Time to Share... Your Newest Favorite Recipe!

We haven't talked food in a while.  Have you found a delicious new recipe that you could share?

I found this one recently on SmittenKitchen.com, and have already made it a number of times.  It's Pear Bread, a take-off from the old stand-by, Banana Bread, and it's so good.  I've added ginger (sold fresh in a tube from Gourmet Garden) to the recipe, but think that crystallized ginger would be more flavorful.

So how about it, WTIOC-ers, let's hear what you're cooking these days!

Making bread the easy way

My niece Lolô found this recipe in the NY Times and it works a treat! I made two loaves so far, a boring but nice gluten free for me and a better looking regular white one for Peter. It's very satisfying to make delicious bread at home!

Make sure you watch the video...

A delicious chicken recipe for the summer

I found this recipe on a site for British expats in France. I'm not eating any animal based foods at the moment, but that doesn't mean I can't salivate all over the keyboard and share the recipe with friends who can enjoy it in real life!

A slow roasted chicken with garlic and lemon, perfect for when the sun is shining. “This is also one of those recipes you can’t make once: that’s to say, after the first time, you’re hooked” says the creator Mark Binmore. It is gloriously easy: you just put everything in the roasting dish and leave it to cook in the oven, the fabulous smell will pervade the house, at any time of year, with the summer scent of lemon and thyme – and of course mellow, almost honeyed garlic…

Mark Binmore is the proprietor of Maison de l'Orb.

Ingredients

1 2-2.25kg/4lb 6oz-5lb 8oz chicken cut into 10 pieces
1 bulb garlic separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons cut into chunky eighths
Fresh thyme
3 tablespoons of really good olive oil
150 ml/5 fl oz white wine or vermouth
Black pepper

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC/325°F

2. Put the chicken pieces into a roasting tin and add garlic cloves, lemon chunks and the thyme; just roughly pull the leaves off the stalks, leaving some intact for strewing over later.

3. Add the oil and using your hands mix everything together, then spread the mixture out, making sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up.

4. Sprinkle the white wine over the mix, grind on some black pepper, then cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook, at flavour-intensifying low heat, for 2 hours.

5. Remove the foil from the roasting tin, and turn up the oven to 200ºC/400°F

6. Cook the uncovered chicken for another 30-45 minutes, by which time the skin on the meat will have turned golden brown and the lemons will have begun to scorch and caramelize at the edges.

Serve it straight from the roasting tin if you like, after garnishing it with the rest of the thyme. Serve with vegetables, potatoes, rice or pasta – this dish goes with almost anything.

Don't forget to get some French bread to mop up the juices – bon appétit!

Earl Grey Tea Infused Cupcakes

Due to popular demand, Lynn provided her daughter Patricia's recipe for some seriously posh cupcakes. Thanks, Lynn and Patricia, I'm sure they would never last very long - they sound absolutely scrumptious!

Ingredients

Earl Grey Cupcakes

2/3 cup whole milk

4 scoops Earl Grey Crème tea

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

Earl Grey Buttercream

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Heat milk until boiled.

Steep tea in milk for 30 minutes until room temperature.

Reserve three tablespoons for buttercream frosting.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line pan with liners.

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Mix well and set aside.

Add sour cream and vanilla extract into the milk and tea mixture.

Mix well and set aside.

Mix canola oil and sugar (medium high speed) until well blended. (Reduce speed to medium) gradually add eggs until just blended.

With mixer set on low, slowly add half the flour mixture, mix until just blended. Add the liquid mixture, mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture until just blended. 

Divide batter amongst cups, bake for 15-18 minutes.

********************

Beat butter with paddle attachment on medium speed. Add powdered sugar and turn speed to low, beat until the sugar incorporates with the butter. Add vanilla, heavy cream and Earl Grey milk, and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until mixture becomes light and fluffy.

Frost and serve. 

Enjoy!

[ IMPORTANT NOTE - Lynn kindly offered to send Earl Grey Crème tea to anybody who wants to try this recipe. Just let me know via email and I'll forward your messages to Lynn so you can arrange details such as addresses, etc. I received my care package this morning and had a cup of this delicious tea, which I highly recommend! Peter enjoyed his Assam. A big thank you to Patricia and Lynn, from a grateful couple in cloudy France. ]

Beef Burgundy

Mrsgunka posted a recipe the other day and it has inspired even the readers who don't normally cook. It seems like a good idea to have it as a proper post, it's easier to find!

Easy Beef Burgundy (aka Beef Stroganoff)

1. Find crock pot, or use large pan.

2. I buy stew meat, depending on how many will be eating. I buy about 3-4 pounds. I used to cut my own meat in narrow slices and about 2-3 inches long from a cheap chuck roast beef, cutting off fat. Put in bottom of pan/crock pot.

3. Sprinkle with one package dry onion soup mix.

4. Add 1-2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup, About 1 can for 2 pounds of meat. Add 1/2 can of water per can of soup. The more soup, the better.

5. Add about 1 cup of Burgundy Wine or cooking wine. I also use cooking Sherry. Both are good! If using real wine, be sure to save enough for the pan. This also tenderizes the meat so less tender meats are good for this recipe. (Chuck or round streak).

6. Add one -two boxes of sliced or quartered fresh mushrooms.

7. Pepper to taste.

8. Gently stir it all together to not break up the mushrooms.

9. Turn crock pot on high for about an hour or if using a pan on stove, med heat for about 30 min. Stirring occasionally till all is mixed and soup has no lumps. When it gently bubbles, turn down heat to low, COVER and cook for 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

10. About a half hour before serving, Stir in one to two cups sour cream and gently stir till it is all dissolved.

11. Cook and drain enough wide, flat noodles needed for guests. I usually make a big package of noodles as most will want seconds or thirds! If any is left, Mix it all together to easily heat up for left-overs in microwave. It's usually better the next day! So make enough to have later!!

