I tend to like mine a bit heartier than your average Toll House. More like Ghirardelli meets Rocky Mountains…or something like that. The more you put into it, the better it gets.

So when I make cookies around here, let’s just say they are almost healthy enough to eat for breakfast. It’s just that they are too good to make that a guilt free experience.

Believe me, one lone cookie, left over from last night’s baking, sat staring at me while I had my breakfast of eggs and veggies this morning. I ate around it, I cleaned around it, I wished someone would just come along and grab it. Finally, in a desperate  attempt to rid the plate of temptation and wash the crumbs down the drain, I handed it to my brother. That did the trick.

He has no qualms with eating cookies for breakfast and I congratulated myself for my rock hard willpower. It was a win win if you ask me.

Chocolate Chip Cookies Rocky Mountain Style

1 c. butter (or 1 c. coconut oil plus 1/2 t. sea salt)

1 c. coconut sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 eggs

1 c. oats

1/4 c. ground flax seed (optional, substitute with 1/4 c. flour)

1 c. buckwheat flour (or whole wheat)

1 t. baking soda

2 c. chocolate chips

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. coconut, unsweetened, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Stir in oats, buckwheat, soda and flax seed.

Add chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut. Stir some more.

Spoon onto an un-greased baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack…

And guard with your life…or at least a metal spatula. Someone even had the audacity to remove cookies from the rack as I was taking pictures! See? Like I said, you need an intimidating weapon.

So I’m totally intrigued by buckwheat.

Photo taken by Mario Biondi (public domain)

Do you know that it’s not a cereal or grass as is wheat, but is actually related to sorrels and rhubarb?

It was originally cultivated in Asia, possibly as early as 6000 BC and is documented in Europe by the Balkans circa 4000 BC.

It has a beautiful flower, is gluten free, and quite tasty. :D

So, yes, these cookies are gluten free and can easily be dairy free as well. Simply use coconut oil in place of butter and check the ingredients of chocolate chips before you buy. A quick search led me to two brands of chocolate chips that are dairy and gluten free - Sunspire and Enjoy Life. Or, if you’re feeling super industrious you could make your own chocolate or carob chips/chunks!

Enjoy!

My point in bringing this tomato soup up is not just to rave about how delectable it is, although I could do that for a page or two if you like… This is the recipe that introduced me to my new favorite ingredient – cashew cream.

It’s super easy to make and if you are dairy or gluten free you pretty much NEED the recipe. I’ve been imagining 1, 236 things to make with it throughout this week, so when a friend who is going dairy and gluten free mentioned missing potato soup I knew just what I wanted to try next.

I finally gathered all the ingredients and whipped this soup up in under two hours total – and that included taking pictures along the way!

I’d give this a 5 star rating for 5 reasons -

#1 Mom liked it.

#2 Dad like it.

#3 My sisters like it.

#4 My brothers liked it.

#5 If you can get my put-dairy-in-everything family to like it, it’s got to be good!

So, of course, to start off, you have to make the cashew cream (recipe is in the link above), or have some stashed away in your frig as I did. Yes, it takes some pre-planning, but it’s totally worth it and you can make a big batch to freeze for later.

Here are the basics – Cashew cream, chicken broth, potatoes, garlic, onion and…

Parsley! We have so much parsley in our garden it’s crazy! We now pick it for bouquets around the house. :D

Speaking of bouquets…

These Dahlias are from Mom’s garden, as are the Day Lilies…

I love fresh cut flowers!

Okay, sorry. No more detours, I promise.

Dairy Free Gluten Free Potato Soup

2 T. olive oil

1  onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 c. cubed potatoes

4 c. chicken broth

1/8 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/8 t. garlic powder

3/4 c. cashew cream

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil until golden.

Add potatoes and garlic and saute lightly. Pour in chicken broth and bring to boil.

Cover and cook 30 minutes on med-low, or until potatoes are soft. Add parsley…

…and garlic powder. Turn the heat down to low.

Mash with a potato masher, or if you don’t like chunky, go ahead and give it a whir in the blender. Stir in cashew cream and more broth if you like a thinner consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with smoked salmon and a sprig of dill.

