Eat This: Summer Herb and Tomato Focaccia

Summer Herb and Tomato Focaccia

I grow a lot of herbs and veggies in containers on my patio. Chili Piquin Peppers (RIDICULOUSLY hot TicTac sized peppers), Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Chives, Mint, Jalapenos and cherry tomatoes. I found a recipe and changed it up a bit for a quick Sunday afternoon treat. I love focaccia and herbs and thought, "What the heck!?!" let's just marry them all together and see what comes up. Here's what I came up with.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
3 tsp yeast (1.5 packets)
2 tsp salt - I like roasted garlic grey salt
3 + 3/4 cups good quality soft bread flour
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup fresh herb leaves, chopped finely - I use Basil, Oregano and Rosemary because I grow them
1.5 Cups of small cherry tomatoes split lengthwise
1/2 cup grated cheese for sprinkling - I prefer Romano/Parmesan blend

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 110 degrees F for rising
2. Put the yeast in a large mixing bowl and pour in the warm water.
3. Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour, mix into a soft and sticky dough.
4. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of flour and mix well. The dough should still be sticky. You want it sticky/wet to be able to rise well
5. Cover and let rise for 40-45 minutes in the warm oven
6. Turn the dough out onto the lined pan. Add about a third of the chopped herbs to the top of the dough, fold over and add another third; fold over again
7. Press out the dough on a well oiled, or silpat lined baking sheet. Using your fingers, ease it into a rectangle, approximately 9×13, give or take.
8. Put the olive oil in a small bowl and dip your fingers into the oil, and then all over the bread, poking the bread surface and leaving little pools of oil.
9. Poke the tomatoes all over the dough pressing them in slightly., then scatter the remaining herbs across the surface. Sprinkle your chosen salt over all, and finally sprinkle on the cheese.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden.
11. I like to top off the freshly baked bread with coarsely chopped Basil because it is so fragrant and sort of "melts" into the toppings.

Eat This: Herbed Focaccia

This summer we used a lot of the herbs we grow in the back yard.  Basil, rosemary, lemon thyme, German thyme, chives, mint and oregano.  I wanted some focaccia to use to make our favorite "Caprese sandwich" using more of the nice basil we have as well as some delicious tomatoes from the farmer's market.

I used an old tried and true quick focaccia recipe.  It turns out really well and doesn't take forever.  Quick and easy, almost fool proof try this and use anything you want to include as an add on.

Eat This: Blackberry Raspberry Cobbler

Between the blackberry bounty at the farmer's market and the special on raspberries at the grocery store, tonight's dessert is cobbler. Delicious, tart locally grown blackberries were HUGE.  I used my old standby cobbler recipe to hook them both up together and the result was outstanding.  Quick, easy and idiot-proof (I'm walking proof of that!)  Check this out:

Ingredients:

2 Cups fresh blackberries
1 Cup fresh raspberries
1/2 Stick butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup all purpose flour
1 Cup milk
1 1/2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a baking dish generously.  Melt the stick of butter.

Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.  Add the milk and mix.

Add the melted butter and combine until incorporated.  Pour into baking dish.

Distribute the berries over the top evenly. Sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of sugar if you like a more crispy top.

Bake for an hour.  Look at sides on the top and if they are puling away, it's done.  If not give it another 5 minutes but no more.  

Remove form oven and allow to cool.  Serve warm or at room temp.  I personally love this the second day when it is ice cold.  refrigerate leftovers (if there are any).

Eat This: Orange Pound Cake

One of my favorite cakes is Lemon Pound Cake. The one I made and posted HERE was well received by friends and family alike.  Coming from Florida, I love citrus.  I have posted recipes for orange marmalade, clementine marmalade and use lemon quite liberally.  Today I thought I would try the same recipe with orange as the flavor note.  It turned out nicely.  More subtle than lemon, but delicious as well.  

I also used two loaf pans this time instead of using the vintage cast aluminum Bundt pan that belonged to my grandmother.  I cooked these for one hour at 325 degrees.  It pulled away from the pan and came clear with the toothpick test.  Don't overcook.  Be sure you let the cakes cool for about 15 minutes before turning them out for the glaze.

One for us and one for a neighbor who always brings us nice food and is just a general, all around good guy.  We love to share and this is perfect for that.

The changes?  Use orange extract instead of lemon and I used the zest from the orange in the glaze as well.  Using a micro plane makes it easy!  Enjoy.

Let's Eat Cake: Lemon Pound Cake

I love lemon anything. Cake. Cookies. Whatever.  I found a recipe and modified it and this was the outcome.  I gave our neighbors half of the cake, so I wouldn't eat it all, and they proclaimed it the best lemon cake they'd ever had.  You be the judge. It really WAS pretty awesome.  It is a basic cake that you can add any kind of extract and make it your own.  Enjoy.

Eat Smarter: Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanuts, peanut butter... whatever.  I am avoiding wheat at the moment and my craving for  cookie is hard to work out.  I found this recipe and it came out pretty good!  Not like a "regular" flour based peanut butter cookie, but pretty good as a substitute.

I didn't take photos of the mixing and measuring process but... well, it's pretty simple.  One caveat: I got mine from the grocery in the "grind it yourself aisle".  You don't want to use regular peanut butter because it has so much added stuff already, sugar, etc in it. 

Saturday Eats: Fresh Rolled Biscuits

Fresh Rolled Biscuits with Clementine-Habanero-Ginger Marmalade

These are wonderful biscuits that I adapted from Joy of Cooking.   It is a very simple basic recipe that only has 5 ingredients. 

I like a more “layered” biscuit so I actually turn them out onto a floured surface (my kitchen island has a SileStone top which is great for baking) and knead them turning 5 or 6 times only.  Don’t overwork them or they get tough and won’t rise as nicely.  This basic recipe can also be used as the top for pot pies and is REALLY delicious if you add a ½ cup of finely grated Parmesan for that purpose. Enjoy!

Super Simple: Strawberry Cobbler

I love cobbler. Pure and simple. Love it. It is super simple and awesome. It's pretty hard to screw up too. This is the simplest version yet. Incredibly moist, sweet and delicious. Not for the faint of heart carb-wise, but once in awhile you just have to have what you have to have!

Savory Sunday: Parmesan-Cracked Black Pepper Shortbread Crackers

I have been making shortbread cookies for some time now.  Barely sweet, buttery, nutty with pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts.  I love the texture and the "not too sweet" nature of them.  I also love a nice cracker.  A little wine, a good cracker and some goat cheese?  What's better?

I use the food processor to make the shortbread cookies so I thought, why not go for a savory cracker?  See how I did it after the jump: 

Saturday Morning: Pecan Pie Muffins

I love pecan pie and I love muffins so when I saw the recipe this morning at The Tasty Kitchen I hopped up and made it.  The photos on the Tasty Kitchen website are much better than mine so check them out.  I made a couple of small changes and it was awesome.  My photo is above and at the end of the final product.

Eat This: Smitten Kitchen "Favorite Brownies" With Hazelnuts

Deb Perelman at the Smitten Kitchen blog got me started down the road to blogging and enjoying recipes online.  I read blogs like other people read biographies, unashamedly, unabashedly, happily.  

Deb's recipe for "My Favorite Brownies" was simple and delicious and now my new favorite.  I made three small changes and they turned out perfectly.  (1) I dusted the pan with cocoa powder before adding the batter (2) I added one teaspoon of instant espresso powder and, (3) I added one cup of chopped hazelnuts.  I was just in that kind of mood.  These lend themselves to additions really well.

Eat This: Lemon Sour Cream Cake

I am crazy about lemons. In almost anything; freshly squeezed over a pork chop - a wedge served with my fried chicken .... anything.  Desserts are especially wonderful when they are really tart and sweet together.  This recipe was adapted from Ina Garten's Lemon Yogurt Cake recipe at The Barefoot Contessa.  Love her. This is not too sweet, just tart enough to be awesome.  Enjoy.

Southern Roots: Buttermilk Biscuits

The Final Product

Growing up in the Deep South in Northern Florida, I had a lot of biscuits.  Family members from Southern Georgia often baked the most delicious things I have ever tasted.  Some of the biscuits were called "Cat Heads" because of their size... these could surely be called catheads - they are huge and fluffy with a nice bottom snap to the crust.  

Buttery and delicious, not for the faint of heart nor an every day thing, so indulge and get back on that treadmill later! This recipe adapted from Saveur Magazine's article featuring the Island Creek Oyster Bar in Boston. 

Best Ever: Pecan Walnut Shortbread Cookies

Delicious Pecan Walnut Shortbread Cookies

This is possibly the best, easiest, most flavorable, most memorable cookie I have ever made.  It is my "go to" recipe when I want cookies easily for family or to give to friends.  It is a simple shortbread dough made in a food processor!  Talk about easy cleanup.

One hint: Save a couple of paper towel rolls.  That cardboard tube, when you cut a slit in it with scissors, becomes a holder for cookie dough in the refrigerator!  It keeps the dough cylindrical and makes nice, uniform cookies.  I used two, slotted together to hold this dough which makes about 3 dozen cookies. 


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Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 1 ½  teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
   (Note: if you use salted butter, omit salt from recipe)
• 1 teaspoon ice water
  OPTIONAL: Turbinado sugar as garnish for top of cookies.

Directions

Toast the pecans and walnuts in a moderately hot oven (350 degrees) for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool place in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.  They will get further processed when added to the dough.  Empty into a bowl and set aside.

Combine the flour, salt, and powdered sugar in the food processor and pulse to combine. Add the vanilla, butter and the water. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. 

Add the nuts to the mixture and pulse until well mixed. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, about 2 inches in diameter. Twist the ends of the wrap in opposite directions and place in the cardboard tube(s). Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.  This can be held in the refrigerator for up to three days before use or see note at bottom to freeze for later use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Slice the log into 1/4-inch thick disks (I use a serrated knife and let it do the work - do not push down - maintain the cylinder shape). Arrange on nonstick cookie sheets, parchment lined or Silpat lined baking sheets (I use a Silpat every time and love them); you can get a dozen on a half sheet pan. OPTIONAL:  you can use some turbinado sugar and top each cookie with it before baking. It gives a great crunch and texture.

Bake until the edges are barely light brown, about 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking process. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool until room temperature.

Fresh out of the oven.

Tips: Store in airtight container for up to a week or freeze uncooked log for up to a month.

This recipe was adapted from Foodnetwork.com’s Claire Robinson’s original.

Ina's Best: Chocolate Chunk Cookies or Blondies

 

I love the "Barefoot Contessa" Ina Garten.  Love her.  She did this recipe recently on her show and I thought, "Wow.  Cookies or blondies using the same recipe."  I love both and this one is awesome.  I did tweak one thing.  The first time I made them I followed the recipe exactly.  Well, almost.  They were amazing, but even for me, a confirmed chocoholic, there were too many chocolate chips.  I guess that was because her recipe called for chocolate chunks.  My bad.  Round II I used half as many chocolate chips and substituted toasted pecans. Dear Lord.  They are awesome.  Try em.

Note:  The original oven temp and timing are in the recipe below.  Try one or two and see how your oven works.  I had to adjust mine to 12 minutes instead of 15. I use half sheet pans with a Silpat liner.  I also rotate my sheet pans half way through and since I use two at a time, I also switch racks. Compulsive I know, but they are all even and perfectly uniform.  Try this one folks.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions for cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a 1 3/4-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for exactly 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

For Blondies:

Grease and flour an 8 x 12 x 2 inch baking pan.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes exactly. Don't over bake! A toothpick may not come out clean. Cool completely in the pan and cut into bars.

Home Made: Jalapeno Cheddar Parmesan Cornbread

Yes, I am a Southerner. Yes, I like grits, cornbread and a multitude of things that aren't really good for me.  But, what the heck, once in awhile you just have to go for it - you won't eat this every day, right?  I adapted this recipe from DamnDelicious, an amazing blog with a ton of useful links! I tweaked their recipe and here is my version - more jalapenos!

Instead of a muffin pan, I used a scone pan which reminds me of cornbread made in a cast iron skillet (which I will do next time for sure).  I also used a 6 muffin silicone muffin pan which really works well.  This recipe made 8 of the "scones" and 6 muffin sized pieces.



Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I use unbleached)
• 1 cup cornmeal (I used a coarse stone ground corn meal from Virginia)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1 cup lowfat cultured buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 large eggs (bring to room temperature)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced, plus one thin slice for each "muffin"
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping (PLEASE do not use that stuff in a green can)
• 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar, plus more for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Dry ingredients

 Spray the muffin pan (or scone pan) with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk, honey and eggs.

  

How much do you love jalapenos?

 Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.  Add the jalapeno, Parmesan and cheddar and gently toss to combine.

Again, my 50+ year old ice cream scoop come in handy!

 

Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin pan(s).

Top with sliced jalapeno, using your fingertips to gently press the jalapeno into the batter. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cheddar.

Before the cheese toppings

Cheddar and Parmesan topped

 Place into oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Indescribably delicious.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack (if you can resist).  No butter needed, these are moist and delicious.

Eat This: Oatmeal & Fruit Bars

Raspberry Preserve Bars

Ingredients

1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter softened (but not melted)
1 Cup packed brown sugar (I use light brown)
1 Cup All purpose flour (I use unbleached)
1 Cup Rolled Oats (I use Quaker Oats Quick Oats)
1 Tsp. Flavored Extract (I used Almond, but you can use Lemon or vanilla, etc.)
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Fruit - Jam, Marmalade, Preserves, Curd (Lemon or Lime Curd is AWESOME)
      (don't use jelly because it gets way too runny)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  The first time I did this I set the oven to 400 and, well, not so good. Lightly spray one 8 inch square pan (I use glass because it really seems to work well and it cleans up better) with no-stick cooking spray or use butter (even better);

I use a stand mixer, not required, but it really makes life easier.  So in the bowl of the mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy and then quickly add in the extract;

Add the flour, baking powder and oatsl to the butter and sugar and mix until it is a "pea sized"  crumbly mixture.;

Reserve 1/2 Cup of the crumb mixture for the top; gently pat the remainder of the mixture into the prepared pan;

Spread the fruit (This time I used raspberry preserves)almost to the edge. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top;

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven - check it at 30 minutes and if your oven is like mine, pu tit back for 5 (..or until lightly browned.) 

Allow to cool completely before cutting into bar or square shapes.  This recipe yielded 12 bars for me.  I like them cold, but easiest to cut at room temp.  Enjoy.