Peppercress and Basil Pesto | Blogger C.L.U.E. Society

We had some great rain showers yesterday and today in the Bay Area.  Oh how we need the rain here in California – it was such a welcome event.  We just need about 10 to 15 more Spring Showers here to make a dent in this 4 year drought. Speaking of spring, this month’s Blogger C.L.U.E. Society theme is Spring Vegetables.  I have to declare that the spring time vegetable season is simply stunning.  From asparagus to fava beans, the assortment is spectacular.

While I was at the Farmer’s Market over the weekend, I came across peppercress that was front and center at one of my favorite vendors.  I had never had it before, but was simply intrigued and had to purchase a bundle.  It is a peppery-tasting, leafy herb that is similar in flavor to its relative, watercress, which is a member of the mustard family.  It is great in salads or soups. 

This month I was assigned to Alice’s blog – A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen.  Aliceloves cooking and watching Top Chef – me too.  She loves cookbooks – me too.  She lived in England– I have visited numerous times and love it.  She loves shopping for new kitchen tools – me too. She loves her puppy – I love my puppies.  She loves her hubby – I love my hubby.  She has two darling kids – I don’t, but have four darling nephews.  I have not met Alicein person, but I am sure we would have a lot to talk about if we did.  She has a blog that is filled with delicious delights and I had such a hard time choosing a recipe for this month’s challenge of spring vegetables.  I finally decided on her Pesto recipe but of course needed to add my own touches.  Remember the peppercress – I used that in the pesto and the result was simply divine.  Thank you Alicefor the recipe and inspiration!

Peppercress and Basil Pesto

1 Cup Olive Oil

2 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, packed firm

2 Cup Peppercress, packed firm

½ Cup Pine nuts

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

¼ teaspoon Salt

10 Grinds of Pepper

Use a blender or food processor to make the pesto.  Add the olive oil, basil leaves and peppercress to the blend and pulse until blended.  Add the pine nuts, garlic, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and pulse until well blended.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Can be stored for 3 to 4 days.

To see other blogger's recipes, click links below:

Asian Fried Quinoa by Kate from Kate's Kitchen

Asparagus and Prosciutto Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by Heather from girlichef

Asparagus Quiche by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen

Asparagus Salmon Fried Rice by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad by Christiane from Taking on Magazines

Blue Cheese Potato Salad by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch

Broccoli and Cheese Muffins by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen

Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch

Caesar Salad with Grilled Romaine by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies

Cheese Soufflé with Garden Salad by Debra from Eliot's Eats

Chicken Tikka Salad by Ramona from Curry and Comfort

Chocolate Strawberry Pound Cake by Kim from Liv Life

Cowboy Vegetable Scramble by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme

Creamy Asparagus Soup by Anna from Anna Dishes

Halibut and Spinach en Papillote by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots by Rebekah from Making Miracles

Lemon Bars by Anna from Anna Dishes

Maple Soy Glazed Spring Carrots by Lora from Cake Duchess

Peppercress and Basil Pesto by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Pesto by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Raspberry and Rhubarb Rustic Tarts by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Spring Green Risotto by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen

Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Japanese Style Pancakes

Often each weekend, hubby will ask – what are we going to have for breakfast?  My answer is “something good”.  I know he typically wants eggs, some sort of breakfast meat and a carbohydrate.  Hubby loves, adores, craves and quite frequently inquires about pancakes.  This weekend was his lucky weekend.  I had been wanting to make these Japanese Style Pancakes for several weeks now.  I saw it on Pinterest, of course, where else is there – just kidding.  But seriously, that site is dangerous – it will either make you overweight or in debt – laughing out loud right now – okay, but I know you are saying to yourself, she has a point ……. right?

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You might be asking, what is a Japanese Style Pancake and how the heck does is differ from your standard American pancake.  I have the facts for you.  They are sweeter, taller and have a texture similar to a crumpet.  I find them incredibly tasty and intriguing. When I saw the recipe, I thought this is super simple but when I viewed numerous photos with some taller and some flatter, that got me to thinking.  How did they get them so tall, round and quite frankly perfect looking flapjacks.  I figured out the secret to making them appear perfect.  I used my Egg Fry Rings that I purchased from Williams Sonoma years ago and now that I think about it, I am going to pick up another package, so I have eight rings.

