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Archive for May, 2010

Friday, May 28, 2010

Flank Steak Sandwiches

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone! Phew, it feels so good to know there are 3 lovely days ahead of us. Since I work freelance, I don’t get a lot of holidays off, but one of my bosses said we deserved a break, which leaves me with only a little bit to do work-wise on Monday. Yay! I’m headed to Ogunquit for the day tomorrow and plan on consuming a lot of lobster. I’m also planning on doing a lot of relaxing as next weekend is insanely packed full (including the bridal shower and bachelorette party of one of my bffs!!). I hope you enjoy some time off, too

I think this recipe is perfect for a low-key, hot weekend and it’s seriously hard not to love. I discovered it on a blog I just found, Jenny Mac’s LipSmack (ADORABLE header!) and knew it was perfect for the super hot Boston week. It took about 10 minutes to throw together. Of course, homemade horseradish sauce would be 100 times better if you have a few extra minutes.

Here’s what I did… But remember you can do whatever you want and add whatever you want. This is one of those sandwiches where anything is fair game. My favorite kind!

Flank Steak sandwiches:

Grilled flank steak (or any thin steak)
Avocado
Cherry Tomatoes
Scallions/green onion
Bread (Jenny suggests rye, I used crusty Italian)
Gorgonzola cheese (or whatever you prefer)
Horseradish sauce
Arugula (optional)

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I decided to marinate my steak the night before, but it’s totally up to you if you want to. I think Jenny used leftover flank steak, so if you have leftovers, this sandwich is perfect! I just threw the steak in a Ziplock bag with some olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and a little bit of cayenne for some kick and stuck it in the fridge for a couple hours.

Slice your avocado, cut the tomatoes in half, and chop your green onion.

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Toast your bread. use whatever kind you want; I just used sliced Italian. Then I layered some gorgonzola cheese on each slice. Any cheese will work, but I LOVE the steak and gorgonzola combo.

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A cooked my beef in the marinade until done.

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I put some horseradish sauce on each slice of bread and then layered on side with steak and the other with tomato.

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Then I put avocado over the steak and scallion over the tomato.

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And put it all together.

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See how easy!! It was 90 degrees a couple days in Boston this week, so definitely not the kind of weather you want to spend much time standing over a hot stove.

After I made the sandwich and had it on the plate, I realized I forgot the arugula! But then I realized the sandwich was stuffed full enough and an arugula salad on the side would probably be better anyway.

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Cut it open and they layers of goodness are apparent.

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This totally hit the spot and I’m already dreaming of having it again. I think I’ll probably make it using leftovers pretty much every single time I have steak for dinner from now on.

OK, go enjoy your beautiful weekends and make this if you have a little bit of time. And definitely let me know what you add to your sandwich. Happy weekend!!!!!!

What are your Memorial Day weekend plans?

[Sues]

Labels: sandwich, steak

9 Comments »

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Pam’s Spring Lemon Ricotta Pasta

The other night I was cruising my Google Reader and saw a tasty post for Spring Lemon Ricotta Pasta from Pam our longtime blogger friend behind Cave Cibum. Pam takes such great photos and creates wonderful recipes all the time so I was not surprised at all to see another delightful looking dish. Plus, I 110% trust anything that Pam makes, as she made the best candied bacon I’ve ever had in my life. Ever. Ever ever.

For the Spring Lemon Ricotta Pasta, Pam pretty much just whipped it up one night she was craving a light but comforting seasonal dish. I was in the same predicament so I decided to give the recipe a chance.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 pound gemelli pasta
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 ounces prosciutto, torn into small pieces
• salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Here’s what you do:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• While your pasta is cooking, in a large bowl mix the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, basil, parsley, prosciutto, and salt and pepper.

• Once pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add to the ricotta mix making sure to combine well. Transfer the ricotta and pasta mix into a baking dish.

• And top with a heaping (!!!!) portion of Parmesan cheese and the lemon juice.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Pam also suggests putting the baking dish under the broiler for a few minutes at the end to brown even more.

Incorporating the fresh basil and parsley into the dish is such a great idea if you’re looking for the perfect seasonal pasta dish. With each bite I felt like I was taking a big bite out of Spring. I think Pam hit the nail on the head when she said “The herbs and lemon are what give the exciting Spring-y flavor, while the creaminess from the cheese is what you want from a comforting pasta bake.” Comforting indeed. And makes for phenomenal leftovers. What’s not to love?

What’s your go-to comfort food for the warm weather? I never seem to have a huge appetite once things start heating up!

