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entertaining
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Entertaining
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My Spring Pantry
One of the first things Jenny and I like to do when we are traveling, even on short trips, is look for a local grocery store. Privately owned establishments are few and far between, but, when we do find one, we keep our eyes open for fun regional items. If a big chain store is all you have to choose from, try the international food aisle which was the impetus for this month’s inspiring provisions.
What’s in my pantry? Among the staples I have on hand are a few products we found on a foray into the international isle.
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Devon Ambrosia custard— a wonderful rich canned English custard perfect for topping fresh berries or making a last-minute trifle. We used it in the layers of our delicious coconut cake.
Love ‘n Bake Hazelnut Praline and Pistachio Nut Paste and Chocolate Schmear— a delicious addition to breads, biscuits, and cakes. We topped a devil’s food loaf cake with chocolate schmear and freshly whipped cream.
Melissa’s Pine Nuts (www.melissas.com)— they have the most amazing selection of fresh produce and hard-to-find food items on line. The staff is excellent and knowledgeable, and you can often find their products at your local market.
Odlum’s 100% Irish Cream Flours and Brown Bread Mix— these lovely bread mixes attracted me with their graphic owl design on the package, but with a “just add water” mentality, this easy and delicious bread is so pleasing to smell and taste (with lots of fresh whipped butter), I’m completely hooked on the product. Double the recipe and have fruit conserves on hand.
Coleman’s Honey Mustard— we used this delightful imported mustard to add some extra kick to our hummus. Spread lavishly on veggie burgers, peasant sandwiches, and aged cheddar cheese for a sweet, sharp layer of flavor (www.colemansmustard.com).
Litehouse Chives and Garlic— these super fresh freeze-dried flavorings were colorful and attractive in the packaging, but the incredible scents and engaging flavors add delicious layers to items such as vinaigrette and stir fry.
A Taste of Thai Lite Coconut Milk— exotic flavors are close at hand with this simple and easy to use coconut milk. Add to cake batter, icing, and even a cream sauce for chicken or shrimp for a touch of distinct island flavor.
Tilda Brand Pure Basmati Rice— do you need a reason to fill the house with the nutty scent of creamy rice? This is by far the most fragrant and aromatic rice we have ever experienced.
Holmfield Bakery— assorted Jam Tarts Pastry Shells with a rich filling of either Blackcurrant Jam, Strawberry Jam, or Lemon Curd. Perfect as a quick dessert or with afternoon tea. Keep them on hand for children who like to add a bit of sophistication to their teddy bear tea parties (UK Goods website). This Web site has many of the products we used for the site. You can also find them at this website.
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Kale and Potato
Stir Fry
A delicious mix of hearty potatoes and fresh green kale---perfect for a dinner side dish or as a big bowl of nutritious comfort.
1 ½ pounds red potatoes, cut into quarters
½ clove garlic, peeled
¼ cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
5 ounces frozen kale, cooked, squeezed dry, and torn into pieces
Place the potatoes and garlic in a large pot, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, and cook until just tender---about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander, and return the potatoes to the pot. Over medium heat, toss potatoes with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Add pieces of kale and toss until wilted. Serve immediately.
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Hummas Bruschetta
A simple, healthful, and tasty dip to serve with toasted bread, fresh crudite, or pumpernickel sticks.
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
1 16-ounce package prepared hummas
¼ cup chick peas, drained and mashed
1/3 cup well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or to taste
¼ cup olive oil or to taste
½ cup water, plus extra, if needed
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted lightly
1 teaspoon honey mustard
toasted French bread, as an accompaniment
On a cutting board, mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. In a medium bowl, mix hummas, mashed peas, tahini, lemon juice, ¼ cup of the oil, and ½ cup water, until smooth. Add mustard to hummus, and transfer to a small serving bowl. Drizzle finished hummas with a first cold-pressed olive oil and top with toasted pine nuts.
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Shrimp, Pea Pod,
and Avocado with
Cream Sauce
The addition of fresh avocado makes this dish both decadent and sublime.
1 pound of shrimp
2 ½ ounces of butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ pint (1 cup) coconut milk
heavy or whipping cream
1 cup pea pods, blanched
1 fresh avocado, sliced into ½ slices
1 cup pea pods, washed and dried
6 cups basmati rice, fork tossed and fluffy
Steam shrimp 3 to 5 minutes. Melt two ounces of butter. Add flour to make paste. Slowly add coconut milk and a splash of heavy cream. Stir until thickened to creamy consistency. Reduce heat and add cream sauce to shrimp. Cook two minutes over medium heat. Add avocado, pea pod, and chopped scallions, and toss lightly. Serve over basmati rice.
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Savory Salad
I try to find the most colorful mix of fresh vegetables possible to create delicious and unexpected salads. A trip to a local Greek restaurant inspired the generous amount of plum tomatoes mostly for the flavor but what great color.
8 plum tomato, washed and halved
2 cups baby spinach, washed, and patted dry
1 cup asparagus sliced lengthwise
peas in their pod
scallions
thyme
dressing---oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper
After washing vegetables, toss them together, and garnish with fresh thyme. This makes a healthy and delicious salad.
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Irish Soda Bread
Odlum’s Cream Flour has an easy recipe on the back of their bag. By adding water only and kneading, you get hearty bread that is great hot out of the oven with butter. Serve with hearty soups and stews. We doubled the recipe for the picture and had room temperature butter to slather on---great for breakfast with cinnamon honey butter.
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Devil’s Food Loaf Cake
What makes this chocolatey cake so desirable is that it’s easy and decadent. No one will ever know it was achieved in just a small amount of time with lots of shortcuts.
1 box devil’s food cake mix baked in two loaf pans
“Love’n Bake” Schmear chocolate filling makes the perfect chocolate topping (find it in the baking aisle of your grocer)
1 pint whipping cream
¼ cup confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon powdered cocoa
Prepare cake mix as per box and let cool. While the cake is cooling, make the whipped cream adding the confectionary sugar and vanilla. Whip until firm peaks form. Top with the “Love’n Bake” chocolate schmear and then with whipped cream. Sprinkle with powdered cocoa.
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Coconut Cake
This cake is like a dream---easy to make and absolutely unforgettable. Employ our ideas for saving time and amaze your family with this delicious and mostly handcrafted confection.
Cake
2 boxes of moist yellow cake mix
1 cup fresh grated coconut, toasted
1 cup canned coconut milk or the milk from fresh coconut
coconut milk, substitute for the water in cake mix.
1 can Devon custard
Follow the boxed cake direction, but replace water with coconut milk. Once the cakes have cooled, assemble the cake, putting a thin layer of custard between the layers. We used skewers inserted from the top to keep the cake from sliding. For a smaller version of this cake, just half the recipe. Place the cake in the refrigerator for one hour to set.
Frosting
16 ounces cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk
8 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons flaked coconut
Combine the softened cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and confectioners’ sugar. Mix until smooth. Spread over cooled cake, and top with flaked coconut.
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Cinnamon Bun Babka Cake
We couldn’t resist this Babka—a polish Easter cake---when we saw it at the bakery. To Jenny, anything cinnamon that’s swirled into pastry dough is a perfect accompaniment to a.m. coffee. Of course, they were tight lipped, and we couldn’t get their recipe, so we researched and found this one that we liked almost as well. Add raisins, walnut, pecans, or small pieces of dried fruit for a twist. Be adventurous
Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
½ cup sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) melted margarine or butter, cooled, plus more for brushing
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all‑purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Filling:
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
¼ cup melted butter, cooled |
Glaze:
¼ cup water
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 orange, zest finely grated
1 large egg white
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To prepare dough: in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup of the warm water. Sprinkle in ¼ teaspoon of sugar, and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the remaining water, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and salt. Add two cups of the flour and turn the speed up to medium. Continue to mix until incorporated. Gradually add the remaining flour. Continue to mix until the dough holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be very soft.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Rub the inside of a mixing bowl with the oil and put the dough in it, turning to coat. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for about 1 ½ hours---until doubled in size.
To prepare the filling: combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the orange zest and melted butter. Fold the ingredients together.
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.
Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface---about 10 by 18 inches. Brush the surface of the dough with melted butter, and spread the filling evenly across it. Roll the dough up into a long cylinder---jellyroll style---and twist it a few times as if you were wringing out a towel. Put the dough on the sheet pan, and coil it around like a pinwheel. Tuck the loose end of the dough under so it doesn't unravel. Brush the top of the dough with more melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until your kitchen smells like cinnamon, and the babka is golden brown. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack.
To prepare the orange glaze: mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until the sugar dissolves. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps and drizzle it over the top of the babka while it is still warm.
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