Archive for October, 2008
Yield: 12 Servings INGREDIENTS 1 boxed cake mix – Devil’s Food ½ gallon good vanilla ice cream, we used Mayfield’s Frosting 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips 6 tablespoons heavy cream 1 ½ -2 cups powdered sugar – (sifted) 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract PREPARATION Prepare the cake, per instructions on the box in two 9-inch round baking pans. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes. Remove from baking pans and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. After cake has thoroughly cooled, place one cake layer on plate, flat side up. Spoon softened ice cream on top and gently spread it around the entire cake top, so you have about 1 inch of ice cream (use more, if you like). Set the remaining cake layer on top of the ice cream mixture and gently press the two layers together. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer, while you’re making the frosting. Frosting: In a medium sized saucepan, over a low heat, combine the butter, chocolate chips and heavy cream until the butter and chips are melted. Once melted, remove from heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir well. Let the frosting cool for about 15 minutes. The frosting should be smooth and glossy and not too thick. Assembly: Remove cake from the freezer and spread the chocolate frosting on the top of the cake. Return the cake to the freezer and let the frosting set up. After frosting has set up, you can pipe any decorations on the cake that you would like and again return to refrigerator so the frosting decorations can set up. When finished, cover the cake with plastic wrap and return to the freezer until ready to use. Before serving, remove cake from freezer and let it sit for approximately 5-10 minutes (dependent on room temperature) to soften up before slicing. Note: You can use any combination of cake mix and ice cream that you would like - maybe a white cake mix with chocolate ice cream or any of your other favorites! Great way to use leftover mashed potatoes!
Yield: 4 Servings INGREDIENTS 1 ½ lbs ground beef 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 1 cup carrots, diced ½ cup corn, fresh or frozen ½ cup peas, frozen ½ cup beef broth 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered (or use leftover mashed) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Salt and freshly ground black pepper Smoked paprika PREPARATION Boil potatoes in salted water, until tender. While potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and carrots and cook over medium heat until tender. When carrots and onions are tender, add in the corn and peas and cook for a few minutes longer, until they are tender. Add in the ground beef and sauté until the meat is no longer pink. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth to the meat and vegetable mixture. Simmer on a low heat for approximately 10 minutes. When potatoes are cooked, mash them with the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, adjust the seasonings to taste. In a 9×13x2 inch baking pan, place the beef mixture on the bottom. Cover the top with the mashed potatoes, making sure that potatoes cover all the beef and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with a small bit of smoked paprika. Bake in a 400 degree oven until the pie is bubbling and the potatoes are lightly browned, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve piping hot. Adapted: Simply Recipes I’ve just scanned the Food Network program schedule and noticed that they’ve updated their website. I’m not sure that I like it as well as the old one. It’s chock full of information for sure, but I think it’s rather hard to navigate to find your favorite chef’s programming for the week. For me, the old “drop down” menus worked better. I’d be interested in hearing from those of you that use the site frequently and your reaction to the new format.
However, once I found the programming for the week, I noticed that one of my favorites “Tyler’s Ultimate” is cooking up some great dishes this week! On Tuesday (28th), he’s preparing an “ultimate” lasagna that combines ground beef and Italian sausage and lots of ricotta and mozzarella cheese. The fact that he’s also using dried lasagna noodles is a plus, as that’s really a time saver. Sounds yummy, so I’ll try and catch that episode. Later in the week (30th), Tyler’s also making tacos with roast beef. If you haven’t tried tacos made with roast beef, instead of ground beef, you really should. Their a bit more hearty and just add a different twist to the classic ground beef tacos. He also includes a fabulous recipe for salsa.
Finally, what’s a week without a sweet? On Saturday, Ina Garten shares a great recipe for Blueberry Crumb Cake. It’s chock full of blueberries and has a crunchy topping. This recipe is in one of her cookbooks and I’ve tried it. Very easy to make and a great way to use any leftover blueberries that you have in the frig or freezer. If you live in Northeast Georgia and are looking for a shared kitchen space to launch your culinary business, visit MyKitchenYourKitchen.com and let us know what your needs are by taking my quick survey. Perfect on a cold, winter’s day!
Yield: 6 Servings
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 cup diced celery 1 cup diced onion 1 cup sliced carrots 1 glove garlic, finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in cool water ¼ cup cheddar cheese powder (optional) 8 ounces sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, grated ¾ cup cream or half and half Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Pinch of cayenne or red pepper (optional)
PREPARATION
Melt the butter in a stockpot. Add the celery and onions and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the carrots, garlic, thyme and broth and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Whisk in the thickener, cheese powder, cheese and cream, stirring until the cheese is melted. Adjust the seasonings with the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Serve hot with crusted bread. Soups are so easy to make and delicious on those cold, winter nights that we have in much of the country.
See how easy it is: Chop up onions and celery and saute until tender; then add carrots, garlic and thyme and continue to cook for about 15 minutes:
Once the veggies are nice and tender, add in your stock and simmer for about another 20 minutes:
Next up is to add the cornstarch, heavy cream or half & half, all the grated cheese and remaining spices into the stock pot. Whisk this thoroughly so the soup stays nice and smooth and creamy and bring to just below a simmer.
Viola’ you have a creamy soup, full of cheddar cheese flavor. Serve with a crusted loaf of bread and a salad and you’re in business. Your friends will think you spent hours in the kitchen making this great soup. We know better, but I won’t tell.
Source: King Arthur Flour Website
I found this chart on the King Arthur Flour website and thought it clearly spelled out the various stages of cooking sugar. When combining sugar and water and cooking it to various temperatures, the sugar reacts in different ways and serves as the basis for making any number of candies. As the holiday seasons approach, I thought this would be a handy chart to have in the kitchen as you make those special candies and fudges. You can identify these stages by using a candy thermometer or by certain physical characteristics that the sugar will display will cooking.
Yield: 12 Servings INGREDIENTS 2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1 – 27 ounce can of chili beans, I prefer Bush’s 3 tablespoons chopped green onions 3 tablespoons pitted black olives (optional) PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Spread cream cheese into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with ½ of the cheddar cheese. Spread chili beans over the top of the shredded cheese. Top with remaining shredded cheese, chopped green onions and olives. Bake for 15-20 minutes until mixture is heated and cheese is melted. Serve warm with your favorite tortilla chips. Remember when your mother always told you to eat your carrots, well I don’t think this is what she had in mind, but you have to try these scrumptious Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies. If you love carrot cake, these cookies are a great alternative. They have all the great carrot cake flavors that you love, but the portability of a cookie. Each cookie is chock full of carrots and walnuts with a slightly crisp outside and cake like interior. Best of all, the cookies are sandwiched together with a great cream cheese frosting. Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Frosting Yield: 30 single cookies or 15 Sandwich Cookies Adapted from Epicurious
INGREDIENTS 2 ½ cups all-purpose unbleached flour 2 teaspoons good cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 sticks of butter, softened 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, plus 4 tablespoons 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 4 tablespoons 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 cups freshly grated carrots 3 cups roughly chopped walnuts
PREPARATION Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and set aside. In an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in the carrots and walnuts. Then add the flour mixture and lightly mix until blended. Drop 1 tablespoon batter 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet or use a Silpat mat. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned and springy to touch. Halfway through baking, switch the cookie sheet from the lower to upper rack in the oven. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When the cookies are cooled, frost the bottom of one cookie generously with the cream cheese frosting and press together with the bottom of another cookie to form the sandwich. If you prefer, you can just frost the top of the cookies individually and that will yield you more cookies. Either way they are delicious! I wrap each sandwich cookie individually with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. That way the frosting stays nice and cold.
You can use your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe for these. This is the one that I always use for my carrot cakes.
INGREDIENTS 6 ounces cream cheese, softened ¼ lb unsalted butter, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
PREPARATION In an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and mix until blended thoroughly.
Kitchen Sink Set
This set teams up two of my kitchen favorites, Caldrea Dish Soap Liquid and handcrafted Pot Scrubbies, all tucked into a black wrought iron type kitchen sink caddy. Your choice of either Basil Blue Sage or Ginger Pomelo fragrance and 2 scrubbies in either black or navy paired with soft yellow.
