Peach Pecan Crisp

One of the things I look forward to during the hot summer months is peaches being in season.  I start anticipating what dessert I can make using fresh, juicy peaches.  I've made a couple of peach pies in past years, but this summer I decided to try a peach crisp.  It's much easier than a pie, but is still very delicious.  The buttery, nut-filled crumble on top pairs perfectly with peaches (and a scoop of vanilla ice cream!).  And while the spices aren't overbearing, the cinnamon and nutmeg are a good foretelling of the fall baking that will soon be in full swing.

Peach Pecan Crisp
Note: If your peaches aren't very sweet, you can increase the sugar by a tablespoon or two in the peach filling.
Ingredients:
4-5 peaches, peeled and sliced thinly
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour

For the crumble topping:
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch ginger
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the sliced peaches and lemon juice.  Gently stir to combine.  Add the sugar and flour and gently stir until sugar and flour are no longer visible.  Pour the peach filling into the 8x8 pan and smooth into an even layer.

3. For the crumble topping: In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.  Stir until combined.  Add the brown sugar and stir to combine, making sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar.  Add the cubes of butter.  Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until the dry parts are incorporated.  Add the chopped pecans and mix with your fingers until they are spread throughout the mixture.

4. Sprinkle the topping over the peach filling, distributing it as evenly as possible.  Bake for 35-38 minutes, until the edges are bubbling.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Source: slightly adapted from www.cookingclassy.com

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Penne

Some recipes get forgotten over the years, but this is one I keep coming back to.  It's very family-friendly, and quite easy to adapt to what produce you have on hand.  Pasta is usually well-received at my house, and I love serving a pasta dish full of a variety of colorful vegetables.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Penne
Ingredients:
1 box penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 cup chopped carrots
4 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
1/2 zucchini, chopped
1/2 yellow squash, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus (about 1/2 of a bunch)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic

For the sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons chicken base or bullion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
3/4 teaspoons dried basil

Topping:
Parmesan cheese
Fresh parley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to directions on package.  Drain.

2. While the noodles are cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add the flour, and cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add the chicken base, salt and pepper and stir to combine.  Slowly pour in the milk and stir or whisk together until all combined.  Bring mixture to a boil, then turn down heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes.  (Watch the pot so it doesn't boil over.  It makes a mess, trust me...)  Stir in the dried basil.

3. While the noodles are cooking, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until about halfway cooked through.  Add the carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, asparagus, and red pepper.  Continue cooking, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through.  Add the minced garlic for the last 1 minute or so of cooking.

4.  In a large pot (I like to use the one the noodles cooked in), combine the noodles with the chicken/vegetable mixture.  Pour sauce over the top and gently stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  (I find it really needs some extra salt at this point.)

5. Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Source: adapted slightly from my friend, Lindsay M.

Peanut Butter Pie

There is something nostalgic about pie.  Cakes can be so fancy and cookies kind of ordinary, but pies are a delicious dessert for when you want something special but still very homey.  I was in the mood to dress this pie up with some chocolate drizzle and piped on whipped cream, but it would be just as delicious without the extras.
This pie starts off with a delicious chocolate cookie crumb crust, which is topped with a layer of chocolate ganache, then the peanut butter filling.  For those who love the chocolate/peanut butter combo, this is the pie for you!

Peanut Butter Pie
Note: I thought this pie was very tasty, but I'm curious to experiment with it some more.  Next time I might try making a smaller, more intensely flavored peanut butter layer by cutting all the filling ingredients in half except for the peanut butter.  My family wanted less of the peanut butter layer and more of the chocolate, but I don't think the ganache layer can be increased as it's so rich.  To make a thicker chocolate layer I would use some kind of chocolate pudding layer.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 3/4 (about 7 oz) cup chocolate cookie crumbs
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted
Ganache:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips
Peanut butter filling:
1 cup heavy cream (or less, see note)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar (or less, see note)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (or less, see note)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings (optional):
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Sweetened whipped cream
Chopped peanut butter cups

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl stir together the cookie crumbs and sugar.  Slowly drizzle in the melted butter, while stirring.  Continue stirring until all cookie crumbs are moistened.  Press into the bottom and sides of pie plate.  Bake for 8-9 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to look dry.  (The bottom crust will still look a bit moist.)  Cool.

2. Heat 1/2 cup cream in the microwave until simmering.  Add the chocolate chips and let sit for five minutes.  Stir until combined and smooth.  Pour ganache into the bottom of crust.  Cover and chill in refrigerator until ganache is set (about 1 hour).

3. In small bowl beat 1 cup heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks.  In a medium bowl beat the peanut butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla until creamy.  Fold in the whipped cream until combined.

4. Spread the peanut butter filling over the ganache layer, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

5. If desired, place 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small bowl.  Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments until melted, stirring after each increment.  Use a fork to drizzle over the peanut butter layer.  Refrigerate until set.  Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.

Source: adapted from Meadowbrook Farm Blog via www.melskitchencafe.com 

BLT Bites with Basil Mayonnaise

This is a great little appetizer with lots of flavor and texture in one little bite.  The lettuce and salty bacon give it some crunch, the basil mayonnaise is packed full of fresh flavor, and the tomato and bread fill it all out.  I used whole wheat bread and a large tomato chopped up because that's what I had on hand, but I think sliced cherry tomatoes and different varieties of bread would work great for this too.

BLT Bites with Basil Mayonnaise
Note: There is a similar recipe (which originally comes from America's Test Kitchen) that calls for cutting small circles out of bread with a cookie cutter, spraying both sides with cooking spray, then toasting them under the broiler until golden brown.  I just cut my bread into small rectangles and did not toast it, but I think the toasted bread would be great.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper
6-8 pieces of sandwich bread
6-8 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
3-5 leaves lettuce (preferably Butter lettuce)
1 large tomato (chopped into 1/2-inch pieces) or 10-20 grape tomatoes, sliced


Directions:
1. For the basil mayonnaise: Process the basil leaves, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.  (Basil mayonnaise can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)

2. Cut each piece of sandwich bread into 6 small rectangles (discarding the crust).  Cut bacon and lettuce into similar sized pieces.  Season tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste.

3, To assemble: Place a piece of lettuce on each piece of bread.  Put about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon basil mayonnaise on each piece of lettuce.  (Try to "cup" the basil mayo in the lettuce without letting it touch the bread to avoid the bread getting soggy.)  Skewer a piece of bacon and then tomato onto the top of a toothpick, then push the bottom of the toothpick into bread/lettuce piece.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Source: adapted slightly from Deidra S. and from www.ellenjamesrecipes.blogspot.com

Cinnamon Honey Butter

Breakfast food for dinner is a common occurrence in our home.  My kids love breakfast food, and it's usually quick and inexpensive too.  This week I made some Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins to have with omelets/scrambled eggs for dinner.  Breakfast for dinner is not always the most exciting night of the week for me, but this week I decided to spice things up a bit with some Cinnamon Honey Butter to go with the muffins.  It was delicious on the muffins, but I think it would be really great on Apple Muffins or on some soft, fluffy rolls (like at Texas Roadhouse).

Cinnamon Honey Butter
Note: I'm including a full recipe and also a very scaled back recipe.  The full recipe might be great for a big gathering, but usually I wouldn't want to make quite that much.

Full recipe:
Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to taste
Dash of salt, if desired

Small recipe:
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to taste
Dash of salt, if desired

Directions:
1. In a small bowl stir all ingredients together until combined.  Add additional cinnamon to taste, if desired.  Serve with muffins, rolls, etc.

Source: slightly adapted from www.handletheheat.com (omitted the powdered sugar) and Ina Garten

Kolachy (Cream Cheese Dough Cookies with Fruit Filling)

These little cookies are from my eastern European roots.  They could always be found at our big Christmas Eve family gathering.   Apricot is our favorite filling, but raspberry is also delicious.  I've used different brands of jam and they've all been good, but my favorite is Smucker's Simply Fruit jam for the apricot filling.

These cookies are not overly sweet, and the fruit flavor pairs wonderfully with the buttery, tender cream cheese dough.  While we usually eat these for dessert, they would also make a great little pastry for a special breakfast or brunch.

Kolachy
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
Apricot and/or raspberry jam

Directions:
1. Beat together the butter and cream cheese with a mixer until creamy.  Add the flour and continue beating until flour is mostly mixed in.  Knead for a few minutes by hand, ensuring that no dry flour spots remain.

2. Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  Roll out dough on a floured countertop to about 1/8-1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into squares about 2 inches by 2 inches.  Place each square on the prepared baking sheets.  Put about 1/2 teaspoon jam on each square.  Pull together two opposite corners and tightly pinch them together.  Push the pinched edges firmly down onto the side of the cookie.  (If the dough is not pinching together well, then wait a few minutes until the dough warms up and softens a bit.)

4. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden brown on bottom.  Let cool about 5 minutes on baking sheets, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.  Sprinkle powdered sugar on top immediately before serving.

Source: adapted slightly from my Uncle Jeff, via my mom

Mediterranean Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Tomatoes and Chickpeas

It's kind of funny how my perceptions change over time.  When I just had one little baby at home, it seemed to require a lot of energy to care for her.  Now that I have four kids, during those rare times when it's just me and the baby at home, it seems quite quiet and relaxing.  

This week my husband took our older three kids out, and I anticipated the quiet time at home.  They were going to a baseball game and getting hot dogs or other ballpark food for dinner, so it was the perfect opportunity to indulge a bit and make myself a salad for dinner that I knew no one else in my family would care for.  I had this salad at a friend's house and loved it, but it does have a lot of strong flavors, some of which my kids (and husband) prefer to pass on.

There is a lot happening in this salad: the roasted tomatoes, nutty red quinoa, chewy couscous, salty kalamata onions and feta, and a little surprise of mint.  And the lemon vinaigrette complements it all perfectly.  

Mediterranean Spinach Salad with Quinoa, Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

For the salad:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/2 cup red quinoa (uncooked)

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup Israeli couscous

1/2 cup red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped

5 oz. baby spinach, cut into thin ribbons

1/4 cup (0.25 oz. package) mint leaves, cut into thin ribbons

15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

1. In a small bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, oregano, minced garlic, salt and pepper.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk briskly.  Whisk in the lemon juice.  If it doesn't look completely combined, pour into a jar with a lid and shake until emulsified.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and spray with nonstick spray.    Cut the grape tomatoes in half and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Toss to combine.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time, or until tomatoes have softened and skins are slightly shriveled.  Cool on baking sheet.

3. In a medium saucepan combine the quinoa and water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the couscous and increase the heat to bring it back to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an additional 8-10 minutes, until both the quinoa and couscous are tender.  Stir.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Cool completely.

4. Transfer the quinoa and couscous mixture to a large bowl.  Add the cooled tomatoes, red onion, kalamata olives, spinach, mint leaves, chickpeas and feta cheese.  Stir to combine.  Slowly pour in the remaining dressing while gently mixing to coat the salad. (If there will be leftovers, then only put dressing on individual servings and refrigerate the leftover salad and dressing separately.)

Source: salad recipe adapted from www.wegmans.com via my friend, Kathy, G.; dressing recipe from www.allrecipes.com