Crunch Time

In an effort to eat healthier, my boyfriend and I have started toasting our own pita chips. The store-bought versions are healthier than some other greasy counterparts like potato chips, but it's sort of a fun way to make your own flavors. And they're tasty dipped in hummus. Here's a simple recipe for starters. To spice it up, vary the ingredients by adding cumin, chili pepper, herbs, garlic powder, etc.

Toasted Pita Chips

-1 bag of pita bread (whole wheat or white)
-Assorted spices
-Extra-virgin Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut up pita bread into triangles - make sure you split the pita bread so it no longer forms a pocket. Brush bread with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add any other spices you may like. Arrange on a large cookie sheet and place in middle rack of oven until crispy - about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with your favorite hummus or dip. Serves about 4.

Why the world is better with chocolate

I've written several odes to chocolate in my day so I'll spare you the poetry but every now and again (read: everyday) I have a hankering for chocolate and have to share my fondness for it with friends and co-workers. If my boyfriend is reading this, he's probably having a good chuckle right now b/c I tend to start talking about how I want chocolate 5 minutes after every meal.

Am I addicted? Most definitely. But I suppose it could be worse. It's particularly satisfying if you've had a lousy day/week and it's generally a crowd-pleaser at parties. Doesn't matter what form it comes in (cookies, brownies, cake, etc), I just prefer it dark or semi-sweet. I made these cookies for my friend's BBQ last weekend and everyone said they tasted like heaven. They actually taste more like brownies. Even the batter resembles the consistency in brownies/cakes. Let it sit for a bit so it thickens up. And don't thank me, thank Martha for this great recipe.

I admit this picture is not my favorite but we had to leave for the BBQ so I only had a few minutes to find a semi-decent place to shoot the cookies.

Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

Makes 2 dozen
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

A Smashing Spring Recipe

It's another sunny day in Southern California as I write this entry. Those of you East Coasters may scoff at that statement because sunny days sure aren't as common as they are here. Folks from my hometown of Rochester, NY often joke that the sky can sometimes be compared to a gray card (the standard reference object for determining exposure in photography). Rochester is, after all, home to Kodak.

Anyway, if you're looking for a sunny, lemony Spring-time recipe that's perfect when dining al fresco, try this one courtesy of FoodNetwork and renowned chef Tyler Florence. We paired it with filet mignon and crab legs but I'm sure it's mighty tasty with some grilled chicken.

By the way, I couldn't decide which pictures I liked best so I posted a few....if you have an opinion, let me know!


Smashed New Potatoes with Peas, Lemon, and Pearl Onions
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 pounds red bliss potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (10-ounce) box frozen pearl onions, defrosted
Pinch sugar
Splash freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 slices lemon
2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen peas, defrosted
1 lemon, zested
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 heaping tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed just above the rubber band

Directions
Put the potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt. If they're large, cut them in half. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain. Stick a fork into the potatoes, 1 at a time, lift them out of the colander and peel with a paring knife. Toss the potatoes into a bowl and roughly crush them. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the pearl onions, sugar, and lemon juice and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the lemon slices, peas, and lemon zest and continue cooking until the peas are hot. Season with salt and pepper. Dump the vegetables over the potatoes in the bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil add the parsley and dill and taste for salt and pepper. Scatter the watercress over the top, fold it in just until it wilts and call it a day.

Latvian Easter Eggs

If you're looking for a unique and natural way to "dye" Easter eggs this weekend, look no further than the Latvian way. Growing up, it was the only way my family and I colored our eggs. Check out the article in the link below for directions. The recipe included calls for wrapping the eggs in aluminum foil but we always use cheesecloth or remnants of an old (but clean) t-shirt, tied and secured with kitchen string or white thread.

By the way, the photograph in the article was taken by none other than your truly. Very exciting.


http://www.guideposts.com/story/recipe-onion-skin-easter-eggs

Happy Easter!

Curly Kale & Potato Soup

If you're looking for a healthy soup that is open to interpretation, look no further than Alice Water's recipe for Curly Kale and Potato Soup. Adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Art of Simple Food, this soup will leave you warm and toasty on a gloomy day. I've never cooked with kale before so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it bared no resemblance to how I imagined it - tough, bitter and hard to swallow. Instead, it mellowed out and became a delectable companion to the potatoes. Not to mention, I've heard it's really good for you!

If you're not a vegetarian and want to serve this soup as a main course I suggest sauteeing some italian chicken sausage and tossing bite-size pieces into the soup.

Curly Kale and Potato Soup
Adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of kale, tough center stem removed and leaves chopped
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4″ rounds
2 quarts chicken broth
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh nutmeg, to taste (optional)
Shaved Parmesan Reggiano cheese, for garnish

1. In a heavy soup pot or enamel cast iron Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, stir to coat with oil, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until soft and just starting to caramelize. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute. Add kale and potatoes, and stir to coat with oil. Cook for a couple minutes, then add broth. Bring broth to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.

Not Just for St. Patty's Day

So last week was a crazy week and not in particularly great way - some last minute projects at work but thankfully I'm heading into calmer waters now. My intention was to blog about the merits of a Irish soda bread, just in time for St. Patrick's Day. Though I'm a week late, I still think it's a great recipe that needs no occasion.

I found the recipe on Epicurious.com. Incidentally, they had a big article that talked about what makes Irish soda bread so special. What makes it special to me is that it's easy to make by hand and doesn't take 3 hours to bake (like it would in my bread machine). Not to mention, it's a lovely looking loaf, lightly browned and dusted with sugar.

Irish Soda Bread with Raisins
from Bon Appetit, February 2005

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Make well in center of flour mixture. Add buttermilk. Gradually stir dry ingredients into milk to blend. Mix in raisins.

Using floured hands, shape dough into ball. Transfer to prepared pan and flatten slightly (dough will not come to edges of pan). Sprinkle dough with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake bread until brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool bread in pan 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I'll Take Seconds, Please

One of my favorite vegetables these days is butternut squash. I used to be afraid of buying any kind of squash b/c all I could imagine was the major kitchen accident that would ensue because my knife slipped after trying to split and pry the darn thing open. After successfully dismembering several butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squashes I have yet to lose a finger (knock on wood). If you're a slave to convenience and your grocery store already carries bags of pre-cut squash, you may want to throw in the extra buck. Regardless, I have a great side recipe that I wanted to share. It's a good accompaniment to roast turkey/chicken maybe even pork. Or I'm sure you could add it to pasta for a vegetarian dinner.

Butternut Squash w/ Shallots and Sage

-About 4 cups peeled, diced butternut squash (Trader Joe's carries handy pre-cut bags, 2 bags would be needed)
-1/2 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
-dash of nutmeg
-chopped sage, to taste
-extra-virgin olive oil, about 1-2 T.
-salt & pepper

Split, peel skin and clean one buttternut squash. Remove seeds. Dice into bite-size pieces. Heat about 1-2 T. olive oil in pan.
Saute shallot until soft. Add squash and saute until soft but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add dash of nutmeg and chopped sage. Cook for 1-2 minutes until flavors meld.

Serves 3-4.

P.S. You can also roast the squash on a baking sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Just toss squash and shallots in a bowl and brush them with extra-virgin olive oil. Put them on a sheet in the middle rack and roast until soft but not mushy. Add the spices in the same manner as above.