Individual Galettes

I was out of peaches and asked my ex-husband to pick some up for me at costco when he went the next time ( he goes almost everyday). He called me and said they were out but that he almost picked me up some nectarines instead. I was like I'm glad you didn't because I don't like them as much and he laughed and said they are the same thing and I indignantly said no they weren't they taste totally different. Now let me interject here and tell you that he has a minor in horticulture but I still wasn't a believer so I did some research on the internet finding out of course that he was right. I then decided to see if I was the only idiot that thought they were vastly different, apparently, I was.

The article I read explained that nectarines are just a recessive peach and can show up randomly on a peach tree and they have different names for retail purposes. It also said that Europeans preferred white flesh peaches (lower acid, milder flavor and sweeter) while Americans preferred the more robust less sweet yellow peach.

I love doing taste tests and well this is just screaming for one. I wanted the ripest best quality of all fruits involved so I bought peaches both white and yellow and nectarines both white and yellow and let them ripen up to eating perfection. I didn't want my results skewed by a particular fruit not tasting good because of under ripeness or over ripeness. I conducted my taste test and have found that I am in fact pure American and prefer the yellow fruit by far and I also like peaches better regardless.
Now I have a over abundance of fruit and need to do something with the white peaches and nectarines because I don't want to just eat them, that is what the yellow ones are for!

 Any stone fruit would work and a mixture would be good I think but next time it's going to be yellow peaches that is if I can keep from just eating them. This is what I did with the white peaches and nectarines.

5 white peaches and nectarines sliced and then each slice cut in half, my fruit was the size of softballs
3 T sugar
1 T southern comfort
1 t vanilla
Marinate the fruit for a few hours or overnight

Pastry recipe
2 C all purpose flour
14T unsalted butter cold cut into cubes
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C cold water out of the refrigerator
1/2 t salt
1/2 T apple cider vinegar
Mix the sugar and vinegar with the water and put back in the refrigerator. In a food processor put in the flour and salt and mix then add the butter and pulse until there are only small chunks of butter mixed in...just a few times...you want chunks of butter to make the dough flakier. Pour the flour mixture into a bowl and make a well in the center. Take out the sugar water and give it another stir. Pour into the well and mix with a fork until dough comes together and then turn out onto a floured surface and knead forming a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or overnight.
Take dough out and roll out between parchment paper to about 1/8 inch thick. Chill another hour or two. Cut out about 4 inch disks and then roll them out a bit more giving them uneven edges. Place them on a baking sheet.

Drain the fruit.

Place a couple of tablespoon of fruit in the center of the dough disk. Fold over the sides working around leaving the center open securing with an egg wash of 1 T water beaten with an egg. Dip your fingers in the egg wash as you work the sides so they won't fall apart while cooking. Brush the tops with the egg wash and dust with cinnamon and sugar. I sprinkled sugar crystals on top to make them sparkle! Chill them for at least 30 min.

This pic is before baking.
Bake them in a 400 degree oven for about 30 min. They should be golden brown and bubbly.

 

My Favorite Frittata

I have playing around with different combinations to come up with the most amazing one to serve my college buddies for breakfast when they come to visit this summer (we get together and catch up every summer). This is the outstanding winner!
I went to lunch with a friend I have known since high school and I was telling him about this frittata and how I thought he should make it so this recipe is for you Ben.

1/2 lb. roasted grape or cherry tomatoes
1/3-1/2 lb. breakfast sausage (not in a casing)
1 handful fresh spinach
1 clove garlic minced
3 lg. eggs
1/2 C cream (almost)
Salt and pepper
1/2 C parmigiano reggiano finely grated

To roast the tomatoes put them in a small pan and drizzle olive oil over them then salt and pepper, next sprinkle on some balsamic vinegar and put in a 400 degree oven and roast until wilted about 20-30 min. Let cool a bit before you put them in the frittata but you can make them days ahead and refrigerate till you need them.

