EASTER DINNER: STEAK, CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD, SPICY CHEESE GRITS, ROSEMARY DINNER ROLLS

Easter Dinner, usually pork tenderloin on the grill.  But we've had a lot of pork this year so filet mignon took its place.  First a dousing of salt on both sides of meat until brought to room temperature.  Then a little more salt and lots of pepper.  Pan fry in olive oil and a little butter--8-10 minutes each side.  Then remove, add a tiny bit of butter to each steak, let rest for 5 minutes to reabsorb the juices.  Perfect.

I had forgotten about the bag of freshly ground grits sitting in my pantry.  My friend, Darcey, and I each bought a bag while traveling from Savannah, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina in a little town called Round O.  Grits are great sweet or savory. Sweet for breakfast with a little butter, sugar, and cream (always cream). And at night, with butter, cream, and salt and pepper. This recipe fancied them up a bit.  I loved them, as did the adults in my family.  But the kids scrunched up their noses not quite loving the texture.

Spicy Grits - Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 1/2 Onion, Diced
• 1/2 Red Bell Pepper
• 2 whole Chilies (any Variety, Hot Or Mild)
• 2 cups Stone Ground Grits
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken (or Beef) Broth
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• 1 cup Grated Cheddar Cheese

Picture taken before the cheese was added

Heat 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Pour in grits, then add broth and water. Stir, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add half-and-half. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until grits are tender. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.

Classic Caesar Salad

I won't bother with the recipe.  I made the dressing with anchovies and everything was going along swimmingly when my niece noticed the tin of anchovies was missing from my pantry.  Really?  I have a million items in my pantry.  She noticed they were sitting on the shelf one minute and then they were gone.  A brouhaha erupted and my classic Caesar salad became your run of the mill Caesar salad.  Oh, well.  The good news is they all can say they've had anchovies....cue the sinister laugh soundtrack.

This is super simple.  One bag of frozen pre-cooked dinner rolls, butter, fresh rosemary, and sea salt.  That's it.  Follow instructions for whatever frozen rolls you bought. Everyone thought they were homemade.  Wish I had one right now.

CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

That is lovely chocolate you see darkening the rim of the bread.

My friend, Judith, sent me this recipe as one of her favs and she has excellent taste.  This is one of the best dessert breads I have ever tasted. But admittedly,  I'm not sure I have ever had "bad" dessert bread. And I had just ground some whole wheat flour so I added a bit reducing the amount of the all-purpose flour.  Didn't even notice. 

Judith found this on: http://www.joyofbaking.com a site I will be visiting more often.

Chocolate Banana Bread:

1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed), sifted

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (85 grams) white, dark, or milk chocolate chips

A sprinkling of turbinado or demerara sugar

Perfect with hot, milky, peppermint tea

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position.  Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a  9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan
Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Let cool and then chop coarsely.  


In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.  With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse brown sugar (optional, but I say "do it"). Bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be covered and stored for a few days, or frozen for longer storage.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

SPICY BEANS & CORNBREAD

Had two leftover ham hocks in the freezer and lots of pinto beans.  I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman Cooks and boy, was it good.  I used one ham hock with plenty of meat still attached.  And I know how many of you like to tweak recipes and this one can be tweaked away and it won't hurt a thing.  Mark Bittman supplied the sweet cornbread recipe, amen to that.

Also, I soaked the beans for 20 hours and changed the water several times.  This made the beans well-mannered beans if you know what I mean.

Ingredients - Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 4 cups Dry Pinto Beans
• 1 whole Ham Hock
• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 whole Jalapenos, Sliced
• 2 teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (optional)
• 2 teaspoons Black Pepper, More To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Rinse beans under cold water, sorting out any rocks/particles.

Place beans in a stock pot with the ham hock and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure the water level is fine. Add more water as needed.

Toss in diced onion, red bell pepper, garlic and jalapeno. Cover and continue cooking for another hour or two, remembering to check the water level.

Add salt, chili powder (if desired) and pepper, then cover and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until beans are lovely and tender. Serve with cornbread as a meal..

