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Jeni, Jeni

You’re the girl for me

You don’t know me

But you make me so happy

How could Tommy Tutone have known, way back then? Courtesy of my new book, “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home”, I am now an ice cream maker. Well, I have an ice cream maker. And Jeni’s got the recipes.

This is what I’ve tried so far:

(Please forgive the lack of pictures. I'll do better next time.)

-Chocolate Peanut Butter (a combination of The Buckeye State Ice Cream & The Darkest Chocolate Ice Cream in the World) This is the clear winner so far. Not so much because it is a superior ice cream, but because its chocolate and peanut butter. Few are immune. I chopped up some Reese’s PB Cups for a fun addition, but I don’t think it needed it. Pretty darn outstanding on its own.

-Cinnamon Ice Cream (a variation of Star Anise Ice Cream) My intention was to have a scoop of this cinnamon ice cream atop a slice of homemade peach pie. Unfortunately, the ice cream got a little too soft in transit, so it ended up being more like a soup. Not very picturesque, but pretty tasty. I think I like the simpler flavours. I’m looking forward to trying other spices, and a chai version.

-Gucci Muu Muu (chocolate & curry!). This was a special request from Rachel for Asian-Fusion Night. In case you are not able to break our super-secret code, this is a night on which we make and eat foods from Asia. It’s crazy! Not really. But the ice cream is. The texture is divine, but there is definitely a curry kick, and it’s kind of weird. Not good. Not bad. Just weird. The recipe called for toasted unsweetened coconut flakes. I used sweetened, and neglected to toast it. I think the toasting would really help the texture. I will definitely toast next time. And use unsweetened. But I’m not sure I need to make chocolate curry again. You can never be sure though…

-Bangkok Peanut Ice Cream. As I had my reservations about the above ice cream, I chose to make an alternate Asian-esque ice cream. This was delicious, though same coconut issues as above. It also had a pinch of cayenne, which gave just a little back of the throat burn. It was nice. Peanut is a good ice cream flavour.

-Cucumber, Honeydew & Cayenne Frozen Yogurt. The book recommended this as a pairing for the Bangkok Peanut. So why not? Thoughts: The yogurt tang is awesome! I love it, and am looking forward to the next frozen yogurt. The honeydew didn’t really come through, nor did the cayenne. It was mostly cucumber. Now the recipe called for an English Hothouse cuke, and I used a standard, so maybe that’s the reason. Though I enjoyed eating it, I think it was the idea of it more than the taste. All I could think was tzatziki. Which is good stuff, but not really what you’re looking for in ice cream. Worth a try though.

What other flavours are on the docket, you may be asking. Well… Scarlet & Earl Grey (black tea & cherries), Kona Stout (coffee & beer), Baked Apple Sorbet, Queen City Cayenne (bittersweet chocolate & cayenne), Black Coffee, and Grapefruit Hibiscus Frozen Yogurt (based on color alone).

Less Impractical Than Previously Thought

I bought a tart pan a while ago. Not the most practical kitchen gadget – how much use is it going to get? How much precious storage space is it going to require? I can’t remember now what I bought it for, but it was for something specific, not just a random kitchen filler. So hopefully that went well. Because I forgot about it for a long time. Exactly how long I’m not sure. But long enough to not remember why I bought it.

But I digress. It’s back, and in heavy rotation. I’m churning out adorable tarts as often as I can. I’m up to 3 uses, but that’s all this week. I feel like it’s future will be busy. Check out the spinach pie with artfully arranged artichoke hearts. It’s just so adorable. Oh, and I’ve also blind-baked for the first time in this little guy. Pinto beans in a coffee filter. I did the first one, and then forgot to put the beans in for the second, and found out why you need the beans. Major shrinkage. By the third, I was back to beans.

To inaugurate a different pan, I made the balance of the tarts even tinier and more adorable, if it’s possible. There’s the Trudy (a Belize-inspired coconut tart) and the Zane (a district convention-inspired combination of lemony cream cheese and maple apples). (The Trudy was for nostalgia, the Zane is a work in progress for October’s visit.)

Oh, I almost forgot about the muffins. Lately I’ve been having gnat issues. I don’t know if they’re really gnats, but they’re tiny, and they fly. And they like food. Especially ripe fruit. To curb the tiny pests, I’ve been trying to keep as much as possible refrigerated. But you know how you forget about stuff in the fridge? Yeah, me too. So there’s 1 banana on my counter. It’s not black yet. But it’s a little too ripe for my tastes. If I don’t handle it now, it’ll go overripe and bring the bugs. If I put it in the fridge, I’ll forget about it. What do you do with 1 banana? You quarter a recipe. And hope for the best when you don’t have any baking soda or eggs. Stock of essentials seriously depleted. They didn’t hold together well, but they tasted amazing. Banana and walnut and vanilla and butter. Really good butter. I call it a win.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

I think I may have been a little too generous with the powdered sugar, but it's just so fun to watch it snow down over the cake. The bon appétit recipe called for blackberries, I used blueberries. Oh, and I replaced the orange zest with lemon zest, to make the cake Gabes-friendly. Delicious, even a few days later. I imagine a slice would be a delicious mid-afternoon accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee. Maybe tomorrow...

Blackberry Buttermilk Cake (courtesy of bon appétit, July 2011)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp, plus more for pan & parchment

2 1/3 cups cake flour (sifted, then measured) plus more for pan

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

1/4 cup plus 1 1/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3 lg eggs, room temp

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest

1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter pan; line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Arrange berries in a single layer in bottom of pan; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup sugar.

Sift 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl; set aside. Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cups butter and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar in a large bowl at med-high speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and zest. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until incorporated. Pour batter over berries in pan; smooth top.

Bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Let cool in pan set on wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin, sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan bottom; peel off parchment. Dust top generously with powdered sugar and let cool completely.

dreaming in red, white and green

First of all, is it or is it not the most exciting thing ever when your plants grow? It is.

Second of all, is it or is it not the most exciting thing ever when you get to eat your growing plants? It is.

That’s two most exciting things ever. It is too good.

Also, can you see the green of this olive oil? That, my friends, is why they call it liquid gold.

This particular specimen is from Spain. I think you’ll appreciate the following excerpts from the container:

“Savor the exquisite fresh fruit aroma, the glowing rich green color and the distinctive flavor of Zoe as it magically enhances all that it touches.”

Did you catch that? Magical enhancement!

“As light is harmful to the quality and life of olive oil, Zoe comes to you in an attractive tin which not only protects and preserves the oil, but may also be used as a decorative vase when empty.”

It does come in an attractive tin. And I will use it as a decorative vase when empty. Best olive oil ever.

How could this be made any better? Homegrown tomatoes and homemade mozzarella. Something to shoot for.

leftover no longer

The other day I made some puff pastry beds for a pea-tarragon spread (more on this later). But it relates to this post in that I had a little extra puff pastry left over – the strips that are left after biscuit-cutting out the circles for the appetizers. So I put it to good use and made an empanada of sorts.

You’ll notice that it’s organically shaped – no matter, it was delicious!

A smear of goat cheese, a sprinkling of sliced strawberries, a splash of maple syrup. Fold package as best as possible. Bake until golden. Wait a minute or two before sampling to avoid dreaded scalded-tongue syndrome. Carry on.

/'sgɔn/ or /'sgəʊn/

If Wikipedia is to be trusted (and I think it should), ‘…two-thirds of the British population pronounce it /'sgɔn/, rhyming with “con” and “John”, with the preference rising to 99% in the Scottish population. The rest pronounce it /'sgəʊn/, rhyming with “cone” and “Joan”.’

The Scottish in me wants to say /'sgɔn/ but I feel like I’d come across kind of haughty at Starbucks.

“Yeah, can I have one o’ dem der straaawberry scones.”

It’s hard to mesh the Chicaaago and the Scottish. But that’s my burden to bear, not yours. Of course, now that I am a master scone baker (I do not profess to be an expert, but my friends say that I am) why would I ever need to order a scone from Starbucks again?

the recipe: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/08/i-took-deep-breaths.html

notes: i made these once before, and no kidding, the strawberries make the dough messy! (i’ve made a couple versions of the scones with dry ingredients, and the dough is so easy to work with.) but it’s my opinion that the strawberry versions are superior to all the others i’ve tried. i just sliced up a couple strawberries and processed them into the dough. (this worked better than trying to incorporate them solely by kneading.) and i kind of like their knobby-ness. i sprinkled a little turbinado sugar on their tops after glazing too, to brilliant effect (if i do say so myself).

this has become a rather immodest post. sorry.

...upside down cake

you were thinking pineapple, weren't you?

upside down cake has been turned upside down. figuratively.

here's the recipe:

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/06/strawberry-upside-down-cake-with-cardamom/

i used a full clamshell of strawberries, half white half whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp of cardamom, and a square pan. joy's is prettier, but i'm happy with the strawberry-ness of the cake. the whole wheat gives it a heartier feel than cake, which is kind of delicious. i can't taste the cardamom, i could put more next time, but maybe it's just that my cardamom is old and weak. the pan was a little too big, but overall, pretty good cake. not we're having a party cake, more like coffee cake, but not as sweet as some coffee cakes. but not quite like bread. a bread-cake. a coffee-bread. i don't have any more or better descriptors. :( but i'm keeping the recipe, and am thinking i'd like to try it out with other fruits, maybe blackberries...

i had mine with a little espresso. a little (or a large) dollop of whipped cream pushes this baby into dessert territory. mmmmmmmmm.

pasta + anchovied breadcrumbs

its hard to fight stinky fish stereo-types. but fight them i must. i bought a tin and had it on the table next to a pound of spaghetti in preparation for cooking when my italian from italy friend rosa came over and said “i'm making the same thing for dinner”. this is good news. great news. i feel so authentic. and the results? outstanding. look out stereo-types, here i come.

the breadcrumbs add a really cool texture to the pasta, even reheated over the next few days, and coming from a leftover snob, that’s saying something. when i make this again, i will go heavier on the anchovies – i think i will use the whole tin. (btw, these breadcrumbs are courtesy of last week’s french bread, and they smell amazing.)

spaghetti w/ anchovied breadcrumbs (adapted from bon appétit)

1lb spaghetti

3 Tbsp olive oil

6 anchovy fillets, mashed to paste w/ 1 tsp oil from the can

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs

1lb cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup thinly sliced basil

½ cup freshly grated parmesan

cook spaghetti to al dente. drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. heat 1½ Tbsp olive oil in skillet over med heat. add anchovies and half of the garlic, then breadcrumbs. cook breadcrumbs until golden, tossing to distribute evenly, about 5min. scrape crumbs onto plate and cool. heat remaining 1½ Tbsp olive oil in same skillet over med heat. add tomatoes and remaining garlic. cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 3 to 4min. add pasta, basil, cheese and reserved cooking liquid. toss, mix in half of breadcrumbs. season with salt and pepper. transfer to pasta bowl. top with remaining breadcrumbs. serve.

move over potatoes, there's a new side in town

(it seems i neglected to photograph these guys on their own)

nathan goes so far as to say that these could easily replace potatoes as a side. bold talk. but he might be right. the crunchy breadcrumb topping makes these a little more substantial than your average vegetable, and my mom says that artichokes are higher in starch than many other veggies. a brief wikipedia read tells me that there is such a thing as artichoke tea and artichoke liqueur. i had no idea these guys had such a wide range.

artichoke heart gratinata (adapted from giada, food network)

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1lb frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ cup dry white wine

2 Tbsp butter, melted

½ cup plain bread crumbs

½ cup grated parmesan

preheat oven to 450F. warm olive oil in skillet over med-high heat. add garlic, cook 1min. add artichoke hearts, parsley, salt, and peppers. cook until artichoke hearts start to brown, about 3min. add wine, simmer about 3min. transfer to 2qt baking dish. combine melted butter, bread crumbs and parmesan. sprinkle on top of artichokes. bake until golden, about 10min.

h.n.l. rib-eyes

in reviewing my stand on steak, i’m pretty sure i feel strongly that naked is best. well, not completely, there can be salt and pepper. a decent cut of cow is pretty good without a lot of hoopla. at least that’s what i thought last week. this week is a whole new beef ballgame. the tang of the vinegar, the bite of the capers, the creamy goodness of the gorgonzola all work together to take these steaks to the h.n.l.

formal rib-eyes (adapted from bon appétit)

vinaigrette

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup minced shallots

¼ cup olive oil

¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 Tbsp drained capers

¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola

simmer vinegar in small pan over med heat until reduced to ¼ cups, about 6min. add shallots, olive oil, and crushed red pepper. return to simmer. remove from heat. whisk in parsley and capers. season with salt and pepper.

steaks

olive oil

3 garlic cloves, pressed

2 boneless rib-eyes

4 tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp coarse sea salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

rub both sides of steaks with oil and garlic. mix paprika, salt and pepper. sprinkle on both sides of steaks. let stand 1hr. grill over med-high heat to desired doneness. plate: bed of mache, steak, vinaigrette, cheese. enjoy!

Back to Bread: Pizza Crust

Unfortunately, the under-microwave above stove light casts an unflattering hue. I should learn from this, and stop taking pictures at that location. I should, but will I?

The KitchenAid and it's trusty recipes have done it again. Two successful pizzas under my belt, I am encouraged to reach for greatness. I baked the crusts for 10 minutes without any toppings, then 20 minutes with toppings. As we weren't ready to eat yet, I let them repose in the turned off oven to keep them warm. That might have been too much - the crusts were a little crispier than I would have liked. But no matter, they were still pretty good, especially since there was no middle of the pizza sogginess. And there was much rejoicing.

Speaking of toppings...

Pizza #1: your basic tomato-mozz combo. I halved grape tomatoes & briefly sauteed them with garlicky olive oil. Sprinkled over pizza along w/ sauteed crushed garlic, chopped fresh mozzarella, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, and shaved parmesan.

Pizza #2: zucchini-ricotta. Spread a little ricotta around the crust in lieu of sauce. Top with sauteed zucchini slices & garlic. Same spices as above and a dusting of parmesan.

To accompany the pizzas, we had a little beet & blue cheese salad. Enhanced with just a pinch of pink salt - if you look closely you can see the flecks. Next time add pepper, and maybe some balsamic, but a good combination of flavours. And the beets held their texture well - I boiled them last week. Overall - success! :)

(From the KitchenAid manual)

Crusty Pizza Dough

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp olive oil

2 1/2+ cups all-purpose flour

1 tbs cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 1 1/2 minutes, or until dough starts to clean sides of bowl. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down.

Brush 14" pizza pan with oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings. Add toppings, as desired. Bake at 450F for 15-20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (1/4 pizza per serving).

Per serving: About 373 cal, 11 g protein, 74 g carb, 3 g fat, 0 mg chol, 271 mg sodium.

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

The biscotti are crunchy, and these are melt-in-your mouth smooth. I didn't have instant espresso powder, so just made some really strong espresso and used that. There is a hint of coffee to these cookies, which goes really well with the shards of chocolate. Also, I used Plugra butter - I don't know if I can taste it, but my heart wants to believe. :)

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/espresso-chocolate-shortbread-cookies/

Anise Biscotti

I started out making the Chocolate-Orange recipe from the link below. I didn't have any orange liqueur, but I had orange bitters, and thought those might pass. The sniff test rejected them as an option though. Next to the bitters was a bottle of Pernod, and having replaced the orange peel with crushed anise seed, I ended up with a whole different cookie. To make them roommate-friendly, I also forewent the chocolate. Beware coffee & tea cups, you're about to get dunked!

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2003/08/chocolate_orange_biscotti

Zucchini-Sweet Potato Bread

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect zucchini bread recipe, but definitely getting warmer. This recipe produced a delicious loaf, but I think I'm going to try it again with less oil and less sugar. The flavour was good - I'm loving the allspice. And that crispy top is a wonderful combination of flavour and texture. (I used a combination of shredded sweet potato and zucchini.)

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2004/06/spiced_zucchini-walnut_bread

the glory fades

I dream of Crescenza Luisi's focaccia bread.

I dream of making Crescenza Luisi's focaccia bread.

Today's attempt was a nightmare.

Moving on...

The sign advertising kumquats said "eat them whole." How could I resist?

I cannot at this moment recall a more exciting product of the ground. It is like a tiny orange. Only you eat the rind. The rind is slightly bitter and kind of sweet. The flesh is juicy and sour. The mini-orange explodes in your mouth. It's a sweet/sour/tangy/juicy explosion!

And now, in order to preserve the remainder of the package, they are candied and in the fridge. I plan to add them to a cake (perhaps of the coffee persuasion) and I think they are screaming to be part of a cocktail. Results to follow.

French Bread!

Yes, that's right, courtesy of my favourite mom & dad (thank you thank you thank you), I am now the proud owner of this most holy grail of kitchen appliances. (As far as I know, drinking from it's stainless steel bowl will not guarantee eternal life, but a lifetime of perfectly mixed ingredients is guaranteed.)

To inaugurate this new addition to my life, I made bread. French bread, to be specific. The mixer came with a manual that includes several recipes, French bread among them. In 3 minutes (3 minutes!), my dough was kneaded and ready to rise. C'est magnifique!

