Berry Cobbler

Its Spring, which means its berry season! My ex-husband treated me to a trip to Costco yesterday and I loaded up on yummy ripe berries. I love this cobbler for its sweet simplicity and deliciousness.

After my rough week, where I discovered that Samantha's divorce, which began back in October is still not finalized and with her panning to get remarried in a week in Vegas, I felt that this could create some problems. After all, I don't want a polygamist for a daughter. So, after many stressful phone calls and then a quick one to my attorney asking him to take over and fix this, he assures me that with a little judge smooshing and a waiver, we will be good to go.

Samantha's first marriage fell apart quite quickly. I have to say I was not surprised since I had many misgivings that I expressed through motherly advise and was not taken. As a treat to herself for managing her way through a tough situation and finishing her masters in Biology, Samantha headed off to Europe for the summer. In Gibraltar Spain, she met the love of her life! She told me over the phone that he was exactly what I had always said I wanted for her. I was elated! His name is Tristan and he is a UK citizen with a lovely British accent. Needless to say, she did not come home except to get her things and start moving them back to Spain. She says she wants to take it slowly and see how it works out with them living together. I am dying to meet him and she can't wait as well, so they fly over for her birthday in Nov. He had been complaining of headaches but the doctor deemed them stress related as he is a successful attorney. After being here for just two days, he has a seizure where he is rushed to the emergency room and is diagnosed with a brain tumor. They fly out the next day to London where he has the tumor removed and undergoes a month of radiation treatment. They take a weekend trip to Paris where he proposes and she accepts! Never mind about slow, life is to be lived. They are back in the US on a massive road trip where Samantha is showing him our country. They decide to get married in Las Vegas and we are all flying out to be there with them! I am very excited!

Samantha being the scientist she is has researched Tristan's condition thoroughly and has him now following a very low carb diet to inhibit tumor growth. They have a blog and I would like her to post a link to in case anyone is interested in what they are doing. I will follow up on that.

Okay, now now it is time for dessert!

18 oz blackberries fresh
12 oz. raspberries  fresh
6 oz. blueberries fresh
1/2 cup sugar
2 t vanilla ( I use mexican vanilla, la vencedora)

In a 9x13 baking dish spread out berries evenly then sprinkle with sugar and vanilla. You can eyeball the berries and use as many as you want...just don't fill the dish full, only about half way and you will need more sugar if you use more berries and it also depends on the sweetness of the berries so taste them.

Topping
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 1/2 stick of butter cold from the refrigerator
pinch of salt
Mix with fingers in a bowl until it resembles coarse meal
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
Add and use your hands to form a ball
wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate till cold
cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Take the topping out of the refrigerator and pull off large pieces and flatten into thick round disks in the palms of your hands. Lay on top of the berries. Continue until you cover the berries but don't worry about little gaps or overlapping. Dust the top of the dough with cinnamon and then sugar. Bake for about 45 min. until golden brown.

Balsamic Zucchini and Tomato Pizza

I have to say that my favorite thing to eat on Friday night is pizza. It feels like a treat at the end of a stressful work week.
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This week has been more trying than usual. I have had an allergic reaction to Advil according to Dr.Newton. My entire back has an itchy hot red raised rash that has now spread to my tummy and arms. It has been going on since Spring break. Last Saturday and Sunday I ended up spending a lost weekend in a benadryl induced coma. I have to admit the swelling went down and my skin was no longer hot but I was still itching violently. Saw the doctor again and this time he prescribes an anti-itch pill that after the second day I finally didn't feel like ripping my skin off. I am also halfheartedly trying to take off my winter padding that I use to keep me warm here in the tropics. You see I am going to Las Vegas for my birthday and Samantha' second wedding in less than a year. She is my oldest. I deserve pizza!

As I have mentioned before, I do not make my own dough as yeast and I do not get along, so I stopped by breadsmith on my way home today and picked up some fresh dough. I don't like conventional pizza ingredients so I am always experimenting with new ideas for toppings. This is one of my latest concoctions!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with pizza brick in the oven on the bottom rack.
Let your dough rest outside of the fridge.

Topping
3 zucchini sliced very thin (my zucchini were big you so you might need more than 3.)
2 C diced ripe tomatoes (I used Campari tomatoes...home grown would be amazing!)
1 1/2 t balsamic vinegar
4 cloves of garlic pressed
4-5 T basil leaves chopped or shredded
2 sprigs fresh rosemary chopped
1/4-1/2 C parmesan cheese grated
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes optional

Slice your zucchini very thin. Chop your tomatoes and put them in a bowl with the garlic and balsamic vinegar then add about 1/2 t salt. In a skillet drizzle 2 T of olive oil in the pan and let get hot on high heat. Add the zucchini and saute till lightly browned on both sides and add salt and pepper.Reduce heat to med. while cooking. You will want to do this in two batches. Now put it all together in the pan and add the tomato mixture, then let simmer for a minute or two and then turn off heat.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface and then put on the pizza brick. Prick the dough with a fork and set the timer for about 3 min. Open the oven door and spray olive oil on the dough and add 1/2 the rosemary and then sprinkle with salt. I use kosher salt. Set the timer for 4 min more to let the dough brown a bit. Take out the dough and put on the
counter and spread the vegetable mixture evenly. Sprinkle the top with basil leaves, the remaining rosemary and you can spray with olive oil if it is a bit dry. Add the red pepper flakes if you are using them and evenly sprinkle the cheese on top. Return to the oven to warm back up. Remove the pizza and eat!!!!

This was my piece...I was so hungry I was literally taking off tiny slices even before I could get a good photo!

Green eggs and Ham Biscuit

I was watching Iron Chef America very late the other night as I am an insufferable night owl and the secret ingredient was egg. I joined  the episode late and saw only the presentation to the judges. Bobby Flay had made green eggs and ham with a biscuit for one of his dishes. When he described the eggs as having been infused with basil I thought "wow, what a great idea that sounds delicious!" Not having seen the whole episode I had no idea how he did it but I thought I could make up my own version and yes it did turn out as delicious as they made it sound on TV.

First of all, I bought some little ham slices just the size of my biscuits and fried them up in a skillet.
Meanwhile I made some biscuits. You can use your own recipe but here is mine.

Biscuits
2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 C whipping cream

Combine flour,baking powder and salt. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form and stir into flour mixture until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth about 10 to 15 times. Roll dough out to about a 1/2 in thick and then cut with a 3 in biscuit cutter. Repeat with leftover dough. Place on baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 12 min. or until lightly browned. It makes about 6.

Eggs
6 large eggs
1/3 C whipping cream
4 T pesto (my homemade recipe that I used is on my vegan pizza post just the non-vegan version)

In a bowl beat eggs with the cream and pesto. Heat up a nonstick skillet on med. heat and add 1 t butter to the pan. Coat the pan and when it sizzles add the eggs and scramble till done. Salt and pepper to taste.

Split open the biscuits and butter the inside slightly. Assemble the biscuit with 2 slices of ham and a pile of eggs.