The white cake recipe used in the past cake efforts was also used in this; however, this year fondant was replaced with Buttercream frosting!  Here is the recipe:

• 2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup vegetable shortening or hi-ratio shortening
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract, pure vanilla extract or almond extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 pounds 10x confectioners sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 0.5 cups + 1 tablespoon water, mild or clear liquer

Instructions:

1. Cream shortening and butter with an electric, handheld or paddle-whip mixer.
2. Add flavoring and salt.
3. Gradually add sugar, on cup at a time.
4. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will appear dry)
5. Add liquid of choice and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 5-8 minutes). Keep the bowl covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap.

Oh, the frosting was SO GOOD.  SO very good.

Related posts:

1. Easter Egg White Cake
2. 2010 Easter Egg Cake – The Fabergé Egg Cake
3. Texas Sheet Cake

This recipe is one that I create one day, it’s nothing too complicated. A family member requested it, and I promised to send it… then I forgot… then I felt bad for not sending it so I delayed on doing it even more.  Finally, I’m getting off my butt to take care of this.

Anyway, here is what you’ll need.

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cubed

1 small onion, diced

2 tsp of minced garlic

4 jalapeños, diced

1 bunch of fresh basil, 1 bunch of opal basil

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 tsp marjoram

1 – In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic and salt; sauté until brown.

2 – Add cubed chicken, stir every few minutes for about 10 minutes.

3 – Add marjoram and jalapeño, stir. Cook for roughly another 10 minutes until the chicken starts to slightly brown

4 – Tear your basil(s), and to the mix, and cook for another few minutes.

And you are done! The result is a dish that provides subtle flavor. The mix of basil, marjoram and jalapeño provide a bit of sweetness with a bit of kick.

Oh, and make sure you use the oil mixture as a sauce for the dish, it’s fantastic.

Enjoy!

PS – Sorry this took so long to get to you, Amma!

Related posts:

1. Lime Chicken Fajitas with Cilantro Rice
2. Lemon Garlic Chicken with Olives
3. Indian Butter Chicken Over Basmati Rice

A post move funk, anti-cook, funk perhaps?  Lazy, maybe? Unmotivated, definitely.

Over the past few months JT, the one time contributor to the site and all around good guy, and I have had an ongoing discussion about a quick and easy bread recipe. After messing around with the recipe (well, changes here and there) I decided on this a quick and easy pizza crust.

Please note, you’ll need a pizza stone and parchment paper for this recipe.

For the crust you’ll need:

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Cup warm water

1 tsp yeast

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp marjoram

This is rather easy – mix you dries, add your oil and water, then add your marjoram and mix one again.

When fully mixed, you’ll have a very “wet” dough…and by “wet” I mean it will be very sticky and will not keep a shape or appear like normal bread or pizza dough (like the one seen here).

Cover it up and place it in the fridge for about 3 hours. Now it is time for the sauce.

Needed:

1 tbsp minced garlic

12 oz of crushed tomatoes

2 tbsp of tomato paste

2 tsp salt

4 tsp sugar

1 tsp oregano

So, add your crushed tomatoes and tomato paste to a small pot and heat over a medium flame. You’ll want to have the liquid from the crushed tomatoes to reduce by a 3rd to a half.  When this starts, add the remainder of the ingredients… and make sure to mix.

Cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Let’s fast forward and assume your dough is ready… At this point you’ll want to have your pizza stone in the oven.  Pre-heat that sucker up to 550 degrees.  Now take your parchment paper and brush it with olive oil, then spoon our your dough.

Use a spoon (oiled if the dough is sticky) to get size and shape you want it.

Here is the question you need to ask yourself at this point – do I want a crisp crust or more a moist crust as the baking process for each will be different.

If you want a crisp crust, when the oven is ready, slide the parchment paper onto your pizza stone and bake your crust until it begins to brown (usually about 5 mins or less at 550).  At this point, slide the rack out and put your sauce and toppings onto the pizza and cook for and additional 5 to 7 minutes.

Please remember to watch the pizza as it may quickly depending on the power of your oven…. just because it tells you it’s 550 degrees doesn’t mean that it was it really is in there.

I took the most crust approach for my pizza and added my sauce, toppings and placed it right into the oven for about 12 minutes.

Another thing of note – regardless of what crust type you would like, you will want to pre-cook your meat due to how short the pizza may be baking in your oven. It’s that whole safe than sorry thing.

Here is the finished product.

And your required food porn close up…

So there you go.  A quick pizza recipe full of taste and easy to make.

Related posts:

1. Homemade Veggie Pizza
2. Chicken Basil Calzones
3. Orange Chocolate Finger Cookies

Anyway.

This is a simple dish that has a fantastic taste.  Actually, this tastes just like a traditional Piccata recipe that uses lemon, even thought it is lacking lemon juice. Just be aware that veal isn’t a cheap thing to purchase, so make sure you don’t overcook the meat.  I’d hate to see you pay $23/lb to have dried out little cuts of meal…

Here is what you’ll need for two servings:

1/2 lb veal cutlet, sliced into 6 strips and pounded out

1/2 lb freshly cooked Spinach Linguine

1 Cup flour, mixed with one tsp of salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 diced small shallot

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 tbsp beef stock

2/3 cup cream

3 tsp of butter

Here you go…

1 – In a medium pan, over a medium high heat, begin to heat your butter.

