18 Oct 2011
Uncategorized

creamy potato and broccoli soup

Firstly, I would like to say, I am sorry I have abandoned you. But abandoned is the wrong word. Perhaps I left you alone in the car with the windows up on a hot summer’s day. Wait, that is not a good analogy either. Let’s just say, I am very sorry I have been AWOL as of late. And I promise to stay more dedicated to you. This is not a one way relationship. I will not be the self-obsessed boyfriend. I promise.

So, with all the touchy-feelies out of the way. We need to turn to soup.

As I write this, I am curled up on my couch with a nice warm blanket
watching re-runs of Sex and the City, episodes I have probably seen
3,000 times. And I’m praying that Buddy does not wake up from his sleep even though I can hear the stirrings. Because what I really want to do right now is run into the kitchen and eat my third bowl of this delicious soup. Then lick that bowl clean with my finger.

This time of year makes me crave soup. I must have it. I think about it. Dream about it. I run out to Whole Foods to buy it if I can’t wait to make some myself. Then I sit in my car and eat the whole thing up in two minutes flat. Sure, my mouth is slightly burned from eating it so fast. People walking by probably think, “Who is that maniac slurping up soup in her car with a crazed look in her eye? Couldn’t she wait to get home?” But the answer is no, I could not. And I am not ashamed.

I make this soup at least five times every fall and winter. It is so good. Benny gets all happy when he sees I am making it. “Oh, that soup makes me happy.” he will always say. Usually with a silly little grin on his face. I think he is a crazed soup loving man as well. I knew I married him for a reason. So, suffice to say, this soup has become a tradition.

Potatoes are probably one of my favorite foods. I remember in college I would go daily to Wendy’s to buy their baked potato with sour cream and chives. Am I the only one who could not get enough of those wonderful little things? Sometimes I would go more than once a day. I was a serious potato addict back then and not a very healthy eater.

But this soup is packed with broccoli and herbs and onions — as well as delicious potato. There is only a small amount of cream. It is just enough to add that touch of creaminess that mixes so well with the potato and is balanced nicely by the broccoli. So try a batch today. Maybe you are not a crazy soup-craving madwoman like myself. But this soup still may become one of your family traditions.

 

 

Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup

 

3 tablespoons butter

2 small onions (one red, one yellow; about 1 1/2 cups total)

1 celery rib (chopped)

3 garlic cloves (chopped)

1 head broccoli (chopped; about 1 1/2 cups)

4-5 small potatoes (chopped; about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large bunch fresh herbs (chopped; about 1 cup — I used parsley and thyme)

5 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup cheese (Parmesan or something similar)

salt and pepper to taste

 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion for a few minutes until translucent. Add the celery and garlic and saute for a few minutes more. Add the herbs, potato and broccoli. Saute for a few minutes, then add the chicken broth. When the mixture returns to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer the soup for about 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor. I always use an immersion blender. It is a lot easier. I also like to leave some chunks of vegetables to give the soup a nice texture. Return the soup to the pan and add the cream and cheese. Cook over low heat for a minute or two. Enjoy!

 

 

 

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Corey | No comments
28 Sep 2011
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creamy roasted squash and garlic soup

Everywhere I turn these days, I am seeing soup. I am not sure what it is about this time of year that evokes the 5 year old in me. The memory is sweet: sitting on a high kitchen stool, a bowl of Campbell’s Bean with Bacon Soup in front of me, red wine vinegar – two nice big teaspoons full — added to the bowlful. A trick I learned from my Dad. Then I would sit there, big spoon in hand, and shovel it into my mouth. It was physically impossible for me to eat it fast enough.  I devoured it. And the warmth and comfort I felt after that delicious bowl was triumphant.

So when the crisp fall air starts to make its appearance, I crave soup. And while this year Fall has been a fickle kind of lady, my desire to make soup cannot be diminished.
I  have been craving squash and all the lovely root vegetables I can find. Potatoes, acorn squash, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, beets. The list is quite extensive. Actually, I think what I am craving is roasted vegetables. When I begin to make a meal, I sit for a moment and consider which vegetable I want to roast. I love that I can turn the oven on and not die a hot-sweaty death. You can say it with me, “Ahhhh Fall.”

This little squash above is a delicata squash. It is a bit sweeter than a butternut and perhaps mimics the flavor of a sweet potato to some extent. If you do not have this squash, that is ok. A butternut squash would work very well. I think this soup might even be good with some actual sweet potato in it. But since I have not tried it yet, all I have to rely on is a small voice in the back of my stomach saying, “Hey, add some sweet potato.” But these voices are sometimes unreliable.

Roast the squash in a pan with olive oil, salt and herbs. I did two experiments. And the herb that seemed to work best was rosemary. Plus it makes your house smell all dreamy while the squash is cooking.

When you take it out of the oven, it should be all golden and caramely.
There are few things that stop my heart like some delicious roasted veggies. Yum.

At the same time, you want to roast your garlic.

This is where things get crazy. Yes, I added an entire bulb of garlic to my soup. But it was roasted, so you will actually be able to go out into public without people holding their noses and asking what that horrid smell is.
Roasted garlic is like a little paste from the gods. Alternately sweet with a hint of its original flavor. It adds so much depth to the dish. I smashed and mashed it into a paste before adding it to the pot. That, my friend, was the icing on my soupy cake.
While you’re roasting your garlic and squash, you can start to make the soup. First chop up some onion and saute it until it is caramelized. The longer you cook it, the more caramely-brown it will get. I stopped after about 20 minutes or so. Then add your herbs. I added fennel fronds, but if you don’t have that, I think sage would be a very nice addition. Saute for about a minute or so, then add your chicken stock and squash to the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes, then add you cream. Puree that bad boy up and you are ready to go.

After I made my batch, I sat there cross-legged, soup bowl resting in my lap, big spoon in hand. And I ate it. I spooned giant bites into my mouth and then I tore off a mouthful of buttered baguette. I ate without reservations, like I was a 5-year-old kid again. The picture may not have been a pretty one. In fact, maybe I resembled a crazy-looking, deranged dog, obsessed with soup. But it does not matter. Because every bite made me happy that Fall was finally here.

