2006-09-08

Granite Steps Country Blueberry Coffee Cake

OK - I'm not going to lie to you, people. There is NOTHING low-fat about this recipe. I happened to see it on the Food Network, late one night, and it is based on one of my favorite indulgences...Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits. I made this recipe when following the "never return a casserole dish empty" rule after our son was born. It was fairly easy, and SOOOOO good fresh out of the oven. A great way to use up all of the blueberries you picked this summer. Enjoy!


Granite Steps Country Blueberry Coffee Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Recipe Summary
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • User Rating: 5 Stars
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 (12-ounce) can buttermilk biscuits
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Generously grease a 9-inch square baking dish. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well with a fork. Separate biscuit dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters, and dip each piece in melted butter and coat with brown sugar mixture. Arrange in a single layer in baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the oats.

Combine blueberries and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat. Spoon over oats and biscuits and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup oats. Drizzle remaining melted butter on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake is golden brown and center is done. Cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm.


See this recipe on air Wednesday Sep. 20, 2006 at 1:00 PM ET/PT. Episode#: PA1D05
Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

You CAN have your margarita and eat it too!

This pie was made for my birthday a few
years ago by a co-worker and thought
I'd post it for everyone's mid-summer
enjoyment!

My office does it up on B'days, and they
did an entire margarita themed celebration
for me. My, how I love my co-workers!

Margarita Pie


Ingredients
  • One 9-inch graham cracker crust 
  • One 10-oz. can sweetened condensed milk 
  • 1/4-cup fresh limejuice 
  • 1-oz. tequila 
  • 1-oz. triple sec 
  • 2 cups whipped topping 
  • Slices of fresh limes for garnish 
Directions
  1. Combine condensed milk, limejuice, tequila, and triple sec.
  2. Fold in whipped topping and spread into the graham crust.
  3. Freeze for several hours before serving.
  4. Serve with fresh lime slices and more whipped topping if desired.
Flickr Photo by Crystl (Thanks!)

2006-09-06

Summer Vegetable Tian

I made the following recipe (courtsey of Williams-Sonoma) for dinner tonight, to utilize a wonderful bounty of summer squashes and tomatoes, and served it with whole wheat pasta. The dish could easily be transformed into a vegan delight be excluding the cheese or exchanging it for a soy-based one. I also used Panko breadcrumbs for a slightly nuttier texture. Enjoy!


Summer Vegetable Tian

Originating in Provence, a tian is a French word that describes a shallow earthenware casserole as well as the food it contains. Traditionally it features a variety of vegetables, herbs and cheeses that are layered and then baked.

Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8-inch strips
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 3 small zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
  • 2 small crookneck squash, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
  • 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 lb. plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1/2 cup fine dried bread crumbs
Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. 
  2. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish with olive oil.
  3. In a fry pan over medium heat, warm 5 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. 
  4. Add the bell pepper and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. 
  5. Transfer the onion-pepper mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
  6. In a bowl, combine the zucchini, crookneck squash, 5 Tbs. of the oil, the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly. 
  7. Arrange the zucchini, crookneck squash and tomato slices on the onion-pepper mixture, overlapping the rows. 
  8. Drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and bake for 30 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the cheese and bread crumbs. 
  10. Remove the baking dish from the oven and sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes more.
  11. Turn the oven to broil and broil until the cheese is golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. 
  12. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6.