blissful eats with tina jeffers: Chai pickled peaches

Pickled fruit is a truly underappreciated condiment.  Finding the perfect balance of salty, sweet and sour can add a depth and dimension to a dish that is unbeatable.  I experimented a while back with pickled blueberries but I think that I love these Chai pickled peaches even more.  Using tea bags is a simple way to flavor your brine and creates endless flavor possibilities.  Make sure to the best quality tea you can find for the best and most intense flavor.  Use peaches that are still a bit firm so that they retain their shape and texture.  I packed them into 3 pint sized containers but you could put them all into one large jar.

I paired these peaches with a nice creamy goat cheese, pistachios and arugula in a salad and as a crostini.  I think they would also be great spooned over some vanilla ice cream, or on top of a pizza with some nice salty bacon. How about spooned over some nice grilled pork chops?  They will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator so that gives you plenty of time to figure out the best way to use them. 

Visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com for more recipe inspiration!

Chai pickled peaches

Ingredients:

2 pounds slightly underripe peaches

1 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

1 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

6 star anise

3 cinnamon sticks

3 serrano chili peppers sliced in half

3 chai tea bags

Method:

Peel the peaches and slice into wedges, discarding the pits.  Pack the peaches into glass jars along with the peppers, star anise, cinnamon and tea bags.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring the dissolve the sugar and salt.  Pour the hot liquid over the peaches, cover and refrigerate.

Remove and discard the tea bags after 1 day.  The peaches will be ready after 2 days and they will keep for up to 3 weeks.

blissful eats with tina jeffers: Salted Caramel Budino

Do you ever wonder where all your time goes?  There are weeks when I feel like I accomplish absolutely nothing but I feel like I’ve been running around non-stop.  I’ve officially become a Volvo driving soccer mom, when I was younger I never pictured myself carting kids around town, watching a bunch of 12 year olds playing basketball but that is essentially my life these days.  To be absolutely honest I never even thought I would have kids.

I didn’t have the greatest examples in my life when I was younger and had decided there was no way I wanted any part of marriage and babies, I just didn’t think I had it in me, that I was too selfish and ill equipped to handle those responsibilities.  Motherhood kind of blindsided me, we didn’t plan it, it just happened.  Life is messy and loud and obnoxious and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Being a mom has taught me that I have to roll with the punches and most of the time put someone else’s needs before my own. 

My boys have a sweet tooth and while I don’t make dessert everyday when we indulge we go all the way.  This is decadence defined, a butterscotch pudding with a rich, creamy salted caramel.  It is really pretty easy to make as long as you are comfortable making caramel.  The trick to making caramel is to keep a close eye on it and handle it with a light touch.  The caramel sauce is amazing all by itself, the addition of the sour cream really helps temper the sweetness and is great on top of ice cream or with fresh fruit. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there.  I’ll be enjoying a little bit of quiet from the chaos; at least I hope I will.  

Visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com during the rest of the week for more recipes and inspiration!

Salted Caramel Budino

Adapted from The NY Times

Ingredients:

For the budino:

3 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk

1 large egg

3 large egg yolks

4 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/8 cups dark brown sugar

1 1/2teaspoons kosher salt

5 tablespoons butter

for the salted caramel sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream

¼ cup water

scrapings from one vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

½ cup sugar

1 ¼ teaspoon Fleur de Sel  plus more for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream

Method:

For the budino, combine cream and milk in medium saucepan.  Heat until simmering and set aside.  Whisk egg, egg yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl, set aside.

Combine brown sugar, kosher salt and 1/2 cup water in pot. Place over medium-high heat and let sit until edges start to brown. Tilt pot as needed to even the browning until caramelized, nutty and deep brown, about 10 minutes.

Immediately whisk in cream mixture, mixture will steam and caramel will seize. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Whisk a cup at a time into egg mixture until half is incorporated. Remove from heat, and immediately whisk egg mixture back into pot until custard is very thick, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in butter. Pass through a fine mesh strainer and divide among 10 6-ounce ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap, allow to cool, and refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours or up to 3 days.

For sauce, combine 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla in medium saucepan. Heat until simmering and set aside.

Combine the sugar and corn syrup with 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan, stirring carefully so as not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350F or until the mixture is dark amber in color, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, and slowly add the cream, and then the Fleur de Sel. Whisk in the sour cream and set aside to cool.

To serve, spoon a tablespoon of warm caramel sauce over each budino and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon fleur de sel.

blissful eats with tina jeffers: Thai peanut zucchini noodles

Some days I crave a little simplicity in my life.  Last weekend my son decided to run a bath in my tub and when he ran past me with a guilty look on his face I knew something was up.  I was curious when I heard the shower running and then realized the sounds of pouring water wasn’t coming from my bathroom but from my living room.  As I walked down my stairs I was struck by the sight of water pouring out of a light fixture as my 6 month old puppy was trying to drink out of the torrential amount of water that was streaming out of my ceiling.  While she’s running around my feet super excited by the newly supplied waterfall, I step on her leash, she races away and I go flying down the stairs.  As I lay there staring up at the ceiling with a dog licking my face and water streaming out of my ceiling I contemplated the chaos that always seems to define my life and decided that I needed to find a quiet place to lick my wounds.  

Don't get me wrong I love my family, but they are larger than life, loud, rambunctious and always on the go.  I tend to like peace and quiet and have to fight for any I get.  I think that's why I love my garden so much, it's one of the few places I can retreat to and gather my thoughts and have a little peace.  I also get tired of eating the food I prepare for them, I love to make them happy but I can only eat so many burritos before I find myself craving something light and fresh.  I love zucchini noodles because they don't require any cooking, I can have them ready in minutes and you can get creative with what you pair them with.  Tossed with a zesty peanut sauce and full of fresh veggies it's a great vegetarian lunch that really satisfies.  

Well, I've been sitting hear quietly for a few minutes so it's time for me to prepare for the next adventure that life with my family will bring.  Visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com during the week for more recipes!

Thai peanut zucchini noodles

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini

1 carrot

1 cup edamame, shelled

¼ cup chopped cashews

½ avocado, cubed

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

½ cup assorted herbs (mint, basil, cilantro)

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic chili paste

Method:

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, lime juice, honey, sesame oil, garlic and chili paste.  Whisk to combine, then set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Using a julienne peeler, cut the zucchini and carrot into long strands.  In a medium bowl combine the zucchini, carrot, edamame and avocado, add a few tablespoons of the dressing and toss lightly to combine.  Garnish with the herbs, sesame seeds and cashews and serve.

blissful eats with tina jeffers: White chocolate strawberries with basil sugar

It’s probably pretty obvious by now but I love fresh herbs.  I use them in dishes both savory and sweet, put them in beverages and bake them into cookies.  I’ve never made herb sugars before but now that I have I can’t wait to experiment with some new ideas. This recipe will yield some leftover sugar and it would be delicious sprinkled on top of cantaloupe or watermelon, or stirred into some lemonade or iced tea.

I had a hard time waiting for these to firm up in the fridge before I started devouring them.  I can see a lot of these in my future when my strawberry patch starts producing in a few months. 

You can always find me at www.scalingbackblog.com during the rest of the week!

White chocolate strawberries with basil sugar

Ingredients:

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup fresh basil

6 ounces high quality white chocolate, chopped

16 large ripe strawberries

Place the basil and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the basil is finely ground and the mixture is well combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Stir chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.

Holding 1 strawberry by stem end, dip 2/3 of berry into chocolate; shake excess back into bowl. Turn berry dipped end up and sprinkle with basil sugar. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining berries, chocolate, and sugar. Chill until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

blissful eats with tina jeffers: Salted almond butter cookies

I find inspiration for my cooking all around me.  I love to experiment with new flavor combinations and techniques.  I also find myself trying to recreate dishes that I’ve tried in some of our local restaurants. 

One of my favorite bakeries in town, Nuvrei, makes a cookie similar to this one and I found it so unique and unlike anything else I’ve ever had I knew that I had to try to recreate them at home.  They have the most amazing breads and cookies and their macaroons are out of this world.   Salty, buttery and studded with sliced almonds these are quickly becoming a classic that will be making an appearance whenever I’m asked to bake a treat.  It took a few tries but I’m really happy with the result.   You do need to bake these on a cookie sheet not a rimmed baking pan; otherwise, they will spread too much.  The salt is really important, don’t go overboard but a light sprinkling of a high quality salt elevates these cookies to something sublime. 

I’d love to hear about some of your favorite recipes, visit me at www.scalingbackblog.com to see more of my favorite creations!

Salted almond butter cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup almond flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating

1 large egg

¾ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup sliced almonds

1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel or good quality sea salt to garnish

Method: 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to blend.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Beat in the egg and almond extract until thoroughly combined about 2 minutes.  Scrape the bowl again.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. 

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons into a bowl of granulated sugar and roll to coat.  With the back of a drinking glass lightly flatten the dough into a circle and then sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and cover the top of the cookies with the sliced almonds.

Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center 14 to 16 minutes.  Let the cookies cool on the sheet for one minute before transferring them to a rack to cool.

These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.