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Make Your Own Lemon Curd

partysugar — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:50:13 -0800

It's luscious, it's smooth, it's tart, it's sweet, it's lemon curd! Although you can purchase this sunny condiment at most supermarkets, it's quite simple and very satisfying to make at home. It takes time to zest and juice the lemons, so be sure to start a day before you plan on serving the curd. There are tons of ways to use lemon curd, you can spread it on toast, stir into yogurt, drizzle over pound cake, or spoon, and enjoy as is. If kept in an airtight container in the fridge, fresh lemon curd will keep for up to a month. It's also a delightful edible gift. To learn how to make this bright spread, read more.

Lemon Curd
From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
4 large eggs plus 4 large yolks, beaten
1/4 cup finely grated lemon peel (about 3 lemons)
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl next to the stove. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks and lemon peel. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Lower the heat and simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens and registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes.
Strain the mixture into the prepared bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Winter Salad

partysugar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:50:28 -0800

Kale is one of Winter's most common greens and it's usually enjoyed cooked. But did you know that raw kale actually makes an amazingly delicious salad? When tossed with a flavorful dressing like the raspberry, mustard, apple cider vinaigrette in this recipe, the kale tastes crisp and healthy. Shredded beets, sliced radishes, and roasted pumpkin seeds add crunch, heft, and salt to the salad. Serve a piece of crusty bread slathered with creamy goat cheese, and you've got a satisfying and light meal. Look at the recipe after the break.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Green Calzone

partysugar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:30:55 -0800

Tonight skip the delivery pizza in favor of homemade calzones. Stuffed with spinach, Italian sausage, onions, and two types of cheese, these calzones are classic and filling.

Or simply use the recipe as a guide and load the store-bought pizza dough with vegetables and cheese that you have on hand.

Whatever you do, make sure to serve with plenty of marinara sauce for dipping! Get the kid-friendly recipe after the break.

Come Party With Me: Super Bowl - Drinks

partysugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:00:26 -0800

This week I'm helping my friends Ryan and Alex plan a Super Bowl party. While many in attendance will be excessively drinking beer from a keg, I've decided to whip up a beer cocktail for anyone who prefers something a little lighter.

Appropriately called Linebacker Limeade, this simple concoction is a mixture of Corona and limeade concentrate. The resulting drink is tart, frothy, and refreshing. To check out the recipe, read more.

Linebacker Limeade
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

Six 12-ounce bottles light-flavored beer, such as Corona
One 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
Half a lime

Directions

In a large pitcher, combine the frozen limeade concentrate and beer.
Allow the foam to settle, then squeeze the lime half into the pitcher and stir. Pour into chilled glasses.

Serves 6.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Pomegranate Chicken With Walnuts

partysugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:50:09 -0800

Although I'm a fan of interesting vinegars and exotic sauces, it can be pricey to purchase a bottle of something you may only use once. That's why it's nice to look toward the juice aisle. Juice is an incredibly affordable flavoring agent - and you can drink it after you cook with it. In this recipe, cranberry pomegranate juice is used to season savory chicken thighs. It's an effortless dish that's also elegant enough to serve friends without breaking the bank. Check out the technique and read more.

Pomegranate Chicken With Walnuts
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 cups rice
5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 pound), cut into quarters
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups cranberry-pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and 2 1/4 cups water to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until the water has evaporated and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a plate.
Add the onion, garlic and walnuts to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cinnamon, scraping up any browned bits. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, add the cranberry-pomegranate juice and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer the chicken to a serving platter.
Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 3 minutes; stir in the parsley and pour over the chicken. Serve on top of the rice.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Apples to Apples - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:30:26 -0800

Have you ever played Apples to Apples? The wildly entertaining game that's all about words and comparisons? It's my new favorite party game - I love it so much that I'm joining forces with FabSugar to host an Apples to Apples party! Fab's inviting equal amounts of boys and girls to her house, and I'm in charge of the food and drinks. Each item on the menu includes (no surprises here) apples! Since the party is on a Thursday evening, I'll keep things simple by serving two dishes that can be made in advance. Guests can help themselves to sausage, fennel, and apple skewers or fill a mug with steaming sweet potato, chipotle, and apple soup.

These apple recipes would be fun at any Winter-themed dinner so get them now after the break.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Chipotle Pork Quesadillas

partysugar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 10:15:00 -0800

While it's not the most common pantry ingredient, I always have a can of chipotle chiles in adobo on hand. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños that come dried or in the canned form. The canned variation contains a spicy red sauce that typically consists of pureed tomatoes, paprika, garlic, vinegar, and seasonings. The potent chilies (and their sauce) are a great flavoring agent and can be used in all sorts of recipes, such as these pork quesadillas. Here, they're combined with chopped tomatoes, cumin, and onion to create a coating for sliced pork.

Sandwiched between two tortillas and melted cheese, the pork filling is savory and delicious. Get this uncomplicated recipe and read more.

Chipotle Pork Quesadillas
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 boneless pork chops (about 3/4 pound)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
8 medium flour tortillas
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned, 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool; cut into thin strips.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, the garlic, chipotle and cumin and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes; stir in the pork and chopped cilantro.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush one side of each tortilla with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Working in batches, cook the tortillas oiled side down until grill marks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
Arrange 4 tortillas grilled side down on a baking sheet. Divide the pork mixture among the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas, grilled side up. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
Cut into wedges and top with the cilantro leaves.

Serves 4.