Creamy Roasted Squash and Garlic Soup

1 acorn squash; peeled, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 delicata squash (or one butternut squash) peeled, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large red onion, chopped
1 bulb of garlic
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary)
1/4 cup fennel fronds (You  can also use any of the above herbs if you do not have fennel  fronds. Just use a bit less, perhaps by half, especially if you are using  sage.)
4 cups good quality chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat  the oven to 425 degrees. Place all the squash on a large pan in single  layer and toss with salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of the fresh herbs and enough olive oil to liberally coat. Place in oven and cook until the squash is tender and golden. Make sure to check the squash often, flipping as necessary. About 25-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the top off the garlic bulb, not the end with the root, to expose some of the garlic cloves. Make sure to not cut too much. Place in small ovenproof dish and sprinkle with salt and enough olive oil to lightly coat. Place in oven with squash. Roast for about 30 minutes, until top is lightly golden. You should be able to gently squeeze the sides of  the garlic when it is done. Remove from oven and place garlic bulb on its side. Using the back of a spoon, press on the garlic until all the roasted garlic paste squishes out. Mash it into a paste. Reserve.

While the squash and garlic are roasting, place butter in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and cook onion until it is soft and golden brown. The  longer you cook it, the more caramelized it will become. I stopped after  about 25 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry while you are cooking the onion, add some more butter. Add the fennel fronds (or other herb) and cook for another minute. Add the roasted squash and the chicken broth. Finally, add the garlic paste and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, giving the flavors a chance to mix. If soup seems to thick, add more chicken broth. Then add the heavy cream, cook for a minute and remove from heat. Place soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender, to puree. Serve with some warm bread and enjoy!

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Corey | One comment
22 Sep 2011
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braised brisket and truffle cheese flatbread

Fall has arrived and all I can think of are the delightful things that come  with it. The crisp fall air and crunchy leaves at my feet. Woolly warm socks and bigger-than-life clear blue skies. My beloved brown leather clogs. Hot chocolate and hot tea. The fact that you can walk for miles and not even feel tired or hot or sweaty. But the thing I love the very most about fall — braised meat.

I  am not a big meat eater. I was a vegetarian for 10 years, but was called back to the evil side by the smell of barbecued pork. The funny  thing is — I hardly ever eat pork. But I did then. Oh boy, did I. But that is a story for another time.

Now this crisp air makes me crave comfort food. And nothing says comfort more than a big ol’ slab of meat that has been cooking in beer or wine for hours, all fork tender and delicious. So when I found some brisket at one of my new favorite places, Maple Acres Farm, where the cows are grass fed and hormone free, I knew some lovely braised brisket was in my future.

The braising process, while quite lengthy, is really very easy. I know you might be thinking, “Is it really worth it? That is quite a time commitment for dinner.” And the answer is a resounding “Yes”! Yes, by God, yes. I promise you will be addicted. You will think, What else can I braise? Can I eat this every day of my life? Yes, yes, you can.

When you first saute the meat on the stove at a high temperature, the point is to brown it. A really nice and deep brown. If you look at that browned meat and wonder if it’s sauteed enough, the answer is, No, brown it more. You really want to brown that sucker. You are looking for almost a caramelized coating. These little brown bits are what create loads of flavor later on, so it is a really important step.
This  process causes the meat to tighten up and get very hard. If you were to eat some of the brisket at this point, provided it was cooked all the  way through, it would not be very good. Take it out of the pan and add your veggies.
I used onion and green pepper. You throw them into the pot with all the yummy leftover brisket juices. I like to puree the veggies prior to adding them to the pot. This way, they create a kind of crusty carmalized yummy-ness as they cook. They get all brown and delicious. Just like your meat.
Then pour some liquid into the pot, something that contains a good bit of acidity like beer or wine, and the magic begins to happen. I used Rowhouse Red by Philadelphia Brewing Company. This delightful ale is hard to categorise. Philadelphia Brewing Company calls it a Philadelphia style ale. It is closest related to a French farmhouse style and it is one of my favorite cooking beers. It is not too hoppy, which can lend a lot of bitterness to a dish. And it is deep and complex. Mixing it with meat is the ultimate combination. If you do not have this delightful beer, a different french farmhouse ale or even a brown ale would work.
While the meat cooks at a low  temperature in this liquid, the meat tendons begin to relax and start to  melt into each other. Then after about 5 hours, this meat is fork tender, incorporated with your braising liquid and whatever vegetables  you have added. And it is delicious. It is heaven!
Now it is time to make the flatbreads.
I had every intention of making my own flatbreads from scratch. This is something I have been meaning to do for some time. And I am very curious to see how they would turn out. I imagine them to be warm and chewy and delicious.
But, wouldn’t you know it, something happened. I ran out of time. I know, not that big of a surprise. But I promise you this, I will make those flatbreads. And I will make them soon. Then I will share with you the highs and lows of making them yourself, although I anticipate having a lot of highs and not that many lows. Actually, I anticipate sitting at the table with a stack of flatbreads and a stick of butter and going whole hog.
But back to the recipe. I used the gravy that the brisket had been cooking in as my sauce. When the brisket came out of the oven, the gravy was nice and thick, and all I did was add a tab of butter to it and it was ready. If your gravy is not thick, you can cook it on the stove for a bit, until it thickens.
Then just pile on your toppings. I used some mushrooms that I cooked strictly by Julia Child’s guidelines: cut them into quarters, add a good amount of butter to the skillet — which is over high heat, by the way — and most importantly, do not overcrowd the pan. Give the mushrooms the room they need to get all golden brown. This cooking method seals in the flavor, and you will shout with joy as you pop one into your mouth. They are delightful.
I also used some cooked onion and my truffle cheese. Sottocenere is a creamy, dense and labor-intensive cheese made from cow’s milk. The rind is rubbed with nutmeg, coriander, cinnamon,  licorice, clove and fennel. To put this cheese over the top, pieces of  black truffle are laced throughout. It is so good. The truffles make  it fungal and earthy — delicious when mixed with the creamy texture of  the cheese. Just make sure you smell the rind before you discard it. Yum! I can’t get enough.

