Grilled Pineapple Salsa

As an interior designer, I love the concept of the family room -- a space where family and friends gather in the evening to share stories and experiences from their day. Nowadays, it’s most commonly open to the kitchen. The idea is to bring the family together in this joined space; while people are preparing food in the kitchen, they are still able to participate in conversations with those seated in the living space. Families are so busy with various activities outside of the home, that this space provides the opportunity for daily family time.

In the home where I grew up, the kitchen was separate from the living room, but contained a bar-height counter overlooking the stovetop. Each night at 5 o’clock my mom would enter the kitchen and begin pulling out the various veggies and meats she needed to prepare dinner. As the sounds of pots being placed on the stovetop and a knife slicing on a cutting board echoed through our home, my dad would close things up in his home office and take a seat at the counter in the kitchen. The only tv was in the living room, so all that could be heard in the kitchen were sauces happily simmering away, drawers being opened and closed, and my parents discussing their days at work.

As the aroma of food being cooked reached my nose, I would make my way to the kitchen and climb onto the barstool next to my dad. He would pour us a small bowl of salsa and open a bag of tortilla chips, and then we would munch on these while chatting with my mom as she continued to cook dinner. This became a ritual that my dad and I shared for years. Even after my family moved to a larger home where the kitchen was open to the family room, my dad would turn on the five o’clock news and take a seat at the counter. He would pour a bowl of salsa and snack on this while my mom and I would whirl about the kitchen chopping veggies and stirring sauces on the cooktop. If I wasn’t in the kitchen helping with dinner, then I was sitting next to my dad, watching the news and chatting, and munching on chips and salsa.

I discovered this recipe while searching for a fun salsa variation for my Cinco de Mayo dinner. I have had fruit salsas in the past and just adore the vibrant juiciness of the fruit on your tongue followed by the subtle heat of the peppers. Charring the fruits and veggies on the grill is not only fun, but it gives a wonderful smoky depth to the salsa. I have played around with this recipe several times and I found I prefer to add an extra bell pepper. If you like your salsas to pack a punch, add more jalapenos, or substitute a habanero pepper instead of a jalapeno.

Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Recipe from Serious Eats 

Serves 6-8 as appetizer

Ingredients:

1 large pineapple, skinned and cut into 1-inch rounds

1-2 red bell peppers

1-2 medium jalapeños, depending on the heat you prefer

1 small red onion, finely diced

1/2 cup loosely-packed, finely chopped cilantro

2 small limes, juiced

Salt

Recipe:

1. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all of the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, put out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. (If using a gas grill, turn burners on to high and heat for 10-15 mintues). Clean and oil the grilling grate. (For gas grill, turn burners to medium heat).

2. Place the pineapple slices, bell pepper and jalapeño on the grill.

3. Cook the pineapple until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill, core and chop into medium-sized pieces. Place in a medium-sized bowl.

4. Cook the peppers until completely charred all over. Remove from the grill, place in a plastic bag and seal.

5. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes, peel off their skins. Chop the bell pepper into medium pieces and the jalapeño finely. Add to the bowl with the pineapple.

6. Add the onion, cilantro and lime juice to the bowl and toss until well combined. Season with salt to taste and serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Alas, we have reached another Valentine's Day! You either boycott the holiday or embrace Cupid's arrow. As I am not one to turn down an opportunity to bake a fun dessert, I fall under the latter.

Unfortunately my husband has never been a dessert person. Even though he was the one who purchased my Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas three years back, thus sparking my love of baking, I quickly learned that most desserts will sit abandoned on the counter, only being nibbled on by me! I'd practically force the baked goods in front of his nose and stand there staring- er, smiling- until he took a bite! It wasn't until our wedding that I learned the key to my husband's dessert heart. While giving toasts, a few of our family friends brought up the fact that from the time he was a child, my hubby has had a passion for peanut butter. He'd go to his friends' houses and take a heavy toll on their peanut butter supply! I stored this little nugget of knowledge away for the next time I planned on baking something for the two of us.

Sure enough, a few months later he was bunked up on the sofa, miserable with a cold. I decided to bake him a batch of chewy peanut butter cookies. Oh man, did those disappear quickly! Of course peanut butter and chocolate pair together beautifully and are perfect for a Valentine's Day treat! I found this cupcake recipe on Joy the Baker's website. Being sorely disappointed with the cupcakes results, I reverted back to my favorite one-bowl chocolate cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart's website. They are a cinch to whip together and only require one bowl for mixing! I used the Peanut Butter Frosting recipe from Joy's blog; it is phenomenal! The chocolate cupcakes are delish on their own, but the frosting really dresses them up! The chopped Reese's cups on top add an extra fun note!

Chocolate Cupcakes

www.MarthaStewart.com

Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cups warm water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Mix in eggs, water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.

3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin tins. (Try to fill each cup just 2/3rds of the way up to give you enough batter for closer to 20 cupcakes) Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks.

Peanut Butter Frosting

www.joythebaker.com

Enough to frost 24 cupcakes

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (depending on your desired consistency)

1 tablespoon milk (or water)

A good handful of small peanut butter cups

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat butter and peanut butter until creamy and virtually no butter lumps remain. Scrape down the bowl.

2. Add three cups of powdered sugar and beat on low for 1 minute. Add milk and beat on medium high for 1 minute. Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar if you'd like your frosting a bit thicker.

3. Slather frosting onto cooled cupcakes and top with coarsely chopped peanut butter cups. Top with chopped Reese's Cups if you'd like. Enjoy!

Delicious Grilled Pizzas

Last summer some of my fondest memories are of making grilled pizzas with my father. In the two months before my wedding there were many things to busy ourselves with, but this was a time for us to kick back and enjoy cooking some amazing food. My dad would fire up the grill while I finished grating mozzarella and double checking the seasoning of the tomato sauce. While toting all of the pizza ingredients outside, I would grab two bottles of beer, usually seasonal ones from an Oregon brewery.


To get started, my dad would hold one rolled pizza dough and I would brush olive oil on the top side. Then he would carefully lay it oiled side down on the hot grate and close the lid. As the first two pizzas began to brown, we would sit back and start sipping our beers. Two umbrellas on the deck provided enough shade to ensure a comfortable temperature. After a few minutes one of us would hop up and peek under one of the pizzas to make sure they weren't cooking too fast (we learned this the hard way the first time!). As my dad brushed oil on the uncooked side of dough, I would grab the bowl of tomato sauce and a large spoon. The pizzas would get flipped and I would quickly spoon on the sauce and grab a handful of grated mozzarella to sprinkle on top. Then we would resume our seats with our bottles of cold beer and continue our conversation.


A few minutes after applying the sauce and mozzarella, the cheese had melted and adhered the toppings to the dough. A quick sprinkle of freshly chopped basil, and we were done! My dad would grab the tongs and carefully slide the pizzas onto the plates I was holding. Every time we made these, we would marvel at how well they compared to the rustic pizzas we had enjoyed in Italy. Even though it's been 18 years since my family's trip there, I will never forget those simple pizzas, bursting with flavor from the bright red tomatoes, fresh picked basil and creamy mozzarella.

I have always been a "Daddy's girl" and it was times like these that taught me how truly special it is to have parents who are incredibly loving and supportive. My dad was one of my best friends and I know he is smiling down on me from a better place. When I make these grilled pizzas I am reminded of those warm summer evenings where I enjoyed hanging out with my dad and creating a truly delicious meal.


Quick Grilled Pizza
Makes four 9-inch pizzas

Sauce:
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained well
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

*I you'd like to use fresh tomatoes (which I did), toss 1 1/2 pounds cored, seeded, and chopped fresh tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain for 15 minutes. Make sauce as directed.



Pizza:
1 cup water, heated to 110 degrees (Hot tap water works)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing dough
1 tablespoon sugar
1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) rapid-rise or instant yeast
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Make Sauce:
Combine tomatoes, basil, oil, garlic, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.


2. Prepare Dough:
*Note: This can be done in a bread maker if you prefer.
Whisk water, 1 tablespoon oil, sugar, and yeast in large liquid measuring cup. Let sit 5 minutes.


Pulse flour, Parmesan, and salt in food processor until combined.


With machine running, slowly pour in water mixture and process until dough pulls away from sides and forms shaggy ball, about 1 minute. (If dough seems too sticky, add up to 2 tablespoons more flour.)


Turn dough onto floured work surface and knead 3 or 4 times until cohesive.


3. Shape Pizza:
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and dust with flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, press into small circle. Using rolling pin, roll and stretch dough to form 9-inch circle. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and dust dough with flour. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking each round on floured parchment sheets.


4. Heat Grill:
Meanwhile, heat all burners on High, covered, for 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to Med-Low. (For charcoal grill, light about 100 coals; when they are covered with fine gray ash, spread over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent opened completely, for 5 minutes.) Scrape and oil cooking grate.

5. Grill Pizza:
Brush tops of 2 dough rounds lightly with oil. Peel rounds off parchment and place, oiled side down, on cool side of grill. (*Don't move for the first minute, or it will tear.) Grill, covered, until undersides are spotty brown and tops are covered with bubbles, poking large ones with tongs, 3 to 5 minutes.


Brush each lightly with oil and flip. Top each round with one-quarter sauce and one-quarter mozzarella. Grill, covered, until undersides are spotty brown and cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Move pizzas to hot side of grill to crisp, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining rounds. Serve.


(*Note: Keep first batch warm on a wire rack on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven.)

Classic Pesto

Sunday morning has become my favorite time of the week during the summer months. I enjoy waking up early (granted, 7:30 is early for a Sunday), opening the windows and door to the patio and curling up on the sofa with a book in one hand, a steaming mug of Earl Gray in the other. The usual sounds of morning commuters zipping by are replaced with the gentle rustling of leaves from the tree past our patio and the quiet pitter-patter of joggers cutting through the parking lot behind us. This is my ideal time for leisurely baking and cooking. I have a number of hours before work that are just yearning for a slow simmering tomato sauce, several loaves of zucchini bread or my all-time favorite, batches of fresh pesto.


Nothing says summer quite like a bowl of pasta and sautéed veggies tossed with creamy pesto. The great thing about making pesto is that it’s incredibly simple to freeze and use year-round. I haven’t bought a jar of pesto from the grocery store in years thanks to stocking up on the homemade stuff each summer. I enjoy growing my own basil at home. You can just taste the sunshine in those bright green leaves. Somehow this bright, summery taste just doesn’t come through the store-bought jars of pesto. All you need is a blender or food processor and you can have a batch of fresh pesto in ten minutes.


Basil Pesto
From “Everyday Italian” by Giada de Laurentiis
2 cups (packed!) fresh basil leaves
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt (I used a little less), plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
About 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

My note: To toast the pine nuts, add to a skillet over medium-low heat. Shake the pan every minute, to make sure the nuts don’t burn. Once you start to smell their nutty aroma, usually after three or four minutes, transfer to a different dish to cool.


In a blender (or food processor), pulse the basil, pine nuts, garlic, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until finely chopped.



With the blender still running, gradually add enough oil to form a smooth and thick consistency.


Transfer the pesto to a medium bowl and stir in the cheese. Season the pesto with more salt and pepper to taste.


Cover with a little drizzle of olive oil and refrigerate for a week or place in the freezer to use at a later date.

Enjoy!



While I was picking my basil leaves, this little guy was happily running around hunting for food. Once he saw me he made a dash for it!

Tilapia Milanese

Ever think back to the summer breaks you had as a kid and kinda-really wish you still had that leisure time to relax and partake in ridiculously fun activities that only a carefree kid could think up? Often times my sister and I would end up outside, spending hours playing badminton, croquet, riding bikes up and down the street, or playing pretend (I recall going into spy-mode and trying to sneak around the yard in search of the perfect hiding spot, just waiting for my unsuspecting younger sister to walk by).

While my dad would do the dishes after dinner, my mom would putter around the garden trimming, weeding, and watering her plants. The sun would lower in the sky creating the ideal comfortable temperature. And this garden was a piece of art! Bursts of color spread throughout lush greens made these spaces incredibly welcoming. I would inhale deeply while running by the old lilac tree along one side of the house, its soft fragrance a contrast to the scent of freshly watered greens. This is the kind of outdoor area I would love to have someday. Something with character that my husband and I can fix up to create our own peaceful outdoor space.


As my hubby and I reside in a teensy-tiny one bedroom apartment, we are limited to our yard projects. Specifically, our small concrete deck projects. This year I've decided to focus on creating an inviting outdoor space. This means fewer plants! I may or may not have drawn a floor plan of our deck to space plan (hey, I can't help it, I'm analytical!). I found a charming wrought iron bistro set to replace our pitiful Ikea end table and stools, and it completes our deck perfectly! Glazed ceramic pots line the railing, carrying vegetable starts and various herbs, just waiting to be snipped and tossed into a fresh salad. In the mornings before work, I can sip a steaming mug of Earl Gray while reading a book or browsing Facebook, er-the news, on my laptop, more often than not bundled up in sweats because come on, springtime in Oregon isn't exactly balmy.

A few days after assembling the bistro set, we had an I-can't-believe-it's-SUNNY day. In the Willamette Valley. In May. Well of course I grasped this opportunity to dine outside! For dinner I prepared Tilapia Milanese, mushroom risotto and sauteed asparagus with lemon zest. Risotto is very time consuming and hands on, so wild rice makes for a great alternative dish. The parsley, lemon and bread crumb mixture adds a simple bite of freshness and texture to the tilapia without overpowering it. This breading would work great on other types of fish, but tilapia is easy on the wallet. Just make sure it's fresh!


As I sat typing this, a glance outside revealed the typical charcoal gray skies drizzling determinedly. I knew if I just closed my eyes I could imagine the comforting sun on my face, the scent of freshly cut grass as I scrunch my bare toes in its lush green blades, and the sound of feet marching over the gravel path as my best friend approaches to see where her sister is.


Tilapia Milanese
Food Network Magazine
4 servings

4 6-ounce tilapia fillets
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs
6 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees F. Soak the fish in a bowl with the milk and 2 cups ice, 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat the eggs in another dish. Pulse the bread, parsley, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor until crumbs form, then transfer to a third dish.



2. One at a time, remove the fillets from the milk and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip in the eggs, then coat with the breadcrumbs, gently pressing to coat both sides. Transfer to a large plate.


3. Line a baking sheet with foil. Heat 2 tablespoons each olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 2 fillets, adding 2 more tablespoons each olive oil and butter.


4. Transfer the fish to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 8 mintues. Serve with the lemon wedges.