Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Strawberry-Nectarine Freezer Jam

I love freezer jam, and so does my whole family.  Usually, I just make strawberry.  Although I have made a few different kinds in the past, including plum, blueberry, and peach.  I think I just didn't know what I was doing back then, but the peach turned out way too runny.  The blueberry had a weird texture, maybe from the blueberry skins?  I don't remember much about the plum; these were all at least 7 years ago.  But I've always had success with strawberry. 
I did make a batch of plain strawberry last weekend, but then I got the hankering for something a little different.  I wanted to try making just nectarine, because I love nectarines and have been getting good ones here.  At the last minute I chickened out though, going with strawberry-nectarine, because I know that my strawberry always turns out, at least!  I thought that by combining the two fruits, I'd have more success.  And this jam is SO GOOD!!  It set up just perfectly.  I adapted a recipe for peach-strawberry.  I did not bother to peel my nectarines. 

Next up, I want to try just nectarine freezer jam.  I've eaten a nectarine (or two) almost every day for the past 2-3 months; I love them so much and want to get my fill before they're gone for the year.  If I made nectarine jam, I could preserve that wonderful flavor just a little longer.  :)  In the meantime though, I'll be content with this delicious jam.  It's so good, I ate a bunch of it on just crackers today.  :)

For freezer jam, always measure out your fruit and sugar exactly.  Fruit should be measured after preparing (chopping, crushing, whatever), not before.  Don't try to reduce the sugar (I know it's a ton!) or the recipe will not turn out.  Have fun with freezer jam!  It is so easy; a batch of this only took me about 30 minutes (or less!) from start to finish.  The hardest part is preparing the fruit.
Strawberry-Nectarine Freezer Jam
adpated from Taste of Home

2 cups crushed fresh strawberries (I crush to very small pieces in the food processor; be careful not to puree)
1-1/4 cups finely chopped nectarines (I use my food processor for this too; after the strawberries)
5 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell in the yellow box... the only kind I can get here!)

1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberries and nectarines. Add sugar; mix thoroughly and let stand for 10 minutes; stirring every once in a while.

2.  In a small saucepan, combine water and pectin. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture and stir constantly for 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

3.   Ladle into clean jars or plastic freezer containers. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 1 year. Yield: about 3-1/2 pints.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

S'Mores Pie

When I first saw this pie over at The Pastry Affair, I knew I had to make it soon- it was so, so beautiful!  It's not even hard to make at all.  About as hard as melting chocolate.  :)  To make it even easier on myself (and quicker to make during a newborn's nap), I used a........ storebought graham cracker crust!  Gasp!  Actually, I have no problem using store-bought crumb crusts sometimes.  If you did make your own crust, the graham flavor would have probably been stronger, but I was fine with it this way.  Link to the original recipe if you want to make your own crust.  You should link to it anyway, to see some fabulous photos of this pie! 

This pie is good, but pretty rich.  We were able to get 10 pieces out of the pie, and they were satisfying, although they were smaller.  Two of my kids couldn't even finish their piece the first time we ate this, but they all liked it. 
S'Mores Pie
adapted from The Pastry Affair & How Sweet It Is

1 Graham cracker pie crust, either purchased or homemade (see links above for recipe)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used mini chocolate chips- worked wonderfully)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
large marshmallows, cut in half with kitchen shears- most of a large bag

1.  Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Watch carefully and once it begins to simmer, remove from heat and add in chocolate. Stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted, then whisk in sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs. Slowly add eggs to chocolate mixture while whisking constantly.

2.  Pour chocolate filling in to graham crust.  Bake for 20-35 minutes.  Pay attention and check every 5-10 minutes after 20 minutes pass. One the chocolate is no longer liquid, remove the tart and top with as many marshmallows as you can fit (cut side down).

3.  Turn on the broiler in your oven and place back in the oven to brown the marshmallows.  I heated my broiled on low, and stuck the pie back in for 1-52 minutes so the top could get golden.  Watch carefully- my oven took only one minute!  I turned away for a second and it almost burned. 

