I saw this pudding and I knew I had to make it. 10 minutes to make homemade pudding. Um yeah? And I still had half of a pie crust left over from national pie day. So what I had to do what OBVIOUS, yes?

It’s a good thing that I brought this to someone’s house to share because I could have eaten the whole thing. The. Whole. Thing.

Seriously.

Pudding is one of my favorite things. Something rooting in my childhood memory there.

Look at that damage that four people caused in a matter of minutes.

So when are you going to make this one?

And then we had to have pie for dessert too. Mini lemon meringue pies. These were my first experience making lemon meringue pie. They’re so cute in all their littleness. . .

Jude liked them.

And so did we.

Anyone else do something fun for nation pie day? Apparently, it’s one of two pie days. . . the next pie day? 3/14 (or 3.14… or pi for all you non-math folks).

This week in our local basket, we got some of the most beautiful roma tomatoes that I have ever seen. I decided to make Paneer and Tomato Curry with them and attempted to make my own paneer. Paneer is a really simple pressed Indian cheese that you make by bringing milk to 180 degrees and adding buttermilk. It separates and you drain the curds in cheesecloth for a couple hours. It’s pretty much ricotta with less liquid. I’m not sure that I did everything right with the paneer but it still tasted good and it was a nice vegetarian addition to our weekly meals.

I’m still singing the praises of the New Best Recipe Cookbook. This French toast is pretty much perfect and you can make it with simple sandwich bread, which is kinda ridiculous. I have never made a French toast that I want to eat again with regular sandwich bread – it’s always something fancy, like brioche, challah or some sort of raisin cinnamon bread. And then I was introduce to this goodness. It’s amazing. And simple. You should try it!

I had made sushi at home once before, so we decided to give it a go again. This is nice for a couple of reasons – one of which is that you can control the sustainability of the fish. I usually have to turn off that part of my brain when we go enjoy sushi. . . Alaskan sockeye salmon and wild caught blue swimming crab were our ‘fish’ of choice. I wasn’t going to mess with raw fish. The most complicated component is the rice and I used Alton Brown’s simple straightforward recipe. Our other roll components were cream cheese, jalapeños, cucumber, asparagus, avocado, panko, wasabi, ginger, and spicy mayo.

Everyone rolled their own roll and then we all shared. It was pretty delicious. And I think it was pretty beautiful as well!

What have you been cooking lately?

And sometimes I just don’t want to make a cake from scratch. And so I don’t. I doctor a cake mix. In this particular instance, I had a Paula Deen cake mix that I got for pennies on clearance that I doctored. Sour cream and extra eggs make it divine. Doctoring recipe can be found here. I also had a box of instant pumpkin spice pudding in my pantry. Also found on clearance. Seeing a theme here? I mixed it to ‘pie filling’ consistency and spooned it into the middle of the hollowed out cupcakes. And then I made buttercream frosting from scratch. The best frosting I have ever made and it’s from my favorite cookbook of all time, seriously, it’s never failed me – the New Best Recipe - put it on your Christmas wish list. And flavored it with pumpkin pie seasoning and maple syrup. Not bad for a box mix cake, right?

In the interest of finding quick breakfasts that are hearty, healthy and homemade, I decided to try out this oatmeal smoothie that I found here. I figured the oatmeal would make it a bit more hearty that a typical smoothie and it was. I drank it for breakfast one morning and it kept me full until lunch. And look how gorgeous this color is:

And of course, whenever I see something on pinterest that has nutella in it, it gets pinned on my nutella board (because nutella does indeed make the world go round). Nothing was different when I saw this nutella milkshake that I found here. Surprisingly, this milkshake was decently healthy! Banana, milk, ice and a tablespoon of nutella. Not bad to get a chocolate fix!

This one is going to weird a lot of you out. An avocado smoothie. A friend from Brazil introduced me to the concept of eating avocados in a sweet context and I actually enjoyed it! I had an avocado that was heading south on my counter and I decided to use it in our afternoon snack. Jude LOVED it. And so did I.

What’s your favorite smoothie combo?

Back in July, I made some Beef Empanadas for a friend’s birthday party. I wanted a hardy, handheld appetizer and empanadas came to mind! Not to mention, I have been wanting to make my own empanadas for quite some time. These were surprisingly delicious and simple to make due to the use of puff pastry. The black bean dipping sauce was certainly a winner as well – adding a certainly creamy richness to balance all the spice in the filling. I eventually do want to try and make my own pastry for the outside, but in a pinch, puff pastry sure makes a quick substitute!

When I saw this recipe posted on Budget Bytes, I knew I wanted to make it. I love yogurt marinated meats and this Chicken Swarma and Homemade Naan really hit the spot. I mean, homemade naan is freaking awesome – fresh grilled bread slathered in melted butter. Oooo. Yes. And then you add the grilled, yogurt marinated chicken and it gets even better. Yes please. Add some fresh summer tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce and you have an easy handheld meal!

