Summer Gazpacho on a cold rainny day

I decided to make gazpacho soup because I know that Andrew likes it. He ordered it on the day of our wedding in Hawaii. So last year I wanted to make it for him for our first anniversary. But we got married in October, not the best time of year to have a gazpacho... I've been wanting to make it for him since then. So I waited for summer to arrive. This week, I saw some beautiful tomatoes and thought it would be great to have gazpacho soup at our balcony, nice warm breeze, maybe a glass of wine remembering our wedding day. Well....just as I bought the tomatoes the weather changed to wet and cold....So the gazpacho ended up been served at our indoor table for lunch in a typical Seattle day (read: wet, grey, and likely cold)... So it wasn't the romantic dinner that I had planned... But the soup is still a big hit.
About the recipe:
I adapted it from one of many gazpacho recipes found at epicurious.com. I had some really good baguette left over which I think it makes a big difference when you make the croutons. I don't have the Spanish paprika, so I used regular one. I used white onions for topping instead of red because Andrew prefers it. After reading the reviews, I noticed many people said that the 1/4 cup of vinegar was too much, so I used less than that. The olive oil gives it a really fruity aroma and taste.
Gazpacho Sour Recipe:

1 cup tomato juice
1 (2-inch) piece baguette, crust discarded and cut into 1-inch cubes
15 very ripe medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (I used 12 on-the-vine tomatoes)
1 1/2 medium English cucumbers, peeled and roughly chopped, plus 1/2 cucumber finely diced for garnish (I used only 1 in the soup)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika* (used regular)
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar (used red vinegar, and less than 1/4 cup)
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In small bowl, pour tomato juice over bread cubes and let soak until very soft, about 30 minutes. Transfer to blender and puree until smooth. Add tomatoes, roughly chopped cucumber, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and paprika and puree until very smooth. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract all liquid. Discard solids, return liquid to blender, and add 1/4 cup vinegar. With motor running, slowly add 1 cup oil in slow steady stream, then blend until fully incorporated. Transfer gazpacho to airtight container and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

In medium bowl, toss together finely diced cucumber, bell pepper, onion, ground black pepper, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Ladle gazpacho into bowls. Spoon chopped vegetable mixture into middle of each bowl, dividing evenly among bowls. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

Berries in general are relatively new to me. I didn't grow up eating them. The only berry I remember having in Brazil is strawberry. Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries were either not available or probably incredibly expensive. So I look forward to cook with them during the summer months when they are in season. I like them all, although I have to admit I still prefer the tropical fruits better... Hopefully I'll be posting some recipes using them as well soon (mango & lime juice....cream of papaya...fried bananas.....huuummm....)This recipe is from here. The cake is really good, better eaten warm, a little after it's been baked. There is not a lot of dough, which makes a good fruit to batter ratio. I bet an a la mode version would be nice too.

A few notes:
My cake didn't turn out as tall as the one on the picture, I wonder if it is because I used a 6 1/2 inches souffle dish instead of a 5/12 one. That reminds me of something else: This is a small cake. If you plan to make it for a large crowd, consider making two of them. Lastly, my cake was done after 40 minutes.


Blueberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe:
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for souffle dish
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups blueberries, picked over and cleaned
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk, room temperature

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1-quart, 5 1/2-inch-diameter souffle dish. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into the souffle dish. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown sugar over butter. Scatter 1 cup blueberries over sugar. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, and the egg. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture. Add flour mixture; whisk until batter is smooth.
3. Pour half the batter into souffle dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup blueberries over batter. Spread remaining batter over blueberries. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean of batter, about 45 minutes. Immediately invert cake onto a serving dish.

Lavender Float, made in WA

Lavender reminds me of Provence. I used to see postcards of beautiful lavender fields, the envelope in a matching purple colour, I always thought to myself, wouldn't it be great to visit those places.... Ironically when I went to France and had a chance to visit Provence....it wasn't lavender season....nor sunflower season either (another one of my favourites). But that didn't stop me from falling in love with the area, it's small villages and towns, patios filled with happy people sipping glasses of (French) wine, dogs sleeping under the tables, bicycles parked along the side walks... Yes, it is a really great place. But so is Washington, in it's own way. This lavender float is made with two local products from the Seattle Area.

