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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, February 11th, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! Here’s a great recipe I found from joyofbaking.com/, just in time for those of you who celebrate Valentine’s Day. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

Cake Mix

  • 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting Mix

  • 1 – 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 – 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners’ (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
  • 1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Preparation:

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two – 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  • In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
  • In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
  • In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter.
  • Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Frosting

  • In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.
  • Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Recipe, Photo & video via http://www.joyofbaking.com/

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, January 28th, 2011

Happy Friday, Have a great weekend everyone!

Curried Beef & Fettuccine

curry

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 dried red chile peppers
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 pound top sirloin, cut into cubes
  • 16 ounces hot cooked spinach fettuccine

Preparation:

  • Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion in the butter until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Add chile peppers, curry powder, turmeric and garlic and mix well. Cook, sitting frequently for 3 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes and tomato puree; cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove chile peppers with tongs; discard.
  • Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute beef in hot oil until cooked through, about 4 minutes.
  • Add beef to tomato mixture and mix well; cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Combine pasta and beef mixture in a large serving bowl and toss lightly to mix. Serve immediately.


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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, January 21st, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! Stay warm and Have a great weekend!

Hearty Beef & Veggie Stew

beefstew2

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds of boneless beef round
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
  • 2 teaspoons of olive oil
  • 6 small potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
  • 8 sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
  • 1 cup baby carrots
  • 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preparation:

  • Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Cut garlic into thin slices. Combine beef, wine, oil and garlic in large glass bowl. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Cut potatoes into wedges; set aside. Cut mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes in half, then in half again.
  • Place beef mixture, mushrooms  and sun-dried tomatoes in large nonstick skillet or Dutch oven. Add enough beef broth to just cover ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots and onions, cover and cook until vegetables are tender and juices run run clear when beef is pierced with a knife, about 20 to 25 minutes
  • Remove beef and vegetables from skillet with slotted spoon; cover and set aside. Stir water and cornstarch in small bowl until smooth. Pour cornstarch mixture into sauce in skillet. Increase heat to medium, cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened. Return beef and vegetables to sauce; heat thoroughly.

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Happy Friday all! I haven’t tried this one yet but, it’s on my list for the weekend. If you get a chance to make it, let me know how it turns out. Have a great weekend!

Cheesy Potato Chowder

soup

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium red potatos
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 celery stalk, sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded American Cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

Preparation:

  • Peel and cube potatoes. Combine water, potatoes, celery and carrot in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions; cook and stir onions in butter until tender but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour, salt and black pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
  • Stir milk and potato mixture into flour mixture; cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in American cheese, Swiss cheese and caraway seeds. Reduce heat to low; simmer until cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, stirring constantly. Garnish with fresh chervil sprig and serve with oyster crackers, if desired.

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, January 7th, 2011

Happy Friday everyone! I know it may be a little cold for this recipe but, it’s really Yummy and easy to make. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Pie

pie

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Freezing time: 1 hour
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups crisp rice cereal
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 quart chocolate chip ice cream softened

Preparation:

  • Coat bottom and sides of an 8-inch pie plate lightly with butter
  • Combine chocolate chips and syrup in a microwave safe bowl and heat on HIGH (100% power), about 45 seconds. Stir until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the chocolate mixture.
  • Combine remaining chocolate mixture and cereal in a medium bowl and mix to coat cereal. Press mixture over bottom and up sides of prepared pie plate. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
  • Combine reserved chocolate mixture and the sour cream in a small bowl and mix well. Spread half the ice cream in the prepared pie plate. Drizzle with half the sour cream mixture. Top with remaining ice cream and drizzle with remaining sour cream mixture. Freeze pie, covered, until firm, about 1 hour.

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, December 17th, 2010

Chicken Dumpling Stew

cstew

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 4 medium carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoons each black pepper and oregano
  • 3 medium potatoes, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preparation

  • For stew, combine chicken, carrots, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper and oregano in a Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low.
  • Cook until chicken is tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Return meat to Dutch oven. Add potatoes and chicken to broth, cover. cook over medium heat while preparing dumplings.
  • For dumplings, place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in center of the flour. Add shortening, eggs and remaining salt to four mix well. Add cold water to dough and mix well.
  • Roll dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. Cut into 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch pieces. Drop dumplings into the Dutch oven. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. spoon onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, December 3rd, 2010

Happy Friday everyone! Instead of posting just news everyday, I’ve decided to throw something new into the mix. While I like hearing about all the craziness in the world, I need a break from it too. So here you have it…Friday’s Food For Thought.

With the weather being so cold, I’m thinking a good Beef Stew is in order for the upcoming weekend.

Beef Stew with Parsnips

beefstew

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
  • 2 small to medium parsnips
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 large potato
  • 1 cup pearl onions (frozen are fineA)
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/4 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Preparation

  • Brown beef in oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, 5-7 minutes. Add water, bay leaves, onion powder, the black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, tightly covered, for 2 1/2 hours.
  • Trim and peel parsnips and carrots, then cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Peel and cube potato. Add to stew along with onions, bouillon cubes, rosemary, tomato paste and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, tightly covered, for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
  • Mix flour with water and stir into stew until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Nutrition information

(1/4 recipe): 396 calories, 125 calories from fat, 14 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 1,026 milligrams sodium, 37 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber.

Have fun & have a great weekend!

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, February 5th, 2010

With the weather being so cold, I’m thinking a good Beef Stew is in order for the upcoming weekend. We’re getting ready to get hit hard on the east coast with a blizzard, perfect timing for this recipe. If you’re getting all this snow, be sure to be safe, stay warm and have fun! Happy cooking!

Beef Stew with Parsnips

beefstew

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 1/2 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 freshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
  • 2 small to medium parsnips
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 large potato
  • 1 cup pearl onions (frozen are fineA)
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/4 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup water

Preperation

  • Brown beef in oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat, 5-7 minutes. Add water, bay leaves, onion powder, the black pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, tightly covered, for 2 1/2 hours.
  • Trim and peel parsnips and carrots, then cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Peel and cube potato. Add to stew along with onions, bouillon cubes, rosemary, tomato paste and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently, tightly covered, for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
  • Mix flour with water and stir into stew until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Nutrition information

(1/4 recipe): 396 calories, 125 calories from fat, 14 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 88 milligrams cholesterol, 1,026 milligrams sodium, 37 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber.

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Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Chicken Dumpling Stew

chickendumplingstew

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • 4 medium carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoons each black pepper and oregano
  • 3 medium potatoes, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preparation

  • For stew, combine chicken, carrots, celery, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper and oregano in a Dutch oven. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low.
  • Cook until chicken is tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. Remove meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Return meat to Dutch oven. Add potatoes and chicken to broth, cover. cook over medium heat while preparing dumplings.
  • For dumplings, place flour in a large bowl. Make a well in center of the flour. Add shortening, eggs and remaining salt to four mix well. Add cold water to dough and mix well.
  • Roll dough into a rectangle on a floured surface. Cut into 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch pieces. Drop dumplings into the Dutch oven. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. spoon onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

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