Cranberry Morning Muffins

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Ingredients:
For the Cranberries:
½ cup dried cranberries¼ cup milk
For the Muffins:
2 eggs - beaten¼ cup milk1 tsp. baking powder1¾ cups flour – sifted¼ tsp. salt¼ cup sugar2 – 4 tablespoons butter – melted1 tablespoon baking powder
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Soak the cranberries in the milk.
Gently melt the butter.
In a bowl, combine the sifted flour, sugar, salt and bakingpowder. Add the eggs.  Add the butter andthe milk and cranberries.
Combine the mixture with only a few strokes.
Butter the muffin tins and fill with the batter.  Sprinkle the muffin tops with sugar.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Perfect muffins for a quick breakfast.
Enjoy with Love and Blessings,
Catherinexo

~ Italian Style Baked Chicken Thighs ~

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Ingredients:
10 chicken thighs – with skin
For the Topping:
1 large vine ripe tomato1 small red onion 5 garlic clovesHandful of Italian parsleyJuice of 1 lemonDashes of saltDashes of black pepperDashes of garlic powderDrizzles of olive oilGrated Romano cheese
Preheat Oven 350 degrees:
Place all of the ingredients for the topping of the chickenthighs in a food processor and give a few good chops.
Place the chicken thighs in a baking pan and sprinkle withtops of the skin with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.  Top the thighs with the mixture from the foodprocessor.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake 45 – 50 minutes.
Grate Romano cheese over the thighs when they are finishedcooking.
This is a delicious way to serve chicken thighs.
Enjoy with Love and blessings,
Catherine xo

Italian Style Baked Chicken Thighs on Cook Eat ShareItalian Style Baked Chicken Thighs on Key Ingredient

Rosette Duchess Potato

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It had been around 2 years since I got this recipe on hand. The recipe had been introduced when I attended the cooking class which held by Mayer (where I bought my baby pink KA).

The reason made me thinking of this dish when I found 3 russet potatoes in the kitchen. My DH is potato lover and I do like eating potato too. I was glad that I chose the right choice to make this dish because it was a hit by DH. I only ate 1/4 portion from what I cooked and the rest he finished it in one time. He mentioned why I never thought of making this, it was so good! That was enough to make me feel happy when I cooked and he like it :)

From the recipe I got, I just modified the filling on my own. I felt that the potato part it will go well with any types of filling as your preference and in my opinion, you can either eat just plain potato which is very similar too mashed potatoes because it is delicious by itself.

To make my Duchess Potato even more special, I piped roses for decoration but you can just pipe it into a cup or baking sheet. This easy & simple dish will definitely worth to try especially if you are potato lover like us!

Duchess Potato

Potatoes           4 medium
Egg yolks        2
Milk                 2 Tbsp.
Cream              2 Tbsp.
Salted butter     40 g.
White pepper
Salt                  A pinch
*Optional: you can add dried herbs in the mixture to give it aromatic. For me, I added mixed Italian herbs.

1. Peel & cut the potatoes into chunks. Place potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 15-20 mins, then reduce the heat to medium, simmer till tender (when pierced with a fork).
2. Remove from the heat & drain. Return potatoes to pot & stir over medium heat until moisture evaporates about 1 min. Remove from the heat.
3. Mash potatoes with masher or fork. Mix in the milk, cream, egg yolks, butter, salt and pepper. Stir till in corporate and smooth.
4. Spoon the potato mixture into pastry bag which fits a star nozzle. Pipping into the cup (with filling or without filling) or on the greased baking sheet.
5. Bake in the preheat oven 250C for 5 mins or until the potato is golden brown.

Cranberry Yogurt Pai Pau (Bread)

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Saw the post "Cranberry Cream Cheese Pai Pau (Bread) from Sonia (nasilemaklover's blog), I was so tempted to try making the bread. As she mentioned in her post, the cream cheese can be substitute with yogurt and someone did it with a pleased result. I decided to make my bread with some leftover strawberry yogurt and hope it will turn out well.

I followed exactly as the recipe except using yogurt instead of cream cheese. Making this bread is very easy because it's a straight method moreover the dough was easy to handle. I was using my pink KA for kneading but I'm sure kneading by hand will be easy too.

My Pai Pau (Bread) when it was in the oven, the smell of the bread came out so aromatic which I guess it might be strawberry yogurt as in one of the ingredient. I even could not resist to try the bread once it's done. The texture is so soft and fluffy and this is the first time I felt so happy of my bun's texture without any exceptions. It is a 2nd day when I'm writing now but the bread still soft. This recipe must be get thumps up and really worth to try if you are a bread lover. I will definitely make this recipe again and again for sure :)

Cranberry Yogurt Pai Pau (Bread)

Bread flour         280   g.
Sugar                    40   g.
Salt                       2.5  g.
Yeast                       1  tsp.
Milk                    120   g.
Egg                       40   g.
Yogurt                  50   g.
Unsalted butter     28   g.
Dry cranberries    40   g.

1. Mix all ingredients except butter and cranberries in the mixing bowl. Start kneading till all the ingredients combined likes a dough.
2. Add in butter and continue kneading till get a smooth and elastic dough then add in cranberries. Mix till incorporated.
3. Gather the dough and make in round shape. Place into the greased bowl then wrap with cling film for 1st proof around 45 mins - 1 hour (till double in size).
4. Take out the dough and press to release the air. Divide the dough in 6 portion equally and round up each one. Rest for 15 mins.
5. Roll the dough into oval shape and roll from the right side to left side likes swiss roll. Place it into the greased square pan 9x9" and repeat this step till finish up all.
6. Rest the dough to proof till double in size. Apply egg wash on top and bake in the preheat oven at 180C for 20 mins.

Special Thanks: Sonia (nasilemaklover.blogspot.com) for sharing such a superb recipe

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Yeah, I know. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Barley Kale Salad!  I did have visions of posting cookies,cupcakes or something else sweet and gooey, but after thinking aboutValentine’s Day as the day to celebrate love, instead of a day to gorge onsweets, I decided to take a different path.  The love of my life, the one I’ve been married to foralmost 20 years, has been battling high cholesterol for most of his adult life.I’ve made changes in what we eat to help with his cholesterol, so we are now eating more fish,whole grains and good fats, and less meat, white flour and saturated fats.  Some weeks are better than others, buton the whole we have been making progress, and his numbers have been lookinggood!
So, with my Valentine in mind, I decided to share my friendBeth’s Barley and Kale salad.  Beth served this salad to go with my beans, and barbequed tri-tip for acamping trip last June (We eat really well on our camping trips!).   I made her salad this Sunday, so Lesand I could bring it for lunch during week.  I packed Les some for his lunch Monday, and as I was sittingdown to eat my bowl, I received a text from him saying he really liked thesalad, and he hoped there was more for Tuesday.   Awh, how sweet! I’m glad he liked it!
Barley and Kale salad is low fat, tasty and filling.  The dressing adds a tartness thatblends nicely with the kale, the edamame adds a nice amount of protein, and the cranberries are just plain yummy.  Happy Valentine’s Day!  
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Barley Kale SaladPrintable Recipe 1 10-ounce bunch Lacinato (dinosaur kale), washed, leavestrimmed from stem and chopped½ cup chopped parsley, one bunch½ cup chopped red onion½ cup good quality balsamic vinegarJuice of two lemons½ teaspoon kosher saltGenerous grinding of freshly ground black pepper3 cups cooked barley2 cups shelled edamame½ cup dried cranberries
In a large bowl, combine the choppedkale, parsley and red onion.  In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamicvinegar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Add the vinegar mixture to thekale and toss together.  Stir the barley, edamame and cranberries into thekale mixture. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.  Refrigerate for 1hour to let the flavors combine. Serve.

Paglia e Fieno (Straw and Hay) Recipe

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This colorful pasta dish has been on restaurant menus as far-back as I can remember.  Patrons love the two-tone pasta, crispy peas, prosciutto bits, and creamy sauce.  Your family and guests will ask for second helpings every time.  But, as traditional as this dish is, feel free to change the vegetables according to seasons; for example, I love adding fava beans in the spring, corn in the summer, mushrooms in the fall, and cooked chestnuts in the winter.


Ingredients:
salt for the pasta pot
4 scallions
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup shelled fresh peas, blanched or frozen baby peas, defrosted
6 to 8 slices imported prsciutto, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick ribbons
2/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound fresh paglia e fieno fettucine, or 1/2 pound dry egg fettucine and 1/2 pound dry spinach fettucine
3/4 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
2. Trim the roots, tips, and any yellow or wilted leaves from the scallions.  Cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 3-inch lengths.  Cut the scallion pieces lengthwise into thin strips.
3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the scallions, and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.  Scatter in the peas and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.  Add the prosciutto, and toss until it changes color, 1 to 2 minutes.  Pour in the chicken stock, and bring the liquid to a boil.  Reduce the sauce to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.  Add the heavy cream, and continue to simmer until the liquid is lightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Stir the pasta into the salted boiling water.  Return to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente.  Fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer, and add it directly to the sauce in the skillet, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce.  Cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced enough to form a creamy sauce.  Remove from the heat, toss in the grated cheese, and serve immediately in warm bowls.

Recipe courtesy of Lidia's Favorite Recipes by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.

Italy  [ print this recipe for Paglia e Fieno (Straw and Hay) ]

Wild Mushroom Risotto Recipe

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Everyone thinks of mashed potatoes and gravy or mac and cheese as comfort foods. But after tasting this risotto, you may just have a new favorite.

Ingredients:
6 cups beef stock (or substitute chicken or mushroom stock)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and julienned
1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 pound Principato di Lucedio Arborio rice
1/2 cup Courvoisier cognac
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Preparation:

1. Pour the stock into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.
2. In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Pour in the cognac and keep stirring until it is completely absorbed. Using a large ladle, add the stock one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until absorbed. Continue this process until all the stock is used and the rice is creamy.
4. Add the mushroom mixture to the risotto and continue cooking and stirring. Stir in the heavy cream and cheese and continue stirring. Risotto should have a very creamy texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.

Serves 8

Recipe courtesy of Lobster for Leos, Cookies for Capricorns by Sabra Ricci

Italy [ print this recipe for Wild Mushroom Risotto ]