Sunday Slow Cooking ~ Outside at the Grill

I'm grilling with my friends from Slow Travel . I picked our secret ingredient for this week . . . It is Rosemary. It has been growing like crazy in these hot summer days.
This is a great 'by the pool' appetizer. As soon as you pull them off the grill they are eaten~Rosemary Shrimp Appetizers
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs agave nectar
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 lb large shrimp
one bunch grapes
Fresh rosemary In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, oil, agave, lime juice and black pepper. Marinate the peeled shrimp, grapes in this mixture for 30-45 minutes.
Peel the leaves off the bottoms of the rosemary (throw into the marinade) Soak your rosemary skewers in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes. (they won't be a likely to catch fire)
While the grill is heating . . . thread the shrimp and grapes onto the skewers so the shrimp will curl around them.
Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 1 minute on each side, or until the shrimp turn pink and curl around the grapes. Brush with the remaining marinade. Perfect for a poolside snack~

Y'all Enjoy!
Sandi

Slow Sunday Cookin' ~ on the grill

Our special ingredient for our Sunday Cooking this week is 'Ground Turkey'. It is hard to convince a good southern boy that ground turkey is equal to a good sirloin burger. I can use it in chili and sauces... but a burger? These are awesome. I will admit the red onion marmalade made a big difference... and of course the WhistleStop spices did too!

Turkey Burger with Red Onion Marmalade
1-2pound ground turkey
2-4 Tbs WhistleStop Mediterranean blend
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine
To make marmalade, saute onions in pan sprayed with cooking spray until translucent. Add honey, balsamic vinegar, and red wine. Simmer until liquid evaporates and onions are candied, then reduce until almost dry. The WhistleStop Mediterranean Blend is a mixture of garlic, onion, red pepper and salt. If you can't find our 4blends seasoning, you might be able to find something similar.
(or you can always order it HERE ) Mix spices in wiht ground turkey and form into burger patties.Grill on high heat until done.
Serve your Turkey burger with a healthy dollop of the red onion marmalade

Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

Sunday Suppers~ Goat

This week it was Deborah's week to select our Sunday Supper. She picked a slow cooking method and then rocked our kitchens when she picked a recipe that calls for Goat. Yes... GOAT. This is a recipe found on one of her favorite cooking blogs~ Figments

Goat is not something I have ever cooked, or even eaten. That is a part of the fun of this cooking challenge... it makes us all try something different. I knew that this grocery list was beyond the Piggly Wiggly. Our first attempt at buying goat shanks was not very successful. I left the mexican grocery store knowing that my limited spanish was not well understood. (yes, to include hand motions and goat sounds). Bill didn't give up so easily and took a friend who teaches the local english/spanish classes... Success!

The flavors in this dish are wonderful. It filled the kitchen with a spicy cinnamon aroma and the feel of Morocco.
Goat Tagine with Fennel and Olives
6 meaty goat shanks
Sea Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise
2 medium bulbs of fennel, cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices lengthwise
1 large pinch of saffron threads, lightly finger-crushed
6 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly toasted, ground coriander seed
1 teaspoons freshly toasted, ground cumin
2 teaspoons freshly toasted, ground fennel seed
3 tablespoons honey
3/4 cup fresh tomato peeled and chopped, or good boxed/canned chopped tomatoes
4 cups of chicken stock or water
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), stem and all, tied with butcher string
1/2 cup oil-cured olives
1 large preserved lemon, rinsed and quartered
Preheat oven to 375○
Salt and pepper the goat shanks. Brown them over medium-high heat in a large, deep casserole that will fit all the meat and go in the oven. Remove shanks from the pan.
Add olive oil, onions and half the fennel and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the saffron, garlic, ginger and all spices and cook another 5 minutes. Add the honey and tomatoes and cook a few minutes. Add stock and tuck shanks back into pot along with the cinnamon stick and tied cilantro. Bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in the oven until tender, about 3 hours. Check every so often; add more liquid if necessary.
Add olives, lemon and remaining fennel to the stew the last 15 minutes of cooking.
It is finished when the fennel is tender and the meat is buttery and falling off the bone. Taste and season as necessary.
No extra seasoning was necessary, the flavors are wonderful! I served it over a bed of whole wheat cous-cous. I think the next time I'll make this I'll use chicken... unless I can get my hands on more goat shanks.

Y'all enjoy!
Sandi

Sunday Slow Soupers

I have posted many times about the 'web' friends I have made through Slow Travel. We are folks from all over, with common interests and a zest for life. Apparently we also have a zest for food! We have posted ice cream recipes as the Sunday Slow Scoopers and baking recipes as the Sunday Slow Bakers.

Last November we decided to become the Sunday Slow Soupers (do you see the pattern here?) We each took a week and posted our favorite soup. All of the soups are listed on my side bar... under the title 'soups on!' It is like a handy cookbook to have all the recipes right there~ I rely on it myself.

