Here we are, with the whole family enjoying a relaxing week in one of our favorite spots on Earth, the North Shore of Oahu. I hope to have a new post coming up soon, for the time being life is busy in a deliciously unusual way….
ALOHA! MAHALO!
ONE YEAR AGO: Baby Back Ribs with Tomatillo Glaze
TWO YEARS AGO: Ten Years Ago
THREE YEARS AGO: Someone Got a Summer Shave
FOUR YEARS AGO: Border Grill Margaritas
FIVE YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.
SIX YEARS AGO: Vermont Sourdough
First Monday of the month, it’s time to share with my readers one more post as part of The Secret Recipe Club. If you don’t know what it’s all about, the club joins two food bloggers in secret, one is the stalker, the other the stalkee… When Reveal Day comes, everyone blogs about a chosen recipe at the exact same time. A virtual thrill like no other, right? The blog I was assigned to this month was Things I Make (for Dinner), hosted by Sarah from Ontario. I’ve only been to Canada once and fell in love with it and its people, although the snowstorm in the middle of the summer trip was a bit uncalled for. I am sure I told this story before, but for newcomers, here we go with the short and sweet of it: the late June snowstorm caught me wearing shorts and a tank top. My mood dropped to what in temperature would be approaching zero Kelvin. Anyway, I digress. Sarah has a great sense of humor, her posts are a delight to read. I found myself smiling and nodding my head all the way through the lengthy stalking process. Keep in mind she’s been blogging since 2007, so there’s a ton of stuff to choose from in her fun site. Obviously, I had a hard time settling on a recipe. Take a look at my “short” list: Chicken Tikka Kebabs, Soft Pretzels (I cannot believe I still haven’t try to make those, they’ve been on my to make soon list for a decade!), Spicy Chicken Skewers, Thai-Style Steak Salad, Lemon Bonbon Cookies (I actually bought all ingredients for it), Blueberry Cheesecake, Nutella Ice Cream (triple sigh of pure desire), Upside Down Black Forest Cake (yes, you read that right). So, what do I have for you? A Raspberry Buckle. Love the name. Buckle is a dessert that has been around for centuries, very popular in New England. It refers to a coffee cake in which fresh fruit is mixed with a yellow cake batter. Very easy to make and I tell you it was a huge success in one of the several receptions we hosted last month. Believe it or not, I made it after arriving home from work, still had time to clean up the kitchen and serve it for the reception at 8pm. I felt like Super Woman after a successful mission. And, that – quoting Martha Stewart – is a good thing.
RASPBERRY BUCKLE
(from Things I Make for Dinner)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 pint fresh raspberries
Heat oven to 350F. Grease a 9″ square baking pan. Clean raspberries. Stir together flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Gradually add flour mixture, being careful not to over mix. Spread in prepared pan, and scatter raspberries over the surface. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
Cool 20 minutes, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream, if so desired.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: Life has been busier than ever for us. For those who do not know, when we moved from OU to KSU four years ago, Phil became the Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. With that, commitments and challenges intensified more than we anticipated. Not only he has our research lab to consider in his professional life, but all the other things associated with running a department, from budget problems to teaching issues, from hiring new faculty to personnel evaluations. The list is huge, and the deadlines and pressure just keep building up. It is challenging for both of us, but I must say we enjoy it all. The underlying feeling that we are trying to accomplish something on several fronts pump us up, keeps us on our toes. Recently he went through an intense process to hire a director for a particular center at KSU. Every candidate’s visit involved a reception in our home. I wanted to prepare something special for each of the three candidates, and this Raspberry Buckle was my best choice ever. If you need something simple and delicious, look no further. Sweet, tart, melt-in-your-mouth good…
Sarah, thanks for a great recipe that pleased all the guests who had a chance to try it. Nothing was left next morning to take to the department, which is a huge compliment to your Raspberry Buckle!
As usual, I invite my readers to click on the smily blue frog at the end of this post. She will direct you to a list of blog posts published by my virtual friends at The Secret Recipe Club. Enjoy the ride!
ONE YEAR AGO: Seafood Gratin for a Special Dinner
TWO YEARS AGO: Cooking Sous-Vide: Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Loin
THREE YEARS AGO: Farewell to a Bewitching Kitchen
FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen. June 2012
FIVE YEARS AGO: Goodbye L.A.
SIX YEARS AGO: 7-6-5 Pork Tenderloin
Following the footsteps of Celia (Fig Jam and Lime Cordial) who started this party now hosted by our friend Maureen (The Orgasmic Chef), I invite you for a small virtual tour of our kitchen.
Starting with gifts, this month I have some pretty special ones….
