Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I LOVE brussel sprouts.  We eat them several times a week when they are in season.  They make for a very tasty and easy vegetable.

ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts
olive oil
sea salt
black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Trim the ends off the brussel sprouts. Either quarter them or thinly slice them from the top to the bottom (see picture).  Generously coat them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cook for 30-35 minutes.  The brussel sprouts should be soft and starting to brown.  Serve before you eat them all yourself!

Serves 4

BBQ Chicken Salad and BBQ Sauce

We make a lot of salads at our house.  We have one every night with dinner, but my favorite is our BBQ'd Chicken Salad with homemade BBQ sauce.  I know it's weird but I LOVE BBQ sauce!  I have made several different recipes, but lately I have been making one that comes from a Fine Cooking recipe for barbecued chicken.  

The salad is pretty versatile and you can add whatever vegetables you have.  Ours has different ingredients every time we make it.  And there really are no exact measurements - just put in the amount you want.  Remember less is more!  It's easy to add extras!

It's also great deconstructed for the kids.  L & M gobble this stuff up - especially when there is blue cheese involved.  (Yes, blue cheese and BBQ sauce make for an amazing combination.)

salad ingredients:
head of Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 bone-in breast barbecued chicken (or for the quick, easy version....rub the chicken breast with olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of BBQ sauce.  Bake it in a 400°F oven until 165°F.  Let it cool and pull apart. Set aside.)
¹⁄₂ cup corn
¹⁄₂ - 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
black olives, chopped
green beans, briefly cooked or steamed
artichoke hearts, quartered
¹⁄₂ cup cooked quinoa
tomatoes (I like the strawberry sized ones)
avocado
cilantro
onion
blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste

dressing:
equal parts bbq sauce and olive oil
balsamic vinegar, to taste 
salt and pepper

bbq sauce:
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
¹⁄₂ cup cider vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
¹⁄₂ tsp. hot sauce, such as Tabasco
¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₄ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

To make the sauce: in a medium saucepan, boil the apple juice and vinegar over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium low and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

The bbq sauce can be made ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

To make the salad: Mix the dressing ingredients in small jar with a tight fitting lid.  Shake vigerously and set aside.  Toss all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the dressing to taste and serve.

The salad may be made several hours in advance.  Simply keep out the tomatoes, avocados and dressing until you are ready to serve.

Serves 4

The barbecue sauce recipe is from Fine Cooking, June/July 2013.

Crustless Quiche

This quiche is a quick, easy and delicious idea for dinner.  As long as you have milk and eggs you add just about anything to it.  The one I made below is diced ham, leek and cheddar, but any meat, veggie, cheese combo will work too!

ingredients:

6 eggs
1¹⁄₂ cups 2% milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 leeks, white and light green parts chopped
1 cup diced ham
dash of tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil for the leeks

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Lightly whisk the eggs and milk and set aside.  Sauté the leeks in some olive oil, over medium heat, until soft.  About 5 minutes.  Add the leeks and the rest of the ingredients to the milk and eggs.  Pour into a 9 inch pie/baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown on top.

If you using other vegetables either roast or sauté them before mixing them in with the eggs.

Serve with some toast and a big green salad.

Serves 4

Weekend Waffles

Every Saturday and Sunday morning in our house is the same: waffles or oatmeal?  L loves oatmeal, I love waffles.  L usually wins, but occasionally she wants waffles too! 

These are delicious!  They stay crispy in the oven and are good with just about anything served on top!

ingredients:

¹⁄₄ cup whole wheat flour
¹⁄₂ cup all-purpose flour
¹⁄₈ cup quick oats
¹⁄₂ chopped pecans
¹⁄₄ cup cornstarch
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk (we make our own: mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  Let sit for 15 minutes.)
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg, separated
1 tablespoon sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 200°F and preheat a waffle iron. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and mix.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil and egg yolk.  In a third bowl, whip the egg white until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form, then beat in the vanilla.  Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just incorporated.  Gently fold in the egg white. 

Pour a generous 1/2 cup of the batter onto the waffle iron.  Close the waffle iron and cook until well browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. As each waffle is cooked, set it directly on the oven rack to keep warm while cooking the rest of the waffles.  Do not stack the waffles or they'll be soft, not crispy. Once the waffles are all cooked, serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit.  The waffles are also delicious with a dollop of whole milk, plain yogurt!

