August Favorites

I've got other priorities right now, but am still cooking the most delicious foods and want to capture our favorite recipes, so I'm starting a monthly blog post. No photos. No extra text. Just links to the best food that's coming out of our kitchen each month. We'll see if this strikes that happy balance I'm looking for: a place to store my recipes that I want to come back to make again and again without a huge time commitment.

Hummus:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/01/ethereally-smooth-hummus/

And if I'm really lucky, we'll grill this chicken to pile on top of the hummus:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-skewers-with-toum-shish-taouk
Especially important is the garlic sauce. I've loved this garlic sauce since I was pregnant with Hazel and have only now found this amazing recipe to make it at home.

I was super excited to find a new recipe for my overflowing amounts of basil. Moving beyond pest is a great accomplishment!
https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/08/burrata-with-lentils-and-basil-vinaigrette/

And what about all those tomatoes?? We're finally getting a harvest....like 20 pounds at a time, so I've really focused in on both fresh tomato consumption and preserving for winter.

Fresh tomatoes
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/08/burst-tomato-galette-with-corn-and-zucchini/
This is the perfect galette for August. Tomatoes, leftover corn on the cobb, zucchini, and I even added some gorgeous purple cauliflower and wild mushrooms. Don't be put off by the lack of spices... this galette captures the essence of fresh vegetables perfectly and doesn't need a single spice.

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/tomato-galette
As I loaded this into the over, I was struck at how much this looks like a frozen pizza, so I'm going to experiment with making these smaller so they'll fit in my food saver bags and can be frozen.

Preserved Tomatoes

Paste:
https://zerowastechef.com/2018/10/03/tomato-paste-from-scratch/
I made this recipe without the honey and bay leaves. We did a side by side taste test and LOVED this flavor.

Canned tomatoes:
https://zerowastechef.com/2014/10/08/roasted-tomatoes/
I used the guidelines from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook to add 1T of lemon juice per quart before canning in a water bath for 45 minutes.

Tomato sauce/soup:
This one comes from Grandma and I can't find it on the web, so we're going to have to stick with a photo of the magazine..... and grandma's notes:
I use this roughly. I oven roast the tomatoes and garlic at 350. I add a head of garlic. I don’t add the brown sugar. If I have parsley I add it but usually I don’t. I add red pepper but you probably won’t.

Dutch babies

While in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago, we ordered Hazel a bacon pancake. What arrived was nothing shy of a breakfast miracle! One big, eggy pancake. Something between a crepe and what we know as a pancake in the US. It had tiny bits of chopped up bacon throughout.  

I’ve since learned this is called a Dutch baby. And it’s about the easiest breakfast you can make on a Saturday morning. For those of us who try not to eat too much sugar and flour, but still have children who request pancakes, this is a moderately good option. More eggs than your standard pancake, less flour, more fat (from the half and half), AND you don’t need maple syrup. Trust me, if Hazel chooses to skip the maple syrup, anyone can!

I’ve been hunting around for the best recipe. Smitten Kitchen (usually my first stop) has a gingerbread version in the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, a chocolate version here, a buckwheat with salted caramel syrup version here, and a cherry almond version here, but my favorite so far is this one from Orangette.

If you get your timing right, you can cook bacon in the oven at the same time as your dutch baby, set the table with red raspberries (seriously, these with the lemon and powdered sugar on top of the pancake are a-mazing!), and drink a cup of coffee (or chase your toddler) while everything bakes. 

Cooking instructions:

Cook one batch in two 6-inch cast-iron skillets or a single 10- or 11-inch one. I made a double batch this morning and did both (mostly because I have two 6-inch and one 10-inch cast iron skillets). Serves 2.

For the pancakes:

6 Tbs unsalted butter
4 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup half-and-half

For the topping:
Extra butter on the table for melting on top
Juice of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the 6 Tbs butter between two 6-inch cast-iron skillets, and melt it over low heat.

In a blender*, whir together the eggs, flour, and half-and-half.

Pour the batter into the skillets over the melted butter. Slide the skillets into the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the puffed pancakes from the oven, transfer them to a plate or shallow bowl, top with additional butter (if desired), squeeze on lemon juice, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes:
*I use a Cuisinart food processor

Spring snap pea salad with yogurt

I made this recipe for Father's Day and we all loved it! No photos but I want to be sure to have this at my fingertips when the Sweet peas are plentiful again!

Serves 6
Just barely. I wish I had doubled the recipe
Modified from Fine Cooking
http://amp.timeinc.net/cookinglight/recipes/snap-pea-salad-whipped-ricotta?source=dam

8 ounces sugar snap peas

8 ounces whole milk plain yogurt (original recipe called for 2/3 cup ricotta which would certainly save time, but I never have ricotta in the house so I use yogurt)

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 cup sliced fresh chives

2 tablespoons torn fresh mint (or more, to taste)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill (or more, to taste)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stain yogurt with cheesecloth to make a ricotta or paneer like cheese  best to strain overnight if you have time, but I'm sure you could rush this step by twisting and squeezing the cheesecloth if you need to  

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add peas, and cook just until bright green and barely tender, about 1 minute. Immediately transfer peas to a bowl of ice water; let stand 5 minutes. Drain well. You can slice them or leave them whole  Either way it's delicious  

Process yogurt  and lemon rind in a food processor until smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds. Spread mixture on a serving platter.

Toss together sliced snap peas, chives, mint, dill, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Arrange on top of yogurt mixture. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper.

Notes: the first time I made this, we were cramped for counter space so I chopped the chives, mint, and dill in the food processor after I was done with the yogurt. Of course that turned them into more of a paste. The dish tasted fine, but next time I'll try coarsely chopping them as the original recipe instructed. 

Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

I made this dip for Hazel's 5th birthday party. And I made it with a three week old in a wrap on my chest, so you know I'm telling the truth when I say it's really easy to make.

Adapted from Sugar Dish Me 

(http://www.sugardishme.com/best-no-bake-spinach-dip/#621MfJQDW39lUwVQ.99)

Serves: 8 

(according to the original recipe; I doubled and served at a party for 50)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4.5 ounces fresh spinach, very finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can artichoke hearts
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

1. Finely chop the spinach (I did this in the food processor).
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.
3. When the spinach has cooked down, add the garlic. Stir and cook until translucent and fragrant. 
4. While the spinach and garlic are cooking, finely chop the artichokes (again, I did this in the food processor). 
5. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir with the remaining ingredients until smooth.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I made this for Mrs. Jessica Silber Smith's baby shower today and promised to post the recipe. It is a delicious chocolate cake recipe (and gluten free!) that I reach for over and over again. There are only 4 ingredients. They are real ingredients and there's no funny substitutes to make it gluten free.

I regularly make this cake without the creme fraiche and raspberries (like today), but if you want an extra special presentation, the topping is super delicious too. The cake stores well for a couple of days at room temperature, but the topping should be added just before serving.

modified only very slightly from
The Art & Soul of Baking
by Cindy Mushet

serves 8 to 10 (at least)

Cake
10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I use chocolate chips)
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar

Topping
8 ounces creme fraiche (I use sour cream)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon framboise or Chambord (optional, and I don't think I have ever included this)
1 pint raspberries