Taziki's Friday Special

I found this recipe recently, even though it had been publish in 2008 on AL.com.  I really wanted to make it since Taziki's Friday Special is one of my favorite lunch time items!  I figured that the owners had given AL.com a slightly different version of the recipe to print (a lot of folks don't like to give away all their secrets!) but this dish really did taste like it does at the restaurant!  This recipe is supposed to be enough for 6 people, so I cut down the chicken and pasta portions to 4 people so that Kent and I could eat it for leftovers one night - we still had plenty left over even after the 2nd day, but it doesn't last too long in the fridge.  To cook the chicken, I just sauteed three chicken breasts instead of grilling them, and the chicken was still great.  Be sure to get real feta; I accidentally got reduced fat, and it is not the same!!!  This would be a perfect dish for a luncheon, and I'll definitely be making it again!

 

Photo from AL.com

Taziki's Friday Special
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
½ cup balsamic vinegar
Juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ cups blended olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups mixed lettuces
1 ½ pounds penne pasta, cooked
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
2 cups feta cheese crumbled
3 tomatoes seeded and diced
1 handful fresh basil chopped
Flat or pita bread - toasted

To make vinaigrette: Mix thyme, shallots, balsamic vinegar, lemon, sugar, Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in oil. Add salt and pepper.

Place about 1 cup mixed lettuces on each plate. Toss cooked pasta with 12 ounces (or to taste) vinaigrette.

Toss grilled chicken with 6 ounces vinaigrette.

Spoon approximately 3 cups pasta onto lettuce, then add chicken.

Top with diced tomato, feta cheese and fresh basil, to taste.  

Pimento Cheese Crisps

I found this recipe over the summer and made them for a party.  Then in December, my church used the same recipe for our big Christmas party, and I realized how great these would be for the holidays!  They are similar to the cheese straw recipe I posted 3 years ago, but spicier and easier to make (since you don't have to squeeze the dough through a cookie press).  I've made them several times now, and they always turn out great!

Picture from:  The Runaway Spoon

Pimento Cheese Crisps
(from The Runaway Spoon)
Ingredients:
1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos
8 ounces sharp cheddar
½ cup (1 stick) cold butter
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
A generous pinch of salt
A few grinds black pepper
½ cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Rinse and drain the pimentos and place them on paper towels. Pat them dry and then leave them for 10 – 15 minutes to air dry.

Grate the cheese and the cold butter together in a food processor. Switch from the grating blade to the metal blade, then add the flour, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne salt and pepper. Process until the dough just begins to come together and looks moist and grainy. Add the pecans and process until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and form a ball. Add the pimentos and pulse a few times until the dough is a ball.

Dump the dough onto a piece of waxed paper, scrapping out all the pimento pieces from the bowl. Knead the dough a few times just to incorporate and distribute the pimento pieces. Cut two more lengths of waxed paper, divide the dough into two portions and place each portion on one waxed paper length. Form each onto a log and roll tightly, pressing in to form a nice solid log. Twist the ends like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate the logs for at least an hour before baking, but you can refrigerate them for two days or freeze them for 3 months.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the rolls from the fridge and slice into medium-thick wafers, about 1/4 inch each. Place on the baking sheet with a little room to spread and bake until golden around the edges and firm on the top, about 10 – 12 minutes. Cool on the pans for a few minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen

Strawberry Pretzel Salad - from Lacey J.

A friend from work, Lacey, made this recipe for a party we had a few weeks ago, and it was a big hit!  So, I asked her for the recipe and made it for our clothing swap.  It's a recipe that's been around for years, but it's one that nearly everyone loves!  For those of you who like recipes that involve minimal cooking, this one is great.  Make sure to save enough time to let everything rest before moving onto the next step.  I was worried that my jello mixture was too watery to pour over the top, so I put it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to give it time to congeal first.  I used unsalted pretzels because I'm not a huge fan of salty/sweet mixes, but you could definitely use either.  Lacey and I also both used one package of regular cream cheese and one package of fat free or reduced fat cream cheese (just to make ourselves feel a little better!).

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
4 1/2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted1 cup white sugar
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 (16 ounce) package frozen strawberries

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the pretzels, 4 1/2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.
2.In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
3.In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries, and stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

Smoked Salmon and Veggie Cream Cheese Bagels - from Sally

Sally sent me this recipe from Food Network (Ina Garten) because it reminded her of one of our favorite dishes at Bottletree Bakery in Oxford.  She suggests adding slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, or red onions for some extra flavor and crunch.  At Bottletree, their bagels are also served with capers for extra saltiness.  I will definitely be eating one of these bagels very soon!

Smoked Salmon and Vegetable Cream Cheese Bagels
Ingredients:
2 sesame bagels (toast if desired)
Vegetable Cream Cheese, recipe follows
4 slices smoked salmon

Directions:
Slice the bagels in half horizontally and spread 1 tablespoon of the vegetable cream cheese over the bottom half of each bagel. Arrange 2 slices of smoked salmon over the cream cheese and place the remaining bagel halves on top. Cut the bagels in half crosswise and serve.

Vegetable Cream Cheese:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts
2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped radish (2 radishes)
2 to 3 pinches kosher salt
1 pinch finely ground black pepper

Place the cream cheese, scallions, carrot, celery, radish, salt, and pepper in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until blended.

French Onion Soup

Several years ago my mom gave me the Williams-Sonoma French cookbook.  The front cover has an amazing picture of French Onion Soup.  I have been a HUGE fan of French Onion Soup for as long as I can remember!  If it's on the menu, I'm probably going to order it!  Since I've been on Christmas break this week, I decided to finally try making the soup recipe from the cookbook.  I am so pleased with how it turned out!  I will definitely be making this again.  The dark broth and rich texture make this is a perfect soup to serve at fancy Christmas brunch or dinner. 

Two-Onion Soup Gratinee
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
4 large red onions, thinly sliced
4 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. sugar
7 cups (56 fl oz) beef stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
12 slices baguette, each 1/4 inch thick
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup (3oz) shredded Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
In a large, nonaluminum Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil.  Add the red and yellow onions and saute until wilted, about 15 minutes.  Add the sugar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are richly colored and caramelized, 30-45 minutes longer.  (If the onions start to brown too quickly toward the beginning of the caramelizing process, you may need to reduce the heat slightly.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add the stock, garlic, bay leaf, and wine to the pan.  Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices: arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, watching carefully to prevent burning, 5-7 minutes.

Add the thyme to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Discard the bay leaf.

To serve, preheat the broiler.  Ladle the soup into individual ovenproof soup bowls.  Place 2 or 3 baguette slices on top of each serving and sprinkle evenly with the cheese.  Place the soup bowls on a baking sheet and slide under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat source.  Broil until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle a little parsley over each soup bowl and serve at once.

Biscuits and Gravy

I didn't grow up eating biscuits and gravy - in fact, I don't think I ever had them until about a week ago!  Kent has always loved having breakfast for dinner.  And, since I've been crazy with my new work schedule, Kent's been doing a lot of cooking lately!  Last week he made biscuits and gravy one night - I have to say that they were pretty amazing!  Even if you don't like gravy, the biscuits are great on their own.

Biscuits
Ingreients:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Gravy
Ingredients:
1 lb sausage
3-4 tbsp flour
3-4 cups milk

Directions:
Brown sausage.  Add flour to sausage (add amount to make fat into paste-like consistency), season with salt and pepper, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add milk (#of cups equal to # of tbsp of flour) and stir; cook until desired thickness.

Quiche - from BLC

My adorable friend, BLC of TCSK, recently sent me this recipe.  Kent tried one of her breakfast quiches a few months ago and is still raving about it!  She adapted if from the Joy of Cooking cookbook by adding in whatever ingredients she has in the fridge - so feel free to add anything to the mix!

Breakfast Quiche
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups of cheese
1 cup of spinach
Sausage/bacon/ham/etc. (as much as desired)
A dash of salt and pepper
1 pie crust

Directions:
Spray cooking spray into a pie dish, lay down the pie crust, stir all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and pour onto pie crust.  Add a top layer of cheese with a dash of paprika.  Bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Easter Lunch

Kent and I had a wonderful Easter celebration.  We went to church on Sunday and then had several friends over for lunch.  We prepared a few items that I've posted on the blog before, like Salmon with Lemons, Capers, and Rosemary and Fruit Tarts.  My favorite new thing that we made was Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette!  We served it in our mint julep cups.  It was so refreshing - I'll be making this all summer!

Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Mint Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice, from about 1 lemon
1/4 cup simple syrup, recipe follows
1/8 teaspoon amaretto
2 cups watermelon balls, from about half a watermelon
2 cups cantaloupe balls, from about 1 cantaloupe

Directions
In a blender, combine mint, lemon juice, simple syrup, and amaretto. Blend until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the watermelon and the cantaloupe. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.
Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan, combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 1 cup
Recipe from: Giada de Laurentiis @ foodnetwork.com

Crepes

Photo from http://www.journeytomarvelous.com/

I have loved crepes since my first trip to France.  Crepes are basically the French version of pancakes, but it's a little more complicated than that since there are so many variartions - you can even make savory crepes!  In large French cities you can buy them almost anywhere from street vendors.  I love eating them for breakfast - what a great start to the day!

Making a crepe in cooking school in Arles,
clearly I was worried about dropping it!

Crepes
(from Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

3 tbsp butter (melted)

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well (we use the blender) and refrigerate for 1 hour (the mix will keep for 48 hours).  Then, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a separate dish.  Use a nonstick skillet at medium/high heat and brush it with the melted butter.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the buttered pan and swirl the pan to spread the batter until thin.  Cook it for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook for about 20 more seconds.  Repeat!

Kent's the pro at making crepes in our house - mine are always odd sizes and shapes!  This recipe makes about 20 crepes.  We usually freeze the left-overs by stacking them in freezer bag and separating each crepe with wax paper.  Then we can pull them out individually and heat them in the microwave for about a minute.  It makes a wonderful quick breakfast!

There are so many variations on toppings - peanut butter, fruits, or powdered sugar are some options.  I usually smear mine with Nutella!

Eating crepes outside the Musee d'Orsay in Paris with SB and Jill in 2007!

Fried Green Tomatoes

I wanted to post this recipe immediately following my last post on eggs benedict.  One of my favorite spins on eggs benedict involves replacing the fillet used in the previous post with a fried green tomato - trust me, it's amazing!  I've used this recipe by Paula Deen before, and I was not disappointed!  Of course, fried green tomatoes also make a wonderful side dish all on their own or can be substituted for traditional tomatoes in a BLT.

Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients:
3 or 4 large firm green tomatoes
Salt
2 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for deep-frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups self-rising flour

Directions:
Slice the tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Lay them out in a shallow baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Place the tomato slices in a colander and allow time for the salt to pull the water out of the tomatoes, approximately 30 minutes. In a skillet, heat the oil for deep-frying over medium high heat. Dip the tomatoes into buttermilk, then dredge them in flour. Deep-fry until golden brown. Keep warm.

Eggs Benedict

I saw Emeril make this recipe on the Food Network  last year and had to try it.  It was wonderful!  Kent and I both love eggs benedict, and this recipe was fantastic.  My mom used to make eggs benedict for me when I was in high school, but I had never tried making it before.  I think it turned out well.  If you are worried about poaching the eggs, you can always just fry them - with the Hollandaise sauce, they will still taste the same.  Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict
Ingredients:
4 English muffins, split in 1/2
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 (6-ounce) beef fillets, split in 1/2
Essence, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 eggs, individually cracked into a cup
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Creole mustard or other whole-grain mustard
1/2 pound butter, melted and warm
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat a griddle or large skillet. Brush the muffins with the butter. Place the muffins on the hot griddle and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the muffins from the griddle and set aside. Using a sharp knife, split the fillets in half, horizontally.

Season the fillets with Essence. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fillets for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, combine the water and vinegar. Season the water with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Slide 4 of the eggs into the water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the eggs are set, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Watch carefully and remove the eggs when the yolks are still soft, and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Return the water to a boil and repeat the process with the remaining eggs.

Hollandaise sauce:  In a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice, water, mustard, and parsley. Season with salt and cayenne. Whisk the mixture until pale yellow and slightly thick. Be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the pot and, while whisking vigorously, gradually add the butter, little by little, until all is incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and cayenne.

To assemble, place the steaks on the English muffins. Top the steaks with the poached eggs. Spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish the eggs with parsley.
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Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I meant to post this recipe months ago after we first made it to take for breakfast to Sunday School.  This is a great breakfast item to take somewhere since its all in one casserole dish.  It was a big hit with our Sunday School class!

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup milk

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3-5 tsp. milk

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon peel. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter. Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour 3/4 batter into greased pan. Top with blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. In small bowl , blend icing ingredients. Drizzle over warm cake.
(Recipe from About.com)

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits

Kent and I made these on Sunday morning to take to Sunday School since we signed up to bring breakfast.  They were really good and had a different taste than other savory breakfast rolls that I've had in the past.  Judging by the name, I'm sure that you can tell they aren't the healthiest breakfast choice... but they're worth the extra calories!  I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  She has an amazing blog about her life - it includes information about gardening, farming, cooking, and so much more.  She has even published her own cookbook.  Click here to go to her website.  And, don't forget to enter to win a cookbook in my first ever giveaway!  See the previous post for details!

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Salt
¼ cups Vegetable Shortening (crisco, Etc)

10 Tablespoons Milk (whole Milk Is Best)

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 whole Egg

10 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Fried And Crumbled

1 cup Finely Diced Onion

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions:

Cook and chop bacon.  Saute onions until light brown.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined.

Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together. 

Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.  Be careful not to over mix!

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 degrees until golden Remove from pan and serve warm.

Southwestern Pasta Salad

This weekend Kent and I hosted a cookout for the folks that I graduated with from graduate school this summer. Sheree brought this amazing Southwestern Pasta Salad (recipe from allrecipes.com). It's a perfect side dish for summer cookouts and would make a great lunch with added grilled chicken. I will definitely be making this soon!

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 (16 ounce) package rotini pasta
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups whole kernel corn
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large bowl combine oil, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt and garlic. Stir in pasta and set aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in corn, beans, green pepper, red pepper and 1/2 of the cilantro leaves. Spoon onto a platter and garnish with tomatoes and remaining cilantro. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

City Grocery Shrimp and Grits

City Grocery is a wonderful restaurant in downtown Oxford, Mississippi on the square. Head chef and owner, John Currence, is a celebrated chef throughout the South and contributing editor for Garden and Gun magazine. He won the 2009 James Beard Best Southern Chef award. He also owns Boure (Southern Cajun food) and Big Bad Breakfast (breakfast food - and lots of it). For those of you in Birmingham, word is that there will be a new restaurant opening in Mountain Brook by an Oxford native that models Big Bad Breakfast with its fresh local ingredients and original recipes. This recipe of Shrimp and Grits is probably City Grocery's most famous dish. I promise it will be a new favorite!

City Grocery Shrimp and Grits
Ingredients:
Grits:
1-cup quick-cook grits
4 Tbs. Unsalted butter
¾ cup extra-sharp white cheddar
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ Tbs paprika
1 tsp Tabasco
Salt and pepper to taste

Shrimp:
2 cups chopped smoked bacon
3 Tbs olive oil
1 ½ lbs. of 26-30 count shrimp (peeled)
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 tsp minced garlic
3 cups sliced white mushrooms
3 tbs white wine
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 cups sliced scallions

Directions:
Cook grits according to instructions on package. As grits are finishing, whisk in butter, cheddar, Parmesan, cayenne, paprika and Tabasco. After all ingredients are incorporated, season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until shrimp are ready.

Cook bacon until it begins to brown; remove from heat, strain and reserve bacon grease and bacon bits.

Heat a large skillet until very hot, and add olive oil and 2 tbs bacon fat. As oil begins to smoke, toss in shrimp to cover bottom of pan. Before stirring, season with salt and pepper.

Stir until shrimp begin to turn pink all over (let pan return to original hot temperature).

Stir in minced garlic and bacon bits, being careful not to burn garlic. Toss in mushrooms, and coat with oil briefly.

Add lemon juice and wine; stir for 30 seconds or until everything is well coated.

Assuming that this is ready to be served, toss in sliced scallions and stir for about 30 seconds. (If these are added too long before serving, they will begin to turn brown and loose their crunch).

Serve over cheese grits.

Fruit Tart

I found this wonderful recipe on the joy of baking website last summer. Kent and I went to a local market and got the fruit that we wanted to use. I will say that it takes A LOT of work to make homemade tarts, but it is definitely worth the hard work! This is a great recipe for a dinner party, brunch, or shower since it makes such a great presentation. We decided to make mini tarts instead of one large tart, and they turned out wonderfully! The crust takes time to make, and it needs to be made ahead of time. I think it would taste as good if you used a frozen crust from the grocery store - it would definitely save you time. Enjoy!

Fruit Tart
Ingredients:
Sweet Pastry Crust:
1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Pastry Cream:
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/8 cup (20 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (20 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)
3/4 tablespoon (10 ml) liqueur (Grand Marnier Brandy, Kirsch) (optional)

Apricot Glaze: (optional)
1/2 cup (125 grams) apricot jam or preserves
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or water or combination of the two (can also use other liqueurs)

Topping:
2 - 3 cups mixed fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, kiwifruit, bananas, plums, pineapple, melon, etc.

Directions:
Sweet Pastry Crust: In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. Place the butter in your mixer and beat until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Don't over mix or the butter will separate and lighten in color. Add flour mixture all at once and mix just until it forms a ball. Don't overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.

Flatten dough into disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.
Have ready an 8 - 9 inch (20 - 23 cm) tart pan with removable bottom. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into an 11 - 12 inch (28 - 30 cm) circle that is about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards to get uniform thickness). To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan, flip it over, and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than pan.

When the pastry is rolled to the desired size, lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin, dusting off any excess flour as you roll. Unroll onto top of tart pan. Never pull pastry or you will get shrinkage (shrinkage is caused by too much pulling of the pastry when placing it in the pan). Gently lay in pan and with a small floured piece of pastry, lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry. With a thumb up movement, again press dough into pan. Roll rolling pin over top again to get rid of any extra pastry. Prick bottom of dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill the butter and to rest the gluten.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line unbaked pastry shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill tart pan with pie weights, rice or beans, making sure the weights are to the top of the pan and evenly distributed over the entire surface. Bake crust for 20 to 25 minutes until crust is dry and lightly golden brown. Remove weights and cool crust on wire rack before filling.

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks together with a wooden spoon. (Never let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Sift the flour and cornstarch (corn flour) together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine the milk and split vanilla bean on medium heat until boiling. (The milk will foam up to the top of pan when done, so watch carefully.) Remove from heat and add slowly to egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.) Remove vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, and add the seeds to the egg mixture. (The vanilla bean can be dried and placed in your sugar bowl to give the sugar a vanilla flavor. This sugar can then be used in baking where you would like a vanilla-flavored sugar, e.g. pies, cakes, cookies.)

Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, whisk mixture constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes very thick and it is hard to stir.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the liqueur (if using). Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Cool. If not using right away refrigerate until needed, up to 3 days. Beat before using to get rid of any lumps that may have formed.

Apricot Glaze: Heat the apricot jam or preserves and water (if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat until liquid (melted). Remove from heat and strain the jam through a fine strainer to remove any fruit lumps. (If using, add the liqueur at this point.) Let cool until it is only slightly warm.

Variation: If glazing stawberries, raspberries or any other red fruit you can make a red currant glaze. Gently whisk 1/2 cup (125 grams) of red currant jelly over medium heat until melted. Let cool slightly and then lightly glaze the fruit using a pastry brush.

To Assemble Tart: To remove the tart from the fluted sides of the pan, place your hand under the pan, touching only the removable bottom not the sides. Gently push the tart straight up, away from the sides. The fluted tart ring will fall away and slide down your arm. If you want to remove the bottom of the pan, run a knife or thin metal spatula between the crust and metal bottom, then slide the tart onto a cardboard cake round.

