cooking with your senses – try a new recipe every month january– poulet ala orange (frenchie-fied chicken in orange sauce) february - mocha brownie torte with white chocolate march - corned beef and potato salad april - peanut butter easter eggs may -cherry tarts, much better than basic
january– poulet ala orange (frenchie-fied chicken in orange sauce)
4 large oranges
4 skinless chicken breast halves with bones; (about 2 1/2 pounds)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. thyme, dried
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ c. chicken broth
¼ c. orange marmalade
1 tsp. cornstarch
with vegetable peeler, remove four 3-inch-long strips peel (about 3/4 inch wide each) from 1 orange. cut peel lengthwise into very thin slivers. squeeze enough juice from 2 oranges to equal 2/3 cup. cut peel and white pith from remaining 2 oranges. cut each orange in half from stem to blossom end, then cut each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. rub chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and thyme. in nonstick 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot. add chicken breasts and cook until golden, about 6 minutes, turning once. add orange juice, orange-peel strips, and chicken broth; heat to boiling. reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with tip of knife. in cup, mix orange marmalade and cornstarch until blended. transfer chicken breasts to warm platter; keep warm. to same skillet, add marmalade mixture; heat to boiling. cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute, until sauce thickens slightly. stir in orange slices; heat through. spoon sauce over chicken breasts on platter.
february - mocha brownie torte with white chocolate
most brownies are baked in an 8 x 11 inch oblong pan and then served in squares. we've substituted a round 10 inch pan to make a killer of a presentation. swirl with a cloud of coffee flavored whipped cream, slice into discreet wedges and everyone will perish from the pleasure. of course, depending on the crowd, these can be cut into traditional brownie squares and in the event there are some left they can be frozen for quick-pack stuff in your lunch bag treats. either way, once you bake these, no one will allow your mixer to collect too much dust before the next batch is desired.
makes 16 wedges or 20 2" brownies
2 cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups unsalted butter
3 tablespoons strong coffee
4 eggs
1 cup flour
¾ cup schokinag cocoa powder
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups schokinag white chocolate chips
coffee cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon espresso grind coffee
1 t. powdered sugar
preheat oven to 325. butter and flour either a 10 inch round cake pan or an 11 x 8 baking pan. thoroughly combine the brown sugar and butter in an electric mixer or by hand. add the coffee, eggs, and vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture.
sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together and stir into the cheese mixture. stir in the chocolate chips. spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan with a rubber spatula. for the 10 inch round bake for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. for the 8 x 11 pan, 25-30 minutes should be sufficient.do not overbake.
cool for 10 minutes, then turn out of pan onto a cooling rack. cool completely. when ready to serve, plate on a pretty round platter, whip the cream with the espresso grind coffee and powdered sugar, swirl over the surface leaving a frame of about half an inch of brownie showing and slice into pie-shaped wedges. or serve without the whipped cream and cut into 2 inch squares.divine!
march - corned beef and potato salad
let's just say these aren't hot potatoes anymore; you may want to boil up extraspuds during your dinner so you can make this yummy salad.dress them with a german style salad dressing, add some crunchy jicama and tart apple for a second take on your st. patrick's day feast.
serves 6-8
3 pounds cooked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup jicama, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh arugula, chopped
1 cup chopped cooked corned beef
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
large pinch freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/3 cup broth or water
1/2 teaspoon each celery and mustard seed
3 tablespoons each chopped scallion and parsley
in a small skillet heat the oil and saute the onion over medium heat for
about 1 minute.stir in the flour, salt, sugar, pepper, and mustard.cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.add the vinegar and broth (or water)
stirring frequently.pour this over the potatoes, jicama, apples, arugula, and corned beef.toss gently, adding the seeds and herbs.serve warm.
april - peanut butter easter eggs
growing up in the heart of pennsylvania dutch country
meant making these delicious and synonomous with springtime
easter treats.many of the old-time recipes are a bit sketchy as to exact amounts of each key ingredient, my advice is to let your palate be your guide.
begin by mixing the peanut butter and the softened butter together
either in a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer or in a
kitchen aid type mixer. add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla
and knead if necessary to achieve a firm consistency. mold into egg shapes, place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets, and
refrigerate overnight, allowing to dry slightly.
melt thechocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot water,
stirring until melted.or, place in a medium glass bowl and
microwave on high for one minute, do not cover, stir, and heat
for additional 15 second increments, if necessary. dip the formed eggs in the chocolate using 2 forks, return to baking sheets. sprinkle dipped eggs with chopped peanuts. allow to harden, place in cupcake liners.discreetly give to easter bunny.
may -cherry tarts, much better than basic
originally made to fill a request for cherry pies for each one of the cherry-lovers in our house, this recipe is now on stand-by as president's day approaches. rather than being baked with the filling in an unbaked shell, these shells are pre-baked, then filled with the cooled filling and topped. this allows them to be filled at the last minute, so as to provide a crunchy, not soggy, crust.
makes 10 3 inch pies
basic pie dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
about 1/3 cup ice water
better than basic cherry filling:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup juice
4 tablespoons blackberry jam
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup finely grated bittersweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups pitted cherries, fresh, frozen, or canned
the topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons creme de cacao, white
garnish: grated chocolate
for the crusts:
either combine the butter, salt, and flour in a large bowl and cut with a pastry blender or place in the work bowl of a food processor and blend till crumbly add the water, either by hand in the bowl, mixing only till the dough holds together or in the machine watching carefully that it's not overmixed when it begins to form a ball. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling out. then roll out into a large rectangle and use a 3 inch round fluted cutter. press each one into a buttered muffin tin. bake the empty shells in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. fully baked shells should be dry, golden brown, and flaky. may becooled
completely and stored at room temperature, covered in a tin or an unsealed plastic bag for 24 hours.
for the filling:
combine the juice, jam, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir till boiling or combine these ingredients in a medium microwave glass bowl, mixing well, and heat for 3 minutes on high to melt the jam and thicken with the cornstarch.remove from either heat source and stir in the chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and cherries. store in the refrigerator, covered, until needed.
for serving:
whip the cream with the sugar and the flavoring, being sure to place your bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 30 minutes prior to whipping. then on individual dessert plates or one large platter, place the pie shells, fill with the chocolate cherry filling and top with the whipped cream and grated chocolate.
