Peachy Keen

This is a simple yet satisfying cake. It takes mere minutes to put the batter together and will disappear from the pan just as fast. The recipe is taken straight form the new Gourmet magazine and made as is with two small exceptions. Peaches replaced the nectarines here and a pie pan was used instead of a springform. Everything about the cake was delicious, especially the scent of it. A combination of vanilla, almond and nutmeg amongst the fresh peaches gives it a loving, beautiful aroma. If I could bottle it I would. And I'd have sweet sunshine in a bottle. The cake is dense and sturdy, yet buttery and soft, perfect for holding on to the peach slices. To eat this warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream slowly melting on top or a dollop of whipped cream is to know sublime pleasure. All by itself is just as delicious. I don't know many cakes I can say that about. This is a new favorite in my house. I can't wait to try it with pears, and maybe even apples. Both would work equally well.







PRINT NECTARINE GOLDEN CAKE RECIPE






Look at the sweet peach trying to peek out the top!

Purple Potatoes & Noodles with a Parmesan Garlic Sauce

I saw these richly-colored, purple potatoes on Girlichef's blog a few weeks ago. When I spotted them in my own market I was elated. Seeing that the bin was almost empty I quickly snatched them up. I had never eaten or even seen such beauties before! Or maybe it was that I never noticed them before. Food blogging makes me sit up and take notice of unusual food.


I had a plan for them, a plan that didn't pan out because as I was browsing through one of my Italian cookbooks I turned to a recipe involving potatoes and noodles. My first thought wasn't about taste but on how dramatic the dish would look with the purple potato against the creamy whiteness of the pasta and sauce. Pleasing to the eye and a showcase for the pretty potato, which deserved to be the star of the show.






This was just as impressive taste-wise as it was to look at. My Dad asked me "Why does this make me want to keep eating?" Which meant that he had more than enough but was having trouble putting the fork down. It's that kind of dish. The potato gems nestle snugly in between the wide strands of fettuccine and all of it is covered with generous amounts of cheesy garlic sauce infused with basil. This was a main dish for us but it would be equally if not more delicious with sliced, cooked Italian sausage mixed in or as a side with steak, chicken, or ribs. Another reason why I love this is the ingredients are basic pantry items that come together to make an extremely satisfying, yet very simple dish. I bet you have everything in your pantry to make this right now!






Potatoes & Noodles with Parmesan Garlic Sauce
(semi-adapted from 1001 Classic Italian Recipes by Christina Gabrielli)

1 pound small New Potatoes or small Purple Potatoes
Salt and fresh ground Pepper
12 ounces Tagliatelle, Fettucine or Linquini
Fresh Romano or Parmesan for grating over top

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
5 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup all-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Parmesan, fresh grated
6 or 7 Basil leaves, fresh, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried


Boil the potatoes in their skins 10-15 minutes until tender. Drain, cool, and slice into 1 /4 inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. In the mean time make the sauce.

In a tablespoon of Olive oil saute the garlic in a medium saute pan about 3 minutes on low heat. Add the butter, melt and add the flour. Whisk and cook the flour mixture about three minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer while whisking, when thickened add Parmesan and basil. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. If sauce becomes too thick whisk in a bit of the pasta water.

Mix the pasta and sliced potatoes together. Pour the sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese and serve immediately.


Print Recipe

Chicken and Waffles

I cooked chicken and waffles for dinner amidst a severe thunderstorm. The sky was an ominous shade of gray, dark as night, and rain poured down in sheets. Thunder rumbled overhead, shaking me in my shoes and sending the cats running harem-scarem around the house frantic with fright. Amidst all the craziness I found peace in preparing this. My kitchen felt like a safe and cozy cocoon. A shelter from the storm. And the comfort was in eating it. That's what chicken and waffles is all about - plain and simple home-cooked comfort.



I added big bits of cooked bacon to my savory waffle along with a healthy dose of fresh, fragrant orange peel. And then I did something crazy - I ventured outside to grill up my chicken during a short lull in the rain. When I'm determined nothing is going stop me least of all a wild thunder storm! My first intention was to bake the chicken with a coconut-panko crust that would tie into the coconut gravy I was making. It was too hot and humid, I couldn't bear to turn on the oven. I've left the chicken out of my recipe - I'll leave that up to you. Grill it, bake it with a crispy coating like coconut flakes and panko, fry it, or use leftovers like rotisserie or roasted chicken. One of the best parts is the coconut gravy. Coconut milk leftover from my peanut butter sauce was crying to be used. Rich, creamy and so flavorful, this was the perfect home for it. I don't know if I loved the gravy more or the waffles with their bits of salty bacon and essence of orange that permeated through every last absolutely delicious bite!





This waffle recipe stands alone as a perfect treat for breakfast. Just add a tablespoon of sugar to the batter and leave out the sage.

Bacon Waffles
(Basic recipe adapted from Betty Crocker)

*Makes 6 Belgian Waffles

2 large Eggs
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 and 3/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable oil or melted Butter
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Sage, dried
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons grated Orange Peel from 1 fresh Navel Orange
8 slices Bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled into bite-size pieces

In a large bowl beat eggs with a wire whisk until fluffy. Whisk in the remaining ingredients just until smooth. Stir in the bacon.

Heat waffle iron. Spray with nonstick baking spray.

Cook the waffles according to your individual waffle iron's directions.





Chicken Gravy
(by Reeni)

2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1 cup Coconut Milk or Whole Milk
1 cup Chicken Broth
Sea Salt and Fresh Pepper

In a medium saucepan melt the butter, whisk in the flour and cook over medium-low heat for three minutes. Slowly whisk in the coconut milk and broth. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of pepper. Bring to a slow simmer, continue simmering and whisking until it thickens. Taste and re-season if needed before serving.

Print Recipe


I talk about the history of waffles here in an older post and also give a recipe for Sweet Potato Waffles and Fried Chicken with Caramelized Onion Gravy if your interested!

Filled & Grilled Tomatoes

My garden isn't being kind to me this summer. Maybe it's because I don't have the same enthusiasm I had last year when I faithfully tended it like I would a newborn puppy. Or maybe their is some truth to the old wives tale that talking to your plants and giving them attention helps them thrive. Or maybe it's just the crazy weather we've experienced this year. I like the last reason the best. I don't want to be at fault. I can forget about the bushels of tomatoes from last year. I'm lucky to get a few handfuls so far, and enough at a time to make them worth stuffing. And worth it this was.


The filling is made with the goodness of Cannelini beans and flavored with feta, Parmesan, onion, garlic, lemon, and loads of fresh basil. I stuffed the hollowed out bounty with the delicious filling and briefly grilled them. The result is an intense tomato flavor countered by the creamy, fresh, bright taste from the stuffing. I ate these lovely beauties with tuna linguine and a big piece of rustic Italian bread. They rounded off the meal beautifully. How perfect these are for a barbecue or picnic!





Stuffed Tomatoes
(by Reeni)

Olive oil, for sauteing
1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced thin
Sea salt and fresh pepper
4 cloves Garlic, minced
8-9 medium size Tomatoes, cut lengthwise and insides scooped out
1 can Cannelini Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Feta, crumbled plus about 1/3 cup more for crumbling over tops
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, fresh grated
1 tablespoon Lemon juice, fresh-squeezed, plus lemon wedges for serving
1/4 cup fresh Basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, chopped
Seasoned bread crumbs or cornflake crumbs
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

In a tablespoon or two of Olive oil saute the onion in a skillet over medium-low heat until soft and tender. Season with salt and pepper, add garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes longer. Remove from heat. Let cool.

Season the insides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl mix together the Cannelini Beans, Feta, Parmesan, Lemon, basil, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon the filling into the hollowed out tomatoes right to the top. Sprinkle the tops with bread crumbs.

Grill in a vegetable basket over low heat about ten - twelve minutes with grill lid down. The tomatoes will begin to shrink and juices will start to run when they are ready.

Drizzle the tops with extra virgin olive oil. Put a sprinkle of feta on top of each. Serve with lemon wedges.


Print Recipe

The Best Corn Muffins...Ever

I'm pretty sure these are some of the best corn muffins. Ever. My Dad said so. And I believe him. He ate two with his Chipotle Meatball Chili. An unusual occurrence. We go out to eat at a restaurant in Millbrook, NY for Turkey Tuesdays and he never eats the corn muffins they give us with dinner. He takes them home and then pawns them off on me or my Mom. I have to say these were really tasty. I'm convinced it was from sauteing the green tomatoes and onions beforehand, they melted right into the batter and were almost indistinguishable in the baked muffins. Seeing wise, anyways. Taste wise they added incredible flavor and a creaminess to the insides that I've never seen in a corn muffin. Nothing dry or crumbly about them. They were super moist and melted in my mouth in a burst of cheesy goodness. I will look no further for a better muffin recipe. This is the ONE!





A good substitute for the green tomatoes would be green chiles, bell pepper or jalapenos. I would definitely cut down on the amount if using jalapenos and up the amount of onion a bit.

Green Tomato Corn Muffins

(by Reeni)

1 and 1/2 cup Green or Red tomatoes, diced

1 cup Onion, diced

Vegetable oil, for sauting

Sea Salt and fresh Pepper

1 cup all-purpose Flour

1 cup Cornmeal

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

2 Eggs

1 cup Whole Milk

3 tablespoon Butter, melted

1 tablespoon Honey

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1 cup Swiss Cheese, shredded

1. Season the tomato and onion with salt and pepper and saute in two tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-low heat in a skillet for about 7 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 muffin cup pan with butter or baking spray.

3. In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon Sea salt.

4. In a separate medium bowl whisk the eggs, add the milk, honey, butter and sour cream. Whisk together. Add this mixture to the dry mixture and stir together. Add the cheese and tomato/onions including any oil in the skillet. Mix together.

5. Fill the muffin cups just shy of the top.

6. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Let cool 5 minutes. Best eaten warm smeared generously with butter.

Print Recipe

Heather of Girlichef bestowed upon me her very own Tasty award. Thanks Heather! Look for me to pass it on in the near future!

Corn Muffins

Chipotle Meatball Chili

The idea behind this recipe for Chipotle Meatball Chili was sparked by my Mom. She was busily making meatballs last week when I heard her say "I almost put Chile powder in the meatballs." Chile powder in meatballs? I loved the sound of it! That's how this Meatball Chili was born.

Lime Banana Coconut Cake for BSI

I was very pleased with Jen of My Kitchen Addiction's choice of lime this week for BSI (Blogger Secret Ingredient). I love lime! I always have a good supply of them on hand. They are my favorite citrus. Tart but so incredibly sweet at the same time. Much sweeter than their cousin - the lemon. I use them in everything from cole slaw to muffins.

Fresh Corn & Fish Chowder

It was cold here last week, so cold that I craved soup! Once I got the idea in my head it wouldn't go away. I headed to the kitchen and threw together this soup with what I could find by rummaging around in the fridge. The fresh corn was the star, it turned the chowder yellow, and so incredibly sweet with it's sunshine-colored milk. The broth was rich, creamy and packed with herb flavors. The tender hunks of fish were flaky and delicious. I used Emeril's organic vegetable stock, a gift from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. A huge thank-you to Foodbuzz! I was thrilled to receive the package and especially when I saw the vegetable stock. I recently discovered how flavorful it is and has become a favorite for my soups.


As for the mystery ingredient in my last post you were right if you quessed tapioca pearls - featured in an upcoming post!




I'm sending this off to Deb over at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sunday(soup, sammie, salad) round-up.





Fresh Corn & Fish Chowder
(by Reeni)

12-16 ounces Tilapia
1 tablespoon butter
8 slices bacon
1 cup carrot, diced or 1 cup baby carrots, sliced into rounds
1 cup onion, diced
Sea salt and fresh pepper
4 cloves garlic
vegetable oil for sauting
2 cups vegetable broth
3 ears corn, corn removed and cob scraped
1 teaspoon Old Bay
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon sage
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cups milk
1/2 cup green onion, diced/cut with kitchen scissors


Season the tilapia with salt and pepper. In a large, deep-sided, pre-heated(medium-low) saute pan/skillet sear the fish filets in a tablespoon of butter on each side, it's not necessary to cook all the way through. Remove and set aside. In the same pan cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Let the grease cool and remove. Add a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil, the carrots and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until tender, scraping up the bits of bacon from the bottome. Crumble the bacon and add to the onion mixture with the garlic. Saute about five minutes.

Add the broth, corn, Old Bay, bay leaf, thyme, sage and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper. Add the broth, corn, Old Bay, bay leaf, thyme, sage and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the fish filets into big hunks, add to pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add milk and green onion, bring to a very slow simmer, five more minutes.


Print Recipe

Spicy Cheddar Polenta

After seeing this and then this I was craving polenta really bad. I had to have some or I would find no peace. Do you know that feeling? I had a whole bunch of jalapenos fresh out of my garden and thought a spicy, cheesy polenta was in order to go the cornflake-coated chicken that was baking. I simply sauteed the peppers up with I had on hand - my last Vidalia onion, green pepper, tomato, and garlic. My holy trinity - plus some. I was feeling daring and left the seeds in to reach maximum heat. I topped the polenta with the vegetables instead of mixing them in to allow some control over how spicy hot we wanted to make our individual servings. What a delicious contrast between the spicy-hot, flavor packed vegetables and the creamy, cheesy polenta. But one of the best parts about cooking polenta is the leftovers. This time there almost weren't any! I had to stop myself from eating it all up. Polenta is an "eat more" food for me. I mixed the vegetables right in and spread the leftovers out in a small pan in a layer about a 1/2-inch thick. Breakfast was pan-fried polenta cakes and eggs. So nourishing and so very delicious. Polenta makes a terrific side dish or bed for just about anything - chicken, shrimp, fish, steak, meatloaf, meatballs, sausage, grilled or roasted veggies. If you've never eaten polenta - you have to try it! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.





Spicy Cheddar Polenta
(by Reeni)

1 cup Polenta
2-3 jalepenos, diced, remove the seeds for milder heat
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
vegetable/canola oil for sauteing
8 ounces shredded or cubed sharp white cheddar
Sea salt and fresh pepper

Cook polenta according to package directions. In the meantime saute the jalapenos, onion, and green pepper in a tablespoon or two of oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat about 10 - 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato and garlic, saute for about 5 more minutes. When the polenta is cooked add the white cheddar and stir until melted. Remove from heat to a platter or bowl. Top with the sauteed vegetables.

Print Recipe

Do you know what these are and what I might have made with them?






BSI Assignment Lime is being hosted by Jen of My Kitchen Addiction this week.

Espresso Coffee Cake Muffins for BSI

I can't believe it's almost been a week since my last post! The first time I've gone so long in my whole year of blogging. I deserved a little break. It was much needed to come back refreshed and strong for another year. BSI pulled me back in - and happily. I couldn't let my very sweet friend, not to mention incredible baker, Brandy of Nutmeg Nanny down. She is hosting this week with coffee being the secret ingredient. I had lots of ideas including a tiramisu pancake which turned into a muffin which then fizzled out when I didn't get to the store in time. Plan B was a coffee cake muffin in the literal sense. These were a delicious delight! They have a soft and tender crumb with a texture more like cake than muffin but without the sweetness. Extra special with not only a crumb topping but a glaze too. The coffee glaze has brown sugar in it giving it a rich caramel coffee flavor. I had the urge to eat the tops of all of them! These will have you eager to get out of bed in the morning. The perfect little breakfast muffins with a wake-me-up boost.

Espresso Coffeecake Muffins

(by Reeni)(Makes 8 muffins)

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant Espresso(can be doubled for a stronger flavor)

1 tablespoon boiling water

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 chopped almonds

3 tablespoons flour

1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter

Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl dissolve the Espresso in the boiling water. Add to flour mixture with the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.

Stir to combine, don't over mix. Batter will be thick.

3. Fill muffin tin/baking cups 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle with the topping, dividing equally among the muffins, press into batter gently.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Drizzle with glaze.

Espresso Glaze:

1/2 teaspoon instant Espresso

1 teaspoon boiling water

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

vanilla extract, a drop

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2-3 teaspoons milk

Dissolve the Espresso into the boiling water in a small bowl. Add the brown sugar and use a fork to combine the two. Add a drop of vanilla. Add the confectioners sugar and 2 teaspoons of the milk. Whisk until well combined. If glaze is thick add another teaspoon of milk. Whisk. Drizzle over the warm muffins.

Print Recipe

Espresso Coffee Cake Muffins