Tag Archives: holidays

Roasted Rack of Lamb

Posted on April 12, 2011 by amydeline

Tis the season to eat lamb! Falala, lala, la, la, la, laaaaa... Or perhaps it should be, Bababa, baba, ba, ba, ba, baaaa!

Easter is just around the corner. Children everywhere are sporting conspicuous dye-stained fingers and carry the faint aroma of boiled eggs. Their schoolwork is distracted by daydreams of the sweet treats the Easter bunny will soon deliver. Adults are counting the days until they’re released from their Lenten resolutions. And my home smells of Marshmallow Peeps and Cadbury Cream Eggs.

Traditionally, lamb and ham are popular selections for Easter dinner. For some people, Easter may be the one time a year they eat lamb. We are not those people. Around our home, lamb finds its way onto our menu on a semi-regular basis. We enjoy Greek-style lamb burgers with tzatziki sauce, shepherd’s pie, and roasted leg of lamb with fresh mint pesto. I even won a contest earlier in the year with a recipe for tender braised lamb shanks with brown-braised onions and mushrooms.

I’m so sorry adorable little lambs, but we really do appreciate your delectable contribution to our dinner table!

With Easter quickly approaching, I thought I’d share another lamb dish with you; a classic roasted rack of lamb, crusted with sweet roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. We’ll set our perfectly roasted lamb chops aside slices of toasted sourdough topped with a white bean and kalamata olive puree and a side of roasted asparagus.

Sounds kinda fancy, right?? I promise you that it’s a cinch to make! The combination of naturally flavorful ingredients does the brunt of the work. You just need to do a little arranging and then sit back and take credit for this elegant spring meal!

White Bean and Kalamata Olive Puree

Ingredients

1 can cannellini beans, drained
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
4-5 cloves roasted garlic*
Salt and pepper
2 slices sourdough bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped

*Click here to see my photo guide on roasting garlic.

Directions

Puree the beans, olives, and garlic using a blender, food processor, or immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, spread each slice of sourdough with a generous amount of the bean puree and top with a few pieces of sun-dried tomatoes and a touch of fresh parsley.

Leftover puree makes a delicious dip or spread on veggies or bread!

Roasted Rack of Lamb with a Roasted Garlic, Sun-Dried Tomato and Parmesan Crust

Ingredients

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
4-5 cloves roasted garlic*
1/8 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
Olive Oil, for browning lamb
1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

*Click here to see my photo guide on roasting garlic.

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until moist. The mixture will still be slightly crumbly. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Set aside.

Trim the lamb of any excess exterior fat or silver skin. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium heat in an oven safe pan. Place the lamb in the pan. Cook the lamb for a minute or two on each side, until lightly browned. Rub the top side with the dijon mustard, then press the bread crumb mixture into the mustard. Place the pan in the oven. Cook for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 8-10 minutes for medium-rare/medium doneness. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing into chops.

Serves 2

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 large bunch of asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the asparagus and trim off the tough end. (A little trick for determining how much to cut is to hold one asparagus spear by the ends and bend. The point where the asparagus snaps is generally a good place to trim off.) Toss the asparagus in a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the spears in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Meal Timing Tips:

Prepare the white bean puree and crust mixture for the lamb ahead of time. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Brush the sourdough slices with a bit of olive oil and place directly on an oven rack while the lamb is cooking. Once they’re toasted, you can prepare the bread with the white bean puree and sun-dried tomatoes while the lamb finishes.
Place the asparagus into the oven during the last 5 minutes of the lamb’s cooking time. They will finish cooking as the lamb rests.

5 Comments

Posted in Food, Lamb, Main Course, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged appetizers, comfort food, Cooking, easter, family, Food, holidays, hors d'oeuvres, lamb, Recipes, side dish, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Shrimp Scampi Flatbread Pizza

Posted on March 25, 2011 by amydeline

As predicted, every pizza joint in my area is suddenly a fish fry too! After Easter, the Friday fish fry specials will gradually fade away, but for anyone who abstains from meat on Fridays during this time of the year, your local pizza shop is probably your one-stop-shop for Friday takeout!

If you’re feeling like something other than pizza, fried haddock or frozen fish sticks, I’ve got a few ideas for you. For starters, I’ve got a new recipe for a shrimp scampi flatbread pizza. We’ll start with a basic shrimp scampi, which will drizzle over individual flatbread crusts, and bake with a bit of asiago and mozzarella cheese. Garlic-flavored naan (Indian flatbread) makes an especially tasty crust for this pizza. Many supermarkets now carry prepared naan, either fresh in the bread or international section or frozen. If you can’t get your hands on flatbread or naan, a thin prepared pizza crust would do the trick.

For the purpose of this pizza, small salad shrimp (the kind you can typically find cooked and frozen) work perfectly. If you’d like to use this scampi recipe for serving over rice or pasta, substitute the salad shrimp for larger, fresh shrimp and allow them to cook in the buttery garlic sauce.

Shrimp Scampi Flatbread Pizza

Ingredients

4 flatbreads, Indian naan, or a thin-crust pizza shell
6 Tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely diced
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups cooked salad-sized shrimp, defrosted
Crushed red pepper
Salt
2-3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup asiago cheese, shredded
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic just begins to turn a golden brown. Lower the heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Add the white wine and lemon juice. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and gently simmer until heated through. Season with crushed red pepper and salt, as desired. Stir in the fresh parsley. Allow the scampi mixture to cool slightly.

To assemble the pizzas, place the flatbreads or naan onto baking sheets. Sprinkle approximately 1/4 cup asiago cheese over each flatbread or naan. Spoon some of the shrimp mixture, with a small amount of the buttery sauce, over the cheese. To prevent your pizza from becoming soggy, do not use too much of the sauce. A light drizzle around the pizza will be perfect. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese over the top of each pizza. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Makes 4 Individual Flatbread Pizzas

Looking for a few other meat-free dinner options? Check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Codfish Cakes

Pan-Fried Tilapia with Grapefruit and Shaved Leeks

Broiled Salmon Bruschetta

Coconut Crusted Tilapia with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese in a Citrus-Honey Vinaigrette

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas

Broiled Halibut with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Capers

Tropical Fish Tacos with Spicy Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce

Heirloom Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

Chilled Avocado Soup and Crab Cakes with Chipotle Remoulade

Buttermilk Battered Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Chipotle Dipping Sauce

Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp

Shrimp and Asparagus in a Lemony Basic Alfredo Sauce

9 Comments

Posted in Burgers, Cheese, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Rice, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged cheese, Cooking, easy dinner, Eating, fish, Food, food photography, holidays, pizza, Recipes, salad, sandwich, soup, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Cadbury Creme Crepes

Posted on March 22, 2011 by amydeline

Easter candy has taken over the store shelves and my brain. I find myself popping a near constant stream of jelly beans into my mouth, in between chomping on chocolate rabbit ears and peanut butter eggs. My Peeps chicks have been purchased and are currently sitting unwrapped in my pantry, as I await their perfectly stale state. Chocolate-covered marshmallow bunnies are dancing through my dreams.

In the midst of this Easter candy madness, my sister requested that I create a recipe for a Cadbury omelette…as in an omelette made using Cadbury Creme Eggs as a substitute for regular eggs. Eager to please my sister, I agreed to this wild request. I spent a few weeks tossing around this Cadbury omelette idea, contemplating whether I could somehow extract the gooey filling from the Cadbury eggs and whip it into a sort of custard which could be folded around the remaining bits of chocolate.

And then I had a better idea. Taking inspiration from the stuffed omelette idea, I decided to make rich chocolate crepes, filled with melty bits of Cadbury Creme Eggs, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and topped with a gooey Cadbury Egg. Yes, that should definitely fit the bill!

Crepes are surprisingly simple to make. You do not need a special “crepe pan” to make crepes. Any flat-bottomed, preferably non-stick, pan should do the job. The trick is to make sure the batter is appropriately loose enough to easily coat the bottom of the pan. Crepes cook quickly, so removing the pan from the heat while pouring the batter will ensure that you can swirl the batter to every edge before it cooks. A rubber spatula and your fingers make the best tools for flipping the crepe. A few seconds later, you’ll have a perfectly cooked crepe!

These sweet and chocolatey crepes are oozing with gooey Cadbury goodness. I can’t think of any better way to enjoy the Easter candy season!

Cadbury Creme Crepes

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
Cooking spray
4 Cadbury Creme Eggs, chopped (plus extra halved eggs for garnish)
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Directions

Lightly beat the eggs with the salt, milk, and oil. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and sugar. Combine the egg mixture with the dry ingredients, until well blended. Add additional milk, if necessary. The batter should move very easily, but not be overly liquidy. Spray a flat-bottomed, non-stick skillet with cooking spray, then heat the skillet over medium heat. Hold the pan off the heat and use a measuring cup to pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Quickly, turn the pan to spread the batter across the entire bottom. Place the pan over the heat and cook for less than a minute. Use the edge of a rubber spatula to loosen one of the edges. Then, use your fingers to carefully lift and flip the crepe. Cook for a few seconds more on the other side.

Scatter chopped pieces of Cadbury Creme Eggs onto a quarter of each hot crepe. Fold the crepe into quarters over the chocolate. Sprinkle the finished crepes with powdered sugar and garnish with half of a Cadbury Creme Egg.

Make 8 crepes (4 servings)

12 Comments

Posted in Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Recipes and tagged candy, chocolate, Cooking, dessert, easter, Food, food photography, holidays, Recipes, spring. Bookmark the permalink.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Posted on March 16, 2011 by amydeline

Still looking for something festive to make for St. Patrick’s Day, but corned beef and cabbage isn’t your thing? How about some smooth, green pea soup, slow-cooked with smokey ham hocks, and served with homemade croutons? Might that be your thing?

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Ingredients

4 cups dried split peas, rinsed and picked through
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
10 cups chicken broth, water or vegetable broth
2 smoked ham hocks
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to get tender. Add the carrots. Cook for a couple more minutes. Add the peas, liquid, and ham hocks. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the peas from sticking on the bottom. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. The peas should almost completely break down as the soup simmers. Remove the ham hocks and set aside. Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the soup to your desired texture. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add a bit more broth or water. If the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid. Season with a generous amount of salt (a few teaspoons should be about right) and pepper. Remove the skin, bone, and fat from the ham hocks. Pull apart or chop the meat and add it to the soup.

For the croutons: Cut French bread into chunks. (Slightly stale bread works best.) Toss in a bit of olive oil. Season as desired. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder work well. Bake in a 375 degrees oven for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. I prefer my croutons to be crispy on the outside and slightly tender in the center!

A couple other St. Patty’s Day dinner ideas:

Guinness-Braised Beef over Buttered Noodles

In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

8 Comments

Posted in Beef, Cheese, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Pork, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged beef, comfort food, Cooking, easy dinner, Food, holidays, Ireland, Irish, pork, Recipes, soup, St. Patrick's Day, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Boiled Irish Dinner and Irish Soda Bread

Posted on March 15, 2011 by amydeline

We’re just days away from St. Patrick’s Day now! Our green clothing has been starched and ironed and my iPod is loaded with my favorite bagpipe tunes. Ok… so, I admit there are no bagpipe tunes on my iPod and I’ve never actually starched a shirt. But, we are ready for our day o’ green! Everyone’s Irish on St. Patty’s Day, so polish your step-dancing shoes, tuck a shamrock behind your ear, and celebrate in Irish style!

When it comes to selecting an Irish meal for St. Patty’s Day, it doesn’t get any more traditional than a boiled corned beef and cabbage dinner. Corned beef seems to be one of those divisive meals. People tend to fall into one of two corned beef camps; the lovers and the haters. You can call me president of the club for corned beef lovers! I love it prepared as a classic corned beef and cabbage meal and I love every possible incarnation of corned beef leftovers that follows.

Over the years, I’ve prepared corned beef in a number of different ways. I’ve tried the slow-cooker method. I’ve baked it. I’ve braised it. I love it no matter how you prepare it, but in my stubborn Irish opinion, I firmly believe that boiled is best. On top of producing an incredibly tender brisket, the added bonus is that it couldn’t be any simpler to prepare. It’s a full meal, boiled in a pot.

Enjoy your boiled Irish dinner with a fresh slice of Irish soda bread and a tall glass of your favorite Irish libation. Have one for me while you’re at it!

Boiled Irish Dinner

Corned Beef with Cabbage, Potatoes, and Carrots

Ingredients

1 Corned Beef Brisket
Carrots, peeled and chopped (or substitute baby carrots)
Red potatoes, chopped
1 head of cabbage, cut into wedges

Directions

Place the corned beef brisket in a large pot. Sprinkle with the packet of seasoning included with the brisket. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the brisket. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours, until fork tender. Add the cut potatoes and carrots to the pot during the last 20 minutes of cooking time and the cabbage during the last 15 minutes. Remove the corned beef from the water and cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting against the grain. Remove the cabbage, potatoes, and carrots to serve on the side.

Corned Beef Tip #1 – Remove excess exterior fat before slicing and serving for a more appetizing presentation.

Corned Beef Tip #2 – Your tender corned beef is likely to fall apart while you slice it. This works fine when served as a corned beef dinner, but if you’d prefer to thinly slice the brisket for sandwiches, allow the corned beef to cool in the refrigerator before slicing and reheating. Cooled corned beef slices easier than hot corned beef.

Irish soda bread makes the perfect accompaniment to a boiled Irish dinner. Soda bread is in the family of breads known as quick breads. It’s a no-yeast-required bread, which gets its rise from the reaction between baking soda and acidic buttermilk. It can be prepared with or without caraway seeds, raisins, or other dried fruits. My personal preference is seed-free, but loaded with raisins, served slightly warm with a generous smear of butter.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

4 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2″ chunks
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter. Stir in the raisins. Stir in the buttermilk and egg until a sticky dough begins to form. Once the dough becomes too thick to stir, use your hands to knead the dough until well blended. If the dough is still too sticky to handle, add up to 1/4 cup additional flour. Form the dough into a round loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a knife to cut an ‘X’ in the top of the loaf. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

*Recipe adapted from a combination and modification of the Food Network Irish Soda Bread recipes found here and here.

8 Comments

Posted in Baking, Beef, Breads, Food, Main Course, Potato, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged baking, beef, bread, Cooking, Food, holidays, Ireland, Irish, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Pork with Pork, Pork, and Pork

Posted on March 8, 2011 by amydeline

Happy Fat Tuesday! Put those Lenten resolutions of abstinence and chocolate deprivation on hold for one more day. Tomorrow, we fast. Today, we feast!

Recently, during a particularly lucid early-morning shower brainstorm, I developed a recipe which is either my most genius creation or proof that I’ve completely gone insane; pork stuffed with pork and pork, wrapped in pork. I’m calling it The Whole Hog. We’ll start with boneless pork chops, then stuff them with a sweet and savory filling made from bacon and sausage, and wrap them in prosciutto for the final touch. This is a dish to send the three little pigs running for the hills.

In honor of Fat Tuesday, I proudly present you with The Whole Hog: Pork with Pork, Pork, and Pork.

Genius or insane? You decide.

The Whole Hog

Bacon, Sausage, and Apple stuffed Pork Chops wrapped in Prosciutto

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops, trimmed of fat
1 Tablespoon butter
4-5 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped*
4-5 breakfast sausages, removed from casings**
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 cup panko crumbs
4 slices prosciutto
Salt and pepper

* Regular bacon can be substituted

**Use an apple flavored sausage, if available

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and sausage. Cook until bacon begins to crisp and sausage is fully cooked. Use the side of a spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks. Add the apple and cook for a few minutes longer, until softened. Add the panko and stir until the panko crumbs absorb the excess fat and pan juices. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper, as desired.

