Raspberry Tart (2012- Week 29)

Week 29 Ingredient of the Week: Mascarpone Cheese

On the Food Network Channel, all the chefs are always using Mascarpone cheese, and I kept wondering if I was missing out on something.  Is it the same as cream cheese? Something better?  I just had to find out.  But I never saw it in the cheese or dairy section at the grocery store.  And then, while I was shopping for some Gruyère cheese for my Chicken Cordon Bleu, it suddenly appeared, hidden in the exotic cheese section near the deli!  So I whipped out my iPhone and searched for a recipe using this new ingredient.  This recipe caught my eye because it looked simple and because raspberries were on sale this week!  Woo hoo!

Jeremy and I enjoyed this dessert, although I made the crust way too thick.  I should have just thrown out half of the dough I made instead of trying to press ALL of it into the pie plate.  It was still good, but with just a thinner crust, it would have been perfect.   So... how did the mascarpone differ from regular ol' cream cheese?  Jeremy said he didn't notice.  I definitely tasted a difference, although it's hard to explain.  The mascarpone tasted a little sweeter, a little creamier.  I liked it.

Tart de Framboises au Mascarpone (Raspberry Tart)

Ingredients:
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup ground almonds
1&3/4 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
9 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
4&1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound fresh raspberries
chopped pistachios (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease a pie plate (or six 4" tart pans) with butter, then dust with flour.

In a bowl, stir 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar and ground almonds together until well combined. Mix in the flour, then stir in the unsalted butter and egg.  Mix until the dough is smooth and pliable, then form into a ball and place into the freezer for about 15 minutes.  Roll out dough and pat into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350º for about 20 minutes.  Let cool. 

In a bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese, yogurt, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until the mixture is thick and smooth. Spoon the mascarpone filling onto crust; arrange raspberries on top of the filling in an attractive low mound.  Sprinkle each tart with pistachios if desired.  Refrigerate at least 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fun fact:  Despite its French name, Chicken Cordon Bleu is an American creation, first referenced in the New York Times in 1967.   'Cordon Bleu' means 'Blue Ribbon'   So this chicken dish is named 'Blue Ribbon Chicken.'

Jeremy and I really liked it.  Sure, I'd give it a blue ribbon. :)   I used Gruyère cheese as a special treat, but you could substitute regular ol' Swiss cheese.  I used ham because I already had some in my fridge that I wanted to use.  Next time, I'd use a thinner cut of chicken breast because no matter how much I pounded that chicken, it wasn't going to be 1/4" thickness.  I settled for 1/2".  Also, I could have added 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter to the bread crumb mixture to give it better browning in the oven.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
4 thin slices prosciutto or ham
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
1/4 cup flour
1 large egg
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions:
Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  Using a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to a uniform 1/4" thickness.  Remove wrap.  Place ham over the top to cover the breast.  Next, sprinkle each breast with the grated cheese.  Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight.  Secure with toothpicks.

Shallow bowl 1: Dump some flour. 
Shallow bowl 2: Break an egg into bowl and beat with fork until smooth.
Shallow bowl 3: Combine the bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Lightly dust the chicken with flour, dip into the egg mixture, and then coat with the bread crumbs.  Place the chicken on a baking pan lined with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Purple Potatoes

I decided to make myself a sit-down dinner while I watched a Chopped marathon on the Food Network Channel tonight, so I made a half-batch of this recipe for mashed purple potatoes from Eating Well.  It was just okay.  I liked my recipe for the herbed purple potato wedges a lot more.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Purple Potatoes
from Eating Well
139 calories/serving

Ingredients:
1 head garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 multi-branch sprigs fresh thyme (about 1/3 ounce)
2 pounds purple potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° F.  Rub off excess papery skin from garlic head without separating the cloves. Slice the tip off the head, exposing the cloves. Place the garlic in a small baking dish, such as a bread pan. Drizzle with oil and lay thyme sprigs around it. Cover with foil. Roast until very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover and let cool. 

About 15 minutes before the garlic is done, cook potatoes in a pot of boiling water until tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain well.  Return the potatoes to the pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the potatoes. Strain the oil through a fine sieve over the potatoes, pressing on the solids (discard the thyme). Add sour cream, milk, salt and pepper; mash to desired consistency.

Fox Point Salmon and Herbed Purple Potatoes (2012 - Week 28)

Week 28 Featured Ingredient: Purple Potatoes

I know, I know-- it's just a potato.  But they're purple!  And the chefs on the show Chopped are always using purple potatoes, so I, too, wanted to give them a try.  After a little research, I discovered that purple potatoes date back 7000 years ago to the Peruvian Andes, where they were reserved only as a treat for Incan Kings.  So they must be special, hey? Turns out they are loaded with flavonoids and antioxidants, making them healthier than the average spud.   These antioxidants have been shown to have anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, as well as immune-boosting benefits and protecting against age-related memory loss.   :)

I decided to herb the potatoes with what I call my "Scarborough Fair" combination-- parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.  If it works in the song, it should work on food, right?  It did.  The potatoes were delicious.   Taste-wise, I guess they reminded me of red potatoes, but different in a way that is hard to describe.  Maybe slightly sweeter?

