The Way Too Easy - No Butter Scone

Last Year's Post:  Baked Egg Bowls
Two Years Ago:    Southwest Eggrolls (baked not fried)

If you like scones, this recipe is for you.  And if you've ever had a dried-out hockey puck of a scone in a bakery, give this one a chance.  Yes, you can buy a scone mix, but this recipe is easier than making cookies and you can customize it any way you want.  My favorite part is that you can mix up the dough the night before and then just bake the scones in the morning while you sip on coffee.  Warm scones for weekend breakfast!  Since I'm not particularly a morning person that really appealed to me.  (Thanks to my good friend Brad for the recipe!)

Scones seem to be sort of a cross between a biscuit and a muffin.  Some recipes lean more toward the more tender/crumbly biscuit end of the spectrum such as this cornmeal herb scone or this savory breakfast scone, but this recipe is soft and skews more toward the muffin side.  You can add your favorite spices, dried fruit, chocolate chips, flavored extracts and even grated lemon or orange zest to make it your own creation.

If you're having people for breakfast or brunch, this is an easy way to serve warm, fresh baked goods without fussing around with muffin papers or fancy pastries.

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The Way Too Easy – No Butter Scone

Makes 8

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon (or other spices)

1 ¼ cups raisins (or cranberries, chocolate chips, nuts, or a combination)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ¼ cups cream, cold

1-2 teaspoons flavored extract (vanilla, orange, etc.), optional

Topping

Eggwash (one egg beaten with one tablespoon water) or melted butter

Coarse sugar (can substitute regular sugar, just not as pretty)

Preheat oven to 375d.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, stirring in raisins or other add-ins last.  Add cream and stir until ingredients are just combined.  Form a ball of the dough and place on a floured surface.  Flatten and then fold a few times, then flatten into a circle about 1” thick if you’re going to cut wedges, or into a log about 12” long if you’re going to cut rounds.

Cut the circle into 8 wedges and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  If you formed a log, cut it into 8 equal pieces and put it on the parchment lined sheet.  Brush the tops with egg wash or butter, then sprinkle with sugar.  Bake about 15 minutes until golden.  Let cool on baking sheet about 10 minutes before serving warm.

Make Ahead:  Follow the recipe until you’ve formed the round or log.  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to overnight.  Remove and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Balsamic Chicken Watermelon Salad

Last Year's Post: Ravioli with Peas, Bacon and Lemon Oil
Two Years Ago:  Char Siu Chicken with Chinese Long Beans

People who live in the Southwest (me being one) have gotten to the point right about now that northerners arrive at by late February - namely, enough already.  We're tired of this particular season, lets move along to the next one.  Now, I know that sounds somewhat sacrilegious if you live in the north and savor every day of the all-too-brief summer,  but we're pretty well done by this point.  If you live in a more northerly climate I hope you're sitting by a lake in a lawn chair with your face tipped toward the sun, enjoying every precious minute of the last days of summer.

Either way, this salad works (how's that for a segue?).  For those of you who are trying to be in denial about summer's end, a nice cool watermelon salad will make you feel like it's the middle of summer.  And for those of us who are still stuck in 105+ degree days, a cold and sweet no-cook salad sounds pretty darn appealing.

This salad is very simple - just spinach, watermelon, chicken, blue cheese, balsamic vinegar, and nuts. What makes it work is the variety of tastes and textures from the meaty chicken, creamy and pungent cheese, crunchy nuts, and of course sweet and juicy melon.  If you're in a mood to grill you could certainly grill up some boneless chicken breast or thighs instead of using purchased rotisserie chicken, and you could substitute any nuts you like for the pepitas.  All told it takes maybe 20 minutes to prepare if you boil down the balsamic vinegar in advance, or you could purchase a prepared balsamic glaze at the store to make it even easier - they're in with the vinegars.

 Buying cut-up watermelon is another easy time-saver and comes with additional bonus of being able to buy exactly how much you want.  I decided to use the cut glass creamer (of creamer and sugar fame) that I inherited from my grandmother for a little balsamic glaze pitcher.  It worked great.

After buying pre-washed baby spinach, rotisserie chicken, balsamic vinegar (or glaze), a good blue cheese, pre-cut watermelon and some nuts, really all you have to do is some simple assembly.  What could be easier?  It gives you more time for enjoying summer.

printable recipe

Balsamic Chicken Watermelon Salad

Serves 4

1 cup balsamic vinegar (or ½ cup purchased balsamic glaze)

1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (see note)

4 cups baby spinach

3 cups cubed watermelon

½ cup blue cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), or the toasted/chopped nuts of your choice

Coarse salt and pepper for finishing, optional

Pour the balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until reduce by approximately half and starting to become syrupy.  Let cool.

