'Cause I'm all caught up in your sweet smile...

Apricot Pistachio Oatmeal Bread

Maple Pecan Streusel Bread

Today I have two sweet treats for autumn; both embrace warm flavors, texture from pecans and pistachios, and aromas that will transform your home into a fall fantasy. First, apricot pistachio oatmeal cookies, these delicious morsels embody warm cinnamon, sweet apricots, and buttery pistachios while creating a cookie that can be eaten for breakfast, served with an afternoon cup of tea, or after dinner with coffee. You could swap out the apricots for cranberries for a festive Christmas cookie. The second recipe, maple pecan streusel bread, has just moved into the number one spot in my book for fall sweet bread. As much as I cherish pumpkin bread, this was an unexpected and delightful change. The maple adds enough sweetness without being overpowering, and you may choose any kind of nut that you like (when I think of fall I frequently turn to pecans). This treat also contains a streusel layer in the center of the bread, that when baked flows throughout the entire loaf. By using Greek yogurt in the bread it keeps the recipe on the lighter side, while remaining incredibly moist. If you are in need of a fall hostess gift either of these would be charming. Apple cider, a warm blanket, a good book, and these sweet treats are the makings of a lovely afternoon.

Apricot Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, to taste

Few grates of fresh nutmeg (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pistachios

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

With a mixer cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Turn mixer speed to low and add the oat mixture, and mix just until incorporated. Do not over-mix. Fold in pistachios and apricots by hand.

Lightly flour hands and roll dough into 1-inch to 1 ½-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Maple Pecan Streusel Bread

Ingredients for the Pecan Streusel:

1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Ingredients for the Bread:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup Greek yogurt

1 Tbsp butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

For the streusel: combine first 5 ingredients (brown sugar through salt) in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well-combined. Stir in chopped toasted pecans.

For the bread: whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a large bowl, beat the yogurt, softened butter, & maple syrup until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until combined. Beat in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add in one third of the flour mixture. Beat in one half of the buttermilk. Beat in another one third of the flour. Beat in remaining buttermilk. Beat in remaining flour just until combined.

Spoon half of the bread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture. Spread remaining batter over streusel; swirl with a butter knife. Sprinkle remaining streusel evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Until tomorrow…Peace.

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You could be my luck, even if the sky is falling down...

Today’s offering is tremendously simple, with just a few ingredients this could without difficulty become a frequent visitor at your dinner table. It carries warm flavors that are sure to keep you cozy on cool autumn evenings. Frequently pork is paired with apples, but for a change I have roasted grapes with fresh herbs. I believe they grapes have an excellent balance of sweet and tart. To me, they appear more elegant than apples and would be striking for entertaining. The pairings for this succulent pork are equally as effortless; a modest tossed salad and grilled potato skewers (with the skewer being a sprig of rosemary). I grilled the potatoes, but they would be just as enchanting roasted in the oven. These elements meet to fashion a delicious complete meal, and prove that decadence can be made simple. 

Seared Pork with Roasted Grapes:

4 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 boneless, skinless pork chops

2 – 3 cups seedless red grapes, pulled from the stems

2 sprigs thyme (more for garnish)

2 Tbs. fresh oregano

coarse salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange the grapes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of oil. Sprinkle thyme sprigs over the grapes, along with a small pinch of salt. Roast the grapes for 20 minutes, or until they’re slightly wilted and bursting.

In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a cast iron (or regular non-stick) skillet over medium-high. Season the pork on both sides with salt and pepper and sear for 4-5 minutes per side. They’re pretty thin, so they won’t need too long.

Arrange the pork on a serving plate; sprinkle the roasted grapes over the pork and drizzle with any remaining grape juice.

Garnish with chopped fresh oregano and thyme.

For the potatoes, I diced them into similar size chunks toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Skewer them onto a sprig of rosemary and grill or roast.

Until tomorrow…Peace.

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Looking like a pair of clowns, clowns, clowns...

Do I ever have a WOW for you...stick with me while I introduce you to possibly the most delicious savory pizza I have created. I had a version of this recently, and have tweaked it quite a bit, now I would not change a thing in my recipe below. I am sure you see the strawberries in the picture, and may be leary. I will reiterate this is a savory pizza. It starts with a whole wheat crust. Sitting atop the crust is a vast array of caramelized figs, feta cheese, goat cheese, peppery arugula, cheddar, strawberries finished with a balsamic reduction. I know it sounds too much, but each elements compliments one another in perfect harmony. I normally use all purpose flour for my pizza dough, but these flavors needed a sturdy backing of whole wheat. I am sure if you step out of the box with me on this you will not be disappointed. 

• 1 whole wheat thin pizza crust (using the pizza dough recipe I have already posted only with whole wheat, you may find this by clicking on Breads on the right hand side of my blog)
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 green or black mission figs
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 ¼ cups baby arugula
• 4 medium size strawberries, sliced in half
• ¼ cup crumbled goat’s cheese
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Balsamic glaze:

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

In a small sauce pan, combine balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for about 10 minutes until it reduces to about a half.

Set aside (it will thicken as it cools)

Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle olive oil on pizza crust. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 5-6 minutes. (The dough is uncooked at this point) In the mean time, slice the figs into thirds and dip slices in brown sugar making sure they’re well coated.  Arrange fig slices in a large hot non stick skillet. Cook the figs at medium heat for about 3 minutes, until they start to caramelize. Turn them over, add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes. Set aside. (Note: Don’t skip the lemon! It will keep the sugar from crystallizing) . Once the pizza crust is out of the oven, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Top with baby arugula, caramelized figs, strawberries, feta and goat’s cheese. Season again with salt and pepper for extra flavor. Bake at 400F for about 7 minutes, until the cheeses melt and the arugula starts to wilt.  Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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You know its funny how freedom can make us feel contained...

I had invited a few people over, and I wanted to serve a hearty appetizer. My go to for entertaining is a cheese plate with fruit and honey. For this gathering I decided to give it a slight twist. I made five different kinds of crostinis (for some reason one managed to escape the photograph) each with a cheese and fruit pairing, some were dressed with herbs. It was not only appealing to the eye, but delicious as well. This method actually turned out to be a great idea because my guests were able to simply pick them up, since I had previously completed the assembly. The only addition to this platter of delights was a small dish of honey for drizzling if desired. You may use any combination of fruit and cheese that you like, and you do not need to have five different types. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy this concept.

Cheese

• Greek Cheese (a type of Feta)
• A sheep’s cheese
• Fresh Goat Log
• A sharp Blue
• An aged guouda

Fruit

• Cherries, pitted and halved
• Peaches, stones, halved and sliced finely
• Strawberries, sliced finely
• Figs, sliced into small chunks
• Pears, sliced and chopped

Herbs

• Chives
• Basil
• Mint

Bread

• Half a baguette, sliced into small discs
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method

Brush the discs of baguette with olive oil. Place under a heated grill, until golden brown – this should take about 5 minutes or less. Chop the fruit into small pieces. Slice the herbs into thin strips and cut the cheese into small bite size pieces.  Now, it really is just a case of assembling them altogether. I paired the sheep's cheese with cherries and a single chive. The peach is paired with soft goat cheese and basil –it tastes summery and divine. The pears work really well with the crumbly sharp guouda (my favorite) and the figs are delicious with the creamy Bleu.  Lastly I assembled strawberries with Feta and mint. I added a little black pepper to these. It really is up to you, what cheese and fruit you use. This plate serves as a great little Summer snack.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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A lady that I know just came from Colombia. She laughed because I did not understand...

Fatayer is a meat pie pastry that can alternatively be stuffed with spinach, or cheese. It is part of Middle Eastern cuisine and is eaten in Kuwait, Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and other countries in the region. I have recently just become aware of these little delights. I am reading a novel set in Lebanon (Agents of Innocence), and the characters are always eating this typical street food. Naturally I had to do some research to find out what the heck they were. As you know I am constantly trying to create street food from around the world. The dough is similar to puff pastry, just slightly more dense. Some are open (this is what I chose), and some are closed pockets, a personal preference. The typical meat choice is lamb (I used this), seasoned heavily with spices ranging from cinnamon to cayenne. Do not be discouraged by the array of spices in the dish, they all marry beautifully. As much as I enjoy Indian street food, I might like these better. I was truly impressed with the outcome, and will certainly be making them again. I have also attached my second attempt at Popsicles. This time mango coconut, it was an excellent pairing with the fatayers. 

