Satisfying Sleek

With most blog posts, you will see the lead photo of the finished dish in all its glory. Well, whoever gave this recipe the name "Satisfying Sleek" was probably talking about how you feel after eating it, rather than the svelte appearance of the dish itself. This is a delicious meal, it's good for you and it's easy. It is not, however, gorgeous. Not like Rainbow Swiss Chard, anyway. Chard should get more airtime than it does; it's nutritious and simple to cook. Just chop and wilt. The flavor has a mineral sort of earthiness and is perfect in this mixture of spices, beans and grains.

You'll have to read to the end to see the finished product and take my word for it: you'll be wanting this filling, slightly exotic, yet effortless plate of goodness and you won't be able to stop thinking about it until it's yours. I'm only speaking from personal experience here.

Baked Sunday Mornings: Malted Crisp Tart

Who needs a candy bar when you could have a tart like this? I have been waiting for a Baked malt recipe to make like a five-year-old waits for Christmas morning. Or maybe a birthday cake. Because this was my birthday present to myself and it pretty much made my week. This is top-to-bottom malty, chocolate nirvana. I've made chocolate chip malt cookies before, but this takes the soda shop flavor to a whole new level.

French Silk Pie

 

Everyone needs a show-stopper in their repertoire. This one is mine. Or maybe I should say, it's my mom's. She's known for this pie (and a few other desserts I'll share in the future) and I'm so happy I can call it my own. I've watched her make it hundreds of times, but I've only made it twice. But I feel like I can take ownership now. This pie is me. It's part of my history. I love this pie because it reminds me of my mom and because it's delicious, but also because I like to be known as a girl who can make a pie like this....

 

Pan-Fried Basa with Andouille Succotash

 

It's time for dinner. Part of this blog was supposed to be motivation to find quick and easy dinner recipes for weeknights. Ideally, I would find fast, yet delicious recipes that I could cook after a long day at work, then share that gold mine with you. But I'm a baker at heart, I suppose, and pies are so much prettier on a computer screen than some things. Then I found this recipe for the tastiest, easiest fish and a side with colors that give buttercream a run for it's money.

French Fridays with Dorie: Salted Butter Break-Ups

 

Have you ever wondered what shortbread would be like if it was soft, instead of crispy? Well, this is it, in all of it's buttery, flaky glory. The middle is tender and melting, like a cookie and the edges are crisp and shattery like the best shortbread you've ever had. Because it came out of your oven and it's remarkably simple to put together.

Banana Bread with Oatmeal Cinnamon Streusel

This bread is how I became a blogger. It's an interesting story, actually. I have collected quite a line-up of food blogs that I visit on a regular basis. One of them is Heidi Bakes. This woman knows how to tempt me. When I saw this recipe on her blog early last summer, I decided I had to make it. Unfortunately, I made it wrong. Really wrong. As in, bread batter all over my oven, wrong.  Fortunately for me, she is a patient, encouraging and understanding woman. She returned my questioning e-mails and was full of concern, compassion and helpful hints to baking success.

Baked Sunday Mornings:Salt 'n Pepper Sandwich Cookies

 

Oreos for the adventurous. That's what these are. Re-imagined, re-made, remarkable. I'm so impressed by these cookies because they changed my mind. You see, at first, I didn't like them. The combination of heat and sweet didn't do much for me. Sweet and salty? You bet. On board. Sign me up. Sugar and pepper? Mmmm... I don't know....

Meyer Lemon Bars

It's time for some sunshine. I'm so ready for spring, but it's going to be a little while yet.... there are still some piles of snow left on the ground and it's been a chilly, rainy day. So I decided to take some action and bring the sun inside. I found Meyer lemons at the grocery store and snagged two bags to hoard in my refrigerator. If you could taste sunlight, this is it. Imagine standing in a field of citrus-scented blossoms and you get an idea of what the Meyer lemon experience is like, except that you can taste that heady aroma, too. Their season is so short, but that makes the joy of finding them and the pleasure of using them so satisfying. 

French Fridays with Dorie: Savory Cheese and Chive Bread

Welcome back to French Fridays at FlavorSings. I've been absent from the group for a bit; I wasn't feeling inspired by the braised ribs, or the green beans. To be honest, I almost didn't make this recipe either. But I'm so glad I did. A quick bread didn't feel very French to me, and maybe I wanted more of a challenge--an adventure or a profound story to tell. There isn't one. This is as easy as it looks, but a thousand times more delicious than words could convey. This bread comes together like any coffee cake or banana bread you've made before. The big difference is the addition of olive oil, cheese and herbs to make a savory snack. I love how adaptable this can be to what you may have on hand. I used white cheddar and chives, but I'd like to try a Swiss and dill version of this, or maybe Parmesan and fresh basil when our garden gets started again. The texture is soft and moist and would show off any combination of flavors nicely.

Now that I think about it, sliced thinly, this bread might make an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. Because there is no such thing as too much cheese. A glass of white wine would be perfect with it, as would a bowl of soup. This bread is just waiting for ways to be used creatively. Don't forget to see how the other cooks over at French Fridays with Dorie did with their bread. I'm looking forward to seeing the variations and getting some fun ideas.