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Monatsarchive: May 2013

One Hour Rosemary Beer Pizza Dough

 

One hour rosemary beer pizza dough

I’m a firm believer that the best pizza dough takes at least 24 hours.

I’m also a firm believer that most of us don’t usually have that type of forethought. At least it’s a rare occurrence for me.

I started making this pita bread dough when I wanted to make a day-of pizza, which morphed into this recipe for one hour pizza dough. Which these days gets cooked on the grill as often as in the oven. Grilled pizza is my new first love of outdoor cooking, especially when topped with grilled vegetables and carne asada. So far I haven’t found the restraint to stop eating long enough to photograph such a pizza creation, so no blog posts have been created for that tasty little guy.

But I did manage to get a few hasty pictures of this oven cooked pizza, just look at those glorious bubbles.Pretty damn good for one hour, grilled or oven cooked, it’s my new go-to for pizza nights.

One hour rosemary beer pizza dough3

One Hour Rosemary Beer Pizza Dough

Servings 1 lbs pizza dough

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ½ cups bread flour
  • 1 envelope rapid rise yeast
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
  • ¾ cup wheat beer or pale ale
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, add the flour, yeast, garlic powder and rosemary.
  • Mix until combined. In a microwave safe bowl add the beer. Microwave on high for 20 seconds, test temperature with a cooking thermometer and repeat until temperature reaches between 120 and 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the beer to the stand mixer and mix on medium speed. Once most of the flour has been moistened, slowly add the salt and oil while the mixer is still running.
  • Turn speed to high and beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow to sit in a warm room until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Cook as desired.

 

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One hour rosemary beer pizza dough4

Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs

Spinach and Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs3

 

I love breakfast, I eat it every day.

Saturdays and Sundays I always make it an ordeal, several dishes, coffee, juice, and my husband and I chat, lingering over the last bits of the meal. I love it because I almost never blog about it, so it’s not "work," it’s whatever I want to make. I love that we both just want to sit and talk to each other, long after my daughter has powered down her bacon and eggs and started to torture the dog with dress up clothes.

I especially love when I have breakfast guest, which is rare. They always offer to help, assure me that they are fine with just toast or cereal, but I love that I get to include more people in this weekend ritual we have at the house of Team Dodd. This was a breakfast guest meal that I will make again. I made it for my Mother in Law, who loved it so much she wrote down the ingredients on the inside cover of her crossword book before I could assure her that I would post it. It’s easy to throw together the night before, giving you more time to spend with your breakfast guest. Or to make Bloody Marys. You should make Bloody Marys.

Spinach and Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs2

Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs

Prep Time: 6 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs crusty bread, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
  • 8 ounces raw chicken sausage, removed from casing, crumbled
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 ounces shaved or shredded parmesan
  • 6 eggs poached (or substitute a large dollop of sour cream on each serving)

Instructions

  1. Arrange bread cubes, spinach and sausage crumbles in a 9×13 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl mix the eggs, milk, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Pour mixture over bread cubes evenly, toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with parmesan.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350
  4. Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until eggs have set.
  5. Cut into squares, top with poached eggs or sour cream.

Spinach and Sausage Breakfast Casserole with Poached Eggs

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

 

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

Really, this pie was a necessity. I love the way those banana cream pies look, but I have such a deep loathing for those yellow peeled devils I can’t even bring myself to try one. But they look amazing, so creamy and fluffy, but with the foul stench of banana lurking beneath all that fabulous whipped cream. (Banana Council should accept my sincere apologies, I completely support the consumption of such a healthy fruit, as long as I don’t have to do the consuming. And said consuming does not happen in my near vicinity).

But unlike my mint aversion, this hatred was not triggered by a traumatic event. Nor do I have a desire to fix the issue, I’m cool with a banana free existence.

That’s because I have other fantastic yellow fruits, like pineapple, to pick up the slack. although, I will admit, banana’s do make a much more convenient grab-and-go snack, be it not for the inconvenience of the inevitable projectile vomiting that would ensue if I were forced to eat one. (I may be the only person that has used the term "projectile vomiting" while trying to get you to make a pie).

Pineapple picks up quite a bit of slack in the tropical fruit department, I love them. I was in Costa Rica a few years ago and ordered "Pina y Agua" smoothies several times a day for weeks and never got sick of them. I’ve fully admitted my bias already, but I really think pineapple pie is the new banana pie. And I added beer to try and get you on my side.

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart2

Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

  • 9 standard sized graham crackers
  • 2 tbs brown sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 4 tbs melted butter

For the Filling:

  • 1 ¾ cups pineapple chunks
  • 3 tbs cornstarch
  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2/3 cup pale ale

For the Topping:

  • 1 cup whipped cream
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs pale ale
  • ¼ cup sweetened coconut flake
  • ¼ cup almond slices

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • In a food processor add the graham crackers, brown sugar, and salt process until only crumbs remain.
  • While the food processor is still running add the melted butter, process until it resembles wet sand.
  • Dump into the bottom of a 9-inch tart pan. Starting with the sides, press the crust evenly into the tart pan.
  • Put the pineapple chunks in the food processor, sprinkle with cornstarch, and process until smooth.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the cream cheese with the sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Mix in the pineapple puree. Add the beer, mix until well combined. Pour into the tart shell.
  • Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until the top of the tart turns golden brown. Allow to cool at room temperature for ten minutes. Refrigerate until set and chilled, about 3 hours.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the whipped cream, powdered sugar and pale ale. Beat on high until soft peaks form. Add to the top of the cooled tart. Chill tart until ready to serve.
  • Add the coconut and almonds to a dry pan. Add to medium high heat, toss continually until toasted, about 5 minutes. Top the tart with toasted coconut and almonds just prior to serving (it will get soggy if it sits on the tart too long. If you want to make the tart ahead of time, store toasted topping separate, garnish just prior to serving).

