The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap
11 Dec 2011 7 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Food Bloggers Events, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: #fbcookieswap, Chocolate chip, Cookie Swap, cranberry, cranberry turtle bars, Food Blogger Cookie Swap, Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, pecan, Shortbread, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap
Here I am, once again participating in another great cookie swap. Hosted by the lovely and talented Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil and Julie of The Little Kitchen. These two ladies know how to throw a party.
How it works… you send a dozen cookies to 3 secret cookie swap participants that you have been paired with. Meanwhile you receive a dozen cookies from 3 separate cookie swappers. That’s a lot of cookies! This has turned out to be one of the biggest cookie exchanges ever, with nearly 22, 000 cookies shipped across the world.
Here are the cookies I made…
Cranberry & White Chocolate Maple Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies (recipe adapted from Zoe Bakes)
C & WC Maple BB Shorbread Cookies Cooling
Here’s what you’ll need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dried cranberries, very finely chopped
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°
Prepared in a cupcake baking dish lined with baking cups, or use a square 9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use the middle rack in oven.
To make the brown butter:
In a small sauce pot, heat the butter on medium heat until it boils and resembles a light golden color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Using a small wire mesh strainer, pour through the butter into a medium bowl.
To make the brown butter shortbread cookies:
In the bowl with brown butter, add the sugar and flour mixing well with a wooden spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. If the dough is too cold, allow it to sit for 15 minutes so that it becomes soft and pliable again.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and place in lined the baking cups, you can use the spoon to spread and distribute evenly. (if using a square 9 inch pan distribute evenly).
Bake for 15 minutes in cupcake pan and (20 minutes for square pan), or until the dough is a nice golden brown. Remove and allow the crust to cool on a rack while you make the cranberry maple filling.
Maple fruit topping:
In a sauce pot combine the maple syrup, salt, cranberries and vanilla, cook over medium heat until you reach a boil, continue to cook for about a minute. Remove from heat.
Using a teaspoon, place a spoonful onto each shortbread cookie, then top with 4 to 5 white chocolate chips. Return cookies to oven and bake for additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until chocolate chips begin to melt. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack. I removed the baking cups from the cupcake pan and allowed the cookies to cool in baking cup liners on a wire rack.
Cranberry & White Chocolate Maple Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies
The following lovely bloggers were my secret cookie recipients…
Erin from Erin’s Food Files
Kristen from A Healthy Balance
Erin from Currently Coveting
Happy Holidays to all of you! I do hope you enjoyed the cookies as much as I enjoyed making them and eating them.
I received super delicious cookies from these talented ladies…
Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil, “Malted Chocolate Sammie’s”. These cookies are absolutely divine! Thank you for pairing me with Lindsay.
Love & Oilive Oil, Malted Chocolate Sammies
Britne of Shabbott’s Healthy Habits, “Nut Horn Cookies”. I ate one immediately upon opening. I have been craving them every day since my first taste… I’m eating one right now!
Shabbott's Healthy Habits, Nut Horn Cookies
Margaret Farmer sent me “Honey Ginger Cookies”. Obviously, I ate one right away, though with this batch I ate 5 in a row… they were really – really good.
Margaret Farmer, Honey Ginger Cookies
I had an incredibly fun time making cookies and receiving them during “The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap”. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, make & taste new recipes while sharing awesome #cookie love. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
If you would like to learn more about The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, check out this link.
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NYC Cookie Swap
07 Dec 2011 4 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Gourmet, Serendipitous Adventures, Sweet Tags: #cookielove, #nyccookieswap, #nycookieswap, basil cookie, Cookie, cookies, cookies for kids cancer, cookiesforcancer, NY Cookie Swap, nyccokkieswap, oatmeal lace cookie
I am grateful to have had the chance to attend the NYC Cookie Swap, a wonderful fundraiser for Cookies for Kids Cancer. Hosted by Maggy of Bloggers without Borders along with her talented co-hosts Gail, Ken and Jacki.
NYC Cookie Swap 2011 Jackie, Larry, Pam, Dori, Jessica
I met wonderful new friends and I mingled with old ones. I played paparazzi taking as many photo’s as I could to document this wonderful event.
