Posts filed under 'food and friends'
Well, it must be officially summer. I’ve baked my first strawberry rhubarb pies of the season. This is an old photo, taken with an old camera phone a long time ago. I was just too tired to photograph some new ones last night, but you get the idea. Maybe next time I bake some them, I will take some better photos and replace this one.
Anyway, sometimes I just crave the rhubarb. It reminds me of my Aunt Fran and Grama Dee. They used to have it growing in their backyard in Detroit, and I remember having plenty of rhubarb desserts as a little girl. As I was strolling through the grocery store last night, I spotted these very fresh and perfect stalks of rhubarb, and knew what must be done. Especially when I saw some super sweet strawberries a little ways down the aisle. There’s nothing like a little late-night baking for me to conjure up memories of my childhood. I was just in the mood to spend a little time thinking of my Aunt and Grandma last night. So here’s to you girls! And here’s to summer! Hooray!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Recipe from Julie Foxworthy
INGREDIENTS FOR CRUST (makes two crusts)
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, any variety. (I prefer sea salt or kosher salt)
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup (16 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter or shortening, cut into cubes. Just cut the stick once lengthwise, then four or five times across to make about ten chunks. You can also use half butter, half shortening if you like.
Approximately 8 tablespoons ice water. This water must be very cold: put some ice cubes in a bowl or measuring cup of water to keep it cold.
INGREDIENTS FOR PIE
2 - 2 1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
2 - 2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 - 1 1/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of strawberries you can add a little less)
1/3 cup flour
cinnamon to taste
1 egg (for egg wash for top of pie crust)
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRUST:
I have used this recipe with much success, so I’m passing along to you. Of course I was lazy last night, and just used the refrigerated pillsbury pie crusts. 
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS FOR FILLING:
- Combine diced rhubarb, sliced strawberries, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl until all the fruit is coated
- Pour mixture into unbaked pie shells
- Cover pies with 2nd layer of dough
- Seal edges around the pie, pinch with thumbs to make pretty pattern along the edges, or use a fork to seal
- Cut in some venting slices on the top of the pie
- Whisk egg in small bowl until slightly frothy, and brush on top of pie.
- Sprinkle top of pie with a little sugar
- Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Depending on your oven, if crusts become too dark, turn heat down to 375º halfway thru baking
Do not refrigerate fruit pies. Also, you have to let them completely cool before covering them with any kind of foil/plastic wrap, or else the top of the pies will become soggy.
Happy Summer, Enjoy!
September 16th, 2009
This is a recipe that I recently got from my dear friend, Stevie G. He is a super healthy eater, and I always try to emulate his diet, since it’s very healthy, and VERY tasty. He had a bunch of our friends over for a post-holiday dinner last month, and this dish was among the very delicious recipes that graced the plentiful table.
The simplicity lies in the fact that all the ingredients are pre-cooked, and it’s really just toss in a pan, heat and serve. The whole thing takes about 10 minutes to make, if that. However, you really need a Trader Joe’s Market for this recipe (or some other market that carries pre-cooked rices and lentils) if you don’t want to spend an hour just pre-cooking those ingredients.
Ok…so here we go!
Mujadara
Recipe from: Stephen Gemignani
Ingredients:
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Black Lentils (found in produce section)
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Wild Rice (16 oz)
1 package Trader Joe’s Pre-cooked Brown Rice (10.5 oz)
1 bag Trader Joe’s Frozen Peas
1 package Trader Joe’s Unsalted Dry Toasted Slivered Almonds
Curry
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic
Golden Raisins (optional)
Crispy Fried Onions or Scallions (optional)
Directions:
- In very large saute pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add minced garlic and saute until oil is infused
- Add black lentils, brown rice, wild rice and stir until clumps have broken down
- Add half a bag of the peas, and half a bag of the slivered almonds, and stir. If you’d like, you can add a quarter cup or so of golden raisins at this point as well.
- Add curry and italian seasoning to taste, and stir to combine well.
- Add a little olive oil (or a bit of water - if you are being super healthy) as you are sauteing to keep things moist and keep from drying out
- Saute until all ingredients are heated through
- Once plated, you can sprinkle with some crispy fried onions or scallions
Enjoy!