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Pineapple Pale Ale Cream Cheese Tart3

Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Strawberry Balsamic Glaze over Orzo Summer Salad

Pistachio Salmon with Strawberry Summer Salad

This is that savory strawberry recipe that I was telling you about. I made this three times, and loved it more and more each time. This is how I love to eat on a regular basis: fresh produce, healthy fats,  no dairy (I love dairy and I eat it, but I try to eat as little as I can, which is a challenge), and so much flavor that I’m proud to serve it to dinner guests, which I did.

I made it once with quinoa, and of course that’s healthier for us, but the orzo just tasted special. I love the brightness and slight sweetness that strawberries add to savory dishes, so even if hadn’t taken on a strawberry ambassadorship with California Strawberry Commission, I’d still be in love with the idea of coming up with strawberries on the savory end of the scale.

Pistachio Salmon with Strawberry Summer Salad2

Speaking of salmon, I’ve recently started to learn about sustainable seafood and what that means. Did you know that Target is known for a commitment to sustainable seafood? I have to say that was a little surprising to me, I thought I had to shop only at high end fish markets and expensive grocers to stay commited to the cause.

We can blame irresponsible fishing all we want, but the only place we can take action is in the store. It sounds like a giant undertaking, but really, just knowing where to buy fish and what types to avoid and you can jump on board. I love fish and eat it often, and it’s not very difficult to avoid the types of fish that are in danger and buy the fish that caught responsibly, like Alaskan salmon.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Strawberry Balsamic Glaze over Orzo Summer Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 cup dry orzo
  • 1 cup chopped strawberries
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro
  • ¼ cup diced red onions
  • 1 avocado, peeled and diced
  • ¼ tsp sea salt

For The Salmon

  • ¾ cup strawberries, chopped
  • 1 cup balsamic
  • 1 tbs honey
  • ½ cup shelled pistachios
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 4 salmon fillets

Instructions

  1. Cook the orzo in lightly salted boiling water until al dente, drain and allow to cool to room temperature, toss with remaining salad ingredients.
  2. Add the strawberries and balsamic to a food processor or blender, process until smooth. Add to a saucepan with the honey. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes (can be made up to five days ahead of time).
  3. Add the pistachios to a food processor, process until they resemble bread crumbs, about 3 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, pulse a few times to combine. Add to a small bowl.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat (too hot and the salmon will burn before it cooks through).
  5. Place the salmon into the pistachio mixture (non-skin side down), pressing the pistachio mixture into the salmon. Place the salmon into the pan, pistachio side down, allowing to cook until golden brown, flip and cook on the skin side until cooked through.
  6. Divide the salad between four plates, add the salmon on top of the salad, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Notes

Taking the salmon out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking will allow it come to room temperature and cook more evenly, allowing you to avoid burnt crust and undercooked middle.

Pistachio Salmon with Strawberry Summer Salad4

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

I don’t make a lot of sandwiches that I want to post about. But this is a sandwich I could eat every day. One that I would even serve at a party, especially one revolving around sports viewing or card playing. It’s spicy, beery, cheesy, and totally necessitates several napkins.

I used a beer that seems to be in regular rotation in my "beer cellar" (which is currently the bottom shelf of my fridge). If you live outside the Southern California area, you might not be familiar with the San Diego brewery Greenflash, but it’s hard to ignore this well distributed craft beer in these parts of the world.

Greenflash has an unapologetic love of the hops, wielding the bitterness with brute force. Which suits the hop frenzied California craft beer crowd. I’m a little choosier about my IPA’s than the average Los Angeles beer girl, and Greenflash gets it right when it comes to hopping the hell out of a beer. The Imperial IPA is really solid example of a West Coast IPA, well bittered, notes of pine, citrus, grapefruit, pineapple and a mild malty finish.

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich4

All of those flavor notes balance well with the spicy sauce I covered this giant sandwich with. A sandwich that also pairs very well with a nice cold IPA. But be careful, alcohol intensifies heat so that spicy sandwich may end up hotter than you wanted because of that same beer. And, please, get the good bread, none of that hot dog bun nonsense.

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich2

 

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small white onions chopped
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 3 lbs tomatoes beefsteak or heirloom
  • 2 clove garlic chopped
  • 1 cup IPA
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 large chipotle pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • 5 large basil leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 2 eggs
  • Salt
  • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup fresh shredded or fresh grated parmesan cheese plus additional if desired
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 4 crust Italian sandwich rolls split
  • 1 ball whole milk mozzarella sliced into 4 slices

Instructions
 

  • In a sauce pan cook the onions in the olive oil over medium high heat until softened. Add the tomatoes, cook until the skins starts to peel, about 5 minutes.
  • Ad the garlic, cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the beer and tomato paste. Allow to simmer until most of the tomatoes have broken down, about 10 minutes.
  • Transfer to a large food processor or blender along with the chipotle pepper, basil, salt, smoked paprika and oregano, process until smooth. Taste the sauce at this point, add additional chipotle peppers for a higher heat level, if desired. Sauce can be made up to three days in advance (If the sauce is too watery, return to the stove and simmer until it has reduced and thickened).
  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Filet the chicken breasts in half, creating two thin slices per each chicken breast for a total of four, pound to an even thickness using a meat mallet, heavy rolling pin or heavy skillet.
  • Pat the chicken dry. Place eggs in a bowl, beat well. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crumbs with the parmesan in a third bowl.
  • Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until shimmery but not smoking.
  • Sprinkle chicken with salt on all sides.
  • Dredge in the flour shaking off excess.
  • Dip in the egg bowl, turning to coat, then dredge in the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
  • Fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown on the underside, about 3 minutes, turn and cook until cooked through (try not to turn the chicken more than once).
  • Place rolls on a baking sheet, spoon generous amounts of sauce into the rolls. Cut the chicken fillets in half lengthwise so they better fit into the rolls.
  • Fill each roll with chicken, top with mozzarella. Sprinkle with parmesan if desired.
  • Cook in a 400 oven until cheese has melted, serve immediately.

