Expanding the pantry with another new grain...

We tried out another new-to-us whole grain in tonight's side of Toasted Millet with Parmesan. Millet are tiny little pearls and can come in a variety of colors - we got ours from a bulk bin and it had a golden hue to it. It is rich in protein, fiber and magnesium - it also has the benefit of being gluten-free and is not an acid forming food so it is easily digestible.

To intensify its natural nutty and mildly sweet flavor, the golden spheres are first toasted until the grains begin to turn lightly brown. They are then cooked in vegetable broth and water for about 15 minutes - this will leave the grain with some bite to it, however you could let it go for another 5 minutes or so and the texture will be more soft and a little reminiscent of grits. Parmesan cheese, fresh lemon juice, a lump of butter and a bit of fresh thyme are added after a brief 10 minute rest. The lemon juice brings a bright flavor to the dish while the butter and cheese add a creamy richness. This dish was completely satisfying and had my mind working overtime thinking of other dishes we could use this tasty grain in.

Grilled Herb Chicken with Roma Tomato Sauce was the main dish for our dinner tonight. While the chicken was not too extraordinary, this quick tomato sauce certainly made up for it and added a unique touch. Chopped tomatoes are added to onions and garlic that were softened in a bit of olive oil, followed by the addition of dry red wine and balsamic vinegar. As you wait for the sauce to thicken, the chicken is coated with fresh chopped basil and thyme along with salt and pepper. The chicken is quickly grilled (again, we used The Griddler) and topped with the savory tomato sauce. Once the tomato mixture thickens, it is refreshed with a dose of chopped fresh basil before serving. A slight tang from the wine, paired with the enticing balsamic vinegar, brought life into the lightly flavored chicken breast and made this dish. The sauce is quite juicy, so you could even serve this over some cooked pasta to make it a full meal.

Recipes
Toasted Millet with Parmesan
Grilled Herb Chicken with Roma Tomato Sauce

Simple seafood kebabs done inside or out...

We don't often make recipes that involve seafood and when we do, it is more likely to use shrimp as Jeff seems to like them the most. I don't really have a reason why we do not use them more often... we do usually like the few recipes we try - but we just don't tend to gravitate towards that realm of food.

I wish I could say there was a ton of effort put into tonight's dinner, but these Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs could possibly be one of the easiest recipes we've done. While you could do these kebabs on the grill, we have not yet had a chance to get the propane tanks filled - instead, I just used The Griddler and it worked just as well. Large shrimp, golden sweet pineapple and chunky pieces of red onion are threaded onto skewers and drenched in a salty mixture of teriyaki sauce and toasted sesame seeds. I'm sure they would be even better with the extra special kick they would get from just being on a grill, however we really enjoyed these juicy kebabs even being cooked indoors. The chunky pineapple pieces were still able to get that caramelized finish which allowed its natural sweetness to bloom. If you or anyone you may be cooking for don't groove on shrimp, I would certainly think about using this same method with diced chicken breast instead.

Recipes
Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs

The treat may have taken awhile to complete, but at least dinner was done in a snap!

Oh yes... more baking for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day was done in the kitchen today. Although, it was hard to want to be inside this morning as it was such a gorgeous day outside - sunny, mid 70's and a light breeze blowing! I opened up all the windows and let the fresh spring air flow through the kitchen and made sure to take a minute to enjoy it before the humidity and heat kicks in.

I love to bake (as if you didn't know already) but I've never made this type of recipe before and quite frankly, I've never had an opportunity to try one and see what they taste like. So, I have nothing to compare these Chocolate Chip Rugelach to - but now that I've tried one (okay... way more than one) I can't wait to see what other variations of this recipe are out there to see how they stack up. You know, quality control and all (wink wink)!

These rolled cookies are basically a rich cream cheese-based dough filled with a delicious combination of apricot jelly, toasted walnut, a pinch of cinnamon and a mess of sweet mini chocolate chips. The dough is fairly soft, so it does need at least a good hour or two in the refrigerator before you begin to roll it out - plan accordingly if you want to give this recipe a try.

Because the dough has fair amount of butter and cream cheese, I placed a bag of ice cubes on the granite counter top for about 20 minutes before I began rolling it out - I thought this really helped the dough stay firm and not get too soft. After I spread the melted jelly on top of the dough, I also placed a small round cap (maybe 2" across) in the center and then scattered the filling over the dough. I did this so when I began to roll up the crescent-shaped pieces, the tail at the end would have just a bit of jelly on it giving it some sticking power. Before the cookies went into the oven, they were given a bath with a beaten egg and a shower of raw sugar. The cookies are very tender and somewhat moist on the inside, while the golden crust has a contrasting crunch from the sparkling raw sugar. The walnuts bring a wondrous nutty flavor that helped keep the chocolate from being the dominant flavor. If you're not keen on all of those chocolate chips, you could take away half and pair 'em with some small currants instead.

We had another "in a snap" type of dinner tonight with this recipe for Sesame Noodles with Broccoli. After just a few minutes of chopping and flexing of those whisking muscles, this colorful dinner was ready to be plated and enjoyed. The sesame in the title comes into play with three ingredients - it is worked into the dressing with tahini paste and toasted sesame oil; it is also used in the noodles with toasted sesame seeds. The dressing is a bit sweet from honey but is balanced by the tangy rice wine vinegar and salty soy sauce. Even though the garlic is raw in the dressing, it didn't keep that harsh bite it can have and melded right into the dish. To save on time and pots to clean, the fresh broccoli and carrots are added right into the same pot that is cooking the whole wheat noodles. The veggies are added in when there is about 2 minutes left so they have just enough time to remove their raw edge, but still stay bright and crisp-tender. The sauce and noodles are tossed with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro and a smattering of the toasted sesame seeds for a nutty crunch. If you wanted, you could even add some sliced chicken breast or grilled marinated tofu to stretch this light dish or make it a little more filling - I'm betting this will be even better cold for lunch tomorrow!

