Lemon Madeleine's

There is something so charming about French Butter Cakes, or Madeleine's. These miniature seashell cakes are a classic treat that can be found in many grocery stores. Although I have tried the prepackaged Madeleine's, I much prefer to make them myself. They are easy to make and require simple ingredients that most people keep on hand in their kitchen or pantry. These cakes turned out  scrumptious. Their texture was light yet substantial. They were moist, lemony, flavorful, and divine. I brushed on a bit of lemon simple syrup when I took them out of the oven to get another hit of lemon flavor. This step is optional, because they are wonderful with a simple dusting of powdered sugar and a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Entire zest of large lemon
1/4 C. melted salted butter
1/2 C.  AP flour
1/8 t. baking powder
1/4 C. granulated sugar
1 1/2 T. honey

about 1/2 cup powdered sugar for garnish

Optional: Simple syrup Ingredients: 1/4 C. water, 1/4 C. sugar, about 1 T. lemon juice

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 375. Grease the Madeleine mold.  Melt butter (either in microwave, on stove top, or in oven) until liquefied. Set aside and let cool. 
2) In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla until light and frothy. (This should only take about 2 minutes if you whisk vigorously). 
3) Add sugar and honey and whisk vigorously until the batter is thick. This should take about 5 full minutes. Be patient. 
4) Gently mix in flour and baking powder until combined. 
5) Fold in cooled, melted butter until incorporated. 
6) Spoon batter into greased Madeleine molds ( filling each mold about 3/4 of the way). 
7) Bake for about 8 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. They will be done when a toothpick comes out clean, and some edges are golden brown. 
8) When cooled, dust with powdered sugar. 

Optional: 
If you would like to get an extra hit of lemon flavor, prepare the simple syrup by putting water, sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. As soon as the mixture simmers, take off the heat and brush onto the surface of the Madeleine's.  After the syrup has soaked in, garnish with powdered sugar. 

Potato Bacon Swiss Tart

Sometimes I daydream about scrumptious food combinations that I have yet to try. Throughout the course of the day, I very well may think of a dozen flavor combinations, and forget half of them. This is due mostly to the fact that I don't write them down, (shame on me)! However, yesterday I thought of a delicious combination, and I didn't forget it. Bacon and cheddar has been a famous pairing for decades. I wanted to make a tart using bacon and dijon mustard, but the tart would hardly be substantial with just two ingredients. I thought about topping with it with a lightly dressed frisée salad and poached eggs. This would be a take on the classic French Lyonnaise salad, (to be in an upcoming blog). However, I didn't have any frisée, and it would be a 30 minute trip to the nearest Whole Food's to find it. So, I improvised. I had a few medium red potatoes and swiss cheese, and made a fantastic dinner. This savory tart is sure to please and easy to make!

I took a short cut and used pre-made frozen pie dough that I had on hand. You could also use a store bought puff pastry as the crust of this tart, but when you par-bake it, you must put a layer of tin foil over the pastry and fill the mold with dried beans to keep the pastry from rising too much. The dried beans can not be eaten after using them to par bake, but you can certainly keep them around for future use if you need to weigh down puff pastry!

Ingredients:
1 frozen roll of pie dough (or one sheet of frozen puff pastry- just remember the note above)
2 Tb. dijon mustard
7 ounces very thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3-4 medium red potatoes, sliced into 1/4" slices
1/4 teas. Herb De Provence ( or a pinch each of rosemary and thyme)
Pinch salt
Pinch cracked black pepper 
9-10 ounces of swiss cheese
Drizzle of olive oil 

Instructions:

1) Roll the dough over your tart pan, and form into fit in the pan and come up the sides. Patch any holes. Prick the surface with a fork, and par-bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes, or until the sides get a lightly golden brown.
2) When you pull the tart out of the oven, let cool, then brush the dijon mustard over the surface. 
3) Fry the bacon in a nonstick skillet until slightly crispy, but still chewy. About 10 minutes over medium-low heat. 
4) In remaining bacon fat, fry sliced potatoes and Herb De Provence. About 10 minutes over medium low heat, until fully cooked, but not falling apart. 
5) Scatter bacon over the dijon mustard.
6) Place swiss cheese in an even layer over the bacon. 
7) Top the tart with potatoes, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
8) Place back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and potatoes are slightly golden. About 10 -15 minutes. 

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Summer is almost here which means fresh peaches will be in stores soon! I've always loved peaches- fresh, canned, frozen, you name it! In my recipe today I used a combination of drained canned peaches and frozen peaches and blueberry's. You can feel free to use any  combination of fresh, frozen, or canned fruit that you desire! I personally prefer to use a high side cast iron skillet for my cobbler, but feel free to use any oven safe vessel that you have.  I hope you give this recipe a try in the upcoming summer months. 

Ingredients:

1 C. Blueberries

1.5 LB. of sliced peaches

1 C. Water

1 C. White sugar

Zest of orange

Zest of Lemon

1 ts. cinnamon 

1 stick salted sweet cream butter

1/2 C. brown sugar, lightly packed

1 ts. vanilla extract

2/3 C. self raising flour

3/4 C. whole milk

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.  In a large saucepan, bring water, white sugar, zest, and cinnamon to a simmer. Add fruit and let simmer for about 10 minutes until syrup has slightly thickened. 

2) In a cast iron skillet or baking dish, place the stick of butter and put in oven until the butter has melted. 

3)In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, milk, and vanilla extract. It is OK if there are a few small lumps from the brown sugar. 

4) Take the skillet/high side baking dish out of the oven when the butter is completely melted. 

5) Pour the batter over the butter. DO NOT MIX. It will look strange. The butter will be pooling around the sides and won't be incorporated. That is normal. 

6) Spoon fruit mixture and syrup over the top of the batter and butter.  DO NOT MIX. The batter will raise over the fruit during the baking process and your cobbler will be perfect. 

7) Place in the oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Your cobbler is done when you can stick a toothpick into the middle of the cobbler and no white batter sticks to the toothpick. Moist crumbs are OK. 

Cool for at least 5 minutes, and serve!

This is what my fruit&syrup mixture looked like while bringing it to a simmer. 

Fruit and syrup mixture after 10 minutes of simmering and cooling it. 

Matzo Ball Soup

Hello, all! I am finally finished with my semester and started my summer vacation. Yay! It is so great to be back in the kitchen making recipes fit for my blog! It is easy to get in the habit of making the same foods over and over when you are busy. I can't wait to use the next few months as an opportunity to try new recipes and culinary techniques. 

The first thing I did after my last final exam was test out recipes for Matzo Ball Soup. It was very easy. I sauteed my vegetables in a little oil, then mixed in the some bouillon powder ( I didn't have any homemade stock), water, a bay leaf, salt and pepper. Then I added a couple of chicken thighs, (bone-in, skin off), and let the soup simmer for about an hour. Then I made the Matzo balls and cooked them! They were tender and flavorful, and I added my own spin to them by adding a little chopped parsley and cayenne for heat. Next time you want some comfort food without tons of guilt, give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or whatever oil you have)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
2-3 bone in, skin removed chicken thighs*
3 quarts chicken broth or stock (I used a brand of bouillon I love)
1 bay leaf

For the Matzo balls:
4 eggs
1/4 C. seltzer water (or regular water)
pinch salt
pinch pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
handful of finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C. of chicken fat skimmed off of soup**
1 C. Matzo meal

*I recommend using at least two chicken thighs to shred up after they are cooked and distribute throughout the soup. I didn't want a lot of chicken in my soup, so I only used two. If your family is big on meat, add more!
**Traditionally, chicken fat, or Schmaltz is used to make matzo balls. If you don't have enough chicken fat at the top of your soup  to reach 1/4 cup, just use part chicken fat, and part oil/margarine. If you skimmed the chicken fat off the top of the soup and accidentally threw it away, just use all oil/margarine!

Instructions:
1) In the bottom of a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat up the tablespoon of oil. Add diced carrot, celery and onion. Stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper. 
2)Place the chicken thighs in between the veggies and cover with all the chicken stock/broth. Reduce heat to low/medium low. (the soup should be lightly simmering). Add bay leaf. 
3)Simmer soup for 45-55 minutes, or until veggies are tender, and chicken is cooked through. Cut or shred the chicken into bite sized chunks and return to pot.
For the Matzo balls:
1)Whisk together eggs, seltzer, salt, pepper, cayenne, and skimmed chicken fat(or oil), until combined. 
2) Stir in matzo meal until combined. Stir in parsley. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
3)Uncover chilled matzo ball dough/mixture, and roll into 1" balls. You should get 12-13 balls. If needed, dust your hands in extra matzo meal to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. I also lined the plate with matzo meal so the balls wouldn't stick to the plate. 
4) Drop the matzo balls into simmering, heavily salted water, and simmer for about 30 minutes on medium-low to low heat, partially covered. 
5) When matzo balls are finished cooking, drop them into the soup, and bring everything to a simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serves 4-6 people 

I found this bouillon in the "Latin" aisle in my grocery store. It's my new favorite. Very tasty! It's also the cheapest Bouillon there! 

My little pup, Walter, begging for a piece of matzo ball! 

Irish Soda Bread

I'd like to start off by announcing that I am aware my recipe is not a "traditional" Irish Soda Bread recipe. I have made a fruited Soda Bread for my blog, because this variety is most commonly found in the United States. Traditional Irish Soda Bread has four ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. This bread would typically be eaten with cheese or maybe some butter. I will make a traditional Soda Bread recipe on an upcoming rainy spring day and post it up on my blog. 

For today, I have a stellar Fruited Soda Bread! It may be ugly (due to the wetness of the dough), but it is truly an easy, yet impressive recipe! By "fruited", I mean that I have added zest, dried fruit, and a bit of sugar to the dough. I also drizzled a little honey over the top of the bread for some added sweetness. This bread didn't last 24 hours in my household. The dough is fairly wet, which creates a dense and moist bread with a crispy golden brown crust. Soda Bread requires NO yeast, which makes it a snap to pull together. I hope you give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:

4 C. AP flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 T. sugar

1/2 stick salted butter cut into .5 inch chunks

1 2/3 C. buttermilk

1 Large egg

All the zest of two large oranges

3/4 cups raisins ( or dried currants or cranberries)

Optional: Honey for drizzling over the warm bread

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Butter a baking sheet or line with parchment.

2)Whisk together all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar) in a standing mixer or large bowl. 

3) In a small bowl, add a generous pinch of flour to the raisins. Mix the raisins until they are coated evenly with flour. Set aside. 

4) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, zest, and buttermilk. 

5) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. If using a standing mixer, mix on low with the paddle attachment until the (wet looking) dough comes together. If mixing by hand, combine the ingredients until you get a very wet, sticky mixture. 

6) Add the floured raisins to the dough and mix just until the raisins are distributed. 

7) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Knead just until you can get the dough into a round shape. (Dough will be sticky!) Put round loaf on baking sheet. Using a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife, cut an "X" into the top of the loaf. 

8)Bake for about 50 minutes. Check to see if the bread is done by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it is done. 

9) Let rest for five minutes. Drizzle the top of the loaf with honey. Let cool!

Citrus Strawberry Sunshine Cake

Spring is just around the corner, so I wanted to make a dessert that was reminiscent of a sunny spring day! This cake has the consistency of a decadent pound cake, but still maintains a light, citrus flavor. This would be an excellent dessert to bring to any Easter celebration, or simply to enjoy fresh spring flavors!

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 C. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup greek yogurt (or any yogurt on hand)

1 t. vanilla extract

2 t. orange extract

zest of large orange

zest of large lemon

2 C. AP flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/3 C. strawberry preserves/jelly/jam

handful of blueberries (or however many you like) mixed with a pinch of flour

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350. 

2)Mix together softened butter, sugar, eggs, milk, yogurt, extracts, and zest.

3) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

4) Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. 

5) Scoop 1/3 of the batter into a separate container, and whisk in strawberry preserves. 

6) In a greased bundt pan, pour in plain batter and level off with a spatula. 

7) Stir a pinch of flour into the blueberries until they are coated. Scatter the blueberries on top of the plain batter. 

8) Pour strawberry batter on top of the plain batter, level off, and swirl with a spoon if you'd like. 

9) Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean, or with moist crumbs attached. 

Look at my beautiful vintage cake plate! So cute and feminine! 

This is a picture of a farm fresh egg. I can't praise fresh eggs enough. Their taste is far superior to regular grocery store eggs, and their yolk is a vivid orange color!

(Note: I didn't use all these blueberries, but this picture displays blueberries that have been tossed with flour. The flour helps them to stay suspended in the cake so they don't sink to the bottom.)

Cobb Salad

I have often strolled through the produce section of my local grocery store, coming across a plastic tub with old hard-boiled eggs, imitation bacon-bits, and watery ham chunks; piled on top of a bed of wilted lettuce. They call it a "Cobb Salad". If my description wasn't off-putting enough, keep in mind that the store often charges WAY more than the salad is worth, and if the salad goes on sale, it's because it is nearing its expiration date. Salad should be fresh- that's why it's so good for us. Fresh ingredients are the star of my version of Cobb Salad. Feel free to change up the proteins and toppings to the salad. 

Ingredients:

Head of Romaine lettuce

1 Avocado

3 Hard-boiled eggs

6-7 mini fresh mozzarella balls (found in the olive bar of your grocery store)

1 C. Cherry tomatoes, halved

3 slices bacon 

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Coat bacon in oil and season with black pepper. Bake for 10 minutes. Cut into small pieces. 

2) Slice three hard-boiled eggs neatly with a sharp knife.

3) Neatly slice tomatoes in half. 

4) Neatly slice mini mozzarella balls.

5)Dice avocado into cubes. 

6) Slice romaine lettuce finely. Wash and shake dry in a colander or strainer. 

Arrange:

1) Put romaine lettuce in a serving bowl, and level out the top. 

2) Starting at one end, arrange mozzarella in a column. 

3) Next, arrange tomatoes. 

4) Arrange hard boiled egg slices. You will likely have to overlap or double stack the egg slices. Try to keep the yolk intact for presentation. 

5)Next arrange avocado.

6) Last is the bacon. 

Presentation is key! We eat with our eyes first! As a general rule, put what you have the most of in the middle- it has more room to fit all the ingredients. If you only have a little cheese, or a little bacon, put those on the end!

Serve this salad with the dressing of your choice. I like to use "Good Season's Italian dressing", because my grandmother has been using it for years. The taste is far superior to regular bottled Italian dressing. It can be found in the salad dressing isle, but is sold in a small packet, and you add your own vinegar, oil, and water. I highly recommend using extra virgin olive oil for any homemade salad dressing. 

If you want to go the extra mile...

Coat a few slices of French baguette or Italian bread in the left over oil used to cook the bacon. Then, cook under the broiler for NO MORE THAN ONE MINUTE PER SIDE! Seriously... watch the bread. Mine burnt a little around the edges in a matter of 10 seconds. 

This serves 3 people as a dinner, and four as a lunch. 

I'm using a vintage Pyrex bowl given to me by my wonderful neighbor! The salad tongs were a gift from my best friend Steven!