Then these flatbreads are ready for the oven.
You cook them at high heat, 450 degrees, until the flatbread is nice and crispy. I actually broiled them for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Whew, that was a lot of information. And I hope I did not overload your brain. But this flatbread combines some of my most favorite flavors. For me, it is the best of what nature has to offer.
And, as I ate this pizza, the flavors were screaming out, Fall! The pizza was creamy and earthy and crunchy. The brisket was tender and rich and full of beer deliciousness. My belly felt full as I took the last bite, sitting back and feeling completely fullfilled. There is nothing that actually speaks to your soul more than comfort food. And this pizza is the epitome of comfort. I hope it makes your belly just as happy as it did mine.
Braised Brisket and Truffle Cheese Flatbread
(makes 10 flatbreads)
10 flatbreads
2 lbs brisket
2 bottles beer (I used Rowhouse Red by Philadelphia Brewing Company; another brown ale would work as well)
Rub (recipe follows)
2 small onions, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic
6 tbs butter
8 oz mushrooms, cut into quarters
About 8-10 oz Sottocenere cheese
Make  your rub for the meat: 1 tbs thyme, 1 tsp each of salt, fresh pepper,  paprika and garlic powder. Mix together and rub onto meat.
Place one of the onions, the green pepper and the garlic cloves into a blender and puree until smooth. Reserve.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Place  2 tbs of the butter into a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Brown meat on both sides. Remove. Place pureed onion mixture into pan to soak up all the juices from the meat. Cook on medium heat until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add beer and meat. Cover and place in oven. Check every hour or so, to make sure enough liquid is in the pan. If not, add a  little water.
After about 5 hours, remove pan from oven and remove meat. Add 2 tbs of butter to pan and stir until desolved. Sauce should be thickened. If it is still watery, before adding butter, cook on stovetop over medium heat until sauce thickens. Then add butter.
In a skillet add remaining 2 tbs butter and saute mushrooms over medium-high heat. You want to keep the heat high and not overcrowd the pan, so the mushrooms have the ability to brown and carmalize. No mushy mushrooms here. Remove mushrooms from pan and add remaining onion. Cook until softened.
Place flatbreads on a sheet pan and layer with sauce, mushrooms, onion, brisket and cheese. Place in preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Or until cheese is melted and flatbread is crispy. Remove from oven and enjoy!
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Corey | 4 comments
15 Sep 2011
Uncategorized

Le Bus Brownies

There is one thing in life that I do not question. Nor does my undying admiration or love ever falter. What might I be speaking of? My dear friend, I am speaking of this brownie recipe. I will admit I sometimes can get swept up into the excitement of finding a new recipe, a new way to make an old classic. But this brownie never fails me. And I always come back to it. It is a very trusted and beloved old friend.

About 12 years ago – now that’s a long time ago — Le Bus Restaurant printed their recipe for amazing brownies in one of their pamphlets handed out each month. And, boy, was that a good month. It was gold. I remember how excited I was to finally have that secret. I was a mere fledgling in the kitchen, but every time I made these brownies, people would go crazy. They couldn’t get enough of them. They would exclaim, “These are the best brownies I’ve ever had.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Some brownies can be too sweet; these are not. They are bitter and salty with just the right hint of sweetness. Some brownies can be a little dry. These brownies are moist right up to the edge. Some brownies have a strange texture. These brownies are silky and smooth with just the right ratio of cakey-ness to fudgy-ness. Some brownies lose the chocolate flavor – it gets lost in the mix. These brownies let the chocolate shine right through. Every bite tastes like a little bit of heaven, if heaven were made of delicious chocolate brownie, that is.

Now I will not step around the real issue here. These brownies are not for the faint of heart. Look at the ingredients. Did you see them? Are you gasping? Are you grabbing your heart and chest and thinking, no way? I know, you think I am crazy for telling you to make a brownie recipe with 1 pound of butter. And, really, I can’t blame you. This is not a typo – 1 pound of butter, 4 sticks. That is a lot of butter. But, really, it is all about moderation, right? I mean that is what the French tell us. And they eat flaky, butter-laden croissants for breakfast and still have long slender figures and tiny waistlines. Well, this is the rationale I use, when I make and then consume these brownies.

But sometimes it is better to not think about these things.

This recipe has all the usual suspects. Let’s start with the sugar. Add it to the bowl with the cocoa.

This cocoa is so good. It is a bit more intense than others, with a little nutty flavor. So good!

Mix the cocoa and the sugar together. Now it is time for the fun part. Melt your butter on the stove. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about the pot full of butter, that is nearly overflowing because there is so much of it. Don’t think about how you are going to soon consume that butter. Don’t think about the fact that you have never seen so much melted butter before in your life. I am so glad I could take your mind off of it.

Now pour the butter into the mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

Next the eggs.

I am not sure what it is about brown eggs that capture my heart so. I think I like to pretend I am living on a farm, I have a silly fantasy about Little House on the Prairie. God, I used to love that show!

Add the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Then add the dry ingredients.

Don’t over-mix it. Just enough to incorporate it.

And now for my favorite part.

Look at that batter. It is shiny and velvety and silken smooth. Full of delicious chocolate flavor. I can hardly wait!

Add the chocolate chips and pour it into a pan.

I ate so much of this batter that I actually felt sick. In fact, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I ended up making two batches of these brownies. And the intended receiver of the second batch fell through. So they sat around the house. And you know what? I ate them. I ate so many of them, I don’t think I can eat another brownie even if I wanted to. So my warning: do not, under any circumstances, make more than one batch of these brownies. Your belly might get mad at you.

Pop them into the oven, then enjoy. In my younger and foolish days, I used to pile on extra chocolate chips and nuts onto the top of these brownies. As if more sugar and fat were needed. And they were jump-for-joy good. So If you have already run those 20 miles for the day and you are feeling good, by all means, live it up. But as for me? I have become a bit of a brownie purest. They brownies in their original state are just fine for me. So instead of grabbing my jogging shoes, I intend to sit back with a glass of ice cold milk. Perhaps look for an episode of Little House on the Prairie. And take a nice big bite. I think I may even be able to watch my waistline expand with every delicious second.

