Smokey Bean and Spinach Sliders

Michael and I found this blog, Thug Kitchen, with great vegetarian recipes but written in a certain "flair" (which is unsuitable for children but we find it hilarious).  This recipe for smokey bean and spinach sliders has been a great make-on-sunday-eat-during-the-week meal.

Like usual, I'm just going to cut-and-paste the recipe so please be warned that there are numerous expletives in the following text.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups cooked kidney beans or 2-15 ounce can
1/2 cup cooked brown rice (use leftovers)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped all small and shit
1 tablespoon liquid smoke (like I said, it is near the BBQ sauce at the store I swear. You haven’t even looked yet so stop complaining. It is there)
2 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (any breadcrumbs you have are fine. Got nothing? Just toast up some bread until it is almost burnt looking and real dry then grate them shits or put them in a food processor to get some tiny fucking crumbs. They help soak up all the liquid so don’t leave this shit out)

Warm the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. You can throw down some foil and then grease it if you are a lazy fuck like me and hate doing dishes.

Add the spinach and onion to a food processor and pulse until they are in tiny-ass pieces. Add the kidney beans, rice, garlic, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and seasonings and pulse until everything is all mixed up. It’s fine if a few larger pieces of the beans hang around but you want this looking like kinda paste-like. Place the bean-spinach mixture into a medium bowl and add in the fucking breadcrumbs. This should be slightly sticky and hold nicely when you form it into a ball. If it is too wet, add more breadcrumbs. Taste it and add more spices and whatever until it tastes good to you. Can’t do that shit with ground beef.

No food processor? It’s all good. Just cut up the spinach and the onion extra tiny and add everything but breadcrumbs to a big bowl. Now pound on that shit until it looks like chunky mash potatoes. Then add the breadcrumbs and do all the other shit I say above.

Divide the mixture into 16 patties if you are making sliders or 8 patties if you are making regular burgers. Whateverthefuck you want to do. Place them on the baking sheet, spray them lightly with oil (slow your roll, I said LIGHTLY) and bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom is a crispy golden brown. Flip the patties and bake for 15 or until both sides look awesome. If you are doing full size burgers you might need to let the sides go 5 extra minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Pile them high with red onion, avocado, whatever additional deliciousness you’ve got and chow the fuck down.

Makes 16 sliders or 8 regular patties

And I know you all want more photos of our little bit of sunshine and smiles!  Here is our sweet little family photo...

And here he is with grandpap and grandma who came up from North Carolina to babysit a couple weeks ago while I went back to work for a few days.

And I just love this smiley little guy trying out his bumbo chair...

And here he is with our friend at his first dim sum brunch!  (He'll like it better when he can start eating the food!)

And our little man LOVES moving his arms to the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes!  Here he is playing along with our friend's 3-year-old - just TOO cute!

And lastly, here's our little monkey helping mommy out with the laundry.

It's going to be quite a transition to go back to work in a little over a week.  Thank goodness our daycare is in my office building so he's not too far away but I'm going to miss seeing that face and kissing that bald head all day long.

Pork-and-Green-Chile Stew w/ Side of Black-Bean and Yellow-Rice Salad

Oh my, has it been almost 7 weeks since our sweet Heath came into our world?  Time flies and he continues to bring so much joy into our lives with every little expression on his cute little face!

On a good night, Heath will allow Michael and I to sit down at the table for 10 minutes to eat dinner together (on a normal night, we take turns holding him while the other one eats).  I forgot if we got to both sit down for this particular meal, but I do remember it being really good.  Thank goodness Michael still has the energy to try great new recipes from Food & Wine!

Pork and Green Chile Stew
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds trimmed boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound mild green chiles, such as poblanos and Anaheims—halved lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced
3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced (keep some seeds for spicier flavor)
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Lime wedges, warm corn tortillas and rice, for serving

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until almost smoking. Season the pork cubes with salt and black pepper and add them to the casserole. Cook the pork over high heat, stirring once or twice, until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, green chiles, serrano chiles and garlic. Cover and cook over high heat, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer the stew over moderately low heat until the pork is just tender and the broth is reduced by about half, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the 1/4 cup of cilantro and season with salt and black pepper. Garnish the stew with cilantro and serve with lime wedges, corn tortillas and rice.

