An Old Family Recipe

There are a lot of these, but this one is a particular gem in the recipe treasure chest.  Hamburger Soup is one of the best parts about cold-weather cooking.  The name underestimates this flavorful dish.

Hamburger Soup

1 LB ground beef

1/2 LB mild Italian sausage

2 diced onions

1 C diced carrots

1 diced rutabaga

1 C diced celery

1/4 C pearl barley (you can use quinoa or brown rice)

1 LG can stewed tomatoes

1 can (10 1/2 OZ) beef broth (or 10 OZ water + 2 bullion cubes)

2 TBSP ketchup

2 TSP seasoned salt

1 pinch dried basil

4 C water

Brown the beef, sausage, & onions.  Drain.  Add the other ingredients and simmer about 2 hours. 

I am making this recipe in the crockpot tomorrow, and I will let you know how it goes!

Salted. Caramel. Bar.

Three words that are great on their own, but fantastic together.  I had to run an errand this evening--fought traffic across the metro and decided to take a break from it on my way back home when I drove by Luci's--a "healthy marketplace" stuffed full of organic goodies and boasting a delightful little coffee shop.  As I got in line to get my usual medium latte--to see if Luci's would pass the milk and espresso test--something wonderful caught my attention.  The Salted Caramel Bar.  It was even better than it sounds.  Flaky crust toped with gooey caramel that was jeweled with salty roasted nuts.

Oh, and the latte was good too. 

Thai Beef w/ Basil

One of my favorite Thai restaurants in Minneapolis has bumper stickers by the door that say, "Thai It, You'll Like It!"  This cracks me up more than it ought to, every time.  However, the phrase rings true about this Thai Beef w/ Basil recipe!  In fact, I'll go one step further -- Thai It Or Else...you will regret it.  Trust me.  So, without further ado, I'm going to get writing so you can get Thai-ing!

 

The photo on the bottom is my lovely little basil plant -- a great investment if you like to have a versatile fresh herb on hand -- especially if you like to make pesto, because that can get spendy!

**This recipe was taken from Bon Appetit, however, I have altered it a bit to be a little more practical for the "cooking after work" crowd.**

• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 6-10 garlic cloves smashed
• 2 jalepenos sliced, de-seeded to taste
• 1 LB ground beef
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 water + 1 cube beef bullion
• 2-3 C fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 a bag of grated carrots (found near baby carrots in produce section -- or grate a few of your own carrots)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• 1 TSP sugar
• steamed brown basmati rice

Saute garlic & jalepenos in 1 TBSP oil 1-2 minutes; add beef, salt, & pepper -- cook through, about 8-10 MIN.  Add water + bullion cube and basil; cook and stir until basil is wilted and bullion mixed in.  Turn off heat and keep warm while making carrot slaw: pour 1 TBSP oil, sugar, and soy sauce into bowl -- whisk together.  Mix in carrots and onions until thoroughly coated.  Layer rice, beef, and slaw in a bowl, and...Thai It, You'll Like It ;)

Healthy & Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

I just discovered this delightful & delectable blog, Pinch of Yum, over the weekend and made her amazing pumpkin muffins.  Follow the link above.  It will take you to a wonderful place. 

I made a few edits to the recipe (because, much to Caitlin's constant chagrin, that's what I do) --

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 2 TSP baking soda
• 1 TSP baking powder
• 1 1/2 TSP cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1/2 TSP salt
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 1/2 C honey
• 2 C pumpkin puree
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1/4 C real maple syrup
• 3 TBSP milk
• 3 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the dry ingredients (flours, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and sugar). In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients (pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, milk, and eggs).
2. Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined. Fill each muffin tin almost to the top with a scoop of batter – I like to use an old fashioned ice cream scoop with the little thumb press to get a nice rounded top.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are puffy and spring back when you press them. Remove from the muffin pan and let cool before glazing.

I made the best chili!

