BEST CAKE

Marian Burros's Italian Plum Torte, from the NYT via Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients:

4 oz (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

4.75 oz (1 c) AP flour

1 t baking powder

large pinch salt

12 Italian plums, halved and pitted

2 T granulated sugar

1 t ground cardamom

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease an 8" square glass dish.

Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add eggs and mix thoroughly.  

Mix dry ingredients and stir into wet ingredients.  Spread evenly in dish and cover with fruit, pressing into batter slightly.  Sprinkle with sugar and cardamom.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden and puffed.

SAUTEÉD SHISHITO PEPPERS

From Gimme Some Oven

Ingredients:

6-8 oz shishito peppers, stems attached

2 t olive oil

Salt

1/2 t sesame oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds (optional)

Methodology:

Heat a large dutch oven or skillet over high heat, and add the oil.  Once it's hot, add the peppers and cook for 5-8 minutes, tossing frequently.

Remove from heat, plate, and season with salt.  Alternatively, add sesame oil, soy sauce and sesame seeds.

SLOW COOKER SHORT RIBS FOR BORSCHT

Ingredients:

2 lbs bone in short ribs

Salt

Ghee

1 carrot, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1-2 onions, diced

2 T tomato paste

Methodology:

Place 3 c boiling water inside a slow cooker set to high.

Divide the short rib meat from the bones, taking care to keep the meat in large pieces.

Roast the bones at 425°F for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven over high heat, melt the ghee, then season and brown the short rib meat on both sides.  Place the meat in the slow cooker. 

Turn the heat under the dutch oven down to medium.  Add the vegetables to the dutch oven and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to lightly brown them on all sides.  Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.  Add 2 c water and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Pour the vegetable mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cook for 5-7 hours on high.

Once cooked, remove the meat and reserve in the fridge.  Remove the bones and discard.  Strain vegetable stock and discard solids, reserving stock in fridge.  

Once meat has cooled, cut into appropriate sized pieces.  Once stock has cooled, remove solidified fat, and proceed with borscht recipe.

MICHAEL'S GRANOLA

Recipe from Michael McIlrath

Ingredients:

6 c            12 c oats

1 1/2 c      3+ c nuts (ch. almonds, raw sunfl. seeds, walnuts, added 10 min from end)

1/4 c         1/2 c unsweetened coconut

1/2 t          1 t cinnamon

1 pinch      2 pinches salt

2 T            1/4 c vanilla (added to oil and honey)

1/3 c         2/3 c oil

1/2 c         1 c honey or maple syrup

1 1/2 c      3 c dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, raisins or dried currants)

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the wet ingredients and warm the mixture in a small, heavy saucepan.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, reserving walnuts and dried fruit.

Split the dry mixture into a second large bowl.

Slowly mix in half the wet ingredients into each of the dry bowls.

Toss mixtures from one bowl to another.

Spread on two large cookie sheets (in a layer approx. 1/2" - 3/4" thick, with furrows).

Bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Add walnuts for the final 10 minutes.

Add dried fruit to cooked mixture as it cools.

SUGARPINE DRIVE-IN CORN AND MELON CHILI CRISP SALAD

Inspired by a salad at Sugarpine Drive-In

"Curried Corn and Melon:

Salad of fresh Hermiston watermelon & honeydew with arugula, cucumber and watermelon radish, dressed in chili crisp and lime vinaigrette and served on a base of curry coconut-creamed corn, crispy corn dust."

Ingredients:

Curried Coconut Corn:

4 ears corn, kernels removed from cob

1 c lite coconut milk

1/4 t salt

1 t lime juice

1/2 t curry powder, or 1/16 t each turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin

Chili Crisp Vinaigrette:

1 T chili crisp

1 t black vinegar

1 t lime juice

1 t soy sauce

1/4 t sugar

1/4 t sesame oil

2 t shallot oil

2 c cut cucumbers

2 or 3 radishes, shaved

3 c balled or cut watermelon and honeydew melon

2 c arugula

corn nuts for garnish

Methodology:

Simmer all corn ingredients together until liquid has mostly evaporated.  Taste for seasoning and set aside.

Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together.

Place 1/2 of corn in the bottom of a large salad bowl.  Assemble remaining salad ingredients on this corn base, top with corn nuts and vinaigrette, and serve.

NETI POT RINSE

1/2 t salt (non-iodized)

1/4 t baking soda

8 oz water, sterilized by boiling 5 minutes

CINNAMON SWIRL CHALLAH

From the Cupcakes and Sarcasm blog

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

7/8 c warm water

3/4 T active dry yeast

1/4 c white sugar + 1 1/2 t for proofing

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c oil, plus more for the bowl

1 1/2 t salt

4 - 4 1/4 c AP flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 c brown sugar

1 t vanilla

3 t cinnamon

1T water

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

Methodology:

Combine the water, yeast and 1 1/2 t white sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and proof for 5 minutes.  Once frothy, mix in the eggs, oil, salt and remaining white sugar.  With the dough hook on and set to slow, gradually mix in one cup of flour at a time, incorporating completely between additions.

Lightly oil a large bowl, add the dough, cover, and leave to rise for one hour, or doubled in size.

Knock the air out and leave to rise another 30 minutes. 

Mix the cinnamon sugar mixture together. 

Divide the dough into six pieces.  Roll each piece out into an 8-inch log.  Flatten each log and equally distribute the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Pinch each log closed again, and braid according to this method.

Preheat oven to 375°F, and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Brush the top and sides with the egg wash and let dry for 20 minutes.  Brush again and bake on prepared sheet for 35-40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 190°F. 

Cool before slicing.

STUFFED SHELLS

Adapted from Love and Lemons

Ingredients:

25-30 jumbo shells

Olive oil, for drizzling

3 c marinara sauce

16 oz ricotta cheese

1/4 c grated pecorino cheese, grated

1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, grated and divided in half

1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped

Zest from 1 lemon

1 t pizza party seasoning

1 t oregano

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

Chopped fresh parsley

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Cook the shells to al dente according to their package.  Drain, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and set aside. 

Spread the sauce in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan, and set aside.

Mix all remaining filling ingredients but the reserved mozzarella and parsley in a large bowl.  Stuff each shell with approximately 2 T filling,  using a small cookie scoop, and arrange in 5 rows of 5 atop the spread marinara sauce (filling in any gaps with extra shells).

Top with reserved mozzarella, cover with foil, and bake 25 minutes, or until sauce and cheese are bubbling.  Serve sprinkled with parsley. 

ITALIAN BREAD CRUMB TOPPING

Especially good atop steamed peas or broccolette.

Ingredients:

2 T butter

1/2 c panko bread crumbs

1 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t onion granules

1/8 t garlic powder

1/8 t paprika powder

1/8 t ground pepper

1/8 t kosher salt

Methodology:

Melt butter over medium heat in a small saucepan.

Add bread crumbs and seasoning mixture, and toss to coat with butter.  Toast, stirring, until bread crumbs are golden brown, and remove from heat.

Taste for seasoning, and serve over vegetables.

If using in a context that will be heated further, toast for less time, to prevent the bread crumbs from burning in the final dish.

ROASTED GREEN BEANS

Adapted from Amee's Savory Dish

Ingredients:

12 oz green beans, trimmed

4-6 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 t salt

1 T olive oil

Methodology:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Toss beans and garlic in olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt.

Roast until beans are tender and blistered golden in spots, 35-40 minutes, tossing at 25 minutes.

SHEET PAN FETA LEMON CHICKEN

From Baking the Goods

Ingredients:

1/3 c olive oil

Juice from 1 large lemon

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t sumac

2 T fresh oregano, chopped

2 T parsley, chopped

2 T rosemary, chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 lb yukon gold or baby potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 container cherry tomatoes

1 red and 1 orange bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces

2 red onions, quartered and cut into 1/2" slices

2 lemons, cut into 3 slices each

6 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless (approx. 2 lb)

1/2 lb feta, cut into 1/4" cubes

Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Combine the first group of ingredients in a measuring cup and set aside.

Add all remaining ingredients but the feta to a very large bowl, pour over the sauce previously made, and toss well.  Spread out evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets, and roast for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through.  

Add feta cheese evenly to both sheets, and roast an additional 10 minutes.