Barefoot Contessa + Tyler Florence (and Winter Slaw)

Did you see the new Barefoot Contessa episode with Tyler Florence? Baby rosebud and I loved it! It airs again on Monday, September 9th at noon if you missed it (see the details here).

 {look at them high five, haha!}

They started by making a birthday cake for Tyler's son. The chocolate cake was made with buttermilk and the batter looked amazing (Ina is a pro after all). She made a ganache frosting and stacked the cake up asymmetrically at Tyler's request. They decorated the whole thing with bright candies that really popped off the chocolate frosting. It was beautiful (and I might be heading to ABC Cake Decorating to finally buy some legit cake pans to make it for Baby Strawberry's FOURTH! birthday next week).

Then they went to Ina's favorite place to buy chicken for Jeffery's dinner every Friday. My kids loved seeing the chickens and I love Tyler quipping about how proud he was to hear Ina's secrets.

{look how cute they are on Tyler's instagram!}

For lunch, he made Fried chicken and added whole fresh herbs and garlic to the oil to layer the flavors. The seasoned flour looked amazing. He added Sriracha to the buttermilk for even more flavor. I liked his tip to fry only a few pieces at a time to keep the temperature up. I don't fry things often but after I watched him make this recipe I was dying to make some chicken! You can see the recipe here.

Ina made a winter slaw recipe using shredded kale, radicchio, and Brussels sprouts. With a fresh lemon vinaigrette, craisins, and some Parmesan, it looked so light and yummy. I made it for dinner that night and while my husband wasn't sure that it was actually 'Cole slaw' it was great. The veggies were crunchy and fresh with the light dressing and the sweet and salty kicks from the cheese and craisins were perfect. It also only took a few minutes to make so I think it's going into regular side dish rotation (although the kids aren't happy about that, they looked at me like I asked them to cardboard or something!)

The best part of the episode was when Ina boxed up the enormous three layer cake and said "I don't envy you getting this home on the airplane." Haha! I hope you get a chance to watch it because it was a really fun episode full of great recipes as well. I'll let you know how that big cake goes (this is a pretty massive undertaking considering I barely passed Wilton Course 1 Cake decorating at the craft store- the employee was hesitant to give me the participation certificate, no lie!)

PS If you're on Pinterest... Barefoot Contessa is finally! It's kind of fun to follow her. If you're a dork like me. Don't tell my friend Kara I wrote this blog post. She'll die. Hopefully some of you like Ina like I do. And try the slaw. I'd never had Brussels sprouts before (seriously) and it was fun and yummy to try them.


Winter Slaw
from Ina Garten and Tyler Florence (recipe originally here)

6 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and cored
6 large kale leaves, center rib completely removed (8 to 10 ounces)
1/2 small head radicchio, cored
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried cranberries
1 (6-ounce) chunk good Parmesan cheese

With a very sharp knife, cut the Brussels sprouts, kale, and radicchio across in thin shreds and put them all in a large bowl.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the slaw to moisten it well. Add the cranberries.

Shave the Parmesan in big shards with a vegetable peeler, add it to the salad and toss well. Check for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.

Fruit Salsa with Triscuits and Cream Cheese

{printable recipe here}
Oh it's so hot. It's not as bad as last summer (when I was super pregnant) but it's really, really hot. To compensate, we've been spending all of our time in the pool. Baby Strawberry, Ms. Happy herself, loves it of course and my Little Man is getting used to the idea. I think three is the age of irrational fears but hey, we're all afraid of things (me? Mayonaise. SUPER creepy.) Well last weekend was no exception and we were in the water almost all day Saturday. We had a Church swim party and there was also a Salsa contest. While it seems contradictory I love super hot food in the summer and I think everyone else agreed, practically drinking up the hot salsas. I brought this fruit salsa for something different and even though it didn't win, when I took it home and tried it on top of triscuits I couldn't believe how great the combo was. Then I got thinking, "This just needs some cream cheese" (not a rare thought for me, I'll admit) and so I spread a little on and it was perfect. Creamy, crunchy, sweet, salty, everything. It even distracted me from the heat so I think this is a winner!

Have you heard about the home farming movement from Triscuit? They sent me a couple of boxes of Triscuits that include seed packets to start an herb garden. I have a pretty good little one growing on my front patio and love the smell of the fresh basil as I walk outside. They also included a giftcard to buy supplies to grow the herbs (basil and dill) and I have a new little pot sitting on my counter waiting to sprout. I've never grown anything from a seed before so we'll see. It was a really fun little project for my Little Man and I and Baby Strawberry loves Triscuits (I love that they don't make an enormous mess!) Try the reduced fat Triscuits with this salsa (and my favorite- Neufchatel reduced fat cream cheese) and let me know what you think.

