Savoring Time in the Kitchen

Glazed Asian Drumsticks

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:25:00 +0000

If you love chicken legs but don't like all of the fat contained in the skin, here is a wonderfully delicious recipe for low fat drumsticks with an Asian flair. Browsing through the list of ingredients in the recipe, I just knew that the sauce and glaze on these was going to be fabulous and oh my, it was! I first found this recipe on the blog, Six Sisters' Stuff, but the original recipe comes from Skinnytaste - a great source for low fat recipes. I served the drumsticks with a quinoa pilaf and steamed broccoli, rounding out a great-tasting and healthy dinner.

I found the easiest way to pull off the skin from the drumsticks was to loosen the skin from the wide part of the drumstick and grab it with a piece of paper toweling over my fingers then pull down and over the small end of the drumstick. Then, I used my kitchen scissors to cut the skin away.

Glazed Asian Drumsticks
Adapted from Asian Glazed Drumsticks at Skinnytaste
Printable Recipe

8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed
Non-stick cooking spray or 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 cup water
1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce*
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated**

2 tablespoons chives or green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

*You can find Sriracha Sauce at most grocery stores and at Walmart.
** Tip - you can keep whole pieces of ginger frozen. Simple peel away the skin and grate. Place remaining ginger back in the freezer for next time!

Spray a large, heavy saucepan with non-stick spray or add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place over medium high heat. Brown chicken legs for about 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides.

Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes.

Remove cover and bring heat back to medium high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. Be careful that the glaze doesn't burn during this last step.

Transfer chicken to a platter and top with remaining glaze from pan. Sprinkle with chopped chives or green onions and sesame seeds.

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Joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Shannon at Your Cozy Home Party.

Quiche Maraîchère For National Pie Day

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:28:00 +0000

National Pie Day is January 23rd and instead of a pie in the traditional sense, I'd like to share a quiche recipe with you. Quiche is a savory pie, after all!

This one is from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table Cookbook which is filled with wonderful recipes. I found the recipe on several...other... websites, so I hope Dorie doesn't mind that I'm sharing it here.

I brought this quiche to a New Year's Eve party as an appetizer and I received lots of compliments on it! It was so delicious, I made it again for my husband and myself for dinner with a simple side salad.

First the pie/tart crust is baked then heaped full of delicious sautéed vegetables - a mirepoix of sorts. Then, it's filled with an egg and cream mixture and baked. At first I was surprised at how little egg is actually in the mixture but went ahead with the recipe as written at it turned out perfectly.. Rather than Dorie's recipe for tart dough, I used my own Flaky, Tender No-Fail pie crust recipe that I got long ago from a friend, but you can find Dorie's tart shell recipe on one of the sites I referred to above or simply use your favorite recipe for pie crust.

After the filling is baked, a layer of grated Gruyère cheese is added to the top and then returned to the oven to melt to a golden brown. Now that's my kind of pie!

Quiche Maraîchère
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2-3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into a small dice
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, trimmed, peeled, and finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
salt and pepper

1 9-inch tart or pie shell partially baked and cooled (watch careful that your crust doesn't contain any cracks or the filling will ooze out. Add a scrap of pastry to the crack and bake a little longer, if necessary)

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup grated cheese, preferably Gruyère

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced vegetables and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until barely tender. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the vegetables to a bowl and let cool.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 F degrees. Put the crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the vegetables into the tart shell and even them out. They should almost fill the crust. Whisk the the cream, egg, egg yolk together, season with salt and pepper, and carefully pour over the vegetables. Depending on how your crust and filling, you may have too much custard. Pour in as much custard as you can without it overflowing and wait a few minutes until it has settled, then add more if you can. Very carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven.

Bake the quiche for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for another 5 or 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden (the filling should be puffed all over - especially the center), browned, and set. Note: This took a little longer in my oven.

Transfer the quiche to a rack, remove the sides of the pan, and cool until it is only just warm or until it reaches room temperature before serving.

Always Flaky and Tender No-Fail Pie Crust

Printable Recipe

This recipe makes enough crust for 1 single crust pie and 1 double-crust pie (3 crusts) and is easily cut in half or even thirds if you care to do the math. You never have to worry about over-working this pie crust dough - it turns out beautifully flaky every time.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt

1-3/4 cups cold shortening

½ cup ice water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg

Stir together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Mix liquid ingredients together and stir into flour mixture. Divide into 3 portions and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out on a well-floured surface.

Save scraps to fill any cracks in the crust, if they develop while baking.

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I'm joining Seasonal Sundays at The Tablescaper and Mosaic Monday at Little Red House and Your Cozy Home Party at Cozy Home Scenes.

Lemon Angel Wings

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:38:00 +0000

First of all, thankfully, Blogger has finally fixed the 'glitch' in the links and pages bar above. You can now access my Blog List above once again!

This is a recipe that almost did not get posted. If a recipe doesn't turn out or taste good, I can't justify sharing it. These Lemon Angel Wings cookies did not turn out well the first time I tried them. I was so disappointed because the recipe sounded wonderful. Lemon zest, sour cream, a puff-like pastry and glistening sugar all sounded delicious to me. But, after baking the first batch, they were flat and greasy-looking. Very unappetizing.

I still had some dough left in the refrigerator, which I was going to throw out, but decided to go back to the website where I found the recipe, and clicked on the link to where the recipe originated from, and found an error! There should have been more flour added to the dough.

I took the remaining dough out of the refrigerator and kneaded in some extra flour and tried baking another batch. This time - perfect! Puffy and flaky, not flat and greasy. It just goes to show you, sometimes mistakes are made - even with editors watching over.

These are called angel wings but many of you will recognize the shape of these cookies as palmiers, which is French for palm. That is what the shape should look like - the top of a palm tree. (I tried to pinch the top to make a heart shape but they did what they wanted to in the oven).

These are perfect with a cup of tea.

Do you see the green in the background of the above photo? That WAS green grass outside of my window last week. (Thank you to Jerry at Shadowhouse Creations for the lovely texture I applied to the above shot). Winter finally arrived last week and we got our first substantial snow fall.

This is current view outside of the same window. It was peaceful watching the big flakes fall. A perfect time to get cozy with a hot cup of tea and these cookies.

Now I can make angel wings in the snow!

Lemon Angel Wings

Adapted from Taste of Home
Printable Recipe

Makes 3 dozen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (this is the correct amount)
1 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
10 tablespoons sugar, divided (I used large sparkling sugar from Wilton)

Place flour in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in sour cream and lemon peel until well blended. Place on a piece of waxed paper; shape into a 4 1/2 inch square. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut dough into four 2 1/4 - inch squares. (four equal squares). Place one square on a piece of waxed paper sprinkled with 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover with another piece of waxed paper. Keep remaining squares refrigerated. Roll out dough into a 12 inch x 5 inch rectangle, turning often to coat both sides with sugar.

Lightly mark center of 12 inch side. Roll up jellyroll style to the center mark, starting with a short side and peeling paper away while rolling. Repeat rolling from other short side, so the two rolls meet in the center and resemble a scroll.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Repeat with remaining squares, using 2 tablespoons sugar for each. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Unwrap dough and cut into ½ inch slices; dip each side in remaining sugar. Place 2 inches apart on foil lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cookies over; bake 5 minutes longer. Watch carefully, as they may not need this much time, depending on your oven.

Remove to wire racks.

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Joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Shannon at Your Cozy Home Party.

Pork Schnitzel with Lemon Caper Butter

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

My husband and I have been obsessed with capers lately! I've been using them in sauces for seafood, putting them in Caesar salad dressings and most recently in a sauce for sauteed pork tenderloin medallions.

This is a very tasty recipe that I found in our local newspaper. It had achieved the recognition of being one of the top 25 recipes that the newspaper had tested and reviewed in 2011. It's an adaptation of a recipe from the Gourmet Today cookbook.

Since pork tenderloin is our favorite cut of pork, I'm always looking for new ways to serve it. This was...delicious! The salty flavor of the capers pairs so well with the breaded schnitzel. It was also a fairly easy dinner to put together and the cooking time is quick. I served it with a simple salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Pork Schnitzel with Lemon Caper Butter
Adapted from Gourmet Today
Printable Recipe

Note: I cut the recipe in half and only used 1 egg

Makes 4 servings

1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin, slice into 1-inch-thick rounds

6 tablespoons cup unsalted butter (divided in half)
3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 eggs
1 ½ cups fine dry bread crumbs

6 tablespoons vegetable oil (about) (divided)

Garnish:
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Lemon wedges

Line 1 baking sheet with waxed paper and another baking sheet with paper toweling.

Pound pork tenderloin rounds between two sheets of plastic wrap to ¼-inch thickness. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in capers, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and cover loosely to keep warm.

Pat pork rounds dry and season with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, beat eggs with ¼ teaspoon salt. Put bread crumbs in another pie plate or shallow bowl. Dip pork rounds in egg mixture, one at a time, allowing excess to drip off, then dredge in bread crumbs and place on wax-paper-lined baking sheet.

In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat until foam subsides. Add 2 to 3 pieces of pork, without crowding meat, and cook, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Transfer cooked rounds to paper-towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in preheated oven.

Cook remaining pork pieces in the same way, adding 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter for each batch.

Serve pork drizzled with caper butter and sprinkled with parsley and lemon wedges on the side.

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Joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Cauliflower Steak with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:13:00 +0000

I first saw this cauliflower steak recipe on Velva's blog, Tomatoes on the Vine last month and just tried it last night. My husband said I could make this for him ANY TIME, he liked it so much...and he's not a huge roasted cauliflower fan. The olive relish and the roasted tomato/garlic sauce are so delicious with the cauliflower! They really turn cauliflower into something special.

A whole head of cauliflower is cut into thick slices from top to bottom. The directions say to cut them into 1/2-inch slices, but I think 1-inch slices work better and the slices stay together better. There is a lot of waste with this method but I used all the pieces that broke off and cooked them in the same manner as the 'steaks'. You could probably even eliminate the 'steak' idea and just use florets but the presentation is worth the effort.

Cauliflower Steaks with Olive Relish and Tomato Sauce
Recipe by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen January 2012
Printable Recipe

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower
1/2 cup pitted oil-packed black olives, finely chopped
3 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 plum tomatoes, cored, quartered

Remove leaves and trim stem end of cauliflower, leaving core intact. Place cauliflower core side down on a work surface. Using a large knife, slice cauliflower into four 1/2" "steaks" from center of cauliflower (some florets will break loose; reserve). Note: I made my steaks 1-inch thick.

Finely chop enough loose florets to measure 1/2 cup. Transfer chopped florets to a small bowl and mix with olives, sun-dried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. oil, parsley, and lemon juice. Season relish with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, adding 1 Tbsp. oil to pan between batches. Transfer steaks to a large rimmed baking sheet. Reserve skillet. Roast cauliflower until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, return skillet to medium-high heat and add garlic cloves and tomatoes, one cut side down. Cook until tomatoes are browned; turn tomatoes over and transfer skillet to oven with cauliflower. Roast garlic and tomatoes until tender, about 12 minutes.

