Baked Chili Maple Bacon

Kick your brunch bacon up a notch by brushing it with chili-spiked maple syrup. This baked chili maple bacon is cooked in the oven, for crunchy bacon without the splattering grease.

I am a huge fan of bacon for breakfast or brunch, especially when it is combined with sweet and spicy elements like chili peppers and maple syrup.  Today my Sunday Supper group is sharing brunch recipes that can be made ahead of time. I suggest you bookmark this post for Mother's Day.

Ingredients
1 lb or 450g thick cut smoked streaky bacon
1 small hot red chili, stem removed
1/8 cup or 30ml maple syrup

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Place your bacon strips single file on wire cooling racks set in two baking pans.

Use a mortar and pestle to grind the chili pepper, even the seeds if you like things spicy, into a fine paste. Add in the maple syrup and stir well to combine.

Bake the bacon for 20 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom shelves in the oven midway through.

Remove from the oven and brush with the chili maple syrup. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn the slices of bacon over. Brush with the rest of the chili maple syrup. Return the bacon to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until the bacon is done to your liking.

Enjoy warm or to save it for the next day, wrap the baked chili maple bacon in foil and store in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven the next morning, still wrapped in the foil, or remove the foil to warm in the microwave.

Many thanks to our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections and our host, Cindy of Cindy's Recipes and Writings. Check out these great links from our Sunday Supper tastemakers.

Make Ahead Sunday Supper Brunch Recipes

Breakfast Pastries

• Apple and Bacon Cornmeal Scones by Caroline’s Cooking
• Lemon Crumb Cake by Life Tastes Good
• Nana’s New York Crumb Cake by The Crumby Cupcake
• Overnight Nutty Coffee Cake by Family Around The Table

Eggs

• Asparagus Quiche in Hash Brown Crust by Wimpy Vegetarian 
• Baked Deviled Eggs with Toast Points by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Ham and Cheese Empanadas by Asian In America
• Make Ahead Baked Monte Cristo Cassarole by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Overnight Breakfast Casserole by Soulfully Made
• Sorrel, Chive & Duck Egg Frittata by Wholistic Woman
• Sous Vide Egg Bites by Cricket’s Confections

Sides and Veggies

• Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese and Spring Greens by Monica’s Table
• Baked Chili Maple Bacon by Food Lust People Love
• Blackberry Orange Oatmeal Bowls by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Brussels Sprouts Salad with Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette by Helpful Homemade
• Vegetable Lasagna by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Sweets

• Carrot Cake Pancakes by Brunch-n-Bites
• Citrus Crepes with White Chocolate Drizzle by Gourmet Everyday
• Flourless Chocolate Torte by Pies and Plots
• No Bake Peanut Butter Pie by The Freshman Cook
• Raspberry Mascarpone French Toast Casserole by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Il Pane di Matera #BreadBakers

A wonderful crusty loaf made in the tradition of Matera bread, or il pane di Matera, from milled durum wheat and a sourdough starter.

Let me start off with a disclaimer. This loaf cannot officially be called il pane di Matera. Yeah, yeah, I know that’s what the title says. Hear me out. Pane de Matera is special, with specific requirements, including not just milled durum wheat (which I have used) but from 100% Lucanian milled semolina grain known as "Senatore Cappelli," which I have not. The water is also supposed come from a local source in the Matera area of Italy. Finally, it should begin with a piece of dough from the previous day’s loaf, with yeast made from a fresh fruit starter. I used a sourdough starter.

Such is the tradition and history behind this loaf that it was given the European Union Denomination of Protected Origin (DOP) which means, just like sparkling wine can’t be called Champagne unless it is produced in the Champagne region of France or random ham cannot be called Ibérico unless it comes from Black Iberian Pigs raised in the Iberian Peninsula region of Spain and Portugal, it must be produced the right way in the right place to be called Il Pane di Matera.

So while I’ve made a valiant attempt at producing my own version of il pane di Matera, and it’s a fabulous crusty loaf, it doesn’t officially qualify for the name. That said, you should make this guy. With all due respect to Italy, it reminds me of my favorite baguette tradition in France and that says a lot.

With the substandard help of Google Translate, I made my bread from this recipe in Italian. That was part of the fun!

Watch this video to see how to shape the dough.

Ingredients
150ml or 160g sourdough starter or 20g brewer’s yeast
3 3/4 cups or 600g Italian semolina durum wheat flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
warm water

Method
Mix your sourdough starter or brewer’s yeast with 6 3/4 oz or 200ml warm water and set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour and 1 1/4 cups or 300ml warm water and mix for a few minutes. Mine was too crumbly for the bread hook so I just kept mixing with the K cake beater.

Add in the yeast mixture and beat/knead for five minutes. At this point, I did change to the bread hook.

Add in the salt and knead another few minutes.

Put the dough in a bowl dusted with flour and cover it with cling film. Poke holes the film with a toothpick.

Leave to rise for two hours in a warm place.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface and put it back in the bowl, covered again for another two hours.

After those two hours are up, you can knead the dough, shape and bake. But at this point I strayed from the recipe I was working with and turned to another source I found online which said that traditionally the dough was left to rise overnight, then it was brought to the communal ovens in the morning to bake. So, after kneading again, I popped the dough in its covered bowl into the refrigerator. If you’d rather skip this step, preheat your oven to 220°F or 104°C, with a pizza stone on a middle shelf, if you have one, and proceed down one more paragraph.

The next morning, I removed the dough from the cold and left it to warm up again.

When it was no longer chilled, I preheated my to 220°F or 104°C with my pizza stone on a middle shelf.

Transfer the dough to a well-floured work surface and knead it. (As you can tell from the photos, mine was still quite slack compared to the dough in the video.

Form the dough into a ball, press a crease in it, and then fold the ball in half.

Flour a baking sheet and transfer the dough to it. Use a sharp knife to slice three cuts into the dough. (See YouTube link above for a visual on this.) According to a source online that may or may not be Wikipedia in Italian (I forget but I read it somewhere and made a note), the three cuts represent the Holy Trinity.

Place the baking sheet on the pizza stone and bake for 15 minutes. Raise the temperature of your oven to 350°F or 180°C and bake for more about 40-45 minutes more, or until the loaf is golden and it sounds hollow when tapped. About midway through, I also slid the loaf off of the baking pan and straight onto the pizza stone.

There were plenty of holes, but I was expecting the rest of the crumb to be more open. Next time, I'm going to let the dough rise just a bit after shaping and before putting it into the hot oven but overall I was extremely pleased, especially with the crusty outside and the enormous flavor.

Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

This month my Bread Bakers group are baking Italian breads and we have a fabulous line up for you. I can’t wait to travel all over Italy, loaf by loaf. Many thanks to our host, Anshie of Spice Roots for all of her hard work and this great theme.

• Casatiello by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Ciabatta Sandwich Rolls by Herbivore Cucina
• Classic Italian Bread by Hostess At Heart
• Cornetti by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Einkorn Parmesan Piadina by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Fingermillet and Rosemary Focaccia by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Focaccia Caprese by Sneha's Recipe
• Grissini by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Gubana - An Italian Sweet Bread by The Schizo Chef
• Il Pane di Matera by Food Lust People Love
• Italian BLT Focaccia by A Salad For All Seasons
• Italian Easter Cheese Bread by A Baker's House
• Italian Easter Cheese Bread by Palatable Pastime
• Italian Herb and Garlic Focaccia by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Italian Stuffed Pane Bianco by Cook's Hideout
• Mini Panettone by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Pane Bianco by Veena's Vegnation
• Pane di Genzano by Spiceroots
• Piadina by Passion Kneaded
• Pizza alla Siciliana by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Rosemary and Cabernet Salt Focaccia by What Smells So Good?

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin this Pane di Matera!

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Grilled Baby Octopus

Grilled baby octopus is one of our favorite dishes, for a main meal or appetizer. The octopus is cooked until tender with garlic, hot chili peppers and red wine, then grilled to add smoky flavor and crunch. Believe it or not, even children love this dish!

Years ago when we lived in Brazil, our house was just a block from the beach. Living so close to the coast meant fresh seafood at reasonable prices, even during a time of hyperinflation. We fell in love with octopus there and have looked for it and cooked it everywhere we’ve lived, ever since. This same recipe can be made with larger octopuses. Just extend the cooking time until they are tender and cut them into manageable pieces for grilling.

Ingredients
1 lb 10 oz or 750g baby octopus, ink sacs and beaks removed
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 red chili peppers, stems removed
1/2 cup or 120ml hearty dry red wine
A few generous grinds from a black pepper mill

Method
Cook the octopus in a covered saucepan or pot over a medium heat with the garlic, peppers and wine for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The liquid will come out of the octopus and the whole thing will look very soupy.

After the 15-20 minutes are over, take the lid off and continue to cook until the liquid reduces by at least half. Perhaps another 15-20 minutes. The octopus should be fork tender now.

Put the baby octopus on a hot grill just off to the side of the charcoal. Put the lid on because these are going to sputter and spit.

Remove lid every couple of minutes and shift the octopus around. Remove when charred your satisfaction. Ours took about 10 minutes.

Depending on the size of your octopus you might want to chop them up into bite-sized pieces but if they are really tiny, you can serve them whole.

Serve with plenty of fresh lime juice squeezed on and a good sprinkling of flakey sea salt.

Enjoy!

This week our Sunday Supper group is sharing our favorite seafood recipes. Many thanks to Em, our event manager and our host, Claire from Sprinkles and Sprouts.

Love seafood? Check out these Sunday Supper Recipes:

Appetizers

• Chili-Lime Scallops by Girl Abroad
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp by Simple and Savory
• Coconut Mahi Kale Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette by Gourmet Everyday
• Crab Cake Bites by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Salmon Sliders by Sunday Supper Movement
• Grilled Baby Octopus by Food Lust People Love
• Manhattan Clam Chowder by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Mediterranean Shrimp Bruschetta by The Weekend Gourmet
• Salmon Tartare by Caroline’s Cooking
• Smoked Salmon, Orange and Avocado Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Ten-Minute Sweet and Spicy Shrimp by Jersey Girl Cooks

Main Dishes

• Cioppino by Monica’s Table
• Easy Tilapia Pomodoro Dinner by My Life Cookbook
• Frutti Di Mare by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemony Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packets by Our Good Life
• New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp by Flour On My Face
• No Fail Beer Battered Fish by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• One Pan Mustard Crusted Halibut and Vegetables by Pies and Plots
• Pecan Crusted Cod by From the Bookshelf
• Salmon Honey-Lemon Teriyaki by Asian In America
• Saucy Cod Fillets Florentine by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Scallops with Orange Butter Sauce by My savory spoon
• Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo by The Freshman Cook
• Seafood Laksa by Brunch-n-Bites
• Sheet Pan Salmon by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Shrimp Salad Sandwich by Soulfully Made
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta by Crazed Mom
• Soft Shell Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sweet and Sour Salmon by Cricket’s Confections
• Teriyaki Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa by Wholistic Woman

Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad

A beautiful, colorful, delicious salad made with mostly cupboard ingredients plus tomatoes, mozzarella and purple onions. Great for barbecues, buffets and potlucks. It's even better the next day!

I know that is a strange name but I honestly couldn’t think of a better one.  This gorgeous salad is made mostly with ingredients from your kitchen cupboards, with the exception of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a little onion. And perhaps a bit of chopped basil. But look at the colors!

It’s great for a buffet table or to bring to a potluck because this salad just gets better after it sits a while.  So forgiving, beautiful and delicious.

Ingredients

• 1/4 large purple onion

• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice or vinegar
• 10.5 oz or 300g red grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Cherubs.)
• 10.5 oz or 300g yellow grape tomatoes (I used NatureSweet Sunbursts.)
• 1 jar (12 oz or 240g) marinated artichoke hearts
• 1 can (drained weight 6 oz or 170g) pitted black olives
• 1 can (15 oz or 425g) chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 8 oz or 226g fresh ciliegine or cherry size mozzarella balls
• 1 can (14 oz or 400g – 7.5 oz or 212g drained) hearts of palm
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• A few leaves of fresh basil (optional)

Method
Slice your onion very thinly and add to a salad bowl that will be big enough for all of your ingredients.   Pour in the juice or vinegar and set aside for a few minutes.

Open the jar of marinated artichokes and add them to the onion, with all of their marinade, along with the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Drain the cans of olives and chickpeas, rinsing the chickpeas if necessary, and add them to the salad bowl.

Drain the can of palm hearts and cut into pieces about the size of your tomatoes.

Add them into the bowl.

Toss and then sprinkle the whole bowl with sea salt.  Add black pepper to taste.

If you are adding basil, stack the leaves, roll them up and slice them thinly.  Add to the salad and toss again.  (This salad did actually have basil but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph that step.)

Bring to your sister’s house for a barbecue or wherever you have been fortunate enough to be invited.

Enjoy!

My mom took this one showing a little of the basil.  Thanks, Mom! 

If you are looking for more dishes using fresh tomatoes, you are going to love this week's Sunday Supper. Check out the link list below to see what our talented tastemakers are sharing. Many thanks to our host, Rini from Healing Tomato, and our event manager, Cricket of Cricket's Confections.

Sunday Supper Recipes Using Fresh Tomatoes

Chicken Recipes

• Caprese Chicken with Bacon by Family Around The Table
• Cheesy Caprese Pesto Chicken and Quinoa Casserole by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Easy Balsamic Chicken with Tomatoes by Life Tastes Good
• Grilled Chicken and Pasta with Grated Tomato Sauce by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Main Courses

• Bronzed Tomato Spinach Cheddar Panini by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Ground Beef Curry by Wholistic Woman
• Lamb and Fresh Tomato Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• One Pan Pork Chop Dinner with Tomatoes by Simple and Savory
• Tuna and Tomato Bento by Ninja Baker

Pizza, Pies, and Pastas

• Angel Hair Pomodoro by Healing Tomato
• Heirloom Tomato Tart by Authentically Candace
• Pressure Canned Homegrown Tomato Sauce by What Smells So Good?
• Savory Tomato Pie with Pre-Made Crust by The Foodie Affair
• Three Cheese Tomato Basil Pie by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Tomato and Caramelized Onions Galette by Brunch-n-Bites
• Tuscan Pasta with White Beans and Tomatoes by A Mind “Full” Mom

Side Dishes

• Bacon Caprese Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms by Crazed Mom
• Bloody Mary Mix by Our Good Life
• Bruschetta di Pomodoro by The Freshman Cook
• Caprese Garlic Bread with Arugula Pesto by The Crumby Cupcake
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes by Caroline’s Cooking
• Tomato Cauliflower Rice by Family Foodie
• Tomato Tulips for a Veggie Platter by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Snacks

• Cheesy Thumbprint Cookies with Green Tomato Strawberry Jalapeno Jam by Soulfully Made
• How to Make Homemade Salsa by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• IPA (India Pale Ale) Green Tomato Pickles by Gourmet Everyday
• Italian Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Cottage Cheese by Cricket’s Confections
• Tomatoes Stuffed with Apple-Walnut Salad Filling by Asian In America
• Tropical Fruit Salsa by Pies and Plots

Soups and Salads

• 10 Minute Greek Inspired Couscous Salad by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Burrata Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pearls by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cherry Tomato and Preserved Lemon Salad by Shockingly Delicious
• Cupboard Tomato Mozzarella Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Fresh Tomato and Couscous Salad by Basic N Delicious
• Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad by Palatable Pastime
• Rustic Dill Tomato Soup by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
• Summer Tomato and Bread Soup by Monica’s Table
• Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Pimento Grilled Cheese by Bottom Left of the Mitten

Apple Oatmeal Muffins #MuffinMonday

Apple Oatmeal Muffins have a bit of sugar, to be sure, but I like to think those are counterbalanced by the oats and apple to create a reasonably healthy muffin, perfect for breakfast on the go, or snacking.

Happy Muffin Monday! This month we've got a short list of great muffins to share and a host to thank. I'm in Atlanta for our nephew's wedding and my good friend Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm volunteered to help with the behind the scenes work.

It's been an amazing weekend, reconnecting with family and sharing the joy of the happy couple as they begin their married life, made even more enjoyable for me, knowing that Wendy was in charge and taking care of business.

I baked these muffins before I left Dubai and left them behind for my lovely house guest, Daphne. She's in Dubai for her own event, Fully Booked, an art book exhibition with vendors, that was running concurrently with Art Dubai. It was a huge success and I am so proud of her!

I hope you like these muffins as much as she did!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 190g all purpose flour
1/2 cup or 42g quick oats
3/4 cup or 150g sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/2 cup or 120ml canola or other light oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large apple

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C. Generously grease cups and top of 12-cup muffin tin.

Whisk together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, oil and egg. Peel, core and chop the apple into small pieces and put them immediately into the wet ingredient bowl. Stir.

Add all the milk mixture to flour mixture. Gently fold just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Divide your batter relatively evenly between the 12 muffin cups.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden.

Remove from oven and let cool 10-15 before removing muffins from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. These apple oatmeal muffins are tender and fluffy on the inside with a nice crust on the tops.

Aren't these trivets fun? I received them as a gift from Daphne. They come from Good Thing. 

Enjoy!

Who wants a muffin? We've got some lovely ones for you today!

