Lemon Bars

Tags

Cook's Illustrated, dessert, lemon, powdered sugar

So my friend’s mom got a bunch of Meyer lemons, and was kind enough to share a big bag of them with me. Yummy lemony goodness. I now have a ton of lemons, and am in a huge mood for lemon. I’m so excited about having them and I keep trying different lemon recipes, trying to use them all. And yes, I know you can freeze the juice and zest, or the whole lemons, but I’m just so excited and I don’t want to wait!

My friend’s stipulation for bringing me the lemons was that I make her a lemon dessert. I was expecting a request of lemon meringue, which is a common request from her, but instead she asked for lemon bars. I’ve never made lemon bars before, but have always loved the intense lemon flavor and the delicate crust.

I decided to try the Cook’s Illustrated recipe, which is super easy and has powdered sugar in the crust. I have found crusts with powdered sugar to be a softer, crumbly crust compared to crusts with granulated sugar. The crust was delicious, although I had some trouble pressing the crust up the sides of the dish, but I think it may have been a personal problem. Next time I’ll just keep the crust on the bottom.

The lemon flavor was excellent, and the dusting of powdered sugar is optional, but it just seems naked without the sugar! All in all, they were a huge hit. Everyone loved them, and even a girl at work who doesn’t like lemon enjoyed them!

Perfect Lemon Bars

Crust:
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
⅔ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to decorate finished bars
¼ cup cornstarch
¾ teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), at very cool room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces

Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
⅔ cup lemon juice (about 3 or 4 large lemons), strained
⅓ cup whole milk
⅛teaspoon table salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, or spray the pan with cooking spray, and line with one sheet parchment or wax paper. Dot paper with butter, then lay second sheet crosswise over it.

To make the crust: Pulse flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor workbowl fitted with steel blade. Add butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three 1-second bursts. (To do this by hand, mix flour, confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl. Freeze butter and grate it on large holes of box grater into flour mixture. Toss butter pieces to coat. Rub pieces between your fingers for a minute, until flour turns pale yellow and coarse.) Sprinkle mixture into lined pan and press firmly with fingers into even, ⅓-inch layer over entire pan bottom. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

To make the filling: Whisk eggs, sugar, and flour in medium bowl, then stir in lemon zest, juice, milk, and salt to blend well. Make sure the filling is ready to pour onto the crust once it comes out of the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Stir filling mixture to reblend; pour into warm crust. Bake until filling feels firm when touched lightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack; cool to near room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Carefully remove the lemon bars using the parchment or wax paper. Transfer to cutting board, fold paper down, and cut into serving-size bars, wiping knife or pizza cutter clean between cuts, as necessary. Sieve confectioners’ sugar over bars, if desired.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated, May 1998

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Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Tags

artichoke, Giada, mozzarella, pasta, sausage, sun-dried tomato

I love pasta. My husband loves pasta. When it comes time to figure out dinner, a typical conversation is as follows:
I ask, “What do you feel like for dinner?”
He responds, “Um, pasta.”
“What kind of pasta? “
“Pasta with meat.”
Never anything specific, he just wants meat and pasta. But at least we both love it, so we have a very high carb intake. This pasta is one of our favorites. It comes together pretty quickly and has a lot of different components that blend together to make a delicious meal. The mild sweetness of the tomatoes mixes perfectly with the saltiness of the sausage and the nuttiness of the artichokes and Parmesan. I use whole wheat pasta because it really holds its own among the other ingredients, but regular pasta would work just as well.

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

¾ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound ground italian hot sausage
2 (13.75 ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1¾ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
13.25 ounces whole wheat penne
½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed

Heat the oil reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl, reserving the oils in the pan. Add the artichoke hearts and garlic to the skillet and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly, about 8 minutes, then remove from heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Stir often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but firm to the bite. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse. Add the pasta, sausage, Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners

Korean Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi

Tags

beef, Cook's Illustrated, kimchi, stir fry

Kimchi. You either love it or you hate it. Me, I love it! And thankfully my husband loves it too, which means I can make this awesome dish, and anything else with kimchi, whenever I want! It’s so good with korean barbecue, or korean barbecue burgers.