Add the seasoning to the olive oil and stir, then toss with the shredded chicken. 

Layer the spinach with chicken, watermelon, blue cheese, and nuts.  Drizzle with the balsamic reduction to taste.  Sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper, optional.

 Note:  two small boneless skinless chicken breasts or four boneless chicken thighs may be substituted for rotisserie chicken.  Brush with the seasoned olive oil before grilling or pan sautéing until cooked through.  Set aside to cool, then shred or cut into slices.

Easy and Elegant - Summer Salad with Cheese, Fruit and Nuts

There are some days in every summer where it's so hot you don't even want to think about turning on anything to cook food - not the oven, the cooktop, not even the grill.  You just want a cold drink and a cool, crisp salad.  This salad is for those days.   It's deceptively simple - just four main ingredients plus a vinaigrette - but the beauty is in the simplicity that lets perfect ingredients shine.  The nuts and cheese provide enough protein that it's perfect for a light dinner.

Yes, you could buy one of those salad-kit-in-a-bag meals at the store and be done with it, but I can give you several good reasons why this is better.  First, making your own salad allows you to choose the specific fruits, nuts and cheeses that are your favorites.  Second, your salad will be much fresher than one made in a warehouse sometime last week.  And third, it allows you to use up any leftover nuts or cheese you have in your refrigerator rather than having it go to waste.  (I'm always looking for ways to use up food rather than throwing it away.)

Think about the lettuce you typically get in a salad bag - pale, maybe some pieces are starting to brown.  Now look at the lettuce I found for this salad.  (By the way, it's not all that easy to photograph your own hand.)

Interesting enough, I did find this lettuce at the grocery store, but not in a prepared bag.  Two heads of mini-Bibb lettuce (one green, one red) were sold in a hard plastic shell under the "Deli Express" label.  They were absolutely fresh and delicious and I would highly recommend them if you can find them in your store. 

While we're on the subject of lettuce I wanted to give you a tip that I learned (back in our community garden days) regarding the best way to keep lettuce leaves fresh.  Dunk the whole heads (or leaves) in a sink of very cold tap water and swish them around.  If they just came out of a garden you may have to drain the water and do it again.   At this point if they are whole heads you should cut the cores out to release the leaves. Put the leaves in a salad spinner and spin them around until nearly dry with just a few drops of water on them.

Lay out a really long piece of paper towel on your counter and spread the leaves along its length.

Carefully roll up the entire length of paper towel like a jelly roll.

Then place the whole thing in a gallon ziptop bag, gently squeeze most of the air out without crushing the leaves, and put it in the refrigerator.  The remaining moisture from the lettuce leaves dampens the paper towel, which in turn keeps the lettuce fresh and crisp without being too wet.  Stored in this way, lettuce will keep very fresh for up to a week.

OK, now that I've discussed lettuce probably more than you wanted, on to the other main ingredients - nuts, fruit and cheese.  I used some spiced pecans for this recipe that were a gift from a friend, but plain pecans or walnuts would work equally well.  For the cheese, choose a variety that's relatively firm and full-flavored.  I found a smoked Gruyere that was absolutely delicious.  And for the fruit, you could certainly use whatever fruit is in season during the summer, but apples or pears work equally well.  I like the crisp sweetness of apples so I used a Fuji for this recipe.  Whatever nuts, cheese and fruits you use, make sure they're top quality because they really make the difference in such a simple recipe.

One last thought - I threw a little walnut oil in with the olive oil to add some additional nutty flavor and because I have this beautiful french walnut oil sitting in my refrigerator that looks at me every time I open the door.  Just in case you have oils that stare at you too.


* * click here for a printable recipe * *


Summer Salad with Nuts, Fruit and Cheese
Serves 4

1 large head of Boston or Bibb lettuce (or 2 small heads)
½ lb of good quality firm cheese, such as cheddar, gouda, or gruyere
1 cup shelled walnuts or pecans
2 apples or pears, or other seasonal fresh fruit
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or sherry vinegar
1 small shallot, diced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper


Rinse the lettuce in cold water, then drain and spin dry. Wrap in paper towels and chill for several hours before using.

Cut the cheese into bite-sized pieces. Coarsely chop the walnuts or pecans if desired. Core and thin slice the apples or pears.

To make the salad dressing, in a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, shallot, salt and black pepper. Whisk until well blended.

Place the lettuce, cheese, nuts and fruit in a large serving bowl. Pour over the salad dressing and mix well. Serve immediately.