tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79175272263566550002024-03-05T12:16:50.597-08:00{dancing with food}i am a graphic designer who loves baking + cooking. i strive to make my food as fresh and healthy as possible. everything i cook is tested on my boyfriend who doesn't mind the job. we believe that spontaneous dancing in the kitchen pleases the food gods and helps make our food taste even better.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-5944290032138252922011-02-08T12:11:00.000-08:002011-02-08T12:11:03.029-08:00{double chocolate peppermint cookies}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6FIOgmPsj7mcgYHo3kTrULGwdMX_ZxO0b0zyB61Z4wID6vXUr5urZO23oisB2bLNlog7QFGkBWiV8TiyKq9g-77ZMFDY8eMrzBwvI5QqiDYjEpIJBVAf3Z6xI4RI-p-OYEUGnnXHl2E/s1600/chocolate-peppermint-cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6FIOgmPsj7mcgYHo3kTrULGwdMX_ZxO0b0zyB61Z4wID6vXUr5urZO23oisB2bLNlog7QFGkBWiV8TiyKq9g-77ZMFDY8eMrzBwvI5QqiDYjEpIJBVAf3Z6xI4RI-p-OYEUGnnXHl2E/s1600/chocolate-peppermint-cookie.jpg" /></a><br />
Over the holidays I went to <a href="http://outoftheoven.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">a friends</a> cookie exchange party and had to come up with something creative to bring along. I found a recipe with the perfect combination of espresso, chocolate and peppermint that didn't look too difficult to put together since. List in hand, I headed to the store knowing that I needed to make 4 dozen cookies. For some crazy reason in my head, I thought all cookie recipes make only ONE dozen. So, naturally, I quadrupled my ingredients. Now, this was not a big deal except in regards to the chocolate chips. The math I did (again in my head) was that I needed to have about 10 bags of chocolate chips. mhm. 10. Wisely, upon returning home, I decided to actually check and see how many this recipe said it yielded...about 50. ehem. Well, I now have enough chocolate to last me the entire year.<br />
<br />
Other than my lack of ability to read or do math, this recipe was really easy to do and turned out great! It would be a perfect end to your Valentines Day meal or just to fulfill any chocolate craving you might be having.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/12/double_chocolate_peppermint_crunch_cookies" target="_blank"><b>You can find the recipe here.</b></a><br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-18077782551404483592011-01-19T07:33:00.000-08:002011-01-19T07:33:51.395-08:00{daring cooks: cassoulet}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgHLGdQ_QIXnlkqjoiy0jydgfzu17IdlEullTZXcmDXg3XvnzhR5eFOYg93GjT0m3E7nqWhiaRuGN7cyzmC6vhScLWvgA2GOHShlbzQmiwQXB0ZYSZ0gw4mx9uQUuZHOObEin4vRyONg/s1600/cassoulet.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgHLGdQ_QIXnlkqjoiy0jydgfzu17IdlEullTZXcmDXg3XvnzhR5eFOYg93GjT0m3E7nqWhiaRuGN7cyzmC6vhScLWvgA2GOHShlbzQmiwQXB0ZYSZ0gw4mx9uQUuZHOObEin4vRyONg/s1600/cassoulet.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<i>Our January 2011 Challenge comes from Jenni of <a href="http://thegingeredwhisk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Gingered Whisk</a> and Lisa from<a href="http://lisamichele.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives</a>. They have challenged the Daring Cooks to learn how to make a confit and use it within the traditional French dish of Cassoulet. They have chosen a traditional recipe from Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman.</i><br />
<br />
Okay so technically this challenge was to make a confit (any kind of food that has been immersed in any kind of fat for both flavor and preservation) and include it in a cassoulet (a french slow cooked stew). Now, I have to be honest, I had planned to do the garlic confit but in the end decided to skip it. I saw no point to it and decided the dish would be fine without it.<br />
<br />
The recipe I chose came from the same source that all of my recent slow cooker dishes have come from: Slow Cooker – The Best Cookbook Ever. Other than the fact that the original recipe did not fit inside my slow cooker thus causing it to boil over a few times, it turned out great! For the final 30 minutes of cooking I transferred the slow cooker insert into the oven to allow the topping to crisp up. I recruited John for this part since it was a bit of a feat...the cassoulet was practically overflowing. We did enjoy it though and it made for some delicious leftovers. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/daring-cooks-cassoulet.html">Recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax1s1K4x7ABReUaCAi1h5Ja7WWBnzmZwshr0c7KK_fhPiImYfdjWXNfKg8eYlMr18WZ_eJHiAB4wRsB2DxaCKwk0pTHj-9rIQtudiDQwEjFl5uyWUbW6ECDe6LZE5Brp8shfcP45aVMY/s1600/cassoulet2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax1s1K4x7ABReUaCAi1h5Ja7WWBnzmZwshr0c7KK_fhPiImYfdjWXNfKg8eYlMr18WZ_eJHiAB4wRsB2DxaCKwk0pTHj-9rIQtudiDQwEjFl5uyWUbW6ECDe6LZE5Brp8shfcP45aVMY/s1600/cassoulet2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></span>{lamb cassoulet with white beans and rosemary}</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>recipe adapted from: <a href="http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8137/title,Slow-Cooker-The-Best-Cookbook-Ever/" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever</i> by Diane Phillips</a></b></span><br />
serves: 6
<br />
<h2>
ingredients:</h2>
2 cans cannelloni beans<br />
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 lb lamb shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes<br />
1 1/2 tsp sea salt<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
2 medium onions<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
4 medium carrots, coarsely chopped<br />
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped<br />
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, with their juice<br />
2 cups chicken broth<br />
2 cups beef broth<br />
1 bay leaf
<br />
<h2>
topping:</h2>
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs<br />
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1/2 cup finely choppsed fresh parsley
<br />
<h2>
directions:</h2>
Place the beans into a 5-7 quart slow cooker. Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper and place into slow cooker.<br />
<br />
In a skillet over medium, place the onions, garlic, carrots, celery and rosemary and sauté until the vegetables are softened, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of the chicken broth to the skillet and heat. Transfer the tomato mixture to the slow cooker and stir in the remaining broths and the bay leaf.<br />
<br />
Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours or low for 10-12 hours, until the beans and lamb are tender.<br />
<br />
Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a small bowl while the lamb is cooking. Cover and refrigerate while the dish is cooking.<br />
<br />
Uncover the cooker and spoon off any fat on the surface. Taste and adjust with seasoning. Sprinkle the topping over the cassoulet, cover and cook on high another 30 minutes. If you need to, you can pre-heat your oven to 350º and place the slow cooker into the oven for 30 minutes or until the topping is browned.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-31073461291623132172011-01-11T10:40:00.000-08:002011-01-11T10:41:14.111-08:00{creamy tomato bisque}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvATORxt8rtuUBmgiPEh8NSXVMJ7O412LlXpZbjqM3n9nQDHOARNtcxZHh-5SxkkCnuumsiEk-KRpYs1sgkZL6HXw6TZcvBz8tulmP4V660a8ieKlL28_2SDJTwX7oBISzxXzYQ4xnTA/s1600/tomato-bisque.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvATORxt8rtuUBmgiPEh8NSXVMJ7O412LlXpZbjqM3n9nQDHOARNtcxZHh-5SxkkCnuumsiEk-KRpYs1sgkZL6HXw6TZcvBz8tulmP4V660a8ieKlL28_2SDJTwX7oBISzxXzYQ4xnTA/s1600/tomato-bisque.jpg" /></a><br />
I am a HUGE fan of the tomato basil bisque at <a href="http://www.eatatdish.com/">Dish</a> in Charlotte, NC. Its simply fantastic. Since discovering it, I've been searching for a recipe to try on my own and well, I've found it. Not only is it very simple to put together, but the flavors are incredibly delicious and it does a great job of warming you up on these cold winter nights. Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich and don't be shy about dipping it in the bisque for extra deliciousness.<br />
<br />
I do need to mention that I was not only excited about trying this
recipe but was also very exciting because I was able to break in my
brand new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CSB-76TQ-Smart-Blender-Turquoise/dp/B003WIZ99E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1294702941&sr=8-1-spell">immersion blender</a>! I might have been a little too excited
about this but man did it make puréeing the soup a breeze. If you do not own one (get one! you won't regret it), you can let the soup cool and then transfer it to a blender to puree.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/creamy-tomato-bisque.html">Recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{creamy tomato bisque}</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>recipe adapted from: <a href="http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8137/title,Slow-Cooker-The-Best-Cookbook-Ever/" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever</i> by Diane Phillips</a></b></span><br />
serves: 8 <br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained<br />
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 tsp dried basil<br />
1 tsp dried marjoram<br />
1/2 cup chopped red onion<br />
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped<br />
1 1/2 tsp salt<br />
pinch red pepper flakes<br />
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth<br />
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese<br />
1 1/2 cups soy creamer (can use heavy cream instead)<br />
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano<br />
<br />
cheese + bread for the grilled cheese sandwich
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, basil, marjoram, onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and broth into a 5-7 quart slow cooker.<br />
<br />
Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the tomatoes and onion are softened. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup or, cool and purée in a blender. Whisk in the ricotta, cream and parmigiano reggiano.<br />
<br />
Cover and turn temperature to low. Allow the cheese to melt (shouldn't take long at all).<br />
<br />
Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-7789104251526247622011-01-10T07:06:00.000-08:002011-01-10T16:04:15.748-08:00{a wintry shot}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YLJUzGMhYOdEK65a7L1T_fG4krRNxHlEbBCRNJfGV0SYQp3PFcA6Oj2yTtnc5wvN8U5VJhw3c2bE-cp5RaCOxk-1-BzVvu7JZl_F5xuqU845YCf91JH_TtRVPMZienXfejtZJOWXCms/s1600/pomegranate_shots.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YLJUzGMhYOdEK65a7L1T_fG4krRNxHlEbBCRNJfGV0SYQp3PFcA6Oj2yTtnc5wvN8U5VJhw3c2bE-cp5RaCOxk-1-BzVvu7JZl_F5xuqU845YCf91JH_TtRVPMZienXfejtZJOWXCms/s1600/pomegranate_shots.jpg" /></a>
Over the xmas holiday we had a lovely staycation that consisted of watching movies, making delicious food, climbing and just enjoying some quietness. We of course also indulged in a few beverages to honor the snow gods that bestowed their loveliness upon us. One of the shots we took to honor them came from a recipe Jamie Oliver created. Now, he used tequila, but I was more in a vodka mood...especially since thats what the snow gods prefer. We combined the vodka with some colorful pomegranate seeds in our frozen shot glasses and shot 'em back. Before swallowing, make sure to chomp down on those pomegranate seeds for a nice burst of flavor.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/wintery-shot.html">Recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{xmas shots}</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b>recipe adapted from: <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/christmas-spirit-cocktail" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Jamie Oliver</a></b></span>
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
vodka<br />
pomegranate seeds
<br />
<h2>
directions:</h2>
Chill your shot glasses and vodka.<br />
<br />
Cut your pomegranate in half and remove the seeds. The best way we've found to do this is to put some water in a small bowl and remove the seeds under water. This protects your eyes from the seeds inevitably bursting.<br />
<br />
Fill the bottom part of the chilled shot glass with pomegranate seeds and pour in the ice cold vodka. Make a toast and drink it down!<br />
<br />
Cheers!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-70828577798150564922011-01-06T16:25:00.000-08:002011-01-06T16:26:17.225-08:00{creamy loaded baked potato soup}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyz7e1np9Y36qUClaG1aDFuKczO62eZweJDI4iP88BEdpFzg74dYwbIsNdGRPtBfUgjuDPPP3rMB7sUA0P8LOaw7k3_7IRrjV3M1v47l-jMHHczAhOCSbweJhK9aTwAeoGpiYEYCSFRw/s1600/potato-soup.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyz7e1np9Y36qUClaG1aDFuKczO62eZweJDI4iP88BEdpFzg74dYwbIsNdGRPtBfUgjuDPPP3rMB7sUA0P8LOaw7k3_7IRrjV3M1v47l-jMHHczAhOCSbweJhK9aTwAeoGpiYEYCSFRw/s1600/potato-soup.jpg" /></a>
Its been nice and chilly outside giving me the perfect opportunity to use my crock pot to make all sorts of stews and soups. This week I attempted a loaded potato soup and I must say that it came out pretty delicious. I was all out of cheddar cheese so there is none in the soup but I felt it tasted just as good as if it had it in there. Leaving it out also made it a good bit healthier! If you have cheese I'd say leave it out of the soup but maybe add a little on top with the sour cream and bacon crumbles. Serve this up with a delicious sandwich or salad and you have a meal to warm you on these cold winter nights.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/creamy-loaded-baked-potato-soup.html">Recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{creamy loaded baked potato soup}</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">recipe adapted from: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,8137/title,Slow-Cooker-The-Best-Cookbook-Ever/" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever</a></i> by Diane Phillips</span></b></span>
<br />
<h2>
ingredients:</h2>
2 medium leeks, finely chopped, using the white and some of the tender green parts<br />
6 medium yukon gold potatoes<br />
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)<br />
1/2 cup soy milk<br />
1/2 cup soy creamer<br />
6 green onions, finely chopped, using the white and some of the tender greens parts<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional, I left this out)</div>
<br />
8 strips bacon, cooked crisp, drained and crumbled (save some for the topping)<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
garnish:<br />
cheddar cheese<br />
bacon crumbles<br />
sour cream
<br />
<h2>
directions:</h2>
Combine the leeks, potatoes, chicken broth and some salt and pepper in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5 - 6 hours until the potatoes are tender. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup or cool the soup and purée it in a blender.*<br />
<br />
Reduce heat to low and add the soy milk, soy creamer, cheese if you're including it, green onions and bacon. Cover and cook for an additional 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Serve the soup with a bit of sour cream, bacon crumbles and cheddar cheese. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<i>*My immersion blender was on its way to me in the mail so I did the blender method....if you do not cool the soup be super super careful because it will explode hot liquid out the top (I learned the painful way).</i>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-37454869372752994482011-01-03T06:55:00.000-08:002011-01-03T06:56:38.174-08:00{new years quiche}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnzD6ETTpjmGoXs4_UAcG_gMBhJCzy_DD_niD6MVGmr0p0psRw0drTvN0hVrYgpDGQktiBOuBxd6OBO14USy587cTh50KxAd9sOvHwG3yG6QgF0WdTstI1-oz-lw95cz2M0sMsZcbmDE/s1600/xmas_card.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnzD6ETTpjmGoXs4_UAcG_gMBhJCzy_DD_niD6MVGmr0p0psRw0drTvN0hVrYgpDGQktiBOuBxd6OBO14USy587cTh50KxAd9sOvHwG3yG6QgF0WdTstI1-oz-lw95cz2M0sMsZcbmDE/s1600/xmas_card.jpg" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">{pictured above: our 2010 piratey card}</span></b></span><br />
Happy new year! 2010 was a wonderful year filled with climbing, moving across states, concerts, traveling, baking + cooking and adventure. I realize I slacked off the last few months with posts and am making it a goal this year to post regularly. I have several recipes queued up including some lovely celebratory beverages but I wanted to start this morning off with my very first quiche! I've been wanting to make a quiche for some time now and finally, over our holiday vacation, decided to do it. Its a hybrid of a few recipes since I couldn't find anything with the ingredients I wanted to include and I have to say it came out quite perfectly.<br />
<br />
The recipe below can be modified to include pretty much any filling. If you don't want as much prep work, leave out the bacon. Without the bacon the whole time should be about an hour including prep + cooking. If you include the bacon, add another 15 - 30 minutes. I loved making this quiche because it was really simple to put together and the results were amazing. You can easily serve this quiche to 8 people or make it on the weekend and reheat piece by piece for some delicious weekday breakfasts. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-years-quiche.html">Pictures + recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSDe8RWmmlmrjXcGvBRzGK7jnDGmbW51WZ8qzS5vabxUzj49yqyDNxIkyPSlsW_vu1LE-pAI1AmXJCbn_H6_dAfUDLRFT_agvuOZgao5RawYeCoN2go39olYF1nyxQ6cB-NBG_vvnWIM/s1600/quiche_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSDe8RWmmlmrjXcGvBRzGK7jnDGmbW51WZ8qzS5vabxUzj49yqyDNxIkyPSlsW_vu1LE-pAI1AmXJCbn_H6_dAfUDLRFT_agvuOZgao5RawYeCoN2go39olYF1nyxQ6cB-NBG_vvnWIM/s1600/quiche_1.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{spinach, bacon, onion + goat cheese quiche}</h3>
serves: 8
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust (in pie pan), thawed 10 minutes <i>(or that pre-made dough you just put in your own pan...as you can see I had a cake pan and it worked just fine)</i><br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped<br />
1 bag (16 oz) spinach, chopped<br />
10 slices bacon, crispy<br />
6 eggs<br />
3/4 cup soy milk <i>(any milk will be fine)</i><br />
3/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper<br />
1 tsp oregano<br />
1 tsp thyme<br />
2 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick crust all over with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes (until golden). Set aside and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on Medium. Once hot, add your bacon and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towel and let cool. Once cool, place on a cutting board and chop. Set aside. Avoid temptation to eat all bacon.<br />
<br />
Poor out grease and add diced onion and garlic to the same pan. Cook for 5-7 minutes until caramelization begins. Add chopped spinach to the pan and cook until softened. Set aside to cool.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Add the spinach mixture, chopped bacon and goat cheese. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into the baked pie crust and bake until puffed in the center and lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Set aside to let cool until warm or serve at room temperature.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-rbCzVoTeKHmaPQ8ZiAgusEIIu9c6UJykvH4P0VqgtBlYrBGYCJraW22kYocMulNviMLhrdFKganbbSXKh7VqRAJjfOGYp2lG3_cepundAlfFsG1Y-in2TIqo9r5TzCbuzubzT1CzN8/s1600/quiche_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-rbCzVoTeKHmaPQ8ZiAgusEIIu9c6UJykvH4P0VqgtBlYrBGYCJraW22kYocMulNviMLhrdFKganbbSXKh7VqRAJjfOGYp2lG3_cepundAlfFsG1Y-in2TIqo9r5TzCbuzubzT1CzN8/s1600/quiche_3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBxqJ6Inncw_HN47dVhYQ-RV3-hVgKhpG32J7sF8lCmzSeZs_5uYGfWsj5X1K8mw0pMah1f8cZKxBAarugUraWVXdQHFnQz1ELMtyXr8ZllXhmTuvpNhcaL7jvfIbRK0SmK1w6sCZGoY/s1600/quiche_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBxqJ6Inncw_HN47dVhYQ-RV3-hVgKhpG32J7sF8lCmzSeZs_5uYGfWsj5X1K8mw0pMah1f8cZKxBAarugUraWVXdQHFnQz1ELMtyXr8ZllXhmTuvpNhcaL7jvfIbRK0SmK1w6sCZGoY/s1600/quiche_2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
Check out that height!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-25963768269719877182010-11-29T06:45:00.000-08:002010-11-29T06:45:51.050-08:00{daring bakers: rustic apple crostatas}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSK_1eJDou7i4sExB4qt5KCjGrLkspl9nljyilYoYHae0bUmlthQEq6nN9wqbGdq8mAkRM4XkLG9he_bXh_LM_doA79nT1CnRB1h18jf2G8TcOkx-JeQoIjGqDvk76chYjGY1mRXPTCg/s1600/apple_tart_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSK_1eJDou7i4sExB4qt5KCjGrLkspl9nljyilYoYHae0bUmlthQEq6nN9wqbGdq8mAkRM4XkLG9he_bXh_LM_doA79nT1CnRB1h18jf2G8TcOkx-JeQoIjGqDvk76chYjGY1mRXPTCg/s1600/apple_tart_1.jpg" /></a>
<i>The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well.</i><br />
<br />
This months Daring Bakers challenge was crostatas or tarts. Tarts are made up of a sweet short crust pastry dough and either fruit or pastry cream based fillings. With Thanksgiving coming up I decided to make an apple tart and since I had no tart pan, I went for the rustic look (which I think adds to the homeyness of it all). I adapted my filling recipe from Joy of Baking and used one of the pasta frolla recipes provided.<br />
<br />
It was quite an adventure.<br />
<br />
I wanted to serve the tarts on turkey day which meant I needed to assemble and bake these babies day of. I planed ahead with the hostess to make sure there would be space for me to work/bake and discovered she had three ovens! Awesome. I prepped my pasta frolla the day before and brought it with me along with the rest of the ingredients. After rolling out my dough, filling my tarts and folding over the rustic edges, I was ready to bake. I went to place my pan in the oven and what do you know, it doesn't fit! Not to worry, I thought, I'll go pre-heat the big oven downstairs and bake it in there. So, I place my tarts back in the fridge so they stay firm and run downstairs. Since there was no light indicator as to whether or not the oven was pre-heated, I decided to give it a half hour to get hot. Once the time had passed, I walked downstairs precariously holding my tarts and placed them in the oven...which wasn't really that hot but I figured it would be okay. Using my trusty iphone timer I set it for 30 minutes and walked back upstairs to mingle. The alarm goes off. I happily hop downstairs to check on the tarts and what do you know, the oven was warm enough to keep a plate warm and make my dough gooey. Fantastic. So along with some help I try to transfer the tarts to a smaller baking pan...let me tell you...gooey dough does not transfer. Thankfully, a <a href="http://outoftheoven.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">fellow daring baker</a> was there to advise me (and help me remain calm!) to place the pan back in the fridge to firm up again before transferring it to a smaller pan. This worked wonderfully and we ended up having the tarts with the late night turkey day snack.<br />
<br />
Despite the bumps along the way, everything came out pretty delicious. I really loved the crust and the filling was nice and lite. I will definitely be making these again as I thought the whole process was actually fairly simple. Thank you Simona for a fun challenge!<br />
<br />
See more pics and the recipe after the jump.<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMPY-Aws_hkmCwfpmb5K7-rhwzD-z1hwV51TstVoNy4D0nqRb8wM1zlqOjena4ra8n8FUauO-7cS0JZyCPEJwn3gcFrr8BsEnM23J_4FQQT5-VNpzCLg7IZbBy0uHwiStvJ7kDRB8k80/s1600/apple_tart_5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99kS-p8Gq8ft1dIFq__EaSjSbPdf0lC59Ms4u-rdG2QjO7z0613Q17TVmDtyTOtfYZLy__QR5vjcmaDk_eI_x70c04iLBGWknGOSCRV-XEquavbPh5AtNWNyv6aZygX9SUVAuanJOD6k/s1600/apple_tart_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99kS-p8Gq8ft1dIFq__EaSjSbPdf0lC59Ms4u-rdG2QjO7z0613Q17TVmDtyTOtfYZLy__QR5vjcmaDk_eI_x70c04iLBGWknGOSCRV-XEquavbPh5AtNWNyv6aZygX9SUVAuanJOD6k/s1600/apple_tart_3.jpg" /></a>
success!!!
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99kS-p8Gq8ft1dIFq__EaSjSbPdf0lC59Ms4u-rdG2QjO7z0613Q17TVmDtyTOtfYZLy__QR5vjcmaDk_eI_x70c04iLBGWknGOSCRV-XEquavbPh5AtNWNyv6aZygX9SUVAuanJOD6k/s1600/apple_tart_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMPY-Aws_hkmCwfpmb5K7-rhwzD-z1hwV51TstVoNy4D0nqRb8wM1zlqOjena4ra8n8FUauO-7cS0JZyCPEJwn3gcFrr8BsEnM23J_4FQQT5-VNpzCLg7IZbBy0uHwiStvJ7kDRB8k80/s1600/apple_tart_5.jpg" style="cursor: move;" />{pasta frolla}</h3>
<h2>
ingredients:</h2>
1/2 c. minus 1 tablespoon superfine sugar (see Note 1)<br />
1 and 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces<br />
grated zest of half a lemon (you could also use vanilla sugar as an option, see Note 2)<br />
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten in a small bowl<br />
<br />
{Note 1} <i>Superfine sugar is often also referred to as ultrafine, baker’s sugar or caster sugar. It’s available in most supermarkets. If you cannot find “superfine” sugar, you can make your own by putting some regular granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and letting it run until the sugar is finely ground.</i><br />
<br />
{Note 2} <i>There are different ways of making vanilla sugar. I keep vanilla beans in a jar half-filled with sugar until I need to use them, for example, to make vanilla ice cream. After I remove the split bean from the custard that will go into the ice cream maker, I rinse it, dry it and put it back in the jar with sugar.
</i><br />
<h2>
Making pasta frolla by hand:</h2>
Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a bowl.<br />
<br />
Rub or cut the butter into the flour until the mixture has the consistency of coarse crumbs. You can do this in the bowl or on your work surface, using your fingertips or an implement of choice.<br />
<br />
Make a well in the center of the mounded flour and butter mixture and pour the beaten eggs into it (reserve about a teaspoon of the egg mixture for glazing purposes later on – place in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use).<br />
<br />
Add the lemon zest to your flour/butter/egg mixture.<br />
<br />
Use a fork to incorporate the liquid into the solid ingredients, and then use your fingertips.<br />
<br />
Knead lightly just until the dough comes together into a ball.<br />
<br />
Shape the dough into a flat disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours. You can refrigerate the dough overnight.
<br />
<h2>
Variation for Version 1 of pasta frolla:</h2>
If you want, you can make the pasta frolla using a combination of all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour.<br />
If you choose to try this variation, use 1 cup [240 ml, 135 g, 4 3/4 oz.] unbleached all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup [180 ml, 100 g, 3.5 oz.] whole-wheat pastry flour.<br />
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_0xBJEUr7ZJDIcFjs1bFQa-oRjbsVoMeFfRQrK9OtxV5dqnbX7rkIs9KX8SAivqfUZTtvF-jw5cP4oUoiD6l9UVb27Hoi-Rd4nSR_5et7WoyWcO3oZ07-CqGNaQh1FE5NiVjZnbh-ug/s1600/apple_tart_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_0xBJEUr7ZJDIcFjs1bFQa-oRjbsVoMeFfRQrK9OtxV5dqnbX7rkIs9KX8SAivqfUZTtvF-jw5cP4oUoiD6l9UVb27Hoi-Rd4nSR_5et7WoyWcO3oZ07-CqGNaQh1FE5NiVjZnbh-ug/s1600/apple_tart_2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a></span>{apple tart}</h3>
<span style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;">recipe adapted from: <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/AppleFrangipaneTart.html" target="_blank">Joy of Baking</a></span><br />
serves: 6-8<br />
<h2>
ingredients:</h2>
6 cups (2 pounds) (about 5 large) apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces<br />
2 tablespoons granulated whitesugar<br />
1 tablespoon unsaltedbutter, melted<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp cloves<br />
1/2 tsp ginger<br />
1/4 tsp nutmeg<br />
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKieH7qJ1u729i8GRc1sTEdKA6oO-ng-h0nEag4KtGtRngd1xmk_iMK3SLo9aGcqTAzyiMPiLHxcxst3HlrbXWdw23On1LAlKcSv8OAL72qbUVqseBLslex-4Kd_itY8_KJELBhnsiwM/s1600/apple_tart_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZKieH7qJ1u729i8GRc1sTEdKA6oO-ng-h0nEag4KtGtRngd1xmk_iMK3SLo9aGcqTAzyiMPiLHxcxst3HlrbXWdw23On1LAlKcSv8OAL72qbUVqseBLslex-4Kd_itY8_KJELBhnsiwM/s1600/apple_tart_4.jpg" /></a>
directions:</h2>
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.<br />
<br />
Remove chilled pastry from the refrigerator and roll out from the center to about 1/8" thick. A tip for this is to place the dough between two pieces of saran wrap. It will keep the dough from sticking to anything and allow you to easily flip the dough over into your tart pan or onto the baking pan if you're going for the rustic look. If your dough is getting sticky, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.<br />
<br />
Arrange the apple slices evenly over the pasta frolla leaving a 2 inch border if folding over the crust. Once filled, fold the pastry up and over the apples and pour any leftover butter on top. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of sugar over the crust and apples if you want it a little sweeter.<br />
<br />
If you've made one large tart, bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the apples are soft and the crust is golden brown. If you've split the dough in half and made two medium size tarts, bake for about 30 minutes until apples are soft and crust is golden brown.<br />
<br />
Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-25311149328107818952010-10-27T06:36:00.000-07:002010-10-27T06:36:08.246-07:00{daring bakers: donuts}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1GC7qupyYL8kXx1Osv61Nm0T5O82sv-h0LuPmJtdwEJeDcq5Mk0g_rzyvlB_CyehLVjXYV8DhyYSSdphVEdr59Nl4LGpMVHhcPHYSqCaQYWmKvM8H-p8sARS-9hrIEbCp6FzvLRe7Fc/s1600/donuts.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1GC7qupyYL8kXx1Osv61Nm0T5O82sv-h0LuPmJtdwEJeDcq5Mk0g_rzyvlB_CyehLVjXYV8DhyYSSdphVEdr59Nl4LGpMVHhcPHYSqCaQYWmKvM8H-p8sARS-9hrIEbCp6FzvLRe7Fc/s1600/donuts.jpg" /></a>
<i>The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.</i><br />
<br />
So, I have taken a couple month hiatus from daring bakers/cooks as work has picked up and I just needed a break. I am back and ready to go for this months challenge and was very excited when I saw that we get to make donuts! It is a rare treat for me to have a donut...typically just walking by a Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts and smelling the aroma is enough for me to gain 5lbs. The only mandatory item for this months challenge was that we make donuts; they could be any flavor, filling, topping we wanted. Lori was kind enough to include a recipe for pumpkin donuts in this challenge and well, I'm all about some pumpkin in the fall. Pumpkin beer, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies...if pumpkin is in the name, I will eat/drink it. I have never had pumpkin donuts, but well, they sound delightful. This is the first challenge that on the day of posting, I had both the time and ingredients to put it all together! Also, John was coming home from a week long business trip and I thought it would be a fun surprise to have them waiting for him.<br />
<br />
The methods used for cooking the donuts in each recipe Lori gave us was to fry them. Since I'm not a fan of a vat of grease and I wanted to make these as "healthy" as possible so I found some recipes online where people baked the donuts. I made a half batch of the pumpkin donut recipe provided (since it is only the two of us indulging) and found a cinnamon glaze recipe for my topping. Since I had a few chocolate chips left over from making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I decided to add them to half of my recipe to see how that tasted.<br />
<br />
The overall process of making the donuts was incredibly simple. Just keep in mind that you need it to chill for at least 3 hours before baking/frying. My end result...to die for as far as taste goes. I could live off of these babies. They did not however maintain their very puffy rounded shape and turned out to look more like cookies. I blame it on using a cookie sheet instead of with a donut mold. Thanks for a great challenge Lori!<br />
<br />
Check out pics after the jump.<br />
To see the full recipes and what others did check out <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">The Daring Kitchen</a>.<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdHSKA9gFsnh6rALs-E65UwdYRe0kZ0XnvGsUB8-fHLfs8_IQZLQfg_flktJ3Rn0lzhs7z5Bo83iysYr8Fy1VEd1Rv7fmUkHBBAUQaTKzXg7-w_HwoQVin_L3nszxyzn3Q9mpF_xRKpg/s1600/donuts_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdHSKA9gFsnh6rALs-E65UwdYRe0kZ0XnvGsUB8-fHLfs8_IQZLQfg_flktJ3Rn0lzhs7z5Bo83iysYr8Fy1VEd1Rv7fmUkHBBAUQaTKzXg7-w_HwoQVin_L3nszxyzn3Q9mpF_xRKpg/s1600/donuts_2.jpg" /></a><br />
La batter.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwo1CR07uZS1430LpULU1hGTmlNISrBiEs0WYnsViwwXlk9PwEJG3-v5NdUpWkYW9ywNh4ugbp7ppTN60yAwkOkqZkih-HzRmP7Qrd-4cwDS4rO4F6ncMmZsT15CpEZQu91CE-T3ISWo/s1600/donuts_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwo1CR07uZS1430LpULU1hGTmlNISrBiEs0WYnsViwwXlk9PwEJG3-v5NdUpWkYW9ywNh4ugbp7ppTN60yAwkOkqZkih-HzRmP7Qrd-4cwDS4rO4F6ncMmZsT15CpEZQu91CE-T3ISWo/s1600/donuts_3.jpg" /></a>
<br />
I used a ziplock bag to pipe out my donuts.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnjpDPpxgfyAfcWL5vHfDzp-zeLRRhz2eCQ7d5XH95e76NVLAImr-J0haR2oREWJ0pJLZKjy74jfnS55LQHDok19Rh5JAsoPKjM9L3FoMA3FxcSQrutpIVPpL3EMwGMAchTi3qnXcFHs/s1600/donuts_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNnjpDPpxgfyAfcWL5vHfDzp-zeLRRhz2eCQ7d5XH95e76NVLAImr-J0haR2oREWJ0pJLZKjy74jfnS55LQHDok19Rh5JAsoPKjM9L3FoMA3FxcSQrutpIVPpL3EMwGMAchTi3qnXcFHs/s1600/donuts_4.jpg" /></a>
<br />
aaannnnddd they became cookies.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhDX7anMMaCYcVr1-oFnA8FbCzFghQN_LTU9CRUAGdDrLIiblSgXtEEl3oa__meRWFwVx6Ksg-JbInFrAAwIXTPrdKkiORNC7Fgn0h1IbRBH1NP2iVNjSz0a1777X9EES6cVypicaE10/s1600/donuts_1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhDX7anMMaCYcVr1-oFnA8FbCzFghQN_LTU9CRUAGdDrLIiblSgXtEEl3oa__meRWFwVx6Ksg-JbInFrAAwIXTPrdKkiORNC7Fgn0h1IbRBH1NP2iVNjSz0a1777X9EES6cVypicaE10/s1600/donuts_1.jpg" style="cursor: move;" /></a><br />
Yum.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-3196681798512297682010-10-14T20:04:00.000-07:002010-10-14T20:04:10.349-07:00{october daring bakers: stuffed grape leaves}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-q-q4HnNKFpgqS3WuuTXJd4OVMOo4uY33fZvxcdIs9zlPxyZAC3PRaUrXGTaplS1Kaw_knYK62KymoCIW3StSxbvYqz9Ji8v242KrQVQP5Y4yYeM7DuooMGoFFbTSYGWWn0QDvsLOfA/s1600/dolmas1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-q-q4HnNKFpgqS3WuuTXJd4OVMOo4uY33fZvxcdIs9zlPxyZAC3PRaUrXGTaplS1Kaw_knYK62KymoCIW3StSxbvYqz9Ji8v242KrQVQP5Y4yYeM7DuooMGoFFbTSYGWWn0QDvsLOfA/s1600/dolmas1.jpg" /></a>
<i>Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has
challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe
from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern
Food.</i><br />
<br />
For this months challenge we had to make a filling and then stuff and roll it into grape leaves. A Mediterranean restaurant is the only place I've ever eaten stuffed grape leaves before and I've always thought they were pretty delicious. Never once did I think to actually try making them so, I was very interested to see how this would turn out.<br />
<br />
Work has gotten pretty busy lately (thus my lack of posting) so when it came to be the week before our post date, I began to wonder if I'd even be able to participate in this challenge. When a <a href="http://outoftheoven.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">friend of mine</a> suggested we tackle this one together and have a full blown Mediterranean meal, I jumped on it. We each brought our ingredients together in order to make the Wara Einab or Dolma (cold stuffed grape leaves). The men grilled the lamb while we separated, filled and rolled the dolmas. It definitely was a process and one I'm glad to not have done on my own. The grape leaves were a bit fragile as the slightest poke of a fingernail tore them. Towards the end we were double wrapping the grape leaves in order to make a whole one. They turned out delicious though and went very well with the hummus, pita, roasted veggies and lamb. <br />
<br />
Check out the recipe and what other daring cooks did over at <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/forums/daring-cooks-october-challenge-we-are-roll" target="_blank">The Daring Kitchen</a>.<br />
<br />
See more pics after the jump. <br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd7wWJmsA_vpmUeB6frlnF6lRhQQY31fajAxy4VG1L0AB1Ra4GX0c_VJUMzmUorLGyVVZuLTTR0rAsbA3gUMfP_zyyqOfog7PoWWrSjMGMAmrP6TA_kfINO4toc6irjCkolF-PKW1uCM/s1600/dolmas2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmd7wWJmsA_vpmUeB6frlnF6lRhQQY31fajAxy4VG1L0AB1Ra4GX0c_VJUMzmUorLGyVVZuLTTR0rAsbA3gUMfP_zyyqOfog7PoWWrSjMGMAmrP6TA_kfINO4toc6irjCkolF-PKW1uCM/s1600/dolmas2.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrcCozKBTcVHvWpu_wYRFsV1oF8sG3Pa9lPRjxnYYh-pu5UAI-Ruht3GOmiux6So9pl-XlkaObzbul-BSGxVxAwKlBLnhGzlYWV9_hqhUyrVOB_vJKZkqbqFE45Vpa_kExa22zewlKD8/s1600/dolmas3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrcCozKBTcVHvWpu_wYRFsV1oF8sG3Pa9lPRjxnYYh-pu5UAI-Ruht3GOmiux6So9pl-XlkaObzbul-BSGxVxAwKlBLnhGzlYWV9_hqhUyrVOB_vJKZkqbqFE45Vpa_kExa22zewlKD8/s1600/dolmas3.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichXdmSL0X_5LnEL6Dc_6GzCK4XwRoDC1Aho3Zk_PioQ3VVz4tA7PdiN9qBtNo-eRdLLbo_v1xXwiFgqk4ODZZejp9siIRIxSlWjyq5Ym60sUaSu__rMAGivwwA71o8AMI9yDj1iXYvxc/s1600/dolmas4.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichXdmSL0X_5LnEL6Dc_6GzCK4XwRoDC1Aho3Zk_PioQ3VVz4tA7PdiN9qBtNo-eRdLLbo_v1xXwiFgqk4ODZZejp9siIRIxSlWjyq5Ym60sUaSu__rMAGivwwA71o8AMI9yDj1iXYvxc/s1600/dolmas4.jpg" /></a>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-68088115767128843862010-08-14T09:00:00.000-07:002010-08-14T09:00:02.877-07:00{daring cooks: pierogi}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUbECb65Yevf9JivJmYWVFHurYP9BhFcJfM49moB58p_m7Bf5P-HQcs4qRmZRwXfltPoTG0RRzjE-8nIxjgJYEEPGhJ4AFNx2nxAGBPVt_qipebZsx2W2tysPZWnQyMXCL9dHoCa5cSM/s1600/pierogi_sweetpotato2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlUbECb65Yevf9JivJmYWVFHurYP9BhFcJfM49moB58p_m7Bf5P-HQcs4qRmZRwXfltPoTG0RRzjE-8nIxjgJYEEPGhJ4AFNx2nxAGBPVt_qipebZsx2W2tysPZWnQyMXCL9dHoCa5cSM/s640/pierogi_sweetpotato2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.</i><br />
<br />
One of my good friends has been raving about how awesome pierogi are ever since I met her and introduced her to climbing. It seemed like after each climb night she said she was going home to eat pierogi. She was astonished that I had never heard of them or had them before and stated that she had to make them for me. Sadly, I moved before we could set that up so, you can imagine how happy and excited I was to see this months challenge. Finally, I'd get to have pierogi! (kface I've been dying to tell you that it was this months challenge!)<br />
<br />
So, what is a pierogi? It is basically a dumpling filled with deliciousness. For the challenge, we had to make the dough and filling from scratch. Pierogi can be either savory or sweet so I chose to lean more to the savory side of things for John's sake. LizG provided a few recipes but said that we should adjust our fillings to include something that represented where we are from. So, my fillings ended up being: twice baked potato, chicken basil pesto and sweet potato. I did manage to sneak in a little sweetness on the last one, but still served it as part of our dinner, not dessert. After all, sweet potato soufflé is usually served as one of the many sides my family consumes during the holidays, even though its sweet enough to be a dessert. I chose these because here in North Carolina, sweet potatoes are a big agriculture product, chicken (which is usually fried in the south) is loved down here, and well, potatoes are just good.<br />
<br />
I made a few adjustments to the recipes provided based on what I had on hand and what I could get locally. For the dough, all-purpose is called for but I got away with using whole wheat pastry flour and it came out just fine. I did a double batch of the dough recipe since I wanted to try several different fillings and still had filling left over! Thankfully, this dish is easily frozen and we now have a few bags of pierogi awaiting a night I don't feel like cooking. <br />
<br />
In filling them, I found that the potato versions were very easy to do. The chicken version however liked to poke through the dough and cause problems so just a note if you choose to make these with some sort of solid filling. I'd just roll your dough a little thicker to protect it.<br />
<br />
Since the recipe made so many, it took a while to fill them all up. I ended up filling what we were eating that night and cooking those first. While they were boiling, I worked on filling the rest. It takes a little time, but for the amount you get, its worth it.<br />
<br />
I tried to keep all of the varieties separate from each other so I'd know what I was serving, but after the boiling step they got all mixed together. After boiling them I popped them in a little olive oil and sauteed them up to brown them a bit. This also warmed the ones that had boiled first. I had no sour cream or any idea of what kind of sauce to put them in so we enjoyed these plain. They were delicious! It was kind of like a treasure hunt since we didn't know what we were going to be biting into. John's favorites ended up being the twice baked potato and chicken basil pesto versions. I loved them all.<br />
<br />
