Mandarin Salad

When the summer heat hits, my family tends to eat many more salads.  This one is light & refreshing and oh so simple to make.  This is the basic recipe, though it's so easy to customize to your tastes (like adding chicken or shrimp).

Here's what you'll need:
1 head romaine lettuce, torn in bite-sized pieces
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 10-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 c almonds or pecans, lightly toasted
2 TBSP orange juice (or juice from draining the oranges)
4 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp parsley
pinch red pepper flakes

To toast the nuts, place them in a dry skillet.  Heat over medium heat just until you begin to smell them. Remove from heat.

To make the dressing combine the oranges juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and red pepper in a small bowl.  Whisk until well blended.  This is just the basic recipe, a place to start.  Today, I used  toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil to give it an extra boost of flavor.  You can also add garlic, onions and other herbs to better complement.your meal.

Put the lettuce and celery in a large bowl.  Add half of the dressing and toss to coat.

Divide the greens among 4 salad plates.  Arrange the oranges on top.  Sprinkle with the nuts.
Serve with the remaining dressing on the side.

Make 4 side salad-sized servings.

Chocolate Butter Cream

I love butter cream!  It's light, fluffy and not too sweet.  But once in a while, a chocolate butter cream is a nice change.  It's no harder to make, but the the increase in flavor is worth the extra step.

Here's what you'll need:
2/3 c dark chocolate chunks
12 TBSP butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 TBSP milk

Put chocolate chunks in a small bowl.

Microwave at 30-second intervals, until melted.  Stir until smooth.  Let cool slightly.

With a mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla and melted chocolate.

Gradually add the sugar, mixing well.  Add just enough milk to loosen the mixture and make it spreadable. Then, beat on high for 5 minutes.

This will frost a 9-inch layer cake.

Enjoy!

Quick, Extra-Chocolate Pudding

Pudding is one of the standard comfort foods for most people.  It conjures memories of childhood and carefree days.  Ours was more of a gelatin family, so when we had pudding, it was a real treat.

I know you can make "pudding" from a box in five minutes, but this one is so easy.  It doesn't take much more time and the taste and texture are well worth the effort.

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa (I used Special Dark)
2 TBSP corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
1 TBSP instant espresso powder
2 c milk (I used 1% and it's still creamy and delicious!)
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsp butter, room temp
2 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks.  Set aside.

In a 1 1/2-quart sauce pan combine the cocoa, sugar, corn starch and salt.  Whisk together.

Slowly whisk in the milk.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.  Gradually whisk about 1/2 of the hot mixture into the beaten eggs.  This will "temper" them, or keep them from scrambling in your pudding when they hit the heat.

Whisk the egg mixture into the rest of the hot mixture.

Return to the heat.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat, then stir in the butter and the vanilla.

Pour the pudding into one bowl or 4 dessert dishes.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Make sure you press it to the top of the pudding!  This will keep it from developing a "skin" on top.

Refrigerate until chilled.  Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Easy Parmesan Chicken

Sometimes, people are intimidated about frying chicken.  I'm not talking about the double-battered, soaked in grease Southern-style chicken.  I'm talking just plain breaded chicken, like you'd use for chicken Parmesan or Marsala.    Setting up a breading station ahead of time will make the job easier, saving time and helping prevent the chicken from overcooking.   This chicken is flash fried for a crispy exterior, then finished off in the oven for a moist, juicy piece of meat.

Here's what you'll need:

1 3-oz skinless, boneless chicken breast per person
1 1/2 c flour
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 c bread crumbs (I used panko)
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
1 tsp oregano, divided
1/2 tsp basil, divided
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 300.  Line a sheet pan with paper towels; put a cooling rack on the pan.  Set aside.

Now, set up your breading station.  You'll need three bowls, each large enough for the chicken breast to lay flat.  Put the flour in one, the egg in another and the bread crumbs in the last one.

Season each one with salt and pepper.  It's important to season each layer so the breading has an even flavor, too.  Divide the garlic powder, oregano and basil between the flour and bread crumb bowls. Add the Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs. Stir to mix.

Set aside.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet (I used cast iron) until it melted and just begins to smoke.

Dip the chicken into the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.  Gently place into the hot pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  If you do, the chicken won't be crispy.  It needs space for the oil to circulate around the meat.

Cook the chicken about 1 minute,  then turn.  The chicken should look golden brown.

Cook one more minute then place on the rack in the preheated oven.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the juices run clear when you stab it with a fork.

Enjoy!

Home-made Vanilla

For my birthday, my sister got me a little kit for making home-made vanilla extract.  (But you don't need a kit to make your own!)  Vanilla beans and liquor. How hard can it be? Well, speaking as someone who doesn't usually shop at the liquor store, baffling.

