Posts Tagged rosemarried

Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt and Thyme

I’ve officially been a mom for over 3 months. Time flies when you’re having fun, and it especially flies when you’re sleep deprived and love-drunk on a tiny little human. Motherhood is crazy that way.

Right at the 3 month mark, I felt a distinct change. I started to feel normal again. The baby started sleeping a night (for more than a couple of hours at a time!). I wasn’t a pro at motherhood, by any means, but I felt like I was getting the hang of things. And that’s precisely when disaster struck: my computer died. My hard drive failed and the data was deemed unrecoverable. Thankfully, I had a lot saved to cloud storage and have hard copies of some of my important documents and photos. It certainly could have been a lot worse. But, still. My computer died. It wasn’t fun.

Then, in the midst of dealing with the fallout from my computer dying, the baby got her first cold. I know, I know. It’s just a cold. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but somehow it is? They’re just so little and tiny and helpless and it’s hard to see them feel crummy. And, when the baby feels crummy she doesn’t sleep well (and when the baby doesn’t sleep well, nobody sleeps well). So, that wasn’t fun either.

I could tell you more about my rotten week, but it would probably bore you. You know how it is. Sometimes life is exhausting and unpredictable, and you just have to go with it. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. And that, my friends, is exactly how I’ll segue way into talking about this cookie recipe. (Like how I did that?!?)

Truth be told, I had a lot of recipes and ideas to share with you all. And then my computer died, and a lot of those recipes/photos/etc died with it. So, I went back to the drawing board and I found myself wanting to make something simple, classic, and comforting. So I made a big ole batch of dark chocolate chunk cookies. These cookies are nothing new or exciting, but they were exactly what I needed. They’re rich and chewy, speckled with dark chocolate, sea salt, and thyme. I can say with all honesty that these are the best cookies I have ever made.

One of these days, I’ll get back to blogging regularly. I’ll (hopefully) post inspiring seasonal recipes and drool-worthy photos. I’ll find my rhythm and I’ll find the time. Until then, please enjoy this chocolate chip cookie recipe.

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES WITH SEA SALT + THYME

Recipe inspired by Baking Bird

Ingredients:

2 sticks salted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

12 ounces (or more!) of quality dark chocolate*, roughly chopped

Optional: flake sea salt, for sprinkling atop the cookies

*I used a mixture of random dark chocolate bars I had in the pantry, but most of the chocolate was from local chocolate purveyor, Woodblock Chocolate.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

In a large bowl (or the base of a stand mixer), mix together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and thyme. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mix until combined. Fold in the dark chocolate chunks.

Spoon the dough into evenly sized balls (about 1 tablespoon each), and place 2″ apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and cool cookies on a wire rack. Top with flake sea salt, if desired.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

The last few years, I’ve had relatively rotten luck with my garden. First, there are the evil crows in my neighborhood that take great delight in eating all my seeds and sprouts. (And these crows are smart! So smart, in fact, that I’m a little paranoid that they might read this blog post and punish me for it.) In addition, all the neighborhood cats think my raised beds are giant litter boxes. And, to be quite honest, I just don’t have the gift of a green thumb. I can grow herbs, greens, zucchini, and tomatoes. That’s about it.

Last year, I planted an heirloom pumpkin in my backyard. It was a gorgeous blue pumpkin, and it grew phenomenally well. It was the first time I’d planted pumpkin, and I was shocked. However, one day I came home to find that my beautiful blue pumpkin had met an untimely death. Our landlords had hired someone to trim the hedges in our backyard, and the trimmers somehow managed to stomp my poor pumpkin to death. There was no salvaging the plant or the fruit, the pumpkin was gone. I was crushed.

After the great pumpkin debacle of 2013, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to attempt growing pumpkins again. But, I decided to give it one more shot. I planted one little sugar pie pumpkin plant in my front garden (nowhere near the hedges!). Despite my best attempts to kill my garden (read: it was a very hot summer and I was very pregnant), I did manage to grow a few things this year, including one adorable little pumpkin.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do with my one adorable little pumpkin. I probably should have made a pie with it – after all, it is a sugar pie pumpkin – but, pies just aren’t my strong suit. And I wanted to make something out-of-the-ordinary. Something unexpected. So, I made curry with my one little garden pumpkin. And you know what? Pumpkin curry was a great decision. It was everything I hoped it would be — sweet, savory, and spicy. It was rich and comforting, and the perfect meal for a chilly fall evening. (And we ended up with plenty of leftovers that I froze for post-baby meals! Win!).

The moral of the story is: when life hands you a pumpkin, make curry. The end.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Curry

Adapted from Table for Two Blog

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz) of coconut milk
2 cups pumpkin puree**
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon sambal oelek (red chili garlic paste, or sub Sriracha hot sauce)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red potatoes, washed and cubed
3 chicken thighs
1 cup frozen peas
Optional garnishes: Cilantro, plain yogurt, Sriracha

Instructions

In the bowl of your slow cooker, mix together the coconut milk, stock, sambal, fish sauce, pumpkin puree and spices. Once combined, add in the garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and whole chicken thighs.
Cook on low for 6 hours, or the vegetables and chicken are cooked all the way through and the curry is thick and rich. (The chicken should be tender and fall apart on its own, or you can help it along and shred with a fork.) Add in the peas 15-20 minutes before serving, stirring to combine. Allow the peas to heat all the way through before serving.
Serve curry with basmati rice, and garnish with Sriracha, cilantro, and plain yogurt if desired.
Note: After 6 hours in the slow cooker, the curry liquid was still a little thin for my liking, so I transferred it to a Dutch oven and finished it on the stovetop. I cooked it over medium-high for 15-20 minutes and let it reduce until it was quick thick. It turned out perfectly!

Notes

**To make your own pumpkin puree, simply cut a small pumpkin in half. Remove stem and scoop out the seeds (leave the skin on). Brush pumpkin flesh with olive oil. Roast (flesh side down) on a lined baking sheet in a 400(F) oven for 35-45 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft and roasted all the way through. Scoop the roast pumpkin out of the skin and puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/10/12/slow-cooker-pumpkin-curry/

Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins

I recently received a copy of Erin Scott’s new cookbook, “Yummy Supper: 100 Fresh, Luscious & Honest Recipes from a {Gluten-Free} Omnivore“. I’m not gonna lie, I was a little hesitant about the book at first glance. For starters, I love gluten. I have no known gluten allergies or intolerances (pizza is my favorite food group!), thus, I have no need for a gluten-free cookbook. Secondly, the word “yummy” just bugs me. It conjures up images of Rachael Ray and overly perky Food Network hosts, and I just don’t like it.

So, then, when I finally opened the book, I was pleasantly surprised. The book is brimming with beautiful photographs and creative recipes. And while the book is written from a gluten-free perspective, it certainly has recipes that appeal to all types of diets.

While there were a lot of standouts in the book – such as Black Rice Pudding, Savory Custards with Wild Nettles, Mussels with Rosé, Leeks, and Mustard – but I decided to start with her simple and lovely recipe for Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins.

The recipe stood out to me, as it’s such a unique twist on a typical zucchini muffin. Made with buckwheat flour, coconut oil, honey, and molasses, these muffins pack a flavorful punch. They’re a great way to use up extra zucchini, and they are officially my new favorite summer snack.

Yummy Supper’s version of the recipe uses a combination of oat flour and buckwheat flour, and is gluten free. I didn’t have any oat flour on hand, so I substituted all purpose flour. Thus, my version of this recipe contains gluten. However, the recipe is easily adaptable depending on your dietary restrictions!

Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins

Serving Size: Makes 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients

2/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour (Can sub oat flour if GF)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 heaping tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.5 cups shredded zucchini, strained or patted dry with a towel
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts

Instructions

First, combine the honey and coconut oil in a small pot. Heat over medium-low heat until oil and honey are melted. Stir to combine and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the honey and coconut oil mixture. Whisk in molasses and vanilla. With a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the zucchini (and nuts, if using).
Pour your batter into the lined muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/09/05/buckwheat-zucchini-muffins/

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Herb Aioli + My Favorite Labor Day Grilling Recipes!

I don’t post a lot of grilling recipes here. That’s mostly due to the fact that my husband is the primary griller in our home, and I have no idea how he does what he does. Therefore, I cannot share these recipes and tips with you. His grill methods are a mystery to me! (I will say, however, that he helped me develop a recipe for Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Green Onions and Hazelnut Romesco, which can be found in my new cookbook! Just sayin’.)

However, I do occasionally dabble in grilling from time to time.

There’s something about grilling that is just so satisfying. Cooking food over an open flame (or coals) in the great outdoors is a bit of a challenge, but it’s also a ton of fun. And, Labor Day weekend is the perfect time to grill up some grub and soak up the last bits of summer.

A few weeks ago, we decided to grill up a few artichokes with dinner. It was a fantastic decision. Honestly, I cannot begin to express to you how delicious they were. We gobbled up the artichokes in moments, leaving behind a big ole heap of artichoke carnage. It was awesome. I usually steam or boil artichokes, which is also delicious, but grilling brings them up a notch. The grill imparts just a bit of char and a slightly smoky flavor. It’s perfect.

So, then, I’ll share with you my recipe for Grilled Artichokes with Garlic and Herb Aioli. In addition, I’ve posted a whole list of my favorite grilling recipes, all of which would be perfect for your Labor Day BBQ. Whatever your plans may be, I hope you enjoy the holiday weekend and that you enjoy these last lovely bits of summer.

Grilled Artichokes with Garlic Herb Aioli

Ingredients

4 artichokes
2 lemons, halved
Olive oil
1/2 cup mayonaise
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme

Instructions

First, trim the artichokes. Clip the thorns (the sharp tips of the artichoke leaves) with scissors and remove any small outer leaves near the base of the stem.
Place the artichokes and a couple of lemon halves in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, and cook for approximately 30 minutes. (To check and see if the artichokes are done, stick a fork in the stem of the artichoke. If it’s tender and the fork pulls out easily, they’re ready!)
Drain off the water and allow artichokes to cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, prepare your grill.
Once your grill is hot and the artichokes are cook enough to handle, prepare the artichokes for grilling. Using a sharp knife, cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. Then, using a spoon or paring knife, remove the choke (the fuzzy bits in the center). Brush artichokes with olive oil and place on a plate.
Place artichoke halves on the center of the grill, directly over the heat. Grill for 10 minutes, or until you get grill marks.
To make the aioli, mix together the mayo, pepper, garlic, and fresh herbs. Serve the grilled artichokes with the aioli and slices of fresh lemon.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/08/31/grilled-artichokes-with-garlic-herb/

A few of my personal favorite grilling recipes:

Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Whole Grain Mustard

Grilled Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Avocado

Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta

A few of my favorite grilling recipes from a few of my favorite blogs:

Grilled Pizzas – 101 Cookbooks

Grilled Chipotle Pork Tenderloin with Fresh Cherry Salsa – Sweet Peas & Saffron

Grilled Watermelon with Jalapeno, Feta, and Honey – Domesticate Me

Grilled Zucchini and Corn Pasta with Parmesan – The Scrumptious Pumpkin

Grilled Halloumi with Strawberries and Herbs – The Turntable Kitchen

Grilled Kale & Fig Salad – Local Haven

Grilled Apricot and Burrata Salad – PDX Food Love

Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce – Spicy Southern Kitchen

Happy Labor Day weekend, y’all!

xoxo

Lindsay

Strawberry Cream Pie

This pie is the best pie ever.

I know that’s a bold statement, but I am telling you the truth. This strawberry cream pie is just the best. It’s simple, seasonal, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Northwest strawberries are at the peak of their season right now, and so they are remarkably plump, sweet, and juicy. They don’t need any doctoring or sweeteners, they are perfect just as they are. They are especially perfect when piled atop a sweet cream filling and a homemade almond and graham cracker crust.

This pie is essentially a no-bake pie. The only thing that requires baking is the crust, which bakes for a whopping 12 minutes. The pie comes together quickly and painlessly, and the end result is marvelous. I mean it when I say this pie is perfect. I cannot stress that point enough.

Strawberry Cream Pie

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup salted butter, melted
1 package graham crackers (or 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
6 oz. mascarpone cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
The zest of 1 lemon
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed and sliced in half

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9″ pie pan.
In a food processor, pulse together the graham crackers and almonds, until they are fine crumbs. Pour the crumb mixture into a bowl, and stir in the melted butter, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Mix until the crumb mixture is moistened. Press the mixture evenly into the pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Once the crust is cooled, prepare the filling. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mascarpone, powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy. Gently stir in the lemon zest.
Gently spread the filling over the graham cracker crust. Place sliced berries atop the cream mixture. (You can artfully arrange them, but I prefer just to heap them on top.) Chill pie for 6-8 hours before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Cookooree.com

http://rosemarried.co/2014/05/29/strawberry-cream-pie/

Roast Vegetable ‘Stacked’ Enchiladas

This recipe isn’t anything new or life-changing. It’s isn’t particularly pretty or Pinterest-y. It’s a casserole, for crying out loud. (You could even venture to say this is something akin to a ‘Mexican lasagne’.)

