creme fraiche Archives - A Calculated Whisk

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Blueberry Sauce

November 11, 2015 By Becky 6 Comments

This post is sponsored by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council in collaboration with Honest Cooking.

I’m a total berry fanatic, and I especially love blueberries. Whenever I go grocery shopping, I troll the produce section to see if fresh blueberries are on sale, and often end up buying them even when they’re not. I’m a fan of frozen blueberries, too, but until recently, I’d only used them in smoothies and desserts (this blueberry buttermilk ice cream being my all-time favorite).

When the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council asked me to create a savory recipe featuring frozen blueberries, I was almost instantly inspired to create this very dish: a simple roasted rack of lamb with an easy but vibrant sauce made with blueberries and crème fraîche. Blueberries pair really well with tart ingredients like lemon juice, buttermilk, and crème fraîche, and with my recently discovered love of lamb, putting blueberries, crème fraîche, and lamb together seemed like a no-brainer.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

September 22, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

I know what you’re thinking, but there is no pumpkin in this soup.

Parsnips, turnips, and sweet potatoes, yes, but no pumpkin. See? I’m branching out into other fall flavors.

This soup is sweet, creamy, and comforting. Roasting the vegetables with thyme and olive oil gives them great flavor (as does a generous splash of wine). In my opinion, though, serving the soup with a dollop of tangy creme fraiche and drops of rich olive oil is what really makes it so fabulous.

Here, olive oil is used for roasting the vegetables, sauteing the onion to make the base, and for finishing the soup. I love this olive oil as a finish because you can really taste the earthy goodness of it, which is a great counterpoint to the sweet roasted veggies. I hope you love this soup as much as I do!

P.S. Did you know there’s a lot of fraudulent olive oil being imported and sold in our country? Sometimes olive oil labeled as “extra-virgin” has lower-quality olive oils mixed in, or even other oils altogether (like canola). Tom Mueller has written a whole book about it called Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil. You can also read a blog post about it here.

Pumpkin Cake with Molasses Cream (Paleo, Gluten-free)

September 21, 2013 By Becky 7 Comments

It is only September 21st, and I may already be tired of pumpkin.

I mean, “tired” is a little extreme–I probably just need one week off, and then I’ll be ready to get back on the pumpkin train.

The reason is that I had to make this pumpkin cake four or five times. The first time, I tried to make a vegan version using flax eggs. I baked the cake for a long, long time, but it still did not set completely. It had a fabulous flavor, but it was like a pudding-cake. After cutting off a few slices, the rest of the loaf couldn’t even hold itself together, and slumped into the delicious pumpkin version of an old, dilapidated house.

The next time I made it, it ended up staying in the oven for over three hours (not on purpose). You can see it here (and I’d be thrilled if you followed me on Instagram!). The third time, I substituted molasses for the honey, and the cake was so dark that it looked burnt even though it wasn’t. I wanted a nice orange color, at least on the inside of the cake, so I tried a fourth time. I loved the molasses flavor, so I used it in the glaze, along with some creme fraiche (my new favorite thing). Finally, I got a cake I loved! It’s still very moist, but it hasn’t fallen apart yet. The molasses cream and pecans really take it over the top. If you’re not a nut person, you could try adding a similar amount of chocolate chunks. I added them to the first batch and it was fabulous.

So, hopefully you’re not tired of pumpkin! I promise to feature a different main ingredient in my next recipe.