Lemon Curd

I Love Lemon Curd! I tried it only last year for the first time and I fell in love. It is great mixed in to your yogurt, on toast, on crepes, as a cake or pie filling, whatever your heart desires! I made 7 pints of it... This recipe makes 1 pint. Try it its easy and delicious!

Ingredients
5 egg yolks
1c sugar
4 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2c butter, cut into pats and chilled

Method

Add enough water to a medium saucepan to come about 1-inch up the side. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks and sugar in a medium size metal bowl and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Measure lemon juice and if needed, add enough cold water to reach 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and whisk smooth. Once water reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.) Whisk until thickened, approximately 8 minutes, or until mixture is light yellow. Remove from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next. Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. 

**If you are canning

Boil jars and lids until sterile. Use a canning funnel, pour curd into 1/2 pint jars until curd reaches 1/2 inch from top. Place lids on making sure that the jar rims are clean, Boil the jars for 20 min, make sure the liquid covers the jars more then 2" above the top. Let cool on clean towel for 12 hours.

Blueberry Muffins

I love muffins. I make them a lot to put in the kids lunches, normally I do banana. But the little one wanted "Blue Blerry" muffins, So we made them. I took a few recipes and created my own. They come out good. My biggest tip would be to be generous with the batter in the cups. The more the better! My mother always made a muffin, cornbread type thing with our dinners. Its good to incorporate a starch of some kind with Protein and veggies. I like to make a lot and I freeze them, when you add them to the school lunch they are thawed by lunch.. They are good for snack too!

Ingredients
1/2 c butter
2/3c sugar
1/3cbrown sugar
2 eggs
1/2c milk
2tsp vegetable oil
2c flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
1/4tsp nutmeg
 
Method
Cream butter and sugars till combined add eggs. sift together dry ingredients. combine wet ingredients together. Alternate adding dry ingredients with wet, until well combined. Grease or line a muffin pan. Pour batter into prepared pans. Be generous for good muffins, fill to the top. Dust tops with coarse sugar. Bake at 400° for 20-25 min or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

RainBow Cake

I made this cake as a test, I will make it again on Saturday for an 10 year old girls birthday. I must warn you its  pretty labor intensive cake, but if you have baking skills it should be no problem. I calls for 5 egg whites, if you save the egg yolks, I have an amazing recipe for lemon curd... But the cake was sooo fun and its yummy all the same.

Cake Ingredients

1c butter
2 1/3c sugar
5 egg whites, room temp
2tsp vanilla
3c  flour
4tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk, warmed for 30 sec in microwave to bring to room temp
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple GEL food coloring, if you use liquid use a lot.

Method
Preheat the oven to 350° Grease how ever many 9” cake pans you have, you can bake in shifts if you don't have 6. It makes most sense to bake 3 at a time anyway.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream the sugar and butter, then add the egg whites, and add them a little at a time. Add the vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Then, alternating between wet and dry, add the milk and flour mixture in two parts.

Divide the batter evenly between 6 bowls, It's about 1 c each, and then mix a fair amount of the appropriate food color into each bowl. Keep in mind that the color of the unbaked batter will be the color of the baked batter. Pour into the pans and bake for 15 minutes each or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove them from the oven, let them rest on the cooling rack, in the pan, for ten minutes. Then flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients
4c butter
2tsp lemon extract
4c powdered sugar
1/2 c heavy whiping cream

Method
Cream butter until creamy, add sugar slowly, beat until creamy, add extract and cream until whipped creamy.You are ready to frost the cake.

First starting with purple on the bottom frost generously between layers, I used a whole ice cream scooper and some, level out, repeat next blue, green, yellow, orange, red. And finally frost sides and top until completely covered.

Refried Beans

Re-fried beans are what makes or breaks good Mexican food. I plead with those who use the beans in a can. When you make them homemade it makes you home cooked Mexican meal better then your favorite restaurant quality. Make sure that you rinse and soak your beans the night before you cook them.

Ingredients
2c dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked.
1 onion cut
2tbsp bacon fat
Salt

Method
In a slow cooker cook the beans with the other ingredients until tender, this takes approx 5 hours on high. When the beans are tender and soft remove from heat.

To make them re-fried

Ingredients
2tbsp bacon drippings
1 medium white onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
beans undrained, seasoned cooked beans, slightly warm
Salt, to taste

Method
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, cook for a minute or so, then use a slotted spoon to scoop in about 1/4 of the beans, leaving most of the liquid behind. Mash the beans into a coarse puree.

Add another portion of the beans, mash them in. With left over beans puree until smooth with some of the liquid. Add to the pan of smashed beans mix and mash together.  the beans should be a little soupy (they’ll thicken as they sit). Taste and season with salt if needed.

Crouton Encrusted Chicken

                                                                                                       

I make this breaded chicken a lot. Its an easy and delicious alternative for breading chicken. I keep homemade croutons on hand always.

Ingredients

1lb chicken breasts pat dry

1c ground crouton crumbs 

olive oil for frying

Method

On a plate or in a large bowl add your crumbs. Cover all sides of the chicken with the crumbs pressing them into the chicken. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry chicken till browned, turn and cook until well done.

Lasagna

I have been told that I make the best Lasagna ever. My friend was in Italy with her father, their quest was to find the best Lasagna, According to her I win.

I have never liked Lasagna. I worked for an amazing Italian restaurant, still didn't like it. I used to cook for a beautiful elderly Jewish couple. I would cook and we would have the meal together. I remember when the wife asked me to make lasagna and eat it. I told her I didn't like to eat it, but I knew how to make it. See the thing I don't like is the ricotta cheese. She suggested that we make it and substitute the ricotta with feta. So I tried it. And I was in love. So happy that I actually love lasagna. Everyone since loves it too. Use a leftover marinara meat sauce, so that you are using effective meal planning.

Ingredients
Marinara
2 lbs mozzarella cheese
12oz feta cheese
2 eggs
5oz grated parmesan cheese
Lasagna noodles

Method
In a large pot boil pasta until its not yet al dente, you don't want the pasta soggy. In a bowl mix some of the mozzarella, the feta, eggs and parmesan  cheese until well combined into a creamy spreadable mixture. Set aside. In the bottom of a 9x13" pryex pan layer meat sauce, Layer with feta mixture, top with mozzarella cheese, now layer the pasta on top. Repeat until you have run out of the feta mixture. Top should be Meat sauce and finally mozzarella cheese. Cover pan with foil. Bake in the oven at 350° for 30 min covered. Remove foil and bake for another 30 min. Let sit for 15 min or so before cutting.

Tomato Bisque

One of my favorite meals is Tomato Soup and grilled cheese. I do not eat canned soup. I used to love Safeway's brand, but they make it with chicken stock. So I decided to come up with my own tomato bisque recipe. If its not the same its better! Really though whats better then a homemade dinner, nothing really.

Ingredients
5tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
1 chopped carrot
1 celery stalk chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
5c vegetable broth
2 cans tomatoes
3 fresh thyme sprigs
5-6 fresh basil leaves
1 bay leaf
1c heavy cream
1tbsp sugar
G Salt & pepper to taste

Method
In a saucepan combine butter and veggies, onion, and garlic and saute until soft. Add tomatoes, and spices with stock and cook to simmer for a half hour. Discard the bay leaf, and blend mixture with a hand blender or stationary blender, in small batches. Return to pan and add cream to thicken. heat to simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gnocchi

I read quite a bit about making gnocchi before I tried it, Apparently its really hard. I must have got lucky because I got it perfect on the first try.

Potato gnocchi should be light and delicate. Not, dense, rubbery, and/or soggy. The very worst are the gnocchi that come apart in the boiling water.

I love gnocchi with good olive oil, pesto or a Gorgonzola cream sauce.

Ingredients
2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets)
1 egg, lightly beaten
scant 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour
fine grain sea salt







Method
Fill a large pot with cold water. Salt the water, peel and cut potatoes in quarters and place them in the pot. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes until tender throughout, this takes roughly 30-40 minutes.
Remove and drain the potatoes, mash the potatoes when they are hot. To do this you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or on the cutting board using  a fork run the fork down the sides of the potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with. Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticeable lumps.

Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board  about ten or fifteen minutes. When they are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound drizzle with the beaten egg and sprinkle 3/4 cup of the flour across the top. I use a large pastry scraper  to use to incorporate the flour and egg into the potatoes with the egg incorporated throughout - you can see the hint of yellow from the yolk. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour, but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy. Cut it into 8 pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.
To shape the gnocchi hold a fork and indent. Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them.
Start a fresh pot of water (salted), and bring to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. They will let you know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Toss with desired prepared sauce and serve immediately.

Birds Nests

I remember making these when I was really young at school. So we made them for this spring. They are super easy. They turned out really cute and yummy.

Ingredients
12 oz. pkg. butterscotch chips 
1/3c. peanut butter 
1 (5 oz.) can crunchy Chinese noodles

Method

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter together in double boiler. Mix in noodles. Spoon onto wax paper into little nests add chocolate or malt eggs. Let nests firm.

Ebelskivers

This is the most delectable little danish pastry. It is essentially a stuffed pancake. Stuffed with whatever you like, blueberries, jam, preserves, lemon curd, whatever your taste desires.

If you make these you do need an ebelskiver pan. You can find one in my online store.

When you try these you will be in heaven

Ingredients:

1 3/4c all-purpose flour

3/4tsp. baking soda

1tsp. baking powder

1 1/2tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1 3/4c buttermilk
4tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Maple syrup for serving

Method:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolks and buttermilk. Whisk the yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. In another bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.
Put 1/2tsp. butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Place over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Fill  the center of each pancake with desired filling and top with 1tbsp. batter. Using 2 wooden skewers or chop sticks, flip the ebelskiver over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.
Dust the pancakes with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm with maple syrup. Makes about 40.

Chocolate Castle Cake: Frosting Alternative

So I made this cake for a 5 year old's birthday. This little guy doesn't always like frosting so we place the cake in a sea of frosting. What was awesome about the cake is that it was a castle in a moat of frosting. This was a great way for people who like frosting to scoop it out with their piece of cake. I used the Nordicware castle pan and a chocolate cake recipe. You can find the pan in my online store here. I love their bake-ware. The frosting is a cream cheese frosting the recipe is below.

Cake
2c sugar

1c (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 large eggs
1tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp almond extract
2-1/2 c Softasilk Cake Flour
1c Dutch-processed cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
2tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
2-1/4 cups buttermilk

Frosting
8oz cream cheese softened
2 sticks of butter (8oz or 1c) softened
4c powdered sugar sifted
1tbsp vanilla

Method
Spray pan with baking spray, Heat oven to 350°F.

Beat sugar and butter, add vanilla and almond extract in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; beat into creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk on medium speed. Beat 1 minute longer. Pour in pan. Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to platter, Cool completely. To make the frosting cream butter and cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla till nice and creamy. Add food coloring, take out half an put plops around platter, make darker with more coloring and plop new frosting around cake and swirl together like water waves.

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is truly one of the best desserts ever. I have had many variations of it and I have to honestly say that I love mine. This recipe is truly my own recipe. I have tried many and used components form dozens to create my own perfect one. Try this easy to do, irresistible creation of mine.

Ingredients for Crust
1c graham cracker crumbs
2/3c blanched almonds toasted lightly and ground finely
1/2 stick of butter (1/4c) melted
1/4c sugar
2tbsp brown sugar

For filling
1lb cream cheese softened
3/4c fresh key lime juice
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2tsp fresh grated lime zest

To top
1c Creme Fraiche
1/4c confectioners sugar

Method
In a bowl combine the crumbs, finely ground toasted almonds, butter and sugars. mix together thoroughly and press mixture to bottom and sides of a 10" pie plate. Bake in oven at 350° for 10min. Let cool before you add the filling.
To make the filling in mixer or with hand beaters cream the cream cheese, then add the sweetened condensed milk until well combined and finally add the lime zest and juice. Mix until well combined and creamy, pour into prepared pie crust. Mix the Creme fraiche and confectioners sugar until well combined, spread evenly over the top of the pie. If you like garnish with lime slices or extra crumbs. Place in the refrigerator and let chill for at least 2 hours until firm.

Sushi

I make sushi quite a bit. The more you make it the easier it gets. I remember the first time it wasn't so great. It just didn't roll out so perfectly. But I tried it again and I used saran wrap to help me roll and it worked great. I posted images of the sushi to my facebook and I got a lot of response. I really wanted to post my sushi on the blog but its so hard to explain so I decided to make a tutorial video to help others on the method of rolling the sushi.


Ingredients
Seaweed sheets
SUSHI rice (do not use any other type)
Carrots julienne or match stick
Avocado sliced
Cucumber peeled and speared

For California rolls
Fresh crab meat
Toasted sesame seeds

Eat your sushi with ginger and wasabi.

Method

BBQ Sauce

 I  decided to make my own BBQ sauce because one of the kids didn't like it. With my recent experience, they don't like it but if I make it they love it. So I did it, and she loved it OF COURSE! Because it was really the best BBQ you'll ever have.. I promise just the right balance of sweet and twang.

Ingredients
1 24oz bottle of ketchup
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1tbsp soy
1tbsp molasses
2tbsp corn syrup
1/2c cider vinegar
4tbsp brown sugar
1tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1tsp dry mustard
1tsp chili powder
1/2tsp oregano
1/2tsp coriander

Method
Grate or puree onion and garlic in food processor. Take all ingredients on stove and bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 1 hour or a little more. And that is it now rub it smother it and love it!

Panang

When I moved to Seattle it was the first great experience with Thai food. Colorado is no the place for good Thai. I had dinner with a friend at his favorite Thai Restaurant, Siam's in Capitol Hill. On the menu was a dish I was captivated by. Beef Panang. Curry, coconut milk, I was sold. I got the dish and I have never ordered anything else from a Thai restaurant. When I became a vegetarian I had the dish with fried tofu instead of the beef and it was truly as amazing as ever. I have been trying to make this dish for years, closer I get every time. I took a bash at it the other day and nailed it. As good as the best restaurants I have had it at.

Ingredients
1 1/2c beef, pork fillet or tenderloin, thinly sliced or tofu lightly browned
2c  thick coconut milk
4tbsp panang or red curry paste
2tbsp palm sugar
1tbsp fish sauce
7 kaffir lime leaves - 3 torn into pieces, discarding the stem and 4 finely shredded
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil
1 big red chili, sliced
4tbsp roasted ground peanuts(optional)
2 bell peppers sliced

Method
Put half of the thick coconut milk into a wok and fry for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously, until the coconut oil begins to separate out. Then add the panang curry paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. Once the paste is cooked add the meat and bell peppers and cook until the outside of the meat is cooked. Then add the rest of the thick coconut milk and bring to the boil. Simmer and add the palm sugar along the side of the wok until it melts and then and add the fish sauce and kaffir lime leaf pieces. Stir to combine and then add half the basil leaves.  Simmer and Serve over sticky rice.

Bangers and Mash

I made this for St. Patrick's day instead of corned beef and cabbage, I prefer not to eat corned beef. This is an awesome alternative. Irish pub meal must. So I received a lot of confusion when I posed to my facebook. Whats a banger, well the name 'bangers' originated the use of cheap sausages, created using an excessive amount of water, which caused them to explode inside their casings if not prepared the right way... 'bang'. Today it is important to use high quality sausages. If you can find Irish Cumberland sausages use these. but I fund a English banger made by Isernio's, They have the best sausages ever. I highly recommend them.

Ingredients
2 13oz package of Cumberland Sausage (4 links each)
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion
1 can Guinness
2 pounds potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups beef stock
4 tablespoons cream
2 ounces butter
Salt and pepper

Method

Peel and dice potatoes. Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add salt and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prick sausages with a fork, heat a skillet and brown the sausage in 1 tablespoon oil. Cook until brown and pour beef into pan and cook until deglazed. Slice the onion.  and add the onion to the pan. Cook the onions until soft, remove sausage from pan. Then add 2 tablespoons flour, cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and return the sausage to the pan, cooking it through for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure you have a nice thick onion gravy.

Drain the potatoes and mash, add the cream, butter,  Season with salt and pepper. Serve bangers and gravy on top of mashed potatoes.

Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Penne

My boss found this recipe from Melissa d'Arabian. We have made it twice and it is so Yummy. I hate zucchini but here I will gobble it down. I think a very important part is the sausage that you choose. We really love the Isernio's chicken sausage. It makes a huge difference. Try this one the kids love it too!

Ingredients
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1 red bell pepper cheeks removed
1/2 pound mushrooms stemmed
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes washed and dried
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
1/4c white wine
12 ounces whole-grain penne, cooked according to package instructions, 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
Freshly grated Parmesan

Method

Preheat the oven to 400° In a bowl, toss all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, until caramelized, about 30 minutes, turning vegetables halfway through the cooking time. In a small bowl, add the tomatoes and the remaining olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add to the baking sheet, at the halfway point of cooking, to caramelize. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sausage and saute until cooked through. Turn up the heat and deglaze with white wine. Once the vegetables are cooked, cool slightly, then coarsely chop. Add the vegetables and any pan juices to the sausage in the skillet. Toss in the cooked penne, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to moisten. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve in bowls topped with Parmesan.