Peanut Butter and Julie

Strawberries and Cream Eclairs with Rum-Caramel Sauce

We have been in strawberry heaven this year.  California must have had a record-breaking strawberry crop, because each time I go grocery shopping, a mountain of these juicy red berries is placed front and center, welcoming me into the store.  Not only have strawberries been abundant, but they have been large in size, similar to the varieties that appear around Valentine's Day, perfect for coating in chocolate.  The price has been right too.  At two-dollars per pound, I've been tossing a few quarts into my cart on each shopping trip, that is, after I have scrutinized the entire selection on all sides in an effort to pick the very best batch.

Between Eric's massive bowl of Cheerios on weekend mornings (he actually uses a casserole-sized serving bowl), and my breakfast smoothies, we go through many, many strawberries during an average week.  I've been meaning to take advantage of this stellar strawberry season and prepare a dessert that showcases them, but we've never kept them around long enough for them to be available when I am ready to create.  So finally, I wised up a bit, and I snagged an extra pound at the store to use exclusively for confectionery purposes, specifically, for making Strawberries and Cream Eclairs.

An eclair is another one of those really impressive looking desserts, which is actually quite simple to prepare.  The fun lies in the versatility, as you are able to play around with the filling and topping.  Eclairs, along with profiteroles, gougeres, and croquembouches, are made from choux pastry, which consists of only butter, water, flour, and eggs.  The high moisture content of the dough creates steam during the baking process, causing the pastry to puff up and become light and airy.  The word choux translates to "cabbages" in French, simply due to the shape of some of the pastries that it creates (trust me, it has nothing to do with the taste!) Eclairs are often filled with a pastry cream, but for this recipe, I thought that strawberries were better off paired with lightly sweetened whipped cream.  The rum flavored caramel sauce just takes this dessert over the edge!   Here are my tips for making these fruit-filled French pastries:

• The eclairs can be baked, but not glazed or filled, 1 day in advance and kept, once cooled, in an airtight container at room temperature.  Recrisp on a baking sheet at 375F degrees for about 5 minutes and then cool before glazing.
• If you don't have a pastry bag to use for piping the batter, then simply fill a zip-top bag with the batter and then cut off one of the corners.  The opening should be wide enough to pipe a 1-inch wide strip.
• Instead of filling the eclairs with strawberries, try using ripe, firm peaches, a mixture of raspberries and blackberries, pineapple, or nectarines.
• Grand Marnier or bourbon would be a good substitute for the rum.  You can also just use vanilla extract if you don't want to use any liquor in the recipe.  Substitute 1 tablespoon vanilla for the 2 tablespoons liquor. 
• For a party, turn this recipe into bite-sized, miniature eclairs, which you can arrange as part of a dessert tray.

Strawberries and Cream Eclairs with Rum-Caramel Sauce

Makes 8

Ingredients:

For pastry

6 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup flour

3 large eggs

For caramel sauce

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter, in pieces

2 tablespoons dark rum

For filling

1 pound fresh strawberries

2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 1/4 cups chilled heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dark rum

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and place an oven rack in the upper third position.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, bring the butter, water, and salt to a boil, stirring until the butter has melted.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the flour all at once and cook, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture pulls away from the side of the pan and forms a ball, about 30 seconds.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at high speed after each addition.  Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and pipe 8 (5-inch long) strips, about 1-inch wide, onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart.

Bake the eclairs for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 400F degrees and continue to bake until they are golden brown, puffed, and crisp, 15 minutes longer.  Leave the oven on and immediately pierce the side of each eclair with the tip of a knife.  Return the eclairs to the oven to dry, propping the door slightly ajar, about 5 minutes more.  Cool completely on a 25, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce:  Heat the sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork, until it starts to melt.  Stop stirring and cook, swirling the skillet occasionally, so the sugar melts evenly, until it is a dark amber color.  Remove from the heat and immediately spoon about 1 teaspoon of the caramel along the top of each eclair, spreading it with the back of a spoon.  Add the water and salt to the remaining caramel in the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the caramel is dissolved.  Add the butter and rum, swirling the skillet to incorporate.  Remove from the heat and keep the sauce warm, covered.

Make the filling:  Slice the strawberries and toss with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.  Let stand until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, beat the cream with the remaining tablespoon sugar, cinnamon, and the rum until it holds stiff peaks.

Halve the eclairs horizontally.  Put the bottom halves of the eclairs on plates and top with the whipped cream and strawberries, and then cover with the top halves of the eclairs.  Drizzle the plates with the caramel sauce. 

Open-Faced Eggplant Caprese Sandwiches

Utter the phrase “vegetarian meal” and you’re likely to conjure up images of bland piles of leafy green vegetables accompanied by a big bowl of brown rice.  For many people, meatless is just another way of saying "dull and flavorless."  Others are convinced that it is impossible to satisfy their appetite unless chicken, beef, or pork is on the menu.  Although I do not maintain a daily vegetarian diet, some of my favorite recipes have been meatless meals, which haven't left me feeling deprived of anything.

Everyone who likes macaroni and cheese, raise your hand.  What about a colorful plate of pesto past primavera or a comforting, good old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup?  I thought so.  Now, can anyone tell me what these three dishes have in common?  Bingo.  Each of these entrees is a familiar, popular, vegetarian meal, which is eaten by many people across America every day--and there is nothing bland, dull, or flavorless about any of them.

If you’re a “glass is half empty” sort of person (and you know who you are), you might think of all of the foods which are not included as part of a vegetarian diet.  I prefer to think of that glass as being half-full, and I look at creating a meat-free meal as both a challenge and an opportunity to discover new recipes and ingredients.  Some of the world’s most flavor-rich ethnic cuisines, such as Indian and Moroccan, are based largely on a vegetarian lifestyle, with food that truly tantalizes the taste buds. 

This particular vegetarian sandwich was inspired by one of Eric's favorite things to eat, a Caprese salad, which is simply layers of ripe tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Since grilled eggplant is one of my favorite things to eat, I combined the two and heated them, open-faced style, on hearty whole grain bread.  Eggplant is great to include in a vegetarian sandwich because, like portobello mushrooms, it almost takes on meat-like characteristics.  This sandwich is colorful, summery, and very satisfying.  Serve them (or mini versions) at your next cook-out or barbecue.  Here are a few more tips for making effortless eggplant entrees:

• If you want to use a different type of cheese for this sandwich, use one that melts easily, like the mozzarella.  Bries, Gruyere, Fontina , and even provolone would all be good choices for substitutions.
• I like to make these on thickly sliced whole grain bread (I buy the par-baked La Brea brand from the bakery in our grocery store), but they would be good on ciabatta rolls, white country bread, or halved baguettes.
• To add extra color to the dish, try using different colored tomatoes, such as a combination of yellow and red.  Multicolored heirloom tomatoes would also make a nice presentation.
• If you absolutely must add meat to this dish, add some thinly sliced prosciutto or soppressata before you add the tomatoes and mozzarella.

Open-Faced Eggplant Caprese Sandwiches

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 thick slices of peasant or ciabatta bread

Extra virgin olive oil

1 (1 1/4 pound) eggplant, sliced crosswise 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper

4 tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4-inch thick

1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick

8 large basil leaves, torn

Light a grill or heat a grill pan over high heat.  Brush the bread on both sides and grill until crisp on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 30 seconds per side.  Transfer to a platter.

Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium heat until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.  Turn and grill until tender, about 3 minutes longer.

Top the eggplant with the tomato, mozzarella, and basil.  Cover the grill or tent the grill-pan with foil and cook until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the eggplant to the bread, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken

I honestly can't remember the last time, in the past 15 years, when I have eaten fried chicken.  When my brother and I were little, and our parents used to go out for the evening, leaving us with a babysitter, the go-to meal was usually chicken fingers and tater tots.  When we moved to Houston, as a pre-teen I discovered Chick-Fil-A, and I loved getting their fried chicken sandwiches (with a pickle on top!) to eat as my mom chauffeured me home from my downtown ice-skating lessons.  At picnics, I would always opt for a golden and crispy piece of seasoned chicken over burgers and dogs.

Then I had to go and get all health conscious and ruin everything!  Why is it that so many of the wonderful foods that we devoured as children turn out to be so bad for us?  I've seen half a dozen special Dateline reports, telling me just how unhealthy Oreos, Pop Tarts, and Chicken Nuggets are, including horrifying statistics on the shelf life of a Twinkie.  Obviously, all of this nutritional knowledge takes away from the enjoyment of eating these forbidden foods, so what's a girl to do when she suddenly needs a fried chicken fix?

Paula Deen is to blame.  There she was, in her enviable Savannah kitchen, doing what she does best: frying things in lots of oil.  There I was, on the treadmill, getting hungrier by the minute.  In that 30 minute episode, she produced fried chicken that looked like it came straight out of central food styling.  At that point, I decided that I needed to compromise and find a good way to oven fry chicken, thus eliminating the vats of oil, but maintaining the crispy seasoned exterior.

This recipe is about as close to the southern-fried real deal as you can get, while cutting down significantly on fat and calories.  By soaking the chicken in a spicy, low-fat buttermilk marinade overnight, the meat becomes very tender, and it stays moist throughout the baking process.  Panko bread crumbs mixed with a little bit of Parmesan cheese, flour, and seasonings creates a crisp crust, without a trace of oil.  Yes, Ms. Deen might disapprove of my technique, but we thought it was delicious.  Here are a few tips for this spicy summer favorite:

• If you want to make this recipe even lighter, then make it using trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
• By cutting boneless, skinless chicken breasts into strips, marinating, breading, and baking, you are essentially making your own, healthier chicken fingers, which children are sure to love!
• Don't be alarmed by the amount of curry in the marinade.  Although the flavor comes through, it by no means dominates the recipe.  If you don't like curry at all, feel free to leave it out and replace it with paprika, chili powder, or even garlic powder.
• Panko bread crumbs, which are the Japanese bread crumbs found in the Asian foods section of the grocery store, can be replaced with regular unseasoned breadcrumbs.
• Although the recipe says to marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, I prefer to marinate it overnight, as this results in a moister, more flavorful product.

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 teaspoons salt, divided

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, and drumsticks) with skin and bones

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

In a large casserole dish, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, curry, mustard, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and pepper to blend well.  Add the chicken and turn to coat.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day, turning occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and spray the racks with nonstick spray.  In a large baking dish, whisk the Panko, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off.  Add the chicken to the breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely.  Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on the racks on the baking sheets.  Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425F degrees and place oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.  Bake the chicken until crisp, golden, and cooked through, about 50 minutes, switching positions of the trays halfway through.  Serve warm or at room temperature.