eat | Scones and Jam Tea Party

My mother-in-law is throwing a tea party tomorrow in honor of the royal wedding. She arrived in town on Wednesday with a tiara and bags of tea. So I thought I should do my part and make scones and jam!

I've never made either before so I did a bit of web scouring to find doable recipes. Lots of cool scone recipes: classic raisin, tangelo-buttermilk, and maple oatmeal. Such a versatile little biscuit!

And I remembered seeing Ina make strawberry jam that looked too easy to believe. We had blackberries and strawberries on hand ... so I went with blackberry scones and strawberry jam.

While the strawberries simmered away in sugar, I worked on the scones.

I'm not sure how many scones will be left tomorrow but we are going to have enough jam for a loooong time. (Sorry the photo is blurry. The things disappear before I can get a decent shot!)

Can't wait to share photos of the event!

Blackberry Scones

Adapted from Karen Winters

Makes 12

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very cold butter

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup blackberries

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks, until the dry ingredients look like crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine milk and eggs. Add milk-egg mixture to the main bowl and stir until the dry ingredients are just combined (do not over mix). 

Add the blackberries and gently mix. Using a large spoon, scoop scone mixture onto baking sheet. You can also add the blackberries at this stage too. I found it easier to just push them in the dough rather than try to mix in. 

Sprinkle lightly with extra sugar. Mine stuck to the cookie sheet so use a nonstick liner or use cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden.

Strawberry Jam

Adapted from Ina

Makes two pints

2 cups sugar
1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and halved 

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped

Ina has two jam recipes that I combined. I saw her make this Easy Strawberry Jam recipe on hulu (love it!) but only had the ingredients for this Fresh Strawberry Jam recipe.

Put a plate in the freezer before you start. Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a big saucepan and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. If you don't like lemon, use maybe only the juice of half the lemon.

Add the strawberries and bring to a boil over the lowest heat possible. After it boils for a couple of minutes, add the apples. Keep the strawberries on a low boil for 25-35 minutes. See if the juice gels on the cold plate. If it does, then you're done.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate. It will keep for two weeks.

eat | Leek and Parmesan Frittata and Perfect Side Dish

I was totally smitten with these eggs. I loved their unique blue and blush hues. And with Easter coming up I feel like I've done everything with eggs - paint, dye, make crayons - but cook with them!

Brunch has become my favorite meal & favorite way to have friends over now that we have little kids with early bedtimes. These would make the perfect brunch frittata. 

I used yet another of Gwyneth's recipes (you can enter to win a copy here). Everything out of her book has been delicious. I'm pretty darn impressed. Her recipe called for leek & gruyere. I had parmesan on-hand and used that instead.

The frittata required required less work and less time and it still turned out better than my usual method. I didn't stir the eggs at all before putting it in the oven, and it stayed in there exactly 8 minutes. The consistency turned out perfectly - cooked through but still fluffy.

I'm terrible at remembering to get a shot of the food on the plate. We're always too busy eating it! And when it dawns on me afterward there is such a pitiful amount left that it's not worth the effort.

So instead I'll give you the perfect side dish to go with the frittata - asparagus wrapped with prosciutto. The perfect impressive-looking-but-easy recipe.

Leek and Parmesan Frittata
Recipe adapted from My Father's Daughter

1 Tablespoon EVOO
1 large leek, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
8 organic large eggs
1/2 cup milk
About 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Saute leek slices until soft and browned, 6-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper in mixing bowl. Pour over leek slices. Let it cook for about 5 minutes or until just set on the edges (the middle will still be very runny). Sprinkle cheese on top. Stick it in the oven for exactly 8 minutes; it should be just set throughout.

Asparagus wrapped with prosciutto
Recipe adapted from FOODjimoto via Sampson Nissa

1 package prosciutto

1 package fresh basil

1 bunch asparagus

Balsamic vinegar 

Wash the asparagus and cut the tough ends. Drizzle with EVOO and kosher salt. Either grill or roast until soft.

To make the rolls, take a piece of prosciutto and place a couple of basil leaves at one end. Add asparagus spear and a few drops of balsamic vinegar. Add another leaf of basil if you have plenty. And roll them up. Voila!

Recipe | Happy Meal at Home

What is it about nuggets that kids love? I don't get it. And after seeing Jamie Oliver's dramatically gross recreation of how they are made on Food Revolution I will NEVER eat one again. But I will indulge my kiddo's whims ... at home. Here's how we do "happy meals" Gerber style.

On the menu:
Organic chicken nuggets
Sweet potato fries
Broccoli (I serve on the side because my kids eat it. It can also be "hidden" in the nuggets.)
Mandarin oranges in fruit juice 

Total cost at Kroger last week: $11.31
Cost per person: $2.83 

Chicken Nuggets
Recipe from Deceptively Delicious 

1 cup whole wheat, white or panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders cut into small chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup broccoli puree (can also use spinach, sweet potato, or beet puree)

Combine breadcrumbs, flaxseed meal, Parmesan, and spices in a large bowl and mix well. In separate bowl mix egg and puree if using. Sprinkle chicken chunks with salt. Dip in egg mixture and then cover with breadcrumbs. Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add oil when hot. Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes and turn and cook till chicken is cooked through, 4-5 minutes longer. 

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Olive Oil, for tossing
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch long slices, then 1/4-wide inch strips
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and paprika. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, shaking the pan around every so often, about 20 minutes.

The broccoli gets steamed, and I open the can of oranges for dessert. After all that, no one even wants a toy!

Giveaway WINNER and Bear Pancakes

Congratulations to tcarolinep! She is the $25 Amazon.com giveaway winner! (I promise there was no favoritism even though her name is Caroline!)

And check out the cutest pancakes ever ... aren't those adorable? My friend Nikki's husband Dennis whipped these up. His secret ingredients: "add 1 tsp vanilla, zest of an orange, and a bit of orange juice to the package pancake mix and it was SOOO good. Like dreamsicle pancakes. Wow."

I had so much I wanted to share for Cooking Week but I just didn't get around to posting it all. I guess there's always next week, right? Now off to do a little painting on another project I hope to share next week....

One Pot Meal - Portuguese Stew

Ok, so we're still having chilly days around here (like today) that beg for a warm, comforting stew. I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's show and kept thinking about how easy and yummy it looked. Plus it includes two of my favorite things: sausage and kale.

So easy to make - just pile it all in the pot and bake! I omit the pimentos because they are just not something I ever have on hand. Last week I made it without potatoes and it was still great. 

My kids (and husband) end up fighting for the pieces of sausage. Don't slice the sausage too small - they will get hard.

Portuguese Casserole Stew

Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
• 3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pimiento peppers from a jar, drained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons smoked sweet or regular sweet paprika
• 1/4 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, eyeball it
• 1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes with chilies
• 1 pound Spanish-style dry chorizo, casing removed and cut into slices 2 inches thick
• 4 Portuguese rolls

Preparation 

Preheat oven 400˚F.
Place potatoes, celery, onions, pimiento peppers, beans, kale and garlic in large bowl (I go ahead and put in my dutch oven) and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Pour EVOO over vegetables and toss to coat well. Transfer to a large casserole dish.
Pour tomatoes over vegetables then arrange chorizo on top. Cover and roast 1 hour then uncover and bake 15 minutes more, to crisp up sausage. Serve in shallow bowls with lots of bread alongside for mopping.