Peach Blueberry Cobbler

Here it is - my favorite summer dessert. 

I've been meaning to post this one for a while, but I kept forgetting to take pictures at the right stages. 

And technically, it's probably more of a crisp than a cobbler - but to me, a cobbler should have a crispy top.  And so many cobbler recipes are just for a square pie.  This is crispy and sweet on the outside, and warm-fruit-gooey on the inside.  Sigh - cobbler heaven. 

I've eaten way too much of this in the past two months - but I can't resist the peaches. 

For this recipe, you'll need a lot of peaches.  Four pounds or so, which for me was 10 peaches.  I used a mix of white and yellow peaches. 

First, get the hairy skins off.
When I'm just eating a peach, the skin doesn't bother me at all.  But in a cobbler/ crisp... well, it needs to go.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Drop in the peaches, a few at a time for about 1 minute.

Then dunk them in ice water.

Remove them and the skins will just slide off!

This trick amazes me every time.

Tada!  Naked peaches.

Halve them and take out the pits.

Then toss them in a bowl with some sugar and flour (amounts below).

Add the zest of 1/2 of an orange, and/ or a lemon.

Then add 1 pint of blueberries.

Toss to combine.  Let this sit and get juicy while you make the topping.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine butter, oatmeal, flour, sugar, and salt.  Sprinkle the mixture on top of the peach filling.

Cook for one to one and a half hours.  Everything will get bubbly and crunchy and delicious on the top.  

Serve with vanilla ice cream!

 Recipe, adapted from the Barefoot Contessa cookbook.

Ingredients:

4 pounds peaches (about 10 large ones), peeled, pitted, and sliced into wedges

1 lemon zested (or an orange, or a mixture of the two)

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups, plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pint blueberries (the original recipe called for raspberries instead - also great, but not so easy to find around here)

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

2 sticks of butter

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the peaches, citrus zest, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons of flour.  Toss well.  Gently mix in the blueberries.

Pour into a large casserole dish. 

Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, oatmeal, and butter in a mixer with the paddle attachment (or a food processor with a steel blade).  Mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly on top of the peaches and blueberries.  Bake for 1 hour (I usually need closer to 1 1/2).  Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream!

You can assemble this earlier in the day and keep it in the refrigerator.  Just take it out before you cook it and allow it to come back to room temperature (or thereabouts).  

Fig-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I've been making a lot of fig preserves this summer... and this is my new favorite thing to do with them - a glaze for grilled pork tenderloin.

Of course, my first favorite thing to do with them was to spread them on buttered toast... 

and then my second favorite thing (which is definitely worthy of a  blog post) is to make a pizza: 

here's Pioneer Woman's version.  Mine will be coming as soon as I remember to buy arugula - because that little green does NOT appreciate 100 degree temperatures, so mine's dead. 

So, when I decided to take a break from pizza, I discovered a recipe in Cooking in High Cotton.  

With a few tweaks, we were grill ready!

Sliced...

It's delicious - and go ahead and make two.  The leftovers are incredible in sandwiches.

Here's the recipe, adapted from Cooking in High Cotton by the Monroe Junior League

Marinade:
1/2 cup fig preserves
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (can also use rice vinegar)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and rinsed.

Combine marinade ingredients in a zip top plastic bag.  Place the meat in the bag and seal.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.  Preheat the grill to medium high.  Grill, turning occasionally, until a meat thermometer measures 155 degrees for the center part of the meat.  Remove from the grill and cover loosely with foil.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing. 

Brownies Without the Box

For someone who has always shied away from box cakes (I can make my mom's faster than I can go buy the box), I've always been deathly afraid to make brownies without a box.

I was scarred (not physically) very early in life by brownies.  One afternoon I was babysitting my younger sisters and brother and they asked for brownies.  Since we didn't have a box on the shelf, I decided to start from scratch.  I was 14 at the time and more than a little overconfident about my cooking abilities.  I mean, if I could make Kraft Mac and Cheese (this was before the kind in the cups), surely brownies were not beyond my reach.

I pulled out my mom's copy of Celebrations on the Bayou and decided to go for the ambitious sounding "Swamp Bottom Brownies."

To this day, I'm not quite sure where I went wrong.  Maybe I substituted baking soda for baking powder, or a tablespoon for a teaspoon.  Or maybe both.  Or maybe my mom had TNT powder stored on a shelf in her pantry.  Whatever the cause, my creation exploded in the oven.  Literally.  There was baked-on, exploded brownie on every square inch of surface in my mom's oven.

Needless to say, after 2 cans of Easy Off Oven Cleaner and almost an hour on my knees leaning in and scrubbing, I decided box brownies were all anyone every really needed.

That, and my oven was going to be at shoulder level - not down near the floor.

So why the change?  Well, we are approaching the one year anniversary of the start of this blog, and part of my goal was to challenge myself in the kitchen.  After all, this whole thing started because I had never made pickles before, either.  So I decided to tackle the beast - brownies.

Plus, there were some really cute boys around who spent an afternoon exhausting themselves - they needed some chocolate.

The afternoon started with an epic watergun battle...

Avery inspecting the weaponry

followed by swimming...

more fun with a giant ball

and a kiddie trampoline...  surely all this merits chocolate!

And no, I did not attempt "swamp bottom" ones.  These are fairly basic - they didn't even require the mixer. 

I was so busy snapping pictures of kids that I failed to get any of the brownies... except for this one.  I think Meredith should be a hand model :)

I adapted this from Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies by substituting brewed coffee for instant granules (which I didn't have), and by cutting the recipe in half.

2 sticks unsalted butter
12 ounces plus another 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons hot brewed coffee
3 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Butter and flour (or Baker's Joy) a 12" casserole.
Melt butter and 12 ounces of chocolate chips over simmering water. Add the coffee.  Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl (not a mixer) stir together the eggs, vanilla, and sugar.  Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the remaining chocolate chips and nuts (if using).  Pour into the casserole and bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Do not over bake!

Bryce gave them a good review!

Snickerdoodles (and cooking with GIRLS!)

Can you believe it?  I got to cook with GIRLS today!  Dressed in pink and everything J 

My oldest son was at a reading camp for the morning (yes, I’m aware I am preparing him for a lifetime of nerd-hood), and a friend asked if I could watch her girls for the morning while she finished some last minute moving chores.   She promised to return the favor when I am in a similar situation in the future.

I jumped at the chance!  I mean, I love being a boy mom, but yea!  Girlie time! 

Of course, there is not one doll or little hair accessory in my house.  Sigh. 

So, first, we played in the dirt.

They discovered all of my son’s trucks, tractors, and trains (and loved them all).

And then, we baked cookies.

Snickerdoodles, to be exact, because it was the first recipe I came across that involved rolling the dough.

These made a crunchier, thinner cookie than I was looking for… but they were still tasty!

Recipe, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

To roll:

2 Tbs cinnamon

2-3 Tbs sugar

Preheat the oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well combined.  Add the eggs and mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until just combined.

In a separate bowl (or 2, if you have 2 helpers), mix the sugar and cinnamon.

With an ice cream scooper, scoop out balls of dough.  Drop them into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Roll until coated on all sides.  Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown on the outside edges.

Perfect for enjoying while watching Cinderella – or the girl movie of your choice!

Black Bean Corn Salsa

The Fourth of July is my favorite holiday.  Seriously, I like it better than Christmas.

For the past fifteen years, give or take, we've been lucky enough to be invited to celebrate with Mrs. Charlotte and Mr. Kent.

We get to swim in the bayou...

Drool over the adorable babies (all of whom seem to be male??  something in the bayou water)...

Cyrus and Parker - the two newest additions :) 

my sister Caroline and her sweet baby Thomas

William, enjoying his first experience with homemade ranch dressing

And the bigger boys get to fish!

(strictly a catch and release program)

I usually don't even try to bring anything.   Mrs. Charlotte is, quite literally, the best cook I know.  It's a little intimidating.   And Mr. Kent definitely knows his way around a charcoal pit.

But this year, I had a lot of jalapenos in the garden begging to be used.

I stuffed some (recipe to come, as soon as I make it again and photograph the finished product).

And with three or four of the others, I made this:

from one of my favorite cookbooks - the Houston Junior League's Stop and Smell the Rosemary.

A few reasons why this was perfect:
1. It used up a few more jalapenos.
2. It did not require refrigeration - in fact, it seemed to get better the longer it sat, and the avocados did not turn brown (maybe all the lime juice?)
3. It was fairly easy - a good bit of chopping, but not a lot of technical skill required.

Recipe (Adaptations in parentheses!):

2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
Kernels from 3 ears of corn, cooked (you could use 1 1/2 cups frozen, thawed corn, but I just threw the ears on the grill the night before and cut the kernels off)
3 medium firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced (I left the peels on - whoops)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced (the original recipe called for 1 cup, but I thought that was a bit much)
3 fresh jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 very juicy limes... but if your limes are kind of dry, you may need 3)
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced

Combine all ingredients except avocados, tossing well.  Cover and chill.  Just before serving, cut and toss in the avocados.  Serve with blue corn tortilla chips (or really any tortilla chips - my kids ate it with a spoon!)

Happy Independence Day!

Caramelized White Fish

I know, just when you were thinking I was only cooking desserts this summer... but don't worry, plenty of sweetness in this recipe... and also, for a dinner get-together this weekend, I will be making peach crisp (my other favorite summer dessert).

But onto the main course - caramelized white fish.  I found this recipe (and 12 other things to do to white fish) in a New York Times article.  Another flavor variation suggested was tomatoes, capers, and lemon...  But we liked this the best.

3 good things about this recipe:

1. It's flexible. You can use any white fish.  I used frozen tilapia, but will probably try catfish, flounder, whatever your grocery has that is looking fresh.  I dream about doing this to fresh red snapper.

2. It is ready in under 15 minutes.  Seriously.

3.  It is delicious. I think my husband licked his plate.  And it is different - sweet and spicy and... well, since it's ready in less than 15 minutes, you should just try it.

Start with 1/2 cup brown sugar, seasoned with salt, pepper, and red pepper.

Allow extra for tasting...

Dredge the fish in the sugar mixture...

Put the vegetable oil in a big cast-iron skillet, and place it in the oven with the broiler on Hi.  Remove from the oven when the oil is smoking.

Then, place the fish fillets in the sizzling oil... and put it back under the broiler.

after 2 minutes, flip them over...

2 more minutes, and they are finished!  (If you are using thick fillets, you may want to check the flakiness with a fork).

Condensed recipe, adapted from The New York Times

1 Tbs vegetable oil
4 thin fillets of white fish (I used previously frozen tilapia)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (although dark would probably also be wonderful)
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp coarse, freshly ground black pepper

Garnish:  lots of fresh mint, chopped
red pepper flakes

Turn the broiler in the oven to "Hi" and position the top rack about 4 inches from the heat source.
Allow the oven to preheat for 5 minutes while you get everything else read.
Pour the oil into a large cast iron skillet (or other broiler safe dish - a glass pyrex would work).
Place the skillet in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.  Dredge both sides of each fish fillet in the mixture.  You will have to get your hands dirty - press the sugar into the fillets.

Pull the skillet out of the oven and drop the fillets in.
Place back in the oven for 2 minutes.
Pull out the skillet and flip the fillets over.
Place back under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillets, this might need to be a little longer - mine were very thin).

Remove from the oven, place the fish on a plate, and drizzle the pan sauce over the fish.  Top with minced mint and red pepper flakes (unless you are serving to the kids - they will do better without the garnish).

Mocha Ice Cream Pie

So, it's really hot outside.  Really, really hot.  But the Under 7 crowd in my neighborhood doesn't seem to have noticed.   They are perfectly content to dance around in swimsuits or diapers (depending on age) from sun-up (I only wish that were an exaggeration) until the streetlights come on.  Meanwhile, we adults subsist on frozen beverages and frozen desserts... and, at least in my case, feel a little jealous at their spontaneity and lack of inhibition.

After my attempt to make an ice cream cake for my husband's birthday failed so miserably last week, I felt the need to try again - this time with pie... an infinitely more forgiving medium.

This is one of my favorite summer desserts - largely because it does not require me to turn on my oven in the blazing hot kitchen.  That, and it's delicious.

First, you start with an Oreo cookie crust.  It's hard to go wrong with this:

Place 25 Oreos and 1/2 stick butter in a food processor.  Let your 4 year old count.  Express amazement at his advanced counting skills. 

Grind into delicious crumbs. Allow the 4 year old to taste.

Smush the crumbs into a pie plate.  If your 4 year old is like mine, he will draw the line and getting his hands greasy and crumby - but pushing the button on the food processor is entirely delightful.

Scoop in some softened coffee ice cream (the original recipe calls for Baskin Robins Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream, but I like smooth coffee ice cream better.  Plus, one of our guests had a nut allergy.)  The Starbucks ice cream varieties are also amazing in this pie. 

Top with homemade fudge sauce Hershey's syrup - if you don't have time for fudge sauce because you have 2 kids and your four year old managed somehow (haven't solved the mystery yet) to crack a pane of glass on the front door with a plastic recorder - the kind from music class.  

Pop the pie into the freezer for a bit (while you frantically try to clean because guests are coming over).

Whip some heavy cream...

Add coffee liqueur to the whipping cream (along with 1/3 cup powdered sugar) (and yes, I did serve this to children. 1/10 of 2 tablespoons of 5% alcohol did not slow ours down in the slightest)  - you can always leave this part out, or replace it with espresso powder or a tablespoon or so of coffee...

Finally, put the whipped cream on the pie and garnish with cocoa powder or (to up the Mexican ante a little) ground cinnamon...
Put the pie back in the freezer until 15 minutes before you are ready to serve.

as you might be able to tell from this cross-section, I did not put enough chocolate sauce between the ice cream and the whipping cream, but there is always next time... 

Easy and ohhh so yummy.  Can definitely be made a day in advance!

Adapted from Mocha Ice Cream Cups in Celebrations on the Bayou


25 Oreos
1/2 stick softened butter (it's OK to microwave this to get it soft)
1/2 gallon coffee ice cream, minus a few spoonfuls
Chocolate fudge sauce, or, in a pinch, Chocolate Syrup
1 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tablespoons Khalua or other coffee liqueur

In a food processor, combine the Oreos and the softened butter.  Press the moistened crumbs into a pie shell.  Meanwhile, allow the ice cream to soften slightly.  Spoon as much ice cream as you can fit into the pie shell - I had less than 1 cup remaining in the container.  Top with fudge sauce (if you have time to make it - the recipe at the bottom of the profiteroles recipe found here is a great one ) OR Hershey's syrup - a good amount.  Freeze for 1-2 hours.

In the bowl of a mixer, whip the heavy cream on high until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar (this will keep it from melting like it does when you use granulated sugar) and the Khalua.
Top the pie with the whipping cream and put it back in the freezer.
Garnish with a sprinkling of cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, OR (I tried this for the first time last night), cinnamon.

Remove this from the freezer about 15 minutes before you plan to serve it; it will make cutting and serving much easier.