Kale Haiku

Kale, a Superfood

or loathsome vegetable

Stuck between my teeth

Ah, kale. The darling of the farmers market. The badge of the Paleo police. The leathery, chewy, leaf that is just EVERYWHERE. That stuff is not my favorite raw. I gritted my teeth, quite literally, through a bag of mixed salad greens I had bought for my lunch last week. I swear I cut my lip on its jaggedy edge. But, braised, with some olive oil, chicken broth and garlic? That's nice. Sliced into ribbons and swirled through a garlicky, brothy soup? It becomes all silky and adds nice structure to the broth. Bake it until crisp and sprinkled with a little sea salt. Pretty darn tasty.

It just has no business mixing it up with my romaine.

Baked Kale Chips

Preheat the oven to 300

Remove the stems and tough ribs from the leaves of one bunch of lacinato kale. Wash the kale thoroughly (unless you have a thing for grit) and dry it very well.

In a large bowl toss the kale leaves with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, (you could also use avocado oil or coconut oil) make sure the leaves are evenly covered with the oil.

Lay the leaves in a single layer on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment. 

Bake the leaves for 20 minutes or until dry and crispy. Immediately after pulling them from the oven sprinkle them with some sea salt.

I Forgot I Liked Brunch

Moving in to the New Year I find myself both reflecting and looking forward. Probably like most people this time of year. I'm not one to make resolutions but I do have some hopes and plans afoot.

Moving back to the States brought with it the joy of spending time with extended family. I belong to a tribe of very funny, intelligent, talented, and kind people. I am ever so lucky to be related to them and I'm looking forward to seeing them as often as possible.

Grainy panoramic of a very joyful Christmas Eve. There was singing and flamingos.

I'm turning 50 this year. No big deal, but it IS a big deal that we are going here to celebrate!

I know. I'm a grown woman. But the Magic Kingdom has my heart! Splash Mountain here I come!

(But not the Tea Cups. The Tea Cups are of the Devil)

I have plans for our garden. We bought a house, (yay!) which sat vacant while it was on the market. Between the sitting vacant part, and the transitioning to life stateside part, some things fell apart.

It was alive at one point and then....no words. Just shame. 

Found this in the garden. For now it is the only pet I'm allowing us to have. Mostly out of fear that it will start to resemble the plants. Deadish.

She's a keeper. We named her Annie.

And, I decided that I really like having people over for brunch. I'm going to host brunch more often this year and I'm going to serve these.

Sweet Potato Hashies.

Sweet Potato Hashies

adapted from Whole Family Strong

The original recipe calls for cinnamon which I omitted. I just wanted the taste of the crispy sweet potatoes to shine through. I think they also might be nice with a little cumin and chili powder if you're so inclined. Ooh, and green onions would be great!

4 cups grated sweet potatoes

4 eggs mixed well

2 tablespoons coconut flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Coconut oil or fat of your choice for sautéing 

If you have the patience of a saint then by all means use a box grater for your sweet potatoes. I do not, so I used the shredding blade on my food processor and made short work of this part of the recipe. 

In a large mixing bowl stir together all the ingredients, except for the oil. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Melt a couple tablespoons of the fat of your choice in a large sauté pan. When the pan is sizzling place a scant 1/4 cup of the shredded potato mixture in the pan. I could place about 4 hashies at a time in my pan. 

Let the potatoes cook until well browned on one side, 3-5 minutes, then carefully flip them over. Since they don't have a lot of binder to hold them together some may fall apart. That's okay, just push them back together and carry on, cooking another 3-5 minutes on the second side.

I placed my finished potatoes on a sheet pan in my oven at 300 degrees to stay warm until the teenagers decided to arise. I really like that they crisped up a bit more, but if they are going to be in the oven for longer than 20 min I'd use a lower temp.

We served these with sausage patties and poached eggs.

What does a New Year hold?

The invitation: Would you want to spend some time with us while we're home?
The answer: YES, on our way!

We took a short road trip to see a some friends and welcomed the New Year with them. We sipped Mumm Napa Cuvée M (which was delightful), nibbled on Tapenade and Texas Trash, played Settlers of Catan (I really needed more brick. I had enough sheep to rival New Zealand), and marveled in the miracle that we all stayed awake to see the ball drop at midnight.

The evening was interspersed with the joy of deep conversation and laughter. Our friends live a few time zones away so with limited time we dive deep, tell me, tell me, tell me.....everything was discussed, prayers said, blessings given, and then finally everyone was enveloped in hugs that will tide us over until we see each other again.

The road home allowed for time to reflect on the past year. A lot can happen in a year. A LOT. Last January we were living in Tunisia and looking ahead to a path that wasn't clearly marked. I had been reading a lovely book called To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue. It is a book of blessings as you journey over life's thresholds. At that time A Blessing for the Interim spoke straight to my heart and I would meditate on it daily. One line in particular summed up life then, and I think it rightfully describes the newness of the year: "The path you took to get here is washed out, the way forward is still concealed from you. The old is not yet old enough to have died away, the new is still too young to be born." I always feel like the last waning days of the school break are sort of the twilight of the New Year, not clearly defined but holding a lot of promise. In 2013 we crossed a lot of thresholds. New careers, new country, new home, new schools, new friends, and we're standing in the twilight of 2014 wondering what it holds.

Total goodness I'm sure, and there's always sparkling wine and Catan for the days that end up going sideways.

And friends to share them with.

Hazy orchards at P's house on New Years Day

He thought I was being mean

Confession.
In 21 years of marriage I have never made Brussels sprouts.
We eat a LOT OF vegetables but the mini cabbages never made it into my kitchen. I had never eaten them all that often growing up. Not sure why other than, well, they're Brussels sprouts.

I once asked a friend what she thought of them and she replied that she craved them. CRAVED THEM. I was incredulous. What on earth made these things crave worthy?

Flash forward a few years and I read an article about them. The photo and the write up made me think that this was a dish that I needed to make. Like NOW. Off I went to the store and picked up a little bundle. The recipe was fairly straight forward and it had the added bonus of onion and bacon. As we all know, caramelized onions and bacon will make just about anything taste good.

When my husband came home from work and saw what I was making he asked why I was being mean. What had he done? I showed him the bacon and onions and he conceded that given those ingredients they would most likely be tasty.

 Pot Stuck Brussels Sprouts  is what they were called. The recipe is from Food 52 and through that recipe we became converts. OK, convert might be a strong word. We liked them, we would make them again, but we were not evangelistic about the sprouts. Certainly, we did not crave them. That, would come soon though.

Enter, this recipe. Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing. I was browsing for a Thanksgiving side dish and ran across this recipe. I liked that it was prepared a little differently, the sprouts are shaved thin then roasted until they get a little caramelized and frizzled on the edges then while still warm tossed with a very flavorful punchy dressing. These are sprouts worth telling the world about.

I served them with seared scallops dressed with Ponzu sauce. They went together perfectly and while I won't say that I crave Brussels sprouts, I do look forward to eating them again. And my husband? He no longer thinks I'm mean if he sees a little bag of Brussels sprouts in the crisper.

Warm Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Asian Citrus Dressing
adapted from Nom Nom Paleo
For the slaw:
2 1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 small shallot minced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the garnish:
2 green onions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat your oven to 450. Line a sheet pan or large baking dish with parchment paper.
Very thinly slice the sprouts with a knife or with the slicing blade of a food processor. Toss them with the olive oil and salt. Evenly spread on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes. Every 10 minutes remove them from the oven and stir them. Cooking times may vary, you want the Brussels sprouts to be browned and a little frizzled in spots.
While the sprouts are roasting away, mix together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
When the Brussels sprouts have finished cooking, pull them from the oven and immediately pour the dressing over and toss them well.
Place the warm slaw on a platter and sprinkle evenly with the green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.

Snow Day Cookies

School was cancelled this morning due to snow. The decision was made early on to knock out some Christmas cookies to give to the neighbors. I'm not ashamed to say that before 10am, the girls and I went through 2 pounds of butter.

I KNOW!

We made Butter Pecan Cookies

Which were so good you'll notice that one is already missing in the photo. Make them. Add a cup of mini chocolate chips and a cup of Heath toffee chips to the dough. You're welcome.

And then we made Red Velvet Shortbread

The original recipe used pistachios for the green which makes for a pretty cookie but I had green sprinkles on hand. I have a thing for sprinkles.
Sprinkles make me happy.

And then because, why not......Sugar Cookies
It is the first day of Christmas Break after all!

And yes, that would be an Ugly Christmas Sweater cookie on the left. We had a lot of fun decorating those. We didn't break out the piping bags or gel food colors, we just went with what we had on hand.

It was a perfect day with my girls. The snow was falling, we had a fire crackling away, and Holiday movies playing. I am most grateful for this snow day. It was a perfect start to the break.

Cookie Exchange

I have a childhood friend who is THE Hostess with the Mostest.

Seriously.

She hosts these ridiculously cute Valentines dinners, and sweet Christmas brunches. I always wished that I could go. In the past I've wistfully looked at the pictures posted on Facebook and longed to join in the merriment. But this year since I live in the same time zone I got to go!

Sweet friend hosted a housewarming (she has new digs) and Christmas Cookie Exchange.
I knew immediately which cookie I would make. It's one of my favorites. It is filled to the brim with one of my favorite ingredients.....Not chocolate.

No. Not Red Vines either.

Ginger!

I love that peppery bite. I like to nibble on crystallized ginger. I am probably the only person who buys the ginger flavored Altoids.

Triple Ginger Cookies. Cookies with fresh, ground, and crystallized ginger. Yum. Why three kinds of ginger? Well, there is the go big or go home factor. But, really the three forms bring different tastes to the cookie. Fresh has a bright citrusy notes and then that zesty peppery kick that sneaks up on you. Ground is the most pungent and carries the biggest hit of flavor. Crystallized is like chewy, sticky bits of ginger candy. You don't really notice them in a baked good unless you bite into a piece and then you get a pop of spice and a little heat.

These cookies are really nice the first day once they cool. They have that distinctive spiciness of ginger, a little pepper on the finish, and just a little heat. The next day they really mellow, and the crispy edges give way to chewy middles.

They are addictive and a little different than the usual Molasses Spice Cookie found this time of year.

Triple Ginger Cookies
straight up from Epicurious

Two things I changed about this cookie: I rolled them in coarse sugar to add a little more crunch to the edges and I used all dark brown sugar. Other than that I left them as is.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg room temperature
1/4 cup light (mild flavored) molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated, fresh, peeled ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup coarse ground sugar such as Sugar in the Raw for rolling

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, crystallized ginger, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter in a medium size mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until it is light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar and beat another 3 minutes or until the mixture is lighter in color and very fluffy.
Add the egg, molasses, fresh and ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves.Beat well to combine.
Add the flour mixture and mix well on low speed to combine.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the 1/2 cup of coarse sugar into a bowl. Take approximately 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball between your hands. Roll the dough in the sugar and then place on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the tops crackle, the edges are firm, and the center is soft.
Cool completely.

Procrastiblogging and Pie

Procrastiblogging: a verb meaning that life has taken over and if you have to chose between remembering to pick your child up from school, or blog, you fetch your child from school.
Nothing to worry about, the ride has been sweet.

In no particular order the past 5 months consisted of:
New career for Andy
New job for me
Repatriation (fancy word for moving home)
High school graduation for one kid
Sold a house
Bought a house
Sent younger kid off to camp for the summer
Sent said graduated child off to university (Sniff)
Enrolled the younger one in local high school
Taught younger child to drive (She is a really good driver. I am a terrible, shrieking, sure of certain death passenger. I'm very unhelpful in this process.)
Unpacked 110 boxes of stuff
Wondered why we would move a flattened soccer ball, half used bottles of nail polish, a can of silly string, and a small box of used tea lights from Africa to the United States.

I could go on but I think you get the gist.

And now it is Thanksgiving Day. As I look over that list and flesh out all the details of the past year, there is much to be ON MY KNEES thankful for.
Not the least of which is spending this day with my family. We have spent so many years thinking of them on this day that now I'm pinching myself that we are actually sitting around the same table together.

Can't put off the thanks! To to all we love who are near or far, we are thankful to you for every gift, every blessing, every touch, every word, every comfort—it is all grace!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This pie was the dessert I made for Thanksgiving our first year overseas. It seemed fitting to make it again for our first Thanksgiving back home.

Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie
Adapted from Epicurious

One recipe of dough for a single pie crust
Streusel:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
Filling:
8 apples (I used a mix of Granny Smith and Jonagold) peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 375.
In a small mixing bowl combine the 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture makes pea sized clumps. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl stir together the apples, flour, and ground spices. Set aside. Place 1 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Let sugar dissolve over the heat, do not stir. Keep a careful eye on the caramel. Once the sugar has dissolved and starts to turn golden give the pan a few swirls now and again (about 5-8 minutes). Once the caramel reaches a deep amber color turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir well to combine. Do not walk away from the caramel. Trust me. Do not walk away.
Roll out pie dough and transfer to a deep pie dish (91/2 inch diameter, 1 3/4 inch deep)
Crimp edges decoratively.
Spoon the apples into the pie crust and then pour the caramel over. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and then press the streusel topping evenly over the top of the pie.
Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. This is great on it's own, but it is transcendent (that might be a slight exaggeration) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!