It occurred to me the other day that while I have filled these posts (and hopefully your recipe files and stomachs) with all manner of recipes suited for lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert, I have been seriously remiss in addressing what is commonly referred to as the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. Perhaps this is because I tend to go the simple route when it comes to my AM cuisine. Not being a morning person, I am prone to choosing the simple and easy over the sophisticated and time-intensive when it comes to my breakfast cuisine. At least if I’m making it. If I’m at a restaurant, all bets are off.
When you love to bake, social gatherings serve as a great excuse to try out new recipes. Who doesn’t like a little sweet treat when visiting with friends? And if the goodies you bring are unexpected, so much the better. You should, however, proceed with caution. If you surprise the same group of friends more than once or twice, your confections will likely go from being unexpected to highly anticipated. And you’ll feel inclined to deliver, because really, what baker doesn’t want to be known for his or her culinary prowess?
Sometimes I think my kitchen could double as an international foods emporium. On any given day, you are more likely to find Thai fish sauce or Indian curry powder than potato chips or hamburger patties. Despite a childhood spent in a suburb teeming with numerous chain restaurants but few authentic ethnic-food options, I am now something of an international foods magnet. I am drawn to trying new foods, spices, flavors, restaurants, and home recipes. In recent years I have developed a deep and abiding love of Japanese, Thai, Indian, Turkish, Greek, and Moroccan cuisines… just to name a few.
When you’re craving something sweet, sometimes chocolate is the only answer. However, there are other times, perhaps after a heavy meal, when chocolate seems just a bit too much, a touch to rich. Times such as those are ripe for fruit-filled desserts. Such was the case for the Valentine’s Day dinner I told you about earlier this week. I had prepared a pretty hearty, carbo-loaded meal. Rosemary foccacia and roasted beet risotto. In my carb-loving defense, we had an Arugula salad too, just to balance things out. But for dessert, I knew I wanted to make something on the lighter side. And in truth, it’s a good thing I did. We were so full from dinner we had to wait a couple of hours before we could dig in to the dessert. But it was worth the wait.
This pear-ginger crumble is a perfect, light dessert…or indulgent breakfast. Not only is it made with fruit, but the crumbly topping is much healthier than most, relatively speaking. It uses canola oil to bind the oat and brown sugar topping together rather than the usual stick (or two) of butter. While this does result in a slightly different texture than your average fruit crumble, it is completely delicious in its own way. Plus you don’t have to feel guilty about going back for seconds. (If you’ve got a few calories to spare, check out one of my other favorite fruit desserts.)
I have made this recipe many times, and it is always well received. The fresh ginger added to the pear filling adds a nice warmth and depth of flavor without overpowering the fresh fruit taste. Once, when I was out of fresh ginger root, I substituted some chopped candied ginger instead. The flavor profile remained the same, so feel free to use whatever kind of ginger you have on hand. In a pinch, you could also try a very small amount of powdered ground ginger.
As I’ve mentioned before, February 14th is a big day in our house. Not so much because it’s Valentine’s Day, though. Stan is firmly of the “it’s a Hallmark holiday designed to make people spend money” camp. I, on the other hand, love Valentine’s Day despite its pervasive commercialism. I like the hearts, and the pink and red, and the candy and flowers, and all other manner of girlish whimsy.
But that’s not the point. February 14th is a big day in our house because it’s the anniversary of our first date. Six years ago, we went out on our first official date, and it just so happened to be on Valentine’s Day. So every Valentine’s Day since then has had special meaning. This year, however, was extra special because it was our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple.
Every year, Stan plans a super secret Valentine’s date for us. It’s the one night a year where I know nothing about the plan. I just know it will involve dinner, and I should look spiffy. In keeping with tradition, Stan surprised me with a fabulous dinner at a restaurant I have wanted to try for months. (And these flowers!) We went out on Saturday, the night before Valentine’s Day, so that left me to figure out something special for us to do on Sunday, our “real” big day.
Since Stan had to spend the whole day at school and the office, I wanted him to come home to a special dinner. I kind of wanted it to look Valentine’s-y too. Enter the humble beet. An often-maligned root vegetable, beets have an undeserved bad rep. They are sweet and earthy and pair well with a number of foods. Even better for my purposes, they are a gorgeous, deep pinkish-red color that could not be more perfect for a Valentine’s Day recipe.
I decided to take my beets and incorporate them into a risotto. Creamy and hearty, the risotto paired very well with the savory-sweet chunks of vibrantly hued beets. I served the risotto with homemade rosemary foccacia, an Arugula salad with shaved Parmesan, and a light pear ginger crisp (recipe to come later this week). All in all, it was a memorable, delicious meal, perfect for our first married Valentine’s Day.
I love the Olympics. Seriously, every two years, the games are a highlight of my year. I vividly remember watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team (aka The Magnificent Seven) power through to victory in Atlanta in 1996. And the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan debacle? Couldn’t stop watching. It should come as no surprise then, that I have been looking forward to these Winter Games with much anticipation. And what better way to relax on a Friday night than with the opening ceremony of the Olympics, a bottle of wine, and some fun finger food?
Stuffed pizza rolls. They just sound delicious don’t they? And they are. They are the perfect finger food to serve as an appetizer at a cocktail party. They also make a filling dinner when paired with something green and healthy. (I made roasted broccoli to go along with ours.) Perhaps the best part of these stuffed pizza rolls is their versatility. You can fill them with pretty much anything. Go the classic pizza route with pepperoni and cheese. Give them a tropical flair with ham and pineapple. Make them vegetarian with any number of cheeses and veggies. You get the idea. For last night’s dinner, I stuffed our pizza rolls with mozzarella cheese, chunks of Italian chicken sausage, mushrooms, and slivers of onions. Next time I want to try filling them with ricotta cheese, spinach, and artichokes… mmm… the possibilities.
You can really make these stuffed pizza rolls as easy or as complicated as you want them to be. To go the quick and easy route, use store-bought pizza dough (the kind in the can or from your local pizzeria), packaged cheese cubes, and pre-cut/sliced fillings that don’t need to be pre-cooked. When I made them last night, I decided to go all out, and I made my own pizza dough using this recipe for fast and easy pizza dough. I also cut my own cheese cubes since it was cheaper to buy a big block of cheese and cut it myself. Finally, I sautéed my sausage, mushrooms, and onions in a little olive oil before I put them in the rolls. I did, however, use store-bought pizza sauce for our dipping sauce. I mean, c’mon, the Games were starting!
After days of sugary goodness, The Well-Fed Newlyweds’ first-ever Sweets Week has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed all of the posts and will take the time to make some sweets for your sweet this Valentine’s Day. I promise to keep the dessert recipes coming. I mean, c’mon, there’s always an excuse for some sweet treats. There’s Presidents’ Day, St. Paddy’s Day, snow days…
In the meantime, after all that sweet, I think it’s time for a little heat. But first, a question. Ever had a kumquat? Until recently, I was not even sure what a kumquat was. I was pretty sure it was a fruit, but besides that, I had no clue. Color? Flavor? Size? Kumquats were a mystery to me. If you’ve never had one, a kumquat is a small, oval-shaped citrus fruit. Orange in color, kumquats differ from most other citrus fruits in the fact that you can eat them whole. Unlike their citrus fruit relatives, it is the kumquats’ peels that are sweet while their flesh is tart and tangy.
