My dad is our toughest critic, but these beans always pass muster. They have just the right balance of sweet and savory and work well with a crowd. They have been a staple of our annual 4th of July barbecue and we rarely have leftovers. BBQ Baked Beans serves 8 2 cans vegan beans 3 cans drained, baked beans ½ red onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ red jalapenos, minced ¼ cup green pepper, chopped ¼ cup red pepper, chopped ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup molasses 1 teaspoon dry mustard ¼ cup yellow mustard ¼ cup ketchup 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons Olive Oil Preheat oven to 325. Saute onions, garlic, jalapenos, peppers in olive oil. Then add brown sugar, molasses, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine beans into mixture. Bake for an hour to caramelize.
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We got in the habit of making this cake to use up fruit that was on the verge of being overripe. The plums give it a sweet and sour counterpoint and its a great little cake for afternoon snacks or bring it to a pot luck. Plum Snackcake with Pecan Topping Topping: ¼ cup packed light brown sugar ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick), plus more for coating the pan ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch fine salt ½ cup finely chopped pecans Cake: 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1/3 cup whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature 2 eggs, at room temperature 5 medium plums, pitted and cut into ¾ -inch pieces Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. To make topping, in a medium bowl use your fingertips and work the brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, and salt until the ingredients come together. Stir in the pecans, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. To make cake, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes. You can also use a hand held mixer. Add the eggs 1 at a time, letting the first completely incorporate before adding the second. Add a third of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in half of the milk mixture and mix on low until just incorporated. Repeat, alternating dry and wet ingredients and ending with the dry ingredients, until completely incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer, fold the plums and turn the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved topping evenly over the top and bake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. We have been making these meatballs for as long as we have been cooking. They are based on a Marcela Hazan recipe that has been tweaked over time. My mother prefers to cook them in a pan as the recipe below states, and I prefer to cook them in the oven as I'm usually chasing children around and not always up for babysitting the stove! Either way they turn our tender and tasty. We always make double and freeze half. Again, my mother freezes with sauce, and I freeze after baking before making sauce. A tip on freezing without sauce, place them on a sheet tray and freeze, then stack in a ziploc bag. Meatballs and Tomatoes A slice of good quality white bread 1/3 cup milk 1 pound ground beef, preferably chuck (can sub dark meat turkey) 1 tablespoon onion chopped very fine 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped basil 1 egg 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoon freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper, ground fresh Panko bread crumbs Vegetable Oil 1 Cup fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped or canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, chopped up, with their juices. Put the milk and bread in a small saucepan, and turn on the heat to low. When the bread has soaked up all the milk, mash it to a pulp with a fork. Remove from heat and cool. Put into a bowl the chopped meat, onions, parsley, basil, egg, garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the grated parmesan, nutmeg, the bread and milk mush, salt, black pepper. Gently knead the mixture with your hands without squeezing it. When all the ingredients are evenly combined, shape it gently and without squeezing into balls about 1 ½ inch in diameter. You can use an ice cream scooper. Place breadcrumbs on plate, enough to cover the plate. Roll the balls lightly in the breadcrumbs. Choose a sauté pant that can subsequently accommodate all the meatballs in a single layer. You may need to do in batches. Pour in enough vegetable oil to accommodate ¼ inch up the sides. Turn on heat to medium high, and when the oil is hot, slip in the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides, turning them carefully so they won’t break. Remove the pan from the heat, tip the pan slightly and with a spoon, remove as much of the fat as possible. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, a pinch of salt, and turn the meatballs over once or twice to coat them well. Cover the pan and adjust the heat to cook steady simmer for about 20-25 minutes,. Taste, correct for salt and serve alone or with spaghetti. Alternative cooking method: Preheat oven to 350 F- place meatballs on cookie sheet with lip after rolling breadcrumbs and bake until cooked through about 20-30 minutes. Then, add both meatballs and tomatoes to sauté pan and heat until sauce is bubbling. This was a last minute dessert thrown together for bookclub. The lemon pound cake is delicious on its own, but with the fruit and cream it becomes a show stopper. This trifle is even better a day later when all the ingredients meld. Lemon Berry Trifle 1 Lemon pound cake loaf, unglazed 2 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced in half, 1 pint blueberries 1 pint raspberries 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus zest of lemon 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 pint of whipping cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar few leaves of fresh mint In a saucepan combine 2/3 of the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cook on medium heat until the fruit begins to break down and sauce begins to thicken. Pour into container and cool in fridge. Whip cream with powdered sugar and remaining vanilla extract until firm peaks. Slice lemon cake into ¼ inch slices. In a deep glass bowl, spoon some berry sauce on bottom and spread. Top with pound cake, cutting to fill in spaces. Top with more sauce, then whip cream. Along edge place strawberry with cut side facing out. Continue layering cake, sauce, cream and strawberries until you end with cream. Decorate top with remaining strawberries and fresh mint. Chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight. Lemon Pound Cake 1 cup of unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan 2 ½ cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan 1 teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon of baking powder 3 cups of granulated sugar 2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 tbsp. of lemon juice 6 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup plain full fat Greek yogurt Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not over mix). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The Littlest member of our family helped put this one together as a welcome home for a Dad coming home from a business trip. Kids love getting their hands dirty. Once you have everything organized its super easy for them to help layer. Whatever veggies you have in the fridge like zucchini or mushrooms can be sautéed simply then added as a layer. Lasagna Serves 6-8 3-4 cups of tomato sauce or Bolognese 1 package of no cook lasagna noodles 16 ounces whole milk ricotta 1 egg ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt plus 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup julienned fresh basil 1 ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese ½ cup finely grated parmasean cheese 1 bunch of Russian kale or swiss chard Preheat oven to 350 degrees and then lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Set aside. Boil a small pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt. Rip kale or chard from stems and blanch in boiling water for one minute. Strain and pat dry, then roughly chop and set aside. In a small bowl add ricotta, egg, nutmeg, garlic powder, the rest of the salt, pepper and basil. Mix well and set aside. In baking dish, ladle enough sauce to coat the bottom and cover with uncooked noodles. Spread about one third of the ricotta mixture on top of noodles, then sauce to cover lightly. Sprinkle ½ cup mozzarella then cover with another layer of noodles. Repeat with another third of the ricotta, then add the chopped kale or chard. Top with sauce and a sprinkle of cheese. Repeat with noodles, ricotta, sauce and cheese until you run out of noodles, you should get about 3-4 layers. On top layer of noodle, pour on whatever sauce is left, make sure the lasagna is on the saucier side as you need the extra sauce to keep the noodles from drying out. Top with parmesean cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40 minutes until noodles are soft and sauce is bubbling. Remove foil and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Marinara Sauce To use for pizza, pasta, or lasagna 1 large brown onion 4 cloves garlic 6-8 medium carrots, peeled 3-4 stalks celery 1 large bulb of fennel 8-10 leaves of fresh basil, torn 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, diced fine 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons fennel seeds salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons capers 1 teaspoon anchovy paste 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 2 boxes diced tomatoes 2 box pureed tomatoes ½ cup olive oil Warm olive oil in saute pan. In food processor, blend onions and garlic. Add to saute pan with oil and cook on medium heat. While onions are cooking, add carrots, celery and fennel to food processor and blend. Once onions are translucent, add other vegetable and continue sautéing. Sprinkle with salt. Add basil, oregano, fennel seeds, and thyme to vegetables. Once everything is tender, add capers, anchovy paste and pepper. Stir. Add in tomatoes and vinegar and simmer on medium low heat for about one hour. Adjust seasoning. We make pesto at least once a week as all the littles eat it with gusto. As the note on the bottom says, any leafy green will do from kale to chard to arugula. Experiment with nuts and seeds. A great combo is kale with pumpkin seeds which is made often as the kids go to a nut free school and we always send them to school with leftovers! Basil Pesto Pasta 3 cloves garlic 1-cup pine nuts 4 ounces Parmesan reggiano cheese 4 ounces basil leaves removed from stems ½ cup olive oil Salt to taste Process all but olive oil in blender until a paste forms, stream in olive oil until blended. Pesto should be smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste Toss with your favorite pasta and one ladle of pasta water. Variations- Basil can be replaced by any leafy green vegetable like kale, Swiss chard or spinach. If using kale or chard, blanch leaves in boiling water for a minute first, then plunge into cold water. Squeeze excess water from leaves before adding. Nuts can also be replaced. Kale works well with almonds. If you need to make a nut-free variation, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) a good replacement.
Classic Caesar Salad Serves 4-6 Dressing 8 Anchovy Fillets 1 small garlic clove ½ teaspoon of kosher salt 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 egg yolks cooked for two minutes in boiling water 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard 4 tablespoon of finely grated Parmesan ½- 1 cup of olive oil 1 cup croutons 2 heads of Romaine Lettuce, roughly chopped Chop together anchovy fillets, garlic clove, and Kosher salt into a paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg yolks and Dijon mustard. Add lemon juice, then add olive oil drop by drop to start, gradually whisking in the rest. Then add Parmesan. Season with more lemon juice, if desired. Toss lettuce, croutons, and dressing together and serve immediately. You can add a little more Parmesan cheese if desired. Grandma Alice did not make many dishes, but the ones she did, she honed over many years. We have tweaked this slightly but it still retains her memory. The key is the sweet Hungarian paprika, which lends a smoky flavor without any heat, and the assortment of peppers. We have added the orange pepper but use what you have on hand. The meat is tender and juicy, and served over rice is a hit with all generations at our table.
Grandma Alice’s Hungarian Chicken and Pepper’s Stew Serves: 8 1 whole chicken cut in parts plus 2 extra whole breasts cut in half 1 red pepper, sliced 1 green pepper, sliced 1 orange pepper, sliced 1 large brown onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1/3 of a cup of Hungarian sweet paprika Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup of olive oil 2 boxes of chopped tomatoes In large pan, heat half of the olive oil and sauté all vegetable until soft over medium heat. Remove from pan and reserve. Add the remaining olive oil and heat to high. While pan is heating, rub chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Add chicken to pan and brown on both sides, about five minutes per side. Return vegetables to pan and add tomatoes. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until chicken is tender and falling off bone about one hour. Serve with steamed rice For as long as we have been cooking we have been making schnitzel. While we sometimes do veal, chicken is always the favorite. My three year old devours it and leftovers can easily be repurposed into a chicken parmesan or chicken sandwich for lunch. The trick really is using panko bread crumbs as it gives it a better crunch, and seasoning all three of your components when breading, the flour, the egg and the breadcrumbs so each layer is full of flavor. Chicken Schnitzel Serves 6-8 8 pounded thin boneless Chicken breasts 3 large eggs 1 cup white flour (can use gluten free option) 2-3 cups panko breadcrumbs 1 ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ teaspoon ground mustard 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 4 tablespoons of butter Oil for frying (grape seed, vegetable or canola) Using 3 pie plates or other dish with a lip on the edge set up your dredging station. In first plate add flour with ½ teaspoon salt, in second plate whisk eggs with ½ teaspoon of salt. In third dish add panko, remaining salt, cayenne pepper, ground mustard, garlic powder and oregano. Using one hand take chicken breast and place in flour, coat both sides, shake off excess then dip in eggs. Coat both sides with egg then place in panko using your hand to firmly press breadcrumbs into chicken on both sides. Place on baking sheet and repeat with rest of chicken. Put in refrigerator for 20 minutes to chill. This will help your coating to stick. Place enough oil in frying pan to come up ¼ inch on sides and depending how many chicken breasts fit your pan divide butter so each batch gets about 1 tablespoon. Heat oil and butter over medium heat until foamy at edges and remove chicken from fridge. Place chicken in pan and fry until golden brown, then flip. Remove and place on clean baking sheet. Continue until all breasts are done. Chicken can be kept warm in oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve. Greek Salad 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved 2 bunches of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped perpendicularly to stalk in about 1 inch slices 1 small red onion thinly sliced 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into half moons 1 cup pitted kalmatta olives roughly chopped 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 tablespoon fresh oregano minced Oregano dressing 3 cloves garlic, minced finely 1 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ cup red wine vinegar. 3 tablespoons lemon juice Add salt, lemon juice and vinegar to a medium jar or lidded plastic container. Cover and shake until salt dissolves. Then add the remaining ingredients, shake and set aside. Place onions in one cup of cold water and set aside. In a large bowl add tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and oregano. Dress with half of the dressing and set aside. When ready to serve, toss lettuce, onions and tomato mixture. Add dressing as needed, then sprinkle with feta cheese. We came up with this recipe during a fridge clean up and it wound up being a hit. The saltiness of the bacon with the sweetness of the roasted eggplant and onions creates an ideal balance. The blended eggplant gives the sauce creaminess without adding any cream. It is also an easy, quick weeknight meal as most work is done by the oven and very kid friendly. It would be good also used in lasagna. Bacon and Eggplant Pasta Serves 6 ½ pound of bacon 3 medium eggplants, diced into half inch cubes 1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 box pureed tomatoes 1 bag/box of dried Fettuccine or Rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente ½ cup olive oil Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese Preheat oven to 400 F. Lay bacon on baking sheet and roast until bacon is cooked through and almost crispy. Toss eggplant, onions and herbs with olive oil and lay on baking sheet. Roast until cooked through and beginning to brown. Place bacon in food processor and blend until almost a paste. Remove and reserve. Next blend the roasted vegetables until smooth. Add both the bacon paste and the vegetable to a sauce pan and stir. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Adjust seasoning and toss with cooked pasta with one ladle of pasta water. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese Bloom House Rolls Serves: 36 rolls 1 envelope active dry yeast 1 cup whole milk ¼ cup vegetable shortening 3 tablespoons sugar 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 1 large egg 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour ¼ cup unsalted butter Preheat oven to 350 F and use a 13x9-inch baking dish. Whisk active dry yeast and ¼ up warm water (110°-115°) in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Heat 1 cup whole milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just warm. Combine ¼ cup vegetable shortening, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Add warm milk; whisk to blend, breaking up shortening into small clumps (it may not melt completely). Whisk in yeast mixture and 1 room temperature large egg. Add 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour; stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Knead dough with lightly floured hands on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn to coat. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until doubled, about 1 ½ hours. Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter in a small sauce pan. Lightly brush a 13x9-inch baking dish with some melted butter. Punch down dough; divide into 4 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into three 2-inch-wide strips; cut each crosswise into three 4x2-inch rectangles. Brush half of each (about 2x2-inch) with melted butter; fold unbuttered side over, allowing ¼ -inch overhang. Place flat in 1 corner of dish, folded edge against short side of dish. Add remaining rolls, shingling to form 1 long row. Repeat with remaining dough for 4 rows. Brush with melted butter, loosely cover with plastic, and chill for 30 minutes or up to 6 hours. Bake rolls until golden and puffed, 25-35 minutes. Brush with butter; sprinkle flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) over. Serve warm. When we were first inspired to make this recipe, all ingredients were bought and guests were coming in forty minutes. Upon closer reading, it was meant for an seven hour slow cooker...oops. We decided to wing it and make it in the wok as a stir-fry and it was a hit. The thai flavors of ginger, curry, coconut and lime really make the green beans sing. If making for adults only, a few chili peppers would really make it pop, but the kids love the sweet and salty beans as is. Coconut Curry Green Beans with Tomatoes 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 ¼ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced 1 cup coconut milk 2 tablespoons red curry paste 1 tablespoon of lime juice 1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional) In a sauté pan heat the sesame oil and add the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant and add the green beans. Whisk together coconut milk and red curry paste and add to green beans. Add tomatoes and stir. Season with the salt. When green beans are just tender remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Top with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Can be served over rice No summer is complete without making Bouillabaisse. It always reminds my mom and dad of their time visiting the South of France, eating with friends at one of their favorite restaurants, Tatou. The fennel, the saffron, the briny seafood is ideally consumed around a table of friends, sipping a crisp rose. My children love the garlicky rouille smeared on the baguette and dunked into the warm broth. Bouillabaisse Serves: 10 4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 leeks, cleaned, split in half, then cut into long strips, then diced 2 fennel bulbs, diced plus 2 tablespoons fennel fronds minced ½ cup of celery diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 teaspoon saffron threads 2 teaspoons salt 1 small can of tomato paste 1 cup white wine 6 cups of canned whole tomatoes with their juice, broken into pieces 12 cups vegetable or fish stock 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 dozen little neck clams, well cleaned 2 dozen mussels, de-bearded and cleaned 1½ pounds of firm white fish (can be halibut, snapper, sea bass or mix) 1 dozen scallops salt and pepper to taste baguette In a large Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Add leeks, fennel, celery, and garlic. Stir and add bay leaf, fennel seeds, saffron and salt. Cook until vegetables are soft but not brown, about ten minutes. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for about two minutes, then pour in white wine. Raise heat and boil for about 3 minutes. Then add in tomatoes, stock, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. This can be made the day before and stored in refrigerator. Bring soup to a boil, turn heat to medium and place clams and mussels in broth. Cover and cook for abut three minutes until shells have opened. Add in the remaining fish, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add scallops, cover and cook for 2 minutes or until all seafood is cooked. Remove any unopened shells. Serve with baguette and rouille. Rouille (Saffron Garlic Mayonnaise) Makes about 1 cup ¾ teaspoon saffron threads 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon hot broth from the bouillabaisse 1 fresh French roll with crust trimmed 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes 3 cloves of garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 large egg yolk ¾ cup olive oil Stir in a small bowl the saffron and 2 tablespoons of hot stock. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. In a food processor process roll into crumbs. Add ¾ of a cup of bread crumbs to saffron mixture and mash with fork until a loose paste forms. Add more stock if too stiff. In food processor or blender add red pepper, garlic and salt. Puree and add in the egg yolk. Pulse bread mixture in, little by little until smooth. Slowly stream in the oil until the mixture is emulsified. Check seasoning. Cover and refrigerate. Use same day. My mother's specialty is Apple Pie and mine are these fruit tarts. Inspired by my time working at Campanile restaurant in Los Angeles and making tons of their version of a rustic tart, I started making these for July 4th over fifteen years ago and I have yet to stop. Cherry and Peach are always musts and I vary the others depending on what fruit is available from the farm stand in Hailey, Idaho. Apricots were a big hit last year. Now, I have my ten-year old niece helping me, and I hope one day she takes this over. Rustic Fruit Tart 1 basic pie dough 2-3 cups fruit compote 1 cup Oatmeal crumble topping 1 egg yolk pinch of salt 2 tablespoons sugar Preheat oven to 350 On cool surface, roll out pie dough until ¼ inch thick. Transfer dough round to a parchment lined, flat baking sheet. If you don’t have one, flip a rimmed baking sheet over and use bottom. Mound compote in center, leaving a two inch border along dough. Begin at bottom and fold dough over compote. Continue folding, creating a hexagon, and leaving the center of the compote exposed. Whisk egg yolk with salt and brush along folded dough to seal. Sprinkle edges with sugar. Add crumble onto exposed compote, gently patting into place. Bake for 40-50 minutes until dough is browned and exposed fruit is bubbling. Cool before slicing Basic Pie Dough Serves: 2 pies 1 cup chilled butter 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons ice water 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Put butter, shortening, 2 cups of flour, sugar and salt into food processor. Pulse until you have small pea sized pieces. Add the rest of the flour and briefly pulse. Pour mixture into a bowl and add vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Add chilled water to the flour mixture and fold with a large flat spatula until dough comes together, pressing dough as you fold. Flip dough onto floured surface and push into a ball. Divide into two, and gently flatten each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic and let rest in fridge or freezer until ready to use. If freezing the dough, put in fridge the night before you want to make the tart. Fruit Compote for Rustic Tart 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 vanilla bean, scraped 2 tablespoons butter Water to moisten 2 lbs. fruit, chopped or sliced (cherries, peaches, apricots, plums) *(if using peaches, nectarines or apricots, peel first) 1-2 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in water Place both sugars, vanilla bean, butter and water in a sauté pan. Cook over medium high heat, swirling pan as you go. Let bubble. If sugar chrystalizes along edges of pan use a pastry brush dipped in water to clean. Cook until a warm brown caramel color. Add fruit and cook, allowing sugar chyrstals to dissolve and the fruit to begin to break down and release their juices. Add cornstarch that has been mixed with water a little at a time, judging how thick you want compote. Cook until thickened, remove from heat and cool. *to peel fruit bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make a small x on bottom of fruit and slide into boiling water. After 1 minute remove and plunge into ice water bath. Skin should easily peel off. Oatmeal Crumble Topping
(for Dutch Apple Pie or Rustic Fruit Tart) ½ stick unsalted butter, softened 1 cup oatmeal 1 tablespoon flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 pinch salt Cut with pastry knife or pulse in processor for a minute until large chunks form. We are lucky ladies and have a pizza oven at home, but these pizzas are easily made with a pizza stone right in your oven. Follow the directions for your pizza stone, and bake accordingly. A trick is using the corn meal underneath the dough as that helps to prevent sticking! Basil Pesto Pizza Pizza Dough Serves: 4 pizzas 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup water, warmed (110-115 F) 1 envelope (¼ ounce) active dry yeast 3 ¼ cups bread or unbleached all purpose flour or combo 1 teaspoon of salt ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil In small bowl dissolve sugar in warm tap water. Sprinkle yeast over water until dissolved (1 minute) should be smooth beige color mixture. Let stand about 5 minutes. In a heavy duty standing electric mixer with flat beater attached: combine 3 cups of the flour, salt, yeast mixture and oil. Mix at the medium speed for 1 minute. Replace beater with dough hook and knead at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes). If sticky, add some of reserved flour. If dough is dry and crumbly, add 1 tablespoon warm water at a time until it is smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and place in well-oiled bowl, turn to coat on all side. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set to rise in draft free warm space (75-85 F) until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. With fist, punch down dough. Shape into ball, pressing out all bubbles cut into 4 smaller balls. If using right away place balls in nest of flour. Let sit for10 minutes. (You can punch this dough down up to 4 times before separating into the smaller balls and continue to place in oiled bowl then cover with plastic wrap if not using right away.) Roll out with rolling pin. Pick up and turn over several times as you go. Lay dough on corn meal dusted pizza peel, top with the pesto and your preferred cheese and bake as soon as possible. Basil Pesto 3 cloves garlic 1-cup pine nuts 4 ounces Parmesan reggiano cheese 4 ounces basil leaves removed from stems ½ cup olive oil Salt to taste Process all but olive in blender until a paste forms, stream in olive oil until blended. Pesto should be smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste Variations- Basil can be replaced by any leafy green vegetable like kale, Swiss chard or spinach. If using kale or chard, blanch leaves in boiling water for a minute first, then plunge into cold water. Squeeze excess water from leaves before adding. Nuts can also be replaced. Kale works well with almonds. If you need to make a nut-free variation, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) a good replacement. Roasted Marrow Bones Serves: 4 16 marrow bones cut lengthwise butcher Salt Pepper 1 baguette Preheat oven to 450. Bring bones to room temperature, lay bones on jelly roll baking sheet or roasting pan, marrow side up. Salt and pepper bones. Roast for 25-30 minutes until bones begin to brown and marrow becomes semi translucent. If you cook too long all marrow will disintegrate. While bones are cooking, slice and gently toast rounds of the baguette. Serve hot with Marrow Bone relish Marrow Bone Relish 1 cup finely chopped flat leaf Parsley 2-3 Shallots finely minced Juice of 2 Lemons Salt to taste Pepper to taste Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and allow to marinate. Serve with warm marrow bones. Also can be used as condiment for fish Everyone in my family loves pudding, and everyone loves bananas. There is never a piece left of this pie, and never any complaints. We have sometimes added a peanut butter layer just above the crust as well as doing the same with same melted chocolate. Banana Cream Pie 1 basic pie dough shell or graham cracker crust 3 bananas, sliced 2 cups whipped cream 1 tablespoon powdered sugar I teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups Vanilla Pastry cream Preheat oven to 375. Roll out dough to about 1/8” thick and line pie plate. Crimp edges, and prick a few times with a fork. Top dough with parchment paper and using either pie weights or beans, weigh down pie shell and blind bake until light brown about twenty minutes. Set aside and cool. Whip cream with powdered sugar and Vanilla extract until medium peaks. Mix together half of the pastry cream and half of the whip cream Take pie shell and line bottom with bananas. Top with remaining pastry cream. Add another layer of bananas and then the whip cream/pastry cream mixture. Use remaining bananas and top with whip cream. Place in fridge to chill for 2 hours. Before serving you can top with a few slices of banana or chocolate shavings. Basic Pie Dough Serves: 2 pies 1 cup chilled butter 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons ice water 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Put butter, shortening, 2 cups of flour, sugar and salt into food processor. Pulse until you have small pea sized pieces. Add the rest of the flour and briefly pulse. Pour mixture into a bowl and add vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Add chilled water to the flour mixture and fold with a large flat spatula until dough comes together, pressing dough as you fold. Flip dough onto floured surface and push into a ball. Divide into two, and gently flatten each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic and let rest in fridge or freezer until ready to use. If freezing the dough, put in fridge the night before you want to make the tart. Graham Cracker Crust 1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 tablespoon brown sugar pinch of salt Pulse graham crackers, sugar and salt in food processor. Add melted butter and pulse briefly. Press mixture into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees until slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Vanilla Pastry Cream Serves: 2 cups of cream 1/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons corn starch 4 large egg yolks 1 1/3 cups whole milk 2 vanilla beans split 1 teaspoon vanilla In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, corn starch, and egg yolks until light yellow and fluffy. You can use a hand mixture to whisk as well. In a saucepan combine milk and vanilla bean and bring to a simmer. Carefully pour half of the hot milk into the egg mixture while constantly stirring, then pour the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk. Stir continuously over medium heat until mixture has thickened and begun to bubble. Then cook for one minute whisking constantly. Remove from stove and scrape into a bowl. Mix in the vanilla. Place plastic wrap directly on-top of custard to prevent a skin from forming and cool. Once cool place in refrigerator. Can be used for banana pudding or banana cream pie |
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