Filipino Chicken Adobo

Filipino Chicken Adobo

It has been way too long since I have posted here and I feel really bad about that because I have so much to share.  With two sixteen year old daughters needing rides to meetings and lacrosse practice and weekend car washes time just seems to get away from me.  I am not complaining though.  When they are driving themselves I will miss hearing everything that is going on in their lives (that they won't share with me)  as they chat with their friends in the back seat and forget I am in the car. 


Here I am today though with a recipe that couldn't wait.  Spring break was a few weeks ago and we went on a 7 night cruise on the Norwegian Epic.  It was really nice and really relaxing.  The girls were off mingling with other teens on the ship and my husband and I relaxed and did our own thing.  Most of the crew were from the Philippines.  We frequented a lounge on the ship called Maltings where we met and befriended Rowena, who worked there.


Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines and I have made it before but really could not see what all the fuss was about so I asked Rowena about this and she said she would write down her recipe for me.  Well now I know.  I made her recipe tonight and as my girls entered the house they oooed and ahh'd at how good the house smelled.  Then everyone oooed and ahh'd over how good it was.  Here is her recipe.  It is delicious and I am so thankful for my new friend and that she provided me with this wonderful dish to share.


Although Rowena did not say to do this I think it adds more flavor to the chicken to start the dish early in the day and let it marinate in the sauce before cooking.

Ingredients:


4 to 5 pounds chicken, cut up
1/2 cup white vinegar (see picture above)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce (see picture above)
1 whole head garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
3 pieces star anise
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups of water


4-5 cloves crushed garlic for finishing


Directions:


Early in the day thoroughly wash and drain chicken.  Combine all ingredients except chicken and the last 4-5 cloves garlic.  Add the chicken and marinate in the fridge for several hours.  When ready to cook bring everything to a simmer and cook, covered, over medium heat until the chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.


Remove the chicken to a non-stick skillet and brown well on all sides.


Meanwhile strain the sauce and return it to the pan and continue to reduce it slightly. Add the remaining garlic to the strained sauce.  When the chicken is browned return it to the pan with the sauce and cook 2-3 minutes.


Serve with rice and garnish with chopped scallion.


Enjoy!

Fruit Tarts

I made these Fruit Tarts for our Easter dinner dessert.

They are so easy and delicious.  You can use any combination of fruit that is in season and of course you can just make one big pie instead of tarts which is way easier! 

Fruit Tarts

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pie crust

1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
dash of salt
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons water

1 cup grapes, halved
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries
1 small banana, diced
1 six ounce pack blueberries

Prepare the pie crust as directed on the package for an empty shell.  You can either use tart shells or one pie pan.  I got 20 tarts out of the crust.  Set aside to cool.

Mix together the sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Add the orange juice and water.  Stirring constantly bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it is thick.  Set aside to cool.

Once the glaze is cool mix it into the diced fruit.  Fill the baked pie crust or tart shells with the fruit.  Cover and refrigerate several hours to firm up.  Eat these within a day for best flavor.

Enjoy!

 

Mamey and Nut Tea Bread

Yesterday I posted a recipe using this wonderful tropical fruit in a delicious pie.  Today I will give you the recipe for a Mamey Tea Bread.  I love a little something sweet with my coffee or tea in the morning and this is the prefect compliment.  Mamey is so sweet that I was able to reduce the sugar in the recipe it came out just right.

Keep watching because I am still eyeballing the pumpkin roll made with Mamey idea I mentioned yesterday.  My family and friends just love that roll and so I think I will make it this weekend and pump it up with some pineapple tidbits...  Funny story -  I brought the pumpkin roll to a potluck once and early on a woman came up to me and asked if she could take whatever was leftover home.  Hmmm.  Sure I said.  Well quite frankly there was not a crumb left!  I have a funny feeling if I make it with the Mamey I might have to make 2...or 3!

Mamey and Nut Tea Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup Mamey puree
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup nuts, chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Sift together dry ingredients.
2.  Combine Mamey, milk, eggs and oil and mix well.
3.  Add dry ingredients to Mamey mixture and combine.  Stir in nuts.
4.  Pour into a well greased and floured bread pan and bake for 50-55 minutes.


Enjoy!

Mamey Colada Mousse Pie

 

 

Being a "foodie" I am always game to try new things.  When I go to ethnic markets I will browse all the aisles and look for new and interesting ingredients to cook with. Sometimes that works out and sometimes not...  Fruits and vegetables are always fun to bring home to try. 







This fruit is ripe.  You can see that it is soft and a bit wrinkled and flat on top where it was sitting on the counter.



Here is the inside of the ripe Mamey.  It is bright orange and very sweet. 

 

This past week I was given the opportunity to try a wonderful fruit!  J&C Tropicals sent me a box containing Mamey.  Quite frankly when you look at this fruit you would probably not think that inside the rough exterior is this really phenomenal rich, sweet orange fruit.  In order to get more insight on this fruit the first thing I did was call my very good friend who owns a Cuban restaurant.  I asked her if she eats Mamey.  Apparently I was pronouncing it wrong because she said what? I finally showed her what I was talking about and she said ah, Mah-May.  Not May-May.  So that is how you pronounce it.  She told me her family loves it in smoothies. 

I had everyone in my family try a piece plain.  The flavor reminds me at once of pumpkin and papaya yet much denser and sweeter than either.  I started adding it to smoothies with strawberries and bananas and they were delicious.   The next thing I wanted to make was a pie.  Something tropical.  Out of that thought came this pie.  It is so good.  It hits on all the tropical flavors with the coconut and pineapple combined with the Mamey.  It actually came out very light and refreshing.  Just the thing for dessert by the pool on a hot summer day....

My next post will be the Mamey Tea Bread I made.  It came out so good.  Perfect with a morning cup of café con leche.  Finally, I went on Pinterest and searched for  Mamey.  While most of those posts were in Spanish I recognized one.  It was for the classic Libby's pumpkin roll only made with Mamey instead.  MMMM.  Indeed now that I have tried Mamey I am inclined to use it in all my pumpkin recipes instead of pumpkin.  It is richer and has so much more depth of flavor.  It is in season during the summer months so look for it in the specialty produce aisles and give it a try.  I have spotted it recently at my produce market.  I also read that the puree is sold frozen in Hispanic markets so I will be on the lookout for that during the holidays for my pumpkin roll and pumpkin pie.  By the way, the fruit is ripe when it becomes very soft and a little wrinkly.  When you bring it home from the market let it sit on the counter until it is soft and the side sitting on the counter is flat.  Okay, now on to the recipe.

Mamey Colada Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust (store bought or homemade)
1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
1 packet plain gelatin
1 package coconut cream instant pudding & pie filling
1 cup milk
2 cups Mamey puree
1 8oz container cool whip

1.  Heat the pineapple juice to a simmer.  Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin.  Stir until the gelatin is thoroughly dissolved.  Set aside to cool.
2.  Beat the pudding mix with the milk until starting to thicken.  Mix in the Mamey puree and the pineapple juice.  Blend thoroughly.
3.  Fold in 1/2 of the container of cool whip until blended.  Pour into the pie crust.  Cover and refrigerate at least four hours.
4.  Serve topped with remaining cool whip. 

Enjoy! 

Kale and Chickpea Salad

 

 

This is one of my favorite salads!  It is just so good.  I can live on this.  Just give it to me for lunch and dinner and I am good to go.

Indeed, I am catering a party for a friend in a few weeks and have been having her over for tastings.  When she tasted this salad she said it must definitely be on the menu.  She took the leftovers home and her whole family agreed with her.  So it is not just me.  And just forget that this is really good for you.  It is great tasting too.  And did I mention that it should really be made in advance?  Making it several hours or a day ahead allows the kale to tenderize and mellow out.  I should warn you though, make a lot because even though it can and should be made in advance, it is still really good right away.  Thus if you do not make enough you will not have any for later.....

By the way, I make it with bulgur wheat but you can also use quinoa.  I used quinoa when my friend visited.  She has celiac thus is gluten intolerant and the salad tasted great.  So good in fact that she ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!


Kale and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

 

Finely chiffonade the kale

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fine bulgur wheat
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 bunch kale (mine weighed 9 ounces before trimming)
1/2 cup chopped, fresh parsley
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (green and white portions)
1/4 cup chopped, fresh mint leaves
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium tomato, diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt

1.  Put the bulgur and the 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.  Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over top and set aside.  Put the chickpeas in a colander and rinse well and set aside to drain.
2.  Rinse kale well and remove tough stems.  Spin in a salad spinner to dry well.  Grab a handful of kale at a time and finely chiffonade it.  Add it to the bowl with the bulgur.  Add the chopped parsley, green onions, mint, garlic, tomato and chickpeas.  Stir and mix well pulling the bulgur from the bottom of the bowl.
3.  Make the dressing.  In a small bowl whisk together the lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, pepper and garlic salt.  Pour over salad and mix well.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight until ready to serve.

Enjoy

Roasted Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Butter

 

 

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending the final day of the Southeast Produce Council's Southern Exposure Conference.  About 200 companies set up exhibits of their products.  This means row upon row of the finest fruits and vegetables you have ever seen.  It really is amazing.

One of my favorite companies was there: Ocean Mist Farms.  They grow one of my all time favorite vegetables - artichokes.  Indeed I have been a member of their Artichoke Club for years.  Every month they send you tips on preparing artichokes and an opportunity to win a case of them.  You can check them out here:  http://www.oceanmist.com/

Yesterday I got a wonderful surprise in the mail from one of the representatives I met.  A case of their wonderful Heirloom Artichokes direct from Castroville, CA.  I plan to try several different preparations and began today with these Roasted Artichokes with Roasted Garlic Butter.  The roasting caramelized the artichokes giving them a deep rich flavor.  I served them as an appetizer.

Remove the choke.  It is not hard!

 

 

 

Put garlic where the choke used to be.  It will roast right along with the artichoke.

 

 

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 to 1 whole artichoke per person
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 peeled clove of garlic per artichoke half
1 tablespoon butter per artichoke half

Preheat Oven to 450.

1.  Trim about 1/2 inch off the stem end of the artichoke.  Place it stem side up on the cutting board and cut it in half.  Immediately brush the cut side with lemon juice using a pastry brush.
2.  Use a pairing knife to cut right under the fuzzy choke then scoop it out with a spoon. Brush again with lemon juice.
3.  Brush the artichokes all over with olive oil and season with salt.  Place a garlic clove in the cavity where the choke was.
4.  Making sure the garlic stays in place put the artichokes cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Roast for 15 minutes.
5.  Turn the artichokes cut side up, keeping the garlic in place and roast for another 15 minutes.
6.  Turn them a final time and continue roasting until done.  Another 10 minutes or so.

To serve, melt the butter.  Have each person mash their garlic clove in their butter dish and then divide the butter evenly among the dishes.  Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Ginger Sesame Noodles

Happy New Year!  Welcome to the year of the goat and sheep.  Indeed today only marks the first day of the Chinese New Year.  The celebration lasts for 15 days and each day has a special meaning.  It all culminates with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day.  That makes for one long party!

There is some seriously good eating going on too.  Yum!  Of utmost importance is eating noodles.  They represent longevity.  So here is a really delicious way to enjoy some noodles.  My kids love these, they will eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Noodles are meant to be a side dish and as such, this recipe will make 6 generous servings but my kids will eat them as the main event any chance they can.  These noodles complement so many main dishes - BBQ and grilled meats, roasted meats.  They are so simple to make, so enjoy.

Ginger Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:

8 ounces angel hair pasta
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion rings
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
freshly ground pepper to taste

1.  Cook pasta according to package.  I don't add salt to the water because the seasoning ingredients have plenty.  Drain when done.
2.  While the pasta cooks, toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium low heat.  Stir frequently and watch carefully.  This will take about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat just as they are taking on color.
3.  Thinly slice the scallions and mince the ginger.
4.  Put the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil in a large skillet.  Add drained pasta, sesame seeds, ginger and scallions.  Toss over low heat to just heat through and combine all ingredients.  I like to use 2 forks for this to get the scallions and sesame seeds all mixed in.  Season to taste with pepper.

Enjoy!

Clementine Cake

Clementine Cake
 

I am not a frivolous person.  I am frugal, practical, efficient but not frivolous.  I despise wastefulness.  At this stage of my life I have pretty much everything I need.  When Christmas rolls around I am sure to tell my husband and kids I do not need anything and please do not go buy stuff just so there is something under the tree for me.  Really.  That is what will make me happiest. 

And that is just what I said to them back in November.  Until one day this little catalog came in the mail from Pier One Imports.  Oh - I also do not bake much.  I am not good at it.  I drool over dessert and baking blogs but I leave it to them.  My cakes never look like theirs. Nor my cookies, or cake pops, or cupcakes.  Luckily I have kids so I let them do the decorating and then it is okay that it does not look like theirs.   So back to that little catalog that arrived in the mail.  In it was this beautiful cake stand.  For some reason I wanted it.  And I did not stop wanting it.  Usually I can talk myself out of pretty much any purchase.  But not this.  It is definitely not practical.  It is totally frivolous.  Really not me at all.  But I wanted it all the same and made sure everyone knew it.  So here it is.  I found it under the Christmas tree.

I promised that from now on I will put all the birthday cakes in it.  But I did want to try it out.  So today I made a cake.  I wanted something light and refreshing.  Something that would make the stand the star.  I had just purchased a box of clementines and they turned out to be perfect.  I pieced together this recipe and for once it came out exactly as I wanted it to.  It is perfect with a cup of hot tea. 

Isn't it beautiful?!

Clementine Cake

Ingredients for cake:

2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4-5 clementines to make puree (to make 1 1/3 cups)
1 tablespoon apricot jam

Preheat oven to 350. One eight cup cake pan or bundt pan well greased and floured. 

1.  Remove the zest from the clementines.  I found this easiest to do with a carrot peeler.  Place the fruit and the zest in a food processor or blender and puree. Strain 1/3 cup of the juice and set aside for syrup and glaze.  You should have about one cup puree remaining.  Do not strain remaining puree - leave in the pureed fruit and zest. 
2.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3.  Using a hand blender blend the eggs and sugar together until the eggs are light and the sugar is dissolved.  Blend in the oil and the 1 cup of puree.  Blend in the flour mixture.
4.  Pour into cake pan and bake 50 - 55 minutes until a tester comes out clean.  Turn the oven off. Remove from the oven and poke holes all over the cake with a skewer.  Pour the syrup slowly over the cake.  Put the cake back in the oven for 5 minutes. 
5.  Remove the cake from the oven and let stand 5 minutes more.  Then gently loosen the cake and turn it onto a plate.  Melt the apricot jam and lightly brush a thin layer all over the cake.  Let the cake cool completely.
6.  When the cake is cool make the glaze and drizzle it over the cake.  Place the cake on a beautiful cake stand and enjoy!

Ingredients for syrup:

Reserved strained puree
1/4 cup sugar

1. Remove 1 tablespoon of the clementine juice and set aside for glaze.  Put the rest in a small pan.  Add the sugar and bring the a simmer.  Stir and cook until the sugar is dissolved completely. 

Ingredients for glaze:

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon reserved clementine juice
1 cup confectioners sugar

1 Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave.  Add juice and sugar.  Whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over cake.  This glaze sets up pretty quickly so make it right before you will be using it.

Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

I am sad to say my leg of lamb is almost gone.  It has made such delicious meals and snacks, from the roast which we enjoyed for dinner, then as lamb sandwiches to the dolmades which we had for snacks and lunches to this final post:  Gyros.  Gyros are a family favorite and they really are not hard to make at home. 

We enjoyed them in the traditional way stuffed inside pita bread with tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and red onion but if you are watching your carbs you can turn this into a fantastic salad.  Just make a Greek salad with all the fixings - lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumber, feta cheese -  and top it with the heated gyro meat.  Serve it with Greek salad dressing and tzatziki sauce.  How good does that sound?

By the way, I use full fat Greek yogurt for the tzatziki sauce.  It is so rich and creamy.  You know when you eat at a Greek restaurant how rich and smooth the tzatziki sauce is?  Well that is why.  No fat free versions here.  And you are not using anymore here than that huge dollop of sour cream you put on your baked potato.  In addition, the yogurt contains those good for you probiotics people pay extra money for at the drug store.  This is a much yummier way to get them!  If you do choose fat free yogurt (which will still be good) make sure it is Greek yogurt.  Any other kind will just be watery.  No exceptions - it must be Greek.

This recipe makes enough gyro meat to stuff 6 pita breads.  Prepare the meat a day in advance as it needs to chill overnight.

Pack the meat mixture into a loaf pan lined with foil.  Leave enough foil over hanging to cover meat later.

Slice the chilled meat fairly thin.

Brown the meat on both sides in a non stick skillet coated with oil or bacon fat.

Ingredients for the Gyro meat:

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/2 cup very finely diced onion
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Heat oven to 325.  Line a loaf pan with foil long enough to extend over the side of the loaf pan. 

Mix all the ingredients together well and pack it into the loaf pan.  Leave the foil hanging over the side, it will be used later.  Bake the meat for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and drain off fat.  Now use the foil to cover the meat and place some heavy cans on top to weight the meat down.  Place it in the refrigerator overnight.

When ready to serve, remove the meat from the pan and slice it thinly.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat and coat the bottom with oil (or bacon fat as I did).  Put the gyro meat in the pan in a single layer and brown on both sides.  It is now ready to serve. 

Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce

1 medium cucumber
2 cups plain Greek yogurt, I used full fat but it will taste good with fat free Greek yogurt.
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons fruity olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper

Peel the cucumber if waxed.  Grate it on the large holes of a cheese grater.  Place it in a colander and toss it with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile combine remaining ingredients except salt and pepper.  Add the olive oil and vinegar to taste.  When the cucumber has sat for 10 minutes use your hands and really squeeze it to remove all the water.  This way it will not water down your tzatziki.  Once it is really well drained add it to the sauce.  Then season with salt and pepper. 

Build your gyros. 

Ingredients:

1 package pita bread (6 pieces)
Gyro meat, heated
lettuce
sliced tomato
sliced red onion
tzatziki sauce

Preheat oven to 200.  Wrap the pita bread in foil and heat for 10 to 15 minutes to soften while preparing everything else.  Once heated let everyone make their own gyro to taste with all the yummy ingredients.

Enjoy

Dolmades

 

I love Greek food and I love lamb.  Yesterday I made dolmades with some of the ground lamb from
my leg of lamb.  They really do need to chill so we did not have them until today.  They were so good!  We are truly being spoiled this week!

Every time I opened the fridge I would sneak one!   There are as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks but here is mine.  I like a lot of rice because I like the way it plumps up and fills out the grape leaves.  By the way - I use jasmine rice for most everything because I just think it tastes better.  The only exceptions would be sushi or paella. 




 

Simmer until water is absorbed.

Snip off tough stems. 

Use about 1 1/2 teaspoons for each grapevine leaf. 

Line a large skillet with the leftover leaves.  Place the filled leaves in the skillet. 

Place an inverted plate over the leaves.  Add water to just cover the stuffed leaves, bring to a simmer and cover and cook on low for 1 and 1/4 hours.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion finely diced
1/2 cup scallions finely chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 pound ground lamb
1  cup jasmine rice
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parley
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 one pound jar grapevine leaves

For serving:  Fresh lemons, good fruity olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.  Saute the onion and scallions until the onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.  Add the lamb, rice, dill, parsley, pine nuts and lemon juice.  Add 1 cup of water.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Take into account that these are going to expand some more so the seasoning will be diluted. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes until the water is absorbed.  The rice will not be cooked at this point.

Let the rice mixture cool.  Meanwhile remove the grapevine leaves to a colander and rinse well to remove the brine.

 Lay the leaves out on a board and clip off the tough stem. Fill each leaf with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the rice mixture.  Start rolling, then fold in the sides and continue rolling to make a cylinder. 

Take any leaves that remain and line the bottom of a large skillet with them.  Arrange the stuffed grapevine leaves on top.  Place an inverted plate over top.  Add enough water to just cover the leaves (about 1  1/2 cups).  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer one hour and 15  minutes.  You may need to add a little more water after 50 to 60 minutes to keep the bottom of the pan moist. 

Thoroughly chill the dolmades.  When ready to serve place them on a plate.  Drizzle with a good fruity olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Roast Leg of Lamb

Right about the last week of the year, if you are very lucky, you will walk into Costco and the boneless leg of lamb will be on sale for $3.99 a pound.  The sale only seems to last a day or two so you must hit it just right.  Last year (December 2013) I caught it and bought one.  Then of course thought why did I not get two and when I went back a day or so later they were back to regular price.

This year I did buy two!  And when I was back a few days ago - they were back to regular price. 

I put one in the freezer and tonight started on the other one.  The leg of lamb was just shy of 4 1/2 pounds.  I cut off a two pound portion that was kind of flat and butterflied.  The other two pound portion was a big chunk.  Tonight we had the butterflied portion as a roast for dinner.  I ground the other portion and made Dolmades and Gyro meat.  I will tell you about those tomorrow because we have not had them yet as both have to chill and there are no pictures of the finished dish. 

The roast was simple and delicious and made some fabulous leftovers that will be terrific on sandwiches tomorrow.  So without further ado here is my simple Roast Leg of Lamb:

 

Season the inside of the lamb with salt, pepper, crushed garlic and a sprig of fresh rosemary.
 

Tie the roast with kitchen twine.  Place on a rack in a casserole or use fresh rosemary.
 

Let the roast rest for 10 to 15 minutes, slice thinly and serve. 

 

 

Ingredients:

a 2 pound leg of lamb portion, butterflied
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine

Preheat the oven to 500.  Open up the lamb and season the inside well with salt and pepper.  Rub the inside with 1/2 the garlic.  Place the sprig of rosemary inside and close up and tie the lamb into a roast.

Make a couple of slits in the lamb to allow the seasoning to penetrate.  Season the outside of the lamb with salt, pepper, the remaining garlic and the chopped rosemary.

I used a bed of rosemary to set the roast on or you can use a rack.  Pour the wine into the pan.  Set the roast into the pan fat side up.

Roast at 500 for 15 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 for another 20 minutes for rare, 30 minutes for medium.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Slice thinly and serve.

Enjoy!

Best Homemade Croutons

Happy New Year and Welcome 2015! 

 

I really do not know where to start with this post.  I have been mostly absent this last year as I have been through some major emotional events.  My life will be forever different but that is life isn't it?  Always changing.  It is truly amazing how much we humans want to resist change yet it is so inevitable.  I am so thankful to have my family and friends.  They are the best anyone could ask for.  So we continue.

I have been in the kitchen.  I just have not been posting.  My New Year's Resolution is to blog more often.  I have so much to share. 

I am starting with something simple here.  I make these all the time.  I know that many a New Year's Resolution is going to include weight loss and dieting.   That must mean lots of salads.  No doubt many will be low carb as that is the current trend.  You need not load up on carbs but a few of these babies sprinkled on your salad will not harm you and will make it much easier to stick with the plan.  They are light, airy and crunchy and fairly melt in your mouth. 

These are so good my family often does not wait for the salad but eats them out of hand straight from the container. 

They would make an awesome hostess gift, packed in a fancy container and bagged up with some salad tongs and a fancy dressing! 

This recipe calls for tossing the bread cubes in the pan with the cold butter.  As the butter melts it coats the cubes more evenly than if you tossed the cubes into already melted butter in which case only a portion of them would get coated. These are so much better than those things you buy in the salad dressing aisle.  They are so easy to make too.  There really is no excuse not to. 

The reason this works is because each little cube of bread gets a light coating of butter before being baked to crisp perfection.  Do plan ahead.  It is best to work with day old French bread because it is easier to slice without it squishing up under the knife.  So here it is - The Best Homemade Croutons..

.

 

Cut day old bread into 1/2 inch cubes.

 

 

 

Toss in a skillet over low heat with 2 chunks of butter so it slowly melts and coats each cube.

 

Ingredients:

1 12 oz loaf day old French bread
Scant 1teaspoon garlic salt (I used Lawry's), divided
Scant 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
4 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces.

Preheat oven to 200.

Cut loaf in half and using 1/2 at a time cut loaf into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Then cut each slice into 1/2 inch cubes.

Transfer cubes to a large skillet.  Sprinkle them with a scant 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.  Add 2 tablespoons of cold butter to the skillet.

Place the skillet over low heat and toss the bread constantly as the butter melts.  What this does is make sure that each cube gets a hit of butter.  Once the butter is completely melted toss the cubes for a few seconds more to absorb it all. 

Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the other half of the loaf and spread on a separate baking sheet.  Place the croutons in the oven.  Set the timer for 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes use a spatula to toss the croutons around.  Return them to the oven for another 8 minutes.  Toss and turn them and then go 8 more minutes.  They should be nice and perfectly crisp now.  pack them in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

And the Winner Is:

In a random drawing from the comments for the family four pack of tickets to the Never-Ending Pie Buffet at the The 2014 Great American Pie Festival® #2 came up! 

This is a wonderful event for the whole family so I hope to see you there. 

2014 Great American Pie Festival and a Giveway!

I meant to do another pie post with this giveaway but due to some recent events in my life I had to be out of town for the last several weeks.  I was unable to get to the post and the 2014 Great American Pie Festival is right around the corner. 

As always it is being held in the quaint town of Celebration, FL the weekend of April 26th and 27th, 2014.

You can check it out here:

http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/GreatAmericanPieFestival

You can also check out my review of the event here:

http://www.saturdaynightsuppers.com/2012/05/2012-great-american-pie-festival.html

One of the highlights of the festival is the Never-Ending Pie Buffet.  It is basically a block long pie buffet and you get to try as much as you like.  Stay all day and go back to it over and over!  

I have a family four pack of tickets to the Never-Ending Pie Buffet to giveaway! 

If you plan to be in town and heading for the Pie Festival here is what to do. To enter all you need to do is tell me in the comments what your favorite pie is.  Check out my recipes!  My favorite is the Key Lime Pie from this post:

http://www.saturdaynightsuppers.com/2012/03/key-lime-pie.html

I will choose one winner from all the entries on Thursday, April 17th, 2014 in a random drawing.

Also, watch for the post I was planning for this day which is actually a favorite Southern specialty and savory to boot:  Tomato Pie coming soon.

Sweet Potato Pie

 For this weeks pie contribution I made Sweet Potato Pie.  This pie is so good.  It totally exceeded my expectations.  We all think it is so much better than pumpkin pie.  I used one of my favorite ingredients in the filling:  browned butter.  MMM so good!

Check out the pie pan I have been using.  It has this lever in it.  When I am ready to serve the pie I swirl the lever around the pie pan and it releases the pie from the pan.  I was skeptical at first thinking it would tear at the crust but it works like a charm.  My slices come right out.  If you can find one of these pans I highly recommend it.

We are now one month away from the 2014 Great American Pie Festival.  It will be held in Celebration, FL  the weekend of April 26-27.  If you are headed to the festival you will want to check out next weeks post as I will be having a give away.  A family four pack of tickets to the Never Ending Pie Buffet.  For more information on the festival you can go here:

http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/GreatAmericanPieFestival

You can also check out my write up on the festival here:

http://www.saturdaynightsuppers.com/2012/05/2012-great-american-pie-festival.html

And now for the recipe.

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (yield from about 1 1/4 pounds steamed, peeled)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup plus1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. In a small dish mix together the 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and set aside.
2. Place a sturdy baking sheet in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Place pie crust in pie pan and crimp the edges.  Place in the refrigerator while preparing filling.
4. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes or until it is a golden brown and smells nutty.  Take care not to burn it. 
5. In a large mixing bowl blend together the butter and the 1/2 cup sugar.
6. Add the eggs and mix well.
7. Add the milk, sweet potatoes, vanilla and spices.  Mix well.
8. Pour the filling into the shell.  Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mix evenly over top of the pie.
9. Place the pie on the heated baking sheet and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. 
10. Reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
11. Cool and store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Apple Crumb Pie

 

 

This second pie in my "pie series" leading up to the 2014 Great American Pie Festival® and Never Ending Pie Buffet family four pack giveaway is really good.  It is my Apple Crumb Pie.  Judging from the moans of pleasure as my family ate this pie they all think it is really good too.  I think it is the best apple pie ever. 

I love the crumb topping because it hugs the pie instead of creating a space of air between the pie and the top crust  I also add nuts to the crust which gives it even more flavor.  MMM - so good.

Check out the post for Nonie's Cherry Cheese Pie for links to more information on the pie festival.

Apple Crumb Pie

Filling:

• 2 1/4 pounds mixed apples (I used 3 different varieties)
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

1.  Peel and core the apples.  Slice them thinly. 
2. Add the lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time and toss the apples gently after each addition.
3. Add the vanilla and toss to distribute.
4. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients.  Toss the sugar mixture with the apples.

Crumb Topping

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Cut the butter into about 8 pieces. 
2. Place everything into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles course crumbs. 
3. To mix by hand, cut the butter into the flour and sugar.  finely chop the nuts and add to the flour and butter mixture.

Pie:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 recipe filling
• 1 recipe crumb topping

Fill in all those nooks and crannies with crumb topping!

 

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Place a baking sheet in the oven.
2. Roll out crust and place in a deep dish pie plate.  Crimp edges high. 
3. Add the filling to the crust and spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples, filling all the nooks and crannies. 
5. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
6. Turn the oven off but leave the pie in the oven to cool, at least 60 minutes during which the pie continues to gently cook and reach peak consistency.
7. Refrigerate if not serving right away.

ENJOY!




                             

           
                                

Nonie's Cherry Cheese Pie

The 2014 Great American Pie Festival® is coming to Celebration, FL the weekend of April 26 - 27.  I have been attending this event for the last several years.  It is always so much fun with activities for all ages.  You can see my write up of this event here: 

http://www.saturdaynightsuppers.com/2012/05/2012-great-american-pie-festival.html

You can also head over here for information about this years event:

http://www.piecouncil.org/Events/GreatAmericanPieFestival

Once again I have been provided with a family four pack of tickets to the Never-Ending Pie Buffet to  giveaway on this site.  If you have not experienced the Never-Ending Pie Buffet you are missing out.  You get to enjoy as much pie as you can eat.  They have so many different kinds too!  YUM!  I will be doing a series of pie posts over the next few weeks and then will have the giveaway.  Enjoy the posts, make some pie and watch for a chance to win!

The first pie I am featuring is in memory of Grace "Nonie" M. Whiting who passed away on February 22, 2008.  I count myself blessed to have a second family in my life.  My extended family does not live nearby yet it is so important to have family and traditions and get togethers, especially on holidays.  Especially for the kids.  So how lucky am I that one of my very best friends, Angel and her family have been there for me.  Grace is Angel's grandmother.  Over the years it was always Grace who made the pies for the holidays.  Her Cherry Cheese Pie was always the favorite.

Nonie's Cherry Cheese Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 pack Dream Whip prepared according to package instructions
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 22 oz can cherry pie filling and topping

Directions:

1. Blind bake the pie crust according to the instructions on the package.  Make sure to crimp high as the crust does shrink during baking.  Cool completely.



2. Prepare the Dream Whip according to the instructions on the package.
3. Beat together the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. 
4. Fold the Dream Whip into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Pour into the pie shell.
6. Gently spoon the cherry pie filling over top. 
7. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

ENJOY!