Oh, Christmas Tree!

It's December and I ain't mad at that! December means parties, food, my birthday, presents, food, friends, family, food, seeing my little brother, NYE, Christmas trees. Oh December, how I love you! We'll ignore the fact that how the hell is it already December and talk about what December has looked like thus far! :D

                

There is seriously nothing better than waking up or coming home to the smell of a Christmas tree. Eeeek!

                 

The girls threw a 'surprise' party for me and Malou. Kahlua got in on the action!

                        

December also means parties! We had our girl's dinner the other night and the theme was a Pizza Off! My first time making pizza :D I had seen this Blueberry Pizza recipe a while back and felt compelled to make it, this was my opportunity! YES! 

There was also a delicious pumpkin pizza with a naan crust, cauliflower pizza, a seed mix pizza crust and lots of other yumminess. Needless to say I'm convinced I gained 3 lbs that night. 

                        

The pizza was seriously YUM! I pretty much followed the recipe besides replacing the shallots with red onion. The caramelized onions were SO SO good!

How was your pre Christmas time? 

xx Sheens

Blueberry lemon ricotta pizza with CARAMELIZED ONIONS by Jessica @ How Sweet IT Is

YIELD: 1 PIZZA

TOTAL TIME: 2 HOURS

ingredients:

dough
1 1/8 cups warm water
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 lemons, zested (for a more savory pizza, I'd leave out the lemons)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

directions:

In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, honey and olive oil. Mix with a spoon, then let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add in 2 cups flour and salt, stirring with a spoon until the dough comes together but is still sticky. Using your hands, form the dough into a ball and work in the additional 2/3 cup flour, kneading it on a floured surface for a few minutes. Rub the same bowl with olive oil then place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for about 1-1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is rising, heat a large skillet over low heat and add olive oil and butter. Add in the shallots and the salt and cover, cooking for 30 minutes and stirring occasionally and reducing the heat more if they begin to brown too much. Stir in the brown sugar and the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Set aside.

Add the ricotta to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in the lemon zest and puree until combined. After the dough has risen, punch it down and place it back on the floured surface. Using a rolling pin or your hands, form it into your desired shape (sometimes I use baking sheets and do rectangles or free form pizzas - this specific dough will yield one pizza large enough to feed about 3-4 people) and place on a baking sheet or pizza peel. Place the towel back over the dough and let sit in the warm place for 10 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees (or if you're using a pizza stone or the skillet method, follow those directions). Spread the ricotta on the dough and cover it with half of the mozzarella. Add the shallots and the thyme, then cover it in the blueberries. Add the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly. Remove and serve with Parmesan on top.

My Life in Food

It's been over a month since my last post. My oh my! It bugs me when people say 'I've been sooooooooo busy'...but I've been so busy. Honestly, I don't even know how it's already mid November. How do I slow time down just a little bit so that things aren't so cray? I am a HUGE fan of sitting on the couch and doing nothing. I think there should be a mandatory couch day for everyone but it turns out that starting your own business, entering into an intensive entrepreneurship competition and working full time is A LOT and leaves no time for couching. This also means that I haven't been cooking many photographable, fantabulous [these are words guys, promise] recipes to share with you. BUT I'll make it up to you by showing you what I've been eating recently.

Bacon, Pancake, Syrup and a mess of icing sugar. Doowop!

Balanced out by my mama's healthy cooking- rice noodles, kale, veg, chicken & coriander seeds. I love days when I can escape work and have lunch on her patio. She treats me well ;)

A delicious Sunday breakfast by friends Mike & Anya. Yum.

Breakfast. 

Buffalo Chicken Dip by moi! Total games night food. I ate most of it.

I brought this little gem back with me on my last trip to the US of A. I LOVE tomatillo sauce and we don't get tomatillos here nor the sauce :( I made some yum enchiladas with this but didn't take final shots because we were too busy eating. oops. 

This one is just kind of a joke. I had every intention of blogging about this vegetarian breakfast casserole recipe but then it came out looking like this...uhhhh. At least it was super yum. 

Anna Went, a local caterer here on the island is amazing. She never ever lets you down and of course, these lamb shwarma-y things were another hit. couldn't.get.enough.

Amped up Spanish Omlette. Extra brie on top? Yes please! 

My first cheesecake attempt. I was just so happy to walk into the supermarket in Florida and see berries selling at 2 for $3. In Barbados, 1 punnet of strawberries sells for $18($9US), so you can only imagine my joy...I bought two packs of my faves- blackberries! strawberries! blueberries! cherries! YEAH!
The cheesecake was reeeeally good and i made a #winning berry compote to go along with it. Everyone was pretty happy.

From American supermarkets to our local markets- this is at Cheapside market in Bridgetown. This is by far the best place to get produce locally. Lots of variety, unbeatable prices and awesome atmosphere. Plus, you see crazy stuff like these Guyanese fruit/vegetable things. A lady at the stall told me their name but I've forgotten it [shocker]. I bought two, brought them home, then got scared to eat them. At least I went halfway outside the box...?

