Jan and her Pans

This is just a quick update from last year's apple escapade.  I made applesauce again this year with my plentiful apples and I learned something amazing.  Literally all you have to do is wash and chop up your apples, throw them in a pot (peel and all), add a tiny dash of cinnamon and 1-2 cups of water. 

Every single applesauce recipe out there insists on peeling your apples and I am here to tell you, YOU NEEDN'T.  It tastes delicious and when you blend it at the end (I used an immersion blender) you barely know there is any peel involved.  

Once all your ingredients are in your pot, bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to medium, cover your pot, and stir it occasionally for around 25 minutes or until the apples are super soft and falling apart.  See photo below.

After the immersion blender things looks nice and smooth.  See below, mmmmm.

                  It’s properly fall here and it couldn’t be a more lovely time of year.  I feel like we’ve actually HAD a fall, which has been so delightful and I hope it continues for a few more weeks before we plummet into our long (rumored to be tough…) winter.  I was thinking a few weeks ago as I was walking to the movie theatre (to see THIS gem), THIS is exactly why I can’t live somewhere without seasons.  This crisp, lovely time of year when you can walk out of the house in jeans and a flannel and you’re perfectly dressed. Obviously I am not referring to the past 2 dreadful days of nonstop pouring rain we have had in NYC which I am considering just a blip on an otherwise very pleasant radar.  It was exactly two years ago that we were sitting here in the dark without water due to this major event so no complaints here about a little rain!   

One of the many exciting things that happened this fall, I became acquainted with DELICATA SQUASH.  Why aren’t more people talking about this amazing fall wonder?! 

Delicata squash has the heartiness and rich flavor of an acorn or butternut squash with almost none of the time, hard work and labor that goes into preparing those squash.   Given how obsessed I am with this squash currently you may be surprised to find out I do not actually have a picture of a delicata squash.  However you can follow this recipe here to see what they look like and how simple it is to prepare them.  No peeling, manageably sized, and relatively quick cooking time.  

In other beautiful fall news, we visited an apple farm last weekend and the views and the cider were divine.  We also got to watch a small plane take off, drop about 10 sky divers, track their slow descent through the sky, and then sort of peacefully land in the field in front of us.  It was wild and definitely Patrick’s highlight of the trip.   This fella missed his calling as a pilot that’s for sure.  

Doesn't he look cute in the country?! 

  We have apples aplenty in our home now so be on the lookout for apple recipes galore. 

Now, back to the recipe at hand here (I use the term recipe lightly… this is more of a loosely suggested combination of things).  This is a salad with a roasted romaine base (my favorite) topped with a roasted squash, black bean, and apple salsa mixture.  I roasted off the squash earlier in the day so prep for this was about 20 minutes.  The glass of pinot noir in the photo below is one of the fall colors I was referring to in the title of this post... :) 

  Squash, Apple, Black Bean Salsa

Chopped roasted delicate squash (I used 2)

Diced apples (1 small/medium of any type)

One can rinsed and dried black beans

A good handful or two of chopped fresh parsley

Dressing: olive oil, minced fresh ginger (I used a microplane), honey, salt, cumin, parsley

*If I had green onions I DEFINITELY would have added them and I suspect people who are not acid sensitive would want to add maybe a touch of lemon juice or something like that 

CLOSE UP!

I always thought zucchini noodles were one of those things that sound cool but actually are really labor intensive or take large special equipment to make them and I'm not into either of those things.  Luckily, I did some research and found that you can make great zucchini noodles in just minutes with a tiny little tool that costs only $10!  Woot woot, hello weeknight meal!  Please meet the Julienne Peeler.  It works for zucchini noodles and carrots I know for fact, I wonder about sweet potatoes though I haven't tried.  I also think it would be great for making a slaw or salad including crunchy cucumber and carrot strips.  Fun! 

The process isn't all that tricky.  Basically, purchase a thicker-ish zucchini if possible, wash and dry it thoroughly, and then lay it on its side on a cutting board.  Cut off the ends of the zucchini and then just dig in with the peeler.  I remove the julienne'd strips as I go as they tend to get in teh way if not, and I stay on one side of the zucchini until I get near the seeds, then I turn the zucchini a quarter turn and start the process again.  Here is a video for reference if you're having trouble visualizing.  I do not hold it in my hand like this brave person as I have many experiences with knuckles in graters and that sort of thing.  I leave it on the board and just hold the end and peel away from my hand.  

