Zucchini bread (makes 2 loaves)

A great thing to make now since zucchini is in season. This recipe is adapted from my friend Molly Brandt's recipe. She also tipped me off to the great idea of shredding and freezing 2 cup portions of zucchini so you can make this bread easily all year long.

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2/3 c. vegetable or canola oil
1/3 c. applesauce
3 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini, not peeled
2 c. white flour
1 c. wheat flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optiona)
2 t. vanilla

Grease and line loaf pans with parchment or wax paper. Cream together the brown sugar, white sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. Add zucchini. Mix together the flours, cinnamon, soda, powder and salt. Add to zucchini mixture. Fold in nuts and vanilla. Bake in 2 loaf pans for 50-60 minutes at 325 degrees.

Announcing....

an incredibly useful and new feature for this blog: the search box. You can easily find past recipes on this blog and search for recipes with ingredients you have on hand.

Beet and Leek Salad with Peanut Dressing

we made this salad again this weekend. it's really good. i got this out of cooking light years ago -- this photo is fromt he first time i made it. i think caleb and i had jara and kenley over for dinner. and obviously someone else, but i can't remember! (those are chicken lettuce wraps on the tray -- the salad is actually on the plates. blurry, i know)

Ingredients

2 medium beets (about 3/4 pound)
Cooking spray
4 cups thinly sliced leek (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups alfalfa sprouts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets on a small baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Cool. Trim off beet roots and stem; rub off skins. Cut each beet in half lengthwise; slice each beet half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Combine leek, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; toss well to coat. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown; stir after 8 minutes.

Combine water, lime juice, peanut butter, ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk until smooth.

Arrange 1/3 cup sprouts on each of 6 salad plates; divide the beets and leek evenly among servings. Drizzle about 2 teaspoons dressing over each serving. Makes 6 servings.

Look at the name of the person who created it..... ;)

Didi Emmons , Cooking Light, MARCH 2005

Pea Pesto

Speaking of peas, this pea pesto is great with pasta or as a dip. I don't have a real recipe, Caleb had it at a party once and loved it so we tried to recreate it.

Basically just make pesto but use peas (fresh or frozen) instead of basil. so good. so fresh. I didn't measure the ingredients, but I think this recipe is close to what I did (basil replaced with peas). Simply Recipes. You should just taste it as you make it.

• 2 cups uncooked fresh or frozen peas (I used a whole bag frozen)
  
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts (i think almonds would be nice too but that's coming from an almond farmer's daughter)
  
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

our food photos

dyers sauce

caleb suggested that we start using more of our own photos for the recipes on the who cares cooks blog. here are a couple photos of our last try at the dyers favorite red sauce.

seared salmon with balsamic glaze

At Darci's request...here's my trusty salmon standby. I just realized I got this from Gourmet magazine (November 2000 issue). Doesn't look like much, but - dad gum! - it's good.




Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze
start to finish: 15 minutes
serves 4

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. water
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
4 t. packed light brown sugar
4 - 6oz. center-cut salmon filets (I like the skin on)
2 t. vegetable oil

Stir together vinegar, water, lemon juice and brown sugar. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Increase heat to high and sear salmon, skin sides up, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, 3-4 minutes more.

Transfer salmon to plates and carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam). Simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes. Spoon glaze over salmon.

chicken peanut noodle salad

I made this last night for the fam, and even my toddler loved it. It's easy and tasty (you can dress this dish up or down, depending on your culinary experience). I found it great for a summer evening. This recipe was in the paper awhile ago. I've added my notes in parentheses....

Chicken Peanut Noodle Salad
start-to-finish: 30 minutes
serves 6-8

1 pound spiral pasta (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
1 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. chunky peanut butter (I used natural creamy PB)
1/3 c. lowfat sour cream
1-2 t. hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1 T. cider or white vinegar (I used cider)
2 T. fresh ginger (the dried stuff worked fine)
1/3 c. orange juice
salt and pepper, to taste
3 c. roughly chopped cooked and cooled chicken (about 1 pound - you could use a rotisserie too)
2 large carrots, diced
3 scallions, chopped

Boil pasta according to package directions. Just as the pasta finishes, cooking, add the peas and stir for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse pasta and peas under cold water til cool. Let stand in the colander to fully drain.

Meanwhile, in a blender or with a whisk, combine peanut butter, sour cream, hot sauce, vinegar, ginger, and orange juice. Blend til smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add more orange juice or water til it is pourable (doesn't need to be runny).

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and carrots. Add peas and pasta; toss. Slowly add the peanut sauce, tossing to combine. Top the salad with scallions. (You could also add cilantro or maybe thai basil?, chopped peanuts or red pepper flakes) Serve immediately or refrigerate.

