Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup

Two weeks ago, we were on vacation (ahhhh, bliss!) and one day, Mark and I went out to lunch with my mom to Rose32 in Hardwick.  This place is our new obsession, and everything you can get there is amazing.  The breakfasts, lunches, baked goods, breads... you name it.   It may be in the middle of nowhere, but it's worth the trip.  We ordered soups, salads and sandwiches, and loved it all.  I got a caprese panini and their soup of the day, which was tomato soup.  It got us thinking that the perfect dinner that night would be soup and salad.  Mark took care of the salad, and assigned me to make the soup.  He wanted tomato, since mine had been so good at lunch.

There are so many tomato soup recipes out there, and I have made some before that I loved.   But I wanted to try something different tonight, so a quick jaunt around Pinterest turned up this recipe.  It's healthy and quick, which sounded good to me.  It has orzo in it, which I love, and it's creamy but not from cream; it calls for Greek yogurt!  Oh, and it even has a touch of brown sugar in there. That then and there was the deciding factor for me, so this soup became our dinner.

 The soup was really easy and quick to throw together, and we were eating in about a half hour.  It's very good: it has a tang from the yogurt, along with a smooth creaminess from all being blended together. The orzo gives it good texture (I am not a huge fan of soups with nothing in them!  I actually left a lot of stuff unblended because I like my soup to have some heft.).  We all liked it and it was quite good heated up for lunch once we were back to work (boo!  36 days left....)

My soup with the caprese sandwiches Mark made

Recipe:

creamy tomato orzo soup
from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
3-15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1-15 ounce can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 
1 cup cooked orzo pasta

Directions:

1) In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bay leaves.

2) Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir in the brown sugar and fresh basil. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, to taste. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

3) Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup (or blend the soup in a standing blender and return to the pot). Stir in the Greek yogurt until well combined. Stir in the orzo pasta. Serve warm.

Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Doughnuts

Rachael pretty rarely requests recipes.  Kenzie and Mom do it fairly constantly, and so I tend to do what they want (when I am not making my own requests, of course!).  So, when Rach asks for something, it makes me more likely to make it right away!  She saw Sam pin a recipe for banana chocolate chip baked doughnuts, and we just so happened to have some overripe bananas, so I gave them a try last week.

The recipe itself is a little bit earthy crunchy.  Like, it calls for spelt flour, and raw cane sugar.  Clearly I just used all-purpose flour and granulated sugar and still, all was well!  I'm sure they'd be just fine with those weird ingredients, but they were also A-okay with the normal flour and sugar!

These doughnuts are fairly healthy, even without spelt flour, because they are baked, and they also only have one fourth cup of butter.  There is Greek yogurt in there, plus the bananas, of course, so in general they felt like they were healthier than your average doughnut!  I also ended up not adding the sugar and cinnamon topping.

One other thing I changed was when the recipe said to put the batter in a bag to pipe into the doughnut pan.  I did this with my first few, but then I realized it was mostly unnecessary; I could just as easily scoop the dough into the pan with a spoon.  Time saver, and Zip-Lock bag saver!  They aren't as pretty but then again, I never make pretty food.

The end result was very popular with Rach (and everyone else, actually!).  She said they were best warm, and she loved them.  They were cake-y, but still had that banana muffin feel, which I love.  The chocolate bites were obviously not my favorite, but I think it upped the doughnut ante above your average banana muffin in a circle shape.  And so, these baked doughnuts were a hit!

Recipe:

banana chocolate chip baked doughnuts
from Janie's Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed ripe banana (roughly 2 small bananas)
1/2 cup raw cane sugar (or plain!)
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt 
1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups spelt white flour (or regular!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (any type; I used milk chocolate)
Topping:(Optional)
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon


Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 325F2.

2) Using your electric mixer with the whisk attachment, add the mashed banana, sugar and Greek yogurt. Mix until incorporated.

3) Add melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix.

4) Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the batter and mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix!

5) Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

6) Scoop the batter into a zip lock bag and seal shut. Using scissors, snip the bottom corner of one side of the ziplock bag to create your homemade piping bag.  Grease your doughnut baking pan and pipe 3/4 full the batter into each doughnut mold (or you can just spoon it in there if you can be neat!)

7) Optional: Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on top of each doughnut batter before baking. Or you can dip the doughnuts once baked in the cinnamon sugar mixture. You may need to paint melted butter on top of each doughnut before dipping the doughnuts in the sugar mixture to allow them to stick. Both options work perfectly.

8) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool before eating.

French Onion Pasta

Okay so I liked French onion soup and all things like it.  I have made the soup (with braised short ribs) and I have even made a French onion grilled cheese.  Both have been huge hits here in the Tucker house.  So, when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for French onion pasta, I figured it was going to be another easy home run!

Here is the thing... I have realized that I am a bit of a snob.  I prefer to grate my own cheese, puree my own pumpkin... hell I've even made my own Greek yogurt.  I frown upon short cuts like box mixes, flavor packets, powdered cheese.  And so now that I think about it, why on earth would I have assumed that I would like a recipe that calls for Lipton Onion Soup mix!?!  No offense to Lipton or the Lipton lovers out there, but I am the girl who spent an hour and a half caramelizing onions for real French onion soup.  So nothing from a packet is going to compare to the flavors you get from stirring over low heat for 90 minutes!  

Which leads me to this dish.  It is definitely a great idea: penne with a French onion sauce made with garlic, marsala wine, and mozzarella cheese.  But the fact that there is actually not a single onion in it is just an issue for me.  A packet of soup mix is just not going to do it for me.  With that said, not surprisingly, Kenzie and Nick absolutely loved it, and between the two of them, they totally devoured the entire dish (it doesn't make all that much).  They are just willing to eat things that are more.... processed... than I am.  Nick said it was one of the best things I ever made! Ha! Go figure.

Anyway, I am not giving up on this recipe completely.  Like I said, it is a great idea, and I think if I made my own caramelized onions and used that instead of the packet, it would be amazing.  Maybe some more vegetables added in there too - it's all the same color!  Maybe with some tweaks, it will be a real success story!

Recipe:

French Onion Pasta

from Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:
2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1 to 1.5 cup of chicken stock
1 packet of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 cup of marsala wine
4 tablespoons of light cream
1 tablespoon of flour
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon of EVOO

Directions:
1)  Cook pasta according to directions; set aside and keep warm.

2) In a saucepan, heat the EVOO. Add the shallots and garlic, stir continually until soft and fragrant.  Add the marsala wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on pieces of onion.

3)  Add the stock and soup mix packets, allow to cook on low for about 20 minutes.

4)  Stir in flour, whisking continually until well incorporated and thickened. Add the light cream, mix well.

5)  Add the pasta to the sauce, stir well.  Pour into an oven safe dish. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Set it under the broiler until the cheese gets a little crispy.

Strawberry Cupcakes

After weeks of my mom begging me to make her these strawberry cupcakes, I finally cracked last week over vacation.  She had somehow found the recipe on Martha Stewart, and was all excited because it's from some bakery named Sprinkles.  My mom loves cupcakes, and loves strawberries, and I was intrigued by the recipe because both the cupcakes and the frosting call for strawberry puree.  I figured they would be very berry-ish!  And, as is often the case, we had tons of strawberries in the fridge.

The batter was pretty standard, but had some interesting ingredients (like the puree I already mentioned, as well as egg whites).  With the 1/3 cup of strawberry puree in it, I had really expected the batter to be pinker than it was!

Then the frosting.... here things got a little weird. The recipe called for two sticks of butter.... cold.  How you are supposed to make frosting out of cold butter is beyond me.  Even my fabulous KitchenAid mixer was having a tough time of it trying to blend cold butter into a "light and fluffy" consistency.  It never actually got all that light or fluffy, and as I (attempted to) pipe it onto the cupcakes, I could see there were still little chunks of butter intact.  Next time I will definitely use room temperature butter.  Weird.  Anyway maybe it was the butter problem or something else, but it never looked that great either; it almost looked curdled, and certainly not "dense and creamy like ice cream" like the recipe claimed!

I didn't actually try them, since I don't like frosting, never mind cake, but Mom said that they were good.  They tasted like strawberries - which is no surprise with all the puree in there!


Recipe:
from Martha Stewart, originally from Sprinkles Bakery


Ingredients:

2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

Sprinkles' Strawberry Frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
• Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary.  Save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

Strawberry frosting:
1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions:

Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Raspberry Chocolate Coffee Cake

It's crazy and kind of sad that I am just getting around to this post now, over a week after I made the cake.  Today was my first day back to work after April vacation (a very sad and stressful vacation, mind you; love you, Boston), and I made this cake on the Friday night that vacation started!  Such different feelings between that night and now!  Back then, I was ready for a week off, I was excited and energized and not yet scared of terrorists in my state.  Just over a week later, and so much has gone on in Boston, and I'm back at work and feeling just as exhausted - if not more - than when I started.  Argh.  9 more weeks.

Anyway, Kenzie had a friend from grad school over for dinner and Mark and I went to get pizza, so I figured I would take care of dessert with something I had pinned and wanted to try out for a while: raspberry chocolate coffee cake.  I thought my mom in particular would like it since she likes raspberry, chocolate, and cake.  So I gave it a try.

It was pretty easy to put together; you layer streusel between layers of vanilla cake studded with raspberries and chocolate chips, and sprinkle more streusel on top.

My house smelled like a bakery while this thing was in the oven; I don't know if it's the streusel made from almonds and sugar and butter, or the raspberries, or the chocolate chips (the recipe calls for dark but I just had milk chocolate and all was well), or the vanilla cake itself-  but it smelled great.  For me, it took closer to an hour to bake completely, and then I let it cool for a while, but once it was time to eat, everyone was happy with it.  Mom, Kenzie and her friend all seemed to like it (and so did Neel when I gave him a leftover piece).  I will warn you: this is not a cake that lasts well.  By the next day it was already kind of wet and gummy; you definitely want to keep it as airtight as possible - or just eat it all in one day!

Recipe:

raspberry chocolate coffee cake
from Sally's Baking Addiction

makes 12 generous pieces, serve warm or cool

Ingredients:


Streusel:
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup milk (almond milk, cow's milk, soy milk are all fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt1 large egg
1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate)
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) unsweetened raspberries

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 8 or 9-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2) Make the streusel first by gently mashing up 3 tablespoons of cold butter in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup sugar and mix around with a fork. You want it to be chunky and crumbly. Add the almonds. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, milk, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, and egg. Beat on low until everything is sufficiently combined - about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over-mix.

4) Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Layer with half of the streusel, then most of the raspberries and chocolate chips. Repeat with the rest of the batter and the streusel. Top with remaining raspberries and chocolate chips.

5) Bake for 45-50 minutes, covered. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cake is best enjoyed on the same day. Cake stays fresh stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Veggie Balls with Spinach-Basil Pesto

Now before you ignore this entire post just because the title is "veggie balls," I ask you to give me a chance here.  After all, to me, the word (and the food) "meatball" is totally repulsive and yet you guys devour those like it's nothing.  So please believe me when I say that these veggie balls were possibly the best thing I have eaten all month.

I was really excited when I found this recipe; my family is big on meatballs and I refuse to eat ground beef, so I was pumped to think that I might have found an alternative to keep me full and happy on meatball nights.  I thought maybe I could even convince them to eat them!  Just like you, they balked at the name "veggie balls," so I started calling them "vegetarian meatballs" and they were a bit more open then.

The balls are made from lentils, as well as all sorts of lovely vegetables: onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.  They are flavored with garlic, fresh thyme, tomato paste, parmesan cheese, walnuts, and fresh parsley.  Are you starting to see why they are amazing?  That is a lot of flavor, texture, and fabulousness in one tiny ball.

Here is the one bad thing I have to say about these balls: rolling them out really sucked.  The mixture was very moist and didn't stick together all that well.  I considered adding more breadcrumbs but I didn't want to dry them out, so I just kept rolling very un-round balls (and swearing).  This step was not fun, but I promise you that it was worth it.


While they baked, I made the spinach-basil pesto.  You have to toast the walnuts, blanche the basil and spinach, and puree it all together with parmesan cheese, olive oil, and salt.  I will say that the next time I make this, I will not use the one teaspoon of salt that the recipe calls for.  I love salt, and even I thought that it was a bit salty.  Not the say that it wasn't delicious - just a little too salty for me.

And then, out came the two pans of veggie balls.  I popped one into my mouth before dinner time... and then I ate another... and by the time Rachael came into the kitchen, she counted seven balls missing from the pan.  I tell you, these little guys are so addicting!  They are slightly crunchy on the outside, but moist inside - an excellent contrast of texture.  The crunchy nuts with the soft vegetables.... and the thyme and the parsley and the garlic - smeared with the pesto ... oh my god.  I literally ate these guys for a week (and then froze the rest for Christy once she is over her stomach bug because she will love these!).  They are amazing.  And I am not the only one who thought so; my mom really liked them also - she wanted to try them over spaghetti and marinara sauce, which we never got around to trying but it's not a bad idea - and both sisters ate them (although they wished there were no mushrooms in them, obviously).  I will definitely make these veggie balls again, and perhaps make a double batch so that I constantly have some on hand :)  Healthy, delicious, filling... I am craving more right now.

Admit that they are beautiful.

Recipe:

Veggie Balls with Spinach-Basil Pesto
from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from The Meatball Shop Cookbook

Makes about 4 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs

Ingredients:
2 cups lentils
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons for greasing baking dishes

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons tomato paste

8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and finely chopped

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely shopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions:


1) Combine the lentils and 2 quarts of water in a medium stockpot, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are soft but not falling apart, about 25 minutes.  Drain the lentils and allow to cool.

2) Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan, and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown.

3) Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.


4) Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
When cool, add the lentils to the vegetable mixture.

5) Add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and walnuts to the cooled vegetables and lentils, and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

6) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Divide 4 tablespoons olive oil between two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes, and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface of each. Set aside.  Roll the mixture into round golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dishes, in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. (It’s fine if they slightly touch, but there should be space for air to circulate around each one.)

7) Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving. Serve with Spinach-Basil Pesto (recipe below) and/or your favorite warmed spaghetti sauce.

spinach-basil pesto sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
4 cups baby spinach leaves or arugula
2 cups fresh basil
1 teaspoon salt (I recommend using less)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread out the walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, and roast in oven for about 12 minutes, giving them a shake after 6 minutes. Continue roasting until golden brown and toasted. Set aside and allow to cool thoroughly.

2) Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with ice and water and set close to the sink.

3) Dump the spinach and basil into the boiling water and stir. After 1 minute, strain the greens, and plunge them into the bowl with ice water. Drain the greens again, and squeeze them tightly to get as much water out as possible. Chop the greens roughly.

4) Combine the greens and walnuts with the salt, olive oil and Parmesan in a food processor, and process until a smooth consistency is reached. Taste and season with additional salt, if desired.

Lemon Meringue Pie

It's always special when Linny comes to visit, especially during the winter when she and Tucky are living in Florida!  But she came to visit on Dad's birthday last week, and when I asked her to choose anything for me to make her, she said that her favorite dessert was lemon meringue pie.  I've never made it before, but I knew that the lemon curd is similar to puddings, which I have made before, and the meringue is something I am quite familiar with due to my mom's obsession with baked Alaska, so I agreed to try it out!

I will say this: I have made lots of pie crusts before, but I decided to try out Martha Stewart's recipe.  I have to admit, Martha: your crust is my least favorite.  It was not easy to make the dough come together - it was really dry - and then it ended up having a weird consistency.  No one else thought so maybe I am just a pie crust snob, but I will be sticking with my old dough recipe from now on.

 Anyway, the lemon curd was easy to make at least.  It is very similar to making pudding and only has 5 ingredients that just get heated up on the stove, refrigerated, and you're done!  And it is so lemony and creamy and thick!

FYI, I made the pie crust and the lemon filling the night before I planned to serve the pie.  Then the day of, I made the meringue.  So it is possible to do some things ahead of time; just make sure you have time to chill the pie before you eat it.

The meringue is your standard whipped egg whites and sugar (and the beauty of this recipe is that the kurd calls for 8 egg yolks, and the meringue calls for 8 egg whites!  Let's not discuss the fact that I saved the egg whites in the fridge and Nick and my mom threw them away, not knowing what they were.... still, the symmetry of this recipe is something I really appreciate!), and then it gets baked briefly so that the meringue gets browned in places, and so you don't have to worry about eating raw egg yolks (that always freaks me out).

The final result was a fluffy, sweet, tart pie that was pretty popular with everyone around here.  It gave us a little taste of summer the week before April vacation :)

Recipes:

lemon meringue pie
from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

for pie crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling dough
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons ice water, plus 2 more, if needed


for lemon kurd:

1 cup cold water

1/4 cup cornstarch 

1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks (egg whites reserved)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter (10 tablespoons), cut into 1/2-inch pieces


for meringue:
8 large eggs, whites only
2/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Instructions:

1) Make pie crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, salt, and sugar several times to combine. Add butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces remaining.

2) Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.  I needed to do this). Do not overprocess.

3) Turn dough out onto a work surface; form dough into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.


4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit a homemade or store-bought pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate; line crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 45 minutes. Carefully lift and remove paper with pie weights and let crust cool.

5) Prepare lemon kurd: In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, zest, and egg yolks; whisk in lemon juice and salt.  Whisk together 1 cup cold water and 1/4 cup cornstarch add to lemon mixture along with butter. 


6) Place pan over medium-high. Cook, whisking constantly, until butter has melted, mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, and small bubbles form around the edge of pan, about 5 minutes (do not boil).


7) Remove pan from heat while continuing to whisk. Pour curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass bowl.  Pour directly into cooled crust and smooth top. Refrigerate until chilled and set, 3 hours (or up to 1 day).

8) Make meringue: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, sugar and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Pile meringue on pie, making sure it touches the crust all around. Bake until meringue begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

French Onion Soup with Braised Short Ribs

I know this seems very unlike me, but somehow this mostly-vegetarian can still enjoy braised short ribs.  It is one of the few meats I still eat these days.  I think it is because when you braise them, it melts away most of the repulsive things that you can bite into in other kinds of meats.  In fact, this is going to be one of the two meals that we offer at our wedding!  So, when I found a recipe for French onion soup - which I already love - with braised short ribs in it, I knew I had to try it.  I also immediately knew that my whole family would love it since they get really excited anytime I let them eat meat :)  Mark agreed to help since he had the day off, and we decided that it was the perfect way to kick off April vacation week.

Let me be clear: this is not a recipe to make on a weeknight (unless you're on vacation like us!), because it does take a while.  For example,  just to caramelize the onions, the recipe actually says, "cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 2 hours 30 minutes."  Have you ever seen that in a recipe before?!  Stir frequently for two and a half hours!?  Luckily I didn't mind; I dragged a chair over to the stove and stirred every now and then while I read my book :)  And miracle of miracle, I caramelized them perfectly without burning them or panicking and taking them off too early, like I usually do.  I guess the secret is to spend 90 minutes frequently stirring, and it probably didn't hurt that you saute them in a stick of butter!  But still: I continue to suck at caramelizing onions so it was nice to have them come out so absolutely perfect.

The ribs themselves were easier; brown them, then toss them in the Dutch oven with lots of other goodies like onions, leeks, sprigs of thyme, halved heads of garlic, and wine (see picture below!), and into the oven they go for just under three hours.  Mark took care of shredding the meat, which would have grossed me out.  Both hounds were very grateful for the rib bones.

When it was time to put the soups together, you put some of the meat and soup in each ramekin, add slices of sourdough and Gruyere, and bake for 10 minutes.  I wish I had bought slices of cheese like they suggested, because I  bought a block of it and shredded it and it just never melted right.  But that was only a cosmetic issue.

As for the flavors.... wow.  Let's just say that literally every bite of it went immediately (I had been pumped to bring leftovers to work the next day but all ramekins were emptied!).  We all agreed that it was very rich and filling, so just a small ramekin could be your full meal.  The soup itself was hearty and complex; the broth was absolutely amazing.  The onions tasted like... well, like they were sauteed in butter for 2 and a half hours, which, by the way, is a very good thing!  And the braised short ribs were lovely as always (although - you know me - I think the soup would have been better without meat!).  In short, this was a huge hit in my house.  In fact, Nick and Mark even made it again two nights ago!  Thank you Geoffrey Zakarian - you Armenians know your food :)

Recipe:

French onion soup with braised short ribs
from the January-February issue of Food Network Magazine 

Ingredients:

2 pounds bone-in beef short ribs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
4 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
6 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 stick unsalted butter
6 Spanish onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (totally forgot to add this, but it was fine without!)
12 slices sourdough bread, toasted
12 slices high-quality gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
Chopped fresh chives, for topping

Directions:

1) Braise the short ribs: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Toss the short ribs with the flour and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the short ribs and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2) Add the carrot, chopped onion and leek to the pot and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Return the short ribs to the pot and stir in the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, garlic and tomato paste. Add the wine and bring to a simmer, then cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and return to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and braise until the short ribs are falling off the bone, 2 hours, 30 minutes to 3 hours.

3) Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced onions, reduce the heat to low and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, about 2 hours, 30 minutes. (Add a splash of water and scrape up any browned bits from the pot, if necessary - I didn't have to.)

4) When the short ribs are done, remove from the broth with a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Strain the broth, discarding the solids. Shred the meat, discarding the bones, and toss with 1 cup of the broth. Reserve the remaining broth.

5) Add the thyme leaves and sherry to the caramelized onions. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes; add the reserved broth and cook 30 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Skim the fat from the top of the soup. Stir in the vinegar.

6) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Divide the soup among 6 ovenproof bowls; spoon about 1/3 cup shredded meat into the center of each, then top each with 2 slices toast, trimming the bread if necessary. Top each with 2 slices cheese, letting the cheese hang over the side of the bowl. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Top with chives (we forgot to... there was no need for more flavor!).

All gone!

Black and White Mocha Cake

It was Nick's birthday last weekend.  For what he claims is the second or third year in a row, Kenzie had the stomach bug on his big day, so I took over making his birthday cake.  Imagine my horror when he requested Funfetti.  A box mix!  Terrible.  I begged him to choose something that I could make from scratch, and then I remembered that my Food Network Magazine from January and February had twelve different birthday cakes, and they all seemed exciting enough to maybe convince Nick away from Funfetti.  I let him flip through the pages, and he stopped once he got to the black and white mocha cake.  Four cake layers, alternating black and white, with a mocha frosting between each layer and a covering of chocolate ganache on the top and drizzled down the sides.  A cake with this much wow factor can even convince someone like Nick, who drowns everything in barbecue sauce, won't eat vegetables, and picks fennel out of sausage, to go beyond his comfort zone!

The cake definitely took a while, but the steps were easy.  I had to make two chocolate cakes, and then two vanilla cakes.  They were pretty standard cakes and came together quickly.  While they cooled, I made the ganache, which also has espresso powder and coffee liqueur in it.  I recommend making this early and keeping it in the refrigerator; mine stayed really thin and so it didn't look as thick and glossy as I wanted.  Of course, we kept the leftover ganache in the fridge and it thickened up beautifully.  The recipe doesn't say to chill it but it definitely made the consistency more perfect than just leaving it aside.

The last thing I had to make was the chocolate frosting itself, which had both cocoa powder and melted milk chocolate in it.  Mom helped me put the whole giant thing together - stacking four cakes is no easy feat! - and recommended the addition of a cherry on top for decorative purposes!

This is a huge cake, and it is impossible to cut small pieces, so it is not for the faint of heart!  One piece automatically equals four pieces of cake because of all the layers (as you can see in the picture to the right!).  It is filling, but, from what I heard from everyone who ate it, it was also very good.  Rich, chocolatey, coffee-y, vanilla-y (yes those are all words)... it was quite a hit.  Ultimately most of the leftovers were eaten by Delilah, whose new trick is getting all four feet up on the kitchen table and wandering around up there, but the people definitely enjoyed it too!

Recipes:

black-and-white mocha cake
from the Jan./Feb. 21013 issue of Food Network Magazine

For chocolate cake:
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

2) Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)

3) Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

For vanilla cake:
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

2) Whisk 3 cups flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined. Beat 2 sticks butter and the sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium; beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. (The mixture may look separated at this point.)

3) Mix 1/2 cup water with the cream in a liquid measuring cup or bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.

4) Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and the centers spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.


For the frosting and ganache:
Ingredients:

For the ganache:2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)

For the filling:8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:
1) Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, semisweet chocolate and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Stir in the vanilla and coffee liqueur. Remove the bowl from the pan; set aside until cool and thick but still pourable, about 1 hour.

2) Meanwhile, make the filling: Put the milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Let cool.

3) Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the melted milk chocolate and beat until combined. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla, increase the mixer speed to medium high and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

4) Assemble the cake: Put 1 chocolate cake layer on a platter; spread 3/4 cup filling on top. Top with a vanilla cake layer and spread with another 3/4 cup filling. Repeat to make 4 layers, ending with a vanilla cake layer. Spread the remaining filling on top and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let set at room temperature before slicing, about 30 minutes.

Impressive!