TV Cooks & Magazine Recipes...

There are so many wonderful recipes in magazines and on the multiple TV cooking shows that no one can try them all. I will only post recipes in this section that either I or someone I know has tried, so you'll know it's do-able and tasty! I will also give credit so you can go on the magazine or TV show website to check out other recipes that may go with the ones listed here.


Green Tomato Cake with Brown Butter Icing
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

(Margaret's Note: This is a great way to use some of those yummy summer green tomatoes. I used Craisins instead of raisins and it was really good and added some color to the cake.)


Prep Time:10 min
Inactive Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:1 hr 15 min
Level:Easy
Serves:1 cake

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. (Batter will be soft.) Stir in tomatoes, raisins, and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 70 to 75 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely. Spoon Browned Butter Icing over cake.

Browned Butter Icing:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until butter is lightly browned. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Yield: about 1 cup

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Curried Red Lentil, Kohlrabi, and Couscous Salad

Recipe by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen
August 2010

8 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS
PREP:35M TOTAL:45M

Kohlrabi, a bulbous vegetable with thin stems attached, is a member of the cabbage family. Both green and purple varieties are available. The flavor is a mix of turnip, celery root, and radish. Like other vegetables in the cabbage family, kohlrabi is rich in antioxidants.
(Margaret's note: I made this without kohlrabi because the grocery store was out, and it was still very good!)


INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet curry powder
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 16-ounce package red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
3 large kohlrabi (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds); leaves stemmed, thinly sliced; bulb peeled, cut into 1/3-inch dice (about 3 cups)
1 cup plain couscous (about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped green onions
1 5- to 6-ounce package baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

PREPARATION
Whisk white wine vinegar, curry powder, and pressed garlic in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cook lentils and kohlrabi leaves in heavy large saucepan of boiling salted water until lentils are barely tender but not too soft, about 6 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool. Drain again.
Bring 1 1/4 cups water to boil in same saucepan; remove from heat. Add 3 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle with salt, then stir in couscous. Cover pot and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer couscous to medium bowl. Fluff couscous with fork to separate grains and cool slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, transfer lentils to large bowl. Add 1/2 cup dressing, diced kohlrabi bulb, and chopped green onions; toss to coat. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange baby spinach leaves over large rimmed platter. Drizzle spinach with 2 to 3 tablespoons remaining dressing. Sprinkle spinach leaves with salt and pepper. Mound lentil mixture in center of platter over spinach leaves. Stir mint into couscous. Spoon couscous around lentils and serve with remaining dressing.

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We're heading into the fall with cooler weather... a time when a warm bowl of soup tastes so good. I saw a magazine (Cuisine: Soups, Stews, and Chilies) at my hair dresser's lately and the recipes looked wonderful, so I went out and bought a copy. Here is a wonderful recipe that I made tonight...

Tomato Florentine Soup

1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 T. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cans whole tomatoes in juice (28 oz. each)
2 cups chicken broth (I use Kitchen Basics... it's worth the extra cost!)
1/4 cup fresh basil (if you can't find fresh basil, you can use the canned tomatoes that have basil added)
3 T. sugar
2 t. balsamic vinegar (I used a bit more)
1 bag fresh baby spinach, chopped (5 oz.) I didn't chop it and it was fine.
Salt and pepper to taste
crumbled blue cheese

Sweat shallots in oil in a large pot over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
De-glaze pot with wine, simmer until nearly evaporated, then add tomatoes, broth, and basil. Increase heat to medium-high, bring soup to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes,
Purée soup with hand-held blender (or in batches in a standard blender), until smooth. Bring soup to a simmer.
Stir in sugar and vinegar. Just before serving, stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper.
Garnish each serving of soup with crumbled blue cheese.

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Here's another Paula Deen recipe via my friend Beth Hutchens...

PAULA DEEN’S ORANGE BROWNIES

1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 tsp pure orange extract (or orange oil)
1 tsp grated orange zest

GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs + fresh orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 13×9-inch pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract and orange zest and beat with handheld mixer until well-blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a skewer.
3. Glaze: Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Add more juice, if needed. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.
Yield: 24 squares

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April 17, 2011

My good friend and great cook, Camille Caldwell, had my husband and me over for dinner this weekend along with some other friends. Camille always does such a nice job with her dinner parties and is so gracious to share recipes. These two recipes are from TV cooks, Rachael Ray and Ina Garten. They were wonderful appetizers and are both dishes you can start ahead of time which really helps when you have guests coming over. Thanks, Camille!


Asparagus and Green Beans with Tarragon Lemon Dip
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time: 5 min
Inactive Prep Time:
--
Cook Time: 4 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients
• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• Salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, (4 sprigs), chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
• Few grinds freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cook asparagus spears and green beans in 1-inch of salted boiling water, covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and cool the vegetables and arrange them on a serving plate. Combine the dip ingredients in a small bowl and garnish with sprigs of parsley and tarragon and set dip along side vegetables on serving dish.


Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers
2008, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time: 45 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 22 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 30 crackers

Ingredients
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled (about 12 ounces with rind), at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 extra-large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and Stilton together for 1 minute, or until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, salt and pepper and mix until it's in large crumbles, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix until combined.

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press it into a ball, and roll into a 12-inch long log. Brush the log completely with the egg wash. Spread the walnuts in a square on a cutting board and roll the log back and forth in the walnuts, pressing lightly, and distributing them evenly on the outside of the log. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the log 3/8ths-inch thick with a small, sharp knife and place the crackers on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 22 minutes until very lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

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Here is a recipe that has turned into one of my standard desserts when we have guests. It is elegant, but so easy!

Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 5 min
Inactive Prep Time: 6 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 7 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
3 cups whipping cream
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch salt
2 cups assorted fresh berries

Directions

Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over. Let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Pour milk mixture into a heavy saucepan and stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves but the milk does not boil, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, honey, sugar, and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Pour into 6 wine glasses so that they are 1/2 full. Cool slightly. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours.

Spoon the berries atop the panna cotta and serve.

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Aug. 7, 2011

Last month, on a visit to Georgia to see my parents, I took my Mom to the beauty shop to get her hair done. While I waited, I picked up an old copy of Good Housekeeping magazine and thumbed through it. I came across the recipe below. When I got back to my computer, I went to the Good Housekeeping website and found the recipe. I made some minor changes, that are noted. This is a great dish to take advantage of the fresh squash, tomatoes, and yummy sweet corn that is available in the farmers' markets right now. Enjoy!

Two-Cheese Corn Gratin
From Good Housekeeping
triple-tested at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute
Hearty but not heavy, this cheddar-mozzarella gratin is chock-full of garden-grown goodness — five ears' worth of newly cut corn and a pound each of sliced squash and tomatoes. Oven-browned bread crumbs create the crunchy topping.

Anna Williams
Serves: 6
Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Prep Time: 35 min
Oven Temp: 400

Ingredients
• 1 pound(s) yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I used yellow and zucchini squash and alternated the yellow and green when I put it in the dish.)
• 1 pound(s) ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices (I just sliced the tomatoes thinly and did not seed them.)
• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped basil
• 1 1/2 cup(s) whole milk (I used 1 cup of milk)
• 2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup(s) snipped fresh chives (I used leeks and sliced them thinly and layered them with the squash and tomatoes.)
• 5 ear(s) corn
• 3/4 cup(s) panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• 3/4 cup(s) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup(s) shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Parmesan cheese.)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In greased shallow 3-quart (9x13). baking dish, arrange squash and half of tomatoes in single layer, overlapping. (This is where I also added some thinly sliced leeks.) Drizzle with half of oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and half of basil. Roast 25 minutes or until slightly dry.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk milk, cornstarch, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper until cornstarch dissolves. Whisk in eggs and half of chives (eliminate chives if you are using leeks).
4. Cut corn kernels from cobs. In bowl, combine panko, 1/4 cup Cheddar, 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and remaining basil, chives,(eliminate chives if you use the leeks) and oil.
5. Sprinkle remaining cheeses evenly over roasted vegetables. Top with corn; pour milk mixture over all. Place raw tomatoes around edge, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over top.
6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean . Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.

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Nov. 6, 2011

Here is a favorite recipe of mine from Bon Appetit. It's a great family meal but special enough to impress guests as well!

Pasta with Veal, Sausage and Porcini Ragù
Bon Appétit | May 2000

(Pasta con Ragù di Vitello, Salsicce e Porcini)

Ragù is a beloved part of Tuscan cooking. Every person has his or her own recipe, but the basics are constant: It is a hearty sauce made with meat (beef, pork, veal, duck, even boar) and vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and onions, all cooked in wine and broth. And ragù is most often served over pasta. This recipe includes dried porcini mushrooms, which give the sauce a real taste of the Tuscan countryside.
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

ingredients
1 cup water
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms*

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
8 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
8 ounces veal stew meat, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 14-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 pound fresh pappardelle or purchased fettuccine
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

preparation

Bring 1 cup water and mushrooms to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Strain soaking liquid through paper-towel-lined sieve into bowl. Coarsely chop mushrooms. Set liquid and mushrooms aside.

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, 1/4 cup parsley and garlic. Sauté until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Push vegetables to side of skillet. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking up with back of fork, about 4 minutes. Add veal and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine. Increase heat to high and boil until wine is almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup chicken broth; boil 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved mushroom liquid. Simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to processor. Using about 4 on/off turns, process just until coarsely chopped. Return mixture to skillet. Mix in tomatoes with juices, bay leaves, sage, fennel seeds and porcini mushrooms. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered until sauce thickens, breaking up tomatoes with fork, adding remaining chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper. (Ragù can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Add sauce to pasta pot and rewarm over medium heat. Add pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.

*Dried porcini mushrooms are available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and many supermarkets.