• About the Author
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact Me
  • The Kitchen Crew
  • The Legal Necessities

More Savory, Less Sweet

Adventures in Food - Taste, Explore, Inspire and Share

Season’s Greetings with a story and a recipe!

12/15/2018 by Laura 4 Comments

Happy Holiday’s!  It’s been awhile since I showed up in this space.  In case you didn’t know the reason for my absence, I’ll explain now. Late last winter we decided it was time to move out of Seattle.  We had been talking about it for a few years.  For most of my career, I was tethered to the airport, so our choices were limited.  Once I cut those ties, we were free to move “almost” anywhere.  We wanted to stay fairly close to family and friends, and ensure Dave could continue with his band.  We moved Northwest about 70 miles to Camano Island.  Dave had spent many wonderful summers here on the island, and knew it was exactly where he wanted to be.  I took a little more convincing, but I finally came around.  It is an island only due to a slough that separates it from the mainland.  But, that separation makes a huge lifestyle difference!

It was the first time we sold a home, the first time we bought a home the conventional way, and the first time Dave made a major move in over 40 years.  The purging, packing, laughing, sorting, E-Baying, Craigs Listing, dumping, storing, and donating, continued for about 5 months.  There were repairs to be made to our home; including the last minute remodel of the main bath I insisted on.  When we weren’t packing, purging, repairing, or painting, we were house hunting.  Just typing this exhausts me.  Our house was finally listed in early July.  The Seattle market had been so crazy, we were concerned when it still hadn’t sold 3 weeks later.  Alas, we had a buyer and accepted an offer.  We agreed on a closing date of September 9th.  It was all of a sudden really real!  Dave was leaving his home of 40 years and I was leaving my home of 26 years.  And, we did not know where we were going.

The house hunt heated up.  We were all over the place in the Northwest corner of Washington, aided by our amazing relator, who has since become a dear friend.  We were determined to not be the ones that broke her record for number of houses looked at, which was 60 something.  We got to 40 something August 6th.  We fell in love with a house.  That date is significant, as our closing date was September 9.  We planned to close on both houses on that day, as we wanted to avoid putting the rest of our things in storage and moving twice.  I coordinated with the movers, the escrow companies with the detail and follow up required to get the Voyager to Mars, even though it was only a 70 mile move!  I am pleased to say, we did indeed close on both houses on the same day, the movers were where they were supposed to be, when they were supposed to be and we spent our first night in our new home on September 9th.

That first night was something.  Having lived on a very busy road in Seattle for over 25 years, we were both freaked out by how quiet it was in our new home.  It took a few days to adjust, but believe me, we have totally adjusted.  Listening to the wind rustle through the tall trees in our yard is better then any relaxation tape I have ever heard.

There are still a many boxes in the garage to sort through and both of us are figuring out how to best accommodate our hobbies in our new home.  I can tell you that my landscaping and gardening hobby is alive and well.  Between the fall sales, the amazing nurseries, and fantastic fall weather, I spent our first six weeks changing many things in our yard.  I planted nearly 500 bulbs that will bloom in spring.  We planted a dozen trees: fir, spruce, cedar, pine.  A dozen bushes: hydrangeas, azaleas, and ferns.  We have a long way to go, and I love every minute of it.

In addition to gardening, I’ve reunited with my yarn obsessed, knitting self of my past.  It has brought so much joy, friendship and community.  Not to mention, added many new pieces to my wardrobe.

What about cooking?  Yes there’s cooking.  I gave up an amazing gas range when we moved and we are both trying to figure out the electric stove situation.  We do have propane and a gas range is in the future.  I have not organized my photography gear as efficiently as I like, which makes shooting and blogging recipes fairly challenging.  I do take a lot of Instagram photos with my phone, and most of the dishes I prepare can be found here, in the blog archives.

I make these cookies, ON DEMAND, every year.  They are everyone’s favorite, including Santa’s.  Don’t worry Santa, I will have a nice warm batch of these waiting for you on Camano Island, just like every other year in Seattle.

So there you have it.  We are happier then happy, more blessed then we deserve to be and grateful for all things.  We hope you have a kind and peaceful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year!

Have a wonderful evening and thanks for stopping by.

More Savory Less Sweet

Laura, Dave, Jasper and Cooper

 

Santa’s Favorite Chunky Chocolate, Cranberry and Pistachio Cookies

The combination of dark bittersweet chocolate chunks, tart cranberries and salty, crunchy pistachios is divine.  The festive dark red cranberries and the bright green pistachios make this the favorite Christmas cookie at our house.  It may become the favorite at your house too!