2 – Drag your veal cuts through the flour. When the butter has melted and is ready for frying, toss your veal into the pan two at a time. Quick fry the veal on each side for no more than 1 minute. I’d suggest about 30 seconds each side…

3 – Remove veal from your pan, place on a plate covered with paper towel

4 – When finished with the veal, lower your heat to medium and add your shallot. Cook for about 2 minutes.

5 – Add your wine, raise heat to medium-high to reduce your liquid. Keep the heat elevated for about 2 minutes, then reduce to medium.

6 – Add your stock, cream and mix. Add your veal, lower heat again but to medium-low this time. Cook for another 4 minutes at this lower temp.

7 – Put your pasta in a bowl, top with the veal and sauce.

In the final plating I added shaved parmesan cheese and some pepper…

This is restaurant quality, very easy to make and hits the spot! I highly suggest you make this dish if you want to pop for the veal.

Related posts:

1. Seared Tilapia with Lemon-Tarragon Sauce and Spinach Orzo
2. Bison Ribeye over Root Vegetables with Honey Butter Sauce
3. Chicken in Pesto Cream Sauce over Broccolini

Tina had mentioned that she likes to whip here butter, and I suggested that (after whipping) that she pop it into the freezer to give it a nice, hard, outer shell.  One think that I like to do is take it a bit further in order to make butter pads for steak topping.

For the butter pads you’ll need

1 stick of soft butter, cubed

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 teaspoon of freshly chopped dill

Plastic Wrap

Start with your soft butter in a bowl…

Add your garlic, dill and mix.  (I mixed with my hands… messy but, hey, quick)

Place the butter onto your plastic wrap, form the butter into a “sausage”-esque tube

Toss it into the freezer… now the length of time is up to you.  An hour will firm it up, but still allow the butter to melt quickly when you use it to top your steak.  I did mine for several hours as I wanted the butter to stay on the steak for a longer period of time.

When you are searing your steak (the ones below were prepped sous-vide, seared for 1 min per side on a HOT pan) just toss the butter on to help in the melting…

Plate with a salad and some asparagus and you are good to go! This dish gives us a nice, medium rare filet, with an outstanding flavor and a moist cut of meat!

Related posts:

1. Horseradish-Garlic topped Filet with Braised Mushrooms
2. Spinach and Tomato Eggplant Steak with Dill Rice
3. Herbed Steak with Portobello Mushroom Sauce and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I think my side made up for that.

Needed:

2 cuts of pork (mine was from a larger tenderloin), cut of fat

2 cups of flour

2 cups of bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

several cloves of garlic

1 head of broccoli

2 ears of corn, decobbed

3 cups of peanut oil

Salt, Pepper and Sugar – all to taste

Here we go… with yet another simple dish.

1 – With a meat a meat hammer, flatten out your pork to about 1/4″

2 – Salt and pepper to taste, both sides.

3 – Place your flour, bread crumbs and eggs into three separate bowls.

4 – Dip your pork into the flour in order to cover the entire cut of meat, shake off any excess. Dip in egg, let the extra drain off, then cover with breadcrumbs.  Repeat for your second cut of meat. Place aside.

5 – Place your oil in a nice sized pot, begin to heat up to roughly 350 to 375. Also turn your broiler onto high, making sure you have a rack in the middle of the oven.

6 – Cut your broccoli into flowerettes, cut your garlic into half cloves, add corn and place into a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in salt, pepper and some sugar. (all to taste)

7 – Place into broiler (once heated) and  roast for 7 to 9 minutes.

8 – When your oil is heated, place the pork into the pot – only do one piece of meat at a time.  Cook for roughly 1 to 2 minutes per side, just make sure you don’t burn them!

There you go, you are done. Plate, add some capers, a wedge of lime and enjoy!

Sorry about the picture. I tried to get everything into the shot!

I loved the dish – there is so much more I one can do with this. The breading can be made into just about anything you desire. You can spice it it, or you can go with other flavors.  Very easy, and very tasty.

The roasted broccoli – for me – was UBER good. I’ve made this dish in the past with brown sugar, but opted for regular this time. LOVED IT. The little lady didn’t care for the sugar, but loved the corn.

Oh, and Tina – the butter topic will be posted for you tomorrow.

Related posts:

1. Pork with Lemon Caper Sauce
2. Pork Casserole with Mushrooms and Kale
3. Chicken and Wild Mushroom Hash Cakes with Garlic and Red Pepper Broccoli

Needed:

1/2 lb of sliced chicken breast

3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp salt, cracked pepper, basil

2 minced cloves of garlic

8 oz cooked farfalle

A bunch of Broccolini

Let us get started

1 – In a large pan, over a medium heat, add your chicken stock and minced garlic. Bring to a slow simmer.

2 – Add chicken, salt, pepper and cook for roughly 6 to 8 minutes. Stir frequently.

3 – While the chicken in cooking, in a separate pan, add a half cup of water and your broccolini and cover. Steam until the broccolini is bright green. Remove from heat and drain.

4 – After the chicken reached the 6 yo 8 minute mark, add your heavy whipping cream and basil.  Raise heat to medium high, stir.  At this point we want the sauce to thicken slightly. When it is at your desired thickness you are done.

There you go.  Plate over your broccolini, add a bit of Parmesan cheese and you are good to go.

Related posts:

1. Pasta with Pesto Cream and Asparagus
2. Carrot and zucchini cream soup
3. Veal in a White Wine Cream Sauce Over Spinach Linguine

Of course, I seeing that I like to do things my own way I altered the recipe but you get the idea.

Needed:

1 lb of cubed chicken (I strongly suggest dark meat. I only used white as that is what I had in the freezer)

3 tbsp of lime juice (left over from the last dish)

4 tbsp of olive oil

1 white onion, diced

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste

2 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp coriander

15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 tbsp fenugreek powder

1/2 garam masala

Handful of chopped cilantro

4 diced green chiles

1/2 cup warm water

Ready to go?

1 – Toss your diced chicken into a bowl, add 2 tsp of salt and your lime juice. Cover, shake and let sit for 30 mins.

2 – In a large skillet over medium heat, add your oil and onion. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir.

3 – Add the ginger, garlic paste and continue to stir for roughly a minute.

4 – Toss in your turmeric, chili powder, coriander and stir.  Heat for roughly one minute, then reduce your heat to medium-low.

5 – Add your tomatoes and cook for roughly 5 minutes. Check the taste, if needed add the additional 1/2 tsp of salt.

6 – Place in your chicken (juice and all), raise the heat to high, and cook for 5 minutes.

7 – Add your half cup of water, reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken up.

8 – Add your fenugreek, cilantro leaves (save a few for the final plating), garam masala and chilis  and cook for a few minutes, until the chilis become a bit tender.

9 – Plate over rice, add some cilantro and serve!

This is full of flavor and taste.  It doesn’t have too much kick, as some may expect, and the cilantro pulls everything together. I hope you enjoy.

PS – Did anyone notice the cost of Chicken going up a rather large amount recently?

Related posts:

1. Lime Chicken Fajitas with Cilantro Rice
2. Chicken 65
3. Chicken in tomato and basil sauce with goat cheese for pasta

Needed:

1 lb. thinly cut chicken breast, sliced into strips

1 bottle of lime juce

2 tablespoons of garlic salt

1 tablespoon of chili powder

2 red jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of olive oil (for searing the chicken)

flour tortillas

1 cup of cooked white rice

Diced Cilantro

Ok, like I said, this is really easy… take your sliced chicken and place it into a small air tight container and pour enough lime juice to just cover the chicken. Add in your garlic salt and chili pepper.  Place a lid on and shake. Put in the fridge and repeat 3 times (roughly every 5 minutes).

Add your olive oil to your cast iron pan, heat her up and remove roughly 4 to 5 strips of chicken from the marinade. Sear the meat on each side for 2 minutes or until it get brown. As the chicken is thinly sliced it will cook very quickly. Remove from the pan, place in a fresh bowl and repeat until you have cooked all of the chicken.

Using the same pan, quickly heat up your peppers.  While the jalapeño peppers may be hot for some, the bell peppers should counter act the capsaicin when eating together.

With the peppers and chicken complete, take your chopped cilantro and mix with your white rice.  Assemble your plate and you are done!

Related posts:

1. Garlic Chicken over Rice
2. Indian Butter Chicken Over Basmati Rice
3. Chicken in Tomato and Fenugreek Sauce

Thanks to JT, I started with this dough recipe. For this you’ll need:

3 1/2 cups high gluten flour

1  cup warm water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

So, you’ll want to mix add the water, oil, yeast, salt, and sugar in a mixer with a dough fitted with dough hook until yeast has fully dissolved. Then add flour and mix on low speed until the flour and water have mixed and a stiff dough ball forms. Place in a bowl and cover… you’ll end up with something like this:

Let the dough rise in the fridge for 24 hours… and you get this…

This will allow you to make 2 twelve inch pizzas.

Toppings were…

Broccoli

Red bell peppers

Green bell peppers

Kale

Spinach

Tomatoes

Red onions

Mushrooms

The sauce consisted of:

28 oz. can pureed tomatoes

2 tsp of sugar

2 diced jalapeños

1/2 clove diced shallot

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

At this point, you’ll want to heat your oven to 500. This will heat up while you toss your puree into a pan over a medium low heat. Make sure to stir in everything and let simmer for about 20 minutes once you are finished, you are ready to roll out your down and top.

I used mozzarella and sharp cheddar.   Tossed it in for 10 minutes….

And it was ready to go…

Some outstanding stuff, easy to make… and above all, healthy!

Related posts:

1. Quick Pizza
2. Pork Casserole with Mushrooms and Kale
3. Homemade flat bread with steak, bell peppers and garlic sauce