Drunken Chipotle Chicken Parmesan Sandwich3

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint

 

I’m so excited to tell you that I’ve been asked to be a Brand Ambassador for California Strawberry Commission. Given my complete love of strawberries, this is fantastic for me. To be honest, I’ve been asked to be a brand ambassador before but it was never a good fit, I ended up turing other companies down. I can’t endorse a company that I don’t have complete faith in putting my name on the line for. I’m absolutely proud to represent a product as fantastic as California strawberries and I was thrilled to be asked and accepted without hesitation. I love strawberries and the best ones come from California.

I’m working on some strawberry recipes, I have a great savory recipe that just isn’t ready to post yet. It’s good, but I want it to be great so I’ll be working on it a bit more before I’m ready to send into into digital print.

May is National Strawberry Month, but really, you don’t need an excuse to grab some strawberries now that they are everywhere. But if you do need some ideas, here are some strawberry recipes that I love so much:

 

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes:

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry, Goat Cheese And Quinoa Salad:

Strawberry Goat Cheese Quinoa Salad

Strawberry Brie Mini Galettes:

Mini-Galette-Strawberry Brie

Strawberry Sriracha Margarita 

Strawberry-Sriracha-Margarita

And now, the man of the hour, a recipe for a strawberry granita that requires no special equipment and makes a great final dish for those summer dinner parties on the patio that we are all looking forward to.

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint 2

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint Leaves

Ingredients

For the Granita:

  • 1 cup very hot tap water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 cups strawberries, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested

For the Candied Mint:

  • 10-15 mint leaves
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 Tbs very hot tap water
  • 3 tbs white sugar

Instructions

  1. Put the very hot water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves (microwave for 30 seconds if the sugar doesn’t dissolve).
  2. Add the sugar water, strawberries, lemon juice, an lemon zest to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  3. Pour into a glass baking dish (7×11 or 9×13 will work well) place in the freezer.
  4. Stir every 30 minutes, combining the frozen edges into the center. Once the granita is mostly frozen, rake the surface with a fork to create flakey mound. Cover and freeze until ready to serve.

To make the candied basil:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175.
  2. Place 2 tbs of corn syrup and 1 tbs hot water in a small bowl, stir until well combined.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Dip the leaves in the corn syrup water, lay them on the parchment paper. Sprinkle with sugar, turn over, sprinkle with additional sugar (make more leaves than you need, some of them don’t survive the process as well as other, you’ll want extras).
  5. Place in the 175 degree oven for 20 minutes, flip over and cook until dry and sugar has crystalized, about 30 additional minutes.

Notes

Boozy Option: To make this a Strawberry Mojito Granita, add 1/4 cup white rum and 5 mint leaves to the blender with the sugar water, strawberries, lemon zest and lemon juice and just proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Strawberry Granita with Candied Mint 4

Goat Cheese Raviolis with Blistered Sugar Plum Tomatoes and Hefeweizen Marinara & How to Make Homemade Raviolis

Beer Raviolis

Homemade raviolis are a food lovers endeavor. It’s time consuming, physically trying, and a bit tedious. There are plenty of places that can sell you beautiful hand made raviolis, but you do it because you want to be there. In the kitchen, shoulders aching from kneading, hands covered with yolk and flour, feeling a connection to the Sicilian grandmothers who stood barefoot on unfinished wooden floors teaching the art to their eager but bored grandchildren.

It’s as much about the journey as it is about the cheese filled destination. I love homemade pasta, there is something meditative about the repetition of the process. I’m always glad for the time I spent, pushing myself closer to mastering the craft of pasta making. And the end product is a handsome reward for the labor.

I used the KitchenAid pasta rollers. I love these, and even though they are more than most people want to spend on what will probably be an occasional use item, it’s a worth while investment. I don’t use these often, but when I do, I’m so glad I have them. The set comes with three rollers: a pasta dough roller (to make sheets), a  fettuccine cutter and a spaghetti cutter. Because they’re automatic (meaning you don’t have to use one hand to crank the roller) it makes feeding the pasta into the roller fantastically easy. The KitchenAid pasta roller and cutters are also very well made and should last a life time, long enough for you to pass down to your future eager but bored grandchildren.

How To Make Raviolis

On a flat surface add the flour. Make a well with walls that are about 1 inch thick, make sure the well is large enough to hold the eggs, milk and oil.

How to make Raviolis 1

Add the yolks, egg, milk and oil. Break the yolks.

How to make Raviolis 2

Using your fingers, or a fork, stir quickly. The motion will allow the liquid to pick up flour from the walls and will gradually become thicker. This will take about 10 minutes.

How to make Raviolis 3

As the liquid becomes thicker, close to a paste consistency, start to push the flour walls up over and into the liquid pool. Continue to stir until the flour and liquid is mostly incorporated.

How to make Raviolis 4

Pull the dough into a ball, it will be shaggy and seem a bit dry.

How to make Raviolis 5

Knead on a flat surface with the heel of your hand, this will take a ten to fifteen minutes. Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic. If you aren’t sure if the dough is done, keep kneading. This isn’t a dough that can be over worked, but too little kneading is a problem.

How to make Raviolis 6

Put dough into a small bowl and cover tightly and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
How to make Raviolis 7

Cut into 4 sections. Place any dough sections you are not working with back in the bowl and cover.

How to make Raviolis 8

One at a time, roll out the dough sections to about ¼ to ½ inch rectangle.

How to make Raviolis 10

Attach the KitchenAid Pasta Roller attachment to your stand mixer.

How to make Raviolis 9

Set the thickness to 1 (the thickest setting). Turn the KitchenAid stand mixer to a speed of 2.Feed the dough rectangle into the pasta roller narrowest side first.

How to make Raviolis 11

Pass through two or three times. Narrow the thickness to a 3. Pass the dough sheet through two or three times, this should get easier and easier with each pass.

How to make Raviolis 12

Narrow the thickness to a 5. Pass the dough sheet through two or three times, this should get easier and easier with each pass. You want the dough sheets to be so thin you can see through them.

How to make Raviolis 15

 

Lay the sheets on a flat surface. It’s best to do this one at a time, moving through the steps as not to let the dough dry out, but for the purposes of photography and natural light, I broke that rule.

