Week 18, Recipe 2: Cauliflower & Bacon Gratin

Recipe courtesy of Giada de Laurentiis

• Unsalted butter, for dish, plus 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 slices day-old sourdough bread or 2 cups bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 8 ounces bacon, cooked until crispy and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup grated Gruyere, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor, blend the bread until it forms into crumbs.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Add the capers, bacon and 1/2 cup of the Gruyere. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the cauliflower and toss with the cream mixture. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.

Results: I mixed gruyere & asiago cheeses.  This was A.MA.ZING!!  Waaaay too many breadcrumbs.  Definitely halve them.  I would also probably make the crumbs the top instead of the cheese for reheating purposes.  It was fine the first day but once it cools it's kind of weird.

Clear Thinking

Hello again! I'm back for an accessory update!

The summer is basically here. Well, from my standpoint as a teacher and a South Floridian, I can safely say, "Bring out the white pants and espadrilles!" I promise I won't look at you funny if you do. And when you do break out these summer staples, a way to update your look is with your accessories!

Don't you read? Don't you know if you can't afford spring and fall lines, just change up your smaller pieces? Get that new satchel in the haute fabric or an affordable dress in the haute color/print. (FYI: it's floral. But buyer beware with that print. Like polka dots, not everyone know how to wear it.)

This spring/summer season, I want you to think, "You so see-thru!". Get out those lucite bangles, cuffs, and bracelets and don that extra long lariat with crystal and glass pieces. For spring & summer, put away your rubies and garnets from winter and wear some diamonds, quartz, and CZ. Anything that is clear to a slight white will work!

The style is totally up to you. I saw what was supposed to look like a pearl necklace with lucite spheres and I LOVED it! I've also seen a long necklace with "stations" (a necklace with charms built on the chain, spaced out evenly along the whole chain) of different shaped crystal; kind of like a Van Cleef & Arpels piece. Cuffs and big geometric bangles or even just a few thin lucite hoops on a wrist (throw a white one in there if you're going thin) will give you a chic and cool look this season. Your jewelry can go from pool to cocktails to dinner in no time flat!

So let's review: clear is good. No dark! And please, (this should go without saying...) no clear shoes/heels

Week 18, Recipe 1: Cardamom Rhubarb Muffins

This recipe also included the tips to making the best muffins ever:

1. Start with ingredients at room temperature, eggs, milk, etc. (check)
2. Take care not to over mix the batter; use a flexible spatula to gently fold ingredients together. (probably could've done better on this)
3. Batter should be stiff enough to hold a spoon upright; if it seems runny, gently fold in a few extra tablespoons of flour. (I added more flour before doing this step...)
4. Use the freshest spices as possible when they are required. (I'm sure this would've helped...)
5. Grease the entire muffin tin, not just the holes. More often than not, the muffins expand over the sides, and if those sides have not been properly greased, you’re going to run into trouble when you try to remove the muffins. (I didn't have the overflow issue)
6. Fill muffin tins three-quarters full; the tops are the best part, so don’t be shy with the batter. (Check)
7. Slide a baking sheet under the muffin tin to help prevent the bottoms from getting too dark in the oven. This also helps with cleanup in case there is overflow. (Forgot until afterward but they were fine)
8. Take care not to over-bake the muffins. (Check)
9. Allow muffins to cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before removing them, especially if they contain soft fresh fruit. (Check-- 15 minutes)
10. Enjoy them fresh. If you must, freeze them, although I prefer to freeze the batter (without add-ins), then thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake the muffins fresh in the morning. (Check)

Tips Courtesy of Simple Bites (found via Foodgawker.com); recipe is a combo of that one & a bit of allrecipes.com

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup butter, melted, slightly cooled
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground
• add-ins of your choosing*

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Combine milk and oats; let soak for 15 minutes.
3. Crack the egg into the oat and milk mixture; add brown sugar and mix to combine. Stir in melted butter.
   Sift remaining ingredients into the bowl: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, & spices. Gently fold into batter, taking care not to over mix.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

 
*Add-in Suggestions

• 1 cup Raspberries, fresh or frozen & ½ cup Dark Chocolate, chunked or chips
• ¾ cup Diced Apple (Granny Smith or Russet) and ½ cup toasted Walnuts, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup Dried Cranberries & ½ cup toasted Pecans, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup White Chocolate, chopped or chips & 1 cup Blueberries, fresh or frozen
• ½ cup toasted unsweetened Coconut & ¾ cup Peanut-Butter Chips
• 1 cup diced Rhubarb, fresh or frozen & ½ teaspoon Green Cardamom, freshly ground
• ¾ cup Dates, pitted and chopped & ½ cup Pistachios
• ¾ cup Golden Raisins & ¾ cup grated Carrot

Results: I was thrown off because the original recipe specified 'rolled oats, not quick cooking oats' but I think I'd have been okay regardless.  425 is probably too high to cook these.  They tasted a bit flour-y to me and like they needed a lower cooking time.  One recipe called for 375 so I would go with that in the future.  I might go heavier on the nutmeg as well.  This was my first time cooking with rhubarb.  More tart than I expected.  I'd also add a little sugar to the rhubarb.  I ended up putting a lemon glaze (whisk together powdered sugar & fresh lemon juice) for some extra flavor.  My classmates loved them!

Week 17, Recipe 3: Asian Dumpling Soup

This is another one of those recipes I cobbled together from several on the interweb and added my own ingredients where I saw fit.

1 carton of low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 bag of frozen potstickers or Asian dumplings (I used pork & napa cabbage)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
one small bunch of fresh parsley
sriracha to taste (optional for some heat)

Directions: Bring chicken stock, fish sauce, pepper & garlic salt to a boil.  Add potstickers and lower heat to medium high.  Add frozen corn.  Cook 6-8 minutes more until the potstickers are cooked through.  Add parsley and sriracha and adjust seasonings.  I served these with frozen veggie and shitake spring rolls cooked in the toaster oven.

Results: You could also add peas, carrots, garlic, green onion (at the very end), spinach and/or cabbage, fresh or frozen.  Matter of fact, I would add a lot more of those things to put this over the level of broth.  This was not bad.  The sriracha gives it a delightful kick! :)  But it would be better with more veggies.  I was being lazy... I chose the route that required no cutting.

Week 17, Recipe 2: Baked Camembert Pasta

Phew!  Three weeks since I cooked solo!  It's been a crazy month!  Anyway, as soon as I saw this recipe in the November issue of Food Network magazine courtesy of Jamie Oliver I knew I HAD to make it!  Looks impressive but the recipe is also dumb simple!


- a box of Camembert Cheese
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off the woody stalk (I used dried)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lb. dried rigatoni
- 6 oz. fresh spinach (I used one bunch but probably could've used 2 or 1 bag)

(serves 4-6)

1. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Place it back to the wooden container
2. Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.
3. Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle some pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil.
5. Bake the cheese in a preheated oven at 350 for about 25 minutes, until golden and melted.
6. When the cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, add the pasta to the pan and cook according to packet instructions.
7. When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pan – it only needs cooking for 10 seconds or so.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach to the pan and let it wilt.
9. Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of extra virgin olive oil and add the grated Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of reserved cooking water to thin out a bit. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
10. Remove the cheese from the oven. Divide the pasta between your serving bowls. Either drizzle the melted Camembert on top or pop cheese on the table and let everyone help themselves to a lovely, gooey spoonful.

Results: YUM!  I definitely wanted more spinach but this was very good!  I might add meat &/or serve it with something else next time.  The cheese clumps on you after a while out of the oven so you'll want to get it to the table almost immediately.  It was less gooey than I wanted.

Week 17, Recipe 1: Lamb Burgers w/Feta Sauce

This is a recipe Stace & I teamed up on at her house in West Palm Beach!  We started with a base lamb burger, then So good!

Burgers
half of a medium onion
1 lb. ground lamb
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. ground coriander (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
2 shakes of worcestershire sauce
2 large cloves of garlic, minced

Feta Sauce 
4 oz. sour cream
3 oz. garlic & herb feta
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 tsp. italian seasoning paste (mix of basil & parsley)

whole wheat buns
fresh spinach to top burgers

Directions:
Sauté onions until translucent and fragrant.  Let cool.  You can quick cool them in the freezer for about 5 minutes while you combine the rest of the ingredients for the burgers.  Once the onions have cooled, add them to the lamb & spices.  Mix gently to distribute spices, garlic & onions.  Score with your hand to create four even patties.  Pat down the center of each burger so it doesn't bulge when you cook.  Cook with olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side.  While cooking, combine ingredients for feta sauce, taste & adjust seasonings as desired.  Toast buns.  Create burgers with sauce on bottom, burger, then spinach, top with roll top.