MAKE AHEAD The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Black Bean and Yellow Rice Salad
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
2 3/4 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned black beans (from one 15-ounce can)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lime, quartered, for serving (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, turmeric, cumin, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the black pepper, and rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.

Add the water and bay leaf; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done, about 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

In a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, combine the rice, beans, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, the vinegar, and parsley. Toss gently to combine. Serve with lime wedges, if using.

And here are some more photos of Heath:

Heath just a couple days shy of 1 month checking out his new stuffed lion

Heath at 5 weeks all dressed up for his Sip 'n' See in Chapel Hill, NC

First Mother's Day feat. Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Gremolata Pesto & Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens

Everyday is Mother's Day when you get to wake up to this face in the morning!

My appreciation for my own mother and for mothers everywhere has grown to a new level the last three weeks.  It's an amazing, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating experience that continues to enrich our lives every minute of everyday.

But even with the decreased free time with our little bundle of joy, Michael still managed to cook me a delicious Mother's Day dinner.  I'm a lucky girl! (Note: The Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens can totally be a mid-week meal! This was a great Pinterest find!)

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Gremolata Pesto
INGREDIENTS
LAMB AND SAUCE
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Three 8-bone racks of lamb (1 1/2 pounds each), bones frenched and trimmings reserved (see Note)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 quart low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, stems reserved
2 tablespoons chopped thyme, stems reserved
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

GREMOLATA PESTO
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARE THE LAMB AND SAUCE In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the reserved lamb trimmings along with the chopped carrot, celery and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the chopped garlic and the chopped tomato and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the red wine and bring to a boil. Add the low-sodium beef broth and the reserved parsley and thyme stems and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 1 hour. Strain the lamb sauce into a small saucepan and spoon off the fat. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, combine the chopped parsley, chopped thyme and the remaining 2 tablespoons of garlic. Season the lamb racks with salt and freshly ground black pepper and coat with the herb mixture. Drizzle the lamb with olive oil and oil the grill or the grill pan. Grill the lamb over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer the racks to a sturdy baking sheet.

Roast the racks of lamb for about 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of the meat registers 130° to 135° for medium-rare. Let the racks rest for 15 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE GREMOLATA PESTO In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden, about 5 minutes. Let the toasted pine nuts cool slightly. Transfer the toasted pine nuts to a blender. Add the parsley leaves, garlic and grated lemon zest and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Season the gremolata pesto with salt and pepper.

Reheat the sauce. Carve the racks of lamb into chops and serve the chops with the sauce and pesto.

MAKE AHEAD
The sauce and gremolata pesto can be refrigerated overnight.

NOTE
Ask your butcher to french the racks of lamb (meaning scrape the fat and gristle from the bones); also be sure to ask the butcher to reserve all trimmings.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Greens
INGREDIENTS
4 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups (or 1 can) cooked and drained white beans
6 cups kale, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
Juice of 1/4 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Start the beans and greens about 15 to 20 minutes before the sweet potatoes are done.

In a wide, deep saucepan with a cover, heat the olive oil over low-moderate heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary sprig, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the kale, cover the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the kale is soft. Remove the rosemary sprig, stir in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, slice each sweet potato lengthwise and push on the ends to open up the middle. Spoon the beans and greens into the center.

Spicy Root and Lentil Casserole

This was a fabulous pinterest find from the BBC Good Food blog!  London isn't know for great food, but they sure have good taste in curry.  It's not authentic Indian curry, but it's quick, easy and pretty darn good for London curry!  Healthy too!

