Spinach Salad with Spicy Honey Dressing

This salad is to celebrate warmer days and the bounty of the season in the Southern hemisphere. Also, it is my entry for the Leftover Queen Forum that listed mushrooms, herbs and cheese for this month's foodie joust. I wanted something cool and refreshing, but a little spicy, and this dressing is exactly what I had in mind: sweet and spicy.

Spinach salad
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup moyashi (bean sprouts), rinsed and drained if using canned
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or tofu cubed)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Spicy honey dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey (microwave for 20 seconds)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chili sauce or pepper sauce
1 tablespoon shoyu (or worcestershire sauce)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1) In a large salad bowl, combine the spinach, mushrooms, almonds, tomatoes, celery, moyashi, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.

2) In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the dressing ingredients; shake well. Drizzle desired amount over salad and toss to coat or serve dressing on the side. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftover dressing.

Recipe adapted from a leaflet found inside magazine Taste of home, dated 2003.

Blondie Brownies

The last day of October seems to be the busiest evening of the year where we live. There are many kids running around on their costumes, the doorbell rings every minute and at the end of the evening lots of candy wrappers are all over the house. I believe English Language schools started this tradition here in Brazil and kids love it. I always have something handy for the kids. This year I decided to try first with my kids this blondie brownie recipe. It did not turn out as blonde as I expected, maybe because I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown or demerara sugar. We used whipped cream to make the ghosts and allspice to make the eyes because I ran out of mini-chocolate chips.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 dash salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg beaten (use 2 if they are small)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white or dark chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chopped nuts. Set aside.

2) Melt butter, add brown sugar and mix. Add egg and vanilla and blend well with a whisk or a hand mixer, 3-4 minutes or until mixture whitens. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spread into a 9 x 9 inch (20 x 20 cm) greased pan. Bake at 350°F/180°C, 20-25 minutes, or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.

As far as I know, here in Brazil, blondie brownie can be found at Applebee's in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

I am dedicating this recipe to two dear friends: Mona, because I am so sure she would be giving lots of treats to my kids if we lived closer and to Karla, who has been such a good friend since I was a senior in high school, something like 20 years ago?

Baked Macaroni and Cheese - World Pasta Day

Are you a pasta fan? October 25th is World Pasta Day, a day to celebrate the most globalized and beloved food in the world. Well, to be honest, my kids could have pasta every day, and we actually have it once or twice a week. I fixed this Baked mac & cheese on a Sunday as it is an easy one-dish meal and it takes you out of the kitchen fast, allowing you more quality time with the kids and family on such a lazy day.

The UNFPA is the organization responsible for the activities to promote Pasta in the world, you can learn more here.

If you would like to participate, Verena is hosting this year's event. To join the fun, fix a Pasta dish, take a picture and post it in your blog on Thursday, October 25th, 2007. Link back to her announcement in your post, and eventually to the roundup.

Send an email to worldpastaday(at)gmail(dot)com including:

- Your name
- Blog name and your blog’s URL
- Recipe name and the post’s URL
- Your location and country

Submissions can only be accepted until Thursday, October 25^th, 2007.

Ingredients for the Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound elbow pasta, cooked and drained (I used mini penne)
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded (5 ounces) yellow cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded (5 ounces) white cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)
8 ounces (250 g) ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces (250 g) bacon, diced and cooked to a light brown
2 slices white sandwich bread or 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 °F (180 °C) degrees. Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart (4.5 liters) heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

2) Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

3) Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

3) In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Note: You can make mini mac & cheese. This recipe makes enough to fill eight 12-to-16-ounce baking dishes or ramekins. Divide the macaroni and cheese evenly, sprinkle with topping, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.



Recipe from the book: Everyday Food: Great food fast - Martha Stewart

Peach Cobbler - October AFAM (A Fruit a Month)

It all started with a magnet I bought long time ago in Atlanta, Georgia, the "Peach State." I had never tried peach cobbler before and decided to give it a shot. And one thing intrigued me, the difference between Cobblers, Crumbles and Crisps. The best explanation I found, of course, with Martha Stewart. I changed the recipe on the magnet a little, because I used canned peaches.

Mansi is hosting an event called A Fruit a Month. This month's fruit is Peach. To participate all you have to do is post a recipe on your blog, include a brief intro about the fruit choice and the concept of your dish. For more instructions, please visit her blog.

The roundup will be announced between 5th-7th November. So make sure you send in your entries before Nov 1st.


Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tbs baking powder
3/4 sugar
1 large can peach halves, drained (or 4 cups fresh peeled peaches sweetened to taste)

1) Melt margarine in 8 x 12 inch (20 x 30 cm) dish. Mix flour, baking powder, milk, and sugar. Add to melted margarine.

2) Add peaches, but do not stir. Bake at 375 °F (180 °C) for about 40 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.

Hints:
- You can use self-raising flour, in this case, do not add the baking powder.
- Use any juicy fruit: peaches, apples, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries.

No-Knead Bread - World Bread Day

The No-knead bread caused such a stir when Mark Bittman, aka the Minimalist, shared this recipe on the New York Times. As soon as I started reading reviews and blogs with this recipe, I ran to the kitchen to make my own loaf and I lost count of how many times I have baked this magnificent bread! The secret to making this recipe work? Time and patience! The amount of yeast is minimal, and only four ingredients (flour, salt, yeast and water) make a delicious loaf, with an italian shape and flavor, somehow rustic, with crispy crust and yet chewy. The magic recipe has name and address widely known, and it belongs to a bakery in New York city, the Sullivan Street Bakery.

My recipe goes to the World Bread Day, an event created by UIB International Union of Bakers and Bakers-Confectioners to provide an opportunity to talk about bread and bakers, to find out about their history, their importance as well as their future.

How to participate:

• Bake or buy a bread, take pictures (if possible) and blog about it on Tuesday, 16th October 2007.
• Please link back to this announcement in your post, and eventually to the roundup.
• Send an email to worldbreadday(at)gmail(dot)com including
- your name
- your blog's name and your blog's URL
- the recipe name and the post's URL
- your location (region and country)
• Submissions can only be accepted until Wednesday, October 17.

To make things easier, before start making the bread, watch the Minimalist video here: New York Times (free registration may be required).

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, no need to sift, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups water

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70°F/21°C.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Update: The World Bread Day '07 round up is online! Please take some time to visit 183 posts from all over the world!

Fun sandwiches

Fun sandwiches... because you actually have so much fun making them! And they make that waffle maker or cookie cutters buried in the kitchen cabinet worth the money you invested. These sandwiches add special touch to any breakfast or brunch.

Waffle maker sandwiches:
From the kitchen of East Meets West
Many kid-friendly recipes there, this recipe was a hit both with kids and adults.

Ingredients
White bread slices
Thinly sliced deli turkey
Deli Swiss/cheddar cheese slices
Leaves of lettuce or arugula

1) Preheat your waffle maker. No need to grease.

2) Add the filling between two slices of bread, make sure the cheese is not showing. Cook sandwiches in batches (depending on the size of your waffle maker) until bread is golden and crispy. When ready, trim and slice to your desired shape and serve.

Man in the boat
From the kitchen of Kelli

These are so easy to make... Here we use french bread and cook the egg separetely, but I loved this version that Kelli shared and so did my kids.

Ingredients
Slices of bread
Eggs
Salt and pepper

1) Cut a square or rectangle out of a piece of bread (I used a cookie cutter)
2) Melt some butter in skillet over medium heat and add the bread.
3) Crack an egg into center of bread.
4) Cook until bottom bread is toasted and then flip. When the egg is done, remove onto a plate.
5) Butter both sides of bread square and toast in same skillet.

Pear Pudding with Lavender Syrup

The Leftover Queen has this month's foodie joust challenge with white chocolate, lavender and pears. I knew what to do with the three ingredients, but I was not sure where I would add the lavender, to custard or syrup. So, I decided to cook the pear with a few leaves of lavender, and here is my entry: a simple homemade dessert that you can make using either canned or fresh peaches.

I offered this dessert to two friends, one is a foodie and the other one is not. Both of their faces brightened as I passed the dishes with scoops of this Pear Pudding with a slight lavender flavor and white chocolate drizzled on top.

Ingredients
For the syrup:
6 fresh pears (or 2 15-ounce (450 g) cans pear halves in light syrup)
1 teaspoon lavender leaves (about 5 leaves)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon lime juice

For the custard:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 oz/100 g white chocolate melted (1 minute in microwave) to drizzle on top

Directions
- Grease a 9 1/2x1-1/2- or 10x1-1/2-inch quiche dish (use a one piece-bottom pan, removable bottom may leak)
- Preheat oven to 375°F/200°C

If using fresh pears:

1) Start with the syrup. Bring the water to boil, then stir in the sugar, lime juice and add the lavender leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile...

2) Remove peel, core and cut pears into halves. Add pears immediately to lavender syrup, cook 2 minutes.

3) With a spoon, remove pears from syrup, arrange pear halves, flat sides down, in bottom of the prepared dish.

4) Score the round side of each pear half by making shallow crosswise cuts across the top.

5) In a blender container or food processor bowl combine flour and granulated sugar. Cover and blend or process until combined. Add yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and 3/4 cup of reserved pear syrup. Cover and blend or process until smooth.

6) Pour the batter over pears. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

7) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or just until center is set when gently shaken. Cool on a wire rack about 30 minutes. Drizzle melted white chocolate on top with a spoon. Serve warm.

If using pears in light syrup:
Drain pear halves, reserving 3/4 cup of the syrup. Arrange pears, flat sides down, in bottom of a greased pan. Boil 3/4 cup syrup for 5 minutes with the lavender leaves. Continue from step 4.




Recipe inspired by BHG.

Roasted Red Pepper Homus - Grow Your Own #2

Hummus or homus is a dip made basically of chickpeas and sesame tahini. It is a popular spread in various countries in the Middle Eastern world that we borrowed. This recipe has been on my waiting list for so long... One of the reasons it took me so long is that I live close to a restaurant with a drive-thru that sells this type of food, and it is so easy to order it from my car... So, this time, I planned this meal, went to the market and bought both chickpeas and tahini. And I combined two recipes, one from Technicolor Kitchen and another one from the kitchen of The Budding Cook, because the red pepper adds a fascinating color to this dip!

Ingredients
15 oz (about 400g) drained canned chickpeas
2 big pieces of roasted red pepper
3 tablespoons tahini
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
2 cloves garlic (I baked them for a minute in the microwave)
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

1) Combine all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor and blend well. With the processor running, gradually pour the olive oil processing until just smooth.

2) Transfer to a bowl and decorate with mint leaves and green onions (these herbs are both from my tiny garden).

3) Serve with pita bread, vegetables or other Middle Eastern dishes.

Here's how I roast peppers
- Directly on the burner, over the gas flame of my stovetop, I blacken the pepper. I remove them from the fire and place in a food grade plastic bag so the steam that forms will help to remove the skin. Let cool for about fifteen minutes, remove from bag and with a knife I peel off the skins.

Be careful: If you don't use this type of stove, roast the peppers under a broiler or in the oven.

Milk Caramel - Dulce de Leche

My mom used to make this creamy milk caramel when we were kids. When I was seven and still lived on a farm, I was eating caramel outside our house, in the balcony, with so much gusto and I was stung by a wasp! Time went by, we moved into town and she never made this again, she would tell me it only tasted good with raw milk which we didn't get in town. Some time ago I was telling her how much I missed her milk caramel and we decided to give it a try with pasteurized milk and ta da... there it was right in front of me, my delicious milk caramel!

Dulce de leche is the Spanish word for milk caramel, in Portuguese it is called "Doce de leite."

Ingredients
4 cups (1 liter) milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pour milk, sugar and cornstarch in a non-stick saucepan and and cook it over low heat, stirring fairly constantly for about 45 minutes or until the milk achieves the consistency you want.

Serve plain or use it as cake filling.

And speaking of sweet things, my dear blogging friend Vi of East Meets West Kitchen honored me with the Rocker Girl award! Thank you Vi!!! I don't feel I deserve it but now it is my turn to pass this badge on to my blogging friends. I would like to nominate all my friends on my side bar, under "Blogging Friends" as I truly think you all deserve it and YOU all ROCK!

