Honey Sweetened Mascarpone Cheese Served with Fresh Berries

This recipe is courtesy of big bro......he can be "liked" on Facebook at Leisure Cooking, he posts some pretty amazing dishes - definitely worth checking out!

He served this for dessert after we made our shrimp and pasta dish during my recent visit with my family.....an excellent ending to a fabulous dinner!

It's super simple, add some honey to a good Mascarpone cheese and serve with fresh berries for dipping....delish!

Lemonade Brownies

I saw this recipe recently come across my Facebook feed and knew I had to make them!  What a delightful, summertime treat!  I am not a huge fan of sweets, but this sounded delicious! 

I recruited my older one and nephew while on a visit to see my family and they were my helpers in the kitchen.  These brownies take awhile to cool and then for the glaze to set - so plan ahead!  I had two very anxious boys ready to taste test!

They are so lemony and delicious - nothing better in this hot weather!  Thanks to Cookies and Cups for the recipe!

Lemonade Brownies
Makes one 8x8 pan
Recipe courtesy of Cookies and Cups

Brownies:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dry lemonade powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, plus 2 yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons prepared lemonade OR juice from one lemon, approximately 2-3 tablespoons (this is recipe, I required a little bit more liquid)
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

Cream butter, sugar and lemonade powder in mixer for about 2 minutes,until light and fluffy.  Add in egg and both yolks and vanilla. Continue mixing until incorporated.

Turn mixer to low and add in flour and baking powder. Stir until combined.

Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 15-20 minutes until edges begin to golden and center is JUST set. Do not over bake.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

For the glaze:

Stir powdered sugar, lemonade or lemon juice and zest in a small bowl and pour over cooled brownies.

Let glaze set for at least an hour before cutting into squares.

Visit to Valente's Deli Bakery & Italian Market

This post shares more of the personal side of me - I grew up outside of Denver, CO and have a large Italian family, most of whom are still in the Denver area.  My great uncle, Ray Valente, Sr., owned Valente's Italian Restaurant that was located in Wheat Ridge and in 2008, after 44 years of being in business, he retired. 

Ray had many siblings - my grandfather being one of them!  Fred Valente, was another one - he ran a small grocery store starting in the late 1930s.   In 1953, he opened Rodeo Supermarket in Westminster - it was the city's first supermarket and place for one-stop shopping. 

In 1970, the Rodeo Supermarket moved to 72nd and Meade after acquiring one of the larger markets there which Fred put out of business and the store moved.  Fred's son Larry took on the management of the business when Fred passed away in 1972. 

Larry's family made the decision in 1990 to close the doors with the challenges facing business owners due to the economy in the late 80s.   Larry didn't take off much time and decided to open Valente's Deli Bakery & Italian Market at 7250 Meade Street in Westminster, CO which is across the parking lot from where the Rodeo Supermarket was located.  He planned to specialize in Italian canolis using Fred's famous Italian Sausage recipe....he has succeeded with that and so much more. 

Recently, Valente's Deli Bakery & Italian Market were featured in the April 2012 issue of Sunset Magazine as part of their "Day Trip" section featuring Westminster.  Here's a snapshot of the photo from the magazine.

During a recent visit to Colorado, I of course had to make a visit to the Deli as I do every time I am in town.  With my entire family in tow, I decided to also grab my camera and write up a blog post about my family's deli and our delicious lunch!

I've included a number of photos below showcasing some of mine, and my family's, favorite things from Valente's.   Some of the food items Valente's makes includes their own sauce, meatballs, sausage, breads that are all sold in the store.  They also offer catering services and are a full deli and Italian marketplace.  There are so many yummy Italian goodies to purchase - I highly recommend a visit if you live in the area.   You will see in the pictures below some of the spice mixes they sell.  A few of our family members are even part of the spice name!  So cool....although, I have yet to see one for Heather or The Bubbly Hostess....hint, hint....although, I am fully aware there are a lot of Valente's out there!

Homemade Breads

Homemade Olive Bread

Dry Pasta

Fresh Pasta

Homemade Sauce

Lucky for me, we went on a Friday and with that, they offer The Larry Special which is only served from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Fridays. It's their homemade sausage, grilled and topped with melted provolone and grilled peppers served on a ciabatta roll with a side of homemade sauce. The meal includes a bag of Boulder Chips and choice of Xing Tea or Boylan Soda for $5.99.

The Larry Special

Their Italian Canolis are also one of their specialities, you can get a sausage, meatball, or ham and pepperoni one.  My boys split a meatball canoli and my nephew enjoyed one as well.  These can also be purchased solo or as a combo.  I typically order the sausage canoli when I visit, but not if I'm there on a Friday!

A full deli is available for make your own sandwiches they also offer speciality sandwiches. My brother enjoyed the Valente Sub which is made with prosciutto, hard salami, and pepperoni and the hubby along with my mom each had a turkey sandwich on wheat bread.

Cousin Dino Taking Our Lunch Order

You can't forget about dessert when visiting Valente's.  We we arrived, Cousin Larry was enjoying a chocolate chip muffin and told all of the boys it was a must try for their visit.   They did of course.  Valente's offers so many delicious baked goods and Italian goodies - it's hard to choose just one!

Dessert Cannolis

Pizzelles

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Chip Muffin

I very much enjoy visits to Valente's, and I have, on many occasions, had breads, sauce, and sausage canolis either shipped to me or brought directly to me when my parents visit!  

If you are in the area, I hope you check out Valente's Deli Bakery & Italian Market - they are located at 7250 Meade Street in Westminster, CO.   You can also read more about the history and what they offer at www.valentesdeli.com. 

At Valente's you are always part of the family!

Cousins Dino, Heather, and Larry

Homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli

Over the weekend, we decided to make homemade pasta again - this time, spinach and cheese ravioli!  The mix isn't terribly different than what we used in the Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells that I posted not too long ago, just in the form of ravioli!
The last time we made ravioli, we did it "free form" and used a ravioli cutter to do the work.  Something that looks like this:

This time, we tried a ravioli tray and quite honestly, we preferred doing it free form!  Here's a picture of our pasta roller along with the tray:

The pasta wasn't always wide enough to go over all three rows of the tray and so sometimes we only made two rows at a time.  It's quite possible that I was going something wrong, but the hubby and I both agreed our free form style was much easier!  You can also buy a ravioli stamp, I have not used one of these, but they look like this:

The recipe for the Fresh Pasta Dough below is courtesy of Sur La Table from the cooking class I took there in May.  I didn't get as many photos as I would have liked while rolling out the pasta, but you can see pictures of the dough rolling process in the cooking class post, I hope to get more photos of the process the next time we make fresh pasta.  The instructions below walk you through making the ravioli using a tray.  Give the dish a try and let me know what you think!

Fresh Pasta Dough
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Sur La Table

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.  Make a "well" in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs and oil, if using.  Bear in mind that you can do this on your countertop - without using a bowl.  I am still working on keeping 4 eggs in a well of flour, so used a bowl this time!  Using your fingers, blend the eggs into the flour mixture, stirring the flour in from the sides of the well and working outwards.  When the pasta dough is thoroughly mixed, turn it out on a lightly floured work surface.  Knead dough until it is smooth and flexible but not sticking, adding small amounts of flour as needed, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.  Cover in plastic wrap, and allow dough to rest for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour at room temperature.  This is a good time to make your filling for the ravioli. 

To roll dough, secure a pasta machine to the edge of a long countertop.  Using a bench scraper, cut dough into thirds.  Keep extra dough covered in plastic while working with the one piece.  Flatten the piece of dough into a rough square that will fit inside the width of the pasta machine.  Place the rollers on the widest setting and roll the dough through the machine, catching it with one hand as you roll with the other.  Take the dough and fold into thirds towards the center of the dough.  Turn the dough so the open end faces the machine and roll it through on the widest setting again.  Fold, turn, and roll once more on the widest setting.  Continue rolling the pasta through machine without folding, adjusting the rollers to the next -smallest setting each time, until desired thickness is reached.  If the pasta sheet becomes too large to handle, use the bench scraper to cut it into more manageable lengths. 

Ravioli Filling
Serves 4
8 oz ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
8 oz cottage cheese (I used fat free)
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon Melting Pot seasoning
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1 cup spinach, chopped

Egg wash
1 egg
1 tablespoon of water

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Remember to taste as you go and adjust seasonings to make you happy!

Once your pasta sheets are done, flour your tray and lay the first sheet in the tray, pressing down slightly to make space for the filling.  Brush some of your egg wash on the top of the first sheet to create a "glue".  Use a melon scoop to measure even amounts of filling for each ravioli. 

Next, add your other pasta sheet to the top.  Use the rolling pin (they generally are sold with the tray) to seal the ravioli and cut the edges. 

Turn your ravioli out and put in a large sheet pan, toss with flour. 

These will cook very quickly.  Add them to a large pot of heavily salted boiling water.  Once they are floating to the top, they are done.  Some of mine broke, which was OK, the spinach made somewhat of a garnish on the ravioli! 

I made a quick sauce with some butter, minced garlic, pepper, grated Parmesan, chicken broth and wine that I reduced.  Then I added the ravioli straight from the pot to the sauce pan - make sure you add some of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce.   This was how the boys ate it.  The hubby and I added a marinara (store bought, and I'm OK with that!) - top off with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and you are set!

Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Aioli

We recently enjoyed a family stay-cation and ate out a lot!  While dining out, we seemed to always find grilled artichokes on the appetizer menu.   The hubby and I LOVE artichokes - needless to say, we ordered them more than once. While on our stay-cation, we learned that the older one seems to also really enjoy a grilled artichoke dipped in a little lemon garlic aioli.
So, shortly after our return from the stay-cation, I made just that.  Now, if you have never made artichokes, plan for this process to take a little bit of time.   I steam these for about 30 minutes and then grill for 10-15 minutes to get the nice, smoky flavor.   I have always used an electric steamer.  Always.  These can also be steamed over a pot of boiling water on the stove.  I am not a fan of boiling artichokes, they seem too water-logged for me!  I would definitely recommend steaming them. 
Another choice you need to make when serving artichokes is whether or not to trim the artichoke before serving - another task I typically skip.  You can take a knife and cut the top of the artichoke with a knife as well as cut the sharp points off of each leaf with a pair of scissors.

Grilled Artichokes
Serves 2-4

2 artichokes
Lemon, halved
1/8 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Start by cutting the artichokes lengthwise.  This will speed up the cooking process.  Once you cut the artichoke, immediately rub one of the lemon halves on the cut side.  Artichokes brown very quickly! 

Next, take out the "choke" of the artichoke - the little, white hairs in the middle.  A grapefruit spoon works great for this step!  Once the choke is out, rub more lemon juice underneath where the choke was.

Steam the artichokes, either use an electric steamer or steam over a burner. To your water, either way, squeeze the lemon juice half into the water.

Heat grill.  Mix your olive oil, garlic and a little bit more lemon juice into a small bowl.  Remove artichokes from steamer, drain and pat dry, and brush on the olive oil mixture - cut side up first, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Ready For The Grill:

Start on grill, cut side down and brush on the olive oil on other side.   Grill, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the artichoke begins to char.  You can continue to brush on the olive oil mixture if you would like. 

Lemon Garlic Aioli
Makes 3/4 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 to whole lemon, squeezed (depends on juiciness of lemon!)
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.  I had a really juicy lemon, so only used half.  The lemon juice combined with the mayonnaise should give it more of a "sauce" consistency.  Add the other lemon half if it is still too thick.

The Ultimate BBQ Ribs

I really enjoy making ribs for dinner.  I love how they make the house smell.  I love the anticipation of them.  I love everything about them - except the unhealthy factor.  I don't make them very often, but when I do, I generally try a different recipe each time.  I just don't think there is a bad rib recipe!

A personal story for you about ribs for dinner in my home....when my little one was born, he decided to arrive 2 months early.  The weekend before he was born, I felt the best of my entire pregnancy - it was like the calm before the storm. 

I remember the Sunday before he arrived, going to dinner at a neighborhood restaurant with the hubby and my older son thinking, I am so happy, I am so calm, what a beautiful sunset.  On Monday morning, I had my maternity photos taken (whew, good thing!).  On Tuesday, I didn't feel right all day - but ribs were in the oven and I was going to eat them!  Dinner rolled around and I could only eat one.  One rib.  Something was off!  After the older one went to bed,  I told the hubby I was going to the hospital because I thought my water was leaking.  I drove myself there, was admitted, put on bed rest, and delivered my little one two days later.  It was probably a year later before we made ribs again!

On the 4th of July this year, I decided to make ribs for dinner, and not just any ribs, but Tyler Florence's (one of my faves!) Ultimate BBQ Ribs.   This dish was very easy to make - we paired it with baked beans and corn on the cob - a great pre-fireworks dinner for us!

The Ultimate BBQ Ribs
4-6 Servings
Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence and The Food Network

2 slabs baby back ribs (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 bacon slices
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 onion
3 smashed garlic cloves
2 cups ketchup
1 cup peach preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground paprika

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Note:  This step was not in Tyler's recipe, but it is important for tender ribs!  Remove the membrane!  Here's a quick link from Bon Appetit on how to do that. 

Put the ribs on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stick them in the oven, and let the ribs bake, low and slow for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the sauce.  Wrap the bacon around the middle of the thyme sprigs and tie with kitchen twine so you have a nice bundle.  Heat a 2-count of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the thyme bundle and cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes to render the bacon fat and give the sauce a nice smoky taste. 