12. This will be the meal that everyone raves about! Serve with a nice tossed salad and hard rolls. Your guests will talk about it for years. Easy to make for a large crowd by doubling or tripling the recipe! Easy to cook, serve and clean up! Serve Burgundy or Sherry wine with the meal...depending on which one you used in recipe. If you have used the bottle while cooking, be sure to buy extra for guests. Or just serve them beer...at this point, you may not even care! You can serve this to children, as the alcohol cooks off. One of the best smells to ever emulate from your kitchen! Beware of neighbors coming to your door at dinner time! Caution....cats have been known to jump on the counters to lick the plates clean if they are not put in the dishwasher!

Mrsgunka offered a recipe that combines two traditional recipes: Boeuf Bourguignon and Boeuf Stroganoff. Thank you, MrsG.

I found a video of a French chef preparing Boeuf Bourguignon in Burgundy, the homeplace of the dish:



[Here's a link to the recipe in pdf format.]

Whichever version you choose, enjoy!

Lebkuchen

These lovely cookies were mentioned in the last thread, so I searched for a relatively simple recipe to share with you. You may vary the icing, using chocolate or almond instead. This recipe yields 72 cookies.

Ingredients

Cookies
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup diced candied citron peel
1/3 cup chopped hazelnuts

Icing
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, stir together the honey and molasses. Bring the mixture to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lastly the egg.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Add the molasses mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the citron and hazelnuts. Cover dough and chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Using a small amount of dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into small rectangles and place them 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until no imprint remains when touched lightly.

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (soft ball stage). Remove from heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar.

Quickly brush the icing over the cookies while they are still hot (Important!) and remove them to wire cooling racks. If icing becomes sugary while brushing cookies, re-heat slightly- adding a little water until crystals dissolve.

Store in an airtight container with a few pieces of apple peel for a few days to mellow.

Alternative glazing ideas

Chocolate glace:
200g (7 oz) powder (icing) sugar, sifted
30 g cocoa, sifted
enough hot water to make thick runny mixture to brush on

Almond glace:
200 g (7 oz) powder (icing) sugar, sifted
1 or 2 drops of almond extract
enough hot water to make a thick runny mixture to brush on

Mushroom and goat's cheese strudel

It's time to bring over another recipe from the food blog. This one was sent in by Texasgal2009. It looks scrumptious!

[This recipe came from a well-known chef in Dallas who made it on a morning TV show. I't very easy to make.]

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup olive oil
3 peeled shallots, minced
1 bay leaf
2 pounds of shiitakes or mixed mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup sherry
2 tbls unsalted butter
2 to 3 cloves peeled garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbls fresh thyme, chopped
1 bunch of chives, sliced thin
1 cup chevre or other goat cheese, crumbled
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 beaten egg with small amount of water

PREPARATION

Preheat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.
Add shallots and bay leaf.
Cook until shallots are translucent but not browned.
Add mushrooms and brown evenly. Stir.
Allow moisture of mushroom to be released and juices to reduce.
To deglaze the pan, add sherry and scrape up any browned bits.
Add butter and garlic. cook until garlic aroma is strong.
Add salt and pepper to taste along with the fresh thyme and chives.
Remove bay leaf.
Place mixture on a sheet pan and refrigerate to cool.
Once completely cool, remove from refrigerator and mix together with cheese.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place puff pastry sheet on work surface. Place mushroom mixture off-center lengthwise down the pastry. Brush egg wash around perimeter of the dough.
Fold long edges, overlapping, over the filling. Flip or roll strudel so the seam is on the bottom. Seal short ends by folding under or pinching.
Place on lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through the baking process. Cool before slicing.

Moving stuff around

Some of you are familiar with my other blog, "Do I smell burning?" It's been abandoned for months. As this blog has a bit of everything, I'll gradually move all the recipes here, then close the other blog.

PUMPKIN, CARROT AND BEETROOT SOUP

Pumpkins are plentiful at this time of the year so here's a soup that will give you a bumper dose of the important anti-oxidant beta carotene. It's delicious!

Ingredients

Pumpkin, diced
Carrots
Beetroots
Trimmed leeks
A couple of potatoes
Dry white wine
Paprika
Chicken or vegetable bouillon
Onion and garlic
A very small amount of grated ginger
Salt & pepper to taste.

Preparation

Dice onions, chop garlic, cut all vegetables into chunks. I didn't give exact amounts of anything, you can vary according to taste and how much soup you're making. In a large pan, fry the onions until golden. Add the veggies, mix well, add the garlic, paprika, ginger, white wine and enough bouillon for the amount of vegetables. Adjust seasoning. Simmer for about 1 hour. Check that everything is cooked, whizz the lot in a blender, re-heat gently, taste and adjust seasoning and serve. A sprig of parsley or basil gives each bowl an elegant look.

Time for a quick soup

This recipe was sent to me by Shapeshifterbelly. It's vegan, so I suppose the non-vegetarians could use real chicken stock...

Veggie Soup in “Chicken” Broth

4 cups of water
4 cups of chopped veggies (cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.)
½ chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp onion powder
2 heaping tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast
2 tablespoons of Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Put it all in a kettle and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Makes 6
cups, or thereabouts.

This is LOADED with B-12 from the supplemented nutritional yeast. If you use the
liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, it also has plenty of protein.

Thank you, Shapeshifter. There's nothing like a nice soup now that temperatures are dropping...