proscuitto and apples

Apple-prosciutto chicken

Categories: Italian Poultry Chicken
Yield: 4 servings

4		Boned skinless chicken
		Breast halves (about 1 lb.
		Total)
4		Slices prosciutto or
		Boiled ham
½	cup	Finely chopped apple
⅛	teaspoon	Apple pie spice
		Apple pie spice
2	tablespoon	Finely chopped green onion
1	tablespoon	Margarine or butter
1	tablespoon	All-purpose flour
⅔	cup	Skim milk
½	cup	Shredded provolone
		Cheese (2 ounces)
		Hot cooked rice (optional)

Rinse chicken, pat dry. Place each breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound from the center to the edges with the flat side of a meat mallet till 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Place one prosciutto slice atop each breast half. Combine apple and 1/8 teaspoon pie spice. Place a fourth of the apple mixture on each breast. Fold in sides and roll up each half starting from a narrow end. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle with additional apple pie spice. Place in a 10x6x2 inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and no longer pink. Remove picks. In a small saucepan cook onion in margarine until tender. Stir in flour and dash pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in cheese till melted. Serve sauce over chicken rolls. Serve with rice or on a bed of rice, if desired.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Apple Compote and Fennel White Beans

This is a recipe I've done a few times now, and I've got the basic technique down. There is at least one thing necessary to this recipe to which you may or may not have access to: that's a good deli or butcher that can cut you tissue-thin slices of prosciutto. I suppose that you could substitute pre-packaged prosciutto, but my guess is that it won't be pliable enough to cling to the tenderloin. You have been warned. So:

For the Pork
1 pork tenderloin, around 3/4 lb.
5-6 tissue thin slices of prosciutto
1 tsp. dried marjoram, thyme, savory, etc.
salt/pepper
1 egg
1 tbs. water
1 cup bread crumbs.
2 tbs. butter

For the compote
2 tbs. butter
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1 poblano pepper, finely diced
1 small stalk celery, diced
1 tbs. grated fresh ginger (around a 1" piece)
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup water or chicken stock

For the Beans
1 can cannelini/great northern beans
1 small bulb fennel, diced, fronds reserved and minced.
1/2 small onion, diced
salt/pepper.
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbs. olive oil

Start with the pork. You need to lay the prosciutto out thusly:

Place the tenderloin on one edge of the prosciutto, season with salt, pepper, and whatever herb you decide to use. Then roll the tenderloin up, tucking the tail end in to create a more even thickness. Put the rolled tenderloin in the fridge.

Preheat your oven to 325°

Mix the egg with the water in a wide, shallow bowl, and put the breadcrumbs into a large plate as well.

Dredge the tenderloin in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat and brown the tenderloin on all sides. Pop it in the oven to finish cooking; it should take around 15 minutes.

After putting the wrapped tenderloin in the fridge, start the compote. Melt the butter on medium heat, then add the onion, celery and pepper, season with salt, and sweat for 5 minutes or so until softened. Add the apples, then deglaze with the wine. Let the wine cook down, then add the ginger, and water or stock and let the compote reduce on very low heat until it's thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

For the beans. Heat the oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and fennel. Cook on medium-low heat until softened, then add the drained and rinsed beans, along with the cream. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or so, then add the minced fennel fronds. Mash some of the beans with a spatula to make the dish more creamy.

Apple, Brie and Proscuitto Crepes

This is basically a classy way to make mini pizzas! You can experiment with many different toppings! These make a great addition to any weekend brunch!

1 recipe Basic Crepe Batter or prepared crepes
1 1/2 cups apple butter
1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
10 ounces Brie cheese, sliced, room temperature
1 bunch watercress, thick stems discarded
1/2 bunch fresh chives, cut in 1" pieces
Freshly ground black pepper

Make the crepes as indicated in the basic recipe. Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Lay the crepes on a flat surface. Smear the crepes with the apple butter, about 2 tablespoons each. Lay 3 slices of prosciutto in a single layer across the crepes and then add some apple slices. Drizzle a cookie sheet with a little oil and lay 2 crepes side by side on the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until crisp like a thin pizza. Take the crepes out of the oven and lay a few slices of the Brie on top so it melts slightly. Add handful of watercress, some chopped chives, and several turns of freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with some olive oil before serving.

rustic cherry pie

Rustic Cherry Pie

(note: I made a 1/2 recipe, and my pie came out to be about a 6 inch round. Since the dough is hard to work with, if you make a full batch, you may want to make 2 separate 6-inch pies)

Shortbread Crust
1 1/4 cups all -purpose flour
1/3 cups sugar
1 t lemon zest
1/4 t salt
8T butter, cold
1 egg yolk
sugar for the top

Filling
3 cups cherries, pitted and halved
2 T lemon juice
1 T sugar
1 t flour

Sift the flour and sugar into a medium sized bowl. Mix in the lemon zest and salt with a whisk. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture becomes course crumbs. Add in the egg, and mix with your fingertips until combined. Form into a ball. The dough will be crumbly, but if you can’t form it into a ball, add about up to 2 T of cold water, 1 teaspoon at a time. The more water you add, the less crumbly and less “shortbread” like your crust will become. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for up to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Mix the pitted cherries with the flour, sugar and lemon juice and set aside.

Roll out the crust into a round, a bit more than a 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured sheet of parchment. This dough is really tricky to work with as it likes to just crumble apart, so the parchment will help you move it to the baking sheet.

Pile the cherry mixture into the center of the dough, and then starting from one side, carefully fold up the dough around the cherries, and then move about 20 degrees and fold the next section up. Repeat until you’ve folded all the sides up. You are likely to have a lot of cracks. Pinch them together as best as you can… but don’t worry about them too much… this is a rustic tart. Then, carefully cut vents in the top of the tart and sprinkle the top with sugar.

Transfer the whole piece of parchment to a baking sheet, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown and you start to see juice bubbling out. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

devra's thought: can some of my other shortbread recipes (i.e., chocolate) be adapted to fit this when cherry season comes?

honey and fruit foccaccia

Honey & Fruit Focaccia
Makes 4 5 inch rounds

The Dough
1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1 T sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups flour
1 t salt

The Toppings
2 cups smooth skinned fruit, such as cherries, grapes or plums, halved with any stones removed
fresh rosemary
Honey for brushing
course sea salt

Combine the yeast, sugar and warm water. Give a quick stir and set aside for about 5 minutes to proof.

Move to the bowl of a mixer, and mix in the oil and salt. Mix in the flour one cup at a time. When all the flour has been added, switch to a dough hook if you have one, or remove from the mixer bowl and start kneading by hand. Continue until the dough is shiny and firm (about 3 minutes in the mixer or about 12 minutes by hand). Then, knead by hand, adding more flour if the dough is sticky, for another 5 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, and place dough in turning once, covering with plastic or a wet towel, and set in a warm place to rise for at least 1 hour. The dough should approximately double in size.

Punch down the dough, and divide into 4 pieces. On a floured surface, flatten the dough and roll out to about a 4 inch round. Flip the dough over, and press it lightly all over with your finger tips to make little dimples in the dough. Flip the dough and repeat. Do this two or three more times. Then, place on a baking tray. Repeat with the other 3 pieces of dough.

Cover each piece of dough with the fruit halves, skin side up, gently pushing each piece into the dough a touch, being careful not to crush it. Sprinkle the dough with a little bit of salt and the rosemary. Gently push these into the top of the dough as well. Cover with plastic again, and let sit in a warm place for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F. If you have a pizza stone, use it for a crispier crust.
Remove the plastic, and bake on the center rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and drizzle well with honey, using a pastry brush to cover the crust edges. Then, return to the oven and bake for about 5 more minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove from oven, and drizzle with a bit more honey and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

pork and beans

Cambodian Pork and Beans
(adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffery Alford and Naomi Duguid, page 238)

1/2 lb pork loin, thinly sliced for stir frying
1 T coconut oil (or peanut oil or lard)
4 cloves garlic
1 t cane sugar
1 T fish sauce
2 cups green beans
1/4 cup water
cilantro leaves, for garnish
scallions, for garnish
salt

After slicing the pork, lightly sprinkle with salt, cover, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or high sided heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir until the garlic has lightly browned. Add the pork to the pan, spreading out the pieces so that they are all touching the bottom of the pan. Add the sugar and a bit more salt. Let the pork sit on the first side for about a minute, and then flip the pieces, and sear on the other side. Splash in the fish sauce, and loosen the pork from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the green beans and the water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add a bit more salt, if needed.

Serve on rice or noodles, topped with chopped cilantro and scallions.

polenta with olive oil and poached eggs

Recipe: Buttery Polenta With Parmesan and Olive Oil Fried Eggs

Time: 25 minutes

4 1/2cups low-sodium broth or water

1 1/2cups polenta (not quick-cooking), coarse corn meal or corn grits

3/4teaspoon salt

2 to 4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

1 1-ounce chunk or 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 large eggs

Coarse sea salt for garnish.

1. In a large pot, bring broth or water to a simmer. Stir in the polenta and salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened to taste, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in butter and pepper; cover pot to keep warm.

2. Using a vegetable peeler, slice cheese into slivers, or grate it on largest holes of a box grater.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until very hot. Fry 4 eggs until edges are crispy and yolks still runny. Repeat with remaining oil and eggs.

4. Pile polenta into 4 bowls and top with cheese and then fried eggs. Garnish with sea salt and more pepper and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

lomo saltado #2

Grilled Lomo Saltado Recipe courtesy Santos Loo Show: Boy Meets Grill Episode: Tastes of Peru

1 skirt steak 2 medium red onions, cut in 1/2 lengthwise 1 clove garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons rice vinegar 4 teaspoons soy sauce 4 tablespoons canola oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into wedges 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves Have grill pre-greased and preheated to medium-high. Place steak in 1 bowl and onions in another. Using a knife, make a paste by combining garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk together garlic paste, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of canola oil, cumin, and ground black pepper. Divide marinade between steak and onions. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Before grilling, allow steak and onions to come to room temperature. Place steak on grill and cook about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Discard marinade. When done, let steak rest before slicing. Place onions face down on grill and cook until slightly soft, about 6 minutes per side. When done, cut onions into wedges. Sprinkle paprika over potatoes and toss with remaining canola oil. Place on grill and cook until soft inside, about 6 minutes per side. Season with salt when done. In a large bowl combine steak and juices, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, cilantro, and reserved marinade. Toss gently and reseason with salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm.

lomo saltado

LOMO SALTADO

A Peruvian take on stir-fry.

TIP: If you don't feel like making french fries (who does?), fries from the grocery store or a restaurant are a perfectly acceptable substitution.

1 lb. beef tenderloin
1 hot pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 lbs. potatoes
2 lg. red onions
6 Italian tomatoes or 2 large, firm regular tomatoes, cut into fourths

Cut meat into small strips and marinate in cumin, garlic and vinegar for 30 minutes or more. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cut potatoes as for French Fries. Fry the potatoes and keep warm.

Stir-fry the beef in 3 tablespoons oil until tender (add hot pepper to taste).

Add onion and cook to crisp, NOT soft and mushy! Add tomatoes and cook just until tender, NOT mushy! Add the French-fried potatoes and toss. Serve with cooked rice.

4 people

Submitted by camelclutch
Updated: January 24, 2007

Baked Apple Souffle

Recipe: Baked Apple Souffle

Wednesday, March 7, 2007;

Baked Apple Souffle

12 servings

In "All the Presidents' Pastries," chef Roland Mesnier included this sweet and tangy reduced-calorie souffle as a favorite of George H.W. Bush's. But the chef says he had worked on refining the recipe "since the Reagan administration." Mesnier often served this as a luncheon dessert, decorated with a small baked pâte-à-choux crown and cooked apple slices.

The recipe can be halved; use 3 egg whites and a single souffle baking dish. Adapted from Mesnier's book (Flammarion, 2007).

3 to 4 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes (enough to yield 3 1/2 cups puree)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting the baking dishes

1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Center a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Lightly grease two 4- to 5-cup souffle baking dishes and sprinkle generously with sugar. Lightly grease 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Boil a kettle of water and set aside.

Place the cubed apples on the baking sheets and bake about 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the apples to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Measure 3 1/2 cups of the puree and place in a large bowl. (Reserve any remaining puree for another use.) Add 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) of the sugar and the liqueur, cornstarch and vanilla extract, stirring to mix well. Set aside.

Use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the egg whites for a few minutes, until they form soft peaks. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in a small, steady stream, beating constantly, until stiff peaks are formed.

Gently fold about one-third of the egg white mixture into the apple puree mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg white mixture. Divide the batter between the two souffle dishes, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Place the souffles in a large roasting pan and transfer to the oven. Pour enough hot water (from the kettle) to come up at least 1 inch on the outside of the baking dishes. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the souffles have risen and are firm to the touch. (Do not rotate the position of the baking dishes if one souffle browns more than the other, says Mesnier.) Transfer the souffle baking dishes to a wire rack to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, either spoon the souffles from the baking dishes or place a serving dish on top of each souffle, then invert and gently shake to release. Serve immediately, with whipped cream, if desired.

making potato chips

Jihva for Ingredients is being hosted this month by Happy Burp. Jihvā is the Sanskrit word for taste, desire and deep longing. Italso represents tongue and taste buds. Jihvā for Ingredients was started by Indira of Mahanandi who believes that for Jihvā to happen, it’s all in the ingredients and how they are cooked. Each month a new ingredient is selected and that ingredient is celebrated as well as what it can do for our Jihvā. This month the ingredient is potatoes.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to highlight potatoes until I saw this article on Slashfood about making potato chips in the microwave. I was somewhat skeptical, but thought I should try it so that I could prove them wrong. If you could make chips in the microwave, I should have known about it. Well after a little testing it has become clear to me that someone forgot to send me the memo that chips were so easy to make. I discovered this by following the Slashfood link to Nic’s blog, Bakingsheet to see how she made her chips as she claimed they were quite good. It was super easy too, all you do is slice your potato, salt it, lay the slices in a single layer on a dish and microwave for about 4-6 minutes. Presto- chips! As an added bonus you can flavour the chips any way you’d like. Or at least with whatever spices you’d like, I’ll have to experiment with some other flavours to see what works and what doesn’t.

Eventually I’d like to recreate my favourite chips, Kettle Brand Chips’ Spicy Thai. I love it. It’s gingery and sweet and salty all in one, and it’s fantastic. I wanted to start off with something a little easier though, so I sliced the potatoes on my mandoline and then sprinkled them with salt, sugar, paprika and cumin. That’s the same mix I use on popcorn and I really like it. I was shocked when I pulled the potato slices out of the microwave and they were actually crispy! I had made chips in 5 minutes, without any oil and very little effort. As far as I’m concerned, this is important information that every chip addict should know. I’m no longer at the mercy of the corner store for chips and you don’t have to be either!

clementine-chocolate cake

Chocolate Clementine Cake with Chocolate Syrup
serves 8-10 people

340g bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)
225g cup unsalted butter, diced
7 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
¾ cup plain all-purpose flour
2 tsp clementine zest
2 clementines, coarsely chopped*
3 tbsp orange blossom water (can be substituted with juice)
¼ tsp salt
whipped cream, to serve
Chocolate Syrup (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper or alternatively grease 8-10 individual metal moulds.
Melt chocolate and butter in a small heavy based saucepan over low heat until smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and ¾ cup of the sugar until thick and pale.
Add the melted chocolate mixture and continue to beat until well incorporated.
Fold in flour then the zest, chopped clementines and orange blossom water.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.
Add the salt and the sugar in small additions, beating until stiff peaks form.
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three additions.

Pour batter into pan or moulds and bake for 40-45 minutes (for individual moulds) and 50-55 minutes for springform pan.
The top of the cake/s may crack slightly.
Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
Remove sides of springform pan and place cake onto a serving plate.
If you are baking them in the individual moulds, invert moulds and the cakes should slide out easily.
Serve with chocolate syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

*after zesting clementines, use a knife to remove peel and white membrane from fruit and coarsely chopped peeled clementines.

Chocolate Syrup
makes up to 1¼ cups

100g bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring for about 5 minutes until smooth.
You may serve this sauce warm or at room temperature.

NOTE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and heated up when required.

devra's thought -- try combining this recipe with the techniques from the creme brulee-filled tea cake with an orange creme anglaise...

clementine-raspberry trifle

Clementine-Raspberry Trifle
Makes 6

The day before:

2 Pt. Raspberries
1/4 C. Sugar
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1″ Fresh Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

Combine and toss, let sit two hours then refrigerate overnight. Discard ginger and reserve juice.

The day of:

3 Clementines, segmented and peeled
2 sprigs Mint, torn or chopped
2 tsp Honey
½ Vanilla bean, split and scraped [couldn’t find the beans, so I used Vanilla extract, which worked fine]

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and set aside

1/2 C. Water
1/2 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Clementine juice

Combine in small saucepan, bring to boil. Cool. Add optional splash of raspberry syrup

1 1/2 C. Heavy cream
2 Tbl. Sugar

Whip together to soft peaks.

1/2 C. Gingerbread cookies, crushed [or Shortbread cookies - I couldn’t find the gingerbread]
6 Lady-fingers or Italian coffee cookies

Garnish:
6 Gingerbread cookies
Sprigs of mint

To assemble, in six parfait/wine glasses:

Soak one half of lady finger in syrup for a few moments, place in glass
Top with spoonful of raspberries
Top with spoonful of clementines
Spoon in some whipped cream
Top with some crushed cookie
Repeat each layer and garnish with mint and a cookie.

truffles nefarious

TRUFFLES NEFARIOUS
Insides of truffles:

12 oz good chocolate cut in small pieces, but chocolate chips work just fine (if you use 10 oz & 3 tbsp butter, the truffles will taste even better but will be VERY soft and difficult to work with)
4 tbsp butter

1/2 c. cream

1 tbsp. dark corn syrup

4 tbsp maraschino cherry juice

2/3 c. maraschino cherries, finely chopped

Combine chocolate and butter. Zap for 30 seconds in microwave, stir, zap another 30 seconds and stir.

Meanwhile, heat cream & dark corn syrup in a heavy saucepan on the stove until it’s just going to start to simmer.

Pour cream over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes or so. Stir until well-blended.

Add maraschino cherries and juice and stir in completely.

Pour into an 8×8 baking dish (thanks Alton Brown for this tip) and let cool in the refrigerator. It’s a tricky judgement call on exactly how long. You want to be able to use a melon baller to cut out little balls; if it’s too hard the balls tend to fragment, too soft and they won’t hold their shape enough. Somewhere between 30-60 minutes typically. I still mess it up all the time.

Using a melon baller, carve balls of chocolate out (use another spoon to ease them out of the melon baller) and place them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. THIS SOUNDS SO EASY. HA. Return to refrigerator until firm, a good hour or so.

Outside of truffles:
Melt a bag of chocolate chips or good quality baking chocolate and 1 tbsp butter over a VERY low heat (Alton Brown says not above 92 degrees). I find that I can do the zap and stir technique in the microwave as above, then finish melting in a heavy glass bowl set inside my electric fondue pot, set to its lowest setting, while I stir.

Dip truffle insides into this chocolate. THIS IS THE FUN PART. IT’S EVEN FUNNER THAN TRYING TO MAKE THE BLASTED BALLS. I have read many tips to make this part easier, and so far none of them work. What I do is use two toothpicks to dip each ball into the melted chocolate, roll it around, and take it back out to set on the parchment paper.

Some people may have noticed from the picture that my truffles just don’t look like Godiva’s. You KNOW Godiva mass produces, so I don’t even want to hear about it. However, you are welcome not to follow my toothpick method and experiment with other methods that might conceivably end up with a more elegant final product.

GOOD LUCK.

Let cool–room temperature is fine now–on parchment paper. Eat.

OR sacrifice yourself to your precious fans, pack them up in boxes, and send them out as REWARDS for nefariety, Boobs Stuck Under Beds in Paris stories, FAb pick weeks…or you could always send them to your FAVORITE AUTHOR.

tea cake with creme brulee filling

Vanilla Brown Butter Almond Tea Cake with Crème Brulee Filling

Adapted from The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman

Crème Brulee Filling

1 vanilla bean

4 cups heavy cream

¾ cup sugar

8 yolks

¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325°F

Preparing the custard

Run a paring knife down the center of the vanilla bean. Split it open with your fingers and use the knife to scrape out the tiny black seeds into a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the cream, ¼ cup of the sugar, and vanilla pod and bring to just barely a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the vanilla to steep in the cream for at least 15 minutes.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining sugar, and salt. Using a ladle, slowly whisk some of the hot cream into the egg mixture to warm it. Gradually pour the warmed egg mixture into the remaining cream, whisking constantly as you pour. Strain the custard to remove the vanilla bean. If you are using vanilla extract, now is the time to add it. You can bake the custard right away or refrigerate the custard for up to 3 days.

Baking the custard

Pour the custard into a rectangular dish and place in a larger baking pan to be used as a water bath. Fill enough hot tap water to reach 2/3 up the sides of the dish. Cover with a cookie sheet or aluminum foil. If you are using foil, punch a few holes in it to prevent custards from steaming and overcooking.

Gently place the dish in the oven, being careful not to splash water onto the custards. Bake until the custards are set and have a uniform jiggle 40 to 60 minutes. The center should not move independently of the sides. (If the custard has been chilled add an additional 20 minutes.) Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven, let the custard cool, cover and freeze.

Preparing frozen custard for the molds.

When the custards are frozen solid, about 16 to 24 hours, run hot water around the sides of the pan, releasing the frozen custard. Cut the custard into squares depending on the size of the cake molds you are going to use. Freeze the squares again until you are ready to bake the cake.

Flaky Tart Shell

2 cups of flour

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

12 tbs butter (6 ounces) chilled, cut into ¼ inch thick

Preheat oven to 350 °F

Make the tart dough

In a food processor pulse the flour, salt and sugar until combined. Add the butter pieces and pulse until pea-size chunks develop. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water and continue to pulse. A shaggy dough will develop. Empty the contents of the bowl on a dry surface and using the heel of your hand smear the butter on the dough until it becomes moist enough to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a flat disk and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling it out.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Shaping the dough for the molds

Roll the dough out to about 1/8 of an inch and punch out circles with the mold you are using. Flatten the dough further so it is 1/16 of an inch and slightly larger than your mold’s diameter. Bake the circles until they begin to brown. While the circles are in the oven , spray your molds with PAM. Remove the circles of dough from the oven and, while the dough is still hot, press each metal cake ring mold onto a circle so that the bottom of the cake mold is filled with a perfect circle of prebaked dough. (Veronica’s Note: I decided to use the same molds to cut out the circles since it is simple enough to just roll it out a little bigger than the mold)

Almond Tea Cake

1 cup blanched almonds

½ cup plus 1 tbs flour

1 vanilla bean

16 tbs butter (8 ounces)

7 egg whites (approximately 7 liquid ounces)

1 cup powdered sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

Grind the Almonds

Combine the almonds and 1 tablespoon of the flour in a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

Brown the Butter

Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean open and empty the tiny black seeds into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the vanilla bean and the butter and cook until the mixture caramelizes and emits a rich nutty vanilla aroma. Remove from heat, fish out the vanilla bean, dry it and save it for another use. (Veronica’s Note: the butter should reach about 250 °F. Brown bits start to appear on the butter’s foam and the color of the butter would have turned a golden yellow.)

Dissolve the sugar in the egg whites

In the bowl of a bain-marie, whisk together the egg whites and the two sugars until the whites become warm to the touch and the granulated sugar has dissolved. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Add the dry ingredients

Slowly whisk the remaining ½ cup of flour, ground almonds, and salt into the egg whites. The mixture will become thick. Smooth it out with a few turns of the whisk.

Emulsify the butter

This step is very important. You must whisk the butter into the egg mixture slowly making sure that it is incorporated into the batter slowly. Adding the butter too quickly will not emulsify the butter properly which will result in a greasy and heavy cake.

Filling the ring molds

Fill a pastry bag with the batter. Pipe the cake batter into the ring molds, filling them half way. Press one frozen cube of crème brulee into each mold, pushing them down as far as you can. Pipe a drop over the top to conceal the frozen custard.

Bake at 350 °F oven until the cakes are browned and risen, about 20 to 25 minutes. Allow them to cool, and unmold them. Reheat to serve. (Veronica’s Note: You can also use convection as Kate has stated on her blog. The baking time will need to be lessened for this.)

More Cooking Notes:

This cake is technically a financier. It is made with ground almonds, melted butter, egg whites and powdered sugar. This recipe adds some granulated sugar. It is interesting to note that unlike other cakes, the butter is melted instead of creamed and the egg whites are not whipped. This adds to the longevity of the cake because of less air in the batter which makes it oxidize less.

The crème brulee and the sweet tart dough is more than enough to make several batches of this dessert. The dough can be frozen up to two weeks and I believe that the crème brulee can remain frozen for that same amount of time.

This cake is crunchy at the top and very moist inside. I had a lot of ooohs and aahhs from my tasters as every bite was filled with heavenly buttery goodness. You almost have to close your eyes with every bite and savor the melting texture of the crème brulee as well as the unusual crumb of the almond tea cake. Brown butter infused with vanilla – that is a combination I am sure to try again … and soon!

chicken and sweet potato hash

Louisiana Chicken and Sweet Potato Hash

4 servings

North Carolina native James Villas knows sweet potatoes. In his upcoming "The Glory of Southern Cooking" (Wiley, March 2007, $34.95), he praises Louisiana's contributions to that vegetable: the state's grading system; the Beauregard, his favorite variety; and this satisfying hash, made by Louisiana cooks who serve it for breakfast as well as supper.

The author told us last week via e-mail that his home state's sweet potatoes taste just as good as Beauregards but are not as pretty to look at, because No. 1-grade Beauregards are uniform and virtually defect-free. He says it's not necessary to peel any potatoes for this recipe; just clean them well and remove any eyes or spots.

At this time of year, you might find more North Carolina than Louisiana sweet potatoes in the produce department of Washington area grocers; the supply of the best Beauregards is dwindling and won't last past early March, Villas says.

We adapted his recipe by substituting nonfat half-and-half for the full-fat variety, saving fat and calories without sacrificing flavor or texture. Serve with corn bread.

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 to 3 medium), scrubbed and cut into 1/2 -inch cubes

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (without tenderloins)

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, cored and finely chopped (1 1/4 cups)

1 medium clove garlic, finely minced

1 teaspoon hot paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 scallions, white and tender green parts, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1 cup nonfat half-and-half

Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large pan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, poach the chicken: Cut the breasts in half vertically, place them in a large skillet and add just enough water (or low-sodium chicken broth) to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through and tender. Drain, transfer to a work surface and cut into 1/2 -inch cubes. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Clean out the skillet and place the butter in it to melt over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vegetables have softened. Add the paprika and the dried thyme, crumbling it between your fingers, then the salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine for 1 minute. Add the chicken, sweet potatoes, scallions, parsley and half-and-half. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the liquid has reduced and the hash is thickened and "tight."

Per serving: 381 calories, 31 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 84 mg cholesterol, 5 g saturated fat, 331 mg sodium, 6 g dietary fiber

Recipe tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; e-mail questions tofood@washpost.com

devra's idea--combine this with the food network recipe (esp dried cranberries) to get the perfect combination

oriental chicken sausage rolls

Just before rolling...

[Update! I've added this photo as someone emailed me to ask how i've rolled the sausage rolls and hopefully, this image would be self explanatory :-)]

Oriental Chicken Sausage Rolls

yields 25-30 bite-size pieces

250 gms minced chicken
150 gms pancetta [finely chopped]
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions
1 tsp red birds eye chillies [seeded and finely chopped]
1 tsp fish sauce
1 large egg [1/4 cup size]

1 box 375 gms ready rolled puff pastry [there's two rolled out per box]

1 egg yolk
sesame seeds

to serve

sweet chilli sauce
fresh coriander leaves

Prepare all ingredients. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180c fan assisted.

Wash and dry hands.

Put the chicken, pancetta, grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped coriander leaves, chopped springonions, birds eye chillies, fish sauce and egg in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.

Wash and dry hands

Roll out pastry on a clean, dry surface. Cut each of the 2 rolled out pastry in 2 lengthways. Line each with the filling and carefully roll into a sausage brushing the edge with water, then fold over to seal. Place the sealed edge underneath, and using a sharp knife, cut the sausage rolls into 3-4 cm diagonally, discarding the end pieces. Repeat process.

Place in a baking tray, brush the tops with egg yolk and top with sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.

Take out of the oven and let cool down a little on a rack before serving.

Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves and sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

[These can be made a day ahead of the party. Just reheat in the oven at 180c fan assisted for 10 minutes or until warmed through.]

Don't forget to check out the entries on Kalyn's Kitchen this Sunday for the WHB roundup

"regressive" PB&J bars

Regressive Bars, adapted from a Nestle recipe:

Yields 16 bars

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle milk chocolate and peanut butter swirled chips, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan.
Melt butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until pale, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and vanilla extract; mix at low speed until combined.
Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan. Heat jam in microwve for 30 seconds. Spread on top of the base. Cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle the reamining cup of morsels on top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

razz-ma-tazz cookie bars

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 20 min | Cooking - 1 hrs 10 min | Yields - 16 bars

A finalist in the 2001 Nestlé Toll House "Share the Very Best" recipe contest, this dessert was submitted by Juilee Decker of Cleveland, Ohio. A scrumptious blend of raspberry preserves, Nestlé Toll House Premier White Morsels and toasted almonds tops a rich, buttery cookie crust to create an irresistible cookie bar.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Grease and sugar 9-inch-square baking pan.

MELT butter in medium, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Add 1 cup morsels; let stand. Do not stir.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl until foamy. Add sugar; beat until light lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in morsel-butter mixture. Add flour, salt and almond extract; mix at low speed until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

BAKE for 15 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Remove from oven to wire rack.

HEAT jam in small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 30 seconds; stir. Spread jam over warm crust. Stir remaining morsels into remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over jam. Sprinkle with almonds.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

giada's chocolate-ricotta puddings

Giada's family dinners - chocolate ricotta pudding with strawberry sauce

This week I'm featuring food from Giada's Family Dinners

Initially, I wasn't sure how this recipe would turn out. Chocolate, orange, almond and strawberries sounds like a good combination, but the reviews were pretty mixed on the Food Network website.

I used Callebaut (60% cacao) bittersweet chocolate and fresh ricotta cheese. I blended the ricotta mixture until I was certain that it was smooth. The pudding tasted great and had a mousse like texture.

Chocolate ricotta pudding with strawberry sauce

My one complaint about this recipe is that the puddings really don't unmold neatly. The texture is just too soft to hold the shape of the ramekin. I tried to invert puddings that had chilled for 3 hours per the recipe, and puddings that chilled overnight. None of them came out cleanly, and my ramekins were well greased.

devra's idea -- try this to go with the pizza rustica. is the ricotta cheese from the fridge still good or has it turned?

pesto and proscuitto pizza idea

Prosciutto and pesto pizza

I had a few small pieces of cheese in the fridge to use up, so I made a pizza. The pizza dough recipe I use is from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. This recipe is very similar.

I spread 2 tablespoons of basil pesto onto the dough. I topped the layer of pesto with feta, asiago and fontina cheeses, as well as sliced prosciutto and roasted peppers.

I baked the pizza on a stone at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. After the pizza came out of the oven, I sprinkled it with a chiffonade of basil.



devra's thought -- try something like this with the mushroom pesto from 'everyday italian'

citrus soup

Sweet Soup

Filed under: Food, Recipe, Desserts, Sweet, Side

Right now I am up to my eyeballs in citrus… three varieties of mandarins, and a box full of gorgeous cocktail and Oroblanco grapefruit left over from a shoot. Don’t think I’m complaining… I have some inkling of how lucky I am. Seriously, I must have about 100 page mandarins, little bite-sized golden orbs that are incredibly juicy and sweet. I can’t stand to let a single piece go to waste, so my head starts dreaming up recipes.

Today, it was soup. Sweet soup. Sweet citrus soup. Sweet cream of citrus soup, to be exact. Like a creamsicle in a bowl. Or, really, more like a little tiny shot glass… a little goes a long way of this stuff, and I can’t imagine eating a whole bowl full. The soup itself is almost like making a citrus curd, but stopping just before the point of final thickening. A little saffron is tossed into the heating cream, just to give it a little something that you can’t quite put your finger on. The aroma of the steam coming off the citrus and cream concoction makes me think of peaches warm in the sunshine. Once chilled, it thickens ever so slightly for a smooth sip.

I still need to play around with how to present and serve the soup… it really needs a topping… maybe a drip or two of citrus oil or, better for color and a different flavor maybe a raspberry oil. An icewine foam would be fantastic as well. I decided to go with a variation on the foam idea, and came up with a balsamic and cranberry syrup Italian meringue, the lightness of the meringue kept the balsamic from overpowering the soup, but still gave it an interesting kick. My only regret was the color, which was not so surprisingly a dingy grey. A pure white meringue, or a meringue kissed with pink would be a better presentation. Maybe next time, I’ll use a raspberry syrup.

(I don’t want to sound like a commercial, but in case you are curious, all the fruit is from Rising C Ranches)

Cream of Citrus and Saffron Soup with Cranberry Balsamic Meringue
makes about 4 to 6 small servings

A note about the citrus. You can use just about any kind of citrus you want in this soup, but I really like it with sweeter varieties, like blood oranges or mandarins. I used a combination of Page and Shasta Mandarins, Seville Sour Oranges and Sweet Limes for mine.

For the soup
1/4 cup cream
3 to 4 strands of saffron
1 T sugar (optional)
2 cups citrus juice, strained

For the foam
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1 t sugar
2 T balsamic
1 egg white, at room temperature

Heat the cream, saffron and sugar on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Slowly whisk in the citrus juice, and continue to stir. Let the mixture heat until it starts giving off a lot of steam, and remove from heat just before it comes to a boil. Continue to stir as it cools to room temperature. Then, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Combine the cranberry juice, sugar and balsamic in a heavy pot and heat on medium to medium-high until the sugar dissolves. Continue heating until the syrup mixture reaches 248F. While that is heating, start whisking your egg white. If you are doing this by hand, a copper pot helps. Once the whites are forming soft peaks, start pouring in the hot syrup and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Assembly is pretty straight forward. Just fill shot-sized glasses up with the soup, and dollop on the meringue. Or, you can put the meringue in a ziploc, cut off the corner and pipe it on to make a cool swirl.

pizza rustica

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 (12-ounce) bunches fresh spinach, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups), or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped 4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend Pastry Dough, recipe follows 1 large egg, beaten to blendPosition the rack on the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and saute until golden brown, breaking the sausage into pieces, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and the juices evaporate, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach to drain as much liquid as possible. Into a large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture and stir to combine. Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 17-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the dough overhang to 1 inch. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dough-lined pan. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the doughs together to seal, then crimp the dough edges decoratively. Brush the beaten 1 large egg over the entire pastry top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake on the bottom shelf until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Release the pan sides and transfer the pizza to a platter. Cut into wedges and serve. Pastry Dough: 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces 1 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs, beaten to blend 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water Blend the flour, the butter, the shortening and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the eggs. With the machine running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece twice as large as the second piece. Flatten the dough pieces into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes. Yield: 2 dough pieces (enough for 1 Pizza Rustica) Prep Time: 15 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes