Grandma's Kitchen Table

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie - Cranberry Spice Squares

       The fourteenth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Cranberry Spice Squares and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 109. 

       Ingredients:  all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, rye flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, ground cloves, sugar, molasses, canola oil, egg, buttermilk, cranberries, cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar.

       This time of year, a bit cold and wintery, it’s always just so nice to be baking and cooking with cranberries.  While we love fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, etc. cranberries, Mark thought that he would like dried cranberries in these bars, so I went with those, the ones I had were plump and moist so I didn’t do anything further with them.

       The most time-consuming part of the recipe is gathering the ingredients and measuring them into the mixing bowls, once that it accomplished, it takes just a few quick minutes to mix and pour into the pan for baking.  After baking and cooling, the cream cheese frosting is easy and quick, icing the bars also quick. She suggested cutting the cake into 16 squares, a fine idea as they are rich and filling, a small one hits the spot.  We really liked these, they have a light gingerbread taste and it is fun to come across those tart chewy cranberries.  We will make them again for cookie trays for Christmas. Definitely repeat-worthy. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips, what a deal! 

Tuesdays With Dorie: Baking With Dorie - Pear-Comté Tart

       The thirteenth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Pear-Comté Tart and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 309. 

       Ingredients:  tart shell, Dijon mustard, eggs, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Comté (or Gruyère or Sharp Cheddar Cheese), fresh pears, and walnuts.

       Tarts go over fairly well here and this one was no exception. With a nice salad, this makes a lovely lunch or dinner, depending on the portion sizes. The pears I used were very ripe so they truly cut like butter in the finished tart. If you want to really taste the mustard, use the full amount she gives, if not, go with a little less…we used the full amount. I didn’t have Comté so I used Gruyère and it was very flavorful and the nutty taste complemented the walnuts.  All in all, a great flavor combination, easy to make, and definitely worthy of a repeat now and again.  

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips, what a deal! 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Marinated and Pan-Seared Flank Steak

       The 13th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Marinated and Pan-Seared Flank Steak, it can be found on page 142.

       Ingredients:  Flank steak, Thai red curry paste, fresh ginger minced, garlic cloves, sugar, soy sauce, olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro (I used parsley), salt, and pepper.   

       Not sure what I was expecting exactly, but I know I wasn’t expecting that I would like this recipe this much.  We eat flank steak quite often during the grilling seasons. It’s easy, quick, and delicious. Dorie gives directions for pan-searing but also gives the option for grilling. My husband happens to be amazing at grilling so we went with that thinking we would visit this recipe again in the non-grilling season and try the pan-seared version.

       The marinade/sauce comes together fairly quickly, you just measure the ingredients into a measuring cup, divide it up into equal portions, marinade the steak with one half and use the other half for the sauce. I let the steak marinate on the counter for 90 minutes and that seemed a perfect amount of time for the taste.  

       Looking at the ingredients, I thought it all would have a predominately Asian taste, but it really wasn't overpoweringly Asian, just a nice tangy sauce to compliment the steak. My favorite part of the sauce was the lime, it added such a nice boost to all the other flavors.  Definitely a repeat.

       To see what others in the group made this week, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but sometimes the author has been generous and  you can find them online.

 

 

Thirty Minute Thursdays - Spaghetti al Pomodoro Crudo

 
      This week for the forty-eighth recipe I've made for Thirty Minute Thursdays, cooking through Giuliano Hazan's Thirty Minute Pasta book, I made Spaghetti al Pomodoro Crudo (Spaghetti with a Raw Tomato Sauce) on page 61.    

      The ingredients:  fresh tomatoes, garlic, parsley sprigs, basil leaves, salt, spaghetti, and olive oil.

      I wanted to make this recipe as I haven’t made a raw tomato sauce for pasta before and it always sounds so good when I read about raw tomato sauce pasta. This recipe uses just a few ingredients (economical certainly, especially as I grow my own herbs). We are still in fresh tomato season here, I had both red and yellow tomatoes from my friendly farmer to use, which made for a pretty presentation. It was light and filling, wonderfully flavorful with those fresh tomatoes. I peeled and seeded the tomatoes which took away any bitterness that results from eating both skin and seeds. The seasoning is simple but it works perfectly. We served it at room temperature with grilled steak and farm fresh green beans, making it a lovely dinner at the tail end of grilling season. Definitely repeat worthy. 

     The recipes of Giuliano Hazan featured on this blog are available in his book Thirty Minute Pasta. The book is well worth the modest purchase price, and out of respect for Chef Hazan's work, the recipes are not published here. 

      

Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking With Dorie - Caramel-Apple Crisp

 

      The twelfth recipe I made with the Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Dorie group is Caramel-Apple Crisp and can be found in the Baking with Dorie book on page 250. 

       Ingredients:  flour, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, vanilla, oats, corn syrup, cream, and apples.  

       Any kind of crisp is always welcome around here, but apple crisp is probably the most requested.  This recipe adds the wonderful flavor of caramel into the mix, making it seem like you are eating a caramel apple…one could toss in a few nuts and, there you go, you are eating a caramel apple without the hassle of the stick. Easy recipe, no fancy ingredients, delicious from beginning to end.  Dorie suggested serving it with ice cream but we felt it was very sweet as it was so maybe just a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream and a big sprinkle of cinnamon would do nicely…and it did. Definitely repeat-worthy. 

       If you would like to join in, just make it, bake it, and leave a link to your post at the Tuesdays with Dorie website:  click here.  At the website you will find the postings for the current recipe, the list of recipes chosen each month, and some baking chit chat that is definitely helpful as well as fun.  We don’t publish Dorie's recipes here, but you can buy the book and have them ALL at your fingertips, what a deal! 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Flognarde with Blackberries

 
       The 12th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Flognarde with Blackberries, it can be found on page 291.

       Ingredients:  blackberries, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, fine sea salt, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, sliced almonds, and confectioner’s sugar.   

       A Flognarde is similar to a Clafoutis in assembly, using plums or berries instead of cherries.  Whatever it is, it’s delicious.  The assembly is easy...butter the dish, assemble the fruit, pour over the batter, bake, cool, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy. If you would like it warm, the slices will look like the one in the photo, some of the beauty of a perfect slice is sacrificed, but oh…that warm oozy taste makes you say, “Who cares?” You decide, cool it completely or leave a bit of warmth. The blackberries add a lovely tartness to the Flognarde which is nice, not too sweet.  The sliced almonds on the top give it all a tasty crunchiness. Definitely repeat-worthy. 

        To see what others in the group made this week, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but sometimes the author has been generous and  you can find them online.

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Lemon-Fennel Chicken in a Pot

 
       The 11th recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Lemon-Fennel Chicken in a Pot, it can be found on page 133.

       Ingredients:  chicken, fennel, lemon, shallots, garlic, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, thyme, chicken broth, and bay leaves.  (She also recommends serving it with a baguette to soak with juices from the pot.)   

       This is an incredibly easy recipe…you just toss everything in a pot with the chicken on top of it all and bake.  While she recommended 450 degrees for 90 minutes, some shared that they thought it was a bit too high and too long.  I pondered a bit and chose 425 degrees for 90 minutes and that was perfect for us, it left it “falling off the bone” and moist, just perfect.  The seasonings and vegetables added a wonderful taste to the chicken. She recommended running it under the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking to darkened and crisp up the chicken skin, but I didn’t do that as we weren’t going to eat the chicken skin anyway. 

       Serving it all with a baguette seemed like a fine thing to do and Mark enjoyed it very much…I just couldn’t do it, not wet bread…I just can’t do wet bread, it’s right up there with chocolate, coffee, and liver…not happening.  You can decide for yourself.  All in all, this was a wonderful recipe, delicious, and incredibly easy, even for a weeknight.  Leftovers can be used in any number of ways, a giant plus. Definitely repeat worthy.

        To see what others in the group made this week, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but sometimes the author has been generous and  you can find them online.

Eating With Ellie: West African-Style Peanut Stew with Chicken

      The 110th recipe I made with the Eating with Ellie group is West African-Style Peanut Stew With Chicken, and can be found in Ellie Krieger's book Whole in One, on page 127.  

       Ingredients: chicken, salt, pepper, peanut oil, onion, cloves, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, chicken broth, tomatoes, sweet potato, greens, red bell pepper, peanut butter, and peanuts.

       It’s still soup season here and I’m taking advantage of it while I still can, although to be absolutely truthful, I do eat soup most of the year, soup-season or not.  We had made a version of African Peanut Stew before in the Ellie CEIMB group many years ago, but this is a new version of the recipe with the addition of the chicken and the reworking of a few of the ingredients.  I liked the chicken in the soup, I’ll probably make only this version from now on actually as I usually have rotisserie chicken left over and this is a great use for it.  Definitely a keeper of a recipe, it was all delicious as you can probably tell by the ingredient list.

      Eating with Ellie participants: Margaret at Tea and Scones, and Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen.  You can check the Eating with Ellie category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making. (If you would like to join us, just leave a link at one of our blogs.)

      Note:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  

 

Wednesday with Donna Hay: Spiced Turmeric, Sweet Potato, and Carrot Soup

       My 175th recipe with the Wednesday with Donna Hay group is Spiced Turmeric, Sweet Potato, and Carrot Soup. The recipe can be found in One Pan Perfect by Donna Hay, on page 158.

        Ingredients: olive oil, onions, turmeric, cumin, ginger, sweet potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, chicken stock, cilantro (I used parsley), salt, pepper, and diced red chili pepper. 

        One would think that this far into spring in Indiana that my soup making days would be dwindling but for some reason this year, we have a day or two of nice weather followed by a string of cold rainy wet weather days…perfect for soup.  This is such a nicely flavored soup with very few ingredients, it’s easy to make when you haven’t been to the store for a bit but still have most of this on the counter or in the pantry.  It goes together quickly and then simmers for a half hour while the vegetables soften, just perfect for lunch. Definitely on repeat status.

        Participants:  Gaye at Laws of the Kitchen and Margaret at Tea and Scones.  You can check the Wednesday with Donna Hay category in their blogs to see the recipes they have made and are making.  

        NOTE: In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Donna Hay's books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes.  You can also do a search by the recipe name to find some of these recipes on her site.  

 

 

Cook the Book Fridays: Everyday Dorie - Double-Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Crab

       The tenth recipe I made for the Cook the Book Fridays group using the Everyday Dorie cookbook by Dorie Greenspan is Double-Stuffed Deviled Eggs with Crab, it can be found on page 26.

       Ingredients:  eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, crabmeat, apple, scallion, fresh lemon juice, and fresh chives.   

       Deviled eggs have never gone out of style here. They were popular at every family gathering when I was growing up and they are still popular at family gatherings now. My father-in-law particularly loved deviled eggs so I would always make a few extra to leave with him. I can’t think how many deviled eggs I have made over the years, but I have never made any quite like these so it was fun to get a new take on them.

       While most deviled eggs are just the whites filled back in with the yolk/mayonnaise/mustard mixture, these have a bonus filling sitting underneath the yellow yolk mixture…an additional filling of crab, apple, scallion, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. When you bite into one of these, you are totally surprised at the additional ingredients and flavor…in a good way.  These were delightful, delicious, and definitely worthy of repeating.

        To see what others in the group made this week, click here, for the Cook the Book Fridays link. We don't publish recipes from the book here in deference to the author, but sometimes the author has been generous and  you can find them online.