[Chels]

Labels: cave cibum, comfort food

11 Comments »

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cherry Bomb Bakery Cupcakes

I’ve said this before, but I’m pretty sure the whole cupcake craze has come to Boston about 5 years after the fact. I’m certainly not complaining because I’ll always love cupcakes, but I just think it’s funny that so many shops are popping up in the area now. Soon we will be able to conduct a Boston Cupcake Crawl, just like the ones we did in Chicago a couple years ago

New cupcake shops are doing a good job at spreading out and one place that was in need of a shop was the Brighton area. Now? It’s here! Cherry Bomb Bakery opened last week and I took the 20 minute trek to check it out today. Right now I’m pretty obsessed with Mix Bakery (with a special place always in my heart for Party Favors), but of course I try every single new spot that comes my way.

Cherry Bomb Bakery is in Brighton Center, an area I don’t go to very often. But not because it’s not close; I can easily walk there– there’s just not a whole lot for me to do there. But now that there’s cupcake bakery, I might stop by the area more often, when a craving hits.

The shop is cute and I love their logo!

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The inside was nice and spacious. They have free wifi and lots of tables, making it an ideal spot to hang out and do some work. They also have tons of coffees, so it’s not like you’ll have to sit there eating cupcakes all day! Which wouldn’t really be a bad thing.

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I mean, check out their coffee menu:

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But more importantly, of course, check out their cupcake menu:

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Before I went to Cherry Bomb, I checked out their cupcake menu online and was thrilled to see the huge variety of fun flavors.

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There were so many choices, it was really, really hard to decide. I really felt that I needed to try every single one.

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But I only chose 5 (only!!). I did notice that Cherry Bomb doesn’t have labels on their boxes, which I definitely think they should change. I’m a huge fan of branding, and customized boxes can take your business so far. They also didn’t have bags, which meant I had to walk 20 minutes home in 90 degree weather carrying the big box, praying the cupcakes wouldn’t melt (and that nobody would attack me and steal them)!

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After dinner and some American Idol watching (what did you think of the results???), Chris and I dug in.

The Cherry Bomb Signature. This is basically a vanilla cupcake with cherries baked in with cherry frosting. I have to say right now, Cherry Bombs cupcakes were some of the moistest cupcakes I’ve had in a very long time. Each and every one of them was perfectly moist and there was NO hint of dryness anywhere. I loved this cupcake and while the frosting was delicious, it was a little too sweet for me (the older I get, the less I can handle overly-sweet. Gah, I feel old!).

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The Irish Car Bomb. Again, a really moist cupcake, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the flavor. I mean, there was nothing wrong with it, but Chris made the point that my Guinness cupcakes were much better (and I’m 99.9% sure he wasn’t just saying that). I thought the pretzel was a nice little touch, but the icing was quite boring.

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Candied grapefruit. This is one of the most unique cupcakes I’ve ever had! I am a HUGE fan of grapefruit, so I was super excited to try this. And I loved it! I’m not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting (weird, I know), but if you love it, I really think this frosting will taste absolutely amazing to you. This is one cupcake I would totally eat for breakfast.

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Coconut. The girl behind the counter at Cherry Bomb recommended the coconut to me and being a sucker for all things coconut, I couldn’t turn it down. And it was definitely a fave! I just loved that it had tons of real coconut in it and didn’t taste artificial at all.

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Peanut Butter. I liked this one too, mainly because it had some type of delicious chocolate fluffy frosting in it. The concoction in the middle is pretty, but it was kind of hard and probably not needed. Just the peanut butter cupcake with the chocolate would have been perfectly fine!

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Overall, I think Cherry Bomb Bakery has tons of potential and is a much-needed addition to the Brighton Center area. The cupcake flavors are fun and always-changing, the shop is spacious , and the coffee flowing. Next time I definitely want to try some of their scones, especially the pesto prosciutto scone!

I hope that Cherry Bomb becomes a little more active on Twitter and works to get everyone excited with some marketing/PR. There’s nothing like showing potential customers how excited you are about the cupcakes you make.

I don’t think I’ll be able to resist trying all the other fun flavors, so I’ll most definitely be back! (hello, I’m already wondering how I missed the zucchini mint cake!?).

What’s your all-time favorite cupcake shop? And why is it your fave?

Cherry Bomb Bakery
379 Washington St.
Brighton Center 02135
@CBBakery

[Sues]

Labels: Boston, Brighton, Cherry Bomb Bakery, Cupcakes

11 Comments »

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Stonyfield CE-Yo and lunch at EVOO

Yesterday I, along with a handful of other local bloggers, had the wonderful opportunity to lunch with Gary Hirshberg the CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm. During the lunch, which was held in Cambridge at EVOO, Gary discussed the importance of organics and why they are so important in our lives and for the well-being of the planet.

