tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41492125879400657892024-03-05T10:56:12.028-05:00My plate, my worldKimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-45648265711203426242009-08-24T07:20:00.011-04:002009-08-24T08:11:27.838-04:00Dark Fudgy Brownies without the Guilt!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0yXLtO30oeSOxLDBwcrytuXjH0xYcxQwatsb4IzYsWL7GO4IHsQDzNspcYgdK97LDYHdSaFoAiiFPWb6ItRLzGqE28_0fGMozdtDtkw_iF__Tzl-A_2PRk_jQOyvJS5bOxabmVZdYxw/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+041.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 318px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373490721752462738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil0yXLtO30oeSOxLDBwcrytuXjH0xYcxQwatsb4IzYsWL7GO4IHsQDzNspcYgdK97LDYHdSaFoAiiFPWb6ItRLzGqE28_0fGMozdtDtkw_iF__Tzl-A_2PRk_jQOyvJS5bOxabmVZdYxw/s400/pom+%2B+brownie+041.JPG" /></a><br /><div>Low fat, heart healthy, fudge brownies? Is that possible? Oh, yes it is. I found a yummy recipe at the <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/dark_fudgy_brownies.html">Eating Well</a> website. I've mentioned this great site in past blogs. I visited it recently to look for a new dessert to take to a friends cookout and found these gems. They are as dark and dense as they look. Extremely moist, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">fudgy</span> texture and full of dark <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">chocolatey</span> goodness. Yes, they take a little more effort than brownies from a box, but I'm telling you, the extra effort is well worth it. Your reward will be both a treat for your <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">tastebuds</span> as well as not fearing the scales the next day.</div><div></div><div><br /><br />As for any changes in the recipe, just a few. First, I used all semi-sweet chips because I had them in the cupboard . For the cocoa powder I used Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">ummm</span>, dark chocolate). I also cut the pan into sixteen portions as twenty seemed a bit to skimpy. By the way, they are great with a glass of dry red wine!<br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong><u>Dark <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Fudgy</span> Brownies </u></strong></div><div>16 portions</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2KPQK9I2deyjFaZJk0x4M1G3nD4kkzl226S6SzqJe2Cjj1h1fSo_VvGPGAwaLCXqkvym5HscEIx5xWD815nV67HZ-fXBmJCcsdClzo5HDiNLPUNrMnAO5vAt4_Zox0DA4s_Fxa7FOFA/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+007.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373493547343369746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2KPQK9I2deyjFaZJk0x4M1G3nD4kkzl226S6SzqJe2Cjj1h1fSo_VvGPGAwaLCXqkvym5HscEIx5xWD815nV67HZ-fXBmJCcsdClzo5HDiNLPUNrMnAO5vAt4_Zox0DA4s_Fxa7FOFA/s320/pom+%2B+brownie+007.JPG" /></a><br /><br />3/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar<br />3 tablespoons unsweetened Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder<br />6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided<br />1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil<br />1/4 cup granulated sugar<br />1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup blended with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />1/8 teaspoon salt<br />1 large egg<br />1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br />Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang on two opposing sides. Coat with cooking spray. Sift flour, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa together into a small bowl.</div><div></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzZuX_wlqqXM-ljjHkmAjBiW9NfhRmOovtFAINKL4S951Bwh9M7zbAKbxX30s44_e_-oeR8OjaB07CUpJWHFU03jiaS-lf_n4weHYqQZeKpi-Hg3XOM4AUVCkZPOFEkOpBbDjQqNEAxI/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+001.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373495739519117234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzZuX_wlqqXM-ljjHkmAjBiW9NfhRmOovtFAINKL4S951Bwh9M7zbAKbxX30s44_e_-oeR8OjaB07CUpJWHFU03jiaS-lf_n4weHYqQZeKpi-Hg3XOM4AUVCkZPOFEkOpBbDjQqNEAxI/s320/pom+%2B+brownie+001.JPG" /></a><br /><strong><u></u></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0es2k0LdJ2mv8NGsL2gzzzZd2CJIOBqn3KmfHctR1MUK2vqcNYXJf4OSX6ByVlqdP7yQXJJd2u5pKCxlyWmRJyayH0QyEv1J0JGVYqBrEk2aal-3WWRV2mcjLWV4RSxDzV3A3vIQ3I-U/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+005.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373496383294927906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0es2k0LdJ2mv8NGsL2gzzzZd2CJIOBqn3KmfHctR1MUK2vqcNYXJf4OSX6ByVlqdP7yQXJJd2u5pKCxlyWmRJyayH0QyEv1J0JGVYqBrEk2aal-3WWRV2mcjLWV4RSxDzV3A3vIQ3I-U/s320/pom+%2B+brownie+005.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Combine 3 ounces chocolate and oil in a heavy medium saucepan; place over the lowest heat, stirring, until just melted and smooth, being very careful the chocolate does not overheat. Remove from the heat and stir in granulated sugar, corn syrup mixture, vanilla and salt until the sugar dissolves. Vigorously stir in egg until smoothly incorporated. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the walnuts and the remaining chocolate just until well blended. Turn out the batter into the pan, spreading evenly.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFE5-7tCYYD0gPwZ7GYAAdHLY2dCiZA8uPvPzdPVZPt2Hm_f4TJTMS9ftyx_sp0ujo_U-qAZP9D342kSW5CvG2NISmyBz70QVVGWQyrHpeHFmF711IZyPbstL_hH7_A5GkALlgNu5K2s/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373497285016141570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFE5-7tCYYD0gPwZ7GYAAdHLY2dCiZA8uPvPzdPVZPt2Hm_f4TJTMS9ftyx_sp0ujo_U-qAZP9D342kSW5CvG2NISmyBz70QVVGWQyrHpeHFmF711IZyPbstL_hH7_A5GkALlgNu5K2s/s400/pom+%2B+brownie+014.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nGGrC16fQVmQxgtxp0z4J196CEavUlIFxYQWCjLWMk6k4ZaySMn8zfUvIgfZR2Jn5uZnptjsxK5XQ9TU2sPGf8ONyRloR_XjDfDNZ2Q7bBT7uLajd5WZlBAyFgO269XlScd0NRybJ8w/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+017.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373497887067750242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7nGGrC16fQVmQxgtxp0z4J196CEavUlIFxYQWCjLWMk6k4ZaySMn8zfUvIgfZR2Jn5uZnptjsxK5XQ9TU2sPGf8ONyRloR_XjDfDNZ2Q7bBT7uLajd5WZlBAyFgO269XlScd0NRybJ8w/s320/pom+%2B+brownie+017.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvJqCg5ncGTOcDPrPee8fcHIc58Imt2qyHIK6DLeYABy_R3pHVCSRf_no2pVtrsklcnyGdscVuNQ2py8_-21mm8Tai5wTVTZqUomR-KC7B1_ouP0iIWqztG8fLPgUk8XuTLHnrlST3QM/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+018.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373498470375412210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvJqCg5ncGTOcDPrPee8fcHIc58Imt2qyHIK6DLeYABy_R3pHVCSRf_no2pVtrsklcnyGdscVuNQ2py8_-21mm8Tai5wTVTZqUomR-KC7B1_ouP0iIWqztG8fLPgUk8XuTLHnrlST3QM/s320/pom+%2B+brownie+018.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bake the brownies until almost firm in the center and a toothpick inserted comes out with some moist batter clinging to it, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 1/2 hours.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHg_sbxekA1wO-0lOfsxwiUo3cw2LwSVveYAgJBpN_K1HMKMOUM4kNa6sXlJilLD510SUG-5nsm06MebFeCuhlvlMFz-sxZnM-HcgMYElNqxpro-qQsYQOMM3z9WgAKcIQgd2n5jkpuo/s1600-h/pom+%2B+brownie+028.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373499279905053490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnHg_sbxekA1wO-0lOfsxwiUo3cw2LwSVveYAgJBpN_K1HMKMOUM4kNa6sXlJilLD510SUG-5nsm06MebFeCuhlvlMFz-sxZnM-HcgMYElNqxpro-qQsYQOMM3z9WgAKcIQgd2n5jkpuo/s400/pom+%2B+brownie+028.JPG" /></a><br /><p></p><p>Using the overhanging foil as handles, carefully lift the brownie slab from the pan. Peel the foil from the bottom; set the slab right-side up on a cutting board. Using a large, sharp knife, trim off any dry edges (snack for the chef). Mark and then cut the slab into 16 portions. Wipe the blade with a damp cloth between cuts. Arrange on a nice plate and dust with more powdered sugar. Enjoy with friends.</p><p>See, that wasn't that bad was it? Not as easy as; open box, dump and mix, but the taste difference, well, you tell me.<br /></p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-29767040715991454012009-08-21T07:36:00.012-04:002009-08-21T09:02:31.298-04:00Summer days driftin' away.........I'm back!<br /><br />Thanks for checking in on me while I enjoyed a bit of a summer hiatus. My work and garden have kept me busy and off the computer. What a great summer it has been here, weatherwise that is. Barely a week in total of 90+ temps, beautiful cool nights and sunny days. The lettuce held out a week or two longer and the summer veggies came on late, but they are oh, so delicious!<br /><br />I put in my first patty pan squash plant that I picked up for 50cents. We have been eating (and sharing) our squash harvest for weeks. I cut them into rough chunks, add some halved tomatoes, toss with some olive oil, s & p and roast over the grill in a grill pan till barely soft and the tomatoes sweeten. Then I serve as a side, or toss into warm pasta with fresh chopped basil and chunks of goat cheese. Yum! What do you do with patty pans? I'd love to hear. Also, somehow lovely dill decided to invade my garden. The result was loads of refrigerator sweet dill pickles and salmon spread. Not bad for a freebie herb. I went light on the tomatoes this year. They take up so much room in my little space and we have a great little farmers' market just down the street every week where I can pick up what we need. One great treasure has been the Rosa Bianco Italian Eggplant. My first attempt at eggplant and what a treat. No bitterness and a smaller fruit, great when there are just 2 of us.<br /><br />As the summer wains, the basil becomes woody and the squash leaves melt into the soil, I'm getting ready to replant the lettuce and harvest the over abundance of swiss chard. Chard recipes, anyone? High school football begins next week and that means leaf raking will be just around the corner. Having enjoyed a lovely summer I am looking forward to my favorite season, fall.<br /><br />In the cooking department, I have pictures and blogs waiting to be published. I made a lovely watermelon sorbet, received a fun box of goodies from the Emeril line that I am playing with and have a report on the Demy, a cool kitchen gadget that I was able to preview. All this will be upcoming soon. In the personal department, I am getting ready to start an exciting job with a wonderful company, not sharing details yet, but I will be melding my love of food, horticulture and sales, all in one job! Again, details to come.<br /><br />As for my obsession. Well, satisfaction was a long time coming. The object of my desire?<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://agencyb.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/12/pimms.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 298px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 298px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://agencyb.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/12/pimms.jpg" /></a><br />Yes, this wonderful secret concoction of herbs, fruits and gin that make up the exquisite Pimm's No 1. </p><p>I was first introduced to this libation at <a href="http://thegreenhousetavern.com/">The Greenhouse Tavern</a> this past spring. (If you have yet to get there, what are you waiting for? This place is the bomb! He has one of the hottest gigs around and is being written up and down. The food is over-the-top good and they utilize local products. GHT is also the only certified green restaurant in the state!) Their Pimm's Cup cast it's spell on me and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I search and searched for this elusive liqueur in my immediate area, the usual response was one of puzzlement and then looking at me like I had a third eyeball. My "obsession" post referred to my waiting for a Pimm's delivery from an online site. That was a disaster. After tracking the shipment online for days, every day showing that it was scheduled to arrive at the house, the box was finally shipped back to the seller, the wrong zip code was on the package. The seller emailed that they would gladly reship the goods if I payed the shipping cost, again, which was almost the cost of the bottle! I turned down the generous (?) offer and my cost of just the Pimm's was refunded. So, now I was down the shipping fee and still no Pimm's. I emailed Amelia, <a href="http://www.chefswidow.com/">Chef's Widow</a>, the other half of The Greenhouse Tavern's Chef Jonathon Sawyer, to see where in Cleveland I could find the Pimm's. She was so great to send me the location, and off to the big city I went, procuring 2 bottles. I could barely wait to get them home.<br /><br />Sadly, the bottles have come and gone, and I must venture back for more. As for my Pimm's Cup recipe of choice? Here's my rendition:<br /><br /><strong><u>Pimm's No.1 Cup</u></strong><br /><br />Place a generous amount of ice in a highball glass. Add 2 oz Pimm's No.1, 4 oz of limonata or Trader Joe's French Market Lemonade, 2 slices of English cucumber, several sprigs of fresh mint (I have lime mint in the garden) and top off with club soda. Relax and enjoy!<br /><br />Would love to hear your Pimm's stories! Here are some garden pics! Enjoy the last of summer!<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLfv5_HE08byFgUkqj1JEqCg9wwQ3uzr1WZ7Y4ckEdSYJC5bNJbNiYR1oksQNfgWAr-i7a_UGPuDdIDKNOKoAVWpsoikpt0XwU3Jn-fsRSsfLDRoEO_mknMsca8rqA0S7qnh6W9iI14s/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+035.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372394117901838322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLfv5_HE08byFgUkqj1JEqCg9wwQ3uzr1WZ7Y4ckEdSYJC5bNJbNiYR1oksQNfgWAr-i7a_UGPuDdIDKNOKoAVWpsoikpt0XwU3Jn-fsRSsfLDRoEO_mknMsca8rqA0S7qnh6W9iI14s/s320/funeral,+garden,+birdies+035.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45gSSFZ-d7kabE7jZevRYPrgvHgFvhccjQ16gAQQu4sCph_OgzccW20VGIuZR_fCjln9Tdy9rsMYVJfdr3-O7EpE-Ljl3iDKGFYCINs_umGe7h4fJgOJZZ7ksN9XP5BDE4cBarN9iG08/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+032.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 241px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372394514496076690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi45gSSFZ-d7kabE7jZevRYPrgvHgFvhccjQ16gAQQu4sCph_OgzccW20VGIuZR_fCjln9Tdy9rsMYVJfdr3-O7EpE-Ljl3iDKGFYCINs_umGe7h4fJgOJZZ7ksN9XP5BDE4cBarN9iG08/s320/funeral,+garden,+birdies+032.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Oex2vf42rJjhzCKHKvb6MxV1gpsHsB08sx1bN6KW2eYIg7svf3dQ4AO_LLoENA9C19HPNUrwlTEPFkcst4F1gOtZYDqpuDSb6frb2OhB9qeFB4eWRFM1Cr00W3j4DExXpfACZylqVw/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+036.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372395684315153202" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi2Oex2vf42rJjhzCKHKvb6MxV1gpsHsB08sx1bN6KW2eYIg7svf3dQ4AO_LLoENA9C19HPNUrwlTEPFkcst4F1gOtZYDqpuDSb6frb2OhB9qeFB4eWRFM1Cr00W3j4DExXpfACZylqVw/s320/funeral,+garden,+birdies+036.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvKCFs70oZOmt5hL33ncKZh6UcOpxvoRJeKGPjgFN00Kf1eh-dsFSFK3nkLUv1p3Iql_dlWg0rz1V-yt7DBid2z5kvIFjYn-g-BtlfqIEyjoLzE4xRFmhNpWJqUTAJitUo-mwkqRXjOw/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+030.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372396365261732418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvKCFs70oZOmt5hL33ncKZh6UcOpxvoRJeKGPjgFN00Kf1eh-dsFSFK3nkLUv1p3Iql_dlWg0rz1V-yt7DBid2z5kvIFjYn-g-BtlfqIEyjoLzE4xRFmhNpWJqUTAJitUo-mwkqRXjOw/s320/funeral,+garden,+birdies+030.JPG" /></a></p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmWz0PSHVzQK-qX60p0LzBwx__WeIo0Unwex4-bGR1cFNScWRqMRNk3H_PcgfJ00CzRj3hRezTdMXmy7eUKdasMCxn8EhEntsos8djjq31asykXF7kpH-iboXgG53lxM943ifNiw_u88/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+025.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372397238129431554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmWz0PSHVzQK-qX60p0LzBwx__WeIo0Unwex4-bGR1cFNScWRqMRNk3H_PcgfJ00CzRj3hRezTdMXmy7eUKdasMCxn8EhEntsos8djjq31asykXF7kpH-iboXgG53lxM943ifNiw_u88/s320/funeral,+garden,+birdies+025.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsqTvHmJjiFQ3ZmutCTXZ36T7_jHIKwojL0LwOBcabONYqOBx-jlw4qoNGawmiwmfbz-GQcb4QnW5Fu-cGZwd2vxuLUa0jAGZPgKaatRYxYcefdKcrI-f8oG8WLrjy68uHYCNtFEYn6Q/s1600-h/funeral,+garden,+birdies+014.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372398256262114770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitsqTvHmJjiFQ3ZmutCTXZ36T7_jHIKwojL0LwOBcabONYqOBx-jlw4qoNGawmiwmfbz-GQcb4QnW5Fu-cGZwd2vxuLUa0jAGZPgKaatRYxYcefdKcrI-f8oG8WLrjy68uHYCNtFEYn6Q/s400/funeral,+garden,+birdies+014.JPG" /></a><br /><br />BTW, yes, I have also been knitting up a storm! Talk about obsessed!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-44069568971821824232009-06-08T17:38:00.003-04:002009-06-08T17:46:38.886-04:00<a href="http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/Obsession.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 307px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 423px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/Obsession.jpg" /></a><br />After a bit of a break, I am about to return to the blogoshere in full force. First, I wait with baited breath for a very important delivery. The FedEx trail has begun, the minutes turn into hours as I await the moment "It" is in my hands. What is the object of my obsession? For that, you too will have to wait. I feel a renewed sense of inspiration and energy. Time to knock the dust off the pots and pans and get the camera fully charged. My plate, my world is back on the map!<br /><br />It promises to be a very good week, that's all I can say.<br /><br />Until I hear the knock on the door..............Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-79483379319096854902009-04-22T07:31:00.002-04:002009-04-22T07:40:08.790-04:00Happy Earth Day!<div align="center"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8UrqBkXMbHCoymfAx8D4ET-WBiUtpvE_puUPHsZq9Sig1ybuyEPOYoOOaa2TTs7RTt8Gf6F-r5moSwewbkQSTclD9elmYG1iVuau-X4FZOMzmP-VdFpCuxvhl-dRthNCzCva1xgNQCc/s1600-h/988626.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 315px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327477006024287474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8UrqBkXMbHCoymfAx8D4ET-WBiUtpvE_puUPHsZq9Sig1ybuyEPOYoOOaa2TTs7RTt8Gf6F-r5moSwewbkQSTclD9elmYG1iVuau-X4FZOMzmP-VdFpCuxvhl-dRthNCzCva1xgNQCc/s400/988626.png" /> <p align="center"></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;">How will you celebrate this day?</span></p><p align="left">I'm getting ready to start making another market bag which could be yours! How could you get so lucky you ask? Well, just leave a comment answering the above question today through this Saturday the 25th at midnight EST. Be sure to leave a contact email so I can get with you if you are the winner. To see other market bags I have made, hop on over to <a href="http://knitalogue.blogspot.com/2009/03/cute-flower-market-bags-and-kitschy.html">my knitting blog</a> to check them out. Good Luck! </p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-64846411961397429072009-04-03T09:24:00.026-04:002009-04-03T11:31:57.507-04:00100th Post! April Royal Foodie Joust Entry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbQvV0N1xBz386qs7xhUDJV4IYFEyPFOjR8rik5hsgL309A2CUmsTIIfyFrsL-8NWqvcsbHksAPT1TR73VD3XVMm1fwnBgpU_MiJgRLh7HHx5rTOHo8XbRMS4EDh6xtVPSYMJgLySFMY/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+085.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320455741485317698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbQvV0N1xBz386qs7xhUDJV4IYFEyPFOjR8rik5hsgL309A2CUmsTIIfyFrsL-8NWqvcsbHksAPT1TR73VD3XVMm1fwnBgpU_MiJgRLh7HHx5rTOHo8XbRMS4EDh6xtVPSYMJgLySFMY/s400/April+Joust+09+085.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a></p><p align="center"><strong><em>Cheese-Asparagus Pesto Pâté w/White Balsamic Lemongrass Reduction and Almond Whole Wheat Crackers<br /></p></em></strong><p></p><p>I am celebrating my 100th blog post with this delectable appetizer that will be my entry for the April <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/forum/index.php?board=5.0">Royal Foodie Joust</a> hosted by Jenn the <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/forum/index.php?board=5.0">Leftover Queen</a>. I was surprised to see that this would be my 100th post, it snuck up on me. Maybe this will be good luck for the competition!