Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon-Spiked Ricotta & Honey

Just taking advantage of what's hanging around the house here - a little extra ricotta and some fresh peaches. Again, if you don't like ricotta cheese, this will not impress you. I just think it gave the peaches a little extra pizazz (is that a real word? It looks wrong). Anyways, if this is a jumping point for embellishing your own fruit then, whoopie! But I toally get it if you prefer your fruit nude. And sometimes ricotta just won't satisfy your ice cream craving. I understand. Really, I do.

Cooking spray
1/2 cup ricotta
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Splenda
Honey

Spray your grill or grill pan with cooking spray. Once hot, lay those peaches down. Meanwhile, mix ricotta, cinnamon and Splenda (or sugar) together. Once the peaches are heated through and have the grill marks, take them off the heat. Put 1 T. mixture into each peach and then drizzle with honey. Yum!

A Few of my Favorite Things

Chocolate filled raspberries. I just melted chocolate chips and put in a ziplock bag. Snip the corner and pipe the chocolate into fresh raspberries. Best served at room temperature so the chocolate melts in your mouth along with the berry. So delicate and beautiful, these would make a perfect adornment to a cupcake, tart or just pop them in your mouth for no apparent reason (my favorite way).

Dreyer's Yogurt Blends - Caramel Praline Crunch. If you are an ice cream fan and just have to have a serving every night, here is an interesting solution. I LOVE this particular flavor, but there are several to choose from. Only 120 calories per serving and 3.5 grams of fat, plus all those live culture things that yogurt has, which is apparently good for digestion and what not. I think it just tastes so incredibly good.

Do you remember the ice cream trucks coming around your neighborhood when you were a kid? This one I remember well because of the gumball eyeballs. There was also Tweety Bird and the foot-shaped one with a gumball for the big toe. I'm scared of the ice cream truck that comes around my hood. That beat-up 70's van must cruise through here at a brisk pace because when I hear that creepy wailing tune, by the time I run out the front door, he is long gone. I often wonder if maybe they sell more than just ice cream, if you know what I mean.


Sopapillas - Fried flour tortillas topped with powdered sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Now you picky foodie people, I realize that mine are not traditional sopapillas, which are some sort puffy bread made from scratch and then fried....it's just my gringo version. My parents used to make these every once in awhile. I think it was a frugal dessert which made us totally happy.

Go FIGure

Mmmm... I think we are at the height of fig season because they are everywhere right now. I even found a new park this week that had HUGE fig trees with sticky fig residue everywhere. Too bad the branches were so high that I couldn't reach them. I also couldn't resist buying a couple baskets at the Farmer's Market this week. Here are a few ways I decided to use them:

Fresh Figs - With walnuts and Cambazola (creamy blue cheese). Simplicity at it's finest.

Oven-Dried Figs - This was kind of a mistake, but it turned out pretty good! I was going to pre-bake some figs to put on a pizza or tart. So I put them in the toaster oven at about 300 degrees......and TOTALLY forgot about them. Over 2 hours later, I got these dry sweet chewy morsels. A blessing in disguise!
I know, I know, that's a fire hazard waiting to happen. It's just that they didn't really emit an odor and I was completely engrossed in catching up with some housework and a little Olympics on the TIVO. If you are planning a hike in the hills, these would be a great natural sweet snack to bring along. It makes me think of trying to find a food dehydrater.


Fig & Ginger Chutney - Aside from a little chopping, chutneys are easy to make and they are so versatile. Serve it on grilled meat. Pour it over a wedge of brie with crackers. Make a crostini appetizer with some goat cheese and chutney. I love the sweet-sour-spicy combination!

1 pint figs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 T. grated ginger

3 T. apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup minced onion

4 oz tomato sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1/8 tsp. cinnamon

salt/pepper

Mix everything together in a non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Transfer to sauce pan and simmer for about and hour, or until all the flavors have mellowed. Best to eat the next day.

Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad

I can only take credit for recreating this dish because I hoisted it directly from Tami at Running with Tweezers. It just looked so refreshing and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. (I wish I could find those green zebra tomatoes she had) This is a visually stunning salad and the sweet tomatoes and watermelon meld together quite nicely. It reminded me that salt tastes great with watermelon.

Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad

Tomatoes

Watermelon

Goat Cheese

Basil Leaves

Salt/pepper

Olive Oil

Put everything together on a plate. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

I am categorizing this in both salad and dessert because it could really be the handsome beginning or end of any summer meal.

