Cheese puffs for a crowd!

Gougeres are the french term for cheese puff. They are little bits of cheese heaven. It is made with a pate a choux dough. This is the same dough that is used to make eclairs and cream puffs. Pate a choux maybe a little tricky if you have never tried it before. Don't worry, I will guide you through it.

In this recipe it is very important to weigh out the flour and the cheese. Also, make sure to use extra large eggs. They provide the structure of this dough and it may not come out properly if you use large in place of them. If you follow this recipe exactly as written, it will come out perfectly every time. I guarantee it.  These are great served with champagne or other sparkling bubbly.

Gougeres

Serves: 40-50 puffs      Cook Time:  30 min   Prep Time: 20 min

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 5 oz bread flour
• 3 extra large eggs
• 5 oz gruyere,shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Directions

Heat milk, water,nutmeg, salt and butter in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Then add the flour. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Place back over heat and mix until dough comes away from the side of the pan. Transfer dough to a mixer. Continue mixing on low speed until cool. Let cool 4-5 minutes or until you can touch the dough with your fingers for 5-10 seconds without burning. If you put the eggs in to early they will cook and you will need to start again. Once cool add eggs one at a time. Wait until the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once the eggs are all incorporated add rosemary and gruyere cheese. Place a tablespoon of the dough on a parchment lined tray. Space about 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

An elegant appetizer!

A nutty smoothy!

Smoothies are my go to morning breakfast. They are loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, they taste delicious too! It's a great way to sneak some veggies in as well. This smoothie is so scrumptious that it could be served as a dessert. Sometimes, I add cacao powder for an extra oxidant boost. If your allergic to peanuts, substitute cashew, almond, or walnut butter. To spice this drink up a bit add cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Serves: 2   Cook Time: 0 min      Prep Time: 2 min

• 1 Cup Milk or Milk Substitute
• 1 large ripe Banana, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Honey
• a handful of ice

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender and enjoy.

A healthy dip!

Hummus is a wonderful middle eastern dip to have in your fridge. Instead of buying those expensive and high in sodium pre made hummus, try making it yourself. It will save you some money and taste fabulous!

Hummus is not only easy and taste great, but its a great source of nutrients. It's highly nutritional due to a high source of fiber and protein.  Hummus is low in sodium, fat and calories. The veggies that you dip in it, give you an additional nutritional boost. Enjoy this snack and be guilt free.

It took me awhile to achieve a smooth hummus. I had made it multiple times before and couldn't perfect the texture. There were many techniques to increase it being smooth, but did I really wanna spend time removing all the skins from chickpeas or starting from dried beans? This is supposed to be a quick and easy snack. After many trials and recipe adjustments, I had found a wonderfully quick way to make a beautifully smooth hummus.

Hummus Ingredients

Hummus

All ingredients are in

• 1 15 oz. can Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans, drained and liquid reserved

• 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 Lemon, juiced and zested (zest optional)

• 2 Tablespoons Tahini (sesame seed paste)

• 1/4 Cup Chickpea Liquid

• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

• 1 Clove Garlic

• Salt to taste

Directions

Place all ingredients except lemon zest in food processor or Vitamix. Make sure to stir your tahini. It is like the peanut butter of the middle east. It separates when it sits, so mix it up a bit. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and lemon zest to taste. Serve with cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, pita bread, or pita chips.

A delightful dip!

Some alternative uses for hummus include:

• middle eastern style seven layer dip
• middle eastern style pizza
• sandwich spread
• can be made in a light salad dressing
• serve with falafel

A colorful presentation!

A tropical granola!

Granola is a wonderful snack and easily adaptable to whatever maybe in your pantry. It's fabulous with milk or yogurt. This granola would taste delightful with some fresh pineapple or mangoes. It will bring your senses to the tropics. Right now in Ohio, we are not yet experiencing spring weather, but this granola will make your day much brighter and warmer.

Don't forget to make this granola your own. Use whatever nuts or dried fruit you have around the house. You may also switch out the sweetener for brown sugar, sugar or agave nectar if you like. For a richer, granola you may use butter in place of coconut oil.

For a nutrient kick, add flaxseeds, chia seeds or even some dried milk for a protein boost.

Tropical Flavors

Hawaiian Granola

Mixed Granola

Serves: 8-10   Cook Time: 35-40 min      Prep Time: 5 min

• 3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 Cup Macademia Nut, roughly chopped
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• 1 Egg White, slightly beaten
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1/4 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 Cup Crystallized Ginger, minced

Directions

Combine all ingredients except crystallized ginger. Bake at 325 degree F for 40 minutes or until golden brown and dried out. Stirring every 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Then add crystallized ginger and stir to combine.

Finished Granola

A delightful garnish and snack!

Onion straws are a delicious snack and beautiful garnish.  You can buy them in can, but its so easy to make them from scratch!  The flavor and texture is outstanding.  Once you one of these you will not stop.  These are sure to become a family favorite.  Traditionally, I make these for Thanksgiving as a garnish for the green beans and mushrooms.  But I encourage you to experiment with these delightful garnish!

Thinly Sliced Vidalia Onions

Onion Straws

Coated Onions

Serves: 6-8   Cook Time: 3-4 min      Prep Time: 5 min

• 2  Vidalia onions, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat vegetable or canola oil to 350F. Mix flour,salt and pepper.  Line a plate with paper towels.  Once oil has reached 350F add a handful of onions to the flour mixture.  Coat the onions and shakes slightly to remove excess. Add to oil and cook until brown and crisp. Remove and salt again if needed. Enjoy!

Frying Onions at 350F

Add spices that may be added to the flour mixture include:

• cayenne
• chili powder
• seasoning salt
• garlic powder
• smoked paprika

These onion straws are great on items such as:

• green beans
• hamburgers
• steaks
• portabella mushrooms
• potatoes

Of course they are great on their own as well, but use your imagination.  These onion straws make an excellent garnish for many dishes and add to the presentation of the dish!

Crispy Onion Straws

The sweeter side of salsa!

Most salsa usually involves dicing up tomatoes and adding aromatics (onions, garlic, pepper). This unique salsa has a couple of twists from the traditional. First, it is made up of stone fruits: peaches, nectarines and plums. Next, it is not spicy at all. This fruity salsa could be a healthy dessert or a great snack. Lastly, the fruit in this salsa is grilled to add another level of flavor and complexity. Enjoy another great grilling recipe for the summer!

Grilled Stone Fruit Salsa

Serves: 4          Cook Time: 2 min          Prep Time: 10 min

• 2 peaches
• 2 nectarines
• 2 plums
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons honey, divided
• 4 Sprigs Lemon Balm, chiffonade
• Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips for dipping

Directions

Cut all stone fruit in half around the pit, remove pit and arrange on sheet tray. Combine melted butter and 1 tablespoon of honey. Brush the flesh side with honey and butter mixer. Meanwhile, heat grill until very hot. Once heated, place flesh side down. Let cook 1-2 minutes or until char marks are formed. Remove and place on parchment lined sheet pan. Once cool, dice. Combine with remaining ingredients. Garnish with whole lemon balm leaves. If you cannot find lemon balm, you can use lemon verbena, basil or mint instead. Enjoy as a healthy snack or place over yogurt or ice cream. The fruit alone can be eaten with ice cream or yogurt as well.

Tip- Chiffonade, this word sounds much more complicated than it is.  This culinary term means to shred.  In order to do this, stack a few leaves and roll up.  Slice vertically in to thin shreds.  It helps if your knife is very sharp.  This can be done with mint or basil as well.  It may be used on spinach or other greens to create a beautiful quick cooking greens, that can be sautéed or cooked in broth.

A nutty treat!

Candied walnut nuts are a favorite of my family and friends. They are often used on salads as a topping to add to the variety of flavors. Candied nuts are also delicious on their own, and can even be used in cookies and cakes. When placed in a nice bag with a ribbon, they make a great edible gift. This technique can be done with any nut you have on hand. I have used candied pine nuts, almonds, and pecans in past dishes.

The basis of this recipe is to create a caramel by melting and heating sugar,which will darken due to the Maillard reaction. The caramel while still hot is used to coat the nut of your choice.

Toasting walnuts

Candied Walnuts

• 3 cups walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt to taste

Directions

Heat sugar and water until boiling and do not stir. Slowly the mixture will start to turn brown around the edges. When this happens, swirl the pan or stir slightly for even browning. After the mixture has turned completely brown, turn off heat. Add vanilla and salt. Stir in toasted walnuts. Let cool on lined sheet pan. Then break apart.

Stages of caramelization

Tip- Melted sugar is VERY HOT and sticky. Be very careful, as it will easily stick to you and leave a nasty burn. Never touch cooking sugar until it cools down. This is a basic caramel and it can go from done to burnt in a few short seconds. So keep a close eye on it and don't leave the stove.