OKK MEMES & PRIOR CONTRIBUTORS – Page 20 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

BOSTON CREAM PIE

When I was a little girl Boston Cream Pie was my FAVORITE Sunday dinner dessert and my grandma made it for me regularly until I was about 10 years old and then Sunday dinners as we knew them stopped on a regular basis. Since then I have craved Boston Cream Pie on a regular basis and finally have resurrected her recipe.

According to about.com, Boston Cream Pie is “Not a pie, but not your average cake, Boston Cream Pie is one of the city’s signature recipes. A descendant of pudding-cake pie, the Boston cream pie is considered to be the creation of French chef Sanzian of the Parker House Hotel (now the Omni Parker House). In 1996 the Boston Cream Pie was named the official dessert of Massachusetts.”

CAKE

1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 JUMBO egg
1 1/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk

CUSTARD***

1/3 cup sugar
scant 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3 JUMBO egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

GLAZE

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water

CAKE

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9 1/2-inch springform baking pan. I use a square one to make pieces easier to cut.
Combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Cream together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each one.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt. Combine with the creamed mixture and add the milk.
Pour batter into the prepared pan*. Bake in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.

CUSTARD

Combine the cornstarch, sugar, milk, eggs, cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Bring the custard to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continuing to whisk, let the custard boil for two minutes.
Remove from heat, and whisk in the butter. Set custard aside to cool, continuing to whisk occasionally.

GLAZE

In a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter until smooth. remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

BUILDING THE PERFECT PIE

Remove the cake from the pan and cut it in half horizontally with a long serrated knife.
Place one half of the cake on a plate with the cut side facing up. Top with custard.
Place the other half of the cake on top, with the cut side down.
Coat the top of the cake with glaze allowing it to drip down the sides.
*I like to use my square spring form pan for a couple of reasons; it make cutting pieces a lot easier since the slices when it is cut as a pie tend to try and fall over and my serving plate is rectangular in shape.
***The traditional custard substitutes in this recipe for a pineapple custard which is what we like to do.

Tabbouleh (Lebanese Parsley Salad)

Tabbouleh is a well known Lebanese dish, and they even have a National Tabbouleh Day held each summer in Beirut. I am sure like many nationally known dishes each family has their own version of how they make it. Some will use flat leaf parsley and some use curly parsley, but where mine differs from an authentic Lebanese tabbouleh is the amount of parsley. They use mostly parsley and a little bulgar thrown in, so it’s mostly green in appearance.
I still have to get used to eating mostly parsley, which is supposed to be very good for you. The bulgar (cracked wheat)used in the salad is small or fine, which is soaked soft before using. If you can only find medium soak it a little longer. I used sumac in mine, but you can skip it if you can’t find it, it’s a little lemony in flavor.

Dressing:
1 tablespoon sumac
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp Lebanese mixed spice

Mmmm..smell that nothing like beautiful squeezed lemons…so fresh…gosh I sound like Giada!

Ingredients:
2 bunches flat leaf parsley (washed and dried)
4 green onions (sliced thin)
1 handful fresh mint or basil (sliced thin)
1/2 cup bulgar (soaked and drained well)
3 tomatoes (diced)
salt and pepper
Cabbage or romaine lettuce leaves for serving

After the parsley is washed and dried chop it finely, try not to overwork the parsley…you don’t want to bruise it. Make sure parsley and the bulgar are dry, mix together in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together until well mixed, squeeze on the lemon juice, and then olive oil, you don’t want it too wet, just nice and moist. Salt and pepper and one last toss together and you have a refreshing summer salad!

Of course you can adjust the amounts and ingredients to what you like. I made it once with diced cucumbers…just a small amount mind you, but my husband (who doesn’t like cucumbers) could really taste them in the salad, and he didn’t like that. So now I leave them out. Oh, and you can make yours more authentic by adding mostly parsley and making it look green!

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with BROWNED PARSLEY BUTTER
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
flour for dredging
4 tablespoons butter
1 large green onion, sliced thin
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime

Place chicken between the folds of a clean cheesecloth towel.
Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut each breast in half.
Generously season both sides of chicken breasts.
Dredge chicken in flour.
In a large skillet melt butter over medium high heat.
When butter is sizzling, but not browning, add onions and chicken pieces.
Generously season AGAIN!
Cook chicken 4-5 minutes on each side.
Plate chicken and keep warm.
Add parsley, lemon and lime juices, cooking until browned.
Pour over chicken pieces.
Garnish with parsely.

CHICKEN POT PIE, the HEALTHY WAY

When I was growing up, we ate a few too many Swanson frozen chicken pot pies. For years and years, I wouldn’t eat the stuff. No way, no how. But, not too long ago, I asked a co-worker what she was eating, and she gave me a taste, and it was delicious! It was nothing like that frozen stuff I had growing up. So, I got to thinking how I could make it taste good and healthy at the same time. The solution was simple!

CHICKEN POT PIE
2 12-oz cans of white meat chicken (this is the only thing I will eat with canned chicken)
1 can 98% fat free cream of celery soup
1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1 bag (10-12 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
salt and pepper to taste

Mix chicken, soups, and vegetables in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in a baking dish. Unroll the crescent dough. Place on top of the chicken mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is no longer doughy.

This is such an easy recipe. It served my family of 5 with a serving left over. Dividing this recipe by 6 servings, each serving has 12 grams of fat and 340 calories. Enjoy!

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER BOWLS
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
Whisk in the milk.
Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
Pour into well greased bowls.
Distribute berries evenly on top of batter.
Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
Sprinkle on tops.
Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

*If you prefer a heavier crust, use bisquick

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS ~

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 dried thyme
4 turkey breast tenderloins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions: In a small saucepan, combine the jam, vinegar, mustard, orange peel and thyme. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Set aside 1/4 cup for serving.

Sprinkle turkey with salt. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill turkey, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 13-18 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees, turning occassionaly. Baste with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking.

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Put jam, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and orange peel in a saucepan on low.

Add the thyme.

Salt the turkey breasts and put them on the grill for 16-18 minutes or until 190 degrees in the center. Use some of the sauce to baste the turkey.

Pull off the grill and let rest.

Pour the remainder of the sauce of the turkey breast.

Here’ what you’ll end up with:

SKILLET CHICKEN & RICE

Son2 as a Junior this past year took cooking for one of his electives… This past week he made dinner for the family…

This is the recipe he used from class… I copied it word for word straight from the cookbook he made in class…

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1-2 garlic cloves
1 cup broccoli
1 1/4 cup rice
2 3/4 cup water
2-3 teaspoon chicken bouillon
Pepper, dash
Garlic salt, dash
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
Optional–1/2 cup thinly sliced red peppers and or 1/4 cup shredded carrot

1. Wash and pat dry chicken.

2. Cut chicken into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide.

3. Heat oil in Teflon frying pan or a frying pan with a lid. Be careful for smoke point.
4. Add chicken, onions, garlic, and (shredded carrots if you choose to have them). Stir constantly browning the onions and chicken. Spice with pepper and garlic salt.
5. Carefully add water, bouillon, and rice. Bring to a hard boil.
6. Add broccoli and any other vegetables.
7. Cover and lower temperature to simmer 15 minutes without looking. (Do not allow the steam to escape).
8. After 15 minutes, check to see if rice is soft. If not, cover and cook another five minutes. Add small amount of water if needed.

9. When rice is soft, turn off temperature. Add cheese and cover with lid for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.

Happy Eating…

Fire Day Friday: Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Now that summer is almost here, I like to grill shellfish. The seafood is fresher and grilling it brings out the best in it. This spicy marinade packs the heat of summer into these grilled shrimp.

Grilling Tip: You know how they always say to soak your bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before grilling, right? And you probably know how sometimes that works and sometimes it does not. Sometimes, the skewers still burn off. You can use a “grill shield” like the one I am using here or you can make you’re own by folding up a piece of HD aluminum foil several times to protect the skewers.

Spicy Summer Grilled Shrimp

source: www.nibblemethis.com

1 lb medium count shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined

3 oz clarified butter, melted

1 oz lemon juice

1 oz sriracha sauce

1 tsp mirin

1 tsp turbinado sugar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ shallot, finely minced

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients together. Add the shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fire up your grill to 450f or medium-high.

Place the shrimp on skewers and grill 2 minutes per side.

They are done when the tails turn pink.

These disappeared with my 22 y/o son’s friends devouring them as fast as I could get them off the grill.

LUAU BENEDICTS

I saw a recipe similar to these on a menu and set out to replicate it. I’m not sure how close I came, but we loved them!

LUAU BENEDICTS
1 English muffin per person
2 eggs per person
enough leftover sweet and sour pulled pork
hollandaise sauce

Prepare Hollandaise sauce.
Toast English muffins.
Poach eggs.
Layer together starting with English muffin, pulled pork, poached egg and the hollandaise sauce.
Enjoy.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned.
In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce.
Gradually beat in butter, then water.
Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened.
Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of hollandaise sauce.

GRILLED CORN with CHIPOTLE LIME BROWNED BUTTER

We grill a lot of corn on the cob in the summer. Who doesn’t, right? Well, my standard way is to keep the husks on, soak them in water for awhile and grill them in the husks. I like this as there is no silk left and they are easy to peel.

Well, I’ve been seeing the corn grilled straight on the grill a lot lately and thought I’d try it today. It was awesome. I did find the kernels a bit more chewy but not necessarily in a bad way.

Often because of calories, I skip the butter altogether but today I made the most awesome chipotle lime browned butter. This seriously brought corn to a new level! It was super tasty!

The great thing about this butter, if you don’t use it all, just stick it in the frig for next time.

GRILLED CORN with CHIPOTLE-LIME BROWNED BUTTER Adapted from A Veggie Venture

6 ears sweet corn, silk and husks removed

4 tablespoons butter **

Juice of a lime (about 1 tablespoon)

Pinch of ground chipotle powder

Good salt to taste

Grill the corn, turning occasionally, until many of the kernels have turned dark and caramel-like.

Meanwhile, inside:

melt the butter in a small saucepan, then let it sizzle, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to brown.
Add the lime, chipotle and salt, let gently sizzle a bit.
Turn off the heat, if needed, rewarm before serving.
Transfer to a small dish.
Refrigerate leftovers, heat and stir before serving again.

**This butter makes enough for at least 12 ears of corn and refrigerates well.

Total calories = 111 calories per ear of corn with about 1 tsp. butter mixture. I just brushed it lightly. The husband put way more butter on his.

CHERRY APRICOT GALETTE

Pie Dough Ingredients*

For a 9-inch crust

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup ice water

Filling Ingredients**

For one 9-inch galette

3/4 pound fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar + more for sprinkling
Juice of half a lemon

Ingredients for Assembly

1 egg, beaten

ASSEMBLY

Cut butter into small cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.
Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.
Gradually add ice water and pulse until the dough forms a coarse meal.
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly and sparingly, knead just to incorporate dry ingredients.
Flatten into a circle; wrap individually in plastic.
Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.
Remove dough from refrigerator; place on floured work surface.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rough 11-inch circle.
Trim the edges to a clean circle with a pairing knife.
Transfer the circle to a baking sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and spread on the bottom of the dough.
Toss apricots and cherries with the rest of the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice.
Arrange the fruit on the bottom of the dough, leaving 2 inches of dough left outside.
Fold up and pleat the dough over the top of the fruit, leaving the center uncovered.
Lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle both the dough and the fruit with 1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar.
Place the Galette in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

*If you are in a huge hurry, Pillsbury from the dairy case can be substituted.

**1 can Comstock cherries can be substituted. Just add apricots!

PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICHES

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 medium green pepper, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound thinly sliced roast beef

6 hoagie rolls, split

6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese

4 beef bouillon cubs

2 cups water

Directions: In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, onions and green peppers in butter until tender. Divide beef among rolls. Top with vegetables and cheese; replace tops. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat bouillon and water until cubes are dissolved; serve as a dipping sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need: