Baked Peaches

These are cozy times.  Really, nothing is cozy about a New York City summer with the heat, humidity, smog, smoke and dirt that come along with it.  But we've been nesting.  With six (or so) weeks 'til baby brother arrives, I've been sorting, cleaning, washing, folding, unwrapping, and list making.  In between, we take sweaty jaunts to area parks, only to return home again, grateful for the air conditioning where we make our way through piles of books.

 

One of these books, The Maggie B., was my childhood favorite.  At sea during a storm, Margaret battens down the hatches of her ship and retreats to the safety of the kitchen.  She prepares a dreamy sort of meal for her baby brother, a steamy fish stew, fresh rolls and baked peaches.  Margaret sings sea shanties, bathes the little one and puts him to bed, the lull of the waves rocking him to sleep.

My whole life, I've never lost the image of Margaret baking her peaches in the safety of her ship's hold, and finally today I made my own.  The baked peaches tasted homey with their dash of cinnamon and sprinkling of brown sugar.  I finished off my baked peach feeling grateful, thinking about our new little peach who will be here in no time.  I hope he finds it cozy here.

Baked Peaches

This barely warrants a recipe. But if you're a lover of stone fruit and you can bear to turn your oven on in August, this is a wonderful ending to a simple summer meal.  Feel free to add whipped cream or ice cream for an added flourish. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Halve several ripe, organic peaches.  Remove the stone and place cut side up on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle the peaches with about a teaspoon of brown sugar or honey, and a few shakes of cinnamon.  Bake for 30 minutes. 

Muesli

About six years ago, P and I used to zip off for weekends in Athens, Malta, London, Lyon.  There was a springtime trip to Zurich, Switzerland for a few days. A great chill filled the air once night would fall and we'd duck inside a cozy restaurant for some beer and sausages.

Seeing myself these days, overtired, heavy into the third trimester with my second baby, I have to squint to see remnants of the old me.  I imagine a day might come again there is some balance in my life and some of the old me creeps back into this new version.  Surely there must be room for both.

I like to peel back the layers to get to that girl on Lake Zurich who had the luxury of just being a tourist with no real agenda.  Those were the days.  That was when I first tasted muesli.  Creamy with whole milk, an added spoonful of yogurt and so many shredded and mashed fruits inside to discover.  The crunch of a walnut, the surprising sweetness of a dried date.  We both filled our bowls that weekend.  The old me is still there after all.  She's the reason why muesli is not just a breakfast dish.  

Muesli

Adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe

Jamie uses dried apricots, which I omitted, but you can add whatever type of dried fruits you like.  I couldn't resist adding flax and chia seeds for a healthy dose of Omega 3's and 6's in the morning.  Make sure you read the recipe all the way through, since muesli is best when soaked in milk overnight before serving. 

8 handfuls of organic rolled oats

2 handfuls of ground bran

1 handful of chopped dried dates

1 handful of chopped walnuts

1 handful slivered almonds

2 large spoonfuls ground flax seeds

2 large spoonfuls chia seeds

Combine all of the above in a large bowl stirring well.  Store in an airtight container.  It will keep for several months.

Additional ingredients for making and serving:

Milk (at least 2 % or partially skimmed)

Apple

Banana

Berries or other seasonal fruits

honey

yogurt

The night before you want to eat it, place the amount desired in a bowl and cover with milk.  You can make more than you want for the next day and eat it over several days.  Grate in around 1/2 an apple per person and stir immediately to keep the apple from discoloring.  Cover and place in the fridge.  

The next morning, remove the bowl from the fridge.  The muesli will have softened and thickened, so add a little more milk.  Add a banana, sliced or mashed.  You can add honey to taste, if you like.  Serve in a bowl with a dollop of yogurt (optional) and some mixed fresh berries in summer.  Pear would be delicious in the winter.

Summery Spinach and Chicken Salad

 

Sitting in front of a large bowl of salad like this one, I felt very present.  The flavors are somewhat Asian inspired, but not overly so.  There is soy sauce mixed with lemon juice, sort of an unusual combination, and the taste brought me back, the way food often does, over 25 years to when my mother used to make a salad very similar to this one.

I've read a bit about mindfulness and mindful eating; concepts that seem to be edging their way into mylife.  I am drawn to the tenets of paying attention, being aware in each moment and finding balance.

The principles of mindfulness allowed me to appreciate the soft and unfamiliar texture of the iceberg lettuce, paired smartly with healthier baby spinach.  The way a few sesame seeds clung to my molars and the snow peas and red peppers snapped, each releasing their own bright flavors.

If I extend these teachings to the rest of my day, they allowed me feel myself laughing out loud as Roman danced a jig to the jovial sounds of the accordion in Bryant Park, to have the fortitude to turn around an episode when he protested to my making dinner, and then to watch closely as sleep crept gently up on him as he hugged his yellow taxi under one arm and his blue elephant under the other.  And for the next 11 weeks, each kick, bump, thump and wiggle in my swelling belly gets my immediate attention.  These are the days, the tastes, the sights, the sounds and sensations that will not be around long. 

Summery Spinach and Chicken Salad
Serves 4 (large servings)

Plan ahead as this recipe requires chilling in between steps. Also be sure to eat it immediately after you combine all the greens so that they don't wilt. I drastically reduced the amount of oil that my mother used in this salad and I didn't notice a change in flavor- there still seemed to be plenty of moisture for the salad.  If you need more, add more.  Delicious summer dinner.

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup canola oil

1 clove garlic, scored

1 lemon (both zest and juice)
1 ten-ounce package of fresh baby spinach
1 large head of iceberg lettuce
1 organic red pepper (conventionally grown are highly sprayed.)
a few handfuls of fresh snow peas
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
coarse salt to taste

Cut the chicken into 2-inch strips and place in a bowl.  Add 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of oil and the garlic clove and the zest of half a lemon. Mix well and chill several hours.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a skillet.  Add the chicken strips a few at a time and sauté 3 - 5 minutes or until they become firm.  Don't overcook.  Discard garlic clove.

Combine cooked chicken and remaining oil, soy sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl and chill thoroughly.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for several minutes.

Pick the stems off the spinach, wash and drain.  Chop or tear the spinach with your fingers, shred the iceberg lettuce. Make sure these are both chilled.  When ready to serve, toss the greens, snow peas and red pepper with the chicken mixture and dressing. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and salt and serve immediately.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

There's plenty of heat to go around this July.  Instead of dwelling too much on it, we refresh, we rest, we eat large bowls of salad. Until we can get out of the city, we think up new indoor activities, read stacks of library books, and sing.  This past week I made some baked granola bars and vowed not to use the oven again.  Summer needs a no-bake cookie.

Then I remembered my step-mom's affectionately termed "cow-plop" New Englander cookies, that are boiled, not baked.  I had written down her recipe last summer during a visit and had been waiting for the right time to make them.  I remember eating them on a hot, buggy night, typical of Massachusetts.  She was making them to put in a care package for her daughter (she's always doing things like that). The peanut butter and chocolate combination were so addictive and she generously ignored the furtiveness of my hand creeping back to grab another.

I took a few liberties by modifying her recipe.  I hope she doesn't mind.  She's been making them since the 70's.  My version has half the sugar but I added chocolate chips, whole peanuts and a dash of kosher salt.  I'm keeping mine in the refrigerator, which is not necessary, but they are quite nice slightly chilled.  Together with a cold glass of milk, this is my new summer-time cookie.

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup peanut butter (I recommend using just ground peanuts, no sugar added)
1/2 cup milk
3 cups quick oats (or you can pulse regular oats in the food processor)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts (slightly chopped)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and add the vanilla, cocoa powder, peanut butter and milk.  Stir briefly to melt and combine all ingredients.  Remove pan from heat and stir in the oats, kosher salt, peanuts and chocolate chips (these will melt slightly.)  Roll into small balls (a bit smaller than a golf ball) and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Cool on the counter top or refrigerate.

Basil Lemonade

refreshing |riˈfreSHiNG|adjectiveserving to refresh or reinvigorate someone: a refreshing drink | the morning air was so refreshing.

Basil Lemonade 

1- First make your simple syrup: Take 1 cup of water, add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup washed basil leaves with stems.  

Heat in a sauce pan to completely dissolve sugar.  

Cool completely and drain to remove the basil.  (Store leftover syrup in the refrigerator.)

2- Take a large glass and add some of your simple syrup (start with a few tablespoons, you can adjust later.)

Add as much fresh squeezed lemon juice as you like. 

Add fresh water and lots of ice.  Feel free to garnish with basil leaves or lemon slices.

Welcome to summer. Be refreshed.

Picnic Time

I will be at my most pregnant during the heat of the summer, so I am reveling in the 75 - 80 degree weather.  I love the mix of spring rain we've been having, and the overcast days are my favorite.  I don't find them dreary.  It's a relief to just splash in the puddles and not have to worry about sun exposure and heat waves, at least for now.  

Most days I pack up a grocery bag worth of snacks and provisions and Roman and I set out to see what adventures we can find.  Sometimes we have a plan, other days we follow Roman's whimsy.  One thing is for sure, we've been lunching outside.  While Roman's meals might be a little more standard (mini bagels with sun butter and jam are his favorite), I tend to fold some vegetables and hummus into a whole wheat tortilla.  

His new nap-free schedule has him in bed early, which means I'm basically house bound most evenings.  One of these nights we will treat ourselves to a family picnic. I will sneak in a few sips of P's chilled white wine and indulge in this salad.  Perfect for sitting on a lawn somewhere, listening to some live music, watching the boats go by on the Hudson.  In my perfect fantasy, there are even fireflies.  But in my real world, the little one's needs come first, so incase I don't make this modest dream happen, I hope some of you will.  

Salad of Shrimp, Lentils, Sweet Potato and Mâche Rosettes with a Lemon Tarragon Dressing

Serves 6

This salad should be served slightly chilled.  Once you have combined the mâche and dressed the salad, serve it quickly, otherwise the mâche will wilt.  

1 cup dry green lentils, picked over and rinsed

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 lb. medium shrimp (peeled and deveined) 

3.5 ounces mâche rosettes (lamb's ear lettuce)

Lemon Tarragon Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1 small shallot, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

For the salad, bring 3 cups of water to boil in a medium sauce pan.  Add 1 cup lentils and cover, reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes or until the lentils are tender but not mushy.  Drain the lentils and allow them to cool.  Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.  Cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes and toss them in some olive oil.  Roast for about 25 minutes.  

Sautee the shrimp in some olive oil for a few minutes on each side until just cooked.

Once the lentils and sweet potatoes are cooled, combine them in a large bowl.  Prepare the dressing as indicated below, setting aside a few tablespoons for the shrimp.  Add the mâche to the bowl and toss all three ingredients with the dressing.  Divide the salad amongst 6 plates, toss the shrimp in the reserved dressing and arrange them on top of the salads. 

For the dressing, combine the olive oil and lemon juice.  Add the tarragon and shallot.  Season with salt and pepper.

Mixed Berry Breakfast Crisp with Hazelnut Almond Topping

How do you show love?  Love notes, gifts, affection?  I suppose that even picking up someone's dry cleaning can be a caring act.  I've come to believe that I show love most often through food.  Whether it's for a child, a sibling, parent or husband, I can spoil (rich chocolate pudding), provide nutrients, or appeal to the need for comfort with something unexpected like a breakfast crisp.  To me this says, "I love you."

I made this on a Sunday morning and told my husband to wait and see what was in the oven before making his usual breakfast.  It's oddly close to his morning routine of late: yogurt, homemade granola and berries.  But something bubbling on it's way out of the oven steps things up a notch.  It feels like dessert but has a tiny fraction of the sugar.  

So I'm curious, what do you do?  How do you show love? 

Mixed Berry Breakfast Crisp with Hazelnut Almond Topping

Serves 6

Since berries are one of the most highly sprayed crops, I recommend paying the extra money and buying organic.  You can use frozen berries, in which case do not defrost them.  The end result may be a bit juicier if using frozen.  If you feel like having this for dessert, replace the greek yogurt with some ice cream.  

6 cups fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)

zest of 1/2 orange

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup hazelnut meal

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, cold

3/4 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup slivered almonds

Place the mixed berries in a deep baking dish, sprinkle with orange zest and sugar. 

Place the flour, hazelnut meal, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in the food processor, then add the stick of butter which you have cut into about 8 slices.  Pulse 5-6 times.  Then add the rolled oats and pulse another 3-4 times, taking care not to over process the oats.  With your hands, mix in the slivered almonds, then lay the crisp topping over the berries in the baking dish.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Serve hot or room temperature with greek yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup.