Category: Cooking

Homemade Pineapple Sorbet

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Pineapple Sorbet

Sorbet can be the perfect ending for almost any meal. I was making dinner for a couple of friends and wanted something light for dessert. I had this pineapple and knew right away I wanted to make a sorbet.

You can use pretty much any fruit to make sorbet. Pineapple is one of my favorites.  The ingredients are fruit and sweetener. After that, extras like fruit juices, extracts, herbs and spices are up to you. Keep it simple, or spice it up, to suit your mood. I often add fresh herbs to my sorbet. Mint is the obvious choice, but I have also added basil, lavender and pineapple sage.

Keep in mind that once frozen, the mixture will taste less sweet. Sweeten to taste, but allow for that change in flavor. If it isn’t sweet enough for you once it is frozen, you can add a little honey when processing it. You can also serve it topped with a fruit syrup for extra sweetness, if desired.

Pineapple Sorbet

1 pineapple

½ c. sugar- or a little more to suit your taste

1 T. lemon juice

 

Wash pineapple, remove rind and core. Chunk up the flesh of the pineapple and puree in a food processor until smooth. Place pineapple puree in a bowl and sweeten to taste. I had a really ripe, sweet pineapple, so I used about ½ cup of sugar. You might want more, or less, according to your own taste. Once frozen, the sorbet will taste less sweet- so make sure to sweeten it enough. You can also sweeten with honey. Stir in the lemon juice, too. Place in a container with a lid and place in freezer.

 

Once the mixture is frozen- remove from the freezer, let soften a little bit- just a few minutes. Use a spoon or fork to break off chunks of the sorbet. Place in a food processor and puree until smooth. Mixture should start to look creamy. I have had the most success using a smaller processor and doing this in batches, but do what works for you. Return to freezer until ready to serve.

Note: You can repeat the process of processing another time or two. Each time the frozen sorbet is reprocessed, it will get a little smoother. I only processed this pineapple sorbet one time- after it was frozen. The texture was delightful and my guests loved it.

Yield: You should get about a quart of sorbet.

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Beer Battered Fish Tacos

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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. Any mild fish you like, would work fine.

This batch was 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. This time of year, there are fish fries every Friday. I’ve gone to several and had great meals. I would opt to stay in for these tacos.

 

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.

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Crab Cakes

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Crab Cake

I was lucky enough to get a great price on lump crab meat. A local store had cans on sale for about half the normal price. I have been dreaming about crab cakes, so it seemed like the perfect time to make some.

The secret to crab cakes it adding just enough ingredients to hold the crab meat together, without  losing the beautiful texture of the crab in the process. These crab cakes did all that. I also have fresh chives in the garden, so I used them in my crab cakes. They added such nice flavor to them.

I also used a little sour cream to help hold them together and to add moisture. I know many who prefer mayo as a binder. Either works, I just like sour cream.

I have pan fried them in the past, but decided to bake these in the oven. Either method works. It just comes down to what you prefer.

We had them with fresh asparagus and a green salad. It was a truly special meal

.

Crab Cakes

 

2 eggs

2 T. sour cream or Greek yogurt

1 t. thyme

1 t. lemon juice

½ t. cayenne pepper

½ t. dry mustard

Salt to taste

¼ c. fresh chopped parsley

¼ c. fresh chopped green onions or chives

About ½ c. breadcrumbs

1 lb. lump crab meat

Olive oil

 

Mix all the ingredients together, except oil. Start with about ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs and add just enough to hold the mixture together. Mixture will be crumbly. Form into patties- you can make 4 large or 8 small.

You can cook them one of two ways.

To bake: Place the crab cakes on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush the cakes with a little more oil. Bake in a preheated 450- degree oven for 15 – 18 minutes, for small cakes. Bake 20-24 minutes for large cakes. Turn them once during baking to brown both sides.

To pan fry: Heat skillet to medium hot. Add oil and gently add the cakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Turn once, carefully, to brown on both sides.

 

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Fresh Spring Salad

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Spring Salad

I learned at an early age to appreciate a good salad. My mother really knew how to make a salad. Her prepping a tossed salad was a ritual I observed often as a kid.

My mother was a big believer in a tossed salad. She wasn’t fond of salad where the dressing was just poured over the top.

She also was a firm believer that most people over dressed their greens. She said when you tossed a salad properly, there should not be a puddle of dressing in the bottom of the bowl. She was right.

Mom also liked to serve salad on its own, not with the rest of the meal. She said that way you really enjoyed your salad. We always ate salad before the rest of the meal. I still prefer to do that.

