Daring Bakers August Challenge - Éclairs

My second Daring Bakers Challenge is over and I am, once again, very proud of myself. I was nervous about making eclairs because, well, I am not an experienced baker and the recipe (as you will see) is pretty intimidating. My wonderful husband took the kids out to the zoo for the day so I had four full hours of uninterrupted baking time. It was definitely a challenge, but that's the point, right? I chose to do a vanilla creme filled éclairs with a chocolate glaze topping. I had so much fun making these delicious little treats and can't wait to make them again. I gave most of them away to my neighbors and friends and they were all delighted. My husband and children were quite impressed and wished I would have saved more. It was a wonderful challenge and I am really excited for the next one.

This months challenge is hosted by Tony Tahhan and MeetaK. The recipe is Chocolate Éclairs by Pierre Hermés from a cookbook written by Dorie Greenspan: Chocolate Desserts By Pierre Hermé.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs - Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 20-24 Éclairs)

Cream Puff Dough: Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil. Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough will be very soft and smooth. Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your hand mixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon. The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the oven into thirds by positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.

The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs. Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep it ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes.

Note: I only have one rack in my oven, so I baked them in two batches.

Note: Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately. You can pipe the dough and then freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Pastry Cream:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half and seeds scraped
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 2½ tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a small saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan. Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture. Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stopping) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat). Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat. Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth. Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Note: I chose to add vanilla extract and vanilla bean to my cream instead of chocolate. If you want a chocolate cream, the original recipe says to add 7 oz bittersweet chocolate. Add it right before the ice bath and make sure it's completely melted.

Note: The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.

Chocolate Glaze: Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 1 cup)

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3½ oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes: If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.

It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce: Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé (makes 1½ cups )

• 4½ oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar

Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens. It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Assembling the éclairs:

• Creme Puffs
• Chocolate glaze
• Pastry cream

Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper. The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula or spoon. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream. Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them. Enjoy.

Notes: The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Notes: If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water, stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create bubbles. The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Don't forget to check out the other Daring Baker's Éclairs by visiting the blogroll.

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Shredded Chicken, Green Chile, Black Bean and Cheddar Cheese Chimichanga

I could eat Mexican food every day. I love it. I crave it. I need it. Luckily, my husband loves it too and if you ask my children what restaurant they want to go to, they will always say "chips and salsa" aka a Mexican restaurant. Anyway, I had a few avocados to use up and decided to make a batch of guacamole. I love shredded chicken with green chiles so I thought a chimichanga would be perfect with the creamy guacamole. I was right. I added black beans and cheddar cheese along with the chicken and green chiles. Cooking the chimichangas in a hot dry skillet makes them really crispy on the outside while staying moist and tender inside. The cheese oozes out and the green chile gives it a bit of a kick. My husband and I loved this! The chiles were a bit spicy so I did chicken, bean and cheese for the kids - they LOVED theirs too.

Shredded Chicken:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any fat
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, diced finely
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and gently boil for 20 minutes. Let the chicken breasts cool then shred with two forks.

Ingredients:

• Flour tortillas
• Cheddar cheese
• 1 4 oz can of whole green chiles
• Tomatoes, diced (garnish)
• Green onions, diced (garnish)
• Black beans, rinsed and drained
• Guacamole (click here for recipe)
• Sour Cream (optional)
• Salsa or hot sauce (optional)

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. On a flour tortilla layer cheese, green chile, shredded chicken, black beans then roll into a burrito, making sure to fold in both sides to contain ingredients. Place in the hot skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Top with fresh guacamole, tomatoes and diced green onions. Enjoy.

