Toasted Sesame Ginger Dressing

I needed a break from my usualdressing. Something different. Something delicious. Like this Sesame Dressing. It's sweet, salty and full of flavor. And, suprisingly, is not oil based. It goes amazingly with my Chicken Wonton Spinach Salad. Try it and be happy.

 

Ingredients:

 

1/2 C. Soy Sauce

1 1/2 T. Sesame Oil

1 drop doTERRA Ginger Essential Oil
1 T. Peanut or Almond butter(natural is best)

1 C. Brown Sugar

2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 T. Rice Vingerar

1 T. Toasted Sesame Seeds

3 T. Honey

 

Place all ingredients except for the sesame seeds in a blender. Blend on medium speed for about 20 seconds, or until emulsified. Pour in the sesame seeds and blend for 5 seconds, just to mix in the seeds. Store in the refrigerator.

Wild Orange and Vanilla Scones

I've moved!
Come over to The Kitchen McCabe for this recipe!

Homemade English Muffins

Homemade English Muffins...are amazing! Who knew, right? I've never even been that big of a fan of the store bought version, to be honest. But who wants to pay $4 for 6 tough peices of bread?
Enter: The homemade english muffin. Easy to make, and even easier to eat a whole batch of in under a day. I was practically squealing in delight as I took each perfectly round, soft muffin off the pan.
I promise, once you try these little beauties, you will never go back to the store bought version.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 C. Milk(I used Almond with much sucsess)

3 T. Butter

3 T. Honey

1 C. Warm Water

1 packet(1/4 oz.) Dry Yeast

2 T. Cornmeal

5 C. All Purpose Flour

1 t. Salt

 

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir lightly. Set aside for ten minutes or until it has lightly foamed.

Heat the milk, butter, and honey in a small saucepan until butter has melted. Let cool slightly. Gently combine the yeast mixture and milk mixture.

Sift 3 cups of flour into a large bowl. Stir in the milk and yeast. Sift the remaining 2 c. of flour and the salt into the bowl. Mix  until combined.

Flour your counter well and knead the dough for 3 minutes or until lightly elastic. Let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cover two cookie sheet with parchment and lightly sprinkle with cornmeal.

 

Lightly flour the counter and roll the dough out until it's 1 inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough and very gently place on the cookie sheets. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal and cover with a dry, light cloth. Set the cookie sheets in a warm place for 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. I like to put my dough in the laundry room while the dryer runs because it lets out just enough heat.

 

Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan or skillet on medium low(no need to grease it).
Very carefuly place a muffin in your hand and lightly dust off some of the corn meal. Gentle handeling is the most important thing. Place the muffin into the pan and repeat until the pan is full but the muffins are not touching.  Keep the heat on low. Cook for 8 minutes per side or until browned well. Carefully flip and cook again.

Cool on a wire rack or dry towel.

I love these toasted with butter, but the would also be amazing as a base for eggs benedict.

 

Blueberry and Cream Scones

This is the perfect scone recipe. It can be changed up to make any flavor combo you like. Today I was feeling like a little Blueberries and cream. Maybe if I start cooking like Its warm outside the weather will oblige.
Well, I can dream at least.
Make these for breakfast, a snack, or serve along side some thick whipped cream for a dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 T. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Salt
6 T. Sugar
6 T. Butter, cold
1 1/2 t. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream
1 can blueberries, rinsed, strained, and dried.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the cream and vanilla into the well.
Mix everything together(I use my fingers) until just barely combined. Do not over mix or scones will be tough. Pour the blueberries over the dough and very gently toss until distributed.

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface. Gently press the dough down(berries squish easily!) and lightly roll until the dough is an even 1" thick. Cut into circles or squares and place 1 1/2" apart on baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 10-12 minutes more. Remove before they are more than lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack.

To make the cream icing, place about 1 c. of powdered sugar in a bowl. Pour about 2 T. of heavy whipping cream in the center and whisk with a fork until combined. Add more cream and stir until the desired consistency is archived. Drizzle over cooled scones.

Lemon Meltaways

These cookies are so yummy! Soft lemon shortbread with a tangy lemon buttercream center. And almost fail proof, thanks to the cornstarch in the shortbread.

Lemon Meltaways:
200g [7/8 cup, or approx 14 tablespoons] unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
Filling:

1 cup confectioners sugar
50 [ 1/4 cup, or approx 3.6 tablespoons] grams unsalted butter, room temperature
juice of one lemon

*an extra 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar was required for a thicker icing sugar. Please keep this in mind if a thicker consistency is preferred.

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius / 300 F.

In a large bowl cream the butter, salt and sugar until light and fluffy on a medium setting, roughly 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and incorporate the vanilla and lemon zest, scraping down the sides as you go. Sift the flower and cornstarch into the mixture and beat on a low setting until just combined.

Take small portions of the mixture and roll into balls, continue until you have 25-30 (I made mine quite large, I ended up with roughly 23) pieces. If you want them to be as even as possible, roll out the mixture until it forms a log then use a clean knife to section into 30 pieces.

Place them on a baking tray lined with wax paper, gently press on each piece with a fork until it has left an imprint. You can also press on them gently with your fingers, if you do not wish to leave an imprint.
Bake for 20 minutes. let them cool completely.

For the filling beat the sugar, butter and lemon juice on a medium setting until incorporated. Use the back of a spoon, or a knife to ice one side of the cookie then sandwich them together. Try to find two which are similar sizes.

Recipe curtesy of ittybittykitchen

Green Herb Rice Pilaf with Portabello Mushrooms

• 1 1/2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
• 2 cups short-grain rice (such as arborio) or medium-grain rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 large portabella mushroom, chopped into medium cubes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Blend first 5 ingredients in processor until thick paste forms. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek; sauté until soft, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add wine; simmer until absorbed, stirring often.

Place rice/leek mixture in a rice cooker and add chicken broth. Follow instructions for your rice cooker and cook until rice is tender.

While rice is cooking, saute chopped portabellas in olive oil until golden brown. Set aside

Uncover; stir in herb paste to taste, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mushrooms, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately in warm bowls, passing additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

*This was plated for April fools as an ice cream sundae, but served as a side dish it works great for any normal meal too. =)

April Fool's Dinner Party

I've Moved! To view this post click here.