grilled ginger soy glazed chicken

i've made this recipe a couple times in the last few months. the first, it was too cold to even think about grilling - i think there was snow on the ground - so i made the sauce on the stovetop, sauteed chicken thighs in a pan on the stove, and doused them with the sauce for serving. second, we grilled chicken thighs and the third, we grilled chicken breasts. (i say "we" since i never man the grill, that's jason's domain.) while the grilled chicken thighs were definitely the tastiest - since four of us managed to down 3+ pounds of them for dinner - breasts were a close second. my advice: use whatever chicken you have on hand and get grilling! there are only a couple weeks left of good weather. at least where i'm from.

grilled ginger soy glazed chicken
adapted from fine cooking
45 minutes, serves 4

this recipe makes enough glaze for the chicken and then some. i suggest dousing other grilled vegetables with it too. grilled mushrooms and red onion are two of my favorites.

3/4 cup dry sherry
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon (a big pinch) red pepper flakes
about 3 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, skinless, and excess fat removed
8 scallions

1. combine the dry sherry, soy, honey, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a zip top bag large enough to hold the chicken. add the chicken and marinate for 10-30 minutes at room temperature.
2. remove the chicken from the marinade and grill until cooked completely. grill the scallions on a cooler part of the grill.
3. while the chicken is cooking, add the marinade to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer until thickened to your liking (about 15 minutes for thick but not syrupy, about 20-25 minutes for syrupy).
4. pour the thickened glaze over the chicken and scallions to serve.

8/28/12 ChefElla's Healthy Parmesan Fries

CHEFELLA'S HEALTHY PARMESAN FRIES
Sometimes when I go out to eat with my parents my dinner comes with fries.  My Mother always reminds me that it is important to eat the rest of my food, but it is so hard to remember because fries taste so good.  I know that fries are just not that good for you, so I came up with my own recipe so that I  can eat them whenever I want.  Well not whenever I want, but more often, than I normally would.
I use parmesan cheese on my potatoes because I like cheese and because if I use cheese I do not need to use salt on my potatoes.

This recipe uses potatoes cut into sticks.  If you are not allowed to use a knife yet, your parents can help you cut up the potatoes.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  Wash your potatoes.

    -You want to wash potatoes because they grow in the ground, and you do not want to eat

    dirt with your potatoes so washing them is important.

3.  Get a large bowl, a cutting board, a 1/4 cup, a knife, and some measuring spoons.  You will also
     need a cookie sheet, aluminum foil, and pan spray.
4.  Have your parents help you pre-heat the over to 425F.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs.        Yukon Gold Potatoes, skin on, cut into sticks
                      -You can use other types of potatoes and even sweet potatoes if you like.

3 Tbl              Extra Virgin Olive Oil

                      -They get the oil out of the olives by crushing them.  Extra virgin oil comes from the first
                      crushing of the olives.  When they crush the olives later to get more oil out
                      that is just regular olive oil.
1/2 tsp            Black Pepper, ground

1/4 tsp            Granulated Garlic

1/4 cup           Parmesan Cheese, grated

4.  Add the potatoes to the bowl.  Cover with the olive oil and mix well.

5.  Sprinkle the potatoes with the pepper and garlic and mix well.

6.  Add the parmesan cheese and mix well.

7.  Line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil.  Lining is a cooking word for covering.

8.  Spray the aluminum foil with pan spray so your potatoes won't stick to the pan when they bake.

9.  Place potatoes in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes.  They will be nice and brown when done.

10.  Serve your fries with any sauces that you eat fries with.

These fries will be good for lunch, diner and if you can convince your parents, they are even good as a snack.

-ChefElla

caramelized peach ice cream

i absolutely adore peaches. they're up at the top, hanging out with fresh picked strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, as my favorite fruit. heck, i love them so much i dedicated a week to them last year and two years ago i picked and canned twenty-something quarts of them and enjoyed peaches with yogurt for breakfast all through the dead of winter. i've shared other peach specific memories with you, but where there's one, there's always more.

in high school, during peach season, it was a well known fact that a bowl of ripe, juicy, sweet peaches was sitting in our refrigerator. one particular summer night, after a long day of gossip and lounging by the pool, two friends and i sat down to the last three bowls of peaches. one of us - not me - made the mistake of getting up from her bowl and using the bathroom. while she was gone, the two of us scarfed up all of her peaches and all of our own, leaving not a single crumb, not even a hint of peach juice for her. why exactly, i don't know. while the two of us giggled, she was downright mad. ah, to be 16 again. if only our biggest problems were our best friends eating our fruit when our back is turned.

