When I first read about Phoo-D’s Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream, I knew I had to make it.  For one thing, I’ve had a bag of shelled edamame hanging out in my freezer for quite a while, but what really caught my attention was the combination of flavors she incorporated into her soup. You just can’t go wrong with garlic, ginger, and toasted sesame oil – not to mention the horseradish cream on top.  Perfect.

I had planned on following the recipe.  Really, that was my intention.  It wasn’t until I noticed that my bag of frozen edamame was of insufficient size that I knew I would have to improvise.  My first change was to use frozen peas to shore up my meager soybean supply.  Once I started thinking about peas, I remembered the fresh dill and mint in my refrigerator that, though still clinging to life, really needed to be used up sooner than later.  When I started thinking about dill and mint, of course I wanted to incorporate some lemon.  All of a sudden, the soup had changed quite a bit!

While I’ll definitely give the original soup recipe a try next time, I was absolutely thrilled with this version.  This thick and velvety soup feels so indulgent, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s healthy.  The herb and lemon sour cream garnish worked perfectly with the simple flavors of the soup – it’s not optional.

When it comes to blending this soup, you can’t mess around.  Soybeans are tough.  I first tried puréeing the soup with an immersion blender, but the consistency wasn’t creamy enough.  Just as Phoo-D suggests, I recommend puréeing the soup in an actual blender.

Edamame and Pea Soup with Herbed Lemon Cream

1 onion, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups shelled edamame (I used frozen)
1 cup green peans (frozen, not canned)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion, shallot, and celery and cook until softened and just starting to take on a bit of color, about 10 minutes.  Stir in edamame and peas (they can still be frozen at this point) then add chicken or vegetable stock.  Turn heat up and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make the lemon cream (recipe below).

After soup has simmered for 20 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Puree the soup – in batches if necessary – in a blender or food processor until completely smooth.  Return to the pot and reheat, if necessary.  Serve soup with a spoonful of herbed lemon cream on top.

Yield: 6 servings

Herbed Lemon Cream

1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
zest and juice from 1/2 a lemon

Whisk together all ingredients; refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Related Recipes:

• Creamy Fennel and Leek Soup
• Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew
• Chilled Ginger Cantaloupe Soup
• Roasted Autumn Vegetable Chowder
• Chickpea Soup with Ginger and Coriander
• Potato Leek Soup

Around the Web:

• Edamame Soup with Wasabi Cream from Phoo-D
• Edamame Soup from 101 Cookbooks
• Edamame Avocado Soup from Tofu for Two
• Edamame and Pea Soup from Kitchen Goddess
• Very Very Green Green-Pea Soup from Kitchen Parade
• Green Pea Soup from The Budding Cook

Who says comforting food has to be unhealthy?  This hearty stew is both nutritious and satisfying, and the bright, warm Moroccan flavors will be a welcome surprise to taste buds exhausted by holiday overindulgence.

It’s time for another virtual lunch date with my pals on twitter, and today we’re eating hearty stews.  As I mulled over some stew ideas, my first thought was to create something with beef and butternut squash.  I knew I had a squash on the counter and some tri-tip in fridge and the combination sounded like a great one for stew.  But when my coffee-addled brain realized that I had already cut the tri-tip into steaks and thrown them in some marinade, I decided I’d better rethink my plan.  It was then I realized that I didn’t have a butternut squash sitting on the counter either.

Yes, I think I am going crazy.

Since I liked the idea of a stew featuring butternut squash, I picked one up at the store yesterday.  I decided against buying more beef, figuring it would be more fun (and inexpensive) to create a stew using ingredients I had on hand.  After surveying the contents of my pantry, I grabbed a can of chickpeas, some canned tomatoes and a half-empty bag of Israeli couscous I found stuffed way in the back.  My hearty stew was coming together nicely.

I ran across a few butternut squash and chickpea recipes online and they all seemed to incorporate Moroccan flavors. Since I had half a jar of preserved lemons in my fridge, I decided to follow suit.  Some of the recipes included raisins, but I chose to go with dried tart cherries.  While cherries might seem like an unusual ingredient for a stew, Moroccan tagines often include dried fruit and I love the combination of lemon and cherries.