When I was making this salad for dinner the other night, it made me remember the first time I bought her a one pound box of Spring greens. She was not a fan of iceberg lettuce and used assorted greens in her salads, along with other veggies. I knew she would love the mix of greens.

The problem was, as she told me later, that she couldn’t empty the box. She said every time she grabbed a handful of greens out to make a salad, the rest would just expand. She said she had made several salads and the box didn’t appear any emptier.

So here is the salad I made the other night. Just the perfect starter for any Spring dinner.

 

Spring Salad

4 c. Spring mix  greens

6 asparagus spears

4 oz. sugar snap pea pods

1 carrot- shredded finely

3 broccoli stems, shredded finely

1/2 c. diced sweet onion

fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt and fresh ground pepper

4 oz. feta cheese crumbles

Wash and spin dry the greens and place in salad bowl. Trim tough ends off asparagus and steam 4 minutes. Place in cold water to stop cooking and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add to greens. Add remaining vegetables to salad bowl. Drizzle with oil- not too much- and then toss. Add salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Toss again. Serve in individual bowls and add cheese to taste. Serves 3-4.

 

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Easter Wreath Bread

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Easter Bread Wreath

This Easter bread wreath, with eggs baked on top, is a favorite of mine. I hadn’t made one in a long time, and when I went to find my recipe, I couldn’t locate it. So I decided to make a new recipe. I wanted it to have a lot of flavor- something that would be fun served at a breakfast or brunch, but not too sweet. I added spices and raisins, but I could see using other dried fruits. I left it plain on top – but you could easily add a powdered sugar glaze. No, I did not hard cook the eggs first. They cook while the bread is baking. Saves a step, for sure. I tested the bread out with friends last night. Almost half was eaten before dinner, so I am confident to say, that this recipe is a winner. The texture of the bread is really nice and the dough is richly spiced. I added mace, but if you don’t have any mace, add a little more nutmeg or allspice. Mace is a spice I would encourage you to try sometime. So here is the recipe. Hope you like it as much as we did.

 

 Cinnamon Raisin Easter Wreath Bread

 

4½ -5 c. flour

1 pkt. yeast

½ c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

½ t. allspice

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. mace

1 c. warm water

½ c. butter, melted

2 eggs

½ c. raisins

5-6 uncooked eggs, dyed if you like

 

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, seasonings and salt in large bowl.  Heat together water and butter until warm and add to flour mixture. Beat 2-3 minutes. Beat eggs and reserve 1 tablespoon of the eggs for brushing the top of the bread later. Add remaining eggs and another cup of flour to the bowl. Beat 4 minutes. Add the raisins and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, but still soft. Place in oiled bowl turning to oil top. Note: I actually used my stand mixer, and just left the dough in the bowl to knead, and then covered it to rise. I was able to leave the dough a little sticky this way, using less flour. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. While dough is rising, prepare a pan. Grease a large baking sheet- or use a silicone baking mat. Grease a one cup oven-proof custard cup and place it upside down on the middle of the baking sheet. This will keep a “hole” in the middle of your wreath. If you don’t have a custard cup, you can use a metal one-cup measure instead. Punch dough down and divide in three pieces. Roll each piece into a 20-inch long rope. Braid the ropes together. Wrap the braid around the custard cup on the baking sheet and pinch ends together to keep the braid from coming apart. Cover and allow to rise until doubled (50-60 minutes). Just before baking, combine reserved egg with a little water and brush the wreath with the egg wash. Place 5 or 6 eggs on the top of the braid- being careful not to press down too hard.  Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Cover bread with foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly. Here is the only tricky part. You have to remove the wreath, but not drop the glass custard cup in the middle. You can let the bread cool a few minutes before moving. I use a silicone baking sheet so I slide the whole thing off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack. I use two large spatulas to lift the wreath up and leave the custard cup behind. If it doesn’t come right out, use a knife to loosen.  Just lift the wreath up enough to slide the custard cup out. Let cool before serving- store leftovers in fridge – because of the eggs on top.  Makes 1.

Ready for the oven

Ready for the oven

Place eggs on top before baking

Place eggs on top before baking

 

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Classic Babka

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Classic Babka

What can I say? I am in a nostalgic mood this week. I have been working on my Easter menu and all sorts of favorite foods are being prepared. Babka is one of them.

Babka is a different bread from most others that I make.  For starters, the recipe makes 6 loaves of bread at once. Great for gift giving in those quantities. Babka also uses much less flour than most of my bread recipes. Only 8 cups of flour for the 6 loaves. I can use close to 8 cups of flour for 2 loaves of other breads.

The babka dough is really a batter- so sticky you have to oil up your hands to divide the dough into the bread pans.  This very tiny amount of dough rises to fill  9×5-inch bread pans. The result is a bread that is very light with a crunchy exterior and tender interior.

I can’t remember where I got this recipe. I still have the original handwritten recipe, but it isn’t handwriting I recognize. I made it for a baking class the other night and people seemed to really like it. I hope you do, too.

 

Babka

3 packets active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 c. sugar
8 c. bread flour
1 t. salt
5 large eggs
1 stick butter
2 T. oil
Grated rinds of  an orange and a lemon
2 c. warm milk
1 c. raisins
1 egg mixed with 2-t. milk

In bowl combine yeast, water, sugar, 1 c. flour, and salt. Allow to stand 10 minutes. Beat in eggs, butter, oil and grated rinds. Add remaining flour alternately with milk, beating a total of five minutes. Stir in raisins. Dust a large bowl with flour and put in dough. Cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Generously grease loaf pans. This recipe will fill 6 standard loaf pans – 9×5 – inch. Lightly oil hands and divide dough into portions, smoothing tops as you place dough in pans. Cover and allow dough to rise until more than doubled, about 1 hour. Brush loaves with egg and milk mixture. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until bread is well browned and sounds hollow inside when tapped. Mine is normally done at about an hour and 15 minutes. Cool a few minutes in pans before removing to racks to cool. Babka in great eaten warm from the oven.

Babka dough rising

Babka dough rising

Fresh from the oven

Fresh from the oven

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Ginger Maple Carrots

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Ginger Maple Carrots

I have carrots on the menu for Easter. This is how I am going to be preparing them.

Sometimes simple just works. I was making food for a recent family event. I decided to make carrots as one of the sides. Afterwards, people came over to say how much they liked the food. I was surprised at how many people specifically mentioned the carrots.  They loved them.  They were super simple – and the flavors worked together well. I combined them with maple syrup, butter, ginger and some salt and pepper. That was it. So here is the recipe.

 

 Ginger Maple Carrots

1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced

1/4 c. water

4 T. butter

1/2 c. maple syrup

1 t. grated ginger

salt and pepper to taste

Place carrots in a pan with the water. Cover and cook over medium heat until carrots are almost tender. Add the butter and cook a few minutes more. Add remaining ingredients and cook, covered, until carrots are tender. Remove lid and cook until most of the liquid evaporates. Adjust seasonings and serve. Serves 4-6.

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Amy’s Hot Cross Buns Bread Pudding

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Amy’s Hot Cross Buns Bread Pudding

The first time I made this dish, it was sort of an accident. It was right after Easter, a few years ago. I was having dinner with friends, and I was in charge of making dessert. I had leftover hot cross buns, so I decided to re-purpose them into bread pudding.

The end result was really good. So good, that my friend Amy said it was one of the best desserts I had ever made. I now bake extra hot cross buns, just so I can make bread pudding from them.

 

You could use home made or store bought buns for this recipe. My recipe for hot cross buns is at the bottom of this post.

Amy’s Hot Cross Buns Bread Pudding

12 c. torn up hot cross buns- I used 8 buns

2 c. half and half

1 c. milk – I used almond milk

1 c. sugar- or less if you are using frosted buns

5 eggs

1 T. vanilla

1 T. cinnamon

Frosting:

1 c. powdered sugar

4 t. milk

In large mixing bowl place the torn up buns. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over the buns. Stir to moisten evenly. Spoon mixture into a buttered 9×13-inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until bread pudding is set and a little golden on top. While the bread pudding is baking combine powdered sugar with milk to make a frosting thin enough to drizzle. Let bread pudding cool 10 minutes and drizzle with frosting.  Serves 8-10.

 

Traditional Hot Cross Buns

 

Love you, Amy. Miss you.

 

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Homemade Mini Chocolate Eclairs

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Homemade Mini Chocolate Eclairs

If you want to surprise someone with a very special sweet treat, you could make eclairs. These are a bit or work, but the end result is so wonderful. I think they are worth the effort, especially for special occasions.

I decided to make a mini version this time. Not everyone wants to eat a full size eclair, especially after a big meal. They were a big hit.

You start by make a pate a chou, or cream puff pastry. This is the same dough used to make cream puffs. It is a combination of water, butter, milk and flour- cooked on top of the stove, then enriched with the addition of eggs. The dough is piped onto baking sheets and baked until puffed, golden and crisp. Once cooled, they are filled with sweetened whipped cream or, more traditionally, a custard filling, then topped with chocolate ganache.

