EQUIPMENT:
9-inch tart pan is helpful, but not required. You can use a round cake pan, or you can even use an 8 x 8-inch pan for a square dessert
Ingredients:
SHORTBREAD CRUST:
7 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
TOPPING:
Fresh fruit of choice
(I used strawberries, blueberries, and banana)
Method:
FOR SHORTBREAD CRUST:
In a bowl, combine the butter and sugar and blend to make a paste. Add egg yolk and blend thoroughly. Add flour and blend to make a crumbly dough, being careful not to overwork. Pat firmly into 9-inch tart pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator and price the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. Place a sheet of parchment or foil in the pie tin and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice and blind bake the crust in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and foil and bake for another 5 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool.
FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar. Spread the shortbread crust with the cream cheese mixture and top with fruit, arranged in a decorative manner.
This is so delicious and easy! I made it for last month's book club.
Source: my Aunt Martha
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake
3TBS instant decaf coffee, divided
2 TBS water
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup walnuts (I did more)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9 inch pan tube pan. (I used a loaf pan.)
Mix 2 TBS coffee with the water. Set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, and eggs. Add coffee mixture in. Add sour cream. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and remaining coffee. Pour 3/4 of batter into pan. Sprinkle with half of nut mix. Pour rest of batter on top, sprinkle rest of nut mix.
Bake 50 minutes or until done in the middle.
Source: the Maxwell House Coffee Drinks and Desserts Cookbook which Alice gave me! I chose to make this particular recipe because I had sour cream left over from another recipe, and I had all of the other ingredients on hand.
2 TBS water
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup walnuts (I did more)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9 inch pan tube pan. (I used a loaf pan.)
Mix 2 TBS coffee with the water. Set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter, sugar, and eggs. Add coffee mixture in. Add sour cream. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar, nuts, cinnamon, and remaining coffee. Pour 3/4 of batter into pan. Sprinkle with half of nut mix. Pour rest of batter on top, sprinkle rest of nut mix.
Bake 50 minutes or until done in the middle.
Source: the Maxwell House Coffee Drinks and Desserts Cookbook which Alice gave me! I chose to make this particular recipe because I had sour cream left over from another recipe, and I had all of the other ingredients on hand.
Pesto Soup
3 TBS olive oil
2 chopped onions
2 sliced carrots
4 crushed garlic cloves (I did 6 or 7)
2 sliced celery stalks
2 sliced zucchini
14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons pesto
3 3/4 cup vegetable stock (I added a few extra cups of water too)
1 can green beans
1 can white beans
salt and pepper to taste
Heat onions, carrots, garlic, and celery in oil for ten minutes. Add zucchini and fry for 2 minutes longer. Add everything else except salt and pepper, which come last. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25-30 minutes.
Source: modified from a recipe I xeroxed out of some kind of vegetarian soup cookbook with great photos a few years ago
2 chopped onions
2 sliced carrots
4 crushed garlic cloves (I did 6 or 7)
2 sliced celery stalks
2 sliced zucchini
14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 tablespoons pesto
3 3/4 cup vegetable stock (I added a few extra cups of water too)
1 can green beans
1 can white beans
salt and pepper to taste
Heat onions, carrots, garlic, and celery in oil for ten minutes. Add zucchini and fry for 2 minutes longer. Add everything else except salt and pepper, which come last. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25-30 minutes.
Source: modified from a recipe I xeroxed out of some kind of vegetarian soup cookbook with great photos a few years ago
Bean Balls
This is a delicious recipe, and it is cheaper than buying the soy products at the store.
1 carrot
some Italian seasoning or fresh herbs of choice
1 slice wheat bread
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
sea salt and black pepper to taste
I also added a little minced onion
Preheat oven to 350. Oil baking sheet. Throw everything into food processor. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake on baking sheet for 20 minutes, turning once.
These don't really harden, but they still keep their shape when you have them with pasta and sauce.
Source: modified from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook (thanks, Nickie!)
1 carrot
some Italian seasoning or fresh herbs of choice
1 slice wheat bread
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
sea salt and black pepper to taste
I also added a little minced onion
Preheat oven to 350. Oil baking sheet. Throw everything into food processor. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake on baking sheet for 20 minutes, turning once.
These don't really harden, but they still keep their shape when you have them with pasta and sauce.
Source: modified from The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook (thanks, Nickie!)
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Broccoli Cole Slaw
Ingredients:
1 bag Ramen Noodle Soup (Oriental flavor)
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 (12-oz) bag broccoli cole slaw
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
FOR DRESSING:
Slightly less than 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodles seasoning packet
Crush the ramen noodles in their bag while melting butter in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onion.
Source: This is my aunt's modification of a Paula Deen Recipe.
1 bag Ramen Noodle Soup (Oriental flavor)
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 (12-oz) bag broccoli cole slaw
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
FOR DRESSING:
Slightly less than 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodles seasoning packet
Crush the ramen noodles in their bag while melting butter in a large skillet over low-medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onion.
Source: This is my aunt's modification of a Paula Deen Recipe.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Vegetable Not-Sagna Toss
1 lb curly pasta (we used macaroni noodles)
Coarse salt
1 (10-oz) box frozen chopped spinach
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 rounded Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
1-1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese (we used cottage cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus some to pass at the table
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves
Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: Reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.
Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave's directions. Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid.
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through. Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded Tbsp of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2-3 minutes Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slide vegetables back into sauce.
Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to combine, then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.
Drain pasta and toss with cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings. Top bowlfuls of Vegetable not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.
Source: from Rachael Ray, via Aunt Martha
Coarse salt
1 (10-oz) box frozen chopped spinach
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 rounded Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
1-1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese (we used cottage cheese)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus some to pass at the table
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves
Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: Reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.
Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave's directions. Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid.
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise, then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through. Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 Tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded Tbsp of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2-3 minutes Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slide vegetables back into sauce.
Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to combine, then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese.
Drain pasta and toss with cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings. Top bowlfuls of Vegetable not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.
Source: from Rachael Ray, via Aunt Martha
Cheesy Grits
Cook 1/2 cup instant grits in a pot according to package instructions. Saute 4 cloves garlic in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add garlic to grits. Stir in 6 ounces of grated cheddar cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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