SUMMER OF SALSA

My thoughts on food this Summer is easy. Keep it simple, light, and refreshing. I don't want to spend any more time melting in the kitchen than I have to.

But before all that, it's great to have a go-to recipe that works with just about anything, can easily be put together, and is ridiculously tasty. Four ingredients. That's all you need.

Summer Salsa with Mango 
1 ripe mango, cut into bite size chunks
Juice from 1 lime + the zest
1 small white onion diced
A handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Each ingredient can be added in the amount that suits your taste. Simply toss all together in a bowl and chill until ready to use. It is addicting. I don't think I'll ever go back to a jar salsa again. If you like a little extra heat, add some Chalula sauce.

Also - having a problem chopping up that mango? You are not alone, I have destroyed many mangos in my time. Until I found this great video showing you how to cut a mango properly.

Dessert Confession

Let it be known. I am a dessert addict. It's a problem, especially if you have a Pinterest account and there is a steady flow of delicious, oozy chocolate cakes, or mini cakes with salted caramel, or double lemon cheesecakes staring you in the face. Factor in the whole eating right, making healthy food decisions, and the need to feel better (i.e. cutting out white sugar). So, you can no longer go to favorite food blogs, or pin your own favorite desserts in fear that you wake up in the middle of the night, and start baking.

It's been exactly 2 months since I've had a real dessert. I do feel much better, and I am making healthier choices. But I miss the whole routine of finding a recipe, tweaking it to your liking, buying the perfect ingredients, and settling into the kitchen to create something beautiful and delicious. I've been told "Just make the dessert, but not eat it! Simple!".

Are you serious?

Now that I feel I can eat just one piece and be satisfied (instead of, ya know, three slices.) it was time to get back in the kitchen. We had some friends over for dinner, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to feed my baking needs, and send the leftovers home with others.

Enter: Blackberry & Pecan Crumb Cake

Crumb cakes in general are amazing, but often can be too dry or not have a special ingredient that gives it a leg up on the other crumb cakes. Blackberries, with their jewel-like features can be so comforting and elegant. You can also substitute raspberries, or dried fruit like apricots. They will all taste amazing.

By adding chopped pecans and brown sugar to the crumb itself, it gives the cake a nutty and sweet crunch that is unexpected.

Blackberry & Pecan Crumb Cake

Ingredients
 crumb topping
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

cake
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Heat oven to 350˚F. To make the crumb topping, you can use a food processor to pulse the ingredients together, or chop the pecans finely and add all ingredients to a stand mixer. The crumb topping should be a crumbly mixer, with the butter completely incorporated. Set aside.

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. In your food processor, or stand mixer, add the butter, flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Transfer cake batter to the prepared pan. Press blackberries into the batter, it's okay if they overlap. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the blackberries until covered. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan before serving.

Candied Lemon Cake - successfully failed

I seriously considered not posting this recipe because it really was a disaster. But I didn't know that then.

With each successful recipe, I think a lot of bakers will admit there is always one that goes horribly wrong. I've burned a few cookies in my time, which totally frazzles my mood and turns the situation into a competition with the oven.

Here is the recipe (my notes on how I'm an asshole, to follow):

Candied Lemon Cake
original recipe from Donna Hay

candied lemon slices
1 1/2 cup superfine sugar
2/3 cups water
4 lemons, thinly sliced

cake
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk.
Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the batter out. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

To make candied lemon slices (from Donna Hay)
Place sugar and water into a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the lemon and bring to a boil. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until syrup has thickened and the lemons are translucent. Pour the syrup over the cake and top with the lemon. Allow to cool before serving.

-

ALRIGHT. So. Everything had worked out smoothly in the cake baking department. I love this buttermilk recipe and I use it often. I don't really remember why, but I choose to use it instead of the cake recipe Miss Donna had given (Mistake #1)

The lemons. Dear God, those lemons. They were sliced, ready to go, and it's a given I have only made a syrup (caramel) once before (which didn't ...um...come out right.) but I am tenacious and went along with it like it was per usual.

I gingerly placed the slices into the pan, watched it closely, kept the boil even, and felt pretty damn satisfied with myself. Then in a matter of, oh I don't know, 25 seconds the syrup became way too brown and I had to jump ship and save those lemon slices! It happened pretty fast but I think I caught the whole thing in time. (Mistake #2)

The recipe calls for pouring the syrup onto the cake, then add the slices. No directions on getting the slices out of the pan and where to put them so they don't become sticky and not move from whatever it is you put them on! It was tricky, but I managed clearly breaking a sweat at this point.