<br /><br />The three ingredients chosen by <a href="http://5starfoodie.com/">5 Star Foodie</a> (winner of last month's challenge) were asparagus, almonds and lemongrass. Unfortunately, my first recipe attempt did not go as planned. I wanted to serve up a white asparagus ravioli, but they kind of flopped. My filling was too loose and I still need to work on the actual pasta construction. I had a hard time getting any filling in them, any suggestions or tips? All was not lost though, I brushed them with a bit of olive oil and baked them until crisp. Very nice with the asparagus pesto, and worth a future attempt. But enough of that, on to the finished dish!<br /><br />This is a long entry with many photos, so sit back with a cup of tea and read on. My appetizer is made up of a Cheese-Asparagus Pesto Pâté drizzled with a White Balsamic Lemongrass Reduction and served on Almond Whole Wheat Crackers, whew! I borrowed the idea for the pâté from a recipe in Betty Rosbottom's, "Cooking School Cookbook". Her version calls for a traditional pesto and prosciutto layered cheese. I can't even tell you how many times I have made this for entertaining, especially around Christmas/New Years. It's great because you can make a few in advance and have them ready anytime. For my asparagus pesto, I replaced the pine nuts with almonds and used mint and parsley instead of basil. They really complimented the asparagus. The recipe makes much more than needed, but is fantastic tossed with cooked fresh pasta. I was very happy with the cracker recipe and surprised at how easy they were to make. You could really vary this recipe quite a bit. I found the original <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Wheat-Crackers/Detail.aspx">here</a>, and as you can see, changed a few things ( I suggest reading the comments on the recipe). The addition of the ground almonds made for a dense cracker, great for the spread. I am going to experiment more, leaving the nuts out and just using all flour. Here are the components of this dish, don't think this is overwhelming, you can make so much of it beforehand!<br /><br /><strong><em>Asparagus Pesto</em></strong><br /><em>makes about 2 cups</em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYPttS8WNNaO6aewYZEtZ6zXsVdZJrQ_cO3zbhI7kPBF2z69tbS5QgyNhSArqrSd_5i-u1YNYaI2gIsefSdhARQNCyDr4Q_mTjH-1Hygm4OcYaH-no-BWrwgcp1MkFtwNM7MEoMzEKnQ/s1600-h/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+024.JPG"><em><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 238px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320464640621336210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYPttS8WNNaO6aewYZEtZ6zXsVdZJrQ_cO3zbhI7kPBF2z69tbS5QgyNhSArqrSd_5i-u1YNYaI2gIsefSdhARQNCyDr4Q_mTjH-1Hygm4OcYaH-no-BWrwgcp1MkFtwNM7MEoMzEKnQ/s320/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+024.JPG" /></em></a><br /><br />1# asparagus<br />1/4 cup whole, raw almonds<br />1/4 cup packed, fresh mint leaves<br />1/4 cup packed, fresh parsley<br />1 clove garlic<br />1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese<br />2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />After removing the tough ends of the stalks, blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 3 minutes, till just tender. Immediately immerse in an ice bath and when chilled, drain completely.<br /><br />Into a food processor add the almonds, mint, parsley and garlic. Pulse until the almonds are chopped, not too fine. Cut your blanched asparagus in half and add to the processor along with the cheese. Pulse again, chopping and blending all ingredients. With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the chute until the pesto just comes together, you want to be able to spread it and not have it be runny. Scrape down the sides and pulse again if needed, then add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFquHap36JsnhhnZpUvtzvnaJU-s7HJeXnYaPMxW_GUs0aJ-FQcPNKwD4WxU7ZV_T8MBPcVd9g7t-f2EZJPPYGU6tM6fZzeee43foyw_ESl20ITU_7TKcCIXoJJ9eXEx1Vhp6s-EPzeIE/s1600-h/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+029.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320468309194391394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFquHap36JsnhhnZpUvtzvnaJU-s7HJeXnYaPMxW_GUs0aJ-FQcPNKwD4WxU7ZV_T8MBPcVd9g7t-f2EZJPPYGU6tM6fZzeee43foyw_ESl20ITU_7TKcCIXoJJ9eXEx1Vhp6s-EPzeIE/s320/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+029.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4komx0fCNov0COJU7rqek-Vaqwn7Vqi9N4mZJ21NfxqDeEzj4jqIhyrU1NcBbKnda2Bp13nTLA3Q_78nBd4hCweeyL6aN7toIhi6Z1Bf-joTXKP9mTL7NppSbz2dX-EXbB-xxTI5zF4/s1600-h/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+034.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320468950056701522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4komx0fCNov0COJU7rqek-Vaqwn7Vqi9N4mZJ21NfxqDeEzj4jqIhyrU1NcBbKnda2Bp13nTLA3Q_78nBd4hCweeyL6aN7toIhi6Z1Bf-joTXKP9mTL7NppSbz2dX-EXbB-xxTI5zF4/s320/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+034.JPG" /></a></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVHCVlRMWUFJQpvGpWY9bK9tq4AzKlR4_TVZ2U_3ySaNgPiGFf2h7Fc6CmffG-bTbWaPh2UfJcOeHeXsDYNNmzgJ0pYOZFKF4JMjj2I8zO6EO4xY2uuBkyJVBKV8KO2Etkkty6qBIJc/s1600-h/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+039.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320469639794801714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALVHCVlRMWUFJQpvGpWY9bK9tq4AzKlR4_TVZ2U_3ySaNgPiGFf2h7Fc6CmffG-bTbWaPh2UfJcOeHeXsDYNNmzgJ0pYOZFKF4JMjj2I8zO6EO4xY2uuBkyJVBKV8KO2Etkkty6qBIJc/s320/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+039.JPG" /></a> <p><br /><br /><em><strong>White Balsamic Lemongrass Reduction</strong></em><br /><em>makes about 1/2 cup</em> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6wsLHpbmUg3uttE9JNNq8cK5RwDPiKWP6wiu0_KLm24rUb6GYAB3dfUpQZOHcDXUO5aNiaei88BSYfRkhItVZNbp3TQUVgBfrwy-zq0dNPYlHOcgL_qpzgXcrTJibii5wFACbcQecUI/s1600-h/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+007.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320471015456071986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6wsLHpbmUg3uttE9JNNq8cK5RwDPiKWP6wiu0_KLm24rUb6GYAB3dfUpQZOHcDXUO5aNiaei88BSYfRkhItVZNbp3TQUVgBfrwy-zq0dNPYlHOcgL_qpzgXcrTJibii5wFACbcQecUI/s320/fetching,woolbamboo,3-09+007.JPG" /></a><br /><br />1 12 oz bottle of White Balsamic Vinegar<br />1 stalk of lemongrass about 5", chopped a bit<br />1 tsp organic sugar<br /><br />Heat vinegar and lemongrass in a heavy pan over medium high heat. When it comes to a boil, add the sugar and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook, uncovered until the mixture reduces and becomes syrupy. Strain the lemongrass out and refrigerate.<br /><br />Just a few notes: First, try to so this the day before you are entertaining and preferably when you can have the windows open. The vinegar really has a strong smell. Second, I read a tip that when you first add the vinegar to the pan, place a skewer in and mark the depth. That will help when testing to see how much the liquid has reduced. Last tip, when you are ready to use the reduction (which I like to store in a plastic, squeeze bottle), immerse the bottle in hot water to loosen up the reduction, or simply let it sit out on the counter to bring it to room temperature.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfukFeQ8UgKMnY3yPgtlr4lZGw3k1LNp4c8ZP_7kcs7fngdGGpPWkKdaNsMDpn5DERwHLpDUGzSz36zD2BtBigiwkKvcocMyC2RT2fnYGEbRRJCABVRt3WJ_uNYiMl2ThT-Gt_XYqZws/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+076.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320474087648308002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfukFeQ8UgKMnY3yPgtlr4lZGw3k1LNp4c8ZP_7kcs7fngdGGpPWkKdaNsMDpn5DERwHLpDUGzSz36zD2BtBigiwkKvcocMyC2RT2fnYGEbRRJCABVRt3WJ_uNYiMl2ThT-Gt_XYqZws/s320/April+Joust+09+076.JPG" /></a><strong><em>Almond Whole Wheat Crackers</em></strong><br /><em>makes 1 cookie sheet</em><br /><br />1 cup whole raw almonds<br />2 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour<br />1 tsp sea salt<br />1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />2/3 to 1 cup water<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Grind your almonds in a food processor until they are fairly fine. Place them in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt to the ground almonds and whisk to blend and sift the dry ingredients.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCmmypNVq7A7X8BBWWfS7yrlaf8EUyfYXwA-GgYLSPIFcHSkZ9Rrfu8EjB5su2waqiHCnI0nyDfQX6qnNmx3YehdG5Qw7QhJ4_K4JaZt3CgPB4UwrELuHMC3n25chY_hHDhx12rTXXUg/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+006.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320476209913334450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCmmypNVq7A7X8BBWWfS7yrlaf8EUyfYXwA-GgYLSPIFcHSkZ9Rrfu8EjB5su2waqiHCnI0nyDfQX6qnNmx3YehdG5Qw7QhJ4_K4JaZt3CgPB4UwrELuHMC3n25chY_hHDhx12rTXXUg/s320/April+Joust+09+006.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ-utRuXgC88_9wXc4VbCQrDqZswhSUVMZdbc0hnrvzG5gIKM-5tmpxyYOrfVAvTCim8WN6KyiThpRm67DXj2Al29DEqFJ_6tuUc2eF7P-hAmW2ZwT4ustrna3H8yJ6_mR-1hvTXnVzI/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+010.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320476644162189138" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ-utRuXgC88_9wXc4VbCQrDqZswhSUVMZdbc0hnrvzG5gIKM-5tmpxyYOrfVAvTCim8WN6KyiThpRm67DXj2Al29DEqFJ_6tuUc2eF7P-hAmW2ZwT4ustrna3H8yJ6_mR-1hvTXnVzI/s320/April+Joust+09+010.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Add the oil and begin lightly stirring while you add the water. Add just enough water for the dough to come together, it will be a bit sticky, remember, you can always add more liquid. Do not over work the dough.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqACBKb2OskSmi1gn-A4pUFWkAGNq8gOoRHYpfmeX9rEhctDk7528Dlsq1UMP5a9X0z08Q2M1WkpZ1FQFcmPH8PyFT15OOKmZZyUKRAKhcHGaFTY0VKhqKGAopRDvSuf7_hmNpwLZ5-4/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+022.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320477738779372290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqACBKb2OskSmi1gn-A4pUFWkAGNq8gOoRHYpfmeX9rEhctDk7528Dlsq1UMP5a9X0z08Q2M1WkpZ1FQFcmPH8PyFT15OOKmZZyUKRAKhcHGaFTY0VKhqKGAopRDvSuf7_hmNpwLZ5-4/s400/April+Joust+09+022.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Now it's time to roll out the dough. I chose to bake mine on my silpat, you could also use parchment paper, or an ungreased cookie sheet. First, spread it out with your hands, then roll with a lightly floured pin until the dough is about 1/8" thick. I then cut the edges in line with the silpat. Lightly score the dough into the sections you desire, not cutting all the way through the dough. Prick all over with a fork, lightly brush with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt (I used kosher flake salt). Place the silpat on your baking sheet and bake until just beginning to brown and crisp up, 25-30 minutes. Be careful not to burn these. They will be a bit dense, if you would like them crisper, roll them out thinner.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yle8BsVW4dpVetfugrmPlcHhIjYnTWueJJowe4ls9rFbyJ8sqpxwdMCPnSXkxPaidqOeSf8QL9LKjpWmRRq2nZbjCvRIyr8OU48Scz7mkolrPpVz5v3gaOKekKOaL4F0klNcsSsbJ1g/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+033.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320479580508471666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yle8BsVW4dpVetfugrmPlcHhIjYnTWueJJowe4ls9rFbyJ8sqpxwdMCPnSXkxPaidqOeSf8QL9LKjpWmRRq2nZbjCvRIyr8OU48Scz7mkolrPpVz5v3gaOKekKOaL4F0klNcsSsbJ1g/s320/April+Joust+09+033.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJUP-gnrMe64C6XXd-SkwZf8M8itqxAUuUDfUX7OWiirCCYIimhGVvvxBzMLH2eA0EGYNyCp-8GDNV5TH3BlfRLUUZGeDXQcF9dOK5sCRL-UdWAWigCFzvOZJpgTC8Q-Qn4vdyaxbpsI/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+035.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 249px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320479912768386578" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCJUP-gnrMe64C6XXd-SkwZf8M8itqxAUuUDfUX7OWiirCCYIimhGVvvxBzMLH2eA0EGYNyCp-8GDNV5TH3BlfRLUUZGeDXQcF9dOK5sCRL-UdWAWigCFzvOZJpgTC8Q-Qn4vdyaxbpsI/s320/April+Joust+09+035.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Let them cool on a rack and them you can break them up. I think these taste best the day they are made. Ours only lasted that long!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasJ2eFETb2t7CDGT0Myuc3xzJ5KJEBihaZrMJNLv-auvT-Sc_vYsdtgW1B88_tbsZlJHCv6Prig5i7Sm5T0MEpEth69VMnSUHlC6W4vGesFRz51c1qzr-rsdMYxXtQMKqv78n_6xYN6E/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+058.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320480433804326498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgasJ2eFETb2t7CDGT0Myuc3xzJ5KJEBihaZrMJNLv-auvT-Sc_vYsdtgW1B88_tbsZlJHCv6Prig5i7Sm5T0MEpEth69VMnSUHlC6W4vGesFRz51c1qzr-rsdMYxXtQMKqv78n_6xYN6E/s320/April+Joust+09+058.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYgma6eQ9LfL6FsJe2JELJa-O3pAUfzlXtRMJb0fS2vMO4-0wtAlY7MjIkYrumN8nUXvItS-Fb_MvlswBrWef9W8ZMkH42wFweVdX46Jjbb8b3CiW3b7VGQIOYZlfbjBQysK-HFPB7tg/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+070.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320480749822802642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYgma6eQ9LfL6FsJe2JELJa-O3pAUfzlXtRMJb0fS2vMO4-0wtAlY7MjIkYrumN8nUXvItS-Fb_MvlswBrWef9W8ZMkH42wFweVdX46Jjbb8b3CiW3b7VGQIOYZlfbjBQysK-HFPB7tg/s400/April+Joust+09+070.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Cheese-Asparagus Pesto Pâté</strong></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1ZLdPcHtCZih5issnIGYEkRb4_BVXjquJOWAsbYYw6gwLuz6XOVYrOKUz0NeVMHwxEJv-WQ9xD2aRdbW5l_gMozYj57Qf80F1lsWI0DdxgZq37xCIv0G3nEdjIzyqx7meBIujRJ5uHs/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+043.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320481654915656530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP1ZLdPcHtCZih5issnIGYEkRb4_BVXjquJOWAsbYYw6gwLuz6XOVYrOKUz0NeVMHwxEJv-WQ9xD2aRdbW5l_gMozYj57Qf80F1lsWI0DdxgZq37xCIv0G3nEdjIzyqx7meBIujRJ5uHs/s320/April+Joust+09+043.JPG" /></a><br />1 8oz block of regular or 1/3 less fat cream cheese<br />1/3 cup asparagus pesto<br />white balsamic lemongrass reduction<br />mint leaves for garnish<br />unwaxed dental floss<br /><br />Place the cream cheese block on it's side ( I like to keep it in the foil package, it handles better). Cut the block into 4 slices with the dental floss. Lay each slice down and spread the pesto, layering as you go. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, I like to let it sit out at room temperature for awhile. Place a nice dollop of the pesto on top, drizzle generously with the reduction and garnish with a mint leaf. Don't forget to surround it with those yummy, nutty crackers!<br /><br />Try this for a new twist this Easter!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphXrqgD9reAdYPARz-_l5IQ4EGsl9Cly5NUTAE5A_Pe5_9uJr4Fedd4Ha6IeFGBA2pGui19CjXEahRQIIt2PrZ2yf8YpqzgQ7kg3iUm9qoawfwjssbcno1_UO3fIwOSNGSeQEXxVZpC4/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+045.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320483595455927778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjphXrqgD9reAdYPARz-_l5IQ4EGsl9Cly5NUTAE5A_Pe5_9uJr4Fedd4Ha6IeFGBA2pGui19CjXEahRQIIt2PrZ2yf8YpqzgQ7kg3iUm9qoawfwjssbcno1_UO3fIwOSNGSeQEXxVZpC4/s320/April+Joust+09+045.JPG" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpQpIO3tui48yTNysRE36ymZM26qDwLJ5MmI9s1-2uHLk3DpiqT1HACL7Dt5GK0a5G13LI17BF7caF2xL9qGaS-17MBpsLCNqNOVUQguLEMC089tyRw-8SlRV6Drf3U7ELd6J3U02Y_I/s1600-h/April+Joust+09+049.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320483868581987570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpQpIO3tui48yTNysRE36ymZM26qDwLJ5MmI9s1-2uHLk3DpiqT1HACL7Dt5GK0a5G13LI17BF7caF2xL9qGaS-17MBpsLCNqNOVUQguLEMC089tyRw-8SlRV6Drf3U7ELd6J3U02Y_I/s320/April+Joust+09+049.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Coming soon: Bar Cento Review!</p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-27013314528357485132009-03-11T09:49:00.012-04:002009-03-12T13:00:54.481-04:00Wickedly Delicious Peach Green Tea Bread *plus a product review*<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbA0e6Yxj9QHOQgY4xrZ_V1aGjvKhn3l983NIJ6a1Ak9oDA1CnMQ9iZQVU4vLEGzrVJH-FcaN__x0K-VvYyORTgeys9t736rEbwulFFRsJRdDVJcVrVDkZeQltaLRXQMFttNf4rS0sKYI/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311927496243997362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbA0e6Yxj9QHOQgY4xrZ_V1aGjvKhn3l983NIJ6a1Ak9oDA1CnMQ9iZQVU4vLEGzrVJH-FcaN__x0K-VvYyORTgeys9t736rEbwulFFRsJRdDVJcVrVDkZeQltaLRXQMFttNf4rS0sKYI/s400/peach+green+tea+bread+007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Have you tried this yogurt? If not, then you should! I discovered it about a week ago at a local store. Now, I'm sure I may be one of the last on the planet to find out about this stuff (living in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mayberry</span>), but still, I felt that I must spread the word.</div><div></div><div>So, what is so great about this yogurt? To begin with, the flavors. Not your ordinary blueberry or strawberry-banana blend. Rachel's offers calming Plum Honey Lavender (my favorite), relaxing Vanilla <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Chai</span> and exotic Pomegranate Blueberry, just to name a few. Her products are void of artificial sweeteners, flavors and preservatives and the cows are given no artificial growth hormones, another plus. As for the taste, divine, and the texture, creamy, but not artificially so. Rachel's has apparently been very successful in the UK and jumped across the pond in 2007. A line of sweet and savory cottage cheese was debuted in 2009, and I am dying to try some but am unable to find any at this time.</div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><br />I won't go into anymore of the company specifics, you can go to their <a href="http://www.rachelsdairy.com/index.php">website</a> for more information. There are some nice looking recipes, including some fun cocktails(sans yogurt) on the site as well. I am looking forward to making a few of their recipes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB-AcJ280oFhFlfk4O_-EwN8bLvqQ0tf4A8dA6uqw9M-qEcCiXyHwkma4Zz18_NDVEO2vlRRbSnAGRj99z3OLDnqT2LBfI4cVWM7ZhYdhpdt11J7Xdi9TMEkI-hHNxSdaRlutB9AbPI8/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311935922807341986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 288px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB-AcJ280oFhFlfk4O_-EwN8bLvqQ0tf4A8dA6uqw9M-qEcCiXyHwkma4Zz18_NDVEO2vlRRbSnAGRj99z3OLDnqT2LBfI4cVWM7ZhYdhpdt11J7Xdi9TMEkI-hHNxSdaRlutB9AbPI8/s400/peach+green+tea+bread+006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I chose to venture out on my own for the first try at baking with this product. This attempt was a flop. I used the Vanilla <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Chia</span> in a muffin recipe. It flopped because I tried to go into territory I should have left alone and without going into specifics, the result was wretched! I hardly every have a huge flop, but this was one of them. So, after going back to the drawing board, or cutting board, I came up with a deliciously moist, healthy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">quickbread</span>. I took it to my Friday afternoon knitting group where it was well received and dubbed "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">blogworthy</span>". My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">quickbread</span> is an easy, healthy recipe. It calls for white whole wheat flour, replaces most of the fat with the yogurt and is lower in cholesterol due to the egg substitute. For the flavor, I chose the Peach Green Tea yogurt as my inspiration. I had a can of raspberry flavored peaches in the pantry and organic green tea, it just seemed to all work together. Here is the recipe:</div><div><u></u></div><div><strong><em><u></u></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><u></u></em></strong></div><div><strong><em><u></u></em></strong></div><div><br /><br /><strong><em><u>Wickedly Delicious Peach Green Tea Bread</u></em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE8H2Qvh7bR38rZT3FmtVE8L-prRQ2JXvp_HqloikjMoDH3NOLop78orumT3hrFN1P4kLUQlgFWECkvPbFyZKorIrZf85FXiO0glBvwJuQfs5RlThl0ot7RC_BHal461_Ek6hNXWxfN0/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311936714597182674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioE8H2Qvh7bR38rZT3FmtVE8L-prRQ2JXvp_HqloikjMoDH3NOLop78orumT3hrFN1P4kLUQlgFWECkvPbFyZKorIrZf85FXiO0glBvwJuQfs5RlThl0ot7RC_BHal461_Ek6hNXWxfN0/s320/peach+green+tea+bread+014.