Result:  DELICIOUS!!  Stace thought they needed more salt but I loved them!  Great collaboration!  I created the feta sauce based on what Stace had in her fridge plus the feta and was quite pleased!

Week 14, Recipe 2: Spaghetti w/Bread Crumbs & Anchovies

Recipe courtesy of Life's Ambrosia (I think I found via Food Gawker)

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 pound dried spaghetti
• 6 anchovy fillets, minced fine
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• salt to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small sauce pan. Cook bread crumbs until browned and toasted, about 3 – 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat 1/3 cup olive oil over medium heat, add anchovies and cook 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper. Cook until anchovies dissolve, about 2 more minutes. Stir frequently and do not allow the garlic to burn. Add hot pasta and reserved pasta water. Toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle toasted bread crumbs and parsley over the pasta. Toss once more. Season to taste with salt if needed.
5. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and some more crushed red pepper.

Results: I know what you're thinking-- didn't she do this 2 weeks ago with sardines?  May...be.  Okay very, very similar BUT the other one was better.  I used angel hair, skipped the parsley, subbing Italian seasoning and swapped parm for romano.  I also added frozen peas.  Not bad at all.  Still needed more bread crumbs.  The anchovies disappeared TOO much.

Week 14, Recipe 1: Strawberry Mania Smoothie

• 1/4 cup(s) cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
• 1 container(s) (8-ounce) low-fat strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup(s) frozen strawberries

---

Directions from Good Housekeeping

1. In blender, combine cranberry juice, yogurt, and strawberries and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy. Pour into 1 tall glass.

Results: MMMMM!!  I used vanilla yogurt, frozen strawberries, frozen peaches & 100% cran.  I don't do cocktails.  Very tasty.  When it was gone, I wanted more!

Week 12, Recipes 1 & 2: Baked Parmesan Chicken Legs with Cous Cous

2 c. dry bread crumbs
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. ground oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
Salt to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. melted butter
12 chicken legs or thighs

 

Combine crumbs, cheese, oregano, pepper and salt and set aside. Lightly saute garlic in 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in remaining butter. Dip each piece of chicken in butter and then in bread crumb mixture. Place chicken in long shallow pan. Sprinkle remaining bread crumbs and butter over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until golden brown.   Serves 12.

 Recipe from Cooks.com

 

Results: Way more butter and bread crumbs than you need.  I used 1 stick plus a tbsp. and still had some to spare with 12 drumsticks.  You can probably half the bread crumbs.  I didn't use enough salt so it wasn't as good as it will be the next time I make this.  The cheese tasted great.  I used parm and romano.  It probably could've used even more cheese... but I'm a cheese fiend.

 

Couscous with Green peas

2 c. vegetable stock 

2 c. couscous

onion powder

garlic salt with dried parsley

cumin
turmeric 

pepper

Bring vegetable stock to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes. Add couscous slowly and mix well.  Add peas and dried herbs when you add couscous to hot water.   Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 7 minutes. Stir and serve.

Recipe from Robin Miller and Cooks.com with some Jameil changes

Results: I combined these recipes & added onion powder, garlic salt with dried parsley, cumin, and turmeric.  I also used veggie stock instead of chicken stock.  In the future, I will only be using veggie stock for vegetarian-prepped dishes.  It isn't any more flavorful than water to me.

Week 12, Recipe 1: Quick Pasta with Breadcrumbs, Sardines & Capers

I know I've been slacking!  My bad!  Recipe courtesy of the New York Times

Salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs, ideally made from stale bread
1 onion, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound long pasta, like perciatelli
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 cans sardines packed in extra virgin olive oil (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish.


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put half the oil (2 tablespoons) in a medium skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, less than 5 minutes, and then remove. Add the remaining oil and the onion to the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until just tender; drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Turn the heat under the onions to medium-high and add the lemon zest, capers and sardines; cook, stirring occasionally, until just heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the pasta to the sardine mixture and toss well to combine. Add the parsley, most of the bread crumbs and some reserved water, if necessary, to moisten. Taste and adjust seasoning, garnishing with more parsley and bread crumbs.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Results: What a welcome back from my kitchen to me!!  Thank you VERY much, kitchen!!  This was DELICIOUS!!  I didn't have parsley so I just skipped that.  I also used angel hair pasta and subbed shallots for onion.  Toasting the breadcrumbs?  Very necessary.  Also very quick.  This was sooo good!  :)  If you're scared of the sardines, don't be.  Even though I like sardines, if you like fish of any kind, you should be okay.  MMMM!