the continental USA, you can even have it shipped directly to your mom! Or keep it for yourself, I won’t judge.

Cream Cheese and Jam Crumb Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the topping:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup Jam
1 ¾ cups flour
½ cup packed light-brown sugar
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Confectioners sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325
line 8X8 pan with aluminum foil, spray with butter cooking spray, set aside.
Stir together 1 ¼ cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, batter will be thick.
Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared f baking pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, egg and granulated sugar. Spread evenly on top of the batter.
Drizzle with the jam (marble in with a knife, if desired).
Combine the remaining 1 ¾ cup flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Drizzle with melted butter, stir together until crumbs form.
Bake at 325 for 32-36 minutes or until the top crumbs have just started to turn golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature, chill until ready to use. Cut into squares and dust with confectioners sugar prior to serving.

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles and I Heart California Strawberries

24.04.2013 62 Comments

This is a sponsored post, all opinions, thoughts and ideas are my own.

While standing in the middle of a strawberry field, having a true Farm to Table lunch (table in a farm?) I tried to think of one person I’ve ever met that doesn’t like strawberries. I couldn’t. I love strawberries, so when I got the invite from California Strawberry Commission to run around the beautiful strawberry fields in Oxnard I couldn’t say no.

Look at those things, just hanging out, looking so perfect. I love the California strawberries I can pick up at the grocery store and farmers markets, but right off the vine, slightly warm from the sun, those babies are incredible. By the way, if anyone ever invites you and your family to run around a strawberry farm, stuffing your face with berries right off the vine: say YES (enthusiastically).

I joined a handful of other bloggers for a day in the beautiful California sun, eating amazing food (and I’m not kidding about stuffing my face with berries right off the vine), a tour of the facility, and head farmer, Bill Reiman, joined the party to answered all of the Strawberry Question we could ever ask.

Here are a few of the Strawberry Facts I learned over the day (And by the way, I am just nerdy enough to think these are super interesting):

None of the California Strawberries are GMO, all the CA strawberries that you can buy are GMO free (awesome).
Strawberries will not continue to ripen once they are picked (like tomatoes do) if you pick a green strawberry, it will never turn red.
They freeze some of the best berries. They pick the berries that are so juicy and full of natural sweetness to freeze because although they are delicious, they are too fragile to pack and ship.
Eating strawberries regularly has been proven to improve memory and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

I love that I don’t have to feel guilt about buying frozen California strawberries (I’m a fresh produce girl, and I actually do feel guilty about buying frozen), this also reminded me that once my strawberries start to show their age, freezing them is a great idea. They freeze so well!

After the tour of the fields, a tour of the packing facility and a fun hay ride, the day ended with a gorgeous dinner cooked up by Tim Kilcoyne, Executive Chef and owner of The SideCar Restaurant in Ventura. The menu included:

Bruschetta with fava bean ricotta, house made strawberry mustard and arugula.
Braised Chicken Enchiladas with Swiss chard, roasted strawberry mole and queso fresco. Served with a black bean and quinoa salad
Chocolate Genoise with strawberry mousse, ganache and white chocolate dipped strawberry
Strawberry Basil Meyer Lemonade

I love the use of strawberries in a savory dish, that strawberry mole was incredible.

Apparently I was too distracted by the incredible food and the company of Farmer Bill, whom I sat next to, to photograph the dinner. My camera ended with shots of the menu.

I came home with a car load of strawberries that I couldn’t wait to use. I made popsicles that are perfect for those fresh berries that I love, but are also great for the frozen ones I now feel completly content buying.

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

Yield: 8 popsicles

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese
¼ cup sour cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
6 large fresh strawberries, chopped or ¾ cup frozen strawberries
6 standard sized graham crackers
1 tbs melted butter

Instructions

In a food processor add the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar and milk, process until well combined. Add the strawberries, pulse to combine.
Pour mixture into popsicle molds, leaving about 1 inch of the top empty for the crust (if you don’t have popsicle molds, use small paper cups and popsicle sticks) tap the molds gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.
In a food processor add the graham crackers, process until only crumbs remain.
While food processor is running, add the melted butter in a slow stream until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Divide the crust evenly between the popsicles, press down gently to compact. Insert popsicle sticks, freeze for at least 6 hours and up to 3 days.

This is a sponsored post, all opinions, thoughts and ideas are my own.