Plum Crumble

I have been wanting to try this for months and months now.  I finally got to it, and I am so mad I didn't try it out long ago.  This is my new summer favorite.  It came from Orangette, my absolute favorite blog.  It's like you know her after reading one post.  Someday, when I make it to Seattle, I want to go to her restaurant, Delancey, and taste everything.  Well, she is so kind to have posted this recipe because it was on the menu there for a little while.  I love it. I know that crumbles may seem like a warm comfort food for winter, but this my friend is perfect now while plums are in season.

The picture shown is only half of the recipe in a very shallow pie plate; I had too many treats in the house in the first place. Also I didn't put any crystallized ginger in it because I didn't have any.

Orangette / Delancey's Plum Crumble


serves about 6

Ingredients

Filling
12-14 Italian Prune Plums (I cheated and used the huge ones you can get at Costco, 10 or so should do the trick.)
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbs Flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

Topping
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Beaten Egg
7 Tbs Butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Remove pit from plums and slice in half into a bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients for the filling.
Carefully fold the dry mixture into the plums just until coated.
Pour plum mixture into a deep 9" pie dish. Face the skin sides up.  I also have baked it in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Whisk together the dry ingredients for the topping.
Add the beaten egg with your hands until you get small moist crumbles.
Sprinkle evenly over the plums.
Spoon the melted butter over the topping... it will be pretty drenched.
Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Cool a few minutes and eat warm or cold.  You can warm up a cooled crumble by putting it in a 300 degree oven for about 20 min or so.
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or by itself.

Spinach and Havarti Chicken

This recipe came out in the Sunset March 2010 magazine.  The recipe was for Stuffed Chicken with Rosemary Polenta.  Clearly this is not what my pictures look like.  First, I am not a huge fan of polenta (I'll eat it but probably won't ever buy it), second I don't like mushrooms much, and third, I usually cook with chicken tenders because it's easier to control the portions as well as other things.  I am pretty sure the recipe cooked as originally described is delicious, the picture they have makes me want to eat it.  I just tweeked it a bit.  I used frozen spinach, paired it with wild rice, left the mushrooms out, and didn't stuff the chicken.  After making it a few times, I think I found the best way to do it.  Your neighbors may stop by unexpectedly when they catch a smell of this coming from your house.


Spinach and Havarti Chicken

serves 4

Ingredients
  
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 chopped Yellow Onion
1 tsp Minced Garlic
4 oz Mushrooms (yuck, not for me)
5 oz Spinach (I use chopped frozen, but fresh would work)
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 1/ 2-  2 lb Chicken (I would use about 8 tenders or 4 chicken breasts)
4 slices Havarti Cheese (originally calls for Italian Fontina Cheese, but I always have Havarti on hand, yay Costco)
Salt and Pepper 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat 1 Tbs of oil in large pan.
Add chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms (if you want them).  Cook until softened and onions start to brown a bit.
Add spinach, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.  If you use fresh spinach cook until it a little wilted, if you use frozen, just heat till warm-- not long.
Remove from pan to a small bowl and set aside.
Add another Tbs or two of olive oil to the hot pan and allow to heat up over medium high heat.
Add chicken (salt and pepper each side) and cook just until brown.
Transfer to a baking dish, layer the spinach and onions over the chicken, then top with cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 6-8ish minutes until the cheese is melted.

German Apple Pancakes

I have to say it has been for ever since I have posted something on here.  About 3 months.  It makes sense to me because we recently found out we are expecting a little bundle of joy, and the past 3 months I have not really had the desire to cook, bake, or eat certain foods.  We are very excited, our lives are changing faster than I think we recognize.

A breakfast item, as I see it, is very appropriate to post because it was the only kind of food I wanted to eat for a few months.  These pancakes are different than any other German pancake I have ever made before, but I love them.  I am used to the sort that you bake in the oven and watch rise 4 inches over the top of the pan; very fun.  The apple is what intrigued me and really got me to try them.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

German Apple Pancakes

Gourmet Magazine 2006

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sugar plus 2 Tbs
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Milk
4 lg Eggs
1 1/2 lb Gala Apples (3-4 apples)  - I used Fuji
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
Butter for the skillet

Directions

You may want to half the recipe, we were pretty full after 2 pancakes... unless you are really hungry!
Mix together 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
Mix the flour, salt and remaining 2 Tbs sugar in a large bowl.
Stream in the milk and add each egg individually.
Peel the apples and cut slices from top to bottom 1/8 inch thick, you can use a mandolin or just a knife.  Avoid the core.  Continue to cut the apple slices into 1/8 inch thick matchsticks.  I found the long matchsticks to be hard to work with when you cook the pancake, so just chopping the apple in tiny pieces might work better.
Coat apples with the lemon juice.
Add the apples and lemon juice to the batter, fold.
These are kind of like crepes, so the batter should be thin.
Heat over medium a small amount of butter (about 1/2 Tbs) in a non-stick skillet.

Pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan and cook until the edges begin to brown, then flip.  About a couple minutes a side.
Continue to butter the pan in between each pancake as needed.
You may want to keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until you are done cooking.
Sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and eat warm.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

If you don't have a lot of time but want to make something that tastes like you put hours into it, this is the soup to make.  I found a pretty large bag of asparagus at Costco and I got excited.  This recipe calls for 2 lbs of asparagus and their bag was 2.25 lbs so I saved some of the stalks for another recipe.  Also, it started to snow today (I sure am getting sick of the cold) and I wanted something warm to sip on while I watched the Olympics.  This soup was perfect for the occasion.  

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine 2001

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs Asparagus
1 Chopped Medium Onion
5 Cups Chicken Broth 
2 Tbs Butter
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream or Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice


Directions

Chop asparagus stalks into 1 inch segments.
In a large heavy pot, saute onion over medium heat until soft. 
Stir in asparagus chunks and salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the asparagus becomes soft.
Transfer in batches to blender to blend smooth. (careful it's hot)
Return to the pot and add the cream and lemon juice.
I finish blending the soup together with an immersion blender because my blender doesn't seem to get it completely smooth.  If you don't blend it completely smooth is has the texture of slimy boogers (gross I know, but that's what I think of).
Serve with crusty bread.  Yum.

Broccoli and Shells

This is such a delightful Italian dish. The original recipe calls for orecchiette but it is seriously no where to be found in these parts.  Either way, these shells worked out fine.  Orecchiette is an ear-shaped pasta.  Doesn't that sound appetizing? I have wanted to try it for the longest time, but have never actually attempted to buy the small pasta.  Finally, when I want to buy it, I can't find it.

This pasta doesn't have a thick, heavy sauce, and that's why I love it.  It has such simple flavors, which I think is refreshing. The whole time I was eating this I was craving some kind of pear, apple, or grapes to go with it.  I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it.  I hope you love it as much as I did.  Oh, and this makes quite a bit, I made it for just two and we have plenty of leftovers (which I am pretty happy about).

Broccoli and Shells


Ingredients

You can easily add more or less of each ingredient.  

1 Large Chopped Bunch of Broccoli ~ 3-4 cups
1 lb Shell Pasta
~ 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Ham - or cooked Bacon or Pancetta if you want to get fancy 
2 Cloves Minced Garlic (I buy it smashed up in a jar... much easier to use)
~ 1/3 Chopped Yellow Onion (Scallions or other types can be used)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  Add pasta and a Tbs or 2 of salt.  Cook the pasta until it is just about done. Maybe, 6 minutes or so.  You just don't want it to get mushy when you bring it all together in the end.
Drain the pasta and save about 2 cups of the starchy water.
In a large pan, heat oil.  Add the garlic and onions and saute until they become soft. 
Add the ham and let it brown just a bit, this should not take long.  If you are using bacon or pancetta, you would want to cook them before hand.
Add the broccoli and about 1 cup of the saved starchy water.  Stir well, gradually adding more water if needed.
Add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper.  You probably won't need much salt because the ham is salty.  
Add the cooked pasta and stir well, coating all pasta and broccoli.  Add more starchy water if needed.
By this time the broccoli should be cooked through.  If not, you can cover the pan for a few minutes to steam the broccoli.
Serve and top with Parmesan cheese.