One woman's foray into cooking for herself, for her family, and for her friends. It's not always picture-perfect, sometimes a little messy, but it's always delicious. Join me in exploring new recipes, savoring the "résultats" and learning from the "erreurs".
As a child, I remember my parents loving rhubarb pie. I myself found it too tart for my tastes. Ever since, I've always been confounded by the anxiously awaited rhubarb season. Remembering that one's tastes change over the years... certainly mine had for other foods... and the fact that this recipe of Ann of Thibeault's Table has received rave reviews, I thought it high time to give rhubarb another shot. The photos Ann and others have posted of this recipe left me drooling and ready to become a partaker of Ann's rhubarb pie. I was not disappointed. The filling that the rhubarb is mixed into is wonderfully luscious - I figured its sweetness was the perfect foil for such a tart fruit. I was more than pleasantly surprised with the overall sweetness of the pie. I didn't find the fruit nearly as tart as I had remembered. Alas, I have become a member of those who will be anxiously awaiting rhubarb season next year.
Find the recipe for Ann's Rhubarb Pie here. My recipe for pie crust comes from my former mother-in-law. It comes out perfect every time.
Connie's Pie Crust (Note: double recipe for the rhubarb pie.)
1-1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup cold butter pinch of salt 1/4 cup ice water
Pulse flour with shortening, butter, and salt in a food processor until mixture is mealy. Slowly add ice water until dough forms a ball. Remove from processor and quickly form into a disc. Chill for 30 minutes. Roll out crust for pie.
Another easy meal: breaded pork chops. I make them the way my mother taught me. I rub a little oil (canola or olive oil) all over the chop, then coat in seasoned bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 F. My chops were rather thick, so I baked them for just short of an hour. They were delicious! I served couscous on the side, mixed with currants, pistachios, and orange zest. Sprinkle chopped mint over the couscous at serving time. Easy!!
Tonight was another quick and easy and over-the-top-with-flavor dinner! I wanted to make Chicken Marsala but had no mushrooms on hand. So I decided on just chicken with Marsala sauce, not a true chicken Marsala. And in about 15 - 20 minutes I had an amazing dinner. I love mashed potatoes with Chicken Marsala instead of pasta, so I cubed a Yukon gold potato and boiled it. While the potato was cooking, I pounded a boneless/skinless chicken breast to an even thickness, dredged it in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, and browned it in a little olive oil in a small skillet. When the chicken was browned on both sides, I removed it to a plate and kept it warm, poured in about 1/3 cup of dry Marsala wine, and reduced it by half. While the Marsala was reducing, I mashed the potatoes with a little butter, milk, salt and pepper. I then added in about 1/4 cup chicken broth to the reduced Marsala, let it all reduce a little more, and seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper. I plated the chicken over the mashed potatoes, then drizzled the sauce over it. Sprinkled chopped parsley over, and dinner was served.
By the way, the swelling has finally gone down on my foot! Yay! The toes have finally stopped feeling numb, the fingers on my left hand are okay, and I am going to try to be a bit more cognizant of my surroundings when I walk from now on! I think I dodged a bullet! *whew*
My klutziness reared its ugly head this morning. I tripped over something, went flying, and now my left foot is a little swollen (toes are tingly... that can't be good), and three of the fingers on my left hand are a bit achy. Oy. What a goof. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway, for blogsakes), I won't be doing any cooking today. Good thing I had a wonderful meal last night!!
I love chimichurri sauce. It's flavorful without overpowering whatever it's added to. I especially adore it over steaks. Last night I used it to top a petite sirloin strip that I grilled briefly (4 -5 minutes on each side). I also sliced a rather large Yukon gold potato, tossed the slices with some of the chimichurri, and grilled them, as well, until they were golden and tender. Oven-roasted asparagus rounded out the meal. Delicious!
Chimichurri
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Combine garlic, jalapeno and lime in a small bowl. Whisk in vinegar and olive oil. Stir in parsley and cilantro. Add salt, cover and let stand 2 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
I've been trying to be better about eating more servings of fruit per day, especially now that summer is providing us with great fruit options at the Farmers Market! However, I always seem to bring home a lot more than I can keep up with, and as a result, I had a couple of bananas on their "last legs". What to do, what to do... I did a little internet research and found this recipe for banana bread that was a little different than most. The reviews that came with this recipe were great, and mine is no different! The flavor was wonderful as was the texture. This will be my go-to banana bread recipe from now on!
Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread Prep: 15 min., Bake: 1 hr., Cool: 40 min. Warm bread is yummy, but to get perfect slices, let bread cool 30 minutes, and cut with a serrated or electric knife.
3/4 cup butter, softened 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium) 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 2 greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loafpans.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and sides pull away from pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browning, if necessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.
Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Muffins: To bake muffins, spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Makes 24 muffins. Prep: 15 min., Bake: 25 min.
Orange-Pecan-Topped Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread: Prepare bread batter as directed, and spoon into desired pans. Sprinkle 1 cup coarsely chopped, toasted pecans evenly over batter in pans. Bake as directed. Cool bread or muffins in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind until blended. Drizzle evenly over warm bread or muffins, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks.
Toasted Coconut-Topped Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread: Prepare and bake bread or muffins in desired pans. While bread is baking, stir together 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, and 1/4 cup milk in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut; 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans; and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Remove baked bread or muffins from oven, and immediately spread tops with coconut mixture. Broil 5 1/2 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until topping starts to lightly brown. Cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.
Cinnamon Crisp-Topped Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread: Prepare bread batter as directed, and spoon into desired pans. Stir together 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar; 1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon melted butter; and 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Bake and cool as directed.
Peanut Butter Streusel-Topped Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread: Prepare bread batter as directed, and spoon into desired pans. Combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup butter and 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter in pans. Bake and cool as directed.
One of the easiest and (in my opinion) most delicious meals to put on the table in about 45 minutes is this pork tenderloin dish. Make a quick rub and put it all over the tenderloin and let it sit for 15 minutes. A quick sear on all sides (about 6 minutes) and about 20 - 25 minutes in the oven to finish it off is all it takes for tons of flavor. While the pork rests, pour some red wine into the pan the pork cooked in and reduce by half, then whisk in a pat of butter to add some body to the sauce. Delicious. Smashed red potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts (trim sprouts, spread on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper, and roast in 400 F. oven for 30 - 40 minutes - drizzle with balsamic vinegar when done cooking), and voila!, dinner good enough for company is done!
Salt- and Pepper-Pork Tenderloin
2 teaspoons crushed black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
12-ounce pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
Preheat oven to 400 F.
Combine the pepper, salt, rosemary and garlic and rub over pork tenderloin. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in oven-proof skillet. Add tenderloin and sear on all sides (about 6 minutes altogether).
Put pan in oven and continue to cook pork for additional 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from oven and move pork to cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
Place pan over medium heat on stove and pour 1 cup of red wine or chicken broth/ stock into pan. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of butter. Serve over meat.
The Darling Bakers are hosting a tea party this weekend. I invited my sister-in-law and my niece for high tea. It was all very "lady-like". My sister-in-law, Amy, doesn't mind trying new recipes - I love cooking for her! I made a few old standbys and tried a few new things, too.
We started the meal with soup shooters: three different soups in 2-ounce glasses. All of these recipes were new to me, but all turned out delicious. We had Broccoli Bisque, Gazpacho, and Corn Soup. All were surprisingly easy and quick to make. The Broccoli Bisque was full of fresh broccoli flavor, tempered with leeks and just enough potato to really smooth out the flavor. The Gazpacho was the best gazpacho recipe I've ever had - bright and fresh-tasting. The Corn Soup was as sweet as mid-summer corn on the cob! Delicious!
We also had individual shrimp cocktails. I bought "easy-peel" shrimp to save a little time - they were already headed and deveined. I only had to boil them for a couple of minutes (I add a few black peppercorns, black mustard seeds, and nigella seeds to the boil), then move them to an ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them tender. The sauce is an easy recipe of ketchup (or chili sauce), prepared horseradish, Worcestershire, fresh lemon juice, and a dash of cayenne.
I decided to make individual cheese balls. Cheese balls are kind of a retro thing - there was always a cheese ball for people to nibble on when my mother had people over for dinner! I changed it up just a little by making little ones for each person, placing them on paper grape leaves, and putting a little spreader and crackers on each plate. It was a hit!
My other standby recipe is for chicken puffs, miniature profiteroles filled with chicken salad. I change up my chicken salad all the time. This time I minced some roasted red bell pepper for the salad, which turned it kind of pink - something I knew my niece would love!
We enjoyed Celestial Seasons' Tangerine-Orange Zinger iced tea with lunch. It was fruity and pretty - perfect with our meal.
For dessert, we had mini fruit tarts. This is the first time I've ever made them, but they were not as difficult or as time-consuming as I thought they might be. I used a Martha Stewart recipe for the pate sucre and for the pastry cream. The raspberries were just the right amount of tart-sweet and the blueberries were juicy and sweet, just right to top these little 4-bite morsels.
With our desserts, we had Twinings Lady Grey tea, a lighter, more floral version of Earl Grey. It was the first time we'd tried that tea - it was really delicious and Amy proclaimed it her favorite hot tea.
It was a wonderful tea party! I really love cooking for my family and friends, and this was no exception!
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The recipes:
Broccoli Bisque With Gremolata Garnish Autumn 2008
By: Lucy Waverman
"Broccoli soup is much more tasty than you might give it credit for. It is full flavoured and interesting."
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stem peeled and roughly chopped, about 4½ cups (1.125 L)
½ cup (125 mL) peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes
4 cups (1 L) chicken stock
¼ cup (50 mL) whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté for 3 minutes or until limp. Add broccoli and sauté another minute. Add potatoes and toss together. Pour in stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until broccoli and potatoes are very tender.