Anne Strawberry's Fruit Salsa
{printable recipe here}
Note: This recipe easily accomodates whatever fruit you have on hand- try to chop everything to the same size for better presentation. A food processor makes nice work of this (particularly with the copious strawberries) but make sure to pulse, not puree, to end up with perfectly chopped fruit.

2 pounds of strawberries, chopped
2 peaches, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 pint of blueberries, roughly chopped
1 mango, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fruit jam (I used raspberry)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
zest and juice of two limes
3 ounces neufchatel cheese, softened
1 box of reduced fat triscuits

Prepare all of the fruit and stir together into a large bowl. Stir in the jam, brown sugar, zest, and lime juice until nicely combined. Refrigerate for an hour and serve with Triscuits spread with cream cheese.

Vegetable Tian (or how to use all that zucchini)

{printable recipe here}
When I saw Ina make this, I knew I would love it (not uncommon while watching Barefoot Contessa, I'll admit). I like every single vegetable in there. Add some seasonings and roast- how bad can that be? Ina delivered as usual. And since you don't have to peel any of these veggies, all you have to do is chop chop and line them up. It looks pretty impressive but is actually super simple. With all the delicious, summer veggies overflowing, this dish is cheap, delicious, and healthy. Go go.

What do you like to make with all the summer produce? I can't live on just zucchini bread (although I might like to, it really hardly qualifies as bread, don't you think?)

Vegetable Tian
from Anne Strawberry
{printable recipe here}
recipe from Ina Garten

Good olive oil
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
3/4 pound zucchini
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (I subbed Parmesan- I'll only eat that stinky Gruyere in Croque Monsieur, Macaroni, or Fondue!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

LaNell's Broccoli Salad

{printable recipe here}
This is one of our all time favorite side dishes. Whenever there's a party, people always ask my mom to bring this. It's one of her signature dishes for a reason! I don't like raw broccoli really except for in this salad. Cut nice and small, the texture and flavor is perfect. Bacon, Red Onion, Raisins, and Sun flower seeds give tons of crunch and variety, but they still work together. The creamy dressing is best added just before serving so it doesn't get soggy.

Broccoli Salad

{printable recipe here}
from LaNell (my mom!)

4 - 6 cups chopped broccoli flowerets

¼ cup diced red onion

½ cup toasted sunflower seeds (walnuts work, too)

1/3 cup raisins

8 strips cooked bacon (crumbled)

Dressing:         

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sugar

1 ½ T. apple cider vinegar (red wine works, too)

After making dressing, toss on salad and combine. Serve immediately.

Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Goat Cheese

The end of the month has snuck up on me once again. I'm excited that time is flying but I feel like I scheduled (and didn't quite finish) this post ages ago- can it be June already? That's a good thing, though, since my baby ticker informs me I have 113 (Arizona Summer) days to go. This Bruschetta from Ina is quick and easy for any of those- I made it with my brother and he even did all the slicing without any whining. If he can do it, you can.

I adapted the recipe for the ingredients I had (goat cheese and mini bell peppers from Costco) but it's plenty flexible- use your favorite cheese or veggie for endless variations. See the other Barefoot Bloggers for more ideas. And next time I'll try these on the grill to keep the flavor in and the heat out- especially important as the temperature rises!

Bruschetta with Sauteed Sweet Peppers and Goat Cheese
adapted from Ina Garten

Good olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Baguette
3 ounces creamy Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the capers and basil, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with olive oil on 1 side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoonful of the pepper mixture. Place 2 small pieces of Gorgonzola on top. Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve immediately.

Barefoot Bloggers- Herb Roasted Onions

This weeks Barefoot Bloggers recipe, chosen by Kelly, came at the perfect time. I had just watched the episode where Ina makes this dish to serve with Chicken Piccata on Friday (aka Roast Chicken Night at the Garten's) for Jeffrey. I love episodes where Jeffrey comes on as the dutiful, happy, appreciative husband. I know it bugs some people but it makes me happy to see him loving Ina and her cooking! So, I decided to make the chicken piccata too for my hubby since they looked wonderful together. The flavors were perfect together. These onions have a surprisingly sweet taste and awesome texture. To me, they taste a lot like onion rings without the fried part (if that makes any sense!) These are a keeper and will definitely be made again at our house.

