Strawberry Summer Cake

I made this cake at night and took it to work in the morning and it was delicious for breakfast...and since it has fruit, it does count as a healthy breakfast.  The picture posted on Smitten Kitchen immediately had my stomach wanting the whole thing.  Blah, I don't know what else to say except look at the link on Smitten Kitchen, the pics are amazing, the blog itself is amazing, make the cake. DONE.



6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for pie plate
1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour (can swap 3/4 cup or 94 grams all-purpose flour with 3/4 cup or 75 grams of barley flour, see Note)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (200 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup (118 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 pound (450 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch pie pan or 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (what I used). I did not test this with a standard 9-inch pie plate but looking at the margin of space leftover in my deep-dish pan after baking the cake, I suspect you’d be safe. This cake would also work in a 9- or 10-inch springform or cake pan. The 10-inch would make a thinner cake than pictured.

Whisk flour or flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat butter and 1 cup sugar until pale and fluffy with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg, milk and vanilla until just combined. Add dry mixture gradually, mixing until just smooth.

Pour into prepared pie plate. Arrange strawberries, cut side down, on top of batter, as closely as possible in a single layer (though I had to overlap a few to get them all in). Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over berries.

Bake cake for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake cake until golden brown and a tester comes out free of wet batter, about 50 minutes to 60 minutes. (Gooey strawberries on the tester are a given.) Let cool in pan on a rack. Cut into wedges. Serve with lightly whipped cream.

Tired of tradtional Lasagna?

That isn't really a fair question, because who tires of lasagna? Pasta, sauce, cheese, meat, these are a few of my favorite things.  With this recipe, when you think lasagna, you have to ask, "Tradional, spinach or BROCCOLI?"  I love broccoli - fiber (duh), it is really green which means it has a lot of nutrients and the great part about this recipe is that it recommends using frozen broccoli florets.  There is one thing I dislike about broccoli - when you bye fresh broccoli, and take the time to slice and dice, the tiny bits of broccoli get everywhere.  Buy frozen - it is just as nutrient packed and healthy as fresh.  RealSimple is true to keeping life simply amazing - enjoy the recipe and check out my comments (noted with ***and then my priceless comment) of where I made small adjustments.

Broccoli and Three-Cheese Lasagna

 

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 1hr 10m

***I would like to meet these 4 sumo wrestlers because this fed me dinner for 8 nights (paired with a side salad and see other adjustments)

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce container ricotta (about 1 3/4 cups) ***I risked using the fat free, aka skim, ricotta and it turned out great
• 1 pound frozen broccoli florets—thawed, patted dry, and chopped***DO NOT put these on a cloth dish towel because your towel will stink
• 2 1/4 cups grated mozzarella (9 ounces)***this is kind of an annoying amount because the grated cheese you buy comes in 8oz bags, so I bought one bag and saved a little bit to sprinkle on top - no damage done
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 16-ounce jar marinara sauce***I will always recommend Prego Traditional, maybe because that is what I was raised on, but I just think it is the best
• 1/2 cup heavy cream ***I considered skipping this, but decided to follow the recipe and added whipping cream and I really do think it made a difference
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles***I admittedly didn't know no-boil existed and bought regular noodles and boiled them, but 8 wasn't enough, will do 12 next time
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the foil
• 4 cups mixed greens***optional, this is for the salad
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice***salad

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, broccoli, 2 cups of the mozzarella, ¼ cup of the Parmesan,½  teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and cream.
2. Spoon a thin layer of the sauce into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, a quarter of the remaining sauce, and a third of the broccoli mixture; repeat twice. Top with the remaining 2 noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan. ***I needed more noodles because I used a 9x13 inch pan
3. Cover tightly with an oiled piece of foil and bake until the noodles are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. ***not sure what this oiling the foil business is and I didn't oil my foil because removing a piece of foil covered in hot oil sounded like a bad idea
4. Toss the greens with the olive oil, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the lasagna. ***toss that salad friends!

I made one addition to this recipe - notice there isn't any meat?! I added italian sausage flavored turkey burger and...IT.WAS.AMAZING!  I recommend adding meat, it just seems right.

Red Velvet Cupcakes...from Runners World?

Yup, that is right. This recipe was published in Runner's World and it was absolutely delicious (I don't enjoy red velvet cupcakes, but the response was great)!  I guess you can actually forgo the red food coloring because the fusion of buttermilk, cocoa and vinegar creates a red tinge. I used the red food coloring, but am curious to try it without.  A couple warnings - red food coloring seemed to get everywhere and it can stain, don't even think about using regular flour in place of cake flour and yes, vinegar is supposed to be an ingredient.  Finally, add graham crackers to your grocery list because there was a lot of extra cream cheese frosting.  Enjoy!


Cupcakes1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vinegar


Cream-Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (one bar)
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Heart-shaped cupcake toppers or colored sugar


Preheat oven to 325° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with wrappers.

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Pour wet mixture into dry and mix until combined. Fill tins two-thirds full with batter. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, mix butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly mix in confectioner's sugar. Add vanilla extract. Frost cupcakes using a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip. Or frost with a small spatula. Sprinkle with colored sugar or cupcake toppers. Makes 24.

Snow = Soup

Just when we thought Spring may, well spring, as we turned March 1 - I am sitting at my desk, watching the rain turn to snow.  And, snow and the feeling of being cold to the bones always makes me want soup.  Many of you know that my wonderful siblings gifted me a Cuisinart slow cooker for Christmas (not that I dropped any hints) and it came with a cookbook, bonus! So, what first...Tomato Soup.  Now, this ins't your traditional tomato soup, but there is an option to puree it, but I left it "rustic" and it was warming and delishious.  Enjoy!

(Source:  Cuisinart Slow Cooker Cookbook)

Tomato Soup

Makes 6 Servings

3 cans (14 oz each) diced tomatoes, juices drained *I didn't drain the juices bc I like my soup soupy
2 garlic cloves peeled, chopped
1 small onion, peeled, chopped *I actually used scallions
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium stalk celery, tops removed, chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
*I added cayenne pepper (too much for my taste) and my try chili powder next time - just for a little extra kick

Throw everything in the slow cooker.  My fancy slow cooker has a simmer option, which I assume is "low" - cook for 6 hours and turn down to "warm" (which mine does automatically after I set the timer - again, I love my brother and sister).  Serve as the rustic version or puree in your blender.

I also enjoy grilled cheese and enjoyed my tomato soup with toasted french bread and brie.  Delish!

And we're back...

I have an entire backlog of recipes I need to get on here.  Almost to the point of being overwhelming.  It's kind of like cleaning my house....when I don't keep up with it, it gets too overwhelming, and I don't even know where to start.  So I sit on the couch and watch movies instead. 

So, I will start with one recipe and move forward.  Because this is just too good not to blog about.  I made this for Valentine's Day dinner, and it did not disappoint.  Seriously, this was weeks ago, and I still drool every time I think about it.  And I tell anyone who will listen...."Have you ever made short ribs?!!?"  And the polenta. Oh, the palenta.  The perfect little bed of heaven for the short ribs.  Quick, run to your dutch oven and make these today!

(recipe and picture source: http://www.pioneerwoman.com/)

Braised Short Ribs

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt & Pepper To Taste
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary

(I also added a package of sliced baby bella mushrooms.  I love mushrooms, and thought these were a great addition.  I also used dried spices since I didn't have any fresh ones on hand.  Still tasted great.  Dried spices are more potent than fresh ones, so make sure you adjust the measurements if used dried).

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.
Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.
Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.
Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)
Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Creamy Polenta with Goat Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Goat Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil.
Add cornmeal to the water in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, adding salt and extra tablespoons of water as needed.
When polenta is done, stir in butter and goat cheese. Check seasonings, and add salt to taste.

Just a note...leftover polenta just does not seem to have the same texture the next day.  Still delicious, but just not as creamy.  More reason to eat it all up at once!

Cheers, Tanya