Split each pork chop almost all the way through, to create a pocket for the stuffing. Generously stuff each pork chop with the bacon and sausage mixture. Scatter any extra stuffing on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the pork chops on top of the extra stuffing. Season the outside of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Wrap each pork chop with prosciutto. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked.

Serves 2

4 Comments

Posted in Food, Main Course, Pork, Recipes and tagged bacon, Cooking, fat tuesday, Food, holidays, lent, mardi gras, pork, Recipes, sausage. Bookmark the permalink.

The Kids Cook Monday – Chocolate Coconut King Cake

Posted on March 7, 2011 by amydeline

I’ve always felt a strong pull towards the city of New Orleans, as if in some long-forgotten past life, it were my home. The most likely explanation for this feeling comes from reading way too many Anne Rice novels during an impressionable period of my youth. I dreamed of the vampire Lestat in the way which girls today dream of the infamous Edward. I so clearly imagined myself in Rice’s stories, that I began to believe I had a history with New Orleans. Whatever the case may be, the city calls to me. I’ve yet to visit New Orleans, but it’s high on my list.

In another time and place, I would have surely planned my New Orleans trip to correspond with the uproarious celebrations of Mardi Gras. But at this point in my life, as I sit here expecting my third child, I’d almost certainly plan my trip for any time of year except Mardi Gras. I’m just not sure there’s enough wild youth left in me to handle Mardi Gras. These days, I’d be much more inclined to find a dimly lit bar and sit back with a few drinks, listening to live jazz until the wee hours of the morn.

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is traditionally celebrated on the day before Ash Wednesday; a sort of last hurrah before buckling down for Lenten preparations. Tomorrow, as I’m comfortably nestled on my couch, watching American Idol and eating Easter candy, the city of New Orleans will be buzzing with the grand excitement of Mardi Gras; parades, beads, music and wild partying. It’s a time to celebrate, indulge, and let the good times roll!

If you were composing a list of foods associated with Mardi Gras, King Cake would surely top the list. King cakes have a long history as part of the Mardi Gras tradition in New Orleans. They are typically made from a ring of lightly-sweetened bread, similar to a brioche, which is then drizzled with a sweet glaze and decorated in the customary Mardi Gras colors of purple, green, and gold. Part of the king cake tradition involves placing a small plastic baby, said to represent the baby Jesus, into the cake. Other items, such as dried beans or nuts are often used as a substitute for the baby. The party guest to find the ‘baby’ is deemed the king.

Holidays make fantastic opportunities for getting kids involved in the kitchen. As with all cooking activities, young children develop early-learning skills in multiple areas. But when the cooking activity relates to a special holiday, it also becomes an opportunity to create a memorable experience which helps kids to connect with their newly learned knowledge of customs and traditions. Experiences like these create memories and help to develop curious lifelong learners.

As part of our Kids Cook Mondays series, my little helpers joined me in making a traditional king cake with a twist. We started with a basic king cake recipe, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, the culinary king of New Orleans. Then, as Emeril would say, we kicked it up a notch, with a double filling of coconut cream cheese and chocolate. The kids helped to measure, mix, stir, and knead. As we worked, we talked about Mardi Gras and its relevance to Lent and our upcoming Easter preparations. We chatted about the history of king cakes and the tradition of the plastic baby in the cake. Then, once the cake was complete, we eagerly plunged our forks into the sweet slices of cake, curious to discover who would become our king for the day.

Chocolate Coconut King Cake
Adapted from Emeril’s King Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 packets dry active yeast
4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon peel
5 egg yolks
1/2 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

For the Fillings:

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup shredded coconut

For the Icing:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Water (a few spoonfuls)
Colored sugars (green, purple, and gold)

Directions

Combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Stir until dissolved. Set aside for about 10 minutes. It will begin to bubble up, indicating that the yeast has been activated.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and lemon peel. Gradually stir in the egg yolks, milk, and melted butter. Stir in the yeast mixture until well-blended. If the dough becomes too thick to stir, knead the ingredients together with your hands. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add additional flour until it becomes more manageable.

Coat a large bowl with a bit of vegetable oil or melted butter. Place the dough into the prepared bowl and turn once or twice so that the top of the dough is lightly coated with oil. Cover with a towel and let the dough sit for about 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare the coconut filling by stirring together the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and coconut. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Once the dough has rested and risen for 1 1/2 hours, split the dough in half. Roll each half into a log, about 30 inches long. Flatten each log into a long rectangle. Sprinkle the chocolate chips along the center of one of the rectangles. Spread the coconut mixture along the center of the other rectangle. Fold the rectangles in half along the long sides and pinch closed. Form into rounded logs. Twist the two logs together. Then, arrange the twisted logs into a circle and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 45 minutes. Then, bake for 30 minutes.

To prepare the icing, combine the powdered sugar and vanilla with just enough water to form a pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars.

Prior to serving, insert a nut or dried bean into the bottom of the cake. The guest to find the nut in their piece of cake is deemed king!

King of the Mardi Gras!

5 Comments

Posted in Baking, Breads, Cakes, Chocolate, Cooking with Kids, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged baking, bread, cake, cheese, chocolate, coconut, Cooking, cooking with kids, dessert, Food, holidays, Kids Cook Monday, king cake, mardi gras, new orleans, Recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

In Like a Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on March 2, 2011 by amydeline

They say that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. This year, March came in like a lamb…a very chilly lamb, but a lamb all the same. The thermometer may have registered a cool 23 degrees and the ground is still covered in white, but the sun was shining and the air was calm; a rare occurrence ’round here during the winter. I sense that spring is just around the corner. But that might just be wishful thinking!

In honor of our lamb of a first day of March, it seemed appropriate to make a nice shepherd’s pie for dinner; a perfect comfort meal for a sunny, late winter day. Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made by layering ground lamb, in a seasoned sauce, with vegetables and a layer of mashed potatoes; a well-balanced meal in a baking dish! This Irish-inspired dish makes a perfect one-dish meal any night of the week or would make a fantastic substitute for corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day!

Many variations of shepherd’s pie call for ground beef as a substitute for lamb. Technically, that wouldn’t be a shepherd’s pie at all, but rather a cottage pie. Shepherd’s herd sheep; not cattle. And shepherd’s pie is made with lamb; not beef. If your grocery store does not regularly carry ground lamb, you have a few options. First, try asking at the butcher counter to see if they would grind a lamb shoulder for you. Many accommodating butchers would be happy to do this for you. If you’ve got a KitchenAid mixer with a food grinder attachment, another alternative is to grind your own lamb. Finally, I’ve read that you can grind meat by pulsing it in a standard food processor, though I’ve never actually tried this particular strategy. If all else fails, substitute ground beef and call it cottage pie instead! It will still be delicious!

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup onions, finely diced
1 pound ground lamb
3 Tablespoons flour
1 cup beef broth
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more, if desired)
Pepper
3/4 cup frozen peas, warmed
3/4 cup frozen corn, warmed
2 cups creamy mashed potatoes*
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Additional cheddar cheese and parsley, for garnish

*Prepared using your favorite mashed potatoes recipe or boil 4-5 Russet potatoes until fork-tender. Blend with butter and milk until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add carrots and onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the ground lamb. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until fully cooked. Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, until a sauce thickens around the meat. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with the cheddar cheese.

To assemble the pie, spread the meat and sauce into a baking dish. Top with a layer of peas and corn. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes on the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar and fresh parsley. Bake for about 15 minutes, until it bubbles around the edges and the top is lightly browned.

9 Comments

Posted in Cheese, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Potato, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged cheese, Cooking, Food, holidays, Irish, lamb, potatoes, Recipes, St. Patrick's Day, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

A Sweet for your Sweetie: Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Posted on February 14, 2011 by amydeline

Years and years ago, I received a free sample pack of Make It Italian recipe cards in the mail. I never ordered the complete recipe card collection and most of those sample cards have long since disappeared, but one of those recipe cards has been well-loved and well-worn over the years; a recipe for a rich, delicious Chocolate Raspberry Torte.

I’ve made this torte many times over the years for guests and for our own enjoyment, with a few little adaptations. It’s always a treat; dense chocolatey cake, with a sweet raspberry filling and and rich, dark chocolate ganache. And when the time came to decide on a sweet, chocolatey treat to make for my sweeties on this Valentine’s Day, this torte came first and foremost to my mind.

So, whip out your baking supplies and whip up this sweet treat for the sweeties in your life!

P.S. I won’t tell a soul if you make it just for yourself instead! You deserve it!

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

Adapted from a Make It Italian recipe card

Ingredients

For the Cake

6 Eggs, divided
3/4 cup (plus 1 teaspoon) Sugar
4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter, softened
4 (1-ounce) squares Semisweet Baker’s Chocolate, melted
3/4 cup Flour
1/8 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/8 cup Raspberry Liqueur (optional)

For the Filling

1/2 cup Raspberry Jam

For the Ganache

4 (1-ounce) squares Semisweet Baker’s Chocolate
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Fresh Raspberries and Chopped Walnuts, for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9 or 10″ round cake pan.

In a medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites with the teaspoon of sugar for several minutes until firm peaks form. Set aside.

Rinse the beaters. Then, in a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and softened butter until creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until well blended. Gradually beat in the melted chocolate, flour, cocoa powder, and liqueur until well blended.

Gently stir in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites, until well combined. Then, fold in the remaining beaten egg whites.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Then, halve the cake and spread the raspberry jam between the two layers.

To prepare the ganache, heat the cream just until boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Spread the ganache along the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries and chopped walnuts. Chill in the refrigerator to set the ganache.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends!!

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Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged baking, cake, chocolate, Cooking, Food, holidays, love, Recipes, valentine's day. Bookmark the permalink.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Posted on January 2, 2011 by amydeline

I love brunch; that meal which is so perfectly placed between breakfast and lunch; a perfect excuse to eat breakfast foods at lunch time and spike your orange juice with leftover champagne from your New Year’s celebrations.

A few years ago, I awoke on the morning of a planned brunch with my sisters, set upon making some sort of French toast casserole. Much to my dismay, I quickly discovered that nearly every French toast casserole recipe called for resting the casserole overnight. Clearly, I was not prepared for this French toast casserole idea. But, not to be dissuaded by the small obstacle of time, I continued searching until I landed upon a French toast bake, which could be prepared and baked instantly, using prepared cinnamon rolls.

I made this Cinnamon French Toast Bake the morning of that brunch and a few times since, including this New Year’s Day. I’ve slightly modified the original recipe, which I found to be overly sweet and in need of a few additional minutes in the oven. This decadently sweet dish makes a delicious, special breakfast for Christmas morning, New Year’s Day, or a brunch any time of year!

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Adapted from Pillsbury’s Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Ingredients

1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 cans Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls (with icing)
6 Eggs
1/2 cup Light Cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup Pecans, chopped
1/2 cup Maple Syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour the melted butter into a 13×9 baking dish. Tilt the dish so the butter covers the bottom. Cut each uncooked cinnamon roll into 8 pieces. (Set the containers of icing aside to garnish the finished French toast bake.) Scatter the cinnamon roll pieces over the melted butter. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in the cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cinnamon roll pieces. Scatter the chopped pecans on top. Drizzle with the maple syrup. Bake for 30-32 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes. Slightly warm the cinnamon roll icing in the microwave for a few seconds. Drizzle the icing over the French toast bake before serving. (You may only need one of the icing containers.)

Serve with additional maple syrup, if desired.