Category Archives: Cakes

Cakes, Entertaining, Fruit, Pork

Pork Chops with Maple Syrup and Balsamic Vinegar with Roasted Squash, Mashed Potatoes and Apple Cornmeal Cake

I was reading an article recently in the New York Times about signature dishes in restaurants, which was more or less lamenting the fact that popular dishes need to be made ad infinitum to keep customers happy. It reminded me of a recipe for Smokies in The Eden Cookbook, where the introduction to the recipe says, “This dish, one of my favourites, was on the first menu in Eden. When I changed the menu after three months, I took this off. It led to chaos. Two customers walked out, as they had come specifically for the Smokies, and I received numerous phone calls … I learned a valuable lesson — give your customers what they want.”

One of the recipes the article singled out was this one for pork chops, developed by Matthew Kenney (and wouldn’t you know it, chicken Marbella got a mention too). I can see why it would be a popular restaurant dish — how can you go wrong with a combination of maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, candied pecans and ginger? It sounds exotic enough that you wouldn’t necessarily think of making it yourself at home, but it’s incredibly easy and tasty enough to serve for company. I made it for my father-in-law last weekend, who happily offered to eat the extra chop that was left over.

This is a great menu for an autumn dinner party, though if you think plain mashed potatoes would be too, well, plain for company, you could gussy them up by adding in some chopped fresh parsley and a couple tablespoons of wholegrain mustard.

Pork Chops with Maple Syrup and Balsamic Vinegar
from The New York Times

Serves 4

3/4 cup (175 ml) maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (50 g) pecans
4 x 1 1/4‑inch-thick pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 green apples, cored
1/4 cup (50 g) finely chopped candied ginger

Preheat a broiler or light a charcoal grill.

In a small nonreactive bowl, whisk together the syrup, vinegar, sugar and cinnamon.

Place a small pan over a medium heat. Add the pecans and about 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup sauce and cook for a few minutes, until the nuts are glazed and fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a plate and spread them out to cool. Transfer the cooled nuts to a cutting board, chop roughly and set aside.

Season the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. When the broiler is hot, or the coals are covered with gray ash and you can hold your hand 5 inches above them for only 1 to 2 seconds, broil or grill the meat for approximately 7 minutes per side. Brush with some of the remaining maple glaze every 2 or 3 minutes, turning them frequently to prevent the sugar from burning.

When the chops are cooked, remove from the broiler or grill and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, slice the cored apples into thick rounds, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and place on the broiler pan or grill until tender when pierced with a fork. These, too, should be brushed with the maple glaze and turned frequently.

Serve the chops with the apple slices, sprinkled with the pecans and candied ginger.

***

roasted squash with pecans and blue cheese

Butternut Squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese
adapted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Serves 6 to 8

4 lb 8 oz (2 kg) butternut squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 oz (110g) pecans
4 oz (110 g) Roquefort, or other blue cheese, crumbled
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Peel and halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into 1‑inch cubes (you don’t need to be precise, just keep the pieces uniformly small). Place the squash in a roasting tin or casserole dish and drizzle with the oil. Strip about 4 sprigs of thyme of their leaves (or use dried thyme) and sprinkle over the butternut squash. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes, or until tender.

Once out of the oven, transfer the squash to a serving bowl. Scatter over the pecans and crumble over the cheese, stirring everything together gently. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. To serve, tear the remaining sprigs of thyme into small pieces and sprinkle over the top of the butternut squash mixture.

***

upside-down apple cornmeal cake

Upside-down Apple Cornmeal Cake

Serves 8

for the brandy-soaked raisins:
1/2 cup (80 g) raisins
1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy

for the apple topping:
2 or 3 large Gala or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and quartered
4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter
2/3 cup (120 g) brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

for the cake:
1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (170 g) fine cornmeal
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (110 g) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (150 g) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk
1/3 cup (60 g) pecans, roughly chopped

Soak the raisins in the brandy for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before you bake the cake.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

To make the apple topping, cut each apple quarter lengthwise into 3 wedges. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over a medium heat. Add in the brown sugar and cinnamon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and add the apples, gently stirring to coat. Using a tongs or fork, neatly arrange the apple slices in circles in the sugar mixture, starting at the outer edge and working your way to the center of the pan.  (You might not need all the apple slices.)

To make the cake, whisk the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Gently fold in the chopped pecans and raisins, along with any brandy still left in the bowl.

