Best Strawberry Shortcake I've ever had...

I had a long meeting at work on Monday evening.  On my 0.8 mi drive home I thought to myself "wouldn't it be nice if I came home and Justin was baking something?".  I walk in the door and there he was, in the kitchen finishing making fresh whipped cream with something in the oven. What inspired him to bake was that we had leftover strawberries from the crepes we had made that Sunday.  Always the Best Sponge Cake Recipe  4 Eggs, separated 1 Cup Sugar 4 TBS Cold water 1 Cup Sifted cake flour* 1 tsp Baking powder Beat egg yolks and sugar together until very light. Add water. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to batter. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan. * We should buy cake flour, but never do. You can substitute 1 cup of cake flour for 7/8 cup of all-purpose flour and 2 tbs of cornstarch. Just put 2 tps on the bottom of a measuring cup and fill the rest with flour. That's the 7/8 :)  Justin put it in 1 9" round cake pans.  Baked at 350 for about 25 minutes. As they were baking, he made fresh whipped cream. (Heavy cream with our kitchenaid stand mix with the whipping tool until it was whipped)  Once the cake was out, he let it cool, then cut it in 1/2 and put in 1/2 the whipped cream.  He then put the strawberries on top of the cake, along with the rest of the whipped cream.  What was great about this cake was that it had a golden crunchiness on the outside. It was baked perfectly! Definitely a recipe I would use for our B&B!  Needless to say, that night I had 2 pieces.

Strawberry Crepes

I am terrible at making premixed pancakes. I can never get the right consistency. Instead, I decided to make crepes. Easy. There seems to be a lot of instructions on how to make these, but really, you can make the batter, put it in the fridge. Hull & slice the strawberries, get that sauce going, and while that simmers, make the cream cheese filling. Or you can make everything in advance. (Just warm the strawberries before serving)

We had left over strawberry sauce that we had made for breakfast. Justin decided to use the extra strawberries as a topping for strawberry shortcake. See next blog.

Alton Brown's Crepes 

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2.5 tbs sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• Butter, for coating the pan

Directions

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours. Do not skip this. Do it the night before as an easy do-ahead. 

Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. I think 1 ounce was not enough. This part takes a little practice, and you may need to throw away the first couple of crepes.  Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board. Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.

Strawberry Sauce inspired by Tyler Florence 

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• Fresh Orange juice (few tablespoons)
• Orange zest (~ 2 tsp)

Combine the strawberries, sugar, water,cornstarch, and zest in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir gently until the berries release their natural juices. The consistency should remain a bit chunky, it will thicken up when it cools down. I added the orange juice & zest to the original recipe. It cuts the sweetness of the strawberries and gives it more depth. 

Cream Cheese Filling:

1 tub of Fat Free Cool Whip (I suggest Cool Whip...some store brands have a rubbery consistency)
3 Tbs of Neufchâtel Cheese


Whip the two ingredients until you have a smooth consistency. You can add or subtract the amount of cream cheese to taste. 




Putting it all together: 
Set oven to broil. As the oven is heating, spray a baking pan with Pam. Fill the crepes with cream cheese filling, about 2 tbs per crepe. Roll up the crepe and put in baking pan. Continue until all crepes are filled. Brush crepes lightly with melted butter. Put in oven until crepe begins to get a golden brown color. 


(Why broil? I like the crispiness of the crepe, but want the cream to stay cool and solid. Broil gets things crispy, fast.) 
Serve and spoon warm strawberry sauce over. Enjoy!

Orange "Brownies"

I guess a better description is orange "bars" but the consistency is like a good brownie.  This is a Paula Deen recipe I've made a few times.  I am inspired to blog about it as I am on vacation in Savannah.  Justin and I peered in to Lady & Sons yesterday, but decided to go to Sweet Melissa's across the street. Really. Good. Pizza. The crust is generously seasoned with herbs and spices  with the perfect combo of cheese & sauce. Lunch for the 2 of us was a whooping $10, and that included drinks and free cookies. 

I made these bars for Easter and our family & friends enjoyed them.  

Paula's name, for good or bad, is always synonymous with butter. Part of the reason I changed the recipe is because I morally can't put 2 sticks of butter in anything. I just can't! Also, I didn't have orange extract, so I kept it fresh. The result- a fresh, "light," dessert, good for spring and summer. (Although...you could make a chocolate ganache and put it on top for a good Christmas dessert)

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, melted 

1/2 cup of Stoneyfield's fat free, french vanilla yogurt

4  eggs 

3- 4 teaspoons of fresh orange juice (I keep squeezing until I like the taste of the batter)
1- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice (I think I used 4 tbs AND 1tbs of skim milk)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9x2-inch pan with Pam with Flour.  Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl; add butter, eggs, orange juice, and zest.  Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. (Although down in Savannah, I used a wire whisk and actually got a better texture. Not sure if it was because I used melted butter, instead of softened or the whisk.) Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set.  Remove from oven and pierce entire cake with a fork.  For glaze, mix all ingredients together and stir until smooth.  I would continue to add orange juice and/or milk until it is a thin, pourable consistency. Pour glaze over cake.  Cool and cut into squares.

Damage done after Easter.
I like this picture because it shows the depth of the dessert.
Because you need to pierce it with a fork, it won't look polished.
I don't think the guests will mind.  

tilapia fish tacos with tomatillo salsa verde

We found this recipe in the magazine called The Nest. We got the issue for free since we were active members of theknot.com.

It was under $5 meals. It was easy, as long as you have a food processor. We made these during half time of a Ravens game.

(People have asked...have you not been cooking?? We have. A lot. Have we been posting? Not at all. Hoping to catch up with life now that robotics competitions, the science fair, and other stuff are behind us. )

Ingredients:
2 tomatillos, husked and roughly chopped
fresh cilantro (to taste)
4 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/4 small  head of red cabbage , thinly sliced
1/4  jalapeno chili
2 boneless, skinless tilapia fillets
6 six-inch corn tortillas (we love corn tortillas..tastes better)

1. Preheat oven on broil

2. Food processor: combine tomatillos, cilantro, 2 Tbs lime juice, 1 tbs olive oil, cumin until smooth. Salt & pepper to taste. You've got your salsa verde.

3. Mixing bowl: 2 tbs lime juice, 1 tbs olive oil, shredded cabbage and jalapeno. Mix with salt and pepper. You've got your red cabbage slaw.

4. Line baking sheet with silicon baking mat. Salt & pepper the fillets. Broil about 5 or 6 minutes.

5. Heat up corn tortillas over stove.

6. Put it all together & enjoy!

Very colorful & healthy! 

Maryland's Attempt at Portuguese Stuffed Quahogs

Right. No Portugeuse Products. Not the exact seafood we need. But cooking is all about improvising and using what you've got. I would say we passed with flying colors. Now I'm going to warn you. We made this recipe a while ago. It was amazing. I will tell you what we put in it, but the amounts, well. no. It's something you just need to eye. For some people (like my Mom. Love you Mom!), they need the exact amounts. We do not do that here in Casa de Greer. (I always know the answer to "Hey Justin, how much XXX did you put in this?" (usual answer: "I don't know. Until it tasted good.")

Ingredients we used:

Cherrystones (instead of Quahogs) (steam them in white wine and water until they open) Then take the meat out of the shell (keep the shell) and dice em up.
"Stale" Italian bread. (We used Italian sliced bread, toasted it, and then diced it up)
Chorizo (instead of Chourico), saute in peppers and onions
Garlic
Salt & Pepper
(I'm sure I'm missing something)

Once the chorizo, peppers & onions are done, incorporate everything together in a bowl. One thing this recipe "missed" was some spice. Use red pepper flakes or even cayenne pepper to taste. Stuffed quahogs are meant to be a little spicy. Clean out the shells so there's no grittiness. Fill the shell with the mixture. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes (or when it begins to get crispy on top).

We made 6. Whether you make 6, 16, or 26, it will take the same amount of time. This would be a good appetizer course that you can basically make ahead. Pop it in the oven when guests start to arrive.

The quahog was an app for the scallops beurre blanc w/ mashed sweet potatoes. (This was probably one of the BEST meals we've made thus far. When I say we I mean Justin. He added spice to the sweet potatoes.  I will make him blog about this one) 

Christmas Cookies

It has been too long since the last post. It is not because we haven't been cooking...cause we have. To tell you the truth I've been eating like a queen, which is nice because now I don't have to worry about fitting in a wedding dress anymore. (everything in moderation!) This past weekend I decided to bake bake bake! I used my 6 qt Kitchenaid stand mixer for an entire day...and it was glorious! I also used the silicon baking mats that Justin "made" us get. Justin and I will make wonderful B&B owners one day. I'm excited.

Things I realized when baking cookies:
1. Never do it in a rush. You'll burn them.
2. Cookies bake best at 375 F for about 10 minutes. (at least in my oven :) Don't let recipes tell you otherwise.
3. Bake one tray at a time. (see #1)
4. While you have cookies in the oven, make a batter that needs to sit for awhile (like sugar cookies or gingerbread) You'll feel efficient.

Most of the cookies I made were based from recipes I found in cookbooks or online. I'm beginning to get comfortable with the chemistry of baking and realizing when something is just not "right." Here we go:


The Best Peanut Butter Cookies I've Ever Made (and Had)

2.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
~1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter*
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. The starred peanut butter is what I added to the recipe. The recipe called for chopped peanuts. Didn't have it (or want it). It didn't have the peanut butter taste that I wanted, but I didn't want to compromise the texture that I wanted, which is why I added the smooth peanut butter. I think adding the peanut butter created the perfect texture.

This next recipe I got from slashfood.com. I've never heard of this website until I was searching for the "right" recipe. When they had an interview with our favorite artist, Zac Brown, we knew we should visit this site regularly.

Cranberry, Orange &  Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
zest of one orange (about 2-3 tsp)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I used a semisweet chocolate bar that I cut up....it makes the cookie look more rustic and pretty)


Read more: http://www.slashfood.com/2006/12/08/christmas-cookie-of-the-week-cranberry-orange-and-dark-chocolate/#ixzz1905E7dMv


I tried to add pecans to it (I dipped a pecan into the raw batter and ate it...). And it really detracted from the chocolate and cranberries. The orange zest really pulls everything together and when you add a nutty flavor, the essence is lost.

I used Alton Brown's Sugar Cookie recipe. The key is sticking to cold temperatures, especially when rolling out the dough.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

All in all, I'm excited. I think after this baking experience, I'm really going to read up on the chemistry of baking. And so will my children. I am doing a lab when we get back to school where we bake muffins in a microwave. I perhaps may frame my chemical reactions unit through baking. Perhaps.

Millions of Peaches. . .

This is a short post, but many, many more to follow in the coming days.  Justin & I have been given dozens of peaches the past 2 weeks. (like 4 dozen on the 1st, and another 4 dozen on the 9th) Justin could eat them all day.... whereas I do not like "raw" peaches. Too sweet for me. I like 'em warm & in something.

This is the first time in awhile that I found a fantastic recipe that I didn't need to tweak. I could tweak it to make it less fattening... but whatever. I don't have to fit into a wedding dress anymore. :) (Let's see how long it takes Justin to read that...)

But alas, I got this recipe from About.com in the section Southern Foods. Super easy. Super good. Stay tuned for more postings.... including  Justin's tomato sauce (we also got dozens and dozens of tomatoes), focaccia bread, peach hot sauce, peach cake, peach salsa, and maybe a pie, cobbler, and/or crisp.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 medium peaches peeled, diced (about 1 cup diced - can use frozen thawed or canned)
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. Combine topping ingredients until mixture is crumbly; set aside.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together butter, milk, and egg in a separate bowl. Stir milk/egg mixture into the flour mixture and blend just until moistened. Fold in diced peaches. Spoon into muffin cups; sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan.

Makes 12 muffins.