Blogger Secret Ingredient Challenge – Figs, is complete!
So here it is…Sunday night. It’s 9:19pm. Where are all the entries people? Seriously. How many fig recipes did I see on Foodgawker and Tastespotting this week.
Too many to count. I commented on people’s blog posts, tried to coax people into entering our humble little contest. Well, I’m sad to see that previous hosts (Biz not included) have chosen not to enter. Was it the ingredient? Were figs a scary subject? I always thought they were just so perfect, delicious and easy to work with.
Anyhow, I won’t go on a rant, but I am a little dissapointed in the turn out. I won’t take it personally (well maybe a little) but I really thought this would start to get more popular, not less.
Before we get to the awesome prize and next week’s host, let’s get to the awesome foodies who did participate this week! Thank you all who submitted! Great recipes, very hard to choose, especially since there was a common theme among some of your recipes….hmm….
Here are the participants (do please check them all out):
We had a few multiple entries this week, good energy people! Awesome!
Jessica of Johnstone’s Vin Blanc – Fig and Walnut Energy Bars, Fig Bran Muffins and Fig, Smoky Bacon, and Edam Panini
Clarke Thacher (No blog, so no link) – Figs Foster
Catherine of Living the Gourmet – Fresh Figs with Honey and Chopped Nuts & Spaghetti with Baby Spinach, Sun Dreid Tomatoes and Figs
Biz of Biggest Diabetic Loser -Prosciutto Purses Stuffed with Balsamic Fig Goat Cheese
Jess of Jess’s Many Mini Adventures in Food and Farming – Black Tea, Star Anise, Fig Bread
Mary of Food’o Del Mundo – Fig & Prosciutto Pizza
Cari of Can I Get the Recipe? – Fig, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Rolls
Very hard to decide. So many great combos and some good originality. I’m not going to lie though, I went for the recipe that made me personally start to drool.
And the Winner is…..
Jessica of Johnstone’s’ Vin Blanc!
That Smoky Bacon, Fig and Edam Panini would really hit the spot…any time of day. Serisouly, I would eat that for breakfast. So congratulations Jessica! I have to admit, I really would have liked to pick someone else, just based on your location. It’s going to cost me a fortune to send you your gift all the way to NC!!
And here is your prize:
Well, no the English Muffin, or the plates! Those are my wedding china…no, no, the Apple Butter!
I only have one jar left, but in honour of actually giving a prize (and at this point in our move to a new house, it’s all that is available), I thought something homemade (with love) would be agreeable. I hope you like it. E-mail me with your address please so I can send it to you!
And not that this is on purpose, or a trend, or even something the winner has to do, but Jess is also our host for next week! So jump on over to Johnstone’s Vin Blanc for the new ingredient and another week’s challenge!
Thank you everyone for participating. I had a blast judging these entries and look forward to more challenges with you all! Don’t count on me this week though, as I’ll be knee deep in boxes. Good luck to the rest of you though!
Off I go to move first thing tomorrow morning, whew!
Ciao!
If this recipe has been done before, it is because there is a very good reason for it. This has to be the most intensely flavoured ice cream I’ve ever had. Salty, sweet (y’all know how much Mr. Guilty loves his sweet & salty combos) and smooth as….well, butter. If you’ve never heard of David Lebovitz, first off come out from under that rock, and second get to his website, stat!
Now, I’m a big fan of ice cream, so I guess I’m a teeny bit biased when it comes to judging it. I’ll eat any ice cream, from plain vanilla to the most loaded of rocky roads. Sugar + Cream + Freezer = heaven. Really, what could be better on those hot, sweaty, humid summer days? Or when you’re hitting that late third trimester (ladies? I know you’re with me on this) and you just want to be over and done with the whole fat, pregnant lady thing. Nothing cures the fat, pregnant lady blues like digging into a 6 scoop bowl of full fat ice cream….right? Right? No, that’s just me? Oh, well, I really liked being pregnant, it was a big excuse for eating any and every food that came within 15 feet of my mouth.
Hence the name of this blog. Once I’m staring at that empty, spatula scraped bowl of ice cream (that’s right, I own mini spatulas specifically for this reason), the guilt sets in. Not that it can’t be cured with a few nights of hardcore salad eating. See some of my recipes here and here.
As much as I hate to put out recipes on my blog that aren’t mine, there wasn’t a single revision I could think of for this one. Seriously, what are you waiting for…? Go make this ice cream now! Here’s the direct link to the recipe.
Sorry for all the pictures, but I couldn’t resist, it’s just so pretty!
Seeing as I’ve been sicker than a dog these past couple of days, Mr. Guilty promised me that he would tackle tonight’s menu item all by himself. I do have to commend him for offering, as Mr. Guilty usually steps foot in the kitchen for two reasons only, a bowl of cereal or a snack.
As there are boxes piled up all around us, it is getting a lot harder to work in our small space as well. I’ve packed all but the necessities from the kitchen (I might need my loaf pan or mortar & pestle in the next 3 days!). I have barely anything left to work with…so I had something fairly easy planned for the evening, Eggplant Neapolitan. Layers of eggplant topped with a homemade tomato based sauce. What could be more simple?
I know he feels intimidated when he’s in the kitchen with me. And who wouldn’t? I just can’t handle seeing someone cooking differently than me, or slower than me, or in my kitchen. I always end up stepping in and just doing it myself. God help me when our little man is old enough to want to help, I’m sure he’ll regret it. Let’s all give kudos to Mr. Guilty, he put in a good effort! He grilled that eggplant just as I asked.
I did the rest….
Oh well, even when I’m sick, I still love to cook. As long as he gets me a big ol’ mug of NeoCitron before bed, then life is good.
This is a very simple dish, uses many vegetables that are in season right now and takes less than an hour to prepare. Feel free to add zucchini or even replace the eggplant with zucchini, it would work quite well in this dish. I recommend it to anyone who wants to teach their children (or anyone else) the basics. Learning to make a basic tomato sauce is something everyone should know how to do.
Eggplant Neapolitan with Cous Cous
3 small Eggplants (Aubergine)
Salt & Pepper
4 Medium sized tomatoes, dice
1/3 cup fresh herbs (I used chives, oregano, basil and thyme), minced
10-12 large mushrooms, diced
1 large vidalia onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 6oz can of tomato paste
Salt & Pepper
2 oz soft goat cheese (chèvre)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cous cous
1. Remove tops from eggplants. Slice vertically into very thin pieces (approximately 1/8″).
2. Line a baking tray with eggplant slices and spray with baking spray or brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill on a very hot BBQ until grill marks appear, flip and repeat.
4. Remove from grill and return to baking tray. Set aside.
5. In a large, deep saucepan, add garlic, onion, mushrooms and herbs. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften.
6. Add tomatoes and can of tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Continue to sauté for another 10-15 minutes.
6. Oil an oblong baking dish and line the bottom with your eggplant. Overlap each slice with the next to prevent the sauce from seeping through.
7. Next, pour a layer of sauce over your eggplant.
8. Crumble some goat cheese over your layer and repeat as many times as you have eggplant and sauce for. I had three layers.
9. Bake in a 375°F oven for 40 minutes.
10. For the cous cous, boil your broth and add in cous cous. Remove from heat, stir, put the lid on it, and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.
11. To serve, place a large scoop of cous cous on plate and top with a portion of eggplant Neapolitan. Bon appétit!
This weekend is drawing ever closer, and if you are a loyal reader of Guilty Kitchen, than you know that moving day is drawing near. We have oodles of family coming in as of tonight, a wedding tomorrow and then last minute packing to do on Sunday and Monday. I do have a few things planned as far as menu items go (a famous flavour of David Lebovitz ice cream among them), so stay tuned for those, but don’t get on my back if posts wane for a few days. I know you’ll stick with me right?
Right?
You’ll be back…
This salad has it’s history. If you are keen on knowing it, you will have to look elsewhere. Like the great Caeser salad, Waldorf salad, Panzanella salad and others like them, what once may have been an original masterpiece, has, over the years, become something more of a personal masterpiece for anyone making it. Some people prefer their Niçoise with canned tuna, or without potatoes, or with artichoke hearts, or anchovy fillets. Well, everyone has their preferences. This is my take on a classic salad.
This dressing is basically my Caesar dressing without the egg, worcestershire or parmesan. It remains a creamy vinaigrette and adds a salty, tangy bite to this dish.
Dressing
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp anchovy paste (or 2 small diced anchovy fillets)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Capers, chopped
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. caper brine
1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt and fresh cracked pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1. In small bowl, combine garlic, anchovy, Dijon and capers.
2. Mix in vinegar, caper brine, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle the olive oil in, whisking as you go.. You are trying to emulsify the dressing in this step.
4. When all is combined, stir in the chopped chives.
For the Salad
2 Sashimi grade tuna steaks (I used albacore)
5 small yukon gold potatoes (you could use any small potatoes here)
2 cups green beans, cut into 1-2 in chunks (or haricots vert if you want to get fancy)
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 large eggs, hard boiled
3 cups romaine leaves, torn into pieces
12 olives ( I used kalamata and cerignola)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for searing
1. Boil potatoes until fork tender, approximately 30 minutes (depends on the size of yer taters). When done, drain water and set aside, (you want them to still be warm for the salad).
2. Steam green beans until al dente, about 5 minutes. Quickly run cold water over to stop them from cooking, and set aside.
3. Cube tomatoes and set them aside as well.
4. Dress plates with romaine, tomatoes and beans.
5. Drizzle olive oil on your tuna steaks, season with salt and pepper and get your pan ready. You need a heavy bottomed or non stick sauce pan. Heat on high until almost the smoking point. Sear tuna steaks quickly on both sides, leaving the tuna a blue rare.
