grilled smokey ribeye with lemony cucumber & carrot salad

i was really in the mood for something uncomplicated in flavor last sunday after recovering from a too-much-fun bachelorette party i had attended the night before. i won’t divulge a single detail on the party itself, but i will say this: my judgment was impaired, and i ate a bag of cheddar & onion potato chips on the way home. -a family size bag.. and there were chips stuck in my dress the next morning… uggghhh….

the name of the game after such a crazy food night was eating healthy. -clean food. simple food.

the temperature was a pleasant 82f, and brian and i craved steak. we had a roasted chicken planned, which is our normal sunday tradition, but we could NOT resist getting the grill out to kick off the season.

steak. must have steak.

we made our emergency stop to churchill’s with our sunglasses on and purchased a big niman ranch ribeye, which is the only large farm we trust. our teenage meat kid behind the counter with messy hair and hip, thick glasses recommended a ribeye, said it was his favorite cut. he promised it to be perfectly marbled, and awesome to grill. it was. thanks, teen. you are always right when you tell us what to eat. seriously, you know whats up.

whence recovering from a hardy-party, you must consume vegetables. it is the rules. especially when one consumed an entire bag of chips before bed.. family size.. so i came up with a really crunchy and refreshing salad. i guess it was more of a slaw than a salad, but if 2 vegetables join the same bowl, i tend to call it salad.

what a delightful meal this was! i must compliment myself on following my primal urge to chow some juicy, healthy steak and satisfying salad. this was the perfect spring meal, and truly repaired my body after a full night of stern abuse. the rub for the steak is a classic combination of flavors we stole somewhere along the line from our righteous grillin’ hero, steve reichlen. the flavors from the charcoal grill really stand out here, but the dry spices are just enough to make this taste smoky, vibrant, and well, excellent.

the salad made enough to compliment 2 meals later on in the week., and the steak yielded no leftovers.

make the salad first so as to let it soak up its own tasty juices. i made mine an hour or so before serving, and it seemed only to improve in flavor later in the week as leftovers.

crunchy carrot salad

1 cucumber, diced

2 cups shredded carrots

1/4 cup fine chopped red onion

1/2 cup crumbled feta

few leaves of basil

1/2 lemons juice, zest reserved

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

method: whisk last 3 ingredients to make a dressing. toss with veggies and basil. zest with some lemon, while you’re at it. let it sit for bit, chilled, to allow flavors to mingle and what-not.

grilled steak

1 big ribeye

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp dried garlic

1 tsp dried onion powder

method: make a paste out of all the ingredients and rub onto steak. let it marinate for one hour. pull steak out of the refrigerator half an hour before grilling to come to room temperature.

start grill. oil grill grates and get it piping hot before you throw the steak on. as a general rule, we flip steak only 2 times as to not tear the char off of the outside and to prevent it from getting tough.

let it rest 10 minutes before digging in. serve with a crunchy salad. trust me.

broiled cod and cauliflower rice with romesco and black olive sauces

its friday, fishes!

i am catholic, so i observe the absence of eating land animals on fridays. for me, this a welcome change from our normal menu. fish is such a light, delicious ingredient to cook with, so i like to keep it really simple. -minimal seasoning for the fish, but i go nuts with sauces to have with the fish. the sauces keep in the refrigerator for several weeks, so if you make a batch you can spread it out and use the sauces up here and there to spice things up for a kabillion different meals.

this is last week’s meal, broiled lemon cod with romesco, black olive sauce, and basil cauliflower rice.  i added some carmelized onions that we had leftover from another meal to use them up. these 2 sauces were a beautiful way to accompany light flavors of cod and cauliflower. i have been really loving cauliflower rice lately. i find that i may prefer it to grain rice, as it has lots of flavor and reheats flawlessly.

this was a super delicious & easy meal to prepare. obviously, this would be a really quick dinner to make if you are on your own for a friday and need something to put on a “table for one”, like i will tomorrow night!

don’t skip making the sauces. they are so simple to make and will last for several meals.

this recipe makes enough rice for 4 servings, and lots of sauces. make the sauces first to give them time to develop their respective flavors. then make the cauliflower, then the fish.

for romesco:

1 cup almonds

1 cup roasted red peppers

1 roasted ancho chile

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

3 or 4 raw cloves of garlic

zest of a lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

method: in food processor, puree all ingredients until they form a sauce. let stand at room temp for a bit. serve with anything that you want to taste delicious.

for black olive sauce:

1/2 cup pitted black olives

1 tbsp capers

1/2 cup good quality olive oil

half clove garlic

method: combine all ingredients in food processor or mini food processor. let set for a little bit at room temp before serving.

broiled cod with cauliflower rice

2 fillets of fresh cod

1 lemon

black pepper

salt

few leaves fresh basil

good tasting olive oil

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into large trees

method:

for cauliflower rice, shred cauliflower in food processor. add chopped basil, salt, juice from half a lemon, and whatever dry spices you wish, such as dried garlic or onion.

in deep skillet, warm up a little olive oil over low-medium heat. add cauliflower rice to skillet once it is warm and cook, covered, until tender. mine took roughly 10 minutes. be sure to stir pretty constantly so it doesn’t burn.

for the cod: an hour before broiling, juice your lemon over the fish and sprinkle black pepper over it. do not salt until just before putting fish into broiler or the fish will get rubbery. let fish marinate for an hour.

preheat broiler. place fish on broiler pan, well oiled, and cover fish in olive oil and dusting of salt. broil for 5 minutes or so, just until edges get slightly brown. serve over cauliflower rice. with romesco and black olive sauce.

morels

 

speaking of spring, it is mushroom season in michigan.

usually, shrooming season in that zone is later in april. however, with the warmer temperatures a few weeks ago, the little buggers have popped up a little early.

fine by me.

if you happen upon a patch of morels and would like to forage them, simply cut them at dirt level. never pull them from the ground as this poses risk of damaging the mycelium, which is their “root” which will come again year after year. the mycelium grows in a circle, and spreads year after year, widening its radius.

i hunted these suckers down at my local grocery store. they are coming in from just an hour and a half north of me, in michigan. they cost $60 a pound. -no, i’m totally serious. but since we only bought enough for brian and i to savor slowly in a single meal, i spent only $10 on our portion.

did i blow our weekly budget because of it?

yeah. i did.

did i feel badly?

gosh no.

this is a seasonal treat. the rolls-royce of mushrooms, and they are only available for a limited time.

also, you live only once.

 

i didn’t have to debate at all with how i wanted to prepare these. i have been planning it carefully in my head for weeks:

sautee in butter.

lemon to cut the meatiness

thyme to accentuate its earthiness

romano to balance the tartness of the lemon

the rest of the meal was just as simple to plan. i wanted to keep the flavors pretty simple to give the shrooms a chance to shine, so i made thyme poached chicken. the added bonus was that chicken thighs are one of the cheapest meats i can get my hands on, so i wouldn’t feel too badly about spending so much on the shrooms.

cheese and zest covered morels

this turned out amazingly. decadent but light, earthy but bright, tender and savory.

if you are able to get your hands on this ground gold, snatch some up. morels are a delicacy and a wonderful treat to throw into an omelette, use as a side dish, or sautee for a bowl of pasta (if you’re into that sort of thing…)

don’t skip the sauce. it really makes the whole dish taste special.

here is what i did:

for the chicken:

6 chicken thighs

2 cups broth

1 tsp roasted garlic

handful of fresh thyme

salt & pepper

for the sauce:

juice from half a lemon

1/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup broth

salt & pepper

to serve:

some zest from lemon

good amount of romano cheese, shaved

some chopped walnuts

method: start with the chicken. get a cast iron skillet nice and hot. put in a little bacon grease or oil. let it get thin and hot. put in the chicken thighs and let cook without moving for 4 minutes or so. flip. cook for 3 minutes.

pour broth, thyme, and garlic into pan. place lid over pan and turn heat down to low. cook for 15 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

for the sauce, combine all ingredients into heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook over low heat, until it begins to bubble. after first few bubbles appear, move away from heat and cover while it cools and thickens. serve over chicken.

cook mushrooms after giving them a good dunk in cold water then gently tossling them about over a clean towel to dry. over medium heat, get butter sizzling hot in cast iron skillet. put mushrooms into skillet and keep them moving until they turn brown and tender. serve with chicken and sauce. top with lemon zest and romano cheese.

garbanzo battered and fried cauliflower with romesco

 

did you know that you can bread things with chickpea flour?

india knows it, and they call it gram or besan.

the french know it, and it is called socca.

spain knows it, and it is called garbanzo.

i’m sure other places know it, too.

i just found out.

last night, i used garbanzo flour to make battered and fried cauliflower for a tapas dinner brian and i hosted. i was inspired by a recipe i saw on tastespotting with awesome variations for different regions. unfortunately, i can’t quite find the link to this guy’s original recipe, so i’ll give him anonymous props.

we had our parents over. the menu was pretty awesome, but i gotta say: the star of the show was first and foremost the cauliflower. the crispy batter was full of rich flavor, unlike flavorless wheat flour batters. the batter held up really nicely, both in the pan and after frying. i have experienced many wheat based batters that scatter in the pan, or cook off of the food, or simply pull apart from the food when you try to bite into it. not this stuff. the batter was thick enough to stick to the cauliflower, and fried up really evenly. the cauliflower plays a somewhat neutral role in this recipe, so feel free to substitute carrots, mushrooms, whatever you desire. i think this may even work well for a fish batter.

to follow our “spanish tapas” theme last night, i made a smoky romesco sauce to dip the cauliflower into. i can think of nothing that would accompany the cauliflower than this perfect sauce. a little sweet, a little smoky, a little salty,… just perfect. the almonds are a must, by the way. some make romesco with crusty bread crumbled into the puree, but i prefer the tradition of almonds. they add buttery depth and texture to the sauce.

i am thrilled about this recipe. it has been years since i have had anything battered. i feel like i’ve been let in on a little secret! lucky this is lower in sugar and quite healthier than traditional breading. this opens up a whole new world of breading everything to me. think of the possibilities… breaded meats! breaded veggies! breaded cheese cubes! yyeeeeesssssss!

the batter

for the batter:

1 cup garbanzo flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

tbsp fresh thyme

pinch of dried chilis

1/2 cup greek yogurt or sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 head cauliflower, cut into quarters, then 1/2″ thick slices

method:

in a huge bowl, combine all dry ingredients together (except for the cauliflower, duh). separately, combine all wet ingredients. pour wet ingredients into dry. stir stir stir. if batter seems rather thick, thin it out with more milk. taste the batter, and season as you wish. i found myself adding more salt.

throw a few pieces of cauliflower into batter. be sure they are evenly coated. i gave mine a few dips and stirs to ensure even coating.

to fry:

pour about a cup of sunflower oil, or other high heat tolerant oil into deep cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed fry pan. allow oil to heat up quite a bit, about 310f. if you don’t have a thermometer, the oil will bite back when you splash water into it.

a few pieces at a time, carefully drop coated cauliflower into hot oil. fry for one minute or so, then flip. when pieces are golden brown, drain on paper towels and serve right away. no one likes soggy batter.

for romesco:

1 cup almonds

1 cup roasted red peppers

1 roasted ancho chile

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp salt

3 or 4 raw cloves of garlic

zest of a lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

method: in food processor, puree all ingredients until they form a sauce. serve with anything that you want to taste delicious.

 

bacon and gruyere meatloaf

 

some of the the workhorses

unfortunately, meatloaf isn’t particularly photographable. however, it is extremely edible. lucky for you, the ingredient prep turned out looking prettier than the finished dish. though i included a photo of the loaf before i stuck it into the oven, don’t let it fool you: this modest loaf was no ordinary loaf.

MOM- YOU NEED TO STEAL THIS RECIPE. it has long been of my mother’s opinion that her meatloaf… well, she thinks it sucks. i can’t really remember what it tastes like and i’m sure it doesn’t suck. but i promise, this one is THE ONE. to those loaf-a-phobics out there: take this recipe and run with it. make it yours. tell everyone it is your family’s secret recipe.

normally, i don’t follow a “real” recipe for.. well.. anything. i find variation and experimentation to be exhilarating, and it satisfies some reckless behaviors i possess in the kitchen.

but when i spotted this recipe in real simple magazine, i knew by the title: bacon & gruyere meatloaf, i must make this divine dish, and i will keep from complicating it with my variations.

well, i did make a few adjustments, but only because the recipe called for a quarter cup of breadcrumbs, and i don’t eat those. also, i had a bunch of herbs i wanted to use up, so i threw them in.

the results of my “sticking with the recipe” trial? i’m so glad i did. i am so glad i followed this recipe. gruyere and bacon are priceless ingredients in any kitchen. worth their weight in gold, really. they lended smoky, salty quality to the flavor. the gruyere on top browns and sets up perfectly, forming a perfectly thick crust on top. and no, you can not taste the ketchup in this dish. it is just enough to slightly sweeten it, give it a little acidity, and a lot of moisture. i would gladly serve this dish at any social gathering, potluck, or  just as easily make it for a quick family dinner. it would be super easy to make this the night before needed, and throw it into the oven an hour before dinner time. this came together really quickly.

