Special Salt Selection

It isn't very often that the ingredient I most want to showcase in a dish is salt. However, that was the case when I set out to make these pita pizzas. I wanted the salt to be the star. I had these aspirations for the spice because it was special. Not just any salt. Certianly not something poured out of a metal spout from that blue cylindrical container. This salt was "Fumee de Sel", fleur de sel crystals which are hand harvested on the coast of France, then gently smoked over wood chips from aged oak Chardonnay wine barrels. Fancy right?

I purchased this Fumee de Sel when we traveled to Seattle over a year ago. There is a lovely shop in Pike's Place Market called Market Spice. I procured a bag of this unique salt and used it here and there in recipes, but never found the right recipe with simple enough ingredients to really give the salt the attention it deserves. This grilled "pizza" recipe was perfect! The specialty salt added a smokey flavor to the veggies and the pita that complimented the grilling perfectly.

Grilled Portobello Goat Cheese Pizzas
Adapted from Cooking Light August 2004

Ingredients

• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (6-inch) pita rounds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 (6-ounce) package portobello mushrooms
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1/3 cup (3 ounces) goat cheese
• 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Preparation

• Preheat an outdoor grill over medium heat.
• Combine garlic and 1 tsp of olive oil; brush evenly over pitas.

• Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper evenly over pitas.

• Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper evenly over mushrooms and tomatoes. Brush mushrooms and tomatoes with remaining oil and balsamic vinegar.

• Grill pita for 1 minute each side; mushrooms for 6 minutes or until tender, turning once. Grill tomatoes for 1 minute.

• Combine goat cheese with crushed red pepper. Spread goat cheese evenly over warm pitas. Arrange the mushrooms and tomatoes evenly over pitas.
  

• Sprinkle with basil and Serve.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

** Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way by Market Spice. I just wanted to mention the shop since it left such a great impression on me.

Healthy Hiker

Before we moved to DC I had never been hiking. There aren't very many places to hike in the Louisiana as it is very flat and I hadn't hiked on any of my vacations. Last year my very fit and very athletic friend Sarah asked if we would like to hike a path in the Shenandoah Mountains. I am usually game for anything at least once and she told me it would be pretty. I quickly agreed; this would be fun and a new experience I could add to my "while I lived in DC" list.

The night before the hike Forrest (who has been on hundreds of hikes before) attempted to prepare me. He convinced me I needed hiking shoes and that my regular running shoes wouldn't work. Always up for a shoe shopping trip I headed to Dicks's for a new pair of sturdy hiking shoes. I picked out the cutest shoes and figured I was set. After returning home, Forrest nagged me with several lectures about how I shouldn't fix my hair, or wear makeup and that I should leave all my jewelry at home and how I wasn't packing enough water. What was the big deal? Wouldn't I just be strolling through the woods? What could possibly be so grueling about a hike? I was so confident in my soon to be love for hiking that I purchased the frequent hiker card at the base of the mountain the next morning because I was sure I would be back very soon.

Let's just say that Forrest was right. 5 minutes into the "hike" Sarah had me jumping rocks in order to cross a stream.

And this was the easy part. No one told me that this hike would be what I like to describe as 8 straight hours of torture treatment. Sarah and her extremely toned legs ran up the mountain at record speed. I knew very early on in the hike that I was out of my league, my makeup had washed away with the sweat and I had massive blisters before we even made it to the first water break. By lunch time I was seriously contemplating starting a fire to send up smoke signals so I could be rescued. I couldn't fathom the idea that I was not even half way through. Forrest "encouraged" me and insisted that I stop complaining and "come on". Much to my dismay I continued on - by time we began to make our way down the mountain I had decided that morally corrupt prisoners should be forced to hike that particular mountain as punishment for all of their crimes. It was one of the most physically challenging things I have ever been through. Needless to say, I never used that frequent hikers card again and I don't think anyone could convince me to hike a mountain again no matter how pretty it might be.

Sarah came over for dinner last week after another one of her hikes in the Shenandoahs that she said was "really hard". If she thought that was hard and the hike she took me on was intermediate, I think it is safe to say that her hike on Saturday would have put me in the ground. I made her a healthy dinner Saturday night as not to cancel out all of her severe exercise. This was the side dish to the meal.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Grilled Corn Salad
Adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 ears corn, with husks
• 4 beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grates
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

Directions

Pull back corn husks and discard along with silk, place corn over gas burners on the stove until charred all around the cob.

Cut off and discard top third of tomatoes. Using a paring knife, cut around wall of tomato to loosen flesh. Gently squeeze out seeds; discard. With a melon baller, scoop out tomato interiors, leaving the wall intact. Coarsely chop interiors; transfer to a large bowl.

Cut kernels off cob; transfer to bowl with tomatoes and add scallions, all but 2 tablespoons goat cheese, vinegar, and oil.

Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon filling into hollowed tomatoes; sprinkle with remaining goat cheese and, if desired, bacon.

Simplistic Spread

This recipe is going on record as the easiest one on this entire blog. All that is required is mixing some very key ingredients in a bowl. This is an amazing recipe to have in your arsenal because it can be whipped together when you have unexpected guests or when you are looking for a quick snack with a special twist. I served this recipe with Sea Salt flavored New York Style Bagel Crisps. You could make your own crostini if you desire, but that would involve one more unnecessary step.

Ricotta and Goat Cheese Spread
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• Bagel Chips or Crackers
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese
• 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Stir the goat cheese, ricotta cheese, basil, lemon peel, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a small bowl

until smooth and creamy. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the bagel chips or crackers and serve.

"Endive" always wanted to try it

There are some foods that I didn't even know existed until I started to indulge in cooking as a hobby. I grew up in a household with very delicious food, but void of any variety. Every Monday night was Red Beans and Rice and Pork Chops, then the rest of the week consisted of Rice and Gravy and Chewy Meat (yes my mom actually called it that and we loved it), Spaghetti with Red Gravy, Paneed Meat, and Roast with Mashed Potatoes. On the weekends we would have Turkey Poulet, Fried Chicken Breast Sandwiches, Hamburgers and classic New Orleans cuisine. We were a very "stick to routine" type of family when it came to meals. As children, my siblings and I were very picky eaters and my mom would have been wasting money to experiment with new ingredients that we wouldn't have dreamed of eating.

This upbringing contributed to my ignorance of certain types of foods. Endive falls into that category. The first time I even heard the word was during a viewing of the Food Network. I knew I wanted to give this unique pretty little vegetable a try. I am pretty adventurous in the kitchen and I introduce a wide variety of menu options in my home. I have this luxury because my husband isn't a picky eater and he is my only victim. This was my first time using endive in a recipe. I figured it would be a tasty since it follows my basic successful salad equation of "fruit - nut -cheese". I was right, this was a great recipe to introduce me to the world of endive!

Endive Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Walnuts
Adapted from Cooking Light September 2001

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoons honey
  
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 16 Belgian endive leaves (about 2 heads)
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
  
• 16 small orange sections cut in half(about 2 navel oranges)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Preparation

Combine 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes).

Fill each endive leaf with 1 orange section (2 halves). Top each section with 1 teaspoon cheese and 1 teaspoon walnuts; arrange on a plate.

Drizzle the vinegar mixture evenly over leaves, and sprinkle evenly with chives and pepper.

Stunning Starters

When invited to a party I always like to bring a very different, very tasty and very beautiful appetizer. If I am free of all the worry it takes to host the party the least I can do is put some of that energy into making an amazing dish. I cringe at the idea of showing up to the door with just another spinach dip or seven layer dip. It is kind of like "dressing to impress" except that no one gets to taste your clothes after they first see them. Making food look great only further entices people to want to give it a try. And it lets your host know you put effort into making something special which shows your appreciation for the invitation and the hard work they have done to host the party. This appetizer is one of the prettiest dishes I have made and it did require some time to assemble each roll, but it was well worth it. The oohs and aahs it received when placed on the New Years Eve Spread satisfied the middle child in me. I like recognition - what can I say?

Chevre and Mango Steak Rolls
Adapted from Coastal Living

Yeild

Makes 30 to 34 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 flank steak (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 lbs.)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• About 2 tbsp. fat free milk
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) packed fresh goat cheese
• 30 to 34 small mint leaves (or however many steak slices you yield)
  
• About 15 dried mango pieces, cut into 1/4- by 1-in. slivers

Preparation

1. Trim fat from steak. If you skip this step you will have chewy rolls so make sure to take great care in removing all of the fat. Pat the meat dry, rub with oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

2. Lay steak on a grill pan or outside grill.

Cook until firm when pressed on thin end of the steak. Do not over cook, the steak should still be quite pink inside (cut to check), 8 to 10 minutes; turn over halfway through. Transfer steak to a plate; let cool at least 30 minutes. About 45 minutes before slicing, put steak in the freezer (it will be easier to slice thinly).

3. On a chopping board with a very sharp knife, cut steak across the grain, straight up and down or cut on a bias if your steak is not thick enough to provide enough height for the rolls. Cut as thinly and evenly as possible, to make 30 to 34 slices; discard or eat (which I highly suggest) uneven ends. If wet, blot with paper towels.

4. Measure accumulated meat juices and add enough milk to make 2 tbsp.; pour into a bowl.

Combine cheese in the bowl and mash with a fork into a smooth paste.

5. Working with 1 steak strip at a time, lay strip on a flat side. Spread strip with about 3/4 tsp. cheese mixture,

then lay 1 mint leaf and 1 mango piece at end of strip and roll to enclose.

Let stand at room temperature at least 10 minutes before serving.

Fruit - Nut - Cheese

My sister went on a fourth of July vacation with her In-laws this past week. Her husband's family is a huge family blessed with several fabulous cooks. Each night of the vacation, all of the home chefs took their turn at sharing their creations with the others. My sister relayed a story back to me about one of the recipes that included a pearl of cooking wisdom from one of her sister in laws, Jaime. Jaime made a salad one night that everyone couldn't stop talking about. The entire family found it so delicious and their constant praise prompted Jaime to share her salad secret with the rest of the family. She said that every great salad must contain a "fruit, nut and a cheese"!

It sounded so simple yet so insightful. As my sister delivered this hot recipe tip I quickly replayed all of the salads I have ever prepared in my head and matched their ingredients to their reception. Jaime was right! Every salad that I have made in the past and managed to impress with had in fact included those three special ingredients. I have several recipes that I use for salads but decided to share a simpler one that I created when I was in a time crunch during a dinner party one night. If anyone remembers the Coq Au Vin dinner party you will remember that I didn't even have two free seconds to get fancy with the salad. So I quickly threw together the "three magic ingredients" (before I knew they were called that) with some spinach leaves and everyone loved it.

Goat Cheese, Candied Pecans and Spinach Salad
Courtesy Me

Ingredients

2 bags of baby spinach leaves
2 Granny Smith Apples, seeded and sliced (The Fruit)
1/2 bag of candied pecans, I used Trader Joe's (The Nut)
1 8 ounce log of goat cheese, crumbled (The Cheese)
Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Mix spinach leaves with goat cheese and apple slices. Salt and Pepper to taste. Top with your dressing of choice. (See Below)

My Favorite Homemade Dressing
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Using a glass jar with a tight lid, combine the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper, and shake well to blend. Add the oil and parsley and shake.

Now that I am privy to this successful salad secret I am inspired to make another salad using a new fruit, a new nut and a new cheese. Any suggestions? Plus, making a salad gives me a reason to use the beautiful soda glass salad bowl given to us by Forrest's Grandma Gottung!

Pas de bourrée-dy or Not!

Last Tuesday night I went to an Adult Ballet class with my friend Marion. We decide to go several weeks ago and my excitement grew everyday as we waited for the summer session to start. I ordered a leotard, tights and ballet shoes and eagerly awaited the first day of ballet class. I was ready for this adventure, or so I thought.........

I was on Dance team in High School and I like to think I have a substantial amount of rhythm. And I have always been able to hold my own on any dance floor. I have never felt like dancing was one of my weak points and I figured ballet would be a breeze. However, I quickly learned that being a good dancer when dancing to songs that reference 'boots with the fur" and "pimp juice" have nothing to do with ballet. On Tuesday night it mattered none how many choreographed routines I had in my back pocket to "Proud Mary" as I immediately realized that I was out of my element. I knew I was in trouble when the teacher defined the class as an "intermediate" level. Intermediate? I was a beginner! Weren't we going to start with the five ballet positions? I had spent the hour before the class studying them on the Internet after all. The teacher didn't only skip over first through fifth position but she conducted the class mainly in French and at a very fast pace. I spent an hour and a half missing steps, sweating my butt off and having to do turns across the floor in front of strangers who probably thought I was mildly retarded. As I drove home from the class I felt defeated. I had no idea what I had gotten myself in to. I don't like being bad at things and I certainly wasn't comfortable feeling like a failure.

I had to do something and I had to do it quick. I couldn't wallow in this catastrophe any longer. I arrived home, rushed through the door, shed my leotard, tights and failed attempts and hurried into the kitchen. I needed to cook - I was good at that! I prepared a meal I had been wanting to try for a long time. And it was really good! A success - finally! And being back home with Forrest was just what I needed - I knew that he could care less if I knew what a tendu was or if I could pirouette. As long as I could put delicious food on the table he would always be proud of me!


