Delishytown

Cooking is fun. Eating is funner. I cook, photograph and write these recipes. Everything I post on this blog I make from scratch using fresh wholesome ingredients.. I've been cooking since I was a little kid. My recipes are based on trial and error, along with studying cookbooks, family recipes, blogs and cooking shows. Some of the veggies and herbs I use are grown in my garden. Yay sustainability! I'm working on making my yard into an edible landscape. It's really fun to go out in the garden and pick your veggies for dinner!

Search

Find me on...

Posts I like

More liked posts

Tag Results

236 posts tagged recipe

Link
 View high resolution
Lemon Poppyseed Muffins  We made these Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed muffins for breakfast. Yum they’re so good, I can’t stop! I harvested the poppy seeds this a.m. from the breadseed poppies growing in the front yard. I woke up thinking about food, and about my garden. I was wondering if it’s ok to eat the poppy seeds from the poppies in the garden, because the front garden is full of ripe poppy seed heads. they are beautiful! When you turn them over and shake them into your hand, the seeds look just like the poppy seeds in the spice jars aisle at the store. I had to know! So I did a search and found out that, yes, you can eat them. The ones I have are culinary poppies. They are the big breadseed  type of poppies, not the California poppies. I’m not sure about the Icelandic type of poppies, but I’ll find out. Bread Seed poppy seeds are edible, all other parts of the plant are not edible.  I think the organic spice companies who sell Poppy Seeds for 8-12 dollars a jar will be very sad that I’m telling you this. I hope they don’t cry so hard that they have to wipe their tears with thousand dollar bills. The lemons were from the tree on the corner. If you live in an area where lemons grow, you’re lucky like me! Free lemons! Mix 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup turbinado sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt, 3 tblsp poppy seeds, (lightly toasted) In another bowl mix 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil, 1 tblsp olive oil, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla, the juice of 1 lemon Heat oven to 400. Line a muffin tin with paper iiners.  Mix the wet, sift together the dry, combine them just until combined. Spoon into the muffin cups. Top each one with a few frozen raspberries and a little more turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or so Mix 3 tblsp organic powdered sugar with a little lemon juice and drizzle it on as a glaze. Yummmm! 

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins 

We made these Delicious Lemon Poppy Seed muffins for breakfast. Yum they’re so good, I can’t stop!

I harvested the poppy seeds this a.m. from the breadseed poppies growing in the front yard. I woke up thinking about food, and about my garden. I was wondering if it’s ok to eat the poppy seeds from the poppies in the garden, because the front garden is full of ripe poppy seed heads. they are beautiful! When you turn them over and shake them into your hand, the seeds look just like the poppy seeds in the spice jars aisle at the store. I had to know! So I did a search and found out that, yes, you can eat them. The ones I have are culinary poppies. They are the big breadseed  type of poppies, not the California poppies. I’m not sure about the Icelandic type of poppies, but I’ll find out. Bread Seed poppy seeds are edible, all other parts of the plant are not edible. 

I think the organic spice companies who sell Poppy Seeds for 8-12 dollars a jar will be very sad that I’m telling you this. I hope they don’t cry so hard that they have to wipe their tears with thousand dollar bills.

The lemons were from the tree on the corner. If you live in an area where lemons grow, you’re lucky like me! Free lemons!

Mix 2 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup turbinado sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt, 3 tblsp poppy seeds, (lightly toasted)

In another bowl mix 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil, 1 tblsp olive oil, 1 cup plain yogurt, 1 tsp vanilla, the juice of 1 lemon

Heat oven to 400. Line a muffin tin with paper iiners. 

Mix the wet, sift together the dry, combine them just until combined. Spoon into the muffin cups. Top each one with a few frozen raspberries and a little more turbinado sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes or so

Mix 3 tblsp organic powdered sugar with a little lemon juice and drizzle it on as a glaze. Yummmm! 

Link
 View high resolution
Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Avocado Cream Happy Taco Tuesday Tumblrs! This was our delicious lunch today. The greens and herbs in this dish came from our back garden. It’s getting hot here so I’m trying to use up the salad greens before they bolt. Salad greens like cool weather, and it was 100 here yesterday. I’m still going to try to grow some in the shade this summer. I bet it will work. I love our home grown garden salads. I especially love the Arugula! It’s spicy and delicious and tastes so amazing fresh out of the garden. Here’s how to make these yummy shrimp tacos: For the Avocado Cream dressing, blend 1 or 2 avocados with 1 cup plain yogurt, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tblsp Cider vinegar, a small smashed garlic clove, a small handful of chopped cilantro, handful of chopped parsley, a drizzle of honey, and salt and pepper. (This dressing keeps in the fridge for about 5 days.)  Heat a grill pan to high. Heat a few organic corn tortillas on the hot grill pan and set aside.  Marinate the shrimp with 2 tsp coconut oil, the lemon juice from the other half of the lemon, a sprinkle each of ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground coriander, freshly smashed garlic or garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sear the shrimp on both sides until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Serve your tacos with salad greens and chopped tomatoes and the creamy dressing. Yum! 

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Sweet Avocado Cream

Happy Taco Tuesday Tumblrs! This was our delicious lunch today. The greens and herbs in this dish came from our back garden. It’s getting hot here so I’m trying to use up the salad greens before they bolt. Salad greens like cool weather, and it was 100 here yesterday. I’m still going to try to grow some in the shade this summer. I bet it will work. I love our home grown garden salads. I especially love the Arugula! It’s spicy and delicious and tastes so amazing fresh out of the garden.

Here’s how to make these yummy shrimp tacos:

For the Avocado Cream dressing, blend 1 or 2 avocados with 1 cup plain yogurt, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 2 tblsp Cider vinegar, a small smashed garlic clove, a small handful of chopped cilantro, handful of chopped parsley, a drizzle of honey, and salt and pepper. (This dressing keeps in the fridge for about 5 days.) 

Heat a grill pan to high. Heat a few organic corn tortillas on the hot grill pan and set aside. 

Marinate the shrimp with 2 tsp coconut oil, the lemon juice from the other half of the lemon, a sprinkle each of ancho chili powder, chipotle chili powder, ground coriander, freshly smashed garlic or garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sear the shrimp on both sides until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. 

Serve your tacos with salad greens and chopped tomatoes and the creamy dressing. Yum! 

Link
 View high resolution
Seared Tuna with Mango Avocado Relish and Frizzled Onions This was our delicious lunch the other day. Yum! Slice 1 sweet onion and reserve 1 or 2 tblsp for the mango relish.  Season the rest of the sliced onions with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a cast iron skillet. Cook the onions in the hot oil until caramelized and frizzled. I used coconut oil and sunflower oil to cook the onions in this photo. Chop the reserved onions into fine dice and toss with chopped mango and avocado. You can use tomato too, but I didn’t have any. Season with red chili flakes, salt and pepper and dress with lemon or lime juice and olive oil.  Discard the oil and wipe the cast iron skillet clean with paper towels. Add a little coconut oil and heat until hot. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper and sear on both sides for about 1-2 minutes per side. You don’t want to overcook the tuna, it should still be pink in the middle. Once the tuna is cooked, serve it with the mango relish, salad greens,  and garnish with the frizzled onions. I also added a little drizzle of sesame oil and organic soy sauce.

Seared Tuna with Mango Avocado Relish and Frizzled Onions

This was our delicious lunch the other day. Yum!

Slice 1 sweet onion and reserve 1 or 2 tblsp for the mango relish.  Season the rest of the sliced onions with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a cast iron skillet. Cook the onions in the hot oil until caramelized and frizzled. I used coconut oil and sunflower oil to cook the onions in this photo.

Chop the reserved onions into fine dice and toss with chopped mango and avocado. You can use tomato too, but I didn’t have any. Season with red chili flakes, salt and pepper and dress with lemon or lime juice and olive oil. 

Discard the oil and wipe the cast iron skillet clean with paper towels. Add a little coconut oil and heat until hot. Season the tuna steaks with salt and pepper and sear on both sides for about 1-2 minutes per side. You don’t want to overcook the tuna, it should still be pink in the middle.

Once the tuna is cooked, serve it with the mango relish, salad greens,  and garnish with the frizzled onions. I also added a little drizzle of sesame oil and organic soy sauce.

Link
 View high resolution
Delicious Veggie Fried Rice This is a delicious way to use leftover rice, yum! It’s easy to make, just chop up whatever vegetables you have on hand. I start with chopped onions in a hot skillet with a little coconut oil, chop and add the densest vegetables first. I used a bunch of fresh veggies from my spring garden including shallots, rainbow carrots, peas, and cilantro. I also used store bought sweet onion, garlic and asparagus. Season with 1 tblsp organic soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and some Chinese Five Spice, a little red chili flake or cayenne, and coriander powder. Add the rice along with a little stock once the veggies are most of the way cooked. Yum! 