Once you have your noodles you can basically prepare them however you want.  You could dress them with marinara sauce or you could just cook them with butter and herbs, whatever you like!  They cook in a matter of minutes in a frying pan with some butter or oil.  I aim for mine to be zucchini al dente, which is just barely translucent I would say.  I just grab one and taste it for done-ness.  

Lately, I have been cooking relatively plain noodles with a little oil and butter mix, and topping them with various salsas.  This started when our friend sent us home from a lovely dinner party at his home with a jar of delicious and simple papaya salsa.  I used it atop zucchini noodles and it was wonderful.  Since then, I have expanded to new and wonderful toppings including the two listed below.  For both of these I just throw all these ingredients in a bowl with all their juices, give it a stir and then spoon it over a bowl of cooked zucchini noodles.

Fresh corn cut off the cob, diced avocado, chopped basil, a healthy handful of cilantro roughly chopped, sauteed diced onions, a bit of crumbled feta and a diced jarred hot and sweet pepper.  

Chopped nectarines (which I later found out were recalled due to LISTERIA), diced red bell peppers, diced jarred hot and sweet pepper (again), chives, and roughly chopped cilantro.

You can bulk up your toppings as much or as little as you would like.  I serve this dish stand alone and with other veggie sides, just depending on the day and my toppings.  The possibilities are endless really. 

Are you guys starting to get the drift of summer weeknight dinners in our house?!  Last night was just random grilled vegetables and it was delicious.  

One perk of your husband getting home late because he's stuck on the road returning from a work trip is that you have time to blog about dinner BEFORE you eat.  It also made me realize, this is the perfect weeknight dinner.   It's fast, easy, healthy, and doesn't need to be eaten the minute it's assembled so perfect for those balancing different schedules.  

This was an assembled dinner with ingredients on hand, as all my weeknight meals are.  Also, most of this could be assembled in advance if you are a planner.  I ended up with a lettuce base of Romaine topped with a combination of chili powder seasoned sautéed onions, chopped avocados, fresh corn cut off the cob, rinsed black beans, crumbled feta, diced nectarines (I even threw in a few chopped up Rainier cherries!), and a healthy handful of loosely chopped cilantro.  I combined all ingredients except the lettuce in a huge bowl, gave it a good stir, and then spooned it over my bed of chopped roasted romaine.  Any and all of these ingredients can be replaced or swapped out for what you prefer.  The goal is to have a nice hearty almost salsa like mixture that acts as dressing and a topping and is filling and full of nutrients all at the same time! 

I halve the romaine and roast it for 5-8 minutes at 375 so it gets a little wilty or if it isn't pouring rain outside because of an imminent tropical storm (Frig you, Arthur, raining on our fourth of July long weekend!) I'll throw it on the grill for a few minutes.  That is completely optional, I just like it that way. 

Also, if you don't know the wonder of raw corn in salads, give it a try.  1. it's easier.  You just shuck and cut it off the cob and 2. it's delicious and crispy and bursts in your mouth when you bite down.  It's wonderful. 

I'm sure that upon my return after being absent for like 6 months, you might have assumed that I would have something more exciting to offer than oat bars.  WELL, you assumed wrong.  These truly are delicious though and they demonstrate how I've been cooking lately.  Healthier, no butter, these are actually no dairy and no oil as well but still packed with flavor and have a wonderful moist texture.  I figured, this recipe is as good as any to throw me back into the blogosphere so why not?!  I've also been getting a boatload of increasingly noisy complaints from my 'fans' (my husband and my 2 friends who read the blog…) about not posting since October so I knew I needed to return PROMPTLY - banana oat bars it is!  

In other news, on my break from janandherpans, I got married, learned a few chords on the ukulele which I am loving (Pat's gone today so I'm rocking out at the apartment, see what you miss out on babe?!), made about 45,000 nutribullet smoothies (GET ONE), watched the Buckeyes lose in the first round of the tourney, and did a bunch of other standard/awesome things in NYC, Colorado and Ohio, the usual haunts.  

Down to business - these bars are wonderful, hearty and sweet, could be a snack or breakfast or dessert, whatever you want.  

Banana Oat Bars 

recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

2 1/4 cups oats

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 salt

1 tsp cinnamon

a dash of black pepper (if you're wild like me)

a pinch or two of fresh ground nutmeg 

3 ripe bananas

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla

as many chocolate chips as you would like to mix in, I probably did 1/2 cup or so

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a 9x9 square baker.  

To make oat flour, place your oats in a food processor for a minute or so until they resemble flour.  This also can be done in the nutribullet I found out today or I have also done it in a spice grinder.  Whatever you have works.  

Whisk together your oat flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and all your spices, set aside.

In your mixer, start with the bananas until they're nice and mashed, then add the other liquid ingredients, applesauce, honey and vanilla, and mix until well combined.  

Add your dry ingredients to your wet and mix until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips. 

Spread your mixture evenly in your oiled baking pan and top with additional chocolate chips (if you want!). 

I haven't made any cool Halloween treats since I'm travelling this weekend but here's a little snapshot of my home town.  Tell me that's not ADORABLE.  

In an ode to fall and Ali’s birthday a few of us city mice fled to the country for a day of apple picking and leaf peeping and whatever other wonderful adventures accompany those things.  Turns out, it was awesome.  (look at those city slickers below!)

As some of you may know, apples are sort of… my thing.  I don’t want to claim them from the rest of the world of apple lovers or anything, I’m just sayin’, they’re a big part of my life.  I eat at least one every single day and I could live on applesauce.  All this to say, it didn’t take much arm twisting when Ali wanted to go apple picking for her birthday outing.  Also, we ended our day at a little local winery where our neighboring wine tasters offered us the fixin's to make our own s'mores over a large fire pit so yea...  pretty great.  Wine and S'mores.  We're highbrow.  

Obviously picking your own produce is the most ideal way of obtaining it and apple picking is just such a bargain!  You get so much for so little!  And it’s peaceful and fun and all that.  Also I don’t need to get in to (or want to since I don’t want to ruin my own apple devotion) all the gross stuff that happens to apples while they’re stored throughout the year and shipped to groceries for us to have year-round…  it’s not good.  and that’s why store ones are all waxy etc.  So… yea this is better.  

Choosing an orchard in the state of New York is no easy feat, it’s like picking a vineyard in Napa.  So many choices.  We ended up choosing one based on scenery which was the perfect way to do it.  

The Jenkins Leuken Orchard backs up to a scenic rocky… I want to say mountainside?  It might be a plateau…  or a roche mountonnee…  or a hill.  I’m not sure.  See photo below and you experts can tell me.  It was the perfect spot, we barely saw another soul in all our apple picking wandering and the orchards were gorgeous with prime picking.  Extra perk, they had a little market down the road which sold divine apple cake (I’m trying to talk them into sharing the recipe… I’ll let you know how that goes), fresh apple cider, and pumpkins galore.  So for $10 not only did I get a bag SO full of apples of all different kinds, I also got a pumpkin tutorial from an expert and am now the proud owner of a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin.  From my cursory google search, that’s a big deal.  The LICP is apparently the perfect pumpkin pie pumpkin…  so I might have to make one of those too when I’m done dealing with all these apples.   

Dealing with all these apples really just means, peeling, coring and cooking a crap-ton of apples.  I was chuckling as I was peeling 12 apples to make applesauce – I had this memory of my great grandmother.  When she used to babysit me (which was regularly), when I would ask for an apple, I would make her peel the apple.  And she always could do it in just one cut.  One long circular peel.  THEN, I would eat the peel first (that I just made her cut off separately) and then eat the peeled, sliced up apples she would give me.  She was too kind to ever be like… kid, it’s the same thing just eat it all together, okkk??? 

I made a few things already with these beauties.  I’m not thrilled with how my cake turned out so I am going to continue to experiment before I share that one.  I have not included any apple types because we picked SO many different ones and by the time you get home, you really don’t know the difference between them all!  I would say use a mix of types you like, sweet/tart, etc.  For the applesauce recipe, you can add as little or as much as you want to this recipe.  All you really need are apples and a little water.  Honestly, if I made it again tomorrow, I would cut the amount of cinnamon down to probably ¼ tsp, and just add a few lemon/orange peels to the water while cooking and that would be it.  I like simple applesauce…  that just tastes like apples. 

Applesauce

4lbs of apples, your choice, peeled and cored, cut into chunks ( maybe 1/8’s?)

1 cup water

¼-1 tsp of cinnamon (to your desired cinnamonyness)

¼ fresh grated nutmeg  optional

A bit of brown sugar optional

A few strips of lemon/orange peels

Combine all ingredients in a pot.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for about 30 minutes or until the apples are soft and can be smashed with a fork.   Fish out the lemon/orange peels.  Either smash with a smasher if you like more thick applesauce or go at it with an immersion blender to your desired thickness.  

