BROWNIES

I have sadly lost my cooking mojo. Every single recipe I have made this weekend has been a disaster. It is extremely frustrating and it is the exact reason why I started this blog. I wanted a cooking journal of easy, honest and reliable recipes. So I may not be able to cook but at least I know how to bake and when I bake it usually involves chocolate. So here is a good old standby...brownies. Now this was the first time I tried this recipe for brownies and after I made them I thought they were good but not the best. Then I tried them again tonight and they were perfect: rich, decadent, chewy, chocolaty and delicious! Chocolate ALWAYS tastes better the day after it's baked.

Brownies
Adapted from "Classic Brownies" The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook

1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
12 Tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
powdered sugar (optional)


Preheat oven to 325. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with 2 pieces of foil (horizontal and vertical). Make sure the foil hangs a little over all the edges, you will use the foil to lift the brownies out of the pan when they are done baking. Spray foil with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave on 50% power for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth. Be careful not to burn. Or melt chocolate and butter in a glass bowl set over pan of simmering water on stove; stirring until melted and smooth. Make sure the steam doesn't touch the chocolate.

Take chocolate off heat and gradually whisk in sugar.

Add the eggs, whisking after each one, until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla.

Add flour mixture, using a rubber spatula to fold the batter until it is smooth.

Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to even the batter out over the entire pan. Sprinkle with nuts if you are going to use. Bake for about 35-40 minutes and check for doneness with a wooden toothpick (should come out with a few moist crumbs on it).

Once the brownies are cooled you can lift the brownies out from the pan using the foil extensions (makes it really easy!). Cut into bars. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

I love to cut mine into diamond shapes...

and sprinkle with powdered sugar.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

SPICY CUCUMBER WEDGES- CLEAN

So this is what happens when you go grocery shopping with your kids...you think you are picking up zucchini and instead you grab cucumbers. I was so sad when I couldn't make a recipe in which zucchini was the star but I did see a fun way to spice up the ordinary cucumber. Super easy and feel free to change the spices according to your liking.

Spicy Cucumber Wedges
Adapted from A Foodie in her cooking hat
Makes 16 Slices

2 large cucumbers, washed and patted dry
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel the cucumbers using a vegetable peeler and cut the ends off if needed.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then cut those piece in half lengthwise. Cut those pieces in half so you have a total of 16 cucumber wedges. Arrange them neatly on a baking tray.

Mix the turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt in a bowl.

Sprinkle them on top and refrigerate them for at least 10 minutes. Serve the cold spicy cucumber wedges on a platter.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

RUSTIC POTATO-LEEK SOUP

Is there anything better than a bowl of warm soup on a cold winter's day? I don't think so. Here is a recipe for a hearty, sweet, oniony flavored soup that is simply delicious! I have seen other potato and leek soup recipes that call for pureeing the vegetables but I really like biting into the pieces of potato and leeks in this 'rustic' version.

Rustic Potato-Leek Soup
Adapted from The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
Serves 6

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4-5 pounds leeks (approximately 4-5 leeks), white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1-inch thick and rinsed thoroughly (about 11 cups)
1 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
5 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 3/4 pounds red potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
Table salt and ground black pepper

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the leeks. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the flour and stir until everything is combined.

Gradually add chicken broth while whisking. Add potatoes pieces and bay leaf. Bring soup up to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer. Cover the Dutch oven and simmer the soup for about 7 minutes. Now completely turn off heat and let everything sit covered for about 15 more minutes. The potatoes should be perfectly tender, not mushy and not hard. Discard bay leaf. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

Soup can be refrigerated for about 3 days.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

FARFALLE WITH SPINACH & PINE NUTS

This has been a crazy weekend/week; my baby boy has been suffering with ear infections for the past 7+ weeks and antibiotics were not working for him. He ended up having surgery for tubes to be put in his ears on Monday. Everthing went great and he is now the happiest baby there could be...which makes me a happy mom...a mom that wants to get back to cooking and her blog!
For tonight I am keeping it simple with this dish, Farfalle with Spinach and Pine Nuts. This is a super quick, easy and light meal and you most likely have all the ingredients on hand. Farfalle, more commonly known as bow tie pasta means butterflies in Italian.

FARFALLE WITH SPINACH & PINE NUTS
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2005
Serves 6

1 pound farfalle
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 cloves garlic
16-20 cups of fresh spinach leaves, cleaned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus additional for serving
Red Pepper (optional)

Cook farfalle in boiling salted water until al dente, according to package directions.

Combine butter, oil, and pine nuts in pan and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until nuts are pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute; be careful, garlic burns easily. Stir in greens and cook, stirring, until they wilt, about 3 minutes.

Add farfalle, salt, black pepper and red pepper and toss to coat. Stir in cheese and serve immediately with additional cheese on the side.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

CIABATTA BREAD

This is a super easy way to make a no-knead ciabatta bread...a hard crusted, soft center Italian bread. All you need is 18 hours...yes, I said 18 hours but that is only for the dough to rise (really it's 20 hours rising time but who's counting)! You can start the day before, say 2pm, let it rise for 18 hours, shape the dough the next morning at 8am, let it rise for 2 hours and then bake at 10am. I know that does involve a little thinking ahead but the rest of the recipe is so easy that it is worth it. This is the type of bread I use in the Pan Roasted Salmon with Bread Salad. It should last for about 3 days if you double wrap it in plastic wrap or you could freeze it for up to a month.

Ciabatta Bread
adapted from foodwishes.com
Makes one large loaf or 2 small loaves

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups warm water

In a large bowl add flour, yeast, salt and warm water. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. At first the dough will seem too wet, then sticky, then too dry.

Just keep stirring until you end up with a very sticky dough.

Cover with foil or plastic wrap and let rise for 18 hours at room temperature.
After 18 hours, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour.
Spray an even counter top with a little water and cover with a large piece of plastic wrap (this will cause the plastic wrap to stick to your counter). Dust plastic wrap with flour.
Uncover the dough; it will be very sticky,

soft and bubbly.

Take a spatula and gently pull the dough off the sides of the bowl and transfer the dough to the floured plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a rough 6x12 shape or make 2 smaller loaves if you want. Ciabatta means "Carpet Slipper" in Italian.

Pick up the plastic wrap with the shaped dough on it and flip it onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Reshape if you need to. (I ran out of parchment paper so I sprayed my baking sheet with cooking spray and then heavily floured it. I highly recommend parchment paper so it doesn't burn.

Add a light dusting of flour on top of the dough and cover plastic wrap. Let the dough sit covered at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Uncover the dough and bake on the parchment paper lined baking sheet until the crust is a deep golden brown and the center of the loaf registers 210 degrees or about 25-35 minutes.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

SPINACH SALAD WITH STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE

This is a fabulous salad...aromatic, light and bursting with a variety of flavors in every bite. The pecans are lightly toasted and taste delicious covered in the vinaigrette. The recipe also recommends using other berries in place of the strawberries...I can't wait for summer to use fresh picked raspberries.
In the photo above, I didn't wait to strain the strawberry vinegar and it still tasted great. However, next time I will strain it just so it is a little smoother.
I always serve dressing on the side of salads to please individual tastes on quantity. I personally like to taste my salad over the dressing so I am a dipper.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Adapted from Gourmet, July 2007
Serves 6

For the Salad
2 1/2 tablespoons Strawberry Vinegar (Recipe Follows)
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 oz baby spinach (8 cups)
1/2 lb strawberries, cut lengthwise into thick slices (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup pecan halves (3 1/2 ounces), toasted and cooled
salt and pepper
For the Strawberry Vinegar
Makes about 2 cups
1 lb strawberries, trimmed (3 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar if berries are not sweet
2 cups white balsamic vinegar

Make the Strawberry Vinegar:
Pulse berries with sugar in a food processor until finely chopped and very juicy. Transfer to a bowl and add vinegar. Let stand 1 hour. Strain vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding solids.

Toast the Pecans:
Place pecans in a shallow baking pan in a 350°F oven until golden, 5 to 15 minutes.

Assemble the Salad:
Whisk together strawberry vinegar, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking well. Put spinach, strawberries, and pecans in a large bowl and toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.

Strawberry Vinegar keeps for 1 week if covered and chilled in fridge.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

PULLED PORK TACOS

I love to cook on weekends...a big breakfast and big dinner; however there are the days I lose steam after cooking a big breakfast and want something easy for dinner. Answer...slow cooker! I love the ease of throwing a bunch of ingredients into the slow cooker and then waiting for the delectable smells to permeate my house or better yet leave to run errands and come home...knowing a warm delicious meal is awaiting me. Make sure you check out the recipe for Homemade Flour Tortillas to make your tacos.

Pulled Pork Tacos

4 pounds pork roast, netting removed
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
2 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lime, juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 4-ounce can of green chiles, chopped
4 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cumin
2 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
8 Tortillas
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
4 whole Limes sliced in wedges

Add onion, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, garlic, cilantro and green chiles to the slow cooker. Mix all of the seasonings in a bowl and rub half of the seasonings onto the roast. Add the rest of the seasonings to the onion mixture in the slow cooker. Center the roast, fat side up on top of the onion mixture. Cover and slow cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or until tender and easily falls apart with a fork. Before serving, remove as much fat as possible from the pork then shred with two forks.

Make or warm the tortillas. Top tortillas with pork and cheese. Serve with lime wedge to be squeezed over the taco.


PRINTABLE RECIPE

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Homemade tortillas, fun to make and super easy. I love knowing exactly what is in the food I eat. When I checked on the bag of my store bought tortillas (which I thought were "healthy") I was surprised to find ingredients like: sugar, lard, a few different types of oils, along with of course a few other words I couldn't pronounce...when I see that I know it time for me to find a recipe to make it homemade.

Homemade Flour Tortillas
Adapted from (I think Cooks Illustrated, sorry I lost my source)
Yield = 8 to 9 taco-sized tortillas or 4 to 5 burrito-sized tortillas

2 cups (scant) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into very small pieces and add to the flour mixture.

Using two forks, cut the butter into the flour until it has a mealy texture.
Stir in 2/3 c. warm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3 minutes until smooth, soft and not sticky.
Cut the dough into 8 to 9 small pieces for tacos or 4 to 5 larger pieces for burritos. Roll pieces into a ball.

Cover dough with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest 30 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a thin circle (about 9 to 10 inches for tacos or 11 to 12 inches for burritos.

Heat a 12-inch skillet on medium-high. Place tortilla in the pan and cook for about 30 seconds or until it puffs and just a few golden spots appear on the underside. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. You don’t want the tortilla to brown or get crisp; you want it to remain soft and pliable.

Now make a quesadilla: shred a handful of your favorite cheeses, melt a little butter in a skillet on medium high. Put the cheese in between 2 tortillas and cook until crisp and golden brown
or
make PULLED PORK TACOS

PRINTABLE RECIPE

PAN ROASTED SALMON AND BREAD SALAD

I was so excited when I found this recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand...there is nothing better. This is a fabulous, super easy, tasty all-in-one meal. And do yourself a favor, have the butcher skin the salmon fillet for you.

Pan-Roasted Salmon-and-Bread Salad
Adapted loosely from Grace Parisi, Food and Wine
Serves 4-6

Eight 1-inch-thick slices of ciabatta, cut into large chunks (or any Italian bread)
5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds center-cut skinless salmon fillet, cut into 2-inch chunks

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large roasting pan, toss the ciabatta chunks with 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil.

Roast for about 5 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted.
In a large bowl, toss the tomato halves with the garlic, capers, lemon, parsley, crushed red pepper and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
Stir the tomatoes into the toasted bread.

Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the salmon with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Nestle the salmon into the bread and tomatoes, spooning some of the tomatoes on top. Roast for about 6 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through. Serve right away.

Reccommended Wine:
Lemony Italian white: 2007 Villa Sparina Gavi di Gavi.

PRINTABLE RECIPE