4.  Let cool then refrigerate for 1-2 hours before cutting. Spray a knife with non-stick spray before slicing. If it is messy, just lift pieces out with a spoon. It’s just as delicious!  Serve topped with hot fudge or chocolate sauce if desired, but this may send it over to too-sweet territory!
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Fresh Tomato Pasta

In the summertime, I love making pasta dishes with fresh, raw tomatoes.... preferably homegrown ones.  This is another dish I made with fresh tomatoes from our friend.  I really, really liked this one, and it was SO easy and fast!  You use the tomatoes in their fresh, raw state, add some red onion, and toss with hot pasta, a tiny bit of olive oil and vinegar, and a touch of Parmesan cheese.  You don't have to be fussy with this recipe- all you do is stem the tomatoes and chop them.  No seeding, juicing, etc.  You use all of the tomato (except the stem of course!) 

This dish will only be as good as the tomatoes you use, so use tasty ones!  Also, your best bet to season the pasta is when it's boiling.... I usually don't salt my pasta water, but for this recipe, it's a good idea.  It seasons the pasta itself, and I didn't need to add any salt to the finished dish. 

I used a 13.5 oz. package of whole-grain spaghetti.  The original recipe calls for a pound (16oz) but my 13.5 oz still made a TON!  This was popular with most of my fam- even my 4 year old had three servings, eating the tomatoes and all!

Fresh Tomato Pasta
from Gilt Taste

2 ½ pounds of the ripest tomatoes you can find
2 handfuls of tender young arugula or flavorful greens of your choice (optional... I didn't have any)
Scant ¼ cup shaved red onion or shallot, as thin as you can cut it
13-16oz. spaghetti or linguine
Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Red wine vinegar, to taste (optional)
Parmigiano cheese, to taste

1.  Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch pieces or so, and place, with all their juices, in a large bowl. (Big enough to fit everything in the recipe, plus with lots of room to stir.) Season them generously with salt and pepper (I skipped the salt here), and a generous splash or two of the nicest olive oil you have. Stir together, and give it a taste. Add some red wine vinegar, if desired.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt.  Add the pasta and stir.

3.  While the pasta is cooking, lay the greens on top of the tomatoes, and then the onion or shallot slices. Try to arrange them so that they’re in one even layer, so that when you pile the pasta on, the heat will take the raw edge off the onion, and gently wilt the greens underneath.

4.  When the pasta is cooked to a perfect al dente, drain it and dump it in the bowl.  Don’t touch it for two minutes.  After two minutes, get in there and give it all a stir; the starch from the pasta actually helps to emulsify the oil into the tomato juices, creating a sauce. Add the Parmesan, and then taste it, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, olive oil, or vinegar, and serve right away.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Topping

My husband and I were ordering some treats from Nuts in Bulk a few weeks ago.  (They have delicious cashews, pepitas, macadamia white chocolate butter, Jelly Bellies, etc, and they ship very fast!)  As I was browsing the website, I came across Peanut Butter Ice Cream Topping, and it looked sooo good.  It was kind of expensive, and I wanted to try my hand at making it, so I did a few days later.  I found a few recipes online and settled on one to use.  I used more peanut butter and reduced the butter, and I think doing this made it super thick, but it wasn't a bad thing.  It just got even thicker when it hit the cold ice cream.  In the future, I'd like to experiment more with this recipe, maybe adding some evaporated milk or honey to thin it out a little.  It was very good as-is, though!  And using sweetened condensed milk makes it very easy. 

Warning: do not walk away from the stove while this is heating up; mine burned very badly because I didn't stir it enough.  I was able to pour it off into a new pan without scraping the bottom to save it.  (The burned stuff stayed behind, stuck to the first pan).  Just be careful!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Topping
adapted from In Katrina's Kitchen

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

1.  Combine all ingredients over medium-low heat until butters are melted and incorporated, stirring constantly. 

2. Use warm or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.


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Friday, August 26, 2011

Grilled Roasted Red Pepper & Ham Sandwich

I love any kind of grilled cheese, and it's fun to experiment with different ingredients.  This is an Allrecipes recipe, and I first made it almost 5 years ago.  I came across the recipe again recently while looking through my Allrecipes recipe box, and decided I really needed to make it again, since it was so good the first time!  I spread pesto on the inside of the sandwich, and it was really, really good in there with all of the other flavors.  On the other side, I used homemade Creamy Italian dressing (recipe will come at a later date!).  Use your favorite deli ham for this one- for me, that would be Honey Maple Ham.  :)  We had these for dinner the other night with Yogurt Fruit Salad, using nectarines, apples, bananas, and pears.  Everything was very good!

Grilled Roasted Red Pepper & Ham Sandwich
adapted from Allrecipes
Makes one sandwich

2-4 teaspoons mayonnaise, pesto, salad dressing, or condiment of your choice
2 slices sourdough bread
1-2 slices provolone cheese
2 thin slices ham
1/2 roasted red pepper, drained and
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F. 

2.  Spread mayonnaise (or pesto, dressing, etc) onto one side of each slice of bread. On one slice of bread, place one slice of provolone cheese, then ham, red peppers, and the other slice of cheese. Top with the other slice of bread with the mayonnaise (or pesto, dressing, etc) facing the filling. Butter the outsides of the sandwich, and sprinkle a little bit of Parmesan cheese onto the butter.  Using a butter knife or the back of a spoon, press the cheese into the butter.

2.  Place sandwich on a baking sheet.  Bake in the hot oven about 5 minutes, or until top slice of bread has browned a little.  Flip over, and cook until the other side has browned and cheese has melted.  Cut in half, and serve.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Basil Pesto

I use basil pesto a lot around here, and I don't have an actual post dedicated to it, so I thought I'd do that.  Last weekend we picked up a ton of fresh basil at the local organic farm.  I made a big batch of pesto that night, before it had time to go bad on me.  (Fresh herbs like to do that around here, especially basil).  I also picked up two heads of beautiful-looking garlic.

I don't really measure things when I make this, but I'll try to do my best here.  I just add the oil in until it looks good, trying not to use too much.  A food processor is best for making this (unless you want to do it the old-fashioned way... using a mortar and pestle.  I don't, though....)
Since this made such a big batch and I didn't need to use it right away, I decided to try my hand at freezing it for the first time.  I don't have regular-sized ice cube trays, but rather tiny ones, so I didn't want to use those.  I searched online and one site suggested to use a mini-muffin tin to freeze them in, so that's what I did.  I sprayed each tin lightly with olive oil cooking spray, spooned in some pesto, froze it for a few hours, and then popped them out (use a butter knife if they don't release easily).  I then put them into a large freezer bag and stuck it in the freezer.  Work fast when getting the pesto into the freezer again- it melts very quickly!

Use your pesto as a dip for fresh veggies, pretzels or toasted bread pieces, or on potatoes, pasta, or pizza!
Basil Pesto

4-5 oz. fresh basil, rinsed
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 -3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (use more or less)
1/3 -1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
juice of 1/2 medium lemon
1/2 cup shredded or grated parmesan or romano cheese
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.  Place the basil in your food process with a metal blade. Pulse for a few seconds to break down the leaves a little. Add the garlic and pine nuts. With the food processor running, stream the olive oil into it through the open push chute. Add lemon juice, cheese, salt and pepper and pulse again until blended to your preference.


**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

These were very, very good.  Like the recent White Texas Sheet Cake, this recipe is usually baked in a jelly-roll pan (15x11 inches.... I think!  I'm not sure) but since my oven doesn't fit a pan of that size, I baked it in my cute, handy-dandy, half-size jelly-roll pan (12x9).  It's a good thing I cut this recipe in half, too, because if I had eaten any more of this, things wouldn't be good.  My baby would have been born even bigger!  :D  (I made this while I was still pregnant).  This is a great dessert to take to a pot-luck or gathering, as long as nobody is allergic to peanuts, that is!  Anyway, I think I'm delirious and not making sense.  It's from lack of sleep.  Here is the recipe!  (Well, almost....)