Spread a thin layer of apricot glaze or melted chocolate over the bottom and sides of tart to prevent the crust from getting soggy. Let the glaze dry between 20 - 30 minutes. Spread the Pastry Cream into the tart, filling about 3/4 full. Level with an offset spatula.
To decorate the tart you will need 2 to 3 cups (480 - 620 ml) of mixed fresh fruit (such as berries, bananas, oranges, kiwifruit, plums, pineapple, and melon). Prepare the fruit by gently washing and drying. Peel and slice the bananas, plums and kiwifruit. The strawberries will need to be sliced also. Arranging the fruit on the tart can be done either randomly or in concentric overlapping circles, starting at the outside edge. Try to cover all the pastry cream with fruit so that no pastry cream is showing through.

After arranging the fruit, rewarm the glaze, if using, and gently brush a light coat on the fruit. Do not put it on too thick or it will look like Jell-O. Try not to get any glaze on the tart shell. The idea is to make the fruit look shiny. If not serving immediately, refrigerate. Take out about 30 minutes before serving to give the fruit and cream a chance to warm to room temperature.
This fruit tart is best eaten the same day as it is assembled. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.
Serves about 8 - 10 people.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

This is a great Spring and Summer salad. I made it last weekend for Easter and was very pleased with how it turned out! It is so fresh-tasting and really easy to put together. Because you can go ahead and put the dressing on it before it is served, it works well for cookouts or buffet-styled meals. It is best if you make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Ingredients:
1 bag fresh baby spinach, washed
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
½ cup sliced walnuts
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely

Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients:
½ cup good olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar (white distilled vinegar will work if you don’t have cider vinegar)
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 ½ tablespoons grated onion
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon paprika

Directions:
Place the spinach, strawberries, walnuts, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl – mix all ingredients. Then, mix together all of the ingredients of the dressing in a separate bowl with a whisk. Once the dressing ingredients are combined, drizzle the mixture over the salad and stir the salad (you may not need all of the dressing.) Store the salad in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the flavors to combine before serving.

Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Cheese Frittata - From Katie

This is a Food Network recipe that Katie sent me earlier this week. I haven't gotten to try it yet - but it looks amazing!

Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Cheese Frittata
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces medium asparagus stalks (about 8), woody stems trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium slices Prosciutto (about 2 ounces), coarsely chopped

Directions:
Position an oven rack in the upper part of the oven and preheat the broiler. Whisk the eggs, 3 tablespoons of the cheese, the milk, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste together in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and Canadian bacon, and cook until the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, pour the egg mixture into the skillet, stirring gently to distribute the fillings evenly. Cover, and cook until the bottom sets, but does not get too brown, about 9 minutes. Remove the cover, scatter the remaining 1 tablespoon of cheese over the surface. Run the frittata under the broiler until the top sets and browns slightly, about 1 minute. Set aside for about 5 minutes before unmolding. Slip the frittata out of the pan onto a cutting board, cut into wedges. Serve warm or room temperature.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup - from Kate

My friend, Kate, brought this AMAZING breakfast treat to a ladies' brunch we had for Sunday School this weekend. Everyone was raving about how great it was!! I have not made it yet but hopefully will soon - Kent will definitely love it! It is a breakfast version of a bread pudding - and it's so good!!

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread
7 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
Praline Topping (recipe follows)
Maple syrup

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1 inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 x 13 inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk/egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping
Ingredients:
3/4 lb butter
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and blend well.

Grape Salad

This recipe is great for a brunch or party. It works well as a side or a dessert since it's so sweet. Kent's aunt makes a similar recipe for Christmas every year and it's always a big hit!

Grape Salad
Ingredients:
2 lbs green seedless grapes
2 lbs red seedless grapes
8 ounces sour cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Method:
Wash and stem grapes; set aside. Blend together sour cream, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Stir grapes into mixture until well covered. Place the mixture into a serving bowl. Stir together topping ingredients in a separate bowl, then sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the grape mixture. Chill overnight before serving.