Auntie's Donuts

My sister Kristen, better known as Auntie, loves to do things for her nieces and nephews. She plans fun activities all of the time. For example, Auntie takes them for ice cream, has sleepovers, schedules playdates which include her dogs, and organizes an arts and crafts afternoon. When she isn't scheduling fun time, she bakes for her nieces and nephews. Today after school the kids were surprised when they walked into the kitchen to see a big plateful of Auntie's homemade donuts.

I had the privilege of helping her create these scrumptious donuts. Not only did I get some amazing pictures of the whole process, but also I got to spend the day in the kitchen with my sister. We made more than donuts, we made memories, too!

Auntie prepared the dough the night before we baked. This recipe comes from the classic book The Joy of Cooking  which was my Grandmother's go-to cookbook.

If you feel like adding a little extra sweetness to your donuts fill them with your favorite jelly.  

Spend some time in the kitchen with somebody you love. You will appreciate the food you prepare and, more importantly, the memories shared for a lifetime. 

Search

Roasted Potato Medley

I am so excited to share our Roasted Potato Medley with you! Kim and I both love sweet potatoes. Wait! Don't click away if you aren't a sweet potato fan; this post is for you, too. Honest. Even the sweet potato haters in our families like this version. Roasted Potato Medley is something you will turn to time and time again. It's a great side dish that we've served along side pork tenderloin, burgers, and grilled chicken. It works as a side dish to any meat or fish. You could even go totally vegetarian and serve Roasted Potato Medley as the main event along with this or this or even this. The version Kim and I made this week is my favorite with the addition of fresh herbs. It really adds a fresh "Spring has arrived!" feel to the dish.

The ingredients we used: sweet potatoes, small red potatoes, small white potatoes, bell peppers, green garlic, thyme, basil, and cilantro.

Chop potatoes and season. We used kosher salt, everyday seasoning, smoked paprika and red pepper flakes.

Roast at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes or until potatoes are soft and browned on the edges.

While potatoes are roasting, chop red, yellow and orange peppers into bite sized chunks.

Season peppers. We used the same seasoning on the peppers that we used on the potatoes.

Clean green garlic and chop in half. Green onion is a perfect replacement; green garlic isn't widely available.

Toss green garlic with peppers. 

Roast peppers and green garlic for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Chop herbs.

Stir a handful of herbs into combined roasted medley; they will wilt slightly and become even more fragrant from the heat of the vegetables. Garnish with another pinch or so of chopped herbs before serving. Roasted Potato Medley tastes as beautiful as it looks. 

Search

Spring Soup

This week we craved a Spring soup, hearty without being heavy. The soup we made had bright, herby flavors with a kick of lemon.

Pictured below are some of our favorite spring vegetables and herbs that made this soup to-die-for.

Below we outline how we made this Spring Soup. As with so many of our "recipes" this is just a template that can be customized.

Cut cauliflower and asparagus into smallish pieces. Roast with a few swirls of olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt and pepper in an oven heated to 425 degrees. Put the cauliflower in first and roast for about 35 minutes. Once it's beginning to brown, add the asparagus and roast for about 15 minutes more.

While the vegetables are roasting, clean and chop 2 small onions. We found beautiful Spring knob onions, but any type of onion will work.

Peel and smash 4 or 5 garlic cloves. Put chopped onions in a heated soup pot with a swirl of olive oil and a big pinch of kosher salt. After onions begin to soften, add the garlic and chopped basil and thyme. Add 4-5 cups of your favorite stock. Cook at medium heat until soup begins to simmer.

Remove the greens from 3 medium beets (or use kale) and rinse. Chop the greens.

After the broth has simmered for about 5 minutes purée with a stick blender. Add another clove of garlic, sliced thinly and chopped greens.

Take two big handfuls of spinach and place in a bowl. Add the juice from half a lemon and a big pinch of kosher salt.

Chiffonade basil and slide leaves off two or three sprigs of thyme right onto your cutting board. Add about 1 tablespoon lemon zest. This only takes an extra minute or two, but the payoff is BIG. To serve soup, put the spinach you prepared in a soup bowl. Add the broth and roasted vegetables. Top the soup with a big pinch of the basil/thyme/lemon zest.

Search

Violet Balsamic: Limitless Possibilities

It's no secret that CW2C loves Violet Balsamic. Remember these? What about this? You may be thinking, If it's just a swirl, how much of a difference can it make?  We are here to tell you it makes a big difference. Huge. Colossal. To begin with, ALL of the balsamic vinegars at The Olive Scene are fabulous. It's as if we never knew what balsamic REALLY tastes like. The Violet Balsamic stands out even among all of the wonderful varieties The Olive Scene carries. Check out all the ways we've been using it. 

rotini, pea shoots and broccoli

roasted cauliflower

marinated kale and hard boiled eggs

Check out The Olive Scene next time you are near Rocky River; you won't be sorry.

Search

Flank Steak Grinder

It's birthday time in our house again. This means a few things:  the birthday boy or girl chooses a dinner menu, we decorate and display birthday signs and the whole family comes together to celebrate this special day. We share a wonderful meal together and, as I mentioned last year, the birthday bears come out (Wow. A whole year has gone by?)  These little ceramic bears have been a part of our family birthday dinners for about forty five years now; Michael's celebrated with the birthday bears for 15 years. While the birthday bears are a constant, the birthday signs have changed. They use to read "Happy Birthday to our Slugger" but now read "Happy Birthday to our Almost-Driver."  Michael is almost driving? When I read that sign- Meggie made it- I had to sit back and take a moment. I stopped to appreciate the importance of our birthday dinners and felt proud of this special tradition. I let the significance of being able to share and cherish each year together settle in and began to hang the birthday signs. 

Michael chose a simple dinner this year. He incorporated his favorite meat, flank steak, into the meal along with his new favorite white cheese sauce. He thought that since we would be serving over 20 people that night, it would be fun to set up a buffet and  make our own grinders. We all had a lot of fun building our favorite grinders but, more importantly, we enjoyed being together and celebrating the day Michael was born.

Marinate flank steak in garlic expressions for at least 6 hours up to overnight. Grill each side for 3 minutes to achieve a medium rare temperature. Medium rare is the best way to enjoy flank steak; if it's cooked more it may become tough. Once you have removed it from the grill let sit 5-10 minutes to allow the juices to settle in and make your steak delicious. Slice very thin pieces and place steak on your favorite roll. Begin building your grinder. Below are the toppings we used. 

Sauté 1 sweet onion in a swirl of olive oil for about 6-10 minutes over medium heat until tender. Season with kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Saute your favorite sliced mushrooms in a swirl of olive oil for 4-6 minutes over medium heat until tender. Season with kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Take your grinder to the next level and make this white cheese sauce. Melt 1 cup shredded white american cheese, 1 chopped Serrano pepper, ¼ cup half and half, and 2 teaspoons cumin in a double boiler.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

Search

Ciabatta Garlic Bread, Loaded

Our afternoon in the kitchen.

Chop pancetta into bite size pieces.

While the pancetta is getting crispy, prepare the garlic oil/butter.

Slice shiitake and portobello mushrooms (or the mushrooms of your choice).

Add mushrooms to a heated skillet. When soft and browned, deglaze pan with your favorite port.

Load up the ciabatta bread with the toppings you prepared. Bake at 400 degrees for   4-6 minutes.

Toss arugula and spinach with a swirl of violet balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a few grinds of sea salt and lemon pepper. Top the warm ciabatta with the dressed greens.

Enjoy as light lunch shared on a sunny afternoon or as the perfect side for your family dinner.

Search

Friday Cocktails: A Swirl of Violet

Today we are featuring two new cocktails in which we use a swirl of our favorite balsamic vinegar, Violet, from The Olive Scene. Neither of us enjoy sweet cocktails; the subtle sweetness of Violet Balsamic balances each of these drinks nicely. Serve our cocktail almonds, too, and you won't be sorry. Besides taking only a couple of minutes to prepare and looking lovely in the metal martini glass pictured above, these almonds taste delicious. They are a bit smokey and salty with a hint of sweetness; at the end a little heat kicks in. We dare you not to love them!

Place about 1 cup of unsalted almonds in a bowl. Add a big pinch of kosher salt, several shakes of smoked paprika, a couple of shakes of ground chipotle and several grinds of lemon pepper. Take a big pinch of red pepper flakes and crush them with a pestle (or pinch them with your finger tips.) Add the red pepper flakes to the spiced almonds. Stir well to combine and drizzle agave nectar* over the mixture, a little at a time. This not only balances the spiciness of the chipotle and red pepper flakes, but helps the spices cling to the almonds. Finish the almonds with 2 or 3 grinds of sea salt.

*Agave nectar has the consistency of honey, only thinner. It's sweeter than honey, so drizzle a little at a time. Although 2 Chicks haven't used honey, if that's what you have, use it.

PV Bourbon

Place a small spoonful of pomegranate seeds into a rocks glass. Add ice and about a 3 second pour of your favorite bourbon. Add a swirl of Violet Balsamic. 

Violet Vodka

Place a couple of pitted kalamata olives in a martini glass. Smash them a bit and add ice. Add a 3 second pour of your favorite vodka (ours is CIROC) and add a swirl of Violet Balsamic. Garnish with another kalamata olive.

After this week's horrific events unfolding on the news, gather around the table and share a cocktail and a meal and cherish the people you love.

Search

Time to Relax

There are many different ways to relax:  a long stroll on the beach, antique shopping, reading, cooking, camping, swimming, watching tv or maybe even just soaking up some sunshine. Cooking at home in the kitchen is one of my favorite ways to relax. Preparing a meal for my family, a meal I know we will all enjoy together at the dinner table, is a wonderful feeling.   

Another way I relax, is by camping. Although the hot days of summer have not quite arrived, we took our first camping trip of the season to East Harbor State Park. We enjoyed the great outdoors despite the chilly, rainy conditions. It only made us more eager to build a fire so we could sit back, enjoy the warmth of the fire and RELAX.

Nothing makes you appreciate life more than a quiet, slow-paced day enjoying God's beautiful nature. While I was surrounded by nature, I began reading the book Out of My MInd by Sharon Draper. My daughter Meggie recommended it and I am so excited to continue reading it. 
We were amused by the unexpected sight of die-hard fans of Put-In-Bay and Kelly's Island as they packed themselves into their travel buses and RVs to celebrate the opening of their treasured Islands.

Chris and I thought that we would have quiet date at the local wine bar, Canoe Club, but it was anything but quiet. Instead we were surrounded by people coming back from the Islands, not looking (or behaving) their best. We decided to take our hummus and run. We enjoyed the rest of our evening back at the campsite. While the grill warmed up, we enjoyed our appetizer of hummus and a glass of wine. In peace. For dinner we shared a ribeye, grilled to perfection. Our entire day consisted of relaxing.

Take the time to relax; you will enjoy every moment.

Search

Flatbread: Scrumptious Spicy Sausage

My brother Don made this delicious appetizer on Easter and was kind enough to share his recipe with me. He developed this flatbread and even made his own sausage which is, seriously, the best sausage I have ever eaten. When I asked Don if Kim and I could feature his flatbread on our blog, he was more than happy to share his "recipe." I use quotes around recipe, because Don didn't give measurements, but explained each step so we could recreate his appetizer. I love cooking this way, using instructions rather than a strict recipe. He also shared a couple of specific techniques that take this flatbread from delicious to out of this world. Don is a great cook and an even better brother.

I am going to provide detailed directions (and beautiful pictures, thanks to Kim) so you can make what you see pictured above. Don't let those specific directions become restrictive. You can easily use the same techniques with any ingredients you choose. It is such a versatile recipe that can be an appetizer or the main event, rounded out with a salad and vegetable side dish. You could easily transform this into a vegetarian flatbread by using only peppers or by swapping out the sausage for caramelized onions. 

The two techniques that I rarely use in my cooking (but will start to) is making a garlic butter to brush over the flatbread and then transforming that garlic butter into a glaze by adding two additional ingredients. Both techniques are so simple and add tons of flavor. I love talking with other cooks about food, because I often learn something new. The best part about cooking, though, is that it connects us to family and friends. Whenever I make this flatbread, or a variation of it, I will think of my brother and the wonderful Easter we enjoyed at my parents' house.

Scrumptious Spicy Sausage Flatbread

Put half of a stick of butter and 3 minced or grated garlic cloves in a small saucepan over low heat. If you are using unsalted butter, add a big pinch of kosher salt. Melt the butter and keep it warm. If the garlic turns darker than light brown, remove your pan from the heat.

Shred mozzarella cheese and asiago cheese. You will only need about 1 cup.

In a large skillet brown 1 ½ pounds bulk (not in casing) hot Italian sausage in a swirl of olive oil. (If you are unable to find bulk, just buy sausage links and remove their casings.) Brown the sausage and, using a metal spatula or spoon, break it into tiny pieces. This requires patience; keep at it until it's not clumpy anymore. While the sausage is browning, slice a yellow, red and orange bell pepper. We wanted a lot of color, and only used half of the peppers for the flatbread. Use the remaining peppers in a salad or another recipe. Add the sliced peppers to the sausage and cook until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour a glug of Marsala wine over the sausage and peppers to pick up all the wonderful flavors left on the bottom of the pan. Stir to incorporate all of the flavors. 

It's time to start building your flatbread. We used Aladdin's Nan pita bread for the base of our flatbread. Brush each pita with the garlic butter you prepared. Add a bit of cheese, which adds a layer of flavor and will help the topping stay on the flatbread. Add the sausage and pepper topping, completely covering the pita. Press the topping with a spoon to help adhere it to the pita. Once you have covered all of the flatbreads with your topping (this recipe will make about six) you need to go back to your garlic butter. This step may seem a bit fussy, even unnecessary. If it is a deal breaker for you, by all means skip it. But I don't recommend it. This only takes a few minutes and adds such a wow factor that it's more than worth it! 

Place your pan of melted garlic butter over medium heat. When it begins to simmer add a couple of glugs of Marsala wine and stir. Be careful, it will bubble and foam for a second or so. Add about ¼ cup of sugar while stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens, forming a glaze. Spoon a tiny bit of the glaze over each flatbread and add barely a handful of shredded cheese. As you can see from the pictures above, it's just a small amount of glaze, maybe a couple of teaspoons per flatbread. The glaze balances the spiciness of the sausage and, along with the top layer of cheese, helps keep those delicious toppings on the flatbread. Bake the flatbread at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes. Cut each flatbread into four pieces. Enjoy with family and friends.

Search

Wheat Berries for Dessert

Wheat berries are not a part of our weekly meal rotation. As a matter of fact, I have never made them. I read about wheat berries in a blog I love to follow called "Bits & Pieces" by Maria Isabella. Maria wrote about Serbia in one of her recent posts and I became curious about Serbian food. She was generous enough to post her favorite Serbian dessert, called Koljivo; it was calling my name. I wasn't sure how many stars my four food critics would give after sampling the Koljivo, but I remained hopeful. It's not often that I make a dessert that all four kids love. Not often, but this dessert qualifies. It was a grand slam in my kitchen! I tweaked Maria's original recipe a tad, and Koljivo has now been added to our favorite desserts list. Thank you, Maria!

Koljivo is a sweet boiled wheat dish. Take 1 lb of wheat berries and boil in a pot of salted water for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally to make sure none of the wheat berries stick to the bottom. Drain and rinse well. Transfer to a mixing bowl and using your immersion blender, blend the wheat berries to soften the consistency a little. Add ¾ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir gently to combine.  

Once your blended, slightly sweetened mixture is cooled, layer with homemade whipped cream and fresh chopped strawberries.  

Search