Caldrea dish soap liquids are made from essential oils, are earth friendly, clean great and smell divine! The scrubbies are handcrafted and made to last. If you’ve never tried them, once you have, you’ll never use those other plastic scrubbies again! This is a perfect way to keep your sink essentials organized or as a practical hostess gift. Price: $27.00 + $7.00 shipping (USPS - Priority Mail) Includes: 1-16 ounce Caldrea Dish Soap Liquid 2 - Pot Scrubbies 1- Black Wire Sink Caddy
Houston’s Restaurants are part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group and have locations throughout the United States. If you have ever had the pleasure of dining at one of the restaurants, you may have tried their baked potato soup. It’s one of their signature dishes and is delicious. INGREDIENTS 5 medium russet potatoes 3 cups whole milk ½ cup half and half ½ cup sour cream 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 ½ teaspoons chopped chives Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter ¼ teaspoon celery salt 1 green onion diced, including onion and green 5 strips of bacon diced and fried crispy 1 ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds PREPARATION Wash and rub potatoes with butter and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and cool slightly. When the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, peel the potatoes. While the potatoes are cooling, add fennel seeds to milk and half and half and scald the milk. To scald the milk, at a moderate temperature bring the milk to just about boiling, but don’t boil and remove from heat. Let the milk cool with the fennel seeds in it.
Cut 4 potatoes in half and spoon out cooked potato and place in a food processor. You should have about 1 ½ - 2 cups of cooked potato. Dice the 5th potato and set aside. To the cooked potato, add sour cream, chives, salt, pepper, celery salt and ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese. Strain the fennel seeds from warm milk and discard seeds, pour milk into a sauce pan and add butter and diced potato. Stir frequently and simmer on very low setting for about 15 – 20 minutes. When ready to serve, ladle into individual soup bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese, bacon and diced green onions. Serve with toasted cheese bread strips.
Yield: 8 INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 1-1/2 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese 1/3 cup finely chopped green onions, green tops ¾ cup heavy cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing the top PREPARATION Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and granulated sugar. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. Mix in the cheese and green onions. Add ¾ cup cream to the flour mixture and work into until the dough comes together. Place dough on a floured surface and pat into a 7-inch disk, approximately ¾ inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and separating the wedges from each other a bit. Brush the scones with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream. Bake the scones for 22-24 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature. Adapted: King Arthur Flour
This is a cultured heavy cream that thickens and develops a delicate sour taste as it sits. It can used as a topping for fresh fruit or used to add body and richness to sauces. Unlike sour cream, it can be boiled without fear of separation, so it’s more versatile. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Yield: 2 cups INGREDIENTS 1 cup heavy cream – not ultra-pasteurized 1 cup sour cream PREPARATION Whisk heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in the kitchen or reasonably warm spot overnight or until thickened. In cold weather this may take as long as 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, after which the Crème Fraiche will be quite thick. The tart flavor will continue to develop as the Crème Fraiche sits in the refrigerator. Will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Yield: 4 Servings INGREDIENTS 4 large baking potatoes 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup chopped yellow onion ½ cup finely chopped mushrooms 2 cups cooked crab meat 1 cup dry white wine ½ cup Crème Fraiche (see recipe below) ½ cup grated Swiss cheese, plus additional for topping potatoes 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream PREPARATION Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Scrub and dry potatoes. Cut a small, deep slit in the top of each potato. Set potatoes in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Cut off tops of potatoes and scrape the potato pulp into a bowl. Do not scrape so deeply that you tear the potato skin. Salt and pepper the shells and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the chopped onion, until tender and translucent, about 15-20 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the crab. Season with salt and pepper and add the white wine and raise heat to a boil. Stir frequently over high heat until all the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the Crème Fraiche and remove from heat. Combine the crab mixture with the potato pulp and ½ cup of Swiss Cheese and adjust seasonings. Add tablespoons of heavy cream if the mixture is too dry.
Stuff the mixture into the reserved potato skins; mounding the filling slightly. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese on top and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake again at 400 degrees F, until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is bubbling and brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Crème Fraiche Yield: 2 cups INGREDIENTS 1 cup heavy cream – not ultra-pasteurized 1 cup sour cream PREPARATION Whisk heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in the kitchen or reasonably warm spot overnight or until thickened. In cold weather this may take as long as 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, after which the Crème Fraiche will be quite thick. The tart flavor will continue to develop as the Crème Fraiche sits in the refrigerator. Will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Yield: 12 mushroom appetizers INGREDIENTS 12 medium-sized mushroom caps 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ cup finely chopped yellow onions 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts 1 clove garlic, minced 5 ounces spinach, thoroughly defrosted and squeezed dry 1 ounce feta cheese 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, crumbled 2 tablespoons fresh dill Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste PREPARATION Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Remove stems from mushrooms and wipe the mushroom caps with a damp cloth or paper towel. Set aside. In a small skillet, heat olive oil and butter and add the onions and sauté until the onions are tender and translucent, approximately 10-15 minutes. Add walnuts and garlic and sauté for an additional minute. Add spinach and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Stir in cheeses, dill and seasonings. Arrange the mushrooms, cavity side up in a baking dish. Divide the spinach and walnut mixture evenly among the mushroom caps. Bake in the oven for approximately 8-10 minutes until the filling is browned and the mushrooms are thoroughly heated. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Source: The Silver Palate – Rosso & Lukins - 1979 Yield: 16 - 2-inch tarts or 1 - 10-inch quiche INGREDIENTS Pastry Dough 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon salt Pinch of granulated sugar 5 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, chilled ¼ cup ice water PREPARATION Sift the flour, salt and sugar together into a bowl; add the butter and shortening and cut them into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is like coarse meal. Sprinkle on and blend in enough of the ice water to make a workable dough, mixing water in lightly with a fork. Turn dough out onto a work surface and using the heel of your hand, smear dough away from you, about ¼ cup at a time. Scrape up the smeared dough into a ball, wrap and refrigerate for a least 2 hours. Unwrap the dough, place on floured work surface and pound it a few times with a rolling pin to soften it. Roll it out to about 1/8 or desired thickness. Line tart pans, easing the dough into the pan and pat into place. Trim off the excess and crimp edge as desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prebake the shells for about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Place a spoonful of filling in the tart and then fill with custard to cover the filling up to the edge of the tart. Return to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the filling is set and lightly browned. Let cool slightly and remove from tart pans and serve immediately. Basic Quiche Custard 1 ½ cups heavy cream 3 large eggs Salt, pepper, grated nutmeg to taste Whisk cream and eggs together thoroughly. Add seasonings to taste. Reserve until baking time. Suggested Quiche Fillings (Use about 1 tablespoon of filling per 2-inch tart) · Equal parts of chopped ham and Gruyere cheese; whisk in Dijon-style mustard to taste into the basic custard · Finely minced smoked salmon with chopped fresh dill to taste · Mushrooms sautéed in sweet butter · Equal parts of red and green peppers, sautéed in sweet butter until tender · Equal parts of flaked crab meat and sautéed scallions · Freshly chopped basil and parmesan cheese Source: The Silver Palate – Rosso & Lukins - 1979
Yield: 24 bars INGREDIENTS Bars ½ cup butter, softened 1-1/3 cups dark brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 egg 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 medium Golden Delicious or Gala apple, peeled and chopped 1 cup raisins 1 cup chopped pecans ¼ cup milk Glaze 1 ½ cups powdered sugar 2 ½ tablespoons warm milk 1 tablespoon butter, softened ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt PREPARATION Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan. To prepare bars: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and egg and beat until blended. Combine 1 cup flour and baking soda in a bowl; add to butter mixture. Fold in apple, raisins and pecans by hand. Add milk and remaining flour and mix well. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown and the apples are tender. Cool 10 minutes. To prepare glaze: Combine powder sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and salt in a bowl and mix well. Spread glaze over cooled bars and cut to serve. Adapted: AmericanProfile.com – Reader Recipes – Donna Roberts |