I used a 8 inch skillet for this recipe which is enough for 2 but if you want to use an 11 inch skillet you will want to triple this recipe but I would only use 1 C of cream with the eggs.

Cook the sausage in the skillet on med. high heat. When cooked through add the spinach on top to wilt and add the garlic then stir around. Next add the roasted tomatoes. While all this is cooking, you can put the eggs in a bowl with the cream, salt and pepper and beat them with a fork or whisk until incorporated completely. Next add in freshly grated cheese and beat again. Pour mixture into the skillet and gently move everything around so that the egg mixture gets under all the ingredients in the skillet and everything is evenly distributed. Grate some cheese on top. Leave alone and let the eggs set a little then take the pan and put it under the broiler with the oven door shut. When the dish has bubbled up and has browned on top take it out and let sit a few minutes to set. You can cut out of the pan or you can try to remove it whole from the skillet on to a plate.
Frittatas taste fantastic at room temperature so just let it sit out and by the end of the day you won't have any leftovers!

Honey Mustard Chicken

I used to make this dish a lot when my girls were growing up because it is quick and easy while delivering a change of pace taste that they enjoyed. Tonight I am using chicken thighs coupled with cauliflower rice which is caulflower that has been pulsed in a food processor to look like rice. It would be good over any kind of rice or sautéed potatoes. My girls preferred me using chicken breasts when they were young and that is a good option too its just that the thighs will be more moist and juicy.

1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 red onion chopped
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
1C chicken stock
1/8 C honey
1T mustard ( I used grey poupon but you can use any kind even yellow mustard)
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t curry powder
 In a skillet coat the pan with oil, season the chicken and brown on both sides on med. high heat. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add the onion into the pan with a bit more oil, saute about a minute and then add in the vinegar and reduce a bit. Next add the stock, honey, mustard and spices and stir until incorporated. Add the chicken back in and cover. Cook on low heat for about 20 min. Or until chicken is done. Uncover and add in 1T of flour that has been blended with 1/4 C water to thicken it up. Let cook uncovered until a bit thicker but it will always be on the runny side. Pour over cauliflower rice that has been toasted in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.

Chicken Thighs in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

I am making this meal tonight because Scarlet, my youngest, hates creamy mushroom things but she is off in California surfing right now. So yum for me!
This dish is packed with flavor and can stand up to serving it with potatoes or buttery noodles but I am having it with sautéed spinach. I will put the chicken and mushrooms on top and I won't even taste the spinach!

1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken thighs (mine had six)
1 pat of butter and some olive oil
2 giant shallots roughly chopped
1 10 oz. pkg. baby Bella's or crimini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 C white wine (I used Chateau Ste Michelle Pinot Gris)
3/4-1C chicken stock
1C heavy cream
Herbs de Provence
Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper your chicken thighs and add a sprinkle of the herbs de Provence. Heat olive oil in a skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet and let get hot. Add the chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan. Add a bit of oil and a pat of butter to the pan and add in the mushrooms and let brown on one side, give the pan a shake and add in the shallots and seasoning. Sprinkle in about 2 t of the herbs de Provence and then add in the garlic on med high heat. Let cook a bit then add in the wine and let reduce. Next add in the chicken stock and then add the chicken back into the skillet and let cook covered on low heat till the chicken is done, about 20-30 min. Now uncover and add in the cream, stir till incorporated then let cook down uncovered on medium heat until it looks like a gravy. Check seasoning but it probably won't need any adjustment.

Crusty Herb Bread

I love growing herbs all year round but they do so well in the spring and summer that you can use so much of them because they are so plentiful. This bread is so quick and easy with so few ingredients and steps to follow I just love it! Samantha, my oldest, prefers the cooks illustrated no knead bread but this recipe is way easier for me.

1 pkg rapid rise yeast
2 C barely warm water
4 1/3 C all purpose flour
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 short sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
Small bunch of thyme, finely chopped
4 sprigs of fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 t kosher salt

Mix the yeast and water in a large plastic mixing bowl then add the flour, chopped herbs, and then the salt. Combine with a large spoon. The mixture will be lumpy, just make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Cover the bowl with a damp dish cloth and put in a warm place to rise for about an hour. Remember not to use water that is too warm or it will kill the yeast, better to erre on the side of coolness and have the dough take a little longer to rise. I put my dough in the garage since I live in south Texas, outside on the patio would be too hot.
After the dough has doubled in bulk turn the dough out on a floured surface and shape into a  ball. Place shaped dough into a Dutch oven and let rise again with a damp dish towel covering it about 45 min. Preheat the oven to 375. Make sure the oven is up to temperature before you go out to get the dough. Slash the top of the dough making criss cross marks with a sharp knife. Bake until golden brown for about 45min to an hour.
Everybody says let it cool before slicing but I have never done that due to the fact that warm bread fresh out of the oven is simply irresistible to me. It just smells so amazing that I cut a piece immediately and eat it while the bottom is still crunchy and delicious but if you can wait I guess you should...I honestly don't know if it would make it better.

Ratatouille without Eggplant

I can't stand eggplant and the actual definition of ratatouille is stewed vegetables so I just decided to leave out the eggplant. This dish is so easy and every time I make it my girls remark on how they always forget how flavorful it is. Sometimes I think it should be a winter dish because I think of serving soups and stews when it's cold outside but this one is perfectly suited for summer especially if you have a vegetable garden. All the things in this recipe are things you could grow yourself in a backyard garden. Okay maybe not the onion I used but you know what I mean. Oh and just so you know I have a bay bush in my yard, I don't know anybody else who does...bay leaves are in here too!

2 onions chopped roughly(I used yellow 1015 but any kind will do)
2 green bell peppers roughly chopped
3 zucchini roughly chopped
2 yellow squash roughly chopped
2 lbs ripe tomatoes roughly chopped
3 large cloves garlic finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stove over med high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and just a bit of salt and pepper then sauté until the onion is clear. Next add the zucchini, squash, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and just a bit more salt and pepper. The key is to salt and pepper as you go so each thing is properly seasoned. Cook about 10 min. Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and pepper again. Now cover with a lid and simmer for 15 min. You can give it a stir half way through.

I like to eat mine with some homemade herb crusty bread to sop up all the goodness!

Pineapple Fried Rice made with Cauliflower as the Rice

I like this alternative to fried rice because it is much healthier but evokes the same flavor profile without the guilt. I used to make this recipe with rice but honestly I like the cauliflower just as well since I can eat such a massive amount without feeling bad about it!

1lb. Fresh Shrimp cleaned, tails off ( I used lg. but med. is fine)

6 slices of fresh pineapple slices, chopped

1 C frozen peas

7 cloves of garlic chopped fine

3inches of ginger chopped fine

1bunch of green onion chopped and separated, green from white

1 red bell pepper chopped

Toasted sesame oil

Canola oil

Soy sauce

1 cauliflower head pulsed in a food processor until it looks like rice.

In a skillet over high heat put in about a tablespoon of sesame oil and a tablespoon of canola oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Salt and pepper the shrimp and throw into the hot oil with 1clove of garlic, turn the shrimp, don't burn the garlic or it will be bitter, and let cook till done. This will take just a few minutes, the shrimp should be pink. Remove from pan.

 Add more of each oil and let get hot. Add in the vegetables, fruit and two cloves of garlic leaving out the green part of the green onions. Saute a few minutes adding in a couple tablespoons of soy sauce then remove.

Add the oils in again and let get hot then add the cauliflower and saute a bit while adding more oil as needed. Take the soy sauce bottle and circle the pan three times pouring in the soy sauce, stir around and continue to saute. Add in the rest of the garlic and go around the pan a few more times with the soy sauce to taste. Add back in the fruit and vegetables and add the green part of the green onions. Stir and taste...adjust seasoning.