tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65808623156587670582024-02-19T03:24:29.910-08:00Coulis and Compote: It's a Food ThingFrom the East Coast to the Midwest, from Foodie to Mommy on the Go.... Our adventures in attempting to eat low-processed and local food, when the odds are against you.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-3478238672055581312011-11-14T07:34:00.000-08:002011-11-14T07:34:45.922-08:00The Time Has Come the Walrus Said....for Chicken Pot Pie and a Move<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinIebGw9ukXRKRPZa98OTtgVQzjI4643aCbY3essAyp1TIFtEpGQw8NO8I-Rif2ps1O66UAXxRgMYWajsI3-JAleLkwXlWbFModXREfnZ4RknxHZCW8Y4eNjpyqF0nAoOX5MKV4UQfoA8/s1600/pot+pie+finished-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinIebGw9ukXRKRPZa98OTtgVQzjI4643aCbY3essAyp1TIFtEpGQw8NO8I-Rif2ps1O66UAXxRgMYWajsI3-JAleLkwXlWbFModXREfnZ4RknxHZCW8Y4eNjpyqF0nAoOX5MKV4UQfoA8/s320/pot+pie+finished-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And here is a peek at the first recipe posted on that media (all recipes from here are archived there as well Thank you Avery!)<br />
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Chicken Pot Pie.... simple, delicious, economic, make ahead, and freezable. Quite possibly one of my new favorite meals. Even the baby ate the filling and was none too impressed that I didn't give her any crust so after a large amount of whining she scored some of that too.<br />
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I am oh so happy to announce that the new web page is up. It will take me awhile to figure things out since I am as technologically savvy as the Amish. To be honest they might be offended by that because they are probably more up to date than I am. However..... I have heard that the blogspot page has some serious issues, especially with comments and I know with formatting so I am very happy to finally have a page of my own.<br />
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And just because I love you I have made it more easy than: coulisandcompote.longestblognameinhistory.somethingorother.....<br />
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It is simply... <a href="http://www.bossychef.com/">www.bossychef.com</a>.<br />
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It has been so nice that you have all come here to share my love of food... now go on over there and keep going. I am hoping to get a multi-tab thing going eventually to separate out the kid food from the adult food, but for now there will probably be a little mix. Rest assured I will not try to feed you Millet with Zucchini Puree... well not yet anyway... come back and see me when you're 110.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-49869437356148777312011-10-31T13:14:00.000-07:002011-10-31T13:16:41.191-07:00Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHig3f1Pty2kPpz_66bqg5EEHYCyugkCM5RgZ3LDFFkydurOHo-FUV4WLGpyFD1arERzXvqRIA88fxmp_kucxMjmrhePIfKG7t2pcwZK-8D_c3UQ-4K5viGbiAIy8v0c7vmkB4JMrye1En/s1600/Luke+and+Halloween+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHig3f1Pty2kPpz_66bqg5EEHYCyugkCM5RgZ3LDFFkydurOHo-FUV4WLGpyFD1arERzXvqRIA88fxmp_kucxMjmrhePIfKG7t2pcwZK-8D_c3UQ-4K5viGbiAIy8v0c7vmkB4JMrye1En/s320/Luke+and+Halloween+031.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
These all started with a trip to the pumpkin patch. Every year our daycare center goes to the local pumpkin patch. It is like a child wonderland for Halloween. Hot cider, doughnuts, haunted houses, and lots of land for running wild once your sugar high kicks in. Last year when Monkey was an the only little one in the house we kept him home with us until it was time to meet up with the school bus to drive to the pumpkin patch. We figured he wouldn't want to ride the school bus but would prefer to ride to the pumkin patch in the quiet SUV with his parents. We were wrong. Oh so very wrong. So wrong in fact that we listened to him talk about missing the chance to take the yellow bus to the patch all morning. "Eh... he's two," we thought "he will forget about it in an hour." He did not forget about it in an hour, nor a day, month, or the rest of the year. The topic came up enough that I began to count down the days until the next pumpkin patch trip so he could ride the yellow bus and get it out of his system. At least we didn't have to ride in this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTf3DUvWLdpC45PS4Of9cyzt1xqyoo6M_KM1sw_Zy_L9dyvBY74raQK2R8Y1qydip4DPiFfXLFZnfwv7Ve8kB6koIgNwbrDas-Ban92rNG7Uo8vlZEPBjcXhrEiBo5KA4VqgKEwZbwfFt/s1600/oct272011+102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTf3DUvWLdpC45PS4Of9cyzt1xqyoo6M_KM1sw_Zy_L9dyvBY74raQK2R8Y1qydip4DPiFfXLFZnfwv7Ve8kB6koIgNwbrDas-Ban92rNG7Uo8vlZEPBjcXhrEiBo5KA4VqgKEwZbwfFt/s320/oct272011+102.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
So month after month he brought up the bus, and it was always followed by this.... "remember we went to the coffee shop before the pumpkin patch and we got the pumpkin bread with the squishy stuff inside?" "Yes buddy, I remember that." "Can we have the bread again?" "Yes buddy, we can have the bread again." However in the mad rush that is always present in our house we did not get leave on time. My husband tried to calm me by saying "It's not a big deal, we can drive him if we're late." To which I replied "No flipping way! I am not listening to his mourn the loss of a school bus ride again for an entire year. It might drive him to pre-school therapy sessions."<br />
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We managed to literally get on the bus this year but we did not have time for bread. So to make amends and forego a year of.... "Remeber when you forgot the bread because you are the worse Mother EVER and it was worse thing that has ever happened to me since you made me ride with you to the pumpkin patch?" I decided I could just make the bread at home. How hard can it be.<br />
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Step one... find a pumpkin<br />
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Or two, or a few hundred<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmC0a0hqavnYKaU6UBbjC5gAqm1l37Pw1r1qgLDQfoxUb7CLaufTb1FkHiuhT7QmGFW-8_WEgoIXtYsLoIrkhW4-4IWUcwbAd7PHrK9SE5GZ5dUD68xNgpl2JmIxpyiRs8wTTfkna5bkE/s1600/oct272011+103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFmC0a0hqavnYKaU6UBbjC5gAqm1l37Pw1r1qgLDQfoxUb7CLaufTb1FkHiuhT7QmGFW-8_WEgoIXtYsLoIrkhW4-4IWUcwbAd7PHrK9SE5GZ5dUD68xNgpl2JmIxpyiRs8wTTfkna5bkE/s320/oct272011+103.JPG" width="238" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Roast the pumpkin and puree, or simple open a can of pureed pumpkin from the store. For ease this year I did not make my own pumpkin which is sill really because I made fresh baby food every day and there is no difference really. Next? Locate your loaf pans... or if your kitchen is a disaster and you can't bear the thought of the avalanche that will be caused when you attempt to extract a loaf pan or two, use your very readily available muffin tins instead. The concept is the same. The recipe makes two full size loafs, 5 mini loaves, or 18 muffins.<br />
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While picking out your pumpkins at the pumpkin patch watch out for spiders,<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgRgah83CrS_NEG6m_AGgMEQg4S-UB4zY4PVm25OGPvDn74TI3GFRL5nX5ZU9BtKzbD3QWeT3RHUnjhSWckg-HYBPoSk2kBLLmxliQ9Zf3oYkJfNw8WrFpJqlp4m5PDF_GhtoUs_DCUM/s1600/oct272011+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgRgah83CrS_NEG6m_AGgMEQg4S-UB4zY4PVm25OGPvDn74TI3GFRL5nX5ZU9BtKzbD3QWeT3RHUnjhSWckg-HYBPoSk2kBLLmxliQ9Zf3oYkJfNw8WrFpJqlp4m5PDF_GhtoUs_DCUM/s320/oct272011+099.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><br />
and bees.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Cream Cheese Filled Bread Goods</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from The Joy of Baking</span></strong><br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Cream Cheese Filling</em></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/2 cup granulated white sugar<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">tablespoons </span>all purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em>Pumpkin Bread</em></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup pecans or walnuts<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3 1/2 cups all purpose <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">flour</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 teaspoon <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">baking powder</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 teaspoon <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">baking soda</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3/4 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4 large <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">eggs</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 cups granulated white <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">sugar</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup unsalted <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">butter</span>, melted and cooled<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 - 15 ounce can pure <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">pumpkin, or homemade</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/2 cup water <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 teaspoons pure <span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">vanilla</span> extract<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<strong>Method</strong><br />
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<em>Bread</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter and lightly <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/PumpkinBread.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">flour</span></a> two - 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pans, 5 mini loaf pans, or your muffin tins<o:p></o:p></span></div><em>Nuts</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Cool completely and then chop coarsely. <o:p></o:p></span></div><em>Cream Cheese Filling</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In your food processor, process the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the sugar and process just until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, processing just until incorporated. Do not over process. Stir in the flour. <o:p></o:p></span></div><em>Bread</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, <a href="http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/PumpkinBread.html"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">baking powder</span></a>, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. <o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk until blended. Whisk or stir in the pumpkin, water, vanilla extract, and nuts.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir just until the ingredients are combined. (A few streaks of flour is fine.) Do not over mix as it will make the bread tough.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Divide the batter in half. Take one half and divide it evenly between the two prepared pans. Divide the cream cheese filling in half and place each half of filling on top the two pans of batter, smoothing the tops. Top with the remaining half of batter (use two spoons to place small dollops of batter on top of the filling). For muffins, divide the batter in two. Use half for the bottom of the muffins and half for the top. To be honest in the future I will take the extra effort to pull out the bread pans it has to be easier. Bake the breads for about 55 - 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Place pans on a wire rack and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing breads from pans. Can serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or else freeze for later use.</span>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-72055353397820955592011-10-25T09:02:00.000-07:002011-10-31T12:32:28.013-07:00Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberry-Maple Compote<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegeO8NoR-tjBjSaqGZA2QGzNIAD31XacJz0JtMO2XZXyGE8ASSNce_SQPbShdtKkzLQUIPCox_kPFoX7qe9O-xmAQz-3lsboWPPmVqZZ-GbflpeGEHesPnhu_jIqAEhQXfs7eGddRtpGa/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegeO8NoR-tjBjSaqGZA2QGzNIAD31XacJz0JtMO2XZXyGE8ASSNce_SQPbShdtKkzLQUIPCox_kPFoX7qe9O-xmAQz-3lsboWPPmVqZZ-GbflpeGEHesPnhu_jIqAEhQXfs7eGddRtpGa/s320/039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Some days I am a genius. A culinary Goddess if you will, everything I touch in the kitchen is gold. Baked to perfection, rich and creamy, filling, heart-warming, and all done with a touch of extreme exaggeration. Okay so I can cook some things that taste nifty once in a while, and some of the time I can pull it off without a hitch. This was not the case in any sense for this recipe here. <br />
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I had a very large container of oats and was thinking they had been hanging around the kitchen longer than required and I thought... hmmmm what about those oatmeal pancakes we (and by we I mean me, but I was talking to myself so that makes me a we) saw when looking up OAMC. Those looked tasty.... but could they really use up the gigantic vat of oats. Well.... let me tell you my friend. If you screw up a recipe not once but twice you will not only use the vat you will run out and have to go purchase another container since you now have a vendetta against the recipe. And yes when you are done you will be left with more oats than you started with. Please note that you make the oatmeal according to the directions just in case it does not jive with the recipe below... but that is only the top portion. Do not get confused by the oat flour... this should be added later in the recipe. NOT say into the boiling water to make a paste that could hold up buildings. I contemplated throwing out the pot. When the world ends that concrete oatmeal mixture will still be alive and well living out its elderly years with a family of baby oats telling the tail of when it escaped the Bossy Chef's kitchen. I considered using it as a child friendly sculpting media but thought I might lose a child in its stickiness.<br />
Trouble aside, these were delicious. And I should know better than to cook while tired. <br />
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On my way to work this morning I had the worse craving for these and wished I had some in my freezer, but once again the Monkey Man has access to that freezer and he loves himself a pancake. And thanks to leaving the room for two seconds when the doorbell rang we know that Baby girl also loves the blueberry compote. When I came back into the kitchen she had a purple smile and Monkey was saying... Juliet likes the blueberries Momma.... ahhhhh thanks for sharing buddy.<br />
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I made this on my griddle pan but feel free to make them however you want.<br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1EKDK6FjXB1QYE2YtLco8Uq4jsBIHgtLZZQgl6Sv2VIJj8KThsJR557V6Q1fiDvb9lsKN8L-gnL4taIXBmKKvzdnRpcXNResSaEmFAuHxtkmyMycbIa3yygbbqZgV9-vZK8Apn6Wknxx/s1600/032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1EKDK6FjXB1QYE2YtLco8Uq4jsBIHgtLZZQgl6Sv2VIJj8KThsJR557V6Q1fiDvb9lsKN8L-gnL4taIXBmKKvzdnRpcXNResSaEmFAuHxtkmyMycbIa3yygbbqZgV9-vZK8Apn6Wknxx/s320/032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why can't my pancakes just stay together and make cute little silver dollar pancakes. I believe this is some kind of punishment for a wrong doing in a past life. Not something major mind you but like maybe I let my dog chase the neighbors cat or something to that effect. Just a little annoyance to spice up life. Seriously this does not go well with my OCD. How to make it all better? Hmmm.... conundrum... I think maybe by listening to a little Marcus Foster.... ahhh that's better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTt5BsaBnaSnn5fLPBhHVogL5xzyaodWIsZilicc0NVODYcS41OdRnGAejdW2k7bvMZOwEOvL0uMybUFPdHX0WcPKhYyRQR5IvsKukKmu_Y6BCoH3cTLls8-v2drokQJFZHBgchX5akEL/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzTt5BsaBnaSnn5fLPBhHVogL5xzyaodWIsZilicc0NVODYcS41OdRnGAejdW2k7bvMZOwEOvL0uMybUFPdHX0WcPKhYyRQR5IvsKukKmu_Y6BCoH3cTLls8-v2drokQJFZHBgchX5akEL/s320/031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made a double batch, flash froze them in a single (kind of ) layer and then portioned them into freezer bags. I used the new handy dandy bell plastic jar things to freeze the compote. I highly recommend all of these things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCZEfpeLvgT8nshqrBbRZjmVmRFj3zzjm3swbG522b9jwRS_pPD24Wm2XbqPrzxChzhPsu-PH41K7mRphCeYfJqUBnP0HfBCxKrzSD1tkCDJGV7XWfv4NOXJliEJAIidj3VL8N7-UyVE5/s1600/033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCZEfpeLvgT8nshqrBbRZjmVmRFj3zzjm3swbG522b9jwRS_pPD24Wm2XbqPrzxChzhPsu-PH41K7mRphCeYfJqUBnP0HfBCxKrzSD1tkCDJGV7XWfv4NOXJliEJAIidj3VL8N7-UyVE5/s320/033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These are best when you first make them, but refrigerated are just as good (warm them before eating obviously). Once you freeze them, they lose a little airiness but not enough to keep me from making them again so I'm going to say they are more than safe to add to your OAMC, or grocery list. </div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberry-Maple Compote</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from The Flour Sack Blog</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
