Kitchie Coo

Caramelized banana bread, oh my.  This one has been in the making for awhile now.  Maybe you know, but one of my favorite baking books in the universe is flour by Joanne Chang.  And by "favorite", I mean I am absolutely obsessed with it.  It is always the first book I go to when I am looking for a new recipe.  So far, every last thing I have made out of flour is crazy divine.

So, why did I go and one-up my favorite banana bread recipe?  Because I had the idea of "caramelized bananas" and I just had to try it.  I mean, come on.  Just the thought of it had me salivating, and so it was do or drool time. Right?


So, I took my favorite five-star banana recipe from flour and altered it, and altered it, and altered it. (Did I mention I also added brown butter?  My favorite secret weapon.). And the end result, I feel, is a banana bread that would make Ms. Chang proud.  This banana bread is super moist, slightly dense, but still light on the tongue.  Make yourself happy and give it a try.  You just might cry at your happy results.  Enjoy!

(See, even this little Muppet couldn't keep her hands off it long enough for me to take photos!)



Caramelized Banana Bread

Makes 1 loaf or 18 muffins

4 medium bananas, sliced
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup (175 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (210 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Cook, swirling the pan often, until the butter turns golden brown.  Add the sliced bananas and stir to coat with butter.  Add the brown sugar and stir to combine.  Continue cooking over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the bananas are easily mashable with the back of a spoon. Mash the bananas slightly, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar on medium for 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.  Reduce the mixer to low speed and very slowly add the oil to the egg and sugar mixture.  Add the bananas, Greek yogurt and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined, 30-45 seconds.

In a medium bowl add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk gently until thoroughly combined (alternately, you can use a sifter and sift the ingredients together).  Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Do not overmix, but be sure that no white flour streaks remain in the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan or fill muffin liners 3/4 full.  Bake loaf for 55-60 minutes and muffins 20-23 minutes or until bread springs back when lightly pressed.  Allow to cool in the pan for at least half an hour and then pop it out of the pan.  Then, you should definitely...

EAT IT!!

I've been trying to get a few things made and in the freezer so we have quick meals when the baby girl arrives.  Trying being the key word.  So far I have two bags of chili, two enchilada casseroles, three pizza crusts and 10 bags of pizza sauce.  So, maybe I went a little overboard on the pizza sauce.  But, its the best homemade pizza sauce you'll ever find.  This sauce is thick, without being chunky, and the spices, garlic and onion meld to make an unbelievably rich and tasty sauce. I know I won't regret having extra on hand.

This sauce freezes well and can pulled out of the freezer in the morning and put in the fridge to thaw.  Or you can stick it in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes, for a quick de-thaw.  I freeze the sauce in one cup portions, which is the perfect amount for one 12-inch pizza.  No matter how you de-thaw it, it makes for a quick week night meal when paired with a super easy pizza dough I will be posting soon.

This recipe doubles, triples, quadruples (you get the point) easily.  So, make some extra to have for those weeknights when you just don't have the energy to cook...which is basically everyday for me right now!



Basic Pizza Sauce
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough for 2 - 12" pizzas

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup onion, grated
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, oregano and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add tomatoes and sugar, bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  Sauce should be reduced to about 2 1/2 cups at this point.

Remove sauce from heat and stir in basil and olive oil.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately on a pizza, or allow to cool completely and freeze for up to two months.  Either way, you are going to love it when you...

EAT IT!!

I have been out of a cooking groove lately.  I don't fall asleep dreaming of the gourmet meals I'll be making over the weekend.  I don't salivate over every single thing I see on Pinterest.  I have a stack of cooking magazines I haven't touched in months and my recipe stand is collecting dust. While I have an awesome excuse for all of this, I really do miss cooking.  A lot.

My awesome excuse?  My awesome husband.  He is off of school for the summer, and home with Anna during the days while I trudge off to work.  I walk into the house every night after work to the most beautiful scene before my eyes...Mace preparing dinner, Anna by his side on her stool "helping" him.  Two sets of matching eyes, two vibrant smiles turning to greet me.  Swoon.


A couple times though, I have dusted off my apron and plunged into the kitchen to make one of my all-time favorite summer meals. I love the fresh produce and simple flavor combinations that come along with summer cooking. This galette is the perfect vehicle to showcase those gorgeous heirloom tomatoes that abound during the summer months.    The cornmeal crust replaces the heavy, buttery crust of traditional galettes and gives it a lightness perfect for these hot summer months.


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Cheesy Tomato Galette with Cornmeal Crust

Crust:
Adapted from Cooking Light
1 1/2 cups (200grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled in freezer 20 minutes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
2 large heirloom tomatoes (or other fresh ripe tomato)
8 ounces (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup ricotta (homemade recipe here)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces (1/2 cup) Parmesan cheese, shredded

To make the crust: Add flour, cornmeal, and salt to a food processor and pulse several times to combine.  Add butter and pulse until it resembles coarse meal.  Turn the food processor on and slowly add the ice water until just combined (don't form a ball).  Dump mixture onto counter and gently form into a disk shape.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

Preheat oven to 425F.

To make the filling: Slice the tomatoes approximately 1/4" thick, lay on a dry paper towel and lay another paper towel on top.  This will soak up excess water in the tomatoes and reduce the amount of excess moisture when the galette is baked.

Add the mozzarella, ricotta, basil salt and pepper in a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside.

Roll crust on a lightly floured counter into a 14" circle.  Fold in half, then in half again and move to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Unfold crust.

Spread mozzarella mixture evenly on the crust, leaving a 2" border around the outside edge.  Top cheese with tomato slices, then Parmesan.  Gently fold edges of crust over all around, to partly cover filling.

Bake in middle rack of oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and...

EAT IT!!

This lasagna was born from leftover ravioli filling I made during a ladies night cooking feast at my house.  I had some ladies over to teach them how to bake bread and make ravioli and what a blast we had.  I love it when friends come pounding at my door to infiltrate my house for a night of cooking, laughter and wine.  When my dear friend Danesa asked if she and a couple of her friends could come over and learn to a cook a few things with me, how could I say no?

I pondered over what we should make and finally decided on focaccia bread and a sweet potato ravioli I'd been drooling over for awhile on Picture Perfect Meals.  I picked these items because people often think that making bread from scratch if hard or even impossible and I always love opening up people's eyes to how easy it really can be.  The same goes for pasta, although it helps tremendously to have a pasta roller which, perhaps, everyone doesn't have in their kitchen.


The night was a wild success and a wild amount of fun.  Seriously, with all these awesome ladies and kiddos taking over the kitchen, how could it not have been a blast?  Plus, the food was out of this world and everyone was pretty impressed in what we rolled out of the kitchen in only, ahem, five short hours. 


The next day I found myself staring at an obnoxious amount of sweet potato ravioli filling and wondering what the heck to do with it.  I am very much a recipe cook, and have only recently started branching out and trying a few of my own creations.  One thing I do know how to make recipeless, and darn good too, is cream sauce.  I also know that brown butter makes everything taste better.  Could I possibly turn this into a brown butter cream sauce?  I am positive that God was speaking to me at this point, because who else could have put such a divine thought into my head?  Woo wee, am I glad I listened closely to that voice and made this sauce.  I'm not gonna lie, this lasagna is rich, but its that kind of rich that melts in your mouth and tells your whole heart, body and soul that life is soooo-ooo-ooo good.

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Sweet Potato Lasagna with Brown Butter Cream Sauce
8-10 servings

Filling:
3 large sweet potatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup creamy ricotta (recipe here, or storebought will do too)
1/2 cup parmesan, grated + 1/4 cup for topping
1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

Noodles:
(store bought noodles will work too, but I prefer the taste and texture of fresh pasta)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Garnish:
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Make the filling: Preheat oven to 425F.  Scrub the sweet potatoes and then prick them all over with the tines of a fork.  Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the middle passes easily through.  Allow to cool completely, then cut in half and scoop the middle out into a large bowl.  Add all remaining filling ingredients, except 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella, and stir to thoroughly combine.  Set aside. 

Make the noodles: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until it forms a soft shaggy dough.  Dump out onto the counter and knead into a ball.  If not using immediately, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Cut the dough in quarters and, taking one section at a time, run through a pasta roller to the third thinnest setting (this is a 6 on my KitchenAid roller).  Lay on a generously floured counter.  Repeat with remaining dough pieces. 

Just before assembling the lasagna, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, until barely cooked through (they'll finish cooking in the oven).  Drain.

Make the Sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until brown and the butter has a nutty fragrance, 6-8 minutes. Watch the butter carefully to avoid burning and add the flour when the butter has just turned brown.  Whisk the butter and flour constantly for one minute, then add the milk.  Whisk the milk constantly over medium heat until the sauce starts to thicken, 7-8 minutes.  When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in the salt.

Assemble the lasagna: Set oven temperature to 375F.  Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread 1/2 cup cream sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer noodles to cover the bottom of the dish.  Spoon half of the sweet potato filling on top of noodles and cover with 1/2 cup sauce.  Repeat with one more noodle, sweet potato, sauce layer and then add another layer of noodles to the top.  Spoon the remaining sauce on top of the noddles then sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup parmesan and mozzarella. 

Bake covered with tin foil for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.  Serve with a sprinkling of the toasted pecans.  Then you should probably...

Eat it!! 

Life has slowed down a bit after the craziness of the past few weeks.  Between the St. Patrick's Day run  that I organized (with over 700 participants!), and my beloved dog passing away, I have been absent from Blogland much longer than I'd anticipated or liked.  I didn't realize until these past few weeks how much joy blogging gives me, and how much I would miss all of you. 

I am hopping back in the game now, and what better way to jump in than with a giveaway?!  My very first giveaway to be exact, thanks to the awesome folks at OXO.  I am so excited about what they sent me to share with one of you!!  A salad spinner!!  A very nice, sturdy, salad spinner.



Why am I so excited about a salad spinner?  For a few reasons:

1. My (very expensive) salad spinner that I've had for only a year broke about a month ago.  It was the kind where you pull the string to spin it and the string just snapped right off!  Rar!  OXO sent me a salad spinner too, to try out and review.  Great timing OXO, thank you!

2. I hate (hate) washing and drying lettuce and will only do this if I have a salad spinner.  Since my salad spinner broke I've been buying pre-washed salad mix, which isn't very budget friendly.  I'm back in action now...no more bagged lettuce equals a few more buck in my pocket!

3. I discovered the wonder that are kale chips the day before that stupid salad spinner broke.  The kale has to be pretty darn dry before you throw it in the oven.  I'm not even going to attempt that one without my precious salad spinner.  I am back in kale chip heaven.



Kale chips are the perfect food in so many ways.  I have a wild salt tooth, that can only be tamed by greasy, salty potato chips, or something equally unhealthy. Kale chips satisfy the crunchy salty beast inside of me almost instantaneously.  But...here's the good news, kale chips are super good for you!  Kale packs a nutritional punch that can't be ignored.  Kale is extremely low in calories (35 calories/boiled cup) and includes 100% of your daily vitamin K as well as being a great source for vitamins A, C & B6, manganese, fiber and potassium.  You go kale!  Work it!

The second reason kale chips are so awesome is that they are a snap to make.  Chop, spin, toss and bake.  Easy.  Even Anna could do it (except I don't let her near the oven, so actually on second thought, she couldn't do it).



The OXO Salad Spinner was a dream when making these chips.  The pump handle on the top is so much easier to use than the string-pull method of my stupid ex-salad spinner.  There is a non-slip bottom that allows for one-handed use of the salad spinner when pumping.  It has a good sized bowl that can be used separately as a bowl for your salad and the basket can also be used as a strainer.  Finally, this spinner dried my kale chips enough with just ten pumps to immediately toss them in olive oil and then the oven.  No waiting around for them to dry.  Hooray!  I am seriously in love, and so grateful to have gotten this awesome tool for my very own!

Do you want one too?  Well, you've got five separate opportunities to get in on the action.  You'll get one entry for each one of these you do.  Open to US Residents only!!

1. Leave a comment here telling me what you'd use this salad spinner for.
2. Like Kitchie Coo on Facebook, and leave a separate comment telling me that you did.
3. Like OXO on Facebook, and leave a separate comment telling me that you did.
4. Follow me on Pinterest, and leave a separate comment telling me that you did.
5. Follow me on Twitter, and leave a separate comment telling me that you did.

This giveaway will be open until 11:59 pm, MST, Wednesday March 21.  I will announce the winner on Thursday.  Good luck!!



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Baked Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Remove stems from kale by folding the leaf in half and then cutting along the inside of the stem.  Rip or roughly chop the kale into bite sized pieces.  Rinse the kale under cold water and then spin in a salad spinner until very little water remains on the leaves.  (Alternately, you can rinse them and then press them dry between between paper towels.)

Toss the kale in olive oil and salt until completely coated.  Spread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15-18 minutes or until crispy.

Remove from the oven and...

Eat it!!

Pizza...you are a cook's canvas.  A space for me to get creative.  A place to try out unusual flavor combinations on unsuspecting guests, and get away with it.  Pizza...you are a medium for experimentation and a place for all my favorite flavors to converge.  Pizza...you are the perfect food in every way.  I love you.

Not even kidding.  I will write a love letter to pizza any day.  I think pizza gets a bad rap for being junk food, but I will step in here and bash that idea on the head.  Pizza does not have to be a junk food.  Yup, it's bad if you load it up with a triple cheese, five meat, stuffed crust, quadruple bi-pass disaster.  But, if you pick your toppings wisely, you will end up with something that's OMG tasty and whole lot healthier.  Pizza does NOT have to be smothered in cheese and fatty meats in order to be good.  Don't believe me?  Read on my friends...



I love experimenting with new pizza flavors.  Where else can you have goat cheese, arugula, walnuts, honey and bread all wrapped into one little bite?  Or,  mozzarella, pesto, olives, roasted red peppers and spinach?  The possibilities really are endless, and you have all the power to make it as healthy (or unhealthy) as you choose.  I have discovered that I prefer pizzas that aren't smothered in gobs of greasy cheese.  Cheese is a lovely accent and definitely doesn't need to be a show stealer.  Sprinkling goat cheese, feta or fontina on the end gives pizza a boost without inundating the tastebuds and allowing all the other toppings to shine.  Keep the cheese to a minimum, experiment with new flavor combinations, and you are going to dig into a pizza that is not only healthier, but more delicious than you could have ever imagined.

Toppings are an absolutely critical piece of the pizza puzzle.  But, the crust...oh the crust.  This can make or break a pizza.  I have a crust recipe for you.  It is adapted from Cooks Illustrated and it is heaven sent...or at least Christopher Kimball sent, but you get the drift.  Its good.  It's better than any pizzeria crust I've had, with the exception of a genuine brick fire oven crust.  This recipe mimics a brick fire oven in your own oven, and the results are as close as you'll ever get to this at home (unless of course you have a brick fire oven pizza at home.  Duh).

Homemade pizza is the perfect meal for entertaining.  Whip the dough out before your guests arrive and have everyone join in the fun of decorating the pizzas.  Or give everyone a dough ball to create their own mini-pizza.

And, of course, no pizza party is complete without a cold local brew.  This is a particular favorite of mine from a local German brewery, Bayern.  It is a Doppelweizen, combination Heffeweizen and Doppelbock.  It is 7.5% alcohol...hence the name Face Plant (that and our little town's skiing problem obsession).


I'll share some of our favorite pizza toppings, but get creative!  Have a favorite flavor combo?  Add it to your pizza, you won't be disappointed.

-Pesto sauce, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, chicken and a smattering of fresh mozzarella on top.  After the pizza cooks, add fresh spinach to the top and let sit for five minutes before cutting.  The spinach will wilt ever so slightly and your pizza will not be watery, which cooking spinach on pizza tends to do.

-Olive oil & garlic sauce, thinly sliced pears, chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of goat cheese.  After the pizza is cooked, add fresh arugula to the top and let sit for five minutes.  Drizzle with honey and then cut and serve.

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**A note about this dough: it needs to sit in the fridge for a full 24 hours before using, so you'll need to think ahead and make this the day before.  Its worth the wait.**

"Brick Fire" Oven Pizza Dough

Makes 2 12-inch pizza crusts

3 cups bread or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspon rapid rise yeast
1 1/3 cups ice water (ice water must be used to prevent overheating in the food processor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, add flour, sugar and yeast and process to combine; about 3 pulses.  With the processor on, slowly add water through the feed tube and process until just combined and there is no dry flour remaining.  Let dough sit in processor for 10 minutes.

After dough has sat 10 minutes, add oil and salt.  Process until the dough forms a ball that is satiny, sticky, and clears the sides of the processor bowl.  Remove the dough from the work bowl and knead on an oiled counter for one minute.  Form dough into a small ball and place in an oiled bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours and up to three days.

One hour before baking, remove the dough from the fridge and cut in half.  Form each half into a ball and place on a floured counter.  Cover with plastic wrap covered in cooking spray or a damp towel.

One hour before baking, place oven rack at second highest position, about 5" from the top heating element.  Put pizza stone (you can also use a regular baking sheet, but a pizza stone will give you better results) on the rack and preheat oven to 500F. 

After one hour, take one dough ball and lay on a floured surface.  Begin rolling out using a rolling pin to shape the pizza and then continue by stretching the pizza with your fingers until it is approximately 12".  Transfer to a well floured pizza peel or overturned baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Re-shape and stretch dough approximately one more inch.

Add your sauce and then your toppings to the dough just before baking.

Now, the tricky part...transferring the pizza to the stone.  I have found that removing the stone from the oven and then sliding the pizza on works best.  If you are using a heavily floured pizza peel, just slide the pizza from peel to stone.  If you are using an overturned baking sheet lined with parchment paper, slide the paper and pizza directly onto the stone.  Baking the pizza with the parchment paper will not alter the baking process.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until crust is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting and then...

EAT IT!!

Anyone out there think they have the best husband in the whole wide world?

Ah, sorry ladies and gentlemen.  You're wrong!  I snagged him up before any of you could.  Ha ha! Lucky me!  He's mine, all mine.

He's this guy...


He's also this guy...



And this guy...


He's also the guy that shovels the snow, mows the lawn, eats all the cookies (true story) and does ALL the driving (even that 18 hour road trip from Montana to Minnesota.  All.)  He goes to grad school full time, serves as a 2nd Lieutenant with the National Guard, hangs with Anna during the day while I work, often has dinner cooking when I get home and still manages to find time to snuggle up with me and have a glass of wine at the end of the day.

He's sweet, he's funny, he is compassionate, handsome, adorable, clever, hardworking and laughs so infectiously that it would make Oscar the Grouch smile.

He is the most amazing dad to Anna.  Man, those two are a pair.  My heart aches with joy and pride when I watch them together.  He is impossibly patient with her.  He teaches, he guides, he keeps her safe, keeps her smiling.

He is my best friend in the whole wide world.  I still get butterflies in my stomach when he calls me.  I cannot wait to get home at the end of the day and wrap myself up in his arms.  I know how lucky I am...I do.

So, even though we've never been big Valentine's Day celebrants, this is my love letter to you, today and everyday.  You are an amazing man Mace and I am honored to be married to you. Thank you for picking me.

As a tribute to my darlin' and Valentine's Day, I present to you these awesome heart healthy cookies.  I found these on Amy's blog over at Gastronome Tart and fell in love.  Still love you more Mace, but these are pretty darn good.

I originally found this recipe when I was conjuring up new ideas for the plethora of beets we got in our CSA.  CSAs are awesome, but at certain times throughout the season they inundate participants with more of one vegetable than any family could possibly eat.  Beets were one of these things.



This meal has quickly become a favorite in our household.  I've even seen self-proclaimed beet haters take a liking to this pasta.  It says a lot about this dish.  Although, as we all know , a little brown butter makes everything taste better (and we all know this, right? If you don't, you should hop up on my little bandwagon).  Once the beets are roasted, this dish is very quick to put together.  Seconds.  Okay, I lie.  Naughty!  But it doesn't take long. 

This dish is beautiful...brilliantly red from the beets and topped with crumbled goat cheese.  Its a Valentine on a plate.  Can't you just see the look on your sweetie's face when they walk in the door on Valentine's Day and see this for dinner?  Pure love.



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Roasted Beet & Brown Butter Pasta
Adapted from Epicurious

Makes 4 generous servings

1 pound red beets, scrubbed and greens removed
1 pound fresh fettuccine (I made my own from this recipe, but store-bought would work too)
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp poppy seeds, heaping
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
4 oz goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.  Wrap the beets in tin foil and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork.  Set aside to cool.

Once the beets have cooled, rub the skin off and roughly chop.  Place beets in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. 

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil for the pasta.  When the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 3-5 minutes or until cooked through.  Drain the pasta reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce.

Meanwhile, add butter to a large skillet on medium-high heat.  When the butter has melted and is starting to brown add the poppy seeds.  Continue cooking until the butter is a deep golden brown color.  Once this happens, quickly add the pureed beets, reserved pasta water and salt, stirring to combine.  Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and cook until heated through and the sauce covers the pasta uniformly.

Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese and then...

EAT IT!

Corn bread has always been a very ho-hum kind of side to me.  Usually I'll skip it to save the calories for a more delectable treat, like say, cookies or chips or anything else.  More often than not it is dry and crumbly and lacking in the flavor department.  Bo-ring!

We had some friends over for chili a few weeks ago and I decided it was time to find a winner corn bread recipe.  You know, so they didn't stare at me with that blank look in their eyes when I said "there's no corn bread."  I've gotten this look before, and I don't like it.  Regardless of how I feel about corn bread, it appears that most people think that having corn bread is non-negotiable when it comes to chili.  Fine, I'll play that game.  Bring it.

Mace bought me the Tassajara Bread Book for Christmas this year and if you've never checked this one out, I highly recommend it.  The recipes are easy to follow and unbelievably good.  The cornbread recipe I found in this book was moist, it wasn't overly sweet and it was all gone by the end of the night.  An entire 9" spring form pan worth, between 4 people.  I'd say this one's a winner.

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Deep Dish Cornbread
Adapted from Tassajara Bread Book

8 servings (or 4 very large servings)
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup melted butter
3 cups low-fat buttermilk
Honey, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9" springform pan and set aside.

Combine cornmeal, flours, wheat germ, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, honey, butter and buttermilk.  Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  The batter will be very liquidy.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.  Remove the ring from the pan and cut into wedges.  Serve with butter and a drizzle of honey and then...

Eat it!!

Let's have a conversation about comfort food.  You know, the food you go to when its cold and blustery and the winter blues have settled themselves firmly on your mood for a good long visit. Oh, those blues have set in here, and with it, a whopping two feet of snow.  And a hankering for some good old comfort food.


I have lots of comfort foods, but I think I can easily say that cheese, bread and potatoes are always at the center of my cravings.  I'll be honest, potatoes are at the heart of every craving I have.  But, if you add bread and cheese to the mix I will whoop and holler and whatever drove me to needing that comfort food in the first place will be fast forgotten.



**Even though I swore this wouldn't happen, I almost always mix and knead my bread dough in my KitchenAid mixer (unless I'm angry and need to knead out some anger).  Any of my bread recipes can just as easily be kneaded by hand without a stand mixer**

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Bread Bowls
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2 1/2 cups warm water (105-110 degrees)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 Tbsp canola oil
7 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast & sugar in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Allow to sit 10 minutes or until bubbly.  Add salt, oil and 4 cups of flour.  Knead on medium speed, adding the 3 remaining cups of flour as necessary, until a smooth elastic dough has formed.

Put the dough in a well-oiled bowl and lightly coat the top of the dough with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400F.  Punch down dough.  Cut dough into 8 equal portions and shape into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Bake for 15-18 minutes or until browned on the top.  Move to a wire cooking rack and allow to cool completely.

To make bowls, just before serving, using a serrated knife cut inward at an angle around the top of the bread.  Pull the top off and then scoop the middle of the bread out (go ahead and eat this bread, you don't need it for the bowls).  Ladle soup into bowls and...Eat it!!



Rosemary Potato Soup
Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds russet potatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, or until onion is tender.  Add potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove 2 cups of the potatoes from the pot (using a slotted spoon or small mesh strainer) and set aside.  Puree the remaining potato mixture with an immersion blender or food processor. 

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and then add flour.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until browned.  Add milk to flour mixture, whisking constantly, and heat until thick and just boiling. 

Slowly add the milk to the potato mixture and bring to a boil.  Add reserved potatoes and then remove from heat.  Stir in feta, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bread bowls, top with feta and rosemary and...

Eat it!!

Remember when you were a kid and you hated Brussels sprouts?  Oh, did I hate them.  I am pretty sure every kid hates Brussels sprouts, and I fully expect Anna to follow suit.  But, if she doesn't, I am pretty sure it'll be because I got these crunchy roasted little morsels to her mouth before someone could ruin it for her by steaming them into a wilty soppy mess and presenting them to her as a vegetable.  Until two weeks ago, I truly thought I hated Brussels sprouts.  I haven't let one come anywhere near this mouth since I was a kid. 

But, I truly believe that sometimes food chooses me.  I find myself cooking in the kitchen and I think did I really pick this?  And then I am amazed and my life is changed.  Brussels sprouts are definitely one of those foods that picked me.  Thank you so much Brussels sprouts.  I am sorry for all my years of disdain and snobbery.  You did not deserve that.

I fell in love with Brussels sprouts so hard and fast that I have gone through 4 pounds of them in two weeks.  Not kiddin'.  I have dressed them up with brown butter, with a sprinkling of parmesan, with garlic and onions.  But, truly, these darling itty bitty cabbages are my favorite with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper.  They are so perfect they need nothing more.

Remember when I taught you how to create these two beautiful avocado halves?  Now I am going to teach you how to make the best guacamole in the whole wide world (according to Mr. Mace) using these little beauties.  You're so lucky.




I truly believe my secret to this guacamole is simply omitting the lime juice.  GASP!  I know, I know.  But lime juice keeps it from turning brown!  I hear you whining.  And I don't care.  How can I be so insensitive?

You don't see this girl complaining, do you?

I have faith.  I have faith that you will will cross-over to the non-lime-juice-dark-side.  And this is why: there won't be any leftovers to turn brown.  Oh yeah, and who cares if it turns brown?  It won't kill you to eat brown guacamole.  It still tastes good, its just brown.  So, give it some love, give it a good stir to hide the brown and then - wah-la!  Beautiful again. 

This guacamole doubles, triples, quadruples...very easily so its great for parties.  Use avocados that are slightly soft when pressed with your finger, but not mushy.  Oh...you're gonna love this.  Enjoy!


Good Old Guacamole (without the twist)

1 Avocado, halved, pitted and roughly chopped
Handful Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
Sprinkle of Garlic Powder, to taste
Salt, to taste
Handful Tomato, chopped

Mash the avocado with a fork until your desired consistency for guacamole.  Stir in onion, garlic, garlic powder and salt.  At this point, taste the guacamole and season to your liking.

Gently stir in the tomatoes and...

Eat it!

Pitting avocados used to drive me totally bonkers.  I would lovingly cut an avocado in half to find two beautiful halves staring up at me...and then I would destroy the half with the pit.  I'd claw at that pit, or take a spoon or a fork to it, trying to relieve it of its duty in the center of that avocado.  Always, I would end up with a great big mess, avocado under my finger nails and a large portion of the avocado in a weepy mess next to its perfect other half. 

My friend Jasper witnessed this horrific scene one day while I was preparing dinner.  He took the avocado from my hand and showed me this little dandy of a trick.  Another "duh!" moment in my cooking life.

How to: Pit an Avocado

First, slice the avocado lengthwise.  Twist the two halves in opposite directions and then pull them apart.  You will have two lovely halves.

Now comes the fun part.  Take a knife and smack it into the center of that avocado pit, like so:


The turn is enough to remove the pit from its stronghold and you can easily lift the knife and pull the avocado pit out.  Hooray!  You have two beautiful avocado halves!

So, I was a bit indulgent and bought my 1 year old an apron for Christmas. What's the big deal?  A girl can dream, right?

Oh, this girl makes my day, everyday. She's so darn cute. I think Mace and I say this at least 47 times a day. She really made my Christmas too.

Its so fun to experience everything through a child's eye again...it makes you remember just how cool life really is.  My train of thought these last couple weeks has been about slowing down and living in every moment. I watch Anna and the only thing she knows how to do is live in the moment. She doesn't have an agenda for the day, she doesn't worry about the time, she doesn't focus on how many things she needs to try and cram into her day in order to feel like she's accomplished something at the end of the day. She focuses solely on what is right in front of her. She reads a book, then she sees her piano and plays a tune, she gives me a hug, she smiles and she's off again to harass the dog and eat her lunch that she threw on the floor. She's happy and she's content.

I want to live this way. I want to focus only on those things in my present environment. I want to stare into my husband's eyes and talk about our days and not worry about cleaning up the kitchen. I want to sit on the floor and play with my daughter and not get distracted by my email or all the dog fur piling up in the corners (oh, but there's so much). This is my resolution for 2012. Slow down. Enjoy this day, this hour, this moment.

I do feel this way sometimes already.  I feel this way in the kitchen.  I never think about anything else I so urgently need to do when I am chopping vegetables or kneading dough or lovingly decorating a cake for somebody-I-love's birthday.  When I am in the kitchen I am in a world that is solely mine and I am pouring love and joy and creativity into food.  Delicious dishes that will nourish the people closest to my heart.


On Christmas Eve I made dinner for my family and dear friends and poured the love on thick.  I made a spinach and mushroom tart that my mom-in-law raved about for days.  I was proud of this meal and sat back to enjoy our evening, and basking in each moment we spent together.  I hope you were able to pour some love out in your own little way to those you adore this holiday season.  It's a few days late, but Happy New Year!



PRINT THIS RECIPE!!

Mushroom, Spinach & Goat Cheese Tart
Serves 6-8

Crust
Adapted from Simply Recipes

2 1/2 (350 grams) cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, frozen (see note), cut into 1/2" cubes
6-8 tbsp ice water

*note: this crust turns out the best if you freeze the cut-up butter for at least 20 minutes prior to using.

Filling
1 lb (16 oz) Mushrooms, sliced (I used mini portobellos, but cremini or any field mushroom would work too)
1/2 Red onion, chopped
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb (16 oz) Spinach, blanched or thawed frozen, and wrung dry (see tip here)
10 oz Goat cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

To make the crust: add flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add the butter 1/3 at a time until incorporated and it looks gravelly.  Slowly add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together when pinched.  You may not need the entire 4 tbsp.  Remove the dough from the food processor and knead gently until the dough comes together in a cohesive ball.  Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

To make the filling: Preheat oven to 425F.  Combine mushrooms, onion and garlic and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray.  Roast mushrooms in the oven for 20 minutes, or until softened.

In a large bowl combine the hot mushrooms, spinach and 8 oz (1 cup) of goat cheese.  Stir to combine.  The hot mushrooms will aid in melting the goat cheese and will help evenly combine all the ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

On a well floured counter or pastry mat, roll the crust dough into a 14-inch circle.  Gently, fold the pastry in half and move to a pizza pan covered with parchment paper, then unfold.  Cover the dough within an inch of the edge with the mushroom and spinach mixture.  Top with the remaining 2 oz of goat cheese.  Fold the edges of the dough inwards to create a free-form tart.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and flaky.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then slice into 8 wedges and...

Eat it!!

So, here it is ladies and gentlemen.  The recipe you've all been waiting for...the recipe I have been aluding to for days, maybe weeks, now.  The greatest recipe of all time.  May I present to you...

TA DA!

Easter with my Mama

Christmas with my Mom-in-Law