It's Friday of a three-day weekend. (Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.) And while many people have the day off, I'll be posting here.
By the way, next week there'll be a slight change in this blog. Mondays will still be Meatless Monday, and I'll still be posting diabetic recipes on Thursdays. But on Tuesdays...I'll be posting Taco Tuesday recipes. It's been fairly well received on my vegetarian blog, so I figured I'd try it here. We'll see how well it goes.
And now, for today's six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!
LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
This yummy cake is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking email. Melissa wrote, “This light and moist lemon poundcake has a crunchy sugar glaze that crystallizes on top, giving a contrasting texture to the soft crumb underneath. It’s an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing cake that’s excellent on its own but takes well to embellishments. A scoop of ice cream or sorbet, fruit compote and-or lemon curd are all wonderful alongside.” Yield: 24 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “’The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 1/2 lemons
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9-by-12-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary (mixture will look curdled, and that’s O.K.). Mix in flour mixture until combined, then scrape into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.
Bake until golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan; transfer to wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and carefully remove paper.
While cake bakes, in a small bowl mix together remaining half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) and enough lemon juice to make a runny mixture. While cake is still warm, spoon the sugar mixture evenly over the top. (The cake has to be cooled slightly to prevent topping from melting, but warm enough that it soaks into the cake, leaving a crunchy sugar coat on top.) Let cool, then cut into squares.
WILD MUSHROOM QUESADILLAS
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always been a little leery about going out picking wild mushrooms. I wasn’t wild about mushrooms as a kid, but I’ve grown to just about like them. But wild mushrooms? Nah-ah, no thanks. I’ve heard too many horror stories…
That said, this comes from Kim Severson, also in The New York Times cooking email. Kim wrote, “You don't have to use wild mushrooms, of course, but if you can get chanterelles — oh man. It takes a bit of time at the stove, but when the quesadilla is done, you have a great handheld food that is, among other things, very kid friendly.” Phew! Thank you, Kim, for adding that disclaimer about not having to use wild mushrooms!!!
This recipe yields 8 servings (Time: 30 minutes) and was featured in “THE CHEF: TRACI DES JARDINS; Tortillas Let a Cook Come Home Again”. It can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound chanterelles, black trumpet or other wild mushrooms (or substitute oyster, crimini or clamshell mushrooms; do not use shiitake), roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
4 ounces grated Oaxaca or domestic Muenster cheese
4 ounces grated panela or aged mozzarella cheese
4 ounces grated cotija or Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of ground coriander
8 8-inch flour or corn tortillas, preferably homemade (recipe follows)
Preparation
Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When oil shimmers, add mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté until mushrooms release their liquid, liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
Add onions. Sauté, adjusting heat as necessary, until onions are soft and entire mixture is golden brown but not burned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Using a food processor or a knife, finely chop mushroom-onion mixture, then transfer to a large bowl. Add grated cheeses, cilantro, oregano and coriander. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat, and add remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. While pan heats, place a large spoonful of mushroom-cheese mixture into center of a tortilla, and fold tortilla in half to make a half-moon. Place filled tortilla in preheated skillet and cook, turning once, until tortilla is nicely browned on both sides and cheese is melted. Repeat to make 8 filled tortillas. Serve immediately.
GRANDMA SALAZAR’S TORTILLAS
This also comes from Kim Severson in The New York Times cooking email. Kim wrote, “This recipe for flour tortillas came to The Times in 2005 from Traci Des Jardins, a San Francisco chef whose heritage is Cajun on one side and Mexican on the other, via her maternal grandmother, Angela Salazar. You’ll see ‘bacon drippings’ in the ingredients. These make for really delicious tortillas.” Makes 12 8-inch tortillas.
This was featured in “THE CHEF: TRACI DES JARDINS; Tortillas Let a Cook Come Home Again” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons bacon drippings, lard or vegetable shortening
Preparation
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add bacon drippings and mix by hand or with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Slowly mix in 1 cup cold water. Add just enough additional water (about 1/3 cup) to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
Divide dough into 12 balls of equal size. Place on a board or baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel; allow to rest for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll tortillas into 8-inch rounds. Place between sheets of waxed paper. At this point dough may be covered and refrigerated until cooking time, or used immediately.
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Remove tortillas from waxed paper and cook one at a time until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 seconds a side. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm until serving.
KFC’S COLESLAW
Okay, I admit it: I love KFC’s Coleslaw. When I drove cab for a living, I used to pick up some of their coleslaw probably once a week.
