Canning Series - Tomatoes

We had another lovely canning class a few weeks ago and the focus was tomatoes. I know tons of people who grow their own tomatoes and I hope to grow some myself someday. (Since I haven't quite mastered keeping house plants alive, I have a feeling that I'm not ready for an outdoor garden).
Here's our happy group after canning for three hours. Don't we look proud of ourselves?

When working with fresh tomatoes, you will likely need to core and peel them to use them in recipes. This is quite simple. Just boil a large pot of water and drop them in. Let them boil for a few minutes and then drain them. Let them sit for a couple minutes so that you don't burn your fingers off. Then the peel should slide or peel off easily. To core them, just take out that hard part in the middle and scrape out the seed (if you want). Here's our big ol' bowl of tomatoes after we took them out of the boiling water. The peels were practically falling off.


We did three recipes and they all came from the Ball Canning Company's website. First on the list of recipes was...

Bruschetta In a Jar
~Flavorful and great to have on hand~

Makes about 7 (8 oz) half pints

You will need:

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 9 cups chopped cored peeled plum tomatoes (about 4 lb or 12 medium)
• 7 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2. Combine garlic, wine, wine vinegar, water, sugar, basil, oregano and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until garlic is heated through. Remove from heat.


3. Pack tomatoes into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Ladle hot vinegar mixture over tomatoes leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. The picture below shows our cool little "get the air bubbles out" tool that came with our Ball canning kit.


4. Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Next up on the list was the classic...

Italian Style Tomato Sauce
~Perfect when you need a quick meal~

Makes about 3 (16 oz) pints

You will need:

• 8 cups fresh plum tomato purée
• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp bottled lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 3 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2. Combine 1 cup of tomato purée, onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a large stainless steel saucepan, Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. While maintaining a steady boil, add remaining tomato purée, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. Stir in lemon juice, salt, black pepper and hot pepper flakes. Increase heat to high and bring to a full rolling boil; boil hard, stirring frequently, until mixture is reduced by one third, about 15 minutes.

3. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and re-measure headspace. If needed, add more sauce to meet recommended headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.4.) Process filled jars in a boiling water canner for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
We ended on a spicy note with...

Zesty Salsa
~Homemade salsa is such a treat!~

Makes about 6 (16 oz) pints or 12 (8 oz) half pints
You will need:

• 10 cups chopped cored peeled tomatoes (about 25 medium)
• 5 cups chopped seeded green bell peppers (about 4 large)
• 5 cups chopped onions (about 6 to 8 medium)
• 2-1/2 cups chopped seeded chili peppers, such as hot banana, Hungarian wax, serrano or jalapeño (about 13 medium)
• 1-1/4 cups cider vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce, optional
• 6 (16 oz) pint or 12 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:
1. Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.

2. Combine tomatoes, green peppers, onions, chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, cilantro, salt and hot pepper sauce, if using, in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.


3. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot salsa. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.


4. Process both pint and half pint jars in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Stay tuned for more recipes from our canning series, plus some new fall and winter recipes I've been trying!

Straight from the Garden

I haven't been very good at posting all my cooking class adventures, but we've been cooking up some marvelous fare.

A couple weeks ago I actually brought my camera to cooking class and got to take a few pictures of the delicious food we cooked together. Here is a picture of us signaling to Art (our teacher) that we've got everything under control:

We made several dishes from ingredients found in the garden. Here were my particular favorites...

Romas and Goats
~I don't really like the name of this recipe~

• 1 cup panko*
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 11 oz. goat cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground back pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 Roma (plum) tomoatoes
• Pesto (somewhat optional...and I often use Classico's ready made pesto)

1. Stir together panko, Parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Then stir in butter and set aside.
2. Combine goat cheese, pepper, and sat in a small bowl.
3. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally and trim a small amount from the rounded edges (this gives them a flat part so that they can stand upright instead of roll around).
4. Remove the seeds and pulp (we used spoons).
5. Spoon about 2 tsp goat cheese mixture into each half.
6. Dip tomato halves, upside down, in breadcrumb mixture, coating generously (if I remember right, we spooned the breadcrumb mixture on top of each tomato).
7. Place each tomato right side up on an ungreased baking sheet.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a serving platter and serve drizzled with pesto.

*Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs. They are large coarse breadcrumbs that are excellent for creating that perfect crispy topping. You can substitute toasted plain breadcrumbs.

Recipe from myrecipes.com

Zucchini Cakes
~A great recipe for using up zucchini~

• 1 small zucchini, shredded (I do this in my food processor)
• 1 pouch (6.5 oz.) cornbread mix
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• vegetable oil

1. Place the shredded zucchini into a microwave bowl and cook on medium for 2 minutes; drain.
2. Combine zucchini, cornbread mix, egg, and milk. Let stand 5 minutes.
3. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan and drop heaping tablespoons of batter into the hot oil.
   
4. Cook 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side. These are good when they are served alongside something with a sauce, as they are very good when dipped into something.

Recipe taken from the September 2009 edition of Woman's Day Magazine

Zucchini Ginger Cupcakes
~These were SO good~

Cupcakes:

• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (2 medium)
• 3/4 cup mild olive oil
• 3/4 cup mild honey
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh orange zest

1. Put oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with liners.
2. Pulse crystallized ginger in the food processor until finely ground, then add flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, zest, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Pulse until combined.
3. Whisk together zucchini, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Then stir in flour mixture until just combined.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until tester comes out clean, 20-24 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.
6. Beat together frosting ingredients with an electric mixer at high speed until combined well and becomes fluffy (3-5 minutes). Frost the tops of cooled cupcakes.

Cooking class is such a great way for me to unwind and spend time with people who love to cook as much as I do. I'm so fortunate to have the opportunity to take these classes! If you are interested, go to www.thekitchenworkshop.com

*Someone recently told me that I should post my pictures in a bigger format..thanks for the great advice :)

A Fabulous French Meal

Before we left for our vacation, we had the pleasure of having my Aunt Diana stay with us during her visit from Florida. I adore her and always have. She is a wonderful cook and baker and I was excited to finally do some cooking and baking for her.


The first night I made a French inspired meal called Salad Nicoise (I believe it's pronounced "neesh-wa"). The first time I heard of this was during an episode of The French Chef. Julia Child was one of the first people to introduce this delicious meal to the United States. Oh Julia...yet another reason why I love you.

If you prep the ingredients ahead of time and make the marinade in advance, this comes together very quickly once your guests arrive. This dish is beautiful and very impressive! It is a huge and complete meal all by itself and the flavors are simply heavenly. This is a very flexible recipe...use the dressing/marinade recipe and add whatever salad fixings and seafood you would enjoy. I learned this particular recipe from The Kitchen Workshop during one of the grilling classes.

Grilled Seafood Salad Nicoise

*Important: I actually double the dressing/marinade below...I find that I like the extra

• 3 tbsp red-wine vinegar
  
• 1 tbsp Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tsp anchovy paste
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled between your fingers
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 lb 1 inch thick tuna steak, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 large yellow squash, cut in half both directions to make 4 long pieces
• 1 large zucchini, cut in half both directions to make 4 long pieces
• approx. 9 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 large sea scallops, gently patted dry
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
• Lettuce of your choice for lining the platter
• 1 or 2 bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 1 pint red or yellow cherry (or grape) tomatoes, cut in half or quartered
• 1 cup olives (I left these out because I don't care for them)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, anchovy paste, thyme, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the oil in a stream while whisking until dressing is emulsified (it thickens and comes together). Begin to heat up the grill.
   
