Roasted Grapes with Thyme, Ricotta & Grilled Bread

Roasted Grapes with Thyme, Fresh Ricotta & Grilled Bread
from Alexandra's Kitchen

grapes
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh thyme sprigs
good rustic bread, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces
fresh ricotta (used marscapone cheese)

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Spread grapes onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Lay thyme leaves over top. Toss all together gently with your hands. Place pan in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until grapes just begin to burst.

Meanwhile, heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the bread with olive oil. Grill until nice and toasty.

Assemble the open-faced sandwiches: Spread cheese over bread. Top with roasted grapes. Discard thyme sprigs.

Spaghetti with Broccoli Cream Pesto

Spaghetti with Broccoli Cream Pesto
from Deb at smittenkitchen.com


1/2 pound broccoli
1/2 pound dried spaghetti
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or, more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper or pinches of red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons heavy cream
A heap of grated parmesan (about 1/2 cup), to serve

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for your pasta.

Remove broccoli florets from stems and chop into medium florets. Peel stems with a vegetable peeler (I do this so that they cook quickly, plus, I prefer their taste without the tough stem skin.) and slice them into 1/2-inch segments.

Use your pot of future pasta water to steam (by suspending a mesh strainer over your pasta pot and covering it with a lid for 5 to 6 minutes)) or par-boil (for 3 to 5 minutes) your broccoli florets and stems until just tender, then drain if needed and set them aside.

Add pasta to water and cook until al dente, or about one minute less than fully cooked. Before draining pasta, reserve a cup of pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain pasta.

Wipe out pot so that you can use it again. In the bottom of pot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Add onion and reduce to medium-low, sauteing it until tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another two minutes. Add steamed broccoli, salt and red or black pepper and turn the heat back up to medium-high, cooking it with the onion and garlic for a few additional minutes. Pour cream over mixture and let cook for 30 seconds.

Transfer broccoli mixture and all of its creamy bits at the bottom of the pan to a blender or food processor and blend in short bursts until it’s finely chopped and a little sauce. Don’t worry if it looks dry; that reserved pasta water will give it the sauciness it needs in a minute.

Add the broccoli sauce back to the pot with the drained spaghetti and a splash or two of the reserved pasta water. Cook over medium-high for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing the mixture so that it evenly coats. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more salt or pepper, and scoop into a serving bowl. Shower spaghetti with grated parmesan and dig in.

Additionally, roasted broccoli florets can be added to the finished pasta.

Do ahead: I make a large batch of the sauce and keep it in the fridge for several days, boiling a little pasta each day for lunch when I make it for Jacob.

Cauliflower and Potato Gratin

Cauliflower and Potato Gratin
adapted from Luisa Weiss

1 (1 1/4-pound) head of cauliflower
1/2 pound small boiling potatoes 
salt
1/4 cup butter
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
3/4 cup grated Gruyère cheese, divided (about 1 1/2 ounces)
Freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the dried base and green leaves from the cauliflower and discard them. Separate the head into florets about the size of walnuts and chop the stem into similar size pieces. Cut the potatoes into similar-size pieces as well.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high head and salt liberally. Cook until the cauliflower pieces are tender enough to be easily cut with a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

While the cauliflower is cooking, make a cheese sauce. In a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and stir in the leeks. Cook until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and whisk to make a smooth paste. Add the milk a little at a time, cooking until it thickens. When all the milk has been added, reduce the heat and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the crème fraîche, then one-half cup of the Gruyère, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous grating of nutmeg (a little less than one-quarter teaspoon). Whisk until smooth, then taste and add more salt or nutmeg if necessary.

Butter a 6-cup gratin dish and spread a thin layer of the sauce evenly over the bottom. Arrange the cooked cauliflower and potatoes in an even layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and spread evenly with the back of a spoon. It should come about three-quarters of the way up the vegetables.

Scatter bread crumbs evenly over top and then scatter the remaining one-quarter cup Gruyère over that. Bake until the gratin is bubbling and the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

No Bake Chocolate Cake

 No Bake Chocolate Cake
from Heidi Swanson

butter, to grease pan
8 ounces (225g) 70% chocolate, chopped
1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy cream
1 teaspoon allspice (optional)
2 teaspoons finely ground espresso (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
cocoa powder, to serve

Lightly butter a little loaf pan. Line with parchment paper and set aside.

Barely melt the chocolate in a double boiler over gentle heat.

In a separate medium pan heat the cream over gentle heat. Stir in the allspice and the espresso, if using. When the cream is very warm/hot to the touch, remove from heat and stir in the salt.

