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Category: Recipes (Page 9 of 26)

Best Banana Bread recipe

September 25, 2014 / / 0 Comments

They weren’t kidding when they said this was the best banana bread recipe. It’s absolutely delicious, specially right out of the oven.  Though I couldn’t tell you how it’d be cold as none of it survived to that stage.

  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease a loaf pan

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together into a medium-size bowl. Set aside

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add the eggs and the bananas and mix well.  Add the sifted flour and mix well.  Add the vanilla extract and mix again until combined.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan and cook for 1 hour. Test with a fork to make sure it’s dry inside.

Adapted from a recipe at Food.com

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Chicken Genoa

March 18, 2014 / / 0 Comments

I was thinking of cooking Genoese cuisine as part of my International food project, but I finally decided to get to it when I do Liguria.  However, I was in need of an easy recipe using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and this recipe for Chicken Genoa looked delicious.  Of course, I don’t really know if it is from Genoa, and I did change it a bit (used thighs instead of breasts, sherry instead of wine and fresh mushrooms instead of canned ones), but the results were wonderful. As in seriously addictive, will crave it sort of wonderful.

Perhaps the best part about the dish is just how perfectly moist the chicken thighs are.  I don’t think I’ve had better boneless thighs.  So please, follow the cooking method to the letter.

It also microwaves wonderfully

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sherry or white wine
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • olive oil
  • 8-12 oz Mozarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Ready a 9″x 13″ glass baking dish or equivalent.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a frying pan.  Add the mushrooms and cook, tossing, for a minute or two.  Add the sherry, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium.  Cook until soft and wine is absorbed, stirring occasionally, around 5 minutes.  Let cool

Meanwhile, remove any surplus fat from the chicken thighs.  Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese.  Coat the chicken thighs with the egg and then with the bread crumbs.

Heat a thick layer of olive oil in a frying pan over high heat.  Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides, about a minute per side. You may need to do this in batches.  Place the chicken thighs in the baking dish, careful to not overlap. Use more than one dish if necessary.  Top with the mozarella cheese (use as much as you like), and then with the sauteed mushrooms.

Cook for 30 minutes.

 

Baked Coconut Shrimp

February 16, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Last night it was V-Day so I made coconut shrimp for my husband.  I’d never made them before, but it was very simple.  You just take peeled shrimp, cover it with sweetened shredded coconut, place them on a lightly greased baking sheet and cook in a preheated 400F oven for about 15 minutes (for medium shrimp), flipping once.

It’s somehow tricky to attach the shredded coconut to the shrimp.  It just falls off.  I tried putting the coconut directly on the shrimp, coating the shrimp with mango sauce or egg whites, and then dipping it on the coconut, and doing so after dusting the shrimp with cornstarch.  They all worked equally world, and Mike couldn’t tell the difference between them flavor wise.

I made a mango sauce to go with the shrimp, but Mike preferred them without it.

 

White Hot Chocolate Recipe

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I personally liked this recipe for white hot chocolate, but nobody else was as fond of it as me.

  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • whipped cream for garnish
In a heavy pot, mix the white chocolate chips. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate chips dissolve.  Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. Continue cooking until the chocolate milk is heated through, stirring occasionally.  Serve and top with whipped cream.
Based on Paula Deen’s recipe at the Food Network.

Roasted Red Rosemary Potatoes

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

This is a super easy and great way to make roasted potatoes. I particularly like it because I have a lot of rosemary growing by the side of my house.  I cooked the potatoes at 425F, as I was cooking them with another dish that required that temperature, but the original recipe has them cooking at 400F.  I think the added temperature had them dry out on the outside, and steam in the inside – something which my guests liked.  I prepared the potatoes about an our before roasting without them turning brown.

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • sprinkle black pepper
  • 6 red potatoes, quartered
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, rosemary, salt and black pepper.  Add the quartered potatoes and coat well.  Transfer to a roasting pan or baking sheet.  Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender.

Based on Robin Miller’s recipe at the Food Network.

 

Madeira Sauce Recipe – for roasts

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Sometimes the best things are the simplest things, and this super quick and easy Madeira sauce just proves it.  I made it to serve with a ribeye roast, but it could go just as well with roasted lamb, pork or venison.  It has a wonderful nutty buttery flavor that really complemented the beef.  It’s great to soak with bread too.  Make the sauce in advance, and add the pan juices and heat right before serving.

  • 1/2 cup Madeira wine
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or a sprinkle of dry)
  • up to 1/4 cup pan juices
Combine the Madeira with the beef broth and the rosemary in a very small pot and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and reserve.  After your roast is done, add up to 1/4 cup of the pan juices.  Mix well while reheating and serve.
Based on B. Smith’s recipe at the Food Network.

Perfect Ribeye Roast

December 27, 2013 / / 0 Comments

I’ve used this method for cooking ribeye roast (aka boneless Prime Rib) before, but as part of a bigger recipe. I figured I’d include it all by itself for easier reference. It can be served by itself or with a sauce.

These instructions are for a 6lb roast.  If yours is larger, add some additional cooking time.  This recipe takes a total of about 6 hours, but only about 5 minutes of actual active time.

  • Ribeye Roast
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, pressed
  • Kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • dried thyme

About six hours before your serving time, remove the roast from the fridge, uncover, dry surfaces with a smooth towel, and allow to sit uncovered at room temperature for about 3 hours.  This will dry the surface, giving it a good crust.

About 3 1/2 hours before serving time, preheat oven to 450F

Rub the roast with the pressed garlic.  Rub with kosher salt all over the surfaces. Sprinkle with black pepper and dried thyme. Put on a roasting pan and place in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes.  Turn down the temperature to 300F and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of about 130 F for a bright red medium-rare roast, about 90 minutes. Alternatively, once it reaches 125F, turn oven to 425F and cook for a few more minutes until it gets to 130F.

Remove from the oven. Tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.  Carve and serve.

Marga’s 2013 Xmas Eve Menu

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Rolled Butter Cookies – Best Recipe so Far

December 17, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Camila wanted to make Christmas cookie, and while I have a pretty good recipe, it called for some ingredients that I didn’t have at home. That was fortunate, because while searching for another recipe I came upon this one, from butter company Land 0’Lakes.  I like it more than my regular recipe, specially with the frosting.

Without the frosting the cookies are too dry.  That’s because of all the extra flour you use on them while you roll them.  Making them thicker helps – mine were too thin.  The icing, however, helps tremendously.  The best part was that the kids didn’t like them that much – Mika found them too dry and while Camila likes to make baked goods, she doesn’t really like to eat them.  The flavor was very good and, yes, you need all that vanilla extract.  All the recipes for rolled cookies I’ve found call for orange juice or lemon juice, so I suspect the citric acid element is needed for chemical reasons.

The key to making rolled cookies is getting the dough at the right temperature to make them rollable. It takes 2-3 hours in the fridge, but I’ve noticed that 45 minutes in the freezer also do the trick.  Work with dough in small batches.  As soon as one gets too soft, put it back in the fridge and get another one.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsp. orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups flour + more for dusting
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 4 1″ squares of plastic wrap

Icing

  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup salted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tbsp. milk
  • Food coloring, as desired

Instructions

For the cookies

With an electric mixer at medium speed, cream the butter with the sugar and the egg.  Add the orange juice and vanilla extract and continue mixing until combined.  Add the flour and baking soda and mix at low speed until combined.

Wrap 1/4th of the dough. with each plastic wrap square. Flatten slightly.  Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Heat oven to 400°F.

Lightly flour a working surface and a rolling pin.  Roll out one package of batter to a 1/4″ thickness.  Cut with cookie cutters.  Place 1″ apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.  It’s ready when the edges of the cookie start to turn brown.  Remove from oven and let stand for one minute before transferring to cooling racks.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

For the Icing

Using an electric mixer at low speed, beat together the powdered sugar, butter and vanilla.  Scrape the sides of the bowl often.  Add enough milk for your desired consistency.
Divide into small bowl and color each one with food coloring.  Spread over cookies and allow to dry.
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Ropa Vieja Recipe

November 12, 2013 / / 0 Comments

Ropa Vieja

It doesn’t look very appetizing now, does it? And its name, “old clothing” in Spanish, doesn’t make it sound like something you want to rush to eat.  And yet, this simple Cuban dish is as delicious as anything you’ll ever eat.  It takes some time to make, but it’s well worth it.

I first discovered Ropa Vieja in a copy of The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors: Recipes You Should Have Gotten from Your Grandmother I borrowed from the Berkeley public library. It was 1993, I was newly married and determined to cook for my husband.  That year I became a cook, a good cook if I may say so myself, and Ropa Vieja has been a favorite I’ve gone back to time after time.

I haven’t modified the original recipe much, but I have found that this dish is best served with sourdough bread.  Lots of it.

Ingredients

  • 3 – 4 lbs chuck roast
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

Pat dry the roast.  Season with salt and pepper on all sides.

Heat vegetable oil over high heat in a large cooking pot. Add the beef and brown on all sides. Remove roast.  Pour out and discard fat.  Return pot and beef to the stove.  Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat to low and cook for 2 hours.  Turn off heat and let cool for at least an hour.

When the meat is cool, shred it into strips using your hands.  Place in a bowl and pour the broth remaining in the pot over it.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large, clean lidded pan.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until they start to caramelize.  Add the bell pepper and cook until soft.  Add the meat, tomato sauce, wine and bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.  Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and serve.

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Chicken Canzanese

August 23, 2013 / / 0 Comments

This is another winner from Epicurious.com.  It’s delicious beyond words and as easy a dinner as it gets – though you need close to 2 hours to get it ready.  The recipe is pretty similar to a couple of others in my repertoire, but this one took less work. It apparently originates in the Abruzzo region of Italy, though clearly there are variations of the same dish in other regions.

I adapted the recipe from the original substituting bacon for the prosciutto.   Use less bacon, turkey bacon or ham to make it healthier.   I also made a mistake and added additional whole garlic cloves rather than the cloves it asked for.   I’m glad I did, as I don’t think cloves would have added much to the dish, while garlic certainly did.

Making it a day in advance pays, the leftovers were to die for.

Chicken Canzanese

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Kosher or coarse salt
  • 4 to 5 lbs chicken pieces
  • 1 large garlic clove, sliced lengthwise
  • 9 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3 sage leaves, whole
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 sprigs rosemary, whole
  • 1 dried red pepper, seeded
  • 18 peppercorns, crushed
  • 6 oz meaty bacon, chopped
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • water
Instructions
Dissolve kosher salt in 1 cup of warm water in a large bowl.  Add the chicken pieces and cover with cold water.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate for one hour.
Remove chicken pieces from the brine and pat try.  Place a wide saute pan or similar on the stove over medium heat. Put the chicken pieces, all in one layer.  Top with the garlic, sage, rosemary springs, red pepper and peppercorns.  Sprinkle bacon uniformly on the chicken.  Add white wine.
Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to very low and simmer until the chicken is done, about 35 minutes for white meat and 45 minutes for dark.  Add water to the pot if the liquid starts drying out.
Remove chicken pieces and bacon onto a bowl and cover to keep warm.  Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the sage and bay leaves, the rosemary sprigs and the garlic.  Bring sauce to a quick boil and reduce to a syrupy consistency.  Serve.
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