Blueberry Mango Chia Seed Pudding

This is a nice breakfast or a treat at night when you are craving "something sweet" but don't know what? I always crave something sweet after dinner, and this hits the spot!

I made this with blueberries and mangoes because that is what I happened to have on my counter but I have made it with mangoes and dried coconut before and it was equally as nice. You can use just about any fruit you have or like. Just make sure to make it the day before to let the chia seeds set.

Blueberry Mango Chia Seed Pudding

1 lb. blueberries or approximately 2 cups
1 cup chopped mango, fresh or frozen
2 cups almond milk or  regular milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/2 cup chia seeds

In a blender, blend the blueberries, mango, almond milk, Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour in a large bowl and mix in the chia seeds. Stir until the chia seeds are incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, the pudding should be thick and creamy. Serve.

m xo

Cucumber and Nectarine Salad

Sometimes all you need are a couple of ingredients to make a really good dish, especially this time of year. As you know, my garden is coming to end and I just picked the last of my cucumbers. I was really surprised how much my plant yielded this year. At one point, I had to bring a few to work to my co-workers because we couldn't keep up. We were having cucumber salads for lunch and dinner everyday, but I'm not complaining. They were delicious!

The farmers markets and the grocery stores are exploding with Ontario grown produce. I love it! I bought a huge basket of nectarines and made this dead simple cucumber and nectarine salad.

I peeled my cucumbers because the type that I grew had pinchy little things on them. I usually don't peel the English variety. I used nectarines but you can use peaches.


Cucumber and Nectarine Salad   

2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
2-3 nectarines, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons  rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
7-8 mint leaves, chopped

Combine everything in a large bowl. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.

m xo

Italian Plum Cake

Boy, for someone who doesn't like to bake too much, I just noticed, I bake a lot!! I never realized how much I baked until I started writing this blog. I mean, as long as the recipe isn't too complicated, like this one, I quite enjoy it...or at least the results of it!

I wanted to bake something our 7th wedding anniversary. Although who needs an excuse for cake, right? And I love anything with fruit and with the little purple plums in season now, I couldn't resist.

I adapted this recipe from Nigella Lawson's, "Nigellissima" cookbook. It called for apples but I obviously used plums and instead of topping the cake with sugar, I crushed a couple of amaretti cookies and sprinkled the cake before baking. I also cut down the sugar by 1/4 cup. As much as I like sweets, I'm not a fan of overly sweet. This was perfect! I can't wait to have another piece in the morning with my coffee.

Italian Plum Cake
adapted from Nigellissima, by Nigella Lawson

8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Zest of a lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk, at room temperature (I used almond milk)
4 plums, pitted and sliced
2 amaretti cookies, crushed, or
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400F.
Butter a 9 inch springform pan and line with parchment paper.
In a food processor, put the butter, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract and blitz until it forms a thick batter. With the motor still running, pour the milk down the funnel.
Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth out. Arrange the plums in a pretty pattern on top of the cake batter and sprinkle with the crushed amaretti or the sugar/cinnamon.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool for an hour in pan before serving.

m xo

Peach Crostata

I bake because I want the end result. I love my sweets. I have a huge sweet tooth. That's no surprise here, It's not a secret. But the thing is, I'm not that great at it. It's really not my thing. I have no patience with the little details when it comes to baking. So it was no surprise when I made this crostata, brought it to a family function and my sister (the baker) started to kill herself laughing.

The recipe calls for using 3/4 of the dough to use as the base and the other 1/4 of the dough to make decorative ropes and top the crostata. Well as you can see from the photo, you can understand why my sister laughed. Hahaha. I can't blame her. It looked funny. I don't know what I was thinking with those ropes...Well, I'll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking I was too lazy to get my rolling pin  and roll out the dough to make lattice, like you see on a lot of pies and crostatas.

But I will tell you, this crostata was delicious! Not overly sweet and easy to put together. Please don't let the look of it deter you from making it. The only thing I would do differently is sprinkle LOTS of powdered sugar on it...to cover up the obvious!!! Hahahahaha!

Peach Crostata
makes one 9 inch crostata
use a pan with removable bottom

1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or extract
2 eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup peach jam
2-3 peaches, sliced

Preheat oven to 350F.
Place flour on a work surface and make a well in the middle. Sprinkle the salt, sugar and baking powder and add the lemon zest.

Crack the eggs in the well and using your finger, stir them in to break up the eggs and start incorporating the dry ingredients. Then add the butter and the vanilla and keep stirring until the dough starts to come together. Knead gently until it is smooth.

Take a 1/4 quarter of the dough and set aside for the lattice. Pat the remaining dough into the pie pan and push the edges of the dough about 1/2 inch up the side of the pan to create the crust.

Spoon the jam into onto the crust and spread evenly. Lay the peach slices on top. Take the remaining dough and decorate the pie however you like. Either roll out and make lattice or as I did and pinch off pieces, roll into ropes and place on pie. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool for an hour before cutting into it.

Happy Labour Day weekend!

m xo

Roasted Basil Scented Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

Romeo and Juliet. Peanut butter and jelly. Fred and Ginger. Cheese and crackers. Bert and Ernie. Penny and Leonard. Bacon and eggs…Well, you get the picture. These are a few things that go together, hand and hand. It's hard not to think of one without the other.

And in the spring, strawberries and rhubarb. It's the perfect combination of tart and sweet.

I made a compote and added some basil leaves because everywhere I look these days, there are recipes that combine strawberries and basil. It adds a really nice, subtle flavour.  This compote is a perfect topping for ice cream, yogurt, toast or cake. I think it would be great with grilled pork lion too.  It's been hard not to just eat it straight. I forgot how much I love it!! I put together parfaits with yogurt and a little granola and had it for breakfast. Wouldn't these be great for a brunch? You could definitely put these together ahead of time.

I chose to roast the compote in the oven because I didn't want to stand over the the stove and risk getting distracted and burning it. It would totally be something I would do. So instead I dumped everything in a pan and stuck it in the oven. So easy. The only thing I would recommend is not putting it in a too shallow pan because it creates a lot of juices and could over flow and make a big mess in your oven and then you would have to clean it up and that would TOTALLY piss you off (because it would piss me off!).

Roasted Basil Scented Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

4 cups strawberries, halved + 1/2 cup reserved strawberries, chopped
2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 basil leaves
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, basil leaves, honey and water in an oven proof pan. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and syrupy or until rhubarb is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and stir in reserved strawberries. Cool completely.

m xo

Grape Focaccia

I usually make this focaccia in the fall months when the moscato grapes are in season and local. It's one of my favourite focaccia's to snack on. Great with a nice piece of parmesan cheese. But I couldn't resist making it today after I saw and bought moscato grapes at the grocery store. The moscato grape is a little sweeter than most grapes and that's why it also makes a nice dessert wine, which btw, I also love!

The dough for this focaccia is a little less dense than my pizza dough. It's a little softer and more tender. I find it produces a dough that is light and airy. I don't even knead it. I just mix with my hands until the flour and water are combined. It's a very forgiving dough recipe that my mom always made.You can definitely use this dough for pizza too.

I made my dough the night before and left it on the counter at room temperature until the next day when I was ready to stretch it out in my pan. You can also make it in the morning, the day of. I used a 12x17 jelly roll pan.

Moscato Grape Focaccia

For the Dough

2 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon honey
4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups water
olive oil

For the Topping

Moscato grapes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. The yeast should become foamy. Place the flour in a large enough bowl that the dough can double in size. Mix in the salt. Pour the yeast in the flour and start pouring in the water a little at a time. You might not need all the water. Using your hands, mix until the dough is soft and sticky. Drizzle a little olive oil on the top and cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place in a warm place for at least 2 hours or overnight, until double in size.
When the dough is ready, use your fingers and stretch it out in a greased jelly roll pan. Let it sit for 45 minutes. In the meantime, make the topping.

Preheat oven to 400F. In a bowl, combine the grapes, olive oil, sugar and rosemary. Spread on dough and let it sit for 30 minutes. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour or until a nice golden colour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

m xo

Breakfast A Go-Go

It seems like everywhere I look, there are mason jar recipes. Salad in a mason jar, pasta in a mason jar, cookies in a mason jar, lemonade in a mason jar, soup in a mason jar. You get the picture...Well I love this idea!! They look so pretty and best of all, they're portable. I really like this concept for lunches or any on the go meal. Think how fabulous they would be for picnics or the beach. You can get real creative with this concept.

I came across oatmeal in a jar on Pinterest I think. And because my favourite way to eat oatmeal is soaked overnight, I thought I would give it a try. It was great, especially on mornings you know are going to be rushed. Or if you go to the gym before you go to work in the morning, just pop it in your gym bag and it's ready for you when you're done your work out. And so easy to put together the night before.

The recipe I'm sharing with you is made with quinoa flakes instead of oatmeal. I had them sitting in my pantry and gave it a try with this method instead of cooking them, which I never did. It was good! I used raspberries but you can obviously use any fruit you like.

Breakfast in a Jar

1/4 cup quinoa flakes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon honey
cinnamon, to taste
raspberries

Combine all ingredients, except the raspberries in a mason jar and shake. Top with raspberries and refrigerate overnight.

m xo

My new mug with Fresh Cranberry, Lemon, Lime Scones

I came home from work the other day and my husband had a surprise for me! Who doesn't like surprises?! 
He got me a coffee mug with MY cucinamarisa logo on it. He is so adorable! He has been so supportive and patient with my new blogging adventure. Example: I'll serve the dish that I'm about to blog and the poor man is just about to dig in and I'll yell "STOP!". I forgot to photograph the recipe. Hahaha! I would find this very difficult  without his encouragement.
And then of course there are all the computer challenges. He's teaching me as I go along and I have to say I'm really enjoying it. It's given me another creative outlet although I still have a lot to learn.
  I really wanted to show off my new mug with you guys but I couldn't just take a picture of it sitting all by itself. How boring would that be? So I decided to bake these scones.
 I had seen this particular recipe on the blog Joy The Baker and I liked it because A: it was easy and B: I had a huge bag of fresh cranberries that I bought at Costco. Also, they are not too sweet. Perfect with a cup of tea. 

Fresh Cranberry, Lemon, Lime Biscuits

3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg,  lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk  (I used almond milk)
1 cup fresh cranberries
zest of a lemon  (I also used the zest of a lime)

milk to brush the tops of scones before baking
sugar to sprinkle on before baking

Preheat oven 400F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter until it looks like little peas. I use my hands for this but you have to be quick because the butter has to stay cold. Thats what makes them flaky. Lightly beat the egg and milk and add to flour mixture until combined. Fold in zest and cranberries.
Turn out on floured board, pat it together and roll with a rolling pin to 1 inch thickness. Cut out  2 inch rounds. I used a glass for this. Place on baking sheet. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm. Yummy.

m xo

Clementine Cake

Let me start by saying, baking is not my favorite thing to do. I'm not an exact measurer when I cook and I hate the fact that it's REALLY important when you bake. Trust me, I've tried to just throw ingredients in without measuring, hoping to get great results. Doesn't work. But I do like forgiving recipes like this one from Nigella Lawson. Few ingredients. One bowl. I tweaked the recipe a little by adding cardamom, cutting down the sugar and adding a pinch of salt. If you like citrus, this is the cake for you! And it's better the next day. It's almost like it was drenched in syrup. The only thing to remember is to cook your clementines ahead of time. 

Clementine Cake 
(adapted from How To Eat by Nigella Lawson)

4-5 clementines, 375g total weight 6 large eggs 200g sugar 250g ground almonds 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder 1 heaping teaspoon ground cardamom Pinch of salt

Place clementines in a pot, cover with water and cook for 2 hours. Drain and cool. Cut in half and remove any seeds.

Preheat oven 375°F. Place clementines in a food processor and pulse. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse again. Pour in a greased, round springform pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let it completely cool before removing from pan.

PS   Let me tell you how forgiving this cake really is. 
After I put the pan in the oven and starting to clean up the kitchen, I noticed there were 6 eggs sitting on the counter. 
Uh oh! I FORGOT to put the eggs in!  Hahaha! So I took the cake out of the oven, put the batter back in the processor, let it cool a bit, added the eggs, pulsed, poured back in pan and back in the oven it went. How did the cake turn out you ask? Fabulous! No one knew a thing. You can tell from the photos for yourself. 

m xo