Southwestern Farro Salad

I go through blogger phases.  When I discover someone that I like and trust, I binge on their recipes for a while.  You know it's true.  How many times have I talked about A Couple Cooks, Annie's Eats or The Pioneer Woman?  Well, get ready for a mini binge on Elly Says Opa.

 Elly is a great blogger and cook with a Greek heritage, so lots of her recipes are Greek (like that weirdly delicious semolina  cake), but there are also plenty of other things thrown in there, as you are about to see.  I've made a few of her recipes throughout the past few years, but lately she's just been reading my mind and posting recipes that are perfect for me.

For example, she must have realized that, since my lovely broccoli and cheese farro casserole, I've been dying to try farro again, so she came up with this southwestern farro salad.  She even talked about how it was a great thing to bring to work, and it happened to be right when school started up again and needed to start thinking about work lunches.  She also says it's full of protein from the farro and beans, without adding any meat; you know I love that.  Plus, and most importantly - this salad is delicious.

First of all, any time a recipe calls for pepitas, I get exited; those little crunchy gems are among my favorite seeds!  Plus, they get toasted for a little while so they're extra crunchy (just don't add them into your salad too early if you're trying to make it ahead of time; they do lose their crunchiness!) Then there is corn, black beans, and tomatoes - you've got yourself a little southwestern vegetable flair going there.  The dressing is a mix of apple cider vinegar, light sour cream, and the juice of a lime.  The sour cream makes the dressing creamy (but still healthy!) and the lime juice is just tart enough to make all the other flavors pop.  Add some cilantro and monterrey jack cheese (oh yeah!) into the farro-y mix, and voila: a wonderful salad that is healthy but filling, good as a side or as a main dish.  Mark and I were a little bit obsessed with this salad.  We may or may not have eaten it for days at work, scraping the leftover container clean quicker than we expected.  If you're not sure about farro, this is the recipe to win you over.

Recipe:

southwestern farro salad
from Elly Says Opa

Ingredients:
1 cup dry farro
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons pepitas
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
1 medium tomato, cored, seeded and diced, or 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 ounces monterrey jack, pepper jack, or cheddar cheese
handful of chopped cilantro
for dressing:
1 small jalapeño, finely minced (I skipped this)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons light sour cream
1 tablespoons canola or olive oil

Instructions:

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add the farro.  Cook for 15 - 20 minutes (it should still have some chew to it).  Drain the farro, return it to the empty pot, and cover with a lid.  Allow to steam for 10 minutes.  Then place in a large bowl so it can start to cool.

2) Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the pepitas and cook 1 - 2 minutes or until golden.  Be careful - if your oil is too hot, they have a tendency to pop right out of the pan.  Set aside.

3)  To make the dressing, whisk together the jalapeño, vinegar, lime juice, and sour cream.  Then slowly add the oil, while continuing to whisk.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4) To the bowl with the farro, add the pepitas, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, and a little salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the farro mixture ,stirring lightly to combine all the ingredients and distribute the dressing evenly.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

BLT Pasta

This is a pasta dish that perhaps isn't my usual, due to it having bacon, but my mom said it was one of the best pastas she ever had!  So even though bacon in most dishes grosses me out (that stringy texture... ugh), read on.  Apparently the carnivores of Westminster approve!

It's a pretty great idea: BLT in pasta form, with garlic and Parmesan.  Since hot lettuce isn't the most appetizing thing on earth, you can use any leafy green you'd like (I used arugula, but you could do baby spinach).  There's a ton of flavor, from the bacon to the cheese to the sweet cherry tomatoes (which by the way get sautéed in bacon grease, soooo.....) .   Plus, you can eat it hot or cold; Mom ate it hot and raved about it, and I sent it to work with Mark a few times and he ate it cold.

The best part is how easy it is.  It's three steps, and one of them is just cooking the pasta.   So go make this.  Quickly, before all the tomatoes die in the first frost :(

Recipe:

BLT Pasta
from Annie's Eats
yields 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta shapes, such as mini shells (I used cavatappi)
12 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
5 - 6 ounces leafy green, such as baby spinach or arugula
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup), plus more for serving
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add the pasta and cook just until al dente according to the package directions.

2) Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet.  Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan and cook until the tomatoes are just slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

3) Drain the pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water.  Return the drained pasta to the pot, along with the spinach, bacon, garlic-tomato mixture, 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and Parmesan.  Stir well until evenly combined and until the spinach is wilted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and add remaining pasta water as needed.  Serve warm with additional grated Parmesan.

