Homemade marshmallows

Before we get too deep into the season of celebrating the holidays, let’s try to celebrate the season of “just because”. When are marshmallows not fun to eat? Just today, I served a batch that was sprinkled in blue shimmer sugar for my daughters’ birthday. (To match her requested blueberry themed party) If you have ever experienced the delight of homemade marshmallows, I encourage you to give it a go yourself. Don’t be intimidated by cooking sugar…you do it once and an expert you will be.

 Homemade marshmallows

2/3 cup water

3 (1/4 ounce) envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Lightly oil or spray an 8x8 or 9x13 glass baking dish. Generously sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and set aside. In a stand mixer, pour 1/3 cup of cold water and the gelatin, and let sit for 10 minutes.

In a saucepan, pour 1/3 cup water, sugar and corn syrup and salt over medium high heat. Place a candy thermometer in the pan. Cook mixture until it reaches 240 degrees. Take off heat immediately.

Carefully pour mixture into the stand mixer over the soft gelatin. Add vanilla and whip until the mixture is bright white and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. It will be very sticky as well.

Spread mixture into the prepared glass baking dish using a wet or slightly oiled spatula. Press the marshmallow into the corners with wet hands. Allow to set at least 1 hour.

Once cooled, cut around marshmallow mixture with a wet knife. Slice marshmallow into even squares, dipping your knife in wet often to keep it from sticking. Once cut, toss marshmallow cubes in confectioners’ sugar to coat completely.

 *You can substitute confectioners’ sugar with toasted shredded coconut, unsweetened cocoa powder, or colored baker’s sugar

Almond Polenta Cake with Elderflower Honey Glaze

 

When the urge to bake arises, this simple cake with a moist but slightly crunchy texture can be made and eaten within 2 hours. It is a sweeter cousin of cornbread; incidentally it’s also gluten–free. The glaze contains a bit of liqueur, but the alcohol burns off when heating it…so it’s ok for the kiddos too!

Recipe inspired by Nigel Slater

1 cup butter, room temperature (more to grease the pan)

1 cup sugar
2 2/3 cup almond meal (Trader Joe’s is best bet!)
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup corn meal or polenta
1 ½ tsp baking powder
zest and juice of one lemon
 
For the Glaze:
juice of two lemons
4 tbsp honey
2/3 cup elderflower liqueur (Thatcher’s or St. Germain brands are good)
 
To Serve:
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp cream or milk
Fresh berries

Prepare an 8” or 9” spring form pan and rub all sides and bottom with butter, then line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the sides to incorporate evenly. Next pour in the almond meal and mix evenly. Mix the eggs in one at a time. (A good tip: break eggs into small bowl before pouring into mixer to avoid shells) In another bowl, mix the corn meal or polenta with the baking powder. Fold it into the mixture and then add lemon zest and lemon juice.

Transfer the cake mix into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325 degrees and turn the cake for even baking. Bake another 25 minutes.

To make the glaze, squeeze the lemon juice into a small saucepan. Add the elderflower liqueur and honey and bring to a boil for about 5-8 minutes. It should have the consistency of a thin syrup.

When the cake is still hot out of the oven, evenly pour the glaze over the cake. Let cake cool. Slice into pieces and serve with yogurt thinned with some cream and some berries.

 



Citrus BLT Salad

My recent trip to Southern California inspired this fresh and delicious recipe.  I was able to pick grapefruit, lemons and oranges right off their trees, and I opened them up when they were still warm from the sun and very juicy. They had the right combination of sweet, tart, tangy, fresh and clean. You can definitely make this recipe all your own by adding or subtracting what you like…Enjoy this fresh and uplifting salad during these cold days of winter.

