Tomato Pesto

I found this in a cookbook and changed it to my taste. It is very good and healthy too. Perfect during the hot summer! My baby girl loves it.

Tomato Pesto
1 pound tomatoes, I like the ones on the vine
1 garlic clove, made into a paste on a zester
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 cup fresh basil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or small shaped pasta such as fusilli
Parmesan cheese, grated

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the stems with a knife and seeds and the liquid with your finger. Combine with the rest of the ingredients (except the pasta) in a blender and whiz until smooth.

Boil the pasta in salty water until al-dente. Combine with the sauce and serve with some parmasean cheese. Store leftovers in the fridge. You can eat this cold or warm.

Super Yummy Granola

We went hiking in Sedona and I made this granola to take along. It is really easy to make and very good. You can also mix it with some milk or yogut.

Super Yummy Granola

3 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

3/4 cup raw slivered almonds

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil (or olive oil)

2 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, figs,...)

Combine all the ingredients, except the fruit, on a baking sheet lined with silpat (or parchment) and toss to combine. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 F. Cool and combine with the fruit. Store in airtight jar.

No Guilt Mayonnaise

I like mayonnaise very much but I hate that the store mayonnaise has soybean/canola oil in it. Even the expensive organic ones have canola oil it. I want extra virgin all the way. I wanted to make my own, but could not bring myself to using raw eggs. I read that you can do it by using egg whites. Since stores sell pasteurized egg whites, I experimented a little. It worked! Now I can feel good about eating mayonnaise since I am really eating fluffed up extra virgin olive oil. That is so great!

The bottom picture is what the mayo looks like in the blender. Use this mayo to make healthy potato salad or yummy sandwiches.

Mayonnaise

6 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil or a combination of the two

Combine egg whites, lemon juice, mustard and salt in a blender. Whiz for 30 seconds and then with the blender on slowly pour in the oil. It is important to pour the oil slowly, otherwise the mayo will be too liquidy. Continue to whiz until thick mayo forms. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes heaping 1/2 cup

Peanut Butter and Espresso Frosting Brownies

I was craving some brownies today, so I made some. Thats all! Now make them and EAT them.

Brownies

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder

2 tablespoon butter

3 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine

1 large egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave. Add the cocoa, water, vanilla and espresso. Whisk until smooth (no mixer needed here). Add egg, sugar and salt and stir until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix until just combined. Place into a 8x8 inch pan that has been lined with aluminum foil sling. Grease the foil with soft butter. Scrape the batter into the pan and use wet hands to spread it out evenly to all corners.

If you want peanut butter brownies, here is what you do. Take some natural (or if you have the one that has sugar in it and additives, that is okay too) peanut butter and put blobs (say 1 tablespoon) on the surface of the brownies. Then take a butter knife and spread it around. Get the peanut butter and brownie batter to mix a little bit, but not too much that you can't tell difference between the batter and peanut butter. In the picture, I made half peanut butter and half regular (so that I can frost it with the espresso frosting).

Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes. The brownies will not look done. Toothpick should come out with wet batter clinging, but the side will look set. It is really important not to overbake brownies. It is better to under bake than over bake. The picture to the right is what they look like when baked.

Let the brownies sit at room temperature until warm and then put them into the fridge until cold and firm. Cut with a plastic knife is best, but you can also do it with greased kitchen knife. I like them from the fridge. They are super dense and chewy.

Frosting
2 tablespoons confectioner sugar
½ teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon milk (any fat)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with hand held mixer until creamy. Spread on brownies and store the brownies in the fridge.

Lemon-Ginger-Mint Drink

I always drink plain water. I try to avoid sugary drinks. I have mint growing and I thought maybe I can make a refreshing drink. I had to add sugar because of the lemon juce. It is not very sweet, but that is how I like it.

Lemon-Ginger-Mint Drink

6 cups water

1 inch ginger piece, cut into chunks
small handful fresh mint, bruised with fingers
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Combine water, ginger, mint and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool and then combine with lemon juice. Pour over ice and enjoy. Store the drink in the fridge.

Fake Chinese Lemon Chicken

This is a nice break from the same old chicken. It is sweet and sour so it tastes kind of Chinese. I was enjoying it so much that I almost forgot to take a picture for the blog. I remembered when I was almost done. I know that this has 2 tablespoons of sugar, but the amount of sauce is way too much for the chicken. You use only like 1/3 of the sauce and the rest you can throw away. I normally do not like to waste food, but the sauce really is just lemon juice, water and sugar. You only get like a teaspoon or less of sugar here since you only need a drizzle.

Fake Chinese Lemon Chicken
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped shallots or 1 chopped scallion
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine or grated
Zest of 2 lemons
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry, sweet or dry
Black pepper
1 egg
All purpose or whole wheat flour, enough for dredging
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cut the chicken into long strips. Put into a plastic bag (that sits inside a bowl). Add shallots (or scallions), ginger, garlic, zest, soy sauce, sherry and pepper. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and coat in flour, egg and then flour. Set aside on a plate.

Put about 1/2 inch of olive oil into a skillet and let it get hot. A pinch of flour should sizzle when dropped into the oil.

Slide the chicken into the oil and cook it until 180 F. Remove and let the excess oil absorb on paper towels.

For the sauce, dissolve cornstarch in a little of the juice. Combine it with the stock, juice and sugar and bring to a boil. Put the chicken on a plate and drizzle with the sauce.

Strata

This is easy and tasty. I like it because I can make it ahead. I like to use whole wheat bread to make it healthier. You can use whole milk, but 1% is a little less rich.

Strata

8 ounces whole wheat bread (sturdy/dense one NOT airy sandwich bread), cut into ½ inch thick slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, soft

12 ounces red potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes (with skin)

1 shallot, chopped fine (1/3 cup)

2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme or parsley

½ cup dry white wine

6 large eggs

1 ¾ cups milk, low fat is fine

5 ounces good melting cheese (gouda, muenster, havarti, fontina, asiago), grated

Leave the bread slices on a wire rack overnight to dry out completely.

Boil the potatoes in salt water (water + pinch salt) until the fork goes in but with resistance (about 5-10 minutes). Drain and heat oil in a skillet until almost smoking. Add the potatoes and let them get golden all over. Add the shallot and cook for 30 seconds. Add the rosemary and garlic and stir for a couple of seconds. Move to a bowl and add wine to the skillet. Simmer until wine is reduced to a tablespoon.

Add thyme or parsley to the potato mixture. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

I do not season with salt because the strata comes out too salty for me. I do not add a lot of salt when I cook so my salt buds are 'underworked'. The strata has plenty of cheese with salt in it and that is plenty of salt for my taste buds. If you like salt then salt the potatoes to your taste.

In another bowl, combine eggs and whisk them well. Add the milk and reduced wine.

Butter 8x8 dish with soft butter. Arrange half the bread on the bottom (break it to fit it as best you can). Sprinkle with half the potato mixture and half the cheese. Arrange the rest of the bread and sprinkle with the rest of potato mixture and cheese. Pour the milk mixture over the top (it will look like too much liquid, but the bread will absorb it). Cover with plastic wrap and put a folded up kitchen towel on top. Put two 28 ounce cans of tomatoes sideways and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, remove the strata from the fridge and let it warm up on the counter while you preheat the oven to 325 F. Remove the cans, towel and plastic and bake for 50-60 minutes. It is ready when the strata is puffy and pulled away from the sides.

Let the strata cool for 20 minutes and eat! It is best eaten the same day.

Croissants

I love croissants, but never got to enjoy them because the ones at the store have evil trans fats in them. I got up the courage and made my own. This is not my first attempt. They are a little bit tricky.