Each soup was wonderful... Bill is admittedly not a soup eater and gave up months ago. I have enjoyed all of them. There was quite a variety~ from Gumbo to curry soup. If anything, I have realized that making a fresh homemade soup doesn't have to be that hard. The fresh ingredients really make a difference.

Now that we have worked our way around the world with soups, we are moving on... Drinks? Desserts?? Diets???

Y'all will have to come back next Sunday!

Sandi

Sunday Slow Baking

Our final recipe from Gina DePalma's 'Dolce Italiano' is a Toasted Almond Gelato. I picked this as an easy transition to our new challenge Sunday Slow Scoopers! Starting next week the Slow Travelers will begin working our way through David Lebovitz's 'The Perfect Scoop', perfect for summer.

Luckily, I already have a Cuisinart ice cream freezer... the best Father's day gift ever!

Gelato di Mandorle

1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs honey

pinch of kosher salt

2 tsp amaretto

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 375°. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

Place the almonds in a medium saucepan. add the cream and milk, the sugar and honey and place over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. remove from the heat and allow the flavor of the almonds to infuse into the cream.

Allow the mixture to cool, then strain and discard the almonds. Stir in the salt, amaretto, and almond extract. Freeze the gelato in an ice cream freezer.

I couldn't bear to toss out those toasted almonds, so I diced some and stirred them into my cream. It made a wonderful almondy gelato! Next time I will double the recipe, 2 cups is just enough to make you scream for ice cream.

This is our last recipe from 'Dolce Italiano', and what a treat it has been. We have enjoyed Taralli, Polenta Cake, Sweet Apple Omlet, Semifreddo, Strawberries with Cream, Ricotta Cheesecake, Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies, Zucchini Cake, Lemon Biscotti, Grappa Cakes, Grissini, and Pistacio Bars. A special grazie to Jerry for my cookbook! I feel especially honored to have shared my kitchen every Sunday with Gina and the rest of my Slow Baking friends.

Next Sunday... Slow Scooping begins!

Y'all enjoy,

Sandi

Sunday Slow Bakers

We are coming to the end of our Sunday Slow Baking; we have been making our way through Gina DePalma's cookbook 'Dolce Italiano'.

This week Cindy Ruth at Baked Alaska selected Taralli. What??? I had no idea what these were. The recipe calls for flour, wine, and olive oil. I didn't give it much hope... but being a dedicated slow baker I decided to give it a try. They are actually an Italian pretzel~ with a little extra kick.

Taralli with Red Pepper and Oregano

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbs kosher salt

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs oregano

1 cup plus 2 Tbs white wine

1 cup olive oil

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wine and oil, beating until the dough is soft and velvety. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for 2 hours, or refrigerate over night.

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large pot add 1 Tbs salt to about 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil.

There is a process of making the Taralli. First roll the dough into thin ropes about 5 inches long. Fold them into a ring. Drop the rings into the water and wait for it to rise. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to dry. Finally, bake for 25-35 minutes, until crispy brown.

I can see why Nonna's have such beautiful hands, when rolling out the dough, the olive oil soaks in. The whole kitchen smells wonderful. I can only imagine how exciting it is for children to help make their own Taralli... when they float to the top of the boiling water it is magic!

I wish I had smell-a-blog (has that been invented yet?). These hot out of the oven are amazing. Buon Appetito Y'all,

Sandi

Slow Sunshine Baking

Our task this week for our Sunday Slow Bakers is a Citrus-Glazed Polenta Cake. The citrus and the yellow polenta in this recipe make me think of sunshine. We all need a little sunshine!This week has reminded us, in several ways, that friends and family are our constant source of sunshine.
Life is short ~seize your joy.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."

So now on to the polenta... which we have discovered is really a fine yellow cornmeal. Italians use it in baking, but also in a creamy grits-like dish. Isn't that funny?

It does make a yummy torta.

Torta di Polenta

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup polenta

1 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup olive oil

A lemon, lime & orange

2 cups confectioner's sugar for the glaze

Preheat oven to 325°

Zest the fruits and set aside, combine dry ingredients and set aside, grease and flour a spring form pan. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until they have tripled in volume. Beat in the zests. Alternate adding dry ingredients and oil. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cake pulls away from the sides. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan.

While the cake is cooling make the citrus glaze. combine 2 cups confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of juice from each of the zested fruits. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the polenta cake.

This is an interesting cake~ almost like a sweet cornbread. Very Dolce Italiano!

buon appetito y'all~

Sandi

Sweet Slow Baking

Our chore this week for the Sunday Slow Bakers was a Sweet Apple Omelet. In her cookbook, Dolce Italiano Gina says "if you've never had a sweet omelet, you are in for a treat" She's right! This made a perfect late breakfast on Saturday morning. It was a nice change from our typical ham and cheese omelets.

