Fruit

Loving Lately

We’ve all seen those tasty videos; those amazing little cooking videos that take you from beginning to finished product in about 30 seconds. It’s like watching the Mary Poppins version of the Food Network. Just snap your fingers, and all the veggies are diced and sautéing in the pan…It’s magic. Two of these videos has been on Sadie’s to-do list for way too long, “Puff Pastry 4 Ways” and “Puff Pastry Decorations 4 Ways“. This is what we learned:

  1. Powdered sugar is your best friend. Almost any mess up can be gently erased with a dusting of powdered sugar- that’s where the real magic is at.
  2. Don’t over fill. If the recipe calls for a teaspoon of filling and you think a Tablespoon sounds better… it can be messy. Refer to No 1.

3. If you ask Rachel to participate in a “puff pastry hacks” post she will go over the top… but eggs baked in puff pastry wells, topped with Gruyère and bacon are so good! It’s a do.

3. A sharp paring knife worked best for imitating most designs. Finish the video before you send your pastry to the oven; otherwise, you might end up with something different.

4. Different might be better! Get creative… look at all of the surface area on that baked apple for caramel topping. Yeah!

5. Things left in the oven too long get burned. (We’ve all done it. Powdered sugar won’t help this.) Use a timer!

6. Fig jam with caramelized shallots is our new favorite puff pastry filling. Oh my goodness.

7. Baked fruit can look dull, an apricot glaze (even from a jar of apricot preserves) can bring it back to life… or refer to No 1.

8. Fresh herbs, such as mint or chives, add beauty and depth of flavor to sweet and savory pastries. And if you have powdered (confectioner’s) sugar, you can add a squeeze of a lemon or a little milk to make an icing. Tip: A little melted butter in the icing adds another layer of delicious.

9. Mommy bloggers have a way of always incorporating the kids.

10. Pre-made store bought puff pastry can be a lot of fun. We love it… almost as much as Tasty Videos!

One more pic… because puff pastry is pretty.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is the day we show our love… I love my husband… I love my kids… I love chocolate-covered strawberries! They are little, red, sweet, and fruity gifts wrapped in chocolate packages. The best part is, well, eating them. But the second best part is that they require very little skill. I don’t know if you’ve made them before, but I want you to know that it is so easy a four-year-old can do it.

As organic as possible:

2 pints (16-18) fresh Strawberries

1 bag (approx 11.5 oz.) Milk-Chocolate chips

1/2 bag (approx 6 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips

1/2 bag (approx 6 oz.) White Chocolate chips (optional)

I know in a lot of professional dessert shops, they don’t rinse the strawberries. They actually use a soft brush and clean them like you would a mushroom. I understand the reasoning: you don’t want the extra moisture content to separate the berry from the chocolate. I get it. That said, I’m a little weird about not rinsing my fruit off.

I do use organic strawberries; which is important to me, not eating all of the toxic pesticides, not to mention GMO’s… But this is about Valentine’s Day -so let’s not go there! All I’m saying is that I rinse off my berries. Then pat them dry with a paper towel and let them sit until they are dry again. (I also realize that for someone who cares about the earth I use way too many paper towels.)

Now that we’ve got the dirty part out of the way, let’s get back to those clean berries. When they’re dry, all you need to do is melt your chocolate.

 

If you have a heavy bottomed saucepan, you could put the heat on low and let the chocolate slowly melt. However, it’s a more subtle and foolproof way to do the traditional double broiler method. Just put about an inch of water in the bottom of a sauce pan and set a glass bowl on the top (not touching the water) and set the heat on med-high letting the water come to a boil. Stir often until the chocolate is melted through, and no more chocolate lumps are visible. Carefully move the bowl to your work station (most likely the counter top).

Next, simply hold the berries by their green tips and dip and roll the fruit around in a chocolate bath until the berry is mostly covered with chocolate.

Let the excess drip off and then place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

It’s a simple as that, and you can totally stop there and eat your berries -and be happy. But my sweetheart happens to like white chocolate so I took it a step further and melted a little more goodness. This time because of the small amount, I microwaved the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds, then 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate was smooth.

Because I am not a pastry shop I just used a Ziploc baggy with a hole cut in the corner for my drizzle.

Using a back and forth zigzag motion, draw the white lines across your chocolate-covered berries. Let the kids help, this doesn’t have to be perfection! (Unless you’re selling them, then you need to be meticulous… please refer to another blog.)

The work is done! Let the berries set for a while until the chocolate cools and hardens. If you have a refrigerator large (and sparse) enough to hold the trays… Lucky you! Just kidding. It can help the chocolate set faster.

And if you have a little extra chocolate that you don’t want to waste… Consider dipping in cookies, or graham crackers!

 Or of course, cleaning out the bowl yourself is always a viable option.

