Nutella Scones

These are good my friends.  Really good.  Lovely, crumbly scone texture, bites of crunchy hazelnuts with a pure Nutella ribbon running through them - and of course a little on top too.  This recipe came from one of my newest cookbook obsessions, Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented.  This is the second fabulous baking cookbook from authors, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito who are owners of a famous Brooklyn Bakery called Baked.  They provide a fresh, hip, kinda retro take on baked goods with spectacular results.  This recipe was the first (of many) that called out to me.  Must. Make. Nutella. Scones. Right. Away.  I made 2 batches of these, I baked 4 scones right away to taste, and flash froze the rest of the dough to bake at a later time (see note below).

Nutella Scones
Origin: Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented

Notes:
On Freezing:  Scones freeze beautifully.  Freeze individual portions of uncooked dough by placing the uncooked scones, in a single layer, spaced apart, on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour.  Once frozen they can be packaged together and wrapped well for longer term freezing.  When ready to bake your scones, place frozen scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes to the original baking time.
On Baking:  The key to producing good scones is to work with cold ingredients and to not handle the dough too much.  Read over the recipe until you are sure of what you are doing and then work through the recipe quickly.  As soon as the dough comes together, stop kneading.
On Ingredients:  Good quality, dark cocoa powder adds huge flavour to your baked goods. Try seeking out a decadent brand such as Valrhona or Callebaut at a specialty food shop.

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center position.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together until combined.  Add the pieces of butter and use your fingers or a pastry blender (my preferred method) to work the butter into the flour until you have pea sized pieces of butter and the mixture resembles coarse meal.

In a separate bowl mix together the egg and cream.  Slowly pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until it starts to come together.  Turn dough out onto a clean surface and add the hazelnuts, briefly knead the mixture so that the hazelnuts are mixed throughout and the dough comes together.  Flatten the dough into a rectangle about 6 x 12 inches.  Spread 1/4 cup of Nutella in a "X" pattern across the dough.  Roll the dough up into a cylinder, turn it on it's end and flatten in into a disc about 1 3/4 inches thick.  Do not overwork the dough.

Cut the disc of dough into 6 or 8 wedges (I cut them even smaller for a brunch) and place them on to the prepared baking sheet.  Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes (15-18 minutes if smaller and 20-22 minutes if frozen), rotate the baking sheet halfway through.  The scones are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Do not overbake.

Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool completely.  Place the baking sheet with the parchment on it, underneath the cooling rack for the next step.

Heat remaining Nutella in a small saucepan until pourable.  Use a spoon (or two spoons) to pour/drip the Nutella in a zig zag pattern across the top of the scones.  Alternatively, place the Nutella in a small resealable plastic bag and warm in the microwave for 10-20 seconds (watch it carefully), then snip a small whole in the corner of the bag and squeeze Nutella onto the scones.

These are best eaten the day they are baked, but they will still taste good the next day if they are wrapped up overnight.  See freezing note above to save scones for a later date.

Fennel with Pink Sauce

Now, I know my sauce is bright orange and not really pink...but it's okay.  The fennel is melt in your mouth delicious even though I used only a touch of pink-producing cream in my sauce.  You see, I just can't in good, healthy weeknight dinner, conscience, use that extra 1/4 cup of cream.  It was not missed in the slightest.  The little bit of cream that I did use, works magically with the fennel and tomato.

Fennel with Pink Sauce 

Origin: Impeccable Taste, Jaime  

Notes:  This dish is super easy to make, I'll even suggest you use a good bottled sauce to make your life even easier.  The sauce pictured at left is incredibly fresh and delicious, we buy is at COSTCO.  It is a simple marinara sauce that makes a great base for anything.  All natural, real Italian ingredients, no fillers, it's excellent.  I'll also provide a 5 minute tomato sauce recipe below, if you'd prefer to make your own.

(Try to ignore the golden, crispy, baked polenta fries in these photos.  I'll tell you about those another time.)