Fall has fell in NYC finally and officially.  We have had a very warm October until this week so no complaining here but it finally is settling in… crisp mornings, windy days, dark falling wayyyy too early in the evening… all that which says FALL.  It’s pretty beautiful although I was getting used to those 65 degree sunny days here…

My darling reminded me last night that I have not been blogging at all…  at the time when he said it I couldn’t put my finger on why but I think I realize now.  I’ve been transitioning my diet to be as low-acid as possible in an effort to take care of my tummy… so that said, everything has been experimenting lately with everyday cooking without tomatoes, citrus fruit or juice, vinegars, etc. which has been a big transition!  I’m very reliant on tomatoes and lemon/lime juice for that flavor punch so figuring out how to make bright dishes without those things has been a challenge. 

I did make cauliflower pizza crust which was GREAT – I’m not thrilled with the recipe so I want to keep experimenting and then report back.  The current recipe, dare I say, is a bit cheese heavy.  But I’ll figure something out…

I will share one thing I have made recently.  I don’t have a photo because I did not anticipate them being good as many of these ‘healthy baked goods’ recipes of mine tend to be fine but not GREAT.  This one, I would choose this recipe any day!  Give it a try if you have all the ingredients on hand, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!  I have been trying to find slightly healthier baked goods for me to snack on since I have conceded that I can’t give them up entirely in an effort to be healthier…  it ain’t happenin’.  Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen is provided below.

Otherwise, life-wise, everything is crazy as ever but all good so no complaints!  We've attended I think a record number of weddings, each one more beautiful than the next and I even made time to squeeze in my mandatory annual (at least) Buckeye game last weekend.  This weekend is filled with beautiful NY fall weather things like Apple picking for Ali’s birthday (!!!) and then back to Ohio again next weekend to celebrate another wedding! 

Skinny Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins – Recipe from Ambitious Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular wheat flour since I didn’t have pastry and it was fine although she suggests a mix of wheat/AP flour if you don’t have pastry flour)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 small to medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon melted coconut oil

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites

1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 medium zucchini)

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt  

1/2 cup mini or regular chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.  The recipe author suggests spraying the inside of the liners with nonstick cooking spray… I didn’t do this and they were a little bit stuck in there but I managed.  So, your choice. 

Squeeze shredded zucchini in a dish towel to rid of excess water. 

In a mixing bowl combine bananas, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, egg whites, zucchini, applesauce, and yogurt.  Slowly mix in your combined dry ingredients and beat until just combined, do not overmix the batter.  Gently fold in your chocolate chips and pour the batter into the muffin cups.  Mine fit just perfectly (you can fill to the top)

I had to post these recipes before stone fruit and tomatoes are gone for the summer!  So everyone run out, get some peaches or nectarines or whatever you like, and some gorgeous tomatoes, and cook away. 

Two of these I would categorize as easy weeknight meals or side dishes which look like you tried a lot harder than you did, and one of these I would call…  a cake.  A super tasty summer cake reminiscent of this beauty from last summer. 

First up, grilled peaches and tomatoes over a lightly dressed arugula salad, with burrata and a balsamic glaze.  YUM. 

Second, a nectarine brown butter buckle.  I made it with a mix of nectarines and peaches and I don’t think anyone could tell.  

Third, a one-pot simple as can be farro and tomato dish that will blow your socks off.  Patrick told me it was one of his favorite meals I have ever made.  It took a total of 20 minutes and 1 ingredient I didn’t have on hand (fresh tomatoes).  So… it’s a keeper. 

My WORD forgive my unedited photos.  

For the salad, I don’t even want to pretend that I used set proportions of anything.  I basically made it to fit what I had and which serving dish I knew I would like to use.  I will put some estimates below.

-          Half a bag of arugula or so as a base

-          Two cups of grape tomatoes, grilled

-          2 peaches, sliced and grilled

-          One ball of burrata

-          Fresh basil for garnish

-          ½ cup balsamic, reduced to half

-          Salad dressing of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, a little squeeze of honey, salt and pepper to dress your greens

Reduce your balsamic (simmer over low (or med-low) heat until it’s reduced to half the amount you started with), let cool.  Dress your greens, let sit.  I grilled my peach slices and whole tomatoes in foil for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally, until they looked soft.  Place those atop your dressed greens, cut your burrata into pieces and place atop your greens and fruit.  Drizzle all of this with your balsamic glaze and sprinkle with your basil garnish.  Et voila.  Beautiful, delicious, satisfying.