How to make Raviolis 16

Place about 2-3 tsp of filling on the dough sheets about 1 ½ inches apart, in to rows.

How to make Raviolis 17

Brush the dough with water around the balls of filling. Top with second sheet of pasta.

How to make Raviolis 18

Press the pasta around the filling, sealing well.

How to make Raviolis 19

Use a sharp knife or a pastry wheel to cut into squares.

How to make Raviolis 20

Place on a plate, allow to sit for about 10 minutes.

How to make Raviolis 21

Cook in a pot of lightly salted boiling water until raviolis float and are cooked through.

Drain, plate and top with sauce.

Goat Cheese Raviolis with Blistered Sugar Plum Tomatoes and Hefeweizen Marinara

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ¾ cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 3 large egg yolks room temperature
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 3 ounces goat cheese
  • 2 tbs chop fresh herbs, if desired

For The Marinara

  • 1 lb sugar plum tomatoes or grape tomatoes
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • ½ white onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup beer
  • 5 large basil leaves chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 2 tbs tomato paste

Instructions
 

  • On a flat surface add the flour. Make a well with walls that are about 1 inch thick, make sure the well is large enough to hold the eggs, milk and oil.
  • Add the yolks, egg, milk and oil. Break the yolks.
  • Using your fingers, stir quickly. The motion will allow the liquid to pick up flour from the walls and will gradually become thicker. This will take about 10 minutes.
  • As the liquid becomes thicker, close to a paste consistency, start to push the flour walls up over and into the liquid pool. Continue to stir until the flour and liquid is mostly incorporated.
  • Pull the dough into a ball, it will be shaggy and seem a bit dry.
  • Knead on a flat surface with the heel of your hand, this will take a ten to fifteen minutes. Knead until the dough is smooth and slightly elastic. If you aren’t sure if the dough is done, keep kneading. This isn’t a dough that can be over worked, but too little kneading is a problem.
  • Put dough into a small bowl and cover tightly and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Cut into 4 sections. Place any dough sections you are not working with back in the bowl and cover.
  • One at a time, roll out the dough sections to about ¼ to ½ inch rectangle.
  • Attach the KitchenAid Pasta Roller attachment to your stand mixer.
  • Set the thickness to 1 (the thickest setting).
  • Turn the KitchenAid stand mixer to a speed of 2.
  • Feed the dough rectangle into the pasta roller narrowest side first.
  • Pass through two or three times.
  • Narrow the thickness to a 3. Pass the dough sheet through two or three times, this should get easier and easier with each pass.
  • Narrow the thickness to a 5. Pass the dough sheet through two or three times, this should get easier and easier with each pass. You want the dough sheets to be so thin you can see through them.
  • Lay the sheets on a flat surface.
  • Place about 2-3 tsp of goat cheese on the dough sheets about 1 ½ inches apart, in to rows.
  • Brush the dough with water around the balls of goat cheese (sprinkle with fresh herbs, if desired). Top with second sheet of pasta.
  • Press the pasta around the filling, sealing well. Use a sharp knife or a pastry wheel to cut into squares.
  • Place on a plate, allow to sit for about 10 minutes.
  • Cook in a pot of lightly salted boiling water until raviolis float and are cooked through.
  • Drain, plate and top with sauce.

Make the sauce:

  • Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, cook the onions until soft about five minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, cook until soft and the skin has blistered. Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the beer and cook until the beer has mostly evaporated, about ten minutes.
  • Add the remaining basil, oregano, salt and pepper, stir, remove from heat.
  • Add to a food processor along with the tomato paste, process until smooth.

Beer Raviolis

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

Seven layer Hummus Dip 2
I wasn’t going to do a post on this, because it’s not a recipe. Not really, it’s more like assembly instructions. But then two things happened, first, I keep making it for parties, and people keep loving it. Second, I went to a goat cheese making class this weekend and was sent home with a bag of fantastic Redwood Hill Farms goat cheese products, including a fabulous goat feta.

I could eat chèvre goat cheese every day of my life, it’s one of my favorite foods, and by far my favorite cheese. Which I found out is a good thing since goat milk products are easier on the human digestive system and lower in calories, cholesterol and fat than cow cheeses. Which reminded me to try smoked goat cheddar next time I have a craving for a late night grilled cheese, at least I’ll feel less guilty about it.

Speaking of less guilty, this dip is a less guilty version of that other seven layer dip, that one that has refried beans, cheddar, sour cream, you know the one. It’s great, I love that guy. But this one is just as tasty, but with much fewer calories and you don’t even have to resort to "fat free" or fake ingredients, it’s just a big pile of tasty produce sandwiched between hummus and that naturally lower in calorie cheese we talked about. It’s just about winning at party dip making while bikini season rears its ugly head.

Seven layer Hummus Dip 3

Seven Layer Hummus Dip

Ingredients

  • 10 wt ounces hummus
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 4 persian cucumbers, chopped
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 4 wt ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

Starting with the hummus and ending with the feta cheese, layer all ingredients in an 8X8 baking dish or similar sized serving dish. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Notes

  1. Make sure and chop all vegetables smaller than you would for a salad, they need to be small enough so that all seven layers make it into the same bite. 2. If you find raw onions too intense, soak them in ice cold water, rinse and allow to dry before proceeding with this recipe.

 

Seven layer Hummus Dip_

Paprika Shrimp and Sausage Quinoa Paella

Paprika Shrimp and Sausage Quinoa Paella. The winning dish for The Today Show recipe contest: Healthy One Pot Meals. only 380 calories, 20 minutes and one pot!

Life’s funny, isn’t it? One minute you’re sitting there enjoying a nice Mother’s Day breakfast that your husband made you, and the next minute you’re talking to The Today Show and agreeing to take a last minute flight to JFK so that you can stand behind a podium for 3 minutes and pretty much say zero words on National Television. Something like that.

 Today Collage

Photo credit: Erwin Laureano

The real prize in this competition was the journey. I flew to New York on Tuesday, was able to have dinner with my new friend Ashely, and drinks with my old friend David. You could pretty much preface any request with, "wanna a free trip to New York and have dinner and drinks with some friends?" and I’d pretty much say yes to whatever followed.

NYC

Wednesday morning I was taken to NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, through the celebrity filled green room, and into hair and make up. Then up to a tiny studio that they referred to as The Spa, which included no studio audience, just lots of producers, cameras and a beautiful camera friendly kitchen. This was all for Joy Bauers Joy-full Cook Off. She wanted healthy one pot meals that where easy and family friendly. She choose my dish, along with two other amazing dishes to be taste tested on live TV by Kathie Lee and Hoda, who would choose the winner.

Paprika Shrimp and Sausage Quinoa Paella. The winning dish for The Today Show recipe contest: Healthy One Pot Meals. only 380 calories, 20 minutes and one pot!

The other dishes were amazing, and to be honest, I didn’t really care who won. I’d already collected my prize of flight to New York, hotel room, and dinner and drinks with friends, I was all set. But it turns out, Kathie Lee and Hoda are huge fans of skinny shrimp dishes and choose mine. I won!

Here’s clip of me saying pretty much nothing on the Today Show and winning a basket of NBC related swag:

Joy-ful Cook Off

 

And here is the winning dish, 380 calories per serving, gluten free, dairy free, 20 minutes, one pot.

Paprika Shrimp and Sausage Quinoa Paella

Yield: yield: 4 servings

Calories per serving: 380 calories

Ingredients

  • 12 large shrimp, peeled and devined
  • ¼ tsp sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika, plus ¼ tsp, divided
  • ¼ tsp onion powder, plus ¼ tsp, divided
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 8 ounces pre-cooked low fat chicken sausage, sliced
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • pinch saffron (about 10 threads)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 2/3 cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup peas (frozen is fine)
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsly, chopped

Instructions

  1. Place shrimp in a small bowl, sprinkle with ¼ tsp sweet paprika, ¼ tsp smoked paprika and ¼ tsp onion powder, toss to coat.
  2. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet (with a lid) over medium high heat, cook shrimp until seared, about 3 minutes per side (don’t over cook). Remove from pan, set aside.
  3. Add chicken sausage, cook until browned, remove from pan, set aside.
  4. Add the onion and bell peppers, cook, stirring frequently, until onions and peppers have softened, about 6-8 minutes.
  5. Add garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste, stir until combined.
  6. Add saffron, salt, pepper, remaining smoked paprika, and onion powder, chicken broth and peas, bring to a simmer. Add quinoa stir and evenly distribute quinoa. Add the lid to the pan at a vent, adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Cook without stirring for 16-18 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid has absorbed.
  7. Place the shrimp and sausage on top, replace lid and cook for 1 minute or until shrimp and sausage is warmed.
  8. Sprinkle with parsley just prior to serving.

Chicken Sausage and Safron Shrimp Quinoa Paella

 

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting_I’m on my way to New York right now to cook on The Today Show. I’d like to say that I’m cool enough to not think this is a big deal, but I’m not. I’m thrilled, and also a little nervous (significant nervousness is scheduled for the late 9am hour on Wednesday morning).

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 2

Before I left on my journey across the country I wanted to leave you with this cake. It’s really easy, really rich and insanely good. A perfect cake to pair with a stout or even one of those black IPA’s I’ve become so found of.

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 8

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting

Ingredients
  

For The Cake

  • ½ cup butter chopped
  • 7 weight ounces 60% chocolate chopped
  • 1/3 cup stout
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 whole eggs plus 2 yolks
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tbs cornstarch

For the Frosting

  • 3 tbs butter softened
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp finely grated orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • In the top of a double boiler over a simmering water add the chocolate and the butter. Stir until the butter is almost melted, turn off heat and continue to stir until butter is melted. Remove the top of the double boiler and place on a clean kitchen towel. Stir in the beer. Whisk in the sugar. Check to make sure the chocolate is room temperature or below, then whisk in the eggs and the yolks. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and the cornstarch over the chocolate, gently stir until combined.
  • Place a round of parchment paper inside a 10 inch spring form pan, rub the inside of the pan and the parchment paper with butter.
  • Pour the batter inside the prepared pan, smooth out into an even layer.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top looks dry and the top is slightly springy, don’t over bake of cake will be dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 10-20 minutes. Transfer to a cake pan, refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and the mascarpone, beat until well combined. Add the powdered sugar and zest, mix until well combined. Frost the cake with the mascarpone frosting, chill until ready to serve. (Don’t be afraid to make this a day ahead of time, it’s better the next day).

Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Frosting 9

 

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Beverly Hills Potatoes 10

I’m cooking on The Today show on Wednesday.

I wish I was cool enough to have a witty lead in and build up to the exciting news, but I’m just going to digitally blurt it out:

I’m cooking on The Today Show, in New York, on Wednesday. I’ll be battling it out with two other cooks in The Joyful Cook-off for supreme Healthy One Pot Meal domination, although the big prize is merely bragging rights. With a free trip to New York, and the opportunity to cook on The Today show, I feel like I’ve already won.

Beverly Hills Potatoes_

 

Back to these potatoes, that will forever be known as Beverly Hills potatoes. I went to Bazaar in Beverly Hills with a friend for her birthday a few months ago. The food was beautiful, intricate and far beyond my culinary abilities. Then there were these lovely and delicious miniature potatoes that had been salt roasted, served on tooth picks with a side of pesto butter. It’s a good thing I choose to fall in love with the one thing I could actually duplicate at home, although there were these fantastic Japanese Taco’s I’ll need to stop thinking about because I’ll never be able to figure out how to make those.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 3

 

The hardest thing about this dish is finding these miniature potatoes, although I have seen them in several markets. They are far smaller that the baby red potatoes that you might think of, closer to the size of large grapes. I’ve seen them called "teeny tiny potatoes" and "miniature potatoes," either way, they are really small.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 2

Now I’m hooked. I’ve served them as a side dish, and also put toothpicks in the and served them as an appetizer.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 7

And this is what happens when I try to photograph anything while tater is awake. She was laying down the potatoes with toothpicks in them saying, "Potatoes are tired boys."

