Skillet Shrimp with Basil, Garlic and Tomatoes...

Jeff asked if we could slip in a shrimp dish at some point while I was menu planning for the week ahead this weekend. It is going to be pretty busy around here the next few days, so I was more than willing since shrimp take no time to cook!

I dove through my smaller to-try pile of seafood recipes and decided on this Skillet Shrimp with Basil, Garlic and Tomatoes as I already had everything on hand. Before I added the shrimp to the skillet, I let loose a few thinly sliced cloves of garlic, a little orange zest and a pinch of crushed red pepper into a small pool of olive oil. Keep the heat on the low side at this point - you are just looking to release those brilliant flavors into the oil and not gain any color on the garlic.

When that aromatic punch wafted up from the skillet, we slid the peeled shrimp (and yes, I whisked those shells into the freezer for stock this time!) inside and let them cook on one side until they began to pink up. Once we flipped them over, we doused them with fresh orange juice and let the shrimp bubble away in that sweet acid until they were just cooked through. To bring in that timely summer flavor, a chopped tomato and shreds of basil leaves are added at the end just to warm through. As it was fairly saucy, we served this over a bed of nutty brown basmati rice, cooked using the no-fuss method that I've really taken a liking to. Orzo, quinoa or any other of your favorite grains would also be a good choice to serve this with. With such bright flavors and a mild kick, we both thought this was a solid dish and a snap to prepare - I'll be sure to remember this light recipe when we want something tasty and quick!

Recipes
Skillet Shrimp with Basil, Garlic and Tomatoes

It's getting corny around here...

A rousing end to the week with a total of 8 new recipes for us. I'm pretty sure you could guess that those Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts were one of our top favorites this week, but that Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza and Sausage and Feta Hand Pies were not far behind.

Guess what has finally hit the markets up here? Sweet-as-a-sugar-cube Minnesota grown ears of fresh corn! Maybe I'm crazy, but I get pretty excited when those husky wrapped cobs, studded with milky golden kernels, have grown enough to finally be ready to hop in my belly! You can be sure I've been plenty busy cleaning, stripping and freezing the kernels so we can enjoy that summery flavor in the dead of winter. You can blanch the ears of corn first if you were to do the same thing, but when it is as fresh as this, I usually don't bother. Before I packed the bags away, I snuck out a heaping cup so I could make this Fresh Corn and Basil Tart tonight.

While there is plenty of corn in the filling, we tied that flavor into the crust by using equal parts flour and cornmeal for the dry ingredients. Due to the cornmeal's firm texture, the mixture will be a little moist at first - to give it time to absorb some of the liquid and firm up, the assembled crust needs to rest in the refrigerator before using it.

Once the dough rested, we easily patted it into one of those nifty tart pans that have a removable bottom. The crust needs a head start to cook completely, but before we placed it in the oven, we lined the top with foil and weighed it down with dried beans to ensure the bottom didn't bubble up or crack during this process. As that was in the oven, we threw together the simple filling consisting of fresh corn kernels mixed with half-and-half, a couple eggs and a handful of torn fresh basil.

The filling was moist, but firm enough to get clean slices, while the crust was sturdy enough to pick up a slice without falling apart, yet our forks could easily glide through the tender bottom. The crust also had a pleasant crunch from the rough cornmeal. Juicy ripe tomatoes are also starting top pop up in the market along side the corn, so we finished off the slices with halved fresh cherry tomatoes and of course, a sprinkling of torn basil leaves. While I'm sure you could do some preparation a head of time, I highly suggest preparing this on a night where you know you will have plenty of time (this is why I chose a Sunday to make this!) as there are quite a few steps and resting times. However, Jeff and I both thought it was worth the time and effort!

And by the way, I've burned my arms too many times trying to push the removable bottom from the tart pan while wiggling that hot outer ring away from it, but this time I finally smartened up and just set it down on a ramekin. Took me long enough!

Recipes
Fresh Corn and Basil Tart

Smacking down a craving...

I was in the mood for decadence today... I thought of different cakes, cookies or other assorted goodies we could make, but I kept coming back to one thing - brownies!

I've said frequently that one of my favorite combinations in sweets is chocolate and peanut butter - that is exactly what I found in these insane Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts.

The base of these bars is a devilish layer a decidedly fudgy chocolate brownie, generously studded with coarse pieces of salted peanuts. To really electrify the chocolate flavor, we used a mixture of bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate that we backed up with a dose of instant espresso powder. The powder doesn't make them taste like coffee, but it seems to excite the chocolate, allowing its flavor to blossom and grow. When you test for doneness, you are looking for no raw liquid batter, but you don't want the toothpick to come out clean - moist crumbs attached is what you want.

While these dark brownies cooled, we prepared a peanutty frosting by combining chunky peanut butter with a few tablespoons of softened butter, confectioners' sugar, a dash of salt and a sprinkle of fresh grated nutmeg. It is somewhat thick at this point, so a bit of milk is added, along with vanilla, to slightly thin it out, allowing it to spread well. These peanut butter frosted brownies were approaching decadence, but ached for another layer. So, to add that killer final touch, we melted bittersweet chocolate with butter and poured it over, creating a thin slick of richness on top. While it is liquid-y enough to pour over, the intense mixture does have some body to it, allowing you to make a design on top. I used an off-set spatula to spread it smooth, then swirled it back and forth to create those ripples you see.

Because of the toppings and fudgy quality of the brownie, you'll want to allow enough time for the bars to chill before cutting them. However, I found that we both liked the flavor best when they had come back to room temperature versus eating a piece right out of the chilly refrigerator. If you have a burning desire for a potent chocolate and peanut butter treat like I did, these wicked layered brownies satiated my fierce sweet tooth, at least for a little while!