6. Cube potatoes and add to salad base. Quarter your hard boiled eggs and scatter them on the salad as well. Place olives around edges.
7. Slice tuna steaks on a diagonal tilt, and place on salad. Drizzle dressing over the whole thing and serve!
I’ve been wanting to create a really great, out of this world pizza for a long time. I’ve made pizza’s from scratch many times, but I’ve only hand made the crust once or twice (is in measured out ingredients myself instead of dumping a bag of premixed into a bowl and adding water). In years past, we used to hold a little get together for the Grey Cup (that’s the Canadian Football League’s “Super Bowl” if you will, although we’re in our 97th year of celebrating it) and have a big ol’ pizza party. Everyone brought ingredients to contribute and we always made giant pizzas piled high with so many toppings it was my own little mountain of cheesy goodness.
Well, I didn’t want to drown in greasy cheese last night. No. In fact, I wanted my pizza to be refreshing, in season and different. No tomato sauce, no mozzarella, and I really needed to use those figs I bought for the BSI. Not that I am entering my own contest, that would be silly. Yay! I win! Ha ha…kidding…
Anyway, on to the pie.
This is my version of a blend of ingredients, I’m sure, has been done many times before. Not by me mind you, and I did come up with it all by myself. Years in commercial kitchens do that to do, your brain will forever be ingrained with flavours that go well together. Salty with sweet, crunchy with creamy, fruits with meats, etc.
This pizza blends some of my favourite flavours together into one magnificent pie and also allowed me to use some truffle oil that’s been in my cabinet for a couple of months, begging me to use it in something. So there you go, now go make this pizza, you will not be sorry.
Caramelized Onion, Fig, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Pizza With Truffle Oil on a Grilled Whole Wheat, Rosemary Thin Crust…whew!
For the crust :
(makes one large rectangle crust)
1/4 cup warm water
2 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup water, room temperature
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups whole grain whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
baking spray, butter or other fat (for greasing your bowl)
1. Place 1/2 a cup of water in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Sprinkle in yeast and add tsp. of sugar, stir and let rest 5-10 minutes.
2. Add room temperature water and olive oil to yeast mixture, stir.
3. Place flour and salt in bowl of electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds.
4. Slowly pour yeast mixture into flour, mixing on low speed. Mix until dough begind to form and sides of bowl are clean. Rest for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, change out the paddle attachment, for the dough hook. Mix for another 5-10 minutes, or until dough becomes smooth and elastic.
6. Oil a medium sized bowl, plop dough ball in, cover in plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a warm place.
7. Punch down, roll out into a rectangle and fold edges in on themselves to make a small crust.
For the toppings:
1 large sweet onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc)
1 tsp olive oil
1 12 oz bottle of amber (or darker) beer (minus three or four swigs for the chef!)
salt & fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups brown mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 fresh black mission figs, diced
2 oz. fresh goat’s cheese (chèvre)
sprinkling of black or white truffle oil
1. Peel onion, cut in half from top to bottom, slice into thin half moon slices.
2. In large, heavy bottomed saucepan, add oil, onions, s & p and sugar.
3. When onions have begun to soften, begin adding beer about a 1/4 cup at a time. Allow liquid to cook out completely before adding more. Esentially, you are deglazing the pan over and over again.
4. When all the beer is gone and pan has been deglazed a final time, set onions aside.
5. Slice mushrooms and grate, mince or crush up your garlic cloves. I’m not picky…
6. Add mushrooms and garlic, plus 1 tsp olive oil into saucepan (you could use the onion pan if you don’t want to clean more than one, I know that’s what I would do).
7. Sautée until mushrooms are fully cooked, set aside.
8. Assemble your Mise en Place. Like this:
Time to get grilling!
1. Heat your grill to almost high. Brush olive oil onto the top of your crust (the side your toppings will eventually rest on). Toss onto oiled grill for 3-5 minutes.
2. Oil the bottom as the crust is grilling. When ready, flip over and grill the other side for another 3-5 minutes. Be gentle when flipping!
3. When done, remove to large baking tray.
4. Take your goat’s cheese and rub it all over the crust, kind of like a sauce. The heat from grilling will melt the cheese a bit and make it easier to spread.
5. Sprinkle on your onions, mushrooms and figs and more goat’s cheese if you want.
6. Here is where you can do two things to finish your pie. 1) Return to grill on medium heat and bake until cheese is melted and crust is golden and crispy OR 2) Set in 450-500°F oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Either way is fine.
7. When your pizza is ready, drizzle truffle oil over (not too much), cut into 8 pieces and serve. Delicious!
I’m not going to lie. When I first flipped my pie over on the grill, I grabbed one side with tongs and the other with a spatula and attempted to flip it over. Well, I’m sure you can guess what happened next. I tore part of that crust just about clean off! So watch out when you flip it the first time, if it’s not quite cooked yet, it will be soft still and may tear. Good luck!
|
Burning questions or recipe requests?
Guilty Kitchen is featured in…
|
