Pots and Pins

Veggie Burgers...

As the mister was going out the door, on his way to Global Headquarters, he asked, "Can't a guy just get a burger for dinner?"  He's becoming a bit of a whiner...tired of healthy meals sans dessert and it's only day FOUR!  The other night he actually called The Boy and asked him to stop by Dairy Queen on his way home so he could pick him up a banana split - fortunately I overheard, intervened and as I hung up the phone I handed the mister a pair of rolled up socks for him to bite on if he needed to.  It was the least I could do.

 

Take a look at that knife, would you?!!  I went to grab it off the counter and it slipped out of my hand and landed like that on the floor...I took that as an omen...I needed to honor the mister's request...show him the respect he deserves, after all, he is head of the house (typing and choking is SO uncomfortable) so he was going to get his burger for dinner...yessirreebob...one perfect VEGGIE BURGER comin' up!

Veggie burgers might not have been on the menu had it not been for my new best friend Chris, who hangs his hat at Nibble Me This.  He posted his recipe for veggie burgers just the other day, so when the mister whined about wanting a burger for dinner, the stars aligned and I remembered his post.  However, even though I'm a fan of veggie burgers (the mister is not) I didn't know if I could "get past"  the green color of the burgers that Nibble Me This had concocted.  But, knowing the mister would be spending time with his good friend Jack, so he'd be home after dark and given he's color-blind in one eye, I figured if I kept the lights down low, he'd never notice the color...and I was right.  (As I was typing this - a day after the veggie burger meal - the mister walked into the nerve center and saw the pic above and said, "Barf!  What's that?!"  I informed him it was what he had for dinner last night and he said, "You're kidding me!  I thought it was chicken!"  My plan had worked perfectly!)   

If you think you're not a fan of veggie burgers, go check out Nibble Me This and think again.  Chris paired his burger with a pesto mayo...I opted for something a bit more traditional...Swiss cheese, tomatoes, lettuce with a slathering of mayo...and some avocado.  Back to the color for a minute...I changed up Chris' recipe a bit...knowing that orange and green make brown, I added some carrots to my version of Chris' recipe - thinking the burgers would be brown and not green.  But I would have had to add a vat full of carrots to counter the effect from the spinach.  (I also added a few more things so if you want the unadulterated version, use Chris' recipe.)  I liked these a lot and so did the mister, even though he didn't know what he was eating!  I also used Orowheat Sandwich Thins instead of a regular hamburger bun...less bread, less carbs, which made me feel okay about adding in cheese.

Veggie Burgers ~ Inspired by and Adapted From Chris at Nibble Me This

1 can (15.5 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained well

1/4 of a large white onion

1 cup carrots, roughly chopped or use baby carrots

2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach

1/4 cup firmly packed fresh basil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups garlic seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs

olive oil

8 Swiss cheese slices

8 Romaine lettuce leaves

16 thinly sliced tomatoes

avocado slices, optional

8 Orowheat Sandwich Thins or hamburger buns

butter for toasting buns

mayonnaise for spreading on buns

Heat oven to 250 degrees.  In the bowl of a food processor add the garbanzo beans, onion, carrots, spinach, basil, eggs, salt, pepper and garlic.  Process until smooth.  Remove to a large bowl and fold in the bread crumbs.  Shape into 8 patties, the size of the buns you'll be using, as veggie burgers don't shrink like hamburger does.  Heat a cast iron skillet with about a teaspoon of olive oil until it's hot, add the burgers and cook, about 5 minutes on each side.  Remove to an oven proof plate and top with Swiss cheese.  Put in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted evenly.  Butter your buns (just the ones you're going to eat) and toast either using the same cast iron skillet.  Assemble the burgers by spreading mayonnaise onto the buns, adding the lettuce, tomatoes, and the cheese-topped veggie burger.  Makes 8 burgers.  These freeze well, just cook and let cool before freezing.  To reheat, allow to thaw and then warm in the microwave.

"I get up every morning planning to change the world and to have one hell of a good time, sometimes this makes planning my day a bit difficult."  ~ E. B. White

A LOVE-ly Give-Away...

