Sometimes A Quickie Is Just What You Need

Bet I got your attention with that title, didn't I?? :)

OMG, what a month it's been. I've been out of town on business 3 times, and have barely had time to tend to anything except work stuff. This week, except for Memorial Day, I have been too preoccupied, exhausted, or busy even to venture into the kitchen. DC and I have been eating out instead. Sad indeed! I miss cooking, and blogging, and reading and commenting on everyone else's blogs. Thanks so much to all of you for continuing to read and support DomesticMuse!

As you can imagine, my only 80% unpacked house is in sad, sad shape as well. And this has not been helped one bit by the fact that our idiot dog, Huckleberry, dined out of the garbage can two days in a row (despite the fact that I made certain the lid was tightly shut) and on day three, finished off his spree by eating a bag of DC's Doritos from the kitchen counter. (The counter!! Such bad, bad manners!)

Huckleberry has been extremely indisposed for the past several days, even needing to go out for what my dad so charmingly referred to as "hurry calls" in the middle of the night. Plus, we have almost used up a whole bottle of carpet cleaner!

Today, I was determined I was going to clean the downstairs thoroughly AND cook dinner, even going so far as to steam-mop the kitchen while DS and his dad were having an impromptu algebra tutoring session at my kitchen table. Poor DS has exams all next week. (DS's Dad: So what is the greatest common factor here? Me: WHOOOOOOOOSSHHHHHHHHH! WHOOOOOOSSSSSSSHHHHH! DS: What? What? Dad: OK, you need to use the reverse FOIL method-- Me: WHOOOOOOOOOSSHHHH! (skid, crash) OH, SH$T! THAT WAS SLIPPERY! DS: Wait, what's a polynomial, again??)

For dinner, I was happy to find I had all the ingredients in the house for Nathan's Cuban Meatballs, always a huge family favorite. I posted about this fantastic dish earlier, but have included this don't-miss recipe below. I had also been cherishing the idea of making a cherry pie, but when the meatballs were finally simmering, I realized I was just too exhausted to do A Whole Pie. Still craving a homemade cherry dessert, I hit upon the idea of a clafouti instead.

In case you are unfamiliar with this humble but tasty traditional French dessert, a clafouti (claw-phoo-tee) is sort of a cross between a custard and a cake, and is generally fruit-based. Cherry clafouti is a classic flavor, but you will find recipes for everything from Apple Clafouti to Pumpkin Clafouti.

It's in the category of desserts that I call "Dump Its"-- where you open a few cans or chop up a few ingredients and dump everything in a pan, yet still come out with a yummy homemade treat. Of course, I wanted to put my own special spin on the clafouti, and here's what I came up with. It could hardly be quicker or simpler!

Cherry-Chocolate Chip Clafouti
by DomesticMuse

1 can cherry pie filling
1 c. milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Spray a 2 qt. baking dish with non-stick spray and layer the above ingredients in it.

In the blender, combine 1 c. whole milk, a pinch of salt, 4 eggs, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla, the grated zest of 1 lemon, and 1 stick butter, melted. Blend on low speed. With motor running, pour in 1/3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour and process until combined. Pour the batter over the other ingredients, and bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes, or until browned and set.


I served ours with some vanilla ice cream, but it really doesn't NEED more than a dusting of powdered sugar.



A quick and easy dessert was a great way to end a busy day!

POM-Raspberry Greek Yogurt Power Smoothie

Well, I'm back from my conference in Atlanta, and more or less in one piece. Holy cats, my day job has gotten so busy and stressful I am struggling to do anything else. Geez, don't you hate it when real life gets in the way of blogging?? LOL!!!

The conference was grueling, but it was so, so great to see colleagues in person. Phone and email are just not the same! I had a BLAST meeting my new colleagues from Philly, too. I have to say, I am in total awe of the amount of pure genius contained in our new, merged organization. Plus, our members are the absolute best. Wonderful people that are a joy to work with.

But enough about that. Several weeks ago, I received a case of 100% pure pomegranate juice from the lovely folks at POM Wonderful.

I was thrilled, because while I love pomegranates, they are both a pain to eat and hard to find. They are usually only available here around Christmas time. Pomegranate juice??? Brilliant!

While reading Girlichef's post about her POM experience, I had to laugh, because I did the same thing as soon as I retrieved my box from the clutches of the evil apt. people-- I grabbed a bottle and chugged. AWESOME!!! That POM juice really IS wonderful-- tart, tasty and so refreshing. Making me wish I could drink juice on a regular basis (generally a no-no for my volatile blood sugar levels which are prone to crashing)!

I am happy to report that despite receiving my juice under less than ideal circumstances, it is still delicious many weeks later. You see, the apt. people didn't bother to tell me that my Pom juice was waiting for me in the apt. office until about a WEEK after it arrived. I guess they didn't notice the Gi-normous warnings all over the box that said REFRIGERGATE IMMEDIATELY. (????) I was royally pissed off at the prospect of being the recipient of a whole case of spoiled pomegranate juice, but I popped it right into the fridge and it's fine.

I also received several coupons from one of the BEST natural foods companies under the sun, in my opinion-- Stonyfield Farms. I love their yogurt, and it is the only brand of "regular" yogurt that I will buy. Kristina Drociak at Stonyfield sent me some coupons to try OIKOS, Stonyfield's Organic Greek Yogurt product, which is totally new to me.

One of the biggest differences between Greek-style yogurt vs. regular yogurt is that Greek-style yogurt is strained, meaning that some of the liquid (whey) has been removed from it, resulting in a yogurt that is much thicker, milder, and richer-tasting, as well as significantly higher in protein and calcium. This means that compared to other yogurts with the same fat content, the Greek-style yogurt tastes richer.

I finally had a chance to use some of my OIKOS coupons this week. I've tried both the honey flavor and the vanilla flavor. All OIKOS yogurt is non-fat, but you would never guess because it tastes so rich and delicious! Generally, I detest the flavor of non-fat dairy products and avoid them like the plague. I personally feel better when my food has SOME fat in it, as it keeps my blood sugar more stable. The OIKOS, however, was delicious, and it's high protein content helped keep me from having a sugar crash. The fact that it's organic, too is a real bonus! I greatly enjoyed eating both the Vanilla and the Honey flavors directly from the carton.

For me, the big problem has been that with the triple whammy of moving, work duties heating up, and my travel schedule getting much heavier, I have hardly had time to enjoy creating new recipes for the POM Wonderful or the OIKOS.

I know this is totally boring, and everyone is probably already using both the POM juice and the OIKOS for smoothies, but this morning I wanted to try my hand at creating a great-tasting protein shake using these ingredients.

You see, I am in the process of getting back into my 6 meals-a-day and 6 workouts a week routine. (You can read more about these struggles in PhitDiva, my other blog). One of the staples of my routine is protein shakes.


I use 2 kinds of protein, both whey powder and calcium caseinate powder. I don't want to go into the boring details of whys and whens here. The point I'm trying to get to is that I've been forced to use just the caseinate lately as I've run out of whey and haven't had a chance to get more. Which is a bit of a bummer, since I MUCH prefer the flavor and texture of the whey over the caseinate. To make the caseinate shakes palatable, I usually end up adding some chocolate syrup or other sweetener, which kind of defeats the purpose of a healthy shake, LOL!

Good news!!! Using my OIKOS yogurt and POM Wonderful juice, I've been able to create a Levantine-inspired Power Smoothie with the caseinate powder that is so delicious, even DS just inhaled a large glass. And not only is it delicous, it is jam-packed with tons of nutrition to power you through even the busiest morning.


Here's what I did:

POM-Raspberry Greek Yogurt Power Smoothie
by DomesticMuse
Makes 2 turbo-charged servings

1 c. Pom Wonderful 100% pure pomegranate juice
1 scoop vanilla-flavored calcium caseinate powder (I use the 100% Gold Standard ("ON" or Optimim Nutrition) brand)
3/4 c. OIKOS Greek Yogurt, vanilla flavor
1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1 packet, cooked, Kashi G0Lean Hot Breakfast cereal, Truly Vanilla flavor
1 T. tahini
2 small bananas, preferably frozen, in chunks
1 1/2 c. ice cubes (this is a guess, since I took one of our drinking glasses and filled it with ice from the dispenser in the fridge door)

Combine the ingredients in the blender, and blend to preferred consistency.



I am LOVING my caseinate protein shake this morning! It is truly "yummy good," as DS used to say. I have quite a sweet tooth, and normally find I need to add some kind of sweetener when I'm using the caseinate, but the above combination is perfect for me as-is (a miracle!). But if you are preparing this for, say, children, here are some things you could to add make this shake even MORE delicious:

• honey
• malted milk powder
• a spoonful or two of raspberry jam

Nutrition-wise, this shake is pretty impressive. Here are some approximate data per serving:

• Protein: about 28 g (12 from the protein powder, 8.25 from the Oikos, 3 from the tahini, and 4.5 from the GoLean)
• Calcium: 39% DV (25% from the protein powder, 12% from the OIKOS, 2% from the tahini)
• Whole grains: 11 g (22% suggested DV)
  
• Fiber: about 10 g. or 42% DV (3.5 g from the GoLean, .75 g from the tahini, .5 g from the protein powder, 2.6 g from the banana, 3 g from the raspberries)
• Omega-3 fatty acids: 234 mg (175 mg from the GoLean, 59 from the tahini)
• Omega-6 fatty acids: 3400 mg (from the Tahini, recommended daily intake is 1500 mg, I think)
  

You also get the benefit of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals in pomegranate juice, raspberries, and bananas, including potassium and vitamin C. The combination of protien plus whole grains plus the fat from the tahini is sure to keep you satisfied and feeling strong for hours.

I also have to give kudos to my new blender. which handles the thick consistency of the caseinate shakes (including ice and other frozen ingredients) with ease. I purchased the Breville Ikon blender recently as my old faithful Kitchen Aid bit the dust last fall. With cycles created specifically for crushing ice and making smoothies, plus its unique blade design, the Breville quickly and easily handles my toughest jobs. It is the best blender I've ever used, and I highly recommend it.

A votre sante!

Lavender-Shallot Panna Cotta with Caramelized Oranges

POST UPDATE

I just heard about the wonderful Festa Italiana being hosted by Maryann of Finding la Dolce Vita and Marie of Proud Italian Cook, and thought I would send my two recipes for savory panna cotta and biscotti their way.

This month's Royal Foodie Joust, presided over as always by The Leftover Queen has been a lot of fun. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the three magic ingredients for the March Joust are shallots, orange citrus, and edible flowers. As soon as I saw the words "edible flowers," I instantly remembered a delicious-beyond-words lavender ice cream I made a few years ago. I knew then that my dish would have to have lavender in it. I love the taste and smell of lavender: it's so clean and pure!

I also knew that this was the perfect excuse to order some breathtaking candied flowers from Meadowsweets, a NY business that grows and hand-crystallizes their own flowers year round.

I saw the most beautiful wedding cake in Gourmet magazine years ago that was decorated with Meadowsweets flowers, and have been dying for an excuse to use them ever since! Also, it is apparently impossible to get decent fresh edible flowers here in NC. When DS and I went shopping, we did find a package with the herbs, but they were not only wilted, but covered with fuzzy blue mold. (Ewww!)

So it was with great excitement and anticipation that I placed my first order with Meadowsweets, for johnny-jump-ups (miniature pansies) and candied lavender. I knew the colors would be gorgeous with what I was planning. Toni, the very nice person at Meadowsweets, thought my idea sounded wonderful, and I promised to email the recipe and photos. I was equally excited when my flowers came. Is this not a cool box?
And look how pretty these candied flowers are!

(They're resting on a bed of shredded paper and covered in white tulle)
My idea was for a savory panna cotta flavored with lavender and shallots, with an orangey, caramel-y sauce. Recently WF was "sampling" a delicious triple-creme cheese with a wonderful fig and nut conserve poured on top and served with crackers: the perfect combination of savory, creamy-smooth, rich, sweet, salty and crunchy. That's exactly what I wanted for this dish, which is intended to serve as an appetizer/first course. (Of course, DC and I ate it for lunch, but after taking photos, we couldn't let it go to waste, now, could we?) To go along with my panna cotta, I developed a recipe for Black Pepper, Lemon, and Walnut Biscotti, to give some crunch and spice to the smooth, rich, eggless custard.

When I went shopping for provisions, I was so lucky! WF had just gotten in a shipment of hypnotically fragrant Meyer lemons, a rare treat on this side of the country! I adore them. They are actually a cross between an orange and a lemon, and they have a wonderful, citrusy flavor that is all their own. Smelling them, I recall a time when I was deeply poverty-stricken and living in CA, pretty much subsisting on the avocados and meyer lemons from the trees in my boyfriend's back yard. (Ah, the folly of youth! :) ) Another lucky find was some ripe, fresh Cara Cara oranges. I LOVE the flavor, and most of all, the color of Cara Caras, with their deep pink tones. There was also fresh thyme, fresh chives, and some marvelous Cypress Grove artisanal chevre (fresh goat cheese) called Purple Haze, which just happens to be flavored with lavender and fennel pollen. In fact, when I told the folks at the cheese counter what I was planning for the Purple Haze, they oohed and ahhed and begged me to give them the recipe. Now I was committed (or is that fit to be committed? I forget which ;) ) for sure!

