Plum cake - Zuetschge Kuchen

Kim's mother learned this from her mother in Germany and has passed the recipe down.  If you can find the prune plums (mid-end of summer) it will be well worth the hunt.  One of the best cakes I've had in a long time!

 

1 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter
1egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
3 cups. Purple plum (prune plums)

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons softened butter
Crumble all ingredients together in separate bowl and reserve

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, blend butter till smooth and then slowly add dry ingredients. In their own bowl beat egg yolk, add milk and mix. Add this to butter mixture and combine well.

Transfer dough to a greased 11 x 7 pan and press down on bottom and sides. Press plum slices into dough overlapping plums. Sprinkle on topping. 

 Put the pan in preheated oven and bake for 50 minutes.  Let cake cool for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

We recently went to a friend's house  in Cincinnati for a long weekend and brought this for an item to serve with breakfast.  It was very moist and delicious. It can easily be converted to a gluten-free bread by switching out the AP flour for your favorite GF one.

3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pound fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 loaf pans. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar. Fold in zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. 

Transfer to the prepared loaf pans. Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until knife inserted in the center of the love comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.  Serve and Enjoy!

Butternut Squash, Kale, and Goat Cheese Pie

3 Tbsp. Olive oil, more for brushing
2 medium red onions, finely chopped
1/2 small Butternut squash, roughly 1#, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces
2 tsp. fresh Thyme, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
3 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
8 oz. frozen phyllo, thawed
4 oz. fresh goat cheese or feta crumbled
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Place rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium.  Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.  6-8 minutes.  Add squash and cook stirring until tender, 8-10 minutes.  Mix in thyme and red pepper flakes and transfer to a medium bowl.  Wipe out and reserve skillet.

Add kale, eggs, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest to squash mixture and gently combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Layer phyllo sheets inside reserved skillet.  Working quickly so as to not let the phyllo dry out, Spoon kale and squash mixture into phyllo and dot the top with goat cheese.  Brush edges of phyllo lightly with olive oil and fold over the filling, overlapping slightly, leaving the center exposed.

Place skillet over medium heat until bottom of the pastry is just golden (carefully lift up on one side with a heatproof rubber spatula), about 3 minutes.  Transfer pie in oven and bake until kale is wilted and tender and phyllo is golden brown and crisp, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove pie from oven, let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing into wedges.  Enjoy!

Pie can be baked 6 hours ahead. Let cool; store uncovered at room temperature.

Mexican Avocado Salad

A good friend of ours, Leslie brought this to one of our parties and it was love at first taste.  Think deconstructed Guacamole.  Super easy and a summer go to (has gone to a year rounder for us). Obviously, the key here is ripe avocados and tomatoes.  Fry up fresh tortilla chips for a next level treat.  You're going to be the hit of the party with this one! Enjoy. 

6 Avocados, diced

1 Sweet onion, diced

1 pint Grape tomatoes, diced 

1 c. Pickled Jalapeños with juice

Juice of one lime  

1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano

1 Tbsp. Cilantro (optional)

Salt & fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Garnish- fresh jalapeño slices(optional)

Freshly fried corn tortilla chips

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.  Top with a few fresh jalapeño slices, if using and serve! (Told you it was easy)

Ensenada Style Fish Tacos

Rick Bayless is perhaps the foremost authority on Mexican cuisine stateside.  His Frontera Grill is award winning and recipes are fantastic.  I was having a hankering for great fish tacos after reading an article about the Baja peninsula and made these incredibly satisfying tacos.  They are easy, bursting with flavor and sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Makes 6 tacos

 2 garlic cloves, peeled

Salt to taste

½ tsp. Mexican oregano
½ tsp. fresh black pepper
1 tsp. yellow mustard (like French's)
1 tsp. concentrated chicken base or chicken-flavor powdered bouillon
1 C. beer, sparkling water or water
1 tsp. baking powder
1 C. all-purpose flour
 Vegetable oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches for frying
1# boneless, skinless fish filets (practically anything will work, but I like larger-flake, lighter-flavor fish best for this preparation—think halibut, sea bass, grouper and the like)
1/3 C. mayonnaise
1/3 C. sour cream
¼ C. milk

12 warm corn tortillas

1 C. (or more) thinly sliced cabbage (I like Napa cabbage best)
About 1 C. salsa (toasted arbol chile salsa, roasted green chile salsa, roasted tomatillo salsa or even one of the Mexican hot sauces like Tamazula or Valentina)
2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

 

Finely chop the garlic, sprinkle generously with salt, then mash back and forth with the side of your knife across your cutting board until crushed to a puree. Scrape into a medium bowl and add the oregano, black pepper, mustard, base or bouillon, beer or water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet to 370 degrees. While the oil is heating, cut the fish into pieces about 3 inches long by ½” inch square. Use a pair of tongs to pick up a piece of fish, dip it completely into the batter, and lay it into the oil. Continue with a few more pieces of fish, filling the hot oil with an uncrowded layer. Fry, turning the pieces regularly, until deep golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven on a wire rack set over a sheet pan while you fry the rest of the fish.

Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream and milk. Set out with the cabbage, salsa, warm corn tortillas, limes and the crispy fish for everyone to make tacos.  Enjoy!

Slow Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

Dehydrating the tomatoes is the key to huge flavor in this great appetizer.  Think sophisticated pizza and with only 7 ingredients it couldn’t be easier.  Make the day before since you need about 6 hours in an oven to do these right.  Just reheat or serve at room temperature.  Also goes great in a salad or on your favorite sandwich to “kick it up a notch!”

Makes 2 dozen

Good quality Olive oil

10 ripe Roma tomatoes, tips removed and cut in halve vertically

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced fine

1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 French baguette

Sea Salt and fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat oven to 225 F.

In a large mixing bowl combine tomatoes, garlic, and basil.  Coat tomatoes liberally with olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, on paper.  Spoon the remaining garlic mixture on top of each.  Place tray into the oven and roast tomatoes for 5 to 6 hours or until they have shrunk in size by about 75%.  Remove tray from oven and let tomatoes cool.  This step can be done up to 3 days before.  Just make sure to cover and refrigerate.

Preheat broiler and position top shelf at highest position (closest to burner).  Slice baguette into 24, ½” slices and brush with olive oil.  Arrange on a baking sheet and place one tomato (you may have to slice tomatoes if too large for bread. I like to gently press them into the bread with the back of a fork).  Top with cheese and place tray under hot broiler until cheese has turned golden brown and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes.  Serve and Enjoy!

Weekly Menu 4/1 - 4/7/2017

Saturday

Soy Glazed Chicken
Oven Roasted Broccoli and Mushrooms
 
Sunday
Barbecue Ribs
Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw
Chopped Salad with Green Olive Vinaigrette
 
Monday
Oven Roasted Salmon with a Lemon-Caper Butter Sauce

Asparagus with Chopped Egg

 

Tuesday

Pork Tenderloin with a Dijon Mustard and Herb Crust

Sautéed Apples with Thyme

Chopped Salad with Citrus-Honey dressing

 

Wednesday
Red Wine Braised Beef
Caramelized Butternut Squash, Carrots and Onions

 Thursday

Pork Chops Milanese
Spaghetti Squash and Asparagus
 

Friday

"Opening Day Party"

Pasta Bake with Pepperoni and Spinach

Mini Meatball Parmesan Sliders