caramelized peach ice cream
adapted from david lebovitz's raspberry ice cream in the perfect scoop

for the peaches
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups sliced peaches
1 tablespoon sugar

for the ice cream
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks

1. melt the butter in a saute pan over medium low heat. toss the peach slices with the sugar and cook until the peaches are soft, about five minutes. depending on the texture you want, crush the peaches with a fork or process in a food processor. cool to room temperature.
2. in a sauce pan, heat the half & half and sugar over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. while the half & half and sugar are heating, place the heavy cream in the bottom of a bowl. place a strainer above it. in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
4. when the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat. pour a small amount (about 1/4 cup) of the mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. when incorporated, whisk in the remaining sugar mixture.pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
5. heat the custard over medium low heat, whisking constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. be careful here - don't let it go too long or you'll have a pan of scrambled eggs.
6. remove from the heat and pour through the strainer into the heavy cream. stir to incorporate.
7. add the peaches and mix thoroughly.
8. chill overnight (or a few hours) and churn according to your ice cream maker. david has great instructions for making ice cream if you don't have an ice cream maker.

white chocolate peanut butter [12in2012]

and let me tell you what, making peanut butter is simple. for any of you that love the all natural stuff, usually with a layer of oil on top that has to be mixed in, will be blown away by the homemade stuff. it just tastes so much better. obviously, since it takes all of 10 minutes (including clean up) to make.

initially, i set out to make two kinds: honey and white chocolate. but jason and i loved the white chocolate version so much better than the honey (instead of adding white chocolate, add a couple tablespoons of honey to your liking) that the honey peanut butter became honey white chocolate peanut butter. it's good right out of the jar, atop a homemade english muffin, or spread over apple slices.

white chocolate peanut butter

makes about 2 cups

this is not so much a recipe, but a method. it's completely adaptable to whatever quantities you have on hand and whatever your tastes are. i suggest adding 1/2 cup white chocolate, blending, and tasting before going up from there. i used about 2/3 cup white chocolate chips that i melted in the microwave.

0.75 pounds roasted peanuts, salted, unsalted, or a mix (i used about half of each)

about 1/2 to 1 cup melted white chocolate

about 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. add the peanuts to the bowl of your food processor. process until very smooth, about five minutes. you may need to take a couple breaks - your processor might get too hot, the nuts may form a large ball that needs to be broken up, and towards the end, the mixture may splash up the sides. the peanut butter will go through a couple stages - crushed nuts, start to form small balls, form one large ball, and finally smooth out to peanut butter. these are all normal. if you think yours isn't coming out right, just process it some more.
2. add the melted white chocolate and blend. taste and add more if you'd like. 
3. if the consistency is too thick, add vegetable oil, a bit at a time, until it's the consistency you like.
4. store in the refrigerator.

2013.05.06 this is cheap ethnic eatz's pick for the secret recipe club!

penne with pesto, tomatoes, and crispy prosciutto

after reading through my dad's pesto tale last week, i had pesto on the brain. lucky for me, i also had a pint of fresh cherry tomatoes from my mom's backyard - lucky, since the chipmunks and deer managed to eat all of my tomatoes, plant and all, this year - and my basil was overflowing. i tossed the two together, topped it with some prosciutto i crisped up in a pan and had a simple, flavorful, thirty minute summer-on-a-plate dinner.

penne with pesto, softened tomatoes, and crispy prosciutto
30 minutes, serves 6

one word of warning about the time: if you're a good kitchen multitasker - meaning you can have a pot of water boiling for pasta on the stove, prosciutto sizzling in a skillet, and make pesto at the same time - then this can be made in in 30 minutes. if you aren't so good at multitasking, give yourself an extra 10 minutes or so.

1 pound penne or other short cut pasta
1/4 pound prosciutto
at least 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup almonds or pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh grated romano cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1. cook your pasta according to the package directions.
2. while the pasta is cooking, heat a small non-stick skillet over low heat. cook the prosciutto in batches until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.  roughly chop the crispy prosciutto and set aside.
3. when the prosciutto is finished cooking, add the cherry tomatoes, turn the heat down as low as it can go, and cook just until heated through and starting to soften.
4. to make the pesto, combine the basil, nuts, and garlic in your food processor. pulse until it is roughly chopped. while the processor is running, stream in about a half cup of olive oil. add the cheese and pulse just until combined.
5. drain the cooked pasta and return it to the pan. toss the hot pasta with the pesto and mix in the tomatoes. serve with the crispy prosciutto on top.

8/21/12 ChefElla's Super Easy Salsa

CHEFELLA'S SUPER EASY SALSA
I like summertime.  Everything is so fresh and colorful.  Last summer my mother took me to the farmers market.  While we were there we met a woman who sells fresh salsa.  I did not think I would like it, but the rule in our house is, you have to try everything at least once.
I loved it.  So this year instead of buying salsa my mother took me to the farmers market so that I could buy all of the ingredients to make my own fresh salsa.  Of course they did not have everything we needed, but we bought what we could.
This recipe is easy to make, and you can share it for days.  If you are not allowed to use a knife yet, your parents can help you cut up the vegetables.

1.  Wash your hands.

2.  Wash all of your fresh vegetables.

     -You want to wash vegetables because they grow in the ground, and you do not want to eat

      dirt with your salsa so washing them is important.

3.  Get a large bowl, a strainer, a cutting board, a 1/4 cup, a knife, and a spatula or large spoon.

Ingredients:

15oz (1 can)   Black Beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup           Sweet Corn

                       -You can use fresh corn cut off the cob and cooked, or frozen corn thawed

1 1/2 cup        Tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup           Red Onion, small diced

2 Tbl               Cilantro Leaves, chopped

1 Tbl               Lime Juice, fresh squeezed is best

1/2 tsp           Tabasco Sauce, or any other hot sauce your like

1 tsp               Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp            Black Pepper

1 each            Avocado (optional)
4.  Open the can of beans and pour into the strainer over the sink.  Rinse the beans with cold water
      and pour them into the bowl.
5.  Cut the corn off of the cob, and cook for 30 seconds in boiling water.  Pour the
      corn into the strainer and run cold water over the corn to cool it down.
     -If you want to use thawed frozen sweet corn that is just fine.  Fresh sweet corn might not be
       available where you live, and it is only available in the summer.
6.  Core and dice the tomatoes, then add them to your bowl.
     -Coring is when you cut off the part of the tomato that was attached to the plant.
     -Dice is another name for cutting your food into square pieces.
7.  Dice the onion.  Take the dry paper like skin off of your onion.  Then cut off the root and plant
      ends.  Onions are round and they can roll so be very careful.  Place the onion on one of the flat
      sides and then cut it in half.  Cut your onion into small diced pieces.  Add to the bowl.
8.  Pick your cilantro leaves.  Take all of the leaves off of the stems.  Fill up a 1/4 cup with the leaves.
      Wash the leaves in your strainer and pat dry with a towel.  Put them in a pile on your cutting board
      and chop them into little pieces.  If you like big pieces of cilantro do not chop them as much then
      add them to your bowl.
9.  Cut your lime in half and squeeze one half into your tablespoon then add them to the bowl.
10. Measure our your salt, pepper and Tabasco into your bowl.
11.  Mix well and chill in the refrigerator before serving.  If you like avocado you can add some before
      serving your salsa.
12.  Get your favorite chips, your friends and family, and enjoy.

You can also serve your salsa with other foods.

Try it over tacos.
Serve it with rice.
Or put it in a salad.

-ChefElla

pork tenderloin with mushroom mustard sauce

"this is one of the best meals you've made in a long time." that pretty much sums up this dinner. it's incredibly simple, foolproof, and delicious. although it takes 45 minutes to make, 20 of it is roasting the pork. so for a mere 25 minutes of active time, it's a good weeknight meal.

pork tenderloin with mushroom mustard sauce
adapted from cooking light
45 minutes, serves 4

1 pound pork tenderloin
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1. place an ovenproof skillet in the oven and preheat it to 425F. while the oven is heating, season pork with salt and pepper. when the oven has heated, remove the pan, coat the bottom with olive oil and add the pork. roast for about 20 to 25 minutes or until desired doneness. remove pork from pan and tent to keep warm.
2. place the skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with olive oil. add mushrooms and saute until soft. add garlic and saute until very fragrant, one minute. 
3. stir in vinegar, bring to a boil, and stir to loosen browned bits from the pan. cook until most of the liquid evaporates.
4. stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. cook until liquid is reduced to about one third of a cup, about 10 minutes. remove from heat and stir in sour cream and mustard. season with salt and pepper.
5. slice the pork and serve with the sauce.

linguini with potatoes, green beans and pesto

ever since my mom got an ipad last year, a couple times a month, she emails a picture of some baked good or dinner that's so good, she has to share. after more than a few this summer, i casually mentioned she should be a guest blogger. instead, my dad took on the challenge.

i've said time and time before that food and places are intricately tied together (see food always tastes better outside, blackberry peach cake,  mini baked chocolate cake donuts and  strawberry jam). while i was at the dinner my father describes so well here, i don't remember it much, if at all. my italian memories center around gelato and prosciutto with melon. i've always found it funny how two people, on exactly the same trip, remember very different things.

