Strawberry Waffles

I have a confession. I eat a waffle just about every morning. So does the tyke. We burn through an average of 10-15 waffles a week. That's a lot of Eggo's.


I finally realized that it would be healthier and more economical to make my own. I used up a good portion of our 9 lbs. of freshly picked strawberries on a double batch of these waffles. I made almost 30 waffles, which should last us 2-3 weeks.

To freeze the waffles, I spread them out on a wire rack (the baking sheet didn't work as well) and placed them in the freezer. Once they were frozen, I stored them in freezer bags.



Strawberry Waffles
Adapted from Made It All From Scratch
Originally from Better Homes and Gardens, 1951


2 ½ c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs sugar
2 eggs
2 ½ c whole milk
½ c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c chopped strawberries.

Heat the waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. When the waffle iron is ready to use, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Stir in the strawberries. Do not overbeat.

Pour batter into center of the waffle iron (amount will depend on the size of your waffle iron). Bake until lightly browned. Serve with powdered sugar and sliced strawberries.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Baked Goat Cheese

It is strawberry season in Florida. Our season can start as early as January and go through April, with February and March being the peak of the season. We went strawberry picking over the weekend. It was beautiful weather - sunny, breezy, and not too hot.

The tyke had a blast picking strawberries. After a brief tutorial from Hubs, the tyke went right for the reddest berries. Except that he kept poking his fingers into them. I had to separate them from the intact berries so that we'd eat the gouged ones first.

All in all, we ended up with 9 lbs of strawberries. I've been searching for interesting recipes in which to use them.

I found this yummy salad that not only called for strawberries, but goat cheese (one of my favorite foods.) Bingo! I also liked that the strawberries were part of a savory dish.

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Baked Goat Cheese
Adapted from Closet Cooking


4 oz goat cheese
¼ c bread crumbs
¼ c halved pecans
½ balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs honey
3 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried mustard
Salt and pepper
6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
2 c strawberries, sliced
2 green onions, light green and green parts thinly sliced



Freeze goat cheese for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Remove from freezer, and slice into thick rounds. Dredge the goat cheese in the bread crumbs, making sure to completely cover the cheese. Place goat cheese rounds on a baking sheet. Place pecan halves in an even layer on same baking sheet. Bake until pecans are toasted, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven, and roughly chop pecans. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, and mustard. Whisk until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the spinach, strawberries, and green onions in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over the mixture, and toss to combine. Divide salad evenly into four bowls. Top with chopped pecans and a goat cheese round.

Hot Fudge Sauce

How do you make ice cream better? Answer: hot fudge sauce. Whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry also help. Hot fudge sundaes bring me right back to my childhood. We spent countless evenings (and afternoons) at local ice cream shops, consuming mass quantities of these. I never knew that homemade hot fudge sauce would be so easy to make!

The original SK recipe called for all unsweetened chocolate. While I loved the intense, chocolate flavor of that sauce, I found it a touch bitter. Next, I tried using all semi-sweet chocolate (and eliminating the sugar) and found the sauce to be too sweet. (Yes, I made and ate multiple batches of this within a few days.) Feeling a little like Goldilocks at this point, I tried a combination of the two chocolates, and came up with a sauce that was just right.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Originally from Silver Palate Cookbook


3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbs butter, unsalted
2/3 c water
¼ c sugar
6 Tbs corn syrup
Pinch of salt
1 Tbs vanilla extract


Melt all the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring frequently until combined. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.

Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and serve warm over ice cream.

Sauce can be easily and quickly reheated in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds. Stir and it will be shiny and even again.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Weeknight Red Beans and Rice

I love red beans and rice. In New Orleans, it is traditionally a Monday dish. Unfortunately, I don't usually have time on Mondays to let the beans simmer for hours, and I'm not organized enough to prepare everything in a crockpot before I leave for work.

I came up with a great weeknight rendition of red beans and rice. It cooks for a fraction of the time that it normally takes. You can make the rice while the beans simmer, and have a well-balanced meal in just over an hour, and with just two pots.




Weeknight Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from Cook Like A Champion
Originally from Alton Brown

2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz smoked sausage (like andouille), sliced crosswise
1 bay leaf
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp creole seasoning (homemade or store bought)
3 15-oz. cans small red beans, with liquid
1 c water
1 tsp hot sauce (like Tabasco), optional

4 c cooked rice

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and cook until softened. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic, and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the smoked sausage, and cook until the sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, thyme, creole seasoning, beans, and water. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer (liquid should be gently bubbling) for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Liquid will reduce a little and thicken. Season to desired heat-level. Serve over rice.

Easy Sole Meuniere

This was the dish that appeared in the opening scenes of Julie and Julia. It was Julia Child's first dinner in France, and she fell in love with French cuisine after one bite. With such high expectations placed upon it, I was a little intimidated by the dish, despite its simple ingredients. Since I didn't have the guts to cook a whole fish and fillet it post-cooking, I tried Ina Garten's recipe.


The dish comes together very quickly. Make sure to measure all your ingredients before you start to cook, and have everything conveniently placed near the stove. The fish was surprisingly easy to make, and tasted like it took much more effort than it actually did.


Easy Sole Meuniére
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics
By Ina Garten


¾ c all purpose flour
Salt and pepper
6 fresh sole fillets, about 4 oz each
6 Tbs butter
2 tsp grated lemon zest
6 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs fresh minced parsley


Preheat oven to 200˚F. Have 3 heat-proof dinner plates ready.

Combine flour, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper in a shallow dish. Set near stove. Heat 2 Tbs butter in a large skillet over medium heat until bubbling ceases. Dredge two fillets in flour mixture and place them in the skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for two minutes. Carefully flip with a spatula. Sprinkle one third of the lemon zest over the top of the fillets. Pour one third of the lemon juice into the pan, and cook fish another minute. Transfer fish and sauce to one of the plates. Keep warm in oven. Cook the remaining fillets like the first two, using up the remaining butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Sprinkle fish with parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Since getting our wok, we have enjoyed many varieties of fried rice. We end up making it almost once a week. This Thai-style pineapple fried is one of my favorites. The jasmine rice, crab paste, and fish sauce give it the Thai flavor.


We've made this with and without the chicken, and shrimp or pork would work well in the dish. I went through the trouble of hollowing out the pineapple for a nice presentation, but it is totally not necessary.


Pineapple Fried Rice
Adapted from Savoring Southeast Asia
By Joyce Jue


1 pineapple
2 Tbs vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (keep in chunks)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 eggs
2 Tbs crab paste
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 c cooked jasmine rice, cooled and clump-free
2 Tbs fish sauce
Freshly chopped cilantro
Fried onions


Preheat oven to 300˚F. Cut pineapple in half from top to bottom. Hollow each half, leaving the shell intact. Set pineapple meat aside. Bake shell halves on a baking sheet, hollowed side up, for about 15-20 minutes to dry out the inside. Check a few times to make sure the pineapple leaves don’t burn.

Remove the core from one half of the reserved pineapple meat. Coarsely chop the pulp. Save unused pineapple for another use. Preheat a wok over medium-high heat. When the wok is hot, add the oil, salt, and garlic. Stir-fry until garlic is a light golden color. Push up the sides of the wok. Add the chicken, and stir-fry until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Push chicken up the sides.

Crack the eggs into the wok and break up the yolks. Let cook until set, about 30 seconds. Break into pieces. Add the crab paste, hoisin sauce and stir to combine. Add the green onions, rice, and fish sauce. Break up any remaining clumps of rice. Stir the garlic and chicken into the rice mixture, making sure to coat all the rice with the sauce. Add pineapple and toss to combine. Heat another minute.

Spoon fried rice into pineapple shells. Garnish with cilantro and fried onions.

Persian Love Cake

This is one of my favorite desserts. The first time I made it was three years ago, for Valentine's Day. It is rich, without feeling heavy. As much as I love chocolate, this is a nice change. The saffron, cardamom, rose, and pistachios give the dessert an exotic flavor.


This was the first time I made sugared flowers, and I learned a few things. The egg whites started to go flat as I worked, so I had to keep re-beating them. I sprinkled too much sugar on the first few petals. Once dry, the sugar showed up much better.



Persian Love Cake
Adapted from Bon Appétit
June 2005


Candied Rose Petals
1 large egg white
¼ c sugar
Petals from 2 organic roses

Cake
1 c cake flour
14 Tbs superfine sugar, divided
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
6 Tbs water
¼ c canola oil
1 tsp fresh lemon zest
½ tsp ground cardamom

Frosting
2 c chilled heavy whipping cream
Pinch saffron threads
2/3 c powdered sugar
1 tsp rose water

2 Tbs natural, unsalted pistachios, chopped


For the candied rose petals:
Whisk egg white in a small bowl until foamy. Using a pastry brush, paint a light coat of egg white onto both sides of the rose petals. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Dry on a wire rack for at least 6 hours.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 325˚. Butter the bottom and sides of 2 8-inch cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper; butter the parchment.

Sift flour, 7 Tbs of the sugar baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, water, canola oil, lemon zest, and cardamom. Add to the dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth.

Beat egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 7 Tbs of sugar. Beat until egg whites resemble thick marshmallow fluff. Fold the whites into the batter in 3 additions. Divide batter between the prepared pans. Bake until cakes are golden and toothpick inserted into the center comes clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Turn onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely.

For the frosting:
Combine ½ c cream and saffron in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, and let steep 20 minutes. Chill until cold.

Beat remaining cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, rose water, and saffron cream and beat until peaks form.

Stack and frost cake with whipped cream. Chill at least 1 hour. Top with rose petals and pistachios.

World Nutella Day 2011

It's that time of year, one of my favorite foodie days ever....World Nutella Day, hosted by Sara from Ms. Adventures In Italy, and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso. This is my third year participating, and decided to revisit an old recipe. I hope everyone enjoys a nutella creation today!

Here is one more then and now comparison. Two years ago, I posted a recipe for a nutella milkshake with toasted marshmallows. The picture was this:


It was taken on my point and shoot, in a makeshift lightbox, without much thought to the camera settings. Both my camera and the milkshake have gone through some changes.


The basic recipe stayed the same, but the marshmallows are different. As "toasted marshmallow" fanatics, we decided our kitchen torch was much better for even toasting. And because we are marshmallow fanatics, I made homemade mini-marshmallows because they taste so much better than store-bought ones. And because we are nutella fanatics, we spiked the homemade mini-marshmallows with a little Frangelico for an extra hit of hazelnut.

Nutella Milkshake
original recipe

inspired by the shake at Flip

3 scoops chocolate ice-cream
3/4 c milk
2-3 Tbs nutella
mini-marshmallows

Place ice-cream, milk, and nutella in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass.

Spread mini-marshmallows onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Toast under a hot broiler until lightly brown. Top shake with marshmallows. If you have a kitchen torch, you can skip the broiler, and toast the marshmallows after topping the shake.

Swedish Meatballs, revised

A little over a year ago, I posted a recipe for Swedish Meatballs. The picture looked like this:


Not so appetizing, although at the time I thought the picture looked good. I hope my photography skills keep improving.

I liked this dish the first time I blogged it, but thought the sauce was thin, and there wasn't nearly enough of it. I searched for another recipe, and thought Alton Brown's sounded good. So I combined elements of the CI recipe and the AB recipe. I loved how the meatballs and the sauce turned out.


Swedish Meatballs
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, January/February 2009
And Alton Brown

2 slices fresh white bread
¼ c milk
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
¾ lb ground beef
¾ lb ground pork
1 egg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp packed light brown sugar
Vegetable oil for frying

¼ c all purpose flour
3 c beef broth
¼ c milk


Tear up bread into small pieces. Place in a bowl with ¼ c milk, and let sit.

Heat olive oil in a skillet with over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Remove from heat.

Place bread/milk mixture, sauted onions, ground beef, and ground pork in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well combined. Add egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and brown sugar and mix for another minute.

Pour vegetable oil into a large dutch oven until it is 1-inch high. Heat to 300˚F. While oil is heating, shape meat into 1-inch balls. Fry in batches (can place meatballs close together in the oil), turning once, until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels. Drain the oil from the dutch oven but leave as much of the browned bits as possible. Lower heat to medium-low, return dutch oven to stove, and add the flour. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Very gradually add the beef broth, whisking constantly to minimize lumps. Stir in the milk. Simmer until gravy reaches desired consistency, add meatballs, and simmer another 5 minutes.