A Quick Berry Recipe {because we've been berry picking again}

{doing}&{cooking}

We went berry picking again last week...... this time for raspberries and blueberries, which have just come in season. (actually I was hoping to maybe get a few last strawberries too, but by the time we'd picked the raspberries and blueberries we were hot and tired and being the very very end of strawberry season it would have taken more effort to find those last few berries than we felt capable of by then - although I bet they would have been good!) The farm has several varieties of raspberries in the patch, but I ended up getting mostly black raspberries (hence them looking like blackberries in the above picture), and of course also blueberries.

 {I didn't take many pictures because we are planning on going again with some friends of ours and I figure we'll take a bunch of pictures then.... I should have at least also taken a picture of the blueberry bushes this time I guess, but I forgot....}

 We actually haven't eaten/used many of them yet - which we either need to hurry up and do or I need to hurry up and freeze them.  I've been wanting to try making a Lemon Chess pie with black raspberries in it, but I keep forgetting to get the recipe for the lemon chess pie from my mom; but I did quickly, the other morning when I had a few minutes, make some black raspberry and lemon cream cheese galettes.  Really the recipe and method for making these is almost exactly the same as the strawberry and cream cheese galettes I posted a couple weeks ago, with just a few little changes.

So here's the recipe.......
{check out the post for the strawberry ones for some pictures to go with some of the steps.... I was trying to make these quickly and didn't take any pictures until they were done and cooling}

Black Raspberry and Lemon Cream Cheese Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts {or homemade if you'd rather}
2 {ish} cups Black Raspberries {or whatever variety or raspberry you'd like yo use}
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of half of a lemon, plus a little more
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix raspberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the berries juices - while technically you're supposed to let them sit for 20-30 minutes I rarely leave them that long.... it's usually more like 10 minutes, basically just however long it takes me to get to the point of the recipe that I'm using them)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and stir until well blended (you can adjust the amount of lemon juice you use depending on how lemony you want them to taste..... the amount I listed in the ingredients probably isn't going to give you a real strong lemony taste by the time you add in the flavors of the berries and pie crust, but it gives it a nice little hint of lemon.... if you want it stronger add more lemon juice) 

{4} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

{5} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the raspberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the crust. 

{6} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the raspberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

{7} Brush the crust (and over the raspberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{8} Bake at 425 degrees for about 15-25 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe}

*I suggest letting these cool well before you try to eat them..... the berries get super juicy in the oven and the juices firm back up a bit as they cool, so unless you want to both make a mess and loose a bit of the berry flavor, a little patience here pays off


Hope you enjoy these! As you can see this basic idea can be used for lots of different fruits for all sorts of yumminess!

I have some other berry related experiments I'm just now finishing up that I'm hoping to get posted tomorrow, and a craft/sewing project sometime soon as well, so check back!

Theme Food Week: Unexpectedly Mexican {May}

{cooking}

Well, surprise, surprise here, I'm a bit late posting last month's Theme Food Week..... In fact I realized that I had yet to post it only while I was trying to figure out what June's theme was going to be....

In honor of Cinco De Mayo (although we didn't end up being able to do Theme Food Week until the end of the month), the theme was "Unexpectedly Mexican".  My husband and I love eating Mexican food as well as more "American" type foods with Mexican flavors.  I have a Chicken Fajita soup that I make and Fajita Mac and Cheese... and lately I've been making a dish with shredded chicken, red peppers, tomaotes, onion, corn, quinoa, Mexican blend cheese with fajita seasoning.... I guess I really like the flavors of fajitas......... lol.  This week's menu was all about Mexican flavors used in non typical ways (I thought about doing my Fajita mac and cheese as one of them, but part of the point of theme food week is supposed to be to try new things and I found enough other ideas....).

You may notice on my menu board on my kitchen door that we didn't start the week until Wednesday and then it had to bleed over into the next Sunday, but I'm all for being flexible when we need to be....

{the menu}

Day 1: Steak Fajita Egg Rolls, Mexican Street Corn Salad and Spanish Rice:

The Fajita Egg Roll part of this meal is actually something I've been wanting to try for a while.  I first saw the recipe in Celebrate Magazine either last summer or maybe even the summer before and just hadn't really taken the opportunity to try them yet, so I thought they would be the perfect way to kick off theme food week.  I will say for the filling, instead of following the recipe exactly I cooked the steak, red bell peppers and onion in store bought fajita seasoning (instead of the seasonings in the recipe) then added the corn and cheese (I didn't use beans because I can not stand beans, they make me gag, even mixed into things), oh and I also didn't put the green chiles in because I'm not a fan of them either. I think the rest of the recipe I pretty much followed as it was written.  I will say though that what I didn't think about was the fact that the recipe was for making appetizers/party food and for a meal like this it might have been better to use egg roll wrappers and make them bigger and not have to make as many.  The Mexican Street Corn Salad was really good as well..... I think I actually followed the recipe on this one except I didn't put the jalapenos in the portion my mom and I were eating I just put it in my husband's, and I just used regular chopped onion because I had them already chopped.  The Spanish Rice was just the type you buy in a box at the store.

