Apple Tart

I found this recipe at the end of a paperback collection of short stories - all murder mysteries and all the victims done in by apples in one way or another. This is one of the best apple tart recipes ever. Looks as if you've purchased it at a fancy French bakery and especially easy if you have a food processor.

APPLE TART

Cake:
1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsifted flour 1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp butter cut into pieces 1 large egg
4 Granny Smith apples (I have tried other varieties of apples...don't...they just don't work)

Topping:
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 large egg

Put all cake ingredients except apples into bowl of food processor and process until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. (You can do this by hand using two knives or forks) Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a well-buttered 9 -inch springform pan. Do NOT pat the mixture down...smooth without compacting it...

Core and peel apples and slice into thin slices.

Arrange apples in layers on top of the crumb mixture (make overlapping concentric circles). Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Just before the 45 minutes are up, mix together the topping ingredients. Spoon the mixture of the apples and then return to oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the top is firm and golden brown.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

A recipe clipped from an Atlanta newspaper years ago. Please use good quality chocolate (Hershey's baking chocolate is a no no). And you'll need a 9 x 3 inch springform pan (the kind you'd use for making a cheesecake).


Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingedients:

7 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 pound butter

7 eggs, separated (for older recipes such as this, I buy only large eggs and pick out the smallest ones from

the box; have found that today's eggs are much bigger and there's more white which makes the mousse

less chocolately. I have, if the eggs seem to have lots of white, used only 6 whites)

1 cup sugar (divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup)


1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar


Melt chocolate and butter.

Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar for 5 minutes

Stir in warm chocolate/butter mixture

Beat egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar and cream of tartar until stiff (I usually beat egg whites until
foamy and then add cream of tartar and gradually beat in sugar)

Stir a small spoonful of whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture then gently fold remainder of egg whites into chocolate/butter mixture

Pour 3/4 of this chocolate/eggwhite mixture into 9 inch springform pan. Cover the remaining 1/4 and refrigerate.

Bake at 325* for 35 minutes . Remove from oven and cool completely. Remove outside ring of springform pan. Top will be cracked and crumbly looking but not to worry.

Take the remaining mousse from fridge and gently spread over top of cake. Refrigerate while making frosting.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered or confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff. Don't overbeat or you'll have the beginnings of butter. Spread frosting over top of cake.


You can decorate cake with chocolate leaves. Wash and dry stiff leaves (holly, for example). Melt 1/4 cup chocolate chips with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of honey. Spread warm mixture on leaves. Set on plate. Place in fridge until cool. Carefully peel leaf away from chocolate.

Coming Soon...Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chicken Breasts with Diced Aromatic Vegetables and Cream

Loved the movie, Julie and Julia and the book, My Life in France by Julia Child. and am hating the book written by the Croutons with Wonder Bread blogger who blogged about doing all of the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year.

This chicken recipe (involving, of course, butter and cream) was requested and straight from Julia Child...here is Supremes de Volaille a l'Ecossaise. Read entire recipe before beginning.

Dice neatly to make 2/3 to 3/4 cup:
1 medium carrot,
1 to 2 tender celery stalks
1 medium white onion

Cooked the diced vegetables slowly with 1/8 teaspoon salt and 5 tablespoons of butter for about 10 minutes in a covered casserole. Vegetables should be tender, but not browned. (heavy covered fireproof casserole that will hold four supremes)

4 supremes (boned chicken breasts trimmed of icky bits (that's me...not Julia))

Rub the supremes with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Roll each supreme in the butter and vegies then cover with a buttered parchment or waxed
paper that is buttered on one side (buttered side to touch the supremes)

Place in preheated 400 degree oven.

After 6 minutes, press top of supreme with finger. If still soft, return to oven for another minute. When meat is springy to touch, it is done.

Remove supremes from pan and put on warm platter and cover while making sauce.

Sauce:

In pan in which chicken and vegies cooked, pour

1/4 cup beef bouillon (I use Campbells...uh oh...maybe I shouldn't have been snippy about
Wonder Bread croutons)
1/4 cup port or dry white vermouth

Boil over high heat until liquid is syrupy.

Stir in

1 cup whipping cream (or creme fraiche if available)

Bring to boil again and boil until cream has thickened slightly.

Off heat, taste for seasoning. Add salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon juice if needed)

Pour sauce over supremes, sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with little steamed or boiled potatoes.


(You could make ahead and then very gently reheat).

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. You don't really need a recipe. Just brown the ground beef (or use soy protein) and add in cooked vegies (carrots, onions, celery, peas, a bit of tomato), top with the mashed potatoes and bake in the oven. The following recipe comes from the website, epicurious.com

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or a seeded, chopped tomato)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk (any fat content)
• Pepper and salt to taste..and parsley if you'd like
  

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, then add the onion, carrot, and meat. Cook until browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Drain the fat and add the broth, tomato paste, and salt and pepper. Simmer until the juices thicken, about 10 minutes, then add the peas.

4. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish; set aside.

5. Meanwhile, bring the potatoes to a boil in salted water. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain.

6. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and salt. (If using leftovers, make sure they are moistened with milk and some melted butter)

7. Spread them over the meat mixture, then crosshatch the top with a fork.

8. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

Mediterranean Quinoa with Broccoli

From the Washington Post food section. Quick and easy to make, tasty and very healthy!

Mediterranean Quinoa With Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa
1 1/2 lbs broccoli
1 to 2 medium lemons
1/2 cups oil packed sundried tomatoes
5 tablespoons olive oil (may use oil from the sundried tomatoes)
salt to taste

Directions:

Cook quinoa according to directions.

Break broccoli up into florets and cut the stalks (peel if necessary) into 3/4 inch pieces and cook.

While quinoa and broccoli are cooking, make dressing from lemon juice (I didn't use all the juice from 2 lemons), olive oil and salt.

Coarsely chop sundried tomatoes.

Drain quinoa and broccoli.

Put into bowl with dressing and sundried tomatoes and toss together

Add more salt or lemon juice to taste.

Can serve warm or at room temperature.

TEMPEH

Dried Red Chilies, Petra, Jordan

Tempeh

I think Susy learned this recipe at a cooking class at a Burmese restaurant. Very tasty served with rice and healthy...

3 tbs oil
1 garlic clove, chopped fine (I usually put in a bit more)
1 inch fresh ginger, chopped fine
½ cup slice onion (I put in a whole large onion)
¼ tsp tumeric (I usually add a bit more)
1 tsp hot red chili flakes
2 cups crumbled tempeh
1 tsp salt (not necessary)
2 tsp soy sauce (to taste)
½ cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
One small can of whole plum tomatoes. I cut the tomatoes in chunks and I add the juice as well.
1 -4 hot green chilies, cut in 4 pieces each (again, to taste...I usually use one chili or none)

Heat oil in skillet and fry the garlic, onion, ginger and tumeric over moderate heat until light brown.

Add chili flakes, tempeh, salt and soy sauce and fry three or four minutes stirring so all is well mixed.

Add peanuts and fry 2 minutes more.

Add tomato, fry 2 minutes.

Add fresh chilies, fry a moment more and serve.