*Looks over at the clock* I think it's treat time again - care to join me in this indulgence?

Recipes
Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts

Eggs on toast... err I mean pizza!

Another Friday... and guess what I made for us? Yep, another pizza! Woo! Fourth in a row and Jeff couldn't be happier as he would eat pizza breakfast, noon and night if he could. Although, he was quite worried when I read off the title of this Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza - I think that freaked him out a bit... hee hee!

Of course I threw together our favorite dough again - however, if you really don't feel like giving it a try (it is so easy though!), you could use one of those thin pre-baked crusts for this pie. Because the pizza was not going to take very long to cook the toppings, we did give the crust a head start on the stone so it wouldn't take long to get crispy once it was assembled.

A generous grassy layer of shredded tender baby spinach leaves went onto the crust, followed by a drizzle of olive, a light sprinkling of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Sliced prosciutto comes next - I know it is already quite salty, but with the amount of spinach used, I felt the need to lightly season it before continuing on. A shower of fresh grated asiago cheese is added along with three full cloves worth of thinly sliced garlic being sprinkled on top. Jeff was doing good up to here and then he cocked his eyebrow and said "Where the heck are those eggs you have on the counter going to go?". Without saying a word, I turned around, grabbed a ramekin, cracked the egg and just poured each golden yolk in its own little quadrant on the pizza! His only response was "I see...." - humph!

If you are worried about the whites running away from you, you could make a little nest in the layer of spinach to ensure it stays contained. I slid the full pizza back onto the stone and let it cook long enough just to set the whites, finish crisping the crust and let that luscious cheese melt. I thought this was excellent - the spinach wilts slightly, anchoring the pizza with an earthy feel, while the warmed prosciutto and garlic released their rampant flavor over the entire pie. The yolk was still soft enough to ooze, cutting the salty nature of the ingredients below it, as its golden richness flowed like a small stream on top. Jeff's reaction - Eggs on pizza? I'm in love!

Recipes
Egg, Ham and Spinach Pizza

Still have access to fresh strawberries and rhubarb?

Fresh, light and filling, without feeling stuffed to the brim... that's the best way I think I can describe how dinner and our dessert felt tonight. I could start with dinner, but this Meringue-Topped Strawberries and Rhubarb dish I made for dessert was much more fun!

Underneath a fluffy layer of airy meringue are chunks of rhubarb and fresh strawberries. As the rhubarb is much more fibrous than the strawberries, the ruby stalks are gently stewed in their own juices in a few individual ramekins. To take an edge off the tartness, the rhubarb is first tossed with granulated sugar and for a mysterious tingle on the tongue, a bit of grated fresh ginger is added to the mix. Besides sweetening the rhubarb, the sugar helps cajole the juice from the sturdy stalks, leaving them tender and soft. Once the pieces reach this point, hunks of fresh strawberries are tucked in between the rhubarb and left to sit while you whip up the meringue.

The meringue is a simple combination of egg whites, cream of tartar and granulated sugar. To get the best volume for your buck, you'll want the whites to be at room temperature with the bowl and beaters sparkling clean. I know not all meringue recipes call for cream of tartar, but I like to add it just for that extra dose of stabilization. Once the whites were firm, glossy and held peaks, we added dollops of the light-as-a-feather topping over the juicy pieces of berries and rhubarb. You could spread the meringue smooth on top if you like, but to give some visual interest, we used a small off-set spatula to create small spikes and peaks on top. If you have a handy kitchen torch on hand, feel free to brown the meringue away with that... I don't, so we just stuck the ramekins back into the oven and let the heat inside work it's magic. Either warm from the oven or served at room temperature, this refreshing dessert is one way to take advantage of the gorgeous berries and rhubarb before they begin to vanish from the markets! PS - The egg whites do not get fully cooked using this method of creating the meringue, so if that concerns you at all, feel free to use a pasteurized egg or even those dried egg whites commonly found in the baking isle of your local market.

Just because I talked about that dessert first, doesn't mean that this healthy Whole Wheat Fusilli with Pistachio Pesto we had before that was any less tasty. I know... another basil recipe - surprise! I can't help it as the plants are shooting up like no-one's business with this beautiful weather we have been having!

While you are left with having to clean up the food processor afterwards, the speed that this pasta dish comes together makes up for it! As we waited for the corkscrew pasta to cook, we dirtied up our food processor with a twist on pesto. While I love using buttery pine nuts, this recipe calls for the use of toasted nutty pistachios instead! I've used walnuts and almonds before with successful results, but the depth the pistachios added was a nice touch.

The pesto is a little lighter since it isn't as heavy on olive oil as some, but if you prefer it to be a touch more oily, you could certainly bump that amount up. Because of this, the pesto is fairly thick... however, a bit of the starchy cooking liquid from the cooked pasta will thin the sauce out without giving it a watered-down flavor. For a burst of raw freshness, halved cherry tomatoes also receive the pleasure of being tossed into the pesto and pasta. To add another punch of pistachio, crunchy chopped pieces are scattered on top as the finishing touch to this speedy dinner.

Recipes
Meringue-Topped Strawberries and Rhubarb
Whole Wheat Fusilli with Pistachio Pesto

Just a few simple ingredients...

I know I used to be someone who was afraid to even think about making homemade pie dough a few years ago... I mean, why go through all the work and have it not turn out when there are a few tasty ones you can buy already prepared? However, it doesn't need to be scary at all if you follow a couple tips!

I needed to make a batch of Pâte Brisée (fancy name for a basic butter pie or tart dough) so I could assemble these Sausage and Feta Hand Pies for our dinner tonight! The dough for these hand pies can be used for savory or even sweet recipes -I needed all of it for our recipe tonight, but it also makes enough for a double-crusted pie or two 9" pies. If you do decide to try it out for a sweet dish, I suggest adding a teaspoon of sugar to the dough.

