Honey Peach Cake

When you are dreaming of summer and want to use lackluster peaches, when you are in summer and are overrun with peaches, or if you just love peaches...honey peach cake!

-->

Honey Peach Cake

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temp

2 ½ c. all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tbsp. honey

Pinch nutmeg

Dash allspice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temp

1 c. whole milk

1 c. diced peaches (1-2)

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter pans with butter wrappers or spray with cooking spray.

2.    Line pans with parchment, butter again, and dust with flour. Tap out excess.

3.    Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice together. Set aside.

4.    Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium high until fluffy.

5.    Beat in the vanilla and honey. Then the eggs, one at time, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

6.    Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour. Do not over mix. Gently fold in the peaches.

7.    Transfer to pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8.    Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Baking Times:

Two 8 in rounds: 25-30 min.

Two 9 in rounds: 22-25 min.

9x13 rectangle: 25-30 min.

24 cupcakes: 15-20 min.

Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened.

3 c. confectioner’s sugar

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract.

1-2 tbsp. milk.

Directions:

1.    Blend butter and sugar.

2.    Stir in vanilla and milk.

3.    Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Will frost 2 layers, 24 cupcakes, or a 9x13 rectangle.

Add 1-2 drops food coloring as desired.

Cake recipe adapted from Real Simple September 2010

Buttercream recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Enjoy,

Suzanne

Tuna Poke Bowls

My husband and I love sushi night. "Love boats" selected by the sushi chefs, pork gyoza, rolls that are cooked, rolls that are raw, tuna tataki, and more make us swoon and drop $50 or more on sushi. This is not sustainable. Neither is the laughable attempt at sushi my husband and I tried. Our rolls fell apart in our hands!

So...the inspiration of Hawaii with the fusion flavors of Japan it is! The Poke Bowl. I can assemble these at home without destroying the flavors or the ingredients. 

Ingredients for 2:

2 fresh tuna steaks (about 6 oz each)
1 avocado, diced (do last so it doesn't brown)
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
2 radishes, sliced
Mango salsa (recipe below)
fusion ponzu sauce (recipe below)
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz udon noodles, cooked according to package (optional)
wonton crisps (optional-find in the crouton section of the grocery)
sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

1. Sprinkle tuna with salt and pepper. Allow tuna to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the fusion ponzu and mango salsa.
3. Chop/dice remaining ingredients.
4. Heat the sesame oil in a medium skillet on high for 1-2 minutes. Add tuna steaks, and sear for 3 minutes. When the tuna comes up easily, flip and sear another 2-3 minutes for rare. Longer if a higher cook is desired. 
5. Remove to cutting board and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Slice into bite size pieces. 
6. Assemble the poke bowls. Place noodles equally in bottom of bowls. Arrange cucumber, radish, avocado, and tuna over noodles. Top with mango salsa, ponzu, sesame seeds, and wonton crisps. Serve at room temperature.

Mango Salsa:
1 mango, diced
1 shallot, minced
3-4 green onions, sliced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
2 small peppers, such as jalapeno or lunchbox, diced (choose variety based on desired heat level)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Use within 3 days. 

Fusion Ponzu Sauce:
Traditionally Ponzu sauce is made with mirin and bonito flakes. I like this version better at home, but feel free to make or buy actual ponzu.

I make this using a souvenir shot glass, but feel free to measure! 1 shot equals about 2 tbsp.

1 1/2 shots soy sauce
1 shot rice vinegar
1 shot sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until use. May be sealed and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. 

Enjoy!

Step One on the way to avoiding GMO's (chicken pot pie)

I am a biology instructor. While that doesn't make me an expert, it certainly helps with the understanding of the new it topic in the news: gentically modified organisms, which are commonly called GMOs. 

A GMO is a biological organism, such as an animal, plant, or bacteria, that has been altered at the genomic level, in its DNA. The implications of this technology is phenomenal. From blue jeans to insulin to your favorite cereal, all are made or influenced by GMOs. It's an amazing concept really, take a little piece of DNA from a bacteria resistant to round-up that is put in corn and voila! Round-up ready corn. And the same concept applies to all GMOs. 

Now the question is, what does that mean for us Americans (who don't have labeling on GMOs like most of Europe), and our diets? I'll let you think on that for a while.

Meanwhile Chicken pot pie using local and GMO free ingredients! The only way to guarantee you are eating a GMO free diet is to eat organic or from local farmers you have talked too. Most local farmers will tell you what they grow and how they treat their crops. If they won't, don't buy from them!

You will need:
1 carton Pacific cream of mushroom soup (it's GMO free!)
2 large carrots, diced (buy organic or local)
1 potato, peeled and diced (organic or local)
1 cup peas (organic or local)
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup corn (organic or local)
1 cup milk, divided (organic)
1 cup flour (organic)
1 tbsp sour cream (organic)
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 c. shredded cheese
2 cups cooked chopped chicken, preferably local
Olive oil or organic cooking spray

Here's How:
1. Mix the flour, 3/4 c. milk, parsley, vinegar, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Mix soup, remaining milk, and sour cream in a bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. 
4. Coat an 8x8 baking dish with oil. Add in chicken cream mixture. 
5. Top with biscuit mix.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes until biscuit is brown and cooked through. 
7. Serve warm with a salad or fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict: Suzanne Style

It's egg season again! And by egg season, I mean summertime! For those of you who don't know, local eggs are much harder to find in the winter because chickens will stop laying as the days get shorter. Commercial farmers force their chickens to lay in the winter with grow lights, which is rather cruel to the extent they do it, but small farmers usually just let their chickens be, well, chickens. 

Anyway...eggs!
Now a typical Eggs Benedict is a layered creation of an english muffin with Canadian bacon, topped with a poached egg and slathered in Hollandaise. About the only thing my version has in common is the Hollandaise and the egg. 

This Eggs Benedict has a buttermilk biscuit with local breakfast sausage, a slice of fresh tomato, and a poached egg, smothered in homemade Hollandaise with herbs. 

Now, lets get started.

Eggs Benedict: Suzanne Style, for 4

You will need:
2 biscuits (homemade is the best!), sliced in half.
5 eggs
4 sausage patties (I vote for local, but your choice)
4 slices of tomato
1 stick butter
2 tbsp lemon juice (I would say fresh squeezed, but this is where I always forget to buy lemons and end up using bottled juice. Oh, well, sigh)
1 tsp dried herbs, such as parsley, oregano, and thyme or 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
5 cups water
1 tbsp white vinegar

Here's what to do:
1. Cook the sausage patties on a skillet or griddle at med-high heat until cooked through. Flipping once, after about 5 minutes. Cook the 2nd side for 3-5 minutes until done. Place on a plate covered with a paper towel. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, crack 4 of the eggs into 4 separate small bowls. I know this seems excessive, but when poaching eggs, it's important you work quickly and have the eggs separated.
3. Add the water and vinegar to a pot. Whatever you do, don't forget the vinegar. It keeps the whites together! Boil on high until bubbles start to form. Reduce heat to a simmer. For poached eggs, you want the water to be constantly boiling, but not rolling. 
4. Gently add the eggs one at a time, and cook for 3-5 minutes. The eggs are done when the whites look like fresh balls of mozzarella. Remove with a slotted spoon.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over med-low heat. Whisk in the lemon juice. 
6. Now comes the tricky part. In a small bowl (one used earlier is fine), crack and whisk the 5th egg to combine it. You need to cook the egg into the sauce without scrambling it. A lot of cooks use a double-boiler, it's a little less temperature sensitive, but really, who has the time?
7. Add the egg to the butter and lemon and whisk constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and continue whisking until a thick (but not scrambled) sauce forms. Add in the fresh herbs.
8. On a plate, layer the biscuit, sausage, tomato, egg, and hollandaise. Serve warm with fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

I know this is a complex recipe. But I know you can do it with patience and practice!

Best, 
Suzanne