Fig and Blue Cheese Massaged Kale Salad

This recipe was inspired by Raw Kale Salad with Lentils and Sweet Apricot Vinaigrette found here.

Fig and Blue Cheese Massaged Kale Salad

1 bunch lacinato kale, washed, dried, and chopped

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c fig preserves
3 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 t kosher salt

1 shelled pomegranate
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

Whisk together olive oil, fig preserves, apple cider vinegar, and kosher salt.

Turn kale into a large mixing bowl, and massage about 2/3rds of dressing into the salad. You’ll need enough dressing for the salad to be well coated and start taking on a “wilted” texture. Use hands to combine.

Add pomegranate seeds and red onion, giving a quick final toss. Add extra dressing as needed, and season to taste.

Sprinkle pecans and crumbled blue cheese immediately before serving.

Asher's S'more Cake

Another spur-of-the-moment recipe.

I hadn't really talked to Asher about a cake. Fortunately, after some searching on Pinterest (and explaining to him that I could only replicate cake and frosting flavors, not decorating), we settled on a S'mores cake.

But, I needed something fast, so I made the easiest and best Texas Sheet Cake in the world, putting only half the glaze on top of the cake.

Then, I crushed about 12 graham cracker squares and covered the cake with half a bag of mini-marshmallows. I put that under the broiler for about 4 minutes (3 would have been enough) and added another handful of marshmallows on the top and drizzled the remaining glaze.

I had quite a few kids waxed rhapsodic when talking about the cake at the party.

Cilantro Lime Veggie Dip

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Yesterday, we celebrated Asher's birthday, and I wanted to do a veggie tray. Veggie dips that come with the veggie tray tend to be yucky, but I only have one dip that I love. It's Ina Garten's Pan Fried Onion Dip. It's delicious and takes forever, and well, I didn't really plan on a veggie tray until about 3 hours before the party.

I consulted a few favorite blogger cooks and my Better Homes and Garden Cook Book and came up with this. 

Cilantro Lime Veggie Dip
Emily Clyde Curtis
about 2 cups

1 brick softened cream cheese (mine was a low-fat greek yogurt cream cheese)
1 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
2 scallions, finely choppes
1 lime, zested and juiced
handful (approximately 1/3 cup chopped) cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all together, adjust lime, salt and garlic according to taste.
 

THE Spinach Quiche

This is a combination of a few of my favorite quiche recipes. I love the ease of the Gourmet Cookbook's use of puff pastry and creme fraiche.

THE Spinach Quiche
Emily Clyde Curtis

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 large eggs
2 (10-oz) containers creme fraiche This can be pricey, so I make my own. 4 T buttermilk added to heavy cream so it equals 2 cups total in a mason jar, mix well. Leave the jar at room temperature for 24 hours. Then, refrigerate and use within 10 days.1/2 t salt
1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed with excess water removed I put mine in dishtowel and wring out the spinach1 c grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Roll out puff pastry and trim it to fit in quiche pan (I just use a regular pie dish).

Whisk eggs, creme fraiche, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Add spinach and gruyere until all combined.

Bake for an hour. The quiche is usually getting brown on top but hasn't quite set yet. Cover with tinfoil when the crust and top are golden and continue to bake until the quiche doesn't jiggle (much) when you shake the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pinterest

I'm afraid I do most of my recipe experiments on Pinterest now. It's so easy to pin a recipe, try it, and then, put my notes in the comment field.

If you'd like to see them, my favorites are here. And, the recipes I want to try are here (I work really hard to keep those under 300 pins--like I'll have time to make 250 new recipes, but it makes me feel a bit more organized.).

Massaged Kale Salad: 3 Ways

I've been obsessed with massaged kale salads this season and bring you the best of the best recipes I've found. Kale is full of calcium and I find it to be one of the more palatable winter greens. Get lacinato kale (with the broad flat leaves as opposed to the more common curly kale). My kids and I like that texture best.

Salt or lemon juice massaged into the kale takes the raw taste of kale from these salads while still leaving the leaves crisp and fresh tasting.

And, I can't seem to do a massaged kale salad without a bit of sweetness.

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese

If you have a lemon flavored olive oil, use it. You won't be sorry.

Raw Kale Salad with Lentils and Sweet Apricot Vinaigrette

I used quinoa instead of lentils. Quicker to cook and I thought it absorbed more dressing.

Hearty Kale Salad with Squash, Pomegranate Seeds, and Toasted Hazelnuts
I used butternut squash, but other than that, I think this recipe is my favorite. Perfect for a Thanksgiving side.

Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll with Peppermint Whip Cream

Ever since blogger upgraded their site, I've had a hard time blogging--it's pretty different from the old format. That, coupled with Pinterest, has left me pinning favorite recipes and putting my changes in the comment field rather than updating everything here. And, the ease of finding new recipes and pinning them for later means that I'll never try all my "Recipes to try" pins, but if you do, could you let me know how they turn out?

This is my favorite holiday dish. I posted that I was making it on Facebook and had a few people ask for the recipe. It's light, delicious, and the presentation is easy and festive. A small Christmas miracle?

Chocolate Sponge Cake Roll
Mary Clyde

4 eggs, separated
1 c sugar
1 t vanilla
3 T water
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3/4 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 c (approx) powdered sugar

2 c whipping cream
1 c crushed candy canes or peppermints (you want these pretty fine with a lot of candy cane dust because that will help sweeten the whip cream)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line parchment or wax paper on a 10-15 inch cookie sheet with a 1-inch ridge (also known as a jelly roll pan) and lightly grease

Blend egg yolks and vanilla in electric mixer at high speed until yolks are thick and lemon colored. Add water and mix. Set aside.

In another bowl, stir together baking powder, salt, cocoa, and flour. Add half of mixture with yolks and mix. Set aside.

In another bowl using clean dry beaters blend egg whites until soft peaks form gradually blending in the sugar until glossy peaks form. Fold in yolk mixture and flour mixture just until blended.

Pour onto cookie sheet, making batter even and smooth.

Bake for 10-20 minutes or until top springs back when gently touched.

Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Remove wax paper and gently roll cake into a loose cylinder. Cover rolled up cake with clean dish towel and let cool (approximately 2-3 hours).

Whip whipping cream to desired consistency (I like it a little firmer than usual because it can ooze out of the cake if it isn't). Add crushed candy canes. Taste whip cream--sometimes, I find I need to add 1-2 T powdered sugar.

Unroll cake, spread with filling, then reroll cake in plastic wrap. The directions say to refrigerate overnight. I've gotten away with refrigrating for a couple hours. The key is to cut slices with a knife warmed in really hot water. Take the knife out of the water, wipe it dry, cut a slice. Repeat (you should have about 12 slices).

To be extra fancy make a chocolate ganache to drizzle over the cake.