Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

I realize I did not post any July 4th-related-recipes this weekend, and for that I apologize. I have an excuse though: James and I went on a huge hike in the Shenandoah Mountains. We hiked Old Rag Trail which took all day Saturday. Then we just had to go to a local winery and then make a very important stop at an adorable country-church-turned-coffee shop in Sperryville, Va.

So by the end of the day, we really had no intention of whipping up July 4th treats. Instead, we went out for burgers and walked over to Iwo Jima for fireworks. So there you have it — a very good excuse for not posting. If you happen to still be in a red, white and blue mood, you can check out my recipes from last year’s Independence Day celebrations.

But for those of you who are ready to move on from the holiday, let’s talk cranberries. Yes they usually pop up more often in the fall, but I love biscotti for breakfast to pair with my morning latte and it just so happened I had extra dried cranberries and a bag of pistachio’s just asking to be used in this recipe.

Usually you bake biscotti dough three times to give it that extra crunch. However, I like my biscotti a little softer so it doesn’t feel like I’m breaking my teeth. To experiment, I divided the dough and baked one-third of it for the first baking period then stopped; I baked another one-third for the second baking period and the final third baked for the entire amount of time. My favorite was the first and second batch of the biscotti (reflected below) since they were crunch (but not teeth-killing) on the outside, and soft and flavorful on the inside.

a plate of cranberry pistachio biscotti

Ingredients
Recipe courtesy of Joy of Baking
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
1. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs on high speed until thick, pale, and fluffy (about 5 minutes). At this point beat in the vanilla extract.
2. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and beat until combined.
3. Fold in the chopped pistachios and cranberries.
4. Transfer the dough to parchment lined baking sheet and form into a log, about 12 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide. (Tip: Dampen your hands with a little water to help form the log, since the dough will be pretty sticky.)
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Transfer the log to a cutting board and cut into 3/4 inch slices, on the diagonal. Place the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake 5 more minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.

Voila!

Summer Smoothies: Strawberry Cherry

In the second installment of our summer smoothie series, we combine two fruits that don’t usually share the same space. You hear of strawberries and rhubarb or cherries and blueberries, but could these two lovely summer fruits work well together in a smoothie? Of course! That’s the magic of a smoothie — no matter what you combine (most of the time), you’re guaranteed a refreshing result.

strawberry cherry smoothie

Ingredients
1/2 (heaping) cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 6 oz. container of low fat greek yogurt
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey

Directions
1. Put all the ingredients in a blender and whurrrrr away until smooth. Optional: drop a few blueberries on top.

Voila! Sit outside, sip a smoothie and enjoy the sunshine

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Post-baking thoughts: A few have asked if the smoothie is too sweet with the honey — I didn’t find it too sweet at all. The yogurt seems to balance the other, sweeter elements in the blender. If you try it without the honey, let me know!

Spring Risotto with Garlic Shrimp

Chef Gordon Ramsay says one of the the marks of a “really good chef” is being able to consistently produce good risotto night after night after night. Well, we don’t have risotto that often, but I can say that from the first time I made the dish (which was a complete disaster) and up to this point, I’ve improved and think he would be proud.

If you’ve ever watched his show Hell’s Kitchen, you’ll know it’s completely over the top, but it’s still entertaining and on hulu (bonus!).

Moving on…

I also realize it’s summer but who doesn’t love peas and zucchini all year round?! Plus, I think I’m within the seasonal safety zone of using these spring vegetables a week or two past the official start date of summer. In the future I would not use the final tablespoon of butter (adapted in the recipe below) at the end since the dish ended up being a little too buttery. Besides that, try this dish and go watch an episode of the show.

spring risotto with garlic shrimp

Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Everyday Food
1 32 oz. carton reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 T. butter
2 large or 3 small zucchini (1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
.75-1 lb shrimp, peeled
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions
1. Heat broth and 2 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan over low heat; keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until zucchini is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer zucchini to a plate.
2. Put peeled shrimp in small bowl and season with salt and pepper, Toss to coat, cover and place in fridge.
3. Reduce heat to a medium-low. Add onion; cook until soft, 2-4 minutes. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Raise heat to medium. Add rice; cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
4. Cook, adding hot broth, 1 cup at a time (stir until almost all liquid is absorbed before adding more), until rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes total.
5. The shrimp takes a little under 10 minutes to cook so when the rice is almost done, heat up a skillet over medium heat. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil and cook sautee minced garlic for about one minute. Add shrimp and cook until pink on both sides.
6. Add zucchini and peas to rice; cook until peas are bright green, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, top with garlic shrimp and serve!

Voila!

Tomato Pesto

My July-August Cook’s Illustrated magazine came in a few weeks ago and I swear I earmarked every single recipe in this edition! My first attempt at this set of recipes was a complete success. I learned pesto is more than a puree of basil and pine nuts. It can use a variety of vegetables, nuts and spices. So try this version and be amazed!

tomato pesto with fettuccine

Ingredients
Recipe courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves or 1/8 cup dried basil
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
additional pinch of red pepper fakes (optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
scant 1/2 cup grated parmesan
pasta: fettuccine, linguine or spaghetti

Directions
1. Toast almonds in skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature
2. Combine red wine vinegar and red pepper flakes in small dish.
3. Process cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, red pepper flake mixture, 1 tsp. salt and extra red pepper flakes if using, in a food processor until smooth, about one minute.
4. Scrape down sides with a spatula. Turning processor back on, slowly drizzle in olive oil for about 30 seconds.
5. Boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water, and return to cooking pot.
6. Add pesto and parmesan to pasta. Add cooking water as needed so that pesto coats pasta (NOTE: I didn’t need the pasta water, but it’s probably good to have on hand just in case.)
7. Serve immediately and enjoy thoroughly!

Voila!

Blackberry Peach Coffee Cake

I’m not sure how I stumbled across this recipe, but I’m sure glad I did. I brought it with us to Lake Gaston and as I came into the kitchen our first morning, it was already half gone! From the reviews by my family, they all loved it and kept saying ‘this is so moist!’ ‘this is so good!’ So if you trust my family, then trust me and go try this perfect summer coffee cake.

blackberry peach coffee cake

Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Southern Living
the streusel topping

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 scant tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

the coffee cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups peeled and sliced fresh firm, ripe peaches
1 cup fresh blackberries

Directions
the streusel topping

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating well. Add flour, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; beat just until blended.

the coffee cake
Preheat oven to 350. Grease springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
4. Pour 1/4 of the batter into spring form pan. Top batter with 1/4 oof the peaches and blackberries. Then add 1/4-1/2 cup of the streusel topping.
5. Add the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out. Top with the rest of the fruit and 1/4 cup or so of the streusel top
6. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter springform pan; sprinkle 1/4-1/ cup of streusel topping over batter, then layer on the rest of the fruit.
7. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until center of cake is set. ( Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 1/2 hours) before removing springform part of the pan. Serve morning, noon or night!

Voila!

Pizza on the Grill

My life has been changed forever. That is, my life in terms of pizza consumption. As we enter summer grilling season I’ve heard more and more about cooking pizza’s on the grill. I wasn’t skeptical of the idea, I just wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. Plus, we don’t own a grill. So when we went to Lake Gaston and it was one of our nights to cook, I took on the pizza grilling challenge.

Results? I’m here to tell you that anybody can make this happen and it is so deliciously good. The crust is thin, crispy and flavorful; the ingredients are fresh and simple. The dough came out in interesting shapes (like the picture below where the pizza is long and skinny) which added to the fun of this experiment.

My father-in-law John said that it tasted like slices of pizza he gets on the streets of Italy! I’m not sure if he was being super nice, but I will say this is the best way to make a pizza. Forget the oven, turn on the grill.

tomato, mozzarella, basil

Ingredients
Store bought pizza dough (not pillsbury. You can often find good frozen pizza dough in the freezer section near the breads)
Any pizza ingredient you want! Here are few we tried:

• Gouda, Garlic, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Marinara
• Tofu, Leek, Parmesan and Olive Oil
• Potato, Onion, Pesto and Parmesan
• Spinach, Fig, Goat Cheese and Prosciutto
• Roasted Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, Marinara

Directions
1. Defrost dough completely and roll out into desired size and shape. Brush one side of dough with olive oil.
2. Prepare all ingredients you intend to use and place in separate bowls so they’re within easy reach.
3. Before heating the grill, grease it a little with some vegetable oil so the dough doesn’t stick. Heat gas grill on high and close the lid for 10 minutes. Turn to medium.
4. Place dough on grill, olive oil side up, and shut lid for 3 minutes. Once dough is golden, flip to other side. Layer desired ingredients on this side and shut lid for another 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted, ingredients are hot and other side of dough is cooked.
5. Pull pizza off the grill, slice it, serve it and enjoy!

Voila!

**

Post-baking thoughts: Once the dough is on the grill everything happens pretty fast which is why it’s important to have all the ingredients sliced, shredded and ready to go.

Voila! on Vacation

Hello dear readers! I am taking a week off from the blog for a family vacation at Lake Gaston, North Carolina. In addition to relaxing, there will be a lot of cooking and eating so I’ll be sure to come back next week with more delicious recipes.

Until then, here are some summer delights you can try:
Strawberry Scones

Ginger Peach Streusel

Lavender Honey Cheesecake

Lentil Veggie Burgers with Mint Yogurt Sauce

Chocolate Coconut Blondies

HAPPY GRADUATION DAVID!!!!

On that note….

Imagine a blondie infused with bittersweet dark chocolate and coconut. You probably could have guessed that from the title, but the title is so boring compared to the rich goodness that this recipe offers. Next time I would either double the batter or cut down on the chocolate since it’s so chocolatey, you kind of lose the blondie flavors. But that’s next time, for now this is a gooey, blondie delight!

chocolate coconut blondies

Ingredients
Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats
the blondies

1 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
8 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

the garnish

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tsp butter
Sweetened shredded coconut

Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 8×8 inch baking dish
the blondies

1. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt; set aside.
2. In another larger mixing bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add the egg, and mix until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract until well blended.
3. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until they have been incorporated.
4. Add the shredded coconut and chocolate to the bowl, and fold in until evenly distributed. Transfer the batter to the baking dish and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center but still soft. Do not over bake.

the garnish

6. While the blondies are cooking, combine the chocolate chunks and butter in a small, heatproof bowl. Microwave in 25-second intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted and smooth.
7. Once bars are cool, drizzle chocolate over into whatever pattern you like. Wait another few minutes before sprinkling with additional shredded coconut. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Voila! Enjoy with ice cream or a glass of milk