Note:  You can slather on some melted peanut butter between the actual bar layer and the frosting.  I chose not to do that because 1) I was almost out of peanut butter at that point anyway and 2)  I was lazy and wanted to skip that extra step.  It's up to you!  I will not include that step in the recipe below.  Also, if you want the full (huge) recipe, click on the link below.  Also.... for the frosting, I had to cut 1/3 cup in half, and I kind of just guessed on that.  I put 2 1/2 tablespoons, which I know is not exact.  It worked out perfectly for me.  If you need to be more exact, go ahead and figure out what it really is!
Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars
adapted from Our Best Bites

Cookie Base
1/2 cup real butter (1 stick) at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats

Fudge Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 tablespoons boiling water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12x9 cookie sheet (half jelly-roll pan) lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.

2.  Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined. Add egg and yolk, one at a time, and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough. Beat to combine. Add oats and mix until incorporated. Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. The center should be puffed and set, but still soft.

3.  While crust is baking, prepare frosting. Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and glossy.

4.  When cookie crust is done baking spread on frosting. Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares to serve.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Panzanella- Italian Bread Salad

I spotted this recipe when I first was looking through my "Our Best Bites" cookbook, and knew I wanted to make it as soon as I got my hands on some delicious summer tomatoes.  Thanks to our tomato-gifting friend, I was able to make it last weekend!  :)  I left out the fresh mozzarella, only because I didn't have it.... I will have to include it next time!  It was very good, and my little 4-year old kept sneaking the bread cubes as he was watching me make dinner.

One thing about Panzanella- I perused a few recipes online and some said to let it sit 30min- 3 hours before eating.  Well, I made this salad first, and then made tomato soup.  In the time it took for the tomato soup to cook, the bread cubes were all soggy, and not in a really good way.  It was still good enough, but I tasted it while it was fresh, and I definitely prefer it fresh.  So..... make and serve right away! 
Panzanella
from Our Best Bites Cookbook
recipe scaled down to about half

4 cups French bread cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil (or use olive oil spray, like Misto)
1 small-medium cucumber, peeled (if desired), seeded, and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I didn't have)
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small red onion, choped
3/4 c. fresh mozzarella, cubed
Handful of Basil, chopped
 
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Kosher Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Toss the bread cubes with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool to room temp.  (I just layed out my bread crumbs on a baking sheet and lightly sprayed them with olive oil using my Misto). 

2.  Combine the veggies, cubed mozzarella, and basil in a large serving bowl.  Set aside. 
 
3.  Place the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Seal the jar and shake vigorously until combined.  Pour over veggies and add bread cubes.  Combine well.  Serve immediately.  (Or if you really want, let sit for 15-20 minutes like the original recipe indicates, but be prepared for a bit of sogginess!)
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Monday, August 22, 2011

Garden-Fresh Tomato & Basil Soup

A friend gave us a ton of tomatoes last week, and I wanted to use them all up in something delicious.  I got ahead of myself, and was using them in sandwiches, and then a huge salad, so when it came time to make this tomato soup, I didn't have nearly as many leftover as I thought, so I ended up making a very small batch.  We went to the local organic farm the morning I made this and brought back a ton of fresh basil... it was so beautiful.  Some of that went into this soup, and I made the rest into pesto, which I froze. 

When our friend dropped off the tomatoes, she mentioned that most tomato soup recipes call for higher-fat ingredients like butter and cream, so I went looking for a good-looking, healthy recipe to make.  I found a few but finally settled on this one.  The recipe states that you can add cream or half-and-half if you want, but it is fine without it, too.  The garnish on top is plain Greek yogurt.  If you don't have Greek yogurt, add a tiny bit of milk to regular plain yogurt until it is of the right consistency.  I actually just spooned the Greek yogurt into a snack-sized ziplock bag, snipped a corner off, and "piped" it out on the soup.  (I've done frostings the same way- those bags are a great kitchen tool!) 

The soup doesn't actually need the yogurt garnish; I actually only did it for photo-taking purposes, lol.  The kids LOVED the "spider-web" design and everyone had some yogurt on their soup.  This was a good soup and I'd make it again!

I love tomato soup.... I have a few recipes posted on this blog already.  The search feature on my blog doesn't seem to work well, so I'll link them below for you.  Check them out!  :)  Actually, now that I realize how many 'mater soup recipes I have, I think it's time to add a tomato soup tag! 

