Scott Hutcheson

Pop's Tarts

Originally published in quality newspapers the week of April 24, 2011

When they were younger, my kids used to beg for Pop Tarts. If our grocery cart got within two isles of the breakfast foods section their pupils would dilate, their arms would reach out, and they would begin their attempts at parental manipulation. It’s funny how I had to remind them several times a day to say “please” and “thank you” yet when lobbying for something they really wanted, they quickly transform into little masters of manners.

When “please” didn’t work, they resorted to the movie-tie in tactic, trying to convince me that pastries with a Disney Pixar character on the box were somehow even more delicious than the run-of-the-mill tart. Sometimes I gave in, most of the time I didn’t.

I can’t blame them. I love them too. Pop Tarts and I grew up together, both born in 1964. I spent many a Saturday morning watching cartoons while washing down two pastries with a cold glass of milk. My children and I are certainly not alone in our love of Pop Tarts. Over 2.7 million Facebook users are fans of the tasty squares.

My wife and I make it a parenting priority to help our kids make good food choices. We aren’t militant about it but we try to be sure most meals feature lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Like most busy families, however, occasional carry-out pizzas, drive-through burgers, and Pop Tarts are seemingly unavoidable.

Every now and then, I attempt to make healthier, homemade versions of convenience-food favorites, like Pop Tarts. Making these foods at home allows me to control the ingredients that go into them and provides enough of a novelty factor, that they are almost always a hit with my boys. From a calorie perspective, my tarts are no better, I’m sure, than the grocery store version; but I feel better about using real sugar, real butter, and whole-wheat flour. There’s nothing in them that my kids can’t pronounce.

If you’ve got Pop Tart lovers in your house and an hour or so to spare, you might want to give this recipe a try and if there are kids around let them lend a hand.

Pop’s Tarts

Pastry:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup spreadable fruit (I used strawberry)
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with two tablespoons milk

 Frosting:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

Optional:

• Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor combine the butter and sugar then add the eggs, one at a time. Sift together flours and baking powder and add to the butter and sugar, pulsing until a soft dough ball forms. Chill for one hour. Turn the dough onto a large floured surface and roll to the thickness of a pie crust, about an eighth of an inch.

Use a knife to cut out rectangles that are about 6” x 5”, roughly the size of two Pop Tarts side by side. Spread about a tablespoon of fruit over 1/2 of each rectangle, staying way from the edges. Fold dough over the preserves, push down at the edges, and trim up the edges with your knife. Place tarts on a greased cookie sheet and brush w/the egg yolk milk mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

Combine the powdered sugar and milk to make a thin frosting, Use a pastry brush to apply to each pastry. While the frosting is wet, you may also want to top with sprinkles. This will make about 16 tarts. Wrap in foil and store in refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to four months. When ready to eat, toast like you would the store-bought kind. Frozen tarts may need a little extra time.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

Originally published in quality newspapers the week of April 17, 2011

If you have not yet finalized your Easter menu, consider adding this simple yet elegant Roasted Vegetable Frittata to your plans. This frittata is great for breakfast, brunch, or lunch.

Eggs, as a symbol of new life, are part of the Easter tradition in many countries. In Sweden, for instance, the tradition is to eat hardboiled eggs the evening before Easter. Other countries, like Greece and Portugal, make braided Easter bread with hardboiled eggs, shell and all, placed within the braids. In Italy, the frittata is often on the Easter menu.

If you are not familiar with frittata, it is similar to an omelet or crustless quiche and like these other dishes, can have a wide variety of fillings. This is a two-step recipe, and the vegetables can be roasted up to two days before you plan to make the frittata. At our house, we like roasted vegetables so much I’ll sometimes roast a large quantity using some in a frittata, and eating the rest as a side dish next night or even use them as a pizza topping. Roasted vegetables are versatile and simple to prepare. Roasting caramelizes the sugars in vegetables and results in an amazing sweet-savory taste combination. Those listed in this recipe are some of my favorites and these quantities will be just about right for the frittata.

