Planet of the Crepes

Vegetable couscous

2012-02-13T20:50:00.003-05:00

Something filling but meatless. The flavors worked out well together.

Ingredients
16 oz mushrooms
2 cup couscous
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeno
0.5 cup green onions
0.5 tsp cumin
0.25 tsp cayenne
2 cups chicken stock
1 bunch asparagus
10 oz green peas
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Chop the asparagus.

Chop the jalapeno and green onions.

Mix the spices, jalapeno and onions with the couscous in a large bowl.

Sautee the mushrooms until lightly browned.

Bring the stock to a boil. Add the asparagus and the peas. Bring back to a rolling boil.

Pour the hot liquid over the couscous and seal tightly. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff up and eat.

Homefries with duck fat

2012-02-12T19:34:00.003-05:00

I posted about getting a frozen duck and using every piece of it without waste (I did throw away the liver, as it's said to be bitter). Well, this is what happened to the extra skin and all the delicious fat under the skin.

Ingredients
1 cup duck skin
4 large Russet potatoes
1 tsp olive oil
half a yellow onion
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Cut the duck skin into 1-inch squares. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan, then add the duck skin. Over medium heat render all the fat from the skin.

Collect the cracklings and remove most of the fat, leaving only about 2 tbsp behind.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop into 0.5-inch cubes. Wash and drain. Heat the duck fat on medium-high and add the drained potatoes and salt. Cover with a lid and allow to sizzle away for three minutes. Stir and cover again. Repeat this until potatoes are done.

Add in the sliced onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Add back the cracklings and serve. Soo delicious!

Nutmeg panna cotta

2012-02-05T14:45:00.002-05:00

I was inspired by a recipe over on Alexandra's kitchen. I've never tried panna cotta before, and I was looking for a recipe to use some leftover heavy cream and buttermilk in.
This was a delightful surprise. It tasted exactly like one of my favorite childhood treats: vanilla cream farmers' cheese. We call it kremturo.

Ingredients
1.5 tsp gelatin
1.25 cup heavy cream
6 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1.75 cup buttermilk
0.25 tsp nutmeg

Preparation
Bloom the gelatin in 1 tbsp cold water. Heat the heavy cream with the sugars and the nutmeg to a simmer. Microwave the softened gelatin, just until liquid. Pour into the simmering sweet cream.

Pour in the buttermilk and distribute into six 8-oz ramekins. Refrigerate overnight covered with foil.

Broccoli and cheese soup II

2012-02-05T14:10:00.003-05:00

Another experiment using real cheese. The Velveeta version was good, but I was curious how using real cheddar would affect the outcome. It was very tasty, and even better after a day or two.

Ingredients
4.5 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion
0.75 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper
0.25 tsp nutmeg
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme leaves
4.5 tbsp flour
4.5 cup chicken stock
20 oz broccoli
0.75 cup heavy cream
8 oz cheddar

Preparation
Mince the onion and garlic. Shred the cheddar.

In a large pot melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and spices, cook for 30 seconds. Add the flour and cook until golden.

Remove from the heat and add the cold chicken stock, stirring constantly. Bring back to a boil and add the broccoli. Cook for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and puree in a food processor.

Bring back to a boil and add the cream. Bring to a simmer and stir in the cheese until melted. Do not heat strongly at this point. Serve with a piece of crusty bread.

Ham and eggs breakfast sandwich

2012-02-05T14:02:00.002-05:00

Popular US ham is weird. Nothing like real, homemade, smoked ham. If you look closely at the packaging, the explanation is right there: "ham and water product". It doesn't taste like meat, the consistency is barely recognizeable...and if you freeze it, most of the mass flows out as water.
Nevertheless, in this breakfast sandwich the ham is quite edible.

Ingredients
4 oz ham
1 English muffin
1 egg
2 oz cheese
cucumbers
tomatoes

Preparation
Brown the ham in a hot skillet. Toast the English muffin halves and immediately place the sliced cheese between the hot muffin pieces.

Fry the egg. Separate the muffin halves and place the egg on top of one side. Puncture the yolk and allow it to soak into the muffin. Add the ham piece and serve with cucumbers and tomatoes. Could make a perfect lunch.

Duck breast in a skillet

2012-02-05T10:25:00.003-05:00

A quick and easy duck breast preparation that allows the retention of the natural flavors and juices of the meat.

Ingredients
2 duck breasts
salt
black pepper
oil

Preparation
Heat a skillet to medium high with a tbsp of olive oil. Season the breasts with salt and black pepper.

Place the breasts in the skillet and cook on each side for 7 minutes, until the outside is nicely browned, and the inside reaches ~170F.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes under aluminum foil, slice across the grain and serve.

Roasted duck legs

2012-02-02T11:16:00.003-05:00

What to do with the legs of a duck to get the best outcome. Roast on low heat for a long period of time, then crisp the skin and serve. Save any juice that leaked out and refrigerate in a mold to serve as aspic.

Ingredients
2 suck legs
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation
Prehet the oven to 325F. Sprinkle the legs with salt and pepper, brush with thyme and add the garlic cloves crushed or cut in half.

Sprinkle with oil and seal in aluminum foil. Bake for 90 minutes.

Remove from oven and increase the oven temperature to 450F. Place the duck legs onto a new piece of foil and do not seal. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the skin reaches the desired golden color.

Serve with your choice of sides.

Duck aspic

2012-02-02T10:47:00.003-05:00

A while ago we got a frozen duck. A whole duck that I did not intend to roast whole, as that results in dried out breast meat or undercooked leg meat. There is not much meat on a duck otherwise, so destroying half of it was not an ideal option. Luckily, I have a lot of experience in boning/carving/dissecting birds from my childhood, when my family kep about 300 chickens, which we processed ourselves for the buyers. Yes, I handled super-sharp boning knives at the age of 10. It was really no problem.
To avoid wasting the rest of the carcass, I made a duck aspic from the giblets and the carved bones. It turned out rather nice!

Ingredients
1 duck
1 onion
1 tsp salt
3 garlic cloves
0.25 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf

Preparation
Lay the duck on its back and find the breast bone. Cut down along it, all the way to the ribcage, where the bone angles away from the center.

Find the outline of the thighs and cut around them. Twist them to dislocate the bones from the socket. Gently separate the legs from the body. Set aside.

Finish carving off the breast by following the ribcage with your knife until the meat separates. Set the breasts aside.

Chop up the rest of the bones+wings. Add to a pot along with the heart, gizzard and neck. Remove most of the skin and fat.

Add 4 cups of water, a quartered onion, the garlic, salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and simmer for 2 hours. Strain the liquid into another pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to about 1.5-2 cups.

Meanwhile, remove any remaining soft meat from the carcass and add to a glass dish. When the liquid reduced, pour onto the meat and refrigerate overnight, taking care not to move it around until it's set.

Serve with toast, spicy sauce, purple onions and lemon wedges. Yumm!

Spicy Indian lentil dish

2012-01-29T22:39:00.004-05:00

I'm still working on being temporarily vegetarian. It's funny how much my diet changed since I moved to the US. in Hungary we didn't eat meat frequently, but here it has become an everyday thing. Well, for the last two weeks I've managed to avoid it entirely. This lentil stew coupled with the seed rolls was great help.

Preparation
2.5 cup red lentils
4.5 cup water
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh ginger puree
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
2 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp cardamom
0.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne
1 can tomato paste
2.5 tsp salt
1 Bouillon cube

Preparation
Heat the sesame oil and add the finely-chopped onions. Saute until translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another 30-45 seconds.

Add the spices and heat, mixing for 20 seconds.

Add the washed lentils, the water, spices, salt and Bouillon. Simmer until lentils are soft (about 20 minutes).

Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with yogurt and bread.

Drunken doughnuts

2012-01-29T13:05:00.003-05:00

These are the doughnut equivalents we preare in Hungary in time for "fashing" or "farsang", the spring carnival of the year. We call them farsangi fank, but my husband creatively renamed them 'drunkin' donuts' inspired by their rum content. The added rum gives a wonderful subtle flavor to these little snacks. Last, but not least, these must be served with homemade apricot jam. Serve with anything else, and they will not be the same.

Ingredients
333 g flour
120mL milk
45mL water
1 tsp yeast
33g butter
1 egg
33 g sugar
17mL rum
salt

Preparation
Mix the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

Add the egg, warm milk, bloomed yeast, rum and melted butter. Knead using a kitchenaid mixer until the dough is completely smooth, shiny and elastic. Sprinkle the top with flour and allow to double, covered with foil.

When doubled, knead it gently to deflate somewhat. Roll out into an inch-thick layer. Cut 2.5-inch circles from it. Cover with a cloth and start preheating the oil.

You need to use plently of oil, so the doughnuts can float nicely. When the oil is hot, add a few pieces of dough. Cover immediately and fry covered for 2 minutes. When you remove the cover, the doughnuts will turn on their own. (If they don't, just flip them with a fork.)

Fry this side as well, until golden brown. The heat should be on about medium, to ensure that the outsides don't burn by the time the center is cooked through.

Serve doughnuts warm with apricot jam.

Salmon burgers

2012-01-28T16:57:00.003-05:00

I got a buketful of Old Bay seasoning...and I didn't end up using any of it in this recipe. Nevertheless, my husband decreed that it was definitely a keeper. The cayenne gives them a really nice kick (thanks Chef John), and the garlic aioli is a perfect match. Just don't have this before going amongst people.

Ingredients
14 oz of canned salmon
2 eggs
12 saltines
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp capers
1.5 tbsp lemon juice
breadcrumbs
oil

Preparation
Drain the salmon and remove the bones. Mash with a fork and mix well with the spices. Add the eggs, crushed saltines, and capers. Mix well. Add the lemon juice.

Mash down into a pile and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Form into four patties. These will be crumbly, but will hold together well after one side is cooked. So if you manage to magic them into the frying pan in one piece, they will be just fine later.

Sprinkle a plate with breadcrumbs and place the patties on it. Sprinkle their tops with breadcrumbs as well.

Heat a tbsp of oil and a tbsp of butter in a pan. Add the patties and cook for 5 minutes on medium. Flip them and cook the other side for 5 minutes as well.

Meanwhile, grate a large clove of garlic, mix with 2 tbsp of mayo, 2 tbsp of sour cream, 2 tbsp of minced onion and 1 tbsp of minced sweet, bread-and-butter pickles. Toast the rolls and spread them with the aioli.

Serve the salmon burgers on toasted rolls with aioli and tomato slices.

Brie and fried egg English muffins

2012-01-28T11:01:00.005-05:00

This is an amazing combination, especially if you have good Brie.

Ingredients
1 English muffin
1 egg
1.5 oz herbed Brie cheese

Preparation
Cut the muffin in half, toast. Slice the Brie. Fry the egg, leaving the yolk liquid.

Place the slices of Brie on the still hot muffin, slide the hot fried egg on top. Allow to rest for 3 minutes. This will make the cheese melt deliciously. Serve with cucumber slices to clear the palate.

Seed rolls

2012-01-28T10:23:00.004-05:00

I was looking for a hearty bread to serve with soup as a complete meal. I was inspired by a bag of flax seeds to try a whole wheat, seed bread. To my luck, the local store sells unroasted and unsalted pumpkin and sunflower seeds. These turned out perfect in the bread!

Ingredients
2 cups water
6 tbsp honey
1 tbsp yeast
0.25 cup olive oil
2.5 tsp salt
2.5 cup whole weat flour
2.5 cup white bread flour
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
0.25 cup flax seeds

Preparation
Mix the flours, seeds and salt. Bloom the yeast with the honey in a cup of water.

Add the yeast mixture, oil and the other cup of water to the dry ingredients. Mix until it xomes together. Knead for 5 minutes.

Form into a ball, coat lightly with oil and allow to double in size in a covered bowl in a warm place.

Press into a 1.5-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 14 equal pieces. Brush with oil lightly and place onto a cookie sheet. Cover with foil again and allow to double in size.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden brown. About 20 minutes.

Cool on a cookie rack and serve (or freeze) immediately.

Whole wheat sandwich bread

2012-01-24T18:44:00.002-05:00

I don't like the overly sweet flavor of store-bought wheat breads. Normally, I avoid eating them by simply eating homemade, rustic loafs. However, for the veggie sandwich I ate recently, I wanted to use a bread with soft texture, but without the sweet flavor. This recipe worked out very well. I added some oats to get some nutty overtones.

Ingredients
1.25 cup warm water
0.5 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp honey
1.5-1.75 cup bread flour
1.5 cup whole wheat flour
0.5 cup oats
0.5 tbsp vegetable oil
0.5 tbsp salt

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with the honey in 0.25 cup water. Add the remaining warm water and the oil. Mix. Mix the flours. Add half of the flour mixture to the yeast in a Kitchenaid mixer. Mix for a minute. Add the remaining flour gradually and mix in on low.

Knead on medium speed until the dough comes together. Allow to rest for 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and knead on medium for 10 minutes, until a smooth, elastic dough forms.

Shape into a ball on a lightly floured surface. Place in a bowl and coat lightly with oil. Cover with foil and allow to double in size (60-90 minutes).

Butter a 9x5 loaf pan. Press the dough into a 9.5-12-inch rectangle, roll up tightly and seal the seam. Fold the edges toward the seam and place into the baking shape seam-side down. Cover and allow to rest for about an hour, until the dough doesn't readily bounce back when a finger is pressed into it.

Bake in a preheated 375F oven for aout 35 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack, removing it immediately from the shape.

Veggie sandwich

2012-01-21T16:35:00.002-05:00

After the X-mas season, I have very little desire to eat meat. These sandwiches worked out very well for both me and my husband. Tasty and filling. You have to get (or make) very good hummus for these, though.

Ingredients
4 slices bread
4 tbsp Sabra hummus
1/3 English cucumber
1 tomato
3 oz cheddar cheese
1 large carrot
1 tbsp rice vinegar
0.25 tsp sugar
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Slice the cucumber lengthwise. Slice the tomatoes into rings. Soak into mixture of sugar and vinegar for 10 minutes. Salt lightly.

Shread carrot through apple grater. Slice cheese.

Spread 1 tbsp hummus onto each slice of bread. Place tomato slices and cucumber slices on hummus on two slices of bread. Salt to taste. Add cheese and grated carrots. Sprinkle with black pepper. Close the sandwich with the other slice of bread. Serve.

Citrus tart

2012-01-20T21:44:00.004-05:00

I always thought that the cafeteria versions of this were too sweet. Here is a tangier alternative. By the way, if you can get your hands on Meyer lemons, they are far juicier compared to the common Eureka ones. They are also less sour. I don't know how to prices compare elsewhere, but I got a bag of 8 Meyer lemons for $2.49 here...while the Eureka lemons cost $0.70 apiece.

Ingredients
100g butter
120g flour
2 tbsp sugar
0.25 tsp salt

3 eggs
100g sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp lemon zest
0.5 cup Meyer lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla sugar

Preparation
Mix the flour with the sugar and salt. Melt the butter and mix into the dry components.

Line a 9 inch bakign dish with parchment paper, the sides included. Crumble the dough into it. Press evenly into the shape. Bake in a preheated 360F oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile , juice 3-4 Meyer lemons. Mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and lemon zest.

Add the 3 eggs and stir well. Pour in the lemon juice and mix until homogeneous. Do not whisk vigorously.

Pour onto pre-baked crust. Lower the oven temperature to 320F and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until center is barely set.

Turn off oven and cool for 5 minutes in oven. Serve warm or cold.

Cream scones

2012-01-19T21:12:00.002-05:00

I had extra heavy cream ready to expire (ok, I admit, it already expired, but did not taste bad yet), so I was in urgent need of a recipe that uses heavy cream. Few natural laws seem to govern our household, one of these is the disappearance of scones. If they are in the freezer, they won't be there for long...if they are just out of the oven, they won't be there for long...in fact, if they can be found anywhere in our house, they will be gone in no time. No need to mention that another rule states that no food shall go wasted (occasionally a minimum amount does have to be thrown away, and I blame myself endlessly for my careless planning).

So instead of my favorite buttermilk scones, cream scones appeared on our table this time. They did not disappoint, but I have to say: buttermilk wins this race in my field.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
0.25 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1 egg
0.5 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla

Preparation
Mix dry ingredients, crumble in refridgerated butter. Place mixture back into fridge. Mix cream with egg and vanilla. Chill thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Pour cream mixture into flour mixture. Work gently until it just comes together. Do not knead too much. On a floured surface press into a 0.75-inch-thick layer. Cut out 3.5-inch discs. Place onto cookie sheet.

Brush top with milk, sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes, until just lightly browned. Cool on sheet for 2 minutes, then move to cookie rack. Serve with lemon curd.

Hungarian cabbage and tomato soup

2012-01-11T10:16:00.004-05:00

This is one of my childhood favorites. Interestingly, when I made it for my husband he recognized it from his homecountry's quisine. In Macedonia they use less tomato sauce, but apart from that the soup is very similar. If you are not from Eastern Europe, the name might deter you. Don't let it. This is a very tasty soup served with a nice, crusty bread.

Ingredients
2 pounds cabbage
1 pound stew beef
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
1 clove garlic
0.5 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp Piros Arany
2 tbsp ketchup
28 oz tomato sauce
56 oz water
3 tbsp starch
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Preparation
Saute the minced onions in the oil until translucent. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pull off the heat and add the paprika, Piros Arany and ketchup. Stir around and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the beef diced to 0.5-inch cubes, salt with about 1 tbsp of salt. Coat with the spices and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly browned.

Add enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves. Simmer for 60-90 minutes, until the beef is tender. Meanwhile, shred the cabbage.

When the meat is done, add the tomato sauce and the water, reserving about 0.5 cup water. Mix this water with the starch and set aside.

Add the cabbage and the black pepper to the soup and bring to a boil. Simmer until the cabbage is just slightly crunchy. Drizzle in the water and starch mixture and allow the soup to thicken a little, by bringing it just to a boil. Allow to cool a little and season with salt to taste.

Roasted carrots

2012-01-10T14:03:00.004-05:00

I love roasted veggies. If I am to eat them plain, steaming just doesn't do it for me. As a consequence of roasting, the natural sweetness of the carrots is enhanced wonderfully.

Ingredients
1.5 lb large carrots
2 tbsp butter
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp black pepper

Preparation
Cut the carrots into equal-size pieces. First half the carrots lengthwise. Then, half the bottom part and quarter the top, cutting along the length of the carrots.

Toss the wedges with melted butter, salt and black pepper. Distribute onto a baking sheet in one layer.

Cover with aluminum foil tightly. Bake in a 425F preheated oven for 15 mintes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Turn carrots and cook for another 10 minutes, turn again and complete the baking process with another 10-15 minute round, for a total of 50 minutes of baking. Serve.

Mexican rice

2012-01-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

This doesn't really follow any particular recipe, so I don't know whether it truly resembles any Mexican-style rice dish. Nevertheless, I thought it tasted amazing. I think I could have eaten the entire potful in one sitting. And I'm not a fan of plain rice.

Ingredients
1 cup parboiled rice
2.25 cup chicken broth
1 small yellow onion
1 garlic clove
0.5 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tsp chilli powder
0.25 tsp cumin
2 tbsp vegetable oil
0.5 tbsp starch
salt to taste

Perparation
Add the oil, onions and rice to a pot. Sautee until rice is very lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the broth, tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer until the rice is cooked. Sprinkle in starch if you like the rice a little sticky.

Season with salt and serve.

Poppy seed and cherry scones

2012-01-09T18:24:00.004-05:00

I've never had scones before coming to the US. On the other hand, I ate many desserts with poppy seeds. In fact, we grew our own poppy seeds in Hungary (and we did not use the pods). In the US all the dishes that contained poppy seeds used them whole. This nearly completely prevents the strong flavor of the seeds to escape. Which pretty much amounts to wasted poppy seeds.

In this dish I combined ground poppy seeds with one of my New England favorites: scones. We usually offset the deeper, heavy flavor of the poppy with brighter, tangy fruits, such as lemons and sour cherries. Here I chose sour cherries, but grated lemon zest would have worked equally well.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
0.25 cup poppy seeds
1 stick butter
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
5 tbsp sugar
0.25 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
0.25 cup sour cherries
sugar
milk

Preparation
Grind the poppy seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder. Mix the flour with the poppy seeds, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

Mix the buttermilk with the vanilla.

Cut the butter into the flour mix. Pour in the buttermilk mix and the sour cherries, bring together to form a ball. Spread out onto a well-floured surface and roll into a 0.75-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into eight pieces.

Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Brush the tops with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 375F preheated oven for ~15 minutes. Cool on a cookie rack. Serve with lemon curd. The lemony flavor complements the poppy extremely well.

Gin and tonic

2012-01-07T11:05:00.002-05:00

Our favorite highball cocktail around this time of the year. Gin tastes like pine trees :-)

Ingredients
1.5 oz gin
4.5 oz tonic
1 lime wedge
1 large ice cube

Preparation
Well, it's pretty straight forward. Mix and drink.

We had one major issue: the last gin we tried (Gordon's) was not very flavorful. Our tonic testing already concluded that Schweppe's is by far the best available around these parts. But which gin to complement it with?

Well, we tested Tanqueray, Gordon't and Gilbeys. Gordon's is tastless. If you like 'hard gin', Tanqueray and Gilbey's are preferable. Gilbey's costs about a third of the price of Tanqueray; and surprisingly, we preferred it over the more costly Tanqueray.

Molten chocolate cakes

2012-01-06T18:50:00.003-05:00

There are manygreat recipes for these little treats. Some others use a home-made chocolate truffle to provide the molten chocolate filling in the middle. This one is a little less labor-intensive, but much harder to get right. Essentially, you need to remove the cakes from the oven just when they have set around the edges, with the centers still gooey.
As far as baking shapes go, I use a set of cylindrical metal tubing. These can be easily replaced with Pyrex or ceramic ramekins. My preference stems from the fact that these cylinders allow easy removal of the entire cake, without the risk of breaking it. I got them from amazon, they are called "cake rings".

