Facebook

Hi everyone!

Get excited! The Hungry Navy Wife now has a Facebook page.  Please "like" me! 

http://www.facebook.com/TheHungryNavyWife

Carmel Apple Coffee Cake

Lately, I've been on a baking spree on Sunday nights.  I'm not sure what's that all about but Mr. Bear and my co-workers are loving it!  I saw this cake on the cover of Southern Living magazine and couldn't resist making it. This cake turned out delicious! It took some time but it was totally worth it! While I don't like the cooler fall weather, I do love fall food.  And what's better than carmel and apples??  Not much in book.   I don't drink coffee, but word is this cake pars nicely with a cup of joe. Happy Monday!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples (about 3 large)
• Streusel Topping
• Caramel Sauce
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Streusel Topping 
Ingredients

•  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Caramel Sauce
Ingredients

• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup honey

Gluten Free Roasted Veggie Lasagna

Mr. Bear and I try to eat gluten free most of the time.  Granted, he tries a lot harder than I do.  I love cheese too much to ever be totally gluten free.  While I was getting my hair done last week I was flipping through the Rachael Ray magazine.  I love a good cheesy lasagna, but since Bear won't eat it I haven't made one in forever.  However, the magazine had a recipe for a gluten free version.  I was VERY excited!  Finally, a cheesy lasagna we could both eat.  This recipe was delicious!  It does require some work though.  Unless you want to eat dinner at 10PM or have the day off, I think this is more of a weekend dinner. 

I know this isn't the best picture.  It's SO hard to get a perfect slice of lasagna out of the pan. I still wanted to give you a picture so you can see that it looks just like a normal lasagna.

Thank you Rachael Ray for the tasty option!

Roasted Vegetable "Lasagna"

Gluten-free "everything your garden grows" lasagna is layered with veggies, chesses and tomato sauce.

by Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 2 firm, medium eggplants
• Salt
• 2 firm, medium zucchini
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 4 potatoes, peeled (I only used 2 potatoes)
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
• 2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1 ball mozzarella, shredded, divided
• 1/4 cup mint and parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can San Marzano tomatoes (32 ounces)
• A few leaves of basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons grated red onion

Serves 6

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 450ºF.

Peel the eggplant so that there are stripes going down the sides, then slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch discs. Salt and drain on layered kitchen towels for 30 minutes.

Slice the zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick pieces on an angle. Salt and drain on layered kitchen towels along with the eggplant.

When the eggplant and zucchini are done resting with the salt, pat them dry with kitchen towel. Divide them in half on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until slightly golden in color.

Peel the garlic and place the whole cloves in a pot. Cover with EVOO and heat over low heat to gently cook the garlic until the cloves are soft and caramel in color, 15-20 minutes.

Peel and slice the potatoes 1/8-inch thick with a mandoline or sharp knife. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the ricotta with half of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, half of the mozzarella and the mint, parsley, egg, salt and pepper.

In another bowl, combine the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella.

Place the tomatoes in food processor and add all the garlic cloves and 3-4 tablespoons EVOO, basil, sugar, salt, pepper and grated red onion.

Lower the oven temperature to 400ºF.

In a casserole or baking dish, spread half the red sauce, then layer in half of the roasted eggplant and zucchini, then dollop a third of the cheese mixture over top.

Next, shingle half of the potatoes in the dish and season with a sprinkling of chopped rosemary-thyme and a drizzle of garlic oil. Top with a third of the cheese mixture.

Layer the remaining roasted eggplant, zucchini and ricotta mixture. Layer the last of the potatoes and season with a drizzle of garlic oil and a sprinkling of chopped herbs.

Top the lasagna with the rest of the sauce and remaining cheese mixture.

Bake, covered with parchment and foil, on a baking sheet for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30-40 minutes more to deeply golden. Let stand for 15-20 minutes, cut and serve.

Bon Appetit, French Style!

Since yesterday would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, I was inspired to make a French themed dinner.  Now that the dinner is over and my belly is still warm, I can say it was delicious! However, it took forever to make.  Granted, I had to go to the gym and the grocery store before the cooking could even start.  I even had to rope Mr. Bear into the action.  His mission was to find three large zucchinis and frozen pearl onions. My grocery store stop left me empty handed on those two essential items.  We didn't sit down for dinner till 10:00.  It was all worth it though!  I even broke out our wedding china and turned on French music. Voila!  We were transformed to a cafe in Paris!

 I bought Julia's book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and Ina Garten's book, "Barefoot in Paris" and started planning my meal.  There were so many delicious options.  A lot of the recipes called for things I didn't have or didn't want to buy. And others I knew would take me all night to make.  Turns out I was going to be in the kitchen for a while anyway. Oh well.  It was totally worth it!

I decided on the following:

Appetizer:
Peppered salami
Triple creme brie on a crostini
Kalamata olives

Dinner:
Coq au vin
Vegetable tian

 

Coq Au Vin

Recipe by: Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa

Serves: 3

Ingredients

·        

•  2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths*
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
• 1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
• 1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot. 

*I already had two large boneless skinless chicken breasts so I used that instead of a whole chicken.  I  just cut the breasts into smaller pieces. I think it turned out just fine.

Vegetable Tian

Recipe by: Ina Garten, Barefoot in Paris

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

• Good olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled
• 3/4 pound zucchini
• 1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
• 2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes* until browned. Serve warm.

*Since my potatoes were already fork tender, I added the cheese and put the dish under the broiler for about 3 minutes.

Happy Birthday, Julia Child!

Today would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday.  Sadly, she passed away August 13, 2004.  Julia is largely credited for bring french cuisine into American homes.  Her book, Mastering the Art of French Cuisine is still popular today.  I encourage you to pick up a copy and try something new tonight.  I know I'll be making something french tonight! I'll post what I make later this week. 

You can purchase her book from Amazon here. 

I found this video of Julia on David Letterman back in 1987.  I think it's pretty funny.  Julia on David Letterman

Bon Appetit everyone!

Welcome Home Dinner

When Mr. Bear gets home from deployment he typically wants grilled salmon, asparagus and a salad.  However, this time he requested a steak.  Actually, when he called home he said he wants "lots of red meat." Clearly he was going through meat withdraw.  I planned my menu and went to the local butcher.  When I told them their lovely bacon wrapped filets would be the center piece of my homecoming meal, they all started clapping and offered their heartfelt "welcome home" greetings.  I was very touched by their enthusiasm.  After a few tears, I headed home to finish my prep work.  I had a tasty red wine ready for the dinner, which was picked out by Yanni, the owner of a local wine store near my house.

I wasn't expecting Mr. Bear till late afternoon.  Of course he surprises me and calls around 8AM saying he was home.  I figured "home" was back in the US.  Oh no.  He was downstairs in the parking lot.  As luck would have it, I was still in bed.  I'd stayed up late the night before cleaning so I was exhausted.  I figured I had plenty of time before his arrival.  Of course, the one time I'm not dressed and ready he shows up early!

I feel truly blessed he came home safe.  As a military wife, I don't take that for granted. Cheers and good eats to all my military families! God bless our military and the best country on earth- USA!

On the menu:
Bacon wrapped filets with balsamic reduction and garlic butter
Roasted asparagus with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Roasted sweet potatoes with maple syrup drizzle

Balsamic Reduction:
Recipe courtesy of Brian Boitano
Food Network.com

• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Balsamic Reduction:

In a small pot, over medium-low heat, add the vinegar and brown sugar, and whisk to combine. Cook and reduce until thick, about the consistency of maple syrup. Whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve drizzled over filet mignon and asparagus.

I seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper.  I heated my grill pan and browned the steaks on all sides for about 3-4 minutes.  Make a garlic butter mixing soften unsalted butter with small dice garlic, salt and pepper.  Pre-heat the oven to 375*.  After browning the steaks I put them in the oven for about seven-ten minutes with the garlic butter. (Bear likes his medium rare and I like mine medium.) Use a thermometer to test for desired temp. Put the steaks on a plate and wrap them in foil to rest for about 10 minutes.

Asparagus -Cut the hard woodsy parts of the stem off, sprinkle them with salt and pepper and toss in olive oil.  Put in 400* oven for about 7-8 minutes.

Sweet Potatoes- peel the skins off, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss in olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes or until fork tender.  Lightly drizzle with maple syrup.






 

July-National Blueberry Month

July is National Blueberry  Month

Since July is national blueberry month, and it's July 24th I better get on it! I saw a recipe for an open-faced peach and blueberry tart on the Today show.  You can watch the video here- video for open-faced peach blueberry tart

I'll definitely make this soon and report back.

 Recipe: Open-faced peach and blueberry tart

by Annie Copps

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 11 tablespoons (5 1/2 ounces) cold, unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• About 3 cups sliced (1/4-inch thick) peaches (skins removed if you like), or just about any combination of fruits and berries (except bananas)
• About 1 cup blueberries (pick through to remove any stems)
• 1/4 cup brown (or white) sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or tapioca
• 2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract
• Almond paste (optional)

Preparation

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into ½-inch cubes and add them to the flour. On low speed combine the butter and flour just until the flour is no longer white and holds together when you clump it with your fingers — 1 to 2 minutes. If there are any lumps of butter larger than a pea, break them up with your fingers.
In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and milk, then add to the flour mixture (on low speed… about 15 seconds). The dough ought to still be a little lumpy and perhaps dry. Dump it onto a clean and lightly floured work surface. Work it with the heel of your hand, pushing and smearing any clumps of butter away from you, then gathering it back together with a bench scraper, until the dough comes together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then flatten it into a flat disk and refrigerate for at least a half hour (up to four days — you can freeze it for months and months).
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13 to 14 inch-round — it’s okay if the edges are a little ragged. Place on a baking sheet and stick it back in the fridge while you get the fruit together.
For the filling, you’ll need about 4 cups of fruit total. Combine the fruits, sugar, cornstarch and extract (if using).
If using almond paste, form about 4 to 5 tablespoons into a ball; flatten the ball, then roll out into a thin circle.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it sit for a few minutes. Place the almond paste disk in the center (it’s okay if it tears — you can even break it up into pieces). Heap the fruit in the center of the dough leaving a 2-inch rim around the outside (or carefully arrange it in a circular pattern if you are using sliced stone fruit or apples). Fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, pleating as you go.
If you are feeling fancy, you can make an egg wash and brush the exposed dough, then sprinkle it with sugar. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the pastry is light brown and juices are starting to run.