Beef Stroganoff

Mmm...onions, mushrooms, beef, noodles, sour cream...Beef Stroganoff can definitely be described as a comfort food. Late May probably isn't the season for this rich dish but it just sounded good and I hadn't made it in years. I adapted this recipe from the old American Fannie Farmer Cookbook. They describe the dish as "tender beef in a tangy sauce". 

For the beef selection, the recipe suggests tenderloin, which I couldn't find yesterday so I used beef steak tips. You can also use ground sirloin to cut costs. Cut the meat diagonally across the grain.
 
Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, cut in thin 1" x 1/2" strips 
• 1 pound Crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1/3 cup white wine
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper 
• 1/2 pound egg noodles for serving (or rice)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring water to boil for egg noodles and cook according to package directions. (Or prepare rice if preferred.)
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter into a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and saute on low until transparent. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Turn the heat to medium high, add the beef, and cook until all sides are browned. Remove the beef and set aside with the onions.
4. Add remaining butter to the skillet and white wine. Cook down for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and satuee until softened, about 3 minutes.
5. Whisk in the sour cream. Simmer over low heat. Season with Worcestershire, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Whisk in flour to thicken sauce.
6. Add beef and onions back to the pan and simmer until warmed through.
7. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Orange Olive Oil Cake

Ever since a recent trip to Tender Greens and tasting their Orange Olive Oil cake, I've been obsessed with making one myself. I've had two failed attempts and the third one tonight turned out well enough to tell you about it. This humble cake is slightly sweet, fragrant from the orange zest and very moist. A great treat to enjoy with tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 2 oranges zested, save juice from 1/2 orange
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 1 cup semolina flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin or grease a scone pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs white until stiff peaks form. Set aside. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar. Add olive oil, buttermilk and orange juice.
4. In a medium mixing bowl,  mix flours, baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in small batches until combined thoroughly. Fold in beaten egg whites. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until just cake tester comes out clean and edges are slightly browned.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe is so easy it feels like cheating at cooking. But that's what makes it perfect for a weeknight meal. Just whip up some Spanish rice and pinto beans for the full experience. Having company? Start with chips, salsa and guacamole and you're all set!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 store bought roast chicken (in the Deli section)
• 1 dozen taco sized flour tortillas
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 jar of red enchilada sauce (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
• 1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can sliced black olives (optional)
• Sour cream, for serving.
• Olive oil

Directions:

1. In a medium sized skillet, saute onions in olive oil until tender. Set aside. Shred chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. To make enchiladas, place a small handful of chicken inside each tortilla. Sprinkle with a spoonful of cooked onions and cheese. Roll up tortilla. Place seam down into a large baking dish. Continue until all ingredients are used. 
3. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas. Top with any remaining cheese and black olives, if desired.
4. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through. Serve warm with sour cream.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Broccolini, Bacon and a Fried Egg

Who says fried eggs are just for breakfast or a trendy burger? When I saw this recipe for a carbonara with a fried egg on top I just had to try it. The runny yolk just adds more yummy sauce to the pasta. This decadent dish always surprises with how luxurious it tastes, I just want to keep eating and eating and ask myself why we don't make this more often. Don't forget to make mimosas to go with it!

I've adapted this recipe from a Bon Appetit recipe Fettucine Carbonara with Fried Eggs. In my mind a carbonara should be make with spaghetti not fettucine. Broccoli Rabe or Broccolini is vegetable with clusters of tiny broccoli-like florets; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon), finely chopped (or thick cut bacon ends & pieces)
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 1 medium bunch broccoli rabe rapini or broccolini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Whisk 4 eggs, cheeses, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl; set aside. Cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to small bowl. Reserve skillet with drippings.
2. Place broccoli on a baking pan and toss with a little olive oil. Broil in the oven for 10 minutes or until tops are carmelized and stems are just tender.
3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot, turn off heat. Immediately add egg-cheese mixture, pancetta, and 1/4 cup hot cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls to moisten as needed. Toss in broccoli. Season to taste with salt and more pepper, if desired. Cover to keep warm.
4. Heat skillet with drippings over medium heat. Crack remaining 4 eggs into skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until whites are opaque, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn eggs over; cook just until whites are set but yolks are still soft, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Top pasta with eggs and serve.

Chicken Gremolata

Chicken Gremolata is a simple main dish that can be thrown together for a quick dinner. A "gremolata" is is a chopped herb condiment typically made of lemon zest, garlic and parsley. This recipe is very mild and does not use garlic. We've also applied this recipe to fish, such as Tilipia which works well with these mild flavors and cooks up even quicker.

For side dishes consider serving rice and steamed spinach with lemon wedges. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 oz. panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available in the Asian foods aisle)
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Pound chicken lightly to tenderize, season each piece with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a shallow dish, combine panko, parsley, and lemon zest. Coat chicken breasts with panko mixture, pressing gently until covered on both sides.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add chicken and cook about 5 minutes on each side until panko is golden brown and chicken is cooked through.

Huevos Rancheros

We often have Huevos Rancheros for a quick weeknight dinner. It's one of my man's specialties that he'll whip up for us. The ingredients are usually on hand. It's hot and flavorful and full of texture. Make sure those yolks are nice and runny!

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 4 corn tortillas
• 1-15 ounce can refried beans
• 1 bottle of enchilada sauce (or tomatillo or red salsa)
• 1 avocado (optional)
• Grated cheddar cheese or crumbled queso fresco
• Canola oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat enchilada sauce over medium heat until simmering.
2. In another small saucepan, heat refried beans until heated through.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skiller over heat oil over medium heat. Fry tortillas, one at a time, lightly browning each side. Remove from pan, and cool on a plate lined with a paper towel. Salt tortillas while hot. Drain excess oil.
4. In the same skillet, fry eggs just until yolks are runny. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Spread beans on a fried tortilla, top with an egg, pour sauce over egg. Top with avocado and cheese.
6. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Rum Cake

How can you go wrong with a description like that?! I keep this dessert in my back pocket when I need to make something quick and impressive. It's perfect for a potluck and the ingredients are easy to keep on hand. This cake is very moist, and tastes great for several days.

Ingredients:

• 1 box dark chocolate cake mix
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup rum
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Glaze:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup rum
• 1/2 cup canned cherries (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix cake mix, pudding mix, water, 1/2 cup rum, vegetable oil and eggs, in an electric mixer. Grease and flour bundt cake pan. Pour batter into cake pan. Bake at 325° F for 50-60 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.
2. While cake is baking, place sugar, butter, 1/4 cup rum into a sauce pan and bring to a boil for 2-4 minutes (until sugar isn’t grainy). Add cherries, if desired.
3. Remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack, pour glaze very slowly pour glaze over the cake.
4. Store covered at room temperature for several days.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This past weekend we had a little tortilla soup party for a family gathering. It's a simple dish to prepare for a casual get together and would be great for a winter open house. The soup can be prepared in advance and allowed to simmer until serving time. Guests get to customize their soup by selecting their own toppings.

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups roasted chicken, shredded (cheat by buying a pre-roasted chicken at the grocery store)
• 3 cups peeled and diced tomatoes (canned)
• 12 cups chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Anaheim chilies, seeded and diced
• 1 Jalepeno, seeded and diced (optional to add heat)
• 9 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2" strips
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• Sea salt

Garnishes 

• Queso fresco cheese
• Lime wedges
• Diced avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Tortilla chips (recipe below)

Directions

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm olive oil. Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeño in oil until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes.
   
2. Add the chicken broth, increase heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and add chicken. Salt to taste. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a small stockpot, pour in vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2” inch and heat to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, drop in the tortilla strips and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried tortilla strips to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt.
   
4. Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve with garnishes. 

Garnishes ready for the guests!

Tomato Avocado Salad

It may be the middle of winter, but I've been craving fresh summer salads. This simple tomato salad is one we've been making lately. Try also tossing in some cucumbers for a little crunch!

• 8 vine ripened tomatoes
• 2 avocados
• 1/8 red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons feta cheese
• Red wine vinegar
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Fresh cracked pepper

Slice tomatoes into wedges. Cut avocados into chunks. Thinly slice red onion. In a serving bowl, toss tomatoes, avocados and onion with vinegar and oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled feta. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spinach Stracciatella Soup

A simple Italian soup that is light yet filling. Add tiny meatballs and you've got Italian Wedding Broth.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup orzo pasta
• 1-10 ounce package frozen, chopped spinach
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Parmesan cheese
• Sea salt
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Crusty bread, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium sized saucepan, bring chicken broth and water to a boil. Stir in orzo and frozen spinach. Cook for 9 minutes until pasta and spinach is tender.
2. Turn heat down to low. Slowly add beaten egg, in a steady stream, stirring constantly. 
3. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Serve with Parmesan cheese to stir into soup, and warm bread and butter.

Pool Party

Summer is almost coming to end and I was fortunate enough to enjoy a little pool date with two of my sisters and their baby boys one Friday afternoon. We had a simple light lunch by the pool and had so much fun playing with the boys in the water.

Everything for the lunch I bought in one quick trip to Trader Joe's. The menu is below along with recipes for the salads. And if you haven't enjoyed a leisurely afternoon by the pool, make sure to try and squeeze one in before the summer sun is gone.


Pool Party Menu

• Chicken salad (recipe below)
  
• Mango avocado salad (recipe below)
  
• Apricot almond tart
• Animal cookies (for the babies)
• Iced tea
• L'ambrusco bianco (sparkling white wine)
  
• Sparkling berry lemonade (to mix with the l'ambrusco)
  

Chicken Salad

• 1 pound cooked chicken, diced
  
• 1 gala apple, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup dried currents
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon honey dijon mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  
• 1 lemon, juiced
  
• Salt
• Pepper

In a small bowl, prepare the dressing. Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, celery seed, and lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix chicken, apple, almonds and currents. Toss with dressing. The currents will plump up after soaking in the dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Can store for 2-3 days.


Mango Avocado Salad

• 1 mango, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 bag of baby romaine lettuce
• 1 bottle of poppyseed dressing

Fill a serving bowl with lettuce, lay mango and avocado on top. Toss carefully with dressing right before serving.

Angel Food Cupcakes with Peaches, Raspberry Sauce, & Biscotti Crumbles

Angel Food Cupcakes with Peaches, Raspberry Sauce & Biscotti Crumbles. Now isn't that the longest recipe name ever? And I even left out the whipped cream. I just couldn't think of anything catchy and shorter to capture this dessert. Your naming suggestions are welcome!

My man and I created this recipe while trying to come up with a dessert for his birthday that would be light & summery and travel well. His birthday plans included dinner at our favorite local Chinese Restaurant follwed by a dessert picnic along the grassy strand at the Dana Point Harbor.


I packed all the dessert components individually in a cooler and we assembled the dessert at the harbor. For this occasion I packed frozen Cool Whip instead of whipped cream so it would keep well in the cooler during dinner. For the biscotti we used Nonni's Cioccolatti Biscotti which added a little layer of rich dark chocolate to the dessert. We also found that the almond flavor of the biscotti worked really well with angel food cake.

We loved this dessert and found that it was hard to eat just one serving even though we were stuffed from dinner. I can't think of a more perfect way to spend a summer evening than sitting out in the harbor watching boats float by and enjoying a summertime dessert.

[Aren't these cupcake liners adorable? My sister-in-law gave them to me for Christmas along with a whole box full of cupcake goodies. I highly reccomend these liners, the paper is thick and waxy and much sturdier that regular liners.]



[Raspberry Dessert Sauce recipe can be found here]

Angel Food Cake with Peaches, Raspberry Sauce and Biscotti Crumbles

Makes 12 portions

• 1 box of Angel Food Cake mix
• Water
• 12 cupcake liners
• 6 peaches
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 package of fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 carton of Cool Whip or other whipped cream
• 4 Biscotti, crumbled

Step 1. Prepare the Angel Food Cake mix and bake according to the package directions for cupcakes. Cool and store in a cupcake carrier or other sealed container.

Step 2. Using the raspberries and 1/4 cup sugar, prepare the Raspberry Dessert Sauce according to the directions in this earlier post. Place into a storage container and refridgerate.

Step 3. Peel and slice peaches. Place into a storage container. Toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning and 2 Tbsp of sugar. Refridgerate until ready to use. The sugar will dissolve with the peach juice and create a nice syrup coating on the peaches. Cover and refridgerate.

Step 4. Assemble your cupcakes! Place each cupcake on dessert plates, surround with 2 spoonfuls of peaches, top with a dollop of whipped cream, drizzle with raspberry sauce and sprinkle biscotti crumbles on top.

Raspberry Dessert Sauce

Fresh fruit sauces are so simple to make (it really only takes 5 minutes) and can really add a special touch to desserts of all kinds. This recipe is for a Raspberry sauce but you can substitute it with any type of berry. Try fruit dessert sauces on ice cream, cupcakes (like these Angel Food Cupcakes with Peaches and Biscotti), brownies, chocolate cake, creme brulee, cheesecake...I'm sure you could keep the list going with me!

Raspberry Dessert Sauce

• 1 package fresh raspberries (can substitue with frozen)
• 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1/8 cup water

In a small saucepan bring all ingredients to a simmer. Let simmer for 5 minutes until sugar is disolved and fruit is softened and broken down. The longer you simmer, the less chunky the sauce will be. Remove from heat. Store covered in the refridgerator.

If using strawberries, you can mash berries after cooking to desired consistancy. If fruit is bland and lacking flavor (i.e. frozen) 1 Tbsp of lemon juice will help brighten up the flavor of the sauce.

Variation: substitue with strawberries, blueberries or blackberries

The Simplest Sauce

3 ingredients, that's all you need to make a simple, tasty, tomato sauce: onion, butter and tomatoes. Who knew? When I found out about this sauce over at Smitten Kitchen I had to try it. It just couldn't be very good, could it? So I bought the three ingredients and gave it a whirl. And I have to say, its pretty darn good. It's simple, it's easy, it's cheap and it's velvety. It has to be the butter. After all butter makes everything better. Lidia Bastianich always tosses in a pat or two into her sauce. This one is worth keeping in your back pocket for a quick dinner.

The second time I made it, I added in some fresh basil and I liked it even better. A little red pepper flakes can never hurt either, that's on my mental list for my next go around. That's the beautiful thing about pasta sauce, you can doctor it up in so many ways and still never go wrong.



Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Serves 4

• 1-28 oz can whole peeled Roma tomatoes (San Marzano's are best)
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in half
• 5 fresh basil leaves (optional)
• 1 pound egg fettuccine (or other pasta)
• Salt

In a saucepan, simmer tomatoes, onion, butter and basil leaves for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally and crush the tomatoes against the pan with your spoon to break them down. Simmer until the tomatoes are crushed and the onion is softened. Salt to taste.

Meanwhile cook pasta according to the package directions. Top with tomato sauce.

Tip: Buy a good quality imported egg pasta. The difference in taste and texture is worth the extra dollar or two. Good pasta even tastes better as leftovers versus cheap pasta. I go to a local Italian Market and stock up a variety of pasta types to avoid buying it at the grocery store.

Parmesan Toasts with Eggs and Asparagus

Just looking at this photograph makes me want to eat it for dinner again right now...and we just had this for dinner tonight! This is a great simple dish for a light supper or a sophisticated brunch. Aren't they beautiful? I bet this recipe would also work well with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce, but why complicate a good thing.


Parmesan Toasts with Eggs & Asparagus

• 4 slices of thick crusty bread
• 12 stems of asparagus spears
• 4 slices of Canadian bacon or prosciutto
• 4 large eggs
• Parmesan cheese
• Butter, softened
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Fresh cracked pepper
  

Step 1: Preheat broiler. Lay asparagus spears on a baking sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in broiler for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Fry Canadian bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat until browned. Set aside.

Step 3: Spread butter generously on bread. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Broil for 1 minute until lightly browned.

Step 4: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in the frying pan used for bacon. Fry eggs one at a time until over easy, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

On a plate, layer prepared toast, Canadian bacon, 3 asparagus stalks and one egg.

Enjoy!

Tasha Tudor's Cornbread

A few weeks ago I was making my homemade chili and I thought it really deserves homemade cornbread. So I tried a Joy of Cooking recipe and it was awful! So I turned to my dad's cornbread recipe. He always made the best cornbread. It is from a beautifully illustrated cookbook by Tasha Tudor. It didn't disappoint. Cornbread just doesn't get better than this. I recommend using an iron skillet or my personal pick, this Scone Pan to get a nice crust on the outside of the cornbread.

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 farm-fresh eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an iron cornbread pan that makes 12 sticks, or a muffin tin, with peanut oil.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar and add the egg yolks, slightly beaten. Stir well. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, then add it alternately with the milk to the creamed butter. Stir in the cornmeal, then fold in the beaten egg whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until beautifully browned.

Stuffed Peppers

Is it strange to love stuffed peppers? They are so simple and homely looking, but oh how I love them. They are hearty and flavorful. They are great leftovers, easy to transport to the office for the next day's lunch. A complete dish: protein, carbohydrate and vegetable. Here is how I like my peppers stuffed...


Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4-6

• 4 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow)
• 1 pound ground turkey or beef
• 1-1/2 cups chunky, seasoned marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup white or crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil. Add rice and a pinch of salt. Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on high heat. Add ground meat and brown until no longer pink. Add mushrooms and onions, saute for 5 minutes longer until vegetables are cooked. Add marinara sauce and rice. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Salt to taste.

Meanwhile, cut peppers lengthwise. Trim off stems, scrape out seeds and membranes. Place peppers in a large baking dish. Season the inside of peppers with salt.

Fill peppers with meat mixture. Top generously with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and peppers are soft.


Tip: Green bell peppers produce a more bitter flavor, so I prefer the reds and yellows.

Lemon Semifreddo

I hope you don't mind two recipes in a row. I've had some time off from work over the summer and have enjoyed some extra time in the kitchen. This recipe has been a hit at more than one girl's night at my house.

In Italian, "semifreddo" means "half-cold." This semi-frozen dessert is like an ice cream, but is less icy and dense. Both light and creamy, this dessert is a perfectly satisfying treat in summer. This is not a tart lemon dessert, but a sweet creamy dessert with a light, fresh lemon flavor. Please note this recipe must be prepared in advance.

Tip: If you don't care for lemon, this recipe could easily be prepared with orange juice, orange zest and orange liquor instead.

[Creamy lemon mixture]

Lemon Semifreddo
Makes 8 -1/2 cup servings or 4-1 cup servings.

• 4 eggs yolks
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  
• 2 tablespoons limoncello (optional)
  
  

In a mixer, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until smooth. In a double boiler* bring water in bottom pan to a simmer. In the top pan of double boiler add egg mixture, 1/2 cup of the whipping cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and limoncello. Whisking constantly to prevent burning, cook mixture until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour mixture into a glass heat-proof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap by laying plastic wrap directly onto mixture to prevent a "skin" from forming. Refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours.

In a clean mixer, whip remaining 1-1/2 cups of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate large bowl, stir thoroughly 1/3 of whip cream with cooled lemon mixture. With a rubber spatula, fold in remaining 2/3 of whip cream. Spoon the mixture into individual ramekins and allow to freeze for 6-8 hours.

*If you don't have a double-boiler you can use a heat-proof glass bowl set over a saucepan of water. The bowl should not be touching water.

[Luscious homemade whipped cream]

[The alluring final result]

Tri-Colored Potato Salad

Over the Labor Day weekend, my man and I wanted to make potato salad for our BBQ. I'd never made potato salad before. It seems to be one of those dishes that is often bland and boring. But we put our tastebuds together and came up with this simple but tasty version. We were really happy with it. It was also really nice to make one dish ahead of time that was ready to serve right out of the fridge. I found a bag of red, gold and purple potatoes already packaged together at Trader Joe's - beautiful! Using a variety of potatoes adds an extra dimension both visually and texturally.

• 3-4 pounds mixed baby potatoes (red, gold, purple)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons grainy deli mustard
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup diced dill pickle
• Salt

Bring potatoes to boil in a large pot of water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. (Note: You want the potato to slide easily off a fork when pierced but not so tender that the potato crumbles when pierced.)

Drain and rinse with cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Cut potatoes into bite sized chunks.

In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and celery seed together. Pour dressing over potatoes. Add in onion and pickle. Toss gently. Salt to taste. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Fruit Water

Lately my man and I (by the way, I've decided to start calling my husband "my man" instead of "hubby" - he hates that word) have been trying to drink more water at home. We have a bad habit of drinking ginger ale with dinner every night. So we agreed to start being positive about drinking water. Instead of saying, "I'll just have some water." as though we hate the thought (which we do) we say "I'd love to have some water. Water is good." (Insert sarcastic positivity where the italics are.) We are being facetious of course, but it makes it fun.

Our other part of this goal is to have fruit on hand to make the water more tasty and desirable, which has really helped us. We started out with orange slices. Then my mother-in-law recently served us water with strawberries and limes - even better! You can let your imagination run wild here.

What are your favorite fruit water combinations? Maybe something you've had at a spa?

Tip: Keep sliced fruit in a separate container in your fridge and add to water when you're ready to drink it. Keeping fruit in water for over a day can become bitter, cloudy and soggy.