NEXT UP.  Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle.

This recipe is expertly explained on Smitten Kitchen as all her recipes are so if you want to hear it from a pro, go here.  If you want to hear it from a non-pro, you can read my synopsis.  All things went about as suspected but I overcooked mine.  When I checked the center it just didn’t FEEL like it would be done and there were many moist crumbs on my tester.  I cooked it longer and the edges were brown.  Edible FOR SURE but drier and browner than is ideal.  So, if I did it again, I would just trust the recipe and pull it out at 45 minutes as instructed.  Also, ½ inch slices of nectarine will seem thick… but just do it.  It’s perfect that way (some of mine were too measly)

Cake:

-          ¾ unsalted butter (and some to grease your pan)

-          1 ½ cups AP flour

-          ¾ tsp salt

-          Pinch of allspice (I didn’t have this so I grated a little nutmeg and some cinnamon)

-          1 cup sugar

-          2 large eggs

-          2/3 cup milk (or buttermilk)

-          1 ½ lbs nectarines, halved, pitter, and cut into ½ inch wedges

-          Lemon juice for coating your nectarines

Topping:

-          Reserved butter from cake

-          ½ cup sugar

-          ½ cup flour

-          ¼ tsp cinnamon

-          Pinch of salt

Brown your butter (read up on this if you’ve never done it – it’s not complicated but you want to know the ‘signs’), set aside and let cool in the fridge.

Prepare your pan by lining a 10 inch round pan or springform with parchment paper and butter the paper and rest of pan generously.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and allspice in medium bowl to blend. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cooled browned butter (set aside remaining 1/4 cup for topping), sugar and then eggs, one at a time. Stir in milk or buttermilk. Stir dry ingredients into this wet mixture; mix until just combined and spread batter in prepared pan. Toss nectarine wedges with lemon juice and arrange them in a single layer on top of the batter.

For the topping, stir remaining brown butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt together until large crumbs form. Sprinkle the nectarine-topped batter with crumbs. Bake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack.  I served this cooled with barely sweetened fresh made whipped cream.  It was a nice final touch.  

LAST BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST, One Pot Farro

Do yourself a favor and make this.  I’ve made it two nights in a row.  Just do it. As a main it serves two, or probably 4 as a side.

- Two cups water

- one cup farro (check your farro type for cooking instructions, I used quick cooking because that’s what my store had… just follow the directions on the bag)

- half of a large onion, sliced thinly in half moons (seems like too much but it’s not I promise it melts into the background)

- 9 ounces tomatoes of your choice (the recipe used grape tomatoes, I chopped some heirlooms I had and they were great too so I would say use what you have/like)

- one clove garlic

- 1 ⅓ tsp kosher salt

- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

- 1 Tbs olive oil

- pecorino for grating on top

- thinly sliced fresh italian herbs to garnish, I used basil and oregano

Add the water and farro to your pot and let soak while you prepare the other ingredients.  Quarter the onion (so you’ll use two quarters) and slice thinly into half moons.  Slice the garlic thinly as well.  Throw those in the pot along with your tomatoes, chopped if you use larger ones, while is fine if you’re using smaller varieties.  Add your salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the pot down and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until your farro is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.  For quick cooking, that was about 15 minutes.  If there is some liquid leftover, just spoon your farro into your serving dish with a slotted spoon.  Top with grated cheese and fresh herbs.  

In other fun surprises, I received a beautiful wedding invitation in the mail.  Check out these adorable vintage stamps she used to send them and on the RSVP cards...  She said her dad took a stamp collection he inherited to be appraised and allowed her to use any of the vintage ones that were only worth face value.  What a fun tribute to use them on her wedding invitations...

I know, it’s been a million years and you thought I was gone.  NOPE.  Not so fast.  I’m still here, it’s just been so busy.  So busy I’m barely cooking.  I’m barely making it to the grocery even…  it’s been a lot.  And now the summer is basically over, which is nuts.  Once the US Open comes it’s the beginning of the end…  but it’s my favorite few weeks so I’m just going to do my best to enjoy it and not think about how the entire summer disappeared like a flash before my eyes! 

I honestly wasn't planning on posting any time soon but I stumbled into this recipe last night and it is too great not to share.  Maybe everyone else is privy to this information but did you know you can bake quinoa into a crust?!?  I tried it last night and it was a hit at our house. 