Recipes
Chocolate Chip Rugelach
Sesame Noodles with Broccoli

Bringing the southwest to us...

It was just one week ago today that we posted the pictures about the just-born baby birds right outside the front door. We peaked in the bush again yesterday and take a gander at just how fast these little guys develop!

We often make side dishes that are hearty enough to be a main if you just increase the portion size a bit. Tonight's dinner, Fiesta Rice, happened to be one of those recipes - I'm sure it would be a knock-out side dish for a Mexican entrée, but it was filling enough for us as a main dish dividing it out into 4 servings instead.

To bring out the sweetness in the corn, the kernels are first pan-roasted in olive oil until they begin to caramelize. Fresh green onions are then cooked in a pat of butter, followed by brown basmati rice, cumin and minced garlic to give the rice a chance to quickly toast. Instead of using water to cook the rice, chicken broth and fire-roasted diced tomatoes with chiles are added to infuse the dish with a southwestern flare. After the rice has cooked, black beans and a big handful of chopped cilantro are tossed in with a splash of fresh lime juice to brighten the flavors. You can use regular chunky diced tomatoes if you already have them in the pantry, but I do like the extra depth that the fire-roasted tomatoes give. A hearty dish that packs a deep smoky flavor, combined with the golden corn, black beans and nutty basmati rice was a filling blend that transported us back to the time we were living out west in Arizona! You could probably get away with adding some chipotle chilies if you wanted to kick up the heat, but even we liked this dish without the added heat since it had such a bold flavor already.

Recipes
Fiesta Rice

The wonderful world of cheesecakes...

Wee! 11 new recipes this past week - the standouts for us were the Northwest Waldorf Salad, Sausage and Pepper Calzones, and the Tropical Banana Cream Muffins. I can't believe how fast summer is approaching... just a couple more weeks and it will be June already! The bigger farmer's market opened last weekend, but we've just been too busy to check it out - we hope to make a visit next weekend though if time allows!

I've mentioned before that I have a fairly large stash of wild blueberries in the freezer as I have some everyday with yogurt. I'm trying to make a dent in my supply, so I've been searching through my endless (it seems anyways!) piles of recipes and found this Blueberry Cheesecake that I set aside some time ago to make. I always wonder why I don't make large cheesecakes more often when I finally get around to putting one together, but I think it seems like more of a hassle than it really is. We've done several cheesecake bars or individual ones, but I think I've only posted two large cheesecakes we've made. I went through the archives to see which two they were and fondly remembered the Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake with Oreo Crust



and of course the Caramel Swirl-and-Apple Cheesecake.

Now that I've veered off course, let's get back to this recipe! Instead of a full graham cracker base, this one uses half graham cracker and half vanilla wafers to add of punch of flavor to the crust. The filling is just a basic cream cheese batter, but what makes this one very special is a homemade smooth blueberry sauce that is swirled into the top of the very pale yellow batter. I opted to bake this cheesecake in a water bath to ensure a smooth top, but you don't have to be as fussy as there is a topping that gets applied and will cover any cracks that may happen. When the cheesecake is firm, but still has lovely jiggle in the center when the pan is touched, a mixture of vanilla-scented sweetened sour cream is spread over the hot cheesecake. It is placed back in the oven just long enough so the two meld together. I made this yesterday, for dessert tonight, because the cheesecake needs to cool to room temperature and then must be chilled for at least 8 hours - don't skimp as the flavors need that time to develop.

Remember that homemade blueberry sauce? A portion of that thick dark blue mixture is reheated, sweetened and thinned out with just a bit of water to make a mouthwatering blueberry drizzle for each individual slice. For some juicy texture, whole blueberries are gently folded into the sauce once it has thickened back up. The cheesecake itself has a dense, just luscious creamy filling that is set on a buttery, crisp vanilla crust. Besides adding a charming color to the plain cheesecake, the blueberry swirls added a fruity sweetness that held up against the tangy sour cream topping.

Can I tempt you into sharing a slice with me?

Recipes
Blueberry Cheesecake

I'll close my eyes and pretend I'm on an island while I eat these...

If you've looked in the baked goods section to the left, you have probably noticed we tend to make a lot of muffins. I've said it before, but muffins usually freeze well and they are great to have on hand in the freezer for an on-the-go snack. Jeff ravaged through the freezer the other day to find we had no more... so when I woke up extra early this morning, I figured I might as well throw together a fresh batch for breakfast and stash the rest in the freezer.

These Tropical Banana Cream Muffins have a slightly different method to them as the eggs are beaten until frothy and they are then mixed with brown sugar, sour cream and mashed riped bananas. To add a taste of the tropics, fresh lime zest and lime juice are also added into the mixture. Once the wet ingredients are folded into the dry and the batter is portioned out, each muffin is topped with sweet shredded coconut. With the use of sour cream, the muffins are moist, tender and have a mild twang to them. As they were baking, the smell of the white coconut toasting to a golden brown drifted into the kitchen and through the upstairs, waking Jeff up enough to come see what was coming from the oven! When I slowly opened the oven door to peak in and check for doneness, I was very happy to see how well they swelled into beautifully crowned muffins. While the lime flavor was subtle, it clearly matched well with the sweetness from the ripe bananas on first bite.

Recipes
Tropical Banana Cream Muffins

Soup night...

