Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

I've had this recipe on my list of recipes to try for some time and finally got around to making it last night. This recipe was as delicious and wonderful as I had hoped it would be. This would be a perfect dish for easy entertaining. The dish plates beautifully and takes virtually no time or effort to make. Your guests however, will think you spent a lot of time on this one. I served mine with a lemon and spinach couscous and sauteed green beans with tomatoes. This one is a keeper!

Salmon with Puff Pastry and Pesto

Ingredients

• 4 pieces of purchased puff pastry, each cut to be just larger than a piece of salmon
• 4 (4 to 6-ounce) pieces salmon
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup purchased pesto
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

On a foil-lined baking sheet, place the 4 pieces of puff pastry. Also place the 4 pieces of salmon, being careful to make sure they are not touching. Sprinkle each piece of salmon with 1 tablespoon of the sliced almonds. Bake for 10 minutes.

To serve, place each piece of puff pastry on a plate. Top each puff pastry with 1 tablespoon of pesto. Top the pesto with 2 slices of tomatoes each. Top the tomatoes with the salmon and serve.

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites, Clarkson Potter, 2008.

Barefoot Blogger's Gazpacho

I've never had Gazpacho before so I wasn't really sure what to expect from this recipe. Honestly, I hate to say it, but I didn't love this one. My husband liked it but said he would want it in a smaller appetizer type serving if we had it again. . Me on the other hand, I really wasn't loving the cold soup or the texture. The flavors were fine and I can't really say it didn't taste good. It was also really easy to make. I wish I had halved the recipe because this one makes a lot. I'm contemplating add some jalapeno and cilantro and processing it in the food processor to turn it into salsa. Probably not what Ina was contemplating! Thanks to Meryl at My Bit of Earth for picking this one. It was definitely one I wouldn't have tried on my own and seemed a perfect summer pick with the ingredients and simplicity. Don't forget to check and see what the other Barefoot Blogger's thought of this one.

Gazpacho

nocoupons

• 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

Source: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Clarkson Potter, 1999.

One Lovely Blog Award

Thanks to Amy at Skinny Food by Amy for awarding my blog the One Lovely Blog Award! Its always fun to get recognized by other bloggers!

These are the rules:
1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I would like to pass this award on to some of my new favorite blogs:
Tide and Thyme
Vintage Victuals
I Pray to Feta
Taste and See

Coconut Layer Cake

This was a very involved cake recipe but well worth the effort. Definitely a show stopping cake! Having three layers it is also a very large cake. It has a beautiful coconut flavor. The cake is very delicate and the addition of the rum brushed on the layers keeps it really moist. I would definitely make this cake again. The only thing I would do differently is to assemble the cake the day it is made. I originally planned on doing that, however, the recipe recommended chilling the coconut filling first. I decided to make all of the components and assemble the next day. I ended up having to reheat the coconut filling because it was not spreadable and I also had to reheat the frosting over simmering water as it had completely hardened. The day I made the cake and components everything was the perfect consistency. The refrigeration only hampered the process for me. Despite those challenges, we had one delicious and decadent cake. Also, as my with all my coconut recipes, I used Let's Do Organic finely shredded unsweetened coconut. I just love the texture of this coconut, it does not have the stringy, gritty texture of regular coconut. The recipe called for sweetened coconut, however there was enough sugar in this cake that the unsweetened coconut didn't make a difference. I used coconut rum but didn't find the rum flavor very pronounced. I do think it enhanced the coconut flavor in the cake and was part of the reason the cake was so moist.

Coconut Layer Cake

Nonstick cooking spray

4 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pans

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

11 ounces (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups coconut milk, unsweetened (see Notes)

7 egg whites (9 ounces) (reserve 4 yolks for the filling)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup Cruzan coconut rum (see Notes) (optional)

Coconut Cream Filling (recipe follows)

Coconut Frosting (recipe follows)

3 cups coconut, sweetened, flaked, toasted, for garnish

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 10-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut three circles of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with the parchment, then grease the parchment with nonstick cooking spray, and then lightly dust the parchment and the sides of the pans with flour.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl.

In a standing electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut milk, egg whites, and vanilla together. With the electric mixer still on low speed, begin alternately adding the liquid and the dry ingredients to the creamed butter in three stages, beginning with the liquid and mixing well after each addition (to minimize mess when adding flour, add just a bit at a time). Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles, and place them in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. Brush the cooled layers with the coconut rum, if desired.

To assemble the cake, place a cooled cake layer, bottom side up, on a serving plate, and spoon 3/4 cup of the coconut filling onto the middle of the layer. Spread the filling evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Repeat with the second layer and another 3/4 cup of filling. Stack the two filled layers on top of one another, and top with the final cake layer, top side up. Lightly frost the top and sides of the cake with some of the coconut frosting (this is called a crumb coating), and refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes. Then generously frost it again. Press the toasted coconut into the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. (This cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature.)

Coconut cream filling

1 cup coconut, sweetened and flaked

4 egg yolks (reserve the whites for the cake batter)

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk (see Notes)

3/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. The color should range from dark brown to light. Set the toasted coconut aside.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Then whisk in the butter, coconut milk, milk, and vanilla. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heat-resistant rubber spatula or whisk, until thickened, taking care not to let it get so hot that the yolks scramble, about 10 minutes. The pastry cream will have a pudding-like consistency. Transfer it to a clean metal bowl set over an ice bath.

When the pastry cream has cooled, stir in the toasted coconut. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to overnight. (It works best when chilled overnight.)

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Coconut frosting

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

8 cups confectioners' sugar, plus up to 1 cup more if needed

3/4 cup whole milk

1/4 cup Cruzan coconut rum (see Notes) or milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place a small saucepan of water on the stove and heat to a simmer. Place the butter in the bowl of a standing electric mixer, and position the bowl on top of the saucepan. Once the butter has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the 8 cups confectioners' sugar and the milk, rum, and salt. Place the bowl back on top of the simmering water and cook for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally (be sure not to cook longer than 3 minutes or the frosting will become grainy). Fit the electric mixer with the whisk attachment, and attach the bowl of frosting. Add the vanilla and whisk on medium speed for 15 minutes, or until cool.

Transfer the frosting to a container, cover it with plastic wrap, and set it aside until ready to use. Whisk it again right before frosting the cake. If the frosting seems too thin, whisk in up to 1 more cup of confectioners' sugar.

Yield: 5 cups

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.

Summer Berry Pie

Most recently I purchased the cookbook Baking Illustrated. I was really impressed with the detailed illustrations in the book. These illustrations provide especially useful when taking on complicated baking projects. I also enjoy reading the science and method behind the recipe's development. I knew I wanted to make a pie to go along with our Father's Day menu. I had seen this recipe recommended on a few blogs including Sara's blog, the Piggly Wiggly. I showed the picture in the book to my husband and gave him a couple of other options. He quickly nixed the others and said, "definitely that one!" This pie is really easy to make. Another plus, you don't have to roll out a pie crust and its a no bake recipe. I used cinnamon graham crackers since I already had them on hand. This pie got rave reviews from everyone. The mix of pureed fruit with whole fruit melds nicely in the pie and gives it a great taste and texture. My only quibble with this recipe, is that it is really messy to serve. Since we were already having a coconut layer cake that was rich, I opted not to serve whipped cream on the side with this as recommended .

Summer Berry Pie

RECIPE INGREDIENTS For the Graham Cracker Crust: 9 graham crackers, broken into rough pieces 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and warm For the Berry Filling: 2 cups fresh raspberries (about 9 ounces) 2 cups fresh blackberries (about 11 ounces) 2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces) 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon 2 tablespoons red currant jelly For the Whipped Cream: 1 cup heavy cream (cold) 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees F. In food processor, process graham crackers until evenly fine, about 30 seconds (you should have 1 cup crumbs). Add sugar and pulse to combine. Continue to pulse while adding warm melted butter in steady stream; pulse until mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer crumbs to 9-inch glass pie plate; form crust using 1/2-cup dry measuring cup. Bake crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 15 to 18 minutes; transfer to wire rack and cool completely while making filling. FOR THE FILLING: Combine berries in large colander and gently rinse (taking care not to bruise them); spread berries on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently pat dry with additional paper towels. In food processor, puree 2 1/2 cups mixed berries until smooth and fully pureed, about 1 minute. Strain puree through mesh strainer into small nonreactive saucepan, scraping and pressing on seeds to extract as much puree as possible (you should have 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups). Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in small bowl to combine, then whisk mixture into puree. Bring puree to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon; when mixture reaches a boil and is thickened to consistency of pudding, remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and set aside to cool slightly. While puree is cooling, place remaining berries in medium bowl. Heat jelly in second small saucepan over low heat until fully melted; drizzle melted jelly over berries and toss gently to coat. Pour slightly cooled puree into cooled pie shell; top with fresh berries. Loosely cover pie with plastic wrap; refrigerate until chilled and puree has set, about 3 hours (or up to 1 day). FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM: Just before serving, beat cream, sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave trail, about 30 seconds longer. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, nearly doubled in volume, and forms soft peaks, about 30 to 60 seconds. Cut pie into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Source: Baking Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen, March 2004.

Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans

I'm a bit on the fence about this recipe. Don't get me wrong, these beans were really good and everyone enjoyed them. I think my issue is just a matter of personal preference. My favorite baked beans growing up and to make to this day are brown sugar baked beans. Mine are mostly sweet with a little bit of tang from the addition of some mustard and garlic powder. I actually start mine by doctoring a pre-made can of baked beans. This was my first time making baked beans from scratch. These beans had molasses and brown sugar in them. Additionally, I used a brown sugar barbecue sauce. Despite those ingredients, these beans were still more savory than sweet. To me, the mustard was the most prominent flavor. It was fun learning to make my own beans from scratch and I would definitely use this recipe as a starting point. I think next time, however, I would add less mustard and increase the browned sugar. I probably would also make my own sweet barbecue sauce and add that instead of the prepared barbecue sauce. I think my homemade sauce has many of the ingredients I like in my baked beans and is sweeter than the store bought. Be prepared if you decide to make this recipe, the cooking time is approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans

4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup Emeril's Kicked Up Bam-B-Q Barbecue Sauce or your favorite (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other whole-grain brown mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon red hot sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat the oven to 300.

2. In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring until it is softened and lightly caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add the water and salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours, undisturbed.

3. Remove the pot from the oven, and stir the beans. Re-cover, the pot and continue to bake until the beans are tender, about 1 hour longer.

4. When the beans are tender, remove the cover from the pot and continue baking until the liquid has reduced to a thick, sauce like consistancy and the beans are thick and flavorful, 1-1/14 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the time sprigs. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve the beans either hot or warm. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

This recipe comes from Emeril's newest cookbook, Emeril at the Grill. I just purchased this book and used it in my menu planning for our Father's Day barbecue. My husband loves deviled eggs, somehow I only found this out a year ago! He also loves spicy food so I figured these would be a perfect combination. It was a bit of a pain to press the egg yolks through the fine-mesh sieve. I'm undecided as to whether that step was really necessary to the process. I didn't pipe the filling into the eggs as I wasn't sure how that would work with the bits of jalapeno and chipolte chile. I was a bit worried these would be too spicy but they were not. They had just a little bit of a kick after each bite but not over the top blazing heat. I really liked this recipe as it was a nice change from the traditional deviled egg. These are definitely a great addition to a barbecue or party. As an aside, I often hear people asking how to easily get the peels off deviled eggs. My secret is that I steam the eggs in my vegetable steamer and then immediately put them in an ice bath. All of my eggs peel perfectly every time. Also, a note as to ingredients, I could not find Emeril's Southwest Essence so I made my own using a recipe I found online. I halved the recipe and had a ton left over. The recipe is included below. Also, I intended to sprinkle my eggs with paprika and planned on using my favorite, Penzey's Smoked Paprika. However, I used a lot of paprika making the dry rub for the ribs and the Essence and I ran out of both the regular and the smoked!





Chipotle Deviled Eggs

12 hard boiled large eggs, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons, finely minced pickled jalapenos, drained
2 tablespoons finely chopped chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Southwest Essence spice blend
Pinch of salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon hot smoked paprika, such as Pimenton de la Vera, for garnish

Emerils Southwest Essence:

• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 1/2 cup

1. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Set the whites aside. Press the yolks through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, jalapenos, chipotle in adobo, Southwest Essence, and salt to taste. Stir to blend well. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed egg whites (or alternatively, pipe with a pastry bag). Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.

2. Just before serving, sprinkle the paprika over the deviled eggs. (If the paprika is added to early, it will stain the eggs).

Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.