The Perfect Ratatouille

Here is a repeat of one of my favorite recipes because I think it is time for some ratatouille while the summer vegetables are still here!

 

I have posted Betty Crocker’s basic recipe for ratatouille before on my blog, but ratatouille is something that I usually play by ear rather than by recipe, always keeping in mind that the basic ingredients are eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion. Last weekend I made ratatouille that my wife declared to be perfect, so I am sharing last weekend’s version.

Vegetables for ratatouille
by Floortje (Getty Images)

We will begin with Betty Crocker’s recipe and go from there:

RATATOUILLE

(From the 1983 edition of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, ninth edition)

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (about 1½ pounds)
• 2 small zucchini (about ½ pound)
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup) 
• 4 medium tomatoes, each cut into fourths
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Cook and stir all ingredients until heated through. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. 

YIELD: 6 TO 8 SERVINGS.

Now here is how I augmented it:

First, I omitted the garlic, since my wife is allergic to garlic, you may choose to keep it in. Second, I added 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Third, for the tomatoes, instead of 4 medium tomatoes, I used 8 Roma tomatoes. For one thing, I find Roma tomatoes to be much better tasting in the winter than other tomatoes, and for another, I figure Italian tomatoes are a better fit for an Italian dish.

For the vegetable oil, I used olive oil. I added a splash of sherry, about ¼ cup (I don’t use cooking sherry because that has salt added, I just keep a bottle of sherry on the kitchen counter to add flavor to a number of dishes).

Another slight variation was to add 1 yellow neck squash just for the added color (and nutritionists will tell you that the greater the variety of colors in your vegetables, the greater the variety of nutrients).

I usually cook my ratatouille longer than the Betty Crocker recipe recommends because I like it a little softer than “crisp-tender.” The thing that I did differently this time was that instead of using a big stew pot on top of the stove, I decided to use a slow cooker crock pot.  My reasoning was that this way I could just leave it to cook on its own without having to constantly hover over the stove stirring the pot (and I usually still end up with some burning on the bottom of the pot, no matter how diligent I am with the stirring).

The next big thing was in the presentation of the dish. I chose to serve the ratatouille over bow-tie pasta and to top it with grated Gruyère cheese. This is an unbeatable combination.

So here is a recap of my Perfect Ratatouille:

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant (about 1½ pounds)
• 2 small zucchini (about ½ pound)
• 1 small yellow neck squash
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup) 
• 4 medium tomatoes, each cut into fourths
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sherry
• 1 box of bow-tie pasta
• a small block of Gruyère cheese

Directions:

Rinse all vegetables before preparation. Peel the eggplant, slice and cut into 1-inch cubes. Slice the zucchini and the yellow-neck squash. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and chop the pepper (there is no need to chop it into small pieces -- another thing that nutritionists tell us is that when you cut a vegetable, you lose vitamins and nutrients, so larger chunks is better than finely chopped). Peel the outer skin from the onion and chop (again, I don’t bother to finely chop the onion, I cut it into wedges about ½ to 1 inch in width). 

Place vegetables in a large bowl, add ¼ cup of olive oil, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir all ingredients together and pour into a 4-quart crock-pot slow cooker (it will probably fill the crock-pot to the rim, but it will cook down some). Add the sherry, cover and cook on the high setting for about four hours (if you use cooking sherry, omit the salt above since cooking sherry has salt added).

Toward the end of the cooking time for the ratatouille, prepare the bow-tie pasta as directed on the package. Drain the pasta but do not rinse. Grate the Gruyère cheese.

Serve the ratatouille over the pasta and top with grated cheese.

Photo by Diana Miller (Getty Images)

-

Favorite Recipes: Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce and Coconut-Lime Rice

Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce and Coconut-Lime Rice

Photo by Elaine Kinnaird

While we are sheltering-in-place with nowhere to go, it is a great time to try some new recipes.