By Guest Blogger "Pops"

Kate didn't become a foodie totally by chance. Her Mom and I sewed those seeds long ago as we are both quite the foodies in our own right. One of Kate's Mama's favorites has always been pesto. I could take it or leave it but if given my druthers I would leave it, that is until the magical evening of August 6, 2004.

It was our 27th wedding anniversary and we had spent the day with Kate and her sister Kristen hiking across the Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera. The hike across the "five lands" includes stunning views of the Ligurian Sea and walks through countless olive groves and vineyards. At each of the tiny isolated villages we paused for a Fanta or a gelato or a birra as it was blazingly hot.

Kate and her Mom hiking the Cinque Terra with the village of Corniglia in the distance

Late that afternoon we returned by boat to the village of Vernazza where we were staying. Despite being pretty tired Kate and I, both fairly avid photographers, decided to hike back up the seaside mountain to get some pictures of this amazingly beautiful village.

 

Kate with the village of Vernazza in the background

That evening all four of us went to the little harbor side square at the very center of this tiny fishing village and picked out one of the open air ristorantes for dinner. It was a beautiful evening and we had a wonderful meal. I remember I had Burrida, the Ligurian stew of fish, squid, tomatoes, garlic and white wine and it was out of this world in the same way that most of the food in Italy is. But Kate's Mom, already a lover of Americanized pesto decided to try the Italian version. So, she ordered the pesto where pesto was born - Liguria. This would be the real deal unaltered and uncorrupted even by the possibility of regional tweaks had she ordered it elsewhere in Italy. Her first surprise was that it came laced with fresh green beans and slices of new potatoes. I think her second surprise was the absolutely sublime taste. I have to admit the beans and potatoes had already peaked my interest when she started to rave so I was more than willing to try it when she offered. Compared to any pesto I had tasted to that time it was absolutely amazing and it paired perfectly with the local dry white vino Cinque Terre which is most plentiful there but hard to find here in the USA (and of which we drank copiously as I recall!).

Enjoying an after dinner espresso in Vernazza, Italy August 6, 2004

When we got back from that trip Judy began to hunt down and experiment on a recipe that would yield authentic Ligurian pesto and in pretty short order she perfected it. I swear this is as close to authentic as I think you can come to the pesto we enjoyed that night in Vernazza. Now, although I still don't ask for it, I know that every August when green beans are in season and the first new potatoes become available that Judy will be making pesto and I actually look forward to it. One taste takes me right back to that warm summer evening in the Cinque Terre when the four of us dined alfresco in that beautiful place enjoying each other, recounting our day, sharing such a fantastic meal. I will always remember it, it truly was magical. - Pops

Linguini with Potatoes, Green Beans and Pesto

30 minutes, serves 4-6

1.5 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 large clove of garlic, sliced thin
1/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/3 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 (2 ounces) finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese

1 pound dried linguini
12 ounces tiny new potatoes, sliced thin
8 ounces thin green beans

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic and salt. Cover and process until very finely  chopped. Gradually add the olive oil and process until well combined. Add the cheeses and pulse only until just combined. (This is a great basic pesto recipe).

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions except add the potatoes and green beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta mixture.

In a large bowl combine the cooked pasta and vegetables, pesto and butter. Gently toss until the past and vegetables are well coated. Serve immediately. Serve with a loaf of crusty Italian bread and a glass or 2 of ice cold Pinot Grigio.

black bottom peanut butter pie

this year i kept the peanut butter and chocolate theme going for jason's birthday with this peanut butter pie. way back in january, when i whipped up baked's sweet and salty cake to celebrate my own birthday, i was torn between that cake and a version of this pie. knowing chocolate and peanut butter is jason's all time favorite combination and that he's not really a fan of cakes and especially sweet buttercream, i shelved the pie until july. which is probably for the best anyway, since the day i made this, it was over ninety degrees out and definitely not a day i wanted to fire up the oven to bake a multi layer cake.