I was excited to see that I was going to finally get to use my Brunello grappa. I bought this in Italy, and luckily this bottle made it through the bottle smashers at the Birmingham airport.

Sweet Apple Omelet

2 medium apples

3 Tbs olive oil

2 Tbs sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs Grappa

2 Tbs butter

1 Tbs honey

5 eggs

Slice the apples. (I didn't peel mine) Saute in olive oil until tender. Add sugar and cinnamon shaking to coat the apples. Remove from heat. Add grappa then return to low heat to cook off the alcohol.

In another skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and make a thick omelet with the eggs. When the omelet is cooked through, fill with apples. Fold over and slide onto a plate dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Top with a mixture of melted butter and honey. Serve immediately.

Mmmmm y'all that was good!

We have found out just this week that Gina, our Slow Travel Stella, is battling a nasty illness. This comes at the peak of her career when she should be able to sit back and enjoy the sweet life.

Once again we are reminded that we need to make every day sweet... starting with a sweet apple omelet.

Y'all enjoy!

Sandi

Strawberries~ Italiano

The fun part about our Sunday Slow Baking group is that it forces me to do something that I never would try.

Strawberries and ricotta cheese with black pepper?

That has 'bleack' written all over it!

This weeks recipe from Gina DePalma's cookbook 'Dolce Italiano' is Strawberries in Chianti with Black Pepper Ricotta Cream. Strawberries are in season and fresh from Chilton County, I had some ricotta that I was planning to use in a lasagna latter in the week.

Here goes nothing...

Strawberries with Black Pepper Cream

2 pints strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Chianti wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cups ricotta

2 tsp black peppercorns

2 hours before serving, slice the strawberries and cover with 2 tbs sugar. Pour the wine on top of the berries and give them a stir. Place in the fridge to chill and marinate.

Mix the heavy cream and 6 Tbs of sugar on medium until soft peaks form. Add the ricotta and cracked black pepper, beat briefly until smooth.

To serve place a generous spoonful of the strawberries in a glass and cover with cream.

This was such a treat! The sweetness of the wine soaked strawberries and the creaminess of the ricotta with a twang of black pepper. It really is a delightful summertime dessert.

It went perfectly with our grilled chicken and veggies, and we didn't even have to heat up the kitchen!

Y'all enjoy!

Sandi

Slow Sunday CheeseCake

Our task this week for the Sunday Slow Bakers was Torta di Ricotta. It was my week to choose and I am a little nutty about cheesecake. Gina DePalma calls it Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake in her cookbook 'Dolce Italiano'.

Rather than list the entire recipe (it's on page 96) I'll describe the process. It is a ricotta based cheesecake with 8 oz of cream cheese. The addition of amaretto and candied orange and lemon adds a nice citrusy flavor, but changes the texture. The base of the cheesecake is a yummy crust of crushed sliced almonds with a touch of vanilla. The thin nutty crust is a perfect compliment to the cheesecake.

As I said, I am obsessive about cheesecake. I have posted a couple of recipes Lemoncello Cheesecake , and Orange Cheesecake. This is usually my dessert of choice to take to any event. With a lot of practice, I have learned to make a cheesecake without cracks~ stirring gently, tapping out air bubbles, baking slowly in a water bath, cooling gently in the oven.

Even with all those tricks, this cheesecake wasn't 'perfect'. I was a little disappointed with the texture and the huge crack in the top. It was still good with a cup of coffee.

G-daddy will love it when I take it for our Father's Day lunch.

He spent years making the desserts for the WhistleStop Cafe. Customers agree that the desserts just haven't been the same since he retired. His specialty was the Mississippi Mud and a Banana Split Pie. Now those are some obsessive desserts!

Happy Father's Day y'all!

Sandi

Slow Sunday Baking

It is time for our Slow Sunday Baking. Once again we are trying a recipe out of 'Dolce Italiano' by Gina De Palma. This cookie recipe combines to great flavors, bittersweet chocolate and hazelnuts.


I knew that finding the hazelnuts would not be easy. I had looked at the Piggley Wiggley once before~ no luck there. I headed this time straight to Whole Foods. Bingo! I did use Hershey cocoa... even though Gina suggests 'dutched' cocoa for it's less acidic nature. I'm on a budget~ Hershey's would have to do.
BitterSweet Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
Preheat to 325°

In a medium bowl combine flour cocoa, baking powder and salt. Chop the hazelnuts and combine with dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla. On low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Finally, stir in chocolate chips. Chill dough until firm.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls. then roll each ball in confectioner's sugar to coat. back until puffed and cracking, 8-10 minutes. If desired dust with additional sugar.