Love, Love, Love...

The Girl is having a LOVE-ly give-away on her blog...This is what she said: 

"I am giving away a FREE engagement or bridal session! Or a first-time-your-fiancee-sees-you-in-your-amazing-dress session. Or a session that includes you two bungee jumping (provided you pay for the leap!) Whatever, as long as you two are in love and you want me to create the images to prove it!"

Her give-away is open to engaged couples who live in or who can travel to the Salt Lake City or Seattle area...now act quickly - go to her blog, (click on her name below), read the "rules of engagement" and enter! And good luck! 

Lyndsey Fagerlund Photography

Avocado Mousse Corn Cake Bites...

I've been on an avocado kick lately...just can't get enough of the very adaptable avocado!  And with only days left before the end of the avocado recipe challenge, I pushed my limited brain cells to the max and created this delicious appetizer.  (Which means I've already entered this recipe so you CAN'T!  But, by all means, feel free to create your own!  I welcome the competition...but I'm sure this recipe is going to net me the grand prize...pretty darn sure...okay, not sure at all but I think it's a winner!)

This is a two-step deal...the avocado mousse rests on a corn cake crust...and they're married in culinary heaven.  Even though I've posted the avocado mousse pics first, start with the corn cake crust.  It takes but a minute to whip it up and only 15 minutes to bake; then you can let it cool while you make the mousse.  Mexican Hass avocados are in season now - and my local grocery store is selling them TWO for a buck!  It would be down right rude NOT to buy them!

 

Once the corn cake crust is baked and cooled, the avocado mousse is spread on top...you'll want to lick the spoon, then the pan - do it - it'll make you smile.  Put it in the refrigerator for at least two hours or up to over-night, then cut into squares.  This makes 40 appetizers...let me rephrase that...this makes 40 mouth-watering-delicious appetizers...there, that's better!

Avocado Mousse Corn Cake Bites - Me 

For the corn cake crust:

2 cans (15.25 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained, 1/3 cup of juice reserved

3 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Avocado Mousse:

1/3 cup reserved juice from canned corn

1 packet unflavored gelatin

2/3 cup heavy cream

zest from one lime

3 small to medium sized avocado, ripe, peeled, pit removed

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup half and half

juice from one lime

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

dash cayenne, or to taste

Garnish:  fresh chive strips (additional garnishes could include a sprig of cilantro or a bit of your favorite salsa)

To make corn cake crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor combine canned corn, eggs, buttermilk, and butter.  Pulse 3 to 4 times or until corn is coarsely chopped.  In a separate bowl combine flour, cornmeal, cheddar cheese, fresh chives, salt and pepper.  Mix corn mixture into dry ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Butter a 15 x 10-inch rimmed cookie sheet and spread mixture evenly.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Remove and cool completely.

To make avocado mousse:  In a small bowl combine the reserved canned corn juice with the unflavored gelatin.  Mix well, breaking up any lumps with the back of a spoon.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  In a saucepan, combine cream and lime zest.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from heat, stir in gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolve and there are no lumps.   

Peel and pit avocados and put into a food processor.  Add garlic and process until smooth.  Add half and half, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne.  Process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the work bowl with a spatula.  Add to cream/gelatin mixture and whisk until smooth.  When corn cake crust is completely cooled, spread avocado mousse over the top evenly.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to over-night.  Cut into 2-inch by 1-inch bars (or larger if you like) and garnish with additional pieces of fresh chives.  

Grilled Steak With Quinoa Salad...

Last night was rather Glee-ful...Instead of the usual NCIS, and Law and Order reruns, the mister actually let me watch Dancing With the Stars...which should have set off some alarms.  But I was so thrilled to be able to see a TV show without weapons, unless you count Pamela Anderson, that I didn't think about WHY I was watching it...and when it was over, the mister changed the channel  and asked if I wanted to watch Glee.  Now, you must understand, him asking me if I wanted to watch Glee is synonymous with Hell freezing over.  The red lights in my mind started flashing, the bells started ringing, the hairs on the back of my neck started to tingle and I was able to smell...wait for it... a rat.