Gently pour the batter evenly on top of the fruit in the skillet, being careful not to move the apple slices too much. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center of the cake springs back lightly when touched. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes in the skillet before carefully inverting it onto a plate.

Cakes, Fruit, Poultry, Salads

Curried Chicken with Cucumber Yogurt Salad and Apple Honey Bundt Cake

When my husband was young, his birthday dinner of choice was his mom’s chicken curry. Shortly after we started dating, he made me the dish and, well, we’re married now. It’s just that good. He still makes it for me often. Though we’ve eaten it dozens of times together, we always end the meal by agreeing that “this was the best batch ever.”

The apple honey cake was left over from Rosh Hashanah dinner last weekend. Honey and apples are traditionally eaten on this holiday. What better way to combine them than a Bundt cake?

Curried Chicken
adapted From my mother-in-law, Kathy

Serves 4 to 6

4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 teaspoon dried ground chili peppers (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 whole chicken, cut into breasts, leg quarters, and wings
3 tablespoons butter
2 or 3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups (480 ml) boiling water

Combine the dry ingredients and rub them onto the chicken. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and brown the onions over a medium heat. Pushing the onions to the sides of the pan, add the chicken to the onions and brown slightly over a medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add any remaining spice rub mixture to the water. Add the browned chicken and onions to the pot. Cook over a low heat, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Stir the chicken pieces around, remove the cover and continue cooking for 20 minutes or longer.

Serve with rice, cucumber yogurt salad, and chutney.

***

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Serves 4 to 6

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
3 cups (720 ml) plain yogurt

Place the sliced cucumber in a colander. Sprinkle with enough salt to cover the slices and allow to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Mix together the cucumbers and yogurt in a serving bowl.

***

Apple Honey Bundt Cake
adapted from Allrecipes

Makes 12 servings

1 cup (200 g) white sugar
1 cup (230 ml) vegetable oil
2 eggs
2/3 cup (160 ml) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 medium apples, peeled, cored and shredded
1/2 to 1 cup (50 to 100 g) chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 9‑inch Bundt pan. 

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil. Beat in the eggs until light, then stir in the honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the apples and nuts. 

Bake for 50 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate and tapping out of the pan. 

Bread, Cakes, Seafood

Bay Scallop Gratin and Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

There has been no shortage of “staying in is the new going out” headlines since the recession hit last year, usually applied to statistics about fewer people going to pubs, a rise in subscriptions to online DVD rental services or a surge in sales of board games. Not surprisingly, restaurants have been particularly badly hit, with a number of high-profile cases in Ireland. But we haven’t really enjoyed going out to eat for a number of years now. Eating out in Ireland is notoriously expensive, and there’s nothing I hate more than a mediocre meal that costs nearly as much as a week’s worth of groceries and that I could make just as well or better myself. So when Matt asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner for my birthday yesterday, I said I’d rather splash out on some good-quality ingredients and make a nice dinner at home instead. And even though he kept offering to get me my favorite cake from a local patisserie or make me a birthday cake if I just gave him the recipe I wanted, I happily insisted on making it myself, since I’ve been looking forward to trying this buttermilk cake recipe since Deb at Smitten Kitchen posted it in July. I’ll definitely make it again as my go-to recipe now for a yellow cake or easy chocolate frosting, but I have to admit that it didn’t unseat Beatty’s chocolate cake as my favorite. Still, it’s good to try new things (especially cakes).

It’s National Organic Week in Ireland! Click here for a listing of events throughout the country.

Bay Scallop Gratin
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 6

6 tablespoons (90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium shallots, minced
2 oz (60 g) Parma ham or pancetta, minced
4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Pernod
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 cup panko or breadcrumbs (if making your own fresh breadcrumbs, remove the crusts)
6 tablespoons dry white wine
2 lb (900 g) fresh bay scallops (or 6 scallops per person)
lemon, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Place six 6‑inch round gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, Parma ham or pancetta, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt, and pepper and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko or breadcrumbs in with a rubber spatula and set aside.

Preheat the broiler, if it’s separate from your oven.

Place 1 tablespoon of the wine in the bottom of each gratin dish. With a small sharp knife, remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with plain crusty French bread to soak up all the amazing juices.

***

slice of buttermilk birthday cake

Buttermilk Birthday Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
adapted from Smitten Kitchen (you can watch a video of Deb from Smitten Kitchen talking about this cake and a video of the frosting being made at GoodBite.com)

Makes two 9‑inch-round, 2‑inch-tall cake layers

4 cups (480 g) plus 2 tablespoons cake flour or, failing that, plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (400 g) sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter two 9‑inch-round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper. (Alternately, you can use a cooking spray, either with just butter or butter and flour to speed this process up.)

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in the buttermilk until just combined (the mixture will look curdled, but don’t worry). Add the flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated (don’t overmix).

Spread the batter evenly in the two cake pans, then rap the pans on the counter several times to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan. Invert onto the rack and discard the parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

Makes 5 cups of frosting, or enough to frost and fill a two-layer 9‑inch cake

15 oz (425 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso (optional)
2 1/4 cups (540 ml) sour cream, at room temperature (this is important!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 to 120 ml) light corn syrup (or golden syrup)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the chocolate and espresso powder, if using, in the top of a double-boiler or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted. (Alternately, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave for 30 seconds, stirring well, and then heating in 15 second increments, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted.) Remove from the heat and let the chocolate cool until tepid.

Whisk together the sour cream, 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the corn syrup (or golden syrup) and vanilla extract until combined. Slwoly add the tepid chocolate and stir quickly until the mixture is uniform. Taste for sweetness, and if needed, add additional corn syrup (or golden syrup) in one-tablespoon increments until the desired level of sweetness is achieved.

Let the frosting cool in the refrigerator until it’s a spreadable consistency, about 30 minutes. Should the frosting become too thick or stiff, just leave it out until it softens again.

Cakes, Salads, Soups and stews, Vegetarian main dishes

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup with Parmesan Toasts, Cape Cod Chopped Salad, and Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake

It never fails — no sooner do I accept that summer is over and order a delivery of oil for the boiler, get the sweaters out of storage and think about swapping the summer-weight duvets for the winter ones than a spell of sunny, warm weather comes our way. I’m certainly not complaining about getting a break from the relentless rain we’ve had in Ireland for the third summer in a row, but it’s thrown me for a loop in planning out dinners for the week. I had already turned my thoughts to autumn casseroles and stews and Sunday roasts, but now I’m scrambling to make a few last salads and lighter meals while the good weather holds, or even clean off the grill to have one token barbecue this year.

This menu is the best of both worlds, perfect for this in-between time of year. If you’ve already had your fill of fresh tomato salads or pasta sauces and have canned enough to last you through the winter, this soup makes good use of the abundance of fresh tomatoes that are still available at this time of year. Keep it light but still seasonal by serving it with this salad, with its nod towards autumn in the apples and maple syrup. The honey whole wheat pound cake works perfectly to round off this late summer/early autumn dinner, especially if you dress it up with something like a cinnamon or maple ice cream.

It’s National Organic Week in Ireland! Click here for a listing of events throughout the country.

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup with Parmesan Toasts
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 5 to 6

3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 red onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 lb (1.8 kg) vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup (10 g) packed chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups (720 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
julienned fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Parmesan toasts, to serve (or croutons)

Heat the olive oil heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and blend with a hand-held blender until smooth (or transfer to a blender or food processor and blend in batches). Reheat the soup over a low heat just until hot. Serve with julienned basil leaves scattered on top and Parmesan toasts or croutons.

Parmesan Toasts

1 French baguette
good olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (grated on a box grater)

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Slice the baguette diagonally into 1/4‑inch-thick slices. Make as many slices as you like to serve with the soup.

Place the slices on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle a thick layer of grated Parmesan on the toasts and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the toasts are lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature. The toasts can be made a few hours in advance and crisped for a few minutes in a warm oven.

***

Cape Cod Chopped Salad
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main course with soup

for the salad:
8 oz (225 g) thick-cut bacon
8 oz (225 g) baby arugula (or spinach)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup (50 g) toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (80 g) dried cranberries (or raisins)
6 oz (170 g) blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

for the dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup (160 ml) good-quality olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool, then chop into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese. Add the chopped bacon to the salad.

For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest and juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a bowl or shake to combine in a screw-top jar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar).

Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately.

***

honey whole wheat pound cake

Honey Whole Wheat Pound Cake
adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes 1 loaf cake

The original recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. I can’t get either of those in my supermarket, so I used a combination of white and wholemeal flours instead. I had also just been looking at the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe for honey vanilla pound cake, which is similar to this but with lemon zest too, so I added it in here and it worked well.

1 cup (120 g) white flour
1 1/4 cup (200 g) wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (170 g) butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (shake it well first)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 9 x 5‑inch loaf pan.

Sift the flours, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar and honey together until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the dry mixture and buttermilk in three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top and bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake is a lovely golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cakes, Fruit, Pork, Slow cooker

Pork Chops and Red Cabbage, Pan-roasted Patty Pan Squash, and Mom’s Apple Cake

Depending on who you ask, we have been blessed or cursed with an early fall here in Wisconsin. The air is crisp but the sky is still blue and sunny. I usually love fall, not for the leaves or cooler weather, but for the return to school when I was younger, the start of field hockey season when I played it, and the presence of hearty vegetables and fruits in the market after I learned to cook. I’m actually dreading this fall though, since I return to work after a wonderful summer of maternity leave with my new daughter, Anabelle. While I still have the chance, I’m going to spend September baking cakes, simmering soups, and slow cooking meats. October (and my return to work) will come soon enough.

Today’s menu is in honor of the cooler weather and the basketball-sized head of red cabbage in last week’s CSA delivery. In my adaptation of Bon Appétit’s version of pork chops and red cabbage, I cooked the cabbage in my Crock-Pot instead of on the stove for an hour. Not having to watch an open flame frees up your day considerably. The apple cake was made the day before and actually improved after sitting at room temperature for 24 hours. The cake was wonderful after dinner but would be just as good for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. The patty pan squash recipe is a repeat from last month’s Crusty Chicken Thighs with Mushroom Sauce post.

Pork Chops and Red Cabbage

Pork Chops with Red Cabbage
adapted from Bon Appétit, February 1995

for the cabbage:
1 tablespoon olive oil (only needed if making on the stove top, not in a slow cooker)
1 small head red cabbage or 1/2 large head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the pork:
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 x 5‑oz (140‑g) 1/2‑inch-thick, bone-in pork chops
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/3 cup (80 ml) chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the cabbage, combine the cabbage, onion, garlic, salt and oregano in a slow cooker. Cook on high for about 4 hours, until the cabbage is tender, stirring occasionally. (If you don’t have a slow cooker, follow the original recipe: heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over a medium heat. Add the cabbage, onion, garlic, salt and oregano and cook until cabbage and onion are tender, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes.) Stir the balsamic vinegar into the cooked cabbage and season to taste with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared up to 3 hours ahead. Cover skillet/slow cooker and let stand at room temperature. Bring to a simmer before continuing with recipe.)

For the pork, heat the oil in another heavy large skillet over a medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and rub with the oregano and sage. Add the pork chops to the skillet and fry until cooked through, turning once, about 8 minutes.

Transfer the cabbage to a platter. Place the pork chops atop the cabbage. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar to the skillet. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour the sauce over the pork and serve.

***

Mom’s Apple Cake
from Smitten Kitchen

6 apples (Note: I used 7 small Early Goldens)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups (330 g) flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
2 cups (400 g) sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop the apples into chunks. Toss with the cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, orange juice and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half the apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. (Note: I baked my cake a full 1 1/2 hours and it was a bit overcooked, even though the tester still didn’t appear to be clean.)

30-minute meals, Cakes, Fruit, Italian food, Potatoes, Vegetarian main dishes

Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta and Brandied Plum Cake

One of the great things about cooking is that the more you do it, the easier and faster it gets. (Though I’ve also become my own worst enemy in that regard — I do almost all the cooking, even on weekends when I could otherwise have a break from it, because I’m so much faster at it than my husband.) When you know that you can pull together a dinner in the time it takes for water to boil and some pasta to cook, or that you can cook some fresh fish in less than 10 minutes, frozen pizzas start to lose their appeal.

But even though I love to cook, there are plenty of days too when I don’t have the energy or am pressed for time to get something on the table for two hungry little kids. And as much as I prefer to cook from fresh, unprocessed ingredients, there are certainly worse convenience foods to have in your pantry than a jar of pasta sauce and a packet of potato gnocchi. Store-bought potato gnocchi cooks in 2 or 3 minutes, making it the ultimate fast food, plus a nice change from pasta. Check out all the quick and easy recipes for gnocchi from the UK’s Olive magazine for more inspiration.

If you like the sound of brandied plums but don’t have time for the cake, just make the plums on their own, which takes only 10 minutes. Serve them with vanilla ice cream, with the syrup drizzled over — no one will complain about not having them in a cake.

IMG_9243

Gnocchi with Tomato, Spinach and Ricotta
adapted from Olive, November 2005

Serves 6

You could vary this recipe by using your favorite pasta shape instead of gnocchi, and stirring 1 tub of ricotta cheese directly into the sauce along with the spinach to make it nice and creamy. Do I even have to say that bacon would be good in this too?

2 x 18-oz (500‑g) packs store-bought potato gnocchi
2 x 14-oz (400‑g) good-quality jars of tomato sauce
7 oz (200 g) baby spinach, washed
2 x 9‑oz (250‑g) tubs of ricotta cheese
a handful of freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook the gnocchi according to packet instructions and drain. Meanwhile, heat the tomato sauce, add the spinach and stir until wilted. Put the gnocchi in a lightly oiled ovenproof dish, pour the sauce over and dot with blobs of ricotta. Scatter the grated Parmesan over and pop into the hot oven until bubbling and golden, about 10 minutes.

***

Brandied Plum Cake
inspired by The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater

Serves 12

This cake is very moist, so it doesn’t really need the brandy syrup drizzled over it at the end, though it’s a nice touch. Instead, you might like to save it in the fridge to drizzle over vanilla ice cream another time. If you have any leftover plums that won’t fit on top of the cake, save them to have with yogurt for breakfast.

for the brandied plums:
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
16 ripe plums, stoned and quartered

for the cake:
3/4 cup (160 g) butter
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (100 g) ground almonds
1/2 cup (50 g) walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9‑inch springform pan and line the base with a piece of parchment paper.

To make the brandied plums, combine the sugar, brandy and cinnamon in a frying pan. Cook over a high heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat, add the plums and cook until they are soft but still hold their shape, about 5 minutes. Transfer the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the brandy syrup left behind from the plums.

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold them gently into the mixture with a spatula. Fold in the ground almonds and chopped walnuts.

Scrape the mixture into the lined springform pan. Place the quartered plums on top of the cake mixture (they will sink into the cake as it bakes). Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. If you think the top of the cake is browning too much, cover it with tin foil. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing the sides of the pan. Serve with some of the reserved syrup spooned over the top of each slice.

Cakes, Italian food, Poultry

Chicken Cacciatore and Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I do a lot of baking with my four-year-old daughter, so much so that by now she can tell you the basic ingredients of a cake: flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla. So on Saturday, when she was helping me make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake, she couldn’t understand why I was grating two zucchini (or courgettes, as we call them here, though they will always be zucchini to me). When I told her we were putting them in the cake, she gave me a confused look before saying, “But courgettes don’t belong in a cake, Mommy.”

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be good,” I said.

She gave me another long, puzzled look before finally saying, “You’re joking me, Mommy.”

“No, really,” I said as I started grating the second zucchini, at which point she burst into tears.

“It’s going to be disgusting!” she cried, and couldn’t be convinced otherwise until I let her taste the batter, when she quickly changed her mind. But I can understand her confusion. Zucchini bread is about as American as apple pie, but the idea of using them in baking is practically unheard of in Ireland. The zucchini in this cake simply adds moisture and soaks up the cocoa. Not only can you not taste it, but you actually can’t even see it either once it’s baked. Make it and ask people to guess what the secret ingredient is. At any rate, it’s a wonderful chocolate cake to have in your repertoire, not to mention a great way to use up some zucchini if they’re starting to get the better of you in your garden. It’s definitely one of my favorites, and I even made it for my mother-in-law’s birthday a few years ago. It really is that good. My little girl will even tell you so now.

chicken cacciatore

Still looking for ways to use up tomatoes? Try Tomato and Goat’s Cheese Tart, Ravioli and Tomato Salad, Oven-roasted Ratatouille, Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce or Spaghetti with Roast Cherry Tomatoes, Chili and Basil.

Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 6

I only make this recipe in the summer, when tomatoes are at their best. As such, it’s an ideal way to use up tomatoes from your garden if you’re overrun with them. I’ve tried making it in the winter, with those awful pale, hard, imported tomatoes that never ripen, and believe me, it’s not worth it. I’ve also tried making Nigella Lawson’s quick version of this dish, using canned tomatoes, but it was a disappointment after having had the real thing. The fresh rosemary is another key ingredient here.

Sometimes I find it hard to peel tomatoes because they’re too hot after just being in the boiled water, even after I run some cold water over them, so if I think of it, I blanch them earlier in the day, then drain them and set aside to cool in the fridge and peel them when the onions are cooking. To get 3 1/2 lb (1.5 kg) of tomatoes, I used 14 medium tomatoes, so you can use that as a guide, give or take a couple.

2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 large chicken breasts
3 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine or vermouth
3 1/2 lb (1.5 kg) vine-ripened tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves

Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat and season the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot oil and brown well on all sides. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions to the pot, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onions have softened.

Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes. To do this, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, then pour boiling water over them and leave until the skin around the X starts to curl away, about 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then slip off their skins. Cut into quarters or roughly chop them – it doesn’t matter too much since they’ll break up during the cooking anyway.

When the onions are done, add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Next add the wine or vermouth to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaves. Crush the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon as best you can (again, don’t worry too much about this, as they’ll break down on their own.) Add salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and let the sauce bubble and reduce without covering to about half its original volume, which will take around 20 minutes.

Add the chicken back to the pot, pushing the fillets down into the sauce so that they are mostly submerged. Cover the pot partway, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for at least 40 minutes (though I find 1 hour is even better). Stir the sauce now and then with a wooden spoon, crushing up the tomatoes as you do so. I like to shred the chicken in the pot with a fork, though you could also just serve them whole. Serve with pasta, rice or good crusty bread to soak up the juices.

***

chocolate zucchini cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
adapted from Simply Recipes

Makes 10 to 12 servings

for the cake:
2 1/2 cups (340 g) regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 cup (60 g) cocoa, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (170 g) soft butter
2 cups (400 g) sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
zest of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
2 cups (250 g) coarsely shredded zucchini (about 2 small/medium zucchini)
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
1 cup (100 g) chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

for the glaze:
2 cups (225 g) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan and dust lightly with flour.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, orange zest, espresso powder and zucchini.

Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes), or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert and turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then drizzle over the cake. Cut in thin slices to serve.

Asian food, Beef, Cakes, Salads

Sliced Steak with Hot and Sour Sauce, Jasmine Rice, Cucumber Salad, and Oatmeal Cake

My husband was kind enough to plan and prepare dinner last night. We wanted a dish that would enhance our beef from local Sulzer Farm without covering up its taste. I supplied dessert, a simple yet satisfying oatmeal cake with broiled coconut topping taken from the amusing The Flavor of Wisconsin cookbook I have been perusing lately. The cookbook is filled with 19th- and 20th-century recipes from Wisconsin home cooks. The cake is quick to make and keeps moist covered at room temperature for several days.

Sliced Steak with Hot and Sour Sauce
adapted from The Food of Thailand: A Journey for Food Lovers by Kay Halsey and Lulu Grimes

Serves 3

2 tablespoons fish sauce
4 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon roasted chili powder
3–4 shallots, finely sliced
1/3 cup (1 oz) chopped cilantro
12 oz (340 g) porterhouse or other steak
red or green leaf lettuce leaves, to serve

Mix the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili powder in a bowl. Add the shallots and cilantro.

Grill the steak until medium or medium rare. Using a sharp knife, slice the cooked beef crossways into strips.

To serve, line a plate with lettuce leaves and top with the steak, then spoon the chilli mixture over the steak to taste. Jasmine rice is a delicious complement to the meat, though white rice could be used if jasmine rice isn’t available.

***

Cucumber Salad

Serves 3

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup (1/2 oz) chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 jalapeno (or other chil), thinly sliced or minced
1–2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons

In a mason jar or other quart-size container, mix together the vinegars, cilantro, salt, sugar, jalapeno and shallots. Add the cucumber and enough water to cover the cucumbers (about 1/2 cup/120 ml). Stir. Cover and chill.

***

Oatmeal Cake
adapted from The Flavor of Wisconsin by Harva Hachten and Terese Allen

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) boiling water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup (110 g) butter
1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (170 g) sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the topping:
1/4 cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) half and half
1 cup flaked coconut
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped roasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch pan.

In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the oats. Mix well and set aside to cool.

Cream together the butter and sugars, then beat in the eggs. Stir in the cooled oatmeal. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then stir in slowly to the oatmeal mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and frost with the topping.

To make the topping, combine the sugar and half and half and bring just to the boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spread onto the cooled cake, then place under the broiler until browned.