Monday, November 10, 2014

Florentine Lasagna Soup

2 TBS olive oil
1.25 lbs. extra lean ground beef

1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper
salt to taste (I use 1/2 tsp, you may want more)

2 - 14 oz cans petite diced tomatoes (or 1 can crushed, 1 can diced)
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

5 c. warm organic beef broth (or 5 c. water & good boullion)

2 c. mafalda (mini lasagna) or bow tie pasta

1 & 1/2 c fresh baby spinach, cut in 1/4 inch wide strips
1/4 c fresh basil, cut in 1/8 inch wide strips

shredded 5 cheese Italian blend

Heat oil over medium high heat in large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add meat & brown well. Add onion & garlic & cook, stirring often, until onion just begins to be translucent. Add seasonings.

Add one can of tomatoes, crushing well with a fork (or use 1 can crushed tomatoes). Add additional can of tomatoes & tomato paste, stirring well to incorporate.

Pour in warm broth & blend in well; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in pasta; cover. Continue to simmer for an additional 7 minutes, stirring often. Blend in spinach & basil, cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until pasta is al dente.

To serve, ladle into bowls & top with 1/4 c shredded cheese blend, stirring to melt. Pair with a salad & a nice crusty bread.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Tres Leches Cake

CAKE
2 & 1/4 c unbleached flour
3 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup (8 TBS) unsalted butter, softened
1 & 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 & 1/4 c milk (I use 1%)

TRES LECHES
1 c whipping cream
1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c milk (again, I used 1%)
2 TBS Bacardi white rum

TOPPING
Freshly whipped or canned whipped cream
Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease & flour 9x13 non-stick cake pan.

Blend together flour, baking powder, & salt in medium bowl; set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat butter & sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla & blend until smooth.

Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated, then 1/2 the milk, & repeat. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until lightly browned & center tests clean. Remove to wire rack to cool 15 minutes.

While cake is cooling, whisk together all Tres Leches ingredients. When cake has cooled slightly, pierce evenly with long tined fork (about 1- 1 1/2 inches apart). Pour the milk mixture slowly & evenly over top of cake, covering completely. Allow cake to cool, refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Cut cake & serve individual pieces with whipped cream to top & cinnamon to sprinkle. If all cake will be used immediately, spread with whipped cream & sprinkle cinnamon lightly over the top before cutting & serving.

Friday, June 20, 2014

Thai Basil Cashew Chicken

2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
fresh juice of one lime
2 tsp honey
1 TBS corn starch

2 TBS olive oil
1.25 lb chicken breast, cubed

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 hot pepper (jalapeno, serrano or thai), minced

1/2 c roasted, unsalted cashews

1/4 c fresh Thai basil leaves

Combine soy sauce, lime juice, honey, and corn starch in small ceramic bowl, set aside.

Heat oil in Dutch oven or wok; add chicken & saute until no longer pink and any juice has cooked off. Add onion, garlic & peppers & saute until onion becomes translucent. Stir in cashews & cook until heated through (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Pour in sauce mixture, thoroughly combine; cook until thick & bubbly. Quickly stir in Thai basil leaves, cook briefly until wilted.

Serve over Jasmine rice.

Monday, June 2, 2014

Perfect Pizza Sauce

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS minced Sun-dried Tomatoes, dried, not packed in olive oil

1/4 cup red wine

1 - 6 ounce can of tomato paste

1 cup water

1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

3 TBS fresh basil leaves, chiffonade cut

Heat small (1.5 qt) heavy sauce pan over moderate heat. Add olive oil; when heated, add onion and garlic. Saute until onion begins to look transparent. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes; saute 3 minutes.

Pour in the wine, stir well to combine; simmer until reduced by half, stirring frequently.

Add tomato paste and whisk until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of water, whisking thoroughly. Continue to add the water until sauce reaches your desired thickness. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Add fresh basil & stir until incorporated. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before using, or refrigerate until later.

Makes 1 cup of sauce, enough for the entire recipe of Perfect Pizza Dough.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Irish Whiskey Chocolate Syrup

2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Cocoa
1 1/2 TBS flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c. milk
2 TBS Jameson Irish Whiskey

Place sugar, cocoa, flour & salt in a medium saucepan, stir to blend. Add 1/2 c. of the milk, and whisk until a thick paste forms. Add the remaining milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Put saucepan on medium heat & bring the mixture just to a boil, whisking often. When sauce boils, immediately reduce heat & simmer gently for 7 minutes, whisking often. Remove from heat, whisk in Jameson Irish Whiskey until well combined. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps up to 2 weeks.

Luck O' the Irish Cheesecake

Layered Irish Cream & Guinness Cheesecake with a Chocolate Shortbread Crust and Jameson Chocolate Syrup

CRUST
6 TBS butter, softened
1 c. flour
1/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Gocoa

FILLING
3 - 8oz packages of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
1 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. flour
3 large eggs

1/2 c. Irish Cream Liquor

2 TBS Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Cocoa
1/4 c. Guinness Stout

JAMESON CHOCOLATE SYRUP TOPPING
2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Cocoa
1 1/2 TBS flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 c. milk
2 TBS Jameson Irish Whiskey

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. Place one rack on bottom level, one in center. Lightly butter the bottom & sides of a 9-in. springform pan. Place on a double thickness square of heavy-duty foil. Securely wrap foil around bottom & sides (about 1/4 inch up) of pan.

In a small bowl, soften butter (do NOT melt); add the flour, brown sugar and cocoa; mix with fork until crumbly. Gently press onto the bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven & set to cool slightly on wire rack.

Pour water into an 8-inch metal pie pan until half full. Place on bottom rack of oven after baked crust is removed. (This will keep the cheesecake from cracking when it bakes.)

WHILE CRUST BAKES:
In a large electric mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt on medium speed until smooth & creamy. Add sugar & flour, beat until well combined & smooth. Add eggs one at a time; beating on low speed of mixer until well blended.

Remove 1 & 3/4 c. batter to a small mixing bowl; set aside.

Add Irish Cream to remaining batter & beat until even consistency.

To reserved batter, gently whisk in 2 TBS cocoa until evenly incorporated. Slowly pour in Guinness & whisk gently until evenly combined. Batter will be thinner than the Irish Cream batter.

Gently pour Irish Cream batter evenly over warm crust; do not attempt to spread. Slowly pour Guinness batter over Irish Cream layer, starting in center, allowing batter to spread evenly. Smooth very gently with the back of a spoon if necessary to make batter reach the sides.

Place cheesecake pan on center rack of oven. Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears evenly dull. The top of the cheesecake should be at an even height & turning just lightly golden around the edges.

Remove cheesecake from oven & set on a wire rack to cool. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; cool 1-1/2 hours.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight until cheesecake is well chilled, allowing flavors to develop.

Make syrup while the cheesecake cools:
Place sugar, cocoa, flour & salt in a medium saucepan, stir to blend. Add 1/2 c. of the milk, and whisk until a thick paste forms. Add the remaining milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. Put saucepan on medium heat & bring the mixture just to a boil, whisking often. When sauce boils, immediately reduce heat & simmer gently for 7 minutes, whisking often. Remove from heat, whisk in Jameson Irish Whiskey until well combined. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Keeps up to 2 weeks.

Carefully remove sides of springform pan. Serve with Jameson Chocolate Syrup.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Blood Orange Cheesecake with Toasted Almond Shortbread Crust

CRUST
6 TBS butter, softened
1 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. ground toasted almonds*
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground orange peel

FILLING
3 - 8oz packages of Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
8 oz plain non-fat Greek yogurt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. fresh squeezed blood orange** juice
1 TBS fresh grated blood orange peel
1 tsp pure vanilla
4 large eggs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325. Place one rack on bottom level, one in center. Lightly butter the sides only of a 9-in. springform pan. Place on a double thickness square of heavy-duty foil. Securely wrap foil around bottom & sides (about 1/4 inch up) of pan.

In a small bowl, soften butter (do NOT melt); add the flour, sugar, ground almonds, ginger & orange peel; mix with fork until crumbly. Gently press onto the bottom of prepared springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven & set to cool slightly on wire rack.

Pour water into an 8-inch metal pie pan until half full. Place on bottom rack of oven after baked crust is removed. (This will keep the cheesecake from cracking when it bakes.)

WHILE CRUST BAKES:
In a large electric mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and yogurt on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, mixing until well blended. Add flour, blood orange juice, blood orange peel, and vanilla; beat until well combined & smooth. Add eggs one at a time; beating on low speed of mixer until well blended after each addition.

Gently spoon cheesecake batter over crust, spreading evenly.

Place cheesecake pan on center rack of oven. Bake at 325° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears evenly dull. The top of the cheesecake should be at an even height or just slightly lower in the center & turning just lightly golden around the edges.

Remove cheesecake from oven & set on a wire rack to cool. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; cool on rack for 1-1/2 hours.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight until cheesecake is well chilled. Carefully remove sides of springform pan, slice & serve.

*To toast almonds, place single layer of almonds in glass pie plate & place in oven as it is preheating. Roast for 6-10 minutes. Watch closely so they do not burn. Allow to cool, grind in food processor.

**One large fresh blood orange should yield more than enough fresh grated peel & juice.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Basic Biscotti - The possibilities are endless!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar

1 egg
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2-1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 350. Jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter & sugar until light. Beat in egg & vanilla until well blended.

In small bowl, combine flour & baking powder; add to butter mixture & mix on low speed until well blended. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

Divide dough into two equal portions. Form each portion into a "log" about 10 inches long & 2 inches wide. Place the logs side by side (lengthwise) about 3 inches apart on the prepared baking pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Cool pan on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place slices upright on the cookie sheet about 1/2 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove slices & place on wire racks to cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

VARIATIONS:

ALMOND BISCOTTI
Substitute almond extract for vanilla, & add 3/4 c slivered almonds after dough is formed.

ANISE BISCOTTI
Substitute anise extract for vanilla.

AZTEC BISCOTTI
Decrease flour to 2 c, add 1/2 c Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa (or regular Dutch Process cocoa); add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp chipotle powder & 1/2 tsp orange peel with dry ingredients.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Decrease flour to 2 c, add 1/2 c Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa (or regular Dutch Process cocoa). When dough is formed, stir in 3/4 c mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Drizzle with extra melted chocolate when cool for "Triple" Chocolate Biscotti.

GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI
Decrease sugar to 1/2 c, add 2 TBS molasses when adding egg & vanilla. Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger & 1/4 tsp ground cloves when adding dry ingredients. Add additional 1/4 c flour is dough seems too sticky.

LIMONCELLO BISCOTTI
Substitute 1 TBS Limoncello for vanilla, increase flour to 2-3/4 c, add 1 TBS freshly grated lemon peel with the dry ingredients. When biscotti is cool, glaze with 1 c powdered sugar & 1-2 TBS Limoncello (stir together until all lumps disappear), adding more Limoncello to made "drippable" glaze.

SEA SALT CARAMEL BISCOTTI
Add 1 tsp ground sea salt when adding flour & baking powder. When dough is formed, stir in 3/4 c caramel bites (or unwrapped caramels snipped into pieces).

TURTLE BISCOTTI
When dough is formed, stir in 3/4 c caramel bites (or unwrapped caramels snipped into pieces) & 1/2 c chopped pecans. When biscotti is cool, drizzle with melted bittersweet chocolate.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA BISCOTTI
When dough is formed, stir in 3/4 c white chocolate chips & 1/2 c chopped macadamias. When biscotti is cool, drizzle with melted white chocolate.



Tex-Mex Chicken Paella

2 TBS olive oil
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into large bite size pieces

3 TBS olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red Bell pepper, diced
1 small green Bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

1/4 c dry white wine

1 & 1/2 c. paella rice (or substitute medium grain white rice)
3 c. good quality chicken broth, warmed
1 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp dried orange peel

1 c frozen corn
1 can reduced sodium black beans, rinsed well & drained thoroughly

Heat 2 TBS olive oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken pieces & cook until done & beginning to brown. Remove chicken to bowl & cover to keep warm.

Heat 3 TBS olive oil in paella pan or large Dutch oven. Add onion & saute for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic & red pepper & continue to saute for an additional 3 minutes. Add wine & cook for 1 minute more; add rice & cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently so that rice does not stick. Pour in the chicken broth; add the chicken and seasonings. Stir to combine. Bring to light boil, add corn & beans, reduce heat. Cover & lightly simmer mixture over medium low heat for 15-18 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Stir well before serving.

Beef Ragout

3 TBS olive oil
2 lb sirloin tip roast

4-6 c. beef broth, warmed
1 c. hearty red wine
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp fresh ground peppercorns

1 large onion, quartered & sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 c. baby carrots, sliced into chunks
1 TBS coarse sea salt

Heat oil in large Dutch oven/cast iron pot; add roast & cook, turning often, until all sides are seared.

Pour warmed broth, wine & tomato sauce over roast; heat to boiling. Add onion & garlic. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover & simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 2 hours. Add more broth if necessary to keep meat evenly covered. Add carrots & salt; simmer an additional 1/2 hour.

Remove roast from liquid. Shred (you should be able to just pull the meat apart) & return to pot. Simmer another 1/2 hour. Liquid should be thickened naturally; if it needs a little help, mash together 3 TBS softened butter & 2 TBS flour to make a buerre manie & stir into liquid until well blended. Heat an additional 10 minutes to thicken.

Serve over mashed potatoes.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Quick & Easy Chili


1.25 lbs ground sirloin (or extra lean ground beef)

1 large onion, diced (about 1 c)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large hot banana (Hungarian) pepper, seeded & chopped
1 - 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped

1 - 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with liquid
1 - 15 oz can Hunt's Seasoned Diced Tomato Sauce for Chili
2 cans Bush's Best Chili Hot Beans

3/4 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp ground coriander

Heat Dutch Oven over medium high heat until hot; add ground meat & cook until evenly browned. Add onion & garlic; saute until onion just begins to become translucent. Add peppers & cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, stir to combine. Add beans & seasonings.

Heat just until bubbles begin to rise to the surface, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low simmer. Cover & simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to scorch your chili.

Serve with shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack.