Date Bundt Cake

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound fresh dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the bundt cake mold
1 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten

For the topping:
3/4 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions for the Cake:
Place the dates in a heatproof bowl. Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, pour it over the dates, and let them soak until plumped, 10 minutes. Do not drain.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a Bundt cake mold with butter.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a handheld electric mixer). Sift the flour and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside. Combine the dates and their soaking liquid, the baking soda, and the vanilla in a small bowl.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg and one third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the remaining flour and beat until it is mixed into the batter. Add the date mixture and beat until well blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking mold and bake until the cake springs back when tapped with a finger, or when a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove from the bundt cake mold by inverting on to a plate. Using a fork, poke holes all over the surface of the cake.

Directions for the Topping:

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and cream in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles slightly, about 3 minutes.

Pour this caramel syrup over the baked cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Tip: A Bundt cake is a dessert cake that is baked in a Bundt pan, shaping it into a distinctive ridged ring.

Cheese Straws

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter, softened
2 cups of grated white cheddar cheese
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of half and half

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Mix the cheese and butter together. Add the flour, cayenne, salt, and half and half and stir until it becomes a ball.

Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is 1/4 inch thick, and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1"x5" strips.  Poke holes in the top of each cheese straw with a fork.

Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for fifteen minutes, or until edges are light brown. Cool and then serve.  Enjoy!

Servings: 3 dozen

Tip:  Cheese Straws are usually served before a meal, though they are also delicious with soups, salads, wine, cheese and I have even been known to dip cheese straws into a bowl of queso.  Cheese straws can be formed up to two weeks ahead.  Freeze on baking sheets until solid, then transfer into sealable plastic bags and keep frozen until ready to bake!

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup of finely chopped onion

1 celery rib, chopped fine

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 carrot, chopped fine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck

3/4 pound Sweet Italian sausage

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 large eggs, beaten slightly

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

2 slices bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large heavy skillet cook the onions, celery, carrot, and garlic in butter, over medium heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes.

Cover the skillet and stir occasionally until the carrots are tender, about five minutes. Stir in pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup and cook for one more minute.

In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley.

Form into a loaf and put into a rectangular baking pan with 2-inch high sides. Place two slices on bacon on top, crisscrossed. 

Place in preheated oven and bake for one hour.

Servings: 4 - 6

Tip: Meatloaf is a traditional German, Belgian and Dutch dish, and it is a cousin to the Italian meatball. American meatloaf history in US has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania since Colonial times. The American version is usually topped with ketchup.

Pork Tenderloin with Bordelaise Sauce

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon garlic infused oil

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional as needed

salt

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon mustard

1 1/2 ounces Demi Glace Gold dissolved in 1 cup warm water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 stick chilled unsalted butter, diced

pinch of fresh ground allspice

pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:

To Prepare the Tenderloin:

Preheat oven to 425.

Remove the silver lining from the tenderloin.

One end of the tenderloin is usually thinner that the other. Fold over and tie, as shown below.

Sprinkle with salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add oil to an ovenproof skillet with oil and sear the tenderloin over medium-high heat to brown all sides, about 5 minutes in all. Place the skillet in the oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until internal temperature is 145F degrees. Remove from the oven, place on a platter (do not wash the skillet, set aside) and tent the pork with foil, let it rest.

 

To Prepare the Bordelaise Sauce:

Using the same skillet that the tenderloin was seared and roasted in, add wine and  deglaze the skillet using a whisk, then add the shallots, pinch of pepper, mustard, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2/3 cup.

 Once the sauce is reduced, strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan.

Whisk in the demi-glace and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.

Place the pan over low heat, whisk in the lemon juice and butter, and continue whisking until the butter is melted. Season the sauce to taste with salt, additional pepper, allspice, and cayenne.

To plate tenderoin, slice in 3/4 to 1 inch pieces, place on platter and pour Bordelaise sauce over it. Enjoy!

Tip: Demi-Glace can be a bit pricey but for the flavor and velvety smoothness it gives a sauce, it's well worth it! Sometimes I find it on sale and stock up!

 

Crab Rangoon

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces fresh crab meat or canned crab meat, drained and flaked
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, to taste
1 - 1 1/2 green onions, finely sliced
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon red onion, chopped
1 package wonton wrappers
Oil for deep-frying

Directions:
Combine the crab and the cream cheese. Mix in the remaining filling ingredients one at a time. On a flat surface, lay out a wonton wrapper in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Fill a small bowl with water. Using your finger tips, wet the edges of the wonton. Add a heaping teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the diamond so that it forms a log or rectangular shape.

Fold over the edges of the wrapper so that it forms a triangle shape. Seal the edges, adding more water if needed. Cover the completed Crab Rangoon with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out while preparing the rest.

Heat wok and add oil for deep-frying. Heat the oil to 360 degrees, carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cool and serve.

Servings: 34 - 38 Crab Rangoon 

Tip: These make great appetizers for anytime! Dip them in hot mustard and sweet and sour sauce! Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Savory Turkey Brine

Tip: Read directions completely before preparing.

Ingredients:

1 gallon water
1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns
1 tablespoon dried sage

1 tablespoon dried savory

1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried celery seeds

1/2 tablespoon cracked allspice berries

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

The day before roasting, remove giblets and turkey neck; rinse turkey inside and out.  In a large stock pot, or a 5 gallon bucket, mix water with ingredients. Stir well until all the salt is dissolved. Place turkey in the pot cover with a lid and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 - 16 hours. If the turkey is not immersed in the water, add more water. 

Once brining is complete, remove turkey from the brine, and rinse turkey well. Follow your regular cooking instructions. Enjoy!

Tip: A good turkey brine recipe not only keeps the meat moist from start to finish, it adds flavor to your roasted, smoked or barbecued turkey. Brine is strong solution of water and salt used for pickling, preserving and tenderizing foods. Herbs, spices or a sweetener such as sugar or molasses is sometimes added to flavor the brine.