Savory Onion and Ham Tart

 

A picture says a thousand words and this one says I was not fast enough to get a picture of this tart before the guests devoured it, so all you get is a picture of my friend Robbie’s pie dish.

 
Our friends Chuck and Robbie were coming to dinner and wanted to bring something.  I asked them not to as we had plenty made for dinner that evening.  When they arrived they handed me a plastic container with a liquid in it and a covered pie plate with instructions taped to the top.  Robbie explained that it was not for dinner that evening, but was breakfast for us and our guests the next morning.  She let me know that I needed to refrigerate it and just follow the instructions in the morning.  I have to say it was genius.  It was the perfect gift to keep the host from having to prepare breakfast the next morning.  In the morning I remixed the egg mixture, poured it over the contents of the pie plate, and stuck it in the oven.  It was delicious and all of our guests loved it and raved about how smart it was of them to do it.   This recipe is a great make ahead breakfast, that you can bake in the morning.  Give it a try.

 

 

Savory Onion and Ham Tart

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped ham (approx)

8 oz grated Swiss cheese

4 eggs

1 Tablespoon flour

1 1/2 cups half and half

dash salt

dash pepper

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Bake bread cubes for 15 minutes and toss to dry until cubes are lightly browned.
  3. Spray deep dish pie pan with cooking spray.  Spread bread cubes on bottom of dish.
  4. Saute diced onion in butter stirring occasionally until light golden brown (5-10 minutes)
  5. Dice ham coarsely and sprinkle over bread cubes in the dish.  Spoon onion over ham and top with grated cheese.
  6. Put eggs in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer beat eggs thoroughly.  Add flour, half and half, and salt and pepper.  Beat on low speed until thoroughly mixed but NOT frothy.  Cover and chill.
  7. In the morning, mix the eggs and pour egg mixture overtart.  Place on foil covered baking sheetand bake 50-60 minutes until top is golden and knife inserted comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Serve
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Spice Cake

It is a clear, cool and beautiful fall day.  There is nothing better than the smell of a spice cake baking in the oven.  This spice cake recipe is easy to do and the oats in this cake give it a very moist and dense texture.
Cake

1 cup rolled oats, not the quick cooking or instant oats

1 cup boiling water

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

l/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon  ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

 

 

Icing

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup pecan halves

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 stick unsalted butter

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

 

Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat two 8″ round cake pans with nonstick spray, line with rounds of parchment, then coat with spray again.
Combine oats, water, buttermilk, and spices in a bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
Cream butter with both sugars in a second bowl until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to incorporate.

Blend flour, baking soda, and salt into butter mixture just until combined, then add oat mixture.

Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes. out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto the rack, lift off the pans, and peel away the parchment. Cool layers completely.

 

Icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toast the coconut on a baking sheet until dark 10-13 minutes.

Toast pecans on another baking sheet until brown, about 15-17 minutes.  Chop the pecans.

In a saucepan over medium to low heat simmer the brown sugar, cream, butter, yolks, and salt stirring constantly until the mixture thickens 8-12 minutes.

Take off the heat and add the rum and vanilla.  Cool until warm to the touch and add the coconut and pecans.

 

 

 

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African Spice Rub

 

African spice makes a great rub for either chicken or pork.  Tonight I am rubbing this paste all over some chicken breasts before cooking them on the grill.  You can marinate the meat covered and chilled for up to 4 hours.

 
African Spice Paste

 

8  dried hot red chilies

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons kosher salt

5 tablespoons olive oil

 

 

Coarsely grind chilies, spice seeds, garlic, and peppercorns in grinder or with mortar and pestle, then stir together with salt and oil in a bowl to form a spice paste.

 

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Removing Garlic Skins

Having difficulty removing the skins from garlic?  Microwave the garlic for 10-15 seconds and the skins will slip right off.

 

 

 

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Lemon Bars

 

The air is full of a sweet and lemon smell as we bake some lemon bars for our guests today.  I just love the flavor in these treats.  Try making a batch for yourself today.

 

 

Crust

Nonstick vegetable spray for coating pan

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4  cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2  cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

 

Filling
1 cup sugar

1/4  cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Zest and juice of 4 lemons (should make 1/2 cup juice)

1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioners’ sugar for coating

 

 

  1. To make the crust, lightly coat a 9 by 9 inch baking pan with nonstick vegetable spray.
  2. In a mixing bowl or food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, and butter until it just forms into a dough. Lightly pat it over the bottom of the pan, making sure that it clings 1/4 inch up the sides. With a fork, prick little holes in the dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm.
  3. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F.  Bake the crust for 15 minutes, until lightly tanned and set.
  4. In the meantime, make the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Beat in the eggs, then the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla.
  5. Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 15 minutes, until set. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into 2-inch pieces.
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Copper Pots

 

Do you have pots and pans that are copper or have copper bottoms?  The copper soaked in the juice left over from a jar of dill pickles for 15 minutes will leave the copper looking like new.  My friend Jan says that she uses tomato paste to rub on the copper, scrub it, and rinse to keep her pots looking good.   What do you use?

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Keep your cheese from hardening

 

Have you ever gone to pull out some cheese only to find that some of it has hardened?  I love a good cheese platter with lots of fruits and vegetables.  Most of the time the entire platter gets devoured, but on those rare occasions when I have cheese left over I do not want it to harden on the edges before I can use it, so before putting it in the refrigerator I butter the exposed edges which keeps it soft.

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Jambalaya

 

I lived in New Orleans for 5 years back in the late 90s.  Rich in culture and flavor, New Orleans is a city that I will always love.  Although I must say I do not miss the August heat and humidity.  Crawfish boils, crawfish etouffee, gumbo, cafe au lait with beignets, jambalaya, coffee with chicory, king cakes,  and pralines  always bring back such wonderful memories.  I still find myself looking for the Lagniappe ( a concept of a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase that is a staple in New Orleans culture) any time I go to a restaurant.

 

I like my Jambalaya spicy, but this is a toned down version.  Add a little more Creole seasoning and/or hot sauce to your taste.  So cook up some Jambalaya, put on some Jazz, and enjoy the flavors of New Orleans.

 

You can buy Creole Seasoning in most grocery stores, Tony Chachere’s is one that I have used,  or you can make your own by combining:

 
2  1/2 Tablespoons Paprika

2 Tablespoons Salt

2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder

1 Tablespoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Onion Powder

1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Tablespoon dried Oregano

1 Tablespoon dried Thyme

 

This recipe will yield about 2/3 cup of spice, which is more than you will need for this Jambalaya.  I also use it on a variety of meats, French fries, vegetables, etc., so don’t be shy to try it as a spice for other things.

 

 

You can also add the meats as you wish.  Some like just Andouille Sausage, some like a combination of chicken and sausage, and then some like the combination of all three. It is a matter of taste, but I personally like the combination of all three together.  Just change the quantity of meat if you are not using all three.

 

 

Jambalaya

1 onion chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 celery stalk chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1 tomato chopped, about 1/2 cup  add more if you like a more sweet tomato
flavor

3 Bay leaves

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce, more if you like the heat

3/4 cup long grain rice

3 cups of chicken broth

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning, more if you like it spicier

12 Shrimp, cleaned and chopped

6 oz chicken, diced

5 oz Andouille Sausage sliced

 

 

In a bowl coat the shrimp and chicken with the Creole seasoning, mix and set aside.

 

In a large deep pan heat the oil over high heat, add the onion, celery, and pepper and
cook for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, bay leaves, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and tomatoes.  Stir in the rice and broth.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the rice becomes tender, about 15 minutes.  Add the chicken, shrimp, and sausage and cook until the meat is done, about 10 minutes.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

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Blueberry Pie

Crust

2  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon table salt

2 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup cold vodka

1/4 cup cold ice water

 

Filling

6 cups fresh blueberries
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2  teaspoons grated zest and 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons instant tapioca ground in spice grinder
Pinch table salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten plus 1 teaspoon water

 

 

Crust
Process 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined. Add butter and shortening and process until the dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, the dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape the bowl  and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add the remaining cup flour and pulse until the mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 pulses. Empty the mixture into a medium bowl.

Sprinkle the vodka and water over the mixture. Use a folding motion to mix, pressing
down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide the dough into 2 even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Remove the first disk of dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured surface. Roll the dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least l-inch overhang.  Refrigerate while you prepare the filling and until dough is firm, 30 minutes.

 
Filling
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place a rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place 3 cups of blueberries in medium saucepan and set over medium heat. Using potato masher, mash berries several times to release juices. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and mashing occasionally, until about half of berries have broken down and mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Place grated apple in clean kitchen towel or chessecloth and wring dry. Transfer the apple to a large bowl. Add cooked berries, remaining 3 cups uncooked berries, lemon zest, juice, sugar, tapioca, and salt, toss to combine.

Transfer the mixture to dough in the pie plate and scatter butter pieces over filling.

Roll out second disk of dough on generously floured surface. With a 1/4 inch round biscuit cutter, cut a round in the center of the dough, then cut 4-5 more in a circle 2″ away from the first round.

 

Trim bottom layer of overhanging dough, leaving 1/2 inch overhang. Fold dough under itself so that edge of fold is flush with outer rim of pie plate. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with  fork to seal. Brush top and edges of pie with the egg mixture. If dough is very soft, chill the pie in freezer for 10 minutes.

Place pie on the heated baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Serve.

 

 

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Does adding water to hamburger really make it juicier?

A couple of months ago we heard from someone that for a juicier hamburger to add cold water to the beef before grilling (1/2 cup to 1 pound of meat).  It sounded interesting to us, but we also questioned what would happen to the texture of the burger.  Overhandling hamburger will result in a firm, compact texture after cooking.  So this week we have been working with it and doing some taste tests.  Originally we tried using the 1/2 cup to 1lb which was suggested.  When mixing the meat we found the consistency to change to look like a meatloaf.  We like a burger with a crispier coating on the outside so we heat our grill to around 500 degrees before placing them on the grill.  While in the taste test the water added burger was seen as being juicier, it did not crisp on the outside and the texture of the meat was different.  We then tried it with 1/4 cup of water to 1 lb.  This had a better texture, but still did not get a outside crust.  Has anyone tried this method and would like to tell us their experience?

 

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