Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients

½ C sugar

½ C lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

salt (& pepper) to taste

2/3 C vegetable oil

1+ T poppy seeds

Directions 
Whisk together sugar, lemon juice, mustard and salt & pepper.

Vigorously whisk in vegetable oil.

Stir in poppy seeds.

Spicy Ginger Syrup

Cooks Illustrated published something similar recently. Here's my approximation...

Ingredients
1 C sugar (a heaping cup!)

½ lb fresh ginger root

½ tsp coarse salt

pinch crushed red peper flakes

1 T apple cider vinegar

Directions

Slice the ginger root into rounds (no need to peel it).

Puree everything but the vinegar in a food processor. (A blender works okay too.) Let it rest 5-10 minutes, then process (or blend) it again. Scrape everything into a FINE mesh strainer over a bowl. If you've got cheese cloth, line the strainer first. Let it drain 5-10 minutes, at least. If you used cheesecloth, gather the edges and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If you're working without cheesecloth, use a rubber spatula to press the solids in the strainer to get as much liquid as possible from the solids. Discard the solids. Stir in the vinegar. Refrigerate syrup.

Use the syrup in seltzer to make a non-alcoholic ginger beer. Add a splash to hot spiced cider in the fall, or to fresh made limeade in the summer. Add lime juice and vodka for a Moscow Mule. (Apparently substituting dark rum for the vodka makes a "Dark & Stormy".) Pour a little into orange spice tea. Use a spoonful in marinades and sauces... 

Orange-Maple Dressing on Sweet Potato Salad

This was definitely inspired by the Washington Post's version, here. The critical part is the dressing. The salad itself could have any number of things with the sweet potatoes. Feel free to improvise off my suggestions below...

Dressing Ingredients

2 T orange juice

2 T olive oil

1 T balsamic glaze

1 T fresh ginger, minced to a paste

pinch (generous) nutmeg

pinch salt - to taste

Dressing Directions

Whisk together all ingredients vigorously, to emulsify.

Salad Ingredients

2-3 medium sweet potatoes

2 scallions

½ C dried cranberries

½ C honey roasted peanuts*

1 T chopped fresh parsley

* Pecans would be more traditional with these flavors, but with my tree nut allergies, I always substitue. Pine nuts would be another option; anything...to add a crunch factor.

Salad Directions

Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Cook until tender. The Washington Post's recipe indicated boiling; a similar version from Food Network said to steam them. I sautéed mine because I like the bit of caramelization they get that way, though it does add a little more fat. I reduced the olive oil from the original recipe's dresssing; so it works out to be the same overall. Do as you please! Cook them; cool them.

I reconstitued my dried cranberries in some extra orange juice for 20 minutes or so, then drained them; it's not necessary, but I like the extra flavor and juiciness it adds.

Chop the parsley and scallions -- and the nuts, if desired, though they'd be fine whole too if they're peanuts or pine nuts and already quite small.

Toss the scallions, cranberries, nuts and parsley with the dressing. Pour over cooled sweet potatoes and gently stir to coat. Serve chilled.

Sweet Potato Chips and MORE

The basic idea for these came from Food Network magazine - a "Thanksgiving Snack Mix" that called for sweet potato and kettle chips, turkey gravy mix and poultry seasoning, and toasted pecans... 

I borrowed the basic idea. I made my own chips and fried some fresh sage leaves (also in FN's Thanksgiving Snack Mix). I skipped the gravy mix and poultry seasoning -- they'd be fine, I'm sure, but I didn't have either. I did add a smoky African spice mix instead, and some dried cranberries. If I'd had honey roasted peanuts, that would have substituted nicely for the pecans...I'll do that next time around.

This was a deliciously addictive mix for munching!

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's the time of year when you can get pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING! I don't want to overload, but I do like pumpkin ...and sweet potato, and butternut squash...all of which appeal to me even more this time of year.

I tried this one from AllRecipes.com ...with a few alterations. I didn't have gingersnap  cookies on hand, and I have nut allergies, so skipped the pecans (in the crust and as garnish); but I did have graham crackers that needed to get used up, so I made a graham cracker crust and added a bit of candied ginger to it.

I was a little short on cream cheese, but made up the difference with a couple ounces of mascarpone; that shouldn't impact the overall outcome much.

It's good. Not fantastic, but really good. Pumpkin flavor is mild and the cheesecake texture is moist, creamy and firm. Topped mine with a dollop of barely sweetened vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon-nutmeg.

Pumpkin Spice Fudge

Too early for chocolatey Christmas fudge? It's not too early for a pumpkin fudge!

Ingredients
1¾ C sugar

¾ C pumpkin puree (canned)

2/3 C sweetened condensed milk

½ C maple syrup

3 T butter

1 t salt

½ t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground cloves

¼ t ground nutmeg

4 oz cream cheese

12 oz white 'chocolate' chips

Directions

Lightly coat a 11x7 glass casserole dish (or 8x8 or 9x9 square) with non-stick cooking spray. (I also lined mine with parchment paper, under and up the sides - which made for easier removal.)

In a saucepan, cook sugar, pumpkin, condensed milk and maple syrup over medium heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 240 F. Stir in remaining ingredients until chips are completely melted and ingredients are well blended.

Pour into prepared dish, tilting to spread evenly -- or use a spatula, coated lightly with non-stick spray, to spread evenly. Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Cut into 1" squares.

Cranberry Curd

A holiday twist on lemon curd. Not quite as good as I'd hoped; but not bad and worth making again...making tweaking it in hopes of improving it. I'd like a little less sweetness and a little more acidic cranberry punch.

But...not bad for a holiday flavored bite -- with a little cream cheese on a pumpkin roll!

Cranberry Curd Recipe

Maple-Miso Sweet Potato Glaze

Last month, Bon Appetit published a recipe for Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Lentils. For the most part, it was the glaze that got my attention. I'm a wimp when it comes to spicinesss, and I have a sweet tooth (bring on the maple syrup!), so my version isn't quite the same, but the maple-miso combo with a punch of vinegar and a hint of a kick from pepper flakes...yum!

Ingredients

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 T maple syrup

1 tsp soy

2 tsp white miso

2 tsp sesame oil

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 T rice vinegar

1 T butter

Optional: 1 T thinly sliced scallions to garnish (sesame seeds would be a nice finish, too)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, soy, miso, remaining tsp sesame oil, red pepper flakes and vinegar. Set aside.

Peel sweet potatoes and brush (or rub - I put on gloves and use my hands) with 1 tsp sesame oil. I used a combination of red garnet yam and white sweet potato just for color variety; either works fine. Place on baking sheet and bake 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool until just handle-able. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces.

Melt butter in large sauté pan; sauté sweet potato pieces over medium heat until deeply caramelized on both sides. Reduce heat to low; add maple-miso glaze. Continue to cook until glaze is bubbling; swirling pan or spooning glaze over pieces to coat them evenly. 

Remove to serving dish; drizzle with remaining glaze from pan. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions.

Tuna Steaks with Grape-Caper 'Salsa'

The original recipe for this comes from All Recipes magazine. Below is my variation -- with only minor adjustments in ingredients, and reduced to serve 2. The original directions were for grilling the steaks; I seared my in a sautè pan. Tuna is usually served very rare; my photo hardly shows how pink it is. (This time of year, it's dark so early that my dinner time photos are really NOT great quality -- no natural light whatsoever, and it really makes a difference.)

The grape-caper 'salsa' would be great on other fish as well...even on pork. Or chicken. (You can put just about anything on chicken!)

Ingredients

1 T olive oil

3 T capers, rinsed & drained

1½ T minced shallot

1 T fresh parsley, chopped

2 (6-8 oz) tuna steaks

2 tsp lemon juice

1 C seedless grapes, rough chopped

salt & pepper to taste

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, capers, shallot and parsley. Toss with the grapes; season with salt and pepper.

Brush the tuna steaks with lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a fry pan (cast iron skillet would work great here too; or go for the grill). Add a drizzle of olive oil; sear tuna steaks in HOT pan to form a golden crust on both sides (flip after 2-3 minutes for 1" thick steaks), but still pink in the center.

Top steaks with grape-caper 'salsa. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Roasted Grape Crostini with Chevre & Herbs

I'm seeing this in magazines again lately. The exact herbs, cheese or other toppings varies slightly, but the basic format is the same: Toasted bread, spread with soft cheese, topped with roasted grapes and herbs. Often they're finished with a drizzled with extra olive oil and balsamic glaze. Yum!

Ingredients

½ baguette, sliced into ¼" thick slices

2 C seedless grapes*

2-3 T olive oil

1 T fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano...)

        + more for garnish, if desired

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ C chevre (or ricotta)

2 tsp lemon zest

¼ C toasted pine nuts (optional)

balsamic glaze

* Assorted colors makes for a more interesting presentation, but any color will work

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a small bowl, mix olive oil with 2 tsp of the fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Toss grapes in seasoned olive oil; spread grapes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until grapes are tender and skins just begin to wrinkle and toast (about 20 minutes).

If desired, brush baguette slices with remaining herbed olive oil. Place on another baking sheet in the oven, along with grapes, until toasted and golden (10-15 minutes). Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

In a small bowl, mix lemon zest into softened cheese. (Additional herbs can be added as well, but aren't necessary.) Spread cheese onto toasted crostini. Top with grapes (halved, if desired). Drizzle with balsamic glaze and a little additional olive oil, if desired. Sprinkle with remaining fresh herbs and toasted pine nuts.

Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds - Appetizer

There are a lot of variations of this appetizer posted online -- topped, most soften, with goat cheese and any number of different things: cranberries (dried or fresh), diced apple, minced shallot, thyme, basil, candied walnuts or pecans, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts... And then drizzled with: honey, maple syrup, balsamic glaze, olive oil (mixed with a  little lemon or blood orange or cranberry or pomegrante juce) with herbs or spices like smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, basil... You get the idea. It's pretty adaptable!