1 cup old-fashioned oats<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
Pinch of kosher salt<br />
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for the pan)<br />
1 1/4 cup milk<br />
1 tablespoon unsulphered (not blackstrap) molasses<br />
2 eggs<br />
3/4 cup oat flour (or pulse 3/4 cup rolled oats in a food processor until finely ground)<br />
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour<br />
2 tablespoons natural cane sugar<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
Cook the oats according to your package. You will need about a cup or so of finished oatmeal. Let cool until you need it for the recipe.<br />
<br />
Now separately... this is where it all fell apart when I first made them... Whisk the flours (including the oat flour you made by pulsing oats in a coffee maker or blender), sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.<br />
<br />
In a smaller bowl, whisk the melted butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, molasses, and eggs together until thoroughly combined. I did not do this well enough and had some oatmeal lumps but you couldn't really tell once they were cooked. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a light hand and be careful not to over mix. You want them tender a.k.a.... fluffy. The batter will be slightly thick with a holey surface<br />
<br />
Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium eat until water sizzles when plashed onto the pan. Rub the pan generously with butter. Working quickly, dollop 1/4 cup mounds of batter into the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles begin to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Continue with the rest of the batter. <br />
<br />
Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet, reheated from the fridge or freezer works too. Spoon on a bit of blueberry compote, and if you froze that too... you might want to give it a little heat as well.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Blueberry-Maple Compote</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
5 ounces blueberries, (I used fresh but honestly I think frozen would work just as well... we'll find out I saved the difference this time and bought frozen)<br />
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (NOTE... NOT fake maple syrup that is sacrilege)<br />
3 tablespoons water<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
pinch of lemon zest<br />
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
Heat 3 ounces of blueberries, maple syrup, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the berries begin to split (I think this took roughly 3 minutes for me), cool and portion for freezing or spoon over pancakes and enjoy. I cheat and add a touch more maple syrup too.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-83699122790769812232011-10-17T08:26:00.000-07:002011-10-17T08:26:12.665-07:00Myer Lemon-Cranberry Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3Che6Hm5tVLEHpZXn8aGACJSu5q_sJxpcGOCJdmP_B7YalnOpMhUp1QEDWZ5LOZZmeQIB13J_accwA_KqrqYotlIexSVLjMKBXc2yIrDwvOPENZumh02l0zXw-7IK47YJ7Odm46gFICo/s1600/052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3Che6Hm5tVLEHpZXn8aGACJSu5q_sJxpcGOCJdmP_B7YalnOpMhUp1QEDWZ5LOZZmeQIB13J_accwA_KqrqYotlIexSVLjMKBXc2yIrDwvOPENZumh02l0zXw-7IK47YJ7Odm46gFICo/s320/052.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Lately I wonder if I should have ever bought a real website. I don't know how to access it and the waiting for it to get up and running is zapping my will to blog! However, these were so good it gave me a little motivation. These should have been made with fresh cranberries but alas as always Lincoln is a culinary joke and cranberries and myers lemons are not in season at the same time. I'm sure you can make these with regular old lemons, or with dried cranberries like I ended up doing but do not.... I repeat DO NOT try to make them with frozen cherries instead as you will end up with a very wet, very odd concotion in deed. These are perfect for OAMC, and I even made a double batch and froze them to make sure before I let you know. Of course it was pointless to freeze them really because our 3 year old can reach our drawer freezer and they were pulled from their freezer bag one by one until only some scone crumbs were left for the following week. No matter they don't take very long so I just picked up more lemons yesterday to make a TRIPLE batch. I'm sure you could do a single batch in your sleep. Give them a try. And if cranberries aren't your thing you could click on over here for the pumpkin scone recipe stolen from Starbucks.<br />
<br />
<div id="prnttxt"> <div id="titleInfo"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Meyer Lemon Cranberry Scones</strong></span></div> <span id="publish_date"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Gourmet | May 1997</span></span> <br />
<div id="sourceCredit"></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="fullPageTable"><tbody>
<tr valign="top"> <td width="100%"> <div id="content_div"> <div id="recipeInfoDivFullPage"> <div id="recipeIntro">The small, sweet Meyer lemon, common in California backyards, has a thin, smooth skin and a juice interior and is particularly fragrant. These scones, which are lighter than most, will spread slightly during baking.</div><span class="yieldOrTime"><span>Yield:</span> Makes 16</span></div><div><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div> </div><div><span>2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons; preferably Meyer)</span><br />
<span>2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span>1/2 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons additional if using fresh cranberries</span><br />
<span>1 tablespoon baking powder</span><br />
<span>1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span>3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits</span><br />
<span>1 1/4 cups fresh cranberries, chopped coarse, or 1 1/4 cups dried cranberries or dried cherries</span><br />
<span>1 large egg</span><br />
<span>1 large egg yolk</span><br />
<span>1 cup heavy cream</span></div><div><strong>Method</strong></div><div><br />
Preheat oven to 400°F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.</div><div id="prepDiv"> With a vegetable peeler remove the zest from lemons and chop fine, reserving lemons for another use.<br />
In a food processor pulse flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and zest until mixture resembles coarse meal and transfer to a large bowl.<br />
<br />
In a small bowl toss together fresh cranberries and 3 tablespoons sugar and stir into flour mixture. If using dried fruit, add to flour mixture.<br />
In another small bowl lightly beat egg and yolk and stir in cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.<br />
<br />
On a well-floured surface with floured hands pat dough into a 1-inch-thick round (about 8 inches in diameter) and with a 2-inch round cutter or rim of a glass dipped in flour cut out as many rounds as possible, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange rounds about 1 inch apart on baking sheet and bake in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until pale golden.<br />
<br />
Serve scones warm with crème fraîche or whipped cream. Scones keep, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, chilled, 1 day or frozen 1 week.</div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-65028914066073102082011-10-04T13:42:00.000-07:002011-10-04T13:54:07.139-07:00Rustic Apple Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRjMdKgzfJTZrBxhqms7_6lyy08X-YXg6-EgZBUfoFmAwMxD90gT8CayZPKa8-kbo0Ms4vsw_oir8WJuicD4xsAKNnSLNM4QQ688jxaMFhubrYnbZ0sab2tvFaCMap2pRfUfxDNdW4S97/s1600/iphone+299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRjMdKgzfJTZrBxhqms7_6lyy08X-YXg6-EgZBUfoFmAwMxD90gT8CayZPKa8-kbo0Ms4vsw_oir8WJuicD4xsAKNnSLNM4QQ688jxaMFhubrYnbZ0sab2tvFaCMap2pRfUfxDNdW4S97/s320/iphone+299.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>I was hoping to chronicle all my treasures from my once a month cooking (OAMC) experiment for weeks to come but all I have managed to try is my meatloaf muffins based on the recipe I previously posted and the link from last week. The cilantro chicken, also posted last week (which was fantastic as I mentioned and I am making that again tonight) and a Beef-Ginger Stir-Fry that left me wondering if my love affair with the once a month cooking wasn't unlike my love of bad boys in my early 20s. While it may have seemed like a good idea at the time it ended up leaving me feeling like maybe I could have done better, not to mention the bad taste left in my mouth. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Like the bad boys, the Beef-Ginger Stir-Fry did NOT make the cut for things to try again. In fact I have a second batch all frozen are ready to go if someone would like a dry, sub-par version of NY strip steaks. What a waste (hangs head in shame). I will let you know how we continue to do and maybe I will just have to start making a pre-cooked menu of my own for tried and true recipes. You know I am picky about the way food should look and taste... I would not steer you wrong. Observe something that did make the cut.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbv4DTjhnOwoDClqkQDsvEt4nAXi3uhfUduBUDmtuQGdk7KPhNue0Hl40xPnhCY9hD-7I6uTbNCMWnTu-U7vKOGNe2RVKr-Cjk01Ql8pkglcCxsksIfIjagt8Ik0IHL8hHqHZQ4ec5dIK/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggbv4DTjhnOwoDClqkQDsvEt4nAXi3uhfUduBUDmtuQGdk7KPhNue0Hl40xPnhCY9hD-7I6uTbNCMWnTu-U7vKOGNe2RVKr-Cjk01Ql8pkglcCxsksIfIjagt8Ik0IHL8hHqHZQ4ec5dIK/s320/009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anyway, to uplift my poor broken food spirits, I dug deep into my bag of tricks and by this I mean my iphone and realized I never told you about the tart. Ahhhh the tart. Bright and fruity and buttery, and seasonal and a good way to help use up those 50 pounds of apples you picked because your 3 year old just had so much fun picking them with his parents and visiting Uncles.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGVMfeUYI1fM25TKj2ZGr6sxKgltc0z0SUNOX92KOthb4DkBFf_iljjjCXenGM0TCjECN3avdfozpAZbWms4fXze_u_8YzmPhxBTR6H2MMaL1EzLmwpgeqSkKIJKOItcauqGMNHF2HZLk/s1600/005-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGVMfeUYI1fM25TKj2ZGr6sxKgltc0z0SUNOX92KOthb4DkBFf_iljjjCXenGM0TCjECN3avdfozpAZbWms4fXze_u_8YzmPhxBTR6H2MMaL1EzLmwpgeqSkKIJKOItcauqGMNHF2HZLk/s320/005-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>What to do with so many? I was told they would keep forever, and so after taking them home and washing them and tossing the bags we brought them home in I looked up their website on how to best care for our lovely little treats. The website said and I paraphrase a quote "do not pre-wash your apples. Leave them in the bags we have provided with a damp paper towel in the crisper of your refrigerator." Oops. Oh well maybe I could make individual versions of the tart for my own freezable meal. I could handle eating apple tarts for breakfast with coffee. In fact this recipe is light and despite the sugar does not feel overly dessert-like because it doesn't have a hint of cinnamon. Not a trace of nutmeg or any other traditional spices that scream apple dessert to me. Such a nice change of pace although I had to really work on restraining myself. My hand was just dying to sprinkle some cinnamon somewhere! And should we run out of apple since I did not store them properly, we can always go back. It was fun after all.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFD1o52q4wZSXlfKFqfw69vJ07uKOOhYuM-74xxK9Qf6EUxJyy7rvLvGVZTEJ4PGgO8uf1FFxmNLx1wyuUZvTsVEF_0zq07HN9Q3Jk5nfkzSC6Z-QOLKXI3EZ1XWDE0CAac-xONkivzdI/s1600/iphone+332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGFD1o52q4wZSXlfKFqfw69vJ07uKOOhYuM-74xxK9Qf6EUxJyy7rvLvGVZTEJ4PGgO8uf1FFxmNLx1wyuUZvTsVEF_0zq07HN9Q3Jk5nfkzSC6Z-QOLKXI3EZ1XWDE0CAac-xONkivzdI/s320/iphone+332.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">and delicious... don't forget the delicious part.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6mfdTCm69lJjGdCLTMMQYYlx7QOp6CuueQ3bWldnSAPMgucDSpxnA0UH3zURxH_rY3zj1TjtZmp_5pUJDolWE65eVTkaZqeeP9yHSyx1gMtnf4Aj9KMVvRdsi6AJDt76xzvdGX_b886L/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV6mfdTCm69lJjGdCLTMMQYYlx7QOp6CuueQ3bWldnSAPMgucDSpxnA0UH3zURxH_rY3zj1TjtZmp_5pUJDolWE65eVTkaZqeeP9yHSyx1gMtnf4Aj9KMVvRdsi6AJDt76xzvdGX_b886L/s320/017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"><strong>Free-Form Apple Tart</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;">Food and Wine</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Ingredients<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">About 1/2 cup ice water<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon juice<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4 Arkansas Black or Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and thinly sliced<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 large egg white, beaten<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 tablespoons turbinado sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> <strong>Methods</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and mix at low speed until it is the size of small peas, 30 seconds. With the machine on, gradually add 1/4 cup of the ice water. Add as much of the remaining ice water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough is just evenly moistened (it shouldn't mass on the paddle). Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 1 hour or overnight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Preheat the oven to 400° and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 17-inch round, then trim it to a neat 16-inch round. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Add the apples and lemon juice and toss well. Arrange the apples on the dough in 2 concentric circles, leaving a 3-inch border all around. Fold the edge of the dough up and over the apples, overlapping the dough on itself as needed. Brush the rim with the egg white and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bake the pie in the center of the oven until the crust is golden and firm and the apples are tender, about 55 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool. Slide the pie onto a plate, cut into wedges and serve.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">**Make Ahead<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. The tart can be baked earlier in the day and rewarmed before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"></div></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-30908555150303293562011-09-29T13:17:00.000-07:002011-09-29T13:17:04.364-07:00Cilantro Lime Chicken Breasts and OAMC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZADadw95X9h6tMyNDJTWDjEKe4uaw6o0wJmo8q9R7F9aOxcQnfyC_VZS1QkbXKJVqcCZIWOWSUOOklFIPfE9FlaXYR_33SxUfqgEuAR7DqLB1oTyzXk4woQZtADmEd1e0xqP4tRCf_dSm/s1600/cilantro+chicken" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZADadw95X9h6tMyNDJTWDjEKe4uaw6o0wJmo8q9R7F9aOxcQnfyC_VZS1QkbXKJVqcCZIWOWSUOOklFIPfE9FlaXYR_33SxUfqgEuAR7DqLB1oTyzXk4woQZtADmEd1e0xqP4tRCf_dSm/s320/cilantro+chicken" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For the love of cooking... cilantro lime chicken</div><br />
I don't really have much of a post for this week which is a shame because I made a great Rustic Apple Tart, and about 12 other dishes last week. I was not catering, or throwing a dinner party, or anything exciting at all. I was planning. And by planning I mean plotting. And by plotting I mean I am sick of not having time to cook dinner and I think that we have ordered too many pizzas in the past month. <br />