For the salmon, we baked it using Penzey's Fox Point seasoning.  Yum. :)


Anne's Herbed Purple Potatoes

1/2 to 1 lb purple potatoes, quartered
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
~1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
~1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
~1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, oil, and herbs until evenly coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place potato wedges, face up, on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400ºF for ~20 minutes until edges are brown and crispy and inside is fork-tender.

******

Fox Point Salmon

2 fillets of salmon (6-8oz)
1 teaspoon Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 375º.  Grease a baking sheet or line with aluminum foil.  Place salmon, skin side down, on sheet.  Sprinkle with Fox Point Seasoning.  Arrange butter pieces over the fillets.   Squeeze the juice from the lemon over the fish.  Cover with foil and bake at 375º for about 10 minutes (until the internal temperature of fish reaches 145º).

Cajun Gumbo and Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce (2012 - Week 27)

Week 27 Featured Ingredient: Okra

We had a Cajun-style cooking night at our house.  The Gumbo was good, but really spicy.  It was right at my threshhold of what I can tolerate.  It really cleared out the sinuses--we needed a box of tissues at the table.  Now that I'm typing the recipe, I noticed my mistake.  I was only supposed to use 2 tablespoons of the Cajun Spice Blend, not the ENTIRE batch. HAH!  It was more like a soup than my photo shows because the juice is at the bottom of the bowl. This recipe made WAY more than what Jeremy and I can eat by ourselves, so if I made it again, I'd cut the recipe by half.  Despite the long ingredient list, it was really easy to make.  The bread pudding also made a very large portion, but I didn't mind because it was super delicious.  Like, REALLY good.  MMmmm.  I bet it would be good for breakfast too.  The Jack Daniel's Bourbon sauce was an excellent addition.

Emeril's Shrimp and Okra Gumbo with Cajun Spice Blend

Ingredients:
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepepr
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
1 pound small okra, stem ends trimmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup tomatoes with their juices
5-10 cups fish stock (depending on how soupy you want it)
2 pounds medium (26-30 count) shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
2 tablespoons Cajun spice blend (see recipe below)
rice or quinoa for serving

Cajun spice blend:
1 tablespoon cayenne
2 tablespoons chopped dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
(Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.  May be kept in resealable jar for up to 6 months)

Directions:
 In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the canola oil and flour.  Stir mixture until it begins to turn a medium brown color, similar to peanut butter (this should take about 10 minutes).  Add the onions, green peppers, and celery, and cook until the veggies are soft, about 4 minutes.  Add the bay leaves, cayenne, and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.

Next, add the sausage, okra, garlic, tomatoes, and fish stock and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Season the shrimp with the Cajun spice blend in a medium bowl and add to the stock pot.  Stir and cook until the shrimp are cooked, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and take out bay leaves before serving.   Serve immediately over rice or quinoa.

 *******

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce for 2

(There was plenty for 3-4 people!)

Ingredients:
Day-old stale bread (~6 slices), chopped into 1" cubes
2-3 large eggs
1&1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1-2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Whiskey Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons whiskey or bourbon

Directions:
Butter a 3-cup capacity glass baking dish or individual ramekins.  Arrange the bread cubes in the dish(es).  Toss in a pinch of raisins to your liking. Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Pour this mixture slowly over bread and press the cubes down into the custard.  Sprinkle the pecan pieces on top.  Let it soak while you preheat the oven to 325º.

Place the dish(es) on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.  It's done when the edges are light brown, the middle is slightly puffed, and the eggs aren't runny when a toothpick is inserted.  While it cools, make the sauce.

Melt the butter, sugar, and cream together in a small saucepan over low heat.  Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat and stir in the whiskey.  Serve the sauce warm over the bread pudding.
 

Zeus Burgers (2012- Week 26)

Week 26 Ingredient of the Week: Pine Nuts

With the summer season winding down, we wanted to get good use of our grill before the snow starts flying.  I found this Greek-inspired recipe in the Taste of Home Grill It! magazine.  As a bonus, the recipe includes pine nuts which I've never cooked with before, so it's this week's featured ingredient. We couldn't really taste the nuts or feta much, but we did get that spinach flavor from the burger.  Grilling kept the burger juicy and the sauce complemented the burger well.

Zeus Burgers

Ingredients:
1 pound ~90% lean ground beef
1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon pine nuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepepr
4-6 hamburger buns, split
Sauce:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
To make sauce, in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until serving.

In a large bowl, combine the spinach, cheese, lemon juice, pine nuts, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.  Shape into four to six patties.  (I made six smaller burgers and put them on small kaiser rolls)

Grill, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side until done.   Toast buns on grill for a minute to lightly brown and serve burgers on buns with reserved sauce.

Kickin' BBQ Chicken

Jeremy and I wanted to grill something for dinner, so I decided on chicken.   I was going to get drumsticks or something easy like that, but no, I went ahead and bought a WHOLE chicken.  How hard could it be to cut up, right?  My first attempt at butchering a chicken was a bit comical.  I had no idea what I was doing.  I did alright getting off the wings and legs, but then I was starting to go a little "angry birds" on the poor chicken, so Jeremy stepped in and helped separate the front and back so that we could grill the breast meat too.  It didn't work so I ended up just cutting the breast meat off the bone and grilling boneless breasts and reducing the cooking time for those.

This recipe was really good.  I liked the flavor of the BBQ Sauce.  It was pretty sweet and definitely not as spicy as I thought it was going to be, but that's alright with me.  Jeremy commented, "You know you can BUY barbeque sauce, right?" to which I rolled my eyes. What would be the fun in that?!

P.S.  The pasta salad was just a Suddenly Pasta Box Mix , but I added spinach, tomatoes, and matchstick carrots to it.  

Kickin' BBQ Chicken

Adapted from Taste Of Home Grill It! Magazine
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Broiler/Fryer Whole Chicken, cut up
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
In a large saucepan, combine everything (except chicken) to make marinade.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 30-40 minutes, turning several times.  Baste chicken with the marinade, turning and grilling 10 minutes longer or until juices run clear.

Grilled Greek Pork Chops, Blueberry Salad, and Cheesy Biscuits

I think I gave up on my "new ingredient" challenge for awhile.   I really want to start making recipes from the large collection of cookbooks I've amassed.  If it includes a new ingredient, great.  If not, oh well.

It was a beautiful night for grilling.  The Greek Pork Chops were delicious.  The pork was juicy and the marinade seasoning was perfection.  I have no idea what makes them Greek pork chops, but that's what the magazine called them.

The vinaigrette on the salad was good.  It got a little thick after sitting awhile, but I read that I can add more olive oil or fruit juice to thin it out.

I've made the cheesy garlic biscuits before.  They remind me of the ones at Red Lobster. Mmmm. 

Greek Pork Chops

From Taste of Home Grill It! Magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
4 boneless pork loin chops (~3/4" thick)

Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first nine ingredients; add the pork.  Seal the bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade.  Grill pork, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes each side or until a thermometer reads 145º.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

*****

Berry Salad with Homemade Blueberry Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon onion

2 tablespoons good vinegar (I used balsamic)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil (may need extra)

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, whiz the berries, garlic, onion, vinegar, and sugar until berries are liquified.  Add olive oil until you reach the desired consistency (After 2 tablespoons of olive oil, if you need more oil, you can substitute fruit juice for a thinner dressing).  Run through a mesh sieve, and drizzle over salad greens with fresh berries, caramelized onions, roasted pecan bits.

*Dressing is 40 calories/tablespoon (using 2 tablespoons olive oil)

*****

Easy Garlic-Cheese Biscuits

From Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/4 cup stick butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Combine baking mix, milk, and cheese to make a soft dough, beating vigorously for 30 seconds with a spoon.  Drop dough by 10-12 spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 450º for ~8 minutes until golden brown.    Mix butter and garlic powder; brush onto warm biscuits.  Serve warm.

Grilled Swordfish (2012 - Week 25)

Week 25 Featured Ingredient: Swordfish

I saw a recipe for Swordfish in a Grilling magazine and decided to make it this week's featured ingredient.  We chose a very simple marinade and recipe, but the swordfish steaks tasted great.  They were moist and flaky and really good.  We both enjoyed them.  I also made grilled vegetable kabobs marinated in Italian dressing, and I really liked the flavor the grill gave the veggies, but Jeremy wasn't a fan.  He thought the concept of veggies on a stick was "weird."  I think it's weird that I liked the veggies and he didn't.  Very odd indeed. 


Grilled Swordfish

8oz swordfish steaks
teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:  
Marinate swordfish in teriyaki sauce for at least 10 minutes.  Grill steaks over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side, basting frequently with melted butter, until fish flakes easily with fork.  Season with garlic powder and serve.

Basic Banana Bread

I had some over-ripe bananas that I forgot to eat, so I made my favorite Banana Bread recipe.  This is straight out of the Betty Crocker Cookbook, but it's a reliable recipe and works every time.   I didn't have buttermilk on hand, so I combined lowfat milk with a little lemon juice and let it sit awhile.

Basic Banana Bread

from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook


Ingredients:
1&1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
1&1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2&1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Directions:
Mix sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Stir in eggs until well blended.  Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla, and beat until smooth.  Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until just blended.  Stir in the nuts.  Pour into two greased 8" loaf pans or one 9" loaf pan.

With oven rack in low position at 350º, bake 8" loaves 1 hour, or bake 9" loaf 1 hour, 15 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes and remove from pan(s).  Cool completely before slicing.  Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.