Summer Pesto Pasta Salad

Pasta salad season is in full swing, baby! Backyard BBQs with colorful bowls overflowing with potatoes, pastas, fruit, salads and snacks... that's Summer. This pasta salad is different than the traditional salad which is often overly sweet and swimming in glops of mayo. It's delightfully flavorful, light and bursting with colors from garden fresh ingredients currently in season. That's how it should be done!

The pesto is easy to make and it's made cheaper than average because walnuts are used instead of the more traditional pine nuts, but you could use anything you want. Pick a good handful of fresh basil and parsley from your garden for the pesto, and the sweetest summer tomatoes and peppers you can find to toss with the pasta. Mmmmmmm so so so good.

As always, feel free to change up the ingredients to whatever you have on hand that you're looking to use up. Spinach instead of arugula, add zucchini, red onion, scallions, chives, peas, etc. Make it your own!



Summer Pesto Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 lb pasta (14 oz if gluten free because it tends to absorb more sauce)
1/2 cup walnuts
2/3 cup packed fresh basil
2/3 cup packed fresh parsley
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3-1/2 cup good quality olive oil
2 tbsp sour cream/mayo
4-6 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1 bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup halved kalamata olives
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped marinated artichokes
1 small onion, (red or vidalia) diced (about 1/2 cup)
8-12 oz mozzarella pearls - the more cheese the better let's be real
A few handfuls of arugula or spinach
Balsamic reduction**

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente. 
• In small, dry skillet on the stove over medium heat, toast the walnuts until they are warm and fragrant. 
• In food processor, add toasted nuts, basil, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Process to combine and drizzle in olive oil, scraping down the sides as needed until you create a smooth sauce. Then quickly blend in the sour cream/mayo. 
• Toss pasta with bacon, tomatoes, olives, chickpeas, artichokes, onion, mozzarella and arugula and pour over the pesto sauce an stir to coat all ingredients with the sauce. 
• Serve immediately with a drizzle of balsamic reduction or refrigerate. Use balsamic reduction just before serving so it doesn't get all mixed in. 

**You can make your own balsamic reduction by putting balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-high heat, bringing to a low boil then reducing to a simmer and cooking for a few minutes until it reduces and thickens to coat the back of a spoon. Let cool before using. You can also buy balsamic glaze in the grocery store - I use Monari Federzoni which tastes just as good as making it yourself and it's affordable - great ingredient to have on hand!

Swedish Butter Cake & My First Wedding Cake

I would consider myself as more of a cook than a baker overall, but when a friend asks me to make her wedding cake of course I'm down for the challenge. How hard can an eight layer cake really be?!

Pretty hard actually, haha! Just kidding, it wasn't so bad. What made it easier was that the wonderful bride wanted a naked/rustic cake....for me that means imperfect is okay which is obviously very good because there wasn't a shot in hell I'd be reaching perfection on my first wedding cake (will strive for the second one though ;). Overall I was so proud of how it came out and have deemed myself open for cake making business! As long as you invite me to your wedding and let me drink endless wine and dance with old people.

Here she is, the monstrous final product:

At the end of the day I made 10 cakes. Two as test runs (which my family ate at my camp to ensure I was on the right track), and eight as final products. Overall, including frosting and assembling, the entire ordeal took about 15 hours not including shopping time. This blog post is by no means a post on how to make a wedding cake because I'm not an expert in that by any means..... yet ;)   This is simply to share the Swedish Butter Cake recipe I used to make that cake because it was delicious and is perfect for not just weddings, but any celebration!

For the wedding I chose to add rum extract in the cake and serve with a mixed berry preserve and coconut Italian Meringue buttercream. When I baked the cakes as test runs, I served it with stawberries and whipped cream which everyone absolutely loved. My dad, who is a BIG frosting guy, said the cake was so good he'd even eat it without frosting... not sure if you realize how big of a cake compliment that is coming from him. Whatever you put on this cake, you'll be happy.

It is a recipe my boyfriend's aunt used to make for birthday cakes and it's in an old, wrinkled and stained cookbook (the best kind of cookbooks) that has been seriously well loved. The book states this cake is perfect for weddings because it is dense and easy to stack, with a classic flavor you can only get from a made-from-scratch cake that pairs well with any frosting. And it is SUPER moist and delicious, yet not overly sweet.... everything you would want from a wedding cake that will please any crowd. I had pre-wedding taste testers and approximately 70 people at the wedding who ate the cake, so I'm confident this recipe totally rocks.

My biggest concerns about the cake was the potential of it being lopsided, the frosting melting in the 85 degree weather and/or no one actually liking the cake/caring to eat it. Whether it was beginners luck or my years of obsession in the kitchen paid off, who knows, but the cake was as level and straight as I could have hoped for, the frosting held up surprisingly very well and the entire 8 layer beast was devoured. I received so many compliments and was really proud/aka relieved. Though the bride is very laid back and wouldn't have been too upset if I crashed and burned, (AWESOME human) I know how important a wedding cake is and I wanted to nail it for her. One of her relatives told me it was so good she couldn't believe it was my first wedding cake!

My big takeaways from this cake that I will most definitely carry on to the next one:

- Drink mimosas while building cake to ensure relaxation.
- Always bake a test cake so you aren't shitting yourself the entire time before the wedding wondering if the cake is good.
- Figure out how much batter needs to be in each layer to make them even in height... or just call it rustic when it comes out not 100% perfect.
- Start baking the cakes around 2 weeks before the wedding, wrap them in absurd amounts of saran wrap once they're completely cool and freeze until the day before the wedding then refrigerate.
- Bake only one cake layer at a time to ensure they bake evenly.... be patient young grasshopper.
- Have an assembling buddy to make life easier when you're putting it all together. Ideally one who feeds you booze.
- If possible, make the frosting the day of - mine changed consistency slightly after being refrigerated overnight, but luckily ended up stable and delicious.
- Dowels are necessary with the layer cake to hold it together. I used plastic ones and cut with a serrated knife but wood ones would work, too.
- Don't stress or panic because that's a waste of energy and everything will come out fine! Probably..

Big thanks to my sister Shauna for helping me assemble and decorate this bad boy. If you need an (affordable) and delicious tasting, rustic cake for a wedding or function, I am happy to be your girl!

<3333 Congrats to Emily and Derek!!!






Swedish Butter Cake - from A Piece of Cake by Susan Purdy, 1989
Makes about 4 1/2 cups of batter - One 9 inch tube cake or one, two-layer 9 inch cake

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla/almond/rum extract (I actually used 1 tsp rum, 1/2 tsp vanilla)

Directions:

• (Tip - when measuring the flour, either measure out sifted flour or use a spoon to fill the measuring cup so you aren't packing in the flour to the cup)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare your pans by greasing/buttering and dusting with flour.
• Use a whisk or sifter to mix together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. 
• Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and well blended. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. 
• Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined then add the milk. Add remaining flour and mix until combined then stir in the flavor extract of your choice. 
• Spoon the batter into prepared pan(s), level the top and spread the batter slightly to the pan edges. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean. This will be about 30 minutes for layers or up to 50-60 minutes for a tube cake. The top will be nice and golden. 
• Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool completely on wire rack. Refrigerate/cool COMPLETELY before frosting or dusting with powdered sugar. 

In case you aren't making an eight layer cake, here's a peak at my test recipe cake with strawberries and cream :)

Four Cheese Grilled Cheese & Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

I love Father's Day and Mother's Day because my family always gets together and I get out of spending money on a gift because I'm the go-to chef for the celebratory meal. JK.... kinda. I made an amazing seafood stew for Mother's Day (click here!) and needed to make something just as great for my dad to ensure I don't pick favorites ;)

My dad isn't a picky eater by any means but he loves the simple meals in life - he's a meat and potatoes kinda guy. He also loves all things tomato based like V8 juice, bloody marys, ketchup, and a good quality (or straight from the can) tomato soup. I decided for Father's Day to make him the best tomato soup he's ever damn well had and some gourmet grilled cheeses. Everyone in the family was seriously satisfied and every last bite was demolished. This was the most delicious, heart warming meal and perfect for a day at camp.

I got the tomato soup recipe out of Chrissy Teigen's cookbook and also realized that it is nearly verbatim Ina Garten's recipe....who knows! Anyways, it was a fantastic recipe and will be my go to tomato soup in the future. It's light and healthy yet bursting with fresh Summer tomato flavor which is enhanced by roasting thick, juicy roma tomatoes for 45 minutes before adding them to the soup.

For the grilled cheese, I decided to mimic the cheeses used in The North Point's sandwich, a restaurant I'm waitressing at for the Summer in Portland. They use smoked gouda, swiss, sharp cheddar and pepperjack and it's the ultimate combo. You need that seductive cheese pull if you know what I'm sayin. A nice sharp cheddar gives it some nutty flavor, pepperjack for a hint of spice and gouda for some smokiness. I use fairly small, equal parts of each so it's not overwhelmingly cheesy, but that's up to you.

I added some ham in there as well because this was catering to my dad's taste buds and it wouldn't be an appropriate Father's Day meal for him if it were vegetarian. Nostalgia at it's finest with a gourmet twist.

My family is extremely lucky to have a place on Winnipesaukee to spend our Summers at. Enjoying this meal with my family and cruising around the lake on the boat was an awesome way to spend Father's Day.... exactly how my dad likes it! I look forward to so many more days like this in my life.....and to making these meal again in the near future!





Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
3 lbs roma/plum tomatoes, halved
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1-2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 medium-large onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 28oz can whole plum tomatoes
4 cups fresh basil leaves - or as much as you can pick from your plant!
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 quart good quality chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes w/ 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a pan and roast for 45 minutes - tomatoes will have started to blister and lightly brown.
When tomatoes are 5-10 minutes from being done in the oven, in large pot over medium heat, melt butter and remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add onions, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions start to brown lightly.
Add canned tomatoes with juice, thyme, basil, stock and oven roasted tomatoes along with any juices in the pan to the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Puree in blender or processor to desired chunkiness. Not sure if that is a word. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve with fresh basil garnish and grilled cheese!


Four Cheese Grilled Ham & Cheese

Ingredients - 4 sandwiches:
8 slices of Italian bread or your go-to grilled cheese bread
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices deli ham, desired thickness
Approx 1/3 cup (more or less depending on how cheesy you're going) each of fresh shredded:
Smoked gouda
Sharp cheddar
Pepperjack
Approx 4 tbsp butter

Directions:
Heat griddle or skillet on stove to medium.
Layer sandwiches with a slice of swiss, piece of ham, then equal parts of smoked gouda, cheddar and pepperjack. You want cheese on either side of the ham so it melts and sticks to the bread better. I like adding a few shakes of pepper.
Melt butter in the pan or skillet, or spread directly on the bread - whichever you prefer.
Cook sandwiches to brown each side and melt all the cheese in the middle, about 2-3 minutes each side.

Spinach Steak Salad w/ Caramelized Onions, Mushrooms, Apples & Blue Cheese

When me and my sister's flight to NOLA was cancelled and we drove all the way home from Boston after spending 5 hours in the airport/sitting on a stationary airplane, we knew we needed a damn good meal to make up for the unfortunate series of events that unfolded previously in the day. This meal does it. It makes a shitty day not too bad....that's why I love food.

A bottle of wine helps, too.

The flavors of this salad pair perfectly. I've expressed my love for the combination of steak and blue cheese many times in the past... but I haven't mentioned how much better that combo is when you add bacon.... and melt in your mouth caramelized onions, savory portobellos and sweet apples. With a drizzle of the dressing tying it all together it is beyond fantastic. I've made different versions of this salad so many times when I am craving a restaurant quality salad.

If salad could be comfort food, this is that salad. Savory and slightly sweet with a bit of funkiness from the blue cheese, acidity from a good quality balsamic vinegar and of course a punch of smoky-saltiness from chunks of bacon.

In order to really nail this recipe, please please pleaaaaase take your time caramelizing the onions. Low and slow baby, you can't rush these guys..... and they do take a while so practice some patience here.

I serve this salad loaded with the toppings. That's what makes it so good - it's not some dainty thing that's mostly greens. It's packed with flavor and the toppings basically take over the spinach. I've served it with roasted potatoes before as well, which is another great addition.

This recipe makes approximately 4 dinner salads.



Warm Spinach Steak Salad w/ Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese (etc..)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
6 slices bacon
2 medium onions, sliced thin - no thinner than 1/8 inch
1 cup halved and sliced portobellos (1 large or 2 small caps)
1 large granny smith apple, cored and cubed or sliced (your preference)
10 oz package baby spinach
Crumbled blue cheese (about 2-3 tbsp per salad)
1 - 1 1/2 lbs steak - ribeye, sirloin, etc (depends on how much meat you like!)

Directions:

• To make the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, honey, olive oil, soy sauce and dijon. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
• Cook bacon over medium high heat in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and set aside. Leave 2-3 tbsp of grease in the pan. Reduce heat to low/medium-low and allow the pan to cool off a bit before adding the onions. Remove any bacon bits left in the pan so they don't burn.
• Add the onions to the pan and stir, season with a pinch of salt. Let them cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they are brown and caramelized - melt in your mouth sweet. Be careful not to burn them or fry them, keep the heat low/medium-low and don't rush it. 
• Once the onions are done, remove from the pan. Increase the heat to medium and add the mushrooms and apples, season with salt and saute until they are tender, about 7-8 minutes. You can add the onions back and mix them all together or keep them separate, however you prefer - if you do separate them, keep the onions warm until serving.
• Meanwhile, cook the steak to your preference. I use ribeyes and seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil and sear in a cast iron then finish in the oven. Grilling works great too, but it's cold here!
• To assemble the salad, pile a handful or two of spinach on the plate then top with onions, mushrooms, apples, sliced steak, bacon and crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle balsamic dressing over to serve, and fresh cracked pepper.