Fried Udon Noodles

We hardly ever cook pasta dishes, since they are always so heavy and unhealthy, but after finding an Asian inspired noodle dish I think we will use noodles more often. This dish is very simple and easy to alter for your own taste and what you have on hand at the moment!

Serves 2-4 (depending on amount of vegetables)
Ingredients:
About 2-4 oz Udon noodles (or Soba noodles)
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups finely chopped broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced daikon
1 cup leeks, chopped into thin half moons
1 cup chopped bok choy
2 tsp chopped garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbl paprika
Shoyu or soy sauce to taste

Heat 1 tbl oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the broccoli and daikon along with some shoyu/soy sauce. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Heat a large pot of water to boiling, add the noodles and simmer. Cook until al dente (these cook in about 5 minutes). Drain and keep warm.

Add the remainder of the oil, all other ingredients and spice to the broccoli mixture over medium heat, add more shoyu/soy sauce and combine until all vegetables are tender.

Finally toss in the noodles and combine, then serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds!

Black Sesame & Pear Tea Cake

I stumbled across this recipe in Bon Apetit magazine and thought it sounded so unique! The black sesame seeds turn the cake a dark bluish-purple color and give it  a nutty flavor. This cake has a faint peanut butter essence.

Ingredients:
1/2cup(1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour or almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup black sesame seeds
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup greek yogurt
1(medium) firm but ripe Asian pear, peeled, cored, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 325°.Grease one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans. Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, next 4 ingredients, and 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds in a medium bowl. Grind remaining 1/2 cup sesame seeds in a coffee grinder to form a thick paste.

Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cups sugar in a large bowl until well combined, 2–3 minutes. Add sesame paste and beat, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until blended, 1–2 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk. Beat until pale and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. On low speed, beat in flour mixture, alternating with yogurt. Toss pear with remaining 2 Tbsp. flour in a small bowl; fold into batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar.

Bake until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center, about 1 hour 40 min for large loaf and 45–55 minutes for small loaves. Let cool in pans on a wire rack.

Note: Next time I would layer the pears in the loaf so that each slice has pears in it.

Chai Cookies

Chai & Cookies together...... What more do you need?

Ingredients:

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c chai powder

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1 c butter (room temp)

2 t vanilla extract

2 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

Optional Ingredients: (The cookies are awesome if you use them all!)

- Chocolate chips

- Shredded coconut

- Nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, etc)

Mix together flour, baking powder, and spices in a bowl.

In a mixing bowl beat the butter until fluffy, add the sugar and chai powder until combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients at low speed.

Mix in the chocolate chips.

Form the dough into balls and roll in a sugar/chai/spice mixture.

Bake on parchment paper for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pot-Roasted Celery Root

One of my favorite places to "window shop" is the grocery store, specifically health food stores. They have the most interesting produce, drinks, snacks, etc. And whenever I find a recipe using an ingredient I didn't even know existed I can't wait to give it a try; there are hardly any fruits/vegetables I dislike so I love to try new ones!

Celery Root does have a celery flavor when it is raw, but in this dish it has almost a sweet vegetable flavor and turns very tender!

Pot Roasted Celery Root: Serves 6

Ingredients:
Note: You can use all dried herbs & sub the buttermilk for unsweetened yogurt.

3 T plus 2 t extra-virgin olive oil
6 small celery roots (about 4 oz each) or 2 large, unpeeled, trimmed with some stem attached
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
Kosher salt
12 springs thyme
6 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs sage
1 T coffee beans (optional)
1 c buttermilk
1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olives (any kind), pitted, quartered lengthwise

• Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add celery roots and cook, turning frequently, until golden, 8-10 minutes. Add butter and a large pinch of salt. When butter begins to foam, reduce heat to medium-low. Add herb sprigs, coffee beans, if using, and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and gently cook, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if pan is dry, until celery roots are very tender, about 1 hour.
• Remove herbs and coffee beans (if using) from pot and discard. Baste celery roots with buttery juices in pot. Remove from heat. Transfer celery roots to a cutting board, slice in half through stems, and place 2 halves on each plate.
• Meanwhile, very gently warm buttermilk in a small saucepan over low heat (it will break if warmed too much). Squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice and add remaining 2 tsp. oil and a pinch of salt to make a loose sauce. Spoon sauce around celery roots on plates. Garnish with olives, drizzle with oil, and squeeze a few more drops of lemon juice over each.
   
•  
• One serving contains:
  Calories (kcal) 259.3
  %Calories from Fat 76.6
  Fat (g) 22.1
  Saturated Fat (g) 10.6
  Cholesterol (mg) 41.6
  Carbohydrates (g) 13.0
  Dietary Fiber (g) 2.5
  Total Sugars (g) 3.8
  Net Carbs (g) 10.5
  Protein (g) 3.1
  Sodium (mg) 227.7

Pumkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

I have made a few pumpkin pie's in my time, but when I heard about a gingersnap crust I was excited to give it a try! I love more spice that sweetness in a pumpkin pie, so this sounded like the perfect recipe. Luckily, I was asked by a potential employer to bake a few different small desserts to see if my baking was up to par (more on that later).

Gingersnap Crust:
1 3/4 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (crush in a plastic bag, using a rolling pin)
2 1/2 tbs butter (melted)
2 tbs sugar
- Combine all ingredients in a 9 inch pie pan, press onto the base and sides. Then bake for 5 minutes at 325 degrees.

Pumpkin Filling:
1 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a whisk until smooth. Pour into the gingersnap crust. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour. (until a knife comes out clean). I also garnished my pie with the gingersnap cookies (mostly to cover the knife marks :). I cut them in half and placed them in the center of the pie.

Notes: I would recommend adding more spice if you enjoy that flavor (for me personally it was a little too bland). I am glad I was able to test it out before Thanksgiving; for the holiday I will plan on trying some grated ginger in the filling to add a stronger spice. 

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting

To be completely honest, neither of us are cupcake fans. Lets put it this way, if there was a table of assorted sweets, cupcakes would be the last to be chosen. They are usually too sweet, but these are just the right amount of sweetness and they are very moist!

Makes about 50 mini cupcakes or 12 large cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 oz butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

Coffee Frosting:

1/2 stick butter (softened)

1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese (room temp)

1/4 cup yogurt (I used greek)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp-1 tbls instant coffee (mix with a small amount of boiling water before adding to the frosting.

Cream all of the ingredients together with a hand mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cocoa powder and boiling water. Add brown sugar, buttermilk, and vanilla.

In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and half of the sugar.

Use a mixer with the paddle attachement to beat the butter until fluffy. Add the remaining sugar and beat for one minute. Then add the eggs one at a time.

Alternate adding the cocoa mixture and the dry mixture until thoroughly mixed.

Use a small ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake molds about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Frost the cupcakes and add sprinkles! Enjoy.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

This weekend I decided to bake mini cupcakes for a housewarming party, and they were a success! I made about 100; half were carrot and half were chocolate (I will post the recipe following this one). I love the frosting recipe because its not too sweet and there is yogurt to replace some of the cream cheese, so its a little healthier!

                                                      All of the cupcakes boxed up

Mini Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe:

6 ounces flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves (I used pumpkin spice instead: about 1 tsp to give added spice)

8 1/2 oz sugar

5 oz vegetable oil

4 eggs

10 oz grated carrots (if making mini it is a good idea to cut up the carrots smaller)

3 oz chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 stick butter (softened)

1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese (room temp)

1/4 cup unsweetened yogurt (I used greek yogurt)

1 cup powdered sugar (alter based on sweetness preference)

-Cream together the ingredients with a hand mixer.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, spices, and half of the sugar in a bowl.
Mix the remainder of the sugar, oil, eggs, carrots, and pecans for two minutes on low speed in a mixer with a paddle attachment.
Then fold in the dry ingredients.
Use a small ice cream scoop to fill your cupcake molds about 3/4 of the way.
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Then pipe or spread the frosting onto your cupcakes and top with your favorite sprinkles!

Makes about 50 mini cupcakes or 12 large cupcakes.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

It's that time of year again! When the leaves turn vibrant colors and the wind sends a pleasant chill through the spine. Well, not here in Southern California. But I like to pretend that is what is going on outside my house. I was excited to discover this latte recipe online. I love the flavors of pumpkin spice but they are always much to sweet and not spicy enough when buying them at a coffee shop! After making mine own I have no desire to spend money on a lousy, syrupy coffee shop version!

