Popcorn Bars

Halloween is practically here, signaling the inevitable onslaught of candy corn and miniature packaged candy.  Hard, cherry flavored suckers filled with bubblegum, pint-sized licorices, squishy soft gummy animals and two-bite candy bars all seem to call my name in unison as I roam the candy aisle looking for ways to fill our trick-or-treat bowl each year.  As an alternative to snacking on the candy, I decided to make myself these bars.  Rice Krispie treats are obviously nothing new but swapping out the puffed rice for salty-sweet kettle corn adds a lot more character.  Browning the butter before you stir in the marshmallows gives these treats a rich, toasted flavor.  Man, I love browned butter.  Gooey popcorn bars, soft, sticky, crunchy and addictive.  Quite possibly, better than candy.

Popcorn Bars
makes 24

8 oz unsalted butter
21 oz miniature marshmallows
14 oz popped kettle corn (or two large bags)

Liberally butter (or coat with non-stick spray) a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook the butter until golden flecks begin to form, stirring often.  As you stir, scrape the browning bits from the bottom of the pot.  Cook until the butter has turned a deep golden color, being careful not to let it burn.  Once browned, turn off the heat and dump in the marshmallows.  Stir, using a silicone spatula, until completely melted and combined with the butter.  Add the kettle corn and stir until the melted marshmallow evenly covers all of the popcorn.

Transfer the popcorn mixture to your prepared pan and pack it down firmly and evenly.  Allow the bars to cool before cutting.

Sweet and salty kettle corn.  Great on its own, even better in these bars.

Coat the popcorn with the sticky, brown-flecked marshmallow butter goo. 

Pack the mixture into your pan for deliciously dense bars.

Happy Halloween.

Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms and Gruyere

To me, crepes have always seemed a bit too daunting to make.  Special pans, runny batter, flipping and such seemed like quite a hassle.  Turns out, they're not as hard as they seem.  Whisk together a simple batter, let it sit, ladle into a non-stick pan and cook until bubbled.  Fill with sauteed shallot, mushrooms and a bit of shredded gruyere cheese. Buckwheat flour gives these crepes a distinctly nutty and earthy taste.  A sprinkle of fresh parsley and you have a delightful lunch.  Easier than I expected.

Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms and Gruyere

Makes 4-5

{crepe recipe adapted from this cookbook}

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided

1 package mushrooms, chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded (or more if you like)

handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

butter for the pan

In a medium to large bowl, combine the flours with the salt.  Whisk in the melted butter, eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add a bit of oil and allow it to heat up.  Saute mushrooms until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Add the sliced shallot and cook until the mixture is browned and caramelized, a few minutes more.  Turn off the heat and set pan aside.

Once the batter is ready, preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Put a heat-proof plate or cookie sheet in the oven to stack your finished crepes on.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk to the crepe batter and whisk until smooth.  Heat a 10'' round, non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add a tad of butter and once it has melted, spread it around the pan evenly using a pastry brush or bit of paper towel.  Once hot, pour in one 1/2 cup ladle of crepe batter into the center of the pan.  Using your wrist, rotate the pan around until the batter has evenly coated the entire surface of the pan. Allow the crepe to cook until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute.  Carefully, using a rubber spatula, flip the crepe over and allow it to cook on the other side for no more than 20 seconds.  Transfer crepe to the warmed plate in the oven and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Once the crepes are complete, heat your non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add a bit more butter. Place a crepe in the pan, add a spoonful of the mushroom shallot mixture and top with a sprinkling of gruyere cheese.  Fold the crepe in half and cook until the cheese has melted and the mushrooms are heated through, no more than one minute.

Transfer crepe to a plate, fold in half again and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve warm.

A stack of crepes ready to be filled.  Here is a great crepe tutorial.

Fill with meaty mushrooms and flavorful gruyere cheese.

Cheesy, hot and fast.

A simple yet delicious lunch.

