Tag: Laurie Lufkin Cooking

Cheddar Cheese Soda Bread–a simple recipe with great results!

Posted on by laurielufkin

Hi All!  I made this recipe when I got an email from the King Arthur Flour Company with a similar recipe.  I changed it up a little but the original is so delicious that I didn’t do much, trust me!  I wanted to make the bread a little healthier so I changed out some of the all purpose flour for some King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour (which has more fiber) and used reduced fat cheese instead of full fat.  I also upped the salt a bit because I prefer a tiny bit more salt in my bread.  If you make it, please let me know what you think.

Cheddar Cheese Soda Bread

1 1/2 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut in to small pieces
8 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese (I used jalapeno cheddar for a kick), shredded
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Work in cold butter with fingertips until small crumbs form.  Add cheese and toss to combine.

In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and eggs until well combined.  Add to flour and cheese mixture and fold until just combined.

Turn dough out on to a well floured surface.  Knead several times and shape in to a smooth ball.  Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted in to the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Makes excellent sandwich bread or toast.

Who would like a new fish recipe and to give me some hometown support?

Posted on by laurielufkin

Gorton’s is sponsoring a recipe contest using their frozen grilled products so naturally, I entered.  Yesterday I was thrilled to find out that I was a finalist in the contest but now I need some hometown support to win! The person who gets the most votes wins a HUGE Pottery Barn gift certificate and boy could Lily and I use some updates in our little apartment.

Here is there recipe, photo and the link to vote.  Easy Easy voting!  Just click the link and then fill in the words in the white box to cast your vote.    You can vote daily until the end of April (yikes, a long time, I know) but if you could I would so appreciate it!

Here is the voting link:  http://www.gortons.com/grilled-details.php?id=425&page=

And here is the recipe for “Taste of Mexico Tortilla Crusted Tilapia Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette”

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup canola oil
Salt & pepper to taste

For the Fish:

1 egg white
1/4 cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups reduced fat tortilla chip crumbs
1-6.3 oz Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia
2 tablespoons canola oil
5 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup sliced grape tomatoes
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 yellow bell pepper, cleaned and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime wheels for garnish, if desired

First, prepare the dressing.  Combine lime juice, vinegar, agave nectar, cumin and cilantro in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil and whisk until well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.*

In a shallow dish such as a pie plate, whisk together egg white and skim milk.  Set aside.  Pour crushed tortilla chips into another shallow dish and season with freshly ground pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Remove Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia from pouch and place in a microwave safe dish.  Using the defrost setting on the microwave, defrost the fillets.  Do not allow fillets to cook.

Heat canola oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Gently coat fillets with milk and egg mixture then gently press fillets in to crushed tortilla chips.  If fillets separate be sure to coat all sides of the fish with the crumb mixture.  Gently place crusted fish in hot oil and cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side until crumbs are lightly browned and fish is cooked through.

In the meantime, divide salad greens, sliced tomatoes, avocado and bell peppers between two serving plates.  When fish is cooked, place fillets on top of greens on each plate and drizzle fish and greens with desired amount of cilantro lime vinaigrette.   Garnish with lime if desired.  Enjoy!

*Store bought cilantro lime vinaigrette may be substituted for convenience

Another visit to Ryan and Wood Distilleries…..and a recipe to go with it!

Posted on by laurielufkin

How can you not have a good time when visiting a distillery, huh?  You get intoxicated in the best possible way walking in the door by the aromas and it is fantastic.  Bob Ryan gave me the rundown on how to make rum from the molasses to the barreling and it was again so interesting.  So here is the recipe I came up with to use his delicious product in my kitchen for more than just making a cocktail–which is currently on my agenda!

Folly Cove Rum Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Rum Salsa

For the pork:

1 large navel orange, zested and juiced
1/2 cup Folly Cove Rum
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1 1 to 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned

In large zip top bag combine orange juice and zest, Folly Cove Rum, soy sauce, honey, cumin, garlic and cayenne pepper.  Drop in pork tenderloin and allow to marinate at least 6 hours but preferably over night.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees or outdoor grill to medium high.  Remove pork from marinade and pat dry.   If grilling indoors, preheat grill pan to nearly smoking.  Sear pork on all sides and finish in oven for 11-15 minutes until cooked to medium.  If cooking on an outside gas grill, sear both sides and the reduce the heat to cook the pork completely to the desired temperature.

Allow to rest 10 minutes before slicing in to 1/2″ rounds.  Top with Rum Pineapple Salsa and enjoy!

For the Rum Pineapple Salsa:

2 cups diced fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons diced onion
1/2 chop diced red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
2 tablespoons Folly Cove Rum
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce (to taste)
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to serve with Folly Cove Rum marinated pork.

Enjoy!  Serves 2-3 people

Did you know…..its National Pi Day! Get it??? 3.14

Posted on by laurielufkin

Yikes….

It is just a good excuse to give you my apple pie recipe………..with a disclaimer.

This is the way I make apple pie.  You can change up/add/subtract other spices if you want to, add more sugar or less sugar, add citrus juice, zest, whatever you want but this is the way I like it.  I have not won any big awards with this recipe but it works for me!

For the crust:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
10 cups tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Decoration:
1 additional pie crust for decorative accents (optional)
1 egg yolk (optional)

Using your favorite combining method, make your crust and divide in half.  Wrap and refrigerate halves until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine apples, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and stir gently until apples are coated.

Roll out one crust and place into a glass pie pan.

Layer coated apples into pie crust. Roll out second crust and place over apples.  Seal edge and flute.  Cut slits in several places in top crust. If desired roll out third crust and cut decorative shapes to enhance the pies appearance.  Use egg yolk as “glue” to adhere decorations to top crust.  Brush top crust with remaining heavy cream, sprinkle with granulated sugar and place pie in preheated oven.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. After 40 minutes of baking time, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

In case you missed it last year…..I will be on Food Network tonight!