Ingredients
(for 4 cakes)
2 tbsp butter
8oz semi-sweet chocolate
0.5 cup sugar
3.5 tbsp corn starch
4 eggs
4 egg yolks

vanilla ice cream for serving

Preparation
Chop the chocolate, add the butter and melt gradually in the microwave, stirring occasionally.

Mix the sugar with the starch in a separate bowl. Beat the eggs in a third. Add the eggs gradually to the molten chocolate mixture (make sure it's not too hot), then mix in the sugar and starch.

Distribute into the four cake rings. Allw to cool in fridge overnight. Bake at 400F for about 8-14 minutes. This will hugely depend on the shape you decide to use, as well as your oven.

When done, cut around the cake and slide a metal spatula under the cake. Press out onto a serving plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries.

Roasted Brussels sprouts

2012-01-05T10:12:00.002-05:00

Another attempt to find green veggie preparations of the edible kind. While I enjoyed these, they were not my husband's favorite...

Ingredients
1 pound Brussels sprouts
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
salt
pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Clean and trim the sprouts, cut into halves. Toss with water, olive oil, 0.25 tsp salt, and a small pinch of black pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet with cut sides down. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake in a preheated 450F oven for 12 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until sprouts are browned but not burnt.

Toss with balsamic and extra salt if necessary. Serve.

Wheat blueberry scones

2012-01-04T10:24:00.009-05:00

These days I tend to use as much whole wheat flour in my baked goods, as possible without loss of flavor and diminishing the quality of the food's texture. Whole wheat includes more of the fiber necessary for a healthy diet; furthermore, it retains the essential oils and other micronutrients contained in wheat. It does reduce the shelf life of the flour. Unfortunately, not only do the oils oxidize and become rancid, but various fungi can grow on the unmilled grains, and in the preparation of whole wheat flours there is a higher likelyhood that these are included in the milled grain product. However, considering that most foods that are good for us are also preferred my bacteria and fungi...I keep using whole wheat and hoping that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1.25 cup white flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
5 tbsp sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
0.25 tsp salt
1 stick butter
1/3 cup frozen blueberries
milk
sugar

Preparation
Mix the flours, baking powder, soda, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter to pea-sized bits.

Mix the vanilla with the buttermilk. Pour in the liquids and add the blueberries. Minimally working the dough, bring it together into a ball. Press into a 0.75-inch thick rectangle on a well-floured surface.

Cut into eight pieces, brush with milk, sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a cookie rack. Serve warm, with lemon curd.

Jelly roll

2012-01-03T20:57:00.002-05:00

This is a super-simple dessert in principle, yet it's rather difficult to get right if you have never seen a sample prepared.

Ingredients
5 eggs
5 topped tbsp flour
5 flat tbsp sugar
0.5 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
jam
powdered sugar

Preparation
Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar until foamy. Beat the egg whites in the Kitchenaid until stiff.

Add the milk into the egg yolk mixture with the vanilla extract. Sift together the baking powder and the flour. Add into the egg yolk mixture.

Fold in a third of the egg white foam. Then add the rest in two portions, taking care not to break the foam. Spread into a jelly roll pan lined with good quality baking paper.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven ontil golden brown. Remove onto a kitchen cloth dusted with icing sugar. Roll up and allow to rest for 5 minutes on a cookie rack, still rolled in the kitchen cloth.

Unroll and spread with jam. Dust with icing sugar and roll tightly into plastic wrap.

Buffalo chicken pizza

2012-01-03T13:48:00.002-05:00

Another pizza making success.

Ingredients
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp honey
2/3 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1.5 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
2 tbsp Ketchup
0.25 cup Ranch dressing
4-5 oz mozzarella
salt

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with the honey and half of the water. Add the remaining water, 1 tbsp olive oil and the flour. Knead for 2 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Add the salt and mix in. Knead for 1 minute. Place in an oiled bowl and allow to rise for 40 minutes.

Press into a pizza pan that was coated with 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover with foil and allow to rise for another 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken breast into two thin cutlets. Salt and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Pat dry and brown in a cast iron skillet heated with vegetable oil, for 5 minutes on both sides. Remove onto a plate and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Cut into small strips and toss with ketchup and Frank's hot sauce. Spread the pizza dough with ranch dressing, sprinkle the chicken on top and distributed the sliced mozzarella on it.

Bake on the bottom rack of a 450F oven for 5 minutes, then on the middle rack until golden brown (another 5 minutes).

Cool on a cookie rack a serve still warm.

Spicy cocktail meatballs

2012-01-01T12:01:00.003-05:00

I've had several occasions in the past to ponder whether there are foods I do not like. Unfailingly I found that the only meals I dislike are bland ones. It's really hard to swallow a bite of food when it's lacking in flavor. In high school I walked around with a tube of hot sauce in my backpack, so I could drench anything served up in the dining hall in it. These days I add spice to every possible meal...it is usually favorably received.

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp soy sauce
0.5 cup ketchup
1 onion
salt
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
12 oz Heniz Chilli sauce
2 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce

Preparation
Mince the onion. Mix the meat with the eggs, onion, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, ketchup and salt. Process until smooth.

Form into 0.75-inch balls and distribute onto foil-lined baking sheets. Spray them with cooking spray lightly. Bake at 350F for 12 minutes, then turn and bake for a further 12-minute period.

Remove from baking sheet and collect.

Cook the cranberry jelly, the chilli sauce and the Sriracha hot sauce until bubbly. Immerse the meatballs into the sauce and cook each batch for 5 minutes. Remove and serve.

Focaccia III

2011-12-21T20:30:00.006-05:00

I love focaccia, and given that there are so many versions of it, I regularly give it a try. This recipe yielded a bread that was less oily than my first one, but less crusty than the second one. Kind of a magical middle. My husband still prefers the first :-)

Ingredients
sponge:
0.5 cup flour
0.25 tsp yeast
1/3 cup warm water

dough:
2.5 cup flour
1 tsp yeast
1.25 cup water
2 tsp salt

baking:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp Kosher salt

Preparation
Mix the ingredients for the sponge, cover and allow to sit for 8 hours at room temperature. If you refrigerate it, allow to equilibrate to room temperature for 30 minutes before using it.

Add the flour, yeast and water to the sponge. Mix and cover. Allow to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Add 2 tsp of salt in two batches. Mix in thoroughly. Cover and allow dough to rise in bowl for 30 minutes.

Fold eight times and cover again. Allow to rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat so you rest the dough a total of 1.5 hours.

Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut in half and shape gently into two, 5-inch balls. Coat two 9-inch cakepans with 2 tbsp olive oil each. Sprinkle with salt.

Place the dough in it, folded-side-down. Flip so both sides are coated. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Press into shape and poke 30 times with a fork.

Sprinkle with rosemary and allow to rest another 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 500F, with a metal shape on the top one third of the oven. When the oven is nice and warm, reduce the heat setting to 450F and add the focaccias. Bake for 12 minutes.

Switch the position of the breads and continue baking for another 12 minutes. Remove from oven when golden brown.

Allow to rest in shape for 5 minutes, then move onto a cookie rack. Brush with olive oil from the pan. Serve after resting the bread for another 30 minutes.

Mushroom wild rice

2011-12-20T13:27:00.003-05:00

This was a quickly improvised recipe that turned out rather well. It's best served 1-2 hours after preparation.

Ingredients
10 oz small Portobella mushrooms
0.5 onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup wine
0.25 cup parboiled rice
0.25 tsp cayenne
0.25 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Preparation
Melt the butter and add the olive oil and the onion, sautee until translucent. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.

Slice the mushrooms into circles. Add to the pot and cook on medium-low until the mushrooms brown. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the wild rice and the chicken stock. Cover and simmer until cooked (15-20 minutes).

Add the spices and rice. Cook until done and all the water evaporated. Cover and allow to rest. Serve.

Rum balls

2011-12-20T11:02:00.002-05:00

These were quite tasty and super-simple to make. The inspiration came from Chef John, but then I played with the recipe, as always. These rum balls are thick, chocolatey and fudgy inside, coated with a thin layer of crisp chocolate outside.

Ingredients
4 oz Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate
8 oz dried brownies
1 tbsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder
0.25 cup dark rum
1 tsp Jamaican rum flavor
cocoa powder for dusting

Preparation
Mash the brownies with the cocoa powder and the rum until a somewhat sticky, but still shapeable paste forms. Form into about 20, roughly 1-inch balls. Place onto a plate and cover with plastic foil. Put in freezer for 15 minutes.

Roll balls between your palms to get their surface smooth. Replace into freezer for 20 minutes.

Chop the chocolate and melt in a double boiler. Roll the balls in the chocolate until coated, then place onto a foil-covered plate. Put balls into fridge for 10-15 minutes, until they harden. Dust with cocoa powder.

These are much better if allowed to rest for 1-2 hours in the fridge. The alcohol will really extract that cocoa flavor in the center.

Swiss chard

2011-12-19T19:09:00.003-05:00

I always look for ways to feed green things to my husband. I have to admit, this wasn't his favorite, but I did like it. A bunch of chard really only feeds two people as a side dish. The volume reduction is incredible. The chard has a mild taste, and with the lemon juice it worked very well as a side dish for teriyaki salmon.
Look for the fresh, non-wilted leaves. The quality of the chard I found was hugely different between the two supermarkets I visited. Even better, get this from the farmers' market, or your garden!

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch Swiss chard
2 cloves garlic
0.5 small onion
0.5 cup white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan

Preparation
Wash the chard and remove the leaves from the stems. Cut the leaves into 1-inch-wide strips. Chop the stems into 0.25-inch pieces.

In a large pan melt the butter and heat together with the olive oil. Add the onion and sautee for 4 minutes, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the chard stem pieces. Add in the wine and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the chard leaves and cook until wilted (this will not take long). Stir in the lemon juice and the Parmesan. Serve.

Lentils with roasted peppers and meatballs

2011-12-11T12:24:00.008-05:00

A quickly improvised variation on a Macedonian classic. Contributed in full by my husband. I love cooking, but I do so appreciate when he cooks something homey :-)

Ingredients
2 cups of lentils
4 cups of water
1 yellow onion
salt
pepper
1.5 tsp paprika
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp olive oil

meatballs:
0.5 lb ground meat
2 tbsp minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
0.25 cup breadcrumbs
0.5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
salt
black pepper
paprika

2 red bell peppers

Preparation
Mix the ingredients for the meatballs. With wet hands, form small, 0.5-0.75-inch balls. Place onto an oiled baking sheet. Spray the tops lightly with vegetable oil.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-25 minutes (depends on the size of the balls).

Clean and slice the bell peppers. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-high. Add a tsp of oil. Add the bell pepper slices. Cook, stirring occasionally, until you see significant browning. The peppers will smell and taste incredibly sweet.

Add the lentils, water, onion and salt to a pot. Cook until lentils are soft. This will take about 20 minutes (depends on your lentils). Add the peppers from the cast iron skillet.

In the cast iron skillet heat 3 tbsp of olive oil and add the flour. Remove from the heat, cook until very lightly browned. Add the paprika and mix. Do not overcook, as it will become bitter. Add a cup of the cooked lentils and whisk in immediately, making sure that no knots are formed. Pour this mixture into the rest of the lentils.