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Come Party With Me: Winter Weekend - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 07:50:35 -0800

It's my best friend's birthday this weekend, and to celebrate, a group of 12 friends are headed to my parents' cabin in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We'll enjoy lots of delicious foods and decadent desserts. To kick things off on Friday night, we'll make a huge pot of Italian chicken chili with pancetta crouton toppers. This hearty and filling dish is the perfect start to a cold Winter weekend. On Saturday morning we'll recharge with breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs, cheese, black beans, and chorizo. After a day of snowshoeing, we'll come home to comforting grilled fontina and mushroom sandwiches and roasted red pepper soup.

These recipes are great for the season, so get them now and read more.

Italian Chicken Chili With Pancetta Crouton Toppers
From Every Day With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds ground chicken
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
4 jarred roasted red peppers
4 to 5 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
One 32-ounce container (4 cups) chicken broth
1/3 pound pancetta, sliced 1/8 inch thick and finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 loaf crusty bread (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch squares
6 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup freshly grated pecorino-romano cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the onions, carrots and bay leaf and cook until browned, about 8 minutes more.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, scraping up the pan drippings. Remove the pan from the heat.
In a food processor, puree the roasted peppers, then stir into the pot. Throw in the thyme sprigs, chili powder, paprika and allspice; season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the fat from the surface, if desired.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
In a small skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small plate. Add the butter to the skillet and turn off the heat.
Place the bread and garlic in a large bowl. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the pancetta, cheese, rosemary and lots of pepper over the bread and toss to coat. Place the cubes on a baking sheet and bake until golden, tossing every now and again, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Serve the chili in mugs and top with the pancetta croutons.

Serves 6.

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Big Breakfast Burritos
From Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

Salsa
4 large tomatoes, about 2 1/2 pounds, seeded and roughly chopped
3/4 cup chopped white onions
5 teaspoons minced garlic
4 serrano peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Burritos
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound crumbled chorizo sausage
1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
8 (12-inch) flour tortillas, lightly toasted and kept warm until ready to use
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 cups cooked black beans, divided
2 cups cooked yellow rice, divided
1 cup sour cream, divided
1/2 cup pickled jalapenos, for serving

Directions

Make the salsa

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Set a 10-inch nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and once hot, place the sausage in the pan. Cook the sausage until most of the fat has rendered and the sausage is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Once cooked, remove the sausage (leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible), and set aside until ready to use.
Return the pan to the heat and add the pepper. Saute the pepper until soft, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pepper from the pan and set aside until ready to use.
Return the pan to the stove and add the butter. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine all of the ingredients. Once the butter stops foaming, add the egg mixture to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally using a rubber spatula. Scrape the bottom of the pan and fold the cooked egg over itself. Cook the eggs for about 2 minutes and remove from the heat.
To assemble the burritos, place 1/8 of the egg on the bottom 1/3 of a warmed tortilla. Top with an 1/8 of the sausage, followed with 2 tablespoons of cheese, 1/4 cup of the black beans, and 1/4 cup of the yellow rice. Top with 2 tablespoons of the sour cream and roll the burrito from the bottom up and rest in an oven-proof casserole dish with the seam down. Place the casserole in the oven. Continue with the remaining tortillas and place them in the casserole as well, to keep warm.
Serve the burritos with the salsa, and pickled jalapenos.

Makes 8 burritos.

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Grilled Fontina, Mushroom, and Sage Sandwiches
From Food & Wine

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, 2 melted
1/2 pound mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage
8 slices from a large round loaf of country-style bread, or other bread
1/2 pound fontina, grated (about 2 cups)

Directions

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, and dried sage, if using, and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh sage, if using. Put the mushrooms in a bowl and wipe out the pan.
Using a pastry brush, coat one side of 4 slices of the bread with half of the melted butter. Put them, buttered-side down, on a work surface. Top the bread with the cheese and then the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread; brush the tops with the remaining melted butter.
Heat the frying pan over moderately low heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Serves 4.

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Red Bell Pepper Soup
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds red bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
1/2 cup half and half
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sliced fresh basil

Directions

Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and slice peppers.
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and thyme and sauté 3 minutes.
Add 3 cups broth and all but 4 slices of roasted pepper. Simmer uncovered until peppers are very soft, about 20 minutes.
Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot.
Add half and half, vinegar and cayenne pepper. Rewarm soup, thinning with additional broth, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with reserved pepper strips and basil.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Bacon, Lettuce, and Egg Salad

partysugar — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:50:10 -0800

The classic flavors of a breakfast sandwich - bacon, eggs, toasted bread, and melted cheese - are transformed into a salad that's worthy of dinner.

The bacon is sprinkled with brown sugar and broiled until caramelized and syrupy. Thick slices of country bread are topped with jarlsberg cheese, and a fried egg finishes off the dish.

It's rustic and simple, but satisfying and decadent. Want the recipe? Read more.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Spinach and Feta Potatoes

partysugar — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:15:04 -0800

When stuffed with a savory mixture of vegetables, an oversize baked potato makes a hearty and affordable entree.

This recipe combines sautéed mushrooms with wilted spinach and feta crumbles. A small amount of white wine vinegar adds a delectable tang, while pine nuts provide a necessary crunch.

To serve this meal - which feeds four for under $10 - to your family, get the recipe and read more.

Spinach and Feta Potatoes
From Everyday With Rachael Ray

Ingredients

4 baking potatoes (about 3 pounds)
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches spinach, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°. Bake the potatoes until cooked through, about 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet; add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach to the mushrooms; add the feta and stir until mostly melted. Stir in the pine nuts and dill; season with salt and pepper.
Cut a deep "X" into the top of each potato and squeeze together to open. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to each potato then generously stuff each with the spinach mixture.

Serves 4.

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