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Category Archives: Fruit

Watermelon Agua Fresca with Mint and Lime

13 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Drink, Fruit, quick and easy, Uncategorized, whole30

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Here is a refreshing, sugar-free beverage to help you celebrate the last few days of summer. Made with watermelon, mint, and lime juice, this delightful pink drink is perfect on its own, but can be jazzed up with a shot of rum and sparkling water.

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Watermelon Agua Fresca with Mint and Lime

Ingredients

1/2 watermelon, peeled and cut into chunks
2-4 cups water
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon mint leaves

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

2. Strain through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth and refrigerate until ready to drink.

3. Serve garnished with lime and mint.

Optional: serve over ice with a shot of rum or vodka and finished with sparkling water.

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Avocado Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk and Flaxseed

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in Breakfast, Drink, Fruit, Gluten Free, Healthy, Vegan

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Smoothies have been ruling my world lately.  The newest one is the Avocado Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk and Flaxseed.  It’s nice to have a dairy-free version of the smoothie and this one can be made with soy or rice milk as well.

In the heat of the summer, do use fresh berries if you can.  Though, frozen berries will make this breakfast especially frosty.  Avocado adds incredible richness and makes this smoothie creamy and decadent.  Ready to give it a whirl?

Avocado Blueberry Smoothie with Almond Milk and Flaxseed

Ingredients

1 large avocado, peeled and seeded
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons flaxseed

Directions

1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend.  Add more milk, as needed to reach desired consistency.

Plum Pie Crumble Recipe – Summer Dessert

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

It’s funny how some of the more delicious things that come out of your kitchen are the product of last minute improvisation.  This Plum Pie Crumble as an example.  It’s a pie and crumble in one!….Pieble?

Just this Saturday I was going to attend a birthday party for my friend Diana.  I wanted to bake something sweet and delicious.  Knowing that Diana was a fan of the Apricot and Almond Tart I baked earlier, I decided to bake a similar tart with Italian plums.

Ready, set, go!  Except, last minute I discovered that I didn’t have cream cheese required for the filling.  I suppose I could have gone to the grocery store, but instead, I turned to Ina Garten as inspiration and used her Plum Tart recipe as a base for this dessert.

Rather than having the walnut crumble as the crust and the topping for the plums, I rolled out the pie crust on the bottom of the pie pan, spread it with apricot jam and then sprinkled it with some of the walnut crumble.  The plums went on next, covered with the remaining walnut crumble.  This was by far one of my favorite desserts, and I hope it will be yours as well.

Plum Pie Crumble

Ingredients

1 pie crust
1/2 cup apricot jam

1 cup flour
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter , diced
1 egg, separated
6-8 Italian plums, pitted and cut into eights
Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Line the pie dish with the crust and spread apricot jam evenly over the crust.
3.  Combine flour, walnuts and sugar in a bowl.  Mix in butter and egg yolk until the texture resembles peas.  Spread half a cup of the crumble mixture over the pie crust.  This will soak up some of the juices from the plums as the pie crumble bakes.

 4.  Arrange plums around the pie plate, in a circle.
5.  Sprinkle the rest of the walnut crumble over the plums.  Fold the outside of the pie crust over the plums, to cover them slightly, by about 1/2 of an inch.  Brush the edge with egg white.  This adds a beautiful sheen to the baked dessert.
6.  Bake the pie crumble in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown.  Half way through baking you might need to cover the dish with foil to prevent it from over browning.
This is quite delicious both warm and at room temperature.  I bet it would be tasty cold as well, but the Plum Pie Crumble disappeared too fast from the birthday table to have any leftovers. 

I invite you to make it at home to celebrate your friends’ or family birhtdays, or simply to celebrate Summer.

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Apricot and Almond Tart ~ Dessert Recipe

10 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Baking, Dessert, Fruit, Recipe

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Recently, my mom celebrated her big birthday.  In honor of her, my sister (Mango & Tomato) and I hosted a brunch.  The dessert was inspired by a recipe from Epicurious for Almond, Apricot, and Cream Cheese Crostata.
 
When the store didn’t carry the almond paste, my sister and I made the almond paste from scratch, a fun and rewarding experience.  Rather than baking the dessert as a crostata, we baked in in a pie pan, as a tart.  The guest of honor and everyone else was quite delighted with the dessert.  Hope you will be too.
 
 
 
 
 

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Juicing 101 ~ Carrot, Apple, Celery, Orange, Parsley and Lemon Juice

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in Fruit, Healthy, juice, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Another week, another juice.  This time it’s the color of mustard with savory undertones from celery and parsley.

Juice together:

2 carrots, chopped
1 apple, quartered
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 orange, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 lemon

Stir and drink.  This is frothy and light.  I have learned that peeling the orange makes a difference.  The result is a lighter tasting and more pure flavored juice.  It’s worth it!

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Morning Sunshine Juice

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by in Fruit, Healthy, juice, Recipe, Vegetables

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Good morning! I must admit that after two weeks away in Italy, one of the things I have missed most about my daily routine is a glass of fresh juice in the morning.  Back to work, I am once again juicing.  This week, I have been drinking what I am calling Morning Sunshine Juice.

Ingredients

2 apples, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 orange, peeled and quartered
1/2 lime, peeled
1/2 inch ginger root

Directions

1. Juice all ingredients and stir together.  Serve straight up or over ice.

This is light and refreshing and super energizing.  Enjoy!

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Juicing 101

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Allrecipes.com, Fruit, Healthy, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Today I had a sort of initiation into juicing.  We were shooting 10 juicing videos at work and can I just say, I’m a fan?  Not necessarily a full convert, yet, but close!

My favorite combination has been beets, apple, carrot, and ginger.  Sweet and spicy at once, and the color was phenomenal!  Let’s see how my body reacts to tasting ten different juices.

Before we have videos available to share, check out the selection of produce we used.

What’s your favorite juice?

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Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crumble Dessert Recipe

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Holidays, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

Good morning Snackers!  How I wish that today for breakfast I had a bowl of this Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crumble!  Perhaps with a dollop of Greek yogurt or a drizzle of half and half over the top. 

Alas, the crumble is long gone.  I baked it as a last-minute dessert for my brother Misha, to celebrate his birthday.  I think he liked it!

Are you ready to crumble? 🙂


Apple, Pear and Cranberry Crumble

Ingredients

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped into 1/2″

2 pears, cored and chopped into 1/2″

1/2 cup cranberries

2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all purpose flour

5 tablespoons granulated sugar

5 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Pinch of salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 12-inch round pie pan.

2.  Combine apples, pears, cranberries and 2 tablespoons of the flour and spread evenly in the pie pan.

3. Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, sugars, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter in a bowl and mix together well with your hands, breaking up the butter with your fingers. Make sure the butter doesn’t break down completely. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the fruit.

4.  Cover the pie pan with with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for additional 20 minutes more, or until golden on top and fruit is soft and bubbling.

Hungry for more crumble?  Check out Apple, Pear and Berry Crumble with Walnut, Oatmeal Coconut Topping and Peach and Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystallized Ginger

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Ina Garten the Barefoot Contessa, Seattle, and a New Year Pluot Cake

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Recipe, Seattle, Writing/Publishing

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About four years ago when I was making a critical decision of leaving my life in Dallas to attend the Culinary Institute of America, I got a call from my mom.  She told me a story about Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa who went from working at the White House to running a specialty food store.  “Are you telling me to follow my dreams, mom?” I asked, thinking she was using Ina as an inspiration.  She wasn’t, she was just sharing.

Fast forward to my decision to attend the school and years of emotional, physical, and financial struggles, most of which have been overcome with hard work, support and a little bit of luck.

My mom called me last week, informing me that Ina will be speaking at the Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.  “Would you want to go?” she asked.  I bought two tickets and we went.  I haven’t seen my mom so happy in a long time.

Ina’s visit came in the middle of the Jewish New Year.  In honor of Ina and the New Year, I decided to bake Ina’s Plum Cake “Tatin”.  Unfortunately, the store was out of plums, so I bought a bag of pluots instead.  Pluots are a hybrid of plums and apricots.  If you haven’t tasted one before, you’re in for a treat!  I made quite a few changes to the original recipe and the family loved it!  The Pluot Cake was a perfect sweet ending to a New Year dinner.*

Pluot New Year Cake

Ingredients

7 tablespoons softened butter, divided
8-10 pluots, halved and pitted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 12-inch tart pan with one tablespoon of butter.

2.  Arrange pluots cut side up inside the pan.

3.  Beat together six tablespoons of butter with sugar, until light and fluffy.  Beat one egg at a time until well incorporated.

4.  Add sour cream, lemon zest and vanilla.

5.  Sift together flour, baking powder and kosher salt and slowly incorporate into the butter mixture.

6.  Spread the batter over the pluots and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and the batter is set.

7.  Cool the cake slightly and serve warm or at room temperature, spooning the pluots out on individual plates.

Alterations to the original recipe
-I used a 12-inch tart instead of a 9-inch
-I skipped the step of making caramel (less total sugar, one less step, and still delicious)
-I placed the pluots cut side up and did not invert the final cake
-I used large eggs instead of extra large (that’s what I had on hand)
-I increased lemon zest from 1/2 teaspoon to a zest of a whole lemon
-I used both white and light brown sugar

Enjoy!

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Raspberry Picking at Biringer Farm in Washington

15 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Farmers Market, Fruit, Seattle

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Last weekend the Artist and I went to pick raspberries.  We didn’t go to a local grocery store, we went straight to the farm.  He picked the Biringer Farm just an hour north of Seattle, a straight up shot on I-5.  We were in luck – it was the last weekend to pick raspberries and there were still plenty of ripe berries.

We ended up collecting seven pounds of raspberries!  I tried to pick slightly under-ripe berries to ensure they will last longer, and simply because I prefer their taste and flavor to a fully ripe raspberry.  A few ripe berries ended up snicking into the cardboard box, however….wonder where they came from!

While we picked, we ate.  Or rather, while we ate the raspberries, we picked a few.  The abundance was hard to resist.  Walking back to the farm, I didn’t want to stop pulling the berries off the bushes.

We ate the raspberries on their own, shared with our parents and took some home.  For the last few days I have enjoyed the raspberries on top of plain yogurt, sprinkled with granola.  Delicious!

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Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes and Toasted Walnuts

22 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Fruit, Gluten Free, GlutenFree, Recipe, Rice, Vegetarian

≈ 1 Comment

Last Saturday night, as I was marinating the lamb for the Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Leg of Lamb, I decided to be a great daughter, and for once, do what my mom suggested – make rice!

You see, when bribing my mom with a home cooked lamb dinner, to get a few stems of her gorgeous peonies from the front yard, I asked her what she wanted as a side.  She asked for rice.
Since “plain” is not a word in my vocabulary, nor is it in hers, I decided to make a spectacular side rice dish that could shine along what proved to be a fantastic lamb recipe.  This one is it – Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes, and Toasted Walnuts. 
Good thing for all your vegetarian and gluten-free family and friends – this recipe is delicious and filling on its own.  Just yesterday, I enjoyed the pilaf leftovers, jazzed up with soy sauce and sesame oil as a base for sauteed eggplant and vegetables. 
Enjoy!


Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Dried Apricots, Prunes, and Toasted Walnuts

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups Jasmine rice

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups water

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/2 cup dried prunes, chopped

1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, stirring often.

2.  Add the rice to the shallot and garlic and stir to coat each granule of rice with oil.  Saute for 3 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Cover the rice with water and bring it up to a boil.  Lower the heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and simmer the rice for 15 minutes, or until the water has absorbed completely and the rice is tender.

4.  Let the rice sit for 5 minutes.

5.  Stir in apricots, prunes, and walnuts right before serving.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Here it is!  The pilaf is served in a gorgeous bowl that was a gift from Priya – thanks sunshine, I love it!