See more pics and the recipe after the jump. See what other Daring Cooks did <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{pierogi}</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUAb0NaLiustWqbVNcStFFQZrhaQ1fOfsu6IwXgqCn5-MrURpo4-kXt9y8qIjXHRqK71uXVgkFVRJ0_UbT5-kQMKGYHe5rXhVpP2k4mLG6egUq_Dgdrb114uZPckuOn8xamOThyphenhyphenpZnkM/s1600/pierogi_dough1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUAb0NaLiustWqbVNcStFFQZrhaQ1fOfsu6IwXgqCn5-MrURpo4-kXt9y8qIjXHRqK71uXVgkFVRJ0_UbT5-kQMKGYHe5rXhVpP2k4mLG6egUq_Dgdrb114uZPckuOn8xamOThyphenhyphenpZnkM/s640/pierogi_dough1.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
dough</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
up to 1 cup lukewarm water (you will probably use all of this if you're using whole wheat flour…if not, then only use enough to make the dough come together)
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Place 2 cups flour in a large bowl or on a work surface and make a well in the center. Break the egg into it, add the salt and a little lukewarm at a time. Bring the dough together, kneading well and adding more flour or water as necessary. Cover the dough with a bowl or towel. You’re aiming for soft dough. Let it rest 20 minutes.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRkrDndqi15ZU2Qz3vvRG_3X8loWS1MrXj-q9FLjtVZTXCrJuexavO6SVIHXF_NTvDHuQQA-XHeCWoeDmPJaiu6Zf3IToH9O2tvxmW7sGaLzU_63lUep40oR93yDa58OCchqwk34vb7k/s1600/pierogi_twicepotato.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRkrDndqi15ZU2Qz3vvRG_3X8loWS1MrXj-q9FLjtVZTXCrJuexavO6SVIHXF_NTvDHuQQA-XHeCWoeDmPJaiu6Zf3IToH9O2tvxmW7sGaLzU_63lUep40oR93yDa58OCchqwk34vb7k/s640/pierogi_twicepotato.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6zCzvQppbvcME-MBbHMGF3KlHhVPauGdI1kx79jHUXIPOboXoMp5VDaEK6Trc9-W1sOAAbiyqkt1QD5XvI0uDdF2P37_Z8XakrQw2N15XgUhPwmsI41YwXiQyHshkuDYN8FhC-uw4CM/s1600/pierogi_twicepotato2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6zCzvQppbvcME-MBbHMGF3KlHhVPauGdI1kx79jHUXIPOboXoMp5VDaEK6Trc9-W1sOAAbiyqkt1QD5XvI0uDdF2P37_Z8XakrQw2N15XgUhPwmsI41YwXiQyHshkuDYN8FhC-uw4CM/s640/pierogi_twicepotato2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
twice baked potato filling</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
4 medium potatoes<br />
3/5 cup cheese grated<br />
6 pieces crispy bacon<br />
salt/pepper to taste
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Clean, dice and boil your potatoes until fork soft. Drain water and mash it up. Add in your cheese and bacon and continue mixing and mashing. If you have butter or milk (I had none on hand) you can add a little in. Its fine without too.<br />
<br />
Set aside.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gSWP1aPSk-sKJr3J7qMmmZye2OCoDe43bzidfteeH9BFgThuxaOSfvRWmV-ETCGm0f7Cd4YUJmjPLjnvdDoghCAEok5tM7dEtTYoxwRM_pO2x2rY9mGPFD3lVYYqgNe6Rqgyh4sRLCk/s1600/pierogi_chknpesto.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gSWP1aPSk-sKJr3J7qMmmZye2OCoDe43bzidfteeH9BFgThuxaOSfvRWmV-ETCGm0f7Cd4YUJmjPLjnvdDoghCAEok5tM7dEtTYoxwRM_pO2x2rY9mGPFD3lVYYqgNe6Rqgyh4sRLCk/s640/pierogi_chknpesto.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tIEMHwva5nIvWxGQsHzzkbqjIA-ohZp9NOItqxZ0mggV49wF8-KlogcA31-G0xKJ9OeRdk1uWmWKP6PTI3-M8d3xUgsPIF3kD3pzYbA8ZDQN4WwnMOrzkrC_LRcqzPZ7jLbDWRAvIWg/s1600/pierogi_chknpesto2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-tIEMHwva5nIvWxGQsHzzkbqjIA-ohZp9NOItqxZ0mggV49wF8-KlogcA31-G0xKJ9OeRdk1uWmWKP6PTI3-M8d3xUgsPIF3kD3pzYbA8ZDQN4WwnMOrzkrC_LRcqzPZ7jLbDWRAvIWg/s640/pierogi_chknpesto2.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DCXFzhRvyVtn86PNQNY1wv6g7HX0Z5W5gRycDL21yjYDJMtDN8yceu8kd07Vza_YiQTZEixwrlYRQTJ7MRp2b4GEZvFJAG4k5jxbAHJlaqbd6HpKS_L9j0-8HTKz1qTcIvGwT_ZX1pw/s1600/pierogi_chknpesto3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8DCXFzhRvyVtn86PNQNY1wv6g7HX0Z5W5gRycDL21yjYDJMtDN8yceu8kd07Vza_YiQTZEixwrlYRQTJ7MRp2b4GEZvFJAG4k5jxbAHJlaqbd6HpKS_L9j0-8HTKz1qTcIvGwT_ZX1pw/s640/pierogi_chknpesto3.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
chicken basil pesto filling</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 chicken breast, cubed<br />
olive oil<br />
salt/pepper to taste<br />
1 sprig fresh rosemary
<br />
<h2>
pesto ingredients</h2>
1 cup basil leaves<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
salt/pepper to taste<br />
(nuts + parmesan cheese are usually in pesto. I had none, but feel free to add it in)
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Sauté your chicken in a little olive oil with the rosemary, salt and pepper until done.<br />
<br />
In a food processor, place all ingredients and whiz until combined.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, mix together your chicken and pesto. Set aside.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ytj4C1Y4_nlJOFDqyeQTp61ZwsPD5ERKl3jVqguj0mnsy7MRXlvmbLnld_mgYrO1X_C4CPv7fSc9gLtujgD6jNBTjIZz9H9EqARFXBkrRRNKKxev2KjQkSjLl_cRX77h_DISb9_Tntw/s1600/pierogi_sweetpotato.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ytj4C1Y4_nlJOFDqyeQTp61ZwsPD5ERKl3jVqguj0mnsy7MRXlvmbLnld_mgYrO1X_C4CPv7fSc9gLtujgD6jNBTjIZz9H9EqARFXBkrRRNKKxev2KjQkSjLl_cRX77h_DISb9_Tntw/s640/pierogi_sweetpotato.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dKEi7eO-Z9xcoTwkCnB9qRTH8bo4mizJVmvPZTg9XhnsFf68D6QR0px13VZo6NmF0TXdbtVicEwlGiCOhyphenhyphenuU4dqh9SyYY8OxEUQYKXZvNocatyodsOzvfqTpSbG4qwcJqHlsPvxLh04/s1600/pierogi_sweetpotato3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dKEi7eO-Z9xcoTwkCnB9qRTH8bo4mizJVmvPZTg9XhnsFf68D6QR0px13VZo6NmF0TXdbtVicEwlGiCOhyphenhyphenuU4dqh9SyYY8OxEUQYKXZvNocatyodsOzvfqTpSbG4qwcJqHlsPvxLh04/s640/pierogi_sweetpotato3.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
sweet potato filling</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 large sweet potato<br />
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
dash of cayenne
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Pre-heat oven to 375º.<br />
<br />
Scrub potato and poke several times with a fork. Place in the oven with a pan on the shelf below to catch drippings. Bake for 45 mins - 1 hour until soft.<br />
<br />
Once done, carefully peel off the skin. In a bowl, mash it up along with all of the spices. Taste to make sure its to your liking. Set aside.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_esO5ltKJB6EpMc5kbV-dNoFl9ubs2Nreo01IWxKqO2-F5ux00Vp-qIRV31hXSA1oiH3Oh_dOQn82Q7wR4Pp6saGDoseXxIWMgEbD1ZaFBxMllzApF9dCA38_LcidL0bS69n41hlSVc/s1600/pierogi_dough3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_esO5ltKJB6EpMc5kbV-dNoFl9ubs2Nreo01IWxKqO2-F5ux00Vp-qIRV31hXSA1oiH3Oh_dOQn82Q7wR4Pp6saGDoseXxIWMgEbD1ZaFBxMllzApF9dCA38_LcidL0bS69n41hlSVc/s640/pierogi_dough3.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
assembly</h3>
On a floured work surface, roll the dough out thinly (1/8”) cut with a 2-inch round or glass (I used the lid of a mason jar). Spoon a portion (teaspoon will be the best) of the filling into the middle of each circle. Fold dough in half and pinch edges together. Using a fork, crimp the edges down to complete the seal. You do not want ANY of the filling sticking out or else you will have a huge mess while cooking. Gather scraps, re-roll and fill. Repeat with remaining dough.<br />
<br />
Bring a large, low saucepan of salted water to boil. Drop in the pierogi, not too many, only single layer in the pan! Its best to do one kind of filling at a time. Return to the boil and reduce heat. When the pierogi rise to the surface, continue to simmer a few minutes more (usually about 5 minutes). Remove one dumpling with a slotted spoon and taste if ready. When satisfied, remove remaining pierogi from the water.<br />
<br />
Serve immediately or sauté in a pan with a little olive oil to crisp them up. Cold pierogi can be fried.<br />
<br />
To freeze, you can either boil them al dente or just stick them straight in the freezer once assembled. I laid them all out on a cookie sheet and let them freeze a few hours before bagging them up. When ready to eat, place straight from freezer into boiling pot of salted water and cook until done. Don't unfreeze before boiling or there will be a mess of dough.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-66376927450806226802010-07-27T12:39:00.000-07:002010-07-27T13:05:43.170-07:00{daring bakers: swiss swirl ice cream cake}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzcGwX84Kuxs1QY0MYvrFW0tjRIMY-C5drX0CKlZ-ZsoSS96Fm-Ah4vNZ6nitfvbCvPTgvvJk3bAQkgXqw0CEJvouwBqedQLuoaqn-m1ITywpyuZxEByPQrtnJLK3hNcumAc4ZF7-bXU/s1600/db_whole.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDzcGwX84Kuxs1QY0MYvrFW0tjRIMY-C5drX0CKlZ-ZsoSS96Fm-Ah4vNZ6nitfvbCvPTgvvJk3bAQkgXqw0CEJvouwBqedQLuoaqn-m1ITywpyuZxEByPQrtnJLK3hNcumAc4ZF7-bXU/s640/db_whole.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.</i><br />
<br />
Upon first sight of this months swiss swirl ice cream cake challenge, my thoughts were as follows: I get to make ice cream!!! Wait. I have to make swiss rolls as well? Like those little debbie ones I loved as a kid? And then combine it all?! Okay, a kid HAD to have made this up and then an adult just made it pretty...who else would have come up with combining swiss rolls and ice cream but a kid?<br />
<br />
So, yes, that was my thought process pretty much exactly. I was very excited to get started so I began brainstorming my dream combinations of ice cream flavors. Strawberry + lemon, blueberry + lemon, mint + chocolate, mint chocolate + coffee, mint + chocolate cinnamon, chocolate coffee + mint...the list went on. I have determined that I will make all of these flavors at some point or another. For this challenge though, I chose to do a chocolate espresso + mint ice cream along with a mint cream filled swiss roll.<br />
<br />
It was quickly evident that I would not be able to make this dessert with entirely locally sourced ingredients so, I did the best I could and at least used my own fresh mint from my container garden. My other challenge was that I am a bit lactose intolerant which is very sad as I LOVE ice cream. I do sometimes indulge in the occasional ben & jerry's just to ya know, "test" my stomach out. I savor every single bite and then about 5 minutes later, immediately regret my decision. Thankfully,<a href="http://outoftheoven.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"> a friend of mine</a> has the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Scoop-Recipes-Dairy-Free-Tastes/dp/1592333923" target="_blank">The Vegan Scoup</a> on her iPad and was able to send me over a few of the recipes I needed to make my concoction. Let me tell you, ice cream is incredible simple to make without an ice cream maker! You just need to have an entire day that you will be home so you can babysit it. Totally worth it in my opinion.<br />
<br />
As this challenge had so many components (the ice cream (two versions!), swiss rolls, hot fudge sauce and then assembly which had several steps of letting it freeze for hours) I had to break it down into a several day process so that my brain wouldn't explode. I started with the chocolate espresso ice cream to make sure it would work. It did. I enjoyed a bowl that evening. The following day I made the mint ice cream. Delicious. The green leaves even turned the ice cream a light mint color! I then took a day of rest to build my courage to create the swiss roll as I'd heard too many horror stories with it not working from other daring bakers.<br />
<br />
Took another day to build more courage.<br />
<br />
Finally got the courage to try it on the 5th day and was very hopeful. I'd read all sorts of tips from others and felt I was ready to face the challenge. Everything mixed nicely and remained fluffy. It baked beautifully. It even came off of the parchment paper without too much trouble. I was feeling very happy and wondered what all the fuss had been about. I rolled it up nicely in my towel and left it to cool for the two hours recommended. A few minutes before it was ready to be filled I made my mint cream filling and then sat down to do my unrolling. It went okay as I unrolled but I noticed it cracking a bit. I figured it was okay and kept on going. Added the mint filling and began to roll it back up without the towel this time and well...DISASTER. A thin amount stuck to the towel and did not come up which caused the cake to crack even worse. Lets just say at this point, the day before our challenge is due, I just gave up and kept on rolling it. Somehow I got it wrapped in plastic and placed in the freezer hoping it would take some shape and allow me to cut it. Thankfully it did and I was able to slice it up nicely and begin assembling the masterpiece.<br />
<br />
The assembly process was fairly easy, it just took forever for each layer to freeze. I must say that the end result was absolutely worth the long drawn out saga. The flavors combined delightfully in my mouth and I think I could eat this every day. In the end, I don't know if I'd ever make this entire thing again. I will definitely be making more ice creams, but just not sure about doing the whole thing all over again. Thank you Sunita for an awesome challenge! It was perfect for this ridiculous summer heat we've been having.<br />
<br />
Visit the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Kitchen</a> for the original recipes and see what others created. Check out more pics and my recipes <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/07/daring-bakers-swiss-swirl-ice-cream.html">below the jump</a>!<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8Gp6pcRUuH3ogUGnv4Igtd8rVRmgs2Okb7MXOIDap1wcrKPj_PWazcACV36oYuoG7NPxKPJGwwnuMtQtcXA47K-W2WDb8IQLUKrDbPd4Uph0kmBqdIYu4z-zL5oPN4fcI3Y_pVHDZmI/s1600/db_swissroll.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8Gp6pcRUuH3ogUGnv4Igtd8rVRmgs2Okb7MXOIDap1wcrKPj_PWazcACV36oYuoG7NPxKPJGwwnuMtQtcXA47K-W2WDb8IQLUKrDbPd4Uph0kmBqdIYu4z-zL5oPN4fcI3Y_pVHDZmI/s640/db_swissroll.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{swiss roll}</h3>
The Swiss rolls: Preparation time: 10 minutes Baking time: 10 - 12 minutes Rolling and cooling time: at least 30 minutes Filling: 5 - 8 minutes Filling and rolling: 5 - 10 minutes
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
<h2>
for the cake</h2>
6 medium sized eggs<br />
1 C caster sugar + extra for rolling<br />
6 TBS. whole wheat pastry flour + 5 TBS. natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted together<br />
2 TBS. boiling water<br />
a little oil for brushing the pans
<br />
<h2>
for the filling</h2>
2 C whipping cream<br />
1 vanilla pod, cut into small pieces of about 1⁄2 cm (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)<br />
5 TBS. caster sugar<br />
handful of fresh mint leaves
<br />
<h2>
for the cake</h2>
Pre-heat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans (11 inches by 9 inches) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.<br />
<br />
In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.<br />
<br />
Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the water.<br />
<br />
Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans.<br />
<br />
Place a pan in the center of the pre-heated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the center is springy to the touch.<br />
<br />
Spread a kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.<br />
<br />
Turn the cake on to the towel and peel away the baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.<br />
<br />
Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the towel going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.<br />
<br />
Repeat the same for the next cake as well.
<br />
<h2>
for the filling</h2>
Grind together the vanilla pieces, mint leaves and sugar in a food processer till nicely mixed together. If you are using vanilla extract, just grind the sugar and mint and then add the mixture and extract to the cream.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl, add the cream and vanilla-mint-sugar mixture and beat till very thick.<br />
<br />
Divide the cream mixture between the completely cooled cakes.<br />
<br />
Open the rolls and spread the cream mixture, making sure it does not go right to the edges (a border of 1⁄2 an inch should be fine).<br />
<br />
Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge till needed, seam side down.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKcbE1QLwOwRIq_y1CRPXmU7a4-tkeQoUvgmYEeL2VLlzxT4BeRdB2XXoPO0xBxzfJj6lNNlGcNni6KYwXjpNbXgFczQ3gs__sekTLrbp2Ja3_Oq1_joC6CJnrIFopxekmRdk3mGsaGk/s1600/db_chocolateicecream.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKcbE1QLwOwRIq_y1CRPXmU7a4-tkeQoUvgmYEeL2VLlzxT4BeRdB2XXoPO0xBxzfJj6lNNlGcNni6KYwXjpNbXgFczQ3gs__sekTLrbp2Ja3_Oq1_joC6CJnrIFopxekmRdk3mGsaGk/s640/db_chocolateicecream.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{chocolate espresso ice cream}</h3>
makes: 1 quart
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 cup soymilk, divided<br />
2 tbs. arrowroot powder<br />
2 cups soy creamer<br />
3/4 cup cane sugar<br />
3/4 cup fresh, strong espresso<br />
1/4 cup cocoa powder<br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips<br />
1 tbs. vanilla extract
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the soymilk with arrowroot and set aside.<br />
<br />
Mix soy creamer, remaining 3/4 cup soymilk, sugar, espresso, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in a saucepan. Stirring frequently over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, then bring to a boil. Once mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and immediately add arrowroot cream. This will cause the liquid to thicken noticeably.<br />
<br />
Add vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
Pour into the container you plan to freeze the ice cream in (I used a gallon size plastic container). Set this into an ice bath to cool the ice cream. Once cool, cover and place into your freezer. After about 45 minutes, using a spatula, stir the starting to freeze sides into the mix. Do this every 30 minutes until frozen. It can take a while so be sure you'll be home and set your timer.