There are some big changes happening around here (however, it has nothing to do with the website!) and we are finding that we have less and less time in the day because of it. I know that is very vague, but you will see some news that may be a little surprising soon! So with more days like this in our future, I'm looking for dinners that can be finished in a snap, but still feel like I am doing something.

Tonight's dinner, Italian Turkey Sausage and Escarole Soup, was quick, flavorful and especially nice on this dreary chilly evening. A mix of hot Italian turkey sausage, chopped onions and minced garlic form the base flavors and add a little spice to the soup. Broth, water, Italian seasoning, chopped tomatoes and campanelle pasta are added and once the liquid comes to a boil, torn pieces of escarole are added. Escarole is a member of the endive family - it has broad green leaves and brings a slight bitter edge to the soup... though it is less bitter than the other members of the endive group. Cooked until the pasta is tender and the greens wilt down, this soup came together in less than 25 minutes. I used campanelle pasta as had just enough in the pantry and well, because, I really like how it looks - however you could just as well use a small seashell pasta or even orzo. For a nutty finish, a shower of fresh grated Asiago cheese tops each serving. You could use also use Pamesan, but we like to use Asiago when we use the spicier turkey sausage.

Recipes
Italian Turkey Sausage and Escarole Soup

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken (Adapted from CL)

6.75 ounce package thin rice sticks
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (or to taste)
1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Cook noodles according to package directions, which is typically done by soaking them in very hot water until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water - drain well.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Stir in ginger and garlic - cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scoop mixture into a large bowl and stir in remaining teaspoon of oil, cooked chicken, scallions, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar and sambal oelek.

Slice noodles into smaller pieces to allow them to mix well with the ingredients. Add noodles to the large bowl and toss well to coat. Serve with a sprinkling of the chopped peanuts.

Makes about 4 servings.

Just found the recipe? Click here to see where we talked about it!

Working with corn in two ways...

I know it isn't quite into the season yet, but I couldn't pass up the fresh white corn at the market this afternoon. It may not be at its peak just yet, but it has seemed like forever since we have seen fresh corn that even looked remotely decent.

Since we were not going to enjoy the corn by itself on the cob, I actually bought the ears to use for tonight's side dish of Maque Choux (pronounced "mock shoe"). This spicy dish is a combination of corn, onion and poblano peppers that are cooked in a pat of butter. Be sure to use a large skillet if you try this recipe; you want to give the corn kernels a chance to caramelize and begin to brown. Once the corn has gotten some color, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, a homemade Cajun Spice Mix and a little chicken broth are added and the mixture simmers until the flavors concentrate and most of the liquid has evaporated. The dish has a smoky, rustic and roasted flavor with a nice kick to it - you will have a bit of the Cajun Spice Mix leftover as it makes a lot, but you could use the leftovers for a Dirty Rice recipe that we made awhile ago or you could just halve the ingredients and use some of it as a blackening spice for fish.

Tonight's dinner is an interesting twist on sloppy joes with a recipe for Spiced Beef Corn Bread Cobbler. The original recipe calls for all ground beef, but I wanted to lighten it up a touch so we cut it with some ground turkey breast. What attracted me most to this recipe was the unusual combination of sweet and savory spices used to season the meat mixture. A dash of sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black pepper and salt create a complex flavor that kept Jeff trying to guess what spices he was tasting. Besides adding moisture, fire-roasted diced tomatoes bring a rich depth of flavor to the beef and turkey mixture. Once thoroughly heated through, the cooked base is placed in a pie dish and topped with dollops of a cheesy corn bread based batter.

The dish is then baked just long enough to cook the corn bread. The dollops of batter bake up into beautiful mounds of savory moist corn bread and made for easy portioning of the dish. It was somewhat reminiscent of chili, so I may think about adding a can of beans into the mixture next time just to bulk up the dish a bit more.

Recipes
Maque Choux
Spiced Beef Corn Bread Cobbler

From ordinary to extraordinary...

It was a meat and potatoes type of meal for dinner tonight, however this was nowhere near ordinary as each dish had a lot going for it.

We'll start off tonight with a non-fussy recipe for Roasted Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette. Not too much to talk about here really - quartered red potatoes are tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted until they are tender. A fair amount of minced garlic is added to the hot potatoes and they are placed back in the oven to cook just a few more minutes so the flavor can distribute. During that time, a dressing made from olive oil, chives, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and tarragon is whisked together. Right as the potatoes are taken out and are still piping hot, the potatoes are gently tossed with the dressing so they immediately begin to drink it up. It's hard to go wrong with roasted potatoes, but between the minced garlic and the dressing, these tender babies are delicious with just a different twang to them to keep 'em interesting.

The meat half of tonight's dinner was a sweet, yet quite spicy recipe for Pork Medallions with Chili-Maple Sauce. A lean pork tenderloin is first divided into 6 pieces with each one being flattened until it is about 1/2" thick. Seasoned with salt and fresh ground pepper, the pork is also sprinkled with Chinese five-spice powder to tantalize the taste buds. Quickly cooked in a hot skillet, the pork is allowed to brown on each side, yet still keep a light pink hue in the center so each medallion stays tender and juicy. Now, the real sweet and spicy combo comes into play with a sauce created with chicken broth, pure maple syrup and chili-garlic sauce. Prepared in the same skillet as the pork, the sauce picks up any caramelized bits left behind and reduces to intensify its flavor. If you're serving the pork as-is, there is just enough of the sauce to coat the medallions - if you would like to serve this over rice, I would suggest doubling the sauce so there would be plenty to go around. The sweet maple syrup slightly offsets the heat, but feel free to adjust the chili-garlic sauce as with 1 tablespoon the sauce is still very spicy (just right for us though!).

Recipes
Roasted Potatoes with Herb Vinaigrette
Pork Medallions with Chili-Maple Sauce

When rhubarb and fresh strawberries collide...

One of the ingredients I always look forward to this time of year is fresh rhubarb! I don't make nearly enough baked goods with it though - however, we've used it in the past in a pudding cake and muffins! When we were at the market on Sunday, I noticed the price had finally came down on the crimson stalks and I decided that I had to find a way use them in our baking for the weekly Wednesday Treat Day treat.

One ingredient that I love to use with rhubarb is fresh strawberries, which are so sweet and juicy right now, so we made sure to get both to make these Strawberry-Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars. Chunky pieces of rhubarb and sliced strawberries are cooked down with just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice until the rhubarb is tender. Since they give off so much liquid when cooked and the rhubarb is quite tart, a mixture of granulated sugar and cornstarch sweetens the pot and thickens the jam-like mixture. While this cools off, a crumbly mixture of flour, oats, brown sugar, soft butter, baking soda and a dash of salt are mixed together with about half of it being pressed into a baking dish to form the base.

The ruby jam is then spread over the uncooked base, followed by a scattering of the crumbles from the base mixture, to form the golden bumpy canopy. Once baked and cooled, we finished these bars with a creamy drizzle of confectioners' sugar thinned out with milk. Very buttery and a little tart, each nibble from these delicate bars was was like taking a big bite out of a refreshing summertime day.

We took a spin on pizza tonight and made these individual Sausage and Pepper Calzones for dinner. Because you are preparing your own dough, be sure to budget enough time for the dough to rise, rolling it out and the filling the calzones... it ended up taking a bit longer that I planned on so dinner was a little late tonight. I was pleased with the dough though - it was very easy to work with and stretched out nice without breaking. Once the dough has been divided and rolled out, a mixture of sautéed sweet red bell peppers, onions, garlic and sliced chicken sausage that has been tossed with mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, cottage cheese, fresh grated Parmesan, oregano and crushed red pepper are added on top of each rolled out circle for the filling. After the calzones are formed and crimped, they are baked in a hot oven until the crust is a rich golden brown.

Dividing the dough into eight pieces allows it to still be rolled thin enough so the crust is crisp, but it also has a pleasant chew to it. Since this recipes does make quite a few, the calzones will be great to freeze, fully cooked, and then reheated at a later time for lunch or a quick dinner!

Recipes
Strawberry-Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars
Sausage and Pepper Calzones

These eggs are not for your omelete...

While we've been working on cleaning up the landscape around the house these past couple of weeks, we spied a little something hiding in one of the bushes right next to the front door.

We've been checking them every couple of days to see if there had been any development, but when I was out trimming yesterday, I heard some faint noises coming from said bush. I carefully pulled one of the limbs back and peaked in to see that our little friends had burst from their azure enclosures and were quite hungry! What a majestic event as they arrived on Mother's Day of all days. Spring is certainly full of little surprises around here!

We go through quite a bit of chicken and are always looking for new ways to enhance it with new flavors. We added a little heat and crunch to a few chicken breasts with tonight's dinner of Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken. Coating the chicken is a ground mixture of pecans, panko breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and chipotle pepper - using a combination of nuts and breadcrumbs added substance and texture with a light citrus scent from the bright orange zest. For this recipe, the chicken is pounded fairly thin which allows for a very quick cook and it gives more area for the nutty coating to adhere. Juicy with a golden brown shell, the ground chipotle added a hint of spice and a mild smoky background - we both thought this would be a nice way to prepare chicken breasts to slice and add to a fresh and crisp green salad. That will be our lunch tomorrow though, as tonight we eagerly finished up the leftover Northwest Waldorf Salad from last night!

Recipes
Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken

Cool and crisp salad along side a fancy stuffed tenderloin...

8 new recipes for us this past week... the standouts this time were the Soft Barley-Sugar Cookies, Frozen Blackberry-Lemon Chiffon Pie and the Cumin Orange Glazed Carrots. For those that have been asking about the jury duty, I was never selected to sit on any of the trials, but at least it was a chance to peak in to see how the system works!

Tonight's dinner began by making a quick side that had just a few ingredients and turned into a surprisingly additive dish. With an appealing texture combination of creamy and crunchy, this Northwest Waldorf Salad had us going back for extra helpings before we finished with dinner. Crisp celery, chewy dried cherries and crunchy hazelnuts are tossed in a dressing consisting of smooth yogurt, tangy sour cream and lemon juice. While this type of recipe would normally call for apples, this one uses chunky pieces of juicy Bartlett pears to be added for a fresh change - the only difficult part of this recipe was waiting for it to chill down for an hour! I adore hazelnuts and this was a new way for us to enjoy the rich flavor they add. If your hazelnuts are still coated in the slightly bitter skins, a simple way to remove them is to toast them at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, or until they smell very nutty and the skins blister. As soon as you remove them from the oven, place them in a clean towel and rub them together vigorously. A little messy yes, but this gets most of the skins off - don't worry about any stubborn bits of skin that remain though, as it shouldn't impact the flavor.

We went a little fancy with tonight's main dish of Pork Tenderloin Rosa di Parma. Big name I know, but all it really comes down to is a pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The directions are fairly lengthy, but we went into detail on how you want to prepare the tenderloin - you will need to double butterfly it so it will be easier to work with. It is not hard at all - just be sure to read through the instructions before you begin. Because you will be moving the tenderloin around a lot, it is worth the extra step to use some kitchen string and tie the meat 3 or 4 times - this way it has no chance to unravel while cooking. Once it has been stuffed, rolled and tied, the tenderloin is given a quick massage with olive oil followed by a fresh herb coating consisting of sage, rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper. The pork is then seared on all sides and goes for a trip into the oven to finish cooking.

