Dragonfruit

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Slower Cooker Lime Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest and have got it in the slow cooker right now for dinner tomorrow night.

Southern Apple Crisp

I came across this Betty Crocker recipe when looking for something to make as a dessert for last night's Family Board Game night. 

As with most recipes I find, I altered the recipe some... such as, three apples I knew would not be enough to feed the eight of us (two of which are hungry teenage boys). 

So instead I doubled the recipe + some. I used a 9x13 pan and probably 9 apples. The other ingredients I doubled. Here's the amounts I used.

Ingredients/Directions for Filling:
9 medium apples (I used fuji)
1 C granulated white sugar
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Peel, core and dice up apples - place right into 9x13 nonstick cake pan. Sprinkles sugars and cinnamon on top and mix well.  Begin to preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Ingredients/Directions for Topping:
2 pouches Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie mix
1 C butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon

Melt butter. Add cookie mix and cinnamon to butter - mix well. Add half of topping (squeeze between hands to create larger "crumble" like top) to top of apples.

Bake at 300 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Add remaining topping and put back in oven for another 20 minutes. Crisp should be bubbling and topping browned. Let cool slightly before serving (Also good cold the next morning)

Fabulous Flatbread

I'm not sure what it is about the combination of goat cheese, figs and bacon that just sounds so amazing. But when I saw this I started to drool. Thank you Chef Jenna.

Goat Cheese, Fig and Bacon Flat bread

Jenna has her own pizza dough recipe - but if you're like me, you don't have time to make your own pizza dough on a busy Wednesday night. I've found that Tandoori Naan makes for great flat bread pizza crust. So when I finally get around to make this that's what I'll be using.

Ingredients:
Pizza Dough (Or premade flat bread)
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
1 small log of soft goat cheese (I think I'll pick an garlic cheese)
10 fresh figs, sliced in half (If you're like me make sure to buy extra because of "accidental" eating)
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of arugula
Sprinkle of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Prepare pizza dough (if you are using precooked flatbread skip down to *)

After preparing the dough, divide it into four parts on a floured surface. Then divide those four parts in half so you have eight little balls of dough.

Roll each small dough ball out to a circle (you can probably just stretch the dough) and * top with goat cheese crumbles, bacon crumbles and two sliced figs.

Drizzle a little olive oil over each.

Place flat breads on a lined baking sheet, reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes. After baking, top with arugula, another drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Time:

30 minutes (not including time to prepare dough)

Souffle Pancake (photos)

Ingredients: flour, 1/2 1/2, butter, eggs, salt and fruit

Separate egg yolks from whites

Add 1/2 1/2 to eggs

Slowly add flour. Then sugar/salt

In separate bowl whip egg whites

Gently fold whites into the yolk mix

Pour into greased cast-iron pan. 

Add fruit to top of pancake after the edges start to dry

Once pancake starts to bubble, put pan under broiler

Enjoy once top has browned nicely

Souffle Pancake

Souffle Pancake

Holy Souffle Batman! Look at this pancake!!

That's no ordinary pancake (obviously) that's a Souffle Pancake (similar to Dutch Bunny's or German Pancakes). I've had Dutch Baby's before....and have tried some of a friend's German Pancake before but this just seems like a whole other variation.

I saw this fluffy wonder of a delight this weekend on a DDD (that's Diners Drive-Ins and Dives for you non-Food Network people) episode. Guy was at Bette's Oceanview Diner in Berkley, CA and she's been making them for 17+ years. She apparently first found the recipe in an old magazine.

It just looked so yummy, and with my family loving pancakes, I had to try and find a recipe.

Enter my best (digital) friend Google. 

There were a few folks who found recipes for Dutch Bunny's; but those call for just mixing the eggs in whole. Bette's had her eggs separated and folding in beaten eggs whites - to give the souffle fluffliness.

Finally I found the one I think I'm going to try this upcoming weekend (I promise to share how it turned out)...I've also made changes to the recipe below based on what DDD showed being done.

3 eggs separated
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon grand marnier (or whatever liquor you want)
1/2 cup strawberries + 1 tbl. sugar (or whatever fruit you want)

Preheat broiler.

Beat two of the egg yolks with the half-and-half (reserve the third yolk for another purpose). Add the flour slowly, stirring just enough to combine. Stir in the sugar, salt, melted butter and Grand Marnier.

Beat the separated egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter and gently stir in most of the berries, reserving a few to place on the pancake just before it goes under the broiler. (Bette didn't put any berries into the batter until it had cooked some; she said otherwise they sink and stick to the bottom) 

Heat a lightly greased 8-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet, or a heavy cast-iron skillet, over moderately high heat or until oil bubbles.

Pour the batter into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until bottom of the pancake is browned and bubbles appear around the edges, for 5 to 8 minutes. Arrange the remaining berries gently on top of the batter. 

Place the pan 4 to 5 inches below the broiler and cook until the top of the pancake is brown and the center is just set but still soft. 

Gently slide the pancake onto a warmed serving place, dust with powdered sugar and whisk it to the table. Serve with more sliced strawberries and raspberries.

Memphis Mafia Banana Bread

Memphis Mafia

So this banana bread has peanut butter and chocolate chips in it. Reminds me of the Voodoo Doughnut Memphis Mafia banana fritter (chocolate and peanut butter drizzled banana fritter). 

The first time I heard of this banana bread combination was from a friend (and fellow blogger) Marni. 

I had a White Elephant and Potluck party at work and with so many bananas in my freezer I figured there was no better time than now to give it a try.... and I turned mine into muffins instead of a loaf.

Here's the recipe I used but I altered it some (because of what was or wasn't in my cupboards):

ignore the baking powder above....it snuck into the picture

1 1/2 C ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 C cream cheese, softened

1/2 C peanut butter, creamy

3 Tbs butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 C white sugar

1/2 C brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 C semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400*

Cream bananas, cream cheese, peanut butter, butter and egg. 

Add sugars. Mix well. 

Add flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Blend well. 

Fold in chocolate chips. 

Spoon 2 TB worth of batter into papered muffin tins. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Yields 2 dozen. 

Mixed Berry Pie Bars

I found this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker and while I may have done something slightly wrong (I couldn't get the bottom cookie-like crust out of the pan easily) it got HUGE raves at tonight's family Thanksgiving!! It was super yummy it was the only dessert we brought back home and didn't leave for the host family. Haha





For the Crust and Topping:
Zest of 2 lemons (I'm not a fan of lemon zest so I used about 2T lemon juice)
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

For the Blackberry Filling:
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
¾ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
6 cups fresh blackberries (I used a combination blackberry, strawberry, raspberry mix)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and the lemon zest. Using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar until all of the sugar has been moistened. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the lemon sugar, all-purpose flour and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas, about 10 to 12 pulses.

3. Measure out 1½ cups of the crumb mixture to use for the topping and put it in the refrigerator until needed. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

4. To make the filling, whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, sour cream, flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in the blackberries. Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust and make sure all of the blackberries are in one layer and not sitting on top of one another.

5. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling. Bake until the top is lightly browned, about 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting.

Cookin' a bit better

I came across these great tips on some cooking techniques and tips. I didn't copy all of them below so if you want to see more (boiling lobsters, seasoned meats, spice rubs, etc) go to the link.

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How to Cook Everything a Little Better

by Esquire.com

Cook Corn

Instead of boiling corn on the cob, dot it with a little butter, salt, and black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast (350 degrees) until tender. Caramelize a little honey in a sauté pan and, when the corn comes out, brush with the honey.

—Alex Guarnaschelli, Butter, New York; host of Alex's Day Off (Cooking Channel)

Bread Meat

After you've breaded a piece of meat for panfrying (dip in flour, dip in a water-and-egg-white mixture, dip in bread crumbs), spray the breaded meat with a little water from a spritz bottle. The moisture will prevent the crumbs from absorbing too much oil while still preserving that crispy crunch.

—David Burke, David Burke Kitchen, New York

Make a Sandwich

Less is more. Proportion is key, making sure each element balances the next. I like a fresh slaw tossed in a light vinegar for some crunch and some acidity. Throw in the protein of your choosing, bearing in mind the salt that comes with cured or smoked meat. And when is adding a fried egg a bad thing? Butter the outside of your bread, griddle it, and that's a sandwich.

—Michael Schwartz, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami

Scramble Eggs

For two eggs, add two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of heavy cream, season with salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, and whip the hell out of them with a whisk until frothy. Melt some butter over medium heat and cook the eggs, not touching them until they are partially set. Then start some light stirring until they're almost finished, and turn the heat off. They will finish cooking because the pan is still hot.

—Randy Zweiban, Province, Chicago

Grill Fruit

Start with ripe, juicy fruit with a high moisture content. Lightly brush on all sides with melted butter or coconut milk. Make a dessert rub by combining one cup sugar with one tablespoon cinnamon. Set up your grill for direct grilling — a preheated grate over a hot fire: Brush the grate clean with a stiff wire brush. Oil it with a paper towel folded into a tight pad, dipped in oil, and drawn across the bars of the grate. Oiling prevents sticking and gives you killer grill marks. Dip fruit in rub to coat on all sides, shaking off excess. Grill the fruit long enough to turn the sugar and fruit juices into bubbling, golden caramel.

—Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible; host of Primal Grill (PBS)

Sauté Garlic

Start with a cold pan, add olive oil, then garlic, and turn burner to low heat. Through the gradual increase of temperature, you'll infuse the oil with the flavor of garlic while it turns slightly brown.

—Marco Canora, Hearth, New York; author of Salt to Taste

I Scream You Scream

Most of the country has been having more than their fair share of a heat wave this summer - while Portland has had a high of (maybe) 88* so far. It may not be over 100 here but that doesn't mean it's not Ice cream Weather.  (Found in the New York Times Dining & Wine section)

Ice Cream Favorites Grow Up
By Melissa Clark
Published: August 12, 2011

It all started with grasshopper pie. Shockingly green, made from mint chocolate-chip ice cream slathered with crème de menthe-flavored whipped “topping,” it was a specialty of one of our neighbors when I was growing up and a block-party staple.

I hadn’t thought of it in years. But it sprang to mind recently while I was trying to transform store-bought ice cream into a party-worthy dessert.

It used to be that a couple of cartons of premium ice cream made a perfectly respectable end to a summer soirée all on their own.

But these days, with ice cream makers nearly as prevalent in home kitchens as food processors, and fancy ice cream ubiquitous in every corner deli, I knew I needed to do a little more than just pass around the pints.

I wanted to make something just as easy as that grasshopper pie, but updated and fresh. Something that took advantage of the variety of intriguing ice cream flavors now available, but that added a personal spin to make a dinner-worthy dessert, without (to be blunt about it) requiring much effort.

Once I got going, icy ideas stormed through my brain. I thought about ice cream pies made from homemade cookie crumbs, topped with whipped cream infused with aromatic spices. I thought about a play on tiramisù using vanilla ice cream in place of mascarpone. I thought about those fancy iced bombes my mother used to make in the ’80s, with two or three layers of bright-hued whipped frozen mousse packed into a decorative mold.

A cheater’s version would simply pack layers of different colored ice cream and sorbet into a metal bowl. I added a tropical twist by combining coconut ice cream swirled with coconut macaroons, fresh mango and vibrant sorbet.

It was stunning, and quicker to put together than the time I spent locating the package of macaroons at the supermarket.

I also picked up some malted milk balls. When I got home, I froze them and pulverized them with a rolling pin, then used the crumbs, mixed with some malted milk powder, to make coffee ice cream malted bonbons. They are just the right size for noshing on straight out of the freezer, with no spoons required.

After these first two escapades, I learned that the key to making whimsical desserts with store-bought ice cream is patience.

I needed to sit on my hands while the pints softened enough to spread. To speed up this process a little, I slid the ice cream out of the pint container and onto a plate, and cut the frozen cylinder in half. Then, once I formed the bombe and the bonbons, I needed to sit on my hands again while the ice cream hardened in the freezer. Immediate gratification it’s not.

One way to avoid all that waiting around is to serve sundaes. All you need to do is make the sauce ahead of time.

As much as I appreciate a traditional hot fudge number, it’s butterscotch I pine for. Mine is based on maple syrup with a good slug of dark rum to keep things from getting too cloying. Poured over scoops of ginger ice cream and showered with walnuts and dollops of thick crème fraîche rather than whipped cream, it was cozily familiar yet quietly thrilling to eat.

Another childhood favorite was those frozen chocolate-chip cookie ice cream sandwiches.

For my modern grown-up version, I scooped ice cream into sliced baguettes, then drizzled it with either pepper-spiked apricot jam or sea-salt-strewn chocolate nut spread.

These sandwiches were sweet, savory, sophisticated and laughably easy, just like grasshopper pie — even if their color wasn’t quite as dramatic.

Tomato Heaven

I email subscribe to the Just a Pinch Recipe Club and today there was an article called "Savoring the Goodness of Homegrown Tomatoes" in the Janet's Notebook blog.  While I don't have homegrown anything I do love tomatoes and so had to share this article and recipe links with you.

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Growing up, my friend's grandfather always told us girls that to enjoy a fresh tomato all we needed was a sharp knife and a pinch of salt. Indeed, there were tomatoes served at every one of their meals during those hot, sticky summers. And as he would slice in to the fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes, juice would flow like a roiling creek. It was a wonder to my youthful, wide eyes. As a frequent dinner pest - er, I mean dinner guest - I was always first in line to sample his latest garden finds.

This certainly is the time of year to celebrate that bounty. Tomatoes are in their peak around the country, each one ripe for the tasting. While just a pinch of salt does do wonders, there are also some terrific tomato recipes out there that really get my taste-buds tingling.

Capreses are about the best thing to happen to the tomato since the invention of salt. Simply meaning a combination of basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, capreses come in many shapes and sizes: sandwiches, flatbreads, pasta, salads. Nikki Smith of Hemet, CA thinks that caprese pizza is the way to go. She uses fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes, freshly chopped basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese and olive oil to embellish a refrigerated pizza crust. The simplicity of the preparation is matched only by the simplicity of the flavors. Happily, they come together to form one delicious, crowd-pleasing treat.

Stuffed tomatoes are also a great way to make use of excess produce. Cherry tomatoes transform into darling, bite-size appetizers at the hand of Texas cook Jeanne Benavidez. She uses a mixture of cream cheese, onion, garlic and avocado to fill her party-ready Avocado-Stuffed Tomatoes. "A friend brought this to a back yard party once and I really liked it," says Jeanne. "She was kind enough to give me the easy recipe. I have made it several times and everyone seems to really enjoy the little morsels of coolness."

Equally cool, figuratively speaking, is Judy Sprague's recipe for full-size Stuffed Tomatoes. This fellow Kentuckian bowled me over with her bacon, broccoli and onion stuffed 'maters. Topped with panko breadcrumbs and salty Parmesan cheese, it's easy get creative with this one and add in other veggies of your choosing. (Extra zucchini, perhaps?) "I love the taste of this!" says Judy of her super summery dish. "It is a very easy side dish to make a meal special!"

Now, rather then cooking up his leftover tomatoes, Greg Honeycutt of Birmingham, AL chooses to preserve them in an especially unique way. "I dehydrate extra ones," he says. "I slice them as thin as I can, put them on a Silpat in a low oven and leave them be. 200 degrees for several hours usually does the trick. I then crush them to powder with mortar and pestle. Great for a tasty, colorful garnish, or to add a bit of flavor to anything you wish." Imagine how good those freshly dehydrated tomatoes will taste come soup-making season!

And Greg's not the only one preserving summer freshness for colder days ahead. Linda Scharek of Wildwood, FL described her favorite preservation method during a recent conversation in the Cooking Tips and Hints Discussion Group. "You can freeze tomatoes," she says. "Cut in quarters and put in a Ziplock bag. When you need tomatoes for sauce, just take them out of the freezer, skin will come right off, and use for whatever."

These great cooking ideas are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to celebrating the dear, humble tomato. Enjoy them simply sliced and sprinkled with a pinch of salt, baked atop an olive oil coated pizza crust, or stuffed with the freshest of herbs and veggies from your garden. No matter the how, simply enjoy. These warm days of bounty are meant to be savored.

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To finish off this entry I wanted to share a (different) caprese pizza recipe I'm dying to try - I'm going to have to alter the cooking instructions though because I don't have an outdoor grill.

Grilled Caprese Pizza with Balsamic Reduction

1 (14 oz.) can pre-made pizza dough
2 tomatoes, sliced
6-8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
5-6 leaves fresh basil, minced
2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Unroll the pizza dough onto a sheet pan. Lightly coat each side with olive oil and cut into four pieces. Set aside. Prepare all the ingredients on a platter and set aside.

To make the Balsamic Reduction: Bring the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a light boil in a small sauce pan. Allow to boil, while stirring constantly for 4-6 minutes, or until reduced in half. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat a grill over a medium high flame until grates are very hot. Hot grates are important to ensure the dough cooks quickly and doesn’t stick. Gently stretch each section of dough and carefully lay it across the grates. Cover and allow to cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Check halfway through to make sure they don’t burn. Flip using two tongs. Evenly distribute the tomato and mozzarella slices. Cover and allow to cook for an additional 2 – 3 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly melted. Remove from the flame and cut in half. Drizzle each slice with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with minced basil. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4 as entree. Serves 6 – 7 as side.

Summer Dinners

I was raised with predetermining the weeks menus prior to going out and grocery shopping. Even now as an adult come Wednesday/Thursday it's time to sit down, plot out the weeks menus and create the shopping list from there. 

Today is Thursday.

Time for another batch of menus.

After a while I feel like I'm eating the same 7-10 meals in rotation. So I'm always looking for new menu ideas (and then crossing my fingers I can get the family to even toy with the idea let alone eat it).

Here are two dishes I just feel in love with, when reading the recipe. Now to try and subject the family to them. 

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Grilled Pizza with Prosciutto, Arugula and Lemon. 

 

 Curry Chicken Wraps with Nectarine Chutney

 

Triple Berry Cherry Crisp