nina in the kitchen

Raspberry Clafoutis

Posted on August 27, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

A French dessert is always enchanting to me. And an easy quick dessert is a gift! Jackpot!

I found this recipe at Food52. It’s a David Lebovitz recipe. Food52 is a tremendous source for cooking enthusiasts!

Have you made a Dutch baby? Or Aggkaka? Clafoutis is the same basic concept. All three of these are made of thin batters baked in a well buttered shallow baking pan. As it cooks in a hot oven it puffs up with air and then deflates soon after removal from the oven. These brunch foods or desserts end up with slightly crusty and custardy textures.

Clafoutis can be a brunch food or a dessert. It’s slightly sweet and has a crust of crystalized sugar on top. The Aggkaka and Dutch Baby are less sweet and more of a breakfast or brunch food. Check my website for the Aggkaka recipe. Aggkaka

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh raspberries or 1 1/4 pounds sour or sweet cherries, pitted
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar, plus 3 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
1/2 cup flour
Softened butter for buttering the baking pan.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Liberally butter an 11 1/2 inch caste iron fry pan or a 2 quart shallow baking pan.
Cover the bottom of the pan with the fruit.
In a medium bowl beat the eggs with an immersion blender.
Add the milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla, and flour and beat just until blended.
Pour batter over the fruit
Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons sugar over the batter.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until just set. An inserted knife will come out relatively clean.
Serve warm, room temperature or cold.
May be prepared a day in advance. Refrigerate overnight
Serves 8

Cover the buttered pan with fruit

Blend batter ingredients with an immersion blender

Pour the batter over the fruit layer

Clafoutis ready for sprinkling with sugar and then the oven

Clafoutis in the oven

Voila! Ready to serve with a large spatula or spoon!

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Posted in Cakes and desserts. Bookmark the permalink.

Microwave Brownies

Posted on July 4, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

I found this recipe at MyRecipes.com. It’s really Delish! I added a sprinkling of flaked sea salt just before baking the brownies. Love that sweet chocolate and salty flavor.

If you’re looking for a recipe to make with young children, this works well!

These chocolate brownies have a true chocolate flavor and are a quick easy sweet fix! I made 1 1/2 recipes because I only had a 7×11 inch glass baking pan which is slightly larger than the 8×8 inch dish used in this recipe. If you want to make a 9×13 pan I would double the recipe.

It’s a forgiving recipe. Just don’t over bake them. Brownies firm up and harden as they cool. They will be very moist when they’re done.

When making larger recipes add on 2 minutes of cooking time and then check them every 15 seconds. Add on more time as needed

1/4 pound/1 stick butter, cut into 8 pieces

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour

Flaked sea salt

Spray an 8×8 inch glass baking pan with oil
In a medium microwaveable bowl combine butter and cocoa powder.
Microwave on high until butter is melted. About 30-90 seconds
Remove bowl from microwave
Whisk in sugar. Cool slightly
Mix in eggs and vanilla
Mix in flour just until combined
Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth out evenly
Sprinkle top with flaked sea salt
Microwave on high 4-7 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave
Check after 4 minutes for doneness and every 15 seconds after that
Don’t over bake
Cool and cut into 8 squares
Voila!

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Posted in sweets and tagged cocoapowder, microwave dessert, microwavebrownies, quickdessert. Bookmark the permalink.

Colorful Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Posted on June 25, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

Purple, green, red, orange, and white make a colorful alternative to the typical white cole slaw! The Whole30 Cookbook is my source! I used an organic apple cider from Aldi’s that has the “Mother” in it. It’s a milder flavor.

I added more red pepper, carrot, apple and almonds here than the Whole30 recipe described.

Here is the colorful display. All the kale needed is not pictured here

Lacinato kale is a traditional Italian variety

For the slaw:

1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thin and cut in 2 inch lengths

1/2 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves sliced in thin ribbons

1 bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded or matchstick sliced carrot

1 large apple, julienned

1-4 oz package or 1/2 cup slivered almonds

For the Vinaigrette:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1 large clove garlic, minced with 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl combine ingredients for the slaw
In a small bowl or jar whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss well
Add more salt, pepper or vinegar to your taste!
Serve right away. The slaw keeps in the frig a couple days
Voila!

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Posted in salads and tagged acv, apple cider vinegar, cole slaw, lacinato kale, red cabbage, vegetarian, whole30cookbook. Bookmark the permalink.

Eggs in Purgatory with Capers

Posted on June 16, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

Just in time for a grand and easy to make Fathers Day Breakfast!

Bring out your grandmothers cast iron!

Eggs in Purgatory is a spicy briney tomato sauce and a perfect complement to some mellow eggs. I discovered this recipe online from Karen Palmer at Food52.com

This dish is an Italian style Shakshuka which is a Middle Eastern food made with a salsa type tomato sauce. Eggs in Purgatory has chili flakes added to your taste for heat and capers to give a briney almost fishy flavor. It’s like adding anchovies to tomato sauce which wouldn’t be a bad addition to this sauce either!

Italian Puttanesca is a tomato sauce with added capers and anchovies for a briney flavor. Italian Arrabbiata is a spicy tomato sauce with added chili flakes. Eggs in Purgatory is a blend of both of these flavorful tomato sauces.

Add some toast with rhubarb jam to complete breakfast or brunch that combines the salty with the sweet. I like to sprinkle flaked sea salt over my rhubarb jam toast to add to the salty component.

2 tablespoons olive oil

A pinch or more hot pepper chili flakes

1/2 cup chopped onion or shallot

Kosher salt

Black pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced with 1/2 teaspoon salt

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers and 1 tablespoon of the caper brine

1-2 anchovies, rinsed and patted dry and then minced, OPTIONAL

4 eggs

Shaved or grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Heat an 8-10 inch cast iron pan over medium heat
Add the olive oil
Sauté the chili flakes and stir quickly with a spoon or spatula until fragrant, less than a minute.
Add the onion and sauté until translucent, turning down the heat as needed to prevent browning.
Add the garlic and sauté only a 1/2 minute while stirring. Do not brown or burn!
Add the tomato sauce, capers and brine. If you want to add the anchovies, do it now.
Simmer uncovered until thickened, simmering slowly. About 20-30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
With a large spoon place 4 indentations in the sauce. Place an egg in each cradle
Bake 9-10 minutes or less until the whites just turn white and still jiggle when shaken.
Serve with grated or shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese
You can sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro if you like
Toast up some crusty bread of your liking
Voila!

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Posted in main dishes and tagged arrabbiata sauce, baked eggs, breakfast, brunch, eggs, puttanesca sauce, shakshuka, spicy tomato sauce. Bookmark the permalink.

Buttermilk Or Sour Cream Waffles

Posted on May 29, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

These recipes are from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. They both are prepared the same way. Only a few of the ingredients are different.

My favorite way to eat Waffles is with butter and homemade maple syrup. But they’re also yummy with fruit jam, fruit syrup, or fresh fruit. I usually make the Buttermilk Waffles. We always keep buttermilk in our frig. It’s yummy to drink too!

Buttermilk reminds me of a drink we had in Istanbul called ayran. It was made with yogurt, water and salt. Served cold it’s refreshing! You can find it anywhere in Turkey and other Arab countries. The basic recipe is whisking together 2 cups Greek yogurt, 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Yum!

Buttermilk Waffles

In a medium bowl whisk together:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl beat together until thick and lemon colored with a hand mixer:

2 egg yolks

Add and beat in:

2 cups buttermilk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine the 2 mixtures with a few quick strokes
In a small bowl beat until stiff:

2 egg whites

Fold egg whites into batter
Drop by large spoonfuls onto hot waffle iron
Use about 1/2 cup batter per waffle

Sour Cream Waffles

In a medium bowl whisk together:

3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a medium bowl beat until thick and lemony:

3 egg yolks

Add and combine:

2 cups sour cream

Combine the 2 mixtures together with a few quick strokes
In a small bowl beat until stiff:

3 egg whites

Fold egg whites into batter. With a large spoon add about 1/2 cup batter to a hot waffle iron to make 1 waffle

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Posted in main dishes and tagged arab yogurt drink, ayran, breakfast, brunch, buttermilk, istanbul, sour cream, waffles. Bookmark the permalink.

Raw Corn and Veggie Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Posted on April 29, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

Fresh corn is usually sweet here in the Midwest. This raw corn salad has red pepper, Persian cucumbers, shallot, parsley, fresh dill and a buttermilk and yogurt dressing. Add the dressing at the table, as little or as much as you like

I found this recipe at Food52. It had a lot of likes and the raw corn and Persian cucumbers were new to me and sounded yummy. I usually quickly blanch corn before using it in salads. I liked eliminating this step!

In a large bowl combine:

1 clove fresh shallot, sliced thin, rinsed in cold water, drained and blotted in paper towel

3 ears fresh corn, kernels sliced off with a sharp knife

4 Persian cucumbers, (these are like English cucumbers with thin skins but only 5 inches long) quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into a 1/4 inch dice

1 long red pepper, diced

1 handful fresh dill, minced

1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

Feta cheese as desired. You can mix it in or place it on top of the salad in large pieces

Raw Salad without the dressing:

Dressing:

Combine with a whisk in a small bowl:

1/4 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup European style plain thin yogurt

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, the better the quality the better the taste I like a white balsamic or a champagne balsamic from out local oil and vinegar shop, Mercato di O & V, in Midland MI

3 tablespoons minced sweet onion

1 clove garlic minced with 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add with a whisk slowly in a steady stream:

1/4 cup olive oil

Add salt and pepper to taste

Serve the dressing on the side with the fresh salad

Buttermilk Dressing:

Raw Salad with Buttermilk Dressing:

Voila!

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Posted in salads and tagged buttermilk, fresh dill, Mercato di O & V, raw corn, raw salad. Bookmark the permalink.

Cheese and Tomato Lasagna

Posted on March 25, 2017 by nina in the kitchen

This is a full of flavor lasagne that’s not glorpy or heavy! It’s similar to the light lasagne of Italy which is all about the pasta, not the thick sauce!

Look up the recipe at Cooks Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen. These two links will both take you there. You do need a subscription to have access to their recipes. If you don’t have one, take advantage of their one month free offer! I love these sites! They are a great source for recipes, testing and product recommendation, and will always provide interesting background info!

Here are some photos I took while making this lasagne along with basic instructions:

Cheese Sauce

In a medium bowl whisk together

4 oz or 2 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese

8 oz or 1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cheese sauce:

Tomato Sauce

In a skillet heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Sauté 1 chopped onion. Add and sauté together until onions are softened:

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Add and cook about a minute:

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 or more anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry and minced (I use the entire can)

Sautéed onion and herbs:

To the onion add and simmer 20 minutes:

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup tomato paste

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

Tomato sauce nearing completion:

Lasagna

You will need:

14 curly type regular lasagna noodles, such as Barilla

8 oz or 2 cups fontina cheese, grated

1/8 teaspoon cornstarch

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano

Use regular lasagne pasta, but don’t cook it! Instead soften them! Use the curly variety
Place 14 noodles in a 9×13 inch baking pan. Pour boiling water over the noodles to cover them
Use the tip of a sharp knife to keep the noodles separated

This is the pasta brand I used and the pasta soaking in boiling water:

When the pasta are bendable, place the container in the sink and run cold water over them. Drain or lift them out of the water and dry the pasta on towels

Pasta dryIng on kitchen towels:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven
Place 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan
Cut 2 noodles in half crosswise and set aside.
Layer 3 full noodles lengthwise over the sauce with one end up next to the short end of the pan.
Place a half noodle at the other end of the pan perpendicular
Spread half of cheese sauce over noodles
Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated fontina cheese over cheese sauce
Layer noodles next in the same manner but switch the half noodle to the other end of the pan
Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce over the noodles
Sprinkle 1/2 cup fontina cheese over sauce
Place 3rd layer of noodles with 3 1/2 noodles, again switching the short noodle to the other end from the last time
Spread remaining cheese sauce and then 1/2 cup fontina
Layer 3 1/2 noodles and again switch their placement. This is to make the layers an even height
Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles.
Mix 1/2 cup fontina with 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch and sprinkle it on
Finally layer the 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano on top
Spray a sheet of foil with oil and place it oil side down on the lasagne
Bake at 375 for 35 minutes
Remove lasagne from oven
Increase temp to 500 and remove foil.
Return lasagne to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes until lightly browned
Remove from oven and let sit 20 minutes before serving
I have made this lasagne ahead and refrigerated it before baking. Bring it to room temperature before placing it in the oven