I Dream of Gallete

The other night I could not get to sleep. I had bought this incredible goat cheese with honey in it and it has taken over my world. It was a battle within myself I couldn't control, it was keeping me up at night; do I just eat it with a spoon, a glass of Riesling in the other hand? Do I use it to fill ravioli? Do I use it in muffins?? Quiche? Restless and overwhelmed with cheesy thoughts, I got up and went into the kitchen and pulled out a carton of strawberries. While eating them over the sink, I had my Eureka moment... I will make a Strawberry Gallete with Honeyed Goat Cheese. I don't have to tell you that night my dream consisted of goat cheese stuffed strawberries floating down a river of melted butter... that's a whole other issue.
I hope you do try this recipe, it is simple, delicious, and French. Belle!

To Make the Crust:

Blend 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add 1 1/2 sticks chilled, unsalted butter cut into cubes. Pulse until the mixture forms a course meal. Add ice cold water, starting with 1 tablespoon, until the mixture comes together and forms a nice smooth dough. Empty out on plastic wrap, form into a disk, wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

For the Filling:

Slice about 3 cups of fresh strawberries into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

Place the chilled dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Roll into a 14 inch diameter about 1/8 of an inch thick. Carefully peel the top layer of parchment paper off and place the dough (still has bottom layer of parchment) on an unrimmed baking sheet and chill for another 15 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of strawberry preserves on the dough and then dollop generously with the honeyed goat cheese. Make sure you leave a border of dough of about 1 1/2 inches.

Next, layer the strawberries in concentric circles, overlapping slightly. Brush the top with a little bit more preserves.

With the border of dough, fold up over the fruit. The dough will naturally want to fold into a fan type pattern.
Brush the crust with milk.

In a preheated 425 degree F oven, place the gallete on the center rack and bake for about 20-25 minutes; until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Remove from oven, drizzle with honey and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.




*Don't have/want goat cheese? Use mascarpone or cream cheese, or a mix of both. This would be wonderful with peaches, nectarines, pears, apricots, or apples. Be creative and have fun!

Creamy Pea Soup with Cauliflower Croquettes

One of the things that I love about vegetables is that they freeze well, leading them to be easily stored at home and can easily be whipped up into something yummy. If I ever go crazy buying a veggie because it is a good price, I take them home, clean them, slice or dice them, and freeze them. And another thing is that if you make a meal using frozen veggies and pair it with a fresh veggie, nobody will ever know the difference.

It is cauliflower season in California and that gives it a chance to redeem itself from having a stereotype of being bland, boring and unappetizing. Cauliflower can be transformed into a yummy, cheesy gratin or a base for a creamy "Alfredo" sauce, or flavorful, warm, crusty croquettes, which we will make here today. Those little bundles of goodness swimming in a beautiful creamy pea soup will be pretty to look at as well as satisfying to your soul.

For the Soup:
Serves 6

  1. Heat up 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauce pan. Add 2   cloves chopped garlic and 2 cleaned, prepped leeks cut into rounds ( or 1 medium yellow onion), saute for 10 minutes on low.

2. Add 5 cups vegetable stock (you can use chicken or beef if you have that), 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and add 2 medium sized yukon gold potatoes, cubed. Cook on medium heat until the potatoes are tender. Note: I like to use yukon gold potatoes in soup because they are not overwhelming in potato flavor like a russet would be. But feel free to use whatever you have on hand, including instant potatoes (use 3/4 cup of those). 

3. Turn off the heat and add 5 cups (32 ounce package) frozen peas. Let cool for 10 minutes.

4. If you have an emulsifier, use that to cream the soup to the desired texture. If not, puree about 2 cups of the soup at a time in a blender. Pour into new pot. Continue until all the soup is pureed and set back on the stove. 

Now for the Croquettes...

For the Croquettes:

Makes 15

Croquettes are French for small fried bundles of potatoes or, in our case, cauliflower. This recipe is kind of a process, but fun and well worth the time and effort. If you don't use them all, they can be stored easily in your freezer for future use. 

1. In a large sauce pan, bring 12 cups of salted water to a boil. Add about 8 cups of cleaned and trimmed cauliflower and boil until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and return to pot. Mash well and add 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives, 4 tablespoons flour, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Chill for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is firm to the touch. 

2. Now, get your assembly line ready. Have your cauliflower mixture on your left, then moving to the right have your 2 beaten eggs in a small bowl for egg-wash, and your plate or tin of fine, plain breadcrumbs. 

3. To assemble the croquettes, scoop up a generous spoonful of the cauliflower mixture and with the help of another spoon, form a nice, even ball and dip into the egg wash then toss into the breadcrumbs and coat well. Set on a plate. 

4. In a heavy saute pan ( I love using cast iron for frying) heat up enough olive oil to fill the pan about 1/2 inch. Keep the flame on medium. The oil absolutely needs to be hot before putting anything in, or else the oil will just end up getting soaked into whatever you are frying... gross.  To make sure it is hot enough, insert the end of a wooden spoon in the oil, if it starts to let out tiny bubbles then the oil it hot enough. 

Get your draining station ready by placing a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and set beside the fry pan. 

5. When the oil is hot enough, carefully place in three croquettes, one at a time, keep at least 2 inches in between. Let cook for about 1- 1 1/2 minutes or until the bottom is a nice golden brown. With a spatula, carefully turn over and cook for another 1- 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on the cooling rack. Repeat batches until all the croquettes are cooked. 

To plate, center a croquette in the bottom of a shallow soup bowl. Carefully ladle in the creamy pea soup and viola! Happiness in a bowl! 

Brie, Roasted Asparagus and Soft Egg Sandwich

Among many other vegetables, asparagus is in season now. That means it looks better, tastes better, and costs less than any other time of year. When selecting asparagus, the bunch should have thin stocks, be a lively green color, they should "snap" when bent, and have tight buds up at the top. 

I had some leftover brie from a cheese plate so I wanted to make a breakfast sandwich with brie, roasted asparagus and soft boiled egg. This is a simple sandwich, but you can taste each ingredient and appreciate what they have to offer.

For the Roasted Asparagus:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Make a little foil boat for the asparagus and place inside. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt to taste. Fold the top of the foil over each other, making a little steamer. Roast in oven for 10 minutes. 

For the Cheesy Brie Toast:

Slice about 1/2 cup of brie and place on top of good sliced bread, I used a cracked whole wheat sourdough. Place in the 425 degree oven until cheese is bubbly and melted. 

For the Soft Boiled Egg:

Place egg in a pot of boiling, salted water for 5 minutes exactly. Remove and run cold water over the egg for a few seconds. Carefully crack open the top of the egg with the handle of a heavy butter knife and peel away the shell. If you want a more runny egg, take out at 4 minutes. 

To Assemble:

Place the roasted asparagus on top of the brie toast and open up the egg on top of that, top with a second slice of toast.

Fudge-y Brownies with Champagne Frosting

Brownies are like finding a five dollar bill on the sidewalk; happiness in a small little item, enough to get you through the lunch hour, and leaves you wanting more. I have played around with quite a few brownie recipes and (think) I have found the one that always hits the spot. They are dense, they are chewy, they are smooth, rich and creamy. And what makes them even better is while I was rummaging in the fridge to find butter, lots and lots of butter, I found a mini can of champagne! I decided to make Fudge-y Brownies with Champagne Frosting. What brightens my day even more is that there is enough Champagne left over for a mimosa! This was turning out to be a great Friday... Enjoy!

For the Brownies:

1. Heat the over to 325 degrees F. Melt 1 pound (1 bag) of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks) over a double boiler (or make one using a heat proof bowl on top of a pan of simmering water).
2. Whisk in 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar and 2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar. Remove from heat.
3. Test the temperature with your finger, it should be lukewarm. If hot, let stand until it becomes lukewarm, you don't want to scramble the eggs! Add 8 eggs in to the chocolate mixture, one at a time. Whisking well after each one. Add 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. 

4. Fold in 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour. Do not over mix.
5. Grease and line a half- sheet pan (18x13)with parchment paper. If you do not have a half sheet pan, you can use 2 9x13 pans. Pour the mixture into the pan and back for 30 minutes. Insert a clean toothpick, coming out clean indicates they are done. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the Champagne Frosting:

1. With a hand blender or whisk attachment on a stand mixer, cream 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature with 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract until smooth.
2. Add 6 tablespoons Champagne, Prosecco, or Sparkling white wine.
3. Pour yourself a glass with the remainder and sip.
4. Sift in 2 cups of confectioners' sugar.

Once the brownies are cooled, cut off any uneven edges and cut into equal sized squares. Top with a spoon of frosting and enjoy! The sweetness of the chocolate brownie with the tang of the Champagne is going to drive your taste buds crazy!

Cupcake Bread Pudding

I don't know what it is about left over cupcakes that makes me feel guilty about eating them. During the event in which they were prepared for, I have no problem eating two, maybe even three of them. But the day after I just don't look at them the same way...they need to be transformed. Besides a half dozen leftover cupcakes, on hand I have eggs, butter, chocolate Almond Milk and Caramel Bailey's. What was more obvious other than to make Cupcake Bread Pudding??

1. Start by removing the frosting (you can save it for pancake topping to use in your coffee in place of creamer). Cut the 6 cupcakes into 1 inch cubes and place in the bottom of a buttered 5 x 5 baking dish.

2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup Baileys or other creamy liquor, 3/4 chocolate almond milk (of course you can use regular milk or regular chocolate milk), 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. 

3. Pour the mixture over the cupcakes and place in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm. 

And let me tell you one more thing, I don't feel guilty eating this at all... 

Watercress Salad with Warm Baby Potatoes

Ventura has a wonderful farmers market that happens every Saturday, rain or shine. Smiling vendors have fresh colorful fruit and vegetables, baked goods, fresh coffee, cheese, flowers, and honey. I was overwhelmed and in complete euphoria. When I finally snapped out of it, I realized I had bought watercress and baby potatoes. My sister had fresh dill so the idea came to me that I will make a Watercress Salad with Warm Baby Potatoes and Dill Dressing. Here's how that magic happened...

Beautiful watercress from farmers market

1. First we must roast the potatoes. Using a heavy pan, rolling pin or tenderizing mallet smash 12 baby potatoes until they crack open.

Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of good olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, and a sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until a knife goes right through the potato.

2. For the dressing, combine 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper. While whisking, drizzle in about 1/4 cup good quality olive oil. Set aside.
3. Rinse about 4 cups of the watercress and remove thick stocks so you have the tender leaves and small stems left. Toss with the dill dressing and divide the dressed salad among four plates. Top with three potatoes and there is a healthy and fun salad made with local ingredients.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Mozzarella Toasts

This weekend I am visiting my sister and her husband in Ventura and I wish I could say it was 70 degrees and sunny, but stormy weather is on it's way and that means I want to make something warm and comforting. What's even more exciting about your own cupboards are someone else's. My sister is a Nutritionist, so I don't need to tell you I was excited about what I would find in her kitchen. Among the quinoa, homemade dehydrated veggie chips, oat bran, and Almond milk, I found a can of chickpeas, a.k.a. garbanzo beans, crushed tomatoes, eggs, a handful of olives, a half jar of pasta sauce and fresh mozzarella. Those ingredients, along with some of her fresh herbs from her garden, I would make Poached Eggs in Tomato sauce with Mozzarella toasts.

In a large saute pan (preferably oven safe) heat up 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for one minute over medium heat. Add a pinch of dried chili flakes, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook for one more minute. Add the 1 cup pasta sauce, 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup sliced olives, 1/4 tablespoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon  ground coriander, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and one 15 ounce can chickpeas. Cook for 15 minutes on low.
* If you would like meat in this, brown and cook up 2 sausages with the garlic. 


In the meantime, prep the Mozzarella toasts:
You can use any type of bread you have around. Pita bread would be great, even that bag of tortillas you've been trying to use up... I am using a Kalamata olive bread I couldn't resist picking up at the market.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the bread thin, about 1/2 thick. Place in oven and toast until crispy. While the bread is toasting, slice the mozzarella. Lightly drizzle the bread with olive oil and place the cheese on top. Toast until the cheese is melted and golden, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Return to the sauce, remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley. Taste to make sure you have enough salt and pepper.
* If you have to transfer sauce to an oven safe pan now is the time to do so.


With the back of a spoon, make a small crater in the sauce and carefully crack open eggs on top of the sauce, making sure not to break open the yolk. Plan on 1 egg per person if you are having appetizers and salads, and 2 eggs per person if this is the only course.
Place the pan a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes for a runny yolk and 20 minutes for a more firm yolk. Sprinkle with a pinch of pepper, plate with toasts, garnish with parsley, mozzarella toasts and you're done!

White Bean and Ham Soup

The best part about ham is that there are endless possibilities with what to do with the ham hock. Split pea and ham soup, cream of potato soup with ham, cassoulet, a smoky sausage and ham chili, posole...
Today, however, it was what I had in my cupboard that would determine the fate of said ham hock. I had a few cans of white beans and an open box of instant mashed potatoes I keep around to use as a thickening agent. In the fridge I had carrots, onion and celery to make a yummy mirepoix (that's just French for raw veggies sauteed in butter or olive oil). So it was written in the stars for me to make white bean and ham soup on this lovely Thursday.

1. Peel 4 large carrots and trim the tops and bottoms off. Dice the carrots to about the size of your fingertip. Clean 4 celery ribs, cut off the tops and bottoms and dice the same size as the carrots. Peel and dice a medium yellow (or white) onion and combine with the other veggies.

2. Drizzle the bottom of a large stockpot with olive oil. Once heated, carefully put in the veggies along with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and cover for 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, cut off the remainder of the ham slices and trim off the excess fat and crusty skin on those pieces, set the slices aside for use later. If you have cheesecloth, take the fat and skin that was trimmed off and tie them up in the cheesecloth, this will be used for flavor but the fat will stay in the bundle and not escape into the soup.

4. Place the ham hock in the pot with the veggies and add 6 cups water and the cheesecloth bundle.

5. Simmer on low for 1 hour then turn the ham hock so the other side is submerged. Add 2- 15 ounce cans of white beans or Cannellini beans. Simmer on low for another hour.
6. Now comes the messy part. Turn off the heat and place a colander on top of a large saucepan (preferably in the sink). Pour the soup into the colander and then pick out the large chunks of meat and bone and skim off any of the fat that didn't melt away. Discard the cheesecloth bundle, bones and unwanted meat. Ultimately, you should have carrots, onion, and celery left in the colander.

7. Pour this back into the stockpot and mash the mixture a few times with a masher or the back of a spoon or fork. This will help thicken the broth and release a beautiful, warm orange color. Return the broth back to the pot that you drained in step 6.
8. Return the pot to the stove and heat on low. Add 1 more can of white beans, 1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes, a few dashes of poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer 30 more minutes.
9. Now, get the ham slices that you set aside from step 3 and cut into a small dice. Heat on low for 20 more minutes.
10. Slice up a nice loaf of crusty bread and you're finished!

I wait until the last 20 minutes to add the ham because it will turn a weird, almost grey color if left cooking too long. Plus, the soup already has the ham flavor from the ham hock and cheesecloth bundle. 

Green Bean Pesto pasta

How come I have 3 cans of green beans in the cupboard? I can't tell you why. But what I can tell you is that they will be transformed into a healthy, delicious and garlicky pesto-- served over a whole grain elbow macaroni. Just try it, the garlic and cheese masks the green bean taste and you get your serving of veggies. Here's how to do it...


1. Drain 2 cans of green beans (approx. 3 cups) and put in a food processor. Add 3 large garlic cloves, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, a handful of fresh basil, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.

2. Pulse the mixture until it becomes creamy, drizzling good extra virgin olive oil at the same time. About 1/4 cup should do it, considering the beans hold a lot of moisture. Taste to make sure you have enough salt and pepper. Makes 3 cups pesto. I like to let these flavors mingle and mix and be so I prepare it a few hours before I plan on using it and let it chill in the fridge... 

3. Bring salted water to a boil and cook a 13 1/4 ounce box of elbow macaroni according to the directions on the package (will serve 6) . Once cooked, drain and toss with as little or as much pesto as you like. Top with a touch more Parmesan and there you have it! 

* Feel free to use whatever pasta you have. I am a huge fan of whole grain, it has more fiber and fills you up faster than regular semolina pasta. If you have Arborio rice you can make a rich risotto! 


