CLCA Day 9 (And a first-hand report from my roomie!)

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 9
Breakfast: Berry Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: There are sketchy reports of a takeout salad.
Dinner: Chicken, Spinach and Cheese Sausages, Corn on the Cob

Yeah, yeah. I know. Corn isn't low-carb. But remember, we're cutting carbs here, not eliminating. And it's all about exchanges. If you have fruit for breakfast and a salad for lunch, you can splurge on something starchy at dinner!

Carb count: 118 (even with the corn!)

It's only been a little more than a week since making significant changes to her diet, but Cyd says:
"I can honestly say that i have already seen an impact on my digestive issues. I've had some moderate nausea here and there (and one very bad day), but all in all, my daily nausea level has decreased from about a 7-to-10 out of 10 to maybe 3-5. That alone is HUGE for someone who gets sick pretty much daily. And if my doctor's scale is to be trusted, I've lost about 24lbs from the time I went into the hospital and now. And I have people every day tell me that I just look healthier, that my color is better and I don't look like I am on the verge of puking all the time. So yes, I do feel better. I know I have just started, but it has been so positive--even with the pretty moderate changes--that it is helping to keep me motivated when the stress at work makes me want to run for junk in the vending machines."

"Also, the change in insulin intake has been enormous. I was using 200 units of the long-acting type (which is a TON) a day and supplementing that with as-needed doses of the fast-acting insulin. So I was using between 200- 300 units of insulin per day. The most I have used since leaving the hospital is a total of 20 units per day of the fast-acting just here and there when my glucose levels have been a tad high. I can't believe the difference just kind of watching my carbs has made."

CLCA Day 8: If it's not Scottish, it's CRRRRRAAAAPPPPP!

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 8
Breakfast: Scotch Eggs--pictured
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Slow Cooker Bolognese--pictured

Carb count: 71 grams

Everyone eating Paleo/Primal or just trying to reduce carbs knows the value of including eggs in your diet. The problem is that my roommate gets up before 5am, is at work before 7, and she's not ready for breakfast until after she's been at work for a couple of hours. So an omelette with lots of veggies would be a perfect choice for breakfast, but it doesn't travel or hold up very well.

So I had to try to figure out a more portable egg solution, preferably one that didn't have to be reheated once she is ready to eat breakfast. The solution: SCOTCH EGGS! Traditionally, Scotch eggs are wrapped in ground meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. But it works just fine to skip the breadcrumbs and bake them instead.

Scotch Eggs:
I used half a pound each of ground beef and sausage mixed with a scant tablespoon of Cajun seasoning for six hard-cooked (and peeled) eggs. Divide the meat mixture into six parts (about 1/3 cup), then form a patty in your hand, pressing a divot in the middle. Place an egg there, and then use both of your hands to gently cover the whole egg and even out the thickness of the meat coating. Place on a rack sprayed with nonstick cooking spray set on top of a lined sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned all over. Then cool, pop two each into a baggie and store in the fridge for breakfast or lunch the next day. They are delicious hot or cold!

In addition to eating a lot of eggs, another mainstay of a Paleo/Primal/Low Carb diet is swapping out pasta with vegetable "noodles." For dinner tonight, I steamed a spaghetti squash in the microwave. But another option is to cut a zucchini into very thin ribbons (with a sharp knife, a julienne peeler, or a spiralizer) to make "zoodles." You can eat them raw or saute for a few minutes until they have a softer, "noodlier" texture. Whether spaghetti squash or zoodles, dump enough of a tasty sauce like this on top of it, and you won't even miss real pasta...well, not as much anyway. ;-)

Slow Cooker Bolognese

1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 cup sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms (I already had these left over in the fridge)
1 cup sweet potato salad with bacon (optional--I had this left over in the fridge and threw it in the mix)
1/4 cup smoky bacon ends (or regular bacon), chopped
2 large carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon black pepper
good pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon beef, vegetable, or mushroom "Better Than Bouillion"

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onion until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Add to the crock pot, along with the sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms and the sweet potato salad (obviously, the leftovers are optional). 

Fry the bacon until crisp, then strain and remove the pieces. Add those to the crock pot. In the remaining bacon fat, saute the carrots, celery, and garlic for a few minutes until tender. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Scrape this veggie mixture into the crock pot. Also add the romato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar, and bouillion. Stir everything to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4. 

CLCA Day 7: Salad in a Jar (Your Healthy, Make-Ahead, Workday Lunch Solution!)

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 7 (We survived a week! YAY!!)
Breakfast: Mango-Triple Berry Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Salad in a Jar--pictured
Dinner: Leftovers (Roasted Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs and Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette)

The salad-in-a-jar was fun to make, except when I realized I had left out the tomato and to disassemble and reassemble it! ARRGGHH!! In the end, it had three tablespoons of lemon-herb vinaigrette at the bottom, then broccoli, snow peas, onion, yellow pepper, celery, carrots, tomato, roast turkey, and lettuce, of course.

These salads are great, because the possible combinations are endless--you can use whatever's in your vegetable and deli drawers. And you can make a week's worth on a Sunday afternoon, and they will stay fresh in quart-sized Mason jars in the fridge through lunch the following Friday! Just follow the basic methodology starting with 2-4 tablespoons of dressing at the bottom, then harder to lighter stuff as you layer up, ending with the lettuce.

Carb count: 123 grams

CLCA Day 6: A High Protein Salad for Lunch

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 6

Breakfast: Strawberry-Mango Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad--pictured
Dinner: Roasted Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Mash and Sautéed Zucchini--pictured
Dessert: I am suspecting Sugar-Free Jell-O, though I wasn't around to witness it. ;-)

Tuna and Chickpea Salad

(Source: Miracle Whip's web site)

1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cans (5 oz. each) white tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 stalk  celery, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Mix first three ingredients until blended. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Add dressing mixture; mix lightly. Serve with crackers, or spooned over torn mixed salad greens.

CLCA Day 5: Veggie Omelettes are Always a Good Choice

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 5

Well, Miss Thing was not feeling well, so she didn't eat all day. Of course, her sugars were bottoming out by the time I got home, so I forced a meal on her: An omelet with ham, a little cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus and drizzled with a spoonful of  leftover Hollandaise from the Eggs Copenhagen the other day, plus two pieces of Ezekiel Bread toast. I'm calling that about 52 carbs today, give or take. (That's one way to cut carbs, I guess--don't eat! *sigh*)

CLCA Day 4: Portobello "Bread" and Asian Lettuce Cups

Using those portobello caps as a bread substitute again! I also made a favorite Paleo lettuce cups recipe for dinner. The result? Only 40 carbs for the whole day! (Ok, it "helped" that someone slept through breakfast. Ahem.)

A low-carbing tip: One thing I've done that's been VERY helpful was to buy a big package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then I sliced them all in half, marinated them, and grilled them all up at once. Now I have a big bag of them in the fridge to be able to make sandwiches or salads very quickly. 



"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 4

Breakfast: Nuthin' (Someone didn't get up in time--hmph!)
Lunch: Primal Chicken Sammies (Sautéed Portobello Mushroom Caps, Grilled Chicken Breast, Real Bacon Bits, Swiss Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Grilled Yellow Pepper, Avocado, and Campari Tomato)--pictured above left
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Lettuce Cups--pictured below
Dessert: Sugar-Free Jell-O

CLCA Day 3: A Low-Carb Fourth of July

OK, so today was the first challenge to the low-carb adventure--that is, how to contend with a national holiday without feeling deprived. Cyd made her intentions clear that she was going to have corn on the cob for dinner (because it's unamerican not to!), so I knew I had to plan for that and to allow for the extra carbs...which is the name of the game, right?

Also, I wanted to do a twist on traditional potato salad using sweet potatoes, based on a recipe shared with me by one of my CrossFit/Paleo friends, Willow. She swears that she has taken this dish to potlucks and people raved about it, even people who aren't counting carbs. I must concur--it is FANTASTIC!

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 3

Breakfast: Watermelon and Mango Smoothie (with almond milk)
Lunch: Curried Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries in Lettuce Cups--pictured
Dinner: Grilled Sirloin Steak with Montreal Seasoning, Corn on the Cob, Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette--pictured
Dessert: Cauliflower "Rice" Pudding

Total: 149 carbs!