Do yourself a favor and use the best quality Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese that you can afford. Because the pork is fairly mild in flavor, it allows the sharp, salty and nutty flavors in the stuffing to stand out and be known! Juicy with a light pink hue, the pork slices beautifully and would be a great addition to a dinner party. Next time, I would do two tenderloins to have more for leftovers as this dish was way to good!

Recipes
Northwest Waldorf Salad
Pork Tenderloin Rosa di Parma

We're not turning on the air conditioner yet, instead we just made a pie!

The heat and humidity has been on full force the past few days and we have been yearning for something chilly to cool us off at night. A couple days ago at the market, they had some fresh blackberries that looked irresistible - they called to me and would not let me leave the store without a couple packages in my basket. I didn't have a plan for them... until I came across a recipe last night for this Frozen Blackberry-Lemon Chiffon Pie. The best part? You don't have to turn on the oven!

On the bottom of this luscious pie, a buttery graham cracker mixture is pressed down to form a thick crust. Since this sweet treat is frozen, the directions don't call to bake the crust to crisp it up. So even though I followed the directions, I think it could benefit from a quick trip through the oven next time just to give it some texture (but then you would have to turn the oven on!) The pie is simply fresh blackberries and lemon juice that are pureed until smooth and then pressed through a sieve for an ultra silky texture. To add volume and body to the blackberry puree, egg whites are whisked to firm peaks, with the puree being folded in afterwards. Again, since this is not baked, the egg whites are beaten with a slow stream of boiling sugar syrup to gently cook them - this way there is no concern with using raw egg whites. Many times, these types of pies use gelatin to hold this mixture together - however, this pie does not which is why it must remain frozen.

With a light lavender color, each bite has a burst of fruity flavors that dance on the tongue - it is very light in texture and a perfect way to end a warm spring day. Since I made this last night, Jeff actually cut a piece this afternoon for "quality control"... we were suppose to try it after dinner tonight, but I ran to get my own slice after I took a bite from his! Keep in mind, this pie will soften if left out very long and almost begin to melt - it is best served right from the freezer. Oh and the grooves/indents around the edges? I was trying to be fancy and line the sides of the springform pan with wax paper to get a smooth finish - I guess it buckled when I was filling the pan... oh well!

Recipes
Frozen Blackberry-Lemon Chiffon Pie

Forget the pancakes... I'll just enjoy the compote with a spoon!

We've been known to do "breakfast for dinner" fairly often in the past, but it seems that it has been way too long since the last time. Jeff had been asking for pancakes or waffles sometime this week, so I obliged with tonight's dinner for Coconut Pancakes with Orange-Mango Compote with a side of crisp salty bacon.

The chunky compote is a mixture of sweet red apples, mangoes, orange zest, chopped orange segments, brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Tossed with a bit of water, the mixture simmers until the fruit is tender... then a touch of cornstarch, dissolved in water and lime juice, is mixed in to tighten up the extra juices in the compote. The pancakes are up next - in the dry ingredients, you will notice the use of coconut flour. This stuff is fairly expensive and honestly, it does not add much in the way of coconut flavor - I used it because I had it on hand, but I would just as well use whole wheat pastry flour or even all-purpose instead. What does give the pancakes a boost of coconut flavor comes from the use of coconut milk as the bulk of the liquid ingredients. While the taste is still fairly mild, you can tell they are coconut pancakes upon first bite. The golden round cakes are light, fluffy and not too sweet, which makes them a great background to show off the delicious compote. However, they are also not very remarkable and just kind of disappear as they have no gusto to them. I may not make the pancakes again, but the compote, on the other hand, was scrumptious and will be made again to top French toast or waffles!

Recipes
Coconut Pancakes with Orange-Mango Compote

Time well spent on a dinner laced with citrus flavors...

Tonight's dinner is one that might be best left to prepare on a weekend when you have some extra time for prep work. Even though there was a lot of time spent chopping and waiting for things to progress, it was certainly worth it, if a little time consuming.

For a side tonight, we started out with an exquisite way to spice up carrots with a recipe for Cumin and Orange Glazed Carrots. After sectioning and squeezing three juicy and sweet navel oranges, a mess of carrots are given a fancy look by cutting them on the diagonal and then rotating them forward 90 degrees before making the next cut. If the directions in the recipe sound confusing, try to picture a trapezoidal log as you prepare them. Once a skillet coated with olive oil is hot, a healthy pinch of cumin seeds are added and allowed to briefly toast. The carrots, along with water, fresh lemon juice, a dash of sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper are added into the skillet. Since these carrots will cook for almost an hour, a large piece of parchment is placed on top to cover the carrot, still allowing some liquid to evaporate, but keeping most of it in. After about half an hour, the parchment is removed and the carrots are left to simmer until the liquid reduces to a thick and shiny glaze. Jeff was a little concerned with this process as he really dislikes vegetables when they are mushy - however, he was quite surprised that even after 50 minutes, the carrots were tender, but still had a pretty firm texture to them. Behind the smoky hint from the cumin, the carrots shined with a bright sweetness and tangy citrus bite that transformed simple carrots into a classy side dish.

To continue the citrus theme, we also added some flare to pork chops in this dish for Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach. The filling for these chops is a mixture of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach that has been cooked until heated through. To give the stuffing a creamy texture and a bit of tang, cream cheese, feta cheese and a pinch of lemon zest is stirred into the mixture. A pocket in each chop is then created by using a sharp knife and cutting through the thickest portion, almost to the other side. A generous scoop of filling is stuffed in each chop and they are then coated in a citrusy mixture of fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard and a dash of oregano. Instead of cooking these in a skillet, they are quickly done under the broiler in just about 8 minutes. The lemon flavor was pretty strong, which we liked, but you may want to reduce the juice a bit if you're not a big fan. If you want to make the pocket-creating process a little easier, it may help to freeze them for about 15 minutes to firm the chops up. Rich and a little salty, the creamy filling makes for a dramatic presentation and was a fun way to change up boring ol' pork chops.

Recipes
Cumin and Orange Glazed Carrots
Pork Chops Stuffed with Feta and Spinach

Just when the weather is starting to warm up, we bring a little taste of fall...

I had to put off the weekly Wednesday Treat Day post until today as I didn't get it made until late yesterday and it had not sufficiently cooled enough to taste and then get the pictures done. While I did make a new recipe for dinner, I'm putting that off too because this superb Double Apple Bundt Cake deserves a post created just for it alone.

Taking a bite from this dark cake was like a rush of cool crisp air you expect to feel around apple season in the fall. It was remarkably moist, quite dense and lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg with an alluring bite from ground ginger. The double apple in the recipe comes from the additions of shredded apples and a generous amount of apple butter. While packing an abundant punch of apple flavor, the apple butter also ensures that this cake stays very moist over time. After a bite or two, you begin to notice the complex nature of the cake from crunchy toasted pecans scattered throughout each slice.

For a hint of sweetness and contrast in texture, a handful of juicy golden raisins can also be found in the cake. If you would prefer the apples to disappear into the cake, you can finely grate them - but I wanted them to have more of a presence, so I just used my food processor to quickly shred them. I used Granny Smith apples for a slightly tart edge; however, I think this cake would be just as great with the apple of your choice. This will absolutely be made again, especially after we go for our first apple picking of the season later this year. We may even go crazy and make our own apple butter just for this cake!

Recipes
Double Apple Bundt Cake

If only all whole grain items tasted this good....

I know Tuesdays are the day that we talk about what we made for Jeff to bring in for the weekly Wednesday Treat Day that we've been doing at his office. I did get a little something baked, however I'm still waiting for it to finish cooling so we can get pictures - I'll post about it tomorrow!

Since I didn't (and still don't!) know what my schedule will be like this week due to jury duty, I put a batch of dough for these Soft Barley-Sugar Cookies into the refrigerator last Sunday. Since the dough needed to rest overnight anyway, I went ahead and got it ready since I had some extra time. This is, yet again, another recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking book that I've had such success with and this recipe did not disappoint! These are thick and giant (just over 4" across) soft cookies that have a distinct old-fashioned flavor to them.

Sour cream in the dough makes the cookies extremely soft and tender with a dose of fresh grated nutmeg, lemon juice and vanilla adding to that old time-y essence. Try not to skimp on resting the dough; letting it rest overnight allows the whole grain flour to fully absorb the liquids and gives the butter a chance to firm back up to allow the cookies to have an extremely light and delicate texture. I got 12 cookies out of my batch today and used a large (about 1/4 cup) cookie scoop to divide out the dough. Before baking, each ball of dough is rolled in coarse crystal sugar or turbinado sugar - I decided to do half of each kind just for fun... they are then squished down so they will cook evenly. The cookies bake in a hotter than normal oven and cook quickly, so be sure to watch carefully - you want them to be just lightly golden around the edges with the middle of the cookies still looking soft (they should spring back if you lightly touch them). They then need to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes so they can firm up enough to move them.

The sugar on top adds a delicious sweet crunch and while the texture of these is quite soft, they do not break apart when you pick them up. These cookies do not have that light pale-lemon color to them as you would see in a regular sugar cookie... this is because the barley flour has a tan tinge to it. However, it is just appearance alone as there was no aftertaste or unpleasant "wheat-y" flavor. We couldn't stop nibbling on them plain, but if you wanted, you could certainly dress them up with some icing and sprinkles for a semi-healthy bake sale item! If you happen to have some sugar being assimilated with vanilla beans hanging out in the pantry, I think this would be an excellent way to showcase that vanilla sugar!

Recipes
Soft Barley-Sugar Cookies

Wrapping up the first day of jury duty with spicy tacos!

Nothing too exciting to report on the jury duty front today... I spent 6 1/2 hours waiting, while tortured and forced to watch the TV Land channel I might add, and was then sent home. A group of 40 people did get chosen to go in front of the judge - the clerk told us after they left that whoever was picked from that group were going to be involved in a 2 week trial! Wow! Guess we'll see how tomorrow goes...

Thankfully, tonight's dinner was pretty laid back and didn't take too much time to come together. I loved the fact that in this recipe, Crispy Taco Shells with Lean and Spicy Meat, you actually create your own hard shells which you lightly season with chili powder and salt. Once you warm a few tortillas in the microwave, they are simply spritzed with canola oil spray, seasoned and then draped over a rack in the oven to form the shell. The tops of mine did seem to fold in a bit more than I would have liked, but nonetheless, the results were very good! To lighten the meat for the tacos, ground sirloin is cut with ground turkey - this way you still get that beefy flavor, but it is not as heavy. The meat is first browned with an onion, then diced tomatoes with green chiles, smoky cumin and oregano are added. To give the mixture some heat, ground chipotle chiles are also added in to season the meat - if you don't have this or don't want heat, you could always use chili powder instead to give it that rich "taco" flavor.

Once you stuff the crispy shells, feel free to top them with your favorite additions - we opted for crisp shredded romaine and a bit of grated sharp cheddar. We were pleased with how crispy the shells stayed against the juicy taco meat - they had that shattering effect when you bit into them. That little extra bit of seasoning on the outside was just the perfect touch to tie all the flavors together.

Recipes
Crispy Taco Shells with Lean and Spicy Meat

Could be a slow week... well at least in the kitchen!

We are certainly starting off May with a bang - 11 new recipes this week. Our favorites this time were the Cranberry-Nut Mini Loaves with Flaxseeds, Crispy Prosciutto, Scallion and Goat Cheese Frittata and the Peanut Butter Granola. I highly doubt we will make near that amount this upcoming week... something has thrown a wrench into my plans and I will not know if I will have the time to get much done.

I've been summoned for dun... dun... dun.... Jury Duty! I have no idea what to expect as I've never had to go before, but Jeff seems excited and wishes they chose him! I guess I have to check every day for a full week to see if I have to report (I've already been called for Monday!) - but if I get picked for a trial, then I've fulfilled my duty and excused the rest of the week. I'm hoping to still get baking done for the weekly Wednesday Treat Day, but we will just have to see!

I spent most of the afternoon getting the lawn mowed since I won't be able to do it tomorrow, so I was not looking to put much effort into dinner tonight. I chose this dish of Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce as there was minimal work and it came together in a flash. A savory full-bodied sauce is started by cooking onions and garlic until they have softened - then, a mountain of sweet roasted red peppers are added in. To create the smooth sauce, this mixture is then pureed with vegetable broth and a healthy dose of salty feta cheese. While you're waiting for the sauce to finish up, thick whole-wheat fettuccine is thrown into boiling water to cook until al dente. As the sauce is fairly thick, be sure to remove 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water before you drain the pasta, this way you can thin out the sauce as needed without diluting the flavors. Finished with a bit more feta and fresh parsley, I especially appreciated how the tangy sauce in this dish clung to the noodles like there was no tomorrow! Jeff isn't especially fond of red peppers, but he made short work of his plate (and even snuck a couple bites from the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!) - we both agreed that this dish was delightful for how easy it was to prepare!

Recipes
Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

This is why we have to have a chest freezer in the garage...

I've been known to overbuy seasonal ingredients that freeze well and stash them away in the freezer so I can bring them out to play when I can't get them fresh. One of these ingredients that I always do this to every year is cranberries! I know some people can find them frozen at their grocery stores, but I've never had much luck with that. Cranberries freeze well and most recipes state you can use them fresh or frozen.

Jeff loves the combination of cranberries and oranges, so I knew I was going to make this recipe for Cranberry-Nut Mini Loaves with Flaxseeds at some point... I just had to figure out when! I needed to make something today to give away as part of a gift package for a friend, so I figured I would make these and keep some for us too.

This golden bread packs a good nutritional punch too by using part whole wheat pastry flour, with the addition of ground flaxseeds, in the dry ingredients. Since we wanted the loaves to pulse with an orange zing, we used a mess of fresh zest along with a good amount of the sweet juice. To give the bread a bit of crunch, chopped walnuts are tossed into the batter and also blanket the crowns of the baked mini loaves. When I cut off a piece for us to try, I loved how the cranberries formed a sort of tart ruby mosaic on each moist slice. Quite light and not too sweet, I almost didn't give the other two away as Jeff pretty much demolished the loaf we were keeping... but since I still have a good supply of the cardinal jewels in the freezer, I'll just have to make us some more!

Recipes
Cranberry-Nut Mini Loaves with Flaxseeds

Taking bulgur south of the border...

We're heading south tonight for the final trip around the world in recipes we've been doing this week. While none of them have really been all that authentic to what the recipe title implies, it was a fun little game!

One of the things that drew me to this recipe, Mexican Bulgur Salad with Citrus-Jalapeño Vinaigrette, was the fact that I already had almost all of the ingredients on hand! I did need to buy a jalapeño, but everything else was something I had in the pantry, freezer, or an ingredient we just buy every week because we use it so often. There really is no cooking involved here, but you do need a cup of boiling water to soften the bulgur! Since it takes about 30 minutes to absorb the liquid and soften, you have plenty of time to finish preparing the rest of the dish. Tossed with the chewy bulgur are shredded carrots, corn kernels, chunky pieces of Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro and black beans. A bright and zesty dressing is prepared by whisking together fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice, a seeded jalapeño, olive oil, salt and a touch of cumin. This makes a generous coating for the salad and is the highlight to this dish. Since the jalapeño is seeded, it just adds flavor with very little heat - now we like things spicy and would have usually just chopped up the whole thing, but we both thought this was delightful as-is and glad we took the seeds out. The original recipe did call for zucchini instead of carrots, but the ones at the market just did not look good... so in went some carrots instead!

Recipes
Mexican Bulgur Salad with Citrus-Jalapeño Vinaigrette

More asparagus and a new favorite frittata...

While I was in the market yesterday, I spotted some dazzling not-too-thin, not-too-thick asparagus and decided to grab a couple bunches... however, this meant I had to change dinner plans around for tonight. So we're taking a small break from our "traveling around the world in recipe titles" tonight and will finish up the trip with tomorrow night's dinner instead.

When fresh vegetables are in season like this, we try to make the best of it and really work on recipes in my to-try piles that highlight them. This would be why you've seen more than a couple asparagus recipes in the past few weeks! Jeff has proclaimed this snappy side dish, Chile-Spiced Asparagus, his new favorite way to eat this veggie. Quite simply prepared by cooking them in olive oil and a touch of water for just a few minutes, the diagonally cut pieces are then seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Once crisp-tender, the asparagus are removed from the heat and given a sour edge with a generous splash of sherry vinegar. If you want a deeper flavor than what the chili powder can add, I would love to try this dish again by using a bit of smoked paprika powder instead!