The key to this pie dough is to make it cold and bake it hot - use well-chilled butter and icy water. I like to use our food processor just because the dough can be made in about a minute, but you can cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingers and stir it together by hand. As you work the butter to the flour, you want the pieces to be the size of coarse crumbs with a few larger nuggets to make sure the dough is tender and flaky. Add just enough water (keep the ice bits out though!) so the dough is moistened, but not wet - it may look a little sandy, however if you squeeze a piece in your hand, it should form a clump. If doing this in the food processor, it should take less than 30 seconds - you don't want the flour mixture to form into a ball; just mixed enough to distribute the liquid.

By now the butter will have softened a bit, so you'll want to divide the dough and form each into flattened rectangles to be placed into the refrigerator to firm the butter up. Why this specific shape? Well, you'll eventually be rolling the dough out into a large rectangle, so you might as well start that way! If you would be using the dough for a pie, shape it into a disc instead. Flattening the dough allows it to chill down faster. This dough also keeps well - make a full batch, even if you only need half of the recipe, and keep the extra well-wrapped in the freezer to use at a later time!

While we waited on the dough to chill, I started on the savory filling to be stuffed inside the dough. After I browned and crumbled a few links of Italian turkey sausage, I started softening an onion - after a couple minutes, we added thinly sliced bulb of fresh licorice-y fennel and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper. To add some moisture and flavor, chopped ruby-red plum tomatoes were tossed into the tender vegetables and allowed to cook until their acidic juices released. Now, you've done all that work to keep the dough cold, you don't want to add a steaming hot filling to it! So, this mixture needs to cool down completely before you begin the assembly process. Only one problem with this, at least for me, I couldn't keep my spoon out, taking "test" bites, to see if it was still too warm! Grr!

To brighten up the filling and add a salty bite, fresh parsley and a generous amount of feta cheese is stirred in. When the filling is ready, we started rolling out the dough - just work with one piece of dough at a time so it doesn't get too soft. It is not so much a problem here, but in other houses, we had an exceptionally warm working space in the kitchen and the dough would start giving me a headache by getting sticky. I solved this by filling up a bag with ice cubes and letting it sit on the counter to chill down the work surface before I began rolling... this also works well when rolling cookie dough! Once the hand pies are all assembled, we gave them a quick brush with a beaten egg - besides adding a golden shine, this also allows the crunchy fennel seeds we scattered on top to stick and tie in with the flavor from the filling.

After being baked hot (425 degrees is sizzling!), the crust browned well and the filling remained juicy, thanks to those fresh tomatoes! The crust was excellent - light, tender and buttery, without being greasy, and the savory filling with those chunky pieces of sausage was excellent. Before even finishing his hand pie, Jeff asked to have this pastry for his breakfast tomorrow morning since they are not too large in portion size... good idea and I think I'll be doing the same!

Recipes
Sausage and Feta Hand Pies

Muffinpalooza...

After getting poked way too many times while seeing an allergist this morning (no reactions at all though!), I was more than ready to get some baking done for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day!

Jeff wanted to bring in muffins this round, so in the interest of variety, I made two different kinds - up first are these Crumb-Topped Thin Mint Muffins.

Yes, I didn't mistype, we made muffins using those classic Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies! The recipe I worked from actually called for using Oreo's, but I had stashed a box of Thin Mints into the freezer (oh come on, I can't be the only one who does that!) that we had not busted into yet and it sounded like a good experiment.

Besides using those cookies, the preparation of these muffins is a little different as you cut cold butter into the dry ingredients, rather than creaming the butter and sugar or simply using melted butter or oil. We thought this gave the muffins a slightly more cake-y texture with a more tender crumb. After I tossed in about a stack of coarsely chopped Thin Mints and a small handful of miniature chocolate chips (I couldn't help myself!) to the thick, puffy batter, I caught myself gazing at the bowl, with a finger poised to take a taste, as it looked very much like soft cookies-n-cream ice cream! Then I reminded myself it was muffin batter and I'd rather eat a finished muffin.

To give the tops a tantalizing finish, we finely chopped a few more Thin Mints and mixed them with flour, sugar and a couple tablespoons of softened butter to form a crumbly topping. When they test done, be sure to let them sit in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes before turning them out - this cools them down slightly and I find they release easier. However, don't leave them longer than that or the bottoms will begin to steam and toughen.

As soon as I sunk my teeth through those minty nuggets on top, I think it only took a few seconds for me to polish off my muffin! Using all those cookies, I thought the muffins might end up being a bit too sweet... but only using enough sugar in the batter to give them structure, it actually wasn't too much! Sweet, yes, but not tooth-achingly so and you'll have the benefit of fresh minty breath!

The next recipe on tap, Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins, used a more traditional and speedy version of preparation as the fat needed is simply melted when added.

This time I used the ripe bananas I had leftover and froze from making those cupcakes last Saturday - I set them in the fridge last night and mixed the meat of the banana with the juices that released as they thawed. To give this batter a little more depth, a combination of granulated sugar and dark brown sugar is used to sweeten the muffins.

What makes these muffins special are the rich and buttery chunks of toasted macadamia nuts studded in the muffin and as a sprinkling on top. A little fresh grated nutmeg adds some spice, but don't be tempted to add much more than we listed as it is a pretty powerful flavor. When testing for doneness of the muffins, you can use two methods - you can touch the tops of the muffins and they should spring back when lightly pressed in the center. If you don't want to do that, you could also pierce the center of the muffins with a toothpick and it should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.

