Flavor of the Month: Figs

Duh. If you follow me on instagram, I'm clearly having a fig moment. I think July was the month of matcha, but August is the month of figs. Figs have come a long way since the fig newton days. Nothing against fig newtons, but fresh figs are like little culinary gems these days. 

Fresh figs peak about this time, but snatch up these little beauties while you can, they are only good through early fall. Don't worry, dried figs can carry us through the dark months. Some tips on buying figs: look for ones that are plump, not mushy and rich in color. Black Mission and Turkey figs are probably the most common found in stores, they are the dark purple ones. If you can find them, I really love the calimyrna or kadota figs, bright green in color and bright pink on the inside. Figs are easily perishable so eat them within at least 2-3 days of purchasing. Keep them refrigerated. To prepare: run them under water and remove the stem. Keep scrolling for eye candy fig dishes that I'm coveting! 

Roasted Cauliflower with Figs and Olives from Brooklyn Supper

Fig Scones from Making Today Beautiful 

Beef, Fig, & Red Onion Balsamic Skewers from Every Last Bite

Pizza with Figs, Honey, Ricotta and Thyme from Whole Living

Salted Caramel Fig Blondies from Take A Bite

Strawberry Fig and Almond Butter Smoothie from Take A Bite

Fig and Tomato Orzo Salad from Take A Bite

Fall Cheese Board from Honestly Yum

Cardamom Layer Cake with Salted Caramel and Figs from Erin Made This

Are you feeling my fig moment too? What's your current flavor of the month? 

Annie

Blueberry Banana Streusel Muffins

I have decided Sunday morning baking is my favorite. I've also decided it needs to become a ritual. I love getting up while everyone is still asleep and the house is quiet. Make some green tea, put on my apron, turn on the oven and get baking. Food Network is likely to be playing in the background. 

A few weeks ago I woke up with a huge itch for blueberry muffins. I tried to make them healthy, but every time I try to make baked goods healthy I'm reminded that I should just stop trying. Baked goods are meant to be filled with sugar, butter and eggs and there really is no replacement. Anyway, my last Sunday morning baking adventure failed. Exhibit A. This morning was blueberry muffin redemption day. 

I woke up at 6:48am this morning. My body doesn't know what sleeping in is. With several hours ahead of me before my roommate woke up, I decided it was baking day.

Blueberry muffins had to happen. I also have a stock pile of overripe bananas in my freezer that were begging to be used. Blueberry banana muffins it was. With a streusel topping added because like I said baked goods require lots of sugar and butter. 

They turned out just perfect and helped redeem myself after my previous muffin fail. I edited my pictures and jumped straight onto my computer this morning because I decided you need this recipe NOW. Also, if you have little kiddos at home about to go back to school, make these for them. No better way to beat the back to school blues than with blueberry banana streusel muffins!

Blueberry Banana Streusel Muffins
yields 1 dozen

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Streusel:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. cold butter

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.  

Combine bananas, sugar, oil, milk, beaten egg, and extracts in a large bowl with wooden spoon.  Add in the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, and baking soda and stir to combine. Fold in the blueberries. Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter into the muffin tins.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cold butter. Using your fingers, break up the butter with the sugar mixture to form the streusel. Evenly distribute over the muffins.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Sunday morning baking for the win. What should I make next Sunday?

Annie

Chocolate M&M Cookie Pizza

Cookie pizzas strike again! I thought the sugar cookie pizza with strawberry icing couldn't be beat, but then this guy showed up. For all you out there that are team chocolate chip cookie over team sugar cookie, I have you covered. M&Ms also came to hang out making it that much better

I love a good cookie cake. When it comes to store bought cakes and you have the option of the sheet cake with overly sweet buttercream, or cookie cake, I go cookie cake. This M&M and chocolate chip flavor brings that classic cookie cake taste home!

It's made very similarly to the sugar cookie pizza. You want to make sure and under cook it a bit for ultimate doughy taste. I found 10 minutes to be perfect. And here is a tip I learned while developing the recipe to help make it extra pretty. Right after the pizza comes out, press a few extra chips and M&Ms into the surface. It's all about visual appeal first. 

Chocolate M&M Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup M&M's (plus a few)*

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
splash of milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large mixing bowl or round object, about 10 inches in diameter, trace a circle on the parchment paper. Flip the parchment paper over so you don't get any pencil or pen marks when you spread out the dough.

Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, and mix on low until the dough comes together. Add your chocolate chips and M&M's and give it another quick stir. 

With clean hands spread the dough out on the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the dough out, filling the circle shape you drew. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Start on the low end. The key to yumminess in this cookie pizza is for it to be slightly underdone! You want to take it out just before it starts to brown. *Right after you take it out, lightly press a few M&Ms into the top of the pizza. This ensures for an extra pretty cookie! Then let it cool completely.

While the pizza cools, make your glaze. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whisk powdered sugar and vanilla, and a splash of milk until smooth and glossy. Add a touch more milk if you need to. It should be the consistency of Elmers glue. Using a spoon drizzle the glaze over the top in a swirly whirly pattern of your choice ;)

Cut with a pizza cutter and enjoy!

I love serving these cookie pizzas in an actual pizza box. It's a fun play on the name and actually a great way to transport it. A local pizza shop has been nice enough to give me a few of their to go boxes when I go in. I may have lied and said I needed them for a school project...but still. I bet if you asked they wouldn't mind sparing you a few!