And just in case you were wondering how the rice pilaf looked along the Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Leg of Lamb – not too shabby!

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Project "You Buy, I Cook" ~ Peach, Nectarine and Blueberry Clafouti

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Recipe, You Buy I Cook

≈ 3 Comments

Last week, I worked as a personal chef for a family, creating daily dinners.  The challenge was to create family-friendly, healthy, and flavorful meals that were also kosher.  A protein, a starch, a vegetable, a salad…oh, and also a dessert!  On the last evening of my assignment, I made a Pear and Blueberry Clafouti following a recipe from Ina Garten (I added blueberries and skipped pear brandy.  Also, I used large eggs instead of extra large).

The family loved the dessert and so did my friend Alla (aka THE pho buddy).  In fact, Alla loved it so much that we met up in her kitchen the very next day to make yet another version of this recipe: Peach, Nectarine and Blueberry Clafouti.  Don’t you just love saying “clafouti”?


Peach, Nectarine and Blueberry Clafouti


Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Mineola zest (feel free to substitute with orange or lemon zest)
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons Peach Schnapps
2 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
2 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced
2 cups blueberries

Directions


1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Butter a 10×13 baking dish and sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar (use extra sugar, if needed).

3.  Beat together 1/3 cup of sugar and three eggs until pale yellow, about 3-4 minutes.

4.  Slowly add flour, heavy cream, vanilla, zest, salt, and Peach Schnapps.  Set the batter to rest for 10 minutes.

5.  While the batter is resting, arrange slices of peaches and nectarines on the bottom of the baking dish, alternating the fruit.  Sprinkle with blueberries.

6.  Pour the batter over the fruit and bake until the fruit is golden brown and the custard is firm, about 35-40 minutes.  Ina suggests serving the clafouti with confectioners’ sugar and creme fraiche.



Note: If eating clafouti the next day, sprinkle the top with extra sugar and place under the broiler for a few minutes.  You will have a delicious, bruleed version of this dessert.



Note 2: Winter is not the best time to be cooking with peaches and nectarines.  The flavors would be a lot brighter and sweeter during the peak of summer. 


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"Clean Your Pantry" Biscotti Recipe ~ Will Bake for Food Fundraiser in Seattle

13 Sunday Nov 2011

Posted by in Baking, Dessert, Fruit, Nuts, Seattle, Volunteering

≈ 3 Comments

Earlier last week, I wrote about my participation in Will Bake For Food Fundraiser in Seattle.  I wasn’t quite sure at the time what to bake.

I was looking for a simple recipe, one that would be easily multiplied, quick to bake, delicious, and tempting to buy.  

I didn’t feel up to tempering chocolate, beating egg whites to a stiff meringue, or playing with delicate sheets of phyllo dough.

Just then, I remembered the Cranberry and Pistacchio Biscotti recipe I taught while working at Whole Foods Market and decided to replicate the recipe at home.

Looking inside my pantry (pulled out kitchen drawers), I quickly discovered that I didn’t have any pistacchios, nor did I have enough cranberries for the recipe.  Unwilling to step outside on yet another rainy and stormy Seattle afternoon, I chose to make “Clean Your Pantry” Biscotti, using the basic recipe from Whole Foods Market.  Instead of plain cranberries, I used a combination of brown raisins, golden raisins, sour cherries and cranberries.  In place of pistacchios, I used almonds and pecans.  Also, instead of baking full-size biscotti, I decided on mini size – don’t they look adorable?

I would like to give a heart-felt thank you to my fabulous friend Alla who helped me design and print the orange name tags that went inside the bags!  Thanks to you and Kyle for stopping by the Fundraiser and your support!


“Clean Your Pantry” Biscotti


Ingredients (about 120 individual small biscotti)

1 1/2 cups dried fruit (combination of raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, and sour cherries, approximately the same amount of each)
1 cup (2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar 
4 eggs, at room temperature 
4 teaspoons vanilla extract 
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
Directions
1.  Place dried fruit in a bowl and cover with hot water.  Soak for 10-15 minutes; drain.
2.  In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one a time, and blend until smooth. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just blended. Stir dried fruit and nuts into dough by hand. 
3.  Preheat oven to 325°F. Divide dough into ten balls. On a lightly floured surface, knead each dough ball a few times then shape into a long, slightly flattened, log, about 1 inch wide and 12 to 14 inches long. Place on a parchment lined sheet a few inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until barely golden.  If baking multiple pans at the same time, be sure to rotate halfway through to ensure even baking.

4.  Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice logs on the diagonal about 1/2-inch thick. Return slices to the baking sheet and bake again for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through baking, until golden brown. Let cool. 
Biscotti will keep for several weeks in an airtight container.

The biscotti turned out well!  They were a bit labor intensive, given their size and quantity.  While I was stuffing the 30 bags, I snacked on some of the end pieces.  Unfortunately, biscotti weren’t the most popular item at the fundraiser, and I had some bags left at the end of the sale.  Rather than taking them home, I swapped them for delicious homemade goodies contributed by many of my fellow Seattle bloggers!

What are your favorite ingredients for biscotti?

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Apple, Pear, and Berry Crumble with Walnut, Oatmeal Coconut Topping

09 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Nuts, Recipe

≈ 2 Comments

Let’s talk dessert.  I eat it, yet I hardly make it, most likely because  it requires following a recipe and I just can’t be bothered.
Last week, I took first prize in Iron Chef competition for a dessert. Say what?  Seriously! No joke.  I had my team make apple, pear and berry crumble that won over the judges and, perhaps, gave me a bit of confidence in my ability to make dessert.  My team literally threw things together without a recipe (under my guidance) and the crumble came out delicious, comforting, and as one of the team members said, it smelled like Christmas.
Fast forward to a few days later, I was having dinner with my parents and decided to share my success story.  Sharing apparently was not enough.  Right then and there my mom requested that I make the crumble.  Ahm…. sure!  I enlisted Anja as my sous chef and into the kitchen we went!
Taking into consideration my parents’ palate, I went very light on cinnamon and completely excluded five spice, cloves, and ginger (feel free to use all these spices in both the fruit filling and the crumble topping).
The recipe for the fruit filling is quite loose, however I decided to consult an actual recipe for the topping.  This one came from Dave Lieberman (Food Network).  Anja and I decided to slightly adjust his recipe, however, and used 1/4 cup of shredded coconut in place of rolled oats.
Ingredients

Filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 apples, cored and diced, about 3/4″ (I prefer granny smith apples, but feel free to use your favorite cooking apple)
3-4 pears, cored and diced, about 3/4″
1 bag frozen berries (previously I used a combination of strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries; this one had blueberries, peaches, and something else I couldn’t identify)
1/4 cup brown sugar, plus extra if needed
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2-4 tablespoons of flour
Topping
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup shredded coconut (use unsweetened or sweetened, whatever you have on hand, it won’t make much difference)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4″ pieces

Directions


1.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add apples, pears, berries and sugar. Cook for about 15-20 minutes – you want the fruit to be al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven, feel free to adjust the cooking time depending on the consistency of fruit you prefer.

2.  Add lemon zest, juice, and cinnamon.  Increase the heat to bring the fruit juice to a boil.  Sprinkle with flour and cook until the juices thicken slightly.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a baking dish and transfer the fruit into the dish.

4.  In a large bowl, combine walnuts, flour, oats, brown sugar, coconut, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  Add butter, and incorporate it with the dry ingredients.  You are looking to form pea-sized pieces of butter that are coated with the dry ingredients, do not overwork the butter.  Evenly sprinkle the topping over the fruit. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.

