Fresh Herb Scramble with Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Scrambled eggs: they're easy and they're good but I never feel like I can make them "pretty" enough to serve for a nice breakfast.  Until I found this recipe from Leslie Mackie's, MORE from MACRINA  cookbook.  They are still easy and delicious they just look really nice too!  The recipe calls for several types of herbs but since we always have chives growing in our yard we just use the chives.  I've included the original recipe with the herbs in case you want to use more than just fresh chives.

Herb Scramble shown with an Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart

Ingredients:

2 cups cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
4 ounces Humboldt Fog goat cheese
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter, for the egg pan

Toss the cherry tomatoes with the oil and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Cut the goat cheese vertically, starting at the tip of the wedge and moving toward the wider back.  This cheese naturally falls apart at the center ash line - let it crumble.  Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and add the chervil, chives and parsley.  Whisk to combine.

In a large sauté pan set over medium heat, add the butter.  When it is melted add the eggs.  Using a rubber spatula gently move the cooked eggs aside, allowing the liquid eggs to run to the bare surfaces of the pan and cook.  When the eggs are cooked to your liking, season to taste with salt.

To serve, divide the eggs among 4 plates.  Top each plate with one-quarter of the seasoned tomatoes and one-quarter of the cheese.

Serves 4.

Recipe from Leslie Mackey's, MORE from MACRINA

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

For Christmas I got the MORE from MACRINA bakery cookbook (Macrina is a local Seattle bakery) and since then I have been slowly baking and cooking my way through the book. I have made these pull-aparts several times now and they have become one of my favorite breakfast treats. They are light and moist with just the right amount of gooeyness!

They are relatively easy to make and can be made ahead of time to save you from having to get up at 4am to make them fresh (unless of course you enjoy getting up that early to bake)! The recipe makes 2 batches - if you are having more than a few people you will need the second batch (they really are that good) or you can freeze the second one to use at a later date. And the best part is that they come out looking delicious AND beautiful.

I've broken the recipe up into 2 parts: the dough and then pull-aparts.






SWEET BRIOCHE DOUGH

Ingredients:

¹⁄₄ cup lukewarm (80°F) water
¹⁄₂ cup sugar, divided
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons active dry yeast
³⁄₄ cup lukewarm (80°F) whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 ¹⁄₂ cups (1 pound) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Lightly oil a medium bowl with canola oil. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Mix until yeast is dissolved, then let mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk, vanilla, eggs, flour, and salt. Mix on low speed for 3 minutes to bring the dough together. Increase the speed to medium. Drop small pieces of butter into the dough one at a time (with the mixer running). (Adding the butter should take no more than 2 minutes.)

Continue mixing for 2-3 more minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar (the ¹⁄₂ cup minus the 2 teaspoons) and continue mixing for another 4 minutes.

With floured fingers, check the dough. If it stretches about 3 inches without tearing it's ready. If it tears, continue mixing for another 1-3 minutes.

Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Place the ball into the oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, 2¹⁄₂-3 hours.  You can now use the dough, or if you are making the dough a day ahead, deflate it after its initial rise, then re-cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, pull it out 2 hours before you want to use it to allow it to come to room temperature. The dough should be doubled in size and feel slightly warm to the touch.

APPLE CINNAMON PULL-APARTS

Ingredients:

For the baked apples:

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¹⁄₄ inch thick 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¹⁄₈ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cinnamon sugar:

¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the egg wash:

1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water

For the buttermilk glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lightly grease two round 9-inch cake pans with canola oil and then line each pan with a 10-inch round of parchment paper, creasing the edges so the paper goes up the sides of the pan.  Next, cut four 2x15" strips to place along the inside of the pans (2 per pan).  Set aside.

For the apples: toss them with the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl.  Spread them on the prepared baking sheet and dot with butter.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Toss the apples and bake for another 5 minutes.  They should be soft but still a little firm.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Chop coarsely and set aside.

For the cinnamon sugar: combine the sugars, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Pull the brioche dough out onto a floured work surface.  Roll the dough out into an evenly thick 7x16 inch rectangle.  Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough, going clear to the edges.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apples, keeping ¹⁄₄ cup for garnish.