I first tried the ice cream. I had never tried or even heard of lavender ice cream before. It is REALLY good!!! Since I tried it, I haven't been able to try any other ice cream flavor yet, I keep thinking no other one will top it. Andrew didn't like it at all, "it's like eating a scented candle"... He associates the flavor with the scent of lavender that comes from the candles.
The lavender soda came later, I saw it at the supermarket and thought it would be fun to put the two of them together on a float. I really enjoyed it, and supporting local businesses is always a good thing.
So.... have a cold glass, scoop some ice cream (I used Snoqualmie Gourmet) and pour the soda (Dry Soda Lavender). Close your eyes, and imagine the purple lavender fields....

Tortilla-Crusted Chicken

We had a party a while ago and ended up with some (a lot) of tortilla chips left over. I don't mind them if I am in a Mexican restaurant, as an appetizer or at a party. But it's not the kind of food we eat on a daily basis. I find it very salty, and I don't like jarred salsas either, so I have to make my own (really good one) every time we want to eat the tortillas. So I decided to try and use it to coat chicken breasts and bake them. It turned out really good, a nice way to use the left over bag of Doritos. The chicken was baked, not fried, and I used mustard to coat it first instead of eggs. If you leave some chunks of tortilla chips the chicken turn out crispier and have a nice texture to it. I don't really know how long I cooked it for, it depends on the temperature of your oven. I had something else baking at the same time at 350'F, but you can go higher than that and cook it faster. As long as it's cooked through it's OK.
Tortilla-Crusted Chicken Recipe

Crush tortilla chips (I did it in a food processor). Coat chicken breasts with some Dijon mustard and cover them with the crumbs. Place coated chicken breasts in a cooling rack set oven a baking sheet and bake it until cooked through.
* Andrew asked for lime wedges and squeezed it over top. I can give a nice taste, but keep in mind it will affect the crispness of the chicken.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread

I love breads...French baguettes that are crispy outside and full of wholes in the dough for that olive oil to hide...yummmm, or crusty Italian loafs with rosemary and olives.... But don't be fulled, I don't know how to make any of those... Luckily, Seattle has some great bakeries ( I live close to a Macrina....and the Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle is just amazing).
This bread I made is a homemade loaf, made with oats and molasses which gives the bread a nice flavour and this dark colour.
This recipe makes 2 loafs. It comes from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking Cookbook (again...)
I like to have a slice with some saffron-honey for breakfast.


Oatmeal and Molasses Bread Recipe:

2 1/2 cups water
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2 packages dry active yeast
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon sea salt

Bring water to a boil and pour over oats. Add butter and molasses and let mixture cool to warm (105-115'F/40-46'C)

Add 3 cups of the flour and the salt.In the bow of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm oats mixture and wait 5 minutes. Knead on low speed with the hook attachment. Add remaining flour as needed for the dough to come away from the sides of the bowl after a few minutes of kneading (I use normally between 5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour, but it varies each time). Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

Butter 2 9-by-5 inch (23-by13 cm) loaf pans. Punch down the dough and transfer it to a work surface (it may be sticky). Cut it in half. Form an oval log with each half (by rolling and sealing the dough) Place the logs seam side down in the prepared loaf pans. Press on them to flatten them evenly into the pans. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let it rise again in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375'F (190'C). Mist the tops of the loafs with water and sprinkle with extra oats. bake until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on top, 40-45 minutes. Let them cool completely on wire racks before slicing (if you can....)

Baked Eggplant with Coconut Milk

This dish is super easy to prepare, fast and healthy. Just perfect for those days when I don't feel like spending too much time prepping, but still want to eat something that is nourishing and good for me. I served it over rice to soak up the sauce. A simple arugula and radishes salad completed my meal today. Enjoy it!

Baked Eggplant Recipe
from the Brazilian cookbook O Grande Livro de Receitas Claudia

Slice one eggplant and place it on the bottom of an oven proof dish. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with one onion finely sliced ( I used a mandoline). Mix 1/3 cup of milk with 1/3 cup of coconut milk and pour on top of dish. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, or chopped red chillies (I didn't have chillies so I used the pepper flakes)
Cover with foil and bake it at 350'F for about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until is golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

Homemade Granola, my way

Granola is the type of recipe that anyone can adjust and adapt to their own taste. It's almost impossible to mess it up. This is my version. I looked at many different recipes and came up with this one that is adapted mainly for Andrew's taste, who eats it everyday for breakfast (he likes to mix it with Cheerios). I like to sprinkle it over yogurt, or a nice bowl of Brazilian acai with some sliced bananas. I always make a double batch as the recipe can be easily doubled, and it goes really fast here at home.

Rita's Homemade Granola Recipe

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup rice puffs

1 cup Brazil nuts, chopped

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut *

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp dark brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp maple syrup

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 teasp salt

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250'F. Combine first six ingredients. On a separate bowl, mix maple syrup, oil and salt until combined. Combine both mixtures well and spread it on a rimmed baking sheet pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Add raisins and keep it in an air-tight container.

I love Brazil nuts, besides adding a personal touch to this recipe, they are full of mood-lifting selenium and are also rich in zinc. I think macadamia nuts will be a good substitute as well. But remember, there are no rules, use any nut, fruit cereal you like best and create your own granola.

Tomato Tart

This tomato pie (or tart) is best eaten the day that is baked. Served with a mixed green salad it makes a nice meal. I got the recipe from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook that I found at my neighborhood used book store. I love when I find great deals on cookbooks. I love when I find a great deal, period.
Now, regarding the recipe. I used Fontina cheese, as per the recipe, but I found it was not my favorite. It gave the tart a really strong smell, and I thought it kind of overpowered the tomatoes. Next time, I will use some other kind of cheese, maybe mozzarella. The dough is the usual flaky pie dough, I added the recipe bellow.

Roasted Tomato Tart Recipe

1 head garlic
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 recipe pate brisee (below)
3/4 cup grated Fontina cheese (or your choice of cheese)
1 1/2 ripe tomatoes (about 4), sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper
fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350'F. Roast the garlic with 1 tbsp of oil in a foil package for about 45 minutes. Garlic will be golden brown and easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and set aside.

Rise oven temp. to 450'F. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and mash them in a a bowl, set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 13 inch round, about 1/8 thick. Fit the dough into a 10 inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom, pressing the edges. Using a rolling pin or a sharp pairing knife, trim the dough flush with the top edge of the tart pan; chill tart shell until firm, about 30 min.

Spread roasted garlic on the bottom of tart shell. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese. Arrange tomato slices in a overlapping circular pattern on top of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and drizzle with 2 tbsp oil.

Reduce oven temp. to 425'F and bake for 45-55 minutes. Tomatoes should be soft but still hold their shape. Cool for 20 minutes, sprinkle with torn basil leaves for a rustic look.

Pate Brisee Recipe
from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

This recipe makes enough for one double crust or two single 9-inch pies important. Use cold ingredients, it's very important.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teasp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. if you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender or two knifes to blend in butter.
Add the water with the machine running in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being too sticky or wet. Don't process for more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a piece of the dough together, if it is too crumbly, add a little more water, 1 tbsp at the time.
Turn out the dough on a work surface and divide it in half. Shape each into a disk and wrap with plastic. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before using it.. Dough can be frozen for up to a month.

4 dollars biscotti? No, thanks.

One of the reasons I enjoy cooking and home baking so much is because it can save you a lot of money. This biscotties are just as good ( or better) as the ones you'd buy at any fancy-trendy coffee shop, with the advantage that you can customize it and make it just the way you like, and it's cheaper. One recipe makes a lot of biscotties, and if you keep them in an airtight container they will stay fresh for a couple of weeks.
So, if you are the type that cannot pass without your mid-afternoon late & cookies, try making those and bringing it with you, it will make your daily pick-me up a lot lighter on you wallet.

The recipe was adapted from the Williams Sonoma Essencials of Baking cookbook. The almond extract really makes a difference, it's worth going to the grocery store for some if you don't have it in your pantry. The book also suggests a chocolate-dipped variation, but I like it simple.

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachio nuts, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 'F (180'C).
Beat eggs and sugar until light in color and thick. Beat in melted butter, orange zest, vanilla and almond extracts on low speed until blended. Add the dry ingredients until incorporated. Stir in the pistachio nuts and cranberries. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Divide the dough in half and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Make two logs 10 inches (25 cm) long each. Press the logs gently to make them 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide. With damp fingers, gently smooth the surface of the logs.

Bake until crisp and golden on the outside, about 20 minutes. They will still be soft in the center. Remove from the oven, reduce oven temperature to 300 'F (150'C). Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Transfer logs to a cutting board and and cut each log on the diagonal using a serrated knife. Try to make it 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Arrange the slices, cut side down on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake until the cookies are crisp and brown on the outside, 17-22 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and them transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Benefits: a good reason (excuse) to have them...
Along with heart-healthy fats, pistachios contain cardio-protective nutrients, such as magnesium, potassium, and copper. Cranberries are jam-packed with cancer-fighting flavonoids.

Strawberry Cream Cake

I post my first recipe on a beautiful sunny Seattle day. So I thought I'd capitalize on the season and start with this beautiful strawberry cake. After all, it's Pink Bites grand opening!
This recipe makes a nice size 8 inch cake and it calls for 1 pound of strawberries, but I probably used more than that because I have a lot of it in my fridge.
This was such an easy recipe that I started thinking of ways to innovate it in the future. Maybe I will try something more tropical, like mangoes.

The only thing I changed from the original recipe was that I skipped the gelatin and just made regular whipped cream instead.

About me:

Hi, I am Rita. I was born and lived in Brazil until the age of 21 and now I live in Seattle,WA. In between then and now, I visited many countries, worked hard, played hard, met people from all over the world, married Andrew and learned to cook.

I have been a vegetarian for over 10 years and although I don't eat any kind of meat, I cook ita lot for family and friends. The food I cook and eat at home reflects our diverse family background and world travels.

About Pink Bites:

You will find that the contents of this blog is about 90% vegetarian (sweets are vegetarian, right?). The 10% comes mostly from dishes I make for Andrew which he tastes and gives me his feedback. I love to cook and I do so everyday, but I only post recipes that work out and tastes good great.

Contact:

If you are not SPAM, I promisse to reply.

info@pinkbites.com

A Little Introduction

Well, here I am. Just like many others, it was time for me to stop reading and start writing. I spend a lot of time reading recipes, blogs, and cookbooks. So why did it take me so long to create my own? I was not sure the blog world needed yet another food/recipe blog, specially when there are so many great ones out there. But then, one word came to mind: Family. Mine lives all over the world, and I thought maybe they will enjoy being part of my cooking experiences. Maybe you will too.
My family has some pretty great cooks (grandmas specially), but interestingly enough, I never wanted to learn from them. Even when I attended culinary classes at college I wasn't very much interested in it. I thought I would be an independent-career-minded-ahead-of-my-time type of woman who would have no time for grandmas old recipes... Well, I am a homemaker, I spend my days buying groceries, cooking meals for my family, reading and collecting recipes, taking care of my husband and our home. And I am loving it...
As to my grandmother's recipes, well, I managed to rescue a few of them, written a long time ago on a piece notebook, a scrap paper, the back of a brown bag or an old inside-out envelope, and I often ask myself why didn't I spend more time cooking with them when I could.
My love for cooking started after I married. I wanted to make good, tasty, healthy meals for someone I love. I realized that being responsible for some one's meals is an important deal, and it can be also very rewarding.(So this is all because of you honey, for you, and I hope to keep feeding you for as long as we shall live.....:)

Now, back to cooking. Most of the recipes are adapted from cookbooks, sites, blogs and some are family recipes. Some may be even my own creation. I will try to list the sources as much as possible, although some of them will be from Brazilian cookbooks not available in the US. A recipe is just a start, a source of inspiration, so feel free to cook it, change it, and if you want to, share your thoughts with me.
I am not a fancy cook, or gourmet by any means. I never bought a vanilla pod or expensive Italian canned tomatoes and I don't make stock from scratch. My kitchen is small and my budget limited, but I think the most important component of cooking great meals is love. And there is no shortage of that here. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy it!
Oh, yes, I almost forgot. I love pink.

Healthy Recipes

Salads

	Beet and raspberry salad
	Apple, celery and pomegranate warm salad
	Grilled mango and spinach salad

	Caprese salad
	Crunchy chickpea salad
	Bitter greens and poached egg salad
	Roasted pumpkin salad
	Tofu Caesar dressing
Breakfast
	Warm Quinoa breakfast cereal
	Granola
Vegetables
	Roasted garlic and goat cheese stuffed squash

	Eggplant Canoes
	Baked eggplant with coconut milk
	Maple baked acorn
Soups
	Gazpacho
	Soba noodles and shitake soup
Pastas
	Spaghetti with zucchini blossoms
	Penne with fresh tomato sauce
	Spaghetti with light turkey meatballs

Sandwiches and Rolls

	Tricolore sandwich
	Sourdough vegetable sandwich
	Vietnamese shrimp rolls
	Vietnamese tofu rolls
Desserts
	Pears poached in green tea
	Mango and coconut parfait
	Grilled figs and ricotta
Drinks
	Blackberry smoothie
	Pineapple and mint juice
	Banana and date smoothie
	Watermelon and ginger juice