Finally Strawberries (!) plus some awards.

Strawberry season has begun here in the Michiana area....Yippee! You just can't beat locally grown strawberries....sweet as sugar and dribbling down your chin. If I don't get more than one carton from the Farmer's Market then I probably won't get any. My daughter usually polishes one off before we get to the front door. I love being able to buy a lot in-season, then wash them and freeze them! Year-round goodies (well okay, not year-round...but at least a few months) for us. We bought our first carton this past weekend and man, did they go quick. Basically, I washed and sliced them and sprinkled them with a little raw sugar (love that little crunch). I love them drizzled with a little Balsamic Vinegar, creme fraiche and a "short" biscuit....YES! Okay, now I need to go back to the market tomorrow...ah, just thinking about strawberries and seeing the sun shine makes me smile :) Do you know what else makes me smile? Getting an award. And I received 2...so imagine the cheese on my face. Sam from My Carolina Kitchen blessed me with the Sisterhood Award a couple of weeks ago. Sorry it took me so long to openly acknowledge Sam...the move just had me occupied for- (what seemed like) -ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Sam. I know that a lot of the bloggers who I know have already received this award, and I don't want to inundate them with my affections, but I'm going to pass this Sisterhood Award on to Karen from DomesticMuse, Martina over at Sugamama's Cafe and Coleen from Coleen's recipes. These are 3 unique and gorgeous ladies...each with their own flair and love for what they do. Go check them out...if you haven't already. And I also received the PREMIO MEME award (yes, I'd say it's an award & an honor for someone to want to know more about you) from my friend Karen over at DomesticMuse! How cool is this? This award asks us to share 7 of our personality traits. Here are 7 of mine: 1. Passionate...about everything I love. 2. Earth-Mama...that's a trait, right? 3. Compassionate 4. Musical...or perhaps theatrical? 5. Selfish...yup, kinda. sometimes. 6. Giving...funny how I can be both. 7. Creative We are also supposed to select 7 bloggers to pass this on to...to find out their particular "memes". I'm gonna go ahead and break the rules. I'll just pick a couple to pass it on to...answer if you like, don't if you prefer not to. I've always been fascinated by people and what makes them tick, so I'd love to hear your answers. At the same time, I understand completely if you don't want to put yourself out there. If I didn't pass it on and you want to grab the picture and do it anyway, then do it by all means! So, whose personality traits do I want to know (honestly, every body's....but since I must name a few)...Gin from Once Upon a Gourmet Gin, ReggieGirl from Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff, Gloria from Foods & Flavors of San Antonio, Carole from Hey mom, what's for dinner tonight? and Miss Burpilicious herself (Sophia) from Burp & Slurp- tell me about you :)! If everybody who reads this answered, I'd be thrilled because I think each and every individual is super fascinating! One more thing that made me smile today (I'm easy)...I received my mini-business cards from MOO in the mail...courtesy of FOODBUZZ!!! Aren't they so cool! Okay, many of you probably already have your own...but this is my very own set, so I love it!

My Favorite Coconut Tart

Okay, the second thing I made in my new kitchen was my absolute favorite coconut tart. Don't worry, I'm not going to count down everything I make in the new kitchen...just sort of came out. But, back to the best coconut tart EVER. I found this in one of Rick Bayless's cookbooks years ago and never looked back. That actually doesn't make any sense...I suppose I should say I kept looking back...and back...and back! If you haven't heard me say it before, I'll say it again- Rick Bayless is a genius. He is one of my absolute favorite chefs. I want to hang out with him. Has anyone seen the movie Saving Silverman? First of all, it's hilarious...but the part I'm talking about is when Jack Black says "I wanna party with you!" I have several people I feel this way about...Rick is one of them.

This is actually called a pie, but since it's made in a tart pan, I always call it a tart. I only make this once a year. That's probably because it's so labor-intensive. It's not hard...just takes time is all. It has freshly shredded coconut and homemade, yup HOMEMADE sweetened, condensed COCONUT milk! It's to die for. This will not work with the pre-shredded coconut you buy in the little bags in the store. It won't. Really. I think the love put into making it may be a big part of what makes it so delicious...