 

 

Le Bus Brownies

(not for the faint of heart)

Ingredients

1 lb unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

1.5 tbsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

 

Preheat  oven to 325 F. Melt butter in saucepan. Set aside. Combine sugar and  cocoa at low speed. Add butter and vanilla in a steady stream until  blended. Raise speed to medium for 30 seconds. Beat eggs in one at a  time. Continue beating for one minute. In a small bowl, blend flour,  salt, and baking powder. Add to chocolate mixture and blend briefly  until smooth. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips. Blend and spread mixture in a  9 x 12 pan. Bake for 10 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 275 F.  Bake for another 40 minutes. Enjoy!

 

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Corey | 2 comments
24 Aug 2011
recipes

tuna nicoise salad


I am not a big eater of fish. I know, I know. It is so good for you. Filled with Omega-3’s and what not. And I don’t really have a good reason for not liking fish. I just feel if I am going to eat it, I should live closer to a large body of water. Yet I sometimes find myself eating blueberries from California. I am full of contradictions.

But despite my silly hang-ups, there are a few fish that squeeze their way onto my dinner plate. One of them is tuna. It is brilliant. Seared, slightly raw in the middle, a wasabi glaze. Or crusted tuna fish tacos with jicama slaw. I am beginning to drool. I will try to control myself.

But perhaps my most favorite way to eat tuna is a tuna nicoise salad. There is something magical about it. It breaks all of my preconceived notions of fish. There is no fishy taste. In fact, all the different vegetables — potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives — make for a different delicious treat in every bite. Add in the eggs and a vinaigrette and oh, yum! What a strange assortment of delightful good-ness.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. If you am going to eat canned tuna, you am going to slather it in mayonnaise. And I usually couldn’t agree more. I am also a lover of mayonnaise. I know, you aren’t surprised. I am the girl who would love to rub butter all over herself and bathe in a pool of chocolate pudding. But I digress. Recently, I have found that I actually prefer the oil to the mayonnaise in almost every case. I really don’t know what is happening to me. But my rationale is that the oil does not disguise the other flavors, as mayonnaise sometimes can. Everything in tuna nicoise stands out, fresh and vibrant, but coming together harmoniously in the end. It is a uniquely happy little dish.

So let’s get to it, and talk tuna. I used a canned wild tuna that is sustainably caught. It really wasn’t even that much more expensive than other canned tuna. The only problem was that I could not seem to find a can of tuna in oil, which would be my ideal choice. The canned tuna in oil is nice and marinated. It has become one with that oil. You just open the can and throw oil and all into the bowl, and it is so good. But, alas, my tuna was in water. I do think the flavor of the dish suffered slightly. But I added a little extra oil as I was working to try to compensate.

Next up, green beans.

I used green beans because that was all I could find. If you have haricots verts, well use them up, baby. But green beans taste great too. You want to blanch your beans in hot water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. You are just looking for the beans to turn bright green and become slightly wilted in the hot water. But you still want that crunch when you bite down into them. There is nothing worse than an overcooked, soggy-looking bean. It is kind of like a limp handshake. It leaves you feeling sad and slightly uncomfortable. So please don’t do this to your wonderful little beans. Keep them crisp and happy. Once they come out of the pan, place them under cool water for a minute to stop the cooking process. Then chop them up and throw them in the bowl with the tuna.

Next, roast your potatoes. Use whatever kind of potato you have. They are all delicious. But my favorite is golden potatoes. They have a thin skin and a buttery flavor, which makes them extra special in my book. I chopped them and placed them in a pan with olive oil and roasted them in a 450° oven for about 20 minutes.

Once they cool a bit, throw them into the tuna mixture.

The last bit of cooking that is required in this dish is hard boiling an egg. Once peeled, chop it up and add it to the bowl.

The rest of the dish comes together quickly.

Chop up a tomato. This one was an heirloom tomato. So beautiful and golden. The color really added a lot to the dish.

And some olives and a red onion.

Now assemble the vinaigrette.

You will need balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Try to use a good one. Since you are not heating the oil, the taste will be more prevalent.

Dijon mustard gives it a nice tang.

Capers, which I don’t really like, really add a nice flavor. Smoosh them up a bit with the spoon. That way they incorporate nicely into the dressing.

Honey balances out all that vinegar. I like licking the spoon.

Add a handful of fresh herbs and some garlic. I used chives and parsley. Chop them up and throw them in.

Now, you just pour it over your tuna mixture, mix it up and serve it on a bed of greens.

It really does taste so, so good. The flavors are so fresh and bright. The taste of the fish still comes through, while the vinaigrette just really throws it over the top. I do not think you will be disappointed. And as you sit down and relax, fork in hand, you can dream about sitting in France, sipping some wine. And enjoying the golden sun. Your taste buds will say, Merci!

 

 

Tuna Nicoise Salad

 

2 – 5 oz cans of tuna, packed in oil

1/2 cup roasted potatoes

1/2 cup sliced tomatoes

1/2 cup blanched and chopped green beans or haricots verts

1/2 small red onion, chopped

1/3 cup chopped good quality olives

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

 

Make sure all ingredients are chopped into bite size pieces. First roast potatoes, any variety you like. I used 2 small potatoes. Chop them, mix with olive oil and place in 450 degree oven. Check and stir often. Remove when they are soft to the touch and browned nicely. About 15 minutes.

Next, blanch green beans, after removing the ends, in boiling water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. They should be bright green but still crisp. Remove from water and run under cold water. Then chop.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.

 

 

Vinaigrette

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon capers

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 bunch fresh herbs (chives, parsley etc.)

1 clove garlic, mashed

 

Combine all ingredients. Whisk together and pour over tuna. Serve tuna mixture over a bed a greens. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Corey | One comment
17 Aug 2011
recipes

watermelon basil sangria

Sangria. I think I am going to decree it the beverage of the summer. At least for myself. I will let you decide. But just let me express my love of sangria for a moment.

Imagine a long hot day. You are tired and decide to sit down outside on a supremely comfortable lawn chair, feet up. A cool breeze starts to blow — the sound of wind through the trees. Your tiny toddler pours water from the hose into a cup and then dumps it onto the ground — the sound of laughter. In your hand, a wine glass, cool and crisp. A tad bit sweet, ripe with juicy fruit. But a bit complex with a little herb, bright, green and fresh. You take a sip. This is summer.

I never used to like sangria. I always thought it was too sweet. It seemed too heavy and thick to drink in the summer. Then there is the issue of the wine. Why is a lot of sangria made with wine that I would never drink by itself?

So here is the key to a great sangria. You have to use a wine that can stand alone. Even though you are adding fruit and cognac and sugar, the wine has to be good. Now I‘m not suggesting that you go out and buy an expensive bottle of wine. I am suggesting something far easier than that. Boxed wine. I know, you are gasping in horror. Not boxed wine! But I think boxed wine has come a long way. It is even, dare I say it, sexy.

There are many reasons that I like boxed wines. The biggest reason is that you can actually find really great boxed wines now. They aren’t exactly cheap, but they aren’t expensive either. Also, the “green” aspect is great. The packaging is recyclable, much lighter for shipping — meaning less environmental impact. In fact, the TetraPak, is supposed to be less harmful to the environment than a glass bottle.

The wine I used, Yellow+Blue, also is made with organic grapes. It was a 2008 Torrontes. Floral and crisp. A bit sweeter than other Torrontes, but for this purpose that works just fine.

I wouldn’t suggest using a sweeter wine like a Riesling. Sangria is only truly refreshing if it maintains a good bit of acidity. Too much sweetness and all the flavors will be lost.

You are going to want to make this recipe a day ahead. The flavors from the herbs and fruit really need to sit and marinate in the wine.

First, chop up some watermelon. This watermelon varietal is actually called a sangria watermelon. As soon as I found that out, I knew Sangria would be made with my sangria watermelon. I mean that has to be fate, right?

Next basil.

I have so much of this growing in the garden. It makes me happy. I don’t think it is possible to ever have too much basil. I have recently started throwing it into every kind of dish I can think of. And what I have found is that basil is much more versatile than I ever gave it credit for.

Just chop it up a bit, to get those basil juices nice and ready.

Add your cognac.

This was one of those funny little bottles. Normally I will have a calvadose or something similar laying around. But unfortunately I was out. But I did have this little guy. And he worked perfectly.

Make some simple syrup.

My second word of warning: be careful with the sugar. Always use a bit less then you think. You can always add more later, and you don’t want too much sweetness.

Throw it all in the pitcher, and chill it in the refrigerator. Preferably overnight. To really let those juices marinate. Then, strain and serve chilled.

When your sangria is ready, head out to that lawn chair. Sit down. Wait for the cool breeze. Take a sip. And enjoy the last dog days of summer.

 

Watermelon Basil Sangria

 

1 liter of white wine (Torrontes or other medium-bodied white)

1/8 cup cognac

1/4 cup simple sugar (combine 1/4 c sugar and 1/4 cup water together. Heat just until sugar begins to melt, stir until sugar is dissolved)

2 cups fresh watermelon (chopped)

1 large handful fresh basil (chopped)

 

Combine all ingredients in a glass pitcher. Allow to sit overnight in refrigerator. Strain mixture and serve chilled. Enjoy!

 

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Corey | 2 comments
10 Aug 2011
Uncategorized

Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

 

I have a confession. This week I was tired. I know, poor me. What mom of a toddler isn’t tired? I have become a cliche. But I have not found my hidden source of energy that I know must be hiding in my body somewhere. And as a result of this lackluster energy, I have not done all the shopping that is required of me. I have been perfectly content to sit on my couch, watch TV and eat bonbons. Ok, not really. Wouldn’t that be nice? But it has been a bit sad around here. I have pulled off some impressive meals considering the ingredients I have had to work with. It is amazing what a person will do to prevent going to the grocery store. Well, if that person is me. We don’t have good luck with grocery stores, Buddy and I. He tends to get a little loud. And I find myself running around as fast as I can trying to throw things into the cart before his loud becomes LOUD and the other shoppers start giving me that look. You know the one, the can-you-please-stop-that-blasted-kid-from-screaming-at-the-top-of-his-lungs look.

So when I went into the ever-growing-barer pantry, looking for some kind of sweet treat to conclude our meal, all that was left was a box of vanilla pudding mix. It looked sad. It wasn’t even a name brand with some happy little picture on it. It was generic, red and blue with just the words, French Vanilla Pudding Mix. I remember buying it. I remember thinking, why am I buying this? But I had a good reason. I swear. I just don’t remember for the life of me what that reason was.

So I made it. Please don’t judge me. I disguised it with a layer of fresh bananas and whipped cream. And it was good and everyone was happy. It was Buddy’s first taste of whipped cream. And the look on his face combined with the loud exclamations of MMMMmmmmm, were very satisfying. But I wanted more.

So I knew some kind of dessert would be made. And I knew what my heart really wanted. My most favorite, put-a-smile-on-your-face cookie. The cookie that I guarantee will make you happy. Did you hear that? Guarantee. This cookie disguises itself as a healthy little treat. But I don’t believe in making a healthy cookie. If I am going to eat something that is sugary, I am going to go whole hog. The truth is, I have a serious sweet addiction. Don’t worry, it is under control. Kind of. There was that week in college when I ate nothing except the fudge my roommate made. And I really mean, nothing else. When I began to eat normal food that did not contain boat loads of sugar, my body rejected it. It was gross. But that is a story for another time.

This cookie has all the makings of a great cookie legend. Coconut, bananas, oatmeal, chocolate chips. It has become one of my favorites. Truth be told, it can actually kick the chocolate chip cookie’s butt. But I am not really keeping score. They are all cookies after all, right?

Here is the lineup of what you need.

This recipe is easy peasy. Let’s get started. First you need to measure out your sugars and pour them into the bowl of an electric mixer.

I used brown sugar and Turbinado sugar instead of white sugar. I like livin’ on the wild side. Turbinado sugar is more unconventional in baking because of its larger crystal. It does not dissolve immediately into the batter. But I think the taste from this sugar is delicious. It is caramelly and deep, and it makes your cookies taste like they were kissed by little baby angels.

Next, the coconut oil.

Coconut oil is delicious and a great alternative to some of the more evil of the saturated fats. It contains Lauric Acid, which most naturally occurs in breast milk, is great for the kidneys and has even been said to help build immunity. Bet you didn’t think you would find all that good stuff in a mere sugary cookie, did ya?

Cream the sugar and the oil together. Till they look like this.

Then add the bananas.

There are no eggs in this recipe. Which I consider a great achievement. The bananas are the egg substitute. They can thicken the dough almost as well as any doggone egg. Plus it allows many dips of the finger into the dough, without the threat of salmonella. Which, by the way, never seems to scare me enough to not dip my finger into any cookie dough. That’s the best part, right?

Speaking of dough, this is what your batter should look like after you mix in the bananas. Nice and smooth.

Next up, the dry ingredients.

Measure out your rolled oats. They add fantabulous texture to the cookies.

Then, some almond meal. It is fantastic. A bit denser than regular flour, and it adds a great nutty flavor to the cookies.

Flour, coconut, cinnamon, salt and baking powder all go into the bowl.

Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture. You want to alternate with the heavy cream, adding a little bit of each until you have incorporated everything into the batter.

The heavy cream is important here. This recipe doesn’t have a lot of fats, and the heavy cream combines nicely with the almond meal, creating that great cookie texture.

After all the dry ingredients and the heavy cream have been added to the banana mixture, this is what you have. We are ready for those yummy chocolate chips.

I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips. Mostly because they are easy to find. But when I really want to throw these cookies over the top, I grab the Callebaut. It is the best chocolate around. So smooth, so intense. So out-of-this-world good. I kid you not. Callebaut is made by a Belgian company. They are very well known for their chocolates. But alas, my friend, I do not have that amazing chocolate for you in this recipe. But, please, I beg you, go make it with Callebaut. Then you will salute the Belgians for their fantastic chocolate.

After you add your chocolate, these puppies are ready for the pan.

I used an ice cream scoop to measure out the batter. Mostly, because it is easier. But also because deep down, I am a bit OCD. I said, deep down.

Then you stick them in a 350° oven. And cook ‘em for about 12 minutes. It is difficult to tell when they are done. They crisp up on the edges and bottoms, but the tops don’t change much. Just promise me you will not overcook them. Cookies are not as happy when you overcook them.

By the way, don’t forget to taste a bit as you work. That is always my motto. Remember, no eggs, no salmonella, dip away my friend. Dip away.

Once, they come out of the oven, here’s what ya have.

See that empty spot at the bottom? I ate that one. I couldn’t wait. And yum! So good. This cookie is delicious. Soft and chewy on the inside, a little crisp around the edges.

The combination of chocolate and banana will never let you down. So make a bunch, pack them up and give them to your friends, your mom or your mailman. Or better yet, take the whole lot of them, go back into that pantry, sit down, and have yourself a private little cookie party. I won’t tell.

 

 

Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

 

Ingredients

 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 ripe bananas (mashed about 1 1/4 cup)

1/3 cup coconut oil (room temp)

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal

1/3 cup coconut (shredded and unsweetened)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

6-7 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk sugars and coconut oil until well combined. Add bananas and mix until creamy.

 

In In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.  Then add dry ingredients and cream to wet ingredients. Start with the dry ingredients, mix, then add some cream, then dry ingredients, mix then some cream. Continue until both dry ingredients and cream are incorporated into wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips. Use small ice cream scoop to drop by rounded tablespoon onto cookie sheet.

 

Bake for 12-15 minutes in a 350° oven. Cookies will be slightly brown around the edges. Enjoy!

 

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Corey | No comments
03 Aug 2011
Uncategorized

summer corn chowder

When I was young, every summer we would vacation on the Chesapeake Bay. My mom, my dad, my brother and I would pile into this tiny little wooden boat, the Waif. We would spend two glorious weeks zooming up and down the bay, swimming, sipping bright green-flavored, sugary drinks we called “greenies” and, most importantly, eating. There was this amazing little restaurant. It was one of those places that the locals raved about. But it looked like little more than a shack from the outside. Every year we went there. It was glorious. It had a giant wooden deck that overlooked the bay. We would sit, hot and sweaty, on picnic tables. Gulls swooping down trying to grab a bite of food, that cool bay breeze sweeping over you. And we would eat the most amazingly fresh and scrumptious food my 11-year-old mouth had ever tasted. Everybody in my family would always get crab cakes. This place was known for its crab cakes. If you wanted crab cakes, this is where you went. It was all about the crab cakes. Did I mention the crab cakes?

I did not like crab cakes. My brother would tell me I was adopted. I would cry. There would be a scene. Then I would remember, wait, there is something even more delicious at this weird little shack of a restaurant. Something better than those blasted crab cakes. Something that would make everyone in my family wish they were eating what I was. And it would make them forget about those little cakes. Corn chowder. Creamy with chunks of vegetables and fresh herbs. The sweetest, most succulent summer corn you have ever tasted. It was heaven.

So this week my nostalgic self was longing for this soup. I am not sure why it is acceptable to make a hot corn chowder in the middle of summer. But for some reason it just works. And the corn I used was amazing. It was my favorite kind of summer corn. The kind you don’t even have to cook. You could just peel that husk back and start chowing down.

So let’s get started. First, the corn. There is nothing like summer corn.

Corn is one of the hardest things to grow organically. It is easily infested with bugs or worms. And these worms can cause a lot of damage quickly. So when my CSA told me not to be surprised if I found worms crawling around as I shucked, I was a little scared. And I have to admit that husking an ear still makes me shudder. In fact Beerman’s Benny’s (he did not appreciate my affectionate name) friend, who was helping me with the shucking, had to take the entire ear outside. And deposit it directly into the compost heap. I still can’t husk an ear with a totally clear mind. I am still fearful.

However, these ears of corn were perfect. Not a worm or scary thing in sight. And the kernels were so sweet, I just popped a couple like candy. Delicious.

Next, chop up an onion.

And some carrots.

I had these cute little heirloom carrots. Don’t they look like something Peter Rabbit would be caught munching on. They are so cute and knobby. Or, perhaps I have been reading Buddy too many Beatrix Potter books.

And some green pepper.

