Apple-Cranberry Breakfast Quinoa

Taking inspiration from last week's quinoa cookie, a leisurely hot breakfast quinoa was made on an uncommonly chilly summer morning: apples, cinnamon, star anise, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries were all tossed in, and set to simmer. The result: honey-sweetened and milky-creamy, only a bit of maple syrup was added in the end to balance out a very tasty and wholesome breakkie.

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Chocolatey Banana Bites - Times Three

Bananas may not be the summeriest of all fruit, but dipped in chocolate, rolled in crunchy bits, and frozen, they beat any icy treat on a hot summer afternoon.

A brief 40 minutes of slicing, melting, and rolling, a bit of freeze time, and a sweet kid-friendly treat awaits. I like it thawed out a bit, so the banana is soft, but others seem to prefer that cool banana center straight from the freezer.
 


 In the past, I've whipped these up even faster by leaving the banana whole, dunking it in the chocolate, a quick roll through nuts, and to the freezy bin. Yet when sharing, the bites are soooo much easier to pass around.

A great summer sweet-n-salty treat, and a very tasty way to reap some of those seed benefits: Vitimin E is abundant in sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds are little green packets of minerals - and great for men's health. It's no wonder banana bites have been dominating the blogosphere this year!

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Plum - Chili Salsa

A nontraditional salsa in a traditional way.

Fruit salsa reigns supreme in summer on either chicken or fish. Or even just with chips and blended drinks.

Whatever fruit is laying around, mix it up with a bit of jalapenos/chili peppers, lime, red onion, cilantro and/or mint. Add a tomato or some corn if you fear straying too far away from the salsa tradition. Let flavors mesh for a few hours. Devour.

In a salsa, anything goes. Yet concerning the temperature of it, I am a bit more of a purist. I prefer the cool freshness of a salsa atop my meat. Others may enjoy it heated with the meat for the final few minutes.

Either way, bring on the fruity spiciness that is mid-summer.

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Banana Nut Muffins with a Maple-Bourbon Glaze

Some might splash in a little Baileys in their morning coffee. Jokes all around of tapping into ones Irishness. Living as an American abroad, I sometimes find myself tending to downplay such Euro familial connections, and instead, head straight for what America stands for. This morning, that happened to be maple syrup and bourbon. 

Yes, banana nut muffins livened up with some mapley-bourbon goodness. 

The muffins are fairly straightforward, with only a hint of maple and bourbon. But the glaze that transpired a few hours later, well, that makes them worthy of bringing to work.

For the first time, I used a bit of gelatin in a glaze. I think it helped the structure a bit. If you've got the extra ten minutes to wait around for it to 'bloom' in the water, I say give it a go. Otherwise, skip it, and the glaze should be a bit thinner, but still work out if the muffins aren't traveling far.

The deep maple-bourbon flavor marriage is grounded with a bit of whole-wheat flour and oats. Absolutely toothsome, and not overly sweet. Out. of. this. world.

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On Lakes and Salads

The shoreline is filled with bodies of all shapes and sizes. A clang rings out as a metal folding table is unfolded and an electric hotplate is ritually placed atop. A mum and a granny start a big pot of water boiling for the coming pasta. A couple of toddlers proudly bear their birthday suits and rush into the water. The lake is much different than the beach. Families load up the car with enough equipment to spend all week at the shoreline. Yet they are here just for the day.



Lake Bracciano is just north of Rome. At first glance, it seems a bit rougher, almost like you can feel the cramped flats on the outskirts of the city from where the families left early that morning. Teenage girls sport undergarments in place of swimming suits. Boys shout from open doors of a camper van, while at their feet a dog lies panting. There are more bald spots here than at the beach. More bad tattoos. More bellies. The shore is covered in black pebbles that are much too hot to lie comfortably on. There is no gentle aroma of fried fish, or the view of perky bronzed cheeks.

Of course, the games people play are the same. The coquettish ball tosses in the water. The shrieking, the yelling, and finally a mum scolding. The leisurely way one's stomach finally decides it is hungry. This is what I know. Lake food. Upon deciding to head to the lake last weekend, my hands went into action. Slicing any available fruit, tossing in some basil, and letting sit in the freezer until departure.

