Strawberry Cupcakes

In case you haven’t guessed, I am a huge follower of the locavore movement. A locavore is someone who tries to base their diet on food raised or grown within a certain distance of their home. This means eating what is in season. While I have explained the concept to Kayla on many occasions, her twelve year old brain refuses to accept the idea that strawberries should not be eaten year round, for every meal.
In an attempt to stave the strawberry crisis, I purchased some frozen strawberries (shame on me!) and tried to come up with a strawberry dessert for her.
I adapted the Cream Cake recipe from Sky High: Irresistible Three Layer Cakes and added strawberry puree in place of some of the cream it called for. Additionally, I replaced the rest of the cream with nonfat milk and whipped the egg whites to add the needed fluff to the batter. “Fluff” is my own non-culinary term for air.
I made a frosting out of cream cheese, strawberry puree, lemon juice and powdered sugar. The frosting was way too runny, and ended up more like a glaze. Despite the issues with consistency, the frosting tasted just like fresh strawberries and the whole house smelled like summertime.
Overall, they turned out pretty good for an improvisation.

Hazelnuts, hazelnuts, hazelnuts..and chocolate

Have I ever mentioned I love nuts? Cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc. It probably stems from my childhood home which was surrounded by walnut orchards. During the Fall, if we needed a snack while we were out playing, we ate walnuts from the ground.
One nut I have never been a huge fan of; the hazelnut. However, I am determined to bake my way through the Sky High Triple Layer Cake book I just bought on Amazon which features several hazelnut cakes.
The hazelnut cake which caught my eye was the “Chocolate-Hazelnut Gianduja Cake”. Gianduja, as explained in the cookbook, is a “Nutella” type sweet chocolate featuring hazelnut paste.
I was unsure of how powerful the hazelnuts would be in the cake, so I added some hazelnut extract just to be certain the flavors would come through. Boy, was that a mistake! This cake was so rich; I couldn’t even finish one slice. Both David and Kayla loved it because it features chocolate whipped cream frosting that is to die for.
The cake texture was good and the frosting was yummy. I would probably make it again upon special request.
As always, if any of these recipes interest you, just email me and I will gladly provide it. nicolerene @ peoplepc . com.

Sky High: Maybe I've lost my mind...

So David's father's birthday is coming up and it got out that I have been experimenting with cake recipes, so David's stepmother asked me to bake a cake. I hear his favorite flavor is lemon.
Unfortunately, this gave me the perfect excuse to try out every lemon cake recipe I could find. I tried a recipe on epicurious, but the cake turned out really dense. Then I tried a cake recipe from SmittenKitchen.Com and it turned out well, but I was looking for something a little lighter.
I finally got it right on my fourth try. I had ordered the book "Sky High: Irresistable Three Layer Cakes" a few weeks ago when I read the raves about it on several of my favorite food blogs. It arrived yesterday and has some gorgeous pictures of mouthwatering cakes of every possible flavor. And in it there was a recipe for "Triple Lemon Chiffon Cake with Lemon Curd".
I was wonderfully light and fluffy. It was also very easy to frost and was not very crumby at all. I highly recommend it.
I actually modified the recipe to be a two layer cake because I only own 2 9" cake pans. However, with the addition of this book to my collection, that is going to have to change real quick.
I used the remaining batter to make taste-testing cupcakes and sent the entire cake with David to work. He reports that it was gone by 9am the next day. Let me know how it turns out for you.

What was I thinking?

This weekend was the absolute worst weekend for dieting...yes, I am on a diet but let's not talk about that now.....
In addition to the cheesecake I made for Valentine's Day, it was also David's birthday. So in addition to the HUGE cheesecake, I needed to make a birthday cake as well.
I have been wanting to try one of the cakes featured on smittenkitchen's blog for sometime, but have been waiting for an excuse to overload on all that sugar. David's birthday provided the perfect opportunity.
I chose the Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Peanut Butter Icing and Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze....WOW, what a mouthful.
Here is a link to smittenkitchen's version http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/. She adapted it from the book Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes, which I just purchased on ebay.
I can't wait until it arrives because this cake was fantastic! It tasted very similiar to a giant reeses peanut butter cup.

Red Velvet Sin

This recipe is ALL over the internet now, in celebration of Valentines Day. I adapted this recipe from Southern Living Magazine. It is sooooooo good.



Prep: 20 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 25 min.; Stand: 1 hr.; Chill: 8 hrs. The cheesecake's deep red filling and snowy topping is wonderfully dramatic. Fresh mint sprigs add a pop of Christmas color.

Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups crushed oreo cookies
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Preparation
Stir together oreo cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; press mixture into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

Beat 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at medium-low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute. Add eggs and next 6 ingredients, mixing on low speed just until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared crust.

Bake at 325° for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 300°, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm. Run knife along outer edge of cheesecake. Turn oven off. Let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Cover and chill 8 hours.

Beat 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese and 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth. Spread evenly over top of cheesecake. Remove sides of springform pan. Garnish, if desired.


Rhonda Y. Coker, Columbia, South Carolina, Southern Living, DECEMBER 2004

Cauliflower Puree

This is a recipe I plan to make tonight, I will let you know how it goes....

