Tag Archives: Recipes

Chimichurri Sauce

Posted on by Laurie

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This morning I noticed that my cilantro has been growing quite nicely with the relatively cool weather that we have been having, so I decided to pick a bunch to make Chimichurri Sauce. (Once it gets hot, cilantro goes to seed quickly.) Chimichurri Sauce is an Argentinian condiment that is traditionally served on grilled meats, especially grilled steak. It can also be used as a marinade, dipping sauce or salad dressing. Shown above, I have served it on a grilled portobello mushroom with salad greens and avocado. Yum! I hope that you enjoy the recipe!

Chimichurri Sauce

2 c. fresh cilantro, packed

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 T. chopped yellow onion

1 fresh Fresno chili pepper, chopped

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. fresh lime juice, or to taste

1/4 – 1/2 t. sea salt, or to taste

1. Wash cilantro and remove any large stems. Blot leaves dry with a paper towel.

2. Place cilantro, garlic, onion, and Fresno pepper in a small food processor. Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped. Transfer ingredients to a medium size bowl.

3. Stir in olive oil, lime juice, and salt to taste. Refrigerate until serving.

Variations: Substitute flat leaf parsley or spicy oregano for part or all of the cilantro; substitute lemon juice or red wine vinegar for the lime juice; substitute red pepper flakes for the Fresno pepper; add cumin, thyme or paprika; add tomatoes or red bell peppers.

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Fresh Peach Frozen Yogurt

Posted on by Laurie

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Fresh Peach Frozen Yogurt

2 c. whole milk Greek yogurt

1 c. pieces of ripe, fresh peaches (no skins)

1/2 c. honey

1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice

1. Place ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste. At this time, you can add a little more lemon juice, honey or peaches, if you want to adjust the flavor. Process again until smooth.

2. Transfer mixture to an ice cream maker and follow machine’s instructions. I use a Cuisinart ice cream maker and run the machine for 30 – 40 minutes and then put the yogurt in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Homemade frozen yogurt is tangier and less gummy than commercial frozen yogurt, and it is so easy to make. Enjoy!

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Spaghetti with Asparagus & Herbs

Posted on by Laurie

Spaghetti with Asparagus & Herbs

This dish is designed to highlight the flavors of its fresh ingredients rather than overpowering them with heavy tastes. Serve for lunch or a light dinner with bread, fresh fruit and a light cheese. (Makes about 3 servings.)

Approximate measurements:

12 oz. spaghetti

1 lb. fresh asparagus

2 oz. extra virgin olive oil

1 oz. white balsamic vinegar

4 fresh lemons

several twists of fresh ground green and red peppercorns

1/4 t. sea salt

1/4 c. fresh golden oregano

1 T. fresh flat leaf parsley

1 1/2 t. fresh thyme

1. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water.

2. About half way through the cooking time for the spaghetti, put the asparagus on the stove to steam. Cook until crisp tender. Remove from pot then rinse asparagus with cold water and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, vinegar, juice of 2 of the lemons, fresh ground pepper and salt. Set aside.

4. Submerge herbs in a bowl of cold water to remove any possible dirt or insects. Remove herbs and rinse well. Pat dry. Strip herb leaves from stems. Discard stems and any damaged leaves. If there are any thyme flowers, set them aside for garnish.

5. When the spaghetti is cooked to desired consistency, drain well. Add the olive oil mixture to the pot that the pasta was cooked in. Return spaghetti to the pan and toss with the olive oil mixture.

6. Divide spaghetti between serving bowls. Top with fresh herbs and then with asparagus. Squeeze a little more fresh lemon juice over asparagus and then grind a little more fresh pepper over dish. Garnish with thyme flowers if available. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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Sweet Cherry Muffins

Posted on by Laurie

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Sweet Cherry Muffins

2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 c. melted butter

1 c. buttermilk

2 lg. eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

2 c. dark sweet cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped (frozen ok)

cinnamon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare 10 1/2-cup ceramic ramekins with butter and flour or with baking spray;  or line 12 standard muffin cups with muffin papers, with butter and flour, or with baking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. Stir together butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir mixture into dry ingredients until dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Fold in cherries.

4. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Using the back of a spoon, shape tops of muffins into a slight mound. Sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon sugar.

5. If using ramekins, place ramekins on 2 baking sheets. Bake for about 15 – 20 min for 12 muffins or about 22 – 27 minutes for 10 muffins. Muffins should be firm to the touch when done.

