Creamed Spinach with Hearts of Palm

This post contains affiliate links.

Despite the fact that I’m home now more than I used to be (read: all of the freaking time), and have more time for cooking, my interest, in all honesty, has waned. As a consequence, I tend to make dishes that I know can do double duty at a variety of meals, and in a variety of ways. Case in point is this delicious Creamed Spinach with Hearts of Palm vegetable side dish that became the next morning’s (and the next, and the next) toast topper. It may sound strange, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, because this is delish! I am not a sweet breakfast eater, far preferring savory, and I tend to opt for things that aren’t generally looked upon as breakfast foods, grilled cheese sandwiches come to mind.

After the wonderful Beach Bread that I enjoyed last week, I was keenly interested in finding other similar things to make for breakfast. This is a tasty way to start the day, as well as a satisfying one. If you have something that is delicious and substantial right off the bat, you will remain alert for a much longer time, and won’t be running on empty come late morning. Give this recipe a try for dinner this evening; it goes very well with meat and potato, or all on its own as a vegetarian main dish, and is excellent on toast the next morning.

Creamed Spinach with Hearts of Palm

1 T. butter
¼ c. chopped Melissa’s shallots
1 T. flour
Few gratings fresh nutmeg
½ c. heavy cream
½ c. of milk
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
½ c. chopped Melissa’s hearts of palm (about 3)
¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of kosher salt
Few gratings freshly ground black pepper
¼ c. grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 425° F. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with Pam; set aside.

In a 9-inch sauté pan, melt butter, and cook shallots until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk in flour and nutmeg, and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, for two more minutes. Slowly add cream and milk, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Fold in spinach, hearts of palm, and half of the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Turn mixture into prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Allow to cool on the counter five minutes before serving. 

To make spinach toasts:

2 slices rustic bread, lightly toasted
Olive oil
1 c. leftover Creamed Spinach with Hearts of Palm, divided
1 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped

 Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Brush both sides of toast with olive oil. Place toast onto baking sheet and top with spinach mixture, spreading to the edges. Scatter tomato on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Switch your oven from heat to broil, and broil until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

This post contains affiliate links.

Tuesday of this week was World Chocolate Day, and as a celebrator of such holidays, I felt I owed it to myself to make something special to enjoy. My favorite dessert (as you should know if you’ve been reading me for a while) is cookies, but I tend to not like baking them because all of the forming of those little mounds of doughy lusciousness gets on my nerves. This recipe, from Cookies & Cups is genius. All the deliciousness of a chocolate chip cookie — crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside — is here in convenient cake form. Look at this beauty! Is it adorable, or what? It’s perfect for one (it freezes beautifully), perfect to give as a gift, great to serve for company, and will surely delight both young and old, this is a winner all around. There is no need to frost it if you’re in a hurry, the original recipe did not call for frosting, but I cannot resist a piping bag or Wilton number 1M tip so, using the luscious Creamy White Almond Frosting that goes with my white chocolate wedding cake, I did so. I also had these for breakfast one day. Why not?

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
From Cookies & Cups

¾ c. salted butter, room temperature
¾ c. light brown sugar
¼ c. granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
¾ t. baking soda
½ t. kosher salt
1 2/3 c. flour
1 ½ c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 9-inch spring form pan with baking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for two minutes. Add whole egg, yolk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and beat for 30 seconds until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. With mixer set to low, slowly add flour, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are set and the top is no longer glossy in appearance. Don’t over bake or you will end up with a dry cookie cake.

Allow the cookie cake to cool in the pan completely. Remove the sides of the pan, and, if desired, transfer to a serving platter.

Decorate with frosting if you so choose. Slice and enjoy.

Ham and Vegetable Linguine

This post contains affiliate links.

With all of the fresh produce currently available, I must confess to often (read: always) going slightly overboard (read: run amok) when making a purchase. Let’s face it, it all looks so delicious and tempting that I tend to forget I’m not cooking for an army when I buy bag upon bag of fresh corn, zucchini, asparagus, onions, and anything else that I can lay my hands on. It’s times like these when I’m thankful for this recipe of my mother’s.