And it warms your stomach when it looks like this outside:

And I look like this inside:

As far as we know, Baby Merschat love curry too!  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , crushed
700g potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
4 carrots , thickly sliced
2 parsnips , thickly sliced
2 tbsp curry paste or powder
1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
100g red lentils
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
low-fat yogurt and naan bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Tip in the potatoes, carrots and parsnips, turn up the heat and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are golden.

Stir in the curry paste or powder, pour in the stock and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened.

Stir in most of the coriander, season and heat for a minute or so. Top with yogurt and the rest of the coriander. Serve with naan bread.

Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing

When I first saw this Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad with Citrus Dressing in Food & Wine I thought: "Hmmmm... interesting but it looks like a lot of work for a salad."  Thank goodness Michael is not so easily discouraged.  It was DELICIOUS and unique and totally worth the little bit of extra time!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound medium carrots
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 chile de árbol or other small red chile
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
Four 1/2-inch-thick slices of ciabatta bread
3 Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into 6 wedges each
8 ounces assorted greens, such as watercress, spinach or mesclun
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons low-fat sour cream mixed with 1 tablespoon of water

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bring a deep skillet of salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and simmer, covered, over moderately low heat until crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Drain and transfer the carrots to a large roasting pan.

In a mortar, crush the cumin seeds, chile de árbol, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add the garlic and thyme and pound into a paste. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the vinegar.

Pour the cumin dressing over the carrots and toss. Add the orange and lemon halves to the roasting pan, cut side down. Roast for about 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender.

Meanwhile, toast the ciabatta until the edges are golden brown. Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and, in a large bowl, gently toss with the avocados, greens and arugula. In a small bowl, combine the sunflower, sesame and poppy seeds.

Using tongs, squeeze the hot orange and lemon halves into a measuring cup until you have about 1/3 cup of juice. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 1/3 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the warm carrots to the bowl along with the citrus dressing and toss to coat. Transfer the salad to plates and drizzle with the sour cream. Sprinkle the salad with the seed mixture and serve.

Quick, Easy, Delicious Scones!

It's MLK Day and Inauguration Day and for some reason, I felt like making scones this morning... and I'm sure glad I did!  I just googled "easy scone recipe" and this link popped up... this is definitely going into the normal rotation.

I've altered the recipe a little bit since I wanted to use multigrain flour and I didn't have any heavy cream in the fridge, but it turned out so delicious topped with strawberry preserves.

INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ cups flour (I used Trader Joe's multigrain baking mix)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 orange- zested
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small squares
a pinch of salt

Heat the oven to 400F.

In a mixer, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and orange peel.

Add the cold butter and mix until you get a crumb mixture. Pieces of butter will be corn size and not blended in. This is good.

Add the cream and milk and mix only until it begins to form a dough.

Gather the dough and transfer to a flat surface, bringing together to a solid mass.

Flour lightly and roll to 0.5 inch thickness. Cut into circles using a 2.5 inch round cutter (you can also use a glass) and transfer to a pan. Brush with the remaining milk/cream mixture and dust with some coarse sugar.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

This recipe was a Pinterest find... and it's definitely a keeper!  My only regret is that I didn't try this earlier in the summer when fresh cherry tomatoes and basil were coming up in our balcony garden.

But better late than never!  This recipe is so super easy and really fast - AND it's even better as a leftover for lunch the next day after all the flavors sit over night.  Great alternative to a boring side salad!

INGREDIENTS
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
25 large basil leaves, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

Guacamole: Dip + Breakfast Recipes

Last night we brought homemade guacamole to our friend's house for their delicious Mexican-themed dinner party.  Super delicious and super easy with such an abundance of cheap and ripe avocados at the store these days.

This morning, Michael made this potato pancake, guacamole and egg dish with the leftover guacamole... surprisingly delicious!  Food & Wine has done it again.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium ripe avocados
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
Salt
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Fresh hot green chile to taste (I like 1 serrano or ½ to 1 jalapeño), finely chopped
1/4 small white onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

Cut the avocados in half, running your knife around the pit from stem to blossom end and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to free the pits and pull the halves apart. Dislodge the pits, then scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you've chosen. If your list includes the white onion, rinse it first under cold water, then shake well to rid it of excess moisture, before adding to the avocado. (This reduces the risk of having onion flavor overwhelm the guacamole.) Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate—preferably not more than a few hours.