Vegan Breakfast Cookies

These cookies don't necessarily need to be eaten for breakfast, but they are a great alternative to all of the usual sugar-packed, packaged granola/power/energy bars I am used to.  Additionally, these cookies are probably the simplest cookies you will ever make.  One bowl wonders that are delicious, crunchy and filling.  As it also happens, they are vegan.  No eggs and no dairy.  I'm not one who usually bakes vegan, but these cookies are worth it.  Crunchy from oats, walnuts and sunflower seeds.  Moist from olive oil and raw agave nectar.  Tart, unsweetened dried cherries round out the mix. Sometimes I add different nuts, sometimes I add different fruit, sometimes I even add dark chocolate chunks, which negates the vegan part, but they always taste good.  For breakfast, or any time of day.

Vegan Breakfast Cookies
Makes 12

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries, chopped
1/8 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.  Using a medium sized ice cream scoop (or two spoons) measure out 12 equal balls of dough.  Gently flatten the cookies with the back of a fork.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Portion out the moist dough.

Gently press down to make flatter cookies.

Golden cookies.  Ready for breakfast.

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Poached Egg

I love peanut sauce, when it's done right.  In my mind, that means really spicy, not too peanut-y and not too thick.  To me, udon noodles are the perfect way to showcase a delicious peanut sauce.  This sauce clings beautifully to the starchy udon which by itself creates a simple and satisfying bowl.  For even more  flavor, saute some meaty mushrooms and toss those in.  Add some scallion, peppery pea shoots and fresh cilantro as well.  Then, for a final flourish, top with a delicately poached egg, the yolk of which adds to the depth and creaminess of the sauce.  Serve with ample fresh lime and dig in.  This is my kind of peanut sauce.

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Poached Egg
serves 4

for the sauce:
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp agave syrup
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sriracha chili sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
juice of one lime

for the noodles:
1 8 oz package udon noodles (I like brown rice udon but any will do)
1 Tbsp canola oil
4 oz sliced mushrooms (crimini, shitaki or oyster would all be delicious)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
small handful of torn pea shoots or watercress
small handful of torn fresh cilantro
1 lime, sliced
4 eggs, at room temperature

Start by boiling a large pot of water for the udon.  Once boiling, add the udon noodles and cook until just al dente, about 7 minutes.  Drain noodles in a colander, rinse with cold water and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil over medium-high heat.  Once hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic.  Meanwhile, combine the rest of the sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until smooth.  Allow shallot and garlic to cook until they turn slightly golden and then add the sauce.  Bring sauce to a simmer and allow to cook for no more than 3-5 minutes, stirring often.  If the sauce becomes thick, add a bit of water to thin it out.

While the sauce cooks, add 1 Tbsp canola oil to a small saute pan set over high heat.  Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until they are browned and slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.  Transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.

Add the cold noodles to the warm sauce and toss to combine.  Working one bowl at a time, add a quarter of the noodles to a shallow bowl and top with some mushrooms, scallions, pea shoots, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.  Carefully drop an egg into a tea cup filled half way with water.  Place a saucer over the top of the cup to create a tight-fitting lid and microwave the egg for exactly 55 seconds.  Remove egg from the water with a slotted spoon, lay on top of the noodles and serve immediately.  Repeat with the remaining three bowls.

Udon noodles.  The perfect vehicle for this flavorful peanut sauce.

Be sure to rinse your udon with cold water after cooking for the best texture.

Toss udon in the warm sauce. 

Add sauteed mushrooms, scallions, pea shoots and cilantro.  Don't forget the lime.

Top with a poached egg and blend the yolk into the sauce.

Spicy, creamy and flavorful peanut sauce.

Pressed Cheddar Sandwich with Fig Preserves

As I write this, the wind outside is blowing, leaves are turning red and the air is becoming cooler.  Fall days are here.  Cooler temps get me in the mood for warm comfort food and this sandwich is a long-time favorite of mine (a variation found here).  Crusty sourdough, sharp white cheddar and a thin layer of fig preserves for a bit of sweetness.   If you were me, you would add a few drops of rich white truffle oil, but that is completely optional.  Grill in a hot panini press until melty and bubbly or, if you don't have a press, simply use a skillet.  Cheesy, crisp, rich and warm.  Melted cheddar with a touch of fig. Perfect for a blustery fall afternoon.

Pressed Cheddar Sandwich with Fig Preserves
makes 1

crusty sourdough bread
sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
fig preserves
white truffle oil (optional)
unsalted butter, softened

Preheat your panini press or heat a saute pan over medium heat.  Assemble sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of fig preserves on one slice of bread and evenly arranging a generous quantity of cheddar on the other slice.  If using, drizzle a bit of truffle oil over the cheddar.  Sandwich the bread and spread the top outer slice with a little softened butter.  Place the buttered side down onto the hot press or pan and then quickly spread the exposed side of the sandwich with a bit more butter.  Cook sandwich until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.  {Note:  If using a saute pan, press the sandwich as it cooks with a large metal spatula or smaller saute pan. Flip sandwich and do the same on the other side until melted through.}

Use really sharp, aged cheddar for this sandwich.  Usually, the crumblier the better.

Press until golden brown and melted through.

A rich, warm sandwich on a cool fall day.

Soft Boiled Egg with Toast

This little dish always reminds me of Paris.  Whenever I eat it, I daydream that I'm back at Café de Flore, sitting at a small table, reading the paper and sipping champagne.  I order oeuf á la coque and it arrives hot with baguette and a tub of French butter.  While I may not get back to France as often as I would like, whenever I'm craving the cafes of Paris I make this for myself.  No real recipe, just gently drop a room temperature egg into a pot of rapidly boiling water and cook for exactly 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast a piece of crusty bread, slather it with butter and slice it into strips.  Transfer the egg to an egg cup, crack open the top with a spoon or knife, sprinkle the golden yolk with flaked sea salt and the rest is up to you.  I prefer to dunk my toast but a more presentable approach may be to spoon the soft egg over the bread.  However you eat it, it is pure bliss.  It may sound simple, but this is one of my favorite breakfasts.  And it always transports me back to Paris, to that table in Café de Flore.

Hot, buttered toast dunked into warm yolk.

Such a simple dish but to me, it is perfect.

All gone.  C'est la vie.

Granola

Granola has never been one of my favorites.  I want to like granola, but I generally find commercial brands to be overpacked with oats, too sugary and quite boring.  I always yearn for more nuts, less sugar, a bit more salt and generally, more flavor. Until recently, the idea of making my own granola never really sparked an interest in me.  Now that I've tried it I can say that I'm seriously hooked and can't believe I had never made it before.  It may be the most versatile recipe ever.  You can add whatever you like.  In mine, I kept the traditional rolled oats but balanced them out with pistachios and slivered almonds. I love my seeds so flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds all went into the mix. Some fleur de sel for that salty bite I crave and a pinch of instant espresso powder for the slightest coffee flavor.  Pure maple syrup, honey and a bit of fruity olive oil brings it all together.  My husband isn't a huge dried fruit fan, but currants or dried cherries would be delicious mix-ins.  Bake in the oven, allow it to cool and there you have it, delicious granola just the way I like it.  Finally.

Granola
makes about 5 cups

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 tsp fleur de sel or kosher salt
1/4 tsp instant espresso powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small sauce pot, heat the honey, maple syrup and olive oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture thins and combines.

Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.  When the syrup mixture is ready, pour it over the granola mixture and toss to combine.  Spread the granola evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes to ensure even browning.

When the granola is finished, allow it to cool completely in the pan.  Store the cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature.

Making your own granola... it is almost too easy.

Spread the sticky granola into a thin layer for even browning in the oven. 

Toasted oats, seeds and nuts.  

 Perfect for snacking.

Buttermilk Apple Cake

This is the kind of cake you want to have on your counter.  At all times.  Afternoon snack craving?  Grab a piece of this cake. Need a little dessert after dinner?  This cake does the trick.  Want something to enjoy with your morning coffee?  You get the idea.  The perfect thing about this cake is that it's neither too sweet nor too dense.  It could be topped with almost any fruit, but I decided to use a tart variety of apples from my favorite local orchard as I found them to soften perfectly in the oven.  This cake has ample tang from the buttermilk, nuttiness from the whole wheat and spice from the nutmeg.  It has simple, homemade apple flavor that I so often crave in the fall.  Bake this cake, let it cool on your counter and slice it into generous chunks.  Mark my words, it will disappear in no time.

Buttermilk Apple Cake
adapted from a recipe in Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
makes 12 servings

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder (use aluminum-free if you can find it)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (if you're using pre-ground, only use 1/2 tsp)
2 L eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
6 Tbsp (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4-5 small, tart and soft apples, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons
3 Tbsp raw turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a a 9x13 inch metal baking pan and line with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, slightly cooled melted butter and vanilla extract. Don't be alarmed as the wet mixture will likely curdle.  Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture and fold together until just combined.  Be sure not to over mix.

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the apples over the top in an even layer.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of the apples and batter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until just done.  Be sure not to overbake.

Beautiful apples from Sweetland Orchard.  

Layer the thinly sliced apple then generously sprinkle with crunchy turbinado sugar.

The baking powder gives this cake an almost spongey quality, in the best possible way.

Here's to snacking on apple cake.

Oatmeal with Brown Butter Sauteed Bananas

I am someone who finds comfort in a morning routine.  My dream weekend morning includes a family walk around the lake, a piping hot latte and a fat newspaper, read while enjoying a big breakfast.  Lately, those big breakfasts I so love have been losing out to hastily gobbled power bars, soggy bowls of cereal or lackluster coffee shop pastries.  This oatmeal is what I imagine coming home to after a long morning walk in the cool fall air.  In the past, I've simply taken my oatmeal with a splash of cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar.  Not anymore.  Rolled oats, slowly cooked with just a pinch of salt.  Brown butter sauteed banana adds a nutty element that brings out the flavor of the oats.  A generous drizzle of honey sweetened créme fraiche gives the perfect tang.  Creamy, not-too-sweet and completely satisfying. This oatmeal is ideal for lazy weekend mornings and it is certainly the newest addition to my weekend breakfast routine.

Oatmeal with Brown Butter Sauteed Bananas
serves 2

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 small bananas (or 1 large), chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup créme fraiche
1 Tbsp honey

In a small bowl, mix the créme fraiche and honey.  Set aside.

Combine oats with the milk and water in a medium sauce pot.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, add the salt and continue to stir on and off for another 15 minutes.

While the oatmeal is cooking, add the butter to a small saute pan set over medium-high heat.  Once the butter solids start to turn golden, add the chopped banana, stir and continue cooking until the banana is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Divide oatmeal between two bowls and top with sauteed banana and honeyed créme fraiche.

Gently cook oats until they are creamy, yet still have a slight bite.

Generously drizzle your oatmeal with the honeyed créme fraiche.  Tangy and slightly sweet.

Perfect for those quickly approaching fall mornings. 

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich

This sandwich makes me truly happy.  In late summer when the market stands are filled with sweet, ripe heirlooms, all I can do is think about this sandwich.  Sure, I also take joy in eating the tomatoes as is or sliced into wedges with a sprinkling of sea salt, but this sandwich is my go-to tomato indulgence.  Thickly sliced heirloom tomatoes sandwiched between two slices of crusty white bread.  Finished with a smear of mayonnaise, a handful of baby lettuce and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  I could eat this sandwich every day.  Add bacon for a killer BLT, but I usually keep it simple to better showcase the tomato flavor.  If you don't like mayonnaise, use a bit of hummus which is also quite delicious.  I've made myself this sandwich a seemingly infinite number of times and it never gets old.  As a matter of fact, I think I know what I'm having for dinner tonight.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
makes 1

3 thick slices of heirloom tomato
2 slices of crusty white bread
handful of baby lettuce (I like arugula)
mayonnaise
sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Spread mayonnaise on both slices of bread.  Arrange tomato slices on one slice of bread and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.  Top with lettuce and the remaining slice of bread.

Sweet, juicy and ripe heirloom tomatoes.

Fresh crusty bread.  The perfect vehicle for soaking up tomato juice.

A bit of mayo, a bit of lettuce and lots of tomato.

Don't even bother grabbing a plate.

The sandwich won't last that long.