Topped with a grilled chicken breast, this makes one hearty and tasty meal. Or, for a vegetarian meal, serve with grilled bread and shavings of ricotta salata.
Succotash
makes 1 big pot
1 onion, diced
olive oil
1/4 lb bacon, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups corn
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 small sprig of tender thyme, finely minced
generous splash of Tabasco
splash of apple cider vinegar
4 cups lima beans
fine sea salt, to taste
Sauté onion in a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Add bacon and sauté until golden. Then, add all remaining ingredients except lima beans. Simmer for 5 minutes. Taste. Season. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add lima beans and bring it back to a simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Eat me.
Just make & bake….
Then, you’re 25 minutes away from one delicious (and satisfyingly hearty) treat.
Oat Bars with Peanut Butter, Cranberry and Chocolate
Makes 1 – 9×13 inch baking dish
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large microwave safe glass bowl, warm butter and peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
Add egg to butter mixture and stir vigourously. Add flour mixture. Stir briefly. Then, add rolled oats, cranberries and chocolate chips. Press batter into a buttered 9×13 inch baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-34 minutes.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting it into bars.
Cut into bars and devour.
Peach Blossoms After The Rain
Each Tree Has Its Own Shade Of Pink
Moments Later, The Sky Clears
Roasted Peppers with Fried Eggs on Bolillo
Start with a giant bag of assorted peppers from the Buford Highway Farmers Market ($2.99)
Bake…
Then, crank up the heat.
Roasted Peppers
10-12 cups assorted peppers (Anaheim, hatch, banana, jalapeños, etc.)
juice of one lemon
fine sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash, seed, and slice peppers. Place in baking dish brushed with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Juice lemon over peppers. Then, bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove them from the oven. Drizzle with olive oil and toss briefly. Place back in the oven and raise the heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the peppers are roasted to your taste.
Serve a million and one ways.
(Above)
Open-Faced Egg Sandwiches
1 small bolillo or mini baguette, halved and toasted and buttered
over easy fried eggs
Emmentaler slices
roasted peppers slices
Build your sandwich.
OR
Roasted Pepper Pasta
pasta, cooked al dente
olive oil, to taste
black pepper, freshly ground
fine sea salt, to taste
red pepper flakes
roasted peppers slices
slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano
Toss pasta with olive oil, fine sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and roasted peppers. Taste. Season, if needed. Plate. Cover each serving with slivers of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Mangia Bene!
These super sweet squares are best when served in very small portions.
Chess Squares
makes 9 x 13 inch baking dish
1 stick butter, soft
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup AP flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and sea salt. Add milk and flour and whip very briefly to combine.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes.
Butterscotch Icing
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup 10X sugar
Bring brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, milk and butter to a boil in a microwave safe glass bowl. Stir. Continue to microwave for 1 additional minute. Add vanilla and 10x sugar. Stir vigorously until icing ribbons and holds its shape. Pour over warm chess cake. Let cool completely before slicing. (If you slice it while warm, the icing with be very drippy.)
Serve small squares with small scoops of ice cream and top with whipped cream.
(This is very sweet. So, small bites are best.)
Before Icing
After Icing
This is not quite polenta cake… but, it’s pretty close. Sweet, cake-y and dense, top a wedge of it with a little pat of butter and serve it warm with a strong mug of coffee for a small breakfast or snack.
This is our new favorite sweet snack.
Sweet Semolina Cornbread
Makes 1 10 x 6″ dish
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sift dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then, add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Beat gently to combine. Pour into buttered 8 x 8 or 10 x 6 inch baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 35-40 minutes.
Serve warm with butter and bitter orange marmalade.
Now that the spring colors light the air, we don’t mind the cool fronts that whisper in and out of our lives. I for one look forward to these last reminders of winter. They offer a last chance to use that chill as an excuse for a soothing cup of dark chocolate cocoa.
Feeling decadent? Add swirls of marshmallow cream on top.
Real Cocoa
makes 2
1 – 2 bar of Valrhona dark bittersweet chocolate, 71%
2 cups milk, whole or 2%
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
pinch corn starch
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch of cinnamon &/or chili powder, if you desire
Chop 1 bar of chocolate into small chunks. Set aside.
Combine milk, cornstarch, cocoa, and sugar in a small saucepan. Add cinnamon and chili powder, if you like. Stir over a gentle heat. When thoroughly combined, add the chopped chocolate. Stir gently. Taste. Add chocolate, to your taste. Divide between two tea cups.
Shhh… don’t tell anyone. But, we like to add a little splash of brandy to ours.
Cheers!
……
If you want marshmallow cream, make it first. Then, start your cocoa.
Marshmallow Cream
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 packet plain gelatin
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small measuring cup, combine the first 1/4 cup of water and gelatin. Set aside.
In a small to medium sized saucepan, heat water and sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil to the soft ball stage of 235-236 degrees F. Pour sugar mixture, gelatin mixture, and vanilla into a standing mixer with whipping attachment. Begin on the slowest setting and gradually increase the speed. As the mixture thickens, whip to a cream consistency…. about 5 minutes. Place mixture into a piping bag. Set aside and prepare cocoa.
(Leftovers: I like to sprinkle toasted coconut onto a buttered baking sheet. Pipe out the remainder into one constant rectangle… go row by row until all of the remaining cream is used. I usually end up with an 8 by 6 or 8 by 8 inch rectangle. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top. Allow to firm in the open air for at least 4-6 hours. Then, cut into tasty marshmallow treats!)
Two bars… the leftovers of the second bar offer a treat to the cook.
Brazilian Seafood Stew
Onions Sautéed In Palm Oil
Add Seafood At The End
Mariscada
(Brazilian Seafood Stew)
2 onions, roughly diced
1-2 Tablespoons palm oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
2 cups seafood stock
2 tomatoes, finely chopped (or 1 small can diced tomatoes)
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon Tabasco, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
juice of one lemon
1 lb calamari
1 lb baby clams
1 lb scallops or white fish
Saute onions in palm oil until translucent. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and pepper. Sauté briefly. Then, add all remaining ingredients, except seafood. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Carrots should be tender. Then, add seafood. Bring back to a gentle simmer. (Approximately 5-7 minutes) Cover. And, let it sit for 5 additional minutes.
Spring Blossoms…
Under a Bright Blue Sky
What do you do when you’re in the mood for New Orleans style BBQ shrimp, but, you don’t want all of that butter and it’s a busy weekday? Simple… cut back on the butter and simplify. This super simple version of the classic dish makes a great weekday lunch or dinner.
Spicy Shrimp
makes 1 lb shrimp
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
pinch of powdered oregano
butter, as you like it
fine sea salt, to taste
generous 1 lb of shrimp
juice of 1/2 a lemon
Melt butter in the bottom of a large pan. Add shrimp in a single layer. Sprinkle with spices and sauté. At the end of cooking, squeeze 1/2 lemon over the shrimp. Give them a quick toss and plate.
Serve over toasted baguette.
Next time, I’ll deglaze the pan with 1/2 glass of white wine, finish with a dab of butter and serve over the pasta of the day.
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