For your best vanilla extract, you want to use vodka.  I didn't realize there was so many choices!  There's a wide range of prices and brands.  I explained to the lady what I wanted to do with the vodka.  She looked at me like I was from Mars, or that I was a bad liar trying to cover up an addiction. But she was a treasure trove of vodka knowledge.

For a good tasting product, don't buy the cheapest vodka you find.  While it supposedly has no taste on it's own, the vodka should be smooth going down.  Apparently, the cheaper stuff ill feel like your swallowing turpentine.  So, I bought a mid-range, 100 proof vodka that should produce a strong, yet smooth, vanilla.

Here's what you'll need:
4-6 vanilla beans, depending on size
1 c vodka
glass bottle with a stopper top

On a cutting board, slice each vanilla bean length-wise.

Put the beans into the glass bottle.  DO NOT use plastic.  The vodka will cause all the absorbed flavors in the plastic to come out into the liquid, making a gross-tasting vanilla.

Pour the vodka into the bottle with the vanilla beans.

Close the bottle tightly.  Shake several times.

Keep the bottle on the counter, out of direct sunlight, for 8 weeks.  Make sure to shake it every few days. When the two weeks is up, your vanilla is ready to be used to make whatever vanilla flavored treats you can think of.

Enjoy!

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

My sister used to make this as a cake with pistachio frosting.  It's moist, delicious and very green, making it perfect for St. Paddy's day.  I decided on cupcakes since I had several people I wanted to grace with this treat.  I also tweaked the frosting a bit, but the result is just as delicious.

Here's what you'll need:
Frosting:
1 c milk
4 TBSP flour
1 stick butter, at room temp
1/2 c shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powder sugar
5 drops green food coloring, optional

Cake:
1 white cake mix
1 Sm. package pistachio pudding
3 egg whites
1 c oil
1 c 7-up or sprite
1/2 c pistachios, chopped and divided
1/2 c coconut (optional)

The frosting needs time to cool, so start with that.

Combine the cold milk and the flour in a small sauce pan.  Whisk to blend.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Cook until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon.

Pour into a shallow bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the surface so it doesn't form a skin as it cools.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

To make the cake combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and 7-up in a mixing bowl.  Beat for 4 minutes.  Fold in half of the pistachios and all the coconut.

Preheat oven to 350.

Divide the batter between 20-24 paper-lined cupcake pans.  Only fill them HALF FULL.  I used a scoop, and it was too much.  They overflowed and I had trouble getting them out of the pan.

Bake for 18-24 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.

To finish the frosting, beat the softened butter and shortening with a mixer until well-blended.

Add the vanilla and powder sugar, beating well.

Add the milk paste from the fridge and beat for 2 minutes.

Add the food coloring, if using.  Frost the cooled cupcakes.  Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pistachios.
Refrigerate any left-overs, if you have any.

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate-hazelnut Glaze

Okay, I have to start this one with a small disclaimer.  This recipe actually uses a boxed cake mix.  Now before those who know get all up-in-arms about it, this is a recipe from my mom.  We all know that one of the major rules is that you don't *usually* change a recipe from your mom.  So, there you have it.

This coffee cake is dense and moist with a ton of flavor.  My mom always called it Jewish coffee cake, for reasons that eluded me.  I have changed the name but not the recipe, with the exception of the added chocolate-hazelnut glaze.

Here's what you'll need:
1 box white cake mix
1/2 c oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 sm. package vanilla instant pudding
1 1/2 c sour cream
3/4 c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c chocolate-hazelnut spread
1 - 2 TBSP milk
1 c powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Heavily grease a tube or bundt pan.

Combine cake mix, oil, eggs, vanilla, pudding and sour cream in a mixing bowl.  Mix on medium speed until blended.  Mix on high for 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.  It will have a sandy texture.

Spread 1/3 of the cake batter in the bundt pan.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Repeat with 1/3 of the batter, then 1/2 of the cinnamon mixture.  Finish with the last 1/3 of cake batter. Smooth out evenly.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  (It's a deep cake, so I actually had to use a skewer.)  The cake really puffs up when it bakes.

Let cool, in the pan, on a wire rack for 1 hour.

To remove the cake from the pan, slide a knife around the center of the pan to release the cake.

Place a serving plate over the cake.

In a quick movement, turn the cake over and set the platter on the counter.

Gently pull the pan off of the cake.  You might need to wiggle it a little.

Allow the cake to cool completely.

To make the glaze, combine the chocolate-hazelnut spread and the milk in a small bowl.

Microwave for 15-30 seconds, until it melts.  Stir until smooth.  Combine the chocolate mixture with the powdered sugar.

Stir until very smooth.  (Sifting the powdered sugar first will help.)

Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Allow the glaze to harden before serving.  Serves 12-15.

Enjoy!