Hubby was in pancake heaven and said you can make these anytime. He called them the “tall pancakes”. Glad they were such a hit and next time I may drop a few blueberries inside the ring with the batter, so there is a sweet surprise inside. We were quite full after just 3 or 4 pancakes and decided to spend an hour or two doing one of favorite pastimes on a Sunday – look at the Open Houses in our neighborhood.  We love to see what folks do or don’t do to their homes and get ideas.  Very rarely do I see a house that I like better than mine, but today I did.  It was actually being built and no sheet rock even on the walls, but this was a cool house.  Fun to dream for a bit, but in the long run, not worth the hassle since we have customized our house over the last 14 years and still continuing the process – we love it!

Japanese Style Pancakes

Makes 12

2 Large Eggs

¾ Cup + 1 ½ Tablespoon Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Sugar

1 ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder

1 2/3 Cup Flour

In a large bowl add the eggs and whisk quickly then add the milk and vanilla and whisk.  Next add the sugar and whisk.  Then add the baking powder and flour slowly and whisk until incorporate well. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes.

To cook, use a stove top griddle.  Brush with vegetable oil and heat on medium.  Use a pastry brush to brush the insides of each of the egg rings.  Set the rings on top of the hot griddle and let sit for one minute.  Add the pancake batter to each ring by filling half way.  Cook on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until the batter begins to form bubbles on top, then gently lift off each egg ring and carefully flip the pancake to cook the other side.  Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the inside is fully cooked.  Serve with butter and syrup and your favorite berries.

Chorizo, Medjool Date and Apricot Bites | Friday Night Bites

The weekend is around the corner and you know what that means – it is Friday Night Bite time.  Oh how I simply adore the weekends – don’t you agree?  By the time the work week comes to an end on Friday, I am so ready to simply unwind with a great bottle of wine and tasty appetizers.

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This week I have a scrumptious appetizer that is simple to make that will have your mouth singing.  I came across this recipe several months ago and pinned it for later.  Later came and then it was the moment of truth – I had to make it. Of course I had to put my own twist on the original recipe. I have always had a love affair for puff pastry – I mean what is there not to love about butter and flour combined together to create a bite a heaven.  One of my bucket list items is to make puff pastry from scratch versus the frozen version.  Don’t hear me wrong, the frozen kind is really good, but the sense of accomplishment is what I am going after.

With this one bite delight of chorizo, medjool dates and dried apricots nestled inside a puff pastry cavern, you will reach for the next bite quickly after swallowing your first one.  It will transport you to Spainto an Andalusian tavern or tapas bar. The beauty of this appetizer is that it is simple, flavorful and the filling can be made ahead and reheated. I would suggest making the puff pasty cups close to serving time to keep the ultimate crispy texture.

You might be wondering what type of wine should I be pairing with these – I have just the answer. With chorizo, I will admit to wobbly knees with a great Spanish Rioja, Jumilla, or Priorat, made from Tempranillo, Monastrell, and/or Garnacha. The deep red and black fruit flavors of these wines, plus the hint of balsamic, curry, and fennel notes help this simple appetizer sing. Other Iberian wines such as those coming from Portugal's Dao or Alentejo are also delightful.

Chorizo, Medjool Date and Apricot Bites

Makes 16

1 Sheet of puff pastry

1 pound of Fresh Chorizo Sausage

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

6 large Medjool Dates, pitted and diced small

¼ Cup Chopped Dried Apricots

½ Cup Toasted Pine Nuts

1 Tablespoon Minced Flat Leaf Parsley (for garnish)

Flaky Sea Salt (for garnish)

1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon water

To prepare the puff pastry, let the sheet defrost and place on a cutting board.  Use a 2 inch round cutter to cut 16 rounds.  Place onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  Use a 1 ½ inch round cutter and place in the center of each round and gently press to make an indent of another circle. This will aide in removing the center to make way for the filling.  Mix the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl.  Using a pastry brush – brush each pasty round with the mixture.  For best results, place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes then bake.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and let cool.  Gentle remove the center portion to expose the open center where the chorizo filling will go.

To make the filling, add the chorizo and cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked.  Drain any extra fat dripping.  Add the diced dates and apricots and cook for another 2 minutes then add the smoked paprika and cook for one more minutes.  Add the toasted pine nuts and stir.  Divide the filling into the baked puff pastry shells and garnish with the sprinkle of the flat leaf parsley and flaky sea salt.

Chili Parmesan Popcorn | Secret Recipe Club

It feels like spring is here in the Bay Area. Our temperatures hit the mid 80’s on Saturday and it was certainly flip flop weather.  I know a lot of the country is experiencing extreme weather conditions whether it is rain, snow or cold AND we need rain so desperately. It got me excited that spring and summer are simply around the corner.  It is Secret Recipe Club reveal time again – can’t believe how fast a month goes.

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This month I was assigned Nayna’s blog Simply Sensational Food and she lives in one of my favorite European countries – England.  She started her blog in 2008 as a way to showcase her recipes and deems herself a home cook.  She actually has two cookbooks on her blog that you can purchase – congratulations! She specializes in vegetarian delights. I have been to Englandabout six times and always go to high tea when I am there along with seeing new sites.  We typically will stay at a flat in either Mayfair or Queens Gate area since it lets you live among the locals and the tube stations are easy jaunts to get anywhere you want to go.

One of my fondest memories of traveling to Englandwas with my hubby and parents.  We were fortunate enough to take one of the last Concorde trips from New York to London.  It was a bucket list item for sure.  The trip took about 3 hours and 10 minutes and we traveled almost two and half times the speed of sound.  Although we went super sonic speeds, it felt like a normal flight.  Everyone was treated like a first class passenger with being served the finest wines, outstanding food on fine china, a cheese course and 20 year old ports along with glasses of champagne.  It is unfortunate that this super sonic airliner is no longer in business – such a magnificent way to travel to Europe!

After perusing Nayna’s blog for quite sometime, I finally settled on her Chili Popcorn.  I am a popcorn fanatic and was completely in the mood for it, when I stumbled upon her recipe.  She created her own chili oil where as I simply purchased it from the Asian isle at Safeway.  I adore popcorn that is popped over the stove and adorned with butter and parmesan cheese for that added richness.  Thank you Nayna for the inspiration!

Chili Parmesan Popcorn

Popcorn

3 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

1 teaspoon Chili Oil

½ Cup White Corn Kernels

Chili Butter

4 Tablespoon Salted Butter

2 teaspoons Chili Oil (use less if too spicy)

Melt butter over low heat and stir in the chili oil.

Additions

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Use a large pot with a lid to make the popcorn.  Add the vegetable and chili oil to the pan and heat on high.  Add one kernel to the oil and once it pops, lower the heat to medium high and add the other kernels.  Place the lid on top of the pot and shake frequently until all kernels pop.  Add to a large paper bag and toss with ½ teaspoon of sea salt and toss with the chili butter until well coated.  Add ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese and toss.  Let cool and serve.

To check out other Secret Recipe Club recipes for March, click here

    

   

Chocolate, Coconut, Butterscotch and Oatmeal Cake Cookies | Blogger C.L.U.E. Society

Are you still sleepy from turning the clocks forward an hour?  Flipping the time forward is a love/hate thing for me.  I love that it stays lighter in the evenings but hate that it is dark in the morning – so much harder to giddy up in the AM.  After a few days, I am completely use to the change and when summer approaches, I absolutely love staying outside sipping wine with my husband in the warm evenings with the sounds of the fountain running in the background.

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It is time for Blogger C.L.U.E Society and this month’s theme is potatoes.  If we could not find a recipe that we liked, then we could select something with starch we find comforting.  Hey, vodka is actually made from potatoes.  I was paired with Ramonafrom Curry and Comfort this month.  She was born in Sri Lankabut spent the majority of her lifetime in America.  She loves comfort food and meshes her two cultures together to share an abundance of wonderful recipes.

I love cookies, so I went to her recipe index to peruse her choices and this was prior to reviewing the theme for the month.  She had a unique theme in place with her cookie recipes in the fact that she used a box of cake mix for the majority of her recipes.  I was intrigued.  I actually love a cake from a mix every once in a while, so I had to imagine that cookies would taste pretty darn good. I selected her Coconut Butterscotch Cake Cookies.  Then I remembered, I needed to check on the theme and it required potatoes or a starch. I adore oatmeal and it is a starch.  I decided I would add oatmeal to the cookies for texture and flavor along with meeting this month’s challenge.