Try it.  You will thank me :)

Kileen’s Fabulously Spicy Three-Meat Chili

Ingredients

·      1 LB hot Italian sausage (de-cased if necessary – I could only find it in uncooked links)

·      1 ½ LBS ground turkey

·      1 ½ LBS ground beef

·      juice of 1 orange

·      ½ C of water + 2 beef bullion cubes

·      2 medium onions, chopped

·      2 red peppers, chopped

·      3 jalapenos, chopped and seeded to taste

·      8 smashed garlic cloves

·      1 TBSP salt

·      1 TBSP cumin

·      4 TBSP chili powder

·      1 twenty-eight OZ can diced tomatoes

·      4 OZ can of tomato paste

All you have to do is put it all in a large crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours!

It's fall. And, you know what fall means.

Apples.  Pumpkins.  Cinnamon.  Caramel.  Repeat.

If there is a recipe for happiness, that is it.  The other day, I was telling my mom that I have about 30 fall dessert recipes that I want to try.  She laughed politely in a tone that insinuated that might be slightly excessive.  However, by the end of the conversation, I had convinced her that not only was this perfectly reasonable -- because one has to take advantage of fall baking season as much as possible -- but also that we should try a new pie recipe for Thanksgiving this year.  Usually, my mother is the one advocating for new recipes, and I am the adamant traditionalist.  However, when I came across the recipe below, I new it was time for a new tradition:

And, of course, we are making the "twice as nice" version, because you can never have too much whipped cream, no matter what anyone tells you.  **If you would like the PDF of the recipe, let me know.

As long as we are talking about pumpkin, here is a recent pumpkin cookie recipe I tried.  I skipped the glaze but added white chocolate chips, which were a big hit at Bible study and the office.  

Pumpkin Cookies from Food Network Mag 2013 Thanksgiving issue:

Beat 6 TBSP softened butter and 1 1/2 C sugar with mixer (or get a workout with a good, old-fashioned wooden spoon ;) ) until fluffy; beat in 1 C pumpkin, 1 egg, and 1 TSP vanilla.  Whisk 2 C flour, 1 TSP each baking soda and cinnamon, and 1/2 TSP salt; stir into the pumpkin mixture.  Drop by spoonfuls onto oiled baking sheets (or use parchment paper, like I do), and bake at 400* for 12 MIN.  Cool and glaze with, 1/2 C powdered sugar + 1 TBSP milk whisked together (if I were making the glaze, I would use a little pure maple syrup, too).

I am making this right now.

Pumpkin Puree

Then, I will be making these for breakfast this week.

Pumpkin Smoothies

I first tried this recipe last pumpkin season, and fell in love -- I make the healthier option -- with plain yogurt and a bit of honey/maple syrup.

Pumpkin season is back, and I am in full Fall swing.  Is it still 105* outside here in Arizona?  Yes.  But, no matter.  Just crank the AC and put on a sweater!  Pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies -- here we come.  And, don't get me started on apples...

Bobby Flay Did It Again.

Another great BBQ recipe!  There are about ten other recipes I have lined up to share with you, but I made this one tonight and it zoomed to the top -- Bobby Flay's Balsamic BBQ Sauce.  When you see the list of ingredients, you will think there is no way this recipe is worth it -- but think again!  It uses mostly everyday pantry ingredients and makes enough for several servings.  Well, enough ado, here we go!

• 1 1/2 C balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBSP canola oil (I used olive)
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic (or 5, like I used)
• 1/2 C ketchup
• 1 TBSP ancho chile powder (I used regular)
• 1 1/2 TSP paprika
• 2 TSP dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 TSP red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 TSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small chipotle chile in adobo (normally, they come in small cans with several peppers, from the Hispanic aisle)
• 1 1/2 TSP brown sugar
• 2 TSP honey
• 2 TSP molasses
• salt & pepper

Bring the balsamic to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced by about half, 15-20 minutes.  Set aside.  Heat 1 TBSP canola oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.  Add the onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add the ketchup and 3 TBSP water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.  Add the reduced balsamic, chile powder, paprika, mustard, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, chipotle chile, brown sugar, honey, and molasses.  Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.  Puree with an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  (I used a mini blender, and it worked well.)