Delicious Veggie Fried Rice

This is a delicious way to use leftover rice, yum! It’s easy to make, just chop up whatever vegetables you have on hand. I start with chopped onions in a hot skillet with a little coconut oil, chop and add the densest vegetables first. I used a bunch of fresh veggies from my spring garden including shallots, rainbow carrots, peas, and cilantro. I also used store bought sweet onion, garlic and asparagus. Season with 1 tblsp organic soy sauce, a little sesame oil, and some Chinese Five Spice, a little red chili flake or cayenne, and coriander powder. Add the rice along with a little stock once the veggies are most of the way cooked. Yum! 

Link
 View high resolution
Honey Kale and Cabbage Rolls The kale, dill, carrots, celery, cabbage and shallots were all grown in our spring garden! Yum I love cabbage rolls. This is a good springtime dish because if you drizzle each serving with locally produced honey before serving, the honey helps fight against sneezing and seasonal allergies. And it also makes the whole dish taste fantastically sweet and delicious!  You can make this vegan by eliminating the grass fed beef and cheese. Make a sweet and sour tomato sauce by sauteeing 1 small chopped onion, 2 small chopped shallots and 3-4 smashed garlic in 1 tblsp butter and 2 tblsp olive oil. Cook until fragrant. Add 1 large can of chopped organic tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken or veggie stock, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp turbinado sugar, (or any sugar you have) Season with celery salt and pepper, and a big sprinkle of fresh or dried dill. Simmer and set aside until you are ready to assemble.  For the filling: Saute 1 small sweet onion in olive oil, add 1 lb. grass fed organic ground beef, salt and pepper, cook till browned and crumbly. Once the beef and onion is cooked, drain off the excess fat and add chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped shallots, and cook until fragrant. Add 1 can of organic beans, rinsed and drained, I used black beans and pinto beans leftover from tacos the other night.. Season with 2-4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1 tsp Hungarian paprika, and a bit of dry dill. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Meanwhile, cook some Jasmine or Basmati rice, and start another pot of water to cook and soften the cabbage leaves. Remove core from the cabbage and place it in the boiling water,  let the outer layers soften for a minute or two and loosen the leaves one at a time with tongs, and reserve to a plate. You want them to cook more in the baking part of this recipe. This step is just to soften them so you can roll. Once cooled, cut away the big center part of the stem of each leaf about halfway up. Soften the kale leaves one at a time in the same pot for a few minutes each and cool on the plate. In a casserole, add a few tblsp of the tomato sauce to the bottom layer. Mix the cooked rice with the cooked, seasoned ground beef mixture in a bowl, and roll into the cabbage and kale leaves. I like to place 1 kale leaf on the bottom, add a cabbage leaf over it and roll it all together to have two colors of green on each roll. Place in the casserole , seam side down and continue until the pan is nicely packed together. This packing together assembly also helps the rolls hold together while baking. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until bubbly and a bit browned. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and drizzle each serving with honey. YUM!

Honey Kale and Cabbage Rolls

The kale, dill, carrots, celery, cabbage and shallots were all grown in our spring garden! Yum I love cabbage rolls. This is a good springtime dish because if you drizzle each serving with locally produced honey before serving, the honey helps fight against sneezing and seasonal allergies. And it also makes the whole dish taste fantastically sweet and delicious! 

You can make this vegan by eliminating the grass fed beef and cheese.

Make a sweet and sour tomato sauce by sauteeing 1 small chopped onion, 2 small chopped shallots and 3-4 smashed garlic in 1 tblsp butter and 2 tblsp olive oil. Cook until fragrant. Add 1 large can of chopped organic tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken or veggie stock, the juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp turbinado sugar, (or any sugar you have) Season with celery salt and pepper, and a big sprinkle of fresh or dried dill. Simmer and set aside until you are ready to assemble. 

For the filling: Saute 1 small sweet onion in olive oil, add 1 lb. grass fed organic ground beef, salt and pepper, cook till browned and crumbly. Once the beef and onion is cooked, drain off the excess fat and add chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped shallots, and cook until fragrant. Add 1 can of organic beans, rinsed and drained, I used black beans and pinto beans leftover from tacos the other night.. Season with 2-4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1 tsp Hungarian paprika, and a bit of dry dill. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Meanwhile, cook some Jasmine or Basmati rice, and start another pot of water to cook and soften the cabbage leaves.

