Frittata with Artichoke, Leek and Goatcheese

I'm sorry for being negligent for the past couple of days. The girls were on a 4-day sleep-over with their grandparents, so we just spent those days enjoying each other and doing things without the kids. Although of course I missed them a lot, it is always so much fun to just be together. We dinned out a lot, went shopping, stayed up way too late. In short, acted like we were 10 years younger.

Okay, back to business: Frittatas...

One of the reasons I love frittatas is because it is so versatile and easy. It is basically a large omelet. You can start out with all kinds of ingredients. I usually add thinly sliced potatoes to turn it into a full dinner. It is also a great way to make a meatless meal!

In this version I used artichokes, leek and goatcheese, but you can adjust it however you like. You can also make half a recipe. You can add different vegetables, different cheeses, add some bacon or ham, use fresh herbs or change nothing at all. Do whatever feels right to you!

Recipe

Frittata with Artichoke, Leek and Goatcheese

Yield: a dinner for 4 people

Ingredients:

10 eggs
2 - 3 large potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped seperately
8 ounces of artichokes (can or frozen), quartered
2 leeks, sliced in rings
5 ounces soft goatcheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Parboil the thinly sliced potatoes for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

In a medium bowl beat loose the eggs with salt, pepper and 1 chopped clove of garlic.

Crumble the goatcheese and add this to the egg mixture.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and 1 clove of garlic. Bake for a few minutes.

Add the leek and artichokes and bake again for a few minutes. Add the potato slices and mix carefully to rearrange all the ingredients.

Turn the heat low and add the egg/cheese mixture.

Let everything bake for 15-20 minutes, then put the pan under the broiler to bake until the frittata is done.

Cut the frittata in pieces. You can serve this dish warm, but it is cold also very good. It is great to take along to a picknick!

Caramel Frappucino

I know I'm not alone when I say I have a weak spot for a caramel frappucino. But whereas many of you are actually able to go to a Starbucks and order a yummy frappucino, for me that is not so easy. The nearest Starbucks is quite a long ride from here and so I'm forced to go without them for long periods of time.

This has always bothered me, but after making the Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce I was inspired. I figured that this caramel sauce might very well be the key ingredient to making my own Caramel Frappucino. So I did what most reasonable people would do... I turned to Google. I found an article on Ezine with a recipe they claimed was the original Starbucks recipe.

Now I'm a very sceptical person, so I thought....yeah right, but figured it couldn't hurt to try it out. And you know what.... It was great! And you know what else? It was easy! So now I'm probably going to have to start watching my intake.... because it does not look good for my waistline....

So, if you love Caramel Frappucino's... go make this... you won't regret it!

Recipe

Caramel Frappucino

Yield: 1 large or 2 small frappucino's

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cold coffee
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 cups ice
3 tablespoons Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Topping:
Whipped cream
Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Instructions:

In a bowl mix the coffee, milk, sugar and caramel sauce. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the coffee/milk mixture into a blender or foodprocessor. Add the ice.

Blend until the ice is crushed.

Pour everything into a tall glass.

Top with whipped cream and a swirl of the caramel sauce.

Drink and enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

This summer I'm really enjoying making my own ice cream. This is mostly caused by a book I got: The Perfect Scoop. I absolutely love this book. When I first got it I read it front to back and noticed a recipe for Salted Butter Caramel Sauce. As much as I love caramel sauce, this title just didn't appeal to me. So I completely forgot about it. Then I suddenly spotted a recipe for Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce on Annie's Eats and for some bizarre reason this sauce did appeal to me. When I read through the recipe I was surprised that it originated from The Perfect Scoop.

Annie turned this sauce for me into something heavenly! And it was so simple I'm ashamed I didn't think of it myself... She left out the butter and added.....wait for it.... vanilla bean. Simple right? But by doing this she instantly made this so much more appealing. Well, for me anyway....

I was a bit scared of making the caramel, because it is not one of my fortes. And indeed, I overstirred the first batch, causing great lumps to form in my melting sugar that I couldn't get out before burning the sugar.... Okay, no problem, I cleaned the pan (not an easy thing to do if your impatient) and started again. Thankfully this time it worked out!

The sauce is great. So far we've put it on top of vanilla ice cream (of course), pancakes (as a syrup) and I used it to make a caramel frappucino. Don't worry I'll post that recipe asap.

So go ahead and make this divine caramel sauce, you won't regret it!

Recipe

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the cream in a bowl. With a knife scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add the seeds to the cream. Stir and let sit while you prepare the caramel.

Spread the sugar in an large thick-bottomed saucepan. Try to make the layer as evenly and thinly as possible.

When the sugar is starting to liquify, gently stir it towards the center.

Continue stirring very gently until all the sugar has melted. Make sure you don't overstir.

Once the caramel becomes a dark amber color, take the pan from the heat immediately.

Carefully whisk in half of the cream with vanilla seeds. The mixture will start to bubble violently, so be careful of your  hands.

Stir until the cream is well incorporated, then add the rest of the cream, stirring again until well incorporated.

Stir in the salt and vanilla.

If lumps have formed during this, put the pan on very low heat and stir until all the lumps have dissolved.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  If needed, it can be rewarmed in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.
 

Source: Annie's Eats, originally from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.

Pizza with aragula, goatcheese and sundried tomatoes

The first time I made my own pizza I fell in love all over again with it. It is so simple to make. Granted, you need time, a lot of time, but since that is not an issue any more I have made quite a few pizzas. Most of them are simple, but I am also trying to think out-of-the-box.

I do feel a little awkward posting a recipe for pizza, but I've noticed that it happens quite often so I'm just going to give it a shot.

Like I said I try to make new combinations every time and if at all possible with ingredients I have left-over. So the last time I wanted to make pizza I had several ingredients at my dispossal, including my own home-grown aragula which had to be used before it grew too big.

I ended up with a combination of aragula, soft goatcheese and sundried tomatoes. A combination I would normally use in a salad. But you know what? It actually works great on a pizza!

I realize it is a very sloppy recipe, but you should consider it more as a guideline. Just let it inspire you.

So, if you're looking for a new, fresh combination for a pizza, that is great on summer days.... Look no further!

Recipe

Pizza with aragula, goatcheese and sundried tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 portion pizza dough
Pizza sauce (will post a simple recipe soon)
50-100 gram (2 ounces) soft goatcheese like Bettine blanc
Sundried tomatoes, to taste
A couple of handsful of aragula
A handful of chopped walnuts
Some honey

Instructions:

Prepare the pizza dough.

Preheat the oven (and your pizza stone) as high as your oven can go.

When you have laid out the dough, put on some pizza sauce.

Put chunks of the goatcheese on the pizza. Add the tomatoes and the chopped walnuts.

Bake the pizza for about 8 minutes.

When you've taken the pizza out of the oven, put the aragula on top and drizzle some honey over it.

Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

When Nikki was invited for a sleep-over party by her cousin she jumped up and down for about an hour! She was extremely excited. Her cousin, Phoebe, is two years her senior, but there is a real click with all three of the girls. Whenever they get together, they get really excited and love spending time together.

As a thank-you gift I wanted to bake something yummy for her to take along to her cousin and my sister. Unfortunately I had about two hours in which to make that thank-you gift and no time to go shop for ingredients.

And so I searched through my cabinets and assembled a variety of ingredients. I then turned to my new book: Baking, From my home to yours, and found a great easy recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, for which I had all the ingredients. I just love it when I find recipes that you can make with standard ingredients. It gives me the opportunity to whip something up on any given time!

I have to admit I had my doubts about these cookies. I have never baked with peanut butter, so I wasn't sure if it would taste good. But I am now converted. The peanut butter gives these cookies a full, rich flavour, which of course goes great with the oatmeal and the chocolate chips. I did add a little less than the recipe indicated, but it was enough. I only had smooth peanut butter, but chunky peanut butter, of even better, chopped peanuts would go great with these cookies. The cookies were crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Just as I like them!

On more thing, the recipe said to chill the dough for two hours, which I didn't due to lack of time, but shaping the cookies went really well and they turned out very nicely shaped!

Recipe

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: about 60 cookies (recipe can be halved)

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, room temperature
3/4 - 1 cup peanut butter (depends on your taste)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F). Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Beat together the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Add one egg at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended.

Mix in the chocolate.

Cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours, or for up to one day (optional, for more evenly shaped cookies).

Drop rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet, or, if the dough is chilled, scoop rounded tablespoons and roll the balls between the palms of your hands and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes.

The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula.


Source: slightly adapted from Baking, From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

Peach Ice Cream

We brought with us from France about a truckload of peaches, all of which had to be eaten in the course of three days. So what do you do when you've eaten all the peaches you can eat? That's right! You turn the peaches into something different. For instance.... Peach Ice Cream!

Now, I have to say that the weather here is terrible. It is almost like fall has come really, really early. But that doesn't stop me from making ice cream! I love ice cream all year round. I think it is one of the foods you can wake me up for at night.

I found the recipe in The Perfect Scoop (again). This book it starting to be really special to me... I'm definitely developing an intimate relation with it! I made one alteration: I reduced the amount of water to 1/4 cup, because I like my ice creams creamy. This worked out perfectly, because the peaches contain a lot of water also.

So without much further ado I give you: Peach Ice Cream.

Recipe

Peach Ice Cream

Yield: about 1 quart (or 1 liter)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds (600 gram) ripe peaches (about 4 large peaches)
1/4 cup (60 ml) water (or 1/2 cup (125 ml))
3/4 cup (150 gram) sugar
1/2 cup (120 gram) sour cream
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
A few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:

Peel the peaches, remove the pits and slice them into chunks.

Put the peaches in a medium, nonreactive saucepan and cook them with the water over medium heat. Cover the pan, stir occasionally, until the peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the sugar and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Purée the mixture in a blender or foodprocessor with the rest of the ingredients until almost smooth but slightly chunky.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.

Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Enjoy!


Source: slightly adapted from The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz

Super Lemon Ice Cream

Due to unlucky circumstances my big baby girl had to spend an afternoon home without friends or baby sister. None of her friends were able to play and so she was faced with nothing to do. Off course there were plenty of things to do, but for some reason she was bored. And so I was faced with a dilemma. Do I let her be bored and grumpy? This would usually be my choice as I think it is also a bit of a learning experience for her... Or do I pick her up and do something fun with her?

I chose to do something with her, but under my conditions. I wanted her to help me cook something. Anything...didn't matter what. She could choose.

And she chose ice cream. But not just any ice cream. No, my baby girl has a thing for lemons, absolutely loves them! So when we found a recipe for Super Lemon Ice Cream, the choice was obvious.

Super Lemon Ice Cream it was to be. Again this is an easy recipe. No cooking involved (my favorite!), a nice fresh taste, but not too lemony so you won't be puckering up. No, it has a very full lemon flavour, but one you can easily handle. All-in-all a great recipe for those hot, sweltering days, when you really don't feel like doing anything!

Recipe

Super Lemon Ice Cream

Yield: about 1 quart

Ingredients:
Zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
2 cups of half-and-half
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Zest the lemons directly into a food processor or blender.

Add the sugar and blend until the lemon zest is very fine.

Add the lemon juice and blend until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Blend in the half-and-half until smooth.

Chill for 1 hour, then freeze the mixture in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Enjoy!

Source: The Perfect Scoop, David Lebovitz