Serves 4

Adapted from Celebrate the Rain. A Junior League of Seattle cookbook.

Rosalie's Padella

Our garden has been churning out zucchini like there's no tomorrow.  I'm almost to the point of "I never want to see another zucchini again". However I am really enjoying this very easy sausage, tomato, zucchini dish.  You can't go wrong with an easy dinner, that everyone enjoys and best of all there is only 1 skillet to wash!

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

8 ounces Italian sausage

3 cups stale French bread, torn into about 1 to 2 inch pieces

1 pound tomato, chopped, with juice and seeds

1 pound zucchini, quartered and sliced

1/4 cup basil, leaves only, torn into small pieces

Salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté olive oil, onion, garlic and sausage. Sauté for about 8 minutes, or until meat is brown and onion and garlic are softened. Drain excess oil from the pan so there is about 2 tablespoons remaining.

Add chopped zucchini to the pan with the sausage. Increase heat to medium high, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the zucchini is just beginning to soften. Add tomatoes and their juice, and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to release more of their juice in the pan.

Toss the French bread into the pan, stirring the bread so it begins to absorb the cooking juices. Add salt and pepper and continue to cook until all the vegetables are tender, and the mixture starts to appear drier and the bread is heated all the way through, about 6 minutes more.

Toss in the torn basil leaves at the last minute.  Divide onto plates and serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6

Recipe: Rosalie's padella.  Laura Gilliam  

Curried Carrot Soup

Between our own garden and the CSA we belong to we have ended up with a lot of carrots! I am not a huge raw carrot fan, but I found this recipe and it is really quite good.  My 16 month old drinks glasses of it and my 3 old uses it as a dip for her grilled cheese sandwiches.  It makes a great tomato soup alternative and is super easy to make.

I put a dollop of yogurt on the kid's soup to cut the heat of the curry

ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter 

1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 quart vegetable stock
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 

whole milk, plain yogurt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large (4- to 5-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, carrots, and 21⁄2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

With an immersion blender (if you don't have one just use a regular blender - just be careful not to put too much hot liquid in at once) puree soup until smooth. Add butter and more water to thin to desired consistency. Check the seasonings. If you used homemade vegetable stock you may need quite a bit more salt. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with yogurt and cilantro, if desired.

Serves 4

Adapted from Martha Stewart Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've tried a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes, but these are my favorite.  Lots of chocolate and a perfect balance between crispy and chewy.  I always have a variety of baking chocolate on hand, but if I am short on either the milk or semi-sweet chocolate I make up the difference with some bittersweet chocolate.  And they taste just as good with 3 kinds of chocolate.  The cookies also freeze really well - you can save them for a later date or if you're like me you can eat them straight out of the freezer!

ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
11⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
1⁄2 tsp salt
11⁄2 cups chopped, Scharffen Berger, semisweet chocolate
1⁄2 cup finely chopped, Scharffen Berger, milk chocolate

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until thoroughly combined, two to three minutes. Again scrape the bowl to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

Mix together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, baking soda and salt. Add both chocolates to the flour mix and toss to combine. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly blend the flour-chocolate mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the flour and chocolate are totally incorporated and the dough is completely mixed.
Scrape the dough into a container and let rest in the refrigerator for a day before baking. The next day, heat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Drop the dough in 1⁄4 cup balls (I like to make mine smaller, I just use a spoon to gather up some dough and roll it into a ball. Otherwise, the cookies are huge and this way I can almost double the batch!) onto a baking sheet about two inches apart. Press dough balls down slightly with the palm of your hand. If the batter does not fit all on one tray drop cookies on a second baking sheet and bake when the first tray is finished. If you have only one sheet tray, bake one batch and then cool the tray by running it under cold water before baking a second batch. Bake until cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The unbaked dough can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Makes 24

Recipe from Flour, by Joanne Chang. You can find the original recipe on her website: http://flourbakery.com/press/flour-bakery-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe

Ricotta Pie

This is one of those kid-friendly, super fast and easy dinners that we make about once per week.  The recipe is from my mother-in-law and is one that my husband ate a lot of growing up!  Good thing he likes it.....

ingredients:

1 lb good quality, whole milk, ricotta
3 eggs
7-10 swiss chard leaves, lightly steamed
1 cup mozzarella, sharp cheddar or your favorite cheese

parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  After steaming the swiss chard lay it on a towel to dry.  Meanwhile mix the ricotta, cheese, eggs and salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Chop the swiss chard and add it to the bowl.  Mix.  Pour the ricotta mixture into a 8 inch baking dish.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown and puffy.