Entering EVOO was like a breath of fresh air…

To get started, we went around the room for a quick round of introductions then Gary got right into his talk. It was extremely interesting to hear his story about starting Stonyfield, which was founded 27 years ago. He grew up outside of Manchester, New Hampshire where his family had their milk, butter, and cheese delivered each day. In his stories you can hear his delicious passion for good and real food.

I’m big into the facts and Gary dished them like it was his job. Well, I guess it is his job. Some interesting things he pointed out:

• 41% of Americans will develop some sort of cancer. (a percentage that is way too high)
• 1 in 3 children after 2000 will develop type II diabetes.
• Organics make up 3.7% of the US food supply.
• Cows on non-organic/conventional farms have an average lifespan of 4-6 years. Cows on organic farms have an average lifespan of 12-20 years (!!!)
• Eating organics is a win for all. Farmers are supported, animals are treated fairly and have longer lives, and we have more nutritious foods in our system.
• Gary also did a really great job of acknowledging the fact that organics typically are more expensive than non-organics and he understands that organic and non-organics are on two completely different playing fields. Hopefully with time and more education things will level out. The biggest message he left us with was by even purchasing one organic product during your weekly trips to the grocery store know that you’re changing the world and making a change to better yourself and your health.

As Gary spoke we hungry bloggers started to eat while still taking notes and photographs. Multitasking at it’s best

All of the food prepared at EVOO is “eclectic New American cuisine” and uses as many homegrown ingredients as possible so the decision to pair Stonyfield with EVOO was perfection.

We started with some bread (which I devoured, hence the lack of a photo) and a nice dish of oil… how tasty does this look?

I chose a salad that contained Asparagus, Peas, Fiddleheads, Radish and Arugula with Great Hill Blue Cheese, Herbed Yogurt Dressing and Course Crumb Crunch. I felt like I was eating out of a garden… everything was so fresh, crunchy, and clean-tasting.

My main course was the Seared Misty Knoll Farm’s Chicken Breast with Red Fire Farm’s Spring Dug Parsnip Manicotti, Shaved Fennel, Orange Segments, Arugula, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Garlicky Chicken Jus. I could have eaten this all day long and was tempted to lick my plate but I’m a lady

Since Sues was traveling I invited my friend Tarryn to come along. I’ve known Tarryn for a few years now and I know that she secretly wants to be a farmer so I figured she’d love to hear Gary speak and share in the experience with me! For her main course she ordered the Seared Atlantic Golden Tilefish Fillet with Organic Potatoes, Fiddlehead Ferns, Wild Ramps, Cilantro, Curried Potato Broth and Minted Carrot Salad.

And then, the gates of Heaven opened when this darling plate was put in front of me. Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Tart with Balsamic Basil Glazed Strawberries. Balsamic, Basil, Strawberries… my little heart can’t take it. The only way to appropriately describe this is to say it tasted beautifully.

We were also given a container of Stonyfield’s Oikos Caramel Greek yogurt. HOLY DESSERT. This was the perfect amount of sweet and smooth… and I’m buying them out of stock the next visit I make to the grocery store.

Once we were all finished eating and ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over the wonderful meal, the Chef of EVOO, Peter McCarthy came out to talk to us a bit about local ingredients and the reasoning behind using organics at the restaurant. It’s always nice to see the face behind the food!

Along with a slew of coupons for Stonyfield products, we were also given autographed copies of Gary Hirshberg’s book Stirring it up: How to Make Money and Save the World. I’m really excited to start reading it just based on the quote from Robert Redford on the cover:

“Gary Hirshberg dared to dream new ways of doing business based on respect for customers, employees, and the earth. And, it worked. If you buy or sell anything, or simply want to feel hopeful about the future, this lively and legitimately optimistic book is worth every minute.”

Gary was so down to earth it was unbelievable. When I got home and told my roommate I had lunch with the CE-Yo of Stonyfield she asked if I was nervous. The funny thing was, I wasn’t at all. I don’t think any of us bloggers were! Gary just seemed like such a normal guy who was sharing his absolute biggest passion in life. It was really neat to be able to dine with such a powerful and brilliant person.

You can learn more on the Importance of Organic Farming on Stonyfield’s website.

Also, be sure to visit The Organic Center which is peer-reviewed scientific studies on the benefits of organic farming.

[Chels]

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Labels: EVOO, Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm

7 Comments »

Monday, May 24, 2010

Homemade Pop Tarts

I recently said, there are 3 things I never have enough of when baking. They are: 1) time, 2) space, and 3) flour. I ALWAYS feel like I’m baking under a time limit. And with so little space, I’m constantly tripping over myself. And with far too little flour, my dough sticks everywhere. And to be honest, most of the things I bake don’t come out fabulously on my first try. So when I saw Smitten Kitten’s recipe for homemade pop tarts, I was almost certain they would be a royal disaster on my first try. But I knew I had to start somewhere, so I gave myself plenty of time, space, and flour, and gave them a try.

Because, really? HOMEMADE POP TARTS? There is absolutely no way I can even think about saying no to attempting it.

Homemade Pop Tarts:

Pastry:

2 C all-purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 t salt
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pats
1 large egg
2 T milk

Brown Sugar/Cinnamon Filling:

1/2 C brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 t cinnamon
4 t all-purpose flour
1 large egg to brush on pastry before filling

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See? There aren’t too many ingredients; how hard could they be, right? But for real right now? They actually were not that difficult!

First, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Then chop up all the butter (make sure it’s pretty cold) and work it in with your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a food processor.

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I used my little pastry blender, but don’t worry because using your fingers is just fine! Do this until it’s blended, but pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it.

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Whisk one egg and the milk together in a separate small bowl. And then stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive.

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Flour a surface. Make sure you give yourself plenty of space and use tons of flour! It will be a huge pain if your dough starts sticking to the counter.

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Divide the dough in half and shape each into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. Then roll the dough out (or if you want, you can wrap it in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days).

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I just bought the cutest little Martha Stewart mini rolling pin (which I cannot find anywhere online! But I got it at Macy’s).

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Roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9×12″.

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The recipe says to cut the dough to form nine 3×4″ rectangles. But my dough was somehow already off when I rolled it out (I don’t think I divided it evenly enough, so when I tried to roll it out any more, it was getting too thin). So instead, I made six 3×5″ rectangles.

The moral is, you don’t have to follow the EXACT measurements; do what works best for you. I liked that my pop tarts were 3×5″ because it seemed more normal pop tart size.

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Now, beat the additional egg and brush it over the dough. This is the inside of the pop tart and the egg will help “glue” the top layer of dough on.

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I placed the dough rectangles on my parchment paper-lined

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Make the filling! I used the brown sugar/cinnamon filling, but Smitten Kitchen has the recipes for a few other fantastic-sounding ones as well. I was going to try chocolate too, but I decided not to get too crazy for my first attempt.

For brown sugar, cinnamon, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and flour together.

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Yum yum, I love anything cinnamon!

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Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the tart dough, making sure you leave a 1/2 inch perimeter around the dough. Next time I’m adding more filling and spreading it out a bit more because they definitely could have used more filling.

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Then cur your second rectangle of dough the same way as the first one. Since this one was bigger than my first, I got some extra rectangles out of it.

Then place a second rectangle of dough on top of the first, making sure you press around the edges to seal. I had to trim some of my rectangles more since they weren’t the exact same sizes (I HATE measuring things slash math).

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Use the tines of a fork to press all around the pop tart, creating the pressed edges. Then poke multiple holes on the top so the steam can escape from the tarts. I used a chopstick to poke the holes on the tops.

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I also brushed my tarts with more egg wash and sprinkled some more cinnamon mixture on top. I’d say the egg was not necessary (the recipe didn’t call for it) as it turned my tarts a bit more golden than they maybe should have been,

Now, put the tarts in the oven for about 30 minutes, while your oven heats to 350 degrees.

Bake them for 20-24 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown.

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Dig in! Or wrap in foil and put in a box. Not really, but don’t they look a lot like pop tarts? They tasted like them too, but MUCH better! Fresher and less dry and artificial.

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My pop tarts were far from perfect. But now if I were to make them again, I’m convinced they would be a whole lot better! And frankly, I’m kind of impressed they came out as well as they did the first time around. Definitely one of the more successful baking experiments I’ve done.

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I wasn’t really allowed to eat Pop Tarts as a kid and most especially not for breakfast. And honestly, I probably still wouldn’t eat these for breakfast, but as a treat for a fun snack or dessert, they’re are perfect. And Smitten also gives a whole wheat version, which would be even more nutritious. But everyone on Smitten’s post was talking about the crazy things you could do with these, like a savory version! Spinach and cheese? YUM!

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So yes, make these. If mine came out this not-horrible on my first try, yours likely will come out 10 times better!

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What are some of your favorite old school treats that you want homemade versions of?

Do you think it’s possible to make your own Gushers? If so, I totally need to try!

I’m up bright and early today sitting at the Richmond Airport. I spent the weekend in Virginia with Chris’s family and had a fabulous time. It’s a quick flight back to Boston, where I will begin my lovely Monday work day.

Happy Monday to everyone!

[Sues]

Labels: Pop Tarts

27 Comments »

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Archive for May, 2010

Flank Steak Sandwiches

Pam’s Spring Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Cherry Bomb Bakery Cupcakes

Stonyfield CE-Yo and lunch at EVOO

Homemade Pop Tarts

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