Some people mentioned not having enough dressing. Naturally, I didn't measure any of these ingredients since I was working on this while I was balancing my little guy on my hip. I probably made a little extra dressing (and know I put in too much mustard on accident). However, I made my dressing in a good sized bowl and then tossed the onions in with the dressing. I used a slotted spoon to scoop the onions onto my Silpat lined sheet and reserved the dressing left in the bowl to pour over the onions once they came out of the oven. There was plenty of vinaigrette left and I saved a bowl or two to clean (good thing when you're also making breaded chicken... that always yields a delicious dinner and dozens of dishes!)

Herb-Roasted Onions
by Ina Garten

2 red onions
1 yellow onion
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (a bit more)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (measure carefully! you don't want too much)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves (a bit more)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onion. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

P.S. ... Have you heard about Shabby Apple? They have fabulous dresses and great accessories. They are running a contest now to describe your perfect outfit and what you'd wear it for. My best friend is the running and needs your vote for her Times Square Countdown vignette. While you're there, get yourself a new little black dress. I love mine that Kara gave me for my birthday.

Barefoot Bloggers- Butternut Squash Risotto

This weeks Barefoot Bloggers recipe, Butternut Squash Risotto, was absolutely perfect. I had just bought a squash at the grocery store before I knew the recipe. I had all the other ingredients on hand and had been dying to use the saffron in my cupboard (also purchased for an Ina recipe). This was simple, if time consuming, to put together. The final product was delicious- the flavors went together perfectly. Next time I'll omit the extra kosher salt (unless I have low sodium chicken stock) and include more squash, since that was my favorite part. I seem to say this every week, but seriously, I love Ina- another fabulous recipe!

Butternut Squash Risotto
from Ina Garten

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.

Barefoot Bloggers- Panzanella

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love Ina Garten. So I can't help but enjoy the Barefoot Bloggers Event. A few weeks ago I was googling something about her and stumbled on a nasty board where everyone was raving about how pretentious and insincere she is and I was hurt. LOL. I think she's wonderful and can't wait to watch every episode. Aside from her beautiful house, fine German automobiles, and cute relationship with her husband, she has the BEST recipes. I gathered the ingredients for this Italian salad last minute and didn't know how it was going to come together. I don't know why I was worried, though, because it was amazing. I think everyone that ate it agreed it was the best salad we've had in a long time. One of the great things about Panzanella is that it's kind of a "leftover salad", using day old bread, whatever tomatoes and veggies you have on hand and tossing with a simple vinaigrette. This is the kind of thing that is easy to through together and improvise, too. And for the sake of improvisation, I subconsciously forgot to add the cucumbers sitting happily in the fridge to mine. So go ahead and make it your own- it will still be tangy, sweet, crunchy, and delicious.

Coincidentally, a just saw Alton Brown's tomato episode so I incorporated a few tricks from his Panzanella recipe into Ina's. He sears half of the tomatoes for another texture, so I did that before adding the bread to the pan to crisp. I also sliced and baked my bread for a few minutes to replicate Alton's step of leaving it out overnight. Then, I added one head of romaine lettuce to the final product. I thought it came out just perfect and I LOVED Ina's dressing. I'm always looking for a good vinaigrette that pleases many different palates- not too sweet, not to sour, not too tangy, not to bland. This one was wonderful and while the recipe made more than I needed for the Panzanella, I was happy to put the leftovers in the fridge for our next salad. Thanks Melissa, for the awesome choice!


Panzanella
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties
Note: This salad makes a very large portion and is best served immediately after tossing. I would half it for 2 adults and serve with Rotisserie chicken for an easy summer meal.

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small French bread or boule, cut into 1-inch cubes (6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used about 3 cups of grape tomatoes)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, cut in 1/2 and thinly sliced
20 large basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 head of Romaine Lettuce, chopped

For the vinaigrette: (even with the lettuce, I only used about 2/3 of this, so pare down according to your tastes)
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed.

For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together.

In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, lettuce, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.

Barefoot Bloggers- Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

This week's Barefoot Blogger recipe was chosen by Elizabeth from Ugg Smell Food. I was so excited that I made it the day I saw it and it was a good as it looks! I made a half recipe and it yielded a big batch of pasta that tasted yummy warm and great cold out of the fridge. This recipe is also easy to assemble and is much more interesting than a normal pasta salad. The pesto is also easy to make and worth the extra flavor the homemade stuff adds. I omitted three quarters of the mayo and used healthy pasta so between that and all the spinach and peas I felt pretty good about this dish, not to mention the amazing taste! Don't miss the other Barefoot Bloggers' takes on this recipe- with all that pesto, it's sure to make you crave Italian!

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa
3/4 pound fusilli pasta
3/4 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (I would not recommend fresh spinach, it significantly changes the flavor of the dish)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups good olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.

To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
Yield: 4 cups