Tomato Heaven: The Perfect Food

This is just a tomato sitting on top of a piece of crostini with goat cheese. Nothing special, nothing to get excited about... it is just a tomato.  It is only food.

Almonds and Apples... Yum!

Apple and Almond Crisp
Apple crisp is one of my favorite deserts. In fact anything with fruit and a crunchy sweet topping is good! One thing that never gets old is finding new ways to use apples in desserts. I make yummy baked apples and carmel apples,  I have been planning to make a super easy baclava this  week, but as I went to make baked carmel apples on Wensday, I ran across the almond meal in the pantry.  Light bulbs started to flash and an idea came to me... what is better than almonds and apples. I got so involved in the process of making the crisp that I totally forgot to take pictures.  Here are some pictures I took before I licked the plate.  I really hope you like this... don't forget to lick the plate, spoon and everything else that touches the delicious apple and almond crisp.   Enjoy!

Apple Mixture:
3-4 large apples ( I used  granny smith and braburn apples)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 /2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon  ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons heavy cream (it sounds odd, but makes the apples really rich)

Crumb Mixture:
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Using a mandoline, slice the apples into thin pieces and slice the apples into small bite-sized chunks. Mix together the spices, cream, flour and sugar with the apples.  Stir well and place into the bottom of a greased glass dish, I use a bread or pie plate.  You can also divide it up into ramekins.
In a separate small bowl, mix together the spices with the flour, oats, almond meal,  and sugar.   Slice the butter into chunks and add it into the oat mixture. Pinch the butter into small pieces, mix well. Spread evenly over the apple mixture and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375˚F.
As the apples cook the juices will rise up and bubble over the sides of the crisp. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. This dish is super easy but it looks and tastes like it took all day to make!

Individual Warm Chocolate Cakes

Warm Chocolate Cakes
recipe from Entertaining Simply
These are delicious served warm with vanilla bean ice cream.
Serves 8

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup)
9 ounces  bittersweet chocolate
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose

Butter generously and flour 8 (6 ounce) ramekins (small souffle dishes).

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Whisk until smooth. Beat eggs with egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and salt with an electric mixer at high speed, until thick and pale yellow in color.  Fold egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Stir in flour/ Pour or spoon batter into prepared ramekins.

Refrigerate batter-filled ramekins for up to several hours, if desired. Bring back to room temperature before baking.

Place cakes in oven on a cookie sheet and bake at 425˚ for 9 to 12 minutes, until the sides are set but centers is still very loose. Take out of oven and let cakes rest for 1 minute. Cover each cake with an inverted plate and carefully turn over. Let sit for just a few seconds and then pull ramekin off. Serve immediately.

Thank you to the R. Family for making this recipe. It is a new favorite for me!

Roasted Pears and Winter Weather

• 
  
• I love winter. I love cold and I love snow, especially the big snowflakes. It makes me feel so special when it snows, like someone is giving me a present. The whole world changes, everything becomes calm, quiet and reality is muffled by the fluffy white snow. In a few minutes your everyday view becomes pure, white, fresh... and you can start again with a childlike exuberance.  Along with winter comes necessities like mittens and  wool socks. In my book to that list you should add roasted fruit with cheese or bacon. Yum!

• These roasted pears are a recipe from Back To Basics by the Barefoot Contessa and my very good friend Diane made it for our annual Christmakah celebrations. This salad was do delicious! Rich and roasted to perfection, sweet and sharp, the fruit with the sweet pear and the toasty bite from blue cheese, so good they just warm your insides !  

• Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
• 3 ripe but firm Anjou pears
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 3 ounces coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 3 tablespoons port
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 6 ounces baby arugula
• Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375˚.

Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentation.

In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Bake the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.

Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Divide the arugula among 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm. Yum!

Happy New Year!

A sweet new recipe to start off the new year.

Roasted Pears with Rosemary
serves 4

2 pears, sliced in half lengthwise, core removed
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
handful of fresh rosemary stems
olive oil

Pre heat the oven at 400˚F
Spread the olive oil over a foil lined cookie sheet. Place 1 sprig of rosemary into each pear half and turn them  (cut side down) on to the cookie sheet. Sprinkle bits of fresh rosemary on top and on the sides of the pears. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pears are easy to pierce with a fork and juice dribbles out of the sides. If you want you can turn the pears over and turn on the broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes, watch the pears!
Meanwhile, in a small but heavy pot, slowly cook down the balsamic vinegar until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Place each half of the pear onto a plate and garnish with fresh rosemary. Pour the syrupy balsamic vinegar over the pears and serve warm. You can also add some fresh vanilla ice cream to the top of the pears.

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

May this year come to a close leaving behind only sadness, anger, despair and hunger.

May the new year only bring forth health, happiness, bountiful blessings, friends and 

good food! 

As we sit down to our scrumptious holiday feast(s) this year let us give thanks for making it through another year. 

Please, as you sit down with your family this Christmas/Chanukah/Holidays, think of what you want to share with everyone and how this year, just as many other years... we have made it though to another holiday, another feast, and another year.  I am very blessed this year, in home and in work, with friends and with family, and most of all with all of you who share my thoughts, memories, feelings, and recipes!

 Our minds, our spirits and our security with the world and our place in it has been shaken to the core. Just like in years past, we must pick ourselves out of the despair and hurt, shake  our country and world off and continue again. In my mind, this time of year is a time to cut our losses from these past 12 months and begin fresh and whole again. 

A little wiser, maybe, but a whole lot stronger!

 

My wish for you ...

May you face this season and this new year fresh in spirit, fresh in hope, fresh in love and with fresh new recipes.

Blessings to you all and happy holidays!