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em>makes 2 loaves</em></div><div><em></em></div><div><br /><br />3 cups white whole wheat flour</div><div>1 tsp baking powder</div><div>1 tsp baking soda</div><div>1 tsp salt</div><div>2 tsp ground cinnamon</div><div>1 tea bag of organic green tea (1 tsp)</div><div>3/4 cup egg substitute (or 3 eggs)</div><div>1 6oz. cup Rachel's Peach Green Tea yogurt</div><div>1 cup organic sugar</div><div>1/4 cup organic honey</div><div>3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">tbl</span> canola oil</div><div>2 tsp vanilla extract</div><div>1 can raspberry flavored peaches, rinsed drained and diced</div><div>1/2 cup chopped walnuts</div><div><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Demerara</span> Cane Sugar to sprinkle on top</div><div></div><div><br /><br />Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and then coat each finely with a dusting of flour.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2OtjEJVCBxorr-Du2W-SZMxIIhEmP0FgO17UeVy6v_PHad2_eRMT2NQdwFSX3yIc5cYHN2H_TAOwXRhHrUb_X_s2jFT1yLSOgbPNIyqqtVImb1G2tJdoFwEZK_o10O70HRQwIfSDY6w/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311939576864007762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 172px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc2OtjEJVCBxorr-Du2W-SZMxIIhEmP0FgO17UeVy6v_PHad2_eRMT2NQdwFSX3yIc5cYHN2H_TAOwXRhHrUb_X_s2jFT1yLSOgbPNIyqqtVImb1G2tJdoFwEZK_o10O70HRQwIfSDY6w/s200/peach+green+tea+bread+016.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>In a medium bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and green tea. Lightly whisk them together until combined. Whisking will help to sift the flour of any lumps.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><br />In a larger bowl combine the egg, yogurt, sugar, honey, oil and vanilla. Stir well, incorporating all the ingredients. To this, add the flour mixture and fold lightly, just until there are no more dry lumps. This will not look like a cake batter, it will be thicker. You do not want to overwork the batter or your cake will be tough. A rubber spatula works well for this.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWs1tmUKJnWX_OxX8K6mbjMX8OFtx5dm4ORSOKW7RwpTaSqT8uJM1LTCEkuryi09-xnFrc07YhZ1wKKfin35EZBnHhkYdIzEk7CqwGc8wo5fsRL2udwo0zuuwyQTnpLP9Q1GzyvoKWw/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311942023026964786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeWs1tmUKJnWX_OxX8K6mbjMX8OFtx5dm4ORSOKW7RwpTaSqT8uJM1LTCEkuryi09-xnFrc07YhZ1wKKfin35EZBnHhkYdIzEk7CqwGc8wo5fsRL2udwo0zuuwyQTnpLP9Q1GzyvoKWw/s320/peach+green+tea+bread+024.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYl5xm6h28H6FyC7DwO2UIVKitgq-xySfAL7cphbpS-Hwf0mBPV3QMcyqis8pGTI5JaD_o9Ibx9HfgvAPnvdwfK6tXSWWKlTNrrhb7lsP1382LAbYwetmQVDU-iZ-lksfRXXs0gCUUzk/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311942330140191490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidYl5xm6h28H6FyC7DwO2UIVKitgq-xySfAL7cphbpS-Hwf0mBPV3QMcyqis8pGTI5JaD_o9Ibx9HfgvAPnvdwfK6tXSWWKlTNrrhb7lsP1382LAbYwetmQVDU-iZ-lksfRXXs0gCUUzk/s320/peach+green+tea+bread+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When just combined, add the peaches and walnuts. Again, fold them in until they are well distributed. Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pans, smooth the top a bit and the generously sprinkle with the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">demarara</span> sugar. This gives the cake a beautiful shine and crunch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmoQ53lifr6w9XCU6PIwA7P2ygvCpJUuDHKPk5I1Rwa8zo4SYQ5SOxrAjZSuctxKGeeYT0dtq5uVGsQTQ1pcI5NAUJoaQWt1-zFezywIgWa3YQ8Yn8NUqka3Aktu9zcnQAQvQo_wx71o/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311943292128156002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 270px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmoQ53lifr6w9XCU6PIwA7P2ygvCpJUuDHKPk5I1Rwa8zo4SYQ5SOxrAjZSuctxKGeeYT0dtq5uVGsQTQ1pcI5NAUJoaQWt1-zFezywIgWa3YQ8Yn8NUqka3Aktu9zcnQAQvQo_wx71o/s320/peach+green+tea+bread+038.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bake the loaves for 45-50 minutes or until the top is cracked and golden and a tester comes clean when inserted. Place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then gently remove from the pan and continue to cool on the rack. This is wonderful served warm or at room temperature. You could also wrap and freeze a loaf for later.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8g2URiowalINUjj0uurA7BXwl5u4d5mYjIGyHb5US73FLXqx1QvYiXo2Hg2dJjDmeZ6XUaS6vnVUJtBP3GoouCnhLJrMwa_i1NtemPi8W47rXCbEBYB3PeWXv7UxPenrHqIMBL-T540/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311944304106503698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8g2URiowalINUjj0uurA7BXwl5u4d5mYjIGyHb5US73FLXqx1QvYiXo2Hg2dJjDmeZ6XUaS6vnVUJtBP3GoouCnhLJrMwa_i1NtemPi8W47rXCbEBYB3PeWXv7UxPenrHqIMBL-T540/s400/peach+green+tea+bread+043.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I give Rachel's Wickedly Delicious Yogurt 5 out of 5 spoons! Great name, hip packaging and a luscious product! I will post more recipes as they develop. If you have tried this product, I would love to know what you think!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVg9UjdGwtE4wuZtF1D585x8Z2mLrDJ_UW1v53sIzO1DcK5fWwSrBmtQLdUGGhb5PR001BHwEfGhb-N3RpTx2jlZELpBp3UiqwiULnWyAKfcpnT0E0TUf1BfVjZNKidtQeJmk2AxaIQw/s1600-h/peach+green+tea+bread+056.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311945018630428514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVg9UjdGwtE4wuZtF1D585x8Z2mLrDJ_UW1v53sIzO1DcK5fWwSrBmtQLdUGGhb5PR001BHwEfGhb-N3RpTx2jlZELpBp3UiqwiULnWyAKfcpnT0E0TUf1BfVjZNKidtQeJmk2AxaIQw/s320/peach+green+tea+bread+056.JPG" border="0" /></a>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-6894732622669599462009-03-02T11:38:00.012-05:002009-03-02T13:41:24.408-05:00And the winner is......Toontz! Congratulations, you have won the Food & Wine Cookbook! I will be contacting you to get your email address.<br /><br />I used a very scientific method to choose the winner. The names of those who left comments were written on paper and I brought in a skilled team to pick one. First, there was Larry the Cat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCfjvThZPO6wt_od05bJOVM3Bltqrb1jTt2DhxteNWbhmYu6oO4EpOYI-bkRAdiAC44RS8RiCtAoFvV6Dg9Ua3K0AzduYRmUk2dlKQ9awUsN2FPbsNA9C2RpG86gliVDCXU3PC_2HWtQ/s1600-h/and+the+winner+is+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308632201086060194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCfjvThZPO6wt_od05bJOVM3Bltqrb1jTt2DhxteNWbhmYu6oO4EpOYI-bkRAdiAC44RS8RiCtAoFvV6Dg9Ua3K0AzduYRmUk2dlKQ9awUsN2FPbsNA9C2RpG86gliVDCXU3PC_2HWtQ/s400/and+the+winner+is+005.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEO64tG-2ttYvlorqoSrd3qARJLsFp5EotkApoklvfY3KHKRXY6z54fDNxfEOWs5ozquz8bs5MC-M4hli33AVBdgKHAxi3Du98Sa8OeH0b3XM6c_QEa6FijSPfYml9MjIEQZNK3y_KkBA/s1600-h/and+the+winner+is+005.JPG"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsbt6IwmlXLS8ei7FNBD_BOnU_DpSmy4WfiqJZKvjfX_LEdNYWwFrBIdR6YiN51CTmihz0jR4ShQtcPcJnw2PvvwkBpeFOJ1Y2_WYBHziuh40I7TuqeKi9BpzzcA6oStw_h9iBbGiS2w/s1600-h/and+the+winner+is+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308636497264797970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsbt6IwmlXLS8ei7FNBD_BOnU_DpSmy4WfiqJZKvjfX_LEdNYWwFrBIdR6YiN51CTmihz0jR4ShQtcPcJnw2PvvwkBpeFOJ1Y2_WYBHziuh40I7TuqeKi9BpzzcA6oStw_h9iBbGiS2w/s400/and+the+winner+is+006.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />He checked out the situation, but could not be bothered at this time. I even tried removing them from the basket, no go. He has some serious sleeping on the register vent to do.<br /><br />So, I brought in the next expert, Hello Kitty. Ahh, she was much more interested (did I mention she has a thing for chewing paper, especially my magazines at 3am). She sized up the situation, reached in delicately and snatched her victim. I apologize for the blurry photos, she had no interest in posing for the camera.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvR6NAUAyS0UabsV9RKhbQlCA_H8QcTWTfabDCZhaK09huUwC-qWiMkdWfWZlozTJT4q77n6HbhCTmOJQHJsTc9rF16Kl9ptBLaYdOBJnOcp7asbec5uYc2FVFx5TrOrCLPcYd-pytUQ/s1600-h/and+the+winner+is+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308634595796585986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvR6NAUAyS0UabsV9RKhbQlCA_H8QcTWTfabDCZhaK09huUwC-qWiMkdWfWZlozTJT4q77n6HbhCTmOJQHJsTc9rF16Kl9ptBLaYdOBJnOcp7asbec5uYc2FVFx5TrOrCLPcYd-pytUQ/s320/and+the+winner+is+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMc8IERs6rJ2GXttc3Dm7QgP0nW97iCxu66JPY1KrDksElJ4UHnX5lbRhUZtgfLxKRagiU17dnZOkXjIqPkRkLKNpJY-ghxraOGa8MxdECtkcPd_4u-jDWOE41rpFcqVu5HbwEzA8pBM/s1600-h/and+the+winner+is+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308635126233348002" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMc8IERs6rJ2GXttc3Dm7QgP0nW97iCxu66JPY1KrDksElJ4UHnX5lbRhUZtgfLxKRagiU17dnZOkXjIqPkRkLKNpJY-ghxraOGa8MxdECtkcPd_4u-jDWOE41rpFcqVu5HbwEzA8pBM/s400/and+the+winner+is+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So Toontz, in your comment you said you could use some help with food and wine parings, here you go! I look forward to reading about your success!<br /><br />Thanks to all or you who left comments. Look for more giveaways in the future!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-12794649257241187862009-02-28T10:30:00.020-05:002009-02-28T13:28:01.830-05:00Blood Orange & Balsamic Glazed Shallot Tarte Fine w/ Lavender Orange Honey Drizzle<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ZIWh6cm7negFyH4x5ZgNzlV5xJdaJiJDD5Y-fvrKkn5PXItwOsKpmBViueo1_PbqIozVRKziq1yF15XqPbgLm3h82_udgCyIWG8U1SUw3LYGD8r1bTvimR5VHxrRfI4Va71Qbx1iH4/s1600-h/march+09+joust+089.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307872650776397122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56ZIWh6cm7negFyH4x5ZgNzlV5xJdaJiJDD5Y-fvrKkn5PXItwOsKpmBViueo1_PbqIozVRKziq1yF15XqPbgLm3h82_udgCyIWG8U1SUw3LYGD8r1bTvimR5VHxrRfI4Va71Qbx1iH4/s400/march+09+joust+089.JPG" border="0" /></a> This delicious mouthful of a title is my entry for the March <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/forum/index.php?board=5.0">Royal Foodie Joust</a> hosted by Jen, <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/">The Leftover Queen</a>. This is a friendly monthly competition for fellow members of her forum. The past month's winner chooses the 3 ingredients for the following month's Joust. The February winner was Angela of <a href="http://http//www.spinachtiger.com/SpinachTiger.com/Home/Entries/2009/2/1_Cauliflower_Ravioli_with_Baby_Portobello_Mushroom_Ragu.html">Spinach Tiger</a>. Her blog is absolutely beautiful and worth checking out. Her choice of ingredients for this month's Joust were satsuma (or any other citrus)-zest, fruit or juice, shallots and edible flowers (any form). It took me several days to ponder these and find some inspiration. The addition of shallots threw me off a bit. Turning to my fridge for a quick inventory, I discovered a package of frozen puff pastry and goat cheese. The pantry yielded honey and dried lavender flowers. Aha! The wheels began turning and the aforementioned mouthful of a title is what I came up with. I whipped this together yesterday for a fantastic Friday evening meal. Now I must get this posted here and on the forum. As with my past entries, I hope this one is a winner!<br /><br />Make the infused honey early in the day or a day or two in advance. I made mine the in the morning and let it sit all day before straining. Use the best honey you can find. The dried lavender can usually be found at a natural foods store. I decided on blood orange for my citrus because I thought it would be a great pairing with the balsamic vinegar, and it did not disappoint! I went a little heavy on the glazed, or caramelized shallots. You could easily cut these in half, but why? Their sweetness is a wonderful offset to the saltiness of the goat cheese. This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tarte</span> would also be nice with feta. The drizzle of honey just before plating is heavenly! I have plenty leftover for tea, toast, etc. Here are the recipes and photos for my entry.<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Blood Orange & Balsamic Glazed Shallot <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tarte</span> Fine w/ Lavender Orange Honey Drizzle</u></em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnKLos2V7Xgn43zpOV9KoaV0orWQI0csTcA0g5bn2HPvX931tDzcCcWfgmv-l5ykrOmkYQP5L8pz8Q_Wu_U8Hg_r8NpB4ypp75wb-oIVlmGJDAp9ksrE2zTQWsVnXcToV8B9dOhixx6E/s1600-h/march+09+joust+038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307880834166988370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnKLos2V7Xgn43zpOV9KoaV0orWQI0csTcA0g5bn2HPvX931tDzcCcWfgmv-l5ykrOmkYQP5L8pz8Q_Wu_U8Hg_r8NpB4ypp75wb-oIVlmGJDAp9ksrE2zTQWsVnXcToV8B9dOhixx6E/s400/march+09+joust+038.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em>makes 1 Tart Fine</em><br /><br />1/2 package, or 1 sheet or frozen puff pastry<br />3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tbl</span> Earth Balance spread<br />1 lb shallots, peeled and sliced<br />juice of 1 blood orange (about 1/4 cup)<br />1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (perhaps a bit more)<br />2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tbl</span> organic sugar<br />1/2 tsp sea salt<br />1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper<br />1 egg, lightly beaten<br />7 oz goat cheese<br />1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tbl</span> fresh thyme<br />Lavender Orange Honey (recipe to follow)<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyfreVE59WsPLHEKXOfr_EEesKssBXGhtVVtSpALiv6ZlMYNntjJbfUytQPQL6tz8d1quqnJpQX3y0qpGHmLW1R1CEeZL5WM2g-ufKwKZQ0RQfYwMXbp8xoyPB76wgYkrbKGRKosMFlU/s1600-h/march+09+joust+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307883754652921586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijyfreVE59WsPLHEKXOfr_EEesKssBXGhtVVtSpALiv6ZlMYNntjJbfUytQPQL6tz8d1quqnJpQX3y0qpGHmLW1R1CEeZL5WM2g-ufKwKZQ0RQfYwMXbp8xoyPB76wgYkrbKGRKosMFlU/s200/march+09+joust+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTy00ncI0amM5a4uSCoo4iPuW-pv9AM9JEH6n9-GubgeZAH01yedC2zvVpK7Jtn85phOvnLW0wwn0H45LUkyT5MPsQvI99kw8Oukx_qBQgTb4HFPBbu5KWT6A3qj-1X7TczVgwQF-2fp0/s1600-h/march+09+joust+042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307884339523827666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTy00ncI0amM5a4uSCoo4iPuW-pv9AM9JEH6n9-GubgeZAH01yedC2zvVpK7Jtn85phOvnLW0wwn0H45LUkyT5MPsQvI99kw8Oukx_qBQgTb4HFPBbu5KWT6A3qj-1X7TczVgwQF-2fp0/s200/march+09+joust+042.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first step is to prepare the shallots. After they have been peeled and sliced fairly thin, heat the Earth Balance in a large, non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add the shallots to the pan the saute until they soften and just begin to turn a nice golden color, about 10 minutes. Pour your juice from the orange into a 1/2 cup measure and then add enough of the vinegar to equal your 1/2 cup. Add this, the sugar, salt and pepper to the shallots. Turn the heat down to low and slowly cook until most of the liquid has cooked away and the remainder is thickened and syrupy. Remove from heat. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then cover and store in the fridge if you are not using until later (just be sure to bring the shallots back to room temperature before assembling your tart).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjNsJ02RmV385ThOXpKCL4EZtfmDKjvHmljKI-NSeFfsU_h6aVVtTJsVBDyF3DnBLdlAGtizN_SseKUe07FD_KGHqYLgbVt6ukWqIK9xw06ujwJi_TDN_10WLw0X4Kf4ci8k7wI5FtkU/s1600-h/march+09+joust+044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307886690222649826" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjNsJ02RmV385ThOXpKCL4EZtfmDKjvHmljKI-NSeFfsU_h6aVVtTJsVBDyF3DnBLdlAGtizN_SseKUe07FD_KGHqYLgbVt6ukWqIK9xw06ujwJi_TDN_10WLw0X4Kf4ci8k7wI5FtkU/s400/march+09+joust+044.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPX8M3ZoGAKZNUj0UIAp563tyZXYlAO23tbXFM5wH5rt7lRf9FyQGcZdEclm2ezc4zbW96sEgAAMFpuyDTC9qHjKiOiS4Q4nDWW2BAIdl77nRstmgbxzn4-fPmjiBrzBFsjOAfcMWD8c/s1600-h/march+09+joust+046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307887442453522594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPX8M3ZoGAKZNUj0UIAp563tyZXYlAO23tbXFM5wH5rt7lRf9FyQGcZdEclm2ezc4zbW96sEgAAMFpuyDTC9qHjKiOiS4Q4nDWW2BAIdl77nRstmgbxzn4-fPmjiBrzBFsjOAfcMWD8c/s320/march+09+joust+046.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. </p><p>Thaw the pastry according to the package instructions. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly dust with flour. Roll the pastry on the paper lined sheet to 12" x 10", then fold a bit of the edges in to form a border. If the pastry tears or cracks, mend with a bit of water and press together. Prick the pastry all over with a fork or tip of your knife and place in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes. When you are ready to bake, give the border a nice brush with the beaten egg and place the pastry in the oven and bake until just golden, about 10 minutes. To view a picture of a previous post with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Tarte</span> Fine go <a href="http://myplatemyworld.blogspot.com/2008/06/tarte-fine-with-cherry-tomatoes.html">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />When the pastry is just golden, remove from the oven. It will have puffed up a bit, but will fall when you take it out and it begins to cool. Now you are ready to place the toppings. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnAYgNHNxQDcavclKAKEmPKBZizCriYdJl_l2OFGLA3ki37cTUULsAfOUpMQ8eQ9jhGJeQIiguiTmFt4ZWqebdJkejx23yWW5tnCc2zQ8kLZVz_alDVdiUGRCiIA6pfpVrINnbCopPLc/s1600-h/march+09+joust+088.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307891247483133746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnAYgNHNxQDcavclKAKEmPKBZizCriYdJl_l2OFGLA3ki37cTUULsAfOUpMQ8eQ9jhGJeQIiguiTmFt4ZWqebdJkejx23yWW5tnCc2zQ8kLZVz_alDVdiUGRCiIA6pfpVrINnbCopPLc/s320/march+09+joust+088.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Begin with the shallots. Lightly place them in a generous layer. Then, drop the crumbles of goat cheese and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Place the tart back in the oven and continue to bake until the cheese gets a tinge of brown, bubbles a bit and the pastry is a deeper golden brown. Remove, slice and them drizzle generously with the infused honey.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPHaMVoqWA4D9W7qZxC3lZAQrpsog4ADY9NPisi6nK8S07eTzk3qSKsMgdp4RfGfLhJblA-UHG7BZa5RkR2gvvb88pGukcwM6OR55B04aWSg4J6B_vDQ2Thvjva4tr8PCBXpsJi-m6wU/s1600-h/march+09+joust+115.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307892623587660610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdPHaMVoqWA4D9W7qZxC3lZAQrpsog4ADY9NPisi6nK8S07eTzk3qSKsMgdp4RfGfLhJblA-UHG7BZa5RkR2gvvb88pGukcwM6OR55B04aWSg4J6B_vDQ2Thvjva4tr8PCBXpsJi-m6wU/s400/march+09+joust+115.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To accompany this tart I tossed together a salad of romaine and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bibb</span> lettuces, diced pear, pistachios and a dried cranberry/pomegranate blend (found at Trader <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Joes</span>), all dressed in a light vinaigrette. I added a few fresh pansies (edible) that I found on sale at the grocery store. If you have never eaten one, try it! They have a slight licorice taste.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307898822713614386" style="WIDTH: 106px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiifcgFU9IeQ696yTv0uFc6KkTzDK0AIc5IxjDz27IbKnPZqQYH7nqt0jleN6sHtrpjRGlAlLzqu1nZh0LMdVOBwAtOuejkSd4SCLDSSb5rku_CpqoExs8SuR3LJirE1WPD3Kw1dVOCngU/s200/march+09+joust+068.JPG" border="0" />Since it was a Friday night and I had this fun theme going, we began with a cocktail. It consists of a squeeze of lemon in each martini glass, some good vodka chilled with ice in a shaker, then strained into the glass and topped off with a splash of Blood Orange Italian Soda (from Target, who knew?). I then garnished each with a pansy, so cute and yummy! Maybe I will call it a B.O.T. (Blood Orange <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Tini</span>, any other suggestions?). We munched on a few of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=4149212587940065789&searchType=ALL&page=0">marinated olives</a> while the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">tarte</span> baked. Nothing like a good drink and a salty snack!