5.  Cool slightly and serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  If you have leftovers, serve the next day, warmed in the oven (or microwave) with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

This would be a perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving table.  I’d recommend using cranberries instead of mixed berries.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Take a Chill with Peach & Lime Soup

25 Thursday Aug 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Fruit, Recipe, Soup

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Be sure to take advantages of the sweet, juice dripping peaches!  Eat them as is, or puree them for a refreshing soup.  I don’t mind the skin, and love how it adds specks of dark rich color to the soup.  If you’d rather leave the skin out, peel it with a serrated peeler.


Chilled Peach Soup (adapted from Whole Foods Market recipe)

Ingredients

6 large ripe peaches, pitted and chopped
1 cup water
1 cup peach nectar (the picture is showing orange juice, but after trying it with peach nectar, I suggest you use it instead)
1/4 cup honey
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Thai basil sprigs

Directions

1.  Place peaches, water, juice, honey, lime zest and lime juice inside the blender.  Puree until smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

2.  Pour soup into bowls or cups, garnish with basil and serve.  If you are looking for a more savory application, I like to add a pinch of salt, black pepper and cayenne.

Be sure to check back to find out what I did with soup leftovers.

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Watermelon Salad with Queso Fresco and Balsamic Reduction

14 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Balsamic, Cheese, Cooking, Fruit, Recipe, Salad, Vegetarian, Watermelon

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I fell in love with watermelon as a kid.  Juicy, sweet, and available only in the summer, watermelon was a special treat.  We ate it by the slices, spitting out the seeds, or saving them for later (we’d pop them in the mouth and split the seed with our teeth, enjoying the sweet white flesh).  I remember my Dad telling us stories of his youth when he’d split the watermelon in half and scoop out its flesh with a spoon.  It sounded so indulgent and decadent to me!
One summer, when visiting my dad’s relatives, I tasted pickled watermelon.  As a child, it didn’t sound as strange to me as it might sound to most adults these days.  Maybe it’s because even back then I was obsessed with everything pickled.  I suppose, that experience has prepared me to accept and embrace watermelon in savory preparation.

I still remember the day I discovered the taste of watermelon salad.  It was during a restaurant week in Dallas, Texas.  The restaurant was in one of my favorite Dallas neighborhoods (Knox/Henderson) – Hector’s on Henderson.  They served the watermelon salad with red onion, feta cheese and basil.  And from the first bite, I was hooked!  I must’ve made the salad weekly for the entirety of the summer.
Here is my version of the salad with Southwestern flavors.  I use Mexican fresh cheese – Queso Fresco and cilantro.  Balsamic glaze does a nice job of offsetting the sweetness from watermelon.  If you prefer, you can use lime juice instead.

Watermelon & Queso Fresco Salad with Cilantro

Ingredients

1 smalls seedless watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 ounces Queso Fresco, crumbled
2 tablespoons Balsamic Glaze
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Ground black pepper

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, gently combine watermelon, onion and cheese. Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze and garnish with cilantro.  Season with coarsely ground black pepper. Eat immediately.  You don’t want this salad to sit around.  
If you are sensitive to onions, soak sliced onion in iced water.  This will make them milder and more crisp at the same time.
Have a favorite way to eat watermelon?  Please share!

Peach and Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger

28 Saturday May 2011

Posted by in Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Nuts, Recipe

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As a Culinary Director at the Redmond Whole Foods Market, I get to design and teach cooking classes.  When I first started, I wanted to teach a monthly cooking class series called “Cooking with the Season.”  In the class, I teach my students how to utilize seasonal, and mostly local produce.  This has been by far one of the most popular classes on the calendar.

A few days ago, I taught the class how to make a Peach & Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger.  I got the idea for this dessert from the Peach, Blueberry and Pecan Crumble recipe on the Whole Foods Market website.  Never one to follow the recipe exactly, I made a few changes.  We used apricots and peaches, eliminated blueberries (I’m not a fan of cooked blueberries) and used almonds instead of pecans for extra crunch.  The spicy, crystalized ginger is really fantastic, but be sure to dice it pretty finely to avoid biting into a large chunk of heat.

Peach and Apricot Crumble with Almonds and Crystalized Ginger



Ingredients

4 peaches, halved, pitted and chopped into 1/2″
4 apricots, halved, pitted and chopped into 1/2″
2 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely diced
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup roughly chopped almonds
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking dish (alternatively, you can bake it in individual ramekins).  Combine peaches, apricots and 2 tablespoons of the flour and spread evenly in the baking dish.

2.  Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, ginger, sugars, almonds, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest, lemon juice and butter in a large bowl and mix together well with your hands, breaking up the butter with your fingers.  Make sure the butter doesn’t break down completely.  Sprinkle the mixture on top of apricots and peaches.

3.  Cover the baking dish with with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for additional 20 minutes more, or until golden on top and fruit is soft and bubbling.

4.  If you are patient, allow the crumble to cool slightly.  If not, spoon it up and serve with vanilla ice cream.

To quote one of my students “this was the best crumble I’ve ever had.”  Can you imagine how great this would be once the local markets start carrying juicy peaches and aromatic, sweet apricots?

This recipe is very easy to switch up for any season – I’m already thinking of apple and cranberry for the fall.

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Sour Cherry Crustless Cheesecake Cupcakes with Sour Cherry Glaze

26 Thursday May 2011

Posted by in Cheese, Cooking, Dessert, Fruit, Recipe

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“Will you make cheesecake for your grandmother’s birthday?” was the voicemail from my mom – short and sweet (kind of like the dessert I ended up making).  I couldn’t quite remember the last time I baked a cheesecake.  Perhaps it was back at the Culinary Institute of America.  I consulted the cookbook from the CIA but the recipe in the book was for 8 cheesecakes.  Rather than doing the math and deal with scaling ingredients, I decided to go for something simpler.

Then, I realized that I don’t own a spring form pan, nor do I have a proper mixer.  This could be difficult.  Rather than heading out to a local bakery to purchase a cheesecake, I decided to improvise and use my cupcake pan (inspired by so much love from you all for the Sausage & Broccoli Egg Cupcakes) and the whisk attachment from the immersion blender.

Sour Cherry Crustless Cheesecake Cupcakes with Sour Cherry Glaze
(adapted from Cooking for Engineers)

Ingredients
1 pound cream cheese
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can sour cherries, in water or juice
Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the cupcake pan with foil and paper liners.  Drain the cherries and reserve the water or juice for later use in the recipe.  Place 5 cherries in the bottom of each liner.  
2. Place cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar in a bowl.  Beat with a whisk until light and fluffy.  You should not be seeing any sugar granules by this point.  Use a spatula to help you scrape the edges of the bowl.  You must make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.  Take your time and allow your ingredients to sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.  Having everything at room temperature will make creaming and combining ingredients easier and you’ll have a lighter, lump-free batter.

3.  Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
4.  Add a teaspoon of vanilla (no imitation stuff here, please) and whisk.  Once the batter is finished, bang the bowl on top of the counter to release any air bubbles – you don’t want any holes in your cheesecake, do you?
5.  Use a cookie or ice scream scoop to divide the cream cheese batter evenly among the 12 cupcakes (you might have a bit of batter left at the end).  Using a scoop is less messy, and will give you even distribution of batter.

6.  Top each cheesecake with a cherry.  Tap the cupcake baking pan gently to release extra air bubbles and place in the oven.  Place a dish with hot water right underneath the cupcake baking pan.  The water will keep the cheesecake moist while baking.  Bake the cheesecake cupcakes for 15 minutes.  Turn off the oven and allow the cupcakes to stay in the oven for 30 minutes.
 
7.  Remove the cheesecake cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool completely on the wire rack.  Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
8.  Before serving, combine cherry water or juice with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer until syrupy.  Cool slightly and pour over cheesecake cupcakes.  Eat up!
I have to admit, these turned out better than I expected – maybe I didn’t have high expectations.  The recipe could be made richer by adding sour cream and heavy cream.  I’m already dreaming of more variations.  Perhaps raspberry, white chocolate and lemon.
What’s your favorite cheesecake flavor?
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