This cake is so moist and rich and just perfect for this time of year. (and easy to make!)
Ingredients: 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar (adjust sugar to your liking) 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 cup oil 6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples 2 cups plain flour 2 teaspoons baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased one 9x13 or two 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.
Platz is a Mennonite dessert. I would compare it to Fruit Cobbler Ingredients: Cook filling: 2 cups fruit with 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water and 3 Tablespoons cornstarch. Cool. Dough, 1 teaspoon yeast and 2/3 cup water with sugar to proof. Cut in: 1 cup shortening, 3 cups flour, Add: 2 eggs 1 teaspoon salt.
Directions: Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll out and fit in 11 x 16 pan. Place filling on crust. Place other half of dough rolled out over filling, seal. Let rise for 20 minutes. Bake at 375^ for 45 minutes. Drizzle glaze with lemon juice added.
Ingredients: 10 oz shredded zucchini, all liquid squeezed out 1/2 cup shallots, chopped 1/4 chopped fresh chives 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour 1 tsp baking powder 2/3 cup fat free milk 1 tsp olive oil 2 large eggs, beaten 1/2 tsp kosher salt fresh cracked pepper to taste cooking spray
Directions: Preheat oven to 400°. Lightly spray a pie dish with cooking spray or your misto. Combine zucchini, shallots, chives, and mozzarella cheese in a bowl.
Sift flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl and blend well. Combine with zucchini mixture and pour it into the pie dish. Top with parmesan cheese and bake 30-35 minutes or until knife comes out clean from the center. Let it stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.
8 fresh peaches (peeled, pitted, and sliced into chunks) 3 tablespoons white sugar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoon white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 1/4 cup boiling water 1 tablespoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Bake the cobbler for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Peel the peaches with a knife or peeler, or drop the peaches one-by-one in boiling water for about a minute. Then, take each one out and put it into a bowl of ice water for about a minute. The skins should slide off pretty easily if the peaches are ripe.
In a large bowl, combine the first list of ingredients (peaches, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, cornstarch). Toss everything together so the peaches are coated evenly, then put the mixture into a greased two-quart (8x8) baking dish and bake in the oven for ten minutes.
In another large bowl, combine some of the ingredients from the second list– flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use your fingertips to blend the butter into the mixture, or use a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Then, stir in the water until just combined.
Take the peaches out of the oven and drop spoonfuls of the topping over them. Sprinkle the entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon.
Bake the cobbler for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden. Enjoy!
1 lb shortening 5 cups flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking powder* When ready to make crust, add the water or ginger-ale. Baking Powder optional. Enough for 4 single crusts.
Sift dry ingredients: cut in margarine: add liquid. Press into a 9 x 12 baking pan. Cover with fresh fruit or canned fruit. Sprinkle with sugar to suit taste. Topping 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup flour Rub to form crumbs. Bake at 450^ for 10 minutes, then bake at 350^ for 30 minutes.
Ingredients: 5 bacon strips 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1-1/3 cups water 2/3 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup sugar 6 cups sliced cooked peeled potatoes
Directions: 1. In a large skillet, fry bacon until crisp; remove and set aside. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of drippings; cook onion until tender. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until blended. Add water and vinegar; cook and stir for 1 minute or until slightly thickened. 2. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Crumble bacon; gently stir in bacon and potatoes. Heat through, stirring lightly to coat potatoes. Serve warm. Yield: 6-8 servings.
Serves 6 to 8 Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1-½ pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1 pound dry spaghetti 4 large eggs 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup Parmesan, grated Freshly cracked black pepper Sea salt, to taste
Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius).
Place the asparagus and mushrooms on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss gently to evenly coat.
Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables start to caramelize, stirring halfway.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring 6 quarts of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture to the pasta while quickly stirring. Continue stirring until the egg mixture has thickened, adding additional cooking liquid if the sauce is too thick.
Season with black pepper and sea salt to taste. Gently toss the spaghetti with the roasted asparagus and mushrooms, and serve immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Note:
Stirring while mixing the eggs and pasta is very important! If the pasta and eggs are not mixed quickly enough, the eggs will scramble and the sauce will not be creamy.
Ingredients For the cake: 16 tablespoons unsalted butter in 16 pieces (plus 1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing pan). 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (more for pan) 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup cocoa ½ cup buttermilk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla For the frosting: 8 tablespoons unsalted butter in 8 pieces ¼ cup cocoa 6 tablespoons buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt 1 pound confectioners' sugar ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans Directions: For cake: Place oven rack in middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch sheet pan. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, and whisk well. Combine butter, cocoa and 1 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk frequently until butter has melted and mixture is smooth, glossy and bubbling around edges. Remove from heat. Fold cocoa mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla until combined. Turn batter into prepared pan and bake until cake has risen, shrunken slightly from edges, and tests clean with a toothpick, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely on a rack. For frosting: Combine butter, cocoa and buttermilk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk frequently until butter has melted and mixture is smooth and bubbling around edges. Remove from heat and transfer to a standing mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment. With machine on low speed, add vanilla, salt, sugar and nuts, and mix until smooth. (Ingredients may also be whisked into cocoa mixture by hand; if so, sugar should be sifted first.) Pour warm frosting over top of cake, and smooth with a spatula. Allow frosting to become firm before slicing cake.
½ cup softened butter 1 ¼ cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ cup milk 2 cups blueberries, washed, drained and picked over 3 teaspoons sugar
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375.
Cream the butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk.
Crush 1/2 cup blueberries with a fork, and mix into the batter. Fold in the remaining whole berries lightly coated with flour.
Line a 12 cup standard muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill with batter. Sprinkle the 3 teaspoons sugar over the tops of the muffins, and bake at 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.
Remove muffins from tin and cool at least 30 minutes. Store, uncovered, or the muffins will be too moist the second day, if they last that long.
It’s July and we’re well into the heat of the summer. One of the best parts of outdoor grilling is that you don’t have to heat up your kitchen! This stuffed pork loin fits the bill for a weeknight family dinner (or for a hungry crowd if you grill two).
Pork loin is very lean and its lack of fat can yield dry results. Knowing when to pull the roast from the grill is critical to achieving the juicy main dish you’re after. This cut of pork can go from succulent to moisture-depleted and stringy in a matter of just a few degrees. To find out the key temps and techniques you need and put this delicious dish on your summer grilling menu, keep reading…
COOKING ON A GRILL WITH INDIRECT HEAT
Grilling is a high-heat cooking method that would surely overcook the outside of a large roast to a blackened crisp before the internal temperature reaches its target, so how do we achieve the proper ambient cooking temperature for a roast on the grill? The solution for this dilemma is simple:
Set up a two-zone fire to create a moderate temperature inside the grill, and
Place the roast over the indirect heat side of the grill. (Directions on how to set up a two-zone fire are in the recipe’s instructions below.)
TWO-ZONE FIRE SETUP FOR CHARCOAL OR GAS GRILL
The moderate ambient grill temperature with indirect heat cooks the meat more gently, and is a perfect setup to turn your grill into a smoker for large, tough cuts like pork shoulder and brisket, as well! Indirect heat on the grill is also best when preparing sweet foods like pineapple or meats with sweet sauces to avoid burning the sugars, allowing them to cook to their sticky-sweet best.
The most essential concepts an outdoor cook needs to understand [are] the importance of temperature control, the differences between direct heat and indirect heat, and how to use a 2-zone setup. —Meathead Goldwyn, AmazingRibs.com
The key to any indirect heat cooking zone is temperature control. Not only do you need to keep an eye on the temperature to know whether it’s getting too hot, but monitoring low temperatures is critical for grill-roasting and smoking success. The high and low alarms of the ChefAlarm® are necessary to keep the grill’s temperature in the necessary temperature window. (The ChefAlarm is the only leave-in probe thermometer in its class that includes a low alarm feature!)
The words “grilling” and “barbecuing” are often used interchangeably, but they are actually different cooking techniques. Whereas grilling works best with quick-cooking foods that are smallish in size or foods that are individually portioned, barbecuing and grill-roasting work best with larger, slower-cooking foods. It may help to think of grilling, grill-roasting, and barbecuing along a cooking-time continuum. —Master of the Grill, America’s Test Kitchen
FLAVORFUL AND JUICY PORK THAT’S ALSO SAFE!
Center-cut pork loin has a satisfying meaty texture, but its lack of fat can cause it to dry out in a flash. In this recipe the addition of a flavorful, moist filling helps to ensure a juicy end result. While the filling helps to combat the potential dryness, knowing exactly what internal temperature to pull the roast from the grill is the best way to be sure the meat doesn’t end up dry and tough. As heat transfers through the pork, protein fibers tighten and squeeze out their juices. It’s important to remove the meat from the grill before too much moisture is gone while still reaching the USDA’s safe doneness temperature of 145°F (63°C).
WHY BUTTERFLY?
Butterflying is a simple butchering technique used to even out the thickness of meat prior to cooking. An overall even thickness helps to ensure even cooking, avoiding areas of meat that are overcooked and dry.
Pounding meat with a meat mallet is another method of thinning out thicker parts of a meat either by itself, or used in conjunction with butterflying. Chicken breasts are often pounded or butterflied because of its irregular thickness to avoid overcooking the thinner end of the meat. Butterflying and pounding = even cooking = more moist and flavorful meats!
This center-cut loin is a great candidate for butterflying because it is a solid muscle that cuts very cleanly and stays together once thinned out. Opening up the pork loin into a thin layer of meat allows the filling to be layered with the meat as it is rolled into a roast, more than it would if the loin was just sliced in the center giving it one pocket for the filling.
Tie it up! After butterflying and filling the pork, it is secured tightly with kitchen twine to hold it together in its roast shape, allowing for even cooking throughout. Check out the video at the top of this post to see how we butterflied our roast.
THE COOK: GRILL-ROASTED SWEET STUFFED PORK LOIN—SERVES 6
This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen‘s newest grilling cookbook, Master of the Grill. The expert tips and thoroughly-tested recipes in this book will have you grilling something new all year long, regardless of your skill level.
**Note: The pork loin we used was about 5 lbs. We used nearly a full double batch of the filling recipe listed below, and overall the cooking time was approximately 30 minutes longer than recommended in the recipe to achieve the internal temperature needed. The recipe
INGREDIENTS:
Filling
1-1/2 cups (4 ounces) dried apples
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise.
Make a wood chip packet: soak the wood chips in water for 15 minutes, drain, then wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil to create a packet. Cut two small slits in the top to allow smoke to escape during the cook.
Gas or charcoal grill set up with a two-zone fire for indirect heat cooking (instructions below)
Kitchen twine
INSTRUCTIONS:
1—Measure out all filling ingredients, place into a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes (track time with a TimeStick®).
2—Strain dried fruit through a fine mesh sieve, reserving the liquid.
3—Pulse filling in a food processor until all fruit is well-chopped but still chunky (about 15 pulses). Cover and refrigerate until ready to fill pork loin.
4—Return reserved liquid to a saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid reduces by about half and becomes thick—this will be the glaze for the roast.
5—Butterfly the pork loin. Position the roast on a cutting board. Insert knife about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the roast and cut horizontally, stopping 1/2 inch before the edge. Open the flap up. Through the thicker half of the roast, cut about 1/2 inch from the bottom, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Open this flap up. Repeat until pork loin is an even thickness throughout. If the loin is uneven, cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to even out (see video above).
6—Season the meat with salt and pepper.
7—Spread the filling evenly over the pork loin, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides.
8—Roll up pork loin tightly.
9—Tie the filled pork loin with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals.
10—Season the outside of the roast with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until the two-zone fire is ready.
➤ Preparing the Two-Zone Fire
Charcoal Grill: For a charcoal grill, open the bottom vent of the grill halfway. Light a large chimney starter 3/4 of the way filled with briquettes. When the top coals are beginning to develop white ash (about 20 minutes), pour evenly over half of the grill. Place the wood chip packet on the coals. Set grill grate in place, cover, and open lid vent halfway. Heat until the wood chips are smoking—about 15 minutes.
Gas Grill: With a gas grill, remove the grill grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grill grate back in place, turn all burners to high, cover, and heat until the grill is hot and the wood chips are smoking (about 15 minutes). Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners.
Track the Temp: Use a ChefAlarm with a grate clip and Pro Series® air probe to monitor the grill temperature. Set the ChefAlarm’s low alarm to 295°F (146°C), and the high alarm to 340°F (171°C). Adjust the vents or burners as necessary to maintain the grill’s ambient temperature in the range of 300-325°F (149-163°C).
☼ Thermal Tip: It’s important that the ChefAlarm’s air probe is attached to the indirect heatside of the grill. The probe’s max temperature threshold is 752°F (400°C) and the cable’s max temperature threshold is 662°F (250°C). Exposing the probe or cable to very high heat will cause irreversible damage. The indirect heat side of the grill of this project’s temperature range is safely below those temperatures.
12—Place the filled pork loin roast on the grill grate on the indirect heat side of the grill. Close the lid, and set the TimeStick for 30 minutes.
13—When the timer sounds, flip the roast. Close the lid and set TimeStick for 25 minutes.
14—When the TimeStick’s alarm goes off, spot-check the pork loin’s internal temperature with a ThermoPop® (On Sale Now!). The temperature should be about 130-135°F (54-57°C). If the temperature is still below 130°F (54°C), close the lid and allow the roast to cook for a few minutes longer until the target temp is reached.