Pouring caramel, not easy. Let's leave it at that. It's also really important to know exactly where you want to place a lemon slice, because once it's there it's there for good!

NOW. Cake is done, and it looks like this.

It's kind of gorgeous, and I was so excited while shooting it. Oh - is there more photographs you ask? Yeahhhhh, no. No, there isn't. 

I formatted my card thinking everything from this shoot was saved (Mistake #3). There it is, there is the super assholey move. 

But we're not finished yet! It's time to eat the cake! I think it was a mash up of mistake #1 and mistake #2 that made it hard to er, well eat. The candied lemons were so chewy and hard, while the cake was light and fluffy, it wasn't quite magical in my mouth. Like most cakes are supposed to be. 

I mean my family still ate it, but it was a super let down to me anyway. So if you want to make this recipe (cause after I just destroyed it, why wouldn't you?!) please follow Donna's cake recipe & watch your lemons. If I try it again (errrr...) I think a studier cake, like pound cake, would be perfect.

Louisiana BBQ Shrimp

I have a feeling I am going to be making this dish all summer. It's just that good, and super easy. It's going to be a scorcher on the East coast this weekend, I hope to find myself in lots of air conditioned rooms.


Louisiana BBQ Shrimp

1 lb. deveined, peeled shrimp
3-5 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons creole seasoning (whichever you prefer)
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

In large saucepan, cook bacon pieces until just about crisp. Remove and let excess grease drip onto paper towel. Add green pepper & onion to pan and saute until halfway cooked. Remove vegetables to a bowl or plate. Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan , sear shrimp. About 2 minutes on each side. Push shrimp aside, place the green pepper & onion back into pan, add 1 tablespoon flour & chicken stock. Stirring, bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer for 10-12 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add in bacon, stir and serve in a bowl with a french baguette.

The sauce gets it's smoky bacon flavor from reusing the bacon fat to saute the vegetables and shrimp. This is kind of a one pot wonder, and since it's Summer and seriously hot in my kitchen I'd like our dinners to be as simple as possible. I hate sweating in the kitchen, don't you?

I know I'm late in the game but I just started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  It will be quite a feat if I can keep away from all the spoilers from the movie on social networking sites until I finish the book.  I'm 2 chapters in, and I'm already heartbroken about this being the last of the series.

Who has read it? Any suggestions on what I should start reading after Harry Potter? I have a feeling I'll need a rebound book when I am finished.

Scones to Die for

I'm back with an impromptu foodie post! Did you miss me? I'll be honest, I've been lurking around the blogs like a ghost. Have you felt that prickle on the back of your neck while updating a post? Probably me. But it feels good to stay connected with all your wonderful blogs. I've received great support for the I hate blogging, I'm taking a break break, and like with anything, sometimes too much isn't a good thing.

It's been ungodly hot in Philadelphia. It makes me ridiculously sluggish, and I only come out of the coolest room in the apartment to either eat, sleep, or watch Netflix. It's terrible to work out in, and I don't even want to talk about cooking. Our kitchen is south facing, and small. It feels like what I'd imagine the inside of pizza box would feel like. Sticky & steamy. Gross.

I promise to only complain a few times about the heat this summer. Maybe. No, I'm probably lying.

Anyway.

I did happen to make some wonderful scones, and they literally are the best ones I've ever eaten. It's a mixup of a sweet & savory all wrapped up in a buttermilky goodness.
So here we go with the recipe, feel free to switch out dried fruit of your liking, or whatever flavor dried meat (or bacon) you might find to be delicious.

Scones to Die for
1 box plain scone mix
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled & cubed
20 dried apricots, cut into small pieces - about one cup
6 ounces cooked maple favored bacon, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup buttermilk, chilled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make sure a cooking rack is in the center of the oven. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In large bowl, combine scone mix and butter. It's easier if you have a food processor, if not you can surely use a beater or good ol' fashioned arm power! The mixture should be coarse and bumpy. Add cut pieces of apricots, bacon, and thyme. Stir. Add the buttermilk and mix until a sticky dough forms.

Place about 1/3 cupfuls of the dough onto prepared baking sheet (if you like a more casual looking scone). Bake until the tops start to brown slightly, about 16-18 minutes.

Place on cooling rack for about 20 minutes.

I fed these babies to my landlords (initially to butter them up before I asked to paint the dining room walls dark grey...which I chickened out of.) and they were talking about them for a week! I also got an email from my brother asking to overnight him a scone package. So, major party pleaser.

It's Friday, and this weekend's forecast is scattered thunderstorms. I'm super pumped about that, and fully intend on watching the clouds roll in while reading Harry Potter.

A great weekend to you all!