So here is a wonderful homemade vegan version: Makes 2 medium sized lattes

Base:
2 cups coconut milk (or any type of milk on hand)
1 cup brewed coffee or 2 shots of espresso
3 tbs unsweetened, canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon/nutmeg)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Agave to taste (Or any sweetener you prefer) 

Foam:
1/3 cup coconut milk (again can use any milk)
1 tsp agave (or honey/sugar)
Dash of spice

- Heat all of the base ingredients in a small sauce pan on low-medium heat (if using espresso wait and add at the very end). Stir with a whisk to combine and allow to come to a very low boil. I recommend tasting the mixture so that you can adjust the flavor to your liking. Pour into your mugs and set aside.
- In a glass cup mix all of your foam ingredients together and heat in the microwave, then use a foaming wand to foam the mixture. (If you don't have one, its okay. Just add the mixture to the base). Lastly pour the foam on top a garnish with a dash of spice.
And voila! A homemade (vegan) Pumpkin Spice Latte to enjoy throughout the holidays!

Our Autumn Table Centerpiece.

(Old baking book, elephant candle, pitcher from Germany, and squash from the farm stand)

Banana-Date Nut Bread

I decided to make this bread when my mom (the Queen of Banana Bread) was in Chicago, why I did this I have no clue. The flavor of the bread turned out great, but I used to much liquid so it was a little gooey inside. Next time I will try this out with my mom to get a better result!

Until then, this is the recipe I used. I altered it so that there is less liquid and the bread will have a much better texture!

3 ripe mashed bananas

6 chopped medjool dates

1/4 c applesauce

1 egg

¼ c agave (or sugar)

½ c coarsely chopped walnuts

1 1/4 c flour

¼ c almond meal

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the bananas, applesauce, egg, agave, dates, and walnuts.

In a small bowl mix all of the dry ingredients together.

Then mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Pour the batter into a greased (cooking spray) 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Optional: Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking and more about 10 minutes before its done.

Vegan Breakfast Smoothie

Smoothies are such a fun and easy way to make a delicious breakfast! And since you can taste them as you add ingredients they are pretty hard to screw up. This morning I decided to try a new smoothie concoction with some healthier ingredients to kick-start my day!

I never measure with smoothies, so this recipe is just an approximate:
1/2 c coconut water
1 banana
1/2 an avocado
1 tbs quick cooking oats
1 tbs hemp powder
1/4 c frozen peas
1 handful of frozen blueberries

I was surprised at how good this tasted since there were avocado and peas in it. Now of course you can use any liquid you would like as well as fruit or veggies!

For the Love of Saturdays

Saturday's represent joy, freedom, and relaxation. Children and adult's alike enjoy Saturday's because of the break from school, work, and the stresses that come along with them. I also appreciate this element of Saturday's, but its my favorite day for many more reasons than those. 

I specifically enjoy Saturday mornings because of the Farmers Market, Lattes, and NPR's morning lineup.

When I hear the words Farmer's Market I think of relaxation, health, freshness, and joy. And it gives us the opportunity to plan recipes for the week, which adds some excitement.
I wish we had a daily open air market that I could go to multiple times a week!

                                          Camarillo Farmer's Market

And right down the street from the Farmer's market is Element Coffee they make the best soy latte in town and on this foggy, cool Saturday morning it was the perfect beverage.

 

Element Latte

Since the Farmer's market does not supply all of the groceries we use, I headed over to my favorite grocery store; Trader Joe's. I love it's small local feel and how the employees are always so friendly and helpful. Going to Trader Joe's makes for an enjoyable shopping experience!

Another reason for my love of Saturday's is NPR's (National Public Radio) morning programs!

I love listening to Car Talk and Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!

They are both highly entertaining and fun to tune into!

On this particular Saturday I decided to bake Banana-Date Nut Bread. 

The Fall-like weather made it the perfect day for baking, it was even cool enough to wear a sweater!

And the lovely smell of banana bread in the oven is the perfect compliment to a blustery day!

I will post the recipe soon!

When I went to the car wash they had this banner displayed. And I think I did have a lucky day; maybe not winning the lottery lucky, but the kind of lucky that makes you thankful for the simple things in life.

And now I ask you to think about your favorite day of the week and why that day makes you smile. 

It doesn't have to be exciting or "cool"; as mine obviously isn't exciting for everyone, but its simple which is why I love it :)

On a side note, I just received this old cook book and it has dozens of Pie recipes inside. 

I am so excited to test them out! I only wish someone would buy them from me!

Sometime's a dish sounds good.....

But that doesn't mean it will taste good. I found a recipe for Minty Zucchini & Strawberry Chilled Soup, which sounds interesting, refreshing, and extremely easy to make... though the latter only turned out to be true.
I think the raw garlic and raw zucchini were the two ingredients that caused the soup to taste, well let's say interesting.
It wasn't an appalling flavor, but the kind of dish that causes you to purse your lips and hesitate upon swallowing.
Making a disastrous dish always makes us appreciate the successful dishes even more!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Today I was looking through the pie recipes I have posted and could not believe that I never got around to posting the recipe for my favorite and what I think to be my most successful pie! And this pie is Strawberry Rhubarb; I love how this pie has the sweet strawberries and the tart rhubarb, making it the perfect pie!

 I recommend using the Vodka Pie dough (My Favorite Pie Dough) for this pie.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups chopped red rhubarb, fresh
• 2 1/2 cups de-stemmed, washed and cut strawberries (halved)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons minute tapioca
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
Pour into 9 inch pie crust
Cover with crust and crimp the edges (I recommend a lattice crust for this pie, it allows the vibrant red to be seen and all the juices tend to stay in the pie and not all over your oven!)
With pies I usually place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment in case of bubbly juices.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 for 45-50 minutes. 

Optional: Brush the top crust with egg white or cream and sprinkle with course sugar.

If you have never had a strawberry rhubarb pie, please try it! You will be glad you did. With this pie I received the most complements; "It is  good enough to be served in a restaurant" & "The best pie I've ever had"

Vegetable Paella

Paella is a Spanish rice dish that will often include seafood and sometimes meat. This is a vegetarian Paella dish that will serve about 6 people. We have been wanted to try making this dish for a while and we didn't realize how much work it was going to be! This is a recipe to make only if you are willing to slave over a hot stove for over an hour. Its tasty, but it is debatable whether its worth all of the work.

And we give you.....

Vegetable Paella

Ingredients:

1/2 liter (a little over 2 cups) Vegetable Stock- ours was a little dry, so maybe use more stock.

1 dried shiitake or porcini mushrooms (we opted out)

5 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 3 finely chopped
Large pinch saffron
1/4 teaspoon sweet pimenton (did not use this either)
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 aubergine (eggplant) cut into 8mm-thick slices, ends discarded
62 ml (2 oz) olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 large tomato
1 red peppers, seeds and stem removed, cut into 2.5cm pieces
200g (7 oz) Bomba rice (you can also use white risotto, we ended up using basmati)
4 small artichokes, trimmed and steamed for 20 minutes, cut in half and chokes discarded
75g (2.5 oz) frozen peas (we used more, since this seemed to be a small amount)
2 lemons, 2 cut into wedges

I recommend starting by steaming the artichokes:

Fill a pot with 1/2 inch of water and allow to come to a boil. Add the artichokes with the ends cut off by standing them up in the water, cover and set to medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Now for the Recipe:

You will need a....

small sauce pan

large saute pan

40-45cm paella pan or a large shallow saute pan

Combine the stock with the mushrooms and the 2  cloves of crushed garlic
in a large saucepan and boil over high heat for 10 minutes.

Lower the heat, add the saffron and pimenton and simmer for an additional 10 minutes to
thoroughly combine the flavours.

The secret to this recipe is a well-seasoned broth, so season to taste with salt and pepper and more saffron and/or pimenton if necessary.Keep warm over a low heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the aubergine. Sprinkle both sides of the aubergine slices with a bit of salt and lay them between sheets of kitchen paper for at least 15 minutes.

Cut the aubergine into 2.5cm pieces.
Heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat and cook 1 cloves of the chopped garlic until fragrant, about a minute.

Add the pieces of aubergine to the pan and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until browned and softened. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a 40–45cm paella pan over high heat until just beginning to smoke.

At this point, your stove will be a bit crowded:

Turn the heat down to medium, add the onion and the 2 remaining cloves of chopped garlic, and cook, stirring, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely grate (not sure what that means? Neither did we so chop it!) the tomato, discarding the skin. Stir together and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the peppers and continue to cook the vegetables together until softened, another 10 minutes.

Stir in the cooked aubergine. At this point the vegetable mixture can be set aside for up to 2 hours or refrigerated overnight.