Add the meatballs as well, bring the whole pot to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Hungarian-style fried chicken

2011-12-11T11:11:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite Sunday lunches was fried chicken. My mom and grandmother would busy themselves in the kitchen after we returned from church and had a big family breakfast. Us children would hang out and disturb them, unless my dad or my uncle gave us something to do in the garden.

On Saturday one of our hens would be slaughtered and prepared. I learned how to do this relatively early on, and I'm still pretty confident in my skills, though they haven't been put to a test in a long while.

The chicken was cut into pieces that would go into the soup, and more meaty pieces for frying. The breast was sliced thinly for the latter purpose. A proper chicken soup was prepared from the back, wings, neck, legs, gizzard, heart and liver of the chicken.
The soup was filtered and the broth was cooked up with thinner-than-angel-hair home made egg noodles and root veggies freshly on Sunday. At this time fries and fried chicken, as well as a variety of fresh green salads were prepared as well. Fried chicken was my favorite.

Ingredients
3 chicken breasts
3 eggs
0.25 cup milk
0.25 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
salt
0.5 tsp black pepper
oil for frying

Preparation
Remove the chicken tenders from each chicken breast. Lay the remaining portions flat on a cutting board. Cut each into two thin slices. Season with salt and set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the milk until smooth. Season with salt. Mix the flour with the black pepper. Spread out the breadcrumbs on a separate plate.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, dip into the egg mix and coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.

When all the chicken pieces are breaded, in a large skillet preheat 1-inch of oil on medium hot. When very hot add the chicken pieces. Fry both sides until golden brown. Remove into a glass bowl. Eat while still warm.

Focaccia

2011-12-11T10:41:00.006-05:00

I'm still experimenting to find a perfect focaccia recipe. The ones I've tried before made an amazingly delicious flatbread, but did not display the characteristic chewiness of focaccia. This recipe was my test for my new Kitchenaid, and while the dough hook did an amazing job, the recipe left some things to be desired. My primary issue was the hard outer crust. Yes, the result was finally chewy, but the outside was a little too hard.

Ingredients
1.25 cup water
1 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cup flour
2 tsp salt

Preparation
Dissolve the yeast in 0.25 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to sit for 3-4 minutes, until creamy. Whisk together the flour and the salt in a separate bowl.

Add the water and oil to the yeast mixture, whisk and add half of the flour. Stir until just mixed. Add the remaining flour.

Start mixing with the dough hook for 3 minutes on low. Add more water if the dough appears dry. Continue to mix for 10 minutes on medium-high. This should yield an extremely elastic dough.

Coat lightly with oil and transfer to a bowl. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours, until double in size. Fold and allow to rise again for one hour.

Fold over itself to deflate, then coat with oil and place into a Ziplock bag. Store in the fridge for 36 hours.

Remove from the fridge and place the dough onto a floured surface. Allow to rest, covered with plastic foil, for 1.5 hour. Place on a cornmeal-dusted baking shape and stretch gently. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Brush the focaccia with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary and coarse sea salt. Bake, spraying the oven with water three times in the first eight minutes. Remove when the bread is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes later.

Spicy shrimp sandwich

2011-12-10T10:04:00.003-05:00

Partly inspired by shrimp po'boy sandwiches, this creation is a hearty dish made wholesome by the addition of some fresh cabbage slaw. The lemony, fresh flavor of the slaw is crucial here. A southern-style, sweeter slaw would not work as well. Choosing the bread is tricky, a fresh artisan sub roll is ideal, but rosemary focaccia worked out wonderfully.

Ingredients
1 pound of medium shrimp
0.25 cup cornmeal
0.25 cup flour
0.5 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp cumin
0.25 tsp black pepper
0.25 tsp oregano
0.25 tsp garlic powder
0.25 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp buttermilk
salt
2 tbsp Frank's hot sauce
oil for frying
4 rolls
4 large scoops of fresh cabbage slaw

Preparation
Clean the shrimp. Mix the spices with the flour and corn meal in a large bowl that comes with a lid.

Toss the shrimp with the buttermilk and add to the breading mixture.

Cover and toss the bowl until all the shrimp is coated. Fry until crispy in hot oil. Drain on paper towels. (Don't drain them too well, part of the magic is the slight greasiness of the shrimp.)

Slice the rolls in half, distribute the shrimp onto them. Sprinkle with Frank's hot sauce. Add the slaw and voila. Dinner is served!

Chocolate mousse

2011-12-08T19:17:00.004-05:00

This was super-quick to prepare with the help of a stand mixer. An easy way to turn a simple dinner into something special.

Ingredients
8 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate
3 tbsp butter
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
17 g icing sugar

Preparation
Melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave. Do short time periods (15-20 seconds) to ensure that the chocolate doesn't burn. Wait 30 seconds between periods of heating, to allow the heat to distribute.

Meanwhile, add the egg whites to a stand mixer and beat on progressively increasing speeds. Add the sugar when the egg whites are still not foamy. Beat to hard peaks, but do not overbeat. it shouldn't crumble.

When the chocolate is evenly melted with the butter, stir in the egg yolks, after you remove the white stings attached. These normally serve to suspend the yolk in the middle of the egg.

Finally, fold in the beaten egg whites with the sugar in three smaller portions. Be sure to fold them in evenly, but not to break them up.

Cover the mousse and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve.

Goat cheese and bacon panini

2011-12-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

I just had to try my favorite garlic flatbreads in my panini press. There was some goat cheese and purple onion in the fridge, and I craved some bacon...and thus this panini was created. The flavor combination turned out well, at least both of us liked them. More importantly, these flatbreads are the best I've tried for a panini so far.

Ingredients
4 garlic flatbreads
3 oz goat cheese
3 oz jalapeno jack cheese
4 strips of thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon
purple onion slices

Preparation
Preheat the panini press. Spread the goat cheese on one bread, then add the cooked bacon slices, the purple onion and the pepper jack. Toast until crisp and brown outside and the cheese is bubbly inside. Serve after allowing it to cool a few moments.

Chicken tetrazzini

2011-12-05T19:11:00.006-05:00

I roasted a chicken recently, and as usual, the meat turned out to be too much for two people. This recipe is a simple way to diversify the breast meat...not my favorite cut.

Ingredients
1 pound roasted chicken breast
1 pound spaghetti
0.5 cup sour cream
0.25 cup heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
10 oz sweet green peas
8 oz cheddar cheese
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
10 oz mushrooms
0.5 cup white wine
8 oz bacon
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp paprika
0.25 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp oregano

Preparation
Grate the cheddar. Dice the chicken. Mince the garlic. Slice the mushrooms into thick slices. Cook the bacon and crumble.

To a large saucepan add the butter and olive oil. Heat until hot and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and the spices (paprika, black pepper, cayenne, oregano). Continue cooking until wine is completely reduced.

Add the flour and brown. Stir in the cold stock in small portions. Add in the cream, chicken, bacon, green peas and the sour cream. Cook for 15 minutes. Fold in two thirds of the grated cheese.

Cook the pasta al dente. Mix with the sauce. Distribute into a large lasagne dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Bake at 350F until top is browned and pasta is bubbly. Serve.

This turned out to be much tastier on the second day, upon reheating. Highly unusual for spaghetti dishes...

Gerbeaud

2011-12-04T09:52:00.004-05:00

Gerbeaud, or zserbo, is a Hungarian classic. Chocolate, apricot jam and walnut flavors meld into a perfect combination in this elegant dessert. It is named after Emil Gerbeaud, the chef who made the Cafe Gerbeaud of Budapest famous for its high quality products and bakery art. In fact, sampling cakes and candies at Cafe Gerbeaud is a must for anyone visiting Budapest.

But the cake didn't remain in the professional realm, and versions of the recipe circulate in every Hungarian household. I recall eating half a platter as a young child, in spite of my mild walnut allergy. My grandmother always scolded me for it. But it was my favorite cake, and thus irresistible.

Ingredients
dough:
200g flour
100g butter
20g powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
25 mL milk
1 tbsp water
small pinch of salt
1 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp baking powder

filling:
450g homemade apricot jam
200g ground walnuts
100g sugar
zest of one lemon
1 package vanilla sugar
small pinch of cinnamon

top:
4 oz Ghirardelli dark chocolate
2 tbsp cream

Preparation
Line the bottom of an 11-inch springform pan with baking paper. Spray the sides with vegetable oil.

Mix the yeast with the warm water and allow to dissolve. Add the warm milk and mix all other ingredients until it comes together into a buttery dough. Cut into four equal pieces, cover with foil and refrigerate.

Mix the ground walnuts with the other fillings, with the exception of the jam. Distribute into three equal portions.

Take out the first dough ball and roll into a large enough disc to cover the bottom of the springform pan and go 1-inch up the sides. Spread 150g of jam on it, all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with a third of the filling.

Repeat with the other three balls of dough, cutting them so they fit exactly into the pan.

Trim the excess side dough from the sides after the last disc is in place. Prick the top with a fork.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the cake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool in the shape overnight.

The next day cut the cake from the edges of the pan. Flip onto a flat, smooth cutting board (make sure it's one devoted to sweets, not veggies and definitely not meat).

Chop the chocolate and add the cream, microwave until cream is hot and after allowing it to sit for 1 minute, mix until smooth. Spread the chocolate on the top of the cake (which was originally the bottom during baking).

Allow to set and slice into small slices. It stores well at cold room temperature, in fact, it's better on the second day. Enjoy!

Tostadas

2011-12-03T12:46:00.004-05:00

These were simply amazing. It's very important to use the ground chipotle chili powder here. The unique smoky flavor is essential for the success of this dish. Also, a lean cut of pork is not the best here, for optimal outcome buy good, marbled meat.

Ingredients
12 corn tortillas

toppings:
avocado
Feta cheese
lime
minced purple onion
1 can re-fried beans

initial cooking:
2.5 lb pork butt
6 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme

sauce:
1 cup of reserved liquid from cooking
14 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
0.5 tsp dry oregano
1 minced yellow onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic
salt
black pepper
sugar

Preparation
Dice the pork into 1.5-inch cubes. Cook in the water with salt, thyme, a quartered onion and mashed garlic cloves. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface as you bring the meat to a boil. You will need to fish the onion, thyme and garlic out at the end. Simmer for 90 minutes, until very tender.

Drain and reserve one cup of the liquid. Remove spices and mash the meat with a potato masher, until it falls apart into 0.5-inch pieces.

To a large skillet add the olive oil and heat on medium-high until very hot. Add the meat, oregano and the onions. Cook stirring until pork pieces are crispy outside.

Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, chipotle powder, ~1 tsp sugar, the bay leaves and the reserved pork stock. Cook until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaves, discard.

Fry corn tortillas on both sides in hot oil until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Salt lightly.

Serve topped with refried beans, the meat sauce, diced avocados, minced purple onion, crumbled Feta and a lime wedge. Drink a good beer :-) Amazing!

Cranberry ambiguity

2011-11-26T10:46:00.003-05:00

This was tested at Thanksgiving, and we couldn't decide whether it was supposed to be a salad or a dessert. I guess it's kind of a fruit salad. Tasty served with barely sweetened whipped cream.

