Blueberry Muffins

 Do you ever get bored of your daily breakfast routine? Mine is usually half a grapefruit, a choice of cheerios, corn pops, or lucky charms, or 12 grain bread and raspberry jelly. Weekends are usually a day for me to play around with breakfast…eggs, pancakes, waffles etc… But I wanted something different! I had bought a few quarts of blueberries the other day and realized hey…muffins! I haven’t had muffins in SO long! So it was only fair to make these blueberry 

muffins for breakfast and I am sooo glad I did!

Blueberry Muffins

2 C blueberries

2 C flour

1 C sugar

2 ½ t baking powder

1 t salt

2 eggs

½ C buttermilk

1/3 C vegetable oil

1 ½ t vanilla

1 t almond extract 

Preheat oven to 400F, spray your muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside. 

In a bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and almond extract. Mix wet ingredients into the dry using as little stirring action as possible till combined. Fold blueberries in. Fill muffin tin ¾ full each. You can sprinkle the top with some raw sugar for crunchiness if desired. Bake for 30 minutes and check at the 25 minute mark. It should nice and golden brown and come out clean when a toothpick is inserted.

Serve at room temp or warm like I did!

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

Chocolate is on my mind day in and day out. It doesn’t help that T loves chocolate too, probably more so than me! Which is why buying 7lbs of chocolate on a weekly basis is not looked down upon. So what does one do with so much chocolate?! Bake an extremely chocolate loaded cake with an equally chocolatey frosting to top it off.

This cake tastes better as it sits and best eaten at room temp. It’s one of the best cakes ever for its light texture, powerful depth of chocolate, and though it looks dense and heavy…its nothing but.

 

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups hot, brewed coffee
2 ½ cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 T salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla 

Frosting:
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
*you can crumble any leftover chocolate cake crumbs on top!

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.
Butter the sides and bottoms of 2 round baking pans. Line the bottom with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter the top of the parchment paper (this step is very important to ensure your cake layers release).

In a small bowl, combine the 6 ounces of chopped dark chocolate and 1 1/2 cups hot coffee. Set aside, stirring occasionally to create a smooth mixture.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1 tablespoon of salt. 

In your stand mixer, or in a bowl using your hand mixer, beat the 3 eggs until they are light yellow and thickened. Slowly add the 3/4 cup canola oil, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the chocolate/coffee mixture to the eggs. Beat until combined well. Turn the mixer off, add the sugar/flour/cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined. The batter will be very thin, for cake batter at least.

*Don’t pour too much batter in as it rises and may result in dripping and burning in your over. Pour any leftover batter into another pan for more cake!

Bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester comes out clean, about an hour (check at 50 minutes, but it may take up to 70 minutes).

When ready, cool the layers completely on cooling racks. After they have cooled, run a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Invert the cakes onto cooling racks. Slowly remove the wax or parchment paper. Set aside.

Frosting:
In a medium saucepan, bring the 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat.

Add the 1 pound of chopped dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the pieces of butter, a few at a time, stirring each time until smooth. 

Transfer the frosting to a bowl and let it cool, stirring occasionally, until it is smooth and spreadable. You may have to refrigerate the mixture for a while to achieve the right consistency.

Assembly:
Spread a good amount of the frosting on top of one of the cake layers. Spread flat to an inch away from the edge. This will be the filling.

Place the second cake layer on top of the first. Transfer some of the frosting to a small bowl. Use this frosting to spread a very thin layer over the entire cake. This is the crumb coat, which will prevent crumbs from mixing into your final frosting layer. Refrigerate the cake for an hour.

When the crumb coat has hardened, frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. You can use a bench scraper to get a nice, smooth layer on the edge of your cake. Garnish with leftover cake if desired.

At this point, you can cover and chill the cake, or serve at room temperature.

Banh Mi in a Hurry

 Hunger Games is out! My sister has mentioned that she’s read all three books in a matter of 2 weeks I think and she pretty much planted an interest in me. I have not managed to read the book…however I just went to see the show! I can’t judge just yet if I loved it or not…I knew what it was about but somehow was hoping for a little more…I think one must read it before reviewing it. Anyway, this post isn’t about the movie…it’s about the pre-movie dinner in a hurry kind of post. And nothing gets better than a toasty sandwich stuffed with charred lemongrass pork, quick pickled carrots and radishes, sriracha mayo and an amazon of cilantro. If you aren’t following…I am talking about the holy grail of sandwiches… the banh mi. This is minus the pate but its still scrumpdililumpcious GOOD.

I used the 2 extra grilled pork chops that I had already grilled from last nights dinner for this banh mi. It was marinated in a thick paste of smashed up lemongrass, garlic, asian shallots, kecap manis, and fish sauce. I had it all planned…except for the rush to the movies part. All I needed was 10 minutes for my pickles and another 5 to get all the other elements. I imagine this would be excellent with a fried egg on top.

Banh Mi

2 center cut pork chops (bone or no bone)

4 stalks lemongrass (dry leaves hulled, tender bits chopped)

5 cloves garlic

3 asian shallots

1/2 C kecap manis

1 T fish sauce

2 loaves soft French baguette

½ cucumber sliced into thin strips

2 carrots thick julienne

5 radishes sliced (or 1/2 daikon thick julienne)

large bunch of cilantro (leaves and tender stems only)

Pickling Liquid

1 C apple cider vinegar

1/2 C sugar

1/2 T salt

Sriracha Mayo

¼ C good mayo

Sriracha to taste ( depending on how spicy you want it)

Make your marinade by placing lemongrass, garlic, shallots, kecap manis and fish sauce in a food processor till its thick and pasty.

Place your pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and with a mallet or in my case a rolling pin pound it lightly till its just beginning to break some of its fibres. Place your marinade and pork into a ziploc bag, release all the air and let it sit for 2 hours or overnight. Cook your pork on a hot grill to achieve those lovely charred marks...cook for 3-4 minutes of each side and don't overcook it as pork tends to get pretty dry. Let it rest on your cutting board before you slice it into 1/2 inch thick slices.

For the pickling liquid, just combine all ingredients and stir to incorporate the sugar in. Submerge your julienned carrots and radishes in and set aside. Make your sriracha mayo and set aside.

Assemble you banh mi by slicing your loaf (like those subway ladies do it). I dont like too much bread in my sandwiches so I hull out the top loafs inner bread. Spread a healthy dollop of sriracha mayo on the bottom, arrange a nice layer of pork, then on with you cucumbers, pickled carrots and radishes, then stuff with cilantro! Feel free to squirt on more sriracha as I did!

 

Lemon Bars

What spring? It’s more like summer right now with temperatures up to 80 degrees in March is unheard of. Thinking it’d stay that way I decided to make something refreshing and summery. Lemons. Something so simple, sour, bright and juicy can make one so happy…especially when
its formed into a lemon bar. When life gives you lemons….you make lemon bars.

I love my lemon bars tart…I hate when lemon bars are too sweet and overpowered by too much added sugar and adding a good hefty pinch of salt really brings out the lemonyness too! I usually make these with a graham cracker crust but decided to go with another route. These are easy to make and I swear will pucker up your tastebuds!

Lemon Bars

1 C + 2 T flour (divided)

½ C + 2 T confectioners sugar (divided)

½ C softened butter

hefty pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 C sugar

½ t baking powder

½ C lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8x8-inch pan with baking spray, then line the pan with aluminum foil (this will make it easier to remove the lemon bars in one piece so you can cut them properly on a cutting board). Spray the aluminum foil with baking spray as well.

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of the flour, 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar, the melted butter, and the salt with a fork until a crumbly dough forms. Press the dough into the prepared pan so it covers the bottom and goes about 1/2 inch up the sides. Bake the crust about 15 minutes or until it just starts to turn golden.

While the crust is baking, whisk together the remaining 1/8 cup flour, eggs, granulated sugar, baking powder and lemon juice. Pull the crust out of the oven, pour over the lemon mixture, and return the pan to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.

Cool the lemon bars in the pan for half an hour, then refrigerate at least two hours before cutting. Cut with a large knife into even squares and serve with a pretty dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

Almond Cornmeal Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese and Strawberries

I was thinking about devouring cornbread the other day and I know that T’s mom stocks her freezer full with jiffy cornbread mix. I’m not a huge fan of box mix cakes and I always feel guilty using them as it makes me feel unoriginal…but hey! they’re easy and pretty decent. So anyway…cornbread...i love the grittiness cornmeal gives…the texture is just awesome! It’s so versatile, and you can make so many variations of cornbreads…sweet and savoury. This time round I decided on making an almond cornmeal cake with a whipped cream cheese topping and fresh strawberries. Almond cakes…pudding…cream...are also a favorite of mine…I love the fragrance and taste almond extract offers…oh and not to mention…T loves almond milk tea with pearls!

This is a great teatime treat… or any time of day really… I love piling a slice with a million quartered strawberries and with a healthy dollop of whipped cream cheese too of course! What’s great about this cake is that it’s light, lemony, and a little tangy…just thinking about it makes me want to walk over to the kitchen and cut another slice! It is VERY good…if you love strawberry shortcake…this is a keeper!

Almond-Cornmeal Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream Cheese

3 C almond meal 

1/3 C flour

1 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 stick plus 2 T softened butter

1 C sugar

1 T vanilla 

3 eggs

Zest of 2 lemons (use a microplane)

2 T lemon juice

1 C cornmeal

Whipped Cream Cheese Topping

3/4 C heavy cream

1/2 C cream cheese

1/2 C confectioners sugar

1 quart strawberries, hulled, and sliced into quarters

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter and flour a 9 inch round cake pan and set aside.

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a bowl of your stand mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla till creamy, light, and fluffy (3 minutes on speed 4) Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time incorporating each thoroughly. Continue to beat for a minute or so. Mix in the lemon zest and juice then with a spatula fold the flour mixture, cornmeal and then ground almonds. Batter will be very thick! 

Scrap the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the topping.

In the bowl of your stand mixer whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, add the cream cheese and confectioners sugar and whip until barely firm peaks form. Prepare your strawberries.

Assembly.

Once the cake is cool, place it on a pretty plate, take a large dollop of topping and place it on the cake, top with fresh strawberries and serve immediately!

Homemade Thin Mints

It’s a sad day when you open your freezer and there inside you see that your box of thin mints is nothing but a crumpled leftover plastic wrapper and itty bitty black crumbs.  Girl Scout Cookie season is over! But that doesn’t mean you still can’t have their delectable and addictive cookies! The answer is to buy a million boxes and store them…or the more reasonable answer is just make them yourself! It isn’t too hard to do, and the results are pretty good…and the best part is you can make it with all your cookie cutters!

I went with the traditional route and used my circular cookie cutter. I found it is best when you spray your cookie cutter with a little bit of cooking spray or you can coat it with butter too. It ‘s also easier to roll out your dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap then placing them in and out of the freezer to chill and cut. You might have to do it often if you don’t work quick enough as the dough becomes limp and sticky quickly. Repeat rolling out the dough and stamping cookies until all dough is gone!

Homemade Thin Mints
Makes quite a lot, about 2 or 3 dozen

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 C powdered sugar
1 T vanilla extract
1 C cocoa powder
1 egg white
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour
1 pound (16 ounces) good semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint oil, more as needed

Using a stand or hand-held mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cream some more, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go to get it all incorporated. Add in the vanilla, cocoa powder, egg white and salt and continue creaming until the batter is smooth and creamy with the consistency of thick chocolate frosting. Add the flour and mix until the batter is no longer dusty looking. It’s okay if it’s still a bit crumbly (it will all come together), but try not to overwork the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a ball and bring together in a smooth mass. The dough should be soft and a little crumbly. Place dough in plastic wrap, flatten to a one inch thickness, and put the dough in the freezer for about twenty minutes to harden up.
While the dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees and center a rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Once chilled, remove dough and roll out until somewhere around a 1/6 inch thickness–but make sure to not make the dough too thin. The dough will be hard, but work with it to get to the correct thickness. It also softens up very easily, so you might have to stick it back in the freezer if it gets too sticky. Stamp out the cookies with a cookie cutter about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for nine to ten minutes, until the cookies look hardened and are fragrant. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

While the cookies are cooling, make the chocolate coating. Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler until glossy and smooth. It may seem thick at first, but give it time and it will smooth out and lighten. It might help to add a tablespoon or two of oil if the chocolate seems extra thick–the consistency of chocolate varies depending on the brand. Once melted and smooth, whisk in the peppermint oil. Drop in one cookie at a time, and using a fork, turn to coat with chocolate. When removing the cookie from the chocolate with a fork, tap the fork against the bowl to smooth out the top, and then place the coated cookies in the fridge or freezer to set. 

Keep the cookies in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat.

Lamingtons

 This is probably ultra random but I just saw the "visit Australia" ad on TV and lamingtons came to mind. The last time I was in Australia was probably my trip to Sydney and I remember having lamingtons during our mid day tea time. So after a few minutes of reminiscing I convinced myself to get up off my heinie and make some.

What are lamingtons? have you ever had one before? It’s an Australian original! Soft , spongy, and light yellow cake dipped in a rich chocolate icing then generously rolled in dried coconut. Perhaps I’ve got your attention now? It’s too bad lamingtons aren’t more readily available anywhere and the only option is probably to make it yourself. I don’t even think Australian restaurants serve them!  Fortunately for us die hard lamington lovers, and the curious…it’s not so difficult to make…and boy have I got The recipe for you! Trust me on this one…once you take one bite I promise you’ll be converted.

the perfect lamington

* I used unsweetened dried shredded coconut that I picked up from whole foods.
Tip: I use two forks to handle the cake squares and dip them in the chocolate and then the coconut. Let the chocolate drip off a bit before you put it in the coconut.

Lamingtons

Yield: 16 squares

1 stick butter softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 t vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ C flour
2 ½ t baking powder
1/4 C milk
2 C shredded coconut (or more if needed) *

Chocolate icing
2 T softened butter
2 ¾ C powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 t vanilla
1 ¼ cocoa
5 ounces boiling water

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy (2-3 minutes on med-high). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in combined sifted flour and baking powder alternating with milk and stir until smooth, ending with flour mixture. Spoon mixture into a greased and lined square tin (9x9) and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Stand in tin for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.
Note: If your cake turns out too brown and crusty, with a serrated knife just trim of the browned edges.

For the icing

Combine all ingredients with 5 ounces boiling water and mix until smooth. This mixture will be very runny.

Assembly

Cut cake into approximately 1" squares and dip each one into icing, then into coconut and place lamingtons on a wire rack to set for a bit. If you can’t wait…just devour immediately!




photo courtesy: CL

Fudgy Brownies

Brrrooowwwnieees! Ahhh! I love me some brownies! They’re awesome on their own and warm with cold ice cream… These brownies are fudgy, explodingly full of chocolatey goodness and possess the classic shiny hard top. They’re a great last minute dessert option for any night and you’ll be pleased you made them too!

The key to these fudgy brownies is melting the sugar in the butter till shiny and thick. Just be cautious once it starts bubbling because its very very hot. I like to brown the butter a tad longer to give the brownies a nuttier flavor, but that’s really up to your liking…they are awesome either way! If you love the crunch of nuts, go right ahead and add them in!

Fudgy Brownies

1 C unsalted butter

2 ¼ C sugar

1 ¼ C cocoa

1 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 T vanilla

4 eggs

1 ½ C flour

2 C chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat briefly, just until it's hot, but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

Transfer the sugar mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, if you've heated it in a saucepan. Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth. Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool completely prior to cutting.

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze

When I think about cinnamon rolls it brings me back to Cinnabons cinnamon rolls, remember them? They were pretty darn tasty, warm, gooey, sweet, tender, and just makes you smile. I haven’t come across any of their stores for years and I just had a hankering for one. These are close to the typical rolls but instead of using regular flour I opted for whole wheat flour, for a little more fibre in my diet…and partially so I can eat more than one and not feel all to guilty about it.

The thing about cinnamon rolls like any other yeast based bread is the waiting game. I am an impatient lady…especially when it comes to food.  But sometimes there is no other option to get the perfect result so one must succumb and know that it’s well worth every minute. And I tell you…it was. The whole wheat flour gave the roll a nice texture and slight nuttiness, it was pillowy soft, tender, and chewy and surprisingly light. I glazed it with a light cream cheese frosting with a spritz of lemon which goes so well with the sweetness. I demand all of you to try it!

Hot, sticky, oozing with cinnamony sugary syrup. The whole was permeated with lovely hints of cinnamon and vanilla...a great start to a lovely evening.

By looking at this...I couldn't resist sinking my teeth into them. I had already waited 4 1/2 hours or so and waiting till after dinner was not an option! 

 3 bites....

 .....mmm just speechless....

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

¾ C warm water

2 ¼ T fast acting dry yeast

¼ C sugar

pinch of salt

¼ C buttermilk

1/3 C oil

1 egg

4 ½-5 C whole wheat flour (king Arthur)

Filling

½ C softened butter

1 ¼ C light brown sugar

3 T cinnamon (or more)

2 T corn starch

Cream Cheese Glaze

3 oz cream cheese (I used Neufchatel 1/3 less fat)

¼ C softened butter

1 T vanilla

½ T light corn syrup

1 T lemon juice

1 ¼ C powdered sugar

¼ milk

Attach your mixer with the dough hook. Pour warm water, yeast and 1 T of sugar. Mix for a few seconds and let it proof for about 5 mins, it will foam. Add remaining sugar and salt. Mix for 15-20 seconds. Whisk an egg and combine buttermilk and oil, mix well till they are incorporated. While mixing, add in the buttermilk mixture and add in 2 cups of whole wheat flour. Mix well, add in whole wheat flour in ¼ c increments till the dough starts to peel away from the bowl cleanly. Take your dough out and knead for a few seconds, place it back into your bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave it alone in a warm spot for 1 ½ hours or so. 

Meanwhile  make your filling, combine all filling ingredients together and set aside.

After 1 ½ hours your dough should be soft and pillowy. Place it on a lightly floured surface and knead it for a bit. Form in into a ball and cut it in half, set the other half aside. With a rolling pin, roll out your dough into a rectangle, it should be about ¼ inch thick. Spread half of your filling ingredients evenly and roll it tightly starting from the end nearest to you. Slice them into 1 ½ inch thick rolls and do the same for the other half. Place your rolls snugly in a buttered 9x13in pan and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Leave it to proof once more for about an hour. 

After the hour is up, preheat your oven to 350 F and bake for 15-20 minutes till lightly golden brown. While they are baking, make your glaze. Whisk all glaze ingredients together till smooth and silky, you might need to add more milk for a thinner glaze if you like.  Pour the glaze over when they are still nice and hot let it sit for a bit and serve warm!

Homemade Gravlax

I’ve been planning to make my own gravlax for quite a while now and I knew I couldn’t let my beautiful bunch of dill go to waste. They had an awesome deal at my local grocer on Norwegian salmon fillets and it was just meant to be. Gravlax is fairly easy to prepare…it’s just a 2-3 day waiting period before you can dig in....but its worth the wait!

If you’re bored with your usual preparation of salmon, having gravlax is a nice alternative. It’s simply cured in a 50:50 salt and sugar curing mix with a whole bunch of chopped up dill, allowed to sit pressed with a ton of cans for 2-3 days. The result is refreshing, similar to having fresh salmon sashimi but with a smoked salmon texture without the smoke. Serve it up with dill sprigs, crème fraiche, mustard dill sauce and some blinis…or in a salad!

my trusty weights!

gorgeous and fragrant bunch of dill

I served mine with toasted whole wheat pita, mustard dill sauce, capers and a spritz of lemon juice...If I had caviar on hand, i'd probably add that on there too!

Gravlax

1 whole fillet Fresh Salmon (skin on)

1/3 c salt

1/3 sugar

1 bunch dill

Mustard Dill Sauce

1 T whole grain mustard

1 T dijon mustard

½ C yogurt

¼ C mayo

1 clove garlic (minced)

½ dill (chopped finely)

¼ milk

1 T lemon juice

kosher salt

pepper

Make sure you have extra space in your fridge. Roughly chop half of your dill and mix with salt and sugar, set aside. I used 2 9x13 in pans for this and you may have to slice the tail of the salmon to make it fit in the pan.  Lay a large overlapping sheet of saran wrap on one pan, sprinkle half of the curing mix on the bottom and lay the fish skin side down, then sprinkle with the rest of your curing mix, lay a few sprigs of dill on top and cover with another sheet of saran wrap and seal the package. Lay the other pan on top and weigh it down with soup cans…weights…etc. I used 8 cans. Place in the fridge and forget about it for 3 days. After the 3 days, take it out discard all the dill and water, rinse the fillet under cold running water and dry with paper towels. With a very sharp knife slice on a diagonal very thin slices and lay on a plate. Garnish with more dill sprigs, capers, thin slices of red onions and wedges of lemon or whatever you like!

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta with Aged Balsamic and Basil Olive Oil

 And I thought spring was really around the corner! It’s March 1^st and we’ve gotten the second biggest snowstorm since the freak one in October… But that don’t stop me from making anything! For lunch T had requested something light, filling, and quick…like 20 minutes quick. So I whipped out a baguette, fresh tomatoes, basil, a few other things…and whipped my cast iron grill pan on a high heat burner. 

I had some arugula on hand and God knows I LOVE that spicy peppery bittery leaf...especially tossed with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese with a light dressing of tart aged balsamic and a drizzle of basil olive oil. 

Tomato Bruschetta

 2-3 servings

1 baguette sliced on a diagonal

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 handful basil leaves (chiffonade)

pinch of salt

a few cracks of the pepper mill

2-3 T aged balsamic (to taste)

1 T evoo (or basil olive oil + extra for drizzling baguette slices)

1 garlic clove

Pre-heat your cast iron griddle on your stove.

Quarter your cherry tomatoes and place in a bowl, chiffonade your basil and place in bowl. Mix well with salt, pepper, balsamic, and olive oil. Set aside.

Place your baguette slices on the griddle and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Grill for a few minutes on each side to get a nice char. Flip it over and rub the garlic clove on each slice of baguette and do the same for the other side later. Once both sides are charred and rubbed with garlicky goodness place it on a plate and top it with the tomato mixture and enjoy!

Arugula and Goat Cheese Salad

2 Large handfuls of Arugula

1/4 C dried cranberries

1/4 C toasted walnuts

1/4 (or more ) crumbled goat cheese

Aged balsamic (as needed)

Basil olive oil (or evoo) As needed

Few cracks of the pepper mill

Toss everything together and serve with your bruschetta!