Happy Mother’s Day and Some Fresh Flowers

Posted on May 10, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

More azaleas from my garden this spring.

Rather than let the weekend go by and still no post from me, I’m teasing you with a few images from what I hope will be a garden slideshow next week.

Meanwhile, wishing you and yours a very Happy Mother’s Day, be you a mother to a child, a fur kid, fish or fowl! Have a lovely day.

A magnificent double blossomed dogwood tree from a garden tour I attended with my mom.

Close-up of the double blossom on the dogwood…amazing tree!

Candy striped camellia blossom.

The tremendous snowball bush in my mother’s yard.

Sweet double petaled jonquils.

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A Taste of Spring: Tomato, Orange and Tarragon Soup

Posted on April 25, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Spring has come, bloomed, and almost gone around here…at least as far as the showy display of azaleas is concerned. In April we’ve see-sawed between highs in the 80’s and 50’s to lows in the 30’s…and the 70’s! With our last cold snap most likely behind us, it’s time to lighten things up a bit, and I’ve found the perfect way to do it.

This very quick and easy soup is so delicate and delicious that you may even forget it’s ridiculously healthy, too. Tomatoes and oranges happen to love each other, and when you combine those flavors with the sweet undertones of anise in the tarragon, it’s a perfect trifecta for the happiest of soup marriages. The resulting taste is so fresh and lighthearted, filled with all the promise of Spring and Summer, and it’s quite a versatile recipe, too.

You can actually make this any time by using minimally processed and no-salt canned tomatoes, some dried tarragon and fresh orange. Or, you can make it in the summer months with freshly grown tarragon and those prized homegrown tomatoes…I just can’t wait for that time to come! Use some store-bought stock, or homemade if you have it…either vegetable or chicken stock will work just fine. Make this and eat it hot or cold. Puree it and then go for it, or strain it after the puree and add some enrichments to make it creamy and velvety!

The base recipe I’m showing you today is actually vegan, and you can decide if you want to fuss with and add to it, but we really enjoyed this “as is,” both hot and cold. Serve it by itself or with an accompaniment. No matter how you choose to enjoy it, it’s a lovely way to welcome the warmer weather with the lighter meals and fresh ingredients we so look forward to. Happy days.

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And just for fun, here is a peek at my Camellia Japonica Colonel Fiery in all its blooming glory. He (or she as the case may be), is blooming long and late this year, and has been in continuous bloom for many weeks now.
I’ll show you more of my garden—including the azaleas you see in my new header—in my next post, but meanwhile…happy eating and Happy Spring!

*****

Tomato, Orange and Tarragon Soup
Serves 6-8

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1- 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes in puree, no salt added
1-14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
2 Tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
4 cups of vegetable stock or broth, no salt or low sodium, store-bought or homemade
Juice and zest of one orange
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves, or 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste if needed

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and saute until the onion is tender and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and puree, canned tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, vegetable stock or broth, juice and zest of the orange, tarragon, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper, and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth, or in batches in an upright blender. Season the soup to taste with a bit more salt and some pepper if desired. Serve this hot or cold, garnishing with a thin orange slice and a stem of fresh tarragon if you like. It will keep in the fridge for several days, and like most soups, is arguably better the next day.

At this point you have a very delicately flavored and super tasty vegan soup. If you want, you can strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids and obtain a silky smooth texture. You can also add enrichments to make this a cream soup with or without straining it by returning the pot of soup to low heat and stirring in 1/2- 3/4 cup of half and half or cream, or to taste, heating the soup until it is completely warmed through. I have also stirred a tiny bit of half and half or cream into a serving of this soup cold, and it was excellent!

*****

The Last of Winter’s Harvest: Chard, Gruyere and Pancetta Pie

Posted on April 14, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Yes indeed, I really had planned to change the header to Spring for my next post, but due to an extremely busy week and some traveling, that’s not going to happen. Fortunately, the “Winter Look” seems entirely appropriate for this post (in spite of the fact that we hit 80 degrees here last week), because this recipe is all about using the last of the Winter chard from my garden before turning it and planting new veg for Spring/Summer.

We’ve had a truly mild Winter here, a non-Winter almost, and my rainbow chard really loved it. Just enough cool weather to make it continue to produce, and no hard freezes to kill it. I had almost a pound of it left to harvest this week from the few plants in my tiny raised bed garden plot. But what to make?

Then I remembered I’d seen someone posting a quiche recently, and it made me start thinking how long it had been since I’d had one. That might be a nice way to use up my chard! A quick reconnaissance of items in the fridge resulted in the knowledge that I already had some pancetta that I’d found on sale, some gruyere and Parmesan cheeses, plenty of eggs, milk, a red onion, et voilà!

This was quite a delicious pie, with more defined layers than your average quiche because of all the greens…more like a cross between a quiche and a pie. The greens do release a bit more of their liquid during the second round of cooking, so be forewarned that you’ll need to let this sit for a few minutes before you cut it, as it’s a little juicy. It does firm up nicely once it approaches room temp, but of course we couldn’t wait that long and I only let it rest 5 minutes before cutting. Even so, I found that it held together just fine. And regardless of how pretty or not any slices may have been, it’s gone!

Like most quiche or pie recipes, this one is pretty flexible. You can use less chard, but I wouldn’t try more, and you can sub bacon for the Pancetta, and white onion for red. I think spinach would work nicely here, too, in lieu of the chard, or as a mixture.

Chard, Gruyere and Pancetta Pie
Serves 6

1 – 9 inch good quality frozen whole wheat pie crust (yes, you can make your own, but as I said, it was a busy week!)
4 oz. Pancetta or you can substitute good quality bacon
1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped
12 oz. ( you can use less if you like) rainbow or other chard, washed, dried, stems removed and leaves chopped crosswise into bite sized pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup milk (I used 1%, but any will do)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
4 oz. grated good quality gruyere cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

If you’re using the frozen pie crust, check the package directions to make sure that it is ready to go for a quiche or pie, or if you need to pre bake it, do so. Same with a home made pie crust, which will probably need blind baking. My crust is ready to fill from the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pancetta in a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat, turning occasionally, until it is golden brown and crisp. Remove the pancetta from the pan to a paper towel to drain, reserving 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the grease in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add the chard to the pan, sprinkling half the salt and pepper over the chard, and saute until it is wilted and tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, milk, the remaining salt and pepper and the nutmeg until combined.

If using a frozen crust, remove it from the freezer and the packaging, and place it on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil, or follow the instructions on the package. Crumble the pancetta into the bottom of the crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the pancetta. Top the pancetta with the chard mixture, then pour the egg custard mixture evenly over the top. It will be full, and you may have a couple of tablespoons of extra custard left, depending on how much chard you use, or how large your pie crust is. Carefully transfer the pie on the cookie sheet into the oven and bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes, or until it is puffed and beginning to be golden, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If you need to, cover the edges of the pie crust with foil if they start to brown too quickly. When the pie is done, remove from the oven, allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes, and cut into 6 wedges. This can be served warm, at room temp, rewarmed slightly in the microwave or oven, or even cold.

*****

There and Back Again: Some Mud and Fire.

Posted on April 6, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Warning! I don’t have a new recipe post for you today. But I hope you’ll stay, indulge me and read on. Yes, this is the answer post to the teaser at the end of the Spinach, Cheese and Phyllo Tart alluding to new adventures. It all started here:

*****

Many years ago, I decided to take a class in pottery at our local and very wonderful Callanwolde Fine Arts Center. I had taken one clay class in college and didn’t enjoy it, but thought perhaps my perspective might have changed after being out in the real world for a while, so I was willing to give it another go. Little could I have known then how deeply that decision would impact my life. It led to a love and pursuit of clay for 15 years, and the forging some life-long friendships along the way. And then strangely, in some ways it led me back to painting watercolors, then to gardening, then developing even more of an interest in food and cooking, and then to this blog.

I first approached clay because I thought it would be a fun way to provide some much needed physical and creative release from a pretty stressful business. Pounding clay is great therapy, and working sculpturally was a wonderful way to gain perspective on what I did every day in a more two-dimensional world.

Clay is dirt. Mud, in fact. No doubt about it. It’s primeval. It’s grounding. It’s been the material of choice for hand made vessels that have propelled humans from the stone age into the modern world, Vessels for the necessities of life and community, for food, water and storage. We still use it. We feel connected with the Earth and each other every time our hands touch it.