It makes a complete meal when served with brown rice and a salad.

Serves 4

Recipe from TM

Bacon Cheeseburger and a Delicious Homemade Roll

We don't eat a lot of meat in our house.  We really like it, but we try to limit our meat intake to once or twice a week.  On the days when we do eat meat we try make something extra delicious.  During the summer, with the hot weather and a barbecue, it is pretty easy to accomplish this task - and a juicy burger is always one of our favorites.  

I make the buns and that is a large part of what makes this burger so amazing.  The recipe comes from Macrina bakery's MORE from MACRINA cookbook.  They are fairly easy and make enough that you should have extras to keep in the freezer.  

Bacon hamburger (no cheese on this one) with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayonnaise 

for the hamburger rolls:

ingredients:
³⁄₄ cup lukewarm water (80°F)
³⁄₄ cup lukewarm whole milk (80°F)
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons active dry yeast
¹⁄₄ sugar
2 large eggs
¹⁄₃ cup olive oil
4¹⁄₄ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2¹⁄₂ teaspoons kosher salt
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Lightly oil a medium bowl with canola oil.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and fill a spray bottle with water.

In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the water, milk, yeast and sugar on low speed for 30 seconds.  Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.

Add the eggs and olive oil and mix for about 1 minute.  Add the flour and salt.  Mix on low speed for 2 more minutes.  Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium speed for 10-13 minutes.  Toward the end of the mixing time you will notice that the dough develops a ball around the hook, but it will still be tethered at the base of the bowl.  You should hear a slight slapping sound as it goes around.  With floured fingers, pinch a big piece of dough and pull it away for the dough ball.  It should stretch about 3 inches without tearing.  If it doesn't pass this test, mix for another 1-3 minutes.  Transfer the dough to the oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Let it rise for 2 hours.  It will double in size.

Gently place the dough on a floured work surface.  Divide the dough into twelve 3-ounce pieces.

Shape each piece of dough into a ball by flattening it and then gathering the edges toward the center. Flip the dough over so the ball is seam side down and cup the roll in the palm of your hand (keep your fingertips and the heel of your hand resting on the work surface) and move your hand in a circular motion to tighten the roll.  Place the rolls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.  Lightly cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise at room temperature for 1 to 1¹⁄₂ hours.  The dough will be soft and springy to the touch when it's ready to bake.

About 20 minutes before baking, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F.

Brush one set of rolls all over with the egg wash.  Use the spray bottle to heavily mist the inside of the oven with water.  Insert the egg washed rolls into the oven.  Mist twice more during the first 10 minutes of baking.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are a deep golden brown.  Transfer the rolls onto a wire rack by sliding them (parchment too) from the baking sheet.  After 10 minutes, remove the parchment and cool the rolls for another 20 minutes.

Egg wash the second set of rolls.  Heavily mist the oven again and insert the rolls into the oven.  Follow the same directions as above.

Use the rolls immediately or freeze for up to 3 weeks in freezer bag.

Makes 12 rolls.

From Leslie Mackie's MORE from MACRINA

for the hamburgers:

ingredients:
1 lb lean, grass-fed ground beef
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
1 large onion sliced into rings
8 slices cooked bacon
sharp, white cheddar cheese
sliced tomato
red butter lettuce

Mix first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl and form into patties.  Barbecue.  Just before hamburgers are finished add cheese to melt.  Makes 4-5 burgers depending on size.  Brush the onion rings with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  When the burgers are almost done add the onions and grill for about 4-5 minutes, flipping once.

Adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

for the garlic mayonnaise:

ingredients:
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Adapted from Lynn Alley's Cooking with Fresh Herbs

for assembly:

Lightly spread some of the garlic mayonnaise on the cut side of each bun.  Grill the buns for a few minutes or until there are light grill marks on each side.  Remove.  Add more garlic mayonnaise to taste.  Place the burger on the bottom of the bun, add bacon, onions, tomato and lettuce.  Open wide and enjoy!

Shakshuka

This is one of those dishes that I had never heard about and then all of a sudden I started to hear about it in different places.  It's a North African egg dish - the eggs are cooked in a yummy tomato sauce with lots of spices and feta cheese.  The sauce freezes well if you want to make extra.  It's a little bit on the spicy side, but our kids don't seem to mind.

There are lots of different variations but the one we've liked and used is from David Lebovitz.

Ingredients:

 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
¹⁄₂ – 1 chile pepper, stemmed, sliced in half, deseeded, and minced
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika, smoked or sweet
³⁄₄ teaspoon ground cumin
¹⁄₂ teaspoon turmeric
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cup (20g) loosely packed greens, such as radish greens, kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped
4 ounces (about 1 cup, 115g) feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-sized cubes

cilantro (optional)
4 to 6 eggs

Heat the olive oil, in a large, deep skillet or sauté pan, over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring to release their fragrance.

Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it moves around. Stir in the chopped greens.

Turn the heat down to medium and drop the feta into the tomato sauce. Make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation.

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time. Cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  Top with cilantro, if using.

Serve with good bread to soak up the sauce.

Serves 4-6

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Quick and Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches

We like to make things from scratch - ice cream, cookies, caramel sauce etc....but sometimes life gets in the way and it's just not possible.  For those days when I need a fun dessert or am just craving something sweet but seem to have no time for anything...all I need  is a few minutes and few ingredients:

Take 2 of these

Spread a little of the caramel sauce on the insides of both cookies and put a small scoop of chocolate ice cream in the middle

Close the cookie up, add a little shaved chocolate and voila!  A tasty, tiny treat!  They can be a bit messy especially with a 3 year old "helping", but that's part of the fun of it :)

Grilled Salmon with Brown Sugar and Salt

Growing up in Seattle meant eating a lot of salmon.  At our house that was about once a week.  My dad was always (and still is) in charge of the fish and the barbecue.  We NEVER (and I mean never) cooked fish inside the house.  My mom hates the smell of fish in the house.  So rain, shine, sleet, or hail my dad had to barbecue our fish outside.  And he always made it the same way: rubbed with brown sugar and salt. It has this delicious sweet and salty taste to it and to this day it is my favorite way to eat salmon.  

 Ingredients:

The amounts listed in the ingredients are rough numbers.  You really can't go wrong.

1 lb salmon
1/4 cup brown sugar (a good sized handful will do)
1 tablespoon good quality, course sea salt (a good sprinkle or a very generous pinch, is all you need)
optional: wood chips

Preheat your gas or charcoal grill.  If using, add the wood chips (make sure to follow the directions on the package). Remove the bones from the fish and rub with brown sugar and salt.  Cook the fish for about 15-20 minutes (depending on the heat of your grill and how well done you like your fish).

Remove and serve immediately.

It is great served on top of a salad or with rice and vegetables.

Serves 2.

Vegetable Stock

In an effort to eat less meat and more vegetables we purchased a cookbook from this vegetarian restaurant, in Madison Park, called Cafe Flora.  Included in the book is this recipe, which is more like a guide, to making vegetable stock.  And it is nothing like the vegetable stock you purchase at the store.  It has lots of flavor.  And the best part is....it's basically free.  You just freeze all of your vegetable scraps until you have enough to make about 16 cups of stock.

Before I get to the ingredients there are some general guidelines:

1.  If you're using organic vegetables you don't need to peel them
2.  If you can't find fresh herbs, just leave them out
3.  Use all of the scraps, the mushroom stems, the onion peel, etc....
4.  Don't use any strong flavored vegetables (such as peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or cilantro) or anything with a distinct color (such as beets) - I tend to stick with carrots, celery, mushrooms & onions
5.  Mushrooms are a must, the more, the better. They give the stock a really good flavor.
6.  Freeze the stock in the amounts you want to use i.e. I freeze mine in 2 cup containers

Ingredients:

1 gallon bag of frozen vegetables
6 garlic cloves, slightly smashed
Sprigs of rosemary
Sprigs of thyme
Sprigs of oregano
2 bay leaves
2 potatoes
Little bit of salt

Put all of the ingredients into a large pot.  Cover with 4¹⁄₂ quarts of water and add a bit of salt.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and then simmer uncovered for 1 hour.

Makes about 16 cups.

Adapted from Catherine Geier's, CAFE FLORA COOKBOOK

Fresh Herb Scramble with Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Scrambled eggs: they're easy and they're good but I never feel like I can make them "pretty" enough to serve for a nice breakfast.  Until I found this recipe from Leslie Mackie's, MORE from MACRINA  cookbook.  They are still easy and delicious they just look really nice too!  The recipe calls for several types of herbs but since we always have chives growing in our yard we just use the chives.  I've included the original recipe with the herbs in case you want to use more than just fresh chives.