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuWTSNlcmYYC2RknBAedZclah-E3fILHpTU-zYygZMQjPFh9l-nOc2Dl4M236Talcth0IvWykQj7NFz27Ntsc29CRu5p12QBtkE73id2jib3JO3QzSeXUlFVqouGBwniQNa7MvMwATU0/s1600-h/march+09+joust+076.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307899416627847378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuWTSNlcmYYC2RknBAedZclah-E3fILHpTU-zYygZMQjPFh9l-nOc2Dl4M236Talcth0IvWykQj7NFz27Ntsc29CRu5p12QBtkE73id2jib3JO3QzSeXUlFVqouGBwniQNa7MvMwATU0/s400/march+09+joust+076.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is the recipe for the infused honey. I am drinking a cup of tea with a bit of this honey while I type this, so good!<br /><br /><em><strong><u>Lavender Orange Infused Honey</u></strong></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRgCRn7OSIc_lSMfpGmLuxmrgdBIs1edX39oMhBM1-4LgtcmrphpIz_OgKQgcL1Wldxjx5gRLfwTi10-UXJmYR7BW4wzlx2vtzs9FPmVbrr3BGSaoPJd7nilmzrKDoThkuWxFqG-9ul8/s1600-h/march+09+joust+011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307895377952397714" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRgCRn7OSIc_lSMfpGmLuxmrgdBIs1edX39oMhBM1-4LgtcmrphpIz_OgKQgcL1Wldxjx5gRLfwTi10-UXJmYR7BW4wzlx2vtzs9FPmVbrr3BGSaoPJd7nilmzrKDoThkuWxFqG-9ul8/s400/march+09+joust+011.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkljp7PCk6f_n2aGne-Y4JMQBeTUloo8G6M8Y8CXpnMWv5heIuyQWxhyphenhyphenBzXtJbB1RVblRX0JzO4cLHcvAcR_ih5jm3bLSDlnKl2JCo2w3id1wO1eeXMH8tQksuZCnhyWq3y0r8iWffOLY/s1600-h/march+09+joust+018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307896960441105330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkljp7PCk6f_n2aGne-Y4JMQBeTUloo8G6M8Y8CXpnMWv5heIuyQWxhyphenhyphenBzXtJbB1RVblRX0JzO4cLHcvAcR_ih5jm3bLSDlnKl2JCo2w3id1wO1eeXMH8tQksuZCnhyWq3y0r8iWffOLY/s320/march+09+joust+018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Heat 1 cup of good organic honey in a small heavy pot until it just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the peel of 1 blood orange and 2 tsp dried lavender flowers. Stir, cover and let sit at room temperature all day. Using a fine sieve, strain the honey mixture, pushing it with the back of a spoon to extract as much of the honey as you can. Store in the fridge until ready to use. </p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN632gX4rrH3ueodtI7QFxqKosjK8StFDzm57XO2uLe5gNOwwIBo6TMnl1ds5i0EudfCGliPqOOMR96zU6vMTnOMWUvgws0hPESmXCI0ZzOHUWHF_z73uLVhMRs6npjxnbteoSjB25sJ0/s1600-h/march+09+joust+050.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307898083834416338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN632gX4rrH3ueodtI7QFxqKosjK8StFDzm57XO2uLe5gNOwwIBo6TMnl1ds5i0EudfCGliPqOOMR96zU6vMTnOMWUvgws0hPESmXCI0ZzOHUWHF_z73uLVhMRs6npjxnbteoSjB25sJ0/s320/march+09+joust+050.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5SPqB9xYnHyOfLJ20F0fNrpTLRYb9GvuzBCeD0XYTqf4H1KfDT9r5H1mjyoqCzeHWgJgXBB7KenvY6hVrFCuguQqrQtxA4v3TG982WXs0BgVuyc_RsqIUqR6y5cMnAUGp8BBUBNp9WI/s1600-h/march+09+joust+061.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307898451839893746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5SPqB9xYnHyOfLJ20F0fNrpTLRYb9GvuzBCeD0XYTqf4H1KfDT9r5H1mjyoqCzeHWgJgXBB7KenvY6hVrFCuguQqrQtxA4v3TG982WXs0BgVuyc_RsqIUqR6y5cMnAUGp8BBUBNp9WI/s400/march+09+joust+061.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />FYI: I just finished knitting a fun pair of socks and will be featuring them on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">inaugural</span> post of my new knitting blog, <a href="http://knitalogue.blogspot.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Knitalogue</span></a> which should be up and running by the end of the weekend!</p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-64870567517522216112009-02-25T08:30:00.021-05:002009-02-25T10:23:55.081-05:00Beets, Goat Cheese and Olives<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiKpxqU8bZHAhq2ce_BvpJdmSQnb4-SMWZrcqr2HDiUz1XhoypJRsxCTTNUk7mDj3ckltUQwC6hp-YrYWW1vNBB7SJuaqaKHNLLFpD9L-2lrPBUye_1T0dZ0BY0WxJcEeHV81HwxqJ7Y/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+146.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306727659724094050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiKpxqU8bZHAhq2ce_BvpJdmSQnb4-SMWZrcqr2HDiUz1XhoypJRsxCTTNUk7mDj3ckltUQwC6hp-YrYWW1vNBB7SJuaqaKHNLLFpD9L-2lrPBUye_1T0dZ0BY0WxJcEeHV81HwxqJ7Y/s400/valentines+day+09+146.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is the last post in the Valentine's Day Dinner series. I will lay out the details of the first two courses. For one of the appetizers I made Marinated Olives with Lemon, Thyme and Rosemary. The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/olive_lemon_thyme.html">here</a> at EatingWell.com. This can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and is a very healthy nosh. Just hit your local olive bar at the grocery store, throw together your favorite olive mix, bring home and toss with a few ingredients, so easy! To compliment the saltiness of the marinated olives I put together a spread of Rosemary Cheese with Fig Preserves. I found this recipe on <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=366738">myrecipes.com</a> last year and made it as specified. This year a made a slight change. I wanted to try another cheese other than the cream cheese. I found a nice, soft farmer cheese, low in calories, fat and cholesterol, with a short list of ingredients. The resulting spread was very nice, but a bit softer than it was with the cream cheese. This recipe halves nicely, which is what I did since there are just the two of us. Another bonus, this can also be made in advance. So, here are the recipes for the appetizers.<br /><br /><u><strong><em>Marinated Olives with Lemon, Thyme and Rosemary</em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYnUTXhAHL62ahmAJuY1Ivb7CqZO5I0McfWAeIc327SxsQpHgCCa_pKd1FJivv4EngjQOb3XYBkgLYXiZBf2AtEUfaZeyiucO9qLlJHvtM7TaKpay5RZ_tS9bMEfRT4fQRsvNaJDZq5c/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306732738922017026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYnUTXhAHL62ahmAJuY1Ivb7CqZO5I0McfWAeIc327SxsQpHgCCa_pKd1FJivv4EngjQOb3XYBkgLYXiZBf2AtEUfaZeyiucO9qLlJHvtM7TaKpay5RZ_tS9bMEfRT4fQRsvNaJDZq5c/s320/valentines+day+09+033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></u><em>makes 4 cups</em><br /><br />4 cups mixed olives of your choice<br />1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried<br />6 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 tablespoons dried<br />2 tablespoons lemon juice<br />Zest of 1/2 lemon, cut into thin slivers<br />4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into slivers<br />1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil<br />Freshly ground pepper to taste<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7badTnvhl0ibpmqOGaHKPCkSGKfol6UJs2JCfGAUl-YmEs9jmWPTj-A_qGRKyRVU5WTE_8Z7rIBM8vcr3Z0PymXflmcBxpPSfifWpcLJ9jgA0rAY7D66IW8BBXa3XeKCU9BqIzb3Q6M/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306733806361155250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7badTnvhl0ibpmqOGaHKPCkSGKfol6UJs2JCfGAUl-YmEs9jmWPTj-A_qGRKyRVU5WTE_8Z7rIBM8vcr3Z0PymXflmcBxpPSfifWpcLJ9jgA0rAY7D66IW8BBXa3XeKCU9BqIzb3Q6M/s320/valentines+day+09+040.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Combine olives, thyme, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oil and pepper in a medium bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days, stirring several times. (I just packed it back into the deli container it came in.) Serve with pita or other flatbread or French or Italian bread.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7nLYEa8pwVzQH4efQOw0jOcnML_twpf53Qs66IHymtToZAlNLsySeszZGGAkoiNJwznWZCOZtD1vfCrNPuLyDhixrc7BvztjyNLDijHHZFlczosM4WCDL36TqMQ_eWwEU3wLqIq3Ph0/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306734612673825042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7nLYEa8pwVzQH4efQOw0jOcnML_twpf53Qs66IHymtToZAlNLsySeszZGGAkoiNJwznWZCOZtD1vfCrNPuLyDhixrc7BvztjyNLDijHHZFlczosM4WCDL36TqMQ_eWwEU3wLqIq3Ph0/s400/valentines+day+09+044.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><p></p><br /><p><strong><em><u>Rosemary Cheese with Fig Preserves</u></em></strong><br /><em>makes 2 cups</em> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlnz572CLR3Em6_BWa81gdzFGikB3rA4vQ0iK-RCPxQ-aLuWQBwfGMyz5ykCfCvPsC1O01NsAyLDPq3QcrpjS31aRLHBZe-TgMC9UjtS1KWdKa6It2Zo_D398-w2b_pYH1fRBE-oo2Vw/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+046.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306735694176514914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlnz572CLR3Em6_BWa81gdzFGikB3rA4vQ0iK-RCPxQ-aLuWQBwfGMyz5ykCfCvPsC1O01NsAyLDPq3QcrpjS31aRLHBZe-TgMC9UjtS1KWdKa6It2Zo_D398-w2b_pYH1fRBE-oo2Vw/s320/valentines+day+09+046.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />8 oz. farmer cheese, softened<br />3 oz. goat cheese, softened<br />1 tbl chopped, fresh rosemary<br />2 tsp honey<br />1 tsp coarsely ground pepper<br />3/4 cup fig preserves </p><br /><p>Process first 5 ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.</p><br /><p>Spoon cheese mixture into a mold which has been lightly greased and then lined with plastic wrap. I like to use ramekins for this. Cover and chill at least 2 hours, or overnight.</p><br /><p>Invert chilled cheese mixture onto a serving dish; discard wrap (duh!). Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Serve with crackers of your choice. I like the sesame crackers, they hold up to the cheese well.</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcsIe049bKkggpB5JG5nWsnhpKVFtIo7FlydMDi844hLzselJt2PNGAUOvuQYZW-lVMcX8LEHBw7FLrFUbWOKEZmwn8h7iyVLdfJdaeNrU3WmnhzCyejcTCoOhc-G2IfactjjxIbAU6s/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+130.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306741559896324706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcsIe049bKkggpB5JG5nWsnhpKVFtIo7FlydMDi844hLzselJt2PNGAUOvuQYZW-lVMcX8LEHBw7FLrFUbWOKEZmwn8h7iyVLdfJdaeNrU3WmnhzCyejcTCoOhc-G2IfactjjxIbAU6s/s400/valentines+day+09+130.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.clarksnutrition.com/product_images/UPC/07/071105000011.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://www.clarksnutrition.com/product_images/UPC/07/071105000011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Note: This is the brand of crackers I prefer. You can find more info <a href="http://www.clarksnutrition.com/shop/product_view.asp?id=25917&StoreID=2691B1FE187D41ACB869A85CA5957A0A&private_product=0">here</a>. I can always find them at the natural foods store.<br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>That finishes up the apps, now on to the next course: Herb Salad with "Heart" Beets, Goat Cheese Pistachio Marbles and Honey Vinaigrette. The beets are so cute on the plate and great for this occasion, or perhaps an anniversary. Here's how you put together the components of the salad.</p><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcp8_4ljrxV1E3o9GSqQOeFOE1Obr0ajpH5MZCDJUF1RgWg_L6NNBdj9XhGDK4DpY4CuPngSNIADRj2GUVIdRc08NjQ42xo4UhqpRt1jnW90w74Mj6nW8T2GENEFQ8nglPns7bftoAB4/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306742586028964818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcp8_4ljrxV1E3o9GSqQOeFOE1Obr0ajpH5MZCDJUF1RgWg_L6NNBdj9XhGDK4DpY4CuPngSNIADRj2GUVIdRc08NjQ42xo4UhqpRt1jnW90w74Mj6nW8T2GENEFQ8nglPns7bftoAB4/s320/valentines+day+09+007.JPG" border="0" /></a>First, start with your beets. Cut the tops off, leaving about an inch (save the greens, they are loaded with nutrients and are great raw in a salad or sauteed). Give them a scrub, dry them, then place them on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap up in the foil, place your packet on a baking sheet and roast in a 425 degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until tender. </p><br /><p>When they are done, remove the baking sheet and let the packet cool completely. After the beets have cooled you can just slice off the top and rub the skin off. I like to use a paper towel, just seems to work for me. Be sure to give your hands a good washing, the beet dye will come off! Once they are roasted and peeled, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge until you are ready for them. </p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8oRdLHXVuFKlT7C3n4oECj_rWhnagYnjbEDb7UhF6j9emBKaNippaQ6yWWRZtXUwMQhfDKku897ePw2HLtbwABvbRddrMqWPLj86KRkvQKvZr4fBhpiyQtF7DdwJIGRv27QwahtDyQs/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+071.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306744320079135218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8oRdLHXVuFKlT7C3n4oECj_rWhnagYnjbEDb7UhF6j9emBKaNippaQ6yWWRZtXUwMQhfDKku897ePw2HLtbwABvbRddrMqWPLj86KRkvQKvZr4fBhpiyQtF7DdwJIGRv27QwahtDyQs/s320/valentines+day+09+071.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uezKh4so8V_lLUPHnTfjudAKAJMS6uOtvmwowvfRLeazA6Q-yhc0m-X49gcbBMhxwVHjsz-dJ-ZvKpDfoK92XADgI_6u0pEgp2RkwH9ScydKgmA-r-3Er6Abvk0wxMKbn0yX2XhIzk4/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+074.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306744770150763202" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uezKh4so8V_lLUPHnTfjudAKAJMS6uOtvmwowvfRLeazA6Q-yhc0m-X49gcbBMhxwVHjsz-dJ-ZvKpDfoK92XADgI_6u0pEgp2RkwH9ScydKgmA-r-3Er6Abvk0wxMKbn0yX2XhIzk4/s320/valentines+day+09+074.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />To make the hearts, simply slice the beets crosswise and cut the shapes with a small cookie cutter. Place them on a plate, cover and refrigerate until ready you are ready to plate them up. Save the scraps for salad another day.</p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5n_IkGOFKDZsiXNrq8IbUSWUFbVuTV7R6sZ-Vov9ypaw1CnK5am4TbPzR2IHX2jOtd1_un3hQS1FSwNI-huoW81n7BXBQA7Y9kSvmwl13W_yfX5mSGwJavv1FpLeEoSrsjw_nW9gUd4/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+118.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306746030137134914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5n_IkGOFKDZsiXNrq8IbUSWUFbVuTV7R6sZ-Vov9ypaw1CnK5am4TbPzR2IHX2jOtd1_un3hQS1FSwNI-huoW81n7BXBQA7Y9kSvmwl13W_yfX5mSGwJavv1FpLeEoSrsjw_nW9gUd4/s320/valentines+day+09+118.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4zzKz2DAUZmyrdnyw0tUHaK8JI7_CI1z1kkTBEPGPKszmzC5sOsVneoVqNBH4Clwor-MYSoBe5kN50HcdJA4YvUetyg3ZDOYbtJu1SanTUTPPMNCsIk8Y8zsIZUV-FcH_1Xgoc5VuEU/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+121.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306746587801786146" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu4zzKz2DAUZmyrdnyw0tUHaK8JI7_CI1z1kkTBEPGPKszmzC5sOsVneoVqNBH4Clwor-MYSoBe5kN50HcdJA4YvUetyg3ZDOYbtJu1SanTUTPPMNCsIk8Y8zsIZUV-FcH_1Xgoc5VuEU/s320/valentines+day+09+121.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next up, the Goat Cheese Pistachio Marbles. Quite a mouthful, but oh so easy to make. First, pop a handful of roasted, unsalted, pistachios from their shells and give them a good chop. Place the chopped nuts on a small flat plate. Roll your goat cheese (I find it works best when it is chilled) into small, marbles with your hands, then roll them in the nuts until nicely coated. They can then be placed on a plate with the beets, covered and kept chilled<br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqKSp01oGSK8mX6IiW-epfZwHq81Js29xFYfKr0bvHzutvk5QgY0f8KyZQQT71FoA5SagHaw1Ri8-UR22M7vcLQFbPc_Cvm-Sz8Df4yOR4Pd1c-yZGhspbZsx9sIh7xe138UgYnODM-4/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+125.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306748050551305330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqKSp01oGSK8mX6IiW-epfZwHq81Js29xFYfKr0bvHzutvk5QgY0f8KyZQQT71FoA5SagHaw1Ri8-UR22M7vcLQFbPc_Cvm-Sz8Df4yOR4Pd1c-yZGhspbZsx9sIh7xe138UgYnODM-4/s400/valentines+day+09+125.JPG" border="0" /></a>Okay, we have our beets roasted and cut out and our cheesy marbles ready to go. When you are ready to serve your salad simply whisk up a simple honey vinaigrette. To do this you combine a small amount of vinegar of your choice, (I used an apricot balsamic about 1 tsp) with a squirt of honey and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. When they are nicely combined drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to combine. The ratio of vinegar to oil is about 1 to 3, but taste as you go! I like the Martha method of mixing the vinaigrette into the bottom of the bowl, adding the salad greens on top and then tossing together, one less bowl to wash. For this salad I used the Earthbound Farm Organic Herb Mix, love it! Then just plate up with your beets and cheese and serve to your sweetie, lovely!</p><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlEwPy-oDA1DBYn9mTXU6Brmjfau01X0OjVycq7UyNKfdV4BS-t8W4VEPvi5cnyBymVfjx9pgS98hA20hKDfRq-FAH_4TCtnF28Eec7Y1gYuhFz9t_8zWODWKSO1YEtTwsj-bg55k1zk/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+138.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306750345265071090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlEwPy-oDA1DBYn9mTXU6Brmjfau01X0OjVycq7UyNKfdV4BS-t8W4VEPvi5cnyBymVfjx9pgS98hA20hKDfRq-FAH_4TCtnF28Eec7Y1gYuhFz9t_8zWODWKSO1YEtTwsj-bg55k1zk/s400/valentines+day+09+138.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p>Don't forget, there are still a few days left to leave your <a href="http://myplatemyworld.blogspot.com/2009/02/agave-glazed-rainbow-carrots-and.html">comment</a> and win the Food & Wine Cookbook! </p><p>Cheers!</p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-62064139795714091412009-02-19T09:57:00.009-05:002009-02-19T10:43:51.431-05:00Agave Glazed Rainbow Carrots and a Giveaway!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZ1z8nVqgpI/AAAAAAAABR4/FUbqaWUT42E/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+166.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304523421301506706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZ1z8nVqgpI/AAAAAAAABR4/FUbqaWUT42E/s400/valentines+day+09+166.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here is a quick recipe for the carrots I made as a side to accompany the <a href="http://myplatemyworld.blogspot.com/2009/02/wild-mushroom-lasagna.html">Wild Mushroom Lasagna</a>. This really isn't a formal recipe, so adjust to your taste and the quantity you are making.<br /><br />Start with nice, organic if possible, thin carrots. I love the rainbow variety of flavors. Just give them a good scrubbing, no need to peel when they are this thin. I like to leave a bit of the top on for looks. Heat a small amount of olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the carrots, in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Toss in the carrots and cook for a few minutes. Then add a bit of vegetable broth, or water if that's all you have, salt and pepper to taste and a light sprinkle of dried or fresh thyme. Cover and let steam until just barely tender. Remove lid and add a squirt of agave, I use the organic blue agave, again to your taste. Continue to cook with the lid off until the liquid evaporates off and the agave gets all syrupy. That's all there is to it!<br /><br />I discovered agave just recently. I love the mild sweetness and the added benefit of it's low glycemic index. We use it in tea every day and I have subbed it out for honey in quite a few recipes. Don't worry, I'm not giving up honey, just trying to cut back.<br /><br />So, how does this meal sound:<br /><br />Cabrales Phyllo Rolls with Sherry Dipping Sauce<br />Shaved Zucchini with Miso Vinaigrette<br />Seafood Pasta with Tuscan Hot Oil<br />Blueberry Meringue Tart<br /><br />Would you like to have these recipes at your fingertips along with the perfect wine pairings? Well, wait no more! I have a copy of, "Food and Wine an entire year of recipes 2006" the magazines annual cookbook to give away! I found this nice, new copy at one of my favorite shops and thought it would be a nice prize to use to celebrate my One Year Anniversary. All you have to do to win this book is to answer this question, "What is your perfect Food And Wine pairing?" in the comment section. Please be sure to leave me your contact information (email) so I can notify you if you are the winner, and please only enter once. I will ship this anywhere. You have until February 28th, midnight my time (EST) to enter. I will choose a winner at random.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZ16CUDUWuI/AAAAAAAABSA/mVZb6O0hEAo/s1600-h/2.18.09+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304530116273265378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZ16CUDUWuI/AAAAAAAABSA/mVZb6O0hEAo/s400/2.18.09+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Picture yourself perusing your new cookbook while sipping a Jasmine Spritzer (pg.358), planning your next dinner party. Good Luck and thanks again for reading!<br /><br />Important Note: If I cannot reach you to get your mailing information by Friday, March 6th, I will choose another winner, so be sure I can contact you!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-87041864996334900652009-02-17T09:03:00.025-05:002009-02-17T11:01:19.150-05:00Wild Mushroom Lasagna<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrEUFxIqGI/AAAAAAAABPo/ZVBUqZX-P98/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+068.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303767360606873698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrEUFxIqGI/AAAAAAAABPo/ZVBUqZX-P98/s400/valentines+day+09+068.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, here it is, as promised, my One Year Anniversary post, featuring our Valentine's Day dinner. Wow, I still can't believe a whole year has gone by. I am anxious to get this next year started! So, I will begin the new year with a series of posts detailing the recipes from our dinner. Also, be on the lookout this week for a little giveaway I will be having. Just a little something to say "thanks" for sticking with me!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />First, the menu:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em>* Rosemary Cheese with Fig Preserves & Sesame Crackers</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><br />* Marinated Olives w/Lemon, Thyme & Rosemary</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><br />* Herb Salad w/"Heart" Beets, Goat Cheese Pistachio Marbles & Honey Vinaigrette</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em><br />* Wild Mushroom Lasagna w/Creamy Béchamel & Agave Glazed Rainbow Carrots</em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><strong><em></em></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><strong><em>* Bee Mine Cake </em></strong><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrYjTEuJRI/AAAAAAAABRI/uNG93BpSc-o/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+180.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303789612109276434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrYjTEuJRI/AAAAAAAABRI/uNG93BpSc-o/s400/valentines+day+09+180.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Today I begin with the main course simply because it was so darn good. The combination of the wild mushrooms, rosemary, wine, madeira and lightly sweet béchamel was simply luscious. To top it off, the original recipe can be found <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=604775">here</a> on the Cooking Light website (no guilt!). Last year I made the recipe as written, this year I made some changes to try to make the recipe even more heart and waist friendly. I used whole wheat lasagna, a Bordeaux wine (from Trader Joe's) and Madeira. In the béchamel I made a few changes including swapping the milk out with light plain soymilk. If you are not a fan of a lightly sweet béchamel then I would suggest an unsweetened soymilk. The consistency of the sauce was lovely, but it took longer to thicken up, so be patient. I love the taste of leeks so I split the onion quantity to half leeks and half white onion. For the mushrooms, just use the combination of fresh that you like or are more available/affordable. I used a combo of shiitakes and baby bellas, wonderful (can't wait til the farmers' market shrooms are available). The beauty of this dish is that you can prepare some, if not all of it a day in advance. I chose to just prepare the filling in advance knowing that the mushroom prep would take some time. The resulting dish is rich and earthy and I would challenge any meat lover to try it!<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Wild Mushroom Lasagna w/ Creamy Bechamel </u></em></strong><br /><strong><em><u></u></em></strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrMIqvyhDI/AAAAAAAABPw/HtRAlHFVZvo/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+058.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303775960467932210" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrMIqvyhDI/AAAAAAAABPw/HtRAlHFVZvo/s400/valentines+day+09+058.JPG" border="0" /></a> <em>serves 8</em><br /><br />Mushroom Filling:<br /><br />2 cups boiling water<br />1 cup dried porcini mushroom (about 1 oz)<br />1 tbl olive oil<br />1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts<br />1 cup chopped white onion<br />4 garlic cloves, minced<br />11 cups total, sliced mushrooms, (shiitake and baby bellas were my choice)<br />1/4 tsp fine sea salt<br />1/4 cup Bordeaux wine<br />1/4 cup Madeira<br />1 tbl low-sodium soy sauce<br />1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley<br />2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary<br />1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper<br /><br />Béchamel:<br /><br />3 cups light plain soymilk<br />2 tbl earth balance spread<br />3 tbl sifted whole wheat pastry flour<br />1/4 tsp sea salt<br />1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />1/8 tsp grated nutmeg<br /><br />Remaining ingredients:<br /><br />Cooking spray<br />1 80z package of precooked whole wheat lasagna noodles<br />1 cup (4oz) great fresh Parmesan cheese<br /><br />To prepare filling, combine water and porcini in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Drain porcini through a sieve over a bowl, squeezing porcini to extract liquid. Reserve 1 1/2 cups liquid; discard remaining liquid. Rinse porcini, and drain. Chop coarsely; set aside. While the porcinis are soaking you can clean and slice the mushrooms and slice, rinse and drain the leeks.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSQvOVYcVpDClvs6KCQdX0pPmyFBoc5f3IaPGHAN9zYAmY1ZKYs-b2Kt_khl8rcrkqjY6gWW6kBEH1y3597MgjiMkYrq7fvTVeaGAQZlYwMq2mg8yrZH0UmkjWlfBMF6UF6jsHpPFHaw/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303779423794542546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 258px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSQvOVYcVpDClvs6KCQdX0pPmyFBoc5f3IaPGHAN9zYAmY1ZKYs-b2Kt_khl8rcrkqjY6gWW6kBEH1y3597MgjiMkYrq7fvTVeaGAQZlYwMq2mg8yrZH0UmkjWlfBMF6UF6jsHpPFHaw/s320/valentines+day+09+055.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrQOGmJr_I/AAAAAAAABQA/ZzpWebTV62A/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303780451889557490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrQOGmJr_I/AAAAAAAABQA/ZzpWebTV62A/s320/valentines+day+09+064.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrQu-CT-YI/AAAAAAAABQI/MLcTWzdi0T0/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+062.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303781016527436162" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrQu-CT-YI/AAAAAAAABQI/MLcTWzdi0T0/s320/valentines+day+09+062.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add leek and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add shiitake mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture and begin to brown. Stir in porcini, wine, madeira and soy sauce. Cook 4 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Stir in parsley and rosemary. Add the reserved porcini liquid; bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes) Actually, it took much longer for mine to reduce down. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrSh5HSifI/AAAAAAAABQQ/BGoV7TMW5Mg/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303782990891092466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrSh5HSifI/AAAAAAAABQQ/BGoV7TMW5Mg/s400/valentines+day+09+079.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />To prepare béchamel, place milk in a 4-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes or until hot, stirring after 2 minutes. Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stirring with a whisk, and cook 1 minute or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a simmer; cook over low heat 8 minutes or until sauce slightly thickens, stirring frequently The sauce should just coat the back of a spoon, it will thicken during the baking process. Like I said before, it took mine much longer to thicken, more like 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Note: please do yourself a favor and buy your nutmeg whole. Use your microplane to grate when needed. The flavor is much nicer (and prettier).</p><p><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrUWxU-BwI/AAAAAAAABQY/M3AxQmhQx7M/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+086.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303784998845679362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrUWxU-BwI/AAAAAAAABQY/M3AxQmhQx7M/s400/valentines+day+09+086.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrU6wtHSJI/AAAAAAAABQg/ZvxYW5krYhM/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+082.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303785617153804434" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrU6wtHSJI/AAAAAAAABQg/ZvxYW5krYhM/s400/valentines+day+09+082.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Preheat oven to 350°.<br /><br />Spread 1/2 cup béchamel in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over béchamel; top with 1/2 cup béchamel. Top with 1 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat layers three times (dish will be very full). Cover with foil; place baking dish on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover lasagna; bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrWDnI6htI/AAAAAAAABQo/zqGsNwdlhhM/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+103.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303786868716504786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrWDnI6htI/AAAAAAAABQo/zqGsNwdlhhM/s320/valentines+day+09+103.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrXEp_8niI/AAAAAAAABQw/rUSX_PyfUkU/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+106.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303787986175696418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrXEp_8niI/AAAAAAAABQw/rUSX_PyfUkU/s320/valentines+day+09+106.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZre2u5gSKI/AAAAAAAABRY/o9jSgfaFvYo/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+111.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZre2u5gSKI/AAAAAAAABRY/o9jSgfaFvYo/s320/valentines+day+09+111.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303796543065704610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The finished product just out of the oven. Yeah,baby! Cover back up with your foil and let it sit about 10 minutes or so. I find it sets up a bit better.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrYKtAyRbI/AAAAAAAABRA/TzbKPnYMmGc/s1600-h/valentines+day+09+169.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303789189575361970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZrYKtAyRbI/AAAAAAAABRA/TzbKPnYMmGc/s400/valentines+day+09+169.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /><strong></strong><Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-30071023439329420442009-02-13T15:33:00.003-05:002009-02-13T15:55:37.429-05:00My how time does fly!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZXdOwiIKAI/AAAAAAAABPg/mTarVsNKUnM/s1600-h/2827783740_32115577b1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302387381914576898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 350px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SZXdOwiIKAI/AAAAAAAABPg/mTarVsNKUnM/s400/2827783740_32115577b1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted. I miss all of you, my bleaders! Not only that, but my one year anniversary is upon me. So, I am in the process of recreating our meal from last <a href="http://myplatemyworld.blogspot.com/2008/02/valentines-feast-for-2.html">Valentine's Day</a> with a few little tweaks. Looking back on that, my first post, I can't believe how this blog has developed over time.<br /><br />Anyway, I have done as much prep today as I can, or want, and am looking forward to the meal and blogging about it afterwards.<br /><br />Our health is good. Mr. is recovering nicely from his surgery. He is looking and feeling like the "Old Mr". It is so nice to be able to go for a walk, that is when the snow isn't in the way. Thanks again for all of your thoughts and prayers during that time. I am battling a gallbladder problem which has really put a crimp in my eating/cooking. I am trying to avoid surgery (I am a big chicken) with herbal supplements and monitoring my diet closely. Anyone who has any advice/experience, I welcome your comments.<br /><br />Now, off to clean up the kitchen and visit a friend for her birthday! By the way, I have been really into my knitting lately and plan to either integrate it into this blog or start another, still sitting on that one!<br /><br />Cheers! </div>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-42657411309424373682008-12-02T10:11:00.003-05:002008-12-02T10:50:35.978-05:00Time to check in!I can't believe how long it has been since I have posted! I think that things have finally settled down a bit and I can get back to my regular blog posts.<br /><br />First, I must say "Thank you!" for all of your wonderful comments, shared experiences and warm thoughts. They were truly comforting. To update, he is doing quite well. The recovery is coming along as scheduled. He is able to get about, slowly and still with quite a bit of pain, but is able to work from home and has even gone in to his office for a few hours here and there. It is so amazing to see how quickly the body can heal from such an invasive procedure.<br /><br />I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving. We were able to celebrate the day with a friend whose father was in the same hospital, at the same time as my Mr. was. She and I were able to check in with each other, grab a few meals together and she was a great support for me while I was there. It was so nice that we could all have dinner together with both of our special guys! Her son and another wonderful friend of ours was there to "Give Thanks" as well. She and I both cooked up a storm (she is a fantastic cook!) and we really had a quite the feast! ( Look for future posts on my contribution to the meal. )<br /><br />There are so many things that I can't wait to get blogging on. I received my Blogging by Mail package from my secret blogging buddy while Mr. was in the hospital. I will be posting on the contents and details of the program. It was so much fun! I have been trying out a few new heart healthy recipes with nice results and have discovered a couple websites/magazines to share, so they will be upcoming as well. My knitting needles have been clicking away in preparation for Christmas. Click, click, click! It has been the perfect quiet activity to do during this recovery period.<br /><br />One thing I wanted to get in today is this great giveaway that I entered yesterday. It is for a Flight of Fine Finishing Salts by Ritrovo that Marx Foods is giving away. Just enter a comment on which salt your household would go through first for a chance to win. You have until December 5th to enter. Wait until you see the selection, mouthwatering!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.marxfood.com/"><img src="https://system.netsuite.com/core/media/media.nl?id=4604&c=659425&h=94548a1751f1b875260d" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Good luck and I will be back soon with my Turkey Day pie recipe!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-31589155548301348982008-11-05T11:59:00.002-05:002008-11-05T12:21:12.905-05:00Wake up callSo, I have been very absent on the internet for the past week. This is because my life has been turned somewhat upside down. My Mr. underwent bypass surgery last week just 3 days after turning 53, with no notice. One minute you are in the doctor's office, the next you find yourself checking him into the hospital. This was Tuesday. Wednesday morning, surgery, the longest day of my life. Six hours later, the recovery begins. The whole ordeal is one of those "out of body" experiences. You find yourself asking, "when do I wake up from this nightmare", and then finally the reality that, "never", is the answer.<br /><br />You find out how wonderfully giving and caring your friends are, and who they are. You become humbled and learn to ask for help. You see the miracle of science and the mystery of the human body unfold. You realize how precious life is and how quickly it could all be taken away.<br /><br />As for him, the road to recovery has begun, and a long road it will be. He is only 53 and in great physical shape, which will help. He had a 5 artery bypass as well as a Carotid Endarterectomy, all areas were 99% blocked. His surgeon said that he should have been dead.<br /><br />The good news, it was caught just in time, before stroke or heart attack occurred.<br /><br />I will return to blogging in the near future. Expect the focus to be on heart healthy recipes. Fortunately for us, we won't have to make many changes.<br /><br />This is just the beginning of a new journey for us both. Today is the 1 week anniversary of his new, healthy heart.<br /><br />So, savour the moment. Smile. Kiss your loved ones. Move your body and caringly feed it all things healthy. <br /><br />And the journey begins.................Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-70938570582098557142008-10-24T09:11:00.023-04:002008-10-24T12:01:08.038-04:00Acorn Squash Spice Cupcakes with Orange Sage Buttercream Icing!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHKcWyuaqI/AAAAAAAABE4/98lySOBwhZQ/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260708428248935074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 258px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHKcWyuaqI/AAAAAAAABE4/98lySOBwhZQ/s320/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />It has been months since I have participated in a Joust, that is, <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/forum/index.php?board=5.0">The Royal Foodie Joust</a> hosted by Jen, <a href="http://www.leftoverqueen.com/forum/index.php?board=5.0">The Leftover Queen</a>. The winner of the previous month's challenge, which was Susan at <a href="http://stickygooeycreamychewy.blogspot.com/">Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy</a>, chose acorn squash, oranges and sage as the three Joust ingredients. Our challenge is to use all three in a recipe, post on our blogs and then at the end of the month, fellow Leftover Queen Forum members vote for the best recipe. (You can stop by the site and see all of the entries for the month)<br /><br />I have been thinking about what to make for weeks! Luckily, acorn squash is readily available at the farmers' markets now. I knew there would be savory dishes and wanted to come up with a sweet recipe, as well as challenge myself. So, these cupcakes are the result. I rarely make cupcakes, even though I know they are quite the rage. I am happy to say that I have a willing arsenal of friends and neighbors on standby, so 18 cupcakes will not be lurking in the house, begging to be eaten!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, may I now present, my soon-to-be world famous........<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHg16gGsyI/AAAAAAAABFA/wV3TWq8TJNY/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+091.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260733056587051810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHg16gGsyI/AAAAAAAABFA/wV3TWq8TJNY/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+091.JPG" border="0" /></a> <strong><em><u>Acorn Squash Spice Cupcakes with Orange Sage Buttercream Icing</u></em></strong><br /><em>makes 18 cupcakes</em><br /><br /><em><strong>For the cupcakes</strong></em><br />1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHi2YG-2aI/AAAAAAAABFI/eZHU4lGOHlA/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260735263557999010" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHi2YG-2aI/AAAAAAAABFI/eZHU4lGOHlA/s320/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+021.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />1 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 cup organic cane sugar<br />2 tsp baking powder<br />2 tsp good cinnamon<br />1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg<br />1/4 tsp ground sage<br />1/4 tsp fine sea salt<br />2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />1 cup skim milk<br />1/2 cup canola oil<br />1 cup acorn squash puree<br />toasted acorn squash seeds<br /></p><p>Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.</p><p>To make the acorn squash puree; cut 1 squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place in a microwave safe container with a bit of water, cover and cook until soft, in my microwave that took 9 minutes. Let cool, then scoop the cooked squash into the food processor and puree until smooth. This can be done a day in advance.</p><p>To make the cupcakes; place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and lightly whisk to combine. In another bowl, add the egg, milk and oil, whisking to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined, do not over mix. Then add the squash puree, again stirring to combine. At this point I transfer the batter to a large 4 cup glass measure. This makes it easier to pour into the cupcake liners without spilling or dripping. Fill liners about 2/3 full.</p><p><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHlIZxKNXI/AAAAAAAABFQ/Dq-J408PpTw/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260737772264240498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHlIZxKNXI/AAAAAAAABFQ/Dq-J408PpTw/s320/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+024.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbItKG2ljuMxMGu7bp3sgQ5nP1hy4imTfs9_v56gVuc3LttOQ0MLb8IVPHFB21uzSwgZW9ZYeBpXOEB1fsxgv7Gm3scQkzFZzcQbiRITDKKeBWFrZ2a1B8OvtsTvAFth8sgppKxLEl7c/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+026.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260738569890581746" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBbItKG2ljuMxMGu7bp3sgQ5nP1hy4imTfs9_v56gVuc3LttOQ0MLb8IVPHFB21uzSwgZW9ZYeBpXOEB1fsxgv7Gm3scQkzFZzcQbiRITDKKeBWFrZ2a1B8OvtsTvAFth8sgppKxLEl7c/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+026.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHnd_WaI-I/AAAAAAAABFg/L-wDtNkg8cs/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260740342153094114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHnd_WaI-I/AAAAAAAABFg/L-wDtNkg8cs/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+040.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Place the cupcakes in a preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. While the cupcakes are cooling you can toast the seeds and make the icing.<br /><br />To toast the seeds, place the cleaned, dry seeds on a pan and lightly spray them with olive oil. Toast at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until you just hear them pop, stirring at least once. When they are toasted, remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Set aside to cool completely.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHoD2rhphI/AAAAAAAABFo/s8gKrtWmCfI/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260740992660776466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 263px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHoD2rhphI/AAAAAAAABFo/s8gKrtWmCfI/s320/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+043.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em><strong>For the icing</strong></em><br />6 tbl softened butter<br />4 1/2 cups powdered sugar<br />1/4 cup plus 1 tbl orange juice<br />zest of 1 orange<br />2 sage leaves, very finely chopped<br /><br />Place the butter in the bowl of the mixer and beat on high until light and fluffy.<br /><br />Add about half of the powdered sugar beat until incorporated, starting out a low speed, then increase slowly to high speed. Then add the other half and repeat the mixing process. In a small bowl combine the orange juice, zest and sage. Then add to the butter mixture, beating on high until fluffy. If too stiff, add a bit more oj.<br /><br />Now you are ready to ice your cupcakes!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHqDICY9dI/AAAAAAAABFw/DGTLUsWlL3o/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+052.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260743179163465170" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHqDICY9dI/AAAAAAAABFw/DGTLUsWlL3o/s320/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+052.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I decided to give mine the red carpet treatment and pipe the icing, very fancy, I know. After piping, I grated more orange zest and topped each with some of the salted seeds. Let me tell you, these are sooo yummy, and a little healthier than your average cupcake. So far, my tasters have given me great reviews!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's hoping I win the apron this month!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHr2dpB4ZI/AAAAAAAABF4/25sQDQasLoA/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260745160647631250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHr2dpB4ZI/AAAAAAAABF4/25sQDQasLoA/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+057.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4OdQ9rMbGHc_6zJDvfaI0RG09RciVrMNPMuVQ66fJxBUSMKRhOn9BxvGVeUFpXl4nhDzrj-LjA3_iRytYtcsolw82tikwhu8JYy2wmwPx0qJuNxBhPboLpnmvbQ0bkvH2_2A0jtvhaI/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+064.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260745789725025570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4OdQ9rMbGHc_6zJDvfaI0RG09RciVrMNPMuVQ66fJxBUSMKRhOn9BxvGVeUFpXl4nhDzrj-LjA3_iRytYtcsolw82tikwhu8JYy2wmwPx0qJuNxBhPboLpnmvbQ0bkvH2_2A0jtvhaI/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+064.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Before and after being zested and seeded.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHtQ_4Nn6I/AAAAAAAABGI/LjSq4KmZRf8/s1600-h/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+079.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260746716026347426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SQHtQ_4Nn6I/AAAAAAAABGI/LjSq4KmZRf8/s400/acorn+squash+spice+cupcakes+w+orange+sage+buttercream+frosting+079.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This one was sacrificed in the name of quality control. A tough job, but someone has to do it!<br /><br />For more yummy pictures, just click on the Flickr widget on the sidebar!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-30990879976570149522008-10-22T06:31:00.002-04:002008-10-22T08:33:26.903-04:00Baked Winter Squash, Raisin and Pine Nut Lasagna -WWW<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3bdmDwzsI/AAAAAAAABEM/ikqGmZOvunQ/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+060.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259601241317625538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3bdmDwzsI/AAAAAAAABEM/ikqGmZOvunQ/s400/butternut+sq+lasagna+060.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIcJVqtiSUT54B9vgrF2TEj0jEGWsg89jyZmSni5ga60fAoSha9kFK0nSZpOg-Hy9SOYm5r6ZRJKuCu9K5S8OZ0OiRHWTBtomIwClW9rlLTOGYr7VMG9bSa0ddWnGwavKsnqYU5trBgA/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+061.JPG"></a>Here is another great recipe utilizing winter squash. I chose to use butternut, one of my favorites. As with any other lasagna recipe, this one takes a bit of time and creates a sink full of dishes. The good thing is that you can make this ahead of time and freeze the leftovers for a future meal. The recipe can be found <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=67641">here</a>. It calls for 10 oz of cooked winter squash. I peeled and cubed my butternut squash, placed it in a glass bowl with a bit of water and cooked it in the microwave for about 9 minutes until it was tender, stirring halfway through the cooking time. Then I weighed out 10 oz and pureed that amount in the food processor. The remainder of the squash I also pureed (about 2 1/4 cups), placed in a ziplock freezer bag and set aside for later. Actually, the bag is one of those ziplock vacuum bags. I just picked one up a few weeks ago and I love it. I have been lusting after a foodsaver system for a long time, but haven't saved my pennies up for one just yet. The ziplock vacuum was only $3.99, and so far, works very nicely. Back to the lasagna.</div><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEufU3qnTMKQ0t4Bg1gHQkJ3taIfiUrBvwZ5sEPm2sI8FRd7CR5r6P_mHf_BoVY06KGRaWnxxLgmh4P499epWGQO7Jy1GxfODSkza_AyRLKzMhHCUxDdsb4WZi-dXgVLBKwPTWpIjI-sQ/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259605805225909106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEufU3qnTMKQ0t4Bg1gHQkJ3taIfiUrBvwZ5sEPm2sI8FRd7CR5r6P_mHf_BoVY06KGRaWnxxLgmh4P499epWGQO7Jy1GxfODSkza_AyRLKzMhHCUxDdsb4WZi-dXgVLBKwPTWpIjI-sQ/s400/butternut+sq+lasagna+032.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I baked my lasagna in loaf pans. Since there are only 2 of us I find this works out much better than baking in a traditional pan. The pasta fits in perfectly (as always, I use the no-boil noodles), you can bake one pan for dinner, bake the others about 2/3 of the way, cool, wrap and freeze them in the pan. Then you have them on hand to bake when you don't have time to prepare dinner from scratch. Now, I only made 2 pans this time, since I had not made this recipe before. I used 4 noodles per pan and all of the filling, so I am not sure how this would change the points count. I also get 2 servings per pan, so I will get a total of 4 servings. I found the serving size to be fine, and since this is such a healthy recipe to start with, felt no guilt. I will post the original recipe for those who are counting the points values. I will also include my one addition, and that was a small amount of dried thyme. I felt that some sort of herb should be added to enhance the taste of the squash.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><br />This really was a surprisingly good recipe. The combination of ingredients gives it a very rich taste. I especially like the addition of the golden raisins. I served this with a salad of arugula, pears, walnuts and goat cheese with a light raspberry vinaigrette. A perfect, light and comforting vegetarian meal.</div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><em><u><strong>Winter Squash, Raisin and Pine Nut Lasagna </strong></u></em><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3gWNws7tI/AAAAAAAABEc/I1Bu5gCFOO0/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+039.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259606612094283474" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3gWNws7tI/AAAAAAAABEc/I1Bu5gCFOO0/s400/butternut+sq+lasagna+039.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em>servings 8<br />POINTS® Value: 6</em> </p><br /><p><br />1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour<br />2 1/2 cup(s) fat-free evaporated milk<br />2 medium garlic clove(s), minced<br />1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese<br />1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste<br />1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste<br />1/4 tsp dried thyme<br />10 oz dry lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (about 12 noodles), or no-boil noodles<br />10 oz cooked winter squash, thawed if frozen<br />1 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />3/4 cup(s) golden seedless raisins<br />2 tbsp pine nuts, chopped </p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>Preheat oven to 350°F.</p><br />Place flour in a small saucepan and very gradually whisk in milk and garlic. Warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce simmers and is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and thyme.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3ixhFsmzI/AAAAAAAABEk/a2E4Wi3cj0Y/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259609280162339634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3ixhFsmzI/AAAAAAAABEk/a2E4Wi3cj0Y/s400/butternut+sq+lasagna+044.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SP3gWNws7tI/AAAAAAAABEc/I1Bu5gCFOO0/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+039.JPG"></a>Spread 1/4 cup of cheese sauce over bottom of a 9 X 13-inch glass or metal pan and cover with 3 lasagna noodles; top with 1/3 of squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of raisins. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and spread with 1/3 of remaining squash and 1/2 cup of cheese sauce; sprinkle with 1/4 cup of raisins. Cover with 3 more lasagna noodles and top with remaining squash and raisins; cover with last 3 lasagna noodles, pressing sheets firmly down. Top with remaining cheese sauce; sprinkle with pine nuts and remaining mozzarella cheese.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkucby1jJv7ux-IheRgAIQp5irrX_ftY0yYrddbnO7dkQxgWntqMKrgKPJj3IWx6m5pUFEOwsTVQMKF4RF1eGiXz-TMysa2pdgJN6xXDOIUNqHtbG76Vkpuk75L4fW65cMQclxKio1uQ/s1600-h/butternut+sq+lasagna+048.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259610157812724978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKkucby1jJv7ux-IheRgAIQp5irrX_ftY0yYrddbnO7dkQxgWntqMKrgKPJj3IWx6m5pUFEOwsTVQMKF4RF1eGiXz-TMysa2pdgJN6xXDOIUNqHtbG76Vkpuk75L4fW65cMQclxKio1uQ/s400/butternut+sq+lasagna+048.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />Bake until lasagna bubbles around edges and is browned on top, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve.<br /><br />For other great Weight Watcher recipes, check out the archives at <a href="http://weightwatcherwednesday.blogspot.com/">Weight Watcher Wednesday</a>!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-26780278597885336202008-10-09T08:10:00.012-04:002008-10-09T09:17:21.137-04:00Ina's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash-BB<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO31MQDD44I/AAAAAAAABBA/Cey0ATyEAWo/s1600-h/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255125931026277250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO31MQDD44I/AAAAAAAABBA/Cey0ATyEAWo/s320/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />I love cooking with the produce of the season, especially squash. They look great sitting around the kitchen, you don't have to cook them the minute you get home and when roasted, they become caramelized and sweet. So, you can imagine how happy I was to see that the <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/">Barefoot Blogger</a> recipe for this week featured butternut squash, one of which I happened to pick up at the farmers' market last weekend. Thanks for this week's pick go to Rachel of <a href="http://rachellikestocook.blogspot.com/">Rachel likes to cook</a>, and can be found in the book, " Barefoot Contessa Family Style", pg 86, or <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/butternut-squash-risotto-recipe/index.html">here</a> on the Food Network website. Nice job Rachel!<br /><br />I only made one change to this recipe (believe it or not), and that was to cut back the butter to 4 tablespoons, which was plenty. Ina calls for 6, but I will list my 4 in the recipe here. My squash was about 3 pounds and yielded 7 cups, but I added it all in anyway, no problem. I highly recommend adding the saffron if you can get your hands on it at a reasonable price. The flavor that it adds is worth it. If you are have difficulty locating all the ingredients, try reading the <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/musings-butternut-squash-risotto/">musings</a> of fellow BB's. They offer many good suggestions for substitutions, along with their results.<br /><br />Speaking of results, the final results of this recipe are outstanding! I served this as the main course paired with a salad of romaine, roasted beets, goat cheese and golden raisins. The risotto is so creamy, filling and comforting. The recipe makes plenty for 4, and leftovers for 2. You can get this together in about 60 to 90 minutes if you roast the squash while the risotto is cooking. If you are new to making risotto, one word, patience. Don't crank the heat up and rush the cooking. Pour yourself a glass of wine, stay by the stove and keeping stirring. The results are worth it.<br /><br />By the way, don't pitch those seeds! They are great roasted (like pumpkin seeds) and tossed into salads.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJhIzrD2Gk2c_A5pZWSjQoZ1Zkq0R19g2ie_fjCTjQYhKgful3tDJmy9c5Jq4cgvm5ZaOyIY37a9bpJslHVtOL6H35sQm3Mdye-ATAET3HvfKMREV6B432Mu263gCaZQtmRWIMbwb5U/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255131527071089858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVJhIzrD2Gk2c_A5pZWSjQoZ1Zkq0R19g2ie_fjCTjQYhKgful3tDJmy9c5Jq4cgvm5ZaOyIY37a9bpJslHVtOL6H35sQm3Mdye-ATAET3HvfKMREV6B432Mu263gCaZQtmRWIMbwb5U/s400/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+055.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><em><u>Ina's Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash</u></em></strong><br /><em>4 to 6 servings</em><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO37DZ0756I/AAAAAAAABBQ/zjnP-U3J6ZA/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255132376102332322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO37DZ0756I/AAAAAAAABBQ/zjnP-U3J6ZA/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+002.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p></p><p>1 butternut squash (2 pounds)<br />2 tbl olive oil<br />Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper<br />6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (I use pacific brand organic stock)<br />4 tbl unsalted butter<br />2 ozs pancetta, diced<br />1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)<br />1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)<br />1/2 cup dry white wine<br />1 teaspoon saffron threads<br />1 cup freshly grated Parmesan<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F<br /><br />Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. To peel, cut the ends off so you will have a flat surface to work with. Using a good vegetable peeler, just peel the outside off, working down to the bright orange flesh.</p><p></p><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO39cWsg1mI/AAAAAAAABBY/Fx-56gV87Z4/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255135003781682786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO39cWsg1mI/AAAAAAAABBY/Fx-56gV87Z4/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5ubXJk-8ODR48ublY1nYUpKF7AoH6aiF751cMaMkj2C1H7jyPRZPh2i3KpwwGdzvs72Xoq8CqL1jV54jxUKMQZ4G_v024PsEhX1npOJlvXeMb9zqbM6KUs4wP4mGXkrB4z7IM7dYyL8/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255135358004196114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis5ubXJk-8ODR48ublY1nYUpKF7AoH6aiF751cMaMkj2C1H7jyPRZPh2i3KpwwGdzvs72Xoq8CqL1jV54jxUKMQZ4G_v024PsEhX1npOJlvXeMb9zqbM6KUs4wP4mGXkrB4z7IM7dYyL8/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+014.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3-aE2_LTI/AAAAAAAABBo/LlSjXew0SdI/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255136064145665330" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3-aE2_LTI/AAAAAAAABBo/LlSjXew0SdI/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+016.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3_JNP77wI/AAAAAAAABBw/HsWO05Sy3i4/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255136873851645698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3_JNP77wI/AAAAAAAABBw/HsWO05Sy3i4/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+024.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3_tt3BEiI/AAAAAAAABB4/iQgvWww0yVg/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+028.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255137501080785442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO3_tt3BEiI/AAAAAAAABB4/iQgvWww0yVg/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+028.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJylCrNFG66egiBVA2N2XQiOoBIIB_IEfd0TX1ivn5Zmu0o9f7ObP6UDTpx8KL8qA4jMH3SNASttBkqPQ5B5wX9aVMHVRzaA6jr0KP2O0g0fvfLLdM89cxtTTQqQrjeQfBqCj92cqvuA/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255137843737112658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJylCrNFG66egiBVA2N2XQiOoBIIB_IEfd0TX1ivn5Zmu0o9f7ObP6UDTpx8KL8qA4jMH3SNASttBkqPQ5B5wX9aVMHVRzaA6jr0KP2O0g0fvfLLdM89cxtTTQqQrjeQfBqCj92cqvuA/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.<br /><br />In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt (I omitted the salt here due to the salt in the cheese and it was fine without it), and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO4BbMYAc_I/AAAAAAAABCI/X-_S28hlcFI/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255139381877961714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO4BbMYAc_I/AAAAAAAABCI/X-_S28hlcFI/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+045.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO4CH4w-9SI/AAAAAAAABCQ/LI0vUKnMcKE/sAAAAAAAABCQ/1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+049.JPG"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO4EQKIMyRI/AAAAAAAABCY/uh5ZoHwPkPI/s1600-h/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+049.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SO4EQKIMyRI/AAAAAAAABCY/uh5ZoHwPkPI/s320/butternut+squash+rissotto+BB+049.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255142490831112466" /></a><br /><br />Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-7790761426811996002008-10-08T06:58:00.002-04:002008-10-08T08:09:36.727-04:00Pork & Pear Saute with Lemon Vodka Sauce-WWW<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOteQ_wrcfI/AAAAAAAABAE/2eTMRdnIV0M/s1600-h/pork+and+pear+saute+WWW+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254397036344340978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOteQ_wrcfI/AAAAAAAABAE/2eTMRdnIV0M/s400/pork+and+pear+saute+WWW+004.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Here is a quick dinner highlighting in-season pears that I picked up at the farmers' market this weekend. I was able to whip this together and have a delicious dinner on the table in 30 minutes. The recipe from the book, "Two's Company", calls for Anjou pears, but I had Bosc on hand and they were just fine. My pears were still pretty firm, but they softened up nicely when cooked. Since this is a properly proportioned meal and full of flavor, do yourself a favor and use the best ingredients you can get, especially the cut of pork. If you are serving more that 2, try this with a tenderloin. Just sprinkle with s&p, brown in the pan and finish off in the oven while the pears saute. What a great fall, cool weather meal, enjoy!<br /><br />Be sure to stop by <a href="http://weightwatcherwednesday.blogspot.com/">Weight Watcher Wednesday</a> to see what else is cookin' this week.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><u>Pork & Pear Saute with Lemon Vodka Sauce</u></em></strong><br /><em>serves 2</em><br /><em>Points value: 9</em><br /><em></em><br />2 (4oz) boned center-cut loin pork chops ( about 3/4 inch thick)<br />1/2 tsp salt, divided<br />1/2 tsp cracked pepper, divided<br />2 tsp olive oil, divided<br />2 Anjou pears (about 1 pound), peeled, cored and cut in half<br />1/4 cup vodka or dry white wine<br />1 tbl chopped fresh chives<br />2 tsp grated lemon rind<br />1 tbl fresh lemon juice<br /><br />Sprinkle chops with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chops; saute 3 minutes on each side or until almost done. Remove from skillet and keep warm (remember, the meat will continue to cook).<br /><br />Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in skillet over medium heat. Place pear halves in skillet: cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pears from skillet and keep warm. Add vodka to skillet, scraping to loosen brown bits. Add remaining 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, chives, lemon rind, and lemon juice; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally.<br /><br />Serve each chop with 2 pear halves and sauce drizzled over all.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOtijWyDzhI/AAAAAAAABAM/n-L2cV1U7yg/s1600-h/pork+and+pear+saute+WWW+032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254401749808303634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOtijWyDzhI/AAAAAAAABAM/n-L2cV1U7yg/s400/pork+and+pear+saute+WWW+032.JPG" border="0" /></a>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-46054763517796184082008-10-07T09:31:00.006-04:002008-10-07T10:56:50.251-04:00I'm back!After a very long week of illness, I am glad to report that I am back up and running. I can't believe how long it has been since I have felt like sitting at the computer or cooking in the kitchen. Yea to feeling up to both!<br /><br />So, what is new? Not much. I was able to get ALOT of knitting and reading done. I am working on finishing those socks of mine (one down, one to go) and have several top-secret Christmas gifts in the works. As for the reading, I am halfway through, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle", by <a href="http://www.kingsolver.com/home/index.asp">Barbara Kingsolver</a> and just started, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Life_in_France">My life in France</a>", by Julia Child and Paul Prud'homme. Both so far, are good reads. I was feeling better this last weekend and was able to get out to the farmers' market for some wonderful fall produce, and on Sunday we went to <a href="http://www.burnhamorchards.com/index.htm">Burnham Orchards</a> to pick apples. We came home with a huge 1/2 bushel bag of beautiful Jonagold apples. We had applesauce that night for dinner. I plan on freezing many of them in the next day or so for baking or sauce in the months ahead. Any suggestion are welcome.<br /><br />Here is a recipe for a yummy White Bean Chard Soup that I made just before I was out for the count. You could use a variety of beans; cannellini, chickpeas, lentils just to name a few. Thanks again El, for the beautiful rainbow chard!<br /><br /><strong><em><u>White Bean Rainbow Chard Soup</u></em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2OsFtZrzs06PJrEgMdeXyi2kLjUUf4gUJ3YLmFqskSSvN-7NTHtmsKGjImqmGfz62Nt1KAJT9VJHmiQX2vTDXCpWVtPjsnDGWtR2JrRhD3jt3pHdhfzcWMCeA92MFW7LgeyVyIRkoyw/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254417600632464866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2OsFtZrzs06PJrEgMdeXyi2kLjUUf4gUJ3YLmFqskSSvN-7NTHtmsKGjImqmGfz62Nt1KAJT9VJHmiQX2vTDXCpWVtPjsnDGWtR2JrRhD3jt3pHdhfzcWMCeA92MFW7LgeyVyIRkoyw/s320/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />2 tbl olive oil<br />1 cup diced red onion (1 medium)<br />1 cup diced carrot<br />1 bunch of rainbow chard (about 8-9 stalks), leaves and stems separated, stalks chopped in about 1/4" pieces and leaves roughly chopped<br />1/2 tsp kosher flake salt<br />1/4 tsp ground pepper<br />1/4 tsp crushed red pepper<br />8 cups of vegetable stock<br />15.5 oz can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained<br />14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato<br />1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary<br />Parmesan cheese (optional)<br /><br />Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pot. Saute the onion and carrot until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chard stalks, salt, pepper, and crushed pepper and saute another 4-5 minutes.<br /><br />When the veggies have cooked down a bit, add the stock, beans, tomatoes and rosemary. Bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes. When the bean have softened a bit, add the chard leaves and cook about 5-8 minutes. Serve nice and hot with a few shavings of good parmesano reggiano on top.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOtzeSa2qgI/AAAAAAAABAc/zRuE5pxne6M/s1600-h/chard+soup+002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254420354435557890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SOtzeSa2qgI/AAAAAAAABAc/zRuE5pxne6M/s400/chard+soup+002.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Coming this week: WWW- Pork & Pear Saute with Vodka Lemon Sauce and BB- Ina's Butternut Squash Risotto. Don't forget to visit the Pier 1 Site to vote for my room: <a href="mailto:gardengalkim@yahoo.com">gardengalkim@yahoo.com</a> The voting ends October 9th!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-69196823981312809372008-09-26T16:57:00.007-04:002008-09-26T17:14:44.740-04:00How exciting is this?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SN1OMV5kriI/AAAAAAAAA-w/58S33K8_mgE/s1600-h/rotate.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250438714527886882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SN1OMV5kriI/AAAAAAAAA-w/58S33K8_mgE/s400/rotate.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>You must go and check out <a href="http://www.themarthablog.com/2008/09/how-to-create-your-own-blog-let-us-show-you.html#comment-21916">The Martha Blog</a>, especially all you fellow bloggers. She recently featured several bloggers on her show, and now is opening up her blog to all of us. If you leave a comment and a link back, she will choose several of your posts to be featured on hers. How cool is this? Well, it is for me. I am a huge fan of hers, have been for quite awhile, so I would be oh so happy to have some of my posts out there for other Martha blog readers to view. Plus, I would love to read posts of other fellow bloggers. </div><div> </div><div><br />If you are not currently blogging, but are thinking about getting in to it, she has a great tutorial on getting started. Lots of good info for the beginner (like I was). </div><div> </div><div><br />Here's hoping to see my posts on her site, fingers crossed kids!</div><br /><br />Great idea and "Thanks" Martha!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-28051339639271720632008-09-26T08:47:00.018-04:002008-09-26T09:56:49.035-04:00Ina's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup-BB<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzaZOicq3I/AAAAAAAAA9A/rOmeTojeVbg/s1600-h/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250311392541322098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzaZOicq3I/AAAAAAAAA9A/rOmeTojeVbg/s400/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/">Barefoot Bloggers</a> time has snuck up on me! I can't believe it, this month is flying by. Our recipe for this week was chosen by Chelle of <a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/">Brown Eyed Baker</a>. She chose Ina's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-wild-mushroom-soup-recipe/index.html">Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup</a> from the episode: Mystery Guest. It can also be found in, "Barefoot Contessa at Home", pg.48. The mystery guest episode is one of my favorites because Mel Brooks is the mystery. Who wouldn't like that? Sadly, we had no such luck at dinner last night :) but we did enjoy the lovely soup on the patio with a nice little fire going. Ahhh fall, don't cha just love it!<br /><br /><br /><br />As for the recipe, I only made a few changes. I read in the <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/musings-cream-of-wild-mushroom-soup/">musings</a> of fellow BB's that it was possible to change the dairy ratio in the dish. Ina calls for 1 cup of half & half and 1 cup of heavy cream. Now, as yummy as that sounds, I wanted to attempt to lighten it up. So, I took the advice of another BB and used 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 1/2 cups of milk. The soup was still very creamy. I had to adjust the mushroom quantities a little, due to grocery supplies and at the end I added a splash of golden sherry, just to give it a bit more depth. One word of warning: if your only relationship to creamy soups is with canned condensed glop, you should be nicely surprised to find out what a cream soup sans chemicals tastes and feels like. I served it with a crusty whole grain bread which we toasted on the grill and some creamy, room temp Camembert cheese.<br /><br /><strong><em><u>Ina's Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup</u></em></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN_JFrxlz5hb3YC3_vzbjeWV7fGS8ZESKkNHGfJ0uypagwyrYPrVq48JET-S4vWa6MsT-Bypm8kx7wp5jtpHMr1JO31SN5SGeZC26Z0FsMVEESm5kFb174f02Zkavjol9xSzp9hWW1qU/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250315743927676130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLN_JFrxlz5hb3YC3_vzbjeWV7fGS8ZESKkNHGfJ0uypagwyrYPrVq48JET-S4vWa6MsT-Bypm8kx7wp5jtpHMr1JO31SN5SGeZC26Z0FsMVEESm5kFb174f02Zkavjol9xSzp9hWW1qU/s320/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+005.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><em>serves 5-6</em><br /><em></em><br />3.5 oz fresh shitake mushrooms<br />6 oz fresh portobella mushrooms<br />6 oz fresh cremini mushrooms<br />1 tbl good olive oil<br />1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided<br />1 cup chopped yellow onion<br />1 carrot, chopped<br />1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided<br />Kosher salt<br />Freshly ground black pepper<br />2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)<br />1/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />1 cup dry white wine<br />1 1/2 cup milk<br />1/2 cup heavy cream<br />splash of golden sherry<br />1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley<br /><br />Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don't wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if they are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzgS5W5HDI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/9CDz0mGJ7T0/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250317880846261298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzgS5W5HDI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/9CDz0mGJ7T0/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+015.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p><br />To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3c8uBxsRR8mwz0KZyQUuwzCAKUote274AsBaFOlvIYt7nZySUELri_S-ahQXgs6brUtl9ys1F5VydW8yOEEw_Dng7yLZRiDuSpIPA_Qs_sVd8L3Up2FQqIAaYi7RLORB3QdnrM68EjI/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+042.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250319522091464722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3c8uBxsRR8mwz0KZyQUuwzCAKUote274AsBaFOlvIYt7nZySUELri_S-ahQXgs6brUtl9ys1F5VydW8yOEEw_Dng7yLZRiDuSpIPA_Qs_sVd8L3Up2FQqIAaYi7RLORB3QdnrM68EjI/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+042.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is a lovely mushroom stock, and would be a nice base for other soups as well.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzi_28jM4I/AAAAAAAAA9o/wOnS3KqjYBg/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+024.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250320852316271490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzi_28jM4I/AAAAAAAAA9o/wOnS3KqjYBg/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+024.JPG" border="0" /></a>A note regarding leeks if they are new to you. They can be very sandy, so, after chopping them up be sure to rinse them thoroughly, separating the slices under running water. This will allow you to rid them of any sand or dirt.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzjxXI8HVI/AAAAAAAAA9w/8fBc98e0JLc/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250321702771760466" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzjxXI8HVI/AAAAAAAAA9w/8fBc98e0JLc/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+031.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzkqqfrN-I/AAAAAAAAA94/RVJLx5cTCDQ/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+032.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250322687219939298" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzkqqfrN-I/AAAAAAAAA94/RVJLx5cTCDQ/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+032.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzlGjWJs2I/AAAAAAAAA-A/YvU9ot6qkkc/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+038.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250323166337282914" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzlGjWJs2I/AAAAAAAAA-A/YvU9ot6qkkc/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+038.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, sherry, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzln7LKymI/AAAAAAAAA-I/gFIPH7h5Cic/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250323739669351010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNzln7LKymI/AAAAAAAAA-I/gFIPH7h5Cic/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+045.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKMV2iLTSHwBoCaZl0azO12V10VFuBzDxWIgYjGfgYDoIBOtldlEdeeHWF2RVTov0Swe0P8oVWA_ky5d8CoCqzbeLJU_Z5ZND0d3iW2Fmk2tNvm0V9eKbolTCe6sTrkQ6MmaJu_zqb2s/s1600-h/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+051.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250324191969317202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlKMV2iLTSHwBoCaZl0azO12V10VFuBzDxWIgYjGfgYDoIBOtldlEdeeHWF2RVTov0Swe0P8oVWA_ky5d8CoCqzbeLJU_Z5ZND0d3iW2Fmk2tNvm0V9eKbolTCe6sTrkQ6MmaJu_zqb2s/s400/chard+soup,+inas+mush+soup+051.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dinner is served.....Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-12378636071662713342008-09-24T06:35:00.004-04:002008-09-24T07:53:32.027-04:00Roasted Vegetable Lasagna-WWW<p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjiziTI_0I/AAAAAAAAA78/ZbY4W2kypPM/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249194740708605762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjiziTI_0I/AAAAAAAAA78/ZbY4W2kypPM/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+001.JPG" border="0" /></a> So, I must first apologize to Em for not getting a post in last week for <a href="http://weightwatcherwednesday.blogspot.com/">Weight Watcher Wednesday</a>! I have no idea where the week went. I almost missed the day this week. I must start planning these posts ahead of time. Anyway, after a visit back to Columbus over the weekend, a gift of garden fresh veggies helped to inspire this week's recipe. My dear friend Ellen would not let me get out of town without taking a bag of goodies from her garden. In the bag were these beautiful eggplants, as well as a huge bunch of rainbow chard. Thank you El! After searching the Internet, I found this yummy lasagna which called for eggplant. The rest of the veggies I had in my garden, and the noodles I found stashed away in the pantry, so no trip to the store was needed, what a bonus! I have a few recipes in line for the chard, will have that up in the future.<br /><br />This <a href="http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=50392">recipe</a> is on the Weight Watchers site. It is easy to make, but a bit time consuming, and is a dish from the series, "Cook Once, Eat All Week". The dish came out alright for the first go, I would give it about a B-. I will definitely make adjustments the next time around.<br /><br />On the positive side, it was very tasty and low in points/calories, since there is no ricotta and egg filling. If you are looking for a comforting vegetarian dish, this fits the bill. It can also be made ahead of time. Another plus, I use the no-boil noodles, which saves so much time. You can definitely use a different assortment of veggies in this recipe, nice if you have an abundance in the garden or need to empty the fridge. I roasted the vegetables and then let them cool completely before processing. You could do this step a day ahead. I like the way the pureed veggies are used instead of a traditional sauce. Gives the dish more flavor and depth.<br /><br />Adjustment that I will make next time, I will use more veggies, don't be stingy. The eggplants were probably a bit small and I should have use a few more. I did not have any Roma tomatoes on hand, so I used an assortment of heirlooms from my garden which were just fine. I think it needed a bit of herbs added, basil or oregano would have been nice. I would even add a splash of dry red wine to the puree. Lastly, I would suggest covering the dish with foil for the first 30 minutes of the baking time and them uncover the last 10 minutes to let the cheese brown. I tried baking it according to the recipe, and had to cover it because the cheese would have burned to a crisp, and the top layer of pasta was a bit too dry. All in all though, this is a very nice recipe to make when you have a hankering for lasagna.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjphbhpPkI/AAAAAAAAA8E/hVBX3B17V4w/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+043.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249202126234140226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjphbhpPkI/AAAAAAAAA8E/hVBX3B17V4w/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+043.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p><br /><p><br /><strong><em><u>Roasted Vegetable Lasagna</u></em></strong><br /><em>serves 6<br />Points value: 5</em><br /><br />3 medium raw eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />3 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped<br />4 small tomato(es), plum, seeded and chopped<br />4 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and chopped<br />2 tsp olive oil<br />1 tsp table salt, or more to taste<br />1/4 tsp black pepper, or more to taste<br />9 serving dry no-boil lasagna noodles, 9 noodles,<br />1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded<br /><br />Preheat oven to 425°F.<br /><br /><br />In roasting pan, combine vegetables and garlic with olive oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RQFJnGlYaUi8v6ZVs4mtisxc4WG81hfu9MD2lRdEiSRFebECdDK40Ny8CV3ndid2aF8kvnGwg1GNrPRJzz0o-u62VN18zJKafHUE4eIJZmyJ9qAc4-XrQGftpPpO5AfyBO5aJMTvhiY/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+005.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249204286443130690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RQFJnGlYaUi8v6ZVs4mtisxc4WG81hfu9MD2lRdEiSRFebECdDK40Ny8CV3ndid2aF8kvnGwg1GNrPRJzz0o-u62VN18zJKafHUE4eIJZmyJ9qAc4-XrQGftpPpO5AfyBO5aJMTvhiY/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+005.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjr6Y0FK0I/AAAAAAAAA8U/jtS6jnp4lRo/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249204754026146626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjr6Y0FK0I/AAAAAAAAA8U/jtS6jnp4lRo/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjslwW81YI/AAAAAAAAA8c/9oSKDviXoVY/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249205499080791426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjslwW81YI/AAAAAAAAA8c/9oSKDviXoVY/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Place half of vegetables, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup water in food processor and process until smooth.<br /><br />Spoon 1/2 cup of vegetable purée into bottom of a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.<br /><br /><br />Place three noodles over purée. Top with 1/2 cup of purée, 1/2 of remaining vegetables, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers and then top with remaining 3 noodles, purée and cheese.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjtLULcbRI/AAAAAAAAA8k/pGtJigM5hOs/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+025.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249206144351366418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjtLULcbRI/AAAAAAAAA8k/pGtJigM5hOs/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+025.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjtoJ_3OjI/AAAAAAAAA8s/q5diykPKDiY/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249206639834642994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjtoJ_3OjI/AAAAAAAAA8s/q5diykPKDiY/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+027.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjuqsubb-I/AAAAAAAAA80/w82Zw9wiaqA/s1600-h/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+033.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249207783028125666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNjuqsubb-I/AAAAAAAAA80/w82Zw9wiaqA/s400/www+roasted+veg+lasagna+033.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Bake until bubbly, about 40 to 45 minutes.I would suggest covering with foil for the first 30 minutes and then uncover the last 10 so the cheese will brown a bit. Slice into 6 pieces and serve.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-19938329877917697632008-09-22T14:53:00.012-04:002008-09-22T16:09:59.278-04:00Martha's Brownies<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfqKvRKmdI/AAAAAAAAA6s/ahEn2CjrVmE/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+075.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248921360931658194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfqKvRKmdI/AAAAAAAAA6s/ahEn2CjrVmE/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+075.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is a fantastic recipe for Brownies! It is found in Martha's "Favorite Comfort Food" book. I have made this one quite a few times, and this time I made a few "enhancements". I watch Ina when I can, and decided to add a few of her touches. One is adding a bit of coffee, I used cold coffee, leftover from breakfast ( I think she uses powdered coffee) and the other is to rap the pan against the oven shelf halfway through baking to allow the air to escape and I assume, keep the brownies from getting too cakey. This is a fudgy brownie recipe, but you can adjust them to a cakier consistency by adding an additional egg. Use the best chocolate you can find, the brand in the photo below was what was available to me.<br /><br />I had to adjust the cooking time because I do not have a true 9"x13" pan. My pan was a bit smaller, so the brownies took an additional 10 minutes to bake. Whatever pan you use, just be sure to check on them so they do not over bake.<br /><br />After cooling, I wrapped them individually in wax paper and took some to our family that is recuperating. I did keep a few for us, which as you can see in the photo, I served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and a squiggle of chocolate syrup. Believe me, they are so rich and chocolaty that one was enough for us to split.<br /><br /><br /><strong><em><u>Martha's Brownies</u></em></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNftRvKrDYI/AAAAAAAAA60/gParknkYNgo/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248924779698392450" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNftRvKrDYI/AAAAAAAAA60/gParknkYNgo/s320/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />make about twelve 3-inch squares<br /><br />12 tbl (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut in pieces, plus more for the pan ( I never cut my butter up, oops)<br />8 oz best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped<br />4 large eggs<br />1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar<br />1 tbl pure vanilla extract<br />3 tbl cold coffee<br />1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour<br />1/2 tsp salt<br /><br />Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan with butter, and set aside<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfvQ8rUm1I/AAAAAAAAA68/yn9_076Yy7s/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248926965168380754" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfvQ8rUm1I/AAAAAAAAA68/yn9_076Yy7s/s320/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate until smooth; stir occasionally. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfwJ0JBUxI/AAAAAAAAA7E/JNieQVCC-W0/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+011.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927942129570578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfwJ0JBUxI/AAAAAAAAA7E/JNieQVCC-W0/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+011.JPG" border="0" /></a> In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla and coffee, and beat well with a wire whisk. In a separate bowl, combine the sifted flour and salt.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfxRT_7m3I/AAAAAAAAA7M/1T-MIV9_yRo/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+013.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248929170452093810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfxRT_7m3I/AAAAAAAAA7M/1T-MIV9_yRo/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+013.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /></p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfxqmu6Y5I/AAAAAAAAA7U/uCHaFLJtTAg/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+006.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248929604977714066" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNfxqmu6Y5I/AAAAAAAAA7U/uCHaFLJtTAg/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+006.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf37LKSEpI/AAAAAAAAA7c/5aFc7BnRrJk/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+018.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248936486703862418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf37LKSEpI/AAAAAAAAA7c/5aFc7BnRrJk/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+018.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf4bb9NyeI/AAAAAAAAA7k/DZFAw5m14qU/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+035.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248937040968272354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf4bb9NyeI/AAAAAAAAA7k/DZFAw5m14qU/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+035.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf4_nIBFHI/AAAAAAAAA7s/CPj1RTjbs00/s1600-h/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+037.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248937662441657458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNf4_nIBFHI/AAAAAAAAA7s/CPj1RTjbs00/s400/marthas+mac,+cheese+and+brownies+037.JPG" border="0" /></a>Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Let stand on a rack in the pan until cool. Cut into 3" squares and serve or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, up to 2 days. I found that if wrapped individually in wax paper, they kept fine in the fridge.Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-74135376161530054452008-09-19T07:22:00.005-04:002008-09-19T08:13:20.119-04:00The voting begins today!So, the Pier 1 design contest voting starts today and ends the 9th of October. If you can, <u><strong>please</strong></u> take a few minutes and vote for me! Just click on the Pier 1 widget in my sidebar, that will take you to the site. I think you enter an email to get started. When you get to the gallery, just look up, <a href="mailto:gardengalkim@yahoo.com">gardengalkim@yahoo.com</a> to find my room, "Livin' in Dreamland", and then vote "yes". I think that you can only vote 1 time, but they give you 2 chances to win a $25.00 gift certificate. My room design came out pretty well, I was limited to what I could use. Hey, you have to give it a go to win and I appreciate anyone taking the time to vote.<br /><br />Other news: Hello Kitty turns 6 today! Who would have guessed that she would be doing so well after being so sick a year ago? No doubt this is how she will spend her day.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNOOIHDg37I/AAAAAAAAA6M/F5TMbcFIARY/s1600-h/Christmas+crafts+07+010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247694260800642994" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SNOOIHDg37I/AAAAAAAAA6M/F5TMbcFIARY/s400/Christmas+crafts+07+010.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As a treat, I think I will spend an hour this morning knitting with her on my lap (her other favorite place to sleep). I am working on my first pair of socks, and so far so good. Getting ready to turn the heal. I found this really cool "<a href="http://yarn.com/webs/0/0/0/0-1001-1294-1323/0/0/4903/">Online Supersocke Circle</a>" striped wool sock yarn (see color #1059) that puts out a fun pattern, who knew? I may post up a pic when they are done. Next Thursday I am signed up for a one-on-one finishing class to get some help with a lightweight cotton sweater I just finished. I can't seem to get the shoulder seaming right?<br /><br />On the blog front, I have had nothing new to post for awhile. I think I have been a bit burned out, and have been working more, leaving less time for cookin' and bloggin'.We have a family member who has just had surgery that we will visit tomorrow, so I will be cooking for him today. I plan to get photos and write up posts in the next few days. On the menu, Martha's Mac and Cheese (which I will prepare with whole grains), a yummy Tomato Lentil Soup from the "New Basics" cookbook that I have made a bizillion times (vegetarian) and Martha's brownies (I think I will make the fudgey version). Hopefully these comfort foods will help him along with his recovery.<br /><br />So, have a great day everyone! I'll have more great food yummies up soon!Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4149212587940065789.post-53866567962487541652008-09-11T08:27:00.023-04:002008-09-21T18:59:16.266-04:00Ina's Grown Up Mac and Cheese<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkO89Zk7xI/AAAAAAAAA3w/05iPBo1yVf8/s1600-h/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244739681486434066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkO89Zk7xI/AAAAAAAAA3w/05iPBo1yVf8/s400/bare+feet+6.11.08+014+-+Copy.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's Barefoot Blogger day, and time to post the recipe I wrote about in the last post. This week's recipe was chosen by Heather of <a href="http://randomosityandthegirl.blogspot.com/">Randomosity and the Girl</a> (cute name for a site). This group has been so much fun so far. We only have to post twice a month (with a third post optional), and I love the recipes of Ina's that have been selected. Really puts a little more variety in things and is one idea for a meal I don't have to come up with! Again, if you want to check it out, you can go <a href="http://barefootbloggers.wordpress.com/">here</a> to see what is coming up for the month as well as the musings of the members. So, on to the recipe.<br /><br /><br />Heather's choice was Ina's <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/grown-up-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html">Grown up Mac and Cheese</a> from the episode <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ig/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9971_55013,00.html">Home Comforts</a>. Wow, was this good. I followed the recipe word for word with a few exceptions, I used a sprouted 7-grain bread and celentani pasta. I never have white bread in the house, try to keep the whole grain, healthy stuff around. The bread keeps well in the freezer, so I had it on hand. The nutty flavor of the bread was really nice against the rich creamy cheeses.<br /><br />I shopped ingredients on a trip to Trader Joe's and celentani was the closest thing to elbow pasta that they had<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkSb9I1eKI/AAAAAAAAA34/a_4eiy9KNao/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+014.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244743512527042722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkSb9I1eKI/AAAAAAAAA34/a_4eiy9KNao/s320/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+014.JPG" border="0" /></a>. Whole wheat pasta would have been my choice if I could have found any, but as you can see from the picture, the ridges on the pasta really worked nicely. The sauce had lots of little spaces to cling to. Also, on that trip, I purchased the cheeses (TJ's cheese prices are so reasonable!) . For this mac and cheese I used a Swiss, Kaltbach cave-aged Gruyere, a Wisconsin, white extra sharp cheddar, and crumbled Salem blue cheese. They had a nice, thick, applewood bacon, so I picked that up as well. When I baked it off for the recipe, I added a few extra slices to cook at the same time. We had those in a cobb salad the next night. I really liked the smokey, fruity taste of the bacon with the cheese in the dish. One thing I did not add was more salt. Taste the sauce first, after you have all the ingredients together. I felt it was salty enough.<br /><br />Notes: Make this when you have a bit of time, you will need it. Grate the cheese in the food processor to save time and wash dishes as you go so you will not be overwhelmed with the pile you have at the end!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo5bfODpciMu02s2jGGDuL955YV7Qtg2-P_jeh_k5hVwn9x0_SJp6Wt_d5xD-dhWWtYu_SlWvkeOw78W86v3hdH9arqALMrr0i2a5t4p1eJl1-oYM66ROXtl62u3MuosaThVPPfcyBbo/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244746629394429698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo5bfODpciMu02s2jGGDuL955YV7Qtg2-P_jeh_k5hVwn9x0_SJp6Wt_d5xD-dhWWtYu_SlWvkeOw78W86v3hdH9arqALMrr0i2a5t4p1eJl1-oYM66ROXtl62u3MuosaThVPPfcyBbo/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+004.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><em><u> Grown Up Mac and Cheese</u></em></strong><br /><em>serves 2-4 </em><br />4 ounces thick-sliced bacon<br />Vegetable oil<br />Kosher salt<br />2 cups celentani pasta<br />1 1/2 cups reduced fat milk<br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated<br />3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated<br />2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled<br />1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />Pinch nutmeg<br />2 slices sprouted 7-grain bread<br />2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.<br /><br />Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkXCRdzHyI/AAAAAAAAA4I/Bzd8J_PTAoM/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+008.JPG"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244748568865218338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkXCRdzHyI/AAAAAAAAA4I/Bzd8J_PTAoM/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+008.JPG" border="0" /></em></a><em><br /><strong><u></u></strong></em><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkXquqAJSI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/Ora0PvIoTLc/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and"><br /></p></a><br /><em><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkXquqAJSI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/Ora0PvIoTLc/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and"></a></em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkYYo7z-yI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/rHDLEYBlu88/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+017.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244750052633869090" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkYYo7z-yI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/rHDLEYBlu88/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+017.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.<br /><br />Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into baking dish.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkZZfsN3fI/AAAAAAAAA4g/tbZwPrD_wEc/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244751166844034546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkZZfsN3fI/AAAAAAAAA4g/tbZwPrD_wEc/s320/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+022.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkaBBPZNbI/AAAAAAAAA4o/Q4U2jQL1DRw/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+025.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244751845864846770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkaBBPZNbI/AAAAAAAAA4o/Q4U2jQL1DRw/s320/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+025.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkawjsDtDI/AAAAAAAAA4w/fOo5hl0nTQA/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244752662565729330" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkawjsDtDI/AAAAAAAAA4w/fOo5hl0nTQA/s320/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+027.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikonZi0_gNLjIkeGFIU7iS2lTMEXG7MVvfbG3AQ5tL00f8eovroC4tNll2YxuI8T17igD6nUvNKDQOZObhxvHST2rC35JuUJT2WwvBueJ_NQ57dXi8ab8hWe_RxOagXHahkLaV-9nnxWw/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244753570447595026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikonZi0_gNLjIkeGFIU7iS2lTMEXG7MVvfbG3AQ5tL00f8eovroC4tNll2YxuI8T17igD6nUvNKDQOZObhxvHST2rC35JuUJT2WwvBueJ_NQ57dXi8ab8hWe_RxOagXHahkLaV-9nnxWw/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+031.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkcUsU7dxI/AAAAAAAAA5A/4Y3Ddfu-Pkg/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244754382871557906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkcUsU7dxI/AAAAAAAAA5A/4Y3Ddfu-Pkg/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+034.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkcwB7YNdI/AAAAAAAAA5I/2EfaPAH4iUo/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+045.JPG"></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkfUanfG6I/AAAAAAAAA5Q/p6029IaJ0kA/s1600-h/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+045.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244757676652436386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N5upIlrutLE/SMkfUanfG6I/AAAAAAAAA5Q/p6029IaJ0kA/s400/grown+up+mac+and+cheese+BB+045.JPG" border="0" /></a>Kimihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11078202704426077028noreply@blogger.com20