This delicious recipe was featured in the New York Times Cooking. I don't have a paid subscription, so I was not able to get the recipe there. Instead, I went searching online and found it at Dining and Cooking.

If you don't have all the ingredients, don't let it bother you. I had a new bottle of lime juice, so I didn't go looking for fresh limes. This meant that I didn't have the lime zest to fluff into the rice. Even though it was missing that extra flair, the dish was still hearty and delicious.

Also, I used some local honey that was already in my cabinet instead of buying molasses. And instead of hunting down red miso, I used the miso that was in the fridge. The sauce was still excellent.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, plus more for brushing the pan and drizzling
• ⅔ cup lime juice (from about 5 limes), and zest of 1 lime
• Kosher salt
• 8 baby bell peppers or 1 medium bell pepper (any color will do), stemmed and thinly sliced lengthwise
• Black pepper
• 1 cup smooth, natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey or molasses
• 1 tablespoon red miso
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
• 2 teaspoons chopped habanero pepper, stem and seeds removed, or 1 tablespoon sambal
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and sliced crosswise, 1/4-inch thick
• 1 cup long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
• 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 cups peppery greens, like arugula, mizuna or baby mustard greens

Preparation:

1.      Heat the oven to 450 degrees and lightly brush a large rimmed sheet pan with oil.

2.    In a small bowl, combine 4 tablespoons lime juice with 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the sliced peppers, a few cracks of black pepper and set aside.

3.    In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine 4 tablespoons lime juice, peanut butter, 1 tablespoon honey, miso, fish sauce (if using), habanero, ginger, 2 tablespoons oil and 3/4 cup water. Stir until smooth and season to taste with salt.

4.    Arrange the tofu pieces in a single layer on the oiled baking sheet and season with salt. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the peanut sauce over each. Be sure to cover the top, allowing the sauce to run down and coat the sides. Drizzle the tops with some oil, and roast until glaze is set, deep brown and caramelized along the edges, about 18 to 20 minutes. Use the remaining sauce in the bowl to make the dressing by whisking in the remaining lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey, and set aside.

5.     In a small pot, combine the rice with 1 cup water and the coconut milk. Season with salt and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the rice is just tender, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the cooked rice to sit covered until you are ready to serve. Just before serving, add in the lime zest, half of the sliced scallions and fluff with a fork.

6.    Divide the greens among bowls, and top with the rice and tofu. Spoon the peanut dressing over everything, and garnish with the drained pickled peppers and remaining sliced scallions.

Tip

• Peanut sauce can be made 2 to 3 days in advance and stored refrigerated until ready to use

•        Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

733 calories; 55 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 24 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 33 grams protein; 206 milligrams sodium

-

Favorite Recipes: Butternut Squash Lasagna

I am repeating this old favorite because I served it again at our house last week, along with a side of Leseur Very Young English Peas. It is a great fall recipe that is simple and easy to make. I found last year at Winn Dixie Supermarket. In fact it is from their Flavors recipe magazine that is free to WD customers. 

The first time I tried it, the family declared it to be worthy of making again, so it went into my recipe file. We have enjoyed it several times now.

This vegetarian recipe can easily be adapted to vegan, which is the way I prepare it. Instead of heavy cream, I substitute coconut creamer. Since the coconut creamer does not thicken quite the way dairy cream does, I mix up some flour in a little bit of water and gradually add it to thicken it the same way you would thicken a stew. For the Parmesan  cheese, I use Follow Your Heart brand "Dairy Free Parmesan Style Shredded Cheese Alternative." 

Here is the recipe as it appeared in the Winn Dixie Flavors magazine:

Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna

Preparation time: 15 min.

Cooking time: 40 min.

Serves Four

VEGETARIAN INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½" pieces
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken crosswise into 2"-long pieces
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse

SAUTÉ squash in oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in shallot, 1 Tbsp. sage, garlic, and ¾ tsp. salt and cook for 30 more seconds.