These cookies are light, and not to sweet. A nice change from the usual chocolate chip cookies. They were perfect with a cup of coffee.


Y'all enjoy!
Sandi

Sunday Slow Baking

We have been using zucchini for cake and bread for years. In fact... in the south we will use zucchini for just about anything. Once you plant a few seeds you will have squash out the ying-yang by the end of the summer.

This is the newest challenge for the Sunday Slow Bakers from Gina DePalma's 'Dolce Italiano'. This zucchini cake calls for Extra Virgin Olive Oil rather than butter. It makes a moist and delicious cake.

Zucchini-Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze

1 cup walnut pieces

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

3 large eggs

1 cup EVOO

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Glaze

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°

Grease and flour a bundt pan. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast them 12-14 minutes. Cool and chop, then set aside. Grate 2-3 zucchini squash and set aside.

Sift together dry ingredients. In a large bowl beat eggs, add sugar and olive oil and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix on medium until smooth. Add the zucchini and nuts on medium, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until done. Allow to cool.

To mix the glaze: combine the juice and sugars. Whisk until smooth. Brush over the warm cake, using all the glaze.

While we've been here in Montisi, we have been tasting olive oils. Good thing I baked this before I left. Now I can buy more olive oil to bring home!

Boun Appetito y'all!

Sandi

Slow Baking

This weeks Sunday Slow Baking is another challenge from 'Dolce Italiano'. Biscotti di Lomone e Semolino~ for those of us in Alabama~ Lemony Cookies.

As I looked at the recipe with my grocery list for Piggley Wiggley, I saw Semolina flour. OH NO! After my last search for grappa I decided to skip the Pig and head straight to our Whole Foods. Bob's Red Mill makes every kind of flour... and then some.

These were really simple to whip up~ unlike some of these recipes which can be complicated. I think they would be just as good without the heavier semolina flour.

Lemony Semolina Cookies

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2/3 cup semolina

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

2 Tbs EVOO

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbs lemoncello

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter, sugar, and olive oil. Slowly add beaten egg and yolk. Add zest, lemon juice, limoncello and vanilla. On low speed add the dry ingredients. When smooth, wrap in plastic and chill until ready to roll out cookies.

Pre-heat oven to 325°

Break off 1 inch pieces of dough, roll into a ball. Roll balls in granulated sugar (I used some raw sugar from Whole Foods). Bake for 14-15 minutes. Cookies will collapse and become lightly browned.

These bite sized cookies are perfect for a Mother's Day treat. I'll be taking a basket full to Mom's today!

Happy Mother's Day y'all

Sandi

Baking Slow on Sunday

The recipe for the Sunday Slow Bakers that was chosen this week from 'Dolce Italiano' is a alcohol infused sponge cake. Grappa Cakes. I couldn't wait!


I set off on a search for Grappa~ for those who may not know, this is a potent liqueur that is made from the skins and stems of grapes. It is an Italian favorite. 'Perfetto' for correcting a cup of coffee, digesting a big meal, or taking off the chill on a cold evening.

Apparently the ABC store is not interested in expanding our international culture. The helpful folks at the Piggley Wiggley pointed me toward the grape jelly. It is obvious I am not going to find Grappa in Alabama. (One more thing to put on my shopping list in Italy)

So, in place of the illusive Grappa~ I used Limoncello. Every bit as yummy!
Grappa Cakes

Grappa Syrup
¾ cup sugar
½ cup grappa
¼ cup water

Sponge Cakes
2 cup sifted cake flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
8 large eggs, separated
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs grappa
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Preheat oven to 350°

Grease 2 mini bundt pans (each 1 cup capacity) with non-stick cooking spray, dust with flour, and tap out excess flour. For grappa syrup: Stir together sugar, ½ cup grappa, and water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring contents to a boil, then lower heat and allow syrup to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow syrup to cool.

To make sponge cakes: Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl beat egg yolks together with sugar and honey on medium speed until very light, pale yellow in color and doubled in volume (about 3 minutes). Beat in grappa and vanilla, followed by cooled butter. Transfer the egg mixture to a large clean mixing bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients quickly and lightly, using a rubber spatula, stopping just before they are fully incorporated. Place egg whites and salt into cleaned bowl. Using whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until they are foamy and light. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter, this will also incorporate any streaks of dry ingredients that remain. Spoon the batter into prepared pans, filling them ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 min. in pans, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack.

Gently brush grappa syrup over entire surface of warm cakes until all the syrup has been used. Allow cakes to cool completely before serving. Serve cakes with whipped cream or gelato and fresh fruit, or simply dusted with powdered sugar.
I used some fresh strawberries, and an extra drizzle of my Limoncello syrup.
Good thing I'm headed to Italy in 15 days!

Buon Appetito y'all
Sandi