Posted by Natalie on July 16, 2010 · 7 Comments
Done. Loved it.
Of course, hers is like 14 times more beautiful than mine, but here’s why:
a) she’s crazy talented.
b) I didn’t have a rolling pin, so I rolled the dough out with a pint glass.
c) I like the rustic look?
(unrelated) d) why do I make these lists in every post?
Anyway, I thought this was delish. Hubs was prepared to be unimpressed, but was actually a big fan. And I quote: “I thought this wasn’t going to be very good, but DANG, this is good!”
That is actually a made up quote. But you get the idea.
I sort of changed her recipe for the ricotta mixture, since I can’t seem to follow a recipe correctly to save my life. I added chopped parsley and a teeny tiny bit of onion, and used Grano Padano instead of Parmesan because it was 1/2 the price of good Parm and sounds much trendier. I got it at
Jungle Jim’s! You should go there, I suggest a cross-country trip just for the cheese section.
We ate it with some Caprese salad, which hubs has been craving, but I can’t eat a ton of because cheese is about 4,000 WW points per ounce. But I made it because I love him and had a taste just for funsies.
Notice how I creatively changed the title of the recipe. Eat this! In the summer. With your loved ones.
Zucchini and Herbed Ricotta Galette
(based on Smitten Kitchen’s Zucchini and Ricotta Galette)
Serves 6
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup sour cream (I used light.)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
Filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1/2 cup (about 1 ounce) grated Grano Padano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 shallot, minced (I actually used some teeny tiny garden onions, but shallots are a close equivalent)
Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water
Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. (I used my hands, no pastry blender in sight.) In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture. (I only used about 1/2 the liquid). With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops of the zucchini dry with paper towels before using. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil and the garlic together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, parsley, shallot, and 1 teaspoon of the garlicky olive oil together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Shingle the zucchini attractively on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of the garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.
Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed, the zucchini is slightly wilted and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Posted by Natalie on July 13, 2010 · 5 Comments
It’s TWD time, people!
This week’s pick is Dorie’s Brrrownies, chosen by Karen of
Welcome to Our Crazy Blessed Life. This was an easy recipe for me to complete, especially while out of town, and I am so thankful for that! We’re staying with a dear friend (and bachelor) who is a little low on the baking necessities, so I was glad that all I needed was a bowl, a pan, and a whisk. The recipe called for York Peppermint Patties, which I’ve always enjoyed (another Hershey’s product making me nostalgic for home). I used the York pieces instead of the actual patties, though, because
a) I was too lazy to unwrap all of the patties.
b) The pieces were cheaper.
c) They’re sort of whimsical.
d) People seemed to have problems with the patties melting.
e) They’re Penn State themed?
It was a split decision. I had to go for it. And it worked! I had no problems, aside from a little light blue residue from the candy coating on the edge of the brownies, which I cut off anyhow.
I tried the brrrownies warm and cooled, and I definitely prefer them cooled. They’re too fudgey at first. Wait for them to cool, and all this minty deliciousness comes through. Perfecto. I took them over to a friend’s just to get them out of my grubby little paws. I sort of wish I could feed them to the dog, they’re dangerous!
P.S. I heart Weight Watchers. Who else lets you eat brownies on their weight loss plan?
P.P.S. I’ve lost 20 lbs in two months!
Posted by Natalie on July 12, 2010 · 12 Comments
Recently, I’ve been feeling a little down about this blog. The last few months, I’ve been out of my gourd just trying to get through the days with all our summer traveling (to catch you up: we had a baby in March, moved across the country in May, hubs has had required USAF training continuously in multiple locations in June and July). We’ve been trapsing the little man up and down the East Coast like it’s no big deal. Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio.. not much time to amaze the family with exciting meals, let alone give my readers anything yummy to look at.
Then I thought, “Hey! I’ll start a new series with reviews about natural and organic products and come up with great recipes to go with them. Everyone will love that! Comments will be pouring in!” But comments did not pour in, and so I’ve been feeling a little down. I am not sure anyone really reads the blog anymore besides my mom and maybe some TWDers (whom I love, obvi).
Nevertheless, I still like the blog. It motivates me to come up with new recipes at home and keeps me in the kitchen, even if I don’t get to post as much as I’d like to. It gives me an outlet to write beyond the family blog. So, whether or not anyone reads, I will keep up the posting. I hope to continue with TWD and my new review series, but for now, please enjoy some mouth-watering photos from some blogs that I love.
Rick Bayless’ Bacon Tomato Guacamole from his new book,
Fiesta at Rick’s (via
Serious Eats) looks like a winner and reminds me of El Vez. Must get this book!
I really want to be eating and posting these recipes, but let’s face it- you might beat me to it.
What are recipes are you drooling over right now?
Posted by Natalie on July 9, 2010 · Leave a Comment
I don’t know about you, but I am loving these reviews. They are making me feel so creative!
This week, I reviewed a product from another brand I’m already a fan of,
Simply Organic. Simply Organic is a delightful line of organic spices and spice mixes. I received some of their basic spices as a Christmas gift a year or two ago, but I had no idea that they offer baking mixes, chili mixes, dips, flavors & extracts, gravies, grilling seasonings, salad dressings and more. A delicious surprise.
For my review, I picked up two of the salad dressing mixes- Pineapple Cilantro and Apple Basil. I had a pork loin to use and I figured I could make either mix part of my meal. I ended up using the
Pineapple Cilantro mix as the base for a marinade, and ultimately a mix-in for my side dish, as well. I felt very clever. Here’s what I did:
- Used the Simply Organic salad dressing mix along with a few other ingredients (see below) to marinate my pork in.
- Threw some scallions in a frying pan with some olive oil, then added the marinated pork and cooked through.
- Removed the pork, added more scallions, some leftover rice and some pineapple juice to pan juices.
One. Pot. Meal.
What a time saver this was! I literally made this meal in 10-15 minutes. This would also be a tasty choice for the grill, but the rice would need to be done separately and it probably wouldn’t be quite so quick. I really enjoyed the mix- the pineapple flavor came through nicely with a little extra kick from the pineapple juice. The pork turned out nice and moist, and the flavors complimented the meat well. These mixes would be really good to have on hand in a pinch (and probably would make a great salad dressing, too). Thumbs up.
Pineapple Cilantro Pork with Quick Scallion Rice
1 lb pork loin, cut into 6-8 slices
1 packet Simply Organic Pineapple Cilantro Salad Dressing Mix
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra tablespoon for sauteing
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 reserved for later
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used regular white, you could use champagne or whatever suits you)
1 bunch scallions, half reserved for later
3-4 cups leftover or pre-cooked rice
1. A few hours before cooking time or the night before, combine the Simply Organic mix, olive oil, water, 1/4 cup pineapple juice and vinegar in a Ziploc bag. Add the pork and let rest in the refrigerate until you’re ready to cook.
2. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then add half of the scallions and cook for a minute. When the pan is clearly hot, add the pork slices, generously covered with the marinade. Cook through, about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your slices. Remove the pork and let rest under aluminum foil.
3. Add cooked rice to the pan with reserved scallions and pineapple juice. Stir until ingredients are heated through. Return the pork to the pan and serve immediately.
Posted by Natalie on July 4, 2010 · 2 Comments
It’s the Fourth, baby! Time to grab you some good eats.
I was running around like a crazy person yesterday morning trying to throw these cookies together for a July 4th cookout. Definitely worth it. I stole the recipe from my girl Martha, and she was on point, as usual. It’s basically a s’more in cookie form, except Martha doesn’t actually use graham flour/crackers as the cookie base. She uses oats, spins them around in a food processor for a minute, adds whole wheat flour, cinnamon, and a slew of other cookielicious ingredients to trick you into thinking you’re eating a s’more. You win, Martha. Obvi.
I was a little scared to add as much chocolate as Martha did, because what if the chocolate melted everywhere, and ruined the batch, and then I had to start over, and then I’d be late? That was not happening. So I went halfsies on the chocolate, but now I regret it. I will totally go all out on the chocolate next time. I did sub in the classic Hershey bar for Martha’s chocolate selection, though. I spent enough summers working on the
Hershey Trolley to know that s’mores require Hershey bars. Period.
Anyways, make these cookies and then enjoy your 4th. You won’t have to worry about them at your cook out because they’d still be awesome if they melt in the sun.
S’mores Cookies
Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup light-brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 30 squares (she means Hershey bars.)
- 15 large marshmallows, halved horizontally
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground. Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture just until combined.
- Drop dough by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets. Top each with a chocolate square. Bake just until lightly golden, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove sheets from oven; heat broiler. Top each cookie with a marshmallow. One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
Posted by Natalie on July 3, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Yesterday, I told you I’d be starting a weekly review of natural and organic products. Today, we’re kicking off the series with Nature’s Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bakery Buns. You’re at the edge of your seat, I can tell.
I’m sort of picky about my sandwich breads. I like them to have a certain texture, not too dry, but not too squishy either. I’m a pretty big fan of Nature’s Pride’s bread selection, even though I always seem to forget the brand name (“I know it’s Nature’s something…”). It was only fair that I give their buns a shot, too. This is the Nature’s Pride promise:
“Nothing less than 100%. The Nature’s Pride Promise. Every single slice of Nature’s Pride bread is baked the way nature intended. 100% natural. Our breads will never contain artificial preservatives or colors. No trans fats and no artificial flavors. Just the most delicious ingredients nature has to offer. And all our breads are made without high fructose corn syrup. Nothing less than 100%. That’s our promise. That’s our pride. Nature’s Pride.”
Sounds good, right? Right. I have to say that I enjoyed these buns. They’re more flavorful and bigger than the average wheat bun, and pack a nice 4g of fiber (only 3 WW points per bun!). The only thing I might change is the heavy-handed sprinkling of wheat germ on the top. I could have used a bit less of that. Overall, a solid choice for a whole wheat bun, especially since the choices for an actual whole wheat bun are pretty slim.
On to the recipe!
My sweet husband finally returned home from his six week training in Alabama last night, so I had to make him something nice and meaty and manly to welcome him home. This brisket recipe turned out much more tender than
my last attempt. He ate two giant sandwiches, so I call that a win. What man can refuse a beer-laden recipe, anyways? That’s how I get him to eat wheat bread- distract him with meat and beer. Classic move, works every time.
I should also mention that this would be a great choice for an Independence Day meal. You can do all the work in the morning and actually spend time with your guests. Enjoy the holiday!
Guinness Brisket Sandwiches with Quick No-Mayo Coleslaw
(adapted in part from Food Network Magazine)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 5-6 lb brisket, cut into three pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bottle Guiness (or other stout beer)
4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
2 Nature’s Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bakery Buns, or other rolls
Quick No-Mayo Coleslaw, for serving (see recipe below)
1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season meat with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides. Add garlic to the pan in the last few minutes. Transfer the meat and garlic to a slow cooker. Pour the Guinness into the skillet and simmer, scraping the browned bits from the pan; add the beer mixture to the slow cooker.
2. Nestle the celery around the meat. In another bowl, whisk the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, and paprika. Add to the slow cooker with the bay leaves. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Transfer the meat to the cutting board and let rest before cutting.
3. Serve on buns with coleslaw, drizzling some of the cooking liquid on the meat.
Quick No-Mayo Coleslaw
(adapted from a recipe by Mark Bittman)
2 tbs dijon mustard
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 bag (5-6 cups) pre-cut coleslaw mix
In a large bowl, whisk mustard, vinegar and garlic. Whisk continually while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to mingle.
*Note: I received these buns, along with two other varieties of Nature’s Pride products, as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemakers Program. Big thanks to Nature’s Pride and FoodBuzz!
Posted by Natalie on July 1, 2010 · 1 Comment
Alright, party people. Get excited.
We’re starting a new feature on Oven Love: natural and organic product reviews.
Bam. Here’s the plan:
Every Friday, I’ll review a natural or organic product, and if you’re lucky, I’ll include a recipe to go along with it. Maybe I’ll have some coupon contests? Maybe it will be fun?
I’m really hoping it will be fun. I want to spread the natural love.
Tell your friends.
Fun starts tomorrow!
Posted by Natalie on July 1, 2010 · 1 Comment
A week or two ago, my brother, sister-in-law, my mom, the little one and I had a special dinner honoring my dad on Father’s Day. My SIL made an amazing spread: bacon-wrapped filet, steamed crab legs, potatoes, grilled asparagus, and a delicious shrimp cocktail. She was inspired by some Good Eats episodes for most of the meal, and used his recipe for the cocktail sauce.
Here’s the first part of Alton’s Crustacean Nation episode:
I just loved this meal and I wanted to share part of it for you. Lots of love to my SIL for all of her hard work on the meal, especially in her third trimester, and to my dad, of course, for being great.
(Fun Fact: This was the first time I had cocktail sauce. Yum!)
Alton Brown’s Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients
- 32 shell-on (21 to 25 count) tiger shrimp
For the brine:
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups ice
For the cocktail sauce:
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup prepared chili sauce
- 4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Few grinds fresh black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning
Directions
Using a pair of scissors or a serrated knife, make an incision down the backside of the shrimp, following the intestinal track. Eviscerate shrimp and rinse under cool water leaving shells intact.
Place cleaned shrimp into a bowl with brine and refrigerate mixture for 20 to 25 minutes. While shrimp are brining, place tomatoes, chili sauce, horseradish, sugar, pepper, and salt in food processor and blend until smooth. Refrigerate cocktail sauce until ready to serve.
Place a baking sheet or broiler pan under oven broiler and preheat for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, if desired.
Place shrimp onto a sizzling sheet pan and return to broiler immediately. After 2 minutes, turn the shrimp with a pair of tongs. Return the shrimp to broiler for 1 minute. Transfer to a cold cookie sheet. Refrigerate immediately.
Once shrimp have chilled, arrange with cocktail sauce in a martini glass or as desired.
Posted by Natalie on June 30, 2010 · 1 Comment
Fun Fact: I just made this a few hours ago. Dorie says to let it sit overnight before you taste it, so I can’t really tell you if it’s great or not. I tried a little piece before hand, and it was just okay.
I promise I’ll report back after it sits a little bit. I’m sure by then, it will be better than okay.
It was very easy to make, though. My favorite part was not having to wait for butter to come to room temperature before I started the recipe. Love!
My least favorite part was the calories. You’re killing me Dorie.
Meanwhile, you should visit sweet
Wendy’s post for the recipe. She’ll actually tell you about the cake.
Posted by Natalie on June 15, 2010 · 7 Comments
I was very excited to see this week’s TWD choice- Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread, picked by
Food Baby. Finally, some bread!
As usual, Dorie’s recipe is full of those pound-packing ingredients, so I decided to lighten it up a bit by using almond milk and some Splenda for Baking. The recipe also had a lot of optional ingredients. Some I used -nutmeg, cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark) – and some I didn’t -orange zest- and it turned out great. I was afraid it might be a total fail because of the almond milk, but it was a success. I loved the little hit of cocoa.. yum!
This was a good choice. Love!
