Month: October 2018

Lamb Chops in a Cumin Cardamom Marinade

Frenched rack of lamb or chops matinated in a Middle Eastern marinade that can be grilled, fried, or roasted and deliver a flavorful, juicy chop. It pairs well with roasted garlic seasoned fingerlings and asparagus or roasted carmelized carrots.

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t cardamom

1/4 t red pepper flakes

3 T lime juice

2 T olive oil

1 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1 rack of Frenched lamb chops (8 chops) Rack can either be marinted whole or cut into individual chops.¹

Directions

If roasting, preheat oven 450º F Foil covered baking pan. Medium rare(145º F) is recommended temperature for lamb chops or roasts

Whisk together garlic, cumin, cardamom, pepper flakes, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Pour contents into Ziplock® sealable gallon bag and add rack or chops. Remove air from bag and marinate the lamb for 4 hours.

Remove lamb and grill, oven roast, or fry lamb.

If frying heat large fry pan with canola oil until very hot and cook the chops in batches. Medium rare is usually three minutes per side for chops.

For the rack of lamb, place rack fat side up and roast 15 minutes, rotate baking sheet and roast 10-15 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145º F . Remove and rest for 5 minutes.

Grill over medium heat also delivers delicious results.

Notes

  1. You can foil cover each of the bones for prettier finish. I don’t.

Yellow Cake with Penuche Frosting

A delicate, moist yellow cake that pairs well with the butterscotch flavored frosting.

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 butter

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 C buttermilk

1 1/2 t vanilla

2 1/4 C cake flour

1 t baking powder

1/2 t bakiing soda

1 t salt

Frosting

1/2 C butter

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C milk

1 3/4 – 2 C confectioners sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º F  Grease and flour 13″by 9″ baking pan¹   Stand mixer

Cake

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside

Add butter and sugar and beat on high speed for 4 minutes. Scrape down side of bowl.

Add eggs and vanilla and beat on high two minutes .

Add milk and dry ingredients alternately and blend on low speed until batter is smooth

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean

Remove from oven and cool prior to frosting

Frosting

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and bring to boil over low heat so as not to scorch. Add milk and bring to boil stirring occasionally for two minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and stir in confectioners sugar until spreadable frosting is achieved.

Note

1 Optionally can use two 8 inch cake pans

Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

My mom made raisin cookies for my dad and brothers. They are a soft cookie that has a surprise ingredient of molasses that pairs well with the cinnamon and raisins.

Ingredients

1 1/4 old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 C all purpose flour

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

8 T butter or Crisco® softened¹

2 T molasses

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 C raisins²

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in medium sized bowl and set aside.

In large bowl add butter, sugar, and molasses and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated

Add dry ingredients in thirds.

Add raisins and combine

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours

Preheat oven to 350º F  Cover two cookie baking sheets with parchment paper

Drop dough by teaspoonful two inches apart and bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown

Remove to cooling rack.

Serve

Note

1 My mom would use Crisco® in place of butter. The cookies were more cake like with Crisco.

2 Chopped dates also go well with this dough

Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

No nearby Cinnabon® location and we like the following cinnamon brown sugar laden rolls covered in thick cream cheese frosting as a replacement.

Ingredient

Yeast Mixture

1/3 C water at 110º F to 115º F

2 1/2t active dry yeast

2 t sugar

Dough

1/2 C sugar

1/3 C buttermilk

1/2 C milk

6 T butter melted

2 T canola oil

1 t vanilla

2 eggs beaten

1 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

4-4 1/2  C all purpose flour

Filling

8 T butter melted

1 C brown sugar

3 T cinnamon

Frosting

5 ounces cream cheese

1/4 C butter softened

2-4 T milk

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 C powder sugar

Directions

Yeast Mixture

In small mixing bowl mix water, sugar, and yeast together.

Let sit a few minutes until foamy.

Filling

In small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Dough

Pour yeast mixture into large bowl.

Add sugar, buttermilk, milk, butter,oil,vanilla, and eggs and and combine

Add salt and baking soda and mix in.

Gradually add flour until dough pulls away from the bowl. Dough will be very soft ball.

Let it rest in plastic coverd oiled bowl for about 50-60 minutes until puffy but not necessarily double in size.

Gently punch down dough to deflate.

Sprinkle flour on large cutting board and turn dough onto the board.

Shape the dough into an 18 inch by 10 inch rectangle.

Brush the dough with half the melted butter

Sprinkle on half of the cinnamon sugar mixture

Pour on remaining butter and add remaining sugar cinnamon mixture.

Starting at the long edge, roll the dough into a log. Cut the log into 12 1 1/2 inch slices.

Space the rolls in the prepared greased baking pan.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rise until the rolls touch each other.

Remove plastic and bake at 350º F  for about 20-25 minutes.

While rolls bake, stir together the frosting ingredients until smooth but thick in consistency.

Remove the rolls from the oven and spread with the frosting. It will gloriously melt on the rolls.

Serve

 

 

Smoked Chicken Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

A delicious summer salad with fresh heirloom tomatoes, smoked chicken breast on a bed of Little Gem lettuce and herbs.

Ingredients

4-6 heads of Little Gems or baby Romaines halved and cut into 1/4 inch slices

16 large basil leaves cut into 1/8 inch strips

1/2 -1 pound jicama julienned or cubed

2 C shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 C black beans rinsed and drained

1 C frozen corn microwaved

6 T chopped cilantro

1- 1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes diced

Season with salt and pepper prior to serving

1 large smoked chicken breast cubedSmoked Chicken Using a Weber Smokey Mountain

1/3 C barbeque sauce¹

1/2 C sliced scallions

3 C fried tortilla stripsEasy to Make Crispy Tortilla Salad Strips

1/2-3/4 C herb ranch dressing

Directions

In large bowl mix lettuce, basil, jicama, cheese, beans, corn, and cilantro and dress with ranch dressing.

Plate to four salad bowls.

Divide tomatoes around the four salads

Toss chicken in barbeque sauce.

IMG_0982

Top salads with chicken and tortilla strips.

Serve

Notes

1 I use Williams Sonoma Ghost Chili Garlic Sauce to dress the chicken.

 

 

 

Easy to Make Crispy Tortilla Salad Strips

Easy to make crispy tortilla strips that add crunch to favorite salads.

Ingredients

6 6 inch corn tortillas

1 – 1 1/2 C canola oil

Salt optional

Directions

Layered paper towels on cutting board. Candy thermometer

Cut corn tortillas in half and then in about 1/8 inch strips. Cut the strips in half or thirds

In large skillet add 1 1/2 inches of canola oil to large skillet. Heat oil to 375º F.

Fry in three batches for about two minutes each.

Remove from fry pan and place on a layer of absorbent paper towel.

Season with salt if desired

Serve as salad topping.

Simple Bread Dough Recipe

An easy to make bread recipe that is delcious right out of the oven. It also make good mini grilled cheese sandwiches or French toast. This recipe makes two loaves but the first was immediately eaten. I made french toast and garlic toast with this recipe and it is delicious.

Ingredients

2 1/2 t active dry yeast

2 C water 100-110º F

1 T sugar

1 T Salt

5 1/2 C  bread flour plus 1/2 C for kneading

Directions

Preheat oven to 425º F. Line two French loaf pans with parchment paper.

In medium sized bowl add water, salt, and sugar and mix. Add yeast and let sit for a 2-3 minutes. Add flour and combine until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead and rotate dough in 90º turns for two minutes adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Return dough to oiled bowl and turn so dough is oiled top and bottom. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and let rest until dough doubles in size. Ususally in about 1 1/2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and cut in half.¹ Shape into two French style loaves and place in prepared pans. Cover with cloth or parchment paper and let rise until puffy, about 35-45 minutes.

Slash tops of loaves three times diagonally¹ and place in middle of preheated oven. Add pan of water to lower shelf.

Bake until crust is golden brown about 30 minutes. To get extra crusty loaf, let stand in oven that is turned off. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Note

1 I oil my knife prior to cutting the dough in half and before diagonally slashing the loaves. The knife blade doesn’t pull or tear the dough.

Heirloom Tomato Soup

An easy to make delicious summer soup packed full of tomato goodness.

Ingredients

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes peeled and seeded¹

2 T butter

1 T olive oil

1 medium sweet onion diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 t sugar

1 T salt

1/4 C  packed rough chopped basil

1 jalapeno diced

1 t tomato paste

2 C chicken or vegetable broth

3/4 C cream or half and half

Directions

Heat butter and olive oil into a 2 3/4 quart or size 20 Le Creuset® until melted. Add onions and saute until tender or about 10-15 minutes.

Add garlic and jalapeño and saute until fragrant.

IMG_4131

Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, salt, broth and stir. Bring ingredients to boil than simmer for about 30 minutes.

IMG_4134 2

Remove from heat  and puree using immersion blender.

Serve with cream on the side.

Notes

1 I blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about a minute or two. Pull them out using slotted spoon and immerse in iced water. Peel and then cut tomatoes in half to deseed. I used heirloom tomatoes but any fresh tomatoes will yield similar results.