The texture of these was slightly more dense than the above, but they weren't heavy by any means. These dark honey-colored muffins are also quite moist, thanks to the generous cup of mashed banana. It does call for a bit of melted butter, but if you wanted to lighten them up, I think you could get away with using drained applesauce for half of the butter. I wouldn't mess with the nuts much as they add such an interesting and tropical flavor and if I would have thought about it, I think toasted shreds of coconut or a few pieces of diced dried pineapple would have complimented the muffins well! Having said that, I know that these nuts are fairly expensive, so if you really don't want to use them, I would love to try these again with dark chocolate chunks to play off the banana flavor! Don't feel like muffins? This would also make a delicious banana bread if baked in a loaf pan.

Recipes
Crumb-Topped Thin Mint Muffins
Banana-Macadamia Nut Muffins

Homemade sausage patties and savory chive waffles...

10 new recipes for us this week - our favorites this time were those Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting, the Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Leek Frittata and just because they were so easy, those Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Jeff has been asking for a breakfast-for-dinner night, so we prepared these Sour Cream and Chive Waffles with Sausage and Spiced Syrup dish that had a very intriguing combination of savory and sweet.

We have had plenty of sweet waffles (we have even made them into cookies!), but I don't recall us ever making a savory version. What makes these waffles savory? The combination of onion-y chives and tangy sour cream! They do have a couple teaspoons worth of sugar, but that is more for even browning than sweetness.

Before we worked on those waffles, we got our hands dirty by making rounds of delicious homemade sausage patties! Lean ground pork, steak seasoning, whole fennel seeds, fragrant smoked sweet paprika and a handful of fresh chopped parsley. This meaty mixture does have a tendency to want to stick to your hands when working with it, so just keep a bowl of water nearby and dip your fingers in once in awhile and it will help. While they were busy cooking in a skillet, we warmed up pure maple syrup with a cinnamon stick and a couple whole cloves to let their flavors infuse, creating the spiced syrup.

Speaking of that syrup, I did need to sway a bit from the original recipe. Instead of the spiced syrup I ended up with, the recipe called for heating lingonberry preserves. However, I had no luck finding it after visiting three stores, so Jeff and I both agreed that maple syrup would work for us. If you do happen to come across some and want to make that sauce, warm up a cup worth of the preserves, along with the cloves and cinnamon stick we used, and add a tablespoon of lemon juice along with a splash of water to loosen the mixture up.

You'll end up with about three full batches of waffles, so to keep the others warm and crisp while waiting, heat your oven to its lowest temperature and just set the cooked waffles right on the racks. We both enjoyed the chive-flecked waffles with their light texture and savory nature, but those sausage patties stole the show! The little nuggets of fennel perked up the sausages with little bursts of anise flavor and the alluring nature of the smoked sweet paprika captivated my attention. If you are not a big fan of pork, you could switch that out for ground turkey or chicken to lighten the patties up. If you are a little adventurous and looking for a different take on waffles, this may just be the recipe for you!

Recipes
Sour Cream and Chive Waffles with Sausage and Spiced Syrup

Let those bananas go extra dark for these Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting...

Last weekend while we were at the market, I made sure to pick up a few extra bananas. I didn't need them until today, but I wanted to give them plenty of time for their their sunny yellow jackets to turn quite dark, letting me know that the sweet banana meat inside was aching to be used.

I used those extra-ripe bananas to make a batch of these Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting. These cupcakes contain the spirit of banana bread, but are not quite as dense as you would find a typical loaf. They are also a bit more special as their crowns are covered in a luscious spiced up buttercream.

Depending on the size and ripeness of your bananas, I suggest picking up four whole ones to get the amount of mashed banana required. If you end up with a bit left over, don't let it go to waste - wrap it well and stick it in the freezer. Bananas will freeze quite well for recipes - you can either leave their jackets on or take them off, if desired. If you do leave them on, when you go to use them, let them thaw in the refrigerator and then snip off the bottom or top - then you can just squish out the juicy meat inside and you have instant mashed banana! As they thaw, they will release quite a lot of juice - however, do not throw this out! Mix that sweet liquid back in with the banana.

The frosting for these moist cupcakes is a simple mixture of powdery confectioners' sugar, softened butter, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon. When it is first combined, the smooth frosting will have a darker tinge to it, but as it goes round and round in the the mixer, it will begin to lighten up as it looks in our picture. The small amount of honey brought a fantastic depth and I'm sure this will sound odd, but it seemed to help cut that extra sweetness of an easy buttercream like this. That whisper of cinnamon made the transition of frosting to the very banana-flavored cupcake feel seamless as it tied the two together and yes, we did use our favorite Vietnamese cinnamon as that is the only one I keep stocked in the pantry. We both commented that the cupcakes were almost on the verge of being a muffin because of the more open texture on the inside, but I do think these are still worthy of the cupcake title with that spiced buttercream on top!

Recipes
Banana Cupcakes with Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

Another Friday night pizza...

I sense a theme happening... for the third Friday in a row, we've made pizza! I'm all for a simple cheese or pepperoni pizza, but we have really been enjoying the unusual ones like that Nectarine and Prosciutto Pizza and the Malaysian Chicken Pizza we did last week.

While tonight's pizza isn't that unusual, this un-sauced Venetian Rolled Pizza isn't your everyday pizza either. Of course, we did throw together our trusty homemade whole wheat pizza dough for this pizza, but you could certainly use your favorite dough - I know many local pizza places will even sell you their dough if you ask!

After a few pulls and presses, I tossed about a cup of mozzarella cheese over the large naked circle of dough. Paper thin strips of prosciutto are then laid on top of the cheese - I gave an ounce measurement for the prosciutto, but just use enough to cover the top in a single layer as it can get fairly salty. Hand torn leaves of tender baby spinach are sprinkled on top, along with a couple pinches of crushed red pepper. Since we follow the rule of "more cheese please", another dose of shredded mozzarella is the final addition.

