Off The Shelf: Breakfasts & Brunches

On review this week is the Culinary Institute of America's Breakfasts & Brunches. This 248-page book is filled with 175 recipes to inspire you to delicious breakfasts and brunches. There are nine chapters in the book:

1. Breakfast and Brunch: and introduction with essential information and helpful ideas on planning your event.

2. Breakfast and Brunch Drinks: everything from hot coffees and chocolate to lemonades, and alcoholic drinks appropriate for morning fare.

3. Muffins, Quick Breads, and Coffee Cakes: think raspberry muffins with pecan streusel, cheddar and thyme muffins, honey almond crumb cake, angel biscuits, soda bread, and cream scones.

4. Sweet and Savory Breads and Pastries: the many options include cinnamon rolls with apricot glaze, brioche loaf, cherry cheese baskets, cheese pockets, bear claws, and chocolate biscotti.

5. Pancakes, Waffles & Crepes: blueberry pancakes, buckwheat blinis with apple butter, corn and scallion pancakes, french toast with orange sauce and raised waffles are just some of the options in this chapter.

6. Eggs: It's always fun to try something new with eggs and there are some terrific looking recipes such as huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, orange and cherry bread and butter pudding, and caramelized onion quiche.

7. Grains & Legumes: this includes garlic cheese grits, polenta with mushroom ragu, cream of wheat with orange and pistachios, kasha with spicy maple pecans, wild and brown rice with cranberries, couscous salad with curried vegetables, and granola parfait.

8. Meats, Fish & Potatoes: the book gets down to some serious breakfasts with ham steaks and redeye gravy, broiled sirloin with sauteed mushrooms, poached salmon with hollandaise sauce, and corned beef hash.

9. Soups, Salads, and Small Bites: cold strawberry soup, tropical fruit salad, mushrooms, beets, and baby greens, apple sandwiches with curry mayonnaise, and gougeres all sound tempting!

I decided to try something out of the ordinary -- the Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Pizza. Although it sounded a bit strange to pour beaten eggs over a pizza crust, the results were delicious and an ingenious way to serve pizza for breakfast. I didn't have any chorizo, but I did have ham and so adjusted the toppings to suit the tastes of my family and the availability in my refrigerator! You can do the same.



CHORIZO AND EGG BREAKFAST PIZZA
(adapted from the Culinary Institute of America's Breakfast & Brunches)
Print this recipe

Dough:
3 1/2 cups bread flour (can use part whole wheat)
1/2 cup semolina or durum flour (if you don't have this, use more bread flour)
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt

Pizza:
1/2 pound Mexican Chorizo
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips
3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt, or as needed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or as needed
4 large eggs
1 cup shredded Manchego cheese or sharp cheddar

To make the dough:

Combine the warm water, olive oil, salt and yeast in a bowl. Gradually add in the flour until you reach a good consistency for the dough. You may need more or less flour than called for. Dump the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Grease a bowl and lay the dough inside to rise. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled -- about an hour.

If you want to make your dough ahead of time you can place it in the fridge after kneading and leave it overnight or for up to two days.

Once risen, punch dough down and spread on a greased baking sheet.

To make pizza:

Preheat the oven to 425F. If I have used whole wheat flour, I like to partially bake my pizza dough before adding the toppings. I bake it for about 8-10 minutes.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, saute the chorizo, stirring frequently, until cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove the chorizo from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper toweling. Sprinkle the chorizo over the pizza, followed by the black beans, red pepper and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl mix the eggs together with a fork and pour evenly over the pizza, being careful not to pour the eggs too near the edges. Top with the cheese. Bake the pizza until the edges are golden and the eggs are full cooked, 15-18 minutes. Cut into squares or wedges and serve hot or warm.

Holidays: Easter Dessert

I just love that cupcakes are so popular these days. The delicious, sweet, mini cakes make a beautiful presentation and are perfect for holidays, birthdays, company, dessert buffets, and more. Today I'm sharing two recipes for homemade cupcakes.



These key lime cupcakes are amazing. If you only make one of these recipes, make these. They are fabulous! I think they are probably my most favorite cupcake ever.


KEY LIME COCONUT CUPCAKES w/WHITE CHOCOLATE LIME FROSTING
(adapted slightly from foodnetwork.com)
Print This Recipe

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 heaping tsp. grated key lime zest
2 Tb. key lime juice (I used  freshly squeezed)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 1/3 c. loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes

White Chocolate Lime Frosting:
5 oz. white chocolate (I used Baker's)
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
3 1/2 - 4 c. powdered sugar
Pinch salt
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tb. key lime juice (I used freshly squeezed)
1/4 c. sour cream
Finely grated key lime zest, for garnish
Shredded, sweetened coconut, for garnish
White chocolate, grated, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Using an mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner 3/4 full. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely. Makes 14 cupcakes.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, using a hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated. Pipe icing on to the cupcakes and garnish with sweetened, shredded coconut, shaved white chocolate, and grated lime zest.

These vanilla cupcakes were moist and delicious! I used a simple vanilla buttercream to frost them and topped them with a white chocolate covered strawberry. My kids decorated their cupcakes with spring colored sprinkles.



VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from foodnetwork.com)
Print This Recipe

1 3/4 c. cake flour
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 Tb. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, cut into cubes
4 eggs
1 c. whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.

Combine in a bowl both flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix on low speed until combined for about 3 minutes. Add in cubed butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

Add eggs 1 at a time until combined. Slowly add milk and vanilla to batter until completely mixed scraping down the bowl as you mix.

Scoop batter into baking cups filling about 2/3-3/4  full. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Frost with your favorite icing. I made buttercream.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1/2 c. butter, melted
4-5 c. powdered sugar
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
milk - to reach desired consistency

Combine all with a hand mixer. Add food coloring if desired. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Market Fresh: Asparagus

Now that spring is here we can look forward to one of the very first fruits from the garden: asparagus! Asparagus ranks very high on my list of favorite vegetables and each spring I buy as much as we can possibly eat, desperate to enjoy this delicacy while it lasts.



I believe it is thanks to my grandmother and my aunts and uncles and parents that I actually like asparagus. As a child, I watched as my grandmother picked the tender asparagus shoots from her garden and the adult relatives raved over the incredible taste as they dipped the steamed stems in butter and popped them in their mouths. Positive peer pressure took effect and I decided I should learn to eat this vegetable.

Fortunately, my husband enjoys asparagus as much as I do and between us we can eat an entire bunch at one meal. I'm an all out fan of the fat stalks versus the thin ones. The silky, custard-like centers of the fat spears have won me over.

It was too hard for me to choose just one recipe to post here. There are so many options with asparagus: salad, soup, steamed, roasted, stir-fried. Here are some ideas:



ASPARAGUS WITH SMASHED MINT AND LEMON BUTTER
(adapted from Jamie At Home)
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1 bunch asparagus
2 small handfuls mint leaves
salt & pepper
1/2 cup butter (I used less)
1 lemon

Steam the asparagus. Meanwhile, smash up the mint in a pestle and mortar until you have a pulp, and gently melt the butter with some salt and pepper in a frying pan. Add the mint pulp and the juice of one lemon. Stir together and when it's slowly bubbling, remove from the heat. Pour the mint and lemon butter over the steamed asparagus and garnish with a few mint leaves.

NOTE: Jamie suggested using white asparagus for this dish. I didn't have any available so used green.



If you have never tried roasted asparagus, please do! It's such a delightful, and different, way to enjoy this vegetable. The trick is the right length of time -- you want the asparagus to cook through and gently brown but you don't want to overcook it. Just keep an eye on it and use the freshest possible spears.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH OLIVE OIL, LEMON AND PARMESAN
(greatly adapted from Jamie At Home)
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1 bunch asparagus
lemon juice
olive oil
salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese, shaved

Preheat the oven to 400F. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until desired doneness is reached. Place on a plate and drizzle over the lemon juice and sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: Jamie originally suggested grilling asparagus in a grill pan. If you want to try this, heat a large griddle pan and dry-grill the asparagus spears on both sides until nicely marked. Once cooked, dress with lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper, and Parmesan cheese.



STEAMED ASPARAGUS WITH FRENCH VINAIGRETTE
(adapted from Jamie At Home)
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1 bunch asparagus
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. red or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. white wine or water
salt & pepper
chevril, flat-leaf parsley, mint, basil or lemon zest

Steam the asparagus. Meanwhile, whisk up the mustard, olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Add the white wine or water if you feel it needs to be thinner. Season with salt and pepper. If you are using lemon zest, add this to the vinaigrette. Poor the vinaigrette over the steamed asparagus and sprinkle with freshly chopped herbs.



This recipe was by far my favorite. Alaina and I ate a bunch of this one day for lunch and neither one of us could stop eating it until it was gone. Unfortunately, the asparagus I had was not very fresh, and that is why it turned yellow upon roasting. Imagine how delightful it would be with the freshest spears!

