Baked Brie

Brie en Croute 

Don't let the name intimidate you. Though it may look fancy, this appetizer is painstakingly simple, and requires almost no prep. If you've got parties to go to this holiday season, and you're not sure what to bring, you're in in luck! These "croutes" were wildly popular at my Thanksgiving get-together,  and you are sure to please a crowd in both presentation and in taste. This recipe is so easy to make you'll be kicking yourself for not knowing it sooner. And better yet, it's classy and oh-so impressive. 

I don't usually encourage buying store bought dough, because most dough (pasta, pizza, pie, bread) is easy and inexpensive to make yourself. However, in the rush of Thanksgiving, I did not intend on making my first attempt at puff pastry dough, and you probably don't either. So in this instance, I recommend picking up a set of pastry sheets at the store. 

**Please note this recipe will make one (1) brie en croute, but I have offered two options for filling. 

Ingredients*:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, pre-packaged
• 1 wheel of Brie 
• 1 egg beaten

Filling #1:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling #2: 

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or slivered almonds
• 1 small (8-ounce) wheel Brie
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce (or your favorite jam) 

Optional:

• Crackers for serving 

Directions:

prep. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Defrost puff pastry for approx. 20 minutes before unfolding. 

step one. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the nuts in the butter until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes. 

• For Filling #1 Add the cinnamon and stir until walnuts are coated well. 

step two. Lay the puff pastry out on a flat, floured surface. Gently roll pastry with a rolling pin to increase the size of the sheet 1 to 2 inches in each direction. Brush both sides of the sheet with beaten egg. Center the wheel of Brie on top of the pastry sheet.

step three. Place the brie in the center of the pastry. Arrange the nut mixture on top of the Brie.

• For Filling #1 Sprinkle the brown sugar over the mixture.

• For Filling #2 Spread Sauce (or jam) on top of the nuts

step three. Gather up the edges of the pastry, pressing around the brie and gather at the top. Gently squeeze together the excess dough and tie together with a piece of kitchen twine.

step four. Brush the beaten egg over top and side of Brie. Place Brie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

Serve with crackers.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Orzotto

I know... I know... It's been a while!
The holidays always have me trying so many new recipes, it can be overwhelming and often times I find myself being overly ambitious (Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Brownies??). So today we are visiting an old stand by. I've been cooking this "orzotto" recipe longer than I've had this blog, so I'm surprised actually that it hasn't made it's way to these pages yet. 

I first came across this recipe for Lemon Basil Orzotto on the Cooking Channel in 2011. I loved the idea of a risotto made with pasta, it as like a light-bulb going off in my head. And this recipe is so simple that it quickly became my go-to dinner dish when I needed something fast and delicious. I started with whole wheat orzo pasta to add an extra layer of flavor, and because I think it's got sucha  a great bite and it's so good for you. But soon I found myself adapting the recipe to use seasonal vegetables, or sometimes just whatever I could find in my kitchen. This is the perfect recipe to share with friends and family because of how easy it is to variate this dish so that it's always fresh and exciting, every time you make it.

Butternut Squash variation I posted on my Instagram in 2013

For this post, I used asparagus, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms because they are three flavors I just can't get enough of in the fall. There is something so earthy and grounding about the taste of this dish. I want to just carry my plate to the couch and put on a movie.

My sister recently borrowed this recipe for a dinner party and said that is was "by far the crowd favorite". 

Enjoy!

Asparagus, Zucchini and Mushroom Orzotto

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter (optional) 
• 1/2 onion diced 
• 1 1/2 cups orzo 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I usually have a heavy hand here) 
• 3 cups vegetable stock or broth (Rapunzel Bouillon is my favorite) 
• 1 zucchini quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped 
• 1 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or soy cream 
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Tips: 

• Choose a wine that you like to drink. Sacrifice 1/2 cup to your dish, and pour yourself a glass while you man the stove. 

• Substitute Farro or Pearl Barley for the Orzo.

• Toast your pine nuts for 2 minutes in a dry sauce pan to bring out the flavor. (Keep and eye on 'em, they burn quickly!) 
• Prepare your veggies a day ahead for even quicker cook time. 

• Add garlic at anytime. 