<br />
<h3>
{mint ice cream}</h3>
makes: 1 quart
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 cup soymilk, divided<br />
2 tbs. arrowroot powder<br />
3 tbs. chopped, packed fresh mint<br />
2 cups soy creamer<br />
3/4 cup cane sugar<br />
1 tbs. vanilla extract
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the soymilk with arrowroot and set aside.<br />
<br />
In a food processor, blend remaining 3/4 cup soymilk and mint until smooth. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Mix soy creamer, mint-milk blend and sugar in a saucepan and cook over low heat. Once mixture begins to boil, remove from heat and immediately add arrowroot cream. This will cause the liquid to thicken noticeably.<br />
<br />
Add vanilla extract.<br />
<br />
Pour into the container you plan to freeze the ice cream in (I used a gallon size plastic container). Set this into an ice bath to cool the ice cream. Once cool, cover and place into your freezer. After about 45 minutes, using a spatula, stir the starting to freeze sides into the mix. Do this every 30 minutes until frozen. It can take a while so be sure you'll be home and set your timer.
<br />
<h3>
{hot fudge sauce}</h3>
Preparation time: 2 minutes<br />
Cooking time: 2 minutes
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 C caster sugar<br />
3 TBS. natural unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
2 TBS. cornstarch<br />
1 1⁄2 C water<br />
1 TBS. butter<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
In a small saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, corn flour and water.<br />
<br />
Place the pan over heat, and stir constantly, till it begins to thicken and is smooth (for about 2 minutes).<br />
<br />
Remove from heat and mix in the butter and vanilla. Keep aside to cool.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvC_ZX1sYT3Dd8RvIcC5vSvXohGN1tPVlX6YrUNceMdFJavvq0pQetEKLz-yWQgevcPgT_OcbqYTE2u0pI11T6QoisKAGdAi-BekqC9WCwNYi7Ju22S6zJtWPEQ_mAe7nfAqxYiy0KR8/s1600/db_slice2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvC_ZX1sYT3Dd8RvIcC5vSvXohGN1tPVlX6YrUNceMdFJavvq0pQetEKLz-yWQgevcPgT_OcbqYTE2u0pI11T6QoisKAGdAi-BekqC9WCwNYi7Ju22S6zJtWPEQ_mAe7nfAqxYiy0KR8/s640/db_slice2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{assembly}</h3>
Cut the Swiss rolls into 20 equal slices (approximately 3/4" each).<br />
<br />
Cover the bottom and sides of the bowl in which you are going to set the dessert with cling film/plastic wrap.<br />
<br />
Arrange two slices at the bottom of the pan, with their seam sides facing each other. Arrange the Swiss roll slices up the bowl, with the seam sides facing away from the bottom, to cover the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till the slices are firm (at least 30 minutes).<br />
<br />
Soften the vanilla ice cream. Take the bowl out of the freezer, remove the cling film cover<br />
and add the ice cream on top of the cake slices. Spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and freeze till firm (at least 1 hour).<br />
<br />
Add the fudge sauce over the vanilla ice cream, cover and freeze till firm. (at least an hour)<br />
<br />
Soften the chocolate ice cream and spread it over the fudge sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4-5 hours till completely set.<br />
<br />
Remove the plastic cover, and place the serving plate on top of the bowl. Turn it upside down and remove the bowl and the plastic lining. If the bowl does not come away easily, wipe the outsides of the bowl with a kitchen towel dampened with hot water. The bowl will come away easily.<br />
<br />
Keep the cake out of the freezer for at least 10 minutes before slicing, depending on how hot your region is. Slice with a sharp knife, dipped in hot water.
<br />
<h3>
{resources}</h3>
- <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/videos/1050/rolling-a-swiss-roll" target="_blank">rolling a swiss roll</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aw0pLOryEQ" target="_blank">making a swiss roll</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html" target="_blank">making ice cream without an ice cream maker</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/11/the_easiest_cho.html" target="_blank">easy chocolate ice cream</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/02/vanilla_ice_cream.html" target="_blank">vanilla ice cream</a>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-39731557371505207632010-07-14T00:00:00.000-07:002010-07-14T00:00:07.685-07:00{daring cooks: nut butter}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxxxrF1gDQomaDxT3hRZMiCUdD68HQKm8Vb7qJvrKdnuwlDEkzWQL4B87-ZyUVNtZ2FXYxjEpZNciKsw_5QrymG8GANX26yZIyJ5fAsx_HCC2OtGO7Nwqc8AoOTQKTJKbl8LSinkxgZI/s1600/dc_assembled.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxxxrF1gDQomaDxT3hRZMiCUdD68HQKm8Vb7qJvrKdnuwlDEkzWQL4B87-ZyUVNtZ2FXYxjEpZNciKsw_5QrymG8GANX26yZIyJ5fAsx_HCC2OtGO7Nwqc8AoOTQKTJKbl8LSinkxgZI/s640/dc_assembled.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>The July 2010 <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Daring Cooks’</a> Challenge was hosted by Margie of <a href="http://www.morepleasebymargie.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">More Please</a> and Natashya of<a href="http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Living in the Kitchen with Puppies</a>. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.</i><br />
<br />
I was really looking forward to this months challenge of making a nut butter and then using it in an entree So was John. He was ready for a daring cooks challenge that was super savory and this one was it. The challengers gave us several recipe options to use our nut butters in. The nut butters could be made of peanuts, cashews, almonds or whatever nut we wanted. I had just made some peanut butter and as peanuts are easy to get locally, I went with that for my nut butter. You can check out my previous post on making peanut butter <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-make-peanut-butter.html">here</a>. For my entree, I chose to go with the Asian Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing recipe. Let me tell you, I could eat that dressing by the spoonful! It was absolutely one of the best things I've ever tasted and paired with the rest of the ingredients, it was wonderful. I highly recommend making this sauce and just spooning it over everything you eat. The recipe made more dressing than was necessary for the dish but it refrigerates well and can be used in a variety of other dishes.<br />
<br />
In order to make this dish entirely local, I switched up some of the ingredients to make my own version. I loved how easy it was to make it from all local and fresh ingredients...it really added to the scrumptiousness of it all. The sauce would not have been easy to make using all local ingredients except that I already had the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and ground ginger on hand.<br />
<br />
Since beginning our <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/locavores.html">locavore challenge</a>, we have run out of noodles so, for the first time in my life, I made from scratch pasta! I was super excited to give this a try and found a simple recipe over at the <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/" target="_blank">Food Network</a> website. It required a good bit of kneading with gave my forearms a workout. I'm sad to say they were even sore the following day! I am so happy I'm climbing again now that we've moved one mile from the climbing gym. I will no longer be shamed by making pasta again. Anyway, I have no pasta roller so this stuff had to be rolled out with my awesome long rolling pin. I think it needed to be a little thinner but my arms were done. The pasta on its own was pretty delicious and a lot of fun to make. I did a half recipe of the pasta since that was all the flour I had left. It made plenty to serve us four times.<br />
<br />
To get the original recipe and other options we had, check out <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">The Daring Kitchen</a>.
<br />
<br />
See my version of the recipe after the jump<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{asian noodle salad with peanut dressing}</h3>
serves: 4<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAVaWITlpCE1AfzqU6suYO_pUUjOqTkUwsV1nD9inPsAbpeplSTldyyfeGzTEO-aTuuYCMIpCE2ysGkTWSR_tqt_AwXT6KOHVz3u7rLJ6_eUOTUoVDS1KpzJhZBd3CZ_IxdDs0ZltuEQ/s1600/dc_peanutbutter.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYAVaWITlpCE1AfzqU6suYO_pUUjOqTkUwsV1nD9inPsAbpeplSTldyyfeGzTEO-aTuuYCMIpCE2ysGkTWSR_tqt_AwXT6KOHVz3u7rLJ6_eUOTUoVDS1KpzJhZBd3CZ_IxdDs0ZltuEQ/s640/dc_peanutbutter.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
peanut butter</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 cup peanuts (If you start with 1 cup nuts, you’ll get about 1/2 cup nut butter.)<br />
1 teaspoons vegetable oil (or peanut oil)<br />
salt to taste
<br />
<h2>
to make the peanut butter</h2>
Grind peanuts in food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth. Add in the oil as needed. If you bought unsalted peanuts you can add salt in to taste. If you have salted peanuts, then no extra salt is needed.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6fSwcyNCicVsuYy9wTDMezaM3wuncnVUxWDxkkhsb0FdU40N2Ri8BVO6YsxDThkgShEHPDQZ1za_nhdPxNnL92w_IM84B7F1xoN6AtQp0KAQSGXhqNpSpEoyVpaAwjSDwHXmqQXcXX4/s1600/dc_peanutdressing.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6fSwcyNCicVsuYy9wTDMezaM3wuncnVUxWDxkkhsb0FdU40N2Ri8BVO6YsxDThkgShEHPDQZ1za_nhdPxNnL92w_IM84B7F1xoN6AtQp0KAQSGXhqNpSpEoyVpaAwjSDwHXmqQXcXX4/s640/dc_peanutdressing.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
<h3>
peanut dressing</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 teaspoons ground ginger<br />
8 cloves garlic, more or less to taste, chopped<br />
1/2 cup peanut butter<br />
1/4 cup soy sauce<br />
3 tablespoons sugar<br />
3 tablespoons vinegar<br />
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil<br />
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
<br />
<h2>
to make the dressing</h2>
Combine ginger, garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and water in food processor or blender. Process/blend until smooth. Be sure to process long enough to puree the ginger and garlic. The dressing should be pourable, about the same thickness as cream.<br />
<br />
Adjust consistency (thinner or thicker) to your liking by adding more water or peanut butter. If the peanut butter was unsalted, you may want to add salt to taste. Makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4Zp_lbZ8IRliSAySOclUY5j-3BbaojsUCUukSy65TfofOlQcnOiSAgFOSZGaUDjrPOw9ac5ZCDd0te7WmkYWQBtpMkcDeGTE1r4zuUqQ5E9SULBMHcdMkSOow4HUFHhRb6PY5l57YuE/s1600/dc_pasta1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO4Zp_lbZ8IRliSAySOclUY5j-3BbaojsUCUukSy65TfofOlQcnOiSAgFOSZGaUDjrPOw9ac5ZCDd0te7WmkYWQBtpMkcDeGTE1r4zuUqQ5E9SULBMHcdMkSOow4HUFHhRb6PY5l57YuE/s640/dc_pasta1.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4HEkgKFFtnigIop_m8B9wMm7PoPtK6VxBHSmBsnxSB7pwSOEsbDgQ6YvXqkEDndRjQ15IKEijuRjYLKF8RCf_UjCV_NoZI6dSoBgwND5cF5CflVaArBoySVmalDAQa5NcMaooHdsaFA/s1600/dc_pasta2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4HEkgKFFtnigIop_m8B9wMm7PoPtK6VxBHSmBsnxSB7pwSOEsbDgQ6YvXqkEDndRjQ15IKEijuRjYLKF8RCf_UjCV_NoZI6dSoBgwND5cF5CflVaArBoySVmalDAQa5NcMaooHdsaFA/s640/dc_pasta2.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOXHSO81FecK5_4eKwei7a-iFNU9cCq_VUDxx2jmjvsxf3Savs-ghnpNu79VmsK4-HSk_r6qCoEv1OZ7H8ACmK21ZNwFqL-axUfVHRLjwBXaSBTyIaE0YbKtxwHeWYwlNR2D5CLGlZeg/s1600/dc_pasta3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOXHSO81FecK5_4eKwei7a-iFNU9cCq_VUDxx2jmjvsxf3Savs-ghnpNu79VmsK4-HSk_r6qCoEv1OZ7H8ACmK21ZNwFqL-axUfVHRLjwBXaSBTyIaE0YbKtxwHeWYwlNR2D5CLGlZeg/s640/dc_pasta3.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0Qs_aTzUq-ytkrXD2yjYOp1ZgRFL6Q4BrBKJFHh8O8m-FUbiohZM3vIufMz4APJKjqOkIcJrMuU1_1VQz3QqbpMcyojzCuOku9bJhCTjeugNXeyU5ZtW7LcExU27aOekYGRN3k0Tf9A/s1600/dc_pasta4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0Qs_aTzUq-ytkrXD2yjYOp1ZgRFL6Q4BrBKJFHh8O8m-FUbiohZM3vIufMz4APJKjqOkIcJrMuU1_1VQz3QqbpMcyojzCuOku9bJhCTjeugNXeyU5ZtW7LcExU27aOekYGRN3k0Tf9A/s640/dc_pasta4.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
fresh egg pasta</h3>
makes 1 pound (I cut the recipe in half when I did it and it made enough to serve 4. Below is the full recipe)<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">recipe source: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/fresh-egg-pasta-recipe2/index.html" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">F</a>ood Network</span></b></span>
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
3 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour plus 1/2 cup<br />
4 eggs<br />
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
<br />
<h2>
to make the pasta</h2>
Make a mound of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs, oil and any other flavoring you choose. Using a fork, beat together the eggs, oil and flavorings and begin to incorporate the flour starting with the inner rim of the well. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up to retain the well shape. Do not worry that this initial phase looks messy. The dough will come together when 1/2 of the flour is incorporated.<br />
<br />
Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands primarily. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up any left over crusty bits.<br />
<br />
Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 3 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes, remembering to dust your board when necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Note: do not skip the kneading or resting portion of this recipe, they are essential for a light pasta.<br />
<br />
Once time is up, roll out the pasta as thinly as you can on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Fresh pasta only needs about 3 - 4 minutes to cook until its done so it can be made right at the end of this entire dish.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNwxZuA8bJ297HTH8S8RDfDByEGckSaNc8oh5n9SIzu0zN_Nnx_yaGGzykDYs0ZbSdQ0LHuDpv5tZJ7ZuLM-2fYBX-jld5jAtYXBW-Kekvm3pVc6AQmMyZMQKyc42TSacHAuFA6I3n2s/s1600/dc_veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggNwxZuA8bJ297HTH8S8RDfDByEGckSaNc8oh5n9SIzu0zN_Nnx_yaGGzykDYs0ZbSdQ0LHuDpv5tZJ7ZuLM-2fYBX-jld5jAtYXBW-Kekvm3pVc6AQmMyZMQKyc42TSacHAuFA6I3n2s/s640/dc_veggies.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yB6cq_h27bbPfrJlUF2yn7IGdHUA6LpSop5bkLJBsk464-U3oRrZeYrjd-dh8FV8yo5wDIY_R1QEN78382NudoHOCAWrx6SL7F6UHY6L51pksrB-ovAIBOFhbXPrnp2AE44cuMlCXS8/s1600/dc_steak.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yB6cq_h27bbPfrJlUF2yn7IGdHUA6LpSop5bkLJBsk464-U3oRrZeYrjd-dh8FV8yo5wDIY_R1QEN78382NudoHOCAWrx6SL7F6UHY6L51pksrB-ovAIBOFhbXPrnp2AE44cuMlCXS8/s640/dc_steak.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
noodle salad</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1/2 pound linguine<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
2 lb sirloin steak, cut into cubes<br />
1 large zucchini<br />
1 medium yellow squash<br />
1/4 cup scallions, chopped<br />
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
<br />
<h2>
to make the noodle salad</h2>
Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add steak to the pan and sauté with a little of the peanut dressing until done (about 10 minutes depending on thickness).<br />
<br />
Add zucchini, squash, basil and scallions to another pan over medium heat with a little olive oil. Cook until veggies are soft.<br />
<h3>
to assemble</h3>
Slice basil into thin ribbons. Combine cooked noodles, veggie mixture and basil in a large bowl. Add about 1/2 cup peanut dressing; toss gently to coat. Scatter beef on top and drizzle a little more peanut dressing as desired. Top with more fresh basil and enjoy this delightful dish.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-82897315354003038352010-06-28T13:00:00.000-07:002010-06-28T13:00:00.410-07:00{vegetable + meatball soup}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5HlHcH859bbrlr3cp3lU7ejf_zI4PuDD3KFQGHOGvbpaFEskYni_oYU-S1MSfLbTIYxK2cLajR-IAj-7uB3EhfT666CosH-klnosqI33H5CjJUUW9Uw0OHczGEFv0-heamlAvDL5UEY/s1600/veggiemeatball_soup2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5HlHcH859bbrlr3cp3lU7ejf_zI4PuDD3KFQGHOGvbpaFEskYni_oYU-S1MSfLbTIYxK2cLajR-IAj-7uB3EhfT666CosH-klnosqI33H5CjJUUW9Uw0OHczGEFv0-heamlAvDL5UEY/s640/veggiemeatball_soup2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
This is my second attempt at a vegetable soup and I think I finally got it right. This soup was absolutely delicious and I think one of the best things I've ever made. Since I had ground beef I decided to add a few meatballs to the mix but you could easily leave them out and sub a vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make this vegan. You could really put any veggies you have on hand into this and it will come out good.<br />
<br />
Recipe and pics after the jump<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQivNJohYdXhGh7zNb_e-Qf62or986u_vfpdnXYwz7KdRkEmotBaZp-kIdoaDvbPmjkArCgn43-OWTqXh9AlPPJZUADSefmXWv2SV4MmczVGi_936PUPJ52oq0y0gG6UHwvJ1iUa9MPEs/s1600/veggiemeatball_soup.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQivNJohYdXhGh7zNb_e-Qf62or986u_vfpdnXYwz7KdRkEmotBaZp-kIdoaDvbPmjkArCgn43-OWTqXh9AlPPJZUADSefmXWv2SV4MmczVGi_936PUPJ52oq0y0gG6UHwvJ1iUa9MPEs/s640/veggiemeatball_soup.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmGtvi74BGvFbOtUWZFQdQ8gtVGFXDqtuvPe0NmhNsrROu3bMHMGt9EyOnhVJDe0ygsqUjKCqZF7rmbiW25pbS-A1juRMPXzKmc-WCkzJDR90c-0sO5Ue0RnrqPx7IGmHE2X97CRiPmI/s1600/veggiemeatball_soup3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCmGtvi74BGvFbOtUWZFQdQ8gtVGFXDqtuvPe0NmhNsrROu3bMHMGt9EyOnhVJDe0ygsqUjKCqZF7rmbiW25pbS-A1juRMPXzKmc-WCkzJDR90c-0sO5Ue0RnrqPx7IGmHE2X97CRiPmI/s640/veggiemeatball_soup3.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
vegetable + meatball soup</h3>
serves: 4 - 5
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
<h2>
for the soup </h2>
1/3 cup red wine<br />
3 cups chicken stock<br />
2 cups water<br />
10 small - medium carrots<br />
1 medium onion<br />
4 garlic cloves<br />
4 - 5 small - medium potatoes, in 1 inch cubes<br />
1 cup beet greens (could use kale, spinach or other green)<br />
handful of parsley plus some for garnish<br />
1 tablespoon basil (can add more to taste)<br />
1 tablespoon oregano (can add more to taste)<br />
salt + pepper to taste<br />
4 - 5 medium tomatoes, diced <br />
corn from 2 cobs (easily could do more!)
<br />
<h2>
for the meatballs (makes about 20 small meatballs)</h2>
1/2 lb ground beef<br />
salt + pepper to taste<br />
2 tsp basil<br />
2 tsp oregano<br />
1 tsp all spice<br />
1/4 cup red wine to cook with<br />
<br />
time: Should take about 15- 20 minutes of prep work and 30 - 40
minutes to cook.
<br />
<h2>
to make the meatballs</h2>
In a bowl, mix the meat with all of the spices and a few dashes of salt + pepper. Form into 20 small balls.<br />
<br />
On medium heat add the red wine to a pan. Once heated up, add in the meatballs and cook until done. Might need a little more wine depending on size of your balls.
<br />
<h2>
to make the soup</h2>
Chop the carrots, onions and garlic. Place into a large pan and cook with a little olive oil on medium heat until carrots get more translucent.<br />
<br />
In a large pot, place the chicken stock, water, few dashes of salt and cubed potatoes. Bring to a boil.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, place the chopped greens, spices, tomatoes and corn. Once the water has come to a boil, add in the rest of the ingredients (including the wine) and stir bringing it to a simmer. After a few minutes, taste it to see if it needs anymore of the seasoning. I kinda added in more salt, basil and oregano as I felt it was needed so you'll want to do the same to your tastes.<br />
<br />
The soup is ready once the potatoes are fork soft. Add in your meatballs, give it a stir and serve. Garnish with some parsley and enjoy!<br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-50809370256229421182010-06-28T07:54:00.000-07:002010-06-28T07:54:51.644-07:00{local pops}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRwi_syWznYJC3LseSWYJ4XsfjfxF5wfd2APKQTHInZC5AZ-JlxzA6Sy2idbgcxCbNaqrfvhqO3ZRySQxr7nAUhZfvoeVOnkLkMSPhsVEFuISoRqgPsFtVUweT8j6HkgzdWTw3HhQZ4g/s1600/localpops_raspberry1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRwi_syWznYJC3LseSWYJ4XsfjfxF5wfd2APKQTHInZC5AZ-JlxzA6Sy2idbgcxCbNaqrfvhqO3ZRySQxr7nAUhZfvoeVOnkLkMSPhsVEFuISoRqgPsFtVUweT8j6HkgzdWTw3HhQZ4g/s640/localpops_raspberry1.jpg" width="590" /></a>
Summer is here and with that comes the lovely days of 90 and 100º weather. Blech. Thankfully, I found some recipes out there to make fruit popsicles that are both healthy and refreshing. I was inspired by <a href="http://dandysugar.com/recipes/homemade-popsicles" target="_blank">these delicious looking treats</a> and decided to use the raspberries and blueberries I'd picked up at the market to try my own version. You could make these without adding any sweetener but I had some local honey on hand and decided to add in just enough to take out the bite...especially with the raspberries. I highly recommend using molds that have no funky shapes or dips like I did with my raspberry molds...it made it terribly difficult to get out of the glass after it had frozen. My favorite was the blueberry version...perfectly refreshing and scrumptious. The raspberry version ended up not having quite enough honey in it so it had a little bit of a bite. If you make these, just taste them once its all mixed up before putting into the molds to make sure the sweetness factor is to your liking. As we are moving south this week, these will definitely become a staple in our freezer to help us survive the hot summer months.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/local-pops.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFabuU_Gydg9l4xvUIJtnQpRCy7MgC0xiNh5nOOFmM3grlp_tcxBkVd3UKXjxvhGHFBAEwYa-LP-QiM2HQvaCaFpt7OzWagHkgK8oGB_XuTcKh6VjFcVVj7YMQbFw_NichxF-0f8IZVQ/s1600/localpops_blueberry.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFabuU_Gydg9l4xvUIJtnQpRCy7MgC0xiNh5nOOFmM3grlp_tcxBkVd3UKXjxvhGHFBAEwYa-LP-QiM2HQvaCaFpt7OzWagHkgK8oGB_XuTcKh6VjFcVVj7YMQbFw_NichxF-0f8IZVQ/s640/localpops_blueberry.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzUWpoVQXvfUNyGdan3xZlkl4VgWA8-7pTT7OwVrCalLne-3HWWcUgYbPRtH9TK7ummbTYmD8wDqX94mfggYSwp5RL_ZpSD5O7XMP-1kbHvILYPEuryrtrs-7rE6mD0aiaAGnOlYjEes/s1600/localpops_blueberry2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRzUWpoVQXvfUNyGdan3xZlkl4VgWA8-7pTT7OwVrCalLne-3HWWcUgYbPRtH9TK7ummbTYmD8wDqX94mfggYSwp5RL_ZpSD5O7XMP-1kbHvILYPEuryrtrs-7rE6mD0aiaAGnOlYjEes/s640/localpops_blueberry2.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bS42WekK2S4YOWlU9UpjyQ6jDT-lBfor0xbeEIRPwp7pIhf8CcCigjsghVdYxNFJZZvXKo_-uCyQQ-aAan1BmneBCb8QnjaNSzoV9spU998mgkfosg8BxkiqQkAbeyNMw4A27AjPA5w/s1600/localpops_raspberry.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bS42WekK2S4YOWlU9UpjyQ6jDT-lBfor0xbeEIRPwp7pIhf8CcCigjsghVdYxNFJZZvXKo_-uCyQQ-aAan1BmneBCb8QnjaNSzoV9spU998mgkfosg8BxkiqQkAbeyNMw4A27AjPA5w/s640/localpops_raspberry.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgs2KpILXHCiDs4Lulc0xzEycMuc9fv7LPStS7u9kP5JEpi8kaT3Yw8gR_GFlb2YqvERpEZFhWs1suPJQkwk5JjJskHElXMb1I0O7KdQtdmmFTJG6_2iWlijbvRFgRnLJUhjX34CF_Jg/s1600/localpops_raspberry2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgs2KpILXHCiDs4Lulc0xzEycMuc9fv7LPStS7u9kP5JEpi8kaT3Yw8gR_GFlb2YqvERpEZFhWs1suPJQkwk5JjJskHElXMb1I0O7KdQtdmmFTJG6_2iWlijbvRFgRnLJUhjX34CF_Jg/s640/localpops_raspberry2.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtQAggbzt3lUmSc2nPBTCJYt9iOjEnblRdVvPzBQpZCObDSxpYCC5re6hBPDqeEVEcDyYoDvPDf2GJo6BbaVEJQmQWJUGEoWciO9GsECsaPbRkPopsjmMo-VvJAz0_GjzywFHm9lUGiI/s1600/localpops_raspberry4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtQAggbzt3lUmSc2nPBTCJYt9iOjEnblRdVvPzBQpZCObDSxpYCC5re6hBPDqeEVEcDyYoDvPDf2GJo6BbaVEJQmQWJUGEoWciO9GsECsaPbRkPopsjmMo-VvJAz0_GjzywFHm9lUGiI/s640/localpops_raspberry4.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MQP-C9Iv7HYLh6k5n_EbDRtUsMSHGkA-c2nnfAXyqOhvbWX2n1NKWFJSNQH1JQ9qY3pjgt6IrMnvxPXWlRiAGFDt54mdNxfDQBPizgAZqj5F0cnMx01vZ6RNnv14tlWhwvewfB4oSSs/s1600/localpops_blueberry1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6MQP-C9Iv7HYLh6k5n_EbDRtUsMSHGkA-c2nnfAXyqOhvbWX2n1NKWFJSNQH1JQ9qY3pjgt6IrMnvxPXWlRiAGFDt54mdNxfDQBPizgAZqj5F0cnMx01vZ6RNnv14tlWhwvewfB4oSSs/s640/localpops_blueberry1.jpg" width="590" /></a></span>local pops</h3>
serves: depending on size of mold, 4 - 6
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 pint blueberries<br />
1 pint raspberries<br />
honey <br />
molds (glasses, yogurt cups, actual popsicle molds) <br />
sticks or spoons<br />
<br />
You could really use any berries or fruit you have on hand to do this. Simply place the fruit into a food processor or blender and puree. Add in a teaspoon of honey, mix and taste to make sure its to your liking. I only had small juice glasses to use as a mold but you could use yogurt cups if you've got any. Place sticks in the center of the mold and freeze. If your spoons won't stay in the middle, put your mold into the freezer for an hour or so. Then as it freezes up a bit, place spoon in the middle. To remove from mold, run under cool water for a little. This loosens the edges just enough for you to pop it out and enjoy.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-91218684545921152662010-06-27T08:52:00.000-07:002010-06-27T08:53:14.097-07:00{june daring bakers: blueberry pavlovas}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21W0FLaQHNbQknmOkQFwHplhw-p9L077-6lthLtyKC599giru85zhyFx2Cg99PIOFZ5ZFZET9DGIX-fjO-eQ7nPQK0V3IqK_CHJQSuLLG3kf7ZJr4IIvrxa48BXE1bGK-rmTiRnT4QR0/s1600/blueberry_pavlova1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21W0FLaQHNbQknmOkQFwHplhw-p9L077-6lthLtyKC599giru85zhyFx2Cg99PIOFZ5ZFZET9DGIX-fjO-eQ7nPQK0V3IqK_CHJQSuLLG3kf7ZJr4IIvrxa48BXE1bGK-rmTiRnT4QR0/s640/blueberry_pavlova1.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard</i><br />
<br />
This months challenge was to make chocolate pavlovas and chocolate mascarpone mousse. As I am trying to make each challenge using as local of ingredients as possible, I am happy to say that I only had to go out and buy the heavy cream and mascarpone cheese. Granted, we did make mascarpone cheese in the <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-daring-bakers-tiramisu.html">Tiramisu daring bakers</a> challenge back in February, but I really didn't want to go through the trouble and end up with butter again so I bought it instead. I discovered that yes indeed, I had made it incorrectly during that challenge...oh well. So, getting back to this challenge, at the market last Saturday I discovered that blueberries had come into season. I was so excited that I bought several pints...these have to be the best blueberries I've ever eaten in my life. For the challenge I decided to use them to make a blueberry meringue, blueberry mouse and the mascarpone cream drizzle.<br />
<br />
I decided to do a half recipe since it was going to only be John and I eating this. Sadly, we still had too much. My changes to the original recipe were basically doing a straight substitute of the chocolate for the blueberries. To prepare them, I simply pureed them in my tiny food processor so that they would mix well with all of the other ingredients. The nice thing about this dessert was that it was fairly easy to make and put together. The longest portion was waiting on the merengues to cook but let me tell you, crispy blueberry merengues absolutely melt in your mouth. It was like cotton candy in crunch form. I would have been fine just making and eating those! The mouse was also pretty delicious and the blueberys flavor came through nicely. It all combined to make an absolute delight in the mouth. John, who doesn't usually enjoy sugary sweets, LOVED these.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-daring-bakers-blueberry-pavlovas.html">Check out the pics and recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvL4LvTSX7K4zr-lrPoNtuRQvAPEuXEGETZ-5Gj0nxK6NBltNchzstXMZkKxWVUXlSmp66bojEWaWbOL4Cn0CmQpAig2JXfrTY93OJbz74ehwy1SJ2nh86uzVJsp26QCCIE-6IdIoUA0/s1600/blueberry_pavlova3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvL4LvTSX7K4zr-lrPoNtuRQvAPEuXEGETZ-5Gj0nxK6NBltNchzstXMZkKxWVUXlSmp66bojEWaWbOL4Cn0CmQpAig2JXfrTY93OJbz74ehwy1SJ2nh86uzVJsp26QCCIE-6IdIoUA0/s640/blueberry_pavlova3.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
<h3>
{blueberry pavlovas}</h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3HG4By9opPo-v0Qn9g-oQ4bnWacG1fkJQjCwv7hbKi0MT8xx5JenLCfyjcdSt4rmxKwiPa6Taq7YIe64dmGOJyrBInU9-sum60amRH0nkQES3OcP1k0xBffWxTWaRPNq2JSM4dKxZRk/s1600/blueberry_pavlova4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3HG4By9opPo-v0Qn9g-oQ4bnWacG1fkJQjCwv7hbKi0MT8xx5JenLCfyjcdSt4rmxKwiPa6Taq7YIe64dmGOJyrBInU9-sum60amRH0nkQES3OcP1k0xBffWxTWaRPNq2JSM4dKxZRk/s640/blueberry_pavlova4.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxueXIzpxAywrm3mBxx4WmDV58vvc0wlJScUEANvjb18xRpyNZ4Uoi0R2ViR0Qt1HCZj1YClGl-r3YCTIg1i-Z15BRu3dfRm8XnqrgFcb-zjbV9c-AX4OkgSF_BwbQIKGySTmGmAcSYw/s1600/blueberry_merengue.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxueXIzpxAywrm3mBxx4WmDV58vvc0wlJScUEANvjb18xRpyNZ4Uoi0R2ViR0Qt1HCZj1YClGl-r3YCTIg1i-Z15BRu3dfRm8XnqrgFcb-zjbV9c-AX4OkgSF_BwbQIKGySTmGmAcSYw/s640/blueberry_merengue.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
blueberry meringue</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
3 large egg whites<br />
1⁄2 cup plus 1 tbsp white granulated sugar<br />
1⁄4 cup confectioner’s sugar<br />
1/3 cup blueberries pureed
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200o F (95o C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.<br />
<br />
Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)<br />
<br />
Sift the confectioner’s sugar over the egg whites and pour in the blueberries. Fold the ingredients into the white. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)<br />
<br />
Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could just free form your shapes and level them a bit with the back of a spoon.<br />
<br />
Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfn-JtBQM6mTTm8JR0wSyGOQvJB0zXOn5SKmWLdBp0ylmFH9IBblDDE2_yo5pI9Ub3nj9xIgp_TXvQqzehGIErGqdg-T2nhDtu9B3tvfzwNC2EbyTlUiKOnNZtmD811_rgpY8idP2EGc/s1600/blueberry_pavlova5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyfn-JtBQM6mTTm8JR0wSyGOQvJB0zXOn5SKmWLdBp0ylmFH9IBblDDE2_yo5pI9Ub3nj9xIgp_TXvQqzehGIErGqdg-T2nhDtu9B3tvfzwNC2EbyTlUiKOnNZtmD811_rgpY8idP2EGc/s640/blueberry_pavlova5.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUvcLudZoy59UKzGQPrQL-x93atNse-bxFtY5z-3heoi4zDw4A6FRGDqQ8ttLsBmxDB9NukwQYRMZ-lvxFQ2uvmYSRWSWo0eRo647lLvWFmUazN6Yo0wAGTyA4NfNLkXzES2X10feFzQ/s1600/blueberry_pavlova6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUvcLudZoy59UKzGQPrQL-x93atNse-bxFtY5z-3heoi4zDw4A6FRGDqQ8ttLsBmxDB9NukwQYRMZ-lvxFQ2uvmYSRWSWo0eRo647lLvWFmUazN6Yo0wAGTyA4NfNLkXzES2X10feFzQ/s640/blueberry_pavlova6.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
blueberry mascarpone mousse</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream<br />
1 cup blueberries pureed<br />
1 2/3 cupsmascarpone<br />
pinch of nutmeg<br />
2 tbsp rum
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Put 1⁄2 cup of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the blueberries and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.<br />
<br />
Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the rum and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.)<br />
<br />
Mix about 1⁄4 of the mascarpone mixture into the blueberries to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse. Again, you could just free form mousse on top of the pavlova.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sa7R_4B_02PDYzfln34prVP63MgmjAaPLUEBeoWd6AaXs9dj2zXQiHxV0FlOwgV6t3zxZ-U7mijMof1m5cyUHKukXZKo7AowCcVMVePGXtcf2YUVMYFu2D-6PHghTeYF70tIMaCc73E/s1600/blueberry_pavlova7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5sa7R_4B_02PDYzfln34prVP63MgmjAaPLUEBeoWd6AaXs9dj2zXQiHxV0FlOwgV6t3zxZ-U7mijMof1m5cyUHKukXZKo7AowCcVMVePGXtcf2YUVMYFu2D-6PHghTeYF70tIMaCc73E/s640/blueberry_pavlova7.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
mascarpone cream (for drizzling)</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 recipe crème anglaise<br />
1⁄2 cup mascarpone<br />
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Prepare the crème anglaise. Slowly whisk in the mascarpone and the Sambucca and let the mixture cool. Put the cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.
<br />
<h3>
crème anglaise (a component of the mascarpone cream above)</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 cup whole milk<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
1 vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
6 large egg yolks<br />
6 tbsp sugar
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.<br />
<br />
Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Take off the heat.<br />
<br />
Pour about 1⁄2 cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.<br />
<br />
Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRvGD75z3V2_xb9s6JZKQ8p3h2pUVVyQlajcWFyqeShzHaUMTXJjPwbaUjmZVHG7YB_8VN3bN44tVWO32rwBmzUaaZ0PobaHII8fTkeaIM04dCrOPdWTx8n5v8i55-pQmmtwhyphenhyphenrk421Y/s1600/blueberry_pavlova8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRvGD75z3V2_xb9s6JZKQ8p3h2pUVVyQlajcWFyqeShzHaUMTXJjPwbaUjmZVHG7YB_8VN3bN44tVWO32rwBmzUaaZ0PobaHII8fTkeaIM04dCrOPdWTx8n5v8i55-pQmmtwhyphenhyphenrk421Y/s640/blueberry_pavlova8.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
assembly</h3>
Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-82003706227551765572010-06-24T11:45:00.000-07:002010-06-24T11:46:02.027-07:00{potato, squash and goat cheese gratin}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib37dcccgLfVbGWmiEvf7x1oRsI_ej8NrsNCcCcvdMnrgUIEMsYm42dAs-SpfA2lGK-wGdaEFyoEZL2RAPaviOF-Sjc3Gg8QyyHMCtDNlzLET89xTJvr00XzNTZeqwR9WDx7B_APQrXks/s1600/gratin_01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib37dcccgLfVbGWmiEvf7x1oRsI_ej8NrsNCcCcvdMnrgUIEMsYm42dAs-SpfA2lGK-wGdaEFyoEZL2RAPaviOF-Sjc3Gg8QyyHMCtDNlzLET89xTJvr00XzNTZeqwR9WDx7B_APQrXks/s640/gratin_01.jpg" width="590" /></a>
As more items are becoming available at our local farmers market, I'm having to stretch my imagination further to figure out what to make with it all. Its not that there are no recipes out there, on the contrary, there are too many and I can't choose. The other issue I've been having is in trying to stretch our meat supply since it tends to be the more expensive portion of our weekly food budget. I've been able to successfully make a couple vegetarian dishes a week that John approves of and fills us up adequately. However, since we are not vegetarians and I've never done much vegetarian cooking, I'm having a difficult time knowing where to look and knowing if the dish will be filling enough. Thankfully, the other day as I was surfing around on <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/" target+"_blank"="">The Kitchen</a>, I found this delicious looking vegetarian dish using ingredients I had picked up from the market. I decided to add some onions into the mix and only used about one third of the cheese it called for since I was saving the rest for the <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-pizza.html">summer pizza</a>. Served with a salad, the meal ended up being quite filling and we were able to get 3 servings out of it. It would work great as a side dish as well, but we were both pleased with it as the main course. I would add all of the cheese it calls for though as it will only make it taste better.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/potato-squash-and-goat-cheese-gratin.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW82NtqiULPdhtlSenhpd6KXnOK4_WbAvrI-zNfXSkT1VJi5VJBMREO30asLmsaqdASzq-FAy4lB5qhveW1qOTpEiEtbmgsWo2N-nrImwiRPSUNtJwfcg1ld_IH0CR86K33NpmdxKsvqg/s1600/gratin_02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW82NtqiULPdhtlSenhpd6KXnOK4_WbAvrI-zNfXSkT1VJi5VJBMREO30asLmsaqdASzq-FAy4lB5qhveW1qOTpEiEtbmgsWo2N-nrImwiRPSUNtJwfcg1ld_IH0CR86K33NpmdxKsvqg/s640/gratin_02.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOAX4Fh1gS4Qo7dEhUVpgBGx_ouuP8lwfLMyHQWk-IFZJCvENKfvBnRYKnYOx-TvYZqMkKInun0JHwdgyjRevHOr7uxKPC9gQxFyxTdDvKzqLJKCKzB-ElXw21DgkslJ9PF98z1zqKUs/s1600/gratin_03.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGOAX4Fh1gS4Qo7dEhUVpgBGx_ouuP8lwfLMyHQWk-IFZJCvENKfvBnRYKnYOx-TvYZqMkKInun0JHwdgyjRevHOr7uxKPC9gQxFyxTdDvKzqLJKCKzB-ElXw21DgkslJ9PF98z1zqKUs/s640/gratin_03.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
potato, squash, and goat cheese gratin</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">recipe source: <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/main-dish/recipe-potato-squash-and-goat-cheese-gratin-090647" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the Kitchen</a></span></b></span><br />
serves: 6 as a side, 3 - 4 as main dish
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 medium yellow squash<br />
4 small to medium red potatoes<br />
3 tablespoons olive oil<br />
4 ounces goat cheese<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1/4 cup soy milk<br />
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (we didn't have this)<br />
1 tablespoon thinly sliced basil, for garnish
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.<br />
<br />
Use a mandoline or chef's knife, slice the squash and potatoes into very, very thin slices, 1/8-inch or less. Toss the sliced vegetables with the olive oil in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
Pour a small drizzle of olive oil in a casserole dish (around 8 or 9 inches square) and spread it around the bottom and sides. Place 1/3 of the squash and potato slices in the bottom of the dish—no need to layer them squash-potato-squash-etc.—then season with salt and pepper. Top with half of the goat cheese, scattered evenly in large chunks. Repeat with another 1/3 of the vegetables, seasoning again with salt and pepper and topping with the other 1/2 of the goat cheese. Finish by layering on the final 1/3 of the vegetables and seasoning with salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Pour the milk over the entire dish. Top with the parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until the top browns. Scatter on the fresh basil and enjoy.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-64297171937416985322010-06-24T11:03:00.000-07:002010-06-24T11:04:36.695-07:00{summer pizza}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8rCFv3r1FefHvy2DwTTSrQxySwkOb761h8iU75NHy_f5nXPE__mEzQjgbuO5obQfnMwYzAu0YSQsapOjr2Cu6CSTVe5bvD_5K08P6mpe4idXacsHSYQnFjfir6QesUMxzPPMxD_VBzA/s1600/summerpizza_01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8rCFv3r1FefHvy2DwTTSrQxySwkOb761h8iU75NHy_f5nXPE__mEzQjgbuO5obQfnMwYzAu0YSQsapOjr2Cu6CSTVe5bvD_5K08P6mpe4idXacsHSYQnFjfir6QesUMxzPPMxD_VBzA/s640/summerpizza_01.jpg" width="590" /></a>
We are a huge fan of pizza. Me even more so because its one of the simplest things to put together for dinner and it usually comes out tasting quite delicious. Also, I can usually make it entirely vegetarian and John doesn't complain. I call this one the summer pizza because it uses delicious ingredients that are in season during the summer (creative, I know): yellow squash, tomatoes + onions. Paired with some fresh basil and goat cheese this pizza will just melt in your mouth. Since I'm more a fan of thin crust I found a recipe that required no yeast and no rising time and adapted it to what I had on hand. The original recipe can be found <a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Pizza-Dough-With-No-Yeast-84987" target="_blank">here</a>. I'm not entirely sure what salad oil is so I used olive oil instead. Below the jump is my version of the pizza crust recipe and pizza.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/summer-pizza.html">Pics and recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtR4XDVnJPHQsNXJhewOVUh0Z1gMcsw7q7RqhX4fg5od-COcg9Mce_kyhpRBEZDnMq5-_pRhhSDdkafRLl-rX6MTKCubmHae6go3VtCaifBe8HGWivSY3lyocDcEQFlt1WDw-74Mkopo/s1600/summerpizza_02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqtR4XDVnJPHQsNXJhewOVUh0Z1gMcsw7q7RqhX4fg5od-COcg9Mce_kyhpRBEZDnMq5-_pRhhSDdkafRLl-rX6MTKCubmHae6go3VtCaifBe8HGWivSY3lyocDcEQFlt1WDw-74Mkopo/s640/summerpizza_02.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46ZuoKtWzzGOmZoL_RCfL22Z8AG1SSkkgX-b7xHT8NrDHgbrWwH9tczZOGokPEQYRBlZ_3lNY4ntRjXCRm2RSERaljnOci2mSyTLFkI2necV1AFc6az-WrXSGHUmwsZoWwsAJauNOX8E/s1600/summerpizza_03.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh46ZuoKtWzzGOmZoL_RCfL22Z8AG1SSkkgX-b7xHT8NrDHgbrWwH9tczZOGokPEQYRBlZ_3lNY4ntRjXCRm2RSERaljnOci2mSyTLFkI2necV1AFc6az-WrXSGHUmwsZoWwsAJauNOX8E/s640/summerpizza_03.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrNM2raff1zIwqEyv2jCQtCXnmxQj9qRfnOEBiudQrvIAsm1vUxML2TYKaGLKkjwtNwV687DkP471nkjEhW7gYTOwcBf8B3ywm809pgOMP1KYAxpGq4_P_FXJ4bCMcwazJpt7ZcZle2k/s1600/summerpizza_04.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrNM2raff1zIwqEyv2jCQtCXnmxQj9qRfnOEBiudQrvIAsm1vUxML2TYKaGLKkjwtNwV687DkP471nkjEhW7gYTOwcBf8B3ywm809pgOMP1KYAxpGq4_P_FXJ4bCMcwazJpt7ZcZle2k/s640/summerpizza_04.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
summer pizza</h3>
serves 2
<br />
<h2>
for the crust</h2>
1 cups whole wheat flour<br />
1 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/3 cup soy milk (whatever milk you have will work)<br />
2 tablespoons + a little more (for brushing) olive oil
<br />
<h2>
to make the crust</h2>
Pre-heat oven to 425°F.<br />
<br />
Place all ingredients (except 2nd amount of salad oil) into a bowl and stir until mixed.<br />
<br />
Gather the dough into your hands and shape into a ball. Then knead dough in bowl 10 times to make smooth.<br />
<br />
On lightly floured surface roll into a circle or rectangle (depends on what kind of pan you are using) and place on lightly greased or nonstick pan. Brush the dough with remaining 2T of olive oil. Set aside for toppings.
