Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

This is an oldy but goody!  It's my favorite crust and so simple to make.  I actually can throw this together in about 30 minutes.  Before you know it your kitchen will smell wonderful!!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie 

For the Pie:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups 1/2-inch pieces rhubarb

2 cups sliced strawberries

Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie

1 Tablespoon butter

Oven @ 400 degrees

Combine sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.  Add to the fruit, mixing well: let stand 20 minutes.

For the Pastry: 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup crisco

6-7 Tbs cold water

In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt and add the crisco.  Blend with a fork or pastry blender until small like peas form.  Add the cold water and mix until the dough forms.  separate into two balls and flatten the balls out and try not to handle too much.  Wrap in plastic wrap and stick in fridge for 10 minutes

Roll out your dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate.  place the pastry dough in the pie plate.  Spoon out your fruit mixture into the the pastry lined pie plate.  Dot with butter.   Roll out the top crust and adjust the fit the top and flute the edges. Make small cuts in the top crust to release stream from pie as it bakes.   You can beat an egg and glaze the top of the pie if you like a golden brown crust.

Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) about 40 - 50 min or until done.  Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream!  Enjoy! 

 

Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast

Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) packages cram cheese, at room temp

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

10 slices French bread, 3/4 inch thick

(preferably homemade or fresh store-bought)

2 cups fresh blueberries

Maple syrup, for serving

Confectioners' sugar, for serving

Cooking instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl, with a stand mixer on medium speed until well blended.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing will after each addition.  Add the milk, and mix well
• Arrange the bread in a prepared baking dish, and spread the blueberries on top of the bread.  Pour the cram cheese mixture over the bread. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before baking (or cover the pan, and place it in the refrigerator overnight).  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown.
• Serve with maple syrup and confectioners' sugar.

Veggies in Yellow Curry

 Veggies in Yellow Curry

2 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk*

1/2 cup (4 oz) yellow curry paste (recommended: Mai Ploy)*

1 small russet potato (about 8 oz) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

1 (15 oz) can baby corn, rinsed and drained

1 Thai chile, such as prik kee noo, or 1 serrano chile, stemmed and thinly sliced

 5 sprigs Thai basil, with stems, plus 1/4 cup chopped*

3 kaffir lime leaves*

1 Tbs fish sauce*

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Serving suggestions:  steamed white rice

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the coconut milk and curry paste to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until smooth, about 1 minute.  Add the potato, carrots, onion, bell pepper, corn, chile, basil sprigs, lime leaves, and fish sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  R
remove the lid and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 min.  Discard the lime leaves and basil sprigs.  Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with chopped basil and serve over steamed white rice.

Serves 4-6

Turkey Larb

Turkey Larb

 Ingredients

Dressing:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice, from about 5 limes

3 Tbs fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon

2 Tbs fish sauce*

2 Tbs honey

Larb:

3 Tbs vegetabe or canola oil

1/2 red onion, diced

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 (4 inch) piece lemongrass, minced (about a 1/4 cup)*

1 Thai Chile, such as prik kee noo, or 1 serrano chile stemmed and thinly sliced*

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, preferably dark meat

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

freshly ground black pepper

1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated

*Can be found at specialty Asian markets

Serving suggestion: sticky or steamed white rice

Directions:

Dressing:  In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce and honey.  Set aside.

Larb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion, shallots, lemongrass, chile, and salt, to taste.  Coo, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the turkey and season with salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes. 
Add the dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spoon the turkey mixture onto the lettuce leaves and arrange on a serving platter.  Serve with sticky rice. 

4 Servings

 

Cantonese Style Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Anna and I made these tonight!  She is a big fan of pot stickers. We were watching a cooking show this weekend and she suggested that we try to make these ourselves!  Yummy yummy!!  Enjoy as much as we did!

