Roasted salmon glazed with brown sugar and mustard

Weeknight meals sometimes stump me- I want something tasty, nutritious, and easy to prepare. So when I saw this five-ingredient New York Times recipe for roasted salmon glazed with brown sugar and Dijon mustard, I was sold. It's extremely simple to prepare but packs a lot of flavor. Next time you're overwhelmed on a Wednesday evening, try it out. And here's an added bonus- clean-up is a cinch as well!

Squash on Toast Recipe (from ABC Kitchen)

It took one viewing of Mark Bittman's video with Jean-Georges Vongerichten to know the next thing I wanted to make in the kitchen- squash on toast. Imagine this: pan-toasted rustic bread slathered with a layer of fresh ricotta (I love this California brand, Bellwether Farms) and topped with a butternut squash-caramelized onion mixture. Finally, a dash of fresh mint is sprinkled on top. It was probably the best thing on toast I have ever eaten. In fact, my dinner last night consisted of this toast and red wine. 

I followed the recipe pretty much to a T (I think it tastes great with butternut squash) but I might even add more onions next time. The caramelization makes them deliciously sweet but they break down in the process, so a bit more wouldn't have hurt. It's the first time I've truly caramelized onions (it took about 30 minutes overall) and I used apple cider vinegar and maple syrup a friend brought from Canada. 

As Bittman mentions, the mint on top takes the dish to another level. Somehow, the sweet and tangy onions, the smooth squash, and creamy ricotta all come together with the herb.

Caramelizing onions (patience required!)

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

Happy New Year!  Every year, I always get a case of the January blues starting right around January 2nd.  I love the holiday season in December, the mad rush of parties, cookie-making, present shopping, and tree-decorating.  After New Year's Eve festivities, everything seems to come to a halt and we're forced to look a new year in the eye.  The weather is still dreary but this time we don't have the twinkle of Christmas lights to keep our spirits up.  That's when it's time for a pick-me-up citrus dessert that will whisk you away.  There are so many recipes out there for olive oil cakes and many of them are very good.  My favorite version is from Gourmet, however, because it doesn't stray too far in the ingredients and the simplicity of this dessert is what makes it special.  Good olive oil and the hint of citrus from the lemon make this cake undeniably moist and the perfect treat to accompany your tea.  It's just what the doctor ordered for the New Year blues.

Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Tomatillo Salsa

  

I made these quesadillas and couldn't get enough of them.  I followed Deb's recipe over on Smitten Kitchen, only I substituted butternut squash in place of the acorn squash.  They were delicious.  I highly recommend making the accompanying tomatillo salsa since it balances the heaviness of the squash.  Finally, wash it all down with a chilled glass of hard cider.

Crack Mac and Cheese

Fall is comfort food season.  The cold weather signals the arrival of stews, casseroles, and macaroni and cheese.  Back in college, my roommates and I adhered to the Joy of Cooking recipe, and for a good reason.  It was delicious, not too complicated, and reheated nicely as leftovers.  Last month, I decided to branch out and try a different recipe, using the always trusted Martha Stewart.  I followed Deb's adaptation over on Smitten Kitchen, but made some adjustments myself, including the amount of pasta.  Perhaps we're just pigs in my house, but I doubled the recipe to make it two pounds of pasta, and we still finished it the second day.  (I would say it serves about 10, with the doubling of the noodles.)  The combination of Gruyère and white cheddar is delicious, if not pricey, decadence.  The crispy breadcrumbs on top give an otherwise mushy dish a welcome variety in texture.  I think it shall be referred to as crack mac and cheese from now on.  Recipe here.

Gingersnap Ice Cream Sandwiches

This summer I checked out Emily Luchetti's cookbook, A Passion for Ice Cream, and was blown away.  This wasn't just another generic ice cream cookbook.  Not only are the desserts unique and delicious-sounding, each one is beautifully presentable. The first dessert we made were these gingersnap ice cream sandwiches, which are a fun twist on the typical ice cream sandwich.  I highly recommend making the cookies as well, as they are far superior to the store-bought kind. These gingersnaps are moist and chewy and have the perfect ratio of sweet and spicy.  The vanilla ice cream is also another Luchetti hit.  We wrapped them in paper held together with stickers and served them at a dinner party- they are the perfect end to a meal and a real crowd-pleaser. Recipe here.

