Cherry Cobbler Cake

After this weekend we will officially be in August and the end of summer is fast approaching.  When we lived up north. I would be crestfallen, but in Florida, I welcome the end of summer with open arms. It is intensely HOT down here now. 

It is so hot that even our local farmer's market has shut down.  Yes, you heard me right.  Up north, we look forward to farmers markets in the summer.  In southern Florida, they close up shop because no one wants to roam around in this heat.  St. Pete has an AMAZING market, but it only runs May through October.   

Even though I haven't been hitting the markets, I was still able to find these lovely bing cherries at our local grocery store.  I bought a huge bag and after we could not finish them, I decided to make this cobbler cake on a hot summer night. 

I can't remember where I found this recipe.  It was online a few years ago and I have the recipe jotted down on a note card.  The note card is spattered with stains because I have made this recipe so many times.  This is the first time I have made it with cherries and it was delicious. I made it last week (added a little cinnamon to the batter) with some fresh peaches. 

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it with whatever fruit you have on hand.  Have some raspberries or blueberries on their last breath? Whip this up and you have an incredible summer dessert.  Odds are you have the rest of the ingredients in your pantry.   

I wish I would have taken a picture of the texture of the cake with ice cream slowly meting over it.  The crispy browned butter edges are divine and the tart fruit marries so well with the sweet vanilla-y cake.  I love this recipe and hope you do too!   

Cherry Cobbler Cake
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup berries ( I used cherries, but you can use whatever berry you like!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a small saute pan, melt butter over medium heat and continue to cook until butter becomes brown and nutty.  Remove from heat and pour into a 8 or 9 inch pie plate.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla.  A smooth batter should form.  Pour the batter directly over the browned butter in the pie plate.  Scatter the berries over the top of the batter and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar.  Edges should be brown and crispy and center should be cooker through; not wobbly.  Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Spicy Tuna Sashimi Salad

Holy moly hallelujah .... I'M BACK!!!!   It feels so surreal to be writing this right now.  I can't even begin to tell you how much has happened since the last time I posted on my blog.   Through careful thought and consideration, the hubs and I have made our way down to St. Petersburg, Florida,  

In all honesty, I knew we would probably have to move back to Florida at some point for his career. For a long time, I did not wholeheartedly embrace the idea.  I am a four-seasons type of girl.  I go gaga for Fall, foliage, snow, non-flat topography, sweaters, layers and the absence of most bugs, but the time for us to make a decision came and I'm thrilled to report that we could not be happier. 

The option was open to move anywhere in Florida.  Being that we met and lived here for many years, we had an idea of the places in which we would like to call home.   Ultimately, we chose St. Pete because we have many friends in the Tampa area and having that support system nearby is important to us. 

I am incredibly fortunate to work on a team and for a company that allowed this move, so I am still in the same position and working remote.  I miss the perks of an office setting, but still travel and see my colleagues quite frequently. 

Can we talk about how amazing St. Petersburg is for a minute? The downtown area is filled with so many local restaurants, boutiques and markets.  Within two miles of us we have Locale Market and Mazzaro's Italian Market, which are both basically little slices of heaven on earth!  Being a fifteen minute drive to the beach is pretty rad as well.  

Ok, now on to what you really want to know about... this AMAZING Spicy Tuna Salad.  Because I am home most of the day, I have been incorporating some healthy and quick lunches into my rotation and this has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. 

The secret ingredient in this recipe is the masago/smelt roe/tobiko.  If you are not a huge fan or don't have a nearby sushi restaurant, you can omit it and the salad will still be rockin, but I highly suggest that you add these little orange pearls of goodness.  

Well my friends, I can not wait to share so much more of our food, lives and new adventures with you!  I have a running list of recipes to blog and they are not going to cook themselves :)  Let's do this!     

 

Oh look at that little, lonely, empty sushi roll... what to do? 

Make two bonus spicy tuna rolls, of course! 

Spicy Tuna Sashimi Salad
1 8 ounce ahi tuna filet
1/4 cup mayo
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sriracha
2 teaspoons hot chili oil
2 tablespoons masago/smelt roe/tobiko (I just order 2 rolls from my local sushi place for about $4)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
2 scallions, chopped (reserving a few for garnish)
1/2 English cucumber, seeded, halved and sliced

Slice the tuna filet into very small cubes. If the tuna steak is thicker, slice it in half (like you are butterflying it, but go all the way through), and then in to thin strips, and then into small cubes.  I like my tuna cubes very small and sometimes, if the fish is slightly frozen it helps for a more precise cut.

In a separate bowl, mix together the mayo, sesame oil, fish sauce, sriracha and hot chili oil. In a larger bowl, combine the tuna, spicy mayo mixture, masago, sesame seeds and scallions. Gently fold all ingredients together until combined.

Seed, half and slice the cucumber into thin half-moon slices.  On a plate or in a bowl, place some of the spicy tuna and cucumber and garnish with reserved scallions.  Enjoy with some chopsticks!