The Perfect Summertime Dessert

If you've eaten at Joe's Stone Crab in Miami, you'll know about their famous Key Lime Pie, just the best there is. They've generously shared their recipe online, and we are big fans ... making it frequently. It's a hit with young and old.

Here's the recipe. Thank you, Joe's!

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust

1 cup plus 2-1/2 T graham cracker crumbs
5 T unsalted melted butter
1/3 c sugar

Filling

3 egg yolks
Zest of one lime (1-1/2 t)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
Juice of 3'1/2 to 4 limes (2/3 cup) freshly squeezed

Topping

1 c heavy whipping cream, chilled
3 T confectioners sugar


Process

Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Butter a 9" pie plate
3. Break up graham crackers, place in processor and process to crumbs.
4. Add melted butter and sugar and pulse until combined.
5. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pie plate, forming a neat border around the edges.
6. Bake until crust is set, approx. 8 mins.
7. Set aside on a wire rack; leave oven on.

Filling
1. In an electric mixer with the wire whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks and lime zest at high speed until very fluffy, about 5 mins.
2. Gradually add the condensed milk and continue to beat until thick, 3-4 mins longer.
3. Lower the mixer speed and slowly add the lime juice, mixing until just combined.
4. Pour mixture into crust and back for 10-15 mins., or until filling has just set.
5. Cool on wire rack, then refrigerate.
6. Freeze for 15-20 mins before serving.

Topping
1. Whip the cream and confectioners sugar until nearly stiff.
2. Pipe or spread onto pie.
3. Serve in wedges, with slice of key lime if desired.

Note: This recipe was originally published by food.com, © 2017 Scripps Network.

Red, White and Blueberry

More Memorial Day, Fourth of July (or any Sunday morning) fare ... fresh blueberry muffins.  They are quick and easy and really moist and delicious.  The secrets are sour cream, nutmeg and cinammon.  From start to finish, less than an hour. Here's the recipe:

  Preheat oven to 400ª. Bake at 350ª.

·           1 stick butter, melted

·           ¾ c. sugar plus additional for sprinkling muffins

·           2 large eggs

·           1 ½  tsp. vanilla

·           1 cup sour cream

·           2 cups flour

·           ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

·           ½ tsp baking powder

·           ½ tsp baking soda

·           Ground cinnamon for sprinkling muffins

·            2 cups fresh blueberries

 Mix wet ingredients

·          Cream butter and sugar with hand mixer

·          Beat in eggs, one at a time

·          Beat in vanilla and sour cream

  Mix dry ingredients

·           Sift flour

·           Stir in ground nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt

  Combine

·            Stir wet into dry ingredients

·            Fold in blueberries

  Spoon into 12 muffin cups, sprinkle tops with mixture of cinnamon and granulated sugar.

  Reduce heat in oven to 350. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until golden brown, or until
  toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

  Options:

·           Add 1 ½ cups grated apples instead of blueberries

·           Add chopped pecans to topping

·           Fold in 1 ½ cups mashed bananas and ½ cup walnuts to batter

·           Use raspberries instead of blueberries

Whole and Hearty Asparagus Pizza

This delicious whole wheat pizza is a wonderful addition to your menu, and works equally well as an hors d'oeuvre or entrée.  It's also a savory, healthy alternative to store-bought pizzas that are loaded with preservatives, sodium and additives. Make it a wonderful, heart-healthy vegetarian pizza by eliminating the bacon; you will still retain depth and complexity of flavor. It gets its name from using whole wheat pizza dough, and its hearty list of ingredients: mushrooms, onions, two cheeses and roasted fresh asparagus spears.  4-6 servings, or more for hors d'oeuvre.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 lb fresh asparagus
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large sweet onion
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/2 lb mushrooms
• Whole wheat or white pizza dough
• Olive oil
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces (optional)
• 6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tbsp grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Process

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spread fresh asparagus on baking sheet with sides. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Mix well, using hands. Spread out in single layer. Bake 10 minutes.

3. While asparagus is roasting, slice sweet onion thinly and saute in 1 tbsp of butter until caramelized, about 10 minutes, then set aside.

4. Slice mushrooms; saute in 1 tbsp of the butter until they give up their liquid and are browned, about 10 minutes; set aside. 
5. Prepare the pizza dough by rolling out on a floured surface, transfer to pizza baking sheet brushed lightly with a little olive oil, and brush dough lightly with more olive oil.

6. Cut cooled asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Layer ingredients onto dough in this order: caramelized onions, bacon pieces, mushrooms, asparagus (in a pinwheel arrangement, if desired), mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, until dough is crusty and browned on edges, and cheese has melted.

Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Goes really well with a crisp Pinto Grigio or Reisling!

 

Savory Easter Delight

 Our Easter dinner is often rosemary roasted rack of lamb, with roasted sheet pan asparagus and broiled tomatoes. So easy and delicious. A springtime treat!

Gettin' Our Corned Beef On!

It's almost time for corned beef and cabbage ... now as St. Patrick's Day comes near to us on the calendar, and really anytime of the year. It's always delicious and always a big hit ... day of, and day after! You'll need a big pot of water, lots of pickling spices, a quality cut of corned beef, a bunch of yellow or russet potatoes, an onion or two and time to let it simmer on the range. Here's how we do it:

Corned beef simmering in large pot of water with pickling spices (recipe below).

Add cabbage and potatoes ...

Cabbage, cored and quartered, ready to jump into the pool!

Ingredients

One 4-lb. corned beef brisket, thin cut (get the best you can find)
2-6 tbsp. pickling spices
4-6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
One large onion, peeled and quartered
One medium head cabbage, cored and cut into 8 quarters

Process

1. Put the corned beef into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 2 tbsp. pickling spices. Cover and bring to a boil.
2. Skim the gray residue that comes to the top of the pot. Cover. Simmer for 30 minutes. Skim residue. Add 1-2 tbsp. more pickling spices to make up for ones you skimmed away.
3. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours on medium heat.
4. Add potatotes, onion, more water (boil it first) to cover corned beef. Adjust spices by adding more if needed. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. Add cabbage and simmer 30 more minutes.

Serve with Irish soda bread and a pint of Guinness! Top of the evening to you, mateys!

Jambalaya! Laissez les bons temps roulez!

Here's an easy and delicious way to celebrate Mardi Gras! We use Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix, to which we add:

• 3-4 thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 1 lb), sautéed until just tender, cut into 2" pieces

• 1/2 to 1 lb. extra-large shrimp, sautéed with garlic and butter (add in last five minutes of cooking)

• 1 lb andouille sausage, sautéed in 1/2 tsp. olive oil until just cooked through and sliced into 1" pieces

Note: Do not overcook any of the additions because they will cook further in the jambalaya mix.

Follow package directions, add the chicken, sausage and shrimp. Serve with a salad.  Ready in 45 minutes or less. 

Laissez les bons temps roulez!

Basic Roast Chicken on a Wintry Night

There's nothing quite like the aroma of a chicken roasting in the oven! 

Here's our can't fail method for a savory chicken.  Best of all, your oven does all the work!

Preheat oven to 375F.

1. Cut a 4 lb chicken into 8 pieces.

2. Put into roasting pan, and sprinkle liberally with herbes de Provence, 

3. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over all.

4. Add a tad French salt (we use fleur de sel) and freshly ground pepper melange, some crushed fresh garlic cloves and a few tablespoons butter cut into small bits. 

5. Roast at 375F for 90 mins, basting half way through. 

Serve with your favorite smashed potatoes and haricots vert.

A made for all seasons dinner, not just for a wintry night. Use any leftovers for your chicken pot pie!