Wednesday, October 13, 2010
I made this salad with some of the last tomatoes from my CSA. Too often when I make a salad at home, I throw in everything but the kitchen sink, and top it with whatever bottled dressing I have on hand. And while it always tastes good, I began to crave a more focused salad, where the ingredients and dressings pair together to balance and compliment. Luckily, this salad did just that.
It’s not very often I go to the trouble of making a homemade dressing, but in this case I sure am glad I did. The flavors combined in this dressing were really unique. I usually avoid any type of creamy dressing, preferring a more traditional vinaigrette. But the creaminess from the mayonnaise wasn’t overpowering, and the balsamic vinegar & dijion mustard provided plenty of tang & bite. I just love balsamic vinegar, so I really loved that the flavor stood out, but it also didn’t over power the dijion flavor. Plus, using half of the artichokes pureed in the dressing really helps thicken it up as well! Genius!
No matter the season, this can be a quick and delicious salad. You can prepare the dressing a couple days in advance, and serve it up to company. The colors of this salad are beautiful!
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Artichoke, Romaine and Cherry Tomato Salad with Balsamic Dijion Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onion tops
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon coarse-grained Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 cups torn romaine lettuce
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (I omitted)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Directions:
Mince 1 jar artichoke hearts in processor. Mix in next 5 ingredients. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add mayonnaise; whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in oil. Cover; chill dressing for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.)
Combine lettuce, onion and tomatoes in bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad among plates. Top with remaining artichokes and Parmesan.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
One of my Facebook friends (also a former high school classmate) knows my affection for pumpkin. She shared a couple pumpkin recipes on my Facebook wall. One recipe was an exact recipe I’d already made before, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies; another was a version of Turkey Bean Pumpkin Chili, which I’ve also made before. I began to question whether she ACTUALLY ever read my blog. 😉 Just kidding, I know she’s a busy mommy these days, and I don’t expect people to remember things I blogged a year or two ago. Heck I can barely remember sometimes! Besides, I do have a rather lengthy list of pumpkin recipes I’ve tried.
Finally, she shared a muffin recipe she had found on AllRecipes. While I’ve made Pumpkin Nut Muffins with Molasses Glaze, this cream cheese version was quite a different take. I couldn’t resist making these. With a quick scan of the ingredients list, I realized these muffins were a bit indulgent, almost cupcake-like. So, me being me, I did what I could to make it at least a little bit healthier, including subbing white whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour in the topping; and subbing a cup and a half of whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose in the muffin recipe. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of white sugar, and I read in one of the reviews that white sugar gives you a lighter texture, and brown sugar a heavier muffin. I definitely wanted these to taste like muffins, not cupcakes, so I did 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white.
Luckily I have coworkers to share these with, because if left alone, I could have consumed the entire batch! I was told by more than one person that they tasted just like a Starbucks muffin, or something you’d get in a bakery. I went easy on the cream cheese topping, and ended up with some left over. I thought it was the just right amount to not overwhelm the muffin. And of course, the streusel topping was the perfect topper. Don’t skip it! YUMMMM!
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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Topping
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Streusel Topping
4 1/2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour*
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans
Muffins
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.
*Feel free to use all-purpose flour if you choose!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
I went about this dish in a backwards way. Before even deciding on a recipe, I chopped up all the veggies from my CSA and whatever else I had in the fridge, drizzled them with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and put them in the oven to roast. I knew I wanted to make some kind of barley salad with them, but I wasn’t sure on the seasonings. Next, I began a pot of barley, and only then did I begin the recipe search.
After much searching (I’m really indecisive!) I finally settled upon a recipe that was perfect because I already had most of the veggies roasting! I didn’t really follow the recipe, per se, but used it as a guideline for flavors that would work well.
This is similar to other grain salads I’ve made in the past, but different enough to have a completely new & refreshing taste. I loved the spicy/sweet/tangy flavor from the dressing, and the richness in flavor from roasting the veggies. The barley has quite a different texture than quinoa or couscous (the grains I turn to most frequently it seems), and might be more approachable to someone new to this type of dish. I brought it to a work potluck and was disappointed to discover there was none left! I can’t wait to get my next box of CSA veggies, because I just might have to make this again!
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Mediterranean Roasted Veggie Barley Salad
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into slices, then quartered
3/4 pound squash, cut into slices, then quartered
2 bell peppers, sliced in half, seeds & core removed
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, quartered
extra-virgin olive oil (to drizzle on veggies)
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups quick cooking barley
2 1/2 cups water or chicken broth (I used 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup water)
(I just happened to have the quick barley on hand, feel free to use pearled barley, just be sure to add more water or broth)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread chopped veggies out onto 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. (Make sure the bell peppers are skin side up.) Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, adding more salt and pepper if necessary, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer roasted veggies to one pan once cooled. Remove skin from peppers, chop.
Bring water/broth to boil in a medium saucepan, add quick cook barley, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes, and remove from heat. Spread barley out on the empty baking pan to cool.
In a large bowl whisk together lemon juice, garlic, 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and black olives to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well. Top with feta cheese.
If you’re interested in more grain & vegetable salads, you might like this Couscous Salad with Butternut Squash & Cranberry; Lemon Cumin Quinoa with Avocado, Raisins, & Apricots; or this Barley & Bean Salad.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
As I mentioned in the Hummingbird Cake post, when my aunt was planning the wedding showers for both my sister (who is now a Mrs! Go see the gorgeous photos!), and my cousin she asked for my help with the cakes. When her & I were brainstorming cake ideas and flavors, my sister’s was pretty easy to choose, because the theme my aunt chose was “Tropical”. But for my cousin’s shower, she had chosen a more autumnal color palatte and theme, and wanted to focus on a theme of “Sunflowers”. I instantly suggested cupcakes decorated like Sunflowers, a la Martha Stewart Cupcakes Cookbook
. However, a flavor didn’t instantly come to me. So, I asked the bride-to-be. I emailed something along the lines of “What flavor do you want? Chocolate, yellow cake, white cake, caramel….???” She chose caramel. So off I went searching for a recipe. I assumed there was one in Martha’s Cupcakes book.
Here’s a little helpful hint. In case you ever offer to make cupcakes, and then offer up flavor suggestions, it might be a good idea to have ACTUAL RECIPES to back up those flavor options! After I discovered Martha didn’t have a recipe, I turned to another renowned baker, Dorie Greenspan. Well, Baking: From My Home to Yours
didn’t have a caramel cake recipe either! So, to the internet I go….
I found two recipes. The first recipe I tried, the caramel begins with just dry sugar heated in a pan. I don’t know why I even attempted that recipe. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. I’ve tried a recipe for homemade caramel that begins this way, it ends badly. My result from that caramel effort was rock hard chunks of sugar. I decided to give the second recipe from the blog Use Real Butter a try. Apparently this was from a previous “Daring Bakers” challenge.
This cake was a success! The flavor was rich & sweet; and the kosher salt was a surprise that would come through in occasional bites. Wow. This was such an intensly delicious flavor! I found this method of making the caramel syrup just about the simplest I’ve ever attempted. You do have to keep an eye on it of course, and just wait for that amber color. When you pour in the water you need to be careful. But it’s still nearly fool-proof.
When it came time to do the frosting and decoration, I must admit, I was very intimidated. I am a slow (and unsteady) decorator. Plus I didn’t even have the necessary frosting tools to frost them. This is where I got lucky. The wonderfully talented Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil mentioned she had that Friday night alone because her husband was going out to a show. I immediately offered my company, and my unfrosted cupcakes. She was kind enough to assist me in the decorating. And, she even had some AMAZING caramel extract to add to the frosting that really brought the taste over the top delicious! Plus, decorating cupcakes is much faster when there is help! Thanks again Lindsay!
As far as frosting them went, we discovered that we weren’t quite skilled enough to make them perfect, but when viewed in a group, cohesion helps! The cupcakes looked really cute, and weren’t as difficult as I imagined.
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Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Ingredients:
Caramel Cake
10 tbsps unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup caramel syrup (see below)
2 eggs, room temperature
splash vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk, room temperature
Caramel Syrup
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup water (for “stopping” the caramelization process)
Frosting
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening (to help stabilize it in the HOT August heat!)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar (more or less for your tastes)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon caramel extract (vanilla could be substituted)
Optional ingredients & tools to decorate like sunflowers:
Mini chocolate chips
gel food coloring yellow & golden
pastry bag
small leaf pastry tip
Directions:
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350F. Line cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
Sift flour and baking powder. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dry ingredients. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dry ingredients. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds, making sure batter is uniform.
Portion batter into prepared cupcake pan. (I used my large Pampered Chef scoop to help make the portions the same.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 8-10 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. (My oven is crazy, and all over the place, so I just keep a close eye on them.) Bake until a skewer or toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before icing. Cupcakes will keep for three days outside of the refrigerator.
Caramel Syrup
In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush. Turn on heat to highest flame. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and be prepared to step back. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.} Note: For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.
Frosting
Cream butter until smooth and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until combined. Mix in extract and cream. Continue adding sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition (depending on the temperature of your butter, you may need more or less sugar/cream to achieve the proper consistency). Continue beating until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Decorating
Starting at edge of an unfrosted cupcake, pipe 3 to 4 circles of petals with buttercream, working inward and overlapping, leaving center empty. Fill center with mini chocolate chips.
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