Nutella Crepes

Let’s try a bit of logic today to figure out why it took so many darned years to make these delectable treats.  We will have two individual logical equations followed by one that connects the two.

• LivinLocal does not like hazelnut flavored coffee beans.
• LivinLocal does not line hazelnut flavored coffee additives, hence
• LivinLocal does not like hazelnuts.
• Nutella contains hazelnuts, hence
• LivinLocal does not like Nutella.

Secondly,

• LivinLocal usually manages to get food to stick to her expensive nonstick pans.
• LivinLocal never has sticking problems with her cast iron skillet pans.
• LivinLocal wants to make crepes.
• Making crepes requires ninja crepe flipping skills
• LivinLocal has no such ninja crepe flipping skills, hence
• LivinLocal cannot make crepes because they require a nonstick pan and she is unable to use one properly, and crepes require ninja crepe flipping skills that are not currently evident.

In conclusion,

• LivinLocal will not be able to make crepes nor would she like any Nutella filling

In short, wrong!   So, in avoidance of the clear lapses in logic above, we move quickly to the recipe.

Crepes inspired by Paula Deen, Nutella inspired by my daughter

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups low fat milk
• 3/4 cups flour
• 4 TBS butter, melted, plus a tad more for the pan
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy.  Vigorously whisk in remaining ingredients until incorporated, allowing for some small lumps to remain.   Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat.  Add a touch of butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.  Add just enough batter (a scant 1/4 cup) to coat the bottom of the pan when swirled around.  Allow to set until the edges bubble lightly.  Gently flip the crepe and cook for 30 seconds on the other side.  Transfer to a plate. Continue making crepes until the batter runs out.
3. Place one crepe on a plate, schmear Nutella on half of the crepe.  Fold in quarters.  Repeat.  Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes:

• Yes, the serious whisking burns enough calories for you to have a second crepe.
• The recipe called for 1/4 cup of batter in the pan, but that was too much.  When I got the technique down, I found that just over half of that was needed.
• These crepes include enough butter in the batter to keep them from sticking.  Even with my pans.
• People told me that after tossing the first crepe, the rest would be easy.  Let it be known that I tossed crepes 1, 3, 4, and 7 before getting the hang of it.
• Crepes will become a regular part of my repertoire as they are really quite fun to make!

Mini Cherry Muffins

Previously, cherry season pretty much passed me by before I even knew it was here.  Other local produce tends to arrive, hang out for an extended chat, and slowly move on its way.  Its like really enjoying a song on your iPod, then seeing the band in concert and they stretch out the music with the perfect guitar solo.  The local corn, peppers, tomatoes, squash are old school rock and roll.  Cherries are more punk rock.  You see the trees, the blossoms, the gorgeous cherries hanging from the branches by the hundreds.  Finally, families open the orchards for business and bam!  its over before you know it.  One super sonic punk number going full throttle, then  disappearing off stage.

Here’s your chance to make some punk rock cherry muffins before the season’s over.

Cherries from Seko Ranch.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed, plus a few TBS more for sprinkling on the muffins

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup cherries, pitted and chopped

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease 24 mini pan or place paper inserts into cups.

2.  In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, 1/3 cup of brown sugar, and the granulated sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.

4.  Beat in the egg then the buttermilk and mix well.  Add the flour mixture into the buttermilk mix and stir until just blended.  Fold in the cherries.

5.  Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until they pass the clean toothpick test.

Notes:

• This recipe came from the tried and true method of looking in the fridge and pantry, checking recipes, and just figuring out what should work.
• The next time I make these, I’ll go for regular size cupcakes so there is a better proportion of fluffy parts to crusty parts.
• Hint:  do not chop cherries wearing khakis. 
• A great resource for those in the California bay area wanting to pick cherries is Brentwood Cherries.
  

Asparagus Asparagus and Sausage Strata

Have you ever had one of those work projects where the forward motion of the whole train depended on a few key people?  You have great admiration and respect for these people who keep everything at work running smoothly, and the whole mojo of the project depends on their first impression?  The kind of project where these key people have to rearrange their own work days, find people to cover for them, be ready to learn more skills than mere mortals can absorb in a day, and then return to their regular posts to find out what catastrophes graced their work places that still need to be cleaned up?  That kind of project.  At times like this, food is essential.  Nothing says “you are appreciated” first thing in the morning than a home made breakfast.

The food was perfect, the project well received, and everyone is on board with the project.  “nuff said.

Breakfast stratas are perfect for sharing because they can be made the night before, feed a crowd, and are simply delicious!  This recipe is a combination created from a standby recipe I have used for years that frankly has way too much cheese, a few ideas found in other blogs, and the fact that I had lots and lots of asparagus on hand.  As has been my bent lately, I upped the veggies and cut way back on the grated cheese.  This is also the first time I tried ricotta in a strata.  I had some in the fridge and it just sounded good.  The ricotta turned out to be a perfect match with the asparagus as it didn’t overpower the flavor.  When a dish has double asparagus in its name, you darned well better be able to taste asparagus!

Asparagus and onions from Tachella Family Farm, strawberries on the side from “The Stand on the Corner” as we call it around here.

serves 10 to 12

Ingredients:

8 large eggs

2 1/2 cups skim milk

1 pint skim ricotta cheese

5 green onions, sliced including greens

1 cup Swiss cheese, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces

1 1/2 loaf french bread, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp Paprika

Directions:

1.  Coat 13 x 9 inch pan with spray oil.

2.  Cook sausages in a skillet, breaking up the meat into small bits.  When the sausage is almost cooked through, move it to one side of the skillet and add the asparagus. Continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through and the asparagus just starts to brown.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ricotta, green onions, salt and pepper.

4.  Prepare the strata by layering half of the bread slices in the baking pan, sprinkle with half of the sausage and asparagus mixture, and then with half of the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses.  Repeat layering.  Slowly pour egg mixture over the layers, making sure all of the bread is moistened.  Stop adding liquid when it reaches 1/2 inch below the rim of the pan.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

5.  Bake the next morning uncovered for one hour in a 350 degree oven.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with Paprika.

Notes:

• The amount of bread and liquid needed will depend on the type of pan you use.  A metal baking pan seems to hold an endless amount of food, while the stoneware pans hold less.  You may not need all of the liquid called for in the recipe.
• This is a very flexible recipe!  Swapping out the asparagus for another veggie and the sausage for another meat works well.
• I bought my cheese from my favorite supermarket … the one with the huge variety of vegetables, peppers, and lentils.  It wasn’t that flavorful.  Next time I’ll be sure to get at least some decent cheese.

Lemony Cheese Danish

Something impressive and fool proof was needed for breakfast.

My father in law was in town for a visit, where he was a skilled sous chef in preparing the annual Tax Dinner.  For his final day at our house, the plan was to have a nice breakfast before he hit the road to return home to Washington.  In this house, we’re pretty much bowl of cereal or quick pancakes kind of people.  Fancy would mean adding bananas or chocolate chips to the pancakes.  That’s it.  My father in law on the other hand is a master of breakfasts and  has a wide range of pancakes and muffins and fruit mixes and … and… and… in his repertoire.  Yeah, this felt a bit like making a Mexican meal for Rick Bayless.

The game plan:  keep it simple, find one new fool proof yet dazzling recipe.  Thank goodness for Ina Garten, as I’ve trusted her recipes on complete faith several times and she’s never ever let me down.  Not one to read a recipe all the way through while making it first thing in the morning and wanting to rush, I noticed the words “easy” and “20 minutes” and actually paced myself for an easy 20 minutes while cooking up the sausages and eggs and slicing the strawberries.  Oh no, no, no.  The puff pastry needs to be defrosted, the filling needs to be mixed (duh),  the little danishes need to be assembled, the sheet of danishes needs to be refrigerated for 15 minutes, and THEN they are baked for 20 minutes.  Seems in my rush, I skipped over two little words before the 20 minutes:  cooking time.  Typical.

These lemony cheese danishes are truly easy, dazzling, and delicious!

adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

2 extra large egg yolks, room temperature

2 TBS ricotta cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 TBS lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg beaten with 1 TBS water, for egg wash

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Place the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until smooth.  With the mixer still on low, add the egg yolks, ricotta, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined.  Don’t whip or the mixture will become runny.

3.  Unfold 1 sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until its a 10 inch by 10 inch square.  Cut the sheet into quarters.  Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares.  Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold diagonally to form a triangle.  Press the edges of each triangle together to form a sealed packet.  Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash.  Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry.  Refrigerate the baking sheet of 8 danishes for 15 minutes.

4.  Bake the pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking.  Serve warm.

Notes:

• I rushed and sped up the mixer, contrary to directions.  Yes, it makes the filling runny.  A few minutes in the fridge firmed it up a bit.
• The recipe actually has you fold the two outside corners of the puff pastry together, overlapping the corners, and adhering with a bit of the egg wash.  I was worried about the runny filling and just made triangles.
  
• These passed the “teen test” with flying colors!
• My father in law even asked for the recipe to try at home.  Success!

Sticky Sweet Apple Pecan Buns

Oh, the strawberries are divine! I was just sure that they needed to go into some dish, and your suggestions have been greatly appreciated. But, for this first go at fresh Fall Strawberries, I once again returned to my general modus operandi and munched them down plain. Well, kind of plain. The strawberries were not gussied up at all, allowing their beautiful sweetness to shine, but the pecan sticky buns that happened to jump on the plate had plenty of gussy in them! Now, don’t get all trash talking to me about diet, as these sticky, very sticky actually, buns were based on a recipe from Cooking Light, meaning you can eat ‘em all without guilt. Right?! I recommend you put these lovely buns in your weekend morning rotation, with or without the Fall strawberries.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, chilled, plus 1/2 cup (1/4 lb.)
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 2 Granny Smith apples (about 12 oz. total)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon peel. Cut the 1/4 cup chilled butter into 1/4-inch pieces. With a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Pour in milk all at once; stir just until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cool, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over medium-low heat, melt remaining 1/2 cup butter. Stir in corn syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into the bottom of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over mixture. Peel and core apples and slice as thinly as possible.

3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead about 15 times, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch square.

4. Distribute apple slices and raisins over dough, leaving a 1-inch border along top edge. Working from the bottom, roll up dough, squeezing as you go; pinch edge to seal. Cut roll crosswise into 9 slices. Lay slices flat over syrup and pecans in pan.

5. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Invert a platter over pan and, holding both tightly together, invert again. Lift off pan and let rolls cool about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for lemon zest, but I’m more of an orange girl, so I went with that.
• I omitted the suggested raisins … just a personal preference.
• Not having made this type of thing before, I worried about the very thin dough when rolling it up, but the buns were nice a puffy coming out of the oven.