The stew turned out to be a great lunch and there’s a good chance I’ll be eating more for dinner.  The bright flavors of preserved lemon and tart cherries contrast nicely with the warm cumin and cinnamon and I absolutely love the added texture of the Israeli couscous.  I found it hard to stop eating, but the soup is healthy enough that I didn’t feel guilty after a second bowl.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Stew with Israeli Couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 canned whole tomatoes
1/2 preserved lemon, pulp removed, rinsed, and minced*
1 ounce dried tart cherries (raisins or other dried fruit may be substituted)
1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Israeli couscous
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock**
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until softened and starting to turn golden.  Add garlic, cumin, coriander, and the piece of cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, for one minute.  Add the tomatoes, crushing by hand as you add them, or crush with a wooden spoon in the pan.  Add all remaining ingredients except for the salt.  Turn up heat and bring soup to a simmer.  Turn heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.  Add salt to taste.  Remove cinnamon stick before serving.  Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

Recipe Notes: *Zest and juice of one lemon may be substituted for the preserved lemon.  **I used chicken broth for my stew, but vegetable stock may be substituted to make it vegetarian.  For even more flavor, substitute whole spices for pre-ground:  toast whole cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, let cool, then grind in a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle.  All spices may be adjusted to suit your own taste.

Yield: approximately 6 servings

Nutrition Info per serving (1/6 of recipe):  229 calories; 4 grams fat; 42 grams total carbohydrate; 6 grams fiber; 6 grams sugars; 6 grams protein.  Nutrition information is approximate – analyzed through NutritionData.com

Previous Virtual Lunch Dates:

• The Original BLT Lunch
• Chilled Soup Lunch

Other Hearty Stews from the ‘Let’s Lunch’ Crew:

• Mom’s Vegetable Beef Stew from Cowgirl Chef
• Pichelsteiner from ShowFood Chef
• Hearty Lentil Stew with Smoked Sausage from The Cosmic Cowgirl
• Thai Green Curry from Bon Vivant
• Chicken Adobo from A Tiger in the Kitchen

Related Recipes:

• My Mom’s Potato Leek Soup
• Veggie Chili Beans and Rice
• Creamy Roasted Cauliflower and Artichoke Soup
• Creamy Fennel and Leek Soup
• Carrot Potato and Cheese Soup
• Roasted Vegetable Chowder

I know that not many people make popcorn the old-fashioned way anymore, even Kettle Corn can be made in the microwave these days.  But please, please give this stove top kettle corn a try.  It’s easy, and it seriously blows the microwave stuff out of the water.  Trust me.  Make this popcorn.

I made a discovery a couple years ago that I really have been meaning to tell you about.  Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t write about this before now.  But here it is:  instead of popping your corn in oil, use clarified butter or ghee.  While regular butter would burn if you tried to use it for popping corn, ghee has a much higher smoke point and works perfectly as long as you pop the corn over medium heat and watch it closely.

I love making Indian food, so I almost always have a container of ghee stashed in the pantry.  But for those of you who are new to using it, ghee is easy to find at ethnic markets or on the shelves of well-stocked supermarkets.  It’s also easy to make at home. If made properly, ghee can be stored at room temperature just like cooking oils.  But if storing at room temperature, be sure to keep moisture out of the container and never dip into it with a wet spoon, as moisture will cause the ghee to spoil.

The ghee in this recipe adds a richness to the sweet and salty kettle corn that just can’t be replicated using oil.  You can substitute oil for the ghee in this recipe and still end up with some tasty kettle corn, but I hope you’ll give my version a try at least once.

Kettle Corn

1/4 cup ghee*
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/4 cup sugar
fine grain sea salt

Heat ghee over medium heat until melted.  Add three popcorn kernels, cover with a lid and wait and listen until all three kernels have popped.  Add the rest of the popcorn kernels, shake to distribute then sprinkle sugar evenly over the kernels.  Cover with lid and listen for popping.  As soon as the kernels start to pop, shake pot gently back and forth over the burner, lifting it up and shaking from time to time, until the popping slows to every 2 to 3 seconds.  As soon as the popping slows, remove pan from heat and immediately dump kernels into a large bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss with a wooden spoon.  Taste, and add more salt if desired.  Serve immediately.

*you may substitute vegetable oil for ghee, if desired.

Yield: approximately 4 servings

While we normally eat spaghetti squash tossed with nothing more than a a bit of olive oil and a handful of fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, I decided to splurge this time around and used the versatile squash to create a rich and creamy gratin.

