Plum Galette

Yesterday I wanted pie and I also wanted to use some plums that were waiting around looking sad. Having no real recipe, I searched for apricot galette thinking the plums were apricot. I found some basic ideas and made up a recipe.  The results were delicious! This was quick and easy and you could whip it up in time for unexpected guests who think you were in the kitchen all day!

Ingredients:
4 plums, sliced
1 T cornstarch
1T sugar (could add more depending on sweetness of plums)
1T lemon juice
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 t almond extract (optional)
1 egg, beaten
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (Mine didn't thaw all the way and the results were a bit doughy which actually I liked better)
Raw Sugar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400
2. Stir all ingredients through almond extract together in a bowl and let sit 15 minutes
3. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet or rimmed cookie sheet. Place the puff pastry on the middle of the tray and pinch the seams together
4. Pile the filling in the center of the dough and then fold up the sides to keep the juices inside, pinching the edges. Pour the excess juices from the bowl over the fruit stack.
5. Brush egg over the top of the galette. If desired, sprinkle with raw sugar.
6. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and a little bit bubbly
7. Let sit a few minutes before cutting

Spice Muffins with Applesauce

School started this week and I was hungry for fall. I looked for Spice Muffin recipes and found this one from epicurious. They were really delicious! I only made a few slight modifications and failed to take any pictures at all. These aren't healthy but they sure are a delicious treat!

Ingredients
For muffins:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking spice (we didn't have allspice)
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used only 6oz and it was fine)
For topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking spice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
1. Mix together applesauce, butter and eggs in a large bowl. Add spices.
2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
3. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
4. Spoon batter into greased or lined muffin tins
5. Mix together the topping and sprinkle over the tops of the muffins
6. Bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Let cool briefly before serving.
Makes 12 muffins

Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

I've been on a real potato salad kick this summer! Last weekend, I attended a salad baby shower and decided to make a smoked salmon potato salad because 1. It was the single opportunity I've had in years where there would be fish eaters there and 2. I recently had a similar salad at the restaurant Lemonade and was interested in recreating it.  I think mine was better!  I adapted the recipe from Serious Eats and basically tried to recreate all the great things of bagels & lox but with potato salad.  I think I did a pretty good job and so did the guests! I got multiple requests for the recipe!!

I didn't take any pictures though :(

Smoked Salmon Potato Salad

Ingredients

2+lbs new or fingerling potatoes, cut into large chunks (the recipe calls for 2lbs but I'm sure I used more because that was a lot of potato salad)

16oz sour cream

juice of one lemon

2 3.5oz packages of lox-style smoked salmon, sliced into strips

1 bunch of dill, removed from stems

1 bunch of tarragon, chopped

salt & pepper

1 red onion, chopped

1-2 T white or apple cider vinegar

capers, optional

1. Put the potatoes in cold water and bring to a boil. Boil 10 min or until tender. Drain and place potatoes in a bowl. Immediately douse them in the vinegar.

2. Mix sour cream, lemon juice, herbs and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

3. When potatoes are cooled slightly or room temperature, toss them, the lox and the onions, the capers (if using) in the sour cream mixture

4. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Grilled Donuts with ice cream and blueberry sauce

We had friends over a few weeks ago so we decided to go crazy and make this recipe for grilled donuts with ice cream and blueberry sauce we saw in Food & Wine earlier this summer as a very special treat.

The hardest part about this recipe is that you need to start with clean grill grates. If you are one of those people that clean the grill grates every time you cook then you are already set! We aren't that kind of people and it took my husband no less than half the day to clean our grates.

This recipe is delicious! It is most definitely rich, it is certainly not healthy but it's a really fun summertime treat!

Ingredients:

6 day-old glazed donuts, sliced in half
2 Tbls softened butter
vanilla ice cream, for serving
2 pints blueberries (4 cups)
1/2 cup Chambord or other raspberry liquoure (1 of the tiny containers at bevmo works)
1/3 cup sugar
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the sauce:
1. Simmer 3 cups of blueberries, chambord, sugar and a pinch of salt over medium heat until blueberries begin to burst, about 15 min. Add the remaining blueberries and the lemon juice and keep warm if serving right away. Otherwise, this can be refrigerated and made ahead and then reheated slowly for serving.
2. Heat a gas grill to moderate heat. Butter donuts cut sides. Place buttered side down on the grates and grill 2-3 minutes or until lightly charred.
3. Serve donuts warm with blueberry sauce and vanilla ice cream