Category: RECIPES

COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART

COCONUT ALMOND PEAR TART

Adapted from BAKING FROM MY HOME TO YOURS by Dorie Greenspan

3 medium pears, firm but ripe
1 lemon
4 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg

2 teaspoons coconut rum
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 partially-baked 9-inch tart shell, made with Sweet Tart Dough (see below), at room temperature
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or apple jelly for glazing
whipped cream
toasted coconut

  • Make the sweet dough recipe below first!
  • Peel pears, but leave them whole.
  • Bring the 4 cups water, the 1 1/4 cups sugar and the juice of the lemon to a boil in a saucepan just large enough to hold the pears.
  • Add the pears to the boiling syrup, lower the heat so the syrup simmers and gently poach the pears until they are tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
  • Cool the pears to room temperature in the syrup.

To make the almond cream:

  • Cream the butter and sugar in the food processor until the mixture is smooth and satiny.
  • Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.
  • Add the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process until almond cream is smooth and consistent.
  • Add the rum and vanilla and process just to blend.
  • Place the almond cream in a container and refrigerate it until firm.

  • Center rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Line a jelly roll pan with a silicone mat.
  • Cut the pears in half from blossom to stem and core them; make sure to pat the pears dry – really dry – so that their liquid won’t keep the almond cream from baking.
  • Fill the baked crust with the almond cream, spreading it even with a spatula.
  • Thinly slice each pear half crosswise, lift each half on a spatula, press down on the pear to fan it slightly and place it, wide-end toward the edge of the crust, over the almond cream. The halves will form spokes.
  • Put the crust on the lined baking sheet.
  • Bake the tart 50 to 60 minutes, or until the almond cream puffs up around the pears and browns.
  • Transfer the tart to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature before unmolding.

Right before serving, dust the tart with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream sprinkled with toasted coconut.

SWEET TART DOUGH
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sweet flaked toasted coconut

To make the dough:

  • Put the flour, powdered sugar and salt in the food processor and pulse a couple of times to combine.
  • Scatter the pieces of butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the butter is cut in coarsely – you’ll have pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pea-size pieces and that’s just fine.
  • Beat the egg slightly, and gradually add it, pulsing after each addition.
  • When all of the egg has been added, process in long pulses – about 10 seconds each – until the dough, which will look granular soon after the egg is added, forms clumps and curds.
  • Turn the dough out onto a work surface.
  • Very lightly and sparingly – make that very, very lightly and sparingly – knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.
  • Butter the tart pan and press the dough evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
  • Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

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TURKEY TETTRAZZINI

When I was a kid and just starting to do the majority of the family cooking we had a set group of recipes that were the “weeknight” recipes. One of those recipes that was especially popular during the holidays was Turkey Tetrazzini. We also substituted ham and chicken for the turkey throughout the rest of the year. Back then I prepared the recipes as they were written and they were okay, but the Tettrazzini recipe used ALL Velveeta and canned mushrooms and stuff I wouldn’t think of putting into my body now so it was my goal to create the same recipe in a more health oriented way, but still easy for a weeknight meal.

TURKEY TETTRAZZINI
2 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 ounces linguine, broken in half and cooked al dente
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded turkey pieces*
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt butter in a skillet.
  • Saute onions and celery just until tender.
  • Add soup and milk, stirring to blend. Cook just until thick.
  • Add cheddar cheese.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • In the bottom of an 11×7 baking dish scatter first the pasta and then the meat pieces.
  • Pour soup mixture over top.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes.

*ham and rotisserie chicken work well too



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CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 thin slices cooked ham
4 thin slices swiss cheese***
1/2 pound bacon (8 slices)
2 jumbo eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon oregano
  • Flatten chicken breasts.
  • Spread butter evenly on the tops.
  • Smooth garlic evenly amongst the 4 breasts.
  • Sprinkle the thyme evenly between the four breasts.
  • Top with a slice of ham and then a slice of cheese.
  • Roll up tightly.
  • Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each one and secure with toothpicks.
  • Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Place flour in another shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, oregano and cheese in a 3rd shallow bowl.
  • Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture first, then the flour, then the egg mixture again and the crumb mixture last.
  • Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake uncovered at 350° for 45 minutes.
  • Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
*For really easy servings, I lay the bacon on the cookie sheet and cut the flattened breasts in half. On top of 1/2 of the bacon strip lay a chicken piece, top as directed and then lay the other chicken breast. Bring the other 1/2 of the bacon slice over the top and bake as directed. NO ROLLING AND NO TOOTHPICKS!

***I also use Muenster or Gruyere if that is what I have on hand.

GERMAN PANCAKE

GERMAN PANCAKE
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted + a little to coat the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of 1 lemon
Powdered Sugar

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Coat the inside of an ovenproof 12 inch skillet with butter or PURE. Be sure to remember to edges and sides.
  • In a mixing bowl beat the eggs until well blended.
  • Add the milk and blend again.
  • Sift together the flour and salt and gradually fold into the egg mixture.
  • Add the melted butter and vanilla, blend until smooth.
  • Pour batter into the buttered skillet.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 350 minutes and bake another 10 minutes until pancake has billowed high and turned golden brown.
  • Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar. You can also use regular maple syrup or molasses or I especially like it with Blackberry Pineapple Dipping Sauce or Lemon Sauce.
  • Serve immediately.

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CHAMPAGNE MAPLE GINGER FLUFFY PANCAKES

I had some strawberries left from last night’s CHAMPAGNE STRAWBERRY BANANA SHAKES so I decided to make pancakes! What a great combination of flavors!
FLUFFY MAPLE GINGER PANCAKES
2 1/3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 can ginger ale

  • Arrange pancake mixture in a large bowl, leaving a well in the center.
  • Whisk together the butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Pour egg mixture into the flour well and mix just until consistent.
  • Add ginger ale and whisk until smooth and blended.
  • Heat griddle and coat with a thin layer of butter.
  • Drop batter onto hot griddle.
  • Cook until bubbles form along the top.
  • Flip pancakes and cook until golden.
  • Serve with butter, PURE maple syrup and strawberries.
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PINEAPPLE ORANGE RASPBERRY BBQ CHICKEN with CARAMELIZED ONIONS

I just love a good sale! I ran across boneless skinless chicken breasts the other night in family size packages for $1.59 a pound. I don’t know what chicken is selling for in your neck of the woods, but here that’s about a $3-$4 a pound savings here and they are gorgeous, big and plump. For the two of us this will make 6 meals! Now I just have to come up with 6 new recipes. This is the year I promised myself to clean out my “recipe” files and not make recipes I’ve already tried. Hubby is being an awesome ‘guinea pig’!

 
PINEAPPLE ORANGE RASPBERRY BBQ CHICKEN with CARAMELIZED ONIONS

4 tablespoons Alessi raspberry blush vinegar
2 tablespoons Grandma’s molasses
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tangelo or orange, juiced
6 ounces pineapple juice
1 large Vidalia Onion, sliced into things rings
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
salt and pepper

  • Salt and pepper chicken generously.
  • In a large leak proof container layer chicken and onion rings loosely.
  • Whisk together remaining ingredients until well blended.
  • Pour over chicken and onions.
  • Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight, turning every 30 minutes or so.
  • Drain off marinade, but retain.
  • Dry onions well with paper toweling so they will caramelize.
  • In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter.
  • When hot, saute onions until translucent and browning.
  • Push onions to the outer edge and saute’ chicken pieces.
  • When chicken is a few minutes from being done, add in drained marinade and cook until thick glaze forms and the color caramelizes.
  • Serve over homemade egg noodles.
We love pasta around here and I have been trying to perfect a recipe. This is the best recipe I have found so far, but oh sometimes I think it’s just easier to buy them. The price of the gourmet ones is still less than the cost of the ingredients and the mess I make in the kitchen! Then again the flavor of fresh homemade noodles is truly incomparable.

HOMEMADE NOODLES
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour, divided 2 cups and 1/2 cup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cold water

  • Place 2 cups of the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour.
  • Add the eggs and flour.
  • With your hands or a wooden spoon, gradually mix all together until well blended.
  • Gather into a ball and knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes.
  • Add remaining flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands or the kneading surface.
  • Divided the dough into thirds.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll each portion into a paper thin rectangle.
  • Dust rectangle with flour to prevent sticking.
  • Trim edges and roll up jelly roll style.
  • Using a very sharp knife cut into 1/4 inch slices.
  • Unroll noodles and allow to dry on paper towels at least one hour before cooking.
  • Repeat with remaining portions.
  • Always add 1 tablespoon of oil to the cooking water for a better noodle.

CHAMPAGNE STRAWBERRY BANANA SHAKE

1/2 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
champagne
1 ripe banana, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk whole
strawberries, for garnish

  • Slice the strawberries into a medium bowl.
  • Sprinkle sugar over top.
  • Pour vanilla extract and champagne over strawberries.
  • Set aside for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
  • Drain the strawberries.
  • Slice the banana.
  • In a blender, place the strawberries, banana slices, ice cream, and milk.
  • Blend until smooth.
  • Pour into chilled glasses and garnish the rim of each glass with whole strawberries.
  • Serve immediately.



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STEWED TOMATO CASSEROLE

In my mind I have this vision of a dish grams made with okra, stewed tomatoes and toast. I wanted to recreate it. It doesn’t appear to have been written down anywhere. I’m sure she used stale white bread too, but since I can’t find a copy anywhere, I’m writing my own version. Do you know how hard it is to find okra here in the west?

1 can stewed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small shallot, sliced thin
1 handful snap peas
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper
bread
butter

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Spray casserole dish with PURE.
  • Layer shallots on bottom, then sugar snap peas and garlic.
  • Pour stewed tomatoes over top.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Sprinkle cheese even;y over the tomatoes.
  • Butter both sides of the bread and cut into chunks.
  • Layer the chunks of bread randomly on top of cheese.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

The best thing about the leftovers is you can top it all over again with cheese and toast pieces and it tastes just like the first time!






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Babka: Lovin’ From the Oven

Have you ever picked up an old cookbook off of your shelf, you know, one that you have used for decades and turned it to a recipe you haven’t seen for ages and suddenly been transported to the last time you tasted that dish? That happened to me recently with this recipe. It is excellent. It’s not quite a bread and it’s not quite a cake. It can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Babka:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
topping:
1 egg white
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, stick of butter, eggs, egg yolk and 3 cups flour. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and blended. Stir in remaining flour, stirring until dough leaved side of bowl. Mix in raisins. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Turn dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Brush the egg white on top of the babka and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake 350 degrees 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack 15 minutes. To serve, remove from the pan and cut in wedges.

This is SO good!!!!

PICKLED BEET MARBLED DEVILED EGGS

Somewhere during the past few months I saw an article on Chinese Tea eggs. They were so beautiful and intrigued me enough that I wanted to make some. Well I never quite got around to it, but then hubby asked for some deviled eggs and my brain went into overdrive. I decided to create the same affect with pickled beets.

1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
1 jar pickled beets
1/8 + cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Sweet Hungarian paprika

  • Boil eggs as normal. Rinse under cool water.
  • Drain beets, retaining juice.
  • Gently crack eggs all over.
  • In a medium skillet heat water and beet juice together.
  • Add eggs and simmer 20 minutes, gently rolling eggs periodically.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Remove eggs from pan and drain on paper towels.
  • Remove shells.
  • Slice open eggs and scoop out yolks.
  • Mash yolks with salt and pepper.
  • Add mayonnaise, vinegar and horseradish and blend well.
  • Fill eggs.
  • Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

I save the pickled beets to use with 1000 Island dressing on my Crab salad.

TUNA PASTA SALAD

Remember that less than stellar dinner I told you about the other day? Well I had about 4 ounces of pasta left and wasn’t sure what to do with it. So I coated it in about a tablespoon of safflower oil and 2 tablespoons of champagne vinegar overnight. Then the next day I added a can of drained tuna, chopped onions and a handful of aged white cheddar cheese. Let me just say YUM!

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Roast Chicken with a Lemon Herb Sauce

This week’s recipe is for Roast Chicken with a Lemon Herb sauce the easy way, on the stove top. That way all the tantalizing smells will bring your family to the table on time.

ROAST CHICKEN
4 tablespoons butter, divided & softened
1 whole chicken cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups hot water
2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
salt & pepper

SAUCE
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 green onion, chopped fine
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon butter

  • Rinse chicken and pat dry. Salt and pepper.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and when HOT, place chicken skin side down in pan.
  • DO NOT TURN chicken pieces until you see blood and bottom side is golden brown.
  • Whisk together the hot water, bouillon, thyme and basil.
  • Turn chicken and add 3/4 cup of chicken stock.
  • Reduce heat and simmer on low 15 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken to a plate and pour stock into a measuring cup.
  • Melt remaining butter in skillet and return chicken skin side down to skillet and cook another 5 minutes until skin is crisp.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
  • Skim the fat from the broth and add enough of the additional broth to make 3/4 cup.
  • Heat the olive oil in the skillet on a low heat, scraping up any of the little pieces from the chicken to add to the flavor.
  • Add green onions and saute’ a minute or so.
  • Add flour and mix well.
  • Increase heat and add broth and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
  • Stir in any juices that have drained from the chicken. Simmer a few more minutes.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, thyme and basil.
  • Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately. I like to serve it with rice.

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