Fresh Basil-Lemon Halibut

Since our freezer is half full of halibut fillets from our recent trip to Alaska, I've been on the hunt for an easy, tasty fish recipe. Ken and I love fish and the mild flavor of halibut lends itself well to many seasonings. Yet, I've found many flavors take away from the actual 'fresh fish' taste, which growing up in Hawaii, I learned to treasure. The foil technique included below helps keep the fish moist while it bakes, "steaming" it in the basil leaves, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. I hope you will enjoy this easy yet simply delicious vinaigrette!

Foil-Steamed Lemon-Basil Halibut

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped and/or crushed
Salt and Pepper, to taste
3-4 six-ounce halibut fillets

Aluminum foil, for baking

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together lemon juice, olive oil, chopped/crushed and garlic cloves in a small bowl until combined. Stir in fresh basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. With large sheets of foil handy, dip each halibut fillet into the lemon-oil mixture and place onto a large sheet of foil, one fillet per sheet. After placing all the fillets onto separate sheets of foil, gently lift the sides of the foil up, creating a bowl-shape for the fish (so that liquid will not spill out.) If any oil mixture remains in the small bowl, divide it among the fish on the foil sheets. 

Wrap the foil together, loosely sealing the packets of fish, so that no liquid escapes during baking. Transfer the fish packets to a large baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees 10-15 minutes, checking for doneness. (Fish is done when it flakes easily off a fork inserted into it.)

Optional: I cut up slices of yellow squash and included them in the halibut packets. You can easily do this with zucchini or other vegetables.

Mr. & Mrs. {A Series of Professional Photos}

Last month, Ken and I visited his parents in Alaska and had the unique opportunity to do a photo shoot with Marilyn Jeffers Photography. Since our second anniversary is coming up next month, Ken and I wanted to commemorate our first couple years with some visual mementos. Our time visiting friends and family in the ruggedly beautiful state of Alaska felt complete after getting to take home some gorgeous photos with mountainous backdrops. Based out of Eagle River, AK, I highly recommend Marilyn's work and ability to capture vivid color and movement.


I hope you enjoy these snapshots!

Hello Baby Shower Goodies!

Pastel Layer Cake with Buttercream Roses

This afternoon I celebrated a dear friend's soon-to-arrive baby girl. Another friend and I had the privilege of hosting this party and I must say, I love hosting parties! Beating, mixing, whipping, baking, frosting, decorating and prettily packaging cakes and goodies are some of my favorite hobbies. So it was sheer pleasure being asked to provide the treats for today's gathering.  

A few weeks ago, I decided that I'd finally make Martha Stewart's famous pastel layer cake and chocolate whoopie pies (think giant oreo cookies with fluffy creme filling). Yum. Or, in the words of my brother-in-law upon opening his cookie care package I sent, "Nom, nom, nom."

Regarding the roses I made, I have to smile as I think about how much time I spent trying to teach myself how to pipe icing flowers out of soft buttercream frosting earlier this week. Every time I molded the flowers, it didn't work. The icing wasn't stiff enough. So, if you are going to make roses out of icing, please make sure that your icing is stiff enough to support the petals. Also, it's best if the icing hardens within a few hours for easy transport (if you are taking your cake to a friend's house, a party, etc.) I recommend freezing the individual roses and then applying them to the cake when you are ready to leave the house or an hour before serving. Good luck.

Here are some photos and ideas for your next baby shower or celebration. I thought of making the "whoopie!" toothpick tags as a last-minute idea this morning and I'm proud of how cute they turned out. Thanks goes to my husband for helping me cut the paper and glue it onto the toothpicks while I was frantically racing around the kitchen finishing the cake and pies. You're the best! 

I hope you enjoy trying these recipes! See below for links. 

