Italian Mushroom Risotto
This is such a simple yet elegant dish to make. If you want to impress your friends and family then serve them this Italian Mushroom Risotto dish. Works as a side dish or a main course.
INGREDIENTS
½ Ounce Dried Porcini Mushrooms
14 Ounces Chicken or Vegetable Broth
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Pound Sliced White Mushrooms
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Finely Chopped Small Onion
2 Cups Arborio Rice
½ Cup Dry White Wine
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley
Take the dried porcini mushrooms and combine the mushroom with ½ cup of boiling water in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. With a spoon remove the mushrooms, dry and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a sieve. Heat the vegetable or chicken broth, 3 ½ cup water and porcini mushroom liquid to a boiling over a high heat in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cover. In a separate medium saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the white mushrooms, pepper, salt and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in the porcini. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl. Set aside. In the same saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until the grains are opaque. Add the white wine and cook until absorbed. Add 12 cup of the simmering broth and stir until absorbed. Continue cooking, adding more both ½ cup at a time. Stir after each addition. Cook for 25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender and creamy but still firm. Stir in the mushroom mixture and Parmesan cheese. Heat through and stir in the parsley. Serves 4 main dishes.
Chocolate Crackle Cookies
These cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream.
INGREDIENTS
12 Ounces Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (Divided)
¾ Cup Flour
2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ancho Chili Pepper
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 Lightly Beaten Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate. It is a good idea to use a double boiler, but you can also melt it in the microwave. After melting the chocolate set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate. Mix the flour, cinnamon, ancho chili pepper, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add the melted chocolate and beat until well blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on a low speed until well mixed. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 1 ½ inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 10 minutes. You want the cookies set and slightly cracked on top. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies.
Cinnamon Toast Shortbread Cookies
You can make these shortbread cookies into rectangles or the classic shortbread wedge. You will love this twist of the classic shortbread!
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ Cups Softened Unsalted Butter
3 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 ¾ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl. With either a hand mixer or stand mixer beat in the butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and vanilla for 3 minutes on medium speed until the dough begins to form clumps. If you want to make rectangular cookies you will need to use a 9×13 inch baking pan. For wedges use two 9 ½ inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms or you could use 9 ½ inch pie plates. I like to use parchment paper in the bottom of either types of pans, but you may also grease the pans if you like. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan of your choice and press the dough into the pan to form an even layer. Mix ¾ teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough in the pan and lightly press into the surface. Preheat the oven to 325° F and bake on the center rack for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before cutting into the desired shape. Makes 40 rectangular cookies or 24 cookie wedges.
Cranberry Apple Pie
This pie is such a nice holiday pie. Cooking the berries, sugar and orange peel with the flour before pouring it over the apples gives the pie a better texture and flavor. The chopped pecans add a nice crunch as well.
INGREDIENTS
Pie Filling
1 ½ Cups Chopped Cranberries
1 Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Grated Orange Peel
1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour
1/3 Cup Cranberry Juice
6 Tablespoons Chopped Pecans
3 Peeled & Sliced Tart Apples
½ Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Butter
Pie Crust
3 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Sugar
½ Cup Shortening
½ Cup Cold Butter
9 Tablespoons Ice Water
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. With a pastry blender (or two knives or fingers) cut the shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles cornmeal. Dice the butter into cubes and cut in until the largest pieces are the size of a dime. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour & fat mixture. Toss with a fork and continue until the dough is moist enough to hold together. Roll into a ball and cut in half. Flatten with halves into two disks. Wrap the pieces of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate to give them a rest for 30 minutes or more before rolling out.
Preheat your oven to 425° F. Grease a 9 inch pie plate and line with half of the rolled out dough. Put the dough lined pie plate back in the refrigerator while making the filing. In a large saucepan, cook the cranberries with the sugar, orange peel, flour and cranberry juice for 20 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and cool. Remove pie plate from the fridge and sprinkle half of the pecans in the bottom of the prepared pie plate. Make 2 layers of apples on the top of the nuts. Sprinkle these with cinnamon and dot with butter. Pour the cooled cranberry mixture over the apples and sprinkle on the remaining pecans. Over with the remaining (rolled out) dough and crimp the edges. Bake for 30 minutes until the crust is golden and the berries are bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool before slicing. Serves 6
Holiday Popcorn Balls
Growing up we made popcorn balls every Halloween and Christmas. We usually made them various colors according to the holiday and sometimes would put candy in them. Sticky and gooey, but oh so good. Here is a good basic popcorn ball recipe. You can make them plain or dress them up. You decide!
INGREDIENTS
¼ Cup Corn Oil
½ Cup Popcorn
½ Cup Dark Corn Syrup
½ Cup Sugar
½ Teaspoon Salt
Heat the corn oil in a large pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the popcorn and cover leaving the cover slightly ajar. The popcorn will start to pop. Shake frequently until the popping stops. Mix together the corn syrup, sugar and salt. Add the corn syrup mixture to the popped corn while it is still in the pan. Stir and toss constantly over a medium heat for 4 minutes until sugar is dissolved and the popcorn is evenly coated with the mixture. Remove from the heat and gently form into balls using buttered hands. To make colored popcorn balls just use a drop of food coloring in the corn syrup mixture. If you want to add candies then add the candy of your choice into the corn syrup mixture as well. Makes 12 popcorn balls
Tomato Sauce Naples Style
Tomato sauces vary from region to region in Italy. Here is the Neapolitan version.
INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds Fresh Tomatoes
1 Minced Yellow Onion
1 Minced Celery Stalk
3 Minced Garlic Cloves
½ Cup Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
8 Basil Leaves
Wash, dry and seed the tomatoes. Dice into large chunks and place them in a large cooking pot. Add the onion, garlic, celery and ¼ cup of the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and cook over a low heat for 25 minutes until the tomatoes begin to fall apart. The pot should be without a lid on it. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Place the tomato mixture into a food processor or blender (you can also use a food mill) and puree. Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil to the pot and return the tomato sauce to the pot. Simmer over a medium low heat for 5 minutes. Chop or tear the basil leaves and add to the pot. Turn the heat off and serve over the pasta of your choice. This sauce is also great on meatballs or as a pizza sauce. Serves 4
Puff Pastry
A relative of Middle Eastern phyllo dough as it is used in a similar manner to create layered pastries. It is thought that French painter, Claude Gelée, who lived in the 17th century. Apparently, Gelée was making a type of very buttery bread for his sick father. The process of rolling the butter into the bread dough created a croissant like finished product. Other Puff Pastry references before the 17th century which indicates that the history was originally from Muslim Spain and was converted from thin sheets of dough spread with olive oil to laminate the dough with layers of butter. Puff Pastry is commonly used for turnovers, Steak & Kidney Pie, other types of pie, sausage rolls, Beef Wellington, strudel and Miguelitos (a cake made in Spain). Here is a basic and quick Puff Pastry recipe.
INGREDIENTS
4 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Cold Butter
1 ¼ Cups Ice Water
In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour and salt. Cut the cold butter into ½ inch thick sliced. Do not cut the butter into cubes. Add the butter slices to the flour mixture and toss until the butter slices are coated with the flour mixture and are separated. Pour the ice water over the flour mixture. Using a spoon, quickly mix. The butter will remain in large pieces and the flour will not be completely moistened. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 10 times by pressing and pushing the dough together to form a rough looking ball. Shape the dough into a rectangle. Don’t be concerned that the dough will still have some dry looking areas. Make the corners as square as possible and slightly flatten the dough. Working on a well floured surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle. Fold crosswise into thirds to for a slightly smaller rectangle. Give the dough a quarter turn and then fold crosswise into thirds to form an even smaller rectangle. This should create 9 layers. Repeat the rolling, folding, turning and folding process one more time. You should have a rectangle that is approximately 5×4 inches. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. To use the dough in your recipe cut the dough in half crosswise with a very sharp knife. Makes two 1 1/3 pound portions.
Drunkin Apple Cake
I created this cake when I had a bunch of apples staring me in the face and were on the brink of going bad. I hate wasting food so put this cake together and it turned out very nice. It is also great to eat for breakfast!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
½ Cup Butter At Room Temperature
1 ¼ Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
¾ Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
5 Diced Apples
½ Cup Brandy
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
Place peeled and diced apples in a medium sized bowl. Mix the brown sugar and brandy into the diced apples. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add the butter and continue to mix. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat in the milk and vanilla. Fold in the entire apple mixture. Pour the batter into a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and completely cool. No frosting needed. Serves 10
Homemade Granola
If you would rather use different nuts feel free. If you would rather use raisins then be my guest.
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Old-Fashioned Oats
¼ Cup Almonds
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
¼ Tablespoon Maple Syrup
¼ Cup Dried Cranberries
2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds
Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Stir in the sesame oil, honey and maple syrup. Mix thoroughly. Put the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool. Add the dried cranberries and place in an airtight container. Serves 4
Penne With Garlic & Broccoli
I love pasta dishes of any type. Here is a simple vegetarian pasta dish that is easy to make a great for both weekends and week nights.
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Penne Pasta
4 Cups Broccoli Florets
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
6 Cloves Sliced Garlic
¼ Cup Sliced Olives
¾ Cup Vegetable Broth
¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
¼ Cup Grated Romano Cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to the package directions. Add the broccoli to the pot during the final 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and broccoli. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the garlic starts to brown. Stir in olives and cook for 1 minute more. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta, broccoli, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute until hot. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 2