This gratin was inspired by a recipe I found at Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen.  I’m sure her sour cream version is wonderful, and that’s what I had originally planned to make, but when I realized that I had some heavy cream that needed to be used, I opted for that instead.  I also added some shallots along with the garlic, and decreased the amount of herbs (mainly because I was completely out of fresh herbs).  The resulting dish was absolutely delicious!

We’ve actually been on a bit of a spaghetti squash kick around here lately, and have eaten it again since I made the  gratin.  This last time, I sauteed some garlic in olive oil, added a generous pinch of crushed red pepper, then tossed the spaghetti squash strands in the garlic oil until heated through.  I then seasoned it with salt and a handful of fresh chopped parsley and served it with a bit of fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.  Since this is one of my favorite ways to eat spaghetti, I thought I’d give it a try with spaghetti squash.  It was wonderful!

What’s your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1 large (or two small) shallot(s), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 t. dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves)
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. Cook shallots in butter over medium-low heat until softened.  Stir in garlic, cook for a minute longer.  Scrape shallots and garlic into bowl with squash.  Add thyme, heavy cream, sour cream, and half of the cheese.  Toss together well until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Pour into a greased casserole and top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake uncovered in a preheated 450 degree oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

Yield: approximately 6 servings

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic and Red Pepper

1 spaghetti squash, baked until tender*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
generous pinch of crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
salt to taste
fresh grated parmigiano reggiano (optional)

1. Remove seeds and shred spaghetti squash.  Place spaghetti squash strands in a large bowl, and discard shell.

2. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned.  Add crushed red pepper, then add spaghetti squash.  Toss spaghetti squash strands until well-coated in the garlic oil and heated through.  Season with salt and toss with parsley.  Serve with fresh grated parmigiano reggiano, if desired.

*How to cook spaghetti squash

Around the Web:

• Spaghetti Squash Gratin from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen
• Spaghetti Squash with Bacon and Turnip Greens from Cooking by the Seat of my Pants
• Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• New Mexican Spaghetti Squash from Karina’s Kitchen
• Moroccan-Spiced Spaghetti Squash from Smitten Kitchen

I’m beginning to think there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a tray of slow-roasted tomatoes.  Now, I know I’ve said this about a lot of things.  Bread, for example.  And it’s true that there’s nothing quite as satisfying as making a loaf of bread with your own two hands.  But man, these tomatoes are something.  And they are simple.  So simple, that the extraordinary flavor almost doesn’t make sense.  The flavor is sweet, but intense.  Sultry, even.  You’ll see.  You’ll be smitten, too.

If there’s one thing I learned about food while living in Sicily, it’s this:  less is more.

Simplify.

Want to learn how to cook?  Quit trying to follow complicated recipes out of fancy books.  First, you must simplify.

What ingredients do you like?  Walk through the produce section of your grocery store or your local market without a grocery list and without any particular recipe in mind.  What catches your eye?  What calls to you?  Pick it up, take it home, and see if you can figure out the simplest way to make it taste really great.

There are very few ingredients, animal or vegetable, that wouldn’t benefit from something as simple as a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, or a squeeze of lemon juice.

But wait, you want to know about these tomatoes, don’t you?

The great thing about slow roasting tomatoes is that you can make even run-of-the-mill grocery store tomatoes taste great.  All you need are a couple of baskets of grape or cherry tomatoes, some cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt, and that jar of Italian seasoning that’s been hanging out in the back of your spice cabinet.  See?  It’s simple.

While the idea of turning on the oven for three hours during the last heat wave of summer probably isn’t that appealing, the temperature will be so low that you won’t even notice it’s on.  Trust me, I did it yesterday.  And yes, we really are having a heat wave here in Southern California.

It’s highly unlikely that you’re going to have any leftovers, but the tomatoes can be stored with a bit of olive oil in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten (mmmm…roasted garlic…) or just tossed in with the tomatoes for extra flavor.  But again, make sure everything stays refrigerated if you aren’t going to eat them immediately.  But, you will eat them immediately.

My absolute favorite way to eat these tomatoes is on bruschetta smeared with goat cheese.  If you’re in search of a simple appetizer that will completely blow your guests away, here it is.

Now these tomatoes are certainly not my idea.  There are tons of recipes for slow-roasted tomatoes floating around out there and really, I suggest you customize this to suit your own taste.  The version I like comes from Deb at Smitten Kitchen, so be sure to head over there to read about her gorgeous tomatoes and gorgeous new baby, before making some of your own.

Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Cherry, grape or pear tomatoes (or whatever tiny tomatoes you prefer)
Garlic cloves, unpeeled
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Combination of dried Italian herbs (such as fennel, oregano, basil, or thyme)*

1. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and heat oven to 225 degrees.

2. Cut enough tomatoes to fill the sheet pan (about 2 small baskets should do the trick) and place them cut-side up on the parchment paper.  Scatter a handful of unpeeled garlic cloves throughout the tomatoes.

3. Drizzle olive oil all over the tomatoes, then sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

4. Mix together some of your favorite dried Italian herbs (or just use a commercial blend) and measure out about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Grind the herbs into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle then sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.

5. Bake tomatoes at 225 degrees for 3-4 hours, or until they have shriveled but still contain a bit of moisture inside.  The time will depend on the size of your tomatoes, so start checking early.

6. Let cool and eat immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  The garlic cloves can be peeled and eaten or stored in the jar with the tomatoes for a few days, refrigerated.

Recipes Notes: *I really like to include a good amount of fennel seed in my herb mixture.  Even if you think you don’t like fennel, you might enjoy it here.  I like to grind the herbs into a powder before sprinkling over the tomatoes, especially if using fennel seed and/or rosemary.  But, it’s completely optional.  I generally combine five or six different dry herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, and fennel.  Use as many or as few as you like.  You might even try leaving the herbs out completely.

Around the Web:

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at A Veggie Venture
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at The Perfect Pantry
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Coriander from Orangette

My sister is a huge fan of roasted red pepper hummus so she was one inspiration behind me creating my own version at home.  The other inspiration was my fancy new blender that I just knew would create the smoothest, creamiest hummus I’ve ever made.

And I was right.  This was the smoothest, creamiest hummus that has ever come from my kitchen.

I’ve been without a regular blender for over a year now.  The last one I owned, an overpriced and under-performing Kitchen Aid blender, broke as soon as the warranty expired.  And I wasn’t in a big rush to run out and replace it with another piece of junk.  I’ve never been a huge fan of blenders because I have never owned one that worked really well.  Sure, they all claim to crush ice.  But they never really do.

I knew that there was another class of blenders out there that could do all sorts of wonderful things, but they have always been way out of my budget.  So I’ve made do with my food processor and immersion blender and for the most part have been perfectly happy.  But I’ve always been secretly envious of those lucky Vita-Mix owners.  And yes, I have been researching high-powered blenders for the past year, silently wishing to have one one of these mystical machines taking up more of my precious counter space.

And then it happened.  I innocently went on a trip to Costco with my sister and brother-in-law.  I was there with good intentions.  My main mission was to pick up some new books and dvds to send to Justin in Iraq, and I had just placed a dvd set of 24: Season 7 in the cart when I heard the sound:  a blender!  I couldn’t help myself, I started walking towards the sound and the gathering crowd.  On the table was one of the two blenders I had been dreaming of for the past year.  It was a Blendtec, and I was instantly hooked.

I stood there wide-eyed as the showman created something with the texture of ice cream out of nothing more than a handful of strawberries and some ice cubes.  I eagerly tasted the samples of the ‘whole fruit’ juice he made after throwing a mixture of fruits, peel and all, into the miraculous machine.  Penny and Robert eventually found me and started laughing uncontrollably when they saw me standing there, transfixed.

I know, I know.  It was like being sucked into a real-life infomercial.  Except this was a product that I knew.  It was a product that I had researched.  And that’s how they got me.  It didn’t help that Penny and Robert were standing there urging me to do it.  One of my brother-in-law’s favorite pastimes is to take me to Costco and see how much money he can get me to spend on things I don’t really need.  For him, this was the mother lode!

So you’ve already figured out that I bought it.  It’s been over a month now and do I regret it?  Not one bit!  This ‘blender’ is amazing.  It will pulverize anything I put in there, wet or dry.  I can grind grains into flour, I can grind nuts and spices, even tiny amounts.  I can make velvety smooth sauces.  And of course, it makes excellent hummus.  I’m not gonna lie, these things are expensive and plenty of you will think I’m crazy.  But for me, it was worth it.

My name is Nicole and I am in love with my blender.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded*
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or to taste)
scant 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  You may have to stop to stir and/or scrape down the ingredients a few times.

