Ginger Grapefruit Juice

For most people in the world, winter is encompassed by darkness and cool colors of white, blue and grey. Hurried bodies rise before the sun and return home as the warmth of our world hides its face. Although I do LOVE winter, there are moments when I long for the days of driving home at 7 PM with sunlight blazing through the windshield & evenings spent with friends in the warm air under twinkling lights.

A few years ago I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and after buying a Breville on Black Friday sale, caught the juicing bug. It marked the beginning of a long juice binge, but when I moved to Denver, my Breville began to sit and collect dust. I think winter has much to do with my renewed desire to juice. In contrast to the starkness of winter juicing contributes splashes of warm, nutritious color.

Ginger Grapefruit Juice

This recipe serves two and is quite tart. If you aren’t used to grapefruit, I would recommend sweeting or you may be a bit too puckered. 

Ingredients

4 oranges
thumb sized portion of ginger
1.5 grapefruit
2 carrots
1/4 lemon

Instructions

Peel and quarter the fruit & peel the ginger.
Run all items through a juicer. Add sweetener as needed.

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Salmon En Croute

Two words: puff pastry. If you have never encountered this magical substance, here’s your chance. Its doughy, flaky, smooth, buttery, & can be used to make sweet and savory dishes. One day I might even try to make it myself (which is quite a time commitment). This particular recipe is an adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s Salmon En Croute, which touts a more Mediterranean flavor. 

Salmon En Croute

Dufour, the brand of puff pastry that I used can be found at whole foods. It really is as good as it says it is. You can get creative with your salmon toppings. The possibilities are endless.

Ingredients

1lb salmon fillet (of relatively even thickness)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt & pepper
scant 1/4c pesto
1T diced red onion
1/2lb mozzarella (sliced)
2 small tomatoes (sliced)
1 small handful of baby spinach
1T pine nuts
1 package puff pastry dough
1 egg (whisked)

Instructions

Follow puff pastry instructions for thawing.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season salmon with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Dust your work surface & rolling pin with flour. Roll out puff pastry dough enough to allow for folding amply over salmon. Place fillet in middle of pastry.
Top salmon with pesto & sprinkle with red onion. Then top with tomato, mozzarella, spinach, & sprinkle with pine nuts.
Fold pastry over the edges & brush pastry with egg wash.
Bake for 35 minutes or until pastry is brown & crisp & salmon is cooked through.
Let cool for a few minutes before cutting & serving.

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Fall Gathering 2014

Since the day that chilly weather arrived, I’ve craved nothing but warm food. The days of salads & smoothies are decidedly over. To harken in soup, baked goods, & whiskey that warms the belly, the Fond Life Fall Gathering is finally here. Don’t be fooled, even the spinach salad featured in this post is warm.

A special thanks to Carmen & Riley who provided the lovely dishes, and Andrew who helped with the brie. As always, the night was filled with laughter & ended with a warm dessert topped with bluebell. Is there any other way to do it?

This is an entirely vegetarian spread, and although there were some grumbling from the boys on this account, everyone admitted that it was delicious.

Brie En Croute

A few people arrived late and I literally had to hide this so it didn’t get devoured before everyone could try it. Of everything that I made this night, the brie was repeatedly the dish that made people toss their head back and say “omigoshthisissogoodwhatisit?” 

Ingredients

1 round of brie
(top cut off and discarded)
1/2 pear
1/4 c brown sugar
1 package crescent rolls
2T unsalted butter
(melted)

Instructions

Preheat oven according to the pastry instructions.
Lightly flour counter and spread out your pastry dough. Depending on what kind you use, you may have to patch it together a little bit.
Place brie on dough & top with brown sugar and pear.
Wrap the pastry on top and around the brie, pressing the dough together to ensure nothing seeps out as it bakes. Brush with melted butter.
Bake until the pastry is golden brown.
Serve with crackers.

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Wilted Spinach Salad

The ribbons of parmesan add an extra pop of saltiness and texture. 

