Random Recipes

Last night I made chicken picatta for dinner. I did not take a photo of it, so you'll have to use your imagination. But imagine it was hot and tender and a bit lemony, and you'll have the gist of it.

I used a random recipe I found online from Giada De Laurentiis. It was good, very good. I will likely make it again.

Lately I have been making a lot of random recipes. Sometimes they're recipes I come across on Pinterest or on my favorite food blogs. Other times they're recipes I seek out because I'm looking to use certain ingredients—the chicken breasts in the freezer, as was the case last night, or some leftover bacon, or produce from our weekly CSA delivery that I don't normally cook with.

Some of the recipes I've tried recently include mashed potatoes and turnips with greens; grilled garlic scapes (yum); a slaw with fennel, cabbage, and kohlrabi from a weekly CSA email; a gluten-free version of strawberries and cream biscuits (a failure once they baked, though as you can see above they were pretty pre-oven; but the original version from Smitten Kitchen looks divine so please make them for me!); black bean sweet potato flautas (below); cheese papusas; huevos rancheros; and beef with snow peas from The Pioneer Woman. Most of these recipes were good. Most of these recipes I'll make again.

Along with those random recipes I've been making recently, though, I've also been relying on a couple of cookbooks.
The first is Gluten-Free Girl Every Day by Shauna James Ahern. She writes my favorite gluten-free cooking blog, which I reference frequently here, and also wrote the first gf cookbook I ever purchased. That first book, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, tells a lovely story and includes some delicious albeit rather aspirational recipes—most aren't the kind you'd have the time or ingredients to make on an the typical night. (Well, maybe you do, but I sure don't.) That's why I picked up the new book. Because it's made—as the title says—for everyday cooking.

One of the things I like best about the new cookbook is that it doesn't just give you recipes. It tells the story behind them and includes the hints and tips and tricks that make cooking easy and enjoyable for the Aherns. I appreciate knowing what substitutions I can make or how I can modify a recipe if, say, I don't want to include dairy.

So far from the new cookbook I've made waffles (though not the fried chicken that accompanies them—cross your fingers I have time for that soon!), the browned butter peach buckle (above), a chicken recipe that involves lemon and raisins and pistachios called "everyday chicken," and a nice loaf of bread (which I'll share with you someday).

I've also been cooking—a lot—from PrairiErth Farm Cookbook by Katie Bishop. This one has a special place on my countertop because it's actually the cookbook written and published by PrairiErth Farm, which is where we get our wonderful fresh organic produce each week.

The recipes are divided up by type of produce, which makes it easy to find something to make with our loot. If I want to make something with leeks or fennel or kale, I just flip to that section of the cookbook. A lot of the recipes come straight from Katie; others are from other CSA members. I have yet to try a recipe I didn't like. So far this year we've had roasted beets with rosemary, scalloped potatoes with fennel, and garlic scapes hummus (below).

As I write this, I'm pretty sure I've made more than just those few recipes, but now I need to get out the cookbook and check. You should probably just go order a copy and try them out for yourself anyway.

So there you have it. A random roundup of some of the many recipes we've tried recently. I welcome any suggestions you might have on other recipes I should add to my "to try" list.

Fruit Pizza

Hello. How was your long 4th of July weekend? I hope it was filled with fireworks, fun in the sun, and good food. That about sums up ours.

Since we went to Georgia for Memorial Day weekend this year, we stayed home for July's big patriotic holiday. It was rather quiet around here, but there's something nice about a long weekend that moves at a slower pace.

Conservative Hubby golfed five days in a row, the last two of which were a tournament he plays in each year. That left plenty of time for Little Man and I to take walks, dig in the dirt, go swimming, and generally run around seeing what trouble we could get into. I took Little Man back to daycare this morning covered in scrapes and bruises from all of his debauchery outside (and looking rather tan despite liberal applications of SPF 50+). This, to me, is the sign of a good weekend.

On Saturday night we had some friends over for a low-key BBQ. Conservative Hubby requested a fruit pizza for dessert, so I went on the hunt for a recipe, as it had been a few years since I made one.

I decided I really wanted to find a fruit pizza that Little Man and I could eat too. Since most fruit pizzas have what is essentially a sugar cookie crust, I figured I just needed to find a decent gluten-free sugar cookie recipe.

Let me tell you, I spent a long time looking at and dismissing gluten-free sugar cookie recipes leading up to Saturday. For one reason or another, none of them seemed right to me. For one thing, as I've made clear here before, I'm a bit of a sugar cookie snob, so I was reluctant to try recipes that seemed incredibly different than my old standby or that included a ridiculous amount of random ingredients (because trust me, with gluten-free baking, sometimes the number of ingredients is downright insane). I was also being cautious because I really wanted to find a cookie that wasn't "good—for gluten-free." I wanted it to be just good. Good enough that no one else eating the fruit pizza would know it was gluten-free in the first place.

But after quite a bit of searching I realized I was going to drive myself mad trying to find the perfect recipe. So I just decided to try one that looked like it had potential—and if it didn't turn out how I wanted, I'd go buy premade sugar cookie dough to slap in the pan and bake at the last minute.

The recipe I tried is from The Gluten-Free Homemaker. One reason I picked it is because she says it's not an overly sweet sugar cookie. (The big fluffy grocery store bakery sugar cookies are so sweet my teeth literally hurt when I bite into them—not what I wanted for my fruit pizza crust or what I want when I make my own sugar cookies.) The other reason I decided to give this recipe a try is because it seemed pretty manageable and not that far of a cry from my usual sugar cookies, aside, of course, from the substitution of flours.

This recipe involves butter and coconut oil, sugar, egg, vanilla, a touch of milk, baking powder, then rice flour, potato flour, and a bit of xanthan gum to replace the wheat flour. I creamed the butter, coconut oil, and sugar, mixed in the vanilla and milk, then combined the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding them to the liquid mixture. Once everything was mixed together, I refrigerated the dough for an hour before spreading it in my pan to bake for about 15 minutes.

I had enough extra dough to make three cookies, which I baked beside the fruit pizza crust. I figured this would give me a chance to try the crust without cutting into my (hopefully) pretty fruit pizza.

The dough baked up well. Light, golden, looking very much like my sugar cookies I usually make. And although they of course didn't taste exactly like my go-to recipe, the cookies I ate were good. Nice, subtle flavor. Not too sweet, as advertised. I ate all three cookies just to be sure the crust would work (sometimes this baking stuff is hard work) and decided it would make a great fruit pizza base, no "for gluten-free" addendum required.

Just before the BBQ, I mixed 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/2 cup powdered sugar for the "frosting" on the pizza. Some fruit pizza recipes use less sugar, some also use a bit of vanilla. There are plenty of variations out there. But I decided to go ahead and use the sugary version since the sugar cookies weren't all that sweet. Then I cut up some fruit to place atop the pizza and voila! it was ready to serve.

Conservative Hubby loved it. In fact, he said it was "unreal." So there's your assurance that this version is, in fact, worth serving to the masses.

P.S. The lady in charge of photos around here sure stinks at her job. She didn't even bother to snap a pic until after she cut into the pie and people had already eaten a few pieces. Oops. Might have to fire her. Then again, the pay is pretty lousy, so what do you expect?

All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

It's hard to believe it's been nearly a month since I quit eating wheat. Honestly, it has been a lot easier than I imagined—in large part because I researched what my baking options were in advance and stocked up on a great selection of gluten-free flours to get me started.

You know I can't possibly give up baking in the name of my health.

I know there are plenty of gluten-free all-purpose flours available, but I've heard mixed reviews about most. I knew if I was going to make going wheat-free work, I needed to find not just an okay alternative to wheat flour but a great alternative. So, mostly, I've been relying on the advice of experts, like Gluten-Free Girl and a few others.

So far since I ditched wheat I've made all the things I'd normally make—chicken and dumplings, pancakes, snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, flourless chocolate cake, pizza crust (multiple recipes—you know I have to have my pizza), all sorts of muffins. And I've yet to find anything I didn't like or wouldn't make again, in part because I've been so selective of the gf recipes I'm willing to try.

One thing that's really helped me in my new baking endeavors is a recipe for all-purpose flour from Gluten-Free Girl. I mixed up a big container of it and used it to make all sorts of cookies and as a thickening agent in recipes on occasion. I'm about out, in fact, so I need to make up another batch. I really do think a good gluten-free AP flour recipes may be the key to my survival.

Here's what my recipe of the moment includes:

• 200 grams superfine brown rice flour
• 150 grams sorghum flour
• 50 grams potato flour
• 250 grams sweet rice flour
• 150 grams potato starch
• 100 grams arrowroot powder
• 100 grams cornstarch

Wait! Stop! Come back! Please don't freak out by the huge list of items that you don't have in your kitchen and the fact everything above is written in grams.

That stressed me out a bit, too. So, yeah, it's a big list. But once you get the hang of working by weight rather than volume, it only takes a few minutes to measure things out and toss them in a container. This lovely little scale I bought makes the process a breeze.

If you live in an area with a decent health foods/natural foods/whatever store, you can probably find all these ingredients locally. Naturally L-Town doesn't have a big demand for these things (yet), so I ordered mine online from Vitacost (free shipping—yay!). I stocked up on the flours I thought I'd use the most, including what's listed above plus a few others. I'll probably place another order again before too long, but my initial order is lasting me quite a while given how frequently I bake.

If you're still a bit alarmed about the idea of mixing your own AP flour, check out this Gluten-Free Girl blog post on the topic. It even includes a video to show you how easy it is. And it includes a list of all the options, because you can even make your own special, personalized gluten-free all-purpose flour combo. All you do is follow the recommended ratios she explains in the post.

Come on, give it a try ...

Or, if you're a wheat-eater, just stick to what you know. No peer pressure here. But expect to try some delicious wheat-free baked goods if you come to visit me.

Chicken and Dumplings

Remember a while ago when I talked about my comfort food-making spree?

Well, along with meatloaf and mashed potatoes and quinoa and cheese, I made chicken and dumplings. (Apparently, comfort foods must be a combination of two key ingredients connected by a conjunction. ... Sorry, word nerd.)

I first grew fond of chicken and dumplings as a little girl, when my grandma made this dish for dinner one night. I don't remember a lot of the details about the chicken and dumplings I ate back then, honestly. I just remember that I loved the light, fluffy biscuits floating on top of the stew.

So I was excited to come across this recipe, because it's quick and easy and hearty. I've made it twice since I found it and will undoubtedly make it again.

This version calls for gluten-free Bisquick (it's one of many swell gluten-free recipes from the Betty Crocker website), but you could just as easily make it with regular Bisquick, I'm sure, although you might want to follow a slightly different dumpling recipe than this one if you do that.

What You Need

For the Stew
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Dumplings
3/4 cup Bisquick Gluten-Free mix
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or, if you're like me, this time of year you'll just add a few shakes of the dried stuff instead)

What You Do

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat chicken broth, chicken, vegetables, salt, and pepper to boiling. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup milk and the cornstarch with a wire whisk until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Heat just to boiling.

2. In a small bowl, stir dumpling ingredients with fork until blended.

3. Gently drop dough by 8 rounded spoonfuls onto boiling chicken mixture.

4. Cook uncovered over low heat 10 minutes. Cover and cook 15 minutes longer.

Enjoy!

Quinoa & Cheese

When I say "comfort food," what do you think of? Mashed potatoes and meatloaf? Chicken and dumplings? Homemade macaroni and cheese?

Well, that's what I think of. And apparently I've been in a comfort food kind of mood lately, because we had all three of those things in the past week. Only the macaroni and cheese didn't actually involve macaroni. Instead, it was with quinoa.

In case you're not familiar, here's the scoop on quinoa. It's actually a seed, but people often treat it like a whole grain. It cooks pretty easily, has a great texture, is gluten- and cholesterol-free, and offers 9 essential amino acids (hello, protein!). Plus it provides a nice alternative to rice or pasta.