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 085

(I doubled this recipe)

2 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup organic packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup organic cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup pistachio nuts,  toasted and coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, beating 3-5 minutes after each egg.   Add 1/2 the flour mixture and gently mix on low one or two minutes.  Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Add the remaining flour, nuts, chocolate, and cranberries and mix with your hands until all is thoroughly incorporated.

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 031.2

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into thirds. Shape each third into a log. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours.  (You can refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to one month.)  When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature about 15 minutes, while oven heats.

baking bible, cream puffs, blog cookies 058.2

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 042.2

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies,  err on the side of under baking.  Cookies always continue to bake a little after they have been removed from the oven.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Santa will be so pleased to find these cookies waiting for him on Christmas Eve!

 

Cookies??? Did someone say cookies????

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 057.2

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday Tagged With: Blogger, Chiristmas, chocolate, Cookies, cranberry, Pistachio, Santa, Swap

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

12/23/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

I don’t have a recipe today, but I thought I’d to check in to wish you a Merry Christmas.   I know it’s been awhile since I’ve showed up here!  I have been cooking, not to worry!  For the past few months, I’ve been consumed by my other passion: KNITTING!  Rather then styling, shooting and editing photos of food, I’ve been using the time to knit.  I’ll post a few knitted project pics in the coming weeks.  And, I’ll be back to posting recipes soon too!

Today, I wanted to give you a last minute gift idea.  As you know, I managed restaurants for many years and was a bartender for quite a few of those years.  One of my favorite hot drinks to serve was Blueberry Tea! There’s nothing “blueberry” about it.  However, the combination of the liquors and the bergamot from the Earl Grey tea, suggest a faint hint of “blueberry”.   If you need a gift for a harried hostess, an exhausted hairdresser, a busy neighbor or a good friend, THIS IS IT!

It’s so simple and cute to put together!  Grab a festive mug, a small Amaretto, a small Grand Marnier, and a few Earl Gray tea bags. Place some shredded red paper in the bottom of the mug. Write out the “Blueberry Tea” recipe on a note card. Arrange all in the mug. Tie it all up with cellophane and a cute ribbon! You just might want to make one for yourself too!

Have a great evening and enjoy the holiday.  Thanks for stopping by.  See you in 2018!

Laura

Filed Under: Holiday Tagged With: amaretto, blueberry, grand marnier, hot tea, last minute gift

Calling all lovebirds…a special meal for Valentine’s Day

02/04/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

I previously mentioned we are trying to create a little excitement at dinner time this year.  One way we are doing this is to randomly grab a cookbook, open it and make whatever is on that page!  I have to say, this “experiment” is working out very well!  While I did not make all three recipes below on the same day, I do think they would make an inspired meal for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, or any other “show the love” day for that matter.

This post is a little different, as I am going to just “refer” you to the recipes.  I am endorsing all of them as truly inspired and delicious, and I hope you will give them a try.  I have provided you links to the books and the specific recipes.  The photos are from the dishes I prepared for Dave and I.  I am privileged to own a copy of all the books referenced.

The Chocolate Orange Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting,  is absolutely delicious.  It is from Vivian Howard’s new cookbook, Deep Run Roots and was also featured on her PBS series A Chef’s Life. The book is heavy on southern, seasonal produce.  I cannot wait to cook from it this summer, when the fresh ingredients are readily available at the farmers market.  I made only 2 changes to the recipe.  I used two 9″ layer pans, rather than 3 8″ layer pans.  I also frosted the entire cake, sides and top.  It all worked out perfectly.

My next “open the book and cook” recipe is from Top Chef Master, Floyd Cardoz.  His new book Flavorwalla is filled with recipes inspired by what he cooks at home, what he grew up with and a few from the menus of his restaurants.  The Grilled Shrimp with Fennel and Radish Salad, is something that he served at Tabla.  It makes a wonderful first course, or a light meal.  It  gave me the chance to use my mandolin!  It’s a must for slicing the fennel and radishes perfectly thin.

I seem to be going backwards with the courses.  But hey, you can certainly start with chocolate cake if you want to….with a little ‘bubbly, and come back later  for the rest of the meal!

The main course is also from Flavorwalla!  This one was not a random recipe, but one I chose due to a craving for fresh, seared scallops.  It’s quite an unusual take on traditional pan seared scallops, with the Cider Glaze over the top and the Cumin Scented Cauliflower Puree underneath.  It all works!  It’s an amazingly flavorful dish.  Here is the link for Cider-Glazed  Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree.  I especially love the addition of cumin, ginger and shallot to the cauliflower puree.  It adds a wonderful depth of flavor and you will not miss the cream or butter at all!

