upside down pear olive oil cake

A couple days ago my neighbor gave me a bag of pears. She said that they were ready to eat right now and she already had too many. Well, lucky me. I was thinking of what I could do with them -- besides just slicing them and eating them by themselves. I recently came across some recipes for pear grilled cheese, or pear pizza. They sounded good, but a little too heavy for these hot summer days.

Lately, I've noticed a lot of delicious olive oil cakes on the dessert menus at some of our favorite local restaurants. They're always delicious and I've been wanting to make one at home for awhile. So, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. I found this recipe here and added and took away a few ingredients. It turned out pretty delicious and was simple to make. So light, but rich, and the perfect amount of sweetness. Even Colby thought it was good. So good, in fact, that when I asked for a bite of his later (which he paired with some peach and goat cheese ice cream he made earlier this week...amazing) he almost said no. Almost.

Upside Down Pear Olive Oil Cake

You're gonna need...

2 pears, I used Bosc, cored and sliced
2 cups of flour
1 3/4 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 1/3 cups of olive oil
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 tablespoon of lemon zest
2 tablespoon of lemon juice
 

Preheat your oven to 350.

Line a 10 inch spring form pan with parchment paper and then spray with non-stick spray. I cut out a large circle of parchment paper (about the size of the bottom of the pan) and used that. Evenly layer the sliced pears on the bottom of the pan.

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

Pour the batter into the pan over the pears. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Stick a toothpick or knife into the center and make sure it comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan and then separate the cake from the side of the pan by inserting a knife and running it along the edge. Open the spring form pan and invert the cake onto a cooling rack or cake stand. Remove the bottom of the spring form pan and then peel the paper of the layer of pears.

Serve plain, with ice cream, or freshly whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from here.

Enjoy!

fresh tomato and caper pasta with basil and grilled salmon

We are well into summer and one of the things I love most about this season is how the heat just makes you want to eat lighter and healthier. And thank goodness for that. I love winter and all of the hearty meals that come with it, but summer is the best. We are always looking for new meals that are light, healthy, and that we think River might also like. While we were visiting family in Boise this last weekend, my sister-in-law made us something similar to this and we loved, loved, loved it. And, the best part is, River loved it too. So, as soon as we got home we wanted to make it again. We changed a few things, and added a few things, but it was still delicious. I hope you can find the perfect night to make this dish for your dinner sometime soon.

Summertime Pasta with Grilled Salmon
serves 4

You're gonna need...

1 package of fettuccine
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons. extra light olive oil
2 cups of small tomatoes, halved
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
1 tsp freshly black pepper, or more to taste
1 pound of salmon
1 cup of basil leaves, then lightly chop
3 tablespoons of capers, drained
4 cups of spinach leaves

Brown Sugar Glaze

You're gonna need...

1/2 cup of tequilla
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook using the directions. Stir occasionally. Drain pasta and move to a large bowl. Add the garlic, two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine well. In a small saute pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil  on medium heat and toss the tomatoes for a couple minutes, just to soften them a bit, and then throw them in the pasta. Add the basil, and capers to the pasta and toss to combine.

For the salmon, mix the tequila, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until combined. Place the salmon in a small casserole dish and spread the glaze over the fish. Heat your grill and once the charcoal is ready place the fish skin side down on the grill. Cook for 10 minutes.

Place a handful of spinach on each plate or shallow bowl then place some of the pasta over that. Top with a piece of the salmon and serve.

Enjoy!
recipe adapted from here

chilaquiles

About a year ago I was visiting some friends in San Francisco. The boys were off climbing in Yosemite, and the girls were busy eating anything and everything in the city. We started our morning at the farmer's market at the Ferry Building. This market is out. of. control. I have never seen so many different varieties of fruits and veggies in one place. We spent a few hours there walking around the booths and exploring the different shops in the Ferry Building.

Obviously, while we were there we got hungry. But how to narrow it down with so many tasty food stands? My friend, Stephanie, mentioned how delicious the chilaquiles was. I had no idea what this was--but when she explained it to me and I saw a plate of it for myself I was convinced. It was so simple, flavorful, and I couldn't get enough of it. I have been thinking about this dish of food off and on ever since and I finally decided to try it out at home.

I think I came pretty close to what I ate that day, although I think the addition of some of my best girlfriends made it taste even better.

Chilaquiles
Serves 4

You're gonna need...
2 cups Ranchera Sauce (below)
1 cup water
2 or 3 sprigs of epazote, optional
64 good-quality store-bought corn tortilla chips
1/3 cup of finely chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/3 cup of crumbled cotija
2 tablespoons of creme fraiche for drizzling
4 eggs

Bring the sauce, water, and epazote (if you’re using it) to a boil in a 2-quart heavy pot, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer gently for 5 minutes. Discard the epazote sprig. Season to taste with salt.

Add the chips to the pot and cook, shaking the pan or stirring gently to coat the chips, until the chips have absorbed some of the sauce but are still crunchy, about 2 minutes. Garnish with onion, cilantro, cotija, and creme fraiche divided among plates. We also threw a fried egg on top and some refried black beans on the side and it was delicious.


Ranchera Sauce

You're gonna need...
1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (about 4 medium-large)
1 fresh serrano or jalapeno chile, coarsely chopped, including seeds
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2/3 cup of chopped white onion
1/2 of teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Set the oven or toaster oven to broil and preheat. Alternatively, you can preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. If you’re using the oven broiler, position the rack 8 inches from the heat source.

Core the tomatoes and cut a small “X” through the skin on the opposite ends. Roast the tomatoes, cored sides up, on a foil-lined baking pan until their tops have blackened and the tomatoes are cooked to the core, 20 to 30 minutes.

Slip the skins from the tomatoes. Put the tomatoes, chile, and garlic in the blender jar, and blend until smooth. Be careful when you’re blending hot ingredients: Cover the top with a kitchen towel, and hold the top firmly in place with your hand.

Heat the oil in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato mixture, and bring it to a boil. As the tomato mixture is cooking, swish a little liquid around in the blender jar and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat, stir in the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, about 20 minutes.

This salsa keeps in the refrigerator for up to five days or in the freezer for up to one month.

This recipe is from Roberto Santibanez’s cookbook Truly Mexican and can be found here.

Enjoy!

roasted cauliflower and kale pasta

A couple weeks ago, my parents made a quick, surprise trip to Salt Lake to visit us. I love it when they come here. I love opening up my home to them, cooking good food, and catching up over wine--and even more so in the summer time. We spent the evening eating outside with the cool breeze, and then we all took Hank for nice walk to the gelato place across the park. It was perfect.

When they called on Saturday to tell us that they were on their way, I immediately started to think about what to make for dinner.  I had two heads of cauliflower, a bag of chopped kale in the fridge, and a ton of parsley that I needed to harvest from the garden. Here's what I came up with...

Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Pasta

1 package of spaghetti, wheat or rice pasta will be fine
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into chunks
4 loose cups of chopped kale
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pint of cream, or milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour, you can use regular wheat flour or gluten free flour for this
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet. Mix olive oil and garlic in a small bowl and pour over the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper (You could also mix the cauliflower and olive oil mixture in bowl before placing it on the baking sheet to ensure it's mixed evenly, but I like to use as few dishes as possible...) Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes, or until cooked. After you see that it's tender enough to easily stick a fork into it, add the kale on top and drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil. Cook for another 5 minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, melt butter in a large sauce pan on low/med heat. Add flour and keep whisking to avoid lumps. Add cream, or milk. This will create a roux. Keep whisking, waiting for it to thicken up a little bit--about 3 minutes. Remove from heat add the cauliflower and kale to the pan and, using an emulsion mixer, blend the vegetables into the cream sauce. 

Boil water in a large pot for your pasta. Salt your water, generously. Follow the cooking  directions on the package for whichever pasta you choose.

Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the pot and place it in a large bowl. Add as much of the cauliflower mixture as you want and toss. Use your pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary, and add the parsley. Toss again and then place in your serving dish. You can sprinkle some Parmesan and a little more parsley on top if you'd like!

Enjoy!

PS...I had quite a bit of the sauce left over, and on its own (without pasta water added) it's pretty thick. I stuck it in the freezer, and this week I'm going to add some chicken stock to it to thin it down and see if it works for soup! Give it a try!

a summer salad: watermelon arugula salad with feta

Here's another summer favorite of mine. And, now that we have what seems to be fields of arugula, I will be eating this salad regularly. It's so light, simple, and flavorful--and that makes it hard to pass up.

Watermelon Arugula Salad, with Feta

3 cups of sliced, or cubed, seedless watermelon
4 handfuls of arugula
1/2 cup of feta, crumbled
Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt and Pepper (optional)

In a bowl, combine arugula and watermelon. Drizzle with olive oil--not much--and toss. Sprinkle with pepper and salt, but taste the watermelon and arugula first. Sometimes, the arugula will be peppery enough on its own. And, in the same vain, sometimes the watermelon will be flavorful enough on its own as well. But, salt can bring the flavor out really well. Finish with crumbles of feta on top and enjoy!