Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese

Wow oh wow were these good. I mean "slap yo momma" good. I thought these would be perfect for me and Chris, as it combines some of our favorite things. I think Chris would totally live in a house made of blue cheese, I could lay in a bed of leeks all day (well...maybe not...there'd probably be a lot of dirt..ew), and good bread? We will make ourselves sick eating bread and butter (food coma).

The first thought that entered my mind after my first bite was "creamy..so so creamy". I may have actually said that aloud now that I think about it. I was alone...don't judge me. Slowly cooking the leeks on the stove with a little butter and oil transforms them into the most decadent, amazing, creamy thing ever. I really liked the blue cheese, but any cheese could easily work here: feta (omg), goat cheese, Parmesan, etc. Chris thought they were okay, even with the blue cheese (gasp!). I think he thought they were too plain. He's wrong (sorry honey).

This would be a great appetizer, or a light lunch. I chose the latter, accompanied by an apple the size of my head. 

Leek Toasts with Blue Cheese

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds leeks (about 3 big leeks), lengthwise and white and pale green parts sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 3 generous cups of slices)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing toasts
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 medium-sized or 12 baguette-sized 1/2-inch slices of bread of your choice 
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled 
Few drops of lemon juice (optional-totally missed this...oops. Must try!)

Directions

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Add leeks and use your hands to slosh them around, separating the rings and letting the dirt and grit fall to the bottom.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium. Once hot, add butter and olive oil until they're fully melted and a bit sizzly. Strain leek slices and add them to the pan, still wet. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and cook leeks for 25 minutes, stirring them occasionally. My stove can't seem to get a low flame, so mine were done in about 15 minutes, as they were starting to brown. Just keep checking! Adjust seasoning to taste.

While leeks cook, brush bread slices with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Run under the broiler until lightly toasted. You may either spread the cheese you're using on now, while the toasts are hot, or sprinkle it on at the end. Divide leeks among toasts. Sprinkle with cheese, if you haven't spread it underneath. Add a few drops of lemon juice, if desired. Serve immediately, or gently rewarm a bit later.

Pastelli: Sesame and Pistachio Bites

Remember when I made Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad? Well I was left with cups of sesame seeds, and had no idea what to do with them. As if Heather from thegirlichef read my mind, she posted these Pastelli a few days ago. I had everything on hand, and made them pretty much immediately. They're the cutest little snack bites!  I was worried they were going to be super sweet because the ingredients consisted of only sugar, sesame seeds, and nuts. There was no need to worry, because though they are sweet, they're more rich then anything else. They are  earthy, chewy, and delicious. I've been eating one or two at a time, usually the second I walk through the door from work. Normally I just stare at the contents of my cabinets for about five minutes and give up due to laziness and "lack of food" (hah!), so I can't tell you how nice it is to have a delicious snack waiting for me when I get home!

Pastelli

Adapted from thegirlichef, who adapted it from Food From Many Greek Kitchens

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1/3 cup shelled pistachios, cut in half

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

Directions

Toast sesame seeds and pistachios in a nonstick skillet over low heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Pour onto a plate or bowl and set aside.

Return skillet to heat and add sugar. Cook, without stirring (I ended up moving the pan around a bit to distribute the sugar better), until it melts and becomes lightly golden. Carefully add honey to the skillet. Working quickly, use a heatproof rubber scraper/spatula to stir in the sesame seeds and pistachios. It should be sticky and thick.

Pour/scrape the mixture out onto a flat heat-proof surface (parchment lined tray, silpat, marble slab, etc.), and flatten a bit with a spatula or spoon. Dip your hands in cold water (as often as necessary) and carefully form a rectangular shape that is about 6 x 7 inches and 1/4 inch thick. 

Let it sit for a few minutes to allow to set up, then cut into small bite sized pieces or rectangles. Don't wait too long or it will be difficult to cut.

I think next time I may try adding some golden raisins. Num no??

Yogurt Scones

I never understood what was so appealing about scones. All the ones I had ever tried tasted like a hard, dry, biscuit (Starbucks anyone?). For a while, I actually wondered if you were supposed to dunk them in coffee like biscotti. Though after seeing several recipes on food blogs, cooking sites, Pinterest, I decided I needed to give them a chance, because obviously something had to be good about them.

