Oven Love

Green Series: Spinach and Ham Souffle

Since today is Earth Day, I thought it was only right to continue the Green Series. Today’s recipe is Spinach and Ham Souffle.

This was my first attempt at making a souffle. I have always admired the way they look, all puffy and brown and yummy-looking. I love the look of both savory and sweet souffles, but I thought I’d try my hand at a savory one first, since we’ve already got so many sweets around this house. This version is based on a Martha Stewart recipe using light ingredients to bump up the health factor. We both enjoyed the spinach flavor, but wished there was more ham. I just used some leftover deli ham without measuring, but I think 5oz should be enough to get good flavor. My souffle did fall a little bit on the way to the table, but that’s probably because I stopped to take photos. It’s great cold, too! Don’t be scared.. give this a try!

Spinach and Ham Souffle
(based on a recipe for Spinach Souffle by Martha Stewart)

10oz baby spinach, washed
4 tsp unsalted butter
3 tbs all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 whole large eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2oz)
5oz deli ham, chopped
pinch cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position rack in the center of the oven. Coat a 2-quart souffle dish or 6 individual (8-ounce) dishes with cooking spray or butter. Coat with flour. Tap out excess; set aside.
2. Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan; fill with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, and add the spinach. Cover, and steam until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain, and plunge into ice bath to stop cooking. Let cool, and squeeze out excess water. Place the spinach in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until finely chopped; set aside. You should have about 1 cup.
3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks until blended. Whisk in a little white sauce to temper the eggs, then add the remaining sauce, whisking until combined. Add the cooked spinach, grated cheese and ham.
5. Place the 4 egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on low until soft peaks begin to form. Increase speed to high; beat until stiff peaks form and egg whites are smooth.
6. Using a rubber spatula, transfer one- third of egg whites to spinach mixture; gently fold in until blended. Add spinach mixture to remaining egg whites; gently fold in until just combined. Pour into prepared dish or dishes.
7. Place souffle in oven, and reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve.

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Bread Pudding

This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe comes from Lauren at Upper East Side Chronicle. It’s Dorie’s Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding.

I’m a bread pudding lover.. but this week I discovered that I’m not a chocolate bread pudding lover. I much prefer the toasty, creamy, cinnamon-y flavor of a classic bread pudding.. I feel like the chocolate and the bread didn’t match.. I’d rather have a piece of cake if I’m going to indulge in chocolate.

I made 1/3 of the recipe, which filled two small mugs and two ramekins. I used some homemade no-knead bread (white) and all 2% milk, no cream. My version came out to about 240 calories per serving.. not too bad for a bowl full of bread and custard!

Don’t let me discourage you from giving this a try.. maybe a sweeter, buttery bread and the extra cream make a difference!

*Find the recipe here.

**Tuesdays with Dorie is a group of bloggers baking through Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours.

"Pre-Made, Our Way." Challenge: Homemade Wheat Thins

Thanks for baking with me, ladies! It’s only our first challenge, but I’m hoping we will grow as the months go by. I know of a few other participants (without blogs) who’ve yet to send me their photos, so I’ll be sure to post them here when I receive them. If you participated in this month’s challenge and aren’t included, please leave a comment and I’ll get you up here ASAP!

As for next month, I’ll be posting a recipe soon, but I’d love your input. Put your thinking caps on: think of the things we buy regularly at the store that we could recreate at home.. hopefully with less money and more love! I’ve been meaning to make homemade bagels for quite some time.. that might have to be the next challenge. Ideas, please, even if you didn’t participate this month. I want to pick a recipe that you’ll all want to make!

We interrupt this Green Series…

Back in September, shortly after I started Oven Love, my sweet husband wrote a little poem for me. He found it this afternoon, and gave me his permission to share it with you!

Ode To My Oven Love(r)
(by Mr. Oven Love)

Everyday with thrift and zeal,
She crafts the “bloggy” kind of meal;
Martha gives her inspiration,
Nattle* adds some perspiration,**
Love and skill combine to form
A dinner that is sure to warm
The spirits of a weary man
Better than the TV can.
Table set for two, not three;
She must take after Sandra Lee.
Plates leave the kitchen nigh complete,
Presentation must be neat,
For while its all still piping hot,
The Canon’s sure it get its shot
For the meal’s not just for me,
But for the World Wide Web to see.

I’m a lucky lady.

Happy Sunday!

*He calls me Nattle for Natalie.
**I really don’t sweat that much, but perspiration rhymes with inspiration.

Green Series: Parsley Pesto Pasta with Peas and Potatoes

I know this is the Green Series, but maybe I should be call this the P series! There’s an awful lot of of P’s in the title of this dish: Parsley Pesto Pasta with Peas and Potatoes.. whew!