2. Using a hand blender, process vegetables until smooth. Add cream, bring to boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes to amalgamate flavours.
3. Combine parsley, garlic and lemon rind in a mini chop or food processor. Process until well combined. Dot on top of soup before serving.
2 pounds, about 10 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1/2-cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups tomato juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the soup. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until almost pureed, leaving a little texture. Season with salt and pepper. Return to bowl, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Prepare topping mixture. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until needed. To serve: Ladle 10 to 12 ounces into chilled soup plates. On a large serving spoon, place 1/4 cup of the topping mixture, top with 2 shrimp, and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Carefully place in the center of the plate of soup. Place a wedge of lime on the rim of the plate.
Topping mixture:
1/4 cup red bell pepper, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice 1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice 1/4 cup red onion, peeled, trimmed, and cut into 1/4 inch dice 1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice 1/2 cup red and yellow pear tomatoes, coarsely chopped 3 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch dice 1 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 1/4 cup fresh lime juice Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper
Garnishes:
12 to 16 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied, poached, and chilled 6 to 8 sprigs fresh cilantro 6 to 8 wedges lime
Source: Wolfgang Puck's "Pizza, Pasta and More!", copyright 2000
*****
Shrimp and Corn Bisque (I omitted the shrimp this time.)
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, very finely chopped 4 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup flour 3 cups fish stock (I used chicken stock this time since I omitted the shrimp.) 1 cup milk 1 cup peeled cooked small shrimps, deveined if necessary 1-1/2 cups corn kernels 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or thyme (I used basil as that was what I had on hand - it was wonderful!) hot pepper sauce (I omitted) 1/2 cup light cream salt sprigs of fresh dill, to garnish (optional)
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for 8 - 10 minutes until softened but not browned. 2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium pan. Add the flour and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the stock and milk, bring to a boil and cook for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring frequently. 3. Cut each shrimp into 2 or 3 pieces and add to the cooked onion with the corn and fresh herb(s). Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside. 4. Add the sauce mixture to the shrimp and corn mixture, and mix well. 5. Remove 3 cups of the soup and puree in a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender and pureed the whole batch.) Return the puree to the rest of the soup in the pan and stir well. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. 6. Add the cream and stir to blend. Heat the soup almost to boiling point, stirring frequently. 7. Divide into individual soup bowls and serve hot. Garnish with sprigs of dill.
Source: 400 Best Ever Soups, copyright 2005, 2006
*****
Brenda's Cheese Ball
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room tempreature
8-ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained well
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced onion
seasoning salt
Mix all ingredients well, seasoning to taste. Roll in chopped pecans.
*****
Profiteroles
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir with wooden spoon over low heat until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from sides of pan, 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from heat and mix in eggs, one at a time.
Spoon or pipe tablespoon full of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon of water) or cream. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and pierce sides of profiteroles with tip of knife to release steam (this keeps the profiteroles crispier than if not pierced). When cool fill with sweet or savory fillings.
*****
Pate Sucre Makes one 11-to 12-inch or two 8-to 9-inch or two 14-by-4-inch crusts
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup ice water
In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add butter, and process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 10 to 20 seconds.
In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks; add ice water. With machine running, add the egg mixture in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.
Source:www.marthastewart.com
Pastry Cream
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Bring milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Whisking, slowly pour about 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Slowly add remaining milk mixture until incorporated. Pour mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, whisking, until it begins to bubble in center and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean.
Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter; beat on medium speed until butter has melted and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Just before using, beat on low speed or whisk by hand until smooth.
Source:www.marthastewart.com
******
Thank you again to the Jain and The Darling Bakers for scheduling another fun event!
As a child, I remember my parents loving rhubarb pie. I myself found it too tart for my tastes. Ever since, I've always been confounded by the anxiously awaited rhubarb season. Remembering that one's tastes change over the years... certainly mine had for other foods... and the fact that this recipe of Ann of Thibeault's Table has received rave reviews, I thought it high time to give rhubarb another shot. The photos Ann and others have posted of this recipe left me drooling and ready to become a partaker of Ann's rhubarb pie. I was not disappointed. The filling that the rhubarb is mixed into is wonderfully luscious - I figured its sweetness was the perfect foil for such a tart fruit. I was more than pleasantly surprised with the overall sweetness of the pie. I didn't find the fruit nearly as tart as I had remembered. Alas, I have become a member of those who will be anxiously awaiting rhubarb season next year.
Find the recipe for Ann's Rhubarb Pie here. My recipe for pie crust comes from my former mother-in-law. It comes out perfect every time.
I've been trying to be better about eating more servings of fruit per day, especially now that summer is providing us with great fruit options at the Farmers Market! However, I always seem to bring home a lot more than I can keep up with, and as a result, I had a couple of bananas on their "last legs". What to do, what to do... I did a little internet research and found this recipe for banana bread that was a little different than most. The reviews that came with this recipe were great, and mine is no different! The flavor was wonderful as was the texture. This will be my 
