Sunday, August 7, 2011
Confession time! If I want coffee from a coffeeshop, I go out of my way to make sure I get it from a local shop. Nashville has SO many great, authentic, unique shops. I have a different reason I love each and every one of these I could tell you, but I don’t want this post to get too long and rambling. I will at least name my favorites: Crema, Dose, Drinkhaus, Bongo Java (especially Fido), Frothy Monkey, & Dunn Bros. Starbucks doesn’t enter my mind as an option very often (unless they are having some kind of special like Frappuccino Happy Hour!). I just find the coffee at all the aforementioned places to be much better. However….(and this is where the confession comes in) ever since I attended Blog Her Food ’11 back in May, I’ve been incredibly, embarrassingly addicted to Starbucks Iced VIA. Like really, really, really addicted. As in, I recently found a mega-deal and purchased enough to have 50 little packets of instant goodness ready for my enjoyment.
It was at the closing party that I stopped at the Starbucks table and chatted with the lovely ladies representing Starbucks. They had swag bags to give out with a few different VIAs, including Italian Roast, French Roast, Decaf, and the aforementioned Iced VIAs. They encouraged me to take some of the extra samples of the (non-iced) VIA packets. Me, being lover-of-all-things-free, happily dug my hand into the bowl for a fisty stash. Only later at home, when I was counting my swag did I begin to wonder what in the heck I was gonna do with all this Starbucks VIA, especially the decaf! Finally, it came to me… Make ice cream!
This ice cream was definitely rich! Decadent, and deep with flavor. I brought some to my parents to share with them, and my little brother told me when him & his friends were eating it, they ate vanilla alongside it because it was so rich! If you like coffee, and you like chocolate, this will definitely be the flavor for you. I’m so glad I had the decaf VIAs to use to make this. That way, I could enjoy this ice cream at night, and not worry about it keeping me awake all night! Along with the Starbucks swag I used to make this, I also used the Scharffen Berger chocolate we got as swag at the conference too. They were nice enough to have LOTS of their awesome product to share. I think the Scharffen Berger really contributed to the richness in this ice cream.
If you’re interested in attending a food blog conference, whether it be for the swag, to meet other bloggers, or to pick up tips on how to be a better blogger, there’s one coming to Nashville! Food Blog Forum is coming Saturday, October 8th (with a kick-off event the Friday before). I’m really excited, as I’ll be going! It’s not too late to get your ticket and join in on the fun! After all, besides all the Nashville bloggers in attendance, there’s going to be some pretty awesome out of towners too! 
Mocha Ice Cream
Yield: 5 cups
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package semisweet chocolate squares, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
4 egg yolks
Directions:
Microwave chocolate in a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice; stir in brewed coffee. Set chocolate mixture aside.
Bring whipping cream, half-and-half, 1/2 cup sugar, and coffee granules to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar and coffee dissolve.
Beat yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until thick and pale. With mixer at low speed, gradually pour hot cream mixture into yolk mixture; return to saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate mixture. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Pour chilled mixture into freezer container of a 5-quart hand-turned or electric freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.
Pack freezer with additional ice and rock salt, and let stand 1 hour. Serve ice cream with cookies, if desired.
Friday, July 29, 2011
I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this before, but summer is not my favorite time of year. I know most people seem to look forward to summer, and relish it. But in my opinion, it’s too dang hot to want to do anything outside, even too uncomfortable to just sit on the front porch and read. I’ve never been a pool person and hate laying out (perhaps that’s why I hated being a lifeguard so much). And summer is NOT a relaxing time for me, I always seem to be on the go-go-go all the time. I was out of town every single weekend in May, and ever since then we’ve gone out of town at least every other weekend.
But, just taking one look at this plate makes me want to stop whining about all the things I don’t like about summer, and focus on the things I LOVE about summer. Like tons of great produce in my CSA box. And having enough light to take a decent photo! When I get a good train of thought going like this, it leads me to think of other good things about summer. While it’s true we’ve been out of town every other weekend this summer, most of it’s been because we’ve been visiting family in Kentucky. Between pool parties, barbecues, and going out on the lake, I must say we’ve had a nice summer.
This recipe utilized some great tomatoes from the CSA box, and was super quick and easy to prepare. I know Nathan loves anything with a kick of crushed red pepper, and this recipe has that. He’s not usually a fan of olives, but he more than tolerated them in this dish. I think the olives combined really well with the tomatoes and fish. Having a bountiful box of veggies every two weeks keeps me pretty well supplied with easy, healthy side options, so the roasted veggies were an obvious choice. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough roasted squash & zucchini. (And if I do get tired of roasting, I can just make this raw veggie salad!) Alongside the fish with olives and tomatoes, and the roasted veggies, I cooked up some whole wheat couscous. Once the couscous was done, I mixed in some jarred basil pesto for flavor. The meal was topped off with a sprinkle of fresh local feta cheese I recently picked up at the Farmer’s Market from my favorite goat cheese maker, Noble Springs. This recipe brought everything together really well, and I know it’s one we’ll enjoy again!
Spicy Sauteed Fish with Olives and Tomatoes
Yield: 4 servings
The original recipe called for parsley, which I didn't have, so I subbed fresh basil.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds tilapia, red snapper, or orange roughy fillets
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or parsley)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
Directions:
Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add half of fish to skillet and sauté until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter. Repeat with remaining fish. Add basil and crushed red pepper to same skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, and garlic; sauté until tomatoes are soft and juicy, about 2 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper; spoon over fish.
Monday, July 25, 2011
When I picked up our most recent CSA box, what first caught my eye was the multiple HUGE zucchinis! I knew they’d be perfect to shred up and put in a baked good. In the past, I’ve made Zucchini Spice Cupcakes, which were fantastic. Then I remembered this recipe I had recently bookmarked that caught my eye via Twitter. Combining zucchini with carrots would add color & texture, and since I’ve been really loving ginger lately (I don’t think that addiction will ever end!), I was definitely intrigued by this combo. The cool thing is, when I followed the trail of links for this recipe (I saw it on The Sweets Life, who saw it on Teenie Cakes), it originally came from a book called Eating Local: The Cookbook Inspired by America’s Farmers
. I think that sounds like a great cookbook for someone (like me!) who is a member of a CSA, someone who is growing a garden, or someone who just loves to shop the Farmer’s Market.
As it turned out, my coworker invited us out to our favorite local taproom for a couple beers to celebrate her birthday the same day I picked up my CSA share. I know she’s a health nut enthusiast, so I thought muffins would be a great way to add to the celebration of her day.
When making these, I thought the amount of sugar seemed like it could probably be reduced, but I didn’t want to fool too much with the recipe. After baking them, I think my assumption was right. Next time, I’d reduce the sugar from 1 1/4 cups to 1 cup. But, even with the full amount, they aren’t overly sweet, I’d just rather start the day off with a little less sugar if possible. But for the birthday girl, I slathered on some leftover Honey Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting I had in the freezer! These muffins were moist but sturdy, and definitely tasty. A great breakfast treat to have on hand.
PS. If you, like me, used a HUGE zucchini & end up with leftover shredded zucchini, make Shredded Zucchini Fritters!
Carrot Zucchini Muffins with Candied Ginger
Yield: 18 Muffins
The original recipe called for 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. But because I keep white whole wheat flour on hand, and found it satisfactory in baked goods such as muffins, I used 2 cups white whole wheat flour and 1 cup all purpose. Feel free to use any ratio you'd like.
Also, I left the sugar listed as 1 1/4 cups, but I think you could reduce it to 1 cup if you want a slightly healthier muffin.
Ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, cut into small pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup walnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside (or use liners).
In a medium bowl, sift together flours, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix in the salt and crystallized ginger.
Whisk eggs in a separate bowl until foamy. Mix in oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking until sugar dissolves. Stir in carrots, zucchini, and walnuts.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Divide batter evenly amongst prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until muffins have risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I think everyone, no matter how much you love your job, has those times when you’re SO.READY for the weekend. I work an unusual, compressed schedule. My week gets really intense Thursday – Friday, with Thursday often being a 16 hour day. Once my work is done for the week, and the stress has lifted, my thoughts go straight to “WHAT IS MY FRIDAY DRINK!?” Sometimes I come home and pop open whatever craft beer has recently caught my eye, sometimes I go for a good glass of wine, but often I like to mix up a cocktail.
I was recently contacted by a rep for Candian Club Classic 12 Whisky to see if I wanted to sample their whisky. They describe their whisky as being “lighter than scotch and smoother than bourbon”. Best of all, they provided me with a handful of recipes. One thing I LOVE to do is scour the web for recipes when I decide to make a cocktail. Unfortunately seeing as I’m really indecisive, this can be a long process. As soon as I saw the list of recipes they sent, this one stood out to me immediately! I had every ingredient on hand already. Woot woot! And it used the thyme I have managed to keep alive, but have been wondering how to maximize it’s use.