The prep is easy but the bake time is somewhat long (about an hour all in).  The fillings are endlessly adjustable by season or whatever you have on hand and the ingredients are healthful and delicious!  Great weeknight meal with the perfect amount of leftovers for you to have breakfast the next morning.  I served it with a barely roasted kale salad topped with an avocado, mango, green onion salsa with lime juice. The beautiful dish it's served in was a gift for our upcoming wedding, I'm in love with it (Thanks, Patrice!).

Quinoa Egg Bake (customized to your delight)

½ cup uncooked quinoa

8 eggs

1 ¼ cup skim milk

Salt and pepper (to your liking)

Herbs, optional but delicious

Added Veggies of your liking

½ grated parmesan (or whatever you like) for the topping, optional but delicious

Butter to grease your pan

Grease an 8x8 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, herbs, and quinoa.  Pour this mixture into the pan, let settle, and shake it gentle to help the quinoa settle evenly on the bottom of the pan.  (Mine settled very unevenly but I think it’s because I added my veggies before I poured the egg mix into the pan… it was still really good just crust was thick in some areas, thin in others)  Once you have let the quinoa settle/sink for a few minutes, sprinkle in your chopped vegetables.  I added halved grape tomatoes, chopped zucchini, an ear of fresh corn kernels, and green onions.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until just set.  Remove foil and sprinkle top with cheese (I mixed grated pecorino with fresh thyme to make a little crust and it was perfection), return to oven uncovered for another 10-15 until golden. 

I know I haven't posted for a while.  It might be because I’m lazy?  Or forgetful?  Or…  a little busy I guess?  It definitely is NOT because I have not been cooking.  But I will say, I don’t know that I’ve been cooking anything exciting.  Summer hits and I just want to grill vegetables and make summer tacos…  I have a routine.  Go to the store, pick up whatever random vegetables look good, go home, and throw together some random vegetable meal that I’m not sure most people would say constitutes ‘a meal’ but whatever - if you eat enough random vegetables all together, you get just as full as if you eat a lasagna!  Your plate is just more crowded and piled like 6 inches high with roasted kale…

One thing I can tell you about – I made these.  For Patrick’s birthday.   They’re like buckeyes on steroids.  I followed this recipe, I would DEFINITELY cut down on the amount of honey.  Honestly, I would add a touch of honey to the peanut butter mixture – the flavor is nice but you do not need the sweetness.  I also added a little coconut oil to the chocolate coating in hopes that it would ‘shell’ more… you know, harden a bit?  I think you could do it with or without.  TRY THESE.  I rolling pinned over some semi stale pretzel rods leftover from this and they were perfect for the job.  Another treat that might be making an appearance in this year’s Christmas baskets…  

Other than that, I have reinvented a cocktail and it is officially my COCKTAIL OF SUMMER 2013!  I am spoiled because I have a patio.  So I can come home, make this cocktail, put a fancy straw in it, and sit on my patio and I feel like I’m at a high-end private bar with great views.  Recipe is below – I guessed at the proportions based on other cocktail recipes I have read.  Reality, I apply the guess and check method.  A healthy squeeze of lemon, a healthy squeeze of simple syrup, a small enough amount of gin that I won’t be bombed after one cocktail…  you  get the point.  

On a random side note, have I ever shared with my readers (reader maybe?  Mom mainly?) that Patrick refers to my blog as a hot spot for middle aged women of the Midwest, namely Northwest Ohio?  Isn’t he clever…   ;)  

Ingredients:

2 oz gin of your choice

1 oz fresh lemon juice (I usually half a lemon and just give it a hearty squeeze into the glass)

½-1 oz Lavender simple syrup

Soda water

Ice

Fill your glass with ice, pour or squeeze in the gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, stir, top with soda, put a straw in it and sit down with your book somewhere comfortable and in the sun if possible. 

  To make Lavender Simple Syrup:

1 ½ Tbs dried lavender

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

A few weeks ago we got our nearest and dearest cooking pals in NYC together for a little Iron Chef remix 2013.  I should clarify ‘cooking’ pals is a term I use loosely… I have no idea how much any of these people cook when I’m not forcing them to participate in Iron Chef at my apartment.  That said, after last year’s successful run with sweet potato, this year the secret ingredient was…  Peppers!  It’s tough to make a single ingredient sound exciting… I tried. 

Everyone brought their best and had a great time, most importantly.  Here are some photos and highlights although I sadly did not have photos of every dish.  Why am I so bad at remembering to take photos?!?!  Also, the recipes I made are posted at the bottom! 

So, when I originally posted this story I didn't exactly tell you THE WHOLE STORY.  Ironically, I start the post below with the statement ‘this recipe is foolproof’ which I suppose the recipe in and of itself IS foolproof but carrying out this recipe, as with any recipe, takes a moderate amount of care.  A moderate amount of care that I, Janet Lawless, did not display on that fateful Saturday. 

I woke up in my usual Saturday state… ravenously hungry and dreaming about what to eat for breakfast.  It was double bonus because Patrick was heading out of town which means I REALLY get to make whatever I want for breakfast (he’s… healthier than I am).  So while he was readying himself for his trip, I was whipping up a Dutch baby which I could not wait to try.  There is so much more that goes into this story but I will cut to the chase – suffice to say, I did not heed my own warning below.  The whole bit about wearing an oven mitt?  I did that, when I pulled the frying pan out of the oven.  But then I put the pan down and the oven mitt down.  And then Patrick was trying to walk out the door so he wanted a kiss goodbye.  So I turned my back to my Dutch baby and hurriedly said goodbye and turned back to my Dutch baby and grabbed the handle fully with my left hand AND REALIZED AT THAT MOMENT WHILE I WAS CLENCHING IT THIS PAN WAS STILL LIKE 400 DEGREES!!!  So, I burned my whole hand.  Basically the whole thing.  And it sucked.  And then my hand looked like this for about a week.

Following that week, it healed beautifully, no scars, it looks wonderful and almost normal again.  So the message here is, when you make this recipe, don’t do that.  But I’m sure you already knew that!  

I sort of think this recipe is foolproof.  It's simple and won't leave you hovering over your frying pan finishing up pancakes while you're desperately trying to keep the finished ones warm in the oven until the remainder are completed...   This dutch baby almost has a smooth, custard like center.  You just mix the ingredients, pour them into a frying pan, load the batter up with berries and bake.  It's easy and looks beautiful when you pull it out and put it on a platter with a nice dusting of powdered sugar.  Give it a try next Saturday, you won't be disappointed!  

Recipe from two-tarts

3 tbs unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries (or combination), fresh or frozen

powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the butter in a 10-in oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron), and place it in the oven.

Whisk together wet ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.  

Wearing an oven mitt (DON'T FORGET THIS), remove the hot skillet from the oven (the butter should be bubbling), and pour in the batter all at once. Sprinkle as many berries as you can over the batter and return the pan to the oven. Bake until the pancake is nicely browned around the edges, 12-15 minutes.  

Remove the pancake from the oven (don't forget that oven mitt!). Carefully transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. 

It's so good!  We all know it.  I finally made it and it tastes even better than anticipated with SO little work and ingredients.  Here it is: 

Two pounds of raw almonds roasted at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  I roasted mine for 13 and they were bordering burnt.  I would call them a dark roast, if you will.  So 10 minutes for golden roast 13 minutes for DARK roast.  Pull those bad boys out and throw them in the food processor.  

Put the lid on and start the food processor.  I put mine in hot so once they settled down a little I opened the little vent at the top of mine to let out the steam while they processed.  This took probably a solid...  I don't know 10 minutes maybe of processing. (some blogs say 7 minutes, some blogs say 20 minutes... I think mine was about 10)  And I really didn't think it was ever going to get buttery but just be patient and it WILL.  

Once my almonds were smooth I did a taste test.  With the roastyness (you know what I mean) of my almonds they needed a little balance so I added probably 2 tablespoons or so of raw sugar and a pinch of salt and then let the processor run for another 20 seconds or so.  I think there's a chance that if your almonds were of the lighter roast variety, you may not even chose to add anything.  On the flip side, I think there are endless possibilities for customization, maple syrup for sweetness, cayenne or red pepper for spice, brown sugar, honey, sea salt, vanilla, etc.  Have a party.  

Seal in a jar, mark the date and throw it in the fridge.  

MARCH MADNESS GIVES ME PANIC ATTACKS

I love it, I really do.  And so far (fingers crossed!!!) it’s a great year for the Big 10 which I’m thrilled about.  But SERIOUSLY, 3 of my 4 final four picks played on Sunday and the ANXIETY that accompanies that, oof.  Such fun but so competitive!  That’s the name of the game huh.  The pace of college basketball is just unmatched in my opinion by any other competitive series in sports.  So basically, these are the most exciting few weeks possibly of my entire winter.  (I KNOW technically it’s spring…  it’s not spring.  It’s basically snowing here and freezing, clear signs of winter)

On to the completely unrelated recipe – I made these actually for the super bowl for the first time and have made them twice since.  It’s just a quality, simple go to recipe for cookies with a kick.  You can make them for your March Madness Buckeye watching party which you are no doubt having on Thursday night, right???  :) 

Bear in mind, these smell more bourbon-y than they taste.  They have a wonderful fluffy sort of inside surprisingly.  Recipe from unegaminedanslacuisine.com

Ingredients

Apparently my friend Ashley plays  a bigger role in my blog than I realized.  I made this recipe shortly after she broke her ankle (CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING ON CRUTCHES IN NYC?!) as a little ‘get well soon’ present.  Rice Krispy treats are her favorite and of course, I just can’t make plain old rice crispy treats, so I made these gems.  They are beyond delicious, be sure you have someone to gift them to or you will eat them all and get a huge stomach ache.  That’s all I have to say about that. 

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats from Smitten Kitchen

-          1 stick unsalted butter

-          1 10 oz bag marshmallows (use the small ones and spare your arms the stirring…)

-          Heaping ¼ tsp sea salt

-          6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (roughly half a box)

Butter an 8 inch square pan with 2 inch sides. 

Put your butter in a large pot and melt over medium-low heat.  Once it melts you will see it change colors, white and foamy to a clear golden, and then you’ll get impatient but please head my warning: Do  not turn up the heat and do not stop watching your butter!  Once it begins browning (you’ll see the color change and smell the difference) it is only moments until it’s burned.  It’s easy to brown butter you just have to watch it.  It isn’t rocket science I promise.  When your butter is nutty and delicious smelling, turn off the heat and stir in your marshmallows.  Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and the cereal together with a strong wooden spoon.  While you’re doing this, your arm will want to fall off.  Marshmallows have uncanny strength despite their fluffy looks…

Once combined quickly spread in the pan and press down using waxed paper or I use the buttered side of the butter wrapper to prevent sticking. 

Let cool and then cut to your desired size.

IF you want to really make these fat, do what I did and add this chocolate peanut butter topping.  I actually made a double batch and had one batch plain and the other with the topping.  They’re perfectly glorious alone so feel free to stop there.

Topping

-          1 cup chocolate chips

-          ½ cup peanut butter

Usually I wouldn't bore you with a quick weeknight curry but this one was ON POINT.  Completely unplanned, thrown together with things on hand, the perfect quick, nutritious weeknight meal. 

I recently purchased candied ginger which, turns out, you can use as ginger in a pinch.  And it tastes fantastic.  I rinsed the sugar off the outside of a few chunks, chopped the chunks into somewhat thin slices (it’s very tacky so this is tough) and threw them in with the veggies and the curry was just gingered enough in my opinion.  It also inspired me to make some ginger cookies this weekend I think…   I might be obsessed with candied ginger now. 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, halved and sliced into rings

1 red bell pepper

3 carrots (could have added more)

1 15 oz can cannellini beans (rinsed)

1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed)

1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes (whatever canned tomatoes you keep on hand is probably fine)

1 15 oz can light coconut milk

A handful (or two) of spinach

Candied ginger (WHAT??!!  I know)

Curry powder

Cumin

Turmeric

Chili Garlic sauce

Peanuts (if you like them)

Tri-colored Quinoa

    First, start your quinoa.  Water to quinoa, 2:1 ratio in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Once it boils, turn down to a simmer and cover for 10-15 minutes. 

  Next, heat oil (I used sunflower) in a pan over med-high heat and season and cook your onion, peppers and carrots with the can of diced tomatoes and the candied ginger for a few minutes until the veggies are soft.  As these are cooking add a heaping spoonful of curry powder, a bit of cumin and turmeric (maybe… ½ teaspoon each or so?), and a small spoonful of the Chili Garlic Sauce pictured below.  IT IS HOT.  Great flavor but it’s hot.  Stir all of these things together and then add your beans and coconut milk and give the whole thing a good stir.  At this point, add your spinach whenever you like and wilt it into the mixture.  The longer it cooks the more the coconut milk will cook down.  I didn’t cook mine down hardly at all, I liked the consistency so I even kept things on medium-low probably for a few minutes and then served.   

  This curry was I would say more tangy than sweet with the perfect spiciness.  If you want to sweeten it up, add peanut butter or almond butter (or whatever you like really... you could even add honey probably)