Posted on by laurielufkin

The “Hometown Favorites” episode of Ultimate Recipe Showdown from last season is re-airing  tonight at 9:00.  Even though I didn’t win there really were no losers on that show.  The women that I competed against have become dear friends and I even was able to see one of them in January.  The experience was amazing, the people at Food Network are top notch and I am hoping that maybe I will get chosen again for next year.  Who knows?  All I can do is try try!

Here are the recipes from the show.  Enjoy!

Only in Essex Steamer Clam Cakes with Traditional New England Tartar Sauce

Clams:

  • 1 large Vidalia onion
  • 1 can beer (Budweiser or the like is fine)
  • Olive oil
  • 6 pounds steamer clams

Traditional Tartar Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup dill pickles, diced
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice
  • 2 cups canola oil or more, according to manufacturer’s instructions on deep-fryer
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 1/2 cups clam broth
  • Lemon wedges, if desired

Directions

For the Clams: Over medium heat in a large pan, pour 3 tablespoons olive oil. Chop onion into large chunks and saute in oil until lightly cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the beer and the clams. Cover and cook until all of the clams are opened, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on how many you have in the pan.

Remove pan from heat, uncover and allow to cool to the touch before shucking.

Push the clams to the side so that there is broth visible to rinse the clams in after shucking. Remove clams from shell 1 at a time and pull off membrane that covers the neck and discard. Rinse shucked clams in broth and set aside. When all clams are shucked, drain the broth out of them by giving them a slight squeeze over the pan of broth. Chop roughly and set aside.

For the tartar sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl to serve with clam cakes. Refrigerate until serving.

For the clam cakes: In a deep-fryer or on the stove top in a deep skillet, preheat oil to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in eggs, evaporated milk and clam broth until thoroughly mixed. Stir in clams and mix well.

Dip a spoon into the heated oil, then take a 2 tablespoon sized scoop of the fritter mixture and carefully drop into oil. Turn the cake over when the first side is browned. Fritters should be cooked through and browned in 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a skimmer and drain on brown paper bag. Reseason with additional salt, if desired. Serve with the tartar sauce and enjoy! If desired, serve on small plates with wedges of lemon.

North Atlantic Pan Seared Cod with New England Succotash and Cranberry Vinaigrette

Succotash:

  • 4 slices pre-cooked bacon
  • 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can navy beans
  • 2 cups fresh, canned or frozen corn kernels, defrosted
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk or light cream
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cranberry Vinaigrette:

  • 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 1/4 cup cranberry juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fish:

  • 5 (6-ounce) Atlantic cod fillets, preferably from the thick head end
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 15 grape tomatoes
  • 8 cups baby arugula

Directions

Roughly chop the bacon and dried cranberries and set aside. Drain and rinse beans and set aside. Drain the corn, if necessary.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and milk together. Add the corn, beans, chopped bacon and cranberries and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Season mixture with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat, loosely cover and set aside until ready to serve.

While succotash is cooking, prepare the dressing. If you are very short on time, substitute store bought cranberry vinaigrette and add 1 tablespoon horseradish.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade, combine all ingredients except for salt and pepper. Pulse ingredients until cranberries are roughly chopped and dressing is emulsified. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until ready assemble plates.

Rinse and pat fillets dry. Combine the flour and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat fish on all sides with seasoned flour, shaking off the excess and set fillets aside.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and olive oil. Heat melted mixture until hot but not browned and place the fish in the skillet, leaving space between the fillets. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and turn fillets over carefully. Continue cooking until flesh is firm and no longer opaque, about 5 more minutes. Remove fillets to a plate and set aside.

While fish is cooking, slice the tomatoes in half and assemble plates. Evenly distribute arugula among 5 plates and arrange in a small mound. When fish is cooked, lean the cod fillet against the arugula and place a scant cup of succotash on the plate touching both the fish and arugula. Drizzle 2 tablespoons cranberry vinaigrette over arugula and succotash and top greens with 6 tomato halves per plate.

Mike Antell’s Mushroom Proscuitto Lasagna-recipe and how to video

Posted on by laurielufkin

A few weeks ago I had the good fortune to visit with Mike Antell at his home in Gloucester.  I heard that Mike was famous for his mushroom lasagna so we decided that it might be fun to do a show while making the lasagna together–and it was!

Here’s the video:  youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1wtSyx20rA

Here is the recipe for the lasagna, including the homemade noodles!  Enjoy:

Mike Antell’s Mushroom Prosciutto Lasagna

For the Mushroom Filling:
2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering serving dish
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallot
2 lb. fresh mushrooms (button, crimini), cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped San Marzano tomatoes
4 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into smaller pieces
salt & pepper to taste

For the Bechamel sauce:
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour

For the pasta:
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling lasagna
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Reconstitute porcini mushrooms. Heat 2 cups water to boil and add 2 oz. porcini mushrooms. Let steep for 30 minutes. Strain water through paper towels three times reserve.

In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with oil. Add shallot and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add reconstituted mushrooms, reserved liquid, tomatoes and 3 tablespoons chopped parsley. Stir, cover and cook down until liquid has evaporated. Add sliced fresh mushrooms and season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to high and continue to cook covered until all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, scald milk. Melt the butter in another medium saucepan and whisk in the flour. Cook over medium low heat for two minutes and remove from heat. While whisking continuously, slowly add scalded milk, about 3 tablespoons at a time, to the flour mixture. Return pan to heat and continue to whisk until mixture forms a thick syrupy consistency, about 7-10 minutes. Cover and set aside.