1 Cup flour

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch of sugar

3 oz plain yogurt (slightly less than 3/4 Cup)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

lukewarm water (as needed)

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 lb ground lamb 

1/2 onion grated

2 cloves of garlic grated

2 T tomato paste

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 bunch of fresh cut parsley

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of crushed chilies

1-2 teaspoons of salt

Mix flour with sugar, salt and yeast. Gradually add the yogurt and olive oil. You want the dough to be smooth, so add water accordingly. You do not want it to be too soft and sticky, slightly crumbly is ok. Place dough in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise, double in size. About 30 min.

In the meantime prepare the stuffing. Finely dice onion and garlic, saute in olive oil. Once translucent add lamb, and cook thoroughly. Next add tomato paste, herbs and spices. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When dough has risen on a floured surface divide it into 5 parts and form ovals. Brush each oval with olive oil, and place lamb mixture in the center. Fold up the sides pinching two edges, forming a boat like shape. Top with a slice of tomato.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 min, until pastry has puffed and is slightly golden.

Mango Puree

1 ripe mango, diced into chunks (reserve 1/4 of diced mango for coconut milk with mango)

1/4 cup orange juice

In a blender, blend together the mango and orange juice until smooth and pour-able (about the consistency of baby food).

Coconut Milk with Mango

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 of the reserved mango, diced into small pieces

Whisk together the coconut milk and sugar. Stir in the mango pieces.

For Popsicles

1 cup orange juice

To Assemble

Pour a few spoonfuls of mango puree, coconut milk with mango, or orange juice into the Popsicle molds. Freeze for 1 hour before repeating, alternating between flavors and size of spoonfuls to create stripes. Freeze for 30-45 min between stripes.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Looking like a pair of clowns, clowns, clowns...

It has been too long since my last tart post. I do not post that many because I use the same recipe for all my tarts. This one follows that pattern as well  (but it was too gorgeous not to share with you), same shell and pastry cream. I did enhance the pastry cream with a slight lemon flavor by infusing  it with the zest of one lemon, and a dash of the juice. As you can see from the picture below, I had a hard time deciding what fruit to use. It not only turned out beautiful, but delicious as well. The beauty about tarts is that you have the ability to personalize every single one. I tend to stick to apricot preserves as the glaze on top, I find it to be milder than orange. The glaze is not necessary, but adds the glistening sheen found in pastry shop windows. I have rewritten the recipe below for anyone that is new to tart making. Summer is the perfect time to give this a whirl.

Pastry Cream

5 egg yolks, room temperature

3/4 C sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 1/2 C scalded milk

1/2 t pure vanilla extract

1 T unsalted butter

1 T heavy cream

Pate Brisee (recipe follows)

fruit for topping (any kind you like)

3 T apricot or orange marmalade (for glazing)

Bake Pate Brisee according to instructions, make sure edges become browned as you will not be baking this tart once it is filled. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.

With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.

Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. Don't be alarmed when the custard comes to a boil and appears to curdle; switch to a whisk and beat vigorously. Cook, whisking constantly, for another 2 minutes; the custard will come together and become very thick, like pudding. Stir in the vanilla, butter, and heavy cream. Pour pastry cream into tart shell, or place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cool.

Fill pastry shell with custard. Arrange fruit on top. Heat marmalade over medium low heat until runny. Brush warm marmalade over fruit and edges of tart. Refrigerate before serving.

Pate Brisee

1 1/4 C flour

1 t salt

1 stick unsalted butter (cubed and cold)

1/8 C ice water (more if needed)

Place flour, salt, and butter in a food processor. Pulse until it looks like small crumbs. With the machine running, slowly add water until dough just starts to come together. Use the water sparingly, you do want the dough to become sticky.

Place dough into a 10" tart pan and press along bottom moving outward up the sides (you may roll dough before placing it in tart pan, I prefer to do this by hand). Do not force or stretch the dough because a thin spot may cause the filling to leak. The dough edges should be a little bit higher than the side of the tart pan to help prevent shrinkage. Prick the bottom of the shell with your fork. Press a piece of foil (12"x13") into the edges of the shell completely touching and covering the entire shell. Chill for at least a half an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Completely fill the foil covered shell with pie weights or dried beans. Put the shell into the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and remove beans and foil. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes and bake until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack.

The shell is ready to fill!

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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The sun will shine in my back door one day...