Roasted Pineapple with Honey, Pistachios, and Crème Fraîche

After a whirlwind through Italy and New England, I'm back home.  While I get settled and prepare some new posts, I thought today we'd talk pineapple.  There's nothing quite like fresh pineapple.  I can still remember bringing back a whole one after a high school band trip in Hawaii.  So the last time I was at Trader Joe's, I decided to bypass the more convenient (and expensive) pre-cut pineapple for an entire fruit.  Cutting it wasn't as difficult as I anticipated- my sharp knife came in handy.  This dessert is indulgent, fresh, and simple.  It would make a great finale to a dinner party, because not only do the flavors impress, but the presentation isn't too shabby either.  I'm looking forward to making this for friends and family.  Recipe here.

Summer Corn Salad with Feta and Chile-Lime Dressing

Yesterday was a busy day in the kitchen.  There was chicken marinating, galette dough making, and two batches of scones (the first one had to be thrown out due to forgetting the eggs!) being whipped up.  I wanted something simple to accompany our chicken that we were going to grill on the BBQ.  I had cooked up three ears of corn the night before and decided on a corn salad.  After glancing in the fridge and pantry for what I had on hand, I went to work.  Wanting to relive my wonderful trip to Greece, I included feta cheese and grape tomatoes (if only they were Santorini cherry tomatoes!).  At first taste, the dressing tasted too sharp and acidic, so I added a teaspoon of sugar and that did the trick.  This salad is extremely fresh and tastes best eaten right away.  Recipe below.

Summer Corn Salad with Feta and Chile-Lime Dressing (serves 3-4)
Ingredients
3 ears of corn
10 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta (with the liquid)
1 shallot, chopped finely
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chile
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
5 large butter lettuce leaves
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.  Boil 3 ears of corn on stove.  Let cool to room temperature.  Use a knife to remove kernels and place in a medium-sized bowl.  Put tomatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and lightly toss with olive oil and salt.  Cook in oven for 25 minutes or until tomatoes are ready to burst.  Make dressing by combining lime juice, cumin, chile, sugar, and salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, feta, and chopped shallots to bowl.  Toss with dressing.  Arrange the butter lettuce leaves around the serving plate and scoop salad onto leaves.  Enjoy!

Frozen Nectarine Yogurt Pie

You know what's better than pie in the summer?  A no-bake pie.  I found the recipe for a frozen nectarine yogurt pie on one of my favorite websites, The Kitchn.  Unfortunately, this was last winter and not only were nectarines not in season, but I was craving warm baked goods, not frozen desserts.  I mentally bookmarked the recipe and as soon as June swung into action, I bought a bag of fresh nectarines at my nearest grocery store.  This pie is even better than you could imagine (and boy did I daydream about it during those long winter months).  I envision making it throughout the summer--for dinner parties, birthdays, and backyard BBQs.  Apart from baking the graham cracker crust very briefly, this no-bake pie is the perfect dessert for a hot summer day.  You can find the recipe here at The Kitchn.  

Momofuku Cornflake-Chocolate-Chip-Marshmallow Cookies

 After what seemed like an eternity on the wait-list, the library finally notified me that Christina Tosi's milk cookbook was ready!  Although the grapefruit pie is the whole reason I got this book in the first place, I decided to start with something a little less daunting: these cookies.  The Cornflake Crunch is so addicting I had to remove myself from the situation.  Recipe below. 

Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups Cornflake Crunch (see below)

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

1. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.  

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute.  (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk over-mixing the dough.)  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

3.  Still on low speed, paddle in the cornflake crunch and mini chocolate chips until they're incorporated, no more than 30 to 45 seconds.  Paddle in the mini marshmallows just until incorporated.

4.  Using a 2 3/4 ounce ounce cream scoop (or a 1/3 cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.  Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat.  Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least  1hour, or up to 1 week.  Do not bake your cookies from room temperature- they will not hold their shape.

