Blueberry Pear Scones

I made these amazing scones this morning. These little bites are a super tasty treat and a great way to start off your morning! I ate mine with a warm glass of Milk Oolong Tea!Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter chilled and cut in 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 block of chilled Crisco (butter flavored)
• 1 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup of Cinnamon applesauce
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup whole milk (you could use cream if wanted)
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh
• 1 cup pear, peeled,thinly sliced and cut in halves (about 2 pears)
• 2 additional tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons sugar for the top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder in a mixing bowl. Cut in the butter and crisco until tiny peas are formed. In separate mixing bowl combine egg, applesauce and almond extract. Once incorporated add to the flour mixture. Then fold in the blueberries and the pears. (mixture should be pretty stiff and not too sticky, if it's too sticky; add 1/2 more flour and mix, keep adding flour until it's no longer really sticky. It needs to be a little sticky but not really sticky.) Pour mixture out on a lightly floured surface and push the dough out until it's 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into triangles and put on a parchment lined baking sheet. With basting brush, brush milk over top of scones and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Enjoy!

Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp of salt
dash of white pepper
1.5 cooked asparagus chopped
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup chopped fried bacon
1/4 cup chopped onion
.5 Tbs of rosemary leaf powder or 1 Tbs fresh rosemary
2 Tbs dill

Mix all ingredients together.

Crust:
3 Cups of hash-browns shredded and thawed
3 Tbs of oil ( i use Wild Mushroom and Sage olive oil- from Heavenly Oils.

Mix together and press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. Bake in a preheated oven of 425 degrees for 15 min. Add the egg filling. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce heat of oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes until browned on top and set in the middle. Allow to cool for 15 min before cutting.

Miso Seaweed Soup

Today we had Miso Seaweed Soup. I felt like making something oriental and this hit the spot.
I absolutely love this recipe and will make it again and again. It tastes like the soup at Japanese Sushi restaurants, which I love! So here is the recipe for this incredibly awesome soup!




Miso Seaweed Soup

1 cup torn Dulse (sea vegetable)

5 Tbs Miso paste

4 cups Vegetable Stock

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 medium onion

1 bundle udon noodles

1 watermelon radish*

1 small package of sprouted tofu (sprouted tofu is hard to find but the best for you)

Slice the onion into shoestring strips (super thin strips) then add to a hot soup pot. Let the onions caramelize slightly then add in the vegetable stock and water. Let come up to a boil. cut tofu into strips and then place between several paper-towels and place a heavy pot on top of the tofu (you are trying to squeeze all the water out of the tofu so that it will absorb the yummy broth flavors) let the pot sit atop of the tofu for 10 minutes. Add in the Miso paste to the stock and stir until all is dissolved. Lower heat to medium low and add in the Dulse and the tofu. In a separate pot cook the udon noodles to the instructions on the package. Slice the radish very thin and add to the boiling water you will boil the noodles in. Cook noodles and radish together. Drain noodles and radish and add them both to the soup. Simmer on low for 20 min. You may add salt if needed but truthfully you don't need to. Enjoy.

* for those of you who have never seen a watermelon radish before, This is it! It's bright green on the outside and hot pink on the inside. It is very tasty, not too harsh or bold but just right to compliment this dish.
And Until Tomorrow: Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."

Boeuf Bourguignon

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted a recipe. Business, you know. Today's recipe is for a classic beef stew with red wine. It does take a while but it is well worth it, let me tell you.

Boeuf Bourguignon:
"Beef Stew in Red Wine"-- an adaptation from Julia Child's

Serves 4-6 people

6 ounces of Bacon

Heavy bottom pot or a ceramic soup pot

3 lbs beef (stew meat is the best since it's already cut for you)

3 carrots

1 medium sweet yellow onion

2 stalks of celery

1/2 of a Japanese sweet potato

4 small gold Yukon potatoes

1/2 Tbs salt ( I used apple-wood smoked salt but you can use whatever you have on hand)

1/4 tbs pepper

2 Tbs flour

3 cups of a red wine (dry or sweet wine; it doesn't matter which, just make sure it is full of flavor)

