43 - chocolate cherry muffins

Henry and I attend a weekly playgroup of other stay at home moms where we typically share fruit and healthy snacks. Recently, however, we were saying goodbye to a mom who was leaving us to go back to work. I offered to bring cupcakes, but in a moment of calorie guilt, and the logistical nightmare of pushing dozens of frosted cupcakes in a stroller in 95 degree heat over to playgroup, I switched my buttercream frosted promise to some hearty chocolate cherry muffins.

To (slightly) offset the two sticks of butter needed for the muffins and the crumble topping, I added ground flax seed to the recipe, and chose cocoa powder over melted chocolate. I also chose yogurt over milk to add a bit more tang.

Though I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the results, (I neglected to add more moisture to offset the flaxseed - they were a little dry) the ladies and kids at playgroup polished off the nearly 4 dozen mini muffins I showed up with, so I quieted my inner critic by stuffing another muffin into my mouth and considered it a success.

I’ll definitely make these again, with the adaptions I’ve made in the recipe below.

Chocolate Cherry Muffins
makes 4 dozen mini muffins

• 1-3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cup plain whole fat yogurt
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) of butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped

Turn your oven on to 400 degrees. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Mix together the flour, flax seed, baking powder and soda, salt and cocoa powder. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, yogurt, sugar, butter and vanilla. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, careful not to overmix. Fold in the cherries. Fill cupcake liners nearly full and top with the chocolate crumble topping (see below).

Bake for about 12 minutes for mini muffins, a few minutes longer for the regular sized version. They’re ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If your oven has hot spots like mine, rotate the pan about halfway through.

Chocolate crumble topping:

• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) of butter, melted

Combine ingredients until they form a crumbly mess.

42 - zucchini and corn salad

As anyone with a vegetable garden will tell you - zucchini is one of those vegetables that you end up with more of than you every know what to do with. I don’t have a garden, but I have a CSA, and they grow lots and lots of zucchini. Every summer we end up with almost an entire crisper drawer full of the things, and I am always looking for new ways to eat it. 

I’m a fan of eating lots of raw vegetables when they’re in season, and zucchini is no exception. I’ve made ribbons to use in place of pasta with marinara sauce (both cooked and raw), I slice it paper thin and put it on sandwiches, and I make lots of zucchini salads.

My brother and his wife came over for dinner recently and to offset a heavy main dish of roasted sausage and fingerling potatoes, I served a light lemony raw zucchini and corn salad. It was a nice balance to the hearty warm sausage and potatoes and left us feeling like we’d done something good for ourselves.

Zucchini and Corn Salad
serves 4 as a side dish

• one large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly into strips (a mandoline makes this easy work)
• one large ear of corn, kernels carefully removed from the husk
• the juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp good quality olive oil
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• one spring onion, minced
• a few large leaves of basil, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Eat! Enjoy! Be healthy!

41 - camp wandawega cooking

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Camp Wandawega for the first time - an old summer camp/vacation home owned and operated by Tereasa Surratt and David Hernandez. Everything about the place is perfect, from the vintage collections of glassware and dishes (the Fiestaware collection alone! Be still my heart!), to the bear skins, vintage swimsuits and pennants on the walls to the taxidermied menagerie in the lodge. There are gorgeous little cabins that you want to hibernate in, a tree house (!!!), rope swings, teepees, rope swings, canoes, and plenty of outdoor relaxation to be had. I went for a girls weekend with Hillary and Lindsay, for what turned out to be a particularly quiet weekend at the camp.

We met the few other weekend inhabitants, including the lovely Audra Pratt who writes The Cabinologist who was staying in the very modest cottage with her husband, Chad. They were welcome company over the course of the weekend, and we ended up sharing many of our meals together.

Hillary and Lindsay took care of (a shameful quantity of) booze and I planned, shopped for and cooked all of our meals in the lodge kitchen. 

Here’s what we ate:

For our first meal - dinner on Friday - we grilled gyulai brats and corn, and I made a watermelon salad with scallion, basil, cucumber, feta, pepitas, white balsamic vinegar, and some butternut squash oil. Simple quick outdoor eating.

Breakfasts both mornings were simple - I made some chocolate chip banana bread before we left for camp, scrambled eggs and cooked bacon one morning and sausage the next. I also brought fruit for a fruit salad, and Lindsay and Hillary naturally worked their magic on some bloody marys. I brought brown sugar to candy the bacon on Saturday, but the lodge oven deemed too temperamental for my early morning (hungover) patience, so it was pan fried instead.

I planned a european style picnic lunch on Saturday - cheeses and salami, smoked herring, olives and pickled mushrooms, bread, jam and fruit. I brought my very last jar of sundried tomato jam - that’s how much I love these ladies. Audra and Chad joined us with their similar spread as we drank beers and enjoyed the warm sun on the patio.

I made tuna tacos for our dinner on Saturday. I grilled simply seasoned gorgeous pink tuna steaks, charred some corn and flour tortillas and served it with an aioli (sour cream, mayo, lime, cumin, coriander, cayenne), shredded cabbage, and an avocado and tomato salad with cilantro, lime, and olive oil.

The weekend went by way too quickly, as did our delicious meals. I can’t wait to go back and cook a dozen other meals I’ve been dreaming about enjoying over a lazy weekend with friends and a vintage glass full of bourbon.

40 - more cocktails. i know.

We had two outdoor music potluck events a few weekends ago, one requiring from me an alcoholic beverage and one requiring a salad. So whereas I provided two separate events with delicious goodies, I’ve been a bit behind on my posts so I’m combining them here. Two recipes! Yay!

So, like the rest of the people who shop at Whole Foods, I’m on a coconut water kick right now. I can’t get enough of it, so much so that I wanted to find a way to incorporate it into a cocktail. Since visiting Chile 5 years ago, I’ve had a soft spot for an occasional pisco sour, so I decided to mash up some coconut water with some pisco and lemon with a little cucumber thrown in for summery good measure. It was a delight, and I urge you to make these immediately to consume on a porch out of a mason jar. You may want a double batch. Just saying.

Coconut Cucumber Pisco Sour
makes one drink. 

• 2 oz pisco
• 2 oz coconut water 
• 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• a few slices of cucumber

Basil Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
serves 8-ish as a side dish

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups basil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup good quality olive oil
• juice from 1/4 of a lemon
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 lb of pasta - any shape will do, I used a whole wheat rotini 

Roast your tomatoes. Turn your oven to 300 and toss the tomatoes with the 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Lay them out evenly, cut side up, on a roasting pan, lined with a Silpat if you have one. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, checking to see that they are slightly shriveled and starting to dry. Remove and cool.

Make your pesto. Put a large pot of water on to boil and prepare a large bowl of water and ice to the side. Blanch your basil for just 10-15 seconds then shock it in the ice water. Drain and squeeze out any excess water. Squeeze it real good. You don’t want watery pesto. Toss the basil in a food processor with the pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, lemon and pepper and pulse until you get pesto. Set aside.

Boil your pasta - you can use the basil blanching water! Drain and rinse with cold water until cool. Combine with your tomatoes and pesto, and some thin slices of salami if you’re feeling meaty.

39 - blueberry lemon bread pudding (and a dinner the night before)

Craig and I met in college, at 19 years old, introduced by a friend I’d known since early high school. Alex had talked us both up to each other in preparation for our meeting, and sure enough, we knew almost immediately that we were going to be an item. I can never thank Alex enough for bringing Craig into my life, but I can at least try to cook him some awesome food when he comes to visit.

Alex came to Chicago for a long overdue visit recently with his lovely lady friend, Amy. If was his first time meeting Henry, and our first time meeting Amy, and I think it’s safe to say we all approved. For their first night in I made a dinner (with the assistance of Craig’s grilling skills):

Grilled Ginger Garlic Marinaded Skirt Steak (rub skirt steak down with lots of minced ginger and garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil at least an hour before cooking. Grill 3- 4 minutes per side. Slice against the grain, on the bais, thinly.)

Garlic Scape and Ginger Sauce (basically the ginger scallion sauce but with garlic scapes instead of scallion)

Grilled Sweet Potato (oil, season, and grill sliced sweet potato for 5 minutes per side)

Bacon Baguette Panzanella Salad (bacon baguette, you say? It’s a baguette with bacon inside and it makes THE BEST panzanella, crostini, french toast, sandwiches….well, everything. It’s the only baguette that matters. You can get yours at my local french bakery, La Boulangerie. Add diced tomato, cucumber, fresh basil, red wine vinegar capers, pickled ramps, and olive oil and you’ve got the most awesome party.)

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Toasted Coconut Ice Cream (the pound cake AGAIN. This time in a round cake pan smeared with 2 tbsp butter, 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple and 1/4 cup brown sugar before baking, then inverted after cooled.)

I managed to take one terrible photo of my half eaten plate, which I hesitate to share for fear of losing readers, but looking at the pretty blueberry and lemon bread pudding I made for breakfast the next morning makes up for it, right?

I can’t believe I haven’t shared a bread pudding recipe with you yet, because it’s one of those staples that I make again and again for almost every occasion. This time I used the flavors you’re probably getting sick of reading about now - blueberry and lemon. But I promise, it was delicious.

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding
serves 6

• butter for the pan
• 6-8 cups bread, cubed in 1/2 inch pieces - I usually use baguette or ciabatta
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups of whole milk
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp for topping

Preheat your oven to 325. Generously butter a deep pie dish or 9 inch square pan and arrange half of the bread, then half of the blueberries, then repeat. Combine the milk, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar and pour over the bread. You may have to push down on the bread to get it to absorb all of the liquid - and even then it will be very full. Sprinkle the remaining sugar on top and bake for 45-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

38 - MARGARITAS. and fish tacos.

While my little brother was busy studying for the bar exam (yay, Phil!), I invited his new bride over as much as I could to give her some company and get her out of her house which had been taken over by law books and round the clock required silence. 

On one of those nights I served her fish tacos with a spicy crema and cabbage slaw, and an avocado, cucumber, radish and tomato salad. We also had many margaritas. Many. Margaritas.

My fish tacos are pretty simple. I usually use tilapia, and I dredge it in some flour that I’ve seasoned with salt and pepper, cumin, coriander and maybe some cayenne. Pan fry in a cast iron skillet over high heat with some olive oil until the edges are crispy and cooked through (like 2 minutes a side). Serve with warmed tortillas, some cilantro, shredded cabbage and lime wedges to garnish. I also made a spicy crema - mayo, some lime zest, sour cream, cayenne, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.

The salad is like a lot of salads I make - using stuff I have on hand and I just keep adding until it seems right. This time I julienned some cucumber and radish, halved some cherry tomatoes and diced some avocado, chopped some cilantro and added a little olive oil, salt, pepper and lime juice and called it a day.

The margaritas were inspired by a timely post on A Cup of Jo. Minus the salt, plus a smoky aged tequila. Pretty wonderful.

37 - more cocktails. and dessert.

Good friends Hillary and Michael invited us to dinner recently, with new friend Max, and I offered to bring the bookends to the meal - an aperitif cocktail and dessert. And since I’ve been on a gin kick (again) recently, I chose a gin drink. And since I like to be thorough, I chose the same flavors to begin and end the meal - blueberry, lemon, and basil. (I’m kind of in a rut over here with the blueberries and lemon. It will pass with the season, I’m sure.)

I started with a blueberry basil gin sour, which I selflessly tested at home for almost two weeks prior to dinner to make sure it was delicious. And delicious it was, at least as far as I can remember after having five of them.

For the tail end of the meal I made Paul Virant’s poundcake that I can’t stop making, and a blueberry basil ice cream to accompany it. It was a lovely combination of flavors, and nicely complimented the roast pork with pineapple and the corn salad Michael and Hillary served us for dinner.

Blueberry Basil Gin Sour
Makes 1 delicious cocktail. So you probably want to double it.

• one small handful of basil
• 1/4 of a lemon
• 2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1.5 oz blueberry juice 

(The simple syrup can be reduced depending on the sweetness of the brand of blueberry juice.) Muddle the lemon and the basil with some ice in a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and shake. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon slice and a basil leaf.

Paul Virant’s Poundcake. With lemon.
Adapted from The Preservation Kitchen

• 1 lb of butter, room temperature
• confectioner’s sugar
• zest of one lemon
• baking powder
• salt
• vanilla
• eggs
• milk
• juice of half a lemon
• flour

Makes 1 quart 

• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups heavy cream, divided

Heat the blueberries, lemon and 1/2 cup of the sugar over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until you have a thick sauce, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain and set aside to cool, discarding the solids.

Heat the remaining sugar, milk, basil, salt, and 1 cup of the heavy cream over medium heat until just to a simmer. Turn the heat off and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and let cool slightly, then add the remaining cream and blueberry sauce. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, then follow the directions for your ice cream maker to freeze your new favorite ice cream.

36 - ginger scallion sauce is a new food group

I had my mom and my brother’s new wife over for dinner recently to help me eat a giant slab of salmon I bought on impulse at Whole Foods because it was so gorgeous. With Craig’s help we grilled them on cedar planks with some zucchini and pretty little tomatoes. I also made some plain white buttered rice, which will always hold a soft spot in my heart.

I had about 3 bunches of scallions from our CSA taking up a whole crisper drawer in the fridge, so I nosed around the internet for something to do with them until I found this recipe. It sounded so perfect with the cedar plank salmon, so I promptly made it and we ate the whole jar. And then I made it again for the leftovers and ate all of that. And now I’m making it (and variations - you’ll see) all the freaking time. But it’s healthy, right? Ginger helps with digestion and scallions are a vegetable, right? Nevermind they’re swimming in olive oil that you want to drink straight out of the jar.

I haven’t found anything it isn’t great on - eggs, pasta, toast, chicken, fish, beef. Make it and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Just try to remember there are other food groups.

Also - check out a post by my good friend Michael mentioning me over at Camp Wandawega’s blog. I was just there for the first time this weekend, and it’s the most incredible place. We’re going back again in two weeks, so keep checking for more vacation cooking posts!

35 - cooking on vacation. a little bit.

Craig and I took a recent opportunity to leave our toddler with my fabulous sister in law for TWO WHOLE NIGHTS and skip town with dear friends Hillary and Michael to Michigan for the weekend. We stayed in the incredible summer home of one of Hillary’s generous coworkers, all farmhouse and midcentury and acres of wildlife, including a terrifying mobile bee swarm and a barn cat with her brand new kittens. We drank, beached, shopped, drank, napped and ate almost constantly. It was perfect. But most perfect was being able to lounge around in the morning with our friends and cook a simple breakfast with some ingredients we’d harvested from the gardens on the property.

I just assumed I’d prepare breakfast both mornings we were there, and since nobody threatened to remove a spatula from my hand, I made some simple breakfast dishes while Craig and Michael made us perfect coffee and Hillary made us her perfect bloody marys.

Day 1 - a pretty three cheese boule with my home-canned strawberry preserves, goat cheese, ramp jam. Pork breakfast sausages, soft scrambled eggs with feta, and a fruit salad of pineapple, blueberries and starfruit.

Day 2 - a potato, zucchini and spring onion hash (with veggies from the gardens), gorgeous thick smoky bacon, more soft scrambled eggs with feta and the same fruit salad.

I don’t have any real recipes to share, but if you haven’t seen it, I will enlighten you to this article on how to make the best scrambled eggs. I cut back on the butter a bit, but more butter than you think you need and low low heat are your friends when it comes to a soft and creamy scrambled egg. And lots of feta cheese tossed in at the very end, which I can never get enough of.

34 - i love america and chickpea salad

For the 4th of July we were invited to a backyard bbq by some lovely friends with promises of grilled meats (and non-meats) and a pool. Since I still hadn’t washed my newly named “cocktail jars” from our previous bbq, I offered to bring a side dish instead of boozy drinks. I wanted something hearty, delicious, and vegetarian for a few of the guests, and decided on a chickpea salad with lots of herbs, zucchini, sundried tomato, feta cheese, and a tart vinaigrette. 

Chickpea Salad
serves 8-10

• the zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 3-12oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or about 4 cups of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and simmered for about an hour until soft, then cooled.)
• 1 large zucchini, small dice
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup packed parsley, minced
• 1/4 cup packed basil, minced
• 1 cup sliced sundried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the lemon through the agave and pour over the remaining ingredients. Toss to combine and let sit for about an hour for everything to meld. Enjoy!