*notes:

i had my favorite deli guy slice off my 4 oz chunk of gruyere so i didn’t have to buy a 10 oz block.

you could use breadcrumbs in this recipe if you wish, but i don’t find them to be necessary. i used flax meal to soak up some moisture.

i graded the onions in my food processor and then drained them, but i am sure you could do this by hand if you so wish. separately, i also shredded the cheese in the food processor.

i am including my adjustments to this recipe, though the original can be found at real simple.

bacon & gruyere meatloaf

before it bakes

serves 4

ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground chuck

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tbsp flax meal

1 graded onion, drained

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

3 slices bacon

1 egg, beaten

4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded

3/4 tbsp salt

good shake of coarsley ground pepper

method:

preheat oven to 400f.

with bare, clean hands, combine all ingredients, except for 1/3 cup of the cheese, in a very large bowl. smash, smoosh, pretend the meat is the kid who bullied you in middle school. do this for 5 minutes or so.

pat it all into your loaf pan, kinda tight so you don’t have gaps.

top with remaining cheese, decorate it with some more fresh rosemary if you wish.

bake for 45 minutes, turning once after 20 minutes so the cheese browns evenly.

use baster to suck up the excess liquid, or carefully pour it out. let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

ok, one photo of the loaf, after i sliced it. -just wanted to show off the cheese!

we served it with sauteed kale

fatty-bo-batty-ridiculous-burger

avocado, egg, bacon, onion, asiago, burger, red pepper, spinach, in that order.

 

dear dr. atkins,

you were right. red meat, eggs, fatty cheese, and veggies are where it’s at. they keep me full and healthy. they taste better than any birthday cake. they are inexpensive and warm the soul.

the following is not a recipe. it is simply a suggestion.

when brian and i eat burgers, we aren’t about to have a burger with cold toppings. no pickles-tomato-lettuce. no way, jose. not worth it. we like the fatty-bo-batty toppings. bring on the fillings. with the way we make our burgers, there is no room for a side dish. no room for fries. not on the plate, not in my tummy. get outta here, fries. we want toppings.

“a fried egg on a burger?!”, you might say.. and to that, i say “yes, duh.”

this burger is almost a complete replica of one served at kaya, in the strip district of pittsburgh.

start with 1/4 lb ground beef per person. add chili powder, salt, minced rosemary, and minced garlic. patty it up, pressing a thumb-print into the center of the patty. this keeps the middle from puffing up like a meatball.

prep your toppings while the grill or skillet heats up.

toppings:

fried egg

bacon

cheese (we suggest asiago)

roasted red pepper

roasted onion

a few leaves of spinach (so people think it is healthy)

avocado

mustard

NOW. grill your burger or fry in a cast iron skillet. when it is close to finished, put your cheese on it. stick it under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese for a real treat.

top with the rest. good luck getting all of it on there.

eat the burger. enjoy the mess. challenge yourself to open your mouth big enough to take a real bite. let your eating partner in on the secret that there might be a little mustard in your nostril.

yes, i did enjoy this burger with thin slices of gluten-free bread, for a change. normally this is a fork and knife thing for me, but i wanted to try eating this with a “bun” for once. it was so worth it. the bread soaked up the egg nicely. i will be enjoying gluten-free bread once a month or so for a special treat.

