Middle Eastern Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup

6 cups chicken stock, PREFERABLY home made
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, washed
2 lbs Swiss Chard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 - 8 large cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste

Place lentils in large saucepan, add the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes.

Remove the stems from the Swiss Chard and shred or chop the leaves.  Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion a couple of minutes, until transparent.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute.  Add the chard and toss until just wilted.  Stir this mixture into the lentils, add the cilantro and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until hot and serve.

Adapted from The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook

Peach, plum, and berries crisp

Does anyone not like fruit crisp with ice cream?

Fruit mixture

• About 7 cups of fruit in all ~ chopped peaches, plums, all sorts of berries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 TBS flour

 Crisp mixture

• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup granola
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

• vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter square baking dish. 

Toss fruit, sugar and 2 tablespoons flour in large bowl and pour into baking dish. Bake fruit until juices bubble, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.  Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 400°F. 

Mix  3/4 cup flour, granola, and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and mix with your hands until  moist clumps form. Sprinkle topping evenly over hot fruit in dish. Place onto a heavy duty baking sheet. Should  the juices bubble over as they sometimes do, they will not end up in your oven.

Bake crisp until topping is golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream.

Rum Cake

This is a slightly altered version of the original Bacardi rum cake.  The glaze has twice the amount of rum originally called for.  

Although I don't like to use cake mixes (or anything prepared), I cave in every once in a while.  This cake is delicious and moist, full of rum flavor, and will actually get better as the days go by. 

Ingredients:

Batter:

1 package yellow cake mix 

1 package Instant Vanilla Pudding (4 servings size)

½ cup cold milk

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup dark rum
4 eggs

Glaze:

1 stick unsalted butter

¼ cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark rum

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Generously grease a 10 cup Bundt pan with butter or shortening, and dust with flour.
   
   Batter:
2. Sprinkle the nuts over the bottom of the prepared pan.
   
   
3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, milk, vegetable oil, and rum; beat until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula so the mixture blends evenly. Spoon the batter over the nuts and smooth the surface with the back of a large spoon.
   
   Bake:
4. Bake 1 hour or until a long toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool. Do not remove from pan.
   
   Glaze:
5. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in water and sugar; bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly so mixture does not burn. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum.
   
   
6. Use a long toothpick or skewer (I use a knitting needle)  to poke several holes in the cake. Slowly pour the warm glaze over the cake in the pan, and allow to soak in. Invert onto a  plate.  I like to serve it with rum raisin ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream.  Decadent!

Summery Blueberry Cake

from the Smitten Kitchen blog,
http://smittenkitchen.com

Cake
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
4 cups blueberries


Glaze
2 cups powdered or confections’ sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, very, very soft
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10-cup Bundt pan, either with butter or a nonstick spray. Sprinkle with a little flour.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk or sift 2 1/2 cups flour (leaving 2 tablespoons back), baking powder and salt together and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and impossibly fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then, with the mixer on a low speed, add your eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in vanilla, briefly. Add 1/3 flour mixture to batter, beating until just combined, followed by half the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture, the remaining buttermilk and remaining flour mixture. Scrape down from time to time and don’t mix any more than you need to. In the bowl where you’d mixed your dry ingredients, toss the berries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. With a silicon spatula, gently fold the berries into the cake batter. The batter will be very thick and this will seem impossible without squishing the berries a little, but just do your best and remember that squished berries do indeed make for a pretty batter.
Spread cake batter — you might find it easier to plop it in the pan in large spoonfuls, because it’s so thick — in the prepared baking pan and spread the top smooth. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, rotating the cake 180 degrees after 30 (to make sure it browns evenly). The cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean of batter. At 10 minutes before my baking time was up, a tester was totally wet with batter and I was certain it would never be done in the estimated time. 7 minutes later, the same tester was clean as a whistle, so fret not.
Set cake pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes, before inverting the cake onto a serving platter to cool the rest of the way. Cool completely. Once cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and butter until smooth and very, very thick. (If you’d like it thinner, add more juice, but I like the thick drippiness of it, seen above.) Spread carefully over top of cake, letting it trickle down the sides when and where it wishes. Serve at once or keep it covered at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie

Here's another dessert you will want to try.  My friend Sofia first made it for us, and we have been addicted ever since.  This pie has made converts out of several people who claimed "they really don't care for dessert"..;)

Lemon curd

• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• Pinch of salt

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided

Meringue

• 4 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar
•  

For lemon curd:
Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl. Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over large saucepan of simmering water. Whisk in sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and salt; gradually whisk in egg mixture. Whisk until thick and thermometer inserted into curd registers 178°F to 180°F, about 8 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Press plastic wrap on top of curd; chill 4 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. 

