Keeping Fun in Food
When I was growing up my family often had frozen turnovers on the weekend for breakfast or for dessert. Mom or Dad could pop them in the microwave, and presto, a flaky and sweet pastry. I love instant gratification!
It’s finally summer, which means I’m craving all kinds of fruit desserts. Thank heavens for peach season!!!! This dessert is the perfect blend of fresh fruit from the farmer’s market combined with buttery puff pastry chilling in my freezer.
Side note, always keep puff pastry in your freezer. You can use it a zillion different ways for quick appetizers and desserts.
Peach and Blueberry Turnovers (makes 4 pastries)
Take puff pastry out of the freezer and set in the fridge to thaw. I recommend moving the box to your fridge the night before, so the pastry will still be chilled yet thawed in the morning.
In a mixing bowl combine chopped peaches, blueberries, brown sugar, cinnamon and corn starch. Stir to combine, and then set aside.
Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface and pull out chilled pastry from your fridge. Sprinkle some more flower on a rolling pin and gently roll out the dough. Using a pizza cutter, portion sections of the dough and put two teaspoons of the filling an inch away from the edge of your dough. Then fold over the empty half of your dough over the filling and seal the edges well with a fork.
You can see that I chose to make triangle turnovers. You can also see that my filling leaked out a bit. I’d recommend cutting your dough into rectangular strips. You can put the filling on one half and then easily fold the other half over the filling. Transfer sealed turnovers to a baking sheet. No need to spray as the pastry has plenty of butter in it.
Gently separate an egg over a small bowl and brush a little of the egg white over the top of each pastry. This will ensure a golden brown color. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. The pastry should be flaky and slightly crisp.
A perfectly peachy summer dessert or breakfast!
I’m always looking for light and flavorful food during the summer. There’s absolutely nothing worse than feeling overly full in this blasted heat and humidity. Greek cuisine is generally big on flavor but simple and fresh. Exactly what I was craving when I made this recipe.
Mediterranean Shrimp and Couscous (serves 3)
Start by preparing the couscous because that will take the most amount of time. You heard right kids, this dish takes less than 15 minutes to make! Boil a cup of and a 1/4 of chicken broth (or water if you prefer) in a medium pot, and add in a cup of couscous. My favorite kind is the pearl couscous for textural reasons, but any kind would work out nicely. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook at a simmer for 8-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Now it’s time to start on the shrimp. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 min. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 mins. These will cook very quickly and you’ll know they are ready to flip when they turn a pale pink color and start to curl. Remove the shrimp from the heat and set aside on a plate.
Cooked and Seasoned Shrimp
Add another tbs of olive oil to the same pan you used to cook the shrimp. Add your chickpeas and spinach and sautee for 2 mins. Add the tomato paste and wine. Stir and cook for 2 mins then add in the crushed tomatoes. Cook for 5-7 minutes to reduce.
Sautéed spinach and chickpeas for Mediterranean Shrimp
Return your shrimp to the skillet and warm. Serve over the couscous and top with crumbled feta cheese.