Here's the basic idea:

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes - long and thin works best

3 T olive oil - flavor infused oils could work here!

½ t salt

¼ t pepper

½ t smoked paprika

2 t lemon zest

1 T honey (or maple syrup)

5 oz chevre (soft goat cheese)*

1/3 C dried cranberries (or other chopped fruit)

1/3 C chopped candied pecans**

2 T fresh chopped basil leaves (sage, thyme, rosemary...others could also work here)

optional: balsamic glaze

* You can buy a pre-seasoned chevre with herbs, or one pre-sweetened with honey; or you can go basic and add your own flavorings in the toppings.

** I skipped the pecans -- I have nut allergies. But if I made these again (WHEN I make these again!) I think I'd throw something else in to add a crunchy, textural element. Honey roasted peanuts would be a nut alternative I CAN have; pumpkin or sunflower seeds would work. Crumbles of crisp bacon would be delicious!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a small bowl combine 2 T olive oil with salt and pepper. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into ½" thick rounds. Toss the rounds in olive oil, s&p; place them on a baking sheet in a single layer, slightly spaced apart.

Roast the sweet potatoes about 20 minutes, turning half way through, until golden and browning around the edges. While they are roasting, add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to small bowl of olive oil, s&p. Stir in smoked paprika and lemon zest (or other spice/flavorings).

Transfer sweet potato rounds to a serving platter. Top with goat cheese, cranberries, and candied nuts. Drizzle with seasoned olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped herb(s). If desired, drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Best served warm.

Salted Maple Pie

It's been over a year since my friend Teresa and I got together for pie baking. Blame it on Covid, but it's been far too long since our peach hand pie baking adventure; we were overdue! Earlier this morning, we tried out this pie -- recipe from  the Sister Pie cookbook (photo below) -- for a fall-flavored treat to celebrate both our birthdays (both in October). I made mine in mini-pie/tart pans, and used my own pie crust recipe.

Other than the fact that, in my opinion, quite a few of the photos in the cookbook look a little overcooked (TOO dark brown crusted), there are lots of enticing flavor combinations that intrigue me! While there are plenty of other recipes in the Sister Pie cookbook I'd like to try out (Brown Butter Plum Crumble Pie; Sweet Corn Nectarine Streusel Pie; Caramelized Onion, Delicata Squash & Sage Hand Pies...) I won't be posting any other of their recipes -- buy their book! But I'll include this one as a teaser... 

Crock Pot Butter Chicken for 2

Inspired by Better Homes & Gardens recipe, mine is slightly less spicy, with a little extra ginger (simply because I like it that way!), and reduced to serve 2.

Ingredients

2½ T butter

½ lb boneless chicken thighs (or nearer ¾ lb bone-in)

3 C chopped yellow onion

7 oz diced tomatoes

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1½ tsp garam masala

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tsp turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

¼ C heavy cream

s&p to taste

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter; brown chicken on both sides (it doesn't have to cook all the way through; it will in the crock pot). Transfer chicken to a 1 qt crock pot. (If you don't have a small one, best to double or tripple the recipe so it won't dry out while cooking in a larger crock pot.)

Sauté chopped onion in the butter until beginning to caramelize. Transfer to slow cooker with chicken. In a small bowl, combined tomatoes (drained if you're using canned tomatoes), grated ginger, garam masala, minced garalic, cumin, turmeric and cayenne. Stir to combine evenly; add to crock pot.

Cover; cook on low 6-8 hours.

Stir in cream and remaining butter. If sauce is too thin, cook, uncovered, until thickened.

Salt & pepper to taste.

Chili

Dry bean chili...a combination of a bunch of different recipes. Easy to add more or less of anything (herbs, spices, beans, ground beef, peppers....) that appeals to you!

Ingredients

1½ lb dry beans (kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans...or a combo)

2 cloves garlic, whole, lightly crushed

2 bay leaves

1 sprig each rosemary & thyme

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, diced

1-2 T olive oil

1 lb ground beef

½ lb ground sausage

1 bell pepper (red or green), diced

1 jalapeno, minced

2 t chili powder

2 t cumin

2 T brown sugar

2 t dried basil

1½ t smoked paprika

½ t dried oregano

¼ t black pepper

21 oz canned tomatoes (diced or crushed)

6 oz tomato paste

2 T Worcestershre

1 oz beef bouillion

6 oz beer

salt & pepper to taste

Optional: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced scallions...

Directions

Place dry beans in large pan or bowl and cover the beans with water 1-2 inches. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and rosemary & thyme sprigs; soak overnight. Add additional water, as needed; soak overnight again. Drain; remove herbs, bay leaves and garlic cloves - discard. Place beans in a large stock pot or crock pot.