Transfer garlic, tomatoes, and 1/2 Tbsp. oil to a blender; purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Divide tomato sauce among plates. Place 1 cauliflower steak on each plate; spoon relish over. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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I'm joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Chocolate Chiffon Cake for Auld Lang Syne

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Here is one of my all-time favorite desserts which I posted back in 2009 and thought I'd reprise for old time sake in celebration of the new year.

A feather-light, chocolate chiffon cake coated in an equally light and fluffy whipped cream frosting studded with toffee bits, this cake is sublime and would be a fitting end to any celebratory meal.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you who stop to visit a Very Happy and Healthy 2012! I am grateful for all of your comments, support and friendship.

In remembrance of long-standing friendships and those yet to come...Cheers everyone!

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Whipped Toffee Frosting
Printable Recipe

Serves 12

3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa
1-3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
7 egg yolks, unbeaten
1 tsp vanilla

7 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar

Combine hot water and cocoa and let cool. Sift together dry ingredients. Make a well and add oil, egg yolks, cooled cocoa mixture and vanilla. Beat until smooth. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff adding cream of tartar. Pour egg yolk mixture in a thin stream onto entire surface of egg whites, gently cutting and folding with spatula until completely blended. Pour into ungreased 10” tube pan. Bake at 325 for 55 minutes and then at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Invert until completely cool. Run a long, sharp knife around sides of tube pan and invert onto a work surface. Split horizontally into 2-3 layers. Fill and frost with chocolate topping recipe.

Chocolate Topping-Filling (I double this recipe)

1 pint whipping cream
12 ounce package milk chocolate Heath bits (reserving 1/4 cup for sprinkling on top of cake)
1 16-17 oz jar rich, fudge topping such as Dove or Smuckers

Whip whipping cream until very stiff. Fold in other ingredients and frost cake layers. Refrigerate cake after frosting.

Can be frozen.

"The Stockings Were Hung..."

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:24:00 +0000

by the chimney with care...

Enjoy this old video of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. Please forgive Santa lighting up his pipe! I'm sure he's been smoke-free for years :-)

If you'd like to learn more about the debate over the authorship of this poem, it's inspiration and how it forever changed the English-speaking world's concept of Santa Claus and Christmas Eve, click here.

Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate and may the joy and beauty of Christmas fill your hearts with happiness~ Have a happy weekend, everyone!

Pecan Shortbread Cookies~

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Get out your rolling pins and cookie cutters, here is the other award-winning cookie recipe that I promised to share with you from our newspaper's Christmas cookie contest. This cookie won first place in the "Cut Out" category and took second place overall. Shortbread has been one of my favorite kinds of cookies for many years and I loved the idea of a shortbread with pecans.

The heart shape also appealed to me since it is also used extensively in Danish Christmas decorating.

The original recipe had white and dark chocolate drizzles but I stuck with my fave - dark chocolate. These are delicious even plain without the chocolate drizzle. This recipe also called for cornstarch, which many shortbread recipes do, but I substituted rice flour, which I use in my regular shortbread recipe. You can find rice flour in the Bob's Red Mill section of the baking aisle.

Help yourself to a very, Merry Christmas!

Pecan Shortbread Hearts

Adapted from the Cutout Winner of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Cookie Contest 2011
Printable Recipe

1 cup flour
2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (I used rice flour instead)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup very finely chopped pecans (I used my mini food processor to chop them)
Powdered sugar or 2 ounces each dark chocolate and white chocolate for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Into medium bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch or rice flour, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until the dough begins to gather together. Mix in nuts - do not over mix.

Gather dough into a ball and place on a sheet of waxed paper. Flatten dough with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Remove top piece of waxed paper and cut out dough with a 1-3/4 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter.

Place hearts on a parchment or silicone mat-lined baking sheet about 1/2 inches apart. Bake until form to the touch and just beginning to color on the edges, about 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle cooled cookies with powdered sugar or pipe melted chocolate decoratively across cookies or just enjoy plain.

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I'll be joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Icicle Ornament Cookies~

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

This past weekend, I started my holiday baking. Once the gifts are all bought, I find baking a wonderfully relaxing past time. I always have to make my family's favorite cookies but it's always fun to try something new each year. The results of a Christmas cookie contest, sponsored by our local newspaper, was just published and the first one to catch my attention were these Icicle Ornament Cookies. It won in the 'Special' category and took third place overall.

I thought the idea was charming and the melted white chocolate in the batter sounded interesting! So many fun ways to use these cookies came to mind. They would be adorable hanging on a Foodie Christmas tree.

And what could be better than a cookie with a handle to keep your fingers from getting wet when dunking :-) These do tend to harden up a bit the next day which makes them sturdy as an ornament and perfect for dunking.

There is one more winner from the contest that I will be sharing soon!

Icicle Ornament Cookies
Adapted from Cookies for All Occasions Cookbook and Winner of Milwaukee Journal Sentinal 'Special Category' Cookie Contest 2011
Printable Recipe

2-1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 squares (2 ounces) white chocolate, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sparkling sugar or edible glitter
Slender Ribbon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the melted white chocolate, egg and extracts. Gradually add flour mixture untill well blended.

Shape dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.

Place parchment paper or a silicone mat on a baking sheet.

Shape walnut-sized pieces of dough into a rope about 8 inches long. Fold rope in half and while holding the folded end of dough with one hand, wrap the loose ends around each other, leaving a hole at the top and taper the ends to make a point. Carefully roll in sugar or place on cookie sheet and sprinkle with edible glitter.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 11 minutes or until they just turn golden. Cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely.

Pull a piece of ribbon through the hole on the top and tie a knot. If necessary, you can use a round toothpick to poke the hole open again if it closed during baking.

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I'm joining Michael Lee West for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Ruth's Barbecue Shrimp

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:30:00 +0000

One of my all-time favorite shrimp dishes is this recipe based on an appetizer served at the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse restaurants. We don't have one in my area but have fond memories of vacations in Arizona when we would enjoy an occasional special meal at the Ruth's Chris in Scottsdale.

Although this is a great appetizer, I prefer to serve it as a main course over pasta with the amazing sauce flavoring both the shrimp and pasta. Over the years, I've lightened up the original recipe by using much less butter and I also now add sliced red peppers.

Zippy barbecue spices, rosemary, garlic, green onion and red peppers all flavor and scent this dish to perfection. I like to serve it with a side of stir-fried pea pods and some crusty bread.

As we are getting closer to the shortest day of the year, the lighting at dinner is getting very challenging so please forgive the photos!

Ruth's Barbecue Shrimp and Pasta
Based on Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Barbeque Shrimp Appetizer
Printable Recipe

Serves 2

Barbeque Butter

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped (can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, chopped)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 teaspoon water

1 pound of 16-20 shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use wild caught, gulf shrimp)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 green onions, sliced very thin using some of the green portion
1/2 small red pepper, quartered and very thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine

Cooked pasta, such as Capellini

Very large saute pan to hold shrimp in a single layer without crowding. If necessary, use 2 pans.

For Barbecue Butter:

Soften butter to room temperature. Place butter, pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, rosemary, garlic, Worcestershire, Tabasco, and water into mixing bowl and stir until blended. Refrigerate until ready to cook shrimp.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Cook pasta according to package directions while you are preparing the shrimp. Remove and drain pasta with a pasta server or spider strainer saving the hot water in the pot to briefly reheat pasta, if necessary.

For the Shrimp:

Pour olive oil in a very large saute pan over high heat. Add shrimp to the hot pan and cook on one side for 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn shrimp, and add the sliced green onion and red pepper. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

Add white wine and cook until reduced to 1/3 cup.

Stir in the cold barbecue butter and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir frequently until shrimp are white throughout but still moist and tender, approximately 1-1/2 minutes. Place a serving of pasta on each plate and top with shrimp and some of the barbecue butter sauce.

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I'll be joining my friend Michael for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Zucchini Fritters with Mozzarella and Stewed Grape Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Today, I'm sharing a recipe that we enjoyed as an appetizer at our last gourmet gathering at the very end of October. The recipe wasn't assigned to us but I finally got around to making them myself just before Thanksgiving. Although this is a wonderful fall harvest recipe, the ingredients are available at most stores year round. Fresh herbs have been also increasingly available and, at my store, I can buy fresh, living basil in the winter when it's most appreciated.

The stewed grape tomatoes in this recipe are actually cherry tomatoes from my garden. I had quite a few tomatoes that I harvested from my prolific Tumbling Tom cherry tomato plant before the first frost that I froze for recipes just like this.

Zucchini Fritters with Fresh Mozzarella and Stewed Grape Tomatoes

(A recipe created by our gourmet group hosts based on several zucchini fritter recipes.)
Printable Recipe

1 pound (about 2 medium sized) zucchini, coarsely grated
5 scallions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 eggs
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Vegetable or olive oil for frying

Fresh mozzarella (preferably buffalo), and
Fresh basil for garnish

Stewed Grape Tomatoes

2 pint grape tomatoes, rinsed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional Italian seasonings of your choice - I used the Ariosto seasoning for tomato-based sauces which contains salt, so I deleted any additional salt. Dried oregano and basil would also taste good.

To prepare the zucchini fritters, mix the first 10 ingredients together in a large bowl until blended.

Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium heat and cook fritters in two batches. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter into mounds in the skillet. Do not crowd. Flatten slightly. Cook until browned, for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning over once. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining batter.

To prepare the stewed grape tomatoes, place olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking and continuously stirring tomatoes until the skins begin to break open (approximately 8 to 10 minutes). Add the sugar and vinegar and continue cooking for approximately 5 more minutes. Note: I found this process took longer than stated to thicken the tomatoes.

To assemble, place zucchini fritter on an appetizer plate and top with one slice of fresh buffalo mozzarella, 1 tablespoon of stewed grape tomatoes and fresh basil.

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I'll be joining my friends Yvonne at One the Menu Monday at StoneGable and Michael for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Cranberry and Dried Cherry Relish

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:49:00 +0000

First of all, let me wish all of you who will be celebrating next week, a very Happy Thanksgiving! Things will get hectic for many, and I may not have the time for another post before the holiday.

Everyone has their traditional holiday recipes and this cranberry and cherry relish is one of mine. The sweetness of the dried cherries balances the tartness of the fresh cranberries perfectly. I've been making this cranberry relish for at least 10 years and have adapted it to include a little freshly grated orange zest and orange juice for additional flavor. My family won't let me make any other cranberry sauce now.

If regular cranberry sauce is a little too tart for you, give this recipe a try - it's delicious! And, don't even think about grabbing one of those cans! This is easy to make and can be made ahead of time too.

Cranberry and Dried-Cherry Relish
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Printable Recipe

Makes 3 cups.

1 packages (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries (no need to thaw if frozen but I always use fresh during the holidays)
1 cup dried cherries
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

In a large saucepan, combine cranberries, cherries, sugar and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until most of the berries have burst and liquid is syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Cover, pressing plastic wrap directly on surface of relish and refrigerate.

Make Ahead: Can be made up to two weeks ahead and refrigerated.

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I'll be joining my friends Michael for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum and Yvonne for One the Menu Monday at StoneGable

Roasted Chicken with Ariosto Seasoning

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:23:00 +0000

To me, there is nothing more delicious and satifying than a perfectly seasoned roasted chicken in the fall and winter....unless, it's a roasted turkey, of course, and Thanksgiving we be upon us before we know it!

I was recently contacted by a representative of the Ariosto Seasonings company in Italy who asked if I would like to use and review their seasonings. Being a huge fan of traditional Italian seasonings I was more than pleased to say, Yes! How fun and exciting to receive an envelope postmarked from Italy.

I received several packages of Ariosto seasonings. One was for meat and poultry, one for tomato sauces, one for roasted or fried potatoes, one for fish, and one with garlic and chili pepper for pasta. Ariosto seasonings have been very popular in Italy for over 47 years.

For my roasted chicken, I used the seasoning for roasted meats and chicken and also used the seasoning packet for potatoes. The Ariosto seasoning for the chicken contains rosemary, garlic, sage, juniper, laurel, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil and sea salt. The seasoning for roasted potatoes contains garlic, rosemary, sage, juniper, basil, marjoram, oregano, laurel, coriander, parsley and sea salt.

Before I added the seasoning blend to the chicken, I rubbed the chicken inside and out with the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon. I then rubbed a teaspoon of seasoning all over the bird and added some to the inside also. I then placed the lemon halves in the cavity and roasted both the chicken and potatoes for about 75-90 minutes in a 350F oven, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. I siphoned off the most of the fat as the chicken was cooking and used just a little to baste both the chicken and the potatoes.

In one word - DELICIOUS!

I plan on using the same seasoning that I used for the chicken on my Thanksgiving turkey. Today, I also made a tomato sauce with the seasoning for tomato based sauces that I will be sharing in an upcoming post.

Ariosto seasonings can be purchased in the United States at these locations:

RANIERI FINE FOOD in New York
Telephone 718 599 9520

CAPRI FLAVOURS in North Carolina
Telephone 800-861-5440

SALUMERIA ITALIANA in Boston
Telephone 800-400-5916

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Croutons

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:19:00 +0000

We had our first snowfall in Wisconsin yesterday. Nothing measurable in the Milwaukee area, but some western parts of the state set a record for early snowfall. Here, it's just plain cold.

Here is a simple and very satisfying cauliflower soup that was inspired by a recipe from The Pioneer Woman. I've lightened the fat content and increased the veggies. I also decided to top it with some homemade Parmesan Croutons. It was delicious!

Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Croutons
Inspired by The Pioneer Woman
Printable Recipe

I liked the Pioneer Woman's recipe but lightened it by using less butter, fat free milk and no cream. I also added more carrots and celery and topped it with my Parmesan Croutons.

5 tablespoons of butter, divided
1/2 large onion, diced
3 Carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 huge head (or 2 small heads) of cauliflower, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 quarts sodium free chicken stock (I like Kitchen Basis brand)
3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups skim milk
1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon pepper, to taste

Parmesan Croutons (Recipe Below)

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and celery and cook an 5-10 minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and whisk until blended. When it starts to bubble, add the milk slowing while whisking constantly until thickened. Keep stirring until thickened, which should take a few minutes. Add the mixture to the simmering soup and allow to simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Ladle in bowls and top with Parmesan croutons.

Parmesan Croutons

French, Italian or Country-Style Bread
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350F. Take a few slices of good French, Italian or Country Style bread and spread a little olive oil on each side using a basting brush. Sprinkle each slice with freshly ground pepper on each side. Cut the slices of bread into cubes and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and bake until just golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the croutons and return to oven until cheese is just barely melted.

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I'm bringing this soup to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
One the Menu Monday at StoneGable, and Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Oven Roasted Beet Chips

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:56:00 +0000

When I first looked at this photo, it reminded me of autumn leaves that had fallen to the ground but they're beautiful, oven roasted golden and red beets.

I will admit that I am very fond of beets. I grew up eating them since my mother loved them too. Now, thankfully, golden beets are more readily available at the farmers' markets. My husband would never touch red beets when I made them but he will eat the slightly milder golden beets.

I am probably the last person blogging to make beet chips, but these Farmers' Market lovelies finally convinced me to try them. Sliced with my mandoline and ready to pop in the oven:

They were delicious! Much healthier than deep-fried, and even my non-beet loving husband enjoying crunching on them. They are at their crispiest when eaten within a few hours after roasting.

Click here for some interesting nutritional information on beets.

Oven Roasted Beet Chips
Adapted from Green Market Recipes
Printable Recipe

Warning: Watch carefully. I burned my first batch of beet chips!
Beets - I used both golden and red beets
Olive oil
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice the beets thinly using a mandoline. Pat the slices dry with paper toweling as best you can. Place the beet slices in a large bowl and toss with just enough olive oil to coat. Lay the beet slices in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking pan and roast on one side until crisp. Turn the beet slices over with a spatula and finish until desired crispness (I didn't bother turning them over). Depending on your oven and the thickness of your slices, this may take approximately 10-15 minute per side if you turn them or 20-25 minutes total roasting time.

When finished, remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with sea salt. Can be made a few hours ahead.

Notes: I served these beet chips as part of an appetizer tray.

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I'm joining Mosaic Monday at Little Red House, On The Menu Monday at StoneGable.

RIP - Devil's Food White Out Cake (Dorie Greenspan)

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 19:43:00 +0000

If you want to mess with a devilishly good recipe for Halloween (or the upcoming holidays), this is such a delicious cake! Real chocolatey, devil's food cake and a fluffy, white, ghostly, marshmallow-like filling and frosting. Topped with devils food cake crumbles, it will send shivers down your spine! We ate the entire cake at gourmet...may it rest in peace.