When you roll this stuffed pizza up, try and keep the dough tight as you roll it, pinch the seam well at the end and gently tuck the sides under. Pay attention to that bottom seam and pinch it together well - this will ensure all of those lovely fillings stay inside and do not blow out as the dough expands in the hot oven. To crisp up the dough and give it a golden crust, while also adding a little flavor, the assembled log in rubbed with olive oil. If you are overly sensitive to salt, you may want to skip the sprinkle on top of the dough as the prosciutto has enough as is, but both of us loved that added touch. Once baked, leave the roll be for at least 10 minutes - the cheese is quite molten and the pizza roll will not slice well when pipping hot.

I loved the layered look on the inside with the lighter crust, the pinkish prosciutto and the hint of green from the spinach. My basil plants needed to be left alone since I've been picking on them so much, but I think a few fresh leaves would be a nice addition to those circular layers too. While we had the slices (probably a bit too many!) with a side salad for a main dish, you could slice these up and serve with your favorite marinara as a striking appetizer.

Recipes
Venetian Rolled Pizza

Homemade ice cream sandwiches...

When my sister and her husband came up last weekend to take a trip to the zoo with us, I wanted a cool and refreshing dessert for us to enjoy. I didn't have a ton of time to make anything because we were busy trying to get things together and clean up the house, but I didn't need much to make these Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches.

While cookies make an excellent vehicle to sandwich with ice cream, for these, we made a very thin cake that I was able to get into the oven with just a couple minutes worth of work. For a deep chocolate flavor, I used a Dutch-process cocoa powder, but since there is no leavening in this, you can switch that with natural cocoa powder without worry if that is what you have in the pantry. Being so thin, the cake cooks very fast and it is also fairly flexible, but you don't want to be too rough when working with it. I do highly suggest lining the baking pan with parchment paper to make life easier when turning it out.

Instead of making individual sandwiches at first, we made one big honkin' sandwich by slicing the cake in half (crosswise), smearing on a couple pints of softened vanilla bean ice cream on one half and then slapping the other half on top. Wrapped well in plastic wrap, we placed the assembled slab into the freezer to firm the ice cream back up until we were ready to serve it. We then sliced it into individual bars to recreate that classic shape.

And since you know that Jeff is such a big Mickey fanatic, you can just about guess what I had to do next, right? He made sure that we ran the edges of the sandwiches in these fun candy sprinkles that I had in the pantry before anyone got to take a bite.

I thought these were somewhat reminiscent of those frozen wrapped sandwiches I had growing up in the summer time with that stick-to-your-teeth cake-y layer on the outside! As I said, I used a good-quality vanilla bean ice cream for this batch, but do feel free to use whichever flavor you like. I know I want to try these again with a chocolate chip mint (swoon!) ice cream and rolling the edges in chocolate jimmies. You could even make them a little more striking by doing layers of ice cream like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry - use your imagination and have a blast!

For tonight's dinner, Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone, I changed a few things from the original recipe as I wanted to heighten the flavor a bit.

Rather than using all ground sirloin as the recipe called for, I took a cue from the last meat loaf we made and added a link of hot Italian turkey sausage into the mix. It also called for a seasoned breadcrumb, but I used a combination of panko breadcrumbs with fresh rosemary, dried oregano, dried basil, granulated garlic and crushed red pepper to season those coarse crumbs up. Also pumping up the flavor in this meat loaf are re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes, chopped onion, ketchup, fresh basil, garlic, an egg to help bind and shredded provolone cheese. I suggest keeping the onions fairly small in size - while they do get tender while baking, their texture is more firm. If you or your family is fussy about that, I suggest sautéing them (let them cool a bit too) before adding them in.

To let some of the the excess fat drain away, we shaped the meat mixture into a loaf and placed it on a broiler pan to cook. If you want to make this process quicker and ensure an even loaf, you could press the meat into a loaf pan and then flip it out onto the broiler pan - however, this does dirty another dish! When it came out of the oven, we made sure to leave it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes - this way we got clean slices that held together well. If you don't wait, it won't ruin the taste, but it may not hold together well.

The result? We loved the intensity from the sun-dried tomatoes - the breadcrumbs lightened the mixture up enough so it didn't feel like eating a burger and the sharpness from the provolone was welcome. Quite moist, I think this solidifies the fact that I will continue swapping out some of the meat with a link or two of Italian sausage (sweet or hot, depending) in future recipes as it really amped up the flavor. PS - Yes, I'm doing a little happy dance right now... guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow? Meatloaf Sandwich - I can't wait!

Recipes
Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches
Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone

Snow Pea-and-Pork Fried Rice...

Do you have a favorite method of cooking rice - especially brown rice? For the longest time, I've always just done the absorption method, usually using a ratio of a scant 2 cups water to 1 cup of rice. However, lately I've been using the pasta-style method that I read recently while browsing through a book by Alice Waters.

Basically, you bring a large pot of water to a boil, salted if desired, toss in rinsed brown rice and let it boil, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes. The water is drained away and the rice is placed back into the hot pot, tightly covered and left to steam, off heat, for about 10 minutes. I've found that 25 minutes yields rice that is firm and chewy while after 30 the rice is still chewy, just a bit more soft and tender.

The grains are consistently light, still intact and fluffy without being mushy at all - I used this method this morning so the rice had enough time to chill out in the refrigerator to make this Snow Pea-and-Pork Fried Rice for tonight's dinner.

There is one thing you want to keep in mind for stir-frys - have all your ingredients chopped and prepped before you start heating the pan because the action moves quite fast! Scrambling a couple eggs was up first. Once they were done and removed, strips of boneless pork chops that we briefly marinated in soy sauce and dry sherry were next to hit the shimmering toasted sesame oil in our skillet. Since the pork was thinly sliced, they take literally a minute or two to cook through.

Sliced onions, snow peas and a handful of chopped broccoli florets were on tap to be tossed in - after a couple minutes of rockin' and rollin', pungent fresh ginger and a couple cloves worth of minced garlic were added. The ample veggie mixture was then transferred to the plate with the pork to keep warm while we heated up another drizzle of dark sesame oil in the pan. That chilled nutty brown rice was then added to the skillet and left to sit for a minute to heat up - all the cooked ingredients were then thrown back in and tossed together to warm through. Finished with a shower of mild green onions, Jeff and I both thought this would good, but we think it could have used a little more "oomph". Maybe a little tamari or regular soy sauce at the end? I also think we should have just poured the eggs in at the end and let it scramble during the tossing process to remove a step.

Recipes
Snow Pea-and-Pork Fried Rice

Can we tempt you with these Amish Molasses-Ginger Drops?

If there was only a way I could invite you in to smell the aroma that graced our kitchen while I was making these Amish Molasses-Ginger Drops for the Weekly Wednesday Treat Day today.

While the cookies are filled with alluring spices, the dough is given a fresh twist with tiny shreds of brilliant lemon zest. To infuse those bright oils in the zest into the cookies, we borrowed a tip that we have really taken a liking too and used quite a few times now from Dorie Greenspan. The technique is to take the zest and first rub it into the sharp grains of granulated sugar, which makes an incredibly fragrant sugar - you can use the same process when a recipe calls for any zest to be added. Most recipes will just have you add any zest with the other wet ingredients, but in my opinion, this lures the essence out from the zest and is worth the extra minute or two.

While most of the sweetness comes from granulated sugar, the cookies are also given the addition of a rich, thick molasses to give them a robust background to stand up to the spicy ginger and cloves in the dough. This also has the benefit of giving the cookies an attractive burnished finish. Once the cookies had cooled from their trip in the oven, we took one more additional step to push them over the top.

Confectioners' sugar, a little softened butter and a squeeze or two from a fresh lemon are stirred together to create a gleaming white creamy frosting that we swirled on top of each cookie. To tie in with the ginger in the cookies, we thinly sliced a few rounds of crystallized ginger and placed them on the frosting, livening each up with a pleasurable sweet heat. A little crispy around the edges with a candy-like chew as you reach the center, I can see us making these moist cookies several more times, especially in the fall.

When I looked at the forecast for the week when I was menu planning, they had talked about it being quite hot and humid today (the dew points are in the 70's... aka instant-sweat if you step outside!), so I took that into account when choosing a dinner tonight. Once was bad enough, but I didn't want to reheat the house by having to turn the oven on twice in one day!

I probably should have chosen something that didn't need the stove entirely, but I did need to boil a pot of water to prepare this Soba Salad with Soy-Wasabi Vinaigrette. The good news is that this heat doesn't tend to linger like the oven does! The noodles you need for this salad are Japanese curly noodles, which you would typically find labeled as "chucka soba". Depending on the store, I've seen them in various locations from the ethnic section to the pasta section or one place even had them with Ramen noodles. The noodles cook quite fast and have a very mild flavor.

This salad is packed with vegetables such as edamame (green soybeans), crisp snow peas, tender whole baby carrots that we quartered and peppery radishes. While the radishes are kept raw for their crunch, the others are steamed just until crisp-tender, then shocked in icy water to set their color and stop any carry-over cooking. If you have a steamer than sets on top of the pan that you cook the noodles in, you could save yourself some time by pulling the noodles out with tongs and placing them into a colander to drain and rinse, rather than dumping that hot liquid. The water will come back to boil in a snap, so you can continue on with the veggies right away.

To moisten and dress this noodle salad, a combination of tangy rice vinegar, soy sauce, dark toasted sesame oil, spicy wasabi and a pungent clove of minced garlic are whisked together. If you've never had wasabi before and like things on the milder side, you might want to reduce the amount of wasabi to two teaspoons. We like things pretty hot and we both thought the wasabi could have even been bumped up a bit for our tastes. If you feel the need to add some meatiness to this veggie-filled dish, I would think some sautéed or poached shrimp (add them when cooking the noodles!) would be a nice touch.

Recipes
Amish Molasses-Ginger Drops
Soba Salad with Soy-Wasabi Vinaigrette

Sweet roasted carrots and a goat cheese frittata...

Jeff and I snack on carrots quite a bit (usually with some sort of dip), but don't have them often enough as an actual side dish at dinner. I was trying to come up with something easy to serve with the main portion of our meal tonight and decided on these Roasted Carrots with Honey.

We drizzled chunky sticks of peeled carrots with olive oil and seasoned them simply with salt and fresh ground black pepper. If you find that your carrots are especially thick, you'll want to halve them so all of the pieces cook in the same amount of time. The bright orange sticks are then roasted at a high temperature, allowing them to turn tender enough to bite through, but not so much that they are mushy. To accentuate their sweet quality, we took a dollop out of our favorite jar of fragrant orange blossom honey and let it drip down over the warm caramelized carrots.

I know a tablespoon worth of honey might not seem like much to a pound and a half of carrots, but as the sticky syrup hits the hot pan, it thins out to give each tender piece a shiny coating. With five ingredients in total, this snazzy side could be served with a variety of different main dishes and would be a good way to lure those picky eaters to try out this vegetable with its hint of sweetness.

Along with those roasted carrots, I prepared this Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Leek Frittata for tonight's dinner. Rather than using completely whole eggs for this dish, I used a combination of whole eggs that I cut with egg whites. Whenever I do this type of substitution, I always like to remain heavy on the whole eggs as their yolks give needed richness - I find that if it sways the other way, the end result is a little more spongy and a little too light. To loosen the egg mixture up, we whisked them together with just a few tablespoons of milk.