…from our friend Dr. SL, fantastic selected goodies he got in a recent trip to Paris: truffles galore! Truffle mayo, truffle mustard, and truffled salt. What have I done to deserve such great friends?
…from my beloved husband, a surprise gift for Mother’s Day…
When I opened the package.. here’s what I found: a huge platter, heavy-duty, very very beautiful… it makes any salad into a stunning meal!
He keeps showering me with gifts from this artist, Mary Rose Young… How about this for cuteness in coffee cup format?
Or these adorable salad plates? Each a little different from the other… Irresistible!
Our dear friends Karl and Virginia left a package in my mailbox at work… Inside I found such a thoughtful gift for our home! It’s in our kitchen, where it definitely belongs…
But, I can give gifts too! This one I gave to Phil just because… He loves to have a black and tan after playing golf, and this tool makes a perfect one.
In our kitchen…
A very delicious apple cake made for one of the receptions we hosted last month. The recipe, already in the blog, is the most popular in the site! And for good reason, it is wonderful and so simple to make…
In our kitchen…
A rolling-pin I ordered all the way from Poland, after reading this post from Mimi… could not resist it. Stay tuned for a post on my first attempt at Polish Sugar Cookies.
In our kitchen…
A nice heart on my morning cappuccino, made by the resident barista… I married the right man, obviously…
In our kitchen…
My new addiction: Go-Chu-Jang sauce, the Korean darling of the food world these days. I resisted as much as I could, but when I saw the product for sale in our very own grocery store, I said what the heck, and brought it home. I love the paste so much I also bought the sauce which is like catchup on steroids. I used the paste on sautéed ground beef for a flavorful lunch. If you are like me and resist all sorts of trends, do yourself a favor and cave to this one.
In our kitchen…
Canned tomatillos and canned yellow tomatoes, both products bought with specific recipes in mind. As soon as they went into my pantry I lost track of the recipes. The one using canned tomatillos I suspect was in a cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, but the yellow tomatoes? I am clueless. Clue-less. If anyone suffers from the same type of culinary amnesia, let’s have a virtual hug…
This time our dogs are silent.
It is with a very heavy heart that I share the sad news that Chief was put to sleep on May 26th, a decision that crushed us, but had to be made. We will always remember him at the top of his game, rarely sitting still for a photo. In this shot (Summer 2001), his personality shines. He had just spotted a squirrel on the corner of the backyard, and one nanosecond after the picture was taken he was gone so fast our eyes could barely follow him.
In my mind, the two inseparable buddies are finally together again…
Chief
February 05th, 1999 – May 26th, 2016
ONE YEAR AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread
TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014
THREE YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
FOUR YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”
FIVE YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs
SIX YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls
Meet the lighter sibling of tabbouleh. Made with riced cauliflower instead of cracked wheat, it is every bit as delicious, but won’t make you feel stuffed after going back for seconds. I don’t know about you, but I can never stop at one serving of tabbouleh. I always go back for another helping, or when dining at home just the two of us, I keep visiting the serving bowl with my own fork: a little mindless bit here, another there as we talk about life, the mysterious process of bacterial iron uptake, or which brand of shoes could prevent my ankle from saying nasty things to me during a longer run. You know, real important stuff.
CAULIFLOWER A LA TABBOULEH
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil)
salt and pepper
2 cucumbers, seeded, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried mint)
1/3 cup parsley leaves, minced (or amount to taste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
zest and juice 1/2 lemon
Rice the cauliflower florets in a food processor, blender, or grating box. Heat the coconut oil (or other fat of your choice) on a large skillet, preferably non-stick. When the oil is hot, add the riced cauliflower, season lightly with salt and pepper, and move it around for a few minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a dish to cool. I like to use a baking dish to get the cauli-rice well spread.
Add the cucumber, tomatoes and parsley to a bowl. Don’t be skimpy on the amount of parsley, and mince it very well. If using fresh mint, add it to the bowl too.
Make a quick and simple dressing with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, add salt and pepper, dried mint if using it.
Add the cooled cauliflower rice to the veggies, pour the dressing on top and mix gently. It gets better with a little time in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
Comments: There are several ways to cook riced cauliflower, each with a slightly different outcome. When I enjoy it as I would real rice, I prefer to bake it. For this type of recipe, I’ve tried three ways: baked, microwaved, and sautéed in oil. I favored the third option because the texture was perfect to mimic cracked wheat. Baked would be my second choice, the problem is that the grains of cauliflower shrink a lot more in the oven. You can of course use any method you like, just make sure it is all at room temperature when you mix the fakebbouleh. As to the parsley, next time I will add more to my version. I love it and like my tabbouleh – fake or authentic – to be pretty “herbal.”
Next day leftovers were all I had for lunch. I did squirt a little more lemon juice on top because I believe there is never too much lemon on this type of preparation. It freshens up everything. One last thought before I leave you… I usually add a lot less dressing to salads than most recipes call for, so if you try this recipe, keep that in mind and consider doubling the amount. A touch of Maldon salt flakes right before indulging is not mandatory, but quite pleasant for the taste buds.
Dinner is served! Grilled chicken breasts were perfect with my fakebbouleh…
ONE YEAR AGO: Yellow Squash Soup
TWO YEARS AGO: Grilled Chicken with Tamarind and Coconut Glaze
THREE YEARS AGO: Chicken-Apricot Skewers
FOUR YEARS AGO: Asparagus Quiche
FIVE YEARS AGO: Two-stage Pea and Prosciutto Risotto
SIX YEARS AGO: Mellow Bakers: Corn Bread
Come again?
The best translation for this Brazilian recipe would be “Blender Pie.” First, let’s learn how to say it like a native. Repeat after me, three times:
.
Easy, right? I knew you could do it.
I have a sister in Brazil who is 16 years older than me. By the time I got into my teens she was already married, throwing parties, and pretty involved into cooking. One of the things she used to make was this blender pie, but her favorite filling was tuna with green peas, black olives and tomatoes. Being the mega picky girl I was, I never touched that kind, preferring instead more friendly (and austere) versions with ham and cheese, at most a touch of oregano. The basic process is always the same, a thick batter is made in the blender, half of it gets poured into a baking dish, the filling of choice scattered on top, and the rest of the batter spread all over. It is comfort food by default, or as we say in Portuguese, por definição. I won’t sugar coat the pill, it is a bit heavy. Accept it and move on. As an appetizer a couple of small squares will be enough for each guest. If you’d like to serve it as dinner with a salad on the side this full recipe feeds six hungry people.
TORTA DE LIQUIDIFICADOR
(BLENDER PIE)
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)
for the “dough”
1 cup oil (I used canola)
2 cups milk (full-fat)
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup shredded Parmigiano cheese
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the filling
caramelized onions
sautéed mushrooms
shredded mozzarella cheese
diced tomatoes
(or any other filling you like to use)
Heat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease or spray with oil a baking dish (9 x 13 or slightly smaller is fine).
Make the dough: add to a powerful blender all the ingredients, and blend for 5 minutes until completely smooth. Stop the blender and clean its sides a couple of times during the process.
Pour half of the batter in the prepared dish, add all ingredients for the filling on top, pour the rest of the batter, spreading gently with an offset spatula to enclose all the filling.
Bake for 45 minutes or until all puffed up and golden on top. Let it cool until just warm before cutting in slices. It can be prepared a couple of days in advance, to re-heat use a low oven, microwave is not recommended.
ENJOY!
to print the recipe, click here
The beauty of this recipe is its versatility. You can pretty much use any filling you imagine: shredded barbecued chicken, ground beef with taco seasonings, roasted veggies, maybe some grilled shrimp, all doable. One popular version in Brazil uses corn and peas, green and yellow like the colors of the country. I do think cheese is pretty much mandatory in any kind of blender pie. If using shrimp or roasted veggies I suppose a bit of crumbled feta would be a nice option. No need to measure anything, just cover the extension of the baking dish with a hearty amount of filling.
I made this particular version for a reception we hosted. Keep in mind that in the span of two weeks we hosted three receptions for faculty and one pizza-party for our whole lab. After the pizza party we had some toppings leftover, so this Brazilian concoction of my past was a perfect choice to use it all up. But to make it more special, I prepared a batch of caramelized onions, following this recipe from my friend Elaine. She used a clever method that allows caramelization to be an almost hands-free process, by making them in a low oven. I added a smidgen of balsamic vinegar to the onions, together with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Here they are, in a before and after shot…
I intended to add black olives to the filling too, but found the bowl with pitted Kalamata staring at me right after shutting down the oven door. Not the first time I pull this type of trick on myself, I believe it won’t be the last. Black olives would have been wonderful… (sigh)
The little pie squares are irresistibly gooey due to all the cheese…
So there you have it, a Brazilian concoction from my teenage years finally featured in the Bewitching Kitchen. I hope I made my sister proud!
ONE YEAR AGO: Lamb Meatballs with Toasted Orzo
TWO YEARS AGO: Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars
THREE YEARS AGO: Penne with Trapanese Pesto
FOUR YEARS AGO: Superman
FIVE YEARS AGO: Spring Pasta
SIX YEARS AGO: Ice Cream Melts for Mango
Bewitching Kitchen 