Tomato & Basil Soup - My favorite!!
Tomato & Tortellini Soup
Creamy Tomato Soup (With sun-dried tomatoes)
Tomato-Blue Cheese Soup - Very good, as well
Salmorejo- Cold Andalusian Tomato Soup

Garden-Fresh Tomato & Basil Soup
adpapted from Ciao Chow Linda
Small batch- Serves 2-4

1.5-2 pounds tomatoes, stemmed & cut into chunks (no need to take off skins or seeds)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 stick celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced (I used a red onion)
1/2 teaspon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 14. oz can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 bunch basil (about 20 leaves)
decoration: plain Greek yogurt, OR regular yogurt thinned out with milk (optional)

1.  In a large pot, saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery in the olive oil until softened. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook on low for about 1/2 hour.  Add the fresh basil.  Use an immersion blender to puree it right in the pot, or puree everything in a regular blender, then pour back into the pot. (Vent the lid if using a regular blender!!!) 

2.  Decorate servings with either Greek yogurt or a bit of plain yogurt thinned out with a little milk until it's the pourable. Make either spirals or concentric circles with the mixture, then take a toothpick and move it back and forth to create the web design. Sprinkle a little minced basil on top, if desired. 
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

I made this about three weeks ago but haven't been able to post about it 'till now.  I'm trying blogging-while-holding-a-sleeping-newborn today for the first time.  It's slow going; only being able to use my left hand at the moment.  :)

This was actually a triple-vanilla pudding because I used my homemade vanilla sugar, homemade vanilla extract, and the seeds from one vanilla bean.  :)  If you don't have all of those things on hand, though, this will be just fine & dandy using only vanilla extract, even if it is store-bought.  :)

This did take a long time to get thick enough- just keep stirring.  I increased this recipe by quite a bit in order to use up the 4 egg yolks leftover from making Pavlova.  If you want fewer servings, look at the recipe link (below) and change the serving amount.  We ate it warm with chopped milk chocolate on top, so that the chocolate melted down into the pudding.  Soooo good!  The whole family loved this!
Homemade Vanilla Pudding
from Allrecipes

1/2 cup sugar (try using vanilla sugar!)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups 2% milk
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, scraped, optional

1.  In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.               

2.  Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and vanilla.               

3.  Cool for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to dessert dishes.  Eat warm, right away, or cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours and eat cold.


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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Spotlight: Alcatra

The day after I came home from the hospital with my new baby, our landlord's father brought over a huge terra-cotta dish of Alcatra.  Alcatra is a very popular, local beef dish- a huge chunk/slab of beef is cooked for a very long period of time (I've heard a few days, sometimes!) with large amounts of red wine, garlic, peppercorns, and other spices.  It's on every restaurant menu here and is eaten frequently, at people's homes and at festivals, etc.  He brought it over at 10am and it was warm.  He told us to just cook it on low on the stove-top until dinnertime.  So we put a lid on it and did just that.  I've read online that it can also be baked in the oven for a very long time. 

He gave us a loaf of bread, too.  I've had Alcatra in restaurants here a few times, and sometimes, it is served with plain, boiled potatoes.  Once, we had a fish alcatra (it might have been eel... we're still unsure about that, lol) and they gave us bread.  They showed us how to do it- put chunks of bread on your plate, and top it with the meat and juices from the terra-cotta cookware.  So, this is what we did with the Alcatra from our landlord's parents.  (First picture above shows the meat over the bread.  Below is just the bread). 
I have never made Alcatra myself, but I found a few recipes online if you are interested.  Here is one, and here is another.  If you want to Google recipes yourself, look up "Portuguese Alcatra"; otherwise, your search might only yield info about "Alcatraz".  :)  Maybe you should throw "Azores" into your search as well, because according to Wiki, the word Alcatra means something else in mainland Portugal. 

We had way more Alcatra on hand than we could eat in a reasonable amount of time, so we froze two large portions of it for later.  I'm thinking Alcatra beef stew this fall!  :)

I just love our landlord and his parents- a few days after the Alcatra, he brought over a HUGE, still-warm loaf of sweet, delicious, flaky, buttery Massa Sovada- my FAVE Portuguese bread- it is soooo good!  This one had hints of cinnamon and even cardamom.  Their neighbor makes it in her house- using an old-fashioned wood burning oven (they look like this from the outside- all of the older houses here (and some new ones) have the huge, tell-tale chimeny).  We ate the bread too fast to get pictures this time around.  ;)
Alcatra in its terra-cotta cooking vessel.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/**/

Friday, August 19, 2011

Portuguese Hospital Food

I always find other country's foods interesting, even hospital foods.  :)  I recently came across a blog from an American girl living in Germany, and she shared photos of a German hospital's food, and I found it fascinating.  So, I tried to take photos during my recent hospital stay.  I did have a roomate, and felt too awkward at first to take photos, so I missed pictures of my first dinner:  2 small fish steaks, with cauliflower and potoates.  I got photos of everything else, though.

Above:  2 hard rolls with butter and a cheese spread, and apple juice.  This was breakfast every day.  I don't drink coffee, so they started bringing me an apple juice box instead when my coffee kept going untouched.  I also got bottled water often.  Room temp, though, not cold.  A lot of the drinks are not served cold here.  Thankfully, the apple juice was cold- it was nice to have something cold to drink since the hospital was hot with no AC.  (I had to give birth during the hottest month of the year here- darn it!)
They ended up bringing a lot of food every day; the breakfast rolls, and then 2 hours later, a yogurt (above) every day for a snack.  I wish I had remembered to bring my homemade granola.  After the morning snack was lunch two hours later, which was the same amount of food as dinner.  Two hours after lunch was a snack of another roll and coffee.  Then, two hours later, dinner, and in the evening, around 9pm, they brought coffee again with some Maria cookies.  I was almost asleep when they brought the evening snack, but I got up and snatched the Maria cookies to eat later.  :) 
Above is a picture of my lunch.... actually, I got this for lunch two days in a row!  Not sure if that was a fluke or what, lol.  It's a steak with an egg over top, and rice and french fries on the side.  They love steak with an egg on it over here in the Azores..... it's on every restaurant menu, sometimes prepared a few different ways.  I looked it up online and according to this, it's called bife com um ovo a cavalo, or "Steak with an egg on horseback." 
There was a different kind of veggie soup every day for both lunch and dinner.  A friend had warned me that the hospital soup needed salt, so I brought a salt-shaker with me to the hospital.  It's in the upper right-hand corner of the photo above.  :)  I ended up sharing it with my Portuguese roomate and we bonded over salt.  Good times! 

PS:  I prefer the Portuguese hospital food to the hospital food I've had in the US!  :)
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Monday, August 15, 2011

New Arrival

My island baby- August 10, 2011- 8 lb, 12 oz. of pure baby boy deliciousness.

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

White Texas Sheet Cake

I think most people know what a chocolate Texas Sheet cake is (and I love it- it's delicious!) but I love this white version just as much as the chocolate version.  The cake is tender, moist, and delicious, and both the frosting and cake are lightly almond-flavored.  The frosting should have walnuts in it, but since I made this for a potluck, I left them out; you never know who is allergic or just picky about nuts!  I prefer it with the nuts, though. 

I remember my mom making this when I was younger.  After moving overseas and only having access to a tiny oven, I thought I could no longer make Texas Sheet cakes, since they are baked in a jelly-roll pan (15x10 inch), and a there is no way I'm getting a big ol' jelly-roll pan into my tiny oven.  It just won't fit!  Last year, though, I was browsing Amazon, and love my Chicago Metallic bread pans.  I saw that CM had a half-size jelly-roll pan!!  Here it is.  So I bought it, and now I have all of my jelly-roll pan needs taken care of; I just halve any recipe I'm doing and it's always worked out perfectly.  Yay!  (Less Texas Sheet cake around me is probably a good idea anyway....)  So, here is a half-recipe for Texas Sheet cake, made in a small (12 1/4x9inch) jelly-roll pan.  To make a full-sized cake, just go to the original recipe link or double everything.  :)

It's important that your cake be warm while spreading the frosting; this frosting sets up VERY quickly and it still might have a hard time spreading over the whole cake before it sets up (hardens).  I start making the frosting as soon as I pull the cake from the oven; it seems to work well. 
White Texas Sheet Cake
from Allrecipes (via Taste of Home)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, optional

1.  In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in the flour, sugar, egg, sour cream, almond extract, baking soda and salt until smooth.