2. Divide the dressing in half, putting half in a small bowl and half in a large ziploc bag. Add the tuna pieces, shrimp, scallops, squash, zucchini, and peppers to the ziploc bag of dressing. Let it stand 15 minutes or in the fridge for a couple hours. Put the bowl of dressing aside until later.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil and add the green beans. Allow to cook for 3 or 4 minutes and then remove from boiling water and rinse under cold water. Once they are dried off a bit, toss them in a tbsp or so of the reserved dressing in a bowl (not the one that is marinading the seafood!).
4. Grill the tuna steaks 2 1/2 minutes or so on each side (it can be a bit pinkish in the middle...depending on your tastes). Grill the shrimp, scallops, squash, zucchini, and peppers until seafood is cooked through and vegetables are slightly blackened.
5. To assemble the salad, layer the platter with lettuce. Then add the seafood, green beans, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and peppers in little rows coming from the center (see picture above). Top with olives and the reserved dressing.

After we had this delicious salad, we finished it off with Cardomom Pear Bread with vanilla ice cream. When I posted the bread recipe, it was made into muffins...but it comes out beautifully as a quick bread and the vanilla ice cream was the perfect addition.

I so enjoyed making this special meal for our very special visitor :)

Friday Night Feast VII with a Little Wednesday Night Feast Thrown In

So I'm a little late on posting my Friday Night Feast from last weekend...but it's the last week of school and I'm a tad busy.

I had some Rhubarb Chutney left from my cooking class and decided to thaw some chicken sausage I had in the freezer. I had some peppers and picked up some steak rolls from the store. This was ridiculously easy.

Spicy Chicken Sausages
with Rhubard Chutney and Grilled Peppers
~The spicy sausage pairs well with the sweet chutney~

• 1 package of spicy chicken sausage (I got mine at Giant)
• Rhubarb Chutney (you don't need much...maybe a 1/2 cup?)
  
• 4 steak rolls
• 2 or 3 red, orange, or yellow peppers
  
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the sausages. Boil them for 30 to 45 minutes. (You can do this ahead of time...I actually did it on Thursday night while dinner was in the oven, then popped them in the fridge for Friday night)
2. While the sausages are boiling, cut the peppers into large pieces and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat the grill to medium high heat (you could use a grill pan, too).
   
3. Place peppers on metal skewers (if using wood skewers, soak them in water ahead of time).
4. Place the sausages and skewers of peppers onto the grill and cook for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
5. Remove the peppers from the skewers and put the sausages into the steak rolls. Top sausages with chutney and enjoy. (Remember, the chutney keeps for weeks in the fridge...so it can be ready when you need it)

At cooking class last week we made a pasta salad. When I read the recipe I thought it sounded kind of weird and gross. And then we made it and I thought it looked kind of weird and gross. Then I ate it and I loved it! It looks kind of heavy, but it really isn't. The Greek yogurt balances out the mayo and then all the mix-ins add great texture and flavor. Don't feel limited to the recipe below...we just kind of made it up with what we had. If you think something in your fridge would be good...add it. If you don't like what we put in it...don't add it.

It makes quite a bit so I thought it was fitting to call it our "Wednesday Night Feast".

Summer Pasta Salad
~This is a great way to use up your produce~

• 1/2 package of bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 box of pasta (I like short pasta, but we used spaghetti in cooking class)
• 4 large heads of broccoli, cut into florets
  
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup light mayonnaise
  
• 2 cups of corn (if using frozen, thaw first)
• 1 cup golden raisins (sounds gross, tastes great in it)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh scallions
• 3 or 4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• Handful of shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 cup?)
• 1 red pepper, chopped (optional)
• Sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. Saute the bacon in a tbsp of oil in a large skillet until it's crispy.
2. Cook pasta according the package directions. During the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking, throw the broccoli into the pasta water along with the pasta. Boil the pasta and broccoli for a couple minutes until broccoli is crisp tender.
   
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and rinse with cold water. This stops the broccoli from cooking and rinses the starch off of the pasta.
4. Toss the pasta and broccoli with bacon, Greek yogurt, mayo, corn, golden raisins, scallions, chives, cheddar cheese, pepper, sunflower seeds, and toasted pine nuts.
5. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Can be made ahead of time.

Now if only it would stop raining so that I could really get excited about my summer break....which starts in 3 days!!

Boot Camp - Week 2

This week we made some Indian cuisine in my Boot Camp class. I'm really excited to try some of these global cuisines because I haven't had a ton of exposure to food from other countries. I've had pretty much no exposure to Indian food, so this was a fascinating class for me. Here was our menu:

Spinach and Potato Samosas with Mint Chutney
Chicken Satays with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Peas
Chicken Vindaloo
Naan

The food was awesome. I was so excited. In fact, I called my husband on the way home just to tell him everything we made. Sometimes I just get so excited about things I can't wait to tell someone. He gets that about me.

Some of the recipes are on the spicier side, but can be made more mild (which I will do because I haven't quite gotten used to spicy food yet). My favorite was the Chicken Vindaloo and homemade Naan. I may or may not have eaten 5 loaves of Naan before the night was through (hey...they aren't that big).

I forgot my camera again, which makes me so mad. The food looked so colorful and wonderful...next time I'll remember to grab it before class, I hope.

So, like I said, here are my favorites...

Chicken Vindaloo
~If you have a well stocked spice cabinet, you're good to go~

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger (remember, you can freeze this to have on hand when needed)
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 10), cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 (14 1/2 oz to 16 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't use this because I don't like it)

1. Place first 8 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add 1 tbsp mustard seeds and blend until smooth. Transfer spice mixture to a large bowl.
2. Add chicken and 2 tbsp oil to spice mixture and coat well.
3. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken mixture and stir 3 minutes to blend flavors. Then add tomatoes with their juice and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
6. Season chicken mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 tbsp mustard seeds. Simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in cilantro (if desired) and serve (with Naan!).

Naan
~ This takes a little bit of time, but it's so worth it~

• 1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
• 1 cup cold or luke warm water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour (you can use all-purpose, too...or you could use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat)
• 2 tsp minced garlic (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until slightly frothy.
2. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, and flour. Mix a little bit, then add the salt. It should come together to to form a soft dough.
3. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth (try to use the least amount of flour as possible). You could also knead this by using a stand mixer with a dough hook.
4. Put the dough into a large ziploc bag that has been sprayed with cooking spray on the inside. Let it rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
5. Punch down dough and knead in the garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and play on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
   
6. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
7. Roll the dough balls out into a thin circle with a rolling pin. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes.
8. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared. This pairs great with many many things, but we ate it with the Chicken Vindaloo.

This bread is ridiculously delicious. You can make it and freeze it, too. Just pull it out and toast it up to thaw it. Yum!

Boot Camp - Week 1

...not that kind of boot camp

In February 2008, I enrolled in a 10 week cooking class called Boot Camp. It was being offered by a place called The Kitchen Workshop in Paoli.

I stumbled on the website one night when I was searching online for cooking classes in my area. Before I committed to the 10 week class, I decided to try one of the one-night classes. They offer tons and tons of one-night classes that focus on a theme. All it took was one class and I was hooked...I signed up for Boot Camp and the rest is history. I've been a cooking fanatic ever since.

When I found out that there was a Boot Camp 2 being offered...I was thrilled! Not only do I get to go to class every Sunday night, but I also can go to any of the weeknight classes that interest me.

In a typical three hour class, you work cooperatively to make a whole menu of food and then enjoy it together with complimentary wine. Sometimes there are leftovers that you can take home!

On Sunday, we focused on using some excess vegetables that some of the students had gotten from their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). We did a couple really good recipes using rhubarb. Rhubarb is a vegetable that looks kind of like celery, but it's a purple color. You can only eat the stalks because the leaves are poisonous to eat (not scary poisonous, just not edible).

Rhubarb Chutney
~This is an incredibly versatile recipe~

• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 4 1/2 cups coarsely chopped rhubarb (from 1 3/4 lbs rhubarb)
• 3/4 cup dried currants (golden raisins work nicely, too)
• 4 green onions, chopped

1. Stir sugar, vinegar, cinnamon sticks, ginger, orange peel, and cardamom in a large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.
2. Add rhubarb and currants. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to let it simmer until rhubarb is tender, but not falling apart (this only takes 4 to 5 minutes).
3. Add the green onions and cool to room temperature. Discard the cinnamon sticks.
4. Cover and refrigerate chutney until cold, at least 1 hour.
   

Notes:

• This can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. It keeps for weeks and weeks, so it's great to have on hand.
• This is great on bread or crackers with cheddar cheese.
• It's also great with chicken salad.
• You can just bake some chicken breasts with a bit of salt and pepper and then add the chutney as a sauce.
• We've really enjoyed it on spicy or sweet sausages.

Country Rhubarb Cake
~This is surprisingly delicious cake~

• 1 lb fresh rhubarb stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs (1 separated)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degress. Butter a 10 inch glass or ceramic pie plate or a 2 1/2 quart oval gratin dish.
2. Toss rhubarb with brown sugar in a bowl until coated.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles course meal (butter is the size of peas).
4. Whisk together milk, whole egg, and yolk. Make a well in center of flour mixture and add milk mixture, stirring with a wooden soon to gradually incorporate the flour to form a soft, sticky dough.
5. Transfer half of dough to pie plate or baking dish and pat out over bottom and halfway up side with well-floured hands, then spoon rhubarb and any juices onto dough. *
   
6. Using a tablespoon, spoon remaining dough in small mounds evenly over top. Lightly beat egg white with a few drops of water, then brush cake with egg wash. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp sugar over top.
7. Bake until top crust is golden and rhubarb is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 30 minutes. It tastes great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
   

* We actually did this differently in class. We dumped the rhubarb directly into the baking dish and then topped it with the entire dough mixture. It worked nicely.

There are so many other recipes we did in both Sunday's class and Monday's "Cooking with Puff Pastry and Phylo Dough" class, but I'll share the rest in future posts. I wish I had taken pictures! I will try to remember my camera next week. I will share the recipes and my experiences as I go through this class.

I'll leave you with my strategy for getting meals on the table this week. I found a huge family pack of chicken breasts at Wegman's for $1.99 a pound and I have a package of chicken sausages in the freezer. So I figured I could make a few meals to last us through the week.

Monday: My husband came to cooking class with me and we feasted on delicious food.

Tuesday: I roasted 5 chicken breasts in the oven with salt and pepper (I sprinkled some Greek seasoning on two of them). I took the rest of the chicken breasts in the family pack and froze them for future meals. Below the chicken, I roasted some broccoli florets tossed with olive oil and salt. I topped three of the chicken breasts with Rhubarb Chutney (left over from class) and served two for dinner alongside the roasted broccoli and saved one for my lunch tomorrow. I reserved the other two chicken breasts for tomorrow.

Wednesday: I plan to use the Greek seasoned chicken breasts as a topping for salad. I'll make a nice green salad with veggies in it, throw on some Greek chicken, and choose my favorite dressing (I personally think Northern Italian dressing tastes great on almost any salad...my husband prefers Ranch).

Thursday: We'll likely pick up sandwiches or have leftovers because we are going out that night.

Friday: I will boil the chicken sausages for about 30 to 45 minutes. Then I'll throw them on the grill for a few minutes to let them get nice and toasty (I learned this method at cooking class...it cooks the sausages all the way through and cuts down on the grease). I'll put them on steak rolls and top with Rhubarb Chutney. I'll probably grill some vegetables to serve with them.

I cannot wait to try all of these new recipes I'm learning! I'm going to work on incorporating them into weekly meal plans so I can put my "Cooking With a Plan" strategy to work!