Cranberry-Walnut-Chunky Apple Cake

This week, our New Bedford friend Karen Hetu (and Oreo's breeder) dropped off several pounds of fresh cranberries from her bog. They are amazing - so big and luscious. (See photo that compares them to a dime and quarter.) I was making a Chunky Apple Cake for dessert, so decided to add the berries and about 1-1/2 cups of chopped walnuts to the batter. I knew that our guests from Asia (YSEALI fellows Shirin from the Philippines and Shwe from Myanmar) needed to have some local cranberries and apples while they stayed at our home in Marion for three days.

I cut about a cup or so in halves and combined them with the chunks of apples in a Grove Collaborative reusable bag and 3/4 cup sugar. I added about 1 T Citron Sea Salt flakes instead of squeezing in some lemon juice. I also left out the salt in the dry ingredients. I baked for about an hour on 350 degrees in Convection Bake in a bundt pan. The batter rose beautifully, but not too high.

They had cake again for breakfast! I guess they loved it!

Wildflower Manhattan

We had a lovely signature cocktail on Thursday night at Fish Bones in Chelmsford. Gerry asked the waitress the ratio of bourbon, Vermouth and other ingredients and we made a very similar, delicious drink at home that we are calling the Wildflower Manhattan.

We love Trader Joe’s Amarena cherries and they are a key to this drink. Fresh rosemary adds to the Wildflower version. 

4.5 oz Bulleit Bourbon

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

1 oz Luxardo liqueuer 

1 oz Amarena cherry syrup

10 dashes cherry bitters

2 Amarena cherries

I sprig fresh rosemary

Corned Beef - It's Not Just for St. Patrick's Day

Corned Beef Soup and Apple Pie. What better fall soup and dessert!

Of course, in the US, we tend to think of corned beef on a St. Patrick's Day menu. Ah, but that's not what the Irish do. In fact, when we lived in Ireland we were never served corned beef, nor did we find it on a restaurant menu. Corned beef was used to substitute bacon by the Irish immigrants in this country in the late 1800s. There's the connection. Corned beef is good anytime!

There are two cuts of corned beef - the flat cut that has a more consistent thickness or the point which has lots of inter-muscular fat or marbling. Then again, you can buy the whole brisket with both types in one piece.

I chose a hardy package of the flat. I popped it into my crockpot on low with a quart of chicken stock and left it to slow-cook for about 12 hours. I turned it over a few times before it was done; I took the entire piece out and sliced it into what were very tender cubes of stringed corned beef. I cut up about six peeled carrots, sliced half a cabbage and cut them into 1-inch pieces, and added about eight Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled. I added a quart of beef bone broth, some chopped onion, celery and mustard seeds, parsley and chives with bay leaves, salt and pepper and cooked it all until it was tender. I added the beef and cooked all of it on low for a few hours before serving. I wish I'd had caraway seeds to toss in, but I didn't. It was yummy anyway.

Apple Pie Spice

I can't find Apple Pie Spice in the stores, anymore. Plenty of that pumpkin stuff, but no apple. Why, you may say, do you need Apple Pie Spice when you can just add the spices that are listed in a recipe? Well, my apple pie doesn't follow a recipe and I want to throw in a good combination of spices all at once without measuring. (Normally, two tablespoons can be added in lieu of your usual spices.) I like cardamom. It's expensive, but the taste is a good addition. My apple pie spice includes it, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and the requisite major spice - cinnamon. 8 tablespoons ground cinnamon 3 teaspoons ground nutmeg 3 teaspoons ground cardamom 2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice Mix it well and store in a glass container. Makes 2/3 cup.

Twelve Cherry Anniversary Martini

I cooked down some white cherries this afternoon and pressed them through a sieve, combined them with 1/2 c. sugar to yield 1-3/4  c. simple syrup. We came up with the delicious martini recipe within minutes earlier this evening.

To make two martinis, shake 4 ounces vodka, 1 ounce White Cherry simple syrup,1/2 ounce Amaretto, and juice from half a lemon. Strain into martini glasses after shaking over ice. Rim glass with Meyer lemon sugar and add Amarena* cherries that will sink to the bottom.

*Trader Joe's speciality item.

Yum! Here's to 12 years married!

Bacon Wrapped Chili Dusted Scallops with Corn Salad

Gerry found this recipe from Lauren Collins, a poster on My Fishing Cape Cod. We have delicious scallops here in MA and he wanted to make something really special the night before our granddaughter's fourth birthday party. And, we had a winner because her older sister ate seven of them! We packed the ingredients in a cooler and trekked down to Princeton, NJ.

We served it with Beth and Rob's fresh heirloom tomato salad on the side!

To make the Tequila-Lime Sauce called for in the recipe:
Combine 1/4 c. white tequila, 2 TBSPs salted butter, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 TBSPs fresh lime juice, 1 TBSP minced red onion and bring this all to a low boil. Let the butter melt, stirring frequently, for 10 min. Turn off the heat and slowly stir in 1/4 c heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper.

1-1/2 pound sea scallops, patted dry
1 8 oz package center cut bacon
1/4 c. panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Shredded manchego cheese

For the corn salad:
Kernels from 4 ears of fresh corn
1/4 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup cotija cheese
4 mint leaves, finely chopped

Set the oven to 425 degrees. Cut bacon strips in half and use each half to wrap around each scallop, securing the bacon with a toothpick. Line the scallops on a baking sheet. In a bowl, combine the panko, chili powder and cayenne, then sprinkle the mixture over each scallop. Cook for 12-15 minutes until the bacon is sizzling. Once cooked, turn the broiler on to high and cook an additional 3-5 minutes to let them get golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle manchego cheese over each scallop.

To make the corn salad, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then add corn, red onion, chili, cayenne and a touch of salt and pepper, Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is softened. Add lime juice and more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Let sit in the fridge or freezer for up to 30 minutes to cool down, then stir in the cotija cheese and mint.

Serve immediately! A cup of corn salad with 4-5 scallops on top to start. Drizzle the tequila-lime sauce over everything.

Braised Lamp Chops with White Beans, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Rice

Gerry made this delicious meal for me, knowing how much I love beans and lamb. This recipe was from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook.

The slow-cooker is set on low for 5-7 hours and the beans are added halfway through the cooking. The lamb and beans are served over Basmati rice.

Learning about lamb cuts can be confusing. Chops? The Loin Chop, the Shoulder Chop, the Chop, or the Rack. Jamie Oliver has a great explanation.

This recipe called for shoulder lamp chops but loin chops worked really well. Ours are from either the grocery store or from Costco, and they are nice and meaty and thick.

Heat 1-2 T olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and brown the lamb on all sides over medium-high heat. Transfer to the slow cooker. To the skillet, add 1 medium yellow onion, chopped for a few minutes until limp and add to slow cooker. Add to the slow cooker, 1/2 c. chicken broth or bone broth; 1/2 c. dry white wine; 1/4 c. chop
ped and drained sun-dried tomatoes. Add 1/2 tsp. dried thyme and a pinch of ground cumin. Stir and cover and cook on low for 2-1/2 - 3-1/2 hours. Add one 15-ounce can small white beans (rinsed and drained). Cook on low 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours until meat is tender and falls off the bone.

Season with salt and pepper and serve over cooked Basmati rice.

Warm Lentil Potato Salad with Dijon Dressing

Smitten Kitchen is a favorite of mine. She posted this recipe last weekend, and this time, instead of saving the link and forgetting about it, I decided we would have this for St. Patrick's Day dinner. Go figure. We aren't corned beef maniacs so this bit o'green worked. We served it with delicious grilled sausages on the side. Next time, I will serve it with a fried or soft-boiled egg on top. Delicious, anyway, and very filling.

Smitten Kitchen (snipped)

I used the recommended lentils -  a brand of French lentils - small, nutty and yummy. I buy them from Jansal Valley, which is a Sid Wainer company.  Sid Wainer is in New Bedford, and you have to visit the store sometime, if you haven't. We buy their grains and beans in the Shaw's near us.  We've been growing herbs in our Bounty Elite AeroGarden this winter, so we have fresh thyme and parsley at our fingertips. Perfect!

We were very full with 1/3 of this recipe for dinner. The rest we refrigerated and shared in lunch boxes.

Warm Lentil and Potato Salad from Smitten Kitchen (which was "adapted from a few David Tanis recipes.


2 large shallots. Halve one and finely dice the other.
4 sprigs of thyme (no need to pinch leaves off
1 small bay leaf
1 cup of dry small green lentils (Jansal Valley); remove any stones, etc.
salt
Cook lentils: Pick over and rinse lentils. Place them in a small/medium saucepan with the halved shallot, thyme branches, bay leaf, some salt and 4 cups of water. Simmer the lentils over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm-tender. Drain (discarding shallot, thyme and bay leaf) and keep warm.
1 pound of fingerling potatoes

Salt and pepper

Meanwhile, cook potatoes: In a separate saucepan, cover potatoes with 1 to 2 inches cold water. Set timer for 15 minutes, then bring potatoes to a simmer. When the timer rings, they should be easily pierced with a toothpick or knife. Drain and keep warm.
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T smooth Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cornichons or other sour gherkins, roughly chopped
1 to 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Make the dressing: Place the chopped shallot and red wine vinegar in the bottom of a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in minced garlic, dijon, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and olive oil. Stir in chopped capers, cornichon and scallions.
Assemble salad: Slice potatoes into 1/2-inch segments and place in serving bowl. Add lentils, dressing and all but 1 tablespoon parsley and combine. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Scatter salad with remaining parsley.

Zucchini Pasta with Pesto, Asparagus and Shrimp

Ingredients

• For the pesto
• 2 packed cups of fresh basil leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (or a large handful)
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• For the rest
• garlic powder
• olive oil cooking spray
• salt and pepper
• 8-10 medium sized shrimp
• 2 medium zucchinis, spiralized
• 6 stalks of asparagus, chopped into thirds

Instructions

1. Put all of the ingredients for the pesto into the food processor and blend. Taste with your finger and add anymore of one ingredient to make to your taste (ie if it's too salty, add in more basil/pine nuts/olive oil). Set aside.
2. Place a medium sized saucepan on medium-high heat and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. Once heated, add in the asparagus, spray with olive oil cooking spray and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir frequently until easily pierced with a fork.
3. While asparagus is cooking, fill a large saucepan full of salted water. Once boiled, add in the zucchini pasta. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until (test it!) the zucchini is softened a bit. Pour out into a coriander, lay out on paper towels and pat dry.
4. Place a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place in the shrimp, spray with cooking spray and season tops with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip over and cook another 2 minutes or until completely opaque.
5. Add the zucchini pasta to a large bowl and add in the pesto, asparagus and shrimp and mix thoroughly to combine. I like to take a scissor and cut the long noodles in half so that they are easier to cute and share.
6. Divide onto two plates and enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Noodles with Bacon, Spinach and Pecans

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, Blade C
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cubed skinless butternut squash
• 1 cup packed spinach
• 1/4 cup crushed pecans
• 4 strips of bacon
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth, low-sodium
• 1/2 cup light unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 405 degrees. Once preheated, add the cubed butternut squash into a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Dust lightly and evenly with the cinnamon. Mix together to combine and roast for 35 minutes.
2. While the butternut squash is roasting, put a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the tbsp of olive oil and the sweet potato noodles. Cook for about 6-8 minutes or until sweet potato noodles cook through and are soft. Set aside.
3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the bacon strips. Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.
4. Once the squash is done roasting, add the cubes directly into a food processor. Add in the almond milk and half of the vegetable broth. Pulse until creamy.
5. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in the squash puree and the rest of the vegetable broth. Cook until the broth reduces and the puree is creamier. Add water or more vegetable broth, if not creamy.
6. Once the sauce is done, add in the spinach and sweet potato noodles and mix to combine thoroughly. Let cook until spinach wilts.
7. Plate the sauced noodles into a bowl and crumble in the bacon. Top with crushed pecans and enjoy!

Molasses Gingerbread with Mascarpone Cream

From Food and Wine.com

Ingredients
2 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
1 3/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
3/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon(s) finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup(s) boiling water
1 orange, zest peeled with a vegetable peeler and sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips
4 cup(s) water
1/2 cup(s) sugar
1 cup(s) mascarpone, at room temperature
3/4 cup(s) heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon(s) finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoon(s) confectioners' sugar
pinch(s) of salt
Directions
1. Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the canola oil with the brown sugar, molasses, honey, eggs and lemon zest until smooth. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined. Whisk in the boiling water. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack and let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, Make the Orange Confit: In a medium saucepan, combine the strips of orange zest with the water and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until syrupy and the orange zest is soft, about 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the orange confit to a plate; discard the syrup.
3. Make the Mascarpone Cream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the mascarpone with the cream, orange zest, confectioners' sugar and salt until soft peaks form.
4. Cut the molasses-gingerbread cake into squares and transfer to plates. Dollop the mascarpone cream on top, garnish with the orange confit and serve.

Mushroom Celebration

From Carol Gordon't Sleep On It

5 cups cubed day-old bread
3 T butter, melted
2 T olive oil
1 pound mushrooms
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 cup diced peppers
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly groung pepper
1/2 c milk
2 large eggs
1 cup condensed cream of mushroom soup

Place the bread in a large bowl and drizzle with the melted butter; toss to combine.  Spread about 2 cups of the bread across the bottom of a 9x13 inch glass baking pan.  Place a large skillet over  medium heat and add the olive oil and mushrooms, sauteeing until tender.  Remove from the heat and add the celery, onions, peppers, and mayonnaise.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and then spread this over the bread
Top with 2 cups of bread cubes.  In a small bowl, beat together the milk and eggs until blended and poour over the casserole.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the Over to 325.  Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the casserole and top with remaining cup of bread cubes.  Bake, uncovered, until browned, about one hour.

Pearled Barley Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Pine Nuts

I found this recipe several places online.

1/3 cups pine nuts
1/4 cup plus 2 T extra-virgin oilive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups Thyme-Scented Pearled Barley (see below)
1 large tart apple, such as Honeycrisp, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the pine nuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl, whisk the oil with the vinegar and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Add the Thyme-Scented Pearled Barley, pine nuts, apple, pomegranate seeds and parsley; toss before serving. If you make it ahead, leave the pine nuts out until the second day.

Thyme Scented Barley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups pearled barley (10 ounces)
1 small onion, finely diced
2 thyme sprigs
3 cups water Kosher salt
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the pearled barley and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly toasted; the grains will turn slightly opaque just before browning. Add the onion and thyme and cook over low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the water and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender. Fluff the grains and discard the thyme sprigs. Season the grains with salt and serve.

Harvest Time Pumpkin Cake

I rediscovered this recipe - obviously not made for decades!

1 pkg yellow cake mix
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1 can (16-oz) pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 water
1 pkg (8 oz semi-sweet chocolate morsels)
1 cup chopped nuts



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a BUNDT pan. In a large bowl combine cake mix, spice and baking soda. Add eggs, pumpkin and water. Beat 3 min. on med. speed of mixer or until batter is smooth. Fold in morsels and nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 min or until cake test done. Cool for 15 min. in pan. Turn out and continue cooling on wire rack. Top with spice glaze and a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

Spice glaze:
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 T milk
1 T. light corn syrup
1 tsp. spice of your choice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Use rubber spatula or a large spoon and put glaze on top of cooled cake. Then use a table knife to spread around top of cake wedges. The glaze will then run down the sides slowly and beautifully.