Ingredients

1 large bag of baby spinach
1/4 c olive oil
1 shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2t thyme, chopped
1/2t rosemary, chopped
1T lemon
dash of salt and pepper
parmesan cheese

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the shallot and garlic until soft. Add thyme and rosemary until fragrant.
Off of the heat, whisk in the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the spinach and toss until totally covered and wilted.
Portion to serving plates and top with parmesan cheese shavings.

You can find the recipe for the butternut squash soup, and bread pudding, on cooksillustrated.com.

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Blackberry Ginger Cobbler

Blackberry Ginger Cobbler

This is one of the simplest and most delicious dessert recipes. And just like pie, its a little better with a bit of vanilla ice cream on top.

Adapted from Saveur.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 ¾ cups sugar,
(plus more for sprinkling)
4 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, (cubed and chilled)
1 ¼ cups milk
1 ½ lb. blackberries
½ pear, sliced thin
2 t fresh ginger, finely grated
1 cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Instructions

Whisk together flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl; add butter, and using your fingers, rub butter into flour until pea-size crumbles form. Add milk, and stir just until a moist dough forms; cover and refrigerate dough until ready to use.
Heat oven to 400°.
Bring remaining sugar and salt along with blackberries, ginger, and citrus juices to a boil in a 12″ cast-iron or enamelware skillet over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Remove pan from heat, and using two tablespoons, portion and form chilled dough into 2–3″ oval dumplings, and drop them evenly on top of the blackberry mixture. Place pear slices between each dough ball.
Sprinkle dough dumplings with sugar, and transfer skillet to oven; bake until biscuits are cooked through and blueberry mixture is reduced, about 25 minutes.
Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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Granny Red's Chocolate Pie

When I was growing up, every year on my dad’s birthday, my mom would make him a chocolate pie. This is the recipe he grew up eating, way before my mom came along. When my now-fiance and I visited home in June, we celebrated my dad’s 60th birthday with a chocolate pie, as we always do. It was great to be with my mom in the kitchen for this nostalgic recipe. 

Pie Crust

Enough for 5 pie crusts.

Ingredients

4c Unsifted Flour
1T Sugar
2t Salt
1 3/4c Crisco
1T White Vinegar
1 Large Egg

Instructions

Put first three ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork.
Add Crisco & mix until crumbly.
In a small bowl, beat 1/2c water, vinegar and egg until combined.
Combine egg mixture with Crisco mixture.
Divide dough into five portions, wrap in plastic wrap & chill for at least 30 minutes or until needed.
Roll out a portion of the dough until 10″ in diameter.
Place in pie dish, pressing to form to bowl. Poke with fork.
Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes.

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Chocolate Pie Filling

For a 10" pie. 

Ingredients

2 1/4c Milk
1 1/3c Sugar
1/2c Flour
4T Cocoa
3 Egg Yolks, beaten
2/3t Salt
1 1/2t Vanilla
3T Butter
1/2t Grated Lemon Rind

Instructions

Into a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, sugar & salt.
Bring milk slowly to a boil, and slowly stir in the flour mixture.
Add beaten egg yolks & cook for one more minute, until thick.
Add vanilla, butter & lemon until combined.
Pour thickened mixture into baked pie shell & let cool.
Make meringue (see below).
Carefully pour meringue into pie filling.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes.

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Meringue

You can add in a bit of cream of tartar to help stabilize the meringue.

Ingredients

4 Egg Whites
8T Sugar

Instructions

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the 8T of sugar.
Beat until stiff peaks form.

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Summer Gathering 2014

One thing I love more than making good food, is making good food for best friends. Cue Fond Life Gatherings (hint: fall, winter, & spring version to come). 

Menu

Watermelon Tequila Cocktails  |  caprese salad  |  bacon wrapped asparagus  |  watermelon with feta & mint  |  summer greens  |  pesto goat cheese burgers  |  grilled peaches

Caprese Salad

Just so you know, I made this one up as I went along, so measurements are more “guidelines.”