Cantonese Style Pork and Shrimp Dumplings

Ingredients:
1/4 pound ground pork
1 cup watercress
1/2 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 Tbs oyster sauce
1 1/2 Tbs sesame oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) package round dumpling skins

1 lb peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the pork,  watercress, water chestnuts, green onion, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, ground  pepper and salt.  Mix together well.
2.  Place 1/2 tsp of this filling onto each dumpling skin.  Place 1 shrimp on the filling, slightly wet the edge of the dumpling skin, fold over and pinch with your fingers to form a seal all the way around.
3.   To cook:  Pan fry the dumplings in a large skillet over medium heat with oil for 15 min, turning over halfway through or place them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes; drain and serve in hot chicken broth.
 (I couldn't find the round dumpling skins so I ended up making my own dough and rolling out about 20 little dumpling skins of my own)

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

I made this for Christmas one year!  It was a masterpiece!   We all thought we died and went to heaven.

My brother-in-law, Martin said... "mmmm, the marshmallows taste like marshmallows and the chocolate taste like chocolate"  My kids got such at laugh out of that!

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

Serves 16

For the Cake:

6 oz (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans

3/4 cup canola oil

4 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs at room temperature

3/4  cup buttermilk at room temperature

2 Tbs pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Frosting:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 oz unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

6 oz (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, more for decorating

1/2 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Marshmallows: 

3  1/4-oz envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 Tbs confectioners' sugar; more as needed

Make the Cake

Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter three 9x2 inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round.  Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water.  Heat over medium heat until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and cocoa powder.  Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack.  stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another.  Bake, swapping and rotating the pans' positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool on racks for 10 min.  Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Make the Frosting

In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted.  Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted.  Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth - be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely.  Pour into a 9x13 inch pan and freeze until firm.  About 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Make the Marshmallows

Pour 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the water.  Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with a whisk attachment.

Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don't let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan.  In the saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water over medium heat without, stirring until it reaches 234 degrees to 235 degrees, about 10 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.

Add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the 2 sides.  Sift 1 Tbs of the confectioners' sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs confectioners' sugar on the top.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.

Assemble the cake

Remove the frosting from the freezer or refrigerator. Transfer to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften.  Change to a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing.  Top the layer with 11/2 cups of the frosting, spreading evenly with an offset spatula to the cake's edge.  Repeat with another cake layer and 1 1/2 cups frosting.  Top with the last cake layer.

Put 1 1/2 cups of the frosting in a small bowl.  With an offset spatula, spread this frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake.  Refrigerate the cake until the frosting forms enough to seal in the crumbs, 20 to 30 min.

Spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake.  If necessary, you can re whip the remaining frosting to loosen and lighten it.  Remove the waxed paper strips.

Use the foil

Make ahead: You can bake, cool, wrap, and store the cake layers at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month.  You can refrigerate the frosting for up to 3 days.  The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours (return to room temperature before serving).  Wrapped well, leftover marshmallows keep at room temperature for up to 1 month.  We used them in Hot Chocolate!!!

Baked Stuffed French Toast

BAKED STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

This is absolutely delicious!  A real favorite with our family.  It's a recipe that you don't cook everyday but it's wonderful when you have guests and also a great one for the holidays.   I've cooked this for Easter mornings and Christmas too!  Subtly sweet, light and fluffy!  I'm not counting the calories on this one!!!  Enjoy!

20 to 24 slices raisin bread ( I've used cinnamon bread too because Anna doesn't like raisins)

6 eggs

2 cups half and half

2 cups milk

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sugar

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

Filling:

16 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

Arrange bread slices in a 13x9 baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam.  Sprinkle bread with cinnamon.  Spread cream cheese mixture over bread.  Layer with the remaining bread and cinnamon.  Slowly pour egg mixture over the top until all the bread is soaked.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 350 degrees covered for approximately 40 minutes.  Then uncover and bake for 20 minutes linger.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.  Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve with sauteed apples, peaches or my favorite....strawberries and maple syrup.  Also best to serve with bacon or sausage.  Great brunch!!