Beverly Hills Potatoes 6

 

She’s the best.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 8

 

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs miniature potatoes
  • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 2 tbs melted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Wash the potatoes well, prick each one with a fork.
  3. Place potatoes in a loaf pan. Pour salt over potatoes until most of the potatoes are covered.
  4. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. Break up the salt crust with a fork, pour into a large bowl or pot, remove the potatoes (insert one tooth pick into each potato if serving as an appetizer).
  5. To make the pesto butter, combine the pesto and melted butter. Serve alongside the potatoes.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 4

 

 

Roasted Corn, Pale Ale and Coconut Curry Chowder with Brûléed Avocados

 

Roasted Corn, Pale Ale and Coconut Curry Chowder with Brûléed Avocados

I brûléed some avocados, which, let me be honest, is sort of strange. But it gave this soup a campfirey, smoky flavor that I loved so I’m standing behind the decisions. A decision that was largely based on the fact that I’ve had this brulee torch for over two months and haven’t used it yet.

Roasted Corn, Pale Ale and Coconut Curry Chowder with Brûléed Avocados

Now I’m sort of hooked on the idea of wielding a kitchen torch this powerful, it completely smokes (pun intended) the one I previously owned that I now see as fairly pathetic. The new one is beast, I think it might belong in the tool shed out back (I don’t actually have a tool shed, so I guess it’ll stay in the kitchen).

But you really don’t HAVE to brulee avocados, just cutting them up and adding them to the soup like a normal person is just fine.

Roasted Corn, Pale Ale and Coconut Curry Chowder with Brûléed Avocados

About this soup, it’s vegan, which clearly I am not. But I love vegan food because it puts the emphasis on produce, which I adore. Corn is just coming into the season, and so are the avocados I abused, but the weather in most parts of the country is still soup worthy. But you have to remember that I’m also the girl that likes to drink stout and eat soup in August.

I also prefer to eat ice cream in December. Which all may add up to my rampant non-normalness that forced me to take a kitchen torch to those perfectly lovely avocados.

Roasted Corn, Pale Ale and Coconut Curry Chowder with Brûléed Avocados

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large ears sweet corn
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • ½ white onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2/3 cup pale ale
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable broth chicken will work as well
  • 1 can 13.5 ounces full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tsp red curry paste
  • pinch cayenne
  • 5 large leaves basil thinly sliced
  • 1 large red pepper roasted
  • 1 large avocado ripe but firm, too soft will not work
  • 1 lemon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400.
  • Trim off any silk that is sticking out of the husk of the corn ears.
  • Place on a baking sheet, roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle. Cut the kernels off the corn, set aside.
  • In a sauce pan over medium high heat, sauté the onions in olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Add the beer, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry paste, corn kernels, and cayenne. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.
  • Stir in the basil and the red pepper.
  • To brûlée the avocados, slice into ¼ inch slices, sprinkle with lemon juice. Place on a heat proof surface like a baking sheet. brûlée with a kitchen torch until browned, use tongs to flip over and brûlée the other side.
  • Pour soup into bowls, top with avocados.


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Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce 3

I’ve started to think about dishes that have made an impact on me over the years, a salt roasted whole fish I ate in italy, curried soup I had in New York, even pancakes from my Grandfather. I didn’t grow up in a culinary family, I grew up in a defrost-and-feed family and decided I wanted to figure out this cooking thing when I was in High School. I met a guy who was older than me, SO old, in fact, that he had his own apartment. I wanted to impress him, so I offered to cook him dinner. Newly licensed, I drove to the grocery store all by myself for the first time. I had planned to buy steak and try to figure that out, but a combination of seeing these tiny chickens and realizing how expensive good steak was made the decision easy. Two "tiny chickens" were only $4, and I peeled the price tag off so that he wouldn’t know how cheap I was.

I just rubbed them with butter (probably margarine, to be honest) and salt and pepper, and cooked them until I thought they were done. They turned out amazing, I think I was more impressed than he was. It was my first official Kitchen Win, Roasted Cornish Game Hens at 16 years old, in the kitchen of a crappy post war era apartment off George Washington Way.

I haven’t made them since (until now), and I can’t even tell you why. I make roast chicken all the time, and this is just as easy, and if you are having a dinner party, it’s really impressive, everyone gets their own tiny chicken. You don’t even have to tell them how cheap they are.

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce 2

A beer brine is incredible, the combination of the subtle flavors and the meat tenderizing properties of beer give you a fantastic final product. I usually use brown ale, I love the notes of molasses and nuts that are easy to find in brown ales. I remembered Brother Thelonious from North Coast, a strong, dark, Belgian Style Abbey Ale . The notes of nuts, fruit, malt, brown sugar and cherries, along with a relatively high ABV of 9.3%, it was exactly what I was looking for. North Coast is a stellar brewery out of Northern California, that has brought us such hits as Old Rasputin and PranQster. North Coast has been preaching the craft beer gospel for 25 years, producing beer that is diverse and on point, you’ll never hear anything but praise out of me for North Coast.

Another reason to enjoy the Brother Thelonious is that a portion of the proceeds go to support the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, It’s a beer with a mission.

The sauce can be made with what you have "leftover" from the beer brine, but let’s be honest, it probably won’t last that long. You can also use a lighter wheat beer, or a pale ale. Just a warning, alcohol intensifies heat so the higher ABV you use, the higher the heat level will be. Removing the seeds from the pepper gives you a greater control over the sauces final heat level. Most of the heat of a pepper is found in the seeds, with almost no flavor.The flesh of the pepper still has significant heat, but also contains the flavor of the pepper. If you are worried about the heat not being high enough, reserve some of the seeds and add them into the sauce as needed.

 

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce 4

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce

Ingredients
  

For the chicken:

  • 12 ounces Belgian ale wheat beer, or brown ale
  • ¼ cup kosher salt
  • 2 tbs white sugar
  • 1 tbs whole cloves
  • 2 cups ice
  • 2 Cornish game hens 1.75 to 2 lbs each
  • 1 large lemon
  • 2 tbs melted butter
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper

For the sauce:

  • 1 habanero chili
  • 2 cara cara oranges juiced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 tbs corn starch
  • 1 tbs white sugar
  • ¼ cup wheat beer
  • 1 tbs white vinegar
  • 1 tbs red chili flakes

Instructions
 

  • In a pot over medium high heat, add the wheat beer, salt, sugar and cloves. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar and salt have dissolved, remove from heat. Add the ice, stir until dissolved.
  • Rinse the game hens inside and out, place together in a large bowl. Pour the brine over the hens, refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 425.
  • Remove hens from brine, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
  • Place in a roasting rack of a roasting pan or on a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut lemon into quarters. Place one quarter into each hen, place the remaining two in the roasting pan beneath the hens.
  • In a small bowl combine melted butter, salt and pepper.
  • Brush the hens liberally with the butter mixture.
  • Roast at 425 for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165.
  • While the hens are roasting, make the sauce. Using gloves remove the seeds from the habanero, discard seeds and stem, chop remaining pepper.
  • Add habanero, orange juice, cornstarch and white sugar to a saucepan over high heat, whisk frequently until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat, add beer and vinegar, bring to a boil just until re-thickened, stir in about half (1-2 tsp) of the 1 tbs chili flakes. Taste sauce, add additional red chili flakes for a higher level of heat.
  • Serve the orange chili sauce in small sauce dishes along side the hens for dipping.

Notes

This recipe makes an abundance of sauce, enough for 4 to 6 servings. If you make more Game Hens, you won't need to double the sauce unless you make 8 or more servings. If you are worried about the heat not being high enough, reserve some of the seeds and add them into the sauce as needed.

Beer Brined Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Orange Chili Sauce

Salt Roasted Whole Fish with Grilled Artichokes

Salt Roasted Whole Fish with Grilled Artichokes

It’s been a strange few weeks for me, cooking wise. I’ve been getting back to the food I love, remembering why I ever picked up a whisk in the first place, challenging myself as a cook and remembering the food I fell in love with. If you follow my other blog, you are aware of this shift I’ve taken.

I’m happy, and relived in a way, chasing the Traffic Dragon is exhausting and cooking what I love makes me happy, and for the first time in a while I’m excited to share a dish.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish9

The first time I ever had a salt packed roasted anything was while traveling through Italy as a broke college student. I’d worked three jobs and saved for six months to send myself over seas and had ended up in the small city of Trieste. I’d wandered into a restaurant that was far too fancy for my tiny budget. I saw pesci listed on the menu and just pointed to it. There weren’t any prices on the menu and I just hoped that the fish I order wasn’t too expensive.

Grilled Artichokes5

What came to my table was a salt packed whole fish on a cart. I panicked for a second and then decided to order a glass of wine and enjoy it. It ended up costing $60, a small travelers fortune, but it was worth it. I lived off bread and cheese for a week, but I’ll never forget that fish.

Lately I’ve been trying to remember food I’ve fallen in love with and that fish came to mind. It’s a classic, old world, technique that isn’t used much in the US, but it’s brilliant at locking in flavor with zero added cooking fat.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish4

I found a video online by Tom Colicchio about salt roasted fish, just like the one I had in Italy. It paired well with the artichokes, and grilling is my absolute favorite way to make artichokes now, something you need to try this summer if you get a chance.

The fish is simple. Just start with a whole fish that’s been gutted. Most markets sell these cheaper than large fillets because there is less labor involved.

Mix the salt and the egg white, make a bed of salt on an oven safe serving platter (or rimmed baking sheet)

Salt Roasted Whole Fish

 

Put lemon and herbs in the cavity, then pack the remaining salt around the fish before roasting.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish2

 

It comes out of the oven a light golden brown and steamed to perfection. Very impressive, and pretty easy.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish 11

 

For the artichokes, just cut them in half down the center

Grilled Artichokes

 

Grilled Artichokes2

 

Use a melon baller and a sharp paring knife to remove the hair and the purple leaves, then boil for 25 minutes,

Grilled Artichokes3

baste with melted butter and grill until you get those beautiful grill marks.

Grilled Artichokes4

Salt Roasted Whole Fish

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 lb whole fish, gutted and cleaned (sturdy fatty fish like: salmon, arctic char, whitefish, sablefish, bass)
  • 3 thin slices of lemon
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 cups coarse Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Pre heat oven to 400.
  2. Whip the egg whites with a fork for about 1 minute. Add the salt, mix until it resembles wet sand.
  3. Lay about ¾ cup of salt mixture on an oven safe serving platter (you can also use a baking sheet with sides) add the fish to the top of the salt bed. Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemon slices and rosemary.
  4. Add the remaining salt to the top of the fish. Pack the salt around the fish (it’s fine if the head and tail are sticking out).
  5. Roast at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125F and the salt pack is light brown.
  6. Remove from oven, the salt pack should break away cleanly.

Grilled artichokes

Ingredients

  • 2 large globe artichokes
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • vegetable oil for grill
  • Dipping sauce, if desired

Instructions

  1. Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water.
  2. Slice the artichokes down the center, lengthwise. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the hair from the choke as well as the inner purple leaves, leaving a cavity in the center of the each artichoke half.
  3. Boil in the pot of lightly salted boiling water until the outer leaves tear away easily, about 20 minutes.
    Mix the lemon juice, melted butter, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  4. Brush a preheated grill (or a grill pan) with vegetable oil. Brush artichokes lemon butter mixture, grill cut side down, until nice grill marks appear, about 8 minutes. Baste artichokes with melted butter while grilling.
  5. Serve warm with dipping sauce, if desired (pesto butter, garlic aioli, herbed mayonnaise, lemon butter).

Salt Roasted Whole Fish5

Citrus Cooked Scallops with Smoky IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos2

I’ve finally found some clarity when it comes to this struggle that’s been twisting around inside me over the past few weeks.

I told you about that feeling of creative stagnation, and the realization that I’ve been pandering to the masses rather than cooking what I love.

Both of these feelings, that I figured were separate, came into sharp focus this past weekend as originating from the same issue.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos3

A very dynamic woman, a catalyst of inspiration, stood in front of me saying, "But what do you want? But what do YOU want?"

What do I want? Looking around at people who inspire me, who make incredible, insightful, layered and important food, thoughts began to form. I want to write things that matter. I want to make food that feels compelling and substantial. And in the midst of this realization, someone mentioned my Cheesecake Fudgesicles, and I cringed.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos

I want to stop making stupid food.

The issue is that stupid food gets shared, pinned, and trafficked. Smart food is scary, intimidating and gets ignored.

But what do I want? I want to be taken seriously, I want to be respected and I want to grow as a cook.

I have to stop making stupid food.

The conflict is that I need to pay my bills, and stupid gets noticed. This is just how the world works, in almost every area. InBev makes billions more than Russian River, Carly Rae Jepsen sells more records than Delta Spirit and Oreo Funfeti Cake Batter Fudge will get more traffic than homemade Duck Confit Raviolis with Stout Cherry Sauce.

Although I can eat nachos like a champ, and I’ll never pass up a good brownie, when it comes to building a food resume I need to ask myself: what do I want?

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

I want to make smart food, I want write things that matter.

Taking a step back from the trenches of Google Analytics and the Traffic Trap of caring more about numbers than content, I thought about what I love when it comes to writing and food.

Writing: The piece I wrote on Homeboy Industries for Honest Cooking iPad magazine is the best thing I’ve ever written and possibly the only thing I’ve ever written that is truly important.

Food: Even though a food blog may never really matter in any real way, I used to cook food that a friend once described as “with food.” He said I could never just make a cake, it had to be a Chocolate Stout Cake with Orange Mascarpone Filling and Smoky Chocolate Ganache, everything I made had a “with” somewhere in the middle of the tittle. Layers, flavors, thought, and time spent on the food I really love somehow got replaced with Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes and Green Beer Cheese Soup.

Beer Pickled Jalapenos2

Everything I’ve made for the blog is delicious; the issue isn’t really with the recipes, but with me. Cupcakes are fine, so are Beer Cheese Nachos and Oreo Funfetti Slutty Nutella Red Velvet Brownie Cake Pops, especially if that is what you want to make, then do that. It’s not about “right” food and “wrong” food, it’s about finding what I want, and figuring out how to get there.

There is a magnetism to the S’mOreo Cake Pop posts, because it brings in readers, and seems to make people happy, things that I care more about than I should when it comes to what do I want?.

I’ll lose traffic, I can guarantee that. I can promise that my numbers will go down.

But I can also promise that nothing that I post will be difficult. Maybe you want to come on this journey with me and make layered “with” food, even if it doesn’t sounds as sparkly as those Red Velvet M&M S’mores Krispy Treats.

I just need to have faith in what I want, faith that the Universe will conspire in my favor, faith that this will lead to path in which traffic won’t matter, faith that seeking the answer to what do I want? will lead me down the right rabbit hole.

 

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup beer I used an IPA
  • 6 large jalapenos thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Stir just until the salt and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the beer, pour into a jar.
  • Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.
  • Add the jalapenos to the jar, replace the lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  • Jalapenos will last for several weeks.

 

Beer Pickled Jalapenos

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 1 cup beer I used an IPA
  • 6 large jalapenos thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, salt, vinegar and water. Stir just until the salt and sugar have dissolved, remove from heat. Stir in the beer, pour into a jar.
  • Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.
  • Add the jalapenos to the jar, replace the lid and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
  • Jalapenos will last for several weeks.

Citrus Cooked Scallops with IPA Parsnip Puree and Beer Pickled Jalapenos-1

Jalapeno Peach Martini

Jalapeno Peach Martini 3This knife is bad ass.

There are much more eloquent ways of explaining how fantastic this Wüsthof  knife is, like it’s forged from a single piece of specially tempered high carbon steel to ensure outstanding strength, or that The slight curve of the blade makes the Chai Dao ideal for cutting, but that just doesn’t get to the meat of the explanation.

This knife is bad ass.

Jalapeno Peach Martini 5

 

It’s a strong cleaver that’s the perfect size, large enough to slightly scare anyone in your immediate chopping vicinity, but not so large that it’s unmanageable.  It’s also sharp enough to slice jalapenos paper thin.

Although I don’t think it’s necessary to buy high end when it comes to all kitchen equipment, knives are the exeption. Knives are an important investment, a tool that will last long enough to pass down to your children, spend money on knives. Don’t buy a cheap block with multiple cheap knives that you will inevitable have to replace in a year (we’ve all done that).

Instead, start to collect. Build your collections one at a time.  Start with the basics, and build. This is a great knife to add to your collection. If you are just starting, here are my recommendations:

Wüsthof Grand Prix Chefs Knife (my first big girl knife, I still use it all the time)

Wüsthof Grand Prix II Hollow-Edge 8 inch Chef′s Knife

Wüsthof Classic Ikon Paring Knife

Wüsthof Classic Chai Dao (Bad ass knife)

Jalapeno Peach Martini 4

 

Because I had this knife, and was able to slice thin jalapenos, I made a cocktail. Maybe this doesn’t scream MOTHERS DAY, and fit the theme of this weeks giveaways,  but I’m a mom and I love a good spicy cocktail and a sharp knife. Cocktails and knives are the new mothers day, I swear.

But maybe you wield the knife and start to chop things up with your bad ass knife before you drink that cocktail,  mkay?

Jalapeno Peach Martini 2

Jalapeno Peach Martini

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces good quality vodka (I used Tito’s Homemade Vodka)
  • ½ ounce dry vermouth
  • 2 ounces peach nectar

6 thin slices fresh jalapeno

Instructions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Add all ingredients, shake gently for about 10 seconds.
  3. Pour through the strainer into a chilled martini glass.

 

Jalapeno Peach Martini_