This is a fresh and tasty spring dish that is a little more interesting than your basic basil pesto. (Not that there’s anything wrong with basil pesto, it’s amazing, too.) You can sub in any green vegetables that you like, or any vegetables for that matter. I love this fun pasta shape, too! Give this a try- and get some green on that plate!

Parsley Pesto Pasta with Peas and Potatoes
makes about 9 cups
(1 cup = about 200 calories)

1 lb pasta
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1 cup frozen peas
1 bunch parsley, rinsed
2-4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for dusting
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Bring salted water to boil and cook pasta for 10 minutes. Add potatoes, cook 5 minutes more. Add peas and cook until pasta is cooked through and potatoes are soft. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

2. While pasta is cooking, begin making the pesto. Chop leaves off of parsley bunch and put into a food processor. Add garlic and pulse until blended. Add walnuts, cheese, and zest, and pulse well. When ingredients look like a paste, begin to stream olive oil into the food processor. Continue adding until pesto is at the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Combine pasta mixture, pesto and pasta water. Mix well and put into bowls. Top with parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Green Series: Asparagus Gruyere Tart

Spring time is finally here in Dayton, and it’s about time! In honor of the new greenery outside, I’ll be posting a few recipes to bring the green inside. Look forward lots of green veggies like spinach, peas and asparagus- yum!

The first recipe in the Green Series is an Asparagus Gruyere Tart. This recipe is easy, easy, easy! Just a handful of ingredients and you’re on your way to a delicious springtime meal. The tart is great as a main dish with a salad on the side, or perfect as a party appetizer (I took it as an appetizer for our Easter celebration).

Asparagus Gruyere Tart
(from Martha Stewart, EveryDay Food)
Serves 4 as a main course, 10-12 as an appetizer.

• Flour, for work surface
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 pounds medium asparagus
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

TWD Regrets

Sorry, TWDers! I’m opting out this week. I haven’t missed a challenge in a while, but I’ve decided to take a week off. With all of the Easter treats and cupcakes around here, I think I’d go into a sugar coma! I also wasn’t able to find the amaretti cookies here in Ohio, but the next time I see them, I’ll snatch them up and try the recipe.

Until next week, check out our host, Holly, and the rest of the TWDers!

**Also- it’s the last day to enter to win FREE CUPCAKES at Tickled Pink! This is a great contest – free cupcakes at your door! Click here to enter.

Easter Treat: Snickerdoodle Blondies

I’ve been meaning to make these bars for a while now, and Easter was the perfect opportunity. I saw them on My Baking Addiction, and the picture just had me drooling!

I’m a fan of most blondies and brownies, but they have to be moist and chewy. None of that cakey stuff. These fit the bill perfectly. They have all the chewiness of a blondie, and all the cinnamon sugar sweetness of a Snickerdoodle. These are perfect for lunches and snacking, and easy enough to throw together with pantry items before a party. Give them a try, and you’ll be addicted, too!

Snickerdoodle Blondies
(posted on My Baking Addiction)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and/or line a 9×13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
2. In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be like cookie dough, so it’s best to spread it out with a greased spatula or your hands). Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
4. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting. Makes 20-24 bars.

Happy Easter, Readers!

We had a great Easter Sunday with our friends, the Halls and the Gheeslings (and Brian!). More Easter Day recipes to come tomorrow, but for now, check out these little scammers and their Easter cupcakes!

Breakfast Treats: Maple Pecan Scones

Mmmm.. breakfast. The best meal of the day. Any time of the day.

Last night, I finally made it back to the Cooking Club for AFIT Spouses. The theme was breakfast, so I decided to make these Maple Pecan Scones. The recipes is basically the Maple Walnut Scone recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking.. but with pecans and a few tiny changes.

The scones were great both warm and cool, a good patch for tea or a snack on the go. The original recipe makes only 12 scones, but I made 16 and they were still pretty huge! They’re only 210 calories, which isn’t too bad for a morning treat.

Maple Pecan Scones
(based on Maple Walnut Scones from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)
-makes 16 scones

For the scones:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk, plus 2-3 tbs.
2 tsp maple extract
1 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped
1 tbs sugar, for topping

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 tbs maple syrup
milk, for thinning

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized.
3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, 3/4 cup of buttermilk, and the maple extract. Slowly pour wet into dry, and then gently knead the dough with your hands until the dough starts to come together. Add the nuts and knead until incorporated. Don’t overwork the dough. Split the dough into two parts, then gently shape them into two flat squares, about 1- 1 1/2 inches in height.
4. Cut each large square into four small squares, then into eight triangles. Place the wedges onto the baking sheet. Brush each scone with buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
5. Mix sugar and syrup in a small bowl. Add milk, teaspoons at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle or spread over scones. Let cool completely.