Sweet Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

8 slices of bacon
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup olive oil 
6 green onions, finely sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Once your potatoes are cubed, boil them or roast them in a little olive oil until tender (400 degrees for about 40 minutes).
2. While potatoes are cooking, heat a skillet and fry the bacon. Cook until crisp. Once bacon is cooked, remove bacon and place it on a towel lined plate.
3. Now add the sliced onion and minced garlic to the leftover bacon grease and cook until soft.
4. Once onions and garlic are tender, remove from heat and add honey, white wine vinegar, and mustard.
5. Place cooked potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil (all of it if you boiled the potatoes, or the remainder of it if you used some to roast the potatoes in). Add onion mixture and bacon. Finally, add green onions. Season to taste.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CLCA Day 2: Low-Carb but Luscious Brunch

Here's a good, low-carb trick: Swapping out grilled portobello caps for English muffins to make Eggs Benedict, or in this case, Eggs Copenhagen with leftover salmon in place of Canadian bacon. Clever, eh? And yummy!

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 2

Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie (with almond milk),
Eggs Copenhagen (salmon instead of ham) with Sautéed Peppers and Onions on Portobello Caps--pictured
Lunch: Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup, Sugar-Free Jell-O
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (with tomatoes, broccoli, scallions, and pine nuts)
Dessert: Cauliflower "Rice" Pudding

95 carbs for the day!

Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure: The Beginning

Cyd is finally home from the hospital! Though she left with some pain, a tentative diagnosis, and an appointment to see a specialist in about a month, she is certainly doing much better than she was. One thing that has come out of all this is that she saw how much easier it was to control her blood sugar--and how much less insulin she had to take--when she was on the hospital's 1800-calorie, low-carb, diabetic diet. (I know, I know, but it's one thing to know something in your head, and another to see the actual effect when they test your blood every couple of hours and chart the changes.) She was also surprised that it seemed like a manageable way to eat, and she wanted to implement some of those kinds of changes at home to try and regulate her blood sugar better, and to see if it made other beneficial changes to her overall health. So she asked me if we could try keeping carbs between 150-180 grams a day, for 30 days (knowing, however, that we would be on vacation in Maine soon, which would interrupt this plan for a week).

Since I am now officially done with school until August (YAY!), and I have the time to plan and shop and cook, I agreed to take the helm of "Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure." And to keep track of the experiment, I thought I might blog about it. Now don't freak out--this isn't turning into a full-on Paleo blog (not permanently, anyway). Though I intend to use some Paleo/primal recipes as inspiration, the goal is not to be that restrictive, just reducing carbs, not eliminating them altogether. So here we go...

Day One of "Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure"

Breakfast: Strawberry-Banana Smoothie with Almond Milk, Omelet with Sautéed Asparagus, Mushrooms, Peppers, and Onions
Lunch: Green Salad with Strawberries, Snow Peas, Blue Cheese, Green Onions, and Spiced Walnuts with Grilled Chicken and Blush Vinaigrette (pictured)
Dinner: Grilled Salmon Drizzled with Sriracha-Lime Mayo, Grilled Yellow Squash, Watermelon, Feta, Onion, and Mint Salad
Dessert: "Rice" Pudding

I thought I did a bang-up job with the low-carb cooking today, although my first mistake was assuming that all fruits, like bananas and melon--are low in carbs (oops). Still, the carb count was 144 grams (yep, there's an app for that), and she certainly wasn't going hungry! But as I suspected, by about 8pm, she started texting me at school, asking me if she could have some cookies or pie. So out of love and devotion, after my play rehearsal (which didn't end until 10:30, mind you!), I stopped by the store and came home and made her a special dessert that she just LOVED!

Now don't freak out and judge prematurely, but I prepared a sugar-free, low-carb "rice" pudding made with...wait for it...CAULIFLOWER! Before you start making protestations and noises of disgust, let me tell you that I HATE cauliflower, and I tried it. It tasted AWESOME, and would totally fool anyone who didn't know what was in it. It's certainly not low-fat, so you'll want to portion it carefully, but it is low-carb and very satisfying.

Cauliflower "Rice" Pudding

2 cups cauliflower
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
8 oz. cream cheese, preferably softened
1 1/4 cups Stevia (in the Raw)
2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cut the cauliflower into florets. Add to a food processor in two batches and pulse until approximately the size of grains of rice. In a skillet over medium heat, fry the riced cauliflower in the coconut oil until it starts to turn golden brown. Set aside to cool.

In a saucepan, whisk the heavy cream and egg yolks. Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add them to the sauce, whisking everything together over LOW heat. (You could use a double boiler to be on the safe side, but I like to live on the edge.) Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens.

Remove from heat and stir in the stevia, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold in the prepared cauliflower. Enjoy warm, or spoon into eight small ramekins and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

A Restorative Soup for the Ailing and for Their Caregivers

Well, my ridiculous roommate has gone and done it this time! After the end of a tiring week on Thursday night, I was looking forward to coming home, chilling out, and fondling the remote control for awhile. But when I arrived, poor Cyd was writhing in pain on the couch, and then running to the bathroom to be sick off and on for about two hours before we decided that it wasn't getting any better, and she needed to go to the ER. I was there with her all night, until they finally admitted her at about 6:00am for further testing. And she's been there ever since. They have run almost every test imaginable, but they still haven't been able to conclude what's causing her such severe abdominal pain. It's very frustrating, and it's hard to watch her suffer. :-(

Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to finish teaching my summer class, hold down the fort at home, attend my musical rehearsals in the evenings, and be at the hospital with Cyd as much as I can, all at the same time. It has been exhausting, to say the least. And, of course, I've been eating a lot of crappy food along the way.

So I decided, if I didn't get some nutritious food in me, that I was gonna have to join Cyd in the hospital soon! So before I left for the hospital today, I started a crock pot full of a Portuguese sausage, white bean, and kale soup. Then I just added canned beans and kale when I finally got home, and had a quick but very nutritious dinner. I actually bought the ingredients to make this awhile ago, because I have two other friends who have been battling illnesses, and I wanted to take something healing and nourishing to them. But now I'm hoping it will sustain me while I play nursemaid to my poor roomie. And--God willing--they'll discharge her soon, and I can help make her well with the leftovers.

Portuguese Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup

1 lb. linguica (but mild Italian sausage will do)
1 large onion, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced (or a couple of roasted/jarred peppers)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes, to taste
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon paprika (you could do 1/2 smoked, if you like)
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice (I like at least one of them to be fire-roasted)
1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cans cannellini and/or Great Northern beans, drained
Small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped

Sauté the sausage, onions, celery, pepper and garlic until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Deglaze the pan with the wine.

Scrape everything into a crock pot and stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the beans and kale.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Fish out the bay leaves and add the drained beans and chopped kale. Cook for another fifteen minutes or so until the beans are warmed through and the kale has wilted.

I dont know about Portillo's, but I know I love this salad!

I can't remember where I ran across this chopped salad recipe, and I'm not even familiar with the restaurant from which it was copycatted, Portillo's. Apparently, it's famous for Chicago-style food, such as hot dogs with all the crazy toppings and Italian beef sandwiches. But people must also love this salad, because the knockoff version seems mighty popular. And after enjoying it for dinner tonight, I can certainly see why! I particularly love the addition of the ditalini pasta (which really is better if you let it marinate in some of the balsamic dressing overnight). It's kind of like the love child of a green salad and a pasta salad. Perfect for summer suppers and backyard gatherings. YUM!! (It was prettier before I mixed it all up, but it tasted better after everything was combined.)

"Portillo's" Chopped Salad

(Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything)

4 cups cooked ditalini pasta
1 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
2-1/2 cups chopped red cabbage (I prefer radicchio)
2 fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup sliced green onions
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola cheese (about 1 cup)
2 cups cooked and diced chicken 

Sweet Italian Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Cook ditalini pasta according to package instructions. Make sure you salt the pasta water while cooking to give it some flavor. Drain and cool. Set aside.

Cook bacon in a skillet until done. Let bacon cool, then crumble it.

Combine romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, tomatoes and green onions in large salad bowl. Add cooled pasta, bacon and gorgonzola cheese to salad. Add chicken. Add dressing to taste right before serving so that it doesn't get soggy.

For the dressing: Place vinegar, garlic, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper in a blender. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle olive oil through the blender top or feed tube until dressing is combined and emulsified. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

A tip: If you make the dressing ahead of time and add a little bit to the cooled pasta and let it soak it up in the fridge for some time it adds a whole lot of flavor.

Solsticelebration 2014

I can't believe it's already the Summer Solstice! Sheesh...time sure flies, especially at this time of year. But solstice time is celebration time at Woven Meadows Farm in Saranac. There was another amazing gathering and potluck today, and LOTS of good eats--beyond the main stage pig roast.

Because pork requires an awesome slaw to go with it, I made a batch of that fabulous Alabama Hot Slaw that I love so much, figuring that the only kind of cole slaw there would be the mayonnaise-y kind. I was wrong. Someone brought a fermented slaw that looked exactly like mine. UGH! This happened to me last year, too, when I took a lovely volcano rice and quinoa salad with sugar snap peas, and there were half a dozen other grainy salads in the same vein. *sigh*

Continuing my Southern theme, I made a cake that I was quite certain that no one else would bring, a Hummingbird Cake. It's a traditional layer cake with bananas, crushed pineapple, and spices. Some believe that it's called a Hummingbird Cake because it's so sweet with all the fruit and sugar, but apparently, the inventor of the cake liked to decorate the cake with pecans sliced width-wise, making them look like little hummingbirds in flight. Of course, for an informal, outdoor party, I just baked the batter in a half sheet pan for about 30 minutes, cooled it, plopped the icing on top, sprinkled it with some toasted pecans, and called it good. Easy-peasy! And it was well-received by the partygoers. I just had one corner piece to take home to my invalid roommate.

Hummingbird Cake
(Source: Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, January 1999 via My Recipes)

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
2 cups chopped bananas

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, one cup pecans, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Spread cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

Recreating My Wegman's Faves at Home

While I was at the PBGV National last month, one of our best dog trainers and competitors celebrated one of her dogs earning a MACH 3 (a very advanced agility title). They had a specially-decorated cake--for us humans, not the dogs. Initially, I declined a piece, because I'm not really a cake person. But her husband (who bought the cake) insisted I try it, that it was amazing....blah, blah, blah. It looked like a regular old grocery store cake to me. Boy, was I wrong! It was DELICIOUS! It had a dark chocolate bottom layer, fresh raspberries in the middle, a lovely, moist vanilla cake layer, and then a fairly thin coating of this creamy, whipped frosting (not nauseatingly thick and grainy like most commercial frostings). I asked the hubby where he got this wonderful cake, and I should have known, it was Wegman's, the world's best grocery store.

When I stopped at Wegman's on the way home to New York, I was tempted to buy a lemon raspberry cake that they were selling, but I was afraid that it wouldn't survive the long drive home in a hot car. I did buy  many other wonderful things, though. I especially love Wegman's salad and deli bars with all the prepared dishes. My favorite is their gigante bean salad. I bought a container of that to eat right away, but I also bought a big bag of dried gigante beans to try to replicate the salad at home.

And today was the perfect opportunity, as my friend, June, had a little end-of-the-school-year barbecue and potluck at her house. It turned out to be quite the gourmet event, too! A new couple, Ray and Ben, made a splash with a lovely Israeli couscous salad with fresh veggies and mint. My friends, The Cones, made a yummy pimento cheese spread, and a stunning shrimp cocktail platter. (Jarrod told me that his secret was cooking the shrimp with pickling spice. Yum!) And my friend, Patti, brought a comforting bundt cake that was a recipe of her mom's.

As for my contributions to the affair, I went with the Wegman's theme, and I brought both a gigante bean salad that I could easily live on and a cake that was in the style and flavor of the one that we enjoyed so much at the dog agility trial. It had both a vanilla layer and a chocolate layer with fresh raspberries as well as raspberry coulis in the middle, and a soft, whipped vanilla bean frosting. It was humble-looking (like all my cakes are--decorating is NOT in my wheelhouse), but it held together as it was sliced (that was my main worry), and I think the taste and texture were excellent. It was certainly an experiment worth repeating. Next time, I might try an oil-based vanilla cake to make it less dense, especially when refrigerated.

Gigante Bean Salad

(Source: adapted from Tamara Duker's blog)

Cook half a pound of gigante beans (soak overnight, then boil until tender). Roast one small red pepper and one small green pepper over open flame (your gas burner will do just fine). Peel their skins off and slice peppers into super-thin strips. (I used red and yellow roasted peppers from a jar.) Mix cooked beans with 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons olive oil, one tablespoon fresh chopped parsley (I used chives), 1/2 cup (or more, to taste) of roasted pepper strips, one or two minced garlic cloves, and salt to taste. I added a teaspoon of paprika. Let salad marinate in fridge for several hours so flavors can blend. Serve at room temperature.

White on White Buttermilk Cake

(Source: BakeSpace)

Note: I made half of this recipe in one cake pan.

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

To make the cake: Place one baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 350-f degrees. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, grease with butter, and dust with flour (or spray with flour added).

Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick and glossy.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean and tops are flat and browned. Monitor the layers carefully for doneness; each one me be done at a different time.

Set the cake pans on racks to cool for ten minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting. At this point the cakes can be tightly wrapped in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and frozen up to three weeks.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake (aka Hershey's Black Magic Cake)

(Source: Ina Garten, via Food Network)

Note: I made half of this recipe and baked it in one pan.

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place one layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

In between the layers, I spread on a couple of tablespoons of raspberry coulis that I had in the freezer and a generous cup of fresh raspberries. Then I frosted the whole cake with a sour cream vanilla bean icing.

Sour Cream Vanilla Bean Frosting

(Source: adapted from All Recipes)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Stir in confectioners' sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

AL Fresco Book Club with NYC Theme

My friend, Janice, is in Pennsylvania with her husband who is working there until July 1st. She has always been such an AMAZING friend to me, that I thought I'd surprise her by planting a vegetable garden for her in her absence. It was a lovely idea, but OY, I feel 100 years old after being the Gardening Warrior yesterday! In the span of less than four hours, I turned over about 30 feet of planting beds, then proceeded to plant 4 (green and yellow) zucchini, 4 eggplants (purple and pink), 4 Lacinato (black) kales, 2 Mexican Sour Gherkin Cukes, 9 different kinds of heirloom peppers, 10 different types of heirloom tomatoes, 6 basils (sweet and bush), 3 Mammoth Dills, rosemary, Italian parsley, and--for the win--9 marigolds for aesthetics and pest control. WHEW! Plus, it took two trips to Walmart late that night to find suitable hoses, and I had to water everything in at almost 11pm by the flashlight app on my iPhone. I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call the cops! Anyway, behold the (eventual) fruits of my labors...

After my planting marathon (but before the watering debacle), I took a break and joined some lovely ladies for an al fresco book club meeting. The book was a contemporary thriller called Reconstructing Amelia, the theme was NYC, and we had yummy things like Reuben egg rolls, mini hot dogs with beer cheese sauce, and a pizza with sour cream, lox, and red onion. For dessert, there were ginormous chocolate chip cookies warm from the oven (a la Levain Bakery--my contribution), a lime cheesecake, and mini macarons in apple pie, Manhattan, and Cosmo flavors (from Delish downtown). Great weather, great food, great cocktails (Manhattans and Mojitos), and great discussion!

Spatchcocked chicken? You watch your language!

One of my favorite t.v. chefs used to be Aida Mollenkamp. I don't know if she's even on t.v. anymore, but I still follow her online. Recently, she posted an amazing recipe for a spatchcocked roasted chicken with lime, chile, and cilantro. As you know, I'm all about spatchcocking (or so you may have heard--tee hee), but I never thought that only five ingredients would yield something so incredibly flavorful. It should be noted that I used pickled jalapenos instead of serranos (as it's what I had on hand), and added a teaspoon each of ground cumin and dark chili powder to the marinade. So that takes it to seven ingredients, but c'est la vie! 

I served this wonderfully tender, juicy, and zesty chicken with a simple salad of (steamed, peeled and chunked and cooled) potatoes, corn (steamed and cut from the cob), pickled green beans, a can of dark red kidney beans (drained), and a few small chopped tomatoes all tossed with a little bottled vinaigrette. This meal is definitely going into my regular repertoire!

Note: If the chicken comes out of the oven not quite dark and crispy enough to suit you, flip on the broiler for a few minutes right at the end of cooking time.

Roasted Cilantro Chile Lime Spatchcocked Chicken
(Source: adapted from Aida Mollenkamp)

1 (4 to 5 pound) chicken
1 or 2 medium serrano chiles seeded and minced
5 medium garlic cloves grated or minced
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, divided
scant teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon dark chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Remove necks and any innards from the cavities and discard. To spatchcock, use a sharp pair of sharp poultry shears or kitchen scissors to cut along the backbone; remove and discard. Score along the breastbone then flip chicken, placing it breast-side up, and pressing down to flatten until it is lying completely flat.

Combine half of the lime zest with remaining ingredients in a small bowl and mix until evenly combined. Season and adjust flavor as desired. Massage the mixture into both sides of the bird.  Set aside while oven heats up, at least 20 minutes.

Drizzle a little of the marinade into a large cast iron pan, roasting pan, or baking dish and rotate to coat the bottom. Lay chicken breast-side down, scrape/pour the remainder of the marinade over the chicken, then roast until breast is golden brown and opaque, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully flip, then continue to roast, basting every few minutes, until thigh juices run clear and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F, about 15 to 20 minutes more (about 45 to 50 minutes total). 

Set chicken aside and rest 5 to 10 minutes before carving. Serve garnished with remaining lime zest, cilantro, and with pan juices spooned over the top.