Pear Galette

I received an abundance of pears in our CSA box last week so decided to try making a galette. If you haven't seen one before its like a free form pie or tart. It turned out great and looked impressive plus it was really easy!

The recipe I used is actually for a plum galette from Martha Stewart. It worked out nicely using the pears and I think you could do apples too. A combo of pear, plum and apple might be great as well.

Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 1 3/4 hours

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick. Keep slices together. (**see cooks notes below)
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream


In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't over mix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour (I kept it in fridge overnight).

Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal. (**see cooks notes below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sanding sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 60-70 minutes.

* Cooks notes:

- I purchased almond meal from Trader Joe's rather then grinding up my own. It was much easier. I took 1 cup almond meal and combined with 1/4 cup sugar and 2-3 tbs flour then spread that on dough before layering on fruit. This is important because it soaks up the juices released from fruit and prevents crust from being soggy on bottom.

- You can substitute pears or apples for the plums. To prep the pears I sliced off stem and bottom part of fruit then sliced in half. I used a small melon baller to scoop out center part with seeds.

- Sanding sugar can be found at most craft or party supply stores in the baking section. Its nice to have some on hand because it adds a special touch to the final look of the pastry.

- I sprinkled toasted sliced almonds on top of the galette once it was done baking. This is optional but thought it looked pretty.

Enjoy!

Crunchy shrimp w/ toasted couscous and ginger-orange sauce

I cant believe I haven't blogged about this recipe before. Its pretty much one of our favorite things to eat. If it were up to H we would have it every week. The orange-ginger sauce is to die for!

There are several steps to this recipe and it will take you about an hour but its worth it. Trust me. As long as you can multi-task you will have no problem.

Recipe from Cooking Light (Jan 2006 issue)

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

Couscous:
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Shrimp:
20 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cups trimmed watercress

Preparation:

To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.

To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

Notes:

- To shave off a little time I use the pre-grated ginger that comes in a tube. You can find it in the produce section of grocery store. Its usually near the fresh herbs. Also, I toss the cilantro in my mini chopper rather then chop it by hand.

- Its a good idea to double the amount of panko. I find the 1/2 cup is not enough to completely coat all shrimp.

- Make sure to get the OJ for sauce reducing and toast the almond slices in oven right off the bat. Sometimes I forget to do it and end up rushing at the end to get it all done.

- Don't forget the watercress! Its definitely adds to the flavor if dish.

Best banana bread on earth, really?

While doing research for our trip to Maui a few weeks ago I kept seeing a place called Julia's Banana Bread being mentioned. Apparently they claim to have the best banana bread on EARTH. Could this be true? I must try this bread! While H and I were driving around the west side of the island on some pretty sketchy roads (Well, sketchy for me, not H)




We came across the roadside sign for this banana bread mecca so decided to stop and check it out. Here is me with Julia the baker and our magic bread. For some reason, I look super super happy...maybe it was just pregnancy cravings.


We broke it out once back to the hotel and let me tell you...it was pretty dang good. Really moist and banana-y. Its was also super dark in color (almost black) which is unlike most banana breads I've tried.

Fast forward to today....I wanted to try to recreate this super bread for myself. Using the basic banana bread recipe from Americas Test Kitchen and tweaking it a bit (extra butter, vanilla and tossing in a touch of molasses) I think I managed to make something pretty good. Its really moist and has a nice flavor but its not super dark like Julia's. I have no idea how she does that! I thought the molasses would do it but it didn't. Anyone have any ideas?

Here is the Americas Test Kitchen recipe (in my cooks notes at the bottom you can see the extras I added)

2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups walnuts, toasted, chopped coarse (about 1 cup)
3 bananas, very ripe, soft, darkly speckled, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside. Combine first five ingredients together in large bowl; set aside.

2. Mix mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Lightly fold banana mixture into dry ingredients with rubber spatula until just combined and batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NOTES:

I doubled the vanilla, added 2 tbs extra butter and 1/4 cup molasses. Also, I removed the walnuts totally.

There is nothing worse then a dry banana bread so keep an eye on it. Remove from oven the second its cooked through!

Pimping my pantry

I found these free printable labels on the Decor8 blog and decided to pimp out my pantry. Who doesn't want their flour and sugar bins to look cute? Maybe its just me.

You can find the .pdf template HERE. I printed it out on 8.5 x 11 sticker paper, cut them out and voila! Cuteness!

{Image via Decor8)

I love a freebie as much as the next girl...seems like lots of websites and blogs are offering free printables to make your life easier (and more organized). Here are some of the ones I've been holding on to just in case I need a super cute gift tag or mailing label spur of the moment.



Printable mailing labels (via Creature Comforts)

Printable gift tags (via Paper Crave)

Paper & Cake - printable party ware



Enjoy!!

A visit to the islands

A few weeks ago I had a bridal shower at my house for my good friend Natalie. Since she is having a destination wedding in Kauai we thought it would be fun to play off the Hawaiian theme. After a little searching around I found a great luau themed party menu in Sunset magazine that would give us a taste of the islands yet be sophisticated and modern (no tiki torches or plastic leis at this party..haha)

You can find the full menu from Sunset Magazine by clicking HERE. We did alter a few things because Natalie is allergic to fish so we didn't do the coconut shrimp skewers (don't want to kill the bride, right?). Instead my friend Kerry found an awesome chicken skewer recipe with avocado crema dip. It was super tasty and fit in great with the rest of the menu.

