Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta & Spinach: Webisode #16

Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta from Kelsey Banfield on Vimeo.


What's Going on Today: Taking my daughter to museum then out to lunch with her friends! (When did she start having lunch appointments?)

Naptime Goals: Make homemade ricotta and homemade tomato sauce so that dinner is all set to assemble this evening.

Tonight's Menu: Baked Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Whoever thought of Daylights Savings Time was NOT a parent!

I've been hooked on making homemade ricotta for a while, many thanks to my friend Jennifer Perillo, and I've always been a fan of homemade marinara sauce. In both cases, the homemade versions are FAR superior to anything found at the store and are incredibly easy to make. Hopefully, with this webisode you'll see that making homemade ricotta and homemade marinara sauce takes very little time and and is well worth the effort.

Of course, once you've taken the time to actually both of these delicious things it is important to incorporate them into a fabulous meal where their flavors can really shine. There have been many times I've made terrific lasagnas and spaghetti dishes tossed with ricotta and marinara, but over the weekend I wanted to try something different. Why not, I thought, makeover my old childhood favorite, stuffed shells.

I think stuffed shells have gotten a bad rap over time for being boring and bland, but I am doing my best to repair their reputation. With this recipe I stuff the shells with a filling of homemade ricotta and spinach, then top them with a light layer of homemade marinara. The result is a terrific dish of light baked pasta, creamy cheese and delicious, healthy winter greens. Also, as you'll see here, I was able to assemble everything while my daughter napped, place it in the fridge and bake it right before dinner.

When I served this to my husband and daughter they were both enamored with the silky texture of the cheese and, in my daughter's case, the cool shape of the pasta shell. I think she was intrigued by how different they looked from her former favorite, ravioli. Ah, kids. Either way, I was thrilled with their warm reception.

Stuffed Shells with Homemade Ricotta and Spinach

1 batch Jennifer Perrillo's Homemade Ricotta
OR 2 c. fresh ricotta bought at the store

Homemade Marinara:

2 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes, with juices

6 T. butter, unsalted

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half

2 T. dried basil, or 1 T. fresh basil, torn

2 t. Kosher Salt

A good crank or two of black pepper

1. Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and allow to simmer on very low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After simmering is complete, discard the onion halves and serve.

Stuffed Shells

1 1lb. large shell pasta

10 oz. chopped spinach, (fresh or frozen), dried
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 c. good fresh ricotta (homemade or store bought)
Crank of good pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and allow cool until you can easily handle them.
2. In a large bowl combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese and pepper. Mix it with a fork until well combined but still fluffy.
3. Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then, scoop a heaping teaspoonful of mixture into each shell and line them up in the baking dish. Ladle a second layer of marinara sauce on top of the shells and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 35 minutes, or until heated through.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Make-Ahead Tips: This dish can be prepared ahead of time and left, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge until baking.

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: Both homemade ricotta and homemade marinara sauce can be used for a variety of things. I highly recommend also using these for lasagnas, pizzas or breads. I recommend serving this with a big green salad.

Naptime Stopwatch: Ricotta: 15 minutes (so easy!) Marinara: 5 minutes for sauce, 45 minutes for simmering. Baked Shells: 15 minutes for assembly, plus baking time.

Naptime Reviews: My daughter was so confused, she thought her ravioli has burst open when she first looked at the shells! It proved to be a great dish for both kids and adults.

Lemon Pudding Cake with Dad: Webisode #15

Lemon Pudding Cake with Dad from Kelsey Banfield on Vimeo.


What's Going on Today: Morning at the Farmer's Museum to enjoy the Sugaring Off breakfast, the celebration of the maple syrup harvest with lots o' pancakes and fresh local syrup!

Naptime Goals: Bake Lemon Pudding Cake with my Dad, an amazing home cook who wants a lesson in folding egg whites!

Tonight's Menu: Italian Meatloaf with Mom, green salad, Lemon Pudding Cake for dessert.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Grandparents spoil their grandchildren, there is no stopping it so don't bother trying.