It looks much prettier when you see a scoop of it on a plate. But guess who forgot to take photos of that? Fortunately, you can see the lovelier version when you visit the recipe here. (One note: I used fresh spinach rather than frozen, since that's what I had. And I went light on the spinach so it wasn't too "green" for you-know-who.)

Plus, I served it with a rosemary dijon pork loin. Having meat is incredibly important if you're going to make you-know-who try a new dish.

Generally, I gauge whether a recipe is fit for the general public and not just wacky-me consumption by you-know-who's (aka Conservative Hubby's) reaction. The night I made quinoa and cheese, he said, "This is kind of weird." But he said it as he was scooping up seconds.

And when we ate leftovers the next night, I figured he'd pass on the reheated dish. But instead, that's all he wanted for a side.

I liked it, Little Man liked it, and I guess that means Conservative Hubby liked it too. So take that for what you will.

Baked Oatmeal Casserole

I love oatmeal.

I love regular oatmeal with brown sugar. I love oats with nuts and fresh berries or dried cranberries and a touch of honey. I love fancy, schmancy oatmeal combos, like baked pumpkin steel cut oatmeal.

I love cookies with oatmeal (particularly homemade Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies, in which the ground oats are a super-special secret ingredient, as well as these loaded oatmeal cookies). Not long ago, I discovered I also love no-bake energy balls which, naturally, contain oatmeal, too.

So it should come as no surprise that I have a whole list of must-make recipes that include oatmeal. One, which I tried a few weekends ago, is a baked oatmeal casserole.

I knew I'd love it because it has a lot of my favorite things in it: chocolate, bananas, raspberries, cinnamon, walnuts. And oats! (Of course.)

The result was so rich I almost felt guilty eating it for breakfast. Almost.

I ate it for days afterward, too, so it was a good thing I liked it.

(Conservative Hubby, on the other hand, wasn't a fan, but then again after I made him eat a piece he told me he hates oatmeal. I don't understand how you can hate oatmeal. It's delicious. But, alas, lesson learned on that one.)

I think next time I make this, I'll use fewer chocolate chips. And maybe try adding a bit more fruit. And a bit less sugar.

Gasp.

No, my blog wasn't just taken over by an alien from another planet posing as me. I really did just say I'd reduce the amount of chocolate and sugar. Don't worry. I'm feeling OK. It's just sometimes I like my breakfast a little healthier.

Unless, of course, there are Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies available to eat with my coffee. Or sugar cookies. Or snickerdoodles.

(See? It's still me!)

Chicken Piccata

When I lived in downtown Des Moines after college, I loved stopping in all the little shops near my apartment in the East Village. One of my favorites was Kitchen Collage, a little store chockfull of colorful kitchen gadgets, dinnerware, and all of those gleaming big-ticket cookware and kitchen electronics that someone with my budget can only dream about.

I still get the store's email newsletter, and it's one of the best food-related newsletters I get. I actually save all of the back issues in my Recipe folder in my email and browse through them when I'm looking for cooking inspiration. Each issue focuses on a theme and includes tons of really useful information, plus terrific recipes from some of the cookbooks they sell in the store.

The most recent newsletter, for instance, is all about lemons. It includes information on how to choose lemons, the parts of a lemon, different kinds of lemons, the pH of a lemon, the proper way to zest and juice a lemon, and more. Then it goes into the recipes ... a lemony chevre appetizer, preserved lemons and greens with lemon-honey vinaigrette, the perfect lemon tart, shortbread and lemon curd bars, and chicken piccata.

I made that last one for dinner the other night. And despite the fact I was out of white wine (the horror!) and forgot the capers (silly me), it was darn good. I'd make it again. Here's the recipe, in case you're in the mood for something lemony yourself.

Butternut Squash Soup with Ravioli

I'd like to interrupt the never-ending stream of baby room posts to bring you a photo of a recent cooking adventure.


Nothing says fall like a bowl of butternut squash soup.

It happens to have a texture slightly reminiscent of baby food, however, so I apologize that perhaps I'm not straying from the dominant topic of the moment as far as I should.

But despite the fact I just told you it has a texture like baby food, it's actually pretty darn good. Really. Even Conservative Hubby ate it.

And it was easy to make, too. The recipe, from Better Homes & Gardens, is available if you click here.

Honey-Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

I realized tonight that I have more than 10 things I want to share with you--furniture moving and farm dinners and flower photos and recipes and little nursery tidbits and other such nonsense.

So why the heck am I posting so infrequently?

I promise to get back to you more often.

No, really. Seriously.

Come on guys, listen.

I mean it this time.

I digressed before I even began, didn't I? Anyway. Back at the ranch.

A few weeks ago, when the urge to bake finally returned, I decided to make the honey-rosemary shortbread cookies I stumbled upon in a recent issue of Midwest Living.


Good choice, because: They were relatively easy to make. They required some of the rosemary that has been growing unchecked in our front yard all summer. And they're a rather light, summery cookie. What's not to love about all that?

Oh, and did I mention that as good as they are plain, they're pretty darn delicious with a little lemon sorbet too?


You can check out the recipe by clicking here.

Chocolate Peppermint Snowflake Tart

Sometimes the recipes I try are pretty good. Sometimes they're not that great. And occasionally, they're really great.

The really great recipes are the ones I mentally star, the sort of recipes I undoubtedly will come back to time and again.

I wasn't expecting this recipe, which I cut out of the newspaper one day last week, to be in the really great category.


Only it was. It is. It's on the hit list, I think.

It's a chocolate peppermint snowflake tart. The recipe, courtesy of the AP, goes a little something like this:

Crust ingredients:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

Ganache ingredients:
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions:
Heat the oven to 375 F. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, cocoa powder and sugar. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture forms a dough, about 30 seconds.

Remove the dough from the processor and break off about a third of it. Set this aside.

Press the remaining dough into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust all over. Freeze for 15 minutes, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center of the bottom feels firm.

Meanwhile, make the snowflake cookies.

Roll out the reserved dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick. Move the dough to a baking sheet, including the parchment paper, then refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Use 1- to 2-inch cookie cutters to cut out 8 to 10 snowflakes (of multiple sizes, if desired). If the dough becomes too soft, you may need to chill it in the refrigerator as you work. Once all of the cookies are cut, transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Bake the snowflakes for 10 to 15 minutes (depending on size of the cookies), or until firm. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet.

To make the ganache filling, in a small saucepan over medium, heat the cream until simmering. Add the chocolate and let sit off the heat for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Stir in the peppermint extract, then pour into the baked tart shell. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

When ready to serve, dust the snowflake cookies with powdered sugar, then arrange them on the top of the tart.


If I remember correctly (I was in a food haze when she said it), Kid Sister called the tart "Andes mints on steroids." I like this. Or perhaps it was the Girl Scouts' thin mint cookies on steroids. That might be even more fitting, with the bit of crunch the tart crust and cookies provide.

Either way, it's rich and festive and oh so yummy.

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad

I made this when we had the usual crowd over for dinner last Saturday night.


I made it even though I knew there were only two of us (Conservative Mom and I) who would touch the eggplant. (Although, to his credit, Conservative Dad did have a taste.)

It was an easy, yummy little side dish to go with our pork chops and corn on the cob and grilled potatoes. I recommend it.

However, I'd cut the eggplant thinner than I did, as some of it could have cooked longer. And the tomatoes might have held up better if they were a tad thicker. But with my cooking, you may have noticed, there's always room for improvement ...

Still, it was tasty. And I enjoyed the leftovers this week.

Canning: Roasted Tomato-Garlic Salsa

I couldn't help it. I had to have it.

When I read about the Williams-Sonoma book The Art of Preserving, there was only one thing to do: Order a used copy ASAP.

And I'm so glad I did.

Even if you don't preserve food, you can't help but enjoy the lovely photography that fills the book. And if you do preserve food? It's a goldmine—a combination of classic jams and jellies and the like, along with plenty of sweet and savory recipes beyond the canning norm. And there are even recipes for dishes—from crepes with meyer lemon-ginger marmalade to chicken-lime soup with pickled jalapenos—for you to try in the kitchen.

Last week, I stuck with a tried-and-true canning technique, however, and made the Roasted Tomato-Garlic Salsa from the book.


My instinct after a few bites of the leftovers is that it's good. Nice flavor.

Conservative Hubby, of course, doesn't think it's flavorful enough. But he says that about everything, which leads me to believe his taste buds are not the most discerning characters.

Because it's a holiday, and I'm feeling a bit lazy, I was dreading typing up the entire recipe for you. But lucky you (and me), I came across a news article that features it. So here you go. Have at it.

And happy Labor Day!

Fish & Green Beans w/ Wasabi Mayo

I think you need a new weekend recipe.


I think you need a new weekend recipe that involves fresh fish, farmer's market green beans, and panko bread crumbs.

I think you need a new weekend recipe that includes a bit of wasabi. What's not to love about wasabi? (Well, besides the fact a jar of the powder is not cheap.)

And so, because you need it, here's the recipe.

Creamy Butter Pecan Ice Cream

A few weeks ago, I decided to branch out from my plain ol' vanilla ice cream life (not that there's anything wrong with homemade vanilla—it's divine) to try something new. Conservative Boy was quick to suggest one of his favorites: butter pecan ice cream.


And, as luck would have it, the handy little cookbook that came with the ice cream maker included a recipe for that very thing.

It was, I discovered, a bit more complicated that the vanilla recipe. But oh goodness oh goodness it was worth the work. Treating myself to a little bowl of this is one of the highlights of each day.

The process begins by melting 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. As you may have learned by now, any recipe that starts out with butter is going to be good. I speak the truth.

Once the butter is melted, add 1 cup pecan halves and pieces and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium-low heat until pecans are toasted and golden, stirring frequently, about 4 to 6 minutes. (I may have let mine get a bit too golden but, alas, every cooking adventure is a learning experience.)


Remove the pecans from the heat, strain (you can save the pecan-flavored butter if you like), and chill the pecans.

Next you'll combine 2 1/4 cups whole milk (although you can use a lower-fat variety if you like) and 2 1/4 cups heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Use a sharp knife to split 1 whole vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and use the blunt edge to scrape out the "seeds."

Stir the seeds and bean pod into the milk/cream mixture. Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Combine 4 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, and 1 1/8 cups sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer on medium speed to beat the mixture until it is thick, smooth, and pale yellow (about 2 minutes). Remove the vanilla bean pod from the milk/cream mixture and discard it.

Pour out 1 cup of the hot liquid. With the mixer on low speed, add the cup of hot milk/cream to the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream. When it is thoroughly combined, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and stir to combine.


Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard, and chill completely.

Now pour the chilled custard into the freezer bowl of the ice cream maker (or prepare your ice cream maker using whatever method is required to make ice cream) and let it mix until thickened (20 to 25 minutes in my mixer).


Five minutes before mixing is complete, add the pecans, and let them mix in completely.

Chill for about 2 hours for firmer ice cream like this.


See? I told you it wasn't exactly easy. But as I believe I mentioned way up there at the beginning of the post, it's oh so good.

Cumin-Grilled Salmon with Kiwi Salsa

Here's a tasty recipe for your Wednesday evening enjoyment. It's from Natural Solutions, one of my favorite magazines for recipes and health and wellness info. The recipe is called Cumin-Grilled Salmon with Kiwi Salsa, in case you didn't already figure that out from the title of this post.


Besides the fact it looks good and tastes even better, this recipe is touted as an "easy recipe for ageless beauty." If that doesn't motivate you to fire up the grill or the broiler, I don't know what will.

In a small bowl, mix 4 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped; 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; and 1 teaspoon honey. Cover and set aside.