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I say this only because my 3 year old asked me to call the lady that brings the pizza to the door so he could give her a hug. That's a hard flag to ignore. So I started searching for quick recipes and I stumbled upon Once a Month Cooking. I don't even know why I started reading up on it because I have read it all before and thought... I think not!<br />
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However this time I came across Once a Month Mom... <a href="http://www.onceamonthmom.com/">www.onceamonthmom.com</a>, and she had 4 full menus already there waiting. With a printable grocery list, and a prep list and fresh and tasty looking meals so I thought.... eh, why not. I made all sorts of things. Some very traditional that are my good old standbys for freezable meals. Things I make before going to the hospital to say deliver children and such. Things like meatloaf which I already told you about <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-i-made-and-superior-meatloaf.html">click here for recipe.</a> And spaghetti sauce which I have not told you about but the recipe has recently been requested because apparently not everyone has a fast spaghetti recipe that doesn't involve opening a jar and I think this is a staple so I will get on it. Then there were Pork Carnitas, Ginger-Beef Stir Fry, Oatmeal pancakes, Scones, and CILANTRO CHICKEN. That is the photo of it up there. I didn't take any photos while making it because it was the last thing I made and I was burnt out on photos and food in general, and because honestly I didn't have high hopes for it, but it was delicious. It also took 5 minutes to make and I have a second batch in the freezer just waiting for us. Here is the link for the real recipe.<br />
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<a href="http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/01/cilantro-and-lime-chicken-breasts.html">http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/2009/01/cilantro-and-lime-chicken-breasts.html</a><br />
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here is how I made it.... Take all ingredients... double the recipe and put into a blender or smoothie maker if you like to just throw it in the dishwasher... hypothetically speaking of course. Pulse, pulse, some more... do a little dance with the pulse to make your sick 8 month old laugh. Now while making ridiculous faces at a the ridiculously cute 8 month old who is trying to free herself from the cute hat you've just put on her...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikynU0Yh76PLMqRrTGD53EClY_0drB51oiafaKWaUpdMPj4eE4qhdoN7VD-pwSE6ADmqJx3DAnLW6NcHlsSil3g0LraqvgDK0o0eD8RsWptA-gUNJrT-xJO18T6ZUb-B6MNkZyBVHrfuum/s1600/hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikynU0Yh76PLMqRrTGD53EClY_0drB51oiafaKWaUpdMPj4eE4qhdoN7VD-pwSE6ADmqJx3DAnLW6NcHlsSil3g0LraqvgDK0o0eD8RsWptA-gUNJrT-xJO18T6ZUb-B6MNkZyBVHrfuum/s320/hat.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
Now throw 1.5lbs or two chicken breasts in the bag... just as they came no fancy pounding needed. Now pour half the marinade into each bag. Smoosh the chicken...why yes that is a technical term. Now remove as much air as you can, roll up the bag to take up less space and freeze. When you want to cook them take them out the night before or the morning of. At dinner time... grill. Ta da.... that's it. And it was good... so very good, and I am plotting some kind of black bean, tomato, avocado salad thing to go with it next time. I can't wait. And... there is another batch already so I don't even have to do the five minute prep just move it from the freezer to the fridge.... you can't even get a pizza delivered in that amount of time, your child's love of the delivery girl aside. And my husband is lord of the grill so that is where my job ends other to say... did you start the grill? Can you start the grill? Hellllooooo? Grill!<br />
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or how about this little gem. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMiXPiqrmbTqQVm8jzR6jQiPRJQAARcwDePKQX51ZApRluZTz0ieANNeztBcI4C8wT2Qmx6nzmBPtJI9DRvZ0TiEw4yklmPgt7n7L-7H8rliY-_1MH4KfIL7x872rUm-wU8LFXSoav5dP/s1600/chili.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMiXPiqrmbTqQVm8jzR6jQiPRJQAARcwDePKQX51ZApRluZTz0ieANNeztBcI4C8wT2Qmx6nzmBPtJI9DRvZ0TiEw4yklmPgt7n7L-7H8rliY-_1MH4KfIL7x872rUm-wU8LFXSoav5dP/s320/chili.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html">http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html</a><br />
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I am not a huge fan of a lot of canned foods, but I think when it comes to beans and tomatoes often it's just easier. If I had to remember to soak beans or lentils every single time I cooked them they would never be made. If you have time use dried, however.... if you had time you would probably cook something instead of using a crock pot, and honestly isn't it nice to know that you have something you can make in the house and you do not have to run out for anything. The first time I made this I forgot to thaw the chicken so I just thew the frozen breasts on top, let it cook for 10 hours on low and hoped for the best. It worked. The second time I made it I forgot to make it, and ran home at lunch and thew everything into the crock pot, turned it on high for 4 hours (thawed chicken this time) and hoped for the best and IT WORKED! Oh yeah and I didn't have cilantro that time either but I hardly missed it. <br />
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As for the Once a Month Cooking so far so good. I will be sure to get the better recipes to you. And I hope they are all good because I made double batches of EVERYTHING.... why do something twice when you can do it once?Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-87081260693659684282011-09-17T18:47:00.000-07:002011-09-17T18:47:42.104-07:00Raspberry Flaugnarde (gesundheit) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzr0VLIFuG7CNdjWbtcmO6w4R1IIosVhzd9SwArhjIIg84jUCMLYJtsOCTAzcequN0J6Nkt3mE3lL5Sw6qLLwzQybCBsUltL251vYLmGVo_1LctpNQlE6dZhSgC1IAVTd8OHT6eFinsmJ/s1600/Tina+Rupp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzr0VLIFuG7CNdjWbtcmO6w4R1IIosVhzd9SwArhjIIg84jUCMLYJtsOCTAzcequN0J6Nkt3mE3lL5Sw6qLLwzQybCBsUltL251vYLmGVo_1LctpNQlE6dZhSgC1IAVTd8OHT6eFinsmJ/s1600/Tina+Rupp.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Tina Rupp</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We went raspberry picking last weekend with visiting family and as we walked the rows of berries I said we need enough berries to make... ahhh... Cl... ummm.... Coul-fatie? Followed by the disclaimer that I had no idea how you pronounce it because I've only seen it in Food and Wine but it looked fabulous and I've wanted to make it ever since. I couldn't explain if it was a custard or a cake, and now that I've actually had it it's really neither. And it's not even a clafoutis it's a flaugnarde.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to my sources (i.e. Wiki) the clafoutis is a baked classic French dessert of black cherries (containing pits) covered in a thick flan-like batter (I disagree with this description, not being a big fan of flan, which my Aunt describes as custard that couldn't get a hard on... lovely... moving on). It is dusted with sugar and served lukewarm. The dessert originates from the Limousin region and when baked with any other fruit it is actually a flaugnarde. And apparently the word is "bastardized" as Clafouti... good gracious no... a missing s... whatever shall we do?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clafoutis/Clafouti/flaugnarde... I don't care how you spell it it is G O O D! I stole the photo from above because I didn't want to scare you with my photo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HXIy4FUt-8X7mcqKrEmDS_Tbmuo_wRIRUXUj-48_WwAYY8e9QCi-6SrEC5G-XSh5kipzm-0Wo5_hkmi8s_ehDENEtGhpx2Y_gjFXzP_23n9IOTe2HEqjdroBsJesgqHqUFUcSYACh1vv/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HXIy4FUt-8X7mcqKrEmDS_Tbmuo_wRIRUXUj-48_WwAYY8e9QCi-6SrEC5G-XSh5kipzm-0Wo5_hkmi8s_ehDENEtGhpx2Y_gjFXzP_23n9IOTe2HEqjdroBsJesgqHqUFUcSYACh1vv/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would like to blame my photo skills but honestly it was an ugly duckling of a dessert. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7swizhwVkCY0uKu5lDrnx2d9bvJRTw7cWYWSc_6rFn6lnQ6m-SkqW0WSge3sjY0PzQloM4kH3Z_LAJ2IuTkLprHRdFFjblxVLhsMoXbbDvpcTql5DZqY7koWmqL9ATz7-L8e6a32ACDl0/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7swizhwVkCY0uKu5lDrnx2d9bvJRTw7cWYWSc_6rFn6lnQ6m-SkqW0WSge3sjY0PzQloM4kH3Z_LAJ2IuTkLprHRdFFjblxVLhsMoXbbDvpcTql5DZqY7koWmqL9ATz7-L8e6a32ACDl0/s320/011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Any better? No you're right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some recipes call for it to be completely golden brown on top like ours but all the good photos look like the one above all creamy and white. I suspect this has something to do with food styling and using painted food when things do not appear the way we want them to. I like to think of it as proof that even gorgeous food like gorgeous people are retouched! It was getting a bit late by the time it came out of the oven so I tried to take it outdoors, then decided I would take a photo the next day in natural light. After all there were 4 1/2 of us and 8 pieces of dessert surely there would be a slice a smidge something leftover to take a photo of.... and there was... did I show you the left over berries?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfYW-3HpIyqJEBxgeh5fWmXXiB9mvpF9Iq_S5zAgt47mnphBZ9l_8R4n-95tua01HHKzAfJJ345jUPI9QV8RBCsauK63mpixXGgih88dM0HVHFyer2P-9QC_yOh_bDdLpUKPwcB-1uq3F/s1600/iphone+341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfYW-3HpIyqJEBxgeh5fWmXXiB9mvpF9Iq_S5zAgt47mnphBZ9l_8R4n-95tua01HHKzAfJJ345jUPI9QV8RBCsauK63mpixXGgih88dM0HVHFyer2P-9QC_yOh_bDdLpUKPwcB-1uq3F/s320/iphone+341.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am sure it has something to do with the fresh berries that were like little pillow of fruity velvet on the tongue. Something so rich, so delicious, so fantastic that what you see above is probably all that survived the onslaught of people eating the berries with cream and just straight from the refrigerator. I have been counting the days all week until this weekend when we could go again and pick two to three times as many so that there could be many a flaugnarde in our futures but the weather did not cooperate. Maybe tomorrow... hope hope. Either way it is raspberry season get thee to a raspberry picking place and make this today. Your stomach will thank you. Oh and did I mention that it takes about 5 minutes to throw together... can't beat that with a stick could you?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Raspberry Clafoutis<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Food and Wine<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/2 cup all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Salt<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Finely grated zest of 1 lemon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 1/2 pints raspberries (3 cups) (there is NOOOO way 3 cups would have fit. I used 1 1/2 tops I would say just have a lot and add them until full)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Confectioners' sugar, for dusting<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Method<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 9-inch gratin dish. In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the eggs, butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add the milk and whisk until light and very smooth, about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into the gratin dish and top with the raspberries.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Bake for about 30 minutes, until the clafoutis is set and golden. Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut into wedges and serve.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-38009977299954848472011-09-12T08:13:00.000-07:002011-09-12T08:13:55.836-07:00Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKnZvQAMLxBXhcWYavBcFRZgKHfY_Yc7B-1-qD7F4ZOsBq9rB-Q4jUq5G2GMI-fBPjNxelK_LfbBPkTtu3XqLjbZuSj0hiZBezvnl34wxbLQC-IPzAwon2Gmv36m9SwFPuCqW_WATmVYZ/s1600/055-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBKnZvQAMLxBXhcWYavBcFRZgKHfY_Yc7B-1-qD7F4ZOsBq9rB-Q4jUq5G2GMI-fBPjNxelK_LfbBPkTtu3XqLjbZuSj0hiZBezvnl34wxbLQC-IPzAwon2Gmv36m9SwFPuCqW_WATmVYZ/s320/055-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
I have been on a huge baking kick lately. Makes sense as it's a perfect kick to be on while on a diet. My thing to make this month? Cupcakes! I know they are so last year but I still like them more than the cake pops and they are conveniently portioned so that I can't cheat and say cut a bigger cupcake like I could should I have made this as a cake. My first cupcake batch was a cream cheese mini chocolate chip stuffed chocolate cupcake with a fudge frosting which will be coming soon but I need to tweak the frosting to ensure yours will not melt off the cupcakes like mine did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJEHpN6IEYGi-2Dg42BYBuUcxZ6FR47vHdp8ZMOKa7iQivjOwhZqh-6w5MAsQtOixSXCZR9rl15KoAM5ouW9qHiPY52oO-AL_wJmH3QdpPQ3vU4dYAlJM099aQvq3Mrucwat5IIBSHbRv/s1600/053-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJEHpN6IEYGi-2Dg42BYBuUcxZ6FR47vHdp8ZMOKa7iQivjOwhZqh-6w5MAsQtOixSXCZR9rl15KoAM5ouW9qHiPY52oO-AL_wJmH3QdpPQ3vU4dYAlJM099aQvq3Mrucwat5IIBSHbRv/s320/053-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
I may have mentioned my obsession with coconut once or twice before. Like the Chocolate-coconut creme brulee <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2010/04/coconut-chocolate-creme-brulee.html">here</a> , Swedish dream cookies <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2010/12/swedish-dream-cookies-drommar.html">here</a>, or the coconut blondies <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2011/05/lightest-and-best-carrot-cake-cupcakes.html">here</a>, but I am always happy to add another one to the recipe box, which is what this blog really is, as much as a way to share great recipes with family and friends. No matter where my husband and I go if there is Internet or phone service we can look up a recipe to share, and you will want to share these. Actually you will want to horde all 18 for yourself but don't be selfish, share with your friends. Your friends and waistline will thank you.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIRPX84FzNJWy67xbklQ-UFQ_IBplvsbEHuWGzv_qRdgpN55aMRL9jj01Jr7H9bxH553eBVGWQ6IWEh59w8BZa0Gd4glixXob9tGkfmaKLOcLLXKRqIuSZWW88bCtLIvqFV_T8GxBLGl0/s1600/1-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIRPX84FzNJWy67xbklQ-UFQ_IBplvsbEHuWGzv_qRdgpN55aMRL9jj01Jr7H9bxH553eBVGWQ6IWEh59w8BZa0Gd4glixXob9tGkfmaKLOcLLXKRqIuSZWW88bCtLIvqFV_T8GxBLGl0/s320/1-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love it when you can see the specs of vanilla </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael brought some to the daycare for his and Juliet's teachers, and I gave some to my partners in crime from school. The rest we shared with visiting family, now I'm not going to name names or anything but when I went to bed there were some left and when I woke up there was an empty cupcake holder (ahem.... cupcake thief 1 and cupcake thief 2).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Vanilla Bean-Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bon Appetit</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span><em>Reduced coconut milk</em> 2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk* (preferably organic)<br />
<br />
<em>Cupcakes</em> 2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1 1/3 cups sugar<br />
3 large eggs<br />
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature<br />
<br />
<em>Frosting</em></span><span>1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar<br />
1/3 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature<br />
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (for garnish)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>Reduced Coconut Milk</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium low; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: <i>Can be made 2 days ahead. </i>Keep chilled.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><em>For cupcakes</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla bean and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>For Frosting</em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, 1/3 cup reduced coconut milk, seeds from vanilla bean, and salt. Beat on medium-low speed until blended, scraping down sides of bowl. Increase to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Using pastry bag fitted with large star tip, pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes. (Alternatively, top each cupcake with 2 tablespoons frosting. Using small offset spatula, swirl frosting over top of cupcakes, leaving 1/2-inch plain border.) Sprinkle with coconut. DO AHEAD: <i>Can be made 1 day ahead. </i>Store in airtight containers; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">* <i>Available at many supermarkets and at Indian, Southeast Asian, and Latin markets.</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRhr25WdGghvSqjMhADIUc9mK3Jn9lNlFe1NkVZ7Sach0M-C3uBcdS9_lBpaV8O-_Gs7Z4JbOdEBN5COhU5bg511btYauN1XSUDWXbMbcDp9xErm_KzZKXg818h3RZHzrDn4ZrAUnls1B/s1600/3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRhr25WdGghvSqjMhADIUc9mK3Jn9lNlFe1NkVZ7Sach0M-C3uBcdS9_lBpaV8O-_Gs7Z4JbOdEBN5COhU5bg511btYauN1XSUDWXbMbcDp9xErm_KzZKXg818h3RZHzrDn4ZrAUnls1B/s320/3-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't sure which would be better toasted coconut or plain coconut so I did both... do the toasted coconut. There were only plain coconut ones left at the end of the night so I knocked off the regular coconut and added the toasted. The original recipe says to use it sparingly as a garnish.... I happily threw that recommendation out the window and loaded them with it. I urge you to do the same.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-9462105121438247042011-09-07T07:29:00.000-07:002011-09-07T07:56:14.520-07:00Greek Grilled Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXJwYeiIfGBFWWrMhL4KqvVgaSIO4VaifQ7TaBSYe0i1eDf5VzmCLAVmfqaRVUWSsBTsBKhnGKrwNUfIxekEnbID1tTFNviOVTJg24h2d9tsVSZiHjCQfYib_kVoH8AISYc9w3L4snaUD/s1600/140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXJwYeiIfGBFWWrMhL4KqvVgaSIO4VaifQ7TaBSYe0i1eDf5VzmCLAVmfqaRVUWSsBTsBKhnGKrwNUfIxekEnbID1tTFNviOVTJg24h2d9tsVSZiHjCQfYib_kVoH8AISYc9w3L4snaUD/s320/140.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Some times you just make your favorite foods and never think... I really need to blog this. However in light of my new realization that people don't cook because people don't have time (I have come to this realization after realizing that in the past two nights we had pancakes and then pizza for dinner because I haven't had time to shop for food), I realized... these are the recipes people need most. Well people like me... which I think far out weigh people that have time to make the sophisticated food I dream about making again some day. Here is something so fast and tasty you will swear you picked it up on your way home from the local Greek place. It is light, diet friendly (what's a little olive oil.. okay a lot but it's healthy fat right), and deeeelicious. Make this with the <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2011/07/real-greek-salad-ahhh-summer-food.html">Greek Salad</a>, and some Greek Potatoes or rice and your done. Who said cooking takes a lot of time?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLPzPyRNfGA6ILQIAahzImfH-hViteoS5r_Bnbg6A3Scn60kAbmdmSvi1ZlVNP09P6UUNJoafSRm0b_71yQRBVSkN5z4nXFjxZB1Idm6AZSrgdcIAoGQUC-F_v90Xrt-ZJSEeTcJzXv7i/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLPzPyRNfGA6ILQIAahzImfH-hViteoS5r_Bnbg6A3Scn60kAbmdmSvi1ZlVNP09P6UUNJoafSRm0b_71yQRBVSkN5z4nXFjxZB1Idm6AZSrgdcIAoGQUC-F_v90Xrt-ZJSEeTcJzXv7i/s320/102.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: large;">Greek Grilled Chicken<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">from the Bossy Chef</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></b></div><br />
1-2 pounds of chicken cut lengthwise to make thin, but full sized breasts<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Salt and pepper <br />
1 ripe lemon, zested and juiced <br />
3 tablespoon red wine vinegar, eyeball it <br />
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it <br />
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano, or 1 tablespoon of dried<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped <br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Method<o:p></o:p></b></div><br />
Place chicken in shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Combine lemon zest, juice and vinegar in a bowl and whisk in oil. Add oregano, garlic and whisk again to combine into dressing. Pour the dressing over chicken. Turn chicken in dressing to coat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes but not too long as the lemon will start to cook the meat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Preheat grill to med-high, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or heat grill pan to high. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Grill chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side. If you are using a grill pan turn the heat down after searing the chicken to ensure it gets cooked all the way through.</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-65588466159872777622011-08-28T11:53:00.000-07:002011-08-28T11:56:01.847-07:00Ethiopian Cooking Part II... Berbere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoY4318sAQtcYPRFqREIajn9CVYo6uBak0EPn1WG5kqa46sKyYxL-zCUl54rSP9S22fwkNDKgWuRthLMSWALlyvFyHGITO8DCfIwNubAw-aeGFYOJHyAQcFg6d1eX5IXa-EI2jJLz6iCb/s1600/157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxoY4318sAQtcYPRFqREIajn9CVYo6uBak0EPn1WG5kqa46sKyYxL-zCUl54rSP9S22fwkNDKgWuRthLMSWALlyvFyHGITO8DCfIwNubAw-aeGFYOJHyAQcFg6d1eX5IXa-EI2jJLz6iCb/s320/157.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Some of you may remember a hundred years ago when I started to say that I would teach you how to cook Ethiopian food. An idea which had merit but was obvioulsy lacking in execution as here it is... a mere....<strike>millenia</strike> 17 months later and we are finally getting to Part II. Please revisit Part I <a href="http://coulisandcompote.blogspot.com/2010/04/spiced-clarified-butter-ethiopian-food.html">here</a>. So the bad news is that I dropped the ball, this is no surprise with my time restraints these <strike>years</strike> days. The good news... here is Part II and I've given you an easy link back to Part I... and with these two ingredients you can basically make half of all Ethiopian dishes. The Nitter Kibbeh is a spiced clarified butter, and the Berbere is a spice mixture... both of which are in almost everything. I have heard that you will never get it as good unless someone brings it to you from Ethiopia. Well being fresh out of Etiopian connections I will have to make due. And since I don't know what I'm missing... I thought this was pretty darn good.... better than good. Fantastic in fact. And once you add this to your heating Nitter Kibbeh you will be in aromatic heaven. Once you are all good little students and make these two I will divulge my recipe for Doro Wat.... it's not pretty but it is soooooo good it will plant ideas of traveling through Africa just to taste the food. Does anyone else notice I make a lot of ugly food. That would have been a great catchy name for a blog. Ugly Food.... hmmm... I like it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqe0RLissqGJIaOAO82AALrYBcI5WMdiiQ8-ewh5cus4B1RKCWkoOCrA7MMql2urg9_wnxjhNzZLrQ2sxECTj_RKykR0h8zjMpHUWqrNI1pJ3J7MeTznvkw75Op58sLpwFf04LjsVhWWj/s1600/158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqe0RLissqGJIaOAO82AALrYBcI5WMdiiQ8-ewh5cus4B1RKCWkoOCrA7MMql2urg9_wnxjhNzZLrQ2sxECTj_RKykR0h8zjMpHUWqrNI1pJ3J7MeTznvkw75Op58sLpwFf04LjsVhWWj/s320/158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My spice next to the photo in the cookbook which is full of gorgeous recipes. The monkey likes to open it and go through it page by page and tell me what he likes and what he wants to eat. And why yes that is a handy dandy kids take and toss container. Note to self... do not use this container to store baby food in the future.</div><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><strong>Berbere</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from Soul of A New Cusine</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<span style="color: black;"> </span><br />
1tablespoon Fenugreek seeds<br />
1/2 cup dried serrano chilies or other dried chilis<br />
1/2 cup ground paprika<br />
2 tablespoons salt<br />
2 tablespoons ground ginger<br />
2 tablespoon ground onion powder<br />
1 tablespoon cardomom seeds (I bought mine whole but out of the pod)<br />
1 tablespoon freshly ground or grated nutmeg<br />
<em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">1/2 tablespoon Garlic powder</span></span></em><em style="color: #cc66cc;"></em><em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">1/4 tablespoon Ground cloves</span></span></em><em style="color: #cc66cc;"></em><em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">1/4 Tablespoon Ground cinnamon</span></span></em><em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<span style="color: black;">1/4 Tablespoon Ground allspice</span></span></em><br />
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<em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Method</strong></span></span></em><br />
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<em style="color: #cc66cc;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Ground everything together in a coffee or spice grinder. I recommend grated the nutmeg ahead of time as you are not about to grind one of those giant rocks into a fine powder otherwise. I did my stuff in batches because my grinder is small. And be careful when doing the chilis... once again I got to experience what it would be like to mace myself.</span></span></em>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-37416470178687347092011-08-22T09:24:00.000-07:002011-08-22T09:24:38.328-07:00Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble with Irish Whiskey Butter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0EZ4PWwlxpcHU17dUjueGDoRi0DIvMAMO4U_UI96UKNOr3SGzjRdRv2DOvD3m1RUjCMfgUhmt9lbnmFbvvb9uqLPKnBppZ-lvL9F2Qmz4in2mMzxAfxRKUNRx55UtaT-gYSbXBJpIE06/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY0EZ4PWwlxpcHU17dUjueGDoRi0DIvMAMO4U_UI96UKNOr3SGzjRdRv2DOvD3m1RUjCMfgUhmt9lbnmFbvvb9uqLPKnBppZ-lvL9F2Qmz4in2mMzxAfxRKUNRx55UtaT-gYSbXBJpIE06/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would love to say that I am not one to wish away a season but the truth is... I am. I totally am. I cannot wait for Summer to get here and then towards the end after a month of sticky 100+ degree days and three showers a daw and sweaty cranky children, and being held hostage in your house because you could get heat stroke if you go out into the world I am ready for Fall. Being from Vermont Fall has always been my favorite season anyway. The leaves in the mountains during foliage season are just breath taking. Go ahead and google it if you've never been. You will be amazed, you will be jealous, you will think... no way does the whole state look like that... but it pretty much does. I have so many great memories of Vermont that I often get homesick just thinking about it. I am crossing my fingers that we will get to go home during foliage for the first time since we moved out to Cornfield-Central.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mean who wouldn't want to be around this?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcKQf8d3P4A3X3o7y7GcyyWwuEiszFHwZti1st6WC7DvcLK_OGlJHv8KilxwiqEi01_TLU2F8MfX6WJgWTE7QWB-XPKTBLH31IcE0HNfjnW48dVfPaIATt6fCJV5mEQoMdVp4TYcJGTt2/s1600/Vermont.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcKQf8d3P4A3X3o7y7GcyyWwuEiszFHwZti1st6WC7DvcLK_OGlJHv8KilxwiqEi01_TLU2F8MfX6WJgWTE7QWB-XPKTBLH31IcE0HNfjnW48dVfPaIATt6fCJV5mEQoMdVp4TYcJGTt2/s320/Vermont.png" width="246" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo via Google images</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">or this?</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0X1dZNb-caDOG8nGnBv_4I6jGSmuTLAJ3yi8CRTyyGk0d2AC-AWjnfMFSwjdUBPfMyQXsDDe8c0UDxhRFFPiF9zuFAdVt4_3zOaHBbrImT9CY4tvmQQHYjw3Ejq7PfagPF94yGNdZeKV/s1600/Vermont2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0X1dZNb-caDOG8nGnBv_4I6jGSmuTLAJ3yi8CRTyyGk0d2AC-AWjnfMFSwjdUBPfMyQXsDDe8c0UDxhRFFPiF9zuFAdVt4_3zOaHBbrImT9CY4tvmQQHYjw3Ejq7PfagPF94yGNdZeKV/s320/Vermont2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Darn it, now I want to go fishing too!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">One of my Summer to Fall memories as a child was eating rhubarb at my Grandmother's house. My cousins and I would go out to the side of the yard and choose our giant stalks of rhubarb, go into the house and peel them and pour out little dishes of sugar and salt to dip them in. I tried to plant some rhubarb this year so I could continue the tradition with my own children. However I was more inspired by nostalgia to plant it in the same area of the yard than by reason and the weeds in the back of the lot drowned the poor buggers in shade and I was greeted not by the blushing stalks but by whithered sad little brown strings. I am hoping some of them make it back next year but it is a small hope. Luckily you can buy rhubarb in any store or farmer's market right now and make this dish. On a positive note I saw about 4 teeny tiny strawberries on the plants we planted on the side of the house so my son is very excited about that. I don't think we will get enough to make jam as the goal is eventually but even if one survives long enough to be picked and eaten by the Monkey he will be thrilled.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoDTo5EDHM-9l91Fuyqz4M0GX5r_pyaodwNQF7jCfdbek6Y53WYSwRAtbfDqj29SbmUtBGa_Zv2XhDemDfS6v80CEFSaB7unfarivDUv1dKHaLsBf2Czyg_g87eA8g4jdJbkTE6V7UWRU/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvoDTo5EDHM-9l91Fuyqz4M0GX5r_pyaodwNQF7jCfdbek6Y53WYSwRAtbfDqj29SbmUtBGa_Zv2XhDemDfS6v80CEFSaB7unfarivDUv1dKHaLsBf2Czyg_g87eA8g4jdJbkTE6V7UWRU/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">these were frozen and made them a bit more sour than I expected</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="headline1"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Strawberry-Rhubarb Irish Crumble with Irish Whiskey Butter</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="bodytext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="bodytext"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Irish Whiskey Butter:</i> </span><br />
<span class="bodytext">1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature </span><br />
<span class="bodytext">3/4 cup confectioners' sugar </span><br />
<span class="bodytext">1/4 cup Irish whiskey <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG1PIcOJnrHUsSdxj6OLh1AaZ1sYyFMJNZpmvf0t3V-1sSGd6KB5WxJ47RYWVU_b9Z7g8FC2PSA4vwfPJF_XitKAwD3xF_TX32es4UQXTB26l9z546AlNC_zqQGRsbuKyxBzCUW5PdPF1/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbG1PIcOJnrHUsSdxj6OLh1AaZ1sYyFMJNZpmvf0t3V-1sSGd6KB5WxJ47RYWVU_b9Z7g8FC2PSA4vwfPJF_XitKAwD3xF_TX32es4UQXTB26l9z546AlNC_zqQGRsbuKyxBzCUW5PdPF1/s320/007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crumble:</i> <br />
5 cups quartered strawberries <br />
3 cups sliced rhubarb, about 1/3-inch thick (fresh or frozen and thawed) <br />
1/2 cup sugar <br />
1/4 cup cornstarch <br />
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice <br />
3/4 cup flour <br />
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats <br />
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar <br />
Pinch salt <br />
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7vV1ImFFpFpsUxVlaRXK61XaE9RHpVbka6liS11ibstjENBi6zPJRw5V7Yi2iuOAYrD0U-T8XtVtqob-kL9d2Nih2F8o3Eieg2Kf8nbMg8YWjbHLPr1_egVlvNSsgxLFuar8rLh33-Qi/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7vV1ImFFpFpsUxVlaRXK61XaE9RHpVbka6liS11ibstjENBi6zPJRw5V7Yi2iuOAYrD0U-T8XtVtqob-kL9d2Nih2F8o3Eieg2Kf8nbMg8YWjbHLPr1_egVlvNSsgxLFuar8rLh33-Qi/s320/015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="bodytext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Method<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span class="bodytext">To make the Irish whiskey butter, place the butter in a mixing bowl and whip until fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the confectioners' sugar. Slowly add the Irish whiskey until combined. The mixture may look separated and curdled at first but if you continue whipping, it will come together. Topping may be used at room temperature or chilled. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Preheat oven to 375<sup>o</sup> F. Lightly grease a 7-by-11-inch baking dish and set aside. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Toss to coat. Pour the strawberry mixture into the prepared baking dish. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>In a medium, mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, light brown sugar, and salt, stirring to combine. Add the diced butter to the flour mixture, and using your fingers, work the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour the crumb mixture evenly on top of the strawberry mixture. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden brown. <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Serve warm with a spoonful of the Irish Whiskey Butter.<br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-71352963741351781792011-08-17T08:18:00.001-07:002011-08-17T08:18:34.117-07:00Spicy Ethiopian Red Lentil Stew<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4cB8fOIrMl1MsKicP2PGVw0GBc_ivnVp2sPSHlQt5X81zwIjjAGgzEvCBJmVT1xJrQMyEmDUNCsY-Gd2cGMwklapTuOET3b5KZNaxiG_m6ELx-ZPtYrxyV3-0J_dnKf9yYVUbZOyZt4m/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4cB8fOIrMl1MsKicP2PGVw0GBc_ivnVp2sPSHlQt5X81zwIjjAGgzEvCBJmVT1xJrQMyEmDUNCsY-Gd2cGMwklapTuOET3b5KZNaxiG_m6ELx-ZPtYrxyV3-0J_dnKf9yYVUbZOyZt4m/s320/006.JPG" width="283" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://iamthebossychef.blogspot.com/2011/08/ethiopian-spicy-red-lentil-stew.html">http://iamthebossychef.blogspot.com/2011/08/ethiopian-spicy-red-lentil-stew.html</a>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-47378375205648455582011-08-11T11:17:00.000-07:002011-08-11T11:22:54.422-07:00Cumin-Glazed Ribs with Avacado-Pineapple Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3Sw7F2wmWHQFJJ85mJ0NSV-spyF9DDFlSsqeBJMC50toVWVoY3sQsU8YthrmztZ5Cmuf-o6ypAG9-QzcftaNonfyTqG3WdHGSnzF6rVKtKACp4TSbqAK3jdxPml0A35D1R2-x-DF2uGO/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3Sw7F2wmWHQFJJ85mJ0NSV-spyF9DDFlSsqeBJMC50toVWVoY3sQsU8YthrmztZ5Cmuf-o6ypAG9-QzcftaNonfyTqG3WdHGSnzF6rVKtKACp4TSbqAK3jdxPml0A35D1R2-x-DF2uGO/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have always thought of Memorial Day as the day that kicks of grilling and Labor Day as the day that ends the grilling season. I made these for the 4th of July weekend and every time my husband says the word grill I want them again... which is funny because now that I look back over the recipe there is very little grilling involved... which means that you can all have them for your Labor Day party, and I my friends... can have them ALL WINTER LONG if I want. It's a win-win really... well for me for sure because I've had them but it's not too late for you. I'll give you the recipe. If you're nice. And maybe beg a bit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>First procure yourself some yummy ribs. The recipe calls for baby back ribs but I could only find spare ribs. The guy at the store informed me that the difference was that spare ribs have less meat than baby back ribs which I believe is backwards but this is the same guy that told me skirt steak and flank steak are exactly the same cut of meat. This is what you do for a living buddy.... gain some knowledge. Just saying. Mix up the spice rub and cover the rib racks, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours. I do not remember doing this. It is possible that I skipped over it and just threw them in the fridge with the rub. It's been known to happen. Either way I let them sit in there for 4 hours as I was making them the day I wanted to serve them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTwAZLdfyxaPGdDHCS1b9XrztyDnqDb-SwNZfNlDmvKiypqSPeoYukBSwUbt5KxYI4IRAQgLRIgY48y_vh5bC_RlnssmgSmPCY7cNOWiWp5CsPiRkMXSSmQ7n8VHmTfpfseAA4SCC4UpJ/s1600/002-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOTwAZLdfyxaPGdDHCS1b9XrztyDnqDb-SwNZfNlDmvKiypqSPeoYukBSwUbt5KxYI4IRAQgLRIgY48y_vh5bC_RlnssmgSmPCY7cNOWiWp5CsPiRkMXSSmQ7n8VHmTfpfseAA4SCC4UpJ/s320/002-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
After they have marinated, you bake them (see below). While baking them make your glaze/saucey stuff. You will need some jalapenos...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcwM5VraMa4V4h7kZBgeLKoE5OyVFVr4hMhOU7uqirqkSu6sLNSz-0X-I5pqnMnCBgNbKG1AgGWiYr39iAIpl2eh_UDR051MVz4Ytcew57lK-p74jjSVdUz3ZEzql0yruknIqXFr9cvQV/s1600/005-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcwM5VraMa4V4h7kZBgeLKoE5OyVFVr4hMhOU7uqirqkSu6sLNSz-0X-I5pqnMnCBgNbKG1AgGWiYr39iAIpl2eh_UDR051MVz4Ytcew57lK-p74jjSVdUz3ZEzql0yruknIqXFr9cvQV/s320/005-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Limes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_BGRN7dM7Toj4BQYGzVaq7AT6pA7CA7e1tUMunfZDNhgGPdDHsIBYlBhw6rCT3kxQCP6dTFwXoOqxhOIwdpb_UdHBA0MyXDwNfl-6Z5bEVvCJphhkQTN1_1OLjUT4e5qhSKtIQVUCRUm/s1600/004-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_BGRN7dM7Toj4BQYGzVaq7AT6pA7CA7e1tUMunfZDNhgGPdDHsIBYlBhw6rCT3kxQCP6dTFwXoOqxhOIwdpb_UdHBA0MyXDwNfl-6Z5bEVvCJphhkQTN1_1OLjUT4e5qhSKtIQVUCRUm/s320/004-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
some honey and other such ingredients. Blend that stuff up and transfer to a pot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimXxMCrATm8XXonHiWzBdmZTVLgxDjWnsbVfcM90JSlc137le1fefOan40DwpufgQ6L-ZYIVPGt2YlNG4uEkUUTCwEOEOcVa6xm7X2WLxKgvMX3hmjPRQSII5DCn22V1E01p149bVCfe9/s1600/006-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimXxMCrATm8XXonHiWzBdmZTVLgxDjWnsbVfcM90JSlc137le1fefOan40DwpufgQ6L-ZYIVPGt2YlNG4uEkUUTCwEOEOcVa6xm7X2WLxKgvMX3hmjPRQSII5DCn22V1E01p149bVCfe9/s320/006-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Simmer over low heat until glossy and thickened. The recipe says 15 but I think mine took closer to 30. Here you raise the temperature of the oven and continue to cook the ribs after brushing them with the glaze. Now the picture in the magazine shows them all reddish brown. Mine got very dark very quickly so don't freak if you're are dark too. They almost looked burnt but that is a common look for rubbed ribs in my experience.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvnuYLDVVrppGPNRbwVcEq1m0BvcRFwSsK6UM3siXMkFU2mdXbwb33wHyx2QEiKU-PtyM0Ud960H-NP0WfJHnzisOOQFI7RxFzi2Mwltw2yavrm6We5sLhR26S8rOrE2xOZVB7CrwdMau/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvnuYLDVVrppGPNRbwVcEq1m0BvcRFwSsK6UM3siXMkFU2mdXbwb33wHyx2QEiKU-PtyM0Ud960H-NP0WfJHnzisOOQFI7RxFzi2Mwltw2yavrm6We5sLhR26S8rOrE2xOZVB7CrwdMau/s320/007.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
While they are finishing up make the salsa. You will want to do this on a grill pan or grill. Grill the pineapple rings until charred.... mine were extremely juicy so I actually put them on a paper towel to soak up some of the extra juice, then set them in a bowl so I could scoop the fruit out and leave all the extra juice. Then I worried that I needed the juice to marry the flavors so I added some back in but after looking at the photo again their salsa looks all fresh and not mushy which happens when you leave pineapple juice on anything so next time I will keep them separate and as dry as possible before adding them back in. I also didn't bother to core them, I just grilled them then diced around the core to save time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVZwD3h-ZHpX7T4_lYGe7yZigHPnaBT3ozKBl16vY-g40ST1HNpzNUBcgs4sif0yJ_dRrQxXcMLC1ZYvDBvq2o5BN8P1Ssa_R9c_hWD3yoNTOHWeUcCzcMP-hhUxxyFqjfjrpWk9OGZ9j/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixVZwD3h-ZHpX7T4_lYGe7yZigHPnaBT3ozKBl16vY-g40ST1HNpzNUBcgs4sif0yJ_dRrQxXcMLC1ZYvDBvq2o5BN8P1Ssa_R9c_hWD3yoNTOHWeUcCzcMP-hhUxxyFqjfjrpWk9OGZ9j/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Cut up remaining ingredients for salsa and mix together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Right before you serve them you want to either heat up the broiler or grill and heat them over high heat for about 5 minutes, then serve with the salsa.... mmmmmmmm. I wish I had these in the fridge right now it is perfect weather out to have ribs tonight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Cumin-Glazed Ribs with Avocado-Pineapple Salsa</span></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Susan Feniger c/o Food and Wine June 2011</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 ancho chile powder</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cumin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 racks of baby back ribs (about 5 pounds)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4 jalapenos, seeded and thinly sliced</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">8 garlic cloves, smashed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup honey</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 pound fresh pineapple rings, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 tablespoons light brown sugar</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/4 cup finely diced red onion</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1/2 cup cilantro</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 large Hass avocado</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<strong>Method</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
In a small bowl, combine the ancho powder with 1/4 cup of the cumin, 2 tablespoons of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Set the ribs on a rimmed baking sheet and rub all over with the spice mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 10 hours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Preheat the oven to 350. Add 1/4 inch of water to the baking sheet and bake the ribs for 45 minutes, until barely tender. Cover with foil and bake until tender, about 30 minutes longer. Pour off the pan juices.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree three-fourths of the jalapenos with the garlic and 1/2 cup of the lime juice. Blend in the honey and remaining 1 tablespoon of cumin. Transfer the glaze to a saucepan and simmer over low heat until glossy and thickened, 15 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Raise the oven temperature to 450. Brush the ribs with half of the glaze. Roast until well glazed, turning once, about 20 minutes. Brush with the remaining glaze.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Light a grill or preheat the broiler. Grill the pineapple rings over high heat, turning once, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Finely dice the pineapple and transfer to a bowl. Add the brown sugar, onion, cilantro, avocado and remaining jalapeno and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Grill or broil the ribs over high heat, turning once, until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Cut between the bones and serve with the salsa.</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-75762722329397508092011-08-08T19:43:00.000-07:002011-08-08T19:43:21.081-07:00HOLD THE PHONE....I know I just announced that I was changing the blog address but I have decided to take the plunge and do my very own website.... the new address will soon be <a href="http://www.bossychef.com/">www.bossychef.com</a>. Stay tuned. I hope to be posting there soon. Until then I will post at both coulisandcompote and Iamthebossychef both on blogspot. I haven't decided if Sweet Peas will tag along on the "real" website or not. New recipe tomorrow. Have a good night.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-48707101240551798512011-08-05T13:05:00.000-07:002011-08-05T13:05:56.546-07:00The Bossy Chef Becomes.......... well the Bossy Chef. After two new additions to the family and a few years of blogging under my belt I have realized that I have no desire for a fancy smancy blog, nor do I have time for 12 hour processes and 2 hour photo shoots, so I am starting new with the Bossy Chef Blog. It will be the same as this blog is now it will just be a little more fitting. Please join us at: <a href="http://www.iamthebossychef.blogspot.com/">www.iamthebossychef.blogspot.com</a><br />
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And if you have little sweet peas in your life you can visit us here for fun kid food. <a href="http://www.bossysweetpeas.blogspot.com/">www.bossysweetpeas.blogspot.com</a>.<br />
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Now... put your mouse on the link and click.... follow me and leave lots of comments... a new recipe awaits you over there... well this recipe to be exact... :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GusQ-pajFZWq33EjRdilqs_4W7Wjs3sBi4lbOZJR3VAxbC4rbeojwwVIdS_uTkf2p33Xz0b7SCLaB0CZX_Xlu-qvaEahYo0fS-H4gcSpEYm9uycpgSG3We8qMX5nG7zCUcwl1Hoo-F5H/s1600/004-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GusQ-pajFZWq33EjRdilqs_4W7Wjs3sBi4lbOZJR3VAxbC4rbeojwwVIdS_uTkf2p33Xz0b7SCLaB0CZX_Xlu-qvaEahYo0fS-H4gcSpEYm9uycpgSG3We8qMX5nG7zCUcwl1Hoo-F5H/s320/004-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Asparagus with Eggs and Pumpernickel Crumbs</span></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">adapted from Richard Blais Food and Wine</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span><strong>Ingredients</strong></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span>2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened (I used olive oil to make it dairy free)</span></span></div><span><span>**1 thick slice of pumpernickel bread (use your favorite gluten-free bread to make it gluten-free or leave it out all together and top with oven crisped pancetta)</span></span><br />
<span><span>2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling</span></span><br />
<span><span>1/2 medium white onion, minced</span></span><br />
<span><span>2 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped</span></span><br />
<span><span>1 teaspoon raspberry vinegar (oh... I thought I had some but I didn't so I used Sherry vinegar)</span></span><br />
<span><span>3 tablespoons parsley (which I forgot to add so just sprinkled around the dish</span></span><br />
<span><span>salt and freshly ground pepper</span></span><br />
<span><span>16 medium asparagus spears, trimmed</span></span><br />
<span><span>4 large eggs</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span><strong>Method</strong></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span>Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the butter on the pumpernickel bread. Bake for about 4 minutes, until crisp. Let cool, then break the toast into 1/2-inch pieces.</span></span></div><span><span></span></span><br />
<span><span>In skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the capers and vinegar and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span>Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Drizzle the asparagus with oil an season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat, turning, until lightly charred and crisp but tender, 5 minutes. (I did mine in the oven for 7 minutes)</span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the eggs and simmer over moderate heat for 4 1/2 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water; keep the water simmering. Gently crack the eggs all over and careful remove the shells, keeping the eggs whole.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Return the shelled eggs to the simmering water to heat through about 30 seconds (here is where my lack of attention to detail in recipes comes in. I saw the photo and assumed they were poached eggs, so that's what we made. I thought it was better and easier that way personally. I am not a fan of soft boiled eggs really. It should be really gooey or really cooked in my opinion.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Arrange the asparagus on the plates and top with the onion relish and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the pumpernickel crumbs on top and serve.</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-75379330273231120912011-07-27T07:02:00.000-07:002011-07-27T07:02:31.218-07:00Proscuitto Wrapped Figs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbIJ0grgPEkl0TXxev1jrsotwnbmvQ54u6cjDCe5L5IRNjsjF1SiwPZtq0DTSyYn5Mt_tbh2GU3RyQhC1_NYje4uJPK-uOySQVoML5lsvM-zQxT74gG7fnl4_rZf26kJfXlBSwC6JoP92/s1600/136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbIJ0grgPEkl0TXxev1jrsotwnbmvQ54u6cjDCe5L5IRNjsjF1SiwPZtq0DTSyYn5Mt_tbh2GU3RyQhC1_NYje4uJPK-uOySQVoML5lsvM-zQxT74gG7fnl4_rZf26kJfXlBSwC6JoP92/s400/136.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This recipe is so quick it would be a shame to waste a lot of time explaining it. That and I have sick children to tend to and work to catch up on from vacation... get out your pens... ready?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRK8EXeWVoU0Ska3jVhcz36Em0w7YqOY2hfqQCowc-ww2jHOVSzgueRLXL_iIFwO1Qi4X4KQZZYhHtvd9VFkzE8tgtFZOsDzrVytWA8gnPjinHudiEKT1Cb8nW3B7wFfH_sMbs-nzosqn/s1600/151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRK8EXeWVoU0Ska3jVhcz36Em0w7YqOY2hfqQCowc-ww2jHOVSzgueRLXL_iIFwO1Qi4X4KQZZYhHtvd9VFkzE8tgtFZOsDzrVytWA8gnPjinHudiEKT1Cb8nW3B7wFfH_sMbs-nzosqn/s320/151.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