1 head cauliflower, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pull the leaves off the cauliflower and cut out the core in a kind of cone-shaped section. Then pull the florets off the head with your fingers, using a knife when you need to. Break or cut the florets into smaller, regular pieces (about 1 1/2 inch) and put them in the steamer insert. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in the steamer pot, add the insert, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until you can poke a paring knife into the stems and you can feel that there's still a little texture there. (Tooth, it's called.) Stir the cauliflower well a few times while it's steaming so that it cooks evenly.

Dump about half of the cauliflower into a food processor. Measure out 3/4 cup of the steaming liquid, and pour in about 1/4 cup; purée until smooth. Now dump the rest of the cauliflower on top, add about 1/3 of the remaining liquid, and purée again. You'll need to stop and scrape and stir the purée a few times; add more liquid as you need to, but with the understanding that you really want to add as little liquid as you can get away with. With the motor running, process in the butter, salt, and pepper through the feed tube. Taste for seasoning and serve hot. (You can reheat over low heat in the same pan if you're not eating immediately.)

Butternut Squash and Greens

This recipe was featured on the Food Network Show "The Next Food Network Star" and it is one of my favorites. The original recipe called for goat cheese, but I'm not a fan, so I substitute feta for it.

Butternut Squash
Beets Greens (any green will do)
olive oil
goat cheese
salt and pepper
walnuts
(1/2 cup chopped mint is optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel and cut butternut squash into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on 2 sheet trays, drizzle with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt and distribute evenly. Place in oven and bake until softened and golden.
Wash beet greens and de-stem and chiffonade greens. Toast walnuts in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Remove squash from the oven and toss in beet greens, mint and goat cheese. Top with toasted walnuts. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve warm.

Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons

This recipe is courtesy of Claudia Roden's cookbook "Arabesque". I made it for my boyfriend and his daughter, and they both seemed to enjoy it. Serve some toasted pita bread alongside.

Ingredients
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp crushed saffron threads or saffron powder
¼-½ tsp ground ginger
6 Free Range, organic chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lemon, juice only
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 small preserved lemons, peel only
12-16 green or violet olives, either stoned or left whole

1. In a wide casserole or heavy-bottomed pan that will fit the chicken pieces in one layer, heat the oil and add the onions. Sauté, stirring over a low heat, until softened, then stir in the garlic, saffron and ginger.
2. Add the chicken pieces, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and pour in about 300ml/10fl oz of water. Simmer, covered, turning the pieces over a few times and adding a little more water if it becomes too dry.
3. Cook Chicken for 20 minutes, turnign occasionally.
4. Stir in the lemon juice, coriander, parsley, preserved lemon peel and olives. Add a little water if necessary and cook for about 10 minutes, or until sauce has thickened. Serve with the olives and lemon peel on top of the meat.
Serve over brown rice or cous cous.

Preserved Lemons

I have been fascinated by Morroccan Food since I picked up a copy of Claudia Roden's "Arabesque" from the library. Nothing is more fun or exciting to me then finding a new recipe I have never tried and giving it a go. Before I could get started, however, I needed to stock up my pantry with some of the necessities of Moroccan cuisine. Luckily, my Tia Marsha brought me a huge bag of lemons from the tree in her yard so I could make some preserved lemons. Also, my good friend Vickie brought me back some Saffron from her trip to Egypt. Here is a basic recipe for Preserved Lemons.

4 Lemons (unwaxed, organic, preferably local)
4 tbls Kosher Salt
Lemon Juice

Cut each lemon into quarters, keeping them attached at the stem end. Pack a tablespoon of salt into each lemon (in the cuts), and squeeze into a canning jar. Fill jar with enough lemon juice to cover. Store in a cool, dry place for one month. Check regularly to make sure lemons remain covered with lemon juice. Add more juice if necessary. They are ready after one month.
When you are ready to use them, discard the pulp, and rinse the skin to remove the excess salt.
They can also be kept in the fridge up to one year.
***Use unwaxed, organic lemons only.

After one month, the skins will be soft and will have lost all the bitterness normally present in citrus peel and pithe.

Winter Squash Galette

This galette turned out awsome! It was so pretty and tasted delicious.
I highly recommend any cookbook by Deborah Madison. Even if you are not a vegetarian, her recipes may encourage you to make more meatless meals. This one is a great option for a veggie Thanksgiving.

Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour, as needed


2 1/2 pounds butternut squash
1 small head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for the squash
1 onion, finely diced
12 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 egg, beaten

Preparation
Yeasted Tart Dough with Olive Oil
Makes one 9-, 10-, or 11-inch tart, pie or galette, 6 to 8 individual shells

Dissolve yeast and sugar in water in medium bowl and let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes. Add oil, egg, and salt, then stir in flour. When dough is too stiff to work with a spoon, turn it onto the counter and knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. Add more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Set dough in an oiled bowl, turn it over to coat, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half, scrape out the seeds, and brush the cut surface with oil. Stuff the garlic into the cavities and place the squash cut side down on a sheet pan. Bake until the flesh is tender, about 40 minutes. Scoop out the squash and squeeze the garlic cloves. Mash them together with a fork until fairly smooth, leaving some texture.
Warm 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sage and cook until the onion is soft and beginning to color, about 12 minutes. Add it to the squash along with the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Roll out dough into a 14-inch circle and spread the filling over it, leaving a border of 2 inches or more. Pleat the dough over the filling, then brush the edges with beaten egg. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.