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Crash Hot Potatoes

I love looking at food blogs and getting inspired to make new things. I was looking at the Pioneer Woman Cooks website the other day and I saw a recipe called "Crash Hot Potatoes". They were created by an Australian food writer named Jill Dupleix. I love the Pioneer Woman, she has a witty and wonderful website full of great recipes & stories. She also gives you step by step photos of the recipe. Check out her website through the link above - you'll love it. I decided to make these little beauties and my whole family was glad I did. Growing up in Idaho, I had potatoes every way you can imagine...and I love them all. I have never had potatoes like this before so I had to try them. The recipe was very easy to make. They were crunchy and creamy and so delicious. I loved them plain with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper and a bit of olive oil and I also liked them with a bit of sour cream and green onions. A great new potato recipe to add to my collection.

• 12-15 baby red potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (PW said 450 but I used 400). Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Place on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray or drizzled with olive oil. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and with a potato masher, gently smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (add a bit of your favorite dry herbs if you like).

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Eat plain or top with a little sour cream and green onions (my kids loved them this way). Enjoy!

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Banana, Coconut, Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

I had two very ripe bananas to use up so I decided to make cookies with them. I looked through my baking pantry and realized I had a little bit of shredded coconut, milk chocolate chips and walnut pieces leftover from a previous recipe. My kids and I thought all of those ingredients together would make fantastic cookies - we were right. We had fun making them and enjoyed smelling them bake. They were light and fluffy, slightly sweet with the banana, coconut and milk chocolate while the nuts were crunchy. They reminded me of a muffin top - the best part of the muffin. My kids LOVED them and so did I. My husband and neighbors also enjoyed them too. This recipe is a great way to use up those extra ingredients you have lying around.

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large, very ripe, bananas)
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together, and set aside. Mash the bananas until creamy smooth.

A perfect job for my little ones

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and walnuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. If you are doing two batches with the same cookie sheet, make sure to let the cookie sheet cool completely before adding more cookie dough. Let cookies cool on rack. Enjoy.

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Parmesan Chicken

I really love checking cookbooks out from the library and reading them after the kids go to bed. I adapted this recipe from the Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, Family Style Cookbook. This dish looked really easy and delicious. It was fairly simple to make with little clean up. The chicken was crunchy on the outside while moist and tender inside. I served with red potatoes and fresh corn on the cob from my neighbor Jack's garden. It was a wonderful meal.

• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 2 eggs, mixed thoroughly
• 2 tsp butter, divided
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray

Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them, with a mallet, until they are 1/4 inch thick. Cut each breast in half.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, dried basil, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste and re-season if necessary. Beat the two eggs in a separate bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture then the bread crumbs, making sure to coat evenly, then place in the hot skillet. Cook the chicken 3-4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy.

Extra sweet corn - thanks Jack!

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Pasta with Mushrooms and Asparagus in a Pesto Sauce

I didn't feel like making anything time consuming for dinner and I had left over pesto sauce, so I decided on pasta. I just bought some Bucati noodles from Trader Joes and I wanted to see how they were. They are very thick and hollow spaghetti noodles that are supposed to hold sauce really well. I had some mushrooms and fresh asparagus to use up so I decided to combine everything together. I really, really liked this pasta dish. It was light, very flavorful and filling. The pesto sauce went really well with the mushrooms and asparagus and I loved how big the noodles are. It was a really quick and easy dinner with very little clean up... perfect for a tired mom.

• 6 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 10 asparagus spears, ends removed and cut into thirds
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Noodles of your choice, cooked per instructions
• 1/2 cup of pesto sauce
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Add asparagus then salt and pepper to taste and continue to saute until asparagus is tender. While mushrooms and asparagus are cooking, cook noodles per instructions. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and return to pan. Add pesto sauce, mushrooms and asparagus then mix thoroughly. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy.

