Ciao Cupcake

There's nothing better than a fancy, loaded cupcake after a 5K. Linc and I treated ourself after Max and Jake's Big Race this weekend, and boy, were we glad we did. Ciao Cupcake did not disappoint. 

I was a bit nervous based on my previous cupcake truck experiences (too much fluffy frosting, not enough yummy cake), but we decided to give it a go. It helped that their menu boasted of winning on Cupcake Wars, but I still needed a taste test. We decided to go with the Salty Sweet and the seasonal Blood Orange Ricotta. Both excellent choices if I do say so myself. 

Personal favorite was the chocolate, peanut butter, salted caramel creation, Salty Sweet. It had just enough caramel drizzled over the most delicious italian buttercream frosting. The cake was perfectly done and just enough to balance out the frosting. Yum. Yum. Yum.

I'll definitely be keeping my eye out for another run-in with this organic mobile cupcakery. (did I just make that up?) Nicely done.

Weekend's Best Dish

This weekend was a fun and busy one. Dinners with new friends and old friends, play dates, and running in Max and Jake's Big Race. Good times. 

This Strawberry and Spinach Salad was one of my favorite dishes of the weekend. We added it to a meal with steak and corn on the cob, but would be great with just about anything. I used all fresh ingredients from the Golden Hill Farmer's market, which made it even better. 

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Serves 12 - (I usually cut this recipe in 1/2)

Candied Pecans 

2 tbs. unsalted butter 

2 c. pecan halves (or almonds)

1/4 cup sugar

Raspberry-Dijon Vinaigrette

1 tbs Dijon mustard

6 tbs honey

1/2 c. raspberry vinegar

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

4 bunches fresh spinach, stems discarded, rinsed and drained

or 4 bags baby spinach

2 pts. strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered lengthwise

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 lb. button mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground black pepper

1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)

To make Candied Pecans, melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over med-low heat. Add the pecans and sprinkle with sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until pecans begin to brown and sugar becomes candied on the surface, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pecans and scatter in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Cool, chop and set aside.

To make vinaigrette, whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar and olive oil. 

Assemble salad by combining the spinach, strawberries, onion and mushrooms. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates and scatter pecans and poppy seeds over the top.

Chocolate + Banana Empanadas

 

We celebrated New Year's Eve with one of my favorite combos, good friends and mexican food. Enchiladas, spanish rice, guacamole, mexican salad and my personal favorite, Empanadas for dessert. You can't go wrong with any combination of bananas and chocolate, right? They were so good I actually made them again on New Year's day. 

Chocolate + Banana Empanadas 

Ingredients

(makes 16 empanadas. Not enough in my opinion. Double it. One roll of phyllo dough, cut in half lengthwise, makes about 32 empanadas.)

8 sheets phyllo dough cut in half lengthwise

melted butter for brushing

2 tsp. sugar

1 tbs lemon juice

2 ripe bananas

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

confectioners sugar for dusting

cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel and finely dice the bananas and put in bowl. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir well. Stir in the chocolate.

Working one at a time, lay out the rectangular sheets of phyllo in front of you and brush with butter.

Place approx. 2 tsp of filling in one corner of the dough. Fold over into a triangular shape to enlose the filling. Continue to fold the dough in a triangular shape until the phyllo dough is completely wrapped around the filling. Place on sprayed or non-stick cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining sheets of phyllo dough. 

Brush tops of triangles lightly with butter. Dust the triangles with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. 

Bake in oven for 13-15 minutes or until pastries are lightly golden. Watch closely the first time to be sure they don't over cook. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Halloween Treats

Skull Madelines

Brain Cupcakes

Whoopie Pies

Ghost Cake 

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

How You Like Them Apples?

As I put out my pumpkins the other day, I realized that I was pre-maturely moving into pumpkin season. I forgot about apples. Unforgivable considering my Washington state (apple capital of the world) roots. The September of my youth was spent picking apples in our orchard and pressing them into cider with our neighbors, adorned in bell bottoms and flannels.  

There's a 70's neighborhood co-op picture for ya.  

Just to confirm the situation, John brought me my Sunset magazine yesterday and pointed to the Apple-crisp baked apples with a "I want to make these." Those words don't come out of my husbands mouth. Ever. So apples it is. 

