Scones

I love scones for breakfast or tea time. They are a great vehicle for my jams and jellies.
I do have a pet peeve about them. I can't stand dense, doughy scones, yuck !!

This recipe is modified from the one in my Betty Crocker cookbook. These scones are almost like a crisp sweeter version of a biscuit. For you health nuts you can substitute 1/2 cup whole wheat flour for some of the white flour. You can also add lemon zest, or dried fruit. I am a purist ;-)






Laurie’s basic scones
Preheat oven to 400

Sift together in a large bowl:
                2 cups flour
                3 tsp. baking powder
                1 tsp. salt
                3 Tbsp. sugar

Cut in until fine with a pastry cutter or two knives: 1/2 cup of butter

The dough will look like this.

Stir in: 1/2 cup milk
    1 slightly beaten egg

Knead the dough in the bowl until it sticks together, try not to over mix. Form into a flat disk about one half inch thick on waxed paper. Cut into 8 triangles.

Place on ungreased baking sheet. I like to use parchment paper but you don't have to.

Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden brown.

This recipe makes eight large or sixteen small scones.

They will last at least week in the fridge or freeze well.

Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup- great for a cold evening or lunch !!
It freezes well too.

Sauté the onions, ginger, garlic and spices in the olive oil until soft. Add the bay leaf, tomatoes, water, broth and lentils. Cook until the lentils are soft. I put everything in the crock-pot to make it easy, still comes out great!!  If you put it on in the morning, it will be ready for an early dinner easy or do it the night before for a warm lunch.

2 cups rinsed red lentils
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 TB olive oil
1 onion chopped
4 or more cloves of garlic, chopped
3 TB grated fresh ginger
1tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 pint or 15 oz. of stewed tomatoes or (4 to 5 fresh tomatoes in season)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt

Bouillabaisse, seafood soup !!

My take on  Bouillabaisse with Rouille inspired by Julia Child.

Living on the bountiful Monterey Bay I finally got up the courage to make this wonderful seafood stew from the south of France. I found this recipe inspired by Julia Child, it is easier than I thought it would be mainly because I  already fish stock in my freezer. I made this for company a few weeks ago, they were very impressed !! I served it with my no-knead bread and homemade cheese.

The key to a good fish soup it the stock you use. I made mine a month ago from the shells of our holiday seafood feast: lobster, crab, shrimp...I cooked it with onions, celery, herbs. It smelled strong as it cooked in the stock pot but it was well worth it.
The recipe below includes making your fish stock the day you make the bouillabaisse.

Bouillabaisse
     1/2 cup olive oil
     1 cup each chopped onion and leek
     4 cloves mashed garlic
     2 or 3 large, ripe tomatoes*
     2 1/2 quarts water
    Fresh herb sprigs: thyme, parsley, fennel fronds and basil (in any combination)
    1/2 teaspoon saffron
     1 tablespoon sea salt
     3 - 4 pounds fish heads, bones, trimmings, shrimp shells or any other fishy stuff, crab shells, lobster shells...
     1 1/2 pounds each; shrimp, white fish like snapper or halibut cut into chunks, and debearded, scrubbed mussels or clams
 
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat; add the onion and leek and cook gently until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, herbs, saffron, salt . If you are making the stock now add fish bones and water or 2 1/2 quarts of fish stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat so that the broth bubbles slowly without boiling. Cook 30 minutes, then strain the broth into a large bowl or another pot and discard the solids.

Pour the broth back into the stockpot and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, a minute or two. Add the rest of the fish and shellfish, cover and simmer until the mussels or clams open. Taste the soup and add more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. Serve the bouillabaisse with crusty bread and rouille on the side.
   
Rouille Sauce
    1 roasted and peeled red bell pepper*
    1 roasted hot red chile pepper or ground cayenne pepper to taste
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    1 small peeled garlic clove
    1/4 cup almond meal (or fresh bread crumbs)
    1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
    Fine sea salt, about 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
     1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Puree everything except for the olive oil in a food processor until smooth.
Slowly add the olive oil while processing to form a  paste.

* I take advantage of tomatoes and bell peppers when they are in season. I peel and freeze whole tomatoes and roast , peel and freeze whole red bell pepper. I used both in this recipe with great results. If they are not in season locally I would use a small can of stewed tomatoes and a red bell pepper from a jar, they will work just fine.

Cornbread, great for a rainy day !!

Cornbread
I decide to make this to go with a crock-pot of pulled chicken. Perfect for a rainy day, it goes well with any kind of soup or chili. You can add a 1/2 of corn kernels or 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or even some chopped bell peppers.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
This recipe makes a dozen muffins or a 9 inch pan or cast iron skillet.
If you plan to bake it in cast iron, place the skillet in the oven to heat up with a tablespoon of oil or butter.


In a bowl mix: 1 cup cornmeal
          1 cup flour
          3 tablespoons of brown sugar
          1 teaspoon baking soda
          1/2 teaspoon salt

In another small bowl mix together: 1 cup milk
                        1 egg
                        2 tablespoons canola oil or melted butter

Add the wet mixture to the dry and mix only until moist.
Pour into greased muffin tins , 9 inch pan or cast iron skillet.
For muffins bake 12 minutes.
For the 9 inch pan or skillet bake 20 minutes.
Serve warm with butter and honey :-)

Buckwheat Crêpes

Buckwheat Crêpes
Simple, elegant and French, what could be better.

    18-20 crêpes

    It’s best to let the batter chill overnight, but let it come to room temperature prior to frying them up. And keep stirring the batter as you go while frying since the flour tends to sink to the bottom.

    2 cups whole milk
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, melted
    1/2 cup buckwheat flour
    3/4 cup all-purpose flour
    3 large eggs

    In a blender, or with a whisk, mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.

    To fry the crêpes, remove the batter from the refrigerator about an hour before frying. Stir it briskly; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (If not, you can add a tablespoon of milk.)

    Heat a 8- to 9-inch skillet on the stovetop. You can use a real crêpe pan that’s been seasoned, but I use a non-stick skillet which works great.

   You can drop a tiny piece of butter or neutral oil in the hot pan and wipe it around with a paper towel. (I only do this for the first crêpe.)

    Lift the pan and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle of the hot skillet, swirling the pan to distribute the batter quickly and evenly. The pan shouldn’t be too hot or too cold: the batter should start cooking within a few seconds, giving you just enough time to swirl it. It may take a couple of crêpes for you to get your rhythm.

    After about a minute, run a non-stick spatula around the underside of the rim of the crêpe, then flip the crepe over. You can use your fingers to help this process.

    Let the crêpe cook on the flip side for about 30 seconds, then slide it out onto a dinner plate. Crêpes should be served warm. I like to make them for my guests and serve them right away.

They can be sweet or savory. The one in the photo has applesauce, pecans and plain yogurt, I ate it for breakfast.

 I love to serve them with Swiss cheese, mushrooms and seafood (crab or smoked salmon). For dessert crepes you can top them with fresh fruit and whipped cream, drizzle them with warm chocolate and a scoop of ice cream or slather them with lemon curd and raspberry sauce.

In the recipe I use it said to re-warm the crêpes for serving, fold the crepes and put them in a baking dish covered with foil. Heat them in a moderate oven until warmed through. I have not tried this but it should work.

You can store the left crepes in the fridge or freezer. I have found the batter to keep well in the fridge for about a week.

Gourmet mac and cheese...

This dish is not for the faint of heart, literally...it's rich, tasty, simple and perfect for a cold winter day after skiing. Serve it with a big green salad.

Cook 16 ounces of your favorite tube like pasta, ziti, penne or rigatoni work well. While the pasta is cooking grate three cups of cheese (lightly packed). I like to use at least three to four types of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, Swiss...it's a good way to use leftover cheese rinds. Crush and peel six to eight cloves of garlic. Here's my secret, I use a jar of Trader Joe's Alfredo pasta sauce and a equivalent amount of milk, about two cups each.
Once the pasta has cooked, drain it in a colander. In the pan you used to cook the pasta, saute the garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, add the Alfredo sauce, the cheese, the milk and stir well. Now add the drained pasta and mix again.Pour into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. You can make one large 9 by 13 pan or two smaller round ones as pictured below.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes uncovered.

The nice thing is that this dish can be made ahead of time and either baked later or even frozen for another time.

Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup

Here is a great soup recipe, I have posted it before on FB but it deserves a place on this blog.
It is so quick and easy and very forgiving. It can be vegan or vegetarian or not.

Here is the original recipe.
Serve with a crusty baguette.

1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1x3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Possible Modifications.
I use whatever vegetables I have on hand.  No celery no big deal, have a potato that needs using or some cabbage, throw it in !! If you add lots more veggies, increase the liquid with more stock, tomato juice or water.
More garlic is never wrong.
I like to saute the kale with the veggies.  Any kind of kale works, I have used them all.
I have used a pint of stewed tomatoes or in season, several fresh tomatoes instead of the tomato paste .
I never use two cans of beans only one. I'll bet garbanzo or red kidney beans would be good in this soup too.
I do love the rosemary and sometimes I add oregano or other fresh herbs. If you don't have fresh herbs use whatever dried ones you have on hand.
You can use chicken, turkey or beef stock.
This soup freezes beautifully, if it lasts that long ;-)

I love beets...

I love beets, what can I say, they are so sweet and earthy tasting and beautiful.

I love them in salads, or with just a little vinegar.

I cook them very simply, cut the greens off about an inch above the beet root. Set them aside for later, then fill your pot with water and beets, boil until soft when pierced with a fork, time varies depending on the size of the beet.