Lime Curd Tart

This curd is lip-puckering tart!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
Zest and juice from 4 limes
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
Fresh blackberries

1. Beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar with an electric mixer just combined. Beat in vanilla, flour, and pinch of salt. Beat on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Spoon dough into a lightly greased 10-inch tart pan. Press dough into bottom and up sides of pan. Prick dough with a fork.
2. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and lime zest with mixer until creamy. Stir in the lime juice. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add in pinch of salt.
4. Pour lime mixture into a saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
5. Pour lime curd into tart shell. Top curd with blackberries. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Peach-and-Goat Cheese Crostini

This delicious appetizer was inspired by a dish at a local restaurant, which features toasted baguette slices topped with goat cheese and thinly sliced watermelon. The tangy-sweet combination is absolutely delicious. The beautiful peaches I picked up at the farmers market inspired my version. Don’t be afraid of peaches paired with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil—it’s delicious! We will definitely have this again and again this summer.

Peach-and-Goat Cheese Crostini
6 slices ciabatta or baguette, cut into thin slices
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Goat cheese (I prefer Belle Chevre, which is made in Elkmont, Alabama.)
1 peach, peeled and thinly sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Chopped fresh basil

1. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 400° for 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread goat cheese on toasted bread slices. Top with sliced peaches, and lightly drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Return to oven, and bake for 2 more minutes, just to warm up the goat cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil.

Oven Pancake With Fresh Berries

This is based on a recipe from Ina Garten. I’ve always shied away from oven pancakes because the recipes usually have a low flour-to-egg ratio, and I have feared this would yield a spongy texture. (One of my food dislikes.) This one sounded so good, that I decided to try it. The texture was light but not spongy. Andy really loved it and requested to have it again soon. (The original says to bake the batter in individual baking dishes, which I don't have. A pie plate worked perfectly.) Enjoy!

Oven Pancake With Fresh Berries
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Zest from 1 orange
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Fresh blackberries, blueberries, and chopped strawberries

1. Beat eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until beaten. Add the milk, and combine. Slowly add flour and next 5 ingredients; beat until smooth. Butter 9-inch pie plate, and pour mixture into pan.

2. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven, and top with berries. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with warm maple syrup.

Fresh Produce

Our neighborhood farmers market, which is held at East Lake United Methodist Church, opened the first Saturday in May. I love picking out fresh produce and planning meals around what’s available. Today, the variety was terrific! As you can see, I had little self-restraint in my purchases. But all of this produce cost about $25, and we will enjoy numerous meals from it. Our market offers a basket subscription for 12 weeks; this begins June 9 and goes through October 6. The basket contains a representation of what each farmer brings to market that week.  If you live in Birmingham and would like to know more about this market, click here.

Pan-fried Chicken With Tomatoes and Artichokes

This is my version of a recipe from Giada on the Food Network. It is similar to this. The main difference is that the chicken is dredged in flour and then cooked in the pan first, so that it develops a crust. I added artichoke hearts because there were some in the freezer. This is the perfect chicken dish—fast, flavorful, and adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand. Enjoy!

Pan-fried Chicken With Tomatoes and Artichokes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 chicken tenderloins, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/3 cup white wine
Zest of half a lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Melt butter in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and then dredge in flour mixture. Cook the chicken 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden and done. Remove to a serving platter, and tent with foil to keep warm.
2. Add tomatoes and next 4 ingredients to skillet. Scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken on platter. Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice

A friend asked me to try my hand at Mexican rice. We were joining her family for their weekly Mexican Monday dinner, and this was to be my contribution. After reading several recipes, I arrived at this method. In my efforts to make sure we had enough, I way over-prepared. (Note to self: 4 cups of rice is way too much to feed 10 people!) The recipe that follows makes half as much. I froze the leftovers in small batches. Once thawed, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the rice, and reheat in the microwave. Enjoy!

Mexican Rice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, Minced
2 cups long-grain rice
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (plus more, if needed)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt

1/2 to 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder (adjust amount to taste)

1 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp. dried cilantro (If you have it on hand, use 1/4 chopped fresh cilantro instead.)

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Add onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Reduce heat to low; stir in garlic and rice. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 3 minutes. Add in green chiles and tomatoes, and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in broth and next 4 ingredients, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is done. If needed, add in additional chicken broth if rice begins to dry out. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Chicken and Waffles

Andy was very skeptical about this meal. However, in the end, it won him over. Salty, crispy chicken paired with buttery waffles and sweet maple syrup—delicious! I used leftover chicken from the Publix deli and made this basic waffle recipe. If you want to make homemade fried chicken, that would be even better. This is a great dinner in a pinch—enjoy!