Herbed Goat Cheese and Proscuitto Shrimp
Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

12 tablespoons Goat cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chervil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Salt and pepper
12 large shrimp, peeled, tail-on and butterflied
12 thin slices of proscuitto (I used six slices and cut them vertically down the middle to make 12 strips and I was glad I did because it would have been too salty otherwise)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Drizzle of white truffle oil

In a mixing bowl, blend the cheese, herbs and garlic together. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. ****( I used Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese from Trader Joe's and skipped this step and saved on the fresh herb ingredients)*** Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Press one tablespoon of the filling in the cavity of each shrimp.

Wrap each shrimp tightly with one piece of proscuitto.

In a saute pan heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the stuffed shrimp and sear for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until the shrimp turn pink and their tails curl in towards their body.


Remove from the pan and place on a large plate. Drizzle the shrimp with truffle oil. Garnish with parsley.
This meal was very delicious although I wouldn't serve it as a main course again. The flavor of the goat cheese and the proscuitto where both very strong. They were very rich and after two of them they became overpowering. They would be a perfect h'orderve or an appetizer at a dinner party.

Panini Perfection

By far, our new kitchen appliance that we have put the most miles on in our few short weeks of marriage is our Panini Press. There is just something magical about a machine that toast bread, melts cheese, and warms the inner ingredients all in one step. In my opinion, a panini is certainly not just another sandwich. Sure, before it goes onto the Panini press it is in actuality just a sandwich, but the transformation that occurs in those 4-6 minutes on the press is amazing. Lucky for us, there are a ton of really creative panini recipes available. We have tried several over the last couple of weeks and although this isn't our favorite - it is the only one we have made since I started blogging. This recipe is really good if you are a mushroom lover. And of course, you have to like goat cheese as well (which we both love, love, love it). I have to admit however that I didn't pick out this recipe because it contained goat cheese or mushrooms. The reason I decided to make this particular panini is because it called for truffle oil. And as some of you may know, truffle oil is ridiculously expensive. I had foolishly purchased it for a recipe a couple of months back and have been trying to find a reason to use it again to justify the cost. Ladies, this is the culinary equivalent of buying a really expensive outlandish pair of shoes that match absolutely nothing in your closet and having to go out and purchase outfits that will go with them (now are you with me?). So I figured this sandwich was a good shot at using more of that truffle oil that has been sitting untouched in my pantry for months.

Don't disregard this recipe if you dont' have a panini maker, I have read about several other ways to make a panini if you don't have an actual panini press (losers - just kidding). So I have listed them below:

• Use a grill pan and place a brick wrapped in foil (or another pan) on the top of the sandwich to press it.

• Use a griddle and the same brick technique above (you won't get grill marks on your bread this way , but you will still get the pressed effect)

• And although I have never read of this technique - before I had a panini machine I used to use my George Foreman grill to prepare panini recipes. This approach usually smooshes the inards of the sandwich out - so it isn't as pretty, but desperate times call for desperate measures. (And if a girl wants a melty gooey sandwich, she will find a way to get it!)

Mushroom, Goat Cheese And Truffle Oil Panini
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as button, cremini, shiitake or oyster
1/2 pound fresh goat cheese, or other soft fresh cheese
2 tablespoons truffle oil*, optional
1 small focaccia loaf
1 small bunch arugula
*Can be found at gourmet and specialty food shops.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and 2 tablespoons thyme and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they are browned and soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let them cool for about 15 minutes. Put the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse a few times until they are finely chopped. (Alternately, you can chop them on a board with a knife.) Scrape them into a bowl. Crumble in the goat cheese and add the remaining thyme. Pour in the truffle oil, if using, and mix well to combine.

Cut the focaccia into 4 pieces, slice them horizontally, and drizzle with some olive oil. On the bottoms place 1/4 of the mushroom mixture and top with some arugula. Put the tops on and gently press each sandwich to flatten it slightly. Drizzle some more olive oil over the tops. (Picture below is before it is placed on the press and it is still "just a sandwich")

Place each sandwich on a preheated panini press and grill until the bread is toasted and the cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

FYI - I decided after this recipe that I don't even really like Truffle Oil, so I am chalking up that $12 as a loss and I won't be making any more recipes that require the modern culinary ingredient.