Under a Red Roof

Eggplant Puffs

January 6, 2010 in Cooking + Baking by Colleen | 1 comment

We, probably like most of you, gentle readers, did a lot of eating over the holidays, A LOT. Mostly sweets. I think I am sugared out. Gosh, I hope I am sugared out. I really would like to have less of it in my life, after all. My goal this year is to eat one sweet treat a week, no more. Please do a little dance, say a prayer, whatever you can, to send the support I need to get-r-done. I’d appreciate it. So, in keeping with this desire, my first recipe of the year will not be a sweet one, though the next three or four are likely to be. Baby steps!

So eggplant puffs, it is. Are you an eggplant eater? Me, not so much. I normally find the texture and flavor icky, slimy and just plain weird, save in baba ganouj. That is definitely do-able. So why this recipe appealed to me in the first place, I have no idea. A willingness to branch out, perhaps. Thankfully, it worked! The hubster and I found these so very satisfying that we’ve got another eggplant on the ready. Now that is saying something. Try them for yourself – you might be surprised, too.

adapted from Party Food for Vegetarians by Celia Brooks Brown

1 large eggplant, about 1 pound

olive oil

1/2 cup pine nuts

20 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

4 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced fine

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 450. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Roast for about 30 minutes, until lightly browned and very soft. Let cool, peel off the skin and discard (better yet, compost!). Chop the flesh finely. Reduce the temperature to 400.

Mix the eggplant, pine nuts, olives, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, and egg together in a bowl. Let rest for 10-15 minutes.

Liberally oil a large cookie sheet. Form the mixture into bite size balls and place on sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden and puffy. Serve hot.

Variation – I think these would also make a fine burger-type sandwich filling. Form into patties and bake until browned.

**I tried the patties, and they were great (on a bun with mayo, grainy mustard, Laughing Cow cheese, and spinach)! Be sure to grease the pan REALLY well – they’re a bit more sticky when in patty form.

Enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking, Recipes

Dervishes and Fast Food

December 15, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Remembering by Colleen | 1 comment

When I was a kid, I loved spinning. Loved it. I would go out in our rather capacious yard, extend my arms and go like a top. I’d focus on the undulation of my fingers as I twirled, greens and browns streaking by. Then when I couldn’t take another second, I’d drop dramatically to the ground, look up at the sky and marvel in the sensation that, despite my stillness, my body was still spinning. Heaven. This was such a habit that my Mom told me I’d likely grow up to be a dervish. While I do love watching them, I’ve never actually become one, save, I suppose, for the occasional wild romp in the yard and cleaning.

Mondays are top to bottom cleaning days around here – laundry, vacuuming, mopping, dusting, toilet scrubbing – the whole kit and kaboodle. I used to do a little each day but then felt like that was all I was doing, and it left me kind of depressed. Now that it is condensed into one day, I get a pretty good workout and a gleaming, sweet smelling house at the end. By the way, is it wrong to be in love with the scent of Murphy’s Oil Soap? If it is, sign me up for the program to get me off the stuff. Gosh it smells gooood.

The only problem with my dervish style clean is that I am pretty tuckered out by the end of the day and not terribly keen on making dinner. Thankfully there are fast, make at home meals like this that are delicious without being at all taxing. Otherwise, I don’t know what we’d be eating; maybe chips and salsa?

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

1 head cauliflower

olive oil

1/2 of one small onion

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup raw cashews

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the stem and leaves from the cauliflower. Break up the head into florets. Place on a baking pan and roast for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the onion and garlic. Saute with a bit of olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat until translucent. Add roasted cauliflower, cashews, and broth; bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and puree with an immersion blender or process in a blender in batches until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Makes about four adult sized bowls (I know, so precise).

We had ours with a little cheese toast (with Dave’s Killer Bread! Good bread and an even better story) sprinkle with smoked paprika. It was delicious and warm. Warm is good, too.

Enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking, Recipes

You Can’t Have One Without the Other

December 5, 2009 in Celebrating, Cooking + Baking, Drinking, Eating by Colleen | 5 comments

My friend Carolyn and I hosted a party and gift exchange for a group of our best girlfriends. I came away with an adorable flower brooch – just my style. It was a fun evening of chatter, drinking (delicious cranberry punch), and, of course, eating. I contributed artichoke dip (Bridget’s favorite!), cranberry pecan cookies with a white chocolate glaze, and the best mint filled sandwich cookies I’ve ever tasted. EVER. This is saying a lot. I am very particular people!

This mess is totally worth it!

Mint Sandwich Cookies

– adapted from Martha Stewart Holiday Baking 2002

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

10 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

Peppermint Cream Filling

1 1/2 candy canes (six inch size)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

For the cookies

Preheat oven to 375. Grease two baking sheets, set aside.

Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add egg – beat to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until dough is well combined.

Divide dough in two, so it is more manageable. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a 2″ round cutter and space about 1 1/2 inches apart on the greased baking sheet.

Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are firm, about 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Cool cookies completely.

For the peppermint cream filling

Pulverize the candy cane until it is nearly all powder. I kept it in its wrapper and whacked it with a hammer – satisfying! Cream butter and shortening until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar and pulverized peppermint, beating until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine.

Place cream filling in a pastry bag fitted with a coupler or a sandwich bag with the corner cut off, and pipe about 1 tablespoon filling onto the flat side of half the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top, and gently press on each to squeeze the filling to the edges. It’s a good idea to match up cookies with their best mate to avoid having uneven looking cookies. Makes about 30.

Enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking, Recipes

Giving Thanks

December 1, 2009 in Celebrating, Cooking + Baking by Colleen | 2 comments

For November primrose blooms…

cute and cuddly kitties…

delicious food…

and all that is sweet in this life.

What a lovely Thanksgiving we had here. The hubster and I enjoyed a wonderfully leisurely day at home with the kitties. We never left the house nor changed out of our yoga clothes from our morning practice, just the way we like it.

We also tried a little something new – a vegetarian feast for two. We replaced our poultry portion of the meal with a delicious mushroom, caramelized onion, and gruyere tart. Yummy! The rest of the feast included the usual suspects: stuffing with gravy; cranberry sauce; cranberry, apple, and walnut coleslaw; sweet potatoes with caramelized pecans; and Gregory’s favorite pecan pie – a slice of heaven the whole day long.

I hope you had a terrific day!

Tags: Cooking and Baking

Fall Muffins

November 25, 2009 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | Permalink

These are perfect seasonal muffins, delicious plain or with butter and honey.

1 cup flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour (or use all regular – I like a little extra fiber)

1/3 cup sugar (these aren’t very sweet, so if you like a sweet muffin, use 1/2 cup)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chocolate chips (I made this addition for the hubster – add more cranberries and walnuts, if you prefer)

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup orange juice

zest of 1/2 of an orange

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. Blend milk, egg, oil, orange juice and zest. Pour into flour mixture and stir until moistened. Mix in walnuts, cranberries, and chocolate chips. Fill muffin cups (greased or lined, your choice), and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Makes 9-12, depending on how you fill your muffin cups.

Enjoy!

Tags: Cooking and Baking, Recipes