This copycat recipe comes from Recipe Lion; it was one of the recipes in their e-cookbook, titled “24 New Top Secret Restaurant Copycat Recipes.” The site has quite a few free e-cookbooks to check out. Please feel free to do so!
This recipe begins, “KFC copycat recipes are always delicious, and this one is an all-time favorite. When you're preparing for your next picnic or potluck with friends, consider this easy coleslaw recipe. It's always a crowd pleaser any time it's served and it couldn't be any easier to make.”
Ingredients
8 1/8 cups cabbage
1/3 cup carrots, shredded
1 teaspoon onion, chopped fine
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Core the cabbage, then shred using the slicing disk for the shredder attachment to the food processor.
Shred the carrot the same way or use pre-shredded carrots.
Mix together cabbage, carrot and onion.
In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise, milk, and lemon juice with a whisk until well combined.
Add the salt and pepper.
Add the sugar to the sauce until well mixed in.
Add the sauce to the cabbage and carrot mixture. Mix well and allow the mixture to marinate in the refrigerator 8 hours or overnight. Mix thoroughly before serving.
WEIGHT WATCHERS SLOW-COOKER SOUP
This came in a Weight Watchers’ email several years ago, with a points value of 0. I have no idea what the points value would be now, nor do I have a link to it.
10 oz baby spinach leaves
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
4 C vegetable broth
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, crushed
Place all ingredients in slow cooker; cover & cook on high for 5 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir, & serve. Yields about 1 C/serving.
Note: If you need the soup fast, simply add prepped ingredients in a large pot on stovetop. Bring to boil & then reduce heat to low; simmer, partly covered, about 10 minutes.
GULLA SUPPER SOUP
This comes from the Margaret Holmes Tomatoes, Okra & Corn cans.
Years ago, my better-half had changed pharmacies to one in a local Publix. At the time, the Publix we normally went to didn't have a pharmacy (it does now), so we went to another one that had a pharmacy. Of course, since it was laid out a little differently, so we had to look around to find what we'd planned to buy.
It was while exploring this new (to us) Publix that I stumbled across cans of Margaret Holmes Tomatoes, Okra & Corn. I wasn't familiar with the Margaret Holmes brand, but the word “okra” jumped out at me. My better-half had spent most of his life in the south (as he liked to tell people, “It took me six months to crawl from Detroit to Florida.”), and absolutely loved okra, as well as many other southern foods that I'd never really tried.
So, of course, I had to pick up a couple of cans of this, as well as the other ingredients to make this. It soon became an absolute favorite in our house. We tended to double the recipe. Give this a try – if you're like us, you won't regret it!
2 cans Margaret Holmes Tomatoes, Okra and Corn
1/2 stick butter
1 medium onion, peeled & chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 C green cabbage, chopped
1/2 C green pepper, seeded & chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Big pinch fresh thyme
Big pinch chopped parsley
1/2 C cooked rice
Melt butter in medium saucepan, add onions, celery, cabbage & green pep-per. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium high heat until vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes & juice; cook for about 10 more minutes.
Stir in seasonings & cooked rice. Bring back to simmer & cook for 5 more minutes. Serve hot.
Showing posts with label Lemon Drizzle Cake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lemon Drizzle Cake. Show all posts
Friday, January 13, 2017
Friday, November 18, 2016
Friday Recipes
Here are today's six recipes to help you through the weekend. Enjoy!
BUFFALO CHICKEN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
This comes from Jennifer Meier, About.com’s Cheese expert. Jennifer wrote, “Perhaps this isn't a traditional grilled cheese sandwich - maybe it's just a sandwich - but either way it's delicious. This buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich recipe takes everything we love about Buffalo Chicken (spicy, crispy chicken, creamy blue cheese dip, celery on the side) and turns it into a memorable sandwich.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield; 4 sandwiches
Jennifer also added a note about using mayo on grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as what to do with leftover buttermilk.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness. Or, make your life easier and buy 4 thin chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup celery, very thinly sliced (plus any leaves you can pull from the stalks)
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided, plus more for spreading on the outside of the bread slices
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or more to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces blue cheese
8 slices of sourdough or country bread
Preparation
Generously season chicken breasts with salt. Cut each pounded chicken breast in half, so you have 4 pieces of chicken.
You’ll need three shallow bowls or dishes for dredging the chicken. One for the flour, one for the eggs, and one for the panko, salt and cayenne pepper.
Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge both sides of the breast in flour, shaking off excess. Next, dip the chicken into the egg, coating both sides and letting excess drip off.
Lastly, dredge through the panko/salt/cayenne mixture, pressing gently so the panko sticks to the chicken. Set the coated chicken pieces aside.
In a food processor, combine the celery (plus celery leaves if you have them), red onion, parsley, 1/4 cup of mayo and the buttermilk. Pulse just a few times until the celery and onion are roughly chopped. Don’t over-process or the mixture will get too mushy. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of mayo with the hot sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and then add more according to how spicy you want it. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken to the skillet and cook until dark golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the last 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan and cook the remaining pieces of chicken. (If you have a very large pan, you might be able to cook all the chicken pieces at once)
Return all the chicken to the pan.
Top each piece of chicken with crumbles or slices of blue cheese. Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the pan.
Spread a thin layer of regular mayonnaise evenly on one side of each piece of bread. Flip the slices over and spread the spicy mayo on the other side of each slice of bread.
When the blue cheese on the chicken is warm and very soft, remove the chicken from the pan (use a wide spatula) and set one piece of chicken on the spicy mayo side of 4 slices of bread.
Top each breast with a scoop of celery slaw and another slice of bread, with the side spread with regular mayo on the outside.
Over medium heat cook the sandwiches until the bottom is golden brown. Flip. Brown again. Slice the sandwich in half and serve.
Why Use Mayo on Grilled Cheese Sandwiches?
Spreading the outer slice of bread with mayonnaise instead of butter or oil makes the perfect slice of toasted bread; crispy, flaky and evenly browned.
Leftover Buttermilk? Buttermilk is the slightly sour liquid that remains after milk is churned into butter. It adds a tangy flavor to recipes that always punches the flavor up a notch or two. Buttermilk is usually sold in 1 quart containers, which means you're likely to have some leftover when you buy it for a recipe. How can you use up the buttermilk before it goes bad? Try my favorite buttermilk salad dressing, or one of these recipes for using up buttermilk.
SPAGHETTI PIE
This was featured on The Today Show in August, and got Matt Lauer's attention. I had never tried anything like this before. As a vegetarian, I'd lean toward using a vegetarian substitute for the ground turkey or beef.
To view this online, along with video, go to http://www.today.com/food/spaghetti-pie-fun-way-make-dinner-leftovers-later-t39701.
Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, 1/2 cup cooking water reserved
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
1 pound ground turkey or sirloin beef
1 cup tomato paste, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add ground turkey or beef, and 3/4 cup of the tomato paste. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Consistency should be like a thick Bolognese sauce. Add more cooking water as needed.
In a large bowl, mix together the cooked spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the tomato paste.
Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it. Top with the remaining meat mixture, then scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.
Bake the pie in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife or pizza slicer to cut into wedges like a pie. Serve with a green salad.
SKIRT STEAK WITH LENTIL SALAD
This is from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This recipe came to The Times in 1990 in Pierre Franey's 60-Minute Gourmet column. A lentil salad (we used those tiny French green lentils, but you can use the standard supermarket variety as well) is dressed with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, then topped with skirt steak that's been seared in a cast-iron pan. A simple sauce, made by deglazing the pan with butter, garlic and parsley, is drizzled over the top. It is classic Franey – uncomplicated, elegant and delicious.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in “60-Minute Gourmet”, and can be viewed online here. Also check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.
Ingredients
For the Lentil Salad:
8 cups water
1 pound dried lentils
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Steaks:
4 skirt steaks, about 1/2 pound each, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Preparation
To make the lentil salad, put the water in a large saucepan. Wash the lentils in a colander and add to the saucepan. Add the carrots, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
In a large mixing bowl combine the mustard, 3/4 cup of oil and the vinegar, onions, tarragon, salt and pepper. Blend well with a wire whisk. Add the lentils and stir. Serve warm, lukewarm or cool.
To prepare the meat, sprinkle it on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with 1 tablespoon of oil.
Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold two steaks over high heat, add the steaks and brown them for 3 minutes for medium-rare. Turn and continue cooking until they are thoroughly browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a warm platter. Repeat the procedure for the two remaining steaks.
Pour the fat from the skillet and reduce the heat. Add the butter, garlic and parsley. Cook briefly, stirring. Add any juices from the platter and blend well. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve with the lentil salad immediately.
ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH LEMON HONEY BUTTER
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. Total Time: 1 hr 50 min; Prep: 35 min; Cook: 1 hr 15 min; Yield: 2 loafs; Level: Easy.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/zucchini-bread-with-lemon-honey-butter.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pans
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey Lemon Butter, recipe follows
Lemon Honey Butter:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9- by- 5-inch loaf pans. In large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the zucchini. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add the zucchini mixture until completely combined. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides have started to brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack 15 minutes. Unmold and serve warm or at room temperature sliced with the Lemon Honey Butter.
Special equipment: two 9- by- 5-inch loaf pans
Lemon Honey Butter:
Combine all ingredients and mix together well. Chill and serve.
DEVIL’S FOOD MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES
This comes from Nichelle Stephens, About.com’s Cupcakes expert. Nichelle wrote, “Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Cocoa Cremes are the chocolate snack cakes that have been the dessert for kids and adults lunches for decades. However, there's a better way to get a chocolate fix by baking the cakes from scratch. The essential components are chocolate cupcake, marshmallow filling and chocolate ganache frosting.
“Tip: An easy way to make chocolate ganache is to use chocolate candy melts. I have used Chocoley's Bada Bing dark chocolate candy melts.
“This chocolate cupcake recipe is from the cookbook, Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw.
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 18 cupcakes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Filling
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup of marshmallow fluff
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup of dark chocolate candy melts
6 tbsp of heavy cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place one 12 cupcake cavity and one 6 cavity pan with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder into the boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm, then whisk in the buttermilk. In a small bowl, pour the cocoa powder into the boiling water and whisk. Let cool and set aside. Using another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, use the attachment to butter and sugars together on medium until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the vanilla along with the final egg. Reduce speed to low to add the dry ingredients ins 3 additions alternately with the cocoa buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Beat until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly into 18 wells of the baking pans.
Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and slightly springy to the touch and toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean which will be about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes. Then remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the filling, in the mixing bowl, sift the sugar over the butter. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff, vanilla and cream. Beat until light and fluffy.
Using a paring knife or an apple corer, create a hollow about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep in the center of each cupcake. Fill each hollow with a spoonful of the filling.
To make the ganache, in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water in a saucepan. Melt the butter and chocolate with the corn syrup and cream, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
Spread the filled cupcakes with the ganache. The filled and frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
This yummy cake is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking email. Melissa wrote, “This light and moist lemon poundcake has a crunchy sugar glaze that crystallizes on top, giving a contrasting texture to the soft crumb underneath. It’s an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing cake that’s excellent on its own but takes well to embellishments. A scoop of ice cream or sorbet, fruit compote and-or lemon curd are all wonderful alongside.” Yield: 24 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “’The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 1/2 lemons
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9-by-12-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary (mixture will look curdled, and that’s O.K.). Mix in flour mixture until combined, then scrape into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.
Bake until golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan; transfer to wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and carefully remove paper.
While cake bakes, in a small bowl mix together remaining half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) and enough lemon juice to make a runny mixture. While cake is still warm, spoon the sugar mixture evenly over the top. (The cake has to be cooled slightly to prevent topping from melting, but warm enough that it soaks into the cake, leaving a crunchy sugar coat on top.) Let cool, then cut into squares.
BUFFALO CHICKEN GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
This comes from Jennifer Meier, About.com’s Cheese expert. Jennifer wrote, “Perhaps this isn't a traditional grilled cheese sandwich - maybe it's just a sandwich - but either way it's delicious. This buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich recipe takes everything we love about Buffalo Chicken (spicy, crispy chicken, creamy blue cheese dip, celery on the side) and turns it into a memorable sandwich.” Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield; 4 sandwiches
Jennifer also added a note about using mayo on grilled cheese sandwiches, as well as what to do with leftover buttermilk.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/8-inch thickness. Or, make your life easier and buy 4 thin chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup celery, very thinly sliced (plus any leaves you can pull from the stalks)
1/4 of a red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided, plus more for spreading on the outside of the bread slices
1 tablespoon buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce, or more to taste
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces blue cheese
8 slices of sourdough or country bread
Preparation
Generously season chicken breasts with salt. Cut each pounded chicken breast in half, so you have 4 pieces of chicken.
You’ll need three shallow bowls or dishes for dredging the chicken. One for the flour, one for the eggs, and one for the panko, salt and cayenne pepper.
Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge both sides of the breast in flour, shaking off excess. Next, dip the chicken into the egg, coating both sides and letting excess drip off.
Lastly, dredge through the panko/salt/cayenne mixture, pressing gently so the panko sticks to the chicken. Set the coated chicken pieces aside.
In a food processor, combine the celery (plus celery leaves if you have them), red onion, parsley, 1/4 cup of mayo and the buttermilk. Pulse just a few times until the celery and onion are roughly chopped. Don’t over-process or the mixture will get too mushy. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of mayo with the hot sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of hot sauce and then add more according to how spicy you want it. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken to the skillet and cook until dark golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the last 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan and cook the remaining pieces of chicken. (If you have a very large pan, you might be able to cook all the chicken pieces at once)
Return all the chicken to the pan.
Top each piece of chicken with crumbles or slices of blue cheese. Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the pan.
Spread a thin layer of regular mayonnaise evenly on one side of each piece of bread. Flip the slices over and spread the spicy mayo on the other side of each slice of bread.
When the blue cheese on the chicken is warm and very soft, remove the chicken from the pan (use a wide spatula) and set one piece of chicken on the spicy mayo side of 4 slices of bread.
Top each breast with a scoop of celery slaw and another slice of bread, with the side spread with regular mayo on the outside.
Over medium heat cook the sandwiches until the bottom is golden brown. Flip. Brown again. Slice the sandwich in half and serve.
Why Use Mayo on Grilled Cheese Sandwiches?
Spreading the outer slice of bread with mayonnaise instead of butter or oil makes the perfect slice of toasted bread; crispy, flaky and evenly browned.
Leftover Buttermilk? Buttermilk is the slightly sour liquid that remains after milk is churned into butter. It adds a tangy flavor to recipes that always punches the flavor up a notch or two. Buttermilk is usually sold in 1 quart containers, which means you're likely to have some leftover when you buy it for a recipe. How can you use up the buttermilk before it goes bad? Try my favorite buttermilk salad dressing, or one of these recipes for using up buttermilk.
SPAGHETTI PIE
This was featured on The Today Show in August, and got Matt Lauer's attention. I had never tried anything like this before. As a vegetarian, I'd lean toward using a vegetarian substitute for the ground turkey or beef.
To view this online, along with video, go to http://www.today.com/food/spaghetti-pie-fun-way-make-dinner-leftovers-later-t39701.
Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, 1/2 cup cooking water reserved
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely
1 pound ground turkey or sirloin beef
1 cup tomato paste, divided
3 large eggs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft. Add ground turkey or beef, and 3/4 cup of the tomato paste. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir well. Season with salt, to taste. Consistency should be like a thick Bolognese sauce. Add more cooking water as needed.
In a large bowl, mix together the cooked spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the tomato paste.
Grease a 9 or 10-inch pie pan with olive oil. Spread half the meat mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and press it down to level it. Top with the remaining meat mixture, then scatter the remaining mozzarella on top.
Bake the pie in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife or pizza slicer to cut into wedges like a pie. Serve with a green salad.
SKIRT STEAK WITH LENTIL SALAD
This is from Pierre Franey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “This recipe came to The Times in 1990 in Pierre Franey's 60-Minute Gourmet column. A lentil salad (we used those tiny French green lentils, but you can use the standard supermarket variety as well) is dressed with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, then topped with skirt steak that's been seared in a cast-iron pan. A simple sauce, made by deglazing the pan with butter, garlic and parsley, is drizzled over the top. It is classic Franey – uncomplicated, elegant and delicious.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 45 minutes.
This was featured in “60-Minute Gourmet”, and can be viewed online here. Also check out Melissa Clark’s guide “How to Cook Beans”.
Ingredients
For the Lentil Salad:
8 cups water
1 pound dried lentils
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 cup finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
Freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Steaks:
4 skirt steaks, about 1/2 pound each, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Preparation
To make the lentil salad, put the water in a large saucepan. Wash the lentils in a colander and add to the saucepan. Add the carrots, bay leaf, thyme and salt. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
In a large mixing bowl combine the mustard, 3/4 cup of oil and the vinegar, onions, tarragon, salt and pepper. Blend well with a wire whisk. Add the lentils and stir. Serve warm, lukewarm or cool.
To prepare the meat, sprinkle it on both sides with salt and pepper and brush with 1 tablespoon of oil.
Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold two steaks over high heat, add the steaks and brown them for 3 minutes for medium-rare. Turn and continue cooking until they are thoroughly browned, about 3 minutes more. Remove to a warm platter. Repeat the procedure for the two remaining steaks.