Begin rolling up the dough, starting with the edge that is farthest away.  The log will stretch as you roll - you want it to stretch out to 24 inches.  When you have finished rolling let it rest seam side down for several minutes.  

Cut the log equally in half.  Then cut each log into seven 1¹⁄₂ inch pieces.  Place 6 pieces around the perimeter of the pan and then place the seventh in the center.  Make sure they have a little room to rise.    Do the same with second pan.  Lightly brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon sugar.  Let the dough rise until it's level with the top of the pan and has expanded to fill the pan, about 1¹⁄₂ hours.

About 20 minutes before the end of the final rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

Bake the pull-aparts for 30-35 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  Cool them in the pan for just 20 minutes (if they cool completely the sugars will harden and stick).  Flip the rolls onto a plate, remove the parchment and then place your presentation plate on top of the rolls and flip again. 

For the buttermilk glaze: sift the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the vanilla and buttermild and whisk until the glaze is smooth.  Stream the glaze over the top of the pull-aparts in a zigzag pattern.  Serve warm.

Once the glaze has hardened you can wrap the pull-aparts in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 weeks. To serve remove from the freezer and let the pull-aparts thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Place the pull-aparts on a parchment lined baking sheet and reheat for 10 minutes.

Each cake round makes 7 pull-aparts.

Recipe from Leslie Mackie's, MORE from MACRINA

Father's Day Brunch, 2013

Menu

Stumptown Coffee

Apple Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

Fresh Herb Scramble with Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One of my favorite things to make is ice cream.  It's easy, it's doesn't take a lot of time, it is so much better than store bought ice cream and everyone (at least in my family) loves ice cream. If you have mint growing in your garden this a fun one to make with kids - L has a lot of fun helping to make (and taste) this one!  

The base recipe I use for ice cream is always the same.  It's from an article in Fine Cooking by David Lebovitz and it's the best one I have found.

Ingredients:

Ice Cream Base:

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

³⁄₄ cup granulated sugar

5 large egg yolks

Pinch of table salt

Mint Chocolate Chip:

2 cups tightly packed, torn mint leaves

¹⁄₃ cup chopped, semisweet, chocolate

In a medium saucepan mix, 1 cup of the cream, the whole milk, granulated sugar and salt.  Warm over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan.  About 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the mint, cover and let stand for an hour to infuse the mint flavor.

Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water.  Place a smaller bowl, filled with the remaining cup of cream, into the ice bath.

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks.

Rewarm the cream and mint until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan.  In a steady stream pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens slightly.  The custard should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and hold a line drawn through it with a finger.  If using an intant-read thermometer the temperature should be between 175-180°F.

Strain the custard into the cold cream pressing the mint with a spoon to extract as much flavor as possible.

Cool the mint to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath.

Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours to overnight.  Freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.

Fold the chopped chocolate into the just churned ice cream, transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for until firm.

Adapted from Fine Cooking Issue 99

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup

With L being in preschool our family has not gone longer than 4 weeks without someone having a cold.  With preschool ending soon I am hopeful that this will be our last round of colds until September.  However, I had this same thought a month ago and here we again eating our favorite "cure for the common cold" soup!  Go ahead and double the soup as you'll want to have leftovers!

Ingredients:

2-¹⁄₂ Tbs. canola oil
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about ³⁄₄ lb.), butterflied (cut horizontally almost all the way through and then opened like a book)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 medium shallots (about 4 oz.), peeled and thinly sliced into rings
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, outer layers discarded, halved lengthwise, and smashed with the side of a chef’s knife
1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
5-¹⁄₂ cups lower-salt chicken broth
3-¹⁄₂ oz. crimini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered (1-¹⁄₂ cups)
9 oz. fresh, or dried, udon noodles
1 Thai bird chile (or 1 small serrano pepper), sliced into thin rings
8 large fresh torn basil leaves; plus sprigs for garnish
1 medium lime, half juiced and half cut into wedges
1 Tbs. soy sauce; more to taste
Garnish:
2 medium scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks
¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Heat 1-¹⁄₂ Tbs. of the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Season the chicken with ¹⁄₂ tsp. each salt and pepper, and cook without disturbing until it’s browned and releases easily from the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is browned and almost firm to the touch (just short of cooked through), 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool.  If short on time you can make the soup while the chicken is cooking in the oven.

Add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil and the shallots to the pot. Sprinkle with ¹⁄₄ tsp. salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the shallots start soften, about 2 minutes. Add the lemongrass, ginger, and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until the ginger and lemongrass sizzle and become fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and raise the heat to medium high. Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Use your fingers or the tines of a fork to shred the chicken. Add the chicken to the broth and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemongrass. Stir in the torn basil, lime juice, and soy sauce. Divide the noodles among 4 large, deep bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, and garnish with the basil sprigs and scallions, chile, carrot, and cilantro, if using. Serve with the lime wedges for squeezing and more soy sauce to taste.

*This soup is also a great for shredded, leftover roast chicken in place of the chicken breast. Just add it to the soup along with the chiles, basil, lime juice, and soy sauce.

Serves 4

Adapted from Fine Cooking 

Issue 104

Ginger, Garlic Green Beans

These green beans obviously go best with asian food, but they are so good we make them this way even if we aren't having asian!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon peanut oil
¹⁄₂ lb green beans
1 Tablespoon (generous) finely chopped ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
Salt

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil and add the green beans until bright green and just tender - about 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  The green beans can be made a few hours ahead and kept in the refrigerator.  Heat the peanut oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat.  When hot add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant - about 1 minute.  Add the green beans and soy sauce and stir fry for several minutes, until the green beans are hot.  Serve immediately.

Serves 2

Adapted from The New York Times, Recipe: String Beans with Ginger and Garlic
November 15, 2006

Strawberry Shortcake and the Best Ever Biscuit

We have been getting amazing strawberries lately and this seemed like the perfect dessert for M's 1st birthday!  The biscuits were delicious by themselves and since I had extra dough I made enough of the biscuits to take, along with some jam (aka scones), to L's school for teacher appreciation week.  

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

13¹⁄₂ oz. (about 3 cups) all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. granulated sugar; plus about 3 Tbs. for sprinkling
1¹⁄₂ Tbs. baking powder
³⁄₄ tsp. table salt
6 oz. (12 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1¹⁄₂ cups heavy cream; plus about 3 Tbs. for brushing
1¹⁄₂ tsp. pure vanilla extract 

1-2 Tbs. cold water, as needed

Strawberries:
5 cups strawberry slices (from about 3 pints)
1 to 3 Tbs. granulated sugar, depending on the sweetness of the berries

Whipped cream:
1¹⁄₂ cups heavy cream
2 Tbs. confectioners' sugar

Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Toss with a fork to combine. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or a fork until the largest pieces of butter are the size of peas. Combine the cream and vanilla, make a well in the center of the flour and pour the cream mixture into the well. Mix with a fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just combined; it will look shaggy and still feel a little dry. Gently knead by hand five or six times to pick up any dry ingredients remaining in the bottom of the bowl and to create a loose ball.  If the dough will not hold a ball, add the cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough holds a loose ball.

Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and pat into a flat disc.  Refrigerate the dough for about an hour.  Heat the oven to 425°F.  Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out until about ¹⁄₄ inch thick.  Using a 2 ¹⁄₂ - 3 inch round cookie cutter cut out the dough placing them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.  Brush each biscuit with a thin layer of cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until the biscuits are medium golden brown on top and the bottoms are golden brown, about 18 minutes.

To prepare the berries toss them with 1 tablespoon sugar and taste. If they’re still tart, sprinkle with another 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit at room temperature until the sugar dissolves and the berries begin to release their juices, at least 30 minutes but no more than 3 hours.

Pour the cream and confectioners' sugar into a cold mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it until soft peaks form.

While the biscuits are still warm, split them in half.  For each serving, set the bottom half of a biscuit on a plate. Scoop some of the berries and their juices over the biscuit, add a generous dollop of whipped cream and cover with the top half of the biscuit.  Serve and enjoy.  

Makes about 20 biscuits

Adapted from Fine Cooking 58 , pp. 50 June 1, 2003