☼ Temping Tip:If you find yourself grilling after dark, we’ve got you covered: the ThermoPop has a backlight!
15—Brush the roast on all sides with the reserved glaze. Close the lid and set the TimeStick for 5 minutes.
16—After the 5 minutes are up, spot-check the internal temperature with a ThermoPop. Once the internal temperature has reached 140°F (60°C), remove from the roast from the grill, transfer to a carving board and tent with aluminum foil. Set TimeStick for 15 minutes and allow the meat to rest (while resting, carryover cooking will continue to increase the roast’s internal temperature, safely reaching 145°F [63°C]).
17—Once the pork loin has rested, remove twine, slice roast into 1/2-inch thick slices and serve
Ingredients: Barbecue sauce: 1/2 cup minced onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 T. unsalted butter 1 cup ketchup 3 T. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. dry mustard sauce 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. Tabasco 1 1/2 lbs. ground pork 3 T. fresh bread crumbs 4 sesame hamburger buns, split and toasted Coleslaw: 2 cups thinly shredded cabbage 1/4 cup coarsely grated carrot 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice 3 T. mayonnaise, or to taste
Serves 4.
*
Directions:
1. To make the barbecue sauce, in a heavy saucepan cook the onion and the garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, add the ketchup, the Worcestershire sauce, the mustard, the vinegar, the brown sugar, the chili powder, and the Tabasco, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and let it cool. The barbecue sauce may be made 4 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. 2. In a bowl combine the ground pork, the bread crumbs, and 1/3 cup of the barbecue sauce and form the mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties. Season the burgers with salt and pepper and grill them on an oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals, basting them often and turning them several times, for 8 to 9 minutes on each side, or until they are just cooked through. 3. To make the coleslaw while the burgers are grilling, in a bowl stir together the cabbage, the carrot, the onion, the lemon juice, the mayo, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on burgers.
4 large ears corn, husked 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese 2 T. minced cilantro 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Serves 4. Directions:
Heat grill to medium high heat. Grill corn until charred and heated through, about 20 minutes, turning often. Combine chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder in a small bowl. Brush each corn cob with mayonnaise and then sprinkle with the spices. Roll each cob in crumbled cheese and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over before eating.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup honey 1 tsp. lime zest 3 cups diced cantaloupe 3 cups diced honeydew melon 3 cups seedless red grapes
Serves 8. Directions:
Whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, honey and lime juice in a small bowl; cover and chill. Combine the fruit in a large bowl; cover and chill. Fifteen minutes before serving toss dressing into fruit and let stand 15 minutes to blend flavors.
Serves 6.
Ingredients: 3 lbs. red potatoes, in 1 inch dice 1 cup diced red onion
2 T. chopped pickled jalapenos
2 T. pickled jalapeƱo juice
1 cup diced celery
1 cup fresh corn kernels
3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T. minced chipotle chilies in adobo or to taste 2 T. chopped cilantro
1 T. fresh lime juice
Directions 1. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil and add 1 tsp. salt.
Simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well and toss with red
onion, pickled jalapenos and juice. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
2. Stir the celery, corn and eggs into potato salad. Stir together the mayonnaise with
the chipotle chilies, cilantro and lime juice. Toss with the salad and chill until ready to
serve and up to 4 hours.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 vanilla beans, about 1/2 teaspoon scraped seeds OR 1 teaspoon vanilla extract In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir to combine and then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves; about 5 minutes. There is no need to stir, simply swirl the pan over the burner occasionally as the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to medium high and cook the sauce, swirling the pan occasionally, until it is amber colored; about 7-8 minutes. (It will go from amber to burnt in just moments, so keep a close eye on the pan!) Add the butter, be prepared for it to bubble and sputter, lightly stir or swirl to melt, do not scrape the sides of the pan or splash sauce up the sides of the pan. (This will cause crystallization, if you scrape the uncooked sugars back into the sauce.) Once the butter is melted, remove from the heat and add the vanilla beans, heavy cream and salt. It will bubble again, but will calm quickly. Whisk or stir to combine (again, not scraping sides of the pan) and then let cool before transferring to a jar and refrigerating for storage. Enjoy!
Mothers Day 2007 was the inception of the blog, Dine With Donna. I enjoy the challenge of preparing a variety of foods. Growing up in a large Catholic family in the Midwest, my cooking skills were inspired as my mother's kitchen assistant.
If you choose to use a recipe, please post a comment or suggestion that will help another person coming to the blog.