Barefoot Bloggers-Birthday Sheet Cake

The big birthday month in our house is October. We love cake though, so anytime is a good time to try a new cake recipe even if its too early to celebrate an actual birthday. I was somewhat hesitant about trying this month's Barefoot Blogger pick due to the really low ratings this recipe received on the Food Network site. Its rare for any Ina recipe to get less than 5 stars and even rarer for one to get as few stars as this recipe which received only 3 stars. After making this one, I concur with the thoughts on those that rated it low. There was really nothing exciting about the actual cake itself. I halved the recipe and adjusted the baking soda per the reviewers recommendations. I didn't have any problems with the actual baking of the cake but like I said its nothing anyone would rave about, mediocre at best. The frosting was easy enough to make but again very unexciting and not really sweet enough or creamy enough for my preferences. Not a recipe I would make again. The best part about this cake was how much fun my toddler had decorating it! If you want a stellar cake, the next Barefoot Blogger pick, Beatty's Chocolate Cake is a definite winner! Thanks to Susy of Everyday Gourmet for this pick, sorry I couldn't say I loved it. I guess even Ina has an off recipe, although before now I would not have guessed it!

Here is the link to the recipe, if anyone is interested. I'm not going to post the full recipe since its not one I would recommend or make again.

Crisp Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw

This recipe was billed in the September 2009 issue of Cooking Light as a super fast meal and it lived up to the hype! I have long avoided coleslaw but recently I tried it again and discovered I really liked it. Since then I have been on a slaw kick. This slaw had great flavor and wasn't really that spicy, but had a nice bite. This was my first time using Sriracha and I can't wait to find more recipes to incorporate this sauce. My only compliant with this meal was I felt like it needed one more side to go with it but couldn't quite decide what a good match would be. Maybe a green vegetable or some bread. My husband gave this one rave reviews. If you need a quick weeknight meal, this one is perfect.

Crispy Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw

• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon fillets evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon to pan, skin side down; cook 4 minutes. Turn salmon over; cook 3 minutes. Add orange juice to pan; cook 30 seconds or until liquid almost evaporates and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

2. While fish cooks, combine rice vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through honey) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and coleslaw; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. Serve salmon with slaw.

Source: Cooking Light, September 2009.

Country Hashed Browns

I'm a big fan of home style potatoes. Although the recipe calls these hashed browns, these are much more reminiscent of the home fried potatoes I grew up eating in North Carolina and absolutely loved. This dish doesn't take much work and has so much flavor. This will definitely be appearing on future brunch buffets at our house! I used the recipe from Ina's Family Style cookbook, however, I recently watched an episode where Ina made these and added ham. If you were serving these for brunch and wanted to make it even heartier that would be a great addition.

Country Hashed Browns

Serves: 4 to 6

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced scallions, white and green parts

Melt the butter in a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan. Add the potatoes, onions, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally with a flat spatula, until the potatoes are evenly browned and cooked through. (Allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes before turning.) Turn off the heat and add the parsley, scallions and ham. Reheat on top of the stove or over a hot charcoal grill.

Cook's Note:You can peel and dice the potatoes early and keep them in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water. Drain them and dry them well with paper towels before frying.

Barefoot Contessa Family Style, Clarkson Potter, 2002.

Creme Brulee French Toast

Every now and then the idea of breakfast for dinner just hits the spot. This week was one of those weeks. I have been making this recipe for several years now. I first discovered this wonderful dish on the Whole Foods breakfast bar. I visited Whole Foods on many occasions just for this particular dish! I really wanted to make this one at home and was lucky enough to come across the recipe. Now, I can have this any day of the week without leaving the house! I love this recipe compared to other french toast casserole recipes because it doesn't have to sit overnight so you can decide to make it on a whim. The sweet caramel sauce on the bottom caramelizes beautifully and when combined with the sweetened orange vanilla custard produces a delicious breakfast casserole. I highly recommend using Whole Food's Challah to make this as it really makes the dish. I served this dish along with Maple Roasted Bacon and Country Hash Browns. This menu would be perfect for a Sunday brunch or just a fun weeknight dinner.

Crème Brulee French Toast

Makes 1 (9x9 inch) casserole

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

12 (1-1/2 inch slices challah bread)

6 eggs

1 cup half and half or whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup sugar

Strawberries and whipped cream for serving.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x9 baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar and maple syrup just until the mixture begins to boil and brown, like caramel. Pour into baking dish.

Trim off crusts from bread and arrange evenly over the caramel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, salt, orange juice and sugar. Pour over bread.

Let bread soak up liquid for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake for 35 minutes. Cut into square or slices and serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Source: Whole Foods

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

I'm a huge fan of Giada's baked pasta recipes. Three of Giada's recipes, Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Beef and Cheese Manicotti, and Lasagna Rolls are in my dinner and entertaining rotations quite regularly. Last night, I tried this stuffed shell recipe. Overall, I liked this dish but think a few changes are necessary. I would double the sauce recipe. Once the recipe baked there just wasn't much sauce left in the pan. The sauce has a delicious smokiness from the pancetta which was one of the highlights of the dish. I would also add a bit more crushed red pepper as it didn't have as much bite as I hoped. I wasn't a fan of the ground turkey in the filling. I thought it was a bit bland. Next time, I will use ground beef or Italian sausage. I liked the addition of all the fresh herbs in the filling and the artichokes were a great combination with the smokey tomato sauce. With the changes described above this recipe will easily be another baked pasta favorite. Also, of note there is a discrepancy in cooking times between the cookbook and the food network recipe. The cookbook time is 350 which is what I used. The food network site states 400 degrees.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

• 1 (12-ounce) box jumbo pasta shells (recommended: Barilla)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 (8 to 10-ounce) package frozen artichokes, thawed and coarsely chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows

• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (about 5 ounces)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tablespoons. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish. Continue filling the shells until the baking dish is full, about 24 shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella. If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month.

To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen.)

Arrabbiata Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use.

Yield: approximately 6 cups

Source: Giada de Laurentis, Everyday Pasta, Clarkson Potter, 2007.

Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I love making the best use of local in season ingredients. Strawberries are at the peak of their season right now and perfect for a summer dessert. I wanted something quick so I used a boxed organic cake mix and made this homemade strawberry frosting to top it. This frosting took very little effort to make. I love how the strawberries turned the frosting a beautiful pink color. Bonus, you can have pink frosting with no artificial colors! Also, if you use organic ingredients as I did, you have pure organic frosting! So much better than the canned stuff! This frosting was light and creamy and had a nice hint of strawberry flavor without being overpowering. This paired with your favorite yellow cake or cupcake recipe is a winning combination. I will definitely be making this frosting again.

Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar
1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, chopped (I used organic)

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with strawberries, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition.

Source: Honey and Jam.

Saucy Barbecue Ribs

As my toddler would say, these ribs were scrumptious! This was another slow cooker recipe I was initially a little hesitant about. Most of the sauce ingredients are far different from my homemade barbecue sauce recipe. However, there was no need to worry, the flavor in these was great and after cooking all day, the meat was falling off the bones. This recipe was very easy to put together, less than 10 minutes. I served this with a side of coleslaw, steamed corn on the cob and dutch oven peach cobbler. This was a wonderful meal to come home to and very little work involved at all. I love my other oven baked rib recipes but this recipe easily holds its own with the oven baked ones. I didn't get a picture of this one the other night. I intended to get one yesterday at lunch, but my husband took all the leftovers for lunch!! I promise more recipes and pictures soon, today though, I'm still recovering from the Paul McCartney concert last night. We were 15 rows back on the floor. Great show and great seats! Now, if only I had this meal in my slow cooker for tonight!

Saucy Barbecue Ribs

4 pounds country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup apple butter
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoons steak sauce
1 teaspoon course ground pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut ribs apart; sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt evenly over ribs and set aside.

Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt, chopped onion, and remaining 9 ingredients until blended. Pour half of mixture into 5 or 6 quart slow cooker. Place ribs in slow cooker; pour remaining mixture over ribs.

Cover and cook on Hight 6 to 7 hours. Makes 6-8 servings.