BREAKFAST...
Shred two medium-large (10 to 12 ounces total) red-skin potatoes; squeeze out excess moisture between your hands. Heat a very large (12-inch) skillet over medium and lightly coat with oil. Form 4 small potato pancakes, sprinkle with salt and press flat with a spatula. When browned on one side, flip and brown the other side. Smear with the simplest guacamole, top each with a poached egg and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and cilantro.

Ziti with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese

This recipe is now in our new mid-week dinner rotation!  Quick and Easy... our favorite!  (From Food & Wine)

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pound portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
3/4 pound ziti
3 ounces soft goat cheese, such as Montrachet, crumbled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 2 tablespoons of the oil over moderate heat. Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the pan.

In the same pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and brown, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved onions, the parsley, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta water and drain. Toss the ziti and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water with the mushroom mixture, the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the goat cheese, and the Parmesan. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Personal note: We love our balcony in the late summer and early spring and sitting outside eating appetizers and drinking wine before sitting down for dinner.  The only way it could be more enjoyable is if I could create a force field that would keep out all the bugs without obscuring the view!  But until I figure that out, it's still pretty nice... until the summer heat comes to DC...

Blistered Snap Peas with Mint

DELICIOUS!  And just in time for summer meals!

Thanks, again, Food & Wine!  And thanks AGAIN to the wonderful (and handsome) chef!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon pure olive oil
2 pounds sugar snap peas, ends trimmed and strings discarded
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon olive oil (see Note)
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
1/4 cup mint leaves, torn

Preheat the oven to 500°. Set a large, ovenproof skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the pure olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the snap peas, toss a few times and transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 2 minutes, then carefully toss the peas a few times. Return the skillet to the oven and cook for 2 minutes longer, until the peas are crisp-tender. Toss the peas with the lemon oil and season with salt. Transfer to a serving bowl. Scatter the mint on top and serve.

NOTES: Olive oil pressed or infused with lemon is available at most supermarkets and specialty food stores.

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tortas + Aina!

It's been about 3 years since I visited Aina in Oslo and she introduced us to one of our first go-to vegetarian recipes - vegetable casserole with herb dumplings!

Now it was her turn to come visit DC and for us to share one of our new vegetarian recipes from Food & Wine, of course.  Goes perfect with homemade rosemary bread too!

INGREDIENTS
2 large heads of garlic, cloves peeled and lightly smashed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
6 bolillo rolls or other crusty rolls, split
3 cups packed arugula leaves
1 cup prepared tomato salsa
1/2 pound soft goat cheese

Preheat the oven to 325°. Put the garlic in a small, deep baking dish and toss with the olive oil, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, until the garlic is soft and golden.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°. Combine all of the mushrooms in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and toss with the roasted garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 35 minutes longer, until the mushrooms are tender and golden. Stir in the chopped cilantro.

Scrape some of the bread out of the center of the rolls and set the rolls on a large baking sheet, cut sides up. Spread the mushrooms over the rolls and bake for about 5 minutes to crisp the rolls. Spread the arugula and salsa on one half of the rolls and the goat cheese on the other half. Close the sandwiches and bake for about 5 minutes, until hot and crisp. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The cooked mushrooms can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.

AND AINA!!!!

We had to stop by the Library of Congress since we both worked at the library at UNC!

And the weather was PERFECT to catch the last of the Cherry Blossoms.

Gorgeous...

...and so much fun to have Aina around.

Guess it's our turn to visit her in Norway next!  It's a rough life...

Mini Black-Bottom Cheesecakes with Jam

Dinner parties are the best excuses to try new dessert recipes... and it's even more rewarding when you find a new, easy favorite!

