Tag Archive for 'bread'

Arugula & Bread Salad, Tarragon Caper Vinaigrette

Published by mel on April 14, 2009 in breakfast, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Arugula & Bread Salad, Tarragon Caper Vinaigrette

This week, I’m taking all my inspiration from food magazines. Of course, I can’t just follow a recipe without tweaking it somehow. That would make it far too easy!

I saw this recipe in the first few pages of April’s Gourmet and instantly wanted to try it. I love a good, strong salad dressing. Olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots, tarragon and capers combine for a tangy, salty vinaigrette that’s made for salads and soft-boiled eggs. Spicy arugula and crisp bread round it out for a meal-sized salad.

I made this salad last night and again for lunch today. It’s just the right amount of fancy, healthy and delicious. I can’t get enough!

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Apple & Fennel Panzanella

Published by mel on December 8, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Apple Fennel Panzanella

I spent a lot of time this weekend working on a top-secret Christmas present project. The only thing I can say at the moment is that it involves looking through old recipes, something I rarely do. Re-reading old posts and old recipes, I remembered some favorites I’d long forgotten. This apple fennel panzanella is one of them. Panzanella is usually a late summer dish and a great way to use fresh garden tomatoes. Instead of the more traditional tomatoes and cucumbers, I use apples and fennel which are much more season-appropriate. The red and green also make a for a festive Holiday presentation.

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Chickpea & Bread Soup

Published by mel on December 2, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Chickpea & Bread Soup

Is it possible to make a delicious, flavorful soup with only 6 ingredients? I think so. And I think this might be my new favorite soup. I know I say that in almost every post, but this one’s just so good! And so easy. 6 ingredients, one pot and 30 minutes. Besides, it’s covered in melty, broiled cheese. Who can resist that on a cool day? No one!

I’ve actually been avoiding the kitchen since Thanksgiving — those 48 hours of cooking and standing and cleaning kind of took it out of me. So, instead of my usual weekend in the kitchen, I spent my time off putting up our Christmas tree, riding my bike in the Everglades (down a bike trail lined with real, live Gators!), and reading on the couch. It was fabulous!

So, I’m trying to keep it simple this week. Nothing fancy, or roasted, or braised. I’ll save that for the weekend. This soup is deceptively simple, but tastes amazing. It’s like a French Onion Soup with its bread and onions and melted cheese, but the toasted chickpeas add a meatier, heartier flavor.

This simple soup is really scrumptious and just perfect for a lazy dinner and a cold nigt.

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Our Thanksgiving Menu & Two Pie Recipes

Published by mel on November 18, 2008 in dessert, entree, recipe and sides & bites.

Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Pie recipes are from last year and I can’t seem to find any photos…will update the post with pie pictures next week!

Thanksgiving is 10 days away. Menus are finalized, grocery shopping is in full force. Thanksgiving recipe testing is complete! And so, here’s the final menu and recipes for Pupmkin Mascarpone Pie with a Gingersnap Crust and a Crunchy Apple Pie.

Carrot Pupmkin Soup with Crushed Hazelnuts
…flavored with smoked paprika, shallots and sherry vinegar.

Bacon-Wrapped Turkey Roulade
…filled with caramelized onions and figs, goat cheese, toasted pecans and fresh cranberries. Wrapped in peppered bacon and basted in pear jam.

Corn-bread and Chorizo Stuffing from Gourmet
…Olive oil instead of vegetable oil, fresh tarragon instead of dried oregano, chicken stock instead of broth, and probably some dried fruit (apricots?) soaked in brandy.

Potato Gratin with Roasted Garlic and Manchego from Food & Wine
…Probably remove the rosemary (my mom’s not a fan) and replace half and half with whole milk. Maybe add some caramelized shallots too.

Roasted Butternut Squash stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Leeks and Chestnuts
…Halved and roasted butternut squash, stuffed with wild mushroom and leeks, sauteed in butter and tossed with chestnuts. Sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs and baked until slightly browned.

Pumpkin Walnut bread, Banana Pecan bread, Lemon Poppy bread

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie with Gingersnap Crust (Recipe below)

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie (Recipe below)

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chickpea & chorizo casseroles

Published by mel on August 22, 2008 in entree and recipe.

chickpea & chorizo casseroles

I should just rename this site The Chorizo Blog. I know I should stop, but I cannot help myself. Chorizo keeps well and is always there when I’ve run out of groceries, am too lazy to get more, but still want something delicious for dinner. Besides, Tom is obsessed with it and showers me with endless praise whenever I make anything with chorizo in it. Who doesn’t want that?

This week, I simmered a few links of it in some dry, sparkling cider. As the chorizo cooks, it absorbs the liquid and plumps up, losing all of its firm texture and becoming a lot more like the fresh sausage it started its life as. (Ending in a preposition. I know, I know. It’s Friday, so I’m allowed.) The chorizo also absorbs the cider’s sugar, making it savory, sweet and so deliciously addictive.

I added cider-spiked chorizo to some sauteed onions and chickpeas, then tossed everything with some pieces of crusty bread. In keeping with the sweet/salty theme (and because it’s all I had, really) I used a cranberry walnut bread. Everything is bathed in an egg mixture, topped with Gruyere and baked until crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.

This casserole feels homey and indulgent and comes together relatively quickly. The hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven.

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whole wheat skillet flatbread

Published by mel on June 9, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.

whole wheat skillet flatbread

I spied a sort of recipe for skillet flatbread over at Mark Bittman’s blog a few weeks ago and bookmarked it immediately. It peaked my interest because of its simplicity, its use of Whole Wheat flour and because it doesn’t take yeast. My impatient self loves that. Apparently, it’s also impossible to mess up. The author (Kerri Conan) says you can substitute any kind of whole grain flour and can play with the measurements of the flour and the water depending on whether you want something soft and “custardy” or nice and crisp. I went with the crisp. This kind of improvised, non-exact recipe is exactly how I like to cook!

And the flatbread was wonderful. Simple, hearty and ridiculously easy to make. Five ingredients and 45 minutes is all you need before you’re enjoying the crisp, warm pita-like bread. We topped ours with some freshly grilled and marinated graffiti eggplant, feta cheese and oil-cured black olives. Very delicious on a hot Sunday afternoon. Especially when eaten on a paper towel pool-side.

whole wheat skillet flatbread with eggplant, feta and olives

You can also pile it with pizza toppings and put it under the broiler for a few minutes. It’s not quite as soft and chewy as regular pizza dough, but works well if you have no time or patience for the dough to rise. I also think this would make a beautiful appetizer for guests simply topped with cheese, fresh produce and herbs and cut into pretty squares. Or a simple, sweet snack with cheese, figs and honey.

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fresh baked bread w/heirloom tomatoes

Published by mel on January 28, 2008 in recipe and sides & bites.

bread w/heirloom tomatoes

Tom and I took a journey south this weekend to the Homestead Farmer’s Market. Short history lesson on Homestead: it’s located at the very bottom of Florida (just before the Keys), it was absolutely destroyed during hurricane Andrew in the early 90’s and it’s mostly farmland. One of the best things about living in Florida is the abundance of fresh produce all year long. I especially love that I can get good, local tomatoes whenever I want. I didn’t find any interesting varieties at the farmer’s market, but I did score some outrageously good strawberries, avocados, chili peppers and something that looks like green onions. (Still haven’t used those, so I’m not quite sure what they are. I’ll report back soon.)

After we explored the farmer’s market, we went to Whole Foods where I found some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes in yellow, green, red and purple. Sigh. I’m a grocery store junkie. Tom doesn’t really like tomatoes unless they’re in something, so there’s no way I can get away with a straight-up tomato salad. I also didn’t want to cook them into nothing. That’s what Muir Glen canned tomatoes are for. I came up with a bruschetta-like thing and baked a fresh loaf of bread. I didn’t have any basil for the bruschetta, but I did have cilantro and chives. I also threw in some poppy seeds because I think they look pretty.

After we’d had our fill of bread, there was still some bruschetta left over, so I ate it with a spoon. What can I say? I love fresh, ripe tomatoes even if Tom thinks they’re gross…

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Almost Eggs Benedict

Published by mel on January 24, 2008 in breakfast and recipe.

eggs

Half a Cibatta roll, a slice of Canadian Bacon, a poached egg, curry hot sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. A cup of coffee and the perfect way to wake up on Sunday.

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Sausage Bread Pudding

Published by mel on December 21, 2007 in recipe.

Sausage bread pudding

I spied a savory bread pudding recipe awhile back, and have been dying to make it ever since. It just seemed like too much for two, so I’ve been waiting until I had company over. Also, I’d never made it before and you never try a recipe out when company is over for dinner. What a quandary. Last night I had a small dinner party for my family to celebrate Christmas since Tom and I will be in Michigan on the actual day. Family is the exception to the never make a new recipe rule. My family loved it, Tom took it to work for lunch, and I’m sorry there’s no more left. I love this recipe. The bread is soft and creamy, the veggies add a nice medium texture, and the firmness of the sausage keeps the dish from being too mushy or soggy. Also, who can resist a bunch of browned and melted cheese? No one.

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crunchy and browned indeed

Published by mel on March 22, 2007 in recipe and sides & bites.

irish soda bread

I am not Irish. I don’t have freckles across my nose or Guinness in my blood, tasty as it sounds. But, the Times’ Dining section featured Irish Soda bread last week that you cook in a skillet so that “the top and bottom crusts become crunchy and browned.” I’m a sucker for all things crunchy and browned, especially when it’s bread, and especially when it’s fresh from the oven.

I’ve only ever had soda bread once — in the metal trailer that was my elementary school’s cafeteria, on one of those “multi-cultural” days where kids get their parents to cook something “ethnic” for show and tell. And on that day, soda bread was paired with fried rice, fried plantains and far too many sweets. I honestly don’t remember a thing about it, except that I thought it was yucky.

irish soda bread dough

The soda bread from the Times was anything but yucky. In fact, it was like a dinner-time coffee cake, bursting with sweet (the golden raisins) and savory (the fennel seeds) bits. The top and bottom were indeed crunchy, and the inside both moist and crumbly. Very yummy, and along with some soup on a lazy Friday night, a perfect meal.

irish soda bread

Recipe after the jump.

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