Pour the fat from the skillet and reduce the heat. Add the butter, garlic and parsley. Cook briefly, stirring. Add any juices from the platter and blend well. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve with the lentil salad immediately.
ZUCCHINI BREAD WITH LEMON HONEY BUTTER
This comes from The Food Network Kitchen. Total Time: 1 hr 50 min; Prep: 35 min; Cook: 1 hr 15 min; Yield: 2 loafs; Level: Easy.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/zucchini-bread-with-lemon-honey-butter.print.html?oc=linkback
Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pans
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 1 medium zucchini)
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey Lemon Butter, recipe follows
Lemon Honey Butter:
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9- by- 5-inch loaf pans. In large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the zucchini. Add the lemon zest and mix thoroughly.
In a separate large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add the zucchini mixture until completely combined. Divide the batter between the prepared loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the sides have started to brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a rack 15 minutes. Unmold and serve warm or at room temperature sliced with the Lemon Honey Butter.
Special equipment: two 9- by- 5-inch loaf pans
Lemon Honey Butter:
Combine all ingredients and mix together well. Chill and serve.
DEVIL’S FOOD MARSHMALLOW CUPCAKES
This comes from Nichelle Stephens, About.com’s Cupcakes expert. Nichelle wrote, “Ding Dongs, Ho Hos, and Cocoa Cremes are the chocolate snack cakes that have been the dessert for kids and adults lunches for decades. However, there's a better way to get a chocolate fix by baking the cakes from scratch. The essential components are chocolate cupcake, marshmallow filling and chocolate ganache frosting.
“Tip: An easy way to make chocolate ganache is to use chocolate candy melts. I have used Chocoley's Bada Bing dark chocolate candy melts.
“This chocolate cupcake recipe is from the cookbook, Home Baked Comfort by Kim Laidlaw.
Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 20 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 18 cupcakes
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup natural cocoa powder
2/3 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Cream Filling
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup of marshmallow fluff
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
1 cup of dark chocolate candy melts
6 tbsp of heavy cream
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place one 12 cupcake cavity and one 6 cavity pan with cupcake liners. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder into the boiling water. Let cool to lukewarm, then whisk in the buttermilk. In a small bowl, pour the cocoa powder into the boiling water and whisk. Let cool and set aside. Using another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, use the attachment to butter and sugars together on medium until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the vanilla along with the final egg. Reduce speed to low to add the dry ingredients ins 3 additions alternately with the cocoa buttermilk mixture in 2 additions. Beat until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Use a scoop to divide the batter evenly into 18 wells of the baking pans.
Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and slightly springy to the touch and toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean which will be about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for about 5 minutes. Then remove from pans and let cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the filling, in the mixing bowl, sift the sugar over the butter. Use the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow fluff, vanilla and cream. Beat until light and fluffy.
Using a paring knife or an apple corer, create a hollow about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch deep in the center of each cupcake. Fill each hollow with a spoonful of the filling.
To make the ganache, in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water in a saucepan. Melt the butter and chocolate with the corn syrup and cream, stirring constantly with a whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Let cool slightly.
Spread the filled cupcakes with the ganache. The filled and frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
This yummy cake is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking email. Melissa wrote, “This light and moist lemon poundcake has a crunchy sugar glaze that crystallizes on top, giving a contrasting texture to the soft crumb underneath. It’s an easy-to-make, crowd-pleasing cake that’s excellent on its own but takes well to embellishments. A scoop of ice cream or sorbet, fruit compote and-or lemon curd are all wonderful alongside.” Yield: 24 servings; Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling.
This was featured in “’The Great British Bake Off’ Changes the Way the British Bake” and can be viewed online here.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 1/2 lemons
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
Preparation
Heat oven to 325 degrees and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9-by-12-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang on the long sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, then beat in milk, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary (mixture will look curdled, and that’s O.K.). Mix in flour mixture until combined, then scrape into prepared baking pan, smoothing the top.
Bake until golden brown and springy, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use the paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan; transfer to wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and carefully remove paper.
While cake bakes, in a small bowl mix together remaining half of the sugar (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) and enough lemon juice to make a runny mixture. While cake is still warm, spoon the sugar mixture evenly over the top. (The cake has to be cooled slightly to prevent topping from melting, but warm enough that it soaks into the cake, leaving a crunchy sugar coat on top.) Let cool, then cut into squares.
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