Remove core from the cabbage and place it in the boiling water,  let the outer layers soften for a minute or two and loosen the leaves one at a time with tongs, and reserve to a plate. You want them to cook more in the baking part of this recipe. This step is just to soften them so you can roll. Once cooled, cut away the big center part of the stem of each leaf about halfway up. Soften the kale leaves one at a time in the same pot for a few minutes each and cool on the plate.

In a casserole, add a few tblsp of the tomato sauce to the bottom layer.

Mix the cooked rice with the cooked, seasoned ground beef mixture in a bowl, and roll into the cabbage and kale leaves. I like to place 1 kale leaf on the bottom, add a cabbage leaf over it and roll it all together to have two colors of green on each roll. Place in the casserole , seam side down and continue until the pan is nicely packed together. This packing together assembly also helps the rolls hold together while baking. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Top with grated cheese if desired.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until bubbly and a bit browned. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and drizzle each serving with honey. YUM!

Link
 View high resolution
Purple Cornmeal Banana Blueberry Muffins These muffins were a delicious experiment. I bought a box of purple cornmeal from Peru at a fancy Italian deli. This “Farine de Mais Violet”, as it is called on the box, is cornmeal made from a blue corn that’s thousands of years old. It’s organic and non GMO. They say blue and purple foods are really healthy and full of antioxidants. My man and I are trying to eat as many nutritious foods as possible. This box of corn meal was about 5 bucks, which isn’t cheap, but neither is going to the doctor. And it’s delicious! I swapped out some of the regular flour in my favorite banana bread recipe for the purple cornmeal, added blueberries from the garden, and these muffins came out so delicious!   In a bowl mash 2 ripe bananas, add 1/3 cup room temp unrefined coconut oil, 2 eggs, 1 tblsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup milk. Mix well. In another bowl, sift 1 cup organic whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup blue cornmeal (or any cornmeal you have) 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup organic sugar.  Mix the dry into the wet and fold together until just combined. add 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. Spoon into baking cups and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Yum!

Purple Cornmeal Banana Blueberry Muffins

These muffins were a delicious experiment. I bought a box of purple cornmeal from Peru at a fancy Italian deli. This “Farine de Mais Violet”, as it is called on the box, is cornmeal made from a blue corn that’s thousands of years old. It’s organic and non GMO. They say blue and purple foods are really healthy and full of antioxidants. My man and I are trying to eat as many nutritious foods as possible. This box of corn meal was about 5 bucks, which isn’t cheap, but neither is going to the doctor. And it’s delicious! I swapped out some of the regular flour in my favorite banana bread recipe for the purple cornmeal, added blueberries from the garden, and these muffins came out so delicious!  

In a bowl mash 2 ripe bananas, add 1/3 cup room temp unrefined coconut oil, 2 eggs, 1 tblsp vanilla, and 1/2 cup milk. Mix well.

In another bowl, sift 1 cup organic whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup blue cornmeal (or any cornmeal you have) 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 to 3/4 cup organic sugar. 

Mix the dry into the wet and fold together until just combined. add 3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Spoon into baking cups and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Yum!

Link
 View high resolution
Very Umami Veggie Burgers These veggie burgers are the best! They’re savory and so delicious! They  have many wonderful ingredients, including beets, black beans, and quinoa, but I think the three main things that make them Very Umami tasting are the combination of 1) worcestershire sauce, 2) organic soy sauce and 3) cheddar cheese in the mix. The beets & red quinoa give them a sweet taste and meaty appearance too.  Here’s how to make these delicious vegetarian burgers. In a sauce pan, cook red quinoa with 2 small beets. Stem and chop the beet greens and add those to the pot at the end to soften and wilt. Drain the quinoa and set aside. Squeeze out the excess water from the beet greens and chop them up. Peel and Chop the beets into fine mince. In a skillet, saute 1 minced shallot and2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic, in 2 tblsp olive oil, add the chopped beets and cook them together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool. Rinse, drain and smash 1 can organic black beans. Grate 1 carrot. Mix all the ingredients together with 1/2 cup cooked rice or bread crumbs, 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp organic soy sauce, celery salt and pepper, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, a pinch of ancho chili powder, a little onion powder, some garlic powder, 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese and one egg. The mixture will be mushy.  Heat a skillet to med/ high, add a tblsp olive oil and spoon 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the mix into the hot skillet. Form it into a patty, cover loosely and then don’t touch it. Let it firm up and form a crust on the bottom before attempting to flip it or it will break apart. Let it cook for 2 - 4  minutes on the first side. If you try to flip it and it wants to break apart, cover and let it cook another minute or two before flipping it over. These cook about 7 to 10 minutes total, partially covered. You can add cheese after flipping if you want. Serve with sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, a little mayo and fresh chopped cilantro or basil. Yum! 

Very Umami Veggie Burgers

These veggie burgers are the best! They’re savory and so delicious! They  have many wonderful ingredients, including beets, black beans, and quinoa, but I think the three main things that make them Very Umami tasting are the combination of 1) worcestershire sauce, 2) organic soy sauce and 3) cheddar cheese in the mix. The beets & red quinoa give them a sweet taste and meaty appearance too. 

Here’s how to make these delicious vegetarian burgers.

In a sauce pan, cook red quinoa with 2 small beets. Stem and chop the beet greens and add those to the pot at the end to soften and wilt. Drain the quinoa and set aside. Squeeze out the excess water from the beet greens and chop them up. Peel and Chop the beets into fine mince.

In a skillet, saute 1 minced shallot and2 or 3 cloves of minced garlic, in 2 tblsp olive oil, add the chopped beets and cook them together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and let cool. Rinse, drain and smash 1 can organic black beans. Grate 1 carrot. Mix all the ingredients together with 1/2 cup cooked rice or bread crumbs, 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp organic soy sauce, celery salt and pepper, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, a pinch of ancho chili powder, a little onion powder, some garlic powder, 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese and one egg. The mixture will be mushy. 

Heat a skillet to med/ high, add a tblsp olive oil and spoon 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the mix into the hot skillet. Form it into a patty, cover loosely and then don’t touch it. Let it firm up and form a crust on the bottom before attempting to flip it or it will break apart. Let it cook for 2 - 4  minutes on the first side. If you try to flip it and it wants to break apart, cover and let it cook another minute or two before flipping it over. These cook about 7 to 10 minutes total, partially covered. You can add cheese after flipping if you want.

Serve with sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, a little mayo and fresh chopped cilantro or basil. Yum! 

Chocolate Chip & Pistachio Banana Bread

We had 3 very ripe bananas on the counter, so I had to make this. There was no other choice.

This banana bread was the best I’ve ever made! It was so airy and light, chocolatey and delicious. The secret to moist quick breads is that once the wet ingredients hit the dry, you only stir a few times, just to combine, and then bake right away. Once the wet ingredients hit the dry, it activates the baking powder and causes the batter to puff up and become light and airy. If you over mix, it can become dense and dry.

Heat oven to 375. Butter a square baking pan or loaf pan. 

Sift together 1¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt

Mash 3 large, very ripe bananas and mix with ½ cup melted butter (cooled), 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 2 scrambled eggs. Fold in 1/2 bag of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on the shape of the pan, until the sides pull away and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve with coffee or tea. Yum!

Link
 View high resolution
Meyer Lemon Tart with Pomegranate, Raspberry Mirror Glaze In our back yard there’s a Meyer lemon tree that’s covered with ripe lemons right now. There are thousands of ripe lemons all over the neighborhood too! I wish I was taller and/ or had  rubber extendo arms like Mrs. Incredibles. That way I could steal all the ones that will just go to waste because the neighbors can’t possibly use them all. I’d share them with anybody who is foolishly buying lemons in the store.  And I’d make more tarts. I love lemon desserts! They’re tangy and sweet and perfect. I’ve been trying to figure out the mirror glaze for this tart for a couple weeks, and I finally got it right. Here’s how I made this. Heat oven to 350. For the cookie crust: In a food processor, crumb one small package of shortbread cookies. Mix in 2 tblsp melted butter, 1/4 cup ground almonds, (optional) 2 tblsp pastry flour, and 2 tblsp sugar. Press into a tart pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove & set aside.  For the Meyer Lemon Curd, zest 3 Meyer lemons. Smash the zest about in a mortar and pestle with 2 tblsp sugar. Set aside.  For the lemon curd: In a small saucepan, combine the juice of the 3 Meyer lemons with 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 cup sugar and start whisking over low heat. You can’t really walk away from this, but it only takes a few minutes. Whisk over low for about 7 to 10 minutes, until it starts to form swirly ribbons. Whisk in the smashed zest and sugar along with 4 tblsp butter, one tblsp at a time, to dissolve and thicken. Pour the lemon curd over the pre-baked tart crust. Smooth it out and bake at 350 for about 10- 12 minutes.  For the mirror glaze: While the tart bakes, dissolve 1 packet unflavored gelatin with 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup raspberry juice and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tblsp apricot jelly. I just bought myself a juicer for Christmas, so it was easy for me to get these two fancy juices. If you don’t have a juicer, maybe just use bottled juice. Heat over low heat until dissolved. Let cool a bit but don’t let set. Taste. If it’s not sweet enough, add a little more sugar. Pour the glaze through a mesh strainer over the baked tart. Place in the fridge to set.  Serve with raspberries coated with sugar. Merry Christmas!

