Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Ranch

Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle Ranch
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) pkg frozen Mahi-Mahi Fillets*
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Caribbean barbecue seasoning *
1 package homestyle tortillas*
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese*
1 1/2 cups shredded red or white cabbage
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green part Sliced pickled jalapeño peppers, cilantro and lime wedges (optional)
1/4 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing*
Method
Preheat grill or broiler. Coat fillets with oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Grill fish over medium heat, about 5 minutes each side. While fish is cooking, warm tortillas on a large skillet or sprinkle lightly with water and warm on grill. Wrap in towel or foil to keep warm. When fish is cooked, break gently into bite-sized pieces, divide among tortillas and top with remaining ingredients. Use the dressing to drizzle over prepared tacos.

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Cream Cheese and Chives

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches with Cream Cheese and Chives


Ingredients

3 ounces Neufchâtel or other light cream cheese, softened

6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1/4 pound (4 ounces) sliced smoked salmon

Method

Spread cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread then sprinkle with zest and chives. Top with slices of salmon, then remaining slices of bread. Cut sandwiches in half and transfer to plates. Serve immediately or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.



Sunday, March 1, 2009

Raspberry and Cocoa Linzer Torte

Raspberry and Cocoa Linzer Torte

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup ground blanched almonds

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons Whole Trade™ unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Pinch of salt

10 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1 cup Whole Trade™ raspberry jam

Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put flour, almonds, granulated sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal; transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl, beat together yolks and lemon juice then add to flour mixture along with milk and stir with a fork just until mixture comes together. Press about 2/3 of the dough into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or spring form pan to form a 1/2-inch-thick crust. (If using a tart pan, crust should reach the top of the pan. If using a spring form pan, crust should reach about 1 inch up the sides.) Spread jam thickly over the bottom of the crust; set aside. Working on a well-floured surface, use floured hands to roll remaining dough into 3/4-inch-wide ropes. Press ropes into 1-inch-wide strips and lay across tart in a crisscross pattern to form a lattice top. Bake tart until jam is bubbly and crust is just golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes. Serve tart at room temperature or chilled, dusted with powdered sugar, if you like.


Monday, February 23, 2009

Savory Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole

Savory Sausage and Cheddar Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

5 cups (1-inch) cubes sourdough or white bread

1/2 pound loose breakfast sausage, cooked (about 1 cup cooked)

1 cup spinach leaves

8 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Method

Layer bread, sausage and spinach in an 8-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, salt, pepper and sage then pour over contents in baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover dish and bake until cooked through and golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes then serve.


Monday, February 9, 2009

Cinnamon Sweet Rolls with Dates and Walnuts

Cinnamon Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

Dough

3/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup warm water (about 110°F)

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 to 2 tablespoons honey

Filling

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup finely chopped pitted dates

Method
Put milk and butter into a small pot and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Transfer milk mixture to a large bowl and set aside until just lukewarm. Meanwhile, combine warm water, 2 teaspoons of the sugar and yeast in a small bowl and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, egg and yeast mixture into milk mixture, then stir in flours until well combined. Using well-floured hands, form dough into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl. Cover bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Roll out dough on a heavily floured surface to form a 10- x 16-inch rectangle. For the filling, gently spread butter over dough. Sprinkle all over with sugar and cinnamon then scatter walnuts and dates over the top. Starting with the long side, roll dough snugly into a cylinder. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut dough crosswise into 12 slices. Arrange slices in a greased 10- x 15-inch baking dish, cover and chill overnight. Set dish aside at room temperature until rolls are puffed, about 1 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Set rolls aside for 10 minutes, then drizzle with honey and serve.


Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

Butter and flour for pan preparation

6 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour a 9 x 9-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a double boiler, melt chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla and let cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar on medium high speed until thick and creamy, and sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Gently stir in melted chocolate. Stir salt into flour and fold gently into chocolate mixture. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread to smooth. Bake 20 minutes, then cover with foil. Bake additional 8 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean.
While the brownies are baking, prepare the frosting. Melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Mix until well blended. Add warm water and vanilla and whisk in confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable, but not too thick.
Remove brownies from oven and let cool slightly in pan. Spread frosting over warm brownies for a hot fudge sauce effect or spread on cooled brownies and refrigerate until firm for brownies that will be served later or packed for travel. Cut into 12 pieces.

Banana Apricot Muffins


Banana Apricot Muffins
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup honey 2 eggs, beaten
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups almond flour
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
Method
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or butter the muffin tin thoroughly. Mix butter, honey, eggs and bananas together in a large bowl. Stir in baking soda and salt. Stir in almond flour, walnuts and apricots until just combined. Spoon batter into the muffin cups. Bake 25 to 35 minutes, until the muffins are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.