Hours later, after a swim (in water that was quite clear for a lake), when the stomach started to plead, the fruit salad was revealed. An Italian friend: "You have salad? With basil? On fruit?" Oh no. Another sanctum Italian food custom has been breached. This happens all too often.

 

Basil or no basil (mmm...or sometimes mint), fruit salad at the lake is comforting. I feel like in Wisconsin again. Almost.

For another freeze-friendly picnic salad, see last week's Green Bean and Hazelnut Salad.

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Green Bean & Hazelnut Salad - Summer Style

 
Hazelnuts and green beans adorning the Thanksgiving table is a given. But in summer? Not usually the first thought. There are three excellent reasons why this makes a fantastic summer dish:

1) It's picnic perfect.

• Stick in the freezer for a few hours and it can withstand an afternoon at the beach. By the time your stomach is ready, it will have reached a perfect temperature. And no creamy dressing or bacon makes it sun-safe and won't frighten your bikini-clad companions.

2) Hazelnuts rock.

•  Summer is witness to an abundance of almond-focused dishes. Any why not? They are great with fruit, grilled fishes, and so on. Yet health wise, hazelnuts pack in just as much good stuff as their almondy counterparts. While there are many dangers of the summer, what with sharks and UV rays, finding oneself in an almond-rut should also be warned against. The prevention: from time to time, reach for hazelnuts.

3) Less carbs and time to cook than pasta.

• Self-explanatory. Yes, both produce the kitchen heat required for a boiling pot of water, but these babies only take 3 minutes to boil. Compared to an 8-11 minute spaghetti al dente time, the choice is clear. And, um, these guys are vegetables!

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Pistachio Cheesecake with Cardamom-Orange Glaze

There are no words. There is only cake.

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Learning about Favas (and a Spring Pea-Fava Pesto)

Once, there was a recipe that looked oh-so-very-tasty. It was a pasta with a fava pesto sauce. Fava beans were beautifully photographed in the half-shell. Scattered across the brown paper bag they were purchased in, the green, slightly fuzzy, pods had been discarded and a steaming plate of pasta was in the forefront. I made it within days. And it sucked. I mean, it was so bitter even copious amounts of cheese (my usual fix-it) left me feeling pretty disappointed.

Still, ever curious about the world of favas, I did some asking around. Illumination my friends, pure fava illumination. There is a double shell. Yep. Now, if you want to eat them raw, snack-style, the double shell need not be removed. In fact, one doesn't even notice it. But if you want to cook them, even slightly, the outer jacket of the fava bean has got to go. The way to do this is get a pot of water boiling, and in the meantime, start popping the fava beans out of the pods. Then toss in the pot and boil for 1 minute. Have a bowl of ice water ready for when you scoop them out of the pot. You want to stop the cooking or it will be too difficult to peel. After cooled, strain from the water, and pop the bean in half to reveal the inner bean. This is what you want. The outer jackets can be tossed.

 

Now that you've done a bit of kitchen soul-searching to find your inner bean, feel free to stick it all in a food processor and mix up into a pesto. I had some fresh peas around, so I boiled them for about 5 minutes (along with the inner fava beans) to do a pesto with some basil and Pecorino cheese. It was really nice on top some simple fish fillets (with the old peas 'n carrots stand-by, which, at times, can fit the bill perfectly.) But the next day, mixed into a pot of some perfectly al dente-ed spaghetti, it turned transcendent. Now, unless you are deathly allergic to them, run, don't walk, and go get yourself some favas!

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Enthusiastic Eaters and an Artichoke Frittata

Cooking can be as simple or as complex as you make it. A long rambling recipe can be such a joy to read and an inspiration with scrumptious results. A quick post-market lunch of hand-made tortellini and mushrooms picked lovingly by the same elderly man who sold them to you can be so ultimately satisfying in such a different way.