Meyer Lemon Tart with Pomegranate, Raspberry Mirror Glaze

In our back yard there’s a Meyer lemon tree that’s covered with ripe lemons right now. There are thousands of ripe lemons all over the neighborhood too! I wish I was taller and/ or had  rubber extendo arms like Mrs. Incredibles. That way I could steal all the ones that will just go to waste because the neighbors can’t possibly use them all. I’d share them with anybody who is foolishly buying lemons in the store. 

And I’d make more tarts. I love lemon desserts! They’re tangy and sweet and perfect. I’ve been trying to figure out the mirror glaze for this tart for a couple weeks, and I finally got it right. Here’s how I made this.

Heat oven to 350.

For the cookie crust: In a food processor, crumb one small package of shortbread cookies. Mix in 2 tblsp melted butter, 1/4 cup ground almonds, (optional) 2 tblsp pastry flour, and 2 tblsp sugar. Press into a tart pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove & set aside. 

For the Meyer Lemon Curd, zest 3 Meyer lemons. Smash the zest about in a mortar and pestle with 2 tblsp sugar. Set aside. 

For the lemon curd: In a small saucepan, combine the juice of the 3 Meyer lemons with 3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs, 1/2 tsp corn starch, 1/2 cup sugar and start whisking over low heat. You can’t really walk away from this, but it only takes a few minutes. Whisk over low for about 7 to 10 minutes, until it starts to form swirly ribbons. Whisk in the smashed zest and sugar along with 4 tblsp butter, one tblsp at a time, to dissolve and thicken. Pour the lemon curd over the pre-baked tart crust. Smooth it out and bake at 350 for about 10- 12 minutes. 

For the mirror glaze: While the tart bakes, dissolve 1 packet unflavored gelatin with 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup raspberry juice and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tblsp apricot jelly. I just bought myself a juicer for Christmas, so it was easy for me to get these two fancy juices. If you don’t have a juicer, maybe just use bottled juice.

Heat over low heat until dissolved. Let cool a bit but don’t let set. Taste. If it’s not sweet enough, add a little more sugar. Pour the glaze through a mesh strainer over the baked tart. Place in the fridge to set. 

Serve with raspberries coated with sugar.

Merry Christmas!

Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Soup with Crispy Kale and Parmesan

This soup was delicious! I made this for my sister the other day when she came over to help plant our winter vegetable garden. This soup was simmering on the stove while we worked outside. We planted a million vegetable seeds, including carrots, cilantro, kale, chard, peas, and various lettuces. We also transplanted a bunch of volunteer arugula and artichokes that were springing up all over the garden, and we planted two new blueberry shrubs. We got everything done just before it started to rain. 

This was made with homemade veggie stock, which really gives it a huge depth of flavor.

For the vegetable stock: In a large pot of water, simmer roughly chopped carrots, chopped celery with leaves included, 1 large onion, quartered with the skin still on, garlic cloves, peels and all, part of the big stem from the center of the cauliflower, 2 bay leaves, fresh parsley and kosher salt and pepper. Simmer for about 2-3 hours. Then you strain it and discard the spent vegetables. 

For the soup: In a 400 degree oven roast chopped cauliflower, 4 or 5 diced potatoes and 1/2 chopped onion that have been drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, a little bit of cinnamon and some paprika. Roast these for about 25 minutes until they get color. Add some chopped kale drizzled with olive oil in the last 10 minutes for the garnish, (optional). 

In a large heavy bottomed pot, add 1 tblsp butter or olive oil or both, saute the other half of the chopped onion with some minced garlic, kosher salt and pepper, 1 bay leaf. Saute until softened. Add the roasted potato and cauliflower, (reserving a small amount with the kale for the garnish) and the home made soup stock. Simmer on low heat for about 25-45 minutes. Simmering the soup on a low flame prevents it from becoming foamy. Remove the Bay leaves and blend with a stick blender. You can add 3/4 c. of cream at this point,  but we didn’t and it was very creamy and delicious.

Serve with roasted kale and potato garnish and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Yum! This is so good! It’s good for you too! Mmmmmm soup.

Link
 View high resolution
Thanksgiving Sides: My Dad’s Stuffing  Every year we have a big party on Thanksgiving and it’s a fun, massive, & delicious feast.  Why can’t it be Thanksgiving right now? Answer: it can.  I got up early this morning and made this stuffing and baked this small dish for breakfast. It was so delicious! I put the rest in the freezer, in a large butter coated foil pan, dotted with butter, covered with foil. Weds night I’ll take it out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge, then pop it in the oven about an hour before serving.  This is the dressing my Dad taught me how to make when I was a little kid.  This recipe is for both the carnivore version and the vegetarian version. My Dad’s recipe starts with browning Italian Sausage. If you eat meat, I would definitely use the sausage. If you’re vegetarian, you will love this side dish.  In a cast iron skillet, brown about 1 lb of Italian sausage, (ignore this step for the vegetarian version) Add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots and 3 or 4 chopped celery stalks, 1 peeled and chopped apple, and about 3 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper, a sprinkle of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and a pinch of dried tarragon. Add a small handful of fresh chopped parsley. Add  1 tsp poultry seasoning or dried sage, 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves and continue cooking 5-8 minutes.  Add 3-4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or broth and bring to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup chopped dried Apricots. Turn off the heat. You can use stale bread for this, or bake a couple of cornbreads, or whatever you like. The easiest way is to use the boxes of bread cubes from the grocery store. I usually use any day old bread and combine it with the box bread cubes. Place two boxes of stuffing cubes in a large bowl. Pour the broth and vegetables over the dry bread cubes, a little bit at a time, tossing gently. Be careful not to overmix or it will turn into mush. Once the cubes are moistened, place in a butter coated baking dish, cover and bake at 350 until piping hot and delicious. Take the foil off the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. Yum! Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Sides: My Dad’s Stuffing

 Every year we have a big party on Thanksgiving and it’s a fun, massive, & delicious feast. 

Why can’t it be Thanksgiving right now? Answer: it can.  I got up early this morning and made this stuffing and baked this small dish for breakfast. It was so delicious! I put the rest in the freezer, in a large butter coated foil pan, dotted with butter, covered with foil. Weds night I’ll take it out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge, then pop it in the oven about an hour before serving. 

This is the dressing my Dad taught me how to make when I was a little kid.  This recipe is for both the carnivore version and the vegetarian version. My Dad’s recipe starts with browning Italian Sausage. If you eat meat, I would definitely use the sausage. If you’re vegetarian, you will love this side dish. 

In a cast iron skillet, brown about 1 lb of Italian sausage, (ignore this step for the vegetarian version) Add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots and 3 or 4 chopped celery stalks, 1 peeled and chopped apple, and about 3 tblsp butter and 1 tblsp olive oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper, a sprinkle of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and a pinch of dried tarragon. Add a small handful of fresh chopped parsley. Add  1 tsp poultry seasoning or dried sage, 3 or 4 minced garlic cloves and continue cooking 5-8 minutes.  Add 3-4 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or broth and bring to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup chopped dried Apricots. Turn off the heat.

You can use stale bread for this, or bake a couple of cornbreads, or whatever you like. The easiest way is to use the boxes of bread cubes from the grocery store. I usually use any day old bread and combine it with the box bread cubes. Place two boxes of stuffing cubes in a large bowl. Pour the broth and vegetables over the dry bread cubes, a little bit at a time, tossing gently. Be careful not to overmix or it will turn into mush. Once the cubes are moistened, place in a butter coated baking dish, cover and bake at 350 until piping hot and delicious. Take the foil off the top for the last 10 minutes of baking. Yum! Happy Thanksgiving!

Loading posts...