Love Your Veggies

I found organic heirloom tomatoes at Trader Joes today, and although I'm certain that they can't be local, I couldn't resist making the salad from the Best of The Harvest cooking class I took several weeks ago. I did use organic rosemary from my backyard for the rub on the eggplant though...

I also had some good little helpers in the kitchen tonight, especially Sophia who helped make the salad dressing, and learned how to chiffonade basil—she seemed impressed with my knife work and the "rainbow tomatoes".












Roasted Eggplant Tomato Salad

Salad
3 T. finely chopped, fresh rosemary
3 T. olive oil
1 t. kosher sea salt
1 medium eggplant, sliced in 1/2-inch rounds
1 large or several small tomatoes, sliced
8 oz. mixed greens
2 T. toasted pin nuts

Mix rosemary, oil and salt, then rub on both sides of eggplant rounds. Roast on cookie sheet in 375-degree F oven, flipping once. Cook until golden and soft. (If eggplant is old, salt the slices first and let rest on the counter. Towel off the moisture that's drawn out. This draws out bitterness.)

Dressing
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove finely minced garlic
3-4 T. chopped fresh basil
2 t. prepared dijon mustard
1/2 t. kosher sea salt
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1 t. champagne (or tarragon) vinegar
2 t. agave nectar (or honey)

Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Toss greens with dressing and immediately serve.

To plate, put a handful of greens on plate, one or more eggplant slices (depending on size) and tomato. Top with toasted pine nuts if desired.

Blissed Out

This recipe is a "cover" of Starbucks' Cranberry Bliss Bars, and I think it's actually better. There's more cake and less frosting (making them not so excessively sweet), and both the cake and frosting layers are lighter. The orange-flavored cranberries are the perfect crowning touch, plus I added cardamom and a little excellent Penzey's Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon, making the cake layer far more interesting.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Cake Layer
2 sticks softened butter
1 and 1/4 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 t. finely ground cardamom
1/4 t. Penzey's Cinnamon
1 t. ginger
1 1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1-1/2 c. flour
1/2 T. dried orange peel (or fresh zest from one orange)
1/3 c. finely chopped dried orange-flavored cranberries
1/4 c. coarsely chopped Ghirardelli white chocolate

Frosting Layer
2 T. softened butter
4 oz. softened Nuefchatel (light) cream cheese
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

To Finish
1/3 c. finely chopped dried orange-flavored cranberries
1/4 c. melted Ghiradelli white chocolate chips mixed with 1 t. cream

Bake in 350-degree F oven in greased 9x13 pan. Beat butter and sugar together, add eggs and vanilla beat until light and fluffy. Add all dry ingredients (except crans and choc) and beat well. Fold in the cranberries and chocolate, spread evenly in pan and bake about 25 mins or until golden. Cool cake completely, then spread with frosting, sprinkle with crans, drizzle with melted chocolate (use a plastic Ziploc with corner snipped off or a pastry bag), cut and serve!

Little Turkeys

This idea is adapted from the Family Fun website: we used cranberry orange muffins instead of cupcakes, and Stretch Island (real) fruit leather instead of "fruit product" Fruit Rollups. The bodies are still Nutter Butter cookies and the eyes mini chocolate chips (and we used chocolate frosting as they did). We used the toothpicks for the fruit leather as Family Fun did, but with the Stretch Island fruit leather, you don't really need them—it's so thick you can just poke it directly into the muffin. M & G did a great job with assembly, and as for the eating... they loved 'em.

Puh-shockka-lakka

Madeline helped make Pain Au Chocolat this morning... and did a pretty fine job. She said, "Mama I love the Puh Shockka Lakka!" Even the ones she rolled fairly wonky baked up gorgeous.

Anyway, not exactly a "recipe"—just refrig crescent dough filled with about 8 Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa chocolate chips (we did 6 chips, but 8 would be a tad better) and baked at 350 until golden. Enjoy with some Cafe Au Lait and a good buddy—like Aunty Karen who hung out with us today!

What Kind of Cheesecake Are You?

