heart of wisdom

Happy Valentine's Day dear friends! 

I love red, and hearts, and chocolate, and flowers, and friends, and giving gifts, and so much more about Valentine's Day.  Every year I host a class for valentine's day at the studio and cook my heart out.  Usually, Todd teaches with me and it is our date too.  I love to laugh and be silly and drink wine.  Several years ago, okay a lot of years ago, like pre Todd and kids I hosted a red party for a friend's birthday that is near valentine's day.  I dressed myself, my house, all of my friends, and of course all of the food and wine in red.  Yup, things have changed quite a bit!  Nonetheless I still love Valentine's Day and I always try to make it special for someone who may need some love.  Do you know anyone?  My Valentine must have recipes are below.

Strawberry Rosemary Scones

Ingredients

Scones:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• Special equipment: a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes. For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Chocolate Truffles

½ cup heavy cream

2 tbs unsalted butter

1 tsp light corn syrup

8 oz semi -sweet chocolate

½ cup cocoa powder (sifted)

1.  Mix cream, butter, and corn syrup together in a sauce pan.  Bring to a full boil over medium heat.  Turn off heat.
2. Add 8 oz chocolate and stir, rest 5 minutes and then whisk to combine
3. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate 45 minutes stirring periodically (you may leave in refrigerator for up to a few days before rolling but allow an hour at room temperature before rolling)
4. Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment
5. When chocolate is not set but firm, roll to 1 oz balls, then in cocoa powder
6. Set on a sheet tray and refrigerate

number our days

 As we approach a new year I am contemplating some things that need adjustments in my life.  I am not much of new year's resolution gal but I'm all about improving my life and that of our family.  The children's ministry staff at our church gave an example with marbles in a jar.  She said each marble represents the weekends left until your child is 18 and potentially out of your house.  I want to be intentional with our time and make sure that as these precious days pass I am purposeful with how and what we are spending our time on.

Around 19 years ago I had the privilege of sitting in a lecture at Cornell University taught by best selling author Ken Blanchard.  He talked about the difference between being interested and committed.  It went something like this.  If your interested in getting exercise and you decide your going to start running and you wake up it's raining you wait until tomorrow.  If your committed to getting exercise and you wake up to rain you grab a raincoat or head to the gym.  Their are three areas of my life that need some adjusting and I am committing to make some changes.  

As I pray about change I am considering the why and how I am going to move forward.  Two of them relate to each other, time and money.  I spend a great deal of time and money at the grocery store.  Their are countless times I am at the grocery store between 3-5 times in one week, I hate it!   I am also feeling the need and desire to be more budget conscious and I know that groceries are a major budget sucker in the Borelli household.  My plan is to be more organized in meal planning and shopping and more conscious of my budget/spending.  You would think since we are both chef's we would have a handle on this.  But, I work as a personal chef and sometimes shop for clients and for home,  the organization of home can fall by the way side in my world.  If you can relate I hope these tips are helpful and if you can't thank God, and I hope you enjoy the recipes!

It started this week.  I sent my husband to the grocery with a detailed list.  That is not my plan for making less trips to the grocery by the way, it just happened we returned from a trip and we needed groceries and to unpack/put away, and the wise man chose grocery shopping.   I mis read the sale ad and thought pork tenderloin was on sale for 1.49lb.  It was really for pork loin and he walked in with a 9 lb pork loin.  When I saw it I thought what am I going to do with all this pork?!?!  So we got out a Chef's knife and started breaking it down.  First, some big thick pork chops, and then some pork for stir fry, and some for lettuce wraps, and maybe some bbq pulled pork.  My nine pounds of pork with make 6-7ish meals and is now in the freezer.  I keep an inventory of my freezer.   I hate waste and I hate old food so if I keep a running list of what I have I don't overstock and I don't have to suffer with low quality eternally frozen food or the guilt of waste.  I use an app from google play called any.do to keep track of all my food lists.

I know it takes discipline to change habits and so I am trying to set myself up for success by using the SMART acronym for helping me reach my goal.

Specific-shop 1-2 times a week
Measurable-track on my phone app every time I shop, the date and amount
Achievable make sure the budget amount is reasonable
Relevant  Have a standard list of items we always use to look at and keep an ongoing list of things we need
Time sensitive check in April on my goals

The third change relates to my health.  In June I found out I have Celiac.  If I am not a good planner I eat junk.  I love to eat healthy food and I feel great when I take the time to prepare foods I can eat. I also run 9 months a year for exercise.  I live in Connecticut and the cold sure has a way of getting me out of good routines.  I feel like a slug in the winter.  I am taking steps to get into a winter workout routine and eat better.  Two of my favorite budget friendly healthy recipes are included.  They are GF and most delish, enjoy!

Favorite healthy app (thanks to my BFF Chef Emily Lane)

Blackened Tri Color Organic Carrots with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

1 bag tri-color organic carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then cut again uniformly in shoe string fry size pieces

3-4 tablespoons of blackening seasoning or Cajun seasoning *see note*

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 8 oz container plain Greek yogurt

½ tsp lemon juice

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

**note if you are using a premade blackening or Cajun seasoning check to see if it has salt in the ingredients and if it doesn’t you will also have to add a teaspoon of salt to carrots before baking.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place Carrots, blackening season and olive oil on sheet tray and toss with your hands until well coated.  Check the seasoning before placing in oven and add more if needed.  Place in oven for 12 minutes and then place in the broiler until slight blackening occurs 4-8 minutes.  For the yogurt dipping sauce add remaining ingredients to yogurt and stir well.  Adjust salt if needed and add some Cajun seasoning if you want a kick.   Yield: appetizer for 4-5 people 

Black Bean and Quinoa Cakes with Chipotle Lime Sour Cream
serving suggestions for these:  As an appetizer, make larger ones serve as a burger (that is how my husband eats them and I eat them by themselves as an entree or with/on a salad

1/2 a lime

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

1/2 of a small onion

1 clove garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chipolte in adobo

1/4 cup cilantro

3 tablespoons water

1/2 cup cooked quinoa, chilled

8 oz block of smoked cheddar or smoked gouda (optional)

Add all the ingredients except quinoa and cheese in a food processor or blender and puree until well combined but not completely smooth.  Place black bean mixture in a bowl with quinoa and mix and then make small patties.  Sear the patties in little bit of olive oil on medium high heat 4-6 minutes on each side.  Place the cheese on top the last few minutes of cooking to melt.  

Chipotle lime Sour Cream

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2-1 tsp chipotle in adobo finely chopped (based on spice prederence)

1/2 a lime

1/2 tsp salt