Ingredients:
a drizzle of olive oil
1 large or 2 small fennel (anise) bulbs
1 - 1 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce (bottled or see below)
1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy cream (table cream 18%) or whipping cream
salt and pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a baking dish.

Cut the stalks off of the top of the fennel and trim the bottom so you are dealing with just the bulb.  Cut the bulb in half vertically.  Cut out the core by slicing a little triangle out of the bottom of each half of the fennel bulb.  Cut each half into wedges about an inch thick (the layers of the wedges may fall apart but no biggie).

Lay the fennel in a single layer in your baking dish, season with salt and pepper.  Top with enough tomato sauce to cover the fennel.  Then pour cream over tomato sauce.  1/2 cup of cream would make a true pink sauce but I used only 1/4 cup of cream at most.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until fork tender.  Scatter the fresh basil on top just before serving.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

La Salsa di 5 Minuti
Origin: David Rocco

Notes:  This is a very basic, quick marinara sauce.  It's good as a base for pasta sauces such as Puttanesca.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
28oz canned peeled plum tomatoes, pureed (or crush the tomatoes with your hands, use both the juice and crushed tomato)
dried chili peppers, crushed (chili pepper flakes)
5 basil leaves, torn
Salt to season

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and add onion, garlic, and chili peppers. Gently fry ingredients together for a minute or two.
Add tomato puree to saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low to medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Season with salt.  Add basil leaves at the very end.

Homemade Ricotta

Don't judge, but I am on a total high from this weekend.  One that comes from a combination of feeling like a pioneer woman, living off the land, making my own cheese and from knowing the possibilities that lie ahead after trying this new technique and tasting the results.  What an incredible discovery!  I didn't realize how easy this would be, or how delicious the outcome would be.  It took two women I adore, Ina Garten and Gwyneth Paltrow, joining forces to get me to try making my own ricotta cheese.  I love these ladies, Ina because she is an all knowing, friendly, food goddess with a never ending supply of foolproof recipes.  Gwyneth I love because she is a total foodie (have you seen her TV series Spain...On the Road Again with Mario Batali and Mark Bittman? Awesome!), she is a beautiful Mom with an amazing fashion sense, she is married to Chris Martin and their best friends are Jay-Z and Beyonce, she has a booming career with an upcoming appearance on Glee, and I totally love her GOOP lifestyle website - which is where I found this recipe.  And that is what this is really about.  Also included in this post is a simple and delicious way to use your fresh homemade ricotta cheese (also from Ina/GOOP).  Add fresh herbs and flavourings to make a simple but tasty topping for crostini.  You can and should however, use this cheese for any recipe that calls for ricotta from this day forward, forever and ever, Amen.

 colander lined with cheesecloth, sitting in a large bowl

 bringing the milk, cream and salt to a boil

 curdled milk after adding the vinegar

milky mixture draining through cheesecloth

Homemade Ricotta

Origin: Ina Garten via Goop

Notes:  For best results, use the best quality organic milk and cream you can find.

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

Set a large sieve/colander over a deep bowl.  Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve/colander with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a large, heavy bottomed pot.  Stir in the salt.  Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.  Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles.  It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into your prepared cheesecloth and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for about 20 minutes.  Occasionally discard the liquid that collects in the bowl.  The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta will be.  Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discard the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Herbed Ricotta Crostini

Origin: Adapted from Ina Garten via Goop

Ingredients:

2 cups ricotta cheese

4 scallions/green onions thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 crusty loaf of bread or baguette (Ciabatta is great)

additional olive oil

In a medium bowl combine, ricotta, scallions, mint, parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and mix.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Slice your bread into 1/2 inch slices and lay on a baking sheet.  Drizzle the bread slices with a little olive oil.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until just slightly browned and crispy.

Spread toasted bread slices with herbed ricotta mixture and serve.