Ingredients

2c Heirloom Tomatos
1c Lightly Packed Basil Leaves
1 Large Package Mozzarella Cheese
3T Olive Oil
2T Balsamic

Instructions

Coarsely chop tomato, basil, & mozzarella & combine in large serving bowl.
Mix in olive & balsamic just before serving.

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Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

I’ve made this for groups of people a number of time over the years and no matter how much I make, there are LITERALLY never any leftovers. No matter how much I make. So be prepared for mild mannered people to become ravaging savages around these puppies. 

Ingredients

Bacon
(cut in half width-wise)
1 Bunch Asparagus

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wrap bacon around 1-3 asparagus stalks depending on their width, securing with tooth picks (see photo).
Place on non stick baking sheet & bake at 350 degrees until bacon is done to your liking & asparagus is crispy & bathed in bacon deliciousness.
Let cool slightly & serve.

Summer Greens

I make this in big batches for the week super quickly by using the microwave bag of brown rice and adding in a rotisserie chicken. 

Ingredients

Bag of mixed greens
1 Large Can Mandarin Oranges
1/4c Walnuts
1/4c Green Onions, chopped
11/2c Brown Rice
1/4c Feta Cheese
1/2c Olive Oil
1/4c Balsamic Vinegar
1/3c Honey
2T Cream
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Mix first six ingredients into a large bowl.
Combine last five ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined well.
Just before serving, toss the salad with the dressing.

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Watermelon, Mint & Feta

It’s as easy as it sounds. 

Ingredients

1/2 Watermelon
(cut to your preference)
1/3c Feta
3T mint

Instructions

Place watermelon on serving platter & sprinkle with mint & feta.
Cover & chill until ready to serve.

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Grilled Peaches

I had a hard time pitting the peaches with a spoon, but I think there are some special tools you can get to make it easier. I, on the other hand, asked the strong men hanging around to give me a hand. 

Ingredients

Peaches
(halved, pits removed)
Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

Grill peaches, pit-side-down over medium heat until soft.
Top generously with ice cream & devour.

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Pesto & Goat Cheese Burgers

Makes 10-11 small patties.

Ingredients

1 Batch Walnut Pesto Recipe
2lbs Ground Beef
Salt & Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
Goat Cheese
Burger Buns

Instructions

Mix beef, 1/4c pesto, garlic, & salt & pepper.
Form into patties, cover & chill until ready to grill.
Grill over medium heat until desired done-ness has been achieved. Top with goat cheese for the last few minutes of grill time to let it melt into the patty.
Serve with extra pesto on the side & desired garnishes & condiments.

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Citrus Olive Oil Cake

For the past couple of months, EB, Jonathan, Chad & I have been going to some AMAZING cooking classes at Stir To Learn Cooking School in the Highlands. A few weeks ago, Chad & I attend the “Date Night in Tuscany” class where we made this cake. It was so good I had to make it myself. The recipe calls for a 9″ round pan, but I used a smooth bundt pan. I topped it with some powdered sugar, but serving it with home made whipped cream is even better. Thanks to Katy, the owner of the cooking school, who taught us the recipe, & kindly allowed me to post!

Citrus Olive Oil Cake

There's no butter in it, so it's healthy, right?

Ingredients

4 Large Eggs (beaten)
1 1/4 c Sugar
2/3 c Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 c Milk
1 t Vanilla
Zest from 1 Orange
Zest from 1 Lemon
2 2/3 c Flour
3/4 t Baking Soda
3/4 t Baking Powder
1 t Sea Salt
Powdered Sugar for Garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & butter a 10-inch baking pan (I used a bundt pan instead.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs & sugar until pale yellow and thick, about 3-4 minutes. (I did all of my mixing in a kitchen aid.)
Slowly add in the olive oil until well combined.
Add in the vanilla, orange zest & lemon zest until combined.
Alternately add in the flour mixture & milk, beginning and ending with flour. (I added in half of the flour mixture until combined, then all of the milk, then the other half of the flour.)
Finally, mix in baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
Pour mixture into your buttered pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. (In my pan, it needed to bake for about 30-35 minutes.)
Place on a rack to cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or serve with home made whipped cream.

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