Fiona Likes Food

Sorry I’m late with the announcement (I know you were all sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear the news) but I was trying to come up with the most random method of generating a winner. It was a highly scientific process involving complicated mathematical equations and the Periodic Table of Elements.

Hey, mom.

Yes?

Pick a number between 1 and 25.

18.

Thanks.

…

So, without further ado… Congratulations, Eileen and Olivia! You’re the lucky winners of the fruit spoons. I hope they look great in Olivia’s new kitchen!

I’ll send them out as soon as I manage to force myself out of the pool. Probably sometime on Tuesday.

Fiona

Remember these spoons? My brother bought them for me in Japan. I love them, but I’ve already expressed that. What I haven’t expressed it that I recently found a set hidden in the back of my closet. Brand spanking new, too. In the box. Mint condition. Never been used.

I bought them while I was in Japan and although I’m sure I picked them up for someone special, I can’t for the life of me figure out who.

So here’s my plan. Since I got such an overwhelming response when I first posted about the spoons (two comments, thank you very much) I thought I’d use them for my very first giveaway!

Want the spoons? Just leave a comment here with a link to your favorite blog or website. If you don’t have a favorite blog or website, you probably have more of a life than I do. In which case, please leave a comment explaining how you got to be so popular. I’ll pick someone randomly this Friday and send the spoons to you for your measuring enjoyment!

The good news? If you enter, you stand a good chance of winning.

The bad news? I’m not giving away iPads.

Fiona

It’s Saturday night and I’m sitting in my sweatpants on my parents’ couch. I’m 100 percent okay with that, too. My dad is watching some documentary about Rush, my mom is playing Scrabble on my iPhone and I’m looking at photos of food. Oh, and we just finished Skyping with my brother Stewart and his girlfriend Papi who live in Japan.

Skyping is always an interesting experience in my house. The first five minutes usually involve a lot of shouting and waving while our archaic laptop tries its best to make the conversation completely impossible by freezing and chugging along at slothful speeds.  Then we spend a while showing each other whatever food we happen to be eating. After we get through that portion of the conversation, we transition into the awkward silence/interrupting each other phase and finally hit our stride about ten minutes in.

But I love it. And it’s always nice to see Stewart and Papi and hear how they’re doing. They’re actually going to be visiting us in San Diego this Christmas so hopefully we’ll have a bit more success talking to each other in 3D. Wish us luck.

Anyway, back to food. This is a simple recipe for a shrimp salad that’s quick and easy and great for a summertime lunch.

All you need is shrimp, butter, mayonnaise, some sort of sweet mustard, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, green onions, mache or lettuce, and micro greens for garnish.

First, chop up the green onions, cucumbers, avocados and tomatoes …

… and mix them together with mayo and mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I could eat it just like this.

Then, saute some shrimp in butter and season with salt and pepper …

… and add them to the avocado mixture.

Prepare a bed of lettuce (this is mache) on a plate and dress with oil and vinegar.

And spoon some of the shrimp and avocado mixture right on top and garnish with micro greens. We added some crispy Parmesan cheese crumbles to add crunch to an otherwise soft salad. We baked grated Parmesan cheese on a sheet for about 8 minutes and then scraped it off. You can use croutons instead if you prefer.

That’s it! Hope you like it.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 Persian cucumbers, peeled
• 1 bunch green onions, white and pale green parts only
• 3 green zebra tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. honey mustard
• 3/4 lb. large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• Mache or butter lettuce
• Good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Chop avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions
2. Mix with mayonnaise and mustard
3. Season shrimp and saute in butter until just cooked
4. Add shrimp to avocado mixture
5. Season to taste
6. Pile on top of oil and vinegar-dressed greens
7. Top with crispy Parmesan or croutons

Fiona

My motto is, if it’s good, it’ll be better wrapped in pastry. Never forget that. It’s served me well. So, ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite comfort foods: chicken vol au vents. They’re basically little chicken pot pies minus the pie crust plus puff pastry. I’d say it’s a good trade-off. Although, there isn’t much in life I wouldn’t trade for puff pastry.

Anyway, my parents have been making these since I was little, so when I moved out on my own it was one of the first recipes I called my mom for. It’s quick and easy to throw together and makes great leftovers, so it’s perfect for a weeknight meal. And a midnight snack. And a next day breakfast, if you live alone and have no scruples like me.

(Hi, Mom.) To make chicken vol au vents, you’ll need puff pastry shells, flour, milk or chicken broth, ::cough:: cream and butter ::cough::, Dijon mustard, mushrooms, peas, chicken, salt and pepper.

First, make a roux in a heavy saucepan by cooking flour and butter for a few minutes. It’s the basis of the sauce and will make it nice and thick, but you need to be sure to cook it long enough to get rid of the floury taste.

Now you can start to saute the mushrooms in some butter – they’ll add great flavor and color to the filling. When they’re done, season them with salt and pepper and set aside until you’re ready to add them to the sauce.

Ok. Back to the roux. Add some nice mustard to the mixture. You won’t necessarily taste mustard in the end result, but it adds some depth to the sauce.

Now. Listen carefully. You have a decision to make. You can either go down the milk route or you can use chicken broth to make your filling. This is a long standing debate in our house. My mom likes it with chicken broth. She says it has a richer flavor. My dad and I prefer it with milk because it’s deliciously creamy. Over the years we’ve found a compromise with chicken broth and a splash of heavy cream, which is what I’m showing here. Anyway, the decision is yours. There’s no wrong answer. You can’t go wrong. Call a family meeting. Talk it over. Let me know what you decide.

So, add half of whatever liquid you’re using and whisk to blend and stir constantly while bringing it to a boil. Continue to add more liquid until it has reached the desired consistency and then season with salt and pepper to taste. If you used chicken broth, you should add some cream at this point.

Now, add the mushrooms with their pan juice and the peas.

And chicken. I like to buy the whole rotisserie chickens from the grocery store, but have at it if you’d prefer to cook your own.

Now taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as you see fit.

Cook the pastry shells according to the directions on the box, spoon the mixture into the shells and repeat as necessary. Hope you like them as much as I do!

Ingredients

• Meat from one precooked chicken
• 3 oz. flour
• 1/2 – 1 quart whole milk or chicken broth and heavy cream (keep adding liquid until it’s as you like it)
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 6 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 box Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in saucepan
2. Add flour
3. Stir over low heat for about 2-3 minutes
4. Remove from heat
5. Add ½ the milk or broth, whisking to blend
6. Stirring constantly, bring sauce to boil
7. Add more milk until desired consistency
8. Add mustard and season to taste
9. Slice mushrooms and sauté in remaining butter
10. Remove mushrooms from heat and season
11. Add mushrooms and pan juices to sauce
12. Add peas
13. Add chicken
14. Cook shells according to packet directions
15. Serve and enjoy!

Fiona

I knew it as soon as my alarm went off for the eighth time and jarred me from my dreaming state twenty minutes before I was supposed to be at work. I was reminded of it when I got in the shower and discovered I was sharing it with a hairy, twitching beast of a spider. And when I looked at the clock at what I thought was the end of a long day and realized it was only 4 o’clock the afternoon, I was certain: it’s high time for something sweet here on fionalikesfood.

Why?

Because nothing cheers me up quite like a good dessert. Especially when it showcases two of my most favorite things in life: whipped cream and berries. Many girls keep a list of qualities they hope to someday find in a man. Things like honesty, a sense of humor, intelligence, and (in my case) the desire to cook dinner every night. Me? I keep a list of qualities I hope to find in my next dessert: flaky pastry, fresh fruit, whipped cream and custard. That’s my Top Four. All I need in life. I’m convinced.

So here it is: a recipe for mixed berry pavlova. It’s a nice, light dessert – perfect for the 100+ degree weather we’ve been enduring in San Diego this week.

All you need is egg whites, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla essence, malt vinegar, cream, berries and, if you’re feeling frisky, Grand Marnier.

First, beat your egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Then, beat in 1/2 c. sugar and continue to beat for 1 minute or until stiff and glossy. Once the eggs are ready, fold in the remaining sugar, cornstarch, vanilla essence and vinegar.

Then, spoon about 1/3 of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. If yours has a lip, you may want to turn it upside down. It’ll make it much easier to move. Spread it into a 9 inch circle to make a base about 1/2 inch thick. And don’t worry if it’s not perfect. I’ll eat it anyway.

Here’s the fun part. Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1 inch fluted nozzle with the remaining egg whites and pipe the mixture around the edge of the circle in decorative swirls to form a case to hold the filling. If you don’t have a piping set, I say just do the best you can with a spoon. It’ll give it a nice … rustic charm. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue in for 30 additional minutes.

Pretty berries.

Once the meringue is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool. If it cracked, don’t worry. Once you fill it with cream and berries you’ll hardly notice. Plus, it’ll be delicious anyway.

Now just whip up some cream in a mixer, sweeten it with sugar, spoon it into the meringue shell and cover it with fresh fruit. I like to pour a little Grand Marnier over the fruit first for a little extra flavor and shine.

And that’s it! Cut yourself a slice and enjoy. You deserve it. You had a long day.

Ingredients

• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
• 1 tsp. malt vinegar
• 1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
• Fresh berries
• Grand Marnier

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks
• Beat in 1/2 c. sugar and continue to beat for 1 minute or until stiff and glossy
• Fold in remaining sugar, cornstarch, vanilla essence and vinegar
• Spoon 1/3 of mixture onto parchment in a 9 inch circle to make a base about 1/2 inch thick
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a 1 inch fluted nozzle with remaining egg white
• Pipe around edge of circle in decorative swirls to form a case to hold the filling
• Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 1 hour
• Turn off oven and leave meringue in oven for 30 additional minutes
• Remove and cool
• Whip cream and sweeten with 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Spoon cream into meringue and cover with fresh fruit
• Enjoy

Fiona

I went home this weekend. And I’m so glad I did. I spent both days lounging in the pool like some sort of lethargic seal. I’d lay in the sun, get nice and warm and then just roll off my raft into the water. Then I’d eat something. Then I’d assume the position on my raft once more.

My friend Darla even joined me for a while on Saturday. This was about as active as I was the entire weekend. That’s the way I like it. It was totally and completely worth the second degree burns on my arms, calves, chest, ears and cheeks. And cheeks.

Anyway. Before all the pool madness started, my mom made a delicious breakfast to kick off the weekend. Because I was minutes away from putting on a bathing suit for the first time this summer, we went carb free: poached eggs and spinach on peameal back bacon with sauteed green zebra tomatoes. Yes, please.

To make this delicious breakfast for yourself, cook a bag of spinach down, drain it thoroughly (you may even need to squeeze it in some paper towels), chop it up and return it to the pan with the heat off. You’ll be doing some naughty things to it later.

Then, slice some tomatoes. If you can, use green zebra ones. They’re really good with this breakfast because they’re a little more tart than regular tomatoes, which pairs nicely with the egg and spinach. Plus, they’re beautiful.

At this point, you can start the poached eggs. If you’re feeling fancy you can poach them without the pan like the pros, but we had more important things to focus on.

Things like cooking bacon. Now, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking I had one too many poolside pina coladas. You’re thinking I’ve completely lost it and I’m calling things that are clearly not bacon bacon. I have news for you. This is bacon and it’s to die for. It’s called peameal back bacon, which is unsmoked back bacon brined and rolled in cornmeal or a meal made from ground yellow peas. If you can’t find this, feel free to use Canadian bacon, regular old bacon or even ham.

Ok. Back to the spinach. Turn the heat on low and add sour cream, cream cheese and butter and let it all melt together. Then season it with salt and pepper and freshly ground nutmeg, but go easy on the nutmeg, that’s some strong stuff. Once it’s looking like heaven in a pot send it over the top with some freshly grated cheese. We used Gruyere, but any cheese will do.

Then, once everything is done, put it all together and dig in. Hope you like it!

Ingredients

• 1 10 oz. bag of spinach
• 1 green tomato per person
• 1 egg per person
• 1 piece of bacon or ham per person
• 2-3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. cream cheese
• 1 tbsp. sour cream
• A handful or so of grated cheese
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly ground nutmeg

Instructions

1. Cook spinach until wilted, drain well, squeeze dry and chop
2. Return to dry pan and turn off heat
3. Saute sliced tomatoes in a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper
4. Poach eggs
5. Saute bacon or ham
6. Add butter, sour cream and cream cheese and grated cheese to spinach
7. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
8. Heat until cheese melts
9. Serve and enjoy

Fiona

Alright. This may not be the healthiest of snacks, but I wanted to follow up my post about HP sauce with an English recipe that is absolutely and completely made for the stuff. So here it is: the recipe for HP’s other half. HP’s better half. Scotch eggs. They’re hard boiled eggs wrapped in seasoned sausage meat and deep fried. I love them with all of my heart. Every artery.

Oh, and before you start judging me for my love of all things deep fried, just know that I rode my bike to work today. That’s right. I rolled out of bed an hour early, put on some stretchy pants (no jokes, please) and pedaled and wheezed my way into the office. I think I deserve to stare at photos of delicious English bar food for a while, don’t you? And speaking of delicious deep fried food, does anyone know how to make doughnuts? I could really use a giant doughnut right now. I don’t think I’ll be able to sit in a chair without one for a few weeks.

