Really Great Recipes

Fresh Banana Cake

2011-08-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is really really good and very easy.

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (I often use about 3.5 ripe bananas, which I think is more than 1 cup)
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream (or use yogurt if you want to be virtuous)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" square pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add milk and beat until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 45 minutes or until done.

I am pretty sure that I have baked this in small loaf pans as well. I can't recall how long. I guess you'll have to figure that out.

Green Beans Braised in Tomatoes

2010-08-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe for using up fresh produce from your garden. Don't have a garden? Make this anyway. Some of the best beans I've ever tasted. Seriously.

Adapted from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook by Jack Bishop. (One of my go-to cookbooks.)

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced smallish

1 - 1.5 cups canned whole tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved (I used fresh, peeled)

1 pound green beans, ends snapped off (I used yellow and green)

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed with back of a chef's knife (keep it in one or two pieces)

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add oil. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes until the juices thicken a bit.

2. Add green beans, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and ground pepper to taste. Stir well. Add some of the reserved juice (I think I added about 1/2 - 1 cup...but do what you think looks good.) Add the smashed garlic clove. Stir well again, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are as tender as you like them, but for at least 30 minutes. (This is not an al-dente kind of recipe.) I cooked them for 4o minutes, adding a bit more tomato juice as needed.

3. Remove the smashed garlic clove and serve.

4. Sit back and enjoy the compliments.

One Crust Fresh Blueberry Pie

2010-08-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

This delicious recipe is adapted from the Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. It is easy, can be made ahead and incredibly good. Make it and enjoy the raves of friends and family. I've never served it and not gotten raves and recipe requests. To really make it easy, use pre-made Pillsbury piecrust. That said, there is no comparison to homemade crust and trust me, it is very easy to make pie crust if you have a food processor. I suppose you could even use a cookie crust or a graham cracker crust if you like.

1 Single Pie Crust (your own recipe or see the one below)

4 cups fresh blueberries. Really good ones. Big plump yummy ones.

1/2 egg white, lightly beaten (sometimes I can't be bothered to separate the yolk out, and it's still good)

1/2 cup of water plus 2 T, divided

2 T cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

A pinch of salt

Roll out the dough and put it into a pie pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 - 24 hours. This helps the dough relax and not shrink before baking. If using prepared pie crust, follow whatever directions they give.

Preheat the oven to 425 at least 20 min before baking. Line the pie crust with parchment, pleating it as necessary for it fits into the pan and fill it with dried beans. (or you can use a great big paper coffee filter - those work very well). Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift out the parchment with the beans in it and place them aside. You can use the beans many more times as pie weights. Prick the bottom and sides (gently) with a fork and put the crust back inot the oven and bake 5-10 minutes until the crust is nice and golden brown.

Cool the crust on a rack for a few minutes and then brush on the egg whites. Set aside.

Measure out one cup of blueberries. Place them in a medium saucepan with 1/2 cup of the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining 2 T of water. Set aside.

When the water and blueberries have come to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes until the berries begin to burst and the juices start to thicken. Stirring constantly, add the cornstarch mixture, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Simmer for a minute or two or until the mixture becomes translucent. Remove from the heat and quickly fold in the remaining 3 cups of berries.

Spoon the mixture into the baked pie shell and allow it to sit at room temp at least 2 hours before serving. You can store it for up to 2 days at room temperature, but believe me, there won't be any leftovers to store.

(It's great for breakfast...ask my son)

SINGLE PIE CRUST RECIPE

(Food processor method. In my never humble opinion, there is no other way to make it.)

8 T unsalted cold butter (Land O Lakes is best )

1 1/3 cups bleached flour OR 1 1/3 cups plus 4 teaspoons pastry flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 tablespoons ice water
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Keep the butter in Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse many times to mix it all up. Now get your butter out of the fridge & work fast so it stays cold. Cut it into little cubes and toss the cubes into the processor. Pulse (1 sec pulses) 12 times. The mixture should have the texture of coarse meal with no butter pieces larger than a small pea. Pulse a few more times if you're not there yet. Add the smallest amount of ice water and vinegar and pulse 6 ish times. Pinch a small amount of the mixture together between your fingers. If it does not hold together, add a little bit of the rest of the water and try it again. I have never had to add more water than the minimum so you probably won't have to either. The mixture will be in particles. Dump it into a bowl and smush it together until it forms a ball. Try to do this with minimal handling so you don't toughen up the dough.

On a piece of plastic wrap, flatten the ball of dough into a disc about 4-5 inches in diameter. Wrap it up and put it in the fridge for at least an hour and up to a couple of days. You can freeze the dough at this point if you like.

Moroccan Carrots

2010-05-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is an easy and unusual and DEElicious salad for parties. It should be made a day ahead. The recipe makes a lot, so keep that in mind. If you like bland food, skip this dish. It has strong and vibrant flavor.

Makes 10 - 12 servings. Keeps well in the refrigerator for leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/3 inch slices.

1 cup good quality olive oil

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup (yes, you read that right) Hungarian sweet paprika

1/4 cup (yes, you read that right) ground cumin

5 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 cup fresh minced parsley

1 T salt or to taste

1. Place the carrots in a large pot and add water to cover. Cook over high heat until crisp-tender. Drain but do not rinse with cold water.

2. While the carrots are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk the oil and vinegars together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the paprika, cumin and salt.

3. Add the hot drained carrots to the dressing and stir to coat. Add garlic and parsley and toss to combine. Let cool to room temperature, then serve. If you make it in advance and refrigerate it, let it come to room temperature before you serve it.

Perfect Potato Salad

2010-05-03T08:50:00.000-07:00

This is always a huge hit. I get Raves from my guests every time I serve this. The recipe makes a ton (serves 15-20). You can half it, though.

One of the keys to success here is cooking the potatoes until they are just done. Don't over cook them and end up with a mushy mess. They should be firm to the bite for the best results. Also, if your onion seems very strong, either get another one or use half. You'll be tossing the warm potatoes with a vinaigrette (recipe below). Make that in advance. The recipe makes much more than you will need for the salad - you might want to quarter or half it if you won't use vinaigrette for something else.

Ingredients:

6 pounds small Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled.

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice

6 ribs celery, choppped

1 large red onion, minced (make sure it is not too strong!)

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 cup Basic Herb Vinaigrette (see below)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups Hellmann's mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1. Prepare the carrots, onion, celery and dill and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Heat to boiling and simmer uncovered until fork-tender (but not too soft). Drain in a colander. (I lay them out on a towel to dry.)

2. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle (but still warm - as warm as you can stand it - cut them into uneven chunks and combine them with the vegetables in the bowl. Mix together the vinaigrette and the white wine and add it to the bowl. Toss well.

3. Mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add it to the bowl and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate the salad for at least a few hours to blend the flavors.

Basic Herb Vinaigrette

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 T Dijon Mustard

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 T dried Italian Herb Blend

salt & pepper

1. Whisk garlic and mustard together in a mixing bowl.

2. Pour in olive and vegetable oils in a steady stream while continuing to whisk. (I have done this in a blender or using a hand held blender stick with very good results.)

3. Mix in dried herbs and salt and pepper.

4. Let stand at room temperature for a couple of hours to blend the flavors.

5. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Makes about 4 cups.

A Fabulous and Easy Cheesecake

2010-04-07T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is my go-to cheesecake recipe. It is very easy and incredibly delicious. It is light and as one person recently said, "It tastes like spring."

It can be made Kosher for Passover by omitting the cornstarch and using six egg yolks instead of three eggs.

There is no crust. You can press one on if you like after you unmold it, but I never do. It just does not need it.

Be careful not to whip too much air into the batter. The cake will rise and then fall. It will still taste great, but won't look as lovely as the one in this picture.

Basic Cheesecake

Prepare an 8 inch spring form pan by greasing it, cutting a round of parchment or aluminum foil to fit into the bottom and then greasing the foil. Wrap the bottom of the spring form pan with a double layer of foil to prevent leakage.

Have ready a large roasting pan into which the spring form pan will fit. This will be the water bath.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Ingredients: All at room temperature.

Two 8 oz packages Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese (do not use any other brand or a low fat kind)

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs (or 6 egg yolks if you want it to be Kosher for Passover)

1.5 tsp vanilla

3 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 T cornstarch (omit if using 6 egg yolks)

3 cups sour cream (full fat)

1. Beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium high for three minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Beat in (on a low speed) cornstarch if using.

3. Add eggs one at a time, beating on a lower speed only until incorporated.

4. Add vanilla and lemon juice in the same manner as eggs. Mix by hand to finish uniformly incorporating everything.

5. Mix in the sour cream. Use a low speed or do this by hand until uniform. Do not beat air into the batter.

6. Place the prepared pan into the roasting pan. Then pour the batter into the spring form pan. 7. Pour about an inch of very hot water into the roasting pan.

8. Place the roasting pan with the spring form pan into the oven.

9. Bake for 45 minutes.

10. Turn off oven and without opening the door, leave the cake in the oven for 60 minutes

11. Remove from oven, place the spring form pan on a cooling rack. You will want to either place a towel under the rack or put the rack over a cookie sheet. There will be seepage from the cheesecake.

12. Cool for at least an hour, then refrigerate over night. I put plastic wrap over the top of the pan and put the pan on a plate to catch additional fluid that will seep from the cake.

14. To unmold, run a thin knife around the sides of the pan. ( I usually find this unnecessary). Open the spring form pan and remove the sides. Place a serving plate on the top of the cake and flip it over. Remove the bottom and the liner from what is now the top of the cake. I serve it upside down because the bottom is usually pristine whereas the top often has some brown spots. If there is moisture on the cake, just blot it gently with a paper towel.

15. Serve naked or topped with fruit.

16. Enjoy the praise and compliments.

Adapted from The Cake Bible.

Oatmeal Dried Cranberry Scones

2010-03-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

These are a bit like an oversized homey oatmeal cookie - but not so sweet. Addictive and delicious and easy to make.

One jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment or foil.

1.5 cups bleached all-purpose flour

1.5 cups rolled oats (not quick oats, but in a pinch, I suppose you can use them)

1/3 cup granulated or light brown sugar (I prefer light brown)

1 T baking powder

1 t table salt

8 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

1.5 cups dried cranberries

1 c milk OR buttermilk OR plain yogurt (if using buttermilk or yogurt, add 1/2 tsp baking soda)

1 T sugar mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 . Set rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 450.

2. Combine dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse 5 times at 1 second intervals.

3. Add butter pieces, pulse 12 times or until the mixture resembles fine meal.

4. Add dried cranberries and milk and pulse 3 or 4 times until a soft dough is formed.

5. Flour the work surface generously, turn the dough out onto it and fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times, until it is less sticky. Flour your hands...this is a little messy.

6. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and press each into a 5 inch disk. Using a floured knife or bench scraper, quarter each disk into wedges.

7. Arrange scones on prepared pan. Brush tops with milk and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

8. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Eat em up, YUM.

Amazing Granola

2010-03-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is the best granola I've ever had and it is easy and healthy. It is from Epicuious.

3 cups rolled oats (NOT quick oats)

1/2 cup flax meal (I grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder, but you can buy meal at the store)

1 cup walnut halves, coarsely chopped

2 egg whites

1/2 - 3/4 cup dark brown sugar

4 T Walnut Oil, divided

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup sliced dried dates

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 350. Spread 2 T Walnut Oil on a large baking sheet.

Mix oats, flax meal and walnuts in a large bowl. Mix egg whites, brown sugar, salt and 2 T Walnut Oil in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the oats and mix thoroughly. Spread the granola onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Stir it around. Bake another 15 minutes. Stir it around. Sprinkle dates over; drizzle with honey. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes longer. Stir to loosen. Transfer to clean baking sheet to cool completely. (This last step is important, otherwise it sticks like mad to the original sheet.

You can substitute other nuts and fruits.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

2009-08-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

Really Delicious and Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler (and easy, too!)

INGREDIENTS

Filling
1 quart fresh strawberries , rinsed and hulled
10 ounces rhubarb , cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Biscuit Topping
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar plus 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit filling ingredients together in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the fruit releases its liquid and is hot and bubbling around the edges, 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla together; set aside. In a third small bowl, mix the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar with the cinnamon; set aside.

3. When the filling is ready, stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain. Remove the cobbler filling from the oven and stir. Pinch off 8 equal pieces of the biscuit dough and arrange them on top of the hot filling, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the cinnamon sugar.

4. Continue to bake the cobbler until the biscuits are golden brown on top and cooked through and the filling is again hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool the cobbler on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Jerk Seitan

2008-08-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

For the Marinade:

1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1.5 T fresh ginger, chopped
3 T soy sauce
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil
2 T real maple syrup
1 T dried thyme leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or ground)

For the Seitan

2 cups seitan, cut into thick strips
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and thickly sliced

Prepare the marinade by pureeing all of hte ingredients in a blendor or food processor until smooth. There will be some chunkiness but that is okay. Placethe seitan in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over it. Mix to coat. Marinate for an hour. (In a pinch, I have cooked it right away and it is fine.)

In a large skillet, saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until the onions start to brown. Remove seitan from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Saute the seitan with the onions and peppers for about 10 minutes or until is the seitan is brown to your liking. Add the remaining marinade and cook for about 2 minutes to heat it through.

Serve with rice or whatever suits you.

Zucchini Soup (EASY-PEEZY)

2008-06-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Fabulous! Tastes Creamy and Guess What? There's no Cream!

1.5 pounds zucchini (ask the McGary's for some...they have a huge garden)
1.5 Tbs butter
1 cup or so finely minced onions
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp dried thyme

2 cups milk, heated but not scalded (I scalded it the first time and it was fine, by the way)

1. Steam the zucchini until just tender.
2. Saute the onions over medium heat in the butter and salt, until soft, about 5 minutes. About half way through the saute, add the spices to the saute.
3. Puree all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. You will probably have to do this in batches, so mix it all up in a pot or bowl first or do whatever it is you do when this situation presents itself.

Eat it as is, warmed up (gently) or cold.

The Best Chicken Rub EVER

2008-06-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Herb Rubbed Chicken:

4 lb. cut-up chicken
Pinch or more dried sage
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
4 cloves garlic

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) together in a bowl. Rinse chicken and rub each piece with the mixture. Place on grill over medium heat until fully cooked.

Hint: Place a meat thermometer into the breast. Grill to a safe internal temperature of 140 degrees

Fusilli with Lentil Sauce

2008-03-07T06:24:00.000-08:00

I had completely forgotten about this really easy to make yummy pasta dish until I got out an old cookbook today and happened across it. The good thing about this recipe is that if you have a reasonably well stocked pantry, you will pretty much always have the ingredients on hand to make it.

1 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 3/4 cup fresh chopped tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes in juice
3/4 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 T sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt, non-fat, low fat or whole fat
12 oz fusilli, cooked al dente and well drained

1. Heat 1/4 cup (or more) of the broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add more liquid if necessary.

2. Add the remaining broth, cumin, ginger, cayenne, paprika, basil, tomatoes, lentils and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Serve sauce over cooked fusilli.

Cannelinni- Northern Bean Chili

2008-03-07T06:16:00.000-08:00

This morning, someone mentioned that they saw my recipe for White Chicken Chili on this site and wondered if it would be good without the chicken. She's a vegetarian and was craving some white chili. It made me recall a recipe that I have not made in years that I used to love. Here it is. It is from a fat free cookbook that has some amazingly tasty recipes in it: 500 Fat Free Recipes by Sarah Schlesinger.

Makes about 8 cups

1 3/4 cups nonfat chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup diced onions
2 cups diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 cups home cooked or canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 1/2 cups home cooked or canned Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1. Heat 1/4 cup (or more if you like) of the water or broth in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, an dgarlic. Cook and stir for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Stir in the remaining cup broth, jalapeno pepper, parsley, beans, thyme, black pepper and oregano.

3. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Delicious White Chili

2008-03-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

This recipe is adapted from a cookbook that a good friend gave to me last year. I made this today and it is really REALLY delicious. My husband loved it as did another couple. Make it right now, Loyal Readers!

(It is also a Really Great Recipe for using up leftover turkey after Thanksgiving. If you want, you can take a shortcut by using a good quality tomatillo salsa instead of making your own. I've done it both ways with successful results. I use either a fresh salsa from our local coop or Rick Bayless's Frontera Brand.)

Beans

1 pound Great Northern or Navy Beans

8 cups water

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

Chili

12 oz Mexican beer (not dark)

2 cups chopped onions

3-4 cloves minced garlic

1 large red pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (I used my own pickled hot peppers)

4 Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon crushed cumin seeds

1 & 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth

2 T ground New Mexico Chile (I used regular mild Chile powder, but I will try NM next time)

1 pound tomatillos, husks removed by soaking (they are fun to de-husk...call me crazy)

1 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tsp. salt

Garnishes:

Grated sharp Cheddar Cheese

Chopped avocado

1. To make beans, rinse and pick over beans. Place in large pot with water, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. (Or, used canned beans or your own bean cooking method. This method was pretty effortless.)

2. To make the chili: While the beans are cooking, place the beer in a large heavy duty pot. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, green chiles, oregano and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes or so. ( I toasted the cumin seeds in a non-stick frying pan and then ground them up in a spice mill. Already ground cumin would probably be fine as well.)