So there ya go….Valentine’s or any other special occasion meal, all laid out for you.  All you have to do is shop and cook, pour the bubbly and light the candles.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful evening!

Laura

A few production photos….just for fun!

  

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Baking, Dessert, Fish and Seafood, Holiday, Memorable Events, Salads Tagged With: beets, cauliflowers, chocolate, cider, cream cheese, fennel, orange, pureed, scallops, shrimp

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread – Epicurious Holiday Cookie Contest

01/03/2015 by Laura Leave a Comment

It started with this email, received December 15, 2014:

“‘Tis the season for holiday baking and sharing! We invite you to recreate an Epicurious cookie recipe for the chance to win a Vitamix Professional Series 750 (valued at $639) and your cookie photo featured on Epicurious.com.”

How fun, cookies, photos – right up my alley; for December.  The blog is More Savory, Less Sweet, after all!  This will be my last sugar, chocolate, calorie laden post for awhile…Well, at least until Valentine’s Day!  There was a list of six cookie recipes to choose from.  I love shortbread cookies, and I happened to have a lot of chocolate on hand, so my choice was easy.  I did change it up a bit.  The recipe called for cutting the shortbread in rectangles, I chose to cut the dough into rounds instead.  It is amazing to Dave and I how much the chocolate changes the flavor of a plain shortbread cookie.  They are just delicious.  Enjoy!

choc dip shortbread 036.2

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread

yield
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

With its cloak of pure chocolate, this buttery cookie is sublime. For the best flavor, use a high-quality pure vanilla extract and the best chocolate you can find — preferably Valrhona. Melting the chocolate in two stages helps keep it at an even temperature — insuring that it will set evenly.
Ingredients
(I used all organic ingredients, where possible)
  • 2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • Sparkly sugar, if desired

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed just until smooth. Add flour and mix at low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and shape into 2 disks.

On lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece dough to 1/4-inch-thick rectangle. Using fluted pastry wheel or large knife, cut into 2- by 1-inch rectangles, or 2″ circles. Transfer cookies to baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough.

Prick each cookie several times with tines of fork, then chill 10 minutes. Sprinkle with decorators, sparkly sugar, if desired.  Bake until edges are golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks and cool completely.

shortbread01

To decorate: Line baking sheet with clean parchment or wax paper. In medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, melt half chocolate. Add remaining chocolate, remove bowl from heat, and stir occasionally until smooth. Pour into small bowl.

Dip each cookie halfway into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on baking sheet. Let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container at room temperature. (Do not refrigerate.)

choc dip shortbread 012

 

choc dip shortbread 017.2

Happy New Year, and thank you for following More Savory, Less Sweet!

 

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday Tagged With: chocolate, Epicurious, Epicurious Community Table, holidaycookiecontest, shortbread

Santa’s Favorite Chunky Chocolate, Cranberry, Pistachio Cookies – 2014 Food Blogger Cookie Swap

12/15/2014 by Laura 5 Comments

When I signed up for the 4th Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, there was no doubt in my mind which cookie I would be making.  Everyone seems to love this cookie.  It’s not frilly or fussy like a lot of holiday cookies.  The combination of dark bittersweet chocolate chunks, tart cranberries and salty, crunchy pistachios is divine.  The festive dark red cranberries and the bright green pistachios make this the favorite Christmas cookie at our house.  It may become the favorite at your house too!

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 085

Santa’s Favorite Chunky Chocolate, Cranberry, Pistachio Cookies

(inspired by David Lebovitz, Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Ready for Dessert)

(I doubled this recipe)

2 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup organic packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup organic cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup pistachio nuts,  toasted and coarsely chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

14 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, beating 3-5 minutes after each egg.   Add 1/2 the flour mixture and gently mix on low one or two minutes.  Remove the bowl from the mixer.  Add the remaining flour, nuts, chocolate, and cranberries and mix with your hands until all is thoroughly incorporated.

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 031.2

On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into thirds. Shape each third into a log. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours.  (You can refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to one month.)  When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature about 15 minutes, while oven heats.

baking bible, cream puffs, blog cookies 058.2

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 042.2

Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies,  err on the side of under baking.  Cookies always continue to bake a little after they have been removed from the oven.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Santa will be so pleased to find these cookies waiting for him on Christmas Eve!

Happy Holidays from More Savory, Less Sweet.

Cookies??? Did someone say cookies????

xmas, decor, tree, cookies 057.2

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday Tagged With: Blogger, Chiristmas, chocolate, Cookies, cranberry, Pistachio, Santa, Swap

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

03/17/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

There was no doubt we would make Corned Beef and Cabbage for a traditional Saint Patrick’s day dinner.  We love this meal and we always comment “why don’t we make this more often”?  Our only “twist” is using Guinness Stout as the cooking liquid.  Other than that, it is 100% traditional: corned beef, carrots, small potatoes and cabbage – roasted for many hours in a slow oven.