Mother never particularly liked pasta, unless it was full of vegetables, because vegetables were one of her favorite foods. This recipe is perfect for the summer when fresh and varied produce is in abundance.

Ham and Vegetable Linguine

 
1 8-oz. pkg. linguine
¼ c. butter
½ lb. fresh Melissa’s asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, cut julienne
1 medium zucchini, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
8-oz. deli ham, cut in thin strips
1 c. heavy cream
½ c. frozen peas
3 scallions, sliced
¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1½ t. dried basil
¾ t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook linguine according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium-high heat in a 12" sauté pan. Sauté the asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, garlic, and ham in the butter until the vegetables are tender.

Add the cream, peas, scallions, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, nutmeg, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for three minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Rinse and drain linguine. Add to vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Makes four servings.

Beach Bread

Because breakfast isn’t always about fruit and cereal, here is a recipe for what I have been thoroughly enjoying this past week, thanks to both Shelly at Cookies & Cups, and my homegrown tomatoes.

At first, this may appear to be nothing more than bruschetta, but in reading the ingredients, you will see that there is quite a surprise here in the blue cheese dressing. Whether you like blue cheese dressing or not, the flavor is not overt, instead its subtle nuance serves to beautifully enhance the existing ingredients, making for one of the freshest, most summery appetizers, starters, open-faced sandwiches, or as I call it, breakfast, that you will ever enjoy.

Do not, I repeat, NOT, be tempted to substitute the parsley with fresh basil. Yes, I know, basil and tomatoes pair wonderfully, but here you want all of the flavors to come through, and not be overshadowed by the boldness of fresh basil. Resist, and you will be rewarded.

One caveat. I am not a fan of the baguette, particularly in a case like this. I find the topping-to-bread ratio to not particularly be to my liking, so in every case where a baguette is called for, I substitute it with thick slices of rustic bread. My favorite is Pane Turano from Aldi; no, I am not being paid to say this, I just love it.

Beach Bread

As seen on Cookies & Cups

1 (12-14-oz.) French baguette*

6 T. butter, room temperature

½ t. garlic powder

1/3 c. blue cheese dressing

½ c. diced tomato

2 c. grated mozzarella cheese

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Split the French baguette in half.

Spread each half with 3 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle evenly with garlic powder.

Spread the blue cheese dressing evenly on each half and add the diced tomato on top.

Cover the bread with the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parsley.

Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are golden and crisp.

Slice and serve.

*If using another type of bread, as I did, toast the bread lightly on top after spreading with butter and sprinkling with garlic powder. This will keep the bread from getting soggy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen, Reviewed

This post contains affiliate links.

There are few cookbooks that I anticipate as much as I did this one, so when Welcome to Buttermilk Kitchen by Suzanne Vizethann, with stunningly gorgeous photos by Angie Mosier, finally found its way into my hot little hands, I was overjoyed.

This book was everything for which I was hoping, and more. The recipes in this book are from Atlanta’s critically acclaimed Buttermilk Kitchen restaurant, where Vizethann is both owner and chef. Nothing is left out of this comprehensive book.

The recipes will take you from breakfast all of the way to dinner and beyond, including dessert, and wonderful cocktails. Here, in addition to mouthwatering egg, waffle, and pastry recipes, you will also find both vegan and vegetarian options, and a chapter as to what to do with leftovers. There is even a chapter on pimiento cheese, and that truly won my heart.

But even if you are a novice cook, this book is for you because not only are the recipes easy to read and follow, but the skills used in the recipes are explained at the beginning of the book – skills such as mincing garlic, mincing an onion, making brine, making chicken stock, as well as fried chicken dredge and batter.

Of wonderful help to people with existing, well-stocked pantries, as well as those who are just beginning is the section on supplies and equipment. Stocking the best quality available is encouraged (by me as well), because without good quality ingredients, how can you expect to yield good quality end products. The section on equipment will explain both use and usage, invaluable to all levels of experience.

As to the food, if the gorgeous pictures don’t suck you in, the simple, but delicious recipes will. I am completely in love with the caramelized-banana oatmeal that has graced my table more than once this past week; the B.E.L.T. (Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, Tomato) sandwich became my lunch more times than I care to admit. Simple, but delicious, there is nothing like good southern food, particularly when it contains slices of pickled green tomatoes (for which there is also a recipe). Among the cocktail recipes, I found a new favorite in the Cold Brew Russian, a combination of cold brew, whiskey, and rye whiskey-infused maple syrup, I found this quite an excellent way to relax at the end of the day. I also found (don’t judge) that whiskey maple syrup is an excellent addition to pancakes.

No matter what your skill level, no matter your palate, level of experience, or whether you have a well-stocked pantry, or just a few dry goods on the shelf, this book is for you. I have only a limited number of spaces on my kitchen counter for my Baker’s dozen favorite cookbooks and this is now among them. My suspicion is that, before long, it will become the most well-thumbed of the lot.

Buy it.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Gibbs Smith Publishing company in exchange for an honest review.

Tart Cherry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding

This post contains affiliate links.

When I want a hamburger, I want a hamburger, and for me that means a hamburger bun. But I can’t buy buns in packages of one or two. Now, I know what you’re thinking, why not go to the bakery section of the local supermarket, pick up tongs that God knows who have touched, grab as many large, dried out, flavorless buns from the bin that God knows who has breathed into, bag them up and bring them home. Umm, no.

My solution was to find something else to do with those buns. So, with the three brioche hamburger buns that remained from the four-pack that I’d bought, I made this sweet and tart bread pudding that soothed my soul. Bread pudding is on my top 10 list of comfort foods, and boy did I need it today. If you have some old buns hanging around (nothing personal, you understand), and need some soothing yourself, give this a try.

Tart Cherry and White Chocolate Bread Pudding

3 day-old brioche hamburger buns, cubed
½ c. white chocolate chips
1 3-oz. pkg. Melissa’s Dried Tart Cherries
½ c. sugar
½ T. cinnamon
¼ t. freshly ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
4 T. unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray an 8” x 8” baking pan with PAM; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the buns, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries; set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, reserving 1/4 cup of mixture. Set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. Pour cinnamon and sugar mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture over the bread/chocolate mixture, and fold to incorporate.

Pour mixture into prepared pan, and sprinkle with reserved sugar mixture. Scatter butter cubes over the top and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is golden, and edges are bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.

Hot & Heavy Pimiento Cheese Spread

This post contains affiliate links. 

As my hips will no doubt attest, food is a very important part of my life. And, ever since the onset of “shelter in place,” it has leapt from being merely important, to that of mammoth importance (again, hips). If I am going to be stuck in, I want rewards, and that reward had better come in edible form.

As a consequence, I try to keep my fridge stocked with all of my favorites, and one of my favorites, as you well know if you are a regular reader, is pimiento cheese. I always try to keep it on hand, and every time I make it I try to change the recipe up in one way or other in order to improve upon its general magnificence. I was feeling spicy today, so I added extra peppers, and a healthy portion of juice from a jar of pickled jalapeños. So, this delicious, creamy, pimiento cheese spread, is heavy on the peppers, and hot in taste, ergo the “Hot and Heavy” name. Don’t poke fun I’m getting punchy. No doubt you are too.

Hot & Heavy Pimiento Cheese Spread

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. mayonnaise
¼ c. sour cream
¼ t. cayenne pepper
¼ t. garlic powder
2 T. juice from Melissa’s pickled jalapeños
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. chopped Melissa’s sweet red bell peppers

Beat together cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and pickled jalapeño juice until smooth and creamy. Fold in cheese and red peppers. Refrigerate for four hours (preferably overnight) to allow flavors to meld. Enjoy!