Sunday, July 24, 2011

Sticky Toffee Date Cake


I was first introduced to Sticky Date Pudding fifteen years ago which is very similar or maybe the same recipe with a different method of preparing. This recipe is absolutely wonderful and a must try when having company for dinner. This is another recipe from Ina Garten. I love her simplistic approach to work in the kitchen.
***
Ingredients: 
Cake
1 pound dates, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons baking soda
8 ounces butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
***
Sauce:
1/2 pound butter
1 cup brown sugar (8 ounces)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
***
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans or 20 muffin tins.
*
Place the dates in large saucepan with 3 1/2 cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (which will cause the mixture to bubble up).
*
Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.
*
Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don't worry! Finally add the baking powder (this will bubble up also).
*
Pour the batter evenly into the two pans or muffin tins. Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes for cake pans and about 20 minutes for muffin tins. Test if they are cooked with a small knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when cakes are done.
*
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and well blended.
*
When the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with toothpick, this will enable the sauce to be absorbed more easily. Pour the caramel sauce over cakes while both are still warm and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out upside-down onto serving plates (the bottom is the most sticky bit!).
*
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Scallops Provencal

Scallops Provencal

This is a recipe from Ina Garten. I observed her techniques and now am anxious to try this recipe when the Seafood Roadshow is at our neighborhood market. I have never coated my scallops with seasoned flour before which might be the reason I could never achieve that nice golden color.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • All-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lemon, cut in 1/2
lemon

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each one in

half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in one layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on one side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of juice.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Roasted Peaars with Hazelnut Syrup anad Candied Hazelnuts

I located this recipe on the site Epicurious.com. Bosc pears are available most months of the year. I have resorted to fewer baked goods when I need to serve dessert for a special occasion.

***

Roasted Pears with Hazelnut Syrup and Candied Hazelnuts Gourmet | November 1997

Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
6 firm-ripe Bosc pears (about 2 1/4 pounds total), stems intact
3 tablespoons hazelnut-flavored liqueur (preferably Frangelico)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
***
Preparation

In a small heavy saucepan simmer water with 1 cup sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. (Syrup may be made up to this point 2 days ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered.)

*

Preheat oven to 350° F and lightly butter a shallow baking pan.

Coarsely chop hazelnuts. Stir nuts into syrup and simmer 1 minute. With a slotted spoon transfer nuts to baking pan, arranging in one layer, and reserve syrup. Cut butter into pieces. Bake nuts in middle of oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Immediately add butter to nuts, tossing to coat and separate, and with a spatula transfer nuts to a plate to cool (nuts will crisp as they cool). (Nuts may be candied 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Reserved syrup may be kept, covered and chilled, 2 days.)

*

Lightly butter a shallow ovenproof kettle or casserole dish (about 12 by 2 1/2 inches). With a sharp knife trim a very thin slice from bottom of each pear to enable pears to stand upright. Dip and roll each pear in reserved syrup to coat completely. Transfer pears as coated to kettle, standing them upright, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Add liqueur, lemon juice, and vanilla to remaining reserved syrup and pour down side of kettle or casserole.

*

Roast pears, uncovered, in middle of oven until undersides are tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.

*

Arrange pears on a serving platter. Spoon syrup around pears and sprinkle with candied nuts. Serve pears warm or at room temperature.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie as seen July 5, 2011
on the Today Show

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped

3-4 stalks organic celery

1/2 head of a large bunch or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach

1 organic apple, cored and chopped

1 organic pear, cored and chopped

1 organic banana

Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon

optional: 1/3 bunch organic cilantro (stems okay) 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)

Directions:

Add the water and chopped head of romaine to the blender. Starting the blender at low speed, mix until smoothi. Gradually moving to higher speeds, add the celery, apple and pear. Add the cilantro and parsley, if you are choosing to add them. Add the banana and lemon juice last.• Try to drink at least 16-24 ounces a day, if not more! Stir before you drink!

• Feel free to mix your greens and fruits, as greens and fruits food combine well together (except for melons). Be sure to balance the light and darker greens, so for instance, if you want to add some kale, be sure to balance with the lighter green of celery. Bill the anchor today, mentioned he didn’t like cilantro. No problem! Just leave it out and use another green instead, or up the quantities of the other greens.

• * If you are diabetic and prefer to cut out all high glycemic fruit, you can omit the banana. Otherwise, I suggest keeping it in, as it adds a nice consistency and taste.

• ** It is important to blend until all “chunks” are removed from the mixture. There are a lot of nutrients encased into the cell walls of the green plants, and these need to be ruptured so full nutrition is available upon consumption without much digestive work. If you don’t have a great blender, you may have to blend longer and the smoothie will get warm. In that case, be sure to make it the night before, so it will be nice and cool by breakfast time!