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Pesto Chicken Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Havarti

It has been extremely hot here for the last few days and I have been trying to do easy meals that don't require too much cooking inside the house. I just made home made pesto sauce and couldn't wait to use it so I made grilled pesto chicken sandwiches with caramelized onions and Havarti cheese. I served them with a caprese salad, baked fries and a cold beer. A perfect meal for a hot summer night. My husband did an amazing job grilling the chicken breasts, they were moist, tender and delicious. Words cannot express how much I loved these sandwiches... the pesto, caramelized onions and Havarti were a perfect combination of flavors. We had friends over for dinner and not only did they love it but so did all the kids.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 3/4 cup of pesto, divided
• 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Tomato slices
• Lettuce leaves
• 8 slices of Havarti cheese
• 8 hamburger buns
• Mayonnaise

Cut each chicken breast into two pieces. Place chicken between two pieces of wax paper or saran wrap and pound each piece until thin. Place chicken in a large zip lock bag with 1/2 cup of pesto and marinate for at least 2 hours.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion slices and a bit of salt then saute for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized. While the onions are cooking place chicken breasts on a hot grill and grill for about 5 minutes then flip. Cook additional 2-3 minutes then add cheese and continue to grill for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and juices run clear.

Toast the buns, spread mayonnaise and pesto on each side then layer with chicken and Havarti, caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato. Enjoy!

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Pesto

I am in love. I can't believe I have never made pesto before...it was quick and simple to make and tasted fantastic. I have tried several different store bought pestos but never found one that I liked - I will NEVER buy pesto again. I am so excited to make different recipes with this beautiful sauce. It's so versatile and can be used on meats, salads, sandwiches or pastas.

• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
• 2 cups of fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

You can use a mortar and pestle, a Kitchen Aid mixer or a blender to make this pesto. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast pine nuts for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.

In your mixer add garlic and pine nuts then pulse until chopped. Add basil leaves, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper then pulse until well blended. Slowly pour the olive oil in while the mixer is on. Make sure to scrape the sides then pulse again until thoroughly mixed. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if necessary. Enjoy!

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Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad

My wonderful neighbor Cheryl invited my kids over to pick some fresh cherry tomatoes from her tomato plant and they had so much fun picking and eating them. We ended up with a large bowl of cherry tomatoes and I couldn't wait to make a salad using them. I found some yellow grape tomatoes and fresh mozzarella balls at Trader Joes and decided to make a little caprese salad. I added freshly picked basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. A simple, delicious and beautiful salad!

• 2 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes
• 1 large handful of yellow grape tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella balls
• Freshly picked basil leaves, torn or cut into pieces
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss until thoroughly mixed. Enjoy!

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Baked Zucchini Sticks

I have been trying to find new ways to cook the zucchini from my neighbor Jack's garden. I was in the mood for something crunchy and decided to try baked zucchini with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. I love fried foods but they are obviously not healthy - this is my healthier version of fried zucchini. I cut the spears thick so they wouldn't get overcooked and mushy. They were crunchy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. I served them with left over marinara sauce and they tasted so good! My kids absolutely loved them and both asked for seconds.

• 2 large zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Dash of garlic powder
• Dash of dried basil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil or wax paper - spray with cooking spray. Cut the zucchini into half lengthwise then into thick spears. Combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings then mix thoroughly. Dip the spears into egg then bread crumbs and Parmesan mixture, making sure to coat evenly. Place on baking sheet and spray the top of each spear with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes then turn the oven to broil and cook, watching carefully, until they become golden brown 45-60 seconds. Serve with marinara sauce or your favorite salad dressing. Enjoy!

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Pork Chops with Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions and Feta Cheese

This is one of my favorite pork recipes. As you can tell from my blog, I love cooking with garlic, tomatoes and caramelized onions. I used thin chops this time but I prefer to use thick chops because they are much juicier. I love the combination of flavors and textures in this dish... the tomatoes and caramelized onions are sweet while the feta is a bit salty. Topping the whole dish off with a bit of balsamic vinegar just completes it perfectly. My kids and husband all love these chops and so do I. It's really delicious and healthy too.

• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 5 thin cut pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
• 1 handful of red grape tomatoes
• 1 handful of yellow grape tomatoes
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp of feta cheese

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a bit of salt then saute until golden brown and caramelized - about 15-20 minutes. Add minced garlic, stirring frequently for 60 seconds. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and season the chops. Make sure pan is nice and hot before adding pork. Cook for 2 minutes before turning over. Cook for additional 1-2 minutes to desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat to a serving platter. Make sure to let pork rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing so it stays nice and juicy.

In the same skillet add the grape tomatoes and onions to pan - add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes to cook the tomatoes slightly. Pour the tomatoes and onions on top of the pork, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Top with feta cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!

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Coconut and Lemon Blondies

Our dear friends often babysit our kids so my husband and I can have a date night. Since they won't let us pay them, I decided to bake them a special treat as a thank you. My three year old son Chase wanted to help and I must say, we made a great team. They were unbelievably easy to make and smelled delicious while they baked. I had a taste before giving them to our friends and they were so amazing. The coconut and lemon combination went really well together. Both my kids and our friends loved them. Chase was very proud!

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/4 sticks of unsalted butter (10 tbsp)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (or coat with cooking spray) a 9.5 x 13.5 x 2 inch baking pan. In a large bowl combine, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix thoroughly. Using a mixer, beat brown sugar and butter until creamy, add one egg at a time along with lemon juice and lemon zest. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until blended. Add the coconut and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour batter in prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake blondies for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool blondies before slicing into squares. Enjoy!

My little chef

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Penne with Shrimp and Roasted Vegetables in a Roasted Garlic Lemon Sauce

We had friends over for dinner and I wanted to make something light, healthy and filling so I decided on pasta with shrimp and veggies. The flavors combined well and the pasta dish turned out really delicious. The roasted tomatoes, zucchini and asparagus were sweet yet still a bit crisp. The sauteed onions were perfectly caramelized and soft while the pine nuts were lightly toasted and a bit crunchy. I really loved the roasted garlic, lemon and butter sauce - it completed the dish.

• 2 cups of medium size shrimp, deveined and tails removed
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and marinate for at least 2 hours.

• 1 sweet yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 bunch of asparagus spears, ends removed and cut into thirds
• 1-2 cups of grape tomatoes
• 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 1 bulb of roasted garlic (divided)
• 1/2 lb of penne pasta, cooked per instructions
• 1-2 tbsp butter
• Juice of one lemon
• zest of half a lemon
• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Roast garlic (see instructions through link above). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and coat it with cooking spray. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the onion and saute for 15-20 minutes or until caramelized and tender. While the onions are cooking, place a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast the pine nuts for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, set aside. Once the onions are cooked, add the shrimp to the same skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.

When the onions are nearly cooked, place the baking sheet with vegetables in the oven and roast for about 5-7 minutes or until tender yet still a bit crisp. Cook the pasta per instructions, drain and put back into large pot.

While the pasta is cooking and the vegetables are roasting, gently remove the skin from the roasted garlic and chop half for the pasta, set aside and place the other half in a small bowl. To the half in a small bowl, add lemon juice, lemon zest, butter, 1 tsp olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper; mix thoroughly.

Add the roasted vegetables, sauteed onions and shrimp, roasted garlic chunks, lemon juice mixture, Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and basil; mix thoroughly, taste and re-season if necessary. Enjoy.

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Chicken, Basil and Orzo Soup

My daughter woke up with a stomach ache so I decided to make her a pot of homemade chicken and orzo soup for lunch. The soup needed to be nutritious, delicious and mellow on the tummy. I had left over chicken from the Roasted Lemon and Basil Chicken I made the other night; I also had some homemade chicken stock (made from the same chicken). I used orzo for the noodles because it's one of my daughters favorites. The broth was delicious, the pasta soft and creamy and the fresh basil topped it off perfectly. This was a nice soup, for a sick child (and the rest of us), on a cloudy day.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced finely
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped (chiffonnade)
• 6 cups of homemade chicken stock (store bought is good too) (recipe below)
• 2 cups of roast chicken meat, diced into bite sized chunks
• 4 oz dried orzo pasta or whatever flavor you like

Chicken Stock:

After making a roasted chicken, I make a delicious stock. I let it simmer for 2-3 hours, strain it and put in the refrigerator for the night.

• Chicken remains (remove skin so it isn't as fatty)
• Onion, chopped into large chunks
• Celery, chopped into large chunks
• Carrots, chopped into large chunks
• Bay leaf
• Fresh chopped parsley
• Garlic
• Dried basil
• Salt & pepper

Soup:

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add onion and stir for 1-2 minutes; add carrots, celery and garlic then stir for 60 seconds. Stir in chicken stock, diced chicken, bay leaf, dried basil, chicken bouillon then season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 1 hour; bring to a boil and add dried orzo pasta and cook per instructions. Taste and re-season if needed. I served with fresh bread and butter. Enjoy!

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Sloppy Joes

Okay, so this isn't a culinary masterpiece but it is an easy dinner when you have left over ground beef and hamburger buns to use up. I wasn't in the mood for anything fancy and I was really tired so I threw some ingredients together and made sloppy joes. It was extremely easy to make and tasted great. I served them with baked steak fries and watermelon wedges. My husband and kids loved this dinner and I loved how easy it was.

• 1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
• 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried mustard
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 cup of ketchup
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onion, celery, garlic and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Drain any grease then add ketchup, brown sugar and water. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy.

Zucchini Bread

My amazing neighbor Jack has been giving me loads of fresh zucchini from his beautiful garden. We love zucchini bread so my kids and I decided to make a couple of loaves. This was my best batch of zucchini bread I have ever made. It was perfectly cooked - extra moist and tender and tasted so great. I loved the spice flavor as well as the crunchy texture from the walnuts. My kids did a great job and we had so much fun together. Baking is a wonderful way to spend time with them.

• 3 cups of flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups of grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans or coat with cooking spray. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Beat together, oil, eggs,white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add flour mixture to the creamy mixture and mix well. Gently add the zucchini and walnuts until well combined. Pour into greased bread pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife is inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes moving to a rack. Enjoy.

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Pork Tacos with Fresh Pico de Gallo and Gaucamole

We love Mexican food, especially tacos. I had ripe avocados to use up and a pork tenderloin in the fridge, so I decided tacos would be a great dinner. I made fresh guacamole (see link to recipe below) and pico de gallo and then I diced up the tenderloin and marinated it in a dry rub for a few hours. The tacos were so good that I had to control myself and eat only two (I could have had four). I loved the spicy pork with the creamy guacamole and the pico de gallo was tangy with a bit of heat. It was a nice dinner that we all enjoyed- my kids ate every last bite.

Dry Rub:

• 1 pork tenderloin, diced into bite size chunks
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (I did 1/2 tsp of each)

Combine all ingredients in a large zip lock bag and mix until all the diced pork is equally covered in the dry rub. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Pico de Gallo:

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced and seeded
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion or red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (more if you want spicier)
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Dice tomatoes and remove as many seeds as possible. Dice onion and jalapeno, chop cilantro and mince garlic. Combine ingredients in a bowl and add lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir gently until mixed thoroughly.

• 1 tsp olive oil
• Corn tortillas
• Fresh guacamole
• Cotija cheese, grated
• Black beans
• Lime wedges

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is really hot add the pork and cook for 5-7 minutes or until pork is cooked through. Set aside.

Place the black beans (rinsed and drained) in a pan, season with a touch of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste and cook over medium low heat until warm.

Cook the tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 45 - 60 seconds on each side or until soft and pliable. Build tacos with pork, black beans, cotija cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole. Don't forget a squeeze of fresh lime juice right before you eat it. Enjoy.

Thanks for the great plates Brooks!

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