0 ROASTED BANANA SQUASH with TARRAGON

lately i think i have been at a loss for words, but for this post i think just the few ingredients shown speak for themselves. i've been doing quite a bit of roasted vegetable purees, soups and sauces in the past few weeks, but i think this combo of banana squash, garlic, baby onions and lovely fresh tarragon was so pretty and rustic looking that i just let it be. normally it would be headed for the stick blender and pureed to a silky smooth golden soup/sauce, but i took one bite right out of the oven and thought best to leave this one alone. the first night i had it with crispy Duck a l'Orange. the duck recipe called for fresh tarragon so i thought i would carry the flavor into the veg. now i'm stuck on tarragon. it seems like the forgotten herb. maybe it's not forgotten, but i certainly don't see it used much. i really like what it adds to a dish so i bought another packet yesterday and i can't wait to sneak it into more things. i think i'll try it in some soda bread or an orange tarragon muffin?..what about a sweet savory shortbread cookie?...hmmm


banana squash...i love this squash. i just discovered it this winter. maybe you all have had it before, but it's a new one to me. might be the fact that the name alone scared me off....i don't eat bananas. don't like 'em, never have. i'm glad i tried it because i think it's most similar to fresh pumpkin in texture and flavor. we ran out of fresh pumpkins around here just a little too soon. as a matter of fact, there was even a shortage of canned pumpkin in the stores. i spoke to the manager at Bristol Farms and he said that Libby's was thinking of going seasonal with their canned pumpkin puree until the economy picks up. now i don't know about you, but how will this help or hinder the economy? is this going to make or break Libby's? another market, Gelson's, said everyone was buying it like it was going out of style. they still have a supply on their shelves even after i wiped them out one day. what if they run out? October is a long way away. I NEED MY PUMPKIN !...i make a protein pumpkin pie every week that i eat every morning for breakfast so the shortage make me nervous. i'm lost without my pumpkin fix.

so for now i will substitute my roasted pumpkin with BANANA SQUASH. i know most would say just use butternut squash, but that's a whole different flavor and texture. don't get me wrong...i DO love butternut squash, but it is a bit more sweet than the banana.

SIMPLE ROASTED BANANA SQUASH w/GARLIC AND TARRAGON

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 large 1/4 of a banana squash
peel and cube. i like fairly big chunks

peeled garlic. 10-20? your choice. i like plenty for the garlic lovers. the "haters" can just omit them from their plate. they are left whole, so it does not really effect the cooking flavor until you incorporate them as puree.

10 baby onions

2 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon

salt and pepper

i like a little garlic salt

throw this all in a big baggie and drizzle in some olive oil

toss this around to coat everything

lay out on foil covered (easy clean up) cookie sheet

bake for 20 minutes and stir around. make sure all pieces are getting roasted. you might need to add a bit more olive oil. the squash seems to absorb, but don't go over board.

continue baking, stirring and checking every 10-15 minutes until fork tender.

ready to serve.

i like to make alot. leftovers are yummy throughout the week. easy to change up and serve them again as a thick puree for a side dish or blend with a little stock and make a fabulous soup.

0 Orange Tian

Jennifer from Chocolate Shavings is our host for the March 2010 Daring Bakers' challenge. She presented us with an orange tian which she made for the first time a few months ago at the Alain Ducasse Cooking School in Paris, France. An orange tian is a layered dessert: a base of pate sablee, orange marmalade, whipped cream topped with fresh orange segments and served with a caramel and orange sauce.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did not have time to make my own orange marmalade so I cannot comment on the marmalade making part of this month's challenge. Instead I used one of my favorite local brands, Frog Hollow Farm navel orange marmalade. I also skipped the caramel. I didn’t even make the pate sablee using the recipe Jennifer provided since I already had some in the freezer leftover from some previous baking endeavor.

But I do have an excuse. My March was very busy. At the office my team was at the end of our launch cycle which is typically the busiest and craziest time. To make a busy time even busier I was in Quebec for a week just days before the launch. (My vacation was planned way before the launch schedule was finalized.) I also celebrated my birthday with a lengthy (5 hour!) but wonderful dinner at Manresa in Los Gatos. We had some relatives visiting from out of town and spent a couple nights hanging out with them. And then we had two baby parties (one red egg and ginger and one birthday) to attend. This left me with hardly enough time to devote to this month's DB challenge.

I did manage to whip together a quick version of the tian. I made two 3-inch tians: one using Cuties brand mandarin oranges (see first photo above) and the other with navel oranges (see photo below). Supreming oranges is something I do often since I like the way membrane-free segments look in salads (and I prepare a lot of salads with citrus fruits). All you need is a sharp knife. I only used half the amount of gelatin in my whipped cream layer since I knew that my heavy cream had a high enough fat content to hold its shape after unmolding and I don't like that slightly rubbery texture that cream takes on when gelatin is added.

I didn't freeze my assembled tians. I just let them chill in the refrigerator until it was time to serve them. Unmolding was easy and the orange segments looked really pretty. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the taste of the final product. It tasted like whipped cream with orange segments and a sugar cookie, which is really what it was, but I guess I was hoping that the sum would be greater than all its parts. Maybe the caramel would've made a difference? Even though I was disappointed with my results, I'm glad I was able to complete this challenge.


navel orange tian

The fine print:
The 2010 March Daring Baker’s challenge was hosted by Jennifer of Chocolate Shavings. She chose Orange Tian as the challenge for this month, a dessert based on a recipe from Alain Ducasse's Cooking School in Paris.
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0 WHOLE WHEAT PISTACHIO CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

i like to call these little guys "SQUATTIE BISCOTTI". i made them small and didn't cut them on the diagonal so they would keep their stubby look. i don't know why, maybe just so i could eat more and not feel like a pigglette.

i really like these. they're great for breakfast, afternoon snack or late night nibble. i would, however, definitely suggest a smart beverage of some sort to enjoy with them. much like any biscotti, they are dry and you might feel the need for some dunking liquid. the hearty whole wheat flour really shines through, so if you're not on the whole wheat train, these aren't for you. most of the recipes i came across had a blend of white and wheat, but i wanted this for a healthy breakfast cookie and to me that means whole wheat ALL the way. half measures avail us nothing...besides, i'm trying to REALLY health it up lately...off to HAWAII ! in a week.

here's a tip i'd like to share for those who don't often make biscotti...as shown in the photo above, i like to do my second bake with the slices standing upright. most recipes say to lay flat on the sheet and some say to flip them and bake some more. when you stand them up they get an even toast on both sides and no need to flip. sounds logical, but not too many do it this way. i find that it works best. don't slice your loaf too thin or they will fall over.

WHOLE WHEAT PISTACHIO CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

w/CARDAMOM

adapted from "A Messy Cook" @ Recipezaar found HERE.

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup baking splenda (or real sugar optional)
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 tsp cardamom

a couple dashes of cinnamon

1/2 - 2/3 cup pistachios

1/2 - 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions
Mix together dry ingredients including nuts and berries.

mix eggs with extract
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Divide dough in half. On greased baking sheet, form 2 logs about 2 inches wide and 13 inches long. biscotti dough is always very sticky. mine seems to glue to my hands whatever recipe i use. i try to use as little extra flour as possible, but do use some... just don't over flour yourself or your work surface.
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees, then cool on rack for 5-10 minutes. if you have the time let them cool for 1 hour. i find that it make for a better slice when using nuts and berries.

Slice with serrated knife at ½ inch intervals.
Return to oven for 10-15 minutes more, turning once. here you might want to try the stand-up method mentioned above.
Cool completely and store in airtight container.

these will keep for quite a while just make sure you let them cool completely and "air out" before sealing them up tight.

0 Custard Pie...with Sour Cream?...Too easy

yet another recipe i didn't believe would work. another one of those crazy sounding things i just HAD to try because my curiosity gets the best of me. so few ingredients and all that sour cream just didn't seem right. well, as you can see, it worked. i was impressed and so were my lab rats.....alot of the time, i feel like i have to put a lab coat and safety gear on when i'm in the kitchen because i have no idea what i'm doing, don't know what i'm creating and how it's going to taste. lucky for me, i have a pretty adventurous family and alot of willing, or at least,understanding friends. i must say, they are all a bit more adventurous with the sweet goodies and oooh sooo skeptical of my savory concoctions.
so about this dessert...i wouldn't call it a pie as the recipe says. i don't know what to call it. it was almost like a clafoutis, kind of like a custard, kind of like...hmmm...i don't exactly know, but you should try it. it was definitely like a good old school comfort food type of dessert. the big dessert eater in the family really liked it...finished the whole thing himself come to think of it. i thought it was quite tasty and i will probably end up making it again. it's simple, few ingredients and an extremely quick-prep treat.


since the success of the peach dessert i've made 2 more. this one pictured left was made with canned plums. i love whipping this quick dessert up for my custard lovin' dad. he can finish the whole thing in 2 days. that being said, it does keep for a few days in the fridge. it might lose it's sugary crunch top, but everything else stays tight. as a matter of fact, these slice pictures of the plum pie were taken second day.













personally i thought the pie plate version was just a bit thin. it makes for a more delicate looking dessert, but next time i think i'll try a smaller pie plate or stretch the recipe by about 1/4-1/2. it looks a little wimpy. i bet it would also work well in individual ramikins or something cute like that.




you can see the lovely sugary, crunchy texture that it has out of the oven, or day of baking.

the peach version was a little more impressive, because of the nice plump colorful peach halves. i think this would be fun served in individual ramikins. it might be fun to make for a brunch and play off the baked egg look. hmmmm, i think i might try that. i love dessert for breakfast.

EASIEST PEACH (pie?) CUSTARD DESSERT

i just don't know what to call it, but it's NOT pie...and you can use any other fruits (i think canned works best...or cooked)
many thanks to Food Tales for this odd, but nice, simple comfort food dessert
original found HERE at Food Tales with my notes on bold.

1 big can of peach halves (i don’t remember the amount, I’ll check it later)
1 cup sugar...i used 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda-the splenda went into the batter with 1/4 cup sugar, then i used REAL sugar for the top.
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste is optional
5 tablespoon normal flour
200 gram light sour cream
Arrange the fruit in your ovenproof baking plate-dish.
In a big bowl, mix sour cream, 3/4 cup sugar and flour. Don’t have to use electric mixer.
Pour the mixture on top of the sour cream. Finally sprinkle 1/4 cup of the balance sugar on top.
Bake at 170 degree C for about 40 minutes or until the surface gets brown/golden.
You can have it warm or cold with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.

0 Compost Cookie Bars

I didn't visit the much talked about Momofuku Milk Bar the last time I was in New York City. I did eat at Momofuku Noodle Bar where I indulged in a bowl of their famous ramen and those amazing pork belly buns, but never made it to Milk Bar. Milk Bar is best known for their crack pie and their compost cookies. The compost cookie recipe has been floating around the internet ever since Christina Tosi, Milk Bar's pastry chef, appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly.

In the past the cookie probably would've been called a kitchen sink cookie (as in a cookie with everything but the kitchen sink thrown into it), but in this very environmentally conscious day and age, compost cookie sounds much more trendy. I think what really makes it a compost cookie is the addition of used coffee grounds. Yup, used grounds. I've read that others who have tried the compost cookie recipe thought the coffee grounds didn't really add much to the cookie, but I whole-heartedly disagree. Even though my grounds were used (and therefore much of the "coffee-ness" was already extracted) I could still taste the coffee in my cookie. Maybe it depends on the freshness and type of coffee beans used and how long the used grounds have been sitting after extraction? My used grounds were from locally roasted Blue Bottle beans ground right before making my pour over coffee and the used grounds had only been sitting around for a couple hours. I loved the flecks of coffee throughout the cookie. Of course you don't have to use used coffee grounds. Adding some unused ground coffee would work too (but it would be less compost-y).



The recipe calls for refrigerating the cookie dough for at least one hour before baking to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. I was crunched for time so I skipped the chilling and just spread the just made dough into a baking pan to make cookie bars. After spreading the dough in the pan I gave it a nice sprinkling of Maldon sea salt to play up the salty sweet nature of my cookie bar.

You can use any combination of add-ins and snack foods like chocolate chunks, butterscotch, nuts, dried fruits, candies (like chopped up peanut butter cups, Snickers, Rollos), breakfast cereal, salted pretzels, salted potato chips, oatmeal. I went with 60% cacao chocolate chips, Rice Krispies cereal, crushed salted pretzels and sliced almonds. Use whatever you like - sky's the limit!


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0 SWEET and SAVORY SODA BREAD

well, i am now A BREAD BELIEVER!!!

i can finally say that i have found the bread i have been looking for. you see...i like to reserve my carbs for the best of the best. soda bread is it. moist, dense, crusty outside and flavor-FULL on the inside. it's so versatile, you can put just about anything in it...and i think i will try everything. this bread is so easy that i can see throwing it together with many different flavors on a moments notice. no, i haven't tried bacon or cayenne yet, but i'm sure it's coming soon. a while back i tried Bacon Casserole Bread. as i stated in my post, i thought i was making something moist and casserole-ish. what i was really making was just good ol' yeast rising sandwich bread. it turned out fabulous and everybody liked it, but it's not what i was after. soda bread is what i was after. soda bread is worth the carbs...let's put it that way.

so far i've made 2 loaves. the first was so good i just had to make it again. they were both sweet and savory with smoked gouda, rosemary, sultanas and i added walnuts to the second loaf.

oh...did i mention this is a pretty healthy bread? with whole wheat flour and oatmeal i feel it almost passes as wholesome and healthy. well, at least it makes me feel a little better about wanting to devour the whole loaf. it's hard not to take that second huge slice right out of the middle when it's still hot from the oven. i'm surprised it made it in front of the camera in one piece...actually it was still too hot to cut into so i did get a few shots off.


the crust is kind of like a soft little shell covering. i just wanted to pet it. actually i could hardly wait to cut into it. i think it would be even tastier to just grab a chunk off instead of slicing it. i was afraid i could eat the whole thing in one sitting.

for the recipe i googled around for oatmeal soda bread then whole wheat soda bread and finally healthy soda bread. i found a few that used WW flour and oatmeal together and ended up with 4 great looking recipes. i know from ALL my bread baking experience (kidding!) that most things baked with just WW flour can be quite dense. i have yet to find and try the King Arthur WHITE whole wheat flour. i can't find it at my markets. i have heard that it bakes alot more like regular flour. that being said, i went for the WW flour, regular flour and oatmeal combo recipes. i used Kevin's reicipe as a base and added a little butter (for reasons unknown) and my extra flavors such as rosemary, smoked gouda and sultanas. now that i know this recipe works well as a base and is somewhat healthy i'll use it every time and change the flavors. (update)... i just baked my third loaf today...smoked sharp cheddar, toasted pine nuts, sultanas and sage...OOOH BOY!!! dee-lish!

SWEET and SAVORY SODA BREAD

adapted from Kevin at Closet Cooking(his original found here)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

cut in 4 Tsp butter

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oatmeal

1 Tsp fresh finely chopped Rosemary

3/4 cup grated smoked gouda

3/4 cup sultana (white raisins)

1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

mix the flours, soda and salt in a large bowl

cut the butter into the flour mixture

mix in the oats

add rosemary-stir

add smoked gouda-stir to coat grated cheese...no lumps

add sultanas and , again, stir to coat and separate

Mix in the buttermilk and form a dough.

in the same bowl start to shape you loaf...if baking free-form round.

this dough will be sticky so don't be afraid to flour your hands a little and lightly flour the surface when you finish shaping your loaf.

Shape the dough and place it on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan.

parchment on a cookie sheet works well

for a round loaf slash with an X on top

(optional) brush with buttermilk

sprinkle kosher salt on top

Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes (the top should be golden brown).

my scribbled notes say that i baked the loaf for 30 minutes @ 380 degrees

then 15-20 minutes @ 330 degrees

keep a eye on your first one because it kind of depends on how many additions you have and the size or shape of your loaf.

0 CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI

i'll be brief...i'm soooo behind with my posting. I COOK, I SHOOT, I EAT....then on to the next delicious fun thing. by the time i get to posting about it i've forgotten half of all that's happened. i mean, the adventure and getting to the finished product is the fun part. even if it's a disaster and a complete mess i know i had some fun in the kitchen and made someone laugh out loud. i definitely feel much more comfortable in the kitchen and behind the camera than i do sitting at the computer writing about it.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI

(say triple due to the cocoa, mini chips...then the chocolate dip)
really chocolaty, really crispy, really impressive for parties, gift giving or just for the handy chocolate fix...biscotti always pack well and keep for quite a while.

the bummer is that they are really sticky-messy to make.
the final product turns out beautifully, but i think the recipe might need a little more flour?...i didn't want to change anything, but i did end up using quite a bit of flour while creating the logs for the 1st bake.

the two photos above were shot 3 days after final product. as you can see they definitely get that twice baked, kinda dry crunchy effect. i thought this was a good thing to show since biscotti are supposed to last in an air-tight container for a few weeks...right?...well, they do...they just get that dry look..i guess it's "the biscotti look". the photo below is fresh after dipping..i know, i know if i had tempered the chocolate it would have stayed nice and smooth and shiny looking....do you have the time and patience right now for tempering?...i don't..so the chocolate gets a bit hmmmm...dull ?....still tastes delicious!

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI
adapted from a recipe found at about.com.
click here for original post and copied below for your convenience.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract...i used vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
i added a little less than 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sliced almonds..i used whole almonds
1 cup chocolate chips...i used chocolate bark
1 tbsp shortening
Preparation:Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until smoothly blended. Add eggs and almond extract, beat again until smooth. In another bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend into butter mixture until smooth. Stir almonds into dough. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 logs, about 11 inches long. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Use a serrated knife to make 1/2 inch slices. Place slices back on sheet, and bake for another 6 minutes. Flip slices over and bake for 6 minutes more. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Make chocolate glaze: Mix chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minutes on high in the microwave. Stir until mixed and smooth. Drizzle glaze over biscotti. Makes 36 biscotti

MY NOTES... i already put the few changes i made in bold, but there are a few things i wanted to pass on. i think the baked loaves need to cool longer than 10 minutes. i leave them out for at least an hour... when using whole nuts, i think they slice easier. also, when i go in for the second baking...i like to stand the biscotti upright instead of laying them flat. they dry out evenly and there is no need to flip them. let the finished biscotti cool completely before dipping or drizzling.