2.  Pour into a greased 12 1/4-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean and cake is golden brown.

3.  For frosting, in a large saucepan, combine butter and milk. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar and extract. Stir in walnuts if using; spread over warm cake.
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Baked Penne (Freezer Meal)


This is another meal that I have stashed away in my freezer for after Mr. Baby comes.  I made it in two separate dishes; one to eat right away, and one 8x8 foil dish to freeze.  This makes so much that I put the first portion in a large casserole dish (it said 2 liter- so, about 2 quart?) and it almost overflowed that AND the smaller 8x8 dish.  This is actually a baked ziti recipe, but I prefer penne; I used Barilla plus.  This is a simple, no-nonsense dish that is pretty easy to assemble.  We had some steamed broccoli on the side and it was great.

Baked Penne

1 pound dry ziti or penne pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti or pasta sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.   (I had to cook mine longer because it was whole-grain). 

2.  In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.              

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. (This is where you can divide into two baking dishes.  For freezing:  Let cool on counter about 30 minutes.  Cover w/foil, label, and write directions for baking.  Freeze.                 

4.  Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.  (For a frozen dish, I would thaw in the fridge overnight, and bake at the same temp for 30-45 minutes). 
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Monday, August 8, 2011

Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus

I really like this dish..... I made it for the first time a few years ago and forgot about it, but I recently remembered it and decided to make it last week, since I had both potatoes and asparagus that needed to be used.  I LOVED the garlic in this- it was the best part by far.  I got tired of slicing it, so I only included 5 cloves instead of the 8 in the recipe.  Darn it!  I'll use the full amount next time.  It was all browned and mellow, with some parts being soft and some crispy; so good!  I'd make this again with just the potatoes and garlic if I didn't have asparagus on hand, and just increase the potatoes a bit. 
Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus
adapted from Allrecipes

1.5-2 pounds red or yellow potatoes, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, or to taste
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
ground black pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).               

2. In a large baking dish, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and salt. Cover with aluminum foil.             

3.  Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix in the asparagus.  Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Remove foil, and continue cooking 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes and asparagus are tender and potatoes are lightly browned. Season with pepper to serve.               


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Sunday, August 7, 2011

Pavlova

This is the second time I've made a Pavlova- a meringue dessert originating from either Australia or New Zealand (I think there's a long-standing feud over which country invented it).  It was named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova.  It is light, crisp, airy and delicate.  I love it!  The outside is a crisp meringue crust, and the inside is a pillowy, soft, almost marshmallow-y consistency. 
My pavlova didn't turn out very pretty this time.... first of all, it browned too much, and then cracked everywhere (maybe because I opened the oven door too much?) and finally, it almost totally flattened after I pulled it out of the oven.  It was in the shape of a giant cow patty. :)  I think one problem I had was that I did not beat the egg whites enough.  The recipe stated a few times NOT to over-beat them, so I was scared, lol.  I should have beaten them until stiff peaks formed, like my meringues, but I stopped just before that.  Since this did brown so much, I turned off the oven after about 45 minutes (instead of the 60 the recipe states).  For the last 15 minutes, I just left it in the oven with the oven door cracked a tiny bit. 

Despite all of that, this was SO GOOD!!!  The whole fam loved it and it was gone in no time.  I want to make it again, and this time, top it with kiwi, since that is more traditonal, I think.  Next time, I will beat the egg whites enough!  ;) 

Just like making meringues, do not try to reduce the sugar in this recipe, or the Pavlova will not come out right.  It is very sweet, but to combat that, you can use unsweetened whipped cream to top it with.  I added just a few spoonfuls of vanilla sugar to mine. 
Pavlova
from Allrecipes

4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pint heavy cream (I only whipped about 2/3 cup)
6 kiwi, peeled and sliced, OR fresh strawberries, sliced

1.  Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment paper.  Sprinkle parchment paper with a very light layer or cornstarch, if desired.               