3. Cut the chicken into small chunks, about 3/4 inch big. Add to the pot along with the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the ground chile and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Place the tomatillos, minced cilantro, vinegar and salt in a food processor and process to a salsa consistency. Stir into the chili. Add the beans. (I added all but about a cup of the beans. Then I took that cup, combined with some of the broth from the chili and pureed it. I added the bean puree to the chili. It gave it a great consistency and a slight sweetness from the beans - a great foil for the tart tomatillos.)

5. Simmer for 20 minutes and then season with salt to taste. At this point, I put the whole batch into a crock pot and held it on low for a couple hours until dinner.)

Serve with grated cheese and avocado.

Italian Apricot Cake ("Torta Di Albicocche")

2007-09-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

This cake can be made with any number of fruits and in fact, I have never once made it with apricots. I have used apples, pears & plums with great success.

The recipe is easy, comes together quickly and is not a sweet cake. It looks quite plain, but don't be fooled. It is delicious and addictive.

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pound ripe apricots or plums, halved, pitted and cut into thin slices (if you are using apples or pears, see note below)
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup warm water
4 extra large eggs
2 cups unbleached flour
Additional granulated sugar for topping cake

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 10 inch springform pan. (I just spray it with PAM)

Heat 1 T of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the apricots or plums and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Cook, stirring until the apricots begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. With a large slotted spoon, scoop up the apricot or plum slices and place them in a large bowl. Cook the juices in the skillet over high heat until only a few tablespoons of thick, glazy sauce are left. Pour over the apricots or plums. Cool the apricots to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use.

Stir the yeast into the water until dissolved and let it sit for 10 minutes until it foams up. I always add a tsp. of sugar to the water and then add the yeast to give it a jump start.

Beat the eggs and the remaining sugar in a large bowl until pale yellow and thick. Beat in the remaining butter and when it is incorporated, beat in the flour and the yeast mixture. Add the fruit to the batter and fold it in with a large spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle sugar over the top generously.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

NOTE on other fruit:

If you are using apples or pears, there is no need to cook them before hand. Just peel and slice and fold the fruit directly into the batter. Since you will not use the 1 T butter for saute-ing the fruit, you may either use 7 T in the batter or the entire half stick. I have made the cake with as little as one half stick of butter and it comes out fine. For sugar, use a scant cup.

Perfect Potato Salad

2007-07-03T14:13:00.001-07:00

This wonderful recipe is from The Nantucket Open House Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase. The book is filled with delicious recipes. (You can get it at Amazon.) I have made this salad many times and not only is it really pretty it tastes really good. You can make the vinaigrette a day ahead.

Serves 15 - 20

6 pounds small Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled (Get organic or locally grown, the freshest you can find. It makes a difference!)
4 - 6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
6 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 large red onion, minced
1 cup chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish
1 cup Basic Herb Vinaigrette (see below)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups Hellmann's mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover. Heat to boiling, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered until fork tender but NOT mushy, about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander.

2. Place the carrots, celery, red onion and dill in a large mixing bowl. Cut the hot potatoes into uneven chunks and combine with the vegetables in the bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette and the white wine.

3. Blend the sour cream and mayonnaise together and add this to the potato mixture and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the salad for a few hours to mellow the flavors. Serve with and additional sprinkling of fresh dill.

Basic Herb Vinaigrette

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1.5 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 oz red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups good quality olive oil
1.5 Tablespoons dried Italian Herb blend
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Whisk the garlic and the mustard together. Whisk in the vinegar. Add the oil in a steady stream, whisking, whisking, whisking to make that emulsion. Blend in the herbs and salt and pepper.

Let stand at room temperature for a few hours to mellow. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away. Let warm to room temperature before using.

A Subtle But Very Good Dinner: Cossack Pie

2007-06-29T16:49:00.001-07:00

Loyal Readers, here are two pictures of what is left of tonight's dinner. What you are seeing is called "Cossack Pie" from the original Moosewood Cookbook. I modified the recipe a bit to accommodate the ingredients I had at home and I must say, it was a lovely dinner with just a salad and some excellent dry French Rose (my latest pet wine for the summer.)

I tried a new pie crust for this creation, also from the Moosewood Cookbook and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and good it was. I use approximate measures because when I made this, I used more than the called for amount of veggies (probably double) and it was really good.

RECIPE:

1 9" unbaked pie shell (recipe below)

1 zucchini (green or yellow), yellow squash or a good cup of sliced mushrooms
1 cup or so chopped onions
1 cup or so shredded cabbage
1 cup or so thinly sliced broccoli
1 cup or so thinly sliced carrots
3 T butter
2 T flour
generous 1/2 tsp ground up caraway seeds (I smashed them around in a mortar & pestle)
generous 1/2 tsp dried basil
2 T dry white wine
1/2 dried dill (I forgot this but it would probably add a nice flavor)
1/3 cup farmer's or cottage cheese
2 eggs
3/4 mixed sour cream & yogurt (I used Greek yogurt...YUM)
Paprika

Saute all the vegetables except zucchini (or mushrooms) in the butter until just tender. This might take a while, but what's the hurry? Add spices. Remove from heat and toss with wine and flour. Set aside.

Puree the eggs and cheese in a blender or in the food processor you used for the crust (just wipe it out a bit...no need to get crazy about it). Add salt and pepper as desired or not.

Add egg-cheese puree to sauteed veggies and put in the crust.

Saute the zucchini slices (or sliced mushrooms) in oil or butter about five minutes.

Spread the yogurt/sour cream on the veggies. Top with the zucchini slices. Dust with paprika.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let rest 10. Serve with salad and good wine. YUM YUM.

EASY AS PIE PIE CRUST

In a food processor, put a cup of flour. (A mixture of white and wheat is nice...about 3 parts white and one part wheat or something like that). Put the bowl of the processor with the flour in it in the freezer or fridge for a little while to chill it.

Meanwhile, cut up 1/3 cup unsalted butter into chunks and put that back in the fridge to keep it cool.

When everything is cold, combine the butter and flour in the food processor and pulse about 12 times. Add about 3 -4 T yogurt, buttermilk or water (cold) and pulse until you can pinch the mixture and have it hold together. This won't take many pulses.

Pour it out onto a floured surface and form it into a ball. Put it into a plastic bag and refrigerate for an hour or so. Then, roll it out and put it into a pie dish and follow the instructions above. This dough is very easy to work with. An easy and GREAT recipe.

BBQ Pomegranate Tofu

2007-05-28T04:23:00.001-07:00

I know that this sounds strange but it is a dish that I actually get cravings for and have to make pretty frequently. This recipe is in Vegan with a Vengeance.

For my local readers, Bloomingfoods carries Pomegranate Molasses. It is the "gourmet" section over by the cheese case.

The recipe makes a good amount of sauce and you can even double the tofu and still have enough.

I haven't tried it but I imagine that the sauce would be very good on grilled chicken as well.

TOFU
1 pound tofu, drained and pressed and sliced into eighths* (or 2 pounds...there is enough sauce)
2 T canola or peanut oil
1 T soy sauce, tamari or shoyu (shoyu is my choice)

*I press tofu by putting the block in a pie pan, placing a plate or second pie pan on top and putting a heavy pot on top of the second plate. Let it sit about 30 minutes. Then, blot with paper towels and cut the tofu.

SAUCE

1 T canola or peanut oil
1 cup minced onions or shallots
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (do not omit)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 T all natural peanut (or other nut) butter (I use almond)
2 T pomegranate molasses
2 T soy sauce, tamari or shoyu
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke

Preheat oven to 350. IN a 9X13 inch glass baking pan turn the tofu in the canola oil and soy sauce to coat on both sides. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip. Bake for 15 more minutes

In a 4 cup measure or a medium sized bowl, blend together vegetable broth, tomato paste, nut butter, pomegranate molasses, soy, maple syrup, and hot sauce. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in the canola oil for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and five-spice powder and saute 1 minute more. Add the blended liquid ingredients and the liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point, your tofu will probably be done baking. Pour all of the sauce over the tofu, return to the oven and bake 15 minutes more.

Serve with rice.

Seitan (Basic Recipe)

2007-04-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings Culinarians! I am posting this basic Seitan recipe at the request of two of my readers - one of whom is my vegetarian daughter. I happen to like cooking with Seitan because it is so easy to make, so inexpensive, so nutritious and so versatile. Believe me, it wasn't too long ago that I would have scoffed at the thought of making this. Now, I make it just about once every other week.

This is a basic recipe, adapted from Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Mine comes out a little different each time, but always okay.

Ingredients notes: Vital wheat gluten is available in the baking section of supermarkets. It is sold in small boxes. Or, you can buy it in bulk at Bloomingfoods if you are local or at a health food store.

Nutritional Yeast is available in bulk at health food stores. It is a yellowish flaky material. I have not been successful finding it in supermarkets. I suspect that this is an optional ingredient, added for nutritional purposes. So, if you can't find it, you can probably omit it.

2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 T chickpea flour or soy flour or all purpose flour
1 & 1/2 cup cold water or broth
1 T tomato paste
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

In a large bowl, mix together gluten, yeast and flour. In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the wet ingredients and the garlic until well blended. Add liquids to dries and mix with a wooden spoon until a spongy dough forms. Knead this dough for about 5 minutes and then form it into a longish loaf and let it rest for five minutes. It will be sort of wet and spongy looking.

While the dough is resting, fill a large pot with cold water.

Cut the dough into thick slices of sort of uniform size. Gently put the slices into the cold water. Partially cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer for about an hour, moving the strange looking seitan slices around every now and then.

Let the seitan cool in the water and then use as desired or refrigerate.

I squeeze the excess water out of the slices before I use them in recipes.

Spelt Chowder

2007-03-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

At left, is a photo of dried New Mexico Chiles. These are an important ingredient in Spelt Chowder, the recipe for which is below. What is spelt? It is a grain that is related to wheat but has a higher protein content. You can buy spelt at BloomingFoods in the bulk section if you live here in town. I haven't looked for it at the supermarket so I don't know if you will find it there. It is worth the search, though. It is nutty tasting and chewy in the most delightful way.

Uncooked, spelt looks like sunflower seeds. Indeed, my husband, who snacks on sunflower seeds, saw the unmarked bag of spelt sitting on the counter, opened it, grabbed a handful of the kernels and threw them into his mouth. A brief moment later, he realized his mistake. Funny but not pretty.

Anyway, this chowder is REALLY delicious and healthy, too. It has a little heat to it from the chile peppers, which give it a southwestern flair. It is easy to make as well. You should MAKE THIS SOUP TODAY. The recipe is from the wonderful Hay Day Market Country Cookbook by Kim Rizk.

Recipe:

1/4 cup olive oil (you can use less if you like)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound ripe plum tomatoes (or two cups of good quality canned tomatoes)
1 large russet or Idaho potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 dried medium hot red chile peppers broken in half, seeds shaken out and discarded(I used medium hot New Mexico chiles. You could use Pasilla if you want. These are available in most grocery stores now-a-days)
6 cups vegetable stock (I use low sodium)
2 tsp. kosher salt (optional)
1 cup spelt kernels, rinsed and drained
2 cups corn kernels (frozen are OK...just thaw first)
Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until nicely colored and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and saute until softened and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the potato, chiles, stock and salt (if using) and allow to come to a boil.

2. Stir in the spelt and reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spelt is tender, about 30 - 45 minutes. Remove and discard the chile pieces, and stir in the corn. Continue to simmer just until the corn is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes more.

Serve hot and swoon!

Sichuan Green Beens

2007-02-27T16:35:00.000-08:00

This has become one of our favorite easy meals at Chez McGary. You can prep everything earlier in the day - and believe me, there isn't much prep - and then stir fry it up when you are ready to eat. This is a very authentic tasting dish. I urge you to try it....TRY IT RIGHT NOW!

You can make this vegan/vegetarian by substituting either ground seitan or frozen crumbled tofu for the pork. See note at the bottom of this entry for more details.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably tamari or shoyu)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2 inch pieces (I sometimes use a combination of sugar snap peas and green beans)
1/4 pound ground pork (or tofu or seitan, see below)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
white sesame seeds

1. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes, mustard, and water until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet until just smoking. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, 5-8 minutes. If the beans darken too quickly, reduce heat to medium high.) Transfer beans to a large plate or bowl.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add pork to now-empty skillet. Cook, breaking pork into small pieces, until no pink remains (or until lightly browned if using seitan or tofu), about 2 minutes. Add garlic, and ginger and cook (you might need to add a bit more oil at this point if not using meat) and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir sauce to recombine and add it along with the beans to the pan. Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, about 5 - 10 seconds. Remove pan from heat, stir in scallions (if using) and sesame oil. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Serve immediately and ooh and aahh about how good it is. ( we serve it with brown rice)

Tofu note: Tofu that has been frozen works beautifully here. Freeze firm tofu and thaw. Squeeze water out of it and then crumble it and use it as you would the pork in this recipe. Throw the remainder into a chili or stew.

Seitan that has been finely chopped or ground works very well here. I use relatively unflavored seitan that I make myself. Leave me a comment if you need that recipe.

Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew

2007-02-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

This delicious soup/stew is from The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil & Rosie Dailey. Rosie shot to fame being Oprah's cook some time ago and in my never humble opinion, she isn't a particularly gifted chef. However, she does have a few good recipes in this book that have become staples in our home and this soup/stew is one of them.

2 cups mixed dry beans (I usually use a combination of garbanzo, kidney and white beans but I have also made the soup using just one kind of bean. 2 cups dry beans yeilds about 5 or so cups of cooked so remember that if you are substituting canned.)

1 cup chopped onion
3-4 carrots, peeled or not, sliced
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt ( I don't add this, but you sure can)
1 cup peeled and cubed eggplant (the recipe says you can use cabbage, squash or broccoli but I have not done this. The eggplant really adds a nice flavor)
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or a 28-35 oz can of chopped tomatoes with their juice
1 large baking potato, cubed
6 cups water or stock (I use low sodium vegetable stock)
1 cup chopped fresh green beans (or frozen peas or frozen green beans)
1 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta

Cook the beans. (If I have time, I soak them for at least four hours or overnight, drain & rinse them and simmer them in water or stock until tender. If I haven't planned ahead enough, I rinse them, put them in a pot with enough water to cover and bring them to a boil for 2 minutes. Then, you let them sit in the pot for an hour. Drain, rinse and cook as if you soaked them longer. If I haven't planned ahead at all, I used rinsed canned beans, preferably with no salt added.)

In a large soup pot, sweat the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in the olive oil on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Italian seasoning, chili flakes, rosemary and salt along with the eggplant (or whatever vegetable you are using), tomatoes, potatoes and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes. Add cooked beans, green beans or peas, and pasta and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread. YUM.

Carrot Raisin Muffins

2007-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

This wonderful recipe is taken from Vegan with a Vengence.

These muffins are delicious and good for you and very easy to make. So, make them right now, loyal readers. Make them right now!

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg (freshly grated is better!)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soy or rice milk (my guess is that regular milk will work, though I haven't tried it)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated carrots

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or lightly grease with oil.

Soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water while you are preparing the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and salt. Create a well in the center and add the milk, oil and vanilla; mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Remove the raisins from the hot water and fold in along with the grated carrots.

Fill the muffin tins three-quarters full. Bake for 18 - 22 minutes (18 is plenty of time in my oven), until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool if you can wait that long.

Eat 'em up YUM.

Stir Fried Cauliflower with Thai Red Curry Sauce

2007-01-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy to make tasty, pungent and somewhat spicy stir-fry not for the faint of taste buds. It comes together quickly once everything is prepped. You can get everything ready earlier in the day, including the sauce and refrigerate it until you are ready to start stir-frying.

I often add either little cubes of fried tofu or seitan or chickpeas to make a more complete meal, but it is also great without these things. Serve with brown rice.

3 T Fish Sauce
1 T juice plus 1 tsp grated zest from 1 lime
1 T light brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
1 cup coconut milk (you can use low fat coconut milk but it isn't quite as good as regular)
2 tsp Thai-style red curry paste
1 T plus 1 tsp. peanut or vegetable oil
3 pounds cauliflower - one large head, broken into small florets
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp to 1 T minced fresh ginger (your call...I like more ginger)
6 ounces snow peas, strings removed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

1. Mix together fish sauce, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, coconut milk, red curry paste. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 T oil over high heat until shimmering in a 12 inch wok or non-stick or cast iron skillet. (I don't use non-stick at high heats, but maybe I'm just paranoid...my cast iron skillet works great.) Add cauliflower and cook, stirring every 10 - 15 seconds until just barely tender, about 3 minutes. Push cauliflower to edges of skillet and add remaining tsp of oil, garlic and ginger to the center of the pan. Mash garlic and ginger with the back of a spoon and cook unitl fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix garlic and ginger in with cauliflower. Reduce heat to medium -high, add sauce and stir. (If you are adding tofu or seitan or chick peas, add them now.) Simmer, stirring occasionally until cauliflower is tender, about 2 minutes. Add snow peas and cook about three minutes longer, until cauliflower is fully tender. Add basil & serve immediately.

Really Great Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-01-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Devoted readers, I rarely give out cookie or brownie recipes as you know, but I am in a generous mood tonight so I am going to post what I consider to be a perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. I have adapted it from The Dessert Bible by Christopher Kimball. These are delicious warm from the oven but in my never humble opinion, they are even better when completely cooled.

Preheat oven to 375 (conventional) or 350 (convection)

Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Crisco (I know, I know...evil trans fat. But, how many of these are you planning to eat? You have a higher chance of getting killed in a car accident than by these cookies....But for those who might be worried about it, I think that Crisco makes a non-trans fat shortening now. Why even include this? Shortening prevents the cookies from spreading out as much as an all butter formula would. You can substitute butter for this, but the cookies will be flatter. Your call.)

8 T (1 stick) butter, softened just a bit

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg white

3/4 tsp to 1 scant teaspoon vanilla (I prefer 3/4 tsp)

2 cups plus 2 T bleached all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt (your call..I prefer 3/4)

10 ounces great quality chocolate chips or chunks. I prefer Ghiridelli semisweet chips. Bittersweet overwhelms the cookie in my opinion.

1. In a mixing bowl with a hand held electric mixer, beat the butter and shortening (if using) together until smooth and whipped with a few lumps. Add sugars and beat until blended. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients (not the chips).

3. Add dry ingredients to butter/egg/sugar mixture. Blend in until smooth. Fold in the chips or chunks.

4. Place heaping tablespoons of batter on the baking sheet, with at least 1 1/2 inches between cookies.

5. Bake for about twelve minutes, rotating baking sheet once half way through. If at the end of the twelve minutes I notice that the tops aren't brown enough, I switch on the broiler and leave the cookies under it for about 45 seconds.

Cool on a wire rack and eat-em-up-YUM.

Tempeh Paprikash...C'mon Loyal Readers. Try something NEW!

2007-01-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

I would guess that the majority of our readers here, including my beloved KinderhookChef have never tried Tempeh. Perhaps you have never even heard of it. Tempeh is a soy/rice product used in hard core vegetarian and vegan cooking. It has a great texture, but can be a little bitter if not sauced properly. It can be found in the refrigerated "health food" section at regular grocery stores. There are a few different varieties of Tempeh. I prefer the Soy kind but any of the varieties will work here and they are similar. Don't get one of the pre-spiced kinds.
This recipe is the BEST tempeh I have ever had. It was incredibly delicious and healthy. If you are adventurous, try it. You will be surprised.

4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider
1 T smoked Hungarian paprika (Spanish Paprika) or regular paprika
2 tsp. salt (OPTIONAL)
1 T caraway seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
6 garlic cloves
2 X 8 ox pakcages tempeh, diced into 1 inch pieces
3 large Spanish onions, sliced thin
1 1/2 tsp hot Hungarian Paprika
6 oz (1 can) tomato paste
2 T cornstarch
4 T cold water

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. In large saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a simmer. Turn off heat; cover to keep warm.

3. In medium bowl, combine oil, vinegar, cider, 1 T paprika, salt if using, 2 tsp. caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 T garlic. Add diced tempeh and toss to coat. If time allows, put the tempeh and marinade into the fridge and let it sit for a couple of hours. (This makes a big difference in the flavor of the tempeh. Also, I tried to substitute apple juice for apple cider and it wasn't as good.)

4. In large, shallow baking dish, place tempeh with liquid in single layer. Bake, uncovered, until all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Check often to make sure the liquid does not burn. When you check, flip the tempeh squares. (You can remove this from the oven when done, let it cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate it until you want to complete the recipe. Or, you can use it right away.

5. Meanwhile, in large Dutch oven, combine onions, garlic, 1 1/2 tsp hot paprika, remaining caraway, thyme and pepper and 1 cup of the hot broth. Cover and cook over medium heat until onions are softened, about ten minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well, Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, about ten more minutes.

6. In small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add to hot broth. Stir with a whisk. Increase heat and return mixture to a simmer. Cook, whisking, until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

7. Add thickened broth to pan with onions and stir until mixture is well blended. Add prepared tempeh to pan, along with any of its remaining cooking liquid; stir well.

Serve by itself or over egg noodles with some sour cream or plain yogurt stirred in. YUM.

Torta di Risotto

2007-01-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a recipe taken from the New Vegetarian cookbook that Kate left here by happy accident. I made it this morning and refrigerated it. I took it out an hour before baking it to bring it to room temperature. You can even make it two days ahead. It is a homey, delicious meal and a great choice to bring to a friend who needs a dinner.

Serve with a salad and bread and you are all set!

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, about 8 oz, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
(you can get creative with this part...see note below)
1/3 cup, or less olive oil
3 garlic cloves
16 oz can of chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dark brown sugar
3 handfulls of fresh basil, torn into pieces
1 cup arborio risotto rice
4 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz Italian fontina cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted breadcrumbs
salt & pepper

lightly oil a 9X5X3 inch loaf pan

Brush zucchini slices with 2 T olive oil and either grill in a grill pan or roast in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

Heat remaining olive oil in a saucepan and add garlic. Saute until fragrant...do not burn. Add tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the basil.

Add the rice to a saucepan of boiling salted water (there is no need to measure the water). Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the rice is tender but still firm, about ten minutes. Drain rice.

Mix drained rice and tomato sauce well. Stir in cheese cubes and all but about 2 T of the parmesan.

Sprinkle 2 T breadcrumbs into the oiled pan. Spoon in half of the risotto mixture ans smooth flat. Add the zucchini in a single layer and top with the remaining rice. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on top.

At this point, either refrigerate or bake it at 425 for 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes and unmold onto a platter.

NOTE: I made this with roasted red peppers, yellow squash and sauted mushrooms instead of the zucchini layer. You can use whatever you want, though I think that the roasted flavor is nice.

Vegetarian Chili

2006-11-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

3 T olive oil
1 large onion - yellow or red -chopped
1 green pepper - chopped
1 jalapeno pepper - deseeded and minced
4 cloves garlic - minced
2 carrots - chopped
1 large stalk celery - chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup dried lentils - picked over and rinsed
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked beans - kidney, black, garbanzo, navy, or a mixture
12 oz tempeh, crumbled up or chopped into small pieces
1/4 tsp dried cloves
1/4 tsp dried allspice
3-4 T dried cumin
3-4 T dried coriander
4-5 T good quality chili powder, hot or mild depending upon your taste
1 T sweet paprika
2 T dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste

In a large heavy saucepan saute onion, green pepper, jalapeno, carrots, celery and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat for ten to fifteen minutes to sweat the vegetables. Add tempeh and increase heat to medium and saute for about five minutes. Add spices and stir to mix well and saute for a couple more minutes. Add crushed and cut tomatoes along with water and lentils. Add beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for about twenty or so minutes until lentils are cooked. Adjust seasonings. Serve over brown rice.

Banana-Pecan Streusel Bread Pudding

2006-11-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

I'm a real bread pudding freak from way back. My mother used to make bread pudding from the old crusts, rolls ,and buns she would save up and store in the freezer. People often think that bread pudding is soggy and mushy, but this recipe and my mother's makes a delicious, firm, loaflike texture that, when served warm with real whipped creme or vanilla bean ice cream, tantilizes the taste buds. This particular recipe is made with croissants instead of bread for a real rich twist.

4 medium ripe bananas, mashed (1 1/3 cups)
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 large (5 oz.) croissants, cut or torn into 1 inch pieces (about 5 cups)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For pudding, in a large bowl stir together bananas, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and almond extract. Place torn croissant pieces in a lightly greased 2-quart rectangular casserole, pour egg mixture evenly over croissants. Press pieces into egg mixture to moisten.
For streusel, in a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, margerine or butter, and the remaiming 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in pecans. sprinkle streusel topping over croissant mixture. Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until slightly puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Makes around 10 - 12 servings.

New England Clam Chowder

2006-09-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe for the best clam chowder I have had to date. It is from the Captain's Pub on Cape Cod, who, by the way, won the Boston Chowder Fest in 2000, 2001 and 2006. They were retired to the Chowder Fest Hall of Fame and decided to publish their recipe. I made a few very slight changes. I substituted Bacon instead of salt pork and used a little less flour to the roux than they did. This is a meal!!

3 slices of bacon (Hickory smoked is my favorite)
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 pound sweet butter, plus 1/4 pound
4 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 pinch dry thyme
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 bay leaf
1 quart water
3 chef potatoes, peeled and diced
6 ounces clam base (recommended: Minors)
1 quart fresh chopped clams and their juice
1 quart light cream
1 teaspoon salt (taste before adding salt)
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Saute bacon but do not brown. Meanwhile, make roux by adding 2 cups of flour to 3/4 pound of the butter and stir. Make the roux pourable but not too loose or too thick.(You may not need all of the roux as it may make the chowder a bit too thick). Begin to cook on low flame or in an oven until the roux is nice and hot. In a heavy bottomed pot, put the remaining 1/4 pound butter and the bacon. Do not drain grease. Add the onion, celery and herbs, let saute for about 5 minutes. Add water and potatoes and bring it to a boil. Then add the clam base, keep stirring so the base and potatoes don't stick or burn to the bottom of the pan. Add the clams and their juice. When the potatoes become slightly tender bring everything back to a boil and start adding the hot roux. Turn the flame down a little and let simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Slowly add the light cream to the base until you get the right creamy chowder, not too thick or thin. Season with salt and pepper

Vegan Chocolate Cake

2006-08-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Deep Chocolate Vegan Cake (From the Moosewood New Classics)

Don't knock it until you have tried it. It isn't as delicious as what I would call "real cake", but it is very good. It is a good recipe to have in case you have to cook for a Vegan or someone who can't have any cholesterol or if you simply must make chocolate cake and you don't have any eggs or butter. It is the easiest cake I have ever made from scratch.

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (corn oil works well)
1 cup cold water or chilled brewed coffee
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Chocolate raspberry glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil an 8-inch square or round baking pan and dust with a little sifted cocoa, or line the bottom with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. In another bowl, combine the oil, water or coffee, and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well- blended and smooth. Add the vinegar and stir briefly. The baking soda will begin to react with the vinegar right away, leaving pale swirls in the batter. Quickly pour the batter into the baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Transfer to a plate when cool and glaze.

Chocolate Raspberry Glaze:

In a double boiler or small, heavy saucepan over a medium flame, melt 1/3 cup raspberry jam with 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and mix thoroughly. In another small saucepan mix 6 1/4 cups jam with 1 tablespoon water and warm over a low flame until the spread liquefies. Brush the water-fruit mixture over the top of cooled cake. Spread the chocolate mixture on top of that. Allow the glaze to cool before cutting the cake. Serves 8.

Four Cheese Baked Bow Ties

2006-07-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

This is from the Feb 1994 issue of Gourmet magazine. This is a completely delicious, easy to make dish, good for colder weather. You can prepare it early in the day and refrigerate it and bake it just before serving. Even though this is a homey meal, it tastes good enough to serve at an informal dinner party.

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
a 28-32 ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained well, reserving 1 1/4 cups juice, and chopped fine
1 pound bow-tie pasta
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (not the fresh kind), about 6 ounces
1/2 cup diced Italian Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 1/3 cups freshly grated romano cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsely leaves, preferably flat leafed

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 3-4 quart gratin dish or other shallow baking pan.

In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over moderatley low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk and reserved tomato juice in a stream, whisking and bring to a boil, whisking. (MY NOTE: I mix the milk and juice together in a 4 cup pyrex measure and microwave it for about 1.5 minutes to make it warm first) Stir in tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente, about 8 munites and drain well.

In a large bowl, stir together pasta, sauce, mozzarella, gorgonzola, fontina, 1 cup romano and parseley and t ransfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining romano.

Bake for 30 - 35 munites or until golden and bubbling and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 6 as an entree.

Summer Squash Soup

2006-07-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

From the Hay Day Country Market Cookbook by Kim Rizk.

This is excellent warm, cold or at room temperature. Very easy to make.

1/2 cup olive oil (I have used 1/4 with very good results)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 large ripe tomoatoes, chopped (or substitute an undrained 16 oz can of good quality chopped tomatoes)
2 zucchini (total of 1 pound or less), coarsely chopped
2 yellow squash (total of 1 pound or less), coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
Coarse (kosher) salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large kettle or stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until softened and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and remaining vegetables (including tomatoes) and 2 teasponns salt, and saute until the veteables are lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.

2. Add sock, vinegar, fennel seeds and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the vegetables are extremely tender, about 20 minutes. Removed from the heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the mixture in batches to a blender and pulse to form a coarse puree. Serve warm, hot or chilled.

NOTE: I used a hand held stick blender and just move it around in the cooking pot. The results are great and it is less cleanup than with a blender.

Double Layer Chocolate Cake

2006-05-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

I won a " delectable deserts" contest in a local paper with this recipe and I can't even take credit for it as being my own. This cake is not your everyday chocolate cake. With a pound of chocolate, a cup of cream and a half a stick of butter in the ganache you can say adios to that diet you've been working on.

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut (or any decent quality chocolate)
11/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Three Berry Muffins

2006-04-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

These are great. You can use any kind of fruit you like. I have used banana chunks with strawberries and/or blueberries, all blueberries, all strawberries. Don't be put off by how much cinnamon there is...it works, trust me.

3 cups unbleached flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cups milk
2 large eggs
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups fruit (diced strawberries, blueberries, bananas, raspberries)
1 1/2 cups sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line or grease 20 muffin cups.

2. Whisk together flour, b. pawder, b. soda, salt & cinnamon. Combine milk, eggs & butter. Add latter to former and mix quickly until combined. Don't overmix. Add fruit and sugar and stir again quickly to combine.

3. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake until brown and crusty, about 20 minutes.

Makes 20 delicious muffins.

Halibut with Tomatoes & Olives

2006-04-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

All Gone
Originally uploaded by Bloomington Girl.

As you can see from the photo, dinner was quite good tonight. Fresh halibut was on sale. I didn't have my safe fish guide (it tells which fish not to eat because of over fishing...etc.) so I bought it. I can't find the guide so I don't know if I should have bought it or not. Alas, too late.

Anyway, this is an excellent and easy recipe I modifed from a recipe off Epicurious.com. The recipe calls for 4 6-7 halibut fillets. I used 4 four ounce fillets and found that the amount of sauce was just enough. If you are serving four people, double the sauce.

Halibut filets
All purpose flour
4 T. Olive Oil, Divided
2 large shallots, chopped (I used a combination of scallions and shallots)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata or Nicoise Olives
1 -2 tsp dried basil (It would be better with fresh but I didn't have any. 1/2 cup fresh would be right)
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry white wine

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Heat 2 T olive oil in heavy large non-stick or seasoned skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add fish and saute until lightly browned and just opaque in center, about 4 minutes each side, depending on fillet thickness. If they are really thick, you could finish them in a 400 degree oven while you make the sauce. Or, transfer fish to a plate.

Heat remaining 2 T olive oil in same skillet. Add shallots and saute 1 minute. Mix in tomatoes, olives, basil. Add broth and wine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 4 minutes until sauce thickens a bit. Serve on or with fish.

Carrot Cake

2006-04-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

First of all I would like to thank the BloomingtonChef for inviting me to become part of this recipe blog. I only hope I can help spread (no pun intended) some joy and happiness to fellow recipe lovers. This being my virgin post, I thought I would start with one of the most wonderful carrot cake recipes I have ever tried. This cake is extremely moist and pretty much follows the norm for carrot cake recipes except for the amount of oil. The cream cheese frosting is sinful.

2 c. sugar

2 c. sifted flour

4 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 c. oil

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

2 3/4 c. shredded carrots (Don't skimp on the carrots)

Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil and mix well. Add beaten eggs. Mix well. Stir in carrots at low speed. Use two 8" rounds (9" if that's all you have, but 8" rounds give you a thicker, higher cake) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

(Double this recipe)

8 oz. cream cheese (room temp)

1 stick butter (room temp)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups frosting sugar

1/2 chopped walnuts (Sprinkle on top) (Optional)

Blend cream cheese, vanilla, and butter. Add frosting sugar and beat well. Sprinkle walnuts on top (optional).

Amazing Peanut Butter Chocolate Tart

2006-04-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely heaven. I really miss making and eating this most ethereal of all desserts. Don't be put off by the length of the recipe. It isn't hard to make. You can make the crust dough ahead (up to a week ahead). Just make sure to read the whole recipe before you plan on serving this because there are some refrigeration periods necessary.

I really miss having this tart. Please make it and invited me over, okay?

Sweet Peanut Butter cookie Tart Crust (recipe below)

PEANUT BUTTER MOUSSE

7 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably Smooth Jif) at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING

3 ounces milk chocolate
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
18 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Make the peanut butter mousse. In a mixer bowl, preferably with a whisk beater, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar until uniform in color. On low speed, beat in the vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup of the whipped cream just until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until blended but still airy. Scrape the mousse into the prepared tart shell and smooth the surface so that it is level. Refrigerate while preparing the chocolate ganache.

2. Make the ganache topping. Process the chocolates together in a food processor until they are finely ground. In a heatproof glass measure, if using a microwave oven, or in a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. With the motor of the food processor running, immediately pour it through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Process until smooth, about 15 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and pulse a few times to incorporate it. Pour the ganache into a liquid measure or bowl. Let cool to room temp.

3. Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mousse in a circular motion so that it does not land too heavily in any one spot and cause a depression. With a small metal spatula, start by spreading the ganache to the edges of the pastry, then spread it evenly to cover the entire surface. Make it look pretty.

4. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

5. Remove the tart from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving. Unmold the tart and serve. YUM. YUM. YUM.

Peanut Butter Cookie Tart Crust

1/2 cup bleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/16 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar, superfine if you have it
4 tablespoons unsaltded butter, cold, cut into 1 inch cupbes
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (preferably Jif) at room temperature
1/2 large egg (beat before measuring...about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease and flour the tart pan if it is being used for the first time. Otherwise, it doesn't need it.

FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD:

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a food processor with the metal blad, process the sugars for several minutes or until very fine. With the motor running, add the butter cubes. Add the peanut butter and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 seconds. With the motor running, add the egg and vanilla extract and process until incorporated. Scrape sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse until incorporated.

ELECTRIC MIXER METHOD:

Soften the butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugars unti lwell mixed. Add butter and peanut butter and beat for several minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incoporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

FOR BOTH METHODS:

Scape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Press the dough evenly into the tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 10 - 12 minutes or until golden brown. It will puff at first and then settle down toward the end of baking. Cool on wire rack.

You can store the unbaked dough for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Cookies

2006-04-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

I used to make these cookies before Jack was diagnosed with peanut allergy. These are wonderful cookies. I used to bake them in a convection oven but a conventional oven is what the recipe calls for.

2 1/2 unbleached all-purpoase flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (this amount will depend on the type of PB you use)
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened but still firm
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter (if you use unsalted natural, increase salt to 1 tsp. If you use salted PB, keep salt as is)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground to resemble breadcrumbs

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about three minutes, stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Don't skimp on time in this step. Make sure the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter until fully incorporated, then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Add ground peanuts and stir until incorporated.

2. Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least three hours to overnight. If you bake them without chilling, the dough will spread more during baking resulting in a thinner cookie. You can do this, but if you have the time, chill them for best results.

3. Adjust the oven rack to low center position. Preheat to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment.

4. Working with a generous 2 tablespoons each time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place ball on the parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 1/2 inches between them. (This is a critical thing in cookie making. It is better to have few cookies on a sheet and do a few baking batches than to crowd them.)

5. If you want to form the characteristic criss-cross found on peanut butter cookies, go ahead. Dip the fork in a glass of water between presses. Don't press too much. Avoid flattening the cookies too much.

6. Bake until the cookies are puffed anad slightly brown along edges and the bottoms are golden brown, 12 - 13 minutes, turning baking sheet in oven halfway through baking. Cool until set, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Administrative Note

2006-03-31T06:04:00.000-08:00

I am trying to figure out a way to make it easy to search for recipe on this blog by category (main dish, side dish, dessert...) I can't quite get a system yet. Any suggestions? I will keep working it at. In the meantime, has anyone tried anything?

Amazing and Easy Sesame Noodles (Side Dish)

2006-03-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

These noodles were served at my wedding and they are SO GOOD! Alas, I don't make them anymore because my son is allergic to peanuts. This dish is perfect for a buffet along side a pork or beef tenderloin. The leftovers are terrific too. Just posting this makes me hungry for them. These can be made ahead.

3 Tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (Creamy Jif recommended)
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons fresh ginger root, minced
1/2 cup water or broth
1 pound #8 spaghetti & 2 tablespoons sesame oil for tossing

Combine above ingredients (except for pasta) for the sauce. Can be made ahead and refrigerated. Cook pasta (al dente) & rinse immediately in cold water. Pasta can be refrigerated ahead as well. When ready to serve, toss pasta gently with 2 Tablespoons sesame oil. Add sauce & mix gently. Garnish with hot/sweet relish (recipe below). I like to heap the noodles on a nice serving platter and put the relish all around the side.

Relish:

Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until syrupy. While syrup is hot, add 1 small red onion, chopped small and 1 chopped cucumber. Refrigerate unti ready to use.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe (Main Dish)

2006-03-28T17:57:00.000-08:00

Chicken Pot Pie
Originally uploaded by Bloomington Girl.

This is one of the staple recipes at the our house. In this photo, I have made it in a cast iron skillet (my husband's great grandmothers!) but you can make it in individual dishes as well. Delicious and easy, you can make it ahead. I have provided the recipe for buttermilk biscuit topping but you can use pie dough, frozen puff pastry or phyllo if you like.

Buttermilk biscuit dough (recipe below)
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 cups low sodium or homemade chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium large onion
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 small celery ribs, coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 tablespoons dry sherry (this is essential for flavor)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)

1. Make pie dough or biscuits and refrigerate until ready to use. If using commercial puff pastry or phyllo dough, follow package instructions for thawing.

2. Adjust oven rack to low-center position and heat oven to 400. Put chicken and broth in a dutch oven or large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer until chicken is just done, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer meat to a large bowl. Transfer broth to a four-cup pyrex measure or to another bowl.

3. Increase heat to medium-high. Heat oil in Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots and celery and saute until just tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, shred chicken into bite-size pieces. Transfer cooked vegetables to bowl with chicken and set aside.

4. Heat butter over medium heat in Dutch oven. When foaming subsides, add flour (whisking) and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved chicken broth, milk and any accumlated chicken juices and thyme. (I blend the broth and milk together first in a 4 cup pyrex measure and heat it in the microwave until warm. Then, I add it to the roux.) Bring to a simmer, stirring until sauce fully thickens, about 1 minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in sherry.

5. Pour sauce over chicken-vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Stir in peas and parsley and adjust seasonings. Pour mixture into a 13 X 9 inch pan or any shallow baking dish of similar size or into six 12-oz ramekins or bowls. Top as desired. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly, about 28-30 minutes for large pies and 20-25 for smaller pies. Serve immediately.

Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 12 or so pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk plus 1-2 tablespoons more if needed (you can substitue plain yogurt for buttermilk in any recipe, by the way)

1. Pulse flours baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.

2. Transfer mixture to medcium bowl. Add buttermilk and stir with fork until dough gathers into mmoist clumps. Transfer dough to a floured work surface and form into a rough ball. Roll or pat dough 1/2 inch think. Using a 2 1/2 inch pastry cutter, stamp out 8 rounds of dough. If making individual pies, cut dough slightly smaller than circumference of each dish. (Dough rounds can be refrigerated on a lightly floured baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 hours. I have even frozen them with pretty good results.)

(ALTERNATE LAZY METHOD: Add the buttermilk directly to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a bowl and sort of mush it together very briefly and spooon it onto the pie. The biscuit quality is probably not as light and fluffy but it is really much easier and still comes out great.)

3. Arrange dough rounds over warm filling and bake as directed in step 5 above.

(IF YOU WANT TO BAKE THE BISCUITS FOR ANOTHER USE SUCH AS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, JUST SHAPE AND BAKE ON A PARCHMENT LINED BAKING SHEET AT 400 UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED AND DONE, PROBABLY ABOUT 12 MINUTES...WATCH THEM AND USE YOUR JUDGEMENT.)

Sophisticated Brownies with coffee & cinnamon (Dessert)

2006-03-28T04:30:00.000-08:00

This brownie is very sophisticated and very easy to make. I have included my notes where I deviate from the recipe. Your call as to how you want to make them, of course.

Unsweetented cocoa powder for dusting baking pan
3 counces (generous 1/2 cup) blanched Hazelnuts (I don't bother to blanch them. Also, you can substitute walnuts or pecans if you wish)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons finely ground dark-roast coffee
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan, dust it with cocoa powder.

2. Scatter the nuts in another small baking pan and toast them in the oven until lightly colored and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven & leave the oven on. Coarsely chop the nuts and set aside. (Note: I never roast the nuts)

3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add coffee, cinnamon and vanilla and stir until smooth and combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring briskly after each addition. Stir the mixture until it is thick and shiny. Then, stir in the flour, salt and all but 2 tablespoons of the nuts. (Note: I finely chop the reserved nuts for sprinkling ont the top, almost to a powder consistency. It looks nicer that way.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with the reserved nuts. Bake in the middle of the oven until the brownies are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 - 35 minutes. (NOTE: I think that this is too long. I bake the brownies for 28 to 29 minutes and they are perfect. ) Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Then cut into four squares and cut each square into four triangles.

5. Serve and enjoy the compliments.

Shrimp and Feta Casserole with Dill (Main Dish)

2006-03-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

Don't let the word "casserole" scare you off. This is an elegant and delicious dish. And, it is very easy to make. It is a bit salty from the Feta so if you are watching your sodium intake, you might want to soak the feta first or use low sodium feta. It is good served with lightly buttered orso.

4 Servings

1 T olive oil
4 large scallions, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter a shallow 10 cup enameled cast iron or glass baking dish.

2. Heat oil in a small frying pan. Add the scallions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute longer. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and arrange the shrimp on top. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and the feta.

3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the dill, hot pepper sauce, salt and black pepper. Beat in the cream. Spoon the custard over the shrimp. The shrimp should be at least half-way covered with custard. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for about 17 minutes, until custard is set adn the shrimp are cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Vanilla-Sour Cream Bundt Cake (Dessert)

2006-03-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

This is an excellent cake, simple and delicious. It is good at room temperature or refrigerated. You can serve it with chocolate sauce, fruit, plain. It keeps well for several days.

3 cups cake flour
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
3 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or tube pan. Tap out excess flour.

2. Blend cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a standing electric mixer.

3. In a medium bowl, using a fork, beat together sour cream, milk, whole eggs, yolks and vanilla until very well blended and smooth.

4. Add the butter and half the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat at low speed just until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat for 1 minute, do not overmix. Add the remaining egg mixture and beat at medium-high speed until the batter is fluffy and smooth, about 1 minute longer.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Rap the pan on the counter several times to remove air bubbles. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 50 - 60 minutes or until it is well browned, pulls away from the pan sides and a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

6. Run a thin knife aorund the pan edges to loosen the cake and invert it onto a serving plate.

Perfect Rice Recipe (Side Dish)

2006-03-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

This is a method of cooking rice which yields perfect results every time. It doesn't matter what kind of rice...long grain, short grain, brown, white, wild. The directions work for any of these. The only drawback to the method is that you have to be in the kitchen for all but the last 15 minutes of the cooking to watch the pot. But, if you are cooking something else at the same time, it works out fine. What you will find is that the cooking time for the varieties of rices don't vary much from the times specified on their packages. But, I prefer this method to others because it is perfect every time.

1 part rice (some kinds should be rinsed first...rinse the rice if the package advises it)
2 parts water or broth if you like
(I don't add salt or butter or oil, but if you wanted to, that would probably work just fine.)

Mix rice and liquid in a saucepan that has a lid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until the rice and liquid are at the same level. For brown & wild varieties, this will take longer than for white. At that point, turn the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover the pan tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Serve.

Kung Pao Shrimp (or Chicken) Recipe (Main Dish)

2006-03-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

Here in Bloomington, the Chinese restaurants are not so great. Not so good, even. So, if we want to have Chinese food, I have to make it at home. This really great recipe is easy and excellent. It "serves 4" but Chris and I almost always finish it ourselves. The recipe is from Cook's Illustrated 9/02.

Hints: Have all your stuff ready to go because the dish comes together quickly. The rice should be timed so it finishes cooking right as you start the stir frying. We use cashews instead of peanuts because Jack is allergic to peanuts. Or, you can use diced water chestnuts if you don't want to use nuts at all. If you want to use chicken, thighs give the best flavor in stir fries.

1 pound extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled and deveined ( or 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into cubes)
1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 3/4 to 2 inches long), 3 chiles roughly crumbled, or 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 medium red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 medium scallions , sliced thin

1. Toss shrimp with sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl; marinate until shrimp have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix garlic, ginger, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl; set aside. Combine peanuts and chiles in small bowl; set aside. Mix chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster-flavored sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add shrimp and cook, stirring about once every 10 seconds, until barely opaque, 30 to 40 seconds; add peanuts and chiles, stir into shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp are almost completely opaque and peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. (CHICKEN WILL TAKE LONGER TO COOK...USE YOUR JUDGEMENT.) Transfer shrimp, peanuts, and chiles to bowl; set aside. Return skillet to burner and reheat briefly, 15 to 30 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirl to coat pan, and add red bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved shrimp, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in scallions; transfer to serving plate and serve immediately.

Hearty Beef Stew Master Recipe (Main Dish)

2006-03-12T14:48:00.000-08:00

This is a great make ahead recipe for fall and winter. It is easy and delicious.

HINTS:

Make this in a oven safe kettle that measures at least 10 inches in diameter. I use a Le Cruset enameled cast iron dutch oven. If your pot doesn't have an oven safe top, use a double layer of foil to cover it.

I like it over wide whole wheat egg noodles but you can, of course, serve it however you like. I have also used this as a filling for Beef Pot Pie with a biscuit crust.

If you like, you can finish the stew with whatever ingredients you like instead of or in addition to peas and carrots.

3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons (or more) vegetable oil
2 medium large onions, chopped (2-3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup full-bodied red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
4 large carrots
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 200. Place meat in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/5 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Toss to coat. Heat 2 T oil over medium high heat in a large non-reactive (oven safe) soup kettle. Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. (This will take you at least two batches...it takes me four. Do NOT crowd the meat as it will not brown.) Add additional oil if necessary. Transfer meat to a platter.

2. Add onions to pot. Sauté until almost softened, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour and cook until lightly colored, 1-2 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to the pan. Add broth, bay leaves and thyme, bring to a simmer. Cover and place in oven and simmer until meat is just tender 2 1/2 to 3 hours. You don't even have to check it during this time. You can cool and refrigerate the stew for up to three days at this point.)

3. Before serving, steam carrots until just tender, about 6 minutes.

4. Add steamed carrots and uncooked peas to fully cooked stew. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and serve.

Chocolate Glazed Triple Layer Cheesecake (Dessert)

2006-03-12T05:09:00.000-08:00

This is a GREAT cheesecake. Even people who don't love cheesecake love this one. It is one of those Really Great Recipes that is impressive and easy to make. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients. It goes together in a snap, but you need to make it early in the morning or the day before you plan to serve it because it has to chill after baking.

MY HINTS:

Whole oreo cookies make better crust than just the crumbs (as in from the oreo wafers). I just throw the cookies into the food processor to grind them.

Before you put the cheesecake into the oven, wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of foil. Otherwise, liquid will seep out from the pan and burn on the bottom of your oven.

I find that a hand held mixer works best for this recipe.

The recipe says that the cheesecake should be glazed shortly before serving if you want to maintain a shiny looking glaze. If you have the time to do that, it's great. I usually do it ahead and refridgerate it for convenience. The glaze dulls but it is still a great looking cake.

Crust

2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/3 cup sour cream

Pecan Layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sour Cream Layer

5 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 almond extract

Glaze

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325.

CRUST: Combine cookie crumbs, sugar & butter. Mix well. Press curunb misture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and 2 inches up sides. Chill.

CHOCOLATE LAYER: Brend cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, blending well. Mix in chocolate and sour cream. Spoon over crust.

PECAN LAYER: Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, and flour until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Carefully spoon over chocolate layer.

SOUR CREAM LAYER: Beat cream cheese sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract. Spoon gently over pecan layer.

Bake 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes. Open oven door and leave cheesecake in oven another 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

FINISHING & GLAZING:

Remove cheesecake from pan and place on serving plate. Refrigerate while you are preparing the glaze. For the glaze, melt chocolate and butter together. Add powdered sugar, water and vanilla. I use a wisk here to eliminate lumps. Stir until smooth. Spread over the chilled cheesecake while glaze is warm.

For the best looking shiny glaze, don't refrigerate the cheesecake again before serving.

Fleur de Sel Caramel Recipe

2006-03-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Recipe Type: Dessert

Fleur de Sel Caramels

1 cup heavy cream
5 T unsalted butter
1.5 tsp fleur de sel
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar

Line an 8 by 8 baking pan with a piece of lightly oiled parchment, making sure the parchment hangs over all four sides so you can just pull the whole slab out of the pan after cooling.
Combine cream, butter and fleur de sel in small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat & set aside.

Combine corn syrup, water and sugar in a large heavy saucepan, preferably a tall one. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Boil and swirl pan from time to time until the syrup is a golden caramel color. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Depth of color/flavor is up to you here but don't go too dark. Lower heat to moderate and carefully pour cream mixture in. It will bubble up. Simmer mixture, stirring gently & frequently until it reaches (on a candy or deep fry thermometer) 246 degrees (for soft chewy caramels) or 248 degrees (I haven't tried that temp yet, I assume they will be firmer.)

Pour bubbling caramel (be careful) into prepared pan. Let cool for 2-3 hours. Cut into squares and wrap in squares of wax paper, candy style. Give to friends. Enjoy the compliments.

Helpful Hints and Comment

Fleur de Sel is a fancy/schmancy kind of sea salt that is harvested only once ever third blue moon by wandering minstrals in a far off land. Or something like that. Zingermans, a gourmet foods seller describes it like this:

"Looking like newly fallen wet snowflakes, this salt collects naturally along the coast of Brittany and is hand-gathered like wildflowers "growing" on the sea. Fleur de sel has an aroma that hints of freshly-picked violets (hence the name "fleur"), and a truly amazing flavor. A revelation prized by the best bakers and chefs of France. "

I got some as a gift and use it on steaks (the large crystals are perfect for that) and in these caramels. My guess is that kosher salt could be substituted for the fleur de sel in this recipe with no problem. If you use table salt, you might want to try it with less salt the first time around. Perhaps 3/4 tsp.