Ingredients
12 oz cranberry
1 can crushed pineapple
6 oz strawberry jello
0.75 cup sugar
0.5 cup chopped cherries
2 tbsp minced orange peel
1 chopped apple
0.75 cup cranberry juice

Preparation
Pulse the cranberries in a blender until roughly chopped. Mix with the sugar. Stir in the other fruits and the orange peel.

Bring the juice to a boil and add the jello. Cool and pour onto fruit mixture. Place in fridge overnight covered tightly with foil.

Ham and potato soup

2011-11-25T16:00:00.002-05:00

I was never a fan of soup, but some of them are ok with nice bread. These days I actually like certain veggie soups, which is why I gave this one a shot. It was a little too bland for me.

Ingredients
8 oz ham
1.5 lb potatoes
1 onion
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp butter
0.25 cup flour
4 cup chicken broth
2 cup water
0.5 cup sour cream
1 tsp paprika
salt
black pepper

Ingredients
Dice all the veggies and the ham into 0.5-inch cubes. Brown the butter in a pot and add the onion, celery, carrots, ham, paprika and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add the broth, salt and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are soft.

Remove half of the potatoes and puree in a food processor. Add it back to the soup. Add the sour cream and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Apple butter cake

2011-11-23T11:02:00.004-05:00

I had a jar of apple butter left from a previous experiment. I think I'm not a fan of apple butter. It made a moist coffee cake, but it was a little bland for my taste.

Ingredients
2.25 cup Bisquick mix
0.75 cup milk
0.5 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter
2 cups apple butter

1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter

Preparation
Grease and flour a 9-by-9 inch baking shape. Mix all the ingredients listed above apple butter. Pour two thirds of the batter into the baking shape.

Spread the top with apple butter. Add the remaining dough in dollops.

Mix the coconut, walnut, sugar and butter. Sprinkle over the top.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 50-60 minutes, until center is done.

Garlic flatbread

2011-11-12T11:43:00.004-05:00

A very soft flatbread with a mild garlic flavor. Perfect for paninis.

Ingredients
3 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
4.5 cup flour
2 cloves garlic
0.25 cup butter
1 tbsp baking powder

Preparation
Mince the garlic. Melt the butter and add the minced garlic.

Bloom the yeast in half of the water with 1 tbsp sugar. Add the whisked egg, garlic butter, sour cream and the remaining water. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add and form a dough.

Knead until smooth. Coat lightly with oil and allow to double in a warm oven. Pinch off golf ball-sized pieces. Form into a ball and coat lightly with oil. Allow to rise for another 15 minutes.

Heat a pan on the stove top. Spray lightly with oil. Roll out the dough balls into 0.25 inch-thick discs. Bake one-by-one in the hot skillet covered with a lid. It will only take 1-2 minutes per side. Flip and continue baking. Cool in a wet towel on a cookie rack. Serve while still warm or store in the freezer.

Stollen bread

2011-11-09T21:20:00.002-05:00

This is a simplified version of the Christmas classic.

Ingredients
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp yeast
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup butter
1.5 cup golden raisins
2.75 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
0.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp salt

8 oz marzipan

melted butter
powdered sugar

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with 1 tbsp sugar in warm water. Add the warm milk, beaten egg, vanilla and melted butter. Mix. Add the sugar and mix. Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and the raisins. Knead together.

Roll out into a 0.5-inch rectangle. Take the marzipan and roll into two cylinders. Fold these into the dough as you roll it up. Seal the ends of the loaf.

Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Preheat the oven for 2 minutes, then turn off. Cover the bread with foil and allow to rise for 40-50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the bread with milk and bake in the 350F oven for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 300F and bake for a further 30-40 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool on a cookie rack. Brush with melted butter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve cooled.

Broccoli-kale frittata

2011-11-09T20:52:00.003-05:00

Quick and pretty tasty for being so green.

Ingredients
10-15 kale leaves
8 eggs
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 clove garlic
0.25 cup nutmeg
0.25 pound broccoli florets
salt
black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz sharp cheddar

Preparation
Preheat a cast iron skilled on medium heat. Add half of the olive oil. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the kale leaves and wilt. Add the garlic and turn off the heat. Allow to cool.

Beat the eggs with the cream, nutmeg, black pepper and salt. Pour onto the cooled veggies. Bake in a 350F oven until the middle just sets. Top with freshly shredded cheddar and broil until cheese is lightly bubbly.

Serve with fresh tomatoes and toast.

Deep dish pizza

2011-11-05T14:25:00.003-04:00

I love America's test kitchen. This recipe is from them.

Ingredients
dough:
1.5 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.25 tsp yeast
2 tbsp cornmeal
0.5 cup + 2 tbsp water
1.5 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp butter

sauce:
1 tbsp butter
0.25 cup grated onion
dried oregano
0.25 tsp salt
1 clove minced garlic
14 oz crushed tomatoes
0.25 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cut basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Mix the dry ingredients for the dough, add in the warm water and melted butter. Knead for 10 minutes. Coat with oil and allow to rise for an hour in a foil covered bowl.

Meanwhile, allow the 2 tbsp butter to equilibrate to room temperature.

Prepare the sauce by adding to grated onion and the butter to a pan. Cook until browned lightly. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the canned crushed tomatoes, sugar, salt and oregano. Simmer for 30 minutes on low. Add the basil and cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, mix in the 1 tbsp olive oil. Set aside.

After the dough has risen, roll it out into a 7.5x6 inch rectangle. Spread with the room temperature butter. Roll up like a jelly roll and flatten with a rolling pin, seam side down, into a 9x3 inch rectangle. Fold up into a ball. Coat with oil and allow to rise in the fridge for another 1-2 hours.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a 9-inch pan. Coat evenly. Roll out the crust to a 13-inch disc. Press into the oiled pan, preparing a 1-inch-tall edge.

Add in the cheese, some pepperoni if desired, and brush the sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated 425F oven on the lowest rack for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with a light salad.

Dinner rolls

2011-11-03T20:41:00.004-04:00

These turned out to be beautiful and amazingly tasty. I particularly liked them with organic, honey-sweetened peanut butter and strawberry jam.

Ingredients
0.25 cup water
0.75 tbsp yeast
0.25 tbsp sugar
1 egg
0.75 cup warm milk
0.25 cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp sugar
3.25 cup flour

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with 0.25 tbsp sugar and warm water. Mix in the melted butter, maple syrup, beaten egg and warm milk. Add in the flour, sugar and salt mixture gradually, until elastic dough forms. Knead for 5-10 minutes.

Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes on a floured surface, while you prepare a baking sheet.

Cut dough into eight pieces, roll into tubes. Tie a knot on each tube, then fold the upper end under the knot and the lower end on the top. Tuck the ends in. Place onto the baking sheet.

Allow to rise covered with a clean kitchen towel in a warm oven (set to preheat for 2 minutes, then turn off). After 25 minutes brush the rolls with milk. Preheat the oven to 375F. When the oven preheated, brush with milk again. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a cookie rack.

Roasted eggplant pizza

2011-11-01T18:12:00.003-04:00

This was surprisingly tasty and filling.

Ingredients
1 portion pizza dough
1 medium eggplant (0.75-1 pound)
olive oil
salt
1/3 cup mozzarella
2 oz grated parmesan
0.25 cup marinara
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced garlic
0.5 tsp dried pepper flakes

Preparation
Wash the eggplant and cut it into 1/3-inch thick slices. Salt lightly and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Brush with olive oil and lay slices onto a cookie sheet. Season with salt.

Broil 3-4 inches from the broiler, until golden brown. Turn and broil other side as well. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and cook minced garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant (30 seconds).

Spread pizza dough and cover with tomato sauce, concentrating the sauce more on the edges. Sprinkle some cheese on top. Layer with eggplants and brush with the garlic oil. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake in a 425F oven until cheese is golden brown.

Serve cooled slightly, it tastes much better that way!

Purple's pleasure

2011-10-30T17:56:00.004-04:00

This is my favorite sandwich. It's the creation of a local sandwich shop. Best consumed with organic, Monument Farm's chocolate milk.

Ingredients
2 slices of wheat bread or focaccia
1 tbsp garlic and herb aioli
2-3 slices of ripe avocado
2-3 strips of crispy bacon
4 thin slices of roasted turkey breast
lettuce
pickled jalapeno
tomatoes
purple onion
cheese

Preparation
Spread the bread with the aioli. Microwave the toppings (except the lettuce and tomatoes) piled on the turkey breast. Transfer onto one of the bread slices, cover with lettuce and tomatoes, add the other bread slice. Serve.

Pot roast

2011-10-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

This tastes pretty good and its preparation requires very little effort.

Ingredients
5 lb chuck roast
2 yellow onions
8 carrots
1 clove of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup water
0.5 cup red wine
flour
black pepper
salt
cayenne
rosemary
thyme

Preparation
To a large cast iron skillet add the olive oil. Begin to heat on medium heat. Preheat the oven to 275F.

Pat the meat dry and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Pat with flour until coated evenly. When the oil is hot, dear all sides of the roast, until golden brown.

Remove the roast and add the onions cut in thick slices, and the carrots cut in quarters (larger chunks). Brown them. Add back the roast and add all other ingredients. Bring back to a boil. Cover and move to the oven.

Cook for 3-4 hours. Remove from oven and make sure meat is fork-tender. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Chocolate-vanilla layer cake

2011-10-29T09:31:00.002-04:00

I was craving something sweet and chocolatey. This took less than an hour to whip up.

Ingredients
cake:
4 eggs
4 tbsp flour
4 leveled tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tbsp vanilla sugar

filling:
8 oz semi-sweet Ghirardelli chocolate bar
1.5 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp Ghirardelli cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
0.5 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation
Shred the chocolate bar.

Line a 15x10 baking sheet with good, nonstick baking paper. Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla sugar until white and fluffy. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and continue beating. Pour onto the parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350F oven without opening the oven door for about 10 minutes, continue baking until the edges are slightly browned. Cool in the oven for a few minutes before removing from the pan and peeling off the parchment paper.

Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients with the exception of the chocolate for the filling. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil gently. Stir until the filling thickens. This will only take a few minutes from the moment boiling was reached. Stir in the shredded chocolate and the vanilla.

Using a ruler, cut the cake sheet into 3 equal slices. Cut these in half (not as shown in the picture). Spread each sheet with cream and assemble. Coat the outside and sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa. Slice and serve with whipped cream.

Fancy baked potatoes

2011-10-27T21:47:00.004-04:00

These were not really worth the effort as far as taste goes, but they looked pretty.

Ingredients
2 Russet potatoes
16 slices of pepperoni
16 slices of fresh Parmesan
3 tbsp butter
2 oz shredded cheddar
3 tbsp sour cream

Preparation
Wash the potatoes and slice as seen on the picture, not quite all the way through. Rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Stick pepperoni slices and Parmesan cheese between the slices, alternating. Cut the butter on top. Place in a baking shape and cover with foil. Bake for 40 minutes in a preheated 400F oven.

Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until done. Shred the cheddar and sprinkle on top. Replace into the oven for 2-3 minutes. Serve with sour cream on top.

Chicken and peppers pasta sauce

2011-10-26T20:34:00.003-04:00

I had two extra bell peppers and a jar of marinara. This is what became of them. The roasted peppers were amazing in this dish, they were extra sweet and juicy. The entire marinara sauce took on their flavor.

Ingredients
4 chicken thighs
2 large, sweet, red bell peppers
0.5 cup white wine
1 jar marinara sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
0.5 tsp cayenne
1 tsp oregano flakes
black pepper
salt

Preparation
Heat a cast iron skillet to hot on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side-down in the hot skillet.

Cook for 5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Slice the peppers and add to the hot skillet. Caramelize the peppers, until the pieces become tender and sweet. Set aside. Return the chicken to the skillet and bake for 30 minutes.

Move the chicken and the peppers into a saucepan and add the white wine, heat to a boil and add the cayenne and oregano. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the marinara and rinse the jar with a cup of water. Simmer for 20 minutes covered, turning the chicken pieces after 10 minutes. Serve over linguini pasta.

Hungarian cabbage biscuits

2011-10-25T21:29:00.008-04:00

My favorite Hungarian biscuits (kaposztas pogacsa) are leavened with yeast instead of baking powder. It gives the product an additional dimension of flavor. They can be flavored with pretty much anything, but cabbage, cheese, potatoes, cottage cheese and pork rinds are popular. This is a vegetarian version inspired by the $29 cent cabbage in our co-op.

Ingredients
1 small cabbage (2 pounds)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black pepper
500g flour
170g butter
1 egg
1 egg white (for egg wash)
2 tsp dry yeast
2 tbsp water
0.5 cup milk
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Preparation
Shred the cabbage on the larger, cheese-shredder. Salt using 1 tsp salt and set aside for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, squeeze out the excess liquid.

Heat a skillet on medium-high and caramelize a teaspoon of sugar with the oil. Add the cabbage and brown, stirring frequently.

Flavor with black pepper and allow to cool.

Bloom the yeast with the other tsp of sugar in lukewarm water. Add the lukewarm milk. Mix the flour with the salt. Crumble the butter into the flour.

Add the flour mix to the yeast mix, add the egg. Knead together. Work in the cabbage and knead for a few minutes on a floured surface. Form into a ball and brush with oil.

Allow to rise in a covered bowl for 30 minutes. Press out and fold, repeat this twice more in 20-minute intervals. Roll out into a 0.75-inch-thick layer.

Cut the top into a checkered surface with a sharp knife. Cut circles and place onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Brush tops with egg wash or milk.

Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a cookie rack. Serve.

Caramelized onion mashed potatoes

2011-10-24T20:25:00.003-04:00

My husband is a fan of mashed potatoes. He said these were the best he has ever eaten.

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion
6 medium potatoes
salt
3 tbsp butter
milk

Preparation
Slice the onion into 0.5-inch slices. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Boil in salty water.

Preheat a cast iron skilled to hot (but never on maximum heat). Add a little bit of oil, add the sliced onions. Heat stirring occasionally until they caramelize. This works amazingly in heavy, cast iron skillets.

When the potatoes are soft, drain, mash with salt, butter, milk and caramelized onions. Serve.

Reuben chicken roulade

2011-10-20T20:20:00.002-04:00

What to make if you have leftover sauerkraut and bacon in the fridge...reuben chicken roulade!

Ingredients
1 large chicken breast half
4 strips of bacon
1/3 cup sauerkraut
3 oz swiss cheese
2 tbsp thousand island dressing
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
salt
black pepper
0.5 tsp ground caraway seeds

Preparation
Slice into the chicken breast so you can fold it open. Hammer it thin.

Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and ground caraway seeds. Spread the sauerkraut, dressing, cheese slices and breadcrumbs over 2/3 of the breast, roll it up.

Secure the breast in a rolled-up position by folding bacon strips all around it. Sear in a preheated cast iron skillet until light brown (1-2 minutes on four sides each).

Preheat the oven to 400F and bake the chicken breast for 20-30 minutes, until cooked. This will hugely depend on the thickness of your roll. Serve after slicing slanted.

Eggplant sandwich

2011-10-19T18:00:00.005-04:00

I came up with this on the spot, and it turned out rather well.

Ingredients
1 eggplant
2 eggs
milk
seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tbsp mayo
2 cloves of garlic
3-4 basil leaves
parmesan cheese
bread rolls
salt
olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce

Ingredients
Mince garlic and basil, mix with mayo.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice the eggplant into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Salt and allow to sit at room temp for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Beat eggs with 1-2 tbsp milk and coat eggplant slices with egg mixture. Toss with breadcrumbs. Layer on a baking sheet brushed with olive oil, spray tops with olive oil.

Cook 7-10 minutes in the oven, then flip slices and cook for another 7-10 minutes, until golden brown.

Toast the rolls and spread with the garlic mayo. Place eggplant slices on top. Spread with marinara and top with cheese. Broil until cheese melts. Serve.

Pumpkin bread

2011-10-18T19:39:00.003-04:00

Another fall favorite. This version is not to sweet, so for the sweet-toothed among us, the sugar amount can be upped by a cup.

Ingredients
2 cup flour
1.5 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
0.5 tsp cloves
0.25 tsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

4 eggs
1 cup oil
2/3 cup water
15 oz pumpkin puree

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9x5 inch pans.

Mix oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, water and sugar until well-blended.

In a separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Combine with wet.

Pour into baking shapes, bake for about 60 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Cool in shape for 2-3 minutes, then finish cooling covered on a cookie rack.

Penne with Italian sausage

2011-10-15T18:22:00.005-04:00

Quick and tasty. Penne is such a fun pasta, I love how the holes fill up with sauce!

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb hot Italian sausage
1 clove garlic
0.5 tsp cayenne
1 jar marinara
1 cup water
0.5 cup white wine
2 tbsp minced parsley
1 lb penne
1.5 cup freshly grated parmesan
0.25 cup heavy cream

Preparation
Squeeze out the sausage from the skins. Fry up in the olive oil ion medium heat until nice and browned. Stir constantly to break up the sausage into small bits. Add the parsley, minced garlic and cayenne. Cook for 1 more minute.

Add the white wine and reduce until most of the wine is gone. Add in the cream and bring to a boil. Mix in the marinara, and rinse the jar with the water into the pot.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes. Mix half of the sauce with freshly cooked and well-drained penne pasta. Spoon the rest over the plates and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan.

Butternut squash soup

2011-10-15T14:46:00.004-04:00

Butternut squash is not very flavorful, but roasted it definitely has a sweet, earthy favor...with a tang of cucumber/melon at the end. I was never a fan of the spicy versions of this soup. So this is a sweet one.

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
0.25 cup cream
cinnamon
0.25 cup apple cider
nutmeg
cayenne
salt
1/3 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp maple syrup

Preparation
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.

Place it cut-side-down on a baking shape and bake in a preheated 375F oven for an hour.

Scrape out the meat and mash with a fork. Add apple cider, stock, syrup and the spices to taste. Mix well and blend in a blender until smooth.

Mix in the cream until homogeneous. Taste and add more spices if necessary. Serve warm, with a drizzling of cream.

Pumpkin pie

2011-10-15T14:37:00.008-04:00

A less sweet, more pumpkiny version of the old fall favorite.

Ingredients
1x 9-inch pie crust
2 cups of pureed, roasted sugar pumpkin
1.5 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp white sugar
0.5 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
0.25 tsp nutmeg
0.25 tsp cloves
0.5 tsp lemon zest

Preparation
Press the pie crust into a glass pie dish. Preheat oven to 425F.

Mix sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Add the whipped eggs, stir in. Blend in pumpkin puree and finally the cream.

Whisk well and pour into pie crust.

Bake for 15 minutes before lowering the temperature to 350F. Bake a further 40-50 minutes, until center is set.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours, cover with foil and store in the fridge as necessary. Serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin puree

2011-10-15T14:30:00.006-04:00

In the fall, when pumpkins are all over the place, I don't buy canned pumpkin puree. Preparing the real thing is really simple and straight forward.

Ingredients
1 medium sugar pumpkin

Preparation
Cut the pumpkin in half, perpendicular to the stem. Scrape out the seeds and roast them, if you so desire.

Place the pumpkin cut-side-down onto a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake the pumpkin for 80-90 minutes.

Scrape out the inside and puree or mash with a fork. Cool and freeze in batches.

Roasted pumpkin seeds

2011-10-11T16:23:00.003-04:00

A high-fiber, healthy snack.

Ingredients
0.5 cup pumpkin seeds
2 cups water
0.5 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation
Remove the seeds of a small sugar pumpkin and wash.

Add the seeds to a pot, add the water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain.

Toss seeds with olive oil and distribute on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-20 minutes in a 400F preheated oven. Bake until desired color is reached. Allow to cool on baking sheet.

Baked goat cheese marinara

2011-10-10T07:50:00.003-04:00

I love goat cheese, baked or fresh, it's a delicious spread with a good crusty bread.

Ingredients
1 jar marinara sauce
8 oz goat cheese
6 baguette servings

Preparation
Spoon the marinara into ramekins, then top with a sixth of the goat cheese.

Broil for about 10 minutes 5 inches away from the broiler, until marinara is bubbly and goat cheese is lightly browned on top.

Serve with baguette slices.

Teriyaki salmon

2011-10-08T20:50:00.004-04:00

A quick and tasty way to prepare salmon. Broiling crisps up the skin wonderfully.

Ingredients
12-16 oz salmon filet
0.25 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp ground mustard
0.5 tsp ginger paste
0.25 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Preparation
Mix together the marinade and add to a ziplock bag.

Add salmon filet and remove as much air as possible when sealing the bag. Squish it around to make sure that the salmon is coated with marinade all around. Allow to marinade in the fridge for an hour.

Place salmon onto a broiler pan (or in my case, cookie rack set on a baking sheet) skin-side down.

Broil for 5-8 minutes about 5 inches from the broiler. Turn and brush with the marinade, broil other side until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crisp.

Serve over noodles and veggies.

Maple grits

2011-10-03T17:19:00.004-04:00

A wonderful union of North and South.

Ingredients
1.25 cup milk
0.25 cup grits
0.25 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
berries

Preparation
Mix the grits with the salt and sugar. Add the milk and cook for about 10 minutes, or until thickened.

Serve with a drizzling of maple syrup and fresh berries.

Raspberrry-chocolate chip pancakes

2011-09-26T19:13:00.004-04:00

This was surprisingly tasty.

Ingredients
1 portion pancake batter
0.25 cup raspberries
36-40 semi-sweet chocolate chips
whipped cream
butter

Preparation
Fold the raspberries into the batter. Do not overmix.

Preheat a skillet to medium heat, butter it lightly, then scoop 1/3 cup of batter into it. Top it with 6 chocolate chips.

Bake until bubbly in the center, then flip and bake for about 30-45 second more. Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream.

