The Charmed Kitchen

Blueberry Cinnamon Teacakes

My blueberry bushes are blooming. Assuming the birds don’t get there first, I should have a decent harvest this year. Seeing the blooms put me in the mood for something with blueberries. I had some berries in the freezer from last year, so I made a batch of these teacakes. Delicate, tender and not too sweet, they can be great at breakfast, brunch or dessert. For some reason the dog is really crazy about them, too. He keeps staring at the plate and barking.

Blueberry Tea Cakes

 1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 t. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

2 c. flour

1/2 c. milk

2 1/2 c. blueberries, preferably fresh, but frozen OK

Topping:

2 T. sugar

½ t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 375. Grease 24 muffin tins or line with paper liners. Beat butter until fluffy and beat in sugar until light. Beat in eggs then beat in vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Beat in half the flour then half the milk and repeat. Fold in berries and spoon batter into prepared pans, filling half-full. Combine remaining sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over the cakes. Bake 25 minutes or until springy to the touch. Makes 24.

Brown Rice and Lentil Stuffed Peppers

A friend was in town and stopping by. I wanted to offer her dinner and since I know she doesn’t eat meat- I knew I’d be going vegetarian.  While I do eat meat- I often forgo it for meatless options. I looked around at what was on hand. Since there were a couple of sweet pepper in my fridge- these stuffed peppers seemed like a smart way to go. I precooked most of the ingredients so I wouldn’t have to watch them too carefully once in the oven. That way we were free to visit. I did top them with cheese- but you could omit it, if you prefer.

Brown Rice and Lentil Stuffed Peppers

1 onion, chopped
Oil
¾ c. uncooked brown rice- I used brown jasmine rice
Water or vegetable stock – probably around 3 cup or a bit more
¾ c. lentils, rinsed and drained
2 c. peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes- or 2 c. canned tomatoes
2 – 3 sweet peppers, cut in half and seeded
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
¼ c. marsala wine
2 T. apple cider vinegar
¼ c. chopped parsley
2 t. Tuscan Seasoning- recipe follows- or use an Italian herb blend
Salt and pepper to taste hot sauce to taste
Romano or Parmesan cheese- optional

In soup pot, heat oil and cook onion until it gets tender and a little golden. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice in the oil. Toast the rice a couple of minutes. Add 2 cups stock or water to cover the rice and then bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for about 20 minutes. While rice is cooking, place the peppers in a pot of boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and drain peppers. After the rice has been cooking for 20 minutes, add the lentils, garlic and tomatoes, wine, vinegar and seasonings and continue cooking, covered, until the rice and lentils are tender, about 25 more minutes Add more stock, if needed. Rice mixture should be a little runny. Place peppers, cut side up in a shallow baking dish. Spoon in the lentil mixture, dividing it among the 4 pepper halves. Cover dish with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Mixture will be heated through and peppers will be tender. Serve as is – or top with some cheese and return to the oven until cheese melts- about 5 minutes. Makes 4 pepper halves.

Tuscan Seasoning

½ c. dried basil
½ c. dried oregano
½ c. dried marjoram
3 T. dried minced onion
2 T. dried minced garlic
2 T. dried rosemary
2 T. dried parsley
1 t. crushed red pepper

Use this blend in tomato sauce or other Italian dishes. Also, you can add to vinegar and oil with a little salt, if desired, to make a quick salad dressing. Or use for the bread recipe below.
 

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Herbs

I like sweet potatoes cooked any number of ways. Steamed, roasted, mashed. I even like them in biscuits. Raw sweet potatoes are grated and added to the dough in this recipe, along with some herbs for a really special flavor and texture. They go well with any number of dishes, but for some reason I like them best with a bit of butter, warm from the oven.  When you mix the dough- don’t be worried if it seems too dry. It takes a little bit of kneading to get the moisture out of the potatoes. The extra effort is worth it.

