Life as a Dill

Individual Mason Jar Peach Cobblers

August peaches are the best.  So drippy that you have to eat them over the sink with your sleeves rolled up.  Came up with this recipe as I’ve been craving pie made with said drippy peaches.  The Mason jars make great single-sized servings for me, since hubby doesn’t like peach pie (the horror!)
 
Individual Mason Jar Peach Cobblers

4 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
4 T granulated sugar, divided
1/4 t corn starch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/8 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled
1/2 cup milk
freshly grated nutmeg
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 
Toss together the peaches, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt and the cornstarch.  Divide into 4 shallow Mason jars or other glass/ceramic containers (1/2 pint size).
 
In a bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and salt, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and baking soda.  Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture has a pebbly texture.  Using a fork, stir in the milk.
 
Dollop the biscuit batter on top of the diced peaches.  Grate nutmeg over each jar.  Bake for 30 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly browned and the peaches are bubbling.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

~Linking up at Serenity Now~

Almond Banana Coconut Muffins {Gluten Free}

Unbelievably moist.  Also quite nutritious, so I didn’t hesitate when Finnian requested one for breakfast.

Only added coconut to the original recipe found on Honest Fare since I didn’t want to open up a brand new bag of almond flour.  It was a great move :)

Almond Banana Coconut Muffins {Gluten Free}

8 oz. almond meal
2 oz. unsweetened dried coconut
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3 oz. sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 ripe bananas (lightly spotted)
extra ½ banana, thinly cut, and sliced almonds for topping

Preheat oven to 300F. Grease muffin tin and dust with flour or line with shallow baking cups.
 
Mix together almond meal, coconut, and baking powder.  Set aside.

Process eggs, sugar, bananas and cinnamon for 3-5 minutes in a food processor.  Stir into the almond meal mixture.

Divide into 12-15 muffins, filling about 2/3 full.  Top with thinly sliced bananas and almonds. Bake about 35-40 minutes or until top is browned and toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin tin for several minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Zucchini Nutella Muffins

Substituted white whole wheat flour and decreased the butter in this yummy-looking recipe found on Pinterest.  Can you really lose if using Nutella?

Zucchini Nutella Muffins

Ingredients:
1 ½ c white whole wheat flour
½ t salt
½ t baking soda
1 t baking powder
½ t cinnamon
½ stick butter, softened
¼ c applesauce
¾ c sugar
1 extra large egg
1 c grated zucchini
zest of one lemon
~½ cup Nutella
 

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and applesauce together until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in thirds until just combined, then stir in the zucchini and lemon zest.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full, and dollop 1 teaspoon of Nutella on top of each scoop.  Swirl with a toothpick.  Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes.  Muffins are done with a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Summer Vacay

Had a dreamy time on our short little summer vacation which included stops in Newport, RI; Cape Cod; and Boston. We didn’t have a plan, just drifted from one place to the next. Even left home on a whim, throwing a few things together before taking off the following morning.

We struck the small-town lottery on Cape Cod, spinning the roulette wheel to end up in the idyllic town of Chatham. Amazing beaches + fresh seafood + quaint little shops + abundant hydrangeas = perfect lazy beach town. We all want to move there.

After strolling around Newport and cruising along the seashore, we serendipitously stumbled upon a kite festival at Brenton Point. This place was amazingly beautiful, with the rocky coast and sailboats peppering the ocean.

Denver even took Finnian out for a little stroll:

That evening, we shared a fresh lobster roll and homemade clam chowder, purchased right next to the beautiful ocean in Chatham.

Finnian’s toes then met the ocean:

"Brrrrrrrr!"

Getting down to business with the bucket and shovel, on the “elbow” of Cape Cod in beautiful Chatham:

Strolling around the Cape Cod Inflatable Park, a crazy place we happened upon. We actually found it the night before, but about 15 minutes before they closed. Finnian cried when we drove away, shouting, “play!” over and over again. :(

Saying “hi” to and petting the ocean creatures at the New England Aquarium in Boston Harbor:

More photos of our excursion can be found in my Flickr stream here. Still relishing in our family outing, which we can easily repeat in a weekend since everything is relatively close by :)

Summer Quinoa Salad

Enjoyed this improvised, last-minute salad during a picnic yesterday using only items that I had available in my kitchen.  The result?  A delightful, protein-rich meal that I’m documenting here for future use!

Summer Quinoa Salad

Salad:
1 c dry quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 carrot, thinly sliced
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1 ripe avocado
1 handful arugula
Handful of toasted chopped pecans
2 T chopped parsley

Lemon Vinaigrette:
Juice of one large lemon
¼ c olive oil
Salt and pepper

Cook quinoa; cool to room temperature.  Prepare vinaigrette by whisking ingredients together.  Throw avocado pieces into the vinaigrette to coat, then mix into the remaining ingredients. 

Rustic Strawberry Shortcake

This is an old family recipe that has been enjoyed time and time again.  The shortcake soaks up sugared strawberry juice like it is going out of style.  Excuse me while I go back for seconds...

Rustic Strawberry Shortcake

2 c all-purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 stick butter
3/4 c milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8X8X2 pan.  Mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter using a pastry blender.  Make well in center and pour in milk.  Mix quickly with a fork just until moist.  Press lightly into the pan, and bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool, then serve with with sugared strawberries and whipped cream.

Water Kefir

I love the taste and health benefits of milk kefir, and was instantly intrigued when I learned about water kefir and how easy it is to make.  Can’t wait to experiment with other flavors, such as ginger, vanilla, and apricot. 

Kefir grains can be purchased online such as through Cultures for Health, or obtained from a trusted source as the grains multiply over time.  The initial investment should provide batches of kefir indefinitely if the grains are properly cared for!

Water Kefir

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons kefir grains
3-4 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar
1 lemon, cut into quarters
1 dried fig
stick of cinnamon (optional)
filtered or spring water (non-chlorinated)

Equipment:
glass jar with a wide mouth (I use a 2 L mason jar, filling it halfway)
cheesecloth
rubber band
plastic colander or sieve
pitcher
bottles with airtight caps (I use a few recycled glass iced tea bottles)

Place the kefir grains, sugar, lemon quarters, fig, and cinnamon stick in the wide mouth glass jar, then pour filtered water to the 1 L mark.  Cover the mouth of the jar with a four-layer piece of cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band.  Place the glass jar somewhere cool and leave to ferment for about 48 hours.

Pour the entire contents of the jar through the sieve into the bowl pitcher.  Discard lemon, and fig (the cinnamon stick can be used for several batches of kefir).  Rinse the jar and kefir grains with filtered water and return to the jar. Add the cinnamon stick, a fresh lemon, fig, 3-4 tablespoons sugar, and filtered water to start a new batch if desired*.

Pour the filtered kefir into glass bottles, close, and place in the refrigerator.  Do not fill bottles all the way to the top as CO₂ will build up inside.  Let kefir sit in the fridge another 12-24 hours, then consume within several days.  The beverage will develop a natural fizz.

* To take a break from making kefir without sacrificing the grains, place the grains in a small jar with two teaspoons sugar, top with water, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Mushroom, Onion, Roasted Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Quesadilla

It’s no secret that I’m a goat cheese enthusiast.  If I see it as an ingredient on a menu item, it’s likely that I’ll be ordering that dish.  This simple quesadilla contains other favorite ingredients of mine, which all result in a very blissful meal.

Mushroom, Onion, Roasted Red Pepper, and Goat Cheese Quesadilla

one flour tortilla
olive oil
handful of sliced onions
handful of sliced mushrooms
handful of roasted red pepper slices
crumbled goat cheese
salt & pepper
sour cream
chopped scallions

Add 1 T olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium high.  Add onions and mushrooms and cook 5-10 minutes, turning heat down to medium once heated through.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil (1-2 t) over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet.  Add tortilla and pan fry until browned.  Fill tortilla with onions, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, and goat cheese, then fold over.  Top with sour cream and scallions.

Mango, Avocado, and Mint Salsa

Mint adds an element of surprise to this chunky, fruity salsa that is packed with summer flavors. 

Mango, Avocado, and Mint Salsa
 
1 ripe mango, peeled and pitted
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
1 roma tomato, diced
½ jalapeño pepper, finely minced and seeded
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together.  Serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Artisan bread... the easy way

Start with this:

Get to this:

And end up with this:

Slap on some homemade butter and wonder why you bothered with the rest of dinner. It is that good!