Barkley Scones

Posted on by Laurie

The recipe for these plain, but moist, scones – the type that is good for slathering with butter and jam – was sent to me by some lovely guests from Oregon who have stayed with us a number of times over the years.  Enjoy!

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Barkley Scones

3 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. + 1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

2 c. heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients, then beat in heavy cream.

3. Turn mixture out onto a floured work surface. Divide in half. Shape each half into a disk 6″ wide. Cut into four wedges. Transfer wedges to baking sheet.

4. Allow scones to sit for 15 minutes, then bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Banana Mocha Coconut Muffins

Posted on by Laurie

The other morning, I had a guest on an almost vegan diet; so I made these delicious muffins which one would never know were free of dairy products and eggs. I hope that you enjoy the recipe!

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Banana Mocha Coconut Muffins

3/4 c. sweetened shredded coconut

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated white sugar

2 T. instant coffee or 2 t. espresso powder

1 T. baking powder

1 c. mashed ripe bananas

1 c. coconut milk

1/2 c. canola oil

1 T. coconut rum

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, preferably miniature ( use vegan chocolate if needed)

1 recipe Coffee Coconut Milk Glaze (below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread coconut on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 3 to 4 minutes or until just starting to turn golden at the edges. Remove coconut from baking sheet and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, prepare 12 standard muffin cups or 10 four-ounce ramekins with baking spray.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, 2 T. of the instant coffee or 2 t. of the espresso powder, and baking powder. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, coconut milk, canola oil, and rum. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips.

5. Divide batter into ramekins or muffin cups. Using the back of a spoon, shape each cup of batter into a slight mound. Bake 15 to 20 minutes for 12 muffins or 20 to 25 minutes for 10 muffins. Muffins are firm to the touch when done.

6. Meanwhile, prepare Coffee Coconut Milk Glaze. Glaze muffins immediately upon removing from oven and  then sprinkle them with toasted coconut.

Coffee Coconut Milk Glaze

1 c. confectioner’s sugar

2 T. coconut milk

1/2 t. minced orange or lemon zest

1/2 t. instant coffee or 1/4 t. instant espresso powder

1/2 t. coconut rum, light rum, or orange or lemon extract

1. In a small bowl, slowly stir coconut milk into confectioner’s sugar. Stir in coffee, then zest, then rum or extract. Stir until smooth, then warm glaze to dissolve coffee.

2LC Monthly Cooking Challenge: Mexican Wedding Cookies

Posted on by Laurie

Thank you once again to Bebe and Ridha for hosting this month’s Two Little Chefettes Cooking Challenge. The theme for this month is nuts. I just made a batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies – the pecan version – to put out for our guests. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

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Mexican Wedding Cookies*

Makes about 32

Known by various names, including Russian Tea Cakes, these buttery nut cookies, rolled in confectioner’s sugar, are good for entertaining because you can make them up to a week ahead of time and store them in an airtight container without any loss of quality.

1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened

2 T. confectioner’s sugar + about 1/2 c. extra for rolling cookies

1 t. vanilla extract*

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. pecans or walnuts finely chopped or ground to the texture of coarse kosher salt

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 T. of the confectioner’s sugar and the vanilla extract. On lowest speed, beat in flour and then nuts. The mixture will be very crumbly.
  3. Spoon a small about (about 1 heaping teaspoon) of mixture into one of your palms. Squeeze lightly until the mixture holds together then shape into a ball. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture, spacing the balls well apart on the 2 baking sheets.
  4. Bake for about 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned on the bottom. Place baking sheets on wire racks and allow cookies to cool. Once cool, roll the cookies in confectioner’s sugar until well coated. If desired, roll a second time.

* This recipe is from my cookbook, Confectionately Yours: A Collection of Cookies, Candies & Yummy Confections.

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Sweet Shepherd’s Noodles

Posted on by Laurie

I’ll just say this up front – some of you are going to think that this is a strange dish. It’s either like the pasta version of rice pudding or the dessert version of macaroni and cheese. The only category that it squarely fits into is that of comfort food.

I came across the original recipe many years ago in an old edition of Better Homes & Gardens Italian Cook Book. According to the book, Sweet Shepherd’s Noodles is a dish from “a mountainous sheep-grazing region in southern Italy.” Since the sweet creamy flavor reminded me of a rice pudding, I added dried fruits, walnuts and nutmeg to the original recipe and doubled the amount of cinnamon in it.  I love this embellished version of the dish for lunch on a grey winter’s day. A hot main dish and dessert all in one! Do you make anything similar?

