Sunday, July 29, 2007

Elaine: Orange-Lemon Ice Cream


Without an ice cream maker, I definitely think this recipe would be perfect to pour into popsicle molds. I put the ice cream mixture into a bowl and stirred the contents 2 x every 1.5 hours. I think it needed a couple more stirs. The consistency without the ice cream maker was that of an icee. You could feel the ice crystals in each spoonful. I'm sure with an ice cream maker it would be a lot smoother. The flavoring totally hit the spot....not too creamy...not too tart...not too sweet. Kate, I had Heather, Luke and the kids over for lunch today. I served the Bill Granger Open-faced Chicken Sandwich, his potato lemon salad and ended it with this creamsicley icee which the kids loved on this hot afternoon. A great recipe. I'm definitely going to make this again.

Open-faced Chicken Sandwiches - Bill Granger
7 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 T. olive oil
sea salt
ground pepper
1/2 c mayo
1T lime juice
4 scallions finely sliced
2 T parsley
finely grated zest of 1 lime
4 slices of brown bread
1 cucumber peeled into ribbons
1/2 c. cilantro leaves

Preheat oven at 425
Brush chicken with olive oil. roast for 10-12 min. Remove from oven, cover with foil and rest for 15 min. Slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices.
Combine mayo, lime juice, salt and pepper, scallions, parsley and sezt into bowl.
Spread bread with mayo mixtures. Top with chicken, cucumber and cilantro.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Lemon Olive-Oil Cake

Post-happy at the moment! This is that other cake I mentioned. There's also an olive oil and semolina cake in the cookbook "Sunday Suppers at Lucques"--I made it with my sister-in-law over the holidays and it was great. It was her cookbook though and I don't have a copy--I'll try and get her to send me the recipe.

8 SERVINGS

3/4 cup olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan
1 large lemon
1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Special equipment: a 9-inch springform pan; parchment paper

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment.

2. Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

3. Beat together yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 cup) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated). Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

4. Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes.

5. Gently fold one third of whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

6. Transfer batter to springform pan and gently rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve on its own or with fruit, ice cream, or whipped cream.

NOTE Cake can be made 1 day ahead and wrapped well or stored in a cake keeper at room temperature.

Roast Chicken Salad

This is Nigella's. Made it for my nephew's baptism a few weeks ago and it was a hit. It's 93 degrees out there at the moment and now I'm craving it again!

Roast Chicken Salad

8 SERVINGS

4 whole boneless chicken breasts with skin
1/4 cup Marsala
1/4 cup garlic-infused oil
1 teaspoon sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 Romaine lettuce heart
1 small head red endive or radicchio
1/4 cup pinenuts, toasted
1/4 cup sultanas, soaked in warm water
2 teaspoons good-quality white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or Muscat
vinegar, or to taste (see method below)
Handful parsley leaves

1. Marinate the chicken breasts in the Marsala, garlic oil, salt and
some pepper for no longer than one hour at room temperature or
overnight in the fridge.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Tip the chicken and marinade into
a roasting pan and when at room temperature roast in the oven for 30
minutes, by which time the meat should be cooked through and the skin
bronze.

3. Put the roasting pan aside somewhere to let the chicken breasts
cool down a little. Get out a large plate and arrange the salad leaves
on it.

4. Chunk up the chicken and place on the salad, scattering with
toasted pinenuts and soaked and squeezed out sultanas as you go. If
the marinade has largely evaporated--this happens when I use my
electric oven but not when you use gas--stir in 2 teaspoons
good-quality white wine vinegar or other vinegar, another tablespoon
of Marsala and 2 of olive oil, otherwise just stir in the vinegar.
Taste to see if there's anything else you might want to tinker with,
and then pour over the salad. Sprinkle with parsley.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Tea Sandwiches

I'm making tea sandwiches for my lovely cousin's wedding shower in a few weeks and I'm looking for inspiration. Any favorites you guys want to share? E, I'm thinking of the chicken sandwiches on white bread with the edges rolled in toasted sesame seeds that we've been doing for years. Any other fun ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Belated Posts!

These are a few things I've been meaning to post forever (the lemon yogurt cake was from February I think!). Anyway, better late than never, right? The first is my No-Knead Bread. I actually made this twice--can't remember exactly but the first time I didn't use enough salt and it tasted horrible! It looked great, though! So here is a pic of my beautiful but horrible tasting bread about five months after the fact!


I did make it again with the right amount of salt and it tasted great but ended up looking sort of like a burn victim for whatever reason. I know we're supposed to document results both good and bad but it was way too ugly to take a picture of!

The next thing I wanted to share was this Portuguese Clam and Chorizo Stew. Again, this was awhile ago and probably isn't tempting summer fare but really good on a winter night...


Portuguese Clam and Chorizo Stew

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

1/2 pound chorizo, peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
6 thick slices peasant bread
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and 2 minced
1/4 pound thickly sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 very large onion, thinly sliced
1 8-ounce can or jar piquillo peppers, liquid reserved, peppers cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the chorizo in a small saucepan with 1 cup of the stock and simmer until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain the chorizo and discard the broth.

2. Meanwhile, brush the bread with olive oil and toast for about 10 minutes, until golden. Rub the toasts with the peeled whole garlic clove and transfer each slice to a deep soup bowl.

3. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate and reserve it for another use. Add the onion and minced garlic to the casserole and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the piquillo peppers and their liquid and cook for 1 minute. Add the chorizo and remaining 1/2 cup of stock and bring to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until nearly all have opened, about 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Spoon the stew over the toasts, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and serve straight away.

Lastly, this is a yummy lemon yogurt cake by Ina Garten. I wonder how it would taste if you substituted olive oil for the vegetable. I keep hearing about different olive oil cakes. This was pretty good just the way it was though!


Lemon Yogurt Cake

MAKES 1 LOAF

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

4. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

5. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Recipe 16: Orange-Lemon Ice Cream

Hi everyone...long time no post, I know! This is a simple little recipe that's been in my family forever--not a traditional creamy ice cream but to me at least so good and the taste of summer! My mom used to make this for birthday parties and usually on the 4th of July too. I don't think you have to have an ice cream maker to do it (if you don't you could probably freeze it on sheets and then scrape it up later)...but an ice cream maker probably would make it easier! Anyway, hope everyone is doing well and HAPPY 4th!

Oh...pretty bare bones instructions here...no idea how many servings (I'll ask my mom though)--basically just mix everything together and freeze!

Orange-Lemon Ice Cream

3 cups milk
2 cups sugar
Juice of 3 lemons
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 2 lemons
1 cup heavy cream