MEGA EASY Fancy Shmancy Strawberry Tart

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Oh my goodness has my week been BUSY!  It is nap time for Daniel so I am taking this opportunity to post a couple of recipes.  As many of you probably know, I have spent a significant amount of time in France...working, studying, visiting friends, being as French as I can be!  Whenever my mom would come to visit me, she would always get a strawberry tart from the local patisserie in the afternoons.  Those strawberry tarts were SO yummy and SO fancy.  I have tried to replicate them, but we just don't have the same ingredients here in the United States, and so, I leave those particular tarts up to the experts.  That being said, I have come up with a strawberry tart that looks just as fancy, tastes just as yummy, but takes very little effort to make.  Now my tart isn't authentic by any means, but it sure is good!  I made it this week for a Pampered Chef show I did for one of my friends and it was a hit!  Please let me know if you try it and what you think!  I would love feedback!

MEGA Easy Fancy Shmancy Strawberry Tart

• 1/2 recipe sugar cookie dough  (you could also use a sugar cookie mix- although I am not fond of them)
• 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries
• 1 (8 oz) package frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 oz) package white chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a torte pan generously with cooking spray.  Press the sugar cookie dough into the bottom of the torte pan.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.   Meanwhile, melt the white chips in the microwave by microwaving them for 15 seconds at time on high and stirring between each heating until completely melted.  Whisk the cream cheese and white chocolate together using an electric mixer until smooth.  Puree the frozen strawberries (I use my manual food processor for this but you can use your blender or food processor).  In a small saucepan, mix the cornstarch and the sugar.  Turn on the heat to medium high and add the water and the pureed strawberries and whisk constantly until until very thick (about 10 minutes), remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Add in the sliced strawberries and stir to coat.  To assemble the tart.  VERY CAREFULLY remove the cookie crust from the torte pan, well side up.  Spread the cream cheese mixture into the well, you want the crust to be very warm so the cream cheese mixture spreads easily and evenly.  Spread the strawberry mixture evenly on top of the cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  YUM!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Gingerbread Men

Today, Daniel and I went over to my friend and neighbor Julie's house to decorate Gingerbread Men for Santa.  Normally, I am not a huge fan of gingerbread, but a friend of mine gave me this recipe for chewy cookies so I thought I would give it a try.  The results were great, a nice soft, chewy gingerbread cookie!  We decorated with candy pieces and cream cheese frosting!  I am sure Santa will be very happy when he visits this year!

Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Aubrey decorating her cookie

1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

Daniel decorating his cookie

Optional raisins, chocolate chips, candy pieces, frosting

1)  In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

2)  In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (You may need to work it with your hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

Daniel's cookie for Santa

3)  Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter or place a stencil over the dough and use a knife to cut into desired shapes. Press raisins, chocolate chips, or candy pieces in the center of each cookie if desired for "buttons".

4 Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Makes 16 5-inch long cookies.

My Moms Club Farmers Market

On Thursday Moms Club of Marion had a Craft Show/Farmers Market to promote all of the "mompreneurs" in our group!  We are a group of approximately 50 members, most of us stay at home moms and a few stay at home dads!  This was a lot of fun!  I set up a table for The Foodie Mommie/The Pampered Chef and featured a few recipes!  

The Foodie Mommie Table at the
Moms of Marion Farmers Market/Craft Show

 I made three recipes for sampling at my table.  The first was the mini deep dish pizzas featured earlier this week on The Foodie Mommie.  The second was pumpkin shaped squash sugar cookies. This recipe came from adding 1 cup of pureed squash and 1 extra cup of flour to the Camp Huston Sugar Cookies.  Then when I rolled them out I used a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut the cookies out and sprinkled them with a little orange sugar on top! They were a big hit!


The third recipe was a Sun dried Tomato and Pesto Torta.  This also was a HUGE hit.  I served it with homemade italian herb canapes.  Yum!


Sun Dried Tomato and Pesto Torta

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup oil packed julienne cut sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pesto sauce (I used homemade but you can use any kind you like)
• 2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinaigrette (homemade or store bought - I recommend Newman's Own if you are going to use a store bought dressing)

Daniel and his friend Christopher enjoying
one of the squash sugar cookies (and some dried cherries)

Spray a small bowl or dish with cooking spray.  Line with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap.  Spread half of the cream cheese, covering the bottom and sides of the bowl or dish.  Spread the pesto on top of this.  Spread with the remaining cream cheese (it is ok if the pesto seeps through as this will be the bottom of your torta).  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator a minimum of two hours and up to 8 hours (I usually prep the day before and place in fridge overnight).  When you are ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap from the dish, remove cream cheese mixture from the dish and unwrap the plastic wrap.  Place the cream cheese upside down on your serving dish so that the bottom is now the top.  Place the sun dried tomatoes over the top of the torta, then sprinkle with pine nuts and drizzle with vinaigrette.  Serve with crackers or canapes (canapes are small slices of bread).  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Last Minute Pear Cake

Today I needed to come up with something easy to bring to a get together tomorrow.  I had some pears that were on the verge of going bad so I decided to make a pear cake. Unfortunately I didn't have all the ingredients for my recipe, so I substituted butter for oil, and a few other ingredients and this was the result!  So moist and yummy, I think I will stick with this one from now on!
You could probably substitute apples, bananas, or other fruit for the pears.  This makes two cakes.


