Sending off friends, with laughter and good food :)

Our best friends left Sunday for a seven day vacation to Jamaica.  We had them over Saturday for supper and the menu was:

Appetizer: Warm Artichoke Dip
Main:  Lemon Mustard (Dijon) Chicken and Dill Butter Shrimp, Bacon Maple Scalloped Potatoes, veg tossed in olive oil and spice roasted on the bbq
Dessert: Lemon Truffle Cake.

Oh, it was so yummy!!!!!  I was a wee bit worried when I made the marinade for the chicken up, it was SOOOOO lemony, Leigh stepped in and told me to remember that it is just a marinade and the taste won't be overwhelming, he was right, it turned out perfectly!  The lemon was NOT too lemony, but just the right balance with all the fresh herbs.  Recipes are below, enjoy! 

Warm Artichoke Dip

1 can water packed artichokes, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip!)
1/2 cup grated parmesan (or more if you like)
granulated or fresh garlic to taste
lemon to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in a oven safe dish, and pop in the oven to get all hot and bubbly for about 15 minutes.  You can reheat left-overs in the oven or the microwave, but there probably won't be any left!!!

Serve immediately with crackers or tortilla chips.

GRILLED LEMON- MUSTARD CHICKEN

www.RecipeGirl.com (love her recipes!)

MARINADE:
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced lemon zest
¼ cup dijon mustard
¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (any combo of rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano and parsley)
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp coarsely cracked pepper

CHICKEN:
4 whole large skinless, boneless chicken breasts- halved (or use chicken tenders to top a salad)
lemon slices, parsley and fresh herbs for garnish

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large freezer ziploc baggie. Mix well.
2. Add chicken breasts to baggie and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours.
3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and grill 3 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
4. Place on individual plates or on a platter surrounded by parsley sprigs, lemon slices and fresh herb leaves.
Servings: 6


Bacon Maple Scalloped Potatoes ... Kraft Canada

You need:

1 red onion, thinly sliced

125 g (1/2 of 250-g pkg.) Brick Cream Cheese, cubed

1 can (10 fl oz/284 mL) 25%-less-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup Bacon, chopped

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 lb. (900 g) Yukon gold potatoes (about 6), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 cup Cheddar Shredded Cheese

HEAT oven to 400°F.  (I used 350 and left it in for 2 1/2 hours, nothing worse than undercooked scalloped potatoes!!)

COOK onions in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 to 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove onions from skillet.

ADD cream cheese, broth and milk to skillet; cook and stir on medium-low heat 5 min. or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat; stir in bacon and syrup.

PLACE half the potatoes in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with layers of onions and shredded cheese. Top with remaining potatoes and cream cheese sauce; cover.

BAKE I baked at 350, covered, for 2 hours... I uncovered for an additional 1/2 hour - 245 minutes until golden brown.

And the dessert :)

LEMON TRUFFLE CAKE

www.RecipeGirl.com

CAKE:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup unsalted butter or white vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 large egg whites

LEMON TRUFFLE FILLING:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup water
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped white chocolate or vanilla baking chips
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
1 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Prepare the cake: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and butter or shortening. Blend until the butter is evenly mixed. Add the vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl constantly, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently but thoroughly fold the whites into the cake batter. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are no longer jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Split the cooled layers horizontally to make 4 layers in all. (I use a serrated knife… and gently saw around the center to cut even layers).

5. Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in water until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork. Slowly stir about 1/4 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, whisking quickly while adding the hot liquid. (You don’t want to create scrambled eggs, so be sure to add the hot mixture slowly, whisking it into the eggs as quickly as possible). Continue adding ¼ cups of the hot mixture to the eggs until you have warmed up the egg mixture. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back to the mixture in the saucepan. Cook over low heat until the mixture boils, whisking constantly, then continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

6. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice and zest. Transfer half of the hot filling to a small bowl and set aside to cool. Add the white chocolate to the hot filling in the saucepan and stir until the chocolate is melted; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the white chocolate mixture until light and smooth. At this point, you should have a small bowl of lemon curd and a bowl of white chocolate truffle filling.

7. Spread one third of the white chocolate filling over one layer of the cake. Top with a second cake layer, then spread with one third more of the filling; top with a third cake layer and spread the remaining filling over. Top with the last cake layer and spread reserved lemon curd. Refrigerate, uncovered, until the filling is set (2 to 3 hours).

8. Make the whipped cream: In another bowl, whip the cream and sweeten it with the confectioners’ sugar. Frost the sides of the cake with half of the whipped cream frosting. Put the remaining frosting into a pastry bag and pipe decoratively around the top and bottom edge of the cake. Refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Serves: 16

(Don't let this recipe daunt you, it flows soooo smoothly and the finished product is incredible!)

Danette

5 Meals, 5 Days

I work at a company that encourages learning, not just in the traditional sense, not just related to what our company does on a daily basis.

The person in charge of coordinating these "camps" wandered into my office on a Wednesday afternoon and asked me, "if you had to talk about something for 10 minutes, what would it be".  After I confirmed it did not have to be work related, I immediately said, "cooking".  Specifically, 5 meals for 5 days and how to survive the supper work week without takeout.  He made a "hmmmm interesting" kinda noise and left.  Ten minutes later he was back and said, "okay, you are up, you will talk about that for ten minutes... on Friday".  Ack!  Well, needless to say I told him the next day that that wasn't enough prep time :), and did it two weeks later at the next scheduled session.  And did I have fun!  I did a ten minute talk on pantry basics, food prep on the weekend, my LOVE of cooking, and staying sane and avoiding take-out during the week with my family of five and hearing "what's for supper Mom?" every day when I walk in the door.   Then I showed the staff how to have supper on the table in ten minutes, with a little prep and a glass of red wine, I demo'd chicken quesadilla and a mixed green salad with cucumber and tomato and vinagrette dressing,  (Well, I bought the dressing, but normally I would make my own :) and really felt like I made a true difference to a lot of the people in attendance.

I learned a long time ago that preparation and organization is what saves you.   In the beginning, when it was just me and my son, we ate a lot of KD and grilled cheese sandwiches!  Still a favorite, don't get me wrong, but that's all I knew how to do.   I thought cooking was for other people, who had actual time and cooking talent!  I married a chef four years later and he opened up a whole new world for me, he brought out the natural cook in me.  He has now retired from that career path and moved to carpentry, and when he phased out, I jumped in, with both feet!

My dream is to have my own place, not a restaurant, I don't want to do that.  I want to have a little shop, a little mercato, a market in the true sense of the word.  I want to create the things I love and know others will love, and have them come in and be able to pick those dishes up for supper with their family, dishes cooked slowly and with love, to be served in their homes and on to their table.    Bistro style, my place.  A few tables... to sit and enjoy a great cup of coffee and a cinnamon bun or a piece of quiche and a glass of red wine.  Fresh pastas and sauces, spanakopita, empanadas, Beef bourguignon (it's so much better the second time you heat it!), cheeses, dressings, pies, desserts, wines, specialty products... oh I could go on and on and on!!!!!!     I would like to hold classes for people who want to learn how to let go of "I can't cook" and have some fun.  I want to show people how to pair their wines with their food, and how to enjoy cooking as much as eating.  Educate people on the value of slow cooking, the value to sitting down with your family at meal time, to reconnect.  And if life is to busy to do that on your own, that's where my place would come in :).   

Our town has a wonderful little place called the Smokehaus.  Such an amazing experience every time I walk through the door, and I never tire of going there.  Our local "corner store" has a small but very decent wine selection.  Last week, I noticed that a new coffee house has opened up at the end of the main strip, but with little advertising, it doesn't really stand out.  I will have to stop in there sooner than later, but they need to let the town know there are there!  We have a wonderful bakery, makes the best bread!   But other than that, our town boasts little in the way of quaint and does not make us a hot spot for people to drive out to from the City.  I know we can change that.  We need to bring in local businesses, artisans, a place like mine :).    Apparently, we have a farmer's market, but I've never seen it!  I have called the town office, (okay, it's now officially a City, but I can't call it that :), and always get really vague information on it.  What!!!!!!  We should be promoting that!  We should be bringing in the local vendors to display and sell, and support our TOWN!!!!!!  It's not just about increasing the population, we need to give the people that live there more,  more culture, more choice, without having to run to the City to get it. 

Having my own place comes strong commitment and a lot of hard work.  Which I am not afraid of!  But, right now, my priority is my family and with a young family, these plans need to be put on hold.  Not completely on hold!  I am always scheming and planning.   I have a friend who is an amazing business woman and photographer, she is going to help me get a local presence known.  She is one of my biggest fans :).

My dream.  My zen place.  It will happen.

Danette

Honey Garlic Sauce

On Tuesday we had honey garlic meatballs over rice, and veg.  This honey garlic sauce is so easy, so yummy, and can be used on anything!    I made the meatballs on Sunday night and put them in the fridge.  I hate hate hate rushing home without a plan for supper... the first question I get when I walk in the door is, "what's for supper Mom?"... :)  (and yes, I'm talking about Leigh too)

Honey Garlic Sauce (these measurements subject to change)

Olive Oil
Garlic
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
1/4 cup soya sauce

Heat the olive oil in a pot (size dependant on if you single/double/triple the recipe).  Throw in crushed garlic, how much you use is up to you :).  Saute that for a minute, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn't burn.  Add ketchup, honey or brown sugar and soya sauce.  Stir and let that bubble around gently for a bit.  Now, this sauce is all about your taste.  You can add a little more honey or brown sugar if you like it sweeter, a little more soya sauce if you like it less sweet.  I don't recommend using Kikkoman soya sauce, it makes this very runny and then you have to go and thicken it... and well, that's just silly.  The longer you let this (gently) simmer, the thicker it will be.    I add the (cooked) meatballs and stir to get them good and coated, let that simmer away while you make the rice!  Oh, my mouth is watering...

You can use this sauce on anything you want!  I slow cook ribs and add the sauce at the end on a sheet pan to carmelize, throw in cooked chicken to coat, it is wonderful over rice with vegetables!    I've glazed a pork roast with it, continually brushing it on during the cooking process... yum!

Enjoy!

Danette

Artichoke Pizza - YUM!!!

This recipe is the shizzle!!!!  I found this on recipegirl.com (I'm a daily recipe shopper there).  I made this for our Christmas Eve potluck, it was a huge hit.  I find myself thinking about it a lot, I guess it's time to make it again!

EASY ARTICHOKE PIZZA BITES

www.RecipeGirl.com

14 ounce can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained & chopped
½ cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
zest from 1 lemon (and always always use real lemon, you CAN taste the difference :)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
13.8 ounce package refrigerated pizza crust (DS:  I made my own crust, but in a pinch, I buy crusts from The Bulk Cheese Warehouse and as they are pre-baked, lower the oven temperature to about 350, or you will burn the bottom crust)
2 medium Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced and then cut in half
1 tsp Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine artichokes, olives, ¼ cup cheese, lemon zest, mayonnaise and garlic; mix well.

3. Unroll pizza dough and arrange on large round baking stone, shaping into a circle. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to edge of baking stone. Spread artichoke mixture evenly over crust to within ½-inch of edge. Arrange tomato slices over pizza; sprinkle with Italian seasoning mix and remaining cheese.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter; serve immediately.

Servings: 16

Cooking Tips:
*If you don’t have a baking stone, use a greased cookie sheet instead.


Throw together a caesar salad and you are in business... have I posted my (Sharon Genge's) caesar salad recipe?  No!  Well, I'll have to post that next!  It's the easiest and best tasting dressing I've come across, my supper guests have started to ask for it when I invite them over!    Bon Appetite!!!! 

