I must say that there are some things I can eat until I cannot move. This is one of them. Sweet, tart Hood Strawberries, filled with a Greek Yogurt Cheese & Strawberry Jam. Three ingredients and a little piece of heaven. How about we make some?
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Brunch
Cinnamon Waffles with Brie, Roasted Apples & Honeycrisp Cider Butter
Here are some waffles that just yell out ‘FALL IS HERE’ at the top of their lungs. The waffles are just slightly sweet with an undertone of warm cinnamon. To add some savory to the sweet, we slice generous wedges of Brie cheese to top the warm waffles, and then pile on some oven roasted and caramelized apples. Not done yet! For the grand finale, we reduce Honeycrisp apple cider on the stovetop until it’s thick and syrupy, and then stir just the right amount into melted butter for the final drizzle. The best news is all of this can be made in advance and heated up when you’re ready, so just right for holiday guests. And…it’s one of those dishes where you can make some or all and be happy as a clam. Only want to make the waffles? No problem – they are great on their own with butter and maple syrup. Don’t want to caramelize the apples? Forget about it!! Try the waffles with a slice of Brie and you will be howling with pleasure. It’s all up to you, so just go for whatever combination works. …
Roasted Red Potato & Provolone Oven-Baked Frittata
Is it just me, or do you all have cravings for substantial and cheesy comfort food this time of year? This could possibly be the solution, and is so loaded with healthy vegetables that your guilt factor quotient should be quite low. Oftentimes, frittatas are started on the stovetop and finished in the oven. We aren’t doing that. The whole shebang goes into the oven, is baked until beautifully puffed and golden, and served. This frittata is chock full of roasted red potatoes, colorful peppers and scallions. And yes, there are eggs, half & half, and Provolone cheese, but the per serving amount will leave you with a clear conscience. Delicious right out of the oven, but if you want, bake it the day before, refrigerate, and bring to room temperature before serving. This makes a super easy and do-ahead breakfast or brunch dish for holiday company – or you can be like me and have it for supper on a cool fall evening. All up to you….
Zucchini, Carrot & Coconut Bread
My first impulse when confronted with a frightening population of zucchini from our garden was to bake volumes of zucchini bread. But let’s face it: zucchini bread in and of itself can be a little bit of a snoozer. More flavor was desperately required to jazz up the old traditional bread, so some grated carrot and a generous amount of coconut went into the mix. Now we’re in business!! This recipe makes two loaves, because to me if you go to all the effort to do the baking, you might as well have an extra loaf stashed in the freezer for later.
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Marionberry Scones
Did you know that the Marionberry was developed at Oregon State University? Or that it currently represents about half of the blackberries grown in Oregon? Well, now you do, and you’ll understand why when you taste these scones. Marions are sweet and tart, and a beautiful dark purple in color. Just in case you can’t lay your hands on Marions, never fear – any type of blackberry will work. This is a tender, melt in your mouth kind of scone. Know what I mean? The kind that keeps you going back for just one more..
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Chicken Salad with Blueberries in Crispy Filo Baskets
If you are hosting a brunch, luncheon, shower, or any of those types of things and are in need of a recipe you can make pretty quickly that will keep you out of the kitchen on the big day, this one might just do the trick. I am speaking from experience since I first made this for Mother’s Day for my mom, otherwise known as Neeners. This worked particularly well in that event, since Neeners must eat each meal on time or all hell breaks loose. Neeners usually gets up at 6:00, is wolfing down a lumberjack sized breakfast by 6:10, then takes off in a squeal of tires to do whatever she has up her sleeve for that day. She is home by 11:00, has a linebacker sized lunch, and then a glass of wine and dinner by 5:00. This is her schedule, and woe be to anyone who veers from it. This makes holiday dining somewhat of a challenge in our family, since we do not typically adhere to her feeding schedule. Let’s say we decide to have dinner at 6:00. Just like clockwork, she will come stomping into the kitchen at 4:45…”When are we going to eat??!! I am on my face!!” I think ‘on my face’ means she is faint with hunger, but it could also be that she was feeling the results of happy hour. She is, after all, pushing 87 and a little wine goes a long way. If there is a Neeners in your life, never fear. This recipe can be all done ahead of time and assembled in seconds right before serving. Problem solved. Let’s get organized…..
Chocolate Tweed Scones
Here is another of Tricia’s ‘can’t stop eating’ recipes. These scones are just sweet enough, just rich enough, and dripping with melted chocolate when served right out of the oven. The chocolate glaze is beautiful, and adds yet another layer of decadence to this special treat. So nice for a special Mother’s Day brunch with a hot cup of tea, and also really good snuck from the kitchen with a glass of red wine. See how versatile they are? They are easy to make too – follow along and let me prove it to you!
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Sundried Tomato & Vegetable Mini-Quiches in Hash Brown Crust
Here’s a kind of special occasion dish. This one works so well for a do-ahead Mother’s Day brunch or breakfast when company is coming. The hash brown nests hold a rich and savory filling of just about anything you’d like to make, but we’ve chosen sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and asparagus. Feel free to let your imagination run wild, and switch up the fillings and cheeses so it’s just right for you and yours. Keep right on reading to see how much fun you can have with these!
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Creamy Two Cheese Fondue
Every time I hear the word ‘fondue’, I go immediately into mouth-watering mode. Yes, I know, it’s kind of retro, but to my mind whoever invented it is a genius. Besides, I think it’s quite timely and very appropriate for our remaining rainy evenings that don’t seem to have any interest in making way for Spring. It’s fun for a party or other gathering, but just as much fun sitting in front of the TV for solo or family scooping. If you have and old fondue pot hanging around, now is the time to haul it out. If you don’t have one, a small slow cooker will also do the trick. You can also make fondue on the stovetop, but it requires some dashing back to the stove to reheat and exceptionally fast eating. In all instances, it’s worth it. It’s also one of the simplest things to make in our entire recipe collection, so no need to hesitate…
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Crab Cakes
Happy New Year Everyone!! We had such big plans for some brand new recipes to share this week, but unfortunately the flu bug decided to arrive on Christmas Day instead of Santa, and it was a doozy. Never fear – those recipes will keep until later, but in the meantime, I present to you my very first blog posting, cooked and photographed New Year’s Eve 2014. I present to you: The Crab Cake – only slightly edited from the first version. Hope you enjoy!!
Here we are in the Pacific Northwest, home of the Dungeness Crab – one of nature’s most perfect foods in my opinion. While many Dungeness devotees prefer to dine straight from the shell, I do not have sufficient patience for that endeavor. Instead, I’ve whipped up a few crab cakes.
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