Tag Archives: easy recipes

Mitzi’s Plum Cake

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Mitzi’s Plum Cake

¼ pound unsalted butter softened plus 1 tablespoon

½ cup fine sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for topping the cake

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 italian plums

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split plums and remove pits. Place plums in bowl, cover with lemon juice, mix and set aside. Using electric mixer combine  ¼ lb butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and combine. Next add  the flour and  baking powder and combine. This makes a soft dough.  Take an 8” non stick cake pan line with parchment and butter and flour the pan. Press the dough into the pan covering the bottom of the cake pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Press plums into dough with the cut side facing up in a concentric circle. Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, mix and sprinkle on top of the plums. Dot with extra butter. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until  cake tester is clean.

Variations: replace plums with apricots or peaches

Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding

Pudding is one of the ultimate comfort foods and if you are really in need of some extra comfort think about making this extra creamy bourbon butterscotch pudding. It’s a great twist on a classic dessert – consider each spoon as a little hug!
Enjoy!!From by the bay wishing you comforting food memories!
Maryann

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Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding
Recipe by Allison Roman, Published in Bon Appetit, March 2013
Ingredients
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon bourbon or Scotch
½ teaspoon kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
¼ cup cornstarch
3 tablespoon sugar
Crème fraîche and crushed gingersnap cookies (for serving; optional)
Directions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until butter begins to brown and smell nutty, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is starting to dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add cream, milk, bourbon, and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Wipe out saucepan. Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve back into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until custard bubbles occasionally and starts to thicken, 5–6 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender. Blend briefly on low speed until smooth. Place ramekins or bowls on a rimmed baking sheet. Divide custard evenly among ramekins and chill until set, at least 3 hours. Top with creme fraiche and crushed cookies to serve.

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

 

This recipe is adapted from a meal I shared at a friend’s home outside of Florence many years ago. It started my love for the herb rosemary. I had never had meat braised in milk before and  as an inexperienced american it seemed odd to me, but it was so delicious. The milk creates a lovely gravy after braising. Over the years I have evolved the recipe by adding onions for another dimension of flavor and by trying goat milk . Although this dish works great with cow’s milk, I find the results with goat milk to be slightly sweeter and makes for a creamier gravy. This is probably a matter of personal preference.  Either way this is recipe that is simple to make and big on taste.

From by the bay, wishing you milky food memories,
Maryann

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork loin roast

2 mediume vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cups organic goat milk or cow’s milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
optional: garnish with gremolata – recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In dutch oven heat butter and oil on stove until hot, add the pork loin and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and place to side. In same pot please add the onions and sauté until soft, add back the pork, add rosemary and milk. Cover and place into the oven for two hours, stirring occasionally. Let pork rest slice and serve with onion and milk gravy. Garnish with gremolata.

Gremolata

Ingredients
1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
In a bowl add parsley and minced garlic. Into this bowl finely zest the lemon. Add salt and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be used to compliment veal, pork or fish.

One Pan Roast Chicken and Vegetables

I love the holiday season, but with that we are all rushing to get so much done. The days are already filled with work, family and friends. When the holiday season arrives there are the extra activities of shopping for gifts, decorating the house and extra entertaining. So with that I love when I have a recipe that is easy, simple and delicious. This one pan roast chicken and vegetables is just so easy to assemble and it looks and tastes just amazing. My recipe suggests certain vegetables to surround the chicken, but you can easy use other vegetables if you like such as carrots, asparugus, scallions, cauliflower or sliced peppers and onions. If  any of the vegetables seemed to have cooked too quickly, just take them of the pan , cover with foil and put the pan back into the oven to finish roasting. The dish is not only easy to make, it’s all a quick clean up. Especially, if you use a nice non stick pan such as scan pan, it’s about a 1 minute to clean up. So find yourself some extra time for the holiday acitivities with this quick dish.From by the bay wishing you speedy food memories!
Maryann
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One Pan Roast Chicken and Vegetables
Serves 4 
 
Ingredients
1 organic chicken – 3 to 4 pounds
2 thick slices of bread, such as sourdough
2 heads garlic, sliced across the middle
2 bay leaves
6 – 8 shallots peeled
4 ounces brussel sprouts
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and sliced
4 small purple potatoes, sliced
5 strips of thick bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F . Drizzle the bottom of the baking pan with olive oil. Place two slices of bread in pan. Bring chicken to room temperature and season with salt and pepper inside the cavity and outside. Place chicken on top of the bread in the baking pan. Wrap the chicken with bacon, drizzle with maple syrup and top with butter. Add the remaining vegetables around the chicken. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and season with salt  and pepper. Place in the oven and roast chicken until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is 175 degrees F and the juices run clear, approximately 1 1/2 hours. If the vegetables look dry add a little water or white wine. Let chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. Serve with the roasted vegetables and bread from the pan.
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