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH GINGER AND ORANGE
(adapted from Southern Living)
Print this recipe

1 bunch asparagus
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Spread cleaned and trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over asparagus. Mix to coat spears well. Bake for 15 minutes or until desired tenderness and crispiness is reached.

Weekend Fare: Chicken Dinner

Well, life has been a little unexpected of late. If you know me in real life, you know that I filled our house with smoke last weekend making chicken stock overnight and you know that as a result, we are not living at our house for the next 2-4 weeks. And if you don't know me, you are now caught up - it's been an adventure. So, it was a bit ironic that I roasted a chicken for this edition of weekend fare. A few jokes were made and I watched that chicken as if my life depended on it. It turned out great and everyone declared it delicious! It has a lovely hint of garlic and lemon.



ROASTED CHICKEN

1 - 4-5lb. whole chicken
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
Salt & Pepper

Rinse chicken and clean out. Pat dry. Remove skin if desired (I did). Rub cut cloves garlic all over chicken. Squeeze lemon all over and put garlic cloves and lemon inside the chicken. Rub with salt and pepper. Roast in a pan on a rack at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes per pound or until juices run clear. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.



We enjoyed this with sides of baked sweet potato (I put these in when the chicken had about an hour left), hot, buttered peas, and a vegetable salad w/honey mustard vinaigrette (recipe below).



HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
2 Tb. white wine vinegar
4 Tb. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Whisk together to emulsify the vinegar and oil. Drizzle on salad and enjoy!

Kids in the Kitchen: Applesauce Cake

My boys love it when I invite them to help make something in the kitchen. Their eyes light up as they eagerly scrub their hands and get ready to help. They generally get along well and bend over backwards to take turns. I think cooking with kids is a great way to build relationships, teach skills, and create appreciation for all that goes into food preparation. And we always have a great time!


This cake was so fun - it's all mixed up in the pan so both of the boys had a chance to stir it.


They were so proud of their handiwork and they really liked eating this cake, too!



CRAZY APPLESAUCE CAKE

1 1/2 c. flour (white or whole wheat)
1/3 c. sugar or honey
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. applesauce
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (we used pecans)

Mix dry ingredients in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Add the wet ingredients and stir with a fork until combined. Stir in the raisins and nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool and serve.

This is wonderful as is or you could dress it up with a soft whipped cream (add a little cinnamon and sugar) or for an adult dessert, a rum sauce.

Off The Shelf: Jamie's Food Revolution

I am so excited about Jamie Oliver's latest book Jamie's Food Revolution. Not only do I like the fact that in this book Jamie wants to help people learn to cook good meals for themselves, but I feel this cookbook has more practical recipes that I would actually make than any of his other books.

Jamie Oliver is a food legend in the UK who has written nine cookbooks now and hosted numerous cooking series on television. His newest television series "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution", filmed here in America, is set to debut this Friday on ABC. The premise of this latest cookbook and the new television series is basically the same: learn to cook fresh, delicious, and balanced meals and thereby revolutionize your life and health.

This cookbooks is broken down into 14 chapters which include: Twenty-Minute Meals, Quick Pasta, Tasty Stir-Fries, Easy Curries, Lovin' Salads, Simple Soups, Homely Ground Beef, Comforting Stews, Family Roast Dinners, Delish Veggies, Classic Fish, Kick-Start Breakfasts, and Sweet Things.

As always, Jamie's cookbook is filled with mouth-watering pictures and easy-to-read recipes. Here are some of the recipes I want to try: Chicken and Leek Stroganoff, Asian Chicken Noodle Broth, Chicken Korma, Evolution Cucumber Salad, Meatballs and Pasta, Basic Stew with Four Variations, Broccoli with Asian Dressing, Braised Bacon Cabbage, Kedgeree, and Fruit Scones.

I chose to try Jamie's Chicken Tikka Masala which came out full of flavor and very delicious. My children even voted this a good meal! I couldn't find tikka masala paste anywhere, so I had to make Jamie's own, which I was glad I did -- it wasn't as complicated as it sounded and the taste was terrific.



CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
(Jamie's Food Revolution)
Print this recipe

4 skinless chicken breast fillets, preferable free-range or organic
2 medium onions
1 fresh red chile (I left this out for my family)
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
a small bunch of fresh cilantro
peanut or vegetable oil
a pat of butter
1/2 cup tikka masala or mild curry paste, such as Patak's, or Jamie's tikka masala paste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
1 cup natural yogurt
a small handful of sliced almonds
1 lemon

Slice the chicken breasts lengthways into 3/4-inch-thick strips. Peel, halve, and finely slice the onions. Finely slice your chile. Peel and finely slice the ginger. Pick the cilantro leaves and put to one side, then finely chop the stalks.