Roasted Vegetables

• 4 medium-sized new potatoes
• 4 carrots or one and a half cups of baby carrots
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 20 (approx.) asparagus spears

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. To prepare the vegetables, rinse the potatoes, peppers, asparagus, and carrots (if using whole carrots). There is no need to peel the potatoes, but remove any areas where the potatoes might have started to sprout. Peel the outer skin of the onion. Next, cut all the vegetables into bite-size chunks and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the cut-up vegetables with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, toss the vegetables until evenly coated with the oil, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the vegetables to a large cookie sheet, making sure that they are evenly distributed. Place the cookie sheet in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. At about the halfway point, use a spatula to move the vegetables around and turn them over. Continue roasting until they begin to brown evenly. Less dense vegetables, like the asparagus, may cook more quickly so remove them when they are done and let the other vegetables continue to cook. The roasted vegetables can be used immediately or stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

Roasted Vegetable Frittata

• Roasted Vegetables
• 6 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

Set the oven broiler on high and also heat to medium an oven-proof skillet (I use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet) on the stove top.

Crack the six eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, and beat the eggs with a fork. Add to the skillet enough olive oil to cover the bottom and tilt the skillet so that the oil coats the sides. Next, add the roasted vegetables to the skillet. If the vegetables were prepared beforehand, allow them to warm up in the skillet then add the beaten eggs.

Shake the pan a bit to be sure the eggs settle all the way through to the bottom. Allow this to cook on the stovetop undisturbed until the eggs begin to set, about 5-7 minutes. Add the Parmesan cheese and transfer the skillet to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until the eggs are completely set. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to loosen the sides. The frittata can be cut like a pie into six servings.

Looking Ahead to Easter (and recipes for a full Easter menu)

Originally published in quality newspapers the week of April 10, 2011

From a food-point-of-view, Easter is one of the big three events in the triple crown of holidays. There others being, of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving menus, it seems, have much consistency from family to family. Most have turkey, some sort of stuffing or dressing, and a favorite version of sweet potatoes. Christmas food traditions vary some but usually feature some of the same hearty cooler-weather fare as Thanksgiving.

Easter, as a celebration of spring and new life, calls for some lighter flavors. Growing up, the Easter Ham was the ever-present entree at our Easter table and it’s most often what I now prepare for my family.

Our menu this year will include Fruit Salad, Deviled Eggs, Chantilly Potatoes, Peas with Mint, and a Lemonade Pie for dessert. As you look ahead to Easter, maybe you are looking for some new ideas, Hopefully you can find some here.

Regardless of what’s on your table next weekend or if you even observe Easter, I hope you can enjoy and celebrate the onset of spring with friends and family and that some of these recipes will fit with your plans.

Orange Glaze for Easter Ham

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 1/2 ounces orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup whole gain mustard Dijon mustard
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 orange, juiced and zested

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Stir in the other ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over ham and bake for the last hour of the ham's total baking time.

Chantilly Potatoes

• 8 whole Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Boil potatoes until tender. Prepare as you would mashed potatoes (I used a ricer) adding butter, 1/2 cup of cream, 2 tablespoon chives, salt, and pepper. Put into an oven proof dish that will still leave you about an inch of room at the top. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup of cream and spread on top of potatoes. Add the grated cheese and place back in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Garnish with the remaining chopped chives.

Peas with Mint

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 16 ounces frozen baby peas
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Heat a medium saucepan on the low setting and add the butter. When it has melted add the onions and lemon zest. Turn up the heat a bit and cook gently until the onions are translucent but not browned, about five minutes. Add the peas and sir occasionally until they are heated through (about five minutes) then add the mint.

Lemonade Pie

• 1 prepared graham cracker crust (the kind in the aluminum pan)
• 1 small can frozen lemonade
• 1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 cups of whipped cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

To a large bowl add the lemonade, condensed milk, and lemonade and stir to combine. Fold in the whipped cream and then put into the pie shell. Let chill for several hours or overnight. Before serving garnish with lemon.