Braised Leeks with Butter Lettuce and Vinaigrette

 

This is so delicious and so easy.  I wanted the whole meal to be buttery, soft and succulent, as I served this dish on the side of our lemon spaghetti – the leeks and butter lettuce are a wonderful compliment.

For the braised leeks:  3tbsp. butter, salt, pepper, 4 large leeks or 8-10 small ones (white and green parts only, halved lengthwise, root ends trimmed, and washed thoroughly), 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1/2  cup chicken broth, 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme, 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley, 2 tsp. lemon juice. 

Put pan on medium heat and melt butter, add leeks and brown a little, turning the leeks until gently browned for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the liquids and ingredients and cook for about 15 minutes.  Take leeks out of pan and layer nicely on a platter – you should be able to cut them with a knife and fork easily - they will melt in your mouth!

  Put butter lettuce on the side of the leeks and add your favorite vinaigrette over lettuce leaves.

Spaghetti Al Limone - Lemon Spaghetti

 There are so many variations of Spaghetti Al Limone and I've tried a few this week.  Some recipes call for a lot of lemon juice which wasn't my favorite.  I do like this one however and it incorporates a little cream which you can omit if you like, but then also omit the egg yolks.  I also added basil one day and arugula the next, it's all delicious.  I did add additional seasonings, like garlic powder but also a little more cream and lemon after cooking up the pasta, so just make it your own!  Salting the pasta water however really adds to the flavor as does reserving a cup of the pasta water to toss into the pasta.  Enjoy!

1 lb. spaghetti or fettuccini noodles

1 pot of really salted water (this makes such a huge difference to the flavor of your pasta noodles)

Save 1 cup of spaghetti water after it’s cooked

Zest from 2 lemons

Lemon juice from 3 lemons (you can decide afterwards if you’d like to add more lemon juice when pasta is cooked)

2 cloves garlic, minced.

3 tbsp. Olive oil for pan

4-6 tbsp.  of butter

½ cup Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

½ cup cream

2 egg yolks

Maybe a little more salt but only after you taste pasta

Pepper

 

Bring pot of salted water to a boil and add one regular box of long noodles.  Cook for about 9 minutes.

In the meantime, get a frying pan oiled up with your favorite olive oil, add the lemon zest and cook on medium for about 1 minute, stirring it around.  Add garlic and then cook only for about 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn, then add the lemon juice, keeping the temperature at medium.

Drain your pasta, however, save 1 cup of the pasta water to add to the cooked noodles in the pan.  Toss the noodles into the zest, lemon juice and garlic and toss around.  Then add the pasta water to the noodles in the pan and let it simmer down a bit tossing the noodles.  Meanwhile, mix up the cream with the egg yolks in a little bowl and then also toss into pasta, continuing to mix!  Take a couple of noodles out and taste to see what else you would like to add.  Would you like to add a little more lemon juice?  Does it need some more salt?  Toss in your cheese, season with pepper, turn out into a large bowl and let everyone serve themselves!  It is so delicious!

P.S.  Other additions that are nice and that I added, was a handful of arugula.  You can also add some protein to it as well - chicken or prawns would be nice.

I serve with Braised Leeks and Butter Lettuce with Vinaigrette, see recipe separately!

 

Fire Hall Carrot Cake

Here is the recipe for the carrot cake I sent to the fire hall with my husband last night.  Let me tell you, the reviews were off the charts with some saying it was the BEST carrot cake they ever had, even scooping a few pieces to take home.  Well now YOU (if you didn't already have a recipe you adore) have the best recipes and you can share them or not!  Here is the recipe for the cake I sent to the fire hall.  Enjoy!  P.S.  This one doesn't have the coconut I had in previous recipe and more spices.

4 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 white, 1 brown, 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, 3 1/2 cups finely grated carrots, 1 small can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple with the juice, 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp, cinnamon, 1 tsp. cloves, 1 tsp. nutmeg, 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts).

Blend the eggs, sugar, oil, carrots and crushed pineapple together.  On the side, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and slowly add to cake mixture.  Stir in one cup chopped nuts.  Pour into a greased, 9X13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  

For icing, use philly cream cheese butter cream in previous carrot cake recipe!

OH!  Enjoy!

Fully Loaded Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

 

Carrot Cake

Ya, this cake might make you cry it's so flippin fabulous.  I will post a couple other cakes I made from the Carrot Cake Cheese Cake as well as another less loaded but also delicious carrot cake.

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, 2 cups brown sugar, 4 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, 3 cups grated carrots, 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained, 1 cup shredded coconut, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup toasted chopped pecans.

Mix up first 4 ingredients in mixer or by hand for 2 minutes.  Then add everything else and mix until all nice and blended.

Pour into 9 X 13 prepared cake pan or you can split up into two smaller cake pans for a double layer cake. 

I love using my springform pan for so many cakes and used for this one too.  I prepared with Pam spray then I put a circle to fit of parchment paper.  I poured cake mixture in and baked at 350 for a little over an hour.  Anywhere between 50-60 minutes should be good, but always test your cake by inserting a knife into the center.  If it comes out clean, it is done.  If it comes out with a little batter on it, put it back in for about an extra 10 minutes.  Additionally, once my cake was cooled, I cut the cake through the middle to make two cakes.

Cool and Ice!

To toast your pecans, simply put the oven to 350 degrees and spread out your nuts on a pan and pop into the oven.  Keep an eye on them, but they should be nice and toasted within 10 minutes.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (even if it is a little over, it's all good)

1/2 cup butter that's been softened to room temp.

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

4 cups of powdered sugar.

Mix the first four ingredients, then add 1 cup at a time to mixer so powder doesn't fly up!  Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, mix on medium high speed for 5 minutes.  It will get super fluffy!

Pub Pork Chops with Mushy Peas and Baked Parmesan and Truffle French Fries

For the Pork Chops:

Oh ya, these pork chops are amazing and the secret is this:  brine the pork chops for 4-6 hours in this brine made with beer, drain and dry, then wrap up and refrigerate for 24 hours before grilling or pan frying.  You could also have the chops after marinating for 4-6 hours and they will still be delish!  It's just that the first option is beyond!

Brine 4-6 bone in pork chops in 1 can beer, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp. salt, 2 tbsp. sugar.  I doubled the brine recipe to cover my big pork chops!  When you make your brine, put the pork chops in and put into the refrigerator.

Remember, once you've finished brining, dry off your pork chops and season.

When you are ready, heat up your BBQ, or get your frying pan hot with a little olive oil or unsalted butter.  Season your pork chops with salt, pepper and olive oil.  Put onto grill or in pan and for 1 inch thick pork chops cook 3 minutes each side and rest 10 minutes before serving.  Of course, keep your eye on pork chops and press on meat to see if it needs more or less cooking.  If it is soft, cook a little longer and if it is just a little firm, it is done. 

For the Mushy Minty Peas:

In a frying pan over medium heat, add a knob of butter.  Once it's melted add 2-4 chopped green onions and a regular sized bag of frozen peas, 2-3 tbsp. dried mint, pinch salt or to taste, pinch of pepper or to taste.  Turn heat down to low, put a lid on peas, and stir once in a while.  Should be ready in 15 minutes.  When done, take a potato masher and mash away! So simple and so good!  

For Baked Parmesan and Truffle French Fries:

4 russet potatoes, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. truffle oil, salt or truffle salt, 1/4 cup or more of shredded Parmesan cheese.

Heat oven to 375.  Put parchment on a cookie sheet.  Peel and cut potatoes into the size of fries you want.  Dry them off with a paper towel. Lay out on the cookie sheet and then drizzle with olive oil.  Using your hands make sure oil covers potatoes.  You will dress your potatoes AFTER you cook them.

Put French Fries into the oven and cook for about 25 minutes - just check them to see how brown you like them. When done take out of the oven and put the French Fries into a bowl tossing with truffle oil salt and Parmesan cheese!  Serve!  So good!

Red Wine Poached Pears Baked in Chocolate Cake

 Oh yes, this is good, my family devoured it AND apparently it was the best chocolate cake they've ever had.  So, even if you decide not to poach the pears, the chocolate cake is positively perfect!

For Pears:  Buy 6-8  Bosc Pears and peel.  Leaving the pears whole, including the cute stem, cut the bottom a little to flatten it out.  In a pot and over medium heat add a bottle of red wine, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cinnamon sticks, a few star anise, the peel of one orange and in my case, 1 sliced blood orange.  Toss all into the pot, including the peeled pears and simmer for about 40 minutes, turning the pears occasionally so that the red wine colors the whole pear.

When cooked and beautifully colored, remove from the pot of wine and put onto a plate and set aside. Then strain out 1 cup of the red wine for the chocolate cake.

For Chocolate Cake:  1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, 1-1 /4 cups all purpose flour, 1/3 cup unsweetened coco powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 cup of the red wine from the poached pears, 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 350 and grease up a round 9 inch cake pan.  Next time I'm going to use a springform pan because it would be nice to see the whole cake rather than cutting it out of a cake dish.

Mix up the chocolate cake with the above ingredients, mixing the dry ingredients first, then adding the wet ingredients. Pour into the greased cake pan and then plunk ever so gently the poached pears around the sides of the cake pan.  For a little glitz I sprinkled the pears with edible gold flakes - then pop cake and pears into the oven for 45-50 minutes.

When done, take out of the oven and cool.  Add your favorite chocolate drizzle or any other ganache you like and serve.