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Marshmallow Filling

Toothpick Tags

Pun Intended

Treat & Snack Table

Tissue Paper Flowers add elegance on the cheap

Recipes & Instructions:

Martha Stewart's Pastel Layer Cake: http://www.marthastewart.com/287207/pastel-layer-cake

Buttercream Frosting: http://whatscookingamerica.net/PegW/ButtercreamIcing.htm (with shortening)

http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/  (with butter)

Piping Roses:

Ideas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXNbaBlcnWE&feature=related

Technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7gvetgdNnw

Tissue Paper Flowers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXNeVq2RxFU

Three-Bean is Supreme!

When I was younger, I remember that my Mom really liked 3-bean salad. She'd buy it in little plastic containers, which were either circular or rectangular, and have it as a snack or with lunch. I can still smell the vinegary aroma that wafted into the air from that colorful dish. It tasted both sweet and sour the first time I tried it myself, probably years later. The trio of beans didn't look appetizing to me as a child but during college, I starting liking this dish a lot. And in the past few years especially, I have bought it from either Costco or the local grocery store, as the perfect healthful snack or complement to a salty meal.

Yesterday, Ken and I were scheduled to attend a potluck with our friends from Stephen Ministry. It took me all morning and a good portion of the afternoon to figure out what our contribution would be. For background, I love potlucks. I love the different dishes people bring and the anticipation of whether or not those dishes will go well together (they almost always do). I also love spending time with lots of people in one place, sharing life together through food and conversation.

Likewise, potlucks are a great venue for people to try out their cooking skills on others. For this very reason, it took me quite a while to decide on what dish to make. I had planned about a week ago to make one of Martha Stewart's famous six-or seven-layered pastel colored cakes, but then a day and a half ago, one of our friends shared that she wanted to bake a New York Cheesecake. In addition to that dessert, there was going to be a large chocolate Costco cake and cookies available. This meant no dessert from me, since I didn't want to overwhelm anyone, let alone myself, with too many dessert options. So, I did what I do in a lot of last-minute, anxiety-prone moments: I asked Ken to help me. He was very generous in offering support and pointed out that 'we have lots of fresh green beans in the fridge' and 'how about I use them for 3-bean salad'. One idea led to the next, and I started washing, chopping and then sauteing those green beans.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and adapted a couple things. The finished product is incredibly rich in flavor and was a hit at our potluck. I just ate one of the last few servings a minute ago and am sad to see our 3-bean salad supply dwindle. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's a delicious vegan stand-alone snack or can be served with any number of salty meats if you desire. It's also great chilled and eaten outside during the summer!

3-Bean Salad

Adapted from Allrecipes.com
Serves 12+

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cups fresh green beans, stems removed and sliced into 1/2" pieces

1/4 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced and partially crushed 

1/4 cup water

2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat a 9" cast iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the olive oil and coat pan. Then add the chopped green beans and diced onion, cooking 6-8 minutes until green beans are bright and onions are caramelized. In the last minute of cook time, add the minced garlic to the pan. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan and immediately cover the pan with a lid and set timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn the heat off and transfer the green bean mixture to a large bowl.

In that same bowl, combine the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and celery and gently mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, black pepper, and salt. Pour dressing over the salad, and toss gently to coat. Cover, refrigerate at least 2 hours, and gently toss before serving.

Dutch Puff with Apple & Pear

Yesterday, Ken and I ate lunch with dear friends of ours and noticed their beautiful cast iron skillet cookbook, aptly named "The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook" by Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearne. The bright green background paired with the sumptuous looking apple upside-down cake on the cover, immediately grabbed my attention. I want to make that, I thought to myself. It looked amazing. Our friends generously agreed to lend us their cookbook and this morning I decided to try it out.

When I visited Ken's family in Alaska for the first time three years ago, he made me my very first "Dutch Puff." And I've had fond memories of that shared breakfast every since. So, when I saw a basic recipe for a Dutch Puff in this cookbook, I had to indulge. Also, since I couldn't get that apple upside-down cake on the cover out of mind, I decided to alter the recipe to include sauteed apples and a fresh pear. I hope you will try my rendition of a Dutch Puff. Enjoy!

Dutch Puff, with Apple & Pear

Adapted from "The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook"
Makes 3+ servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large apple, sliced
1 large pear, any variety, sliced
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

Topping (optional):
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar or brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425-degrees. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 9 to 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add apple slices and saute for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned. (Reserve the pear; it is not sauteed.) Transfer apple slices to bowl once browned.

In a separate medium size bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla, milk and flour until just blended (about 5-10 seconds with a stand-up mixer or by hand.) Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on the cast iron skillet. Once butter is melted, turn off burner and remove skillet from heat. Pour the batter into the skillet and arrange the apple and pear slices around the pan, alternating each fruit as you lay down the pieces onto the batter.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the top puffs up and is lightly golden, about 20-25 minutes. Watch closely after 20 minutes, so as not to over bake.

When the dutch puff is done, drizzle butter over the top, then sprinkle with lemon juice and dust with powdered or brown sugar. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Feel free to add any other favorite topping, such as toasted walnuts, yogurt or whipped cream.

Note: I prefer to use whole wheat flour and whole milk in the batter, along with a very ripe pear. My finished product was superb because of these ingredients. 

Hearty Lentil Soup

If you were to ask me what Ken and I eat most, I would likely respond, "Lentil Soup." It's one of our all-time favorite meals since it's easy to make, inexpensive and a simple, hearty vegetarian and gluten-free meal (if you make it with water or vegetable broth.) We've doctored up this basic recipe at times to include potatoes, squash, chard, collard greens, or sausage. This recipe has gotten us through two winters as a married couple living on a conscientious budget. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Feel free to use this recipe as a base for many other creative lentil soups!

 

Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika

by Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything"
makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups lentils, washed and picked over
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. smoked paprika
10-12 cups vegetable, chicken or beef stock, or water
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Directions:
Put the oil in a large, deep pot over medium eat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, just a minute or two. Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until brightly colored and hot, about 2-4 minutes. 

Add the lentils, bay leaf, smoked paprika and stock (or water); sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30-45 minutes. (At this point, you may cool and refrigerate the soup, covered for up to 2 days; reheat gently.) Add more stock if the soup is too thick. Just before serving, taste, sprinkle with salt and more pepper if needed, and serve. This soup is great paired with rolls or a sandwich.

Note: We like to freeze some of the soup in large yogurt containers so that we can pull it from the freezer anytime the fridge is sparse. Enjoy!

Peanut Brittle: A Childhood Favorite

A few weeks back, a friend asked me to include some gluten-free options. Since I grew up loving brittle candy, I thought I’d include this recipe I recently stumbled upon. It’s ridiculously easy, requires few ingredients, and looks lovely packaged and given as a gift. Enjoy!

I like to store Peanut Brittle in a glass jar.

Peanut Brittle

by Mark Bittman, "How to Cook Everything"

Makes about 1 pound of brittle

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter or nonstick spray for the baking pan

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup water

2 cups roasted peanuts, salted or unsalted

Pinch of salt if you’re using unsalted peanuts

Directions:

Use the butter to grease a baking sheet, preferably one with a low rim.

Put the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small, deep pot over low heat. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar dissolves and starts to color. Keep cooking until the caramel turns golden but not dark brown, anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your stove.

Stir in the peanuts and salt (if you’re using it) and immediately pour the mixture onto the greased baking sheet. Cool, then break into pieces. (If you like, you can score the brittle with a knife when it has solidified slightly but not yet turned hard; that way, it will break into even squares.)

Store in a covered container for as long as you would like.

Additional Options:

Chocolate: Drizzle or dip the hardened brittle in any kind of melted chocolate you like.

Peanut Brittle Popcorn:  Pop about ½ c. popcorn kernels and put them in a large bowl. Make the brittle and drizzle it over the popcorn while stirring to evenly coat it.