Roasted Radishes

I have to admit this recipe is a few weeks old, but it is too good and too simple not to share.

H and I are in our third year of garden attempts, and due to (what I think is) perfect placement as far as sunlight is concerned, raised beds, and a heck of a lot of critter proofing, this year is actually going pretty well. Third time is a charm, right? Our pumpkin, beans, cucumber, squash, and spinach seem to be coming along nicely, and we had a successful crop of peas and radishes a few weeks ago. Now, radishes are notoriously easy to grow, so this isn't a huge feat, but I am taking it as a good sign of things to come.

I enjoy radishes raw in salads, but since we had about 30 of them, I was looking for something different to do with them. I love roasting vegetables- asparagus, tomatoes, beets, carrots, potatoes, green beans, broccoli, you name it- I'll roast it :) So why not try it with radishes?

I am certainly glad I did, I will have to add radishes to my roasting repertoire! The roasting mellows the peppery flavor they have raw, and they end up almost tasting like a less sweet version of a beet.

Roasted Radishes

20-30 radishes, rinsed well, with tops removed and set aside
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place radishes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.

Place radishes on the baking sheet, cut side down. Cook for 10 minutes, remove, and give the pan a light shake to mix them up. Place them back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly browned and wrinkly.

Slice a couple of the radish tops for a garnish and sprinkle on top of the radishes. Enjoy!

Very loosely adapted from bonappetit.com, original recipe here.

Rustic (aka Non-Fussy) Strawberry Tart

It's officially that time of year- strawberry season. Actually, it has been for about a month now, but I'm procrastinating as always.

For the past 27 years of my life, I actually thought I didn't really care for strawberries. I thought they were too tart and didn't have all that much flavor. I could take them or leave them, I certainly wouldn't go crazy over them. Well, as it turns out, I only dislike out-of-season strawberries shipped from halfway across the world. In season strawberries grown on our CSA farm 15 minutes away- OMG. Totally. Different. Story.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize that- I am absolutely kicking myself. And now- let's just say I'm making up for lost time. We've bought about 8 quarts in the past couple weeks.

One of the most especially delicious recipes I've enjoyed with all the fresh strawberries we've had was this rustic strawberry tart from the kitchen sink recipes.

I've always thought tarts were beautiful and tasty, but have shied away from making them. They just seem so... fussy. Overlaying the fruit in a pretty pattern and achieving the perfect crust seems so difficult... that and I don't exactly own a tart pan. So when I cam across this tart recipe, I was sold. I will hereby refer to it as the non-fussy tart.

It was absolutely delicious, and so easy to make. I definitely see more of these in my future. I am excited to try different fillings as well- the dough can be used for both sweet and savory purposes.

Rustic (aka Non-Fussy) Strawberry Tart
Serves 4 (individual tarts)

for the crust:
1 cup of all-purpose flour, leveled off
1/8 of a teaspoon of salt
4 Tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 Tablespoons of ice cold water

for the filling:
2 1/2 cups of strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of corn starch

for topping:
4 teaspoons of raw sugar
1 egg white

Directions: Place the 1 leveled cup of flour and the salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Cut in the butter and mix until it resembles course meal. Add the 4 Tablespoons of water, and mix until just moistened. Knead a few times to bring the dough together. (I found the dough to be pretty crumbly at this stage- like there was too much flour. Don't worry, it all works out.)

Divide the dough into four quarters. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is refrigerating, combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Allow to sit. Preheat oven to 350 F.

After 30 minutes, unwrap each portion of dough and place on a square of parchment paper. Place the plastic wrap back on top of the dough and press the dough down into a disk. Roll into an approximately 8" circle.

Peel off plastic wrap, and using a slotted spoon, place 1/4 of the strawberry mixture in the center. Leave a couple inch border around the edges to fold over. Fold over the edges and brush with the egg white. Sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top of the whole tart and place the tart, parchment square and all, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough rounds.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Adapted from kitchensinkrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs

I really enjoyed dyeing Easter eggs when I was younger. I was always getting creative with stripes and layering different colors and drawing on the eggs with beeswax, in the Russian style my family used to decorate eggs (although ours looked nothing like that!). After H and I got married, dyeing eggs sort of fell by the wayside, as Easter isn't a huge holiday for us.

However, when I saw this blog entry from Two Men and a Little Farm (brought to my attention via Pinterest!), I knew we would be dyeing eggs again this year. The gorgeous, oh-so-different-than-the-PAAS-kit colors and all-natural dyes are totally up my alley and I was excited to try it out!

We only did 12 eggs/6 colors and I am really pleased with the way they turned out! It was so cool to see how each item colored the egg. Many of them ended up with a marbled effect, which I was totally digging. In case the picture is too small to see, the spinach and dill made a brown-ish/green, the beets a pink, the red wine a lavender purple, the carrots and turmeric a bright yellow, the coffee an earthy brown, and the purple grape juice a light blue.

And bonus- they are totally easy! Any of the items that aren't liquid to begin with need to be simmered in water for 30-60 minutes (and then strained of the sediment) to allow the color to come out. Then you'll need to add about 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to every cup of liquid to help the color bond to the egg shell. They need to sit in the liquid for much longer than the fizzy tablet dyes, so I just left them sitting in the color in the refrigerator over night. Taking them out of the dyes was a wonderful Easter surprise!

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting

I'll admit it. I'm a total sucker for those grocery store sugar cookies in the plastic container with different colored frosting for every imaginable holiday. Orange and black for Halloween? Yum. Red, white, and blue for Fourth of July? Don't mind if I do. Pink, white, and red for Valentine's Day? Do you even have to ask? Loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients though, I'm sure they're not the greatest food in the world health-wise. And while I'm sure the home-made version isn't toooo much better for you, at least they are slightly more natural? Maybe? At least that's what I'm telling myself.

These cookies totally live up to their name is softness. They have a rich buttery taste, and are completely satisfying. And with the endless combinations of frosting and sprinkle colors, they can truly work for any holiday!

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting
Makes 24 cookies

For the cookies:
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
5 Tablespoons of milk (and more, if needed)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Place dough in non-metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for one hour. (I had some straggler dry ingredients at the bowl when I was done, if you do- don't mix them in with the dough.)

After the dough has chilled, scoop a heaping Tablespoon of dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and flatten the ball slightly with the bottom of a glass.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies 2-3 inches apart. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. You don't want to even let them get to a golden brown- and if so, just slightly. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and beat until smooth. Whisk in additional milk if icing is too thick, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Color frosting with gel food coloring, and frost cookies. Top with sprinkles, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

I love pumpkin in all of its forms- I love it in sweet desserts, I love it savory dishes, I love it in hearty breakfasts. I haven't exactly kept this love of pumpkin I have a secret. And likewise, I can't keep this sauce a secret. I was totally surprised by this one; I threw it together as a one of those "I have these ingredients on hand- it sounds like they could go together- I hope dinner ends up edible" dishes. Oh man, was it edible. I may or may not have eaten the extra sauce up with a spoon.

I've had sauces like this in restaurants, and hoped I could recreate something similar. It has a rich, slightly sweet flavor, and was so good over a mushroom ravioli. We also had it over gnocchi, sausage ravioli, mushroom fettuccine (yes, we had it that many times- it's a great way to use up leftover pumpkin), but the winner was the mushroom ravioli. I'm sure we'll be trying it many other ways as well!

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

3 heaping Tablespoons of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup of heavy cream (or half and half if you want to keep it lighter)
1 Tablespoon of chopped sage leaves
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

1/4 cup of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions: Heat pumpkin, cream, sage, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, and bring to a slight simmer. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir, as the cheese melts and sauce thickens. Serve over pasta or ravioli, and garnish with a bit of shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!

A Little Domestic Bliss original ;)

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

I don't think there is anything more comforting than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. We have been having a freak warm streak lately, but it has finally cooled down enough to properly savor a nice warm bowl. I have been trying to find some different versions- a bit of a twist if you will- on the classic recipes. And since I am still buying squash after squash like it's going out of style, this Indian-spiced roasted squash soup recipe I saw in Cooking Light was perfect!

This is not the greatest picture- soups are so difficult to get a good shot of- but it is definitely better than this picture looks! It had just the perfect amount of spiciness, and the sweet yogurt garnish balanced that perfectly. It is definitely a new twist on an old standby.

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces of carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 medium acorn squash, quartered
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
dash of black pepper

32 ounces of vegetable broth
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt

Click to see saving

4 Tablespoons of honey

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Place the onion, carrots, garlic cloves, butternut squash, and acorn squash on an olive oil-greased jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Put the vegetable mixture into a large stock pot on the stove.  Add the vegetable broth, curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Combine the Greek yogurt and honey, and stir until smooth. Drizzle over soup and serve. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Hot Artichoke Dip

I think I found my go-to hot dip recipe.

Last week, one of my co-workers held a vinatge/craft open-house at her place. She does truly amazing things with found materials and vintage "junk." There were cake stands and platters made with vintage plates glued to old candlesticks, wine bottle stoppers made from antique doorknobs and faucet hardware, and rings made from vintage earrings and brooches. Everything was gorgeous! I ended up buying this ring, I absolutely love the colors.

But what does this have to do with dip? Nothing, really, except that she served a dip very similar to this one! I loved it, may have eaten too much of it, and immediately put it on the list of appetizers to bring to Thanksgiving at the in-laws'.

It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving- totally comforting and delicious. I almost felt bad accepting the compliments, it was too easy as well!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of black pepper

2 cans of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor, mix the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise mixture together with the chopped artichokes. Stir to combine well.

Spread dip into a 9 x 13 glass pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve hot with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!

(I kept it warm throughout the afternoon in a mini crockpot, but it is just as good at room temperature!)

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.