Blueberry Crumb Cake

My mom, Kenzie and I went blueberry picking in late August this year.  Blueberry season lasted way longer than it usually does, probably because of the cooler weather.  No complaints on my part - that meant once the wedding insanity was over, there was still plenty of time to go berry picking!  We went to Odd Pine Farm in Ashburnham and picked pounds and pounds of plump, sweet berries (a bit smaller this year, but just as great).  Many of the berries are frozen right now in my freezer to last me through the winter, but a couple cups of them ended up in this blueberry crumb cake, which I made and brought over to my mom's house on my very last weekend of summer vacation... RIP, summer.  I miss you every day.

This cake is a good one.  My crappy picture doesn't do it justice.  It's full of berries, nice and moist, and has a crumb topping (isn't everything better with crumb toppings?).  It was pretty much devoured by everyone.  I'd venture a guess that this is one of those cakes that is a great dessert, but you can also pretend it is breakfast food and get away with it.

Recipe:

blueberry crumb cake
from the Pioneer Woman
makes 16 servings

Ingredients:
for the cake:
5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups whole milk
2 cups fresh blueberries
for the topping:
3/4 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir and set aside.

2) Cream 1/2 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter with cinnamon and sugar.  Add egg and mix until combined.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately until totally incorporated.  Do not overheat.  Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.

3) Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan.  Pour in batter.

4) In a separate bowl, combine topping ingredients and cut together using two knives or a pastry cutter.  Sprinkle over the top of the cake.

5) Bake cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Cut into squares and serve with softened butter.

Peach Shortcake

What's this?  Two posts in one day?  Two posts within an hour of each other?  That's what happens when Mark works all weekend, and I don't have any plans, and when I counted the recipes in my blog backlog, it reached the double digits.  I've been cooking and baking like crazy, and definitely not keeping up with all the recipes I have to share.  And this week is already looking pretty busy, so I figured I'd give you a two-for-one today.  Hopefully you're in the mood for baking, because here's your second baked good for the day!

The Westminster Farmer's Market has been full of peaches this summer (among other things... we have been loading up on eggplants, tons of tomatoes and peppers, the world's most giant scallions, and my new obsession, ground cherries... if you've never tried them, please come to the market next Friday!).  Mark picks some up every time he sees them.  Without fail, every time he buys them, I try one, and I find that I love the sweet, juicy insides, but I absolutely hate the itchy, soft, bristly skin.  In fact I think the skin gets more upsetting to me every time I eat a peach.  My skin itches and I swear I'm becoming allergic.  So, I've been trying to peel them, but that's a juicy mess, so my next solution: baking with them.  Be prepared for a number of peach baked goods in the blog's future - starting here, with peach shortcakes!

As someone who isn't huge on sweets, I have to admit that I have a soft spot for shortcakes of any kind.  My favorite desserts include fruits, and I love fresh whipped cream (who doesn't?), and a shortcake is basically just a slightly sweet biscuit, which obviously is one of the world's best types of bread.

This recipe has soft, warm biscuits flavored with a little bit of nutmeg, brushed with rum butter straight out of the oven.  The peaches are soft, juicy and sweet, and the whipped cream on top ties all the pieces together.  Mmmmm!  I actually ended up not peeling the peaches, because the fact that the slices are so thin made the skin less of an issue for me... and I was feeling lazy!  I will say, I thought the rum butter was a bit too strong on the rum.  It's equal parts melted butter and rum, so you definitely taste it.  I think they would be better if you cut the rum to maybe 1 tablespoon rather than 3.  Otherwise, these shortcakes are a divine way to pretend it's still summer vacation!

Recipe:

peach shortcake
from The Law Student's Wife
serves 9

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 stick very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup cold milk
4 ripe peaches
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons dark rum
whipped cream (make your own!)

Instructions:

1) Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8x8" pan and set aside.

2) In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a large mixing bowl, sift flour with sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.  Add butter and lightly pulse (or cut in butter by hand) until the butter is the size of small peas.  Add well-beaten egg and milk just until incorporated.

3) Quickly press the batter into the prepared pan, touching it as little as possible with your fingers to keep the butter cold.  Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.  Cut into squares.

4) To quickly peel peaches: cut a small X on the bottom of each.  Slip into a large pot of boiling water.  Boil for about 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted pool and submerge immediately in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  Slip off the skins with your fingers, then slice peaches.

5) In a small bowl, combine the sliced peaches and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar.  Set aside.  In a separate small bowl, combine the melted butter and rum.

6) To serve, while still warm, split each shortcake square in half horizontally.  Brush the cut sides generously with rum butter.  Place 1 buttered layer on the plate, cover with peaches and whipped cream, top with the second shortcake layer, then cover with additional fruit and whipped cream.

Confetti Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

I'm not a fan of confetti.  To be honest, it makes me feel extremely stressed when I see confetti raining down at celebrations on TV, like on reality show finales or New Year's Eve in NYC.  I think it's because I wonder, who is cleaning all that up?  How long will it take?  Will you still be able to find little scraps of paper months later?  And couldn't some of that pre-sliced paper be sent to Glenwood since we are in a paper shortage?