Directions:

step one. Prepare your veggies. If you don't have a steamer, you can poach your asparagus by dropping into boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transferring to an ice bath. For my zucchini and mushrooms, I like to add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet  on med-high heat and stir occasionally until everything browns a little. Mushrooms LOVE butter so don't be surprised if they soak it all up! Set vegetables aside. 

step two. Bring your broth to a boil.

step three. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo and toast until you see some browning on the grain (this will keep the pasta al dente). stir occasionally. 

step four. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. 

step five. Gradually add your vegetable broth (1 cup at a time), stirring frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat. 

step six. Fold in vegetables, cheese, and cream. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Pine Nuts. 

Serving suggestion: 

Served with mixed green salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

 

Honey and Lavender Madeleine Cakes

Honey & Lavender are one of my favorite combinations. Simply uttering the words together sends a fluttering of taste memories and pleasureful experiences through my mind. Like visiting the lavender fields in the Provence region of France...

Honey Bees go crazy for lavender. And as prevalent as they are in the field, they'd much rather stick to their fragrant violet flowers than pay humans any attention. 

This recipe is so quintessentially French, that i just had to post it, as France is one of the biggest influences in my food profile. I made these little cakes for my mother's Garden Party but I'll admit that a good majority were eaten in the kitchen before guests even arrived. Their so hard to resist when their so tiny and warm. Dip into your favorite local honey, and you'll be transported to the Provence in your imagination. Enjoy!

Honey & Lavender Madeleine Cakes

(Recipe from At My French Table, a book gifted to my from my brother, Scott)

Ingredients: 

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

2 tablespoons honey (local is best)

3 eggs

1/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g self-rising flour

2 organic or unsprayed lavender sprigs, finely chopped

Plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting

icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat over to 180 degrees for large Madeleine Cakes, Bump to 210 for smaller

Step1. 

Melt butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat and put in medium sized bowl to cool. 

Step 2.

Once cool, add eggs, one at a time, then add both sugars, vanilla, and sift in flour. Stir lavender flowers into the mixture.

Step 3. 

Prepare your madeleine pan by brushing with melted butter and dusting with flour. 

Step4.

Spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mould, then bake for 10 minutes. For smaller madeleine cakes, use 1-2 teaspoons, the mould should only be filled half way. And bake smaller cakes for about 6 minutes. You want the little belly to stick out. 

Step5. 

Cool cakes for 5 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool. Dust with icing sugar before serving. 

Blueberry Pie

Get Well Blueberry Pie

 

My mom is on bed rest this weekend, so I thought I'd surprise her with a drive home, and a blueberry pie. 

 

Nothing says 'Get Well Soon,' like a pie and some flowers. So I picked up an orchid and rolled out this blueberry pie. I've been practicing on my pie crust and my friends have been benefiting. But finally, I've perfected this rye pie crust from Heidi Swanson. At first, pie crust can be intimidating. But as long as you've got an apron, or some clothes you don't mind getting floured, it's really simple, and very rewarding. And with the holidays in full swing, I'm sure you can find lots of instances for practice of your own before the New Year.

I found my mom trip planning on her iPad when I arrived. My dad brought up a serving knife and plates and we I had pie together on the balcony overlooking my parents' spectacular view of Jamul. I had to keep my dad away from the pie after his second helping because I'd invited my sister over for leftovers later. 

Blueberry Pie with Rye Crust

(This recipe is from Heidi Swanson shared on the blog Forty-Sixth At Grace by Herriott Grace)

I won't be hurt if you click that link and follow Heidi's recipe, because that's what I did.  Although I couldn't find lemon verbena anywhere so I just used extra lemon zest. Harriott offers two ways to get the dough into a ball, by hand, or with a food processor. I prefer the manual method because it makes me feel more involved. And remember, always keep your counter surface and rolling pin well-floured to make the dough easier to work with.

rye pie crust: 

2/3 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4+ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup salted butter
1/3 cup cold beer

special equipment: rolling pin & pastry brush recommended

Harriott's notes: You can make the crust using the quick and popular food processor technique. That said,  I always make it by hand, using the above ingredients, and this technique. If you like a super-puffy crust, do the folding in Pim’s instructions 4x. I usually like mine less so, and fold & roll just 2 or 3 times, depending on how the dough is feeling.

step 1. 
   Mix together the flour and salt. Using one of the methods above, get your butter and flour well mixed until it resembles small flakes.

step 2. 
   Create a well with your dough, add the beer, and as quickly as possible work into a tight ball. Wrap with clear plastic and refrigerate for at least 40 minutes.

step 3.
   Fold your dough.

Pim's Instructions: 
Flour the pastry board or counter very liberally.  Place the dough on the board and flour the top of the dough liberally as well.  With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to an elongated rectangle.  Pick up the pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough.  Then pick up one end of the rectangle, fold it 2/3 of the way in.  Brush the flour off the newly folded section, then pick up the other end and fold it over that section. Now you have a dough that is folded neatly into thirds.  The dough will crack and might even break, don’t worry about it.  Just make sure you brush off as much flour as you can between the folding so you don’t trap more flour in the dough than necessary.

step 4. 
   Roll it.  I don't like to cut my dough in half, I always end up miscalculating. So I just take about 2/3, roll it into a thin crust, and make sure the bottom of my pie pan is perfectly covered. Then I trim off the edges and roll the scraps back in with the remaining 1/3 of the dough and this way I always have enough for the top crust. If you don't have a rolling pin, a bottle of wine will do. Once, I used a large salt shaker. This is a pretty sturdy dough so you shouldn't experience too much breakage.

Refriderate the remaining dough and prepare the filling.

Blueberry Pie Filling: 

•  1/3 cup natural cane sugar
•  1/3 maple sugar (or brown sugar) 
• 1/3 cup / 1.5 oz / 45 g flour
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 2 pounds of blueberries, rinsed 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice & zest from that lemon (I like to use double the zest) 
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water, whisked
• Large grain sugar, for sprinkling (optional) 

Preheat your oven to 425F

 

step 5. 
Toss the wet blueberries with the flour and salt.

step 6.
Fill the crust with the berries, drizzle with lemon juice, and dot with the butter. Brush the rim of the bottom crust with a bit of egg wash, then top with the other piece of pie crust.

Trim the top crust a bit if needed, then press the top and bottom crusts together at the edges. Working around the rim, tuck the overhanging dough under itself, and crimp with a fork or flute using your fingers.
 

Brush the crust with more of the egg wash and place in the oven for about 45 minutes – until the crust is deeply golden. I like to cover the edge of the rust with foil and then remove the foil 10 minutes before cooking is complete. I also sprinkle with large-grain sugar about 25 minutes in – for a little extra crunch and sweetness. Let cool a bit, slice and serve.

America Loves Corn

 

 
     When I think of the 4th of July, too many memories come to mind. For me, this is just as much of a family holiday as Christmas.  The 4th of July's of my youth were either speant sittin' on the porch at my grandparent's house, with homemade ice cream and fresh picked boysenberries; Or at our cousins' property in Oyster Bay, New York, for extravagant soirees and dockside fireworks. In high school, I attended my first annual MacNaughton's 3rd of July party. My friend's family lived on a golf course that had a private fireworks show on the 3rd. We'd drink tequila 'til our clothes came off, literally, because we'd always end up in the jacuzzi or passed out in a bikini somewhere. Sadly that era has ended, but maybe it's better for the heath of us all. July 4, 2010, I was in Avignon, France, and I was alone. I celebrated by watching 2 hours of the show Kendra, dubbed over in French on France's E! channel. I like to think, that no matter where I am, I'm celebrating where I live, and where I come from.

     There's really no recipe that can blend all these stories together. I just feel that corn is such a quintessential summer food, that I decided to make some. My family loves preparing side dishes like grilled corn on the cob, creamed corn, and corn bread; but corn does not an entree make. Unless we're talkin' grits! Grits are American, right? Grits are made from ground cornmeal. The Italians call this "polenta," but both are made by boiling ground corn meal into a paste. I don't like that pasty texture, which is why I love this recipe. Adding fresh corn and cheese, gives much needed flavor and creaminess to this typically uninspired dish. Top with roasted vegetables or butterflied vegan sausage.

Fresh Corn & Cheesy Grits 

(Adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's 'polenta with fresh corn' )

 

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup polenta or corn grits (Bob's Red Mill is a good call)
• salt
• kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup grated cheese
• chopped fresh chives, for serving

step 1.
     Bring the water to a boil in a large saute or saucepan. Slowly whisk in the polenta and a dash of salt. Turn the heat as low as it can go, and cover. Depending on your stove, and how creamy or grainy you like your grits, you may want to leave the lid lightly ajar to let some steam escape.Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 5-10.

Step 2.
    Cute the kernels off two ears of corn. Add the kernels, milk, and cream, and cook on low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

step 3.
     Remove from heat, and stir in your cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve sprinkled with chives. You can sprinkle some more cheese on each serving as well.

Grits with sheeps milk cheese, chives, and roasted artichoke

   I served mine with some baby artichokes from the Farmer's Market that I steamed, halved, and roasted. But I ate my leftovers with butterflied vegan sausage. Field Roast makes Apple & Sage Sausage Links, and they're by far my favorite meatless replacement for sausage and hot dogs. You should find them at whole Foods near the tofu.

____________________________________________________________

"But you know what? The more cheese to me, the better." - Paula Deen

Featured Local

If you haven't figured it out yet, I love going to the Farmer's Market! Sometimes I just show up there with $20 and let the vendors tell me what I should be making for dinner. This week, I met a new vendor, and he calls himself The Milk Man.

His name is Chris, and he made me sample butter. That's right, a slice of butter. But thankfully, I also got to sample cheese. I can be pretty picky about cheese since that one semester that I worked at a cheese counter in Chicago. And I consider myself to know an above-average amount about cheese.  Chris sent me home with a delicious sheeps-milk cheese that I used in my grits. I love cheese, and I'm excited to visit Chris next week and try some new cuts. Here's what I got from the milk man this week:

MilkmanLA

Love where you live.

Happy 4th, friends.

Artichoke Basics

Ah, the artichoke, an early sign of summer, and a vegetarian splendor. 

Baby artichokes from the Mar Vista Farmer's Market

     The artichoke has been a staple dish in my family since I can remember. My mom always prepared them in a pressure cooker, and served them with melted butter for dipping; A simple preparation that highlights the great natural flavors of the artichoke, it really needs nothing more.

     However, in recent years, I've noticed roasted or grilled artichokes showing up on appetizer menus, usually served with a wedge of lemon and garlic ailoi sauce for dipping.  Lemon, garlic, and butter, are an artichokes best friends. I find that grilling the artichoke brings in the flavors of the grill, which are nice, but take away from some of the natural sweetness of the vegetable. Besides, steaming and roasting allow the artichoke to keep a lot of it's nutrients.

     Artichokes are so lovely and ornate, they're even used for bouquets and floral design.  But did you know that the globe artichoke is one of the highest fiber vegetables, proving close to 25% of our daily intake? They're also high in that 'brain food,' folate, and have been found to lowers cholesterol, and support the liver & circulatory system.

     I can sometimes make a whole meal out of just one big globe artichoke, which is why I've decided to showcase the most basic preparation, that I make most often. But, should you decide you'd like to get fancy, I tried my hand at homemade aioli, and I have to say, it's to die for! I offer a quick mayo-based version, as well as a from-scratch-impress-your-guests version at the end of this recipe.


Get ready to fall in love...

Simple Steamed Artichoke

Ingredients: 

• 1 or more medium to large globe artichokes
• 1-2 lemons
• water
• butter or soy-free vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

Equipment:

• stainless steel vegetable steamer
• large saucepan, dutch oven, or pressure cooker

step 1.
     place your vegetable steamer inside your saucepan or pressure cooker. Add enough cold water so that you can just see the water level peeking through the holes in the steamer. It should only be a few inches in the pot.

My mom grew this beautiful produce

step 2.
     Trim your artichoke. First, pull off the first layer or two of the smallest leaves around the stem. Slice off the stem as close to the base of the artichoke as you like. This part is edible, but it's stringy. I usually leave about 1cm of stem so the artichoke can easily stand upright. Slice a lemon in half, and immediately rub the juice side on fresh cut. Otherwise your artichoke will begin to brown quite rapidly. Next, with a serrated knife, cut off the top third of the artichoke; enough to get rid of any sharp tips, and expose some of the center. The picture above should give you a pretty good idea. Now, rub the lemon all over the top of the artichoke, because again, we don't want any browning.

step 3.
     Slice your lemon up and add it to the water in your sauce pan. This infuses a hint of lemon flavor during the cooking process, and again, keeps the artichokes nice and green. Place your artichokes upright in your vegetable steamer, cover and boil at med-high to high heat for approx. 40 min- 1 hr depending on how large your artichokes are, and how many you've placed in the steamer. My steamer usually fits 3-4 artichokes at a time. You know it's done, when the outermost leaves pull off without any effort.

Step 4.
    Remove from heat. You may need to use a pair of tongs to turn your artichoke upside down before plating.; Sometimes a little water can settle inside.  Warm a small bowl of 1-2 Tbsp. of butter, and dip your leaves in, and enjoy! You'll need a bowl for discarding leaves, because if you didn't know, you only eat the tender base of each leaf by scraping it with your teeth.

uncooked artichoke with the hairy choke exposed

     When you get to the pokey leaves, and the hairy middle, called the"choke," prepare to dig for treasure! For beneath those pokey leaves (which you shouldn't eat), lies the delicious prize, the "heart," of the artichoke. A spoon should easily separate the choke from the heart, although a little scraping may be necessary. I like to put the heart into my bowl of butter, and slice it in to triangles like a pie. Have fun. I guarantee, this is the best part!

Melted butter, globe artichoke, and pimenton aioli

Quick Aioli

(This is Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe verbatim)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise or your favorite vegan mayo

1 small clove garlic, finely minced or grated

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

salt & pepper

the only step. 

     Whisk everything together, adding more of any ingredient to suit your taste. 

Gwyneth is so simple. Dip your artichoke in that or....

Aioli de Luxe

(Adapted from Daniel Boulud's recipe, as heard on The Splendid Table)

Ingredients:

• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 1 tsp hungarian paprika or pimenton (spanish paprika)

Equipment:

• Blender, food processor, or immersion blender

step 1.

     you're going to double blanch 3 cloves of garlic. First, cut each clove in half lengthwise. The green germ should be visible. Daniel Boulud is a famous French chef, and he says the garlic germ is bitter, and I believe him. Pull the germ out, and discard.

     Put the 6 halves of garlic with a few inches of cold water, in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling, discard the water, and put fresh cold water back in with the garlic. Bring to a boil again, and then discard the water. Set aside.

step 2. 

     Poach one egg. Bring a few inches of water to boil in a small saucepan, along with vinegar and a pinch of salt. Break an egg into a cup or a small bowl. Once the water is boiling, slowly slide the egg into the water and simmer for 2 minutes. Use a spooon to fish out the egg, and set it on a towel to dry. The yolk should be runny, but the white should be cooked.

Did you know the word yoga comes from the sanskrit word for yolk?
The eggs from my mom's chickens have such beautiful orange yolks.

step 3.

     I didn't have a food processor or blender available, so I used my immersion blender for the next step, but a blender is really best. Combine, your blanched and fresh garlic, poached egg, water, salt, and mustard and blend until smooth. The next step is REALLY important!

step 4.

     Slowly, while the blender is on, add the olive oil in a steady, slow sltream. The slower the better. Did you get that? Add the oil slowly. The liquid in the blender should begin to thicken. Keep that blender going. Next, add the canola oil at the same slow pace, and pretty soon, your sauce should develope into a mayonaise like texture. Last, blend in your spice. Pimentón is just Spanish paprika. The guy at Sprouts recommended Hungarian paprika for me.

     I could not keep my artichoke leaves away from this sauce. Crazy good! And now I have a whole jar to play with. I think I'm going to try it on a sandwich, or maybe an eggs benedict, especially since my egg poaching skills are now so steller.  



Yum, yum, yum!

Hope you had a great time learning about artichokes. Please "Like" my facebook page, or become a subscriber to this blog to show your support! I love you, my foodie friends!
Thanks for reading.