Throw it all in a large soup pot and wait for the vegetables to soften. Then add some garlic and red pepper flakes.

And potatoes.

These were Yukon Gold potatoes. The most delicious potato ever created. Well, in my humble opinion. The skin is so thin on these potatoes that it never bothers me. So I always leave them unpeeled.

After you let this cook for about 8 minutes, this is what you have.

Can you taste it yet? Mmmm. The smell will fill up your kitchen. I wish these pictures had smell-o-vision. I think life would be much better with smell-o-vision.

Add your chicken broth and your herbs.

This was a handful of herbs that I had out in the garden. Almost any herb would do. The fresher the better. These were oregano, chives and parsley. Chop them up and throw them in the pot.

And you have this lovely little concoction.

Now, you could just let it cook for about an hour, then add your cream and be done. But I always like to puree about half of the mixture. It gives the soup a nice creamy texture. And I like to still have chunks of vegetables left over. You could easily do this in a blender. But I love my immersion blender. It just makes things easier. And there is no huge mess to clean up.

After you have pureed that baby up, add your cream. Done. It is time to ladle yourself a big bowl, sit back and relax. And enjoy your summer’s bounty.

 

 

Summer Corn Chowder

 

3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off

2 small potatoes, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes — or to taste

1 handful fresh herbs — oregano, parsley, chives

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

pepper — to taste

salt — to taste

 

Place onion, carrot, green pepper in bottom of soup pot. Cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook about 1 minute more. Add potatoes and corn and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and making sure mixture does not burn. Add chicken stock and chopped herbs.

 

Cover and cook for about 1 hour, until vegetables are very soft. Blend half the mixture in blender or by using immersion blender. Add cream and salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

 

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Corey | 2 comments
26 Jul 2011
recipes

bread salad (panzanella)

 

It is hot. So hot I want to move. Perhaps Alaska. Is Antarctica too far? It seems like the land of paradise to me right now. I would love to lie down – perhaps have a picnic – on a giant piece of floating ice. That sounds wonderful.

But not here. Here it is HOT. An all-consuming kind of hot. I’m not going outside hot. I am going to sit right here on the couch, drink lemonade and try not to sweat hot. Oh wait, I am sticking to the couch. Perhaps I will lie on the floor. No, still hot.

A couple of days ago when I read the temperature on the car thermometer, it said 105°. Wait, is that some kind of joke? 105°? That is the kind of hot that makes a normal person start to swear and kick things.

So as I contemplated the thought of cooking something, causing more heat, more hot. I said, no. No thank you. That is where this salad comes in. If you feel like being fancy you can call it a panzanella salad. Just a fancy-pantsy name for an Italian bread salad. Throw some tomatoes, olives, cucumbers in a bowl with some toasted bread. Done.  But I am not feeling very fancy today. I don’t know if I mentioned it, but it is hot here. It is not possible to be both fancy and hot at the same time. I don’t know if you knew that.

But this salad is good. No, it is GOOD. I mean really, really good. And it is incredibly filling. So if you are feeling sweaty and tired from the heat, you can make this, serve it to your family for dinner and be done. Then finish the whole meal off with a bowl of ice cream. Mint chocolate chip, please. And everybody will go to bed happy. Well, they might still be hot. But at least they will have the most delicious salad ever swimming around in their bellies. And that is worth something, right?

So let’s get started. Now, be forewarned, I used a roasted pepper. But if it is too hot, leave it out. Or, better yet, go to the store and buy a pepper already roasted. Let some other person do the dirty, hot work. You relax. Sit down. Drink a margarita. But it is really good when you roast it yourself. So maybe if you are feeling up to it? No, don’t turn that oven on. You’ll regret it. You might become a person who starts kicking and swearing. Cursing me for telling you to turn on that blasted oven when it is 105° outside. Well I’ll leave it up to you. You decide. However you come across it, this recipe calls for a roasted pepper, which you may or may not include. There, I am glad we cleared that up.

First, you want a cucumber. Now I just happened to have this little beauty lying around.

What is that, you ask? That, my friend, is a lemon cucumber. It is delightful. A little hint of sweetness. A very tender center. And apparently it is much easier to digest than your standard cucumber.

I don’t mind the seeds. I know, some people go all crazy over the seeds. And if you feel strongly about it, de-seed the little sucker. But, me, I eat them up.

I also had a white cucumber.

So I chopped them up and threw them in a bowl.

Next, an onion. I used half of a red onion. And it was really, really big. Can anyone explain why it is so hard to find a smallish red onion? And the small ones that you do find are all gnarly-moldy looking. So you buy a big one. And you end up paying $3 for one stupid onion. No, just me? oh well.

Chop that up and throw it in the same bowl.

Next, tomatoes. I used a combination of cherry tomatoes and a delicious tomato from my CSA. The cherry tomatoes were sweet and scrumptious, while the large tomato added a nice soft texture and juicy flavor.

It looks so normal from the outside. You think, this is just a normal tomato. Then.

Blam. Oh my God. Heaven. Look at it. Look at the color. Don’t you want to take a bite? Grab the salt and lick your fingers? Mmmm.

I even got some help with the tomatoes. Well, help is all very relative to a toddler named Buddy.

I will admit it, some tomatoes were harmed in the making of this salad. Some came away with loads of bite marks in them. Some were squished. They all made it into the salad, however. I promise, if you come over for dinner, Buddy won’t be preparing your meal.

Next, caper berries.

What’s that, you ask? These little ugly critters are caper berries. They look unpleasant. Weird. But they are good. I don’t like capers that much. Little shriveled bugs. But caper berries are a different animal. Well, almost. Along with being larger, the caper berry is much milder than the regular caper. Capers and caper berries grow along side one another, but the caper berry does not have the same burst of acidity that the caper has. Which to me makes it a bit more palatable.

You chop up that blasted roasted pepper, which you are using right? Because it is so good. Adding roasty sweetness to your salad. Oh, right. Too hot. We won’t talk about that pepper again, I promise. And some olives. Throw them in the bowl with the artichoke hearts.

These were grilled artichoke hearts. And, boy, were they good. They had this amazing smoky flavor that added so much depth to the dish.