Hungarian-style spaghetti squash

2011-09-25T09:48:00.003-04:00

I had no idea I could save the time it takes to shred the Hungarian squash we usually use for this. It's amazing, spaghetti squash essentially shreds itself :-)

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tbsp dill
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
0.25 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion
water

Preparation
Pierce the squash and bake for an hour in a 375F preheated oven. Cut in half, remove the seeds and scrape out the meat. Dice the onion.

Heat the butter and cook the onion until translucent. Add the paprika and cayenne and stir, cook for 30 seconds.

Add the squash and 0.25 cup water. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Mix the sour cream with 2 tbsp water and the flour.

Stir into the simmering squash. Add the dill and bay leaves.

Cook for 5 minutes. Serve with fried meatballs and bread.

Wild rice-chicken soup

2011-09-25T09:38:00.002-04:00

A hearty and quick food for cold fall and winter days.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup long-grain wild rice
2 cups water
2 chicken breast halves
10 oz mixed frozen veggies
4 tbsp butter
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
0.5 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp poultry seasoning
0.5 tsp oregano
0.5 tsp cayenne
0.5 tsp garlic powder
0.5 tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
salt

Preparation
Cook the wild rice in the broth (25 minutes). Cook the chicken in the water with some salt. Reserve the broth.

Melt the butter and add the spices. Add the flour and fry until it smells like baked bread.

Add the cold milk, the broth from cooking the chicken and stir.

Add the wild rice with the broth it cooked in. Shred the chicken and mix in as well. Add the frozen veggies.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, serve with bread.

Raspberry-maple pancake topping

2011-09-24T11:10:00.002-04:00

Quick and oh so delicious!

Ingredients
6 oz raspberries
2 tbsp maple syrup

Preparation
Wash the raspberries and place into a bowl.

Add the maple syrup and mash lightly with a fork.

Use as topping on your chocolate chip pancakes, with whipped cream to finish it all off. Amazing!

Chicken piccata

2011-09-24T10:59:00.003-04:00

A tangy, fresh chicken dish.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts
flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp capers
0.5 cup white wine
0.25 cup lemon juice
0.25 cup water
0.5 bouillon cube
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt
black pepper
cayenne

Preparation
Cut the chicken breasts into even, thin slices. Salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

Dredge in flour and brown in preheated olive oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Crush the capers into the oil and heat for 30 seconds. Add the cayenne and the wine, reduce by one half.

Add the water, bouillon, chopped parsley and lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the butter and melt in while stirring constantly.

Add back the chicken pieces and simmer together for a few minutes. Serve with rice.

Cold tomato soup/salad

2011-09-12T20:18:00.004-04:00

This is a super-refreshing and vampire-killing summer blend, that must be consumed with the best bread you can find. Optimally warm, fresh bread.

Ingredients
10 ripe tomatoes
10 basil leaves
5 cloves of garlic
salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sweet balsamic vinegar
8 oz Feta, diced (optional)

Preparation
Dice the tomatoes into small cubes. Chiffonade the basil. Mince the garlic.

Mix it all with salt, olive oil and vinegar. Allow to sit in the fridge for an hour. Stir and serve with fresh bread.

Chicken breast with liver

2011-09-12T20:07:00.003-04:00

People don't eat much innards in the US. It's likely totally unsafe, unless you get your ingredients from a farm. After all, the liver is responsible for detoxifying the food we eat...and the chicken (and other animals) are not fed very well on large farms. So, proceed with caution (and go to a farmer's market, or raise your own chickens).

Ingredients
2 chicken breast halves
10 chicken livers
0.25 cup flour
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tsp hot sauce
2 bay leaves

Preparation
Slice the chicken breast pieces into 0.25-inch-thick slices. Salt lightly and allow to sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Clean the chicken liver pieces.

You want to get rid of all the fat and any green pieces (that is bile, if they removed the gall bladder with little skill, this bitter substance could have spilled on the liver).

Mix the flour with the black pepper and the paprika. Coat the chicken pieces with the spiced flour.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the chicken pieces in it. Add the rest of the flour to the oil and cook for ~10 seconds. You don't want the paprika to burn.

Add enough cold water to cover the chicken pieces. The sauce will thicken.

Add the spicy sauce, bay leaves and marjoram. Bring to a boil and add the chicken liver pieces. Allow to cook until liver pieces are done. Serve over rice. As scary as it sounds, it really is quite tasty.

Scallops in cream sauce

2011-09-12T19:58:00.006-04:00

Just a quick improv dinner that turned out tasty.

Ingredients
1 pound bay scallops
1.25 cup heavy cream
3 oz cheddar cheese
10 fresh basil leaves
0.25 cup grated parmesan cheese
0.25 cup milk
2 tsp starch
0.25 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
salt

Preparation
Mince the garlic. Shred the cheddar. Chiffonade basil. Mix the starch with the milk.

Heat the olive oil and add the minced garlic. Heat for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the oregano.

Add the cream and the scallops. Bring to a boil and simmer until scallops are barely cooked (not translucent any longer). This will only take a short time.

Add the shredded cheddar and the parmesan. Melt in the cheeses. Then add the milk and starch mixture and bring to a boil.

Salt to taste and add the basil. Serve over linguine. Toss some pasta with the sauce and plate it. Then scoop some more sauce with scallops over.

Oatmeal muffins

2011-09-12T19:48:00.003-04:00

This is a not-too-sweet version.

Ingredients
1 cup quick oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
0.25 cup brown sugar
2 tbs white sugar
0.25 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp baking soda
0.25 tsp salt
1 apple
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
0.25 cup flax seeds (optional)

Preparation
Heat the oats in the buttermilk and allow to soak for 10 minutes.

Stir in beaten egg, sugar, vanilla and oil.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Fold into oat mixture.

Grind the flax seeds and mix into the batter. Add the peeled and diced apple.

Scoop into 10 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400F for ~15 minutes, or until muffins test done.

Cool in shape for 5 minutes, then transfer onto cookie rack to cool completely. Freeze if desired.

Lemon-vanilla cream cheese braid

2011-08-28T10:57:00.003-04:00

A light and fluffy pastry, not overly sweet.

Ingredients
dough:
140g flour
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp water
0.25 cup milk
1 small pinch of salt

filling:
4 oz cream cheese
0.5 tsp grated lemon zest
0.25 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg white

Preparation
Bloom the yeast in the water with a little bit of sugar. Add the lukewarm milk, egg yolk, salt, flour and sugar. Cut in butter and knead until smooth and elastic. Oil lightly and cover in a bowl. Allow to double in a warm place.

Mix the ingredients for the filling. Roll out the dough into a 0.25 inch-thick rectangle. Distribute the filling onto the middle third and cut the edges into strips. Fold the strips over the top, alternating between the two sides. Brush with oil and allow to rise for 20-30 minutes covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 350F, brush the top of the pastry with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for ~20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool, covered with a clean kitchen towel, on a cookie rack.

Mojito

2011-08-28T10:44:00.003-04:00

Limes are amazing around here this time of the year, and mint is an ever present weed in everyone's gardens. What to make of these two: mojitos!

Ingredients
10 mint leaves
0.5 lime
1.5 tbsp sugar
0.75 tbsp water
1.5 ounce white rum
seltzer water
ice

Preparation
Cut the lime in quarters. Prepare a syrup from the sugar and water, and allow to cool. Crush 8 large cubes of ice.

Cursh the mint leaves with one lime piece. Add the sugar syrup and two more pieces of lime, crush further. Add the ice and pour on the rum. Add the last lime piece and fill the glass to the top with seltzer water. Mix and serve with a straw (if you don't want to consume the floaty mint leaves, which taste pretty grassy when eaten straight).

Buttermilk pancakes

2011-08-26T11:31:00.003-04:00

A quick and easy breakfast.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/8 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp butter

Preparation
Whisk the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and add to the dry mix. Add the buttermilk and egg as well. Whisk until moistened, but still clumpy.

Cook 1/3 cup portions in a nonstick pan on medium high heat. Serve with strawberry sauce.

Eggplant parmesan

2011-08-25T14:04:00.008-04:00

My version is prepared lasagne-style, layered in a large glass dish.

Ingredients
2-3 large eggplants
6 plum tomatoes
1 pound mozzarella
1 cup grated parmesan
2-3 cups marinara sauce

for coating eggplant slices:
3 eggs
2 tbsp milk
salt
3 cups bread crumbs
0.5 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
olive oil spray

Preparation
Slice the eggplants into 0.5 inch-thick slices. Salt lightly and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Slice tomatoes into thin slices (1/8 inch). Grate mozzarella.

Spray two large cookie sheets with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 425F. Whisk the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt. Mix the breadcrumbs with the spices and the parmesan in a large bowl with a lid.

Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture, then toss into the breadcrumbs. When 10-15 slices accumulated, cover the bowl and shake until coated. Place layers onto oiled cookie sheet. Spray top with oil as well.

Bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, then turn and bake the other side as well.

Layer slices into a large casserole dish, starting with marinara sauce, the eggplant, marinara again, then sliced plum tomatoes and cheese. Repeat again, until all the eggplant is used. Top with marinara sauce and cheese. Bake in a 350F preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with garlic toast.

Grilled veggies

2011-08-25T13:52:00.003-04:00

This was simply amazing. Mushrooms, yellow squash and eggplant would be excellent additions.

Ingredients
2 small zucchinis
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 yellow onion

2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic
salt
black pepper
olive oil

Preparation
Slice the peppers into 1 inch-wide strips. Cut the onion in quarters, then pull leaves apart. Slice the zucchinis into 1/6 inch-thick slices.

Brush the veggies with olive oil, then dust with black pepper and salt.

Grill on high heat until brown stripes form. Turn and grill the other side. (5-8 minutes per side, depending on your veggies and your grill).

Toss the grilled veggies with a dressing prepared from minced garlic, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Marinade for 15 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. Serve!

Doormat

2011-08-22T16:29:00.003-04:00

No, not really. But it does resemble one :-)

Ingredients
1 package of beef hot dogs (8)
1.5 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
0.75 cup water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter
1.25 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour

Preparation
Bloom the yeast with the sugar in the water. Add in the flour, butter and salt. Knead until smooth and elastic.

Allow to double in size in a warm spot (about one hour). Roll out to 0.5inch-thick and cut strips into the bread dough.

Cut the hot dogs in half and thread the pieces through the bread dough. Brush with oil and allow to double in size again. Bake at 350F until light brown and hot dogs are done. Serve with mustard, ketchup and veggies.

Creamy beef taquitos

2011-08-22T16:21:00.004-04:00

Simple and delicious. You can fill this with any meat of your choice.

Ingredients
4 flour tortilla s
0.2 pounds of shredded beef
2.5 oz cream cheese
2 oz shredded jalapeno jack cheese
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
salt

Preparation
Mix the shredded beef with the cream cheese, spicy sauce and salt to taste. Roll up tightly into the flour tortillas.

Spray a baking sheet with oil, place the taquitos on it with the seam-side down. Spray their tops with oil as well. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until crispy. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo.

Pico de gallo

2011-08-22T16:14:00.007-04:00

It's pico de gallo season in the Northern US. Well, at least we have locally grown tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and onions available. I don't know where they bring the limes from, but those are quite amazing this time of the year as well.

