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Why do I follow NY politics? Well, NYC is my favorite place on the planet. I love New Yorkers, I love Jews, & I love a guy that tells it like it is, with a great big pinch of piping hot devastating, dead on humor.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I try not to be a terribly picky eater, but I confess to having a short list of foods I just don't like.  Off the top of my head, some of the foods on that list include peppers, fennel, quinoa, chickpeas and blue cheese.  I've heard people say that your taste buds/palate change as you get older though, so from time to time I will give things a second (or third or fourth) try to see if my opinion has changed.  Black beans have long been on the list but I really, really want to like them (mainly because I'm such a huge fan of Mexican food and they're often incorporated in dishes I'd otherwise love) so I probably eat them more often than other foods I dislike. 

While I won't say I'm completely sold yet, salads like this make it easier for me to enjoy black beans.  I love fresh corn and ripe tomatoes, and in this black bean salad they are paired with lime, honey and chipotle to create one very flavorful dish.  This black bean salad is easy to throw together and really pretty with its colorful variety of ingredients.  It would be perfect as a lighter side for a summer cookout or even as an appetizer if you served it with chips.  If you want to make it ahead of time you can do that too - just wait to add the avocado until right before you're ready to serve it.

Southwestern Black Bean Salad
adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook (seen first on Heat Oven to 350)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1 tomato, cored, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 scallions, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 1/2 teaspoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat then add the corn and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring frequently.  Transfer the corn to a large bowl and combine with the beans, tomato and parsley.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the scallions, lime juice, chipotle, honey, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Pour over the salad and gently mix to coat.  Add the avocado, folding gently to incorporate, then season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.  

Margarita Cupcakes

I almost couldn't believe it when I looked through my posts over the last few months and realized the last time I shared cupcakes was all the way back at the end of March.  More than 2 months without a cupcake post, it just didn't seem right.  So when our friends invited us to a barbecue this weekend I offered to bring dessert, and I knew I had to make cupcakes.  Since I always think of Memorial Day weekend as the unofficial start to summer, I wanted something fresh and fun to celebrate the season.  As much as I love chocolate, I ruled it out pretty early on.  I kept coming back to boozy desserts, which is sort of ironic given that I rarely drink these days.  These margarita cupcakes just barely beat out a few other contenders (primarily these rum punch cupcakes, how cute are they?).  I bought a giant bag of limes recently and this seemed like the perfect treat to make with them (among many others coming up in the next few weeks!).    



There were only 4 of us at the cookout this weekend (plus a baby, no tequila for him yet) so I halved the recipe below to make just 6 cupcakes.  The cupcakes are full of lime flavor thanks to both lime zest and lime juice.  I chose not to include tequila in the cupcakes themselves; rather, when they emerged from the oven, I brushed their warm tops with tequila to infuse some flavor.  Shawnda topped her version of the cupcakes with a tequila-lime Swiss meringue buttercream, which looked terrific, but since I needed to frost so few cupcakes I chose to go with a no-fuss basic buttercream instead.  The buttercream includes both lime juice and tequila and pairs perfectly with the cupcakes.  Garnished with a lime wedge, lime zest and a sprinkle of salt, these were the perfect ending to our cookout. 



Margarita Cupcakes
adapted slightly from Confections of a Foodie Bride

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tablespoon tequila (for brushing the tops, if desired)

Preheat oven to 325 F.  Line muffins tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Mix in the lime zest, juice and vanilla (it may look curdled at this point, don't worry it will come together).  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients (in three additions) alternately with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.  Beat just until incorporated.

Divide the batter among the paper liners, filling each about 3/4-full.  Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and brush the warm cupcakes with tequila.  Let rest for about 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Tequila-Lime Buttercream
adapted from Cook's Illustrated Easy Vanilla Buttercream and Brown Eyed Baker

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 3/4 - 3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1-2 tablespoons tequila
pinch salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.  With the mixer on low, slowly add 2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar a little at a time until completely incorporated and the mixture is smooth.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl then beat in the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of tequila and the salt.  Increase the mixer to medium speed and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Taste the frosting and decide if you want to add the remaining tablespoon of tequila.  If so, beat to incorporate.  If you want a slightly firmer consistency for piping, add the remaining 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar to the frosting.

The frosting can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated.  When you are ready to use it, let it come to room temperature and then beat briefly before piping.

Frost the cooled cupcakes with the buttercream.  Garnish with lime zest or lime wedges, if desired.

Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and though I'm still not sure how it's nearly June already, I'm really looking forward to it!  Especially because our weather forecast looks like this:



It's the perfect weather for a fun cookout with our friends (and their ridiculously adorable baby).  In addition, Shane's already told me he wants to grill a majority of our meals, which is just fine by me as it frees the kitchen up for baking.  I'm thinking grilled pizza tonight and even though I've made this grilled chicken with peach bbq sauce twice in the past week, I have a feeling it'll be on the menu again.

The peach bbq sauce is super simple, it consists of just five ingredients - peaches, ketchup, lemon juice, garlic and adobo sauce.  I was pretty skeptical of the combination at first; I'd never have thought to marry peaches and ketchup for starters.  I'm glad I was intrigued enough to give it a try though because slathered on chicken and grilled, it was really fantastic and just peach-y enough without being too fruity.  The peaches gave it a hint of sweetness while the adobo sauce added just a touch of heat and the grill imparted the perfect amount of smokiness/char.  The second time I made the sauce, I let it sit in the fridge for a day before marinating the chicken, and I think giving it that extra time for the flavors to meld made it even better.  This sauce even got the Shane seal of approval, though I was careful not to mention the peaches until after he'd cleaned his plate :)



If you're grilling this weekend, this chicken with peach bbq sauce would be a great addition to your menu.  If you're still looking for ideas, here are a few more suggestions:
Homemade Hamburger Rolls
Grilled Herb Shrimp
Lemon, Rosemary and Balsamic Grilled Chicken Thighs
Barbecued Chicken
Lemon, Rosemary Chicken Kebabs
All-American Potato Salad
No Bake Peanut Butter Squares

Grilled Chicken with Peach BBQ Sauce
from Gwyneth Paltrow via Bon Appetit, June 2011

9-10 oz frozen sliced peaches, thawed and chopped (or 1 cup chopped peeled fresh peaches)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles in adobo)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)

Add the peaches, ketchup, lemon juice, garlic and adobo sauce to a small saucepan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the peaches are soft, about 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let cool.  Transfer to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer half of the sauce to a resealable plastic bag.  Add the chicken, seal the bag then use your hands (on the outside of the bag) to coat the chicken with the sauce.  Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes, or in the fridge for up to 8 hours.  Cover and refrigerate the remaining half of the sauce.

Preheat grill to medium-high. Oil the grill racks thoroughly to keep the chicken from sticking.  When hot, grill the chicken until charred in places and almost cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Brush all sides of the chicken with some of the remaining sauce then continue to grill until cooked through (chicken will register 160-165 F on an instant read thermometer), about 1-2 minutes more per side.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  Serve with remaining sauce.

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette

Have you ever grilled romaine lettuce?  I hadn't until about a month ago; the thought had never even crossed my mind.  I saw the idea on an episode of Mad Hungry and was immediately intrigued.  The recipe that was made on the show was for a grilled Caesar salad, which I wound up making a few weeks later and absolutely loved - highly recommended.  (It never made the blog, mainly because I've found it nearly impossible to photograph a head of romaine lettuce in a pleasing way.  I'm sure it's possible, but the skill eludes me...)  Anyway, when my issue of Food Network magazine arrived this month I was pretty psyched to see another grilled romaine recipe highlighted.  Even better, it featured three of my favorite things - bacon, red onion and balsamic vinegar.  It's quick, simple and really delicious!  As I mentioned the other day, I'm not a blue cheese fan, so I subbed goat cheese but use whatever works for you.

With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, and the unofficial start of grilling season as well, I think this salad would be a welcome and unique addition to any cookout.  I don't see any reason you couldn't prep the onions and bacon ahead of time then just throw the lettuce on the grill along with the burger, dogs or whatever else is on your menu.     



Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette
adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2011

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 heads romaine lettuce, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used goat cheese instead)

Preheat grill to medium-high (you could also use an indoor grill pan). 

In a large skillet set over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.  Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally.  Remove to the plate along with the bacon.  Add the balsamic vinegar  and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet and cook to reduce slightly, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Brush the lettuce with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Grill cut-side down for about 2 minutes, or until grill marks are visible or the lettuce is slightly charred.

Place the lettuce cut-side up on a large plate (or platter).  Drizzle with the reduced balsamic vinegar then sprinkle with the cheese, bacon and onion, and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper.

Whole Wheat Bagels

Today started out just about as well as possible here.  I woke up to find the sun shining and warm spring temps in air.  We finally (finally, finally!) closed on our refi yesterday after spending what felt like an eternity going through the process of getting there - yay for saving money!  The Bruins play game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight - just ONE win away from the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990.  Oh, and I also had a delicious bagel for breakfast :)  



I made bagels for the first time a little over a year ago and loved them; I had big plans to try other flavors/recipes asap.  With countless other recipes on that to-do list, those plans kept getting pushed off until finally I was inspired by a post over on Kristin's site for these whole wheat bagels.  The recipe looked relatively simple, and I loved that it incorporated white whole wheat flour, whose milder flavor I find much more pleasant in baked goods than traditional whole wheat flour.  Plus, Jeannette agreed to make them with me, which gave me the final push I needed.



Bagel dough tends to be stiffer than most other yeast doughs, and I'm always wary of burning out the motor on my mixer (I've heard horror stories) so I started this dough by hand.  Once I got a sense for the consistency though, I suspected the mixer could handle it so I switched over and didn't have any issues.  The instructions below reflect my use of the mixer but feel free to make the dough by hand too, just be aware you'll probably be kneading for a while.  When it came time to shape the bagels, I abandoned the rope method (roll the dough into a rope & connect the ends to form a circle) I used last time in favor of trying something else.  With the alternate method, you just poke a hole in the center of each piece of dough and stretch it.  I found it much easier and would definitely rely on this technique next time over the rope method.



If you're anything like me, you might not read all the way through recipe before starting so I feel it's my duty to warn you these bagels do need 12-24 hours in the refrigerator before they can be boiled and baked.  That just means that you can make them on Saturday night and on Sunday morning have freshly baked bagels for breakfast!  When toasted, the bagels had a slightly crisp exterior with a soft, chewy interior and pleasant wheat flavor, but nothing harsh or overwhelming.  They freeze well too if you want to stash some away for another time. 

Whole Wheat Bagels
adapted slightly from King Arthur Flour (via The Kitchen Sink Recipes)

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups warm water (about 110 F)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon diastatic malt powder (optional) (I omitted)
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) bread flour
3 cups (12 3/4 oz) white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt

In a large measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the water and add both sugars and the malt (if using).  Add 1 cup of the bread flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook then pour the yeast mixture over the flour and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add all of the white whole wheat flour to the mixer bowl and beat to incorporate.  With the mixer on low, add the salt, then the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need all of the bread flour, depending on conditions in your kitchen).  Continue kneading on low speed until the dough is really smooth, satiny and springy, about 10 minutes.  Cover the dough with a damp towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces - I used my scale to weigh the dough and then figure out how big each piece should be, but you can definitely eyeball it.  Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape it into a ball and then use your fingers to poke a hole in the middle.  Gently stretch the dough until the hole is about 2 inches big.  Place the bagel on a baking sheet that's been dusted with cornmeal.  Repeat with remaining pieces of dough.  Cover the baking sheet lightly with plastic and let the bagels rise for 30 minutes.  Secure the plastic around the edges of the pan so the bagels won't dry out then put the baking sheet in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

When you're ready to bake, remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 45 minutes.  While the bagels are resting, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and preheat oven to 450 F.

Add two or three bagels at a time to the boiling water (depending on the size of your pot) and cook for about 1 minute, or until they've risen to the top.  Remove and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Once you've boiled all of the bagels, bake them for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they're brown and their internal temperature registers at least 180 F on an instant-read thermometer.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 12 bagels

TWD: Oatmeal Nutmeg Scones

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie was selected by Patricia from Life with a Whisk: oatmeal nutmeg scones.  Ever since I discovered that I could buy fresh nutmeg (and pretty inexpensively too!) and grate it myself I've been sort of obsessed with it.  It reminds me of fall baking when it's often accompanied by cinnamon, ginger or allspice, but it shows up in savory recipes, especially those with white sauces like mac and cheese, from time to time as well.  I have a little mini grater I use only for nutmeg, though I haven't figured out an effective way to precisely measure the fine powder as I grate so I almost always eyeball it.



My favorite thing about scones is that they're easy for me to share.  I make the dough and freeze the scones unbaked then pass along to my recipients without the usual rush rush of getting baked goods out of the house within a day or two before they're stale.  Plus, the recipients can bake them up and enjoy the scones at their best warm from the oven.  I halved this recipe and cut the dough into 4 moderately-sized scones.  My baking time (even straight from the freezer) was a few minutes less than Dorie's suggestion so you'll want to keep an eye on these.  I topped my scones with a maple glaze, which worked nicely with the oatmeal and nutmeg and also added a little extra sweetness I thought these needed.  I gladly traded Shane's dad a freshly baked scone for some scallops that had just come off of one of Shane's uncles fishing boats a few days ago.  Yum!!

Many thanks to Patricia for hosting this week.  She'll share the recipe on her site today (I'll update with a link when she does) or you can find it on page 30 of Baking: From My Home to Yours.