Eggsceptionally Easy and So Good

Hat tip to Megan for this idea.  Place a dozen eggs in the muffin tray and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Perfectly cooked, no cracked egg shells.

Remember to add water to empty cups if you do fewer than a dozen.

Holidays in Review

It doesn't take much effort to make seasonal treats with Demarle products.  These brownies were made in the small tree tray and frosted with cream cheese frosting.  M&M candy and decorative sprinkles were all that was needed to create the perfectly decorated, snow-laden tree. 

And, did I mention, cleanup is a breeze! But, you knew that, right?

Checking In

Hi,

I need to check in and let all of you know that I am recovering from surgery, but I will be posting again soon!  I hope you are excited about the holidays.  I will be sharing recipes as soon as I can.

Some say Tomato...

I'm blessed this year with a bountiful tomato harvest.














First the Early Girl and Sweet 100's were ripening.














Now the Celebrity plants are loaded, too.  The smaller three here are Early Girls.

Some of the Celebrities are huge; check out the size of the biggest one on this plate!

 

Nothing beats fresh sliced tomatoes.  These were garnished with fresh garden basil, shredded Parmesan cheese, and olive oil.

The easiest preserving I've done (hat tip to Lavelle) is to fill the large or medium round mold with sliced tomatoes seasoned with

• DAH Sel Gris Sea Salt
• Garlic
• DAH Rosemary, Basil, and Thyme Herb Blend
• Drizzle of olive oil 

and bake at 375° for about an hour and a half, until the desired consistency is reached.  I have learned to crush the salt and herbs in the mortar and pestle and add them when the mold is about half full, but drizzle the olive oil over the top.

The cooked down tomatoes are cooled and frozen in the round tray and then stored in plastic bags for one-cup additions to chili, soups, or pasta sauces and dishes. I generally get 4+ cups from the medium round mold and 6 cups from the large round mold.

Alternatively, I have baked home-grown peppers, tomatoes, and basil with just salt and oil.

My treat is to take one portion or the less-than-a-cup left over while it is still hot, put it in a Bullet serving glass, and puree it to a smooth soup.  YUM!!

No matter how you say "tomato," nothing tops the taste of a vine-ripened tomato from the garden!

Quick and Easy Fajitas

I didn't want to cook the other night, so I decided to see if I could make fajitas in the microwave. This was so simple!

1. I had some rare roast beef, so I cut it in strips and layered it in the bottom of the oval mold.
2. Than I ut up:
   1/2 red pepper
   1/2 yellow pepper
   1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion
3. Layered the veggies on top of the meat
4. Seasoned with DAH Green Onion and Roasted Pepper Savory Herb Blend
5. Covered the mold with the Octagonal Silpat®
6. Microwaved on high for 3 minutes
   

Preserving Garden Goodness: Freezing Zucchini and Squash

If your garden is like mine, you are not keeping up with the yield of zucchini and squash and your friends and neighbors are starting to lock their doors. Here is a simple way to extend the goodness of fresh veggies past the season for use in winter recipes.





Clean and dry the squash and cut it up into pieces that will easily chop in your food processor. Pulse just until large pieces are all chopped.

Press chopped zucchini into round tray (1 cup) wells and freeze.  The muffin trays work for 1/2 cup portions.



Then just pop the "hockey pucks" out and put them into a freezer bag.

Wallah... you've got premeasured chopped zucchini for winter soups and breads. So simple and nutritious!

Summer Salad Sensations

Summertime brings an abundance of produce whether you visit your neighborhood market, frequent your local farmer's market, or step outside to your own garden. An amazingly simple way to make an elegant salad is to make individual Parmesan crisp salad bowls.

The size of the bowl is determined by the size tray you use to form them.  The illustration is of one made over the Flexipan® round tray (8 oz). You can also use any Flexipan® muffin tray (4 oz or larger). 

Place tray of choice upside down on counter.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place Silpat® on PBS.

Use 1/3 C to shape 4 oz bowls, 1/2 C for 8 oz, 

Make mounds of Parmesan shredded cheese and spread them out in a circle on the Silpat®.  You can use the pastry cutters as a guide to insure a perfect circle.

Bake at 350° for about 10-15 min. (13 minutes in my oven) until they just begin to brown.

Remove from oven.

Immediately take rounds off the Silpat® with the polyamide spatula and shape them over the back of the muffin tray wells to form bowls.

When you are ready to serve salad, place bowls on salad plates and fill with salad greens and grape tomatoes or other fresh garden veggies. I added fresh cucumbers from my garden.

Drizzle with your favorite salad dressing and serve. Here's a fresh vinaigrette made from our DAH products:

Vinaigrette

3 T DAH Balsamic Vinegar

1 T DAH Hot and Sweet Mustard

1 garlic clove crushed in mortar and pestle

1/2 C olive oil

DAH Sea Salt to taste

You can also use this method to make Parmesan crisps, a tasty alternative to crackers. Just use 1/2 T portions and cook for the same length of time. Add chopped walnuts to these for added flavor.