Pour the chocolate into the cream very slowly and steadily. Stir until everything comes together smoothly. Make sure the components aren't at all separate. Pour into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled throughout, a few hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove from the pan, let set at room temperature for ten minutes or so, dust with a bit of cocoa powder, and slice. Alternately, you can slice and serve from the pan.

Serves 12.

honey mustard dressing

Honey Mustard Dressing
from some kind folks in Covelo, CA

1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup mustard

Mix ingredients.

corn souffle

Corn Souffle
from Shosh

1 can whole corn, drained
1 can creamed corn
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces grated Swiss cheese
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Mix ingredients in the order above. Pour mixture into a souffle dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 45 to 50 min. Uncover and continue baking for 20 minutes until the top is brown.

cauliflower with almonds, capers, and raisins

Cauliflower With Almonds, Capers and Raisins
from Michael Anthony, Gramercy Tavern

1 head cauliflower, trimmed of leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons fresh soft bread crumbs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons whole almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon
1 teaspoon finely sliced chives

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cauliflower from top to bottom in 1-inch slices. Place a large ovenproof skillet over low heat and add one tablespoon butter. When it has melted, add bread crumbs and toss until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer crumbs to a plate and wipe out pan.

2. Return pan to medium heat and add one teaspoon olive oil. Add almonds and toss until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer almonds to a plate, let cool, and cut each almond into three pieces; set aside.

3. Wipe out pan and return to medium heat. Add remaining one tablespoon olive oil and cauliflower slices. Sauté until lightly browned on both sides. Transfer pan to oven and roast until tender, about 12 minutes. (I had to brown my cauliflower in batches, not having enough surface area in my pan, but tossed everything back in to roast it.) Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and add raisins, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water. Simmer until raisins are plump and soft, about 5 minutes; drain and set aside. In a small bowl, combine almonds, capers, raisins, parsley, tarragon and chives. Season with salt and pepper and toss to mix.

4. Arrange roasted cauliflower on a serving platter. Spoon almond-herb mixture evenly on top and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Serve immediately.

Serves 2.

poached eggs in spicy tomato sauce

Shakshuka [Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce]
Adapted from Saveur

1/4 cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
6 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pitas or bread, for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

Serves 4 to 6.

oatmeal raisin cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, macadamia nuts)
1 cup raisins
3 cups oats (rolled oats or old-fashioned oats, no instant oats)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add raisins and nuts. Add oats last.

Spoon out by rounded tablespoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

banana almond bread

Banana Almond Bread

1 cup all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ cup almond meal
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup roughly mashed ripe banana, about 2 bananas
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons soy milk
2 eggs
¼ cup chopped almonds
2 small bananas, cut into bite-sized chunks

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix the mashed bananas, butter, soy milk, and eggs in a separate bowl. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir just until incorporated. Fold in the chopped almonds and the sliced bananas.

Bake for 17-20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

Red Velvet Cupcake

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup beet juice (or 2 oz. red food coloring)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar (used white balsamic vinegar, what I had on hand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 dozen cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, mix beet juice (or food coloring) and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps and set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful as it will fizz so don't do it in a shallow bowl. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Fill cupcake cups with cake batter until they are a little under 3/4 full.

Place muffin tins in your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20, rotating pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when you are able to pat the tops and the cake springs back up. If it sinks down, they are not yet complete. Or insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the center of the tin, and if it comes out clean, they are done.

Cool the cupcakes before frosting.

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.

Makes enough frosting for 2 dozen cupcakes.

a better chocolate chip cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie
adapted from David Lebovitz's The Great Book of Chocolate

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) dark chocolate chips
1 cup (130 grams) walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 300F.

Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and baking soda.

Stir in the flour and salt. Mix to combine. Add the chocolate and the walnuts to the batter.

Make ~2tbsp cookie dough balls and place them about 4 inches apart from each other on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 18 minutes, or until golden brown, and let cool.

Makes about 20 small cookies.

simple banana bread

Classic Banana Breadadapted from Elise, who got it from Mrs. Hockmeyer

3 to 4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup brown, 1/4 cup white)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Stir the butter into the bananas. Add in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Add in the baking soda and the salt and mix. Add the sifted flour last. Stir the batter until just mixed. Toss in the walnuts and then lightly stir.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan and pop into the oven for about 1 hour.

Makes 1 loaf.

egg custard tarts

Egg Custard Tartsadapted from WokkingMum

Pâte Brisée crust (recipe)
5 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 2/3 cup water
5 tbsp sugar

Spray or butter the sides of the muffin tins.

Roll out 5x5 inch thin layers of crust. Line the insides of a muffin tin. Using scissors, remove edges of the crust so that they fit snugly inside the tin.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix together the milk, water, and sugar. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl, and pour the egg into the milk mixture through a strainer. Stir the mixture lightly to melt the sugar and try to avoid making air bubbles.

Pour the egg mixture into the tarts.

Bake the tarts for 30 minutes.

Makes 12 tarts.

*the tarts could be sweeter, said a friend. but, i thought it was perfect.

bleu cheese dressing

Creamy Bleu Cheese Dressing
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp rice vinegar (what I had on hand)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup of crumbled bleu cheese
honey

Mix all the ingredients together except for the bleu cheese.

Add the bleu cheese into the mix and beat until the cheese is incorporated into the dressing. Drizzle the honey to the dressing until the dressing is sweet enough.

banana strawberry muffins

Banana Strawberry Muffins
adapted from AllRecipes

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup strawberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup banana, mashed
1/2 tbsp orange zest
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix and sift together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In another bowl, mix together the lightly beaten eggs, sugar, banana, orange zest, butter, applesauce.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened.

Pour the mixture into a buttered muffin tin. Bake for 30 minutes, or when the muffins are ready and checked by inserting a knife to the bread.

Let cool.

Makes 12 small muffins.

a crustless cheesy quiche.

Crustless Cheesy Quiche
adapted from SimplyRecipes

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs
4 oz cream cheese
6 oz Gruyere cheese
3 tbsp Parmesean cheese

Melt the butter on medium heat and stir in flour until bubbly. Slowly add the milk to the mixture until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat to cool down, about 15 minutes.

Saute the onion and zucchini in a little bit of olive oil until the onion is cooked and translucent. Set aside to let cool.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the cottage cheese, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and slowly add cream cheese, cottage cheese mixture, zucchini/onion mixture, and flour/butter mixture. Fold in the Gruyere and Parmesean cheese.

Pour the mixture into a buttered 10" pie pan. Bake for 4o minutes at 350F or until the top is lightly browned.

baking bread.

Simple Breadfrom Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (more for dusting)
1-1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1-1/2 cups and 3 tbsp lukewarm water
3/4 tbsp or 1 packet yeast
3/4 tbsp salt
Cornmeal

Mix the yeast with the lukewarm water. Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture.

Using a spoon, mix the ingredients together. The dough will be loose. Cover the container (not air tight) and let rest for 2-5 hours. The dough can then be baked or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

When the dough is ready to be baked, sprinkle a little bit of flour on the dough and cut off the amount of dough with a knife. Turn dough in hand to stretch the surface and to create a rounded top and lumpy bottom. Place the dough on top of some sprinkled cornmeal. Let the dough rest for 40 minutes.

Place a broiler pan on bottom of the oven. In the middle rack, place the baking stone and turn the oven to 450F. Let the stone heat for 20 minutes. Dust the dough with flour and slash top of dough with a knife. Slide the dough onto the stone. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the broiler pan and shut the oven to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, until well-browned. Cool completely.

Makes about 2 loafs.

chocolate hazelnut bread

Chocolate Hazelnut Bread
2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 tsps of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1/3 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of hazelnut-chocolate spread
1/2 cup of whole hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Pour in the milk and stir until the batter is free of lumps. Add the hazelnut-chocolate spread to the mix and stir until combined. Toss in the nuts and mix.

Pour the batter into a greased or parchment paper-lined loaf pan.

Bake for about 50 minutes. The bread is done when an inserted stick comes out clean.

hazelnut chocolate spread

Hazelnut-Chocolate Spread
(adapted from Su Good Sweets)

2 cups of raw hazelnut
1 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of water

Toast the hazelnuts at 350F for about 15 minutes until the skins are dark and the flesh of the nut is light brown. Remove as much of the skin off the hazelnuts as they have a slightly bitter taste.

Melt the sugar in as little water as possible. Use less water if possible.

Pour the hazelnuts into a food processor and grind until you have a thick paste (the makings of hazelnut butter). Add the cocoa powder, sugar syrup, and vanilla. Continue processing until all is blended.

*For a smoother consistency, slowly add oil (walnut oil) or melted butter to the mixture in the food processor.

Makes about 1 1/2 cup of spread.

[I did not melt the sugar and make the syrup originally, so my spread ended up having the grains of sugar in them. I added water and heated up the spread to get rid of the grains after mixing everything and then poured out the water. My spread may have been less sweet because of this, so use less sugar and taste accordingly.]