photoblogging....

Check out Racheal and Matt's rainy day wedding over HERE!

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Do you happen to be searching for a dessert for an Easter brunch?  You can stop.  Even if you aren't, this is my favorite spring time dessert.  These little bars are the perfect mix of a decadent buttery crust with a sweet and tangy layer of blackberries.  I made them this weekend when our place was quite the revolving door.  Between parents, in-laws and our of town friends, these went fast.  Everyone was raving about them and while quite I'm sure not any one of these groups would tell me to my face that they did not like them, I will take the fact that most came back for seconds as a good sign.

Oh, and can you possibly guess where this recipe came from?  Again, the Junior League of Houston's Peace Meals has delivered one of my favorite recipes.  I have shared a couple of recipes, but I promise you this one is worth owning.  So you should probably buy it here, and you can thank me later.

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Adapted from Junior League of Houston's Peace Meals

Recipe Notes

Make sure and drain the extra water and juice out of the bag when you thaw the blackberries.  I didn't do this the first time and the middle layer was a little bit soupy (but still tasty).  Two other keys to making this work.  Make sure the butter is very cold when you add it.  I actually put mine in the freezer after I cut it into cubes to keep it extra cold.  This helps make a good crumbly crust.  You also want to fit your food processor with the metal blade so that it cuts through the butter and again helps with the crumbly crust.   

Ingredients

Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

Filling

2 eggs, whisked 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

16 ounces frozen blackberries, thawed

Step by Step

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray; set aside.  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor for about 45 seconds.   Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and process with the flour mixture for 30 seconds or until the butter is evenly distributed but the mixture is still crumbly.  Reserve 2 cups of the crust mixture to use for the topping.  Press the remaining crust mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown; allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling.

Filling:

Combine the eggs, sugar, sour cream and flour in a large bowl.  Fold in the blackberries.  Spoon the fruit filling evenly over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the filling.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.  Let cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. 

browned butter chocolate chip pizookies

I loved browned butter.Please tell me you've tried it??I really think it might be one of my favorite flavors.......ever.I love it so much, I'm always trying to sneak it into recipes....and I thought,"why not a cookie?"But then I remembered that we had vanilla bean ice cream, so I thought,"why not a pizookie?"Do you like hearing these conversations I have in my head?enough chit chat. let's get on

The Skirt

Here it is--the one I told you about. The one you promised I could do if I tried....and boy did I try. (Please check out Susan's original tutorial HERE...she is the professional, I just make stuff up)Here is the scoop. Was it easy? Yes. Obviously....I did it! I know how to use my machine just enough to throw together silly Halloween costumes and a few things around the house....but I have never

for dinner tonight: fish tacos!

so so so easy. grilled* salmon fillets, seasoned with olive oil, lime, and s&p (*ahem, we would have grilled ours, had our dog not eaten our BBQ, so we broiled them instead....STILL good though!)corn tortillasblack beansguacamole -avacado -fresh lime -cilantro -coarse saltcabbage pico de gallo -chopped cabbage -tomato -red onion -cilantro -a little splash of vinegar

Warm Goat Cheese in Phyllo Salad

I have a bit of a disorder when it comes to the weather.  I usually gage what I will be wearing for the day off of what I feel that the weather will be and not what it actually is.  For example, last week... it's 7:30 a.m. and I'm thinking it's the middle of March in Houston... hmm, sounds hot... I'll go with a skirt and short sleeved shirt. Then as I'm running out the door, I realize it's about 45 degrees with not a lot of time to turn back and change.  But I still justify that it's March in Houston and it has got to be at least 75 degrees by about 10. Wrong again... we had a cold windy spell and I spent most of the day freezing.  What's the point of this story you are wondering?  I seem to ignore the weather when it comes to food too.  I had already bought all the ingredients for this salad I had been dying to try so even though it might not have been the night for a light, spring salad, I made it for dinner.  Not too worried about it now because I am finally getting around to sharing this and the weather has cooperated. 

But what you really need to know is how amazing this salad is.  I have to admit that it seems fancy to me so I wanted to try it because I thought if it was successful, it would be something impressive to serve for company. And even more than being delicious, it is pretty easy. 

From my little kitchen to yours... Enjoy.

