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Coconut-Lime Macaroon Nests

The calendar said it was spring a week ago, and I'm starting to believe it. Yesterday Anne and I went for a walk, and when the sun came out from behind the clouds and the wind stopped blowing for a second, it was too hot for my big coat. Daffodils and tulips are poking their leaves through the ground, and I saw a whole row of fully-bloomed purple crocus. The birds are chirping! My seedlings are really growing; most of them have sprouted their second set of leaves (the first set of true leaves!), and I'm going to have to start thinning and repotting them already; more about that later! I can't believe how fast they're growing!



These little macaroon nests are perfect for Passover and Easter; cute enough to please the littles (if their baskets full of peeps and chocolate bunnies aren't enough), not too sweet, and subtly flavored.

Happy Spring!

Coconut-Lime Macaroon Nests

Adapted from Bon Appétit

2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lime zest
7 ounces (about 3.5 cups) coconut flakes/chips, available at Whole Foods or similar stores

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites and sugar until frothy. Whisk in the salt and lime zest and add the coconut flakes. Toss to coat. Scoop the coconut mixture in heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, making your best attempt to shape them into nests; they're not very cooperative. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheets, and when they're cool, arrange whatever "eggs" you like on top. I used peanut butter M&Ms, but those little Whoppers robin eggs would be great, or jelly beans, or any of the other myriad egg-shaped tiny candies available at your nearest sweets emporium (aka Target).

Edamame Succotash

Who says stay-at-home moms don't get to go on business trips? This week, Anne and I made the drive up to Traverse City, Michigan to see all 4 grandparents and 2 aunts! It's not exactly a spring break, since it's consistently about 10 degrees warmer in Chicago than it is here, but at least we got to skip the big snowstorm that brought March "in like a lion" on Tuesday!



Coming for a visit during the week has been a really nice change of pace. We're actually getting to have some quality one-on-one time with family members. Usually when we visit it tends to be a blitz of all the people all of the time, which is great in its way. But I am savoring this week. Yesterday I had breakfast with my mom, lunch with my sister, coffee with my sister-in-law, and a lovely dinner date at home with my dad. It's been a while since it was just the two of us together (Anne was asleep). We roasted salmon and Brussels sprouts, opened a bottle of Zinfandel, and lit candles.



This week away feels like a retreat. We haven't turned the TV on once. We sit together with coffee in the morning and wine in the evening, just enjoying each other. It's quiet and restful. The view out the front windows is white-on-white, but not for long! As soon as I get back home I'll be starting bell pepper and tomato seeds, and the melting will really begin!



Edamame Succotash

This gets better and better as it sits in the fridge, so I like to make a big batch and snack on it throughout the week. My sister and I ate it piled onto toast that was slathered with goat cheese.

1 16-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
1 cup frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
3/4 cup diced roasted red peppers
3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

For the dressing:
1/4 cup canola (or other light, mild) oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir to coat. Allow to rest for an hour or two; the dressing softens the mushrooms a little and everything melds.

Lovely Links (February 2013)

1. Playtime just got a lot more interesting. For both of us.
2. SEEEEEEEEDS!
3. Each homemade loaf is unique, and so beautiful!
4. Gorgeous blue sky on a Sunday morning.
5. My husband wanted to know why I bought dead branches. (They're forsythia, and they're already starting to bloom!)
6. Four inch-deep puddles of nasty slush = the exact reason why I bought waterPROOF, not water-resistant boots. ICK!

We made it through February, the longest shortest month of the year! Go us! Spring is right around the corner. Here are some of the best things I came across online this month:

I keep coming across reminders to stop trying to be the perfect mother; to be instead the mother that my child needs, the best mother I can be.

ALMOND JOY BUTTER!

You know those super-convenient baby food puree packages with the spout? Here's a reusable version (perfect if you're into making your own!).

My love for simple everyday cakes is no secret, but I never think to bake with grapes! This grape, almond, and olive oil cake looks so lovely.

Every time I read the words "does well in containers" I get so excited to plant!!! And a tiny purple flower? Sign me up. Also, this podcast by Margaret Roach about conquering seed-starting fear is really great; I have already listened to it twice, and may listen to it a few more times just to calm my anxiety about this brave new world I'm embarking upon.

Add this to the long list of things I'm looking forward to this summer: Iced Coconut Water Americano.

Tiny ice ornaments! Just the thing to brighten up a dreary landscape!

The way to my heart is paved with Sambuca Kisses. From the new Nigella Lawson book, Nigellissima.

I may never participate in fantasy football, but you best believe I'm excited for FANTASY CONCLAVE Y'ALL.

I've been seeing recipes for hamantaschen lately, which made me want to learn about Purim.

The lifecycle of a garden tomato, in chalk! So cute, and makes me so excited to start my seeds.

A life-changing loaf of bread-that's-not-really-bread? I am intrigued.

Do we need to stop telling lies on Facebook? I don't know. If I'm going to share something, I'm not just going to kvetch about the minor discomforts of my very-comfortable life; not unless I have some insight to share about how I'm dealing with it. I'd rather share something uplifting, something positive. Is that lying by omission? I don't think so. Nobody ever said I had to share each moment of my life on Facebook, and I prefer a little bit of spin, a filter.

I wonder how many more times I will see a drool-worthy recipe for popovers before I will finally succumb to one. more. single-use pan.

A beautiful video about an artist couple who make gorgeous handmade paper lanterns, and thoughts on the intersection of life and art.

When I saw this gorgeous recipe for blood orange margaritas, I wasn't feeling like booze, so I just combined the blood orange and lime juice with a little sugar and sparkling water enjoyed it while I watched the Oscars.

I wish I could gift-wrap this kitchen and give it to Meg for her birthday.

Coconut soup seems to be trending.

Tiny money origami for the inside of a birthday card! MUST DO THIS!

Mayan Hot Chocolate

When it looks like this outside (again),



You know it's time for some hot hot chocolate.



(If you whip the cream by hand, the calories come out even. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)



Mayan Hot Chocolate

2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch chile powder
a pinch cayenne pepper
1 cup whole milk

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan and add a couple of tablespoons hot water. Stir until smooth, place over medium-low heat, and whisk in the milk. Heat to steaming, pour into a mug and serve with loosely whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Chicken and Stars

Just when I think I am getting the hang of things, something happens to throw me off, humble me, make me realize that ultimately, I am not actually in control. This time, let's call that thing February. This month has been a little rough around here, starting with a nursing strike. Breastfeeding is amazing for a host of well-publicized reasons (it is a perfect, free, easily-digested and fully customized food for the baby, helps you lost weight, delays the return of postpartum fertility, gives several happy- and calm-inducing hormones for you and baby, is totally portable and instantly ready, acts to soothe and comfort in almost any situation...), until something happens that makes it hard. We had a relatively easy start, and while I was always thankful for the ease of our nursing relationship, I definitely took it for granted. Never again! I have a new (albeit slight) insight into how my friend Sarah must have felt when she struggled to nurse her girl, and fresh compassion and understanding for her (totally right, brave) decision to bottle-feed.

But that was just the beginning. Just as things were getting back to normal, Daddy caught a horrible cold, which kept him home from work several days last week. Serves me right for thinking how lucky we were to get through this awful cold and flu season unscathed!! And now Anne has the cold, too. It breaks my heart to hear her congested cough and runny little nose, especially because there's no way to explain to her what's going on, and very little I can do to help.

There have been a few rays of sunshine, literal and figurative. Anne has learned how to laugh. My seeds came in the mail, and garden planning is in full swing. I've been leaning hard on homemade broths in the kitchen, and this superstar of a soup was last week's victory. Really, it's just a very basic, classic chicken soup (there's ginger and garlic in the broth, but not enough to be able to clearly identify either flavor). To boost the Asian flavor and healing power, I added sriracha and fresh-squeezed lime juice to my bowl. I'm doing everything I can to fight off the germs that are lurking in every corner of this house that hasn't seen fresh air for months, and this soup is just the kind of soldier I like to have on my side.



Chicken and Stars

The stock is the star of the show here, so make sure it's high-quality. Homemade is best. Recipe below.

2 quarts chicken stock
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup stelline, alphabet pasta, orzo, or other tiny pasta

In a large pot, heat the chicken stock. Add the parsnips and carrots, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water (I made the mistake of just adding dry pasta to a soup once... and there was no soup left, just pasta. Oops.) and drain. When the vegetables are about done, add the cooked pasta and frozen peas and continue simmering until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning (usually more salt; if using homemade, un-salted stock, about a tablespoon of salt is great). Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime and sriracha to taste (about a tablespoon is great for clearing up your sinuses, and also, OH YUM).

Homemade Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stock

Ginger and garlic are both great natural cold remedies.

Bones from 1 whole roaster chicken, picked mostly clean of meat
1 piece fresh ginger, about 6 inches, thinly sliced (peeling is optional)
4-6 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and peeled
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Place all ingredients in a large pot and cover with cold water (about 2 quarts). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6-8 hours. You can also combine everything in a slow-cooker and simmer overnight. Strain solids out and discard. Use in soup or cool and freeze for later use.

Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Brown Butter, and Sage

Since I didn't grow up Catholic, I don't have memories of fish fries, tuna noodle casseroles, or cheese pizzas on Fridays during Lent. In fact, Lent wasn't even mentioned (that I can remember) in the church I grew up in. The only hint that Easter was coming was that my sister and I got to pick out fancy new Easter dresses. Easter was no less an important feast in our home for the lack of Lenten fasting and preparation, and we have plenty of our own wonderful Easter traditions. But I have come to really love the 40 days of prayer, contemplation, and more intensive soul-sculpting we do to prepare for such an exciting day. And it's not just a spiritual benefit we gain; Lent reminds us that spring and rebirth are coming, just when we reach the most hopeless, tired part of winter and we're longing for spring. And not eating meat on Fridays gives us motivation to get creative in the kitchen!



Believe it or not, the butternut squash I used in this recipe was purchased in October, before Anne was born (in case you were wondering if hard squashes really do last all winter... apparently so!). The idea for this pasta evolved over a period of weeks, and the most interesting development happened when I started to toss the sweet roasted squash with the butter and pasta in the pan... the squash started to disintegrate! Rather than stop tossing so that the squash stayed intact, I tossed more vigorously, interested to see what would happen, splashing in a little more starchy pasta water when it got too dry, and watching in amazement as it started to resemble a cheesy sauce! Absolutely amazing.

It feels like cheating when "abstinence" from meat turns into the best meal we've had all month.



Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Brown Butter and Sage

4-6 servings

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
Olive oil, salt and pepper

1 pound rigatoni
6 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
Grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, toss together the squash cubes, olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing the squash halfway through the cooking time. Allow to cool slightly. (You can also prepare the squash up to a few days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator.)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt it well, and cook the rigatoni (or other short pasta with ridges) about a minute shy of al dente (you will finish it in a pan with the squash, and you don't want it to get mushy). Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the cooking water. Meanwhile, in a small skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, and then continue cooking it, swirling continuously, while it fizzes and pops, and eventually begins to brown and smell nutty and utterly amazing. The whole process takes about 3-5 minutes. As soon as the butter is brown, pour it into a bowl to cool slightly, and stir in the chopped sage. Be very careful not to burn it!! Let the butter and sage mellow together while the pasta finishes cooking.

Strain the butter through a sieve, pressing the sage to release more flavor, and discard the sage. Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat, and toss in the pasta and squash. Using tongs, gently continue tossing until the squash begins melting down and coating the noodles, splashing in more pasta water as necessary, and seasoning with more salt to taste. Some larger pieces of squash will remain. Serve with toasted walnuts and grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top.

To toast walnuts, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat and toss occasionally, until fragrant. Cool slightly and chop.