<br />
<h2>
for the toppings</h2>
1 medium yellow squash, sliced thinly<br />
1 medium onion, sliced thinly<br />
salt + pepper to taste<br />
handful of fresh basil<br />
1 medium tomato, sliced<br />
4 oz. goat cheese<br />
<br />
In a pan with a little olive oil, salt + pepper to taste, sauté the sliced onion and yellow squash together until slightly browned.<br />
<br />
On the prepared crust place the basil, squash + onion mixture and sliced tomatoes. Crumble the goat cheese on top and place into a preheated oven. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until done. Slice and enjoy!<br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-1644970715578450322010-06-22T08:00:00.000-07:002010-06-23T05:00:49.191-07:00{stuffed yellow squash}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkeMpdpwEWDblUpoBoZVe4PfAP9t7dCH0gMSTe9JS0tOPLPA7p6e-Br56dj4eyO41argaCXIhs-rmi_51Am_mq1gCKfVBGxFgyfPK5p1lCNXDCFIw6N617Ay2fmRBPWvxEUlhpbPlKSk/s1600/stuffed_squash.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkeMpdpwEWDblUpoBoZVe4PfAP9t7dCH0gMSTe9JS0tOPLPA7p6e-Br56dj4eyO41argaCXIhs-rmi_51Am_mq1gCKfVBGxFgyfPK5p1lCNXDCFIw6N617Ay2fmRBPWvxEUlhpbPlKSk/s640/stuffed_squash.jpg" width="590" /></a>
Yellow squash is in season! Yay for color and something new! I've seen several stuffed squash recipes that looked delicious so I figured it would be easy to mix up something on my own. I have to say that this recipe turned out just wonderfully. In fact, we have now added it to our list of favorites. We ate this on its own and it was just barely filling enough. Next time I think I'll add in a side of veggies or a salad to help complete the meal even more.<br />
<br />
The goat cheese added a nice flavor to the overal taste but when I try this again, I think adding in even more goat cheese and/or sour cream will help keep the meat a little more moist. Once I had combined all of the ingredients, I realized that I could have gotten away with using even less than 1/4 lb of beef since there were so many other things going into the mix. As the summer veggies continue to come into season, I think we will be trying several different variations of this...I could see using chicken, tomatoes, zucchini and peppers with some italian spices. mmmm, I'm hungry.<br />
<br />
Recipe after the jump<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>stuffed yellow squash</h3>
serves 4
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
4 medium yellow squash<br />
5 small to medium carrots<br />
1/4 lb ground beef<br />
1 onion<br />
1/2 cup parsley (I used the carrot top for this)<br />
1 cup beat greens (you could use kale, spinach or whatever green you like)<br />
couple dashes of cinnamon<br />
1/2 cup sour cream<br />
1/2 cup goat cheese (or any soft cheese)<br />
salt to taste<br />
pepper to taste
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds to make a hole for the stuffing. Spray with a little olive oil and place onto a cookie sheet.<br />
<br />
In a pan, cook the ground beef until done. Drain and add in the beat greens. Toss around and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a bowl, place the chopped carrots, onion, parsley, sour cream, goat cheese, cinnamon, salt, pepper and meat mixture. Stir until combined.<br />
<br />
Scoop mixture into the hallowed out squash and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the squash is fork soft.<br />
<br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-7665908953989794212010-06-21T10:20:00.000-07:002010-06-21T10:20:43.749-07:00{ketchup}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkiYCk2XlQ_UaeuN1T1SsJft6sYEIQw39B7k8LGSdGfZa_5DpGHglVuZV8JtbfUD-cuRRahhhzHdAqkWQATp0tV_hw6KYbZV96izAdMepglvl3-Vcv2Hp-ldbeypOO1oA-8nqaW4WL4w/s1600/ketchup_01.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOkiYCk2XlQ_UaeuN1T1SsJft6sYEIQw39B7k8LGSdGfZa_5DpGHglVuZV8JtbfUD-cuRRahhhzHdAqkWQATp0tV_hw6KYbZV96izAdMepglvl3-Vcv2Hp-ldbeypOO1oA-8nqaW4WL4w/s640/ketchup_01.jpg" width="590" /></a>
Ketchup is a staple ingredient in our household. As we began the locavore challenge, one of our rules was that we would not go to the store before hand to stock up on anything...we would just continue on with what we had on hand and when it ran out either make it or do without. Well, last week we ran out of ketchup and now that potatoes are coming into season, well, we must have ketchup. John has taken on the responsibility to create any condiments or staple items that we might need such as chicken stock and in this case ketchup. So, on Saturday we drove out to a nearby market located on the side of the road that had plenty of delicious looking red tomatoes. Granted, it is not quite tomato season up here, but this farmer uses a hothouse to grow them during the off-season. We bought 10 tomatoes and headed home to test out our new recipe.<br />
<br />
We chose to cut the original recipe into thirds and saw in some other recipes that people had added in some sweetness so we did a hybrid of recipes. We forgot to time how long it took to reduce the mixture a ketchup consistency but it was a while. It was definitely cool to see it go from liquid to a nice thickness. The smells from the spices filled our house with deliciousness. Unfortunately, since we only used one cup of the vinegar it evaporated within the 30 minutes of simmering so, we recommend only simmering it for about 15 minutes. Since the vinegar disappeared, we thought we could just adding another cup into the spice mixture and it would be okay...well once that was added to the tomatoes lets just say that the ketchup had a nice bite of vinegar. Thats when we saw that other people's recipes added in brown sugar or maple syrup so, we decided to give it a try thinking that it might help out with the overpowering of the vinegar. It definitely helped but there is still a strong vinegar taste to it.<br />
<br />
The original recipe called for a tablespoons of paprika which we didn't have. We did have cayenne and thought it would be a good substitution for the paprika. We put in a couple teaspoons of cayenne and whew!! spicey! Next time, we will just add a couple dashes.<br />
<br />
All in all, it was a fun experiment and we will definitely use the ketchup we made until its gone. Next time I believe we will try a different recipe.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/06/ketchup.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvD41E6ngilWjFpeZGjsHn7x72w0oAjaQlInZg3CmymZ12Kog3nv-auBEEzMdElHEZ3OK2TBp2C3qyzEG5scwOU5eNQmcFOt8S6l2DIxA6KvXXiNWJtxGEnDdu5SY7EVjqHKfi1PEE9E/s1600/ketchup_02.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvD41E6ngilWjFpeZGjsHn7x72w0oAjaQlInZg3CmymZ12Kog3nv-auBEEzMdElHEZ3OK2TBp2C3qyzEG5scwOU5eNQmcFOt8S6l2DIxA6KvXXiNWJtxGEnDdu5SY7EVjqHKfi1PEE9E/s640/ketchup_02.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq02VDFoP7L2BDNjvq-SdOU85GcL77AbnaMKMYKZrAzQIV14U2XO_l8S6TT-eDGp4S1Ut9HpUh8J2Y5gwyt0lu6tKguAdAlkyNpGL3RzXKsBNN_I1uweYRmTK3vYfrPFi6RF3z2j9nnuE/s1600/ketchup_03.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq02VDFoP7L2BDNjvq-SdOU85GcL77AbnaMKMYKZrAzQIV14U2XO_l8S6TT-eDGp4S1Ut9HpUh8J2Y5gwyt0lu6tKguAdAlkyNpGL3RzXKsBNN_I1uweYRmTK3vYfrPFi6RF3z2j9nnuE/s640/ketchup_03.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxfxU_vjkC0Wlw5nfLBRCUVHqGG1WE7E5hGQIQciCDGYdGkOBuqVrZFQK2TeUImA1l1v30yXMkLxHxEzSoqKGs_yM8s39QmtOZ405-61lhVCLLN_qYsrq7B1xYtjyZYsaWsI_F69VkDY/s1600/ketchup_04.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxfxU_vjkC0Wlw5nfLBRCUVHqGG1WE7E5hGQIQciCDGYdGkOBuqVrZFQK2TeUImA1l1v30yXMkLxHxEzSoqKGs_yM8s39QmtOZ405-61lhVCLLN_qYsrq7B1xYtjyZYsaWsI_F69VkDY/s640/ketchup_04.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYO85D-wdROKNAArY-JfN-J4NO7AtgnXjJPebxCynvXP7pB1KinKsn9H1qqY4EkJPY9PEvfFR5wIsQcwow0EhYUpEhPl8Dx-BadItl5jq5NEa15RerbINkRfK7DUO-iSiZapsbL8tbY/s1600/ketchup_05.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2BYO85D-wdROKNAArY-JfN-J4NO7AtgnXjJPebxCynvXP7pB1KinKsn9H1qqY4EkJPY9PEvfFR5wIsQcwow0EhYUpEhPl8Dx-BadItl5jq5NEa15RerbINkRfK7DUO-iSiZapsbL8tbY/s640/ketchup_05.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLfZ8Xv7Sbu9k-FEEHSAoJy9F0TX9gcDm37kZ_O1XsAaH59eKpmlrzMy1Q7Tm-ZVW4P1gbOMDOlPxAqmB5ler3evuG2LIlME8rPwA8XVCC4udepFPrQN3IZwydtARRYivWc_UHEPEshY/s1600/ketchup_06.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLfZ8Xv7Sbu9k-FEEHSAoJy9F0TX9gcDm37kZ_O1XsAaH59eKpmlrzMy1Q7Tm-ZVW4P1gbOMDOlPxAqmB5ler3evuG2LIlME8rPwA8XVCC4udepFPrQN3IZwydtARRYivWc_UHEPEshY/s640/ketchup_06.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
ketchup</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">recipe source: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://alibi.com/index.php?story=29339&scn=food&submit_user_comment=y" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">alibi.com</a></span></b></span><br />
serving: a little more than one jars worth
<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
10 fresh tomatoes<br />
1 medium onion<br />
1 cup vinegar<br />
1 stick cinnamon<br />
1 tsp cloves<br />
1/3 head of garlic, minced<br />
1 tablespoon agave nectar<br />
cayenne to taste<br />
3 tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 tbsp agave nectar<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
This recipe can take a while to make because of the time needed to reduce the mixture to a ketchup consistency. <br />
<br />
Slice the onions place in food processor or blender. Add tomatoes and liquefy.<br />
<br />
Place mixture in pot and simmer the mixture for about half an hour. Then push it through a food sieve or food mill. Get everything but the skins and seeds through…this might take a little work.<br />
<br />
Return mixture to the pot and simmer slowly, stirring often. <br />
<br />
In a different pot, simmer the vinegar (we used apple cider vinegar) with the cinnamon, cloves and garlic. After 15 minutes, kill the heat under the vinegar.<br />
<br />
When the tomato-and-onion mixture has almost reached the consistency of ketchup (this can take a while), filter out the spices by pouring the vinegar mixture through a strainer and into the pot.<br />
<br />
At this point, add in the cayenne to taste, brown sugar and agave nectar. The vinegar will dilute the ketchup slightly; continue to simmer until it's thick. <br />
<br />
Pour into desired container and enjoy! Should have a shelf life of about 2 months.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-20924147348229151292010-06-14T00:00:00.000-07:002010-06-14T00:00:04.229-07:00{daring cooks: pâtés and bread}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdQMXW3X-q_P4rZk6HFGPzE34h1VgEfMyGOWn02CczmyECSEj5f863Bla10l5i_qFz5y9Faa7OCHoZIMp6v1cVqlkY5IUJsRTrw4mKBMnPoWQ1dbjLlC2ZZXekYM-euzSNzZOK3eRKUw/s1600/vegetable_pate.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdQMXW3X-q_P4rZk6HFGPzE34h1VgEfMyGOWn02CczmyECSEj5f863Bla10l5i_qFz5y9Faa7OCHoZIMp6v1cVqlkY5IUJsRTrw4mKBMnPoWQ1dbjLlC2ZZXekYM-euzSNzZOK3eRKUw/s640/vegetable_pate.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>Our hostesses this month, Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz, and Valerie of a The Chocolate Bunny, chose delicious pate with freshly baked bread as their June Daring Cook’s challenge! They’ve provided us with 4 different pate recipes to choose from and are allowing us to go wild with our homemade bread choice.</i><br />
<br />
I've been having so much fun with all of the Daring Bakers challenges that this month I signed up for Daring Cooks. John was particularly happy about this as he prefers the savory over the sweet. hehe Daring Bakers has been my excuse to actually have sweet things around so I figured he deserved a little something too.<br />
<br />
Our challenge for this month looked very interesting and was something I've never experienced before. A pâté is basically a meat or veggie based paste that can then be spread onto bread or served with crackers. The meat versions are usually made with liver or gizzards which was just not something that I could stomach making so, I opted for the veggie version. My goal was to create a tricolor vegetable pâté using as many local ingredients as possible.<br />
<br />
On a visit to our farmers market this morning we discovered so many more vegetables available! Yellow squash, zucchini, brocoli and garlic were just a few items we were able to pick up. So very happy about the variety being harvested right now! With all of my fresh ingredients in hand I went to figuring out the recipe I'd be able to make for the challenge.<br />
<br />
Beans are not something that I can find at my farmers market and peppers are not quite in season so I knew those two layers had to be adapted. Most seasonal ingredients tend to taste good together so I chose to go with a zucchini top layer, carrot and goat cheese middle layer and the basil pesto as my bottom layer. Individually it all tasted pretty good and as as a medley, it was delicious. Since its only John and I, I did a half recipe for the top two layers but a full recipe of the pesto...you can never have too much pesto.<br />
<br />
For the bread I used a recipe from my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Bread-Five-Minutes-ebook/dp/B003GFIVWA" target="_blank">Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day</a> cookbook. The honey whole wheat baguette turned out super delicious and was great with the vegetable pâté. It would also taste great served on crackers or with raw veggies. The taste of the pate was so very refreshing...I think I could eat it simply spread on a sandwich slice as my lunch.<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this challenge and it was relatively simple to adapt and create a completely local and seasonal pâté. It was pretty quick and easy to put together which is great since for the next month, my life will be consumed with watching all of the world cup soccer games! GO USA!! Definitely give the recipe a try, it works great as a snack while watching the matches. For the meat based pâtés, original tricolor veggie pâté and baguette recipes, check them out at the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">Daring Kitchen</a>.<br />
<br />
Recipe and pics after the jump<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{tricolor vegetable pâté}</h3>
Yields one 10 by 5 inch loaf pan (1/2 recipe yields two ramekins)
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WIZcvYVsqBUnDyyRam2dPFnYqw64H5_z_Y3RP-rWsh20GGHsRdakAfRsMSTxz5XKe65LiVd9q8j-4U_PYKKm_mMuuoe-TfIeH0alUWtqzv3i1Go0oAye1mrS6OR-q2vq8ZJ_CgwRnr8/s1600/vegetable_pate_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WIZcvYVsqBUnDyyRam2dPFnYqw64H5_z_Y3RP-rWsh20GGHsRdakAfRsMSTxz5XKe65LiVd9q8j-4U_PYKKm_mMuuoe-TfIeH0alUWtqzv3i1Go0oAye1mrS6OR-q2vq8ZJ_CgwRnr8/s640/vegetable_pate_2.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
Fresh produce from the farmers market.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSn2jbq64qlQykuXROqeJQPXEH9zA_u1u56I9cIvozFjL2oXUkTcz0IYR-G12C1fhAkAiawLDie5qP4N4a_2P-KWmKgxe1mgFrrjc_GdJMbTIP0pv4B8Q7-TMa2ujCcANpYftM9_7xCA/s1600/vegetable_pate_4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUSn2jbq64qlQykuXROqeJQPXEH9zA_u1u56I9cIvozFjL2oXUkTcz0IYR-G12C1fhAkAiawLDie5qP4N4a_2P-KWmKgxe1mgFrrjc_GdJMbTIP0pv4B8Q7-TMa2ujCcANpYftM9_7xCA/s640/vegetable_pate_4.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir34cgr7CHEUQoAH_th27uRQqneSml8w6W5PWmRGoRlWF21JsUM6fQ6jIZxWipWd8GVLA-yZjfV-4Ln3REmz1f0cWcY8GjGTBlB6IP-_ssIIuVA5IG0iU3Bi5q5Zuk5WZ4LsAhhfgZ2-E/s1600/vegetable_pate_6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir34cgr7CHEUQoAH_th27uRQqneSml8w6W5PWmRGoRlWF21JsUM6fQ6jIZxWipWd8GVLA-yZjfV-4Ln3REmz1f0cWcY8GjGTBlB6IP-_ssIIuVA5IG0iU3Bi5q5Zuk5WZ4LsAhhfgZ2-E/s640/vegetable_pate_6.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
zucchini layer</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 large zucchini<br />
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 tbsp minced fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried<br />
2 garlic cloves, pressed
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Peel, slice and saute zucchini in a little bit of olive oil for about 10 - 15 minutes until soft. Alternatively, you could slice in half and bake in the oven at 400º until soft. Let them cool.<br />
<br />
Add lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and garlic and blend in food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom of prepared pan.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvqSO95FksqeAHMtsOGRbPGFlCV2e6UN0PmA1Hqr2O2lh0TruNNNHyyqSeNO56sNoyI-ep3A4Vij_1u3U-4vAFUL-djXKvUK482tAEoVErFcxV1iEyJNKRNfwKz04NBUjOao6E-Jy8UM/s1600/vegetable_pate_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvqSO95FksqeAHMtsOGRbPGFlCV2e6UN0PmA1Hqr2O2lh0TruNNNHyyqSeNO56sNoyI-ep3A4Vij_1u3U-4vAFUL-djXKvUK482tAEoVErFcxV1iEyJNKRNfwKz04NBUjOao6E-Jy8UM/s640/vegetable_pate_3.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q6aptoAK_3GSfGi6ZlcSbn39xVYck4h1uKReDXQXFBkXgE-7ORWPthXFOyQ_LU2TqxRx8h4_0XmKA0-8DMtaFVaUbcAJz4sHQM1ynqsURZOxB7JBWawYHGH6FslhxMVt7jUhgPH2rng/s1600/vegetable_pate_5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Q6aptoAK_3GSfGi6ZlcSbn39xVYck4h1uKReDXQXFBkXgE-7ORWPthXFOyQ_LU2TqxRx8h4_0XmKA0-8DMtaFVaUbcAJz4sHQM1ynqsURZOxB7JBWawYHGH6FslhxMVt7jUhgPH2rng/s640/vegetable_pate_5.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
carrot layer</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 bunches (16 medium to small sized) of carrots<br />
3/4 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled goat cheese (could use feta or your favorite soft cheese)
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Slice carrots into small pieces and saute until they become soft. Let cool.<br />
<br />
Combine carrots and goat cheese in processor and blend until smooth.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv9SkiUXvd8ac6nwTz66heBI4aK57IitF_vr8UcAayohmmWa4G-As7wG8_wvF-uUBhCrU8OCl6kcpqe_ZGbl_YPpt1js-osq-jkbuLtmF2sDzEiO2cU64tnDyWHqPJG5JAoyfTlIcwL0/s1600/vegetable_pate_7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEv9SkiUXvd8ac6nwTz66heBI4aK57IitF_vr8UcAayohmmWa4G-As7wG8_wvF-uUBhCrU8OCl6kcpqe_ZGbl_YPpt1js-osq-jkbuLtmF2sDzEiO2cU64tnDyWHqPJG5JAoyfTlIcwL0/s640/vegetable_pate_7.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
pesto layer
</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 garlic cloves<br />
1 cup fresh basil leaves<br />
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I did not have these and it tastes just fine without them)<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1/2 cup goat cheese
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Mince garlic in processor. Add basil and continue mincing. Gradually add oil and process until smooth. Mix in the cheese.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9R66CC3zXjPb7f-H5RwVrVR7XRkQVSw5umlL1SwUxI2Auj-m5Ef9ybOSukUHQIaSjSUlMxYxeCvj2wrfNqQoQtdPTqzcv0ik1s-pUaGsNDq419-bPOGkL2XiusWmL-z1SaYMOzRP6HY/s1600/vegetable_pate_8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9R66CC3zXjPb7f-H5RwVrVR7XRkQVSw5umlL1SwUxI2Auj-m5Ef9ybOSukUHQIaSjSUlMxYxeCvj2wrfNqQoQtdPTqzcv0ik1s-pUaGsNDq419-bPOGkL2XiusWmL-z1SaYMOzRP6HY/s640/vegetable_pate_8.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
to assemble</h3>
Line dish or ramekins with plastic wrap so it overlaps the sides. Spread zucchini layer evenly in the bottom then spread the carrot and cheese layer on top of that. Finally, spread your basil pesto on the very top and smooth evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours before serving.<br />
<br />
To unmold, invert pâté onto serving platter. Peel off plastic wrap from pâté. Garnish with herb sprigs and serve with bread slices.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqENx7ZDCCD2M6Xq67Z-noD-GhKK2Yq3y6Qoud1-1qBVpuMUBdOIIzkKRSY4hyphenhyphenoqjZc5IiavG51PbRNpq4vD_QJMG4FnILWC4EwPBpQxLnKrnObfRQx1KGw8i-ujcNg-fvJ3QQ4EvyVA/s1600/baguette.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqENx7ZDCCD2M6Xq67Z-noD-GhKK2Yq3y6Qoud1-1qBVpuMUBdOIIzkKRSY4hyphenhyphenoqjZc5IiavG51PbRNpq4vD_QJMG4FnILWC4EwPBpQxLnKrnObfRQx1KGw8i-ujcNg-fvJ3QQ4EvyVA/s640/baguette.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
Honey whole wheat baguette...mmmmmm.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDtMjt4MDmYE-jcyPi2ieScUXX2Qr2EhLXiGu7oqNdviUDvKNJRbH2YYx739yi2O1mkGjbq2bGnnjiAQzFNjdC9OFdIpCBTHnlrO1ekkM7xoIYwBvp2zSu8QqfMycxM_ATRJL_eVJdPY/s1600/vegetable_pate_9.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDtMjt4MDmYE-jcyPi2ieScUXX2Qr2EhLXiGu7oqNdviUDvKNJRbH2YYx739yi2O1mkGjbq2bGnnjiAQzFNjdC9OFdIpCBTHnlrO1ekkM7xoIYwBvp2zSu8QqfMycxM_ATRJL_eVJdPY/s640/vegetable_pate_9.jpg" width="590" /></a>Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-17835285351509746432010-05-27T04:51:00.000-07:002010-05-27T08:17:59.292-07:00{may daring bakers: piece montée}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1zeoTy6w_r7GcImKVEt5gF_D3ihzPMA1ZFdEUCFIbBWUAWswyq4JVtdGtKSYD4h7JawupFKPDFE_-Ik83vWzF3dCO7Hz5AWMRV1aT17-YVCVlTmY5-GxY53ZovxtipVugz3snFseJF0/s1600/piecemontee.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1zeoTy6w_r7GcImKVEt5gF_D3ihzPMA1ZFdEUCFIbBWUAWswyq4JVtdGtKSYD4h7JawupFKPDFE_-Ik83vWzF3dCO7Hz5AWMRV1aT17-YVCVlTmY5-GxY53ZovxtipVugz3snFseJF0/s640/piecemontee.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
<i>The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of <a href="http://www.littlemisscupcake.eu/" target="_blank">Little Miss Cupcake</a>. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.</i><br />
<br />
This months challenge at first glance was very intimidating. First of all, the title of the recipe was french and then a little googling of what piece montée (aka. croquembouche "crunch in the mouth") looks like revealed these towering masterpieces of puff pastries. The requirements of the challenge were that we had to make our own pate a choux (puff pastry) and crème patissiere (filling). We were allowed to experiment with the flavors of the filling. Thankfully it was actually a relatively simple process to create the puff pastries and fillings. I say relatively simple because not everything puffed like it was supposed to...I think it had something to do with the humidity in the air today with all the rain we've been having. In the end I was fairly pleased with how everything turned out. I chose to try a few flavors: vanilla, chocolate and rum. My favorite was the chocolate.<br />
<br />
Now, my boyfriend and I are continuing our efforts to source everything we eat from within a 100 mile radius, as well as, use up any leftover pantry items we might have had before beginning this <a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/locavores.html">locavore challenge</a>. For the challenges of daring bakers, I have decided that I will do my very best to continue using local ingredients, but if I must purchase an item or two from the store, well then I must. For this challenge the only things I had to get as extra were the soy milk and chocolate. My boyfriend pointed out after the fact that we did have cocoa powder that I could have used, but I forgot about it and bought semisweet chocolate chips instead. Other than that, the eggs, flour, butter were all local and all other ingredients I had in my pantry.<br />
<br />
It took me a while to find a flour mill that was local, but Virginia happens to have a few of them. <a href="http://www.wadesmill.com/" target="_blank">Wades Mill</a> is a stone ground flour mill that is a little less than an hour away from our home. Its a lovely drive down a skinny road that passes a winery and several other farms all with green rolling hills. I could totally live out there! (after the jump I've shared a few pictures from the mill and the drive) As I pulled up I saw a large water wheel that I learned is a working power source for grinding some of the flour with the rest being electrically powered. The woman I met in the little shop was very passionate informative of all sorts of issues facing the local farmers. Having worked in the farming industry the majority of her life, she had a lot to say about the issues they face with the term organic. I won't go into it here, but it was really a great experience getting to chat with her. I think thats become one of my favorite things about doing the locavore challenge; getting to speak with the farmers themselves. Anyway, I digress, back to the flour. They have a wide variety of flours you can purchase either online or at the store. Since shipping is almost more than the cost of the flour and I was driving that direction anyway, I chose to stop by. I picked up whole wheat bread flour and whole wheat pastry flour which I used for this month's challenge. So far its been very tasty! I'm still learning the proportion of flour to liquid so that what I make doesn't come out too dense, but I can honestly say its pretty freakin delicious.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/05/may-daring-bakers-piece-montee.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINSkKHEV-VwrcmBBHMuhYigIGFrVOHRZ9RgGcgj6OFH26dCCXr-XFGfUAYL3xm32SM-fECmTH0qBbDncxyPUtEYEEPCC_wmXmq0nnFSPBW7Nosq3xHTnGZh5R4LtUam1c3yLSsaXJOVc/s1600/wadesmill.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINSkKHEV-VwrcmBBHMuhYigIGFrVOHRZ9RgGcgj6OFH26dCCXr-XFGfUAYL3xm32SM-fECmTH0qBbDncxyPUtEYEEPCC_wmXmq0nnFSPBW7Nosq3xHTnGZh5R4LtUam1c3yLSsaXJOVc/s640/wadesmill.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgQcfqb-lSJnU-7-HndZBjMuWpb3Q6GJz6x5ONKew8G3FX8Q6XZRtSG7JtkF30j4vVBQUgJ0G2YFJIqAqY-KLlhhUQXa3eNMlE1UWd7nWtjcAy9i4CzkcXeuqJDJcamogZ8wAzS3dAXE/s1600/wadesmill2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgQcfqb-lSJnU-7-HndZBjMuWpb3Q6GJz6x5ONKew8G3FX8Q6XZRtSG7JtkF30j4vVBQUgJ0G2YFJIqAqY-KLlhhUQXa3eNMlE1UWd7nWtjcAy9i4CzkcXeuqJDJcamogZ8wAzS3dAXE/s640/wadesmill2.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3X9TR7-8aL6CNEGuOY2LuQPCjUPJZGVzzd4hhgzUobz_0arjXon2yDPASpfiR7u7jV7BiXRPJ9mi_uyQO7xDPIXCVr_VF334T9W9pPg6un7iSkD7eULJHUiZHSEhQOobcq6NV3G20R0/s1600/wadesmill3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3X9TR7-8aL6CNEGuOY2LuQPCjUPJZGVzzd4hhgzUobz_0arjXon2yDPASpfiR7u7jV7BiXRPJ9mi_uyQO7xDPIXCVr_VF334T9W9pPg6un7iSkD7eULJHUiZHSEhQOobcq6NV3G20R0/s640/wadesmill3.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{vanilla crème patissiere} </h3>
A few notes about the process. Have your flavorings ready because the chocolate, coffee, rum, etc. gets added into the vanilla crème patissiere at the same time the vanilla and butter are added. I split my recipe into thirds to create a vanilla, chocolate and rum version. For this you did not need to have a full batch of the flavorings but I've left the ingredients in portions as if you were doing a full batch of each so just keep that in mind as you plan out your fillings. The fillings do need to refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
1 cup soy milk (you can use whatever milk you like)<br />
2 tbsp. cornstarch<br />
6 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
2 large egg yolks<br />
2 tbsp. unsalted butter<br />
1 tsp. vanilla
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Dissolve cornstarch in 1/4 cup of milk. Combine the remaining milk with the sugar in a saucepan; bring to boil; remove from heat.<br />
<br />
Beat the whole egg, then the yolks into the cornstarch mixture. Pour 1/3 of boiling milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly so that the eggs do not begin to cook.<br />
<br />
Return the remaining milk to boil. Pour in the hot egg mixture in a stream, continuing whisking.<br />
<br />
Continue whisking (this is important - you do not want the eggs to solidify/cook) until the cream thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. <i>This is the time you also add in any flavoring you might like.</i><br />
<br />
Pour cream into a stainless steel/ceramic bowl. Press plastic wrap firmly against the surface. Chill immediately and until ready to use.
<br />
<h2>
for chocolate pastry cream</h2>
Bring 3/4 cup milk to a boil in a small pan; remove from heat and add in 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, and mix until smooth. Whisk into pastry cream when you add the butter and vanilla.
<br />
<h2>
for rum pastry cream</h2>
Whisk one ounce of your favorite rum into pastry cream with butter and vanilla. Taste for strength and add more if you feel it needs it.<br />
<h2>
for coffee pastry cream</h2>
Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Whisk into pastry cream with butter and vanilla.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTNwwI8jY_jRXKhbNOLPTKgXggDpC_4Ps7KG8i58IOy9rbW69_X4lcfSVq_rVeIhnKA9egBNzrHE4JeMd0Y3U9ug82cjOecduGgRyqdnOGemGWYNFFqOIeTI_LPPvQjUgMPR60xfZmmw/s1600/pateachoux.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTNwwI8jY_jRXKhbNOLPTKgXggDpC_4Ps7KG8i58IOy9rbW69_X4lcfSVq_rVeIhnKA9egBNzrHE4JeMd0Y3U9ug82cjOecduGgRyqdnOGemGWYNFFqOIeTI_LPPvQjUgMPR60xfZmmw/s640/pateachoux.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{pate a choux}</h3>
(yield: about 28)<br />
Note: humidity effects how much they puff up. Some of mine came out puffier than others which effects how much of the creme you can pipe in (the important part!). Some people on the forums did say that you can freeze the puff pastries unfilled and then pull them out when you want to fill and eat. You definitely want to eat them soon after filling since the pastry will become soggy fairly quickly.<br />
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
3/4 cup water<br />
6 tbsp. unsalted butter<br />
1/4 tsp. salt<br />
1 tbsp. sugar<br />
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
4 large eggs<br />
for egg wash: 1 egg and pinch of salt
<br />
<h2>
to make the pate a choux</h2>
Pre-heat oven to 425ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.<br />
<br />
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. At boil, remove from heat and sift in the flour, stirring to combine completely.<br />
<br />
Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly until the batter dries slightly and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.<br />
<br />
Transfer to a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon 1 minute to cool slightly.<br />
<br />
Add 1 egg. The batter will appear loose and shiny.<br />
<br />
As you stir, the batter will become dry-looking like lightly buttered mashed potatoes.<br />
<br />
It is at this point that you will add in the next egg. Repeat until you have incorporated all the eggs.
<br />
<h2>
piping</h2>
Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large open tip (I piped directly from the bag opening without a tip). Pipe choux about 1 inch-part in the baking sheets. Choux should be about 1 inch high about 1 inch wide.<br />
<br />
Using a clean finger dipped in hot water, gently press down on any tips that have formed on the top of choux when piping. You want them to retain their ball shape, but be smoothly curved on top.<br />
<br />
Brush tops with egg wash (1 egg lightly beaten with pinch of salt).
<br />
<h2>
baking</h2>
Bake the choux at 425ºF until well-puffed and turning lightly golden in color, about 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Lower the temperature to 350ºF and continue baking until well-colored and dry, about 20 minutes more. Remove to a rack and cool.<br />
<br />
You can be stored in a airtight box overnight.
<br />
<h2>
filling</h2>
When you are ready to assemble your piece montée, using a plain pastry tip, pierce the bottom of each choux. Fill the choux with pastry cream using either the same tip or a star tip, and place on a paper-lined sheet. Choux can be refrigerated briefly at this point while you make your glaze.<br />
<br />
Use one of the following glazes to top your choux and assemble your piece montée.
<br />
<h3>
glazes</h3>
<h2>
to make the chocolate glaze</h2>
8 ounces finely chopped chocolate (use the finest quality you can afford as the taste will be quite pronounced; I recommend semi-sweet)<br />
<br />
Melt chocolate in microwave or double boiler. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burning. Use the best quality chocolate you can afford. Use immediately.
<br />
<h2>
to make the hard caramel glaze</h2>
1 cup sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice<br />
<br />
Combine sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan with a metal kitchen spoon stirring until the sugar resembles wet sand. Place on medium heat; heat without stirring until sugar starts to melt around the sides of the pan and the center begins to smoke. Begin to stir sugar. Continue heating, stirring occasionally until the sugar is a clear, amber color. Remove from heat immediately; place bottom of pan in ice water to stop the cooking. Use immediately.
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpFLCgesSvONy23A-DAye8wSVkakJ7D5KedgJX8V7tgIO_l35T3PkcA3dpUMNabAg89bu_tcoIa6ktmmkVCS_5jWzJkfXmCz9dAS575EeMAmFAIwwJH3vlv9oi1Ymqkeut3tEJi-hvtc/s1600/piecemontee2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpFLCgesSvONy23A-DAye8wSVkakJ7D5KedgJX8V7tgIO_l35T3PkcA3dpUMNabAg89bu_tcoIa6ktmmkVCS_5jWzJkfXmCz9dAS575EeMAmFAIwwJH3vlv9oi1Ymqkeut3tEJi-hvtc/s640/piecemontee2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
to assemble the piece montée</h3>
You may want to lay out your unfilled, unglazed choux in a practice design to get a feel for how to assemble the final dessert. For example, if making a conical shape, trace a circle (no bigger than 8 inches) on a piece of parchment to use as a pattern. Then take some of the larger choux and assemble them in the circle for the bottom layer. Practice seeing which pieces fit together best.<br />
<br />
Once you are ready to assemble your piece montée, dip the top of each choux in your glaze (careful it may be still hot!), and start assembling on your cake board/plate/sheet. Continue dipping and adding choux in levels using the glaze to hold them together as you build up.Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-10917115184300675142010-05-26T17:12:00.000-07:002010-05-26T17:17:56.110-07:00{strawberry limeade}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEocxeCZqZ0QkMFCy75yMIoUNWwy6hO5agGtOL9FktTWahaNz834he61dsi7izqTutVf0BAXhRYsFvsbaGs-UZsGznArjRQzggKkyqmm8zzv5BJBlmSan-jOnRiABjiSzWt3QVg9xO8EA/s1600/strawberry_limeade.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEocxeCZqZ0QkMFCy75yMIoUNWwy6hO5agGtOL9FktTWahaNz834he61dsi7izqTutVf0BAXhRYsFvsbaGs-UZsGznArjRQzggKkyqmm8zzv5BJBlmSan-jOnRiABjiSzWt3QVg9xO8EA/s640/strawberry_limeade.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
Okay, I realize this beverage is not entirely a locavore recipe. We splurged and bought limes to make margaritas the other week and I had some leftover that needed to be used soon. On Tuesday I picked up some deliciously fresh strawberries, so I chose to pair the two and create this refreshing drink. I absolutely loved the color and the flavor was incredible. So light and refreshing. Now, it wouldn't be us if I didn't add a little rum to the mix! It is perfect on its own if you would rather have it non-alcoholic, but the rum doesn't hurt. It also would have been just fine to leave out the limes or exchange them for lemons. As long as you've got strawberries, you can't go wrong.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/05/strawberry-limeade.html">Recipe after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
{strawberry limeade}</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
2 cups of fresh whole strawberries<br />
the juice of 2 limes<br />
3 cups of water<br />
1/4 cup of agave nectar<br />
1 shot of rum (or vodka or tequila, all would be great!)
<h2>
directions</h2>
Remove the tops of the strawberries and give them a good rinse to remove any loose dirt. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and puree everything together. The strawberries I had were nice and sweet so I didn't need too much agave nectar, but feel free to add more if you prefer it to be sweeter.<br />
<br />
Pour into a highball glass along with the rum and several ice cubes. Enjoy!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-39129437132973342392010-05-24T15:08:00.000-07:002010-05-25T06:57:46.577-07:00{strawberry rhubarb pie}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nPkhJ7-vF-0lwFPVPKxg5m69J1UotLTnv2lCQC1qL3QmVX84rVIBUFEUREexogih2el1l8H90ldr6rUHM-dbUswaBOZoK_CsGYycRrM-P3tTdc0NXuzETuvV2okHsE1Rlxcsu54RYrU/s1600/straw-rhubarb-pie_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" height="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nPkhJ7-vF-0lwFPVPKxg5m69J1UotLTnv2lCQC1qL3QmVX84rVIBUFEUREexogih2el1l8H90ldr6rUHM-dbUswaBOZoK_CsGYycRrM-P3tTdc0NXuzETuvV2okHsE1Rlxcsu54RYrU/s640/straw-rhubarb-pie_1.jpg" width="590" /></a>
FINALLY!! Strawberries are beginning to appear in our farmers market! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. For two months of seeing only green items, I am thrilled to have some color on my plate. In honor of our first strawberries, I chose to make a dessert. Rhubarb is also in season right now so at the farmers market we picked up a couple pints of strawberries and a bunch of rhubarb to make a pie.<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_291345305"><br /></a><br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/05/strawberry-rhubarb-pie.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_FRqukxmoGmpqLxVH5C4Z0sV6NHJw_EJQ0WpaWZNwH04cakRNh5e-LX3-vfp6_ZoYegO_6O5Jlk5aX_kxKuZPqInNcmLcztk8wUQDlvxf3vuxb3KsDeWVuOnlcTrjkBWECirAtdii0/s1600/straw-rhubarb-pie_3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIi_FRqukxmoGmpqLxVH5C4Z0sV6NHJw_EJQ0WpaWZNwH04cakRNh5e-LX3-vfp6_ZoYegO_6O5Jlk5aX_kxKuZPqInNcmLcztk8wUQDlvxf3vuxb3KsDeWVuOnlcTrjkBWECirAtdii0/s640/straw-rhubarb-pie_3.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLsmvxOHwNBtadBjDeZcgZZzampCR4w07ZkBSgxfTeyeIm2NyWAuEFVWkzZgYiUsMObEroGTbLCw8OQTkG_HMG8XCxBt6rZ-lErfR5fVMCuCO3t4rsd9vevBcDqEoIxqF4kGdarFS27U/s1600/straw-rhubarb-pie_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLsmvxOHwNBtadBjDeZcgZZzampCR4w07ZkBSgxfTeyeIm2NyWAuEFVWkzZgYiUsMObEroGTbLCw8OQTkG_HMG8XCxBt6rZ-lErfR5fVMCuCO3t4rsd9vevBcDqEoIxqF4kGdarFS27U/s640/straw-rhubarb-pie_2.jpg" width="590" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZXYbhHXeo1EwHfwuauTseoQqFjxSkQTYyqczCKuX06LxxYzr2D83PV0B_GbkrG8_ur_d9R773mjRUD9_vWqGstE1inlx2Symg3HHE2zwYEBJbNGlzZdi3WKqWsxkQHiYtUcOfQzh5V4/s1600/straw-rhubarb-pie_.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZXYbhHXeo1EwHfwuauTseoQqFjxSkQTYyqczCKuX06LxxYzr2D83PV0B_GbkrG8_ur_d9R773mjRUD9_vWqGstE1inlx2Symg3HHE2zwYEBJbNGlzZdi3WKqWsxkQHiYtUcOfQzh5V4/s640/straw-rhubarb-pie_.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{strawberry rhubarb pie}</h3>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #99cbcc; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">recipe source: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.vegalicious.org/2010/05/19/classic-strawberry-rhubarb-pie/" style="color: #99cbcc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">vegaliciousrecipes</a></span></b></span> <br />
serves: 8
<br />
<h2>
for the pie crust</h2>
1 & 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 & 1/2 tbs. baking powder<br />
1/2 cup butter<br />
6-8 tbs. cold water<br />
<h2>
for the filling</h2>
2 cups rhubarb, chopped<br />
2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced<br />
1 & 1/4 cup sugar<br />
4 tablespoons flour<br />
1 teaspoon cardamom (or cinnamon)<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
<h2>
to make the pie crust</h2>
Preheat the oven to 400 F.<br />
<br />
In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.<br />
<br />
Cut margarine into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal.<br />
<br />
Add the water a few tablespoons at a time and mix until it becomes a smooth dough.<br />
<br />
Wrap dough and chill in refrigerator while you make the filling.<br />
<h2>
to make the filling</h2>
In a large bowl place the cut rhubarb and strawberries.<br />
<br />
In a smaller bowl, combine the sugar, flour salt and spices and pour the mixture over the fruit. Gently mix so that the rhubarb and strawberries are evenly coated with the dry ingredients.<br />
<h2>
assembly</h2>
Lightly grease the ramekins with oil.<br />
<br />
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and on a lightly floured surface, roll into a circular shape. Cut one quarter out of the dough and set aside (you will use this to make the lattice). Place the larger rolled out dough into the bottom of the ramekin and smooth cut sides together. Trim the extra dough and add to the small portion you set aside for the lattice work. <br />
<br />
Place the fruit mixture into the ramekins.<br />
<br />
Roll out the smaller portions of dough and cut thin strips to form the lattice and weave on top of the fruit mixture. Pinch edges together.<br />
<br />
Place ramekins onto a cookie sheet to avoid making a mess in your oven like I did. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
<br />
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. It will come out nice and juicy but will solidify more as it cools. Serve warm with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.<br />
<br />
<br />Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-89900714101820987462010-04-27T05:24:00.000-07:002010-04-27T08:21:22.606-07:00{april daring bakers: traditional british pudding}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEXfRJQRrMhJp2WQ_SF_y5cZYDszphzHEn3b2i1j6uIHhFgy4mTCaJWUHWQoRuzljkLtEs-tDS5sXpIinlbEBYjMiv3No8sqMBWZxVz1buHmJesHr5wotp7wRmXy1cALjtlFhAzzvZvE/s1600/db_feb_pudding8.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglEXfRJQRrMhJp2WQ_SF_y5cZYDszphzHEn3b2i1j6uIHhFgy4mTCaJWUHWQoRuzljkLtEs-tDS5sXpIinlbEBYjMiv3No8sqMBWZxVz1buHmJesHr5wotp7wRmXy1cALjtlFhAzzvZvE/s640/db_feb_pudding8.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<i>The April 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Esther of <a href="http://lilackitchen.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Lilac Kitchen</a>. She
challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using, if
possible, a very traditional British ingredient: suet.</i><br />
<br />
Suet: the hard fat found around the kidneys and loins of a cow or sheep. When I read this months challenge, I have to admit that I was pretty grossed out by the thought of suet. Thankfully, Esther was kind enough to allow other fat substitutes as well as pretty much any variation on a traditional pudding we wanted, savory or sweet. Sure, suet might be just as bad butter (what I chose to use), but I felt better about using it vs. actual hard fat from a cow. <br />
<br />
As I thought about the challenge, I became more excited to try it. John was also thrilled to find out I'd be making something savory this month. As we are taking on the challenge of eating foods produced within 100 miles of where we live, I was very happy to discover I could make this entire challenge with what I had on hand and a few things from the local farmers market. Buckwheat was the flour I used for the crust and since there is no gluten in buckwheat, the crust did not get as crispy as others. It was still tasty, but hopefully after my trip to the local flour mill I will be able to make these again using whole wheat flour. For the inside I used local bratwursts, potatoes and green onions. I used individual sized ramekins to steam the puddings and each one was a perfect serving size. Even though I put some beer and Worcestershire sauce in the pudding, it was not as juicy as I'd imagined. I saw that some people were putting a gravy into their pudding after it had been steamed and think I will try that next time. It was still incredibly filling and full of flavor. Thank you Esther for this challenge!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/april-daring-bakers-traditional-british.html">Recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eRCsVWDeih3kHlw-qFvOMZmEZUquMMSR2hK1DJo_vKu-iuxyrVsF0xsryri-P8Z7IOtVIDoOrgUvbUVCGlKk50QAkFYC_MOHZSzuRpehYfGxUxVEXcw8nBkWVAp0zL5JakgX6LrYtUI/s1600/db_feb_pudding2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eRCsVWDeih3kHlw-qFvOMZmEZUquMMSR2hK1DJo_vKu-iuxyrVsF0xsryri-P8Z7IOtVIDoOrgUvbUVCGlKk50QAkFYC_MOHZSzuRpehYfGxUxVEXcw8nBkWVAp0zL5JakgX6LrYtUI/s640/db_feb_pudding2.jpg" width="590" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwfbDLNw2iTbBqn1jHrvF7OhSq-IE_aR00jBgwGUmrv8vUo02rz5vX0ulY9Ek18zkC7w9jOGRuyaJwRy-yEudd4zBEOm7k_Tx7jW_myhb1UL2u9-qCv_hqQ4kytVpdXs9jkur9aHpNgU/s1600/db_feb_pudding3.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOwfbDLNw2iTbBqn1jHrvF7OhSq-IE_aR00jBgwGUmrv8vUo02rz5vX0ulY9Ek18zkC7w9jOGRuyaJwRy-yEudd4zBEOm7k_Tx7jW_myhb1UL2u9-qCv_hqQ4kytVpdXs9jkur9aHpNgU/s640/db_feb_pudding3.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhi7iO7Qn6OcI0Q3diamVRgTsPFRO4I01RJ6vaKfYHfj_rJ25HlEWjIfUZax-k3605sLwGH9BJAm7BY7JNCbVQqz8_Lom-GwdPgRDS3b4X3-ThxO1h3CfVWlzmC_-n_mw-Sv3IXvSJDE/s1600/db_feb_pudding4.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhi7iO7Qn6OcI0Q3diamVRgTsPFRO4I01RJ6vaKfYHfj_rJ25HlEWjIfUZax-k3605sLwGH9BJAm7BY7JNCbVQqz8_Lom-GwdPgRDS3b4X3-ThxO1h3CfVWlzmC_-n_mw-Sv3IXvSJDE/s640/db_feb_pudding4.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRRwUcVlGJ7EWffVbbMWIH0iCyyLCKhnZWmcGaD0NbKVr7QqgDHa4ma04PAlt4Z8prJEzEmCIcvJ5Qcqr0IfGv7K-fKPbivZ5sjbYDJq0ugaURX_DURTc2ro4-8uaTjOVwlgfCMsmhRU/s1600/db_feb_pudding5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRRwUcVlGJ7EWffVbbMWIH0iCyyLCKhnZWmcGaD0NbKVr7QqgDHa4ma04PAlt4Z8prJEzEmCIcvJ5Qcqr0IfGv7K-fKPbivZ5sjbYDJq0ugaURX_DURTc2ro4-8uaTjOVwlgfCMsmhRU/s640/db_feb_pudding5.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtshb4OtQN2FTjoMnOlvXd4vfjj6pMCi8UN87mElvuiN1s9fF7MTZYHhcaCOoqWGmm3lKb8IJYvI7Y1gR6-4a007QfAbk5hVgNzZ_5PME93nd7nNkZIdPAkxRpV5hK2J9T9QbTqNB_ci0/s1600/db_feb_pudding6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtshb4OtQN2FTjoMnOlvXd4vfjj6pMCi8UN87mElvuiN1s9fF7MTZYHhcaCOoqWGmm3lKb8IJYvI7Y1gR6-4a007QfAbk5hVgNzZ_5PME93nd7nNkZIdPAkxRpV5hK2J9T9QbTqNB_ci0/s640/db_feb_pudding6.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiyWjrUVMx6W8uCfr9WooNocfFLfsTusXUiEhvdAD_5pmuVd9N7hjHqRKnRa-Xja9O_wsH9FCqrzOM9QrwhHMa1MUgQg6LUUiby2OZfcqp7gyCDdt24x0xKT7ORucTh_ElSRDRdtXHlc/s1600/db_feb_pudding7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTiyWjrUVMx6W8uCfr9WooNocfFLfsTusXUiEhvdAD_5pmuVd9N7hjHqRKnRa-Xja9O_wsH9FCqrzOM9QrwhHMa1MUgQg6LUUiby2OZfcqp7gyCDdt24x0xKT7ORucTh_ElSRDRdtXHlc/s640/db_feb_pudding7.jpg" width="590" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGVuXLfLY7zYC1_qt8LdgOaIjNH_1OHAKutceOxHbvTrN3TM-cco052ZpHgA9ginuPldN-m0bDg8_X7n0JDlODj6kD0c7k79kjQ5vjGcxtQZnlx-bmHsN7TlEVbU6zgVeInuZSTDaDAk/s1600/db_feb_pudding.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOGVuXLfLY7zYC1_qt8LdgOaIjNH_1OHAKutceOxHbvTrN3TM-cco052ZpHgA9ginuPldN-m0bDg8_X7n0JDlODj6kD0c7k79kjQ5vjGcxtQZnlx-bmHsN7TlEVbU6zgVeInuZSTDaDAk/s640/db_feb_pudding.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
This was by far one of the least time consuming challenges I've participated in so far. I can see a lot of potential with these puddings and plan to continue making them in the future with a variety of savory fillings. Hopefully I can find some local ingredients to create a sweeter version as well. I saw some rhubarb versions that look tempting and may give one of those a shot. For now you can see my version below. See the original recipes over at <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/" target="_blank">The Daring Kitchen</a>.
<br />
<h3>
{savory pudding crust} </h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
12 ounces Buckwheat flour<br />
1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1/2 tsp. pepper<br />
1/2 tsp. garlic powder<br />
3/4 cup of butter<br />
Little less than a cup of water
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Begin by mixing the flour and butter together. Add in the salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
Slowly add in the water as you continue to blend the pastry together. When it reaches its dough-like consistency, it is ready. <br />
<br />
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface but reserve enough dough to put a lid on your ramekin. Place into lightly greased ramekins and set aside.
<br />
<h3>
{savory filling}</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
3 bratwursts, sliced <br />
4-5 small-medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes<br />
3/4 cup chopped green onions<br />
2 tablespoons flour <br />
salt + pepper to taste<br />
handful of fresh thyme<br />
Worcestershire sauce<br />
dark beer <br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
In a bowl combine the bratwursts, potatoes, green onions, flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix to coat.<br />
<br />
Spoon into the ramekins. Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and a couple glugs of beer. Top with remaining crust and pinch shut. Top with a small piece of parchment paper and tin foile to seal.<br />
<br />
Place in steamer with boiling water and steam for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the crust is done. Keep in mind with the buckwheat flour that I had it never became completely crusty so I cooked it longer just to make sure. It doesn't hurt to steam it longer by any means. I imagine with a whole wheat flour the crust would be finished in about an hour, but that is simply a guess at this point.<br />
<br />
When the puddings are done, use a knife to loosen them from the ramekins. Turn upside down and dislodge onto a serving dish. Cut open and enjoy the deliciousness!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917527226356655000.post-71577452565492974812010-04-20T12:48:00.000-07:002010-04-20T12:48:58.906-07:00{sausage, tomato and goat cheese pizza}<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX4UyM03eLFoicVbe2w14_LfTZYJ_zfQEdhFHRDpzEaOZ9La38eetVD9OjfyJLMKKP1baVoUXj03b0fJFKS1z15cGvewGn9aK-kyseEVsTxIbP6Pexg26tCK-xhW9Hw8Hz2Syqkm0TgY/s1600/sausage-tomato-pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLX4UyM03eLFoicVbe2w14_LfTZYJ_zfQEdhFHRDpzEaOZ9La38eetVD9OjfyJLMKKP1baVoUXj03b0fJFKS1z15cGvewGn9aK-kyseEVsTxIbP6Pexg26tCK-xhW9Hw8Hz2Syqkm0TgY/s640/sausage-tomato-pizza.jpg" width="590" /></a>
So, it has been a little over two weeks of doing the locavore challenge. We have really enjoyed taking the steps to eat locally grown foods and have learned a few things in doing so. First of all, forget about meal planning for the week when heading to the market. I am hoping this will change as the harvest comes in and the weather gets warmer, but so far our options have been very limited. What we've had to do is basically take stock of what we have on hand and then while at the market plan our meals. Its been fun and challenging as we are not entirely sure what will be on the menu.<br />
<br />
Another thing that has happened as a result of the challenge is that we really have discovered whats been hiding in our freezer and pantry. Everything in there is down to slim pickings as I've used most of it to make or supplement our meals. It will at least make moving a lot simpler!<br />
<br />
In doing all of this, we have actually been less tempted to eat out because the meals that we do end up making always sound so delicious. Also by eating locally we've decreased the amount of money we've spent on both groceries and eating out. It will be interesting to see if that continues as more fruits and veggies become available. We have found that the most expensive items to buy are the locally grown, grass fed meat products. It makes complete sense and we are happy to spend the money knowing that the animals have been treated like they are supposed to be and they haven't been pumped full of hormones. It has also caused us to get more creative in how we might stretch the use of that meat. All in all, its been exciting so far and I can't wait to have more options than lettuce and butternut squash...although I do heart the butternut squash.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://dancingwithfood.blogspot.com/2010/04/sausage-tomato-and-goat-cheese-pizza.html">Pizza recipe and pics after the jump</a><br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o5Uah66wk4HHHkq5O6i_9vX1qZiW6mzX06t0RHpNzQiWD58Ikw7-6UWuyYRn3LhPpQoZL4hAUKbfAw5Zzvuz-AEJvkEURRBCCfbZWWIl9294IfHC5dzXor1K-ZYmBa2x_d3xRmvIiIQ/s1600/sausage-tomato-pizza2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o5Uah66wk4HHHkq5O6i_9vX1qZiW6mzX06t0RHpNzQiWD58Ikw7-6UWuyYRn3LhPpQoZL4hAUKbfAw5Zzvuz-AEJvkEURRBCCfbZWWIl9294IfHC5dzXor1K-ZYmBa2x_d3xRmvIiIQ/s640/sausage-tomato-pizza2.jpg" width="590" /></a>
<br />
<h3>
{sausage, tomato and goat cheese pizza}</h3>
<h2>
ingredients</h2>
hot italian sausage<br />
2 large ripe tomatoes<br />
goat cheese<br />
basil<br />
garlic powder<br />
olive oil<br />
5 sheets of phyllo dough or make your own pizza dough (phyllo is what I had on hand)
<br />
<h2>
directions</h2>
Preheat the oven to 375ª.<br />
<br />
Cook the sausage until done in a frying pan on the stove and crumble into small pieces.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, on large cookie sheet, place your dough and brush with olive oil. Slice the tomatoes and place in rows leaving about an inch or so around the border of your crust. Sprinkle or crumble the goat cheese onto each tomato. Add sausage and top everything with a few dashes of basil and a garlic powder (don't over do it on the garlic powder!).<br />
<br />
Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes until dough is crispy and golden brown. Serve hot and enjoy!Beccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17260849034109347091noreply@blogger.com0