Blueberry Crumble Pie with Burnt Sugar Ice Cream

My dad loves chocolate and blueberries, so I went with blueberries cause it's the summer and they're all about (and inexpensive... not that I wouldn't splurge for father dearest or anything like that :-) Anyways, this pie came out really well and the cardamom worked incredibly well (my dad even guessed that it was cardamom!!... I guess I get my skillz from somewhere!) Now, buying a pre-made pie crust is toootally not my style at all, but I helped a friend move into her new house all weekend, so I was really crunched for time.

A
1 C flour
1/2 C packed light brown sugar
1 stick cold butter, cut into small pieces

B
4 C blueberries
1/2 lemon, squeezed lightly
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour

Pre-made 9" frozen pie crust

C
1/2 C sugar
2 TBSP water
2 C milk
1 C heavy cream
5 egg yolks
Pinch of salt

You want to prepare the ice cream the night before. To do so, combine the sugar and water (from C) in a pan and dissolve the sugar with the water. Once dissolved, continue to cook until it becomes a dark brown. Once that has happened, add the milk (yes, it will bubbly like woah!) and continue whisking until it has dissolved into the sugar. Add the cream and turn off the heat. Whip the egg yolks with the salt until the yolks turn fluffy and pale. Whisk the warm mixture into the egg mixture and then return everything to the eat. Continue whisking over the heat until you have a creme anglaise texture (until it coats the back of a spoon). Turn off the heat and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours until the mixture becomes room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, run it through your ice cream maker and then hard-freeze for a couple of hours.

For the pie:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine A in a bowl and use your fingers to crumble the butter in until it becomes pea-sized, set aside. Combine B in another bowl and pour the contents into the pie crust. Top with A and bake for 45 minutes!

Flounder over Arugula with a Mushroom, Caper and White Wine Sauce

Once you commute home from work, go to the gym, get home and cook, it can be 8:30 already! And the last thing I want to do at 8:30 after the gym is eat a heavy meal. I made this last night and it was a nice, quick and healthy late-night meal. I added tons of flavor by going to my garden and picking some fresh herbals! I served the fish with either pasta or arugula. I did pasta for my mom and mike and I did arugula for myself. I always say it's nice when people have options and can create for themselves!

1 1/2 lbs flounder
2 C thinly sliced crimini shroomies
3 TBSP capers
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
Fresh herbs to your liking: basil, parsley, oregano and thyme
1 C white wine
1 C Italian-style panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP margarine

Wash, dry and dip the fish in an egg wash. Bread the fish fillets and fry quickly using a little bit of olive oil or Pam. Remove from pan, add some more Pam and add the onions, garlic, margarine, mushrooms, capers and herbs and stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the pan has started to get dry and a bit sticky, deglaze with the wine and let the sauce thicken for about 5 minutes. Add the fish back on top and spoon the mushroom mixture on top. Let people choose from either arugula or pasta and serve themselves straight from the pan.

Fish n Chips

'Allo matey! Just kidding - that's so obnoxious. I grew up eating fish and chips as me mums is a true Brit! I love all the contrast in a platter of fish and chips, but the simplicity is what makes it so desirable and such an easy thing to have time after time after time. I think this dish really gives your mouth a good workout; you have the light and crunch batter with the moist and flaky fish and then you have the sharp vinegar paired with the smooth tartar. It's bloody brilliant if you ask me!

2 lbs cod or haddock, cut into 2X3" pieces
1 lb red potatoes, peeled and cut into long and fat strips (for the chips)
~2 quarts canola oil
Tartar sauce
Sarson's malt vinegar

1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
~ 1/2 bottle of beer

I do this the way my mom does it - not very exact. You don't have to! Peel and cut your potatoes ahead of time so they are ready. Heat the oil (in a 6 quart pot) over high heat. When you can dip a fry in the oil and it immediately starts to sizzle and form small bubbles around it, you know the oil is ready! I'm sure it's probably like 350 degrees F or something like that.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and beer together until you have a thick batter (add the beer slowly) and put aside. Fry the potatoes until they are brown to your liking (about 5 - 10 mins) and remove with your spider and put on a plate lined with paper towels. Next, dip the fish in the batter and fry until golden brown! Serve with malt vinegar and tartar sauce!

Peach and Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

As I've mentioned before, I like things! I like lots of things in salads especially or else I get bored. Somehow the peach and the blue cheese is a match made in heaven... and one that I wasn't expecting at all. Sometimes in the summer it is just too damn hot to cook anything, but that doesn't mean that you don't want any flavor in your life! Try these perfect summer flavors and you will not miss out.

A
1 lb spinach
4 peaches, cut into slices
1/2 red onion, sliced paper thin
1/2 C rough chopped pecans
4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

B
1/2 C crumbled blue cheese
1/4 C low fat buttermilk
1/4 fat free sour cream
1/4 tsp sugar

Chop your veggies and toss/arrange however you like. Serve the dressing on the side so people can custom-make their own salads.

Soft Pretzels

Alton Brown really does things right. I'll have to say that I was in no way, shape or form expecting home-made soft pretzels to be so damn delicious! Make some of these and serve with brats, kraut and a beer!

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Very Berry Pie

Nothing says summer like berries! Honestly, is there anything better than berries? Fine, maybe there is: pies! Combine the two and holy crap have you got yourself a fun night or what?! My sister Weener and I just discovered that you can make really fun pies by rolling out the top crust and using a cookie cutter to make random shapes. Then you just overlap all the shapes on the top of the pie! Also, Whole Foods has really fun sugars ... one of them is this pink raspberry sugar that you can sprinkle on the top instead of white sugar.

A
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 C butter, cold, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 C ice water (more if you need)

B
2 lbs fresh berries (1 small container each of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries and then half a package of strawberries, quartered)
4 TBSP corn starch
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Milk
Sugar

In your food processor, combine all ingredients (except for water) in your food processor and pulse until a dough starts to form. Add the ice water in a steady stream until a nice dough forms. Divide this into two parts, cover w saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

After the dough is done setting in the fridge, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Roll out one part of the dough until it is 1 inch bigger all around than your pie pan. Transfer the dough to your pie pan and remove any excess dough.

Sprinkle 3 TBSP of the sugar on the bottom of the pie crust. Toss the remaining sugar with the fruit, cornstarch and lemon juice. Pour the berry mixture into the pie pan. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut out fun shapes with cookie cutters. Place the shapes on top of the berries to form the top piece of your crust. Brush the top of the crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 35 minutes, then cover the crust with a pie crust shield (or tin foil!) and bake for another 10 minutes.

Grilled Garlic-Chili Veggies with Chunky Walnut Dressing

I am sure I ranted and raved about grilling veggies last summer, but it's summer again so I shall rant and rave again: ranting and raving! I have added two new twists this summer that makes the veggies even more scrumptious! I brush them with some olive oil that is infused with garlic, chili, anchovy and thyme. And the tangy nuttiness of this dressing pairs beautifully w the earthy and charred flavors of the veggies! It also works it's magic doubly well on sweet grilled onions!

4 portabella shrooms
1 bunch scallions
1 bunch asparagus
1 eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 zucchinis, sliced thinly lengthwise

A
1/2 C olive oil
3-5 cloves garlic
1 TBSP red pepper flakes
2 anchovy fillets

B
1/4 C olive oil
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp thyme
1 C toasted walnuts

Alrighty, you want to get your grill goin. Make the dressing first by combining the ingredients in your food processor and chopping them w the pulse setting about 5 times until a nice and chunky dressing forms.

Then you want to puree ingredients from A together in your food processor. Take the rub + your veggies out to your grill. Lightly brush one side of the veggies w the rub and then slap it on the grill. Brush the other side. Turn your veggies over after about 4 minutes on a medium grill.

Serve with the walnut dressing and anything else you're grilling!