SweetShepherdsNoodlesSweet Shepherd’s Noodles

(serves 2)

4 oz. pasta (any shape, gluten-free ok)

1/2 c. ricotta cheese

1/3 c. milk

2 T. granulated white sugar

1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 T. dried cherries

1 1/2  T. yellow raisins

1 1/2 T. finely chopped walnuts

fresh nutmeg, optional

(1) Place pasta in a pot of boiling water to cook.

(2) When the pasta is almost done cooking, place ricotta cheese, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a medium-size pot. Cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes, stirring until there are no large lumps in the mixture.

(3) When pasta is cooked to desired tenderness, drain thoroughly and then stir into cheese mixture. Stir in walnuts and fruits. Serve immediately. If desired, grate a little fresh nutmeg over pasta. Enjoy!

Mmmm … Apple Pancakes

Posted on by Laurie

Our breakfast special today was Apple Pancakes. Mmm!

Recipe

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. granulated white sugar

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. ground mace

2 – 4 T. melted butter (how much depends on how “sticky” or non-stick your cook surface)

1 – 1 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk, divided

1 lg. egg

2  medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks (2 c.)

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Confectioner’s sugar, yogurt, warm maple syrup, and apple slices for serving

(1) In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together butter, 1 c. of the buttermilk and egg. Gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until dry ingredients are absorbed. If needed, stir in more buttermilk. Batter will have small lumps.

(2) Toss apple chunks in lemon juice then fold into pancake batter.

(3) Meanwhile, preheat grill or griddle until a drop of water sizzles but does not skate across surface. Grease well with canola oil or vegetable shortening.

(4)  Ladle pancake batter onto cook surface. (Makes 8 medium or  6 large pancakes.) Cook until bottom is light golden brown and bubbles appear on top of pancakes. Flip and cook on the second side until done in the middle and bottom is light golden brown. Garnish and serve immediately.

Piquant Pieper Sauce and Pieper Eggs

Posted on by Laurie

My husband always tells me that the one draw back to my recipes is that I am not sufficiently creative when it comes time to name them.  Despite the unimaginative name -when writing my first cookbook, I ran out of appellations and named this dish after myself – this is quite delicious. It can be served warm or cold to top eggs, tofu, pasta or pizza. It can also be served as a dip for French bread, pita bread or chips. Shown below, Pieper Eggs … what else?

Piquant Pieper Sauce

4 lg. ripe red bell peppers

1 1/2 c. tomato sauce (unseasoned)

1/2 c. chopped white onion

1 jalapeno pepper

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. granulated sugar

2 to 3 T. fresh lemon juice, divided

2 t. paprika

1 t. salt

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. fresh ground pepper

1 pinch ground thyme

1 clove garlic, crushed

(1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange peppers on parchment paper. Place baking sheet in the oven and  roast peppers, turning them occasionally with a pair of tongs, for about 20 minutes or until their skins are very blistery. Place peppers in a paper bag. Close the bag and let the peppers cool for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are cool enough to handle.

(2) Meanwhile, wearing plastic gloves, remove the stem and then chop the jalapeno. Place jalapeno in the bowl of a food processor.

(3) Working over the food processor bowl, peel the peppers, removing as much of the skin as  you can. Remove the stems and slice the peppers open. Remove and discard the seeds. Place peppers in the bowl of the food processor.

(4) Add remaining ingredients, starting with just 2 T. of the lemon juice. Process until almost smooth.

(5) Preheat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for about 20 minutes or until the liquids have cooked off and the sauce is very thick. Stir frequently. If the sauce begins to spatter while it is cooking, reduce the heat.

(6) When the sauce is thickened, taste to see whether it needs more lemon juice, salt or pepper. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Use right away or store in the refrigerator in a covered glass jar. Yields about 1 quart.

Pieper Eggs

(per serving)

1 t. unsalted butter

2 lg. eggs

1 T. milk

3 to 4 T. warm Piquant Pieper Sauce, divided

2 slices French Bread, warm and buttered

1 c. baby spinach, optional

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

(1) Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add butter and swirl it around the skillet. When butter just starts to sizzle, the skillet is ready.

(2) Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and milk. When the skillet is ready, pour in the eggs. Let eggs start to set on the bottom. Use a turner to pull them toward the sides of the skillet. Repeat, without stirring constantly, until the eggs are about half-cooked. Add 1 t. of sauce to eggs and continue to scramble until they are set.

(3) Place French bread on a warmed plate. Optionally, top with spinach. Then top with eggs. Garnish with remaining warm Piquant Pieper Sauce and then parsley. Serve immediately.

Variation: add 1/4 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese to eggs while they are cooking.