Here is my original recipe for

Lavender-Shallot Panna Cotta with Caramelized Oranges and Burnt Orange Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T dried lavender flowers
1 c. heavy cream
2 t. unflavored gelatin powder
5 T freshly-squeezed lemon juice, preferably meyer lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon (preferably meyer lemon)
1 c. whole milk
4 oz. fresh chevre (goat cheese), softened (such as Cypress Grove Purple Haze)
2 T + 1 T finely minced shallot
1 T minced chives

For the Lavender-Thyme Burnt-Orange sauce and Caramelized Oranges:
2 large oranges (I used Cara Caras)
3/4 c. freshly-squeezed orange juice (from about 2 lg. oranges)
Grated zest from 2 lg. oranges
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice, from about 1 1/2 lemons (I used Meyer lemons)
1 t. dried lavender flowers
1 vanilla bean
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
Fresh ground black pepper
pinch of salt
2 T water
1 1/2 t. light corn syrup
1/2 c. sugar

First, let's make the Panna Cotta.

Spray 4 4oz. custard cups with nonstick spray and set aside.

Make the lavender cream: in a small saucepan, place the heavy cream and 2 T of dried lavender flowers. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove from the heat and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lavender buds and set aside. (Discard the lavender.)

Next, sprinkle the gelatin over the 5 T of fresh lemon juice and set aside to soften.

In a small, heavy saucepan, combine the lavender cream, whole milk, 2 T of shallots, and softened goat cheese. Stir over medium low heat until the goat cheese is melted and the mixture is warmed through. Add kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Add the gelatin and lemon juice to the pan and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Pour the mixture into a glass measure and allow to cool to lukewarm, about 15 minutes.

Add the lemon zest, the remaining minced shallot, and the chives to the panna cotta base. Mix thoroughly, and add salt and pepper to taste.


Pour the panna cotta mixture into the custard cups and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours, or overnight.

Now, it's time to make the Caramelized Oranges and the Lavender-Thyme Burnt Orange Sauce for the panna cotta.



I decided that in addition to the caramelized oranges and burnt orange sauce, it might be nice to have some candied orange slices for a garnish as well. They have to be paper thin, so I used my food processor to slice them, mostly successfully. You can see the stack of slices towards the back. I was saving my Cara Caras for the caramelized oranges, so I used a regular Navel here (the mostly whole orange on the right is a Cara Cara I was just starting to peel.)


The orange slices for the candied oranges go into a wide, shallow skillet filled with 1 1/3 c. water and 2/3 c. sugar. You bring the water to a boil, add the orange slices, and let them cook for an hour, then turn and let them cook for another hour.


I think these are almost done


OK, back to the caramelized oranges. It seems really hard to do this, but you have to get all the peel and the white pith off the oranges so they'll look pretty and won't be bitter. (It seems like you are losing so much of your orange, but you must be ruthless.)
The best way I have found to peel the oranges is to use a sharp, serrated knife to first cut off the north and south poles, then cut straight down the sides to get the peel and white stuff off.

After they are all peeled, slice the oranges cross-wise into ½ in. slices. Set the oranges aside in a heat-proof bowl.

Place the fresh orange juice in a glass measure and set it near the stove with a long-handled ladle.

In a heavy saucepan (NOT non-stick), combine the fresh lemon juice, sugar, water, and corn syrup. Stir to combine.

Make a bouquet-garni of the lavender flowers and the fresh thyme.

Add it to the saucepan, along with a vanilla bean, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Allow the vanilla bean and bouquet-garni to steep until large bubbles begin to form on the surface of the syrup. Remove the vanilla bean and the bouquet garni, and reserve.


Continue to boil the syrup until it is a deep amber color.


Immediately pour the juice into the bowl of the ladle and add it to the boiling syrup, being careful not to get burned. Repeat with rhe remaining orange juice.

7. Bring the syrup back to a boil, and add the vanilla bean and bouquet-garni back to the syrup.

Boil until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Remove the bouquet garnie and discard.

10. Pour the burnt-orange syrup and vanilla over the sliced oranges.

Cool to room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

Remove the candied oranges from the syrup, and put them on a wax-paper covered cooling rack to dry.


Serve the panna cotta with the caramelized oranges and lavender-thyme burnt orange sauce, with some Black Pepper, Lemon and Walnut Biscotti on the side.

Black Pepper, Lemon and Walnut Biscotti