Spinach Souffle

Maybe this is a souffle, maybe it isn't. I'm still unclear. One thing for certain is that it is delicious, nutritious, and fun to boot. Simple, easy, and foolproof. Play around with the spices, amount of cheese, and other leafy greens. Anything light will work. Enjoy!

Spinach Souffle

Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients

• 10 eggs
• 2 tablespoons garlic, diced
• 5 tablespoons parmesan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 ounces spinach
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Steam or microwave the spinach for 2 minutes. Drain.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
3. In a loaf pan, whisk the eggs until slightly frothy.
4. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and any other spices, 3 ounces of parmesan, and the garlic.
5. Melted the butter and mix into the eggs.
6. Mix in the spinach.
7. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan on the top.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top. Serve immediately, otherwise the souffle will start to deflate.

Fresh Semolina Egg Pasta

Fresh pasta is so easy with the right machine. By hand it can be laborious and tiresome. But with a machine roller and cutter (via KitchenAid), it is a relative breeze. Either way it takes a long time to mix the eggs into the flour though, so be prepared. Enjoy!

Fresh Semolina Egg Pasta

Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 6 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pinch salt

Cooking Directions

1. Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a deep well in center of the flour.
2. Crack the eggs into the well and add the olive oil.
3. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. This will take a long time! When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
4. Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with either flour as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky.
5. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into your favorite style of noodle. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 2 to 6 minutes, based on thickness. Drain immediately and toss with your favorite sauce.

Banana Blossom Stir Fry

A meal my wife made up on the fly (winged it, as she likes to say). Once you've gone through the long, long, long processing of the banana blossom, it's pretty easy. That info you can find here.

The banana blossom gives an almost coconut-like taste to the dish. It's texture is reminiscent of green onions, perhaps. Not hard, slightly crunchy. Plus, it's just fun to try a new ingredient! Enjoy!

Banana Blossom Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 banana blossom, prepared
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 eggs
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup cooked rice, dry

Cooking Directions

1. Boil the prepped banana blossom for a minute. Drain.
2. Heat the canola oil, stir fry the onion and carrot, then the banana blossom a few minutes later. Add turmeric.
3. Add the cooked rice until heated through. Add whatever sauces and seasonings you like. Set entire mixture aside.
4. Scramble the eggs, add the garlic, then add the rice mixture back to the pan. Stir well and enjoy.

Flourless chocolate cake

Flourless chocolate cake is one of those delicacies that seems difficult but is not. There are only a few ingredients, and the hardest part is letting a mixer beat the egg whites into stiff peaks. If you're gluten free, then you can have your cake and eat it too! Unless you eat the whole thing at once. And top is off with some fruit, whipped cream, and/or a caramel sauce. When it's this good, this becomes a judgement-free zone. Enjoy!

Flourless chocolate cake

Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients

• 1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 9 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Butter a springform pan.
3. Put the chocolate and butter into a stainless steel mixing bowl and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until pale yellow in color.
5. Whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture.
7. Pour into the cake pan and bake until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 20 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.

Roast asparagus salad with baked goat cheese

This is a wonderful, fresh, and flavorful salad. Rich but not too rich. The asparagus gets tender, the dressing is outstanding, and the goat cheese is crispy yet smooth. Serve it as a starter or just as a light meal. Enjoy!

Roast asparagus salad with baked goat cheese

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup shallot, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 4 cups frisee
• salt and pepper
• 2 pounds asparagus
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 4 slices goat cheese (3/4 inch slices)

Cooking Directions

1. Place the shallot and olive oil in a skillet and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and stir well to incorporate. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
4. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus, and, if they're thick, peel them.
5. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
6. Roast the asparagus until tender but still crisp.
7. Meanwhile, put the flour in one bowl, mix the egg and milk in one bowl, and put he breadcrumbs in one bowl.
8. Dip the cheese slices into the flour, then the egg-milk wash, and then into the breadcrumbs, alternating your hands.
9. Refrigerate until ready to use.
10. When ready to use, turn the oven broiler to low. Place the goat cheese discs onto an oiled pan and place under the broiler on high. Broil until brown.
11. Toss the frisee in the dressing until well-coated, then season with salt and pepper.
12. Plate, and top each salad with a goat cheese disk and asparagus spears. Finish with extra salt and pepper.

The Easiest Macarons

This is the simplest and easiest macaron recipe I have come across that actually works well. It's not complicated, nor does it require a lot of time. Even better, the almond meal mentioned in the recipe is the very cheap one that is sold at Trader Joe's. Did you know they also sell cashew meal? I've yet to try it but it'd probably make a delicious macaron as well.

Be sure to not get any yolk mixed in with the egg whites, otherwise it won't make the meringue correctly. And no stiff, glossy peaks makes everyone sad. Let me know how yours turn out and what you like filling yours with. Enjoy!

The Easiest Macarons

Yield: about 30 macarons
Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/4 cup white sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Through a sieve, sift the powdered sugar and almond meal together to remove large pieces.
2. Using a stand mixer, whip the egg whites on low speed until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, and then whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. The egg whites should be glossy and thick.
3. Fold half of the almond mixture into the egg whites. Add the rest. Fold the mixture 15 to 20 times; the batter will be thick and fall slowly from the spatula.
4. Put the batter into a pastry bag. Pipe 1-inch circles onto baking sheets lined with silicon mats or parchment paper. Let rest until a skin forms on top and is dry to the touch, 15 to 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. If you are baking two sheets at a time, the bottom and top sheets should be switched to prevent browning on the bottom. If only baking one sheet at a time, bake on the bottom rack first for 5 minutes with an empty sheet on top. After 5 minutes, rotate the sheet and move the bottom sheet to the top and the top sheet to the bottom.
7. You will know the macarons are done when you can touch them and the top of the macaron is set, and it does not slide around under your finger. The macarons must be set before you take them out of the oven. If the macaron tops slide, put them back in the oven on the middle rack for another 2 minutes.
8. Let them cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then take them off. Fill as desired with your favorite fillings. A honey buttercream recipe follows. Allow the completed macarons to sit for at least a few hours.

For the honey buttercream:

Makes enough to fill about 40 macarons

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons honey

Cooking Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter using the whisk attachment for about 2 minutes. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and whisk until everything is incorporated. Do the same with the honey. Beat another minute or so to get everything well incorporated.

Base Frittata Recipe

This is merely a base recipe for a frittata. You can put pretty much anything you want in a frittata, as long as you cook certain things beforehand. Some vegetables definitely need to be cooked before going in the oven, along with any meat you might use.

As you can see, we topped ours with avocado. Yep, delicious. Enjoy!

Base Frittata Recipe

Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon herbs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb vegetables
• 2 teaspoons oil

Cooking Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position.
2. Whisk eggs, water, the salt, the pepper, and herbs in medium bowl until well combined. Set eggs aside.
3. Heat oil in 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until it softens slightly. Add vegetables and cook until beginning to brown.
4. Turn on broiler.
5. Add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form but eggs are still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.
6. Put skillet under broiler and broil until frittata has risen and surface is puffed and spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. When cut into with a knife, eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking.
8. Using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Bismarck or Dutch Baby

Sometimes called a Bismarck, sometimes a Dutch Baby, sometimes a German Pancake, and sometimes probably a whole mess of things. What it is is a baked pancake that houses some delicious fruit (if desired), and a warm, soft interior, yet crispy exterior.

Easier and quicker to make than regular pancakes and possibly even healthier because it's sugar free. This naturally no added sugar pancake will please everyone. Other variations include cooked fruit or preserves or plain with a dusting of powdered sugar and or cinnamon. Enjoy!

Bismarck or Dutch Baby

Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 pear, sliced thin
• lemon juice

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oven to 475 F.
2. Place butter in cast iron or oven-safe dish. Put in oven once it has reached 475 F. Melt the butter until it sizzles and then take it out.
3. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, milk, and eggs into a batter. Do not overmix.
4. Make sure the butter has coated the entire pan, and pour the batter into the center.
5. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, until it has puffed up and started to brown.
6. Take the pan out and place the Bismarck / Dutch Baby on a plate.
7. Sprinkle lemon juice over it and place pear slices everywhere.
8. Roll it up and serve immediately.

Waffle Awesome

Inspired by the delicious Double Awesome of renowned Boston food truck fame, we present the Waffle Awesome. Instead of a scallion pancake, how about a scallion waffle? Using the yummy sourdough waffle recipe, we added scallions to the batter, but you can take any waffle and just add the scallions on top of the egg. So awesome! Enjoy!

Waffle Awesome

Yield: 1 waffle awesome
Ingredients

• 1 waffle
• 1 egg
• 1 oz cheese
• 1 scallion, sliced
• sriracha

Cooking Directions

1. Poach or cook the egg sunny side up.
2. Toast a delicious sourdough waffle, but not too crispy. Cut in half.
3. Top one half with your favorite cheese, the egg, and the scallion. Place the other half on top.
4. Have some sriracha handy for extra spicy dipping fun.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

The recipe is easily doubled, and it would probably be easier to mix that way. It could do with more cinnamon flavor, so maybe double that or incorporate into the dough somehow.

Make this for Easter breakfast. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients

Dough
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 1/3 oz bread flour
• 1 3/8 oz nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/6 cup sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon yeast
• 6 oz warm water (110 degrees)
• 1/2 egg, beaten
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
Filling
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Egg Wash
• 1/2 egg, beaten
• a pinch of salt

Cooking Directions

1. Cut butter into 16 pieces and toss with 1/2 tablespoon flour; set aside to soften while mixing dough.
2. Whisk remaining flour, milk powder, sugar, and yeast together in bowl of stand mixer. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, add water and 1/2 an egg and mix on medium-low speed until cohesive mass forms, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 20 minutes.
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and place metal loaf or cake pan on bottom of oven.
4. Remove plastic from mixer bowl, add salt, and mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic and clears sides of bowl, 7 to 15 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, a few pieces at a time, and continue to knead until butter is fully incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic and clears side of bowl, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add raisins and mix until incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Transfer dough to large greased bowl, and using a bowl scraper or rubber spatula, fold dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle. Turn bowl 90 degrees and fold again. Turn bowl and fold dough 6 more times (for a total of 8 folds). Cover tightly with plastic and transfer to middle rack of oven. Pour 3 cups of boiling water into loaf pan in oven, close oven door, and allow dough to rise for 45 minutes.
6. Remove bowl from oven and gently press down on center of dough to deflate. Repeat folding step (making total of 8 folds), re-cover, and return to oven until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
7. Whisk filling ingredients together until well combined. Set aside. Grease a loaf pan.
8. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface. Pat into a 6 x 11 inch rectangle. With short side facing you, fold long sides in like a business letter to form a 3 x 11 inch rectangle. Roll dough away from you into a ball. Dust with flour and flatten with rolling pin into 7 x 18 inch rectangle with 1/4 inch thickness.
9. Using a spray bottle, spray dough lightly with water. Sprinkle half of filling mixture evenly over dough, leaving 1/4 inch border on 18 inch sides and 3/4 inch border on 7 inch sides. Spray filling lightly with water. With short side facing you, roll dough away from you into a firm cylinder. Turn loaf seam side up and pinch closed, then pinch ends closed. Dust loaf lightly on all side with flour and let rest for 10 minutes.
10. Cut loaf in half lengthwise and turn halves so cut sides are facing up. Gently stretch each half into 14 inch length. Line up pieces of dough and pinch 2 ends of strips together. Take the piece on the left and lay over the piece on the right. Repeat, keeping cut side up, until pieces of dough are tightly twisted. Pinch ends together.
11. Transfer loaf, cut side up, to prepared loaf pan; pushing any exposed raising into the seams. Cover loosely with plastic, return to oven, and allow to rise for 45 minutes.
12. Remove loaf and water pan from oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Allow to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes longer. The top of the loaf should rise about 1 inch over lip of pan.
13. Brush loaf with egg mixture. Bake until crust is well browned, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, tent loaf with aluminum foil, and continue to bake about 20 minutes more (until internal temperature reaches 200 degrees).
14. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove loaf from pan, return to rack, and cool to room temperature before slicing, about 2 hours.

Sourdough Waffles

The lightest, crispiest waffles you may ever make at home. Slightly tangy from the sourdough and perfect for a lazy weekend morning. Enjoy!

Sourdough Waffles

Yield: 6 Belgian waffles
Ingredients

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 450g warm water
• 325g all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• optional: 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• optional: 2 tablespoons sugar

Cooking Directions

1. The night before you want waffles, mix the sourdough starter with the warm water. Then mix in the flour. Some lumps are fine and will even out overnight. Let sit covered in a warm place for about 12 hours.
2. In the morning, remove one cup of the batter and set aside. This is your starter now. Save it for next time.
3. Mix in an egg, oil, and milk, if using, into the batter.
4. In a separate small bowl, combine the salt, baking soda, and sugar, if using.
5. Heat your waffle iron to the second-highest setting highest setting.
6. Once preheated, sprinkle the salt/soda mixture over the batter. Fold (don't mix) to incorporate.
7. Cook according to waffle iron manufacturer's instructions.

Fluffy Soft Dinner Rolls

Deliciously soft and fluffy dinner rolls. Very easy, and what little effort there is is totally worth it. They're also small enough so that you don't need to feel guilty at all about them. Enjoy!

Fluffy Soft Dinner Rolls

Yield: 24-30 rolls
Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup milk, scalded but cooled to warm
• 6 ounces butter, melted
• 5 cups all-purpose flour

Cooking Directions

1. In a standing mixing bowl with dough hook, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let sit until lightly foamy, then stir in sugar.
2. Mix in egg, salt, warm milk, and 4 ounces of melted butter.
3. Slowly add 5 cups flour, adding more as needed to make an elastic dough. Knead for 5 minutes.
4. Place dough in buttered bowl, cover with towel, and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Lightly oil a muffin pan. Punch down dough and form dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 balls in each muffin tin. Fill muffin pan, cover with towel, and allow to rise an additional 1/2 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
7. Brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Turkey Croquettes

What do you do with those turkey leftovers? Make croquettes, of course!

Simple and nice and crispy, you'll enjoy the texture and much as the taste. They reheat well in a toaster oven as well. Enjoy!

Turkey Croquettes

Yield: 20-22 croquettes
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• course salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups finely chopped cooked turkey
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• canola oil

Cooking Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in thyme, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in turkey, then milk, and cook until liquid evaporates, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, flour, and egg to turkey, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Form 2 tablespoons turkey mixture into balls and drop into a shallow bowl of breadcrumbs, turn to coat, and pat into 2-inch disks. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
4. Heat a very shallow layer (sheen) of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook croquettes in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pat tops with more paper towels.

Modified from Martha Stewart.

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Spanakopita (Spinach Pie)

Yield: 1 big pan of pie
Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds spinach, rinse and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1 cup feta, crumbled
• 8 sheets phyllo dough
• olive oil for brushing

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to saute until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. This is very important!
3. Squeeze spinach of excess moisture. This is very important too!
4. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

Another easy cake to make that requires absolutely no nasty frosting, icing, or the like. Just like the Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake, it's easy. It might come out a little denser and more like a bread pudding consistency. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Apple Spice Cake

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Cooking Directions

1. Spray crock of a 2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, and egg. Beat until smooth.
4. Add the applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker.
6. Cover and cook on HIGH until puffed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours.
7. Turn the cooker off and let it stand with the lid on for 30 minutes to cool.
8. To remove the cake, run a rubber spatula around the edge and lift it out.

Blueberry Muffins

A couple years back, we spent a wonderful weekend at a B&B in New Hampshire. It was amazing, and one of the best B&Bs we've ever been to. One of the huge pluses was the breakfast, which was made completely from scratch every morning for us and that was different every day. Apparently, over the years others like us have requested the recipes because they were so good!

These blueberry muffins are bursting with flavor and were one of the many highlights of the trip. And when they're warm and fresh out of the oven, oh man, there's almost nothing better. Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Yield: 16 muffins
Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• sugar

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat 400F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries and toss.
3. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix quickly with a fork, until flour disappears. Do not overmix. Batter should be lumpy.
5. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins about 3/4 full.
6. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar, up to 1/2 teaspoon.
7. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Moussaka with Sweet Potatoes

A vegetarian version of our original Moussaka. Instead of meat, we chose portobello for its meaty qualities. Plus, how can you not love portobello and eggplant together in one dish? This one also includes a layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom that really goes nicely with the cinnamon and nutmeg spices used throughout the dish.

Moussaka

Yield: 8-12 servings
Ingredients

• 3 eggplants, peeled and cut into half-inch slices
• 1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• salt, to taste
• white pepper, to taste
• 1.5-3 cups parmesan, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture. Then in a skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the portobello, salt and pepper to taste, onions, and garlic. After the mushrooms have lost some of their liquid, sprinkle in the cinnamon, nutmeg, herbs and parsley. Pour in the tomato sauce and wine, and mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, and then stir in beaten egg.
3. To make the bechamel sauce, begin by heating the milk to about boiling. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Remove from heat and gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season with salt, and white pepper.
4. Arrange a layer of sweet potato as shingles, then a layer of eggplant in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover eggplant with all of the portobello mixture. Cover with remaining eggplant. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the nutmeg.
5. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Strawberry Summer Cake

This is a delicious cake, perfect for the summer months when all we want to do is eat strawberries. It is light and goes well after a summer dinner. The addition of barley flour makes it even lighter and smoother. Don't worry if you don't have any though; it works just fine without.

If you have a regular pie pan, this will work fine. If you have a larger one or a deep dish one, either double or 1.5 times the recipe. Extra springiness! Enjoy!

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Strawberry Summer Cake

Yield: 1 cake
Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1.5 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour (can swap half with barley flour)
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound strawberries, halved

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a pie pan.
2. Whisk flour or flours, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
3. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk, and vanilla until just combined.
4. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.
5. Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the strawberries.
6. Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 to 60 minutes.
7. Let cool in pan on a rack.

Peruvian Spicy Creamed Chicken - Aji de Gallina

If you, like us, have a friend bequeath you packets of aji pepper puree, you may be dumbfounded at first too. Well look no further because you've found the answer to your aji prayers!

By far the best Peruvian dish we have ever made. OK so it's also the only Peruvian dish we've ever made. Yet after devouring this Aji de Gallina I'm not sure I could force myself to make any other Peruvian cuisine - it's that good.

This is a beautifully simple, though perhaps time-consuming dish to make. But the great thing is that it makes a ton of food. Great for dinner parties.

Peruvian Spicy Creamed Chicken - Aji de Gallina

Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. chicken breast
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 packet aji pepper puree
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 4 slices bread
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 4 yellow potatoes
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 10 black olives, halved
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup cooked rice

Cooking Directions

1. Cook the yellow potatoes in salted water until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool, peel, cut into quarters, and set aside.
2. Place the bread in a small bowl and pour the evaporated milk over it to soak. Set aside.
3. Place the chicken breasts in a pot with the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is just barely cooked through. Set chicken aside to cool. Strain broth and reserve 2 cups.
4. In a blender, process pepper puree with the oil until smooth. Saute the garlic and onions with the pureed peppers and oil, until the onions are soft and golden. Remove from heat and let cool.
5. Shred the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces.
6. In a blender or food processor, process the evaporated milk and bread mixture with the walnuts and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Add the cooked onion mixture and process briefly.
7. Return onion mixture to pan, and add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock. Bring to a low simmer, and stir in the chicken. Heat until warmed through, adding more chicken stock if sauce is too thick.
8. Serve over rice, garnished with the yellow potatoes, slices of hard boiled egg, and black olives.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

Wow! This is so cool is so many ways. Cake in a slow cooker. Delicious cake in a slow cooker. Moist, chocolatey, rich cake in a slow cooker. Simple and amazingly easy.

I don't know if I can get over how flabbergasted I am that this turned out so gorgeously well. So warm and dark and moist - absolutely the best cake I've ever made. One of the best parts is that it's a cake without frosting (because I generally despise frosting). OK, I'm going to just hand you the recipe now, both so that you can make it yourself and so I can grab another piece. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake

Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Cooking Directions

1. Spray crock of a 2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Whisk in the boiling water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared slow cooker.
4. Set slow cooker to low. Cook until cake has no wet spots on top and has pulled away from the sides of the crock, about 4 hours. DO NOT remove lid at any time, otherwise you'll lose moisture. Turn off slow cooker and allow cake to rest for 30 minutes before serving.