Last Minute Pear Cake

• 3 cups pears, peeled and chopped (about 6 pears)
• 6 eggs
• 3 sticks of butter, VERY soft (I stuck them in the microwave for about 30 seconds)
• 4 cups sugar (yes, I know it has a lot of sugar)
• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 10 inch tube pans (bread loaf pans) generously with cooking spray.In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the butter together.  Add sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.  In another bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.  Pour the flour mixture into the sugar mixture a little at a time, incorporating all of the dry ingredients with the wet before adding more dry.  Add the vanilla and the pears and mix well.  The batter will be slightly stiff.  Pour the batter equally into each of the greased pans.  Bake for 65-75 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out ALMOST clean.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

I LOVE SMORES!

Hi Everyone!

I am writing this post as an entry to a contest as part of Mom Bloggers Club, when I saw this contest, I was ALL IN!  I know I am always touting healthy meals from whole foods, but sometimes you have to have a little treat!  I am not opposed to treats and I am CERTAINLY NOT opposed to S'Mores!  I happen to LOVE S'Mores, so much in fact, that I have a S'Mores Maker!  Yes, it is true!  We love S'Mores in our family just because they are fun, but one of my favorite memories about eating S'Mores was from back when David and I were first married.  We went down to the beach one night (lived in Seattle at the time obviously) for a picnic, and we brought S'Mores (S'Mores maker and all) for dessert!  

Tell me about your S'Mores memories!  If you LOVE S'Mores too, please visit www.SmoresSmiles.com!

Variation on Previous Brownie Recipe

Lately, I have had the baking itch.  I usually do not like to bake because you cannot be as creative with baking as you can with cooking, and let's face it, when I get creative with baking, I usually mess up what I am trying to make.  However, sometimes what I do works out, and this recipe worked out so much better than I expected!  After messing around with my brownie recipe, I came up with this variation.  Peppermint Brownies.  And yes, these brownies do contain a "top secret" ingredient, the same ingredient all my brownies contain - spinach.  Again, these are so good you won't even know you are eating a serving of vegetables!  Oh one other note, yes, they do contain a lot of sugar, but remember, sugar is a whole food that comes from natural sources and is much better for you than artificial sweeteners.  Don't worry, even though I am baking quite a bit right now, I am not eating all of my baked goods. I have been taking them to playgroups, giving them to friends, and donating them to church functions.

 

Peppermint Brownies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 stick of cold butter
• 1/3 cup pureed spinach 
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup (corn syrup is not the same as HFCS, just make sure you buy a brand that does not contain HFCS)
• 1 tsp. pure peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (if desired, I didn't have any today so I left them out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder) and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter, eggs, corn syrup, peppermint extract, and pureed spinach.  Start mixing on low speed to break up the butter because otherwise you risk the spinach flying out of the bowl at you!  Increase speed gradually until the butter is mixed into the rest of the ingredients, about 1 minute.  Don't worry if there are still small chunks of butter, they will melt during baking.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat together until just mixed into a smooth batter, about 1 minute.  Pour batter into the baking dish.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

That's all for now!  Until tomorrow, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Garden Vegetable, Sausage, and Polenta Bowls and Sweet Potato Blondies

HAVE YOU ENTERED THE "MAKE YOUR OWN BABY FOOD KIT" GIVEAWAY YET?  

IF NOT, BE SURE TO CLICK HERE!  CONTEST ENDS JULY 1ST!

I happen to love all the seasons, but Summer and Fall have to be my favorites because of all the beautiful and fresh produce.  Another one of my favorite things is polenta.  I LOVE polenta!  In this dish, I marry my love for polenta and garden fresh vegetables with italian sausage to make a dish that will make your mouth water!  I rounded the meal off with a lovely Sweet Potato Blondie for dessert.  YUM!


Garden Vegetable, Sausage, and Polenta Bowls

• 1 recipe Soft Polenta
• 1 lb bulk italian sausage (hot or sweet)
• 2 large zucchini, chopped into large chunks
• 1 onion, sliced (I used spring onions tonight because that is what we got at the farm, but usually I make this with a regular old yellow onion)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 1 lb. leafy greens, chopped, such as spinach, kale, chard or a mixture of those (I used kale and chard tonight because that is what we got at the farm)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I used chopped garlic scapes tonight.  Garlic scapes are the tops of the garlic that flower.  They are quite good and have a mild garlic flavor.  They look like this: 

We got them at the farm today, so if you are lucky enough to get them from your CSA, I would highly recommend using them in this dish, otherwise, regular old garlic is what I normally use and it tastes just as yummy).