while we both loved the way this turned out, it didn't exactly go as planned. the chocolate layer never quite firmed up into a solid mass, staying pretty thin and oozy. which meant the chocolate oozed into the crust and softened it a bit, which i didn't mind at all. and had the chocolate layer been a thick, rich, fudgy ganache, it would have been way too rich for our blood. so even though it didn't turn out exactly how it should per the original recipe at bon apetit, i wouldn't have changed a thing.

looking for other chocolate peanut butter treats? how about chocolate peanut butter layer cake, double chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, chocolate peanut butter marble cake, chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, or peanut butter swirled chocolate cupcakes.

black bottom peanut butter pie
adapted from bon appetit
makes one 9" pie

7 whole graham crackers
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 2/3 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup roughly chopped salted peanuts to garnish (optional)

1. preheat your oven to 350F. crush graham crackers and mix with butter and 2 tablespoons sugar. press mixture in the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. bake until the crust is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
2. while the crust is baking, make the chocolate layer. microwave the chocolate chips, 2/3 cup heavy cream, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a microwave safe bowl. microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is soft and the mixture is combined. spread mixture over the bottom of the cooked crust and freeze ten minutes, or until firm.
3. while the crust is freezing, make the peanut butter layer. microwave the peanut butter chips and 3/4 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl in 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chips are soft and the mixture is combined. whisk in peanut butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. let cool.
4. beat remaining cream (1 1/4 cups) until thick and soft peaks just begin to form. fold almost all of the mixture, leaving about 1/2 cup to garnish the finished pie, into the peanut butter mixture in three additions until smooth. spoon over the chocolate layer. garnish with the remaining whipped cream and salted peanuts. chill at least one hour and cover and store left overs in the refrigerator. 

2012.09.03 this is a fit & spicy life's pick for the secret recipe club!

slow cooker chicken cacciatore

i don't know about you, but we are supposed to get a lot of rain over the next few days, today included. and finally, the rain is bringing lower temperatures with it. i know it seems like everyone is talking about how hot the summer is, so i'll spare you those details. besides, this meal isn't meant for hot summer nights. instead, it's for those cool, lower seventies days that accompany day long rain and thunder storms. those days make me long for warm, comforting dinners. and now that produce is so plentiful, delicious, and cheap this time of year, it's the perfect time for slow cooker dinners with farm fresh vegetables.

slow cooker chicken cacciatore
adapted from skinny taste
serves 4

about 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf

1. season the chicken with salt and pepper. put everything into the slow cooker and mix to combine, and cook on low for about 8 hours. 
2. before serving, break up the chicken thighs with tongs or a spoon. 
3. serve over pasta and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.

Peach Pudding Cake

Whenever I visit my mom in Washington, we always have a Girls' Night and invite my aunt and cousins over to eat, have girly drinks, chat, and watch a movie.  Usually my mom and I cook something.  This time, she chose the recipes.  Together we made a delicious roasted green chile and corn lasagna (still need to get the recipe from her!) and I made this hideous yet delicious cake.  The recipe is from a restaurant called Hyde Park Bar & Grill and was featured in Bon Appetit a number of years ago.  It's probably the ugliest dessert you will ever make- sorry there aren't any pictures, just trust me- but it's also one of the most amazing ones!  Wonderful fresh peaches, a hint of cinnamon (which was entirely my doing, the recipe doesn't call for cinnamon sugar), and perfect, moist cake.  It's heart breakingly old fashioned and absolutely a must try recipe.  And if you really must, you can cover the ugliness with whipped cream or ice cream :oD

Quick note:  A great way to peel peaches is to bring a big pot of water to a boil and submerge the peaches, one or two at a time, for about 30 seconds to a minute for ripe peaches or up to 3 minutes for less ripe peaches.  Scoop the peaches out of the water with a slotted spoon, let them cool (you can speed this along by dunking them in cold water), and the skins will slip right off.

Peach Pudding Cake

1 3/4 C flour
2 1/4 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 3/4 C sugar
2 T vanilla extract (yes, 2 tablespoons!)
2 eggs
3/4 C buttermilk
4 C peeled, sliced peaches (about 3 lbs- I just covered the entire surface of the cake with peaches)
3 T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish as well as a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the top.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Beat in sugar in 3 additions.  Beat in vanilla extract, then eggs one at a time.  Alternately mix in dry ingredients and buttermilk in 3 additions each.  Batter should be smooth.  Spread batter in prepared baking dish and cover with a layer of peaches.  Don't worry too much about whether they're arranged prettily because they will sink to the bottom of the cake!  Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top. 

Cover the baking dish with the foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil (don't worry if some of the cake sticks, like I said earlier it is an ugly cake!) and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 40 minutes longer.  If your cake turns out anything like mine, the surface in the middle will look shiny and raw even when it's baked through, so start testing the cake after 20 minutes!  Let cake set for about 15 minutes and then serve warm.

Yield: about 12 servings

8/7/12 ChefElla's Mom's Super Strawberry Smoothie

CHEFELLA'S MOM'S SUPER STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
Hi everyone, and welcome to my blog.
Everyday I try to eat healthy, and lucky for me my Mom is a big help.
She makes great food for me and my sister, but sometimes eating fruit just is not as fun as eating other things.  But one thing that makes eating fruit more fun is using one of my secret recipes to make something good for you.
If you have not had a smoothie before, I think you will really like it.
This recipe makes two smoothies.  One for you and a friend.

1.  Have your parents get out the blender.
2.  Wash your hands.
3.  Get out all of your ingredients.
Ingredients:
     4 large      Strawberries, cleaned
                      -Cleaned, means washing the strawberries, and taking the green tops off.
     1/2           Banana, ripe
     1/4 cup     Orange juice
     4 TBL       Protein Powder, Vanilla
     8             Ice Cubes
4.  Add all of the ingredients to the blender.
     -Remember to put the top on the blender or you will be cleaning the kitchen for the rest of the day.
5.  Blend until smooth.
     -You will know when it is ready because you will not hear the ice cubes crunching anymore.
6.  Get out your favorite cup, and drink your smoothie.
7.  Remember to help your parents clean up.  This recipe is easy because usually you can put all of your utensils in the dishwasher.

The fun thing about this recipe is you can experiment with so many flavors.  Try blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, apples, grapes, peaches, mango or any other fruits or juices that you like.
Enjoy your smoothie.
-ChefElla

cook's illustrated's blueberry muffins

as soon as my mom mentioned going blueberry picking last week, i knew one of the first things i'd make is blueberry muffins, as they're jason's absolute favorite. sure enough, first thing the very next morning i was googling the best blueberry muffin recipe. i have been pleased with cook's illustrated's baked goods in the past, so i knew they were a good place to start. and after how relatively quickly and simply these came together and how delicious they were, they're my - and jason's - new favorite muffin.

cook's illustrated's blueberry muffins
adapted from basically baked, who adapted them from cook's illustrated
30min prep, 30 min bake & cool, makes 12

after making the jam and swirling it into the muffins, i am still torn as to whether or not all that extra work is worth it. i allocated too much jam to my muffins, so three were jam-less. while the jam is delicious, and does add an extra something to the muffins, those without the jam were just as tasty.

my muffins overflowed the top of the tin and stuck to each other. since they were breakfast for jason and i and i didn't care what they looked like, it didn't bother me. if you want them to bake up nice and golden and not touching, i suggest making 14 instead of 12.

for the jam
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon sugar

for the muffins
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries

for topping
about 1/3 cup sugar

1. to make the jam, cook the berries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium low heat for about 6 minutes, until the berries burst and the mixture is thickened and reduced to about 1/4 cup. set aside to cool while making the muffin batter.
2. preheat your oven to 425F. line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease each muffin cup and set aside.
3. in a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. 
4. in a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs together until thick. whisk in the butter and oil until combined and then add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and fold with a rubber spatula with the berries just until moistened. do not overmix.
6. divide batter equally among the prepared muffin cups. spoon about a teaspoon of the berry jam onto the top of each muffin and use a toothpick or skewer to swirl into the muffin.
7. top each muffin with a sprinkle of sugar.
8. bake until the tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean, about 19 minutes. cool in the pan about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Summer Tomatoes

What can be sweeter than a plate of summer tomatoes drizzled with Balsamic Reduction, a touch of Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil and a sprinkling of Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt

secret recipe club: blueberry peach crisp

after picking pounds and pounds of blueberries last week, it's been my mission to find great ways to eat them up. this peach blackberry crisp from sara at cupcake muffin caught my eye, but i combined  peaches, one of my all time favorites, with my freshly picked blueberries into one of the easiest and tastiest summer time desserts. while most people eat their crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a big dollop of vanilla greek yogurt is great for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack.

sara is a grad student at berkeley and has amassed a ton of delicious looking recipes since she first began blogging in 2007. at first i didn't think 2007 sounded like all that long ago - a mere five years - until i realized how dramatically different my life was then. i had just started dating my now husband, i lived alone for the second year in my downtown apartment, my first car was about to die, and my current visions of diapers and house painters weren't even in my peripheral vision yet. it's amazing what a difference five little years can make. 

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website! 
 

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

blueberry peach crisp

adapted from cupcake muffin, who adapted it from adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts
45 minutes, serves 8

for the fruit
4 medium, ripe peaches, peeled and sliced into twlefths
1 cup blueberries
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup sugar

for the topping
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1. preheat your oven to 375F. 
2. in a large bowl, combine the fruit, flour, and sugar. pour in the bottom of a pie plate or other large, round ovensafe dish.
3. to make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, and salt. add the butter and rub the mixture with your fingers until the butter is about pea sized. mix in the almonds. pour the topping over the fruit and smooth with a spatula.
4. bake about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is golden brown. 

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday!

blueberry greek frozen yogurt

while i was pregnant - as most women do - i followed along with the growth charts that tell you what size fruit your growing baby is each week. each week my mom and i got a kick out of the fruits, waiting for the baby to grow from something small like a grape to something more tangible, like a melon. 

one particular week - i don't remember which, exactly - he was the size of a blueberry. since then, my mother in law affectionately referred to my growing bump as "blueberry." for whatever reason, that was the fruit that stuck in her mind.

so it's fitting that last week - when blueberry was five weeks old - my mom, the baby, and i went blueberry picking for the very first time. we picked and picked and picked. and in one hour, went home with more than twelve pounds of berries. while i froze two thirds of them, needless to say, this is the first of a few blueberry treats i've made since.

blueberry greek frozen yogurt
adapted from the perfect scoop
makes 1 quart

3 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups vanilla or plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vodka
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. in your food processor, combine the blueberries, yogurt, and sugar and blend until smooth.
2. strain the mixture using a fine mesh strainer to remove the blueberry seeds.
3. mix in the vodka and lemon juice and chill for at least one hour or over night. 
4. process in your ice cream maker and transfer to a container to freeze completely. 

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday and sweets for a saturday!

Beer Mac and Cheese

Alright, time to play catch up with my backlog of recipes that need to be posted!  This one is for Beer Mac and Cheese.  One of our favorite restaurants has an amazing beer cheese soup on the menu, and we love the Welsh Rabbit I make for Easter every year, so my mac and cheese loving brain logically made the leap between those dishes and mac and cheese.  I pretty much winged the recipe and the sauce was based on the one from Welsh Rabbit.  Got the idea for the pretzel topping from this recipe on AllRecipes.

The resulting mac and cheese was divine.  The amount of beer flavor was perfect, and it was nice and cheesy.  And the pretzel topping?  Also great!  By only broiling individual servings with the pretzels, the mac and cheese stayed nice and saucy without getting gritty, and leftovers didn't suffer from mushy topping since.  I just reheated it in the microwave, stirred in a little milk to keep it creamy, then sprinkled the individual bowls with a bit more cheddar and the pretzel topping before tossing the bowls under the broiler with the topping.  What could be better?

Beer Mac and Cheese

12 oz macaroni
3 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/4 C milk
3/4 C wheat beer (I used Pyramid Hefeweizen)
2 t Worcestershire sauce
2 t dijon mustard
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t paprika
3 C grated sharp cheddar

Topping:
extra grated cheddar

1/2 C roughly crushed pretzels
2 T melted butter
1/4 C parmesan cheese
1/4 t dried parsley

 Boil macaroni in a large pot of lightly salted water.  Drain, return to the pot, cover the pot so the macaroni stays warm, and set it aside. While the macaroni cooks, make the sauce.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and add flour.  Whisk until golden, about 1 minute.  Add the milk, about 1/4 C at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition.  When all the milk has been added, pour in the beer all at once and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and paprika.  Bring sauce to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes until thickened, whisking the whole time.  Remove sauce from heat (this is important!) and stir in the grated cheese until melted.  Add the sauce to the pot with the drained pasta and stir to combine.

Preheat the broiler and move the oven rack to the highest position.  To make the topping, just toss together everything but the extra grated cheddar in a small bowl.  Spoon macaroni and cheese into either individual broiler safe dishes or into 1 larger dish.  Sprinkle with a bit of cheddar, then the topping.  Place under broiler and broil until golden brown, being sure not to walk away or it could burn!  This should only take a couple of minutes.

Enjoy!  This is great with Cucumber Dill Salad.

Yield:  About 8 servings.

Cucumber Dill Salad

This recipe comes from an old cookbook of my grandmother's called The Magnolia Collection and is by Gene Westbrook (it's autographed, too!).  Let me give a bit of backstory:  My grandmother was born and raised in Kentucky and was a wonderful cook.  For every big family gathering, she would cook food for 40 or 50 people as if it were nothing.  Everything she made was delicious, too!  I honestly don't know her history with this particular cookbook.  Not even sure why I ended up with it after she died, but on one of my visits to my father in Louisiana, this book was waiting for my and my dad said one of his siblings had sent it to him to give to me.  The book itself is quite beat up and there are a few notes from her in margins so I think she used it a lot!  Although I've had the book for several years now, I'm sad to say I've only made 2 recipes from it even though so many of them look delicious.  However, both recipes- this one and a chicken salad recipe- are incredible and I make them a lot!

In the book, this recipe is listed in the Appetizers section and is called "Eloise's Cocktail Cucumbers."  Not sure who Eloise was or how exactly you're supposed to serve the cucumbers, but we just have them as a side dish.  I have altered the recipe so it has much less sugar than the original and it works out just great for a sweet, vinegary, dilly cucumber salad.  You can even make a big bowl of it and serve it 2 nights. 

Cucumber Dill Salad

1/4 C sugar
1/2 C white vinegar
1/4 C water
1 t salt
1 t dried dill
2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

Place everything but cucumbers in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cook until sugar has dissolved, which should only take a minute or so.  Pour over sliced cucumbers and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.  The recipe says to make 1 day ahead but they're actually still good warm, too!

Yield: About 4 servings

classic peanut butter cookies

i have made a double batch of these cookies no less than three times in the last three months. they're the perfect peanut butter cookie - peanut buttery, chewy in the middle, and crunchy on the outside.

you may remember last year, when i made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies for jason's birthday. they're equally delicious, but i hadn't noticed until today how incredibly similar the recipes are. both have the same proportion of butter, sugar, peanut butter, flour, and baking soda. no wonder i like them both so much. but the real question - who came first, betty or martha?!

and they freeze like a dream, because sometimes when you're up at 2:00am feeding your newborn son, a peanut butter cookie makes the lack of sleep just a little bit better.

classic peanut butter cookies

adapted from betty crocker

30 minutes, makes about 2 dozen

every time i make these cookies, i make a double batch - half with chocolate chips and half without, so feel free to add a cup of chocolate chips at the end.

classic peanut butter cookies are typically rolled in sugar and are flattened with a fork, but i'm kinda lazy these days - and don't think all that rolling and flattening really adds anything - so i just scoop the dough out with a cookie scoop. works like a charm.

if you're into the whole "sweet & salty" craze going on right now, sprinkle the formed dough with maldon sea salt or fleur de sel ever so lightly before baking. 

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. preheat your oven to 350F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.
2. beat the sugars, peanut butter, butter, and egg until mixed. add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.
3. shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls, or use a medium cookie scoop to form dough, and place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. bake about 8 minutes, or until the center has just set. cool on the baking sheet a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. store in an airtight container.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Blueberry Nectarine Pie

Holy moly, how did I go a month and a half without posting?!  Not to fear my dears, I am still alive and cookin'.  We went on vacation and had some other stuff going on and my blog just fell by the wayside a bit.  I have lots of recipes to post, though!

On to business: today's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is the amazing Blueberry Nectarine Pie.  As soon as I read the name I knew we would love it, and I was right!  Good crust, delicious and rather unique filling.  Yum.  Followed the directions exactly and my only suggestions would be to 1) increase fhe flour by 1 T to help thicken the sauce, and 2) let the pie cool for at least an hour and a half before serving.  The book said to wait 30 minutes and we managed to resist for 45, but it was still quite hot and the filling ended up pouring everywhere,  Regardless, we loved the pie and I will definitely make again, maybe even the filling alone as a topping for pound cake.  I recommend it to anyone who owns the Baking with Julia book.  If you don't have the book, you can get the recipe over at That Skinny Chick Can Bake or Manchego's Kitchen.

I actually made this for my second wedding anniversary.  My husband loves cake, but loves pie even more and was heartbroken when we couldn't have pie at our wedding reception in addition to the cake.  We wanted pie, but the venue would not allow any desserts from outside (except the wedding cake) and couldn't/wouldn't make pie.  They did make lots of little lemon tarts-- which ended up costing about twice as much as the cake, I might add-- but they weren't very good.  Bah.  So I decided this pie would be the perfect dessert for our wedding anniversary and Paul agreed :)