Kimchi is fermented vegetables, most typically cabbage. It’s a very traditional Korean side dish. A little vinegary, a little spicy, and quite red.
I came across this recipe when I was browsing the Cook’s Illustrated website. I saw kimchi in the title and I had to try it. And good thing, because it’s a definite winner in my book! Stir-fries are quick meals, so they’re perfect for weeknight meals. While the beef marinates, you can cut up all the vegetables and mix the sauce. This works out perfectly so that everything is ready at the same time and you’ll be able move quickly once the stir-fry is on the stove. So if you like kimchi, or are interested in trying kimchi for the first time, this recipe is a must try.

Korean Stir-Fried Beef with Kimchi

Note: The recipe calls for flank steak, but you can use any cut of meat as long as you cut it thinly and still cut the meat down to the size called for in the recipe.

4 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar, plus an additional 1 teaspoon
12 ounces flank steak
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup kimchi, chopped into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces (2 cups) mung bean sprouts
5 scallions, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1½-inch pieces

Cut beef with the grain into 2-inch wide strips, then slice across the grain into ⅛-inch-thick slices. If using beef other than flank steak, slice it into ½-inch slices, then cut into chunks about 2-inches by ⅛-inch. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining tablespoon sugar, chicken broth, sesame oil, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl.

Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. It is recommended to cook the meat in smaller batches to allow it to brown quickly and not dry out or become tough. Therefore, add half of beef to skillet in single layer, breaking up any clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook until beef is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse skillet clean and dry with paper towels.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add kimchi and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bean sprouts and stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of skillet to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables. Return beef, any accumulated juices, and scallions to skillet and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Serve over rice.

Source: Slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November 2007

The Baked Brownie

Tags

brownie, chocolate, coffee, dessert

The search for the perfect brownie is like the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. It’s neverending! This is a very popular brownie recipe that has been circulating among many blogs. And it is amazing! The Baked brownie originates from Baked Bakery in Red Hook, Brooklyn where they have dark chocolate brownies, spicy brownies, salty brownies and so many more unique flavors. This recipe produces a brownie that’s fudgy and soft, and decadently rich. It even has the wonderful crackly top that makes brownies that much better. I don’t know if I would say it’s the perfect brownie, because really, what is the prefect brownie… but it’s really close. This will definitely be my go-to recipe when I want fudgy, rich brownies.

The recipe calls for dark chocolate to be used, but I only had 3 ounces, so I substituted the rest with semi-sweet chocolate. Personally, I think that worked out for the best, because my friends aren’t huge fans of dark chocolate. No matter what chocolate combination you choose, the chocolate flavor will be super intense and delicious, and the little bit of coffee helps even more to bring out the chocolate flavor. So go ahead and try them, and enjoy the chocolate bliss!

The Baked Brownie

Yield: 24 brownies

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.

Put the chocolate, butter and instant coffee in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. Let cool until the mixture is room temperature.

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, via Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Orecchiette with Shrimp, Arugula, and Grape Tomatoes

Tags

arugula, garlic, lemon, Parmesan, pasta, shrimp, tomato

The first time I saw arugula in a recipe, it was called rocket, and I had no idea what the cookbook was talking about. Upon further reading, I learned that rocket is the British name for arugula, and I was determined to find a good recipe that uses it. I had tried it in Italy with steak and Balsamic vinegar, which was delicious, but I had never tried it with pasta until now.

Since first trying this dish, arugula has become a more regular part of my diet. Which is great, since it’s so good for you! It’s peppery, and adds a nice kick to pasta, salad, soup, or whatever you add it to. With this pasta, you can interchange arugula with spinach, but the arugula definitely adds more flavor. The grape tomatoes add a sweetness to oppose the peppery greens, while the lemon adds it’s own layer of flavor.

Orecchiette with Shrimp, Arugula, and Grape Tomatoes

¾ teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound uncooked orecchiette pasta
5 ounces baby arugula
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Prepare grill.

Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt over shrimp. Place shrimp on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Cool and halve crosswise. Combine shrimp, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, tomatoes, and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a large bowl.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Add pasta, arugula, oil, and Parmesan cheese to shrimp mixture; toss gently to slightly wilt the arugula. Serve warm or cold, topped with additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Cooking Light