Roasted Asparagus Spears with Manchego

I bought what would be this years last bunch of fresh asparagus at the farmers market last weekend. I had to have them-now what to do with them? I needed to find a way to serve them that wouldn't make my husband moan about another serving of his nemesis vegetable.

Asparagus are easy to ruin- they overcook quickly and you are left with slimy little rods. We want none of that. Roasting them is not only fast, but makes it easy to monitor their progress. After the 10 minute mark (or less for very thin spears) I continually evaluate their done-ness by piercing one unfortunate spear with a fork. Once it slides in without too much resistance they are sufficiently cooked. You can also see the pointed ends begin to blacken- this is another sign that they are ready. Of course you might like your asparagus limp, and I won't stop you from eating them however you want. As long as you're eating them!

The Manchego really compliments the crispy-fresh asparagus. Dustin seemed annoyed that it turned out so good! Another veggie that he no longer has an excuse to shun. He devoured more green than ever in one sitting, while I silently observed, gloating over my vegetable victory.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. thin asparagus
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup Manchego cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Trim the ends off of the asparagus spears. (This is done by bending the asparagus near the base and letting it break off naturally where it has begun to get old.)

3. Spread the spears unidirectional on a roasting sheet. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat with your hands. Spread the spears into a single layer. Sprinkle cheese over top and place in the oven.

4. Roast for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the asparagus is tender-crisp. (The thicker it is, the longer it will take to cook.) Serve hot.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from The Perfect Pantry)

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

Poppy seeds are so deliciously enticing in baked goods that I'm not surprised they have narcotic qualities. I did a little Internet research to bring you the truth about them. The rumors are valid- poppy seeds contain trace amounts of the opiates morphine and codeine. Eating an absurd amount of them will make you fail a drug test and might even make you feel happy. Thanks to some ancient culinary genius, you can have your daily fix baked into your morning muffin (and now waffle) and get away with it!

When I saw a recipe for lemon-poppy seed waffles I was ecstatic! Baking is my true love, and such a creative twist on a classic caught my attention. Because I'm health conscious, I adapted the original recipe to be a bit lighter. I incorporated whole wheat flour, chose a natural sweetener, and used yogurt instead of butter. When I went to preheat my waffle iron (see step 1) I realized I didn't have one. Only a huge clunky Belgian waffle maker that we received as a wedding gift. So I made do.

And you know what? There is something drug-like about these waffles. Perhaps it's the magical qualities of the poppy seeds, but probably it's the joyous combination of poppies with the fresh zesty lemon, baked into fluffy-crisp little ridges.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. evaporated cane sugar or honey
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. wheat germ
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
5 Tbsp. plain yogurt
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.

2. In a large bowl whisk together dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl whisk together eggs, milk, yogurt, lemon juice and zest. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients until there are no large clumps, being careful not to over mix.

3. Ladle batter onto the waffle iron and cook to desired doneness. Serve with maple syrup, whip cream, or other toppings of your choice.

Makes 10 regular or 4 Belgian size waffles.

(Adapted from Baking and Books)

Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies

I view my blogging as building a recipe library. I dream that several years down the road when I have my own little family, we will peruse through my virtual shelves of tried, tested, and treasured recipes. In the interest of my husband, and the kids he hopes to someday father, I've been hard at work compiling the cookie collection. (I like cookies too, but the bread isle is where you'll find me.)

Peanut butter cookies are classic. There is nothing fancy shmancy about this recipe. It came from my mother. I have no idea where she got it. My family has been making it for years, and now I'll pass it on. If you're one of those crunchy types (when it comes to peanut butter), feel free to use it instead. It will probably alter the texture of the cookie- for better or worse I can't say. I like to roll mine in sugar, mostly for aesthetic reasons. When the sun hits their sugar dusted crusts, they shimmer.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg, whisked
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

DIRECTIONS
1. Cream margarine and sugars in a large bowl until soft and smooth. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat until thoroughly combined.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Add flour mixture by thirds to the creamed mixture, beating in between.

3. Refrigerate dough 2 hours.

4. Roll dough into balls. (Optional: Roll balls in sugar so they have a light coating.) Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Using a fork, make criss-crosses on top of the cookie.

5. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven for 8-12 minutes. Remove them as soon as the edges begin to brown. They will harden further once cooled.

Makes 2 dozen small cookies.

Whole Wheat Potato Bread

Loaf bread is my weakness. I can make a killer muffin. Rolls- no problem. But for some reason when I bake bread in a 9x3 loaf pan (whether with yeast or quick sweet loaves) I have a hard time getting the center done without scorching the outside. I've resorted to blaming my oven, since it's new and a little hyperactive. I am grateful for such a nice spanking new shiny kitchen appliance but suggested baking times and temperatures don't seem to apply for my oven.

What, you say?! You mean you waited this long to tell me that your oven is a little off? Yes, sorry. What this all means is that you can expect to have to adjust baking times (and sometimes temps) for your own oven. Since I spent the last 4 years living at high altitude (with an old junker oven) I am used to disregarding instructions. Well, not completely. My advice is to use the directions as guidelines. Don't just set your timer for the full length of time suggested, and expect your food not to burn. I've mentioned before that I usually set mine for half of the baking time, and then continually check on it, extending the time by a few minutes if necessary. It's tedious, but a fairly foolproof method. If you can't afford to pay that much attention to what's in your oven, it will show in the result. Cooking is a more foolproof matter.

In all of the recipes I have listed on this site, I have recorded what temperatures and times worked for me. (Most often with a time range to emphasize that nothing is precise.) I have had my share of frustrations trying to figure out my oven (sometimes my best friend, often my adversary). I bring all of this up because this recipe is for a loaf of whole wheat potato bread. But this time I didn't have any trouble.

The top crust seemed a little hard when I took it out of the oven, but that was easily remedied by brushing it with some melted butter. The middle was soft and chewy. This loaf was wholesome and wonderful. We cut off insanely thick slices and used it to sop up Ukrainian Borscht. It would have made some superb sandwich bread as well.

INGREDIENTS
2 medium sized potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled (reserve 1 cup of the potato water)

1 cup potato water

1/4 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

2 cups white whole wheat flour

2 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose.)

1 Tbsp. sugar or HONEY

1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. Do not drain. Remove potatoes and reserve 1 cup of the potato water. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup of the potato water.

2. At the same time, proof the yeast by mixing it with 1/4 cup warm water and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until milky and foaming.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add mashed potato mixture, the salt and the bread flour. Knead for about 10 minutes, adding the rest of the potato water and the whole wheat flour. Continue to knead until the dough is stiff enough to form one lump (it will still stick to your hands if you’re kneading by hand).

4. Turn the dough out into a lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

5. Punch the dough down, and place it in a greased loaf pan. Let rise until the bread is the shape that you want, around 30 minutes for a regular-sized loaf. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while the dough is rising.

6. Bake the loaf for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing, and serve.

Makes 1 loaf.

(Adapted from Sugar Laws)

Jacob's Ukrainian Borscht

Ukrainian Borscht, a.k.a. beet soup. Doesn't sound too enticing, does it? My brother recently returned from Ukraine, excited to teach me this authentic recipe. I have to say I am impressed at what living in a foreign country will do to a teenage boy. He now loves vegetables! And I paraphrase: "I'll eat any vegetable, they're soooo good!" I think he actually mentioned that he'd eat anything. It's shocking.

Since I'm the adventurous "foodie" of the family, I couldn't be outdone by my little brother's no-longer-picky palate. If he wanted to cook beet soup (he actually missed it!), I would oblige. He came to stay with us for a few days and that's when our borscht making began. He guided me through the grocery store, picking out the perfect beets and cabbage. Then, following his careful instructions, I scrubbed and chopped, stirred and sauteed, boiled and simmered this bright concoction.

And you know what? It's down right delicious. And extremely healthy. Who knew. I was even coerced into trying some shredded raw beets. Not bad at all. Tasted like a carrot to me. I liked it. Further proof that pickyness stems partly from ignorance and mostly from fear.

There are NO tomatoes in this soup. The beets turn everything a brilliant red. The potatoes, the chicken, the cabbage, all take on their vibrant hue. My brother insisted that it be served with a large dollop of creamy-as-you-can-get sour cream. Stir it in and your borscht turns a lovely pink color. But I thought it was plenty good without.

This recipe is not exact. Really you just throw odd amounts of your ingredients together in a pot (a very large one) and cook it till it's done (or leave it on the stove all day). I estimated the amounts we used for ease of repeating the procedure. I think using skin and bone-on chicken (which you would remove and shred later) would impart even more flavor to the broth (especially if you don't have a rich stock). Serve it with a crusty loaf of bread for soaking up the tidbits.

INGREDIENTS

1-2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

8 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup butter

2 large beets, shredded

4 carrots, shredded

1/2-1 head of green cabbage, shredded

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 lbs. potatoes, cubed

large handful fresh parsley, chopped

1/2-1 tsp. dried dill, to taste

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. In a very large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and saute for several minutes. Add garlic, beets, carrots, and cabbage. Cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Bring chicken stock to a boil, adding the bay leaf. Add potatoes and chicken and reduce to a simmer. Partway through cooking add the cooked vegetables. Continue to simmer on low for 20-30 minutes (until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done) or up to several hours. Stir in dill and fresh parsley (saving a small amount for garnish). Season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve with a large dollop of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley.

Makes a very large pot.

Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian dessert. My mom comes from Alberta, Canada and that makes me half Canadian (well 1/4 if you want to get technical- she has dual citizenship)! My husband likes to poke fun at the strange phrases my north-of-the-border relatives say and blames all my quirks on my Canadian roots. Being from different coasts (Dustin is an Oregon native and I was raised mostly East), we sometimes see each other as foreigners. Now he's living on the East Coast and learning where my "weirdness" really comes from.

My mom has been living in the United States since college and misses some of the foods she grew up with. Whenever she visits home she returns with suitcases full of Canadian food treasures: DARE cookies, black licorice pipes and cigars, Smarties, and Shreddies (best cereal EVER!). I wanted to bake her a Mother's Day dessert that would take her home. She was thrilled when she found out I was making nanaimo bars, and now I know why- they are divine!

Why hasn't our country adopted this delish dessert? It's a shame. We're missing out. Be aware that custard powder is hard to find in the states. I bought an imported jar at World Market. (None of the local grocers carry it.) Custard powder is essential for the authentic flavor of these bars. As you can see, they are dense, thick, and extremely rich. I'll have another!

INGREDIENTS
Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Filling:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp. custard powder
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar

Topping:
4 z. semisweet chocolate
1Tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS
Base:
1. Melt the butter in a sauce pan.

2. Stir in the sugar and cocoa powder until smooth.

3. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract and remove from heat.

4. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and walnuts.

5. Press into a greased 8 inch square pan and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Filling:
1. Cream the butter.

2. Beat in the custard powder and milk.

3. Beat in the sugar slowly.

4. Spread over the the base layer and chill in the fridge until it sets.

Topping:
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan and stir until smooth.

2. Spread over the filling layer and chill in a fridge until the chocolate begins to harden.

3. Score the chocolate where you will cut it into bars and chill in the fridge.

4. Before the chocolate hardens, cut into bars. (Use an hot knife and wipe clean after each cut.)

Makes 1 8x8 pan.

(Adapted from Closet Cooking)

Potato Crescent Rolls

This was one of the first recipes I discovered when I began cooking. It is probably my favorite find on All Recipes. I've made these rolls countless times- for my family, for guests, and sometimes all for myself. I'll never tire of sinking my teeth into their smooth pillow-like curves, and I love unraveling their layers till I reach the soft, moist center.

They also travel well through open car windows at high speeds. Let's just say I got hungry on the road and the other car (big family) had the stash of potato rolls. One cell phone call later Dad was maneuvering through freeway traffic in a Bond-like manner to toss a bun through my window. Thank goodness we didn't lose any to the pavement, although our cars came dangerously close to colliding. But oh, it was worth it!

When I make these potato rolls I always use at least half whole wheat flour, which I like to pretend offsets some of the richness of the butter. They might not be super low-cal, but they are everything a tempting dinner roll should be.

INGREDIENTS
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups mashed)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water (leftover cooking water from boiling the potatoes works best)
1/2 cup white sugar
2/3 cup butter

2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups white whole wheat flour

3 -3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain (reserving the cooking water), cool, and mash.

2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1 1/2 cups of the warm potato cooking water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

3. When yeast is ready, mix in 2 cups mashed potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and 3 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough has become stiff but still pliable.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for several hours until doubled, or refrigerate for 8 hours and up to several days.

5. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, and form into rounds. Roll out each round to a large circle. Brush generously with melted butter, and cut each circle into 12-16 wedges. Roll wedges up tightly, starting with the large end. Place on lightly greased baking sheets with the points underneath, and the ends bent to form a crescent shape. Cover, and let rise for 1 hour.

6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Makes 2-3 dozen rolls.

(Adapted from All Recipes)

Yummy Honey Chicken, Shrimp, and Vegetable Kabobs

Sunday was a gorgeous, sunny, perfect Spring day. As it was also Mother's Day, an outdoor dinner beckoned. We hauled a table out to the patio and lit up the grill. I spent quite some time brainstorming what dishes I wanted to serve in celebration of my Mom, but the execution was simple. What is easier and more delicious than grilled chicken, shrimp, and veggies?

My chicken sat absorbing the sweet honey and soy garlic glaze all day. The shrimp I marinated for just a half hour before they went on the grill (any longer and seafood starts to break down). To save on calories I didn't marinate the veggies, just brushed them with oil and seasoned them instead. You could brush them with marinade (that hasn't been touched by raw meat) while grilling for more flavor.

Like the name promises, the chicken was yummy, the shrimp oh-so-succulent, and the veggies smokey and sweet. Kabobs are fun and convenient for serving. Laid out on platters they make for a beautiful presentation. The glow of the afternoon sun warmed our faces while our family of 8 crowded around a long skinny picnic table. We dined like royalty surrounding our Queen-For-A-Day, wishing this such evening would last forever.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Either 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, evenly cubed

or 2 lbs. raw shrimp

(If you are doing both, you need to make twice as much marinade.)

Vegetables (all evenly chopped):

1 red onion

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

2 zucchini

2 yellow squash

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper. Before adding the meat, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking (optional). Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight. DO NOT marinate the shrimp for longer than 1/2 hour. The vegetables can be marinated as well, but I just brushed them with canola oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper before grilling.

2. Preheat the grill for high heat. If you are using wooden skewers make sure you soak them in water before grilling to prevent burning.

3. Drain marinade and discard. Thread chicken and vegetables onto the skewers. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Turn and brush with reserved marinade (optional). For chicken, cook 12-15 minutes until the juices run clear. For shrimp, cook until opaque and curled, several minutes per side. Vegetables are done once tender and browned.

Serves 4-8.

(Adapted from All Recipes)