Herbes De Provence Caramel Corn
- 5 cups plain unsalted Popcorn
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2oz Unsalted butter
- 1c light brown sugar
- 1/4c honey or light corn syrup
- 2tbsp herbes de Provence
- 1 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 300˚ F.
- Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon mat.
- In a small bowl mix together the warm water, baking soda and the vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, bring the butter, brown sugar and honey to a boil. Continue to cook until the mixture reaches 260 ˚ F as measured with a digital thermometer, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Add baking soda mixture. Stir well. The mixture will bubble a bit.
- Pour the caramel over the popcorn. Stir the popcorn until well coated and then spread on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the popcorn for 20 mins. Tossing occasionally with a spatula. Remove a kernel and let cool to test for crispness. If it is still chewy, allow popcorn to bake for another 10 mins. Repeat the test.
- When the popcorn is crisp, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a hear proof surface. Continue to stir the hot popcorn until it has cooled.
- Store in an air tight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 1 month.
Pairs well with blue cheeses and firm nutty cheeses
You can also try this with other herb mixes like garam masala or pumpkin pie spice
Easy Wedding Soup
This recipe makes about a quart and can easily be doubled and expanded.
For the meatballs: (~23-27)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1/4 Tea. black pepper
1/4 Cup seasoned Panko
Mix the meatball ingredients together, roll into small balls and refrigerate.
For the broth:
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of Swanson Chicken Broth low Sodium.
1 Veggie cube; crushed and dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 Cup frozen chopped spinach
1/4 Cup of Acini de Pepe dry pasta, cooked separately
Cook the two cans of broth and dissolved veggie cube until hot and add 1/2 cup
chopped spinach. When broth begins to boil add meatballs (few at a time). Ad
cooked and drained Acini de Pepe to the hot broth and adjust salt and pepper as
necessary.
For the meatballs: (~23-27)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1/4 Tea. black pepper
1/4 Cup seasoned Panko
Mix the meatball ingredients together, roll into small balls and refrigerate.
For the broth:
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of Swanson Chicken Broth low Sodium.
1 Veggie cube; crushed and dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water
1/2 Cup frozen chopped spinach
1/4 Cup of Acini de Pepe dry pasta, cooked separately
Cook the two cans of broth and dissolved veggie cube until hot and add 1/2 cup
chopped spinach. When broth begins to boil add meatballs (few at a time). Ad
cooked and drained Acini de Pepe to the hot broth and adjust salt and pepper as
necessary.
Many have asked for the recipe for the olive tapenade which was served at the Icewine Tasting at the monthly meeting and the Icewine Tasting at the Pittsburgh Conference.
Kevin's Olive Tapenade
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
Total Time: 15 min
Prep: 15 min
Yield:approximately 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients
3/4 pound pitted black olives, such as Kalamata, Nicoise, or Gaeta
3 to 4 ounces capers, drained and rinsed
2 anchovy fillets, drained, rinsed and patted dry
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 bay leaf, finely chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cognac or brandy
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine well, then allow to process until mixture is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning, then serve as a dip alongside crusty bread with goat cheese, grilled vegetables or chicken, or tossed with cooked pasta and fresh herbs.
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001
HUNGARIAN CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
1 onion
1/4 c. oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. paprika
4-5 lb. chicken, cut up
1/2 pint sour cream
1/2 pint light cream
Brown onion in oil. Mix seasonings. Add chicken and brown 10
minutes. Add water. Cover and simmer until tender. Remove chicken. Add sour
cream to the drippings in pan and mix well. If more gravy is desired, add light
cream.
DUMPLINGS:
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 c. flour
Blend all ingredients. Add more flour if needed to make
stiff dough. Drop into boiling water and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Rinse in
cold water and drain.
Arrange dumplings in drippings. Put chicken on top of
dumplings. Heat about 30 minutes.
Serves 6.
Slow-braised brisket is a traditional part of Passover and Rosh Hashanah meals and other family gatherings in many Jewish households. Most Jewish brisket recipes have a sweet-sour flavor to the braising liquid.
For Jews in the United States, ketchup is a common ingredient in the sauce, as are different types of soda pop. We have kept the ketchup for this version. The soda pop is up to you.
6 to 8 servings
I Ingredients
• Beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat -5 to 6 pounds
• Salt and pepper --to season
• Oil -1/4 cup
• Onions, sliced -3
• Garlic -6 whole cloves
• Kosher red wine --1 cup
• Beef broth -3 cups
• Ketchup -1 cup
• Salt and pepper -to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the roasting pan and heat it over medium-high flame on the stovetop. Brown the brisket on all sides in the hot oil and remove to a plate.
2. Drain off all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil and add the sliced onions. Saute the onions until they are transparent and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Pour in the red wine and let it cook down somewhat, stirring with a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef broth, ketchup, salt and pepper. Add back the beef brisket, moisten the top with some of the liquid and cover the pan with foil. Set the pan in the oven and braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. If you like, remove the pan halfway through and flip the brisket over so both sides braise in the liquid.
4. Remove the brisket to a cutting board, slice thinly against the grain and place the slices on a serving platter. Strain the pan juices, adjust seasoning and pour over sliced brisket.
Meyer
Lemon-Olive Oil Cake
Cerignola and Castelvetrano olives are big, briny, meaty, and sweet. If unavailable, use other types, or simplify with just one.
Ingredients
Makes approx. 3 cups
· 10 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
· 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, crushed
· 1 cup Cerignola olives, pitted, crushed
· 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
· 1 cup olive oil
· ¼ cup coarsely chopped, drained capers
· 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
· ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
· Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Mix anchovies, both types of olives, parsley, oil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large jar or medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Do Ahead: Tapenade can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill
Ingredients:
2 cups of fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
2 cups boiled water
2 heaping tbsp. tomato paste
3 heaping tbsp. pepper paste
¾ cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Lemon juice
5 tbsp. Pomegranate molasses
2 tsp Salt--more or less to taste
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Cumin
1 tbsp. Red flakes - optional (preferably Turkish “Isot” [ee-saut] pepper)
Veggies:
3 medium tomatoes
3 medium cucumbers
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
2 yellow pepper
7-8 spring onions
1 bunch finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. fresh coarsely chopped mint
Directions:
1- Place the bulgur in a large bowl and mix in salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper.
2-Add the boiling water moistening all of the bulgur. (Just a little bit of covering on top is good enough) Do NOT mix it-- even if water didn’t touch some parts!
3-Cover the bowl immediately and set aside for 20 minutes for the bulgur to absorb all the water. Once done, fluff the bulgur with your fork to remove any crumbles.
4-Mix pepper paste, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Add the mixture to the rested bulgur mix. Fluff it up and mix all well.
5-Add the veggies... tomatoes, green, red and yellow pepper; cucumber, green onion, parsley and mint.
6- Add red pepper/flakes and mix all ingredients well again.
7-Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Karidopita (kah-ree-THOH-pee-tah) is a moist and flavorful walnut cake that is flavored with cinnamon and bathed in sweet syrup. It’s a great cake to make ahead because it will keep well covered and at room temperature.
What You'll Need
For the cake:
7 eggs
1-cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. brandy or cognac
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground (plus more for topping if desired)
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 small piece cinnamon stick
Juice of 1/2 lemon (strained)
How to Make It
Note: It may seem unusual to be using self-rising flour together with baking powder and soda, but I tried it and it worked well, producing a light and airy cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 rectangular baking pan or a similarly sized round pan. If you’d like, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment to make it easier to remove the pieces.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are a light yellow color, about 5 minutes. Add the oil, milk, and sugar and mix well. Add cognac, lemon zest, cinnamon and clove and mix until just incorporated.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda.
With the mixer on lowest speed, incorporate the flour into the batter. Stir in the ground walnuts and turn off the mixer once the ingredients are combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out dry.
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water and cinnamon stick and bring to a low boil. Simmer uncovered for ten minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the lemon juice.
Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully pour the cooled syrup over the warm cake.
This cake is traditionally topped with more chopped walnuts, but that is optional.
MULLED WINE
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
In the meantime, peel the garlic and slice it. Place the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to fit the pasta and place it over low heat to slowly melt the butter.
When the water and wine come to a boil, add your spaghetti; stirring as needed to engulf the pasta in the liquid. As the spaghetti cooks, stir it often to prevent it from sticking.
Add the garlic to the pan and wait for it to come to a sizzle. Add the optional peperoncino for some heat, if you like and stir the garlic, keeping the heat low to prevent it from scorching.
When the garlic is toasted pale and sizzling, add the additional ½ cup of red wine and a generous splash of the pasta cooking water to the pan and turn up the heat until the liquid simmers.
Test the spaghetti for doneness. When it is al dente, transfer it to the sauté pan along with the parsley. Keep cooking the spaghetti in the juices, tossing and shaking the pan until the liquid is absorbed.
Serve immediately on warm plates. The pasta is delicious without grated cheese, but you can grate a bit of Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top if you like.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped, stemmed, dried Calimyrna figs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh thyme
2 5.5-ounce logs goat cheese
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
¼ cup toasted walnut halves
Fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh baguette
Instructions:
Combine chopped figs and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates, and figs are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers and chopped thyme.
With a hand-held blender, lightly blend the ingredients. There should still be visible pieces of fig, olives, and a few capers. At this point the tapenade can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Just before serving, stir in the walnut pieces.
To serve, simply place the tapenade on a platter and top with the walnut halves. Cut rounds of goat cheese and place next to the tapenade. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme if desired. Serve with baguette.
2 lb. medium raw shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
The zest of 1/2 lemon, minced
Dash salt
2 tablespoons parsley
5 tablespoons oil
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 drops soy sauce
Dash pepper
2 tablespoons fresh dill or 1/4 teaspoons dried dill weed
Peel, clean, and wash shrimp and pat dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and lemon zest and toss for several seconds. Add shrimp and toss (swirling pan by handle) over high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp have curled and feel springy to touch.
Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Then toss with 2 tablespoons oil, parsley, and dill. Brown under broiler to heat through before serving. Serves 6.
For the Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup.
§ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
§ ¼ cup red wine vinegar
§ 1 teaspoon sugar
§ ½ teaspoon salt
§ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
§ Minced fresh parsley and/or snipped fresh chives, to taste
§ ½ cup olive oil
1. Measure the mustard into a bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs.
2. Continue to whisk the mixture while slowly dribbling in the olive oil until the mixture thickens. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Cover until ready to use. (Vinaigrette is best if made just before it is to be used.) If necessary, whisk again before serving.
For the Salad
Makes 6 to 8 portions.
§ 8 new potatoes (about 1 pound), well scrubbed
§ 2 pounds green beans, cooked
§ 10 very ripe Italian plum tomatoes, washed and quartered
§ 1 small purple onion, peeled and thinly sliced
§ ½ cup niçoise olives
§ ¼ cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
§ Pinch of salt
§ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
§ 6 hard-cooked eggs, shelled and quartered lengthwise
§ 12 ounces canned oil-packed white tuna, well drained
§ 2 ounces anchovy fillets (optional)
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, quarter the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
2. Add the green beans, tomatoes, onion, olives, parsley, a pinch of salt, and the pepper. Pour ½ cup of the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently but well.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large serving platter. Arrange the salad informally, or as follows: Place the hard-cooked egg quarters around the edge of the platter. Flake the tuna over the salad and arrange the anchovy fillets, if you use them, over the tuna. Drizzle another quarter cup of the vinaigrette and serve at room temperature.
Strawberry-Lemon Shortbread Bars
By: Julianna Underwood
1.5 cup flour
1/5 10x sugar
3/4 t lemon zest
3/4 cup cold butter
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 lg eggs
1 T lemon juice
1 cup strawberry preserves
garnish with fresh strawberries
oven 350 degrees
Mix flour, sugar 1/2 t of the lemon zest and butter until soft enough to press into a 9x12 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool enough to spread the strawberry preserves on top.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until blended after each addition. Add fresh lemon juice and remaining 1/4 t of zest. Spread cream cheese mixture over the strawberry preserves. Bake 350 for 28-32 more minutes until set. Let cook 1 hr and cover and chill, 4-8 hrs.
BOBOTIE
This looked like meatloaf with egg on top, so I wasn’t in a hurry to try it. It must have tasted better than it looked because when I reached for a taste, it was all gone. Whew!
Ingredients: Minced lamb and/or beef, quantity unspecified; I used hamburger
Butter and vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 onions, chopped (I used big white ones)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (fresh of course)
1 tablespoon curry powder (I used a yellow one)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 slices of bread in crumbs (I used Dave’s Killer Bread—probably not what they had in mind)
1/4 cup of milk (I used whole)
Finely grated rind plus juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt; unspecified amount of ground black pepper (I was generous)
3 oz. of chopped dried apricots
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped (I do not peel apples—that’s where the good stuff is)
6 lemon, orange or bay leaves (interesting choice; I only had bay)
1/4 cup of sultana golden raisins and 1-1/2 oz. of slivered almonds, roasted in a frying pan (I did not see these ingredients because they were on the flip side of the paper and consequently were missing from the one you ate the other night)
Topping: 1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1. Butter a large casserole.
2. Heat the butter and oil and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
3. Mix in the curry powder and turmeric and fry briefly until it is “fragrant.”
4. Take the pot off the heat and mix in the meat.
5. In a separate bowl, combine everything else except the leaves and the topping.
6. Now mix that in with the meat/onion and pack the whole thing into the casserole.
7. Poke the leaves into it at intervals and level the top. Seal with foil.
So here’s the deal. Cook for 1-1/4 hours at 160. Your oven won’t go that low? Mine doesn’t either. So I set it at 170. Turns out that’s centigrade, so ignore that and set it to 325 FAHRENHEIT or else like me you’ll be scrambling at the last minute to make up for the undercooking and cook it to death. Maybe that’s why they invented the topping, which you might end up doubling if your casserole is that big or you just want more egg. After that 1-1/4 hours at 325, push the temperature to 400—yes, FAHRENHEIT. Mix the topping, pour it on the meat, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. For some reason, mine took more time…
********************************************
SOSATIES
If you want to torture the people you live with—and who doesn’t?—make this. You cook the marinade and soak the meat for 2-3 days before you cook it, and the smell is out-of-this-world good.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of apricot jam
1/3 cup of vinegar (white wine or rice wine)
1/4 cup of water
4 or more tablespoons of curry powder (I used red)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
3-5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 pounds of trimmed boneless leg of lamb cut into 1” cubes (good luck with that!) (I’m going to try it with beef)
optional addition of thinner pork cubes or even thick-cut bacon
20 dried apricots
1 sweet onion
optional secret ingredient, like cloves, ginger, buttermilk, lemon (I skipped this) (really)
1. Mix everything that comes before the lamb on the list together in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then let it simmer at low heat for 5 min.
