German Potato Salad

Posted on December 15, 2009 by kitchenbelle

When you think of potato salad you might think of it accompanying burgers at a Memorial Day or Fourth of July party–I know I do.  However, I recently determined that potato salad is a great side-kick to many proteins any time of the year. 

Use red bliss potatoes instead of russet and leave the skin on for some beautiful fall-esque color (and added nutrients).  Serve it warm along side pulled pork sandwiches, kielbasa, roasted pork, seared steaks, or three cheese paninis.  It works really well as a fall and/or winter side dish!  This recipe is great because it is light, fragrant and fresh.  It is very different from the cold summery mayonaise-based salads that are often at cook-outs. 

(Pst–look closely at the photo–I love how the potato salad matches my table cloth!) 

A big tip! The tip I am about to share with you has been passed down from many generations of potato salad makers (aka my mom, her mom etc.)  I encourage you to take notes, as this is classified information. 😉

Rather than dice the potatoes into cubes using a knife, use a fork to smash the potatoes.  The nooks and crannies left by the fork tines allow the potatoes to be coated by the dressing more effectively creating a much tastier potato.  Straight edges made by a knife allow the dressing to drip off leaving a pool at the bottom of your bowl. 

German Potato Salad:

  • 3 pounds red bliss potatoes
  • 1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 pound bacon, diced
  • 1 large red onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 8 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Place potatoes and yellow onion in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.  (Do not over cook.) Drain the potatoes and discard the onion.  Place the potatoes in a large bowl.  Smash them using the back of a fork and then cover to keep warm.

In a large saute pan, cook the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onions to the rendered bacon fat and cook until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully add the vinegar and mustard seeds and cook for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the oil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the hot dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the green onions and parsley. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste.

Adapted from Bobby Flay’s German Potato Salad recipe found here on Foodnetwork.com.

Filed under: Fall, salad, Side | 1 Comment »

Mini Chocolate and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted on November 16, 2009 by kitchenbelle

October

I am very late in sharing with you these little bites of heaven!  I made them for a Halloween potluck luncheon and everyone seemed to really enjoy them.  The cakes are very puffy and fluffy.  The filling is light and sweet.  The pumpkin gives the filling an orange tint.  (If you want to be especially festive you could add a few drops each of yellow and red food coloring to enhance the orange/black contrast!)  These were great for Halloween, but I think they are a very nice fall treat in general.  They would certainly add some spunk to a traditional Thanksgiving table.  (Minus the eyeballs, of course!)

I love packaging treats individually these days!  I just can’t get enough of it!  Not only does it look super cute, but I find people enjoy slipping a treat into their pocket or purse for later–especially after a heavy meal.

Here are some other treats I have wrapped individually:

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Better than Brownie Cookie Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Pink Frosting and Sprinkles

Mini Chocolate and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

Cakes

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • Filling

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • Pinch of nutmeg

    • Preheat oven to 375 F. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

    Place butter, shortening, and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

    Drop about 2 teaspoons dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool 10 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets and transfer to wire racks.  Cool completely.

    In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whip until smooth

    Spoon about 2 teaspoons filling on the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

    Adapted from Martha Stewart.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, cookies, cream cheese, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 6 Comments »

    Arugula, Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Cutlets

    Posted on November 11, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    This is another delicious and easy weeknight meal.  I made it up in my head on my way home from work based on ingredients I knew we had on hand.  The panko crumbs make the cutlets very crispy, though you could certainly substitute any type of bread crumbs.  The filling is a delicious little surprise!  I think this is a perfect fall meal.  I served with roasted maple and olive oil acorn squash.

    Arugula, Cranberry, and Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Cutlets:

    • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 cups fresh arugula
    • 1 leek, rinsed clean and finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • coarse salt and pepper, to taste
    • 1 1/4 cups panko bread crumbs, seasoned to taste with coarse salt and pepper
    • 3 teaspoons of mango chutney (I use Major Gray’s)
    • 2 teaspoons honey mustard (or Dijon mustard)
    • 4 turkey cutlets, rinsed and dried with a paper towel
    • 1/4 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
    • 2 tablespoons grated mozzarella cheese

    Preheat oven to 400 F.

    Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over low heat.  Add leek and cook until tender.  Add garlic and cook until soft.  Add arugula.  Add salt and pepper and use a spatula to move arugula around the pan.  Cook until just wilted and then add chopped dried cranberries, goat cheese and mozzarella.

    On a baking sheet place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil.

    In one small shallow bowl combine mustard and chutney.  Mix with a small spoon until combined.   Pour breadcrumbs into a second small shallow bowl.  Dip cutlets, one at a time, into chutney mixture.   Then pat breadcrumbs onto one side of the cutlet.  Place on cookie sheet and scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the arugula filling onto one side of the cutlet.  Fold top portion of cutlet onto filling and secure with a toothpick.  Repeat for remaining cutlets.

    Bake for 20-30 minutes or until turkey is done and juices run clear.  Garnish with dried cranberry pieces and goat cheese crumbles.

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    I love the beautiful contrast of the fresh arugula and the dried cranberries.

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    Scoop filling on the bottom end of each cutlet so that you can easily fold over the top portion.

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    Fold over cutlet and secure with a toothpick.

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    Oozing with fresh arugula, cranberries, and cheese!

    Filed under: arugula, cheese, cranberry, Fall, Main Dish, mozzarella | 10 Comments »

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

    Posted on October 31, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!

     Halloween is truly one of my favorite holidays.  I have so many great childhood memories associated with Halloween.  Every year my grandmother, who was the type of woman who always looked for a reason for a celebration, would have an over-the-top Halloween party in her basement.  I remember going to her house days prior to decorate and prepare.   We would tie strings from the ceiling pipes in preparation of the doughnut eating contest.  We’d tape black cat and witch cardboard cutout decorations to the walls and the mirror behind the bar.  We’d fill a bucket of water so that we could bob for apples.  (Those were the days when bobbing for apples was fun and not fearful–no one seemed to worry about transmitting viruses like they would today!)  We’d even create a haunted house in the unfinished portion of the cellar!  After my grandmother died my mom continued the tradition by having Halloween parties and always keeping the holiday fun and festive.  What’s funny is we don’t really have any traditional family foods or recipes associated with Halloween.  It’s more about using it as a good reason to have some fun.

    I always look for a reason to bake sweet treats and there is certainly not a shortage of Halloween-centric desserts!  From the moment I saw this cake on Smitten Kitchen I couldn’t let it go.  The chocolate ganache seemed like the perfect canvas for a spider web and the chocolate peanut butter combo speaks for itself. I would say this is the perfect dinner party dessert.  It has that wow factor and the richness means a small slice goes a long way.  You will not be sorry you made this cake!

    Notes:

    • I only have two round cake pans so I made a double rather than a triple layer.  (I used the leftover batter and frosting for cupcakes!)
    • Deb stresses the fact that these cakes are really soft and somewhat difficult to work with. I highly suggest you follow her advice and wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and freeze prior to frosting with a crumb coat.  Return the assembled and crumb-coated cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before frosting with your final layer of frosting.  Refrigerate again before topping with the warm ganache.

    Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake:

    2 cups all-purpose flour
    2 1/2 cups sugar
    3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup vegetable oil
    1 cup sour cream
    1 1/2 cups water
    2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 eggs

    Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cake pans.

    Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

    Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely.

     To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

    To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips.  Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

    Peanut Butter Frosting
    Makes about 5 cups

    10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
    1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
    5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

    In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

    Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

    Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
    Makes about 1 1/2 cups

    8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used the Scharffen Berger Chocolate I received in the swag bag from BlogHer Food)
    3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
    2 tablespoons light corn syrup
    1/2 cup half-and-half

    In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

    Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

    Adapted from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

    Filed under: cake, chocolate, cream cheese, Dessert, Fall, frosting, icing, Peanut Butter | 4 Comments »

    Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

    Posted on October 26, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    My friend hosted a costume Halloween Party and I couldn’t have been more excited!  I love getting dressed up and it is so much fun to see how creative others can be with their costumes.  I wanted to bring a little treat so I made Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes.  Each one was like a bite of perfectly moist pumpkin bread!  (Don’t forget to keep an eye on mini cupcakes while they are in the oven–even just one little minute too long and they can end up dry.  They bake much faster than full-sized cupcakes.) 

    I decide to top them with chocolate frosting, but I think that many types of frosting would pair well:

    My friend went above and beyond and served the cutest most creative cupcakes at her party.  I just have to share photos with you:b2

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    How cute are they?! You can tell she is an artist!

    Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes:

    • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 1 cup dark brown sugar
    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
    • 2 cups flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Use a mixer to cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each.

    In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Use a wooden spoon to combine.

    Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternating with the milk. Mix until combined.  Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla and beat until smooth.

    Line cupcake tin with papers and fill three quarters of the way to the top with batter.  Bake 10-14 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes then finish cooling on rack.  When cupcakes are completely cool, top with your frosting of choice.

    Adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

    Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 11 Comments »

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