This recipe was very specific about using foil liners.  Well, we only had 6 foil liners in the pantry and I forgot to pick some more up at the store and we stayed later than we expected at a Marti Gras party last night and couldn't get to the store... so all the excuses aside, I decided to wing it and use half foil liners and half regular paper liners.

I carefully sprayed the foil liners before I delicately inserted them into the muffin pan... and I didn't do anything but unwrap the paper liners since I was secretly hoping that they would come out messy and I'd have to eat the "mistakes" after the dinner party.

To my surprise, the un-sprayed paper liners came off rather easily and were totally presentable!  The ridges were a little more pronounced on the foil liners, but in a pinch, paper liners would work great.

Another note: Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are delicious!  I found them at Rodman's in DC but I don't think I've ever seen them at a big-name supermarket before... so if you can't find any, just use Oreos and scrape out the filling.

Sorry for the long intro.  Here's the recipe from Food & Wine:

INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil spray
24 plain chocolate wafer cookies, preferably Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup fromage blanc (6 ounces), at room temperature
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups and spray the cups with vegetable oil spray. In a food processor, crush the chocolate wafer cookies. Add the butter and process until fine crumbs form. Spoon the chocolate cookie crumbs into the prepared baking cups and press with the bottom of a glass to compact. Bake for 5 minutes, or until almost set. Leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Beat in the fromage blanc, then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the baking cups, filling them three-quarters full.

Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and spread 1 teaspoon of the warmed raspberry preserves on top of each cheesecake. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and chill the cheesecakes until set, about 15 minutes.

Remove the cheesecakes from the pan and peel off the foil baking cups. Transfer the cheesecakes to a platter and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The mini black-bottom cheesecakes can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

NOTES Instead of Formage Blanc Crème fraîche, goat cheese, lebneh or quark.

First Loaves of Bread!

Once upon a time, (nearly 2 years ago) I tried making bread from scratch and failed.  But I'm not a quitter!  Michael and I can't go into Whole Foods without leaving with a loaf of bread - especially when you catch them fresh out of oven... mmmm - and I finally found a recipe that worked!

If you're a bread-a-holic, you need this cookbook: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  Dad and mom Merschat got it for me at Christmas and I've been in a carb coma ever since!

Check out that crust!

Look at those air bubbles!

It's so delicious... we're having it with Russian Cabbage Soup tonight!

And read this article to get some good background information on what ingredients are best, what tools you need, and the master recipe.  (It's long but not hard... I promise!)

INGREDIENTS
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1⁄2 tbsp granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 1⁄2 tbsp coarse kosher or sea salt
6 1⁄2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour
Cornmeal for pizza peel

1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit).

2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a resealable, lidded container (not airtight — use container with gasket or lift a corner). Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.

3. Mix in the flour by gently scooping it up, then leveling the top of the measuring cup with a knife; don’t pat down. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high-capacity food processor with dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook, until uniformly moist. If hand-mixing becomes too difficult, use very wet hands to press it together. Don’t knead! This step is done in a matter of minutes, and yields a wet dough loose enough to conform to the container.

4. Cover loosely. Do not use screw-topped jars, which could explode from trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flatten on top), approximately two hours, depending on temperature. Longer rising times, up to about five hours, will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and easier to work with than room-temperature dough. We recommend refrigerating the dough at least three hours before shaping a loaf. And relax! You don’t need to monitor doubling or tripling of volume as in traditional recipes.

5. Prepare a pizza peel by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the loaf from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven.

Sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece with a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on four “sides,” rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go, until the bottom is a collection of four bunched ends. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it doesn’t need to be incorporated. The bottom of the loaf will flatten out during resting and baking.

6. Place the ball on the pizza peel. Let it rest uncovered for about 40 minutes. Depending on the dough’s age, you may see little rise during this period; more rising will occur during baking.

7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on another shelf.

