Your Best Recipes of May 2011, YBR

Have I ever told you how much I love hosting YBR every month? Well I do, I love it! The reasons why are right below. All the yummy temptations you guys share with us. Going 8 months strong and and it just keeps getting better and better! All thanks to you my wonderful participants. You guys rock! Let's keep our monthly event rocking by supporting each other. Pick a recipe (or several) and stop by their blog to say hi and that you saw their rocking recipe on May's YBR.

Check back in a few days when I'll announce the winner of the Honest Cooking draw. Good luck! And now I leave you with Your Best Recipes of May 2011 in the order submitted. Enjoy!

**Maya, Foodiva's Kitchen, Polvoron

**Heather, girlichef, Warm Bread, Poached Egg, & Pancetta Salad

**Tiffany, Como Water, Lima Bean and Mint Soup w/Orange-Cumin Cream

**Sandra, Sandra's Easy cooking, Delicious Crab Croquettes

**Nancy L., Eating Spaghetti with Chopsticks, Yaki Soba

**Asiya, Chocolate and Chillies, Low Fat Fudge Brownies

Chef Dennis, More Than A Mount Full, Broccoli Rabe Macaroni and Cheese

Lena, Zomppa, Churros con Chocolate

**Liz, that skinny chick can bake, Chocolate Tiramisu

** Elyse K, The Cultural Dish, Lemon Drop Cookies

** Sandra L., The Sweet Sensations, Mini Cream Cheese Pound Cakes

** Jill, Dulce Dough, Grandma's Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies

** Radhika, Just Home Made, Mawa Gujiya

**Alina, Explora Cuisine, Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Asparagus Maki Sushi

**Victoria, Mission: Food, Huevos Rancheros

**Mihaela, De prin lume adunate..., Romanian Baked Beans with sausages

**Manu, Manu's Menu, Macarons with White Chocolate and
Mint Ganache

**Katherine, Katherine Martinelli, Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

**Kimberly, Unrivaledkitch, Spring Rolls with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, shrimp, and longanizas

**Gina, SPCookieQueen, Cold Vermicelli Bowl (Bun Giang) with Pan Seared Halibut

**Erin, Dinners, Dishes and Desserts, Pokey Sticks

**Mardi, Eat.Live.Travel.Write, Spaghetti and from-scratch Meatballs

**Ann, Anncoo Journal, Wasabi Ice Cream (Wasabi Aisu)

**Emily, Cleanliness is Next to Godliness, Fig, Duck, Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Pear Flatbread

**Citra, My Home Diary In Turkey, Steamed Chocolate Brownie with Sunflower Decoration

**Pola, An Italian Cooking in the Midwest, Rhubarb and Banana Jam

**Julie, Gourmet Getaways, Smurfy White Chocolate Panna Cotta

Alisha ~ Magic of Spice, The Ardent Epicure, Farmers Market Salad Creamy Cilantro Dressing

**Betty, Scrambled Henfruit, Black Bean Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and Sweet Corn Salsa

**Laura, Family Spice, Black-Ale Marinated Spatchcocked Chicken

Nandita, Paaka-Shaale, Coconut fudge

**Amy C., Gastronome Tart, Strawberry Pie with Basil Mascarpone Whipped Cream

**Cooking Rookie, Cook Book of Trial and Error, Mascarpon

Nancy, Spicie Foodie, Flower Showers, Spring Serenade, Gourmet Greens and Tangerines

**Patty, Patty's Food, Honey Almond Tart with Red Wine Glazed Cherries

**Ranjini & Ruchi, Tadka Pasta, Cheeseless Eggplant Fritto

**Claudia L., What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine, Stuffed Strawberry French Toast

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My First Pull-Apart Bread, And YBR Reminder

** Reminder May's YBR deadline is on Monday the 30th of May. Sign up here, May's YBR Sign up**

I love the smell and taste of fresh baked bread. So much so that I can never wait until it has cooled done enough, I simply must have a small taste soon after it comes out of the oven. In case you are wondering, yes I've burned my mouth many times. And no I will never learn my lesson. It's the aromas and sweetness. Sometimes the hint of fruit. Other times the cocoa or even the herbs and spices, I just can't resist the scent and warmth. I find the process of baking breads relaxing and comforting. When I'm baking I daydream about how people have been baking breads throughout history. I reminisce about walking home from the boulangerie with my warm baguette when I lived in Paris, or about the warm dark breads in Prague. Sometimes I even wonder what kinds of breads were baked in the ancient buildings that surround me. I just love everything about bread.

Some months ago I was reading Roxana's blog, A Little Bit of Everything, and she shared a recipe for a delicious looking bread. If you read Roxana's blog you know that she often shares delicious breads or baked goodies, her Pull Apart Cheesy Herb bread was no exception. I have never seen or heard of pull-apart bread before, I promise I don't live in a cave, but knew that it was something I needed to try. The method of preparing and rising the dough is different from ordinary breads and that was something that also intrigued me. I kept the mental imagine of her bread in the back of my head all these months until finally I got the extra push I needed. A few weeks ago I signed up to help Sarah-Jane shoot some photos of her silicone moulds for her booth at The Ideal Home Show in Scotland. One of the moulds she sent me was a large bread mould, she knows what I like. The large 3 lb mould was perfect for this bread and for all the baking in it's near future. If you guys don't know Sarah-Jane I recommend you stop by her blog and if you are in need of good silicone moulds then visit her company's website. She comes up with the cutest treats like this flower bouquet I can't get enough of. So stop by and say hi.

My First Pull-Apart Bread
Recipe based on Pull Apart Cheesy Herb by Roxana

**Please notice I used dried herbs and Roxana used fresh. Feel free to use your favorite fresh herbs.

1 pack fresh yeast 40 g
1 tsp sugar
11/2 cups whole milk ( 1 cup milk + 1/2 water)

3 cups or 360 g AP flour
1 cup or 120 g whole wheat flour

1 tbsp each, granulated garlic, dried oregano, dried basil,
melted or knobs of butter for filling

1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash

Proofing the yeast:
1. In a large bowl combine the sugar, milk and crumble the yeast. Allow to sit until the yeast foams, about 5-8 minutes. Meanwhile sift together the A.P. flour and whole wheat flour. One the yeast has foamed, make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the yeast and stir until well combined. Kneed the dough on a floured surface into an elastic dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover and allow to rise until doubled in size.

2. In a small bowl combine the spices you will be using and set aside. If using a standard baking dish then lightly grease, if using a silicone mould no greasing is needed. Set bread mould/baking mould aside. Lightly punch the dough down, and divide into equal sized balls, I had 12. Roll the balls out into even sized disks. Brush the disks with melted butter, and sprinkle some of the spice mixture. Fold the disks in half into pockets and use a fork to firmly seal the pockets. Place the pockets inside the bread mould/baking mould as in the image below, stacking them side by side until all pockets are inside. Allow to rise again for 20 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes of the second rising, preheat the oven to 200c or 375f . After 20 minutes brush the bread with the lightly beaten egg. Bake in center of oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack before serving.

Other Pull-Apart Bread Recipes:

- SPCookie Queen, Sourdough Pull-Apart Loaf - Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese

- Apple Cores and Anecdotes, Monkey Bread

- Joy The Baker, Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

- Foodiva's Kitchen, Pull-Apart Tomato Bread with Feta, Garlic and Herb Filling

Read more...

Mexico on My Plate, Very Exciting News!

Today I have very exciting news to share with you. Some of you may remember or know that I have been a contributor for Honest Cooking, The Food Magazine, the past 3 months. Recently I was offered my own column. So starting today, I will be writing my very own food column! It will be called "Mexico on My Plate" and I am very excited about it!

My first or introductory article has just been published. I am extending an invitation to all of you, please stop by and get to know the idea behind "Mexico on My Plate" . You can also leave me a comment telling what you think. Here's the link, Mexico On My Plate: An Introduction

I hope you will continue visiting Honest Cooking to follow all the great contributors and my new column, "Mexico on My Plate"

Thanks guys!

Arroz A La Mexican recipe here

P.S.
Please help me give Priscilla (She's Cookin') a warm welcome to Honest Cooking. She is a new contributor and you can read her first article here, Amsterdam And Broodje Haring

Also, In case you missed it the signup post for May's YBR is now up, signup here : May's YBR Signup, New Important Information

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May's YBR Signup, New Important Information

**PLEASE READ NEW AND EXCITING NEWS AND INFORMATION!! **

Last month's YBR was our first edition of a special Spicie Foodie and Honest Cooking cooperation. Due to it's popularity we have decided to continue the special editions of YBR. That means you will all have more/better chances of being featured at Honest Cooking. Pretty cool, no? For those of you that missed it here's how it will work, As a bonus to our monthly event Honest Cooking will be choosing 1 recipe to feature on their site. Yup that's right one of you lovely participants could not only be a part of the monthly roundup here on Spicie Foodie but also have a special feature on this awesome food magazine's website. Everything stays the same as far as the YBR goes, all you have to do is say wether you would like your recipe to be included in the draw for Honest Cooking to choose from. If you agree and your recipe is chosen then it will be featured on Honest Cooking. How exciting! What are you waiting for signup below!

***PLEASE READ THIS PARAGRAPH BEFORE SUBMITTING***

The second news is a very important request I have for you. Every month there are more and more participants, which is fantastic! I love hosting this event every month, But that means that it's more work for me to organize all the information. Which is no problem and I don't mind. My request is to ask you to help make this easier and smoother for me. Please, please submit/email your information in the following way :

-Your Name
- Your Blog Name
- Name and link to your chosen recipe
- A small image of your dish. You must own the photo, and it cannot be a creative commons or public domain photo.
- Say whether you'd like to be included in the draw for the Honest Cooking feature. (Participation is optional, and open to those not currently contributing to Honest Cooking.)

If you fail to submit all the required information you risk not being included in the roundup. As you can imagine having to chase after or figure out the proper names and links for your posts is very time consuming. So please adhere to my request. Thank you guys! Now for all the newbies and those in need of a reminder here are the rules.


And these are the rest of the rules to participate in May's YBR round up :

Your Best Recipe, a monthly roundup of your best recipes hosted by Spicie Foodie. There are no limitations as to what you can submit, anything goes. No limits on your kitchen nor photography skill, everyone is invited to join. This is not a competition, it is just a showcase of great food being cooked all over the world. And here is how you can participate :

Requirements to participate:
1. It has to be a recipe that you published in MAY, and it has to be a recipe that you feel was your favorite one posted that month. It can be anything your heart desires. Your submitted recipe can be your own creation or one that you adapted from another foodie, just give them credit on your post.

2. Sign up to May's roundup by leaving a comment saying you'd like to participate. I will add your name and your url to the list of participants below.

3. You must choose and display any of the following badges to invite your visitors to the roundup being hosted here.
Right click images to save or get code to embed on your site here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/spiciefoodie/YourBestRecipes#


The badge below, you can add a small thumb of your dish. If you need help or would like the PSD file just shoot me an email, or read the tutorial here YBR Badge Tutorial (how to insert your photo). Some participants like to use this badge below on a new blog post inviting their readers to see the roundup.

This small button can be added to a post and/or your blog's side bar, if you wish.


4. By the 30th of May please email me at spiciefoodie (@) gmail.com the following, in the exact format: (If you fail to submit all the required information you risk not being included in the roundup.)

- Your Name

- Your Blog Name

- Name of your best/chosen recipe

- Link to your best/chosen recipe

- A small image of your dish. You must own the photo, and it cannot be a creative commons or public domain photo.

- Say whether you'd like to be included in the draw for the Honest Cooking feature. (Participation is optional, and open to non-contributors for Honest Cooking.)

On May 31st, the last day of the month, I will post the roundup photos with a link to each of your sites and recipes. It would also be good if you invite your readers to the roundup by also posting a new blog entry or mentioning your participation in a new post (the last day of the month or after) on your blogs with a YBR badge and a link to the roundup here on Spicie Foodie. This way we can all help spread the YBR submitted love around even more!

If you need any help or clarifications post a comment or send me an email. I'll make sure to post a reminder as we get closer to the deadline.

~ MAY'S YBR PARTICIPANTS ~

~ Nancy, Spicie Foodie

~ Mihaela, De prin lume adunate (Gathered from the world)

~ Sandra, Sandra's Easy Cooking

~ Alina, Explora Cuisine

~ Emily M., Cleanliness is Next to Godliness
~ Nancy L. , eating spaghetti with chopsticks
~ Asiya, Chocolate & Chilies
~ Lizzy, That skinny chick can bake!!!
~ Gina, SPCookieQueen
~ Patty, Patty's Food
~ Citra , My Home Diary in Turkey
~ Sandra L. , The Sweet Sensations
~ Jill , Dulce Dough
~ Maya , Foodiva's Kitchen
~ Heather S. , girlichef
~ Tiffany , Como Water
~ Chef Dennis, More Than A Mount Full
~ Belinda, Zomppa
~ Elyse K, The Cultural Dish
~ Radhika, Just Home Made
~ Katherine, Katherine Martinelli
~ Julie, Gourmet Getaways
~ Victoria, Mission : Food
~ Manu, Manu's Menu
~ Kimberly, Unrivaledkitch

~ Ann, Annco Journal

~ Nandita, Paaka Shaale

~ Laura, Family Spice

~ Magic of Spice, The Ardent Epicure

~ Erin, Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts

~ Mardi, Eat.Live.Travel.Write

~ Amy, Gastronome Tart

~ Pola, An Italian cooking in the midwest

~ Betty, Scrambled Henfruit

~Cooking Rookie, Cook Book of Trial and Error

~ Ranjini & Ruchi , Tadka Pasta

Read more...

Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart

In our home the month of May brings many celebrations, warm weather celebrations, my birthday and our wedding anniversary. This month also brought a case of food poising, lucky me. The best part, that's sarcasm, was that it was the gift of my anniversary dinner. I had so enjoyed our gourmet dinner but it apparently didn't like me too much. Luckily my husband's bedside manner is stellar and so are those activated charcoal pills he gave me. Can I just say that activated charcoal pills work wonders and you should definitely ask your Doctor about them! Anyway, now you know what I've been up to and that I wasn't abandoning my beloved Spicie Foodie nor ignoring you guys. Let's move on to the scrumptious tart pictured here.

Today I will be sharing a recipe for my Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart. Oh Asparagus, those green and white stalky veggies that bring a smile to so many. But did you know that there is also a purple variety called Crimson asparagus and a long thin wild variety? The only variety that has not found itself on my plate is the purple variety, one of these days for sure. Asparagus season begins in April and ends in June, it can be found both preserved and fresh year round in many places. Last week while reading Steen Hanssen's Deutschelicious column, at Honest Cooking, I was intrigued by his article about asparagus or spargel . There is a highly anticipated annual Spargelfest in Germany with many competitions and awards handed out. His article focused on white asparagus, I found it to be both entertaining and informative. He also shared a delicious recipe, this is the link if you're interested : http://honestcooking.com/2011/05/13/deutschlicious-german-white-asparagus-season/

Before I give you my recipe there are some things you should know. What should you know about this tart? It is delicious! It is easy to prepare, takes virtually no time. And did I mention it was delicious? Well, in case you didn't "hear" it is delicious! Seriously, I served the tart alongside a simple green salad as a light meal, perfect for warmer days. Also please notice that I used whole fat milk instead of cream. Feel free to add as much asparagus as you like and/or also cut some up to add to the filling. Enjoy!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Tart
Ingredients for 1 tart

fresh wild asparagus or commercial variety of choice
2.5 oz or 70 g goat cheese log
3 medium eggs
2/3 cup or 170 ml whole milk or cream, I used 3.5% whole fat milk
cherry tomatoes, halved as many as you like
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

1 ready made pastry dough ( I used commercially prepared dough)

Tart, pie mould

1. Preheat the oven to 200c or 390f . Rinse and trim the asparagus, set aside to drain excess water. Prepare the tart/pie mould by pressing the pastry dough into it, set aside. Using a fork make small incisions around the base of the pastry dough. Place in center of oven and bake for 7 minutes. In the meantime prepare the filling.

2. In a large bowl break down/crumble the goat cheese with a whisk. Pour the milk/cream and mix until the cheese has mostly broken down. Add the 3 eggs, salt and pepper and mix until well combined and eggs are a little fluffy. Pour the liquid into partially baked pastry, arrange the asparagus in a circular pattern, as many or little as you like. Add the cherry tomato halves, arranging as you like and as many as you like.

3. Bake in the center of oven for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is firm. Allow to cool before serving. Serve at room temperature or as desired.

I leave you with flowers and some great Asparagus recipes :

- Linguine with Asparagus , Letizia Golosa
- Grilled Asparagus with Haloumi, Simon Van Den Berg via Honest Cooking
- Spring Promises and Hollandaise , Things We Make
- Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus , Italian Chef
- Spicy Pork with Asparagus, Oui Chef
- Plus all of the FFWD participants like Foodiva's Kitchen & Patty's Food

Read more...