I've have Dorie Greenspan's book Baking, From My Home to Yours for a few years and love it but I had never made the cake on the book's cover. Luckily, I was assigned the recipe to make and bring to our gourmet group this past Saturday night. I'm so glad I did, it will be a repeat here!

My new witch friend and I wish all of you a save and fun All-Hallows-Eve! She's a little broad on the bottom and is having some lift-off issues so you won't see this one flying over your home tonight.

Devil's Food White-Out Cake
Adapted from Baking, From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
and Shared on NPR
Printable Recipe

Makes makes 12 servings

For the cake

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

For the filling and frosting

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites.

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable — don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it's really better to use it right now.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting — it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers.

Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.)

SERVING: I think the cake is best at room temperature or just cool, but many people prefer it cold (the texture of the cake becomes fudgier after it has been refrigerated). No matter the temperature, the cake is so pretty it should be cut at the table, so bring it out on a platter and cut it into generous wedges using a serrated knife and a sawing motion.

STORING: The frosted cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or longer if you have the time.

Cheese and Walnut Crackers~

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:02:00 +0000

Just a brief warning. These are like potato chips - you cannot eat just one. If you have a problem with that, just leave now - no hard feelings.

Here's a little treat for the adult tricksters, although I'm sure kids of all ages who enjoy nuts will enjoy these too. I used a combination of aged white and yellow cheddar cheeses in these. I also love the suggestion of using blue cheese and pecans as an alternate version - I'll be trying those next.

Crispy and delicious, these are great with cocktails or wine. The dough needs to be refrigerated before baking so this also makes it a perfect 'do ahead' recipe.

Cheddar and Walnut Crackers with Sea Salt
Adapted from Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen (Culinary Institute of America)
Printable Recipe

Yield: About 80-100 small crackers depending on diameter and thickness

4 oz/113 g butter
8 oz/227 g aged Cheddar cheese, grated
6 oz/170 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp/3 g salt
1/4 tsp/1.5 g cayenne pepper (optional)
2 oz/57 g finely chopped walnuts
Sea salt for sprinkling over crackers

My note: The original recipes calls for 1 teaspoon of salt added to the cracker dough. I reduced that by half because I wanted to sprinkle a little sea salt on the cracker discs just before baking.

Cream the butter; add cheese and mix well. Add the flour and salt and mix well. Blend in the nuts.

Roll out into 3 logs, about 1 1/2 in/4 cm in diameter. Chill at least 1 hour.

Cut into slices 1/8 in/3 mm thick and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake at 350°F/175°C for about 8 to 10 minutes until crisp. (In my oven they needed a longer baking time - about 10-12 minutes)

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Serve within 3 days.

Variation: Blue Cheese and Pecan Crackers: Substitute an equal amount of blue cheese for the Cheddar and pecans for the walnuts.

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Joining my friends for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
One the Menu Monday at StoneGable, and Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:26:00 +0000

It has been gloomy, windy and chilly here recently with leaves and temperatures falling. Warm, soothing comfort food was most definitely in order.

I've recently seen others share their recipes for scalloped potatoes and ham and this brought back great memories of my mother's ham and scalloped potato recipe and those dinners growing up at home with warm and fuzzy feelings. My mother's recipe, although very good, was a tad bland as many recipes of that era were, so I set off to find a recipe with something just a little different. I found one with a mirepoix (I feel so sophisticated using that word) of celery, carrot and green onions that sounded delicious. I decided to substitute leek for the green onions since they were on sale at my grocer this week.

My husband and I loved it and doesn't everyone love the looks of a toasty, warm dish on a cold, wet day...Yessirree! Warm and Fuzzy. What's the dish that makes you feel warm and fuzzy on a cold, damp day?

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Ham
Inspired by About Southern Food
Printable Recipe

Note: My recipe includes more vegetables and more sauce than the original recipe and it needed a longer baking time which I shared below.

3 pounds peeled potatoes, thinly sliced with a mandoline or very sharp knife, about 6 to 8 cups sliced potatoes
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup chopped celery
9 green onions, with about 3 inches of green top, chopped or 1 small leek, just the white and light green parts - chopped.
3/4 cup chopped carrots
2 cups diced cooked ham (I bought 1 pound of Boar’s Head ‘Sweet Slice’ ham in my deli. I had them cut it into 2, ½-inch slices which I diced)
5 tablespoons flour
2-1/2 to 3 cups milk
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat; add celery, green onions, carrots, and ham. Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Add flour, stirring until well blended. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups milk, stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; add 1 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted; add more milk if mixture is very thick. In a 2-quart casserole, place a layer of the potatoes, a layer of sauce, then repeat layers. Bake at 325° for approximately 75 to 90 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Serves 4 to 6

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Joining my usual favorite spots:

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
One the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House, and
Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Smacked Flat Chicken and Linguine with Broccoli Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:33:00 +0000

Here is dinner combination that I used to make fairly often when my girls were in high school and living at home. It was great for those nights before a big tennis match. The original recipe is from Creme de Colorado, still one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. I've lightened up the calories in the recipes but the great flavors still shine through.

The original recipe calls for turkey tenderloins but I have always used chicken. It's called Smacked Flat because the chicken (or turkey) is pounded thin and then coated with seasoned bread crumbs, herbs and grated Parmesan cheese. The thin medallions only take a few minutes to saute and then a little butter and the juice of a lemon are added to the pan to make a sauce to pour over the sauteed chicken.

The real star of the plate is the Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce. This would be a delicious side to any variety of meats and seafood or could stand on it's own with some toasted pine nuts and a side salad. Even those who don't like plain broccoli will love this! (You can hide the broccoli garnish and they won't even know.)

Enjoy!