I couldn’t stop eating them. Yum!

Finally, the mozzarella.

Little balls of heaven. God, I could eat mozzarella all day. And that yummy leftover olive oil that the mozzarella was soaking in? I use that instead of plain old olive oil when I make my vinaigrette.

After everything is thrown together, this is what you have.

You might be tempted to eat it up right now. But wait for the bread and the vinaigrette. They put it over-the-top good.

To make the bread, you chop up your day-old loaf. Which I never have, by the way. Bread does not sit around in our house long enough to get stale. So I always end up using bread that is perfectly soft and fresh. But that is ok. Just toast it longer, and it will be nice and hard, all ready to soak up those yummy salad juices.

I ate a lot of this bread smeared with butter while I was cooking. I couldn’t control myself.

A couple of swigs of oil around the pan.

And toast those bad boys until they are nice and golden brown. It took a while for me, because my bread was so fresh.

Next, make the vinaigrette and poor it over your salad.

Now most panzanella salads use some kind of white wine vinegar. But I used balsamic. I love balsamic vinegar with tomatoes. I don’t think there is any better combination. And this vinaigrette was the cat’s pajamas.

A note about the bread. I don’t add my croutons until about a half hour prior to serving. I don’t like to let my bread get too smooshy.

Stir it up and eat it up.

It took me all of 10 seconds to gobble this up. The first bite was so freaking good.

I finished it up, feeling refreshed. I almost forgot how God-awful hot it was outside. Well, only for a moment. But it was the best moment of the whole darn day.

 

Panzanella Bread Salad

1 large tomato, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 large cucumber or two smaller ones, chopped, de-seeded and peeled if you desire

1/2 of a large red onion, chopped

1 very large cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1/2 cup caper berries, chopped

1 cup olives, cut in half

1 cup small mozzarella balls

1 large yellow pepper, roasted till black all over, then peeled, de-seeded and chopped

 

Combine all ingrediants in a large bowl

 

Vinaigrette

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil

2 large tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 good pinch salt

a few turns of fresh pepper

 

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, whisk and pour over salad.

 

Bread Crumbs

Half a loaf of bagette, stale if you have it

 

Chop bread into cubes. Place large skillet onto stove over moderate heat. Add a few turns of olive oil. Add bread, stirring to fully coat. Cook until bread is golden brown and toasted. Remove from heat. Add to salad half hour prior to serving. Mix salad well. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Corey | 2 comments
20 Jul 2011
recipes

cream cheese with ease

 

I am a girl who loves to cook. I know, I am stating the obvious. Why else would you be here reading my little ramblings? But there are some things that are so easy, so obvious that it takes years to stumble upon them. I think that is one of the reasons I love to cook. You could spend hours creating masterpieces with complex ingredients. But it is the little stuff, the easy stuff, the stuff that you overlook until you are standing in the kitchen, tired and worn down with a little toddler circling your legs like a hungry little shark. It really is a matter of survival.

I remember when I got Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I spent an entire month learning how to cook an egg. Yes, an egg. It was oddly thrilling and enlightening. I learned to be slow and patient to yield the best results. Not too much butter, only a taste. Julia was the queen of mastering the little stuff. And my omelets have never been the same. Now light and fluffy, a little warm and gooey in the middle. Delicious.

So, when the weekend rolls around I make a big breakfast. Some sort of pancake, or French toast, stuffed with mascarpone cheese and a caramelized banana maple syrup. I do this for the love of my family. Ok, I will admit it, I do it for the love of me. I have an unhealthy crush on breakfast. It is, in my opinion, the greatest meal ever created. If it were socially acceptable I would cover myself in carmalized brown sugar and butter. Oh breakfast, my love. How can you beat pancakes, French toast and donuts smothered in butter and syrup and powdered sugar. Bagels with salmon, onion, tomato and cream cheese. Or eggs with fresh herbs and melted cheese, some skillet potatoes. Oh my.

But, even my love of breakfast can’t put the fire in my belly to want to get up and get it done. Sometimes on the weekends, I just want to relax. So as I was contemplating this dilemma, looking in the fridge for something else to make, something easy, it hit me. Cream cheese. Not just your ordinary cream cheese, but flavored cream cheese. Made with anything my little heart could come up with. I am a sucker for those fruit cream cheeses when we go to buy our bagels. But it never occurred to me to make my own. Until now.

We are a cheesy family. I mean that literally. I love it. Buddy loves it. Hubs loves it. Heck, I even feed it to the dog. Instead of treats, all I have to say is – cheese. He will immediately stop barking at the neighbor’s dog and come running. So, it is no surprise that I had some cream cheese sitting in the fridge. You never know when a girl will get an inkling to make red velvet cupcakes. Cream cheese is a necessity.

But enough about my cheese infatuation. I grabbed the blackberries and blueberries.

Some mint, thyme and a lime.

And mixed it up, baby. It only took a few minutes to whir it all together. And it tasted so much better than those store-bought concoctions, which are usually a bit too sweet. Instead it tasted fresh and creamy. I combined the blackberries with some lime zest and mint. The mint really made it refreshing. The blueberries were paired with some thyme. The combination of herb and berry gave a slight contrast between savory and sweet.

The great thing about making your own cream cheese is that it is up to your imagination. Fig and orange, scallion and a handful of fresh herbs — and as my mind is running right now — cream cheese that tastes like carrot cake would be delicious. Or is that just me?

The family loved this berry delight — it was definitely a hit. So the next time you want to make breakfast but just don’t have the energy to whip up something complex, turn to the bagel, my friend. Turn to the bagel.

And now there is a bee in my bonnet to create a carrot cake cream cheese. It will be my mission this week. I promise to post the recipe. Please tell me your favorite cream cheese combinations. I am a girl on a cream cheese mission.

 

Blackberry Cream Cheese

3/4 cup blackberries

3/4 cup cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon fresh lime zest

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped mint

 

Whir it all together in a small food processor. Or you could mash it up by hand, but the blackberries won’t get as pulverized. Smear on a bagel. Enjoy

 

Blueberry Cream Cheese

3/4 cup blueberries

3/4 cup cream cheese

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

 

Whir all together. And enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Corey | No comments
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