I became addicted to the medium and had the good fortune to be invited to work in the studios of some very talented professional potters who were first my teachers, and later became close friends. After a time, I stopped taking classes and joined some of those same potters in our own studio. During those years, I explored different ways to hand build, multiple firing techniques, and created both decorative and functional pieces. I particularly enjoyed building with coils, and I embraced an exposed coil style of handbuilding that I used for many years. I loved painting with bright commercial glazes and then Raku firing them, smoking the pieces to enhance the contrast between color and darkness, shiny and matte. I showed some work in local festivals and in our own studio shows. I had a blast. And then one day I stopped doing it completely.

Why did I leave it? The answer to that might be a book unto itself, because as we all know, interests and life take natural twists and turns.

Briefly, my sabbatical from clay was a time to explore…things that ended up, at least in my mind, being oddly related to clay in some form or another. Getting my hands into organic gardening and the organic and sustainable food movement, cooking my own food more frequently and creating new recipes, taking some time to paint watercolors, finding that I enjoy writing. But what I firmly do believe about our existence in this world is that we are, inexorably, pulled towards—or back to—the things we are meant to do. And resistance is futile. So now, 10 years later, I’m embracing clay once more. And I’m so excited about it that I wanted to share!

Don’t worry. I’m not changing anything…I’m still a professional graphic designer, I still love cooking and blogging about food, and will still be doing and enjoying those things. But I know now it’s time to return to clay because I love it, too, and I’ve really missed it.

So how on earth does all this talk of clay tie into this food blog? The premise of this blog is: Bits and Breadcrumbs: Where all trails lead to good food. Some of you may remember a post I did year before last. It was the holiday season and I mentioned some fellow artists and showed you their postcards for their holiday shows and sales. I also mentioned my Arty Artichoke Dip that I used to make sometimes for our grand pot luck Raku events at Callanwolde, and also for our studio shows when I was a potter. Those pot lucks and the signature dishes that showed up there were famous—and still are—so you’ll be hearing more about them in the future. See? Trails to more good food via clay. Food and art have always gone together, and every opening I go to seems to also be a big food event as well as a showcase for the art. After all, the term “starving artist” has more than one meaning!

Additionally, some of the comments I received on that same post were requests to see some of my work, but at that time, I didn’t have anything shot in a digital format since I hadn’t been working in clay for so long. In truth, much of my work from those years now resides in other people’s personal collections, and my only reference is still in slide form. But I do happen to have an inventory of the pieces left from my last studio show that I have now shot. So…..drum roll, please. I introduce you to my other persona: Mirthful Mudslinger.

All the images you see here today were hand built by me, and are currently featured items on my new Etsy store. These items are decorative and decoratively functional, and I think you’ll find them interesting. What I really hope is that you’ll stay tuned for the new work, which will be coming very shortly. I have lots of ideas I want to explore, and there will definitely be some food-related and food-safe pieces, too. See that clay-food connection?

After today’s post, I may occasionally interrupt this cooking broadcast to update you with new work I think you might like to see, directing you to my Etsy gallery which you can find right now by clicking here: Mirthful Mudslinger. I’d also really, really love it if you’d take a moment to “Like” Mirthful Mudslinger on Facebook by clicking here and then the “like” button on the page, which will provide you with a quicker way to see the new work as soon as it’s uploaded to the store, if you follow Facebook.

And that’s my new adventure, folks! Thanks for reading this long post. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s little foray into another direction, and look for me to be back to our regular programming on the next post! Hopefully by then I will have made my new Spring header, too. Meanwhile, may you have a truly Mirthful day!

*****

Note: If you live in the Atlanta metro area there are 3 wonderful resources in which to explore the world of clay on a community level. Check out Callanwolde Fine Arts Center-my alma mater, so to speak, and where I know the fine clay studio director and a good many of the equally fine current instructors, with classes in handbuilding and throwing, assistantships, and many firing options including electric, gas, salt, soda and Raku; Abernathy Arts Center-great instructors, handbuilding and throwing classes with multiple firing methods available including Raku; MudFire-an open clay studio facility by membership with a gallery, also has many firing options including electric, gas and Raku.

If you are interested in purchasing any items seen here and reside in the U.S., please go to the Etsy store at the link above. If you live outside the U.S. and are interested in purchasing an item shown here or on Etsy, please contact me directly. I am currently not shipping outside the U.S. via Etsy.

CATS

Terracotta Tabby Cat

Blue Tabby Cat

*****

Dogs

Small Puppy Dog No. 1

Big Blue Dog No. 2

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Pigs

Pink Piggy No. 1

Spotted Trotter

Pink Piggy No. 2

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Fish

Big Tuna

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Tile Trivets

Teal and Sand Trivet

Pink and Terracotta Trivet Pair

Pink and Sand Raku Trivet

Seafoam and Sand Trivet Pair

*****

Happy Easter!

Posted on March 30, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Happy Easter everyone! In my mind, Easter heralds the arrival of fresh Spring asparagus and I always feature it in my Easter meals. Ham in any way, shape, or form is another favorite for Easter dinners at our house, and dessert can be whatever your heart desires…along with, or after, all of those chocolate bunnies and eggs, of course!

Here’s a recap of some Easter-worthy dishes, just in case you’re still hunting for the perfect recipe. May you and yours enjoy a peaceful, beautiful and happy day.

I’ll take mine with just a little cheese, please!

Orzo with Lemon, Asparagus and Ham, one of my personal favorite Easter dishes!

Ma’amool Cookies, perfect for celebrating!

Warm Asparagus and Potato Salad with Lemon Tarragon Vinaigrette. I’m actually making this one tomorrow!

Strawberry Shortcake (Florida Strawberries just hit the market here!). Gosh, if you’ve got the berries, it’s never too early for strawberry shortcake.

Ham, Fontina and Spinach Bread Pudding (a warmer for those of you still suffering from Spring snow and cold winds!)

Creamy Avocado and Cucumber soup…a great, light starter for the Easter meal, leaving all the more room for…

Is there anything more inviting than a freshly baked pie? No, perhaps not.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie…oh, my!

The azaleas are popping…Spring is here! Have a lovely day.

Spinach, Cheese and Almond Phyllo Tart

Posted on March 23, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Another dish I could eat every day and be quite happy, thank you! It’s a night shot so please excuse the flash.

Here’s a little tart that’s free-formed, which in my case resulted in a rectangle. You could actually make it rounded, I suppose, if your phyllo happens to come in a different shape than that which we get here. But this rectangle format was a no-brainer using locally purchased phyllo from the freezer, and also seemed to give the tart a proper amount of phyllo-to-filling ratio in each slice. It makes for a pretty presentation and is not too difficult to make, once you get over what I like to call “Fear of Phyllo.”

Perhaps I should digress enough to say that I’ve suffered from “fear of phyllo” in the past, afraid that it would dry out before I could have my way with it, so to speak. But I find it well worth the minimal effort it takes to work with phyllo. Just keep the portion you plan working with unrolled on plastic cling film, wax or butcher paper and under a damp cloth, covering the remaining sheets each time with the damp cloth as you are working on the others, and you should be just fine. I’m sure there will be instructions to that effect on the package.

This recipe makes a fantastically full-flavored tart that is good for lunch all by itself, or for dinner served with a side or a salad such as the Mediterranean one in the last post. I would definitely make this for company and will also be modifying it soon, using smaller pieces of the phyllo pressed into mini muffin tins to make appetizer tarts.

And on another note, and I hope an interesting one for you, this week has been about some new beginnings for me…or rather a return to some creative endeavors from my past. Stay tuned for a little departure post, hopefully by the time of my next one, to share what’s going on. Meanwhile, enjoy this recipe, have a great weekend and here’s a little teaser photo to whet your interest!

*****

Spinach, Cheese and Almond Phyllo Tart
Serves 6

1 large red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
several grinds of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Two 10-oz. packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed and drained of as much liquid as possible
2 eggs, whisked to combine
1/2 cup slivered, blanched and toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 Tablespoon Panko breadcrumbs
Eight 9″ x 14″ unbaked phyllo sheets, thawed if frozen (mine was frozen)
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Brush some of the melted butter on a large baking sheet or flat pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic, stirring until the onion is softened and transparent, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the onion and garlic, and cook a minute or two longer, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 4 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, feta, cottage cheese, almonds, Panko bread crumbs and the spinach mixture stir until well mixed.

Working on the flat surface of your buttered baking sheet, lay down 1 sheet of the phyllo dough and, using a pastry brush, brush it lightly with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of the parmesan cheese over the butter, then top with another sheet of phyllo, repeating the butter, parmesan and phyllo sheets until all eight sheets are stacked on top of each other. Spoon the spinach filling down the center of your phyllo sheet, spreading it evenly and leaving about two inches of the phyllo uncovered all the way around it. Fold up the two long sides of the phyllo to just come up and over the top edge of the filling and brush the edges of the phyllo with some melted butter. Fold the two short ends of the phyllo just up and over the short edges of the filling and the ends of the long sides to make an evenly folded “package” and brush those ends with butter to seal it. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese over the top of the spinach filling, and bake the tart in the oven until the tart is lightly browned on the top and the phyllo is golden brown (see photo below.) Remove from the oven and allow the tart to sit for about 5 minutes. Slice crosswise into six even slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

If there are leftovers, they keep well completely cooled, placed in the fridge and reheated gently in the microwave the next day. The phyllo stays amazingly crisp!

*****

Swimming with Fishes: An Easy Pan Sauteed Salmon and a Mediterranean Salad

Posted on March 14, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

I don’t know why I hadn’t made salmon this way before, but it’s my go-to now! And the Greek salad isn’t too shabby either.

Where does the week go? Our lives are so busy and full these days, no matter what endeavors and challenges are part of your day to day world. Some days we just need to be able to make something quick and delicious for dinner. This fits that bill.

All of the recent fish posts and recommendations to add more of it to your diet (the Mediterranean diet most recently), have caused me to develop a relentless craving for fish. We don’t have the sources for fresh and reasonably priced fish that we should in our city, but we do seem to always have fresh salmon available, and sometimes at an excellent price. This was the case this week and I wanted to try a simple preparation.

Enter Jacques Pépin and Julia Child’s fantastic cookbook, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home, perhaps my most beloved and referred to cookbook of all time. Jacques’ singularly simple and quick preparation for salmon caught my eye, and it features just a few ingredients, some that I always have on hand. Of course best of all, it produces a truly spectacular and tasty end result…a crispy skinned fish, lightly seasoned, perfectly cooked and lovingly flavored with a little butter, lemon, onion and capers. I paired this with a Greek salad tossed with my homemade Mediterranean dressing/marinade and some rosemary roasted potatoes. Then I made it again with just the salad for a side because the fish is so rich. Either way, it’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal, for company, or for any night at all.

Perfectly cooked with a very crispy skin and rich, fresh flavor!

Pan Cooked Salmon (or try this with another fish of your choice)
As slightly adapted from Jacques Pépin’s original recipe
Makes 2 servings

2 – 6 oz. fillets of sustainable fresh salmon, skin on and scaled
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3/4 cup red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons of capers, drained
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Optional fresh flat leaf parsley to garnish, if desired

Sprinkle both sides of the fish with a small amount of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper. (Note: At this point, I would suggest turning on the fan over your stove unless you wish your house to smell of salmon for the next day…not that that’s a terrible thing.) Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat until it is quite hot. Put the salmon into the very hot, dry pan, skin side down. The heat will immediately crisp and shrink the salmon skin, and release it from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium high and cover, allowing the salmon to cook until it is just done and a knife inserted into the top will flake off the meat, but the fish is just barely cooked through inside, about 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Remove the fish from the pan with a long spatula and place it on the serving plates skin side up.

Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and return it to the stove top with medium low heat. Add the butter and the onions, and cook the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the capers and sauté for about 30 seconds, then swirl the lemon juice in and heat it through for just a few seconds. Pour the sizzling sauce over the top of the salmon fillets, dividing equally. Sprinkle with a little parsley for more color, if desired, and serve immediately with your favorite salad or side.

Betsy’s Easy Mediterranean Salad Dressing/Marinade
Makes a generous 1/2 cup, can be doubled

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into a 1 cup mason jar. Screw on lid and shake vigorously. Use this to lightly dress a Greek salad (red onion, kalamata olives, tomato, cucumber and feta) or a green salad, or use for a marinade for pork, fish or chicken.

Quick Loaf: Cranberry Apple Walnut Bread

Posted on March 5, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Eating a slice of this is a happy way to start the day!

Eating a slice of this is a happy way to start, or end, your day!

For many, many years I used to run up to the local health food store and get one of their delicious muffins…well, maybe more than one…to have for my breakfast. They made a few different kinds, but the one I loved the best featured fresh cranberries, apples and walnuts in a dense, moist muffin that had some underlying spice to it. I became addicted.

Some years ago the health food grocery closed their little deli section and changed over to a deli case, one which unfortunately meant the end to those muffins. But I remember them so well, and I’ve always wanted to recreate them.

This is a very close representation of those flavors. It’s not a muffin, though you could certainly make some muffins out of this recipe. It does feature fresh cranberries, which I happen to have a lot of in my freezer at the moment. But if you can’t get them right now or at all, by all means substitute another cup of apple or some pear for the cranberries, perhaps in small chunks for contrasting texture to the grated apple. Or better yet, feel free to experiment and try your own favorite berry or fruit that you think goes well with apple.

I particularly enjoy the contrasting tart pop of fresh cranberry in your mouth against the mildly sweet background of the apple and walnut in this bread. This loaf isn’t an overly sweet thing…in fact I would venture to say it’s a pretty healthy entry into the quick bread category. But it does make a perfect slice for breakfast, and even has just enough sweetness for dessert, in my opinion!

Cranberry Apple Walnut Bread
Makes 1 loaf

3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 (generous) teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups grated Pink Lady apple (or other baking apple) with skin (about 2 medium apples)
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/3 cup low fat milk
1 cup fresh cranberries, whole
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one standard loaf pan with unsalted butter and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the wheat flour, the white flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. In another large bowl, beat the sugar and the butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended, then add the egg and beat until combined. On low speed, add the grated apple, dry flour mixture and the milk in about 3 alternating batches to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating each ingredient until just incorporated, do not over beat. Gently stir in the cranberries and walnuts with a spatula or spoon, then transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the loaf is shrinking from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then turn the loaf out of the pan and allow it to cool on the rack until just warm or at room temp. Cut into slices and serve. This makes a great gift, too!

Curry Love: Curried and Spiced Lentil Stew

Posted on February 25, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Exotic.

Warm.

Mysterious.

Spicy.

Sweet.

My mind’s eye gazes toward a distant land and I can hear the waves of the sea, lapping against the shore in the sultry heat of the day. Just up the beach, there’s a market full of people. Even at this distance, I’m assaulted by the joyful noise of their excitement, mingling with the jumble of exotic smells emanating from row upon row of strange and beautiful spices, nuts, roots and produce.

As I enter the market and take my first look, I’m astounded by the colors! Surely the full spectrum of the rainbow is represented in this place. I walk past warm and golden yellows, mellow ochres and bright oranges. A few steps further are blueish purples and rosy reds contrasting with the greens of edibles from land and sea. Then a startling array of pinks and salmons alongside the browns…from the palest of tans and reddish mahogany, to the deepest, darkest, burnt umber.

The bounty and variety of ingredients is seemingly endless. I jostle my way past the crowd, eyeing the smooth, cool fruits and round and rooted vegetables. Berries of every kind are displayed in one stall, and in the next are the wrinkled shells of nuts, some deeply textured barks used for spices, and a multitude of seed pods. I make my way to the fresh and dried legumes which share space with bright, shiny peppers of every shape and size and an abundance of fragrant, fresh herbs. My imagination runs wild and my senses are fully engaged…engulfed in a world of sight, smell and taste as I think of the many dishes you could create from ingredients such as these.

*****

And that, my friends, is what curry does to me. The mere thought or smell of it has the power to transport me to another place and time—to open my mind to possibilities and experiences, and then bring me back again to the potential of the deliciousness in my grocery basket or the food my plate!

Is it love? Why yes, I believe it is.

In a dish, curry can enhance other ingredients and assert itself at the same time. I love it in everything from an American Southern rendition of a chicken salad, to Thai and Indian preparations. It’s also fabulous very simply swirled with a little mayo as a quickly made, but complex tasting, dipping sauce for fresh asparagus, artichokes or other veggies. If you haven’t already figured this out, it’s my favorite spice combination and I could eat it any way you can think of to use it!

This week, I used it in a simple and hearty stew to take the wet chill away. Starting with some pretty salmon-pink colored, dried and organic lentils, and inspired by thoughts of Indian Dal and Masala Dosa, this rich stew came to life—a complete meal unto itself. It’s something to warm and awaken your taste buds, something to make you happy and nourish the soul…and something that I used to transport myself out of my stuffed-up head (I have a cold) and send me back on my way to wellness.

Yes, I feel MUCH better already!

Curried and Spiced Lentil Stew
Makes 6-8 servings

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium to large red onion, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
5 cloves of peeled and minced fresh garlic
2 Tablespoons of peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons of good quality yellow curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
pinch of kosher salt
several grinds of black pepper
6 cups of homemade low salt chicken stock, or you can use vegetable or low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups dried red or pink lentils, picked over carefully and rinsed
3/4 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, skin on and diced
1-14 oz. can no salt added pure diced tomatoes and their juice
2 Tablespoons of chopped, fresh cilantro leaves, divided
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Optional garnishes of chopped fresh cilantro and plain Greek yogurt (I use 2%)

Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil to the pan. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the curry, cayenne pepper, a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper to vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock or broth, water, 1 Tablespoon of the cilantro leaves, tomatoes with juice, potatoes and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and lightly cover, leaving an opening for steam to escape. Cook until the lentils and potatoes are done, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the spinach and the remaining cilantro, allowing the spinach to wilt. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. With your first bite, close your eyes and see where it transports you! Naan served alongside this stew is very good.

Always Easy, Always Elegant: Coeur a la Creme with Strawberry Raspberry Grand Marnier Sauce

Posted on February 17, 2013 by bitsandbreadcrumbs

Coeur a la creme by candlelight…very romantic!

True. This is certainly a go-to recipe for Valentine’s Day, and this is the dessert I made for my Valentine. But this oh-so-versatile and easy dessert really shouldn’t be reserved for just once a year. It’s cool and creamy—nice for those hot months. It’s pretty impressive looking and can be made ahead—great for company. And best of all, you don’t have to cook a thing to make it! At least not for this version.

You’ll find more variations on this not very sweet, but very elegant French dessert than you can “shake a stick at!” Whether you choose to use cream cheese or mascarpone…sour cream, whipping cream or crème fraiche (or even yogurt!)…vanilla bean or vanilla extract…a coeur mold, or no mold at all—the truth is, it’s hard to go wrong! And just about the same thing can be said of your sauce in that you can substitute your favorite berry or berries, liqueur or no alcohol, jam or no jam. It’s all good!

This take on Coeur à la Crème is dead easy. The hardest part is forcing the mixture through a sieve before you mold it, and even that isn’t too difficult. So why wait for the next Valentine’s Day to roll around before you give this dessert a try? Year round, it’s a beautiful winner of a dessert for any occasion…or no occasion at all.

Coeur à la Crème (Heart with cream)
4 to 6 servings

12 oz. good quality regular cream cheese at room temp
4 oz. light sour cream (I like to use half light and half regular sour cream to lighten the dessert)
4 oz. regular sour cream (or use 8 oz. creme fraiche instead of sour cream if you’re feeling really decadent!)
4 Tablespoons confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
3/4 teaspoon Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the sauce:
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups of sliced fresh strawberries, plus one strawberry cut into a fan for garnish
3 Tablespoons of granulated cane sugar, or more to taste if the fruit is too tart
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1- 2 cup Coeur à la crème mold, or a fine meshed sieve (this will make a domed shaped dessert)
Cheesecloth

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and the lemon juice with a hand mixer on medium high speed until it’s smooth and fluffy. Using a stiff spatula, force the cream and cheese mixture through a fine meshed sieve to remove any lumps. Cut a single layer of cheesecloth to fit your mold, or if not using a mold, a clean fine meshed sieve. Dampen the cheesecloth with water and squeeze out any excess moisture, then line the mold or sieve with the cheesecloth. Transfer the cream and cheese mixture to the mold, spreading evenly and smoothing the top. Cover the top with the edges of the cheesecloth, pressing down lightly, and set the mold on a plate, or the sieve over a bowl, to catch any drips. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to two days ahead, or for at least for 6 hours before serving.

To make the sauce, in a medium bowl combine 1/2 of the raspberries, 1/2 of the strawberries, all of the sugar, lemon juice and Grand Marnier. Mash the berries and other ingredients together until there are only small bits of fruit. Add the remaining whole raspberries and strawberries and gently toss with the rest of the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours before using, stirring occasionally.

To serve, pull back the cheesecloth from the top of the coeur, then unmold the coeur carefully onto a serving plate and gently peel off the remaining cheesecloth. Allow the coeur to stand at room temperature for 10 – 15 minutes, then decorate with a sliced and fanned strawberry, present it whole at the table and then portion onto dessert plates, serving the berry sauce spooned on top of each portion. Ooh, là, là!