Yucatan-Style Fresh Coconut Pie

Pay de Coco, Estile Yucateco

recipe by Rick Bayless from Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen

FOR THE CRUST:

1 c. (4 oz) slivered almonds

3 Tbs. sugar

4 oz firm white bread, torn into pieces

3 1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE PIE:

1 medium-size coconut w/ lots of liquid inside

1 c. heavy cream

2/3 c. sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

thick cream, creme fraiche or thinned sour cream for serving

Turn oven to 325 degrees F. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7-10 minutes. Cool; set 1/2 cup of the almonds aside.

In a food processor, pulverize the remaining almonds with the sugar. Add the bread and pulse until reduced to fine crumbs. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse to mix thoroughly. Evenly pat the mixture over the bottom and sides of a 3/4" deep, 9" tart pan w/ removable bottom. Refrigerate several minutes to set.

Twist a corkscrew (or use an ice pick or screwdriver) into 2 of the coconut's "eyes", then drain the liquid into a cup. Strain if it contains any shell bits.

Place the coconut on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 15 minutes to help loosen the flesh from the shell. Sometimes I leave it up to 10 minutes longer...helps to release meat from shell and doesn't hurt it. With a hammer, crack coconut into several pieces, then use a small knife or screwdriver to peel away the dark brown skin from the shell. Use a paring knife or vegetable peeler to peel away the dark brown skin.

In a food processor (or hand-grater) grate the coconut into medium-fine shreds. Measure out 2 1/2 c. for the pie. You can toast the remainder and use it for garnish I usually don't...lazy? sometimes I do..

Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. In a small saucepan, combine the coconut water, cream and sugar. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to 1 cup, 10 - 15 minutes.

Pour into a large bowl, then sir in the 2 1/2 cups of coconut, the reserved 1/2 cup of almonds, the egg yolks and the vanilla.

Set the prepared crust onto a baking sheet, scoop in the coconut filling and bake in the middle of the oven until set and lightly browned on top, 30-35 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Transfer to serving plate.

It is easiest to cut the pie when cool. Like Rick, I prefer it served warm, though. If you want it warmed up, place a slice in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes to warm up.

This pie/tart is awesome served just like this...but even more awesome with a dollop of creme fraiche or table cream (unsweetened).

This pie can be made several days ahead. Rick says to wrap it in plastic & refrigerate until use.

Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce for Second Sunday San Antonio

I don't know if any of you have been cooking along with Second Sunday San Antonio or not, but I sure have! This is a monthly event that consists of cooking a chosen recipe from Gloria Chadwick's cookbook Foods & Flavors of San Antonio. Last month's recipe was Mexican Pork Chops (or chicken "chops") and since Chef Bliss was the first to post her version, she was the lucky one to choose this months recipe...Pork Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce. I jumped right on it (I love a good competition...and I want to be the one to choose next month's recipe...fingers crossed). Pork Enchiladas w/ Tomatillo Sauce by Gloria Chadwick from Foods & Flavors of San Antonio (w/ a couple of tweaks) 1 1/4 lb. pork shoulder, diced 2 Tbs. vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 Serrano chills 2 c. drained, canned tomatillos (I used fresh, then cooked them) 6 corn tortillas 3/4 c. Mexican Cheese blend I also tripled this recipe...knew once wouldn't feed us :) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 pan. Put pork in a large pot and cover by about an inch w/ cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until fork tender. Since I cannot find canned tomatillos anywhere in my area, I used enough to make up about 6 cups. I put them in water to cover and simmered until just soft. Heat oil in a 12" skillet. Saute onion & garlic for a couple of minutes. Add serranos and tomatillos. Cook down, stirring to break up tomatillos for about 10 minutes, or until reduced a bit. Transfer to blender and blend into a sauce.Once pork is cool enough to handle, shred with a fork. I added a healthy dose of sea salt and black pepper to season. Divide filling among tortillas (I warmed them up in microwave first, wrapped in kitchen towel, to make them more pliable). Roll and place seam down in prepared pan. Pour sauce over all and then sprinkle cheese over them. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until hot & slightly bubbly. Serve with your favorite toppings. I used lettuce, cream and salsa. Delicious. There is still plenty of time to make this recipe and join in the Tex-Mex fun this month. Recipes aren't due until May 10. Come on and join in the fiesta...Second Sunday San Antonio!

Farmer's Market Spring Strata

Good Morning! I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I am finally on the verge of feeling somewhat settled. While I was at the Farmer's Market over the weekend, picking up the winner's (of my giveaway) choice of sea salt, I found so many beautiful things to make a perfect Sunday strata! 

There is finally asparagus, plus I bought a dozen gorgeous brown eggs and some ham to dice up. And if you remember my penchant for sea salt, you'll know that I could not resist buying a new one for myself while I picked up the winner's choice. Charmane carries so many amazing choices, but I had to go for the Black Truffle Sea salt (figured it'd marry perfectly with the eggs & asparagus). I can tell you that the first "real" thing I made in my new, fun-sized kitchen was a seasonal strata!

Spring Strata

yield: 1 (9"x13") pan

12 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons sweet 'n hot mustard

1 teaspoon Black Truffle sea salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

~1 pound Asparagus, trimmed to 1" pcs.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 1/2 to 2 cups diced ham

3 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar (I used KerryGold), shred or grate

6 ounces swiss, shred or grate

1 pound firm bread (I used sweet italian), torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk first 6 ingredients and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. butter in small saute pan and saute asparagus until just tender. Reserve.

Butter a 9x13 dish. Either mix the cheeses together or add them in whichever order you like. First, scatter 1/2 c. of cheese over bottom of pan. Layer 1/2 bread, asparagus and ham. Sprinkle w/ 1 c. cheese.

Repeat w/ remaining bread, asparagus & ham. Sprinkle over last cup of cheese.

Pour eggs mixture over the top and gently push down any bread to moisten it. Drizzle w/ remaining 2 Tbs. butter, melted.

Bake 45-55 minutes, until golden and slightly puffed.

Let sit about 10 minutes before cutting. This is good warm or cold. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Remembering food actually cooked IN my kitchen

Hi everybody! No, I'm still not settled. Moving is so hectic and harried...I feel a bit koo-koo to tell you the truth. My computer is balanced precariously on the edge of a desk buried in a room full of boxes and bags. My kitchen is still not up and running... we've been toaster oven (-ing) our meals. ARGH! I did want to take a few minutes to put up this post of something that I made a couple of nights before we moved, though. Gloria Chadwick over at Foods and Flavors of San Antonio is having a foodie event called Second Sunday San Antonio to celebrate her newest cookbook. A recipe from her cookbook is chosen each month and everybody makes the recipe (to a tee or with their own flair) and posts. Gloria will then hold a roundup on the (gasp) second Sunday of the month. This month's chosen recipe was Mexican Pork chops. A variation listed was to make it with Chicken Breasts and that is what I did since I had some already. I am going to go ahead and give you the LINK TO THE RECIPE because I cannot get it to copy & paste and I honestly do not feel up to typing the whole thing up right now. I will tell you that I chose the stove top method and did it all in my trust 12" cast iron skillet. Okay, I'll at least give you the ingredients: Olive Oil Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts (or pork chops...as originally stated in recipe) medium onion green bell pepper garlic black pepper chili powder cumin water Mexican Stewed tomatoes long grain white rice cheddar cheese And a basic process: Heat oil. Saute chicken. I browned on one side, then took out of pan and set to the side. Add chopped onion, bell pepper & garlic, saute until tender. Add seasonings to pan and stir around for a minute or so to release the oils. Add tomatoes (I actually used 1 can diced tomatoes w/ Italian seasoning & 1 can diced w/ chile & lime....they were what I had in the pantry). Add water & tomatoes, simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken back to pan. Add rice. Cover and simmer slowly for about 15-20 mins (until chicken is done and rice is tender). When chicken and rice are finished, uncover and sprinkle w/ shredded cheese immediately. It will melt from the heat.

I served with refried beans, sour cream and a lime for squeezing over everything. This was very tasty and can't wait to try it again w/ pork chops! Thanks Gloria.

And the Winner is...

So here I am, sitting at the hotel waiting for my house to be livable. Pretty much everything is moved into the house (minus a few boxes), there's basically nowhere to walk inside, but there are 2 big things keeping us from actually being in...I don't get my oven/stove until tomorrow and our water is not hooked up yet. Um...I must have my stove ;) . Anyway, here I am at the hotel in between loads of laundry (expensive laundry) and rounds of sandwiches when I remembered that I had to draw a winner for my Sea Salt giveaway!

First I pulled out my lucky hat (Go Spartans...Woo Hoo) and wrote everybody who left a comment w/ their choice of salt on little pieces of hotel paper.

I then put all of the little pieces of paper into my hat and my oldest kiddo did the honors. The winner is Jamie! Congratulations Jamie...please email me at girlichef [at] yahoo [dot] com with your shipping information. I will go to the Farmer's Market to pick up your sea salt and pinch bowl later this week once I've received your email.

And as anybody who has kiddos knows, when one gets to do something, the others want to follow suit. So, little sister and brother wanted to draw a name from the hat too. I decided to send out a couple of consolation prizes. I'm actually not sure what they are yet; I always realize how much stuff I have when I have to pack it all up to take somewhere else. So, Esme and Chef E...if you'd like some sort of foodie consolation prize sent your way, please email me with your shipping information and I will send something fun your way!

Congratulations to Jamie....and Esme & Chef E.

Thanks to everybody for taking the time to enter my giveaway. I hope to have another one sometime in the future...it's so fun to give! Now it's off to see if our clothes are dry. I have one or two food post pictures saved up so that I can post some things during this transition period. Thanks for sticking with me :)

Quick Quesedillas

Things are moving very quickly and chaotically this week. We are in the middle of moving and I've just gone back to "real" work after being home with the kiddos for close to 5 years! I may run a bit short on posts in the next week or so while I'm trying to do all the super fun moving requirements. I'll need to get at least a little settled and transfer my Internet service and (maybe most important) I need to hook up the stove and refrigerator. I will no longer have a "teeny tiny" kitchen; it is not large by any means...I think I'll call it fun-size! So, since I'm starting to pack everything away in boxes, we've had to come up with meals that are not labor (or kitchen utensil) intensive. Last night it was quesedillas. This allowed me to cook a small chuck roast I needed out of the fridge. Shredded Beef Quesedillas w/ black beans & cheese by girlichef

Place a small beef chuck roast in a pan. Add some onion, garlic & herbs. Fill to cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook until fork tender (couple hours). Remove from pot. Fork shred once cool enough to handle. If you like, strain broth and use for another purpose. For the salsa, put any tomatoes, tomatillos, garlic and chile combination you like into a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower and simmer until tender (~10 mins.). Place all solids in blender. Season to taste w/ salt & cumin. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pat of butter (or spray pan or use a dry pan). Place your tortillas on the skillet (how many depends on size of tortillas & skillet). To one half of a tortilla, add some cooked black beans. Stir together some of the salsa and the shredded beef, then add to the tortilla. Add shredded cheese. Flip other side onto fillings. Cook until golden on each side.

Cut into wedges and serve with lettuce, sour cream & more salsa (or any of your favorite toppings/sides). Tuck in!

I'm also going to send this post over to Gloria to enter in the Taco Tuesdays at Tex-Mex Foodies! Thanks for hanging in there with me while I push through all of my transitions. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY! WIN SOME AWESOME SEA SALT & A PINCH BOWL TO PUT IT IN!!!!!!! Just see my sea salt post from April 1st (no fooling), follow the "rules" for the contest...and leave a comment after that post! Deadline for entry is April 4th at 11:59 P.M. eastern time (U.S.)....(that's tonight, by the way).

Chicken Salad w/ Cherries, Apples & Almonds (Mr. Peeps shares his Chicken Salad)

Jennifer from Savoring the Thyme sent another challenge out to foodies recently...make something healthy and somehow incorporate a Peep! I'm gonna have to say, this was a hard one. I could think of lots of different not so healthy things to concoct with a Peep or two, but healthy?

That was, until this little yellow Peep hopped over and told me I should make some good old chicken salad. Mr. Peep hopped right onto my cutting board and watched as I chopped some celery and measured it. He then proceeded to level off my almond slices. He tried one of my tried tart cherries and reeled back with a pucker. He also stopped me after dicing up only half of an apple...whoa girlichef, enough of that! Mr. Peep told me to go ahead and put all of the good into a bowl with some diced, cooked chicken and mayonnaise. I did.

This week at the Farmer's Market....Sea Salt? Plus...a Giveaway!

A few weeks ago, I said I was going to be doing a bi-weekly (or so) post featuring something I found at my farmer's market. Well, the ground is still thawing around here, so there is still not much fresh produce to choose from. Still plenty of apples, potatoes & onions hanging around. There is also one booth at which I know the farmer has greenhouses, and this booth is starting to show some bounty. I saw broccoli & even a couple of herbs this week at this booth. But, what I really wanted to focus on this week is a booth that sells Sea Salt! And of course, sea salt is not locally harvested (ah...dreaming of Italy, France, Hawaii...), but it is sold locally and it is wonderful! This booth is run by Charmane Skillen, it is aptly named S.A.L.T., and it is located in my local (South Bend) farmer's market...and, it is a foodie's dream! So many salts to choose from! I have such a hard time choosing, so lately I've begun to just purchase one kind each time I'm there...my most recent purchase was Espresso Bravo Sea Salt. This is one of the "fusion" sea salts (sea salt + espresso, duh). My new favorite dessert is a scoop or two of chocolate ice cream with Espresso Bravo Sea Salt sprinkled over it. It is to die for! Funny, because I've never really been a fan of chocolate ice cream. Charmane suggested I try it this way, and boy am I glad I did. I've always thought chocolate ice cream was a bit, I don't know..flat & boring tasting? Strange because I love chocolate, but I'll be adding it to my cart on a regular basis now. Imagine creamy chocolate ice cream with a salty, crunch and burst of espresso...O M G! S.A.L.T. carries endless options...French Grey, Red Hawaiian, Indian Black, Aguni (Japanese), Trapani (Sicilian), Flor Blanca (Mexican), Bolivian Rose, Cyprus Black Lava, New Zealand Natural....all in different textures (coarse, flake, fine, chunks, bricks). Those are just the "regular" salts. Now think fusion...Aged Balsamic, Black Truffle, Chile Verde, Espresso Brava, Habanero Heat, Lemon Twist, Lime Fresco, Matcha, Roasted Garlic, Smoked Serrano, Soy, Spicy Curry, Sun Ripened Tomato, Szechuan Pepper, Thai Ginger, Vanilla Bean, Vintage Merlot, Wild Porcini Mushroom...seriously, how does a girl(ichef) decide?!? I haven't tried all of them yet, but Charmane will give you a taste of any you'd like to try! Vintage Merlot is amazing on a steak or on some onions & mushrooms. They are also sold in "sampler-sets"...one of which I gave a girlfriend of mine at her Bridal Shower... along with a couple of pinch bowls (which S.A.L.T. also sells). Charmane is opening a booth at the Chesterton (IN) farmer's market soon also (if you're in the Chicago-land area) PLUS she sells them online. Please check out her website and try some of these AMAZING Sea Salts. Check out the vanilla and teriyaki while you're there............see the gorgeous purple flecks of Vintage Merlot Sea Salt?!

Alright then, I'm off to get a bowl of ice cream... My Very First Giveaway! Okay, now that you are super excited about Sea Salt and want to try each and every kind, I want you to head on over to Charmane's website again....and PICK THE ONE, yup...just one, that you want to try the most. Notice that there are 2 pages of salts on her site. One page with "regular" sea salts and one with "fusion" sea salts. After you've decided, come back and leave me a comment with your choice & maybe "why" you want to try that kind in particular. Charmane is going to donate one bag of Winner's Choice of sea salt + she's going to throw in one pinch bowl!!! I'm so psyched, I wish I could enter! Please choose a "loose" variety of salt...coarse, flake, fine...not a chunk (or any vinegar or vanilla). You will have until 11:59 PM (eastern time U.S.) on Saturday April 4th to enter. I will post the winner the following day (or so). If you win, I'll just need you to send me an email with your shipping info. GOOD LUCK!