Bûche de Noël

Finally had the courage to make a Bûche de Noël. So happy with how it turned out, we almost didn’t let anyone eat it. The sponge and the cream filling are so light and delicious. Really makes it the most wonderful time of the year. 

The recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction is great, easy to follow and includes a very helpful video.

Leeks with Anchovy and Soft-Boiled Eggs

Joshua McFadden‘s book Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables is full of great seasoning and cooking insights and delicious recipes that highlight vegetables in the time of the year when they shine brightest. I highly recommend it, with the small warning that you may find yourself compulsively planting a garden once you’re done.

This recipe is so simple and combines great elements of flavor and texture. Works great as a delicious lunch or a light dinner. It’s also completely scalable — just add more leeks, eggs and toast.

INGREDIENTS

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Black Petter
• 3 large leeks, trimmed, halved length-wise, cleaned well, and cut crosswise into 4-inch lengths
• 6 anchovy filets
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• Soft-boiled eggs
• Sliced bread, lightly toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 425°F
2. Drizzle rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange leeks cut-side-down on top of oil, scooting around to cover with oil and seasoning. Drizzle more oil on top and season with more salt and pepper.
3. Roast leeks until the undersides are browning and leeks are getting soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Move them around on baking sheet to prevent burning, keeping a nice cluster toward the center of the baking sheet. Roast until leeks are very soft and slightly melted with some browned crunch pieces on the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
4. While leeks are roasting, soft-boil eggs. Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil and gently lower cold eggs in and boil for 7 minutes (the longer you boil them, the harder the yolks will be). Remove eggs to cold water and let cool. Carefully remove shells.
5. Mash the anchovies with 3 Tbsps lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir in 2-3 Tbsps olive oil. Pile the leeks into a bowl, drizzle dressing on top and toss gently. Adjust lemon, salt and pepper as needed.
6. Lightly toast thick slices of good bread. Arrange leeks on bread and gently break eggs over the leeks. Season with freshed cracked pepper or Aleppo pepper.

Adapted from Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden

Dijon Baked Salmon with Poached Asparagus

The Whole30 challenge has been an interesting exercise in restraint, discipline and creativity. 20 days in and we’re getting better and better at coming up with options that aren’t tuna salad and cauliflower rice. AGAIN. I’m grateful, as always, for the web-scouring and creativity of my sister who shared this recipe with us from Downshiftology.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs salmon, King, Sockeye or Coho salmon
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Place the salmon on a parchment lined baking tray and set it aside.
3. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and generously coat the top of the salmon.
4. Bake the salmon for 18-20 minutes (depending on size and thickness), then slice it into individual portions and serve immediately.

ASPARAGUS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup avocado mayonnaise
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

METHOD

1. Break tough, base ends of asparagus off by hand. The stem will break at the right place and you’ll be left with the tender stalk.
2. Bring salted water to a boil in a medium sauce pan. Salt will season the vegetables. Taste the water and keep adding salt until it takes like the ocean.
3. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
4. Add asparagus to boiling water and boil for 1-2 minutes depending on desired tenderness.
5. Remove asparagus from pot to ice water.
6. Combine mayo, garlic and lemon juice. Salt to taste.
7. Pat asparagus dry and arrange on plate. Spoon aioli over and dust with sumac or paprika.

White Peach and Blueberry Buckle

White Peach and Blueberry Buckle

In truth this comes out tasting very much like a coffee cake, but saying, “I’m making a buckle” is just so much more fun.

I adapted a recipe from Taste of Home to include white peaches and added a little more milk and vanilla to to the batter.

Served shortly after coming out of the oven with some vanilla ice cream, this is really tasty.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ milk (maybe more as needed)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup white peaches, peeled, and sliced into pieces

Topping

• ⅔ cup sugar
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup cold butter, cubed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.  Beat in egg, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.  Fold in fruit, pour into greased 9-in square baking pan.
3. For topping, in a small bowl combine the sugar flour and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over batter.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Approx. 9 servings

Weight Watchers Points: 5 (excluding ice cream)