Potato pull-apart rolls

Woops...It looks like I disappeared for a few months. Summer got the best of me. I want to be outside, must be outside, when the sun is shining. But you can bet I have been cooking.

Have you heard of Malcom Gladwell's 10,000 hour rule? The basic idea is that if anyone does something for 10,000 hours they will become experts. He posits that this is how Bill Gates became a computer tycoon. I think I'm getting close to reaching that 10,000 hours spent baking and cooking. I feel I have grown leaps and bounds in the past few months. I love food. I really do. From the ground to the plate. I will keep cooking and sharing.

In the past few months, Blake and I have started an America West book club. The America West is one of our greatest loves. We have created a list of books, both fiction and nonfiction, that we want to read and discuss in this lifetime. We just kicked off Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral by Maria Doria Russel.

For fun, because life should always be fun, we decided to make a cowboy dinner in tandem with beginning the book. Coffee rubbed steak, baked beans, and potato pull-apart rolls made up the menu. Health food if you will. These rolls would be perfect for Thanksgiving. They are fluffy, buttery delights. Here's Blake taking the theme seriously.

Potato pull-apart rolls
Adapted from Bon Appetit, makes 18 rolls

2 medium Yukon Gold potato (you want a 1 1/2 cups when pureed)
1 cup 2% milk
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for brushing
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon sea salt

Boil potatoes in small sauce pan for 30-40 minutes until soft. Puree in a food processor or blender.

Proof the yeast: Heat the milk up in the microwave until it is warm not hot. This was about 30 seconds in my microwave. Add yeast and sugar to milk and stir until sugar dissolves. Let sit for 10 minutes until the yeast gets foamy. This is how you know your yeast is active.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix together yeast and milk mixture with the potatoes until no lumps remain. Add butter and mix until incorporated. Switch to the dough hook and add half the flour. Mix on medium until a sticky wet dough forms. Add eggs, egg yolk, the rest of the flour, and salt. Knead on medium high for about 5 minutes. Brush the top of the dough with butter and let rise in a warm place covered for 40 minutes. The dough should be about 1 1/2 times its original size.

Brush a 13" by 9" baking dish with melted butter. Turn dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and roll the dough into 18 balls with your hands. Place dough balls into the baking dish, brush with melted butter again, and let rise uncovered for another 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush dough one more time with butter (the more butter the merrier) and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the rolls are a golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

French onion dip

Date night. It's important. I have been married for almost 2 years. I know, right? Two, whole, crazy years. I still really like my husband. I rarely find him annoying. I want to spend all the time with him. In the scheme of the 60 years I intend to married, 2 is not much, but that doesn't make it any less important to do good things for our relationship everyday. Good things like French onion dip.

I made this dip for a surprise date night for Blake. I threw him a summer party complete with decorations, build your own mojito bar, strawberry shortcake, hot dogs, and dips! Dips was kind of the theme. For the hot dogs, we had mustard, jalapeno jam, kimchi, and homemade BBQ sauce. Then I made homemade potato chips with salsa, herbed goat cheese dip, and French onion dip. Dipping is fun.

I will argue French onion dip from the packet mixed into sour cream is pretty darn good but it has nothing and I mean nothing on this dip. Slowly caramelizing the onions bring new layers to dip you never thought possible. It's sweet and rich. It's really one of my favorite things. Perfect for BBQs or date nights.

French onion dip
Adapted from How Sweet It Is, serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 sweet onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8oz) block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup 2% greek yogurt

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Stir in onions, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add the garlic and brown sugar and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the onions, cream cheese, and yogurt in a food processor and pulse until combined. You can eat it immediately or let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Maple Yogurt Bread

Summer. Ah, summer. You make me so happy. The best thing about summer is all the hours of daylight. When I get home from work, I still have so much time to have fun. Blake and I's most recent version of fun involves birding. I kid you not. We are eighty years old at heart. Last night we went to a talk on the Colorado River. The average age of the group? Probably around 60. Did I mention that the photos of the Colorado River reaching the ocean after a decade choked both us up? And yes I immediately went out and hugged a tree afterwards. Judge if you will.

Back to the birding. After the 100th time of me pointing out pretty birds to Blake, we finally bought a book. Now we are spending evenings out by ponds and walking trails trying to identify any birds we can. We are made to be birders. We love the outdoors. We love animals. Blake loves cataloging things. I secretly want to be clad in a khaki Patagonia vest and wide brimmed hat as I wander amongst my fellow retiree birder brethren. If you need us, we will be sitting on a bench listening for the song of the meadowlark.

My love of summer and birds really has nothing at all to do with this bread. Who makes maple yogurt bread in the summer? Maple is a flavor of the fall. The maple trees are actually tapped this time of year so maybe that's some justification? Not that we need any justification. Maple yogurt bread is a slice of comfort. The maple flavor is subtle with a touch of lemon zest. It makes for a great breakfast. Perfect for enjoying on a quiet morning on the porch watching the blue jays flit around your trees.

Maple yogurt bread 
Adapted from Food 52, makes an 8" loaf pan

1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup 2% greek yogurt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup coconut or olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, greek yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a spatula until just combined. Add your oil and stir until absorbed by the batter. Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Cut around sides to remove and cool on a cooling rack.

Grilled honey chipotle chicken salad

Blake and I returned from the desert last week. As always Utah left us breathless at every turn. If you are seeking solitude in a world where little is left, the desert is for you. We hiked to some of the most beautiful places I have ever been. With nothing to distract us, Blake and I talked for hours around the campfire. In the morning we would awake and hike out among hoodoos, to waterfalls, and hidden desert arches. Utah makes our lives simple again. Escaping cell phones and TV is a gift. Talking to my husband, I mean really talking to him is my favorite thing. The desert is a wondrous place.

Leaving the desert sun behind is the hardest thing. When we returned home we were both craving some fresh food. Our camp dining consisted of beer cheese fondue, nachos, pasta, and burgers. So I made a salad and a really good one at that. A salad I would eat time and time again for dinner and feel completely satisfied. The honey chipotle marinade/dressing gives the chicken a nice crispy sweet crust when grilled. Toss with a bunch of crispy romaine lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, and honey chipotle dressing for something delightful.

Grilled honey chipotle chicken salad 
Adapted from How Sweet It Is, serves 4

Honey chipotle chicken marinade/dressing
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons adobo sauce from can of chipotles
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced

Salad
1 head of romaine lettuce, rough chopped
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rough chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1 lime, juiced
Avocado, sliced

Whisk together the salt, pepper, olive oil, adobo, honey, dijon, and garlic. Pour half the marinade over the chicken. Save the other half for salad dressing. Marinade the chicken in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Grill the chicken about 6-8 minutes per side, until chicken is slightly charred with grill marks. Slice chicken and toss with all the salad fixings and the remaing marinade.

Irish soda bread muffins

Muffins. I really like muffins. Not the kind with tons of sugar and fat that seem more like dessert (okay I like those too), but the kind that start a day off right. The low sugar, whole wheat, power me through the day kind. I can tell you that muffin mornings are really enjoyable. We may find ourselves thinking that muffins are only meant to be splurged upon at the coffee shop for indulgent treats. I disagree. We can splurge every day in our homes with little effort. A good book, some tea, and homemade muffins are all we need for a little extra happiness in our days. 

So you heard when I said easy right? So easy. You can't mess them up. Twenty minutes to make the batter + twenty minutes in the oven=dreamy muffin mornings. These muffins take the cake or the muffin, if you will. They are a little like biscuits turned muffin. Buttermilk gives them moisture and a richness without actually being rich. Currants (or raisins) and a tiny bit of sugar make them slightly sweet. They are absolutely my favorite. Second only to these carrot cake power muffins. A really excellent muffin morning awaits you. 

Irish soda bread muffins 

Makes 10 muffins, adapted from King Arthur Flour 

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar + more to sprinkle on top

1 1/2 cups currants or raisins 

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups buttermilk 

3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, buttermilk, butter, and currants. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix with a spatula until just combined. 

Evenly distribute the batter between 10  muffins cups. Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of each muffin. Bake 10-15 minutes until slightly golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let cool for five minutes in muffin tin and then remove to let cool. Serve with some jam on top for extra goodness. 

Tortilla crusted chipotle salmon cake salad

We are going to go ahead and call this salad. Lettuce is involved. Also involved is an awesome chipotle salmon cake crusted in tortilla chips. Tortilla chips in a salad I can get behind. The crunch from the tortilla chips is really exceptional in tandem with this smoky salmon cake. Layer some chipotle aioli, avocado, and goat cheese over the top and you have yourself a meal.

We ate this meal after both of us had pretty grueling weekend workouts. Blake spent 16 hours on his feet climbing on some snow in Rocky Mountain National Park and I completed my last long training run before the Colorado Marathon. The run took me on the back roads from Boulder to Lyons in an exhausting head wind. The idea was once I got to Lyons we would celebrate at our favorite local brew pub Oskar Blues. Turns out after running 20+ miles ruebens and nachos aren't that appealing but we ate them anyway and both immediately regretted it.

Hence the need for a salad but a salad of substance. This salad hits all the marks and proved to be much better recovery food. Did I mention we had some ice cream too after the pub food? Apparently we don't learn.

Tortilla crusted chipotle salmon cake salad
Adapted from How Sweet It Is, serves 4

1 pound of salmon
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can of chipotles in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 cup tortilla chip crumbs (use a food processor or blender to break up)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Head of butter lettuce
Goat cheese
1 avocado

Chipotle aioli
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and bake salmon for 20-25 minute until cooked through.

In a large bowl, flake the salmon into small pieces using a fork. Add shallot, garlic cloves, egg, seasoned bread crumbs, adobo, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use a large spoon to mix together.

Form the salmon mixture into 4 patties. Place your tortilla crumbs on a plate. Press salmon cake into crumbs on both sides.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add salmon cakes and cook until golden brown on each side, about 4-5 minute a side.

On top of the lettuce layer the salmon cake, goat cheese, avocado, and drizzle chipotle aioli over the top.

Graham cracker carrot cake

You know what is kind of magical? Spring trees in bloom. Colorado is currently lit up by various shades of fluffy pink and white blooms on trees. And then there are the tulips, the daffodils, the irises, and trees budding out. The world is colorful again. It’s lovely. We all could use a little more magic in our days.

We spent last weekend basking in the spring sun. First, we enjoyed many of Colorado’s delicious beers at Avery Brewing’s Strong Ale Fest. Then we spent Easter Sunday with family. I made carrot cake and pastel colored M&M cookies for Easter dinner. Not just any old carrot cake though, graham cracker carrot cake. That’s right ground up cinnamon graham crackers replaced some of the flour in this cake. If you love graham crackers like any self respecting adult should, you will love this cake.

The cake is jam packed with carrots making it super moist. The graham crackers give it an extra little special kick of flavor and then, of course, we have cream cheese frosting. The only kind of frosting in my opinion. For some reason, I have a hard time slathering a cake with all the butter in buttercream frosting, but when it comes to cream cheese, I say the more the merrier. Have your cream cheese enrobed cake and eat it too has always been my credo.

Also, this is a layer cake and we don’t have enough occasions in life to make a layer cake. So while this may be a little late for Easter, make this cake to celebrate spring or Friday. You know there are never enough reasons to celebrate in my book. Also, don't be scared of making a layer cake. I think most people are deterred by making frosting. The key to frosting is well softened, room temperature butter and cream cheese. Use your electric mixer to mix your softened cream cheese and butter with powdered sugar until light and fluffy. You can do it. I promise

Graham cracker carrot layer cake

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, serves 14-16 people

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup finely ground cinnamon graham crackers, use your food processor or blender to make the crumbs

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

10 tablespoons butter, melted

3 large eggs

3 cups peeled and grated carrots, this was about 5 large carrots for me

Cream cheese frosting

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Stir in carrots. Pour wet ingredients in to the dry and stir with a spatula until flour just disappears. Pour batter evenly into your two cake pans. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the cake pan five minutes before removing. Then cool on a cooling rack until completely cool. It’s important that the cakes are completely cool before you frost them.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.

Spread top of one cake with about 1/3 of the frosting. Place the next layer on top. Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and side. My method is to start with the frosting on the top of second layer and spread outward to the sides and over.