Monthly Archives: August 2015

White Sangria

blog peach

Inspired by the abundance of fresh peaches here on Long Island , I made a white sangria perfect for me. I prefer my sangria to be crisp, cold and not too sweet. This recipe is my perfect sangria with no sugar and just letting the sweetness comes from the fruit and orange liquor. I like using one a favorite sauvignon blanc for this sangria and then add some sparkling dry white wine. I love using California wines for this sangria. Enjoy the fresh, light taste of this sangria.

From by the bay, wishing you sunny sangria food memories!

Maryann

blog white sangria 2

White Sangria

Ingredients

1 bottle sauvignon blanc

3 cups fruit, such as peaches, cut green grapes, pineapple, cantaloupe

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/4 cup orange liquor

1 bottle sparkling white wine

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and chill. When serving fill 1/2 the glass and top off with the sparkling wine and serve.

 

Summer Fruit Refrigerator Jam

blog summer jam again

I love this time of year and the abundance of fresh fruit. Sometimes though you might not finish all the fruit.  If you are like me, you might have few lonely raspberries left in the fridge, you know the one’s that have been squished or a few over ripe peaches sitting on  the counter. Give these fruits new life by making this delicious and easy refrigerator jam.  This jam has only three ingredients. It’s perfect to eat with toast, on top of ice cream or try making these little yogurt parfaits for breakfast, the recipe follows below. Starting looking for some fruit now and make yourself some jam!

From by the bay, wishing you jammy food memories!

Maryann

blog summer jam again 3

Summer Fruit Refrigerator Jam

Ingredients

2 cups fruit, such as peeled, pitted stone fruit chopped and or berries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Toss fruit and sugar in a non reactive medium sauce pan and let sit an hour. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s ready when it’s thicken and runs off the spoon in big drops. Place in clean jam jar , cover and let rest to room temperature. Leave in the refrigerator until ready to use up to two months.

blog summer jam again 2

Yogurt Parfait with Jam and Pine Nuts

1 serving

Ingredients

2 tablespoons  summer fruit refrigerator jam

6 ounces low fat greek yogurt

1 teaspoon toasted pine nuts

Directions

In a small jar layer the jam, yogurt and top with pine nuts. Serve immediately or cover overnight and serve for breakfast the next day.

 

 

Chocolate Sponge Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream

My grandmother had a birthday tradition – she would make a sponge cake and serve it with whipped cream or chocolate whipped cream depending on whose birthday it was and their favorite! I went through all my grandmother’s recipes and never found her sponge cake recipe. After trying many recipes, I finally stumbled on  this recipe from Cake Boss, it’s as close as I could get to grandma’s recipe, it’s delicious, especially with whipped cream. I made this version, this past July 17th in honor of my father for his birthday!  It was wonderful to relive those special food memories from my childhood!

From by the bay, wishing you whipped cream food memories!

Maryann

blog choco sponge

Chocolate Sponge Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream

One recipe chocolate sponge cake, one recipe chocolate whipped cream, 1/2 cup crushed chocolate wafers to decorate the top of cake.

Directions

Ice cake with chilled chocolate whipped cream. Sprinkle crushed chocolate wafers one top of the cake and serve.

 

Chocolate Sponge Cake

Adapted from Cake Boss recipe

 

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk, less 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons fresh brewed coffee
1/4 cup butter (lightly salted)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
1. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl with paddle attachment for 4 minutes. Do not skip this step!

2. Add sugar, and continue beating for another 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and stir on low until just combined.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add to eggs and sugar on low speed until just combined.

4. In a saucepan, heat milk, coffee and butter on low heat just until butter is melted. Add to batter, beat just until combined.

5. Pour into two greased and floured 8″ round cake pans.

6. Bake at 325 until the middle springs back when touched, or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand in pans for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto wire cooling racks and cool completely.

Hint: Cakes are close to being done when you start to smell them about 45 minutes

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Ingredients

2 cups chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup Hersey Chocolate Syrup

 Directions

In a medium metal mixing bowl add the cream and using an electric mixer beat until cream is in stiff peaks. Fold in chocolate syrup gently until chocolate is incorporated through out.

My Favorite Blueberry Recipes

blog blueberries

Celebrate Summer with some of the best blueberry recipes!!

From by the bay , wishing you blue food memories!

Maryann

blog merlot blueberry sauce

Blueberry Merlot Sauce with Vanilla Gelato

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup Merlot
½ cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool and place in a container. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
Serve as a topping to vanilla gelato.

blog sweet corn ice cream

Sweet Corn and Blueberry Ice Cream

Makes about 1 quart

Ingredients

  • 4 ears fresh young corn, shucked
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
  • 1 cup whole fresh blueberries
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

Cut kernels off each ear of corn and place into a large saucepan. Break cobs into pieces and also add to pan. Add to the pan the milk, cream , 3/4 cup sugar and xanthan gum. Place on medium heat , bring mixture to a low boil for 5 to 10 minutes until mixture is thicken slightly and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, remove cobs. Using an immersion blender, puree kernels. ( You can also use a blender to liquidfy but the immersion blender is quickest and easier clean up). Let corn mixture infuse for about an hour and then pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. When straining make sure you are using the back of a spoon to push the liquid through. Also scrap the liquid from the bottom of the strainer in the bowl. Place bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 2 to 3 hours. In the meantime, to a small sauce pan add blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan . Place on medium heat until the blueberries start to pop and mixture thickens. Set aside to cool. Make the sweet corn mixer in an ice cream maker according to directions. Right when the ice cream is ready slowly pour the blueberry sauce into the ice cream to swirl one or two times. Pour into a freezer safe container and store in freezer until ready to serve.

 

blog blueberry boybait

 

Blueberry Boy Bait
From Smitten Kitchen , which adapted it from  the Cook’s Illustrated version, which was adapted from the original

 

Serves 12, generously

2 cups (250 grams) plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks, 8 ounces or 225 grams), softened
3/4 cup (145 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup (235 ml) whole milk (though buttermilk, which was all I had on hand, worked just great)
1/2 cup (about 85 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)

Topping
1/2 cup (about 85 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

blog blue muffins

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon lemon zest

4 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F. Take a 12 muffin pan and line with paper baking cups. Put  tin to the side. In a bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest. Add melted butter and stir. Add the egg to the buttermilk , mix and pour into the flour mixture and combine.Add blueberries and then fill each muffin liner about 3/4 filled. Place tin on baking sheet and bake  on the center rack for 20 to 25 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes then remove muffins to wire rack to cool. Serve warm or room temperature.

 

blog blueberry veal

Pan Fried Veal with Spinach, Blueberries and Hazelnuts

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds veal scallopini

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons  whole hazelnuts

2 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoons fresh blueberries

1 pound steamed fresh spinach

Directions

Toast hazelnuts and breadcrumbs on a baking sheet in a 400F oven for 2-3 minutes. Take toasted nuts and bread crumbs along with garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and red chili  flakes and process into coarse crumbs. Place in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons olive oil, mix and place to the side.  Flatten each scallopini between plastic wrap with a rolling pin until even. Coat veal with oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a medium frying pan and saute veal 2 minutes per side until browned. Place on a platter and cover with foil. In the same frying pan add the stock , balsamic vinegar and bring to boil and reduce for 2 minutes. Whisk butter in pieces into the sauce. Remove from heat and add blueberries. Divide spinach  between four plates with veal on top. Spoon sauce on top of veal. Sprinkle top of veal with the hazelnut mixture and serve immediately,