Recipes

Classic Pound Cake

Ingredients
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups cake flour

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 325*F.  Butter loaf pan and line bottom with parchment paper or foil. 

2. Mix butter and sugar on medium speed with mixer until very light, about 5 minutes.  Beat in vanilla.  One at a time, beat in three eggs, beating until smooth after each addition. 

3. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in ¹⁄₃ flour until fully absorbed.  Beat in another egg until smooth, followed by another ¹⁄₃ flour.  Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula.  Repeat with remaining egg and remaining flour.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. 

5. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes, or until cake is done with cracked top, golden brown color, and a toothpick inserted into center emerges dry. 

6. Cool cake in pan five minutes, then remove from pan and cool on rack. 

No photo

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.  Sadly I didn’t get a picture because this was part of my mom’s birthday celebration and it completely slipped my mind.  We ate it with berries and whipped cream, even my picky nephew had a piece!  It was a teeny bit dry, but I sort of forgot to press start on my timer after setting it so I might have cooked it too long.  I won’t know for sure if the dryness is a function of the recipe until I make it again and actually remember to turn the timer on.

Internet - Epicurious

Baked Ravioli

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion. chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons dried thyme
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes (diced tomatoes are okay too)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
2 pounds ravioli
1 ¹⁄₂ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F. 

2. Heat oil in large ovensafe skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add sausage, onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until sausage is cooked through and onion is softened.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add thyme and tomatoes.  Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce thickens and reduces, about 20 to 25 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, bring large pot salted water to boil and cook ravioli 2 minutes less than directed to by packaging.  Drain pasta well.  (Toss pasta with some olive oil at this point if the sauce hasn’t quite finished.  This will help keep it from sticking.) 

4. Once sauce finishes, transfer pasta to pan with sauce and toss well to combine.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Taste and Tell.  I wish that I had taken a picture of it once it had cooled for leftovers.  Once it was chilled and sliced it looked a lot like lasagna from the side.  I liked this significantly more than lasagna and whenever I think I’m craving lasagna in the future I might make this instead.  I used spinach and ricotta ravioli and added sausage to the original recipe.  You can make this with any ravioli or even tortellini if you desire.  The meat can easily be omitted or swapped out for some other ground meat, just be sure to add some seasoning if you’re using plain ground meat instead of a spiced sausage. 

Shown here with store-bought garlic bread.  What can I say, I like Safeway’s garlic bread.

Internet - Taste and Tell

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Ingredients
1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into pieces roughly the same length as penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₂ cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 pound penne pasta
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
¹⁄₃ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Bring large pot salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.  Drain well and return pasta to pot. 

2. Toss asparagus with oil, ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt and ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper.  Spread pieces on baking sheet and roast until tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside. 

3. Meanwhile, simmer vinegar in small saucepan over medium heat until vinegar is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in brown sugar and remaining ¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper.  Remove from heat. 

4. Stir vinegar sauce, butter, Parmesan cheese, remaining salt, and asparagus into pasta and toss well to combine and melt butter. 

Comments
This recipe is from Mel’s Kitchen Café and wow, it was great!  Roasted asparagus is super delicious and it went so well in this pasta dish with balsamic sauce.  I think that I might omit the brown sugar next time, since it was really unnecessary with a good quality balsamic vinegar that already has enough sweetness on its own.  This is tasty stuff, you should make it.

Shown here with a simply grilled t-bone steak.

Internet - Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Teriyaki Marinade

Ingredients
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¹⁄₂ cup water
¹⁄₂ cup soy sauce
2 cups pineapple juice (or water)
8 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons honey

Instructions
1. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and ¹⁄₂ cup water.  Stir to dissolve cornstarch.

2. Combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and honey in small saucepan.  Bring to simmer over medium heat.  Once brown sugar has melted, add cornstarch mixture and simmer, stirring, until sauce thickens to coat back of spoon.  Remove from heat and cool. 

Comments
This is the teriyaki marinade from the recipe I posted a while back for Stuffed Salmon with Sriracha Cream Sauce.  It can be used as a sauce or a marinade for just about anything.  It’s shown here with grilled chicken. 

Shown here with Garlic Noodles.

Internet - The Boogie Blog

Lemon-Caper Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 tablespoons capers plus splash of caper brine
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in large pot of water, bring to boil, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. 

2. Return potatoes to pot and mash.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Add reserved potato water until potatoes are desired consistency. 

Comments
This recipe is from Elise’s Kitchen.  It was tasty, the capers and lemon added a nice flavor punch.  We all enjoyed them and leftovers were eaten, but I must say that this won’t be a recipe that comes to mind in the future when I’m trying to figure out a way to prepare potatoes for dinner.  They were good, just nothing to write home about if you know what I mean. 

Shown here with Eye Round Roast and Horseradish Cream Sauce.

Internet - Elise’s Kitchen

Sausage, Basil and Mustard Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound short pasta, such as penne
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
¹⁄₄ cup water
²⁄₃ cup half and half
3 tablespoons coarse grain mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. 

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and cook until softened.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 

3. Add sausage and garlic to skillet and cook until browned.  Break sausage apart with wooden spoon while cooking. 

4. Add wine, water, and simmer until liquid has reduced by half, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet.  Add half and half, mustard, paprika and salt.  Simmer for another 2 minutes.  Return mushrooms to skillet and heat through.  Toss pasta with sauce, stir in basil, and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Creative Pot.  I could have made a double batch and probably should have because that’s how much everyone loved it.  The guys both had seconds and we would have all happily had it for leftovers most of the week if there had been more.  This recipe has the bonus of being extremely simple and, at least for me, uses ingredients that I pretty much always have around.  I only made this a few weeks ago, but I’m ready to make it again already!

Internet - The Creative Pot

Garlic Noodles

Ingredients
1 pound angel hair pasta
8 tablespoons butter
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
Sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Instructions
1. Bring large pot water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain well. 

2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and green onions and sauté until softened. 

3. Stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and oyster sauce in small bowl. 

4. Add pasta and sauce to skillet with garlic butter.  Stir until pasta is well coated.  Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. 

Comments
This recipe is from Budget Bytes and I had it in my “to cook” files for quite a while but it kept getting skipped.  I finally made it and it was fantastic.  These noodles would work well with any stir fried meats or vegetables. 

Shown here with Teriyaki Grilled Chicken.

Internet - Budget Bytes

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Ingredients
²⁄₃ cup panko
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F. 

2. Combine panko, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in shallow container.  Toss with fork to combine. 

3. Place salmon skin-side down on cutting board.  Brush each piece with mustard then season with salt and pepper.  Press panko mixture thickly on top of each salmon piece. 

4. Heat remaining oil in large ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, add salmon, skin-side down, and sear 3 to 4 minutes without turning.  Transfer pan to oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until salmon is almost cooked through and panko has browned nicely.  Remove from oven, cover skillet with foil, and rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from Annie’s Eats but I’ve seen it on numerous sites in the past few weeks, it must be pretty popular at the moment!  And I can understand why since it was delicious.  The panko coating was lovely and lemony and the salmon was nice and moist.  I believe this recipe would work well with other types of fish too, tilapia comes immediately to mind!

Shown here with Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks.

Internet - Annie’s Eats

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks

Ingredients
1 bunch of asparagus
2 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
¹⁄₄ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 425*F.  Place rack on baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. 

2. Trim tough ends from asparagus spears.  Beat eggs in shallow container or plate.  In second shallow container or plate combine flour, panko, cheese, salt and pepper. 

3. Coat each spear in egg, then press into panko mixture.  If panko won’t stick, dip asparagus back into egg and roll in panko again.  Place each spear on wire rack.  (I ended up needing two racks because I had a large bunch of asparagus.) 

3. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Comments
This recipe is from How Sweet It Is and, oh my gosh, it was the perfect recipe for the first asparagus of the year.  The asparagus was tender-crisp and full of flavor thanks to the salt, pepper, and Parmesan.  There were no leftovers because I pretty much ate the second tray by myself.  Yum.  If you love asparagus, or if you cook for a fence-sitter, this is a great and delicious recipe.

Shown here with Panko-Crusted Salmon.

Internet - How Sweet It Is

Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Casserole

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped (about 1-2 stick or a handful or 2 of baby carrots)
1 cup celery, chopped (about 2-3 stalks)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup panko
1 pound short pasta, such as penne
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 350*F. 

2. Heat oil in large ovensafe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Cook on each side for 5 to 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove from pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into small pieces. 

3. Melt 8 tablespoons butter in same pan.  Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery and garlic.  Sauté, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add chicken broth and continue stirring until sauce thickens.  Add half and half and stir until combined.  Stir in tomatoes, green chilies, 3 cups cheese and chicken.  Stir until cheese has melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

4. Meanwhile, bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 1 minutes less than packaging directs.  Drain pasta well.  Add pasta to sauce and stir well to combine. 

5. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small bowl in microwave.  Stir in panko.  Top pasta mixture with remaining cheese and panko mixture.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Let casserole rest 5 minutes before serving. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Meaning of Pie and I chose it because I thought it would be a nice, easy, and comforting meal to bring together.  And it was!  Delicious.  Lance thought the grape tomatoes were a bit odd due to their sweetness, but Art and I thought it was pretty much perfect. 

I would suggest making this in a large Dutch oven (6-7 quarts) because this generates quite a lot of food.  Your goal for vegetables (onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and celery) is about 6 cups total, excluding the grape tomatoes.  Any shape of pasta would work, I just like using pasta that makes stirring easy when I’m making casseroles.

Internet - The Meaning of Pie