Day 2: Taco Lasagna and Doritos Mozzarella Sticks

The Taco Lasagna was super easy to make and really yummy.  This recipe was my inspiration, but instead of using regular lasagna noodles I made it a little more Mexican by using corn tortillas instead..... I used corn ones for a couple reasons, for one I've been trying to eat less gluten lately because it's supposed to help with migraines (and it does seem to be helping.... I'm not wanting to go completely gluten free, but definitely cutting back), and for another I thought it could have a little more of the chewiness of regular pasta.  Basically I layered the tortillas, ricotta (mixed with an egg and some spices and seasonings), ground beef (cooked in taco seasoning), salsa and shredded Mexican blend cheese, finishing with a layer of tortillas and then more shredded cheese.  For the Mozzarella sticks I rolled half a cheese stick in a wonton wrapper (seal the edges by brushing them with water before wrapping them) (hoping that they wouldn't melt all over the place in the oven as much and to use up the rest of the package from that day before lol), then dipped them in beaten egg then rolled them in crushed Doritos.  I baked them on a baking sheet at 350 until they were crispy and the egg was cooked and the cheese melted.

Day 3: Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Cantaloup

Okay I know you'll be shocked here, but I made a few changes in how I made this recipe too.... Mainly that I didn't put the refried beans in the casserole because of my aversion to beans..... I did try mixing just a small portion of beans and casserole together to see if I could eat it all mixed together like that since it was refried beans not just plain beans and it seemed like it was okay so next time I will try making it with the beans in it, but I didn't want to risk it the first time so I served it with the casserole sitting on a bed of refried beans. Lol. I also used microwave rice (yeah yeah, lazy I know) so I'm not sure if I had exactly the right amount of rice, but it worked.  It was yummy though and I definitely want to make it again and try it with the beans in it. 

Day 4: {pork} "Tamale" Pizza

Okay, I put the tamale in quotes because I'm not really sure how much this tasted like an actual tamale (I must admit I've never actually eaten one.....), but it did have some of the elements of a tamale and some good Mexican flavor.  I don't have a recipe link for this for you because I didn't have a recipe for this, I did this one on my own.  I started by making some shredded pork.  I cooked it in the slowcooker (on high) in Mexican Coke with some garlic.  When it was done I shredded it, and put it away until it was time to make dinner.  The "crust" was based on something my mom used to make....  she would mix cornmeal and a little salt with enough water to make a thick paste, form it into patties and fry it in sunflower oil.... it tasted like Fritos chips, but was thicker and hearty.  For this pizza I used a Mexican cornmeal and mixed it with water and some salt, garlic, paprika and cumin (I didn't measure, just kinda eyeballed it) and pressed it into a disk and then pre-baked it (on a pizza stone) at 350 degrees until it had a little bit of a crust to it.  I then topped it with a sauce that I made with fire roasted diced tomatoes (1 can) blended until smooth and with a little salsa mixed in.  I then covered the sauce with shredded Mexican blend cheese.  I mixed the rest of the sauce in with some of the shredded pork and topped the cheese with that and sprinkled on a little more cheese for good measure.  I stuck it back in the oven until the cheese was all melty and everything was warmed through.  As I said, I'm not sure how much it really tasted like a tamale (especially since it wasn't very spicy), but it was yummy....


Normally this would be where I give you a hint about what to expect from the next Theme Food Week, but for June I've put the theme to a vote of several choices on Facebook, because I couldn't decide which I wanted to do, so I'm still waiting to see if I get anymore votes before I "announce" the winner. 

I do have a couple other food experiments/ideas I want to try out soon here with some good summer flavors, so I'm sure that those will end up on here at sometime in the not too distant future.... if they work out anyway.... or maybe even if they don't haha....

Yum Yum! A Couple {simple} Things to Make With Strawberries!

{cooking}

Strawberry Recipes.....

Yes, yes I know I was supposed to post this a couple days ago {oops :/ }, but better late than never right?! ....

As Strawberry season is winding down I hope you've gotten the chance to go strawberry picking and get lots of yummy strawberries (or at least gotten some yummy fresh local strawberries from somewhere in your area), and maybe even be having a strawberry potluck picnic ;)....... either way I'm sure you have your own favorite ways to eat those strawberries.  Today I'm going to share a couple of my favorite things I've done/do with strawberries.  One recipe I came up with a couple years ago and one that I just did this year: Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan, and Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes.  I also had an attempt at making dried strawberries for snacking.  I was hoping I could add that to this duo, but..... it did not work the way I tried it the first time.... I did subsequently do a little more research on it and I found a few changes that I could make that might work better for a second attempt, but I ate up all the strawberries we picked before I could make that attempt, so I'll try it at some point with grocery store strawberries.

But on to the yumminess at hand....

Strawberries and Goat Cheese on Garlic Naan 

"Strawberries with garlic?!" you may be thinking and let me tell you a few years ago I probably would have said the same thing.  I actually found how well they compliment each other quite by accident, you see, one night a few years ago I had made something for dinner using fresh garlic, and I don't know about you, but when I use fresh garlic my fingers still smell/taste like garlic for at least the rest of the night.  Later that evening I was cutting up some strawberries (for dessert maybe? I don't remember) and the garlic flavor left on my fingers mixed with the taste of the strawberries and it was SO good! I knew then and there that I needed to come up with some sort of savory bread that combined garlic and strawberries. Originally I had planned more of a loaf type bread, or rolls or something like that, but I never really found a recipe I liked to use as a jumping off point. The next year I did find a recipe for Cherry Fucaccia and thought I could modify that for my strawberry garlic bread, but then one day I was at Wegman's looking at Naan and saw the garlic Naan and I thought.... "now that would be much quicker and easier"......... {I do still want to try to develop some sort of savory bread or rolls or savory cupcakes or something with the strawberries and garlic, but who knows when that will happen lol}

{Ingredients:}
Garlic Naan - Pre-made (or homemade if you want to be a little more ambitious)  {I use Wegman's Garlic Naan, as well as the Garlic it has some cilantro flavor too}
Strawberries - Sliced
Goat Cheese {chevre} Crumbles
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

{Instructions:} This one is so simple it doesn't even really need multiple steps.... brush the Naan with olive oil, and top with sliced  strawberries and goat cheese crumbles (however much you want to put on it), then bake at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes - or until the cheese has softened (it won't melt it just softens up) and the strawberries have softened and released some of their juices.  You can cut it into small pieces to use as an appetizer or eat the whole thing as a light meal.  It's super yummy, and so little effort! {I'm sure I have pictures somewhere of the finished product... in fact I probably have pictures from several different times, but I went back through pictures through last summer and couldn't find one.... so if I find it I'll update it  - or next time I make it I'll be sure to take a picture - in the meantime you can use your imagination! lol}

Strawberries and Cream Cheese Mini Galettes

{Ingredients:}
refrigerated pie crusts (or homemade if you'd rather)
2-3 cups sliced strawberries
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 oz. cream cheese {softened}
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons melted butter

{this should be enough for 8 tarts}

{Instructions:}

{1} In a bowl, mix sliced strawberries with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and let sit for at least 10 minutes up to 30 minutes. (this is called macerating.... it softens, sweetens and releases the strawberries juices)

{2} While the berries are macerating, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.  You're going to want to add the sugar in small amounts (especially if you are using an electric mixer) to keep it from ending up all over the place.  I like to beat the cream cheese just a little bit first then add in the powdered about 1/4 cup at a time beating well between them.  When you're done this should have the consistency of a soft frosting (I've used this as cream cheese frosting actually)

{3} Cut the pie crusts into quarters ( you'll end up with 4 tarts from each crust). Roll each piece into a ball and then re-roll it out into a flat round disk (roll it to about the same thickness it was before - or very slightly thinner to make it a smidge larger - that's what I did)

it doesn't have to be perfectly round.... this is a rustic style tart after all so a little unevenness adds to the charm

{4} Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the crusts, then put a small spoon full of the strawberries on top of the cream cheese mixture in the center or the crust.  (when I made these I put a pretty good amount of the juices from the strawberries on some of them and it kind of went all over the place in the oven, so I would suggest either thickening the juices with a little starch of some sort or just not spooning it up with the strawberries)

you might do better with a little less strawberries on each one than what I did... some of them the crust wasn't quite up over the filling enough to stay in place when it was baked

{5} Fold the edges of the crust up and over the strawberries, overlapping and pressing together as needed to hold in place and leaving the center open

a couple of these needed the crust a little more up over the filling... as they baked the crust didn't stay where it should have (they still tasted good when they were done, just didn't look pretty lol). it probably made my runny strawberry juice problem worse too - although as you can see on the top left of this picture it was dripping out even before I baked them..... haha

{6} Brush the crust (and over the strawberries if you want) with the melted butter.  I also sprinkled just a little more sugar over the melted butter, but that's completely optional.

{7} Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and cooked through. {see picture at the start of the recipe)




Hopefully you will have ample opportunity to enjoy plenty of strawberries this summer, whether you try one of these recipes or another favorite recipe.  What are some of your favorite strawberry goodies to make and/or eat?

And soon it will be raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry season....... yum yum... can't wait!