 

Homemade Mini Eclairs

1 recipe Cream Puff Pastry (Pate a Chou)- recipe follows
Egg custard- for filling, or sweetened whipped cream- recipe follows
Chocolate Ganache- for topping- recipe follows

Start by making the dough. This recipe will make 12-18 medium eclairs or 3 dozen of the mini ones.

Cream Puff Pastry

¾ c. water
¼ c. milk
¼ t. salt
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1¼ c. flour – unbleached or bread flour preferred
4 large eggs
Extra milk for brushing

In saucepan, heat together water, milk butter and salt into a full boil. Butter has to be melted. While stirring, dump flour into saucepan, stirring constantly. Mixture will form into a ball. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking dough, while stirring, for another minute or two. Place dough in an electric mixer and allow it to cool down a little before adding the eggs. Mixture has to be at 140 degrees F, or below, before you start adding the eggs. I use the paddle attachment and beat the dough before adding the eggs. This cools the dough down faster. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated. Beat until dough is shiny. A spoon, lifted out of the batter, should leave a peak that does not fall down.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment. I used a silicone liner and was happy with the result. Don’t grease the pan. Using a piping bag, squeeze the dough into 2-3-inch strips on the baking sheet- leaving a little room in between. Strips should be about ¾ -inch in diameter. Using a little milk on your finger, smooth down any peaks on the puffs. They should resemble miniature hot dog buns. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 375. Bake eclairs 10 more minutes, or until golden brown. Tap the shells. They should sound hollow. Turn off the heat and leave oven door open a crack, allowing them to dry completely. Cool before filling. Makes about 36.

Custard Filling

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1⁄3 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla

Using a whisk, combine milk, sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan over medium heat on stove top. Allow milk to scald (heat to the point when tiny bubbles form around edges of pan). Whisk occasionally to prevent cornstarch from clumping on bottom edges of pan. Remove milk mixture from heat, preferably to a burner that’s turned off.
Mix about 2 tablespoons of scalded milk mixture into eggs using whisk, then introduce eggs into milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking milk mixture constantly. Immediately return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens, another two or three minutes. Do not allow to boil. (If you find that you have egg white strands in custard, feel free to pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into a different bowl now.) Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool before using. Makes 3 cups.

To fill the eclairs, using a small piping tip with a pastry bag, filled with the custard. Squeeze filling in on one end, on through the bottom, squeezing until it seems full.

Once eclairs are filled, top with a chocolate ganache. I just dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm ganache and chill until chocolate sets. Filled eclairs should be stored i8n fridge until ready to serve. They can be frozen.

Chocolate Ganache

4- 6 oz. dark chocolate, chopped- or 1 cup chocolate chips
2 oz. heavy whipping cream

In saucepan, heat chocolate and cream together until just heated through. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. You can also do this in a microwave safe bowl, in the microwave for about a minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

 

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100 Dandelion Blossom Muffins

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100 Dandelion Blossom Muffins

I was teaching a class on cooking with honey. I made these muffins. Since dandelions are blooming now, it seemed like a good choice for last night. The class really enjoyed them.

The curious name for this recipe comes from my own curiosity. I wondered just how many blossoms I would need to get about a cup and a half of petals. I decided to make muffins with some of the dandelions blooming in my yard. I have a lot of dandelions, and I wanted to use a really decent amount in my muffins. I started counting as I trimmed them and  stopped when I had a cup and a half. It turned out to be 100 flowers. So now, if you want to make this recipe, you will know when you can stop picking!!!

If you can’t beat them, eat them. I actually am a big fan of dandelions. I have organized dandelion cook-offs and edited a dandelion cookbook. I eat the leaves, and  a tea made from the roasted roots. The flowers are a wonderful ingredient in cooking, too. They are used to make dandelion wine and I enjoy adding them to fritters, pancakes and other baked goods. So here is my recipe for dandelion muffins.  They are pretty tasty, tender, light and not too sweet.

 

100 Dandelion Blossom Muffins

 

2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 egg, beaten

1½ c. half and half

1/3 c. honey

¼ c. melted butter

1 t. vanilla

1 t. orange zest

1 ½ c. dandelion petals*

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease them, set aside. In medium bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt and set aside. In another bowl, combine egg with half and half, honey, butter, vanilla and orange zest. Beat by hand until well mixed. Stir in dandelion blossoms, then stir in flour mixture. Do not over mix. Stir just until flour is mixed in. Spoon batter into prepared pans, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Great served warm with butter and honey. Makes 12.

 

* To prepare the dandelion blossoms you want to trim of the tough base and just use the petals in the recipe. Some of the green sepals will get mixed in, and that is OK. Measure the petals after trimming. I picked 100 flowers and ended up with about 1½ cups of petals.

 

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