 Sweet Potato Biscuits with Herbs

2 1/4 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. grated lemon peel

1/4 t. each baking soda, dried basil and dried thyme

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 c. shredded sweet potato, about 1 large

1/2 c. fine chopped green onions

1/2 c. sour cream

2T. butter, melted or olive oil

Stir together dry ingredients in large bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add to flour mixture mixing until just blended. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times until dough just stays together. Dough will look too dry- but it will come together after you knead it. Press into an 8-inch square and cut into four squares.* Cross cut each square into four triangles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes. Makes 16.

* I press the dough into a lightly floured 8×8-inch baking pan and then flip it out onto the work surface. That way you’ll get nice, even edges.

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake

If you want a really tasty dessert that requires no baking this one just might do it for you. Rather than being baked, this cheesecake is frozen. It also pairs chocolate with coffee- a classic combination. Great dessert for hot weather. Who am I kidding? I would want this even if there was a blizzard.

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake

1 ¼ c. chocolate cookie crumbs

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 c. chocolate syrup

2 T. instant coffee crystals

1 t. hot water

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

Combine crumbs, sugar and butter and press into 9-inch springform pan. Chill. Beat cheese until fluffy and beat in milk. Stir in syrup and dissolve coffee in water. Add to cheese mixture and fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared crust and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours. Garnish with additional cookie crumbs if you like or with shaved chocolate. Keep leftovers frozen and use within a week for best flavor.

Crab and Avocado Salad

I don’t think you can go wrong combining crab and avocado. The sweetness of the crab pairs so well with the buttery flavor and texture of the avocado. I used crab legs, but canned would be fine, too. For this salad I wanted big chunks of crab, so I used crab legs. I made a simple dressing with mayo, capers, paprika, hot sauce, garlic and cumin. For some crunch I served the salad over a bed of shredded romaine lettuce.

Crab and Avocado Salad

2 c. crab meat

2 avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced

juice of 1 lime

Dressing

1/2 c. mayo

1 T. capers

1 t. cumin

1 t. paprika

1/2 t. garlic powder

dash of hot sauce, or to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Shredded lettuce- I used romaine

Green onions, chopped, optional

Combine crab with avocado and tomato in a medium bowl. Drizzle the lime juice over the crab mixture and toss. Combine dressing ingredients and stir into crab mixture. Adjust seasonings and chill until ready to use. Serve over shredded lettuce. Garnish with green onions, if desired. Serves 2.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake Roll

I have been in the mood for ice cream. I also needed a dessert for dinner with a couple of friends.  Since the weather has been getting warmer I decided to make a cake roll and fill it with ice cream.  I used homemade strawberry ice cream, recipe follows. You could use store bought ice cream, if you prefer. Start with the sponge cake roll recipe below and use whatever flavor ice cream you like. You’ll need about a quart of ice cream- or a little more.

Sponge Cake Roll

This sponge cake roll can be filled with whipped cream or ice cream, or use your favorite filling.
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup cake flour*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons melted butter
Beat egg yolks until thicken and lemon colored; gradually add 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar, the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Beat egg whites until almost stiff then gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Sift dry ingredients into a separate container; add to egg mixture, folding in carefully. Fold in melted butter. Pour batter into waxed paper-lined 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Turn onto a clean kitchen towel which has been generously dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Trim edges, if necessary; roll cake up, towel and all, while still warm. Let cool completely. Unroll and fill with whipped cream or ice cream then re-roll cake. The trick is to let the ice cream soften up a few minutes before spreading it on the cake. But don’t wait too long. Rather than trying to let the ice cream get soft enough to spread I used a spatula to sort of cut slices of ice cream and place them on the cake.  Store ice cream cake roll in freezer until ready to slice and serve.

*If you don’t have cake flour you can make your own. Measure out a cup of all purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace them with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. For larger amounts place 7 cups of flour in a bowl and combine with 1 cup of cornstarch. Mix well or even sift together. Store in an airtight container.

Strawberry Ice Cream

2 c. chopped strawberries

1 c. sugar

1 T. vanilla

2 c. cream or  half and half or a combination. You can also use some milk or even almond or rice milk.

Additional sugar to taste

Place strawberries, vanilla  and sugar in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and chill. Combine chilled berry mixture with cream. Add additional sugar if you like. Remember that once it is frozen the ice cream will not taste as sweet so make this mixture a little sweeter than you want the final product to be. How much sugar you add varies with personal taste and how sweet the berries are. Place in an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. Once finished put in an sir- tight container and place in freezer. Makes about 1 quart.

Amy’s Strawberry Chocolate Tart

If you are looking for a special dessert this one really works. It was inspired by my friend, Amy, who needed a dessert for a dinner we were planning. I combined some her favorite things into one dessert- strawberries, chocolate, a flaky pie crust and whipped cream. The pie was a big hit at dinner that night and I am sure your friends and family will love it, too.  The crust is baked, then topped with a layer of melted chocolate, berries and a light glaze. Easy, but elegant.

Amy’s Strawberry Chocolate Tart

1 pie crust- homemade or store bought*

1 cup chocolate chips- or 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 T. butter

1 qt. fresh strawberries, washed and stem ends sliced off

Strawberry glaze:

1 c. strawberries, chopped

1/2 c. sugar, or to taste

1/4 c. water

1 T. cornstarch

Using a tart pan, roll out your crust and fit it into the pan- trim off any excess. Pre-bake your crust. To do this the prepared pie crust should be pricked all over with a fork. Cover the surface with foil and then pie weights. I use dry beans for my pie weights. Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees. Bake crust for 15-20 minutes. Check to be sure it doesn’t get too brown. Remove weights and foil and cool until ready to use. While crust is baking you can prepare the strawberry glaze. Combine 1 cup berries and sugar in small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook five minutes, mashing the berries a little. Strain out the solids and return the liquid to the pan. Combine the water with the cornstarch and add to the strawberry liquid, cooking until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat to cool.  Combine chocolate and butter in microwave- safe dish and microwave on high for 45 seconds to a minute . Stir mixture until smooth- you might need to nuke it a few more seconds. Spread melted chocolate over the bottom of the tart crust. Press the berries into the chocolate- pointed side up. Once the tart is full of berries spoon some of the glaze over the berries and chill at least an hour before serving. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Serves 6.

Half and Half Dough*

This is a great crust for liquid fillings like custard type pies and fresh fruit pies.
¼ c. butter, room temp
½ c. shortening, room temp- you can use lard instead
¼ c. sugar
½ t. salt
2½ c. pastry or all purpose flour
1/8 t. baking powder
¼ c. milk
1 t. lemon juice
Cream together the first 4 ingredients until smooth. Mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside. Combine milk with the juice and set aside. Stir ½ c. of the flour into butter mixture. Stir until smooth. Add a little of the milk, stirring until smooth. Add remaining ingredients alternately until finished. Dough will firm up once chilled. Chill at least 4 hours before using. Makes 2 crusts.

Cinnamon Coffee Scones

When someone tells me they don’t like scones I am sure it is because they haven’t had good scones. Scones should be tender, a little crumbly and still moist in the middle. These scones are delicate, full of coffee flavor, and not too sweet. Simple to make, as with any scone, the secret is not to over work the dough. You can eat these plain or with a bit of butter. I’m having mine with a cup of coffee.

 Cinnamon Coffee Scones

2/3 c. half and half

2 T. instant coffee powder or espresso powder

1 t. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

1/2 c. cold butter

1 T. half and half, for brushing the scones

2 T. cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling on the scones

Coffee Cinnamon Glaze- recipe follows

In microwave safe container combine half and half with the coffee powder and heat 30 seconds or so. Stir to dissolve coffee and cool down before using. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add vanilla and egg to cooled coffee mixture and beat until smooth. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Some small pieces of butter can still be visible. Stir in coffee mixture and mix gently until a soft dough forms. At this point you are supposed to press the dough into an 8-inch circle on a baking sheet. To get a really neat circle use an 8-inch cake pan. Sprinkle the pan with a little flour and put the dough in the pan. Press the dough into the pan. Turn the cake pan over onto an ungreased baking sheet. Do this part fast. Slam it down and then remove the cake pan. You will have a perfect 8-inch circle of dough. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough in half. If the dough is too sticky sprinkle the top with a little more flour. Cut in half again and then 2 more times. You will have eight wedges of dough forming 8 scones. Pull dough apart slightly using a spatula. They grow a lot when baking and this will give them more room to expand. Brush with the extra half and half and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes or until they spring back when touched lightly. Make glaze and drizzle over the warm scones. Makes 8.

Coffee Cinnamon Glaze

2 T. half and half

2 t. instant coffee powder or espresso powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 c. powdered sugar

Heat half and half and coffee powder together in microwave safe container for 10 seconds. Stir until smooth. Stir in cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth and drizzle over the scones.

Sue’s Tequila Wine Punch

I would never have thought that combining tequila and wine would taste so good, but it really is a great drink for summer parties. I had a request for this recipe and I am going to share it with you the best that I can. I normally am pretty good about measuring ingredients and writing things down, but a friend actually brought this to the party last night. My friend Sue, is actually a very good cook. She has great instincts when it comes to flavors. She is also lovingly known as the Queen of Substitutions. She will start with a recipe and then just add what she has on hand. Often things work out, sometimes, not. This is one of those times when things worked out very well, indeed. She was watching TV and saw a recipe for a tequila and wine punch.  She had the tequila and wine, but not quite all of the other ingredients, so she kind of made it up as she went along. The end result was a drink that was not too sweet and very refreshing.

Sue’s Tequila and Wine Punch 

1 1/2 c. tequila

1/2 bottle of wine, use what you have on hand, Sue did

1 c. margarita mix

1 c. orange juice

1 or 2 oranges, sliced thin

ice

In pitcher, combine tequila with wine, mix, juice and oranges. Add lots of ice, stir and serve.

Catfish Tacos

I had a request from a dear friend to make fish tacos. I’ve made them before with several different fish, but I prefer catfish. I just think the texture works well with the batter. Last night’s batch were my favorite, so far. I used Corona beer in the batter with some eggs, flour and lime zest. The toppers were a sauce made with mayo, enhanced with chili powder, capers and cumin – recipe follows. I also made a mango salsa to use on the tacos- with onions, garlic and cilantro- recipe follows. The flavors all worked so well together. I am always tweaking recipes, but this one- for now- will remain unchanged.

Fish Tacos

Batter:

3 eggs, beaten

6 oz. Corona beer- drink the rest- you deserve it

1 c. flour

zest of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

a couple of dashes of hot sauce

Combine all the batter ingredients and  beat together until smooth. Let sit at least 30 minutes before using.

2 lbs. catfish, cut into 2 oz. pieces

extra flour for dredging

oil for deep frying

Heat oil in pan to 375 degrees. While oil is heating up, dry fish off as much as you can.  Season with salt and pepper and toss the fish in the extra flour to coat lightly. Dip fish in the batter, and fry, a few pieces at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and continue cooking until all the fish is done. To serve place a piece or two of fish in a taco shell and top with mango salsa and dipping sauce. You can also add some shredded lettuce, if you like.

Mango Salsa

1 large mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 c. diced sweet onion, or a little more

3 T. oil

2 T. cider vinegar

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 t. cumin

1/4 t. cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste Combine all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Dipping Sauce

I must admit to using tartar sauce as my inspiration for this sauce. I wanted the same sort of sauce, but with Mexican flavors. The combo worked really well on the fish tacos.

1 c. mayo

1 T. chili powder

juice of 1 lime

2 t. cumin

1 clove minced garlic

1 T. capers, drained

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to use.