How are you doing? I'm good...been cooking a lot, bet you have too. I can't believe it but we are in the home stretch of the holiday season. Makes me kind of sad though, I miss all of the creative dishes that seem to only be around during this time of year. I love how the dishes warm and the desserts sparkle and even the drinks just seem a bit better than usual. On the bright side, there is still a week of the holiday season left and January 1st marks the beginning of comfort food season.
So tonight I am offering up one more dessert (yea right!) and a delectable salad....it is FABULOUS...if I must say so myself. Is there anyone out there who doesn't love pumpkin and cake married together and wrapped in frosting? And the salad...mmm. Years ago I worked at a restaurant where we fried up diced potatoes and served them as warm croutons on a salad-super yummy. One day was thinking about the endless possibilities of beets and I said to myself-a potato is a root vegetable, and a beet is a root vegetable.....potatoes are super yummy fried...why wouldn't beets be as well? So I tried it and it was better than a good idea. So make it soon, I know you'll love it.
Oh by the way 3 more days till Chrismas...AAAAGH...I'm so not ready!
PENUCHE FROSTING
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup cream
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
Melt butter, sugar and cream together and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Cool to room temperature and then beat, cup by cup, the powdered sugar into the caramel. Add vanilla ½ way through. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup cream
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
Melt butter, sugar and cream together and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat. Cool to room temperature and then beat, cup by cup, the powdered sugar into the caramel. Add vanilla ½ way through. Continue beating until light and fluffy.
PUMPKIN CAKE
2 ½ cups APF
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 oz pumpkin
½ cup sour cream
2 Tablespoon orange zest
3 Tablespoons orange juice
4 eggs
2 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon chinese five spice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8 inch cake pans. Combine dry ingredients on a piece of parchment paper. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the oil and the sugar. Beat eggs in one at a time until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and juice, sour cream and pumpkin and blend well. Add the dry ingredientss in slowly. Beat until just combined. Por evenly into 2 pans and hit the pans on the counter to remove bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean. Completely cool before frosting.
FRIED BEET AND APPLE SALAD
4 crisp apples, cut into wedges
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1 bunch watercress
2 heads butterleaf or boston
1 head red leaf
2 beets, julienne
4 cups oil
1 Tablespoon shallots
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup gouda cheese, shredded
Slice the apples and toss with the olive oil and sugar. Bake on a foil lined sheet pan for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Bring the vegatble oil to medium high heat and fry the beets for 3 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the oil and let sit on a paper towel for a minute or two. Combine shallots, juices from the apples, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and then add the washed and dried greens. Toss gently adding the gouda. Top with the apples and beets.
2 ½ cups APF
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15 oz pumpkin
½ cup sour cream
2 Tablespoon orange zest
3 Tablespoons orange juice
4 eggs
2 ½ Teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon chinese five spice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 8 inch cake pans. Combine dry ingredients on a piece of parchment paper. In the bowl of a mixer, combine the oil and the sugar. Beat eggs in one at a time until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and juice, sour cream and pumpkin and blend well. Add the dry ingredientss in slowly. Beat until just combined. Por evenly into 2 pans and hit the pans on the counter to remove bubbles. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean. Completely cool before frosting.
FRIED BEET AND APPLE SALAD4 crisp apples, cut into wedges
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon oil
1 bunch watercress
2 heads butterleaf or boston
1 head red leaf
2 beets, julienne
4 cups oil
1 Tablespoon shallots
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup gouda cheese, shredded
Slice the apples and toss with the olive oil and sugar. Bake on a foil lined sheet pan for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Bring the vegatble oil to medium high heat and fry the beets for 3 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the oil and let sit on a paper towel for a minute or two. Combine shallots, juices from the apples, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and then add the washed and dried greens. Toss gently adding the gouda. Top with the apples and beets.
1 comment:
Fried beets...how delightful is that? Love it!
Post a Comment