FRENCH BREAD

2 pkgs (4.5tsp) active dry yeast

2.5c warm water

1T salt

1T butter, melted

7c all-purpose flour

2tsp cornmeal

1 egg white

1T cold water

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl. Add salt, butter, and flour. Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute, or until well blended. Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer. Dough will be sticky.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll each half into 12" x 15" rectangle. Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends if desired. Place loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal. Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Bake at 450F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Beat egg white and water together with a fork. Brush each loaf with egg mixture. Return to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.

Yield: 30 servings (15 slices per loaf)

Per serving: About 114cal, 3g protein, 23g carb, 1g fat, 0mg chol, 221mg sodium

Personal Notes: Kind of cool today, 1st rising in 170F oven, 2nd rising in 170F oven turned off. King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour ($4.49/5lbs). Rolled out on pastry marble - so much better than formica countertop. Loaves bigger than I expected - next time use 2 pans. Post egg wash, baked for full 10 minutes.

Cupcakes are mad cool.

I have never been cutting-edge. I am okay with that. So it does not bother me that the whole world has gone cupcake-crazy in the last decade, and that we are nearing the end of the craze. (I hear pie is the next big thing.) Anyway, I have never loved cupcakes, maybe because I've never had a really good one, and I've tried some of the popular cupcake chain product. But, they are so practical. I mean, a personal cake. Silverware optional. Plate optional.

Inspired by Orangette's recipe (and an episode of Cupcake Wars watched while ellipticizing), I decided to try out cupcakes for a picnic on Saturday. Chocolate cupcakes injected with Raspberry-Key Lime jam, topped with Tiffany's-blue vanilla frosting. (I intended to make the chocolate ganache, but neglected to buy an important ingredient - the chocolate.) This photo is from the test batch. And the test batch results are in: this picnic is going to have some mighty tasty cupcakes!!

Success has given me wings, and I'm now going to try making Chai Cupcakes. Welcome to my personal cupcake craze. Radical!

roasted cauliflower

Thanks to Orangette for this!

http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/09/tremendous-things-what-im-eating-and.html

I'm jealous of the green cauliflower, but the white didn't disappoint, taste-wise.

oatmeal cream pies

Recipe http://lookimadethat.com/2011/01/10/oatmealcremepies/

Notes: (1) I didn't have dates, I used golden raisins. I probably should have chopped them up a little - I used them whole. (2) I made the cookies too big. (3) I should have undercooked the cookies a little. Too crunchy for practical sandwichosity. (4) My meat thermometer (the only one I have) doesn't work, so I had to guess on the temperature of the eggs. (5) Maybe I should have kept whipping, but fluff is still a little soft, my cookies were sliding off of one other. And fluff is kind of intense. I have a lot left over (I didn't sandwich all the cookies), so now I need to know what to do with extra fluff. And egg yolks.

It looks good in the picture though! :)

latticed pie crust

The lattice top seemed so easy in my head, but translating that to the actual crust proved to be a challenge. Something to shoot for...

capricci con zucchine

I am doomed to repeatedly buy perishable items with the best of intentions, put them in the fridge, and then completely forget about them. Que lastima! Fortunately, these organic zucchini hadn't lost their life yet. Sauteed with garlic, tsp butter, and tbsp olive oil. I didn't time pasta right, so they were a little softer than I would have liked, but pretty delicious nonetheless. Sprinkled with 1/2 cup parmesan/romano/asiago mix. Added pasta. Drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Not heavy like a cream sauce, but with the same satisfying texture.

Close up below shows the beauty of these capricci. I spent more than usual for this pound of pasta, but I'm not regretting it in the least. I used 3 medium size zucchini to the pound of pasta - I would halve the pasta or double the zucchini next time. Oh, and salt and pepper to taste, of course!

Cabbage: Delicious & Beautiful

I've been working hard at not wasting food. It's harder than it sounds. I bought a head of red cabbage and had only used a few leaves. (Used in place of tortillas for tacos - healthy and tasty.) After letting the remaining cabbage repose on the refrigerator shelf for longer than I'd like to admit, I decided to sautee some to accompany some salmon & leftover rice.

First, I toasted coriander, cumin, white & black peppers, and allspice (all whole seeds/berries) then crushed the mixture with a mortar & pestle. The smell of toasted spices is wonderful - try it today! Second, I filled a hot skillet with chopped cabbage (1/4 head), drizzled w/ a bit of olive oil, and sprinkled on the spice mixture. About 10 minutes, with the occasional stir, and my cabbage was ready - pleasantly fragrant, warmed through, and still crunchy. I can't wait to make it again.

A Dessert Vegetable

Swiss chard is a kind of beet grown for its leaves instead of its root. This tidbit courtesy of my Saveur Cooks Authentic French cookbook. I heart this cookbook. The recipes are amazing and the side bars make me so happy.

Though finding swiss chard was a daunting task (several grocery stores were either out of stock or didn't carry it), the result was worth the search. I had my doubts as to whether a green could pass for a dessert, and I don't love raisins, but as a package, it works. Thanks Saveur!

Unpretty Food

Looks can be deceiving.

Beef Rezala

1 large onion

2t freshly grated ginger

2t crushed garlic

5 cloves

.5t black peppercorns

6 green cardamom pods, crushed

2in cinnamon stick, halved

1# stewing beef cubes

Puree onion in food processor. In glass dish, combine onion, ginger, garlic, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks. Add beef cubes. Stir to cover. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Pull out of fridge an hour before cooking.

4T canola oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

.75c plain yoghurt

.25c butter

1t salt

.5t ground cumin

.5t hot chilli powder

.5t freshly grated nutmeg

In large pan, heat oil over med-high heat. Fry sliced onion for 7min, or until golden brown. Remove onion slices. Drain onions on paper towels.

In remaining oil, fry marinated beef cubes 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for another 5 minutes.

In small pan over low heat, mix yoghurt and butter. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add salt, cumin, chili powder and nutmeg. Stir into beef. Cover, cook for 45 minutes, or until beef is tender.

Garnish with fried onions. I served with Spinach Pulao.

Healthy-ish Cookies

Recipe from Food Network.

I replaced the rolled oats with steel-cut. Worked just fine!

Granola

I spent $8 on fancy granola bars the other day. Less than a dozen ingredients, all of which I could pronounce. They looked hearty and delicious. I reasoned myself into purchasing them, thinking that I could attempt to re-create them at home, for a much more reasonable price. Salt was not on the ingredients list, and you could tell. I was disappointed with my purchase, but inspired to make a superior product. So, with several modifications, here is my first attempt at granola.

1c steel-cut oats

.5c coarsely chopped raw cashews

.25c almond meal

.25c coconut flakes

2T dark brown sugar

.25t salt (hawaiian pink)

.33c dark chocolate chips

2T agave nectar

2t coconut oil

2t safflower oil

.5t vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 250^F. In large bowl, combine oats, cashews, almond meal, coconut, sugar, salt, and chocolate chips. In small bowl, combine agave nectar, coconut oil, safflower oil, and vanilla. I had to microwave combination for 15 seconds to liquify coconut oil. Whisk to combine, then pour over oat mixture. Stir until evenly coated. Pour into 8x8 pan. Bake 1:30, or until desired consistency is reached.

Notes: A little too sweet - easier on the agave syrup next time. Try chopped almonds in lieu of almond meal. Maybe half steel-cut / half rolled oats - I love the groats, but the rolled might add a little more variety of texture. Could be improved, but already superior to the $8 guys.

Spinach Pasta

Fast & easy!

1T butter

1T olive oil

1c chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

10oz spinach leaves, roughly chopped

.5# spaghetti

1T extra virgin olive oil

.5c Parmigiano

salt & pepper

Bring water to boil. Sautee garlic and onion in butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pasta to boiling water. Boil per package directions. Add chopped spinach to onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Cover. Let wilt about 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Keep covered until pasta is finished. Mix together with extra virgin olive oil and Parmigiano. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Artichoke Risotto

This is my first attempt at risotto. And it was great! Creamy but not heavy - just what I was looking for. The flavour of the shallots complemented the artichokes nicely. Saving a bit of butter to mix in at the end added richness. I can't wait to try out other variations!

3.5c chicken broth + 2c water

2T butter, divided

2T olive oil

1c chopped shallot

12oz pkg frozen artichoke hearts

1.5c arborio rice

.5c dry white wine (pino grigio)

.5c Parmigiano

salt & black pepper

Bring chicken broth and water to a simmer. Maintain at simmer.

In saute pan over med-high heat, melt 1T butter and olive oil. Add shallots, saute about 5min. Add artichokes, stir to coat. Cover about 8min, or until artichokes are slightly browned.

Add rice. Stir, about 2min, to coat all grains of rice in oil. Add wine. Stir 1min. Add 1.5c broth. Cook until absorbed, stirring often. Add remaining broth .5c at a time, allowing liquid to absorb each time. (This should take about 25min.)

Stir in remaining 1T butter, Parmiggiano, sprinkle of salt and generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.