Food + Family + Friends

Christina Shoup

Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

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When my kids see this pumpkin cookie coming out of a hot oven, it is a tell tale sign that Fall has arrived.  It’s a childhood favorite of mine, passed along to my family growing up from our next door neighbor and has quickly earned its place in our list of family favorites as well.  I only make it from October 1 – Thanksgiving, making the possibility of its appearance a timely and much anticipated treat. 

This is the perfect glazed cookie for a sweet treat or unglazed with a cup of coffee for an afternoon snack. I have served a platter of these cookies on a Halloween food buffet, treated hard working teachers during busy fall parent teacher conferences, as well as placed a tray of these cookies at the coveted spot on the Thanksgiving dessert table. Above all, this is my favorite fall cookie to make several batches of, pile on a pretty plate, and deliver to beloved friends and family.  

I hope you find this pumpkin cookie as tasty as we do and enjoy sharing it with your friends and family.  

Cheers,

Christina

Bake these cookies until they have a nice golden color – this vastly deepens and improves the flavor of the cookie
Combine ingredients and stand by ready to whisk
Whisk constantly while the mixture is at a rolling boil – a deep caramel/maple flavor happens in a matter of minutes
Add vanilla, powdered sugar and salt and whisk until smooth – then act fast to frost cookies before the icing firms up
Some plain, some frosted, some with chopped nuts – everybody wins
The most perfect fall afternoon treat
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Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

This little cake-like pumpkin cookie is a fall family favorite! The original recipe came from my next door neighbor growing up. She would be delighted, but certainly not surprised, that this remains a beloved recipe passed between neighborhoods and generations. Here's my favorite version with tweaks I've made over the years to further deepen the flavor. Glazed or unglazed, it's a perfect treat.

Course Dessert
Keyword cookies, pumpkin
Servings 3 dozen
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1½ tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and finely chopped Add an additional ¼ cup nuts for topping, if desired

Glaze

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp milk whole or reduced fat both work well
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted or whisked until free of lumps

Instructions

Cookies

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. Mix first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

  3. In a stand mixer, cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl.

  4. Add egg and mix well.

  5. Add in pumpkin and vanilla. Mix well, scraping the bowl as needed. The mixture may look like it is separating, but don't worry. It will come together into a nice smooth batter when the dry ingredients are added.

  6. Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

  7. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold in ½ cup of the chopped nuts by hand.

  8. Using a small ice cream scoop, about 1½ Tbsp, scoop batter onto parchment lined baking sheets, allowing about 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Unlike many other cookies, they should be set and the top should feel like the top of a baked muffin or cake. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Glaze

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk and butter. Heat to a gentle boil, whisking constantly for 2 minutes.

  2. Remove from heat and add vanilla, salt and powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.

  3. Working quickly so the glaze doesn't set up, use a spoon to spread a small amount on top of each cookie. Sprinkle some chopped nuts, if using, on top of the wet glaze. Keeps well for days in a sealed container and also freezes well. Enjoy!

Baja-style Fish Tacos with Spicy Lime Crema

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It’s a very rare occasion that I fry something in my kitchen – I rarely pan or shallow fry, let alone deep fry. When I do, it causes quite a stir among my family prompting all to voice their thoughts about it. Among the musings, nobody ever comments, “It smells like the Kern County Fair in here,” which is my only thought when I smell something fried.  A carnival, a county fair, anything similar that occurs in early fall with live country music, animal showings and fried everything.  Of course none of that is likely happening this year, and I haven’t been to one in over 20 years, at least.  But, proof that food memories are STRONG! 

Anyone who knows me well knows my favorite food is a taco – almost any kind of taco, but I have a soft spot for fish and shrimp tacos.  80% of the time, I will choose the healthier grilled version over anything fried.  But, because I’m not a complete fool, I will order the delicious, crispy, lightly battered fish taco when the mood strikes, which usually happens on vacation.  And last week, after a crazy change of plans while on a trip to Idaho and Montana, we ended back home after just 2 days of being away. Sadly, the terrible fires across the West are resulting in smoky skies and hazardous air conditions several states away.  We were fortunate enough to quickly change plans and head back to the Bay Area, where for the first time in almost 30 days, the air quality is trending safer and headed its way to moderate levels – something to celebrate, indeed! 

