Summer Smoothies

I can only blend so many "classic" berry-banana smoothies...  The following smoothies feature more sophisticated fruit pairings.  


Strawberry Watermelon with Ginger

Combine 3 cups 1-inch cubes seeded watermelon, 2 cups frozen quartered hulled strawberries, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice in blender.

 Process until smooth. 2 servings; 124 calories per serving.


The above smoothie is not for the faint of heart. The ginger really adds a punch.  Also, make sure to quarter and hull your strawberries before freezing them so that all of the ingredients can easily blend.  


Honeydew Kiwi with Mint

Combine 2 cups 1-inch cubes seeded honeydew melon, 1 and 1/4 cups 1/2 inch cubes peeled kiwi, 10 large fresh mint leaves, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, 1 tablespoon honey, and 2 cups crushed ice in blender.  Process until smooth. 2 servings, 134 calories per serving.

Just remember that your smoothie will only be as good as the fruit you put in it! Make sure your kiwis are ripe, otherwise, the bitterness will overpower the delicate honeydew flavor.

Recipes Courtesy of Bon Apetit June 2010

Easy Omelet

I have been looking for more ways to get my 5-a day (5 vegetables that is...)

I happened to have some mushrooms and spinach, so I opted for a sauteed spinach and mushroom omelet with freshly grated parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese.  An omelet is great for breakfast with a piece of fruit, or for lunch with a simple side salad.

I modified Jamie Oliver's Omelette Recipe.  He suggests 2-3 eggs.  I use one whole egg + one egg white.

Easy Omelet- Recipe

2-3 large eggs, preferable free range or organic
a small handful of grated cheese
whatever vegetables you have
salt and pepper
oil

First: Take about 1 cup of fresh spinach.  Saute in a skillet with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat.  Season.  Remove spinach from the skillet once it wilts. Set aside.  Slice fresh mushrooms.  Saute in a skillet with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Season.  Remove from skillet and set aside.
1. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat well with a fork.
2. Put a small skillet on low heat and let it get hot.
3. Add a dab of oil or butter.
4. Add the eggs to the pan and let them spread out evenly.

5. When the omelet begins to cook and firm up, sprinkle over the cheese and the sauteed vegetables.

6. Using a spatula, ease around the edges of the omelette, then fold it in half.

7. When it becomes golden brown underneath, slide it onto a plate. Serve warm.

Cheese Soufflé

Yet another venture into the world of the mysterious *soufflé.*

This dish was such a delight due to both its taste and texture.  Though it tasted like scrambled eggs with cheese and near perfect seasoning, the texture was incredibly light and airy.  I imagine that clouds have a texture similar to soufflés.

Unlike chocolate souffles, I cooked the center completely through--so it was not gooey inside.  The recipe which would have made one regular sized souffle, or 5-6 mini souffles, used only 4 eggs (plus one egg white) and one cup of cheese.  That's less than a serving each of egg and cheese per souffle serving.

I used Julia Child's "cheese souffle" recipe in her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1. So, you can find the recipe in the book.

The texture alone makes the 25 minutes or so prep time worth it.  So next time you are having a lazy morning in, consider making this very special treat.  I served mine with bacon and orange juice, in my sunlit living room.  It's the little things...

Step 1: Dusting the ramekins with bread crumbs or parmesan cheese (If these were dessert souffles, we would use sugar.)  Souffles need something to cling onto so that they can climb the wall of the dish.

Step 2: Make a roux (oil+flour). Correct seasoning.

Step 3: Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Step 4: Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Incorporate into the egg yolk mixture by folding.  If you overfold or stir, your souffles will not rise.

Step 5: Fill the ramekins with the mixture. Then bake.

Remove from oven when the tops have lightly browned.

Voila!

*If you plan on purchasing Julia Child's incredible book, I recommend Amazon.  The list price is $40, and the Amazon price is $26.40.

Banana Bread French Toast

Looking for something to do with that leftover banana bread?

Try this twist on your classic "french toast."  Just make sure you baked the banana bread in a 9x5 loaf pan instead of muffin tins.  My banana bread loaf was short in height since I halved the recipe.

Just slice your left over banana bread (banana bread recipe). My slices were about a 3/4" thick.  The thicker the slice, the lower the heat you should use when making the french toast.  I then whipped one egg with 2 tablespoons of milk, a dash of nutmeg, a dash of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla.  (I only made one serving).  Next, I dipped the slices of banana bread in the egg mixture.  After a couple of minutes, I turned them over.  While the banana bread was soaking up the egg mixture, I put a skillet on the range on medium-low heat.

I then transferred the slices to the skillet (you may want to use some form of grease--butter, veg. oil--if your skillet is not non-stick).

 After a few minutes, I turned the slices over and waited for the other side to brown.  After they were cooked, I dipped each slice in a cinnamon/sugar mixture (1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons sugar).  I then topped it with butter and syrup.

Delicious and easy!

Croissants

This is quite possibly one of the most challenging things I've ever made. My mom, sister, and I joined forces in this attempt. It took us three days before they were finished. We also ended up throwing out the first batch! My mom and sister quit on them after the first "turn." I persevered and saved them. Good thing I did cuz these were the flakiest, butteriest croissants I've ever had outside of Europe!!!

One reason they were so challenging is because not only have we never made them before, but we have never seen anyone make them before. The unknown was part of the frustration. Also, the dough is a "sticky dough." I had never worked with sticky dough before, and let me tell you, it was sticky--and not easy to work with.

First, we made the sticky dough and we beat the butter into a rectangular sheet. We then wrapped the dough around the butter, and started the process of "turning" the dough. This was the confusing, time-consuming part. You have to "turn" the dough--roll it out, and fold it in thirds, about 5 five times, letting it rest in the refrigerator 30-45 minutes between each "turn." After the last turn, the dough needs to cool in the refrigerator between 4 and 8 hours. Lastly, you roll the dough out, cut it into triangles, shape the croissants, and let it rise for about 2 hours. The dough will rise once it is out of the refrigerator. After it rises, glaze it with an egg wash, and bake until golden brown.

It was all worth it when they came out of the oven! I definitely give them an A. And the next time I make them, it will probably take more like 1 day instead of 3 days.

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine.. a great twist on your classic "eggs and bacon" for breakfast!

My mother is actually the guest chef/baker for this post. She made the pie crust and the quiche--and took the pictures. Unfortunately, I didn't get to eat any (since both my mom and the quiche were about 2,000 miles away). However, I will vouch for it since my incredibly picky-eater 17 year old sisters--who don't like much of anything--devoured the quiche in less than 24 hours!

"Quiche Lorraine is so easy to make and it tastes very good. I made my own crust and partially baked it, using pie weights (see photo), before adding the filling. If you don't have pie weights, you can use dry beans. Quiche is normally served for brunch or lunch, and it is a Sunday moring favorite at our house. From the time it came out of the oven, it did not last very long. And my youngest daughter asked me, 'Mom, when are you going to make quiche again?'"-- Diane Lomas

I must say, beautiful crust mom!

Try Emeril Lagassee's Quiche Lorraine Recipe:

Par baked crust (recipe follows)
6 ounces thick cut bacon cut into narrow strips

2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Arrange the bacon evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and half and half. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the par baked crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Par baked Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter in the processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse quickly 5 or 6 times, or until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the container. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the edges. (Alternatively, a 9-inch pie pan can be used.) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. 

Biscuits

There are three reasons why I chose to make biscuits. First, my favorite biscuit in a can has 3.5 grams of trans fat--per biscuit. Trans fat comes from overly processed fat--it's not that fat is bad in itself--it's that overly processed fat is bad. Second, I wanted to use my rolling pin. I've never used a rolling pin before. If you don't have a rolling pin, you can still make these biscuits--just use a straight-edged wine bottle. The third reason why I chose this recipe is because I had all of the ingredients already--and I wanted to get rid of this heavy whipping cream that I purchased for a different project.

Kneading the dough and using a rolling pin was so much fun. I've never done either before, and trust me, it was super easy. The key is to not overwork the dough. I think this is a great beginner recipe for anyone who wants to play with dough. My goal is to eventually make my Great Aunt Hesther's roll recipe. My older sister and mom make it EVERY Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a complicated recipe, so I am practicing skills I'll need to make it. (And the biscuits tasted pretty good too!)

Difficulty: Easy

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Servings: 6

Recipe- Biscuits

1 and 3/4 cups all-purose flour

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place rack in center of oven. Preheat to 450.

2. Combine all of the ingredients and stir just until the dough holds together (don't over mix!) I used the dough hook attachment on my kitchen aid mixer for this part.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 7 or 8 times. (if NOT using the dough hook) (Ladies, you may want to take your rings off for this part). Using a rolling pin (lightly flour the rolling pin or wine bottle), roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/2 inch. (You may want to use a ruler). Tip for using a rolling pin: You roll out from the center. Put the pin in the center of the kneaded dough, and work your way out. (Center of the clock to 12, center to 3, center to 6, center to 9--you get the picture). Using a 4-inch diameter cutter (I used a cup), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Place the biscuits 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet. Take the scraps and roll out and cut more biscuits, until all of the dough is used.

4. Bake for 10-12 minutes (until the tops are golden brown). Serve warm.

***IF you overwork the dough, your biscuits will be hard! Making breads takes practice. Try, try again! There is definitely a learning curve for kneading and rolling out dough.

Cornmeal Pancakes with a Blueberry Compote

Have some free time this weekend and want to veer from the usual cereal or oatmeal for breakfast? Try this homemade pancake recipe. Making pancakes from scratch does require a bit of time, but you will avoid those partially hydrogenated oils (which are very bad) and even trans fat--which can be found in many pancake box mixes.

My mom inspired me to try this recipe because I was recently at home, and she made cornbread "pancakes" in the skillet. I was unaware that it was cornbread--and not a cornmeal pancake, so I drenched them in syrup and ate them. Needless to say, they were totally scrumptious!

The blueberry compote is an essential part to the recipe because the cinnamon in the compote really pairs well with the grated nutmeg in the pancake mixture. Enjoy!

Preparation Time: 35 min.
Difficulty: Medium

Recipe- Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Compote

Pancakes:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, separated, at room temperature (yolks in one cup, egg whites in second cup)
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature (or 1 cup milk with 1-2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice)
1/2 cup milk at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 200. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and place in oven (this will keep the pancakes warm while we are making them).
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg. Whisk the egg yolks with the buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk the egg yolk/milk mixture into the flour mixture to make a thick batter. Do NOT overmix--or the pancakes will be dense. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold the egg whites into the batter.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and coat the surface lightly with butter. Pour the batter into the skillet, 1/4 cup batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles break the surface and the undersides are golden brown. Flip over and cook one minute more. Transfer the cooked pancakes into the warm oven while you finish. Serve with the blueberry compote (directions below).

Blueberry Compote:
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
1 cinnamon stick OR 1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat the blueberries and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, and the mixture boils and the blueberries just start to pop, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick. Stir in the butter and lemon juice. Serve warm.