mint Archives - East of Eden Cooking

2018/08/222018/08/22

Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt is a harmony of flavors, a tangy yogurt base paired with a minty background and loaded with mini chocolate chips.

“There was always some little delicacy, very special and good—foie gras or a tossed salad, pastry bought at Lang’s Bakery just across Main Street. “

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt is a tangy alternative to calorie busting ice cream. Real ice cream is made with cream, it’s impossible to resist. Cream has a whopping 821 calories per cup, while whole milk yogurt has 170 calories per cup, a compelling reason to try this recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt. This super easy recipe for frozen yogurt has floated all over the net. For vanilla frozen yogurt there are only four ingredients, full fat yogurt, sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix everything in one bowl, process, freeze, done. No custard to make and chill, no overloading on fat filled calories from dairy. A summer worthy frozen dessert, Mint Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt is slightly tangy from the yogurt, minty from the extract and chocolaty from the mini chips. READ MORE . . .

2016/01/242018/01/03

Smashed Beets with Lemon and Pistachio

Smashed Beet Salad with Lemon and Pistachio

A Winter Salad

“Charles found that he could cook his fried and boiled meals more quickly and efficiently on the forge than he could on the kitchen stove. The bellows forced quick flaring heat from the coke. A man didn’t have to wait for a stove to heat up. He wondered why he had never thought of it before.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

After those outrageous Lemon Ginger Sweet Rolls it must be time for something vegetables. With this recipe we have all the lemon and our vegetables too. Smashing the roasted beets and then crisping them in a hot skillet until the exteriors are crunchy and the insides stay soft and buttery is the kind of winter cooking I recommend. While hot dress the beets with a citrusy vinaigrette and a dollop of creamy ricotta. Fresh herbs, crunchy pistachios and a flurry of baby lettuce make a fabulous winter salad. READ MORE . . .

2015/04/122018/04/07

Buttermilk Shortcake with Strawberries and Mint

The First Fruit of Spring

“There were others who prophesied, with rays shining on their foreheads, about the sometime ditches that would carry water all over the valley—who knows? maybe in our lifetime—or deep wells with steam engines to pump the water up out of the guts of the world. Can you imagine? Just think what this land would raise with plenty of water! Why, it will be a frigging garden!”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

In California, spring came early. It rained like crazy in December and we were hopeful that the drought would ease. Instead we have had an early spring with so many days of sunshine I have almost forgotten about the coastal fog. I got an email notice from our local farm stand, The Farm, saying the strawberry harvest began early this year and flats of berries were available before the farm stand opens in late April. I was so excited at the thought of sweet, organic strawberries that I had to have some. Driving home, the scent of the first fruit of spring was overpowering. I easily devoured an entire basket that afternoon. The next morning we had some with our breakfast. I made these shortcakes and then as quickly as they arrived, the first fruit of spring was gone. READ MORE . . .

2014/05/272017/12/31

Thirst Quenching Lemon, Mint and Cucumber Water

The Steinbeck Festival, Tour of Hamilton Ranch

“I must depend on hearsay, on old photographs, on stories told, and on memories which are hazy and mixed with fable in trying to tell you about the Hamiltons. ”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

The annual Steinbeck Festival is held in Salinas each year. I try to attend at least one event that grows my Steinbeck knowledge. Even better is a learning experience that includes local history and the novel, East of Eden. This year a tour of the Hamilton Ranch in King City was an event I didn’t want to miss. Susan Shillinglaw, a local Steinbeck scholar and author was our tour guide. READ MORE . . .

2013/04/292017/12/31

Asparagus with Fresh Ricotta

Spring Zing

“A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Light shifts with the seasons. It’s vague and unassuming at first. We’re never sure when it really happens. The annual time change confuses our innate ability to feel the change. We must see it. We are so busy reestablishing our daily rhythms that one day we realize winter with its sharp dramatic edges and deep shadows of light has been replaced with a softer focus. The plush velvet curtain of winter is pulled back to reveal a stage where the merry making of spring always surprises us. As the light brightens it pushes away the last scrap of winter revealing all the sparkling color we crave. READ MORE . . .