Irish Tea Cake

Serve this simple and sweet dessert after a St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage feast. It goes well with a cup of tea, coffee, or milk.

Irish Tea Cake

Makes 8 generous slices

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter (softened to room temperature)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round pan.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated; stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.

Sheet Pan Octoberfest

Celebrate Octoberfest with this one sheet pan meal that is easy to prepare and clean up.

Sheet Pan Octoberfest

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 package (1 pound) baby sweet bell peppers

1 large red onion

2 fennel bulbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 fresh sausages (either Italian or bratwurst)

Salt and pepper

Parsley or thyme for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Halve and core baby bell peppers, removing all seeds. Cut red onion into 1-inch chunks. Cut the fennel bulbs in half, remove the cores, and cut into 1-inch chunks. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Prick each sausage a few times with the tip of a pairing knife, then tuck the sausages in among the vegetables.

Bake 40-45 minutes, turning sausages and vegetables once, until sausages are browned in spots and vegetables are tender. Garnish with parsley or thyme. Serve immediately, refrigerating and leftovers.

Original recipe from Kroger.

Rehydration Solution

A homemade rehydration solution is low cost to make and avoids unnatural ingredients (e.g., sucrose acetate isobutyrate) found in commercial drinks.

Rehydration Solution

Makes 2 liters

Ingredients

5/8 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon light salt (i.e., blend of regular salt and potassium chloride)

1 packet (0.21 ounces) unsweetened drink mix with citric acid (e.g., Kool-Aid)

Directions

Boil 2 cups of water and stir in sugar, light salt, and drink mix. Pour into pitcher and add cold water until solution is 2 quarts.

Cucumber Mint Gimlet

This refreshing cocktail combines the coolness of cucumbers, the tartness of limes, and the sweetness of mint.

Cucumber Mint Gimlet

Makes 8 drinks

Ingredients

Cucumber Gin

2 1/2 cups peeled and diced cucumbers

4 1/2 cups gin

Mint Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup mint leaves

Gimlet

2 1/4 cups lime juice

Cucumber peel and mint for garnish

Directions

Cucumber Gin: Steep cucumbers in gin. Cover and chill 8 hours to 4 days. Strain. Store indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Mint Simple Syrup: Combine sugar and water over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved. Add mint leaves; remove from heat. Cover; steep for one hour. Strain; discard mint. Refrigerate up to 2 months.

Gimlet: In a 2-quart pitcher, stir gin, lime juice, and syrup. Refrigerate. To serve, pour into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously, and divide among ice-filled 10-ounce glasses. Garnish each with cucumber peel and mint. Alternatively, put gimlet in large pitcher or dispenser, and have guests fill their own ice filled glasses.

For a single drink, proportions are as follows: 2 ounces cucumber gin, 1 ounce fresh lime juice, 1/2 ounce mint simple syrup.

Original recipe from Martha Stewart Weddings, Spring 2009.

Roasted Broccoli

Roasted broccoli tastes so much better than a steamed preparation. Salt, pepper, and chili powder bring a savory flavor to a crispy texture.

Roasted Broccoli

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients

1 large bunch of broccoli (about 1/2 pound)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Rinse broccoli and dry thoroughly. Cut into small and medium-sized spears. In large bowl, combine spears with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Spread broccoli spears on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip each piece over, and bake for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Spiced and Steamed Shrimp

These zesty shrimp can be served hot or chilled and as an appetizer or main dish.

Spiced and Steamed Shrimp

Makes 4 main or 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup vinegar or beer

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons Chesapeake bay style seasoning

1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined leaving tails on

Directions

In medium saucepan mix vinegar, water, and seasoning. Bring to boil on medium heat. Gently stir in shrimp and cover.

Steam 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Drain well.

Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled later.

Oven Baked Crab Cakes

Get the full flavor of fresh lump crab meat without all the fat from fillers or frying with this oven baked recipe.

Oven Baked Crab Cakes

Makes 8 crab cakes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno pepper

1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plain bread crumbs (divided in half)

3 eggs

1 pound fresh lump crab meat

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon fresh snipped chives

1 tablespoon old bay seasoning

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Rinse crab meat under cold running water and drain, making sure to remove any filament or shell. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine all ingredients, except 1/2 cup bread crumbs. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup for each crab cake, form mixture into 8 cakes. Roll each cake in reserved bread crumbs and place on prepared baking sheet. Coat crab cakes lightly with cooking spray. Place baking sheet on bottom shelf of oven and bake crab cakes for about 7 minutes per side until brown.

Original recipe from In the Kitchen with Rosie by Rosie Daley.

Apple Cheese Bites

This quick and simple appetizer combines the crisp sweetness of apples with the rich and savory flavor of cheese. The other ingredients complement the apple and cheese flavors with crunchy texture. The bites look decadent when arranged on a plate.

Apple Cheese Bites

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 apples (choose a crisp sweet variety like honeycrisp)

6 ounces of bleu cheese, softened (or substitute whipped cream cheese)

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

3 tablespoons chopped chives

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1/2 pomegranate arils

4 tablespoons honey

Fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Add lemon juice to a small bowl of water.

Lay apple on side and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Remove any seeds. To prevent browning, dip apple slices into bowl of water and lemon juice. Repeat with all apples.

Spread cheese on each apple slice. Mix together celery, chives, walnuts, and pomegranate arils and sprinkle mixture on each apple slice. Drizzle with honey and garnish with thyme.

Arrange on platter and serve immediately.

Original recipe from Kroger / Domex Superfresh Growers.

Marinated Olives

The salty punch of olives kick starts a cocktail hour or meal. Covering the olives in the the marinade adds a crisp and tasty twist that will have guests raving over the flavor. While it’s possible to use pitted olives, the marinade best complements a whole olive that retains its pit.

Marinated Olives

Makes 1 cup of olives that serves 6-8

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup mixed olives (e.g., castelvetrano, kalamata, manzanilla, picholine, niçoise, cerignola)

1 orange peel

2 garlic cloves peeled

1 sprig rosemary

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Directions

Peel orange leaving as little pith as possible. Peel garlic.

Warm olive oil in small sauce pan over low heat for about 7 minutes. Add orange peel, rosemary, and chili flakes to the oil and stir. Remove pan from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature.

Combine olives in bowl or jar. Pour marinade over olives, cover, and marinate overnight at room temperature before serving.

Recipe from Amanda Freitag’s The Chef Next Door.

Spicy Pork and Black Bean Chili

While not a traditional chili, this recipe wins awards for “best chili” and “spiciest chili” in corporate chili cook-off contests. The level of spiciness can be controlled with type of salsa used (hot, medium, or mild), type of chili beans used (hot or mild), and amount of cayenne pepper

Spicy Pork and Black Bean Chili

Makes about 5 quarts that will yield about 10 generous servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 2 inch strips

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can chili hot bean

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (recommend Mrs. Renfro’s hot salsa)

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine / mix all ingredients in a slow cooker. Set to “low” and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

With 10 minutes remaining in cook time, break up pieces of cooked pork with a fork to thicken the chili.  Stir chili, and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Then, serve.

Creamed Spinach

Adding chili flakes to classic creamed spinach gives the dish a bit of kick. Want to really spice it up? Follow Linda’s lead and use tablespoons instead of teaspoons to measure the chili flake amount.

Creamed Spinach

Makes one baking dish with 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 red onion, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons (or tablespoons) red chili flakes

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach

1/2 cup fried onions

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter 8x8 baking dish. 

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and pinch of salt.  Sauté for 10-15 minutes until onions are translucent, then add garlic and red chili flakes.  Sauté for 2 more minutes.  Add heavy cream and parmesan cheese.  Heat until the cream is just beginning to bubble, stirring often.  Turn the burner off and stir in sour cream and spinach.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. 

Pour into the buttered baking dish and sprinkle top evenly with friend onions.  Bake until golden and bubbly, 15-20 minutes.

Holiday Punch

Linda’s punch quenches thirst at any holiday party with flavors of the season. Serve in a large punch bowl to display the clove-studded lemon slices.

Holiday Punch

Makes one large punch bowl

Ingredients

2 quarts cranberry juice

3 quarts apple juice

4 sticks (2 inches each) cinnamon

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1 bottle (20 ounces) ginger ale

Lemon slices studded with cloves

Directions

In large 2-gallon saucepan, combine cranberry and apple juices. 

Tie cinnamon sticks and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth to create a spice bag.  Add spice bag to juices and bring to boil. 

Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat.  Using tongs, discard spice bag. 

Before guests arrive, stir in ginger ale.  Garnish with clove-studded lemon slices and cinnamon sticks.

Fruit Clafoutis

This French dessert presents fruit in a simple yet elegant way with a sturdy custard texture. Traditionally, it is made with cherries and baked in a ceramic dish. Baking it in a cast iron skillet adds a bit of crisp to the edges in a pie-like way. Any tender fruit can be used (e.g., grapes, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, or apricots). Just be sure to pit and slice any stone fruits.

Fruit Clafoutis

Makes one 10-inch pie with 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups of sliced fresh fruit (e.g., cherries that are pitted and halved)

3 large eggs

1 cup of whole milk

3 tablespoons of butter, melted plus more to coat skillet

1 teaspoon of almond extract

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3/4 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour plus more to dust skillet

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Scatter fruit over bottom of skillet.

Mix together wet ingredients (eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and almond extract) in a large mixing bowl.

Mix dry ingredients (sugar, brown sugar, flour, and salt) into batter.  Let batter rest for a few minutes after it’s mixed.

Pour batter slowly into skillet over fruit.  Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Place clafoutis on wire rack to cool to a warm temperature.  Slice into 8 pieces, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.