Ingredients
2 jalapenos
0.5 yellow onion
2-3 riple plum tomatoes
1 juicy lime
salt
15-20 stalks of cilantro

Preparation
Wash the veggies, peel the onion, and dice the peppers, onion and tomatoes into small cubes. About 1/8 inch in size.

Collect the cilantro leaves off the stalks and mince. Mix veggies with cilantro.

Salt to taste and mix with the juice of one lime.

Serve as is with tortilla chips or your favorite Mexican dish, alternatively mix with a mashed avocado to make guacamole.

Flour tortillas

2011-08-22T16:03:00.002-04:00

These are surprisingly easy. And if you look at the ingredients list of a supermarket tortilla, you will likely want to go with this. (Not to mention, these taste way better.)

Ingredients
8oz flour
0.75 tsp salt
0.25 tsp baking powder
0.25 cup shortening
0.5 cup hot water

Preparation
Whisk the flour to combine with the salt and baking powder. Mix in the shortening by hand, until the mixture is crumbly.

Pour in the hot water (not boiling, but pretty hot). Mix immediately until it comes together, knead until smooth dough forms.

Cover with a bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Cut into six pieces.

Roll each ball into a large circle. Cook in a medium-hot, preheated, dry skillet for 50 seconds on the first side and 25 seconds on the other. If you cook it longer, it dries out, and won't be soft.

Coconut cookies

2011-08-21T17:51:00.002-04:00

These are European-style, light cookies.

Ingredients
130g flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
50g sugar
0.5tsp vanilla sugar
1 tiny pinch of salt
1 egg
70g butter
0.5 tsp grated lemon zest
40g coconut flakes (unsweetened)
10g sesame seeds
~25mL sour cream
chocolate chips to decorate

Preparation
Mix together all dry ingredients. Add in egg, butter and crumble together.

Add enough sour cream to bring together.

Wrap with foil and rest in the fridge for one hour. Roll out on a well-floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick sheet. Cut out shapes.

Move onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Decorate with chocolate chips (dark is best!)

Bake at 350F until edges begin to turn brown. Move onto cookie racks, cool, serve.

Fresh tomato pasta topping

2011-08-21T17:46:00.002-04:00

I actually prefer to eat this with bread. But I would choose bread over pasta any day.

Ingredients
5 Roma tomatoes
10 cloves of garlic
10 basil leaves
8 oz Feta cheese
0.25 cup olive oil
salt

Preparation
Dice the tomatoes, julienne the basil, mince the garlic and dice the Feta (you need the European, dicable kind, not the crumbly type).

Mix all in a bowl with the extra virgin olive oil and salt to taste. Serve over fresh pasta, or with a warm slice of crusty bread.

Caramelized onion cream sauce

2011-08-20T10:05:00.004-04:00

This was a quickly improvised dinner, as I needed to use up some extra cream before it reached its expiration date. What a winner! My husband's new favorite pasta sauce.

Ingredients
1 large onion
1 large garlic clove
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp butter
2 oz sharp cheddar
1/3 cup cream
2 tbsp milk
black pepper
salt
0.5 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation
Slice the onions into thicker slices. Mince the garlic, shred the cheddar.

Caramelize the lightly salted onions in the vegetable oil on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and dice into smaller chunks. Return to pan and add the butter and the minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add a little black pepper and the parsley. Stir together and cook for 10 seconds more.

Pour in the cream and the milk. Simmer until thick (~5 minutes). Melt the shredded cheddar into the sauce, salt to taste and serve with freshly cooked linguine.

Peach cobbler

2011-08-20T09:56:00.002-04:00

This is Chef John's recipe (more or less). You have to use self-rising flour, or else you wind up with peach flavored wall paper glue. Trust me, I tried it. For some reason, the usual baking powder, etc replacement for self-rising flour doesn't work in this recipe.

Ingredients
3 large yellow peaches
1/8 tsp cinnamon
0.5 tsp lemon zest
0.5 cup water
0.5 cup sugar

0.25 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
0.75 cup self-rising flour
0.25 tsp salt
0.75 cup milk
0.25 tsp almond extract

Preparation
Melt the butter in a 2-quart ceramic or glass baking dish. Peel the peaches and mix with cinnamon and lemon zest. Bring the water and sugar to a boil, add the peaches and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the milk and whisk until well-blended. Mix in the almond extract.

Pour the batter into the melted butter in the baking dish. Scoop the peaches carefully on top. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 45-60 minutes. Serve somewhat cooled.

Simple tomato sauce

2011-08-19T21:05:00.002-04:00

A tomato sauce that many food bloggers raved about. I found it kind of boring. Basically acceptable, just not very interesting. Kind of reminded me of Spaghetti-O sauce. There are better ones out there than this, but it's ok in a pinch.

Ingredients
28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
5 tbsp butter
1 medium sized onion
salt

Preparation
Pour the can of tomatoes, the butter and the onion cut in half into a heavy pan over medium heat.

Simmer for 45-50 minutes, salt to taste.

Crush or blend to the desired chunkiness. Serve.

Moussaka meatballs

2011-08-19T15:17:00.003-04:00

These are amazing for pasta or in sandwiches. Must use a tomato-centric side with it.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1 small yellow onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ketchup
0.5 tsp black pepper
0.5 tsp cumin
0.25 tsp cinnamon
0.25 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt

0.5 cup breadcrumbs
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
salt

Preparation
Mince the onion and garlic, dice the eggplant.

Fry the onion in oil, then add the garlic and 30 seconds later the diced eggplant and the spices. Cook on medium-high, mixing frequently, until most of the water content evaporated. Cool.

Mix the ground beef with the egg, breadcrumbs, eggplant mix, and salt. Form into small balls with wet hands.

Set the balls onto cookie sheets sprayed with oil. Spray the tops as well, then bake in a 350F preheated oven, until done (about 20-25 minutes).

Serve with pasta.

Or in a sandwich. Did I mention that I highly recommend taking most meals near waterfalls? Real ones.

Mountain top sandwich

2011-08-17T18:42:00.005-04:00

The best restaurants are on mountain tops.

Ingredients
2 whole wheat rolls
0.25 pound, thin-sliced, hard salami
hummus
tomatoes
Feta

Preparation
Hike to the top of a mountain with great view.

Slice bread and spread with hummus. Add salami, Feta, and tomatoes. Serve! Oh, and don't be afraid to eat the pieces that fall, the rocks are washed clean frequently by rain :-)

Zucchini bread

2011-08-16T08:55:00.004-04:00

Moist and tasty: making this bread is the perfect way to do away with your excess zucchini produce from the garden.

Ingredients
for two loaves:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
0.75 cup vegetable oil
0.75 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation
Butter and flour two 9x5 loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 325F.

Mix the wet ingredients, except the zucchini.

In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients, except the walnuts.

Blend together and beat well. Add in the zucchini and the chopped nuts. Pour into the two shapes. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

Remove from pan and cool on cookie racks. Freeze individually wrapped slices.

Something fishy

2011-08-15T08:04:00.003-04:00

I have no idea if this dish has a name. I was pressed to quickly invent something for lunch, as I ran out of bread, and I'm generally not willing to buy the supermarket bread products. This turned out surprisingly tasty.

Ingredients
0.5 yellow onion
6 oz tilapia
2/3 cup rice
2 cups water
1 plum tomato
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
0.5 tsp paprika
0.25 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp vegeta
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Add the onions and oil to a pot. Cook until translucent, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains are white. Remove from heat.

Add the spices and stir, heat together for 30-40 seconds. Add the water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Simmer covered on low, stirring occasionally.

When the water level is only a quarter inch above the rice, add the diced fish and mix in. Simmer covered until fish and rice are cooked. You can evaporate more water, if necessary.

Hungarian chocolate trifle

2011-08-14T08:54:00.005-04:00

Also called Somloi Galuska. This is a much simplified version, so it doesn't really deserve the name.

Ingredients
cake:
4 eggs
125 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
40 g flour
pinch salt

filling:
chocolate pudding
rum extract
sour cherries preserved in rum
raisins soaked in rum

topping:
whipped cream
cocoa powder

Preparation
Line a 15x10 inch baking sheet with parchment paper, grease and flour. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks for a minute, then add the sugar and beat until the sugar is completely dissolved, and the mixture is pale yellow and foamy. Mix in the lemon juice, vanilla and flour.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with the salt. Fold a little bit of it into the yolk mixture. Add the rest and gently fold in. Pour into baking shape. Bake until golden brown, allow to cool in the oven for a few minutes, before removing from the baking shape.

Prepare the chocolate pudding, and mix in rum extract to taste. Layer pieces of the cake with the chocolate pudding, studding it with cherries and raisins (personally, I skip the raisins) into small ramekins (makes about 5).

Finish with a layer of chocolate pudding. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Allow to cool. Before serving, top with whipped cream.

Tilapia with tomato bruschetta

2011-08-10T14:50:00.003-04:00

This was the perfect summer dinner. Light and quick to prepare, with an amazing combination of favors. I tried it both with grilled and pan roasted fish: the pan roasted version won.

Ingredients
2 tilapia filets
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt
freshly cracked pepper
parsley
25g butter
1 portion of tomato-feta bruschetta

Preparation
Marinade the fish in salt, lemon juice, black pepper and parsley.

On medium-high heat, brown lightly in butter.

Meanwhile, toast the baguette slices for the bruschetta, and prepare the tomato salad.

Drizzle the toast slices with juice from the salad, place the fish on top. Spoon over the salad. Crumble some Feta on top. Serve!

Tomato and Feta bruschetta

2011-08-09T15:41:00.009-04:00

Fresh and summery!

Ingredients
1 whole wheat baguette
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
2-3 ripe plum tomatoes
1 small purple onion
4 oz Feta cheese
2-3 cloves garlic
10 Kalamata olives
4-5 basil leaves
salt

Preparation
Dice tomatoes and onion. Mix and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, salt to taste. Mix in basil chiffonade. Allow to sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes to an hour.

Slice the baguette and brush slices with olive oil on both sides. Dust with salt and toast in a preheated oven at 450F until golden brown.

Rub the baguette slices with garlic and Feta cheese. Top with tomato mix.

Roasted green beans

2011-08-07T12:40:00.002-04:00

A quick and delicious way to prepare green beans. Much better than cooked or steamed.

Ingredients
1 lb of green beans
1-2 tsp vegetable oil
salt
black pepper

Preparation
Wash and clean the green beans. Allow to dry.

Preheat the oven to 400F, and toss the green beans with oil, salt and black pepper on a baking sheet. Then distribute into a single layer on the sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve.

Hungarian poppy seed noodles

2011-08-06T14:25:00.002-04:00

One of my all time favorites. My grandmother used to make these and toss the noodles in lard before sprinkling them with ample ground poppy seed and sugar.

Ingredients
pasta:
300g flour
1 egg
water
salt

topping:
150g ground poppy seeds
sugar
butter

Preparation
Prepare the pasta, as described here. This one is a less brittle, more dumplingy pasta, due to the higher flour to egg ratio.

Cook the pasta and toss with melted butter. Mix with loads of ground poppy seeds and icing sugar. Soooo good!