Yesterday was what a rainy weekend afternoon should be made of: the LSC and I catching Inglorious Basterds at a Maison Du Cinema matinee, really excellent beers at Siboire (which has become, unofficially, my most favorite place to drink in Sherbrooke) and then homemade BBQ chicken pizza at home. Despite the onset of a headache for the hubby—something he has attributed to lack of sufficient caffeine—it was a great day. Would that all weekends were as easygoing.

One of my favorite very-very-bad-for-you treats when I was a kid were those cinnamon rolls (or even better, the orange ones) from Pillsbury. My mom, while an ace pancake maker, and my dad, Jack, an accomplished omelette cook, were not of the baking-sweet-rolls-from-scratch school. Of course, I didn’t know nor care at the time, because frankly, I was too preoccupied with stuffing my mouth with cinnamon rolls.

You can’t blame me for having understood that cinnamon rolls come from tubes or from brightly colored kiosks in malls. When you’re trying to raise two girls and make ends meet, then I think it’s pretty easy to let my folks off the hook. And now that I am a grown-up, I can totally stop making tube rolls and make real ones. Of course, that means making something like bread dough…which I haven’t been entirely successful at.

The final say from my husband can’t really be said because he had a happy mouth full of cinnamon roll at the time. I can say for myself that I think these turned out okay, but the dough did not proof anywhere near as much as it should have. I probably should’ve checked on the liveliness of my yeast or had a paddle attachment or something because I did everything by hand. They were quite edible—and slathered in cream cheese icing, how could they not be?—but not the bounciness and tenderness I come to expect from cinnamon rolls.

A word to the wise: these suckers take a long time to make. Two hours of proofing, plus 45 minutes for the second proof. I started these around 7:30 am and we didn’t get to tuck into them until close to 11.

The goods (i.e., the recipe) come from the combined awesomeness of Smitten Kitchen and Orangette. Oh, yeast-based doughs, how I will conquer you one day!

Cinnamon Swirl Buns with Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted from Molly Wizenberg’s recipe in Bon Appetit, March 2008

Dough
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups (or more) unbleached all purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise or instant yeast (from 1 envelope yeast)
1 teaspoon salt
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Filling
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt

Glaze
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For dough: Combine milk and butter in glass measuring cup. Microwave on high until butter melts and mixture is just warmed to 120°F to 130°F, about 30 to 45 seconds. Pour into bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1 cup flour, sugar, egg, yeast, and salt. Beat on low speed 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add additional 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat on low until flour is absorbed and dough is sticky, scraping down sides of bowl. If dough is very sticky, add more flour by tablespoonfuls until dough begins to form ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. (You may also use a KitchenAid’s dough hook for this process.) Form into ball.

Lightly oil large bowl with nonstick spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

For filling: Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in medium bowl.

Press down dough. Transfer to floured work surface. Roll out to 15×11-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle cinnamon mixture evenly over butter. Starting at the longer side, roll dough into log, pinching gently to keep it rolled up. With seam side down, trim ends straight if they are uneven (we baked them in a ramekin, incapable of discarding such deliciousness) cut remaining dough crosswise with thin sharp knife (a good serrated worked well here) into 18 equal slices (each about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide).

Spray two 9-inch square glass baking dishes (an 8-inch square metal pan worked just fine, too) with nonstick spray. Divide rolls between baking dishes, arranging cut side up (there will be almost no space between rolls). Cover baking dishes with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, 40 to 45 minutes, though yours, like mine, may take longer. Don’t skimp on the double-rising time.

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake rolls until tops are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.

For glaze: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: These buns were best the day they were baked. The second day, they were on the tough side. If you anticipate wanting them over a few days, glaze them to order, heating the buns beforehand to soften them up.

Oh, Buffalo Tom, how I love thee. Okay, okay, so summer really isn’t over just yet but with the cool weather we’ve been having (no Dog Days here, no sir!), it feels like it. And if cooler weather there be, then I really ought to do something with that huge bag of Italian parsley I harvested from my herb garden.

Like make pesto, for example.

Let me tell you: the batch I made yesterday barely made a dent in that bag of parsley. But the LSC and I are trying to devise ways of storing it long-term so as to possibly give it out for Christmas gifts. I have read about freezing but not sure how that would work in glass jars. If you’ve got suggestions, I am all ears. If you want me to send you a batch, I have ears for that as well. It turn out lovely, though; I am thinking of making parsley-basil pesto because I have tons of fresh basil, too.