You Are a Chocolate Mocha and Orange Cheesecake

Enthusiastic and intense, there's so much you love in the world... it's hard to do it all. You are good at getting things to mix - friends, flavors, hobbies. You're the master of fusion!

What Kind of Cheesecake Are You?

Vegan Cookies?

Yes, vegan. And, yes, they are fabulous! Egg-free, dairy- and animal-free and tasty as can be. Jamie and I used to buy these at the co-op in Bellingham across the street from the Y after working out... I asked for the recipe at the Swan Cafe (the cafe in the co-op) and RuthAnne Muller from Member Outreach gave it to me! It was scaled for about 12 dozen cookies, so I divided it (which is why the measurements are a bit strange). If not making it strickly vegan, you can sub butter for soy margarine and 5 eggs to sub for the egg replacer.

Swan Cafe Trail Cookies

Whisk together:
1-1/2 T. EnerG Egg Replacer
1/2 + 1/8 c. water

Beat until creamy:
2 c. soy margarine
2 c. Florida Crystals cane sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla

Blend liquids with margarine and sugar mixture.

Mix together:
2 c. organic pastry flour
1/2 + 1/8 heaping T. baking soda
1/2 + 1/8 heaping t. baking powder
1 t. sea salt
1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
4 c. rolled oats
4 c. corn flakes type cereal
1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Combine dry and liquid ingredients and mix well. Using a #10 scoop (about 1/4-1/3 c.) or a generous standard ice cream scoop, place dough on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350-degrees F until cookies develop cracks and are solid in the middle.

This recipe makes about 3-dozen 4-inch diameter cookies.

Best of the Harvest

Took a cooking class "Best of the Harvest" with Margo this afternoon. It was so amazing. The chef was great, and I'm excited to try the recipes in my own kitchen soon! Just need to pick up some ingredients (although not squash, thanks to Peggy and Ken)! And, I learned about a new natural sweeter with a low-glycemic index (even OK for people with diabetes) - blue agave syrup and she used Nutiva coconut oil in the dishes today, and it turns out coconut oil is not bad for you - it lowers cholesterol, is shelf-stable, has a high burn point and helps speed up metabolism (because it's 50% lauric acid - a rare fatty acid found in breastmilk). Also got good pointers on sea salt/Kosher salt and really, really good olive oil, and a tricky fast way to juice a lemon... stay tuned for the dishes!

Wicked Corn!

The most excellent caramel corn ever. Easy and delicious—the quintessential Fall treat!!

Wicked Good Caramel Corn

3 bags popped SmartPop! 97% Fat Free Kettle Corn popcorn
1 cup sliced almonds (or your favorite nut)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (see why you need the fat free popcorn?)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Scoop the popped popcorn off the top of the bags so you get all popcorn and no unpopped kernels (it's a pain to pick them out later and even worse to bite into one!) into your largest baking pan. I use a roasting pan, but you could use two pans as well. Add the nuts to the popped corn, and put the pan(s) into a preheated 300-degree F oven for about 2-3 minutes while you measure out the ingredients to make the caramel. (This toasts the nuts a little and keeps the popcorn crisp). Then remove pan from the oven.

Stir together the syrup, sugar, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and bring to boil. Once boiling, cook and stir constantly for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla then the baking soda. The caramel will go lighter and foa up. Pour over the popcorn in the pan(s), and stir to coat as well as you can (as you bake it you'll be able to cover more of the corn).

Bake for about 45 minutes stirring the corn every 10-15 minutes. Pour out to cool on counter on freezer paper, grocery bags or waxed paper. Store in Ziploc bags to keep corn crisp (otherwise it'll get soggy and sticky!)

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

You Are Tiramisu

Light and lovely, you pack a punch. You never overwhelm... but you always leave a lasting impression.

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

Just for fun... Apparently, I'm tiramisu (excellent, since I love tiramisu)! Got this quiz on Jerrie's site.

Pretty Sweet...