Herb Scramble shown with an Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 ounces Humboldt Fog goat cheese
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter, for the egg pan

Toss the cherry tomatoes with the oil and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Cut the goat cheese vertically, starting at the tip of the wedge and moving toward the wider back.  This cheese naturally falls apart at the center ash line - let it crumble.  Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and add the chervil, chives and parsley.  Whisk to combine.

In a large sauté pan set over medium heat, add the butter.  When it is melted add the eggs.  Using a rubber spatula gently move the cooked eggs aside, allowing the liquid eggs to run to the bare surfaces of the pan and cook.  When the eggs are cooked to your liking, season to taste with salt.

To serve, divide the eggs among 4 plates.  Top each plate with one-quarter of the seasoned tomatoes and one-quarter of the cheese.

Serves 4.

Recipe from Leslie Mackey's, MORE from MACRINA

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

For Christmas I got the MORE from MACRINA bakery cookbook (Macrina is a local Seattle bakery) and since then I have been slowly baking and cooking my way through the book. I have made these pull-aparts several times now and they have become one of my favorite breakfast treats. They are light and moist with just the right amount of gooeyness!

They are relatively easy to make and can be made ahead of time to save you from having to get up at 4am to make them fresh (unless of course you enjoy getting up that early to bake)! The recipe makes 2 batches - if you are having more than a few people you will need the second batch (they really are that good) or you can freeze the second one to use at a later date. And the best part is that they come out looking delicious AND beautiful.

I've broken the recipe up into 2 parts: the dough and then pull-aparts.






SWEET BRIOCHE DOUGH

Ingredients:

¹⁄₄ cup lukewarm (80°F) water
¹⁄₂ cup sugar, divided
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons active dry yeast
³⁄₄ cup lukewarm (80°F) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 ¹⁄₂ cups (1 pound) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Lightly oil a medium bowl with canola oil. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Mix until yeast is dissolved, then let mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, vanilla, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes to bring the dough together. Increase the speed to medium. Drop small pieces of butter into the dough one at a time (with the mixer running). (Adding the butter should take no more than 2 minutes.)

Continue mixing for 2-3 more minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar (the ¹⁄₂ cup minus the 2 teaspoons) and continue mixing for another 4 minutes.

With floured fingers, check the dough. If it stretches about 3 inches without tearing it's ready. If it tears, continue mixing for another 1-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place the ball into the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 2¹⁄₂-3 hours.  You can now use the dough, or if you are making the dough a day ahead, deflate it after its initial rise, then re-cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, pull it out 2 hours before you want to use it to allow it to come to room temperature. The dough should be doubled in size and feel slightly warm to the touch.

APPLE CINNAMON PULL-APARTS

Ingredients:

For the baked apples:

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¹⁄₄ inch thick 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cinnamon sugar:

¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the egg wash:

1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

For the buttermilk glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lightly grease two round 9-inch cake pans with canola oil and then line each pan with a 10-inch round of parchment paper, creasing the edges so the paper goes up the sides of the pan.  Next, cut four 2x15" strips to place along the inside of the pans (2 per pan).  Set aside.

For the apples: toss them with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.  Spread them on the prepared baking sheet and dot with butter.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Toss the apples and bake for another 5 minutes.  They should be soft but still a little firm.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Chop coarsely and set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar: combine the sugars, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Pull the brioche dough out onto a floured work surface.  Roll the dough out into an evenly thick 7x16 inch rectangle.  Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, going clear to the edges.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples, keeping ¹⁄₄ cup for garnish.

Begin rolling up the dough, starting with the edge that is farthest away.  The log will stretch as you roll - you want it to stretch out to 24 inches.  When you have finished rolling let it rest seam side down for several minutes.  

Cut the log equally in half.  Then cut each log into seven 1¹⁄₂ inch pieces.  Place 6 pieces around the perimeter of the pan and then place the seventh in the center.  Make sure they have a little room to rise.    Do the same with second pan.  Lightly brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.  Let the dough rise until it's level with the top of the pan and has expanded to fill the pan, about 1¹⁄₂ hours.

About 20 minutes before the end of the final rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

Bake the pull-aparts for 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  Cool them in the pan for just 20 minutes (if they cool completely the sugars will harden and stick).  Flip the rolls onto a plate, remove the parchment and then place your presentation plate on top of the rolls and flip again. 

