Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
1 cup fresh basil, firmly packed
3/4 cup sun-dried cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 minced garlic cloves
1 teaspoon balsalmic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
Process all ingredients in a food processor until mixed well. Slowly pour in basil and process until incorporated.
Serve with your favorite pasta. I used linguini and mixed a small amount of the pasta water with the sauce.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Peach Crumble
I checked the refrigerator and realized I didn't have any lemons. I do have the bottled lemon juice but don't like to use it in baked goods. I see this bottle of limoncello we purchased after enjoying limoncello on a cruise. Why is it the limoncello we had on the cruise was much tastier than the bottled variety. Maybe it was the ocean air or maybe the bottle of wine we had with dinner?? Anyway, I decided to try limoncello in this recipe as a substution for lemon juice.
3 tablespoons of Limoncello
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin pieces
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Arrange the peach slices in a buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the limoncello, cinnamon and nutmeg.
In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, blend the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats and sprinkle the mixture on top of the sliced peaches. Bake until the peaches are soft and the topping is brown, about 25 minutes.
Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My First Sweet & Simple Bakes
This month's recipe was Jammy Donut Muffins. You can find the recipe here. For the filling, I decided to use some of the delightful strawberry/rhubarb jam , my mother in law made.
My notes on the recipe:
I had a little trouble deciding just how much batter to put in the muffin tins before putting in the jam. I think I used too much for the first few muffins. I didn't need all of the melted butter for dipping but no problem, it will be great for tomorrow morning's French Toast. I don't own a kitchen scale, so the measurements for this recipe were a bit challenging. I did a search and found what I think was the closest conversion possible. I think I need to invest in a scale.
These muffins are melt in your mouth delicious. Next time I want to try them with a cream filling. The muffins are best eaten on the first day, so share with some friends and enjoy!!!
Thanks Rosie and Maria for taking the time to create this group! I look forward to next month's recipe!!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Fresh Peach Muffins
A juicy, fresh peach is such a sign of summer and I love eating them. My husband, however, prefers them in desserts. What dessert do you think of when you think of peaches? For me, it's cobblers or crisps. I wanted to try something besides a cobbler, crisp or pie.
I found the baking blog, Sweet Melissa Sunday's, their recipe for this week is Fresh Peach Muffins. They have the maximum number of bakers for their group. Darn! I thought the recipe looked so yummy and since I had fresh peaches, I decided to bake it anyway.
My notes for this recipe:
I blanched the peaches in boiling water for one minute and then transferred them to cold water to stop the cooking. The skin peeled off easily.
The recipe calls for 1 cup of diced peaches, a large peach yielded one cup. I didn't have orange zest, so I substituted lime zest.
These muffins are WONDERFUL. They have a very subtle peach flavor. I do think the cinnamon topping makes the muffins extra tasty.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Mis en Place?
The first challenge envolved a mis en place. Although this concept is designed for restaurant kitchens, it has application to the home chef as well. Measuring and assembling ingredients before starting a recipe cuts down on time and possible mistakes.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
How Organized are You?
Earlier this week, my husband sent me this article. How great would it be if these accordian files could be turned into a virtual recipe box? With just a couple of days left in my medical leave, I am scrambling to finish all the projects on my "TO DO LIST". With many of them crossed off the list, I think I can find the time to explore these software options. Big Oven is a great option for bloggers with Facebook pages.
The downside to any of these programs is the recipes can't be scanned in, you have to enter them individuall into the program. Once you've taken the time to do that, what a great resource you will have at your fingertips. I will share my research and hopefully my eventual purchase as I delve into this over the next few weeks.
Do you know of other options for recipe organization?
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Caramel Glazed Sea Scallops
Caramel Glazed Sea Scallops
Recipe courtesy of Paula Dean
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons butter
12 large sea scallops
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine oil and butter to saute pan over medium heat. Salt and pepper the scallops and add to the pan. Coat the scallops with the sugar. Allow scallops to brown and caramelize on both sides.
Spoon the glaze over the scallops and serve.
My notes on this recipe: The original recipe called for making a glaze with sugar, water and corn syrup but didn't really state what to do with it. It also said to make in advance and set aside. Mine ended up getting too hard. You don't need it, the glaze they cook in makes plenty.