February 16th, 2009
A long time ago now…my friend Annabel was teaching a cooking class and invited me to be her prep cook. At that class, she made this delicious dish. And whenever I am feeling like I need a little love from Annabel, I will make it. It’s super healthy, hearty, and a perfect dish for a cold winter’s day.
Vegetarian Hamin
Recipe from Annabel Cohen
INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped in a small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chick peas (canned is fine), drained
2 - 10 oz packages frozen spinach (or collard greens) thawed, and drained
2 tsp. curry powder, or to taste
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/ tsp. allspice
salt and pepper to taste
golden raisins (optional)
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:
In an ovenproof large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the chickpeas, greens, salt, pepper, curry powder, cinnamon and allspice. Stir until combined. Add enough water to reach half way up the mixture. Place in a 350ºF oven and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The mixture should be slightly soupy. Adjust seasonings and serve alone with golden raisins OR over brown rice. Makes 8 servings.
December 11th, 2008
I work with this amazing bakestress. Her name is Raquel (aka ROK, because she DOES ROCK!), and she makes hands down the most delicious, creative homemade scratch cakes I’ve ever eaten.
See her website here
and
Her flickr page here.
Anyway, in addition to her amazing cakes, she’ll also just sometimes bake and bring in random treats. A week or so ago, she brought in these UNREAL yummy Mexican Chocolate Icebox cookies, and of course I just had to have the recipe. Be forewarned they are slightly spicy (but not crazy, just a little bit of heat, which you can adjust to your taste).
Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies
Recipe from Raquel Salaysay
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup quality dutch-process unsweetened cocoa (IMPORTANT-don’t use hersheys, get a good quality dutch cocoa for these)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 - 3/4 tsp cayenne (here is where you can adjust to your liking)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
12 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS:
- Whisk flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Put sugar, vanilla, and egg into large bowl and beat with electric mixer on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes.
- Add butter and continue to beat on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes more.
- Using your fingers, work flour mixture until dough is just combined. Don’t worry, it’s so supposed to be super sticky on your hands. Oh well, you’ll just have to lick it off.
- Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 9″ log. Wrap each log in parchment paper, twisting ends tightly to make a uniform cylinder.
- Freeze dough logs for at least 3 hours, and as long as overnight
- Preheat over to 350º. Unwrap dough and slice each log into 1/3″ thick rounds.
- Place rounds 1/2″ apart on parchment paper-lined (or silicon liner) cookie sheets.
- Bake cookies until slightly puffed and tiny cracks appear on surface, about 8-9 minutes.
- Transfer immediately to cooling rack, being careful not to crack cookies.
- Enjoy little bites of spicy chocolate heaven.
Thanks, Rok, for this super tasty recipe!
November 27th, 2008
Every so often, some friends and I get together and do little cooking classes. This time we did an Indian class at my Sheila’s house in Ann Arbor, on a beautiful game day Saturday afternoon! FUN. My friend, Sangeeta, from back in the days when I worked at Organic, was teaching the class. It was great to see her again after so many years! We started out making a ton of different appetizers that all started out from the same potato/cilantro/spice mixture. We got to see how many variations of an Indian dish could be made from a simple base of potatoes. We also made some chicken dishes and some other vegetarian dishes and curries.
I love these days spent in the kitchen with great friends. It’s so completely relaxing, and eases the mind of all of life’s little stresses. We talk about love, and children, and work, and dreams. It’s just really special to have friends that share in your interests and your life, coming together to make an amazing meal together, and learn about foods that I could have never made from a recipe or a cook book.
Everyone should definitely try to get some of their good friends together, in a kitchen for a Saturday. It will for sure cure anything that ails you.
Masala Chicken
recipe from Sangeeta Khalsa
INGREDIENTS:
1 c chopped red onion
2 T olive oil
Garlic/ginger paste
Hot chili
3 tomatoes, chopped
½ t. turmeric
½ t. garam masala
½ t. cayenne pepper
2 t. coriander
3 T tomato sauce
Whole chicken, cut up into pieces
1 c. water or yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot. Add the red onions, garlic, ginger (pastes) and hot chilies. Sauté in a pan until the onions caramelize, adding water or yogurt when necessary. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, cover and let simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is done or pressure cook it (less than 15 minutes)
October 5th, 2008
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