3 cups of beef stock

2 Tbs of tomato sauce or paste

2 cloves of garlic; mashed not minced

3 bay leaves

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees.
Heat chopped bacon in the soup pot over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked through, remove with slotted spoon. Pat beef cuts dry with paper towels. (if there is any moisture on or in the meat, it will not brown properly! Thank you Julia Child for teaching me that)! With the grease that is left in the pan add a couple of dry cuts of beef, browning on all sides. Once browned but not cooked through, remove beef with slotted spoon. Continue to cook pieces of beef until all pieces are browned on the outside. Once all are browned it's time to cook the veggies. Slice all veggies into small chunks; gold potatoes, carrots, onion, Japanese sweet potato, garlic. Saute veggies for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes remove all veggies and put in a bowl. Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Toss the meat with1 Tbs of flour and put the pot (uncovered) in the oven for 3 minutes. Take out after 3 minutes, stir and toss with another Tbs of flour. (this is forming a slight crust on the outside of meat; thank you again Julia Child for teaching me this), and then stick the pot back in the oven for another 3 minutes. Turn down the heat of the oven to 315 degrees. Take out and stir in the veggies. Add the wine and then add the beef stock and tomato sauce. Season the stew with 1 tsp Thyme and 3 bay leaves. Put the lid on the pot and stick in the oven for 3 hours. Trust me you need to let it cook for this whole time!!! If you do, the flavor is soooooo scrumptious.


I have wanted to make this for a long time and I am so sad I waited this long. I wanted to take it out early because the smell in our home, when it was cooking, was AMAZING! And the taste was even better. This stew is so heavenly. The meat is incredibly tender you could cut it with a fork, it just falls apart. That's why cooking it so long is needed. The flavor of the red wine mixed with the garlic and onions is wonderful. I will be making this quite frequently because Adam and I liked it so much. Truly a delightful dish, especially since it's cold out!

We are going to be having left overs tonight, so this is the dish for today! HOWEVER, tonight I am going to be making a Chocolate Souffle! If you have never had a souffle before, this is the one you need to try. It's Julia Child's recipe but it is incredibly light, decadent and gooey. To die for! I have made several souffles in my life but this one takes the cake. So if you want to learn how to make an awesome desert to go with this recipe, stay tuned. I'll post it late tonight, after we have had our fill of it!

And Until Tomorrow:Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."

Take it from me!

Take it from me that this dish is surprisingly marvelous... Actually, don't take it from me, make it for yourself and you'll agree with me. I sat down to write this recipe tonight and a thought that went through my mind was, I am so not a writer.... BUT I know what I love, and what I love is cooking. What I love is food. What I love is making food come alive to people who are stuck in mundane recipes they have eaten week in and week out. So here is tonight's meal: Sweet, Sour and Spicy Vegetable Soup with Sauteed Broccoli Spigarello. The soup is colorful and contrasting, distinct and otherwise magical. The rice vinegar adds a depth to the dish that will make your mind go straight to Asia, at least that's the first thing my thought was; Asian style Soup. The heat from the spice plays on your tongue and lingers in your throat. I try to cook with what's in season, so this dish is crowded with root vegetables. For those who haven't heard of Broccoli Spigarello before, it's a cross between Kale and Broccoli. The flavor hints toward more kale than broccoli, but not as pungent. It's delightful.

Sweet, Sour and Spicy Vegetable Soup:

1 Tall box of Chicken Stock
1 Medium Yellow Onion or 4 small onions
2 Rutabagas chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 bunch of baby white turnips chopped into cubes
1 small celery root or 1/2 large celery root diced
2 large carrots or 10 baby carrots sliced
4 medium potatoes chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbs Basil
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbs Parsley
1 Tbs Thyme
1/2 Tbs Coarse Sea Salt
1/2 Tbs pepper
1/2 Tbs of light brown sugar
3 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1 Spoon full of Siracha Hot Sauce

Heat 2 Tbs of olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add diced onion saute until transparent. Add Rutabeggas, Baby white turnips, celery root, carrots and potatoes. Add chicken stock and then add 2 cups of water. Add bay leaf, kushrie spice, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. After boiling, add rice vinegar and siracha sauce. Turn heat down to low cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Take out bay leaf. Taste broth. If broth needs more spice, add another 1/2 Tbs of siracha. Serve and enjoy!






Broccoli Spigarello Saute:
1 Bunch of Broccoli Spigarello
1/2 Tbs Kusherie Spice
2 Tbs Olive oil
1 Tbs Sesame Oil
Pinch of salt
Crack of pepper

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in large frying pan.
Cut the stems off of the Broccoli Spigarello, they are woody and not tasty.
Wash the Spigarello and cut into large pieces.
Add the Spigarello into the oil and sprinkle, Kusherie spice, salt and pepper over the leaves.
Saute for 5 minutes, until leaves are tender crisp.
Enjoy.








I hope you find these refreshing.

And until tomorrow.... Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."

Winter Dinner

Tonight I am having some truly lovely people over for dinner, my parents. Since Old man winter is clearly moving in for a season, I wanted to make a true winter meal. The kind of winter meal that warms your body and your heart and takes the chill out of the air. So what better sort of winter meal than soup? There is none. Also, I wanted to use some produce that is in season. So tonight's menu features: Butternut Squash soup with cream and Ginger, Apple Sausage stuffed Acorn Squash, and Salad with Persian Lime- Fig Dressing. The Butternut Squash soup is smooth and thick, creamy with a little kick. The velvet texture is amazing. The stuffed acorn squash is truthfully amazingly savory. The sweet apples pair extremely well with the spice and salt of the sausage.
I love having a warm cup of tea while I get ready to start cooking. I love getting my creative juices flowing and cooking allows me to do so. Before I started in my sanctuary, I made myself my most favorite cup of tea: GenMaicha! So scrumptious. A green tea that is native to Japan. It has flecks of popcorn in it and barley. The popcorn flecks add this delightful buttery taste to the tea, it's divine, but very Japanese. I haven't ever met someone who likes it like I do. I buy mine down at The Tea Market, by UMKC if anyone is interested in buying some tea this winter season.

Ok enough about that, here are the recipes for tonight's dinner.



Stuffed Acorn Squash:

3 Medium acorn squash. 1 Tbs. coriander 1 Tbs turmeric 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper 1 lb of pork sausage 1 Apple 3 small onions or 1 medium yellow onion 3 slices of whole wheat bread 1 Tbs of plain Greek yogurt 1Tbs basil 1 Tbs thyme 1 Tbs garlic powder

Cut 3 medium acorn squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Season squash halves with 1 Tbs. coriander, 1 Tbs tumeric, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Then place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake squash for an 1 hour and 15 minutes. While squash is baking gather the rest of the ingredients. Brown 1 lb of pork sausage in hot skillet. Chop 1 apple into cubes ( a sweeter apple is better: Gala or Fuji). Dice 3 small onions or 1 medium yellow onion. Chop 3 slices of whole wheat bread into cubes. Once the pork is brown add the onion and apple. Saute about 5 minutes, until they are soft. Take off the heat and add the bread cubes, 1 Tbs of plain Greek yogurt, 1Tbs basil, 1 Tbs thyme and 1 Tbs garlic powder. Mix all ingredients together and stuff into each squash half. Bake for another 20 minutes.










Butternut Squash Soup:
1 Butternut squash 1 tsp Paprika 1 Tbs Coriander 1 tsp Cinnamon Chicken Stock 1Tbs fresh grated ginger Olive Oil 2 Tbs of Turmeric 1Tbs of curry powder 1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes 1 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream

Cut 1 large butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Season each squash half with 1 tsp Paprika, 1 Tbs Coriander,1tsp Cinnamon and 1 tsp salt. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for1 hour at 350 degrees. Take squash out and scoop out flesh into a big mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to the squash. Grate 1 Tbs of fresh ginger into the squash mixture. With a stick blender,blend the ingredients until smooth. Heat a deep pot over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbs of olive oil. (I use Harissa olive oil from Heavenly Oils-it's an olive oil that is infused with hot peppers). To the oil add 2 Tbs of Turmeric,1Tbs of curry powder and 1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes. Stir oil mixture continuously for1 minute,to let all the flavors come out of the seasoning. Add in the squash mixture, stir to incorporate. Add1 1/2 more cup of chicken stock. Stir in 3 Tbs of honey. Once incorporated, add 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Heat to a boil and once boiling, turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes on low. Remove from heat and let stand for5 minutes. Enjoy!

Salad:
Chop 1 pear Chop 4 pickled beet slices Chop 5 cherry tomatoes Chop Romain lettuce and top with the pear,beets and tomatoes. Sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the top of the salad and top with dressing. My dressing is Persian Lime olive oil mixed with Fig balsamic vinegar.


Until tomorrow....Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."

Food For Thought

Thoughts of starting a blog have run through my mind before. I have not acted on those thoughts until now. I had no idea what I would write a blog about, until tonight. Why not write about what I have a true true passion for? Why not write a blog about what gift God has graciously blessed me in? Why not?... I couldn't think of a good answer, thus this blog was born. This blog is not for those who want bland, cardboard frozen dinners or for those who are unwilling to be adventurous when it comes to dinner. This is for those who want flavor to explode out of their ears, who want to try something they never would have tried before, and for those willing to expand their minds a little. Yes, there will be the occasional post about my little man, Noah, but for the most part this is a cooking blog. I will try to post every day something that I am cooking, pictures to accompany the recipe and my review of the dish after eating it. So here we go!

Going to my cupboard tonight and having the scent of Turmeric fill my nostrils, sent me to a place of serenity in the kitchen. I can just imagine the bright amber color showering onto the velvet texture of butternut squash and pureed down with silk cream to have the end product be the most delicious soup you have ever put in your mouth. However, tonight's Turmeric was for a different dish. Tonight I made: delicata squash- saffron risotto, stuffed into bell peppers and topped with a poached egg. It was heaven in a bowl. Follow this recipe and I guarantee you will make it again.


Recipe:
Makes 6 servings
1 Delicata Squash or Butternut Squash
1 Bag of Saffron Risotto
2 Tbsp Cream
1/2 Tbs Turmeric
1/2 Tbs Coriander
1 tsp red pepper flakes
3 Green or Red Bell Peppers
6 Eggs
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut tops off of bell peppers and pull the inside seeds out. Then slice in half, lengthwise.
3. Take a 9x14 inch baking dish and fill with water. About and inch of standing water.
4. Put the peppers in the dish, skin side down. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake peppers for 15 minutes.
5. While the peppers are softening in the oven, peel the squash, seed the squash and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Put the squash cubes into a mixing bowl and pour turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes over the squash and mix to coat the cubes. Once coated, heat 2 cups of chicken stock on the stove in a deep pan. Once the stock comes to a boil add the squash and heat until soft (about 10 minutes).
6. Make the risotto according to the package.
7. Once the squash is soft, drain off any extra liquid that wasn't absorbed and add the squash to the risotto.
8. Pour in the 2 Tbs of cream and mix together until all is incorporated.
9. Take the risotto- squash mixture and stuff into each pepper half.
10. Sprinkle each pepper with shredded Parmesan cheese and make a well with your spoon. ( to make a well, take the back of your spoon and make an indention in the risotto filling- so it looks like a well).
11. Cover again with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
12. While the peppers are setting up in the oven, it's time to poach our eggs.
13. In a pot, heat 6 cups of water and a splash of vinegar, on the stove. ( you want the water to be simmering-- small bubbles at the bottom, NOT boiling!)
14. Once you see small bubbles on the bottom of the pot, it's time to poach our eggs.
15. Crack one egg into a small shallow bowl, without breaking the yolk.
16. With a wooden spoon in one hand, slowly stir your water in a circular motion to create a small whirlpool.
17. Stop stirring and with the other hand slowly pour the egg into the center of the whirlpool.
18. Let simmer for 3 minutes and gently remove with a slotted spoon. Continue with the other eggs.
19. Nestle each poached egg into the well that you made in the risotto stuffing.
20. Top with salt and pepper!
21. Enjoy!!!!

This recipe is INCREDIBLE!!! The yolk from the egg creates this velvet texture that envelopes the little nuggets of the squash as the nuttiness of the risotto plays on your palate. The spiciness of the red pepper flakes is not overpowering but plays well with the warmth of the turmeric against the salt that accompanies each bite.
YUM...
Until tomorrow....Binecuvântările pe toate eforturile gustoase.
"Blessings on all your tasty endeavors."