Clotted Cream

Per Wikipedia, “clotted cream (sometimes called clouted cream or Devonshire cream) is a thick cream made by indirectly heating full-cream cow’s milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms ‘clots’ or ‘clouts’.It forms an essential part of a cream tea.” This is a typical accompaniment to afternoon scones and tea in England and is really quite delicious. While the recipe that follows is not a true clotted cream, it is still a great addition to your afternoon tea and can be made quickly and painlessly at home.

You will need:

• 1 c heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 c Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• Powdered sugar to taste (usually 1-3 T)

Then you will…

1. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, just as if making a whipped cream.
2. Whisk in the yogurt and powdered sugar until just combined.
3. Store in refrigerator.

Kasespaetzle

Spaetzle is a German noodle, and it’s one of my favorites. This recipe comes from way back in my mom’s family. I’ve adapted it a bit to add in some herbs, and I used a spaetzle maker to create the actual noodle shapes. Below you will find the no-gadgetry version!

You will need:

• 3 c flour
• 1 t salt
• 1 T oregano
• 1 T basil
• 2 t garlic powder
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 T butter, melted
• 1/2 c cold water mixed with 1/4 c milk
• 1-2 T butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 c shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you will…

1. Sift flour and salt together. Stir in the herbs.  Beat in eggs.  Add melted butter.
2. Add enough of the water/milk mixture to make a heavy dough.
3. Let ‘rest’ for ½ hour with plate over the top of the bowl at room temperature.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Put the dough on a wet breadboard (use cold water).  Wet a sharp knife with boiling water while cutting the dough.
6. Cut into small pieces of dough and drop into the boiling water.
7. Boil 6 to 8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon.
8. As each batch is completed, put it into the prepared pan. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Dot with some of the butter cubes and sprinkle with cheese. Keep warm in the oven.

Roasted Eggplant Salata

When my mom and I were in Greece, we ate quite a bit of melitzanosalata or eggplant salad. It was delicious. We tried to recreate it over the holidays, which is the recipe you will find below. It’s not quite the same as what we had during our travels but it is a great side or appetizer.

You will need:

• 2 medium eggplants
• 6 cloves of garlic, lightly cracked and with skins on
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Roast the eggplant in the baking dish until the skin is soft and wrinkly, about 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Place the garlic clove (with their skins on) in a small baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 15 minutes or until fragrant and just turning golden. Remove the skins and reserve the garlic oil. On a small cutting board, use the broad side of a butcher’s knife to turn the garlic into a paste by scraping back and forth.
4. Remove the eggplant from its skin.
5. Combine the eggplant, roasted garlic, garlic-infused olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mash together (or use an immersion blender if you prefer a smoother dip).
6. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. If the consistency seems too thick, consider adding a bit more olive oil.
7. Serve with pita chips or crackers.

Sherried Mushrooms and Green Beans

This is a slightly different way to use green beans that adds a bunch of flavor and keeps them crisp all the way till they get to your plate.

You will need:

• 1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
• 3 T butter, divided
• 1/3 c Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c dry sherry
• 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 t fresh thyme, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you will…

1. Steam the beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from the heat and strain.
2. Melt 2 T butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the onion and saute for 3 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and allow to cook until the liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the sherry and bring to a boil. Cook until the sherry almost evaporates, roughly 2 minutes.
5. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the beans.
6. Cook 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated, tossing to coat.
7. Remove from heat and mix in the herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Vodka Pesto Blush Sauce

 

This is a very fun sauce for your pasta. It also is very yummy when paired with the turkey-bacon meatballs from the last post!. If you decide not to use it all when you make it, freeze before adding the cream. Then when you defrost and reheat, you can add it in to increase the fresh taste.

You will need:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 3 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c vodka
• 1 c broth
• 1 can (28 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c pesto
• 2 t red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 T cream

Then you will…

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet.
2. Add in the shallots and garlic. Cook until softened.
3. Stir in the vodka and allow to reduce by half.
4. Stir in the broth and tomatoes with their juices.
5. Allow to simmer and reduce for about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in the pesto and season with the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove sauce from the heat and stir in the cream.

Cucumber Feta Salad

This light summer salad is a refreshing starter or side, especially with the grilled lamb and chicken from last week!

You will need:

• 6 c seedless cucumber, coarsely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 7 oz feta, crumbled
• 1/2 c fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 6 T olive oil
• 1/4 c fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you will…

1. Combine the cucumber, tomato, scallion, half of the feta and all of the basil in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle remaining feta on top and serve.

Roasted Veggie Dip

This dip goes incredibly well with the grilled flatbread recipe I just posted the other day. It takes a bit of work to get everything prepped and ready to mix in, but the end result is a salsa-like blend of roasted vegetables that is very light and perfect for a summer snack. You can prep it in advance and serve at any temperature you prefer. This is also a variation on the Mediterranean feast BA recipes, like the flatbread.

You will need:

• 4 large unpeeled cloves of garlic
• 4 plum tomatoes (about 12 oz)
• 2 small whole unpeeled onions (about 1/2 lb)
• 3 large bell peppers (try to get more yellow/orange/red for the flavor than green)
• 1 large poblano chile
• 1 small eggplant (about 5 oz)
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you will…

1. Prepare a grill to medium-high heat.
2. Thread garlic cloves onto a metal skewer.
3. If desired, thread other veggies onto skewers by type or simply place on the grill rack directly.
4. Grill, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred all over: 6-7 minutes for the garlic; 15 minutes for the peppers and chile; 20 minutes for the eggplant and onions.
5. Place peppers and chile in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand about 15 minutes.
6. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and eggplant.
7. Peel and coarsely chop the onion and garlic.
8. Peel, seed and coarsely chop the peppers and chile.
9. Pulse all vegetables in a food processor or using a handheld blender, along with the olive oil until desired consistency.
10. Transfer to a large bowl and season to taste with the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

 

Grilled Flatbreads

The June Bon Appetit had a series of recipes for a Mediterranean grilling party that caught my eye. When I was home for the 4th of July, I adapted the menu for an amazing outdoor feast. This grilled flatbread recipe was incredibly easy and resulted in some of the most delicious hot and toasty bread I’ve had in awhile. They were slightly charred from the grill and crispy on the outside, but they were also still tender on the inside. One note: when kneading the dough, be sure to have plenty of extra flour on hand, as it can start out a bit on the sticky side!

You will need:

• 2 c warm water (105º-115º)
• 1 envelope active dry yeast (1/4-oz)
• 1 T olive oil plus more for brushing
• 5 c all-purpose flour
• 1 T salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper

Then you will…

1. Pour warm water into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast into the water and let sit until the yeast dissolves, approx. 5-10 minutes.
2. Mix in the tablespoon of olive oil and of salt.
3. Stir in the flour until dough forms.
4. On a well-floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth. Add more flour as needed by spoonfuls for a soft but still slightly sticky dough.
5. Place dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume. This will take about 1 hour.
6. Turn dough out onto a floured workspace. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll into balls and space 2″ apart. Cover with the kitchen towel and let rest another 15 minutes.
7. Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. Lightly spray several cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray.
8. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll out into a 9″ round or stretch into a long rectangle of thin flatbread dough. Place on the prepped cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil or lightly spray with the non-stick cooking spray. Season with a touch of salt and pepper.
9. Working in batches, place flatbreads seasoned side down on the grill. Lightly brush the other side with olive oil and season as well.
10. Grill until lightly charred in spots and cooked through, abut 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side.
11. Transfer to a work surface and cut into serving-sized pieces.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad

Watermelon is one of the best treats of the summer. It’s refreshing and not crazy sweet. I wanted to put it into a dish that was a little on the tangy, savory side. This watermelon and cucumber salad is a perfect side for a summer meal.

You will need:

• 2 c seedless watermelon, diced
• 2 c seedless cucumber, diced (peel on or off…your choice)
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 3 T rice vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 c dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Then you…

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the watermelon with the cucumber and cilantro.
2. Stir in the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss with the peanuts just before serving!

Note: if you prefer sweet to vinegar, you can add 2 t of sugar to the vinegar before tossing with the salad!

Cauliflower Tabouli

I can’t remember where I found this recipe, but it has been sitting in my “please try me out” pile for awhile now. It seemed like the perfect light summer side dish to make alongside some salmon burgers the other night, and it lived up to my expectations. The grocery store near my parents did not have any mint, so we substituted basil. Hope you like it’s lemony goodness as much as we did!

You will need:

• 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 c flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/4 c basil, chopped
• 3 lemons, zested and juiced
• 4 T olive oil
• 3 t reduced-sodium soy sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Then you…

1. Grate cauliflower into grain-size pieces with a box grater.
2. In a large bowl, toss with diced tomatoes, scallions, parsley, basil and lemon zest.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and soy sauce.
4. Stir into the cauliflower mixture.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Allow to chill for about 30 minutes before serving to give flavors time to meld!