Try it.  Trust me.  It's a sauce that will get you excited.

Slainte!

  

Toasting Roasting

By now, you have probably noticed that I love roasted vegetables.  They're simple, quick, and tasty -- the perfect choice for entertaining or cooking dinner after work.  My favorite combination = garnet sweet potatoes + yellow peppers + onions -- which you will notice in one of my photos -- but a variety of veggies can be used, including carrots and cauliflower.  In fact, Roasted Cauliflower Pepper Salad is a new roasted vegetable recipe that I recently tried.  Usually, I just mix the veggies in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and stick them in the oven on a foiled baking pan, for 30-40 minutes, at 375*.  As you can see, paired with this salad is a plain chicken breast, pan-seared in olive oil, salt, & pepper -- another easy, low carb meal that is good for you and your budget.  The next night, I used a leftover chicken breast and the remaining roasted salad and made a quick stir fry in a bit of olive oil and a few seasonings.  Again, quick, simple, and good.

Another wonderfully simple recipe I have been loving lately is what I have so cleverly dubbed Simple Salsa.  Combine chopped tomatoes + onions in a bowl, reserving a half a tomato and a handful of chopped onion.  Puree the reserved veggies with a few splashes of white wine vinegar, a de-seeded hatch chile pepper (or spicy pepper of your choice), and a clove of garlic.  Add puree to the bowl of veggies and blend with a potato masher, pastry cutter, or just a spoon.  I am still experimenting with salsas, but like this one because it goes well with chips or by itself as a side salad.  If anyone has good salsa recipes to share, please do!  I am in particular search of a good recipe for tomatillo salsa...

Hey, ya'll.

Greetings from the Great Southwest!  Even in my online absence, I have been thinking of you and on the lookout for some great local recipes to share.  Haven't come across anything yet, however, I am hoping to make a trip up to Prescott to pick what Food Network claims are the best peaches in the country (eek!) -- pies, cobblers, jams, oh my!

Until that glorious time, however, I will share a handful of the recipes I have made when I have had time to cook.  I have been doing a lot more "clean" eating lately and trying to figure out ways to do so on a small budget while still enjoying cooking.  If you have any creative ideas of your own, please feel free to share!  In this vein, a lot of the dishes featured on my Instagram feed are very simple combinations of veggies and meats -- different ways, different seasonings -- simple combinations of good foods that are good for you.   Most of the descriptions give you an idea of what is in these recipes, however, if you have any questions or want to swap ideas, let me know!

You will notice a particularly wonderful photo of some lovely dishes that I recently purchased for my new kitchen.  Organic. White. West Elm.  Need I say more?  Actually, the only thing that I probably would have needed to say was "West Elm."  It is quite a wonderful place, isn't it?  If you haven't been there, you should go.  Trust me.

Right by that photo, you will find a little collage of tomatoes, and you might be wondering why.  Well, first of all, they are beautiful -- heirloom tomatoes are one of my little summer joys.  These were particularly stunning, and I just had to share them with you.  I also wanted to share my de-juicing technique, which may leave you even a little more confused and worried about my sanity.  Yes, I know tomatoes are juicy.  It's just that, sometimes, it's a little too much. And, let's be real, no matter how hard one tries, it is impossible to keep tomato juice from running off the cutting board.

So, after halving and coring a tomato, you have two options: squeeze the halves over the sink (which is the quickest route but will definitely mangle the flesh) or scoop the insides out (kind of like a cantaloupe - you can either take the solid middle "pillar" with them or scoop around it).  I de-juice my tomatoes for almost all recipes, especially when the liquid content is crucial. This is also an easy way to replace cherry tomatoes in a recipe, without worrying about the tomatoes make a salad, etc. soggy.

All right, gotta run -- but don't worry, I will be back sooner rather than later this time.  Until then, slainte!

Rhubarb cream cheese hand pies

It's been a few months since I made these delectable little pockets of rhubarb and cream cheese, but since I took the pictures on my sister's iPhone, I didn't see them again until I remembered weeks later that I needed to ask for them. 

Smitten Kitchen has a perfect track record with me, and these hand pies continue the streak. I saw the photos posted on her Flickr account, but was agonizing at the end of the day that there was no. recipe. posted. and I had to make the pie dough a day ahead of time. So I went with the classic all-butter crust on her site.

Of course, it ended up being the wrong crust, but these were delicious anyway.

An embarrassment of desserts

A short time ago, I had fresh cherries, peaches, and raspberries in my kitchen all at the same time. I’m not exactly convinced it was a problem, but it was a problem because I had dessert recipes lined up for each of them, and ideal ripeness is a narrow window.

First, the Washington-grown Bing cherries became a cherry-almond frangipane tart. The frangipane and crust I loved; the cherry pits got bothersome. The rest were knifed in two, pitted, and flash-frozen for later.

Then came the raspberries, which were eaten by the handful, broiled with sour cream and brown sugar (!), or flash-frozen for later.

The only fruit that escaped preservation by freezing were the peaches, which were eaten out of hand or wrapped in pie crust two separate times.

While I’m a champion of dessert, I was feeling a bit guilty for all the sweet things, even though I’m clearly just making hay while the sun shines. So I did what a logical person would do and steeped some coffee beans in milk for a blissful coffee gelato.

It may have been the gelato that drove me to order this:

Or it was the intriguing thought of a CSA box without the weekly commitment and the beautifully inspiring website Belle Creek Gardens has that caused me to place my order for my first organic produce box. (Beets not pictured.) I’m feeling ready for the healthier challenge.

. . . right after I finish my ground cherry + raspberry breakfast galette.

Zucchini fries

This is the story of how a healthy recipe for baked zucchini fries met the reality of summer in my kitchen. When the temperature hovers between 75 and 80 degrees inside, I very rarely turn on the oven. So, these zucchini fries ended up frying up golden and crisp in an oil-coated pan, and I am not sorry.

 

Mini zucchinis from Thursday's farmer's market.

 Egg. Flour seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Panko.

Don't forget the sriracha-spiked sour cream.

Zucchini Fries

Inspired by this recipe from Kim's Healthy Eats

3 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then each half cut lengthwise into three pieces

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp sweet paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder (may want to up, as I didn't really taste it)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Dipping sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tsp sriracha (or to taste)

Sprinkle the zucchini strips with salt and pepper. Dip each piece individually in the egg mixture, coat in flour mixture, return to egg mixture to coat, then coat in panko. Set each aside on a large plate. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a skillet over medium heat. When a pinch of panko thrown into the oil sizzles immediately, add half of the fries and cook, turning as needed to brown evenly. Remove onto a paper-towel-lined plate. If necessary, add another tablespoon or two of oil to the pan and let it heat before frying the second batch of zucchini. While the fries cool slightly, mix the sour cream and sriracha in a small bowl. Dip and eat.

Currant events (red currants, scones, and jam)

Friday was one of those happy days where I got off early from work and came home with a tupperware container full of red currants from the bush of my generous coworker. The first few were eaten plain, then on crackers spread with goat cheese.

Today, when morning came, the air was cool enough outside that I decided to turn on the oven and bake one of the three cups of currants I received into scones. These cream scones (minus the dried fruit) from Smitten Kitchen formed the base, and I folded in the scant cup of washed and destemmed currants halfway through the final mix. My husband and I (emphasis on "I") have put away all but one through the course of the day, and I've decided to be selfless and offer him a chance at it.

When I was washing and picking the currants while the oven preheated, I decided to set aside the first two cups I picked either for currant syrup or currant jam, both out of Tart and Sweet. Jam won the household vote.

One minute the berries looked like this, and within another minute of being on the stove, they were swimming in their own ruby-colored juice. The full 25 minutes of boiling steadily darkened the ruby color, and here below is the gorgeous end result:

(As you can see, two cups of currants don't make much jam.)

Freedom Food!

Is anything more American than apple pie?  Well, I happen to think that there are a few foods that are equal to apple pie and deserve their own phrases.  However, "American has a burger" doesn't really have the same ring, so we'll have to settle for honoring the burger in other manners.  For my part, I tried my hand at stuffed burgers for the first time this 4th of July - bringing the great Minnesota tradition of the juicy lucy to the southwest.   On the side, I served a creamy bacon potato salad, inspired by Sunny Anderson's Creamy Potato & Prosciutto Salad, from the latest issue of FoodNetwork magazine.  Last, but certainly not least, I made Pancakes for Breakfast - the best pancake recipe ever, given to me by Caitlin, back in our college Saturday-morning-pancake-days.  These delicate yet filling cakes have the creaminess of a crepe with the sturdiness of a regular pancake.  Yes, they are practically perfect.  So, without further ado, here you go!  (In case you missed my previous posts, my food photos are being updated on Instagram @ Kileen's Kitchen.)

Burgers

1/2 package cream cheese

+

1/2 block of monterey jack diced

+

2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on size

+

1-2 jalapenos, diced                                } saute all 3 in leftover bacon drippings from salad

+

3-4 green onions diced

= delicious filling to be buried inside a 1/2 LB treasure chest of ground beef > grill or pan fry

Creamy Bacon Potato Salad

several pieces of bacon, fried (reserve drippings to saute green onions for dressing)

+

2 LBS baby potatoes, quartered and cooked to just fork tender (potatoes will continue to cook while draining) > pour in colander and let drain over sink

+

dressing

= refreshing alternative potato salad that will spice up your summer picnic table!

Dressing

1 cup mayo 

+

3-4 green onions, sauteed in bacon drippings

+

1 TSP sugar

+

1/2 TSP cayenne pepper

+

1/4 C stone ground mustard

+

2 TSP white wine vinegar

+

salt and pepper to taste

Pancakes for Breakfast

*Since this is really Caitlin's recipe, I will let her tell you the story about how these pancakes got their name.  However, there is one stipulation before you can read further - if you ever make these pancakes (which I have no doubt you will get up and do tomorrow morning), you must call them by their proper name, Pancakes for Breakfast :)

3 eggs

+             } beat together lightly, add flour mixture just until blended, then add butter

2 C milk

+

2 C flour

+

2 TSP baking powder

+

3 TBSP sugar

+

1 tsp salt

+

3 TBSP melted butter

= the perfect pancake - yes, I said it!

Playing Catch Up, Part II

Next on the list is my own interpretation of a delicious salad that I had at a local lunch spot named [n]counter, that specializes in wholesome foods that taste great.  So far, the best lunch I have had in Tempe was a la [n]counter = a spinach, green apple, banana, yogurt smoothie + a chicken, cashew salad.

Crush or chop a few handfuls of cashews and a few cloves of garlic.  Dice 4-5 green onions, 2 seeded jalapenos, + 1 sweet bell pepper.  On low heat, saute all in olive oil with sea salt, pepper, + cayenne.  When they are about halfway done, add diced chicken.  Increase heat to cook chicken thoroughly, saute until chicken and cashews are slightly browned.  Serve cooled mixture over lettuce (I used this for lunches last week - putting individual servings of mixture in baggies inside tupperware with lettuce, ready to grab each morning).

The following meal of roasted tomato BLTs + peach dumplings with hard sauce was practically perfect.  The tomatoes roast at 300* for about 3 hours - so you have to plan ahead a bit.  They don't keep well, so it's best to do this the day of, and it can be done ahead of time in the morning.

4 small heirloom tomatoes - about 1/4 inch slices
+
drizzle of balsamic, sprinkle of sea salt and pepper
+
Pyrex pan lined with tin foil
= Roasted Tomatoes

1/2 C mayo
+
TBSP dried basil
= Spread

Cook the bacon and save drippings

1 C sliced cabbage
+                                                 } Combine and soak in water with 1/2 TSP of salt for 20 min, drain
1/4 purple onion - thinly sliced
+
1 TBSP bacon drippings
+
1 TSP red wine vinegar
+
salt and pepper
= Slaw

Layer slaw, bacon, and tomatoes on small ciabatta rolls with spread.  I served with chopped romaine + balsamic dressing and Cowboy Fries on the side :)  The BLT recipe was inspired by a recent Food Network magazine recipe, and I just made a few artistic interpretations.

On to the really important part - SK Peach Dumplings with Bourbon Hard Sauce (P. 235)!

Crust = SK All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough (this dough yields two crusts, but will be used as one for this recipe)

• 2 1/2 C flour
• 1 TBSP sugar
• 1 TSP salt
• 16 TBSP really cold butter
• 1/2 cup ice water

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Dice butter, scatter over and cut into mixture.  Add water and blend mixture into soft dough.  Let chill for at least 4 hours.  When ready to make dumplings, roll into a 12x18 inch rectangle and divide into six 6 inch squares.  Place on baking sheet and keep in fridge til ready to wrap peaches.

Filling 

• 3 large peaches
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 TSP cinnamon
• pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 TBSP butter, cut into 6 pieces, kept cold
• 1 large egg, for glaze

Halve peaches, remove pits, scoop a little extra out for filling.  Mix brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.  Spoon sugar mixture into each peach, pack as much into depression as possible and press into mound.  Top each with a butter dot, place on a crust square, pull corners up and pinch together.  Brush with egg white.  Place in greased Pyrex 9x13 and chill in fridge for 30 minutes.  Place in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until dumplings are puffed and golden.  

While baking, make hard sauce.

Hard Sauce

• 4 TBSP butter, at room temp
• 3/4 C powdered sugar
• 1 TBSP bourbon or other flavoring, IE vanilla, almond extract

Beat all ingredients until smooth and dollop over warm dumplings when serving.  I don't have to tell you to enjoy them, because you won't be able to help it!

Playing Catch Up

As my lovely kitchen cohort mentioned in one of her previous posts, I am writing to you from a new kitchen in a new state.  Work has brought me to the sunshiny state of Arizona, and I am excited to find some new recipes and types of food to share with you.  One local delight that I am already able to recommend is cactus honey.  A bottle of the Sonoran variety is currently in my cupboard and has been incorporated into many lovely treats, including Smitten Kitchen's Almond Date Breakfast bars (p. 21 of her fabulous cookbook).

For all of you - dare I say it? - foodies (ugh) out there, two things: one, we need to come up with a better term for ourselves, the discriminatingly tasteful.  Two, though I did not make it myself, I had the opportunity to try cactus fries, Indian fry bread, and rattlesnake at one of Sedona's first restaurants - the Cowboy Club  It's a must see (and eat), if you ever make Sedona.

Now, down to the nitty gritty.  I am incorporating a link to my Instagram account, used solely for the purpose of conveying mouth-watering images to you as quickly as they come across my plate (and to mask the horrific light in my kitchen).  Kileen's Kitchen

First, up - jambalaya!  The great Paul Deen's Skillet Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya, to be exact.  This one-pan wonder can be dug out of a treasure chest called The Southern Cooking Bible (p. 171).  Along with SK, SCB is a staple of my cooking library.  I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

Second, Peach Cream Pie is a must-add to your summer baking queue.  I have discovered a heavenly secret about Arizona - it's always peach season!  For those of you back in the midwest, you may have to wait a month or so, but it will be worth it.  And, it will give you something to look forward to in the depths of the August haze.

Preheat oven to 400*.

1 Cup sugar
2 heaping TBSP flour
Dash salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Blend the above well

Peel and halve 4 peaches and place in a pie shell (my pan is a bit large, so your peaches will be tighter and covered by the cream mixture).  Pour cream mixture over peaches.  Bake at 400* for 10 min; reduce oven temp to 350* and bake 35 min. longer; refrigerate overnight before serving.  

Tomorrow, I will finish the recipes off.  Have a great night!

Asparagus, a pictorial ode

I have to admit that I just had tasted asparagus once before I bought a bundle at the farmer's market. I made a pizza with the thicker stalks—these are the rest. They kept for over a week in the fridge in a mason jar with an inch or two of water, loosely covered with a plastic bag.

I followed Bon Appetit's roasting advice, and I encourage you to do the same. Drizzle with olive oil (no more than a tablespoon), then sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and roast at 425 degrees for 15–20 minutes. My spears were on the thinner side (about no. 2 pencil diameter or skinnier), except for that monster shepherd's-crook stalk in the middle, so I took them out at 15 minutes. End with a parmesan cheese shower, then serve. 

Rhubarb fizz + an update

First, I have an announcement. Half (the more absent one, ahem) of Slainte has flown the Minnesota coop. Kileen is currently on her way to the Southwest, where she's going to live for the foreseeable future. Her new charge is to bring the best in Midwest/Southwest fusion to this blog.

What better way to toast Kileen's future in the land of blazing sun and cacti than with a cool, fizzy drink?

My rhubarb syrup (recipe here) isn't exactly the lovely ruby-pink color I was envisioning. It looks more orange than anything, but here on Slainte, we don't judge solely on appearances. What matters is that this vanilla-rhubarb simple syrup makes a light yet satisfying flavor for a homemade soda.

Let's all raise a glass for Kileen. I am sure you'll join me in wishing her all the best.

On our table

 

Chris's perfectly flipped omelet. Cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, chèvre.

Asparagus pizza, thanks to Smitten Kitchen.

Salad. Baby greens, roasted red bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots. Lots of butter-fried garlic croutons.

One-Pan Pasta, before.

One-Pan Pasta, after. A must-try.

Rhubarb Cobbler—Smitten Kitchen strikes again.

Yeasted waffles

Marion Cunningham's yeasted waffles have been in the back of my mind for quite some time. Though, for whatever reason, I always default to the Oh Boy! Waffles recipe from the often-used red-and-white-checkered cookbook of my childhood.

 

These aren't called Oh Boy! Waffles, but I'm sure that "oh boy!" was at least one of the descriptive phrases I used when I took the first waffle out of the iron and put it in my mouth. These are crisp on the outside, ultra light and air-pocketed on the inside. I usually am content to eat my waffles plain, maybe spread with butter. While I had my fair share of these plain, the minimal sugar content meant they were especially perfect with butter and a maple syrup drizzle.

 

Speaking of raised waffles, the Tuesday after I made these, I discovered that Smitten Kitchen and I were on the same brain wave. It made me almost as happy as these waffles did. Almost.

Artisan Ciabatta With Four Common Kitchen Items

Of course I would choose the first 70-degree day of 2013 to crank up my oven to 480 degrees and bake a loaf of bread. At least I had my homemade iced chai to keep me cool.

I’ve owned Baking Artisan Bread for a while now but always think to make something from it a little too late—most recipes require you to mix up the bread starter (poolish or biga, depending on your bread) and let that ferment  overnight before proceeding with the dough.

Additionally, there were more than a few bread-baking supplies specified that I didn’t have. Namely, a couche, peel, baking stone, or steam tray. Bolded is what was initially specified, followed by what I substituted:

1.     Couche: Parchment paper and a flour-coated paper towel. When the instructions called for me to put the dough on a floured couche as well as cover it with a floured couche, I put the bread on parchment paper and covered it with a paper towel I had smeared with flour.

2.     Baking stone: Cast-iron skillet. This seemed to work okay. I got this idea from the no-knead bread phenomenon that swept the food blog world a few years ago.

3.     Peel: Parchment paper on a baking sheet (book-suggested substitution). Instead of using a peel, I put the dough on parchment paper for its final proof, and when it was ready to bake, I slid that off a baking sheet directly into the skillet, so the bread stayed on the parchment paper the entire baking time. This worked pretty well to get it into the skillet without burning myself.

4.     Steam tray: 9-inch metal cake pan. I preheated this in the oven with the skillet and poured ice cubes into it when I put the bread in. Not sure how it performed, because I didn’t open the oven to see because I didn’t want to let any potential steam out.

One part of the directions gave me a little cause for improv: “Transfer each loaf onto the peel by lifting the pleat of the couche and rolling the loaf onto the peel. . . . [T]he side of the loaf that was proofing down on the flour should now be the top of the loaf . . . .”

Uh, well. That presented a bit of a problem since I wasn’t using a couche, first of all, and couldn’t figure out how to roll the loaf with my little sheet of parchment. Also, it was more square than the loaves pictured in the book, which made it harder to roll. Basically I just ended up praying that what I was about to do would work, then flipped the whole thing over as fast as I could. I’m not sure if that damaged the loaf in any way. . . .

Verdict: Not as pretty as I hoped. Maybe slightly rustically attractive. Happily for the ciabatta, I never judge anything strictly by appearance in my kitchen, and despite its looks, this ciabatta was delicious. Also, I think I’ll invest in a couche.

Try the Chai

I finally hopped on the chai tea bandwagon a few months ago. I like it hot or cold, but unfortunately, like with most tea, I only like it sugared up and diluted with milk in latte form. Despite my need for sweetener, I find most coffee shop chai lattes to be too sweet by themselves. So I always order a dirty chai—one shot of espresso (regular if I don’t mind being overcaffeinated, decaf if I’m feeling responsible) balances out the sugar.

When I saw this chai concentrate recipe from Rebecca of Foodie with Family, I thought I’d give it a try because I am all about making store-bought things at home. Also, I wondered if it would be good without having to add espresso, since I don’t have easy means of making that.

The perfect day to boil up the concentrate came along on April 22, when the great outdoors looked like this:

Yes, that is the beginning of 6 inches of snowfall we received April 22.

But the day I made this it was April 27, and the high was 70, so the time is right to try the chai. Instead of heating milk and making it warm, I went the chilled route. Both the concentrate and milk I added were straight from the fridge, so no ice for me. (Note the sneak peek for next post.)

Added bonus: my yummy 8-ounce chai cost me about $0.45. A nice $2+ savings for me for not succumbing to the Starbucks siren song. . .

Breakfast pizza + celery

I have a two projects waiting in the wings, but due to an unfortunate photo mishap in which I didn't transfer a few of the images I need to complete the posts, those will have to wait. Instead, I bring you a recent recipe attempt and a pickled celery preparation.

This is the pizza attempt. I found in Parade in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago, and both the husband and I decided it looked good. There were red onions, roasted red peppers, olives, parmesan, and eggs. We weren't too impressed though. I don't know if it was the egg or the way-too-fiery chiles that he decided to put on his half (most of which ended up being picked off), but we won't be making it again.

On to the pickled celery, which was delicious. Think garnish for egg salad, regular salad, etc. Smitten Kitchen was, as is often the case, my source for this, but I used rice vinegar instead of the white wine variety because that's what I had. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in 2 tablespoons each vinegar and water, then add a finely minced stalk of celery and allow it to refrigerate for an hour. Then make sure to take a picture because the light coming in from outside is lovely.