Brown the diced onion in olive oil in a large skillet until soft and translucent. Remove to large stock pot (or crock pot) with beans. Brown ground beef and sausage in same skillet until cooked through. Add to onions and beans in stock pot. Peppers can also be sauteéd first, if desire, or added directly to stock pot. Add canned tomatoes with juices, spices, tomato paste, Worcestershire, bouillion and beer.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, 3-4 hours minimum, 6-8 hours or longer in crock pot...until beans are tender and flavors well blended. Salt & pepper to taste. Add additional water or beef stock for thinner chili; continue to simmer UNcovered if thicker chili is desired.

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced scallions...

Cornbread is always a nice side with chili!

Toffee-Apricot-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

½ C butter, softened

2/3 C brown sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 C flour

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

2/3 C oats

½ C chocolate chips

1/3 C chopped toffee bits

½ C dried apricots, finely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 325° F. 

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until thoroughly combined.

Add flour, baking soda, salt and oats, mixing until just combined.

Stir in chocolate chips, toffee bits and chopped apricots.

Spoon or scoop onto parchment lined baking sheets, spacing dough scoops 1 - 2 inches apart. Bake approximately 14 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Smashed Potatoes

Yup -- Smashed; then broiled so they get nice and crispy on the outsides!

Ingredients

1 lb baby potatoes

2 T olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

salt & pepper

Directions

Place potatoes in a lage pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender (20-25 minutes). 

While the potatoes boil, stir minced garlic into olive oil in a medium bowl (so the flavor can infuse the oil). Let sit until potatoes are ready.

Remove potatoes from heat; drain. Toss potatoes in garlic olive oil. Place potatoes -- spacing them apart from each other -- on a baking sheet lightly oiled or lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Smash potatoes using a spatula, or the bottom of a small small sauce pan (or anything really!) -- also coated with non-stick cooking spray. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper.*

* Of course, you could certainly season your potatoes with more than just salt & pepper at this point!

Broil potatoes, flipping them at least once, until they are golden and crisp.

These are great just as they are -- I brushed a little butter on mine, but you could top them with sour cream and chives or gravy. Or ketchup, like fries; or...get creative!

Asian Asparagus & Mushrooms

 Anything with ginger & garlic instantly takes on a bit of an 'Asian' flavor profile. It's one I like. Sesame oil and shitake mushrooms continue building an Asian dish, though a different oil could be used, and other mushrooms could work here too. In fact, if you really don't like asparagus, this Food Network original recipe would work with broccoli, too...

Ingredients
2 C broccoli, cut into 3" lengths
2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp minced ginger*

1 C shitake mushroom caps, sliced

1 clove garlic*

1 T butter

1-2 tsp soy sauce

s&p to taste

* Fresh is ideal, but I keep purchased squeeze bottles of minced ginger and garlic on hand. I like cooking Asian flavors enough that I use them frequently -- and garlic is also in Italian and a lot of other dishes as well.   ...and my fingers don't smell of garlic, even if I don't wear gloves!

Directions

Heat sesame oil in a skillet; add ginger and garlic, cooking just until fragrant (1 minute). Add shitake mushroom caps (the stems can be quite woody & tough); cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. Add asparagus and a few tablespoons of water; cover to steam-cook asparagus until crisp-tender (3-4 minutes depending on thickness of asparagus stalks). Finish with soy sauce and butter, tossing or stirring to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

I had a few crispy fried shallots to top off my asparagus and mushrooms, which added great flavor and texture to the dish!

Hasselback Steaks

Bon Appetite published a recipe for Hasselback Short Rib Bulgogi. (It's their photo at the top here, too.) I bet it's good, but I wasn't specificially interested in the bulgogi recipe (bulgogi means 'fire meat' by the way). I was intrigued by the hasselback style slicing of the meat before it was grilled. I just thought it would be a great way to get more surface area and therefore more flavor infused and more maillard reaction going on! 

Maillard, to add another vocabulary bonus tip, is similar to caramelization...that delicious browning and often crustiness that develops when foods are heated or seared. Caramelization involves a reaction with sugars, so that's what's typically happening with fruits, veggies and baked goods; the maillard reaction has to do with amino acids found in proteins.

Directions

Before marinating and broiling my steak (I used a smokey, African spice blend, but the specific marinade isn't critical here, nor the specific cut of meat), I sliced it diagonally, hasselback style - slicing in opposite directions on each side. Even with a relatively short marination time, it had lots of flavor. The lacerations also made it seem even more tender.

Mirror Glaze ...on naturally red (?) Red Velvet Cake

 Warning: This is much longer than my typical recipe post!! Definitely more 'bloggy' about the process...for my own record mostly. 

I wanted to try out a mirror glaze technique, but figured  I might as well try a new cake recipe while I was at it. Not that I really need more and more cake recipes (!) but Cooking Light has a red velvet recipe that is "naturally red" by using beets. I already have a red velvet cake recipe; like most, it uses red food coloring. I also have a chocolate beet cake recipe that I love. It's not red; however, it does call for cocoa powder (and I often use dark cocoa powder) and dark chocolate and brown sugar...all of which contribute to masking the color of the beets (and flavor...the beets just make the cake wonderfully moist!).