Quinoa.  That's what brought about my evening of TV viewing and it just about sent the mister over the edge. He was SO hoping his punishment of healthy eating was over ...but alas, it was only day three and so while eating his whole grains, he formulated a plan.  At first though, he grumbled loudly, expressing his displeasure in a way that only he can..."What is this #!&# ?!  In a voice much like a Kindergarten teacher would use on a tantrum-throwing child, I very sweetly told him that Quinoa, (pronounced keen-wah) is a high-protein whole grain that's mild and tender...and to sit down, shut-up and eat!  And so he did.  And it's not like the Heavens opened and angels sang but he liked it, he really liked it!  Of course, I LOVED it...and what's not to love?  It's refreshing, a bit chewy, and with the addition of toasted pine nuts, garlic, fresh parsley, Kalamata olives, onions, currants and feta cheese crumbles, it practically screams Zorba The Greek and who doesn't love that?!  

With the addition of grilled steak, this salad goes from a side dish to a meal. Even with a full stomach of healthy high-protein-low-carb food, the mister was STILL craving dessert...so he put his plan into action...sinking so low as to bribe me with TV...he wrongly thought letting me watch MY shows instead of the usual shoot-em-ups, he would be let him out of the healthy food dog-house, at least long enough for dessert.  Stupid man.  TV is not the key to the dog-house door!!  JEWELRY is the key!!  Duh!  JEWELRY!!!  JEWELRY!!!  JEWELRY!! (Unfortunately for me AND him, that word is not in his vocabulary.)

Grilled Steak With Quinoa Salad - Pots and Pins  

1 1/2 lbs. steak, (skirt, flank, sirloin or London broil work great - whatever suits your fancy!)

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup pine nuts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup fresh parsley

1/4 cup currants

1/4 cup sweet white onion, chopped

12 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

6 oz. feta cheese crumbles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the quinoa in a saucepan and cook over medium-heat until toasted, about 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn.  Add chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit, covered, about 2 minutes.  Pour into a serving dish and allow to cool.

Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate to cool.  Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Remove to plate to cool.  

Grill steak until it's done to your liking.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before slicing into strips.  When quinoa has cooled, add the cooled pine nuts, onion/garlic, parsley, currants, olives and feta cheese to the dish and toss gently.  In a small bowl, combine the oregano, sugar, red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and mix well.  Pour the dressing over the quinoa, and toss gently.  Add the steak slices on top of the quinoa and serve.  Serves 4.  (This salad, if there's any left, is great the next day - try it, you'll see!)  

"I find television very educating.  Every time someone turns on the set I go into the other room and read a book."  ~ Groucho Marx

 

Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup...

Day Two of the mister's healthy-eating-punishment...and already he's begging for mercy.  I ladled up his bowl, gave him a small piece of crusty bread to go with it - sans butter - and then The Boy came through with a sort of miracle-rub-your-nose-in-it-kind of finish...he walked into the kitchen carrying two pizzas he ordered for himself!  You should have seen the look on the mister's face and the instantaneous drool as he sidled up to The Boy right quick and asked if he was going to share.  The Boy takes his pizza seriously and said, without a trace of smile or sarcasm, "Sorry old man, this isn't on your diet" and he took his pizzas and walked out of the room.  It was a beautiful moment.

 

Just for the record, I don't have any objection to eating healthy - as long as it's flavorful.  And this soup meets that requirement and then some.  It's low-calorie, low-carb, high in protein and fiber...and I even used whole wheat pasta...shut-up!  I know, I know, what's next?  Birkenstocks?  Daily home-grown wheat grass shots?  Hemp milk?  

Feast your eyes upon this pot of deliciousness...chunks of chicken, fresh parsley, fresh basil, carrots, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, red pepper...and those cute as can be pasta rings...this is dang good folks, give it a try - punish your family with a healthy bowl of soup!  To steal a line from Rachel Ray - this is really a "stoop" - it's not as watery as soup and not as thick as stew.  If you want more of a soup, just add another can of vegetable broth.  This is one of my all-time favorite soups and it's even better the next day.  After much complaining about no pizza, no butter, and no dessert, the mister ate his soup with gusto, claimed it was "mighty tasty" and then, just to irritate me, said, "It'll counter balance the double-bacon burger and fries I had for lunch today."  You can lead a horse to water...  

Italian Chicken Vegetable Soup - Pots and Pins

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed, dried and cut into bite-size pieces

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup carrots, chopped into small pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 cans (14 oz.) vegetable broth

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes and their juice

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

8 crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini, diced (unpeeled)

3/4 cup whole wheat pasta rings (or other small pasta)

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, or other white beans, drained and rinsed

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Parmesan cheese, shredded, for topping, optional

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil until hot.  Add chicken pieces, onion, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through.  Stir in carrots and cook for 5 more minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.  Stir in thyme, fennel, vegetable broth, tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, zucchini and pasta.  Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir in beans, parsley, basil and cook for 3 more minutes or until heated through.  Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese as a garnish.  Serves 6.  

"The trouble with jogging is that, by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back."  ~ Franklin P. Jones

Fish Tacos With Mango Slaw And Avocado Lime Dressing...

When I returned from visiting The Girl and Baby Max, I came home to a bit of a surprise/shock/source of irritation that knows NO bounds!  The mister, who had apparently way too much time on his hands while I was away, took it upon himself to rearrange the cave/pantry.

The hall closet, under the stairs has been called the cave since we've lived here...as it was a dark and dreary place - a place where we threw everything we didn't know what to do with.  And then one day I had a bright idea and I turned the cave into an extra pantry!  It was a stroke of genius - and gave me a way of storing all of my canned goods and then some.  I put everything right where I wanted it...where it made SENSE TO ME...so when I came home and discovered, to my HORROR, the mister had rearranged MY PANTRY, well, let's just say that I had to put myself into time out to keep from raging at him!  The nerve!  The gall!  I waited until I was calm to confront him about this egregious over-stepping of boundaries...and it took me THREE WEEKS to get myself calm...so...today, in my sweetest voice, I say to the mister, "Dear...I noticed you rearranged the cave?"  His chest swells with pride.  I continue, "Now sweetheart, how would you like it if I went into your nerve center and rearranged all of your files?"  He stammers for a defense - for which he has none...and I stop him, putting my finger to his lips I gently say, "If you EVER touch my pantry again, EVER, you will find your office looking like Hurricane Katrina has paid a visit."  I may or may not have threatened to take our daily detente to DEFCOM One...and to his credit, he said nothing...because what justification could he had have for moving the soups next to the corn?  Or the jams next to the chicken stock?  I'm not letting the mister off the hook with just a warning...oh no...he's NOT getting dessert for at least a week AND...AND...he's going to have to eat healthy!  That'll fix him!

Eating healthy has never been a priority ...just eating good food is all we've cared about...and if it was healthy, we considered it a bonus.  But now that the mister has to be punished we are eating healthy all this week..as a test, to see if we can sustain life without gobs of butter and fat.  Crunchy cabbage, mango, radish, onion all go into the making of the cole slaw and then it's transformed from an ordinary, albeit tasty salad to an extraordinary one with the dressing...avocado, yogurt, lime...in a word?  Amazing.  And when I say amazing I mean how can things get better when the adaptable avocado is involved?  It's the most perfect food...rich, creamy, with a seductive taste and it's GOOD for you, too!  I'm so IN LOVE with my dressing that I entered it in a contest, The Adaptable Avocado Recipe Challenge  and I'm going to be on pots and pins until I find out if I've won...oh, just so you know, since this is MY recipe and I've entered it, it means you can't...but you can enter your own recipe - go and check out the site...and good luck to you!

 

Tilapia is a very mild fish and that's what I used for our tacos...I was going to grill them and skip the pan frying but SOMEONE didn't fill the propane tank!  So, with a very light coating of seasoned flour - salt, pepper and lime zest, and a bit of canola oil in the pan, the fish was cooked to perfection and ready to be dressed.  If you're not a fan of fish tacos, use chicken, this slaw/dressing is excellent on either.  

This really is good...dang good...4 dangs worth!  And if you want to just eat the cole slaw and dressing by itself - by all means do...it can stand alone and hands down it'll beat any slaw you put it up against...I guarandamtee it!

Fish Tacos With Mango Slaw and Avocado Lime Dressing - Pots and Pins

For the Cole Slaw:

1/2 head savoy cabbage, shredded

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded

1 mango, peeled, pitted and finely diced

6 radishes, julienned

4 green onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

For the Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of two limes

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup plain yogurt

1 avocado, peeled and seeded

For the Fish:

6 tilapia fillets

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

zest from half a lime

3 tablespoons canola oil

8 flour or corn tortillas

Make the Cole Slaw:  Put all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss.  

Make the Dressing:  Put all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth, about 10 seconds.  Remove to a small serving dish.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

Make the fish:  Rinse and dry, with paper toweling, all of the fish fillets.  In a plastic Zip-lock style bag, combine the flour, salt, pepper and lime zest.  Put two fish fillets at a time into the bag and gently toss to coat.  Repeat with remaining fillets.  Shake off excess flour.  In a large skillet, heat canola oil until hot, add three fillets and cook about 4 minutes on each side until fish is golden brown and flaky.  Remove to a plate and keep warm with foil. Repeat with remaining fillets.  

To assemble:  In a small skillet, warm tortillas, one at a time, about 30 seconds on each side.  Place tortilla on a plate, top with a couple of pieces of fish, a generous serving of slaw and a tablespoon or two of dressing.  Roll up and eat!  Serves 4 (two tacos each).  

The mister was not the least bit amused when this was all he was served...and when he found out there was no dessert he looked down-right sad...paybacks are painful!

Rachel's Quilt...

In our local school district no one can graduate unless they complete a "senior project"...a 60 plus hour project that ends with a presentation to a panel of peers, teachers and parents...I won't bore you with my humble opinion of this required nonsense but I will tell you that my two children had to do one in order to graduate (which means, in their particular cases, they would not have graduated WITHOUT MY HELP WITH THEIR SENIOR PROJECT!  So I've done TWO senior projects myself...and I'm still not over it!)   I've mentored many kids in the last ten years with their senior projects...all of them expensive, time consuming and, if you ask me, a waste of time.  While these seniors are completing their projects they still have to do all their regular assignments - this is EXTRA nonsense!  I heard about UN-SCHOOLING this morning...that's where kids are home schooled except without any curriculum...they get to do/study whatever they want...fascinating!  Where was THIS when I was a kid!  I would have EXCELLED at un-schooling!

This is Rachel's senior project - she made a quilt - and I was her mentor - which in this case means I got to stand back and say, "Good job Rach!"  Rachel, who has excelled at school because she studies round the clock, took a sampler class at a quilt shop and learned to piece several different kinds of blocks.  She picked out her fabric and designed this quilt herself...and she did a great job!  I think Rachel should be proud of herself for finding the time/energy in her day to get this done...see?   I'm not totally opposed to senior projects - I just think they should be optional, school funded and completed only if weather and time permit!  In the block on the far right I quilted a secret message for Rachel...it says "sweet dreams" and it is very hard to see - I knew where it was and it still took me 5 minutes to find it!   

Rachel has a very small sewing machine, not nearly big enough for her to machine quilt her quilt - so I volunteered to quilt it for her...now she just needs to remove the pins, put on the binding - and a label - and she can graduate from high school!  Way to go Rachel - it's a beauty!

Shredded Beef Tacos...

Who wouldn't like a piece of beef so tender it practically melts in your mouth?  And who wouldn't want a no fuss way of preparing it?  Tender, flavorful and super easy...grab yourself a can of V-8 and a crock pot 'cause that's whats for dinner tonight!

Frozen round steak is what I had on hand...no need to thaw.  You could use a chuck roast - whatever suits your fancy.  Put your meat in the crock pot, turn it on high and pour in a can of V-8 juice...then go about your business for 4 1/2  hours and let the magic happen.  And you'll know when it happens...you'll be able to pull the meat from the crock and shred it with a fork - it'll be like buttah....but-taaaaaah...then return the shredded meat to the crock, add a few spices and let it simmer for another 30 minutes in that wonderful elixir...and be still and know there is a God.

The boy loaded up on Shredded Beef Tacos before his big tourney...and so did the mister and me...strictly out of solidarity.  We cheered the boy on as he swung his clubs...time and time again trying to get out of the sand...

 

Chambers Bay Golf Course is something to see...right off the coast, south of Tacoma, WA...and only ONE tree on the entire course...that's it in the distance in the pic on the left.  But even though there aren't any trees to get in the way of the golf balls...there is plenty of sand - except for the greens the entire course is basically one big sand trap!  All in all, it was a great day - the mister and I managed to walk the back nine without the aid of a defibrillator and the boy was happy with how he played...can't ask for more than that! 

Shredded Beef Tacos - Me

2 1/2 lb. round steak (or chuck roast) trimmed of fat

1 can (12 oz.) V-8 Juice (do not use the low-sodium version)

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chili powder

12 flour tortillas

Toppings - Optional:

green onion, chopped

lettuce, shredded

cilantro, chopped

cheddar cheese, grated

sour cream

avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped

tomatoes, chopped

Put the meat in a large crock pot set on high.  Pour in V-8 Juice.  Cover and cook for 4 1/2 hours, if meat is frozen.  If meat is thawed, cook for 3 1/2 hours.  After cooking time, remove beef from crock and shred with two forks.  Return beef to pot, add cumin, pepper and chili powder, stir to mix.  Cover and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, using a slotted spoon, remove shredded beef from crock to a serving plate.  Lightly brown tortillas on each side in a large skillet.  Top tortillas with beef and whatever toppings you like.  Makes about 12 large tacos.

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"Golf is a lot of walking, broken up by disappointment and bad arithmetic." ~ Unknown

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta With Berries...

In my next life I'm going to be Ina Garten...live in a beautiful house, shop in Montauk, invite turtle-neck-wearing architects over for lunch and have a husband who only appears for dessert with a smile.  In the mean time, thanks to Ina's cookbooks, I can pretend to be her and whip up delicious desserts that make the mister say, "Yeah, it's good...whaddya want me to do a dance or something?"  That was in response to me asking him how he liked his panna cotta...and yes, I would have liked a dance.

 

Panna Cotta is a Northern Italian dessert - and it means cooked cream.  Translated another way it means Heaven in a spoonful.  This is not the first time I've made panna cotta...it's a regular on the menu around here...and it's not the first time I've posted about it either...this used to be my go-to recipe for panna cotta...and while it's very good and I like it a lot, Ina's recipe is creamier and easier.  So from now on, when I want a taste of Italy, this will be the recipe I use.  Italy is still in the cards...yes, yes, our dreams of going this spring were dashed thanks to a crises or two...but now we're definitely going in October.  Definitely.  The Fashionista and her daughter just returned from Italy and not only did she bring me a lovely gift, she also gave me her pile of guide/travel books on Italy.  And another friend loaned me her books on Italy that she picked up over 25 years ago...filled with pictures of art...and a few strategically placed stickers...

Gee...whatever could be behind that apple?!?  Every night I flip through the guide books and dream about Italy...so it should come as no shock to you that every day I have to fight the urge to make pasta and marinara...I remind myself that flying for 18 hours with 32-inches of leg-room will be even MORE uncomfortable if I cannot fit in the seat!  Usually that's enough to stop me...but who, I ask, WHO, has the will power to say no to panna cotta?!? 

This is a fool-proof recipe and makes 8 servings.  But you have to start a day ahead because it needs to refrigerate overnight...which makes it the perfect dessert for a dinner party...no last minute fuss, just pour on some berries and wait for the applause.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta With Berries ~ Adapted From Ian Garten

2 teaspoons (1 packet) unflavored gelatin powder

3 cups heavy cream

2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt (do not use the low-fat stuff!)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

3/4 cup sugar

For the Topping:

1 pint blackberries or blueberries

2 pints strawberries or raspberries

1 tablespoon sugar

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin on three tablespoons of cold water.  Stir and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin to dissolve.  Meanwhile, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the cream, the yogurt, the vanilla, and the vanilla bean seeds.  Heat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cream and the sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Off the heat, ad the softened gelatin to the hot cream and stir to dissolve.  Pour the hot cream/gelatin mixture into the cream/yogurt mixture and stir to combine.  Pour into eight serving dishes (custard cups or ramekins) and refrigerate uncovered until cold.  When the panna cottas are thoroughly chilled, cover with plastic wrap and allow to set overnight.  Right before serving prepare the berries.  In a medium bowl, combine all but 8 of the blackberries, (reserving one whole blackberry for each serving dish) and all but 8 of the strawberries (reserving one whole strawberry for each serving dish).  Sprinkle berries with sugar and using a masher, slightly mash the berries to bring out a bit of the juice.  Spoon berries and some juice over the top of each serving dish.  Garnish with the remaining whole berries.  (If using ramekins, run a small knife around each dessert and dip the bottom of each ramekin quickly in a bowl of hot tap water.  Unmold each ramekin upside down onto a dessert plate.)  Serves 8. 

"A friend doesn't go on a diet because you are fat."  ~ Erma Bombeck

Coffeecake Muffins...

At the baby shower last week, there was a little girl eying the food table...she pointed to a basket of muffins and asked what kind they were, I said, "They're coffeecake muffins and they're very good!"  She wrinkled up her nose and said, "Coffee is bad for you!"  I quickly explained that no coffee was used in the making of these muffins and then she wanted to know why they were called that...so I went on with my explanation..."...because people eat them in the morning with their coffee."  To which she replied, in a more agitated tone, "Coffee is bad for you!"  I gave up.  She was 6 and she had me.

These muffins have a rich, buttery taste and a sweet streusel topping that makes them downright addictive!  I made mini-muffins so I could feel good about eating 3 or 4 of them...and I had no guilt whatsoever because they were so good and I had convinced myself that I deserved them!  Every girl needs a little streusel every now and then...feel free to quote me on that! 

Coffeecake Muffins - Adapted From Baking Illustrated

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and softened a bit

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set aside (or use cupcake papers).  (I used a mini-muffin tin, which made 24 muffins.)  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon until the nuts are the size of sesame seeds, about ten 1-second pulses.  Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and set aside. 

Return the bowl and metal blade to the food processor, add the flour, granulated sugar and salt and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses.  Sprinkle the butter evenly over the flour mixture and process until the butter is the size of oats, about eight 1-second pulses.  Remove 1/2 cup of the flour-butter mixture and stir it with a fork into the reserved brown sugar mixture until combined to make the streusel.  Set aside 3/4 cup of the streusel for the muffin batter and the remaining portion for topping the muffins.

Add the baking powder and baking soda to the remaining flour mixture in the food processor bowl and process until combined, about five 1-second pulses.  Whisk together the sour cream, egg, and vanilla in a small bowl and add to the flour mixture.  Process until the batter is just moistened, about five 1-second pulses.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of the streusel to the flour mixture and process until the streusel is just distributed throughout the batter and the batter looks crumbly, about five 1-second pulses. 

Using a large spoon sprayed with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking, divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups (or the 24 mini-muffin cups).  Sprinkle a scant tablespoon of streusel on top of each muffin, pressing lightly so the streusel sinks slightly into the batter.  Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out with several crumbs clinging to it, about 18 minutes.  Avoid over-baking.  Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool in the tin for 2 minutes.   Using the tip of a paring knife, loosen the muffins and gently transfer them from the tin to the wire rack.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Serve warm. 

"There's no such thing as fun for the whole family."  ~ Jerry Seinfeld