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. italian herbs
• Parmesan cheese for serving if desired

In a large, deep sided skillet heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and saute until well browned, 5-10 minutes.  Add the zucchini, the onion, the greens, and the garlic and saute another 3-5 minutes until the greens are wilted.  Add the tomatoes, cover the skillet, turn the heat down to medium low and let simmer another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes "pop."  Serve over polenta and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Sweet Potato Blondies

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup pureed sweet potato (today I used an orange one but you could use a white one)
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13X9 inch pan and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar, butter, sweet potato, vanilla together, and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time, mixing until just combined.  It is very important that you do not over mix or your cookies will turn out very dense.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  

Before I sign off, here are some gratuitous photos of my adorable son who insisted on wearing his shades this afternoon:

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Delicious Sausage and Bean Soup with Kale and Top Secret Brownies

HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE WONDERFUL DADDYS OUT THERE!

Here is a picture of my son playing on a giant head of broccoli!

Today was a day filled with deliciousness. I love holidays, and I especially love cooking special meals and treats for holidays.  Today, I made crepes for breakfast and then made a very lovely Sausage and Bean Soup with Kale for dinner.  I rounded out the day with my Top Secret brownies for dessert!  

Sausage and Bean Soup with Kale

I have made this soup many different times, in many different ways.  I use whatever veggies I have on hand and it always turns out just as yummy.  Today I had all of my fresh CSA veggies from Abbe Hills, which included an abundance of kale, several different varieties of kale to be exact.  Kale is becoming very popular and I just love it, but don't worry if you can't find it, I often use spinach, chard, or even bok choi!

• 5 links of italian sausage, casings removed and chopped or crumbled (I used that chicken sausage I bought at Sam's Club at the beginning of the month and it was delicious!)
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• The following veggies are just ideas- this is what I used today, but you could use other vegetables if you want (for example, in the past I have used celery, celeriac, bell peppers, parsnips, turnips, leeks, etc.) - 1/2 cup each of:
• chopped carrots
• diced kohlrabi
• diced spring turnips
• 2 cups chopped greens such as kale, spinach, or chard, arugula, or a mixture of different greens (I used a mixture of lacinato kale, red russian kale, and regular curly kale- if you have never had lacinato kale, see if you can find it, it is VERY worth it!  YUMMY!)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or 2 tbsp. garlic powder (I used 3 garlic scapes, chopped today because that is what I got from they farm, they have a very lovely and mild garlic flavor).  
• 6 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. italian herbs
• 2 cans Great Northern Beans
• 1 cup spiral Wacky Mac (or other spiral pasta)

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute until well caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Add the sausage and saute another 3 minutes (if you are using fresh sausage, saute for about 5 minutes or until cooked through).  Add your diced veggies and continue to saute in the butter for about 10 minutes and your garlic.  Add the chicken stock and the herbs.  Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer.  Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the veggies are very soft.  Add the beans and the greens.  Simmer until the greens are well wilted, about 5 minutes, then add the pasta.  Once the pasta is cooked through, the soup is done!  Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese if desired!

Top Secret Brownies

I call these brownies "top secret" because they have a special hidden ingredient.  They are so moist and fudgy though, you would have no idea there was spinach in them!  In addition, anyone who knows me, knows how much I LOVE cherries!  I am a true cherry fan!  One of my favorite things when I am back home in Seattle is stopping on the side of the road and buying a big bag of bright red cherries from a local farmer.  Oh so yummy!  I grew up on cherries because we had cherry trees in our yard, and well, I am from the Pacific Northwest, where there is an abundance of cherries.  So what pairs better with cherries than CHOCOLATE?  My Top Secret brownies are LOADED with yummy cherries!  Give these a try, you will be glad you did! 

• Special note about these brownies - they do contain a lot of sugar, and they are made with corn syrup.  Corn syrup is not the same as High Fructose Corn Syrup, but many brands of corn syrup do contain HFCS.  Be sure to check the ingredients label to make sure your corn syrup does not contain HFCS.  I only make these brownies for special occasions, and I believe sugar is ok in moderation.

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup oil (I use vegetable oil)
• 1/2 cup pureed spinach
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup red cherries, pitted and chopped (you can use dried cherries if cherries are not in season)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13X9 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  In a second bowl, mix together the wet ingredients on a medium speed with an electric mixer.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on a medium speed until just mixed.  Do not over mix.  Add the cherries and the chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated.  Pour the batter into the greased pan.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting.  

Enjoy!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Camp Huston Sugar Cookies with Auntie Teri

I have a massive weakness for cookies. My favorites are chocolate chip, but I also happen to love these very simple sugar cookies that my aunt makes. I have the philosophy that you can eat with you want as long as it is in moderation and you make it yourself from whole ingredients. These cookies are perfect! Simple and Delicious.

Camp Huston Sugar Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups very cold butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• more sugar for sprinkling on top of cookies if desired

Cream the butter and the sugar together, mixing well for about 10 minutes, until mixture is really creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition to make sure eggs are well incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined - do not over mix! Scoop dough out and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator 4-12 hours or until you have a stiff dough.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease one or more cookie sheets and set aside. Roll out your dough on a floured surface to 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough with any cookie cutter shape you like. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with sugar. These can also be frosted, so if you are going to frost them omit the sugar on the tops of the cookies.

Bake in the oven for 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned but still soft.

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!