Also, I couldn't resist buying some of the macaroni salad from L&L Hawaiian BBQ. If you have tasted it you know why. Its the best mac salad EVER.

Papaya and Avocado Salad with Hawaiian Vanilla Vinaigrette
(We used the presliced mango from Trader Joe's just because it was easier then papaya)


Macaroni Salad from L&L Hawaiian BBQ

Glazed Pork and Pineapple Buns
Ohhh boy. These were really good. I marinated the pork tenderloin overnight and grilled it about an hour prior to guests showing up. Also, I used canned pineapple slices just because it was much easier (and cheaper) then buying, coring and slicing a whole pineapple.

Lime marinated chicken skewers with avocado crema dip (see recipe below)

Pineapple drops (of course you MUST have the perfect cocktail)

My girls, Joy and Kerry...the most awesome bartenders

The full spread...yum.

Recipe: Lime marinated chicken skewers with avocado crema dip

1. Cut chicken breast into 1 inch cubes (for a party of 20 people I used 4-5 breasts). Prepare lime marinade..find recipe here

2. Place marinade and chicken cubes in Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Thread marinated chicken on to presoaked bamboo skewers (you want to soak the skewers in water for at least 1 hour so they don't catch on fire in oven or on grill).

4. To make things easier on party day I precooked the skewers in oven the night before (350 for about 20-30 min) then refrigerated overnight. About an hour before guests arrived I put them on grill to reheat.

5. While skewers are on grill prepare crema dip

1 avocado, remove pit

3 scallions, chopped

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to blender and pulse until smooth.

This is a great menu for a shower or any sort of party. Try it! I know your guests will be impressed.

2 great marinades

Ive used both of these marinades a few times over the past couple of weeks. They are really flavorful and most likely you have the ingredients in your pantry already (well, maybe except the cilantro).

Both of these are perfect to keep in your back pocket for those nights when you want to throw something together fast and easy.

Lime marinade for chicken

Juice of 1 lime
1 tbs honey
2 tbs olive oil
1 small can diced green chili's
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt & black pepper

* I like to add extra lime but thats just me

Zesty marinade for beef or chicken

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs chopped cilantro
1-2 tbs chipotle chili sauce (from can)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder

* If you want more spice add a little extra chipotle

Whisk all ingredients together and pour in a Ziploc bag then add your meat. Let marinate in refrigerator for 20-30 min.

I know you wont be disappointed!

Clam Chowder

I'm back to blogging after a wonderful and relaxing trip to Maui!

I should be posting about something summer-y but H and I had a craving for clam chowder the other day so despite the warm weather I decided to give it a try. Its a good thing even in summertime we get fog here in San Francisco. That way we were able to pretend we were eating soup on a cozy winter night even though the rest of the Bay Area is dying of heat.

This recipe is from the November 2003 issue of Gourmet Magazine (via Epicurious). I modified it a bit because I didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of fresh clams (I used canned) or leeks (I used shallots). OK, OK leeks are not a hassle...I was just being cheap and didn't want to buy them.

See my cooks notes at the bottom. After making it once I would do some things different the next time.



Makes about 4-6 servings

3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices (*Note- you can substitute with about 3 shallots, diced)
1 cup water
40 small (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (4 pounds) such as littlenecks, scrubbed well (*Note-I used two 6.5 oz cans of diced clams, drained & rinsed)
3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
5 celery ribs, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (4 medium)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups bottled clam juice or water
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

1. Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well (if using shallots as a substitute skip this step).

2. Bring 1 cup fresh water to a boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, then add clams and cook over moderately high heat, covered, until clams are fully open, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl as they fully open. (Discard any clams that have not opened after 8 minutes.) Pour cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl. Remove cooked clams from shells, discarding shells. Coarsely chop clams and transfer to a bowl, then coarsely chop raw oysters and transfer to another bowl. Pour reserved oyster liquor through sieve into bowl with clam cooking liquid. (If using canned clams you can skip this step)

3. Cook bacon in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 6 minutes, then transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add butter to pot and when foam subsides, cook onion, leeks/shallots, celery, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add wine to softened vegetables and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Add potatoes and bottled clam juice. (If potatoes aren't fully covered with liquid, add more clam juice or water.) Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Purée 2 cups soup in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add cream, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne and cook at a bare simmer, stirring, until soup is heated through (do not let boil). Add clams and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Serve topped with crumbled bacon.

COOKS NOTES:

1- As mentioned above you can use canned clams rather then fresh. I put in two 6.5oz cans but will add more next time. Maybe 1-2 more cans. The soup wasn't very clammy tasting.

2. I used 1 bottle of clam juice but will add 2 next time so I don't have to add water in step 4 when cooking potatoes. I wanted to have a bit more clam taste and didn't get that because I had to put in about 1 cup of water to cover potatoes.

3. The bacon topping is good but next time I will double the bacon and mix the cooked crumbles in with the soup to give it a deeper smoky flavor.

4. Recipe calls to puree 2 cups of the soup at the end but I did 4 cups because I wanted it more creamy then chunky. This turned out to be the perfect ratio. It was really creamy with just a few potato chunks mixed in.

All in all this was a yummy soup and tasted great leftover too.

I have lots of blog updates to come...a great menu for a Hawaiian themed party and the status on our worm farm! I know you cant wait!