Veggies Meet Calzone

Another weekend away has come and gone and I'm actually looking forward to spending a little time at home in the District before the traveling starts up again in a few weeks. Before taking off for my weekend in Cleveland, I offered to make my parents dinner. They've been doing a lot of shuffling of me and my luggage (and Bax dog) to and from the airport at all hours of the day, so I figured it was the least I could do. Selfishly, my offer to make dinner also allowed me to add another recipe to my repertoire, and use up the extra bag of spinach that was taunting me from the fridge.


In the years leading up to becoming a vegetarian, I parted with different meats at different times. The first to go was pepperoni. Pepperoni and my stomach were not made to be together and in the 10 or so years we've been apart, there is only one time that I miss it: when a calzone crosses my path. I used to love a good calzone more than anything. I also used to be able to put food away like no other and (in hindsight) shamefully could eat an entire calzone ring (a la my beloved Mazzios) by myself. I have yet to find a cheese or veggie calzone that mirrors the pepperoni version I grew up with and, consequently, haven't had one in years. When looking for a fun way to use up my spinach, I discovered a recipe that satisfied both my quest for calzone and desire to cook with spinach. Double win.

Spinach Mushroom Calzones

Adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
• 4 garlic cloves, minced 
• 4 cups spinach leaves
• 8 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion
• 1 1/3 cups sliced cremini or button mushrooms
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend

Prepped and awaiting cheese topping

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Unroll dough onto a baking and cut into 4 quarters
3. Pat each quarter into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle
4. Sprinkle garlic evenly over rectangles. Top each rectangle with 1 cup spinach, 2 onion slices, 1/3 cup mushrooms, and 3 tablespoons cheese
5. Bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching all points together to seal
6. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden
7. Serve alone or with a side salad for added color :) 

Ready to bake

And scene.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sammies

The Mexican fiesta TF and I created did not disappoint our tastebuds or our stomaches. Since no good meal is complete without dessert (also known as my favorite part of any meal), we had to go big or go home if we wanted the dessert to be able to hold a candle to dinner.

There are two things you likely know about me by this point in my blogging: I love to be given a crowd for which I can try out a new dessert recipe and my chocolate chip cookie skills leave a lot to be desired. When we first started brainstorming the menu for this feast, I was lobbying for an opportunity to finally try my hand at some homemade whoopie pies. TF wasn't completely sold on the idea and wanted chocolate involved. As a compromise, I proposed another new treat I'd had laying in wait for a while: cookie sandwiches (or sammies as I more affectionately like to call them). He was sold. 

At first I was going to make chocolate chip cookies and fill them with my favorite buttercream frosting a la Martha, but then I realized I had one of the two chocolate chip cookie masters in my life at my disposal and it would be silly for us to waste our time with any other chocolate chip cookie! With that stroke of genius, our plan to turn everyone in the house into a diabetic by nightfall was almost complete (not really...but the finished product was definitely over the recommended daily sugar intake). 


Unfortunately, this is where the post gets a little anticlimactic. I can say with near 100% certainty that TF would kill me if I shared his chocolate chip cookie recipe. I value my life at the moment, so I'm going to have to keep that secret to myself (not that he's entrusted me with the recipe per se, but through years of serving in the role of assistant I have figured it out...shhhh). The icing infused in the middle of these sugary treats is, like I said, a la Martha, and one I turn to frequently as it never lets me down. I encourage you to try this super easy and delicious combo with your favorite cookie recipe, it'll will be well worth it. If you're looking to avoid a stomach ache, keep the cookies much smaller than we did!!

Gian and TF's Mexican Fiesta

Well, I'm back in the District for a brief pit stop before taking to the skies for another weekend with one of my faves. While in the sooner state last week, I did carve out some time for a little cooking (actually it was a semi-full day affair, but so worth it). 


When I realized I wasn't going to be spending a lot of time in my own kitchen over the next couple weeks, I decided I needed to make time to do a little cooking in the kitchen I was visiting. It took minimal convincing to get TF on board (he was sold the minute I suggested it, which was a little disappointing...I had a whole convincing speech ready and waiting) and soon the planning began! We decided to cook Sunday dinner for six and were both so excited at the thought that it wasn't long before we crafted a menu filled with so many delicious dishes I was hungry just thinking about them! Since the group was a mix of varying tastes and eating preferences, Mexican was the natural choice for something that would be both fun to make and please everyone.


Being from Oklahoma, I'm somewhat of a snob when it comes to eating Mexican food on the east coast (to be fair, I'm the same way about eating seafood in Oklahoma). I know what I like, and Salvadorian fare just doesn't hold up to what I was raised with. Consequently, every time I visit Oklahoma, dining at various Mexican establishments tops my list of things to do. Last month when I visited, TF and I discovered the best queso ever (and there's a lot of stiff competition in those parts) and since I was arriving this time in time for dinner, reservations at 1492 were a first on our itinerary and served as the perfect idea playground for our Sunday menu.

Heaven in a bowl

Before we knew it, Sunday was upon us and it was time to break out the recipes. We vowed to make everything we could from scratch (the only thing we didn't attempt were tortillas...although, ironically I met a lady on the plane en route to the sooner state that convinced me I could totally handle flour tortillas; I may be attempting this soon) so lots of ingredients had to be scouted and even more planning than usual was involved to make sure everything was finished and hot at the same time. So much pressure, but we just had to take the plunge. Without further ado, Gian and TF's Mexican Fiesta (in pictures and delicious recipes)!


Pico de Gallo
[Original found here]

Picture fail by me; I had to attempt a make up session the day after

Ingredients

• 3 large diced tomatoes
• 1 diced medium sized onion
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 jalapenos (more if you like it hotter)

Preparation

1. Wash tomatoes and jalapenos
2. Dice tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos
3. Put ingredients in a bowl
4. Add salt, garlic, the juice of half a lemon. Mix it up and serve

Homemade Fajita Seasoning

[Original found here]

Ingredients [warning, this makes a lot--we doubled it and had tons left over]

• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cumin 
• ½ tsp cayenne
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Preparation

1. Mix and use to flavor your desired dish. It was such a great flavor, we used it on  the stir fry veggies and chicken (TF really loved it so it's possible he scattered it on other parts of the meal while I wasn't looking)
2. Store leftovers in air-tight container

Fajita Stir Fry Veggies

This photo doesn't do justice to how colorful this portion of the meal was....I blame my ravenous state for my sloppy photography skills

Ingredients

• 3-4 bell peppers (we got a four pack of red, green, and yellow and just used all of them)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 ears of fresh corn, cooked and sliced from rind
• Fajita seasoning, to taste (or heat tolerance)

Preparation

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in wok or skillet
2. Add veggies (cook peppers and onion for 2-3 minutes before adding corn) and seasoning
3. Cook until tender

Refried Black Beans

[A La Rachel Ray]

Pre-Mashing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt and ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place a medium skillet over medium heat with 2 turns of the pan of oil, about 2 tablespoons. Add 1 can of beans, the chilies and cumin to the pan, and mash the beans up with the back of a wooden spoon
2. Stir in the remaining can of beans, season the mixture with salt and pepper, and continue cooking to heat through, 2-3 more minutes

Queso Blanco Mexican White Queso

[We continue our quest to replicate the work of 1492 and El Tequila, but this was a step in the right direction]

Ingredients

• 3 cups monterey jack cheese or 3 cups asadero cheese or 3 cups white american cheese, shredded fine
• 12 ounces green chilies
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 6 tablespoons onions, chopped fine
• 6 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

1. Put all ingredients in a double boiler and heat on medium
2. Cook until melted and well blended, stirring occasionally
3. Serve with fresh tortilla chips or hot flour tortillas

Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients

• 3-4 avocados (ripe)
• 1 medium tomato
• half a small onion (finely chopped)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1/2 freshly squeezed lime juice

Preparation

1. Slice, core, and dice avocados
2. Dice tomato and onion; mince garlic
3. Stir together avocado, tomato, onion, and garlic
4. Season with salt and pepper; top with lime juice

TF's brain child, we roasted the corn husks for a decorative addition to the meal :)

Roasted Tomatillo Chile Salsa

[Courtesy of Tyler Florence]

Ingredients 

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked (these little guys were a lot of fun)
• 1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 lime, juiced

Preparation

1. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes 
2. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor
3. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky
4. Serve on top of enchiladas (below) or as a side for dipping

Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 12 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 lb chicken tenders (cooked)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 3 cups shredded cheese
• Tomatillo salsa for topping (see above)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Cook chicken as desired (the vegetarian [me] cut and seasoned it with the fajita seasoning and then TF's brother smoked it, I must admit, it looked darn good) and slice fajita style or dice cooked chicken 
3. Layer 13 x 9 baking dish with a thin layer of tomatillo salsa
4. Fill tortillas with chicken and/or cheese and onion (if I was making this for myself I'd include spinach with the cheese, my absolute fave), roll and place fold down in baking dish
5. Top with cheese and tomatillo salsa
6. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes, until cheese is melted

Finished product (some of it is hiding on the other side of my queso cup). We were all basically in food coma the rest of the night. Best Sunday dinner ever!

*We made dessert to, but since this post is already overflowing with recipes, I'm saving that one for Part II tomorrow! 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger

In an effort to restore my shaken confidence on Sunday, dessert wasn’t the only thing I whipped up. With my impending travels, it was time to play another round of “use up all the fresh produce before I leave so it doesn’t go to waste.” This time, I had a sweet potato that had been laying on the counter since last weekend when I snatched it up at the market thinking it might be fun to do something with it, only to never have time during the week to do so. Immediately, the wheels in my head began to turn as I tried to concoct a recipe for my lone sweet potato. Thanks to the wonder that is pinterest, after a few minutes of drooling over photos I found out: a sweet potato black bean burger.

You may recall, I made my first foray into the homemade veggie burger scene a couple weeks ago with this guy. He was good, but proved to be very hard to keep together, even during the cooking process. With the summerlike temperatures and the griddle still out from the morning’s pancake failure, I was easily convinced to proceed down the veggie burger route again.

This recipe proved to be relatively simple and quick, after I got the potato softened and peeled. I’d also scooped up an avocado during a mid-week market pit stop that I was thrilled to be able to incorporate into the meal as well. Happy Grilling!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger

[Adapted from this version]

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1-14 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp curry 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel and chop the sweet potato. If you are in a hurry, microwave it for 5 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 5 minutes. The sweet potato should be soft. Otherwise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato chunks on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until soft
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sautee pan. Add onions and sautee for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Set aside.
3. Place the drained and rinsed beans in a small bowl. Using a potato masher (or the bottom of a mug), mash the beans until they are a mixture of whole and smashed
4. When the sweet potato is done, use the potato masher to finely mash them
5. Mix together the sweet potato, beans and onions
6. Add the cumin, curry, salt and pepper to the mixture and stir
7. Heat a griddle to 300 degrees F or a large skillet over medium heat. Spray using a non-stick cooking spray
8. Form the potato/bean mixture into patties, approximately 4-6 ounces.
9. Cook burgers until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side

These patties were a lot more flipper friendly than the last ones!

Lemon Oatmeal Crumble

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. I love all the weekend days (I include Friday in this count as well) in different ways. While I view Friday and Saturday for socializing and taking in as many activities as possible, Sunday has become my “me” day. Unless I’ve had to skip a workout earlier in the week, I usually don’t exercise on Sundays and it’s the one day when I don’t let myself run around doing a million things. Instead, I rest. I sleep in, read the paper with a caffeinated beverage in tow, clear out the dvr, take Bax to the dog park, paint, and do anything else that strikes my fancy. It’s truly the day I most appreciate being an adult and the freedom to do as I please.

This Sunday, I awoke with the realization that I would be out of town the next two weekends. Although I’m beyond excited to be visiting two of my absolute favorite people, my absence means I won’t have another “me” Sunday until May! Determined to make the most out of the day, I decided to break out Mr. Red and see what taste bud pleasers I could whip up. Sadly, the first recipe was a swing and a miss. 