Instead of cooking last week in our rented, lakeside Montana house (I was so excited to do dishes staring at the lake!), I was back in my kitchen meal planning like any other week.  I love my kitchen so this isn’t a problem, I just needed a change in mindset.  My new menu included fish tacos using wild Alaskan cod- a great mild fish that flakes easily when cooked with a drizzle of olive oil and a little taco seasoning.  As tasty and easy as this meal is, it just wasn’t going to cut the sting of missing out on our adventure.  I decided frying the fish was the only way to change things up a bit.  Since I only fry 2-3 times a year, this was a big deal.  It was so easy and didn’t even require the dreaded vat of oil to deep fry! Just a ½ – ¾ inch of oil in a pan was enough to produce the lightest, crispy, fish tacos worthy of vacation food! 

As for toppings, a quick slaw included some shredded green cabbage tossed with some chopped red onion, lime juice, chopped cilantro and sprinkling of kosher salt.

Pico de Gallo was a timely cooking assignment for my high schooler, so we enjoyed that on top along with a spicy sauce that we use on everything – a combination of plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, lime juice, salt and adobo sauce (liquid from canned chipotle peppers) or even easier, a good squeeze of Sriracha.  

Easy, delicious, not one bit healthy, but totally worth it.  Only regrets included the stove cleanup after dinner and house still smelling like the county fair in the morning. 

Cheers,

Christina

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Baja-style Fish Tacos with Spicy Lime Crema

These light and crispy fish tacos are such a treat. A simple cabbage slaw and a combination of yogurt and sour cream kicked up with a little spice, make for the most satisfying, vacation worthy meal.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword fish, taco
Servings 6 people
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Fish/Batter

  • 2 lbs cod, cut into pieces roughly 1 inch wide
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 3-4 shakes hot sauce Cholula Chipotle is my favorite
  • 12 oz light beer I used Corona

Spicy Lime Crema

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 lime, squeezed
  • adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers or Sriracha sauce works great, too
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Cabbage slaw

  • 2 cups shredded green or red cabbage
  • ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 lime, squeezed
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

For serving

  • lime wedges
  • ½ cup fresh pico de gallo
  • 12 flour or corn tortillas, warmed

Instructions

  1. Combine ingredients for crema in a small bowl and set aside. Adjust seasoning to your level of desired spiciness. If you like it extra spicy, finely chop up a canned chipotle pepper and add to the mixture.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine ingredients for cabbage slaw in a bowl and set aside.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk all dry ingredients for the batter. While whisking, slowly add the beer, followed by the hot sauce and thoroughly mix until fully combined and no lumps remain. Add fish pieces to the batter and coat evenly.

  4. Prepare a sheet pan with paper towels. In a large Dutch oven, heat about ½ – ¾" of vegetable oil to 350°. When the oil is hot, carefully place a few pieces in the oil and cook till golden, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place fried fish on paper towels and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Repeat with remaining fish, adjusting the temperature as needed to maintain 350° temperature.

  5. Fill warm tortillas with fish, slaw, crema and toppings. Enjoy every single spicy, crispy bite!

Cantaloupe Banana Smoothie

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The most used appliance in our house is our Vitamix… this is not a paid sponsorship, but rather a ode to my favorite appliance for almost 15 years. Each day, this well loved kitchen friend produces smoothie after healthy smoothie, velvety soups and sauces, smooth muffin batter, chunky dips and spreads, and even the best banana milkshake I’ve ever had.

Many years ago, before we had a Vitamix, but still a high quality blender, my husband used some overly ripe cantaloupe and a banana and threw it in the blender with some rice milk (what we drank at the time) and a few ice cubes and produced the most refreshing afternoon snack. To this day, it remains one of our most simple, refreshing smoothies during the summer months when melon is at its peak. Honeydew is an equally delicious substitution and often gets mixed with matcha green tea powder for a great afternoon pick me up – recipe to come!

I hope you enjoy this simple and delicious smoothie.

Cheers,

Christina

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Cantaloupe Banana Smoothie

A simple, refreshing smoothie during the summer months! It's a perfect afternoon snack to cool down and rehydrate after some fun in the sun. Honeydew is an excellent substitution and one we make all the time. Enjoy!

Course Beverages
Keyword cantaloupe, smoothie
Servings 2 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cantaloupe chunks
  • 2 bananas
  • ¼ cup almond milk any dairy or nondairy beverage should work well
  • 5 ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Green Beans Provencal

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This side dish is such a hit with my family that during the summer when green beans are in peak season, I make it on a weekly basis. Correction, my 13 year old son now makes it for us on a weekly basis. Lucky me!

I first enjoyed this salad while in cooking school and have been making it ever since. The original recipe is from Chowhound and delicious as written- thank you Chowhound for the inspiration! But this is my favorite summer version, especially when tomatoes are in abundance. I cannot get enough of these flavors. We eat a lot of Mediterranean cuisine in our house, so the ingredients used here are pantry and fridge staples for me. Along with weekly trips to the local farmer’s market, this is an easy and quick side dish that everyone loves. It is the perfect side dish to grilled pork, chicken and fish – mains we have a lot of!

I’m bringing this dish to a small, backyard, socially distanced birthday gathering this weekend. I cannot wait to share it with family and friends.

Cheers,

Christina

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Green Beans Provencal

During the summer months, this side dish is on repeat in my house. I first enjoyed this dish while in cooking school and have been making it ever since. The recipe is adapted from Chowhound and this is now my favorite version, especially during the summer when the tomatoes are in abundance. It is the perfect side dish to grilled pork, chicken and fish. Enjoy!

Course Salad, Side Dish
Keyword green beans, salad
Servings 6 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
  • 2 tbsp champagne vinegar red or white wine vinegar work as well
  • 1 large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained, rinsed and coarsely chopped
  • 1 lb green beans, trimmed of stem
  • 2 tbsp kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta optional
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted optional
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Combine the shallot, vinegar, and garlic in a large, nonreactive bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.

  2. Add the mustard, salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the capers and olives and taste for seasoning.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add trimmed green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. The green beans should be cooked through but still have a slight crunch. Drain well in a colander and while still hot, add the green beans to the dressing.

  4. Toss until well coated. Add the tomatoes, and if using, feta cheese and pine nuts, and gently combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature- both are delicious. Be sure to give a gentle toss just before serving to make sure all the green beans are well coated.

Summer Fruit Almond Cream Galette

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When your favorite summer desserts include all things fruit, you come up with new ways to use all that peak produce! Fruit crisps are one of my favorite desserts- I can never get enough of that sweet, buttery, oat crumble.  But then I remind myself how much I love pie, or anything with a flaky, buttery crust.  Galettes (French), or crostatas (Italian), depending on the cuisine you’re talking about, are the perfect solution to this dilemma.  A sturdy crust, a surprise almond cream that serves as a base for all that juicy fruit, and a sweet oat crumble to top the fruit makes for a very satisfying summer dessert.  A scoop of good vanilla ice cream is highly recommended –  it was very much a recent hit with my family and mother-in-law. 

Don’t be turned off by all the steps! Most can be prepared in advance of the assembly, and the galette itself can be baked entirely and served room temperature.  I did that recently and only popped it in the oven for a few minutes to heat so our ice cream on top would get perfectly melty, but it’s certainly not necessary.  And, store-bought pie crust is a fine substitution – Trader Joe’s is a great choice and makes this recipe even easier.  The goal is to enjoy this delicious dessert! 

Cheers,

Christina

chilled dough straight from the freezer
almond cream and oat crumble
juicy summer fruit
almond cream
spread and leave a 2-inch border
fresh peaches in a circle and blueberries scattered
oat crumble topping
fold, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar
bake until deeply golden
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Summer Fruit Almond Cream Galette

This delicious summer dessert is the best of all fruit desserts. It's got a sturdy crust to hold all the juicy summer fruit, a surprise almond cream as a base hiding below that fruit, and a oat crumble on top to give it the perfect crunch. A satisfying pie-crumble-galette combo that will both impress and delight your family and friends.

Course Dessert
Keyword galette, summer fruit
Servings 8 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Galette Dough

  • 1½ cup flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
  • 4-5 tbsp ice water

Almond Cream

  • ¼ cup almond paste
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ cup sour cream

Oat Crumble

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp old fashioned oats
  • 2 tbsp sliced almonds optional
  • pinch of kosher salt

Egg Wash/Sugar crust

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp turbinado sugar

Instructions

Galette dough

  1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to blend.
  2. Add butter and pulse a few times to cut butter into the flour until you have small pieces of butter throughout.

  3. Add ice water a little at a time and pulse until mixture forms a dough that can holds together when you pinch a bit in your hand. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Gather dough and press into a disc.

  4. Place disc in between two sheets of parchment paper and roll into a rough circle, about 11 inches in diameter. Place the parchment lined dough on a baking sheet and place in the freezer while you prepare the crumble and almond cream, about 30 minutes.

Almond Cream

  1. Blend almond paste, brown sugar, and sour cream in a food processor. You can also use a hand mixer, but is harder to get the almond paste to blend in completely. Set aside.

Oat Crumble

  1. Add all ingredients, except the butter, to a small bowl and combine. Add small pieces of butter and using clean hands, or a fork, work the butter and mixture together until a crumble mixture appears. Chunks of butter coated with flour and oats is what you're looking for. Set aside.

Egg Wash

  1. Combine the egg, cream or milk, and salt and whisk until mixture is homogeneous. Set aside.

Assembly

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Pull dough out of the freezer and peel the top layer of parchment off. Leave the bottom layer on the baking sheet and let sit out on the counter for a few minutes until it can be easily folded.

  2. Evenly spread almond mixture over the dough, leaving a 2-inch border. Place peaches in a circle or evenly scattered around, followed by the blueberries. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the fruit. Fold the dough edge over the fruit, pleating naturally occurs as you fold. Brush the edge with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

  3. Bake until crust is golden, about 35 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into wedges. A scoop of ice cream on top is a very good idea.

Arugula Salad with Tomato, Peach and Roasted Golden Beets

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For many of us, a simple trip to the farmer’s market can provide such joy these days. The aromas, the array of colors, and the people! Oh how nice it is to see people – outside, masked, and there to support our local farmers and their hard work. Even greater than joy, our health is directly affected by these essential workers by providing fresh, organic produce.  The best medicine during a global pandemic! We are so grateful for our farmers.


If a trip to the farmer’s market is on your agenda for the weekend, I would put good money on fresh tomatoes and peaches being part of your haul.  They are so SO good right now and I cannot stop eating them.  Out of hand is the most common way for me to consume these tasty fruits, but with so much time at home these days, I’ve incorporated some really yummy salad lunches for my husband and me to enjoy.  

his and hers

One of those recent lunches was this arugula salad.  All the produce came from a quick Thursday stop at the farmer’s market and provided one of the tastiest salads we’ve had this summer, and we’ve had a lot of them – look for a post soon on all things salad!

The combination of peaches and tomatoes makes perfect sense. You may be familiar with the old saying – what grows together goes together. It could not be more true in this case! The golden beets are roasted and beautiful on the plate – but deep red would be pleasing as well. If you’re feeling spunky, some thinly sliced jalapeno or serrano pepper would be delicious with the peppery arugula. Or add that surprise kick with my favorite salt right now, Jacobsen Salt Co.’s Habanero Salt. So tasty!

So good on avocado toast, tomatoes and sliced melon – almost anything

I hope you have a great weekend and make time to stop at one of your local farmer’s markets! 

Cheers,

Christina

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Arugula Salad with Tomato, Peach and Roasted Golden Beets

This salad is summer on a plate. Thick juicy tomato wedges, ripe fresh peaches and earthy golden beets meet peppery arugula and creamy goat cheese. Crispy torn bread and crunchy salt pulls the whole dish together. This is a great place to play with different vinegars for the dressing – some of my favorites include sherry and red wine vinegar. Different types of flake salt are also a fun way to change the flavor up a bit – Jacobsen Salt Co. Habanero Salt or Smoked Maldon Salt sprinkled on the finished plate is a fun flavor surprise.

Course Salad
Keyword beet, peach, salad, tomato
Servings 4 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 2 peaches, sliced into thick wedges
  • 4 small golden beets, roasted and thinly sliced see note
  • 4 early girl tomatoes, sliced into thick wedges
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup torn croutons see note
  • ¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
  • flake salt and ground pepper

Shallot Vinaigrette

  • 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup champagne vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch Maldon salt, or any coarse flake salt

Instructions

  1. Add shallot and vinegar to a jar with a lid. Let sit 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and shake.

  2. Working with four dinner sized plates, place beet slices overlapping in a circle.

  3. Scatter peaches and tomatoes around the circle, leaving the middle of the circle empty. Season everything with salt and pepper.

  4. In a small bowl, toss the arugula with enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Pile the arugula in the center of the circle. Scatter goat cheese and croutons, seasoning with a touch more salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes

For roasted beets – trim stem and root but leave unpeeled. Place in a foil lined roasting pan and add ¼ cup water, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt.  Cover tightly with foil and roast at 400° until you can pierce the beets with a sharp knife and have little resistance.  Let cool enough to handle and using a paper towel, gently rub off skin. 

For torn croutons – cut 1 inch thick slices of country bread, or any other sturdy, day-old bread.  Trim crust or leave on for a more rustic crouton.  Tear each bread slice into sizeable pieces (about 1 inch) and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Drizzle olive oil enough to coat the bread and toss with a little kosher salt.  Bake in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes, turning with a spatula to encourage even browning.  

Overnight Oats

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Overnight oats are such a welcome treat in the morning, especially during the summer months when even the thought of a steaming bowl of anything makes you sweat just a little.  I’ve been making these for longer than I can remember.  When my kids were younger, I used to tuck them  in at night and head straight to the kitchen when I had only 5 minutes of energy left in me.  Thankfully, that’s all the time it takes to make this tasty make-ahead breakfast! 

The oats can easily be adjusted to suit your tastes.  Don’t love bananas? Use blueberries, peaches or apples.  Not a fan of almond milk? Use any dairy or non-dairy beverage.  This happens to be my favorite combination of flavors and lends itself to a variety of crunchy toppings to be added in the morning.  

We’ve taken these oats on camping trips, road trips, early morning youth sports events, and when I was in culinary school, I packed these several times a week and ate breakfast during my morning commute to San Francisco.  Easy, portable, healthy and kept me full all morning.  

And while this used to take me 5 minutes to make two jars of overnight oats,  I’ve got 3 kids that now request one for the morning and it’s definitely worth the extra few minutes to make several more.  And bonus, it’s easy enough for them to make their own! 

Cheers,

Christina

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Overnight Oats

This is a perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings and one our whole family enjoys. It's portable, easily adaptable to fit your tastes and full of fiber and nutrients to keep you full for hours. It's great cold straight from the fridge or heated briefly in the microwave, but in any case, don't forget some sort of crunchy topping before you enjoy!

Course Breakfast
Keyword breakfast, make ahead breakfast, overnight oats
Servings 1 serving
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup greek yogurt, plain
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ½ banana, diced
  • 2 tbsp almond butter
  • 1½ tsp chia seeds
  • 1½ tsp ground flaxseed meal
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of kosher salt
  • drizzle of maple syrup
  • crunchy toppings: chopped nuts, toasted coconut, granola optional

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients in a mason jar or tupperware with lid. Refrigerate overnight.

  2. In the morning, add crunchy topping. Eat cold straight from the refrigerator or take the chill off in the microwave for 30 seconds before adding a crunchy topping.

Cherry Peach Smoothie

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This refreshing smoothie is one of my favorite summer smoothies.  The fresh peach and mint are such a great flavor combination. During the summer, I buy extra peaches each week and wait for them to get almost too ripe before transferring them to the refrigerator – this way I have them always ready for this smoothie.  Note: while ripe fresh nectarines also work well, frozen peaches do not.  They just don’t have enough ripe flavor!  

As always, a high powered blender such as a Vitamix is key to making the best smoothie texture.  We were recently on vacation in Lake Tahoe and while the kitchen in our rented home was one of the most stocked kitchens I’ve ever been in (for a rental), our smoothies just weren’t the same without a good blender.  There were chunks of peach peel and ice that just never blended – it was still very drinkable with good flavor, but generally not as enjoyable as usual.  

Here’s to ripe summer fruits and healthy summer snacks!

Cheers,

Christina

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Cherry Peach Smoothie

This refreshing smoothie is one of my favorites for summer. Fresh peach and mint are such a great flavor combination. During the summer, I buy extra peaches each week and wait for them to get almost too ripe before transferring them to the refrigerator – this way I have them always ready for this smoothie. Note: while fresh nectarines work well, frozen peaches do not. They just don't have enough flavor to make this tasty.

Course Breakfast, Snack
Keyword smoothie
Servings 2 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup almond milk any dairy or non-dairy milk will work
  • ¼ cup plain Greek whole or lowfat yogurt
  • 1½ cups frozen cherries
  • 2 fresh peaches, cut up
  • 1 banana, cut up
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 10-12 fresh mint leaves
  • 3-4 ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Boysenberry Pizza

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This is a childhood favorite – a 4th of July staple for our neighborhood block parties, and even now, I crave it every single summer.  It’s in our family recipe book written by my mom over 15 years ago and it’s a wonderful combination of tangy pudding-like cheesecake and sweet boysenberry jam.  It has a few steps of chilling, cooling, etc. but it’s worth every step.  

The pie dough is a very sturdy one, hence the “pizza” name.  It’s firm enough to cut a slice and pick it up with your fingers.  Do it!  You could certainly do a more standard flaky pie crust (which I love), but the recipe included definitely isn’t that.  

Start with a pie dough, followed by a blind bake (partially baking with parchment and dried beans or weights), remove and bake until golden. If you like your crust to maintain it’s defined crimped edges, be sure to chill the shell for 30 minutes and bake straight from the freezer or refrigerator. If you’re like me, it’s one extra step that isn’t important to you, and definitely doesn’t affect the taste of the final product so you skip it.

Then you make the boysenberry filling and let it cool while the crust cools.  

The cream cheese filling mixed with lemon zest is absolutely delicious- this gets piled in the cooled crust, before the whole berries are scattered around and the jam filling is poured over.  

Like all of us, this dessert NEEDS chills time.  If you begin it in the morning and allow steps for cooling and set up time, I promise you will be rewarded with a boysenberry pizza you can pick up with your fingers and be absolutely delighted.  

If you begin it in the early afternoon and let it set at least 4 hours like I did in the above picture, you will have a little more runny jam filling, but will be delighted nonetheless.  Both are delicious and I hope you get a chance to make it this summer! 

Cheers,

Christina

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Boysenberry Pizza

A delicious combination of cheesecake and fruit pie, this summer dessert is a childhood favorite and now a favorite with my own family. You can use boysenberries or the widely available blackberry. If you make this for friends or family, I promise they will ask you for the recipe after their first bite. A perfect summer BBQ or July 4th treat!

Course Dessert
Keyword blackberry, boysenberry
Servings 8 servings
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

Pie dough

  • 1½ cup flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
  • 4-5 tbsp ice water

Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup sugar divided
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • ¼ kosher salt
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2- 6 ounce containers of boysenberries or blackberries

Instructions

Pie Dough

  1. In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar and salt to blend.

  2. Add butter and pulse a few times to cut butter into the flour until you have small pieces of butter throughout.

  3. Add ice water a little at a time and pulse until mixture forms a dough that can holds together when you pinch a bit in your hand.

  4. Gather dough onto a very lightly floured board and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Chilled Dough

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Roll dough out on a lightly floured board and place in a 9" glass pie dish. Crimp the sides as desired. Make several fork piercings around the bottom and sides of dough.

  2. Blind bake: Place a sheet of parchment paper on the dough and cover with dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes.

  3. Remove parchment and beans and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Lower oven temperature to 250°.

Filling

  1. In a medium saucepan, mash 1 container of berries with ⅔ cup sugar. Add water and cornstarch and bring mixture to a boil. While mixture is boiling, stir with spatula to prevent scorching and continue to cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

  2. Add cream cheese, egg, sugar, lemon zest and salt to a medium bowl. With a hand mixer, blend until smooth and well combined.

To assemble

  1. Fill cooled pie shell with cream cheese mixture and bake for 15 minutes at lower temperature until set. Cool.

  2. Scatter remaining container of berries over surface of cooled filling. Pour cooled crushed berry mixture over the whole berries.

  3. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours, until firm and can easily slice with a knife.

Salmon Sandwich with Bacon, Pesto Mayo & Apricot Jam

by 1 Comment

This is dish is a Shoup family favorite and was a perfect meal for our Father’s Day dinner. We were enjoying some time in Lake Tahoe last week and this tasty sandwich/burger was an easy one to plan ahead for – nearly all the ingredients can be prepared in advance and the bacon and salmon are the only components that need to be cooked when you’re ready to eat.

Any seasoning works for this, but I enjoy a mesquite grill seasoning with a bit of smoked paprika and brown sugar.

Prepared pesto and mayonnaise mixed together are a nice herbaceous contrast to the sweet apricot jam.

Crisp little gems or peppery arugula are both great choices for this sandwich as well a lightly toasted buttery brioche. Other buns that also work well are pretzel buns and potato rolls.

We don’t usually have sides when we eat this sandwich – but when we do it’s usually a side of sweet potato oven fries or fresh fruit. It’s hard to say how much we love this dish! I hope your family loves it, too.

Cheers,

Christina

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Salmon Sandwich with Bacon, Pesto Mayo & Apricot Jam

This sandwich is a house favorite! The salty bacon, sweet jam, smoky mesquite seasonings and peppery lettuce makes for a very satisfying dish. It's a hit with adults and kids alike and a highly requested recipe in our house.

Course Main Course
Keyword salmon, sandwich
Servings 4 sandwiches
Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

  • 1⅓ lbs salmon fillets
  • 1 tsp mesquite grill seasoning optional
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp brown sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 slices cooked bacon
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup pesto
  • ¼ cup apricot jam
  • 1 cup arugula mixed greens and little gems work as well
  • 4 brioche hamburger buns

Instructions

  1. Place salmon on a sheet tray lined in parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with mesquite seasoning, paprika, brown sugar and salt. Roast salmon at 375° until done, about 15 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise and pesto. Set aside.

  3. Make an assembly line of pesto mayo, apricot jam, bacon (broken in half) and lettuce.

  4. Separate brioche buns and place on a sheet tray. Toast these in the oven for a few minutes after pulling out the salmon.

  5. When ready to assemble, spread about 1 tablespoon of pesto mayo each on half of the buns and 1 tablespoon of jam each on the other half. Place one portion of salmon on the mayo, followed by the bacon and lettuce. Top with remaining buns spread with apricot jam.