For the buttermilk glaze: sift the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the vanilla and buttermild and whisk until the glaze is smooth.  Stream the glaze over the top of the pull-aparts in a zigzag pattern.  Serve warm.

Once the glaze has hardened you can wrap the pull-aparts in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 weeks. To serve remove from the freezer and let the pull-aparts thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Place the pull-aparts on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat for 10 minutes.

Each cake round makes 7 pull-aparts.

Recipe from Leslie Mackie's, MORE from MACRINA

Father's Day Brunch, 2013

Menu

Stumptown Coffee

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

Fresh Herb Scramble with Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One of my favorite things to make is ice cream.  It's easy, it's doesn't take a lot of time, it is so much better than store bought ice cream and everyone (at least in my family) loves ice cream. If you have mint growing in your garden this a fun one to make with kids - L has a lot of fun helping to make (and taste) this one!  

The base recipe I use for ice cream is always the same.  It's from an article in Fine Cooking by David Lebovitz and it's the best one I have found.

Ingredients:

Ice Cream Base:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

³⁄₄ cup granulated sugar

5 large egg yolks

Pinch of table salt

Mint Chocolate Chip:

2 cups tightly packed, torn mint leaves

¹⁄₃ cup chopped, semisweet, chocolate

In a medium saucepan mix, 1 cup of the cream, the whole milk, granulated sugar and salt.  Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.  About 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint, cover and let stand for an hour to infuse the mint flavor.

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water.  Place a smaller bowl, filled with the remaining cup of cream, into the ice bath.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks.

Rewarm the cream and mint until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  In a steady stream pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly.  The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and hold a line drawn through it with a finger.  If using an intant-read thermometer the temperature should be between 175-180°F.

Strain the custard into the cold cream pressing the mint with a spoon to extract as much flavor as possible.

Cool the mint to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath.

Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours to overnight.  Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Fold the chopped chocolate into the just churned ice cream, transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for until firm.

Adapted from Fine Cooking Issue 99

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup

With L being in preschool our family has not gone longer than 4 weeks without someone having a cold.  With preschool ending soon I am hopeful that this will be our last round of colds until September.  However, I had this same thought a month ago and here we again eating our favorite "cure for the common cold" soup!  Go ahead and double the soup as you'll want to have leftovers!

Ingredients:

2-¹⁄₂ Tbs. canola oil
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about ³⁄₄ lb.), butterflied (cut horizontally almost all the way through and then opened like a book)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium shallots (about 4 oz.), peeled and thinly sliced into rings
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise, and smashed with the side of a chef’s knife
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
5-¹⁄₂ cups lower-salt chicken broth
3-¹⁄₂ oz. crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (1-¹⁄₂ cups)
9 oz. fresh, or dried, udon noodles
1 Thai bird chile (or 1 small serrano pepper), sliced into thin rings
8 large fresh torn basil leaves; plus sprigs for garnish
1 medium lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges
1 Tbs. soy sauce; more to taste
Garnish:
2 medium scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Heat 1-¹⁄₂ Tbs. of the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Season the chicken with ¹⁄₂ tsp. each salt and pepper, and cook without disturbing until it’s browned and releases easily from the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is browned and almost firm to the touch (just short of cooked through), 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool.  If short on time you can make the soup while the chicken is cooking in the oven.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and the shallots to the pot. Sprinkle with ¹⁄₄ tsp. salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the shallots start soften, about 2 minutes. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the ginger and lemongrass sizzle and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and raise the heat to medium high. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Use your fingers or the tines of a fork to shred the chicken. Add the chicken to the broth and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemongrass. Stir in the torn basil, lime juice, and soy sauce. Divide the noodles among 4 large, deep bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and garnish with the basil sprigs and scallions, chile, carrot, and cilantro, if using. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing and more soy sauce to taste.

*This soup is also a great for shredded, leftover roast chicken in place of the chicken breast. Just add it to the soup along with the chiles, basil, lime juice, and soy sauce.