Rinse 4 (6-ounce) wild-caught salmon filets (about 1-inch thick and skinned) and pat them dry. In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Rub the mix over the salmon and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat or set your oven to high broil (I did the latter, as I leave all grilling duties to Conservative Hubby because it's his grill). Place the salmon on a grill rack and cook 6 to 8 minutes per side, turning carefully; or place in a grill pan 4 to 6 inches from your oven's heat source and broil for 10 minutes.

Spoon salsa over warm fish and serve, preferably with a side of steamed asparagus and some nice rice pilaf.

Meatball Madness

You may have noticed that I haven't been trying much new lately.

Instead, I've been pretty focused on trying other things that aren't so exciting, like making it through the last couple of hectic weeks of my master's coursework. And applying and interviewing for jobs. And other random work. And a brief respite from the madness of school at the wackiness of Drake Relays. And that's about it.

The last time I did try some cooking, however, I was on a meatball kick. We're talking meatballs twice in one week. I can't explain it. Sometimes, when an urge to make meatballs comes over you, you just go with it.

The first recipe, which you saw a quick glimpse of here, is spaghetti and meatballs. But not just any spaghetti and meatballs. We're talking Pioneer Woman spaghetti and meatballs. You know cooking with PW is always a good time.


This particular recipe involves spaghetti, of course. And big meatballs. And a nice chunky homemade red sauce. Very tasty.

The next recipe I made later that same week also involved meatballs, but took a very different (although still pasta-focused) form. It's baked rigatoni with tiny meatballs, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

You're a smart reader, so I'm guessing you may have figured this out already, but this one involved tiny meatballs. And rigatoni. And it was baked. And it involved a light, white cream sauce.


See? Different. But still incredibly tasty.

(Although Conservative Boy thought a bit of garlic salt might boost the flavor of the second dish and, as much as I hate to admit it, he was right.)

Toffee Bars

Well hello there. I'm glad I didn't scare you away with my recent posts on chemicals in cosmetics and the problems with bottled water. I didn't mean to alarm you in the least bit. I just figured you were getting to the point where you were thinking, "No! Not another food post, Julie."

So I thought I'd startle you out of the rut with a few random posts, so then you'd be saying, "OK, bring back those darn food posts already."

Sneaky, aren't I?

Today's recipe isn't fancy or complicated or time-consuming. In fact, it's one of the first recipes I ever made in my life.

You see, when I was little, My Mom used to make these toffee bars for a quick treat when there wasn't time for full-fledged cookie-baking.


And as soon as I was old enough, I helped her make them.

Then I took over toffee bar making and claimed the recipe as my own. It was even my contribution to the Collins family cookbook compiled for one of our reunions when I was in elementary school.

I don't make these babies nearly as often as I did back then, but the recipe is still an old standby. So when I was poking around in the cupboard and spotted a half-used bag of chocolate kisses the other day, I said, "Aha!"

(Really, I did. Then Butter gave me a rather puzzled look.)

And this is what happened next.

I thoroughly mixed 1 cup butter (softened), 1 egg yolk, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.


Then I blended in 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt.


I pressed this mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased 13x9-inch baking pan.


Then I baked it in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust was very light brown and still soft.

While the crust was still warm, I removed it from the oven and littered the top with all those Hershey's kisses.


I will warn you, though, that the recipe actually calls for 1 bar of milk chocolate candy, which you break into pieces. The little chocolate squares are much easier to spread than the chocolate kisses, which ended up being a big pain in the rear end.

But, alas, the result was still delicious.

(One last note: It's best to cut—and eat—the bars while they're still warm. Although they're tasty cool too.)


The end.

Now I must go wash my hands, as I may or may not have eaten one of these babies while typing.

Messy.

Loaves of Wheat

We stopped buying bread about 6 weeks ago. It's not that we don't eat bread anymore, it's just that we don't buy it.

Last year I took my first step into the world of bread-making with a wheat recipe I found from Smitten Kitchen. And it was divine, really divine.

