Chicken Picatta
Albondigas Soup
Burnt Almond Cake
Mushroom Polenta Ragout
Nut Rocha
Applesauce Cookies
Blueberry Cider
Mini Pineapple Upside-down
Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake
Mama's Italian Meatballs
Soup
has
always been an at-home comfort food. Now soup is emerging as a popular
choice in restaurants too; a choice Mexican and Southwestern-style
eateries can capitalize on by offering the kind of ethnic soups and
stews that have always been key in Mexican cuisine. The demand for both
traditional and more trendy soups is on the rise; one interpretation is
a chicken stock-based soup flavored with chiltepín, salsa fresca, onion,
garlic, bay leaf, oregano and peppercorns, then garnished with tortilla
strips, avocado, lime and grated Monterey Jack cheese.
Other
versions might include crema, beans, tomatoes, epazote, or bits of
chicken, Sopa de Guias, a green, brothy soup made with the leaves and
stems of the zucchini, cubed zucchini and zucchini blossoms, and the
herbs chepil and piojito. Chepil is a tiny, pungent herb that's not as
strong as epazote, and piojito is a tiny green herb described as "kind
of minty."
Ernesto's Mexican Food in Sacramento, has an entire section on its menu
devoted to soups. He also offers Albondigas, an authentic Mexican
meatball soup made with fresh onions, cilantro and traditional spices in
a rice broth.
Albondigas Soup - Makes 8 servings
2 lbs.
ground beef
2 eggs
1 lg. yellow onion, diced
1 bunch
cilantro, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
1-1/2 c. uncooked rice
1-1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1 t. pepper, or to taste
1/2 t. cumin
10-14 c. water
The
Albondigas: Mix ground beef, a half bunch of cilantro, 1/2 c. uncooked
rice, 2 eggs, half of the salt, pepper, cumin and 1 clove garlic (or to
taste). Divide mixture into 1-ounce balls (large walnut size), rolling
them between the palms of your hands until firm and round. Place
Albondigas on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
The
broth: Using canola oil in a large pan, combine onions, half bunch of
cilantro, tomatoes, and 1 cup of uncooked rice and sauté for about 5-10
minutes. At this point, add water and the rest of the salt, pepper,
cumin and garlic. Bring water to a boil, and add Albondigas one by one.
Let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meatballs float in the
broth. Recipes courtesy of Ernesto's Mexican Food, Sacramento, Calif.
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C
hicken Picatta has long
been one of my all-time favorite Italian dishes. Classically, this dish
is made with very thin slices of veal, but because of its price and
rarity, chicken is a great second choice. Picatta is actually the
Italian word for "veal escalope", or a thin slice of veal. The key to
this dish is to make sure that the chicken or veal, if you choose to use
it, is pounded flat. The end result should be no thicker than ¼ inch.
This will help the meat cook quickly and evenly. The second most
important key to this dish is letting the liquid reduce sufficiently. If
there is too much liquid in the pan when you start adding the butter
cubes, you will have a runny sauce. Here is my version of this Italian
Classic.
Chicken
Picatta, Serves 4
4 Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
1 ½ sticks of butter, cut into 10 pieces
2 Shallots, minced
¾ cup White Wine
¼ cup Lemon juice
3 Tbs. Capers, chopped
1 tsp. Each salt and black pepper
¼ cup Parsley
1 ½ cups rice, cooked per package instructions
2 Tbs. Parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. Oregano, chopped
Heat 2 pieces of the butter over medium-high heat in large sauté pan.
Add chicken, 2 at a time and sauté on both sides till golden brown.
Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Add shallots and capers to pan
with one more piece of butter. Sauté for about a minute, then add wine
and lemon juice. Let liquid reduce until almost gone, then turn down
heat to low. Add 2 pieces of butter to pan and whisk until all butter
has melted. Repeat these steps until all the butter has been used.
Season with salt and pepper. Add parsley at the end. Chef James
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Burnt Almond
Cake
"Neighborhood Bakeshop" cookbook by Jill Van Cleave
The
cake:
2 1/2
cups cake flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
Honey Almond Brittle:
1/2 cup
granulated sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons water
2 ounces slivered almonds (about 1/2 cup), toasted
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Custard Cream:
1 cup
milk
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans.
For the
cake: Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into
a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an
electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 30
seconds between additions. Add alternating increments of the flour
mixture and buttermilk and vanilla, blending well after each addition;
this should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Divide the batter evenly between
the prepared pans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester comes
out clean. Cool in pans, on wire racks, for 10 minutes, un-mold the
cakes and let cool completely. Note: The cake recipe makes two 8-inch
round cake layers. Only one is used for this recipe.
To
make the brittle: Combine the granulated sugar, honey and water in a
medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to
dissolve sugar. Boil, without stirring, until the mixture turns a deep
amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and
immediately stir in the toasted almonds, butter and baking soda. Mix
with a wooden spoon just until the butter melts and the foaming
subsides. Pour the mixture into a nonstick or lightly greased baking
sheet and set aside to cool. Once the brittle has hardened, break it up
and crush to fine crumbs in a food processor. Store in a covered
container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To
make the custard cream: In a heavy saucepan over medium- low heat,
heat milk to barely simmering. Meanwhile, combine egg yolks, sugar and
cornstarch in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to blend smoothly. Stir the
heated milk into the egg mixture; return mixture to saucepan. Bring back
to a boil, over medium-low heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute.
Remove pan from heat; add butter and vanilla, stirring to melt the
butter. Transfer custard to a bowl; place a piece of waxed paper
directly on top to prevent a crust from forming and refrigerate until
cold. Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fold into the chilled custard and refrigerate until ready to use.
To
assemble cake: Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place one layer on
a cake plate, spread cake with cold custard cream and sprinkle with
brittle crumbs. Cover with the remaining layer of cake. Spread the
remaining custard cream over cake, applying a thinner coat to the sides,
then the top. Chill for a least 1 hour before garnishing. To garnish,
press brittle crumbs onto the sides of the cake with the palm of your
hand and sprinkle a layer of crumbs on the top. Refrigerate until ready
to use.
Note: To toast nuts,
arrange in a single layer on a baking pan. Bake in a 375-degree oven
until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow nuts to cool before
using. This is a fabulous dessert, perfect for the holidays. Perfect for
the winter months. Enjoy!
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Mushroom Polenta Ragout
Submitted by Eva Dunn
This is a
great dish (Gourmet, 1993), is easy to prepare and bakes unwatched in
the oven. Great for winter holiday dinners. The alcohol of the wine
evaporates, leaving the delicious flavor of the wine. You will need:
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
3 tbls olive oil
1 pound of white mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 pound of shiitake mushrooms (optional), discard stems and quarter
1 tbls tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
1 tbls cornstarch
1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
*******
6 cups water
1 tbls olive oil
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 tbls butter, cut into pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 pound mozzarella, diced fine
This recipe is in three parts:
First, make the mushroom
ragout: in a large deep skillet cook the onion, the garlic, and the
rosemary in the oil over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is
softened, add the mushrooms and salt to taste, and cook, stirring, for
about ten minutes. The liquid the mush-rooms give off should be
evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste and the wine and boil the mushroom
mixture until most of the liquid is evaporated. In a small bowl stir the
cornstarch into the broth, add the mixture and the Worcestershire sauce
to the mushroom mixture, bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer the ragout
for 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper.
Now make the polenta: In a
large, heavy saucepan bring the water with the oil to a boil and add 1
cup of the cornmeal, a bit at a time, stirring constantly. Reduce the
heat to low, add the remaining 1 cup cornmeal in a slow stream, stirring
constantly, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir
in the butter, 2/3 cup of the Parmesan, the parsley, salt and pepper to
taste. Spread one third of the polenta evenly in a buttered 13x9 inch
baking dish and chill the polenta sheet for 20 minutes. This will be
used to cut out stars for the top of the dish. You can skip this step if
you want the top fully covered.
Spread half of the polenta in a
buttered 3 quart shallow baking dish, top it with half the mushroom
ragout, and top the ragout with the mozzarella. Spread the remaining
polenta quickly over the mozzarella and top it with the remaining
ragout. For the stars: invert the polenta sheet onto a work surface and
cut out as many stars as possible. Arrange them decoratively on the
ragout and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan. At this
point, the dish may be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Great!
Cook in a 400 degree oven. Bake in the upper
third of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until the polenta stars are
golden. This is an incredible dish! Just a hint of the deep wine flavor
in a great sauce, and the herbed polenta is wonderful. You will notice
it is truly a vegetarian dish also. I urge you to try out this dish! It
will become a favorite of yours also.
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Nut Rocha
I
believe this recipe came from a Better Homes and Garden issue. It is the
easiest candy recipe that anyone can make. The resulting candy is a
light, crisp caramel topped with a chocolate layer which is studded with
toasted nuts. This is simply divine and has quickly become a family
favorite.
You will need:
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 tbls corn syrup
1 (11 1/2 oz) pkg. milk
chocolate pieces or dark chocolate
1 cup finely chopped, toasted
nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts) I prefer almonds.
Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan
(or something close to this) with foil, extending over the edges. In a
3-quart saucepan, melt the butter. Do not let it brown. Stir in the
sugar, corn syrup, and 1/3 cup water. Cook this mixture over medium-high
heat to boiling, stirring til sugar is dissolved.
Clip candy thermometer to pan.
Be sure the bulb is well covered and not touching the bottom of the pan,
or you will get a false reading. Cook over medium heat, stirring
frequently til the thermometer (optional) registers 290 degrees
(soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes. The mixture will turn golden
brown. Be sure it is golden enough so when it cools, it will remain that
color. This is important for this layer is most visible and should not
be a pale caramel color, but deep golden. Be careful! The seconds from
pale to perfect go very fast! Remove the thermo-meter. Pour into the
prepared pan and spread evenly. Cool for 5 minutes until just set.
Now the fun part! Sprinkle the
chocolate pieces all over the top. Let stand for two minutes. Then with
a butter knife, spread it all over the surface to cover. Top it with the
roasted nuts (be sure and roast these, plain will not taste near as
great), pressing them into the melted chocolate slightly with the knife
or the back of a spoon. Cool for several hours until set.
Once set, holding the foil,
lift the candy out of the pan and break it into medium sized pieces much
like making Brickle. To store, layer the candy in an airtight container
between sheets of waxed paper. This makes about 2 1/2 pounds.
This is lovely presented on a beautiful, simple
platter, the pieces arranged artfully. Believe me, this will not last
long! Better double this recipe too! Print out copies of the recipe, for
you will be sure to be asked for it by everyone who tastes it. Enjoy!
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Applesauce Cookies
By Jackie Richmond
I love Fanny Farmer’s "Apple
Sauce Cookies" because I have four apple trees and like to cook things
that are easy and taste good. These cookies serve both those purposes.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Ingredients:
¼ lb. Butter (1 cube) ½ teaspoon salt
½ Cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ Cup sugar 1 teaspoon nutmeg
1`Cup applesauce 1 Cup raisins
1 egg ½ Cup nuts
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
For ease of preparation, have
all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 F and grease
some cookie sheets. Cream the butter and add the two sugars, beating
until light. I do all of this in my blender when ingredients are at room
temp. It takes about three minutes. Stir in egg and applesauce
(blender). If you have blended all these then put into a mixing bowl
which will hold all of the ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients and
stir into wet a bit at a time. Then add nuts and raisins and stir. Drop
by spoonfuls on the cookie sheets and sprinkle with red and/or green
sparkly sprinkles if you want a festive look. Bake for 5–7 minutes or
until lightly brown (If the tops squish down they are not done.) You
should have about 40 cookies. An added benefit to these cookies…your
kitchen smells heavenly.
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Leading Brands Inc., a premium
healthy beverage company, introduces a fun and unique blueberry cider
recipe that will impress every holiday guest.
Blueberry Cider:
3 cups (750 mL) TrueBlue
Blueberry Cocktail (or any other flavor)
2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
4 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in
half
1 cup (250 mL) fresh or frozen
blueberries, optional
Combine TrueBlue Blueberry
Cocktail, brown sugar, cloves and cinnamon sticks in a pot. Heat on high
and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove
cloves and cinnamon sticks. Add blueberries (optional), heat and serve
immediately. TrueBlue® Blueberry Juice Cocktails recently was awarded
the "Best Beverage in 2006" by America’s Best Food Show and the "Best
Blueberry Beverage in 2005" award by the North American Blueberry
Council.
TrueBlue® Blueberry Juice
Cocktails, was launched in early 2005. Lightly sweetened with cane sugar
(not high fructose corn syrup), the product is ‘all natural’. Each 16oz
serving contains as much juice as a full serving of fresh blueberries.
With 25% fewer calories per serving than most cranberry-based products,
TrueBlue® is also a preferred dietary choice for health-conscious
consumers. For more details on TrueBlue® and recipes,
www.trueblueberry.com.
With all the benefits of blueberries including
being the #1 antioxidant, lowering cholesterol and slowing the aging
process, it’s no wonder why consumers enjoy this power packed juice
especially since you can’t get fresh blueberries year round!
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Mini Pineapple
Upside Down Cake
By Eva Dunn
Take an old favorite and make
it special by baking Pineapple Upside Down cake in individual cupcake
tins. Spray the muffin tins very well with vegetable spray. Put one
pineapple ring in the bottom of each cup, or crushed pineapple, right on
top of your brown sugar-butter mixture that you have prepared. On top of
that slice, pour in your cake batter. Bake 350F for 45 minutes. Cool for
ten minutes, then invert onto glass plate, and enjoy!
Lemon Bundt Cake
1
box lemon cake mix
1 box lemon pudding mix (the
regular sized small box)
4 eggs
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
Mix all ingredients well. Bake
at 350F for about 45 minutes. Test with a knife to see if ready (knife
will come out clean) or press your finger down and if it springs back
up, it's ready. Let cool for 20 minutes before removing from bundt pan.
Then loosen with a knife around the sides and invert to a plate. Dust
with powdered sugar and enjoy! EASY and GOOD.
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Mama’s Italian Meatballs
Mix together:
1 lb ground turkey breast
½ lb ground
beef (I prefer the leanest I can find, like ground sirloin)
1 egg
¼ cup Italian
seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated
Parmegiano cheese
2 slices
sweet French bread, pre-soaked in milk, softened and squeezed out well
1 box chopped
spinach or Swiss chard if you can find it—cooked and cooled
2 Tablespoons
chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Salt to taste
(1 ½ tsp is a good place to start)
¼ tsp ground
black pepper
¼ tsp Italian
seasoning
Meanwhile, sauté together in olive oil until brown,
and add to the above mixture when cooked through:
1 small
yellow onion—minced
2 stalks
celery---minced
2 cloves
garlic—mince fine
TIP: I add a little salt and pepper to the veggie
trio while cooking so that the flavors get infused and the moisture is
removed from the onions which will then cook faster. Form into 2" balls.
Bake in a large ovenproof pan generously greased with olive oil at 350
degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove
from oven and immerse in your favorite spaghetti sauce and warm through
before serving with pasta.
Berquist Swedish Meatballs
Mix together:
1 lb ground
turkey breast
½ lb ground
pork
1 egg
¼ cup plain
bread crumbs (I use day-old sweet French whirled in food processor)
1 slice white
or wheat bread soaked in milk, softened and squeezed out well
½ tsp black
pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground
allspice
1 ½ tsp salt
Meanwhile, sauté in 1 ½ tablespoons butter, ½ cup
finely chopped onion. Cool and add to the meat mixture. Mix well and
form into 1" round balls.
Heat 1 ½ tablespoons butter in the sauté pan over
medium-low heat and brown the meatballs on all sides; remove to an
ovenproof dish. Once all the meatballs are cooked, add 3 cups of beef
broth to the sauté pan to deglaze, adding ¼ cup all-purpose flour to
make a brown gravy. Whisk until smooth. Add ¼ cup milk (or heavy cream
as you prefer) and cook until gravy reduces and thickens. Pour over
meatballs. Cook in an oven preheated to 350 approx. 15
minutes, until the gravy and meatballs are warmed through. Serve with
white rice and a favorite veggie. Salad with a sweet French dressing
goes well with this too.
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