A Luxurious B.L.T. (with fried green tomatoes)

If you haven't had fried green tomatoes before, now is definitely the season to do so.  This recipe is a favorite of John's and is adapted from a salad recipe from a famous Birmingham, AL chef by the name of Frank Stitt.  While I am normally not a huge fan of bacon, this sandwich really is quite memorable and great with a small side salad.

Fried Green Tomato and Arugula B.L.T.

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk (milk is also ok)

3 very firm green tomatoes, cut into 1/3 inch-thick slices

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

kosher salt and fresh pepper

dash of cayenne pepper

2 cups peanut, corn, or canola oil for frying

large handfull of arugula

several slices of bacon, cooked

Aioli (garlic mayo)

Toasted slices of bread

Preheat over to 200 degrees.

Lightly beat the egg in a shallow bowl and stir in the buttermilk.  Place the tomato slices into the buttermilk mixture, turning to coat them.  In a shallow pan, combine the cornmeal and flour and season with 1 teaspoon salt, some pepper and the cayenne pepper.

In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat to 360 degrees.

Meanwhile, dredge one tomato slice at a time in the cornmeal, turning to coat and gently pressing into the mixture so it adheres.  Transfer each prepared slice to a rack set over a baking sheet.

Using tongs, carefully ease the breaded tomatoes into the hot oil in batches of about 4 at a time so that the oil does not cool down.  Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side until the coating is a nice even golden brown, about 2 minutes more.  Transfer the fried tomatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and put them into the oven to keep warm while you fry the remaining slices.

Toast some slices of bread and assemble the sandwich with some aioli, cooked bacon, fried green tomatoes and arugula.  Viola!

Plump Pea Dumplings (from 101 Cookbooks)

Plump Pea Dumplings 

(click here for the recipe)

Did anyone else see this recipe on the 101 Cookbooks blog when it popped up in April?  I've been thinking about it and eyeing it (with a watering mouth) for months.  Last night the Voices staff had a get together and several of us decided to make these dumplings together. 

 

My only question after making them - why on earth did I wait so long to do so?!?   

They were divine and not nearly as time consuming as I anticipated.  We tried both the steamed and fried versions - both of which were fantastic.  There was just a little something missing so we threw together a sriracha and soy sauce mixture to use as a dipping sauce. 

peanut-swirl brownies

These are the brownies I made for the Feist concert picnic. Or did Cheryl? A legend is born....






Peanut Swirl Brownies
(by Ina Garten)

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan. Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water (*don't overheat, or the chocolate will burn). Allow to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter (*this handy little trick keeps the chips from sinking to the bottom of the batter when baked). Pour into the prepared sheet pan. Spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares. Makes 20 large brownies.

Cheryl's Amazing Smoothie Blog!

who knew?! cheryl, are yo holding out on anything else?????

http://cherylsrawadventures.blogspot.com/

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not much of a baker, but this blog, which links to this article, which is all about this chocolate chip cookie recipe is super interesting.

there are all kinds of little interesting tidbits in the article/recipe but the long and the short of it?

36 hours of resting cookie dough in the fridge + a small sprinkling of sea salt on top before baking = the best cookie

recipe requests!

Cheryl - will you post your recipe for hummus that you shared with us on Friday? And while you're at it, how about your green smoothie concoction? (also please list green smoothie combos that aren't so tasty. let us learn from your experimentation!) My blender's wasting away under the cabinet, and this may be just the thing to bring it out from hibernation.

Nigella Lawson's Breakfast Bars

I just got _Nigella Express: Good Food, Fast_ and tried these this morning. Nigella warns that she is "addicted to these" as is everyone she gives them to. Having tried one--just one!--I can see why. They're super easy, pretty low-cost, and really tasty. I can imagine that you could have fun experimenting with various mix-ins too. Here's the way they go:

1 - 14-fl. oz. can condensed milk
2 1/2 c. rolled oats (not instant)
1 c. shredded coconut
1 c. dried cranberries
1 c. mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame--I just used sunflower)
1 c. natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 250 F and oil a 9 x 13 baking pan.
2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the oiled pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands to make the surface even. (My Note: this stuff is real sticky, so maybe butter your hands?)
5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

She says they just get better with time and can be stored in a tin. These just might be my new tasty treat in the mornings. My initial test run indicates that they are pretty filling, too!

Baja-Style Fish Tacos

John and I experimented with Fish Tacos last night.   We searched through dozens of recipes and compiled what we liked into the following dish - which was simple, quick and fantastic!!

(Click on the recipe to view it as a readable recipe card)