While I was home in Cooperstown last weekend my Dad and I did some baking together. He had recently picked up the new Cook's Illustrated Entertaining and discovered a recipe for an old childhood favorite, Lemon Pudding Cake. The only problem was, despite being a great home cook, he didn't understand the instructions on folding egg whites into the batter. I was surprised that he hadn't done this before, but he really is more into making Short Ribs and grilling steak then he is baking, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

In the true spirit of Naptime Chef-ing, the moment my daughter went down for her nap Dad and I set to work on our lesson. As you'll see above, we had a roaring good time and were rewarded with a delicious, silky lemon cake at the end. Obviously, given our family love of all things lemon, we couldn't bear to wait for our first bite. We had our first taste when it was fresh out of the oven, then another slice after dinner when we were joined by my Mom and daughter.

Given the success of this episode I've already put my Dad on the hook for another one, this summer we'll be showing you how we make his famous Bread and Butter pickles. As you can see, he is a doctor and a scientist, so his canning methods are very precise and quite successful. Stay tuned!

Lemon Pudding Cake

adapted from Cook's Illustrated Entertaining, 2010

1 1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 t. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. sugar
5 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 T. grated lemon zest
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 c. whole milk
5 eggs, separated, yolks in one bowl with whites in another

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter an 8" square baking pan. Bring several quarts of water to boil for water bath

2. Cream the butter, 1 c. sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then, beat in the egg yolks, then flour, mixing until smooth. Slowly mix in the lemon juice, then stir in milk. 

3. Set the custard mixture aside and beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Then, add the remaining 1/4 c. of sugar and beat egg whites to stiff, moist peaks. Gently stir a dollop of the egg whites into the custard. Then, working slowly, fold the remaining egg whites in bit by bit until they are all incorporated, but not over beaten.

4. Pour the batter into the baking pan and fill the hot water bath until it comes halfway up the side of the pan. Bake until pudding cake center is set and springs back when gently touched, about 1 hour. Remove roasting pan from oven and let pan cool for 1 hour before serving.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Suggestions: This really is a great cake for entertaining as the magazine suggests. We loved it with whipped cream but it would also be great with ice-cream or fresh berries.

Naptime Stopwatch: The batter takes about 15 minutes to prepare, then the cake bakes for about an hour.

Naptime Reviews: This is a cross between pudding and cake and is absolutely divine. I love the smooth texture and the lemon flavor with subtle vanilla undertones. Needless to say, so did everyone else.

Roast Salmon with Perfect Pesto

What's Going on Today: Babysitter arrives for daughter in the morning, I am off to appointments, lunch with friend, then home to take daughter to playdate after naptime.

Naptime Goals: I'll be out to lunch! (Hope my daughter behaves for the sitter - it is so rare that I have one during the daytime!)

Tonight's Menu: Roast Salmon with Perfect Pesto, green salad with pine nuts and gorgonzola, Rice with Toasted Almonds.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Babysitters serve to remind us that sometimes we need a break from our kids, and sometimes the kids need a break from us!

Do you ever have one of those weeks when everything happens at the same time? Like, one week you have all the free time in the world to frolic in the park, and the next you barely have time to throw on some chapstick before running out the door? Well, I am having one of those weeks. I'm not quite sure how I managed to schedule things this way, but when I opened my planner yesterday I was slightly dismayed to discover that it was chock full of appointments and events. To some that may sound all very well and glamorous, me flitting around Manhattan in taxi cabs and high heels but, trust me, it's not.

So, what to do about dinner? Easy. For one of my meetings I will be near my favorite fish store in our neighborhood, so on the way home I'll stop by and pick up some fresh wildcaught salmon. I still have some Perfect Pesto in the freezer and it will make for a great main course, paired with some rice and a salad.

