Sometimes Las Vegas surprises me. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve always had a love / hate relationship with it. Of course when I was of the legal and maybe not so legal drinking age I loved it but now that I’ve turned in a granny and all I want to do is make jam and cook and read and go to dinner parties I’ve somewhat lost touch with the city of sin that I live. I’ll often complain that there is no culture here, people aren’t friendly and no one has a desire to cultivate art or the community but slowly and surely Las Vegas is proving me wrong!

Case in point – Project Dinner Table. I fell in love with it the first time I saw their ad in BVLDS magazine. It is similar in style to Outstanding in the Field but with a Vegas twist. Here is an excerpt from their website:

The idea is simple enough…re-connect with the dinner table, bring back meaningful conversation and feed ourselves with local goodness.  This is what the small collaborative group called the “Kitchen Cabinet” has set out to share with others.

Project Dinner Table is a series of seven dinners where we gather in unique locations.  We dine at one long table with a white tablecloth setting that seats at least one hundred people.  We will feast family style, over six courses that are inspired by local and regional purveyors.  Our purpose is about local artisans, building community and giving back.

Sounds pretty awesome doesn’t it? For the most part it is. Steve and I were lucky to attend the dinner in August. We weren’t exceptionally blown away by dinner – except the homemade Twix Bars (!!!) Steve ate three and had a stomach ache the rest of the night – but the event was wonderful. We experienced a part of the city where we never venture (downtown), I bought a pair of fantastic vintage sunglasses, we made new friends, had great conversation all while contributing to a local charity. All in all it was a B+ and I would recommend it to anyone.

Have any of you been? Do you have something like this in your town? I would love to hear about it!

*** photos were taken with my new Diana…the Holga and I split up. It was a one-sided relationship that was more work than fun so I ditched him! The Diana uses film and you never know what to expect.

I can say without any hesitation that tacos are one of the greatest food items ever made. With about one trillion combinations, how could you not love at least one kind of taco? I might even go out on a limb here and tell you that tacos might be one of my favorite foods ever. There is something very appealing about a simple flour or corn tortilla wrapped around a plethora of ingredients that tastes totally awesome. Plus, there is always that fun game I play when building my taco to see just how much I can fit. I love that game, although usually I lose and end up eating my taco with a fork. That is a little embarrassing.

Hopefully, most of you are familiar with the crispy black bean tacos I wrote about last year. They really are close to perfect, but when temperatures reached triple digits, I started craving something lighter and less ahem…fried. I wanted something grilled with fresh salsa, avocado and corn. Voila! A new Friday night taco was born.

This taco is of the fish variety, and I was always a little afraid of fish tacos – for no reason really. They just freaked me out – like maybe everything would taste like fish and none of the other flavors would stand out.  Plus, I’ve always equated tacos with being cheap and easy, and I never want my fish cheap and easy…to me that was teetering too close to the edge of the danger zone. I wanted so badly to jump on the fish taco bandwagon, but I never had the guts…until now.

Despite my aversion to fish tacos, I love seafood, especially in the summer. It’s so light and refreshing and it’s great on the grill, so you don’t have to worry about sending your A/C into overdrive whipping up dinner. For these tacos I highly recommend Ling Cod. It’s a delicate white fish that takes to tacos really well plus it’s inexpensive and sustainably fished. Halibut or Pacific Cod also work well.

The instructions couldn’t be easier, which makes it perfect for a Friday night. First you make the slaw topping, then the salsa, crumble the queso fresco, chop up an avocado and your 90% there. Now season the fish with cumin and garlic salt…don’t try to get fancy and use fresh garlic and salt. I mean it. This is not up for debate. Now put it on the grill and let it cook. Most fish like the ones I mentioned above need about 4 minutes per side depending on their thickness, but that it a great starting point.

Once the fish is done, fork it into flakes and start piling your tacos high with your toppings, crack open a cold beer and let your weekend begin!

Cole Slaw Fish Tacos with Fresh Salsa

Makes about 4-6 tacos, Prep time: 15 Minutes, Cook Time: 10 Minutes

For the Fish:

1 large filet of Ling Cod or Pacific Halibut

Cumin & Garlic Salt – no need to measure, give the fish a nice dose of each

-       Pat the fish dry with paper towels; sprinkle both sides generously with the cumin and not as generously with the garlic salt.

-       Fire up the grill to medium and let the fish cook for about 4 minutes each side or until the fish flakes apart easily with a fork

Salsa:

4 Medium Tomatoes

1/2 white onion

Handful of cilantro

Juice of one lime

One chopped Serrano Pepper – leave the seeds in for extra heat

Sea Salt

-       Chop everything up and mix with a spoon. Feel free to use a blender or food processor if that it easier for you.

Slaw Topping:

2 ears of fresh corn, corns shucked

1/4 of a head of Green Cabbage, finely sliced

1 Green Onion

Handful of Cilantro, chopped

Juice of one lime

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt to taste

- Mix everything in a bowl and dress with the lime, olive oil and salt

Queso Fresco:

-       Buy it, open the package and crumble it on a plate.

Avocado:

- Cubed

Let’s face it. I’m not blogging enough and you deserve better. It’s not that I don’t have several really great recipes for you, because I do. I’ve just had a lack of time and inspiration to write the stories that I love to share along with the recipes. But, enough of that – today you are getting a recipe. Story or no story and you are going to love it…. or is that a little presumptuous? I’ll think I’ll be brave and say no.

Two words: Raspberry Lemonade. It’s fresh, cold and delicious. Raspberries are at their peak right now and they give the best flavor to fresh squeezed lemonade. And if you’ve never had or made fresh squeezed lemonade then you are in for a treat. Store bought lemonade doesn’t even compare. And depending on the type juicer you have it can be pretty easy to throw it together.

Lemonade is a crowd pleaser. If you whip out a pitcher of fresh squeezed anything at a party I can guarantee that your guests with gather around anxiously waiting for a glass. There is just something so appealing about a tall glass of fresh juice. Vodka or no vodka

So hear you are. My fail-safe, crowd-pleaser raspberry lemonade. Make a batch for a backyard BBQ, a book club gathering or just for yourself to enjoy all week. It also makes a great popsicle. I use my kitchen-aid juicer attachment – one of the best $25 you can spend if you don’t have one.

For a really great cold brew recipe check out Diggin Food. I’m going to make some this weekend!

Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemonade

Makes one large pitcher (I realize that is a bit ambiguous but it will have to work)

2 bags of lemons, approx 12 – 18 lemons.

-       You should get about 4 cups of lemon juice

3 cups of water

3/4 cup sugar (or more depending on how sweet you like it. Taste the lemonade and add sugar as necessary.

1 pint of raspberries plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Juice all of your lemons. Pour into a pitcher and add water and sugar. Taste. If you want it sweeter or less lemony, ad more water and sugar.
2. Puree raspberries and sugar in a food processor. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the raspberries into the lemonade.
3. Stir and refrigerate. When ready to serve pour over ice and garnish with a slice of lemon and a couple raspberries.

You may need to up your water or sugar or maybe even use less depending on your test but this will give you a great starting ground. Now go by some lemons and raspberries and get to juicing!

I find oatmeal to be rather boring -  brown, mushy and bland. If weren’t for its healthy attributes, lowering cholesterol, making your heart happy, providing loads of fiber – bla bla bla – I wouldn’t look at it twice.

So why dedicate a blog entry to it? Because after bingeing on donuts, chips and salsa, burgers, gelato and more chips and salsa for an entire weekend my body started cussing and threatening me. It wasn’t pretty, but fortunately we were in Solana Beach, and Naked Cafe was a short (much needed) walk away. Most trips to Naked usually have me elbow deep in blueberry pancakes or a plate full of quinoa, eggs and salsa. But that day was different. That day I was going to order what I see all the athletic San Diegans order – Naked’s famous oatmeal. Those seductive pancakes would have to wait another day. I could feel my insides breathe a sigh of relief.

What’s the big deal you ask? For starters this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill instant cardboard oatmeal packed with sugar.  It was slowly cooked steel cut oats, the granddaddy of oatmeal. It’s not rolled like most oatmeal we are used to seeing. It looks like a nugget of grain, and to bring out all of its goodness, it must cooked low and slow, and it’s worth every minute.

At Naked, they finish their oatmeal with cream, a touch of brown sugar, sliced almonds and blueberries. I have never had oatmeal this amazing before. Steve even came out of his own food coma and finished off my bowl. At that moment I vowed to liven up my own “steel oat morning” routine.

I began by channeling one of my favorite recipes from our stay in Cowichan Bay – a fantastically delicious blueberry scone, and give it a little extra “umph” of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. I was so thrilled with the results that I had to share. This will change your mornings. I promise.  And your insides will thank you!

This dish takes about 45 minutes to make, but it provides a week’s worth of delicious breakfasts. I’ll make a big batch on a Sunday after dish duty and take portions to work everyday. You’ll even get bonus brownie points because of the health factor, although brownie points hardly seem fair if you are eating healthy…maybe blueberry points!  I like that better.

Blueberry Scone Oatmeal

Cook time: 45 minutes, 4-5 Servings

The below ingredients are only guidelines. Feel free to adjust to your tastes. You may want less sugar and more berries or more sugar and no cloves – that’s the beauty of this recipe!

4 cups water

1 cup Steel Cut Oats

dash of salt

1 cup blueberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sliced raw almonds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

dash of ground cloves

lemon zest

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add dash of salt and oatmeal. Stir. Reduce heat to medium – low and let oatmeal simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir regularly. Cook until most of the liquid is gone.
2. Remove from heat and all your goodies! Enjoy right away or put it in the fridge for breakfast for the next week.

Enjoy!

As a matter of fact – I’ve also never met a cobbler I didn’t like.  Especially one described by good friend Jenny as “a snickerdoodle on top of yummy berry goodness!”  This past month, those two great loves combined to form an indescribable bowl of delicousness!

Now enter Jo. She has known Steve ever since he became best friends with her son in Kindergarten and has opened her arms and her home to both Steve and I ever since we started dating nearly six years ago. She even hosted our welcome dinner the night before we got married in San Diego. We’ve cooked amazing meals together, picked avocados and lemons from her unbelievable yard and stayed up late drinking wine and chatting for hours. Some of my fondest memories are sitting in her sunroom before everyone was awake drinking coffee and leafing through her garden books. It was Jo that really put that gardening spark in me. Her home and yard are straight from the pages of Martha Stewart and she has a wealth of wisdom when it comes to gardening and life. And who couldn’t love someone who lets you devour her wall of blackberries?

I should probably explain the wall…Jo has gorgeous, sweet blackberries in her yard and every year she lets me loose in her garden to pick as many as I can before the birds get to them. For the first fifteen minutes or so I probably put more in my mouth than I do in my bowl but I can’t help myself. They are so sweet and juicy. Plus I notice that Jo does the same thing so I never feel too bad.

This past trip, as a thank you, I cooked Jo a fabulous dinner after an afternoon of foraging. We spent a couple hours in kitchen making pasta from scratch, salad from the farmer’s market and the most incredible cobbler this side of Texas. It was the perfect evening.

I first saw this recipe in Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc and have since made it four times. It’s a simple recipe that delivers incredible results. I found that replacing the blueberries with a mix of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries yields the best results.  Berries are at their prime right now and there is nothing better on a summer night than fresh berry cobbler.

I hope you enjoy with friends sitting outside enjoying the long summer days!

Snickerdoodle Berry Cobbler (my name, not his)

Recipe from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home

Topping:

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp each: baking powder, baking soda

6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

Filling:

4 cups strawberries

2 cups raspberries

2 cups blueberries or blackberries

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Cinnamon sugar:

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350F degrees. For topping, in medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda.

2. In large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using hand mixer, mix on low speed, then beat on medium until mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk in 2 batches. Scrape down sides; mix again to ensure all ingredients are combined.

3. For filling, in medium bowl, toss berries with sugar, flour and zest. Spoon into 8 over proof bowls (ramikins). Spoon mounds of batter over berries.

4. For cinnamon sugar, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter. Bake in preheated 350F oven 40 minutes or until juices are bubbling and topping is golden and cooked through.

Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. (Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days.)

Makes 8 servings.

Who would have thought that at 3pm the day before Mother’s Day that it would be nearly impossible to get a brunch reservation? And who would have thought that my mom – who greatly enjoys the comfort of her own home would want to go out on Mother’s Day?! I was screwed.  Luckily mom loves my cooking so I was able to convince her to have brunch at our house with her grand-puppies (her words, not mine). The menu was ready in less than five minutes – Brie, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and basil omelets with beach house hash, fresh squeezed OJ and Monkey Bread. I was instantly more excited to be enjoying breakfast in the backyard with Steve, Mom and the Girls.

Monkey Bread was a tradition growing up in my house. Every Christmas morning my mom would whip up a batch and encourage us girls to help put it together. It was fun to make the dough into little balls and roll them around in a bowl of cinnamon and sugar. I always snuck one or two before they were cooked. I am a sucker for raw dough. As soon as that sweet, crispy, cinnamony goodness came out of the oven we would scarf it down like we hadn’t eaten in days.

For about 25 years of my life I never knew that “Monkey Bread’ was a real dish. I always thought it was something that my mom conjured up for us kids. It wasn’t until Williams Sonoma came out with a Monkey Bread pan that I realized there was more to this bread than my wacky mom.

With Monkey Bread dish in hand I set out to recreate fond childhood memories.  But making new memories for my husband did not go exactly as planned.

I spent an entire winter trying to recreate my mom’s recipe but failed miserably. My never-tired-of-sugar husband actually got tired of eating half burnt, half raw, stuck to the pan bread, but the father-son team that was doing concrete work in our backyard went crazy over it. The cold must have been getting to them…I eventually gave up and hoped that one day my mom would find the recipe.

Fast-forward three years to Mother’s Day. I dusted off my WS Monkey Bread pan and brought out the big guns – my grandmother’s Betty Crocker Cookbook. I went right to the quick bread section for the never fail baking power biscuits recipe. The outcome was a perfectly cooked, delicious treat that filled me with wonderful childhood memories and was the perfect Mother’s Day treat for brunch and then for dessert as we powered through a marathon of The Deadliest Catch on the couch.

Monkey Bread

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook Time: 40 minutes

Dough:

3 cups flour

2/3 cups shortening

5 teaspoons baking power

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup milk (soy or almond milk work great here)

Cinnamon Sugar Mix:

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick of butter, melted (half cup)

1 tablespoon Cinnamon (I love the Penzey’s Brand)

1. Heat oven to 375º. Grease a bundt cake pan or a MB pan.
2. Mix flour, baking power and salt in a large both. Cut in the shorting with a pastry blender.
3. Add milk until the dough forms a ball when mixed. You don’t want it too wet or it will be hard to work with. Turn the dough onto the kitchen counter with a little flour and knead about 10 times.
4. In a separate bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Pull off pieces from the dough, roll into half inch balls and coat with the cinnamon sugar mixture and plop into the bundt pan.
5. Mix the melted butter in with the remaining cinnamon, sugar mixture and pour over the top of the balls of dough. Stick it in the oven and cook for 40 minutes.
6. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes and turn the pan upside on a plate to release the bread. Enjoy immediately.

My hardworking husband treating himself to a coke and monkey bread after cleaning all the dishes. He really is a sugar-holic!

It’s quite possible that I married a rabbit…or a turtle or whatever animal happens to eat an enormous amount of salad. How many people do you know would call Caesar Salad their favorite comfort food? Steve does. And he does it proudly. There have been many times when we’ve dined at restaurants and the server would mix-up our plates assuming that the man at the table is ordering Chicken Fried Steak and the lady – a Salad. That doesn’t bother me though because I’m proud of my green leaf-eating machine.

Before Steve came into my life my only knowledge of salad came to my plate in the form of iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, red cabbage and ranch dressing. I’m pretty sure the salad came from a bag and the ranch was made by shaking a packet of powder with milk and mayo – but boy did I love it. Isn’t anything better with ranch dressing smothered all over it? If you look carefully, you might even find a couple of packets of that wonderful powder hidden deep in my pantry for special occasions.

In the years that would follow our courtship Steve began to expand my world of leafy greens and condiments. First it was dried cranberries and champagne vinaigrette, then a spiced pecan here or candied walnut there. Before long I was loving salad like I never had before, adding strawberries, spinach, cheese and making my own candied nuts. The possibilities were endless and it always felt good eating something with so much color and flavor.

Since lately I’ve been pumping you full of rhubarb and cupcakes, I thought it was only fair that I give you something that would treat the waistline nicely, be satisfying and easy to throw together. It’s a salad that I’m pretty sure most of you have had at some point in your lifetime. Mixed greens, candied pecans, boiled egg, pears and blue cheese tossed with a simple vinaigrette. It is also a snap to throw together so when you are having one of those iamtiredanddon’tfeellikecooking nights – go to this recipe. You’ll thank me for it.

In the time it takes you to candy the pecans and boil the eggs you can toss your greens, slice the pear and whisk the dressing together. First start with the pecans. Line a cookie sheet that doesn’t warp (yes I have several) with foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Line with pecans and drizzle with maple syrup. You’ll want to get in there with your hands and make sure you coat every little nut. Now add coarse sea salt and stick the pan in a 425º oven. Don’t worry about pre-heating it. Just turn it on and go!

While the nuts sizzle away in their blanket of sugar, put two eggs in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn the heat off. Let the eggs sit in the hot water for 6-8 minutes. This will yield a perfectly cooked egg.  Peel them under cool running water.

Now whisk your dressing together, slice your pear nice and thin, pull the pecans out of the oven, peal your eggs under cool water and toss it all together with your crumbled blue cheese. You’ll scrap every bit out of that bowl.

This is a great dish for a night when you want something healthy and quick or if you want to impress your friends for dinner.

Mixed Greens with Pears & Candied Pecans

Cook & Prep time: 20 minutes

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish

4 cups (or big handfuls) of mixed greens

2 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup raw pecans

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 Bartlett pear sliced thinly, core removed

2 radishes thinly sliced (optional)

2 tablespoons blue cheese

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

4-6 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Heat oven to 450º. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add pecans in one layer, pour the maple syrup on the nuts and toss them until coated. Season with sea salt. Cook for 15 minutes – the oven does not need to be completely heated.
2. Put the 2 eggs in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and let stand for 6-8 minutes. Peel while running under cool water. Chop.
3. Whisk vinegar, oil and salt and pepper. Set aside
4. Add the greens, sliced pear and radish to a salad bowl.
5. When the pecans are done you can toss them into the salad whole or give them a quick chop.
6. Mix everything together and serve!

Today is the one-year anniversary of cb&j and i believe that this calls for cake, and not just any cake, after all it is a special occasion. The kind of cake I want is light, refreshing and features a very uncommon ingredient in baking – olive oil.

I was first introduced to olive oil cake during a job interview. One of the questions we asked candidates was whether they enjoyed cooking, and would they participate in potlucks. It was fun and always lightened up the room. People love food, and like talking about food, so this question made everyone comfortable. When my soon-to-be friend, Alana, said that she loved to bake, and had been eye-balling an olive oil cake recipe, I immediately thought three things: (1)she is a “keeper”, (2) isn’t baking with olive oil taboo? and (3) I must have this cake.

I kept hoping she would show up to work, cake in hand, so I could taste this unique dessert, but she didn’t. Instead she brought vanilla bean pound cake and blueberry coffee cake – but no olive oil cake. I had almost forgotten about it until the anniversary of this blog. I was determined to give you another wonderful cupcake recipe, and was losing sleep over what to do – until that cake popped into my head again.

So the search for the perfect recipe began. My requirements were simple. The ingredient list needed to be short and needed to incorporate egg whites. The flavor of the oil would need to shine, but the egg whites would be necessary in keeping the dish light. Plus, I wanted to use lemons in the frosting – or in this case – a glaze, so I didn’t want anything that would combat with the flavor of the oil and the lemons.
I found exactly what I was looking for at epicurious I made a couple of adjustments – one being making cupcakes rather than cake. Baking this recipe will make your home smell amazing, and the flavors will have you craving more.

Olive Oil Cupcakes with a Lemon Glaze

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine April, 2006

• 3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan

• Zest and juice of 1 large lemon

• 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)

• 5 large eggs, separated

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put cupcake holders/papers in your regular or mini-sized muffin pan. If you don’t use cupcake liners then grease the pan will a little olive oil.

2. Zest the lemon then juice it in a separate bowl and set aside.

3. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and lemon zest, beating until just combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

4. Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

5. Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

6. Transfer batter to muffin pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cupcakes to room temperature, about 1 hour.

7. Mix the lemon juice with the powdered sugar and whisk until it’s smooth. If you think it’s too thin or runny go ahead and add more powdered sugar until you have the right consistency. Drizzle a spoonful on each cupcake and enjoy!

I’ve had a fascination with rhubarb ever since I was a kid and my parents would treat us to a Marie Calendar’s Pie.  There were tons of delicious options, but I was always drawn to their Strawberry Rhubarb pie. I never knew what rhubarb was – I just knew it was delicious, and that’s when my little crush began. Years later my crush turned into a bit of an obsession after I had an unbelievable pancake with rhubarb compote in Portland. But after a failed attempt to recreate that lovely masterpiece, my crush fizzled.

Until now.  With the weather warming, and that striking red fruit showing up at the market again, I can’t seem to get it’s long, sultry red stalks out of my mind.

After an indulgent trip to the local Farmer’s Market I was able to get a batch of hothouse rhubarb, which is typically redder and slightly sweeter than the fresh-from-the-garden rhubarb which is ready April – May. I quickly went to one of my daily reads, Smitten Kitchen, to see if Deb had any wonderful recipes for me to try. She did not disappoint.

Behold – Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake. Heads will turn and dishes will be scrapped clean when you present this lovely breakfast-dessert-concoction to family, friends or co-workers.

The big crumb portion of the dish is gently flavored with a dash of ginger, cinnamon and a large dose of melted butter, flour and brown sugar. The batter is simple with the addition of sour cream, which will bring a little tanginess and moisture to the cake. The star of the show is tossed with more ginger, cornstarch and sugar.

Once you’ve dirtied every bowl in your kitchen, you can assemble the cake. Pour the batter into your greased pan, top with the rhubarb mixture and all it’s juices. Top with the crumb. You will need to break it apart, but make sure you keep the pieces large.

Now bake low and slow. The rhubarb will soften and sweeten as the cake bakes. Once cooled, dust with a little powered sugar and serve with a hot cup of coffee or tea. You may want two pieces. Consider this your warning.

I baked this a couple of times, and the cake would cook over some of the crumb. If this happens to you – don’t worry. It will still taste delicious.  It just won’t look as gorgeous as you would like. If you have a trick to avoid this annoying little baking mishap, please do share.

Big Crumb Coffee Cake

Adapted from the NY Times by Deb from Smitten Kitten

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 55 minutes

6-8 Servings

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:

1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the crumbs:

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, melted

1 3/4 cups cake flour (All-purpose works too)

For the cake:

1/3 cup sour cream

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup cake flour (ditto on the all-purpose flour–worked just fine)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

2. To make crumbs in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

3. To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula.

4. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter.

5. Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

I keep coming back to this recipe time and time again because it’s such a crowd pleaser. It also happens to be the first recipe I ever sent out to friends and what inspired this blog.  And since I receive requests regularly for my sweet potato enchiladas, I thought it couldn’t hurt to break it out of the archives, dust it off  and resurrect it for round two.

I was given this recipe from my friend Christa who is always trying to make healthy, satisfying meals for her family – needless to say I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve carried these into potlucks at the office, made them for a birthday dinner in honor of my mom and I’ve whipped them up for a delicious weeknight dinner. The recipe makes enough to share or to freeze and have on night when you don’t feel like cooking. And as for us veggies it’s nice to have a dish that is hearty, delicious and packed with protein.

Over the last year I have tweaked and played with the recipe, not because it wasn’t amazing but partially because I developed an addiction to poblano peppers.  All I want to do is stuff them, fry them and eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner so it’s no surprise that they snuck their way into the enchiladas. There were also times that I just didn’t have all the right ingredients so I tweaked the recipe a bit. That is the joy of cooking my friends. Recipes are only guidelines.

The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy and healthy. Peel and chop the potatoes, toss them into salted boiling water and boil until soft. While those pretty orange and white cubes do their thing, you rinse a can of black beans and toss them with lime juice, lime zest and garlic then roast and peel your peppers. Next, you drain and mash the potatoes and mix them with cumin, Serrano pepper, cilantro and your chopped roasted poblanos. Now comes the fun part – spread the potato mixture onto a tortilla, add a spoonful of beans and wrap that baby up and throw her in a pan, gently of course. Pour your favorite enchilada sauce and crumble queso fresco over the top, cover with foil and you’ll have delicious, healthy enchiladas in less than an hour.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas

Prep time: 20 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes, Makes 8-12 enchiladas

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 (15oz) can of black beans, drained & rinsed

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

Juice and zest from 1 big lime

2 sweet potatoes and 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped

2 poblano peppers roasted, peeled and seeded then chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 seeded and chopped Serrano pepper or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small can of black olives (optional)

Tortillas (I like the fajita size)

Salt to taste

Topping:

8 tortillas (white, corn, or whole wheat)

1 large jar of enchilada sauce (I prefer green)

8-10 oz crumbled qeuso fresco – you can find it near the string cheese in the market. It’s a Mexican cheese that is salty and delicious!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Place peeled and chopped potatoes into a large sauce pan and cover with water, season with salt.  Boil until you can easily stick them with a fork.

2. Coat a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. I can usually fit enough into a 9×13 and a 9×9 dish.

3. Roast the peppers by placing them under the broiler or directly on the flame of a gas stove. Char all sides until black and blistering. Put in a ziplock bag and seal. Leave for 5 minutes and then peel off the outside skin. It’s easier to do it under running water. Slice them open and remove the seeds as well. Chop them up.

3. Drain & mash the sweet potatoes.  Add the peppers, cumin, olives and cilantro and combine.  Season with salt.  In a separate bowl mix black beans with the chopped garlic, lime zest and juice, toss to coat.  Set aside.

4. Pour half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.  Spoon the sweet potato mix down the center of the tortilla.  Top with a spoonful of the black bean mix.  Wrap and place seam side down into the baking dish on top of the sauce.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Top with the remaining enchilada sauce.  Top with queso fresco.

5. Cover with foil. Spray the side facing the cheese with cooking spray before you put it on.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to bake for 10 more minutes.

Makes 8 – 12 enchiladas.

Enjoy!!!

Chassie