Bougatsa

Bougatsa is my favorite Greek dessert of all time! It's a creamy custard dessert that is wrapped in filo and dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  It's delicious any time of day; try it for breakfast, as a mid day snack, or after dinner dessert. It goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk. In a word, it's PERFECT. Here is what you will need to make this delicious dessert:

6 cups whole milk
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
peel of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semolina
4 eggs
1.5 cups sugar
1 box filo
1 stick of butter, melted, to brush on filo
powdered sugar and cinnamon for topping

Start by making the custard filling.  While it's not difficult to make per se, it takes some time and hard work (this definitely counts as my upper body workout for the day!).  You need to constantly stir the milk to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot or clump up.  With that said, it's not difficult to do at all.  Just make sure you're not cooking something else at the same time that will need your attention, since you need to pay attention to the custard to ensure it doesn't stick.  I use a large pot and start by heating up the milk.  Put the pot on medium heat; nothing too hot to scald the milk.  As soon as you pour the milk into the pot, continually stir with a whisk.  Once it starts to heat up, add the peel of 1 lemon and 2 tbsp. butter and stir until it melts. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add 1 cup semolina; again stirring continuously.  Then add 1 cup sugar, stirring continuously.  Once all ingredients are added, keep stirring for another 10 minutes or until custard thickens.  It will take about 20 minutes total to make this custard (10 minutes to heat milk and add all ingredients, and another 10 to allow it to thicken). Once the custard is thick enough to coat the sides of the pot and whisk (your arm will notice when it gets thick!), take the pot off the heat, and continue stirring for custard to begin cooling. Don't let custard sit for 10 minutes, make sure you check on it and stir every couple of minutes.  While waiting for it to cool, crack 4 eggs into a bowl, add 1/2 cup sugar, and whisk together.  Once custard has cooled off (about 10 minutes after taking off heat), slowly add egg and sugar mixture while continuing to stir.

 Congratulations! the tedious part is done; now for the filo.  I use a large baking pan and brush with some of the melted butter to ensure it doesn't stick. Carefully unwrap filo dough and arrange in pan to cover bottom; make sure there is some overhang on the edges to wrap up once you put the custard in. Basically, I brush the filo with melted butter with every layer added to the pan; make sure to get the especially dry pieces.  There is no 'right' way to do this; just keep layering the filo to cover all parts of the pan and have overhang, and brush with butter with each new layer.  You will use 1/2 of the filo for the bottom part of the Bougatsa.  Once you have completed the bottom half, take the lemon peel out of the custard and pour into pan.  Now you can arrange the 2nd half of the filo dough on top of the custard in the same manner as you did the bottom half, making sure to butter each new layer. (I went through 1.5 sticks; I said this was delicious, not fat free!).  Once all the filo has been used, carefully fold over the edges to wrap up the Bougatsa. Again there is no right or wrong way to do this.  I actually cut off some excess/dry filo and gathered the rest on the edges to make a 'crust'.  Brush the top of the filo with more melted butter, concentrating on the edges which will dry out the most.





 Put the finished product into a preheated oven at 350 degrees Farenheit, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until top of filo has turned golden.  Once it is done baking, let it cool for at least an hour before cutting and serving (this allows the custard to settle).  Then dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon, and serve! Kali Oreksi!

Chicken with Fig Marinade and Fruit & Fig Salad

Lately there has been a majority of fattening meals being put on this blog, so in an attempt to get healthy for the upcoming bikini season (frightening, I know) I decided to make a chicken dish with salad.  The tricky part is making salads that are interesting enough that you don't get bored with them! The traditional lettuce, tomato, cucumber salad with store bought dressing makes me so depressed, so I've been challenged in trying to come up with creative and good-tasting salads.  Tonight though, I think I might have found a winner. Its ingredients may seem like they don't go together, but the end result was refreshing!  Here is what you will need:



Chicken with Fig Marinade:
4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/2 cup Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce
1/4 cup italian dressing
salt and pepper to season

Fruit & Fig Salad:
chopped romaine lettuce
chopped belgian endive
5 chopped strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
5 chopped dried figs
1/3 cup cashews
crumbled goat cheese

salad dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 chopped shallot
salt and pepper

Start by marinating your chicken breasts. The longer they sit in the marinade, the more flavor they will get.  I was running late on time and only let them sit for 2 hours in the fridge, but they tasted great.  However, if you are planning ahead, try to do this the night before so that the chicken can marinate for 24 hrs.  Place chicken breasts in a large plastic container.  Add olive oil, champagne vinegar, vidalia onion fig sauce, italian dressing, and salt and pepper; mix so that the marinade covers all chicken breasts entirely.  I like to close the container and shake it up until the mixture has covered the chicken.  Place in fridge to marinate.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, spray a baking dish or pan with PAM so that the chicken does not stick.  Place chicken breasts equally apart in baking dish. Place in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until chicken is at 165 degrees internal temperature.

To make the salad, wash and chop up equal amounts of Romaine Lettuce and Belgian Endive. Put in salad bowl.  Add chopped strawberries, raspberries, chopped dried figs, cashews, and crumbled goat cheese.  To make the salad dressing, put olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and chopped shallot in a small bowl.  Whisk ingredients together.  Add water, salt and pepper to taste.  Add dressing to salad and mix.

This dinner was very tasty, light, refreshing, and healthy! It was quite filling (even though it's just chicken and salad), and the leftovers made a great lunch for the next day at work.  Who said healthy and light can't be delicious?

Spaghetti Bolognese (Makaronia me Kima)

This past week was Greek Independence Day (on March 25th!) so I decided to make one of my favorite Greek dishes (and one of the easiest) in order to commemorate the occasion.  That dish is spaghetti bolognese, or in Greek, Makaronia me Kima! It's very easy and quick to make, and delicious. The ingredients you need are:

1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1 onion
1 14 oz can (or 1/2 28oz. can) crushed tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
1-2 tbsp cinnamon
4-5 whole allspice
3/4 cup red wine
1 lb spaghetti or pasta of your choice

I start by heating up some olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of a saucepan) and sauteing the chopped onion until they begin to soften (about 3-4 minutes).  Then add ground beef; cook until it browns (about 5 minutes).  Then add salt and pepper to taste, 4-5 whole allspice, and at least 1 tbsp. cinnamon.  Mix well.  I like to add enough cinnamon so that you can really smell the aroma. If 1 tbsp. doesn't seem enough to you, then feel free to add more! Once the spices have been mixed, add 3/4 cup red wine and mix. Let the wine boil down (about 4-5 minutes). Then add 1 14oz. can crushed tomatoes (I usually only find the large 28oz. cans and use half), and 3/4 cup water.  Mix well, add a little more salt and pepper, and lower heat so that it simmers.  Now let this sauce simmer for about 40 minutes (it will take that long for the liquid to boil down anyways and thicken).  The longer you cook this sauce, the tastier it is.  You can always add some water and let it simmer longer if it starts to get too thick and you're not ready to boil your pasta yet.  When you're ready for your pasta, just boil water and cook the spaghetti to your liking. I drain the pasta in a colander, and then put back in the original pot I boiled it in.  Add sauce to the pot with your pasta, and mix well. And that's it! It's very easy to make, and tastes delicious.  This recipe makes about 5 large servings, so you'll have plenty of leftovers.  Serve as is, or with some grated cheese on top. Kali Oreksi!

Leftover corned beef means one thing, corned beef hash!

So after trying to eat all that corned beef and cabbage, most likely you'll have some leftovers.  You can certainly continue eating until it's gone, or you can reuse some of that meat for one of my favorite breakfast items of all time (after eggs benedict of course!); fried eggs with homemade corned beef hash!  Here are the ingredients you will need to make this amazing breakfast.
(I made this breakfast for 2 so adapt the recipe to your needs):





4 eggs
1 onion
left over corned beef, cut into strips
4 small-medium potatoes, cut into strips
olive oil
salt and pepper

bread and butter for toast

I started by peeling and cutting up my potatoes.  I cut them into strips to resemble hash browns as closely as possible.  I also cut up an onion and my corned beef so that I was prepared when I started cooking.  Use a large, deep pan.  Coat the pan with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add potatoes to pan and season with salt and pepper.  Let potatoes cook until they begin to get soft and almost crispy. When they are almost done (after about 5 minutes) transfer to a plate and blot with paper-towels to get rid of some of the excess oil (see, I can be healthy!) Next add cut up left over corned beef to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes to crisp up. Next, add potatoes you previous cooked, and let both ingredients meld together for another 3-5 minutes, or until done to your liking.  At this point I just took the pan off the stove and continued with frying up the eggs in a separate pan and toasting the bread.  To plate, I spooned corned beef hash mixture onto plate, and gently placed fried eggs on top and paired it with some toast. This breakfast was heavy but delicious! It's perfect for a rainy morning or as a late breakfast brunch, and is very filling and holds you over practically all day! Enjoy this recipe!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

OK, so now for the most traditional and classic Irish dish of all: Corned Beef and Cabbage. The king of St. Patrick's Day (well maybe Queen, Guinness is probably King).  I always had a bad impression of corned beef and cabbage and never wanted to try it. Something about the way the cabbage smells I think.  But I ate it at a friend's house a couple years ago to be polite, and actually really enjoyed it! So, this year I decided to make it myself and see how it turns out.  The ingredients are:

1 package corned beef (about 3 lbs) with spice packet (I got this at our local supermarket, Wegmans. They had a whole display of corned beef with the spice packet included.  I'm not sure if this was just seasonal, but I assume it was since I don't remember seeing it any other time of year).
Carrots, about 10
1 large head of cabbage (I used Savoy Cabbage)
1 can beer
salt
pepper
olive oil

Start by taking the corned beef out of the package and rinsing. Pat with paper towels to dry. Put the corned beef in a large pot, and cover with water. Add contents of spice package that was included in the packaging. Also add 1 can/bottle of beer (this is optional).  Add carrots to the pot; I had peeled and cut them in half previously.  Put on medium heat to boil.  Let it simmer for 1.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, check on the carrots and corned beef. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the meat; if not, add more water.  At this point, cut the cabbage into wedges and add to the pot. Again add more water to ensure everything is covered.  Add a little salt (there is already salt in the spice pack) and some pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.   Let simmer for another 1.5 hours.  Total cook time will be about 3 to 3.5 hours.  The more corned beef you have, the longer it will take.  My corned beef package was a little over 3 lbs (3.24) and I cooked it for 3.5 hours.  When you are ready to serve, use a slotted spoon and a fork to help, and put the corned beef on a large platter. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  I also used the slotted spoon to get the cabbage and carrots out of the pot and arranged around the corned beef.  I then sliced the corned beef at an angle and against the grain.  The meat should be very tender! To finish off the dish, I drizzled with a little olive oil over the top, and served!

Almond Pistachio Cookies

So here we go with another Irish themed dish; and this time it's dessert.  It's Irish because they're green (a little; from the pistachios).  I'm being creative here, ok? Here is what you need to make these delicious cookies!

1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. almond extract
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg (extra large)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup ground/chopped salted pistachios

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Start by beating the butter and sugar until it's light and whipped looking.  Then add the vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and egg. Beat until all ingredients are mixed.  Then slowly add the flour (slowly so it doesn't get all over you!).  Once the flour is mixed in well the dough will get quite thick.  Add in pistachios and dark chocolate chips and mix on low, or by hand with a spatula.  The dough is ready! (and delicious).  I just drop them onto cookie sheets using two spoons, making small oddly shaped balls that puff out in the oven.  If you want more uniformly shaped cookies, you can always use an ice cream scoop to get perfectly sized cookies on your cookie sheet.  This recipe makes about 18-21 cookies, depending on how large you make each one.  Cook in the 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.  That's it! They're very easy to make and are a great twist on traditional chocolate chips cookies!

Beef and Stout Stew

So this is my version of a beef stew with an Irish twist.  And what is the Irish twist you ask? Well beer of course! (Stout to be exact).  Not very original? Well that may be so, but this stew is delicious and makes a large portion so you can cook on Monday and eat for the whole week! (or just feed a ridiculously large Irish family.... see I told you this was Irish themed!).  The ingredients are:

10 Tbsp. olive oil
about 1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
3.5 lbs beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 sack fingerling potatoes
1 medium-large onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 16oz package of frozen peas and pearl onions
2 cans/bottles stout
1 cup beef broth