Annie

Summer Shrimp Rolls

Chrissy Teigen you genius. If you haven't heard of her recent cookbook, Cravings, then you may be living under a rock. Chrissy is wife to John Legend, momma to Luna, hot model and now, a New York Times Best Selling cookbook author. 

Cravings came out last Spring. The book's tagline is "recipes for all the food you want to it." It's just that. Page after page of recipes your everyday person actually wants to eat and make. When I received my copy, I did as I usually do with a new cookbook. I sat down with a stack of stickies going through marking each recipe I wanted to make. I read the book cover to cover. Like actually read all the little blurbs and antecdotes that no one usually reads. Chrissy writes the book like she is talking to her best friend, texting her husband or ranting on Twitter.  She also has insane pictures of her in hot pink ballgowns, sitting on John's lap shoving hot dogs in his mouth as well as modeling bathing suits by the pool chowing down on chicken wings. She pulls it off, it's too good.  

After reading through the book I found myself with practically every page marked with a sticky. Yellow Cake Baked Oatmeal, Caprese Salad with Crispy Proscuitto, Mac and Cheese, Baked Pasta with Mozzarella Bombs, Steak Bites with Melty Blue Cheese Butter, Artichoke, Spinach and Buffalo Chicken Dip, Cheesy Guacamole, Chorizo Queso, Sh*t on Toast, and BTI (better than Ina's) Roast Chicken and Vegetables. SO much goodness in this book. 

The thing I couldn't wait to make though were these Summer Shrimp rolls. Those sticky rice paper fresh rolls you get before your meal at Thai places can now be made at home. I made these for dinner almost every night for dinner last week. They are so satisfy and perfect for a summer dinner. Kudos to you Chrissy for bringing the fire to the world of cookbooks. 

Summer Shrimp Rolls from Cravings
yields 8 rolls*

Ingredients:
4 to 6 red leaf lettuce leaves
8 medium shrimp, peeled (fresh or frozen (thawed))
salt
1 ounce Asian vermicelli or rice noodles
8 large or 16 small basil leaves
8 large or 16 small mint leaves
1 medium carrot, cut into 3-inch long julienne strips
1 avocado thinly sliced
8 (8-inch) round rice paper wrappers (you can find in most supermarkets with the Asian food)
Thai sweet chili sauce, for serving*

Directions:
Rinse the lettuce leaves and pat dry. Remove and discard the center ribs then slice in half so you end up with 16, about 3 inch long pieces. 

Fill a saucepan halfway with water and salt the water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low, take the shrimp out of the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon and rinse with cold water, pat dry. Cut off the tails and slice lengthwise.

Place the rice noodles in the pot of still hot water to soften. Cook until soft. Remove and rinse in a colander under cold water. 

Create a workspace lined up with lettuce, herbs, carrots, avocado, shrimp and rice noodles. Fill a clean skillet or shallow bowl with warm water to soak the rice papers. Arrange a damp towel on your workspace. One at a time, dunk the rice papers into the warm water to soften. Remove from the water and run under cool water. They easily stick together, so the cool water is a good time to unstick them from themselves. Lay flat on the damp towel.

To assemble: place 2-3 shrimp halves pink side down about 1/3 from the bottom, layer over mint and basil, then avocado, then carrots, rice noodles, then lettuce leaves. Roll up like a burrito by pulling up the bottom, tucking in the sides, then rolling till the end. The rice paper will stick together sealing it shut. Repeat with remaining rice papers. 

Serve immediately with the chili sauce. *If chili sauce is too spicy for you, you can tone it down by adding a little bit of lime juice and water. 

*The recipe says it makes 8 rolls, but it is easy to make less if you are cooking for one. I would eat 2-3 for dinner. The components last well in the fridge, so I would keep everything prepped, then just cook the shrimp, noodles and rice papers fresh each night and assemble just before eating!

Annie

I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. If you are a also a blogger make sure to check out their site on how you too can start Blogging for Books! 

Charred Corn Salad with Feta, Basil and Jalapeño

My parents love to do family dinners at their house as many Sundays as we can all get together. I love helping plan the menu and going out for a grocery shop after church. Once summer hits it's usually some kind of grilled or smoked meat by my dad, summer veggies as sides and a fruity cobbler, pie or ice cream for dessert. When it comes to sides I want corn corn corn. Give me all the corn.

My dad and I have been into this skillet corn where we basically just shuck a bunch of corn and sauté it with butter in a skillet with onions, peppers and a jalapeño. I came up with this charred corn salad based on a recipe from Bon Appétit. I haven't been able to make it for the fam yet, but I think after posting this they may be requesting it. That was kind of conceited of me...it's okay if y'all don't want me to make it. But for all you readers, it's delish, and you should make it!

Charred Corn Salad with Feta, Basil and Jalapeño
serves 2 (because I only cook for myself, but can easily be doubled)

Ingredients:
2 ears of corn
1/2 of a shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeño, sliced thin on a mandoline (you can use less if you can't handle the heat)
1-2 Tbsps. lime juice
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 oz feta cheese
a few basil leaves, chifonnade

Directions:
Place a grill pan over medium heat. Cut kernels from one ear of corn. Combine in a large bowl with shallot, jalapeño, lime juice and s&p.

Brush your other ear of corn with 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil. Char the corn on the grill by rotating it so all sides get some heat, 10-12 minutes.  

Cut the kernels from the grilled piece of corn and add to the bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil, feta cheese and basil. Season with more s&p if needed and serve while still warm. 

Annie