In the Kitchen :: Five Recipes for Fall

Brie + Cheddar Apple Beer Soup by Half Baked Harvest

Well hello there!  Sorry for my unexpected absence yesterday, a weekend back at my alma mater plus coming home to a swelteringly hot house on Sunday night {requiring us to sleep in the living room} left me a total zombie yesterday.  Thankfully we opened the windows and were much more comfortable last night...it's amazing what a good night of sleep will do for your energy levels!  Anyways, I'm back today sharing with you five fall recipes that I'm absolutely drooling over.  Looking for more food inspiration?  Check out my Pinterest board :)

Recipe :: Ginger Berry Chia Seed Pudding

After having friends over on Tuesday night and making The Artful Desperado's wickedly delicious {but wickedly sinful} Salted Chocolate Diablo Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, the following morning I felt the need for a super healthy breakfast.  I have been putting Chia Seeds in my smoothies for quite some time {they are packed with fiber and vitamins}, but decided to follow Camille Styles' recipe and make Ginger Berry Chia Seed Pudding...and I couldn't have been more pleased with the results!  I loaded mine with berries and nuts, but I could see a dozen different variations that could easily take it from breakfast to dessert.

Ginger Berry Chia Seed Pudding (Recipe via Camille Styles)
Serves 1

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons almond milk (or the milk of your choice)
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons chia seeds
6 – 8 raspberries, blackberries or blueberries, plus more for topping
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Nuts or seeds for topping (I love a mixture of slivered almonds and hemp seeds.)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a mason jar or other container with tight fitting lid, combine almond milk and maple syrup. Shake to combine.

To the jar, add next 6 ingredients. Shake well, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.  During the first 2 hours of chilling, shake well every 30 minutes to evenly distribute the chia seeds.

The pudding is ready when it’s very thick.  Pudding keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.

In the Kitchen :: Five Brunch Recipes

Coconut Banana Oats Bowl with Black Sesame Quinoa Cereal + Mango by Half Baked Harvest

On those few weekends where we actually don't have any plans {or weddings!!} there is almost nothing I love more than a lazy, leisurely brunch.  I love waking up and looking through my cookbooks or Pinterest Board to find a new recipe to try, biking to the farmers market to pick up any extra ingredients I may need, and wasting away the morning with a hot cup of tea and a delicious breakfast.  Luckily for Ryan I am an early bird and will often have the whole thing ready before he even gets out of bed :)

Dark Chocolate Waffles by Bon Appétit

Butternut Squash and Barley Salad with a Poached Egg by Cherry on My Sundae

Buttermilk, Quinoa, and Poppy Seed Lemon Pancakes by Dreams in HD

Italian Baked Eggs by Damn Delicious

Recipe :: Spring Asparagus and Gruyère Tart

Happy first day of Spring!  Today I wanted to share with you one of my favorite recipes for an indulgent Spring Asparagus and Gruyère Tart that always impresses without actually being much work at all.  Perhaps it's the homemade crust, but guests always think that I slaved for in the kitchen for hours when in actuality this recipe takes about 20-30 minutes max of hands on time.  It can be varied based on what you have in your refrigerator {I'm envisioning feta + sweet potato, broccoli + cheddar, kale + leek...} and is great served for brunch, lunch, or dinner paired with lightly dressed greens.  For an added treat, roast a handful of grape tomatoes with a little olive oil and serve on top of the tart...I promise you won't be disappointed!

Spring Asparagus and Gruyère Tart {recipe adapted from Clodagh McKenna's 'Homemade'}

PASTRY
5 tablespoons chilled butter, diced
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
approx. 1/3 cup cold water

FILLING
18 thin asparagus spears (approx. 10oz)
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Gruyère
1/2 cup half and half
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil loosely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS
Start by making the pastry.  Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour, then add enough cold water to bring the pastry dough together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Once the pastry has chilled, roll it out using a wooden rolling pin and line a 9 1/2 inch tart pan {I have this one}, pressing the dough down firmly and trimming off the excess pastry around the edge of the pan.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

While the pastry is baking, rinse the asparagus spears and slice them in half.  Beat together the eggs, cheese, and half and half, and season with salt and black pepper.

Pour the egg mixture into the tart and arrange the asparagus spears on top.  Sprinkle with fresh basil.  Bake the tart at the same temperature for a further 40 minutes or until the center looks and feels golden brown.

Recipe :: Blackberry Lavender Scones

I remember being a little girl and my mom asking me to go out into the garden to pick some fresh rosemary for dinner.  Walking barefoot through the yard, I stopped to smell my favorite flowers and wander through the herb garden.  After a few tries I found the rosemary and ran inside to give it to my mom for the dish she was making.  As we sat down for dinner we bit into the tender grilled chicken and noticed it had a rather unique, floral flavor.  It was then my mom realized that I had grabbed the lavender, not rosemary, and subsequently one of my favorite childhood dishes, "Lavender Chicken," was created.

Years later, although I have finally learned the difference between rosemary and lavender, I still am drawn to the fragrant aroma of lavender.  While it may not be for everyone, I absolutely love the flavor and depth it brings to a recipe - especially baked goods.  So today I will be sharing with you one of my favorite scone recipes from Joy the Baker that I first made last year on Mother's Day.  This recipe can be adapted numerous ways, I am envisioning lemon poppy seed, strawberry rose petal, raspberry dark chocolate...the list goes on and on.  Enjoy!

Blackberry Lavender Scones {recipe via Joy the Baker}
Makes 10-12 large scones

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried lavender
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 beaten egg and granulated sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter (using your fingers or a pastry cutter) until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Work the butter into the dry ingredients until some of the butter flakes are the size of peas and some are the size of oat flakes.  

In another bowl, combine egg and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in the blackberries.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead about 15 times.  Roll or pat out into a 1-inch thickness.  Cut into 2-inch rounds using a round cutter or cut into 2×2-inch squares.  Reshape and roll dough to create more scones with excess scraps.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Serve warm.  Scones are best the day they’re made, and though they can be frozen and lightly reheated in the oven if you need a future treat.

Recipe :: Buttermilk, Lemon, and Poppy Seed Quinoa Pancakes

As a long-time follower of Béa Peltre's blog, 'La Tartine Gourmande,' I was thrilled when she came out with her self-titled cookbook.  The photographs and recipes were just as beautiful as those on her blog, and I love how Béa included a special memory to go along with each recipe.  I have made {and loved} a few recipes out of her book, but one of my resolutions for this year is to stop reaching for Pinterest every single night to decide what to make for dinner and instead start using my plethora of cookbooks more.

This week I made her recipe for Buttermilk, Lemon, and Poppy Seed Quinoa Pancakes and they did not disappoint.  They were the perfect combination of that golden crispy exterior with a soft and cake middle.  The addition of lemon and poppy seed gives the pancakes a slightly elevated flavor, while the addition of quinoa flour pumps up the healthy quotient a notch or two.  One thing I love about this recipe is the flours can easily be substituted for others you have around the house.  I didn't have quinoa flakes so instead I subbed with ground almonds, and instead of white rice flour I used whole wheat flour.  I also didn't want to buy a bottle of buttermilk {every time a recipe calls for it I buy a bottle, never use more than a cup, and it ends up getting spoiled} so I followed this recipe and actually made mine.  And of course you could switch it up and flavor the pancakes with banana & chocolate chips, pumpkin, apples & cinnamon...the possibilities are endless!

Note: If you are at all interested in learning more about food photography and styling, Béa conducts a few workshops across the globe each year.  Her next workshop?  A three-day retreat in PARIS.  Details are here...who wants to go with me?!

Buttermilk, Lemon, and Poppy Seed Quinoa Pancakes {recipe via La Tartine Gourmande}

Makes fourteen to sixteen 4-inch pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup white rice flour or sweet rice flour {substituted with whole wheat flour}

1/3 cup quinoa flour

1/3 cup quinoa flakes {substituted with ground almonds}

2 tablespoons blond cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 pinches sea salt

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon

2 large eggs, separated

1 cup buttermilk {I made my own with this recipe}

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract {I used lemon juice}

1 tablespoon canola oil, plus more to cook the pancakes

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, combine the flours, quinoa flakes, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, a pinch of sea salt, poppy seeds, and the lemon zest {save a little to sprinkle on top of pancakes when serving}.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the buttermilk.  Beat in the lemon extract, if using, and the oil.  Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until soft peaks form.  Fold the whites into the batter.

In a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the pan and repeat for as many pancakes as the pan can hold.  Cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip the pancakes and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden.

Sprinkle the pancakes with remaining lemon zest and serve with warm maple syrup, honey, powdered sugar, fresh berries, or whatever toppings you enjoy.  Bon appétit!

Photography by Molly {I'm really trying to get the hang of this new camera!}