Recipe: Crispy Prosciutto, Fig and Pistachio Salad with Simple Vinaigrette

We made this super yummy salad the other night and I had to share. It's easy and feel free to swap out ingredients for others you have in the fridge. We used fresh spinach, skipped the pistachios, and baked the figs with the prosciutto so they were warm and flavorful. The crispy prosciutto was so good and we loved the dressing.

Crispy Prosciutto, Fig and Pistachio Salad with Simple Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 5 oz  arugula
• 8 oz prosciutto, sliced thinly (we use the no-antibiotics and nitrate-free kind)
• 1 pint figs, quartered (use dried if you can't find fresh)
• 1/2 c pistachios
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1/4 c red wine vinegar
• 2 T mustard, whole grain or Dijon is best
• s&p

Method

Place the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake at 375ºF until the prosciutto has turned dark red and the fat is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Be sure to flip the prosciutto about half way through the cooking time. The prosciutto won’t actually crisp in the oven, you have to take it out and let it cool off and then it’ll crisp right up–just like bacon. Remove the prosciutto and place on a paper towel lined plate. You can cook the figs separately or with the prosciutto; bake sliced figs for about 10 minutes. 

In a large salad bowl, add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and s&p. Whisk it all together. Add the arugula and the rest of the ingredients. Use some tongs to mix everything together. You can either break the prosciutto crisps into pieces and incorporate them into the salad, or you can place a single chip on the top of the salad.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Tilapia

Made a super yummy macadamia nut crusted tilapia tonight. Very simple, very few ingredients.

4 fresh tilapia fillets
lemon juice
salt & pepper
macadamia nuts
Coconut milk

Season tilapia fillets with salt & pepper and lemon juice. Cook at 425 for 5 minutes.

Chop macadamia nuts in food processor. After fish has cooked for 5 minutes, remove from oven, brush with coconut milk and lightly press chopped macadamia nuts onto fillets.

Cook at 425 for 5 more minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted and tilapia flakes with a fork.

We served it with a salad with fresh tomatoes, avocado and fig balsamic dressing.

YUM!

Recipe: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I am excited to make our annual carrot cake for Easter dinner at the Bratlien's this weekend. We really should make it more often because it deserves to be eaten more than once a year, but I forget about carrot cake unless there's an Easter bunny everywhere I look. It's an Alton Brown recipe, so you know it's amazing!
(disclaimer: the pic is of the cake I made last year. Don't worry, I'm not bringing 5-day old cake to Easter dinner)

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for the pan
• 12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
• 12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces sugar, approximately 1 1/3 cups
• 2 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup firmly packed
• 3 large eggs
• 6 ounces plain yogurt
• 6 ounces vegetable oil
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Butter and flour a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In the bowl of the food processor combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

With the processor still running drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces powdered sugar, sifted, approximately 2 cups


In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.


Yield: approximately 2 cups

Recipe: Brownie Pillow Cookies

Recently, I've had Richmond on the brain. Maybe it's been watching VCU play it's way to the Final Four, Carter being on a boy's weekend with his MCV buddies, seeing everyone's status updates about the Monument 10K or missing the cherry blossoms this time of year. Cassie had been telling me about all of the great recipes on The Picky Palate. I checked it out the other night and stopped drooling long enough to notice the Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies. I immediately thought back to my husband's favorite cookie when we lived in Richmond: Brownie Pillow Cookies from The Fresh Market. There was a borderline raging addiction to those cookies in our household. Carter and I could not figure out how on earth they got the brownie inside of the cookie. Did they inject the brownie batter into the cookie dough?? How do they DO it?? It seemed so magical. Turns out we completely over-analyzed it and I can't believe the recipe is so simple. Isn't that how it always works? We rack our brains overthinking a problem and end up overlooking an easy solution. My husband was out of town this weekend, so I thought I'd surprise him with his favorite cookies and glass of milk when he got home :)

To make these more like the brownie pillow cookies, I made sugar cookies instead of chocolate chip. I also added a few walnuts to the brownies.

**Warning: NOTHING about this recipe is remotely healthy or good for you. Zero. Zilch. Nada. But it's soooo goooooood and gooey :)

Start by making your regular favorite brownies. You can make these ahead of time so you don't have to wait for them to bake and cool. Remember to adhere to the high-altitude instructions if you live in Colorado.

 Next, make your cookies. The sugar cookie recipe I used holds up better in high altitudes. You can either use this one or follow your favorite.

Mix 1 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar

Add 1 egg and 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Add 3 cups flour and 1.25 tsp baking powder in intervals

Whip it good

Perfect :)

 Refrigerate cookie dough for an hour

Next, make sugar cookie/brownie sliders

Smooth the sugar cookie around the brownie and seal shut

Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes

Shhh....there's a brownie surprise inside!

Serve warm with a tall glass of cold milk :)

Fortunately, I made a very small first batch since it was a bit of an experiment. They turned out like the first pancake - a little busted. Since sugar cookies don't spread out the same as chocolate chip when they bake, I needed to make some modifications. Some tips: use only enough sugar cookie batter to cover the brownie. I used too much the first time and it just tasted like way too much cookie. For the second batch, I used about half as much sugar cookie batter than what's shown in the picture where it looks like a slider. Smoosh down the cookie/brownie patty a bit before you cook it. Also, flatten down the sugar cookies after they've cooking for about 15 minutes. I ended up cooking each batch for about 21 minutes. They are super delicious and yummy! I think we'll also have to try the brownie stuffed chocolate chips cookies sometime to compare. You know, in the name of science. ;)