Get some fresh figs, green or black, or whatever floats your boat.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfr-719j_skPxnT6YSvkPet_5o5Vt0kChreeNojOQPMueGOIpOoQzrf9sUskbPaQFR9d-IwavlaD-741phwK15qR5ATz633aq5ziTO4TN07_piwOLv7A0PZ62_qMcZVwp1L0s9SeNzf3Ty/s1600/152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfr-719j_skPxnT6YSvkPet_5o5Vt0kChreeNojOQPMueGOIpOoQzrf9sUskbPaQFR9d-IwavlaD-741phwK15qR5ATz633aq5ziTO4TN07_piwOLv7A0PZ62_qMcZVwp1L0s9SeNzf3Ty/s320/152.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cut figs into halves or quarters (I did quarters even though these are still halves at this point). And yes that is a steak knife and my husband already picks on me about using it for many things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW1Xm7kk2oxy-FXirOWRMgILRaV2mqXhuxy6ErsJ6bdEEPd1vCoTw0YbvdVirhcArs8eHCoLKsgFPfZLIxCh5ZmqHyTuhZTl3GLECPmaECC9hjDnJxcqZQ-xmyttLvoEYGNggCloqF8b7/s1600/153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW1Xm7kk2oxy-FXirOWRMgILRaV2mqXhuxy6ErsJ6bdEEPd1vCoTw0YbvdVirhcArs8eHCoLKsgFPfZLIxCh5ZmqHyTuhZTl3GLECPmaECC9hjDnJxcqZQ-xmyttLvoEYGNggCloqF8b7/s320/153.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><br />
Take a piece of prosciutto (the kind of Italy don't go cheap here as there isn't much to hide the cheapness and Italian prosciutto is worth the little extra) and fold in half the long way, now cut that into thirds. Wrap a piece around each fig, they kind of self stick but if not use a toothpick to anchor them.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWBR4AQ9F_PFc1p7gps4yfDWrQezzixzHTc3RecKKXSoABfa8zI07krll2VkLZlWaiFeY0ltXu79IdgGDXd0Dg3cKWXg3LmFyEa1drtvezQOtdY1cTKIYLVax1OD6Rftt4zxh2YB_y766/s1600/154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWBR4AQ9F_PFc1p7gps4yfDWrQezzixzHTc3RecKKXSoABfa8zI07krll2VkLZlWaiFeY0ltXu79IdgGDXd0Dg3cKWXg3LmFyEa1drtvezQOtdY1cTKIYLVax1OD6Rftt4zxh2YB_y766/s320/154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the prosciutto starts to crisp. Top with a sprinkle of good balsamic vinegar and serve immediately. These were a shockingly big hit and couldn't be easier if the figs did a little dance and wrapped themselves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9kUS0hmYC0oP3SXscNmZxtdCRMSCUyjvjTwTPH6firrtRDxyVox2tHeVru2PC7pq2b-sdhP7B8XdHkfJgIFKzfr5j2k8h4phyphenhyphend6Ng765Hjy2zzZVX6p0SHUXUKufXi9iw9jgPs4DoUZC/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9kUS0hmYC0oP3SXscNmZxtdCRMSCUyjvjTwTPH6firrtRDxyVox2tHeVru2PC7pq2b-sdhP7B8XdHkfJgIFKzfr5j2k8h4phyphenhyphend6Ng765Hjy2zzZVX6p0SHUXUKufXi9iw9jgPs4DoUZC/s320/139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-46951779495055581182011-07-18T21:04:00.000-07:002011-07-18T21:04:03.509-07:00Artichokes with Smoked Herb Mayonnaise... more Summery Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgHxNMy3rWyZwNfxrwOFckKLzslCnruEw4bJ_PPjTixIxzRnvSvCnc7WS1CihYXANSNKQN3nwXO-wXPMp-LP4a1D7vq8F_exiI9lmmk2bbOb-FxII1s7YKBmMe6AAnbfz6_ak3t6oBE4e/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSgHxNMy3rWyZwNfxrwOFckKLzslCnruEw4bJ_PPjTixIxzRnvSvCnc7WS1CihYXANSNKQN3nwXO-wXPMp-LP4a1D7vq8F_exiI9lmmk2bbOb-FxII1s7YKBmMe6AAnbfz6_ak3t6oBE4e/s400/001.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
My husband and I loved these. And that's saying something from a man who just a decade ago called artichokes "The fruit of the devil". He wouldn't touch them back then, watching him tear apart the artichokes last night trying to get to the delicate center leaves warmed my heart. Even the Monkey wanted to try the funny chips with the dip dip sauce, which is what my husband told him it was to get him to try them. His favorite part was throwing away the top of the leaf after scraping the tender flesh from the tips.<br />
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I love artichokes, love love love them. I did not have the smoked salt (a problem I intend to rectify when I hit the spice market in Montreal this week) so I used smoked paprika instead which the magazine mentions in the description but not in the ingredient list so I'm not sure if you're suppose to use both. I also used dried dill and my photo looks nothing like Mr. Blais' in Food and Wine but it still tasted good so who cares. I halved the recipe and it could easily have been enough dip for about 10 artichokes so I would stay away from the full cup prep unless you plan on feeding a small army, or a large family.<br />
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This is another great Summer dish. I see friends sitting around an outdoor table sipping a cocktail waiting for the main course to come off the grill while ripping the leaves off the artichokes and dipping them in between bits of gossip and catching up. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9IGUy1nlMeQhJcVIFDwypN8Tm7YxoLsXgzS0XM-w1ZR8j0JsnEXZrY117us0GyEtOV5zJoXYC6nRebdMmPiAOba8jX8igPj8mIZvHeGf041PxQAqGPtVubzNH7C2xn5c5ku_4pLafEYr/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9IGUy1nlMeQhJcVIFDwypN8Tm7YxoLsXgzS0XM-w1ZR8j0JsnEXZrY117us0GyEtOV5zJoXYC6nRebdMmPiAOba8jX8igPj8mIZvHeGf041PxQAqGPtVubzNH7C2xn5c5ku_4pLafEYr/s320/002.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I didn't have a lot of photos which is a shame because they are so pretty and there was plenty of time for photo ops consider I screwed up this batch and they weren't cooked enough so we tossed them, and I tried again the next day and that one worked much better but I was too busy packing for our trip to take photos.... at least I don't think I took any it's all a blur. For round two I cut the tops off and trimmed the edges just like these. I then hacked off the stem and ripped off the bottom leaves and then inverted the artichoke so that the open end was pointing towards the water. Much better. My dear friend Kate eats these with butter and lemon. I think we'll do both next time as this mayonnaise dip is extrememly rich.... but ohhhhh so good.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14pt;">Artichokes with Smoked-Herb Mayonnaise<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 8pt;">Contributed by <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/richard-blais" title="Chef Richard Blais"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Richard Blais</span></a> Food and Wine<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">4 large artichokes, stems trimmed<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 cup mayonnaise<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">3 tablespoons chopped dill<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 tablespoons chopped capers<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Hot sauce<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Freshly ground pepper<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Method<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Set a steamer basket in a large pot over 1/2 inch of boiling water. Arrange the artichokes, stem side down, in the basket. Cover and steam over moderate heat until a knife easily pierces the stems, about 30 minutes. Transfer the artichokes to a platter.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, dill, capers, lemon zest and juice, salt and paprika. Add a few dashes of hot sauce and season the mayonnaise with pepper. Serve the artichokes warm or lightly chilled with the mayonnaise.</span></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-53957408808715607972011-07-10T19:01:00.000-07:002011-07-10T19:04:36.190-07:00Real Greek Salad... ahhh Summer food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGH5OGnvhcj6vBq3vIO8Lx3Vf8s1VQ9Q7YpqgQBRdu9LV-D4XQz4Q8uXZtbJQ4DWX7yTtE96BrxoyxDQNIN8na9RWtfmWrVICCSFC8H8thl6rH7KzIwq3AZb-MAkhmvNTNASt7fQkyHyDB/s1600/108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGH5OGnvhcj6vBq3vIO8Lx3Vf8s1VQ9Q7YpqgQBRdu9LV-D4XQz4Q8uXZtbJQ4DWX7yTtE96BrxoyxDQNIN8na9RWtfmWrVICCSFC8H8thl6rH7KzIwq3AZb-MAkhmvNTNASt7fQkyHyDB/s400/108.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first time I had Greek salad was in Montreal with my husband. I grew up in Vermont and as far as I'm aware there is still not a Greek restaurant there. There was a fabulous Greek restaurant by the name of Mezze on St. Laurent in Montreal. I say was... the restaurant is still there (I think) but in my opinion is no longer fabulous. They switched from a family platter type menu to full plated meals years ago. They went from fabulous side dishes, to tiny portions and crappy steamed flavorless side dishes. I was heartbroken. Anyway... as I was saying once upon a time they were fantastic and fun and they served a killer Greek Salad with pita. After I had it I had to have it again, only there was no Greek restaurant in Vermont. I ordered Greek salad after Greek salad every time I found it only to be served a green salad with some feta thrown in. Ahhh not quite what I had in mind. This is what I had in mind, and while we have a great Greek restaurant here in town I still like this one better. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY_gl_SreKob-_3oIfPzs_6oyepbcGZ-5yww_KCG5Q0FxjUjrlacjeuxeLGq75uAvXV1zY-VwnkZVR7rT-V2yNcHsbdztO_B_Ye1OwnoX6leCaDgR09lJq7ta31wbuCeE5UoAdiF44Sbn/s1600/098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpY_gl_SreKob-_3oIfPzs_6oyepbcGZ-5yww_KCG5Q0FxjUjrlacjeuxeLGq75uAvXV1zY-VwnkZVR7rT-V2yNcHsbdztO_B_Ye1OwnoX6leCaDgR09lJq7ta31wbuCeE5UoAdiF44Sbn/s320/098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First trick is to quick pickle the onions, a little trick I learned from other bloggers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKI1do5Nn8UjCL5wzFMBYbJ7yvfiI3pUBmkH7Pwkvcai8nPqKfpwvSExTsjVIqcfd-ooaiWOM_SkootNuBZZfkS3En1bk6Udyqm6LA8vY_fP6_Ow8pEfux3nTmohTf8FKI2W11v8XAE7E/s1600/097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheKI1do5Nn8UjCL5wzFMBYbJ7yvfiI3pUBmkH7Pwkvcai8nPqKfpwvSExTsjVIqcfd-ooaiWOM_SkootNuBZZfkS3En1bk6Udyqm6LA8vY_fP6_Ow8pEfux3nTmohTf8FKI2W11v8XAE7E/s320/097.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I found these great mini heirloom tomatoes, so pretty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cUAnGaSwIDhJTUOkcI051OeT2FSEdht98XjewiNeQAAKzvEjBmrADcypzU3-obejnkiGFLwHP0nDStFaFv20KFm5THUuHYYE3QL63WcSsNyvDi2aEsGmZvvU3Fpd1sqGUgjCr14r-0qf/s1600/099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cUAnGaSwIDhJTUOkcI051OeT2FSEdht98XjewiNeQAAKzvEjBmrADcypzU3-obejnkiGFLwHP0nDStFaFv20KFm5THUuHYYE3QL63WcSsNyvDi2aEsGmZvvU3Fpd1sqGUgjCr14r-0qf/s320/099.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just another shot because I'm so in love with them, I made it again last night with just red tomatoes and it just wasn't the same.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tvWt5Efu1ezU7Ff1fkFFR1fMWx_6xODXWZrvj8lLI2EYoMB_cAgOUeUVf8UGc-D-sY8rkRaiNon0hZzab1I47QmXViMjpnt3oKCtN9zNl8_lHZaiE7_bC2dQxCt4lm-EtyLUo4JeS4v0/s1600/100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tvWt5Efu1ezU7Ff1fkFFR1fMWx_6xODXWZrvj8lLI2EYoMB_cAgOUeUVf8UGc-D-sY8rkRaiNon0hZzab1I47QmXViMjpnt3oKCtN9zNl8_lHZaiE7_bC2dQxCt4lm-EtyLUo4JeS4v0/s320/100.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cut up your peppers, any colors will do, I like to look at my other ingredients and go with the colors I don't have if possible. Here I had all colors for tomatoes, so I just went with my favorite which are red and yellow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVFeiUkhsaV55o6lieAfCYI0TiHkqfgDAMjCC7MOdeAct6qtID8rj1HBHZxLxkgzRzcA-nZQQluR3p3MJxz5WTJdLdhQ8SG9eztFtH_HLJ2Mjmx6WRNGJ1qc___zrIFJMWckPh9FxadTv/s1600/101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVFeiUkhsaV55o6lieAfCYI0TiHkqfgDAMjCC7MOdeAct6qtID8rj1HBHZxLxkgzRzcA-nZQQluR3p3MJxz5WTJdLdhQ8SG9eztFtH_HLJ2Mjmx6WRNGJ1qc___zrIFJMWckPh9FxadTv/s320/101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cut up everything else, you can cut them in any style you want. I did slices here, and last night I diced everything. It's all a matter of preference. Next, you want to pull your onions out of your vinegar and add them. Use the vinegar with the salt, etc for your dressing. Toss and leave. I can't have dairy as I may or may not have mentioned (every single day), but I serve it with the feta on the side for those lucky enough to still be able to eat it. Otherwise go ahead and mix it right in. To be honest it's good both ways. Oh and last night I just threw in whole peppercini's on top for a pretty touch and then let the people that wanted them take them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Greek Salad<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From Eileen's Pea Brain</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ingredients<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">3/4 pound tomatoes, seeded, diced (about 2 cups)<br />
2 cups diced seeded peeled cucumber (from about 1 large)<br />
½ cup diced green bell pepper <o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">½ cup diced yellow or orange bell pepper</div>1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, halved <br />
1/4 cup diced red onion <o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">¼ cup peppercinis</div>3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley <br />
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil <br />
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar <br />
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 2 ounces) <o:p></o:p><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Method<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Toss first 8 ingredients in medium bowl and gently toss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a small container with lid, combine olive oil, vinegar and oregano shake vigorously to blend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dress salad and toss well to blend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gently mix in cheese. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) <br />
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Makes about 4 1/2 cups.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-31390639864830770232011-07-05T09:05:00.000-07:002011-07-05T09:07:25.758-07:00Stuffed Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuo290Al2-H2f_ZBRUm3a-PSVR6ji3mWuE_NNoZ3na3D7gi8ZqBKdqkb3nOgN6HbLSuDDcvubX-FtJ8gaVOIeo8_2v6ip0xuvyd_cIPkqaGfUjVUxmNxSEle21ZRPYiQuvI0w2NnuCq5f/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuo290Al2-H2f_ZBRUm3a-PSVR6ji3mWuE_NNoZ3na3D7gi8ZqBKdqkb3nOgN6HbLSuDDcvubX-FtJ8gaVOIeo8_2v6ip0xuvyd_cIPkqaGfUjVUxmNxSEle21ZRPYiQuvI0w2NnuCq5f/s400/005.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>We cancelled our travel plan for the weekend due to being overwhelmed by life and family illness, and instead spent a relaxing weekend visiting friends, and eating a lot of good food. I mean a lot! I spent a lot of time in the kitchen but stuck with relatively simple dishes. Like this quick and festive dessert that was easy and will certainly be brought to many BBQs this year. Once the cover came off these guys they did not last very long and the Monkey ate as many as his pudgy little hands could steal before the adults got to them. I used almond extract for this batch but I think I will use vanilla next time. I also toasted the pecans and did half topped with the chopped toasted pecans and half topped with mini chocolate chips. Once in the tray they were so cute all red and white I decided to fill in the remaining area with blueberries and blackberries to make it 4th friendly.... also a hit, and a keeper of an idea. Couldn't be simplier and a huge hit... what more can you ask for? What's that you say? To be able to eat dairy so you can enjoy your own dessert... why yes that would have been nice too. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzDM9y_MXM4yRqzzwqVY9lmPP8MoWv8JeCZDrpVy1xHiCre48Z3-BT0wtkGVFUrfBu7NMxahf6gSlGUvKfjSAq59wXO4C8T7XfmBuda8u9G_k1gM-QcfSWZMtnEo7IJM-GQpPh7FOoda3/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzDM9y_MXM4yRqzzwqVY9lmPP8MoWv8JeCZDrpVy1xHiCre48Z3-BT0wtkGVFUrfBu7NMxahf6gSlGUvKfjSAq59wXO4C8T7XfmBuda8u9G_k1gM-QcfSWZMtnEo7IJM-GQpPh7FOoda3/s320/003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Stuffed Strawberries</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">adapted from Food Network</span><br />
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<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
20 whole large strawberries, hulled <br />
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (next time I will use marscapone, they were out of the good cream cheese and I think the store brand was a little too cheesy)<br />
1/4 cup confectioners' powdered sugar <br />
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract <br />
2/3 cup chopped pecans<br />
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each strawberry so the berries stand upright. Place berries, cut side down, on a serving platter. Carefully cut the berries into 4 wedges, cutting almost to, but not through, the bottoms with a criss-cross cut. Fan wedges just slightly, taking care not to break them (this fanning did not occur easily for my set... see detail about investing in bakers bag for next time). Set aside. <br />
<br />
In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until combined but still stiff. Using a teaspoon or pastry bag with decorative tip (I used a ziplock sandwich bag with the corner cut off but will definitely spend the extra $2 for a bakers bag for next time), fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the stuffed strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-76390869852640618222011-06-29T09:09:00.000-07:002011-06-29T09:12:32.715-07:00Watermelon Agua Fresca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FalKeujiJ-JZstCKdJxSQzSzLx9jT2JtzyZYHIIduSVoNJyxArODNLQmV88jMqs3OJLq76sRtEdxqBaWgj_Pi2X0fIGKp-mKmOD_tXnr7m_EBrxE9BjWs74B-i1EcDsmeYBWKw4sn-I4/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1FalKeujiJ-JZstCKdJxSQzSzLx9jT2JtzyZYHIIduSVoNJyxArODNLQmV88jMqs3OJLq76sRtEdxqBaWgj_Pi2X0fIGKp-mKmOD_tXnr7m_EBrxE9BjWs74B-i1EcDsmeYBWKw4sn-I4/s320/067.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The forecast for the rest of the week here is in the 100s..... that's a little toasty for my taste. I find the difference between 100 here in the midwest and 100 in the Northeast (if it ever gets that warm) is that while in the Northeast the sun bakes you from above and you can easily take refuge in the shade of a tree. The sun and the heat of the Midwest has more of a convection oven heat. You can hide in the shade but it isn't going to do you any good... assuming you can find a tree big enough to even provide shade that is.<br />
<br />
The best you can do is stay in your a/c and attempt to stay hydrated. If you are like the husband you get sick of water and staying hydrated can be a problem as you can't acheive this with black coffee... sorry husband but you can't. Here is a sneaky way to use up the leftovers from the giant melons that seemed like a great idea when you were in the store, and to sneak in some hydration for your coffee loving husband.<br />
<br />
First... it is Agua Fresca... not Aqua Fresca as I have been calling it for years.... ahhh hindsight embarassment my favorite. It is my understanding that Agua Fresca means water refreshment and can be basically made from anything, although some areas make them out of things like rice and cereals which does not sound very refreshing to me but I've never tried it. I made this one from what I had in the refridgerator and it was great. I will most likely be making it again with the cantelopes that were on sale for $1 a piece at the store yesterday, I have a shopping problem and it carries over to all areas. I don't know why I thought I would need 10 cantelopes but I probably don't... or maybe it was a sixth sense that the heat was coming and I would need them for drinks, yeah that sounds good, let's go with that. Enjoy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptZeL1rrE5450pPHZEs5tmAmGBYMiSbN3K5VdWSU0fXFJxQ3tPy2F5Fz4QGsbxO4QDW-SU4XMDb2N7VdXUCVlccbm5ZztmcUWkzqh1j5TPVNt4z5DyxLzCuBF9Bbx_HmntfZzmecs8HmY/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptZeL1rrE5450pPHZEs5tmAmGBYMiSbN3K5VdWSU0fXFJxQ3tPy2F5Fz4QGsbxO4QDW-SU4XMDb2N7VdXUCVlccbm5ZztmcUWkzqh1j5TPVNt4z5DyxLzCuBF9Bbx_HmntfZzmecs8HmY/s320/064.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Watermelon Agua Fresca</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">From Eileen's Little Pea Brain</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Adapted loosely from Gourmet</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
1 (4-pound) melon (I think I had about a 2 pound but I went with it anyway<br />
1 1/2 cups water<br />
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I used 2 of lemon)<br />
1 tablespoon sugar (optional, I skipped this because I used tonic water)<br />
1/4 teaspoons salt<br />
1 quart chilled club soda or seltzer (I used leftover tonic from gin and tonics)<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
Purée melon in batches with water in a blender or food processor. Beware, I filled our food processor too full and once it liquified the melon it spilled over the top and all over the counter and floor as the tops are apparently not leak proof.<br />
<br />
Transfer to a colander lined with cheesecloth... I had no cheesecloth so I used a wet paper towel. Not the best solution but it was just us and it was an experiment. I will put cheesecloth on my grocery list right now. Drain for an hour or until it looks like you can get no more liquid. Use the paper towel to hold the solids while you squeeze and remaining liquid from the pulpy part of the watermelon. Discard solids. Stir in remaining ingredients and chill for an hour or serve over ice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9eO0-OLXDegiI0wSDHKPGAB_YI2cZRthmKaelk3PqRHsPEm6dC6smJCB3cC3bLf6dDtA4JsNqKihlszUmAxoUCm5eROxI70zf1rRUcK9tD-zkRNGqGXhyphenhyphengq__bDKa750bRd01R3uwdNn/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9eO0-OLXDegiI0wSDHKPGAB_YI2cZRthmKaelk3PqRHsPEm6dC6smJCB3cC3bLf6dDtA4JsNqKihlszUmAxoUCm5eROxI70zf1rRUcK9tD-zkRNGqGXhyphenhyphengq__bDKa750bRd01R3uwdNn/s320/066.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I read that you can made the base without the tonic or club soda ahead and just add the bubbly stuff right before serving. I will do that next time as it made a lot and we could not drink it all in one sitting. If you store it be sure to give it a good stir before serving as it separates after about an hour.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-71577280137702260942011-06-20T11:46:00.000-07:002011-06-20T11:46:38.460-07:00Summer and Strawberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4qAv_Sw9nMzWIQYPUi9lVwwD9FSBud4ssDvZcXfNt_oWnWuh5lo4uqmwDzj6VX2X4Z-yld44KQWIATvPAtSPdJFLegwyO3lsUzKer7Ni291pwMHk8K2NRbserUchtjTXIwvfGjwd6Vjt/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij4qAv_Sw9nMzWIQYPUi9lVwwD9FSBud4ssDvZcXfNt_oWnWuh5lo4uqmwDzj6VX2X4Z-yld44KQWIATvPAtSPdJFLegwyO3lsUzKer7Ni291pwMHk8K2NRbserUchtjTXIwvfGjwd6Vjt/s320/114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It is safe to say between pregnancies, newborns, internships, classes, and extreme stress this is the first year I feel like I have had a Summer (at home, it always feels like Summer when we stay on the lake visiting VT) and we're just getting going. <br />
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I finished my classes a week ago, and have spent all the time since playing catch up. Catch up at work, catch up on sleep, catch up on house work, but I have taken a few moments here and there to just enjoy the time that I now have to be with my family. We started our weekend early last week by going to a concert in the park.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHNqeyTLST2STp4enin_wq1ceY3CoL6y9MqOrQqEKBzAgfNEp3ct998TIL4TNeWcMIvUqAgRcTzK5QbsB-_aP5EHbvh9nwdlNhKaGzmcoQqMqbV3FJvpzM2oZDyGzXUzqejQXOJZlNquS/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHNqeyTLST2STp4enin_wq1ceY3CoL6y9MqOrQqEKBzAgfNEp3ct998TIL4TNeWcMIvUqAgRcTzK5QbsB-_aP5EHbvh9nwdlNhKaGzmcoQqMqbV3FJvpzM2oZDyGzXUzqejQXOJZlNquS/s320/088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
It was fabulous. I ran home and packed up a picnic of Korean BBQ beef, edamame, sliced peppers, hummus, tabouli, pita chips and lemonade.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdEp7nU5X_xIVbufT9mlmjmpO-HZGOjGM3TL-Z6pQgD4i_s3oYXLvxchtFGAyrpXmOk2cacI0iP-GsfLoScgix5yJ-UAMpeao3F7uCx6_Yug4TwDpm86nenASs15uzVSUepEJ8rqUcvWZ/s1600/091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdEp7nU5X_xIVbufT9mlmjmpO-HZGOjGM3TL-Z6pQgD4i_s3oYXLvxchtFGAyrpXmOk2cacI0iP-GsfLoScgix5yJ-UAMpeao3F7uCx6_Yug4TwDpm86nenASs15uzVSUepEJ8rqUcvWZ/s320/091.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We listened to jazz and I caught up with a friend from Yoga I hadn't seen since we both had babies. We walked home in the hot Summer evening and walked into a cool house and it was fabulous, but even more fun was Strawberry picking for Father's Day. Little did I know that my husband had never in his life tasted a fresh strawberry. Never been strawberry picking, nada. If I had known we woudl have gone sooner. Everyone had a blast.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisv049eQ_jpGmIbdu_cuFAGFIPzNYQpBUEu0Y2TMJyBukvuQ8QtYGn8UvvZgxaKCgkGWHc2Tc07RWVKO_s5qPu3VR0GATDJn2-VAs_PWTH8Y7BkU1ZUYJTXa2JRmRdikpdVRDKXEz5HN3n/s1600/strawberry+picking+61911+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisv049eQ_jpGmIbdu_cuFAGFIPzNYQpBUEu0Y2TMJyBukvuQ8QtYGn8UvvZgxaKCgkGWHc2Tc07RWVKO_s5qPu3VR0GATDJn2-VAs_PWTH8Y7BkU1ZUYJTXa2JRmRdikpdVRDKXEz5HN3n/s320/strawberry+picking+61911+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8suYSo2s7BMvGPDnP1HP43OSXyJMOwWwbm5EuqT93b5cVaiSgAGJVA7ZnIX87mwJjA9Z45KM5_mxRAUCfzE_nwFCkW3FTGndaEaNL49k_wjLFvOHvjrvCmSmpgrarHbrBgL88lbV-B444/s1600/strawberry+picking+61911+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8suYSo2s7BMvGPDnP1HP43OSXyJMOwWwbm5EuqT93b5cVaiSgAGJVA7ZnIX87mwJjA9Z45KM5_mxRAUCfzE_nwFCkW3FTGndaEaNL49k_wjLFvOHvjrvCmSmpgrarHbrBgL88lbV-B444/s320/strawberry+picking+61911+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The only one who complained at all about the heat was little Miss here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPUIXBzwIODJX1Q5mi-6edVZ8-cmj5U3iuS-Fh5rRqWU45MfWXgYeFNhkfZl5sBa6wl4OzVaZ6awMDAAFKP_v21M3Du_3mRQ9RcfF1XMPrp7tCYoytdXFaEtptDFJ2B4CbsUReYz16qI2/s1600/strawberry+picking+61911+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilPUIXBzwIODJX1Q5mi-6edVZ8-cmj5U3iuS-Fh5rRqWU45MfWXgYeFNhkfZl5sBa6wl4OzVaZ6awMDAAFKP_v21M3Du_3mRQ9RcfF1XMPrp7tCYoytdXFaEtptDFJ2B4CbsUReYz16qI2/s320/strawberry+picking+61911+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After an hour or so we had our loot<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIfF1KmZ8dVSTeeBrMFq6pkZ9b5shs6bPnWoFXuNJ8I56ufdA1HijlVs6hWugReZ_fdQkf9ZoU-Dt-Sry5jNm-EcwpsqXTIOWpwngjl-rqtMmP-hmq8iUFRM5WPBF2Y_rHE_KfWbIX4vz/s1600/strawberry+picking+61911+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIfF1KmZ8dVSTeeBrMFq6pkZ9b5shs6bPnWoFXuNJ8I56ufdA1HijlVs6hWugReZ_fdQkf9ZoU-Dt-Sry5jNm-EcwpsqXTIOWpwngjl-rqtMmP-hmq8iUFRM5WPBF2Y_rHE_KfWbIX4vz/s320/strawberry+picking+61911+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>and away we went<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga0jl4BS4YV8gDJ6v8Ky-v23-6Qz7pgqRxl8zwcexa41wKXE3PkqGUd5aswkGs_XY0NmhhtUGe2rs-cW37D1DN5tDLGMj2gvwlBCLEgIiYiG4Q3mscyIfb3umGGGgd7tX2B8GbmW8m5q-/s1600/strawberry+picking+61911+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhga0jl4BS4YV8gDJ6v8Ky-v23-6Qz7pgqRxl8zwcexa41wKXE3PkqGUd5aswkGs_XY0NmhhtUGe2rs-cW37D1DN5tDLGMj2gvwlBCLEgIiYiG4Q3mscyIfb3umGGGgd7tX2B8GbmW8m5q-/s320/strawberry+picking+61911+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Home again home again jiggity jig....<br />
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Now what to do with them? We had about 6 pounds of strawberries because it was the end of the season and they were pretty much picked over and the remaining ones were small, but that is okay I am a fan of the little ones. I prepped and froze about 1.5 pounds, prepped another pound to be inhaled by the husband and son while playing in the baby pool in the back yard, gave some to the daughter, have some held over for strawberry shortcake tonight, and then made this super simple, and ridiculously delicious dessert last night. These are suppose to be served with whipped cream but since I cannot have dairy, we are on a mission to lose baby weight, and it was such a relaxing day I didn't want to deal with leaving the house we ate them as is... .minus the frozen waffle that was busted out at the last minute to suck up the sauce.... oh the sauce... I wish I had taken a photo of my son after he licked his plate clean. Here's the trick... do not tell your kids what is in the sauce, they don't need to know. Bla, bla... honestly and all that... they don't need to know. If they grow up and need therapy because you didn't tell them there was vinegar in their dessert, you come send them to me. I will be happy to tell them to get over it. PS... if you're spouse is picking... don't tell him either.<br />
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Start with your slightly sad looking strawberries<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB7kZUadESWWXPZzc8QUf-Wri3Vpm9Go3DqcnztdGtEMFnH_Fxncfr3Tl_jByL7dCwXjNhe5FnnjSWThuRdqn_kyLfgwGKXbE-ilY9531mt-gkTl1keiCYyoz8DfWtZrKJJ0OMLRsXDOL/s1600/113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWB7kZUadESWWXPZzc8QUf-Wri3Vpm9Go3DqcnztdGtEMFnH_Fxncfr3Tl_jByL7dCwXjNhe5FnnjSWThuRdqn_kyLfgwGKXbE-ilY9531mt-gkTl1keiCYyoz8DfWtZrKJJ0OMLRsXDOL/s320/113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Clean and hull them (which just means cutting off the stem, is it necessary to have an entire word for that process I mean really).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja94ZNRgIOfAfzS3EuGZncGxUZNjhwKfDBM5q9GUtjmLQXFJ77L81mvJkoQJvxBDDxmXXcMu2lMnZQuvwU_ukEwHVoZyaYKNNqFl_GbNiBrz4lMi5UAU769rq7XY2HVypTW_-fAkFj-Zhg/s1600/114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja94ZNRgIOfAfzS3EuGZncGxUZNjhwKfDBM5q9GUtjmLQXFJ77L81mvJkoQJvxBDDxmXXcMu2lMnZQuvwU_ukEwHVoZyaYKNNqFl_GbNiBrz4lMi5UAU769rq7XY2HVypTW_-fAkFj-Zhg/s320/114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Add 2 tablespoons sugar (avoid getting any onto your computer... the draw back of using your computer as a travelling cook book)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlOBf7YWjDubHhYDynV2UkvUGXkoc-sNY0ZKCKmoKXrms5ZwfHUdNdLBKNwfHg9CVDA9z3h2LdqtNu4IAgGyMy0VnRkh0AWRZEiF-GUJahiJT6S3A2j68gdxuxDGuHsU9g5NBvqzMt5Iz/s1600/115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHlOBf7YWjDubHhYDynV2UkvUGXkoc-sNY0ZKCKmoKXrms5ZwfHUdNdLBKNwfHg9CVDA9z3h2LdqtNu4IAgGyMy0VnRkh0AWRZEiF-GUJahiJT6S3A2j68gdxuxDGuHsU9g5NBvqzMt5Iz/s320/115.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Add 2 tablespoon red wine vingar (it's good just do it). Now let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The first time I made this I used balsamic vinegar, but this one is based on Raffy's Strawberries in Vinegar from Giada, not sure if it's better because I can't remember I just remember it works, and it's yummy, yummy, yummy. Now you can make whipped cream here or serve as is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6QRM6M1F0bBmpJtnl2tyQ1R40AfTUZ5-wERxQQ8Cva_aoSa-SY6t8kTDPL8vDa1-4_s_7kvwlnh36RQUmxML6IzzirZsx5-aVzW_VKSfV7oKOphbpGDTap-ov-GNdY-fMImFkiWAkcoc/s1600/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6QRM6M1F0bBmpJtnl2tyQ1R40AfTUZ5-wERxQQ8Cva_aoSa-SY6t8kTDPL8vDa1-4_s_7kvwlnh36RQUmxML6IzzirZsx5-aVzW_VKSfV7oKOphbpGDTap-ov-GNdY-fMImFkiWAkcoc/s320/116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>That is what they look like... I have no photo program on the new computer yet. That is just a plain ol' photo. Looks good doesn't it? It is... promise.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-84007890362521734512011-06-13T08:36:00.000-07:002011-06-14T07:13:40.941-07:00Marinated Skirt Steak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbjtVA1uzcOR9ZPLG7WvovW5BAhQ160UHqKp4M1oMieavWzhHRWkEa1D15JMG7GPZ1q1NGCEDSBWwrDBrEQdQLJNSlBnjm6GJYwBXWoTNNvdQ8_Yk4p1HjZhlegNsDuUzvqVZF-tN8_pP/s1600/SkirtSteak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbjtVA1uzcOR9ZPLG7WvovW5BAhQ160UHqKp4M1oMieavWzhHRWkEa1D15JMG7GPZ1q1NGCEDSBWwrDBrEQdQLJNSlBnjm6GJYwBXWoTNNvdQ8_Yk4p1HjZhlegNsDuUzvqVZF-tN8_pP/s320/SkirtSteak.jpg" t8="true" width="290" /></a></div><div align="center">Western Magazine Photo</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">So the husband and I watch a lot of Food Network. We used to watch it and then recreate recipes, but typically now we just watch it and drool and then order bad pizza because no one has time to cook in our house. Well that time my friend has come to an end. I am happy to announce that I have completed the course work for my Master degree and to celebrate I marinated a coveted skirt steak. I called it coveted because every time I have ever gone to the store looking for skirt steak here in Lincoln, they have never had it, and I have been told you can substitute flank steak and that it is the same thing. I have been LIED to. The two steaks are not even the same animal... okay well technically they are exactly the same animal but you get what I'm saying.</div><br />