Serves 4

Adapted from Fine Cooking 

Issue 104

Ginger, Garlic Green Beans

These green beans obviously go best with asian food, but they are so good we make them this way even if we aren't having asian!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon peanut oil
¹⁄₂ lb green beans
1 Tablespoon (generous) finely chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Salt

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil and add the green beans until bright green and just tender - about 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  The green beans can be made a few hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator.  Heat the peanut oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.  When hot add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute.  Add the green beans and soy sauce and stir fry for several minutes, until the green beans are hot.  Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Adapted from The New York Times, Recipe: String Beans with Ginger and Garlic
November 15, 2006

Strawberry Shortcake and the Best Ever Biscuit

We have been getting amazing strawberries lately and this seemed like the perfect dessert for M's 1st birthday!  The biscuits were delicious by themselves and since I had extra dough I made enough of the biscuits to take, along with some jam (aka scones), to L's school for teacher appreciation week.  

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

13¹⁄₂ oz. (about 3 cups) all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. granulated sugar; plus about 3 Tbs. for sprinkling
1¹⁄₂ Tbs. baking powder
³⁄₄ tsp. table salt
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1¹⁄₂ cups heavy cream; plus about 3 Tbs. for brushing
1¹⁄₂ tsp. pure vanilla extract 

1-2 Tbs. cold water, as needed

Strawberries:
5 cups strawberry slices (from about 3 pints)
1 to 3 Tbs. granulated sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries

Whipped cream:
1¹⁄₂ cups heavy cream
2 Tbs. confectioners' sugar

Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Toss with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. Combine the cream and vanilla, make a well in the center of the flour and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just combined; it will look shaggy and still feel a little dry. Gently knead by hand five or six times to pick up any dry ingredients remaining in the bottom of the bowl and to create a loose ball.  If the dough will not hold a ball, add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough holds a loose ball.

Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and pat into a flat disc.  Refrigerate the dough for about an hour.  Heat the oven to 425°F.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out until about ¹⁄₄ inch thick.  Using a 2 ¹⁄₂ - 3 inch round cookie cutter cut out the dough placing them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Brush each biscuit with a thin layer of cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until the biscuits are medium golden brown on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 18 minutes.

To prepare the berries toss them with 1 tablespoon sugar and taste. If they’re still tart, sprinkle with another 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit at room temperature until the sugar dissolves and the berries begin to release their juices, at least 30 minutes but no more than 3 hours.

Pour the cream and confectioners' sugar into a cold mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it until soft peaks form.

While the biscuits are still warm, split them in half.  For each serving, set the bottom half of a biscuit on a plate. Scoop some of the berries and their juices over the biscuit, add a generous dollop of whipped cream and cover with the top half of the biscuit.  Serve and enjoy.  

Makes about 20 biscuits

Adapted from Fine Cooking 58 , pp. 50 June 1, 2003

Margaritas

These are tasty and easy margaritas - they almost taste too good!  

Ingredients:
Limeade
Tequila
Beer
Ice

Fill a blender with a good handful of ice.  Add in half a bottle of a 12oz. beer, half a can of limeade and as much (or as little) tequila as you like.  Blend.  Serve immediately with lime wedges and salt, if desired.

Serves 4.

Carnitas

Ingredients:

5 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
1 Tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
water
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced
Tortillas

Toppings:
Chopped onion and cilantro
lime wedge
feta
salsa
avacado

Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for several hours or up to 1 day.

Heat the oil in a roasting pan (or dutch oven) set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around.

Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are ²⁄₃rd’s submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powder, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

Braise in the oven uncovered for about 3 hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.

Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces.

Pour out the oil from the pan and wipe clean.  Return the pork pieces back to the pan and cook on the stove top until crispy and crackly.

Serve in warm tortillas and top with your choice of toppings.

Serves Eight

Adapted from The Sweet Life by David Lebovitz

Black Beans and Garlic Rice

You can certainly use black beans from a can but they are really easy to make.  We make a batch every week - they are great for quesadillas or for an extra for L & M.  

The garlic rice is a treat in our house (we usually eat short grain brown rice) but it is the best white rice you'll ever eat.  It comes to our house from some long time friends from Brazil.

Black Beans:

1 Cup dried black beans
4 Cups water
salt
olive oil

Look over the black beans and pick out any that are broken.  Add the beans and water to a 2 quart pot. Sprinkle with some salt (less is more - you can always add more at the end) and a little olive oil.  Bring the beans to boil and boil for about 4 minutes.  Turn the heat down to medium-low (the beans should be just barely simmering) and cook for about 2 hours or until beans are soft and cooked all the way through.

Makes about 2 ¹⁄₂ cups.