Amber, Nicole, Ken, Jessica & Jeff
ALL the cookies were amazing. I’m still working my way through the personal stash I brought home. I can’t seem to pick just one as my favorite, every cookie had some special ingredient that made it tasty; whether it was gluten free, savory or sweet they all shined.
NYC Cookie Swap Paparazzi
Lunch was provided by Hill Country BBQ and was the tastiest and most delicious BBQ food that I’ve had in a long time. Jeff and I plan on re-visiting very soon.
Tara, Ian, Penny, Pam, Dori, Sarabeth & Julie
I found myself smitten by the endless array of talent that graced the room, especially “cooking and photography” royalty like, Dori Greenspan, Pam Anderson, Abby Dodge, Ian Makay and Penny De La Santos.
Gail, Jackie, Lillian & Mitzi
I had the best time ever! My only regret that there wasn’t enough time to meet everyone, this gives me something to look forward too next time.
Pesto Basil Cookie, A Savory Cookie
Jeff and I made two cookies for the NYC Cookie Swap, a savory Pesto Basil cookie (above) and Oatmeal Lace cookie (below). I plan on posting both of these recipes soon, so you can enjoy them too.
Oatmeal Lace Cookie
I hope you get a chance to attend next year’s cookie swap. The cause alone is incentive enough, but what exceeded my expectations was the cookies, the food and the love from everyone who attended. I know I got lucky by purchasing the last two tickets, now that’s serendipity! Happy Holidays! Happy #cookielove!
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Cookie Love: Cranberry Turtle Bars
03 Dec 2011 27 Comments
in Bake, Bloghop Love, Cookie, Dessert, Gourmet, Holiday, Sweet Tags: #cookielove, bloghop, bloghop love, chocolate, Cookie, cranberry, cranberry turtle bars, pecan
Who doesn’t love chocolate pecan turtles? They’re my go to candy bar when I’m craving chocolate, especially when I’m visiting our local chocolatier at Chocopologie Cafe. This month’s bloghop “Cookie Love” got me thinking about my favorite candy “pecan turtles” and one of my favorite cookies “shortbread”. I remembered reading a cookie recipe from Gourmet magazine and thought these would be perfect for bloghop cookie love and perfect as holiday gifts.
Bloghop #Cookielove
Cranberry Turtle Bars: (Recipe adapted from Gourmet Live Blog)
Cranberry Turtle Bars
Here’s what you’ll need: Candy thermometer, 10 x 15 baking pan – makes 24 to 36 bars (based on cut size)
For the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 – 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For the topping:
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 – 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup (I used Lyle’s golden syrup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the middle to bake.
For the crust:
Line a 10 x 15-inch shallow baking pan with foil, butter all 4 sides, except the bottom.
Blend the flour, brown sugar, and salt into a food processor, add butter and pulse until mixture resembles cornmeal. Layer into baking pan, pressing down firmly with a metal spatula to form an even sheet.
Place in oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden in color. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.
For the topping:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir in sugar, corn syrup, and salt and bring to a boil. Stirring occasionally, until caramel registers 245 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the cranberries, coating them entirely in caramel sauce. Return to stove and boil until caramel cranberry mixture reaches 245 degrees.
Remove from heat, stir in vanilla mixing well, add the pecans stirring into caramel mixture coating well. Quickly, pour the caramel topping onto the cookie shortbread base, gently spread pecans and berries evenly. For the final layer, sprinkle chocolate chips throughout to cover.
Cool completely, it’s important to allow the topping to set. Once completely cooled, cut the bars into equal pieces and serve. Now only if I could keep from eating them all.
I’m part of bloghop, where the food blog community connects with other blogs to share recipes and spread the love. This month, December is #cookielove month!
You’re more than welcome to join us in #cookielove fun by simply adding your recipe at the end of this bloghop! Be sure to link back to this post, so that your readers know to stop by the #cookielove event! The twitter hashtag is #cookielove
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Harvest Cookies
11 Nov 2011 32 Comments
in Bake, Cookie, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: Chocolate chip, oarmeal, pecan, pumpkin
“I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, Mother, what was war?” ~ Eve Merriam
A special recipe for those who serve our country.
Harvest Cookies
Here’s what you’ll need: Makes about 3 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks of butter, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips, bittersweet or milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and oatmeal in a medium bowl. Beat eggs, salt and vanilla in a small bowl. Mix Pumpkin, butter, oil and sugars in a large bowl. Stir in egg mixture until smooth. Stir in flour mixture and combine. Add the cranberries, pecans and chocolate mixing gently to incorporate throughout the cookie dough.
Get ready for harvest cookies
Drop a teaspoonful onto a parchment-lined or greased floured cookie sheet. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until golden browned around the edges. Let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Harvest Cookies Cooling
These are crunchy on the edges and chewy in the middle. I plan on donating batches of cookies to our service people.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ” ~ John F. Kennedy
I’m part of this month’s blogHop, where the food blog community connects with other blogs to share recipes and spread the love. This months bloghop is focusing on the wonderful Autumn harvest with the incredible lovable squash.
Join our love blog hop.
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Recipe adapted from Three Many Cooks
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Spiced Apple Muffins with Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Apple Topping
24 Oct 2011 17 Comments
in #baketogether, Bake, Dessert, Gourmet, Sweet Tags: #baketogether, apple muffins, spice cake, vanilla bean
I feel fortunate to have met the lovely Abby Dodge at a recent foodie event and equally grateful to have joined in on #baketogether, a community where all foodies (bakers, bloggers and chefs alike) get together and share their spin on a particular recipe. This months assignment “R’ock-tober #baketogether ~ Classic Spiced Sour Cream Coffee Cake YOUR way”.
Spiced Apple Muffins Vanilla Brown Sugar Topping
Since I just joined #baketogether this past weekend and with much of the month behind us, my imagination went to work. I’m making apple muffins with a brown sugar apple topping, similar to a Greek recipe called Revani that my mother made when I was a child.
The reason I’m grateful I’ve joined #baketogether is because I get to learn incredible new recipes from some pretty incredible bakers, and make some new friends.
Apple Spice Muffins
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Spiced Apple Muffins:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup apples, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened (8 tablespoons)
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed firmly
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup Greek yogurt
Vanilla Bean Brown Sugar Apple Topping:
3 apples, sliced into wedges
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Muffin Pan
Muffins:
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, mixing all ingredients until incorporated, set aside.
In a bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Incorporate half of the flour mixture mixing at a low speed just until blended. Add the Greek yogurt mixing well until blended. Add the remaining flour and fold into mixture with a spatula until all ingredients are incorporated. Add sliced apples and mix well.
Grease muffin pan with butter or shorting, sprinkle lightly with flour to prevent sticking or you can use baking cup liners. Fill 3/4 from the top.
Bake until a golden brown. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Let muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack.
Topping:
While the muffins are baking, begin preparing the vanilla bean brown sugar apple topping. Setting your stove top to medium high heat, place water, brown sugar, butter and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan, heating until sugar has melted and the mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat, add the sliced apple wedges and simmer, stirring for 15 minutes minutes, until apples are caramelized, set aside until ready to use.
Once the muffins have cooled, using a pairing knife, gently loosen each muffin from the pan and place on serving dish. Generously spoon vanilla bean brown sugar sauce atop of muffins, allowing to soak into top layer, place apple slices atop by arrange in layers.
I thought these muffins would be great for breakfast, an afternoon snack or dessert. And then I thought, I have been baking way to much, so I’m sending these to work with the lovely Jeff.
#baketogether
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Apple Dulce de Leche Pie
21 Oct 2011 4 Comments
in Bake, Gourmet, Pie Tags: #piepartylive, Apple, apple pie, Dulce de leche, dulce de leche pie, pie party live
Growing up I was really never a pie kind of girl. I’m more of a cake girl, especially when it’s slathered in an obnoxious amount of frosting. I could eat cake everyday, if my figure allowed it.
Apple Dulce de Leche Pie
But, there’s something about making your own pie. The first pie I ever made was a blueberry and strawberry pie two years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Here’s the recipe for the pie I made for Pie Party Live – Apple Dulce de Leche. The recipe is adapted from Recipe Girl. A delicious combination of flavors, like a sweet apple infused, creamy caramelly symphony. Pure Goodness!
Here’s what you’ll need…
Pie Filling: Apple Dulce de Leche
8 cups of apples, sliced into thin wedges (I used Cortland & Jonagold apples)
1/2 cup dulce de leche
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons apple cider
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons of butter
Pie Crust: Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust
1-1/2 cup Crisco vegetable shortening
3 cups all-purpose Flour
1 whole egg
5 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 tablespoon raw sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
For the filling:
Peel, core and slice apples into into thin wedges. In a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cornstarch and salt, set aside until ready to use.
In a large bowl, combine apples, Dulce de Leche, apple cider and vanilla extract. Gently mix together, set aside until ready to use.
For the Pie Crust:
In a large bowl, combine the flour and crisco, mix with a pastry cutter until it resembles a coarse meal. Beat the egg and pour into flour and shortening mixture. Add the cold water, vinegar and salt, stirring gently together until all ingredients are mixed well.
Mix - Roll - Mix
Take the dough and make three separate balls, place each ball into a Ziploc bag or plastic wrap, flatten each ball to 1/2 inch thickness. Seal your bags and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. You can freeze the dough for use at a later date. Allow to thaw 15 – 20 minutes.
Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust
Roll out the crust, both the top and bottom. Take two pieces of parchment paper or wax paper, place one sheet on your working surface, flour the surface of the parchment paper, place dough in the center, cover with the other piece of parchment paper. Beginning at the center start rolling to the outer edges, rotating the dough as you go around, continue rolling until the pie crust covers the entire pie dish, you’ll want about 1/2 inch beyond the pie dish edges. Remove parchment paper from top, flip dough and center into the pie dish, remove the other piece of parchment paper, press the dough against the corners of the bottom of the dish and crimp the edges.
Parchment paper for rolling out your pie dough
Add apple Dulce de Leche filling and spread out evenly, slice butter and layer atop of filling. Place the dough on top pie, crimp the edges together to seal. I reserved some dough to decorate my pie, making gingerbread men for the pie top. Brush the crust with heavy cream and sprinkle with raw sugar.
Apple Pie Filling
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Adjust temperature to 375 for the remaining 30 minutes. If your pie is browning, snugly cover with aluminum foil so the top and edges don’t burn. Remove from oven, let cool on a wire rack for two hours, it’s important to allow the filling to set.
Apple Dulce de Leche Pie
My favorite part is preparing the pie dough. Mostly because I’m shocked that I can. There’s also something meditative about rolling out the dough. Since I’m still new at pies I’ve been exploring different kinds of crust, so for the crust on this pie I tried Sylvia’s perfect pie crust from Tasty Kitchen. I really like this recipe, it has a good taste and it’s pretty simple to make. It was the perfect pie crust. Keep a lookout for my Apple Cupcakes shown above – I’ll post very soon.
A huge Thank you to Ree at Pioneer Woman/Tasty Kitchen & the perfect Sylvia and to Lori at Recipe Girl for the wonderful recipes they shared, they taught me to be a better baker and made my experience at pie party a success.
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Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream – Frosting for the Cause
08 Oct 2011 6 Comments
in Bake, Cupcake, Lisa the Rock Star, Serendipitous Adventures
Today I have the honor of writing a guest post on Frosting for the Cause and to share with all of you about one of the most important women in my life, my beautiful sister Lisa. It’s not the first time I’m writing’s about Lisa and paying tribute to how incredible I thought she was and it certainly will not be the last.
Lisa
One of my earliest and fondest memories is of my third birthday when I got an easy bake oven. Despite the several years in our age difference, Lisa would pretend and make pies with me. I remember my first day of kindergarten when Lisa walked hand and hand with me to class, introducing me to my teacher. I went to my very first movie with Lisa, riding the bus through the south side of Chicago. Going to my first rock concert to see Kiss the band. Shopping for dresses for my first school dance. And my first driving lesson, I think she was frightened. I had many firsts with Lisa by my side, you can see why she’s somewhat of an iconic image for me and always will be.
I’m super lucky I had her in my life, she taught me so much. Lisa was talented in so many ways… a writer, a peacemaker, an attorney, an artist, a musician, a chef and a baker. Picking a recipe to share with you today was not easy, we shared a love for all desserts. I had the help of her lovely daughter Elizabeth in narrowing down the selection. We knew one thing, Lisa was a chocolate lover – so we settled on these mocha whoopie cupcakes with a whipped cream topping in honor of her memory. I think she would have loved them.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Topping
I would also like to take a moment to reflect on some other wonderful people in my life who have been affected by cancer too, Christosimos Michelson, Peter & Petros Angelakos & Lisa Cocchia - you will always hold the sweetest memories in my heart.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
Mocha Whoopie Cupcakes: (makes 12 cupcakes)
2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder
6 tablespoons of butter
3/8 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup water
1 5/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons milk
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
Whipped Cream Topping: (makes 2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Recipe adapted from “Delicious Cupcakes” cookbook given to me by my sister Lisa’s daughter, Elizabeth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with baking cup liners.
Mocha Whoopie Cupcake
Combine espresso coffee powder, butter, sugar, honey, and water in a sauce pan on medium heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into heatproof bowl and let cool until ready to use.
Once the mixture has cooled, sift in the flour and cocoa. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk, then add to mixture with egg and beat together until smooth. Spoon the batter into cupcake cups.
Bake the cupcakes in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and firm to touch. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.
Whipped Cream Topping
While cupcakes cool, prepare the whipped cream topping. In a mixing bowl combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla and sugar, mix well. Cover and chill the bowl and wire whisk in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Once chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Fill a pastry bag with whipped cream topping and pipe onto cupcakes in large swirls. Sift with unsweetened cocoa dusting lightly. Eat immediately!
Whoopie Cupcakes with Whipped Cream
These came out light and fluffy, a recipe my sister would have made on a regular basis for her family. I can’t share these with my sister’s family as we live in different states. Part of the commitment for writing at Frosting for the Cause is donating your baked goods to a hospice or cancer center. I’m donating these scrumptious cupcakes to the VA nursing home down the street, where some pretty incredible heroes get to spend the evening of their lives.
I’m grateful I had the opportunity to get involved with this cause – it was fun! If you’re interested please check out how you can help too at Join Us @ Frosting for the Cause.
Eggplant Feta Béchamel Triangles – “Mελιτζάνoπίτα”
30 Sep 2011 12 Comments
in Appetizers, Bake, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Holiday, Phyllo Dough Tags: bechemel sauce, eggplant, fillo dough, grerek food, phyllo dough
I love eggplant so much that I could eat them everyday! I eat them for breakfast folded into omelets. I eat them for lunch wedged within a panini. I eat them for dinner roasted with glorious olive oil. I love eggplant so much, that I’m constantly looking for new ways to prepare them.
Eggplant Feta Béchamel Triangles - "Mελιτζάνoπίτα"
Growing up my mother made a wonderful Greek dish called Moussaka, it’s when I first fell in love with eggplants. The only problem was a select few liked Moussaka in our household, the girls – my mother, my sister and I. We were out numbered – 4 boys to 3 girls. Boys are silly! So my mother would make it on special occasions, like our Name day and Birthdays.
Mελιτζάνoπίτα
Today I get to make whatever I want, when I want, the way I want! That’s the beauty in growing up and having your own kitchen. I’ve been thinking… “how can I make my beloved Moussaka recipe for one?” That’s when the idea of Eggplant Feta Béchamel Triangles emerged. Happiness! Now I could eat them whenever, every week or everyday; and now you can too!
Here’s what you’ll need… Oven Temp: 425 degrees, Bake time: 20 minutes. This recipe makes about 30 triangle pieces.
1 – 16 oz package phyllo dough
2 – sticks (1 cup) butter salted
2 – large eggplants
dash of pepper
8 table spoons (1/2 cup) olive oil
1 – 8 oz package of Feta cheese basil & tomato (use what you like)
2 1/2 tablespoons flour (all purpose)
2 tablespoons butter salted
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
dash of nutmeg
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl combine room temperature water and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, set aside. Wash eggplants with water and pat dry. Using a peeler, peel the skins from eggplants. Slice eggplants into 1 inch thick, then chop into 1/2 inch cubes. Place eggplant into salted water bath and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze the eggplant in your hands or in a strainer removing any excess water. This removes any bitterness from the eggplant.
Eggplant
On a baking sheet spread eggplant throughout, drizzle with 6 tablespoons of olive oil, add a dash of salt and pepper to taste, then place in oven to roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
To make your béchamel sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden color, about 5 minutes.
Béchamel Sauce
In a separate pan heat the milk to almost a boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, let cool and set aside until ready to use.
Rinse feta cheese in cold water to remove any brine. In a small bowl crumble tomato and basil feta cheese. To crumble your feta use the tines of a fork and crumble into small pieces. Coat feta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, mixing well.
Basil & Tomato Feta
Combine ingredients after they have “cooled”, mixing eggplant, feta and béchamel in a bowl, set aside until ready to use.
In a microwave melt two stick of butter, let cool.
Phyllo "Fillo" Dough
Unroll phyllo dough out on a dry work surface atop of waxed paper. Be sure to completely cover the phyllo dough with a damp towel to keep from drying out and becoming brittle. Using a knife, cut the phyllo lengthwise into 3 strips, and recover phyllo dough with the damp towel. Using a pastry brush, coat the strips of phyllo with melted butter. Place a small spoonful of eggplant filling at the bottom of the pastry dough, about 1 inch from corner. Fold the end over the filling to form a triangle, continue folding to the other end. Fill the remaining strips of dough, place the filled triangles on a the baking sheet keeping them covered with a towel until ready to bake.
Preparing Phyllo Dough
Brush the triangles lightly with butter, then bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Serve immediately, they taste the best hot. (You can freeze eggplant triangles for up to a month. Be sure to use a layer of waxed paper between each layer to keep them from sticking).
These make a great appetizer, a unique side dish or you can eat them as a meal like I do. I guarantee however you serve them, they will melt in your mouth. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.
Zucchini & Squash Lasagna
28 Jun 2011 6 Comments
in Bake, Farmers Market, Gourmet, Healthy, Markets, Soulever Tags: Farmers' market, lasagna, not eating out new youk, squash, zucchini
Our farmers market is overflowing with a bountiful selection of summertime vegetables. I was drawn to the beautiful luscious green zucchini and bright sunny yellow squash, all the while anticipating making a vegetable lasagna. I’ve been wanting to make this special recipe I had seen earlier in the week. I certainly didn’t need any additional coaxing, I purchased four baskets in all, two each of these wonderful flavors.
Zucchini & Squash Farmers Market
Another reason I am excited about this recipe is because I made it for our friend Lori over at Creating A Fair Haven. You see, recently Lori broke her foot while working to renovate their family business. Knowing that her days are already filled with homeschooling four lovely children, the ongoing responsibility of running the household and the Mr. away on a business trip, this had me wanting to pitch in some way and make a wonderful meal for the family.
I adapted this recipe from Not Eating Out New York, it’s an incredibly simple – quick and tasty recipe, you’ll see! I’ve made some changes to the original recipe to include spinach, additional cheese and a basil pesto.
Squash & Zucchini Basket
Here’s what you need… 1: 9 x 12 pan or 2: 8 x 8 pans, a saute pan, prep time 30 minutes, cook time 30 minutes Serves 12
6 medium zucchini
6 medium yellow squash
4 cups fresh spinach
2 garlic clove (minced)
16 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup basil pesto (any store-bought or homemade)
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Clean spinach, remove long stems and pat dry. In a saucepan on medium heat add 2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic allow to heat for 1 minute, add spinach and sauté until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and set aside, allow the spinach to cool room temperature.
Clean zucchini and squash by removing the ends, cut lengthwise in 1/8 inch slices, place in a dish and drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil on both sides, add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Zucchini and Squash Sliced
Gently mix together ricotta and the two eggs, mixing well. Adding to the ricotta mixture a 1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining minced garlic and a dash of sea salt and pepper.
Ricotta - Parmigiano-Reggiano Mixture
Grease your pan with the remaining tablespoons of olive oil. Begin layering your zucchini vertically along the bottom of your pan.
Zucchini Layer
Followed by a thin layer of spinach about 1/3 cup. Add 1/3 cup of pesto spreading evenly throughout and mixing lightly with the spinach.
Spinach Layer
Take a 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture and spread atop. Add a layer of yellow squash horizontally. Repeat the layers finishing the top layer with yellow squash. Sprinkle the top with remaining spinach and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Squash Layer
Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes, slice and serve.
Zucchini and Squash Lasagna
I would like to say I made this dish without incurring any drama of my own, however this was not the case. My intentions were to deliver this straight from the oven to Lori’s front door. Surprise the family with a warm inviting dinner that evening. This is not what happened!
As Jeff and I prepared the lasagna for the trip, each one of us holding a dish, Jeff took a misstep on the stairs. These stairs!
Stairs
I didn’t hear a thing… though I felt something… something warm… I felt it slide down the inside of my shirt, inside the cuff of my pants, inside my sneakers, well you get the picture. Jeff slipped down the stairs and I broke his fall.
It was a little chaotic for a few moments, making sure Jeff wasn’t hurt, thank goodness he wasn’t. Meanwhile I was soaked in warm Lasagna inside every-bit of clothing I had on. All the while, I was holding that last tray of lasagna way above my head, as a tightrope walker would maintaining my center of balance, as I marinated in our new set of circumstances. All of a sudden it reminded me of what brought us here in the first place. Lori’s broken foot!
After Jeff reassured me he was alright and witnessing a brief argument between Jeff and his black crocs, I believe I saw one flying across our parking lot. This all seemed like a scene from a comedy! I began to giggle once I realized Jeff was OK and how funny I looked bathed in Lasagna. We cleaned ourselves up and called it a night.
The next day we delivered the lasagna to Lori’s without any other episodes. Can I promise when you make this Lasagna it will be without any unfortunate circumstances? I can’t, but I can promise you this… you’ll like it!
Apple Phyllo Crisps
24 May 2011 5 Comments
in Bake, Dessert, Gourmet, Greek Dishes, Phyllo Dough, Sweet Tags: Apple, fillo, pastry dough, Phillo, Phillo Dough
Apple Phyllo Crisp & Vanilla Ice Cream
Here’s what you’ll need… A baking sheet: 9 x 11, cupcake liners (24) , pastry brush. Oven Temp: 325F. Bake time: 20 minutes. This receipt makes approximately 24 crisps.
Apple Phyllo Crispy Goodness
Apple filling:
8 cleaned, cored and roughly chopped red apples
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Phyllo Dough (Fillo): Follow thawing instructions on the box. Freeze any unused dough.
10 sheets of phyllo dough (freeze any remaining phyllo dough)
½ stick melted sweet unsalted butter to brush phyllo dough
Phyllo Crisps Preparation
Preheat oven to 325F.
Remove phyllo dough from package, allow to thaw per instructions, keep covered with a cheese cloth or towel. Air can cause the thin flaky pastry dough to crack.
After cleaning, coring and chopping your red apples, combine into a mixing bowl. Add sugars, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and mix well. Set aside and allow to marinate in spices while you prepare the phyllo dough.
Taking (3) three layers at a time and brush with melted butter, saturating all the layers together all the way through. Using a sharp knife cut the dough into (3) three rows and (3) three columns, giving you a total of (9) nine squares in all. Repeat this process until you have enough phyllo dough squares to fill all your cupcake liners.
Apple Crisp Filling
Take your phyllo dough square and gently place inside of the cupcake liners, allowing to overflow as shown above. Scoop a tablespoon of the apple mixture into each cupcake liner, filling 3/4 to the top. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes., until apples are baked through and phyllo dough is golden colored. Allow apple phyllo crisps to cool about five minutes, remove from cupcake liners serve with vanilla ice cream.