Leftover hummus can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days.  I’ve also heard that it freezes well, but we never have any leftovers!

* I know that roasted red peppers are available in jars at the grocery store, but they are so easy (and in most cases cheaper) to roast at home.  And of course, freshly roasted peppers taste much better than the ones from a jar.  Here are instructions for roasting red peppers. And did you know that you can freeze roasted peppers?  Why not roast a bunch at once and then freeze the leftovers?  Here are instructions for freezing roasted peppers.

As you all know, I am a huge fan of simple recipes.  What you might not know is that buttermilk is a staple in my house and I am almost never without it.  I even keep powdered buttermilk in the pantry for those rare times when I don’t have the fresh stuff in the fridge.  It adds such a nice flavor and texture to baked goods that I’ll often adapt recipes to include it even when it’s not originally called for.  So when I saw a recipe in last month’s Gourmet magazine that was simple, included buttermilk on the ingredient list, and looked absolutely delicious, of course I had to try it.

The recipe I’m referring to is Raspberry Buttermilk Cake.  I didn’t have any fresh raspberries on hand, but I did have a handful of blueberries and a pint of strawberries in the fridge, so I decided to adapt.  Although I know the raspberry version is probably delicious, I’m really glad I opted to use the berries I had on hand.  Not only was it a great combination, but this would be a perfect Red, White, and Blue Cake for a Fourth of July barbecue.  Served with whipped cream and extra berries, it would be both festive and delicious.

The ingredient list is simple: flour plus leavening, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and fresh berries.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla then add flour (plus leavening and salt) and buttermilk alternately in batches.  You’ll have a nice fluffy batter at the end.

Scrape the batter into a cake pan that has been buttered and floured (I like to make it easy by just spraying the pan with Baker’s Joy).

Smooth the top with a spatula.

Then sprinkle your fresh berries evenly over the top.  You can use whatever berries you have on hand, or even chopped peaches or nectarines.  You want to use about a cup of fruit.

Now sprinkle the raw sugar over the top of the fruit.

Bake the cake until golden, about 25 minutes.  As you can see, the cake rises up and over the berries so they end up in the middle of the cake.

After it has cooled in the pan for ten minutes, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

I decorated mine with extra fresh berries and if I would have had some whipped cream or ice cream on hand, I would have served it with that.

But it was delicious all by itself!

Blueberry and Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
Adapted from this recipe in Gourmet

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
heaping tablespoon of raw sugar (demerara, turbinado or Sugar in the Raw)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan (or spray with Baker’s Joy or equivalent).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about two minutes.  Add vanilla and egg and beat well.  With the mixer set to low speed, beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add half the buttermilk and continue beating on low speed until incorporated.  Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture then remaining buttermilk. Finally beat in the last 1/3 of the flour mixture until just combined.

3. Scrape batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Scatter blueberries and strawberries evenly over the top of the cake batter then sprinkle with raw sugar.

4. Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool until warm.  Invert onto a plate.  Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries on the side.

Related Recipes:

• Coconut Lime Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Easy Lemon Cake
• Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Around the Web:

• Vanilla Buttermilk Cake from A Whisk and a Spoon
• Buttermilk Cake with Berries from Food Mayhem
• Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Cake from Christine Cooks
• Buttermilk Cake with White Chocolate and Dried Apricots from Sweet Sins
• Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with Instant Fudge Frosting from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy,Chewy

This week I am participating in the second round of Eating Down the Fridge. The challenge was created by Kim O’Donnel of The Washington Post blog A Mighty Appetite.  The goal is to completely avoid food shopping (including eating out) for a full week, and instead concentrate on using what is already stored in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry.  Because I have been out of town, I started the challenge a couple of days late.  But as of Monday, I have done no food shopping or eating out (with one exception) and I plan on continuing at least through Monday, but perhaps even longer if I can.

Perhaps a week doesn’t sound like a very long time to go without shopping, and for those of us without kids it’s not that long at all.  But my goal for this challenge is to use up things in my freezer and pantry that have long been neglected.  And although I don’t do major grocery shopping more than a few times a month, I am used to popping up to my local market a few times a week for various ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables.  And quite frankly, I’ve been eating out a lot lately, so eating 21 meals in a row at home will be a bit of a challenge for me!