When ever I’m in the process of making a recipe my mind is going 100 miles a minute thinking of all the variations that would go with whatever I’m doing. If you’re like that too (I hope I’m not the only one!) then you probably don’t need the following variations…

Try your favorite herbs in place of, or along with, the parsley – rosemary, thyme, dill…

Stir in some turkey bacon.

Jazz it up with pickled jalapenos.

Or add the traditional chopped celery and carrots when you’re sauteing the onions.

Whether you leave it as is, or give it your own unique twist, I hope you enjoy the flavor of this creamy potato soup. Your family will NEVER guess there are cashews in it. And if they do? Well then…I’m impressed! :D

I leave you now with my favorite dahlia and a printable version of this recipe…

Dairy Free Gluten Free Potato Soup

2 T. olive oil

1  onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4-5 c. cubed potatoes

4 c. chicken broth

1/8 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/8 t. garlic powder

3/4 c. cashew cream

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil until golden. Add potatoes and garlic and saute lightly. Pour in chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover and cook 30 minutes on med-low, or until potatoes are soft. Add parsley and garlic powder. Turn the heat down to low.

Mash with a potato masher, or if you don’t like chunky, go ahead and give it a whir in the blender. Stir in cashew cream and more broth if you like a thinner consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with smoked salmon and a sprig of dill or crumbled turkey bacon and parsley. Enjoy!

I guess it was this little ditty that gave me the false idea that mulberries grow on bushes. Nice little bushes that can be reached from the ground and even a child could go out and pick them.

I don’t think I even laid eyes on a real mulberry until I was well past nine years old. That changed when we moved out in the country and found several large TREES with blackberry-looking-things growing on them. We tried gathering these berries a few different ways, one of which was laying sheets under the tree and shaking the trunk with the tractor. It wasn’t very successful. We gave up after a year or two.

I hate it when the mulberries ripen, because it seems like such a waste not to gather them. The winds blow them down and they quickly get trampled by people and animals alike. This year, there were so many and they looked so good that I had to try again.

For the first picking I lugged Dad’s three-legged ladder over and pulled the branches over my head so I could reach the lowest ones. That yielded about 3 cups, some very stained fingers and a purple step ladder. The second time, I climbed into the tractor bucket and Anna lifted, lowered and moved me about to the best places. We got four cups from that. Not bad, really, but nothing compared to the amount of berries left on the tree high up in the branches.  Oh well! We couldn’t reach them anyway.

Now the question was, what to do with them?  I learned from previous experience that mulberries mold very quickly – within three days if chilled, so I had to use them fast.

I just have this thing with berries and cheesecake…Sorry, I know it’s not very original, but it’s just so good! This one happens to be gluten free (though I never even thought about that when I made it) and is sweetened with coconut sugar and raw honey. You could almost say it was a raw food cheesecake…if you used raw cream cheese and cream. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that on hand.

The crust -

1 c. almonds

1 c. unsweetened coconut

3 T. coconut oil or butter

3 T. coconut sugar

1/4 t. cinnamon (optional)

Blend almonds and coconut in processor until nuts are fine. Add sugar and coconut oil. If it doesn’t hold together when you pinch it, add a little more oil or butter. Pat into a 9 inch cheesecake pan.

The filling -

16 oz cream cheese

1/2 c. honey

1 T. vanilla

1/2 c. cream

Whip together on high until combined and the cream thickens. Spoon half of mixture onto crust. Layer 1 – 2 cups of mulberries over the top and repeat with remaining cream cheese mixture and berries. Chill and serve.

My Dad loves crust. So do I. Crust makes cheesecake what it is…in my opinion. :D

Cutting into it marbled the colors. Yum!

If you happen to have mulberries and happen to want to pick them and happen to make this cheesecake and happen to have leftovers, you MUST eat them the next day. Trust me on this. I saved mine for the day after the next day and the berries were already going bad. Sadness…

I’m glad I tried to be resourceful and pick the mulberries again this year, but you know what? I think it will be another decade or so before I feel bad about it again.

Biking the lovely streets of Haarlem, Netherlands

I’ve been missing Europe a lot lately – the trains, the towns, the people, and, of course, the food.

There are several flavors that totally remind me of different places in Europe. Part of that is due to my ancestry, part to travels, and there’s probably a part in there that comes from what I’ve been told by cookbooks or people in general. Perhaps it’s faulty, but never the less, there.

I’ve been wanting to make something that was reminiscent of the amazing flavors we sampled on our trip, but when I saw the recipe for Brown Butter Tarts with Sour Cherries in the Midwest Living a couple months ago, I knew I had to incorporate cardamom whipped cream somehow as well.

Cardamom is native to India, but my viking relatives (I’m sure I was related to one of them!) introduced it to Scandinavia over 1,000 years ago. That’s why cardamom always makes me think of my Swedish grandmother’s delicious Cardamom cinnamon rolls and not Badam Burfi.

This fabulous photograph was taken by Moira over at Who Want’s Seconds? You’ll find some interesting facts about cardamom over there.

Almond is used everywhere and for good reason, it is AMAZINGNESS! The Swedes use mandalmassa (almond paste) in muffins and biscuits and other treats like the Swedish Mazarinmuffins. When we were in Haarlem, Paula, the hostess at our phenomenal B&B, served us a bread laden with liqueur soaked fruit and a whole log of almond paste wrapped inside. Oh my! That was a flavor worth savoring! I recreated the recipe for Kerststol in my Taste of Europe series here.

Okay, almond was a given. Maybe some orange. Cherries? I like that…

And so the Flavors of Europe Tart began to take shape.

I started with a crumb crust. Actually, I lied. I started with a pastry crust using almond paste, flour and butter. It was delicious, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. So we ate that and started over.

7 oz. almond paste

1/2 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. almonds, ground

Pulse in a food processor, until blended and press into a tart pan. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until golden.

I wanted vanilla bean custard for the filling, so I went with my tried and true custard/pudding recipe that I use for just about anything I need pudding or custard for.

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, scraped

1/4 c. cornstarch

1/4 t. salt

2 c. milk

4 lg. egg yolks

2 t. butter

1 t. vanilla

Whisk all ingredients together in a sauce pan while cold. Turn on the heat and whisk while it warms. As soon as it starts to thicken, remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla and pour into tart crust. Cover with plastic wrap to keep from forming a skin on top and chill in refrigerator.

The yolks I used are farm fresh and were so orange. That explains why the pudding is yellow. I knew you were wondering. :)

And guess what? The shell of the egg was green/blue! I LOVE that!

I decided to used dark sweet cherries for the topping and reduce them in their own juices. So easy! Just put 12 oz. of frozen cherries in a pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is a  syrupy consistency.

Cardamom Whipped Cream from Midwest Living

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Beat cream until it starts to thicken. Add sugar, orange peel, vanilla and cardamom. Beat until desired texture is reached.

Slice tart and serve with a dollop of cream.

So now, just to be totally random (and because I like it so much and I’m so excited about it :), I have to share my latest project with you.

I decided to paint my closet. I’ve done a lot of painting in the past working for my Dad or sisters or doing jobs of my own and I’m telling ya’, I really dislike painting closets. I mean, come on, it’s just a closet! Right?

Well, I don’t know what got into me.

I took a plain, decent closet…

And spiced it up a bit!

 I love it so much I’m doing to get rid of all my stuff, take the doors off my closet and enjoy it! :D Just kidding. But it was sad covering so much of it up.

Now it’s just a closet again…with an attitude.

No, I’m not even going to think about August. August doesn’t exist – not here, not now, not for me.

Instead, I’m going to think about Chia Pudding.

I mentioned this in my last post and I wonder about your reactions…did it sound terrible? Or are you just waiting for the recipe?

I hope you want the recipe because that’s what I’m giving you this fine evening. It is so SO good. And after you taste it you will never believe that it has no dairy, no gluten and no processed sugars.

It is so easy… and fast…and it looks good too.

Gee, it sounds like I’m trying to talk you into something, but I know you already want the recipe so here it is.

Chia Pudding with Mango, Strawberries and Coconut

1 8oz. package pitted dates

1 – 13.5 oz. can coconut milk

13.5 oz.  water

2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. chia seeds

1 carton strawberries, de-stemmed, washed and diced

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/4 shredded unsweetened coconut

Combine dates, vanilla, coconut milk, water and chia seeds in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined – it won’t be quite smooth, but you’ll want the dates well blended – pour into a bowl and chill.

EDIT: Some people have had trouble with the pudding coming out too watery. I recommend, 1 – chilling your coconut milk before using and draining the watery liquid (simply poke a hole in the solid cream and drain over the sink), or 2 – going easy on the water until you can gauge what the consistency will be. Keep in mind that the chia seeds absorb the liquid, so it thickens as it chills.

Variations -

Christy commented below and left some great ideas – “I used dried figs, goji berries, apricots and prunes for the fruit ( it gave the pudding a beautiful apricot color),I also added a few dashes of cardamom.”

To satisfy a chocolate craving, add 1/8- 1/4 c. cocoa powder.

For a “less mess/less dishes” variation, use maple syrup or honey in place of the dates and water and stir together with a spoon. 

Anyone else have tasty variations? I’ll post them here. :D

Toss together fruit and coconut. Serve atop the pudding and garnish with mint leaves if you like.

Oh! And isn’t this bowl so cool? My sister, Sage, made it. I have such talented sisters. I hope someday to have an entire kitchen furnished with Sage’s pottery and Tera’s glass.

Anyhow, do let me know what you think if you try this recipe out. I think you’ll like it.

I guess you could say they are all a bit crazy about it. I know you would say that if you hung out at our house for a day or two. Typical conversations revolve around the best coaching techniques, playing styles, who’s good and who is not, frustrations with teenage drama, (Don’t ask me the details I’m sworn to secrecy.), rosters, scores, rival teams, and all that good stuff.

These three brothers also play competitive volleyball. And they are pretty good at it. Needless to say the working out and nutrition topics rate pretty high around here, too. We’ve had some fine debates on weight lifting vs cardio and protein vs. carbs.

While we all have our own ideas, we can pretty much agree when it comes to protein – you’ve got to get enough of it.

Then we argue about what enough is…

Oh well, the last one living wins! It’s all in fun.

Protein is vital for building and retaining muscle and living a healthy lifestyle. Running around all day, coaching, playing volleyball, putting kids through suicide drills (properly named. Trust me, I’ve tried them.), and hitting more balls…sometimes it’s hard to make time to refuel with healthy food – or even find healthy food to refuel with.

My mission this year is to get the guys to bring their own snacks to munch on. Hence, the new rage on the courts – P3Bs (Peanut Protein Power Balls). It’s a good start.

P3Bs

1 jar Smuckers chunky peanut butter

1/2 to 3/4 c. Raw honey

4 scoops unsweetened whey protein powder

1 T. Vanilla

1/4 c. Chia seeds

1/2 c. Raisins

1 c. 60% cocoa chocolate chips

makes 45 balls

First mix together the peanut butter and honey. I make it a rule to never measure honey because it’s the stickiest stuff ever and half of it ends up staying in my measuring cup. So I recommend eyeballing it. If you get too much in, you can always add more protein powder to even it out.

Add protein powder and vanilla and stir until combined.  Added bonus – You get a nice workout making these by hand.

It should look like this… and you may want to put the spoon down and take to kneading it.

Add the fun stuff – raisins, chips and chia seeds.

I have to tell you about chia seeds now… just in case they are as new to you as they were to me a couple years ago.

Chia seeds are high in fiber and are a complete protein. They are also high in Omega-3 essential fats, calcium and include trace minerals and vitamins. When soaked, you can make a pudding with them, not unlike tapioca. Try it with coconut milk, dates and vanilla. Yum!

So, yeah, do yourself a favor and add chia seeds to the mix! :D

Roll into balls and coat in unsweetened cocoa powder. Be sure not to breath in if you snitch a bite!

Chill in take-away containers for the road.

And, for your information… each ball has approximately 5.6 grams of protein and 9.5 g. of carbohydrates. Not bad for a bite this yummy, aye?

I’ve been sliding back into my old ways. You know, the old ways of making up a recipe as I go and not taking any pictures along the way. It’s liberating really…until I taste the finished product and think, I have to blog about this!  Then, I make a mad dash up the stairs to see if I can get the camera before the food is all gone.

Sometimes I win. Sometimes I look at the bottom of the dish and wonder if you would like a picture of a scraped pan and a licked spoon. The ultimate picture of past enjoyment. I think not.

All that to say this – don’t expect too many pictures in this post.  My passion is preparing food, not photography, apparently. :P

My sister and I made over 100 tortillas the other day.

Yes, keep scrolling. The stack will end.

Promise.

It was a warm spring afternoon, so I wanted something cool and refreshing to serve for dinner.

Black Bean Mango Salsa over Spicy Rubbed Sirloin Steak with Chipotle Orange Sour Cream in a homemade tortilla.

It’s a wrap.

You’ll find the tortilla recipe here.

Black Bean and Mango Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen, rinsed and drained

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

2 green onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

juice of 1/2 an orange

juice from one lime

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.

Spicy Rubbed Sirloin Steak

4 sirloin steaks

olive oil

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. chipotle chile powder

1 1/2 t. salt

Mix together garlic powder, chile powder and salt. Coat steak with olive oil and rub spice mixture into meat – about a teaspoon on each side.

Grill to your liking.

Chipotle Orange Sour Cream

1 c. sour cream

juice from 1/2 orange

1/2 t. chipotle chile powder

1/4 t. salt

1 t. honey, or 2 t. sugar

Whisk together.

Dinner or Lunch Idea #2

I’ve been on the hunt for delicious, GMO free corn, tortillas and I think I found them. Food For Life Sprouted Organic Corn tortillas. The flavor is amazing!

I was craving fish tacos the other day. Fresh fish isn’t something we keep on hand unfortunately, but we had a can of salmon in the pantry.

I sprinkled salmon on one of these amazing corn tortillas and topped it with my Magenta Sauerkraut, some Chipotle Lime Sour Cream (Okay, I admit it. I’m kind of on a chipotle kick…just kind of.) and fresh cilantro. It was good. <Major understatement.

You don’t really need a recipe for this, but I have to share a little secret. It’s rather obvious what goes in Chipotle Lime Sour Cream – Chipotle Chile powder, lime juice and yeah, sour cream. But get this – smoked apple wood sea salt. Makes all the difference in the world. Believe me.

Now comes the part I know you all have been waiting for…dessert. After all, we eat our dinner just to get to the dessert right?

Someone said they wanted ice cream last night. That’s all it takes to get me started. Well, usually I block it out because someone says they want ice cream nearly every single night and I can’t deal with that. So last night was an exception, I guess.

Here’s what I came up with -

Tangy Lemon Coconut Gelato

1/2 c. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/2 c. sugar

1 can coconut milk

cream

unsweetened shredded coconut

In a 4 cup measuring cup, mix lemon juice, sugar and coconut milk until sugar is dissolved. Add cream to the 3 1/2 c. line. Blend and pour into ice cream maker to freeze. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove until hot. Sprinkle in 1/4 c. shredded coconut. Turn burner off and stir coconut. It will turn golden very quickly. Remove skillet from burner to cool. Sprinkle on frozen gelato and serve.

And there are no pictures. I was lazy last night and didn’t make it up the stairs until the gelato was almost gone. Sorry. Maybe next time…as I’m sure there will be a next time. The lemony tangy-ness is perfect for summer. Be warned though – there’s just enough sugar to keep from puckering your face all up, so if you like things sweeter, add another 1/4 of a cup.

So what do you think of the idea of Chipotle Lime Ice Cream?  :P

]]> http://cheffingit.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/two-easy-dinner-ideas-and-lemon-coconut-gelato-for-dessert/feed/ 4 sarahbec IMG_7398 IMG_7409 IMG_7377 http://cheffingit.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/mango-ginger-stilton-and-caramel-together/ http://cheffingit.wordpress.com/2012/03/26/mango-ginger-stilton-and-caramel-together/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:14:27 +0000 Sarah http://cheffingit.wordpress.com/?p=1081 Continue reading →]]> I learned something new today. I am a Turophile.

Okay, it’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s simply a crazy word for a lover of cheese. I mean, I already knew I loved cheese, but actually putting a name to it – like Turophile? Well, that takes it to a whole new level.

Speaking of new levels… the combination of mango and ginger in Stilton cheese? It’s a level 10 out of 10. Amazingness.

I first discovered this cheese in a small grocery store and hardware shop in one of my favorite little towns ever, Georgetown, Colorado.

Kneisel & Anderson.

Photo by Kent Kanouse

We’ve been going there since I was a baby, so it almost feels like part of the family. Or maybe it feels that way because they stock so many Scandinavian foods and the owners are Swedish as well. It’s a connection with my roots.

They carry the big round Wasa crackers, lingonberry jam, teas, chocolates, and everything else you can imagine. Their cheese selection is one that you’d never think to find in such a small town. Havarti Dill, horseradish, soft cheeses with caraway, fruit Stiltons….

But let’s stop right there. I always stop right there. And I say, “Could I get a wedge of mango ginger Stilton, please? No need to wrap it, I’ll eat it on the way home.” I’m kidding about the second part – kind of. I haven’t done that before, but I just might in the future.

This stuff is…I don’t even know how to describe it…sweet, sharp, tangy – incredible. Period.

That is why I was so excited when Uptown Grocery, in my immediate vicinity, actually carries Mango Ginger Stilton!

That could be bad really…I think I might need another job.

It just so happened that our friend, Ian Lamont, over at Slickepott had sent my sister a jar of his new caramel sauce for a sneak peek tasting. You may remember the name from past posts. You also may remember that Slickepott fudge sauce is one of the best Chocolate Sauces out there. And the only reason I don’t say BEST is because I haven’t tasted all the chocolate fudge sauces out there. ( Thank goodness! I think that would be a full time occupation!) I know you remember if you tasted it. It’s just that kind of sauce.

The caramel sauce is pretty much just as delicious.

Do you see the flecks of vanilla bean? Now what caramel sauce do you know of that has real vanilla bean in it? This stuff is legit. I have to tell you though that this sauce won’t be for sale for a few months yet. I suggest you head over to the Slickepott site and tell Ian how much you’re looking forward to it. It just might hurry the process along. Heehee. :D

Suddenly, it clicked. Mango Ginger Stilton with Caramel? Stupid question.

So, I know this is a bit of a rabbit trail, but I was just thinking…did you just pronounce that c-word up there as CARE-a-mel or CAR-mul? I’ve gone on a internet search to see which is correct and find that CARE-a-mel is common in the Great Lakes area and the Northeastern US, while CAR-mul hails from the Atlantic Seaboard and southern states. And just to make you feel better, neither one is wrong. At least it made me feel better!

I’ve always said CARE-a-mel. But when I worked at a coffee shop in the Northwest, the boss told me I had to say CAR-mul (which totally sounds like a good word butchered to me.) because no one would know what I was talking about. I changed it, for the sole sake of good business and, now that I’m home, I find that I stumble all over the word. Do I keep saying CAR-mul, as I am now used to, or do I go back to the good ol’ CARE-a-mel? Argh! The problems of life! Maybe it would be better if one of them was wrong! Then I could pick the right one and be done with it.

The question now is would I rather be a yankee or a rebel?  This test told me I was “44% Dixie – barely in Yankeedom” (as opposed to 56% Yank?). For being born and raised in Oklahoma that’s not too shabby when I’d rather be from the North. Not to be a Yankee mind you, just to be in the mountains.

Back on the original trail!

These hors d’oeuvres, or desserts, or snacks, or however you want to serve them, are fast and easy and super tempting.

Here’s what you need -

2 oz. mango ginger stilton

4 oz. cream cheese

apricots, thinly sliced

Ritz crackers

caramel sauce

Mix the cream cheese and Stilton together with a spoon. Spread a bit onto a cracker. Top with a few slices of apricot and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Done. That easy.

Now, if you live in a part of the world that is deprived of Mango Ginger Stilton cheese like we were for so long, there is hope for you. You just need to make your own. A soft cheese, a sharp-crumbly cheese, minced dried mango and minced crystallized ginger – all mixed together – should do nicely.  I sincerely hope you don’t live in that part of the world though. I know what a lonely place it can be.

Enjoy and thanks for coming by!

