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Sun-dried Tomato Dip

January 19, 2012 — Leave a comment
Ingredients:
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. good mayonnaise
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white & green parts)
Method:
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.
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Pan Fried Onion Dip

January 19, 2012 — Leave a comment
Ingredients:
2 large yellow onions
4Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. good mayonnaise
Method:
Cut the onions in half, and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.)
Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan on medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the head to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes, until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.
Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.
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Cinnamon Flan

January 19, 2012 — Leave a comment
This recipe is courtesy ESPN TrueHoop. They care about recipes just as much as you and I do.

Make these a day ahead to give the caramel time to soften and the custards time to set.

Yield: Makes 4

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs
1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place four 3/4-cup custard cups in 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Stir sugar and 1 tablespoon water in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of skillet with pastry brush dipped into water and swirling skillet, about 8 minutes. Immediately pour syrup into custard cups, dividing equally.

Whisk milk and cinnamon in small saucepan to blend; bring to simmer. Cover and let cool 15 minutes.

Whisk eggs to blend in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in cinnamon milk, then sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Divide among caramel-lined custard cups. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake custards until set in center, about 55 minutes. Cool in water in pan. Remove custard cups from water; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Run small knife around custards to loosen. To unmold each, place small plate atop custard; firmly holding plate and custard cup together, invert and shake gently, allowing custard and caramel to settle onto plate.
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Asian Flank Steak with Worcestershire, Soy & Ginger

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment
This summer I experimented 5 flank marinades, this recipe was the best of them all. Note, it works best when marinated for at least 8 hours.
Source: Bon Appétit July 1994
Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/4-pound flank steak, fat trimmed
Method

Whisk first 5 ingredients to blend in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add steak and turn to coat. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Drain marinade into small saucepan and bring to boil. Grill or broil steak about 5 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steak to platter; let stand 10 minutes. Thinly slice steak across grain. Pass marinade as sauce.

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Strawberry Baked Alaska

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Source: Bon Appetite 2002
This dessert can be made one day ahead and stored in the freezer, making it ideal for entertaining. You can create the decorative meringue swirls and peaks with a rubber spatula, table knife, or spoon, but an offset spatula works best.
Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup sifted cake flour (sifted, then measured)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Filling
2 pints strawberry sorbet, softened
1 quart strawberry ice cream, softened

Meringue
6 large egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
For cake:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water); whisk constantly just until mixture is warm, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until very thick and ribbons form when beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Add flour in 3 additions, gently folding just to combine after each. Fold in poppy seeds, then quickly fold in butter in 2 additions (do not overfold). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Remove pan sides.

For filling:
Line 4-quart 10-inch-diameter bowl with plastic wrap, leaving 8-inch overhang. Spread sorbet in even layer over bottom (not sides) of bowl. Spread ice cream over sorbet. Place cake atop ice cream, pressing slightly to compact. Cover with plastic wrap overhang; freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.

For meringue:
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time; beat until thick and glossy. Beat in vanilla.
Unfold plastic wrap from over cake at top of bowl. Invert dessert onto 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom; remove plastic wrap. Working quickly, spread meringue over dessert, swirling to form peaks and covering completely. Freeze at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep frozen.)
Preheat oven to 500°F. Place dessert on its tart pan bottom on heavy large baking sheet. Bake just until meringue is light golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve immediately.

 

 

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Quinoa with Asparagus and Preserved Lemon Dressing

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Preserved Lemon Dressing
Preserved Lemons

Method:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preserved Lemon Dressing
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
1 lemon from Preserved Lemons
7 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Rinse lemon in water, drain, and cut in half. Remove seeds and flesh from half of the lemon and chop rind into little pieces; set aside.
Remove seeds from remaining lemon half and add to the bowl of a food processor along with olive oil, cumin, coriander, and pepper; process until pureed. If dressing seems too thick, add water to reach desired consistency. Stir in preserved rind.

Preserved Lemons
Yield: Makes 8 preserved lemons

Ingredients:
8 lemons, plus more as needed
Juice of 4 lemons, plus more as needed
Coarse salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method:
Leaving one end intact, cut lemons lengthwise into quarters. Using your fingers, stuff about 2 tablespoons salt inside each lemon, close them, and transfer to an 8-cup, sterilized, wide-mouth jar.
Measure juice in a liquid measuring cup, add to jar along with half that amount of water, making sure liquid almost covers lemons. Add more freshly squeezed lemon juice, if necessary.
Loosely cover jar and let stand, at room temperature, for 2 days, shaking the bottle each day.
If there is room, add more cut lemons with salt and add to jar, covering with more lemon juice, if necessary, and olive oil. Cover jar and let stand at room temperature at least 3 weeks.
To use lemons, rinse with water. Remove seeds and pith and discard. Use peel as desired.

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How to Make a Better Grilled Cheese

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

 

by Ruth Reichl  January 2, 2012

 

“We spend a lot of time sitting around this office, talking about what we cooked, what we’re going to cook, and what we wished we had cooked. Lately it’s occurred to us that you might want to be part of this conversation.

 

Starting today, I’ll be writing a weekly column called How to Make a Better… These aren’t recipes, really, just simple ideas that will help you turn good food into great food.

 

These are little tricks I’ve come up with over many years, and I mostly keep them to myself. But our goal at Gilt Taste is to help everyone become a better cook, and I’m excited to share them with you. I wish you a year of wonderful eating.”

 

How to Make a Better Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 

A great grilled cheese sandwich is a seriously seductive creature. Warm, tangy and gooey, it should be absolutely irresistible. But here’s the problem: Even ordinary grilled cheese sandwiches, the kind made with white bread and Velveeta, are pretty appealing.   Which means that too many people are willing to settle for good enough.

 

That’s a shame: Making it better is remarkably easy. Here are a few tips, beyond the obvious ones of using good bread (something with character like sourdough) and good cheese (any good Cheddar will do, although I prefer Montgomery).

 

  1. Do not use margarine – ever. Butter the inside and the outside of the bread. Or try spreading a thin film of mayonnaise onto the outside of the bread instead of butter; it will not only add a persuasive tang, but is also much more scorch-proof on the griddle.
  2. Grate the cheese rather than slicing it for quicker, more even melting.
  3. Mix the grated cheese with a scattering of finely chopped members of the allium family – whatever you happen to have on hand. I like to mix in about a tablespoon of onions, scallions, shallots and a little bit of garlic per sandwich.
  4. Add a gentle swipe of mustard (or horseradish) to the inside of the bread. It adds a nice layer of flavor, an extra tang.
  5. Pat some of the grated cheese onto the outside of the bread, where it will create a wonderfully crisp and shaggy crust, giving your sandwich an entirely new dimension.
  6. Don’t take your eyes off the griddle; the easiest way to make your grilled cheese better is to make sure these babies don’t burn!

 

*Ruth Reichl is the Editorial Advisor to Gilt Taste. She was the Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine for ten years until its closing in 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of The New York Times, (1993-1999), and both the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993). She is the author of Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, and Garlic and Sapphires among other books.

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Layer Lemon Cake

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
  • 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Grated zest of 2 lemons
  • 3 Cups Lemon Curd
  • Sweetened Whipped Cream
  • 12 ounces assorted fresh berries
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour; tap out any excess.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down sides once or twice. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes; stop once or twice to scrape down sides.
  4. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, a little of each at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
  5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven for even browning. Continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes; set on racks, tops up, until completely cool.
  6. Remove the parchment from bottom of each cake. Using a serrated knife, slice each layer in half horizontally. Set aside the prettiest domed layer for the top of cake. Place another domed layer, dome-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup lemon curd over surface to within 1/2 inch from edges. Place second cake layer over the first, and spread another 1 cup curd over top. Repeat with third cake layer and remaining cup curd. Transfer partially assembled cake to the refrigerator.
  7. Just before serving, place reserved dome on top of cake. Spoon sweetened whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with mixed berries, and dust with confectioners’ sugar through a fine sieve.

Lemon Curd

This curd can be prepared several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator; use any extra as a spread for your morning toast.

  • 3 large egg yolks, strained
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 6 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Method

  1. Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, making sure to stir sides and bottom of pan. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, one piece at a time, stirring with the wooden spoon until consistency is smooth.
  3. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd to avoid a skin from forming; wrap tightly. Let cool; refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

The perfect topper for almost any dessert.

Yield: Makes 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Method:

Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar; continue whipping on medium speed until the soft peaks return, 2 to 3 minutes. Use immediately.

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Chicken with Coconut-Lime Peanut Sauce

January 17, 2012 — Leave a comment

Makes 6-8 servings
NOTES
Instead of sweetening the sauce with Stevia, honey would be another great option

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup light Coconut Milk
1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter (I like crunchy)
1 tablespoon Thai Red Curry Paste
Juice from 1 Lime (about 1 tbs lime juice)
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce or Tamari
2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
Pinch of the following:
Cracked Black Pepper
Cinnamon
Cayenne
Stevia to taste, or your favorite natural sweetener
2 pounds Chicken Breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup diced Onion
a few Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon unrefined Coconut Oil
1 cup chopped Asparagus Spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
Optional garnishes – Chopped Cilantro, Peanuts, Green Onion, toasted unsweetened Coconut Flake

METHOD

Sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, curry paste, lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, sweetener & seasonings to form a sauce. Taste and change anything if you want to. Set aside.

Chicken: Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onion & garlic cook until softened. Add chicken, cook until golden brown and cooked through about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Stir sauce into chicken. Partially cover and simmer for about 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add asparagus during the last few minutes of cook time. Serve with spicy Sriracha sauce and garnishes mentioned above.

 

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