So, I may have developed a little bit of a girl crush on Gwyneth Paltrow. This is a bit strange for me since I’m not really one to follow much of what celebrities do – their world usually doesn’t collide with mine often, but Gwyneth kept popping up . . . First on Glee (ohmygoodness, did I just admit I watch that show? Guilty pleasures!) and then on the cover of my Bon Appetit magazine. So I read her article and it turns out we have some similar interests: food, kiddos, music, sustainability . . . and now I think I really like her! The first recipe I made from her recipes was the Corn Vichyssoise. Cold, sweet, fresh summer corn soup with a dollop of sour cream = so refreshing on a hot summer day. Win.

Next up, I tried her Mahi Mahi with Mango Avocado Salsa and it was amazing. I love the combo of avocado and mango over such a meaty fish. Such a great summer meal! I could see myself making this salsa to eat with tortilla chips too. So yummy.

Next up, Pioneer Woman’s Enchiladas. Ree really knows how to knock recipes out of the park. Everything I make by her turns out amazing (although usually pretty gut/calorie busting). So a couple notes – I made this for a friend that’s gluten free, so I thickened the sauce with cornstarch instead of the rue with flour that Ree suggests. This was my first time frying the corn tortillas in oil instead of simmering them in chicken stock and dang, that extra fat makes them extra delicious. We sliced some avocado thin and ate it with the enchiladas for the final win.

I bought 16 pounds of cherries. Yes, you read that right. Sixteen. Pounds. On my defense, they were organic cherries that Whole Foods was running a special on for $2.99 a pound. So I bought the max you could buy and spend the next several days using the back end of a chop stick to pit cherries! This of course lead as much cherry consumption as possible. Enter Cherry Pie with Coconut Crumb Topping. We made them in mini tart pans so everyone got their own pie. Who doesn’t like having a pie all to themselves?

Continuing on my cherry trend, I remembered a recipe I had seen on GoodLifeEats awhile back and went to check it out. Cherry Limeades quickly became our refreshing drink of choice. I made a giant batch of limeade and we regularly blended it with some ice and frozen cherries for a brief respite from our summer heat.

Whew, how’s that for a diverse round up of the food I’ve been cooking lately?!

What great recipes have you tried lately? 

Chocolate pudding is one of those things that it took me quite some time to realize that there were other options besides Jell-O. And then, enter Smitten Kitchen and this recipe. For whatever reason, it took me quite some time to actually MAKE this recipe. I would frequently go to the website and drool at this recipe, resign myself to make it soon and promptly forget. Something to do with a fried mommy brain I guess. Somehow even chocolate pudding can’t seem to stick.

Well I finally made it. Oh yes. And Jason doesn’t even like pudding and he loved this. I even dreamed about it – it was that delicious. I’m just warning you, this won’t stick around your house long. If you do make it, be sure to cook the pudding until it really is almost the thickness that you would want to eat it at. It thickens some in the fridge but not as significantly as the Jell-O version I am used to.

Silky Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from John Scharffenberger, via Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used good quality semisweet chocolate chips; use 70% bittersweet if you want more of a dark chocolate kick)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re a slacker like me who is absolutely certain that there is nary a lump her puddin’) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a spout and pour into individual serving dishes.

3. If you like pudding skin, pull plastic wrap over the top of the serving dish(es) before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days (ahem, good luck with that).

Now, I will add a caveat. I am used to eating sour dough English muffins, so I was missing a little bit of that flavor. Nonetheless, fresh bread is always delicious and these are great with butter, jam or a fried egg, bacon and some cheese!

English Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup Milk
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 cup Warm Water
¼ ounces, weight Yeast
¼ cups Cornmeal
5-½ cups Flour

Preparation Instructions
Combine milk, butter, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Warm until butter starts to melt, then whisk briefly. Remove pan from heat and allow liquid to cool to lukewarm.

Pour water into a mixing bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Stir gently with a fork. Set bowl aside for 10 minutes, or until yeast has dissolved.

Line baking sheets with waxed paper and sprinkle with a generous amount of cornmeal.

Pour cooled milk mixture into yeast mixture and gently stir until well blended. Add 3 cups flour and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in remaining flour and salt until the dough is no longer sticky. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and dust with flour. Flour hands and knead dough for 3-4 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out dough with rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles (a tumbler or mason jar does well). Transfer muffins to prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover with a dry, lightweight towel and let rise until doubled in height, 35-45 minutes.

When muffins have risen, heat a skillet over medium heat. Carefully lift muffins from the pan and place on the ungreased skillet. Cook about 10 minutes on each side, using a spatula to flip them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before splitting (with a fork) and toasting them.

I saw a recipe on my google reader one morning and it called for some challah bread so I decided I wanted to make challah. I had tried once before but with sub-par results. So I turned to Deb, from Smitten Kitchen to recommend her favorite recipe and I set to work. Only once I started measuring out the 8 cups of flour did I realize that this made 2 loaves of bread! Oh well, the more the merrier, right? I figured I would eat one loaf (well, share) and use the other for said recipe (which sadly did not turn out as spectacular as we had hoped).

The best part? I got to learn a new method of braiding AND use it on a baked good. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Challah Bread
Adapted from Joan Nathan

The secrets to good challah are simple: Use two coats of egg wash to get that laquer-like crust and don’t overbake it. Joan Nathan, who this recipe is adapted from, adds that three risings always makes for the tastiest loaves, even better if one of them is slowed down in the fridge.

Time: about 1 hour, plus 2 1/2 hours’ rising
Yield: 2 loaves

1 1/2 packages active dry yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon salt
8 to 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins per challah, if using, plumped in hot water and drained
Poppy or sesame seeds for sprinkling.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water.

2. Whisk oil into yeast, then beat in 4 eggs, one at a time, with remaining sugar and salt. Gradually add flour. When dough holds together, it is ready for kneading. (You can also use a mixer with a dough hook for both mixing and kneading, but be careful if using a standard size KitchenAid–it’s a bit much for it, though it can be done.)

3. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Clean out bowl and grease it, then return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until almost doubled in size. Dough may also rise in an oven that has been warmed to 150 degrees then turned off. Punch down dough, cover and let rise again in a warm place for another half-hour.

4. At this point, you can knead the raisins into the challah, if you’re using them, before forming the loaves. To make a 6-braid challah, either straight or circular, take half the dough and form it into 6 balls. With your hands, roll each ball into a strand about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Place the 6 in a row, parallel to one another. Pinch the tops of the strands together. Move the outside right strand over 2 strands. Then take the second strand from the left and move it to the far right. Take the outside left strand and move it over 2. Move second strand from the right over to the far left. Start over with the outside right strand. Continue this until all strands are braided. For a straight loaf, tuck ends underneath. For a circular loaf, twist into a circle, pinching ends together. Make a second loaf the same way. Place braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches in between.

5. Beat remaining egg and brush it on loaves. Either freeze breads or let rise another hour.

6. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees and brush loaves again. Sprinkle bread with seeds, if using. If freezing, remove from freezer 5 hours before baking.

7. Bake in middle of oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden. (If you have an instant read thermometer, you can take it out when it hits an internal temperature of 190 degrees.) Cool loaves on a rack.

Note: Any of the three risings can be done in the fridge for a few hours, for more deeply-developed flavor. When you’re ready to work with it again, bring it back to room temperature before moving onto the next step.

The creamed swiss chard was a play on creamed spinach that you typically find in steakhouses. I could only find red swiss chard which made the bechamel sauce turn pink! It was kinda funny to dig in and see that! But it was delicious! Definitely a rich, decadent side dish.

Steak with Mint Chimichurri

flank steak
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

1/2 C packed mint
1 clove garlic pressed or finely minced
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 lime juiced

If you just took the steaks out of the fridge give them 45 minutes to an 1 hour to come to room temperature. Rub both both sides of the steak with some olive oil and sprinkle a large pinch of salt and black pepper on both sides.

For the sauce, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. If you’re doing it by hand, you can mince the mint with sharp knife then combine the ingredients in a bowl.

Grill steaks to desired doneness, 5-7 minutes on each side is a good place to start. Serve immediately with the chimichurri sauce.

Truffled Swiss Chard

for bechamel
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs flour
2/3 C milk (use 1/3 C milk and 1/3 C cream for something creamier)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp truffle oil

for the creamed chard
2 C cooked squeezed and chopped swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
1/2 C grated Gruyere
fresh ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir together to form a paste, continue to stir and cook for a minute or two. Take the pan off the heat and with a whisk in hand, add the milk and whisk until all the chunks of roux have dissolved.

Put the pan back over medium heat and stir with a silicon spatula making sure to scrape up the bottom and sides of the pan to keep the bechamel from burning. Add the salt and continue to cook and stir until it’s about the consistency of gravy. Take it off the heat then add the truffle oil stirring to combine.

For the chard, seperate the white stems (or red!) from the leafy part and boil the stems in salted water until almost tender. Add the leaves and blanch for about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water until it’s cool enough to handle. Grab a handful of chard and squeeze out enough water so the leaves aren’t watery.

Chop the chard up and add it to a bowl with the bechamel and about 1/4 cup of grated Gruyere. Mix in some fresh ground black pepper and taste for salt (adding more if need be). Divide between 4 ramekins. Top with the rest of the Gruyere and put it under a broiler until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and brown.