Caramelized onion-apple bites . 
Invite yourself over and I'll make you these. 

Toasted Turkey, Brie and apple sandwiches. 
My panini maker is calling. 

Apple-crisp baked apples. 
John, I'm waiting. 

Curried Apple-Pumpkin Soup. 
My gateway food to pumpkin season. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

To celebrate John's exercise feat of strength, I made him cookies. Not exactly his favorite, but close. (he prefers raisins, but you get what you get and you don't throw a fit, right?) 

Warm out of the oven are best, so I'd recommend freezing the batter and baking them up as you are going to eat them. Or bake them all and pass them out to neighbors. You'll be the most popular girl on your street. So good. 


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies


2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats, old fashioned
9 oz. chocolate chips (dried cherries are a delicious substitute)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until mixture is creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each egg. Add vanilla and mix. 

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Blend dry flour mixture into creamed mixture. When flour mixture is incorporated, stir in oats and chocolate chips. 

Preheat oven to 350°. Drop chilled dough by tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart. Flatten each mound to promote a crisp texture. Bake 6 minutes and then rotate pan 180 degrees for another 5-6 minutes, or just until cookies puff and are lightly golden brown. Do not overbake. Enjoy!

Roast Vegetables

My kids ate all of their veggies tonight. Yes, you read that right. ALL of them. Sometimes you just happen upon the right combination from your produce drawer and spice rack. Thought I'd share in case your kids needs some veggies too. 

Roast Veggies | Byard Style 

2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

15-20 french green beans, snapped in half

1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced

8 oz. crimini mushrooms, quartered

8-10 small gold potatoes, quartered

2 tbs. chopped fresh chives

2 tsp. herbs de provence

Sea salt to taste

Ground black pepper to taste 

1/2 c. olive oil 

Combine vegetables and toss with chives and spices. Drizzle olive oil over top, toss again. Season with salt & pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 min to 1 hour, or until potatoes and carrots are tender. 

Skillet Peach Cobbler

image via Bon Appetit 

My food highlight of our Seattle trip was this delicious peach cobbler my sister made. Couldn't eat mine fast enough! Perfect use for summer peaches. 

Skillet Peach Cobbler 

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 1 1/2 cups crème fraîche, divided
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 pounds peeled, pitted peaches, each cut into 1/2 inch wedges (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup Peach Preserves
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, 1/2 cup crème fraîche, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until smooth. Melt butter in a 12 inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with butter. Remove from heat.
• Add batter to pan. Scatter fresh peaches over, then spoon dollops of preserves evenly over batter. Bake until a tester inserted into center of cobbler comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, whip cream in a medium bowl to form soft peaks. Fold in sugar and remaining 1 cup crème fraîche. Cut cobbler into wedges and serve with whipped cream mixture. 

Summer Greek Salad

image via Bon Appetit  

This simple recipe will be your new favorite salad, promise. The mint makes it extra special. I'm already planning when I get to eat it again. Let me know what you think...

 Ingredients

• 6 cups coarsely chopped English hothouse or Persian cucumbers (2 lbs)
• 2 large tomatoes (1 pound total), coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 cup assorted pitted olives (such as Kalamata or Gaeta), halved
• 1 7-ounce package feta, crumbled, divided
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, olives, half of feta, and mint in a large bowl. Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining half of feta over and serve

Fourth of July Favorites

image via Bon Appetit 

Hope you had a great weekend! We had a great time together, hitting the beach at Coronado and South Mission, an evening concert and picnic in North Park, friends over for a fourth of July barbeque and ending with watching four fireworks displays in Balboa Park last night. So fun! My kids are exhausted today :) 

We had full bellies after our barbeque yesterday...sliders on kaiser rolls, salmon burgers, marinated roast chicken, fruit salad, berry flag cake...yum. My favorite item on the menu was the most simple. Roasted corn with olive oil, sprinkled with a mixture of lime zest and sea salt. So good. 

Free Burger

Have big plans for Father's Day? Here's a great deal. Free burger for Dad all day Sunday at The Counter. I'll be taking John there while we're in Chicago at their Lincoln Park location. San Diegans, your choices are Del Mar & Carlsbad. 

I'm thinking about the Grilled Chicken or Unique Veggie Burger. Pretty sure John will be ordering up a Counter Burger. Check out their menu here. 

Chicken & Egg

While shopping at Progress this afternoon, I spotted "Chicken and Egg: A Memoir of Suburban Homesteading with 125 Recipes".  The pictures hooked me, but as I've been pouring over the story and recipes, I think it's going to become a favorite. The author tells the story of raising chickens in her suburban neighborhood throughout the cookbook. She lays the chapters out by season, so you read her story as you connect with the recipes for each time of year. 

I'm looking forward to cooking things like "Poached eggs over walnut-crusted cheese and whole-grain toast." How about " Florentine fried eggs over roasted asparagus with crispy prosciutto". Does a "Sage Frittata with charred tomatoes and curly parmesan" peak your interest? Maybe "Baked eggs with Basil-Mint Pesto" is more up your alley. 

I grew up with fresh eggs from our chicken coop, and I'd love to have them for my boys. Would you raise chickens in your neighborhood? 

Vegetarian Tostada Bar

We've been doing "make-your-own" tostadas pretty often around here. We usually have the ingredients on hand, and everyone likes being able to choose their own toppings. Here's how we like to make ours...


1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Lay tostada shells out on cookie sheet. 


2. Heat 1 can of black beans for every 6-8 tostadas. Add in 1/2 c. to 1 c. pico de gallo or other salsa, depending on how much spice you like. As the mixture heats, use a potato masher to blend and thin. 


3. Chop up/dice/grate the following ingredients: cheddar or mexican blend cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato or additional salsa, green onions, cilantro. 


4. Add sour cream or this Cilantro Cream. 


5. Heat tostadas for 3-5 minutes. Spoon on the bean mixture. Add the rest of your ingredients. Top with the sour cream or drizzle with cilantro cream. Enjoy!

Adventures in Cheese

Cheese. I love you. 

I've got a blog crush on Nichole and Evan from Little Brown Pen. It started with their love of Paris and photography, but now they've put me over the top with A Year of Cheese.

Mushroom Barley Soup

This soup was so good I've been craving it again all week. It's on this weekend's menu again if I can wait that long. (another cold front coming in!) Paired with some olive oil and rosemary bread...heavenly. 


Ingredients


1/3 c. pearl barley
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp butter
12 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or tarragon, to garnish


Directions


Rinse the barley and drain. Bring 2 c. of stock to boil in small saucepan. Add the bay leaf and a pinch of salt if the broth is unsalted. Stir in the barley, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. 


Melt the butter in a large skillet over med heat. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally at first and then more often after they start to color. Remove from heat. 


Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the onions and carrots. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until the onion is softened. 


Add remaining stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the barley with the cooking liquid and add the mushrooms. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender, stirring occasionally. 


Stir in the tarragon and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with fresh parsley or tarragon and serve. 


Enjoy!

Dreaming of France

Ever since the Blairs & Ferneys moved to France, I've had all things French on the brain. Food always takes top billing of course. I haven't made crepes for my boys, but I'm thinking they'll be a popular addition to the breakfast line-up. I'm starting with some of these tasty options. 

Crepes with Whipped Cream, Bananas & Nutella 

Crepe Cake 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter & Strawberry Crepes

Sweet Crepes with Variations

Clams, Mussels & Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Broth

Here was our opening night feast in Newport Beach. If you're a shellfish fan, this is the dish for you. We served this over linguini with Caprese Salad on the side. 

Clams, Mussels & Shrimp in Spicy Tomato Broth 

via Flavors by Nordstrom 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes in juice
• 1 bottle (8-ounce) clam juice 
• Grated zest of 1 lemon 
• 24 small Littleneck clams (about 2 1/2 pounds total), scrubbed
• 24 mussels (about 1 1/2 pounds total), debearded and scrubbed
• 20 large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled & deveined
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 
• Linguini or crusty bread 

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic,bay leaf, and crushed red pepper. Saute until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook until the wine has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. 

Add the tomatoes and clam juice. Bring to a simmer. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Stir in the clams and lemon zest and increase heat to high. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the mussels. Cover and cook until the clams and mussels open, about 3-5 minutes longer.

Using a tongs, transfer the opened shellfish to serving bowls (discard any shellfish that do not open). Add the shrimp and basil to the simmering tomato broth. Simmer until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Divide the shrimp and tomato broth among the bowls. Serve over linguini or with warm bread.