BLT (Etc.) Salad with Honey-Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves 2

1 bunch arugula, washed

1 bunch watercress, trimmed of roots and washed

1-2 grapefruits or oranges, supremed (see technique below)

1 handful cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

¼ red onion, peeled and sliced thinly with the grain

1 whole avocado, scooped out of skin and sliced

4 strips bacon lardons, (uncooked bacon sliced into ½ inch strips - reserve bacon fat

Dressing:

6 oz fresh squeezed citrus juice (any combination of grapefruit, lemon, orange, lime)

6 oz olive oil

2oz champagne or rice wine vinegar

2oz honey

2 Tbsp bacon fat (liquid form)

1 Tbsp minced shallot

½ Tsp kosher salt

In a heavy bottomed skillet, cook the bacon lardons in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towel, rest until cool, but reserve the fat in the pan for the dressing. Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl. To make the dressing, put all ingredients into a clean jar with a top. Tighten the top and shake until all the ingredients are incorporated together. Pour over the salad and toss.

*You may want to leave the avocados out and add them in the end to keep them whole slices.

Chef Technique: Supreming Citrus Fruits

To supreme a citrus fruit means to create perfect segments between the citrus membranes.

1.    Trim off the top (stem end) and bottom of fruit to sit flat on a surface.

2.    Slice away the peel and pith of the fruit, following the contour of the fruit, all the way around.

3.    Hold the fruit in one hand and with your other hand slice along one side of the membrane; make a second cut on the opposite membrane crating a V releasing a citrus segment. Repeat for all segments, and then squeeze juice in to a bowl.

Photo by Kristin Tetuan

 

Reading labels at the store can be daunting, especially when you are trying to corral little ones. That is why I try to prepare as much as I can at home so then I know exactly what goes into the food I’m feeding them. This recipe has only 6 common ingredients compared to a bottled sauce including corn syrup and unrecognizable preservatives.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

This kid friendly sauce is very versatile for a marinade AND sauce for chicken, seafood, fish, stir fired vegetables, noodles and rice dishes.

1 cup mirin (cooking rice wine)

½ cup soy sauce or tamari (gluten free soy)

¼ cup honey

1” ginger, sliced

1-2 cloves garlic, smashed

¼ tsp Sriracha sauce

Put all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain out the garlic and ginger. Sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Thai Salad

THAI SALAD

Serves 8

This salad is versatile, fresh and packed with flavor!! Other great ingredients to add are mangos, sprouts or avocados. Enjoy getting creative.

Choice of protein: (½ pound flank steak, or 1 lb ground pork, turkey or chicken or 1 ½ lb wild salmon fillet, or 2 large organic chicken breasts)

Marinade:

2 tablespoon olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup tamari (soy sauce)

Juice of 1 lime

Salad:

1 cup diced cucumber

½ cup shredded carrot (about 3-4 carrots)

¼ cup thinly sliced green onion (1 bunch)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup coarsely chopped Thai basil leaves (regular basil can be used)

Shredded butter lettuce or romaine lettuce

¼ cup chopped mint

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

6 tablespoons fish sauce

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 Tablespoons olive oil

½ cup blister peanuts (trader joe’s)

  

To marinate steak, salmon, or chicken breast: Mix oil, garlic, tamari and juice of 1 lime. Pour over flank steak, chicken or salmon in marinade.  Refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

To cook ground pork, ground turkey or ground chicken: No marinade needed. To cook, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, to coat the bottom. Cook ground meat with minced garlic, then add lime juice and tamari and cook until all the juices are gone.

To cook steak or salmon: Discard marinade. Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat and sear the beef or salmon about 5 minutes per side until medium rare. Peel skin of fish if present. Cut beef into thin slices across the grain or shred the salmon fillet.

To cook chicken breasts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake chicken for 40 minutes with marinade.

Salad: In large bowl, combine the cucumber, carrot, green onion, cilantro and basil in a bowl. Add shredded lettuce to bowl and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the lime juice, mint, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, vinegars, minced garlic and oils to make the dressing.

Toss the salad with dressing and then Top with your protein of choice and sprinkle salad with peanuts. Drizzle each salad with a little more dressing. Garnish with whole sprigs of cilantro and lime wedges.

The Last Vineyard Table Secret Supper

House made chorizo

Melissa of Honeybeesting.com

 

A big Thanks to Elsom Cellars