This is the way my brain works.  I know.

Anyway, I don't like real-life confetti, and I don't like Funfetti either.  Kenzie and Nick are big fans of this boxed mix, which is sad and offensive (no box mixes allowed in the Ajemian house!).  In fact, I even made Nick a from-scratch Funfetti cake for his birthday this year, hoping to win him over from boxed mixes.  Then Annie's Eats came up with this recipe for confetti sugar cookies, and I knew I had to try them out.  I may not be a paper confetti or Funfetti fan, but that doesn't mean that I can't add sprinkles to my sugar cookies and make Kenzie and Nick's day!

These are pretty good cookies and they all got eaten by my family and Mark's when we had them all over for dinner a month or so ago.  This includes my mom, who groaned when she found out what I was making; I think she was pleasantly surprised.  They're sweet and adorable.  Annie points out that you can customize your sprinkle colors to go with any holiday: go green and red for Christmas, and maybe with Halloween coming up, I could make some orange and black ones?  The options are endless.  All I know is that, when I do make them again, the confetti and Funfetti-lovers of the Compound will rejoice :)  No paper necessary!

Recipe:

confetti sprinkle sugar cookies
from Annie's Eats
yield about 30 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rainbow jimmies

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 - 3 minutes.  Blend in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed just until incorporated.  Fold in the rainbow jimmies with a spatula.

2) Scoop the dough not balls, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons each.  Space them evenly on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are just set and the edges are barely browned, about 15 - 16 minutes.  Let cool briefly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Quinoa Fried Rice

It's no secret that I'm a quinoa fan, and luckily so is my well-fed husband, so I often try out new recipes including this wonderful little protein-y grain, along with making my old standby recipes.

I have made my old go-to quinoa fried rice several times (and always loved it and devoured every last grain), but I thought it might be time to try out a new one.  I love fried rice but I have to say that I love fried quinoa even more; it's lighter, healthier, and has a better texture.  I decided to get on Pinterest and see if I could find a different version to give a try.  This new recipe caught my eye because of the addition of edamame, spinach, and bell peppers, and so it got added to the menu right away.

I got to work on it while Mark worked on the pool and cut the grass.  How awesome is the teamwork going on in this marriage!? :)  When he came inside, I served it up and we ate it at the counter (this we my pre-kitchen table days... I am still very excited because we finally got one last week!).  We both really liked it.  The edamame and spinach were excellent additions (extra magnesium, anyone?) and the colors of this dish were beautiful; it had everything from the orange carrots to the green edamame to the red and orange peppers... it was like a quinoa rainbow.

I will say that I confess to liking my old recipe better.  I think that bell peppers can be kind of bossy and overpowering, and I tasted too much pepper and not enough everything else.  With that said, maybe tossing in spinach and edamame to the old recipe would be sheer perfection!

Recipe:

quinoa fried rice
from Girl Makes Food
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bell peppers, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup edamame
1 cup baby spinach
2 medium carrots, shredded
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

Instructions:

1) In a medium pot, bring the quinoa and water to a boil.  Add a lid and turn the heat to low; cook for 15 minutes.

2) While the quinoa cooks, chop the veggies.  In a large pan, add the oil, peppers and onions.  Cook until softened, about 5minutes on a medium-low heat.

3) Add the edamame and spinach.  Cook on low until the spinach begins to wilt.

4) Add the quinoa, carrots, ginger and tamari or soy sauce.  Stir well to combine.  Serve.

Blueberry Muffins

I continue the quest to find the world's most perfect blueberry muffin.  I have thoroughly enjoyed many of the muffins I've made in the past, but my mom is in constant search for the exact muffins she used to get at DiBurro's in Seabrook every summer.  She says they are "perfect: gummy and not too sweet."  That doesn't sound great to me, but hey, I will do what I can to help her find the muffin of her dreams!

Also, how cute is this muffin tin!? Thanks Paul and Kecee!

This muffin wasn't that muffin.  But - she did say this is the closest I've ever gotten.  I figured the yogurt would help with what Mom calls "the gumminess" - I think she means that they're moist.  There are lots of berries - 2 whole cups - and a dash of nutmeg.  Try these out, and let me know: are these the perfect blueberry muffin?

Recipe:

blueberry muffins
from The Pioneer Woman


Ingredients:
3 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
heavy pinch of salt
dash of nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 generous cup plain unflavored yogurt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
turbinado sugar

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 385 degrees.  Butter a muffin tin.

2) In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

3) In another large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, vanilla, egg, and yogurt.  Add the dry ingredients and stir to a count of 10.

4) Add blueberries, reserving 1/2 cup, to mixture and stir 3 times.

5) Add mixture to muffin pans. Sprinkle remaining berries on top and press down lightly.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top (brown sugar can be used instead).

6) Bake 20 - 25 minutes and allow to cool completely.