Butterbeer and Treacle Tart

Exciting news!  I am celebrating my one-year blog-oversary this week.  It is also Halloween weekend.  AND, most importantly, it is also the start of a very exciting month in my life.  In a few short weeks, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One will be in movie theaters.  And, Ron and I will be venturing down to Orlando and spending time in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  I'm not gonna lie.  I am flippin' ECSTATIC.  What better a way to celebrate a one-year blog-oversary with goodies from Jo Rowling's beautiful world.

Like millions of others, I am a Harry Potter fan.  Some of my family members call me "obsessed" but considering I have never actually attended a Harry Potter convention, I feel that this takes me out of the "obsessive" category.  Sure, I have a wand and I often cast spells with it.  Who doesn't?  I have a small miniature Hedwig that sits in my office next to my small little Buckbeak.  And yes, I have attended Wizard parties.  I sport my Gryffindor scarf with pride.  And, I have attended midnight-release parties to obtain a newly-released HP book.  And, of course I have blown through the books as fast as possible (book 7 was in my hands at 12:15 a.m. and was read through the night and finished at 11:12 a.m. the next day - SPOILER ALERT - with one moment to pause and ball my eyes out around page 60 after Hedwig died - not to mention the many more moments I had to cry when, well... countless others died in the bloodbath that is the end of this epic series).  And, yes, I reread the entire series, from book one to book seven, once a year (it is the absolute best time of the year!) and am constantly amazed by the detail and the brilliance that is Jo Rowling and her imagination.

And, sure, I lined up outside of the bookstore recently to purchase the film wizardry book (even though there was no line) before anyone else did.  And, I've definitely read The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Quidditch Through the Ages about as many times as I've read the entire series.  And, I do check my favorite HP fan sights on a daily basis and squeal with delight when I find another fan so immersed in this world.  And, I literally watch a HP movie at least two or three times a month.  And, I have consistently booked my HP movie tickets weeks in advance to secure a 12:01 a.m. showing (November 19 cannot come soon enough!).  And yes, I did sink into deep despair when I was not at the opening of the Wizarding Park this past June (don't worry; I was relieved once I saw the lines).  And yes, I have had a countdown going until the day Ron and I arrive at the Wizarding Park (24 days left!!!).

But, I am not obsessed.  And until now, I have never tried my hand at making my own Harry Potter treats.  I don't know why this is.  But in spirit of my upcoming one year blog-oversary, I've decided to do something special and celebrate the magic that Harry Potter as brought to my life.  It saddens me when people say they don't like Harry Potter, but I have gotten past the jokes when someone questions my sanity over Harry.  The thing is, everyone has their own thing that makes them happy.  Mine is Harry Potter.  Yes, I do sink into a small bout of sadness when anything HP ends, but how could you not?  Harry Potter has been a part of my life for a very, very, very long time.  The books have given me something to look forward to and a place to travel when I want to enter another world.  They have inspired me to enjoy reading and to use my imagination and creativity.  And the movies?  Well, they just give me a few short hours to dive into a magical and whimsical universe that takes my mind away from the struggles of reality.  Everyone needs something.  And my thing is Harry Potter.

Oh yeah, about the recipes.  Even if you don't like Harry Potter, this treacle tart was interesting enough to be quite tasty.  It's very sweet and similar to a pecan pie, but the consistency is much different.  Treacle tart is, in fact, Harry Potter's favorite dessert and he is often quoted as eating it in the books.  In Half-Blood Prince, the treacle tart is what he smells around the "most powerful love potion in the world."  I was actually very surprised at how prominent the lemon taste was in this recipe.  I also cheated and used a pre-made pie shell.  And the Butterbeer?  Butterbeer is the popular drink choice among young wizards.  It tastes very similar to a butterscotch and has a sweet and salty combination (but it has enough alcohol in it to get house elves drunk).  This glass was so sweet that it could probably give an elephant a sugar high.  It is definitely for sipping only.  I was pretty bummed that my glasses didn't have the authentic butterbeer color (I didn't add enough of the brown sugar mixture) but it was fun to make.  And, we'll be able to try the authentic Jo Rowling butterbeer recipe in a few weeks, so for now, this will do. :)

Butterbeer
FoxNews.com and a few other sources such as Mugglenet.Com and The Leaky Cauldron
Yield:  4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
• 1/2 tsp rum extract
• Four 12-ounces bottles cream soda

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water.  Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240F on a candy thermometer.
2. Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 cup heavy cream.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in rum extract.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tbsp of brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2-3 minutes.
5. To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass).  Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine.  Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

Treacle Tart
Examiner.com
Yield:  1 tart, about 8 servings
Ingredients

• 1 unbaked pie shell for single crust, 8-inch pie
• 1 cup Lyle's golden syrup
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups dry bread crumbs
• Lemon rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
• Juice of half a lemon (about 1 T)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In heavy saucepan, lightly warm the syrup to make it easier to incorporate the other ingredients.  Keep a close watch on this as it can be easy to overheat.  Add crumbs, lemon rind and juice.  Mix well.
3. Pour filling into unbaked crust.  Smooth the filling and decorate top with extra pieces of crust (in the shape of Harry's scar!), or a lattice top.  Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until crust begins to brown.
4. Cool before cutting.

Harvest Pancakes

Perhaps the most profound and positive change that has occurred in my life since moving to the Twin Cities has been the quality of my diet.  Shortly before we left Pittsburgh, I started to heavily focus on where I was buying my ingredients, how food was being prepared, what restaurants Ron and I ate lunch and dinner, how many additives were in certain packaged products, etc.  After we moved, we started frequenting farmers markets and buying an abundance of fresh produce.  And, my life changed drastically after I spent a semester writing a paper that involved significant research of the Food and Drug Administration.  Without getting all "Food, Inc." on you, I can honestly tell you this, it is highly worth it to pay attention to the food you ingest, how and where your food is being purchased.  And, if you eat meat, it is absolutely worth it to pay the extra money to support local farmers who practice humane animal treatment.

So, why am I telling you all of this?  A few years ago, I ate a pancake breakfast at a chain restaurant and it was so delicious.  Shortly after, I was devastated to learn of the countless acts of inhumane farming practices that supplied such chain restaurant with its food, as well as several other chain restaurants.  Granted, I do eat meat, but I take the "Wayne Pacelle" approach to meat-eating.  And since then, I have vowed not to eat meat unless I know and approve of how it has been prepared.  This might offend certain friends and family members at dinner parties (don't worry; I am discrete), but this is an area that I feel very, very strongly and passionate about.  After the paper I wrote and the details I learned, I simply cannot ignore this issue because ignorance is not bliss in this situation.

So anyway, sorry about that, but had to say it.  I vowed to find a pancake recipe that mimicked this delicious pancake from chain-restaurant-that-shall-not-be-named.  And, I've finally found it.  The nutty and grainy texture in this pancake are so good and a small serving will keep you full for hours!  Serve along side some fruit and you have a healthy and amazing breakfast.

Harvest Pancakes
Food Elmundo
Ingredients

• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 3/4 cup nuts - almonds, pecans, or walnuts (or mixed)
• 1 cup WW flour
• 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil

Instructions

1. With a food processor, grind quick cooking oats and nuts to a pulse, crumbly mixture.
2. Combine oat and nut crumbs with flour, flaxseed meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and oil until blended.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto a preheated (medium to medium-low) griddle or pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Ricotta Cheese Cookies - Week Four

For week four of 12 weeks of holiday cookies, I made up ricotta cheese cookies.  These are one of Ron's favorite cookies.  A few years ago, he mentioned that his mom used to make them around the holidays.  Until that time, I had never heard of ricotta cheese cookies, let alone putting any kind of cheese in a cookie.  For the holidays that year, I got the recipe from his mom and ended up whipping up a batch.  For some reason, I fell asleep and left them sitting out all night.  Put that in the What was I thinking category.  I woke up the next day realizing that they were hard as rocks.  Thankfully, Ron's family was kind enough to look passed my mistake and the cookies were enjoyed by all.