• Apple Oatmeal Muffins by Food Lust People Love
• Asparagus Goat Cheese Muffins by Farm Fresh Feasts
• Cacao Nib Muffins with Dark Chocolate Glaze by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheese & Thyme Muffins by Passion Kneaded
• Coffee Cake Muffins by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Oh My Darling Muffins by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Lazy Cow Rich Tea Biscuits #CreativeCookieExchange

Rich tea biscuits are a British classic, baked up crispy so they are perfect for dunking in a cup of hot tea. Use my "lazy cow" method to avoid rolling out the dough and using cookie cutters.

In the many years I’ve been watching the Great British Bake Off or GBBO as it’s known for short, I’ve learned a lot about British classics as well as traditional baked goods from other countries. Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry are both a wealth of baking knowledge.

There’s just one thing I have to disagree with. Paul maintained throughout the series (and I’ve heard him say it elsewhere also) that the difference between biscuits and cookies is that biscuits are crisp, while cookies are softer.

But if we are talking American English, biscuits are fluffy baked quick bread akin to British scones and cookies can be both crisp and soft. In all my many years of visiting the British Isles and hanging out with British friends, I have never heard them use the term “cookie” for anything traditional that they bake.

I tell you all this as a preamble to today’s bake. They are indeed crispy, so even Paul Hollywood would call these rich tea biscuits. That said, traditional rich tea biscuits are rolled out and cut into circles. Which is my least favorite way of making cookies or biscuits. Blessedly, the circle is the classic shape for these guys, so I rolled the dough into a log, partially froze it, and then sliced it into circles. So these are my “lazy cow” rich tea biscuits. To everyone else who hates to roll dough, but loves rich tea biscuits, you are welcome.

Adapted from this recipe on The Baking Bar, where David does it the old-fashioned way. Because he's not a lazy cow. Apparently.

Ingredients – for about 14-15 large biscuits
2 cups or 250g plain flour
1/3 cup or 75g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch fine salt
3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method 
Line your baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone liners and set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.

Add the butter, cut into cubes.

Use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix in the butter till the mixture looks like crumbs. My kitchen is always too warm and my hands are too hot, so I use the pastry blender.

Add in the milk and the vanilla and use a fork to combine.

Use your hands to bring it all together into a firm dough.

Roll the dough into a thick log about 2 3/4 in or 7cm in circumference, shaping the ends flat.

Wrap it in cling film and pop it in your freezer, standing it on one end so that the log retains a nice cylindrical shape. Set a timer for about 40 minutes.

When the timer is nearly up, preheat the oven to 375°F or 190°C.

Use a sharp knife to cut the log into slices about 1/4 in or 1/2cm thick. I find a sharp serrated knife works best because you can "saw" the slices off without pressing the log out of shape, which gives more circular circles, if you know what I mean.

Put your dough circles on the prepared baking pans, leaving room for some expansion as they bake. I used a toothpick to make little holes all of the circles, just like the store-bought rich tea biscuits but I could have saved myself some time because they weren't really visible after baking. Feel free to skip this step.

Bake for about 8-9 minutes in your preheated oven. Ideally, you want them baked through but not brown. Mine are a little darker around the edges than a classic rich tea biscuit should be.

Leave to cool for a few minutes on the pan and then transfer to a metal rack to cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool.

Enjoy with a cup of tea!

If you like cookies or biscuits with your tea, you are going to love this month's Creative Cookie Exchange link list. Check out all the great teatime treats we have for you today!

• Buttermilk Cookies with Nutmeg and Thyme from The Spiced Life
• Chai-Scotti from What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Covered Digestive Biscuits from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Honey and Vanilla Madeleines from A Baker's House
• Lazy Cow Rich Tea Biscuits from Food Lust People Love
• Lemon Basil Marmalade Cookies from 2 Cookin Mamas
• Lemon Blueberry Shortbread Cookies from Upstate Ramblings
• Lemon Poppyseed Shortbread Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Lilikoi-Lime Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• London Fog Cookies from A Shaggy Dough Story

Creative Cookie Exchange is hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life. We get together once a month to bake cookies with a common theme or ingredient so Creative Cookie Exchange is a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts at The Spiced Life. We post the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

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Roasted Spring Vegetables

A good roasting in a hot oven brings out the best in most vegetables. Theoretically a side dish, I love a plate of these for a vegetarian main course. When you add a garlicky dressing, your roasted spring vegetables can be elevated to center stage.

This week my Sunday Supper group is sharing easy spring recipes. Which puts me in mind of baby vegetables and spring lamb. Fortunately a nearby supermarket that always has a stock of baby veg so I picked up a selection. I ended up not using them all because my pan was full and if you want caramelized roasted spring vegetables, it is key not to crowd them in the pan.

If the baking pan is too full and there’s not room for air to move between the vegetables, they’ll just steam together and will not roast. Left behind were tiny bulbs of fennel and baby corn. Now I need to think of another recipe to make with those!

Ingredients
For the roasted vegetables:

7 oz or 200g each assorted baby vegetables
(I used small pickling onions, baby leeks, new carrots, baby zucchini and patty pan squash.)
1/4 cup or 60ml extra virgin olive oil

For the dressing:
Leftover oil from the vegetables

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons cloudy apple cider vinegar or your favorite good quality vinegar
1 teaspoon honey

Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. I have a convection fan that I like to use for roasting as it circulates the heat more evenly. If you don’t, you can turn the oven up a few degrees to compensate.

Trim the vegetables of stems and scrub them clean. Since they are tiny, leave them whole. Pile them in a large mixing bowl.

Drizzle the olive oil over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle on some fine sea salt and give the veggies a couple of good grinds of black pepper. Toss to disperse the salt and pepper. You can use salad spoons but clean hands work the best. Plus, you are going to use your hands in the next step so might as well get them dirty. 

One by one, transfer the vegetables to a large baking pan, spacing them evenly. 

Put the vegetables in the oven to roast for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden and possibly a little charred in places.

There will be seasoned oil left in the bowl. We are going to use it for the dressing.

Grate or mince the garlic cloves into the oil. 

Add in the vinegar and honey and whisk to combine. Add another good pinch of salt and more freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. 

When the roasted spring vegetables are ready, remove them from the oven and scrape them and any sticky bits from the pan into the bowl with the dressing while they are still hot. 

Toss or stir to coat the vegetables with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

As I mentioned, this week our Sunday Supper tastemakers are sharing easy spring recipes. Check out this fabulous link list. Many thanks to our host, Anne of Simple and Savory and our event manager, Cricket of Cricket’s Confection.

Breakfast

• Broccoli and Asparagus Frittata by A Mind "Full" Mom
• Herb and Leek Frittata by My Imperfect Kitchen

Main Courses

• Creamy and Tangy Avocado Chicken Salad by Cooking On The Ranch
• Grilled Lamb Lollipops with a Lemon and Pea Dip by Sprinkles and Sprouts
• Lemon Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomatoes by Hardly a Goddess
• Pad Thai Spring Rolls by Brunch-n-Bites
• Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Spring Pizza with Goat Cheese & Asparagus by Wholistic Woman
• Spring Power Bowl by Simple and Savory

Veggies and Sides

• Alfredo Scalloped Potatoes with Ham by Fantastical Sharing of Recipes
• Asparagus Ham and Swiss Danish Braid by Crazed Mom
• Asparagus Soup by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Cheesy Potato Asparagus Tart by Sunday Supper Movement
• Herbed Lemon Potato Salad by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Microwave Carrots and Peas by Cricket’s Confections
• Roasted Spring Vegetables by Food Lust People Love
• Shaved Asparagus Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Pastas

• Crab and Asparagus Pasta by My Savory Spoon.com
• Lemon Garlic Shrimp and Asparagus Rotini Pasta by Recipes Food and Cooking
• Pasta Salad with Artichoke Hearts & Feta by Soulfully Made
• Simple Pasta with Peas, Ham and Cream by Cooking With Carlee
• Spinach Artichoke Pasta Recipe by Life Tastes Good

Seafood

• Baked Swordfish and Asparagus with Lentils and Chermoula by Caroline’s Cooking
• Flaked Salmon Arugula Spinach Watercress Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Brie by Books n’ Cooks
• Red Snapper in a Saffron-Tomato Broth with Artichoke Hearts & Potatoes by Gourmet Everyday
• Roasted Shrimp and Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by Jersey Girl Cooks
• Salmon with Parsley Pesto and Peas by Cooking Chat

Cakes, Pies, and Sweets

• Coconut Custard Pie by Renee's Kitchen Adventures
• Fresh Strawberry Meringue Cake by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Mango Banana Bread by Asian in America
• Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Upside Down Brown Sugar Apricot Cake by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Cookies and Bars

• Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Coconut Mango Chia Pudding Parfait by The Crumby Cupcake
• Maple Syrup Madeleines by The Finer Cookie
• Oatmeal Rhubarb Bars by Turnips 2 Tangerines
• Pistachio Lemon Bars by From the Bookshelf

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