Danette

Yum Yum Yum - Tequilla Lime Chicken

I follow a blog/site called "The Pioneer Woman", that a girlfriend of mine turned me on to.  Love Ree!  She has some great recipes.  Last weekend I made Tequila Lime Chicken, with all the fixins!  It was amazing!!!!!  One word  of caution, I did mess up the rice :).  I overcooked it, I kept adding water, too much water... don't do that.  Just cook it very slowly, and add water slowly as needed.  It still tasted delicious, but wasn't quite right.

Tequilla Lime Chicken!!!  (A keeper)

Ingredients

• 3 whole Limes, Juiced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ cups Cilantro
• ½ cups Tequila
• 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• Pico De Gallo (OMG - perfect food)
• Refried Pinto Or Black Beans
• Mexican Rice
• Sour Cream
• Avocado Slices
• Homemade Flour Tortillas (recipe is available thru link below)

Preparation Instructions

Combine lime juice, garlic cloves, sliced jalapeno, salt, cilantro, and tequila in a food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. Turn on the blender/food processor and drizzle in the olive oil until it’s all combined.


Slightly flatten chicken breasts with a mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Place in a plastic bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag and marinate for several hours or (preferably) overnight.

When ready to cook, remove chicken from bag and place on the grill. Cook until completely done. Toward the end of cooking, top chicken breasts with grated Monterey Jack and allow to melt. (You can also top chicken with cheese and melt under the broiler.)

Serve topped with pico de gallo or salsa, alongside refried black beans, Mexican rice, sour cream, avocado slices, fresh flour tortillas…and whatever other garnishes make you smile!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/06/tequila-lime-chicken-with-all-the-fixins/

Check out the link for the full meal, it is so worth the effort!  The re-fried beans with the Pico De Gallo stirred in was pure heaven.  I made guacamole (and I am making it again this weekend) with a generous amount of Pico De Gallo, and it was amazing!   Had this meal with some Coronas... Grandpa Tarcy stopped over and joined us for dinner... it was a great evening. 

I need to learn to take pictures of my food, whenever I do it, my girls tease me :).    Leigh also advises that everything looks better on plain white plates, need to get me some of those!

Danette

Best Pizza Dough Ever!!!!

I love pizza!  I love great pizza dough!  I have found the perfect recipe on www.quietfish.com, she got the recipe from The Joy of Cooking.  This dough is super easy to make, and the outcome is a perfect pizza crust!  I also use it for making buns, yummy!

My husband and I had an artichoke and basil pizza, no tomato sauce.  I pressed the dough into the pizza pan, brushed olive oil all over, some mozzarella cheese with some feta chunked in there, artichokes and basil, added a bit of chunky tomatoes, a bit more cheese... it was delicious!  The girls had triple cheese with a mild tomato sauce... so so good!  The crust itself rises to perfection, I always brush olive oil on my crust too, it just makes it that much better!  Try it!  It's so easy, and so rewarding!

Perfect Pizza Dough

You will need:
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs salt (Optional. I add a pinch of sea salt.)
1 tbs sugar (Optional. I usually make it without. Use sugar if you like a puffier crust.)


Combine the yeast and the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes until yeast is dissolved and is starting to foam up.

Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Mix until it’s all holding together. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Don’t skimp on the kneading! The dough should be smooth and elastic, tacky, not sticky, when you’re done.

Transfer it over to a bowl that you’ve lightly coated with additional olive oil. Turn the dough over to coat completely. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean and floured dishtowel and let rise in a warm place. I like to put mine in the oven, which has been preheated for about a minute (then turned off). Keep it in there for about 90 minutes until it’s about doubled in volume.

Punch the dough down and divide it in half. At this point you can use all the dough to make one large thick-crust pizza, two smaller pizzas, or just use the one half to make one large thin crust pizza. (And freeze the other half for next time! This is my preference.)

Regardless of the path you have chosen, roll your dough into a ball and let it rest, loosely covered, for about 10-15 minutes. While it’s resting, preheat the oven to 450F. Grease and dust your baking stone or baking sheet with cornmeal (don’t skip this step!), flatten the dough and roll it out flat. Brave? Let your kids have a go. They might surprise you by not dropping it on the floor.

The dough will be fairly elastic, so you’ll have to stretch it out. Place the dough on your baking sheet. To prevent the toppings from making the crust soggy, brush the top of the dough with a bit of additional olive oil. Use your fingers to push dents into the surface of the dough. This will prevent air holes bubbling up as it bakes. Let it rest for 10 minutes while you prep your toppings.


When you’re ready, pop it in the oven. Depending on the thickness of your crust, it’ll take about 12 minutes (give or take) to bake. Broiling it for a couple minutes at the end will make your cheese nice and brown.

Danette

recipegirl.com

I LOVE recipegirl.com.  Love her, love her.  She posts the most amazing recipes, I've tried many of them, and will try many more.  This weekend I am making Beef Empanadas!

CLASSIC BEEF EMPANADAS
www.RecipeGirl.com
FILLING:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 ½ lbs. ground beef (use 85% lean, not the super-lean)
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
1 cup pimento-filled green olives, sliced
1 cup golden raisins
2 tsp. honey
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
several dashes of hot sauce, to taste
3 large eggs, separated

PASTRY:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 (8-ounce) package of cream cheese, at room temperature (don’t use low fat)
½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
1 tsp. kosher salt
lime wedges, for serving

1. Prepare the filling: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion & bell pepper and sauté 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Raise heat to high and add beef. Cook, stirring constantly, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the liquid; discard. Stir in cumin, olives, raisins, honey, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook until the meat is golden brown, liquid has evaporated and flavors have blended, about 4 more minutes. Cool completely in the refrigerator. Stir in 3 egg whites when mixture is cool.

2. Prepare pastry: Process butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor or electric mixer. Add flour and salt and mix just until combined and dough holds together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Divide into three pieces. Flatten into disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. If the dough is chilled overnight, take it out for about 15 minutes before rolling out.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter baking sheets or line with parchment.

4. Dust a rolling pin with flour. Working with one dough disk at a time, place the disk on a clean, well-floured surface (I use a silpat mat). Roll gently from the center of the dough to the top and bottom edges and from side to side. Reflour the work surface and/or rolling pin, as needed. You want the dough to be thin but not transparent.

5. Assemble the empanadas: Use an overturned bowl (about 4 inches across) to cut out circles. Gather scraps together, re-roll and cut more circles until you’ve used up all the dough. Scoop some filling into the center of the dough circle (about 2 Tbsp.). Wet the edge of the dough with water, using your finger to to rub. Fold the dough over to form a half-circle. Crimp edges with a fork, or fold over decoratively (using more water, as needed, to act as ‘glue.’) Repeat the process until all of the filling is used. The empanadas can be frozen at this point, or placed onto a baking sheet. If baking right away, chill the filled empanadas for a few minutes. Prick the top of each empanada twice with a fork. Beat 2 egg yolks with 2 Tbsp. water and brush egg wash over each empanada. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

6. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm with lime wedges.
Yield: 26 to 28 appetizer-sized empanadas

Tips:
*Freeze leftover empanadas to reheat in the microwave.
*You’ll get a feel for how thin the dough should be rolled out and how much filling to use after you assemble your first couple of empanadas.
*Serving the empanadas with lime was a tip from my Peruvian friend. They’re delicious that way.

Seriously, she makes everything easy, truly easy.  Check out her blog recipegirl.com for step by step instructions.  I pop my laptop up on the counter and she walks me through the whole recipe!  She understands what real food should taste like and how it should be prepared... easily!  How many people love to work with a finicky and convoluted recipe?  Not me!  Enjoy!  I know we will!

Lemon Truffle Cake!

We went to my wonderful mother-in-law's for Easter dinner on Saturday, the food was, as usual, amazing!  The company wonderful, we talked, ate, relaxed, it was a thoroughly enjoyable time.  I brought Lemon Truffle Cake for dessert.  Kennedy was supposed to help me make it (budding baker) but she decided to have friends over instead... we will be making this again, because it was amazing!  It is a keeper!  I got the recipe from a blog I follow, recipegirl.com.  You should check it out, everything I've made from her site has been wonderful!

I let the truffle filling and lemon curd sit covered in the fridge overnight.  The lemon curd will remain easy to spread without softening, but take the truffle filling out of the fridge to sit at room temperature in the morning.    It worked well because it firmed up nicely to support the layers.

LEMON TRUFFLE CAKE

www.RecipeGirl.com

CAKE:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup unsalted butter or white vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 large egg whites

LEMON TRUFFLE FILLING:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup water
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup (6 ounces) chopped white chocolate or vanilla baking chips
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
1 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Prepare the cake: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and butter or shortening. Blend until the butter is evenly mixed. Add the vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to high and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl constantly, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently but thoroughly fold the whites into the cake batter. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cakes are no longer jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Split the cooled layers horizontally to make 4 layers in all. (I use a serrated knife… and gently saw around the center to cut even layers).

5. Prepare the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in water until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with a fork. Slowly stir about 1/4 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, whisking quickly while adding the hot liquid. (You don’t want to create scrambled eggs, so be sure to add the hot mixture slowly, whisking it into the eggs as quickly as possible). Continue adding ¼ cups of the hot mixture to the eggs until you have warmed up the egg mixture. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back to the mixture in the saucepan. Cook over low heat until the mixture boils, whisking constantly, then continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

6. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and lemon juice and zest. Transfer half of the hot filling to a small bowl and set aside to cool. Add the white chocolate to the hot filling in the saucepan and stir until the chocolate is melted; set aside. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the white chocolate mixture until light and smooth. At this point, you should have a small bowl of lemon curd and a bowl of white chocolate truffle filling.

7. Spread one third of the white chocolate filling over one layer of the cake. Top with a second cake layer, then spread with one third more of the filling; top with a third cake layer and spread the remaining filling over. Top with the last cake layer and spread reserved lemon curd. Refrigerate, uncovered, until the filling is set (2 to 3 hours).

8. Make the whipped cream: In another bowl, whip the cream and sweeten it with the confectioners’ sugar. Frost the sides of the cake with half of the whipped cream frosting. Put the remaining frosting into a pastry bag and pipe decoratively around the top and bottom edge of the cake. Refrigerate up to 8 hours before serving.

Serves: 16 (this is assuming everyone will have one piece, which they won't! :)

This cake is so satisfying to make.  It is decadent and delicious, my mother-in-law said it was "elegant" and she's right!  We topped it with a little nest made of whipped cream, mint leaves and mini-eggs for the Easter theme.  It is surprisingly easy to make and put together, give it a try!!!  It does help that I live with a journeyman chef, but I will say he was off riding his motorcycle when I made this!  He did cut the cakes evenly for me, he's had lots of practice, but next time I'll take a "stab" at it :)

 Danette

Yummy!!

I had bronchitis for a week, and couldn't cook... couldn't do anything but cough and sleep.  I feel a lot better!!!!  And miss cooking! 

I am on a bread kick, I am going to master the art of breadmaking.  I make an awesome biscuit (no yeast), have finally perfected fluffy, juicy, moist cinnamon buns (yeast), and now will move on to this bun recipe I found, it sounds soooo good!  I love Rosemary!

OLIVE OIL & ROSEMARY ROLLS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 ¼ tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
3 ¼ cups bread flour
1 ¾ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
extra flour for dusting
½ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
nonstick spray

Read more: http://www.recipegirl.com/2007/03/20/olive-oil-rosemary-rolls/#ixzz0j26vzzr2

1. In a small bowl, combine olive oil and rosemary; let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Pour yeast into 1 cup of warm water (about 105 to 110 degrees… no warmer). Stir to dissolve the yeast and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Mixture should foam and bubble (a sign that the yeast is still good).

3. Insert paddle attachment into your stand mixer. Pour water/yeast mixture into the mixing bowl. Add ½ cup of flour and the salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Keep adding ½ cups of flour until all flour is used up and incorporated. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with a dough hook. Knead on low and slowly pour in the olive oil/rosemary. Increase to speed 3 and let the machine knead for about 2 minutes.

4. Remove the dough and shape quickly into a ball. Dust lightly with flour and place in a zip bag, pressing out air and sealing. Place on a cutting board and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size (about 1 hour). Punch down inside the bag and let rise again for an additional hour.

5. Punch the dough to deflate and let rest 10 minutes. Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Divide dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece of dough into a ball and transfer to the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for about 1 hour (until almost doubled). They’ll continue to rise as they bake, so don’t worry too much if they don’t look large enough.

6. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and lightly brush each roll with melted butter. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until browned and hollow sounding when tapped. Remove to wire rack to cool.
Yield: 12

Cooking Tips:
*Use a candy thermometer or an instant-read meat thermometer to check for accurate water temperature.
*If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can always knead by hand instead. It’s just a little messy.
*Trick to dividing the dough into 12 equal pieces: Divide the dough in half, then in half again, then you can divide each of the four pieces into three equal dough balls.

I can already taste them!  Leigh's boss and his wife are coming for supper on Saturday, they will be my guinea pigs!   Saturday's menu will be:  barbecued strip loin with sauteed mushrooms and green onion (Leigh style, so so good), baby potatoes and carrots in butter/dill sauce, Caesar salad (Sharon's recipe, it is the best ever) and olive and rosemary rolls.  For dessert, hmmm... I'll have to think on that one. :)  I've been forcing myself to bake, and I am actually getting quite good at it!  It's the measuring and accuracy thing that turns me off :).  But since I started to do it more often, I actually find it quite therapeutic! 

Danette

Buerre Blanc is a revelation!

Beurre Blanc.  Beurre Blanc... is perfection.  Beurre Blanc means "white butter" and is a rich, hot butter sauce made with a reduction of vinegar and white wine and shallots (onions) into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation.  The result of which... is pure bliss!  Poured over fish it transforms the taste beyond anything I've every had!  It is heaven in the mouth.  You can thicken it with cream if you prefer, but we like it without.    You can use it with anything really, we've added over-top eggs, over pasta, chicken, any type of fish, vegetables... well really, it's butter, intensified, what could taste better? 

My lovely husband gave me Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", volumes 1 and 2, for valentines day.  We don't normally celebrate the Hallmark holiday, so after giving him a bit of heck, I burst into tears.  That man knows his way to my heart :)  The recipe as per Julia:

Yield: 1.25 cup

•  ¼ cup white-wine vinegar  
•  ¼cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth  
•  1tablespoon finely minced shallots or scallions  
•   Salt and freshly ground white pepper  
•   8 to 12 ounces 1 to 1 ½ cups, or 2 to 3 sticks chilled best-quality unsalted butter, cut into 16 or 24 pieces  (***I use salted butter)

In small saucepan heat liquids to a boil, adding shallot and white pepper. Boil down to a syrupy glaze.
Remove pan from heat and whip in two lumps of butter, then two more.  Set pan over very low heat and continue to add butter as soon as the last lump has been absorbed.  It should be smooth like mayonnaise, and the butter should not melt.

Leftover sauce. It will congeal. Use like flavored butter, or heat it a little bit at a time, as for Hollandaise: …set a small saucepan in another sauce- pan of warm water, and stir the sauce by spoonfuls into the small pan, warming it a bit at a time.

It is soooooo easy to make, and so wonderful!  Try it, you will love it!!!!  

Danette