I literally Google searched "what should a scone taste like?" Apparently I'm not the only one out there wondering because there were tons of hits regarding this question. After doing a bit of reading, I found that a scone is essentially a glorified biscuit. It should be light, moist, and oftentimes slightly sweet (at least in a America). A comment in one of the threads posted a link to these yogurt scones from Chocolate and Zucchini. I wasn't new to this blog, as it's quite well known in the food blog community, and thought these would be perfect for my first scone attempt.

I was blown away. I love biscuits, but these were SO much better. I didn't even add butter or jam. I ate them warm, straight from the oven. In fact, we all did! I also loved this recipe because it was really easy to make the scones your own. I used lemon zest and dried strawberries, but you could use any other citrus zest, vanilla, whatever fruit you want, or no fruit at all! I also chose to do an egg wash on top. Totally optional of course!

Just to warn you, I think a new obsession may ensue. To all the scones out there: I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to judge you so quickly, simply because I had a few dry duds. I'll make it up to you, I promise!

Yogurt Scones

Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini

Ingredients

Scones:

1 2/3 cups flour

2 rounded tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

A good pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons milk

Flavoring: Anywhere from 2-3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup dried fruit, chopped, or 1 teaspoon citrus zest, or 1 teaspoon vanilla, etc. All of which could be optional.

Egg wash (optional):

Whisk together 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk or water. You will have some left over. You could give them a quick scramble to serve with your scones!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Dice the butter and blend it into the dry ingredients using a fork, pastry cutter, or using your hands (which is what I prefer!), until no visible lumps of butter remains. Add the yogurt, milk, and whatever flavoring you've chosen to use, and blend them in until the dough forms a ball. Handle the dough as lightly as you can. Avoid overmixing, or the scones won't be as tender!

Pat the dough into a flattish round shape, a little over an inch thick, and cut into 8 wedges (you could also use round cookie cutters!). Place the wedges on the prepared baking sheet, giving them a little space to expand. Bake for 15 minutes or until the top of the scones are set and golden brown. Mine were finished at about 13 minutes, but that could because my "oven" is teeny.

Serve warm, with an assortment of spreads, or just the way they are!

Alphabet Soup

Yes, I am twelve years old. I couldn't help but buy the package of alphabet pasta, they're just too stinkin' cute! The day I made this we had our first snowfall in Beijing. Yes, in mid-late March. While it seems like Spring is nearly in full swing in many parts of America, we have snow in Asia. I'm hoping this surprise cold snap doesn't last. Last week we hit 50 degrees and I was nearly skipping to lunch that day. Heh..that would be a sight. I'm already stared at enough, people would probably start taking pictures of the crazy American girl!

Anyways, with snow on the ground I decided this soup would be great for lunch. It's simple, healthy, and delicious. The only change I made to the original recipe was adding canned diced tomatoes instead of water. I loved the addition, and I think you will too! Whether you have kids, or are a big kid like me, this is perfect for you!

Alphabet Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 1/2 cups celery

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 teaspoons of Emeril's Bam, recipe follows

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth (use veggie broth to make it vegetarian!)

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup alphabet pasta

Directions

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and Bam, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Add the alphabet pasta and stir well. Simmer until the pasta is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Bam Seasoning:

3 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons dried parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregeno

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

I was missing a few of these spices, but it was still fragrant and wonderful. Just use what you have! I also halved the recipe, as I didn't want nearly a cup of seasoning. You can use this seasoning for anything else you want including soups, pizza, sauces, steak, etc. Bam!!

Recipe Source: adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Meet the easiest tomato sauce you'll ever make, and dare I say one of the best. All the ingredients are in the name, there's no chopping or dicing, and after 45 minutes you have an amazing, rich, almost creamy tomato sauce. I actually can't believe it's taken me so long to share this. I found this sauce maybe three months ago, and it makes frequent appearances. There's really not much else to say, except that you must try this...and soon. Buon appetito!

Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter

Seen on Amateur Gourmet, originally from Marcela Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking

Ingredients

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes*

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion cut in half ("hamburger style"..hah!)

Salt to taste

Directions

Put the tomatoes (including the liquid from the can!), onion, and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow steady simmer (uncovered..reducing is key!) for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, and discard the onion. I used tongs, and gave them a good squeeze to get all the amazing onion juices back in the pot. Add salt to taste. You may find that your tomatoes already have salt added, in which case you might not need any salt. 

Serve with Spaghetti, with Parmesan cheese. Though, it's so good, you may find you don't even need it!

*I'm sure you could also used canned diced tomatoes or even tomato puree. The cooking time would probably be less, especially with the puree.