Put a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat and add a couple of lugs of oil and the butter. Add the onions, chile, ginger, and cilantro stalks and cook for 10 minutes, until softened and golden. Add the curry paste and the strips of chicken. Stir well to coat everything with the paste and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Fill one of the empty cans with water, pour into the pan, and stir again. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on. Check the curry regularly to make sure it's not drying out and add extra water if necessary. When the meat is tender and cooked, taste and add a bit more salt and pepper -- please season carefully.

This will be fantastic served with rice and a few spoonfuls of yogurt dolloped on top. Sprinkle over the almonds and cilantro leaves and serve with some lemon wedges for squeezing over. And a little lemon-dressed green salad would round it off.

Serves 4-6.

JAMIE'S TIKKA MASALA PASTE

2 cloves garlic
a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbsp. peanut oil
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 fresh red chiles (I left this out for my family)
a small bunch of cilantro
1 Tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp. almond flour

Spices for toasting: 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 1 tsp. coriander seeds

First peel the garlic and ginger. Put a frying pan on a medium to high heat and add the spices for toasting to the dry pan. Lightly toast them for a few minutes until golden brown and smelling delicious, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind until fine, or put them into a food processor and whiz to a powder. Either way, when you've ground them whiz the toasted spices in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients until you have a smooth paste.

Simple Supper: Meatballs for the Freezer

It's always nice to have something in the freezer that can be pulled out and turned into dinner quickly. Meatballs are a great option to have stashed in your freezer. You can make a big batch at once and freeze them in dinner-sized portions. And, you don't need to limit yourself to spaghetti and meatballs when you do pull them out. Think beyond spaghetti sauce to sweet and sour meatballs with stir-fried peppers over rice, meatball sandwiches, meatballs in brown gravy over mashed potatoes, barbecue meatballs, meatball stroganoff, and meatballs tossed with pasta, cheese and roasted veg.



FREEZER MEATBALLS
(Heather)
Print this recipe

1 pound ground beef
1 egg
1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (to make gluten-free use gluten-free oatmeal or crumbs made from gluten-free bread)
3 Tbsp. dried minced onion (or you can use 1/4-1/2 cup fresh minced onion)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix. This is usually best done with your hands. I often make 3-5 pounds of meat at once, just multiplying each ingredient by whatever number of pounds of ground beef I have.

Line baking sheets with foil and place meatballs on top. I use a cookie scoop to scoop out one to one and a half inch meatballs. Bake the meatballs at 350F for about 15 minutes or until cooked through. Allow to cool. Freeze or enjoy right away.

I usually plan on a pound of ground beef per meatball meal for my family of 6.

Market Fresh: Peas

Spring is here! And with the arrival of this season, gardens will be planted and early vegetables will soon be ready for harvest. We enjoy peas so much - fresh from the garden, we will eat them raw. The bursting pea pods are a beautiful green and the round peas that come tumbling out of the pods are stunning. In the winter, I keep the freezer stocked with frozen peas (we don't care for canned at all). So today, I'm sharing the simple ways that we enjoy peas.



PEAS

1 lb. fresh peas, shelled (or frozen)
2 tsp. butter
salt & pepper to taste
fresh mint (opt.), chopped (or another herb like chives)

Cook the peas in 1/2 c. water until tender. Drain. Add butter and gently toss until melted. Season to taste. Garnish with fresh mint if desired. Serve hot - add a small pat of butter to the top for presentation.

We also very much enjoy chilled peas or fresh-from-the-garden (or Farmer's Market) peas as a salad topping or as a simple salad of peas, onions, herbs, and a creamy dressing. They are wonderful in pasta salad or on any lettuce salad - especially when we top it with other vegetables.

Weekend Fare: Reuben & Oven Fries

I know, I know, I just gave you a whole post on grilled sandwiches but since we just celebrated St. Patrick's day and corned beef was a pretty good deal, I couldn't help but share this recipe. We grew up enjoying reubens - my mom made her rye bread from scratch and we couldn't get enough of the sauerkraut, swiss, and corned beef combo. It has even been a birthday favorite! I made  my rye bread from scratch for these but we won't talk about that since I was not very happy with it. And perhaps it should be noted that I am mostly German - I was born liking sauerkraut.



REUBENS
Rye bread, sliced
Butter
Saurkraut, drained
Corned beef, cooked & sliced*
Thousand Island dressing (you can make your own - 1 c. mayo, 1/4 c. ketchup, 1/4 c. sweet relish combined)
Swiss Cheese slices

Butter the outside of the bread and layer meat, saurkraut, dressing, and cheese. Grill over medium high heat until golden and cheese is melted.

*I cooked the corned beef on high for 4-5 hours in my crockpot (until tender) with the seasoning packet and half a can of Guinness. Delicious!  

We also regularly enjoyed oven fries growing up. They are quick and easy and so much healthier than the fried version. You can also make them with sweet potatoes which I LOVE! 

OVEN FRIES
1 1/2-2 potatoes/person
1 tsp. olive oil/person
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into desired size and shape (I cut mine into long skinny fries). Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Tea Time: Spring Tea

Finding myself newly married, enduring my first gray Pittsburgh winter, and holed up in a tiny second-floor apartment surrounded by concrete, I decided to invent a family tradition: tea on the first day of spring. I can't remember what the menu was for that first tea, but I remember spending a good bit of time preparing and then pulling out the teacups for my husband and I to enjoy the feast together.



Over the years our tea has changed. Many years it is now just the children and I who partake as my husband might be busy with work. One year I was too sick to bake anything and I think we had to buy a baked good to enjoy. Two things are now absolute tradition: we use the early spring flowers embroidered tablecloth I found one day in a secondhand shop and we always have strawberries. On the day of spring tea I don't care that strawberries are out of season and taste like watery styrofoam. They are a harbinger of things to come and that's what our spring tea is all about.



CREAM FILLED STRAWBERRIES
(Heather)
Print this recipe

2 pounds strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
chocolate to decorate (optional)

Wash strawberries. Cut a tiny bit off the bottom of each berry so it can stand on a plate. Cut the green leaves off the top and, using a strawberry huller or small melon baller, gouge out a bit of the inside of the strawberry.

Soften the cream cheese and beat in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the heavy whipping cream and sugar as well as lemon zest if using. Beat until the cream and cream cheese combine and thicken. Transfer cream cheese mixture to a piping bag and pipe into the strawberries. Refrigerate if not eating immediately. Optionally, you can add a flake of chocolate to the top of each strawberry.

Off The Shelf: The Essential Tea Companion

The Essential Tea Companion is a gorgeous little book published by the makers of Victoria Magazine. It is exactly the kind of book you want to flip through and think thoughts of spring, tea, and friendship. Photos grace each page spread and give you a feast for your eyes while at the same time telling you how to create an edible feast for yourself and your friends.

The book is divided into five sections: Getting Acquainted with Tea, Making Time for Tea, Tea and Special Occasions, More Delightful Recipes for Tea and Treats, and Resources. Sprinkled throughout the book are the recipes, which include: Raisin and Nut Scones, Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwiches, Poppy Seed Jam Tarts, Honey Tea Sandwiches, Butter Sponge Cake, Rose Petal Scones, and Lemon Thyme Bread to name just a few.

I chose to try the Cucumber Sandwiches with Mint Butter. The recipe seemed a perfect thing to serve in spring and I couldn't help but add a bit of lemon zest to the mint butter since lemon pepper is one of my favorite companions to cucumbers. The result was very refreshing.



CUCUMBER SANDWICHES WITH MINT BUTTER
(The Essential Tea Companion)
Print this recipe

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped
8 very thin slices white bread, crusts removed (I used a White Wholegrain loaf from Pepperidge Farms)
1/2 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced (I prefer the English cucumber for this sandwich)
1/2 to 1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
freshly grated pepper (optional)

Burnet sprigs and ripe black olives (optional)

In a small bowl, combine butter, mint and lemon zest along with the pepper if you are using that. Spread the mint butter on the bread slices. Lay the cucumbers on four of the slices and top with the remaining bread to make four sandwiches. Cut in half diagonally and then in half again. Or, cut into three long rectangles. Just before serving, garnish the sandwiches with burnet sprigs and olives, if desired.

Baker's Delight: Pear Tart

It's getting towards the end of winter and I'm getting anxious for summer fruits! It's the perfect time to finish using up your canned and frozen fruits which would be great in this recipe. Today, I'm using fresh pears. This is absolutely one of our favorite desserts. I made this when we were first married and it's continued to make a regular appearance. I usually make it with canned, fresh, or frozen peaches and that's still my favorite way but this is really good!



PEAR TART
Print This Recipe

3 Tb. butter, melted
3/4 c. plus 1 Tb. sugar, divided
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. finely chopped pecans
1 package (8 oz.) regular or reduced-fat cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1 large pear, cored and thinly sliced (you can peel if you want)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a tart pan with removable bottom (about an 8-9 inch tart pan). In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to combine melted butter, 1/2 c. of sugar, flour and nuts until crumbly. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the fluted tart pan.

In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/4 c. sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon; spread over the crust. Arrange pears over cream cheese mixture. Combine the remaining 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 Tb. of sugar; sprinkle over pears.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 min. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake 15-20 min. longer or until filling is set. Cool for 1 hr. on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs. before serving. Remove sides of pan and slice. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Tea Cozy Winner!

Congratulations to Margaret of Tea & Scones for winning the tea cozy! She said, "I learned to drink tea when I was just a kid in England. Now I drink lots of tea, but my favorite is Chai masala. But Lady Jane Grey is a close second." She is also a twitter follower.

My husband drew your name out of the hat, Margaret - hope you enjoy! I'll e-mail you to get your address.

Market Fresh: Spring Salad Mix

It's nearly spring! After a month of snow in February and not even a hint of warmer weather to come, it's nice to have March here with its promise of spring -- if not in real life, at least on the calendar!

Spring Salad Mix, while something we can buy year round at the grocery store, is about to be coming into its own at the local farmer's market and before long in our own gardens!



Here are some ideas for creating some terrific salads:

SPRING SALAD MIX SALADS AND DRESSINGS
(Heather)
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Spring salad mix

Choose a fruit:
apple
strawberries
pears
Asian pear
grapefruit
mandarin oranges
dried cranberries or cherries or blueberries
peaches
nectarines
plums
avocado

Choose something crunchy:
toasted pecans
walnuts
hazelnuts
slivered almonds
pumpkin seeds
crumbled bacon
sunflower seeds
croutons
pine nuts

Choose a cheese:
slivered Parmesan
crumbled feta
crumbled blue cheese

Choose a dressing:
Creamy
Applesauce
Lemon & Oil

Place your spring mix into a salad bowl. Add the fruit, something crunchy, and cheese of your choice. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

CREAMY SPRING SALAD DRESSING
(adapted from Jacques Pepin)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1-2 Tbsp. water
salt & pepper

Whisk the cream in a bowl until it is frothy. Add the red wine vinegar and give a few more whisks. The cream will thicken. Add water to make the dressing the desired consistency (i.e. not so thick). Add salt and pepper to taste and pour over salad. This amount works for a salad to serve about 4.

APPLESAUCE SALAD DRESSING
(as given to me by my friend Carla)

1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 green onions, sliced (include a little bit of green)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and whizz until well-blended.

LEMON AND OIL DRESSING
(Heather)

1 part lemon juice
2 parts canola oil
salt & pepper

I squeeze the lemon juice into a small glass jar, add the oil, salt and pepper and place the lid on the jar. Shake vigorously and pour onto salad. This is my most-used salad dressing.

Weekend Fare: Irish Feast

These Irish recipes are simple, traditional, and great for weekend cooking or for your St. Patrick's Day celebration!


CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE*
(Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
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2- to 2-1/2-lb. corned beef brisket
1  tsp. whole black pepper*
2  bay leaves*
4  med. potatoes, peeled & quartered
5 med. carrots, peeled & quartered
2 med.- lg. onion, cut into 6 wedges
1 sm. cabbage, cut into 6 wedges
Salt and black pepper (optional)

Trim fat from meat. Place in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven; add juices and spices from package of corned beef. (*Add pepper and bay leaves if your brisket doesn't come with an additional packet of spices.) Add enough water to cover meat. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 2 hours or until almost tender.

Add potatoes, carrots, and onion to meat. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 min. Add cabbage. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 min. more or until tender. Discard bay leaves. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter. If desired, season to taste with salt and black pepper and serve with horseradish or mustard. Makes about 6 servings.

*You can use a larger piece of meat and more vegetables, just add the seasonings listed in addition to the packet included in the meat.

This homemade horseradish sauce made the meal! So delicious and so easy!

HORSERADISH SAUCE
(Recipe from Food Network Kitchens)
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3/4 c. mayonnaise
3/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. plus 2 Tb. jarred grated horseradish (with liquid)
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, zest, and 2 teaspoons salt. Season generously with pepper to taste. Refrigerate the horseradish sauce for at least 30 min. before serving.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

This bread is amazing! So moist and flavorful. It does not have a strong beer flavor - simply wonderful. We especially liked it warm with a little butter.
GUINNESS BREAD
(Recipe adapted slightly from allrecipes.com)
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1 c. regular rolled oats, plus 1-2 Tb. additional
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. melted butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk
1 (12 oz.) can or bottle Guinness® beer

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.

Mix together the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, stir together the butter, vanilla, buttermilk, and Guinness® beer. Pour the flour mixture into the beer mixture, and gently stir until well blended. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle with additional oats.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 min., then turn the temperature down to 400 degrees F and bake for an additional 10-15 min. until knife inserted comes out clean and top is a dark golden brown. Allow to cool for 30 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

This cake calls for 2 lbs. of raisins and makes a HUGE cake. I didn't have whisky on hand, so went without - really, it would be better with! It would make it so moist and wonderful! I also think a lemon sauce or creme fraiche or even freshed whipped cream would have been so delicious with it.



IRISH RAISIN CAKE
(Recipe from Food Network - Ann Rafferty)
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2 1/2 c. of buttermilk
2 c. of sugar
5 c. of flour
2 sticks of butter
5 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. baking soda
Dash of salt
1 (16-oz box) of brown raisins
1 (16-oz) box of golden raisins
1/2 c. whiskey, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a Dutch Oven. Cream sugar and butter in large bowl. Add in eggs one at a time. Add seasonings. Mix baking soda into the buttermilk. Alternate adding flour, buttermilk and raisins into mix. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. in covered Dutch Oven (I baked mine in a greased, covered family size skillet - not cast iron - and it took about 1 1/2 hrs. Cake is finished when knife inserted into middle comes out clean.

Optional- pour 1/2 cup of whiskey over cake immediately after removing from oven. Cake is best when cut after a few days.

Bread Basket: Irish Soda Bread

There are a few foods that jump immediately to mind when one thinks "St. Patrick's Day." Irish Soda Bread is one such recipe. With just four basic ingredients (five if you add currants or raisins), this bread is simple to make and really delicious to eat. The only thing to remember: soda bread goes stale and hard in a matter of hours. It's best to enjoy this bread warm from the oven, within a few hours of baking.



IRISH SODA BREAD
(Baking with Julia)
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4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk mixed with 2 Tbsp. vinegar)

1 cup raisins, currants, or diced dried fruits (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease an 8-inch glass pie plate or a baking sheet.

Put the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a fork to blend. Add the buttermilk and stir vigorously until the dough comes together. Add dried fruit if using.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently for a minute. The dough will be soft and malleable, but, tantalizing as it is, it should not be overworked. Pat the dough into a disk about 6 inches across, slash an X across the top, cutting it about 1/2-inch deep, and place the dough in the greased pan or on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the slash has widened and the bread is golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, then slice or wrap in a moist towel until ready to serve. Allow the bread to cool completely before serving.

The bread can be kept for a few hours, wrapped and at room temperature, but by the end of the day, with just the wee bit of fat that's in the buttermilk, it will turn hard as the Blarney Stone.

Makes 1 loaf.

Off The Shelf: Irish Cookbooks

Margaret M. Johnson has put together several beautiful cookbooks, all with an Irish theme. Each cookbook is full of photographs of the Irish countryside along with mouthwatering pictures of the recipes. If you are at all interested in Ireland, or Irish food, these are a must-see from your local library.

The first of the three books is Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles and Fools: 80 Glorious Desserts. This book features recipes such as Bread and Butter Pudding, Queen of Puddings, Steel Cut Oat Pudding, Sticky Toffee Sponge Pudding, Rhubarb Tarte Tatin, Plum Tart with Oatmeal Crust, Blackberry-Almond Crumble Cake, Apple Fool, Lemon Syllabub, Lemon-Ginger Scones, and Christmas Pudding Ice-cream.

I tried the Pear and Ginger Crumble which I found to be quite delicious. The aromatic yet delicate pears went perfectly with the sharp bite of crystallized ginger and, topped with a crumbly topping,  made for a very "more-ish" dessert.



PEAR AND GINGER CRUMBLE
(Irish Puddings, Tart, Crumbles, and Fools)
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Filling:
3 pounds Bartlett or Anjou pears, peeled, cored and sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. minced crystallized ginger chips
1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 c. quick cooking (not instant) Irish oatmeal (I used regular, quick cooking oats)
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the pears and lemon juice. Stir in the sugar, crystallized ginger, and flour. Spoon into the prepared pan.

Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter, and stir with a fork until moist clumps form. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the pears are tender. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream, if you like.

Serves 6-8.

The Irish Pub Cookbook gives recipes for the kind of heart-warming food you would find in a typical Irish Pub. Chapters include: Starters, Soups, Salads, Hot Pots Meat Pies & Savory Tarts, Meat & Potatoes, Seafood, and Sweets.

I found many of the recipes tempting; Salmon Cakes with Dill and Wine Sauce, Parsnip and Apple Soup, Bacon, Blue Cheese and Courgette Soup, Bibb, Bacon and Apple Salad, Ploughman's Lunch, Guinness Beef Stew, Bacon and Cabbage, Irish Cream Cheesecake, and Irish Chocolate Cake.

I tried the Farmhouse Vegetable Soup which was delicious and down-to-earth with a distinct taste of parsnips.



FARMHOUSE VEGETABLE SOUP
(The Irish Pub Cookbook)
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4 Tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 leeks (white parts only), washed and sliced
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup half and half
3 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper

In a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and leeks, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Add the parsnips, potatoes, carrots and stock or broth, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer the soup to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (Or puree in the pot with an immersion blender.) Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the half-and-half, and season with parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer until heated through.

To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls.

Serves 4-6.

The New Irish Table: 70 Contemporary Recipes provides more of the same: beautiful photos, gorgeous food, and good recipes. The book is divided into Small Bites, Starters, Main Courses, Side Dishes, and Sweets. Scattered throughout each of these cookbooks are short explanations of various food items or recipes, helping to educate the reader on true Irish food. These books are a delight to look through and Johnson has done an admirable job of creating them.

Irish Tea Cake & a Giveaway!

Tea is quite British and so in keeping with our Irish theme, here is a delicious and easy tea cake. My husband described it as a sugar cookie cake - meaning he really liked it. It's delicious served warm or at room temperature. Tea is traditional but it would also make a wonderful accompaniment to coffee. You could top it with seasonal berries for the summer or fresh whipped cream but I really enjoyed it with just the powdered sugar!


IRISH TEA CAKE
(Recipe adapted very slightly from allrecipes.com)
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1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch round pan.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. It's a very thick batter. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.



We are also having a giveaway! Heather makes beautiful tea cozies (which are available in her wonderful etsy store) and so today we are giving away this gorgeous small tea cozy. It's perfect for keeping your tea  warm! Heather recommends Trader Joe's Irish Breakfast Tea for enjoying at tea time.



To enter:
- Leave a comment telling us your favorite tea or hot drink - one per person, please.
- For additional entries:
   1) Follow us on twitter - @CooksNextDoor
   2) Blog about this giveaway.
   3) Facebook about this giveaway.
   4) Join our facebook group.
- That makes a total of five entry opportunities. If you already follow us on twitter or are in our fb group, just leave us a comment letting us know and we will add the extra entries!
- This drawing will be open until Thursday night.

Enter away! Enjoy!

Market Fresh: Irish Colcannon

Today kicks off Irish week - in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. For this market fresh, we will focus on potatoes with a little cabbage and kale thrown in - it's Irish Colcannon to be exact. I'm offering two recipes for this traditional Irish potato dish - both are vegetarian and both are gluten free. One would work great for a main dish and the other is better as a side dish.



IRISH COLCANNON - Side Dish Version
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4 lg. potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 c. chopped cabbage
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 c. milk
2 Tb. butter or stick margarine, divided
salt & pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are almost tender. Add cabbage and onion. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Drain well. Mash with1 Tb. butter, milk, salt and pepper. Place 1 Tb. of butter on top for serving. Serves about 5.

My friend, Jenna, gave me this recipe. I've modified it slightly to our taste. We really love the way that the egg yolk breaks into the potatoes. Delicious!



BAKED IRISH COLCANNON - Main Dish Version
(Thanks, Jenna!)
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4-6 med. potatoes, cut into even pieces
1/2 bunch curly kale, shredded (I remove the ribs and chop the leafy part)
1 med. onion, chopped
2 Tb. butter or margarine, to taste
1/4 c. milk
fresh nutmeg, grated
salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1/4-1/3 c. fresh grated paremsan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Boil the potatoes until almost tender, add the kale and onion and cook until kale is just tender. Drain and mash well with butter, milk, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into a shallow ovenproof dish and make four hollows in the mixture. Crack an egg into each and season well. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are just set, then serve sprinkled with the parmesan cheese.