2. Let it cool!
3. Put the lamb in a large glass baking dish, add the marinade, and make sure it’s coated evenly.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days. It will drive you crazy. You can just do a few hours in a pinch, but ooh-la-la!
5. An hour before you’re ready to grill, soak the apricots in boiling water to plump; dry before using.
6. Soak wooden skewers in water. Or use metal. Or even a grill pan or basket. Heck, you can even broil the stuff if you’re desperate and it’s raining on your grill.
7. Thread the meat, onion chunks, and apricots onto the skewers and grill over high heat for no more than 15 min., turning and basting occasionally.
8. Don’t expect leftovers.
*************************************
TOMATO BREDIE
The recipe calls for bones, but that just makes it hard to eat. I think it was just delightful with the rest of the leg-of-lamb cubes.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I used olive)
3-1/2 pounds of lamb or mutton breast chops, chopped into portions (see above)
2 tablespoons of cake flour (all-purpose worked just fine)
1 large onion, chopped
2-1/4 pounds of fresh tomatoes, chopped (I used those “cocktail” tomatoes on the vine from Costco)
1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
6 whole white peppercorns (I used black so they could be seen, just in case)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of brown sugar (I used dark)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 dash of Worcester sauce
1 beef bullion cube (I cheated and used beef stock)
2 medium potatoes, quartered (I used Idaho bakers cut a bit smaller)
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet.
2. Dredge the meat in the flour then brown it in the oil.
3. Stir in the onions and cook until soft.
4. At this point, I transferred everything to my big crockpot and added the rest of the ingredients except the potatoes. I set it to low for 1-1/4 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing stuck.
5. Add the potatoes and keep cooking for 45 min. or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid is soup-thick.
6. Lap it up and scrape down the sides of the bowl (and the crockpot!) with Terry’s fabulous bread.
*******************************
PAP
This is the bland stuff you serve with the spicy stuff. Not Atkins-friendly.
Traditional Ingredients: 12 cups of light chicken stock
9 oz. of butter
3 cups of maize meal
salt to taste
1. In a large saucepan, heat the stock to boiling. Add the butter and let it melt.
2. Gradually rain in all the maize, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and keep stirring/cooking until it thickens.
3. Lower the heat. When it starts to pull away from the sides (about 5-10 min.), it’s done. Salt to taste.
OR
Potato/cornmeal PAP, the one I made.
Ingredients: 2-3 cups of cornmeal
3-4 cups of water
3 potatoes
1 tablespoon of oil (olive)
1 tablespoon of salt
1. Scrub and dice the potatoes. (It says to peel them. I did not. Not only is the nutrition in the peel, but this is South African food we’re talking about. I like to keep the brown in there with all that white.)
2. Cook the potatoes in the oil, water and salt until they are mashable.
3. Mash ‘em. In the pot.
4. Stir in the cornmeal and cook for 5 minutes until done. Serve hot with SOMETHING that will add some flavor!
Prep time: 10 min.
Sauerbraten
Ingredient Checklist
CALDO VERDE (Potato and Kale Soup with Sausage)
1/2 pound of fresh kale or collard greens
4 ounces linguica or chorizo or any other garlic seasoned smoked pork sausage
1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
Wash greens and remove stems. Bunch the leaves together and shred them into fine strips. Set
aside.
Place sausage in small skillet and prick in two or three places with point of a knife. Add enough
water to cover them and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.
Drain and slice into rounds and set aside.
Combine potatoes, water and salt in 4 to 5 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to moderate and cook uncovered until potatoes can be easily mashed against the side
of the pot with a fork. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a bowl and mash them with a
fork. Return to the liquid in the pot, add the greens and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes
uncovered. Drop in the reserved sausages and simmer for a minute or two more to heat through.
Serve with a dollop of good fruity olive oil.
AUSTRIAN APPLE CAKE
1 stick butter
2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. lemon extract
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. milk
White powdered sugar (optional)
Approximately 4 peeled and sliced apples
Apples may be substituted with almost any fruit of your choice.
Peaches, cherries, strawberries are all wonderful in this cake.
Mix all ingredients except apples with mixer. Then fold in
peeled and sliced apples. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour in 8x8 inch pan,
greased or sprayed with non-stick spray. After cooling, sprinkle powdered sugar
on top.
CACIK (Turkish style tzatziki)) [jaa-juk]
For 40 people, triple the ingredients
- 32 oz thick Greek yogurt ( or
32 oz “Danon” plain yogurt. if Danone version is used, make sure it is
drained in a cheesecloth overnight and add ½ cup sour cream as well))
- 2 medium cucumbers peeled and
finely diced
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1
tsp. salt, more or less to taste
Juice
of 1 ½ lemons
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
well
- 1/2 cup fresh dill weed, finely
chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves,
finely chopped and 1 tsp. dried mint
- ½ tsp. dried oregano (optional)
PREPARATION:
1.
First,
whisk the yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice together to make a smooth mixture.
(The consistency should not be very thick but not runny either. It should stay
on the bread as a dip. If it is too thick you can add a little bit of water)
2.
Next
add the cucumbers, garlic and spices and mix thoroughly until smooth. Adjust
the spices to your taste.
It is best to refrigerate your cacık for a few hours before
serving. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over top before serving.
Terry’s Baklava
Syrup Mixture
For the Pastry:
1#
Filo (pastry sheets) thawed
3
Cups of finely chopped pecans (can use walnuts or almonds)
1/4 Cup of
sugar
1
Teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 Cup of
dried unseasoned bread crumbs (can use unseasoned Panko)
3
Sticks of butter (1 ½ Cups) melted discarding the milk solids
1. Have
everything ready for assembly before unwrapping the filo. Filo dries
out quickly so keep covered. Be careful not to get water on the filo.
2. Mix
nuts, bread crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Brush
a 9x13 baking pan with butter. Place 1 pastry sheet in the bottom of the
pan and lightly brush the top with butter. Place a second sheet on top of
the first sheet and lightly brush with butter again. Repeat until 6
layers of buttered pastry sheets have been built up. Sprinkle on a thin
layer of nut mixture. Keep repeating nut mixture and filo layers (4-6
sheets) until all the ingredients are used up. Adjust accordingly until
all the dry ingredients, butter and filo sheets are used up. Plan to end
up with about 6 or 7 layers of buttered pastry sheets on top and brushing with
remaining butter. Typically a box of filo has two packages with about
twenty sheets in each. You should use all forty sheets for this
recipe. Don’t worry if they tear or if two sheets stick together…it’s ok.
4. Refrigerate
for about 30 minutes to an hour to firm up before cutting. Using a sharp
paring knife make six or seven cuts the length of the pan cutting all the
through the pastry to the bottom of the pan.. Then make diagonal cuts to
form triangle pieces (~1”x1 1/2”). Smaller is generally better.
Bake in a moderate (350º) oven for about 1 hour or until golden. If it
starts browning too quickly you can loosely cover with aluminum
foil. While the pastry is baking make the syrup mixture.
(see page 2)
1 1/2 Cups of honey
1 1/2 Cups of sugar
1
Cup of water
Juice from a small lemon (can use
two Tablespoons of lemon juice)
1. Bring
honey, sugar, lemon, and water to a rolling boil for five minutes or until
slightly thickened. Be careful to stir and watch to avoid boil over.
2. Remove
the pastry from the oven when done and pour syrup mixture over pastry.
When cooled serve in foil cup cake liners. I find the paper ones
stick/leak.
Israeli Tabouli
Total
Time: 28 min Prep: 20 min Cook: 8 min
Yield: 4
servings Level: Easy
• 1 cup Israeli couscous
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 scallions, chopped
Bring a
medium-size saucepan of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the
couscous and cook until al dente, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the couscous and set
aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and
zest with the olive oil to make a vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. In a large serving bowl, mix together the couscous, parsley, cilantro, mint,
tomatoes, and scallions. Toss with the vinai2rette and season to taste. Allow
it to sit for at least a half hour so the flavors can marry.
Barb’s
modifications: Tabouli – no mint or cilantro and I used fresh
chives instead of scallions since I have them growing outside.
Sweet and Sour Brisket
(Israeli
Jewish braised brisket)
Slow-braised brisket is a traditional part of Passover and Rosh Hashanah meals and other family gatherings in many Jewish households. Most Jewish brisket recipes have a sweet-sour flavor to the braising liquid.
For Jews in the United States, ketchup is a common ingredient in the sauce, as are different types of soda pop. We have kept the ketchup for this version. The soda pop is up to you.
6 to 8 servings
I Ingredients
• Beef brisket, trimmed of excess fat -5 to 6 pounds
• Salt and pepper --to season
• Oil -1/4 cup
• Onions, sliced -3
• Garlic -6 whole cloves
• Kosher red wine --1 cup
• Beef broth -3 cups
• Ketchup -1 cup
• Salt and pepper -to taste
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat the brisket dry with paper towels and season it liberally with salt and pepper. Add the oil to the roasting pan and heat it over medium-high flame on the stovetop. Brown the brisket on all sides in the hot oil and remove to a plate.
2. Drain off all but about 3 tablespoons of the oil and add the sliced onions. Saute the onions until they are transparent and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Pour in the red wine and let it cook down somewhat, stirring with a spoon to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in the beef broth, ketchup, salt and pepper. Add back the beef brisket, moisten the top with some of the liquid and cover the pan with foil. Set the pan in the oven and braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. If you like, remove the pan halfway through and flip the brisket over so both sides braise in the liquid.
4. Remove the brisket to a cutting board, slice thinly against the grain and place the slices on a serving platter. Strain the pan juices, adjust seasoning and pour over sliced brisket.
Variations
·
Braising
Liquid Variations: There are endless variations you can make to the braising
liquid. Just make sure you have 4 to 5 cups of liquid altogether so the beef
braises properly. Substitute 1 cup ginger ale or cola for the red wine.
Substitute 1/2 cup cider vinegar for some of the beef broth. Instead of
ketchup, use 1 cup of chili sauce for extra kick.
·
For
a Sweeter Brisket: Add 1 cup brown sugar to the braising liquid. For Rosh
Hashanah, use 3/4 cup honey. For Thanksgiving, try 1 cup of cranberry sauce.
·
Brisket
can easily be made a day in advance and reheated before serving. It will
actually improve in flavor overnight.
·
The
brisket can be marinated overnight in the braising ingredients if you like.
Remove the brisket from the marinade and pat it dry before you try to brown it.
Barb’s
modification: used Coca Cola and
ketchup option
Sweet Lokshen Kugel
Ingredients
1 cup
raisins (optional) - you may substitute other fruits like craisins, dried
chopped apricots, or chopped drained pineapple 12 oz wide egg noodles
6 large
eggs
1 lb
sour cream (2 cups)
8 oz
cottage cheese (1 cup)
8 oz
cream cheese, softened (1 cup)
1 cup
sugar
1/4 cup
unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp
salt
Cinnamon
and sugar for dusting
Nonstick
cooking oil spray
1. Place a rack in the middle of
your oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
2.
Cover
the raisins with hot water and let them soak to plump while you prepare the
other ingredients.
3.
Bring
a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot, bring back to a
boil, and let them cook till tender (not overly soft), about 5 minutes. Drain
and return the cooked noodles to the pot.
4.
In
a food processor or blender, mix together the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese,
cream cheese, sugar, melted butter, and salt.
5.
Pour
the egg mixture over the cooked noodles in the pot and stir till well combined.
6.
Drain
the raisins and pat dry. Stir them into the noodles.
7.
Spray
a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking oil. Pour the noodle mixture into
the dish.
8.
Top
the kugel by sprinkling generously with sugar and lightly with cinnamon.
Alternatively, you can use your favorite kugel topping (streusel, crushed
graham crackers, cornflakes, etc.).
9.
Bake
the kugel for about 60 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking, till the
center of the kugel is set and the tips of the noodles turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven.
10. Let the kugel rest for 15-20
minutes before slicing. Kugel can be served warm or cold.
Abilene Chuck Wagon Stew
Provisions
3 lbs. lean top of rump, or beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2 inch
pieces
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of brown gravy (brown demi-glace or brown sauce to you
Yankees)
1 cup of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of beef extract
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley
1 small bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup of chopped celery
2 cups of carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium potatoes, quartered
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1 medium can of green peas, drained
Brown salted and peppered beef cubes in large heavy kettle
in melted butter
When meat is browned on all sides, add brown sauce; tomato
sauce; beef extract and bring to boil
Correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste
Add Worcestershire sauce; parsley; crushed bay leaf; thyme
and celery
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes
Add carrots; onion; potatoes and garlic
If sauce is too thick, add a bit of water from the canteen
Cover and simmer slowly for 2 hours, or until the meat is
tender
Remove kettle from heat and let stand for 10 minutes
Remove any fat that rises to the surface
Add green peas to the hot kettle and serve
Serves 6 hungry cowboys
Balsamic
Marinated White Beans
·
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
·
2 cups cooked dried
white beans
·
1/4 cup extra virgin
olive oil
·
3 tablespoons balsamic
vinegar
·
1 tablespoon minced
shallots
·
1 teaspoon minced
garlic
·
1 tablespoon finely
chopped parsley leaves
·
Salt
·
Freshly ground black
pepper
Directions
·
In a mixing combine
all the ingredients together. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and
let stand for at least 1 hour.
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
45 mins
Total time
55 mins
Ingredients
- · 4 eggs
- · 1 cup sugar
- · ½ cup olive oil
- · ½ cup Meyer lemon juice
- · 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- · ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- · 1 cup flour
- · ½ teaspoon baking powder
- · ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Oil a
9-10" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set oven to
350ºF.
2. Whip
eggs and sugar together on high speed until fluffy and very pale, almost white
(about 5 minutes).
3. Turn
speed to low and stream in oil, lemon juice and zest and vanilla (I mix these
all together in a large measuring cup with a spout and pour them in).
4. Whisk
flour and dry ingredients together and fold these in by hand. The mixture will
be very fluffy and foamy.
5. Pour
into prepared springform pan and bake 350 for 45 minutes. The top will become
quite brown, as will the edges.
6. Allow
to cool 30 minutes in the pan, then unhook and remove from pan, cool completely
on a rack.
7. Cake
keeps at room temperature, covered, for up to 7 days without suffering loss of
texture or quality.
Notes
Meyer lemons come into season November-January in the US.
Regular lemons can also be used if Meyer can't be found.
NO KNEAD BREAD
This No Knead Bread recipe is from Bittman/Lahey and made
its rounds on the web a couple years back.
Although we've made it many times in many variations; this is the
original recipe I picked it up on www.breadtopia.com and you can view it there
in both a long and short version. I've
never had a failure from day one; however, I have found a couple of things that
make it easier to do. Here are the
ingredients for the most common size loaf I make. You can reduce or expand using the same
ratios. Since I have a fairly large cast
iron pot with a lid I make a 4 cup recipe.
If you have a smaller 5-7 quart vessel you may wish to reduce by
25%-50%.
4 cups of All Trumps Bread Flour or King Arthur Bread
flour (you can use any bread flour)
2 teaspoons of regular table salt (a little less if
you’re on restricted sodium)
3/8 teaspoon of dry yeast (any brand)
2 cups of warm water (maybe a few tablespoon or so more
as needed)
This ratio makes a very large loaf of bread and you may
wish to cut in half unless you have a very large baking vessel. The basic ratio is one cup of flour to ½
teaspoon of salt, to a scant 1/8 teaspoon of dry yeast and ½ cup of water per
cup of flour (sometimes a little more water) works for any size loaf. I mix the dry ingredients, add the water,
stir until the flour is incorporated and let rise for about 18-24 hours. This is a wetter dough than typical bread and
looks ‘stringy’ when first mixed. For
the second rise I turn out the mixture onto a heavily floured surface and shape
into an oval loaf seam side down.
I do an ‘oval’ shape since that’s the shape of my baking vessel. You could use a round shape for a round pan. I let the second rise go for about 2 hours
on a piece of parchment paper. The
parchment paper is a huge help in lifting the risen loaf to place in the baking
vessel. Right before baking I score the
top with a serrated knife just for appearance.
For a baking vessel I have a very large oval shaped cast iron Dutch
oven. You can also use a ceramic
liner/lid from a slow cooker. I don’t
see why you could not use most any metal or clay type baking vessel. I preheat the oven with the baking container
to 500º F. before putting in the newly risen loaf. The four cup recipe makes a two pound loaf.
Things I think I've learned:
1. I've tried many different flours included all
purpose and they all seem to work. I do
like All Trumps the best and I get it at Costco for ~$12 for a twenty-five
pound bag. If they don’t have All Trumps
I’ve had good luck with the Con Agra bread flour. All purpose flour does not work nearly as
well. I would stick with any bread flour
that you have.
2. We like the dry yeast since the shelf life is
long, it's easily stored and it's cheaper than the cake type. I open the small foil package take what I
need and put a paper clip on what's left for future use. The amount of yeast does not appear critical.
3. After a brief mix of the dry ingredients it
really only takes a minute or two of stirring in the water. If you watch the video's you'll see a lot of
discussion about weighing the flour verses scooping. It only matters somewhat since the water/flour
ratio determines the consistency. I
would describe the consistency as a very tight ‘stringy’ batter rather than a soft
bread ball. At the end of the second
rise it should look even wetter than when you first mixed it. The first time I made it I was not prepared
for just how wet it was and had gooey, sticky batter all over more hands and
was ready to give up. I flopped it into
the baking vessel and figured I'd just throw it out later. Although it was not a picture perfect loaf
the flavor and texture of that first experience suggested this was really worth
doing again.
4. Now that I've learned how deal with the texture
(using heavily floured surface and floured hands) it is very easy to form into
a loaf. Letting the newly formed loaf
rise on a piece of parchment paper makes the process of getting the loaf into a
500º pan a lot easier and safer.
5. Baking time depends on the oven. Our oven set at 500º cooks the loaf covered
for 26-30 minutes and another 3-5 minutes uncovered. You should go by how it looks since each oven
may cook differently. I like it to have
a golden or dark crust. A good bread
knife is necessary to cut the bread. Try
to let it cool at least 30 minutes before cutting (sometimes hard to do). If the bread is too warm it will not cut
well.
6. They say the secret of this method is to use
a baking vessel; however, we've tried it on a pizza stone in an open oven
and gotten almost the same results. I
did have to place a piece of aluminum foil over the loaf about half way through
the baking in order to prevent to top crust from getting too dark. I've only done it this way one time; but, I
think it works. It probably helps to
reduce the oven temperature to 450º in an ‘open’ oven when not using a closed
baking container.
7. The length of time for rising seems to be very
flexible. If I'm short of time I just
look for a little warmer spot to let it rise faster. If I want to stretch the time I put it in the
frig. I've actually let it sit in the
frig after forming the loaf in the morning and brought it out later in the
afternoon to finish warming up and rising for the second time. Most everything I've tried seems to work.
8. This is a very flexible recipe and makes the best
focaccia. You simply turn out the
bread on the floured surface and shape into a large round. A little oil or flour on your hands keeps it
from sticking. Finish shaping the round
in a oiled (EVO) pizza type pan and let rise for about two hours. Dimple the risen dough with your fingers; add
more EVO and your favorite topping.
We've used spinach with garlic oil and parmesan cheese, or marinated
artichoke hearts, or basil tomato and mozzarella, or whatever...and they all
have turned out great. I use a cooler
oven (~400º) for focaccia. Sometimes I
cover it half way with a sheet of foil to prevent it from becoming too dark or
drying out. I've even baked it on an
outside covered gas grill with chunks of wood thrown on to simulate a 'wood
fired over'. I make mini ones in a cast
iron skillet for Pat and myself or make huge ones in some very large cast iron
cookware that I have. It’s always a big
hit. The longer you let the second rise
go the softer will be the crust. I like
at least two hours for the second rise and I’ve let it go for more than three
hours with good results. I bake it until
the bottom has a nice color to the crust.
A little olive oil on the pan gives a nice crisp crust.
9. You can also make rolls by simple cutting the
dough after the first rise. I’ve not had
much luck trying to make bread sticks or baguettes since the dough doesn’t seem
to stretch well into that shape. I have
made an extra thick focaccia that we’ve sliced into a huge sandwich that can be
cut into portions.
I have a whole grain version that is exceptional and it
is attached. Neither version has any
kind of 'shelf life'; but, it does toast well and probably would make some
great croutons.
We saw during the Olympics a Georgian egg and cheese
bread called Khachapuri that I would like to try and make. If you ‘google’ the name for images you’ll
see what I mean. I think I could make a
big focaccia style bread in one of my cast iron pans and top it with a blend of
mozzarella and feta cheese and five or six minutes before completed baking I
could make some nests in the molten cheese and add some eggs and then finish
baking. I think it would make a great
brunch item.
I love cast iron pans and bake ware. I have a large cast iron pan with a lid that
I bake most of my bread in. It’s oval
shaped about 18 inches long and 6-7 inches deep. Although I prefer Lodge cast iron stuff; Lodge
does not make one of these shapes. My
sister purchased something similar from Amazon and Bayou Classic. I have several of my Mom’s old Griswold cast
iron skillets and a cast iron pizza pan from Lodge. I also have the 17” cast iron skillet Lodge
that I love. These are all terrific for
focaccia and pizza. A friend uses the
crock liner from an old crock pot as a baking vessel. Any large Dutch oven (aluminum or cast iron)
should work provided the handle (knob) will take the 500 degree oven
temperature. If you only have a small
container; make a small loaf. This is a
technique and not a recipe don’t be afraid to make changes.