Quinoa is Versatile

 

 

 

i’ve been going crazy for quinoa lately. i’ve written a recipe for quinoa breakfast cereal in the past and i am making it weekly. i’ve also been using quinoa in place of rice in my dinner meals to soak up tasty sauces.

quinoa is way easier to cook than rice and much faster. it absorbs all of the water it is cooked in like rice does, and i have seen that you can even cook it in a rice cooker. i don’t know about that. it has a slightly crunchy texture and is very mild in flavor. compared with rice, i think it is a little more of a blank canvas even than rice. nutritionally speaking, quinoa beats rice hands down, with 6 grams protein compared with rice’s 3, a few less carbs, 6g fiber compared with 0, and just 20 additional calories per serving. it is super pretty and colorful. i almost count this as a vegetable in a meal. i am excited to try this aside some south american dish next week or so, letting it shine in its indigenous origin.

this time brian and i used it along with a curry dish we made. we have been on a super strict grocery budget this year, and i’m proud to report that this meal cost next to nothing. we roast a chicken on sundays and use it in other meals throughout the week. we had squash and green beans leftover from another meal that week and decided to throw it all together. viola. we had awesome leftovers from this.

chicken curry in a hurry

(enough for 4 or more)

1 cup red quinoa

1 cup cooked & cubed butternut or other squash

1 cup green beans, cooked

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

pinch of fresh chopped ginger

few garlic cloves chopped

half a chicken breast, cut into chunks

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

spices

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp brown sugar

method:

first cook quinoa. in a medium pan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. stir in quinoa, place lid on, and turn heat to low. cook for 15 minutes stirring a few times so quinoa doesn’t burn on the bottom. turn off heat and leave lid on.

in a small bowl, combine chicken broth and coconut milk with all of the dry spices. stir in garlic and ginger. let it sit for a bit in the bowl.

in a large oiled fry-pan or wok, cook onions on medium/hot until just soft. turn heat a little lower and stir in liquid ingredients. stir stir stir. dump in all the other stuff except for quinoa. simmer on low for a bit, maybe 20 minutes or so, until everything is nice and hot. if sauce thickens too much, add more broth and coconut milk in even proportions. taste to be sure it doesn’t need anything else, i like to add a little salt and sugar. we also threw in a tiny pinch of saffron to be fancy. serve over quinoa with a little sriracha sauce.

 

savory chuck roast with rosemary, onions, & dried mushrooms

rosemary, bay leaves, dried mushrooms

 

crock pots are built for busy lives. nah, my life isn’t very busy at all. seriously. i don’t NEED the convenience of a slow cooker as badly as soccer moms or government workers pulling 14 hour days. i really don’t need it, but i really, really appreciate it. i love the gravies and juices that seep out and cook back in. i love the new flavors that slow, single pot cooking creates. i love the ease of throwing whatever you happen to have in your refrigerator into something and returning to a meal a few hours later.

more than these things, i love turning a giant, cheap cut of meat into a meal you can savor. a chuck roast may be viewed as a peasant dish. but i favor this inexpensive cut. its fat content is most desirable for slow cooking. while slowly roasting, the fat melts off of the meat leaving tender, juicy beef behind. the work is done for you. i don’t know what my favorite part of this dish is: the perfectly tender beef, or the salty, sweet warm onions that melt in your mouth.

i love to use dried mushrooms because of their deep, earthy flavor. sprigs of rosemary and a few bay leaves keep this tasting fresh and bright. using chicken broth keeps the flavors on the lighter side. if you want a really rich flavor, try adding half a cup of red wine to the pot. this is a very warm and filling meal. warm food always makes the winter season slightly more agreeable.

this recipe serves about 8.

savory chuck roast

ingredients:

garlic

chuck roast (2-4 lbs or so)

1 sweet white onion, sliced thickly

5 or so cloves garlic

giant handful rosemary

4 bay leaves

cup or so dried mushrooms

2 cups chicken broth

S & P

*cook’s note- mushrooms, rosemary, and garlic do not need chopped. they will cook down quite a bit and become really soft and savory.

method: heat a little fat in a cast iron skillet. once it’s good and hot, throw your giant cut of beef on and brown both sides. watch closely. meanwhile prep crock.

chop onion into thick slices. lay them in the bottom of your crock. layer half of rosemary and bay on top of the onions.

 

onions, rosemary, & bay leaves

set browned beef into crock pot. place remaining rosemary and bay leaves, garlic, mushrooms, S&P on top of meat. this will ensure that the flavors will seep into the meat, rather than remaining in the bottom of the crock.

 

beef with herbs, mushrooms, & garlic

pour broth into the bottom of the crock, careful not to displace herbs from beef. place lid onto crock.

at this point, you can either put into the refrigerator and cook in the morning, or you can cook it now.

cook for 6-8 hours on low. be sure to serve beef with lots of onions on top.

emma apple orchard and 3 recipes

 

 

my bestie emma was in town from san francisco last week. what a dream. she was around for about 2 weeks, and it felt like 2 hours. i can’t explain the pure grief i went through when it was time for her to go back to san francisco. it was a real loss for me. she brings such bright light and sweet joy to everyone’s life that she passes into. thanks for all of the time you spent with me, emma!

to make the most of our time together, the awesome friend trio, erin, emma, and myself, made a visit to the local apple orchard. in my mind, i’ll forever associate autumn with trips to the apple orchard or pumpkin patch with emily. it’s sort of her “thing”. it’s not officially autumn until you make a trip to pick apples, you know. we stuffed ourselves on apples. we bought half a bushel, and that is a lot of apples. we climbed trees, threw apples at each other, and taste tested any apple we could get our hands on.

we had a great dinner party afterward, to get rid of a few apples. we had apple and spinach stuffed pork tenderloin, which was super tasty. i love pork and apples. serious love. pork tenderloin is particularly easy to entertain with. (since we were cooking for so many, i made 3 tenderloins. i will reduce the recipe to 4 servings for practicality.) i pounded them out flat, stuffed them, tied ‘em up, and let them marinate for a few hours. brian threw them on the grill for me, and they were finished in about 30 minutes. we also had butternut squash with apple smoked bacon and toasted walnuts. i am madly in love with this combination. i will make it our official fall side dish. for desert, we gobbled up an apple upside down cake, which turned out pretty great.

we had a truth or dare bonfire after dinner, so the rest of the night was a little foggy. i just know that there was wine. lots and lots of wine.

here are the recipes!

 

apples and rosemary

 

spinach and apple stuffed pork tenderloin

serves 4

ingredients

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 lb

1 apple, thinly sliced

1 cup spinach

few sprigs of trimmed rosemary, chopped (maybe a tablespoon or more)

1/4 cup or so apple cider vinegar

pepper

salt (after the pork is finished cooking!)

poultry string, 4 pieces cut into 6″ strands, to tie up the porkie

meat mallet

method:

on a clean counter top or cutting board, pound the tenderloin until it is about half an inch thick. it may take 10 minutes or so of a good beating, but it is possible. try to get the entire piece of meat uniform in thickness.

 

all rolled up

 

careful you don’t pound through anywhere.

pour half the vinegar over the meat. sprinkle the rosemary and pepper over the meat. *don’t salt it yet. salting before you cook meat is a good way to lose juice and flavor, or make the meat really tough, unless you are brining.

spread the apple slices onto the meat, then the spinach on top of that.

roll the tenderloin long way, so you have a long tube of meat, securing with string as you go along. tuck in all of the spinach and apples that sneak out.

pour the rest of the vinegar over the pork and set aside to marinate for an hour. pork should be at room temp for half an hour before cooking. throw onto the grill, indirect heat, for half an hour or so. let it rest for 10 minutes before sprinkling with salt and pepper. cut string off and serve.

butternut squash with toasted walnuts and crisped bacon

serves 8

ingredients

1 medium butternut squash

few sprigs rosemary, trimmed and chopped

knob of butter

salt and pepper

1/4 cup whole milk (or heavy cream for a special treat)

2 tbsp brown sugar

5 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup walnuts, chopped

method: preheat oven to 450f. rinse the outer skin of the squash and dry. with a sharp knife, cut down the squash lengthwise. smear the flesh with butter. sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper. place onto greased cookiesheet, flesh side down, and roast for 40 minutes or so. you’ll know it’s done when the skin is brown and papery. you should be able to pierce it easily with a dull knife. don’t be alarmed if the flesh is black around the edges. this is a special treat. the starches in the squash cook into a nice, deeply flavored sugary crust. try to include this into the puree.

while squash is cooling, over low heat, toast the walnuts until they become just fragrant. these burn easily, watch it.

set nuts aside to cool.

once squash is done, set aside to cool for half an hour or so. now scoop the flesh out from the skin into a large bowl or kitchen aid bowl. the papery skin may try to cling onto the flesh, so you should use care in doing this.

pour milk or cream over squash and add brown sugar. whip with mixer until well mixed and smooth. taste it. -here is where you can add some more cream, salt, pepper, or brown sugar.

scoop into a pretty bowl and sprinkle bacon and nuts over top. a little butter melting on top doesn’t hurt, either.

i’ll now include my recipe for apple upside down cake, though i’ve posted it before on this blog. i’ve adjusted the recipe slightly, as has the author of the original recipe over at comfy belly. the previous cake contained a lot of liquid, so i’ve cut out the butter from the cake batter and used thicker yogurt to further reduce the water content. i really like this mildly sweet cake, and it’s become a seasonal regular in our house. use tart apples for maximum flavor. i served it with maple whipped cream, but it would be great with vanilla ice cream, or maybe a small glass of bourbon. what? don’t be a square.

 

apples upside down

 

apple upside down cake

2 cups almond flour, packed

pinch of salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup honey

3 tart apples, cored & sliced

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp brown sugar

method:

preheat oven to 300f. prep spring form or regular 9″ cake pan with butter and round of parchment.

in large skillet, saute thinly sliced apples in a little butter and cinnamon for 5 minutes or so, until they are just tender. -you don’t want to over cook them, remember they will cook a little while baking, too. remove from heat and place in a pretty pattern on parchment. i did spirals patterns, trying to close the gaps so the batter wouldn’t seep through much. don’t pour the tasty syrup into the pan, you’ll only have a soggy cake. sprinkle brown sugar over the apples and stick pan into the freezer while you prep the cake.

meanwhile, combine dry ingredients, breaking clumps from the almond meal.

separately, mix wet ingredients. be sure the eggs are well beaten into the batter to ensure an even and smooth batter.

combine wet and dry together.

pour the batter over the apples.

bake for 40 minutes on middle rack of oven.

you’ll know when it is done by using toothpick test, and cake is not jiggly when you give it a tap.

let it cool in the pan for at least an hour. i usually let it cool for a few hours so the syrup from the fruit sets up before i invert it.

 

pear and almond cake

brian and i hosted my parents for dinner last sunday. i rarely deliberate what to fix when they come over. my parents are hardly finicky about food, but they do expect quality. i guess i’ve acquired my taste from the both of them. i wanted to make something that they don’t eat much, so i roasted some  brussels sprouts with carrots. i crisped some bacon, then crisped some sage leaves in the bacon fat and topped the roasted veg with that. it goes without saying that this was really delicious. dad and brian grilled up some rosemary chicken thighs, which were a huge hit.

rosemary chicken thighs & roasted veggies with crisped bacon and sage

i had worked very hard on a cake that i spotted earlier on in the week. i found the recipe here. it looked beautiful in the pictures, and i couldn’t resist trying it out. it turned out wonderfully, and was super delicious, but i wish i could have tasted the pears a little more. they have such a delicate flavor, so it is hard to bake with them. i might not pre-cook them so long next time i make this, maybe that let some of the flavor escape them. this is definitely worth making many more times. it was a wonderful way to say hello to fall flavors, and the cake looked beautiful too. i hope you try this cake out, its flavors are light, delicate and sweet, which is unique for an autumn recipe. i find baking with fall flavors typically yields a heavily spiced result. the cake is buttery and moist, but very sturdy. the ingredients were minimal, and though at first glance you may be intimidated by the pureeing step, get past it. it’s really an easy and beautiful desert to put together and well worth the work.

have it with a little scoop of whipped cream if you feel like you need it, but i really enjoyed this one as is.

pear and almond cake

serves 8

3 chopped, peeled pears

1 thinly sliced & peeled pear (to top cake with)

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 1/4 cup almond flour (packed)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

splash of oil to fry pears in

1 cup sliced almonds

method:

preheat oven to 350f. line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with butter.

place 3 of the 4 pears into a pan and saute for a few minutes over medium heat. you want them to get just a little soft. when they are done cooking, remove from heat and combine with the lemon juice. stick into the freezer for a few minutes to cool a little. once they are cooled, puree them in a food processor. set aside.

combine all dry ingredients together in large bowl.

combine all wet ingredients, including pureed pears, in a bowl.

using a whisk, combine all ingredients. pour batter into prepped pan. place pears on top of the batter. make it pretty. now sprinkle almonds on top. make it pretty. pop cake into oven and bake for 50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

let cake cool in pan for at least an hour before gently removing springform sides. -use a very sharp knife to carefully go around the edges of the pan to release from cake. i was able to carefully remove metal bottom and parchment from cake. cool for another half hour or so. slice and enjoy!

bare pear