As I have mentioned previously breakfast is not my thing. My idea of breakfast is a turkey sandwich. My significant other on the other hand could eat breakfast for every meal. So, in an attempt to jazz up the average pancake I noticed a nice pile of peaches on the counter, and decided to incorporate them into breakfast. The pancakes themselves have peaches and ground almonds to give them texture. They rose nicely due to an egg and baking powder, there is also a hint of tartness from a touch of sour cream. I then made a simple syrup from peaches and ginger, the ginger added a wonderful bite to the meal. Now, these are pancakes I can handle. I am positive these could also be a dessert pancake if desired. A dollop of heavy whipping cream topped them off beautifully. These are certain to brighten up your Sunday brunch.

Pancakes:

2 peaches, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

Water

3 tablespoons white granulated sugar, divided

Sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoons sugar

1/4 C ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled

More Butter or Vegetable Oil for skillet

Ginger Peach Syrup:

2 peaches, sliced, skin-on

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

Salt

1/2 teaspoon corn starch

In a small saucepan, add the chopped peaches and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and add 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt. transfer to a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Pour the mixture through a strainer, into a measuring cup or bowl, which will catch all of the pulp. It will yield a little over a cup. Set aside.

To a medium bowl, add the flour, almonds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sour cream, egg, melted butter and 3/4 cup of the peach puree. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Small to medium lumps are perfectly fine.

 Preheat your griddle of skillet over medium heat. While your pan is pre-heating, let’s make the syrup! Add the peaches, freshly grated ginger, sugar, pinch of salt, corn starch, 1/4 cup of remaining peach puree and 2 tablespoons of water. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes and until the peaches have softened and liquid has thickened slightly.

 Once your skillet is pre-heated, rub it with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter onto the skillet and cook until bubbles form, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook on its opposite side for an additional minute or so. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet in a pre-heated 200F oven. Repeat process until you’ve cooked through all of the batter, adding more butter or oil to the skillet as needed. Top each stack with a tablespoon or two of the ginger peach syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds...

I am forever trying to jazz up a plain boneless skinless chicken breast. I cherish them because they are a nice lean source of protein, but so often they come across as dry and boring. I have today, a very simple grilled chicken sandwich, with the highlight being grilled pineapple. I think grilled fruit on a sandwich is perfect for a summer cookout. I marinated the chicken in pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. It is an excellent marinade considering you achieve a salty flavor through the soy, sweetness from the sugar and pineapple juice, in addition to a clever bite from the Dijon. I also mixed mayo with a little Sriracha as the base spread for the sandwich. A sharp dill pickle is a pleasant accompaniment along with grilled potato wedges. I encourage you to add this recipe to your summer rotation for grilled chicken.  

Ingredients

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 small can of pineapple rings, 4 slices

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 T mayonnaise
1 T Sriracha

2 hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls

2 slices of Swiss cheese

Pound out the chicken breast and cut into two pieces.  Combine the juice from the pineapple can, soy sauce, brown sugar, and mustard. Marinate the chicken for 4 hours or overnight in the juice mixture. I preferred the overnight marinade best. Grill the chicken for 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Add the cheese to the chicken when there is 3 minutes remaining. At this time I also placed the buns face down on the grill. While the chicken is grilling, add the pineapple rings halfway through, turning once. Combine mayo and Sriracha, spread on the grilled buns. Place chicken and pineapple, enjoy!

** This makes 2 good sized sandwiches, but may easily be adjusted for more. If you are making 4 or more sandwiches, I would use fresh pineapple if it looks good, and then just get a can of pineapple juice for the marinade. 

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Do you hear me? I'm talking to you...

A simple cake with fresh fruit is just what the doctor ordered. As I have mentioned baking does not excite me, so I tend to keep my desserts simple (usually fruit based). I chose plums for this baked cake, and they provided the perfect amount of sweet and tart. You could use nectarines, peaches, strawberries, or any semi firm fruit of your choice. If you are looking for a dessert that is pleasing to the eye, and will not have you in the kitchen all day then this is for you.What a wonderful addition to a summer evening meal. You could also whip some cream for a topping if desired.

4 T unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for skillet

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for skillet

½ t baking powder

¼ t baking soda

Coarse salt

¾ C plus 2 T sugar

1 large egg

½ C low-fat buttermilk

4 ripe medium plums, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375°. Butter an 8-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast-iron); dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Beat butter and ¾ cup sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk.

Pour batter into prepared skillet, and smooth top with an offset spatula. Fan plums on top, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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