5.  Heat the oven to 375 F.

6.  Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment or Silpant-lined sheet pans.  Bake for 18 minutes.  The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread.  At the 19-minute mark, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown toward the center.  Leave them in the oven for an additional minute or so if they aren't and they still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

7.  Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or to an airtight container for storage.  At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

Cornflake Crunch Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 (12-ounce) box of cornflakes (5 cups)

1/2 cup milk powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

9 tablespoons melted butter

Directions

1.  Heat the oven to 275 F.

2.  Pour the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them with your hands to one-quarter of their original size.  Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt and toss to mix.  Add the butter and toss to coat.  As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the cereal and creating small clusters.

3.  Spread the clusters on a parchment or Silpat-lined sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, at which point they should look toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently when cooled slightly and chewed.

4.  Cool the cornflake crunch completely before storing or using in a recipe.  Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the crunch will keep fresh for 1 week; in the fridge or freezer, it will keep for 1 month.  

My cookies turned out massive- I will be making them smaller next time

Asian-Style Spicy Coleslaw

I just arrived back from beautiful Greece a little past midnight.  Until I get those posts up, I have a backlog of things I prepared before my trip.  After taking a cooking class last month, I was up to my head in fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, and lots of other wonderful Thai ingredients.  This Food and Wine coleslaw recipe was contributed by our neighbor to accompany our Thai food party and it went perfectly.  If you are in a rush to throw dinner together, just grab a coleslaw-type bag of pre-chopped cabbage and whip up the dressing.  If you plan on having leftovers, reserve some of the dressing in a jar and pour over the salad right before serving to preserve freshness.

Asian-Style Spicy Coleslaw from Food and Wine

Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce

2 pounds napa cabbage, thinly sliced (12 cups)

3/4 pound red cabbage, thinly sliced (3 cups_

3 medium carrots, julienned 

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

15 mint leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk the peanut butter with the lime juice, fish sauce, water, sugar, garlic, and Sriracha.

In a large bowl, toss the napa and red cabbages with the carrots, peppers, cilantro, and mint.  Toss the salad with the dress and season with salt and pepper.  Serve right away.  Enjoy!

The Bread Chronicles: Pizza

In this segment of the Bread Chronicles, I present to you pizza dough.  It's simple, no-fuss, and far better than the stuff you buy at the store.  (I really don't have an excuse for buying dough anymore.)  What I love about this pizza dough is that it adapts well to any style pizza.  Personally, I like to roll out the dough a little on the thin side, for a crispier quality.  One of my favorite pizzas to make is the classic Margherita- but as far as toppings go, you can be as adventurous (or not) as you'd like.

Pizza Dough recipe, adapted slightly from The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia

Ingredients

1 package dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water

pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3- 3.5 cups unbleached white flour

Directions

Put yeast in medium mixing bowl and pour in warm water.  Stir in sugar and mix with fork.  Let mixture stand until yeast has dissolved and starts bubbling and foaming (about 5 minutes).

Put salt and about 2/3 of flour in a food processor fitted with metal blade.  Pulse and add in yeast mixture.  Add rest of flour, pulsing only enough until dough forms a ball around edges of food processor.  Test dough with fingers- if it's too sticky, add a little more flour and pulse.  

Flour hands and remove dough from processor.  Knead dough a little and form into ball and place in an oiled boil.  Place plastic wrap or a damp dish towel over bowl and let sit until ball doubles in size, at least 45 minutes.

Punch dough in with fist to release air.  Knead for 1 minute.  Dough can either make one large pizza or two medium-sized pizzas.  (Can cut ball in half).  

Preheat oven to 475 F.  Make sure oven is at correct temperature.  Bake pizza for about 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted and bubbling.

Margherita pizza

Take one ball and roll out over floured surface.  Spread tomato sauce (I simmer bottled tomatoes with a little garlic and spices) thinly over dough.  You don't want to overdo this part or you will have soggy pizza!  Break apart pieces of buffalo mozzarella and scatter across pizza.  Place some full basil leaves and cook following the directions above.

Burrata and pesto pizza

Take one ball and roll out over floured surface.  Spread white sauce then pesto sauce (combine basil, garlic, olive oil, and grated parmesan in a food processor and blend until creamy and smooth) thinly over dough.  Cut cherry tomatoes in half and scatter across pizza.  Cook following the directions above.  When the pizza is removed from the oven, break apart pieces of burrata over the pizza and serve.  Enjoy!

Pasta with Lemon, Arugula, and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

 A few weeks back, I was on the great recipe/photography blog, Shutterbean. (If Tracy's pictures don't make you want to get up and cook, I don't know what will.)  She mentioned a Seattle food blogger's take on one of her recipes.  I followed the link to Dana Treat, and made Dana's delicious recipe which includes roasted cherry tomatoes, shallots, and feta cheese.  The peppery quality of the arugula contrasts perfectly with the hint of lemon.  It's the perfect summer pasta and I'll be making it a lot this season.  Recipe below.

Dana's Pasta with Lemon, Arugula, and Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 2-3 

Ingredients

Olive oil
20 small cherry tomatoes
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large shallot, finely diced
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon
4 ounces feta cheese, cut into small cubes
4 ounces arugula, plus more for garnish
8 ounces spaghettini (I used my favorite spaghetti- Da Cecco)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Place the tomatoes on a small baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven until they soften, brown in spots, and start to collapse a bit, about 20 minutes.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle in just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, then add the shallots, red pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt.  Sauté, stirring frequently, until the shallots soften and start to brown in spots, about 5 minutes.  Grate in the lemon zest and turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then add the pasta.  Cook according the package directions until just al dente.  Taste it to make sure.  Using tongs, transfer the pasta to the skillet with the shallots.  Turn the heat to low and stir to coat the pasta with the shallots and pepper flakes.  Ladle in some pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce.  Add half of the arugula and keep tossing the pasta so that the arugula wilts.  Add the other half of the arugula along with the lemon juice, feta cheese, and the tomatoes.  Add more cooking water if the pasta seems too dry.  Toss carefully.  Serve each portion topped with more of the arugula.

Dorie Greenspan's EVOO and Yogurt Cake

Four months ago during our Seattle snowstorm, I went on a crazy midnight baking spree while snowed in.  Almost every evening, I whipped out Dorie Greenspan's EVO cake.  By the end of the week, I was no longer needing the recipe.  I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of that...In any case, this is a classic dessert- perfect after dinner, perfect for breakfast, perfect at teatime, perfect in a snowstorm, perfect in the sunshine...you get the idea- it's a keeper.  Recipe below.

Recipe

Dorie Greenspan's EVOO and Yogurt Loaf Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

Finely grated zest of 1 lime (I used lemons as that's what I had on hand)

1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (I've used both regular and Greek, depending what I had in the fridge and both turned out delicious)

3 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter a loaf pan, place on lined baking sheet and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  

-Put sugar and zest in larger bowl and rub ingredients together until the sugar is infused with the zest and fragrant.  Whisk in the yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.  When mixture is well-blended, gently whisk in dry ingredients.  Switch to a spatula and fold in the oil.  (The batter will be thick and shiny).  Scrape into pan and smooth over top with spatula.

-Bake for 50-55 minutes depending on your oven and how browned you like your cakes (I prefer mine a little lighter than most).  Stick a toothpick or knife in the center and it will come out clean when the cake is ready.  Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.  Then run a knife between the sides of the pan and the cake.  Turn upside-down, releasing the cake, and cool to room temperature right-side up.  

-I glazed mine by whisking about a cup confectioner's sugar with ~ 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of zest.  Spoon it over while the cake is still warm and let it set before serving.  Enjoy!  

Orange Blossom Honey Cookies

I've always been a big baseball fan.  It's a tradition in our family to bring a picnic to the ballpark, and two weekends ago when we were on hand to see the perfect game (!), we brought homemade cheese and roasted pepper sandwiches, jalapeno chips, and these homemade cookies.  My mom used to make them when we were younger but it had been ages since I last tasted the sweet honey and hint of orange blossom on my tongue.

You can make them small or big- I tend to like the smaller ones better- plus you have an excuse to eat more!  Recipe below.

Recipe for Orange Honey Cookies

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 table spoons orange juice

1 teaspoon orange blossom

2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Place butter, flour, and baking powder in food processor.  Add in the liquid ingredients and mix/pulse.  The dough will be quite sticky (you don't need to add more flour) and wet from the juice but this is why they are so moist.  Place small spoonfuls on buttered baking sheet.  Make sure they are spaced apart at least 2 inches because they will expand!  Put tray in oven on top rack for 5-7 minutes or until golden.  (Again, be sure not to overcook them.  It is easy to think they are too soft or need more time in the oven but these cookies are best crumbly and moist.  Also, they will get crunchier the next day.)  Cool on wire rack.  Enjoy! 

Fannie Farmer Strawberry Shortcake

For Easter, I decided to make an old family favorite from the recipe box- Fannie Farmer's Shortcake.  This used to be our annual fourth of July dessert and now I see why.  It's easy, delicious, and you can add blueberries to complete the colors of the American flag.  Since it was Easter, I kept it simple with just the pop of red from the strawberries.  It was the perfect follow-up to a wonderful dinner of eggplant parmesan and a mixed green salad.  

Recipe for Fannie Farmer Rich Shortcake 
Ingredients
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons tartrate baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
few grains nutmeg
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.  In a food processor, put flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and nutmeg.  Work in 1/3 cup butter, then add 1 well-beaten egg.  Gradually stir in about 1/3 cup milk.
Add enough milk until dough holds together but is still soft. 
Turn out dough on floured board and divide into 2 equal parts.  Pat or roll into 9-inch rounds.  Put one round in the buttered 9" round cake pan.  Spread lightly with 2 tablespoons melted butter.  (This will allow you to cook the two halves in the same pan, without sticking- great trick!)  Place other half on top of melted better.  
Bake for 12 minutes or until done.  Split carefully.  Shh don't tell anyone but the top half broke apart.  Best part about this cake though?  Just cover it all up with whipped cream.  Place on half of cake on plate then cover with layer of whipped cream.  Place other half on top and spread again with whipped cream.  Top with strawberries or any fruit of your pleasing.  Enjoy!
Note: You can also make individual round cakes with a biscuit cutter.

The Bread Chronicles- Cuban Bread

I've always enjoyed cooking and baking but there's one thing I've been afraid to try- baking with yeast.  I decided I should get over that fear with a new series on the blog, the Bread Chronicles.  Recently, my mom shared with me her trusted book, The Supper of the Lamb by Robert Farrar Capon, and introduced me to one of her old standbys and the perfect introduction to bread-baking: Cuban bread.  She's not one for unnecessary work, so she tended to stray from the directions saying, "Why knead by hand when you can let the Cuisinart do the work for you?"  I'm not going to argue with that.  This bread is absolutely fabulous.  I made the dough in the evening, and popped it in the oven in the morning so I could have fresh-baked bread for breakfast.  Recipe below.

Dough after rising

After punching it!

Recipe for Cuban Bread, adapted from The Supper of the Lamb, by Robert Farrar Capon
Ingredients
4 tablespoons yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups lukewarm water
6 cups flour (approximately)


Directions
Put 4 cups of flour in food processor (make sure you have the dough knife on).
In the meantime, put roughly 1.5 packs of yeast, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a bowl. 
Measure 2 cups of lukewarm water.  Slowly mix very little into yeast mixture and stir until combined.  Gradually add the rest of the water and continue to stir until combined.  Let sit for a few minutes.  (The yeast mixture should be bubbling and active.)
Pour yeast mixture into food processor.  Add more flour slowly (about 1-2 cups) until dough turns into a ball.  Use the pulse setting a few times to allow the food processor to knead the dough for you.  Flour hands, then place ball on a wooden floured surface.  Knead into a ball.  (Pull up the top of the ball with your fingers to make it smooth and lump-free.)  Place ball in oiled bowl (you can use non-stick cooking spray or olive oil), then turn ball so both sides are coated.  Cover bowl with towel and let sit in warm place and rise.  If you want to bake the dough in the morning, place bowl in fridge (this will stop the rising process).  When the dough has about doubled in size, punch down the ball a few times.  It shouldn't pop back up.  Knead slightly and cut in half.  Form two balls. Place on cornmeal-lined tray and let rise again.  Put in oven at 400 F for about 30-40 minutes.