But you know what? All of that aside, these vegetable enchiladas are really stinkin’ delicious. This dish has been a staple in my household for years, but I’ve hesitated writing about it here, because of the aforementioned reasons. But, you know what? To heck with reason. And to heck with pretty and Pinterest-y recipes. Because, sometimes, the best things in life aren’t pretty in the least.

And I’m totally ok with that. So, here it is then: my favorite recipe for ugly-yet-tasty roast vegetable enchiladas. I think you’ll like them. A lot.

Roast Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas

Serving Size: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

15-20 corn tortillas
1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce (my personal favorite is El Pato brand enchilada sauce)
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 poblano pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 white or yellow onion, diced
2 carrots
1 parsnip
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 large handful kale leaves, roughly chopped
2 canned chipotle peppers (in adobo), finely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a SilPat.
While the oven is preheating, chop and prep the vegetables. Peel the carrots and parsnip, and chop into 1/4 pieces. Remove the stem and seeds from the poblano and bell pepper, and chop into 1/4 inch pieces. In a bowl, toss together the chopped peppers, onion, carrots, and parsnips. Stir in the olive oil, cumin, chopped chipotles, salt, and pepper. Spread the veggie mixture in an even layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast veggies in the oven until tender and starting to brown, 15-20 minutes.
While veggies are roasting, heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook corn and chopped kale, until the kale is wilted and any excess moisture from the corn has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once the veggies are roasted, it is time to assemble the enchiladas. In a 9×13 baking dish, pour enough enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish to coat. Place a layer of corn tortillas atop the sauce. Pour a bit more sauce over the tortilla later, using a spoon or spatula to spread evenly over the tortillas. Sprinkle a handful of cheese over the tortillas. Next, sprinkle a mix of roast vegetables (including the kale and corn) over the cheese and tortilla layer. Add a bit more cheese atop the vegetable layer. Continue to layer in this fashion – tortillas, sauce, cheese, vegetables – until the pan is full. Place a layer of tortillas atop everything, and spread sauce generously over the tortillas. Sprinkle one last layer of cheese atop of the pan, for good measure. :)
Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Bake enchiladas, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before attempting to eat. (I have burnt my tongue many a time on these enchiladas!)

http://rosemarried.co/2014/04/28/roast-vegetable-stacked-enchiladas/

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

I feel like I’ve been living under a rock for a few months. Pregnancy doesn’t seem to be terribly conducive to productivity, and it certainly isn’t conducive to food blogging. I just feel so tired all the time. I’ve had zero energy and cooking has lost some of it’s appeal. Honestly, for awhile there, I didn’t want to eat anything except for cereal, grapes, and toast. Such is life during the first trimester.

But, I’m finally starting to feel like my old self again. Real food (meaning: something other than grapes and toast) actually sounds good. I’ve started cooking again. It feels good to be back.

In my opinion, a good piece of coffee cake is one of life’s simple pleasures. Coffee cake isn’t particularly pretty or inventive, but it’s just so good. I’ve made this recipe a number of times, and it never fails. The cake is so moist and flavorful, layered with chunks of tangy rhubarb on the bottom and giant spiced buttery crumbs on top.

If there was anything that was going to lure me back into the kitchen, it was this recipe. It’s just that good.

RHUBARB COFFEE CAKE
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

For the cake:
1/2 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/4″ chunks
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)
1 large egg, plus one large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter (room temperature), cut into 8 pieces.

For the crumb topping:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan.

2. In a small bowl, toss chopped rhubarb with 1/4 cup of sugar, corn starch, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Set aside.

3. To make the crumb topping, whisk together the sugars, spices, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl. Mix until smooth. Next, stir in the flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. (The mixture will resemble a solid dough.) Press the dough firmly in the bottom of the bowl, and set aside.

4. To make the cake filling, stir together the yogurt (or sour cream), egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter pieces and a spoonful of yogurt into the mixture, and mix on medium speed until moistened. Increase the speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the yogurt in two batches, beating for 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

5. Scrape most of the batter into the prepared pan (reserving about 1/2 a cup). Spoon the rhubarb over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the rhubarb. (Don’t worry if it doesn’t evenly cover the rhubarb, it can just be scattered dollops of batter!)

6. Using your fingers, break the topping mixture into big crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the cake. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.