For reasons that are both slightly unclear and very frustrating, I cannot make a pancake to save my life! This recipe had a lot of potential too. It met my requirement of being whole wheat and included not only my favorite pancake ingredient (blueberries), but also allowed me to use 3 of the almost dozen bananas that I had in layaway in the freezer and most of the buttermilk I had on had (and whose expiration was imminent). I’m not entirely sure where the ultimate issue with the recipe lay, as the batter was also a little moister than it should have been, so I felt like I started off with one foot in the grave. In the end, despite my best efforts to ensure my griddle plate was properly heated before adding the dough, I ended up with burnt and slightly raw pancakes. It was upsetting. The only silver lining was that I did manage to flip them without completely destroying them, as is my usual custom. But, I would be lying if I said my confidence wasn’t hurt by a failing of that magnitude so early in the morning. TF, in his infinite pancake making wisdom, would later tell me my issue this time was that my griddle had gotten too hot. Such a delicate process, clearly I’m not ready for it.

Blueberry banana buttermilk pancakes...before things went a-rye 

Later in the day, after the wounds from the morning’s failings had time to heal, I returned to the kitchen, this time in the name of dessert. Once again, the lemons were taunting me from the top of the fridge. 


Since it was obscenely hot in the District on Sunday (I moved here from Oklahoma to escape the heat, 90 degree temperatures in April is not what I signed on for), a light lemon treat sounded divine. As an added bonus, and to keep myself from eating the whole thing, I decided I could give the majority of the finished product to my parents as a thank you for babysitting Bax dog during my upcoming jet setting around the country. The only problem with deciding on a recipe was that I couldn’t found one that looked like what I was picturing in my head and didn’t require condensed milk. 


I’ll be honest, I hate condensed milk, it creeps me out like no other and I prefer to go through life pretending it doesn’t exist. Consequently, I keep none in the home and since it was a thousand degrees outside by this point in the day (a gross exaggeration perhaps, but in my laziness I really just wasn’t into leaving the air condition for a can of something I hate) I found myself at a baking crossroads. Determined to produce something delicious and lemony, I decided I had no choice but to improvise.

Despite my shaken confidence, I decided I was still brave enough to pull portions of several different recipes into one finished product that would either be delectable or an epic fail. 

Lemon Oatmeal Crumble

First up, the crust. Craving a crumble top and bottom with lemon enclosed in the middle, I created an oatmeal crumble.

Oatmeal Crumble Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Oatmeal Crumble Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix together ingredients until they resemble a coarse crumble
3. Reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of the crumble and spread remainder onto the bottom of a 13x9 greased baking dish
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes

Lemon Filling Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Got rid of a lot of lemons with this recipe (finally putting a dent in my stash)

Lemon Filing Preparation

1. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and remaining 2/3 cup granulated sugar until blended
2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons flour, lemon zest and juice, and buttermilk; beat until smooth
3. Pour filling evenly over the baked crumble and top with remaining crumble from earlier
4. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and top is starting to turn golden

I got a little nervous at this juncture, fearing that the top and bottom layers of the crumble were going to become one because the lemon filling was too soft

My fears were unwarranted...it turned out amazing 

Delicious and just what I craved

Mango Salsa Salmon

As per my custom, I've managed to drag out the release of all the recipes I got to try out over Easter weekend. Unlike with my birthday, I promise this is accidental. But, without further ado, the final recipe in the trifecta: Mango Salsa Salmon.

Since Sister and I are vegetarians, we usually have to make alternations to the menu at our family's holiday gatherings. Most of the sides usually remain intact (we do have a vegetarian version of our grandmother's stuffing recipe that we break out for Thanksgiving), but replacing the meat on the menu is always a must. So, as the family dined on a pineapple baked ham (I'll admit, I did used to love a holiday honey ham more than anything, and sometimes miss it slightly), we whipped up our traditional Easter meat (salmon). Usually sister runs this portion of the meal on her own, but this time, after being bombarded by half a dozen recipes for mango salmon, Sister let me take the reigns. She still helped with the baking process, but I was pretty impressed with how my first go at it turned out...

