In Fine Fettle

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños

2011-12-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños are a great appetizer for the holidays or your next game day gathering. It can take some time to assemble these tasty bites but they really could not be easier. If you are pressed for time you can have them all prepped and stashed in the refrigerator just waiting to be baked off right before your hungry guests arrive. These will go really fast so doubling the recipe is a good idea but I find people will eat as many as you make so you just have to draw the line somewhere.

Ingredients

20 whole fresh Jalapeños, 2-3 inches in size
2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
1 pound Bacon, sliced into thirds

Directions

I suggest putting on some latex gloves while prepping the jalapeños. Cut the jalapeños in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane. If you want more heat left in your jalapeños you can leave some of the membrane. Mix the Parmesan with the cream cheese if using and smear softened cheese mix into each jalapeño half. Wrap jalapeño with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle.

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes if bacon doesn't look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. The jalapeños should still have some bite to it.

Serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Recipe adapted from here.

Mini Caramel Apples

2011-10-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I really wish I was writing this post about these yummy pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting I made but alas, they did not last long enough for pictures. I was able to snap a photo of these mini caramel apples I made however. I was going to make these for our annual harvest party but I decided that it was just a little too much work to make a few dozen of these so I just made a few for Ryan and me. I was excited about these because you get more of the good stuff with these little suckers. They are easy and tasty but the caramel does not stick very well to the apple were the peel has been removed. I read a few things that say to add as little water to the caramel as possible but that did not seem to help much. I did dip a few in just chocolate and those held up great so if you plan on making these serve them right away or use just melted chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips instead. You could also experiment with the caramel wraps that are available.

Ingredients

apples
1 bag of caramels
nuts, sprinkles, melted chocolate, anything you wish to add.
twigs, lollipop sticks or pretzels sticks for handles
melon baller

Directions

Using a melon baller, scoop out little balls of apple. Add a handle of your choice and set on a piece of wax paper.

Melt the caramels in a sauce pan using as little water as possible (I only melted about 1/3 of a bag but the whole bag should make enough for 5 apples or about 35 mini apples).

Dip each mini apple into the melted caramel and turn to coat. Then dip in your extra toppings if desired and place back on the wax paper. Serve immediately.

Recipe found at From Glitter To Gumdrops

Monsters Inc Cake

2011-09-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

My nephew's first birthday was coming up so I offered to make his birthday cake. The theme for the party was monsters so I started looking at Monsters Inc stuff for ideas. I have been playing around with fondant and had made my first cake using fondant about a month ago. I really can't stand to eat the stuff but for making creative and fun kids cakes it can't be beat. So I sketched up an idea and this is what I came up with. I have a lot to learn and it was by no means perfect. The bottom tier has a bulge from where the two cake layers meet and there was a rip in the fondant that I was able to cover with the "Cameron" banner. For my second fondant cake I think it turned out pretty good.

All the fondant pieces are glued on with piping gel and the "Cameron" is tinted piping gel. A small batch of royal icing was used for the very top of the cake because the cream cheese frosting would not hold the shape of the decorating tip. The center of Mike, the monster was rice crispy treats.

My sister made a very cute personal sized smash cake just for Cameron that was a healthier option. Except for the royal icing and rice crispy treats, all of the recipes I used for the Monsters Inc cake and his smash cake can all be found below.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake
From Ina Garten of the Food Network
Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, a little more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:
(used this as the filling for the cake)
6 ounces good semisweet chocolate
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Directions:
Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

Adapted from this frosting recipe by Dorie Greenspan.

(this frosting is what covered the whole cake)

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (3 3/4 cups) confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract (or to taste)

Directions:

Working with a stand mixer filled with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract. If you wish, add coconut to half of the frosting.

Recipe and instructions for making Marshmallow Fondant can be found here.

Healthy Smash Cake:

Baby's First Birthday Cake (Carrot Cake)

From wholesomebabyfood.com

Makes 1 double-layer 9-inch square cake; adapted from "What to Expect"
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
2 1/2 cups apple juice concentrate (you may use slightly less)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Vegetable Spray/Shortening
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 Tbsp low sodium baking powder
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two 9 inch square cake pans with waxed paper and spray the paper with vegetable spray/shortening.

Combine the carrots with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the juice concentrate in a medium size saucepan.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 mins. Puree in a blender of food processor until smooth.

Add the raisins and process until finely chopped. Let mixture cool.
Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 1/4 cups juice concentrate, the oil, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla; beat just until well mixed. Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 mins. Cool briefly in the pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting below or sprinkle a wee bit of powdered sugar if desired.

Whipped Cream Frosting
Makes frosting for a 2 layer cake
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1 cup powder sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar salt and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the cream cheese mixture.

Blackberry Crumb Breakfast Bars

2011-09-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

Our summer in the Pacific Northwest was less than stellar. Everything in the garden is so behind and even the blackberries seem to be quite late this year. For the last few weeks I kept checking the blackberry patch but all I found was hard, green little berries. This past week they are finally ripe. So I put Baby Girl in her carrier and picked as many ripe berries as I could find. We have used up all our homemade jam so that was the first use the berries were going towards. I did end up with a couple of extra pints of berries and I had recently repined these amazing looking raspberry breakfast bars on Pinterest that were featured on the Smitten Kitchen. It was the perfect time to make one of the recipes I had pined because then I could link up with the Pinterest Challenge that a new mommy friend of mine, the wonderful Subfertile Frugalista is hosting.

These bars are fantastic. Best breakfast bar I have tasted but that is probably because they really belong more in the bar cookie category than a breakfast bar. Don't let the term breakfast trick you into thinking these are healthy. They are less sweet than a typical dessert of this type which I really like. I used whole wheat pastry flour to bump up the nutritional value a bit. I think this recipe is perfect as it is for a treat but I think I could easily give it a healthy overhaul to make it truly a breakfast bar. Add even less sugar, reduce the amount of flour by adding flax and ground nuts and we would be getting close. I feel an experiment coming on.

Ingredients

For the crust and crumb:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (original recipe calls for all-purpose)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the raspberry filling:
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound Blackberries, fresh or frozen (original recipe calls for raspberries)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

Make the crust and crumb: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. (Note: The book suggests you reserve one cup only.) Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.

Make the berry filling: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the berries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated.

Assemble and bake the bars: Spread the berry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Fougasse Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper

2011-08-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

It had been awhile since I had made a batch of Artisan Bread In Five Minutes A Day so I planned some meals in which I could utilize the bread dough. Potato soup with a nice free-form loaf and pizza where obvious choices. Some red peppers that really needed to be used directed this meal however. This bold flatbread is laced with the rich and smoky taste of roasted red pepper and was delicious served with a large garden-fresh salad. This fougasse (foo-gass) sliced, would also make brilliant hors d’ oeuvre.

Ingredients

Makes 6 appetizer portions

1 pound (grapefruit-size portion) of the pre-mized European Peasant dough

1 medium red bell pepper

Coarse salt, for sprinkling

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing the loaf

Whole wheat flour for covering the pizza peel

Directions

1. Cut the bell pepper into quarters (removing the seeds and membrane) and then flatten the pieces, making additional cuts if needed to flatten.

2. Grill or broil the pepper under the broiler or on a gas or charcoal grill, with the skin side closest to the heat source. Check often and remove when the skin is blackened, 8 to 10 minutes or more, depending on the heat source.

3. Drop the roasted pieces into an empty bowl and cover. The skin will loosen from the steam over the next 10 minutes.

4. Gently hand-peel the pepper and discard the blacken skin; some dark bits will adhere to the pepper’s flesh, which is fine.

5. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 °F, with a baking stone placed near the middle of the oven. Place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

6. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

7. Using a rolling pin, form a large flat round approximately 1/8 inch thick. Add a little more flour than usual when cloaking, shaping and rolling the dough, because you will need to be able to cut slits into the dough that do not close and immediately re-adhere to another. Place the round on a whole wheat-covered pizza peel.

8. Cut angled slits into the circle of dough on only one half of the round (I find kitchen scissors work great). You may need to add more flour to decrease stickiness so the slits stay open during handling. Gently spread the holes open with our fingers.

9. Cut the roasted pepper into strips, and place in a single layer on the unslit side of the fougasse, leaving a 1-inch border at the edge. Sprinkle with coarse salt and thyme. Dampen the dough edge, fold the slitted side over to cover the peppers, and pinch to seal. The peppers should peek brightly through the slitted windows. Brush the loaf with olive oil.

10. Slide the fougasse directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

11. Allow to cool, then slice or break into pieces and serve.

Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day.

Chicken Enchiladas

2011-07-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

When we feel like Mexican food these chicken enchiladas are often the thing I end up making. They are by no means a traditional enchilada. The filling is creamy because of the sour cream, yogurt and the hidden pureed cannellini beans. The beans add some fiber and cut down on the amount of sour cream and yogurt you need. I can’t remember what healthy chef on the Food Network I was watching that taught me the trick of adding the beans but it is a fabulous idea and you really would never know they are in the filling. I prefer these enchiladas to most enchiladas that I have had at Americanized Mexican restaurants. I really like the creamy texture and the smokey heat you get form the chipotle peppers in adobo.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I like to poach mine)

1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed in a little oil

1 15 oz can cannellini Beans, drained, rinsed and pureed

2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo (about 2 peppers)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup plain yogurt

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8-10 corn tortillas

1 15 oz can green chile enchilada sauce

½ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend

Recommended garnishes: cilantro, scallions, sour cream and chopped tomatoes.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and have a 13 by 9-inch pan ready.

Cook and shred the chicken and sauté the chopped onion.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the pureed bean, chipotle peppers, sour cream and yogurt and mix until combined. Add the shredded chicken, sautéed onion salt and pepper and mix well. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of the pan with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Spoon about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture in each tortilla and fold over filling. Place 8-10 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Pour desired amount of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas (you may not want to use the whole can). Top with cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes until cheese melts. Garnish as desired.

Recipe by me.

Chicken Sauce Piquant

2011-06-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

I received Food & Wine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes 2010 edition as a gift awhile back. The book features the best recipes from 25 of the best cookbooks of the year. I finally got around to taking a good look at the book and there are many recipes that look amazing that I must try but one stood out to me to try first. It was Donald Link's Chicken Sauce Piquant that is from his book Real Cajun. The bold Cajun flavors sounded really good to me and with a little modification I had all the ingredients to make the dish at home. This was particularly important because having a 2 month old makes me think twice about running to the grocery store (she usually does great but it does take more effort than before). I cut out a lot of the oil from the recipe and really don't think it was missed. I substituted chipotle peppers in adobe for a poblano and I think the chipotle pepper adds a nice smoky heat. I loved the flavors in this dish and it reheated well which is nice for another meal latter in the week. I really appreciate meals like this now that I'm a busy mamma.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon paprika

One 3-to 4-pound chicken, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes (I used 3 chicken breasts and 3 thighs)

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 small onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice

4 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried thyme

4 bay leaves

4 dashes of hot sauce

Steamed rice ( I used brown rice)

Thinly sliced chives for garnish

Directions

Whisk together the salt, peppers, chile powder, and paprika in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and use your hands to toss until evenly coated; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until is begins to smoke slightly. While the oil heats, toss the chicken with 1 cup of flour to coat.

Shaking off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Fry the chicken in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan—the chicken should be in one layer, and not on top of each other. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a deep plate, leaving the oil in the pan (if most of the oil has been absorbed and another one or two tablespoons).

Add the remaining ¼ cup flour to the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter-colored roux. Add the onion, celery, peppers, and garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves, and hot sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. If sauce is not thick enough thicken with a little more flour or corn starch mixed with water. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or hot sauce as desired. Serve over rice, garnished with chives.

Recipe slightly modified from Donald Link's book Real Cajun.

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

2011-05-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

An online friend of mine made this amazing lemon cake last week. It looked so good that I knew I just had to make something with lemon cake and curd. Fortunately, it was Memorial Day weekend and Ryan, baby girl and I were going for a day trip to visit with college friends so I had a good reason to make lemony treats. I came across this recipe for Lemon Curd Cupcakes that sounded amazing. The cupcakes are filled with lemon curd and topped with a mountain of frosting that is made up of cream cheese, whipped cream and lemon curd. Everyone really enjoyed these cupcakes. The cake was moist, the curd tart and the frosting was deliciously light and refreshing.

Lemon Cake:

3 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 C unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 C sugar

4 eggs (separated)

1 C milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

zest of two lemons

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Mix well. Alternately add in flour mixture and milk. Beginning and ending with flour. Add in vanilla and lemon and lemon zest.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add egg whites into batter, folding gently.

Place into cupcake liners. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Use half of lemon curd recipe to fill the cupcakes by cutting a small hole in the middle of the cupcake and filling with lemon curd (I made a double batch of curd and used it all).

Lemon Curd:

** I made a double batch because I wanted a very generous about of filling.**

2 lemons

4 egg yolks

3/4 C sugar

4 Tbsp butter, cold

Zest the lemons. Juice the lemons. In a bowl mix together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and zest.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time. Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and thickened.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened

1 C sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C whipping cream

Half of the above lemon curd recipe above.

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff. In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add in lemon curd. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Generously frost the cupcakes.

Recipe by Your Home Based Mom.

Creamy Potato Salad

2011-04-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

I did not think I was going to make it....I almost did not get in a post for the month of April. I really need to get back in the habit of weekly posts but I at least need to do one a month. I almost did not get a post done for this month because it has been a VERY busy month. I had a baby girl on the 15th. She is our first so we have been very busy in the past few months and really busy now. Oh how we love our little girl!

I decided we are having hamburgers for dinner tonight. I had some potatoes that needed to be used so I thought a potato salad sounded good to go with the burgers. I tossed together this creamy potato salad with just some ingredients I had on hand. It would have been better if I had had some small, thin skinned potatoes but russets are what I had. The spinach gives the salad a beautiful green color and the horseradish gives just the right kick. There is mayo in this salad but it is cut with plain yogurt which adds some tang and lightens it up.

Ingredients

6 medium sized potatoes ( I would use about a pound of thin skinned yellow potatoes next time)

2 eggs

2 sundried tomato chicken sausages, chopped

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tablespoons hot horseradish

1 large handful baby spinach

chicken broth

salt & pepper

fresh chives for garnish

Directions

Boil the potatoes until tender and then let cool. At the same time hard-boil the eggs. When cool, peel and chop the potatoes and eggs. In a blender add the large handful of baby spinach and just enough chicken broth to get the blender to process the spinach. Add the spinach mixture to the potatoes and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayo, yogurt, sausage, and horseradish and fold the salad together. Salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh chives for garnish. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Recipe by me.

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

2011-03-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is another great recipe from Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day. I still love making bread in this method. It is just so easy and saves so much time. It really takes the work out of making fresh bread.

This bread is true to it's name. It is soft and tender and great for sandwiches or for toast. I have started to half the recipe just because we just don't need to eat that much bread and as all homemade breads, it just does not last that long.

Ingredients

5 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast, or 2 packets

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/4 cup vital wheat gluten

2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup honey

5 large eggs

2/3 cup neutral-flavored oil or unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Whisk together the fours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Combine the liquid ingredients and mix them with the dry ingredients without kneading, using a strong spoon.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, but is easier to work with when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. The flavor will be best if you wait for at least 24 hours of refrigeration.

5. On baking day, lightly grease an 8 1/2x4 1/2-inch nonstick loaf pan. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 2-pound (cantaloupe-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape in into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the loaf pan; your goal is to fill the pan about three-quarters full. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Allow the loaf to rest for 90 minutes (40 if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

7. Thirty minutes before baking time, preheat the over to 350*F.

8. Place the loaf on a rack near the center of the oven and bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool before slicing.

Recipe from the book Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day.

Krystal's Berry Bran Flax Muffins

2011-02-25T12:14:00.000-08:00

This is a very healthy muffin recipe that I came up with. They are a good source of B Vitamins, Vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids. They are great for breakfast or as a snack. Apple sauce is used instead of oil or butter and they are so moist that you may not want to store them in a air-tight container because they can get a little soggy. I usually add a mix of frozen berries to these muffins but any fresh, frozen or dried fruit would do. Cranberries with orange zest would be fantastic.

Ingredients

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup organic cold-milled ground flax seed

1/2 cup unprocessed what bran

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 cup almond milk (can use cow's milk)

1 large egg

2 cups frozen mixed berries

few teaspoons of sugar in the raw (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350* and line a muffin 12 pan with paper liners (muffins will stick if not using liners).

Sift together the flour, flax, what bran, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Discard any course chunks of flax or bran.

In a separate bowl mix the applesauce, honey, egg, milk and lemon juice together.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry. Mix only enough to wet the dry ingredients. Don't over mix.

Fold in the frozen berries and mix lightly to blend.

Put equal amounts of batter in the muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar in raw if desired. Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't over bake. Enjoy!

Recipe by me.

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2011-02-08T15:48:00.001-08:00

Chocolate ice cream is one of my favorite things on Earth. I have been making my own ice cream since Ryan and I received an ice cream maker for a wedding gift. Usually it takes a little time to make homemade ice cream but not with this amazingly delicious and easy recipe. This rich ice cream is made from coconut milk so perfect for those avoiding diary. The simple list of ingredients are always in my pantry so it is a perfect recipe to have as a quick "go to". I think the ice cream is best when it has firmed up for a hour or two after churning. It does get pretty hard when left in the freezer but if put out to thaw for a a bit, the texture once again becomes creamy and not at all icy. You can successfully make a half batch of this recipe as well. The taste and texture of this ice cream is very nice and is just as good if not better than the expensive Purely Decadent Coconut Milk Ice Cream that I have tried (Sells for about $4.99/pint).

Ingredients

3 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
6 tablespoons agave syrup (I often use honey instead of agave)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a stick blender (this is the method I prefer). Make according to your machines instructions.

Recipe from The Nourishing Gourmet

Tabasco & Asparagus Quinoa

2011-01-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

It had been a long times since I used some of the quinoa that is sitting in my pantry, so I decided to look around for a new recipe. I came across this one and mixed it up a bit. The dish has good flavor and the tabasco is really subtle. I think I prefer the dish warm but enjoyed it for lunch today cold. I have made a few quinoa dishes that I was not really happy with but this one I really do like and will make again. I think the tabasco butter makes a big difference and adds the right flavors and creaminess. Quinoa when not seasoned enough in my opinion can have a slight bitter taste. I will continue to experiment with quinoa because it is such a healthy grain but I'm glad I found this to start off with.

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons jalapeño mustard or Dijon mustard
17 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch segments

4 cups cooked quinoa
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained

10-15 medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on if desired

more Tabasco sauce to taste

Directions

To cook quinoa: Combine 2 cups of well-rinsed dried quinoa with 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 25 - 30 minutes or until quinoa is tender.

In a small bowl whip the butter until it is light and airy. Add the mustard, Tabasco sauce, lemon juice and salt.

When the quinoa is almost ready (about 20 minutes into cooking), put another saucepan on the stove filled with water to blanch the asparagus. When the water has come to a boil, toss the asparagus is a blanch for just a minute or two and drain right away.

While the asparagus is blanching, take of table spoon of the butter mixture put in a skillet of medium high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque.

In a large serving bowl, take the 4 cups of hot cooked quinoa and toss with the rest of the tabasco butter. Stir in the asparagus, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and shrimp. Serve with more Tabasco sauce on the side.

Serves 4-6 and is good warm or cold.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

2010-12-20T18:41:00.001-08:00

I stumbled upon this recipe for chocolate cupcakes with peppermint cupcakes and I just knew I had to make them. They were the perfect thing to bring to our Christmas gathering for my husband's side of the family. I only followed the icing recipe because I love the chocolate cake recipe that I make so much that I just don't gamble with trying a new one that may not be as good.

Use Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe for the cupcakes. The recipe will me 24 cupcakes. Reduce the baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 C butter, softened
• 5-7 C powdered sugar, divided
• 3-4 T milk
• 4 t peppermint extract

6 peppermint candy canes (or a couples handfuls of small peppermint candies)

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter and beat until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat until smooth. Add the milk and peppermint extract and beat on high until the frosting is very smooth.

Place 3 of the candy canes in a food processor and process until the candy becomes a fine powder. Fold the candy cane dust into the icing.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe large swirls of frosting on top of the cupcakes.

Take the 3 remaining candy canes and put them in a plastic baggy and crush into medium sized chunks. Finally sprinkle candy chunks on top of the frosted cupcakes.

Recipe adapted from Pip & Ebby.

Russian Tea Cakes

2010-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

These are one of the easiest and tastiest cookies I make around the Holidays. They are buttery and just melt in your mouth. I love that there are very few ingredients and it really is a no fuss cookie. There is no chilling or shaping or frosting. The most difficult task asked in this recipe is sifting the powder sugar and flour but if I am using my awesome beater blade I honestly don't even bother with any sifting. So if you are in the mood to make some Holiday cookies but want something fast and easy, I highly recommended Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Weddings Cakes as they are also called. They also keep well so they are great to put in goody baskets.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, plus more for rolling cookies
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (I like pecans)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla then gradually add the 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, measure, then sift again with the salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture. Add the pecans and mix well.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the baking sheets and roll in powdered sugar while still hot. Cool on wire racks and roll cookies again in powdered sugar before serving.

Once they are completely cooled, cookies may be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse of the Food Network

Roasted Lemon & Herb Chicken

2010-11-23T14:27:00.000-08:00

Roasted chicken is one of my favorite things to do for a simple dinner party. Roasting a whole chicken is really easy but looks impressive. It also looks like you have spent a lot of time when in all actuality the oven is the only one that put in the time.

Ryan often puts the chicken on the rotisserie of the BBQ during the summer and we have that often for dinner. When it is just the two of us we can usually get a few meals out of one bird. After dinner I will strip the rest of the meat off and usually make some sort of chicken salad for lunch. I then take the picked-clean bird, add some vegetables and herbs and boil it to make some good stock for use in a future soup.

Ingredients

1 4-5 pound free-range chicken

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 handful fresh rosemary

1 handful fresh thyme

2 tables spoons butter

olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.

Zest one of the lemons and reserve the zest. Pierce a couple of holes in the zested lemon and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and a half of the herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan.

Finely chop the reaming rosemary and thyme (about 2-3 tables spoons each). In a small bowl, add the chopped herbs, reserved lemon zest, butter, salt and pepper. Mix together until well combined.

Gently separate the skin from the meat of the breast and top of drumsticks. Take the herb-butter mixture and smear it in the pocket made between the skin and meat.

Take the remaining lemon and cut 6, 1/4 slices. Place the 4 lemon slices in between the skin and the breast meat and 1 slice in the pocket of each drumstick where the herb-butter mixture was spread.

Fold the wings under and tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Season the whole thing with a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast the chicken for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. You can deglaze the pan and make a sauce if you like but I usually just remove the lemon and squeeze it over the meat.

Recipe by me.

Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing

2010-11-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

It was once again time for me to bake something to be auctioned off at our Church's annual auction for the local food bank. Because the auction was in late October, I wanted something that screamed fall. At first I was just going to make a pumpkin cheesecake. I LOVE pumpkin cheesecake but I have made that many times before so I decide to look around a bit and see what new yummy fall dessert I could find. Boy did I find one. I of course had to test the recipe out before making it for the auction so I made it and brought it over to my parents' house and had my family sample and give me their opinion. We all loved it so I knew Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing was the one. The apples make the cake so moist and it has just the right amount of spice. The cake is also very impressive with the caramel and pecans not to mention it is huge. I unfortunately was not able to attend the auction so I don't know how much money the cake raised but I did hear from many at the table that purchase it and it got nothing but good reviews.

Ingredients

3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 Tbs molasses
6 large eggs
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup sour cream
3 granny smith apples, peeled and shredded (1 1/2-2 cups)
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 Tbs fresh minced ginger (optional)

Icing

1 1/2-2 cups caramel topping (I used Hershey's brand)
3 sticks butter, at room temperature
2 Tbs heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese (original recipe called for mascarpone)
2 cups pecan pieces, toasted (optional)

Directions

Place one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and place a second in the top third. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 3 9-inch cake pans, then line each one with a parchment paper round and grease the rounds.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses, and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at at a time, beating well after each egg. In a medium bowl, sift together the four, baking soda, salt, and ground spices. Add the sour cream and flour mixture alternately to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture (flour in 3 increments, sour cream in 2 increments). Stir in the shredded apples, vanilla, and fresh ginger.

The batter will be thick, so use a spoon to transfer evenly into the three pans. Place 2 of the pans side by side on one rack, and the third on the other rack. Make sure they are staggered so that no layer is directly under or above another. Bake 35-40 minutes, rearranging the layers about halfway through, until firm to the touch. Monitor the layers carefully, as they may be ready at different times.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges and carefully unmold the cakes to a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy and pale. Add the powdered sugar over low speed until combined, then add the cream cheese, cream and vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Reserve about 1/4-1/3 cup of the caramel, then stir the remaining caramel into the frosting, using large strokes to create swirls throughout.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate or decorating stand, and spread a layer of icing on top. Top with the second cake, then repeat with more icing, then the final layer. Cover the cake with an even layer of frosting. Pat the toasted pecans onto the sides of the cake, then decorate the top as you desire. Drizzle the remaining caramel over the top.

Original recipe from Rebecca Rather, The Pastry Queen Christmas. Recipe adapted from Pink Parsley.

Single Serving Pear-Maple Cobbler

2010-10-06T14:22:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just need something sweet. For me, this often happens when Ryan is at work and it is just me home alone for the evening. Why?? Because I'm bored. I don't keep ice cream or cookies in the house so when I want a treat I have to make it from scratch. So instead of making a big batch of something sinful, I have started coming up with some single serving desserts that will satisfy my craving but not totally wreck my whole week of healthy eating.

This pear-maple cobbler is a perfect dessert on a fall evening and is a very generous serving so one could share, but I don't recommended it! And if you wanted to make it even more indulgent, I'm sure ice cream or whipped cream would make this even better.

Ingredients

Cobbler Filling

1 pear, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/8 cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
pinch salt
dash vanilla extract
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cinnamon
1 pat butter

Cobbler Topping

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
a little less that 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
pinch ground cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 Tbs whole milk
1 Tbs maple syrup
dash vanilla extract
1 tsp sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425. Combine the pear, maple syrup, four, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir well place in a ramekin and top with one pat of butter. Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 18-20 minutes.

To make the topping, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and chilled butter into a bowl and using a fork, cut the butter into the mixture until well combined. Combine cinnamon, and sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and set aside. Add the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, and stir until just combined. Drop by spoonfuls over the warm pear filling and sprinkle with the reserved sugar mixture.

Bake 14 minutes, until golden-brown and firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Recipe by me.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2010-09-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well the school bus is yet again holding me up in the mornings....yep fall is here. I just adore fall but I would have liked a little more summer. I recently saw on the news that every holiday weekend this summer was rainy!! Boo! Oh well, I'm burning my pumpkin spice candles, already made an apple pie from my parents' orchard and starting to make some nice hearty dishes for dinner. Bring on fall.

This is just the perfect soup to welcome fall. It is thick, rich, healthy and will keep everyone full. If I liked mushrooms I would have added them to this soup. They would probably go perfectly, so if you like the fungi toss them in. I make my soups really nice and thick so beware that the next day I usually have to add a little extra water or broth to loosen this up again. Give this soup a try when fall calls you to make some comfort food.

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup flour

6 cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it)

1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup orzo (I tossed this in on a whim, optional)

2 cups shredded or cubed cooked chicken ( I used the left over chicken off a roasted whole chicken, then made homemade broth from the carcass.)

1 cup whole milk

Directions

Add olive oil to large, heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the the flour and stir well. Let the flour cook for a minute or two. Slowly add the chicken broth a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer to let the soup thicken up.
Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, thyme and ground black pepper. Simmer on low for about 30 minutes then add the orzo (if using) and simmer for another 25 minutes until rice is tender. When rice and orzo is tender, add the chicken and milk and allow to heat through. Serve with fresh parsley if desired.

Recipe by me.

Jungle Animal Cupcakes

2010-09-03T19:14:00.001-07:00

I don't have a recipe to share but thought I would post these fun jungle animal cupcakes my sister and I made for my brother's baby shower. We used this tutorial I found on YouTube but changed the monkey up a bit, made some fun owls just because and I did one special butterfly cupcake for my Grandma's 80th birthday (which was also the day of the shower). The cupcakes

were a lot of fun to make and they were liked by all.

Paella

2010-08-18T15:19:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago we had another get together of some of my landscape architecture college friends. It looks like this is going to be a annual event and it is so much fun. We all gather at my friend's parents' house that is in Gig Harbor right on the water. We always go clamming and get so many clams. We really have a blast and our group are quite the foodies. We were all joking about when we are all going to quite the landscape architecture thing and open a restaurant.

With all those clams, I made a really good clam chowder for dinner with the help of a few sous chefs. It was so fresh and creamy. We all really enjoyed it. Even though that chowder used up a cooler of clams, we still had a lot left over so we were able to bring a lot of clams home with us. I steamed and froze most of the clams I brought home for use in future chowders but I saved a few so that I could try making a Paella. Paella is a Spanish rice dish that often has seafood, chicken, sausage and various vegetables. I had the clams, some shrimp in the freezer and some spicy sausage so that is what I used. People can make Paella out to be a big deal but they really can be simple and very delicious. You don't really need a special Paella pan and you can really add what you wish.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

3 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferable homemade

Pinch of saffron threads, optional

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

1 yellow pepper, cut into strips

1/2 cup frozen peas

2 cups short or medium-grain rice, preferably Arborio

2 cups peeled shrimp

about 15 butter clams

2 cooked spicy sausages, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the over to 500*F. Warm the stock in a saucepan with the saffron if you're using it. Place an ovenproof 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. A minute later, add the onion and cook, stirring until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the pepper and cook another 3 minutes.

2. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until glossy, just a minute or two. Season liberally with salt and pepper and add the warm stock, taking care to avoid the rising steam. Stir in the shrimp, clams, sausage, and peas and transfer the skillet to the oven.

3. Bake for about 25 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is dry on top (it's nice if it browns a little on the bottom, too. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman.

Grilled Halibut with Pesto

2010-07-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think I ate enough halibut while I was in Alaska because I have been craving it ever since we got back. Halibut is one of my favorites and unfortunately it is a little pricey here but I splurged and got two large fillets. My basil plant was about done and needed to be used so I decided to make a pesto to slather on the fillets. I served the fish on top of a bed of greens dressed with a lemon vinaigrette. This was a delightful summer dish.

Ingredients

2 large halibut fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch sea salt

pepper

2 large handfuls of basil (I apologize for the approximation but this is how I do it)

1 large handful of flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

a few grinds of pepper

about 1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Heat the barbecue to medium-high heat. Brush the halibut fillets with oil and season with sea salt and pepper.

In a food processor, add the basil, parsley, walnuts, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse the machine on and off until the ingredients look coarsely chopped. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the side of the work bowl. Continue pulsing the machine and slowly pour in the olive oil until the pesto is fully pureed but still has a little texture to it.

Grill the halibut until it just starts to flake apart (about 4 minutes per side). Just before you are about ready to take the fish off the grill, spread a nice layer of pesto over the fillets(there will be lots of extra pesto, refrigerate use in other dishes). Serve immediately.

Recipe by me.

Halibut

Flag Cupcakes

2010-07-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a good 4th of July. My husband had to work so I thought I would make a big batch of festive cupcakes for him to bring to the fire station and a batch to bring to the family BBQ. I was searching for inspiration when I came across this blog. Kellyn is a girl after my own heart! Right there on her "about me" section of her blog she says " I don't believe in sweets that are made to look pretty but don't taste good! ". I say AMEN to that. That is exactly why I refused to have fondant on my wedding cake. These cupcakes look very impressive but are very light and they sure do taste great. I love using whip cream as a frosting. I'm not a huge frosting fan unless it is chocolate or cream cheese so this was perfect and reminiscent of shortcake. I do have one warning on these bad boys, serves these on a plate with a folk or they will be all over you and your guests!!!

Ingredients

Makes about 17 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 recipe of your favorite yellow cake or 1 package of yellow cake mix
1 package of fresh blueberries
1 package of fresh raspberries
Whipped cream frosting and filling:
4 cups of heavy whipping cream (might need to make this in two batches, it makes a lot)
1/3 cup of sugar
3 tsp of almond extract
Raspberry Drizzle:
1 (12 oz) package of frozen raspberries thawed and drained, juice reserved
1/4 cup of white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons of raspberry liqueur (I did not have any so don't worry if you don't)

Directions

Preheat you oven to 350 and center your rack.
Mix the cake batter according to directions.
Line your cupcake tray with liners and fill 3/4 of the way to the top so that when baked you get a nice domed top that is high enough to cut off and use later for tops.
Bake for about 15-18 min. Cool completely on a rack, once cooled carefully cut the top of each cupcake off using a serrated knife.
While the cupcakes are cooling make your raspberry sauce. Add enough water to reserved raspberry juice to measure 1 cup (make sure you do this otherwise it will be way to thick in the end) Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a 1-quart saucepan. Stir in juice and raspberries.
Heat to boiling over medium heat. Boil and stir 1 min; strain out the seeds and let cool completely, your done. If you want you can add the liqueur after you strain it.
In a stand mixer fixed with the whisk attachment, whisk together your whipped cream ingredients - cream, sugar, and almond extract until stiff peaks form. About 2-3 min.
In a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip fill with about a quarter of the whipped cream mixture and insert into the center of the cupcake bottoms to fill the centers with cream.
In a larger pastry bag fitted with a large round tip put a layer of frosting on the top of the cut cupcakes. Place a small handful of blueberries on top of the cream layer on each cupcake.
Put your cupcake tops back on top of the blueberry cream layer. Using the rest of the whipped cream frosting pipe a mound of whipped cream on top of it as high as you want.
Put the raspberry drizzle in a ziplock bag and cut a tiny tip off and drizzle that way. Top each one off with a fresh raspberry and your done!

Recipe from K Bakes.

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

2010-07-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Alaska, and even though we had some great food on our trip, like the “Elks Crossing” specialty wood stone brick oven pizza made with homemade elk meatballs from Prospectors Pizzeria and Alehouse in Denali, I was ready to come home and make some healthy dinners. This dish highlights Italian flavors like oregano, balsamic and fennel. The recipe does not call for a lot of balsamic so I highly suggest using a high quality one. My in-laws brought us back some amazing balsamics from Napa valley. I used an 18 year old pomegranate-balsamic for this recipe and the peppers were amazing. Anything with this balsamic is amazing. It is so good I can just sip on it.

I served the roasted chicken and balsamic peppers over mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. I made the potatoes with plain yogurt and a little bit of horseradish. The potatoes had a slight tang which was perfect to cut the sweetness of the balsamic.

Ingredients

Serves 4

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used two whole, on the bone chicken breasts with skin)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper (I had to use green)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 large) (I used half of a sweet onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano. Brush chicken with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle spice rub over chicken. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over; cook 1 minute. Arrange chicken in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until done.

3. Heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers, shallots, and rosemary; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Stir in vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve bell pepper mixture over chicken.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ginger Pineapple Rice with Peanuts and Tofu

2010-06-16T20:43:00.001-07:00

I threw this together tonight and it turned out pretty well. I got home late and was really hungry so I wanted something quick. I knew I had tofu and then saw a can of pineapple in the pantry and decide to just come up with something. If my stomach could have waited I would have used brown rice but the white probably works better for this recipe anyway. I just feel a little guilty eating white rice but it will not hurt every once in awhile when I am pinched for time. Next time I think I will try this with Mandarin oranges and maybe a different nut.

Ingredients

1 cup white rice

1 ½ cups water

1 can pineapple chunks

1 Tbsp agave syrup

1 ½ tsp garlic salt

1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

1 pkg firm tofu, cubed

1 cup sugar snap peas

¼ cup lightly salted peanuts

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped

Black pepper

Directions

In a sauce pan, add the rice, 1 tsp of the garlic salt and the water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Add in ½ cup of the pineapple juice, the chopped ginger, agave syrup, a few chunks of pineapple and a fresh grind of black pepper. Mix rice well and cover pan and continue to heat on low until the liquid is absorbed.

For the peanut tofu, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on high. Add chopped tofu, remaining garlic salt, 3 Tbsp pineapple juice, peas, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until the pineapple juice has been evaporated and the tofu gets slightly browned. Add the peanuts and pineapple and cook until the pineapple is warmed.

Spoon tofu mix of rice and serve hot.

Recipe by me

Black Bean Burgers

2010-06-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

I actually call these “Friday Night Black Bean Burgers” because I seem to always make these on Friday nights. By the end of the week, many times my supply of fresh produce has dwindled so I look for something easy I can whip together from my pantry. These burgers are very easy to make but taste very good. I usually always have some leftover brown rice in the fridge so I get to use that up as well. The patties can be even jazzed up a bit if you do happen to have some fresh cilantro on hand.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup canned corn

1 cup cooked brown rice

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

About ½ cup whole wheat flour

1-2 tablespoons oil

Directions

Add the black beans and corn to the bowl of a food processer and pulse a few times until about half the beans are no longer whole. Scrape the bean and corn mixture into a bowl and add the rice, spices and half the flour. Mix well and then sprinkle a little of the flour over the mixture and form a patty (coating your hands with flour will help the patties not stick). Repeat this until 4 to 6 patties are made. Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the patties and cook until they are deep brown and slightly crispy. Serve with hamburger buns and all the fixings.

Recipe by me

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

2010-05-26T21:07:00.001-07:00

This is another amazing recipe from Heidi Swanson and I am in love with it! It is pretty easy to make and the flavor is awesome. It is a great way to get all the flavor of a time consuming and labor intensive Indian curry in a hour with minimal effort. I like it served over brown rice and I love the sweet flavor bursts of the golden raisins so much that I recommend adding a little extra.

Ingredients

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup red split lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups liters water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped
cooked brown rice for serving (optional)

Directions

Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water. Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it. Set aside. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so. The texture should thicken up.

Serves 6.

Recipe by Heidi Swanson from 101cookbooks.com

The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

2010-05-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Folks, it is another dessert recipe....sorry. It is the only blog worth thing I made this week. I made this tart for a charity auction and hope it makes a lot of money for the cause. I also made the super rich chocolate cheesecake as well. The lemon tart recipe is yet again out of Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My home to Yours. I made this dessert two years ago for my dad's birthday. We loved it but the lemons I used must have been extra tart because oh did it make you pucker. This time I made sure to taste the cream. It had the perfect tartness but I decided to coat the tart crust with seedless raspberry preserves and dot the top with fresh raspberries. Obviously, I did not get to taste it but I bet it was fantastic. My husband it also not too pleased I did not make him one... so may have to make another in the near future. ;)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 3 lemons
4 large eggs
3/4 c fresh lemon juice (from 4-5 lemons)
2 sticks plus 5 tbsp butter (10 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces, at room temperature.
1 9-inch tart shell made with sweet tart dough, fully baked (see below)

Directions

Getting ready:
Have a instant-read thermometer, a strainer and a blender (first choice) or food processor at hand. Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan.

Put the sugar and zest in a large heatproof bowl* that can be set over the pan of simmering water. Off the heat, rub the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy, and very aromatic. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the lemon juice.

Set the bowl over the pan and start stirring with the whisk as soon as the mixture fees tepid to the touch. Cook the lemon cream until it reaches 180 degrees F. As you whisk- you whisk constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling- you’ll see that the cream will start out light and foamy, then the bubbles will get bigger, and then, as it gets closer to 180F, it will start to thicken and the whisk will leave tracks. Heads up at this point- the tracks mean the cream is almost ready. Don’t stop whisking or checking the temperature, and have patience- depending on how much heat you’re giving the cream, getting to temp may take as long as 10 minutes.

As soon as it reaches 180F, remove the cream from the heat and strain it into the container of the lender (or food processor); discard the zest. Let the cream stand, stirring occasionally, until it cools to 140 degrees F, about 10 minutes.

Turn the blender to high (or turn on the processor) and, with the machine going, add the butter about 5 pieces at a time. Scrape down the sides of the container as needed as you incorporate the butter. Once the butter is in, keep the machine going- to get the perfect light, airy texture of lemon-cream dreams, you must continue to bend the cream for another 3 minutes. If your machine protests, and gets a bit too hot, work in 1-minute intervals, giving the machine a little rest between beats.

Pour the cream into a container, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. (The cream will keep in the fridge for 4 days or, tightly sealed, in the freezer for up to 2 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.)

When you are ready to assemble the tart, just whisk the cream to loosen it and spoon it into the tart shell. Serve the tart, or refrigerate until needed.

*Use a metal bowl, otherwise you'll be standing there forever.

Sweet Tart Dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg yolk

Put the flour, confectioner’s sugar and salt in a 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 coarsely cut in - you should have some pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and some the size of peas. Stir the yolk, just to break it up, and add it a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. When the egg is in, 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. Just before you reach this stage, the sound of the machine working the dough will change - heads up. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and, very lightly and sparingly, knead the dough just to incorporate any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

To Press the Dough into the Pan: Butter a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan, using all but one little piece of dough, which you should save in the refrigerator to patch any cracks after the crust is baked. Don’t be too heavy-handed - press the crust in so that the edges of the pieces cling to one another, but not so hard that the crust loses its crumbly texture. Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before baking.

To Partially or Fully Bake the Crust: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil and fit the foil, butter side down, tightly against the crust. (Since you froze the crust, you can bake it without weights.) Put the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil. If the crust has puffed, press it down gently with the back of a spoon. For a partially baked crust, patch the crust if necessary, then transfer the crust to a cooling rack (keep it in its pan).

To Fully Bake the Crust: Bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until it is firm and golden brown. Transfer the tart pan to a rack and cool the crust to room temperature before filling.

To Patch a Partially or Fully Baked Crust, if Necessary: If there are any cracks in the baked crust, patch them with some of the reserved raw dough as soon as you remove the foil. Slice of a thin piece of the dough, place it over the crack, moisten the edges and very gently smooth the edges into the baked crust. If the tart will not be baked again with its filling, baking for another 2 minutes or so, just to take the rawness off the patch.

Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's book Baking: From My Home To Yours

KEMP’S “YOU-WON’T-BELIEVE-THEY’RE-WHOLE-WHEAT” BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

2010-05-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have not made blueberry muffins in ages but I totally had a hankering for them the other day. Growing up, we regularly made the blueberry muffins from the recipe out of the good ol' Betty Croker Cookbook. I wanted a little healthier version so I looked around and found this whole-wheat recipe from Gourmet. The batter is super thick. I think a little too thick. I am going to add a little more milk than the recipe calls for next time or I may add some applesauce. Even though the batter is super thick, the muffins are not dense. They have a nice crumb to them and have tons of berries. These are not the best muffins I have made but none went to waste that is for sure. I do plan on making these again but like I mentioned above, I may tweak a few things. Oh and these muffins are sprinkled with a mix of sugar and cinnamon which is a nice touch.

Ingredients

Makes 1 Dozen

for muffins

1 3/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups blueberries (about 7 ounces)

FOR TOPPING

1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

EQUIPMENT:

a muffin pan (preferably nonstick) with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups

Directions

MAKE MUFFIN BATTER:

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin pan.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, then whisk in zest.
Whisk egg in another bowl, then whisk in milk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (batter will be dense). Fold in blueberries. Divide batter among muffin cups.

MAKE TOPPING:

Stir together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over batter in cups.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then unmold onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from Gourmet.com

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

2010-05-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe is out of the May issue of Martha Stewart Living. When I saw this pie I knew I had to make it. I was just so intrigued by it. You put the rhubarb through the juicer and only use the juice in the recipe. If you know anyone that does not like rhubarb because of the texture they should give this a try. The flavor was amazing!!! I just LOVE rhubarb!! I hastily snapped this photo before my family devoured it.

Ingredients

1 9” pie crust baked and cooled (the recipe called for a sweet piecrust)
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
1 ¾ cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
Coarse salt
3 large egg yolks plus 4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. 1. Juice rhubarb. You’ll need 2 ¼ cups juice; add water if needed. Whisk together 1 cups sugar, the cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk in juice; bring to boil in medium saucepan, whisking. Cook for 1 minute.

2. 2. Place yolks in a bowl; gradually whisk in half of hot juice mixture. Return to pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick, about 1 minute. Whisk in butter. Strain through a fine sieve into pie shell. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat broiler with rack about 8 inches from the heat source. Heat whiles and remaining ¾ cup sugar in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisking, until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot (160 degrees), about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of a mixer. Whisk on high speed until medium peaks form. Dollop meringue onto pie. Broil until browned, 30 to 40 seconds.

***Note*** Because I use farm fresh eggs, I skip the step of heating the egg whites.

Recipe from the May 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Risotto-Style Barley with Citrus and Arugula

2010-04-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious and creamy risotto. A first for me making a risotto from anything but Arborio rice but the barley is really nice. I love barley so I figured I would not be disappointed. I unfortunately did not have any arugula so I substituted with baby spinach. I'm sure the bitterness of the arugula would have been a great contrast to the citrus so I will make sure I have some arugula next time.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 or 2 shallots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

2 cups lightly pearled barley

1 cup good—quality dry white wine

6 cups water

1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup crème fraiche or sour cream

2 big handfuls arugula, coarsely chopped

Handful of chopped toasted walnuts, for garnish

Directions

Heat the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion, shallots, garlic, and salt and sauté, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
Add the barley to the pot and stir until coated with a nice sheen, then add the white wine and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes, until the barley has absorbed the liquid a bit. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle, active simmer.
In increments, add about 6 cups of water, i cup at a time, letting the barley absorb most of the liquid between additions; this should take around 40 minutes altogether. Stir regularly, because you don’t want the grains on the bottom of the pan to scorch. You will know when the barley is cooked because it won’t offer up much resistance when chewing (it will, however, be chewier than Arborio rice). I think this risotto is better on the brothy side, so don’t worry if there is a bit of unabsorbed liquid in the pot.
Meanwhile, grate the zest of the orange, then peel and segment the orange. Cut the segments in half, reserving any juices that leak out. When the barley is tender, stir in the orange zest, segments and juice, lemon zest, Parmesan, and crème fraiche. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be, then stir in the arugula. Garnish with the toasted walnuts before serving.

Recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking.

Crunchy Slaw Salad

2010-04-15T16:07:00.001-07:00

I had about three-quarters of a head of green cabbage left over from a stir fry that I needed to use up. I decided that this Crunchy Slaw Salad would be a perfect way to use it up because it is a beautiful day so we will barbeque some chicken to go with it. I have only made slaw salads like this with mayonnaise so this is a really nice change. The dressing is awesome. It is just like that creamy vinaigrette you get with teriyaki take-out. I wish I had some fish because this slaw would be amazing on fish tacos.

Ingredients

Creamy Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Splash of heavy cream

Slaw

1 extra-crisp apple, peeled and cored
1 big squeeze of lemon juice
1 small Savoy cabbage ( I just had regular green cabbage but Savoy would be even better)
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

To make the dressing, whisk the apple cider and lemon juice together in a small bowl, season with a few pinches of salt and a couple grinds of pepper, then gradually whisk in the olive oil followed by the cream. Set aside.

Shred the apple on the large holes of a box greater, then put the shreds in a bowl of cold water with the squeeze of lemon; this will keep the apple from browning. Cut the cabbage into quarters and core each section, then cut them into a very fine chiffonade. Just before serving, drain the apples and toss with the cabbage, walnuts, and dressing in a large bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

Recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking.

Pineapple Glazed Ham

2010-04-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is a great ham recipe. I found the recipe on Epicurious and it has a rating of 4 out of 4 'forks' and I have to agree. I have made it a few time now and just made it for Easter again this year. I love the pineapple on it. I could do without the cherries but they do make the pineapple rings stay on easier. This one is a must try.

Ingredients

1 smoked bone-in Virginia ham (14 to 16 pounds)

4 cups pineapple juice

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed

12 to 16 whole cloves

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 cup light-brown sugar

About 10 pineapple rings

About 10 maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Combine the pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes, reducing the liquid by half (to 2 cups). Strain and reserve.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Carefully trim the thick rind and all but 1/4 inch of fat from the surface of the ham. With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern and insert the cloves at the crossed points of the diamonds.

4. Set the ham in a shallow baking pan. Brush the mustard all over the top. Pat the sugar atop the mustard.

5. Starting at the butt end, decoratively arrange the pineapple rings, securing with cherries and toothpicks in the centers, working toward the bone. Pour the reserved pineapple juice into the bottom of the pan and place in the oven.

6. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.

7. When the ham is done, place it on a serving platter and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices, beginning at the butt end. Serve warm with pan sauce alongside. Remove the pineapple slices and cherries as you carve and serve them with the ham.

Recipe from Epicurious.

No Knead Challah

2010-03-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is another fabulous and easy recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I made this bread last year around this time and I am about ready to make the dough again so I thought I would share it. Challah is a traditional Jewish bread but I love to make it around Easter. It is very similar to Paska which is also a rich egg-based bread that many Eastern Europeans put is their Pascha Baskets. I included it in my basket last year and will do so again.

Ingredients

Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (2 packets)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (or neutral-tasting vegetable oil such as canola), plus more for greasing the cookie sheet
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water)
Poppy or sesame seeds for the top

Directions

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (no airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with dough hook). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Then allow the usual rest and rise time.

5. On baking day, butter or grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper, or a silicone mat. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.

6. Divide the ball into thirds, using a dough scraper or knife. Roll the balls between your hands (or on a board), stretching, to form each into a long, thin rope. If the dough resists shaping, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Braid the ropes, starting from the center and working to one end. Turn the loaf over, rotate it, and braid from the center out to the remaining end. This produces a loaf with a more uniform thickness than when braided from end to end.

7. Allow the bread to rest and rise on the prepared cookie sheet for 1 hour and 20 minutes (or just 40 minutes if you're using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

8. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. If you're not using a stone in the oven, 5 minutes is adequate. Brush the loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with the seeds.

9. Bake near the center of the oven for about 25 minutes. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. The challah is done when golden brown, and the braids near the center of the loaf offer resistance to pressure. Due to the fat in the dough, challah will not form a hard, crackling crust.

10. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois

Cranberry Upside-Downer

2010-03-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

This recipe is for sure not a 'downer' but what is a 'downer' is that I did not make anything new or exciting this week. I made this tender yummy cake back in December I think. I brought it to a friend's house and it went over very well. It is very simple, a little rustic but still very pretty.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups of cranberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not thaw)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
1/3 cup red currant jelly, for glazing the cake

Directions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350F. Put an 8x2-inch round cake pan on a baking sheet.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle in 6 tablespoons of the sugar and cook, stirring, until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the mixture evenly over the bottom of the cake pan, then scatter the nuts over the mixture and top with the cranberries, smoothing the layer and pressing it down with a rubber spatula.

4. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the remaining stick (8 tablespoons) of butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue to beat until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Pour in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Mix in the milk, then the rest of the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter over the cranberries and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

5. Bake for 40-45 minutes (35-40 for a 9-inch pan), or until the cake is golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and run a blunt knife between the sides of the pan and the cake. Carefully turn the cake out onto a serving platter. If any of the berries stick to the pan, just scrape them off and return them to the cake.

6. Warm the jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave. Gently brush the glaze over the hot cake.

Recipe courtesy, Baking From My Home to Your by Dorie Greenspan

Calamari

2010-03-16T15:06:00.001-07:00

I decided to be adventurous the other day and take on the challenge of making homemade Calamari rings because I found squid for a great price. They were such a great price that even if the whole endeavor was a complete disaster I was only going to be out a few bucks and some time. I searched the web on how to clean whole squid and at first I felt like I should have been in science class rather than my kitchen. It was really fun actually but I have always liked that kind of stuff. I loved cleaning fish growing up. Cleaning the squid was a little time consuming but easy and the Calamari turned out really well. I was surprised I thought they would be rubbery or soggy but they were much, much better then a lot of the Calamari I have been served in restaurants. I made up a few different dipping sauces and my husband and I really enjoyed our appetizer. So don't be afraid to give homemade calamari rings a try.

Ingredients

1/2 pound cleaned, whole squid

1 cup all-purpose batter mix for deep frying (basically flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

2 cloves garlic minced

oil for frying

Directions

Preheat deep fryer or deep pan with required amount of oil to 375 degrees.

Chop the squid bodies into 1/4" rings and cut the tentacles off just under the eyes. Rise with water and shake of excess moisture. In a zip-lock baggy, add the dry batter mix, pepper, parsley and garlic. Shake to mix and then add the squid and continue to shake until all the squid in coated.

Fry in batches until the rings are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Don't over cook or they will be tough. Remove from oil and let drain on paper towels. Serve warm with salt and pepper (if need), lemon, and dipping sauces of your choice.

Recipe by me.

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

2010-03-11T19:50:00.001-08:00

This is a pretty healthy pasta dish I tossed together. I had some left over coconut milk so I decided to try and make a pasta sauce with it much like you would with cream. I think it turned out really well and will make again.

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
1 pound whole wheat Fettuccine
1 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, sliced
½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups Vegetable Broth
½ cups White Wine
1 cup Coconut Milk
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
Sea Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente. Make sure not to overcook whole wheat pasta.

Toss the shrimp with 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and vegetable broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in coconut milk, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until sauce starts to thicken (if the sauce needs help thickening just add a little corn starch mixed with water. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste.

Add the vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Then finally, add the shrimp. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until shrimp are opaque and mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine. Top with fresh parsley.

Recipe by me.

Whole Grain Artisan Free-Form Loaf

2010-03-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! For one of my birthday presents my husband got me the new Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day cookbook called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. You guys all know how much I love their method and this is even better because it is all about using whole grains. I can't wait to try all the recipes but I decided to start with their "Master Recipe" and above is a picture of how it turned out....awesome! It is not too dense and is still very moist and tender. Because I want you all to buy the book I'm not going to share the recipe but you can find it here. :)

Asparagus, Pepper and Peanut Buckwheat Soba

2010-02-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

I love buckwheat soba. They have such a rich nutty taste. Buckwheat actually has nothing to do with wheat at all; buckwheat is actually a fruit. It is a dicot in polygonacea family, which includes rhubarb and sorrel (the Landscape Architect comes out!!!). I can find both fresh and dried buckwheat noodles which are very good but I am really tempted to make homemade noodles soon which I hear are even better tasting. Buckwheat noodles sometimes will contain whole wheat flour because the addition of the whole wheat flour creates a sturdier noodle. If you can't find buckwheat noodles whole wheat spaghetti noodles are a good alternative and they are much less expensive.

The sauce in this dish is very tasty and simple. I like the recipe as is but you can for sure add different vegetables and shrimp or tofu. I did not have a red bell pepper so I had to use a green one which makes the dish not quite as pretty but still good. I also intended to add shrimp but totally forgot which probably shows that they were not really needed.

Ingredients

Serves 2 (can easily be doubled)

For the sauce (quantities approximate):

2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp sriracha or other hot chili sauce (more or less, to taste)
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp fresh lime juice
2 bundles (approximately 6 ounces) soba noodles, prepared according to package directions, rinsed under cold water and drained

2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 lb fresh asparagus, woody parts of stems removed, tender part cut into 1-inch lengths
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup peanuts, dry-roasted and unsalted, roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients; adjust to taste with more agave or lime, and set aside (can be made days ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid).

Place the soba in a mixing bowl.

In a wok or skillet, heat the oil. Stir-fry asparagus, scallions, and bell pepper until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables to the soba. Pour in the sauce, and stir well to combine. Transfer to individual serving bowls, and top with chopped peanuts. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Recipe courtesy The Perfect Pantry

My Favorite Chocolate Cake

2010-02-10T19:35:00.000-08:00

It's In Fine Fettle's 1st Birthday this month! I posted my first recipe on February 24, 2009. I'm so glad I have kept this up and I really enjoy sharing recipes and keeping a record of what I have made. To celebrate I thought it would be appropriate to share my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake is my favorite chocolate cake recipe. My sister was the first to make it a few years ago and I have been sold on it ever since. We got the recipe from watching an episode of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network one day. The recipe is actually from one of Ina's friend's aunt Beatty. I also love the buttercream recipe. It has a hit of espresso in it which tastes amazing but don't feel like you have to stick to that, you can use any frosting you wish. The photo above it of the cake I made last month for my dad's birthday. I used this cake and frosting recipe but I used homemade pastry creams (milk chocolate and berry) as the filling between the layers. It was awesome! My dad still tells me that he misses his cake. :) So feel free to play around with this cake but if you wanted a rich and very moist cake use Beatty's recipe. (Sorry about the caps...it is not letting me change it!)

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Directions

Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 2 (8-inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Recipe courtesy of Barefoot Contessa of the Food Network.

One-pot Chicken and Brown Rice

2010-02-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

This is a really simple and healthy dinner recipe. I really like it. The brown rice is fantastic and has so much flavor. And oh do I love one pot meals....so easy! This recipe calls for chicken thighs with the skin on. I keep the skin on for flavor but because the lid is put on to steam the rice, the skin does not stay crispy so I just remove it before eating. Because of this, you could for sure use skinless thighs or breasts. I like a little moist dark meat once and awhile however.

Ingredients

Serves 4.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 large onion, cut into wedges
2 celery stalks, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots (I add more carrots), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
1 cup brown rice

Directions

1. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, in pot. Cook until golden brown on both sides, 10-12 minutes total. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot; add onion and celery. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes.

2. Add carrots, bay leaf, and 1 3/4 cups water; stir in rice and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until rice is absorbs almost all the liquid, 40-45 minutes. Let stand, covered for 10 minutes before serving. You can also bake dish in the oven at 350 degrees for the same amount of time.

Recipe courtesy, Everyday Food January/February 2010 issue.

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

2010-01-27T16:26:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. I don't make it often. I think I have only made this three times but it is oh so good. Your house will be filled with amazing smells and this sauce gives you a really good excuse to make your own fresh pasta because after taking the time to develop this rich sauce it really deserves no less than to be soaked up with fresh pasta (and homemade bread!!).

Because I buy grass fed beef from my parents, the short ribs I get don't always have as much meat as the typical short ribs you find in the store. If I think I need a little more meat I add a package of stew meat and it works perfectly. So this recipe is a great way to use up stew meat as well. I also think this would be good with a rib roast or other types or roasts.

Ingredients

Serves 6.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs
salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle ( I highly recommend you make fresh tagliatelle for this recipe)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if

needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis of the Food Network.

Fresh Pear and Cranberry Pie

2010-01-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

I did not manage to take any pictures of the food I made this week so I'm gonna have to add another dessert. Bummer right? I made this for a Christmas party and it was very tasty. I think it looked slightly better than it tasted but I still feel I will make it again. I was not crazy about the caramel topping so I will probably make up my own topping in the future. In truth, I think you could skip the caramel topping especially if you are serving it with ice cream or whipped cream.

Ingredients
1 recipe Single-Crust Pie**
8 cups sliced red and/or green ripe pears (7 to 8 pears; 3 to 3-1/2 lb. total)
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. apple cider or water
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. caramel-flavored ice cream topping, plus additional for drizzling
Directions

1. Prepare and roll out Pastry for Single-Crust Pie (below). Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Arrange half of pears in prepared pastry; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cranberries. Arrange remaining pears atop cranberries. In bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, cider, and nutmeg; drizzle evenly over pears. Cover pie with foil.

3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake, uncovered, 30 to 35 minutes more or until pears are tender and juices are bubbly. Remove from oven and place on wire rack.

4. Meanwhile, in small saucepan combine remaining cranberries and 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Bring to boiling. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Spoon over hot pie.

5. Serve warm. Drizzle with additional caramel topping. Make 8 servings.

** Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie: In bowl stir together 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender cut in 1/2 cup shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of the bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time (4 to 5 tablespoons total), until flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into ball. On floured surface flatten with hands. Roll dough from center to edges into a 13-inch circle. To transfer pastry, wrap around rolling pin. Unroll pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Ease pastry into plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens

Polenta Wedges with Shrimp and Spinach

2010-01-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

So I decided I would save the last couple of dessert recipes for another time and post a healthy meal. This dish tastes healthy but in a good way. It is light but satisfying. Flavorful but not over powering. I also love polenta so this is a winner in my book. It is convenient to make a batch of soft polenta for dinner earlier in the week then refrigerate the extra to slice up and use with meals like this one.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for drizzling (or other flavorful oil of your choice)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
2 14-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp, (31-35 per pound; thawed if frozen), tails removed if desired
6 cups chopped baby spinach or escarole
8 slices of prepared, chilled and firm polenta, sliced into 8 triangles (you can find prepared polenta in tubes at the store as well.)
8 olives, pitted and chopped (optional)

Directions

Heat broiler, with rack 5 inches from heat. Place a rimmed baking sheet in oven to heat, 5 minutes. Pat polenta wedges dry with a paper towel and lightly brush both sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Carefully place of polenta on the hot sheet and broil until golden brown.
While of polenta is browning, place 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is sizzling and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and oregano; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until juicy, about 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp and spinach; cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
Divide the sauce among 4 shallow bowls or plates. Top with the polenta slices, sprinkle with olives (if using) and drizzle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well.com.

Theophany Fritters

2010-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

I promise I'm going to start sharing my healthy recipes again. There is just one more dessert that I will want to share after this one. I have done a pretty good job of eating healthy over the Holidays but the "bad" food is so much more fun to share than my butternut squash soup that I made last night (even though it is very good, just not as fun as fritters).

These sweet fritters are a traditional dessert among Orthodox in Lebanon and Syria. The website from where I found this recipe explains that is the book The Art of Syrian Cookery by Helen Corey the dough was traditionally wrapped in a cloth, “baptized” in a fountain and hung in a tree for three days. It would develop a strain of wild yeast and then would be used to make baked goods rise throughout the new year.

Obviously, I will not be "baptizing" and hanging the dough from a tree, but I think making these Fritters on Theophany could become a fun and special family tradition for me.

Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon rose water

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

[If you can't find orange blossom water then just double the rose water. If you can't find either, use vanilla or almond exact to taste. You will want to use much less of the extracts because they are much stronger flavors. I did find both the rose and orange water in my local grocery store in the aisle with all the sparkling and flavored waters.]

* I ended up with lots of extra syrup so I think one could 1/2 this recipe.

Put sugar, water and lemon juice in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, occasionally stirring. Leave to boil for 3 minutes then stir in flower waters and boil for a few more seconds. Take off heat and leave to cool. It must be completely cool before use in the next recipe. However, if you are not planning to use it the same day, it can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass container for up to two weeks. Let it warm back up to room temperature before using it.

Fritters

Full recipe sugar syrup

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the syrup, keep in the pan and have it on hand to drop the fritters into when they are ready.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl, then add yogurt and baking soda. Whisk until well blended and smooth, then cover and leave to rest for 45 minutes.

Fill a medium-sized frying pan with enough vegetable oil to deep fry the fritters and place over a medium heat. When the oil is hot (drop in a little batter, if the oil bubbles around it, it is ready), dip a dessert spoon in a little cool oil, fill it with batter and then drop the batter into the oil. Drop in as many fritters as can fit comfortably, stir to brown them evenly, until they become golden all over. Don't let the oil get too hot or the fritters will not cook all the way through. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a double layer of paper towels before dropping in the syrup. Turn a few times in the syrup and remove onto a serving dish.

These fritters should be eaten right away, once they reach room temperature. They do not store well.

Recipe from: Lebanese Cuisine by Annisa Helou and found on Festal Celebrations.

In Fine Fettle

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños

Ingredients

Directions

Mini Caramel Apples

Monsters Inc Cake

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:

Blackberry Crumb Breakfast Bars

Fougasse Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Sauce Piquant

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

Creamy Potato Salad

Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

Krystal's Berry Bran Flax Muffins

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Tabasco & Asparagus Quinoa

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Russian Tea Cakes

Ingredients

Directions

Roasted Lemon & Herb Chicken

Apple-Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Swirl Icing

Single Serving Pear-Maple Cobbler

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Jungle Animal Cupcakes

Paella

Grilled Halibut with Pesto

Flag Cupcakes

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Ingredients

Directions

Ginger Pineapple Rice with Peanuts and Tofu

Black Bean Burgers

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

The Most Extraordinary French Lemon Cream Tart

KEMP’S “YOU-WON’T-BELIEVE-THEY’RE-WHOLE-WHEAT” BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

FOR TOPPING

EQUIPMENT:

MAKE MUFFIN BATTER:

MAKE TOPPING:

Rhubarb Meringue Pie

Risotto-Style Barley with Citrus and Arugula

Crunchy Slaw Salad

Pineapple Glazed Ham

No Knead Challah

Cranberry Upside-Downer

Calamari

Cajun Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

Directions

Whole Grain Artisan Free-Form Loaf

Asparagus, Pepper and Peanut Buckwheat Soba

My Favorite Chocolate Cake

It's In Fine Fettle's 1st Birthday this month! I posted my first recipe on February 24, 2009. I'm so glad I have kept this up and I really enjoy sharing recipes and keeping a record of what I have made. To celebrate I thought it would be appropriate to share my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Directions

Chocolate Frosting:

One-pot Chicken and Brown Rice

Directions

Short Ribs with Tagliatelle

Ingredients

Directions

Fresh Pear and Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

Directions

Polenta Wedges with Shrimp and Spinach

Ingredients

Directions

Theophany Fritters