I keep promising to make cookies for my husband. I mean, it’s not like he’s hurting for anything sweet—he’s gotten blueberry cakes, cherry bars, etc. But after a box of commercial oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies lingered in our pantry for a week, I wondered if I could find a recipe and make my own. I remember being very fond of the ones I could get at Whole Foods in Atlanta. I could never ration myself when it came to those ginormous soft cookies. Well, another favorite food site, Everybody Likes Sandwiches, had an interesting recipe for them. What I love so much about that site is that it’s so readily accessable, simple and easily vegetarian. If I had to recommend a site (other than mine, of course) for vegans and vegetarians, that would be the one.

I made these cookies HUGE. In fact, I think I should have made them smaller but I sort of got carried away. Obviously, my husband has no objections. You can fully expect these cookies to be gone by the end of the weekend.

The interesting thing about the cookies is that they contain no egg and according to Kickpleat—the pseudonym of the awesome lady who runs ELS—if you sub the Earth Balance for the butter, then they are entirely vegan. (”No need to make them vegan for me, thanks,” remarked the LSC last night.) The resulting cookie is crisp and yet wonderfully chewy. I fall on the chewy side when it comes to cookies; crispy cookies are well and good but give me a chewy cookie anyday. And honestly, they are dead easy to make.

Oh, and here’s a poutine from last night’s softball outing.

Parsley Pesto

adapted from Big Oven.com

4 cloves garlic

2 cups stemmed Italian parsley

coarse salt

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor place the garlic, parsley, pinch salt, walnuts, and cheese. Process until they form a paste. Gradually blend in olive oil, taste adjust your seasoning if necessary.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

from Everybody Likes Sandwiches

1 c butter
1 c brown sugar, lightly packed
1 t baking soda
1/4 c boiling water
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 c oats
1/2 c dried coconut
2 c semi sweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Cream the butter with the sugar until well mixed. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and add it to the butter/sugar mix, followed by vanilla. Stir together the dry ingredients and add it slowly to the creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate chip (or mixture) and combine. Form small balls, flatten a little, and bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Maybe it’s just the warm-ish yet cool-ish windy day here on the mountain, but I swear to you I can smell fall coming. The light is starting to change and there is a crispness in the air.

The LSC worked late last night so in lieu of making slightly involved dinner (which most of mine are), I just made him a tuna melt with onion rings. One day I hope to make my own onion rings but sadly that means buying the Treacherous Fry Daddy.

I must admit I am charmed by the realization of fall in a new country. Sure, I am sad to see summer go (especially since it took so long getting here) but am anxious to see autumn arrive.

I suppose I should feel bad about slowly and surely taking away the cooking reins from my husband on weekends—and a part of me does—but then another part of me goes, “But weekends are when you get to do decadent glorious breakfasts! The kind that make you glad that you work out all week!” Oh me, when that voice starts in, the guilt goes away bit by bit. Because that voice is right.

Case in point: raspberry crisp. That’s right, I totally give you permission to make raspberry crisp for breakfast. It’s not cloyingly sweet like a dessert. I am of the opinion that it’s just sweet enough and the fresh berries give that tart zing from going too over the top. Another plus: it makes your kitchen smell awesome.

We ate ours with a dollop of plain Balkan yogurt, the thick rich stuff that makes you wonder why people pay for Yoplait and such like.

In order to give mad props, I once again raided Smitten Kitchen for this; only Deb used apricots and I have yet to become an apricot fan. The recipe makes enough for four people if you use a smaller Pyrex dish. And I bet if you do make it for overnight guests, they may want to live with your permanently.

Last night’s dinner was a variation (a word I seem to favor, I’m noticing) on Salisbury steak. I think I ate enough TV dinners as a kid to remember Salisbury steak if not fondly, then without total loathing. And I only ever wanted the brownie anyway.

I made these with ground turkey, of course. I realize that I use a very loose weird system when it comes to meat and other proteins but it seems to be working fine. I’ve been reading On Food And Cooking by Harold McGee as bedtime material and aside from the usual caveats regarding fish, I am going to try to work more of that into our diet. Turkey, chicken and pork are all well and good but I think the LSC and I would benefit from an influx of seafood into our bellies.

Also, this is sort of a cheater recipe again. I realize—to my stark and utter horror—that it has shades of commonality with Sandra Lee. I will try to be better but sometimes Sunday night you want easy. Easy enough so you can watch season 3 of Dexter with your husband.

Breakfast Raspberry Crisp

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 pound raspberries

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon flour

Grated fresh nutmeg, a pinch

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons, 2 ounces) butter, melted

6 tablespoons turbinado or regular sugar (turbinado, also sold as Sugar in the Raw, gives an excellent crunch)

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or a mixture of whole wheat and all-purpose flour)

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Prepare fruit: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pull apart apricots at their seam, remove pits, and tear them one more time into quarters, placing them in a small baking dish (one that holds two to three cups is ideal). Stir in sugar, flour and pinch of nutmeg.

Make topping: Melt butter and stir in sugar, then oats, then flour, salt and almonds until large clumps form. Sprinkle mixture over the fruit. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes and serve warm.

Hamburger Steak with Gravy

adapted from Southern Living magazine

2 honey-wheat or whole-wheat bread slices

1 pound ground turkey

1 lightly beaten egg

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 (1.2-oz.) envelope brown gravy mix

1 1/2 cups water

1 tbl. canola oil

Process bread slices in a food processor 10 seconds or until finely chopped. Place crumbs in a large bowl; add turkey, egg, garlic, salt and pepper. Gently combine until blended. Shape into 4 (4-inch) patties. Whisk together gravy mix and water; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Cook patties 2 minutes on each side or just until browned. Remove from skillet. Sitr in prepared gravy and bring to a simmer. Return patties to skillet and spoon gravy over each patty. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through.

I know, I know, I cheaped out on you with the last blog entry. But trust me, today’s post is gonna make up for it in spades.

Thursday’s dinner was a variation on Mexican; a sort of bean and rice salad topped with avocado and chicken. No real intense flavors here just a very fresh-tasting meal.

Truth be told, I love any dinner where I get to eat avocados. Guacamole is nice but a nice avocado sandwich with a light spread of mayo and a little sharp cheddar is heaven.

Last night the LSC and I had Michael, Leah and Jake over for dinner (of course, those lovely ladies brought dessert!). Seeing as how I ended up making pizza last time for them, I decided—courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa—to try my hand at a roast chicken. Admittedly, meat on the bone makes me squeamish so I had my husband do all the icky parts regarding raw whole chicken prep for me.

I made a couple of side dishes; the one featured above is an autumn panzanella (yes, I know it’s not autumn but I couldn’t resist).

The LSC had made some noise earlier in the week about trying the new potato salad recipe in the most issue of Cook’s Illustrated. He knows I get easily frustrated when making enough food for multiple people—it always happens, without fail—so he was going to make it beforehand, only to discover that the recipe recommended preparing it four hours before serving. It was okay; I had all of Friday afternoon to make everything. The chicken was moist, flavorful; the panzanella vinegary and crunchy; and of course, the potato salad was a hit. Though I am not a fan of meat on the bone, I would make a roast chicken again were I entertaining family and friends. It made the house smell so good!

Of course, this all leads up to the coup de grace. I forget exactly what Leah and Jake called these but long story short: super fudgy cream cheese brownies with a bit of chili powder and cinnamon thrown in. Before you get up in arms about this, think about it: the tang of cream cheese, the rich chocolate and just the faintest hint of spice. A beautiful tingle at the back of your throat when you swallow. Doesn’t sound so nuts now, does it? I know they converted me. Even better, the recipe can be watched on YouTube. I figure that’s loads better than me writing it out, yeah?

Mexican Green Rice with Chicken and Avocado

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 (15 oz.) can rinsed black beans

1 cup chopped tomato

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I subbed parsley because I have ton of it)

3 tbl.  oil and vinegar salad dressing, divided

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken

3 ripe avocados, halved and then cut into cubes

In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, tomato, lettuce, cilantro and half the salad dressing; toss. Arrange on a platter, lined with lettuce if desired. In the same bowl, combine chicken, avocado and remaining half of dressing. Spoon over rice salad. Serve with warm tortillas on the side.

Perfect Roast Chicken

from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (Potter, 1999)

1 5-to-6-lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch fresh thyme

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise

2 tbl. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of the lemon and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove to a platter and let stand for 5 minutes.

Autumn Panzanella

3 cups butternut squash in 3/4-inch cubes

2 cups small cauliflower florets

1 large Asian pear, peeled, cored and diced

8 soft sun-dried tomatoes, slivered

2 tbl. chopped sweet onion

2 tbl. capers

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, approximately

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 cups cubed country-style whole grain bread

1 tsp. ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbl. minced fresh dill

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan, add squash and cauliflower, cook 2 minutes, drain and place in bowl of ice water to chill. Drain when cooled and place in a large bowl. Fold in Asian pear and sun-dried tomatoes. Add onion and capers, and mix gently. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and the vinegar. Mix again.

Place bread in a bowl of warm water, soak a few minutes, then squeeze dry. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet, add bread and saute until bread dries out and is starting to brown. Season with cumin, salt and pepper. Fold into mixture in bowl.

Allow ingredients to marinate at least 4 hours at room temperature. Check seasoning and fold in dill. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl or to individual plates and serve.

Austrian-Style Potato Salad

from Cook’s Illustrated, Sept./Oct. 2009

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes (about 4 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

table salt

1 tbl. sugar

2 tbl. white wine vinegar

1 tbl. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 small red onion, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)

6 cornichons, minced (about 2 tbl.)

2 tbl. minced fresh chives

ground black pepper

Bring potatoes, broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and 1 tablespoon vinegar to boil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with paring knife, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high (so cooking liquid will reduce) and cook 2 minutes.

Drain potatoes in colander set over large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Set drained potatoes aside. Pour off and discard all but 1/2 cup cooking liquid (if 1/2 cup liquid doesn’t remain, add water to make 1/2 cup). Whisk remaining tablespoon vinegar, mustard and oil into cooking liquid.

Add 1/2 cup cooked potatoes to bowl with cooking liquid mixture and mash with potato masher or fork until thick sauce forms (mixture will be slightly chunky). Add remaining potatoes, onion, cornichons and chives, folding gently with rubber spatula to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

It’s more like falling behind. Since coming back from the States, I am still struggling to right my normal routines around here. And I don’t feel right when I only give you guys one recipe. I am planning on cooking up a mess of things this weekend—the list is getting larger by the minute—which means more recipes and more photos.

Last night’s dinner was just some whole wheat pasta mixed with leftover marinara sauce and fresh broccoli. I mean, there’s nothing earth-shattering about it because it’s not really a recipe. I can say I used locally made Parmesan cheese to dust it with. Who would have thunk Quebec made their own Parmesan?

I was a bit astounded as to how hard it was to find summer squash, the squash I remember from my childhood. If you want butternut, acorn or spaghetti squash, no problem, but woe unto you if you attempt to find those long lovelies from many a home garden. I found these specimens at the Atwater Market in Montreal for Sunday night dinner. Cleaned and chopped, they came out to a little less than two pounds. I love vegetables and I love even more when I foist new vegetables upon the LSC.

Be forewarned, though: this sucker is SPICY.

I mean, if you don’t mind, by all means, whip up the recipe as is (especially if you can find the effing squash). If you are not a heat fan, then sub the jalapenos with roasted red peppers. And if you do like spicy, remember that the casserole leftovers will just get hotter overnight.

The LSC loved it, of course. In fact, I think he ate more of it than I did. Tomorrow is Baking Wednesday but I’ll leave it to you readers to suggest what I should bake and why in the comments.

Summer Squash Casserole

adapted from Eating Well magazine

2 1/4 lbs. summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 (4 oz.) can chopped drained green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can drained chopped jalapenos

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, low-fat if you prefer (I do not), divided

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup mild or medium salsa

thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and half the cheese. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread mixture in prepared dish. Cover with nonstick foil. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and squash is tender. Remove from oven and remove foil. Spread salsa on top; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes or until golden and heated through. Just before serving, garnish with green onions, if desired.

Oh kids, let me tell you: I am tired. The LSC and I have returned from another awesome weekend in Montreal—we went down solely for the joy and party that is Gay Pride 2009—but damn, if I ain’t already tapped out.

Nonetheless, this is a food blog and we did eat a lot of yummy things whilst out of town. Possibly one of the best Indian meals I’ve ever had, for one.

Last night we had a truly exceptional meal at a place called Atma outside of the Latin Quarter; aside from being the textbook definition of a jewelbox of a restaurant (whitewashed walls, cushy chairs, lots of candlelight, a few romantic cubbyholes for private dining), their food was incredible. My go-to Indian dish is often saag paneer but I opted for malai kofta instead. Boy, was I ever pleased because it was stunning.

The LSC devoured with great glee an order of eye-searingly red chicken vindaloo; I tried a little of it and despite my love for spicy, no thank you.

After dinner, we walked around a bit, popping into art galleries, checking out sidewalk book sales. We made our way over to Place Emilie-Gamelin for some of the free fun at Pride. We watched a dance and song revue that veered between Cole Porter standards and Vegas glitz. Between the throngs of people and the heat, we were thoroughly exhausted by the time we got back to Le Gite, the quite nice bed & breakfast we were staying at. Breakfast, obviously, was complimentary but we still had to go to the Brulerie St. Denis for a cup of coffee for me (I don’t take it as an offense that most hotels and such like don’t provide decaf coffee). I ordered a variation on a cafe au lait and my husband ordered a Cafe Mardi Gras (or something like that; we can’t remember) which had amaretto syrup, steamed milk, espresso and roasted almonds on top.

I realize that I hail from the Land of Hot Weather but Montreal honestly gave Atlanta a run for its money this weekend. It topped out at 94 today. Add to that lots of concrete, large gatherings of people and boy howdy, is that not my least favorite combo ever. Still, we had a Pride Parade to go to so the LSC and I braved the Metro and made our way to the Gay Village. By the time we got there—we stopped to do some shopping—it was lunch time. When I am hot and cranky, I become less inclined to make decisions. I kept telling the LSC to choose whatever he’d like to eat which, being that he married me and knows how to dish it out too, volleyed that decision right back to me. So we ate at Sushi Shop and yes, I know, it’s basically the Canadian version of fast food sushi, it did the trick, regardless.

Post-Pride Parade, we hit Atwater Market on our way home. Craving chocolate, I ordered us a slice of opera cake to share. I can list all of the things we bought (cheeses, sausages, etc.) but seriously, kids, I am tired. I’ll see you Tuesday, refreshed and ready to cook.

Oh my word. I am not kidding you; we are practically up to our ears in blueberries. Sadly, I must confess that it is my fault. I went with our friend Michael to Costco on Monday and there were 2.75 pound flats of the gorgeous things and I bought three. I mean, I really bought that many so the LSC could make blueberry wine for Christmas gifts (sorry to spoil the surprise, y’all!) but as it turns out, you don’t need over six (!!!) pound of blueberries to make two batches of wine. I guess misheard the LSC and went a little crazy. Now there is at least a pound and a half leftover in the fridge and I am at a loss. What to do, what to do…

I have already made Blueberry Boy Bait—which I still consider to be pinnacle of cake currently—and the LSC made two batches of blueberry wine. Well, I found another awesome recipe on Smitten Kitchen for Blueberry Crumble Bars. (I feel like I should start giving Deb royalties or something.) It called for 4 cups of the suckers; that would slightly lessen the load of fruit we had in the house.

If the rumor about blueberries and antioxidants are true, then I really think my husband and I are well-sorted. Aside from the BBB of last week, this week’s Blueberry Crumble Bars, occasional inclusion of blueberries for breakfast as is or a snack, we should probably be a nice shade of violet. Sorry, I’m digressing, let’s talk about these bars, shall we? Once more with shortbread-esque crust, a thick layer of blueberries then a crumbly topping. Can you say: “yum”?

There has to be a way to make these into Blueberry Crumble Cheesecake Bars.

One thing is certain: this recipe makes A LOT. Probably more than you want to keep around the house. Do as I did and send some off with your spouse/partner/child/chihuahua; they’ll be a hit.

The LSC and I went carb-tastic on Wednesday: turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Believe me, as I sit here typing this, I am wondering what in the world possessed me to cook such a heavy meal during such a hot week. I must have been out of my damn mind.

I have never had much success with meatloaf. That is to say, they have rarely been catastrophic failures but neither have they ever filled that “what meatloaf should look like” hole in my mind. Still, this was a better specimen than most. Just big enough for the two of us and definitely enough for two days worth of meals.

A definite bonus was that the LSC made me mashed potatoes—okay, *ahem*, he made us mashed potatoes. He rhapsodized about them at the table: “You know how you and your mom could just eat and eat bread? I do that with mashed potatoes. If you put down an entire tray in front of me, I wouldn’t stop eating them until they were all gone.”

By the way, they include that polarizing ingredient, Miracle Whip. I am sure you could use good ol’fashioned butter or cream but you’d lose that delicious flavor.

Blueberry Crumb Bars
Adapted from AllRecipes.com

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Italian Meatloaf

adapted from Southern Living magazine

2 pounds 95 percent lean ground beef (I subbed turkey)

1 14.5 oz. can drained diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic

1/3 cup no-salt-added or regular marinara sauce

1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (I swapped these out for homemade plain breadcrumbs)

1 tsp. dried or 3 tbl. chopped fresh basil

1 lightly beaten egg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place meat in a large bowl; add tomatoes, marinara sauce, breadcrumbs, basil, egg and salt and pepper. Mix until just combined; do not overmix. Shape into a 9-by-5-inch loaf; place on a wire rack (coated with cooking spray) in a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake 1 hour. Top with cheese and bake 10 more minutes or 160 degrees internal temperature. Remove from oven; tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Miracle Mashed Potatoes

about 2 cups of potatoes per person, peeled and chopped
Lots of water for boiling
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup of Miracle Whip per 4 cups of mashed potato
Splash of milk until desired creaminess reached
1 tbl of italian seasoning per 4 cups of mashed potato
a pinch of paprika
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
*if taters hot* broil until cheese melted
*if taters already cold* bake at 300 for 25 minutes; keep eye on cheese.

(The recipe above is copied verbatim from my husband!)

Not to toot my horn or anything, but I am kicking butt at making fruit desserts. I am like Rumpelstiltskin turning hay into gold.

Honestly, I’ve never been too much a fan of fruit desserts; as a child, I’d always choose cake over pie. But living in a place where you can pick your own or get local berries in season from the market, well, I thought I would try singing a different tune.

After last week’s awesome blueberry success, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the bag of cherries the LSC bought for me this weekend. Of course, this is also the same man who couldn’t believe I had never eaten a fresh cherry until two weeks ago.

Well, I spent Monday afternoon pitting cherries—and oh my, those gory little fruits, aren’t they?—making a sort of shortbread crust then a very rich topping to submerge the cherries in. Once cooled and cut, I couldn’t believe that I never experienced fruit desserts before. I am no longer afraid and will embrace the fruity dessert more often.

And of course, you know this awesome recipe came from Smitten Kitchen.

When you lavish all your attention on baked goods (and believe me, you’ll hear no complaints from my spouse!), you may end up taking a few shortcuts with your savory foods. Like Monday night’s pasta. It was one of those things where I get to use up my pasta odds’n'ends again and while it was yummy, I wouldn’t call it a triumph. I can think of ways you can improve it—the most obvious one will be glaring at you in the ingredient list—but if it’s been a long day and quite muggy, you may very well settle for it as is. I know we did. Now I’m off to experiment with blueberries again…

Cherry Brown Butter Bars
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Crust:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
Pinch of salt

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1 pound sweet cherries, which will yield 12 ounces of pitted cherries, which yielded some leftovers, perfect for snacking (alternately, you can use 12 ounces of the berry of your choice)

Make crust: Preheat over to 375°F. Cut two 12-inch lengths of parchment paper and trim each to fit the 8-inch width of an 8×8-inch square baking pan. Press it into the bottom and sides of your pan in one direction, then use the second sheet to line the rest of the pan, perpendicular to the first sheet. (It should look like this.) Congratulations! You’ve just faked a square tart pan.

Using rubber spatula or fork, mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in medium bowl, or if you’re Deb, in the bottom of the small saucepan you used to melt the butter. Add flour and salt and stir until incorporated. Transfer dough to your prepared pan, and use your fingertips to press the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust until golden, about 18 minutes (it will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan. Maintain oven temperature.

Make the filling: Cook butter in heavy small saucepan (a lighter-colored one will make it easier to see the color changing, which happens quickly) over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often and watching carefully, about six minutes. Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup to cool slightly.

Whisk sugar, eggs, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add flour and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture; whisk until well blended.

Arrange pitted cherries, or the berries of your choice, in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over the fruit. Bake bars until filling is puffed and golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes (though, of course, this took less time in my hyperactive oven so please watch your baking times carefully). Cool bars completely in pan on rack.

Use the parchment paper overhang to carefully remove cooled bars from pan and place them on a cutting board and cut them into squares with a very sharp knife. The cherries, if they fall over your slicing lines, will want to give you trouble but if you saw a sharp knife into them slowly before pressing down, they’ll cut neatly and with minimum carnage.

Do ahead: Can be made at least a day ahead, and stored at room temperature. Any longer, keep them cool in the fridge.

Cheater’s Penne Rustica

8 oz. penne (or whatever you have on hand)

1 tsp. olive oil

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic (I used 4 because, well, we like a lot of garlic)

1/4 cup chopped drained sundried tomatoes

1/4 cup dry white wine (you can sub chicken broth, if you like)

10 oz. pre-made refrigerated Alfredo sauce

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried or 2 tbl. fresh basil

Cook the pasta according to directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive on medium until hot; add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, or until onion is softened; stir occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it. Stir in sundried tomatoes and white wine. Bring to boil. Stir in the Alfredo sauce and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in basil. Toss sauce with hot pasta and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.