Add the onion and garlic and cook slowly, without coloring, for 5 minutes.  Add all of the rest of the sauce ingredients, give the sauce a stir, and turn the heat down to low.  Cook slowly for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Put some sauce in a separate bowl for basting, reserving the remaining sauce for serving.

Baste the ribs with the sauce and let them continue cooking, basting twice more, for 30 more minutes. 

When the ribs are cooked, take them out of the oven.  You can let them hang out like this until you are ready to eat. 

When ready to eat, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and broil the ribs, basting with the sauce.  They should become crisp and charred, about 5 minutes on each side.  Pick the onion and garlic out of the sauce and serve with ribs.

Restaurant Fun

As much as I love to cook, I also enjoy eating at restaurants.  And as much as my boys love some very popular fast food chains, I would prefer to not eat there! 

Now granted, although many of the restaurants we go to may have a menu for kids, they are also usually "boring" for kids - at least for mine.  I used to be the mommy with the diaper bag full of books and activities - then I got tired of lugging it around so now have a giant purse instead.  But - it is certainly not filled with any books or activities!

We are often those parents who resort to giving our kids our iPhones so that we can enjoy our wine without interruption.  Yep.  That's me.  The iPhones must go away once food arrives at the table (oh, and the pre-dinner bread that is often served doesn't "count").  But any salad or appetizer that arrives does count as food and is then shared as a family. 

We also like to practice "writing" with our little one.  Recently, we were at North, an excellent restaurant that is part of Fox Restaurant Concepts, and I snapped these shots with said iPhone.  Our server thought it was such a great idea and the hubby said, "hey, you should put that on your blog" - so here it is!  All you need is a bread plate, salt, pepper, and little fingers to practice their letters, numbers, and shapes!

Prosciutto and Asparagus Pasta

Awhile ago, a good friend of mine recommended this recipe that she had seen in Sunset Magazine - she said it was amazing and that it was a must try.  I filed it away and decided to make it this week for my family and she was right! 

I talked to her about potentially swapping out the heavy whipping cream for something lighter - even chicken broth.  She talked me out of it.  The one ingredient I did not include were the mushrooms, my boys and I are not fans, but in hindsight, I should have probably replaced with quartered artichoke hearts.  I think that would have added great texture and taste!

Proscuitto and Asparagus Pasta
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine

8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced (I diced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (I did not include, should have added quartered artichoke hearts)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces (I only used 1/2 pound)
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

Please note that I have changed the steps of the preparations from the original recipe.  I like to move the pasta from the pot to the saute pan rather than draining, so you'll see those steps here.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Once boiling, add the angel hair pasta and cook according to package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.  Cook onion, garlic, and mushrooms until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add prosciutto and asparagus and cook until asparagus is bright green, about 2 minutes.  Add cream, 1/4 cup cheese, the pepper, and chile flakes.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook until sauce had thickened, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the angel hair pasta directly into the saute pan with the sauce with a pasta fork or wok skimmer. 

Toss to coat and serve with more Parmesan cheese. 

Cheesecake Gelato

My older one requested Cheesecake Gelato - I pulled this recipe together based on ideas I found for cheesecake ice cream and different gelatos.  It has a nice vanilla flavor to it and a delicious, creamy texture with the addition of the cream cheese.

Cheesecake Gelato
About 4 cups

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat) - softened
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup sugar


Using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thickened, about 4 minutes.

Heat whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. 

Add 1/2 cup milk mixture into bowl with egg yolks and sugar.  Stir to combine.  Add back into saucepan and reduce heat to low.  Stir constantly for 7-10 minutes or until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.  If you do not continue to stir, you will end up with scrambled eggs!

Strain into another bowl and add in cream cheese, a little bit at a time, until it is all melted in.  Strain again into another bowl to remove any remaining cream cheese pieces. 

Chill in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to freeze.

Patriotic Marshmallow Pops

I wanted to create some patriotic treats in honor of July 4th being right around the corner, so I decided to get some marshmallows, white chocolate, and fun sprinkles!  While shopping, my boys and I decided that the "giant" s'more marshmallows would be way better for this than just regular ones - so that's what we bought!

Ingredients

Makes about 20 pops

2 bags of White Chocolate Wilton Candy Melts

12 oz bag of Giant Roaster Marshmellows

Assorted patriotic sprinkles

20 lollipop sticks

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler.  Insert a lollipop stick into a marshmellow, dip into melted chocolate, a little less than 1/2 way, cover with sprinkles!

For the "drying", I used mason jars and glassware so that the pops could stay upright while drying.