8. Dust the top of the loaf liberally with flour, which will allow the slashing, serrated knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1⁄4-inch-deep cross, scallop or tick-tack-toe pattern into the top. (This helps the bread expand during baking.)

9. With a forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off the pizza peel and onto the baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about a cup of hot water into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and firm to the touch. With wet dough, there’s little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. When you remove the loaf from the oven, it will audibly crackle, or “sing,” when initially exposed to room temperature air. Allow to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack, for best flavor, texture and slicing. The perfect crust may initially soften, but will firm up again when cooled.

10. Refrigerate the remaining dough in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next two weeks: You’ll find that even one day’s storage improves the flavor and texture of your bread. This maturation continues over the two-week period. Cut off and shape loaves as you need them. The dough can also be frozen in 1-pound portions in an airtight container and defrosted overnight in the refrigerator prior to baking day.

Makes 4 1-pound loaves

Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette

We had some vegan and vegetarians at the Cookie Swap so Michael searched Vegetarian Times for a winter vegan recipe.  I got several compliments from non-vegans/vegetarians that wanted the recipe so here it is!  Healthy and delicious quinoa... always a hit.

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup dried apricots, diced into small pieces
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 shallot, finely chopped (2 Tbs.)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. grated orange zest
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 oranges, peels sliced off and sections cut out

Toast almonds 4 to 5 minutes in dry skillet or toaster oven, or until pale brown and fragrant, stirring often.

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan. Add quinoa and salt, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 minutes, or until tender and almost all water is absorbed. Drain, then transfer to large bowl. Toss with apricots and raisins.

Whisk together orange juice, shallot, parsley, cilantro, mint, orange zest, cumin, and coriander. Whisk in oil. Pour dressing over quinoa, and toss to coat. Garnish with orange slices and toasted almonds.

Re-Post: Vegetarian Lasagna

Here's another re-post from our old me.com blog that Apple is ditching soon. This lasagna recipe is a regular in our winter menu and works perfectly with leftover spaghetti sauce.

BECHAMEL INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk, heated
1 garlic clove, smashed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

LASAGNA INGREDIENTS
A bottle of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce
Any vegetables you want (we like mushrooms, sauteed onions, zucchini, celery, you get the idea)
12 long ruffle-edged dried lasagna noodles (we use no-boil)
5 ounces (1 3/4 cups) finely grated Parmigiana-Reggiano (Remember, you can always add more cheese... we do)

Make béchamel:
Heat butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat until melted, then add flour and cook roux over low heat, whisking, 3 minutes. Add hot milk in a fast stream, whisking vigorously, and whisk in garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes, then remove garlic and add pepper.

Make sauce:
Saute your mushrooms, onions, garlic, zucchini, etc. in a heavy pan (we use our 12-inch cast iron skillet) and then add your favorite pasta sauce. Heat it up so it’s bubbling a little.

Assemble and bake lasagna:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.

If not using no-boil noodles, cook lasagna noodles in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water 8 minutes (noodles will not be cooked through), then drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.

If using no-boil noodles, just follow instructions on the package and be sure to spread filling all the way to the edge of the noodles so the ends don’t dry out.

Spread 1 cup béchamel on bottom of a buttered 13- by 9-inch baking dish, reserving remainder for last layer. Drain 3 lasagna noodles in 1 layer on a kitchen towel and arrange over béchamel in baking dish. Spread pasta in dish evenly with one third of tomato sauce and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layering of pasta, mushroom tomato sauce, and cheese twice, then cover with last 3 lasagna noodles. Spread remaining béchamel on top and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until lasagna is bubbling and top is browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes before cutting.

mmmmm.....

Betterave Rotie Au Fromage De Chevre

This recipe is one of our all-time favorites and definitely a crowd pleaser at dinner parties.  This is one of many recipes that we love in Cooking in Provence and the perfect recipe to use up my autumn arugula!

Roasted Beetroot with Fresh Goats' Cheese

INGREDIENTS
2 large cooked beetroot (you can also find pre-cooked beets at Trader Joe's that work great)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp walnut oil
7 oz. fresh goats' cheese
1 bunch arugula (or rocket salad)
3.5 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (we use the ones in a jar)
3.5 oz. olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut beets into wedges and lay flat on a casserole dish.  Season them with salt and pepper and pour oil over the beets.  Roast the beets for 15 minutes on each side.

Chop goats' cheese into chunks and julienne sun-dried tomatoes if not yet sliced.

Sprinkle cheese, arugula and sun-dried tomatoes over the warm beet wedges.  Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, add more freshly ground black pepper, toss, serve, and ENJOY!

Chinese Corn and Cabbage Soup

Appetite for China is one of my new favorite cooking blogs since I'm trying to cook some more Chinese recipes.  This recipe is the perfect segway since Mom and Dad Merschat had their first mini-crop of shiitake mushrooms!  We made it this weekend in Barnardsville and my favorite part of this soup is the fresh, sweet corn... delicious late summer/early autumn soup!

INGREDIENTS
8 dried shiitake mushrooms (or substitute fresh shiitake mushrooms)
2 ears sweet corn
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups shredded Napa, Savoy, or green cabbage
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons sesame oil (or substitute chili oil if you’d like a spicy soup)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 scallions, shredded

1. If you’re using dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and discard the stems from the shiitake mushrooms. Thinly slice the mushroom caps.

2. Working one by one, lean an ear of corn against the slide of a large sturdy bowl. With a serrated knife, carefully cut off the kernels while moving the knife away from you. (If you do this on a cutting board, the kernels will likely fly in all directions.) Set the kernels aside and save the cob.

3. In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil over high heat. Add the corn cob and allow it to simmer for 15 minutes so the soup can extract some of the corn flavor. Add the corn, cabbage, mushrooms, and carrot and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil, then salt and pepper to taste. Top off with shredded scallions and transfer to serving bowls.

Little Fruit Bites

I made Stuffed Pear in Puff Pastry the other night and had leftover puff pastry that I didn't want to go to waste.  So I thought, why don't I put a little spoonful of jam and fold the puff in half?

Trader Joe's fig butter and mango butter worked deliciously and wasn't too sweet (but I'm sure any jam would work) or even apple butter!  Perfect for autumn!

Just pop them in the toaster oven at 350 degrees and make sure it gets just a little golden brown (about 10-15 mins).  Yum.  Easy dessert, snack, or breakfast!

Basil Pesto

My favorite lunchtime leftover from book club was the pesto pasta!

Fortunately, "noodles in a green sauce" was served in The Hunger Games on p. 76 so we could use this fantastic pesto that we made from our freshly harvested sweet basil and thai basil.  It also worked out great for our vegan and vegetarian book club members that couldn't enjoy the lamb stew.

This is another For Cod and Country recipe and super simple.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup walnuts
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup canola oil
1 pound fresh basil
salt

Toast walnuts.

Place garlic and oil in blender.  Purée.

Add basil.  Purée until mixture becomes a smooth paste.

Add walnuts.  Pulse until the pesto becomes thick.

Salt, to taste.

Serve with any type of pasta and sprinkle pine nuts, cheese, fresh basil, or anything else you want.  It'll always turn out delcious.

Quick and Easy Spaghetti with Sun-Dried-Tomato-Almond Pesto

This vegan recipe is so easy and delicious, it's a perfect mid-week meal served with a salad!  Yum!

It's no surprise that this recipe's from Food & Wine...

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (3 ounces)
1/3 cup salted roasted almonds
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
12 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

In a food processor, pulse the tomatoes, almonds and garlic. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and puree. Season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet, toast the bread crumbs in 2 tablespoons of the oil, stirring, until golden. Transfer the crumbs to a plate; season with salt and pepper.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. In the pot, toss the pasta with the pesto, reserved cooking water and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until the sauce clings to the pasta. Transfer the pasta to bowls, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and parsley and drizzle with olive oil. Serve.