Cooking Light's recipe for "naturally red" velvet cake IS natural (no red food coloring), but...not very red. I used a light (well, 'normal') cocoa powder, not dark, to let the color come through. The beets, again, result in a wonderfully moist cake. But if the desire is for a red velvet cake, I don't think I'd use this one. Still, it was a fine cake for testing out mirror glazing.

I made a few small cakes for practicing on rather than one larger cake.

I experimented with a miror glaze recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk; others use corn syrup which I am not opposed to (I know some people think it's evil and to be avoided). Might be worth experimenting to see how it impacts opacity...

The glaze, either way, is quite runny. That does make it easier for smooth, complete 'sheets' of glaze dripping down the sides, but it was a bit thin in many spots and, as you can see in the photo, a LOT drips right off the cakes. If you work reasonably quickly, you wouldn't have to be super fast, you could re-use the 'drippings', though that might work better with a single, solid color.

And it's really important with a thin glaze to make sure your 'crumb coat' of base frosting is very smooth, and relatively thick since you can see through the thin glaze in quite a few spots.

I was working with two colors to see how easy (or challenging) it would be to marble them. Not difficult at all as long as you're not trying to be too exact. Throw on some sprinkles and edible glitter dust, pipe colored frosting (not more runny glaze!) around the bottom -- or use more sprinkles, chopped nuts, etc. -- to hide the bottom drip edge and it looks pretty good!

Next time, I think I'll thicken it a little with a higher ratio of (white) chocolate - see below. But not too much as it hinders marbling and a smooth-surfaced, shiny glaze. This recipe makes enough to glaze a two-layer 8" cake (or 9") ...as long as you don't drip TOO much down coating the sides.

Ingredients

1 ¼-ounce pkg unflavored gelatin powder

¼ C + 3 T water

¾ C sugar

1/3 C sweetened condensed milk

 6 oz white 'chocolate' chips

gel food coloring(s)

optional: edible glitter and sprinkles for decorating

Directions

Mis en place* all of your ingredients, including cakes pre-frosted with a base of icing spread very smoothly and refrigerated overnigh or frozen for at least 2 hours; this helps the gelatin in the mirror glaze to set.

* Mis en place: Gather ALL of the utensils and equipment you will need and pre-measure all of your ingredients so you have everything you need, ready to move from one step to the next without things just sitting (cooling, setting or hardening when they shouldn't be!) while you're looking for the next needed tool or ingredient.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the water; stir, let sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining water, sweetened condensed milk and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve all sugar. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin until completely dissolved.

Pour hot mixture over chocolate pieces in a heat proof (glass or metal) bowl; let sit 3-5 minutes until chocolate pieces are very soft. Stir until totally melted and well combined. If needed, strain through fine mesh sieve. (Some 'white chocolate' baking morsels have additives that help them retain their chip form during baking -- great for cookies, not so great for mirror glaze.)

If two colors are desired for marbling, divide mixture and color each as desired.

Pour the colored glaze(s) over the cake, starting at the edges, drizzling to evenly coat the sides, then swirling over the top surface. (If you want to try combining the colors in one bowl to pour out a marbled effect, check out Step Nine in these instructions from Food Network.)

I had a 6" cake left after my blue-purple glaze -- reserved because I wanted to try a chocolate (semi-sweet) mirror glaze...for flavor as well as to see how it looked.

The darker chocolate loses its shine more quickly, but even the white chocolate had a decidedly more matte finish after 24 hours. The marbling still gave it a nice look, just not shiny.

Brussels Sprouts with Fig Glaze

I enjoyed fresh figs for the first time this season last night...with a little prosciutto, chevre & balsamic glaze. YUM! No more fresh figs today, but still craving the flavor I used some fig jam I had and a little bacon leftover (from a BLP sandwich) to dress up some Brussels sprouts...

Ingredients
2 C trimmed & halve Brussels sprouts
2-3 slices bacon, chopped or crumbled
2 T fig jam
s & p to taste

Directions
Trim and halve Brussels sprouts (or quarter them if they're really big).

Fry bacon in a skillet. Remove bacon, reserving drippings. Saute Brussels sprouts (use a little extra oil if needed, but hopefully the bacon will have left enough flavorful drippings!) until browned -- even charred a little.

Reduce heat. Push the Brussels sprouts to one side; add fig jam and stir until 'melted'; if needed, add a tablespoon of water to loosen it up a little. Stir to combine with Brussels sprouts. Add bacon. Season with salt & pepper.

YUM!

Mint Chip (or Cookies) Ice Cream

I was working from a recipe for Mint Chip Ice Cream, but I had leftover Oreo cookies. Instead of chocolate (chips, or chopped chocolate) I chopped up the Oreos, so that's what you'll see in the photo even though the recipe calls for chocolate.

Ingredients
2 C heavy cream
1 C milk
¼ tsp salt
30 large, fresh mint leaves
5 egg yolks
C sugar
6 oz chocolate (milk or dark, your choice), finely chopped*

* You can use chocolate chips, but they're pretty hard when frozen. For melt in your mouth chocolate bits in your ice cream, you should use a higher quality chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate, though higher fat contents melt more quickly from their frozen condition in ice cream. Chop or shave it into ultra small pieces for best results.

Directions
Combine cream, milk, and salt in saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add mint leaves; remove from heat. Steep 30-60 minutes - cream should clearly have a mint flavor. (I think it helps to muddle the mint leaves - crush them a bit before you add them, or muddle them in the saucepan, for a full/strong flavor of mint.)

Whisk egg yolks and sugar together; immediately stir in the cream mixture a little at a time, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan; cook over medium heat - stirring constantly, until thickened and just beginning to simmer. Do not overcook!

Strain custard through a fine mesh sieve; discard mint leaves. Cover, and chill to about 40˚. Process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instruction. During final minute of churning, add chocolate. Serve immediately, or freeze for firmer set, or serving later.

Sesame Wafers

So...I ripped a recipe for "Sesame Wafer" cookies out of Food Network magazine back in December 2012!! Found it again just recently. (It's a slow summer. That's not a bad thing...very relaxing on most fronts. And I'm cleaning out in a lot of ways.) This is one I decided to TRY rather than TOSS.

My first attempt working from Food Network's exact recipe was disappointing. To me, a "wafer" should be crisp. What I got was...well, not crisp! The flavor was fine, but it was chewy and not in a good way, but kind of tough, with just a little ring of crunch around the edges. (These are the cookies at the back of the photo.) I mixed very little after adding the flour, so I don't think it was an overmixing issue. I tried baking one tray longer to see if I could achieve 'crispness', but they were just darker and a little tougher.

Anyway, I'm fiddling with the recipe, hoping for a more crisp cookie result -- leaning toward something between a wafer and a shortbread-like cookie. A little more flour and butter, eliminating the egg...second attempt are the cookies at the front of the photo. If I end up with something that really works, I'll update with my own version of the recipe -- and shoot a better photo than right on the counter top on parchment paper.

So far it's still a work in progress; but I thought I'd post it anyway. Keeping it real...not everything I make is photo- and blog-worthy the first time around. It's all a process...

Bacon-Lettuce-PEACH Sandwich (with Basil Mayonnaise)

If you like a BLT sandwich, you can cruise right past this. But for anyone else, like me, who does NOT appreciate raw tomato, here's a fresh summer spin on that idea. You don't really need a recipe, but if you want to try the basil mayo head to Food Network.

I wasn't that impressed with the basil mayo (mayonnaise and fruit just don't do it for me!)...but maybe on something else. If I make this again, I'd just use some peach preserves; I have some leftover from making Bourbon-Peach Pulled Pork just a couple days ago. I'm also not a big arugula fan, but any lettuce works in this sandwich. I also used my own homemade honey-wheat bread, but you could use your own favorite.

Farro & Corn Salad

I don't fix farro very often, and I should...at least more often. Personally, I like its chewy texture, though if it's not cooked well it can be almost 'rubbery' which is NOT usually a good adjective for food!

Food Network inspired this salad. I tweaked things just a little: I have more lettuce growing in my garden than I can keep up with, so I wasn't about to go buy more greens -- specifically, arugula which isn't my favorite anyway. If you don't have fresh corn off the cob ("fresh is best!"), frozen or canned will work; if you don't have a lemon to zest, skip and just add the lemon juice from a bottle, etc.

Anyway, I tweaked it a little, but not worth rewriting a new version of the recipe. It's not like the exact ratio of farro to corn, tomato to arugula is super critical. Or leave out the scallions and throw in some red onion instead for extra color. Maybe toss in a few sweet peas for some variety. Food Network's recipe is a good jumping off point to create your personal favorite version.

Chimichurri Sauce

I think I first fell in love with chimichurri sauce when I made it at Bellingham Technical College's Summer Educator's Institute a few years ago. This isn't that same, exact recipe; everyone has their own personal favorite blend of herbs for chimichurri sauce, so feel free to play around with it. But here's a good starting point...





Ingredients
¼ C olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 oz (2 T) sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

¼ C green onion, rough chopped
2 garlic cloves; smashed

½ C Italian/flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 T each chopped fresh basil, oregano, cilantro
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
s & p to taste (~ ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper)

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender (mini 'bullet'-style blenders work great, but if you don't have one...don't bother with a full size blender, just do a good job of chopping everything and stir it all together in a small bowl); whirl or pulse until consistency is salsa-like with chopped herbs still in chunks. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can serve chimichurri sauce as soon as you make it, but the flavors blend and it gets even better if it sits for at least a couple hours (or overnight).

Stir chimichurri sauce into rice or pasta; spoon over chicken, pork, fish...

Bourbon-Peach Pulled Pork

I don't always follow any recipe with pulled pork. I just toss it in the crock pot for a few hours, usually with some sliced or chopped onion, salt and pepper and then taste and season as I go. Not always, but I often use BBQ sauce -- either homemade or store-bought; but beyond that it really depends. Extra stock as needed to keep everything moist.

Feel like Hawaiin pulled pork? Throw in some pineapple. Want a little heat? Stir in some diced or minced peppers or chilis, or use chili powder. Want to take it Southwest? Add some cumin, garlic or a little cayenne in with the those chiles.

Brown sugar or a little molasses often goes into my pots of pulled pork. Sometimes spoonfulls of stone-ground mustard. I usually like a spash of vinegar; also a bit of soy sauce (or fish or oyster sauce). I also like ginger.

I'll still work that way most often with pulled pork, just tasting and seasoning as it cooks. It's easier than being picky over measured amounts from a specific recipe. But when I stumbled on a pulled pork recipe first sears a pork roast coated with a simple spice rub before tossing it in the slow-cooker with bourbon and peaches...I gave it a whirl!

Actually, no peaches are used in the original recipe*, just peach preserves. But I added half a peach, sliced super thin along with the onions. I also didn't want to open a quart of chicken stock just for half a cup, but I had about half a cup of pineapple juce leftover for extra moisture - and a pinch of smoked salt. To me, even though I love smoked paprika, this recipe was pretty heavy on the paprika, especially with crushed red pepper as well. But it does mellow a bit as it cooks, and my addition of pineapple-juice sweetness may have helped balance the spice too.

Though I may or may not work specifically from this recipe to make pulled pork again, the bourbon peach combo with molasses and balsamic in the mix is a flavor combination I will definitely enjoy again!

* I'm crediting Cooking Light with the original recipe. I also found it on two other recipe sites: My Recipes (using the exact same photo as Cooking Light); and Prevention RD - who credits CookingLight.com.

Corn Cakes

This one's not original to me -- and there are lots of variations online. Closest to what I have here would be Food Network's Parmesan-Basil Corn Cakes.  I didn't have fresh corn on hand, which is too bad because it's still prett good, and easily available, this time of year. Here's what I used...

Ingredients

1 15-oz can of whole kernal corn

1 egg

¼ C flour

¼ C grated Gruyère (though parmesan would be just fine)

chopped basil

1½ tsp cornstarch

1 tsp sugar

s & p to taste

Directions

Depending on how chunky you want your corn cakes and how much texture you'd like them to have, purée or pulse some or all of the corn in a mini-blender. Stir everything together (yes, it's that simple).

Cook heaping spoonfuls (I used a cookie scoop and made about 2" cakes) in a hot skillet with a little oil until golden brown on each side.

I topped mine with romesco sauce; a little sour cream with chives would also be delicious. And they're plenty good on their own or with just a little butter.

Pickled Red Onions

On burgers, sandwiches, salads...pickled onions add a tartness and subtle crunch! You can play around with seasonings, but here's the basics.

Ingredients

2 red onions

1 C vinegar (white or apple cider typically)

1 T sugar (white or brown)

1 T salt

Optional seasonings (NOT all at once): 2-3 T lime juice, ¼ C orange juice, 1-2 garlic cloves, half a dozen black peppercorns, half a dozen allspice berries or cloves, a bay leaf or two, a few sprigs of thyme, a slice or two of lemon...

Directions

Slice the onions as thin as you can. Fill glass jars or any other heat-proof containers if you'll be using your pickled onions in a week or two with sliced onions. (If you plan to keep your onions longer than 2-3 weeks, use sterile canning jars to seal them air-tight.)

Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt other seasonings in a saucepan; heat to boiling. Pour over pickled onions.

You can serve them as soon as they cool, but the longer they soak, the more pickled they get. Store in the refrigerator 2-3 weeks.

Cheese Toast

Do you really need a recipe? Probably not. But posting this is a good reminder -- for myself! -- when I'm looking for a bread or starch to round out a meal. And I had half a baguette that I wanted to use before it went stale...

Cut it thick or thin, as you like and slather it with butter. I used garlic butter and sprinkled on some Italian herbs (optional) before adding a layer of grated cheese. Parmesan is wonderful; here, I used white cheddar. Throw them under the broiler or even on the grill until the cheese is nice and melty and the bread is toasted.

So easy, so delicious!

Drizzle with a balsamic glaze to dress it up a little, or add a little bowl of marinara for dipping.

Couscous with Peppers & Onion

Here's another way to dress up couscous. I got this mix of ingredients and flavors from Cooking Light. However, their instructions -- sauteing AND then cooking the peppers & onions with the couscous -- leaves the veggies soft and soggy (and I'd bet good money the veggies pictured on their recipe page were not cooked that way!). So here's my spin on it...amounts below will serve 2 or 3 as a hot side or cold salad.