Extra pesto? It freezes great or it is sinfully delicious on a sandwich, pizza, panini, wrap, or in scrambled eggs. 

(Spiked) Rocky Road

Good day to you! 
I opened my cupboards today and discovered a bunch of small treasures; a half bag of sliced almonds, a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips, a whole bag of fluffy mini marshmallows, a few handfuls of dried cherries left over from an attempt to make my own trail mix, and low and behold a mini bottle of Kirshwasser cherry brandy. You can imagine how magical all this was for a rainy Tuesday morning...

1. First things first: in a small bowl, combine about 3/4 cup dried cherries and drown with Kirshwasser. Let them soak for at least 40 minutes until they plump up. Drain and dry well. 

2. In the mean time, heat the oven to 300 degrees F. and roast 1/2 cup sliced almonds and 1/2 roughly chopped walnuts for about 10 minutes. Once nicely toasted, set aside.
3. To melt the chocolate chips, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan and place a large heatproof bowl on top. Melt 2 generous cups of chocolate chips in the bowl, stirring the whole time to avoid setting. Once nice and smooth, add 2 cups marshmallows, nuts and drained cherries. Fold well until everything is coated in chocolate.
4. Place heaping spoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with parchment, wax or a silicone mat. Place in the fridge for an hour and you're done!
Let thaw for about 10 minutes before serving

*No Kirshwasser? The liquor is optional, you don't have to use it! You can use a regular brandy, cognac, or other fruit liquor if desired. 

Saturday Sweet Tooth

This weekend my BFF and I are taking her two nephews to play mini golf and maybe try our luck at the batting cages. Being 5 and 7 years old, they probably have a good sense of sweet tooth, but not as developed as mine :) To get us all through the day, I made these delicious and decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate bars. What makes these even better is that you can finally finish off that last part of the cereal boxes and use that corn syrup that had been sitting in the pantry since last Thanksgiving...

1. Start by heating up 3/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 brown sugar and 1 cup of light corn syrup in a large saucepan. Whisk until little bubbles come up around the side and cook about a minute longer.
2. Next, take the sugar mixture off the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter and  1/2 cup chocolate spread (such as Nutella) until melted.
3. Stir in 3 cups of cornflakes or whatever flaky cereal you have and 3 cups of crisp rice or any other crispy cereal. Mix well until it is all coated in the peanut butter mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands work the best.
4. Line a 15 x 10 x 1" baking dish with aluminum foil or wax or parchment paper. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the peanut butter cereal mixture into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
5. In a medium saucepan, melt 3/4 cup butter. Stir in 3 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup regular sugar, 2 packages (4 servings each) butterscotch pudding mix and 1/4 cup milk. Whisk until smooth and take off the heat. Pour over the cereal mixture and spread evenly.
6. For the chocolate topping, melt together 1 12-ounce package of chocolate pieces (whichever kind you have; semi-sweet, bittersweet, milk chocolate, or a mix of what you have available...) with 1/2 cup butter. Whisk until nice and smooth.
7. Spread chocolate over the pudding layer. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
8. When ready to serve, lift up the foil liner and place on cutting board. Cut into 3 x 3 squares then cut those diagonally into rectangles. Make sure to run warm water over your paring knife when cutting, and to wipe clean after each cut. This will ensure a nice looking cut...

Don't have a chocolate spread? Just use more peanut butter!

* No butterscotch pudding? Use vanilla or chocolate. Be creative with the cereals; chocolate puffs of peanut butter puffs, honey o's would be yummy as well...

Tonight I am helping my newly married girl friend prepare for her housewarming party so no cooking tonight, but come back tomorrow and see what's cookin'!

Introduction

Happy Friday! And welcome to my first blog. I have loved cooking and baking for as long as I could see over the kitchen counter. Since then, I have experimented with food and baking and have made some pretty good recipes. I am mostly inspired by how I am feeling and what ingredients I have at home. One month in college I was low on funds and couldn't afford groceries. I opened my pantry and fridge and used what ingredients I had to make a delicious meal that I deemed Pantry Casserole. It was a hit and I still get requests to make it to this day!

This blog will post new recipes that use common pantry/ freezer/ fridge items and I hope you become inspired to raid your pantry!