STIR broth and cream into skillet, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Scatter pasta over squash, but do not stir. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 25 minutes.

SPRINKLE with cheese, walnuts, and remaining 1 Tbsp. sage and serve.

-

Moroccan Chicken Pie

Here's another post from my archives (you'll find the original post under the "Recipes" tab at the top of my blog page).

I tried a version of this recipe over twenty years ago. Our daughter was just a toddler, and I found the recipe, as best I can recall, in Parents Magazine. I liked the dish. It's unique combination of sweet and savory spices along with the light and delicate crust made for a truly memorable dinner, but unfortunately, the magazine went out the door before I saved the recipe. Last year I took it upon myself to track down the recipe. I was sure that with the internet I would be able to find it. Unfortunately, after many internet searches under a variety of search phrases, I was unable to find it. I did find a recipe for Moroccan Chicken stew (tagine) that was excellent, but it wasn’t the dish I had made years ago.

I gave up my search for Moroccan chicken pie. Much to my surprise, however, just a couple of months later, the recipe found me! It was in January when our daughter was getting ready to drive back to grad school. She wanted to go by a clothing store to shop for a few things, so I strolled around the shop while she and my wife perused the clothing. Not many things are more boring to me than women’s clothing stores, but as I was strolling about, I notice on one of the shelves was a cookbook. Cookbooks I find interesting. The title was Fireside Feasts and Snow Day Treats by Ellen Parnavelas, published by Ryland Peters & Small (London).

I took the book down and thumbed through the pages. It was a beautifully photographed collection of recipes characterized as “indulgent comfort food for winter eating and entertaining.” As I looked through the edition, there on page 74 was a recipe for Moroccan chicken pie! I looked over the ingredients, and it appeared to be very near the recipe I remembered – perhaps the exact one, who knows? I cooked it last week on Valentine’s day and it was a great success. It was served with some rice pilaf, then on Sunday, we had leftovers with sides of barley and baked sweet potato. Both meals were exceptional! It was the taste I had been looking for, and my wife loved it as well. The filo dough crust gives it a light touch, not the heaviness that you get from a chicken pot pie with regular pie crust. 

I bought chicken thighs for the recipe from Whole Foods because we are trying to use only humanely raised meat when we do eat meat. Another good thing about the package of thighs was that they were already de-boned, saving me a step in the cooking/preparation process. I did make some slight variations. Instead of making one large pie, I used smaller baking dishes to make three pies (and gave one to a neighbor).  I did not bother with cutting a circle of filo dough to fit the pie pan. Fillo dough is tricky enough as it is. I simply sprayed the dish with cooking oil and then lay the filo dough out, one sheet at a time, spreading each sheet with melted butter and letting it hang over the edges. After filling the dishes, I folded over the overhanging dough, as described in the recipe, to make the top crust (I also added a few pieces of filo dough on top, still spreading with butter as I went).

One of the three small pies I made (about two servings)

Instead of the fresh coriander, I used about a teaspoon of ground coriander which I had on hand in the spice cabinet. The other change I made was to omit the garlic and cilantro, out of personal preference. My cooking time was reduced to around 20 minutes because I was using smaller dishes.



Here is the recipe as given in Fireside Feasts and Snow Day Treats by Ellen Parnavelas:

Moroccan chicken pie

Ideal for large gatherings or buffets, this is best when made in advance giving the flavours time to mingle. The filling can also be made into individual pies or pastries. Serve with a grated carrot salad and plenty of buttery couscous.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• a pinch of saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 8 chicken thighs, skin removed
• 40 g/ ½ cup raisins
• 35 g/ ½ cup flaked almonds
• a large handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 270 g/9 ¾  oz. ready-made filo/phyllo pastry
• 2-3 tablespoons butter, melted
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

You will need a 24-cm / 9 ½ inch round baking dish or tart pan, greased

Serves 4-6

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-8 minutes, until just soft. Stir in the spices and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the spiced oil. Add 190 ml/ ¾ cup water and the raisins. Season generously with salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the bones. Return the meat to the cooking juices. Mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning. The mixture should be very moist but it should not be soupy. If there is a lot of liquid, return to the heat and cook to reduce slightly. Stir in the almonds, coriander/cilantro and lemon juice. Set aside.

To assemble, place 2 sheets of filo/phyllo on the work surface. Using the baking dish, cut out 2 circles of pastry to fit. Cover with a clean, damp dish towel and set aside. Line the sides of the dish with the remaining pastry, positioning each one with an overhang and not quite reaching the middle. Continue until the edge is covered with overhanging sheets of filo/phyllo. Brush the dish with melted butter and top with one of the pastry circles. Brush with more butter and top with the remaining circle.

Transfer the chicken mixture to the filo/phyllo -lined dish, spreading it evenly. Fold in the overhanging filo to part-enclose the filling, crinkling it as you go. Brush with melted butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until just golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

-

Gingerbread Christmas

I haven’t done this in a while, but when my daughter was young, it was fun to use this gingerbread recipe I found in my Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. I used the recipe for Gingerbread People. This makes a very pliable, workable dough. After you cut out whatever shapes you want, you can roll the scraps together and cut out more. We have used this dough to make lots of little gingerbread men, stars and other shapes, and also to make a gingerbread house (pictured above).

To make the house, I had found a book in the library that contained patternes that I traced onto paper and usd those patterns to cut the shapes out of the dough. We still had to trim it a bit when the bread came out of the oven to make them all fit together. Icing sugar was used as the "mortar" to hold the house together.

GINGERBREAD PEOPLE

1 ½ cups dark molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup cold water

1/3 cup shortening

7 cups all-purpose flour*

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix molasses, brown sugar, water and shortening.

Mix in remaining ingredients except frosting.

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350°. Roll dough ¼ inch thick on

floured board. Cut with floured gingerbread cutter

or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches

apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until no

indentation remains when touched, 10 to 12 minutes;

cool. Decorate with Decorators' Frosting (I just buy the ready-made stuff in a tube).

ABOUT 2 ½ DOZEN 2½ INCH COOKIES.

*If using self-rising flour, omit baking soda and salt.

Gingerbread Cookies:

Decrease flour to 6 cups.

Roll dough ½ inch thick and cut with floured 2½

inch round cutter. Place about 1½ inches apart

on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 15

minutes.

-

Recipes My Daughter Likes: Falafel

Last weekend, Birmingham's George's Melkite Greek-Catholic Church held its annual Middle Eastern Food Festival. It was a wonderful event, as always, with lots of delicious food, music and  dancing. It was a chance to sample kibbee, falafel, spinach pies, and all sorts of foods including many delectable pastries. It was also a time to learn something about another culture, including informative tours of the church. The event reminded me that it has been a while since I made falafel at home. This is one of my prized recipes that I first shared here back in 2013.

One of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham is The Pita Stop which features Middle Eastern food. It has been in town for many years and was originally started by a Lebanese family. It was there that I first became acquainted with falafel, which immediately became my favorite thing on their menu.  If you are ever in town, The Pita Stop is well worth the visit.

Years ago I was talking with a colleague about how much I liked the Middle Eastern dish. His wife was Egyptian, and he mentioned that she had a recipe and often made her own falafel. I asked if she would mind sharing the recipe, which thankfully she did.  I immediately tried it at home and it is now one of my daughter’s favorites. While she was home visiting this summer, she requested that I make it again.

Here is the recipe that I have kept in the form of a handwritten note and used for years: 

Ensaf's Falafel

Ingredients:

• 4 cups dried chick peas
• 2 large onions
• 1 whole garlic
• 2 bunches parsley
• Hot peppers (I use 4 jalapenos in my half recipe version - 5 if you like it really spicy!)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper

Preparation:

Soak the chick peas overnight, drain.

Combine chick peas, onion, garlic, parsley and hot pepper. Grind twice in an electric meat grinder.

Add salt, pepper, cumin, and baking powder. Mix thoroughly.

When ready to fry the falafel, add baking soda.

Shape into patties 1 ½  inches in diameter and ½ inch thick.

Fry in deep hot oil until light brown and crisp. (I use peanut oil in a large frying pan)

Serve hot with tomato slices in Arabic (pita) bread in the form of a sandwich with tahini sauce and sliced onion. Garnish with parsley.

The falafel batter may be frozen. Thaw and add baking soda just before frying.

*  *  *  *

I should note that when I make this, I just make a half recipe, which is as much as I want to deal with at a time. I use a food processor to do the grinding. First, I'll grind the chick peas (I do it in small batches in the food processor) then with the second grinding, I'll add the parsley, onion, and peppers I end up with a large mixing bowl full of batter with just a half recipe.  I usually have it with brown rice, sometimes with pita bread. Also, I must confess that I have never used tahini sauce when serving these at home, but I found a recipe online that looks good. You can find it here.

Falafel (photo from Wikipedia)

*

Recipes My Daughter Likes: Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna

Now that we are getting a hint of autumn in the air, here is a great fall recipe that is simple and easy to make. I found last year at Winn Dixie Supermarket. In fact it is from their Flavors recipe magazine that is free to WD customers. 

The first time I tried it, the family declared it to be worthy of making again, so it went into my recipe file. Just last week, when my wife brought home a butternut squash from the farmers' market, I served it up again.

This vegetarian recipe can easily be adapted to vegan, which is the way I prepare it. Instead of heavy cream, I substitute coconut creamer. For the Parmesan  cheese, I use Follow Your Heart brand "Dairy Free Parmesan Style Shredded Cheese Alternative." 

Here is the recipe as it appeared in the Winn Dixie Flavors magazine:

Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna

Preparation time: 15 min.

Cooking time: 40 min.

Serves Four

VEGETARIAN INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1 lb.), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½" pieces
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken crosswise into 2"-long pieces
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse

SAUTÉ squash in oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in shallot, 1 Tbsp. sage, garlic, and ¾ tsp. salt and cook for 30 more seconds.

STIR broth and cream into skillet, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Scatter pasta over squash, but do not stir. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 25 minutes.

SPRINKLE with cheese, walnuts, and remaining 1 Tbsp. sage and serve.

-

Recommended Recipes: Caribbean Rum Cake

Last week I was at a gathering that included a shared meal. I had been wanting an excuse to try a new recipe I found online for Caribbean Rum cake. I had never baked a rum cake, and I don't think I had even tasted a rum cake before, but the recipe was intriguing and simple enough, so I prepared the cake as directed by the recipe and it was a hit. Since it is now, by my standards, a "tried and true recipe" I share it here today.

It was a little scary, how I came by this recipe. I bought some King Arthur Flour at our local Winn-Dixie Supermarket. Somehow, Facebook got word of it and I began to see recipes from King Arthur Flour on my Facebook page. You can find the recipe online at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/PrintRecipe?RID=4587&radio=1.  (Please note: this is not a paid celebrity endorsement, and I get no kick back from King Arthur Flour for any visit to my blog).

Here is the recipe as found on the King Arthur Flour website:

King Arthur Flour photo

If you've ever traveled to the Caribbean, chances are you've had the amazing rum cakes that the islands are famous for. Sadly, these cakes are not often found in northern latitudes; but this recipe is the closest we've ever had to the "real" thing. It’s also a delicious clone of the dense rum cakes you’ll find in Italian markets during the holidays. Yes, there’s a lot of rum in this cake, and it's definitely not for those avoiding alcohol. But the incredibly moist texture and rich flavor are deeply satisfying.

Rum cake base

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

4 large eggs

1/2 cup rum, plain or spiced

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon butter rum flavor (optional but excellent)

1/4 cup pecan or almond flour, for dusting baking pan

Rum soaking syrup

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rum, plain or spiced

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 325°F.

2.  Place all of the cake ingredients except the rum, vanilla, and butterrum

     flavor in a bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Be sure

     to scrape down the bowl after one minute. Add the rum, vanilla, and

     flavor to the batter and beat at low speed for another minute.

3.  Spritz a 10 to12cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle on the

     pecan or almond flour and turn the pan to coat evenly. Set aside. Pour

     the batter into the prepared pan and spread level with a spatula.

4.  Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes. When done, the cake will test clean

     on a cake tester.

5.  Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the soaking

     syrup.

6.  In a medium sized saucepan combine the syrup ingredients, except

     vanilla. Bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about

     5 to 8 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from the heat

     and stir in the vanilla.

7.  Use a long skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour about 1/4 cup of

     the syrup over the cake (still in the pan). Allow the syrup to soak in, then

     repeat again and again until all the syrup is used.

8.  Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit

      overnight at room temperature to cool completely and soak in the syrup.

      When ready to serve, loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto your

      serving plate. If the cake won’t release, place it in the oven, turn the oven

      to 350°F, and warm for 5 to 10 minutes, to soften the syrup. Remove from

      the oven, and tip the cake onto the serving plate.

9.  Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent.

10. Wrap securely (or place under a cake cover) and store at room

      temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 1 month.



-

Recipes My Daughter Likes: Polenta with Speckled Butter Beans

Anything I file under "Recipes my daughter likes" will by definition be vegetarian and vegan. This one is quick and easy and has a Southern flavor. It is a recipe that I threw together the other night with things that we had on hand. It turned out very well, being healthy, filling and it even had a gourmet flair.

Here is what I had on hand to prepare the dish:

Ingredients:

• Fresh frozen speckled butter beans, 10 oz.
• Field Roast brand Vegan Italian sausage (1 link)
• One roll of packaged polenta
• Vegetable bouillon 

Here is what I did:

Using one cube of Knorr's Vegetable Bouillon, prepare 2 cups of broth in a medium sized boiler.

Add about 10 oz. of fresh frozen speckled butter beans (I used about 1/3 of my 32 oz. bag in the freezer). Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, until beans are tender. Add water as needed.

While the beans are cooking:

• Unwrap the polenta and slice if into ½ inch rounds 
• Unwrap one of the Field Roast Vegan Italian sausages and slice it into ½ inch rounds. 

Have these on a plate ready to cook when the beans are done.

Cooking the polenta and sausage:

In a large skillet, dissolve another cube of Knorr's Vegetable Bouillon in about an inch of water. Use this broth to cook the polenta slices as well as the sausage slices in. (I have cooked polenta in the oven and I have tried frying it in a skillet with some oil, but the best method I have found is to simmer the slices in a skillet with some broth instead of oil. This way, there is no sticking to the pan, and the polenta is nicely flavored by the broth)

Over medium heat, sauté the polenta in the skillet with the broth for about six minutes, turning each slice over halfway through (about 3 minutes per side). When the polenta is cooked, remove them to a serving plate and then do the same preparation with the sausage slices, sautéing them in the broth for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 

By the time I put the sausages in, the broth had cooked down and I needed more liquid, so I added a little sherry to the skillet to finish cooking the sausages (of course, on should always have some sherry at the ready in the kitchen).

When serving, place three or four slices of polenta on a plate. With a slotted spoon, dish out some butter beans on top of the polenta. Scoop up some sausage rounds ad scatter then on top of the butter beans. Enjoy!

Yield: This recipe produced three good servings. Adding another sausage link would have stretched it to four good servings servings. You could increase the amount of speckled butter beans as well, depending upon how many people you are serving.

-