 

For crust:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix pecans, sugar, and butter in medium bowl until moistened. Press pecan mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish (mixture will be crumbly). Bake until crust is lightly toasted, about 12 minutes (crust will slip down sides of dish). Use back of spoon to press crust back into place. Cool crust on rack. Freeze crust 30 minutes.

Dollop 1 1/2 cups ice cream over crust; spread into even layer. Spread lemon curd over ice cream; freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Dollop 1 1/2 cups softened ice cream over lemon curd; spread into even layer. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. 

For meringue:
Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until frothy. Beat in cream of tartar. With mixer running, gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spoon meringue over pie, spreading to seal at edges and swirling decoratively. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Freeze pie. Using kitchen butane torch, toast meringue until golden in spots or place pie in a preheated 500°F oven until meringue is golden in spots, watching to prevent burning, about 3 minutes. Cut pie into wedges; serve immediately.

from:  Bon Appetit (of course)

Tropical Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

 If you are still looking for a special Easter dessert, this may be the one! 

Cake

• 2 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour (sifted, then measured)
• 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup dry-roasted macadamia nuts
• 3/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
• 2 8-ounce cans crushed pineapple in its own juice, well drained

Frosting

• 3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) coconut extract

• 14 whole dry-roasted macadamia nuts
• 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Combine 1/3 cup flour and next 3 ingredients in processor. Process until nuts are finely chopped. Whisk remaining 2 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and oil in large bowl to blend. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour-spice mixture. Stir in coconut-macadamia mixture, then carrots and crushed pineapple.

Divide batter among pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 1 hour. Run knife around edge of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar, then cream of coconut and both extracts. Chill until firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer, flat side up. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer, rounded side up, pressing slightly to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill cake and remaining frosting 30 minutes. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange whole nuts and ginger around top edge of cake. Chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.) 

From:  Bon Appetit, April 2003

Steamed mussels

2 pounds fresh mussels, washed and scrubbed
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1 tsp salt
1/3 bottle white wine

French bread, for dipping

In a large pot, melt butter and add chopped garlic, stirring until garlic is soft and transparent.  Add salt and wine, then the mussels.  Cover pot and simmer, about 6 minutes, until all mussels are open.  Ladle into large bowls and pour the broth over top.  Serve with French bread and a dry Prosecco.  Delicious.

Spring is in the air, even in Cleveland.  Serve afternoon tea on the porch along with this wonderfully old-fashioned cake, from Gourmet magazine.  Light and delicious - and easy to make.  

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
•  1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs at room temperature 
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• Garnish:

  confectioners sugar for dusting
  scored lemon peel

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour an 8- by 2-inch round cake pans.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir together milk, zest, and vanilla.
• Beat together butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
• Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top, then rap gently on counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes.
• Whisk together confectioners sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
• Turn out cake onto a rack set over a baking sheet, then invert. Brush top and side of cake with glaze. Cool completely. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

Cooks’ note: Cake can be glazed 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe by Andrea Albin

Buttery Cream Cake with Berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and butter and flour two 9 inch cake pans.


If you have a large electric mixer, this whole recipe is a cinch to make.
6 large egg yolks
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, and cut into pieces

 Fruit preserves, or jam, about 10 - 12 oz.  Strawberry, blueberry, triple berry - any sort of berry to complement the fresh fruit in the layers, and on top.

Fresh berries

Whipping cream, 2 pints, sweetened with 2 Tbsp sifted powdered sugar

Combine the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl - flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix on low until blended. 
In a separate, medium bowl lightly blend the egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla extract.


Add the butter and 3/4 cup milk to the dry ingredients.  Mix on low until moistened , then beat for a couple of minutes until aerated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg mixture, beating well for about a minute.


Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes (it is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when you lightly touch the center.


Cool on racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans.  Wrap loosely in Saran Wrap, then freeze for a couple of hours, or overnight.



Whip the cream with a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar.
Remove cakes from wrap, then - on a clean, flat surface - cut each cake horizontally in half.  Spread with jam, then add some berries, and a layer of whipped cream.  Repeat this until your cake is fully assembled.  Frost the outside with whipping cream, then decorate with berries any way you wish.  Presentation can range from casual to very elegant - depending on the occasion. Refrigerate!