Caramelized Onion Quiche with Fresh Mozarella and Zucchini Flowers

Eggs, onion, cheese and some leftover zucchini flowers make for a cute little quiche. I was inpired by all the beautiful quiches I found online that were topped with concentric patterns of food - asparagus, ramps or red bell strips, making neat patterns.

First things first. The crust. Do what you wish here....I made mine from scratch. Nothing wrong with frozen pre-made crust. In fact, if I had some handy it would have been just fine and cut my prep by at least 15 minutes.

Pie/Quiche Pastry Crust
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4-5T. ice cold water

Cut the butter into the flour and salt. Add the water, until a formable ball of dough forms. Roll it out and put in a pie pan. Cover the crust with parchment paper and top with dry beans or rice to weigh it down so it won't puff up. Bake for 15 minutes in a 350 oven.

Second, saute the onion slices in a little olive oil until caramelized. This takes a good 15 minutes. I usually cheat and add a teaspoon of sugar to help the browning along. Then get all your other ingredients ready to go.....slice your mozarella, grate the parmesan, cut up some basil and brush off those zucchini flowers.

Filling
1 onion, sliced and caramelized
4 oz fresh mozarella
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 T. chopped basil
1/4 cup grated parmesan
salt/pepper/nutmeg
6 zucchini flowers, halved vertically

In a separate bowl, mix 4 eggs with 1 cup milk. Add parmesan, basil, salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Spread the onions on the crust, then the mozarella. (mushrooms would also be delish) Pour egg mixture over the top, reserving a couple tablespoons. Lay flowers in a pattern on top and push them down a little so they get wet with the egg. Cover with the last couple tablespoons of egg. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until done.

Yucatan Chicken Tacos with BBQ Chile-Peanut Sauce and Red Slaw

I wonder if everyone is impulsive like me when it comes to food. I do sometimes overindulge, but what I'm talking about is when you see something on a cooking show or in a magazine and immediately say, "I am making that tonight". You drop what you had planned for dinner. You ignore the tornado frenzy that are your children racing around your feet. You must recreate that recipe!

That's what happened here. The show was Throw Down with Bobby Flay and it was a challenge for "Puffy Tacos." It looked so easy on TV (doesn't it always?), but once I saw Bobby's recipe, I decided to simplify it just a bit....like ditching the puffy aspect. I used regular corn tortillas. And I didn't make the base BBQ sauce from scratch. And no peanut-cilantro relish. It was still OUTSTANDING. I loved the creamy peanut BBQ sauce with the tangy slaw. It wasn't your typical taco, but the flavors were so unique and addicting. If you have some extra time on a weekend or something, I say give this a whirl.

Step 1 - Marinate the chicken.

Step 2 - Make the BBQ sauce.

Step 3 - Make the red cabbage slaw and finish the sauce.

Step 4 - Cook the taco shells and assemble.

So here is my version:

Yucatan Tacos with BBQ Chile-Peanut Sauce with Red Slaw

Chicken Marinade:
2 lbs. chicken cut into small chunks
2 T. honey
2 T. lime juice
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
2 t. minced garlic
1 minced chipotle pepper
salt/pepper

Mix everything together and let marinade while making the rest of this dish.

BBQ Sauce:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce

Saute onion until soft, add ginger & garlic and saute another 2 minutes. Add BBQ sauce and chipolte and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Cool for a bit and then blend together in a blender until smooth.

Put sauce back in pan and add:
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Increase heat to HIGH and cook until reduced by half.

Add:
2 T. soy sauce
3 T. creamy peanut butter

Cook another 5 minutes.

Red Slaw:
1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Place cabbage and onion in a large bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, oil and honey and pour over the cabbage. Add the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with mint. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

The last step...this is it, really.

Fry corn tortillas into taco shells - or let your partner do that while you stir fry the chicken. Grate some cheese. Assemble tacos - chicken, sauce, cheese and slaw.

Eat. Enjoy. Sneak one more taco than you anticipated. Come on, you worked for it!

Zucchini Blossoms with Ricotta

Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but I've been having a summer fling. His name is Ricotta. He is so great to be around - he gets along with everyone and never talks back or steals the remote. If you want, I can give him your number.

Anyways, it's farmer's market Thursday again, usually one day I'm feeling a little adventurous in the kitchen. I can honestly say that I've been wanting to make these for 6 years!! How do I know the exact moment, you ask?

That was the first time I tasted ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers in a restaurant....it was shortly after we got married and I remember making the reservations to A'Cote in Berkeley with my new last name. I was giddy - and even more giddy after finding these on the menu. To me, it was so fru-fru and fancy, but now with the explosion of foodie bloggers comparing notes, nothing seems out-of-the-ordinary anymore.

I've tried to reproduce them making my basic ricotta stuffing that I use to make stuffed pasta shells. I found the tempura batter online, a really easy flour/egg/water mixture.

Pick some zucchini flowers from your own garden, steal them from your neighbor's garden, or just seek them out from your local farmer's market. Brush off any visible bugs and cut out the pistil or stamen, whichever reproductive organ you see lurking down inside. Ack!

Cut up some veggies really tiny and saute until soft. Add some herbs like basil or thyme.
Add the veggies to some fresh ricotta and stir together.
Stuff each blossom with the ricotta mixture and coat with the tempura. Fry those puppies up. Get your splatter screen out. Trust me. Do it.
You can serve them up on a plate and let people pick them up like perfect little hand-held appetizers or......
.......make an appetizer plate for each person. I found some beautiful heirloom tomatoes to use as a base. They were so incredibly sweet and juicy - a perfect way to balance out the creamy fried goodness.
Nibble nibble. Munch munch.
Zucchini Blossoms with Ricotta

12 zucchini blossoms

oil for frying

1 cup finely chopped veggies (zuc, carrot, onion, broccoli, peppers etc.)

1 clove minced garlic

2 T. chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, etc.)

salt/pepper

1 small container of fresh ricotta

tempura mixture:

1 egg

1 cup ice water

1 cup flour

Directions: Saute the veggies in 1 T. water until starting to turn soft. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Remove from heat and cool. In a bowl, mix ricotta, veggies and fresh herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff each blossom with 1 - 2 T. of ricotta mixture. I think you could put these in the fridge at this point (not sure on that).

Heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of your pan. For the tempura batter, mix the egg and super cold ice water together, then add sifted flour, stirring briskly to avoid lumps. (This reminded me of the paper mache "glue" we made as kids). Dip the blossom into the batter, twisting the top of the flower to seal it up. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Sprinkle with sea salt after removing from pan. Enjoy!

Grilled Yams with Honey-Ginger Dressing

After grilling some chicken yesterday, I got inspired to try something new (for me) on the BBQ. This was simple and not at all messy to make - one cutting board, a knife and a bowl to make the dressing. I loved the way the sweet and sour ginger dressing soaked into the hot grilled potatoes.

If you are curious about the other thing on the dish, it is the rest of our dinner: Pan-fried Red Snapper, done up real simple in a seasoned flour and cornmeal crust and fried in about a teaspoon of olive oil.

Grilled Yams with Honey-Ginger Dressing

2 yams, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
Cooking spray to coat

2 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbs. canola oil
dash hot sauce
salt/pepper to taste
cilantro for garnish

Get your grill going on medium. Slice the yams and coat with cooking spray and some salt. Throw them on the hot grill and cook on one side for 7 minutes. Turn and cook another 7 minutes, or until tender. Prepare the dressing while they are cooking - I use a microplane to grate the ginger. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Pour over the hot potatoes, garnish with cilantro and serve. Serves 4-6.

I would like to say the kids loved this and gobbled it up. They did not. Mom and dad ate their portions so no worries there.

Chimichurri Sauce

Hello again! It's about time I made another post. This was actually something I made last week, but honestly for me, writing and posting is more time consuming than cooking and photographing.

This Latin American condiment made with mostly fresh herbs is a quick way to jazz up grilled meat or add to a sandwich, pizza or whatever. I even resorted to taking a slice of turkey lunch meat and slopping on a spoonful, rolling it up for a speedy low-carb snack.

My first incarnation was to top off some grilled tri-tip. We usually just use salsa, but I wanted something different. The tangy and flavorful sauce will amaze you...use it sparingly so as to not overpower your meat! I am sure there are several variations out there, this was adapted from several recipes I looked at.

Having a good amount leftover (Tall Guy did not partake with the tri-tip), I decided to whip up an easy tart made from crescent roll dough, feta, sun-dried tomatoes, olives and the chimichurri sauce. Yum! Okay, onto the recipe:

Chimichurri Sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

3 green onions, chopped fine

juice of one lime

1/4 cup light olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. hot sauce

dash of sugar

salt/pepper to taste

Mix everything together and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Random Produce

Just a few farmer's market photos. I'll be back to cooking soon...still trying to use up freezer contents.

Spicy Roasted Corn Soup

Make this. Now.

Spicy Roasted Corn Soup

5 ears super sweet local corn
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tsp. Sriricha hot sauce (or a couple of hot chiles)
Juice from half a lime
1/2 cup milk
salt/pepper

Shuck and grill the corn until starting to char. An alternate method is to cut the kernels off and then pan-fry on high heat until they start to caramelize (that's what I did). Put 2/3 of the corn kernels, the cilantro and broth in a blender and blend until smooth. In another pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the remaining corn, blended corn mixture, lime juice and hot sauce (or chile). Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the milk and seasonings. Stir and serve.

On a budget? Make some corn soup! With prices around 4 ears for a buck, this is a cost efficient way to eat gourmet. Complete the meal with some Jiffy cornbread.

Horta me Avga

Since finding an issue of Saveur deep in the recesses of my nightstand, I have decided to test out a few more recipes from it. I thought this would be a perfect lunch on a warm day.

Horta me Avga is a casual dish of home cooks in Cyprus and is suited for the country's hot climate. It is basically sauteed greens with egg and lemon. Although the dish is simple, the flavors are vibrant and the lemon juice gives it a wonderful zing. This would be perfect alongside some crostini or as a side dish to grilled meat. I used less oil and eggs than the orginal recipe to cut down on calories.

Horta me Avga (Sauteed Greens with Egg & Lemon)

(adapted from Saveur, May 2008)

2 T. olive oil

1 bunch green onions

1 clove garlic, minced

4 cups packed greens (spinach, arugula, etc)

1 tsp. salt

4 eggs (2 whole and 2 whites)

3 T. chopped parsley

juice of half of a lemon

freshly ground pepper

Crack eggs into a bowl and set aside. Slice the green onions once lengthwise and then into half inch slices crosswise. Saute them in oil over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes or until starting to turn brown. Add garlc, greens and salt. Saute another minute, until greens are wilted. Add the eggs and parsley and quickly stir to break up the yolks. Let sit for about 30 seconds, then stir again and let cook until eggs are done. Remove from heat and put in a serving bowl. Squeeze a good amount of lemon over the top and season with pepper.

It's not pretty, but sure is tasty. If you like a leafy omelet, you will enjoy this.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Brown Rice and Feta

I'm doing my best to use up everything we left have in the fridge and freezer so I can start fresh. Today I had about a cup of leftover brown rice and several Roma tomatoes, which I thought would make a great side dish to our grilled chicken.

You too can spruce up leftovers and make them seem like a dish that you planned all along. It takes having some good basics to work with, but really you can stuff anything - tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms. The filling can be any combo of meat, veggies, cheese, herbs and starch...whatever you have laying around. Garlic and onions are mandatory for me.

The inspiration for this dish came from an article in Saveur magazine (May 2008) on brown rice and clearly leaning towards Greek flavorings.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Brown Rice and Feta

6 Roma tomatoes

1 cup brown basmati rice

1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach

1/4 cup crumbled feta

2 T. finely chopped red onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp. lemon juice

salt/pepper to taste

1 -2 tsp. olive oil

Spray the inside of a cooking dish with Pam. With a serrated knife, cut off the top of each tomato and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Cut off a tiny part of the bottom of each tomato so it will stand up in the dish. Sprinkle the insides with a little salt.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Stir together the rest of the ingredients (except oil). Stuff the mixture inside each tomato, mounding the tops slightly. Drizzle olive oil over the tops and bake for about 25 minutes.

This is a healthy side dish that will give your plate an extra WOW factor. Add some parsley and mint, if you have it!

Southern Fried Okra

Technically, I am not a Southern gal, but I am guilty by association. My parents met in Oklahoma and moved to California shortly after getting married. Every other summer we would make our way back to Tulsa, and often driving as far as Alabama to visit relatives. It was there I learned the beauty of southern food.....mac n' cheese, fried green tomatoes, baked beans, fried okra and hush puppies.

My dad would sometimes fry up some okra...it seemed to be his favorite and I just loved those browned crispy morsels. So flash forward about a hundred years (well okay, 20) and I find myself thinking about frying me up some okra after finding a batch at the farmer's market. While I know this is not good for you, (about as healthy as a french fry) an occasional foray into my deep South ancestry serves to nourish my soul.


Slice the okra. Don't freak out about the slimy innards.

Let it soak in a bath of 2 cups buttermilk and two eggs for 20 minutes.

Dip in a breading made from 1 cup cornmeal (I used the coarser polenta grains) and 1 cup flour, a tsp. of salt and pepper, and a tsp. of baking powder.

Fry in oil until golden crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with sea salt. Best eaten hot!

Note: If you plan on making this a side dish, make sure it is the last thing cooked or else they will disappear before you get the rest of dinner on the table.

I want coffee too, mommy!

Does your child poke his grubby little fingers into your coffee every morning and say "mommy, hot?" Mine does. Maybe I should get him his very own coffee maker. But seriously, who would think of making this, let alone buy it??

Arugula Pesto Pizza

Pepperoni pizza is an American icon, no doubt about it. And there is certainly a time and a place for it.....a kid's birthday party, a college dorm cram session, Superbowl Sunday or like when your power goes out and the contents of your fridge are spoiled. I'm just sayin'.

It's just that I've been to the other side and I'm not going back.

I'm actually a total novice at making my own pizza. Making my own dough? Using yeast? Nope, never done it. I am not gifted with bread-making abilities. If you have a lot of time and a hankering to make your own, check here . If you want my secret, it's Trader Joe's Pizza Dough in a bag. You find it in the fridge section near the cheese and salads. On a side note, this is really fun to use for cooking with kids too. You can divide it up and make several little pizzas.

But back to toppings....ahhhh, the possibilities are endless. Just use what you have handy and it will be golden (no pun intended). Mine today included pesto, arugula, sundried tomatoes, red onions, goat cheese and pine nuts and a splash of olive oil. Pre-heat the oven to super hot, ie 500 degrees. Transfer the rolled out dough to your baking vessel (pizza stone, cookie sheet, pizza screen) and add the toppings. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm.

What are your favorite topping combos? Hit me with some ideas for my next pizza. I need some more........practice (mouth watering).

Budino di Ricotta

Ricotta desserts are an acquired taste. I got used to it from my days on the South Beach Diet. My boys weren't really into this, probably because of the texture. Although I blended the ricotta in a food processor for 5 minutes, there was still a slight grainy feel. I thought this dessert was divine, not cloyingly sweet and just perfect for a warm evening.

Ricotta is not technically a "cheese" because it is made from the sloppy seconds of another firm cheese such as mozzarella or provolone. The whey from that cheese is drained off and is used to make ricotta. In Italy, they still use ricotta made from sheep's milk which produces and nuttier and dryer product. In America, it is mostly made from cow's milk whey and is moister and more neutral in taste.


Caramel Ricotta Pudding (Budino di Ricotta)
Serves 6
Adapted from "A Fresh Taste of Italy," by Michele Scicolone (Broadway Books, 1997).

1 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
15 or 16-ounce container whole-milk ricotta
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of one lemon

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 325°.

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. When the mixture begins to boil, stop stirring and cook until the syrup starts to brown around the edges. Then gently swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup is an even golden brown. Protecting your hand with an oven mitt, immediately pour the caramel into six 6- to 8-ounce custard cups, swirling the cups to coat the bottom evenly. Let cool briefly.


In a food processor or blender, or using an electric mixer, beat the ricotta until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, zest and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar and blend again. Divide the mixture evenly among the caramel-lined cups. Place the cups in a roasting pan or baking dish and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cups.
Bake until the tops are set but the centers are still soft and jiggly when you tap the cups, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer the cups to a rack to cool. Cover the cups with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

To serve, run a small knife around each pudding and invert onto a serving plate.

I used a raspberry sauce for a little extra oomph. Bring raspberries and a little sugar to a boil, then smash up with a fork. Put the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the seeds.

Deanna's Chicken Pho

When I started this dish, I wasn't sure how it was going to end. Let me explain. Chicken thighs needed to be cooked....so I throw them in the crockpot. Hmmm...now what? Let's go Asian today. Okay so, in goes the onion, garlic, soy, fish sauce, water, ginger & lemongrass.

After about 4 hours, the chicken was done and a wonderful smell permeated the house. I tasted the remaining broth in the crock and determined that it was soup-worthy for sure. Then I started looking up some pho (I THINK you pronounce it "phuh") recipes to see if there were any other flavors missing: Yes, cinnamon and anise. I add a dash of each and voila! Perfect pho (for a beginner like me).

Chicken Pho
2 lbs. chicken thighs, skin removed
3 T. soy
3 T. water
1 T. fish sauce
1 tsp. Sriracha sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
1 inch chunk of ginger, peeled and smooshed
3 garlic cloves, smooshed
1 stalk of lemongrass, cut into 1 inch pieces and smooshed
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
(smooshed means hit with the back of a knife to release the aromas - don't bother chopping)

Throw everything into the crock and cook for about 4 hours or until chicken seems done. Remove chicken from pot and strain out the other solids, saving the broth. Here you can skim the fat off of the broth if you'd like (I did). Put broth back into crockpot. Add about 3 cups of water, a squeeze of lime juice and some rice stick noodles. Pick the chicken off the bones and put back into crock. Cook on low for another hour or until the noodles seem soft. Garnish with green onion, cilantro and slice chile peppers.

This was outstanding and flavorful. I'm not sure if it's a classic pho, but it was my version! Give it a try if you dare.

Whoopie Pies

Aren't these cute? They are a specialty of my friend, whose son has celiac disease. Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, found in wheat, rye, and barley.

It is extremely challenging to eat gluten-free because not only must you avoid all bread products, it is hidden in so many processed foods including soy sauce, ketchup, chips, cold cuts and anything labeled with "caramel coloring," "natural flavors," MSG and "modified food starch." Take a look at a couple of labels and you'll realize how many products contain gluten.

My hats off to her for finding alternative ways to bake so her son can be included in holiday and birthday festivites!

Ingredients

1 C Gluten Free Flour
1/4 C Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 C Sugar
1/4 C Solid Vegetable Shortening
1 Egg White
1/2 C Low-Fat Milk
3/4 C GF Marshmallow Spread (Wal-Mart Great Value Brand States GF right on the can)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Mix on medium speed, beat the sugar, shortening , and egg white in a medium bowl until fluffy and well blended, about two minutes. Stir in the flour mixture, then the milk, until just blended.
2. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto large, ungreased baking sheet, making 36 cookies. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, 5-7 minutes. Cool on the sheets on a rack. Spoon 2 tsp of marshmallow spread on the bottoms of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies.

Plum Crisp

I wasn't totally sure what to name this dessert until I found the following definitions. I'm putting this in here in case you had any confusion like me about the whole "cobbler-crisp-crumble" thing.

Betty — a baked pudding made of layers of spiced and sugared fruit and buttered bread crumbs.

Clafoutis — a French cobbler, with fruit (usually cherries) on the bottom, custard, and a rough batter crust baked on top

Cobbler — a spoon pie (more like a fruit stew with dumplings), in which biscuit dough is dropped onto the fruit before baking. The consensus is that the dish got its name because the lumps of cooked dough resembled cobblestones.

Crisp — a deep-dish fruit dessert made with a crumb or streusel topping and baked.

Crumble — a British dessert in which raw fruit is topped with a crumbly pastry mixture and baked. One reference says a crumble is like a crisp, but not as rich.

Grunt — a spoon pie, with biscuit dough on top of stewed fruit, which is steamed, not baked

Pandowdy — a spoon pie, with fruit on the bottom and a rolled crust on top, which is broken up to allow the juices to come through

Slump — a spoon pie, including cooked or uncooked fruit topped with biscuit dough or piecrust, which can be baked or steamed, and can be made upside down

Thanks to Cathy R. for all the wonderful Santa Rosa plums. OOooooh, this was good. Tart, but good. I actually ran out of sugar (how does that happen?) and ended up only having about 2 T. for all these plums. After eating a couple bites, I improvised and squirted a little agave nectar over the top to balance it out. Our family nibbled on it all day until it was gone.

Plum Crisp

3 cups sliced plums
1/4 cup sugar (less, if you have sweet-skinned plums)
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 cup flour
2 T. butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix first four ingredients and put into pie plate. Mix the next 6 ingredients and pour over the fruit. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the topping is browned.