I'll admit that I'm usually fairly snobbish about buy-and-bake cookie dough. Much of it is not worth the money, and tastes fake and chemically (one exception is Tom's Cookie Dough—really good). I'm loving Pillsbury's Sugar Cookie Dough Sheets for Halloween. They are great (I found them in the fridge section by the eggs at QFC). We did some with Aura and Miki on Friday and more today with Grammy and Ukki. No rolling, no mixing, easy with kids, very tasty, and they come with good white and orange icing (in bags that you just snip the corners off of to pipe!). Two sheets to a package—about $3.50 for two (or more) dozen depending on the size of cookie you make. "Scraps" from cut-out cookies can be rolled into balls to bake. You'll have way more time and energy to get into decorating if you don't have to make dough or do the clean up!

Genetic

So, maybe my propensity for "cooking by feel" is genetic. My mom is constantly altering recipes, making them amazingly better, and then having to recall what she changed. And I catch myself doing the same thing all the time. Sometimes because I don't have the "proper" ingredients for a recipe (or more likely, just can't find them in my pantry) and sometimes just because I feel like it. There's a scone recipe in The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook that I have never made exactly according to the recipe... and they're always great. Anyway, Great Gramma Sartor's "recipe" for corn bread reminded me of this particular trait I share with mom...

Corn Bread

Dehlia Sartor

I don't have a regular recipe for cornbread just do it from scratch. This is what I do. Beat 1 egg, add tsp salt & 1 cup milk then sift 1 1/2 cups cornmeal and 1/4 cup white flour and mix all together. I melt about 1/2 cup margarine and bacon fryings in the pan I take it in and pour that in your cornbread mixture. Mix well & bake between 1/2 & 3/4 hr. in a 350 oven. Wish you were close so I could show you don't know if I make it plain in writing. Good Luck. Mom

Pumpkin-licious

Mom brought "Pooh bear's Pumpkin Cookies" up yesterday, and the group devoured them—kids (including Erik) and adults alike. She's getting me the recipe, but in the meantime I found this recipe on Allrecipes (I changed a bit), and gave it a go. It's a keeper! As M says, "These are dee-licous cookies Mama!"


Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons Penzey's Vietnamese Cassia cinnamon
1 teaspoon Penzey's Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 t. cinnamon
grated fresh nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In Kitchenaid, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Scoop onto cookie sheets with 1 T. scoop.

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze onto cookies.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

Grammy's "Pooh's Pumpkin Cookies"

Soft, delicious, and not too sweet. Kids love them AND they are low in sugar and jam-packed with vitamin A and beta-carotene!

Pooh's Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. pumpkin
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
and, cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top before baking

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and grease cookie sheets or use parchment or Silpat. Cream butter and sugar, than add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix into pumpkin mixture. Drop by 1-Tablespoon scoopfuls onto cookie sheets, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, and bake 10-15 mins. or until lightly browned.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

This is a tasty spread that tastes a lot like pumpkin cheesecake, with a lot less fat, calories and carbs! Easy to make too.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

1 8-ounce tub light whipped cream cheese

1/2 c. pumpkin

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. sugar

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Mix the sugar into the pumpkin and vanilla first so the sugar dissolves. Then, beat all ingredients in Kitchenaid mixer on medium until blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Susan House's Smokey Oven Barbecue Ribs

This recipe is from the Point.com Cooks! cookbook that our company created as a fundraiser. Susan House is a kindred spirit who loves good food and good company. This is one of the many great recipes I got from her recipe box (although as a short cut you can use an equal amount of bottled barbecue sauce to cook the ribs in):

Smokey BBQ Ribs

3 lbs. boneless ribs
2 T. Liquid Smoke
1 c. ketchup

1/4 c. Worcesterhire sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder (Penzey's chipotle is excellent)
1 c. water
1 t. celery salt



Place ribs in shallow pan, brush both sides with Liquid Smoke, and roast in a very hot even (450-degrees F) for 30 mins (turning once). Combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer while ribs are roasting. Pour sauce over ribs, reduce overn to 350-degrees F and bake for about 1-hour, basting occasionally (every 20-30 mins).