Ingredients

1½ C chicken broth (or water)

¾ C Israeli (pearl) couscous

1 T olive oil

½ red bell pepper, small diced

½ jalepeno pepper, very finely diced

¼ red onion, small diced

2 T lime juice

1 T chopped fresh cilantro*

s & p to taste

* I am not a cilantro fan! But I did have some flat leaf parsley and it adds a nice freshness and pop of green to the finished dish.

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan; add couscous and reduce heat to simmer. Cover, simmer 8-10 minutes until couscous is al dente.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a fry pan and sauté peppers and onions over high heat briefly; it's nice if they still have good texture, but a little char adds flavor!  Optional: I wish I would have gotten more char on mine, but I didn't want to overcook them -- should have had the pan hotter. But, you could completely skip this step if you're going to serve it cold...leave the veggies fresh and crunchy.

When the couscous is finished, stir in the peppers & onions along with lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro (or parsley) to serve.

If you're craving some protein, dice up some chicken, pork or even ham, which is what I had on hand. Sauté it with the onions and peppers, and throw it into the mix!

Tomato Jam

Oh my YUM!! It's like ketchup grew up and became a mature condiment. I've most often seen tomato jam served with cheese and crackers (Food Network did that again in its current magazine, July/August 2020). I was sampling my just-made jam on a clover roll (my photo @ right) since I baked some fresh just yesterday, but I can't wait to spread this on a burger or sandwich!

Ingredients

1 lb cherry tomatoes*

¼ C + 3 T brown sugar

¼ C + 1 T red wine vinegar

3 T fish sauce*

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 T minced jalepeno*

pinch each cumin, coriander, black pepper

* NOTES: Certainly wouldn't have to be cherry tomatoes, but that's what I have growing in my garden just now -- or, to be more accurate, in a large pot on my deck. I think almost any tomato would work - you'd just want to chop larger tomatoes before boiling. The sweetness of your tomato variety might make you want to adjust the amount of sugar; some recipes call for quite a bit more than this! If you don't have fish sauce, you can use soy sauce; it's not the same but most tomato jam recipes I've seen don't call for fish sauce. Still, it might just be why I love this stuff so much...the fish sauce, garlic and ginger all together give it a slightly Asian flavor profile. Also, feel free to add more or less jalepeno depending on how spicy you'd like it to be.

Directions

Combine everything in a large pot (or skillet) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and continue cooking until the mixture thickens into a loose jam or thick syrup-y consistency -- it will thicken as it cools.

Store refrigerated in sealed containers. Use sterile canning jars for an airtight seal if you plan to store this for longer than 3 weeks.

Clover Rolls

You wouldn't really HAVE to shape them this way...but it's fun to pull them apart!

Ingredients

1¾ C whole milk, room temp

½ C sugar

2¼ tsp yeast

¾ C butter, softened

½ C butter, melted

6¼ C flour

1 tsp salt

1 egg

coarse sea salt for topping

Directions
Heat ° cup of the milk to 105-110° F. Combine warmed milk, sugar and yeast in stand mixer; let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add softened butter, egg, half of flour and half of remaining milk; mix on medium speed until combined. Add remaining flour, milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Knead until dough is smooth, elastic and pulls away from sides of bowl.

Place in large bowl lightly coated with oil (or non-stick cooking spray), cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1½-2 hours, until doubled in size.

Brush muffin tins with melted butter. Divide dough in half; divide each half into 12, divide each 12th into three (do the same with the other half; you should have 24 rolls -- 72 little chunks of dough, 3 for each roll). Roll into balls, placing three in each muffin tin. Brush generously with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with coarse sea salt. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove rolls from refrigerator 1 hour before baking; remove plastic wrap. Preheat oven to 375° F.  Bake 20-25 minutes. Brush again with melted butter; sprinkle lightly again with coarse sea salt.

Zucchini Slaw

I've never been a coleslaw fan, though I'll eat a bit if it's a vinaigrette style dressing rather than creamy dressing. I'm not a huge zucchini fan either, unless it's in chocolate cake; but I do have some zucchini recipes I like. I made one recently, and had one small zucchini leftover...about 6 inches long and an inch & a half in diameter; about a cup grated.

And I've always, only had zucchini cooked. But I knew somewhere I had zucchini slaw recipe. It's an older one from Cooking Light (May 2017). The honey-dijon chicken looks delicious too, but I was just in it for the slaw this time around. I reduced the oil a bit and threw in a pinch of onion powder so it's not just straight oil+vinegar. And no raw tomato for me, thank you! Though it would have added a nice pop of color!

Ingredients

1 small zucchini, grated

1 T olive oil

1 1/2 T red wine vinegar

pinch onion powder

s & p to taste

Directions

Toss everything together in a bowl. The longer it sits, the more the zucchini soaks up the flavor (and will eventually loose some of it's texture too), but it's fine to serve right away.