Whole Grain Bread
2 Cups All Trumps Bread
Flower
1/2 Cup Oat Flour (rolled
oats pulsed in food processor)
1/3 Cup Cracked Wheat (I
use Wheatena)
1/4 Cup White Corn Meal
1 and ½ teaspoons of Salt
1/8 Cup of Ground Flax
Seed
1/2 Cup of Sun flower
Seeds
3/8 Teaspoon of Yeast (fairly dense bread a little
extra yeast helps)
1 and 3/4 Cups of Water
Oiled bowl for first
rise. Turn out onto parchment paper for
the second rise
Use the normal ‘No Knead’
Technique
You can substitute most
any type of whole grains/flour. I’ve
found that you do need at least 50% of the total to be regular or bread flour. Rather than mixing up all these various
grains I typically fill a large empty coffee can of oat flour, flax seed,
cracked wheat, corn meal, sun flower seeds and whatever kind of grain you’d
like. I use one cup of ‘grain mix’ to two
or three cups of white flour and follow the balance of the instructions. You can add whatever grains and flours you’d
like. I typically like to stay with
50-70% of regular or bread flour or it gets too heavy.
Green Olive Tapenade
Cerignola and Castelvetrano olives are big, briny, meaty, and sweet. If unavailable, use other types, or simplify with just one.
Ingredients
Makes approx. 3 cups
· 10 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
· 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted, crushed
· 1 cup Cerignola olives, pitted, crushed
· 1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
· 1 cup olive oil
· ¼ cup coarsely chopped, drained capers
· 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
· ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
· Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Mix anchovies, both types of olives, parsley, oil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large jar or medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Do Ahead: Tapenade can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill
KISIR (Turkish Style “Tabbouleh”)
Ingredients:
2 cups of fine bulgur (cracked wheat)
2 cups boiled water
2 heaping tbsp. tomato paste
3 heaping tbsp. pepper paste
¾ cup good extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Lemon juice
5 tbsp. Pomegranate molasses
2 tsp Salt--more or less to taste
1 tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Cumin
1 tbsp. Red flakes - optional (preferably Turkish “Isot” [ee-saut] pepper)
Veggies:
3 medium tomatoes
3 medium cucumbers
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
2 yellow pepper
7-8 spring onions
1 bunch finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. fresh coarsely chopped mint
Directions:
1- Place the bulgur in a large bowl and mix in salt, cumin, paprika and black pepper.
2-Add the boiling water moistening all of the bulgur. (Just a little bit of covering on top is good enough) Do NOT mix it-- even if water didn’t touch some parts!
3-Cover the bowl immediately and set aside for 20 minutes for the bulgur to absorb all the water. Once done, fluff the bulgur with your fork to remove any crumbles.
4-Mix pepper paste, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice in a separate bowl. Add the mixture to the rested bulgur mix. Fluff it up and mix all well.
5-Add the veggies... tomatoes, green, red and yellow pepper; cucumber, green onion, parsley and mint.
6- Add red pepper/flakes and mix all ingredients well again.
7-Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Karidopita
Greek Walnut Cake
Karidopita (kah-ree-THOH-pee-tah) is a moist and flavorful walnut cake that is flavored with cinnamon and bathed in sweet syrup. It’s a great cake to make ahead because it will keep well covered and at room temperature.
What You'll Need
For the cake:
7 eggs
1-cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. brandy or cognac
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground (plus more for topping if desired)
For the syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1 small piece cinnamon stick
Juice of 1/2 lemon (strained)
How to Make It
Note: It may seem unusual to be using self-rising flour together with baking powder and soda, but I tried it and it worked well, producing a light and airy cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 rectangular baking pan or a similarly sized round pan. If you’d like, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment to make it easier to remove the pieces.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs until they are a light yellow color, about 5 minutes. Add the oil, milk, and sugar and mix well. Add cognac, lemon zest, cinnamon and clove and mix until just incorporated.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda.
With the mixer on lowest speed, incorporate the flour into the batter. Stir in the ground walnuts and turn off the mixer once the ingredients are combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in to the center of the cake comes out dry.
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water and cinnamon stick and bring to a low boil. Simmer uncovered for ten minutes until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the lemon juice.
Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Remove the cake from the oven and carefully pour the cooled syrup over the warm cake.
This cake is traditionally topped with more chopped walnuts, but that is optional.
YIELD: 4-5 SERVINGS
MULLED WINE
Spiced mulled wine is a winter favorite — warm, flavorful, and
always so comforting!
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINS
PREP TIME: 5 MINS
COOK TIME: 15 MINS
INGREDIENTS:
·
1 (750 ml) bottle of dry red wine
·
1 orange, sliced into rounds
·
1/4 cup brandy (optional)
·
1/4 cup honey or sugar
·
8 whole cloves
·
2 cinnamon sticks
·
2 star anise
·
optional garnishes: citrus slices (orange, lemon and/or lime),
extra cinnamon sticks, extra star anise
DIRECTIONS:
Combine
all ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan, and bring to a simmer (not a boil
because you don’t want to boil the alcohol away!) over medium-high heat.
Reduce
heat to medium-low, and let the wine simmer for at least 15 minutes or up to 3
hours
Strain,
and serve warm with your desired garnishes.
* You
can also place the oranges, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise in cheesecloth.
Then simply strain and pull out the bundle when ready to serve.
Spaghetti All' Ubriaco
(Drunken Spaghetti)
Ingredients
2 quarts water
2 bottles inexpensive
(but drinkable) red wine, plus ½ cup for the pan
1 lb. thick spaghetti or linguine
2 large cloves of garlic, or four small cloves
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Peperoncino, or dried red pepper flakes to taste, optional
1/4 cup chopped, flat-leaf Italian parsley
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 lb. thick spaghetti or linguine
2 large cloves of garlic, or four small cloves
2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Peperoncino, or dried red pepper flakes to taste, optional
1/4 cup chopped, flat-leaf Italian parsley
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
Procedure
Add the water and red wine to a 6-quart stock pot and place it over medium-high
heat. Season the liquid generously with kosher salt and cover the pot to bring
it to a boil.In the meantime, peel the garlic and slice it. Place the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to fit the pasta and place it over low heat to slowly melt the butter.
When the water and wine come to a boil, add your spaghetti; stirring as needed to engulf the pasta in the liquid. As the spaghetti cooks, stir it often to prevent it from sticking.
Add the garlic to the pan and wait for it to come to a sizzle. Add the optional peperoncino for some heat, if you like and stir the garlic, keeping the heat low to prevent it from scorching.
When the garlic is toasted pale and sizzling, add the additional ½ cup of red wine and a generous splash of the pasta cooking water to the pan and turn up the heat until the liquid simmers.
Test the spaghetti for doneness. When it is al dente, transfer it to the sauté pan along with the parsley. Keep cooking the spaghetti in the juices, tossing and shaking the pan until the liquid is absorbed.
Serve immediately on warm plates. The pasta is delicious without grated cheese, but you can grate a bit of Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top if you like.
Serves 4
Tapenade aux Figues et Aux Noix avec Fromage de Chevre
(Fig and Walnut Tapenade with Goat Cheese)
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped, stemmed, dried Calimyrna figs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped, pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon drained capers
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh thyme
2 5.5-ounce logs goat cheese
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
¼ cup toasted walnut halves
Fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh baguette
Instructions:
Combine chopped figs and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates, and figs are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Mix in olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers and chopped thyme.
With a hand-held blender, lightly blend the ingredients. There should still be visible pieces of fig, olives, and a few capers. At this point the tapenade can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Just before serving, stir in the walnut pieces.
To serve, simply place the tapenade on a platter and top with the walnut halves. Cut rounds of goat cheese and place next to the tapenade. Garnish with sprigs of fresh thyme if desired. Serve with baguette.
Crevettes Sautées au Citron
(Shrimp Sauté with Garlic and Lemon)
2 lb. medium raw shrimp
2 cloves garlic, minced
The zest of 1/2 lemon, minced
Dash salt
2 tablespoons parsley
5 tablespoons oil
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 drops soy sauce
Dash pepper
2 tablespoons fresh dill or 1/4 teaspoons dried dill weed
Peel, clean, and wash shrimp and pat dry.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and lemon zest and toss for several seconds. Add shrimp and toss (swirling pan by handle) over high heat for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp have curled and feel springy to touch.
Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Then toss with 2 tablespoons oil, parsley, and dill. Brown under broiler to heat through before serving. Serves 6.
Salade Nicoise
Makes 1 cup.
§ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
§ ¼ cup red wine vinegar
§ 1 teaspoon sugar
§ ½ teaspoon salt
§ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
§ Minced fresh parsley and/or snipped fresh chives, to taste
§ ½ cup olive oil
1. Measure the mustard into a bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and herbs.
2. Continue to whisk the mixture while slowly dribbling in the olive oil until the mixture thickens. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Cover until ready to use. (Vinaigrette is best if made just before it is to be used.) If necessary, whisk again before serving.
For the Salad
Makes 6 to 8 portions.
§ 8 new potatoes (about 1 pound), well scrubbed
§ 2 pounds green beans, cooked
§ 10 very ripe Italian plum tomatoes, washed and quartered
§ 1 small purple onion, peeled and thinly sliced
§ ½ cup niçoise olives
§ ¼ cup chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
§ Pinch of salt
§ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
§ 6 hard-cooked eggs, shelled and quartered lengthwise
§ 12 ounces canned oil-packed white tuna, well drained
§ 2 ounces anchovy fillets (optional)
1. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, quarter the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
2. Add the green beans, tomatoes, onion, olives, parsley, a pinch of salt, and the pepper. Pour ½ cup of the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss gently but well.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large serving platter. Arrange the salad informally, or as follows: Place the hard-cooked egg quarters around the edge of the platter. Flake the tuna over the salad and arrange the anchovy fillets, if you use them, over the tuna. Drizzle another quarter cup of the vinaigrette and serve at room temperature.
Strawberry-Lemon Shortbread Bars
By: Julianna Underwood
1.5 cup flour
1/5 10x sugar
3/4 t lemon zest
3/4 cup cold butter
2 8 oz pkg cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 lg eggs
1 T lemon juice
1 cup strawberry preserves
garnish with fresh strawberries
oven 350 degrees
Mix flour, sugar 1/2 t of the lemon zest and butter until soft enough to press into a 9x12 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool enough to spread the strawberry preserves on top.
Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until blended after each addition. Add fresh lemon juice and remaining 1/4 t of zest. Spread cream cheese mixture over the strawberry preserves. Bake 350 for 28-32 more minutes until set. Let cook 1 hr and cover and chill, 4-8 hrs.
BOBOTIE
This looked like meatloaf with egg on top, so I wasn’t in a hurry to try it. It must have tasted better than it looked because when I reached for a taste, it was all gone. Whew!
Ingredients: Minced lamb and/or beef, quantity unspecified; I used hamburger
Butter and vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 onions, chopped (I used big white ones)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic (fresh of course)
1 tablespoon curry powder (I used a yellow one)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 slices of bread in crumbs (I used Dave’s Killer Bread—probably not what they had in mind)
1/4 cup of milk (I used whole)
Finely grated rind plus juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt; unspecified amount of ground black pepper (I was generous)
3 oz. of chopped dried apricots
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped (I do not peel apples—that’s where the good stuff is)
6 lemon, orange or bay leaves (interesting choice; I only had bay)
1/4 cup of sultana golden raisins and 1-1/2 oz. of slivered almonds, roasted in a frying pan (I did not see these ingredients because they were on the flip side of the paper and consequently were missing from the one you ate the other night)
Topping: 1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1. Butter a large casserole.
2. Heat the butter and oil and fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
3. Mix in the curry powder and turmeric and fry briefly until it is “fragrant.”
4. Take the pot off the heat and mix in the meat.
5. In a separate bowl, combine everything else except the leaves and the topping.
6. Now mix that in with the meat/onion and pack the whole thing into the casserole.
7. Poke the leaves into it at intervals and level the top. Seal with foil.
So here’s the deal. Cook for 1-1/4 hours at 160. Your oven won’t go that low? Mine doesn’t either. So I set it at 170. Turns out that’s centigrade, so ignore that and set it to 325 FAHRENHEIT or else like me you’ll be scrambling at the last minute to make up for the undercooking and cook it to death. Maybe that’s why they invented the topping, which you might end up doubling if your casserole is that big or you just want more egg. After that 1-1/4 hours at 325, push the temperature to 400—yes, FAHRENHEIT. Mix the topping, pour it on the meat, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until cooked and lightly browned. For some reason, mine took more time…
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SOSATIES
If you want to torture the people you live with—and who doesn’t?—make this. You cook the marinade and soak the meat for 2-3 days before you cook it, and the smell is out-of-this-world good.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup of apricot jam
1/3 cup of vinegar (white wine or rice wine)
1/4 cup of water
4 or more tablespoons of curry powder (I used red)
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
3-5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 pounds of trimmed boneless leg of lamb cut into 1” cubes (good luck with that!) (I’m going to try it with beef)
optional addition of thinner pork cubes or even thick-cut bacon
20 dried apricots
1 sweet onion
optional secret ingredient, like cloves, ginger, buttermilk, lemon (I skipped this) (really)
1. Mix everything that comes before the lamb on the list together in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then let it simmer at low heat for 5 min.
2. Let it cool!
3. Put the lamb in a large glass baking dish, add the marinade, and make sure it’s coated evenly.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 3 days. It will drive you crazy. You can just do a few hours in a pinch, but ooh-la-la!
5. An hour before you’re ready to grill, soak the apricots in boiling water to plump; dry before using.
6. Soak wooden skewers in water. Or use metal. Or even a grill pan or basket. Heck, you can even broil the stuff if you’re desperate and it’s raining on your grill.
7. Thread the meat, onion chunks, and apricots onto the skewers and grill over high heat for no more than 15 min., turning and basting occasionally.
8. Don’t expect leftovers.
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TOMATO BREDIE
The recipe calls for bones, but that just makes it hard to eat. I think it was just delightful with the rest of the leg-of-lamb cubes.
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I used olive)
3-1/2 pounds of lamb or mutton breast chops, chopped into portions (see above)
2 tablespoons of cake flour (all-purpose worked just fine)
1 large onion, chopped
2-1/4 pounds of fresh tomatoes, chopped (I used those “cocktail” tomatoes on the vine from Costco)
1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
6 whole white peppercorns (I used black so they could be seen, just in case)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of brown sugar (I used dark)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 dash of Worcester sauce
1 beef bullion cube (I cheated and used beef stock)
2 medium potatoes, quartered (I used Idaho bakers cut a bit smaller)
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet.
2. Dredge the meat in the flour then brown it in the oil.
3. Stir in the onions and cook until soft.
4. At this point, I transferred everything to my big crockpot and added the rest of the ingredients except the potatoes. I set it to low for 1-1/4 hours, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing stuck.
5. Add the potatoes and keep cooking for 45 min. or until the potatoes are tender and the liquid is soup-thick.
6. Lap it up and scrape down the sides of the bowl (and the crockpot!) with Terry’s fabulous bread.
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PAP
This is the bland stuff you serve with the spicy stuff. Not Atkins-friendly.
Traditional Ingredients: 12 cups of light chicken stock
9 oz. of butter
3 cups of maize meal
salt to taste
1. In a large saucepan, heat the stock to boiling. Add the butter and let it melt.
2. Gradually rain in all the maize, stirring constantly. Lower the heat to medium and keep stirring/cooking until it thickens.
3. Lower the heat. When it starts to pull away from the sides (about 5-10 min.), it’s done. Salt to taste.
OR
Potato/cornmeal PAP, the one I made.
Ingredients: 2-3 cups of cornmeal
3-4 cups of water
3 potatoes
1 tablespoon of oil (olive)
1 tablespoon of salt
1. Scrub and dice the potatoes. (It says to peel them. I did not. Not only is the nutrition in the peel, but this is South African food we’re talking about. I like to keep the brown in there with all that white.)
2. Cook the potatoes in the oil, water and salt until they are mashable.
3. Mash ‘em. In the pot.
4. Stir in the cornmeal and cook for 5 minutes until done. Serve hot with SOMETHING that will add some flavor!
German green beans feature crisp-tender green beans warmed in a sweet and sour sauce with bacon, onions, cider vinegar and brown sugar. Healthy and delicious.
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 8 min.
Servings: 4
Calories: 166
Ingredients:
1 1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
4 slices bacon, diced
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp low carb brown sugar (or just brown sugar for not low carb)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp whole grain mustard
Instructions:
Trim the beans. Chop the onions, and dice the bacon.
1. Cook the green beans until tender. I steam mine in the microwave, but use your favorite method. Drain well once cooked.
Procedure
1. While the beans cook, put the bacon in a medium-large pan over medium heat. Let the bacon cook for 4 minutes until almost crispy. Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften.
2. Add the cider vinegar, water and sugar to the bacon and onions and stir. Reduce slightly. Measure the whole grain mustard into the pan.
3. Lastly, add the green beans and stir to coat and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like lots of pepper because it brings out a nice savory flavor. Serve hot.
Sauerbraten
In large bowl or crock, combine 2 medium onions sliced, 1/2 lemon sliced, 2 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar, 12 whole cloves, 6 bay leaves, 6 whole peppercorns, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Add one 4-pound beef rump roast, turning to coast. Cover and refrigerate and 36 hours; turn meat at least twice daily. Remove meat; wipe dry. Strain; reserve marinade.
In Dutch over, brown meat in 2 tablespoons hot shortening; add strained marinade. Cover and cook slowly 2 hours or till tender. Remove meat. For each cup of gravy: Combine 3/4 cup meat juices and 1/4 cup water; add 1/3 cup broken gingersnaps. Cook and stir until think. Serves 10. (Marinate 24 hours for best results.)
Mulligatawny Soup Recipe
Chicken and Smoked-Sausage Gumbo
Ingredient Checklist
3 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen sliced okra
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 15-ounce can)
1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/2 pound smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup long-grain rice
Directions
Instructions Checklist
Step 1
In a large stainless-steel pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
3 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 10-ounce package frozen sliced okra
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (one 15-ounce can)
1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1/2 pound smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup long-grain rice
Directions
Instructions Checklist
Step 1
In a large stainless-steel pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the okra, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the broth and the smoked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Put a mound of rice in the center of each bowl. Ladle the gumbo around the rice.
Suggested Pairing
No region of the wine world is producing more exciting wine bargains than the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Try any one of their sturdy reds with this hearty gumbo.
Stir in the broth and the smoked sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken and cook until just done, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the rice and boil until just done, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Put a mound of rice in the center of each bowl. Ladle the gumbo around the rice.
Suggested Pairing
No region of the wine world is producing more exciting wine bargains than the Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Try any one of their sturdy reds with this hearty gumbo.
Spicy White Bean and Chicken Chili Recipe
Serves 6
1 lb small white beans
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 extra-large onion
8 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 4-oz. cans dices green chilies
5 1/4 cups canned unsalted chicken broth
1 cup white wine
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, well trimmed, cut into strips
sour cream
fresh chopped cilantro
Step 1
Soak beans overnight in enough cold water to cover. Drain.
Step 2
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and
sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin and oregano and cook
1 minute. Mix in beans and chilies, then chicken broth and water.
Simmer until beans are very tender and chili is creamy, about 1 hour 45
minutes or less.(Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Return to
simmer before continuing.)
Step 3
Add chicken to chili and stir until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Ladle chili into bowls. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro.
1/2 pound of fresh kale or collard greens
4 ounces linguica or chorizo or any other garlic seasoned smoked pork sausage
1 pound potatoes, peeled and sliced
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
Wash greens and remove stems. Bunch the leaves together and shred them into fine strips. Set
aside.
Place sausage in small skillet and prick in two or three places with point of a knife. Add enough
water to cover them and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.
Drain and slice into rounds and set aside.
Combine potatoes, water and salt in 4 to 5 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to moderate and cook uncovered until potatoes can be easily mashed against the side
of the pot with a fork. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a bowl and mash them with a
fork. Return to the liquid in the pot, add the greens and pepper. Simmer for a few minutes
uncovered. Drop in the reserved sausages and simmer for a minute or two more to heat through.
Serve with a dollop of good fruity olive oil.
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BROA (Portuguese Corn Bread)
1/2 cup warm milk
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup stoneground (fine) yellow cornmeal
2 cups bread flour (can use all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix water and milk together in a bowl, sprinkle with yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix cornmeal, flour and
salt in work bowl of food processor or stand mixer. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and mix to form a firm and
moist, but not sticky dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Put dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat dough, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch
down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape into a round loaf. Place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and cover with a dish towel. Proof until
doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Place old metal pan on bottom floor of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray dough with water and dust
with cornmeal. Pour about 2 cups of water into hot pan to create steam. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and
hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Internal temperature should be approximately 200 degrees.
1/2 cup warm milk
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup stoneground (fine) yellow cornmeal
2 cups bread flour (can use all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix water and milk together in a bowl, sprinkle with yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. Mix cornmeal, flour and
salt in work bowl of food processor or stand mixer. Add yeast mixture and olive oil and mix to form a firm and
moist, but not sticky dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Put dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat dough, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch
down and let rest for 10 minutes.
Shape into a round loaf. Place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and cover with a dish towel. Proof until
doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Place old metal pan on bottom floor of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray dough with water and dust
with cornmeal. Pour about 2 cups of water into hot pan to create steam. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden and
hollow sounding when tapped underneath. Internal temperature should be approximately 200 degrees.
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