This cocktail was simple to prepare, didn’t have a huge list of crazy ingredients, and most importantly was refreshing and delicious! As I’ve mentioned many times before whiskey/bourbon is a spirit I really enjoy, but I know it can be intimidating, and have a strong flavor. Now I know my flavor tolerance is probably different that some people’s, but this is a GREAT introductory cocktail! The whisky flavor is subtle, which is a good if you want to just test the water by trying this spirit. It’s not overpowering with sweetness (like a lot of cocktails can be for me) because the only sweetness comes from the watermelon and the triple sec. And the thyme is a nice herbal note. If anything, you taste the tartness of the lemon more than the whisky! If you want the honest truth, once I was done taking pictures of this and ready to start sipping it, I went and added in about another ounce of the Canadian Club Classic 12. Because I LIKE to taste my whiskey. hehehe….
I loved this cocktail! If we didn’t have plans to go to the Nashville Farmer’s Market Night Market that evening, I would have fixed another. I spent a lot of Saturday wondering if I’d get the chance to have another, or if I’d have to wait until Sunday. :D I even think this would be a great drink to mix up in a large batch and serve to company. Sitting on the front porch, this was the perfect summer sipper.
Summer Melon Thyme Sipper
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients:
1.50 parts Canadian Club Classic 12
.75 parts DeKuyper Triple Sec
2 parts fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 - 1” cubes fresh watermelon
3” sprig of thyme, leaves stripped
Directions:
Muddle watermelon in a mixing glass. Add all remaining ingredients and shake vigorously with ice and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass or over fresh ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a watermelon spear, lemon twist, or sprig of thyme.
adapted from Canadian Club
Disclosure: I was provided with the bottle of Canadian Club 12, but the thoughts & opinions are all my own. I would never write about a product I wouldn’t spend my own money on.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
I don’t subscribe to Southern Living magazine, but I really enjoy reading it when I go to my parents’ house. I think one of the things that sold me on the magazine, was it’s wide variety of articles, tips, and recipes. You’d be surprised at what you’ll find. Once, in an article on up and coming neighborhoods in the South, they featured East Nashville. The area of Nashville known as East Nashville is a really hip, fun, neighborhood. To see it featured in Southern Living made me proud! It also showed that Southern Living is hipper than you might think.
My dad recently loaned me a Southern Living Secrets of the South’s Best Barbecue recipe book. It just so happened that my wonderful CSA partner told me to just keep the whole box one weekend when she was out of town (getting ordained as an Episcopalian deacon!). So I found myself with a whole container of beautiful plum tomatoes and wondered, “Oh, what to do?” Somehow I ended up scanning the Southern Living cookbook, and found a Tomato Chutney recipe for which I already had every ingredient it called for. I wasn’t quite sure what a chutney was, but I found the word fun to say. It sounded very southern. But ya know what, I don’t think it is very southern. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s Indian. LOL Nonetheless, this chutney was so easy to make. The end result was rather tasty. I just wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.
As it turned out, the chutney was sort of the answer to the “What the hell am I going to do for dinner?” One night it was served atop pork. Another night atop chicken. This chutney really came through on a couple dinner situations when I wasn’t inspired to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Not to mention it was a great use for tomatoes and garlic we got in our CSA.
And now, to tie everything together… As I mentioned before, we love the diverse neighborhood of East Nashville. One of our first experiences with the area was nearly 4 years ago, when we attended our first Tomato Art Festival. Each year it’s grown into a bigger and better event; one we don’t intend to miss! This year will be the 8th Annual event, so mark your calendars for August 13th. Perhaps I’ll have another tomato related post, and tell you more reasons why we think this festival is fun, but this post is getting a bit long. So, make some tomato art, make some tomato chutney, or at the very least, enjoy a Bloody Mary! And now, for a little fashion fun from Tomato Art Fests past.
My first Tomato Art Fest, and my very first Bloody Mary.
My second fest.
My third fest. Sadly, no Bloody Mary in my hands yet.
Even more sadly is the fact that I didn’t make it out last year. I can’t remember why exactly, but I think I was out of town, for a wedding maybe… My memory gets fuzzy in old age. One thing is always for certain, I will be rocking the shades each & every year! haha
Tomato Garlic Chutney
Yield: 1 1/4 cups
Prep Time: 13 min
Cook Time: 8 min
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds, crushed
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped seeded plum tomato
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Combine first 3 ingredients, and cook over low heat 1 minute.
Stir in chopped plum tomato, curry powder, and salt; cook tomato mixture 8 minutes or until creamy, stirring occasionally. Store in refrigerator.
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