Recipes Discovered – Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds haddock fillets
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 springs fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 cups dry (hard) cider
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 2 tablespoons light cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Cut the haddock into four equal pieces and place in a pan big enough to hold them in a single layer. Add the onion, bay leaf, parsley, lemon juice, and season with salt. Pour in most of the cider, reserving 2 tablespoons for the sauce. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Strain 1 1/4 cups of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan over low heat. Mix the reserve cider with the corn starch and then gradually whisk into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking continuously for about 2 minutes or until smooth and thick. Add a little more cooking liquid if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, arrange on a hot serving platter with the onions and pour the sauce over.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Great served with small boiled potatoes and matchstick carrots with snow peas.

I would try 2 tablespoons of corn starch- 1/4 cup was way too much.

Recipe courtesy of Irish Food and Cooking

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)

Irish Cream Frosting:

• 3 to 4 cups confections sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperate
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Irish Cream liquor (Bailey’s)

Directions:

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey  and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out (great snacks!). Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Frost and decorate the cupcakes. The frosting only makes enough to make for a small amount on each cupcake. Between the filling and frosting, the cupcakes are incredible rich and don’t really need a lot of frosting. However, if you like a heavily frosted cupcake, double the amounts.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I think I would skip the butter in the ganache filling if I make these again. It tended to separate if it wasn’t stirred a lot and didn’t really add a lot (except a nice shine, but that’s hidden inside the cupcakes).

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut on an angle
• 2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence
• 1/2  to 1 pound farfalle (bowtie pasta)
• 15 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup basil leaves, shredded
• Zest from one lemon
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large heavy baking sheet, toss all of the vegetables with the oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs to coat. Transfer half of the vegetable mixture to another heavy large baking sheet and arrange evenly over the baking sheets. Bake until the carrots are tender and the vegetables begin to brown, stirring after the first 10 minutes, about 20 to 30 minutes total.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the vegetable mixtures in a large bowl to combine. Toss with the cherry tomatoes, basil, and lemon zest and enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 8 (depending how much pasta you use).

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I halved the amount of pasta (1/2 pound for 4 people) from the original recipe. I liked that ratio of pasta to veggies more. I also used fresh pasta, which I think really make the dish outstanding.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 (1- pound) acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Toss arugula with remaining salt, pepper, and juice from the lemon and then place on top of the pizza. Slice and serve.

Serves 2 as a main dish.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I omitted the red pepper flakes.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons warm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more water)
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups flour

Directions:

Whisk wine, water (1/2 cup total liquid) and yeast in the bottom of a mixing bowl until yeast has dissolved. Add honey, salt and olive oil and stir. Add flour and turn mixer (fitted with a dough hook) to low. Knead for 5 minutes. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if you need, but in my experience, this is almost never necessary.

Put the dough in a clean bowl that is coated with oil, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled.

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either plastic wrap over it (sprinkle the top of the dough with flour so it doesn’t stick) or an upended bowl. In 15 minutes, it is ready to roll out.

Use according to specific recipe.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Makes about 1 pound of dough – enough for a thin crust pizza.

Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon cup olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1(14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 loaf ciabatta bread, cut crosswise into 6 equal pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 slices (1/3-inch-thick) drained fresh water-packed mozzarella

Directions:

Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and saute until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and saute until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Add the red pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, raisins, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat until the flavors blend and the mixture thickens, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar, and capers. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cut the bread pieces horizontally in half. Grill the bread cut-side down on a grill pan over medium-high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Rub the whole garlic cloves over the toasted side of the bread. Add a slice of mozzarella to bread bottom, spoon the caponata on top, cover with the other bread half, and serve.

To take for a picnic: Wrap the sandwiches separately in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill until ready to serve, or keep at room temperature up to 1 hour.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 russet potato, 6-8 ounces
• Oil
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 2 slices Canadian bacon
• 1 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons avocado cream or sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scrub potato well under cold water, dry, and then pierce several times with a sharp knife. Rub potato with oil and then roll in salt. Place directly on oven rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 60 minutes, turning once.

Steam broccoli for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Chop Canadian bacon into small pieces and cook until it begins to brown, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Remove potato from oven and cut open. Pinch together so it opens up a little. Top with broccoli, Candian bacon, and shredded cheese. Serve with avocado cream or sour cream.

Serves 1.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe adapted from Ellie Krieger.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 medium avocado
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

To make avocado cream, combine scallion whites, avocado, sour cream lime juice, cilantro, garlic and salt in the small bowl of a food processor and process on high until smooth. About 30 seconds.

Makes about 1 cup.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander in place of the fresh cilantro.

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup rice
• 2 cups water
• 3 1/4 cups milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place rice and water is a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the temperature and cook the rice, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.

Pour milk into another saucepan, stir in the sugar, and set pan over medium heat. When the milk boils, stir in the parboiled rice. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture bubble gently, stirring occasionally, for about 45 to 60 minutes. The pudding won’t be thick (it will thicken as it cools).

Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour into a serving bowl and press plastic wrap against the surface to keep it from forming a skin. Refrigerate for 6 hours.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I ended up using 1/2 cup rice and 4 cups of milk.

Recipe courtesy of Baking: From My Home to Yours

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups milk
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. Once cooked, add the milk and evaporated milk. Combine the cornstarch and sugar and then add to the milk mixture. Allow to simmer for about 2 hours, or until thick. Add vanilla.

Serve warm, room temperature, or refrigerate (pudding will thicken more as it cools).

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Sharon Gibbons.