I couldn't find the original recipe I made, but I did find another recipe in my giant cookie recipe book.  These cookies are delicious.  If you put them away within a few hours of baking (and don't leave them out for an entire night), they are still so delicious and moist the next day.  If you've never had them, I would describe them as a lighter and fluffier sugar cookie.  I cut this recipe in half, but it still made over 2 dozen cookies.  This recipe makes a lot so factor that into your baking.  And, sadly I couldn't find my multi-colored sprinkles, so there's a mixture of Independence Day and Christmas colors on those racks :)

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes: Cookies!

Yield:  About 72 cookies (don't worry - they freeze well!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup margarine or butter (2 sticks) softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups AP flour
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 Tbsp milk
• colored sugar crystals

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar until blended - light and fluffy.
3. Beat in ricotta, vanilla, and eggs until well combined.
4. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat/stir until dough forms.
5. Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet.
6. Bake until cookies are very lightly golden, about 15 minutes (they will be soft).
7. With spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.  Repeat with remaining dough.
8. When cookies are cool, prepare icing: in small bowl, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth.  With small spatula, knife, or dip method, spread icing on cookies; sprinkle with colored sugar crystals.
9. Set aside on wire rack until icing is completely dry, about 1 hour.

Butternut Squash Couscous Salad

You could easily call this recipe Fall in One Mouthful.  Seriously, it's so deliciously on point with the flavors of fall and this time of year.

I absolutely loved the flavors in this dish.  I love the colors too!  I used a tri-color couscous which made the dish even prettier, but you can easily make it with a regular couscous or WW couscous.  I ate this on the side of some maple-glazed salmon (recipe is coming later this week).  Then, I also ate it for lunch the next day and for dinner that night.  So good.  This is definitely a side dish to consider for your Thanksgiving spread.

The original recipe called for one can of garbanzo beans, but I left them out.  I also used raisins instead of cranberries and added about 1/2 cup of pecans.  If you are looking for a cheese, I would think that some goat cheese would taste very good in the salad.

Butternut Squash Couscous Salad
adapted from Erin's Food Files
Yield:  5 servings
Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup uncooked couscous
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion, diced
• 4-5 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Zest of one orange
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp salt - to taste
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup pecans or walnuts, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss squash with some olive oil and spread on a baking sheet.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until tender - about 30 minutes.  Allow to cool before combining with other ingredients.
2. Cook couscous according to package directions (normally this involves bringing 1 cup of water, some salt and olive oil (optional) to boil, stirring in the couscous, covering the pot, removing the pot and letting sit for about 4-5 minutes).  Once cooked, fluff with a fork and set aside.
3. Saute onion in a skillet over Medium-High heat until translucent.  Set aside and cool.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, zest, spices, and 1/2 - 1 tsp salt.
5. In a large bowl, combine squash, couscous, onions, raisins, and nuts.
6. Pour in the vinegar-oil dressing and stir to combine.
7. Check seasoning and add more salt if needed.  Can be served at room temperature or cold.

Pasta Fagioli

The other day, I was at the grocery store searching for some fresh cranberry beans to make a pasta fagioli.  I had found a recipe I really wanted to try and was eager to pick up the beans.  I was literally squatting down as far as I could to get a look at the beans (dry beans are on the bottom of the shelves) when a kind person who worked for the grocery store approached me with a cautious eye and asked if I needed assistance.  "Cranberry beans?" he asked.  "No, I've never even heard of them."

I really wanted to tell him that they weren't absolutely necessary - that I could use any bean without a problem - but he seemed eager to help in this search.  He radioed for a number of his fellow co-workers to come over.  They even called other stores and logged online.  Twenty minutes, and a long discussion later, we had no found any cranberry beans, but I had spotted a lovely jar of Eden Organic Aduki Beans.  I'd never heard of them, but I was interested in trying them.  At that point, I hated the thought of waiting to soak my own beans, so off I left with a jar of pinto beans as well.

Aduki beans.  I had never heard of them until that day.  But, they worked awesome in this recipe.  I have posted other pasta fagioli recipes on my blog in the past, but I'd like to think that the true italians would approve of this recipe the best.  "True" pasta fagioli recipes involve pasta, beans, and cheese.  No veggies.  No meat.  So, this recipe is true (with the exception of the canned ingredients, but oh well).  And, this recipe has become my absolute favorite soup-meal recipe of all time.  It was delicious.  And, when we ran out of pasta (I only used about 7 ounces of pasta), the leftovers were just as good without.

Oddly enough, I've seen aduki beans everywhere since I bought that can.  Perhaps I've never noticed them before?  Or perhaps this is a new trend?  Whatever it is... I've seen aduki bean everything!  Aduki bean corn chips.  Aduki bean rice.  And, I just opened up a small free sample jar from the Body Shop, and it is some type of aduki bean and rice shower gel.  What the...?

Oh, and the picture above?  That's Ron's bowl.  I just had to take a picture of the tomatoes that remained.

Pasta Fagioli
adapted from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients

• Small white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 x (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 x (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano, and basil
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (use 32 ounce container)
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 x (14.5 ounce) cans beans: pinto, aduki, kidney (or a mixture), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. small pasta (such as ditalini or small shells)
• Garnish:  shredded parmesan or mozzerella cubes

Instructions

1. Over medium heat, add some EVOO to a soup pot.  Add onion and cook until lightly translucent.
2. Stir in garlic for about 30 seconds.
3. Reduce heat to low-medium and stir in all ingredients except for the pasta and the cheese for garnish.
4. Cover soup pot with lid sitting ajar and simmer for about one hour.
5. Shortly before soup is done simmering, bring your water to boil for pasta and cook according to package directions.  After pasta is cooked and has been drained, rinse with cold water.
6. Put some pasta in bowl, laddle some soup over top, and garnish with shredded or cubed cheese.
7. Mix in cheese to melt, serve with a small salad or some bread and enjoy!

French Vanilla Ghiradelli Luxe Pretzel Cookies - Week Three

For week three, I was interested in baking a good chocolate chip cookie.  I've baked tons of variations of chocolate chip cookies before.  Nestle's go-to recipe, the famous NY Times recipe, Alton Brown's The Chewie, etc.  The list is endless.  Some are made with nuts.  Some are made with oats.  Some are made with cake flour.  But, one thing remains the same:  flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugars, butter, egg, and vanilla.

I was hoping to make more of a savory chocolate chip cookie this time, so when I saw a recipe that appealed to me, I decided to swap out regular vanilla extract with french vanilla extract.  It totally did the trick.  The addition of french vanilla made the house smell delicious and it made the cookies taste incredible.  They were very rich tasting, but the salt from the pretzels made them simply divine.  As always, I cut the recipe in half, but this is the first time that I kind of wish I hadn't.

French Vanilla Ghiradelli Luxe Pretzel Cookies
adapted from Korean American Mommy
Yield:  About 3-4 dozen cookies
Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp french vanilla extract (or regular vanilla extract)
• 2 x 3 oz. Ghiradelli LUXE bars, broken into little pieces
• 1 cup pretzels, broken into little pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.
3. Prepare add-ins:  break up chocolate bar and pretzels into tiny pieces.  Set aside.
4. Melt butter in microwave.
5. In large bowl, cream melted butter and sugars together until well blended.
6. Add egg and vanilla; beat for about 30 seconds.
7. Slowly add in the flour mixture until combined.
8. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate and pretzel pieces until well combined.
9. Drop teaspoonfuls (I used my small cookie scoop) of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-14 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned on the top and just set.  (Time will vary depending on how big your cookies are and how well your oven works.)

Fall Vegetable Curry

Here's another recipe to mix up for a very quick and easy lunch or dinner.  It's packed with flavor, full of healthy ingredients, and the spices definitely kick it up a notch.

From start to finish, I'd say 25 minutes.  Max.  And, there's plenty of leftovers for lunch today!  Serve with rice and sprinkle some nuts on, if you'd like!
Fall Vegetable Curry
from Cooking Light
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 2 tsp Madras curry powder (to substitute:  use 1 1/2 tsp curry powder + 1/2 tsp red pepper)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain reduced-fat Greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions 

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add sweet potato to pan; saute 3 minutes.
3. Decrease heat to medium.  
4. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly.
5. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil.  
6. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt to bring the heat down, and eat with rice.