You have to take your time with them. That is, if the dough feels warm, let it chill in the freezer. Other than that it is not too bad. It takes 3 days to make them. I know, but they are so worth it. The first day, you make the butter block and the dough. The second day you fold and roll the dough to make all the layers (ROLL 1-3). The third day, you roll it out (ROLL 4), cut, shape, bake, cool and EAT! The third day is the hardest for me because you got to roll the dough out thin and it is gets a bit hard on the arm muscles. That is okay, since I figure I am burning off calories. By the way, I really suggest using french rolling pin to do the rolling.

Even though this recipe uses 23 tablespoons of butter, it is only about 1 tablespoon of butter croissant. That is not too bad since I am sure that some cakes and cookies have more than that.

Croissants

Dough

18 ounces (4 cups) all purpose flour

5 ounces (10 tablespoons) water, cold

5 ounces (10 tablespoons) whole milk, cold (or 4 ounces 1% milk and 1 ounce heavy cream)

2 ounces (6 tablespoons) sugar

1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, soft

1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon instant yeast

2 teaspoons sea salt

Butter Layer

10 ounces (20 tablespoons or 2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (soft but not mushy)

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Egg Wash

1 egg

1 teaspoon water

For the dough, combine all in a stand mixer and mix with a paddle until a ball forms. Remove and shape into a rough square. Place into a plastic bag and refrigerate overnight.

For the butter layer, put the butter and flour into the stand mixer and mix until flour has been incorporated. Take a long piece of wax paper and fold over the edges to make a 7 ½ inch square (you want it to look like a package). Put the butter into the center and fold over the wax paper. Use a rolling pin to push the butter to the corners (use a light hand here). Refrigerate overnight with the dough.

The next day, remove butter and let the butter warm up enough to be able to bend over the edge of the counter without breaking (Picture A). You want it to still be cool and firm.

Take the dough out and form it into a rough rectangle (Picture B). Roll the dough into 11 inch square. Brush off the excess flour and place the butter as shown in the Picture C.

Fold over the edges and press them together well (Picture D and E).

ROLL 1: Roll the dough (do not press on it, but roll it) to 8x22 inch rectangle (Picture F). Brush off excess flour (on all the 'folded' up parts) and fold it like a letter (Picture G). Put onto a baking sheet lined with a towel, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. Make sure to cover the dough well.

ROLL 2: Remove the dough and put it so that the dough opens up like a book (you want the folds to be parallel to your body. Roll to 8x24 inch rectangle (Picture F). If the dough feels like it is warming up (use your judgement) place it into the freezer for 20 minutes. You can let it rest in the freezer for 20 minutes when ever if feels warm or springs back. Once you got 8x24 inch rectangle, brush off excess flour and fold (Picture G). Cover as before and freeze for 20 minutes.

ROLL 3: Repeat the rolling and the folding process one more time. Fold like in Picture G, cover well and refrigerate overnight.

ROLL 4: The next day, roll the dough (as it is, folded up) into a 1/8 inch thick (dimentions will be around 14x30 inches ). If rolling gets tough, fold the dough and freeze for up to 20 minutes at a time.

When the dough has been rolled out to the right thickness, it is time to cut out the croissants! Cut the dough in half to make two long ribbons of dough (about 7x30 inches). Cut one of the ribbons into triangles, like shown in the picture to the right. The other one roll up, cover and put into the fridge. You can also wrap it well and freeze it for a month. After you get the second ribbon out, give it a gentle roll with the rolling pin.

As you practice making the croissants you will get a feel for what shape of triangles give the best looking rolls (also the whole process will get easier). You just have to learn it for yourself. Practice makes perfect. The nice thing is that crooked croissants are just as yummy as perfect ones. 

Take a triangle and stretch it out gently by holding it at the base and moving your hand in stretching motion to the tip. In the photo on the right, the triangle all the way on the left is not stretched. Make a 1/2 inch cut at the base of the croissant and roll the croissant tight toward the point. Curl the tails and lay on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). Keep enough space between them.

You can also put a piece of chocolate into the croissant. Be sure to use regular chocolate and not the chips. I think that milk chocolate is better since the croissants are not very sweet. I put 2 pea size pieces before rolling the croissant up.

You will have odd looking pieces of dough. These are the scraps. Stretch them and roll them up into funky looking croissants.

Brush the croissants with the egg wash and proof them in a cool place for about 1-2 hours. They are ready when you can see the layers of dough on the side and the croissants wiggle when touched. They will not double in size. Brush the croissants a second time with egg wash and cover with plastic and put into the fridge for 15 minutes right before baking to firm up the butter.

Remove from the fridge and bake at 400 F in the center of the oven until the tops are deep golden brown (about 15-20 minutes). I bake one sheet at a time. Make sure that your oven really is 400 F (get a thermometer and put it into the center of the oven). Rotate the sheet half way through baking.

Let these cool to room temperature before eating. You can freeze these for a month or so well wrapped. I like to take a frozen one and microwave it until it is warm. YUUUUUUUUUUM!

Makes about 3 dozen

I Love Burgers!

Today I made burgers. They are very tasty and healthy. I use lean meat and to compensate for that I do things that are not done to burgers. I took an idea from making meatballs and added some 'bread mush'. Also I added a little olive oil and molasses. These burgers can be made really healthy by using whole wheat or sprouted grain bread and loading the burger with lots of tomatoes, lettuce, avocado, onion and so on.

Burgers

1 slice sandwich bread, crust removed
2 tablespoons milk, any fat
2 cloves garlic, made into a paste (I use a microplane)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground pepper, as much as you want
1 teaspoon molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef, as lean as you can get it

Mash the milk and the bread until it forms a paste. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, molasses and olive oil.

Combine with the beef and mix with a light hand until evenly combined. Divide the meat into 4 portions and shape into patties about 1/4 inch thick (4 1/2 inches in diameter).

I preheat the charcoal grill for 5 minutes and brush the grill with an oiled paper towel (hold with tongs). Grill them (with lid off) for about 5-8 minutes per side. When you flip them on the second side you can put some cheese on. They are ready when the temperature is 160 F.

I brush the buns with olive oil and grill them until they are toasty. I think that I do not need to give directions on assembling a burger :).

Makes 4 burgers

Happy Birthday to Me Eclairs and Puffs!

Today is my birthday. Eeppee! I made these eclairs and cream puffs to celebrate.

Happy Birthday to Me Eclairs and Puffs!

8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon sea salt
5 ounces (1 cup) all purpose flour
4 eggs, plus 1 more if needed

Combine butter, water and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add the flour all at once. Beat vigorously with a ‘saucepan safe spoon’. Continue to mix (quickly) for a minute to dry the dough out.

Place the dough into a stand mixer and mix for one minute.

Beat the eggs in a measuring cup until yolk and white are indistinguishable (I use a handheld mixer). With a mixer on medium speed, add a couple of tablespoons of egg to the dough and wait until all the egg has been completely incorporated. Add more and wait again. Continue until all the egg is gone.

Test the dough by stretching a little bit of dough between fingers. If it stretches to a string about 1 1/2 inches, then the dough is done. If not, then add some or all of the 5th egg (a tablespoon at a time). If adding the 5th egg, periodically test the dough.

To make éclairs, draw rectangles 4x1 inches on parchment paper (flip the paper over to pipe). Fill the rectangle 1/2 inch high. To make puffs, pipe mounds about 1 ½ inches in diameter.

With wet fingers smooth out the éclairs or/and puffs as best as you can. Lightly brush the tops of éclairs or/and puffs with beaten egg.

Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes. Reduce to 350 F and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 F and bake 5 to 10 minutes. The éclairs should be golden brown and dry. Remove from the oven and make a small hole along one of the cracks to let the steam out. Return to a turned off oven and let them dry a little for about 5 minutes.

Cool and then fill with pastry cream, whipped cream or maybe chocolate filling (say fold in some whipped cream into chocolate frosting…YUM). Fill not too long before eating (say 1 hour at most).

You can hold empty éclairs or puffs for a day. Just place them in an air tight jar or bag. Re-crisp them at 375 F for 5 minutes, cool, fill and eat!

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes so that they are easier to squeeze out of the pastry bag. Empty éclairs can be frozen for up to a month.

Whipped Cream Filling

1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon water

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sugar

Chill the bowl and beaters in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

Place the gelatin and water into a little bowl and stir to dissolve. Microwave for 3 seconds at a time until the gelatin has dissolved (stir in between). Put the gelatin mixture, cream, vanilla and sugar into the bowl and whip until whipped cream forms. Be careful not to overbeat.

Ganache

4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped fine

Bring heavy cream to a simmer in the microwave. Dump all the chocolate into the heavy cream and stir.

Fill the puffs and éclairs with the filling using a pastry bag. Dip the tops into ganache. YUM!

Yo Aristotle Pasta!

I bought some yummy tomatoes at Trader Joes and had some olives and feta. I put them together and it was not too bad. You can eat it as left overs but the bread crumbs will be soggy, so eat up as soon as you make it.

I make fresh bread crumbs by putting whole wheat bread (the rustic/dense bread, not the flimsy sandwich bread) into the food processor and whizzing away. All I had was white rigatoni, but I prefer whole wheat pasta. I bet that you can also use lentils (use the french ones because they do not get mushy).

Yo Aristotle Pasta!
2 cups grape tomatoes
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup kalamata olives, cut in half
3 ounces feta cheese, cubed
Handful fresh mint, chopped fine
3 cups dried rigatoni pasta or 2 cups dried fusili pasta

Combine tomatoes, breadcrumbs and oil on baking dish and bake 10 minutes at 350 F. Start cooking the pasta to al dente. In a large bowl combine olives, cheese, mint and pepper in a bowl. When the pasta is done, drain it well and toss into the bowl. Add the tomato and breadcrumb mixture, toss to combine and serve right away.

Fake Chinese/Indian Chicken with Cauliflower

So once I saw this recipe with apricot jam, pork, soy sauce and ginger. I thought that it would be really tasty, but wanted to make it healthier. I decreased the jam, switched to chicken and added cauliflower. It turned out very tasty. It kind of tastes like Chinese/Japanese/Indian/Korean dish, but I am not a pro on the cuisines. Whatever it is, this is really tasty and healthy too. My daughter loved it!

Fake Chinese/Indian Chicken with Cauliflower

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 chicken breast of 3 thighs, cut into bite size pieces

1 cauliflower head, separated into bite size florets

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon curry powder

Pepper, but NO SALT

2 inches ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced fine

¼ cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ cup corn

Handful of cilantro, chopped fine

Heat the oil in a skillet until smoking. Add the chicken and brown it. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add the cauliflower, water and curry powder. Cover and steam until the cauliflower is tender. Add the ginger, garlic, jam and chicken. Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and add it to the pan. Add the corn and cook until the chicken reaches 180 F. Remove from heat and add cilantro. I added some chopped pistachios for some crunch.

This is good warm or cold.

Rolls, Hamburger and Hot Dog Rolls

This is a very nice dough to make rolls, hamburger or hot dog rolls. It is not 100% whole wheat, but I added some whole wheat flour. The bread is soft from the honey, fat and milk.

Rolls, Hamburger and Hot Dog Rolls

1 tablespoon instant yeast

425 grams (1 ¾ cup) milk, any fat will do

500 grams bread flour

300 grams white whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons sea salt

80 grams (1/4 cup) honey

85 grams (6 tablespoons) olive oil

1 egg

Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and mix until everything comes into a smooth ball. Let the dough rest after it comes into a rough ball for 5 minutes and then continue. Put into a bag and refrigirate overnight.

Hamburger Buns

Form dough into 2.5 ounce balls and let them sit for 20 minutes to relax. Then take a rolling pin and roll to ½ inch circle. Brush with egg white or whole egg and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Let rise until puffy and bake at 350 F until interior is 190 F. (I will watch the time next time and let you know). 

Parmesan-Pepper Rolls

You need about a quarter of the dough for this. Roll the dough into ¼ inch thick square (make it a square as best as you can). You will have to let the dough rest in between rolls to relax the gluten. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pepper. Cut into 1 inch strips and arrange the strips on top of each other (about 4-5 strips). Then take a knife and cut into 1 inch chunks. Place into buttered muffin tin and let them rise until puffy. Bake at 350F until golden on top.

Lemon Pudding Cake

My mother-in-law asked me to make these pudding lemon cakes. I looked for a recipe and found one. I changed it a little. It is really easy cake and tastes like sponge cake on top of pudding.

Lemon Pudding Cake

4 tablespoons sugar

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 teaspoons all purpose flour

Zest of one lemon

4 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup milk
1 egg, separated

Combine sugar, salt, oil, milk and yolk in a bowl.

In another bowl, beat the white until soft peaks. Take the same beaters and beat the milk mixture to break up the yolk. Fold the egg white into the milk mixture. Divide the batter between two ramekins (no need to grease them).

Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. The tops will puff out. Serve warm or chilled.

Meringue Cakes

Meringue Cakes
This is a really easy dessert. All you have to do is make some meringue batter (egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar) and spread it into about ¼ inch high circles and bake until completely crispy. Then spread some strawberry jam, sour cream and top with whipped cream. It is crunchy and soft, tart and sweet all together. Yum!

Happy Mothers Day!

Lemon Tart

I was given a lot of lemons and did not know what to do with them. I then made this tart. It is really lemony. I like it. Next time I will try a nut crust by replacing like 1/4 cup of all purpose flour with ground nuts.

Lemon Tart

Crust

1 cup all purpuse flour

¼ cup cake flour

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½ inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water, ice cold

Filling
3 eggs
3 yolks
½ cup sugar
Zest of 2 lemons
¾ cup lemon juice
¾ cup heavy cream

For the crust, combine the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 5 times (you want to see chunks of butter). Add the oil and water and pulse just until little pebbles of dough form (a ball will NOT form). Do not overwork the dough. Dump onto a rolling surface and form into a ball. Roll out to a circle and line a buttered tart shell.

Put the tart on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F until the crust is lightly golden brown.

While the crust bakes make the filling. Combine eggs, yolks and sugar and stir to combine with a whisk. Add the zest of lemons and juice and whisk again. Then add the heavy cream and stir to combine.

When the crust is ready, pour the filling into the hot crust and return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The tart is done when the filling does not jiggle. Remove and cool at room temperature and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigirate for a couple of hours.

Serve with whipped cream.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

I made this spread in the morning and used it in a sandwich. I put some spread, goat cheese and mozzarella between two pieces of homemade ciabatta and cooked it in a pan.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread
½ cup sundried tomatoes (from a jar packed in oil), loosely packed in a measuring cup
1 garlic clove, made into paste (I use a microplane)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and run the processor until everything comes together into a paste.

Store the paste in a jar in the fridge. The oil will separate as the spread sits, so just stir it in before using.

Lemon Garlic Butter-Olive Oil Spread

I wanted to make my own spread, like the ones that I see at the store. This is really tasty. You can add other flavors like parmesan cheese, chives, parsley, honey, cinnamon. If adding cheeses or honey decrease the salt.

Lemon Garlic Butter-Olive Oil Spread
2 tablespoons butter, soft
4 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon garlic paste (I use a grater)
Zest of one lemon

Get a small bowl and beat butter until with a mixer and then add the oil (1 tablespoon at a time). Beat with the mixer until smooth (it will be liquidy). Add the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate. When spread has set, spread it on bread. Keep the spread in the refrigerator because it will ‘melt’ at room temperature.