(Almost) Vegetarian Chili - Royal Foodie Joust

Family-friendly, tex-mex dishes have a special place in our hearts. This Vegetarian chili is great for dinner parties or family gatherings. For this month's foodie joust that The Leftover Queen forum is sponsoring, the three ingredients to create a recipe are chipotle, zucchini and buttermilk. The only ingredient I can easily find in Brazil is zucchini. I had never even tried chipotle before. Luckily, a few months ago, my brother gave me a can of chipotle in adobe sauce, a gift from a Mexican friend, that was standing on my kitchen counter, waiting for the right recipe. As for the buttermilk, I usually make a homemade version of it, because I have never seen it on grocery stores here either. But that's what challenges are all about! Here's my "almost" vegetarian chili. I could not resist and added a cup of italian smoked sausage... Friends and family told me the chili would taste good even withouth it... and I agree!

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons each basil, oregano and thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 large onions, chopped
2 cups zucchinis, chopped
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper (or green)
4 cups cooked white beans (or a mix of black and red beans)
1 14 1/2-ounce/400g can peeled tomatoes, undrained and crushed
4 cups water
2 cups italian smoked sausage, cubed (optional)

Chipotle cream sauce
1 chipotle in adobe
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plain yogurt

Directions
1) In a large pot, saute the cumin, basil, oregano, thyme, garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, onions, zucchinis, corn, carrots, pepper, sausage and garlic in the olive oil until vegetables are tender.

2) Add the cooked beans, water and peeled tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and let mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, make the chipottle sauce: blend yogurt, honey, buttermilk and chipotles. Let stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

4) To serve, ladle chili into bowls. Garnish with chipotle cream sauce, tortilla chips, chopped green onions and cheddar cheese if desired.

Recipe adapted from Wild Oats.

Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Grow Your Own #1

To celebrate the bounty of her garden Andrea created the "Grow your own" event to motivate the use of ingredients we grow in our own backyard. As I live in a condo, I looked at the aromatic herbs corner in our laundry room and the first thing I laid eyes on was a thyme pot. The recipe that came to my mind I learned about 10 years ago with a friend, when sun-dried tomatoes were not very popular in Brazil. So, I asked my friend if I could post her recipe, and to my surprise she was making a batch of sun-dried tomatoes on the same day as me! This recipe requires some patience and time, even though it is so easy! Here's the whole recipe, but you can make enough to fill a roasting pan.

Ingredients
30 ripe tomatoes (romas work best)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons salt
Fresh thyme (you can use oregano or Italian seasoning)
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Olive oil and black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F/90°C.

1) Rinse the tomatoes. Cut them in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on a rack to dry for about half an hour and remove excess juice.

2) Place tomatoes onto tray, cut side up. Sprinkle with sugar and salt, drizzle a little olive oil over each tomato; add thyme, black pepper and garlic slices.

3) Bake in the oven for at least two hours. With a spatula, gently turn the tomatoes over, and bake for one more hour. Take the tomatoes from the oven, put them in sterilized jars, and pour olive oil on top so that all the tomatoes are covered. Keep them refrigerated and use within two weeks.

My serving suggestions: pizza (I will post it soon), dips, risottos, pesto, spaghetti sauce, etc.

The homemade sun-dried tomatoes have a milder flavor and a finer texture than the store-bought variety.

Update: The old-fashioned sun-dried tomatoes are dried out in the sun and this may be time-consuming. It can take you from four days to two weeks. You place the tomatoes skin-side down on clean plastic (not metal) framed screen, add salt, cover them with cheesecloth, raised so it does not touch the tomatoes, to keep off bugs and dust and provide proper ventilation. Bring them in during the night and return them outdoors when the sun is bright.

Gifts and things I miss

My husband has proven the old saying that men do not ask for directions is wrong. He was in Texas on a work assignment not long ago and went shopping at Kitchen Collection. He asked Joe, the nice salesperson at the store what gifts he could buy for his wife who has a food blog! So, Joe read my mind and suggested a kitchen scale, which was one item I was willing so much to have in my kitchen! Thanks Joe!

We have lived abroad, and there are a few things we miss... So, my husband got Chips Ahoy cookies for the kids, cookies and biscuit mixes, Tollhouse chocolate chips, seasoned salt, spices, Chai tea that Celestial Seasonings makes (my favorite tea), and Masa flour so we can make real tortillas! Oh, and shotglasses for our collection!

When you are abroad or traveling, what are the things you miss most about your country or special places you have lived?