But when I decided to make bread again at the beginning of January, I thought I'd try a new one, an even easier one, with fewer ingredients.


It's a recipe from The Vegetarian Epicure, a lovely cookbook My Sister bought me at a secondhand store when she visited last summer. Being the sweet thing she is, she left me notes by her favorite recipes in the book. Since she starred the opening spread of bread recipes, I decided I'd better go ahead and try one.

So I made the whole wheat bread, which I realized en route to the finished product actually makes two loaves. I only own one loaf pan, so I put the other loaf in this lovely Pyrex baking dish. It seemed appropriate, considering it has wheat on it and all.


Wait a second. I haven't told you about this particular dish yet, have I? This baby is the smaller of two I purchased on a pre-Christmas shopping trip. The bigger one is red. They match a set of mixing bowls I already own and are in perfect condition. And—brace yourself for this—the set only cost me $3.99.

This is why I love L-Town.

I swear some little Pyrex fairy flits around to all the secondhand stores and leaves me little treasures when she knows I'll be stopping in. Whoever she is, I have only one thing to say: Thank you.

Anyhow. Back to the bread. It was a piece of cake to make and yielded two lovely loaves and a houseful of delicious scents.


You begin by heating 2 cups milk to the scalding point, then adding 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon salt, and 3 tablespoons honey. Put it all in a large mixing bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve 2 tablespoons yeast in 1/3 cup lukewarm water and, after a few minutes, add it to the lukewarm mixture in the bowl.

(A note about yeast: Many people are hesitant to make recipes with yeast because they fear its finicky nature sets them up for failure. I have to admit, you do have to be careful with yeast—I got the water too hot a few weeks ago and the bread was a dud. But as long as you get that water temperature right, you're set. So have no fear!)

After a few minutes, add the yeast mixture to the lukewarm mixture in the bowl. Add 1/2 cup wheat germ and about 3 cups whole wheat flour to the bowl and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the batter is smooth. Add more flour and keep stirring until the dough is too stiff to stir with a spoon.

Turn it out on a floured board and knead—adding more flour as necessary, to around 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 cups, to keep it from sticking—until it is very smooth and elastic.

Turn it into a butter bowl, flip it over, and cover the bowl with a towel. Leave it in a warm place to rise until double in bulk—about 1 hour.

Punch it down, cover, and let it rise again.


Knead a few times again and shape the dough into 2 loaves.


Place them in a buttered or oiled baking pan, cover, and leave to rise until almost double—about 45 minutes at most.


Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. The loaves should be golden brown.


While eating our sandwiches at lunch the first week I made the bread, Conservative Hubby (who is always looking out for his figure) asked tentatively, "So, is this bread good for you?"

Yes. I said. Mostly definitely. It doesn't have any sugar and only a little bit of honey. Plus it has whole wheat and wheat germ. And it has no high fructose corn syrup, which most store-bought sandwich breads have. You know how I feel about HFCS.

So you know what he said next?

"Are you going to make it for us all the time then?"

Why yes, C.B. Yes I will. Gladly.

And so I've started making two loaves every week, so we have enough bread for dinner, for sandwiches, and for the occasional snack.

I also discovered it's great when you substitute a cup of oats for one of the cups of flour.


In fact, I highly recommend that version.

A Roma Harvest

Finally, the Romas are ready.


I harvested bowl of them from my pot out front the other day. It's a glorious site—and a rarity this summer—to see healthy red tomatoes. So I spent a good five minutes staring at these babies before I decided to do something with them.

Specifically, I whipped up a quick little tomato sauce for lunch for My Sister and I.


It's incredibly easy to make. Blanch the tomatoes and coarsely chop them. Toss them in a big saucepan with four to five tablespoons of olive oil, four to five cloves of garlic, and some salt and pepper. Simmer them on medium heat about 20 to 25 minutes or until the tomatoes have cooked down and the oil floats on top. Toss in lots of fresh basil (tear or cut it into pieces first) and add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot over pasta with Parmesan and crusty bread.

Then pray for more Romas so you can repeat the process.