I've mentioned in the past how much we love frittatas, but tonight's Crispy Prosciutto, Scallion and Goat Cheese Frittata made the others pale in comparison. Even though there are just a few ingredients, this dish has so much flavor and lets each ingredient radiate through the mild eggs. We began by sautéing green onions in a bit of olive oil, followed by the addition of large salty pieces of prosciutto that are left to cook until they begin to crisp. The two are then combined with a mixture of eggs, egg whites, a couple splashes of milk, sharp Parmesan cheese and a pinch of black pepper. This goes back into the same skillet and is slid into the oven to bake for a short time. Just when the frittata is almost set, we showered the top with crumbled goat cheese to give the dish a delicious creamy tang. Since my other skillet was being used for the asparagus, I ended up having to use a very large skillet (12") which left our frittata a bit on the thin side - if you use one that is smaller, it may take a few extra minutes to bake. We usually prefer to enjoy prosciutto without cooking it, but this dish has totally changed our mind - I can't wait for lunch tomorrow!

Recipes
Chile-Spiced Asparagus
Crispy Prosciutto, Scallion and Goat Cheese Frittata

Homemade granola and day three of our adventure....

At some point during each day, I have a snack of yogurt and blueberries with an addition of something crunchy - usually some sort of cereal or whatnot. I go through phases of what I like to add in and I've been trying to figure out something new that we could make instead. The first idea that came to mind was of course granola, which just happened to be perfect since it had been quite some time since we've made a batch!

Most granola recipes are not all that low in calories, though this recipe is not too bad; they usually have quite a bit of oil or may be sweetened with a lot of sugar. This Peanut Butter Granola is a little different as it is sweetened with apple cider along with honey. To get that sought-after crunchiness, you do need to add some fat to the recipe - but instead of using oil, smooth natural peanut butter makes a fine stand-in. Along with adding a healthy fat, it also gives the granola a rich nutty flavor. Now what would granola be without some nuts and dried fruit...so we added sliced almonds, dried cranberries and chopped dates which brought their own unique textures and a bit more natural sweetness. As we made it, this granola does not clump together in large clusters, which we both happen to prefer, so you may need to tweak the recipe if that is something you want. I thought it went paired very well with my yogurt mixture, but I found myself going back for dry handfuls to snack on throughout the day... dangerous!

Tonight's dish of Asian Rice with Shrimp and Snow Peas brings us to day three on our trip around the world in recipe titles! With very little effort, this dish came together quite fast with the majority of the time spent waiting for the fragrant brown jasmine rice to cook. While waiting, a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, hot sauce and minced garlic is combined to dress the finished dish. Once the rice has almost finished cooking, peeled shrimp and snow peas are quickly cooked in a pot of boiling water. They are then added to the floral rice and the combination is then tossed with thinly sliced green onions and the salty Asian dressing. With a scattering of nutty toasted almonds on top, dinner was on the table and our plates were cleaned in no time! Since there is nothing to thicken the dressing, it is really on the thin side - we thought it was more of a way to season the dish rather than to thoroughly coat the ingredients. I also think we might have liked just a dash of sugar or squirt of honey to help balance the flavor a little more in the dressing.

Recipes
Peanut Butter Granola
Asian Rice with Shrimp and Snow Peas

Can never make enough cookies!

We've been off-schedule these past couple of weeks for the Wednesday Treat Day for Jeff's co-workers... but we are back to normal this week! Since we've been doing this for quite awhile now, it is not as easy to pick out recipes that are not too similar to ones we have brought in before. For this treat day, we opted to go with a cookie that has not one, not two, not three, but 4 marvelous mix-ins.

The original recipe for these White Chocolate Butterscotch Oatmeal Chippers calls for using all butter, but I split the amount in half and used spectrum organic shortening to give the cookies a firmer bite. The cookies have a crisp texture on the outside and are decidedly chewy on the inside - a lot of that chew comes from using a large amount of rolled oats. With a half cup of shredded coconut in the dough, I don't think I would say these have much of a coconut taste at all... this added more to the chew along with an intriguing layer of sweetness.

Let's get to the best part now - the mix-ins! Crunchy toasted pecans add a nutty factor along side of the creamy, good-quality (look for cocoa butter!) white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and sweet toffee bits. I used the "bits 'o brickle" variety that does not have the addition of chocolate on the buttery bits. We tossed a handful of these into the dough as we thought their caramel undertones would match well with the butterscotch chips - you don't have to add them though. Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, I got about 48 cookies from the batch and they were quite satisfying at this size. Although, you certainly couldn't go wrong by making them a bit bigger if you like!

As I mentioned yesterday about traveling around the globe with the titles of our dinners this week, tonight's choice is no different with this dish of African Ground Nut Stew with Sour Cream-Chive Topping. I'm not certain what to think about this dish - we both thought that it almost had too much going on. That's not to say it didn't taste good, but it was a bit distracting and had an unusual texture. This dish is a chunky stew mainly composed of cubed sweet potatoes, quartered red potatoes and tomatoes. Also included is a very generous portion of chopped peanuts - while they did lend a pleasant nutty flavor, I think this might have been better if they had been ground and used more as a thickener. Most of the potatoes were just tender enough to be easily scooped through using a spoon, with a few of them dissolving to add some body to the stew. Using a full teaspoon of crushed red pepper did appease our need for some heat - but adding a dollop of sour cream, mixed with chives, kept the heat in check bringing a cool and onion-y finish. I do want to let it sit overnight and see if the leftovers can win me over!

Recipes
White Chocolate Butterscotch Oatmeal Chippers
African Ground Nut Stew with Sour Cream-Chive Topping