Basted and ready to bake

Delish

Mango Salsa Salmon

[Inspiration found here]

Ingredients

Salsa

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 1 1/2 c)
• 1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 C chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Salmon

• Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 c)
• 2 wild salmon fillets (1 lb each, about 1" thick)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Prepare salsa: Toss together mango, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, mint, and jalapeno chile pepper in small bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to blend flavors
2. Prepare salmon: Combine lemon juice and olive oil in large shallow baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place salmon in dish and flip to cover both sides. Marinate, covered, up to 1 hour in refrigerator
3. Broil salmon for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with salsa

Death by Chocolate

When I started to think about the order in which I wanted to share my recipes from last weekend, I fully intended to share this one last, as a grand finale of sorts. Unfortunately, when I was pulling pictures for yesterday’s post, my excitement got the better of me and I decided I had to share this creation sooner rather than later!

Up until this point, nothing that I’ve cooked up has elicited the level of pride in me that this cake did. I attribute that to two things: challenge level and the addition of a new cooking accessory, my first cake stand. Obtaining a cake stand hasn't been a long standing dream of mine (I don't really make that many cakes, let alone have cause to display them proudly), but after obtaining Mr. Red, it seemed like the next logical step. So, when mother and I were out running errands on Saturday (as per our custom when I'm in town) a cake stand caught my eye. It was plain and simple and not what I envisioned my first cake stand looking like, but it ignited in me a desire to finally obtain one. Despite the fact that we were relatively pressed for time and I continued to take on various pre-Easter projects,  Mother encouraged my quest with trepedation. I talked her into stopping at Bed Bath and Beyond and Michael's, but both failed me. Not really having the energy to pursue the search beyond what was convenient, I resigned myself to internet shopping upon returning to the District. And then Pier 1 appeared. 


I've loved that store since I was little and we'd go there to buy replacement cushions for our papashian chair (who's name I was certain my parents had made up). Mother and I love that store and it's one of those places we could easily spend an hour or more wandering around. Since we were on somewhat of a time crunch, we had to hurry a little, but not so much that an ounce of the store was left uncovered :) About midway through, I found it....a cake stand worthy of the title of first cake stand! Joy filled me as I proudly marched it to the counter for purchasing (I'm fairly certain the sales lady thought I was crazy...or on some sort of drug-induced high). With the purchase of my cake stand, I knew this cake had to be epic. And it was, earning it the title of "first adult cake."


As part of my Thanksgiving dessert ensemble (it's my favorite holiday and I went big last year, making three delicious treats), Alicia was kind enough to pass along the best chocolate cake recipe ever from her sister. It was actually the first chocolate cake I ever made from scratch and it pretty much sold me on never making a boxed cake again! Not wanting to make the entirely same cake again, I decided I'd use it as the base and add a chocolate mouse filling, chocolate ganache topping and fresh raspberries (as seen on one of my favorite blogs). 


Well, chocolate mouse was a fail. It was my first pass at it and it ended with a bowl of chocolate goo. I was disappointed but not heartbroken (I don't actually care for mouse). I blame it on the fact that Mr. Red didn't make the trip to Bmore with me and thus I didn't have my trusty whisk attachment. I will conquer mouse eventually, but that's for another post. This time, I improvised, and the result was deathly delicious!

Alicia's Chocolate Cake


Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease/flour desired pan size (recipe makes 2 9 inch rounds)
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl
3. Add milk, eggs, oil, and vanilla, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes
4. Stir in boiling water (batter will become thin)
5. Distribute batter evenly among pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes

Chocolate Ganache
[original found here...along with my inspiration for this cake]


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 ounces finely chopped chocolate

Preparation

1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa powder
2. Gradually add just enough milk to make a paste, then stir in the rest
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spatula (make sure you’re getting the corners of the pan) until mixture comes to a boil. Boil gently, and stir for about 2 minutes
4. Remove from heat and add vanilla
5. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate until melted and smooth
6. Cover the surface of the frosting with wax paper and let cool until spreadable

Since my attempt at the mouse filing was a fail, I ended up using the ganache as my filling. It's very rich, so it worked perfectly in small doses. To offset the richness of the ganache, I used a light chocolate buttercream frosting to top things off. Worked like a charm.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

[Original found here]

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• Fresh raspberries for topping

Preparation

1. Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed
2. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter
3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes
4. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time

Sweet.

Chocolate.

Love.

Perky Pear Tart

Well, another week is upon us and since I’ll be feasting on Easter candy for weeks to come (I didn't really get that much, I’m just somewhat of a candy hoarder and it takes me a while to deplete my stash), it’s only fitting that this week I’ll be sharing all the delicious recipes I got to try out over the weekend.

I’ve always enjoyed family gatherings, but since I’ve begun to expand my cooking horizons, I love them even more as they provide me with the rare opportunity to try out multiple recipes on an array of different taste pallets. Since Sister and I have been deemed “the bakers” of the family, we typically assume the responsibility of bringing desserts. Sister, however, hasn’t had time to bake since her last attempt to unseat me as the favorite (my muffins were very well received by the way) so I took over all the baking responsibilities this time around. I had already been eyeing one dessert recipe for some time and just needed to settle on a chocolate accompaniment (Mother gets angry if there is no chocolate-based confection in the midst). Both the desserts I chose ended up being new challenges for me, but I emerged triumphant in the end.

Today’s dish, the pear tart, caught my eye a month or so ago during my weekend paper reading. The elderly person that I’m convinced lives inside of me loves getting the paper delivered every weekend (it's like Christmas when I wake up and it's magically in front of my door....I say magically because I live in a secured access building and have yet to figure out who puts the paper in front of my door at 7am) and periodically I’ll find a recipe that catches my eye. When I saw this one, I knew it would be perfect for Easter dinner. I made a super simple apple tart as part of my Thanksgiving dessert ensemble (this was pre-blog but I promise to share the recipe when apple season rolls around again) and since it was so well received, I hoped the same would be true for this one. The only wild card at these family gatherings is my Grandmother. At 86, she's very much set in her ways with what she likes to eat and is not afraid to tell you otherwise. Luckily for my ego, the pear tart was well received by all and I was able to survive the day without becoming hysterical.

Pear Tart

(Courtesy of Gail Simmons)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) softened, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• Juice of ½ lemon, divided
• 1 lb pears (Concorde or Anjou), cored and sliced ½ inch thick
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon

The crust was so good I couldn't help but sample it a time or two...or 5 

Preparation

1. Butter a 9-inch springform pan (I left mine in the District, but found a large pie pan works just as well). Squeeze half the lemon juice over pears
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
3. With an electric mixer, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture on low until batter just comes together. Spread in pan. Wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes (I chilled it overnight to save time the day of and it worked great)
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange pears in tight concentric circles on top of dough. Squeeze remaining lemon juice evenly over pears
5. In a bowl, mix 2 Tbsp sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle over pears. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until edges are golden and center is set

Ready to bake

Finished product. A delightful spring alternative to apple pie.

Lemon Meets Blueberry

Yes, lemon is back! I warned you with my lemon cupcakes last week that lemon is not only my current obsession, but also that I acquired a bag of lemons at market and was more than a little excited to put each and every one of them to use. With the weekend on the horizon (actually, lets not pretend, it's Friday, I'm already in full weekend mode), I was tired of my bag of lemons staring at me from the top of the fridge and decided it was time for another lemon-infused recipe! 

I'm heading to Baltimore later today to spend Easter weekend with the family. At the age of 15, I proclaimed myself the favorite child of my parents (I have no shame sometimes). Sister was younger and weaker then and thus I wasn't challenged in assuming my position, which I went onto hold for many years. In recent years, however, Sister has gotten much stronger than me (terrifyingly so,as I have little to no upper body strength with which to adequately defend myself) and has begun a somewhat successful campaign to unseat me as favorite! I'm more than 90% certain that I'll always be my father's favorite, but Mother is more of a wild card. Sister and I have decided that she has days (she doesn't announce them, you can just tell if it's your day because you can do no wrong in her eyes and the other sister can do no right...for the record, she claims this doesn't happen, but we witness it every time the three of us are together), but I'm also certain that she favors Sister in general more than me. Sorry, for the long diatribe, that went on way longer than I thought it would! Nonetheless, I said all that to say that the last time Sister came to town (I wasn't there) I got word that she came bearing her famous chocolate chip cookies for Papa! I was irate! Now she's trying to win him over too?! That's where I draw the line. I've already all but ceded Mother to her, I'm not about to lose Papa too! Thus, I knew I could not show up empty handed this time around...enter the bag of lemons.

There are two baked goods that my dad loves above all others: blueberry muffins and chocolate chip cookies. Mother had been coaxing me to make the chocolate chip cookies I featured earlier in the week for him, but I knew they would just be compared to Sister's and wouldn't hold a candle to her's. Thus, I decided to pursue his other favorite treat. I'd found a recipe for blueberry lemon cupcakes a while back, but since I'm making a couple desserts for Easter, decided to take that idea but spin it into a muffin. Victory! 

Lemon Blueberry Flax Muffins

[Inspiration found here]

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup sugar (next time I want to try agave nectar here instead)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp grated lemon rind
• 1 cup blueberries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flaxseed and next 7 ingredients (flaxseed through nutmeg) in a medium bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal
3. Combine buttermilk, egg, and lemon rind; stir well with a whisk. Add to dry mixture; stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries
4. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray or muffin cups
5. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the muffins spring back when lightly touched. Remove muffins from pans immediately, and place on a wire rack to cool

*Bax dog and I sampled one and it was delish, fingers crossed Papa thinks the same!

Splatter Print

In the midst of all my recent excitement in the kitchen, I realized it had been far too long since I shared any of my recent works of art. I've discovered that I really love painting...it's calming, I get to use a plethora of colors, and when I'm done I have a new masterpiece for my home. Unfortunately, because my apartment is so tiny, I often find that I'm pacing myself with my paintings out of fear that I'll fill my walls and not be able to paint any more. I hate feeling cluttered or crowded in my home, so I'm obsessive about keeping the decorations to a minimum. To remedy this problem, I've told myself that once I have a painting everywhere that I want one, I'll just start rotating them out, gallery style. I haven't hit that point yet, but in my head the idea works well enough to keep my calm and allow me to continue painting.


Anyway, a month or so ago I was spending the weekend with my family in Baltimore. When I come to visit, Mother and I usually spend the Saturday running errands and shopping. This particular Saturday, we were equally excited about one stop in particular: Michaels. While I have no formal art training (unless you count middle school art classes), Mother does. She graduated from MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) back in the day and before she decided to work with children (also known as teaching) she was a trained artist. We've found some of her earlier works over the years (I used to have one hanging in my kitchen until she demanded that I take it down, deeming it not one of her best efforts). When she was buying me art supplies for Christmas it reignited her desire to paint and she decided it was time to get back into it. Unlike me, her home allows for her to have her own art studio, I'm very jealous, but baby steps. Nonetheless, in the days prior to my visit, Mother alerted me to the sale of all sales in the Michaels' art department...two coupons totaling a combined 60% off. I had one item in particular in mind that I'd been coveting for quite some time...a giant canvas. 


Since beginning to paint, I'd dreamed of acquiring a canvas that was feet tall and creating an epic work of art that would be the focal point of my apartment. Unfortunately, a canvas that size is well over $50 and while I love painting, I don't love it that much (at least not yet). This sale changed everything. Mother and I were like kids in a candy store! We had a grand time and, more importantly, I got my giant canvas!

Trying to decided what to paint

Not wanting to squander my opportunity with this giant workspace, I let the canvas sit staring at me for days (a first). Finally, it came to me--giant splatter. I've always loved Jackson Pollock's work and decided to channel my inner-Jackson in creating my masterpiece.

Close up of the finished product

Enjoy his new spot on the wall (I picked yellow and a lot of the colors in it to accent the colors in the duvet)

*Don't tell the others, but this one currently holds the title of favorite painting :)