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Archive for November, 2009
Two layer cheesecake with cranberry orange compote
Growing up our Thanksgiving table was full of the usual items like turkey, gravy, stuffing and cranberries….from a can (insert sound of record scratching or nails on a chalkboard here.) If I close my eyes I can still see the indentations in the jelly-like stuff and the wobble every time someone bumped the table leg.
Although I actually admit to eating and liking the cranberry jelly then, I now find myself hoarding bags of fresh cranberries when they appear in stores. Well-suited to the freezer, cranberries are versatile (desserts, meat dishes) healthy and just plain delicious.
Below is recipe for cheesecake composed of two layers; one a traditional Philly cheese and the other a blend of sour cream and Greek-style yogurt. It’s the perfect carrier for the tangy, sweet cranberry orange topping. Enjoy!
Two layer cheesecake with cranberry orange topping
Graham cracker crust
- 4 T unsalted butter
- 3 ½ oz. graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
First layer
- 2 – 8 oz packages Philadelphia cream cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Second layer
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream
- 2/3 cup thick Greek-style yogurt
- 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberry orange topping
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 t cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- ½ teaspoon grated orange peel
Preheat oven to 375. Finely grind the graham crackers in a food processor. Melt the butter and pour over the graham cracker crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Beat the ingredients for the first layer together thoroughly. Pour over the base and smooth on top. Place on baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until just set. Set aside for 20 minutes to firm up.
Mix the ingredients for the second layer and spoon evenly over the first layer. Return to the oven for 10 minutes then take out and cool.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
For the topping, stir sugar and water in medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium; add cornstarch mixture and simmer. Add cranberries, cook until beginning to pop, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in orange peel. Cool completely.
Cheesecake recipe adapted from Fiona Beckett’s Cheese. Cranberry orange topping courtesy of Epicurious.
Light and Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
I love breakfast. Okay, I admit, I love all meals. But I especially love a good breakfast which includes foods I wouldn’t normally have time to make during the work week.
In the past, my typical weekend breakfast would require scrambled eggs and bacon. These days, I’ll still take the bacon, but have added light and fluffy pancakes to the mix. Adding a few frozen blueberries enhances the eating experience which can only be topped by a fair amount of melted butter and rich maple syrup.
Light and fluffy pancakes*
- 1 cup milk
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Dash salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- Butter, canola or other neutral oil as needed
Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium low heat while you make the batter. Beat together the milk and egg yolks. Mix the dry ingredients. Beat the egg white with a whisk or electric mixer until stiff but not dry.
Combine the dry ingredients and milk-yolk mixture, stirring to blend. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites; they should remain somewhat distinct in the batter.
Add about 1 tablespoon of butter or oil to the griddle or skillet and, when it is hot, add the batter by the heaping tablespoon, making sure to include some of the egg whites in each spoonful. Cook until lightly browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minute, then turn and cook until the second side is brown. Serve of hold in a 200 degree oven for up to 15 minutes.
*Recipe courtesy of How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.
What’s your favorite meal of the day? Post a comment on Yummly, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Salty and Sweet Caramel Corn
Do you crave salty or sweet?
If you ask most, they will say salty or sweet, savory, dessert or something along those lines. I for one don’t really have a preference, it just depends on my mood or the time of day. The recipe below pretty much falls into the sweet category but incorporates salty pretzels for the savory snackers out there.
I really like this recipe because it fast, easy and a great addition to your holiday repertoire. It’s almost as good as Harry and David’s Moose Munch (minus the chocolate!)
- 8 cups popped popcorn (microwave popcorn, light)
- 4 cups oven-toasted rice cereal squares
- 2 cups miniature pretzels
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup butter or margarine
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Combine popcorn, cereal, pretzels and pecans in a rectangular bowl. Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil over entire surface. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook without stirring 5 minutes. (Mixture should continue to bubble gently over surface.) Remove saucepan from heat. Quickly add vanilla and baking soda, stirring carefully. Pour over popcorn mixture in bowl, and toss until well coated. Bake 30 minutes, stir after 15 minutes.
Transfer popcorn mixture to a large piece of parchment paper. Cool completely, breaking mixture into clusters as it cools.
Yield: 15 cups.
Recipe passed along by my mom who knows I crave all things sweet and have the cavities to prove it!
Tuna Burger with Wasabi Mayo and Asian Slaw
We served these tuna burgers atop brioche buns and adorned with a simple Asian-style slaw. The fuyu, fennel and arugula salad is a nice side along with colorful taro chips. This is NOT your everyday burger meal (but probably just as good!)
Tuna Burgers on Brioche Buns (makes around 2 to 3 patties)
- 8 oz. fresh sushi grade tuna, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tsp green onoins, finely chopped
- 1 tsp red sweet bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tsp cilantro, finely chopped
- Dash or two of garlic powder and ginger powder
- Black sesame seeds
- Brioche or regular hamburger buns
- Cooking oil
Optional: Tabasco or chili oil (for spice)
Heat oil in a pan and add burgers. Pan fry each side about 2-3 minutes then place on paper towel. Keep warm. Toast buns. Add wasabi mayo, burger and slaw. Enjoy!
Asian-Style Slaw
- 1 cup napa cabbage or slaw mix
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon lime juice or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- toasted sesame seeds
Adapted from a recipe found on the Cook Mobile.
- Fuyu, Fennel and Arugula Salad
If you are like me, you’ve seen persimmons at your local grocery store or farmer’s market and wondered about their uses. Many people will tell you they know someone who loves them but “you have to get them at the right stage of ripeness”.
To set the record straight, there are two basic versions seen most often in our area (Bay Area, CA). They are the hachiya and fuyu. The hachiyas are often used in baking (breads, cookies) and yes, this variety must be fully ripe for enjoyment. When fully ripe they will feel almost like jelly in their casing. We’ve used these for flavoring ice cream and they impart a delicious, mellow flavor along with a beautiful orange color.
The Fuyu are sturdier with a thick skin. The nice man at the farmer’s market said many people covet these for use in salads and I can now see why. Peeled, thinly sliced then adorned atop salad greens the fuyu add substance to salad (a little like avocado in texture) and color to your dinner palette. The flavor pairs well with stronger flavors like arugula or rocket and citrus.
If you’ve got an idea for using persimmons, please share it by posting a comment. The more the merrier!
Fuyu Persimmon, Fennel and Arugula salad
Dressing
- 3-4 tablespoons rice wine or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (or orange juice concentrate – thawed, if you want a stronger flavor)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon
- ½ cup olive oil*
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- Salt
- Pepper
Mix the orange juice, vinegar and Dijon. Gradually pour in the olive oil while whisking briskly. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over the greens.
Cook’s notes:
*walnut oil can be substituted for a milder flavor
Salad
- Fennel – sliced thin
- Persimmon – sliced thin
- Arugula
- Slice red onion (optional)
- Toasted hazelnuts (optional)
Fuyu Persimmons
Chile de Arbol and Tomatillo Salsa
Summer at the farmer’s market is a rush for foodies like me: everything I like is in season and looks great on the stand. With the onset of colder weather the produce at the farmer’s market still looks good, there is just less to choose from and I feel like I need to get a bit more creative.
Last week, nestled between the cilantro and garlic a few tomatillos caught my eye. Returning home I dug out a recipe inspired by a family friend – Eloisa – from Mexico. The heat of the chiles de arbol – which are pretty commonplace in any supermarket – and the tang of the tomatillos are a powerful duo which together create a wallop of flavor.
If you are seeking tomatillos at your local farmer’s market or store, they look like small green tomatoes encased in a papery shell. Tomatillos are part of the nightshade family whose members are usually poisonous to humans with the exception of some species (tomatoes, potatoes and the rarely seen gooseberry).
Eloisa’s Chile de Arbol and Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 ¾ cup tomatillos
- 5-8 chiles de arbol
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic (to taste!)
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste!)
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- Lime juice (from ½ a lime)
Boil the tomatillos until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain. Remove the stems from the chiles. Toast the chiles until they are lightly blackened. Note: be careful as they will burn quickly. Puree with the tomatillos in a food processor or blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend. Season with additional salt and lime.
Cook’s note: chile de arbol in dried form can usually be found in the International section of your grocery store.
If you have a favorite salsa recipe and would like to share it, please post a comment.
Luscious lemon bars!
A few years ago when I decided to update my yard I started by planting trees. Citrus, to be exact. It seemed like a good idea at the time; rather than flowery ornamentals I would add functional plants or things I could eventually eat (the fruit, not the trees themselves!)
I started off by planting a meyer lemon tree next to a small lime tree. Since there was space on the other side of the lime it seemed natural to add a Eureka (the more common type found in grocery stores). Turns out the lime tree was actually a dwarf lemon (they weren’t ripe yet) and the larger tree hidden by the fence…another lemon.
It’s probably a good thing lemons are not only useful around the house but are healthy as well. And as if it’s not obvious my favorite use for lemons is in desserts; whether in the shape of a pie covered with a thick cloud of fluffy meringue or in the guise of lemon bars. If you don’t have time for pie, try the shortbread lemon bar recipe (below). This is a super fast, easy recipe your friends and family will love.
- 1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut butter in ½-inch pieces. In a food processor process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare the topping.
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- Hot shortbread base
- 3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake confection in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars.
Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift confectioners’ sugar over bars before serving.
Recipes courtesy of Epicurious.
A seasonal delight: pumpkin ravioli!
Although I promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more cookware or equipment to clutter my house I finally broke down and purchased a pasta attachment for my KitchenAid. I admit it took me 4 months to pull that thing out of the box and use it but the results were outstanding and well worth the effort!
The pasta making itself was very relaxing in a zen-like way. You start with basic ingredients (flour, eggs, water and salt) which, when mixed, don’t feel like much. In fact we commented how the blob seemed tough and inflexible to which I let out a sigh because I realized we might have to head to the refrigerated section of the store after all.
Twenty minutes later the dough had relaxed and we were ready to roll (literally). The finished pasta sheets turned into two types of ravioli: pumpkin parmesan and ricotta spinach. Bathed in a brown butter sauce (pumpkin) and homemade marinara (ricotta) we marveled at the finished product, clinked wine glasses and then dug our way down to the bottom of the bowls.
Sage Brown Butter Sauce*
- ½ stick butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Sage leaves (about 15-20)
Place butter in a saucepan, turn heat to medium low. Add the salt, pepper and sage leaves. Cook, shaking the pan every now and then, until the butter melts and turns from yellow to pale brown, about 5 minutes. Use immediately.
Pumpkin Parmesan Filling*
- 2 cups squash
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Combine all ingredients. Spoon filling onto flat pasta sheets and cut.
Both recipes (above) adapted from “How to cook everything” by Mark Bittman.
Ricotta and spinach ravioli