Louisiana Chicken Pasta

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Annie

My motivation behind trying this dish runs back to a few months ago.  We had just purchased a new car (yay!) and were leaving the dealership.  Since it was already pretty late for dinner and we were nearby, we decided to head to Cheesecake Factory as a mini-celebration.  We sat down and looked at the menu, I took maybe one sip of water, and then Andrew had a mega-meltdown and we ended up having to leave the restaurant with no dinner.  (Hey, I can’t blame him – sitting through all the lengthy signing ceremonies at the dealership made me cranky too.)  The meal I had planned on ordering was Louisiana chicken pasta – it sounded fabulous!  I was so bummed I didn’t get to try it that night.

Just a couple of weeks later, Tara posted this knockoff recipe on her blog.  I took that as a sign that I definitely needed to taste this dish!  It did take me a while to get around to this one, but I’m glad I made it.  Now, if you are a healthy-food only person, navigate away from this page quickly.  This is pasta with pieces of fried chicken and a cream sauce – so yeah, not even kinda healthy.  However, I really think this dish could be lightened significantly, and I actually think I would prefer it that way.  This was delicious, but the time it took to bread and fry all the chicken pieces was just not worth it to me.

I’ll most definitely make this again, but with several adaptations.  Next time, I will only use one chicken breast.  I used two this time and ended up with a HUGE amount of chicken pieces.  If I had used it all, it would have been like chicken with a few pieces of pasta so I saved half of it to make salads with the next night for dinner.  And not only will I use less chicken, I will skip the frying entirely.  Instead I think I will just season the chicken with Cajun seasoning and sauté it to save time and calories.  I will increase the veggies a bit, as I would have enjoyed more of those. Also, I think the cream sauce could be lightened by replacing more of the heavy cream with half and half or whole milk.  I have reflected all of these future changes below, but if you are interested in the real version, check out the link below.

Louisiana Chicken Pasta
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Ingredients:
For the chicken:
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and pepper
Cajun seasoning

For the pasta:
8 oz. bowtie pasta
Kosher salt 

For the sauce:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. water 
3 scallions, chopped 

Directions:
To cook the chicken, heat a small amount of butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and a generous sprinkle of Cajun seasoning.   Add to the skillet and cook until lightly browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  

Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.   Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.

Meanwhile, return the skillet to medium heat and heat the butter and olive oil until the butter has melted.   Add the bell peppers and onion to the pan.  Mix in the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 6-8 minutes.  Add the half-and-half and heavy cream to the pan and bring to a simmer.  In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water, and add to the skillet once the cream mixture has started to bubble.  Allow to cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

When the sauce has thickened, add the cooked pasta and chicken pieces to the pan.  Stir well to combine and cook at medium-low heat just until the chicken is warmed through.  Adjust the amount of Cajun seasoning if necessary to suit your tastes.  Stir in the scallions.  Serve immediately and top with additional Cajun seasoning, if desired. 

Source: adapted from Smells Like Home, inspired by The Cheesecake Factory

Filed under: Chicken, Main Dish, Pasta | 13 Comments »

Manchengo Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Annie

I rarely eat hot dogs, but maybe a month or so ago, totally out of the blue, I had a major craving for a hot dog.  I bought turkey hot dogs which I usually really like, and they were good but they just did not satisfy my craving.  I gave in and bought the real deal, ate one for lunch and it was delicious!  Then, maybe a week later my issue of Bon Appetit arrived in the mail with an article titled, “Around the World in 80 Dogs”.  This just kept the craving rolling because as I read through the article, I saw so many variations that sounded really great.  Then my only problem was which to try first.  I ended up trying this, their Spanish variation on hot dogs.  The grilled dogs are topped with shredded manchengo cheese and then a relish made of roasted garlic, roasted red pepper and parsley.  Yum!  Just as you might expect from the description, these were very tasty and a unique spin on a plain old hot dog.  I am looking forward to trying several of the other varieties described in the article.

Manchengo Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs
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Ingredients:
For the relish:
2 large heads of garlic, top 1/2-inch cut off
5 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup roasted red pepper from a jar, drained and diced
1 tbsp. fresh parsley
Coarse kosher salt

For the hot dogs:
6 grilled or toasted hot dog buns
6 grilled all-beef hot dogs
2 oz. Manchengo cheese, grated (I used a lot less than the full 2 oz.)
Balsamic vinegar

Directions:
To make the relish, preheat the oven to 400° F.  Place each head of garlic, cut side up, in the center of a square of aluminum foil.  Drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil, and enclose in the foil.  Place the packets on the oven rack.  Roast until the garlic is tender, about 45 minutes.  Open the packets and let cool for 15 minutes. 

Once cooled, squeeze the garlic cloves into a small bowl.  Mash enough roasted garlic to measure 1/4 cup.  Transfer the 1/4 cup to a bowl.  Mix in 3 teaspoons olive oil, red peppers, and parsley.  Season with coarse salt and pepper.

Place a hot dog in each bun.  Top each grilled hot dog with shredded Manchengo cheese, the garlic relish, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  Serve.

Source: adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2009

Filed under: Beef, Grilling, Main Dish | 18 Comments »

Adventures in Homemade Baby Food – Spaghetti Bolognese

Posted on July 8, 2009 by Annie

Now that we have reached the one year mark and Andrew has gotten the hang of chewing and is tolerating more textures in his food, I have started feeding him just about anything he is able to manage with only two teeth.  If at all possible I let him try the foods that we are eating, but in the case of long, thin pastas at least some adaptations need to be made.  This is a simple version of a meat sauce that takes little time to prepare, and is a great way to incorporate red meat and veggies into your little one’s diet.  I transferred the cooked spaghetti to a cutting board and used a chef’s knife to cut up the noodles to ensure that there were no pieces too long mixed in to his food.  This seemed to work well.

As you can see, he LOVED this meal!  This was very popular and I have a feeling I’ll be making it often for him. 

Baby’s First Spaghetti Bolognese
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
3/4 cup sliced button mushrooms
5 oz. lean ground sirloin
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of brown sugar
1 bay leaf
2 oz. spaghetti

Directions:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.  Add the grated carrot and cook for 2 minutes more.  Add in the remaining oil and saute the mushrooms for about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the ground sirloin in a separate skillet until browned.  Add in the cooked vegetables along with the tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and bay leaf.  Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes; remove the bay leaf.  Cook the spaghetti in unsalted water according to the package directions.

Puree the meat sauce using an immersion blender for a smoother texture.  Chop up the spaghetti into short lengths and stir into the sauce.

Source: adapted from Top 100 Baby Purees by Annabel Karmel

Filed under: Baby Food | 4 Comments »

Chicken Lo Mein

Posted on July 7, 2009 by Annie

This is a recipe that I have had bookmarked for a loooong time.  However, I had no success whatsoever in finding real lo mein noodles in the grocery store.  I looked at my usual grocery store, which is normally great for finding somewhat unusual or less than mainstream ingredients, but no luck.  I looked at Whole Foods several times, where Elly said she found hers – no dice.  Then one weekend we were visiting our families and I stopped at the local grocery store for a few random ingredients, and there was a prominent display of Asian ingredients including lo mein noodles.  Score!  I am especially thrilled to have found them because oh.my.gosh.  This was a GREAT dinner!  I’m definitely going to be stocking up.  

I know there are versions of lo mein recipes out there that call for regular spaghetti noodles, but I just love the real thing too much to bother.  The noodles are soft and really absorb the sauce well, plus they are delicious!  You could certainly alter the veggies mixed in to suit your taste but I loved the combination of mushrooms, bell pepper and snow peas.  I also think water chestnuts would be a nice addition for some extra crunch.  This is a quick meal as well, great for a weeknight.  We’ll be making this often!

Chicken Lo Mein
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Ingredients:
6 oz. lo mein noodles
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp. canola oil
1 medium chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 cup snow peas
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sesame oil

Directions: 
Bring a pot of water to boil.  Cook the lo mein noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside.  In the meantime, make the sauce by combining the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.  Whisk well and set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked through.  Add in the vegetables, each a few minutes apart, starting with the onion and bell pepper and ending with the mushrooms.  Cook just until tender-crisp.  Add in the garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the sauce to the pan, and then the cooked lo mein noodles.  Toss the mixture well to coat everything.  Drizzle with the sesame oil and toss once more.  Serve immediately. 

Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa!

Filed under: Chicken, Main Dish, Pasta | 15 Comments »

Andrew’s First Birthday Party

Posted on July 6, 2009 by Annie

I know it sounds cliche as ever, but it seems like just yesterday I was posting about the birth of our first child.  I feel like I blinked my eyes and here he is, one year old, walking around the house climbing on everything and chattering up a storm!  It has most definitely been the best year of my life, and I can’t wait to see what this year brings.  


In addition to cooking and baking, another hobby of mine is homemade greeting cards and invitations.  I like making invitations in particular because I think they can really help set the tone for an event.  With these, I tried to incorporate the main colors for the party (blue and green) as well as the beach theme.  I was so happy with the way they turned out!


This was my first experience ever decorating a cake with fondant.  I felt a fondant cake would be the best way to easily incorporate the beach theme into the cake itself, so I did a very small trial run the week before the party using store-bought fondant.  Then for Andrew’s party I used homemade marshmallow fondant (recipe at the end of the post).  This is something I had been previously super intimidated by in the past, but working with fondant is essentially like working with play-dough.  It’s really not that complicated.  I was also amazed at how easy it was to make on my own.  As long as you have a stand mixer, you’re set!  Although I do hope to take formal cake decorating classes eventually, I’m glad I was able to figure this out on my own (with great advice from my friend Chelle – thanks, girl!)

Edit: I forgot to mention how the fondant actually tasted.  I have never been much of a fan of the taste of fondant, so I am probably not the best person to judge.  I thought this definitely tasted better than the store bought kind, but still not something I want to be snacking on :)   However, my friends who actually do like fondant really liked the way this tasted and said this was the best they’ve had.  So, there you go!


Overall I was thrilled with how the cake looked in the end.  The palm tree looked much better initially, and then really began to sag throughout the day so I just gave up on it.  This may seem like excess pictures of the cake, but I wanted to show the various decorations I put around the sides.  I thought the coral and the school of fish were so cute.


And the smiling octopus :)  I plan to do a step-by-step post very soon with instructions for decorating with fondant, so stay tuned for that.  Have no fear, it’s really not bad at all!


I made a strawberry filling for the inside of the cake which was delicious.  I can’t wait to try some of the other variations on the same recipe such as raspberry or pineapple filling.  Yum! 

I decorated the house with two dozen blue, green and white balloons and blue and green streamers.  We had beach-type music playing on the stereo such as Beach Boys, Bob Marley and Jack Johnson to set the mood, and leis for the guests to wear.  Since we had around 25 guests, I tried to keep the menu fairly simple and casual in keeping with the theme of the party.  I never got a shot of the whole spread, but our menu was as follows:

Lava Flows (virgin – these were for the under-age guests, and essentially just a smoothie.  I loved them! recipe to come)
Pina Coladas (for the adults :) )
Grilled Shrimp Cocktail
Tropical Fruit Salad
Veggie Tray with Dill Dip
Deviled Eggs
Pineapple Chicken Salad and Spicy Shredded Pork served on Honey Wheat Sandwich Buns (recipe to come)

For favors, I made beach-themed sugar cookies decorated with royal icing.  They were definitely a hit!

I packaged pairs of cookies in little cellophane bags for easy transport and to help keep them fresh.  I love individually packaged treats! 

And of course, the best part of a baby’s birthday party – the smash cake!  I kept it simple with a plain vanilla cake recipe and my favorite vanilla buttercream.  (Fondant is not messy enough for this usage – we needed good smear action!)  I combined blue and white frosting in the same pastry bag to create the swirled color effect to resemble ocean waves.  I didn’t work too hard on this since after all, it was made to be destroyed! 

He certainly seemed to enjoy it :)  We had a great time and I’m already looking forward to next year’s party!  

Marshmallow Fondant
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Ingredients:
Vegetable shortening, for greasing bowls
16 oz. bag plain marshmallows, regular sized (I used jumbo and they worked fine as well)
2 tbsp. water
1-2 tsp. clear flavoring (I used vanilla extract)
2 lbs. confectioners’ sugar, divided
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Using the shortening, grease a large microwave-safe bowl, the bowl of the stand mixer, a spoon/spatula (or two), and the dough hook.

Add the marshmallows and water to the prepared microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds.  Stir with the greased spatula/spoon.  If not all the marshmallows have melted, microwave for 30 more seconds.  Stir in the flavoring.

Reserve 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and add the rest to the bowl of the stand mixer, along with the salt.  Create a well in the center.  Pour the marshmallow mixture into the well and turn the mixer on to the lowest setting.  When the mixer sounds strained, turn the speed up one setting.  Turn off the mixer once all the sugar has been incorporated.  If the fondant is sticky, add the reserved sugar 1/4 cup at a time until it is no longer sticky.

Turn the fondant out onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Rub a bit of shortening on the outside of the ball.  Wrap tightly with the plastic wrap, place it in a Ziploc bag and let rest for at least 2-3 hours.  Keep the unused portions covered when not in use.  If the fondant becomes stiff, microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it becomes pliable.  

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride 

Filed under: Cakes, Dessert, Gifts From the Kitchen, Parties & Entertaining | 37 Comments »

Peach Cobbler

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Annie

This is the last of my vacation cooking posts.  I just had to make this cobbler in order to take full advantage of the local ingredients.  Fresh South Carolina peaches – YUM!  So, I made this for dessert one evening.  It is simple to throw together and the most time-consuming part is peeling all the peaches (despite the fact that I use all the little tricks, this never seems to go well for me).  However, it becomes completely worth it once you take the first bite of this dessert.  The biscuit topping has very little sweetness, but it doesn’t need any because the peaches provide that component of the flavor.  Normally I am all about the fruit in a dessert like this and the biscuit is really secondary, but these biscuits are really, really good.  The fruit filling is fresh and perfectly juicy, and a bowl of this along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is simply divine.  

My final tip for vacation cooking is this – plan ahead!  Vacation is for relaxing, so you do not want to be menu planning or stressing over what to feed 10 people once you arrive.  I planned my menu in advance so there was not much thought required once we arrived.  Not only that, it allowed me to bring any minimal equipment I needed to take with me, as well as some staple ingredients (olive oil, red wine vinegar, etc.) and spices to avoid having to spend more money on such things at the high-priced grocery store at our destination.    

Fresh Peach Cobbler
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Ingredients:
For the filling:
2 1/2 lbs. ripe but firm peaches
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Pinch of salt

For the biscuit topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar, divided
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
5 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt

*Note – this recipe can be doubled easily by baking in a 9×13- inch baking dish and increasing the baking time for both the peaches and the assembled cobbler about 5 minutes each.

Directions: 
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 425° F.  For the filling, peel the peaches and then cut each into 8 wedges, removing the pits as you go.  Gently toss the peaches and sugar together in a large bowl and let stand for 30 minutes, tossing several times.  Drain the peaches in a colander set over a bowl.  Whisk together 1/4 cup of the drained juice with the cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl.  Toss the peaches with the juice mixture and transfer to a 8-inch square glass baking dish.  Bake until peaches begin to bubble around the edges, about 10 minutes.  

Meanwhile, prepare the biscuit topping.  In the food processor, combine the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Pulse to combine.  Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about ten 1-second pulses.  Transfer to a medium bowl; add the yogurt and toss with a spatula until a cohesive dough is formed.  (Be careful not to overmix.)  Break the dough into 6 evenly sized but roughly shaped mounds and set aside.

After the peaches have baked 10 minutes, remove the peaches from the oven and place the dough mounds on top, spacing them at least 1/2-inch apart (they should not touch).  Sprinkle each mound with the remaining sugar.  Bake until the topping is golden brown and fruit is bubbling, 16-18 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack until warm, about 20 minutes; serve. 

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, March 2008

Filed under: Dessert, Uncategorized | 18 Comments »

Baked Ziti

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Annie

This baked ziti is one of several meals that I served during our vacation.  It seemed like an obvious choice for feeding a crowd, as I have yet to meet anyone who would turn down a delicious hearty meal of cheesy baked pasta, salad, and bread.  This is the second time I have made this recipe, but I am sure I will be making it frequently in the future as well.  It is most definitely a crowd pleaser, and great for entertaining – once it is in the oven you can focus on other things in the kitchen, or even better, your guests!  My only alteration to the original recipe was to add some turkey Italian sausage and some onion.  I’m sure it would be great without the sausage as well, but I think it adds a lot of flavor, not to mention makes the dish even more filling and therefore able to feed more people.

If you are looking for some easy meals to serve to a crowd, here are the things I cooked for dinner during our vacation:
Shrimp scampi with salad and garlic bread (for the non-seafood eaters, the sauce minus the shrimp still makes a delicious light topping for pasta)
Grilled chicken fajitas with chips and salsa (normally I would make my favorite salsa, but in the spirit of vacation and relaxing, I used store-bought)
Chicken gyros with Greek salad (though all the meals were a hit, this was definitely the favorite – and for good reason!)
Baked ziti with Caesar salad and garlic bread 
Steamed shrimp (I made this for only Ben and I, because though it is very easy, it is not the most economical for a group of 10)

Baked Ziti
Ingredients:
1 lb. whole milk or 1% cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 oz. grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
Table salt
1 lb. ziti
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 oz. turkey Italian sausage
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
1 tsp. sugar
Ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)
8 oz. low-moisture mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.  Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta; cook until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes.  Drain the pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Crumble in the turkey sausage and cook until nearly browned.  Add in the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned.  Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Off the heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.  

In a small bowl stir together the cornstarch and heavy cream.  Transfer the mixture to the now-empty stockpot over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella.  Stir to combine.  Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce.

Transfer the pasta to a 9×13″ baking dish and spread the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer.  Cool for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve. 

Source: adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, March & April 2009

Filed under: Main Dish, Pasta | 12 Comments »

Berry Shortcakes

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Annie

In case you are still searching for a tasty red, white and blue dessert for your Fourth of July get-togethers, look no further!  Berry shortcakes are the dessert I always make when I need something delicious fast.  Whenever I find out I’m entertaining guests at the last minute, this is usually my go-to dessert.  These shortcakes require few ingredients and minimal effort.  I normally make them with just the strawberry sauce as traditional strawberry shortcake, but tossing on a few blueberries gives them the extra little something to make them just right for the Fourth.  I took the theme one step further and cut a star shape out of the top half of each cake to make them even more festive.  (Because this is a very crumbly cake, I chilled them in the refrigerator for a bit to firm them up before cutting out the stars.)


The shortcake is light and crumbly, with just a hint of sweetness.  It is the perfect accompaniment for the light, sweet whipped cream and fresh berries.  This dessert could be adapted in many ways.  If you are a shortcake lover, you may opt not to cut out the star shape and simply leave the top half in one piece for more cakey goodness.  For another fun personalized dessert option, you could simply crumble up the shortcakes and assemble individual trifles in dessert glasses.  Or, use different fruits if you aren’t going for the red, white and blue – I’m sure this would taste great with just about any fruit.

Berry Shortcakes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
For the shortcakes:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy cream

For the berry topping:
1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
Blueberries (optional)

For the whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

Directions: 
To make the shortcakes, preheat the oven to 400° F.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt with a fork.  Pour in the heavy cream and stir together with the fork until almost all of the dry ingredients have come together to form a dough.  Gently clump the dough together with your hands and transfer to a work surface.  Form into a 6-inch round log.  (The dough can seem very dry and crumbly, but just do your best to keep it together, and avoid kneading as much as possible.)  Slice the log into 6 equal rounds and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.  (Even if the dough seems like it is not sticking together, just gently squeeze it into the disc shape.  It will fuse together during baking.)  Sprinkle the tops of the rounds with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  

To prepare the berry topping, transfer about one third of the strawberries to a mixing bowl.  Add in the confectioners’ sugar, and mash together with a fork until the mixture is mostly liquid.  Stir in the rest of the quartered berries.  Chill until ready to assemble the shortcakes.

To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Mix on medium-low speed until frothy, and then increase the speed to medium-high.  Whisk until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over-beat. 

To assemble the shortcakes. slice each one in half horizontally.  If desired, use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut a star out of the top portion of each cake.  Transfer the bottom half of each cake to a serving plate, top with the strawberry sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.  Arrange the cake stars and blueberries on top.  Serve immediately. 

Source: significantly adapted from Cook’s Kitchen Handbook

Filed under: Dessert | 7 Comments »

Steamed Shrimp

Posted on June 30, 2009 by Annie

One thing I love about vacationing on the coast is the availability of fresh caught seafood.  Shrimp are one of my most favorite seafood items, so I take full advantage when I have the opportunity.  This recipe is a wonderfully simple way to prepare shrimp so that you can really appreciate their flavor without a lot of other ingredients getting in the way.  Don’t get me wrong, I love shrimp in just about any dish (pasta, enchiladas, stir fry, etc.) but as they say, sometimes less is more.  I suppose these technically aren’t truly steamed shrimp since they are thrown into boiling water, but since that was the title of the original recipe and I don’t know what else to call them, I’ll go with that.  Be sure to remove the shrimp from the water as soon as it returns to a boil, as they can overcook easily and you don’t want tough and chewy shrimp.  I went simple with the side dishes for this as well and served it with a Caesar salad and some crusty bread.  It made for a fabulous and incredibly quick meal.  Yum!

Steamed Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 lb. large shrimp, shells left on
Old Bay (or other seafood seasoning)
Lemon wedges and cocktail sauce, for serving

Directions: 
Combine the water, vinegar, peppercorns and bay leaves in a stockpot or large saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the water returns to a boil.  Immediately remove from the heat and drain the water.  Remove the bay leaves and toss the shrimp with Old Bay seasoning.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve alongside lemon wedges and cocktail sauce.  

Source: adapted from À La Carte

Filed under: Main Dish, Seafood | 5 Comments »

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream

Posted on June 29, 2009 by Annie

A week ago I went on vacation with my family to our favorite spot in South Carolina.  We had a truly wonderful trip and Andrew got to experience the ocean for the first time.  We had quite a large group along with us, and though the island had many options for dining out, most nights I made dinner for the whole crowd (10 people!)  This was a great arrangement for several reasons – one, I probably would have gone crazy not cooking for a week, two – it was a nice way for us to all reconnect at the end of the day, and three – it was much, much cheaper than eating out.  One of the evenings I made this dessert as a sweet end to our evening.  And oh, how sweet it was.  I’ve made fruit tarts before and they have always been good, but this was just incredible.  I have a basic recipe for tart dough that I use all the time, but since I normally make it in my stand mixer which was not available to me, I decided to give this version a try.  It was fabulous – great texture and deliciously sweet.  But the show-stopper was the pastry cream.  Oh.My.Gosh.  It was so so so amazing.  It took all of my will power to not just eat the whole batch and pretend that I had planned no dessert for that evening.  Combined with the beautiful fresh fruit, this was a wonderful light summer dessert and it was devoured in a matter of minutes. 


Cooking or baking in an unequipped kitchen can be quite difficult when you have become accustomed to the convenience and efficiency of certain appliances or gadgets.  Though trying, I think it can also be good to get back to the basics and remind yourself of alternate techniques (such as cutting together a pastry dough using a fork and knife rather than a food processor or mixer, separating eggs with the shell, etc.)  It can also remind you that even simple desserts such as a fruit tart can be just as elegant and scrumptious as something more complex.  This would be great with just about any combination of fruit, but I loved this particular variation because of the gorgeous colors.  Normally I glaze the fruit with a bit of jam as recommended, but I wasn’t going to buy a jar on vacation just for that, so I skipped it.  Wouldn’t change a thing about this, and definitely can’t wait to make it again!

Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Pastry Cream
Ingredients:
For the tart dough:
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the pastry cream:
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
3 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
2 large kiwis, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced
6-9 oz. raspberries
1/2-1 cup blueberries
Apple jelly, for glazing

Directions:
To make the tart shell, whisk together the egg yolk, cream and vanilla in a small bowl; set aside.  Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.  Process briefly to combine.  Scatter the butter pieces over the flour mixture; process to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses.  With the machine running, add the egg mixture and process until the dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.  Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and press into a 6-inch dish.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours. 

Remove the dough from the refrigerator.  (If refrigerated for more than an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable.)  Unwrap and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch round.  Transfer the dough to a 9-inch tart pan.  Mold the dough to the sides of the tart pan and remove the excess off the top.  Set the dough-lined tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.  

Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to middle position.  Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Set the dough-lined tart pan on a baking sheet, press a 12-inch square of foil into the frozen shell and over the edge, and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil and weights.  Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

To make the pastry cream, heat the half-and-half, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and the salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.  Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until the sugar has begun to dissolve and the mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the cornstarch until combined and the mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

When the half-and-half mixture has reached a simmer, slowly add it to the egg yolk mixture to temper, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the saucepan, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Return the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a few bubbles burst on the surface and the mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds.  Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla.  Strain the pastry cream through a  fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl.  Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.

To assemble the tart, spread the cold pastry cream evenly over the bottom of the tart shell.  Arrange the fruit on top of the pastry cream as desired.  Heat the jelly in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, just until slightly melted and easy to stir.  Using a pastry brush, paint a light layer of jelly over the fresh fruit.  Serve.

Source: adapted from Baking Illustrated

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