Herb Spaetzle

This weekend is round two of our Dinner Club. The first one was a lot of fun, with great food. We take turns hosting, and we also rotate which part of the meal we make. This month, we are responsible for the starch. Jenn, our hostess, is making meatball stroganoff, which she usually serves with egg noodles. I thought I'd give spaetzle a try.

I've heard that shaping the dough can be difficult. Methods range from pressing it through a seive, grating it with a cheese grater, or getting a special spaetzle maker. I found a wide-holed colander that I thought would do the job well.

I didn't expect the dough to be so thin. Its consistency was more like a cake batter, whereas I was expecting something like pasta dough. It made pushing the dough through a colander a lot easier. However, it was so runny that dough droppings ended up all over the stove and countertop (and down the side of the cabinet.)

After a quick saute in olive oil, and a sprinkling of fresh herbs, it was ready to eat. The noodles were pillowy soft. I resisted the tempation to eat the whole bowl. I can't wait to share it with our friends this weekend.

Herb Spaetzle

adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2006

by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 c flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp tsp ground white pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

3/4 c milk

8 tsp minced assorted fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives,) divided

4 Tbs olive oil

Blend flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs and milk until blended. Mix in half the herbs.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working with 1/3 cup of batter at a time, press the directly into the boiling water through a coarse strainer or grater. Stir spaetzle to separate and boil for 2 minutes. Using a fine strainer, scoop spaetzle out, drain well, and transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add spaetzle, and saute for five minutes. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Crawfish Fettuccine

In honor Mardi Gras (and Top Chef's finale in New Orleans), I made dinner with crawfish. I had seen this recipe a long time ago in Cooking Light. It was so long ago, that I couldn't find it in their online recipe library. Luckily, a quick google search located the recipe I was looking for.

I was a little leery of using light Velveeta. I'm not big on processed foods, especially cheese that doesn't need refridgerating. Velveeta is usually loaded with sodium, but I was pleased to find that it wasn't too salty.

I halved the recipe, since the original serves ten. Hubs found some mongo-sized peppers, which upped the veggie content. After putting it together, I realized there wasn't enough pasta. I ended up cooking up the rest of the box of fettuccine, and there was still plenty of sauce.

Crawfish Fettuccine
adapted from Holly Clegg's recipe

1 lb fettuccine
2 Tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tbs flour
3/4 c milk
1 lb low fat cheese spread (like 2% Velveeta)
1 lb crawfish tails
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne


Cook fetuccine according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a large saute pan, melt butter. Saute peppers and garlic for 2 minutes. Add flour, stirring until mixed. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until smooth. Add cheese, stirring until melted.

Rinse crawfish tails, and drain well. Add crawfish, 1 Tbs parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. Toss in the pasta, and heat through. Sprinkle on the remaining parsley, and serve.

Tangerine Caipirinha

I made this drink to submit to Joelen's blog, where she is hosting a Wine and Dine Event. This month features Brazilian cuisine. I didn't know too much about Brazilian food, but I did know there was a lime drink similar to a mojito. After a little research, I found its name - caipirinha.

A caipirinha is made with cachaça, a sugar cane-based alcohol. Lime and sugar are "muddled," or mashed together in a glass. Ice and cachaça are mixed in. Since tangerines are in season right now, I decided to substitute it for the lime.

I used two kinds of tangerines. One was small, round, and seedless. This tangerine was great for muddling and garnishing, but the juice wasn't sweet. My local produce market has a wonderful supply of locally grown honey tangerines, which burst with a pungent and sweet juice. Because they have a ton of seeds, I used them only for the juice. The result was very refreshing - perfect for a summer afternoon (or a warm Florida winter).

Tangerine Caipirinha

2 seedless tangerines, peeled and sectioned

1 1/2 Tbs sugar

Ice

3 oz tangerine juice

3 oz cachaça

tangerine slices

Place sectioned tangerines and sugar in a tall glass. Muddle together with the back of a spoon until juice is just released. Add enough ice to fill the glass half way. Add tangerine juice and cachaça, and stir. Garnish with tangerine slices.

Ribeye steak and Carrot Ginger Salad

These were the final components to our Valentine's Day Dinner. To recap, here was our menu:

Shrimp with parsley-garlic butter

Sweet corn soup

Hot and spicy roasted pears

Porcini mushroom risotto

Ribeye steak

Carrot ginger salad

Chocolate pear torte with chocolate ganache

We were so excited about the ribeye. I tried ribeye the first time at the Taste of Winter Park food festival. It was so juicy and tender...I actually said, "I'm in love with a piece of meat."

We debated over whether or not to grill the steaks or to cook them in the oven. We opted to sear them, then finish them in the oven, because we wanted to make a jus to serve with it. Hubs took over cooking the steaks, and he did a fabulous job. The carrots were made well ahead of time, and were ready by the time dinner was served.

Ribeye Steak

2 ribeye steaks

salt and pepper

chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 cup dry red wine

2 thyme sprigs

Season both sides of steaks with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Let sit out for 30 minutes. Pat the steaks with a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add oil, and heat til almost smoking. Sear the steaks in the pan on both sides. Using a pair of tongs, sear all along the sides of the steaks. Meat should be lightly brown all over.

Place steaks in a baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Check with a meat thermometer. Continue baking, checking every few minutes, until desired doneness. For medium, we cooked until the meat reached an internal temperature of 140 F. Remove steaks from oven, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Slice against the grain, and serve.

To make the jus, add wine and thyme to the pan used to sear the steaks. Cook over medium heat, stirring and scraping the browned bits off the bottom, until liquid reduces a bit - about 10 minutes.

Carrot Ginger Salad
adapted from W-S Bride and Groom Cookbook
by Gayle Pirie and John Clark

2 bunches of baby carrots
4 tsp tarragon vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs fresh chopped cilantro


Trim stems off carrots, leaving 1/2 inch of the green. Peel carrots.

Heat 2 inches of water in a wide saute pan. Add 2 tsp of vinegar and salt and bring to a boil. Turn down heat, add carrots, and simmer until tender but firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool carrots.

Place cumin seeds in a small saute pan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan so they heat evenly. Toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Coarsely grind the seeds (we used a magic bullet), or chop using a sharp knife.

In a shallow serving bowl, toss the carrots with the lemon juice, ginger, cayenne, remaining 2 tsp of vinegar, cumin, and olive oil. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is totally worth the effort it takes to make. I must confess, however, that I'm slightly inattentive when it comes to stirring. I take a few breaks, letting the rice simmer, returning to stir every few minutes. This allows me to prepare the other parts of the meal. Despite the neglect, the risotto seems to turn out fine.

I experimented with this dish. Usually I splash a bit of wine into the pot, but this time I skipped it. I added some of the water used to steep the mushrooms for a richer flavor. I also used beef broth, instead of the usual chicken stock. This, along with the mushroom water, turned the rice a very dark brown. It looked funny, but tasted wonderful.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms

4 c beef broth

1 c parmesan cheese

1 medium onion, diced

3 Tbs butter

1 1/2 c arborio rice

1 Tbs fresh chopped rosemary

Salt and pepper

Place mushrooms in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over them, and let rehydrate for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 c of mushroom water.

Simmer broth on the stove. Keep heated. Grate the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Heat butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent. Add rice, stirring to coat rice grains with butter. Saute 2 minutes, until white dot appears in the center of the grains. Add mushroom water, and stir continuously until liquid has evaporated. Do not let temperature of the pan get too hot. Liquid should not ever come to a boil. Add 2/3 c of broth to the rice, stirring constantly until liquid evaporates. Continuing adding broth, 2/3 c at a time, stirring while the rice absorbs the liquid. Cooking process should take around 30 minutes. Rice is done when it is very slightly chewy, but not hard.

Remove risotto from heat. Stir in parmesan until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tsp rosemary. Sprinkle remaining rosemary over risotto when serving.

Hot and Spicy Roasted Pears

This recipe is from a Williams-Sonoma book. The book's recipes are a compilation from their magazine, Taste. The directions are very incomplete and difficult to decipher at times. For example, the instructions never tell you to slice the pears in half, which clearly needs to be done. I rewrote the directions, and hopefully they are easier to follow.

Hot and Spicy Roasted Pears

adapted from W-S, The Best of Taste

2 jalepenos

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs curry powder

2 Tbs honey

1 Tbs soy sauce

4 firm Bosc pears, with stems

juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 500 F. Cut the stem off each jalepeno. Cut the peppers lengthwise into quarters, removing seeds and ribs.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in honey and soy sauce.

Peel the pears and cut a small slice off the bottom so pears will stand up easily. Halve lengthwise. Rub lime juice into the surface of the pear halves. Slit the rib out of the middle of the pear, and scoop the seeds out with a melon baller. Stuff a pepper piece inside each pear, cutting so they fit into the cavity. If peppers stick out at all, press into the pear flesh.

Fit pear halves back together. Place upright in a glass baking dish, leaving enough room so they don't touch. Stir the remaining lime juice into the sauce. Drizzle all the sauce over the pears. Cut small holes into a piece of foil so the pears will fit through. Cover baking dish, pressing the foil against the pears.

Place pears in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Uncover, and add 1/2 c of water to the pan. Stir well, and baste the pears with the sauce. Re-cover, and roast another 15 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover, and let pears stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Shrimp with Parsley-Garlic Butter

This was the first course to our Valentine's Day dinner. Since there were only two of us, I made 1/4 the recipe. It turned out to be the perfect amount for an appetizer. I loved the familiar flavors of garlic, butter, and lemon.

The recipe for the shrimp comes from this book. My sister gave it to us as an egagement present almost two years ago. There are lots of basic recipes; it seems to be tailored for more beginner cooks. The shrimp is the first recipe we tried from the book. We also made the Sweet Corn Soup for our soup course, but we found it to be just okay. I added a bit of parsley (we had extra), and a hit of chili oil, but still found it on the bland side.



Shrimp with Parsley-Garlic Butter
adapted from W-S Bride and Groom Cookbook
by Gayle Pirie and John Clark

Parsley-Garlic Butter:
3 Tbs butter, room temperature
4 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled


Mash the ingredients for the butter mixture in a small bowl.

Make sure all of shell is peeled off the shrimp, including the tail. With a small, sharp knife, slit the shrimp down the length of the curved back. Don't slice all the way through. Remove the vein. Flatten the shrimp with the your palm so it lays flat, without pulling the shrimp apart.

Preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the shrimp in a single layer on the foil. Spread the butter mixture onto the center of the shrimp, dividing evenly among all the shrimp. Broil until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to serve.

Chocolate Pear Torte with Chocolate Ganache

It has become our Valentine's Day tradition to stay in and cook an indulgent meal. I like to try a new recipe for dessert, usually something on the intricate side. I gave Hubs a few ideas, and he immediately went for the chocolate pear torte. The picture from Bon Apetit looks amazing - all smooth chocolate glaze, and delicate gold leaf, unlike my dribbly sides.

Aside from my wedding cake, this has easily become the most expensive dessert I've made. I had to buy a few extra ingredients (pear schnapps, dried pears), and the edible gold leaf wasn't cheap. I couldn't find it anywhere locally, and since I had procrastinated, I had to select UPS third day air delivery. I even chose the edible gold flakes, which were considerably less than the sheets, and it still came in at just under $50.

The torte itself seemed like a heavier version of a sponge cake. The leavening of the cake comes from the air that is beaten into the egg components. I was familiar with the technique, but it took a lot of bowls to make the batter. I even had to use the mini-bowl of the food processor to make the pear paste.

When it came to tenting the cake pan, I ran into a slight problem. The foil I had wasn't wide enough to cover the diameter of the 10-inch pan. I could: 1) use two sheets, and have a well-domed tent with a large loose seam at the top, or 2) have a very small-domed tent with tight fitting seams. I decided that keeping the moisture in was more important than how high the cake rose, and opted for the latter.

There was a ton of batter, more than would comfortable fit in a 2-inch high pan, so next time I would use my 3-inch high pan. I made more ganache than originally called for, and adjusted the proportions to make it slightly thicker. Spreading the ganache is a trick I have yet to master, which is why the sides are so lumpy. I covered a few bumps in the top with the gold leaf.

Finally, photographing this dessert was incredibly difficult. A white surface over exposed the shot, and my tan counters and tabletops cast a yellow tinge. The sheen of the glaze reflected light crazily. There were some shots where I could see myself in the surface. The gold flakes were never in focus. I easily took over 100 pictures, trying to adjust the light source while still getting the right exposure. It proved to be almost too much for my little point and shoot camera.

I am submitting this post to Joelen's Tasty Tools event. Joelen, of Joelen's Culinary Adventures hosts many themed events every month.

Chocolate Pear Torte with Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Pear Torte

Bon Apetit, December 1998

Cake:

3/4 c chopped dried pears, about 4 oz

3/4 c water

1 1/3 c sugar

3 Tbs pear liqueur
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/3 c finely ground almonds

1/4 c all purpose flour
6 large eggs, separated

Ganache:

12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 c whipping cream

2 Tbs unsalted butter

1 Tbs pear liqueur

Garnish:

Gold leaf squares or sprinkles

Position rack in the center of oven. Preheat to 350 F. Spray a 10-inch diameter cake pan with 3 inch high sides with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the panwith parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper.

Place dried pears, water, and 1/3 c sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the pears soften and the liquid becomes syrupy (about 20minutes.) Pour into a food processor. Add the 3 Tbs of pear liqueur, and process until mixture forms a thick paste. Set aside.

Place chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Add pear paste, almonds and flour. Mix well. Transfer to a largebowl.

Beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 c of sugar,beating until the mixture thickens and becomes a pale yellow (like the color ofsolid butter.) In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peak stage. Add the remaining 1/2 c sugar and continue beating until mixture reaches the stiff peak stage.

Fold egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture in small batches. Stir 1/4 ofthe egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites in batches.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover with foil, sealing the edges and leaving space above the pan to let the cake rise. Place the cake pan in a large rectangular baking pan. Add enough hot water to the baking pan to come 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake about 1 1/2 hours, until sides are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Transfer to a rack. Let cool for 20 minutes. Cake should pull away from the side of the pan. Run a knife along the side if cake is stuck. Invert tort onto a 9-inch cardboard cake round. Torte should hang over the edge around the entire circumference. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely and chill.)

Place ganache ingredients in a double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until smooth.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a rack on top. Set the torte on the rack. Pour 2/3 c of ganache over the surface of the torte. With an offset spatula, smooth the ganache over the top of the torte, letting it drip down the sides. Smooth the sides to form a thin, even coat of chocolate. Freeze for 15 minutes to set. Remove from freezer, and pour the remaining ganache onto the torte, smoothing the top and sides. Freeze another 15 minutes until set.

(Torte can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temp. for 30 minutes before serving.)

Garnish with gold leaf or flakes as desired.

The Bag That Gives Back

Every store imaginable has been hawking their own "green" bag. Although I applaud their efforts to reduce the use of plastic bags, I find it a tad redundant to purchase a bag for every store I patronize. I'm pretty good about remembering to keep a bag in my car, and grabbing it whenever I go into a store. I just feel a little uneasy using a bag from a competitor.

My new favorite bag is the Whole Foods bag. Despite my growing collection of reusable totes, I bought this for one reason: it was smaller than the typical tote size. At a whopping $0.79, it was a great price. The, "I'm saving my planet," theme is much more prominent than the Whole Foods logo, so I don't feel as conspicuous when I bring it into other stores. I also receive compliments on it whenever I bring it to our local farmer's market.

There are three more reasons why I recommend this bag:

1) It is made from recycled plastic bags, so not only are they reducing the number of bags made, they are putting all those discarded bags to use.

2) As mentioned above, it is smaller than the typical tote bag, making it convenient for when you only have a few items to carry out. It has even become my lunch bag (when I remember to pack one.)

3) Most importantly, Whole Foods refunds you $0.10 every time you bring it to the store and use it. Ten cents doesn't seem like much, but after eight times, the bag pays for itself. It's a nice incentive, and I hope they continue to offer it. Thank you, Whole Foods!

Bibimbap

When visiting my friend Julia in South Korea, bibambap became one of my favorite foods. Maybe it was because it was relatively easy to say; maybe it was because it was easy to recognize in a list of pictures. Most likely, it was its comforting flavors of rice, vegetables, and sesame, topped by a sunny egg. Dol sot bibimbap was served in a hot stone bowl, so the rice sizzled and turned crispy. The best part about it was the chili sauce that you pour on and mix in.

As soon as I returned to the states, I set out to duplicate the dish. Living in North Carolina at the time, it was difficult to find well-stocked asian grocery stores. Luckily, the one I found was owned by Koreans. They had the kochujang, which forms the basis of the chili sauce.

The types of vegetables in the dish are not set in stone; usually I throw in whatever I have in the fridge. Sometimes kimchi is tossed in. It is usually served without meat, but adding a protein is fine. Bulgogi, a grilled beef, is a popular choice to add to bibambap. I used turkey bacon this time, but only because I thought we had tofu in the fridge, and discovered we didn't.

Bibimbap

1 c sticky rice, cooked

9 slices turkey bacon (optional)

2 c fresh spinach

12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

2/3 c matchstick carrots

6 oz fresh bean sprouts

1 Tbs sugar

1 1/2 Tbs sesame oil

Sesame seeds

4 Tbs kochujang (Korean chili paste)

2 Tbs rice vinegar

4 eggs

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Toasted seaweed (nori), thinly sliced (optional)

Line bacon in a large pan and fry until crispy. Remove from heat and slice into strips. While the bacon is frying, bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Blanch spinach in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove and let drain on some paper towels. Blanch the shitake mushrooms the same way and let drain. Pat both dry with more paper towels.

In a small bowl, stir together the kochujang and rice vinegar to form a paste. Set aside.

Divide the rice into four bowls. Sprinkle the sugar and drizzle the sesame oil over the rice. Arrange the spinach, mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrots, and bacon in sections over the rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Fry eggs to desired doneness and place one in each bowl. Top with green onions.

To serve, sprinkle seaweed over the food. Pour in some chili sauce and mix up, making sure to break up the egg. Koreans eat this dish with a spoon.

Chicken Chilaquiles

Every year, hubs and I go to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. The Mexico Pavilion always has chilaquiles, which is one of his favorite dishes at the festival. The recipe they give for this sounds nothing like what we ate, so I set out to make my own.

Chilaquiles can be made a few ways, and I went the route of a lasagna. I layered tortillas, chicken, a bechamal seasoned with roasted peppers, vegetables, and cheese. I was worried that it would be a bit bland, so I also made a green tomatillo sauce to serve with it.

Chicken Chilaquiles

3 poblano chiles

1 jalepeno pepper

1 red bell pepper

3 Tbs butter

1/2 c all purpose flour

3 c milk (I use 2%)

2/3 c shredded colby jack cheese, divided

8 oz corn kernels

1/3 c chopped red onion

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

1 egg

8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

18 6-inch diameter corn tortillas

1 1/4 lb cooked chicken, shredded

5 green onions, sliced

Preheat broiler. Line the bottom of a baking pan with foil. Cut all the peppers in half, removing membranes and seeds. Place on the foil, cut side down. Flatten each pepper half with your palm. Broil until the skins of the peppers are mostly charred. Remove from the oven. Placepeppers in a ziploc bag; seal let sit for 10 minutes. Remove peppers, and peel the skins off. Chop the red pepper; set all of them aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour, and cook until lightly brown. Graduallyadd milk, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium high heatuntil slightly thickened. Remove from heat.

Pour about 1 c of milk mixture into a blender. Add the poblanos and jalepeno pepper. Blend until peppers are finely diced. Return to the pan with the rest of the milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together the red bell pepper, 1 c cheese, corn, red onion, cilantro, egg, and ricotta cheese.
Coat a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Coat the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of sauce. Cover the sauce with 6 tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Spread half the ricotta mixture over thetortillas, followed by half the chicken, 1 cup of grated cheese, 1/3 of the green onions, and 1 cup of sauce.

Repeat layers: tortillas, remaining ricotta mixture, remaining chicken, 1 c grated cheese, greenonions, and 1 cup of sauce. Top with a final layer of tortillas. Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Uncover, sprinkle remaining cheese and green onion over the top. Bake, uncoered, another 10minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Tomatillo Sauce

8 green tomatillos, skins removed

1/2 jalepeno, halved and seeded

1 green onion, white part only, chopped

1 small clove garlic, chopped

1 1/2 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

Place the tomatillos and jalepeno in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to to cover the bottom 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the tomatillos and pepper from the water; place in a blender. Add green onion, and garlic, and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Season with sugar, salt and pepper. Let cool to room temperature, and stir in cilantro.

My favorite turkey burger

Most of the time, I prefer turkey burgers to beef burgers. This has been the one exception. The meat acts as a palette for other flavors and spices, which makes turkey meat very adaptable. I used to use the lean turkey meat, until hubs told me that they taste better with a little bit of fat - that's what makes them juicy. So we use the fattier turkey meat, hoping that most of the fat drips out during cooking. I've spent many times getting the flavors right, and this version is my favorite. Hubs does the grilling, as he is a Grill Master. We had grilled asparagus as a side.

Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

1 clove fresh minced garlic

2 tsp fresh minced ginger

2 scallions, green parts only, chopped
1 Tbs soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 Tbs orange juice

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper

Heat the grill.

Mix all the ingredients together, and season with the salt and pepper. Form into four patties. With your thumb, press an indentation in the middle of the burger. Cook on the grill, until done in the middle.

Strawberry Orange Muffins

Hubs had to get up super early for a gig, so the night before, I made these muffins for him to eat in the car. Strawberries and oranges are in season right now in FL, which gave me the idea to make them. I packed extra for him to share with the other musicians on the gig. I really liked the orange flavor of these muffins.

Strawberry Orange Muffins

adapted from Williams-Sonoma, Baking

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c water
1/2 c sour cream
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1 Tbs fresh orange zest
1 c thinly sliced fresh strawberries
1/3 c strawberry jam

Place sliced strawberries in a thin layer on a few sheets of paper towels to absorb juice. Pat the tops with another paper towel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Whisk sugar, water, sour cream, oil, egg, and orange zest in another bowl. Stir in the strawberries. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Do not overmix.

Place a spoonful of batter into each muffin cup. Add a tsp of jam in each cup, then cover with remaining batter. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins and cool on a rack.

Bittersweet Chocolate Blondies

Every so often, hubs gets the baking bug. His most recent foray into sweets yielded these blondies. He keeps calling them "cookies," even though technically they are brownies. He told me tonight that he's not allowed to make them anymore, because he tries to eat one, and ends up eating four.

I took the above picture while they were still warm, because I was too impatient to wait until they were cool. I like the big glob of still-melted chocolate in the middle of the bar.

Bittersweet Chocolate Blondies

courtesy of Lisa Yockelson - Chocolate, Chocolate

1 c plus 2 Tbs flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 c plus 2 Tbs firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 c plus 1 Tbs granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks

3/4 c sweetend flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the inside of a 9x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into a mediumsize bowl. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the sifted mixture. Blend in the chocolate chunks and coconut.The batter will be dense and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until set. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and remove with an offset spatula. Store in an airtight tin.

World Nutella Day, 2009

Today is World Nutella Day! This event is hosted by Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso.

Since we recently had a nutella shake at Flip, I thought it would be perfect to recreate it today. Hubs has mentioned this shake at least once a day since we ate it. We had milk and nutella already, so we ran out and bought some ice cream and mini marshmallows. Hazelnuts are near impossible to find at our grocery store, so I skipped those. I kept it a secret from hubs, as to surprise him.

We don't have one of those cool mini-blowtorches, so I used the broiler to toast the marshmallows. I sprayed a teeny bit of non-stick spray onto some foil, so the marshmallows wouldn't stick. I watched them diligently as they toasted, because I'm notorius for burning things under the broiler. Then I blended the other ingredients, topped it with the marshmallows, and it was ready.

Hubs' pronouncement: Just as good as the original, even without the toasted hazelnut bits.

for recipe and updated pictures, click here.

Homemade Granola

Hubs loves munching on granola. Kashi's Cocoa Beach is his favorite. He found this recipe online to make your own, and we really liked it. My favorite way to eat it is as a topping for plain yogurt, and mixed with a few pieces of fresh fruit. Hubs especially likes it as a late night snack, and it keeps him away from dipping a spoon into the nutella.

We adjusted the amounts to our liking, but here is the original recipe.

Granola

courtesy of Alton Brown, as seen on Good Eats, "Oat Cuisine"

3 c rolled oats (not quick cook)

1 c slivered almonds

1 c cashews

3/4 c shredded sweet coconut

1/4 c plus 2 Tbs dark brown sugar

1/4 c plus 2 Tbs maple syrup

1/4 c vegetable oil

3/4 tsp salt

1 c raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Winter's Bounty

I'm not a huge fan of root vegetables, but this recipe in Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics drew me in. I adjusted things a bit - more of some veggies, less or none of another - and discovered that: 1) I really like parsnips and 2) I'm not a fan of turnips. I also had to cook the vegetables for much longer than the called for time, and the carrots were still raw in the middle. The thyme was a nice touch. Next time, I'll beef up the amount parsnips, and nix the turnip.

Pan-Roasted Root Vegetables

adapted from Back To Basics, Ina Garten

4 Tbs unsalted butter

1 turnip, unpeeled and 1 inch diced

12 Brussel sprouts, halved
2 carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 parsnip, cut into 1 inch chunks
10 fresh thyme sprigs

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 celery ribs, 1 inch diced

Melt butter in a large satue pan that has a tight fitting lid. When the butter is melted, add the turnip, carrots, parsnips, celery root, Brussel sprouts, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the celery and stir the vegetables. Cover the pan again and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. If they're too dry, add a few tablespoons of water. Taste for seasonings and serve.

Spinach Stuffed Mushroom

In anticipation of the fattening snacks we'll be eating while watching the Superbowl tonight, I made a healthy lunch. This recipe comes from The Complete Book of Greek Cooking, by Rena Salaman and Jan Cutler. It combines some of my favorite foods: mushrooms, feta, spinach, and bacon. I used turkey bacon to reduce the fat of the dish. I also cut the recipe in half, since I can't imagine ever having 12 portabello mushrooms in my pantry

Stuffed Mushrooms with Spinach

adapted from the above mentioned book

6 large portabello mushrooms

12 oz fresh spinach

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 small onion, diced

1 egg yolk

1/2 c breadcrumbs

1 tsp fresh marjoram, chopped

2 Tbs olive oil

4 oz crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Wipe mushrooms clean. Remove stalks from mushrooms and chop. Leave caps intact.

Blanch spinach by dropping it in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunging it in cold water. Squeeze dry with paper towels.

Fry bacon and onion until golden brown, then add the mushroom stalks. Cook for about two minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the spinach, egg yolk, breadcrumbs, marjoram and feta. Season to taste.

Set oven on broil setting. Place mushroom caps underside up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Do not add to much, or the mushrooms will get soggy. Place filling on the mushroom caps, giving a generous amount to each.

Cook mushrooms under the broiler for about 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

Restaurant Review: Flip

This past weekend, we went to Atlanta to see the Killers in concert. They weren't coming anywhere in the state where I live, and Atlanta was the closest. The show was amazing - white tiger backdrops and all. Whoever co-ordinated their lighting for the show deserves an award.

As devout Top Chef fans, we wanted to go to a Richard Blais restaurant. HOME was a little out of our price range, so we went to Flip, the new upscale burger joint. The menu is pretty basic - burgers of all kinds (beef and otherwise), some sides, shakes, and a full bar. Reservations are not accepted, and I had read that the wait to be seated can be extensive. We arrived at 11:02 on Saturday morning and within half an hour, the place was full. Good thing we got there early.

The restaurant's claim to fame is the milkshakes made with liquid nitrogen. We ordered a nutella and burnt marshmallow milkshake to share. It arrived at the table still emitting smoke. The shake was fantastic, and the toasted hazelnuts that accompanied the marshmallows was a nice surprise.

We also ordered the Turf 'n' Earth (a mushroom burger with goat cheese, argula, and white truffle butter), the Bacon and Cheese (self-explanatory), sweet potato tots, and the vodka-battered onion rings. My bacon and cheese burger was hands down the best burger I've ever eaten. The bun was fresh and springy. With every bite I was murmuring, "this is soooo good..." Hubs' mushroom burger was tasty - very earthy, although the patty fell apart a bit during eating. The sides were crunchy without being too greasy.

I asked the server which burgers were the most ordered. She thought for a second and replied, 'The Butcher Cut, the Pate Melt, and the Shrimp Po-boyger." They all sounded delicious. We topped the meal with a coffee to go, so as to not to occupy the table any longer. The line was almost out the door by then.

For the rest of the afternoon, we reminisced about the meal. We were very close to going back for dinner and trying another burger, but the line was probably around the block by then, and we had a plane to catch.