Lemon Drop Cookies

Hooray, they actually turned out!!!  Melt in your mouth goodness despite altering my mom's original recipe.  Thinking she had always used Crisco shortening in her recipe, I went on a limb and replaced it with butter. She later informed me that in reality it was vegetable oil in her original recipe.  I obviously had it confused it with another recipe.  Then there was the question of figuring out the accurate amount of ingredients.  I turned my kitchen into a test kitchen and was vigilant in noting any adjustments and using universal measurements.  The amount of baking powder used in the recipe made me do a double take, but fear not, it really works. As for the Galliano, a sweet herbal Italian liqueur with such wonderful ingredients like anise, juniper, ginger, lavender and of course the delicate flavour of vanilla, it is optional as it is probably not readily available.  Try replacing it with another liqueur like limoncello, another Italian classic. 
   
Lemon Drop Cookies 
3 1/2 cups flour 
6 teaspoons baking powder
zest of 1 lemon   
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces  
4 eggs      
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3 teaspoons 
Galliano liqueur (optional)  
1 1/2 cup sugar     
1/4 cup milk  
1 cup icing sugar     

In a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and pulse to combine.  Add the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and add the sugar, vanilla, the liqueur, and milk. Continue to whisk the wet ingredients until combined.  Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the ingredients.  Pour the icing sugar in a bowl. Take a teaspoonful of the cookie dough and gently roll it in the icing sugar.  Transfer to cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart and bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.  Makes 48 cookies

Linguini with Shrimp and Zucchini

How about another easy pasta dish so you don't have to spend too much in the kitchen?  After all it is summertime, and no one wants to spend hours in front of a hot stove.  I was lucky to have some marinara sauce in the freezer. So it was simply a matter of sauteing the zucchini, cooking the shrimp, and tossing the lot in the pasta.  How easy is that?
For the marinara sauce recipe, simply use the search engine which will direct you to an older post. Once you have the sauce underway, start sauteing the zucchini in skillet with about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin oil.  Set the zucchini aside and using the same pan, heat another 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shrimps to the pan, 2 cloves of garlic (chopped), and  some fresh Italian parsley.  The shrimp will take about two minutes to cook. To quote Jacques Pepin, this is, "fast food my way".  Bon appetit!

Fennel Taralli

I'm afraid the jury is still out on sharing my mom's savory taralli recipe.  So, I'm afraid the photo of my latest batch will have to do for now.   Similar to pretzels they are great for snacking with a nice glass of beer or dunking them in a glass of wine. Unlike most taralli recipes, these are not boiled prior to baking and can be kept in an airtight container for months.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache.

 

Did you know about all the health benefits of cocoa?  Apparently cocoa solids contain alkaloids which have a physiological effect on our bodies, and have been linked to serotonin levels in the brain.  So chocolate taken in moderation can change your mood, and even lower your blood pressure.  Now that's one medicine that is easy to swallow.  Just remember to keep it away from your pooch because the health benefits of theobromine, one of the alkaloids found in cocoa, is benefical to humans but toxic to cats and dogs.  Well, I guess that's enough justification  to classify this next recipe as another of Anna's healthy choice.  Did I mention that the batter is also made without butter, and that I cut down on the sugar?  It doesn't get much better than this; except for the decadent Belgium chocolate ganache topping. Hope you give these cupcakes a try, because they are as good as they look.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup dark Dutch cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
36 raspberries
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup water at room temperature

In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  mix in the chocolate chips.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and whisk in the sugar, vanilla and water.  Add the wet ingredients to the cocoa and flour mixture, stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the ingredients. The batter will be somewhat liquefy.  Spoon into muffin tins which have been lined with muffins cups. Place a whole raspberry in the center of each cupcake and gently push it down into the batter. Bake in a pre-heated 350º F oven for 30 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Ganache Topping
3/4 cup 35% cream
100g Belgium dark chocolate, cut int small pieces

Bring the cream to almost a boiling point. Take off the burner and add the chocolate pieces.  Stir to combine.

Summer Grilled Vegetable Torte

While grilling the vegetables for this next recipe, I couldn't help feeling somewhat nostalgic for my dad who was so passionate about his garden. Each summer he would shower us all with its bounty.  If only I could turn back time for one more summer in his garden. 

Summer Vegetable Torte
2 small eggplants cut into1 /2" rounds
2 yellow zucchini (summer squash) cut into 1/2" strips
1 sweet onion cut into thick slices
3 portobello mushrooms cut into thick slices
1 cup fresh baby spinach
3 tomatoes cut into thick 1/2 " slices
1 bell pepper thick slices
2 zucchini thick slices
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
4-5  chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 buffalo mozzarella
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper 

In a hot  seasoned (to prevent vegetables from sticking) grill pan, grill the eggplants and set aside.  Continue grilling the remainder of the vegetables except for the tomatoes and spinach.  Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the vegetables and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Once all the vegetables have been grilled, take a 10" spring-form pan and grease it with olive oil. Begin by layering the bottom of the pan with the grilled eggplant.  Layer the grilled summer squash on the eggplant and then the spinach.  Next, layer the sliced tomatoes on the spinach and sprinkle with fresh basil. Dot the layer with chunks of  half of the mozzarella.  Place a layer of the grilled onion, the green zucchini and the oregano.  Spread the grilled red pepper and  gently pat down the layers of the vegetables.
In a small bowl add the breadcrumbs, the grated parmesan , the garlic, thyme and mix to combine.  Sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture over the last vegetable layer and dot with the other half of the mozzarella cheese.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Place the pan on a tray to avoid spillage and bake in a 375º F oven for 30-35 minutes.

Raspberry Scones

Nothing ventured, nothing gained........With raspberries being in season, I couldn't resist adding them to my scone recipe.  I knew I was taking a risk given the fragile nature of the berries, but the attempt was well worth it.  You do have to handle the dough gently and not overwork it.  I rolled out the dough directly on the baking sheet, which was lined with parchment paper, and spaced the wedges (triangles) two inches apart prior to baking them.  The raspberries don't remain whole, but form a lovely streusel effect through the batter. I also decided to further alter my original scone recipe by adding, what else, extra butter and a touch of pure vanilla extract.  I'm happy to report that they are by far the best scones I've made to date.  The old recipe can't hold a candle to this newly revised version. So, Grace at 'lamiadolca vita', I might have to just eat my words when I stated that I preferred tea biscuits over scones.  My recent batch was not only buttery rich but surprisingly light in texture.           

Raspberry Scones 
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
1 cup raspberries
2 eggs
1/3 cup 35% cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a food processor add the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Pulse, to blend the dry ingredients.  Add the butter and process until the texture of coarse meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and gently toss in the raspberries.  In a separate bowl add the eggs, vanilla and cream and beat slightly.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture.  Mix gently to combine with a wooden spoon.  Transfer to a work surface and pat with your hand to a thick disk.  Place the dough on a tray which has been lined with parchment paper.  Roll out the dough to about 1/2” thickness.  Cut into 8 wedges and using a spatula separate them, so as to bake them 2" apart.  Bake in a pre-heated 400º F oven for 12-15 minutes.  Makes 8 large scones

Quinoa à la Waldorf Salad

Quinoa, ( pronounced keen-wa) a grain that comes from South America is considered the  "Supergrain of the Future" as it contains more protein than any other grains, and is a balanced source of other nutrients. It is also gluten free and easy to digest. It is great in salads and  has a delicious nutty flavour . 
With quinoa as my canvas, I concocted  quite a tasty summer salad, which after some thought, reminded of the original Waldorf salad. 


( photos of quinoa plants from Wikipedia)

Quinoa greens

Quinoa before flowering

Quinoa in flower

Harvested quinoa seeds

Quinoa à la Waldorf  Salad

Quinoa Salad
2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 red onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 cup light olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Lebanese cucumbers chopped
1 apple peeled and chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a pot pour in 2 cups of cold water and add 1 cup of quinoa.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.  While the quinoa is cooking, macerate the red onion  in the cider vinegar and sugar.  Transfer the the onions and vinegar to a large bowl, and whisk in the honey, mustard, lime juice,salt, and oil.  Add the chopped celery and apple.  Toss in the cooked quinoa and the pecans.