Smacked Flat Chicken with Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce
Adapted from Creme de Colorado
Printable Recipe

Smacked Flat Chicken

Serves 4

4 turkey tenderloins or 4 boneless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter (I either omit or use just 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter (I use only 1)
Juice of 1 lemon

Pound turkey or chicken lightly between 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment paper to about 1/4-inch thickness. (I usually cut each breast into 2 pieces, and then pound them. ) In a plastic bag or a bowl combine the garlic powder, bread crumbs, Parmesan, pepper and paprika. Shake or dust each piece of meat until well coated and place on a waxed paper-lined plate, using waxed paper in between layers of meat, if necessary. Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to this point.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter, if using, until hot. Saute tenderloins, a few at a time for 2-3 minutes on each side. Do not overcook. Drain on paper toweling and keep on a warm platter.

Add a small amount of butter to the skillet over high heat. When it bubbles, add the juice of one lemon and stir rapidly. Continue to cook over high heat, stirring constantly while scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as the mixture thickens slightly. Pour this over the tenderloins and serve.

Linguine in Broccoli Cream Sauce

Serves 8 as a side dish

1-1/2 pounds of fresh broccoli
Reserve 1/4 cup of broccoli-cooking liquid
1/4 cup butter (I use 1/8 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated, if you have it)
1 large clove of garlic, cut into slices
1 cup heavy cream (I use fat-free half & half)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound linguine, cooked al dente and drained

Trim off and discard the ends of the broccoli stems. Cut off flowerets and peel and slice stems. Heat a large saucepan of salted water to boiling. Add broccoli and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking liquid. Rinse broccoli until cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside liquid and 3/4 cup of the cooked flowerets for garnish.

In a food processor with the steel blade, combine remaining broccoli, reserved cooking liquid, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn on processor and drop garlic through the feed tube. Process until smooth. Can be made ahead up to this point. Cover and let stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

In a saucepan, heat the cream (or fat free half & half) over medium heat and stir in broccoli sauce. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan and heat to simmering. In a heated serving dish, toss the warm pasta with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Garnish with reserved flowerets and serve immediately.

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I'll be sharing this at Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, On The Menu Monday at StoneGable and Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:35:00 +0000

Seared Halibut with Garden Tomato-Caper Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:35:00 +0000

I'm back! I was MIA last week because my husband and I were in the Dallas area for a wedding in the town of McKinney, Texas last weekend. McKinney is quaint, friendly, historic and absolutely charming. We enjoyed picture-perfect weather and thoroughly enjoyed our the time we spent in Texas.

Today, I'm sharing a dish that I made just before we left for Texas. I've been on a mission to eat lighter and specifically more fish. Halibut, salmon and trout are my three favorite types of fish. I adapted this recipe from one I found on in the New York Times online.

The recipe calls for plum tomatoes and this year I grew my own San Marzanos. I've been freezing them whole as they ripen to use in recipes like this. I am thrilled to still have fresh herbs growing in containers which were also used.

Seared Halibut with Tomato Caper Sauce

Adapted from The New York Times
Printable Recipe

Serves 2

For the tomato caper sauce:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 plump garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice *See Note
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon slivered fresh basil leaves
Optional: Splash of light cream (I used fat free half and half)

*Note: I used frozen, San Marzano tomatoes from my garden. I simply dunked the whole frozen tomatoes into boiling water for about 30 seconds and removed them to a colandar. The skins peeled off easily. I then chopped them without seeding and used all of the collected juices.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, three to five minutes, and add the garlic and the capers. Cook, stirring, for three to five minutes, until the onion has softened thoroughly and the mixture is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add about 1/4 cup of light cream and stir. Serve hot or cold.

For the seared halibut:

1 recipe tomato-caper sauce, above
2 6 to 8-ounce halibut fillets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Make the sauce as directed and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Pat fish dry with paper towels. Season fish lightly with salt and pepper. Sear fish in preheated skillet 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork and is opaque throughout. This will depend on the thickness of the fish. Transfer to a serving platter, and keep warm.

Place a large, spoonful of sauce on each plate, and place a piece of fish on top. Top the fish with another spoonful of sauce, garnish with basil and serve.

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I'll be joining Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
On the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, and
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:11:00 +0000

I've been bad...I've been very bad. Last week, Butter Horns and now chocolate chip cookies. The inevitable played out with some unwelcome weight gain so you probably won't see another sweet recipe from me for a while. It was sure fun while it lasted though ;)

I will gladly place the blame on a good friends who made these warm and fresh and served them after dinner at their home recently. Just the right balance of chips and pecans - heaven! Some of the blame could also rest of the shoulders of the changing season which makes comfort food so much more appealing. WARNING - do NOT put a whole plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies out on your kitchen counter.

I did try something that I've never done before. After realizing the wickedness of my ways, I froze the rest of the cookie dough so I wouldn't be tempted to bake the whole batch.

I first scooped the cookie dough into balls the size I would bake them, placed them on a baking sheet in the freezer until they were solid, and then put them into zipper freezer bags. To make just a small batch of cookies as a treat on the weekend, I will just take out a couple of dough balls for each of us in the morning and put them in a bowl in the frig to thaw out during the day. (Don't leave them on the counter because they do contain raw egg!). Then bake them up as usual. Perfect for portion control.

Can anyone resist a warm chocolate chip cookie? Pas Moi! I love them chewy in the center and slightly crispy on the edges. How you do like them?

Happy Fall to You All!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Carol Demasters
Food editor, Milwaukee Journal Times, Circa 1980s
Printable Recipe

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar – not packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugars together until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and blend thoroughly on slow speed. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Add chocolate chips and pecans and, again, blend just until incorporated.

Dough can be shaped into balls and frozen. Defrost in refrigerator at least 8 hours.

Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

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Want more Recipes? Visit

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
On the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Butter Horns from Grammie~

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:50:00 +0000

When my mother-in-law needed skilled nursing care a few years ago, I found a stack of old cookbooks in her den, many of which were from the local church that my husband's family attended. My husband's grandmother, "Grammie" as she was known to all of the grandchildren, was very active in her church and a baker extraordinaire! I can't tell you the number of pies, cakes, and especially butter horns that she made for church fundraisers. She was especially famous for her light and delicious butter horns. When we would have dinner at her home, there was always a care package of butter horns that was sent home with us. They were my husband's favorite of everything she baked.

Years ago, while she was still alive, I tried making Grammie's butter horns but it was a miserable failure. I hadn't tried again until recently when I came across the old church cookbooks in a closet again. The book is dated 1985.

The recipe called for 6 cups of flour but it must have been humid the day I made them because I needed to add almost 9 cups of flour to get a stiff dough as the recipe states. You will notice that the recipe calls from scalded milk Some people believe that it isn't necessary to scald milk today because now all milk is pasteurized. This article mentions that baking scientist Shirley Corriher thinks that breads rise better when the milk is scalded. Here is a YouTube video on how to scald milk:

Perhaps that's the part that I didn't get right the first time I made them!

After two risings the dough is divided, patted into circles and the circles cut into wedges which are filled with a brown sugar streusel and rolled into crescent shapes. Next time I make them, I think I'll add some chopped pecans to the streusel.

I was so happy when I bit into the first one! I finally had delicious success and I felt Grammie would have been proud of me. I little pat of butter on a warm butter horn is pure heaven!

Butter Horns
Recipe from my husband's Grandmother
Printable Recipe

3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon salt
3 packages yeast
1 cup warm water
4 eggs, beaten
6 cups flour (more as needed)

Scald milk, stir in butter, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in the cup of warm water. Stir into the milk mixture, add eggs and the flour, 2 - 3 cups at a time, until the dough is stiff. Knead well. Put in a greased bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled. Punch down the dough and allow to rise a second time.

Cut the dough into two pieces and then each piece into 3rds. Pat each 3rd into a round pie-like shape and spread with a good amount of streusel. Cut into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a crescent, starting at the wide end and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or silicone liner. Cover lightly and allow to double in size.

Bake for about 5 minutes in a preheated, 350F oven.

Spread with powdered sugar frosting after they have cooled but are still slightly warm.

Streusel:

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
1-1/2 sticks of butter or margarine

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I'm joining Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum
On the Menu Monday at StoneGable
Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, and
Cast Part Wednesday at Lady Behind the Curtain.

Canvas Print Review

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 21:44:00 +0000

No recipe today but I did want to share something wonderful and totally calorie free ;) A while ago, I was contacted by Brendan at Easy Canvas Prints who asked if I would like to do a product review of one of their canvas prints made from the photo of my choice.

Decisions, decisions! Should I use a food-related photo, a garden photo, etc. As fortune would have it, when I had my daughter's birthday dinner party a couple of weeks ago, I was able to capture a great family shot with my husband, our two daughters and their guys and my decision-making was finally over. My new avatar photo is from that same photo.

I emailed the photo to Easy Canvas Prints and I had my wonderful canvas print in about a week. [I intentionally blurred all of the faces except for those of me and my grandson to protect their privacy and protect me from any anger for publishing their photos ;)]

I opted for a couple of 'upgrades' to my offer and I chose the 1-1/2 inch 'Gallery Wrap' which you can see mirrors the photo on every side. I love that!

Working with their website was just that, very easy, and the canvas print turned out exactly as I has hoped. You can get some idea of the artistic canvas texture in this shot:

This would make a great idea for a Christmas gift or anytime gift for your loved ones if you have a special keepsake photo. You can find Easy Canvas Prints at the end of my Reading List on my sidebar.

Now, my next decision will be where to display my new 'Masterpiece'!

Thank you, Easy Canvas Prints!

Creamy Pasta Salad

noreply@blogger.com (SavoringTime in the Kitchen) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:14:00 +0000

Life has been rich and full this past week. Dinners, golf outings and a birthday party for one of my daughters (Yes, there was cake and delicious, gooey frosting).

We also cared for our soon-to-be 2-year-old grandson twice this week, on Tuesday and again today while our daughter visited her doctor for her 13-week pregnancy checkup. Yes, we will be grandparents again next March ♥. Needless to say, I am hopelessly behind in everything else, including visiting my favorite bloggers.

Today, before our daughter left for her appointment, she joined me for lunch and I made this pasta salad.

I've had this recipe for years and, unfortunately, I can't give proper credit but I always preferred to use fresh herbs rather than dried in the summer.. My garden is still full of wonderful herbs and my own cherry tomatoes were used in the salad.

Chickpeas and freshly grated Parmesan for protein, with fresh organic radishes and red pepper for crunch!

A side platter of fresh fruit made for a perfect lunch for me, my daughter and future grand-baby :)

Creamy Pasta Salad
Printable Recipe

8 oz dry pasta (I use bows - Farfalle)
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
6 oz sliced, drained black olives
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green peppers
1 cup seeded and quartered cherry tomatoes
½ cup sliced radishes
1 16-oz jar good produce-section reduced fat Ranch Dressing
1 Tablespoon basil, chopped
1 Tablespoon oregano, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and drain pasta according to directions on package. Cool under cold running water. Mix with the rest of the salad ingredients and chill.

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I'm joining Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, On The Menu Monday at StoneGable and Melt in Your Mouth Monday at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms!