Red Cabbage

This recipe comes from John, my husband's colleague in FL.  John's wife is German, and they spend a good deal of time there, so he had credibility when we were sharing a restaurant version of this dish in Poland, and he said that he made a pretty good red cabbage.  Of course, I asked him to share his recipe. 

I loved this cabbage.  The sweet and sour taste is balanced by the savory warmth of the onion - very tasty, and John tells me it freezes well. 

Ingredients

1 onion, diced

2 tart apples, peeled, cored & diced

3 tablespoons butter

1 head red cabbage

1/2 cup vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves

Directions

In a large dutch oven, saute onion and apples in butter until soft.  Cut cabbage into quarters, remove core and outer leaves.  Thinly slice remaining leaves to produce a finely shredded cabbage.  Add cabbage, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to pan.  Cook approximately one hour, until cabbage is soft, stirring occasionally.  Stir in blackberry preserves, combine over heat until the preserves are melted. 

Designer Chocolate Baby Grands

Heavenly Cake Baker Submission #18

Thanks to my sis for the cupcake plate!

I'm on the Board of Interfaith Community Services and offered to bring dessert for today's Church Council meeting.  We were expecting 40, so I took the Chocolate Baby Grands, chocolate chip cookies, and a soon to be posted Plum Blueberry Upside Down Torte. 

I'm very fond of this (Rose's German chocolate) batter; it's moist and very chocolaty.  The cakes are brushed with a  chocolate ganache syrup and then topped with a chocolate glaze.  The shinny finish was an interesting change, but for my simple taste, the time and mess involved weren't justified by a huge improvement in flavor.  I would have been just as happy with a swirl of chocolate frosting.  The attendees and my co-workers (who didn't have sticky chocolate in their kitchens) enjoyed the cupcakes and complemented the flavor.  Melinda, with tastes leaning more to savory than sweet, appears to have a weakness for chocolate.  She described these with "YUM!"  The youth helping with the lunch were mesmerized by the texture of the chocolate glaze; it could be fun to play with. 

Unlike my other blog posts, as part of the Heavenly Cake Bakers, I don't post recipes from this book on the Internet. One of the reasons for this baking group is to encourage readers to purchase the cookbook. That strategy worked on me! After follow the group's baking adventures for a couple of months, I ordered a copy from Amazon because I wanted join in.

Chocolate Banana Stud Cake

Heavenly Cake Baker Submission #18

While I don't recommend baking your Monday submission on Monday night, it does provide the advantage of knowledge gathered from other bakers - the non-procrastinating bakers.  Based on comments from others, I'm going light on the chocolate (using some strawberry frosting from my freezer rather than ganache; yes the crazy flour frosting that Monica and I like), light on the chips (just a few white chocolate chips), and heavy on the banana (I added 1/4 teaspoon of banana extract).

The cake will be going to my office on Tuesday, but I did make a mini cupcake to do a taste test.  It seems to be a little more moist than my previous HCB chocolate cakes.  I finally found alkalized cocoa and used Vicki's technique of leaning toward the low-end of the baking time.  Two new variables, we may never know the real solution to my dilemma.

Tasting panel comments--
Jennifer: banana split cake- it's just missing the pineapple
Sandi: rich chocolate taste with delicate fruity overtones

Unlike my other blog posts, as part of the Heavenly Cake Bakers, I don't post recipes from this book on the internet. One of the reasons for this baking group is to encourage readers to purchase the cookbook. That strategy worked on me! After follow the group's baking adventures for a couple of months, I ordered a copy from Amazon.

Breakfast Casserole

This dish was created by Paula Davis and originally titled Eggs Richard II after her husband, Dick, who was my husband's friend and squadron commander while we were stationed at Torrejon AB, Spain.  I had many reasons to be happy about Ed's promotions and increased responsibility in the squadron, and one of those reasons was that we were invited to have dinner at the Davis home more often.  If Paula was cooking, you knew it would be good.  

I often fix this casserole for a holiday breakfast.  I love the fact that it MUST be made the day before.  The day you're serving, all you have to do is pop it in the oven.  And that's a good thing; because after the prep, there will be stack of dirty dishes.  I used to feel this was a long, complicated recipe, but I'm in my seventh month as one of Rose's Heavenly Cake Bakers, so my idea of what constitutes a long, complicated recipe has changed.  In both cases, Rose's cakes and this egg dish, it's well worth the effort. 

Ingredients

3-10 ounce packages frozen chopped spinach                                        

8 strips bacon                                                                           

1 cup cubed ham                                                             

1 stick butter, divided  

1 cup flour   

4 cups milk   

2 tablespoons instant minced onion    

Seasoned salt, pepper & Tabasco to taste

18 eggs

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk                                                   

1/2 cup canned French fried onion rings, crushed              

1/2cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

• Cook spinach as directed. 
• Drain spinach very well and chop again. 
• Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces and fry until crisp. 
• Remove bacon and drain on paper towel.   
• Add ham to bacon grease and fry 2 minutes. Remove ham and set aside with bacon. 
• Add ½ stick butter to bacon grease and melt. 
• Add flour a little at a time, mixing well. Stir and cook until bubbly. 
• Add milk gradually, stirring until sauce is thick and smooth. 
• Add spinach, onion and seasonings; mix well and remove from heat. 
• Melt 1/2 stick of butter in another pan. 
• Beat eggs and evaporated milk together with salt and pepper.   
• Scramble mixture in butter until lightly set. 
• Butter 9” x 13”  Pyrex baking dish.   
• Spread half of eggs, then half of bacon and ham and cover with half of spinach mixture.  Repeat these layers and top with onion rings and cheese.   
• Refrigerate over night; this is a MUST. Bake at 275 degrees for one hour.   

Serves 12 – 14.

Will I give up measuring cups for a scale?

Several of my HCB friends could be refereed to as devotees of kitchen scales - as are my parents.  I haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet, So when CSN contacted me to see if I'd like to review a product, a kitchen scale was the first thing to pop into my mind.  Stayed tuned to see how it turns out. 

Two of our daughters are moving into new apartments this fall, second story apartments.  So there's a lot at the CSN websites that we may need.  I especially liked the idea of furnishing a dining room and taking advantage of the free shipping.  That would mean the UPS driver is carrying the furniture upstairs instead of me!  

Mini Vanilla Bean Pound Cakes

Heavenly Cake Baker Submission #17

I know there are prettier pound cakes out there, but I can't imagine anything tasting better.  This cake is so tender and the syrup just adds to the full-bodied vanilla flavor.  I made a double recipe.  Two cakes are going to work tomorrow.  Two cakes are going to a friend's house, and one has disappeared. 

First, vanilla bean seeds are mixed with superfine sugar.  Then, the eggs, milk and vanilla are combined.  The vanilla sugar is mixed with cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Finally, the butter and liquids are included. 

I used disposable mini loaf pans, but they may have been just a little too small.  There was half an inch to spare when the batter went into the pans, but I did have a little bit of overflow. 

Now, I need a little advice from my HCB blogging friends.  Do any of you use a convection oven?  I was in Poland recently, and tried to bake a coffee cake and biscuits in an apartment oven.  Converting F to C was easy, but I couldn't make sense out of the symbols on the knob.  Even searching the manufacturer's website left me confused. 

Unlike my other blog posts, as part of the Heavenly Cake Bakers, I don't post recipes from this book on the internet. One of the reasons for this baking group is to encourage readers to purchase the cookbook. That strategy worked on me! After follow the group's baking adventures for a couple of months, I ordered a copy from Amazon.

Wicked (Cayenne) Peanut Brittle

Have you ever made something just to use up the last of one ingredient?  That's the case here.  I've had a cup of raw peanuts sitting around since I made the Peanut Butter Baccahanal.  The brittle turned out a little darker than I would like; I only had dark corn syrup, but I really like the kick from the cayenne pepper.  And everything's better with a little chocolate.   

Ingredients

2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
1 c. raw spanish peanuts
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cayenne
1/3 c chocolate chips

Directions

•  In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine sugar, water, corn syrup, butter, and salt.
• Cook, stirring constantly, until temperatiure reaches 290 degrees.
• Stir in peanuts, cook stirring constantly, until temperature reaches 300.
• Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and cayenne.
• Quickly spread mixture on large greased baking sheet.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot mixture.
• Cool, break into pieces, and store in airtight container.

Wheat Berry Pesto Salad

Maybe you've found yourself in this situation. 

I planned my menu for a July 4th cookout - heavy on grilled meats, and then the day before, I learn that my daughter, a vegetarian, would be able to join us.  I was thrilled and wanted to offer her somthing more substantial that grilled veggies and tomato cucumber salad..  A quick trip to Sprouts and I came up with this hearty salad.

Ingredients

2 cups soft white wheat berries

1/2 teaspoon salt

6-ounce jar pesto

2 ounces Parmesean cheese, grated

3/4 pound raw asparagus, chopped

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions

• In a saucepan, add wheat and enough water to bring the level two inches above the wheat berries.
• Add salt and bring to a boil; simmer approximately one hour, until berries are tender but still have a little crunch and chewiness. 
• Drain and rinse. 
• In a bowl, combine cooked wheat berries with remaining ingredients. 
• Chill.
• For the presentation above, place a large round cookie cutter on the plate and pack the salad into it.  Carefully, lift the cookie cutter and garnish with asparagus tips. 

Zielona Weranda, Poznań, Poland

I visited Zielona Weranda (pronounced Veranda) twice in recent weeks.  It's a little difficult to find, near the American Consulate, look for the sandwich board sign on the sidewalk at the doorway, the restaurant is down a hallway, located among shops and galleries.  The restaurant decor is wonderfully inviting.  I felt as if I were in a  cottage tastefully decorated with great attention to detail or in a lovely, homey antique shop.  The menus (available in English) are handwritten and many pages, giving a detailed description of each dish. 

On my first visit, I had lunch with several other American ladies.  We sat in a corner of the vine covered patio and ordered a variety of salads and sandwiches.  I had smoked salmon on ciabatta bread.  The ingredients were so fresh, at the peak of their flavor, and expertly put together.  To drink, I enjoyed a sparkling water with fresh fruit and mint.  I believe this meal was in the neighborhood of 30 zl or $9.

 

On my second visit, I took my husband.  It's not often that can "one up" him in new places to eat, so this was a rare treat for me.  We split a Dutch salad.  It was three types of lettuce, cucumber, both black and green olives, and it was topped off with a cheese sauce.  The sauce was not warm enough to wilt the lettuce; the greens were still crisp.  I don't think I've ever eaten a salad quite like this before.  The combination of flavors was very pleasing, and I'm sure that I'll try to recreate it at home.  For beverages, my husband ordered an espresso with ice cream and I had raspberry iced tea (after coveting Rachel's during our first lunch).  I believe the tea had a little raspberry syrup, not too sweet.  It was also filled with icy cold raspberries and mint and topped off with an orchid - a most impressive presentation.

Check out the rich, dark hot chocolate from a later visit.