When you're ready to roll, place the paella pan with the vegetables over high heat and pour the rice into the pan in an even cross ( not necessary but many Spaniards do this). 

Add the stock and stir to combine everything. Bring to the boil and then lower the heat to a simmer.

Arrange the artichokes and peas on top and simmer until the rice is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat source, cover with a large piece of foil and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.

Alternatively you can cook the paella outside over a not-too-hot barbecue.

Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the paella and serve with lemon wedges. 

If you attempt this Vegetable Paella, let us know whether you found it worth the labor!

Homemade Bread

 Never before has homemade bread been baked in this household. But, hey there's a first time for everything right? I snagged this recipe from my friends blog Roots, Wings, and Other Things which she also snagged from a different source. She made it sound so delicious and easy that I thought I would give it a try. As I write this my loaf is still baking and let me tell you, the smell is absolutely wonderful!
I did tweak a few of the ingredients to add my own flair to the bread.

Ingredients:
1 c warm water
1 tbs milk
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs agave nectar (the original recipe called for honey)
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme (this was something I added; there are many spices to add that would taste great)
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c quinoa flour (the original recipe used only all-purpose flour)
2 tsp instant active dry yeast

-Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then add the flours and yeast; knead the dough on a floured surface for about 15 min until it has an elastic consistency.
- Spray a bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough inside, cover with a towel, and let sit for about 40 min to allow the dough to rise (about double the size).
- Punch down the dough and knead until smooth (this does not take long). Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, then form the dough into a loaf shape and lay it in the pan.
- Cover with a cloth and let sit another 40 min. to again rise.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes; if the top is browning to fast cover it with a piece of foil.
- Once out of the oven, let the bread rest for about 5 minutes. Then remove it to a wire cooling rack and cover with a cloth. Can be served hot or cold.

Note: You can taste the quinoa flour in the bread, so if you don't like the taste or are unfamiliar with it I don't recommend using it. In the future I will experiment with other flours to achieve the best taste/health ratio :)

Pink "Beet" Pancakes

Do not be terribly alarmed by the mention of beets and pancakes in the same title. Most people seem to dislike this brightly colored veggie; but beets are a great source of folate and potassium. This recipe allows you to add nutritional value to your weekend breakfast and you can choose whether or not to share the secret of what ingredient makes these pancakes pink!

Ingredients:
1/2 c flour
1 tbs sugar
pinch kosher salt
zest of 1 orange
1 1/4 c ricotta cheese
4 eggs separated
1/4 c beet puree (see end of post for recipe)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (almond adds more flavor to mask the beet)

Mix together the flour, sugar, salt, orange zest, ricotta, egg yolk, and beet puree in a bowl.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and all of the bubbles are small. Then, fold the egg whites into the beet mixture until combined and add any flavors (extracts and spices).
Your mixture should be very pink.

Now is the time to cook the pancakes!
Use cooking spray on a griddle and heat to medium-high. Spoon about 1/4 c of batter onto the griddle for each pancake and spread the batter in a circular motion because these will puff up. Now is the time to add any extras (chocolate chips, shredded coconut, fruit, etc.). Cook the pancakes for about 3 minutes on each side and serve alongside your favorite sweetener!

Beet Puree:
Use 3-4 beets
- Leave the beets whole and unpeeled, but trim the stems to 1 inch.
- Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees for about 1 hour (until they can be pierced with a knife).
- Allow the beets to cool slightly and peel them
- After peeling cut into chunks and place in a food processor or blender for about 2 minutes.
To make life easier freeze the puree in separate bags of 1/4 cup. When you are ready to use the puree remove from the freezer and place in a bowl of hot water to thaw.

*You can make purees out of any vegetable and add it to any dish to either add flavor or mask a nutritional ingredient!

Light, Lovely, Lunch.

Ever since our trip to Europe last summer (France & Germany) we have recreated variations on the beautiful and fresh breakfast's we enjoyed each morning. They are simple, fresh, and light; perfect for a summer afternoon.
This is an example of one such meal enjoyed recently:

To recreate this meal you will need:
A baguette- It has been so disappointing to eat baguettes here in southern California after eating the most delicious baguette ever in Paris. So if you know of a good baguette buy your favorite! We usually get ours from Trader Joe's; Panera Bread also makes decent ones.
Cheese- Buy your favorite soft cheese, we typically buy Brie and try to get the brands from France.
Fruit- As you can see we opted for fresh strawberries (I enjoy sliced pears, they compliment the brie well).
Jam- We bought a fig & walnut jam that is not too sweet.
Stuffed Dates- Dates are an amazing fruit, though they often get passed by! Recently at the farmers market we tasted these dates and were surprised at how delicious they were, so give them a try!
- Ours are stuffed with goat cheese; just pop out the pit and spoon in some goat cheese, they do not have to look perfect! The sweetness of the date and the creamy goat cheese compliment on another perfectly.

Apple Pie with a Twist

I have never been a fan of apple pie, I always referred to the flavor as boring and not very exciting. I suppose the phrase, "As American as apple pie" exists for that reason; its wholesome and cookie cutter. So, when I saw the idea to add cayenne pepper to apple pie I decided to give it a try, hoping it would improve my lackluster opinion on the flavor......and I have to admit, it did.

Ingredients:
10 cups of peeled, thinly sliced apples (I used 8 Granny Smiths)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, I recommend using your hands. Then pile it high into your chosen pie crust, cover with your other round of dough, seal the edges, cut 3-6 leaf shaped holes near the top. And if desired brush with egg white, and sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Place the pie in the oven for 10 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees and let bake for 40 minutes. This pie packs a bit of a punch from the cayenne, which I and others enjoyed. But if you do not like heat/spice I would decrease the cayenne to 1/8 tsp and the paprika to 1/4 tsp.

I found the pie a bit drier than my liking, but I am not sure how I could make it more moist. If you have any suggestions let me know! I suppose serving with ice cream would help as well, to also balance the sweet and spicy.

Plum Pie

This is the first time I baked a Plum pie, I decided to test it out since the plums were free (there was an abundance at my grandparents orchard).

Ingredients:
6-7 cups sliced plums (no need to peel)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs tapioca

Preheat the oven to 375 and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and pour into your pie crust, I recommend using a lattice crust, brushing with egg white, and sprinkling with coarse sugar. 
The pie was very liquidy when baking so I suggest adding more flour or tapioca, it wasn't runny though when I served it the next day. It is also helpful to place the pie on a baking sheet, so any run off does not drop into your oven and set off the smoke alarm! This pie is a little tart, but some commented that they liked the tartness.

Crispy Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

I never knew that zucchini flowers were an edible and worthy ingredient for cooking, until recently when I saw two chefs on television cooking with them.
If you are unfamiliar with a zucchini flower, this is what I am talking about:

It grows on the end of a small zucchini and gets tossed aside in the garden, but for this dish the zucchini flower takes its much deserved place in the spotlight!

 This recipe was taken and modified from Jamie Oliver's own recipe:
7 ounces of ricotta cheese
A pinch of ground nutmeg
A small handful of parmesan cheese
The zest of one lemon
1 green chile (halved, seeded, and finely chopped)
Salt and Pepper

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups white wine or sparkling water
8 zucchini flowers
Vegetable oil

Directions:
Prep your zucchini flowers by removing the stamen from the middle of the blossom, watch out for bugs (I found one in mine)! Lightly rinse them with water, dry them off, and set them aside.
Now for the filling,
Mix together the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, nutmeg, chopped chile, parmesan, and add some salt and pepper to taste.
Next is the batter:
Whisk together the flour, wine or sparkling water, and a pinch of salt until the batter is smooth. You should be able to dip your finger in the batter and it will coat it nicely, add more flour if its too runny or more liquid if its too thick.
Stuffing the Flowers:
Fill a plastic bag with the filling and snip the end to create a piping bag, squeeze the mixture into each of the flowers until they are full, then carefully press the flowers back together to seal the mixture inside.

Now for the dangerous part!
Frying: I got hit with a few bits of oil, so be careful! (I recommend using the pots lid to fend off any violent oil)
Have tongs ready, and a plate double lined with paper towels. Pour the oil into a fryer or large sauce pan (I only filled a sauce pan about a inch and a half deep with the oil). Turn on the heat to medium-high or high and let the oil it heat up. Coat your flowers in the batter and place them in the hot oil, make sure not to place too many in at once or else they will stick. Turn them over with your tongs when the sides begin to turn golden brown and once all the sides are golden, move the flowers onto your paper towel lined plate.

They are now ready to serve! You can modify this recipe in any way you would like by using a different filling or creating a nice sauce to serve alongside, Bon Appetit!