Fab Food on a Snowy Day 02.01.2011

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• I cannot rave enough about Giada's pea pesto crostini. The pea puree is so delicious I have used it in omelettes and on sandwiches as well and everyone loves it. This recipe is a simple and healthy appetizer that you will make again and again.

• Why not make this beautiful pink ruffle cake for Valentine's Day?

•  Mmm...healthy smoothies are an easy breakfast anyday...although where I live right now we have so much snow I don't know who's in the mood for anything cold!

• Roasted beets with goat cheese are one of my favorite treats! Just cut the ends off of beets, throw them in the oven on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil at 400 degrees for about an hour (check on them and depending on their size see when they are easily sliced through). Let cool slightly and peel the skins off, chop as desired and sprinkle with salt and pepper and crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy!

• Drool over the gorgoues pictures (as always) of food at Cannelle et Vanille. Then try to make the Chocolate and Raspberry Financiers.

• Start to dip into all your preserves. We get jellies from a man my Dad works with every year and are lucky enough to nearly never have to buy store bought jams or jelly. Check out these gourmet jams. 

• Heart shaped scones to warm you up on a chilly morning.

• I love this vintage cake icing set!  

• 20 Ways to Roast & Warm Up

Caramelized onion & Goat cheese tarts

I made these the other night for dinner and they were so delicious! I know not everyone loves goat cheese but it's one of my favorites. Now I have to think of an interesting recipe of my own to use with the left over puff pastry! I actually substitued cheddar for parmesan but I'm sure it's fantastic either way. Find the recipe here.

Tuna Casserole

I never liked tuna casserole until recently. This recipe makes me go back for more and more!

Tuna Casserole

2 cans of Chunk Light Tuna

1 bag of Egg Noodles

1 bag of Frozen Peas, Thawed

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 clove of Garlic, minced

4 Tablepoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp. dill

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 cup of grated Cheddar Cheese

2 cups of 1 % milk

3 Tablespoons of Butter

2 Tablespoons of Flour

Breadcrumbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Set pot of water to a boil.

In the meantime, sauté onions in olive oil until slightly soft. Then add tuna, peas, garlic, and spices, and sauté until peas are warm and flavors have combined, remove from heat.

When water boils, salt, and add egg noodles.

Make a roux with 2 Tbs. of the butter and flour over low heat, add half of the cheese and whisk until melted.

Once pasta has cooked, combine with milk & cheese mixture and then combine this mixture with tuna and peas.

Butter a 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Pour ½ of pasta mixture into baking dish, top with the rest of the cheese, and pour the rest of the pasta on top of that.

Mix 1 Tbsp. of butter with breadcrumbs and mix with fingers until small balls form. Top casserole with breadcrumb mixture.

Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Easy Falafel

I made this falafel the other night and it was delicious! We had it for lunch the next day as well. Pretty simple recipe with yummy results.

Easy Falafel

1 can chickpeas, drained

½ of large onion or 1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. baking soda

1 egg

About ¼ cup of flour

Vegetable oil for frying

In a food processor, combine chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, spices, and baking soda. Pulse until grainy mixture is formed, not too long or it will turn goopy. Transfer to mixing bowl and stir in egg and flour. Flour should be added slowly and adjusted as needed to form a consistency that can be formed into balls. Mine was still slightly wet but I don’t like my falafel too dry in the center so adjust yours accordingly. Form mixture into balls or small patties.

Heat vegetable oil over high heat and using a slotted spoon place falafel balls into oil, being sure to keep them separate from each other. Turn over after a couple minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cooked falafel to plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Continue until all of them are cooked. Serve in pita bread with Tzatziki sauce (recipe below) and diced tomatoes.

Simple Tzatziki

2 cups of plain or Greek yogurt

½ of a large English hothouse cucumber, finely diced

4 tablespoons of dried (or fresh if you have it) dill, or to taste

Pinch of garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and serve with Falafel in pita bread.

Crepe cake

Ahh the crepe cake. I have to admit I made this before the baby was born at the end of my pregnancy. I took a day trip with my friend to the amazing Sid Wainer & Sons store which is pure heaven! Anything and everything involving gourmet food can be found at this store. I already had seen the post for the crepe cake on Cream Puffs in Venice and had this in mind while I was shopping. So among a few other things, I grabbed some fresh raspberries and a small chunk of milk chocolate. This is the general recipe that Cream Puffs in Venice posted from the New York Times with her own adaptations and I changed it based on what I did which was really remove the Kirsch and change the topping. I did make the batter the day before and it was nice to split up the labor that way.

Crepe Cake

For the crêpes batter:

6 tablespoons butter
3 cups milk

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

7 tbsp. sugar

Pinch salt

vegetable oil

The day before serving the cake, make the crepe batter and the pastry cream. For the batter, cook the butter in a small pan until brown like hazelnuts. Set aside. In another small pan, heat the milk until steaming; allow to cool for 10 minutes. In a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the hot milk and browned butter. Pour into a container with a spout, cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the crepes, bring the batter to room temperature. Place a nonstick or seasoned 9-inch crepe pan over medium heat. Swab the surface with the oil, then add about 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface. Cook until the bottom just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crepe with your fingers. Cook on the other side for no longer than 5 seconds. Flip the crepe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 20 perfect crepes.

For the vanilla pastry cream:

2 cups milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch, sifted
3 1/2 tbsp. butter

Bring the milk to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract then set aside for 10 minutes. Fill a large bowl with ice and set aside a small bowl that can hold the finished pastry cream and be placed in this ice bath.

In a medium heavy-bottomed pan, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, then place pan over high heat and bring to a boil, whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes. Press the pastry cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the small bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath and stir until the temperature reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Stir in the butter. When completely cool, cover and refrigerate.


To assemble the cake:

2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar


Whip the heavy cream with the tablespoon sugar. It won’t hold stiff peaks but that’s okay. Fold it into the pastry cream.
Lay 1 crepe on a cake plate. Using an icing spatula, completely cover with a thin layer of pastry cream (about 1/4 cup). Cover with a crepe and repeat to make a stack of 20, with the best-looking crepe on top. Chill for at least 2 hours. Set out for 30 minutes before serving. Top with more of the pastry cream, fresh raspberries, and shave chocolate over the whole thing.

Batter adapted from ”Joy of Cooking.” Pastry cream adapted from ”Desserts,” by Pierre Herme and Dorie Greenspan. Serves 10.

It was DELICIOUS! Light and fluffy, the pastry cream was not heavy at all, you really felt like you were eating a delicate but decadent dessert.