Girls Night Panna Cotta

 

Monday night is girls night.  Or ladies night, as we sometimes call it.  I got to host tonight, and I was so excited since I've been out of town for a while, and was missing my girlfriends.  Always a super fun and relaxing evening, catching up, telling stories, and snacking on whatever goodies people came up with.  This time I decided to make panna cotta - one of my all time favorite desserts, and a simple one at that.  To liven it up I soaked some fresh raspberries in Grand Marnier, and scooped a few onto each cup.  And it's always fun to get to use the china I found with my mother-in-law at our favorite consignment shop in Phoenix :)

Ingredients
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
2 cups milk (I used whole milk, but anything thing will do)
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla pod
6 Tbs cold water
2 packets plain powdered gelatin
a drizzle of Grand Marnier and berries for garnishing, if desired

Procedure
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, and sugar.  (Most recipes call for all cream, but I find that substituting milk for half of the cream tastes just as wonderful).  Split the vanilla pod in half lengthwise, using a small paring knife.  Using the back of the blade, scrape out the tiny vanilla beans and add them to the cream mixture.  Toss in the pod as well.  Heat over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and the cream is warm to the touch.  No need to let it boil.  Turn off heat.

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatine powder over the water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir the gelatine mixture to make sure there are no chunks, then mix it into the warm cream.   Divide evenly into 8 serving dishes.  I used teacups!  Refrigerate for at least 1 hours before serving.

About 30 minutes before serving, toss berries in Grand Marnier and let stand.  To serve, scoop a few berries into each dish.

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Goodbye Dathan Niçoise Salad

It was wonderful having the brother with us for the month of August, reminiscent of the college days when we all lived in such close proximity.  It was sad to see him go.  I decided to make a special meal in honor of his last week with us :)

I found this beautiful recipe for Niçoise salad here at Feasting at Home.  I've been wanting to cook fish for a while now, and it seemed like the perfect occasion, and this salad looked light and summery.  I made a few tiny changes here an there, but for the most part, I followed Sylvia's recipe.

Miss you already Dathan!

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Salted Caramel Bars

It feels good to be back in Eugene.  I was welcomed by the rain, a true Eugenian welcome.  Rain and my parents new kitchen.  Mom and Jamie were still on their way home from their beach volleyball tournament in Seaside, and Dad said that we're on host/hostess duty for church the next day.  So I set right to work making some deliciousness.  As probably everyone who knows me knows, I love any excuse to make dessert, and I'll jump at any chance to spend a few hours baking.

The church I grew up in has always provided a nice spread of finger-food after each service.  Sometimes it's a little excessive, and probably intimidates people from volunteering to join the host/hostess volunteer list.  But regardless of how lavish or decadent or tasty the snacks, there is something beautiful about watching everyone linger after the service is over, enjoying each others company over a cup of coffee and a salted caramel bar.  A simple little bite to excite the palate provides for nearly an hour of fellowship, and brings a family atmosphere to the congregation.

As sad as it sometimes makes me to visit VCC, because so much of my (church) family no longer goes there, I will never stop visiting, because those who are left make me feel like I've come home, every time.  And somehow, Garry McCready knows exactly what songs to play, as if he is personally welcoming me back.  Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace.   How deep the father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure.  Those songs will stay in my head all day long. :)

Ingredients
for the shortbread
6 oz unsalted butter, chilled
1 3/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

for the caramel
5 1/2 oz unsalted butter
1 can (396 g) sweetened condensed milk 
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp sea salt

for the topping
6 oz dark or semisweet chocolate
coarse sea salt

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Using parchment paper, line the a 8"x8" baking dish.  In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and sugar for the shortbread.  Using your a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture begins to come together, and looks moist.  Press the dough into the bottom of the lined baking dish, and pierce with a fork.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until just barely golden brown.  Set aside to cool.  While cooling, begin the caramel...
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Once melted, add the sweetened condensed milk, sugars, and salt.  Turn the heat up to medium, and stir.  When the sugars have dissolved, turn the heat to medium-high, and stir constantly.  When the caramel reaches a boil, turn the heat to low, and continue stirring for 10 minutes.  This step is important.  If the caramel isn't cooked long enough, it won't set well, and your bars will be a gooey mess!  After ten minutes, pour the caramel over the shortbread, and spread it evenly, so that it reaches all the corners.  Let cool completely at room temperature (if you're in a rush, it probably wouldn't hurt to throw them in the fridge).
For the chocolate layer, simply melt the chocolate in a double boiler (in a metal mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water), or in a microwave proof bowl for 30 second increments, until smooth.  I was working with poor quality chocolate, so I had to add a bit of butter to get the chocolate nice and smooth.  But it meant the chocolate didn't harden like it should have.  So I recommend using a good quality chocolate.  Spread the chocolate over the caramel, and sprinkle with coarse sea salt!
Cool at room temperature, then cut into squares using a large knife.  It helps to run the blade under very hot water, and to clean the blade often between slices.  This makes for prettier bars!

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Crème Brûlée

One of my favorite desserts ever.  And it's only the first time I've ever made it.  Dathan and I decided to cure our boredom and our empty stomachs by making a fun dinner together for Carsten.  We decided on pork sous vide (slow cooked under 145 degree water for a few hours), with a yummy sauce and zucchini, peppers, and beet stems (had them leftover from the bruschetta party).  Dathan asked if we had a blow torch to finish off the pork with, and when I remembered we were gifted one for our wedding, I couldn't help but pick up some cream at the grocery store while we were there.  Guilty.

Whenever I think of crème brûlée, I think of Mangiamo!, one of our favorite late night date spots in Grand Rapids, MI.  We would go there all the time just for an hour away from school, and a delicious bite for dessert.  Their crème brûlée was some of the best I've ever had.  Mmmmm... with fresh berries on top and everything.

It turned out pretty good for my first try - the only thing I struggled with was trying to caramelize the sugar without warming up the custard.  I think crème brûlée should be very cold, it's so much tastier that way.  After practicing a few more times, I think all you need to do is let it sit for a few minutes after you caramelize the sugar.  It helps the temperature to even out inside a bit.

Ingredients
1 vanilla bean pod
2 cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/4 sugar, plus more for dusting

Procedure
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Set the kettle on, or have a a saucepan of boiling water ready.  Line a shallow baking pan with a small kitchen towel (I forgot this part - not sure if it mattered or not).

Using a small knife, split the vanilla pod lengthwise, and scrape the seeds into a medium sauce pan.  Throw the pods in too.  Add the cream and stir.  Set the pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the cream begins to bubble around the edges.  Don't let it come to a full boil!  Remove from the heat and let steep for about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar until the mixture is thick and pale yellow, about five minutes.  Continue to whisk while very gradually adding the cream mixture.  Stir until well blended, then pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the vanilla pods and any unwanted small bits.

Divide the custard about four 6oz ramekins, or six 4oz ramekins.  Place the ramekins in the prepared baking dish, and place the baking dish on the middle rack of your oven.  Add the boiling water to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  It's important to do this after the pan is already in the oven, to keep from spilling boiling water everywhere!  Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the custards are just set around the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes.  Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.  Again, no need to take the water-filled pan from the oven until the water has cooled!  Once cooled, cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled - at least four hours.

When ready to serve, sprinkle 2 tsp of sugar over each custard.  Using a kitchen butane torch, melt the sugar.  Hold the flame perpendicular to the custard, keeping the tip of the blue flame right up to the custard.  Heat until the sugar bubbles and begins to turn brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar!  Let sit for one or two minutes before serving.

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Bruschetta

In honor of Carina and Jamie's birthdays, we decided to throw a party - so that they could meet most of our good friends and because we just can't help ourselves.  We will throw a party for nearly every occasion.  Any excuse to have our friends over and enjoy some good food with some quality company, we'll take it!  This time we decided to make it bruschetta themed.  We were inspired by one of our favorite restaurants in Phoenix: Postino Wine Cafe.  Every time we go there, we get four different kinds of bruschetta, and their combinations are mouth watering!

My sisters and I went to a few different grocery stores to pick up tons of different topping options.  We, in part, followed a few recipes we discovered online that looked delicious, but we also let ourselves be inspired by the interesting produce we discovered at Trader Joes (pea sprouts, champagne grapes, etc.)

It made for a beautiful spread.

Here are the recipes I found online - each of them tasted amazing.  A few of them I adapted as I saw fit :)

Gorgonzola, Golden Raisin, and Arugula
Adapted from here
Ingredients
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese (more or less, to taste)
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup Marsala Wine
Arugula
Procedure
Mix the Mascarpone cheese with the Gorgonzola.  Use more or less Gorgonzola, as you see fit.  I'm not a big fan of strong blue cheese, so I tend to use less.  In a small sauce pan, combine the raisins and Marsala.  Cover, and let simmer until raisins look nice and plump.  Add more wine if necessary.  You should end up with plump golden raisins, with very little liquid remaining. Spread the cheese on toasted bread, top with a generous amount of raisins, and finish with fresh arugula.

Farmers Cheese, Beet Green and Arugula Pesto, and Crispy Pancetta
Adapted from here
Ingredients 

Fresh Farmers Cheese
Pancetta
Pesto (recipe here, only I added a few handfuls of arugula in with the beet greens, as well as the juice of half a lemon)
Procedure
Crisp the pancetta in a skillet over medium high heat - as you would with bacon, only don't cook quite as long. Spread some farmers cheese then beet green arugula pesto atop toasted bread.  Top with crispy pancetta.


Beet, Garlic Labneh, and Beet Green and Arugula Pesto
Adapted from here
Ingredients  

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
3 large beets, with greens attached
Pesto (recipe here, only I added a few handfuls of arugula in with the beet greens, as well as the juice of half a lemon)
Walnuts
Procedure
Remove the beet greens, and set aside for the pesto.  Roast beets in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.  You want the beets to be slightly tender, but still slightly crunchy.  When beets have cooled, peel them (a potato peeler works well), then slice them into even slices.  I used a mandolin on the thickest setting.  Combine the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle.  Grind into a paste.  Add it to the Greek yogurt and stir well to combine.  Store in the fridge for about an hour, to meld the flavors.  Make the pesto according to the recipe above.  I included arugula and lemon juice, for lack of enough beet greens, and for flavor.  Spread toasted bread with the Labneh (greek yogurt mixture you just made!).  Top with a couple beet slices, a dollop of pesto, and a few walnuts. 

Brie, Apple, and Bacon Onion Chutney
Adapted from here and here
Ingredients
Brie Cheese
sliced Granny Smith Apple (about 1/4" thick)
Bacon Onion Chutney (recipe here)
Procedure
Top toasted bread with a slice of Brie, apple slices, and a generous scoop of the bacon onion chutney.


Sweet Ricotta, Strawberry, and Chocolate
Adapted from here
Ingredients
2/3 cup Ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Mascarpone cheese
1 Tbs powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground vanilla bean (optional, but makes it delicious and so pretty!) found here
sliced strawberries
dark chocolate shavings
Procedure
Mix all ingredients except the chocolate and the strawberries.  Spread onto toasted bread, top with strawberry slices, then sprinkle with chocolate shavings.


A few things I set out on the table that weren't from any of these recipes:
- chopped tomatoes tossed with cubed fresh mozzarella and fresh basil
- sliced fresh figs
- Jarlsberg cheese
- whole grain mustard
- balsamic vinegar reduction
- honey
- marionberry jam
- pomegranate jelly
- pea sprouts
- champagne grapes
- Parmesan cheese 


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