Start by cutting up the beef into 1 inch cubes.  Then put some flour in a dish or pan and dredge the beef so it's lightly coated with flour.  Heat the olive oil (in batches, since you will brown the beef in batches) in a pan on medium-high heat.  Brown the beef in batches (so it's not overcrowded in the pan).  Make sure you lightly flour each batch before browning (this adds yummy flavor and helps to thicken the stew!).  Empty each batch of browned beef into the insert of a slow cooker or a large pot.  Once all the beef has been browned, saute the onion, garlic, and frozen peas/pearl onions in the same pan (you may need to add more oil).  Once those have softened (after about 4-5 minutes) empty into slow cooker or pot with the beef.  Wash the fingerling potatoes and cut any that are large in half, and add to the slow cooker or pot.  Season contents of slow cooker/pot with salt and pepper.  Add 2 bottles of stout (really any beer will do!) and 1 cup of beef broth, and cover.  If using a slow cooker, cook on Low for about 6.5 hours, or High for 4.  If cooking in a pot, leave it on medium heat (so that it simmers) for 2.5-3 hours, or until beef is tender.  Check back frequently to see if the stew needs more liquid.  If so, you can just add water or more beef broth if you like.  Once done cooking, spoon into deep dishes, and serve along with some crusty bread and stout! It's a great stew that takes a little bit of prep time, but really makes alot of food that can serve a large dinner party or you and your significant other for a few days of delicious meals! Sometimes I put leftover stew into freezer-safe tupperware and freeze for up to 6 months.  This way you have some yummy meals ready for you on those crazy busy days you don't have time to cook.  Just take out of the freezer and put in the microwave on high until ready!  I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hi Everyone and Happy St. Patrick's Day! (I know this post is one day late, but give me a break!).  In honor of the Irish I've been making some Irish-themed dishes this week.  I'm going to post them one by one... with the crown jewel (Corn Beef and Cabbage of course) on Saturday.  Enjoy and I hope you had a great St Patty's Day!

Breakfast time!

Good morning everyone!  I never really get the chance to enjoy a good breakfast, so I decided to treat myself to something delicious (I deserve it, right?).  Well my favorite breakfast of all time is Eggs Benedict, but since Hollandaise sauce = cellulite, I decided to make a light version of it.  The ingredients you will need are as follows:

2 eggs
2 slices bread (I used french baguette)
butter or margarine
cheese (I used a Greek cheese called Ladotiri but you can use any type of cheese you like to add some protein)

Fill a small pan with 1/4 inch of water and put on a burner on medium - high heat.  Once the water starts to steam a bit (then you know it's hot!) carefully break the eggs into the water.  Let cook until the tops turn an opaque-white.  The water will literally boil over the eggs and it takes about 5 minutes for them to cook.  Toast up the 2 slices of bread in the toaster to your desired darkness.  Cut up a couple cubes of cheese.  I put some Olivio Light on my slices of french baguette to add a little flavor, and placed the poached eggs on top once they were done cooking.  Serve with the cheese and voila, a light and easy version of eggs benedict!  The poached eggs are a great alternative to fried, and taste very similar to soft boiled eggs without the hassle of having to peel them.  All in all it was a great way to start the day!

More adventures in rolling out dough...

So as I mentioned in a post below I have a little fear of rolling out any type of pastry dough.  One of my goals has been to conquer this fear face on and make as many items that require rolling out dough as possible.  So as I was invited to a dinner party with Dino, I decided to make a dessert that required me to do just that.  A group of us have a little dinner club, and we often like to do themes with 'secret ingredient' challenges.  This month's ingredient was a seed or nut.  Given the specifications, I decided to make a Pear and Pistachio tart.  Sounds impressive right?  Here are the ingredients:


for the dough:
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup cold water
First I put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and mixed together.  I then added the butter in pieces and pulsed until large crumbs formed.  Once that has been done, add the 1/2 cup water (or as much as needed) in order to have the dough form a large, moist ball.  Then put the ball onto the counter and form into a disk.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.  (tip: you can make this a couple days ahead of time and let it chill until you're ready to roll it out)
While the dough is chilling in the fridge, I started to make the filling.  I cut up 3 ripe Anjou pears.  I used an apple corer/cutter to make this easier, and then peeled each individual slice and cut in half to maximize the pear slices.
The ingredients for the filling are:

1 tbsp canola oil
3 ripe Anjou pears
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
about 1 cup ground up salted pistachios

Heat a skillet with the canola oil and add the pears.  Saute until soft, about 4 mins.  Add the salt, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add 1/2 of the pistachios and mix. Keep cooking for an additional 5 minutes or until much of the liquid released from the pears has been reduced.  Empty skillet onto a plate and let pears cool.

Once the dough has been chilled enough and the pears have cooled you can start assembling the tart.  I used a round baking stone to make this on.  If you don't have one, you can use any cookie sheet and line with parchment paper.  I sprayed my baking stone with PAM and wiped with a paper towel in order to reduce the chance of the tart sticking.  I rolled the dough directly onto the stone, so I started by lightly flouring it and the rolling pin.  I rolled out the dough as large as it would stretch.  I then sprinkled the dough with most of the remaining pistachios. Once I was done with this I started to arrange the pears on the pastry dough.  I attempted to make it pretty so I started to make concentric circles starting at the center of the dough.  Once
 you have used all the pears, there will still be a border of about 1 inch left over of dough.  Fold over this border and pleat it in order to form a round tart.  This creates a 'crust' with an open view of the pears in the center.   Brush the edges of the dough with a mixture of one egg and 1 tbsp water to give it a golden color once it has baked.  Sprinkle more pistachios on top of the tart, and you're ready to bake it!  Put the tart into an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees, and bake for about 25 minutes or  until the edges are golden.  Needless to say, I think I have conquered my fear of pastry dough!  I was slightly worried when I started to roll the dough onto the baking stone; it came out very thin and I wasn't sure how it would taste.  Fortunately, this dessert was a great success at our dinner party and it was not as difficult to make as it seems! Definitely give this dessert a try!  Kali oreksi! (bon apetit in Greek... I decided I haven't been true enough to my heritage so far!).

Happy Spring Forward!

Happy spring forward everyone!  It's that time of year again where we set our clocks forward one hour, meaning it gets darker later and later every day :)  Spring is right around the corner, and it feels fabulous to have some warmer temperatures and no more snow covering the yard anymore.  On the downside, we technically lost an hour of sleep last night, resulting in me missing my Sunday morning Yoga class today.  I made up for it though by going out to breakfast at the Flour City Diner and then for coffee at Java's.  My husband Dino and I have been to Flour City Diner before, and we had some really interesting items for breakfast.  I had gotten cheese perogies with eggs and bacon, which were absolutely delicious and unexpected at a diner.  Dino had gotten a turkey monte-christo sandwich that was spot-on and just the right combination of savoury and sweet.  Today, however, we were both disappointed with our breakfast items.  I ordered a fritatta that featured their homemade bratwurst sausage, peppers, onions, and potatoes.  The bratwurst was mediocre; there was nothing bad about it, it just didn't have a very distinct flavor which was expected.  The whole fritatta had way too much meat in it and not enough egg, and I just felt there was too much going on without the taste factor.  Overall it was pretty bland.  I would give it a B-.  Dino got 2 eggs with their homemade corned beef hash. Again, expectations were high but the result was mediocre.  The eggs were cooked very well, the toast was a little dry, and the corned beef hash, although homemade, resembled something out of a can.  I know this is harsh, but it looked like ground up dog food and didn't taste much better.  Overall we gave it a C-.

Java's is one of our favorite coffee spots in Rochester, and it never fails to impress.  I'm a fan of their latte's, since I have an insatiable need for caffeine.  Their double latte is a perfect dose of coffee to get me going.  The crown jewel is the foamed milk on top, and they always get it to the perfect thickness and consistency.  Dino is a fan of the tra-que chai, a mixture of Vietnamese cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.  The decor and atmosphere is very eclectic and artsy, while the music is always inspiring.  They also have many other coffee and non-coffee beverages to choose from that you wouldn't normally find at a coffee shop.  For instance, they offer tTurkish coffee (I would call it Greek coffee, but whatever...) as a local alternative to a middle-eastern favorite.  While it sounds promising and I commend them for incorporating this into their menu, Dino tried it and determined it sub-par when compared to the original.  While this may be expected in Rochester, we had high hopes for Java's ability to serve a great cup of Turkish (or Greek) coffee.  Overall, Java's made up for the mediocre breakfast we had.  It's a great spot to go read a book or catch up with friends, and of course to enjoy a great beverage.

cute kitchen decor

I always envy those people who seem to find cute signs or pictures that fit perfectly with their home decor, personality, or hobbies. I envy them because I never seem to be able to find these types of items for myself! So I took to the almighty internet to try and find some.  Well... I succeeded in once again finding cute items that aren't sold near me. http://www.shabbychic-gifts.co.uk/?p=shabby.chic.living  Shabby Chic gifts is based out of the UK, but maybe they ship to NY?  They have really cute signs like "kiss the cook" and "Good food, Good friends, Good times", which just about says it all.  They even have cute trays for serving up guests with all your yummy treats and a key cupboard for all of us who routinely loose our keys (yes, I'm one of those people!).  Take a look and perhaps they'll consider shipping to this side of the pond....

Easiest Dinner Ever!

So I'm feeling really tired today, and although I'm not in the biggest mood to cook I have some defrosted meat that I must cook today or else it will go bad (waste not, want not!). So here is how I'm making a very low mess and quick dinner. Ingredients are as follows:

1-1.5 lbs. beef

olive oil

salt

pepper

rosemary

1box NearEast Couscous

Put large pan on a burner on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil (enough to coat the pan) and 4-5 sprigs of rosemary. As for olive oil, try to use a high quality extra-virgin kind. I personally use olive oil that is imported directly from Greece from my husband's olive groves that produce oil (no, i'm not joking), so while I understand and expect this to be impossible for all of you, try to use a good quality oil. When I have to buy from the supermarket I do like Filippo Berrio.  Once the oil and rosemary are heated up, add the beef. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on each side, approximately 3 minutes.

Once the beef has been browned on each side, put pan into an oven heated to 425 degrees.  In a medium size saucepan add 2 cups water, a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt. Let water come to a boil. Empty contents of Near East couscous box into boiling water, cover saucepan, and turn off burner. Leave saucepan on the burner and let it sit until you are ready to serve. It's that simple! I like to add some accompaniments from time to time, like chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers or pine nuts. For tonight I will just put a drizzle of olive oil and some pine nuts.

 Keep an eye on the beef. It will take anywhere from 20 mins (for medium rare) to 45 minutes (for well done). So let it cook until it is as you like it. Slice the beef and serve along side the couscous and voila! One of the easiest dinners to make. Bon appetit!

Fruit and Oat Scones

Scones. Mmmmm. They are sinfully delicious and a food item I have never attempted to make before. There's something about rolling out dough that intimidates me, therefore I have attempted to avoid anything that involves rolling out dough as often as possible! Today, however, I decided to face my fears and tackle it head on. And what perfect way to overcome my fears of rolling out pastry dough than to make scones? I decided to make them with dried fruit, oats, and nuts (that makes them healthy, right).




The recipe is as follows:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup dried fruit (I used apricots and raisins)

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used a mix)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Start by preheating the over to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinammon, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Stir in the dried fruit and nuts.Once that is done, add the milk to the mixture and mix until all the dry ingredients are moistened and form a large ball.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently 8-10 times. Using a lightly floured dough roller (make sure it is floured since the dough will stick to it!) roll out the dough on a round baking stone to about a 9-inch circle and 1/2 an inch thick.

Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 wedges.  Bake in the oven for 17 minutes, or until golden brown.

These scones were absolutely delicious and not very hard to make! Once I got over my fear and decided to tackle rolling out pastry dough it really wasn't difficult. I learned that you MUST flour your rolling pin otherwise it will stick to it! I rolled it directly onto a round baking stone (that I usually use for pizza), and I sprayed PAM on it to make sure the scones didn't stick. It worked like a charm since they came off perfectly when they were done. It really made me feel much better about my dough-rolling abilities and has inspired me to challenge myself and make some more items using dough!

In the end the work was well worth it for these scones. I thought they were delicious, and even my husband who doesn't like scones said they were the "best scones" he ever tasted!

first blog!

hello everyone! I'm new to blogging so please bare with me as I get the hang of it. I wanted to start this blog to share my recipes, restaurant reviews, products that I use at home, and in general anything related to good food, good drinks, and of course all the good people you share those things with. I hope I can inspire everyone to start experimenting in the kitchen and cooking more. I started cooking when I first moved out and went to college, at 18 years old. Up until then, the only things I had "cooked" were fried eggs and macaroni and cheese (out of a box!). I remember the sense of accomplishment I felt when I made my first spaghetti with bolognese sauce (my mom's recipe), my first batch of chocolate chip cookies (again- my mom's recipe!), or even my first Thanksgiving Dinner (cooking turkey wasn't as hard as I thought). As you can probably tell, my cooking inspiration and idol had always been my mom. She cooked delicious meals for us growing up, and was the baker in the family who was responsible for bringing pies and desserts to all the holiday gatherings. I like to think I got my interest for cooking, and of course eating, from her.

Eat up all the recipes I share and feel free to leave comments. I'd love to hear how you did if you tried making any of them. I love hosting dinners, so please enjoy my table d'hôte and bon appetit!