I used a white cake mix instead of yellow and added chocolate chunks along with the butterscotch chips and coconut.  The end result was one DARN good cookie that was soft and super tasty.  My hubby was in cookie heaven and was simply amazed how you could make cookies out of a cake mix.  I will be making these again. Thank you Ramona for such inspiration!

Chocolate, Coconut, Butterscotch and Oatmeal Cake Cookies

Makes 32 cookies

1 box of White Cake Mix

1 Cup Butterscotch Chips

½ Cup Chocolate chunks or chips

½ Cup Sweetened Coconut

½ Cup Oats

2 Eggs

½ Cup Vegetable Oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, eggs and vegetable oil. Slowly mix until combined.  Add the coconut and oats then mix again.  Finally add the butterscotch and chocolate chips to the mixture and mix well.

Use a small one inch ice cream scooper to form one in balls.  Place about 1 ½ inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Best to use a non-stick or spray sheet prior to placing cookie dough.  When the edges begin to turn brown, they are ready.  Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool for a minute or two, and then remove cookies and place on a wire rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes w/ Sriracha Sauce by Debra from Eliot's Eats

Bacon-wrapped Smashed Redskin Puffs by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Basil Lime Gin Gimlet by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Cheddar Scallion Potato Buns by Lora from Cake Duchess

Chicken Pot Pie by Heather from girlichef

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup by Kim from Liv Life

Chocolate, Coconut, Butterscotch and Oatmeal Cake Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Daisy's Noisette Potatoes by Janet from Cupcakes to Caviar

Honey Dijon Roasted Potato Salad by Ramona from Curry and Comfort

Irish Brown Bread by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me

Irish Old Fashioned Cocktail by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

Okie Peasant Potato Soup by Christiane from Taking on Magazines

Avocado, Bacon and Tomato Tartines | Friday Night Bites

Friday Nights mean the work week has officially ended and the weekend has begun.  Hubby and I have a tradition of kicking it off with our Friday Night Bites weekly celebration ritual.  A tasty snack or two along with a great bottle of wine marks the official kick off.  Typically it is just the two of us, but often friends will join in the celebration.

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Often I will make ahead our tasty bite but there will be many times, where I will simply whip it up when I get home from the office.  This week, I have created a supreme delight that is both easy and stunningly beautiful to the naked eye.  I would encourage you to make the garlic aioli a day before, since that is the lengthy endeavor in this recipe. 

The smokiness of charred bread along with the bacon and creamy avocado is a bite full of pure heaven.  Be sure to add salt and pepper to bring out the flavor and complete this French open-faced sandwich.  Traditionally a tartine has a decadent or elaborate topping.  In this case, the garlic aioli is the rich topping and the avocado and bacon adorn this spreadable goodness.

The tartine possibilities are endless.  I think my next tartine is going to have a melody of wild mushrooms with goat cheese.  Oh but then I could do a sautéed Brusselssprouts with parmesan cheese spread and bits of roasted garlic.  My mind is simply spinning right now with a boundless realm of possibilities.  I think tartines will make a regular appearance to my weekly Friday Night Bites series.  What flavor(s) would you like to see next?

Avocado, Bacon and Tomato Tartines

Garlic Aioli

1 head of garlic

2 teaspoon of olive oil

¼ Cup Mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the head of garlic at the top revealing the ¾ of the garlic.  Tear a large piece of aluminum foil and place garlic in the center.  Drizzle the cut portion of the garlic with the olive oil.  Gently pull up the sides of the foil and cinch together to close the foil.  Cook in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until garlic is soft.  Remove from oven and open to let cool for 15 minutes. 

With a knife, gently remove the pieces of garlic.  Add eight the heads of roasted garlic to a small bowl and mash with a spoon until smooth.  Add the mayonnaise and mix well.  Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Tartines

4 Slices Sourdough or Country Bread

2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced

8 Thin Slices of Bacon, cooked

1 Avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced thinly

Salt and pepper

Brush each side of the sliced bread with a touch of olive oil and grill until medium char marks appear.  Remove and let cool.  Spread a tablespoon of the garlic aioli on each slice of grilled bread.  Top each one with a few tomato slices, then with the avocado slices and season with salt and pepper.  Lastly garnish with the bacon and serve.

Salty Dog Palate Cleanser + Dinner Party Highlights

I absolutely LOVE a great dinner party!  The idea of planning a dinner party exhilarates me beyond my imagination.  Making people happy through my food and entertaining prowess, is one of the great pleasures I have to share.  The idea of great friends gathering around the table to break bread, savor wine, share stories, laugh a lot and leave feeling better than when they arrived through our front door simply makes me blissful.

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Back in December, I know, it was a while ago – I threw a wine pairing dinner party for a long time friend Helen.  Helen had a milestone birthday and I wanted to give her a gift that was an event rather than an object.  An event would provide lifetime memories and I believe means so much more than an expensive candle or keep sake.  Don’t hear me wrong, those things are nice but an event of sorts is just something out of the ordinary and bordering on the extraordinary in my mind.

I shared in my dinner certificate gift with Helen that she could invite two other couples and we would make it a dinner party.  She invited Meg and Alex from our book club along with their hubbies and hers.  It made for a fun night with many laughs.  Alex’s hubby brought a game that he had created.  It was on a large white board with photos of famous people and our job was to guess who they all were.  We laughed and laughed and thought it was so cleaver for him to create and share with all of us.  We then played table topics – the dinner party version and it created great conversation and more laughs.

For the menu I relied on classic recipes that I have made over and over again.  I will often try new things, but this time I wanted it to be perfect and share dishes that are proven winners.  We pulled a 2002 Vine Cliff Magnum of Cabernet Sauvignon from our wine cellar to get the festivities started. This wine was simply divine.  To accompany the wine, we had Roasted Grapes with Thyme, Fresh Ricotta and Grilled Bread, Shaved Brussels Sprout Crostini with Parmesan and Truffle Oil and a cheese platter with Gruyere, Le Tur and Dry Aged Jack with homemade Balsamic Fig Jam.

The starter course was Roasted Carrot Soup Shooter with Sage Gruyere Biscuit and served with Acacia 2012 Chardonnay from the Carneros region.  We then enjoyed a Baby Kale Salad with Port Plumped Cranberries, Persimmon, Pumpkin Seeds and Maple Vinaigrette and was served with Helen’s favorite wine from Peju called Provence.

Since Helen and her hubby Phil have been long time friends, I wanted to also incorporate one of Phil’s favorites – The Salty Dog!  Instead of a cocktail, I made a palate cleanser from a handmade Grapefruit Sorbet.  Let’s just say, this was the star of the dinner party.  We then moved into the main course with my infamous Asian Braised Short ribs with Orange Hoisin Glaze with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes and Haricot Verts.  This course we enjoyed a 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from Faust.  It was simply perfect with this dish.

Instead of a fancy dessert, I wanted to go classic and make a handmade chocolate cake that would be the final touch to this brilliant dinner.  The key to this cake is the coffee that is added to the cake and espresso powder to the chocolate frosting.  Happy, Happy Birthday my dear friend Helen – may you have a fantastic year ahead!

Salty Dog Palate Cleanser

Himalayan Salt

Favorite Vodka

Grapefruit Sorbet

To make the Salty Dog Sorbet Palate Cleansers, take a shot glass and dip a bit into water and then into a bowl of Himalayan pink salt.  Use a very small ice cream scooper to pop two scoops into the shot glass and drizzle a touch of your favorite vodka on top.  Repeat until you have made as many as you need for your dinner party guests.  Serve immediately with a small spoon to cleanse the palate before your next course.  It is best to be served right before the main course.

Grapefruit Sorbet

3 Cups Pink Grapefruit Juice

3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice

½ Cup Light Corn Syrup

2/3 Cup Sugar

Combine the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, corn syrup and sugar in a 4 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heart, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Place the sorbet base in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and overnight is best.

Remove the sorbet base from the refrigerator.  Next, process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers directions.  It should be the consistency of very softly whipped cream.  Transfer to an airtight storage container and chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours until firm.  Makes about 1 quart.