Strawberry and Goat Cheese Tart with Basil

It's not often that I post a dessert recipe here because I usually don't have the time to make any fancy desserts (I'm too busy hiking!). Usually, my desserts consist of fruit with nuts and a little bit of sweetener. Last night, for example, I halved 2 apricots, sprinkled some slivered almonds and cinnamon over them, then drizzled a bit of chocolate sauce over it. It was heaven!

Anyways, on to this recipe. I had been dreaming up this recipe for quite a while. And by a while, I mean years. I just never got around to actually making it. I originally wanted to make it with cream cheese (and I think would make a fine substitution for those who don't like goat cheese), but since I'm allergic to dairy, I thought goat cheese would be great.

I first made the tart base using an egg-free version by Michele Cranston. It was one of the few I could find that didn't require eggs, but it did require butter, and is therefore not entirely dairy-free. The filling is sweetened, whipped goat cheese with some chopped basil added in for color and flavor. I sliced some strawberries and gently lined them on top. The whole tart went in the fridge overnight so the goat cheese could stiffen up, and then I tasted it. It was amazing! The waiting was definitely worth it.

The preparation is not difficult, but it is time consuming. This tart is perfect for anyone who is a goat cheese fan or someone who loves strawberries. Either way, I'd say it was a hit! I think next time I'm going to try some apricots with pistachios. Or blueberries with thyme. Or raspberries with cinnamon. Oh the possibilities are endless!

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Tart with Basil

tart base adapted from Michele Cranston

Serves 8

Tart base:

1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsalted butter, cubed
1 tbsp superfine sugar
pinch of salt
up to 6 tbsp water 

Goat Cheese filling:

1-8 oz tube of goat cheese (or cream cheese)

1 to 2 tbsp almond milk

vanilla powdered sugar, roughly 1/2 to 1 c.

small handful basil, chopped finely

1 pint strawberries, sliced

1. To make the tart base, put the flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor and process for 1 minute. Add water, tablespoon by tablespoon, until mixture just comes together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the pastry out to fit a 14" x 4" tart pan (or any tart pan). Use plastic wrap on each side of the dough so it doesn't stick to the board or your rolling pin. Grease the pan with PAM, then fill with pastry, being careful not to stretch the dough too much. Chill dough for 30 more minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prick pastry all over with a fork, then cover with crumbled parchment paper and fill with dry beans or cooking weights. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the pastry looks cooked and dry. Set aside to cool.

3. To make the goat cheese filling, combine goat cheese and almond milk in a stand mixer using whisk. Whisk until well mixed. Add powdered sugar, little by little, until you get to you desired sweetness. Stir in the basil. 

4. Spoon the filling into the cooked tart base. Using a spatula, level the filling out. Lay rows of sliced strawberries on top, leaving a small 1/4 in. border so you can see the filling. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

5. Slice and serve cold with a little extra powdered sugar.

Enjoy!



Linked at Allergy Free Wednesday, Thursday Treasures and Keep it Real Thursday.

Chili-Cumin Rubbed Steak with Balsamic Peppers, Onions and Peas

My inspiration for this meal came from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Michele Cranston. I just love her food and the simplicity of it. In her book Spicy, she has a Warm Banana Pepper Salad that looks amazing. I wanted to try it out, but alas, my store does not carry banana peppers and I didn't want to go fiddlin around with any of the other peppers because I'm not that familiar with them.

So what did I do? I grabbed some bell peppers and decided to throw in some sugar snaps and onions. The veggies turned out delicious! I never though of adding cumin and balsamic vinegar together, but they actually pair really well together. And of course, since I was putting cumin on the veggies, I just had to put some on the steak!

I served this with a red quinoa, but it would just as wonderful with some beans and rice. I think that's how I'll serve it next time!

Chili-Cumin Rubbed Steak with Balsamic Peppers, Onions and Peas

adapted from Spicy by Michele Cranston

Serves 4

2 bell peppers, seeded and quartered

1 onion, cut into quarters and layers separated

6 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp cumin

2 c. sugar snap peas

a few basil leaves, sliced

4 steaks, your favorite cut

1 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

 2 tbsp olive oil

1 c. red quinoa, cooked according to package

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Toss bell peppers and onions in 2 tbsp olive oil, lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, then roast for 20 minutes, until peppers begin to blister. Continue roasting onions, if desired.

2. Cook red quinoa according to package directions. 

3. Mix together cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Combine with olive oil and rub over steaks. Grill steaks to desired doneness. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

4. Mix together 4 tbsp olive oil, vinegar and cumin. Toss with bell peppers, onion, peas and basil.

Enjoy!



Linked at Allergy Free Wednesday, Thursday Treasures and Keep it Real Thursday.

Lodge Lake

I've been dragging my toes on writing this post, and I'm not quite sure why. Probably because I'm not really in a writing mood, but I'm going to get it done today!

On the 4^th of July, I joined a friend for a short hike up at Snoqualmie Pass. I had always wanted to hike around the Snoqualmie Pass ski area during summer to see what the terrain looks like without the snow, and I finally got my chance. 

 

 

We started out in this little parking lot off the side of Snoqualmie West, then hiked up to the ski slopes and under the chairs. There was still quite a bit of snow in the shade that we hiked over. Once we got to the ski slopes, there wasn’t any snow and it was rather hot out in the open. I was fascinated by all the landforms I had skied over and never knew where there, like the board walk shown above.

We got across the ski slopes and headed back towards Beaver Lake. Along the way we met an older gentleman who was planning on fishing at Lodge Lake, and was so proud of himself for carrying all his gear, including an inflatable raft. We chatted with him, as we walked over some snow patches, then he slowly trailed behind us. We met him again as he was setting up for fishing at the lake later in the day.

Beaver Lake is a small pond on the edges of the ski area. I would have never known it was there since its usually covered with snow! It was quite picturesque, but I was still wanting to get to Lodge Lake. We trekked along further into the forest, along the PCT, until we came to Lodge Lake. There were a few creek crossing, and we both had a few mishaps involving slippery rocks, but we made it there in one piece. 

Beaver Lake

Lodge Lake

The lake was absolutely stunning against the view of the mountains (I believe that is Denny Mountain in the background), and we lunched on a log that jutted into the lake. After a quick snack, we headed further along the trail, just to see how far we could get. We got to a small unnamed lake, then decided it was time to head back.

The trail was rather easy to follow, except for the snow covered parts. It was not very difficult and  didn’t have much of an elevation gain. This would be a perfect hike for small kids, or anyone who wants a stroll in the forest, without the crowds. I can’t wait to visit again!

Total time: 4 hours 

Distance: 4 miles, 400 ft elevation gain
Passes: NW Forest Pass required
Location: off Snoqualmie Summit West exit, turn R into parking lot, then follow to west end. There are no markings, but park there and follow the main trail to the ski slopes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Introducing: 30 Day Healthy Lifestyle Challenge

As I wrote in this post here, I want to start a 30 day healthy lifestyle challenge that focuses on forming good habits that replace bad habits, in order to form a healthier lifestyle. You can choose any habit you want, be it a simple one or a complex one.

Each week, we will report back here, every Tuesday for 30 days, on how you are doing with forming your new habits or breaking your old habits. Don't worry about being perfect, just simply try your best!

Some ideas to get you started..

Fitness:
- Walk 30 minutes every day
- Stretch every morning/night
- Do a yoga routine every morning/night
- Do strengthening routine every day

Food:
- Eat an extra serving of fruits and veggies
- Remove all sugar from diet (except fruits)
- Cook at home every night
- Eat breakfast every morning

Mental:
- Write your thoughts in a journal every evening
- Meditate for 15 minutes
- Clear out one area of clutter in your home and toss 1 item you no longer need
- Tackle 1 things that is stressing you out


I hope you decide to join us on our journey to a healthier life. Please share this challenge with all your friends so we can all be inspired! Leave a comment with what your 30 Day HLC goal is and how you are doing with it. Has it improved your quality of life? Have you had any struggles or overcome any obstacles?

The 30 Day HLC starts on August 28th. Come join us for a great discussion!

Rachel



*Those radishes are from my garden. I currently am up to my ears in peas and carrots! I also have a few tomatoes that are turning red and some corn that is growing fast!

   

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New Ideas (and a Strawberry Tart!)

I've been in a blogging rut for a little while now, even though I have a huge backlog of material I can write about. Mostly because I've been having an internal debate on where I want to take my blog. Do I want to keep it just a food blog, which is what I originally started it as? Or should I morph it into a fitness/healthy living blog. (and I'm going to fill this post with pictures of a strawberry goat cheese tart with basil to keep you occupied while I talk.. and make you hungry!)

I'm pretty sure you can tell which side won (the fitness/healthy living version), but I'm just not really sure where to take it. I have all this advice on how to lose weight, since I did lose 25 lbs over the course of a year, but I also have this internal debate on whether or not people will listen to me or want to take my advice. I guess I could just post the advice and hope someone finds it useful, huh?

Anyways, I've also been thinking about adding 2 new things to my blog. The first is a 30 day challenge sort of thing (since those are oh so popular), but not the traditional everyone do the same 30 day challenge. It kind of goes off my whole Habits post, so each month I will host a 30 day challenge where you either get rid of a bad habit or cultivate a new, good habit, or both at the same time. My hope is that it will inspire people to improve their lives, one step at a time, and have a better success rate than trying to do it all at once.

They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, so why not do it for 30 days to make it really stick!!

Everyone can choose what habit they want to work on for that month. I'm hoping that people will come up with good ideas to share and can give others some inspiration. It can be anything you want, from fitness goals, to eating goals, to mental health goals. Absolutely anything, as long as its positive and trends towards a healthier lifestyle. Each week, everyone will report in with their goal and how it was going. Does that sound like something you would want to participate in?

Another thing I was thinking about (re)adding to my blog was my monthly ingredient spotlight. I had started it right before a big change in my life, and so it got neglected. I really would like to bring it back, but this time add a month long link party so that others can share what they cook with that ingredient. What do you all think of that?

Let me know your ideas or if you want to participate! I'd appreciate any feedback :)

And I promise to post this recipe soon!

Rachel