Warm Goat Cheese in Phyllo Salad

Adapted from Ina Garten's Back to the Basics
Recipe Notes
The original recipe calls for regular bread crumbs. I happened to have panko so I substituted, but either one will work. I did enjoy the little bit of crunch from the panko, but if you don't feel like venturing into the world of Japanese bread crumbs, you can use regular. The phyllo dough I bought ended up being quite tricky. Mine was less in sheets and more in little strips. As you can see the picture below, I just made a pinwheel with the strips and built the little cheese sacks from there. I was worried it would not work out because I did not have nice sheets, but there was no problem. Bottom line... don't worry if the bundles are kind of messy when they come together. Whether you have to adjust the amount of goat cheese that will fit or your phyllo dough is acting funny, just keep going and worry about making the bundles look pretty at the very end. You can always add extra phyllo layers to make the outside have a good presentation.
Ingredients
12 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 to 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs (or plain bread crumbs... see note above)
12 tablespoons of goat cheese, divided into 6 balls
Baby salad greens, such as a spring mix or arugula
For the Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Unroll the sheets of phyllo dough on a flat surface and cover them with a slightly damp towel. (if the towel is too wet, the dough will get sticky). Working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out, place one sheet of phyllo on a board, brush lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Place a second sheet of phyllo on top, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Continue until you have 4 sheets stacked up. Cut the sheets in half crosswise to make 2 almost-squares.

Using two tablespoons of goat cheese at a time, make 6 small balls of goat cheese. Place each ball in the center of one phyllo square. Starting at one corner, fold the phyllo up over the cheese and continue folding and pleating the phyllo around the cheese, as though you're wrapping a round gift that's tied on top. You will end with extra phyllo dough on top; twist the excess into a top knot. Brush the discs all over with melted butter and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Continue with the remaining phyllo dough and goat cheese to make 4 additional packages.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the phyllo is lightly browned. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

While the cheese packages bake, place the salad greens in a large bowl. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Still whisking, slowly add the olive oil, making an emulsion. Toss the salad greens with enough vinaigrette to moisten.

Distribute the salad among six plates and place on warm goat cheese package in the center of each plate, Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Leftover goat cheese bundles can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until bundle is heated all the way through, about 10 minutes.

over the weekend

friday love

We love a quick easy dinner.....a big salad! (remember that episode?)Big Salad 2 parts of your favorite spring greens + 1 part spinach1 rotisserie chicken, shredded (Whole Foods has hormone and antibiotic free chickens for $6.99 on wednesdays!)2 tomatoes, diced1 dirty pepper1/2 cucumber, diced1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubedsmall handful of thinly sliced red onionhandful of your favorite

friday feet

erin: five dollar flats scored at Hot Topic (did I really go in there??) in a random box at the back of the store are my favorite.sheena: greeeeeeeeen. grass (that needs to be mowed!) and a new skirt:)

armed & ready

I wish I was normal...

It seems to me that when most people know that their in-laws are coming in town, their brother-in-law is staying with them and they all of a sudden find out that a very exciting and rare event will be taking place where they live, which will likely bring lots of out of town friends through their door this weekend, this spurs most people on to get their home looking extra clean for the weekend.  Not me... I know of all these events and all I can seem to do is come up with more things to make in the kitchen because I can't stand the thought of anyone coming over and not having something to eat.

I also don't like the idea of being stuck in the kitchen when we do have guests (doesn't work well with the little kitchen... guests always want to help out if everything is not finished and we all know this kitchen is most conducive to a one man operation... although it has been pushed to the limit before).  We will be having my parents and Mr. Hungry's family over on Friday night to watch that very exciting event I was telling you about so I did all the prep work I could beforehand.  I thought homemade pizzas would make for a delicious and casual meal.   And I'll cut to the chase about this event... Baylor has made it to the Sweet 16!  This is a very big deal for quite a few reasons... We are Baylor alumni, this hasn't happened in... (I won't even talk about how long it's been), and the game is in Houston! The last reason being why I also felt the need to pop a few other treats in the oven... We have friends from college who might be stopping by.

So that brings me to my current situation... it's a little past 10 p.m. on Thursday and here I sit taking a small break from what I have done... grated 5 lbs. of cheese, made 8 pizza doughs, sliced up some grilled chicken... and what I am still working on... blackberry shortbread bars and banana chocolate chip snack cake and still hoping to get motivated to clean this place up.  A blackberry bar can only keep you distracted from undusted shelves for so long...

...will be back with the recipes.

dirty peppers

(that's what the girl called them)How to roast a pepper1. take pepper. (hello pepper). move oven rack to highest position. Turn on broiler. Place pepper into heated oven.Turn pepper every few minutes, as skin blackens, or pepper gets "dirty"Remove from oven.Place dirty pepper into paper bag, and let sit for 15-20min.Remove from bag. Skin, seeds, stem and ribs will remove with ease!chop, slice and

Stuffed and Climbing Kotor

Travelling time from Dubrovnik (Croatia) to Budva (Montenegro)took four hours. The coastal drive was picturesque enough with the rocky surrounds, but I found the Adriatic waters most captivating. It was a different blue to the blue waters I'm familiar with in Australia. More turquoise perhaps. Very alluring.

Our bus was full. Mitch and I had to sit right down the back. God knows why they gave us seat numbers. Every time we embarked, our seats were taken, so it was a case of grab what you can find. I recall a Montenegrin lad, sitting next to us who slept the whole way, except when prodded for his passport at the borders. I recall a British "bunch" yakking, an American "bunch" yakking louder, a quiet Scottish fellow with his New Zealand girlfriend and a handsome Swedish couple arguing with the driver about being "ripped off".

The border crossing to get into Montenegro was lengthy. The guards collected everyone's passports and left. We waited nervously. I didn't like my passport taken away. Twenty minutes later they returned and handed them back to us casting serious, steely-eyed faces. A tad intimidating.

Finally as the bus went underway, Mitch and I looked at each other giggling like excited, little children. The anticipation was too much. We pressed our faces up against the window as if to feel and touch Montenegro. As the driver careened corners, we swayed from side to side remaining glued to the tall pencil thin pines, dishevelled dwellings, cosy coastal inlets and the growing mountains.

Several people got off at Herceg Novi and as we continued on, I noticed the humming of people had died right down. Anticipation infiltrated the air. It was as if something was looming. All of a sudden, fingers began pointing, backs straightened up, others leaned forwards or sideways claiming a section of window, cameras popped up followed by a flurry of flashes. Silence. Gasps. Awe. Monsterous mountains came out of nowhere. Shuddering and rubbing my goosebumps, I recall straining my neck trying to look up to take in nature's powerful display. It was hard to know where to look.

The Bay of Kotor was breathtaking. Tiny islands with stone houses, chapels and bobbing boats. The frighteningly dark mountains represented what was to become known as this country. Crna Gora or Montenegro (monte plus negro), translates into 'black mountain'.

Most people got off the bus at Kotor but we had to continue on to Budva to meet our relatives. I was immediately captivated. Hoards of people and tour groups cluttered around the entrance to the old fortress. This place wreaked of old and ancient. It took a month before I was to return to finally explore Kotor. I was dying to find out how it felt inside those walls but more than anything, I longed to climb the narrow, winding steps leading to the top of this mountain where it seemed one could touch the sky.



Finally, with the tourist season declared over, my three cousins, Mitch and I set off to Kotor on this hazy, misty of days. The sun struggled to make an appearance but the day for the most part remained misty. I now realise this helped with the "eeriness" that hung in the air. It was the perfect setting.

Entering the fortress.

Taking in the sites within the walled city.

Just like in Dubrovnik, people also lived in this fortress

Not many tourists. Thank the Lord.

Hello up there.

Last residence before we reach a man blocking our way.

As we part with two euros each, we are allowed to leave the walled city and commence the mountain climb.

Our first view as we begin our ascent.

It's too soon for a break.











A view of the walled city directly below.

Half way up and we were delighted to find this beautiful stone house nestled just outside the grounds of the fortress. We later learned someone was living there!!

My Mitch stepping outside the "allowed" path.

All clear. No enemy in sight.

A sense of doom washes over me. What awful things took place here.



It was here. I felt it. I actually felt the fear. I felt the thunder of feet running toward me. I looked at the rock wall that separated me from a dizzying drop. There was nowhere to go. It was either kill or be killed. It was truly terrifying. After wanting so much to feel the historical atmosphere of a place; here it was. Finally. And I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

Come on Mitch. I want to leave.

My cousin Cedo precariously leaning to catch a glimpse of the bottom of the mountain. He goes on to tell of times where the Turks managed to overcome the Montenegrins, however there was no way the Montenegrins would surrender. This was due to the barbaric torture and treatment of those captured. So what did they do when they were losing and had no way out. They dived over the edge. I recall trembling in my sandals. I think I felt a little too much and it made me very emotional. Quietly, unlike many of my ancestors so long ago, I had the luxury of safely retreating down the mountain.

