Cranberry Upside-Downer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.