FIRST MONDAY FAVORITE AND THE WINNER OF MY GIVEAWAY!

Posted in First Monday Favorite by sallybr

Here we are on the First Monday of July, and it’s time to share with you my favorite post of last month. Easy as pie. But it’s not pie. It’s cake. How could I not pick the cake that celebrated my 8th blogging anniversary?

for the full post, including my nail-biting hazelnut adventure, click here

AND NOW FOR THE WINNER OF MY TRIPLE GIVEAWAY!

Numbers were generated, numbers were drawn online…

Twenty-two was the lucky one, and the winner is

KCB!!!

Please drop me an email and let me know if you prefer online or “real” book versions of your gifts…

Contact me at sallybr2008 at gmail dot com

Thank you Sid, for organizing the First Monday Favorite!

If you are a food blogger and would like to participate, drop Sid a line.

To see the contributions from my virtual friends, click on the link below

(comments are shutdown for this post)

An InLinkz Link-up

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1Jul2017

IN MY KITCHEN – JULY 2017

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Time to invite you for a virtual walk through the Bewitching Kitchen. Time passes fast, things change, but it’s important to give credit to Celia who started this event years ago. It is now hosted by Sherry from Sherry’s Pickings , so make sure to stop by both sites to say hello when you have a chance. My last participation was three months ago (!!!) so there’s a lot to talk about. Are you ready?

First, I like to start talking about gifts…

The amazing colleagues from our department sent me a care package when I arrived back from Brazil after the death of my Mom. The reason is sad, but their gesture so sweet… Thank you!

From our post-doc Somnath, a gorgeous Chinese bowl that he got for me while in a scientific meeting in Los Angeles. Intense blue, I always use it to serve rice. It is what we could call a perfect match. Thank you, Somnath!

From Phil, one more coffee cup for our collection, one more ebay find from the British artist Mary Rose Young. It is all happy next to its sister with the rose decoration on the handle. The coffee art produced by my beloved is a Chinese ideogram that means I love you forever (well, don’t show this to any Chinese person, let it be our secret).

My gift to Phil… his immersion blender was in bad shape, the blade would come out while spinning, and we had to stop, unplug it and push it back. Very dangerous, I could easily see myself losing the tip of my finger in some absent-minded move. This one works very well, and it came with a small food processor as a bonus. We are both very happy with his gift (wink, wink).

In our kitchen…

Found this honey at Marshalls. It comes from avocado flowers. I am not a honey connoisseur, but apparently monofloral honey is highly praised. This one is quite dark and intensely flavored. Plus the label is so stylish, I could not resist. I sometimes shop with my eyes first… 😉

In our kitchen…

I have not tried these yet, but they are supposed to give beautifully flat cakes, without that irritating “dome effect.” I confess I’ve had them for a while, and only remember they exist after the cake is out of the oven. Yeap, I do research for a living. It surprises me too.

In our kitchen

For a cake-o-phobe, I do own a lot of cake-related gadgets. This is a cake turner, and it was very useful to add icing to my celebratory 8th blog-anniversary concoction.

In our kitchen…

What did I just say about cake-gadgets? Could not resist these… one never knows when I’ll get into a cupcake adventure, and it’s very important to have the right tools for a job I’ve never done.

In our kitchen…

Macaron obsession is still going strong. I got a larger tip for piping the shells, works great. And a few goodies for future important experiments. Stay tuned for crazy macs coming up in the near future. Bogey was quite taken by them, I hope you will fancy them too…

In our kitchen…

Another outcome of a Marshalls’ treasure hunt. This is a very large bowl, so colorful, I tried to move away from it at the store, but it kept pulling me back, twisting my arm, I was pretty much forced to bring it home. Abused by a bowl, that’s a first.

In our kitchen…

Macadamia oil. I heard about its qualities, including very high smoking point, and decided to give it a try. Really enjoy its mild flavor for sauteing stuff. It is more expensive than olive oil, so this will not be replacing it in our cooking. I also used it in salad dressing a couple of times. I’d say it is as mild as grapeseed oil, a favorite of mine.

In our kitchen…

This is a special Japanese rice flour. Very very fine, different from the product you might use to coat your banneton so that bread dough won’t stick to it. I read about it in the book Flours, part of my giveaway last month. Love that book, everything I’ve made from it has been a success.

In our kitchen…

Crispy brown rice cereal. I used this product in a variation of Chicken Parmigiana from the book The Dude Diet. So good, that I decided to buy a second box as a back up. You process the cereal together with some Parmigiano cheese, salt, and herbs, use that to coat chicken breast filets.

In our kitchen…

A very nice tea, recommended by our graduate student, Aritri. She loved it and I could not help but order a box, because she is a person of very fine taste. It is truly delicious! The brand has several kinds, unfortunately no free shipping available through amazon prime. I guess the best approach is to keep your eyes open, maybe your grocery stores carries it? I cross my fingers that our beloved Marshalls will, at some point.

In our kitchen…

Phil (a Michigander) loves tart cherries, and these preserves are excellent. I cannot tell, as I never eat jams or preserves of any kind, but I can testify he always has a huge smile when he does.

In our kitchen…

Strawberries coated in chocolate, courtesy of my beloved, who found the perfect use for leftover ganache from my special layered cake of the recent past.

Near our kitchen…

I am thrilled to share this with you. Soggy Doggy rug. It is a life-changing item that I cannot recommend highly enough. This rug is not cheap, let’s get this out-of-the-way. But, it was THE best investment ever, it sits in the patio, right by the door to the living room and kitchen area. If you let your dog sit and walk around it for a minute or so, the fabric adsorbs dirt and water in a way that is hard to believe! Keeping our wooden floors clean has been so much easier since we got it several months ago. We haven’t washed it yet, just shake it outside every once in a while, sometimes use very gingerly the vacuum cleaner, with the spinning brushes off. This thing is money. Every day I pass by it and blow it a kiss. Honest. If you have pets, you need this. They come in several sizes, depending on the kind of pet you have, a small one might be enough. We really had to go for the kill here. Obviously. To order, click here.

And since the subject of pets came up,
it’s time to let them say hello…

More than a simple hello, they insist on having their grievances in the open, so that Mom’s readers know the true nature of who they are dealing with. You know, behind those blogging doors.

“I’ve been betrayed. I had just developed a nice personal scent over a week of hard work. You gave me a bath, and took it all away. I now smell like a tangerine. I shall never ever interact with you again. Ever.”

“I’ve been betrayed. Mom tricked me into going outside dangling a cookie in front of my perfectly shaped nose. Dad was there, waiting for me. With a hose. Cold water under 95 F weather. Very unfair. I shall never ever move from this couch. Ever.”

Betrayal. Humiliation. Shame.

“Oh, you whining babies. You don’t know what real betrayal is. Mom took me to a torture place, dropped me there all by myself and not only I got a bath, but by the time they were done with me, my fur was gone. Gone. I am still in shock.”

“I shall hide from your view for eternity.”

Thankfully, a dog grievance never lasts very long.

Certain behaviors, though… they will likely never end…

Like a little sniffing around…

A little begging…

A little snoring after breakfast…

We still think they enjoy being squeaky clean, no matter how hard they tried to stain our reputation as doggie parents…

“Mirror, mirror tell me, who is the cutest dog in the world?”

“Mirror, mirror, tell me, who is the most handsome dog in the world?”

“Mirror, mirror, tell me, who is the bossiest dog in the world?”

In case you haven’t noticed, the couch rules have relaxed quite a bit since Bogey Quit That joined our pack…

Couch Rules? Which rules? Certainly they do not apply to this couch!

Agreed. The couch is my favorite place for deep thoughts… like the meaning of life, and how did that toad escape my mouth?

I feel the same way. The couch is where I wonder why every day is not a weekend day… how pleasure can be such a fleeting emotion…

I am also having very profound thoughts, and you better believe me. In fact, I just figured out that the meaning of life is helping Mom get all comfy. I think she enjoys the new-non-rules too.

Bogey Quit That compensates for all the revolution he started by keeping our home safe.
A true guard dog like no other!

That’s all for now, folks!

I hope you enjoyed this little tour through our kitchen…
Stop by Sherry’s site to see what is going on in kitchens all over the world!

ONE YEAR AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Falafel and a Bonus Recipe

TWO YEARS AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014

FOUR YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

FIVE YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”

SIX YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs

SEVEN YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Chicken Breasts, Coffee, and Serendipity

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28Jun2017

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE TIMES THREE

Posted in Desserts, Desserts, Sweets, Drinks, Incredibly simple, Side dishes, Veggies by sallybr

Back in February I made a post with four super-duper simple recipes, and here I am again to showcase three more. A drink, a side-dish, a dessert. Like last time, they all deliver a lot more than you would expect.

ONE

Starting with the drink. Fabulous. Refreshing. Delicious. I saw the recipe at Mike’s The Iron You, and made it the day after. Exactly as he posted, except that I cut the sugar down a bit. Since then, I’ve made it four times, and adapted it, simplifying it even further and leaving sugar out completely. You will need to find your favorite way, but trust me, this is a drink you must try if you love tea. The touch of genius is a pinch of baking soda after brewing. Do not twist your nose, it is magical. Have I ever lied to you?

MINT AND GINGER ICED GREEN TEA
(adapted from The Iron You)

4 cups of water
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 bags green tea
1 bag of mint tea (or 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves)
1 lemon, divided
Pinch of baking soda
sugar is optional (coconut sugar is particularly nice)

Combine water and ginger in a pot. Bring to a boil. Once the water boils, remove from the heat and add tea bags and fresh mint (if using them). Cover with a lid and steep for 15 minutes. Remove the bags and strain tea separating the liquid from the mint leaves and ginger slices. Stir in sugar, juice of half lemon, and baking soda. Transfer to a pitcher and let cool before refrigerating.

Serve on a tall glass with lemon slices and fresh mint added, if you so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I reduced the amount made to four cups instead of six, because I’m the only one drinking it. When I make it before dinner, I have leftover drink to enjoy next day at lunchtime, so that works well for me. Check out Mike’s original version and see if that appeals more to you in terms of amount and level of sweetness.

TWO

Second, a side-dish that is ready in 6 minutes. That is 360 seconds. Ok, if you have to cut the broccoli florets yourself, it might take you 10 minutes. Best broccoli ever. Perfect texture, bright taste, and you can change it around by using different herbs, vinegars, spices. Love it.

PAN-STEAMED BROCCOLI WITH ORANGE AND CILANTRO
(adapted from Ellie Krueger)

1 large head of broccoli florets (1½ pounds)
zest and juice of half an orange
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the broccoli florets more or less in a single layer inside a saucepan. Add ½ cup water, cover and cook over a high heat for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Do not remove the lid during cooking. When the broccoli is done, it will be cooked to crisp-tender. If you prefer it a bit softer, remove it from the heat and allow it to sit, covered, for another minute or two.

While the broccoli is cooking, zest the orange into a large bowl. Juice half the orange into the bowl, add the lemon juice. Add the cilantro to the bowl along with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the orange mixture and toss gently. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: During the time the broccoli is cooking (pay close attention to the timer, it’s important), make the flavoring mixture right on the serving bowl. Check Ellie’s gremolata in the link, or try anything you like. I find the combination of orange with broccoli quite delicious, but to cut excessive sweetness I added some lemon juice to it. Apple cider vinegar could be wonderful too. Consider options such as za’tar, a very discreet touch of sesame oil, black olive tapenade, sesame seeds… This recipe has the potential to become your favorite way to enjoy broccoli. Cannot beat the texture. Am I repeating myself? Apologies, I tend to get excited about stuff like broccoli with perfect texture. There, I said it again!

THREE

Soft-serve pineapple. I saw this one at The View from Great Island, a blog I’ve cooked from many times, Sue’s recipes never failed me. She talks, I listen. It is ready in minutes, once you freeze the pineapple pieces. It is perfectly smooth and soft-serve-like when you first process it. In the freezer it will turn a bit hard, but a little encounter with the microwave just to break the ice (literally), turns it into real sorbet consistency. I had no idea that a pineapple could become a luscious dessert just with the help of the food processor. Remember a few years ago when everyone was processing bananas? Well, pineapples are harder to peel, but totally worth the trouble. A friend from Facebook mentioned that 1 egg white can be added to this type of recipe, to give extra smoothness. I have to try that soon.

SOFT-SERVE PINEAPPLE-CHILE SORBET
(slightly modified from The View from Great Island)

1 pineapple
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile pepper (ground)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the pineapple into 1 inch slices, core and all. Chop the slices into bite sized pieces. Arrange the pineapple on the baking sheet. Freeze for 2 hours, or until frozen solid.

Put the frozen pineapple chunks into a high power blender or food processor. Add the lime juice and chile powder. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the machine as necessary. Serve right away for a slushy, soft-serve consistency, otherwise, spoon the mixture into a loaf pan and put in the freezer to firm up, at least 4 hours.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Adding pepper to sorbet can be quite interesting, but maybe it’s not for everybody. A purist would probably prefer it “virgin.” I reduced the amount of chipotle and omitted the cayenne that Sue used, so stop by her site to see her version too and decide what to do. We also made two batches of cantaloupe sorbet (already in the blog), one with pepper, one without, and a few days later enjoyed a triple dessert, refreshing and hot at the same time. We like to share a single bowl and take turns, a little bite with pepper, a little without… Simple Summer evening pleasures.

😉

And with that, I wrap up three super simple recipes that are sure to please you. I think that even if you are not into green tea, the addition of that pinch of baking soda might change your mind. It removes that bit of harshness, objectionable to some. Worth a try.

ONE YEAR AGO: Dan Lepard Simple White Loaf

TWO YEARS AGO: Maureen’s Fabulously Fudgy Brownies

THREE YEARS AGO: Wheat Berry Caraway Bread

FOUR YEARS AGO: Mexican Focaccia

FIVE YEARS AGO: Sunny Kamut Salad with Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette

SIX YEARS AGO: Pane de Casa & Crostini

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Down-home Dig-in Chili

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Cinnamon Rolls

25Jun2017

HONEY GLAZED SRIRACHA MEATBALLS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

This one is for all the Sriracha lovers out there. Of all the hot sauces, Sriracha is my favorite because it’s not just about heat, there’s a lot of complex flavor packed in too. I always have a bottle in the fridge, and will squirt a little bit over turkey burgers, regular burgers, sweet potato fries, meatballs. Not too much, just that little touch that shakes the senses up. When I saw this recipe a while ago on Eat Yourself Skinny, I tried it almost immediately, with a few changes to suit my preferences. Phil is not as wild about Sriracha as I am, so I did the honorable thing to do, and wolfed them down by myself for lunch. No, not in a single day. I am crazy for Sriracha but portion control comes first…

HONEY GLAZED SRIRACHA MEATBALLS
(adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny)

for the meatballs:
2 lb. ground chicken (or turkey)
1/4 cup almond flour
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
a squirt of lemon juice

for the sauce:
¼ cup Sriracha
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
minced chives for decoration (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together ground chicken, almond flour, egg, salt and pepper until well combined. Shape mixture into balls and place spaced apart on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray or covered with parchment paper.

Bake meatballs for 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

While the meatballs are baking, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking continuously. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then toss with the meatballs.

Sprinkle with minced chives, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These turned out hot enough for me, but you can always add some cayenne pepper or increase the amount of Sriracha if feeling particularly brave. I love adding a dollop of yogurt (seasoned with salt and za’tar) to these meatballs, because I find the contrast of peppery heat with cold, creamy yogurt very pleasing. The best advice to making good meatballs is to avoid handling the mixture too much, the looser the better. And don’t cook them to death. Dried meatballs are simply no bueno. I never fry them anymore, prefer to cook them in the oven, but for this recipe I made the sauce in a skillet and simply added the cooked meatballs to the sauce for a nice glaze. Winner, my friends, winner!

Pinning is sharing, sharing is caring!

ONE YEAR AGO: Slow-cooker Braised Lamb Shanks

TWO YEARS AGO: How about some coffee with your steak?

THREE YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Spiral Kick

FOUR YEARS AGO: Carrot Flan with Greens and Lemon Vinaigrette

FIVE YEARS AGO: Granola Bars

SIX YEARS AGO: Awesome Broccolini

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Twist on Pesto

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Ciabatta: Judging a bread by its holes

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21Jun2017

AIR-FRIED TOMATOES WITH HAZELNUT PESTO AND HALLOUMI CHEESE

Posted in Air-Frying, Salads by sallybr

No, no need to run away, you can make this in your oven if you do not have one of Lolita‘s sisters in your kitchen. But I am constantly finding reasons to use our air-fryer, and in this recipe it performed way beyond my expectations. The halloumi cheese turned out exactly the way we like it, with zero risk of burning as it often happens on the grill or even on a non-stick pan. You might be surprised that I would still handle hazelnuts without going into a hysterical fit, but it so happens that I had quite a bit leftover from my 8th blog-anniversary cake. I definitely need to use them up before they go rancid. Come to think of it, I see a macaron blog post on the horizon… (wink, wink).

AIR-FRIED TOMATOES WITH HAZELNUT PESTO AND HALLOUMI CHEESE
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

for the hazelnut pesto:
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon juice
olive oil to desired consistency

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced (about 4 slices per tomato)
Halloumi cheese, cut into thin slices
basil (I used some from grocery store, processed in a little oil)
Spring mix greens
olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to dress salad

Make the pesto by mixing the cheese, hazelnuts, parsley, salt and pepper in t a food processor. Process until smooth, then drizzle olive oil slowly until you reach the consistency you like, probably a little less than 1/3 cup should do it.

Lay the tomatoes on a baking dish, season lightly with salt, place a couple of teaspoons of the pesto on top, then lay a slice of halloumi cheese over the pesto. Dab with a small amount of basil in oil. You can also use fresh basil if you prefer. Transfer the slices to the basket of the air-fryer, making sure to spray the basket with a little oil. Spray the tomato slices very lightly with olive oil, and cook at 390F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the halloumi cheese gets golden brown. Carefully remove the slices and serve them over Top with onion slices. Sprinkle with basil, red pepper, and sea salt. Transfer the assembled bites to the Air Fryer cooking basket. Drizzle with a nonstick cooking spray and cook for approximately 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the spring mix on a large serving platter, dress with olive oil and lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper. When the tomatoes are ready, carefully place them on top of the greens. Serve right away.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: These would work great by themselves as an appetizer, I suppose. Now, as you can see from the composite photo above, the air-fryer does not make a huge batch of food. I could have fitted maybe two more tomato slices inside, but that would be maximum capacity. The air-fryer is really perfect for a couple, or a couple with a young kid. Teenagers could present a challenge, they tend to eat impressive amounts of food, if I remember correctly… Better enjoy the advantages of a very high metabolic rate, right? But coming back to these cute little babies, they were delicious indeed. I think the combination of any type of pesto with tomato and cheese is a classic, but it’s nice to have a change of pace with the halloumi instead of mozzarella. Halloumi is so assertive, it has a grown-up feel. I love it. Wish it was a bit cheaper, though.

I’ve seen recipes that use the air-fryer to “fry” a bunch of tomatoes cut in half, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then blend them in a food processor and use as a basis for a chunky tomato sauce. Sounds pretty tasty to me, I intend to try that in the near future, but decided it was worth getting the thought out. If you try it, please let me know…

With this post, I give my first step into the 9th year of food blogging. Wow! Just wow! Make sure to enter my giveaway in case you missed the announcement in the previous post..