Posts from the ‘Articles and Recipes’ Category

Dec 31

Happy New Year, Some Favorites And 2015 in review

Taken from Pinterest

I wish each and everyone of you an amazing, healthy, happy, joyous and prosperous 2016. I want to thank you all for being such great friends, for leaving such uplifting and kind comments and for being my source of inspiration. Below is the report compiled by the WordPress helper monkey’s. I don’t really keep track of the stats, but do appreciate the work that WordPress puts into these reports, thank you to the good people at WordPress!! Both 2014 and 2015 were hard years for me, harder than I can even express. The start of a new year brings with it hope and we also reflect on the past year, the good and the bad, the sad and the happy, triumphs and failures. Life can sometimes be like a rollercoaster ride.

Going into my 4th year of blogging in January is quite momentous for me. I can’t believe I am still doing this, have made such great friends and learned so much. Hope you all have a wonderful time on New Years Eve and joyously welcome 2016, peace, love and joy to all. Below are some photo’s I compliled with some of my favorite dishes both sweet and savory.

Savory favorites

Baked, desserts and the epic biscuit!

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 37,000 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 14 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Dec 4

106 Comments

Brussels Sprout And Bacon Frittata For Fiesta Friday #97

Frittata

I bought the Huckleberry cookbook months ago and never got around to making anything from it, life got in the way and the book sat on my shelf with the other cookbooks I’ve meant to use. I do have a method to my madness I mark the recipes with a bookmark and place them on the top of my book case not in the shelves so I see them constantly and am reminded that this book has a recipe I need to make. Huckleberry has multiple book marks, the food looks gorgeous and sounds delicious and I am tempted to cook my way through the entire book but honestly don’t have time and I certainly can’t eat my way through the book. How many of you have cookbooks you bought (because you love them) but have not made anything from them? I would venture to guess at least of few of you fall into this category along with me.

This recipe for a bacon and brussels sprout frittata immediately jumped out at me. I am a huge fan of eggs and frittata’s in general but adding the sprouts and bacon and cheese just made me happy.

I normally would not publish a recipe in a cookbook unless it has already been widely published online, thats the case with this recipe. It is wonderful, but then all the recipes in Huckleberry Cookbook are great, drool worthy, beautifully written and photographed.

I am bringing this delicious frittata to Fiesta Friday this week, Angie, get some rest you have been burning the candle at both ends, thank goodness she has some help this week with two amazing co hosts Johanne@French Gardener Dishes (who is co-hosting for the first time) and Liz@spades, spatulas & spoons. Thank you Ladies!!

Brussels sprouts and bacon frittata

From Huckleberry Cookbook, serves 6

Filling

8 slices thick bacon, chopped

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs unsalted butter

1 onion chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups brussels sprouts thinly sliced plus 1 cup leaves from the sprouts

1/2 tsp black pepper

Custard

10 eggs

2 tbs creme fraiche

2 tbs grated parmesan

1 tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 tbs unsalted butter

2 tbs grated gruyere

Pre heat oven to 475

In large saute pan over medium high heat saute the bacon in 2 tsp of olive oil and the butter until browned. Add the onions 1/2 tsp salt and the thyme and saute until soft, should take about 1o minutes. Add the sliced brussels sprouts and saute for another 5 minutes longer until soft. Transfer the vegetable mixgture to a bowl and set aside.

Toss the brussels sprout leaves in the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the eggs. creme fruit, parmesan and parsley and set aside.

In a 10 inch cast iron or oven proof saute pan melt 2 tbs butter over medium high heat. Pour the custard into the pan and stir, lightly scrambling the eggs. Slowly add the vegetables to the custard and continue to scramble. When the eggs are about 30% set sprinkle the brussels sprout leaves and sprinkle the gruyere on top. Transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes. If it is not browned on top place under the broiler for 2 minutes but watch it like a hawk.

Immediately transfer to plate or serving piece by running a spatula around the edges and underneath to free the frittata from the pan. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Mine did not brown on top for some reason, even under the broiler, probably too far from the heat source but it doesn’t matter, the frittata is perfect and delicious albeit a bit pale.

Delicious

Oct 9

98 Comments

Roasted Vegetable And Manchego Tart For Fiesta Friday #89 And A Sad Anniversary

Roasted vegetable and Manchego tart

I made breakfast this morning for my Air BNB guests, a breakfast tart, actually 2 of them. One was the Roasted Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Tart and a tart filled with roasted vegetables and topped with a medium soft egg. I thought a nice savory tart filled with roasted vegetables and manchego cheese would be a lovely addition to the party this week. It has been a while since I partied. After Nando passed I was not really in a party mood and am just now getting back to blogging regularly. I hope I am still welcome. This weeks co hosts are no strangers to Fiesta Friday and I am sure to all of you, Mila and Kaila! Thanks to Angie again for hosting this party I am excited to be back. You can of course join in too, it is always fun and the company and food is spectacular.

On a sad note, today is the one year anniversary of the death of my sweet little Izzy. I still miss her every single day and she is in my thoughts constantly, I love my sweet little cupcake.

Izzy with her cupcake leash

Roasted Vegetable And Manchego Tart

Makes one 9 inch round or rectangular tart

Vegetables (Note: Use whatever vegetables you like, it’s all good)

1 Italian eggplant cut into bite size pieces (I partially peeled it)

1 large shallot or 2 small peeled and cut into rounds

10 white button mushrooms cleaned and sliced thick

12 cherry tomatoes

6-8 brussels sprouts cleaned and cut in half

1/2 zucchini cleaned and cut into bite size pieces

Olive oil, salt and pepper

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees. Place vegetables on parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and roast until vegetables are tender, the tomatoes should be slightly caramelized.

Tart:

Your favorite pie crust recipe, I used my go to Julia Child recipe, it never fails.

Roasted vegetables

approximately 1 cup manchego cheese grated

Blind bake your tart shell at 400 degree’s for approximately 20 minutes, should be a light golden brown. Let cool.

Sprinkle half of the grated manchego on the bottom of the tart shell. Spoon in the vegetables and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top.

Place tart on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, vegetables and cheese will be bubbling and the tart will be a lovely golden brown.

Serve with a medium boiled egg, what I mean by that is that it’s between soft and hard. To get this degree of doneness boil the egg for 5 minutes, remove from heat and run under cold water to stop the cooking process, peel and place on a piece of the tart. It’s delicious.

Tart with medium egg

Aug 30

108 Comments

An Epic Biscuit…The Sequel, And Garden Update

On Occasion I make a recipe and it turns out great and the second time I make it, it flops. Since I have sought the perfect biscuit recipe like seeking the Holy Grail for years and having found a great one on try #1, I decided to make them again to see if my results are the same.

Epic Biscuit II

Notice the photo is better, I used a dark background and that makes a huge difference in the photo quality IMHO.

The second go around the biscuits rose but not quite as high, it could be that I patted the dough down a bit thinner than the last time, I did not place them as close together on the sheet pan, or that my buttermilk was not as fresh who knows but they still rose nicely, were tender, fluffy and delicious. I wrapped and froze them for another day.

garden

In July I had my garden re worked to help me with diminishing the weed population and hopefully the mosquitoes too. Happy to report that although I still have some weeds they are about 90% better than before and almost manageable for me to take care of myself. I have only killed 4 or 5 of the plants that were initially planted (may not have been my fault). Also my herbs including the basil are doing really well. I am also very happy that there are less mosquitoes this year as well so I can enjoy my backyard.

two types of basil regular sweet and smal spicy

Jessica planted sunflowers, it is her signature flower and when she initially put them in the ground they were about a foot tall. Now they are over 6 ft tall and look at this beauty.

sunflower

In closing I believe this biscuit recipe is a keeper and will be made over and over again. Since I already gave credit to the author in my last post and there is no way to contact her I am including the recipe in this post.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

From Food.com Author P4

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board ( if you can get White Lily flour, your biscuits will be even better)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk
( approx)1/2 cup sugar ( for topping) NOTE I did not put sugar on mine

Preheat your oven to 450°F.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal.
If using a food processor, just pulse a few times until this consistency is achieved.
Add the buttermilk and mix JUST until combined.
If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick.
Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.

Aug 24

69 Comments

Mediterranean Cold Cous Cous Salad

Cous Cous salad

No recipe required here, all you need is some Israeli Cous Cous and whatever vegetables you might like to add, make as much or as little as you want and adjust to your own personal preference, I am sure you know that there are two kinds of cous cous readily available there is a finer grain semolina and the Israeli which is much larger and when cooked al dente is nicely toothsome, it is my favorite and I use it all the time. It actually reminds me of Pastene which is almost identical in size and texture. I did not add onion or garlic although I think it would be good. For a milder onion flavor I used some chives. NOTE: Don’t skip the toasted pine nuts, they add so much to this salad.

Israeli cous cous

I throw this salad together almost weekly, the ingredients vary depending on what I have that needs to be used. As shown, here is the list of ingredients:

Israeli Cous Cous

Fresh tomatoes

cucumber

Olives

Feta Cheese

Fresh herbs, basil, parsley and chives

dried mint

toasted pine nuts

lemon juice

olive oil

salt and pepper

Make the cous cous first, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil, add the cous cous and cook for 8-10 minutes. Remove from stove and pour into a strainer, run cold water over it to stop the cooking process, it’s ok if they are slightly hard. They will soften in the dressing and I recommend letting this sit for a few hours or even over night. I chop the tomatoes, add the herbs and olives and toss in the cous cous, toast the pine nuts and crumble the feta into the salad, squeeze some lemon and drizzle on the olive oil, do this according to however you like it. Season with salt and pepper. There is no right or wrong way to make this salad, really!!! Have fun with it.

Jul 25

71 Comments

Blender Recommendations Needed

Waring blender

This have been really busy here, taking care of Nando, out of town company, my cousin and her kids are here visiting. This will be short and sweet. My Waring blender which has served me well for many years has finally died. I need a new blender. I am asking for recommendations from you. I have been thinking about a vitamix but not sure I need it, I want it to be powerful and efficient and long lasting. What do you use? Would love to hear from you. There are so many out there, this Waring was a real work horse and lasted 12+ years. Thanks everyone!

Has anyone used or heard of Smeg Blenders? Very cool looking but are they any good?

Jul 4

59 Comments

Happy Independance Day!!

Patriotic Pugs courtesy google photo’s

Happy Holiday All!! I know many of you are from other countries and don’t celebrate this but thats ok, independance no matter where you are is a cause to celebrate. Every year I attend a 4th of July party at my friends but this year her husband is ill and the party was cancelled. He just got home from the hospital on Wednesday and is recuperating. I grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and took it over to them with all the fixings last night along with a lemon meringue tart for dessert.

I wish each and every one of you a safe and happy holiday with lots of delicious food and fun with family and friends.

P.S. Nsndo’s wheels will be here on Wednesday, so happy. That will be his independance day celebration, he will be free to stand and eat on his own for the first time in months.

Suzanne and Nando

Jun 29

43 Comments

Spaghetti With Fantasy Sauce

Linguine with fantasy sauce

I saw this recipe (see the recipe) on Food52 and found it intriguing, Fantasy Sauce, with a name like that I expect a lot. The recipe looked very easy and quick, thats important to me right now, the ingredient list is in most pantries and refrigerators, so I decided I have to give it a try. BTW, for my vegetarian friends this would be equally delicious without the bacon, you could probably even make this vegan with some substitutions.

I did not have spaghetti but I did have linguine so I used that, I had the bacon, spinach, leeks and onions, wine, butter and cream. A short list of ingredients done very quickly. First let me say I didn’t really pay close attention to nor measure everything, unless I am baking I tend not to measure. I did use 3 slices of bacon that I cut into bite size pieces, a small yellow onion and probably a cup of chopped leeks. The recipe comes together quickly, the recipe calls for a handful of spinach I added more than that and it kind of disappeared, next time I make it I will use more spinach. Posie tells you to get your spaghetti done first.. well mine was cooking while my sauce was and the timing was perfect.

The dish is very tasty, it is reminiscent of a carbonara in flavor and I love that. I think it could easily be adapted to other ingredients and can be an elegant dish at a dinner party or an easy weeknight pasta supper.

May 9

95 Comments

Happy Mothers Day

Mom, Dad, Aunt Dee, Terry and Great, great Aunt Concetta

Recnetly I was asked to write about my Mom and her amazing recipes for Food52, the editors wanted to post just prior to Mothers Day and the article would appear in Food52’s Heirloom Recipies. Writing about Mom is easy but it’s difficult to reign myself in, I can get long winded. My Mother is and will always be my hero. She is an awesome cook, she created some great recipes that I use all the time. She is a great multi tasker, I honestly don’t know how she managed to make everything look effortless but she did, taking care of 5 kids, always have a great meal on the table, the house was always neat and clean. Looking back I am amazed at how she did it all. Mom is a cancer survivor, she was diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast cancer, this somewhat rare form of cancer presents in a stage 3 or 4 and is very aggressive and hard to treat. She was given only a short time to live and underwent chemo, radical surgery and radiation and I am thrilled and happy to report that she defied the odds and almost 10 years after diagnosis she is still cancer free.

My Mom and Me

She is the inspiration for just about everything I cook. She mastered Italian food, her homemade pasta and pasta e fagiole was legendary. She is also a great baker, one the the most popular recipes that I added to Food52 is her Tender Yellow Cake. it’s amazing and the only yellow cake I will make. Let’s talk meatballs, hers were tender and flavorful, she also made a great pie, my particular favorite was blackberry.

My Mother does not live close to me but if she did I would give her breakfast in bed and would serve her what she used to make for us when she made breakfast for dinner, a stack of pancakes with a fried egg on top smothered in warm maple syrup and butter. It’s so good, and every time I have this it takes me back to my childhood.

pancakes and fried egg

A very Happy Mothers Day to all of you whether you have children or not we celebrate women, Mother, Sister, Aunt, Grandmother or pet parent whatever your role you are important and loved.

Mothers

Apr 24

69 Comments

The Weeks To Come….

Nando

Hi Everyone;

I will not be posting regularly nor can I comment on all your wonderful blogs with any regularity during the weeks to come. I am afraid that it’s physically impossible for me to do this right now. Work is extremely busy, Nando is at the end of his life and requires a lot of time and attention. I have told you before my boy has Diabetes, he is 14 1/2 years old, blind and has neuropathy which a complication of the diabetes. He can barely stand anymore. It’s heart breaking and difficult for me to watch him deteriorate almost daily. He is still eating but that is becoming increasingly difficult for him. I cannot leave him alone for more than 2 hours at a time, I have to rush home between appointments. I do have a dog walker who is great and he will come in and check on Nando and take him out if I have to be gone more than 2 hours.

Pardon me for this, it’s a very difficult time for me right now losing Izzy just a few months ago and now Nando is failing, it’s hard for me to deal with and I just wanted everyone to know I am still around but you won’t see me posting or commenting with any regularity.

Suzanne