I used a large skillet, about 12" in size, to melt the butter we used to soften the leeks. If you've never worked with leeks before, you'll only want to use the bottom white and light green portions - the darker leaves are quite tough (though, how about saving them them for a batch of stock?) and shouldn't be used here. Because they grow in sandy soil, leeks can also hide a lot of grit in between their layers, so be sure to rinse them well before using them. Once the leeks were soft, we stirred sliced salty prosciutto, fresh chopped basil leaves and a handful of creamy crumbled goat cheese into the bowl of whisked eggs.

Once poured into the skillet, we kept the eggs movin' with a spatula until most of the liquid had turned into curds, yet the eggs were still wet. At this point, you'll want to smooth those curds out into an even layer and let the bottom reform a crust - we then scattered a bit more goat cheese on top and slipped the frittata under the broiler just long enough to set the center of the eggs and give a light golden finish on top. If you want to test for doneness, stick a knife into the center - it should come out clean, but the hole left behind should be slightly wet as the frittata will continue to firm up as it cools.

Even though Jeff sat at the island and watched me prepare this (and didn't say anything!), he confessed after a few bites that he was afraid this was going to be pretty bland because the volume of the rest of the ingredients compared to the eggs and egg whites didn't seem to be enough. However, he was quite surprised that those few ingredients could end up adding so much flavor! If you are using a good quality prosciutto, you don't need much to give that salty depth and a little bit of goat cheese goes a long way when crumbled and layered as in this dish. The basil gave a needed pop of freshness while the leeks added a mild onion-y flavor that complimented the dish well. I put six servings on this, but we ended up with more like four as we both couldn't resist going back for another wedge!

Recipes
Roasted Carrots with Honey
Goat Cheese, Prosciutto and Leek Frittata

Lemon-Basil Chicken with Basil Aioli...

10 new recipes were made in the kitchen this round and Jeff chose the picks this week - they were that Malaysian Chicken Pizza, Poppy Seed Doughnuts and those Chipotle Pork Burritos.

Besides keeping our basil plants under control by making batches of pesto (which freeze so well in tablespoon portions!), I'm also trying to pull out recipes from our piles that use the fresh sweet leaves while they are so handy on the deck. That is the main reason I choose this Lemon-Basil Chicken with Basil Aioli dish to make for dinner tonight!

With most recipes where you are putting herbs on a piece of meat, you are using their dried counterparts - however, this takes a turn from the norm and uses chopped fresh basil and green onions instead. Those two are brightened up with fresh lemon juice, tangy vinegar and lemon pepper. With everything being so wet, I did find it a little difficult to get the mixture to actually stick to the chicken, but in the end, most of it actually did stay put. While we were waiting on the coated chicken breasts to cook through, I started on the creamy basil Aioli.

Aioli is a combination of garlic, oil and usually an egg yolk - so, basically a flavored mayonnaise. This recipe is the same basic concept, except the flavors are blended into already prepare mayonnaise. Those flavors come from a simple combination of fresh basil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. When the chicken breasts were done and had rested a few minutes, we sliced them and served the aioli on top. The aioli was quite potent when I tasted it by itself, but when eaten with the tender slices of chicken, the two melded together well without competing with one another. To round out the meal, I decided to serve these with some buttered and lightly salted egg noodles on the side. If you don't feel like serving this with pasta, you could also use the aioli as a spread and turn this into a fantastic chicken sandwich!

Recipes
Lemon-Basil Chicken with Basil Aioli

Put those doughnut pans to work!

Do you ever get a kitchen gadget or piece of baking equipment that you can't resist the urge buy when you think of all the things you could make if you had it? I do that too often myself... just like those fancy doughnut pans I told myself I couldn't live without years ago.

I have used them maybe a total of three or four times and they mock me as I walk past the "shelf of rarely used goodies", knowing that I probably won't be picking them up today. Color them surprised when I finally reached for the pans so I could make these Poppy Seed Doughnuts!

Before I began working on the batter, I toasted a couple tablespoons worth of those blueish-grey poppy seeds to intensify their nutty flavor. For the batter, I did use a blend all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour to bump up the nutrition in these while keeping them light - however, they would work just as well with entirely all-purpose flour or even using white whole-wheat for the pastry flour part.

To moisten the batter, I used plain yogurt for the majority, along with a little tangy buttermilk and canola oil - you could use sour cream, instead of the yogurt, if you want to bump up the richness. Since lemon and poppy seeds have such an affinity for one another, a couple teaspoons of the fresh oily zest are also added in to brighten the flavor. The batter for these doughnuts is quite thick, but is still workable if you want to use a spoon to fill up the molds - however, if you just scoop it into a pastry bag, you can make short work of this process! Instead of dipping these in a sweet frosting once they are baked, we added that extra sweetness in another way. After I coated the doughnut pans with nonstick spray, we sprinkled each well with granulated sugar, which ended up being a crunchy golden finish on the baked doughnuts.

I have two pans - one for large dougnuts and one for mini's, so I split the batter between the two for fun. If you only have one pan, you can certainly bake these in two batches - just quickly clean the pan to cool it down, recoat it with nonstick spray and dust with sugar. These would also be a great excuse to bust out those decorative mini bundt pans you might have laying around! While you can't expect them to be as meltingly tender as a classic fried doughnut, for a cake doughnut, Jeff and I both quite enjoyed them. They were moist, without being wet or gummy, and those bits of poppy seeds peppered throughout each brought a pleasing textural crunch. Neither of us missed a glaze as that sugary topping was the perfect ending note.

Recipes

Poppy Seed Doughnuts

Malaysian Chicken Pizza...

You know, I think I could really get used to this. Last Friday we had that unusual, but delicious, Nectarine and Prosciutto Pizza - I decided to follow that up this week with a Malaysian Chicken Pizza recipe we came across. Saturday night has always been our plain 'ol chicken and greens salad night, so maybe we'll have to start making Friday pizza night!

As usual, I used our favorite whole-wheat pizza dough recipe that has become such a staple, though, this time I made the 12 ounce variation. The directions are the same, but the ingredients have been slightly scaled down - you'll find those if you scroll down a bit on that page. Once I had gotten the dough together, I started sautéing a couple chicken breasts that I chopped into small chunks. After they had caramelized, I moved them to a plate and added quite the list of ingredients to create a sweet and quite tangy barbecue-esque sauce. Rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, natural peanut butter and a few flakes of crushed red pepper are brought to a boil and cooked until the liquids begin to thicken. The almost-done pieces of chicken are returned and allowed to cook through - at this point, the sauce should be thick and a little syrup-y; if it looks a little too loose, allow it to bubble away a bit more.

A combination of nutty Swiss cheese and shreds of mozzarella are actually scattered first over the rolled out dough. This is to keep them from turning too brown as the pizza is cooked at a roasting 500 degrees, without pre-baking the crust. When you go to add the sauce with the pieces of chicken, just distribute out the pieces of chicken and then dribble the sauce as evenly as you can. You do not have to worry about getting the sauce smooth and completely even over the entire surface - as the pizza cooks, you'll see that those dribbles of sweet sauce will begin to bubble and fuse together. This is why you let the sauce thicken before you add it to the pizza - if it is too thin, it might bubble over the crust and onto the bottom of the oven. Not a good thing!

Right as the pizza came out with its crisp crust, we sprinkled the surface with sliced greens onions and let it rest a few minutes as that sauce on top was molten from the rich brown sugar. When I was making the sauce, I thought that the amount of vinegar seemed like a lot, but I didn't notice the finished product being harsh or vinegar-y at all. In fact, I was a little taken aback by the sweetness, but the savory soy, garlic and crushed red pepper kept it from being cloying and distracting. The peanut butter took a back seat to the rest of the flavors, but it definitely helped with the texture while the fresh ginger left a lovely lingering bite in the background.

Recipes
Malaysian Chicken Pizza

Spoiling Max with homeamde Banana-Carob "Pup"scotti...

Max made sure to let me know bright and early this morning that someone has been without any homemade treats for a couple days! How could one resist this face?

We have done a lot of cut-out treats lately, so this time I wanted to do something a little different and came up with these Banana-Carob "Pup"scotti.

I used a mixture of whole-wheat, rye and oat flour for the dry ingredients - I know that oat flour may not be the easiest ingredient to find, but I stopped looking a long time ago and just make my own. How? Just toss dry oats into a spice grinder and let 'er rip until it is pretty fine in texture - you could also use a blender or food processor. If you wanted to intensify the nutty flavor found in the oats for a recipe you might be making for yourself, you could also toast the oats and let them cool before grinding. To make these a little more tempting, I also chopped up a few peanuts and added them in.

Mashed banana is the main moisture component, however to still give them a decent texture and add a little healthy fat, a couple tablespoons of canola oil is added. If the dough seems a little on the dry side when you combine the wet and dry ingredients, don't be afraid to sprinkle on some water to get it to come together. When you dump it out onto your counter and start working with it, you want it to be just tacky to the touch, but not overly wet or so dry it won't hold together - just add a little more flour or water if needed. Since I didn't want the biscotti too wide or long after slicing, I divided the dough in half.

Before I rolled each piece into logs, I wanted to make one half extra special and reached into a bag of carob chips to toss in about 2 tablespoons worth. You can also add 1/4 cup to the whole batch or just leave them out entirely - just don't substitute real chocolate as that it not safe for dogs. Treat these just like any ordinary biscotti - bake until they are firm to the touch, let them cool slightly and then slice. I usually slice my biscotti on the diagonal, however since I didn't want them to be too large, I sliced the logs crosswise to not increase their length. The time for the second bake will vary as it depends on how thick you slice them - you want them to be golden and just slightly soft in the center as they will continue to crisp up as they cool. I couldn't tell you for sure which one Max enjoyed the most, but I can say that he snarfed both of them down, which means he gives them 2 paws up!

Jeff, unfortunately, isn't the biggest fan of blue cheese, but I'm working on him to try and and change his mind! Don't get me wrong, he doesn't hate it, but he doesn't get nearly excited about it as I do. I picked this Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Plums to try out tonight because if he didn't end up liking the plums, he would still have plenty of food free of blue cheese on his plate!

Starting a couple hours before I wanted to grill the lean tenderloin, I made a rub of fresh rosemary, licorice-y fennel seeds, coriander seeds along with salt and fresh ground black pepper. If you don't happen to have a spice grinder handy to make this, you could just mash those ingredients together in a mortar and pestle. If you don't have one of those handy, just crack the seeds with the bottom of a heavy skillet, finely chop the rosemary and rub everything together with your fingers. I rubbed this onto the pork, wrapped it up tight in plastic wrap and let it chill out for a bit.

While the meat was resting, we halved the plums, removed their pits and gave them a light bath in olive oil. We then grilled them, cut side down, to caramelize their sugary surface - as soon as they were done, I scattered the tops with the piquant crumbles of blue cheese. The warmth from the plums warms up the cheese, melting it ever-so-slightly, allowing it's flavor to bloom. The pork was tender and juicy with the fragrant rub making itself well present, without making the meat seem too earthy. I liked taking a slice of the of the plum/cheese mixture and eating it with a bite of the pork - the combination of savory, salty and sweet lived up to its expectations. I looked over to check and see how Jeff was making out and much to my surprise, the plums were gone before he finished his slices of tenderloin! Score! I see more blue cheese dishes in our future.

Recipes
Banana-Carob "Pup"scotti
Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Plums