I hope your day is full of LOVE! (and chocolate)

Marco Island Farmer’s Market

One of my favorite things to do anytime, anywhere, if it is a possibility, is visit the local farmer’s market. Not only can you get reasonable (and often excellent) prices on local fruits, vegetables, flowers, artisan breads, pastries etc., you get to see and sample a variety of things that grow in the area! I am sorry to say that my favorite cheese vendor had already left for the season (only 2 weeks to go). But not to worry, what I didn’t get to spend on stinky cheeses I more than made up for in savory sausages! The whole experience is really “mommy time” where I can slow down… and smell the roses.

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I enjoy the whole adventure. Some things look familiar…

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And some things look completely exotic!

 

I love to see how the vendors set up their stands.

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And I’m a sucker for trying local roasters and honey…

 

Thank you Marco Island Farmer’s Market! …Until we meet again. 🙂

And a quick shout-out for my favorite olive oil by Moz!

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Flavor Your Water

Once upon a time, I worked at an upscale day spa. It was a gorgeous relaxation facility with all sorts of estheticians, massage therapists, nail techs, hair stylists and lavish beauty products. As I possess none of those professional skills, I was a part of guest services. And the best thing I took with me when I left (since I couldn’t take any people) was the tips on flavor-infused waters. We would select a different water filled with freshly prepared fruits, and occasionally vegetables, daily to serve in the lounging area. Of course they could be as well known as lemon-lime, containing vibrant round slices of green and yellow, but my favorites were the simple and oh-so refreshing cucumber water and the watermelon water with pure pink cubes of sweetness.

Lately I’ve been seeing so many more creative blends. What a great presentation they make when entertaining guests, and how fun to come up with flavors that complement your meal! As an added bonus, you can feel good about serving your loved ones a flavorful option that doesn’t include any added refined sugar, artificial flavors or colors. That is so nice of you!

Pictured above is just an easy addition of frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries to iced water. Here are a few more I’ve found for us to try…

An inspiring youtube video from Honeysuckle Catering I originally saw on Facebook: 8 Ways to drink more Water

From SkinnyMe Tea courtesy of Pinterest:

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Marsh-bani Fruit Dip & Fruit Salad

It doesn’t get easier or tastier than this. Honestly it’s just delicious. The fruit dip is sweet and a little tangy, ridiculous when you think about how easy it is. Did I mention it is fat-free? Your taste buds will never know. The yogurt goodness coats the fruit nicely as a dip, but why stop there? The next thought was, oh my goodness, this needs to be in a fruit salad. And can I just tell you, it was stellar. As in: this is what fruit salad needs to taste like for the rest of my life. If you are having a party this weekend, it’s great to serve dip style or in individual cups. So because I really can’t decide which way I like more, I’m sharing both. Lastly, let me just add that if you have any left over, you should throw it into a morning smoothie, because it is awesome… and so are you.

1 cup Marshmallow Creme

1/2 cup Chobani Fat Free Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

2 pints strawberries, rinsed and drained

2 large bananas (or 3 medium), I leave mine in the peel and third or quarter

2 apples, cut into wedges (with a couple center slices reserved for garnish)

Dipping fruit of your choice

Garnish with apple slices and fresh mint (optional)

That’s it! Two parts marshmallow creme to 1 part Chobani Vanilla Greek yogurt. Brilliant! I used a hand held mixer (with a whisk attachment) to blend the marshmallow and yogurt in a medium sized bowl. If you are blending by hand, just mix until they are incorporated. Place the mixture into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or until party time), and the marshmallow and yogurt blend will continue to infuse.

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Now if you want to turn it into fruit salad…

Hull and half (or quarter depending on size) your strawberries, peel your bananas and cut them along with the apples into bite size pieces. Place the fruit into a bowl, drizzle with the Marsh-bani Fruit Dip and gently toss. I take the extra step of tossing the fruit salad in a separate bowl from the one I am serving in, especially for a party… but that’s up to you. The dip can be made a day in advance, but I would not dress and toss the salad until ready to serve. Present in a bowl with a serving spoon or in individual serving dishes for guests to help themselves. Indulge yourself in this sweet treat!

 

 

 

Peach-Pear Muffins

I have recently become a fan of the peach-pear combination; the contrasting textures, the flavors, the colors… They just work for me. And of course so do muffins, because why not wrap up your favorite things in a beautiful little sweet bread basket? For another level of texture, I added pecans. So technically we could call these Peach-Pear-Pecan Muffins, but it just doesn’t have the same ring. Right? Regardless, they’re yummy. (Just ask my nephew, Jude).

Makes 24 muffins

As organic as possible:

3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup walnut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pears
1 1/2 cups chopped peaches
1 cup chopped pecans (1/3 cup reserved)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease 24 standard muffin cups with butter or baking spray, set aside.

In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix milk and balsamic vinegar and let it sit. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to wet ingredients and stir. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. Fold in the pears, peaches and pecans until incorporated (not over mixing for fear of muffin bricks).

Spoon or scoop batter into muffin tins until almost to the top. (Side note: I love ice cream scoops for all muffin, cupcake, and most cookie recipes. The kind where you squeeze the handle and the batter is released. If you don’t have one, you might want to consider it.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve while still warm or at room temperature.

I love most quick breads and muffins with coffee in the morning for breakfast or on the side of a salad for lunch. Enjoy!