Mama's cookin! Pineapple & Mango salad with lime juice and hemp seeds. LOVE.

Baby Spinach, Watermelon & Avocado Salad with a Blue Cheese & Balsamic Drizzle & toasted pine nuts. SO good. 

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Peanut Butter Banana Cookies. These were a hit at the partay.

Hopefully some of this made you salivate a little. If not, stay tuned for my next post which will hopefully be delectable and in the near future. 

 Sheens :)

Ya Bacon Me Crazy!

You know when you see something and there's an immediate need for that thing to be in your life? Yeah, that's what happened here. I hear bacon, booze, banana AND peanut butter icing and I think...NOW! I mean, the greatest invention known to man + cupcakes...you just can't go wrong...unless you're a vegetarian that actually doesn't eat bacon [I swear, vegetarian bacon eaters exist] then you'll probably want to ignore the meat part...

Anyway, so I set out on the mission to conquer bacon + cupcakes...

But first, a snack

Ok, back on track. Baking...

The calm before the storm- this one got messy- mainly because I was rushing, per usual.

Love the color of melted butter! 

I'm really particular about my bananas- realistically, they've got a 2 day shelf-life in my book. Once there's more than a few [i mean that literally] brown specs, they're immediately smoothie or baking material, not a snack. I freeze ones that get past the point of no return because they're a perfect excuse for baking [not like I need one]! :D

Batter mixing leads to batter licking...

So wish the bowl was a different color so this awesome peanut butter color would pop!

Just in case you didn't already pick up on it- I LOVE bacon. I love the smell of bacon cooking. Nothing beats it. But do I want the aftermath of bacon cooking in my kitchen and on my stove? Not so much- so, I bake my bacon! I promise it turns out just as delicious and cleanup is minimal. 

My mama just bought me a new icing decorative set and I put it to use for these cupcakes! I think each one of them is a different design! Keepin things fresh ;)

Here's the recipe...Adapted from Jessica at How Sweet It Is.

YIELD: MAKES 12-15 CUPCAKES

  

TOTAL TIME: 1 1/2 HOURS

ingredients:

brown sugar banana cupcakes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 large egg
3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of milk, if needed
8 slices cooked bacon, cut in half or thirds

bourbon drizzle (i replaced the bourbon with Kahlua)

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup bourbon liqueur
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

directions:

brown sugar banana cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a bowl, whisk the egg and add brown sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add sour cream and melted butter and mix until a smooth batter forms. Stir in the dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until the batter comes together. The batter will be thick. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter into the liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting

frosting

Add the butter and peanut butter to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix until a frosting forms, increasing the speed from low to high. Add in the vanilla extract and beat the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-high speed. If the frosting is too thick, add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat for another 1 to 2 minutes after each addition. When ready to frost, scoop the frosting onto a spatula or into a pastry bag and frost the cooled cupcakes. Stick the bacon pieces on top of the frosting.

bourbon drizzle

Add the ingredients to a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves and cook for 1 to 2 minutes once boiling. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan and let the syrup sit and cool to room temperature, where it will thicken. It won't be super thick, but just slightly syrupy.

I won't tell you a lie...these cupcakes were thebomb.com. 

I hope you indulge in this amazingness as soon as humanly possible ;)

-Sheens

Taster's Menus are the Best Kind

When you receive an invite to a '10 Course Taster's Menu' dinner, you don't turn it down! My boyfriend, James, and I recently received said invitation. His best friend, Steven, was in from the UK and Steven's mom just happens to be an amazing chef [and host]. I'm always excited to go to their house because I'm pretty much guaranteed to taste something yummy whether or not it's a dining function. 

FYI: Steve's mom, Sally, is the author of a very successful cookbook - Contemporary Caribbean Cooking: 120 easy, tasty Caribbean recipes

The evening started off with Prosecco and ended with full bellies. Here's a recap!

There were 10 of us enjoying the wonderful 10 Course dinner. Note the 6 wine glasses per setting!

Tom Yum Soup

If I wasn't already in heaven by the thought of the meal ahead of me, the first course took me there. The first taster was Tom Yum Soup which is a Thai dish. I love love love the flavors in Thai cuisine so naturally, Tom Yum is one of my favorite soups. Yum, indeed! 

Chicken Liver Pâté

I'll admit it...I'm not a huge fan of anything to do with liver...but this pâté was a hit at the table and I even enjoyed it! It definitely helped that the chutney on the side was amazing!

Love their chandelier! 

I should add that most of the ingredients that Sally used in dinner were locally or regionally sourced! Made it that much more special. 

Tamarind Sorbet

The third course was a palate cleanser- Tamarind Sorbet. It was delicious. Tamarind is a pod fruit which grows on trees around the island. It has a sweet & sour taste. 

Build Your Own: Tuna Tartare

I'm a huge, HUGE fan of raw tuna. I love the texture and flavor and Tuna Tartare combines a lot of my favorites things [i.e. ginger (yum), Cilantro (omg, yum) and sesame oil!].

Mahi Mahi Fettucini 

The Fifth course was a scrumptious Grilled Mahi Mahi atop homemade tomato jam and fettucini. The Mahi Mahi had a slight hint of lemongrass and I found the addition to this traditional Italian dish super interesting AND tasty ;)

English Sunday Roast

OMG OMG OMG. One of the things I miss most about living in England is heading to my neighborhood gastro pub on a Sunday for a delicious roast. So when this dish came out I did a dance in my chair! Sally served delicious roast beef with a miniature Yorkshire Pudding, horse radish, potatoes & veg. The gravy was to.die.for. NOM

Beet & Grapefruit Salad

Because dinner was served in the traditional French style, we ate salad after the main course...a new concept for me. I always thought salad was best eaten before your entree, but I guess the French know what they're doing when it comes to food...and wine...and basically all things cheesy and crepe-y and yummy... so OK, I'll follow. This salad was refreshing and full of flavor by the way. 

Montserrat Cheese Plate 

After salad we continued in the French style and had a cheese plate with some yummy Montserrat cheese which Sally and her husband, Keith, happened upon in a visit to a farm in the mountains of Montserrat. It had a taste similar to that of Gruyere and that along with the yummy homemade bread was the end of me. At this point I was battling a quickly impending food coma [the 6 glasses of wine didn't have anything to do with it, promise]. I am ashamed to say it, but I only ate half of my Sticky Toffee Pudding [insert drool here]. I was so sad because it was so delicious. I'm also lacking a picture of it and I will blame that on my tipsiness 'food coma'. Sorry :/

As you can imagine, when coffee was offered, I may have jumped out of my seat in eagerness. Plus, it was after midnight and we had a late one the night before...ok let's face it, most of the time sometimes I'm a granny. 

We sealed off the meal with Course #10- our choice of rich & tasty chocolate!

The dinner was fantastic, all 4 hours of it! Many thanks to Sally and Keith for hosting a loverly evening. 

-Sheens ;)

Mango Mania

Mango season has come and gone and I'm pretty sure everyone on the island had their fair share. There's an understanding during mango season that reverting to monkey-like behavior whilst eating is actually OK and often encouraged. The great thing about mango season is that whether or not you have a tree in your yard, you will should never have to pay for mangoes. People are usually overwhelmed by the amount of fruit their trees bear and are more than happy to pawn some off on the next innocent [lucky] victim. There was one week in particular where I had inherited about 15 mangoes that I had to get rid of [eat] so I tried to figure how to use them. 

My first attempt at mango surplus reduction was:

Thai Coconut Chicken Stir Fry

[inspired by Jessica at How Sweet It Is].

The original recipe called for pineapple but I figured what the hell, I'm gonna use mango because...because i have no choice...I need to get rid of these things. 

My mom came over and took the position of sous chef. We chopped up cilantro, ginger & banana peppers. 

Meanwhile the chicken marinated in cilantro, garlic, lime, chili pepper & ginger. NOM. 

The recipe called for boiling the rice in coconut milk rather than water which I was all about. Anything to add flavor, I'm good with. 

The final masterpiece was delicious, full of flavor and guilt-free! 

Also got rid of a couple mangoes...perfecto!

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Mango Surplus Reduction #2

I recently stole borrowed an ice cream/sorbet maker from my Dad which had been sitting in a closet (far away from the kitchen) for quite some time...it was fair game really. Perfect for getting rid of a handful of mangoes at once! Score. I made this amazing Mango Sorbet that was super duper easy, full of sugar and delish. Next time I probably will reduce the amount of sugar because the mangoes are sweet enough as it is! 

Mango Sorbet

[recipe from CuisinArt]

4 large Mangoes

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup (I melted sugar in hot water)

7 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

It was an all around hit. 

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Also, this. Mango AND avocado in one dish?! Heaven. 

Anyway, mango season has been over for quite some time unfortunately, but I'm still scouring the supermarkets for the now elusive mango. If you have one of those miraculous, twice bearing trees, puhlease share ;)

-Sheens

Welcome to the Good Life!

 

Well looooky here, another blogger has popped up in the virtual world. It's me, your friendly, neighborhood, Freckled Foodie :) Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm a twenty-something with a guttural laugh [and lots of freckles], a love for food and a need for travel. I live on the island of Barbados and although it's a very small place, it's full of so many great finds that I want to share with YOU. Yep, sharing is caring.

Maybe I'll blog about cartwheels and beaches....

ok, i'll definitely blog about beaches...

and I'll certainly blog about food! 

I hope you stop by once in a while to see what I've been up to and maybe you'll be entertained just a tad...maybe even more than a tad. Who knows? Crazier things have happened! ;) 

-Sheens