Recipe to come…
Filed under: Appetizer, olives, pastry | Leave a comment »
Savory Cream Puffs filled with Caponata
Posted on September 16, 2008 by kitchenbelle
Sweet Potato Ice Cream
Posted on September 11, 2008 by kitchenbelle
I have never made ice cream until this recipe and now I see what I have been missing! It will be hard (okay, well not that hard, but kind of hard) to eat store bought ice cream again! The consistency of this ice cream was unparalleled to any ice cream out of a container. The flavors were rich (somewhat complex) and wonderful! I urge you to try it! All I can say to sum it up is these three words: smooth, creamy, and creamy. Did I say creamy? Perhaps because this is new to me it makes me very excited!
Oh, and the fact that all of the ingredients are fresh (except for the ginger–I used dried but you could easily use fresh and bump this off the flavor chart) I felt like it was even maybe a little bit healthy, as in, not too bad for you. (Just ignore the whole cream thing!) It is fresh! And it contains vegetables! It is win, win, win.
Sweet Potato Ice Cream:
- 6 egg yolks
- 1large sweet potato, washed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- approx. 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup dark rum
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- confectioner’s sugar to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
Cut the peeled sweet potato into chunks. Place chunks in food processor for a few seconds so that the chunks are chopped into bite-size pieces. Place bite-size pieces of sweet potato in a saucepan and cover with about 3/4 cup water. Add ginger. Simmer for several minutes until potato is very tender. This could take as long as 30-45 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree potato until it is a silky smooth (baby food-like) consistency. Set aside.
Scorch the cream in a sauce pan.
Fill one large mixing bowl with ice then set another mixing bowl on top of it (to create an ice bath). Set a strainer onto the top bowl. Set aside.
In a separate saucepan mix the egg yolks with the brown sugar and salt. Add the egg/sugar mixture to the cream and mix with a wooden spoon constantly over medium-low heat until it thickens. Be sure to constantly scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir. Add the rum and vanilla. Once this mixture has thickened substantially, pour through the strainer. Stir stained mixture until cool.
Slowly incorporate pureed sweet potato into cream mixture. Add confectioner’s sugar to taste.
Pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to the type of machine you have. Mine stayed in the ice cream machine mixing and freezing for about 40 minutes. I then removed it from the machine into a plastic storage container and placed in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Garnish with mint and serve!
Recipe adapted from recipe by Chef Stephan Viau.
Filed under: Dessert, ice cream, sweet potato | 3 Comments »
Easy Jambalaya
Posted on September 4, 2008 by kitchenbelle
New Orleans has been all over the news lately and I think that’s why I have had Jambalaya on the brain. I decided to try this recipe from the Boston Globe and it was really great! This is an easy and tasty week night supper and it allows for modifications to suit your family. The original recipe calls for shrimp, which I excluded because I wanted to make this dish “re-heating friendly.” Also, instead of using diced ham, as the recipe suggests, I used sliced grilled turkey kielbasa, which my husband and I love. I used the brand of turkey kielbasa called Healthy Ones and I am so glad I did. Regular kielbasa is delicious but has so much fat, and really, I would not have known the difference. I will certainly use this product again.
This meal was delicious served with freshly grated cheese on top and a nice slice of crusty French bread for dipping. There is a nice punch of flavor but it is certainly not too spicy. (Though go ahead and add some Tabasco if that’s your style! I did!) I wish the photo did it justice! I had trouble capturing the lovely colors of this dish. For some reason they are blurred together in the picture.
The only pieces missing from this meal were a mint julep and a beignet!
(One other recipe note, I doubled the below recipe without a problem.)
Easy Jambalaya:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large red pepper, chopped
- 2 gloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (I didn’t have any thyme so I omitted it and I didn’t notice it missing.)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 14 ounces kielbasa, grilled and sliced diagonally into bite-size pieces
- 2.5 cups chicken broth
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled deveined (optional, I omitted it)
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Over medium heat, in a large pot (I used a Le Creuset) heat the oil and add the onion, red pepper, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the paprika, cayenne, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and tomato paste and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Stir in the kielbasa, chicken broth, tomatoes, and rice, then cover the pot and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid and do not stir during this time.
If you decide to use shrimp, stir it into the rice mixture, and cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes or until shrimp cooked. Remove the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper (and Tabasco if you’re daring!). Stir in most of the parsley (saving some for garnish). Let it sit until the rice absorbs the liquid. Serve in individual bowls garnished with parsley and freshly grated cheese.
Original recipe available here.
Filed under: Main Dish, rice | 4 Comments »
Turtle Bars
Posted on September 2, 2008 by kitchenbelle
I really enjoyed these bars and I think others did too! They were very sweet–very much candy bars–and nice and portable and resilient, unlike many other desserts. I would advise against leaving them in the fridge to cool overnight like I did, as I had a very difficult time cutting them. (I actually bent a knife!)
Turtle Bars:
Crust
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup almonds, crushed
Caramel Layer
- 2/3 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust
Using a fork combine butter, brown sugar and flour until the mixture forms crumbs. Press this mixture firmly into an un-greased 9 x 13 glass dish. Sprinkle with nuts.
Caramel Layer
Combine butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly. Allow mixture to boil for one minute then pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes and then use a rubber spatula coated in cooking spray to spread evenly over the crust. Let the bars cool then cut.
Recipe adapted from recipe found here.
Filed under: chocolate, Dessert | Leave a comment »
Zucchini Squares
Posted on August 28, 2008 by kitchenbelle
I had my mind set on making an appetizer that would be portable, easy to eat, and contain some fresh summery produce. Bam–I found it! These squares were so easy to make! And who can argue with a new fun way to use zucchini! They are tasty, not too rich, and have a nice airy texture. Though these turned out well, the next time I make them I would entertain the idea of using a 9 x 9 square pan to make thicker smaller squares (for use as an app) or thicker larger squares (for use as a side dish). The mixture seemed a little bit on the scarce side for a 9 x 13. I would also increase the 1/2 cup of cheese to a full cup.
Zucchini Squares:
Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. (Cooking spray works fine here.) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into dish. Bake at 350° for about 30-35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool and cut into squares. Can be served as an appetizer or side dish.
Original recipe found here on About.com.
Filed under: Appetizer, Side, zucchini | 1 Comment »
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