What we sometimes forget, however, is the tremendous impact of the people whom we are cooking for. It's almost like dating. First, you have the compatibility factors. How much salt, any dietary restrictions, and other personal preferences. But then comes something less tangible. Chemistry, I believe it is often called. It transcends the actual contents of the meal and touches a much more personal level. You can cook and eat with someone who likes the exact same things as you, but something just doesn't click. Maybe they are too critical, or not critical enough. Maybe they desire a formal presentation and you are more of a pan-to-plate kind of a cook. Whatever the case, finding good eating companions can sometimes be more of an accomplishment than tracking down an authentic truffle oil. 

 It's true I've not posted a recipe in quite some time. Maybe I was lacking the company of enthusiastic eaters. Or maybe I just got buried under life like so many of us tend to get.

Today I had a moment, an artichoke frittata brunch moment to be precise, in which to pause and be grateful for new friends who are very enthusiastic eaters. And this is something to appreciate.  

(Although, seeing as it is mother's day, I wish I lived close enough to share brunch with you, mum!)

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Flavia's Strawberry Pasta

Strawberry pasta salad with cucumbers, fresh mozzarella, and basil turned out to be a refreshing spring lunch. I can imagine this as a sort of picnic fare, as it is best at room temperature and would travel well. With a sweet balsamic glaze and a pinch of salt it was still a dish with a soft flavour. I am toying with the idea of switching out the mozzarella for some tangy chucks of feta cheese next time.

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Ribboned Zucchini and Parmesan Salad

Eating out, exploring new restaurants, is not only such a pleasure in itself, but can often inspire dishes to be recreated at home. A few weeks ago I shared a few bites of a starter salad of delicate ribbons of zucchini atop some punchy arugula. Lovely chunks of Parmesan were stuffed between the curls and some deeply flavoured olive oil was drizzled over all. Perfetto.

Since then, there have been few waking moments where that salad hasn't been on my mind. So this week, I've been doing the same, with the addition of fresh lemon juice, Maldon sea salt, and with some warmed Italian flatbread called Piadina. Fresh and simple, it works beautifully as a light lunch, a starter, or even as a late night meal for those working evening hours and facing that dreaded 11pm I-need-a-quick-and-light-meal-and-don't-want-to-dive-into-the-bag-of-tortilla-chips-again moment. Although I must warn, try this salad once, and you'll be dreaming of zucchini ribbons for weeks to come!

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Poaching - Round 2 {Eggs Florantine}

Sauces can be daunting. Lately, Hollandaise has been taunting. Every so often, when eating my eggs, I can hear the soft and silky voice of Hollandaise, "C'mon, why didn't you make me? You know you wanted to. Oh, that's right. You can't." And there it is. Being taunted by a sauce that doesn't exist on my breakfast plate while nibbling a dry corner of toast is not the best start to a morning.

Making a bad sauce is worse than no sauce at all. In my book, anyways. Sure, it's a bit strict, but just having moved from the Czech Republic where over half the national dishes were covered in a sauce, I've learned that a bad one, once used, makes for a hungry diner. 

Hollandaise is one of the classic sauces I've been warned about. The hot butter can do a number on the egg yolk if not added slowly enough. But as vinegar pulled me out of my poaching paralysis, it came to the rescue here as well. Vinegar stabilizes eggs. I'd learned to add some to the egg-poaching water, and saw great success (past poaching post here, video tutorial here). So when I read something about a vinegar reduction sauce being used in Hollandaise, well, the light went on. 

I've kept my version light and simple, to make it as DIY-at-home as possible. Sure, there are more refined Hollandaise sauces out there, but this one (with a smidge of nutmeg added in) easily did the trick and allowed me to transform my usual egg and spinach frittata into a beautiful Eggs Florantine. A twist on the old Eggs Benedict, a good dose of bone-strengthening vitamin K found in spinach replaces the traditional fatty ham slice. 

The relative healthiness of this egg dish does not make it any less than it's Benedict original. In fact, I prefer this one, not only because of that smug feeling one gets after eating heaps of spinach before even cracking open a newspaper (or firing up the computer), but because it just tastes that good. The Parmesan, or sometimes a firm Pecorino, resounds perfectly with the sauteed spinach. And the hint of lemon in the hollandaise makes it bright enough to be the perfect breakfast accomplice. 