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I would also like to mention that even if I did not have any time we could still make this (minus the million hours it took me cut off all the fat and connective tissue), it took about 10 minutes to make the marinade and it another 10 to cook it. It took about 5 minutes for it to disappear off the plate.... no joke we never even broke out the forks. The husband cut it up into thin strips and the two of us plus a friend just ate it with our fingers. Sounds a bit barbaric but it had such as nice char that it was like a mini meat appetizer of sorts...totally finger food worthy. That and it was 10pm and we were starving.<br />
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Why were we eating steak at 10pm you may ask... well for the same reason there are no photos of the actual steak... the husband had a flight that came into Omaha at 6:30 which is about an hour and 15 minutes away. I loaded up the kids and went out to meet his plane that was about 15 minutes late... which wouldn't have been a big deal but I had this in the car for a solid HOUR AND A HALF<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FQO9YKO5hjDw1hunlW6EMc5iOKm-zJitiZGbfZ7dFd5oD38cfwe3fVR_Li2NOZOjyCHuUjz9HBEQRC83z1cwa0W-GW-oIjZTFV9iqY_NvPDeU7sRUPROs9y7v0z8ix_s16XeBU-ir9gk/s1600/crying-baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2FQO9YKO5hjDw1hunlW6EMc5iOKm-zJitiZGbfZ7dFd5oD38cfwe3fVR_Li2NOZOjyCHuUjz9HBEQRC83z1cwa0W-GW-oIjZTFV9iqY_NvPDeU7sRUPROs9y7v0z8ix_s16XeBU-ir9gk/s1600/crying-baby.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div><br />
We tried to pull over and walk around Whole Foods to see if it improved her mood, and it did... a true sign that she is a child of my heart, but as soon as we put her back in the car the tears and screaming started up again. I suspect it was her disappointment in not being able to take anything away from the cheese island due to her Milk Protein Soy Intolerance, but it might have been the lack of quail eggs that sent her over the edge, and unlike Mamma she could not console herself with a great bottle of Bordeaux, picked up on sale.<br />
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Now.... grab yourself some Tabouleh salad, and a great bottle of red and make this finger food... I mean steak that you will eat like a civilized human being with a fork. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Marinated Skirt Steak</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The New American Steakhouse Cookbook</span><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong> <br />
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3/4 cup balsamic vinegar<br />
1/2 cup corn oil or other neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola<br />
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce<br />
2 shallots, roughly chopped<br />
2 garlic cloves<br />
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper<br />
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves<br />
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tablespoon kosher salt<br />
4 pounds skirt steak, cleaned of all exterior fat and connective tissue<br />
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<strong>Method</strong><br />
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Put all ingredients except the steak in a blender and blend until smooth.<br />
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Pour the marinade over the skirt steak in a nonreactive pan.<br />
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Marinate, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 hours before grilling, but no more than 10 hours.<br />
When ready to cook the steaks, prepare your grill for grilling.<br />
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Remove the skirt steak from the marinade and clean away any excess marinade with the back of a knife.<br />
Grill the steak over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side to serve it rare to medium-rare.<br />
When cooked, slice the steak thinly against the grain, starting at one corner and cutting on the bias. Serve either hot or at room temperature.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-10542067342447329822011-06-06T13:42:00.000-07:002011-06-06T13:42:18.045-07:00My FINAL final<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NtA-h01X__VlqlQC-Gt6kmVudxB2O8HKQ2mHMUIaM7EmhbUPbMugvB6OyDyvJpl4STYyMlyI1_kQL74CBS6JEzv3EYIAvW5ByMseaWPUsPvIeYXF4Q8hzTm_TC02emTmOeZEP6F1oCbp/s1600/final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NtA-h01X__VlqlQC-Gt6kmVudxB2O8HKQ2mHMUIaM7EmhbUPbMugvB6OyDyvJpl4STYyMlyI1_kQL74CBS6JEzv3EYIAvW5ByMseaWPUsPvIeYXF4Q8hzTm_TC02emTmOeZEP6F1oCbp/s1600/final.jpg" t8="true" /></a></div>I'm still alive... sort of.... see you after exams.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-50747381929772245982011-05-24T08:17:00.000-07:002011-05-24T08:17:05.592-07:00The Lightest and Best Carrot Cake Cupcakes EVER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupVyMchgVTRniRvZh0zHSL1WsE1tOX5Hy2eHux4LJI00UBS303xUqrYIwfJjRNA37kHJyf9Q6MoJEIKWjNDhTk3cUUgjoHjukJn0fC89oqixd4fB-OfjVfZV-y3j_CRo_ao60rAcG4txq/s1600/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupVyMchgVTRniRvZh0zHSL1WsE1tOX5Hy2eHux4LJI00UBS303xUqrYIwfJjRNA37kHJyf9Q6MoJEIKWjNDhTk3cUUgjoHjukJn0fC89oqixd4fB-OfjVfZV-y3j_CRo_ao60rAcG4txq/s400/010.JPG" t8="true" width="300" /></a></div><br />
I may have mentioned that I have a "high spirited child". Or more like a too highly spirited child. He is stubborn, moody, loud, and crazy... oh just like his parents. However all that has changed since I did a little research on the food dyes that have been all over the news as of late. Turns out they are petroleum based. Last I checked petroleum is not actually food, but hey I'm also against high fructose corn syrup so you know that makes me a tree hugging hippy around these parts. I'll admit it, I've hugged a tree, I don't care, I'll do it again. I'm not scared.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN1h19liMNobKtIxPvIHZTEMIRocEB6T9-IESVd8ePTfT6wbuA_eIdAnKa71cVxItW2LRBXgZevolLBjWJ4dL5H5Dy-MEsMKdjsUMbw-tXBZnY0YCCEz9P-SYncZiNyAjMmwoDOFXu0TG/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN1h19liMNobKtIxPvIHZTEMIRocEB6T9-IESVd8ePTfT6wbuA_eIdAnKa71cVxItW2LRBXgZevolLBjWJ4dL5H5Dy-MEsMKdjsUMbw-tXBZnY0YCCEz9P-SYncZiNyAjMmwoDOFXu0TG/s400/004.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
So the first thing to go was Red #40. Absolutely NO red 40 under any circumstances, and no Blue, and preferably no yellow either. Which means no processed foods, no cake mixes, and no bakery cakes. This is fine day to day but posed a problem when I remember that ummmm I don't really bake and I had a child with a birthday last week. Okay... what can we make that will pass for cake on short noticed that is not a cake that I could screw up.... dudududaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Carrot Cake to the rescue.<br />
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I was worried they weren't cooked all the way through but they were and they were moist so don't cook them until they are firm to the touch or they will dry out. I was sad to miss out on that heaping mound of cream cheese frosting but everyone else loved them. His teachers said that even the fussy kids ate them with no complaints. And the teachers have had no complaints about his new enhanced calm, and sweet disposition. Bye bye Red 40 go make someone elses children crazy. PS. The UK found that after banning food dyes that about a third of all ADHD cases disappeared. Mainly because they were most likely caused by food interactions not actual ADHD. If you have a child making you nuts, try cutting out their red food for a week (takes about a week to get out of their systems). We say a difference instantly. Now he's not a saint as he is still a 3 year old boy, but what a difference. Making a cake from scratch is a small price to pay for such amazing results.... I meant in the child, but the cake is pretty amazing too... give it a try.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzL3B7kkJwBZcbsGuaskkhHCv6r-YPANgcwLYuoEsW0eOcNA_f4PyUWAgsfptc5-THayIsLAmA8TXCXYA2jbsUNWCiwyPdrPJNmi76CQ4SmHfdiyR-qg2uGck1zvzETwN6dIJBM6BinqoK/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzL3B7kkJwBZcbsGuaskkhHCv6r-YPANgcwLYuoEsW0eOcNA_f4PyUWAgsfptc5-THayIsLAmA8TXCXYA2jbsUNWCiwyPdrPJNmi76CQ4SmHfdiyR-qg2uGck1zvzETwN6dIJBM6BinqoK/s400/005.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>The Best Ever Carrot Cake Cupcakes</strong></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paula Deen</span></div><br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<br />
<em>For Cake</em>:<br />
4 eggs <br />
3/4 cup vegetable oil <br />
1/2 cup apple sauce <br />
1 cup sugar <br />
1 cup brown sugar <br />
1 8-oz. can of crushed pineapple, well drained <br />
3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided <br />
2 cups all-purpose flour <br />
2 teaspoons baking soda <br />
2 teaspoons baking powder <br />
1/2 teaspoon salt <br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon <br />
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg <br />
Small pinch of ground cloves <br />
3 cups grated carrots, grate on larger side of cheese grater <br />
1 cup chopped pecans <br />
<br />
<em>For Frosting</em>: <br />
1/2 cup butter, softened <br />
8 oz. cream cheese, softened <br />
3 cups confectioners' sugar <br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract <br />
Fresh coconut, shaved and toasted for garnish (optional) <br />
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, apple sauce, sugars, pineapple and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and small pinch of ground cloves. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into muffin tin lined with beautiful paper or foil liners. Fill each liner 3/4 full. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 min. Let cupcakes cool completely. While cooling, prepare frosting. <br />
<br />
<em>Frosting: </em><br />
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pile the frosting high on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with the toasted coconut if desired. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OWwwwJEBAfyIVItbppMhewqh2Z0WEnlPWyS8HHvs-ZF7dFJtlxfIXdPghSp52zZPMbJKb0CnhoB1ZbAbc69DQiR_QeLPeWXJG5Dwp4i9gA0sQxkodcwj9sJgo1b2Db0DIoPp4DucBWop/s1600/Birthday+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OWwwwJEBAfyIVItbppMhewqh2Z0WEnlPWyS8HHvs-ZF7dFJtlxfIXdPghSp52zZPMbJKb0CnhoB1ZbAbc69DQiR_QeLPeWXJG5Dwp4i9gA0sQxkodcwj9sJgo1b2Db0DIoPp4DucBWop/s400/Birthday+050.JPG" t8="true" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yes those are blue decorations but how much could be in those really?</div>Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6580862315658767058.post-84708885635415448262011-05-18T12:36:00.000-07:002011-05-18T12:44:19.798-07:00Giveaway Winner and the Coconut Blondies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAptZ-_GtwhQ9QjeT-Qy-KsF9a7QjsBNLutNyfPMafSYc9-NAcZ0dNDDMT9UtH6LqPyllJ5aWu-jxU9a7eSgc4U-tBGKswlLYsxaXqEan7b7wV9uNirkKjh8Ymknu8pe-ILeyq5oz0wTch/s1600/winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAptZ-_GtwhQ9QjeT-Qy-KsF9a7QjsBNLutNyfPMafSYc9-NAcZ0dNDDMT9UtH6LqPyllJ5aWu-jxU9a7eSgc4U-tBGKswlLYsxaXqEan7b7wV9uNirkKjh8Ymknu8pe-ILeyq5oz0wTch/s320/winner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And the winner is.... msheavt said... <br />
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I would LOVE to wear hats and I would love to see American women embrace the tradition! I have a baptism to attend in June and was acutally thinking of wearing something fancy. I do agree with all your comments on the above photos. I think my fav is probably the Princess of Kent.<br />
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Congratulation Msheavt! Your selected piece is on it's way and hopefully you will love it.<br />
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I was going to take this time to vent about a piece I recently ordered that I did not love. It was not from the shop above, but I decided I am above all that nonesense and will go about my day.... uh... no.. okay I have to at least show you a picture of the acclaimed "Quality piece" sent to me by AwardDesigns.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5AH0B4B6YI_gvi2sU63MUG1f0Q1fktoV5TdAYw6xEgpSrlMo4pkSk3-M8mj-ul4S9V2NBttQfSdiPDWlalFmm6OYky0At4_cNiAbyyooaFaLL5a4qZNoLcJ370DNkGTYRc_BRk0c_JBB/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5AH0B4B6YI_gvi2sU63MUG1f0Q1fktoV5TdAYw6xEgpSrlMo4pkSk3-M8mj-ul4S9V2NBttQfSdiPDWlalFmm6OYky0At4_cNiAbyyooaFaLL5a4qZNoLcJ370DNkGTYRc_BRk0c_JBB/s320/022.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Here my friend is a $50 piece of road kill! I am sorry to say this is a fairly good picture. Let's take a look at the underside shall we?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmwksItVy3OD8NdthFMK2wT-DtApMur_g2geslDy6A6Abbq8yW8X9klRGjmusYZe4mddD_J_VVF_INWBwD9WgtBMRj89BRnNR3gAPrljA6t0_FlzZgcLTv0cTQNGrDDnCq-lLu7104Qu/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmwksItVy3OD8NdthFMK2wT-DtApMur_g2geslDy6A6Abbq8yW8X9klRGjmusYZe4mddD_J_VVF_INWBwD9WgtBMRj89BRnNR3gAPrljA6t0_FlzZgcLTv0cTQNGrDDnCq-lLu7104Qu/s320/020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Why yes that is glue from a hot glue gun and a metal tab froma party hat string, thank you for asking. Still fuming. I wrote to Etsy who unfortunately couldn't help me because the woman would not take this back. Looks just like what she advertises doesn't it?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3fc11by-gswd176WYS9Gw3bQtq3aWTGEwdpT9b-5pNJ26OE_9aU4pSneQ15EgmjnEGE4ks_kVUi9wPzbMgXFabWih5pPEF3ZjmHB713sWvPE4mvjedRAuFEIrqOgfPZFVnHimschXRKA/s1600/023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3fc11by-gswd176WYS9Gw3bQtq3aWTGEwdpT9b-5pNJ26OE_9aU4pSneQ15EgmjnEGE4ks_kVUi9wPzbMgXFabWih5pPEF3ZjmHB713sWvPE4mvjedRAuFEIrqOgfPZFVnHimschXRKA/s320/023.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>I meant to say... looks NOTHING like what she advertises. Oh well.... when life hands you a piece of road kill, give it to the cat, report the shop owner to paypal and make blondies.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPMgCih4zY1X2R9Ay3ekSvwMv1Gsa0KisMkIH4ZOaowHmRY6PW8jsmHeW1hQ1oqzDpwMTnquqDVSQUcOCh6H3JVOc0S2F1zBuvypxsHGaQ_IVDgLzKY_hJe_xMS6FB4n4tNhYjHYsUe_6/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPMgCih4zY1X2R9Ay3ekSvwMv1Gsa0KisMkIH4ZOaowHmRY6PW8jsmHeW1hQ1oqzDpwMTnquqDVSQUcOCh6H3JVOc0S2F1zBuvypxsHGaQ_IVDgLzKY_hJe_xMS6FB4n4tNhYjHYsUe_6/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Coconut Blondies<br />
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<br />
Ingredients<br />
<br />
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder<br />
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips<br />
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled <br />
<br />
Method<br />
<br />
In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the brown sugar, beating the mixture until it is light and fluffy, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the vanilla. In a small bowl whisk together the salt, the baking powder, and the flour, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat the batter until it is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and the coconut, spread the batter evenly in a buttered and floured 13- by 9-inch baking pan, and bake it in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and crumbs adhere to a tester. Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack and cut it into squares.<br />
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Makes about 32 blondies.Bossy Chefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830838067227034624noreply@blogger.com1