We have a lot of mushrooms popping up in the green house, but properly identifying mushrooms is scary business, so Mom pulls them out as they come. However, she and Anna found some morels on their walk at the lake and brought them home for me. Yay!

Bruschetta was the first thing I thought of – something to highlight the flavor of these wild morels.

But first I had to wash them. Bath number one is to get the noticeable dirt – and bugs – off.

These guys are totally hollow and have the coolest irregular pattern. No wonder it’s important to wash them so well! This looks like bug paradise.

I cut them in half for the next washing.

After about three baths and a good rinse in running water, I put them in a salt water bath to remove any hidden bugs and let them soak for a bit.

After another rinse they were ready to store for a later use. And since that all happened a couple days ago, it’s a good thing they keep well!

Tonight I finally had time to make the bruschetta.

Sliced morels…

Sliced garlic…

A good quality extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and french or sourdough bread. That’s all you need.

Saute the garlic and mushrooms in a tablespoon or two of oil.

They will get very juicy at first, but cook them until the juices evaporate.

Sprinkle with salt to taste and set aside.

Thinly slice the bread. I warned everyone before I left today not to eat the rest of Mom’s homemade Sourdough. I was happy to see they didn’t. They actually do listen to me! :D

Toast in a toaster or in the oven on broil.

Now, for all you garlic lovers out there – take a clove of garlic, cut it in half and rub the cut side on a slice of toasted bread.

Top it with the mushroom mixture and drizzle with olive oil.

Yep, it’s good enough to eat. Just had to make sure…

Garnish with fresh herbs if you like – rosemary was delicious with it – or leave it as is. It’s fabulous either way.

Stay tuned for another great hors d’œuvre (or dessert) idea!

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you! It is so much fun and, on top of that, versatile and yummy. What more can you ask for?

Asian food is rather controversial in our home. Some of us LOVE it and others…don’t. I love it and try to make everyone else love it too. They will thank me for it some day. :D

I think this recipe does the trick. The coconut red curry sauce may be served on the side so individuals can season their stir-fry as they please. I put soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sirachi, and Bragg’s liquid aminos on the table for additional options.

2 lb. boneless chicken, cubed

3 carrots

1 green pepper

1 clove garlic

1/4 head of cabbage

24 oz. fresh chow mien noodles

1 can coconut milk

4 T. red curry paste

Heat a large skillet or wok with a tablespoon or two of oil in it. Add chicken, sprinkle with sea salt and saute until golden. Remove to a bowl or plate and cover to keep warm.

Julienne the carrots and green pepper, shred the cabbage and mince the garlic.

Drizzle some more oil into the skillet and add the vegetables. Then the noodles.

These are the noodles I used. I found them in the refrigerated department of Whole Foods.

They are so quick and easy and come in 2 individual packages for your convenience…unless you need over 4 packages. I can see the package opening process getting rather old.

Combine the can of coconut milk and 4 T. of red curry paste in a sauce pan and heat until warm.

Now I interrupt this recipe to introduce you to two of my favorite kitchen brands – Epicurean and Chef’n.

This rubber spatula is fabulous. It doesn’t have those annoying seams that get filled with gunk and are impossible to clean out and it’s nice and flexible. What’s more is that one end is a smaller spatula for those smaller jars. LOVE it!

I discovered the Epicurean cutting boards when I was in Idaho last summer at the Kitchen Engine in Spokane. All Epicurean products are made in the USA out of eco friendly materials. The cutting boards are dishwasher safe, easy on knives and look great. They also have a non slip series that I especially like.

End of commercial – back to the recipe. :D

Saute vegetables and noodles for about 5 minutes or until the cabbage is rather wilted and the color of the peppers and carrots are bright. Add chicken to the noodle mixture and toss. Serve with toppings of choice and garnish with sprigs of cilantro. Makes 6 servings.

Thanks to Sage for help with this collage. I will figure out Photoshop eventually!

So, that beautiful orange bowl you see? My sister Tera is taking glass classes in Guthrie at the G Gallery & Glass Studio. She made this bowl and brought it home just in time for me to use in my photo shoot. I love it, don’t you? The colors are just gorgeous. Thanks, Tera, for letting me use your art. :D