It is rare that we have a babysitter during the day, I usually choose to splurge in the evening when my husband and I are in the mood (re: desperate) for date night. But today I have no choice. This, of course, means that I won't have time to Naptime Chef today. Instead I'll turn to one of my favorite family meals that I can assemble on the fly, Roast Salmon with Pesto. As far as I can tell, there is hardly a better way to enjoy pesto. Yes, I love it roasted with creme fraiche as well, but this way is a tad tastier, I think. The garlic herb flavor of the spread contrasts beautifully with the fresh salmon, while the oil from the pesto prevents the fish from drying out in the oven.

So, after a day out and about this is what we will be enjoying, I am happy to report. And, yes, some of the other dishes like this or this are fantastic when there isn't much time for dinner either. The good news for you all, however, is that one of the many to-do's on my agenda is to working on my next Webisode for Thursday. In it I'll be baking with my Dad, a fellow home-baker who loves the kitchen as much as I do, and it is definitely not to be missed!

Roast Salmon with Perfect Pesto

from my busy home to yours...
2 T. Perfect Pesto or store bought pesto if you don't have any on hand
16 oz. Salmon (figure 6-8oz. per person)

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, this is immensely helpful with easy clean-up.
2. Rinse salmon briefly under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Spread pesto evenly over the salmon and place on the baking sheet. Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Serve immediately.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipes Ideas: If you don't have pesto on hand simply cover the salmon with a layer of creme fraiche, that will keep in the moisture and flavor of the salmon you don't want to lose when roasting in the oven.
Naptime Stopwatch: This takes about 45 seconds to prepare, plus roasting time.
Naptime Reviews: We are still working on my daughter's introduction to salmon, so far she seems to like the rice that I usually serve it with!!

Snow Day Peanut Butter: The Best Cookies, Sandwiches and More! Webisode #14

What's Going on Today: Snow still on the ground, off to the park to attempt snowman #2 of the week, grocery shopping for weekend goodies.

Naptime Goals: Bake cookies with the dough I made last night, Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich for lunch, catch up on emails (!)

Tonight's Menu: Leftover Tomato Florentine Soup with cheese toast, peanut butter cookies for dessert.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Teach kids to steer clear of yellow snow!

Winter is dragging on forever and it is driving me crazy. As you can see in the video above, the piles of snow on our somewhat clear sidewalk are over my daughter's head - and are almost as tall as me! Cooperstown NY, where I grew up, gets more snow than any place I know so I should be used to this, but I still don't like it.

The funny thing about snowstorms is that they go hand in hand with comfort food. When the snow flies I have no interest in sushi or tempura, I want soups, sandwiches and peanut butter. Lots of peanut butter. My love for peanut butter is fairly serious. You can ask anyone of my childhood friends, peanut butter has been my go-to comfort food since before I can remember. It was the exclusive main course in my lunch box for at least the first five years of grade school.  

When the snowstorm struck the other day it triggered my comfort food reflex and I immediately reached the peanut butter jar in our pantry. Cookies felt like a must so I employed one of my favorite Naptime Chef techniques and made peanut butter cookie dough during my daughter's naptime, then left it wrapped in the fridge overnight. The next day I retrieved the dough during naptime, baked the cookies and treated myself to a Peanut Butter and Honey sandwich for lunch. The following day I also made myself a big batch of soba noodles with peanut butter sauce, but that is a recipe for another time.

To help you along with your peanut butter recipe repertoire, here are a few of my favorites! Enjoy!

Naptime Chef's Favorite Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes:

1. Peanut Butter Cookies by Cook's Illustrated: Soft, moist and chock full of peanut butter flavor, these are my favorite peanut butter cookies of all time. The dough is incredibly simple to make and tastes even better when allowed to rest for a day in the fridge before baking. To give it a little crunch I recommend adding a handful of chopped roasted peanuts.

2. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters by Dorie Greenspan: The combination of chocolate, peanut butter and oatmeal in this cookie is practically lethal. The chewy texture and slightly caramelized flavor of these cookies are perfectly balanced with a hefty dose of chocolate. Beware, it is very easy to eat the entire tray fresh out of the oven.

3. Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcakes by Martha Stewart: Leave it to Martha to figure out take a typical peanut butter cookie recipes over the top. These little beauties are heavy on flavor and are sure to impress. Sometimes I like to dip the tops in chocolate to give them a peanut butter cup look and taste.

4. Peanut Butter Blossoms: Though baked mostly during the holiday season, these cookies are great year-round. In fact, I am hard pressed to understand what exactly is so Christmas-y about them. I love that they are like an inside out peanut butter cups. I grew up calling them Cyclops cookies.

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

adapted from Cook's Illustrated, 1996

2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. superfine sugar or regular granulated sugar

2/3 c. good quality commercial peanut butter (preferbly organic)

1 t. Kosher Salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 t. vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1. In an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar and peanut butter until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes. Then, add the egg yolk, egg and vanilla and mix to combine.

2. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl before proceeding. Then, add the salt and flour in small amounts with the mixer on low until it is just incorporated.

3. Wrap dough in plastic and let it rest in the fridge for at least one hour, or for up to 24 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Roll the dough into 1" round balls, wet the tips of your fingers and press them into round disks with a flat top, about 1/8" thick. Then, use fork tines to make a criss-cross pattern on the top of the cookie.  Bake for 6-8 minutes or longer, until the cookies golden brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack and serve.

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches

2 slices soft whole wheat bread

1-2 T. peanut butter (crunchy or creamy, your choice)

2 t. good honey

1. Layer the peanut butter on one side of the bread with a knife. Then, drizzle the honey on top and close sandwich with the second slice of bread. Cut and serve with a side of salty pretzels or chips. Note: A nice addition to this are sliced banana or apples if you want to adjust the flavors.

Peanut Butter and Crackers

2 Butter Cracker (like Ritz or similar

1 t. creamy peanut butter

1. Dollop peanut butter on bottom of one cracker and close with the other. Serve. Note: This works best with creamy peanut butter, the crunch adds too much extra texture.

Pear Butter Cake: Cooking with Tessa Kiros

What's Going on Today: My daughter is mad at me because I didn't make it to the store in time and they are sold out of sleds! (Hoping someone will let us borrow one when we get to the hill!)

Naptime Goals: Bake Pear Butter Cake, place chicken in the marinade - leave it in the fridge until dinner.

Tonight's Menu: Soyaki Chicken Thighs, Carrot Souffle, green salad, Pear Butter Cake

Parenting Lesson of the Day: You feel guilty when the reason they didn't get what they wanted is because you didn't try hard enough.

We have been on a pear kick in our house lately. Every morning my daughter and I slice up a Bosc or two and enjoy a big bowl of them while we wait for our oatmeal to cook. My husband loves pears too, however, he's usually gone by the time we wake up in the morning so I try to make sure there are some in the fruit bowl when he gets home.

The other day I was doing my weekly flip through Apples for Jam - I read it as regularly as I read the newspaper - and came across this recipe for Pear Butter Cake. Perfect, I thought, just the thing to make for a dessert after a hearty winter meal. Plus, it would be a really nice way to give my husband a nice pear dessert - his ultimate favorite and something I've definitely slacked on this winter. 

Like all of Tessa's recipes, the beauty of this cake it in it's simplicity. It's easily to assemble and has an almost rustic quality to it. The flavor comes from the citrus zest and vanilla and perfect layer of pears on top. While it bakes the sugar on top of the pears forms a syrup that seeps into the top of the cake, giving it a light pear flavor that enhances the soft spices of cardamom and nutmeg that have been gently folded into the batter. 

We were so thrilled with this cake in every way. It was light, flavorful and incredibly simple for me to bake while my daughter napped. Once I assembled the batter and started it baking I was able to put the chicken thighs into marinate and spend the rest of my time catching up on my to-do list. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking delicious fruit dessert to make at a time when most fruits aren't in season. That said, after the debacle of not making it to the store in time to buy a sled for my daughter, I can't wait for winter to be over so I can stop thinking about snow activities. It is time for spring to be on it's way!

Pear Butter Cake

adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros

13 T. unsalted butter, room temperautre
2/3 c. superfine sugar, or regular sugar blitzed in the food processor for 3 minutes, plus 2 T. for the top
1 t. good quality vanilla extract
1 t. lemon zest (Meyer lemon is preferable)
1/2 t. ground cardamom
1/4 t. nutmeg
3 eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. buttermilk or half-n-half
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3 ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin in vertical strips.

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9" springform pan.
2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then, with the mixer on low add vanilla, lemon zest, cardamom and nutmeg and mix well. Next, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
3. Scrape down the sides and restart the mixer, adding the flour and baking powder alternatively with the buttermilk until the batter is smooth.
4. Using a spatula, scrape the batter out of the bowl and into the cake pan so that the surface is somewhat level. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes carefully remove the cake from the oven and arrange the pears in a circle around the edge of the cake and add an additional circle on the top. Sprinkle remaining 2 T. of sugar on top and place back in the oven.
6. Bake for another 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool before releasing from the pan, then serve warm.
*Note: Cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days if wrapped in plastic wrap with an outer layer of aluminum foil.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: The next time I make this I am going to try apple slice on top, I bet they will be delicious. You can also place with the spices if you feel like it, add a little cinnamon or alter the amount of nutmeg.

Naptime Stopwatch: Assembling this batter takes all of 10 minutes. The longest part is slicing the pears, it helps to practice a bit if you want them to look really pretty on the cake.

Naptime Reviews: Everyone in our family loved this cake, including my daughter who was mesmerized with the idea of pears in baked form!

Millionaire Shortbread for the Office

What’s Going on Today: Negotiating snow-laden New York with a stroller, morning trip to Time Warner Center for a pastry at Bouchon.

Naptime Goals: Make Millionaire Shortbread for husband's office and to give to friends.

Tonight’s Meal: Tomato Soup Florentine with a green salad and cheese toast.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Snow snow go away, being stuck inside does not make our day.

Sometimes my love of baking overtakes me to the point that I have too many sweets in the house. When this happens I tend to pack off a nice big box of cookies and brownies to my husband's office and give several bags of goodies away to my friends. As for my husband, his colleagues love me for it, and I like to think it helps him earn some extra points with the boss. As for my friends, well they love me for it too, although not right before they leave for vacations that require bathing suits. Either way, it's the best way I can think of to move temptation out of my house before I gorge to the point of needing an entirely new wardrobe that is two sizes bigger than my current one.

Lately, I've been hooked on shortbread of all kinds. I've made Silver Palate Shortbread Hearts by the dozen, and when they've run out, I've made more. Then, the other day, I was flipping through my recipe box and found this old recipe of Millionaire Shortbread from my mother. I was immediately smitten, there was no better time to come across a recipe for shortbread with a layer of caramel and chocolate on top. The addition of these flavors were the perfect thing to take my shortbread making straight over the top.

Baking these during my daughter's naptime is a snap. In fact, the baking time is a short 20 minutes since only the shortbread needs to bake. The rest is matter of stirring the caramel and melting the chocolate. What sets this shortbread apart for me is the addition of rice flour to the batter, it creates a more delicate crumbly cookie instead of hard buttery brick. The caramel and chocolate layers are spread very thinly on top of it, setting for 30 minutes before each application, giving the whole bar a very refined appeal.

When I told my husband that I was making these this week he actually asked if he could take them to the office. Of course, I said yes. I do not need an entire 15x10 pan of these all to myself although, though, lord knows, I could polish it off in the matter of hours. After making during the naptime I let them chill overnight and cut them into squares the following morning. Half of the pan was sent to work, another quarter was given to friends and the rest stayed home with me. It's a good thing I portioned it this way, I've already eaten through my entire stash.

Millionaire Shortbread 

1 1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature
2 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. white rice flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1 c. light brown sugar, well packed
1 12oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and coat a 15x10" jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl mix 1 c. of unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, rice flour and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon until well combined and a little crumbly. Press dough in an even thin layer onto jelly roll pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until edges of shortbread are golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat melt 1/2 c. butter, condensed milk, corn syrup and brown sugar. Stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture has thickened and is a deep caramel brown.
4. Pour caramel over freshly baked shortbread and spread it evenly in a thin layer with the back of a wooden spoon or a spatula. Place it in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
5. Then, melt the chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave until it forms a smooth and creamy chocolate sauce.
6. After 30 minutes, remove caramel from the fridge and spread the chocolate over top. Return to fridge to chill for an additional 30 minutes. Then, cut into squares or triangles and serve.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: A couple of times I've added sliced almonds on top of the chocolate, as well as finely chopped hazelnuts. Both are a great addition if you want a yummy nutty crunch to accompany your bite of shortbread.

Naptime Stopwatch: Making this takes about 1 hour, including the waiting time. I like to put the shortbread in the oven to bake and then make the caramel while it's baking. Usually it works out perfectly that the shortbread is cooled by the time is caramel is complete and ready to spread on top of it. While the caramel sets in the fridge catch-up on TV, then melt the chocolate chips and spread them on top and return to fridge to finish.

Naptime Reviews: Everyone loves this shortbread because of it's slightly more delicate crunch from the rice flour and nice even layers of caramel and chocolate. They add just the right amount of sweetness without going over the top.

Paninis & White Truffle Potato Chips: Webisode #13

What’s Going on Today: Returned from vacation- unpacking, laundry, errands... quick trip to grocery store for a few staples.

Naptime Goals: Baked White Truffle Potato Chips to serve with dinner tonight. Make grocery list for tomorrow's shopping, finish laundry.

Tonight’s Meal: Paninis with Baked Potato Chips - that's as fancy as I get the first day back from vacation!
Parenting Lesson of the Day: When flying with kids bring cash so you can buy drinks for the poor souls sitting in front of you.

We returned from Florida a couple of days ago with decent tans, happy memories and several loads of laundry. It was sad to leave our fun family vacation, but my daughter was really glad to be home. Upon return she spent hour after hour playing with her toys and getting reacquainted with her stuffed animals. I didn't mind this in the least, it gave me some free time to unpack our bags, shake out the sand and put away our warm weather clothes for another few months.

As you'll see in this webisode, when we got home we also returned to a big fat empty fridge. Of course I expected this since I so diligently cleaned it out before we left. (If you've ever returned home to rotten milk and spoiled cheese in your kitchen you'll know exactly why it is important to clean out the soon-to-expire items before you depart.) In an attempt to control the catch-up chaos I opted to take the easy route and buy a few key food staples to get us through the first few days home, then do a big grocery shopping later. It was during this quick shopping trip that I picked up the makings for baked chips and paninis.

Making sandwiches and chips may seem like a pretty lame meal for our first night home, but I assure you it is not. To me a hot toasted sandwich served with crisp salty chips is comfort food in it's finest form, and this meal fits the bill. Though it is a tad more laborious then buying chips at the store, making these baked chips is simple and the end result is far healthier and more flavorful then anything I've ever eaten out of a bag. In this case I used white truffle oil and a touch of sea salt as my flavor combination of choice, but you could also use pepper, herbs or other flavored oils. Almost anything goes. The flavors of the sandwich are also well-balanced with oozy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes and a good spread of my Perfect Pesto - thawed from the freezer - to give it an extra pop of flavor and moisture.

Rest assured, after shooting this I took quite a lengthy trip to the grocery store and had the makings of several more meals delivered straight to our apartment. We will be eating heartier, more involved meals in the weeks to come, but this was the perfect way to give ourselves a big welcome home.

Baked White Truffle Potato Chips

method adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten
Serves 2
3 large baking potatoes
4 T. olive oil
4 T. white truffle oil
3-4 Pinches Sea Salt

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Pour 2 T. of olive oil on a 18x13 jelly roll pan and spread it all around so the pan is fully coated. Place coated pan in the oven and heat for 10 minutes.
2. Scrub potatoes and slice to 1/16" thick on a mandoline. *If you don't have a mandoline, slice the potato as thinly as possible with a sharp knife.*
3. Line up potato slices on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 T. white truffle oil. Then sprinkle with 1-2 pinches of Sea Salt. Place in the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes. Then, rotate the pan and bake for 5-6 more minutes. At that point, look at the chips, as they get darker flip them with a pair of tongs and bake for 1-2 minutes more. The chips will darken a bit as they bake, just don't let them burn.
4. Remove pan from oven and transfer chips to a layer of paper towels. Allow them to cool and the oil to be absorbed by the towels. They will crisp up slightly as they cool.

Panini with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto

Serves 2
4 Slices good bread
2 T. heaping teaspoons perfect pesto
4-5 slices fresh mozzarella
4 slices fresh tomato
2 slices prosciutto

1. Heat a skillet or panini press and coat lightly with butter or olive oil.
2. To make a sandwich: Swipe one side of bread with pesto, then layer with tomato, prosciutto and mozzarella. Close with second piece of bread. Toast and serve.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas and Variations: The flavor possibilities for this meal are nearly endless. As long as you have some bread on hand you can make almost anything from your fridge into a great toasted sandwich. I've also flavored the chips before with different herbs including rosemary and thyme, as well as garlic oil and red pepper.
Naptime Stopwatch: Slice and baking the chips takes about 30 minutes, assembling and making the paninis takes about 10 minutes at the most.
Naptime Reviews: My husband and I are always game for a sandwich and chips for dinner now and then. For my daughter we omitted the prosciutto and gave her a pesto and mozzarella grilled cheese.

Food is Love 2010: Round-up and Winners

Earlier this month Jennifer at Savor the Thyme and I hosted a fun Valentine's contest called Food is Love. We wanted to see how you show your family and friends love on Valentine's Day with food. We were smitten with all of the wonderful entries you sent in and agonized for hours choosing the winners. Below is a round-up of half of the entries from the contest, you can find the rest over at Jennifer's awesome site. As you'll see, Bonnie, the winner in the Silly/Funny category, is listed below. The remaining two winners and the rest of the contestants are showcased at Savor the Thyme.

Thanks again to all of our entrants. The winners will receive prizes from Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, easily the best chocolate producer ever. I love their premium chocolate for baking, eating and just about anything!

Winner in the Silly/Funny Category- Bonnie of SweetLifeBakes: Wouldn't you love to wake up to grapefruits like these on Valentine's Day!

Cara of Big Girls, Small Kitchen with Dairy-Free Carrot Cake: How sweet that Cara thoughtfully made a dairy-free carrot cake for boyfriend on this special holiday.

Stacie of ChowMama with Orange and Chocolate Chunk Cookies: These are right up my alley. I've already printed out this recipe and will be baking them soon with my newly arrived crate of fresh citrus from Florida!

Elina of The Naked Beet: Chocolate Chili Cherry Cookies, say that three times fast! Then, start baking, these awesomely delicious cookies are bound to impress just about everyone.

ChezUs with Pink Macaroons with Bittersweet Ganache: Making these babies are not easy and ChezUs has done a gorgeous job. On top of it, check out the gorgeous photo!

Alyssa of Sweet and Savory Food with Heart Shaped Red Velvet Cake: This luscious red cake is enough to make anyone swoon!

 

Ally of Artistic Eatables with Eggs in a Frame: I think anyone would be excited to wake up to such a gorgeous breakfast, myself included!