Orzo Salad

Ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cups chicken broth

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 pound orzo (or riso)

2 cups heirloom, teardrop, or grape tomatoes, halved

1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes or crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup chopped fresh basil (optional) 

Preparation

1. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl

2. Gradually whisk in oil

3. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper

4. Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan

5. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally

6. Drain and transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool

7. Mix tomatoes and and vinaigrette

8. Add vinaigrette to orzo and toss to coat

9. Fix in feta and stir well

10. Can be served at room temperature or cold

Orzo can be picked up at almost any grocery store, most of the time for under a $1.50. It is a rice shaped pasta that is slightly bigger than arborio rice.

 Bring the chicken broth to a boil, just as you would boil water. Then add in the orzo and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until pasta is tender bit a little bit.

 Drain pasta and put in a large bowl. Stir often until cool, not allowing it to stick too much. When you add the vinaigrette it will stop any minor sticking.

 Cut tomatoes in half or quarters, whichever you prefer.

 Add tomatoes to the vinaigrette and stir well.

 Then add the vinaigrette tomato mixture to the orzo and stir. The oil in the vinaigrette will hopefully stop any sticking, if there was any.

 Then add the feat cheese to the pasta and gently store. You can then serve as is or serve after refrigerating. You can store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Enjoy!

Queen Mother Cake

In honor of the Royal Wedding and wanting to bake my was through all of the cakes from my cookbook "A World of Cakes," I decided to try and make a Queen Mother Cake. It is a flourless chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache. The cookbook says to make it in three small bundt pans but instead I made it in a pie dish, so that it resembled more of a thin torte than a cake. 

Ingredients: 

Chocolate Cake-

8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 c chocolate chips)

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tsp instant coffee

1 tsp boiling water

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

3/4 c sugar

Chocolate Ganache-

2 tbsp unsalted butter

6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325*F

2. Butter you pan or dish and then dust with cocoa powder

3. Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (bowl over a few inches of simmering water,) or carefully microwave for 10 seconds at a time. With both methods, stir constantly, chocolate will burn very easily. 

4. Once the butter and chocolate is melted and combined well, take off heat or out of microwave and set aside to cool.

5. Combine the coffee and boiling water, stir and set aside to cool.

6. When the coffee is cooled, add in egg yolks and vanilla, and stir until blended.

7. Then pour the coffee mixture over the chocolate and whisk until completely blended

8.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg white and the cream of tart until it forms soft peaks.

9. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form

10. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate bater and mix completely

11. Pour batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, depending on size and depth of your pan

12. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack, it may sink a little in the center this is fine

13. Then melt butter over a double boiler or in the microwave

14. Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and continue heating slowly until the chocolate has melted completely

15. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla

16. Let cool and then pour over cake, once it is on the dish you desire to serve it on

You will need semisweet chocolate, unsalted butter, instant coffee, boiling water, eggs, vanilla extract, cream of tarter, sugar, and  light corn syrup.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (bowl over a few inches of simmering water,) or carefully microwave for 10 seconds at a time. With both methods, stir constantly, chocolate will burn very easily. 

Once the butter and chocolate is melted and combined well, take off heat or out of microwave and set aside to cool.

Combine the coffee and boiling water, stir and set aside to cool.

To separate the egg yolks and egg whites, crack the egg over your hand and let the egg white run through your fingers and then put the egg yolk in a separate bowl.

It is okay if the yolks break once they are in the bowl, but if any of the egg yolks breaks into the egg whites then they aren't any good, and you will have to get new whites because the whites won't beat properly it there is any hint of oil in them.

When the coffee is cooled, add in egg yolks and vanilla, and stir until blended.

Then pour the coffee mixture over the chocolate and whisk until completely blended

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white and the cream of tart until it forms soft peaks.

You know that you have reached a soft peak consistency when you can pull the beater out and turn it over and the peak falls over softly.

Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form. You know that you have reached a stiff peak then you pull the beater out and the peak stands up.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate bater and mix completely

Pour batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, depending on size and depth of your pan. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack, it may sink a little in the center this is fine

For the Ganache: 

Then melt butter over a double boiler or in the microwave.  Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and continue heating slowly until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Let cool and then pour over cake, once it is on the dish you desire to serve it on

It's not the prettiest thing here, but I will tell you if you're not in a hurry like I was you can make it look very pretty. Everyone loved it and it only lasted about 5 minutes. Enjoy!

A Lighter Take on Classic Banana Bread

This not too sweet moist banana bread is a Cooking Light recipe that I've made a few adaptations to after making is a few its. 

Yield: 1 loaf or about 12 to 16 muffins 

Ingredients

2  cups  all-purpose flour

3/4  teaspoon  baking soda

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1  cup  sugar

1/4  cup  butter, softened

2  large eggs

1 1/2  cups  mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/2  cup  plain low-fat yogurt (I will admit that I've used vanilla yogurt before because I didn't have plain)

1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

1.      1. Preheat oven to 350°

2.      2. Spoon flour into a dry 1 cup measuring cups; level with a knife. If you just scoop the measuring cup into your flour container, it will pack in there tighter than if you spoon it in and you will end up with more than 2 cups of flour.

3.     3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir well, making sure that all the dry ingredients are mixed so that some muffins or part of the bread ends up with more baking soda or salt than others, either will be not to pleasant to eat. 

4.      4. Soften the butter for about 15 second in the microwave. 

5.      5. Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). You can do this by hand it will just take slightly longer. 

6.      6. Add the eggs, 1 at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. 

7.      7. Then add the banana (after mashing it with a fork), yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.

8.      8. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Then spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray, or into a muffin tin lined with paper liners. 

9.      9. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean for a loaf and bake for 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

 Peel 3 medium very ripe bananas. I like for them to be turning pretty brown on the outside. Then mash them with a fork.

 Spoon flour into a dry 1 cup measuring cups; level with a knife. If you just scoop the measuring cup into your flour container, it will pack in there tighter than if you spoon it in and you will end up with more than 2 cups of flour.

 Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir well, making sure that all the dry ingredients are mixed so that some muffins or part of the bread ends up with more baking soda or salt than others, either will be not to pleasant to eat. 

Soften the butter for about 15 second in the microwave. Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl.

 Beat the butter and sugar mixture with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). You can do this by hand it will just take slightly longer. This is called creaming, you want the butter and sugar to be completely mixed and fluffy. 

 Add the eggs, 1 at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.

 Then add the banana (after mashing it with a fork), yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended.

 Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. I like to add half of the dry mix and beat it, then add the second half. I find this much easier to get the wet and dry ingredients to combine. 

 Then spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray, or into a muffin tin lined with paper liners. 

 Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean for a loaf and bake for 25 minutes. 

Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy! Another adaptation you can do is substitute the butter with unsweetened apple sauce. The consistency will change a little if you chose to use the apple sauce but it's an even healthier option.  

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Dough:

1/4-ounce package yeast

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup scalded milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter 

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup sugar, plus more for pan

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extra 

a couple tablespoons hot water

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes. Place in well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, between 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

When doubled in size, punch down dough. Roll out on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle. Spread melted butter all over dough. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered dough. Roll up dough and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. 

Coat the bottom of baking pan with butter. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan and let rise until dough is doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Meanwhile, mix melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

Step by Step:

You will need milk, all purpose flour, sugar, cinnamon, eggs, butter, yeast, water, and vanilla. 

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix milk, sugar, melted butter, salt and egg. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour until dough is easy to handle. 

Use the heal of your hand. Push the dough away and then fold it back to yourself. Then rotate it 45 degrees and repeat. Repeat this process for 5 to 10 minutes.

 Place in well-greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, between 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

 Here is the dough after allowing it rise for about an hour is a warm moist place. When doubled in size, punch down dough. 

 Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch rectangle, I know mine isn't the right size, I was limited by the size of my mat. 

 Spread melted butter all over dough. I prefer to use softened butter because melted butter doesn't stay on the dough as well. 

 Mix together sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it over buttered dough up to the edge. 

 Roll up the dough.

 Then pinch edge together to seal.

 Cut into 12 to 15 slices. 

 Place in a buttered dish. I cut mine a little funky but you may or may not want to spread them amount two dish if you cut them thin. I'd suggest cutting them in 3/4 inch thick slices and put them touching closer than what I did in a 9x13 baking dish. Allow to rise in the pan for at least 45 minutes before baking. You can make them up to this point and leave your baking dish in the refrigerator over night to bake in the morning as long as you allow it to sit out for at leave 20 minutes before baking.

Bake them at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. While the bake make the icing.

 Meanwhile, mix melted butter and vanilla. 

 Then mix in  powdered sugar a cup at a time. 

 Add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until the glaze reaches desired consistency. 

 Spread over slightly cooled rolls.

And then they are done!