Paris recap

Just realized I had never posted food pix from the late May trip to Paris.  On every corner it seemed, there was a bakery beckoning with its goodies.  Most mornings we had croissants, some with chocolate, fruit, eggs scrambled with ham and cheese and cafe au lait.  Walking around Paris in the evening there was an abundance of cafes with literally dozens of filled crepes to choose from!  Paris is quite mad about Macaroons in many, many flavors.  Bon Appetite!

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes 

12 red potatoes (no bigger than 1 1/2”)

olive oil

cracked rosemary (Savory Spice)

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with the rosemary, salt & pepper, then place on the baking sheet.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender when poked with a fork.  Remove from the oven and place on a flat surface.  Using another baking pan or a potato masher, press down on potatoes until smashed.  Return the pan to the oven for about ten more minutes.  The potatoes will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Serve at once.  

New Cookbook! Quinoa: The Everyday Superfood 365

This cookbook by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming (2010) has me exploring healthy grains.  Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain full of protein that an basically be added into most any recipe.  The first one I made modified one of my faves - three bean salad.

After cooking 1/2 Cup Quinoa in a cup of water, I added it to a can of drained & rinsed garbanzo beans, a can of red kidney beans (also drained & rinsed), 1 Cup each of diced green pepper, celery, and red onion.  Next I mixed 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 diced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.  All the above was combined and served.  It also keeps for a few days in the fridge for a quick lunch.

December Eats

It was a crazy couple of months, so here are some of the things I made in November and December.

Gorgonzola Pear Toasts
This recipe was in the December Food Network magazine.

1 baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
2 T olive oil
1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 15 oz can sliced pears, drained
1/2 C candied pecans
2 T chopped parsley


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly brush one side of the bread slices with the olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and gorgonzola cheese (I blended it all in the food processor), stirring until mixed.
3. Spread the toasts with the cheese mixture. Top with the pear slices and chopped candied pecans.  Sprinkle with the parsley.  (this is my modified version)

For the candied pecans, put 1/4 C sugar and 1 C pecans in a non-stick pan.  Heat on medium, stirring until sugar caramelizes on the nuts. Immediately remove from heat and pour out onto silicone mat to cool.  The extras keep well in a baggie.

For a veggie dish, I modified Cauliflower and Carrot Casserole  (Wright, Clifford.  Bake Until Bubbly, 2008) to include cauliflower, broccoli and leeks.  It was yummy!

First, I buttered an 8 X 11 glass casserole and preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  Then I steamed together half a head of cauliflower, separated into florets, half a head of broccoli, chopped and two leeks, cleaned and chopped.  These were then layered in the prepared pan.
In another saucepan I melted 3 T butter, then added in 3 T flour, stirring and cooking for two minutes to even out the flavor.
Next I added in 1 1/2 Cups 2% milk that I had preheated in the microwave, whisking constantly.  It took about 10 minutes for it to thicken.  Then I added in a scant cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and then seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika.  The sauce was poured over the veggies and then baked for about 20 minutes, until hot.