Back in the walled fortress I enter one of the many churches and thank god for my blessings and my freedom. More importantly I say a prayer for those who courageously built, defended, fought and died in this precious place. Kotor has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. I now know why.

It seems appropriate for me to share this recipe with you. For a couple of reasons. By the time I reached the peak of the mountain fortress, I was well and truly sweating and well....aaaaaaaaaaaaah.....I suppose "stuffed" to be honest. Many of the tourists only made it half way up. You must be joking! My will was way too strong. I travelled half way across the world and there was no way I wasn't going to drag myself up there if necessary. Thankfully we had water, otherwise I could be singing a different tune.

And of course this is my Montenegrin version of one of the Balkans most loved dishes. Punjene Paprike or Stuffed Peppers. It is as varied from region to region as are the pasta and the sauces of Italy. Everyone has their own way of preparing it. Everyone claims their way is the best. Here is mine. A heartier version I must say. Not as much sauce as some recipes. My version has originated from the northern end of the country, where the climate is colder and a heavier pepper was required to sustain workers and farmers through the day. I love eating them with salad. Or just as they are.



Stuffed Peppers

This is my regular recipe, however I made a huge batch hence the number in my pot.

6 red capsicums
1 large onion
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled & finely diced
2 small zucchini, finely diced
400gm mince, (traditionally lamb or pork) - I used beef
1 large bacon rasher, diced
A little under one cup of rice
1 x 400gm can tomatoes, pureed
1 potato, sliced (optional)
a teaspoon of Vegeta dissolved in a little hot water (traditional, but optional)
Salt, pepper, sweet paprika, sugar

Slice the tops off the capsicum. Take out the stem from the tops; reserve the flesh. Using a teaspoon, scoop away the white membrane along the inside of the capsicum. Turn upside down; tap gently with a spoon to remove any remaining seeds inside.


In a little olive oil saute garlic, onion, carrots and zucchini till softened. About 10mins; add two teaspoons of sugar. Fry for another minute.

In another pan; fry off the mince; drain excess oil; add bacon, 1 heaped teaspoon paprika and fry for only a minute. Set aside.



Add rice to the onion mixture and stir through; return to heat; add mince; stir through; add pureed tomatoes and some water; stir through.

Add salt, pepper, a little more sugar and some Vegeta if desired. I didn't add any Vegeta, but it is so traditional that I feel compelled to mention it. Remove from heat.

Begin to fill the capsicums with the mixture; not all the way to the top; the rice causes the mixture to expand. You should have mixture left after the capsicums have been stuffed. Spread the remaining mixture on the bottom of your pot or pan; place the stuffed capsicums on top. We do not want the capsicums to directly be touching the bottom of the pot. Arrange the capsicums so they are standing upright in your dish.



Take the capsicum tops with the stems removed and place them inbetween the standing capsicums to help support them and keep them in place during cooking. If you like you may also use thin potato slices.



Your pot should preferably have a very fitting lid. Over a low heat; cook the capsicums for between 40 and 50 minutes depending on the heat. Check for liquid absorption from time to time. You shouldn't need to add any more liquid as there should be a lot of steam circulating in the pot. If you have lots of liquid; take off the lid for the last ten minutes of cooking to help evaporate.

Your mixture on the bottom of the pan should have developed nice flavoursome browned bits throughout. Even a little crustiness is okay. Almost like the famous paella, the crusty rice on the bottom is the bit everyone fights over. It's gorgeous.

Serve immediately or keep for the following day when the flavours are soooo much better. The problem is when I smell them cooking, I can't wait till the next day. Hence the full pot; so I have some now and some tomorrow.



What a mamoth post this has been! I hate to say it again, but I feel truly stuffed.

Zdravo and Good Health.

Discovering Dubrovnik

Mitch and I had a fabulous time in Dubrovnik. I should say from the outset, that we had nothing planned. We simply got off the bus in Dubrovnik and left it up to the gods to direct us. Upon arrival we chose Jelena. She crammed our luggage into the back of her "how on earth can this thing move", little, old, beaten-up renault. The soaring temperature of the day reached 38 degrees celcius. We sweated and held on for dear life as she skillfully weaved her trusty vehicle through one way streets, beeping her way up the hills to alert any oncoming drivers. I couldn't believe it.

Jelena and her trusty car

When she pulled up beside the road, the car was literally almost touching the side of the wall. I couldn't open the door to get out, so I hopped over Jelena's seat. There was just enough "road" left for another car to pass, although she tells us her mirror is often knocked off and the car has many scrapes from 'careless' drivers. And this was a "main" road in the suburbs!

Perspiring the whole time, we climbed the loose and rocky steps that looked like they were made sometime BC. Struggling with our luggage we finally and breathlessly arrived at her apartment door. I was getting alarmed at this stage I must admit. She handed us a key, took us in and opened up the bedroom door to reveal the most spectacular view. We could even lie on our beds and soak up the view. Not that we did. We didn't waste a minute. We grabbed our towels and began walking to the sea via the old town. We just wanted to get wet. I recall the tremendous relief Mitch and I felt when we hit that water for the very first time. Given the unbearably high heat of the day, it was the best feeling ever. It was almost like we earned it. A reward I guess for the "unknowns" of the day that led us to a cosy corner with a crazy car-driving Croatian lady.

We could pick pomegranates straight off the tree next to our terrace.

Outside of Germany and Montenegro, Mitch and I travelled impulsively and without any itinery. It was nerve racking at times because we weren't sure where we would end up. Looking back now it was terrific because it was adventurous and exciting and sometimes even scary. Somehow everything just worked out. Mitch and I chose to walk almost everywhere. We never took a taxi and I recall we caught the bus twice because it was raining. I was feeling quite fit and fabulous at that time. I am rather annoyed with myself as I observe the growing 'podge' on my belly right now. Oh dear. Please enjoy some photos of our discovering Dubrovnik.
















We walked our tooshies off all around Dubrovnik and we explored the old town on three separate occasions. The sea fortress was simply amazing. People actually live there throughout the walled city which surprised us. Families doing what families do. Having their dinner together, tv's humming, phones ringing, computer keys tapping, laughter, arguments, so forth. They didn't have any lawns to mow. Lucky them. Many apartments did have pots with herbs and flowers nestling on or drapping over window sills.

Wherever we walked there were people and shops everywhere. And this bothered me. I said to Mitch I found the crowds and the mostly 'tacky' shops filled with kitch both overwhelming and disappointing. He handled it better than me. He accepted it for what it is and for what it has become today. We tried to get past it as we sat in a cafe having a drink overlooking the marina. At night we sat out along the edge of the water as far away from people as we could get and we tried to imagine Dubrovnik a long time ago. Apart from the "kissing couple" near us, we dangled our legs in the water, looking out to sea and we tried to visualize the enemy coming. I couldn't feel it. I looked at the fortress and all I could feel was people making money from tourists more than happy to part with their money. I felt rather sad. Although I didn't feel the atmosphere I was hoping for, I still admired the tough men of the day that built the fortress, that lived, fought and died by the fortress.


Outside of the fortress, I did admire the locals that lived there. The daily struggles of their lives, trying to make ends meet, taking in tourists to help them get by. Jelena and her mother told me about their lives, day to day and of a long time ago. Her mother recalls the bombing of Dubrovnik less than twenty years ago and the fear she lived through at that time. The hunger and the hardships and families sticking together through thick and thin. Jelena's mother seemed disallusioned with the youth of today. She talked about their lack of respect for the elderly, their selfishness and their lack of compassion and caring. She shed tears as she told me she would prefer to live under the bombs with families that cared and looked out for one another rather than for what life has become today.

She kept patting Mitch on the head and she 'blessed' him for travelling with and for looking after his mother. On the one hand I felt touched she chose to share her views of her life with me. On the other I was saddened to hear what those views were. Incidentally I should mention she knew full well I had Montenegrin blood in me, I was going to Montenegro and it was infact the Montenegrins who bombed so much of Dubrovnik. She showed no malice or anger toward me. Infact quite the opposite. She wished me a safe and happy journey and she was overwhelmed to hear that Mitch wanted to see where his grandfather came from.

Before I left with Jelena to go back to the bus station, I asked to see her mother. I slipped "a little" money into the elderly lady's hand and I thanked her for her generous and warm hospitality. She cried and kept "blessing" me all the way out of the door. As I stood there waiting for our bus, I kept thinking of what Jelena's mother had said. Of all the things that I was hoping to 'feel' in Dubrovnik, her words were actually what I 'felt' the most. Tearful and contemplative, I recall Mitch telling me "don't be sad ma" and to look forward to our next leg of the trip. The one that he had most been looking forward to. Finally, his grandfather's homeland was just around the bend.



PS: Watch for my next entry. A true Balkan beauty. Stuffed Peppers. It just didn't feel right for me to post it here. I really want to share it with you in Montenegro. See you there!!