2.  In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Gradually add in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy.   Overbeaten egg whites lose volume and deflate when folded into other ingredients.  Be absolutely sure not a particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites.  Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch.             

3.  Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the center, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly. This should leave a slight depression in the center.               

4.  Bake for 1 hour (mine looked done at 45 minutes... I turned the oven off and left the Pavlova in the oven for the last 15 min).  Cool on a wire rack.         

5.  In a small bowl beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form; set aside (can add sugar to taste). Remove the paper, and place meringue on a flat serving plate. Fill the center of the meringue with whipped cream. Top whipped cream with kiwifruit slices.               



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Saturday, August 6, 2011

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

I made these beans a few weeks ago for an outdoor potluck.  I really liked them and the whole batch was gone pretty quickly.  I don't love kidney beans, so I used a mix of Navy and Great Northen beans.  I would have used some pinto beans as well, but I was out.  This made a pretty small batch- I'd be interested in trying this recipe again with dried beans, because it would be able to make way more and be even cheaper.  But, the small batch is a good thing if you're making it for just your family, and I was able to use my smallest crockpot just fine.

I mixed these beans up the night before and stored them in the fridge (in the stoneware part of my crockpot).  Then, in the morning, I just placed the stoneware part inside my crockpot and turned it to "low" while we were at church.  By the time we got home and it was time to go to the potluck, these were just perfect.  The original recipe is titled "Boston Baked Beans", so I guess that's what they are.  :)

The original recie uses raw bacon and just throws it away after, but I cooked bacon and stirred half in while it was cooking, and then stirred the rest in right before serving. 

Slow Cooker Baked Beans

3, 15oz. cans beans, drained and rinsed (use whatever kind you want; kidney, pinto, white, etc)
1 small or medium onion, chopped finely
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses, honey, or maple syrup
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1 Tablespoon spicy brown or dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 pound of bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

1.  Drain and rinse beans, and add them to the crockpot (use a small crock pot here, if possible; 1.5-2 quart).  Add onion and brown sugar.  Pour in molasses or honey, and ketchup.  Add salt, mustard, black pepper, and half of bacon.  Stir to combine.  At this point, you can store the beans in the crock part of your crockpot until ready to cook.

2.  Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or high for about 4.  If mixture looks a little dry after a few hours of cooking, you can add a bit of ketchup.  Stir in the remaining bacon before serving.

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Friday, August 5, 2011

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

I love this cake- it's an old-fashioned recipe that I ate many times growing up.  I did not have the exact recipe my mom used, but I looked on Allrecipes and selected one that looked good to me- used butter instead of oil, for example, and went for it.  This recipe uses only a little bit of butter, and no eggs, and is fairly low-fat, but not low-sugar at all.  :)  If you don't know what this cake is, it's an interesting concoction that forms a cake layer on top, and a hot-fudgy, pudding-y layer on the bottom as it bakes.  Serve it over ice cream for extra decadence, with the hot fudge sauce spooned over the top of the cake and the ice cream. 

This is kind of like Chocolate Lava Cakes, but a less-fancy, more old-fashioned and down-to-earth version.  Maybe it's the grandma of chocolate lava cakes?  I want to make this again, and soon; the whole family loved this and it was all gone in one sitting (I'm constantly amazed at how much food my kids can eat these days.... it's crazy.  I remember when I'd make certain dishes and we'd have leftovers for days, and now, not so much.  Anyway.....)

Note: I threw some mini chocolate chips on top of this when it came out of the oven, but that is totally not necessary- this is great without it.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
from Allrecipes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups hot water

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.

2.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cocoa. Stir in the milk and melted butter. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.              

3.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cocoa. Spread over the top of the batter in the pan. Pour the hot water over the entire pan of batter.             

4.  Bake for 40-45 minutes in the preheated oven. The cake is done when the cake part is on top (and looks dry) and the bottom is of a loose pudding consistency.   (Pudding will thicken when cooled a little).  Serve warm over ice cream.  (We let it cool about 30 minutes before digging in- consistency of the pudding was perfect). 


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