Yesterday at lunchtime I was starving.  But as I rummaged around my kitchen, I realized that I had no quick snacks to grab.  I had no bread to make a sandwich, no crackers or bananas to smear with peanut butter, and no leftover dinner to reheat in the microwave.  It shouldn’t have been a big deal since I have a fridge and pantry stocked with ingredients, but I had let myself get too hungry and I really needed something fast.  Yes, I could have eaten a bowl of cereal, but I decided to step up to the EDF challenge, and start eating down my fridge.  I drank a tall glass of water to quell my hunger pangs while I started searching for something to prepare.

I found a half-empty jar of marinated artichokes hiding in the back of my refrigerator and decided it was time to use them up.  My first thought was pasta.  So I pulled a box of penne out of the pantry, found a container of kalamata olives and some feta cheese (score!) in the fridge, and was about to get to work.  And then I had a change of heart.  I remembered the jar of tahini and cans of garbanzo beans in the pantry and decided to throw the leftover artichoke hearts in a batch of hummus instead of tossing them with pasta.  And as I was lamenting my lack of pita chips or crackers to go with the hummus, I remembered the package of frozen naan I had picked up at Trader Joe’s on my last visit.  Perfect!  Since hummus only takes minutes to put together, I had lunch in front of me even faster than if I had made the pasta.

Artichoke Hummus

1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped or pressed
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
juice of half a lemon (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
small squirt of Sriracha (optional)

1. In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary.  Add salt and Sriracha (if using) to taste. Extra lemon juice or tahini may also be added to taste.

2. Spoon hummus onto a plate, creating a bit of a well in the center.  Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.  Serve with your favorite flat bread, crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.

Recipe Notes: Ingredient amounts, including garlic can be adjusted to suit your own taste.  Be careful with the hot sauce, a little bit adds a nice boost, but too much will overpower the flavors of the hummus.  If you cook your own garbanzo beans rather than using canned, reserve a bit of the cooking liquid to thin the hummus in place of plain water.

Although I have commited to Eating Down the Fridge this week, I did go out to dinner with friends last night because it had been planned before I joined EDF.  I’ll be extending the challenge for an extra day to make up for the dinner out.  Interested in participating in the next round of Eating Down the Fridge?  Join the Facebook Group to receive alerts about upcoming events.

You also might have noticed that I took a week off from The BBA Challenge.  I was in the mountains with my family for a few days and decided I would rather spend quality time away from the computer rather than worry about completing my weekly bread post.  But I will be back Monday to tell you about making Peter Reinhart’s version of Challah!

Related Recipes:

• Whole Wheat Pita Chips
• Sun Dried Tomato Hummus
• Mediterranean Olive Hummus
• Chickpea Soup with Ginger and Coriander

Around the Web:

• Jalapeño & Lime Hummus from Karina’s Kitchen
• Parsley Hummus from Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Hummus from Closet Cooking
• Slow Roasted Tomato Hummus from Andrea’s Recipes
• Cilantro Lime Hummus from Two Peas and Their Pod

With today’s modern ice cream makers, frozen fruit mixtures like granitas and sorbets can be whipped up in no time! Usually containing only fresh fruit, water and sugar, Sicilian granita is one of the simplest frozen desserts breakfasts you can make.

We moved back to the California from Sicily a year and a half ago and one of the things I miss most is the granita from Catania. I can’t believe that it took me this long to figure out how simple it is to make granita at home!

My first attempt at granita was a few weeks ago, when I made brioche for The Bread Baker’s Apprentice Challenge.  Since I was making brioche for the first time, it only made sense that I attempt some homemade granita. In Sicily, granita and brioche are eaten together for breakfast during the hot months of summer.  It might sound strange, but don’t knock it til you try it!  You’ll also see Sicilians eating ice cream sandwiches of brioche and gelato, another tradition of which I highly approve!

So as I was saying, I made some fresh strawberry granita to go with my brioche.  It was good, but the fruit/water/ sugar ratio wasn’t quite right, so I need to give it another try.  It was the following week that a friend and food writer from Catania showed up unexpectedly on twitter.  And guess what she was tweeting about?  Brioche and granita!  She even shared a quick Lemon Granita recipe.  Of course I had to try it!

Although the textures vary from province to province, the granita I grew accustomed to eating in Catania is somewhat soft and slushy, rather than granular and icy.  By processing it in an ice cream maker until semi-solid, it is quick and easy to replicate the texture of the granita I know and love.

Like anything, the lemon granitas in Sicily vary in sweetness and tartness from bar to bar. Some are almost unbearably tart (I love those!), some are almost too sweet.  I’d say this one falls somewhere in the middle.  Please feel free to adjust the amounts of lemon juice and/or sugar to suit your own taste.

Now I just need someone to teach me how to make granita di mandorla (almond granita) and I’ll be even happier!

Simple Lemon Granita
adapted from this recipe

1 1/2 cups water
scant cup of sugar
juice of 2 1/2 lemons

Heat water and sugar, stirring, until sugar dissolves.  Let cool completely.  Stir in lemon juice and refrigerate until cold.  Process in an ice cream maker until slushy, but not frozen completely.  Serve immediately.

Yield: approximately four servings

Recipe notes: Lemon juice and sugar amounts can be adjusted to suit your own taste.  You may freeze leftovers, but keep in mind that it will freeze solid.  Just let it sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes or so, then stir with a fork until slushy again before serving.

As you can see, twitter is increasingly becoming the place to talk about food!  Have you joined yet?  If so, you can follow me here.  And don’t forget to follow Alessandra, perhaps she’ll tweet some more of my favorite recipes from Sicily!  And here’s a list of several other food bloggers on Twitter.

This post marks a couple of firsts for me.  This is the first time I’ve ever used rhubarb and it’s also the first time I’ve ever made homemade turnovers.  You probably won’t be surprised to learn that I now love them both!

I’m not sure how I’ve made it 34 years without ever touching fresh rhubarb.  We just didn’t eat it growing up.  I don’t think there was any particular reason for it, we just didn’t.  I know I’ve probably tasted Strawberry Rhubarb Pie at some point in my life, but I can’t really recall ever knowing what rhubarb even tastes like.

Luckily, my friend Allen suggested that I try making something with rhubarb. If he hadn’t put it in my head, I probably would gone another year without giving it a go.  And once he suggested it, I started noticing rhubarb recipes everywhere.  It seemed like I was the only in the world not eating rhubarb on a daily basis.  I was determined to give it a try.

But I wasn’t really sure where to find it.  I knew it was in season, and living in California, I generally have access to just about any fruit or vegetable imaginable.  But I really didn’t recall seeing rhubarb at the markets.  My friend Caron assured me that I would be able to find it here, since she grew up eating lots of rhubarb in Southern California.  We headed out to one of our local farmer’s markets and sure enough, there it was!

I snatched up two bunches of the scarlet, celery-like vegetable (or is it a fruit?).  Caron suggested I try using it to make a simple compote, and I thought that sounded like a good way to get to know this ingredient.  I chopped it up, tossed it with some sugar and let it macerate for a while since I had read that it would release liquid.  When it didn’t release as much liquid as I expected, I tossed in a spoonful of water and heated it on the stove.  The rhubarb softened much faster than I expected, and all of a sudden I had a pot full rhubarb mush, instead of the chunky compote I was hoping for.  Rhubarb FAIL.

Well, instead of being disappointed with my failed compote, I decided to turn it into a sauce.  I tossed in a handful of fresh raspberries, half a vanilla bean, and a few cardomom pods and let it simmer for a bit.  Then I removed the vanilla bean and cardmom, passed the mixture through my food mill and ended up with a beautiful red sauce that tasted great over my Greek yogurt as an afternoon snack.  Although the sauce was good, I wasn’t really satisfied with my first rhubarb experiment.  Luckily, I still had a bunch in the refrigerator!

It took me about a week to get back to the rhubarb, but I am so glad that I did!  The Rhubarb Blueberry Turnovers that I finally ended up with are the best pastries I’ve ever made.  I got the idea while looking through my newest baking book, The Art and Soul of Baking. If you can believe it, I received the beautiful book as a free gift when I recently attended the International Food Blogger Conference in Seattle.  Lucky me!  The book is filled with gorgeous photos and there are tons of recipes I want to try (Lemon Mascarpone Layer Cake, anyone?).  But back to the Rhubarb!   I ended up adapting a Summer Berry Turnover recipe to include rhubarb and blueberries since that’s what I had in the fridge.

What I loved most about this recipe was the simple cream cheese pastry dough.  As long as you have a food processor, the dough comes together in minutes!

First, cut a stick of cold butter into small pieces (put it back in fridge to keep it cold).

Then do the same thing with an 8-ounce block of cream cheese.

Next, combine flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine the ingredients.

Remove the butter from the fridge and add it to the flour mixture.

Press the pulse button several times until the butter/flour mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Now add the cold cream cheese.

Pulse again, several times, until the dough clumps together in a shaggy mass.

Next, dump the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

Knead the dough briefly until you have a cohesive dough, then pat it out into a square.

Wrap the dough in plastic, then chill in the refrigerator for 3o minutes.

Meanwhile, chop and measure out one cup of rhubarb and one cup of blueberries.

In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and cardamom.

Mix the filling ingredients together well, then set aside.

After the dough has chilled, roll it out into a big square, a little larger than 15 inches all around.

Using a ruler and a knife (or in this case, a pizza cutter), trim the dough into a 15-inch square.

Then mark the dough in 5-inch increments on all sides and cut into 9 (5-inch) squares.

Divide the filling between each square, placing spoonfuls of it in the center of each one.

Although I forgot to do it, you should brush the edges of the squares with egg was before folding them over to form a triangle.  Gently press the edges together with your fingers.

Then use a fork to seal and crimp the edges.

Divide the turnovers between two baking sheets, then brush each one lightly with egg wash.

After brushing with egg wash, sprinkle coarse sugar over the tops of the turnovers.

Use a small sharp knife to cut several slits in the top of each turnover.  This will allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake the turnovers in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time.  Remove from the oven when they are golden brown.  The turnovers will leak, but that’s fine!

Move them to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy warm or at room temperature and try not to eat the whole batch in one sitting!

Rhubarb Blueberry Turnovers
adapted from The Art and Soul of Baking

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (one stick), cut into small pieces
8 oz. cold cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces

Filling:
4 oz. rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
4 oz. blueberries (1 cup)
6 tablespoons sugar
zest of one lemon (about 2 teaspoons of zest)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Egg wash:
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk or cream

Sanding sugar, turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw), or granulated sugar for sprinkling on the turnovers.

1. Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to blend the ingredients.  Add the cold butter pieces and pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  Add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture starts to clump together in a shaggy mass.

2. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured board or counter and knead briefly until the dough comes together.  Pat the dough into a square (about 3/4 inch thick) and wrap in plastic.  Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up until 2 days.

3. Just before removing dough from the refrigerator, prepare the filling:  In a medium bowl, stir together rhubarb, blueberries, sugar, lemon zest, and spices; set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place two baking racks close to the center of the oven.

4. Unwrap dough and place on a lightly floured surface.  Roll dough into a large square (slightly larger than 15 inches all around), about 1/8 inch thick.  Using a large knife, trim dough to a 15-inch square.  Use a ruler to mark 5-inch increments along each side of the dough then cut into 9 (5-inch) squares.*

5. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk; set aside.  Add a spoonful of rhubarb-blueberry filling in the center of each pastry square (try to divide filling between the squares as evenly as possible). Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the squares with the egg wash.  Fold the dough over the filling to form a triangle and gently press the edges together with the side of your hand or fingertips.  Use a fork to crimp the edges.

6. Divide the turnovers between two baking sheets that have been lined with either parchment or silicone baking mats. Brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg wash then sprinkle with sugar.  Using the tip of a small knife, cut several slits in the top of each turnover.  Place baking sheets on two baking racks in the center of a preheated 350-degree oven.  Bake for 15 minutes then rotate the sheets from front to back and switch them between the racks to ensure even browning.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer until the turnovers are golden brown.  Transfer pastries to a cooling rack.  Serve turnovers warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: *At this point, the squares can be stacked (with pieces of parchment or waxed paper between layers), wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen (place in a plastic freezer bag) for up to two months.

These were some of the best turnovers I’ve ever tasted!  They are sweet, but tart and the crust is flaky and flavorful.  I’ve already made them twice and can see myself making them again and again in the future.  Any type of berry filling would work great in these turnovers, and according to Recipe Girl, cherries work great as well!

Related Recipes:

• Apple Galette
• Whole Grain Sour Cream Blueberry Pancakes
• Strawberry Shortcake

Around the Web:

• Buttermilk Rhubarb Bread from Eating Out Loud
• Rhubarb Cobbler from Smitten Kitchen
• Balsamic Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from Karina’s Kitchen
• Red Wine Poached Rhubarb from David Lebovitz
• Rhubarb Margarita from Andrea’s Recipes