CornBeef and Cake 061.2

What was not so traditional was the Orange Cornmeal and Almond flour cake I made for dessert.  Dave asked me “How is this cake Irish”?

I explained that I was browsing Irish recipes on the Saveur website,  when I came across the most beautiful Irish blog, Farmette.  The cake recipe was created by an Irish chef, Donal Skehan and included in his new book, Homecooked,  and was featured on Farmette as part of a virtual book tour.  In spite of the fact that none of the ingredients come from Ireland, my explanation was accepted and we agreed this was an Irish dessert.

I followed the recipe exactly the first time, using polenta.  The cake was far too gritty and heavy.  I made it a second time with finely ground corn meal and it came out perfect.  I am wondering if Irish polenta is more finely ground than the Bob’s Red Mill polenta I had on hand.  I increased the ingredient quantities to fit a 9″ pan, rather than the 8″ pan used in the original recipe.  I added “semi-candied” orange peel*, as a garnish.

CornBeef and Cake 054.3

ORANGE CORNMEAL CAKE

adapted from Orange Polenta Cake with Honey and Rosewater Syrup, Donal Skehan, Homecooked, via Farmette blog

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 cups almond flour

1 cup finely ground corn meal

1/3 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free flour blend, such as Cup 4 Cup)

2 heaped tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cup caster (bakers) sugar

12 ounces softened butter

4 large eggs

Grated zest of 3 large oranges

Additional 2 oranges if making candied orange peel garnish

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Creme fraiche, to serve

CornBeef and Cake 032.2

1. Preheat the oven to 350′.  Grease a 9″ diameter springform pan, then line the base with baking parchment.

2. Place cardamom in a bowl together with the almond flour, corn meal, all purpose flour and baking powder.

3. Beat the sugar and butter in a bowl until the mixture is light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Fold the dry ingredients into this mixture with a spatula until just combined. Add two-thirds of the orange zest together with the vanilla extract, and just fold through.

CornBeef and Cake 034.2

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place it on the middle rack of the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and the pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

FOR  THE  SYRUP

Juice of 2 large oranges

1/4 cup of sugar

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liquor (optional)

5. Prepare the syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small saucepan over a medium heat and bringing to a steady simmer.

6. Pierce holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer while it is cooling and pour over half the syrup, a little at a time, until the cake has soaked it up. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts, drizzle with the remaining syrup and sprinkle with remaining orange zest to decorate.

7. Serve in slices with a little creme fraiche.

*Laura’s Semi-Candied Orange Peel

I wanted something quick and pretty.  Searching the web did not really give me the results I wanted, which led to my little experiment.  I made the orange peel “shreds” using the special peeler I bought to make Green Papaya Salad.  It worked really well.  I put the shreds in a pyrex bowl, covered them with a little water, covered the bowl  and microwaved it on high for 4 minutes.  I drained the water, covered the shreds with 1/2 cup of sugar, a little more water, covered the bowl, and cooked another 5 minutes on high in the microwave.  I let it cool for a few minutes and then removed the shreds from the bowl with a fork, onto a cutting board.  They were not as curly as I wanted, so I wrapped them around a chop stick, held them for a second, and let them continue to cool.  It was a lot of extra work, but I really like the results!

CornBeef and Cake 040.2

CornBeef and Cake 039.2

 CornBeef and Cake 014.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday, Irish Tagged With: almond flour, carrots, corned beef, cornmeal, holiday, oranges

Laura’s 8 Layer Lasagna Bolognese

01/03/2014 by Laura Leave a Comment

Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone but there is one more holiday dinner that tops our list.  Hopefully this will become a tradition, as this is the second year of the “post-rehersal” band family dinner.  I am very excited to host the Fentons and their  families this year.  Need to know more about the Fentons?  Follow this link: http://www.fentonstwang.com/

The Menu

  • Laura’s Lasagna Bolognese
  • Grilled Vegetable Platter
  • Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew – our Vegan option (post to follow)
  • Tossed Green Salad
  • Sourdough Bread (previously posted)
  • Southern Pecan Coconut Cream Cake (posted 01/03/14)

lasagna and cake 092

 

lasagna and cake 067

The Lasagna

Depending on how big of a pan of lasagna you are making, you may need to double the sauce recipe.  The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.  I received a new lasagna pan that is HUGE, so I tripled the sauce recipe. http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/91156-chefs-lasagna-pan.aspx

Bolognese Sauce (adapted from 25 Favorite Classics, Food and Wine Magazine, September 2003)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 celery rib, finely diced

1 pound coarsely ground beef chuck

1 pound coarsely ground pork

1/4 pound mortadella, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 small can tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

Two 28-ounce can Italian whole tomatoes, chopped, with their juices

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped basil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole, melt the  butter in the oil. Add the garlic, pancetta, carrot, onion and celery and cook over moderately low heat until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes.

Add the ground beef and pork and cook over moderate  heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains,  about 8 minutes.

Stir in the mortadella and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, the stock, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon each of the parsley and basil and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very thick.  I like to simmer this sauce at least 4 hours.

Reduce heat to very low, stir the cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons of parsley and 1 tablespoon of basil into the meat sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Béchamel Sauce (adapted from Cuisine at Home, February 2004)

I doubled this due to the large size of the lasagna I am making.

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup finely diced yellow onion

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

pinch if nutmeg

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups of whole milk

10 ounces Boursin or Aluette cheese

8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 egg, beaten

Saute the onion for the béchamel sauce in melted butter over medium heat.  Add cayenne and nutmeg and cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes.  Stir in flour to make a light rue.  Cook about 2 minutes.  Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth.  Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Add the Boursin in small pieces and whisk until smooth.  Set aside 2 cups of the sauce to top the lasagna.  Cool remaining sauce for 10 minutes.  Whisk in the spinach and the beaten egg.  Set aside.

For the lasagna

Prepared lasagna noodles or pasta sheets, enough to create 4-5 layers of pasta in your pan

1-2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese – or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

1 pound Grated Parmesan cheese –  or more – depending on the size of your pan and recipe

Spray your lasagna dish with non-stick spray.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of béchamel sauce.  Place a layer of noodles over the sauce.  Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the noodles.  Spread a layer of meat sauce over the béchamel sauce.  Top with a generous layer of mozzarella and then sprinkle with parmesan.

lasagna and cake 006   lasagna and cake 007

Layer another layer of pasta.  Cover with a thin layer of béchamel.  Cover the béchamel with a layer of meat sauce, then mozzarella, then parmesan.  Repeat two more times., finishing with a layer of noodles.

lasagna and cake 009    lasagna and cake 011

Spread the last noodles layer with the reserved béchamel sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan.

lasagna and cake 028

Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly at 375′ for approximately 45-60 minutes.  Let the lasagna “rest” for a least 20 minutes before serving.

The Fentons – L to R: Norman, Snake, Blackie, Howard, Mrs. Chaz Fenton, and Chaz

bw band 086

Sometimes,  a couple of pictures tell the whole story!

lasagna and cake 082  lasagna and cake 084

Filed Under: Holiday, Memorable Events, One Pot Meal, Pasta

Finnish Cardamom Bread – Nissua – Pulla

12/26/2013 by Laura 4 Comments

I first posted this recipe last March when I started my blog.  I am reposting it with better pictures and step by step instructions.  I make this every year for my Dad at Christmas.  The recipe  was handed down to me by my Mom.  I do not know the origin.  It does take about 5 hours, start to finish due to multiple risings.  I typically double the recipe, to make 4 loaves.  This year I used King Arthur Bread Flour, and the results were better than ever!  The only problem with this post is you can not smell the bread baking!

christmas 2013 138

Ingredients

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in the bottom of the mixing bowl (warm the mixing bowl and bread hook in hot water first)

1 cup half and half (my recipe calls for evaporated milk, which I don’t care for)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon ground cardamom (make sure it is fresh)

2 eggs, slightly beaten in a separate bowl before adding to mixer

2 cups of flour (You will need 4 cups total)

Add the above ingredients to the mixing bowl.  Using the bread hook attachment, stir the ingredients together on 1 or 2 until combined.

1/2 cup melted butter

Add the melted butter and continue to stir until mixture is smooth and glossy.

christmas 2013 106

Add the remaining two cups flour.  Continue mixing until dough is smooth, pulls away from sides of bowl, and forms a ball.

Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

christmas 2013 110

Turn the mixer back on and “knead” the dough about 8 more minutes.  (You can also turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead by hand, if you wish.)

Place dough in a buttered bowl.  Cover and let raise one hour.

Punch down, flip, and let dough rise again until doubled.  About 1 more hour.

christmas 2013 112

Using your food scale, divide dough in half.  (In half again if making a double batch – 4 loaves.)  Divide each half into thirds.  Roll into even stands.  Braid the 3 strands together to form the loaves.  Repeat for the other loaves.

christmas 2013 114

 

christmas 2013 117

Place on slightly greased parchment paper on a baking sheet.  Cover and let raise for 30 minutes.

christmas 2013 121

Preheat oven to 375′.  Before baking, brush each loaf with an egg wash and sprinkle with sparkly sugar of your choice.  Bake about 10 minutes, rotate pans, bake another 10 minutes.

christmas 2013 124.2

 Merry Christmas Dad!

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday, Memorable Events Tagged With: cardamom, nissua, pulla

Holiday Cookies – It’s the most sugar-ful time of the year…..

12/21/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

I guess you can tell by my lack of posts, things have been a little busy around here!  Between a few big projects at work and getting ready for Christmas, there has not been time to photograph and write as routinely as I like.

I love to bake.   I do not bake often as neither my husband nor I need piles of treats around!  When I do bake, it is to share and Christmas is my favorite time of the year for sharing treats with my friends and family.  This year was no different from years past, when I stated, “I am just going to do a couple of things”.   As you can see, that did not happen.  As soon as the calendar hits November 1st, the magazines, and blog posts, and emails all feature a NEW sugary concoctions that MUST be tried!  Our kitchen has been coated with a light dusting of flour for over three weeks.   The dining room table is covered in containers and sheet pans and sugar.  Once again, I got a little carried away, but I had a lot of help!

holiday baking, snow 215.2

laura_cookie_idea_2_with_test_centered

The Fudge

holiday baking, snow 204

I always start with fudge.  My Grandmother and my Mom always made fudge at the holiday’s.  I have a couple of friends that  start calling the first week of December, wondering if it has been made yet!  I use the basic Kraft marshmallow cream fudge recipe.  However, I use very good quality chocolate and nuts to make it special. (I triple the recipe to fill a 2″ hotel pan, which is 12″ x 20″)

3 cups  sugar
3/4 cup  butter
1 small  can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk.)
12 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use 60% bittersweet and 40% semisweet Scharffen Berger chocolate)
1 jar  (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme
1 cup  chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
1 tsp.  vanilla

Butter a 9″ square pan. Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 4 min. or until candy thermometer reaches 234°F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. 

Warm the chocolate in a small glass bowl in the microwave, for about 30 seconds.  Add the chocolate and marshmallow creme; stir until melted.  Mix and mix and mix some more with an electric beater!   Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

Pour into prepared pan; spread to cover bottom of pan. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Christmas Toffee Bars, from “Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies”

holiday baking, snow 200

Makes one 13 x 9 inch pan.  I doubled the recipe to make one 13 x 18 half sheet pan.

For the crust, combine the following ingredients.  Press into the buttered baking dish.  Bake at 350′ for 8 minutes.

2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (smash in a zip lock bag)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter

While the crust is baking, melt together 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil 1 minute.   Pour the mixture over the baked crust.  Return to the oven, bake 10 more minutes and let rest 2 minutes.

Sprinkle 8 ounces of chopped chocolate, or one cup of chocolate chips over the bars.  Spread to smooth.  Top the chocolate with 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans.  Let the bars cool completely and cut into 1″ squares.

Black Forest Crinkle Cookies, from “Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies”

holiday baking, snow 193

Whisk together:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt 1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons, unsalted butter in a small bowl

add 1/3 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process), 1 egg, 2 Tablespoons of strong coffee, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract.  Mix well.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Fold in 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces and 1/3 cup dry, chopped tart cherries.

Chill for dough about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350′  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roll the dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in powdered sugar, 2 times.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  Let cookies cool on pan 5 minutes before moving to rack.

Savory Fennel Pollen Shortbread with Red Onion Jam, from Ashley Rodriguez, Not Without Salt Blog

holiday baking, snow 194

If you haven’t checked out Not without Salt, you are missing out on great recipes and delightful stories.  I am lucky to have taken Ashley’s Cookie Boot Camp class at The Pantry at Delancey, where I first had the shortbread cookies with jam.  Spread the cookies with a little goat cheese or blue cheese, and top with the red onion jam for the perfect appetizer or dessert.   I cannot think of a better accompaniment to a midnight glass of champagne, than these cookies.

Red Onion Jam, adapted from Food & Wine

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 medium sweet onions, julienned

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup grenadine

pinch of salt

Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until soft and just translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the sugar, wine, vinegar, grenadine and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 35 minutes. Transfer the onion jam to a bowl and let cool.

Fennel Pollen Shortbread, adapted from Ina Garten

3/4 pound butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fennel pollen, plus about 2 more Tablespoons for rolling the dough in (You can find at a few gourmet stores and online.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the fennel pollen. In a medium bowl, sift together, with a whisk, flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Roll into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a generous amount of fennel pollen to cover the the log. Cover in wax paper or parchment. Chill until firm.

Carefully slice the log into 1/4″ cookies. Place the cookies on an sheet pan covered with parchment. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Fleur de Sel Caramels, Ina Garten, Food Network Magazine

holiday baking, snow 177

I have been making these for about 4 years now.  Due to a faulty candy thermometer, it took three tries this year!  Take my advice – use two thermometers, or at least one that your trust implicitly!  I actually quadruple this recipe and use a 10″ x 15″ glass pan.  I recommend making the single recipe and watching a video or two, if you have not made candy before.  Dave, the WRAPPER, saved a lot of time this year by using pre-cut candy wrappers!

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup of water

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy whipping cream

5 tablespoons butter, unsalted

1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel,  plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Butter an 8″ square baking pan, set aside.

In a deep, heavy saucepan  combine  1/4 cup water, the sugar and white corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don’t stir — just swirl the pan.  Very important to prevent the formation of crystals.

While the sugar syrup is cooking, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful — it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.  (I also used my digital thermometer.)

Very carefully (it’s hot!) pour the caramel into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel.  Cool until firm.

When the caramel is firm, cut into squares by prying one strip at a time from the baking pan, and cutting on a cutting board. Wrap the candies.

 

Lemon Thyme Wreaths, From  The Art of the Cookie: Baking Up Inspiration by the Dozen by Shelly Kaldunski

holiday baking, snow 191.2

This cookie almost won me a trip to the loony bin!  It was one of the last minute impulse cookies, I made.  It showed up in my email box from I Village Food, looking so lovely, I had to try them.  When Dave saw me placing the thyme leaves on the cookies with a pair of tweezers, he became very worried that I had “gone over the edge of the cookie sheet”, so to speak!  They were fun to make and are very pretty as well as tasty.

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting and rolling

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, separated

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves and tips picked

1/2 Recipe Royal Icing: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

In a bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, the baking powder, and the salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2—3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and lemon zest and juice and beat on low speed until the egg is completely incorporated. Beating on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and continue to beat just until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Press the dough into a 7-inch (18-cm) disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white with 2 teaspoons water.

On a lightly floured work surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using a 21⁄2-inch (6-cm) round cookie cutter, cut out as many shapes as possible. Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared sheets, spacing them 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut a small circle from the center of each shape. Press the dough scraps together, roll out, and cut out additional wreaths. Brush each wreath with the reserved egg white mixture and top with the thyme leaves and sanding sugar.

Bake until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges, 14 – 17 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Using the spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool, about 30 minutes. Spoon the icing into a paper cone with a 1⁄8-inch (3-mm) round tip (page 15). Pipe dots of icing on each wreath. Let the icing dry completely, about 2 hours.

Raspberry Streusel Bars, from The Joy of Cooking

holiday baking, snow 198.2

This is one of my favorite cookies to enjoy with a cup of coffee.  Almost more of a pastry than a cookie.  I made them special this year, by using my raspberry jam that I made this summer.  (See “Keeping Up With Summer”post, August 10, 2013)  I doubled the recipe and made a 13 x 18 1/2 sheet pan.

Generously grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  Stir together in the bowl of a food processor:

2 cups of all purpose flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Add 12 ounces, 1 1/2 sticks, cold, unsalted butter, cut in small cubes.  Pulse mixture, as you would making pie crust.  Add in 3 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of almond extract.  Pulse a couple more times. Firmly press the dough into the baking pan.  Refrigerate 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375′.  Bake 12-15 minutes until the dough is just firm.  Remove from oven and spread the crust with once cup of raspberry preserves or jam.

Prepare the streusel topping.  Whisk together:

1 1/4 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle over the top:

8 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes.

Pulse the mixture in the food processor until crumbly.  Add 3/4 cup sliced, blanched almonds and 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats.  Pulse again to mix. Add in 1 beaten egg mixed with 2 tablespoons of milk.  Pulse a few times to blend.  Crumble mixture over the raspberry preserves.  Return to oven and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until streusel is lightly brown.  Cool completely and cut into bars.

Mexican Wedding Cakes, from The Joy of Cooking

xmas cookies 002.2

2 sticks softened, unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add in the chopped nuts.  Slowly add in the flour.  Roll the dough into one inch balls.  Bake at 350′ on a parchment lined baking sheet until faintly brown, about 12 minutes.  Let the cookies cool completely and then roll in powdered sugar.   Store in airtight container.

Peppermint and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

holiday baking, snow 186.2

This cookie came to be because I was given a jar of crushed peppermint candy at a trade show!  I was determined to use up all the baking “stuff” I had accumulated over the past year.  My nephew and husband are really enjoying these cookies!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

24 ounces good quality white chocolate chips

1 cup crushed peppermint candies

1 additional bag of white chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon of milk (or more) to make chocolate drizzle for decorating cookies. (Melt chocolate in microwave in 30 second increments.  Stir in between.  Add vegetable oil and milk and thin to desired thickness.  Place in parchment “cone”.  Cut tip and drizzle over cookies.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt, in a small bowl, set aside.  Cream butter and sugar together until light in color, in large bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the vanilla then the  eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Reduce the speed on the mixer and add in the flour mixture.  Do not over mix.  Stir in the chocolate and crushed peppermint.  Place dough on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper, and roll into a log.  Chill overnight, minimum.  When ready to bake, slice the logs into 1/4-1/3 inch thickness.  Bake cookies on parchment lined baking sheets about 9 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Let cookies sit on baking sheet about 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack.  Decorate with white chocolate drizzle, if desired.

Coconut Macaroons with a Surprise Center, from Cuisine at Home, Holiday Cookies

holiday baking, snow 212.2

These are called “inside-out” Almond Joy Macaroons in the cookbook.  This year, I wanted a cookie without nuts, so I used plain chocolate kisses, rather than the chocolate almond kisses I have used in the past.    These lean more toward candy than cookie and are absolutely yummy!

1 package sweetened, shredded coconut

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup cream of coconut

3 egg whites

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

32, approximately, chocolate kiss candies, with or without almonds

Mince 1 1/2 cups of the coconut in a food processor.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining coconut to the minced coconut and all the other ingredients, except the chocolate kisses.  Mix until well combined.  Chill dough in refrigerator at least one hour.  Preheat oven to 350′.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Shape a spoonful of coconut mixture around a chocolate kiss, enclosing the candy completely.  Place on baking sheet about 1″ apart.  Bake until cookies are firm and deep golden at the base and lightly golden on the top.  Let the macaroons cool on the sheet about 5 minutes before moving to rack. Store in airtight containers.

Extra big Christmas hugs to my husband Dave and my nephew Jacob for the food styling, lighting, photography of all these goodies! And to Jasper and Cooper for keeping the floor clean throughout the entire process!

From the crew at More Savory, Less Sweet – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

jasper puppy

 

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday Tagged With: caramel, fudge

Rummy Pumpkin Cheesecake

11/28/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

Somehow I got in my head I wanted Pumpkin Cheesecake this year for Thanksgiving dessert.  I  knew I wanted a gingersnap crust and a little shot of something to deepen the flavor.  Having recently stocked the liquor cabinet for the holidays, it came to me.  I would use rum as my flavoring.  Zaya Rum to be exact.  Zaya is an amber rum from Trinidad and Tobago, a friend introduced us to awhile back.   With heady notes of caramel and vanilla, it is Rummy Yummy!  It makes an amazing eggnog, but is actually wonderful all on its own!  My cheesecake recipe is inspired by the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake in Gourmet Magazine, November 2003.  My changes are the liquor and the gingersnaps.

cheesecake and chili 081

For the Crust

1 9″ Springform pan, buttered

4 1/2 ounces gingersnaps (about 1 cup when ground)

1/2 cup pecans

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) melted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor.  Process until finely ground.

Add the melted butter and pulse a couple more times to blend.  Pat the mixture into the pan.  Refrigerate while you prepare the filling. cheesecake and chili 003.1

For the Filling

Pre heat oven to 350′

1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons sour cream

1/4 cup Zaya Rum

1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 8 ounce packages of Cream Cheese

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whip until soft. In another bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, sour cream, rum, spices and salt.  Mix well.  Add this mixture to the cream cheese and blend until smooth and completely mixed.

cheesecake and chili 009

Pour the filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a spatula.  Bake until the center is set – about 60-75 minutes.

cheesecake and chili 021

For the Sour Cream Topping

1 1/2 cups of sour cream

1 teaspoon rum

1 teaspoon sugar Mix all together in a small bowl.

Apply to top of cheesecake as directed below.

cheesecake and chili 048.1

Move the cheesecake to a rack to cool, 5 minutes.  Top with the sour cream topping, and bake 5 more minutes.

Allow the cheesecake to cool completely on rack.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

cheesecake and chili 076.1

Filed Under: Baking, Holiday Tagged With: gingersnap, pumpkin

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Looking for a particular recipe? Search here!

Stay in touch!

Enter your email address to subscribe to More Savory Less Sweet, and receive notifications of new posts by email.

What we’re doing when we’re not blogging!

Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
Error: There is no connected account for the user 17841401233545030.
Foodista Food Blog of the Day Badge

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Child Theme for More Savory, Less Sweet on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in