Herbed Cottage Cheese Biscuits

Everyone is set with their turkey chili, turkey tetrazzini, turkey soup, and turkey so forth, so to go with all your recycled turkey goodies I have some herbed cottage cheese biscuits. Are you like me?  Do you buy a thing of cottage cheese with the full intent of eating it, and it's still there, unopened, weeks later?  I'm mortified to tell you exactly how long this container was in my fridge and I peeled back the seal expecting to find a science experiment.  But it was fine.  Now that the seal was broken I had to use it immediately, so to go with my turkey minestrone soup, I made these biscuits.

The first batch I baked at 450 for 12 minutes and they got burned on the bottom and were under-done on the inside.  So the next batch I put into the oven at 450, but then immediately turned the heat down to 425 and baked about 21 minutes.  Still slightly gooey in the middle.  So this is one of those things you might have to fiddle around with.  But they taste great.

By the way, what is it about putting hot biscuits into a towel-lined bowl that makes you feel so goofy?

20131201-180245.jpg

Herbed Cottage Cheese Biscuits

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp dried chives
• 1 tbsp dried dill weed
• 2 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 5 tbsp butter, cold, cut into pieces
• 1 16-oz container cottage cheese

Makes about 18 biscuits - some for now, some to freeze.

Preheat oven to 450.  Line baking sheet with parchment or silpat mat, or spray with Pam

In large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and herbs

Add butter, and with pastry cutter or two knives, work through the flour until it is in small, pea-size clumps (a food processor also works but I didn't feel like breaking it out)

Add cottage cheese and mix together until just combined (the dough is not going to make you feel good, it's sort of a mess, just deal)

With a soupspoon, drop onto baking sheet

Put into oven, turn heat down to 425, bake 20-21 minutes until golden.

Keep warm in towel-lined bowl.

Be goofy.

Pumpkin Chia Muffins

It's the time of year when you feel like you should be doing something with pumpkin.  This combined with the fact that I suddenly have a teenager in the house who is getting up ten minutes before she has to leave for school and thinking she can just rush out the door with nothing in her stomach and... (Hand over mouth).....MOM?!

Anyway, I put the two problems together and searched out a pumpkin breakfast muffin recipe.  I found this one from Dr. Oz's site and I have made them four times in four weeks.  Right now I have a double batch going, they're that popular.

These have no end of good things in them, and you can tweak the recipe to get as many good things in there as you like.  The original recipe, doubled, calls for 2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour.  But you can make this into 3 cups of virtually any kind of grains or flours.  I mean literally.  Anything.  You might not have the fluffiest, most domed muffins, but I've never made the recipe with the same flour twice and it always works and tastes great.  So tonight, for example, my 3 cups are made of:

1/2 cup flaxseed meal

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup white flour

1 1/2 cups wheat flour

Dr. Oz's recipe also called for olive oil; I subbed coconut oil because I am an addict.  I also used regular sugar instead of the agave because agave isn't something I keep around.  You can tweak this to your heart's content depending on your religious beliefs.

I also added dark chocolate chips because duh.

Pumpkin Chia Muffins

(Single batch recipe below, makes 12 muffins plus an annoying dollop of batter you don't know what to do with)

• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup whole-wheat or whole-grain flour plus 1/2 cup white flour (OR 1 1/2 cups of whatever flours/meals you like)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (ginger!  not the garlic powder!  don't ask!)
• 2 tsp baking soda (when using almond meal and flaxseed meal, I throw another 1/2 tsp in)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 can (16-oz) pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (or olive oil, or canola)
• 1/2 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sugar; I made it a scant 1/2 cup because I was using chocolate chips)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (Optional)
• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another.

Combine dry and wet and stir in chocolate chips.

Bake 25-30 minutes until tester comes out dry.

Serve as they're flying out the door to the bus stop.

20131121-204159.jpg

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds

My neighbor Jaime did this to me so I have to do it to you.  It's her fault.  Don't blame me.  That's all I have to say. Happy Halloween.

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Seeds

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds, rinsed and pat dry
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon each, brown sugar and granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add seeds and toss to coat evenly. Spread on the baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.

Bake seeds until lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugars and salt; cook until deep golden brown, 1-2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and stir in seeds; coat with buttery caramel mixture and cook an additional minute.

Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

20131030-202605.jpg

World's Best Gingerbread. Really.

The other day called for Gingerbread. I hung up the phone.  

The day called back and said "Chocolate Gingerbread."

I said, "Speaking."

Usually my go-to gingerbread is Laurie Colwin's recipe but I was in the mood to expand my horizons and see what else was out there in the world.

I found the world's best at a blog called The English Kitchen.

Now I do realize that when you throw around words like "world" and "best" then you better damn well deliver. This recipe delivers.  If this isn't the world's best damn gingerbread, it's pretty damn close. It's everything the author says it is: "no-fail, bakes up deliciously moist, the perfect blend of spice and heat, and it tastes better and better with each day that passes."

The author gives her gingerbread a lemon glaze. I put my twist on it by adding cocoa powder. Frankly it needs nothing. It needs nothing and gives everything. That is the world's best gingerbread.

World's Best Gingerbread (really) from "The English Kitchen"

• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 heaping tbsp Hershey Special Dark Cocoa Powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1/4 dark treacle and 1/2 cup Golden syrup (I have no idea what treacle is. I already had Lyle's Golden syrup from when I make Laurie Colwin's recipe, but only just 1/2 cup. I used 1/4 cup molasses for the treacle to get to the 3/4 cup. The English Kitchen says you can use all molasses, so don't sweat it)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9 inch square baking tin, or spray with Pam.

Add the treacle/molasses and syrup to the boiling water along with the baking soda. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Whisk together the flour, spices, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the cooled syrup mixture to the creamed mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients only to blend and note this is very liquid batter, don't be alarmed!

Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until well risen and the top springs back when lightly touched, or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve warm, or pick at it in the middle of the night. It's divine.

Swiss Chard with Balsamic Butter

Another boom of Swiss Chard from the CSA and from my garden is making me scramble for recipes.  This one comes from Susie Middleton's Fast, Fresh & Green which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest veggie recipe books around.  I like that it uses both the leaves and the stems; especially if you have "Bright Lights" chard - with its array of jewel-like colors, it makes a very pretty dish, as well as a tasty one. So yesterday I made a huge batch of Debbie's vanilla-and-cardamom baked squash, using a Butternut from the CSA and two Delicatas from my garden. Tonight I made it into soup, using the basic two-two-two recipe for all my Cream of Whatever soups, and it was outstanding with the Swiss chard on the side, with some garlic bread.  Jeeps actually put the chard on the bread and ate it like a crostini.

A perfect Autumnal Equinox supper, if I do say so.

20130922-202508.jpg

Susie Middleton's Swiss Chard with Balsamic Butter

• 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar (mine is this fabulous strawberry balsamic that Jeeps' partner Steve gave us for Christmas)
• 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 3/4 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 bunch Swiss Chard with stems
• 1 tbsp peanut oil (really try to get peanut oil, it's worth it)
• 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp pine nuts (optional; Jeeps doesn't like them so I kept them on the side)
• Kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar.  Set aside

Wash and dry the chard.  Pull or cut the stems away from the chard leaves.  Cut or rip the leaves into 2- to 3-inch pieces.  Slice the stems crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a small skillet or pan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Really babysit them because they will burn in a second.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot, add the chard stems with a pinch of salt and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.

Add the chard leaves and 1/2 tsp Kosher salt.  Using tongs, toss the chard leaves in the pan until wilted down.  Scrape the balsamic mixture into the pan, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.  Add the butter and toss and stir until it's melted.  Fold in half the pine nuts.

Transfer the chard, stems, and cooking liquid to a small serving bowl and garnish with remaining pine nuts.

Pickle Me This, Pickle Me That

Carrots.  Out.  The.  Wazoo. Between the CSA and my garden, I am Bugs Bunny's best friend.  I love carrots, don't get me wrong, but my ideas are getting exhausted.  So right when my cucumber vines exploded, I dug into the past and resurrected my pickle recipes.

These are ice box pickles, remember, and are meant to be stored in the fridge.  Indefinitely.  But definitely in the fridge, not on your pantry shelves.  If you want to store them on your pantry shelves you have to follow proper canning methodology which I'm not getting into here.  These are meant to go in the fridge.  Nod your heads at me.  Good.

To fill up 4 half-pint jars you need:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar (any kind, white, apple cider)
• 1 rounded tsp kosher salt
• 2 rounded tsp sugar
• 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp peppercorns, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes OR 1 1/2 tsp of McCormick's pickling spice

Bring all ingredients to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit 5 minutes.  Wash jars, rings and lids with soapy water.

For cucumbers: 

pickled2

Wash, then slice or cut into spears.  Put one smashed garlic clove and one sprig of fresh dill into each jar.  If you have no fresh dill, add 1 tsp to the brine above.  Pack cucumbers into jars, then pour brine over, leaving 1/2 of head space.  Wipe rims of jars, then put on lids and screw on rings.  Let cool, then store in fridge.

For carrots:

pickledcarrots

Wash, peel, then cut into uniform spears.  Follow same directions above, but replace the dill with thyme (fresh or dried).

Pickled cucumbers will be ready to crunch on pretty much overnight.  Pickled carrots you want to wait a week or so to let them soak up a lot of brine.  My CSA delivers orange, white and purple carrots.  I knew the purple ones would bleed so I kept them in their own jars.

Now.  Are you ready for a treat?  Pickled grapes.  I know, I know, I thought the same thing.  But you have to try them.  It's Molly Wizenburg's recipe, from Orangette, she made them for her wedding.  Make one little batch and try them, trust me.  They are wonderful.

Pickled Grapes with Black Pepper and Cinnamon

• 1 pound red grapes, preferably seedless
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 (2 1/2-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Rinse and dry the grapes, and pull them carefully from their stems. Using a small, sharp knife, trim away the "belly button" at the stem end of the grape, exposing a bit of the flesh inside. Put the grapes into a medium bowl, and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; then pour the mixture immediately over the grapes. Stir to combine. Set aside to cool at room temperature.

Pour the grapes and brine into jars with tight-fitting lids (or cover the bowl with plastic wrap), and chill at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

20130811-195950.jpg

Cheesy Cauliflower Patties & Poor Man's Crab Cakes

Cheesy Cauliflower patties are the latest recipe meme I've seen ciruclating, and damn are they good! I've had the recipe pinned for a while, and tonight I made a special trip at rush hour, just to get cheddar cheese and eggs, and it was totally worth it.  We ate them at room temperature with a side of Panda's favorite black-eyed pea salad, but they are just screaming for a winter evening, piping hot on the side of some tomato soup. I also imagine you could bake these instead of frying them, much like Stacey's cheesy broccoli bites. At the same time I was wanting to try a similar pattie recipe, sort of a "poor man's crab cakes", using artichoke hearts instead of crab meat. I figured it would just be a big pattie night and we'd have a lot leftover for lunch. Ha. I'm writing this with a tremendously full stomach and Jeeps is passed out on the floor. Since I stuffed myself, you're going to get stuffed with both recipes as well. It's only fair I share.

20130723-200106.jpg

Cheesy Cauliflower Bites

The best thing about these babies is that there are four ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs (panko, plain, flavored, whatever)
• 2 eggs

Cut the cauliflower into florets and drop into boiling water for about 10 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and mash. Let cool slightly.

Put cheddar cheese and bread crumbs into a bowl. Add cauliflower and eggs, mix thoroughly.

Form into patties and fry in olive or coconut oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Salt the patties after you've flipped them. Drain on paper towels, then keep on a baking sheet in a 175-200 oven while you cook the rest.

Poor Man's Crab Cakes

• 1 can artichoke hearts (cut each heart into quarters, then crosswise. Squeeze as much water out as possible before putting in bowl)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I realized too late I'd used up both my scallions and last red pepper in the black-eyed pea salad, oops)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (which I didn't have so it wasn't the true faux crab cake experience, oops)

Combine all ingredients, form into patties and fry.

Slawfest

Picked up the July/August edition of Martha Stewart Living yesterday.  I haven't flipped through one in a while...really it just does too spectacular a job of making me suffer from "someone is always doing it cooler".   And Martha has become so freaking ubiquitous, everywhere from Home Depot to KMart.  But I had to do a late run to CVS and what the hell, I'll get a couple of magazines to go with the pint of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond I planned to sneak into the freezer and eat at midnight without sharing. Well, anyway, Martha (or whoever works for her) came up trumps with a recipe for swiss chard slaw.  Between my garden and the CSA, I have chard and kale out the wazoo, and desperately need new ways to use them.  Martha's recipe had torn toasted English muffins in it, as well as cantaloupe and a scallion dressing.  I didn't follow it to the leetter, just took inspiration, mugged the garden, and improvised something similar for lunch today, which Jeeps and I ate with leftover grilled chicken.   It's crunchy and delicious, and if you grow "Bright Lights" swiss chard, it's a very pretty, colorful dish as well.

Dinner rolled around and Jeeps was putting salmon under the broiler.  "Can you make that slaw again?" he asked.  After the mugging there wasn't much chard left, so I filled in with kale.  Just as good.  In fact it was too good:  I made just enough for me and Jeeps, went to set the table, and came back to the kitchen to find Panda eating it out of the bowl with her fingers.  "Hey, you're not supposed to like that!" I cried.  "It's kale!"

Damn kids...

Damn Swiss Chard Slaw

20130715-200230.jpg

All measurements are completely eyeballed

20130715-200251.jpg

• 1 bunch swiss chard or kale or mix of both
• 4-5 sprigs of parsley, chopped
• 2-3 scallions, chopped
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 glug mayonnaise
• 1 swirl of sesame oil
• 1 splash of sesame seeds

Cut the stems off the chard and reserve.  Cut the leaves into chiffonade - pile a few leaves, roll them up like a cigar, cut across with your knife into ribbons and dump in the bowl.  Repeat.

Take the chard stems, cut into 2-3" lengths, then carefully cut in half or thirds lengthwise to make matchsticks.  NOTE:  do not do this with kale stems.

Add rest of ingredients to bowl, combine and toss until well-coated.  Serve with something, pile it on toasted bread, or just eat out of the bowl.

The Good Life

I'm growing strawberries this year.  Here's the entire crop thus far. 

BAM!   I used one for a pie and made jam out of the other.  Don't be jealous.

What it lacks in fruit, the garden has been making up for in terms of greens:  kale, spinach, chard, beet tops, lettuce and arugula.  I've been picking them and making this stunningly simple dish a few times a week:  saute your greens in olive oil and/or butter, then use the corner of your spatula to make two or three "nests".  Crack an egg into each nest and cook until set.  Salt and pepper, some toasted bread.  Ten minutes to awesomeness. It's my new favorite lunch, which I have given the temporary name of "Daffodils Peeking Through Winter's Melting Snows."  I am open to other suggestions.

20130702-185200.jpg

So that was the spring lineup.  Now we're cruising into summer and I can tell it's going to be a unique year because I got TWO crops of peas.  AND I was here to eat both of them!  Usually I have massive garden-depression because the peapods are at their peak right around the week when we are down at the Jersey Shore, and my neighbors end up eating them for me.  But this year's sullen, late spring and her persistent chilliness paid off in my favor.  The evening of the day we got back, I was out in the garden with a colander, pulling pods hand over fist.  Jeeps and I shelled them over the sink (eating every third or fourth one) until we each had a green thumbnail.  Blanched and served up as part of a Cobb Salad, it was the perfect summer kickoff meal.  The next night I picked another colander full of pods, which I blanched and served with some candy-striped pasta that Panda had picked out at the store, along with a mongrel pesto I made from basil, argula and parsley.  I didn't have a good amount of spinach, otherwise I would have made Amy's Pesto Pea Salad.

Then I made a blueberry pie, because I felt like it.

20130702-183031.jpg

I was particularly proud of the Cobb salad because everything was local.  The lettuce and peas were mine; the tomatoes, eggs, chicken and bacon all came from Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard in North Salem.  I joined their CSA this year, both to support local business and to take the edge off my crops being not always reliable.  Plus the program goes into October; my garden tends to die a sudden death in August and my late-sown crops never seem to take off.

Anyway, our first CSA pickup is tomorrow and we've already gotten advanced notice of what'll be in the bushel basket:

• Red beets
• Baby carrots
• Kale
• 2 heads of lettuce
• Fresh garlic
• Spring onions
• Swiss Chard
• EGGS!  (Their emphasis because eggs are not usually included in the CSA shares, but apparently this year their hens are out of control.  Goody for us!)

I'm so excited and I've already devised mental menus through the weekend using all this booty and supplemented by my own garden beds.

Naturally with the eggs, kale and chard one can make Daffodils Peeking Through Winter's Melting Snows.  One can also pick up the supplemental ingredients and repeat the Cobb salad with lettuce and spring onions.

I confess I've never made a frittata, but I bet you anything a very nice one could be made from eggs, garlic and chard.  Or with eggs, kale and onions.  I'll let you know how it goes.

mybeets

Carrots and beets:  endless possibilities.  You can grate them both raw, and toss with parsley and vinaigrette for a crunchy and colorful slaw.  Or if raw isn't your thing, you can toss them with lemon thyme sprigs, olive oil, salt and pepper, then slow-roast them - together or separately - in the oven, wrapped in foil.  Serve as a side dish or in greens as a roasted beet salad.

Of course there's roasted beets and fava beans, but I'm a little anxious about my favas - they all set flowers, but I don't see any pods developing yet.  Of course, this is my first time growing them so maybe I just don't know what I'm looking for.

Needless to say, knowing that all this produce is going to be available on a weekly basis makes food shopping a lot easier.  It was nice to walk out of the grocery store for once with just four bags, and those containing just dry goods and pantry items.  And I like the idea of letting vegetables dictate what's going to be for dinner.  It shall be the summer of eating seasonally!

(Ish)

The Truth About Mousse

My friend Ami posted this link to an article in Huffington Post about how social media can seriously stress you out. Things we pin on Pinterest and things we choose to Facebook and Tweet can easily blur the line between what is real and what is perceived as real. Someone's picture or post that captures a seemingly perfect little moment of life can either genuinely move you, or leave you with the feeling that no matter what you do, someone else is doing it cooler. Someone is more organized, more creative with their solutions, more environmentally responsible. They make more nutritious meals, they have more patience, less anxiety. They just do it better.

They don't.

Life on social media is a cleverly crafted illusion. A web of avatars. What is put forth is chosen to be put forth and what is kept behind is sacrosanct and a mystery. But the truth does exist amongst the pins, posts and pictures. What you put aside with "someday I'll do that," can be done today. I'm here to help.

Who hasn't seen this little meme circulating around:

Homemade fruit pops. Good, and good for you. You pin it. You say you'll do it someday. But is it real? Do they actually work?

They do. I did it. You don't need a recipe, you just need common sense. If you have fruit, pop molds and a food processor or blender, you can do it. If I can do it, you can do it.

They work. These are truth. If you want to sub greek yogurt for the pureed watermelon, they will also work and be truthful.

Now. Has anyone seen this going around? Coconut and raspberry mousse. Doesn't that look amazing?  Can't you just taste it? I mean seriously, you only have to look at that mass of fuschia goodness and your mouth just waters. In the article, the author describes how she barely got a spoonful out of the blender before the entire family fought over it on the kitchen floor! And you can totally believe that this is something worth fighting for. You'll whip yourself up an entire blender after the kids are asleep and eat it all yourself, right?

Wrong.

Lies.

Propoganda.

I am here to tell you the truth.

The recipe seems innocent enough: 1 avocado, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup of frozen raspberries, and 1 heaping tablespoon of coconut milk. Blend and serve. That's it. Simple. Brilliant. And beautiful and pink and yum. Right?

Wrong.

Now I do admit I used strawberries here but I didn't think it was going to be a game-changer. I wondered what "heaping tablespoon" of coconut milk actually meant but I figured it meant you pour over the food processor and let it spill over the sides of the tablespoon for like two seconds. How scientific does this need to be?

Ah, but science will get you in the end. An avocado is green. A frozen banana is tan. You're already two strikes down and no amount of red berries will overcome the natural free-flowing tendency of these two already dun-colored fruits to turn brown when exposed to air.

Behold:

Let's see those two shots side-by-side, shall we?

As for taste? It was thoroughly okay. Texture was nice. The coconut was totally lost.  I certainly wouldn't fight for it on the kitchen floor. I poured some of it into pop molds and the rest went onto the compost.

In life there is no right or wrong, no winners and losers. Nobody's cooler than you, nobody's better than you, everyone is making it up. All you have is the truth about who you are and what you feel. Live the truth. 

And then strain some of that watermelon puree into a glass, add a shot of vodka, and just be.