Lemon Pudding Cake

Ok, I'll start by saying it's been a little crazy around here, actually very crazy.  My daughter is getting married in July, the boys are driving me crazy with school, and work is a madhouse.  But life is good.

While doing the dishes last night I caught an old episode of Tyler's Ultimate. One of the recipes featured was a Lemon Pudding Cake,  he stated it was easy and delicious.  It truly was!  My husband who normally does not eat dessert had called earlier asking if we had cookies or ice cream at home.  Of course we don't: everyone is on a diet for the wedding but I had all the ingredients for this recipe. So......it was a hit! He  raved about it and that made it all worthwhile (including the calories)!

Sweet and Spicy Salmon Fillets

I have been told on several occasions that I start different projects with great enthusiasm and then I get bored (due to my A.D.D.) and just drop them.  But I promise not only to myself but to my friends and family to try to be more consistent with this blog.  At least to prove you ALL WRONG!!  =)

Anyhow, I received a sample magazine at home this past week.  It had a Salmon recipe with a picture that made you want to stop whatever you were doing and make this scrumptious looking dish.  Not only was it delicious (everyone wanted seconds) but it was so easy and super fast.  The article suggested you serve this dish with Home-Style Fries.  The recipe calls for parboiling the potatoes first which is a great idea because you fry them in oil for half the time.  They were delicious!


Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. cajun spice
• 1 tsp. brown sugar 
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets
• 1/4 cup Seville orange marmalade
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Lime wedges

Directions:

• Combine Cajun spice, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Rub over all surfaces of fillets.
• Sauté fillets in oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. 
• Turn and sauté an additionally 2-3 minutes.
• Blend marmalade and lime juice swirl in pan until melted. Carefully turn the fillets to glaze on all sides. Fillets is done when it begins to flake when tests with a fork.

HOME FRIES:

• 1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes,  peeled, cut into 1" cubes 
• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

• Boil potatoes for 5 minutes in 3 qts. of salted water, drain well.
• Heat oil in a large non stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. 
• Add potatoes and sauté 5 minutes without stirring.
• Stir and cook another 7 minutes, until golden brown.
• Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

White Rice: a Cuban staple

I think it's safe to say that every 9 out of 10 families of Cuban descent (living in the U.S. that is) have some kind of white rice in their pantry.  It's just the way it is.   I grew up on long-grain enriched rice served with just about anything.  Even when another carb side dish was prepared such as potatoes or corn, we would still have white rice. 

How do we cook the rice?  With an "Hitachi" of course.  "Hitachi" is short for Hitachi Rice Cooker and no matter what brand you own we still call it the "Hitachi".  It's pretty simple to make even though my dad says I can't make rice.  I don't take it personal, if it doesn't taste like my mother's cooking he always says that something is missing.

White Rice Cuban Style

(serves 5-6)

3 cups long-grain enriched white rice

3 1/2 cups water

2 t of salt

1 t of vegetable or olive oil

Rinse rice under cold water until water runs rather clear.  Place the rice in the rice cooker with with the rest of the ingredients, stir, cover, and turn on cooker.

Once it is ready fluff up the rice with a fork before serving.  This is served traditionally with black beans, or some other legume.  However, I could eat it just like this with a banana cut up into thin slices.  This is my favorite comfort food!!

Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream

When I decided to start this blog I had in mind trying at least 2 to 3, new recipes a week and blogging about them. I could manage that I have to cook anyway right? Right...I have found myself every night working on this "little" project. Adding music was an adventure into the wee hours of the night! I'm driving my daughter crazy asking her all kind of questions about "HTML", and now I want to start adding pictures. This is really addicting! I have to pull myself away from the computer. My book club is meeting in a couple of weeks and I'm only half way through the book! This month's selection is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. .

OK, enought of that. Last night I made Sumpremes de Volaille aux Champignons (Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream) a recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was wonderful! The chicken was tender and the sauce was decadent over brown rice (tried to make it somewhat healthier).

This is the perfect recipe for when you need to make an impressive meal in a short amount of time. However, you need to adjust the cooking times just a bit. She suggest cooking the chicken for 6 minutes in the oven and it took me at least 20 minutes. Perhaps I did not flatten the chicken enough. Next time I could just purchase the "thin" chicken breast. Of course I did not not purchase a fryer and debone it myself as she suggested....I have to finish reading my book!!

Julia Child Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons (Chicken Breast with Mushroom and Cream)

• 
  
  **Please Note: although Julia suggests to check the chicken after only 6 minutes, this amount of time seems inadequate to thoroughly cook the chicken; cooking time appears to be closer to 30-40 minutes. Please use a meat thermometer to ensure the correct temperature before serving!**"
  
  
  4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (supremes)
  1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  white pepper, 1 big pinch
  5 tablespoons butter
  1 tablespoon minced shallot (or green onion)
  1/4 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  
  
  For the sauce
  1/4 cup stock (white or brown)
  1/4 cup port wine (or madeira or dry white vermouth)
  1 cup whipping cream
  salt and pepper
  2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.
  
  
  Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done.
  
  
  Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).
  
  
  To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
  
  
  Servings 4

Ina's or Julia's, that is the question.....

OK, I realize it may have been a "little" on the spur of the moment but on Monday while at work I decided I would make "Boeuf Bourguignon" for dinner. Yes! Of all the recipes from the gazillion cookbooks that I own. I chose to make BB on a week night! If you are not familiar with this dish it is the French's classic version of beef stew with red wine. It is not difficult to make but it is a lengthy process.

The next decision was Julia Child's or Ina Garten's......hmmmm. On a school night with not too much time to spare I went with Ina's from Ina Garten's BAREFOOT IN PARIS . Even though it was half the time it did take close to 2 hours, but well worth the effort.

This dish was a great success with my family. Ina mentions in her book that it tastes even better on the second day, she is absolutely right. Even my son CJ, who does not like to eat leftovers had no objections when I served it again on Tuesday night. Make sure you have plenty of french bread the sauce is absolutely delicious for dipping.

I will attempt to make Julia's recipe next weekend. We'll compare notes then.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON
Ingredients
1 tablespoon good olive oil

• 8 ounces dry cured center cut applewood smoked bacon, diced
• 2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
• 2 yellow onions, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone orPinot Noir
• 1 can (2 cups) beef broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 pound frozen whole onions
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

• Country bread or Sour Dough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley

In response to my dear friend Ani's comment: I did not post on Thursday because I did not cook!

But I promise to write every time I try out a new recipe or even some old ones that I think are worth sharing. I will also let you know if they don't turn out as well as expected. In other words I WILL share my good and bad cooking experiences.