Pesto alal trapanese

http://memoriediangelina.blogspot.com/2011/07/pesto-alla-trapanese.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FQaRz+%28Memorie+di+Angelina%29So I love this meal. It came to me via Memorie di Angelina (a great food blog in itself). I made this recipe that night and love, love, love. I actually have referred it to several friends. It is a great tasting summer dish with a great palate for the mouth. The tomatoes make the dish, so select wisely. I cannot wait for my tomatoes are ready to be picked (the first four came off the plant on Wednesday-- more to be selected tonight) to make this fabulous light summer dish. Try and enjoy.

Chicken with Mango Salsa

This month's Bon Appitee magazine is great. There are lots and lots of great recipes inside. In one section, G. Paltrow is highlighted with her new cookbook. This is a recipe from there. They have it with fish, which I don't eat, so I made it with chicken. It was really, really good. They also suggest (in anohter section) to submerge your avocado half into ice water to help maintain the great green color. I tried it and it worked really well. It will keep it nice and green for a while.

Ingredients:

1 cup Mango, diced into 1' pieces

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup avocado, diced into 1' pieces

4 basil leaves, thinly sliced

3 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice

3 TBSP olive oil

4 chicken breast

In a plastic baggie, marinate the chicken breast with 2 TBSP olive oil and 2 TBSP lime juice. Add Salt and pepper for taste. Let marinate for 20 minutes (but no longer 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 350' or grill.

Place in baking pan and Bake for 20 minutes, broil for 3-5 minutes if baking. If grilling, place on grill and cook about 7-10/side until chicken is tender.

While cooking, combine mangoes, cherry tomatoes, avocados, basil leaves and remaining olive oil and lime juice in a bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Plate chicken and generously scoop salsa over top. Serve immediately.

You can also use white fish instead of chicken breast. Same recipe and ingredients as above.

I have served it alone or with couscous or rice. But a great summer recipe.

Homemade Yogurt in the crockpot

So I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE European Yogurt. It is not Greek Yogurt, but it is super yummy. Sadly I cannot find it anywhere in the US. The difference is big and vast. If you have ever been in Europe and eaten Muller's Yogurt or been in Switzerland and eaten standard yogurt, you would understand my point. I find US based yogurt aweful. It is tart, leaves a horrible aftertaste and is not good. So I have tried many homemade recipes to discover one I like. Well I found one yesterday. I tried it and it was wonderful. Here is the recipe.

1 liter milk (if unpasterized, even better)

1/4-1/2 cup of dried milk

1 container of plain yogurt (% of your choice, not ultra pasterized) or active yeast cultures

Place both ingredients in the crockpot. Cook for 1 1/2 hours on high or 2 1/2 hours on low. Then remove from heat source (outter layer of crockpot). If you have a free thermator, the temperature should go down to 110'. If not, let rest for 1 hour.

Add plain yogurt for starters or pour live cultures. Mix in.

Heat your oven to the lowest temperature you can. Place ceramic bowl with yogurt into your oven for 5-12 hours. The shorter the time, the less tart your yogurt will get. The longer, the more tart it gets.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 1 hour. Pour out the yellow or green liquids out (whey from the milk). You can keep it to put into smoothies (protein source without calories) or toss. Use some to put back into the yogurt. You can use cheesecloth to help remove more liquid, but place in sealed container in frig to cool.

I added strawberries (sliced with a little sugar and water-- cooked for 20 minutes- stirring occasionally). Let cool, then added to the yogurt. Great homemade yogurt--- I've done the same with blueberries and other fruit.

Miniature Orange Scones

I came across this recipe on a blog and made them for Sophie's birthday tea party. They are so yummy. I didn't make the glaze the recipe calls for because I was serving them with whipped cream (instead of clotted cream) and I don't think they need it.

Miniature Orange Scented Chocolate Chip Scones
recipe adapted from Teresa Miller

Scones:
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, salt, and chocolate chips (by hand). Pour in whipping cream. Mix or knead by hand, just until combined (about 45 second). Mix will be sticky. Flour surface. Divide dough into two sections and pat into two rounds, each approximately four inches. Note: Score each round first with a knife into 4ths , then 8ths. Then cut and put on a greased large cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool five minutes, then glaze.

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Mix together until a thin icing consistency to pour over warm scones.

Honey Chicken on Apricot Rice

So I have not technically tried this recipe yet, but is sounds oh so yummy that will be added to next weeks list. This weeks menu is complete. I got it out of the Mayo Clinic Williams-Sonoma Cookbook. they have a ton of great looking recipes. I may post more about them as I try them.

Honey Chicken

Ingredients

3 TBSP ground wheat germ

2 TBSP honey

1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

1 TBSP canned apricot nectar or apricot Jam

3/4 tsp soy sauce

6 skinless bone-in chicken breast (~5 oz each), trimmed of visible fat

1. Preheat oven to 375”

2. In a small bowl, mix together the wheat germ, honey, mustard, apricot nectar or jam, and soy sauce until well blended.

3. Arrange the chicken pieces, bone side down, on a baking sheet. Spread the wheat germ mixture evenly over the chicken breast. Bake until the chicken is opaque throughout and the wheat germ mixture has formed a crust, 35-40 minutes.

4. To serve, divide the rice among individual plates. Top each with a chicken breast.

Apricot Wild Rice

Ingredients:

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, stemmed

1 ½ cups warm water

2 cups wild rice, rinsed in a fine mesh sieve under cold running water

½ cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

2 shallots

In a small bowl, soak the mushrooms in the warm water until barely softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid, Coarsely chopped mushrooms. Strain the mushroom-soaking liquids through a fine mesh sieve into a measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 5 cups liquid. Pour the liquid into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the wild rice, mushrooms, apricots and shallots. Return to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

I don't do mushrooms, but instead I would use chicken stock or broth to enhance the flavor of the wild rice.

Doesn't it sound good. I will let you know. I am also thinking of serving it with saute spinach or asparagus. I am trying to think of another vegetable that could go with it too. Any suggestions?

So Papilla Cheesecake

Last evening our RS had a week night event. We had a lesson on spousal relationships and then a panel discussion with some excellent questions, insights and views. It was a rare RS event in which the men were invited, so we provided babysitting and food. It turned out great with a wonderful turnout. I want to think that the food helped. For dessert I made So Papilla Cheesecake-- from my sister that lots of people wanted the recipe. So I thought maybe people in the blogging world would also appreciate the recipe. I must warn you that it is in NO WAY low fat (it is cheesecake people), but it is quick and easy and delicious. So here it goes....

2 cans of crescent rolls
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13X9 inch pan.
Spread 1 can of crescent rolls on the bottom of the pan.
Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract together and spread on top of dough. Cover with other can of crescent rolls. Pour melted butter over the top. Sprinkle Cinnamon and sugar over top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes-- crust should be golden brown. Let sit for 5-10 minutes but serve warm.


Notes: I saw crescent rolls in a solid roll instead of individual crescent cut outs the other day. I did not try it because it was more expensive, but I think if I were to make it again for myself, I would use it. It saves some time in rolling out and looks prettier. I also do not use low fat in this recipe. That means no low fat cream cheese (it does not melt easily and does not taste the same) nor do I use low fat crescent rolls. I do go with the regular recipe ingredients and minimize my portions. One piece of dessert won't kill you and it is all you really need. But this is a good, quick dessert. You can make it ahead of time and just cook before your guest arrive.

Extract Making

So one of my favorite activities is to make my own extracts. Partially because it is super easy and partially because it is so much tastier than the store stuff-- and half the cost. It is also a great gift. So here are the simple recipes I have found over time.... (and if you want an exact recipe or all on a PDF file, just send me a note.)

Vanilla Extract

Vodka or Bourbon

Vanilla Beans (of any kind)

Fill a sealable container with the liquid of your choice (I prefer Vodka because it has no smell or taste and the true taste of the vanilla bean can be tasted). Once filled, slice a vanilla bean length wise with about pinkie size remaining together and place in the container. (I tend to make mine in the largest vodka bottle I fine with about 15-20 beans). Then let sit for about 2 months, shaking occasionally (about once a week). In two months you have vanilla extract. You make remove your bean or keep it in the extract. If you leave it in, the taste will get stronger over time. Or you may use the bean for another batch of extract OR you may take the bean out and use the seeds for vanilla sugar. It is up to you on what you do with it. I usually just make another batch. Your bean can be used up to three batches. Sometimes I leave the bean inside and just empty the extract into another container (a great way of doing it for gifts) and then refill with more liquids.

Fiori di Scilia

vodka

vanilla bean

dried lemon zest

dried orange zest

Fill your container 1/4 filled with zests-- use about 50-50 for the zest. Then slice your vanilla bean length wise except for pinkie size at the top, separate and place in the jar. Fill jar with liquid. Shake immediately and shake about 2-3 times a week. The zest will fall to the bottom, so you need to shake often for best results. Also for best results, the zest needs to be dried. Fresh zest is not as concentrated. Keep in a cool, dark place for about 2 months and voilà, Fiori di Scilia.

Not sure what to use this wonderful extract in.... Well it can be substituted for Vanilla extract at any time. IT just gives a fresher, fruiter flavor to items. We use ours in cookies, sweet breads, whip cream/icing, desserts- but not chocolate for some reason. It is often a main ingredient in Italian sweets and breads- Pantone for instance. It is used more often in Europe than in the US.

Almond Extract

1 Tbsp of blanched, slivered almonds (slightly toasted)

brandy

Slightly toast your almonds and then crush, but don't make a paste. They should be the size of large sand. Place in your jar/container and fill with Brandy. Once filled place in a cool, dark storage area for 1-2 months. Shake once a week. Almonds will settle to the bottom so shake well.

Peppermint Extract

dried peppermint

vodka

Place dried peppermint into the bottom of your container until about 1/4 filled. Then pour in vodka. Once poured, shake well. Shake daily for about 2 weeks. then use cheesecloth or coffee filter and drain liquids- saving it to a different jar. Throw out the used peppermint. Now you have peppermint extract.

If you let the peppermint sit for longer in the extract, the taste will be stronger. But do not keep for longer than 1 month.

Cinnamon Extract

cinnamon stick

vodka

Break cinnamon stick in half. Place in about 4 oz. of vodka. Let sit for 2 weeks to 2 months. Remove cinnamon sticks and you have cinnamon extract.

this extract is great of hot chocolate or adding to chocolate cakes, breads, cookies, etc. It will last you a long, long time.

Lemon or Orange Extract

dried lemon zest or orange zest

vodka

fill container about 1/4 with zest, then pour in vodka. Keep in a dark, cool place for up to 2 months. Remove zest and you have extract.

Most extracts are to rest for 2 months. You could go longer and you can leave in the items (minus the peppermint) which allow the flavor to continue to strengthen. If you have made the extract in a separate container (like a large Vodka bottle), then you can pour the extract into another bottle and use the items again. This is the best way to give the away as gifts. If you use a lot of extract, make plenty. Refill the current bottle as you go along with Vodka so it is melding with the vanilla. Otherwise plan on 2 months between each one.

Oh and by the way, these are super easy and quick to make- really truly easy. I do have a list of where I purchased my ingredients: zest, vanilla beans, jars, labels, etc if you want them.