Strawberry Shortcake “Sliders”
Strawberry Shortcake “Sliders”
While we were enjoying these at dinner last night one of my friends said they looked like sliders and the name stuck. I made the shortcake base with cream scones and used an ice cream scoop to put the batter on the baking sheet. They ended up looking like little sandwich buns. Split and filled with sweetened strawberries, I replaced the top and added chocolate ganache and whipping cream to finish them off. They were a big hit. The scone was tender and not too sweet. Satisfying and light at the same time.
Strawberry Shortcake “Sliders”
The shortcakes
2 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
½ t. salt
1 T. baking powder
1 1/4 c. heavy cream or 1 cup half and half
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add cream to form soft dough. Stir mixture until it just holds together. Using an ice cream scoop place batter on baking sheet a couple of inches apart. You should get about a dozen. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Makes about 12. Cool on rack until ready to use.
The berries
2 lbs. strawberries, sliced thin
1/2 c. sugar, or to taste
Combine berries and sugar in medium bowl and place in fridge until ready to use. Berries should be in the sugar for at least a couple of hours and can even be prepped a day ahead to allow the juices to come out of the berries.
The ganache
1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips or 6 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream.
Combine both in double boiler or in microwave and heat until mixture is just warm enough to melt the chocolate. Stir until smooth.
The whipped cream – use whipped cream, sweetened or unsweetened according to your taste.
Assembly: Slice the caps off the tops of the shortcakes. Place a generous spoonful of the sliced berries on the bottoms of the shortcakes and spoon some of the strawberry liquid over them as well. Place the tops of the shortcakes back on and spoon on a dollop of the chocolate ganache. I let me get to room temperature so it didn’t drip down exactly as I had planned. Top with some whipped cream and serve. Makes about 12.
“sliders” with berries added
Ganache added
Ready to serve.
Rhubarb Glaze
Rhubarb Glazed Kebobs
If you’ve only had rhubarb in pies and other desserts you might want to consider savory dishes as well. I was having a dinner with friends and knew we were going to be grilling. Looking for a sauce for the chicken I decided to make a glaze from rhubarb. The end result was really good. A mix or tart and sweet with just a bit of heat it went well with the chicken but also tasted great on an assortment of grilled veggies. I started by cooking the rhubarb stems down in water until they were tender. I ended up with 2 cups of rhubarb. Once I added all the ingredients and cooked it all down I ended up with 2 cups of the glaze. Similar to sweet and sour sauce, it came out a pretty orange color. Here is the recipe.
Rhubarb Glaze
2 c. cooked rhubarb
1 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. dried minced onion
1 T. hot sauce
1 T. paprika
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. cumin
1 t. cinnamon
salt to taste
Place all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir more often as mixture thickens. Cook until sauce has reduced to about 2 cups. Use as a glaze on meats and vegetables. It was great on chicken but would also go well on pork or duck. Note: I liked the tang of it but you could make it a little sweeter to suit your own taste. Makes 2 cups.
Note: If making this for vegetarians omit the Worcestershire sauce.
Rhubarb Glaze
Honey Mustard Chicken
Honey Mustard Chicken
I wanted to add the flavor of honey mustard dipping sauce into chicken I was making the other night. I thought it would be neater to eat the chicken with the sauce already in it as opposed to dipping it and having it be messy. No matter how careful I am I always drip on myself. It worked really well.
I decided to try to do that by using the dipping sauce ingredients as a marinade and then as the base for breading the chicken. I had about 1 1/2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs. I think the thighs stay juicier, but you could use breasts if you prefer or even bone-in chicken but cooking times would be longer.
Here is the marinade recipe
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. whole grain mustard
2 T. honey
salt and pepper to taste
I combined the marinade ingredients and put the chicken in it and put the whole thing in the fridge for a couple of hours. When I was ready to cook the chicken I preheated the oven to 425 degrees. I put some breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl and dredged the chicken pieces in the breadcrumbs one at a time and placed the breaded chicken on a baking sheet. I drizzled the tiniest amount of oil over the chicken and placed it in the oven to bake. I cooked the chicken for about 30 minutes, turning it over after 15 minutes. I checked one of the thicker pieces after 30 minutes for doneness and we were good to go. The chicken tasted just like the honey-mustard dipping sauce I was looking for without the mess. It was moist and juicy on the inside but had browned very nicely on the outside. May try this soon with barbecue sauce.
Kale and Bean Stew
Kale and Bean Stew
I really like most leafy greens. A lot of people don’t though and I often hear from people who would love to get family members to eat them. Sometimes you have to get creative and add them to dishes where the flavor is masked a little with other foods. This simple stew is a great way to maybe get family members to try kale in a less obvious way. It tastes pretty good, too.
Kale and Bean Stew
1½ lb. kale leaves, center ribs removed
3 T. oil
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. dry white wine
2 (15 oz.) cans beans, rinsed and drained- I used garbanzos and lima beans
4-5 cups Vegetable or chicken stock
1 t. dried savory or thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T. white balsamic vinegar
2 T. fresh chopped herbs
Blanch kale in boiling water for 1 minute. Rinse under cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop kale leaves coarsely. Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Cook vegetables and garlic until tender but not browned. Add wine and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add 4 cups of the broth, beans, savory and bay leaf and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes more. Add more stock if stew is too thick. Add vinegar, fresh herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.
Strawberry-Vanilla Jam
Strawberry Vanilla Jam
I picked up some great berries. Making jam this weekend. I really like the addition of some vanilla to my strawberry jam. I think it adds a nice additional layer of flavor without covering up the natural beauty of the berries. I try to make enough to last all year but I end up running out quickly. This jam is great on toast but also a nice addition to several desserts I make.
Here is the recipe.
Strawberry-Vanilla Jam
2 qts. strawberries, stemmed, washed and crushed
2 T. pure vanilla
1 package dry pectin
1/4 c. lemon juice
7 cups sugar
Combine berries, vanilla, pectin and lemon juice in large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add sugar and turn heat up to high. Stir often until mixture comes to a boil. Boil hard one minute stirring constantly. Ladle hot jam in to jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and screw on lids comfortably tight. Place in boiling water bath and process 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack, towel or wooden surface to cool. Makes 8-9 half pints.
Raspberries and Cream Bread
Raspberry and Cream Bread
I have some very nice memories about raspberries. We had them growing in our yard when I was a kid. I always enjoyed just eating them right off the plants or the jam my Mother would make. I also remember the time our dog got to them before we did and ate all the raspberries. This simple bread is studded with fresh raspberries. It can be eaten just plain or dressed up with fruit topping or maybe some whipped cream. I am a purist, I like to eat it just the way it is. Like most quick breads it is better if you wrap it up in plastic or foil once cooled and eat it the next day- if you can wait that long!!
Raspberries and Cream Bread
1 ¾ c. flour
½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ t. cinnamon
½ c. butter, at room temperature
¾ c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
½ c. sour cream, room temperature
1 t. vanilla
1 c. fresh raspberries
¾ c. chopped nuts, optional
Grease an 8×4 inch loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In small bowl beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat 1 minute. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just moistened. Fold in berries and nuts and place batter in prepared pan. Bake 60-65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Makes 1 loaf. Freezes well.
Pea Shoots with Cashews
Pea Shoots with Cashews
I grow peas every year and find their tender shoots a great addition to many dishes. I trim off young, tender shoots and add them to soups, salads and stir fries. Older shoots may have tough stems. If that is the case I’ll just use the leaves. Last night for dinner I had a great veggie stir fry with onions, baby bok choy, nappa cabbage, baby peppers and pea shoots. I added some cashews for texture and tossed with soba noodles.
Pea Shoots with Cashews
oil
1 onion, sliced
1 c. nappa cabbage leaves, sliced thin
1 1/2 c. sliced baby bok choy leaves
3-4 baby sweet peppers, seeded and sliced
2 c. pea shoots
soy sauce to taste
2 t. sesame oil
1/2 c. cashews
4 oz. soba ( buckwheat) noodles, cooked and drained
In skillet or wok heat the oil and saute the onion until tender. Add the rest of the veggies and cook until tender/crisp. Season to taste with soy and add the sesame oil. Toss in the cashews and then toss in pasta and heat a minute or two. Serves 2-3.
Raspberry Liqueur
Raspberry Liqueur
I enjoy making homemade liqueurs. You just start with alcohol- I most often use vodka – then you add ingredients to flavor the alcohol. I have done all sorts over the years and raspberry is one of my all time favorites. Its beautiful color and great flavor make it nice for sipping as is or used in mixed drinks. I like to think of it as just another food preservation method!!! Here is the recipe in case you also want to make it. Makes a great gift, too.
Raspberry Liqueur
1 lb. raspberries
3 c. vodka
1 ¼ c. sugar
Combine fruit and vodka and let stand 2 -4 weeks. Stir in sugar and age 3 months. Strain and filter. Makes 3-4 cups.
Cleaning Bottles – Easy Trick
Freshly Cleaned Jar
I use a lot of decorative bottles and decanters for things like vinegars and homemade liqueurs. Over time there is often sediment that can be a pain to get out. With narrow necks they are too small to get most cleaning tools into. There is an easy way to clean them out. The secret ingredient-rice!!! Just place some raw rice in your bottle and add a few drops of liquid detergent and some warm water. Cover the top with the stopper or your finger and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. You might need more time for a really dirty bottle. Pour out the rice and rinse out the bottle. It will be all clean- good as new.
Bottle full of sediment
Add some rice to the bottle
After 15 seconds of shaking
Orange-Pecan Waffles
Orange Pecan Waffles
Was looking for something special for breakfast with a friend. Started with my basic vanilla waffle recipe and had some fun with it. I really enjoyed the combination of pecans with orange juice. Served them with warm maple syrup. There was one left over so I added it to Parker’s chicken for dinner. Yes, the dog got chicken and waffles for dinner!!! He was one happy dog.
Here is the recipe.
Orange Pecan Waffles
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 t. orange zest
2 eggs
1 cup orange juice
½ c. milk
½ c. melted butter
1 T. vanilla
¾ c. pecans. Note: Probably would have been better to chop them up a little. I just tossed them in the batter whole.
Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Beat together remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients mixing until smooth. Cook in a waffle iron until crisp.
