Tuesday, a day of meals in pictures.

I didn't work today, so Ricky and I were able to spend a morning together! Breakfast (for Ricky) was a smoked ham and cheddar omelet. He loves these, I love their simplicity.

Dinner was yet another one of Ricky's favorites, fajitas with pepita salsa. The skirt steak is seasoned simply, just salt, pepper, garlic, and cumin. I squeeze a little fresh lime juice on at the end.

I wanted to make something beautiful tonight, and I wanted to use my mixer as well as my food processor. I decided to make a strawberry tart with vanilla bean pastry cream and a lavender-hazelnut crust. Oh, you heard me right.

This is a no-roll tart dough, the same I used for the Lavender Blackberry and Raspberry Tart. I used vanilla bean paste and hazelnuts instead of almonds, obviously, but the rest is the same. It all comes together in a food processor. 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp dried lavender, .5 cup hazelnuts, .25 tsp salt, <-- pulse these to combine, then add 2 tbsp vanilla bean paste and 1 stick of cold butter, diced. Pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk 1 large egg yolk with 2 tbsp ice water, add to the dough, and pulse until it comes together. Press into a large disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Press into a tart pan, prick the bottom all over with a fork, and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Here it is! I spread vanilla bean pastry cream in the shell, then arranged my trimmed strawberries, and brushed it all with a strawberry glaze (just strawberry preserves heated on the stove top and pressed through a fine sieve.)
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
In a mixer, whisk together 1 egg, tsp vanilla bean paste, and 2 tbsp sugar. Whisk in 2 tbsp cornstarch, set aside. In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup milk to a simmer. As soon as it simmers, add it to the egg mixture, whisk vigorously until combined, then pour back into the saucepan. Return the pan to low heat, and whisk for 30-45 seconds as it thickens. Cover (with the plastic touching the surface of the cream) with plastic wrap and keep cool until you're ready for it.