Anyway, should you decide you’d like to try a Scotch egg for yourself, here’s what you need: hard boiled eggs (duh), sausage, bread crumbs, flour, parsley, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and oil.

First, mix your sausage meat with some fresh parsley, thyme, flour and Worcestershire sauce. Do it with your hands, it’ll build character.

Roll the meat into a ball and divide it into four equal pieces.

Wrap each portion of sausage around an egg.

They should look like this.

Then dip each one in raw egg and roll in breadcrumbs …

… and deep fry them until they’re golden brown.

They should look like this and have a nice, crisp crust.

Cut them in half or in fourths so you can see each layer and serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Sorry. With my favorite dipping sauce. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 hard boiled eggs
• 1 raw egg, whisked
• 1 lb. sausage meat
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. seasoned flour
• 1 handful of freshly chopped Italian parsley
• 1 tsp. thyme
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together sausage meat, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned flour, parsley and thyme.
2. Divide sausage mixture into four equal portions
3. Wrap sausage around each hard boiled egg
4. Coat each sausage-wrapped egg with breadcrumbs
5. Fill saucepan 1/3 full with oil and heat to 350 degrees
6. Deep fry Scotch eggs for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp
7. Cut in half and serve with brown sauce
8. Ride a bike

Fiona

My parents are English. They moved to America just before they had my older brother and have been sneaking delicacies from the motherland onto or dinner plates ever since.  I’m not going to lie, some traditional UK foods are not the best. But before you let visions of Christmas pudding and jellied eel turn your stomach, allow me to introduce you to something straight out of England that is absolute perfection in a bottle: HP Sauce.

HP sauce is a sweet and tangy sauce that has a malt vinegar base blended with tomato, dates, tamarind extract and various other magical spices. It’s good on just about anything, but I particularly enjoy it on cheesy things like macaroni, omelets and, of course, grilled cheese sandwiches. And speaking of grilled cheese sandwiches, here’s a slightly different take on the American classic: grilled cheese with grilled onions on raisin bread. Sweet and salty. My favorite.

All you need is some good bread (I used a pecan and raisin bread which was amazing), grilled onions, butter, some nice sharp cheese and your favorite brown sauce. You’ll notice I have two types – regular old HP and HP Fruity. They’re both delicious. Try either one. Try both. You can’t go wrong.

First, slice up your bread and butter each piece on one side.

Grate a generous pile of whatever cheese you have on hand.

And assemble your sandwiches in a pan, butter side out.

Cook them over medium-low heat until they’re crispy on the outside and all the cheese has melted.

Dip them in brown sauce and thank me later.

Ingredients

• Bread
• Cheese
• Butter
• Grilled onions
• Brown sauce

Instructions

1. Slice bread
2. Butter bread
3. Grate cheese
4. Build sandwiches
5. Fry sandwiches
6. Dip sandwiches
7. Eat sandwiches
8. Repeat as necessary

Fiona

Alright. Because it’s the beginning of the week and I won’t need to put on a bathing suit and work on my tan for at least four days (sorry, Dad), I’m posting a recipe that’s so bad it’s good: chicken wings. So grab a roll of paper towels, Scotch Guard the carpet, roll up your sleeves and get ready to eat some awesome wings. Sweet, slightly spicy and not at all vinegary, these are totally different than buffalo wings and are best enjoyed in the privacy of your own home. No cameras allowed.

All you need for this recipe are chicken wings, cooking oil, ketchup, sriracha, butter, green onions, sugar, salt and pepper. Before you scroll down, I should warn you. The next image is not pretty. Ok. Scroll.

First, cut your chicken wings at the joints, discard the tips and dry the wings on paper towels. This prevents the oil from spitting too much when you fry the chicken. Keep scrolling. The photos get better.

In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in ketchup, sugar and hot sauce to taste. Season with salt and pepper and add green onions once the chicken has been in the oil for a few minutes.

Heat up some cooking oil to 375 degrees. Don’t fill your pan over 1/3 full as you need room for the chicken. Oh, and be careful not to let it spit at you. It’s rude. And it hurts. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken wings and fry them until they’re golden brown and crispy.

Then, drain the wings on some paper towels …

… and toss them in the sauce.

Pile them up on a plate and dig in – that’s it! Oh, and heat up the shower. You’re going to need one after this.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/2 c. ketchup
• 2 tsp. sugar
• Sriracha hot sauce to taste, probably about 4-5 good shakes
• 12 chicken wings
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 dozen green onions, finely sliced

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a saucepan and add ketchup, sugar, sriracha, salt and pepper
2. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings as necessary
3. Fill a deep pan 1/3 full with cooking oil and heat to 375 degrees
4. Cut chicken wings at the joints and discard wing tips
5. Dry wings thoroughly and leave at room temperate for a few minutes before frying to prevent oil from cooling down significantly once chicken is in
6. Add chicken to oil and stir to separate, try to keep oil temperature at 375 degrees
7. Cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes
8. While chicken is cooking, add green onions to sauce
9. Drain wings on paper towels and toss in sauce
10. Pile on plate and garnish with extra green onions

Fiona

I visited my parents in San Diego this weekend. Although the trip interfered with my big plans to deep clean my apartment, get my oil changed and return some clothes, it was a nice weekend and a much needed break after a crazy week at work. It felt good to potter around the house in my pajamas and unwind by the pool. And thanks to my dad’s thoughtful recommendation, I think I’ll try to do more of that pool thing. It’s good for the soul.

…

Isn’t it nice to just relax by the pool?

Yes. You should do more of it.

I really should. I work so hard during the week, I think I really deserve …

Your legs are so white they’re almost blue. Marilyn, look at Fiona’s legs! Do you think she has a circulation problem?

…

Yes. I think I’ll do more of that pool thing.

Anyway, on Sunday our neighbor dropped off some amazingly sweet oranges from his tree, so my mom looked up a recipe for this delicious orange custard tart. It’s from one of her hundreds of Bon Appetit magazines and it’s a keeper. We adapted it slightly (used less sugar, added blueberries, almost dropped it on the floor) and it turned our beautifully.

You need flour, butter, whipping cream, vanilla extract, Grand Marnier, eggs, corn meal, raspberries, oranges and blueberries.

First, mix together flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar, minced orange peel and salt in a large bowl.

Then add butter, an egg yolk and vanilla and blend in a mixer until it looks like this.

Knead the dough into a ball and press it into the bottom and up the sides of tart pan. Put it in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare the custard filling by mixing together whipping cream, orange juice, egg yolks, sugar, Grand Marnier and more minced orange peel.

Once the crust is cold, line it with foil, weigh it down with pie weights or dry beans and bake it for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, take it out of the oven and remove the foil and pie weights and return it to bake for another 10 minutes. It should start to smell pretty good around Minute 8 and really good at Minute 9.

Wipe the drool off your chin, remove the crust from the oven, and pour the custard filling into the tart shell. Return it to the over and bake until the filling is barely set, and allow it to cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate it for about three hours, or until completely cool.

While you’re waiting anxiously for the tart to cool, segment some oranges for the topping and choose some other pretty fruits to decorate with. My mom and I went with blueberries and raspberries and the colors were beautiful. No pressure.

Dry off the oranges a bit so they don’t flood the tart and arrange the fruit any way you like to cover the tart.

And the tart and Fiona and Fiona’s white legs lived happily ever after. The end.

Ingredients (Crust)

• 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 2/3 c. yellow cornmeal
• 2/3 c. powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. minced orange peel (orange part only)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 7 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients (Filling)

• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 c. fresh orange juice
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 1 tbsp. minced orange peel (orange part only)
• 3 oranges, white pith removed
• 1 pint raspberries

Instructions

1. Mix together flour, cornmeal, powdered sugar, orange peel and salt in a large bowl
2. Add butter, egg yolk and vanilla and blend in mixer until coarse crumbs form
3. Knead into ball (dough will be very soft)
4. Pat dough onto bottom and up sides of a 13 1/2 x 4 1/4 inch rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom
5. Press into place and freeze for 20 minutes
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
7. Line crust with foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights
8. Bake for 15 minutes
9. Remove foil and beans and press crust up sides of pan if necessary
10. Bake 10 minutes longer and cool
11. In a separate bowl, mix whipping cream, orange juice, egg yolks, sugar, Grand Marnier and orange peel
12. Pour filling into crust and bake until barely set, about 30 minutes
13. Cool for 20 minutes and then refrigerate until custard is firm, about 3 hours
14. Cut oranges between membranes and drain well on paper towels
15. Arrange orange segments and other fruits of your choice to cover all of the custard
16. Oranjoy! (Get it? Enjoy?)

Fiona