Chunky Apple Walnut Cake

Ever since Puddy mentioned Rosh Hashanah and apple cake to Jesse, I've been on the lookout for just the right recipe. I think I've found it in the famed "Silver Palate Cookbook" by Julee Russo & Sheila Lukins. And since I share a birthday with Johnny Appleseed, how could I not post an apple recipe in September?

Dark, moist and chunky, with a dream of a glaze.

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 c. unbleached flour, sifted

1/8 t. ground cloves

1 1/4 t. ground cinnamon

1/4 t. ground mace

1 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

1 c. whole wheat flour, sifted

1 1/4 c. shelled walnuts, coarsely chopped

3 1/4 c. coarse chunks of peeled and cored Rome Beauty apples

3 T. Calvados or applejack

Apple Cider Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. In a large bowl, beat vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift together unbleached white flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda and salt, then stir in whole wheat flour. Add to oil and egg mixture and mix until well blended.

4. Add walnuts, apple chunks and Calvados all at once and stir batter until pieces are evenly distributed.

5. Pour batter into a greased 10 inch round cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Let cake rest for 10 minutes, then unmold and pour glaze over warm cake, or cut cake and pour glaze over slices.

One 10 inch cake, 10 to 12 portions

APPLE CIDER GLAZE

4 T. butter

2 T. brown sugar

6 T. granulated sugar

3 T. Calvados or applejack

4 T. sweet cider

2 T. fresh orange juice

2 T. heavy cream

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in both sugars.

2. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and cook for 4 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake.

1 1/2 cups glaze

Paul's Lentil Soup Recipe

This is a recipe that Paul sent several months ago. The beauty of this recipe is that not only is it a complete one pot vegetarian meal but it lends itself very well to all sorts of substitutions and additions.


It is now May 10, 2011. I've just changed (added to) the ingredients because the following was my best batch. 

• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 c. vegetarian stock
  
• 1 c. water (or chicken stock if you wish)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
  
• 2 cups spinach (or kale), torn or chopped
  
• 3/4 cup red or brown lentils
• 1/2 cup brown rice (or long grain white)
• parsley & basil or cilantro or a mix of all 3
• 3 - 4 T. olive oil
• 1/2 - 1t. salt 
• pepper

Put the onions, carrots, celery, red bell pepper, and salt (lesser amount depending on the broth you plan to use) in a pot with 4 T. olive oil over medium heat. (If you're using any chicken stock, you could cut the oil to 3 T.) After about 10 minutes, toss in the spinach and/or kale. After a couple more minutes, add the lentils, garlic, tomato paste, and rice. Cook 3 -5 minutes more. Pour in your stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 40 minutes (for white rice) to 50 minutes (for brown). During the last 10 minutes adjust the salt and add pepper, and 1/2 c. or so of herbs. I serve mine (Paul does) with cheese breads with romano and parmigiano.
This soup was very easy, cheap, and low mess factor. Of course the quality of ingredients always matters, but this soup was quite tasty, and even passed the pregnant wife test, a high standard by any means.

Grilled Lemongrass Chicken

2 stalks of lemongrass, thinly sliced
3 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 chilli, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
450 g (1lb) chicken meat cubed
12 bamboo skewers

1. Pound the lemongrass, shallots, chilli, garlic and oil until fine. Add the salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, honey, sugar, sesame oil and pepper to the lemongrass mixture, stirring well to combine. Place the chicken cubes in a large bowl with the paste and marinate for about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, start the barbecue fire. Soak the bamboo skewers.
3. When ready to eat, thread the chick cubes on the skewers and grill over medium-hot coats until done, about 4 minutes on each side. remove from the fire and serve.

Serves 3-4
Prep time: 30 mins
Cooking time:8 mintues.

Pork Marinade for Grilling or Baking

Note: We like to make this in big batches, then freeze in small packets of aluminum foil for quick meals during the week.

3 shallots or white part of 3 scallions

2 gloves of garlic

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce

1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper

1 lb pork butt, sliced paper thin against the grain

3 tablespoons roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

fish sauce dip

mint leaves, cilantro, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots and lettuce for garnish (optional, but highly recommended)

1. Combine the shallots, garlic, and sugar in a mortar and pound to paste. Add the fish sauce and black pepper. 

2. Marinate the meat for 1 hour. 

3. If using oven: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the pork on the foil in overlapping slices. ( It's best not to separate the pieces , as this will cause them to dry while cooking.) Bake for 20 minutes on one side, then turn the pieces over and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove. 

(It's also fine to just stir fry it in a pan on stove top which we do usually.)

4. You can serve the pork with rice or rice noodles with slices of cucumber, shredded lettuce and carrots, mint leaves and cilantro. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and  the fish sauce dip recipe found in the earlier section of this blog. 

Grilled Skewered Pork

1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 spring onions (scallions), chopped
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
450g (1lb) streaky pork, thinly sliced
16 bamboo skewers

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, garlic, spring onions, oyster sauce, salt and pepper , mixing well. Add the pork, coating the slices well. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, start the barbecue fire. Soak the bamboo skewers.
3. When ready to eat, thread the meat strips on the skewers . Don't be tempted to overload the skewers; skewers which are too generous will char on the outside by the time the inside is cooked.
4. Grill over medium-hot coals for 3 to 4 minutes, brushing the meat with the marinade. When browned and cooked, remove from the fire and serve.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 8 mins

Calabacitas

Another recipe from South of the Border:

3 lb. squash (Mexican squash or zucchini)

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1/2 green and 1/2 red works especially well)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 T. tomato paste (you may also use 2 fresh ripe Roma tomatoes)

1-2 t. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. pepper ( or you could add a small serrano pepper with the onion)

pinch of sugar

1 10 oz. can of corn, drained or 1 1/4 cups frozen or fresh

Cut calabaza in cubes. In heavy saucepan sauté onion, green and/or red bell pepper until clear. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Mix well. Add calabaza. Cover and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Add corn and garlic. Simmer 5 minutes more. Serves 8.

Variation: Cook 3 lbs of raw cabbage in the same manner.

Bon Appetit!

The McNair's Pinto Beans

When we were growing up, Mama and Daddy were close friends with Gene and Sherry McNair, who also had a large family. The McNairs wrote a Mexican cookbook called, "An Adventure from South of the Border." Too bad it's out of print. I've made several changes but I'll still give them the credit for this recipe.

1 lb. dried pinto beans

1 large onion, chopped

2 small serrano peppers, chopped fine 

1 1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. sugar

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced (I add this in the last 15 minutes of simmering.)

a whole bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped (I also add this at the same time as the garlic.)

2 T. olive oil (original recipe called for 1/4 lb salt pork)

1-2 t. cumin

Wash beans well and place in a large heavy pot with 3 1/2 quarts cold water. Bring to a boil and skim off any skum.* Add the salt and olive oil (or salt pork if you must). Simmer, covered, for 2 1/2 hours. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 45 minutes. Water may be added before the cooking time is up if soupy beans are desired. Serves at least 8 people.

There is a note in the cookbook that says they use this recipe to cook black beans as well.

Bon Appetit!

*NOTE: Nowadays we are told to throw out the water that the beans have soaked in. (to prevent them from being so gaseous ) I do the 3 minute boil method with the raw beans.  Let them sit covered for an hour. Meanwhile put a large kettle of water to boil. Strain the hot beans and add the "new" boiled water. If you don't boil the water, the beans will shrink and the skins will partially peel off. Put just enough water to cover the newly puffed up beans. Proceed with recipe.