Tag: Fiesta Friday (Page 31 of 40)

Cherry Almond Crumble

January 8, 2016 / Jenny / 21 Comments

It’s cold and dark outside, and maybe you are craving something warm and bright. Or maybe you want to serve a dessert that is homemade, but one that doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. Brighten up a dark winter evening with this cherry almond crumble. The warm, baked cherries are a burst of flavor and color, just when you need it. Quicker and easier than a pie, the crumble still allows you to enjoy the warm sweetness of baked fruit, but with a lightly sweet and crunchy topping, and only about fifteen minutes of prep time.

Tart cherries freeze beautifully, so frozen tart cherries are available and delicious all year round. This recipe (which I adapted from some of my other fruit crumble recipes, which I adapted over time, from countless sources) allows you to put the frozen cherries right in the baking dish, so you don’t even need to pre-cook them. I especially like the tart Montmorency cherries from northern Michigan, because they taste amazing. They are tart and sweet at the same time, and even after they are baked, they somehow still taste fresh to me.

My feelings for Michigan cherries run deep, and cherries are connected to many cherished memories for me, some of which I have already written about in previous posts. But even without the memories, these cherries are so full of health benefits! They have serious anti-inflammatory properties that are said to help soothe arthritis and sore muscles, among many other things. Also, the topping, with its oats and almonds, has some good nutrition in it too. The crumble is a more humble dessert than the pie, and it perhaps doesn’t look as glamorous (and it can be somewhat difficult to photograph too). But it tastes just a good, and sometimes comfort, ease, and economy of time win over glamour. I love it, and so does my family!

I hope you all have a great weekend, and stay warm! I am sharing this recipe with the great group of bloggers at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Mr. Fitz @ Cooking With Mr. Fitz.

Cherry Almond Crumble

Servings: 6-8
Time: about 15 minutes of preparation, about 30 minutes for baking
Print

Ingredients:

For the fruit filling:

1 pound of frozen tart cherries (preferrably tart Montmorency cherries)
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
a pinch of salt

For the topping:

1/2 cup of flour
3/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of raw almonds, chopped or slivered
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, and almonds for the topping.

In a 9 inch x 9 inch baking pan, spread out the frozen cherries. Gently toss them with the 2 tablespoons each of sugar and flour, plus the pinch of salt, until well combined.

In the bowl with the topping ingredients, cut in the butter with a fork or a pastry cutter. Continue to work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cherries.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the cherries are bubbling.

If you want the crumble to set, allow to cool for about 30 minutes. Serve alone or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza

December 17, 2015 / Jenny / 18 Comments

With savory thyme, mellow butternut squash, and warm melted cheese, this flatbread pizza is perfect for lunch, or for dinner alongside a salad or a hearty bowl of soup. It only takes about a half hour to make, so it is a great option when you are short on time, but want something warm and satisfying.

I tend to go overboard in the late fall when buying squash. The different colors and varieties all look so inviting, and I have so many plans and ideas for them. Then when winter comes, I still have a couple of squash sitting elegantly on the counter in a pretty still-life, waiting to be used. This flatbread pizza is a perfect way to use that squash before it’s too late, and it tastes so good, even the non-squash-lovers in your family will be surprised. The health benefits of squash are well-known, and we can all use some extra potassium, fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

The key is to cut the pieces of the squash small enough so they roast to tenderness while they are on the flatbread, thereby saving yourself that extra step of pre-roasting the squash before baking the pizza. The sliced onion and the thyme really add a beautiful flavor, and blend so well with the mildness of the squash. I like to use naan flatbread for these pizzas, which you can easily find at the grocery store. That makes them quick to make, because sometimes time is scarce.

Because our winter has been unusually mild so far, I was able to go out and find some thyme in our garden for this pizza. I am always pleasantly amazed at how good fresh herbs smell, and how each one has such a distinct flavor. I did a little research on thyme, since I like to add meaning to my food. According to many sources, thyme historically symbolizes courage. Greek soldiers used to bathe in water infused with thyme before battles, and medieval maidens embroidered thyme leaves on their knights’ cloaks for courage. Thyme was also placed under pillows at night to keep nightmares away.

Another prevalent theme regarding thyme is that according to northern European folklore, fairies were often found sleeping in beds of wild thyme. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Oberon, king of the fairies, tells where to find the queen of the fairies: “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,/ Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,/Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,/With sweet musk-roses and elegantine.” When my kids were younger, we used to go around the yard looking for fairy houses. Little did we know, there might have been one in our herb garden. 🙂

I hope you all have a great weekend, and happy holidays! And if you need a little extra courage one day, tuck a sprig of thyme in your pocket.I am taking this recipe over to Angie’ Fiesta Friday today, co-hosted this week by Caroline @ Caroline’s Cooking and Linda @ La Petite Paniere.

Butternut Squash Flatbread Pizza

Servings: 4-6
Time: about 35 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

4 flatbreads (I like to use naan)
2 cups of butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 of an onion, sliced thinly (yellow sweet or red onion)
1-2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I use mozzarella and Parmesan, but sharp cheddar would work too)
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and chop the butternut squash and slice the onion. Lightly spread olive oil onto the pieces of flatbread. Arrange the pieces of squash and slices of onion on the flatbreads. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Then sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Place the pizzas on a baking sheet, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the cheese is melted. Serve alone as a light meal, or as a side dish with soup or salad. Enjoy!

Lemon Spinach Soup

December 4, 2015 / Jenny / 12 Comments

In the midst of the wonderful excesses of holiday eating, it feels good to take a break and make a soup made with pure, cleansing ingredients like lemon and spinach. This soup is simple, yet the flavor combination of lemon and spinach is glorious. And we all need the infusion of vitamins and iron that spinach gives, especially at this time of year.

I had some lemons left over from making my daughter’s lemon birthday cake (with lemon frosting!), and was looking for a way to use them. Because I have been craving something deep green and full of nutrients, I came across this delicious recipe for lemon spinach soup, adapted from the charming cookbook “Hollyhocks & Radishes” by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson. The broth in this soup is so good, I could sip it all by itself! The addition of the spinach, carrots, and celery make it even better, and the lemon is just lovely.

Lemons are one of my favorite things to cook and bake with in the colder months, because they are so cheerful and invigorating at a time when we are a little short on sunshine. (I would have done a post with the recipe for my daughter’s lemon cake with lemon frosting, but as I was in the midst of preparing for her birthday party, I was too distracted to take any photos. Maybe I’ll have to make it again!)

Anyway, soup is so good for the soul. It is warming and soothing, infusing the body with physical and spiritual sustenance. Making soup is very relaxing for me, because I love the way each new ingredient changes the mixture, and it is peaceful to have it simmering on the stove as I work. This is such a busy time of year, and it is important to take some time to do something healing and relaxing, so you can calm yourself and not end up driving everyone around you crazy (not that I would know anything about that! :)). I absolutely love holiday baking, and there will be some more of that to come on this blog, but sometimes I crave a good, nutrient-rich meal that offers comfort and a boost of energy.

If you are looking for a refreshing, invigorating way to help balance the excesses of the holidays, I highly recommend this soup. And I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I am joining Angie at Fiesta Friday this week, co-hosted by Johanne @ French Gardener Dishes and Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons. It has been awhile since I have had a chance to look at what my fellow bloggers have been up to, so I look forward to catching up!

Lemon Spinach Soup

Servings: 8
Time: approximately 20 minutes
Print

Ingredients:

8 cups of chicken broth
3 small carrots (or 2 medium-sized), peeled and thinly sliced
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
3/4 to 1 pound of fresh spinach
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
3 egg yolks
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, bring 7 of the 8 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add the carrots and celery, and simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until just tender. While the vegetables are simmering, wash the spinach and tear it into bite-sized pieces. Add the spinach to the soup and simmer gently until just-tender, about 3-5 minutes, trying not to over-cook it.

While the spinach is simmering, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk and cook for one minute. Whisk in the reserved cup of chicken broth, and stir until smooth. Add this to the soup pot when the spinach is ready, and simmer, stirring as the liquid thickens.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together. Stir the mixture into the soup pot until well combined.

Heat the soup to the point of almost boiling, then turn it off. (Don’t boil it, or it will curdle). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!