Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

I needed a quick cake for dessert a few Friday nights ago and found this one on the Dance Around the Kitchen blog. I adapted it somewhat because I didn't have lemon pudding. Well, I did, but didn't see it in the pantry!

It was delicious and moist (as all cake mix Bundts are).

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your Bundt pan, making sure you get the spray into every nook and cranny. 

Cake ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix (I used one with pudding in the mix)

1 3.4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix (I added some powdered lemon juice instead and used vanilla pudding)

1 c sour cream

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/2 c butter melted

4 eggs

1/2 c water (you could add Limoncello!)

In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat together the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, melted butter, eggs and water. Mix for 1 minute on medium speed, stopping halfway through to scrape down the sides of the bowl; set aside.

1 c fresh  blueberries and 1 tbsp flour. In a small bowl, add the blueberries and sprinkle the flour over them. Gently stir to coat the blueberries.

Pour the blueberries into the cake batter and gently fold them in. You might want to pour some right into the Bundt pan so that you have some on the top of the cake. 

Pour the batter into a well-greased bundt pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. (A few moist crumbs are okay, but it shouldn't be doughy).

Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan onto a cooling rack.

Glaze

Mix 1 1/2 c powdered sugar and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice (I used lemon paste because I LOVE lemon.) Dizzle on cake when it is cool. 

If you want to make it spectacular, top with candied lemon peel.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Spicy, Sweet Peach Barbecue Sauce

 

Gerry found a recipe for Blackberry Barbecue Sauce and I knew that some ripe peaches would make another great sauce for chicken or pork ribs. You’ll want ripe, sweet peaches. I used several online recipes for inspiration. 

5 large peaches, peeled and quartered

1 large sweet onion, cut into large thick slices

1T roasted garlic (optional)

½ c. white wine or cooking wine

1 habanero pepper, diced

1 t. mustard seeds

Salt and pepper

Cook the onion in a deep saucepan until softened and add the peaches and pepper and salt and pepper

Cook on low heat about ½ hour until softened to use an immersion blender to blend into a fine-to chunky sauce.  I take a long piece of aluminum foil and fold it in thirds and cut a hole in the center to fit the immersion blender. This stops hot droplets of liquid.

Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until it is a reduced, rich sauce (20 min. to 1 hour). Taste for salt and pepper.

¾ c. brown sugar

¼ c. honey

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 t. ground coriander

2 t. smoked paprika

½ c. Peach balsamic vinegar

½ c. Balsamic vinegar (add a few T. Fig or Pear-induced balsamic)

¼ c. Bourbon

Few dashes Liquid Smoke

Star Anise Ice Cream

I made the Star Anise Ice Cream using the base from Jeni's ice cream cookbook. I love star anise and add it to anything Indian, including all rices as they are cooking.

I added the star anise to the cooked custard as it cooked. Next time, I will definitely add it to the custard as it is cooking and then strain to remove. I will also add a tsp. of 5 Spice powder (Chinese Five-Spice is traditionally cinnamon, anise, cloves, anise seed, ginger and fennel seed) to the custard as it cools.

I sprinkled the ice cream scoops with Five-Spice/Sugar and topped with a star anise.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

Gerry found a recipe on the Food Network. This is slightly adapted from one by MICHAEL SYMON.

In a small bowl, combine 1 T. coriander, 1 T. paprika and 1 T. salt. Pat 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry with paper towels, season on both sides with the spice mixture and place in a gallon-size zip-top bag. Refrigerate for several hours but preferably overnight.

Brush the chicken thighs with olive oil and grill, basting with the sauce.

Blackberry Barbecue Sauce

3 pints fresh blackberries

12 oz. dark beer

1/2 c. peach balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. Moderna balsamic vinegar

1 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 c packed light brown sugar

1 onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 T. roasted garlic)

1 habanero pepper, seeded and diced

1T. ground chipotle chile powder

1T. finely ground coffee

1T. ground coriander

1 T. ground cumin

In a large saucepan, combine the blackberries, beer, vinegars, sugar, onion, garlic, habanero, chipotle powder, coffee, coriander and cumin. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Carefully puree the sauce in a blender or food processor, then strain or not (seeds are not obnoxious.)

Store extra sauce for the future.

Lamb Shanks in the Pressure Cooker

Foodie Eats - Lamb Shanks Gordon Ramsey Style

I have another recipe for lamb shanks (Honey & Fig Balsamic Roast Lamb Shanks) but wanted to try the instant pot given that it was late in the afternoon. I searched for lamb shanks everywhere and finally found them at the Fort Myers Whole Foods. I found this recipe on Foodie Eats after searching through the few IP books I brought with me to Florida. No lamb shanks somehow in either the Mediterranean IP or Indian IP books I had here.

Glad to find this one!

In a large bowl, combine seasonings below and 1/4 cup oil. Marinate 30 minutes or overnight. 

1 green chili pepper, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T smoked paprika

1T oregano

2 Tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

2 T brown sugar

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half with no fine slivers

Use the saute setting and heat the IP. add 1/4 cup oil and thoroughly brown on all sides. Once browned, set aside.

Add 1 medium onion roughly chopped, 3 medium carrots roughly chopped, 2 bay leaves. Saute until onions are translucent - approximately 5 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of red wine to deglaze the instant pot getting all the stuck bits off the bottom. Return lamb shanks to the pot and simmer, reducing the liquid by half - maybe 10 minutes.

Add 4 cups of beef stock. Lock the lid and cook for 30 minutes High Pressure. Allow the pressure to naturally release. This whole process (getting up to pressure, cooking at high pressure, and natural release will be at least 45 minutes.) Remove the shanks. Strain the liquid and return to the pot, discarding the cooked vegetables and bay leaves.

Combine 3 T corn starch and 1/4 cup hot water. Add to the pot of liquid and cook on the saute setting until thickened. Return the lamb the pot, covering with sauce.

Serve the lamb with smashed potatoes, white beans tossed with fresh herbs and heated, or polenta and plenty of sauce.

Veal Chops with Smashed Potatoes

 I looked for recipes for veal chops for the instant pot or crock pot - because I was feeling lazy. After reading a ton of recipes, I decided to just do what they suggested and cook them on the stove.

This recipe is adapted from Yummly's Delmonico's Chef's Veal Chops Hongroise.

4 veal chops - I used two very large, thick (1 inch) chops I bought on a whim at Fresh Market

Fry the veal chops after seasoning with some salt, pepper and about 1 tsp. paprika on both sides. Add one chopped onion to the pan. Cook them to your desired color. Remove from the pan and place on plates with smashed small Yukon Gold potatoes. Or mashed potatoes. Or orzo. Whatever.

To the pan with onions and butter, add 1 cup of cream, 2 chopped tomatoes, thin slices of red/orange/yellow peppers and some fresh thyme leaves and heat. 

Cover the potatoes and veal chops with this creamy mixture and sprinkle some fresh lemon juice on top! Garnish with fresh sprigs of thyme. 

Delicious. 

Eggplant Parmesan

I used to saute slices of eggplant (after salting and letting stand to get the moisture out.) This was after dipping in an egg mixture and breadcrumbs. It was always delicious and I often added browned sausage meat the sauce. I learned this technique watching my then mother-in-law.

After visiting our yummy produce market here in our Florida community of Verandah, I took home a beautiful fresh eggplant. I decided to look up a recipe online and happened upon Martha's. I was skeptical, but it is delicious and I've adapted it somewhat. My next trip to Produce Buddies,  I bought two medium eggplants and used the same amount of ricotta, sauce, cheese, etc. You want a full, rich eggplant dish! (You can use two large.)

First, cut the stem end off the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 1/2" slices. Brush with olive oil and lightly salt and pepper each side and place on a grill sheet or cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, turn over and bake on the other side another 10-15. Watch them - you don't want them drying out. I don't peel the eggplant. 

Place slices of the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish and then cover with a large jar of your own or store-bought favorite marinara (mushrooms might be yummy!) Then cover with the ricotta mixture below. Repeat and place sliced provolone or mozzarella in the middle. Repeat the first and second layers for four layers of eggplant. Cover with a bit of sauce and a few spoonfuls of ricotta mixture. Cover with an Italian blend of cheeses or just parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until bubbling.

Ricotta Mixture:

1-1/2 to 2 cups ricotta

3-4 T  fresh oregano or 2 T dried

1/2 tsp pepper and 1-1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

3-4 eggs, beaten

For Martha's recipe, click here and search for Eggplant Ricotta Bake