CORNBREAD - Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, olive oil, lard or bacon drippings (I used butter)
• 1 1/2 cups medium-grind cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk, more if needed

Method

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put fat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or in an 8-inch square baking pan. Place pan in oven.
• 2. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix eggs into milk, then stir this mixture into dry ingredients, combining with a few swift strokes. If mixture seems dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk.
• 3. When fat and oven are hot, remove skillet or pan from oven, pour batter into it and smooth out top. Return pan to oven. Bake about 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and sides have pulled away from pan; a toothpick inserted into center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.
•  

SPICED PECAN PUMPKIN BREAD - Williams Sonoma (cheating)

Yes, I cheated. Pumpkin bread not from scratch.  But don't you ever walk into your pantry or open up your cupboard and find the yummy quick bread mix that you bought, stashed away, forgot about, and then discover it's about to expire?  Maybe that's just me.  You all are probably super organized. I noticed the bread mix in the nick of time.  And then, as I rummaged around for a bread pan, discovered that I also bought a darling bread pan (on sale) for making this specific bread. A year ago.  What is wrong with my brain? Don't answer.

So, this morning I made this yummy bread adding in a handful of chocolate chips that were lonely in its 3/4 empty bag--nice to get rid of a few things on my pantry shelf.  And within 20 minutes my house was a divine atmosphere of pumpkin, pecans, and a hint of chocolate.  If you've ever wondered about Williams-Sonomas quick bread mixes, let me tell you they are excellent.

CINNAMON TOAST - Pioneer Woman Cooks

Have you been thinking you make cinnamon toast the correct way? Me, too.  But apparently we have been wrong.  I stumbled onto the perfect concoction: yummy, caramelized cinnamon sugar toast from Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Instead of the old-fashioned way--slathering butter on toasted bread and then quickly sprinkling cinnamon sugar atop while the bread was warm--there is a much better way.

I didn't make quite the same size batch that Ree Drummond (aka Pioneer Woman) made, so I will give you both her recipe and what I did.  The toast was even better paired with hot, milky peppermint tea.  I just came back from a week in DC and am now addicted to Taylors of Harrogate (By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, don't you know) Organic Peppermint Tea (caffeine-free) which was offered in the club lounge of my hotel.  The warm, sweet, milky tea finished the night off perfectly and quelled any sweet tooth desires, which is always a problem whilst traveling.  But I digress.

A small amount of softened butter was ready and waiting so I added a bit of sugar, cinnamon, a drop or two of vanilla extract, and whipped it up.  Don't ask me about the correct cinnamon to sugar ratio--I just know it when I see it. I spread the buttery cinnamon sugar over freshly sliced sourdough bread, baked it in my toaster oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, and then broiled the top until browned.  Oh my, yes.  My new favorite recipe for proper Cinnamon Toast. 

Ingredients

• 16 slices Bread
• 2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar 
• 3 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract 
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir softened butter with a fork. Add in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg, if using. Stir to completely combine.

Spread on slices of bread, completely covering the surface all the way to the edges.

Place toast on a cookie sheet. Place cookies sheet into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown and bubbling. Watch so it won’t burn!

Remove from oven and cut slices into halves diagonally.

HALLOWEEN SUPPER - Chili, Cornbread, Apple Salad

Halloween is a super fun night in our neighborhood.  Lots of sweet (and not so sweet) Trick or Treaters, of course.  We relaxed and caught up with the friends that live next door or around the corner.  Twenty of our pals joined us for a Halloween supper that was just right to counteract all that sugar (thank you Jennifer, Jody, Sheli, and Christine). Although, I still had a sugar hangover the next morning.....

Menu:
Spicy Beef Chili and Cornbread; Wild Rice and Chicken Soup (see previous post); Mini Shredded Pork Sandwiches; and Apple Salad.

Texas Chili

Serves 6 to 8.   Published November 28, 2006.  

Chuck-eye roasts are notoriously fatty, so don’t be surprised if you trim off 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of fat. Avoid precut beef labeled “beef for stew”it could be beef round or boneless shoulder roast, which will turn out dry and tough. For a milder chili, use the lower amount of chipotle; for a spicy chili, use the upper amount of chipotle. Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, minced onion, diced avocado, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, and sour cream.

Ingredients

2	tablespoons vegetable oil
3	medium onions , minced
8	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 8 teaspoons)
1/4	cup chili powder
1/4	cup tomato paste
2	tablespoons ground cumin
	Salt
	1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
5	pound chuck-eye roast , trimmed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2	(15.5 ounces each) cans pinto beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4	cup Minute Tapioca
2-4	tablespoons minced chipotle chile in adobo
3	tablespoons soy sauce
2	tablespoons dark brown sugar , plus more to taste
1	tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried
	Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Heat the oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until the onions are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, scraping up any browned bits.
2. 2. Transfer the onion and tomato mixture to the slow cooker insert, and stir in the beef, beans, broth, tapioca, chipotles, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and oregano until evenly combined. Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender, 9 to 11 hours. (Alternatively, cover and cook on high for 5 to 7 hours.)
3. 3. Gently tilt the slow cooker insert and degrease as much fat as possible off the surface of the chili using a large, flat spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and brown sugar to taste, and serve.

Jennifer’s Favorite Corn Bread

(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook ©1996)

1 cup milk

¼ cup butter, melted

1 large egg

¼ c. unsweetened applesauce*

¼ c. light sour cream*

1 ¼ cups yellow, white or blue cornmeal (I use yellow)

1 c. all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar**

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda*

½ t. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 9” round or 8” square pan.

In large bowl, beat egg until frothy. Mix in milk and butter, and then fold in applesauce and sour cream. In another bowl, add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix with wire whisk to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until four is moistened (batter will still be lumpy). Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. (I spread a little softened butter over the top immediately after removing from oven to keep it moist but still crunchy.)

NOTE: Items with a single asterisk are my adds; **I reduce the sugar by half from the original recipe. Also, when I double this for a 9x13 pan, I use three eggs (vs. two) and 2 ¼ cups cornmeal (vs. 2 ½).

Jody's Western Waldorf (adapted from Sunset Magazine recipe)

Ingredients

• 1/4  cup  unfiltered apple juice
• 1  teaspoon  roasted walnut or almond oil, or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/8  teaspoon  cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  Pink Lady apples (or another sweet-tart variety such as Jonathan or Piñata)
• 1/2  cup  toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2  large tangerines, peeled and sections cut in half
• 1  cup  seedless red or green grapes, halved

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, whisk apple juice, oil, salt, cinnamon, and pepper until blended.

2. Core apples, cut into thin wedges, and cut wedges in half crosswise. In a salad bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over fruit and nuts and mix gently to coat.

HONEY CRANBERRY CORNMEAL QUICK BREAD - Joy the Baker

When I read this recipe I wasn't sure about the combination of cornmeal and cranberries. But I loved it and will definitely make this again. I made two loaves in 9 x 5 pans so the bread slices were smaller than normal.

Honey Cranberry Cornmeal Quick Bread

recipe adapted by Joy the Baker from Epicurious.com

makes one large 9×5x3 loaf or two smaller loaves

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white whole wheat flour (if you don’t have whole wheat flour, use all-purpose flour)

1 cup medium or fine ground cornmeal

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup honey (or pure maple syrup if you have it on hand)

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (reserving a few whole walnut halves for decorating the top)

1 heaping cup to 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour one 9×5x3-inch loaf pan, or two slightly smaller loaf pans. Set aside the greased and floured loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder.

In a smaller bowl whisk together honey, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended.

Fold in the cranberries and walnuts.

Divide batter between two smaller loaf pans or into one large loaf pan. Spread evenly. Add the whole walnut halves and place in preheated oven. For smaller loaves bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes of clean. For the larger loaf, bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool loaves in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert onto a plate or board. Serve warm with butter or wrap and freeze.

Recipe from Joy the Baker

PECAN-TOPPED PUMPKIN BREAD - Cooking Light

Don't you love pumpkin bread? The smell, the appearance, and the taste is so comforting. Bake a batch to celebrate the first day of December! And, this recipe is from Cooking Light magazine. Isn't that a nice treat?

This recipe makes two loaves. Freeze the extra bread, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to one month. Omit the nuts or substitute chopped walnuts, if you prefer. Check the bread after 50 minutes of baking--you may need to cover the loaves with aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning.

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 15 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• Cooking spray
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through allspice) in a bowl.

Place sugar, egg substitute, oil, buttermilk, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add 2/3 cup water and pumpkin, beating at low speed until blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Spoon batter into 2 (9 x 5-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle pecans evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.