Lentil Soup

Rating: 4 of 5 

Notes: It's a smidge on the spicy side, I'd like it to be more lentil soup. 

Ingredients:

•     3 slices bacon (about 3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
•     1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
•     2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped medium (about 1 cup)
•     3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
•     1 teaspoon ground cumin
•     1 teaspoon ground coriander
•     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•     1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces), drained
•     1 bay leaf
•     1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
•     1 cup lentils (7 ounces), rinsed and picked over
•     1 teaspoon table salt
•     Ground black pepper
•     1/2 cup dry white wine
•     4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
•     1 1/2 cups water
•     1 1/2 teaspoons lemon lime juice
•     3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Fry bacon in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lentils, salt, and pepper to taste; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until vegetables are softened and lentils have darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to high, add wine, and bring to simmer. Add chicken broth and water; bring to boil, cover partially, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 30 to 35 minutes; discard bay leaf.
2. Puree 3 cups soup in blender until smooth, then return to pot; stir in lemon juice and heat soup over medium-low until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro and serve, garnishing each bowl with some of remaining cilantro.

America's Test Kitchen - Free Cooking Lesson

So ordinarily America's Test Kitchen charges for everything. However, right now they are offering a free lesson for knife skills. It's a series of web videos with some useful tips and tricks and only takes about 30 minutes.

Been awhile

I know I just posted quite a few recipes today and I wanted to apologize to my readers for not having posted anything since July. It's been very go-go-go with my fiance starting school, deadlines at work, and I also picked up the management of another website in my off-time. Hopefully these recipes make up for my absence and I hope all is well in your kitchens.

May you always see the bottom of your dishes...

Simple Lasagna

Rating: 5 of 5


Notes: No boil noodles are heaven-sent.


Ingredients

    Tomato-Meat Sauce

•      1tablespoon olive oil
•     1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
•     6 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
•     1 pound meatloaf mix or 1/3 1/2 pound each ground beef chuck, ground veal, and ground pork
•     1/2teaspoon table salt
•     1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
•     1/4cup heavy cream
•     1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
•     1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , drained

    Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Pasta Layers

•     15 ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk or part skim), 1 3/4 cups)
•     2 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)
•     1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
•     1 large egg , lightly beaten
•     1/2 teaspoon table salt
•     1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•     12 no-boil lasagna noodles from one 8- or 9-ounce package
•     16 ounces whole milk mozzarella , shredded (4 cups)

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Heat oil in large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground meats, salt, and pepper; cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes. Add cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes. Add pureed and drained diced tomatoes and bring to simmer; reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until flavors are blended, about 3 minutes; set sauce aside. (Sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)
3. Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in medium bowl with fork until well-combined and creamy; set aside.
4. Assemble first lasagna layer according to illustrations below. Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce two more times. Place 3 remaining noodles on top of sauce, spread remaining sauce over noodles, sprinkle with remaining cup mozzarella, then with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Lightly spray a large sheet of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover lasagna. Bake 15 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna about 10 minutes; cut into pieces and serve.

Cornflake-Crusted Pork Nuggets

Rating:  5 of 5

Ingredients
Pork

• 10 oz pork tenderloin
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups corn flakes cereal (crushed)
• 4 tbsp butter  

Glaze 

• 2 tbsp minced red onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup Seville orange marmalade
• 1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a baking sheet on a rack inside the oven as it preheats.
2. Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise, then cut halves into ten 1-2 inch pieces. Pat pieces dry with a paper town and season pieces with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.
3. Place flour, eggs, and cornflakes into three separate shallow dishes. Toss pork pieces in flour to coat, dip into egg, then dredge in corn flakes.Brush each piece of pork with butter.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer pork pieces to the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake until golden.
5. For the glaze, saute onion and garlic in oil until softened (2 minutes). Stir in marmalade and lime juice. Simmer until glaze thickens. Remove from heat; stir in chives. Serve glaze over pork.

Honey Hazelnut Cupcake with Gianduja Gelato

Rating: 3 of 5

Note: I could have done this cupcake without the cupcake; the only part I was truly in love with was the gelato... and it was to die for. The cupcakes were more muffin than cupcake. The ganache frosting was also pretty tasty. However, for this dessert, the gelato takes the cake.

Gianduja Gelato
Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups toasted hazelnuts
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 1/2 oz. chopped milk dark chocolate + ½ oz. semisweet dark chocolate
• 5 large egg yolks (I used about 5 ½- 6 egg yolks; the amount you use affects the creaminess of the texture.)
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the hazelnuts for 10-12 minutes, stirring them 1-2 times in between. Snap one hazelnut in half. If it is light golden brown, the hazelnuts are done. Use a warm kitchen towel to rub the hazelnut skins off (don’t worry if you can’t take them all off).
2. Warm milk with 1 cup cream, sugar, and salt in saucepan. Remove from heat and add chopped hazelnuts. Cover and steep for one hour.
3. Put milk chocolate pieces in a large bowl, heat the last cup of cream in a saucepan until it starts to boil. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Place a mesh strainer over the bowl.
4. Pour the hazelnut-infused milk through the strainer into a medium saucepan, squeeze the hazelnuts with your hands to get as much flavor as possible and discard the hazelnuts.
5. Warm the hazelnut-infused mixture. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl and gradually pour the hazelnut mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk constantly and scrape the warm egg yolks into the saucepan.
6. Stir the mixture over medium heat and scrape the bottom when you stir. When the mixture is ready, it will thicken and coat the wooden spoon/spatula. Pour custard through strainer and stir into milk chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and cool over an ice bath.
7. Chill and make your ice cream according to the ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions.

Honey Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2-3 teaspoons baking powder (Adjust according to how light you want your cake to be.)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons honey

Directions

•     Preheat oven to 360 degrees F.
•     Sift flour and blend with sugar, salt, and baking powder.
•     Gradually add the eggs and stir.
•     Chop the hazelnuts and incorporate them into the dough.
•     Melt the butter and honey and pour this into the dough.
•     Bake for approximately 25 minutes if you are making cupcakes.

Chocolate Honey Ganache Frosting
Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup 60%+ dark chocolate
• 4-7 teaspoons honey (Adjust to taste.)

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (double boiler), or by placing it in a bowl over a small pan of simmering water. You can microwave it in 20 second intervals, but melting it over a stove is faster.
2. Warm the heavy cream in a saucepan until scalding (just before it boils).
3. Slowly add the heavy cream to the chocolate in small increments and mix. Aim for an emulsion of the cream and chocolate. I prefer to use a silicone spatula to mix.
4. Add in the honey and stir to combine.
5. Leave for 2-3 hours at room temperature until it is stiff enough to frost.