Quinoa Salad with Pear, Feta and Mint

I've got another great grain salad for you.  Remember how I went on and on about my love for grain salads.  A satisfying mix of hearty grains, wholesome veggies (or fruits in this case) fresh herbs and robust vinaigrettes.  Really, these types of salads are some of the best foods on earth.  And I've got a slew of them to tell you about. This one is spectacularly good.  I served this at a  brunch for 30 people last weekend and it was a total winner (I knew it would be, I eat it all the time and that's why I put it on the menu).  It has tons of flavour, it's great cold or at room temperature, and it's so satisfyingly good for you.  Make this over the weekend and take the leftovers to work on Monday for lunch (if there are any). You will love it.

Quinoa Salad with Pear, Feta and Mint
Origin: Adapted from Foodland Ontario

Notes:  Quinoa, pronounced "keen-wah" is an ancient seed/grain from South America, available in white and red varieties which can be used interchangeably.  It is quickly gaining popularity in North America because it is quick to prepare just like rice, it has a really high protein content and it has a mild nutty flavour that compliments a multitude of ingredients.  It can be served hot or cold and people even bake with it.
I added raw pistachios into this batch because I had a small amount lying around, but the salad does not need them.


Ingredients:

Salad
1 cup dried quinoa
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 green onions, thinly sliced
3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled or cubed
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 Ontario Bartlett Pears (or any kind of ripe but firm pears)
1/2 cup raw, shelled pistachios (very optional)


Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa in cold water and drain well.  In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook until water is absorbed and grain is transparent about 15 minutes.  Let stand covered, for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Transfer to large bowl or plate and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile prepare the dressing.  In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

When the quinoa is cool, mix in the green onions, feta and mint and toss with the dressing. To serve, core and chop the pears into chunks and mix into the salad.

Serves 4-6.

Superior Sandwich: Spicy Tuna Salad with Apple and Chicory (and a great side dish)

I love a good sandwich.  One that tastes good enough to make my Hubby forget that I didn't really cook him dinner.  I made this sandwich twice last week...hence the two different photos.  I used different varieties of apples, once I put the chicory on top and once on the bottom (easier to eat)...but as long as all the components are there, you are in for a treat.  This really brings lame ol' tuna to new heights.  The second time I made this (in one week), I upped the ante with a great side dish.  Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce.  It was the perfect complement.

Spicy Tuna Salad Sandwich with Apple and Chicory
Origin: Impeccable Taste, Jaime

Notes:  Oh!  Did I mention that this is really easy to put together?  Maybe that's why I made it twice during such a busy week.  I like to eat these sandwiches open faced, but feel free to put a lid on it.

Ingredients:

Bread, 2 good buns, or a piece of a baguette (I used a 12 grain fennel baguette - amazing!)
1 can chunk light (or white) tuna (packed in water)
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 green onions, finely sliced (white and most of the green)
1 cup chicory, roughly chopped (or other bitter greens)
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 crispy apple, cored and sliced thinly (I've used Granny Smith and MacIntosh)
2 tablespoons honey mustard (or sweet mustard)
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine tuna, Sriracha, mayonnaise and green onion.  Season with salt and pepper and mix.

In a separate bowl, toss chicory with the cider vinegar and olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper.

When you are ready to assemble your sandwich, slice the apple.  Spread a tablespoon of mustard on your bread, layer with greens, tuna salad and apple (or tuna, apple, greens...whatever).

Makes 2 generous sandwiches.

Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Sauce
Origin: Adapted from, Saveur Magazine

Notes:  Tahini, is a paste made from ground sesame seeds.  Tahini sauce is made by adding lemon juice, garlic and salt.  When you mix the tahini and lemon juice the mixture will seize up, the warm water indicated in the instructions will loosen the mixture.  This is a very versatile sauce that can always be found on the table at a Middle Eastern feast.  It is also great used as a salad dressing for a cucumber and tomato salad or on chicken or fish.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
salt and pepper
1/4 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with the oil and cumin, season with salt and pepper.  Spread cauliflower into a single layer, bake for about 25 minutes stirring once midway through roasting.  Cauliflower should be browned in spots and tender.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup warm water, season with salt.

Serve cauliflower hot or at room temperature with tahini sauce.