Garlic Rice:

1 Cup white Jasmine rice
water
4 large garlic cloves
salt
olive oil

Smash and peel the garlic cloves.  Put them in a mortar and pestle and add a generous helping of salt (about 2 teaspoons).  Mash the garlic until it forms a paste (the salt makes it easier to mash so add more salt as needed).  (If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can sprinkle the salt directly onto the garlic and mash with the back of a knife.  Coat the bottom of a saucepan with a little olive oil.   Heat the oil over medium high heat until hot.  Add the garlic paste and stir for a few seconds.  Add the rice and mix until the rice is coated with the oil and garlic.  Add really hot tap water to the rice.  Fill the pan until the hot water is about 1 inch above the rice.  Boil for a minute or two and then turn the heat down to the lowest setting.  Cover and cook until the rice is tender - about 20 minutes.  Don't worry if the rice gets brown on the bottom - this is the best part.

Makes about 3 cups.

Menu: Cinco de Mayo 2013

Black Beans

Garlic Rice

Carnitas

Margaritas

Pizza Dough and Some Toppings

We eat a lot of pizza at our house.  We like our pizza BBQ'd, we like it cooked in the oven on a pizza stone and lately we've been enjoying it cooked on a 13-by-18 inch rimmed baking sheet.  At this point in our lives if we can make things quicker and easier and still get something awesome - we go for it.

Pizza is by far everyone's favorite meal, everyone can help (even the little ones) and it's easy to tailor the toppings to suit everyones' taste buds. What follows is our baking sheet pizza dough recipe and some of our favorite variations.

Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon + a pinch of sugar
1 1/3 cups (300 grams) room temperature (72°) water
extra virgin olive oil for the pans

*we usually add some whole wheat to this dough.  To make this variation, substitute 100 grams of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour and increase the amount of water to 325 grams (this comes out to be a little less than an ¹⁄₈ of a cup).

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar.  Add the water and mix until blended.  Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface.  Gently form into a rough ball.  Then divide the dough into two halves, spacing them 4 inches apart, and cover both with a moistened kitchen towel for 30 minutes.

When you are ready to make your pizza, oil two 13-by-18 inch rimmed baking sheets.  Pick up the dough and invert and stretch the dough the length of the baking sheet.  The floured side should now be facing up and the moist side should now be on the pan.  Using your palms, gently pull, press and stretch the dough to fill the entire bottom of the pan.  Repeat with the second piece of dough and top with your favorite sauce and toppings.

When you are ready to cook your pizza preheat the oven to 500°F.  The pizza cooks for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

This recipe makes enough for 2 pizzas.  If you only want to make one the other can be tightly wrapped and frozen until you are ready to use.  We usually double the recipe and freeze several of them so we aren't making dough every week.  When you are ready to thaw the dough place it in the refrigerator and then bring it to room temperature before using.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Our favorites: we have come to the conclusion that less is more, especially when it comes to sauce.  We aren't big sauce people so most of our pizzas have little to no sauce on them.  We always use fresh mozzarella.  We sprinkle salt on the edge of the crust before baking.  Most of our pizzas include L's favorite ingredients: olives and pineapple. (oddly enough they are actually pretty good on any pizza combination).

 - BBQ chicken pizza (my personal favorite): a thin layer of homemade BBQ sauce, and then add BBQ'd chicken, fresh pineapple, mozzarella and a sprinkle of blue cheese.  After it's finished cooking you can add a sprinkle of cilantro.  Kids version: no sauce, chicken, pineapple, olives, mozzarella and blue cheese.

- Pesto, ham, pineapple: a thin layer of pesto, ham, pineapple and mozzarella.

- Pepperoni: a little olive oil or pesto, pepperoni (we buy a pepperoni stick and slice it ourselves.  The pepperoni is smaller than the pre-sliced version from the store but we are able to slice it a bit thicker), olives (of course), mozzarella, and any vegetables we may have in the refrigerator.  When we have lots of zucchini some grated zucchini makes a nice addition!

- Grilled: Portobello mushrooms, onions and zucchini, topped with feta. Once the pizza has cooked add sliced heirloom tomatoes.  Serve with salad of your choice on top.  (shown below)

When it's too hot to turn the on the oven, we fire up the grill and cook our pizza outside.  The dough works just as well cooked this way.  A tip: pre-cook one side of the pizza, add your toppings to the pre-cooked side and place back on the grill.

Pizza dough recipe adapted from Jim Lahey's my bread