More eggs for brekkie: 

Poaching - Round 1 {Poached Eggs with Gouda and Tarragon}

Chicken & Quail Eggs over Asparagus

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Mandarin Cake with Amaretto Crumble

"..and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China.." Suzanne, Leonard Cohen.

Some weekends deliver that perfect setting of quietude usually found only early in the mornings. And when that introspective peacefulness can stretch over the course of the weekend, well, when it can do that, it is something to be savoured.

It can happen on a particularly grey and rainy weekend, or when one feels a cold coming on and they've been admonished by colleagues to stay tucked in bed until Monday. And it can happen especially when seeing a very close friend with whom silence is just as pleasant as anything else that can fill a room.

When that kind of weekend wraps itself around you, it's nice to have cake. Not luxurious eye-poppingly decorated cake meant for guests. But cake meant for tea. Simple cake that can be had with a quick rummage through the kitchen. A bowl full of mandarins and a half package of amaretti cookies inspired this light and brightly flavoured afternoon treat.

A good amount of milk is used, and it almost has a sponge-cake-like feel. So light. So bright. Perfect for whiling away the afternoon sipping black tea in white tea cups, discussing with a like-minded soul on who gave most life to the song Suzanne: Leonard Cohen's original or Nina Simone's version. I'm a Cohen girl myself, but can't deny that Nina brought an extra something to it.

Whatever the topic lazily discussed, this cake makes for a good weekend nibble.

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Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfaits

The final two heart-healthy ingredients - pistachios and cherries - make for the perfect figgy dessert pairing. Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla bean are all that's needed to prepare four super-sized, creamy parfaits.

Pistachios make for such a nice flavour with the figs, but for the next morning, the poached fig mix easily goes into breakfast mode with some muesli and walnuts stirred in with the yogurt. Either way, dessert or brekkie, it will put a smile on your heart.

The heart-loving menu:

Brekkie: Muesli-Pancakes with Honeyed Berries

Lunch: Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard

Dinner: Pan-fried Fish with Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa

Dessert: Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfaits

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Muesli-Pancakes with Honeyed Berries

Orange juice on Corn Flakes? Grape juice and Fruit Loops? Or chocolate milk with your Chocolate Krispies? These were some of the 'creative' breakfast adventures had by my sister and I while growing up. Sitting at the table in the morning, reading the backs of the three or four cereal boxes in front of us could get boring after awhile. Assorted sugary beverages as milk replacement was our answer to jazz up the morning.


Now, I (hopefully) have developed better strategies for breakfast boredom. This one still plays with cereal a bit, but rather than adding something to the cereal, it adds cereal to the something. And that something is pancakes. Not just any pancakes, but the pancakes promised as part of this weeks heart-healthy menu. Nutty, whole-grain, buttermilk pancakes with heart-healthy flax, cinnamon, walnuts, and topped with honeyed berries. If that sounds too healthy for a sweet Saturday morning brekkie, put any reservations aside. They were soft in the middle, crispy around the edges, and plenty sweet throughout.

The original recipe called for oats to be soaked in buttermilk. And I had wanted to add walnuts to it for a bit of body. Well, oats were nowhere to be found in the three Italian supermarkets and one health shop visited this week. Do they not exist in Italy? No matter. Muesli to the rescue. It's mostly oats and nuts, exactly what I wanted. Add in a small pinch of freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg to round out the flavours. Toothsome, wholesome...and some other ----some adjective. A great way to kick off the weekend.

Since maple syrup is not exactly abundant in this area either, a syrup of berries simmered in honey does the trick, and really complements the texture of the starring flapjacks

The heart-loving menu:

Brekkie: Muesli-Pancakes with Honeyed Berries

Lunch: Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard

Dinner: Pan-fried Fish with Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa

Dessert: Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfait

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Love a Heart with (Healthy) Food

Heart Healthy Foods 

(from MedHelp)

Whole Grains

Oatmeal

Beans

Fish

Olive oil

Cinnamon

Pistachios

Walnuts

Flaxseed

Tomatoes

Avocados

Oranges

Blueberries

Cherries

Tea (3-6 cups of black/green)

Coffee (2-4 cups)

Red Wine (1-2 glasses)

One can hate it, or embrace it, but it is near impossible to simply ignore Valentine's day.

Living abroad, I find myself having to defend Valentine's day year after year. Not that I want to, or even that I feel as a good American expatriate that I necessarily have to. It just ends up that way.

Comments on the holiday from my past Czech students were overwhelming focused on the forced emotional element. We'll see about the reactions tomorrow among my new Italian students. Differences?

A large part of the negative image I believe stems from all the usual side effects of an exported holiday. Other cultures see the overpriced junk in the shops, and the nauseatingly clichéd displays of overdone emotion on the sitcoms. They are missing the perspective of holiday nostalgia, meaning, the image of a holiday we have as experienced as a child, and formulated though the lens of nostalgia.

I always attempt to explain that it's not just forced emotion between two young lovers. In fact, I remember it best as a family holiday. The ones with the kids get all the fun with it. Heart-shaped anything sweet is enjoyed immensely. Wearing red, pink, and white to school was something silly my sister and I looked forward to (as well as sporting our new hearted V-day socks and toting an array of garishly designed sparkly pencils to school.)

Valentine's day, to me, is simply a day to think about anyone in your heart. Near or far. And when someone is in your heart, you want to take care of them. Whether that means baking yummy confections with sprinkles, or looking after their health. This week, in honour of Valentines day, I've dug up one of those lists of heart-healthy foods and created a full days menu using every single food on that list. As a foodie afar, it's  the best I can do to love the heart of someone dear - my dad. Like many American seniors (note: he does not object to this title, rather loves it for the prime parking spots it acquires) he has been told to stick to a heart-healthy diet by his doctor. Growing up at the table of his mom n pop's greasy spoon diner, he has somehow not yet satisfied his desire for hamburgers and all things that would make a modern nutritionist shudder.

This menu is for my dad. I think he would like it. It's not too exotic, and its a full day using every food he is supposed to be eating. It's from one heart to another. Happy Birthday dad!

The heart-loving menu:

Brekkie: Muesli-Pancakes with Honeyed Berries

Lunch: Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard 

Dinner: Pan-fried Fish with Blood Orange and Avocado Salsa

Dessert: Vanilla-Poached Fig, Cherry & Pistachio Parfait

More heart-loving menu recipes in the coming days. 

Black Bean Chili with Swiss Chard

Adapted from Bon Appétit, Mar 2006

Serves 4

Time 50 minutes (plus bean soaking time)

Eat with Rioja

250g dried black beans (1 1/2 cups) (or 2-3 cans worth)

olive oil

2 shallots

2 cloves garlic

2 - 3 large red bell peppers

2 Tb chili powder

1 Tb cumin

1 Tb smoked Spanish paprika

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 1/4 cups (500ml) vegetable broth

1 tsp salt (optional)

1 medium bunch (3 packed cups, chopped) Swiss chard - leaves only

garnish: chopped avocado and/or Manchego (or other sheep's milk cheese, like Pecorino)

1) Soak the beans either overnight, or quickly (cover well with water, bring to boil, turn off heat and let soak for an hour...more or less depending on the size of your beans.)

2) In a large pot, heat the olive oil on low and gently cook the chopped shallots. After 5 minutes, add in the garlic and cook on low for another 2 minutes. 

3) Chop the bell pepper into bite-sized bits, add into the pot and stir the chili powder, cumin, and paprika into the mix. After a minute, when the spices are fragrant, add in the pre-soaked beans (but without their soaking water of course), tomatoes, vegetable broth, and optional salt. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer and leave it there with a lid on for about 20 minutes.

4) Add in the chopped chard leaves and cook another 5-10 minutes, until they are softened considerably. 

Serve with cheese or avocado atop.

Enjoy.
- Jo

Three Ways to Truffle Your Chocolate

It's good. It's bad. It's in, and then it's out. Leading up to Valentine's Day, it's always in. Chocolate.

Prevents heart disease, lowers blood pressure, minimizes risks to cancer, and maybe even turns us on. Chocolate.

Films have been made. Books have immortalized it. Blogs are founded on the stuff. Histories have been charted. Wedding fountains spout gallons of it. Chocolate.

Flavenoids. Antioxidants. Caffeine.

Dark. Milk. White.

Have wars been started over it? Here's hoping a history buff is reading and can attest to that.

It snowed in Rome last weekend. And the city shut down. Paralizzato was the word heard for days. I tucked myself away and played with chocolate.

Returning from Castroni, which is Rome's premier cloud nine for all foodies, I had a good-quality half kilo bar of 60% chocolate. By the time the snow hit, I was scanning the kitchen for assorted bits to roll up into truffles.

Three ways were found:

Marsala-Prune-Honey, the sweetest version.
Olive Oil and Orange, my personal favourite, as a small love exists in me for olive oil + chocolate.
Vanilla Black Tea, super creamy, balanced in sweetness, and covered in toasted almond bits.

All were delectable.







Truffles are best to be made the night before, and set in the fridge to firm up before rolling out the next morning. Or just put in the freezer for an hour. However you decide, they are fairly easy, and as long as you've got the double boiler lined with melted chocolate, you may as well make a variety of flavours.

The three recipes here were made with a 60% cocoa content chocolate (seems to be standard percent for truffles) totalling 450 grams. I am not sure where that other 50 grams ran off to. I've heard this is a common problem when making truffles...disappearing chocolate.

Three Ways to Truffle Your Chocolate

Makes 40-48 truffles

Eat with Port or other dessert/sparkling wine

Time 2-3 hours active time (plus chill)

General truffle making instructions:

Melt: In a double-boiler (or small pot in a bigger pot with an inch or two of boiling water) melt the chocolate and other ingredients. Line a shallow dish with wax paper and pour the melted mix into that. 

Chill: Place in the fridge overnight or freezer for one hour. Truffles made with cream are harder to roll out and should be chilled longer than those made without.

Roll: Place the cocoa powder on a plate and cover your palms with cocoa powder as well to prevent sticking. Using two small spoons, mush together a ball from the chilled chocolate. Then using your hands, cover in cocoa powder and roll between palms/on plate to smooth out. Place on another plate covered in wax paper.

They keep in the fridge for up to a week, or the freezer for a month.

Recipe: Marsala-Prune-Honey Truffles

Adapted from Apron and Sneakers

Makes 13-15

1/4 cup Marsala

2 Tb chopped prunes (or sub any dried fruit...raisins, cherries, etc.)

160g chocolate, finely chopped

1 Tb honey

1 Tb butter

cocoa powder

1) Put the prune bits in a small dish and cover with the Marsala. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Strain out the Marsala into a separate cup and top up to make sure it's 1/4 cups worth.

2) In a double-boiler, heat the butter, honey, and Marsala. Add in the chocolate bits and melt until smooth. Stir in the prunes.

3) Chill and roll out in cocoa powder. 

Recipe: Olive Oil and Orange Truffles

Adapted from Edible Paradise

Makes 10-12

120g chocolate, finely chopped

2 1/2 Tb butter

4 Tb best quality extra virgin olive oil

pinch of sea salt

1/8 cup cocoa powder and zest of half an orange

Maldon sea salt flakes

1)  In a double-boiler, melt chocolate, butter, olive, and tiny pinch of salt until smooth.

2) Chill and roll out in cocoa powder mixed with orange zest. Press a flake of Maldon sea salt onto each.

Recipe: Vanilla Black Tea Truffles

Adapted from Gourmet, Dec 2002

Makes 17-20

2/3 cup cream

2 Tb butter

2 heaping tsp loose black tea leaves (vanilla flavoured or otherwise)

170g chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup minced, toasted almonds

1) In the double boiler, heat the cream and butter until just before boiling. Add the tea leaves and steep 5-8 minutes. Either add the tea leaves into the cream contained in a tea ball (then steep at least 8 minutes), or strain cream into a small dish to get rid of the tea leaves. 

2) Add the cream back into the pot, and stir in the chocolate until smooth and melted.

3) Chill, and roll out into cocoa powder mixed with the toasted chopped almonds. Press the almonds firmly into the truffle so they have staying power.

Enjoy.
- Jo