With blade in place, add flour to the bowl of a food processor. While running, add eggs and olive oil. Process until dough forms a ball, adding water one tablespoon at a time if necessary. Flour counter top and place dough ball on surface. Knead dough until a smooth ball forms, about ten minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling.

To form lasagna noodles, break off a golf ball size of dough. Press ball into a disc shape and flour both sides. Run the dough round through the pasta maker beginning with the first (largest) setting and going until the last or thinnest setting. If dough is sticky, sprinkle with additional flour. Cut resulting dough strips into large squares and place on cotton towels to dry. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes and set aside. Boil pasta for about thirty seconds and immediately place noodles in ice water. When cool, remove lasagna from ice water and place back on cotton towels to dry, patting noodles dry with another towel.

To assemble the lasagna, butter a large 9″ x 13″ or larger casserole dish. Spoon 2-3 tablespoonfuls of bechamel sauce and spread to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Place a layer of noodles on top of bechamel to cover. Combine bechamel and mushroom filling and mix well. Spread a layer of mixed filling over noodles and top with one tablespoon grated cheese and a layer of torn prosciutto. Top with grated cheese and torn sheets of prosciutto. Repeat with remaining pasta, filling, all but one tablespoon cheese and prosciutto.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoon butter and set aside. When top noodle layer is added, brush on melted butter, sprinkle on remaining one tablespoon cheese and remaining chopped parsley.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover lasagna with foil and bake until bubbling, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.

Can a nine year old make a gorgeous roasted chicken dinner? Yes!

Posted on by laurielufkin

After our outdoor adventures with the high tide last weekend, Lily and I decided to make a nice dinner for the two of us and after thinking about it, I decided that she could do it herself.  And here are the results of Lily’s first roast chicken dinner!

Lily and the chicken, ready for action

Grossed out by the innards–but we didn’t throw them away–they are safely in the freezer for the next chicken stock

Onions and garlic, salt and pepper for the cavity

Stuffing the cavity

Rubbing the bird with olive oil

Proper hand washing is vital!

Seasoning up the chicken

Lil used salt, pepper, granulated garlic, dried thyme, rosemary and parsley, about a tablespoon of each and seasoned both sides of the chicken

Time for roasting!

Scrubbing the potatoes for baking

Making the X so the potatoes don’t explode (which she really didn’t want to do–she wanted to see the potatoes blow up in the oven until I told her she would have to clean the oven herself!)

Potatoes in the oven

and about 1 hour and 15 minutes later, dinner is ready!

My favorite part of the whole experience was sitting down to dinner with Lily and seeing the pride in her face when she took that first bite.  We had salad and escarole with the chicken and potatoes and it was just delicious.  Thank you Lily for a wonderful meal!

Going to a party tonight? Bring these! Creamy Mushroom Marsala Bites

Posted on by laurielufkin

I made this recipe up because I love chicken Marsala and wanted to get the same flavors in an appetizer-but without the chicken.  I have entered this recipe into a contest on http://www.mixingbowl.com and if you want to go and vote for my recipe, please go right ahead.  You can vote daily until the end of the year.  You do have to be a Mixing Bowl member so if you feel like signing up to a great recipe site, go right ahead!  I highly recommend the site as a great resource for all types of recipes.

*if you don’t have shallots in the house, use onions or leeks, no proscuitto in the house, use bacon or finely chopped ham.  If no cottage cheese, use sour cream.  If no heavy cream, use half and half or whatever you have.  If you don’t have the pastry shells, make crostini with a little olive oil and salt and serve the mushroom mix on top–put them under the broiler for a few minutes and you are all set!

Servings:         6

Prep time:       20 minutes

Cook time:      5 minutes

Total time:       30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 oz. proscuitto, finely chopped
4 oz sliced button mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 oz. sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
30 mini phyllo shells
1/3 cup Marsala wine
¼ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. Add shallots and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add chopped proscuitto and brown slightly, about 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped mushrooms and toss with butter mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture is nearly dry, about 10-12 minutes.

In the meantime, place phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake 3-5 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven set aside.

Add the Marsala to the mushrooms, stir and cook again until pan is again dry. Add heavy cream and cottage cheese and cook again until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from heat and stir in chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Fill shells with a scant tablespoon of mushroom mixture. Top with a fresh chive segment if desired and serve immediately. Mixture also keeps tightly covered in the refrigerator for a week. Simply fill phyllo with mushroom mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Enjoy!

And here is the direct link so you can vote if you want to:

http://www.mixingbowl.com/message/recipe/view.castle?g=1222768&m=7966710

Another easy Appetizer Recipe for Christmas and New Years!

Posted on by laurielufkin

Here is re-post of the vodka cured salmon recipe because it is so easy to make and delicious that I figured might be nice to make for the holidays.  If you have any questions, as always, please don’t hesitate to comment on this post and I will answer you.

My sister Kate Lufkin and I had a tour which took us through the entire process from the raw ingredients to how they do the small batch bottling by hand.   When the tour was over Kate made some excellent cocktails and I made the recipe below–Vodka cured salmon with lemon mustard sauce.  I hope you enjoy it!

You can easily increase the amount of salmon by two or three times to feed a large crowd and if well wrapped, this cured fish keeps for weeks under refrigeration.  The sauce is excellent with all kinds of fish and shellfish and also works well with chicken or a sandwich spread so make lots!

Beauport Vodka Cured Salmon with Mustard Lemon Sauce

¾ pound skin on salmon fillet

1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup Beauport Vodka

Rinse and pat dry salmon.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine lemon zest, one tablespoon lemon juice, salt, sugar chopped dill and vodka.  Stir to combine.

On a flat plate, layer 3 sheets of plastic wrap overlapping each other.  Place salmon, skin side down on the middle of the wrap.  Pour mixture on top of salmon flesh and tightly wrap.  Use more plastic wrap around salmon if necessary to keep liquid in.  Place on a flat plate and balance another plate on top of salmon and weight plate with something heavy, like a pound of butter for example.

Store salmon in fridge overnight or for at least 18 hours.  When ready to serve, remove wrap and rinse off dill mixture.  Pat salmon dry and thinly slice with the grain of the fish.  Serve on crostini, thinly sliced bread or with eggs (excellent!) and bagels, topping with the lemon mustard sauce  (recipe follows) as desired.

Mustard Lemon Sauce

¼ cup horseradish mustard (or any flavor you like)
¼ cup good mayonnaise
2 teaspoons shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoons lemon juice (or more to taste)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Inspired Cooking airs on Cape Ann TV on Tuesday nights at 8:30, Friday afternoons at 4:30 and Sundays at 11:30 AM.  I hope you will tune in!

Need a party appetizer for Christmas? Try Creamy Mushroom Marsala Bites

Posted on by laurielufkin

I made this recipe up because I love chicken Marsala and wanted to get the same flavors in an appetizer-but without the chicken.  I have entered this recipe into a contest on http://www.mixingbowl.com and if you want to go and vote for my recipe, please go right ahead.  You can vote daily until the end of the year.  You do have to be a Mixing Bowl member so if you feel like signing up to a great recipe site, go right ahead!  I highly recommend the site as a great resource for all types of recipes.  And if you make these, please let me know what you think.

These gorgeous little bites are a hit at parties–but be sure to eat them in one bite or you will have a mess on your hands–literally!

Servings:         6

Prep time:       20 minutes

Cook time:      5 minutes

Total time:       30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 oz. proscuitto, finely chopped
4 oz sliced button mushrooms, roughly chopped
4 oz. sliced baby Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
30 mini phyllo shells
1/3 cup Marsala wine
¼ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup cottage cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. Add shallots and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add chopped proscuitto and brown slightly, about 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add chopped mushrooms and toss with butter mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture is nearly dry, about 10-12 minutes.

In the meantime, place phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake 3-5 minutes until crisp. Remove from oven set aside.

Add the Marsala to the mushrooms, stir and cook again until pan is again dry. Add heavy cream and cottage cheese and cook again until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove mixture from heat and stir in chopped chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Fill shells with a scant tablespoon of mushroom mixture. Top with a fresh chive segment if desired and serve immediately. Mixture also keeps tightly covered in the refrigerator for a week. Simply fill phyllo with mushroom mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Enjoy!

And here is the direct link so you can vote if you want to:

http://www.mixingbowl.com/message/recipe/view.castle?g=1222768&m=7966710

Cooking Native Shrimp Recipes with Steve Parkes

Posted on by laurielufkin

The native shrimp are here, and boy are they delicious!

So, last Wednesday Steve Parkes came to the studio (aka my kitchen) to cook some recipes that used native shrimp.  The shrimp are  sweet, like candy almost–and then I used them in two recipes, Cape Ann Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo and my Festive Shrimp and Spinach Braid.  Steve is from the Cape Ann Catch Share/Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives and is an expert in matters of seafood and was so much fun to cook with that I hope he joins me on Inspired Cooking again soon. Thank You Steve!

Here are the recipes for this week’s show which airs tonight at 8:30, Friday at 4:30 and Sundays at 11:30 on Cape Ann TV, Channel 12.

This week, I also had the good sense to take some photos while I was trying out the recipes getting ready to tape the show the night before so there are some step by step pictures of what everything is supposed to look like while it is being prepared.  I will try to do this more often as I think it will be helpful.

Festive Native Shrimp and Spinach Braid:

  • 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet or Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
  • 1 box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
  • 1 /2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
  • 1/2 cup crumbled goat (chèvre) cheese
  • 3/4 cup shelled native shrimp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll dough. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  On a lightly floured surface, rolll out doug to a 12×9-inch rectangle and if using the crescents, pinch together perforations.

With scissors or sharp knife, make diagonal cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle.

Spread spinach in a 3-inch wide strip lengthwise down the center of dough leaving 1-inch edge on both ends. Season with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Layer tomatoes over the spinach and crumbled cheese over the tomatoes.  Top with the shrimp and season with more salt and pepper.

Alternately cross strips diagonally over filling. Turn ends of braid up and press to seal. In small bowl, beat egg with water. Brush over top of braid

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into slices

This is so excellent and the shrimp add such a nice sweet element to this appetier.  Make this and take it to a party this weekend–they will think you are a genius!

And for the next recipe I am taking a little help from Emeril Lagasse (I followed parts of his recipe) because I don’t think he will mind as he and my Lily are big friends, as you can see by this photo:

Cape Ann Native Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

¾ cup light brown roux, see how to make a roux, recipe follows
1 ½ cup diced onions
3/4 cup diced celery
¾ cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
6 cups shrimp or chicken stock
1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into ¼ rounds and quartered (no andouille to found on Cape Ann last week so I used linguica)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups cleaned native shrimp
1 teaspoon creole seasoning
3 tablespoons cup green onion tops, chopped
1 tablespoons dried parsley
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/3 cup green onion tops, chopped
Steamed White Rice for serving

Brown the sausage in a large Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium high heat.  With a slotted spoon, remove sausage and set aside.  Add the roux to the pan.  When hot, add the onions, celery and bell pepper. Stir mixture until onions begin to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Add the browned sausage, bay leaves, hot sauce, cayenne (optional), salt, and pepper.
Bring gumbo to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until gumbo is slightly reduced, about 50 minutes.


Season the shrimp with the Creole seasoning in a small bowl. Stir in the seasoned shrimp, parsley, thyme and basil. Cook until shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve in warmed soup bowls over steamed white rice and top with chopped green onions.

How to Roux:
1 ½ cups vegetable oil
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Place a heavy, iron Dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.

For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter.

For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready.

For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready.
.
Yield: about 2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1-2 hours

NOTE: The timings for various shades of roux will vary depending on the cooktop as well as the amount of roux made. (A smaller amount will cook in much less time.) If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it. The important thing is to cook the roux to the desired color, as specified above.

As always,  feel free to respond to this post if you have any questions.   Thanks!

Pumpkin Desserts! Not just for the holidays………great any day!

Posted on by laurielufkin

Sorry for the late post to any of you that tuned in last night to Cape Ann TV at 8:30 and wanted to print out the recipes for the show–I got all involved (or “drove up” as my Father would say) with making GUMBO with native shrimp and it is not a quick process!  More on that in another show/post–trust me–it came out YUMMY!

Here are the recipes for the show–one really good for you and so delicious at the same time that no one will ever know they are practically eating “health food” and the other decadent spicy and delicious and perfect for gift giving!  Enjoy and as always, if you have any questions, ask away by replying to this post.

My show, Inspired Cooking, airs on Cape Ann TV (and now in Danvers and Peabody so tell your friends to look for it on their local station) Tuesdays at 8:30, Fridays at 4:30 and Sundays at 11:30 in the morning.

Toasted Oatmeal Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars

For the bars:

2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is a King Arthur product-use ½ white and ½ whole wheat if you can’t find it but they do sell it at all grocery stores locally)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup softened butter
1/3 cup Splenda Brown Sugar (use 2/3 cup brown sugar if you do not want to use Splenda)
2 large eggs
3 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup canola oil
1/3 cup cinnamon or butterscotch baking chips

For the toasted oatmeal topping:

1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick foil or spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and baking soda and set aside.

In a large bowl with mixer on high speed, cream ½ cup butter and Splenda brown sugar until light and fluffy Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Beat in pumpkin puree, vanilla and canola oil until combined.  Reduce mixer speed to low and incorporate flour and cinnamon chips until just combined.

Spread batter in to prepared pan and smooth with a knife.

In a large bowl, whisk together oats, melted butter, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Sprinkle over batter and bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Allow to cool before cutting into 28 bars.  If you are Weight Watcher, these bars, using the Splenda and the white whole wheat flour, have 2.5 points each.  My WW leader friend Jill provided this info for you–thanks Jill!

Ginger Crusted Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Spiced Walnut Topping:

First–let’s candy the nuts.  Like I said on the show “gift alert!  gift alert!”  You can make these in large batches by doubling the recipe and putting them in decorative jars or bags for gift giving.

3 cups walnuts (use whatever nuts you like)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (add some ginger, nutmeg, whatever you like)

3 tablespoons granulated or brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

In a large bowl, toss nuts with egg whites to coat.  Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon and salt over coated nuts and stir to coat.

Pour nuts on to prepared baking sheet and spread in to a single later.  Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once at 10 minutes.  Cool completely before using. Set aside.  Roughly chop about 1 1/2 cups to top the pumpkin bars. You will have plenty for the topping for the bars and to snack on.

For the crust:

5 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (just beat the heck out of them with a rolling pin in a plastic bag if you don’t have a food processor)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

7 tablespoons salted butter, melted

For the filling:

2-8 oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 15 oz can solid pack pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

5 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of cloves (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (I use glass) with nonstick foil or parchment paper, using enough foil or paper on the long edges to create an overhand that will help you lift the bars of out the pan when it is time to cut them.   Set aside.

In the food processor or by hand combine crumbs, sugar and melted butter.  Press mixture into prepared pan to form a crust.  Bake 10 -12 minutes until firm and fragrant.  Remove from oven and set aside.

In the meantime, prepare the filling.  In the food processor or in a large bowl with a hand mixer combine cream cheese, sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt.  Pulse or beat to combine.

Pour pumpkin cream cheese mixture over par-baked crust, sprinkle 1 1/2 cup nuts over the top and bake for 40-50 minutes  until center is set but jiggles slightly when the pan is gently shaken.

Allow to cool completely before cutting, at least two hours.  Lift out bars and cut with a knife dipped in water (as you would a cheesecake) into 32 bars.  Enjoy!

One more time…I won’t ask again! The voting ends tomorrow at noon!

Posted on by laurielufkin

I entered the Pillsbury Monthly Recipe contest and the theme this month was appetizers.  My recipe Tuscan Splendor Spinach Braid was chosen out of hundreds of recipes as one of the top ten finalists vying for $2500.00.  Plus, you can copy the recipe–it is simple and delicious!

Would you please vote for my recipe tonight or tomorrow.  You can vote once every 24 hours so either tonight or tomorrow before noon is your last opportunity to help me.  I could win $2500.00 for me and Lily!  You do have to register to vote on the Pillsbury site but you do not have to select to receive emails from them.  It only takes about two minutes to sign up.

Please help me….$2500.00 will buy a lot of ingredients if I win!

Here is the link to vote: https://generalmills.promo.eprize.com/bakeoff/?WT.ac=HP_Left_Feature_Picture_MonthlyChallenge

*if for some reason the link does not work, go to http://www.pillsbury.com and click on the lower left corner of the page, the Monthly Challenge

Here is the recipe and a (lousy scanned) photo:

And here’s how to make it-so simple and delicious with only a few ingredients:

INGREDIENTS
1        can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated
seamless dough sheet
1/3    cup refrigerated black olive tapénade (from 7 oz container)
1        box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/2    cup crumbled goat (chèvre) cheese
3/4    cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
1        egg
1        teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press into 12×9-inch rectangle.

2. Spread tapénade in 3-inch wide strip lengthwise down the center of dough leaving 1-inch edge on both ends. Layer spinach evenly over the tapénade. Top with cheese then layer with tomatoes.

3. With scissors or sharp knife, make diagonal cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips diagonally over filling. Turn ends of braid up and press to seal. In small bowl, beat egg with water. Brush over top of braid.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into slices.

Thank you all for your support and votes!

Please help me….$2500.00 will buy a lot of ingredients if I win!

Posted on by laurielufkin

I entered the Pillsbury Monthly Recipe contest and the theme this month was appetizers.  My recipe Tuscan Splendor Spinach Braid was chosen out of hundreds of recipes as one of the top ten finalists vying for $2500.00.

Would you please vote for my recipe every day until December 1st—yes,  five days from now–and I could win $2500.00 for me and Lily!  You do have to register to vote on the Pillsbury site but you do not have to select to receive emails from them.  It only takes about two minutes to sign up to vote and then you can vote daily for the next five days.

Please help me….$2500.00 will buy a lot of ingredients if I win!

Here is the link to vote: https://generalmills.promo.eprize.com/bakeoff/?WT.ac=HP_Left_Feature_Picture_MonthlyChallenge

Here is the recipe and a (lousy scanned) photo:

And here’s how to make it-so simple and delicious with only a few ingredients:

INGREDIENTS
1        can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated
seamless dough sheet
1/3    cup refrigerated black olive tapénade (from 7 oz container)
1        box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/2    cup crumbled goat (chèvre) cheese
3/4    cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
1        egg
1        teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press into 12×9-inch rectangle.

2. Spread tapénade in 3-inch wide strip lengthwise down the center of dough leaving 1-inch edge on both ends. Layer spinach evenly over the tapénade. Top with cheese then layer with tomatoes.

3. With scissors or sharp knife, make diagonal cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips diagonally over filling. Turn ends of braid up and press to seal. In small bowl, beat egg with water. Brush over top of braid.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into slices.

Thank you all for your support and votes!

Stuffed Crust Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie

Posted on by laurielufkin

I am often asked to make a donation to a worthy cause and if I can possibly do it, I do.  I don’t have money to give but what I do have is dessert!  At last years Essex PTO auction, I donated desserts/baked goods once a month for a year.  Well, a wonderful Essex family paid $250.00 for this service and are collecting  three months worth today, Thanksgiving morning!

PS–the Essex PTO auction is in full swing right now.  I am offering the same desserts for a year deal again!  Here is the link:   http://essex.schoolauction.net/2009/.  Check out some of the great items we have up for auction and get some holiday shopping done while supporting a great cause at the same time!

And here is the direct link to my donation–it is only at $95.00 right now–a BARGAIN so bid now!

https://essex.schoolauction.net/2009/online_auction/show/241

By the way, this pie won 2nd place in the Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust baking contest at Topsfield Fair in ’08.

Here is item #1 for today.  Two and three are coming next–we got three months behind over the summer so they are catching up today!

And here is the recipe!

Stuffed Crust Chocolate Almond Coconut Cream Pie

For the brickle filling and crust:
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
½ cup toasted finely chopped slivered almonds
1-15 oz package refrigerated pie crust

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and almonds.  Place over medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly until the bubbling mixture turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Pour onto prepared sheet and spread out thinly.  Allow to cool completely.  When cool, break into large pieces and chop coarsely in food processor.  Purchased almond brittle (brickle) may be substituted for convenience.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place one Pillsbury Refrigerate Pie Crust into a 9” pie plate.  Pour 1 1/3 cup processed brickle crumbs into the prepared crust.  Press a layer of crumbs into sides of crust, leaving about ½ inch from the edge of the pie plate crumb free.  Spread out remaining brickle to cover the bottom of the pie crust.

Unroll second crust; place on top of filled crust and pat together gently. Seal edges of crusts together and flute. Fit a second empty pie plate or pie weights on top of the filled crust and put in oven.

Bake filled crust for 15 minutes. Carefully remove top pie plate or pie weights and prick crust sides and bottom every inch with fork, piercing only the top crust.  Bake again uncovered about 15-18 minutes longer or until entire crust is light golden brown. If edge is browning too quickly, cover edge of pie crust with aluminum foil if necessary while baking.  Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

For the filling:

2 ½ cups heavy cream, divided
½ cup half and half
1 ½ cup coconut milk
¼ teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
¼ cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup cornstarch
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus one egg yolk, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, divided
3 tablespoons slivered almonds
2-3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, to taste

In a large microwave safe bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, half and half, coconut milk, coconut extract, cocoa powder and cornstarch.  Stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt.

In the microwave on 100% power, cook custard mixture for 11-13 minutes, depending on the strength of your microwave, pausing the cooking process to stir the custard at the end of each minute.  Continue cooking custard until thickened.  When thickened, stir in chopped semisweet chocolate and stir to combine.  Pausing to stir and check custards progress each minute is crucial as microwave power varies widely.

Remove one cup hot custard and spread it on the bottom of the cooled pie shell.  Sprinkle the custard with ¼ cup coconut.  Spread one more cup of custard on op of the layer of coconut.  Repeat chocolate layer but reserve the remaining ¼ cup of coconut for the topping.

Cover pie with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to use.

Before serving, whip the remaining heavy cream with desired amount of confectioner’s sugar and spread over pie, using a pastry bag for decorative accents if desired.  Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of toasted coconut over whipped cream and almonds over the coconut and serve.  Pipe a decorative edge on the top of the pie with some of the whipped cream if desired.  Purchased whipped cream may be substituted for convenience.  Serves 8.  Enjoy!

My Turn To Ask…………Would you please vote for my recipe?

Posted on by laurielufkin

I entered the Pillsbury Monthly Recipe contest and the theme this month was appetizers.  My recipe Tuscan Splendor Spinach Braid was chosen out of hundreds of recipes as one of the top ten finalists vying for $2500.00.

Would you please vote for my recipe every day until December 1st—yes, seven days from now–and I could win $2500.00 for me and Lily!  You do have to register to vote on the Pillsbury site but you do not have to select to receive emails from them.

Here is the link to vote: https://generalmills.promo.eprize.com/bakeoff/?WT.ac=HP_Left_Feature_Picture_MonthlyChallenge

Here is the recipe and a (lousy scanned) photo:

INGREDIENTS
1        can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated
seamless dough sheet
1/3    cup refrigerated black olive tapénade (from 7 oz container)
1        box (9 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain
1/2    cup crumbled goat (chèvre) cheese
3/4    cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in oil, well drained
1        egg
1        teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Unroll dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press into 12×9-inch rectangle.

2. Spread tapénade in 3-inch wide strip lengthwise down the center of dough leaving 1-inch edge on both ends. Layer spinach evenly over the tapénade. Top with cheese then layer with tomatoes.

3. With scissors or sharp knife, make diagonal cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough rectangle to within 1/2 inch of filling. Alternately cross strips diagonally over filling. Turn ends of braid up and press to seal. In small bowl, beat egg with water. Brush over top of braid.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into slices.

Thank you all for your support and votes!

Do You Make The Best Holiday Cookies Around and Want To Prove It?

Posted on by Sharon

Click the poster above for all the information you’ll need to enter your best cookies!

Prize List-

Just a little sneak peek at the prizes for the 1st Annual Good Morning Gloucester Holiday Cookie Contest.

This is NOT a complete list and the items will be gathered into baskets for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, and then a basket for the child/family entry:

a fabulous goodmorninggloucester beer stein

a bottle of vodka & rum from Ryan & Wood ( you must be 21 or older to accept this part of the prize)

6 cookbooks personally selected by me

baking/candy making items

adorable little note cards and mini journals

3 Books about the building of the Schooner Lannon, one for each basket

1 music CD from Captain Stan and Daisy Nell

a cruise for two gift certificate from Essex River Cruises,

tee shirts from Essex Marina and Click Marketing Tools (me)

cookbooks from Chronicle (from Michelle Curreri) & Rockport publishing

lots of baking supplies and festive holiday decorating stuff

AND MORE IS STILL COMING IN!
family/youth basket that contains the following so far. Most of this basket was assembled by one of the judges, Jannine Fisk because she is a nice person!:

Cookie press

1 book about the building of the Schooner Lannon

2 Cookie cutters: Christmas tree, candy cane, gingerbread boy (Wilton comfort grip)

Brown sugar

Flour

Unsweetened cocoa powder

Baking powder

Mint baking chips

Milk chocolate chips

Toffee chips

Two small hardbound cookie cookbooks

Foil baking cups, sweetened condensed milk

Small deck of Kids Magic Trick cards

Gift certificates for a family meal/activity on Cape Ann-from Sharon Lowe

Please come on down on Thursday to Brown’s Mall and enter! Remember, your entry fee of $5.00 and two non perishable food items goes directly to The Open Door!

Remember this nice soup recipe? It’s a Winner Winner Chicken Soup Dinner!

Posted on by laurielufkin

Remember this nice soup recipe from a few weeks ago?  Well, I know it’s not a giant Christmas tree made from lobster pots, but this is pretty exciting to me!  I have posted the recipe again for you but scroll down past the recipe to see what I won!

Pesto Kissed Tuscan Chicken and Olive Stew

3 bone in chicken breasts with skin, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fennel, diced
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1-15.5 oz can diced tomatoes in sauce
2 bay leaves
5 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup pitted olives of your choice (not brined) drained and cut in half
1-1lb 13 oz can navy or small white beans, rinsed and drained
8 tablespoons prepared basil pesto

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat the oil in a heavy 7 quart Dutch oven over medium heat.  Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and place them skin side down in hot oil to brown, turning frequently to prevent scorching.  Brown the skin and remove breast to a plate.

To the pot, add the fennel, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary and saute until vegetables are translucent, about 5-minutes. Sprinkle in flour and stir until flour turns slightly brown, about 2 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and bay leaves and the browned chicken to the pot.

Bring the mixture to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low.  Allow the chicken to cook, uncovered but submerged, until cooked through, about 25 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool to a workable temperature.  Remove skin and bones from breast and cut or pull chicken into bite sized pieces.

Remove bay leaves from pot, add beans and olives and allow broth to thicken and reduce slightly.   When broth is thickened, return chicken to the pot, stir and re-season with salt and pepper to taste.  Bring soup back to a simmer. Ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with one tablespoon prepared basil pesto and top with shredded cheese.  Serve immediately.

It won me this!

This is an Emile Henry 7 quart Dutch Oven!

Here is the link to my winning recipe and those of my equally as talented cooking pals Sally and Deborah who came in 2nd and 3rd–check them out!

http://www.calolive.org/TheCaliforniaOliveCommitteeCookingCookingArticlesThreeTalentedChefsarePotLucky.aspx

It has been along “dry spell” since I have won anything in any of the many recipecooking contests that I enter so hopefully, this will start another winning streak!  If you make the soup, please let me know what you think and thank you all for your nice comments when I see you out and about.

More recipes to come!

Bonus Recipe! Holiday Fresh Fig and Spiced Apple Pie

Posted on by laurielufkin

Yummm…..pie….

I wanted to share this one with you to offer a bit of an alternative to traditional Thanksgiving pies.  Fresh figs are in the grocery stores right now and this combo of apples, figs and dried cranberries is terrific!

There will be a new episode of Inspired Cooking airing on Cape Ann TV tonight at 8:30–thought it was airing last week but it didn’t so I hope you will tune in.  The recipes for tonight’s show were posted last week and can be found here.  Make sure to check out my adorable prep cook!:

https://goodmorninggloucester.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/what-to-do-with-your-thanksgiving-leftovers/

Holiday Fresh Fig & Spiced Apple Pie

CRUST:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup butter flavored shortening
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

FILLING
1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca
16-18 fresh figs, stems removed and sliced horizontally into 1/8″ circles
5 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest, finely chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 egg yolk (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make crust using your favorite method and place one crust into a glass pie pan. Trim any overhanging crust to re-roll later, if desired, to decorate the top of the pie. Sprinkle tapioca on to bottom of crust and spread some of the sliced figs in a single layer covering the bottom of the crust.

In a large bowl, combine apples, flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, vanilla extract, orange zest and 2 tablespoons heavy cream and stir gently until apples are coated.

Over the figs, layer ½ of the apples into the pan. Cover apple layer with the dried cranberries. Layer the remaining apples over the figs and top apples with remaining figs. Scatter butter on top of fig layer and top with remaining pie crust. Trim, seal and flute edge.  Cut slits or shapes in several places in top crust. If desired roll out reserved crust and cut decorative shapes to enhance the pies appearance. Use egg yolk as “glue” to adhere decorations to top crust. Brush top crust with remaining heavy cream, sprinkle with granulated sugar and place pie in preheated oven.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. After 40 minutes of baking time, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Remove from oven and allow to rest for at least ½ hour before slicing. Enjoy with ice cream, whipped cream or just by itself. Enjoy!

What to do with your Thanksgiving Leftovers

Posted on by laurielufkin

The holidays are upon us and who has money to throw away?  Not me!  So here are a few ideas how to save money by recycling some of your leftover holiday foods into fun meals for your family. This episode was conceived  after speaking with Julie LaFontaine the Executive Director of the Open Door Food Pantry (pictured above, with Lily).  We were talking about what I could do to help spread the message of the Open Door and we came up with this show.

I went to the grocery store and bought the items that will be included in the Thanksgiving meals that are being donated to the Open Door.  I went home, cooked a traditional turkey dinner including turkey, potatoes, squash, carrots, stuffing, gravy, onions and cranberry sauce.  Also in the basket is a 5 pound bag of apples so I had all of that to work with.   And this is what I came up with.

These are the recipes for Inspired Cooking that is airing on Cape Ann TV tonight at 8:30 and again Friday at 4:30 and Sunday morning at 11:30.

Because you will be using your leftovers (and I don’t know how much you have) and I used mine, the quantities are not exact.  Taste what you are putting together, add dash of something here and a little more of something there and you will come up with a fun cost effective meal for your family.

Use these recipes as guidelines to making something terrific!

Squash Custard Pie

1 refrigerated pie crust.
5-6 cups leftover squash and carrots–whatever you do not have, make up the difference with a can of pumpkin puree–if veggies are a little chunky, that’s ok as long you are ok with texture in your pie.
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon melted butter
½-¾ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Fit crust into deep dish pie plate and crimp edges.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream butter, sugar and extract.  Stir in vegetables and season with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pour filling in to pie crust and bake pie for 45-55 minutes until filling is set and the blade of a knife, inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Allow to cool before slicing.

Oatmeal topped Apple Crisp–serve with ice cream if you have it!

¼ cup flour
¾ cup brown sugar, divided
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch salt
5-7 cups peeled apples (whatever you have), peeled, cored and sliced
4 tablespoon melted butter, divided
2 cups old fashioned oats (if you have quick oats, use them!)

Spray an 8” x 8” dish with nonstick spray or coat with butter.  Set aside.

Whisk together flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and salt and toss mixture with apples.  Pour apples in to prepared pan.

Whisk together oats, melted butter, remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.  Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes until oatmeal is crisp and apples are soft.  Enjoy

Turkey Dinner in a Stuffing Muffin

Cooked Turkey, cut into small cubes
Leftover gravy
Leftover stuffing
Leftover cranberry sauce
Leftover mashed potatoes

Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Mix turkey and stuffing in a small bowl.  Press  stuffing into bottom and up sides of cups  to make a crust.  Spoon 2 tablespoons  of the turkey and gravy mixture into the stuffing crust.  Place a small slice or tablespoon of cranberry sauce on top of the turkey  mixture.

Place about ¼ cup mashed potatoes in the palm of your hand and form into a patty.  Place the patty on top of the filled stuffing cup.

Repeat using up the remaining leftovers.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  Remove pan from oven and  allow cups to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.  Remove from pans and serve with additional gravy if desired.

Pulled Turkey Sliders with CranApple Slaw and Crispy Oven Fries

For the sandwiches you will need:

Leftover or fresh small rolls
Turkey, pulled into small pieces
Barbecue sauce

Mix turkey with bbq sauce.  Heat either slowly on the stovetop or covered in the oven at 350 degrees until hot.  Toast the rolls and slather with additional barbeque sauce if desired.  Place warm turkey on the bun and top with the slaw

For the slaw:

Mayonnaise
Leftover cranberry sauce
1 bag cole slaw mix
Apple chunks
Celery seeds, poppy seeds or other spices, if desired
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix equal amounts cranberry sauce and mayonnaise.  Add seasonings if desired and pour over apple chunks and slaw mix in a large bowl. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.

For the oven fries:
Uncooked potatoes, cut into steak fry size
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss cup potatoes with a few tablespoons olive oil to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Also great with a little garlic powder sprinkled on.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until crisp on one side. Flip fries over and cook for an additional 10 minutes until cooked through.  Enjoy!

And last but not least, Lily in her fabulous hat and chef’s coat.  Let me tell you, this kid can cook!  She came in 4th in an apple pie contest at Brooksby Farm on Sunday–there was no youth category–she competed against the adults!  I am so proud of her!