Chicken Cutlets and Orzo with Fresh Basil, Tomatoes, and Brie

For the Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 2 eggs, beaten (for dredging)
• 2 cups Italian-style panko breadcrumbs
• Olive oil (for frying)

For the Orzo & Tomato-Brie Mix:

• 1 box (about 1 lb) orzo pasta
• 1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 wedge of Brie, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• Olive oil (good quality)
• Salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Prep the Chicken

• Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, so you have 8 thinner cutlets.
• Pound the cutlets gently to even thickness.
• Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
• Set up a dredging station: (Plate 1: flour, bowl 2: beaten eggs, plate 3: Italian-style panko breadcrumbs)
• Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour, then egg, then panko.
• Place coated chicken pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

2. Cook the Chicken

• Heat a generous layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Working in batches if needed, cook the chicken for about 8 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
• Transfer cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Keep warm (in a low oven or covered if needed).

3. Prepare the Tomato-Brie Base

• While the chicken is cooking, combine the following in a large bowl: Halved cherry tomatoes, chunks of Brie, a generous glug of good olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• Let sit at room temperature while everything else cooks. The Brie will begin to soften and melt slightly.

4. Cook the Orzo

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Cook orzo according to package instructions (usually 8–12 minutes).
• Drain the orzo and immediately pour it over the tomato-Brie mixture.
• Stir gently to combine. The heat from the pasta will melt the Brie and soften the tomatoes into a creamy, flavorful coating.

5. Add Fresh Basil & Serve

• Just before serving, stir in freshly chopped basil (this keeps it from wilting too much).
• Plate the warm orzo mixture and top with crispy chicken cutlets.

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookie

Cookie

3/4 cup softened butter

1/8 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Cream together

Add

1 egg

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup yellow cake mix

1/2 T. cornstarch

3/4 t. baking soda

pinch of salt

Mix together and portion out 1/3 cup of dough and roll into balls. Press down on cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes.

Glaze

1/2 stick of butter, melted

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 t. butter extract

1/4 t. vanilla extract

Combine and lightly brush on cookies.  Makes 7.

Fresh Ginger Cake

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz, page 42, or Epicurious

4 ounces fresh ginger
1 cup mild molasses 
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1 cup water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, at room temperature

1. Preheat over to 350°F. Put rack in the center of the oven. Grease 9" springform pan.
2. Peel, slice, and chop the ginger very fine with a knife, use a grater, or food processor. 
3. Mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil in a large bowl.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper and set aside.
5. Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then mix the hot water into the molasses mixture. Stir in the ginger.
6. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter.
7. Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking.
10. Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. 

Two words.  Whipped cream.

Cinnamon Crumb Cake Muffins

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon 

pinch of salt

1/4 cup of melted butter

Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt for the topping.  Add the melted butter and mix again until you have large and small bits. Set aside.

Cinnamon swirl:

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

Set aside.

Muffin batter:

1/2 cup browned butter, cooled

3 T. oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 T. baking powder 

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins with liners. 

Whisk browned butter, oil and sugar until dissolved.  Stir in eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and sour cream.  Whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour.  

Scoop 2 T. muffin batter into muffin cups, followed by 1 T. of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of that.  Top with 2 T. of muffin batter and add the crumb topping.  Bake for 23-25 minutes.  Dust with powdered sugar.

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

1 cup Fage Greek yogurt

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 T. olive oil

2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese

2 t. Italian seasoning

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. dijon mustard

1 T. fresh lemon juice

salt

pepper

1-4 T. water to think (optional)

Whisk to combine all ingredients.  Refrigerate. 

Terriyaki Chicken

• 
  
  1 T. cornstarch
• 1 T. water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 T. honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 T. minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 4 chicken thighs
• scallions for garnish
• sesame seeds for garnish
• Wisk cornstarch and water together and combine with brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and pepper in mix over low heat.  Bring to boil and allow to boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and set aside for 10 minutes until it thickens.
• Preheat oven to 400.  Place chicken in a 10" cast iron skillet and pour sauce over the thighs.  Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.
• 
  

Brown butter cake

1 cup browned butter

Cake:

1/4 cup browned butter

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs ROOM TEMPERATURE    

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/4 cups cake flour

2/3 cup buttermilk ROOM TEMPERATURE

Frosting:

1/2 cup browned butter

4 oz. cream cheese ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 t. vanilla

pinch of salt

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 t. milk

Brown 1 cup butter.  Allow to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 325 and grease 9" round cake pan.

Measure 1/4 cup of the browned butter and cream with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add oil, eggs and vanilla.

Mix flour and baking powder.  Add those dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk in two parts.  Bake for 35 minutes or until light golden brown.

For frosting, mix 1/2 cup of the browned butter with the cream cheese and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla, confectioners sugar and milk.  Frost and enjoy.

Copycat Steakhouse Butter Cake

                                     

Cake Batter

½ cup salted butter room temperature

1 oz cream cheese room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg room temperature

1½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup flour

¼ cup buttermilk room temperature

  Cream Cheese Mixture

2 oz cream cheese room temperature

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk room temperature

1 teaspoon extract

¼ cup (50 g) turbinado sugar for sprinkling in ramekins

  Raspberry Sauce

4 oz frozen raspberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1-2 teaspoons lemon juice

 Instructions

Preheat oven to 325. Spray four 6 oz ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle the bottoms and sides with turbinado sugar.

  Cake Batter

In a medium sized bowl beat together butter and cream cheese with a paddle attachment or electric beaters until completely smooth. Add sugar, egg and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minutes until light in color.

·         Slowly mix in baking powder, salt and flour, followed by buttermilk.

·         Scoop or divide evenly among the four ramekins. Smooth out batter.

 Cream Cheese Mixture

·         In a small bowl beat together the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Mix in egg yolk.

·         Scoop 2 tablespoons of mixture on top of the cake batter.

·         Place 4 ramekins on a cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes, or until light golden brown along the outside. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

  Raspberry Sauce

·         While butter cakes are baking you can make the raspberry sauce. Add raspberries, sugar and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing raspberries. Once it begins to boil, boil for one minute.

·         Remove the sauce from heat. Strain the seeds through a mesh strainer and set aside to thicken and cool.

Turn the cake ramekin over onto a plate. Top with ice cream and raspberry sauce.                                     

• 
  

Copycat Cinnamon Rolls

Roll:

1 cup warm milk

2 1/4 t. yeast

1/3 cup salted butter (melted and cooled)

1/2 cup sugar

2 room temperature eggs

1 t. salt

4 cups bread flour

Mix milk, yeast, butter and sugar until combined.  Add eggs and break up, add salt and flour.  The mixture will look crumbly.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Then knead for 5 minutes with dough hook. Dough should be stretchy and soft.  Spray a bowl with oil and let dough rise in it until doubled.

Filling:

1/2 cup soft butter

2 T. cinnamon

1 cup packed brown sugar

Mix until it's almost a paste

Frosting:

1 stick of butter

3 oz. cream cheese

1 t. vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

After dough has risen roll out into large rectangle.  Spread filling to edges and tightly roll up and cut into 12 rolls. Place in 9 x 13 buttered pan.  Let rise.

Pour 1/2 cup heavy cream over the rolls and bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  Frost when rolls are still warm.

Vanilla Custard Base

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

6 T. cornstarch

8 egg yolks

1 T. vanilla

Scald cream and 1 1/2 cups of the milk with the sugar in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve sugar.  

Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup milk in a medium side bowl.  Vigorously whisk in the egg yolks.

Gradually add 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture to the yolks while whisking vigorously. Whisk the mixture into the remaining scalded cream.  Cook, whisking constantly, over low heat until it thickens, about 4 minutes, then cook for 1 minute more.

Remove custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer custard to a glass owl and cool for 15 minutes, gently stirring to allow the steam to escape.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and puncture the wrap in several places with the tip of a knife.  Refrigerate until completely chilled.

Shortbread Tart Crust

9 1/2 T. butter, softened

5 T. confectioners sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 cup plus 3 T. Flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add flour and beat again until the mixture is light and fluffy again.  Gather dough into a ball and press gently over the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10 inch tart pan.  Bake at 300 for 45 minutes. Cool before filling.

Bravetart Brownies

3 sticks butter

6 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate

2 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 t. kosher salt

6 eggs

1 T. vanilla

1 t. espresso powder

1 cup flour

1 1/3 cups cocoa

Heat the oven to 350.

Line 9 x 13 pan with foil and grease.

Sift flour and cocoa together.

Melt the butter over the stovetop in a medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Once it is melted, increase the heat to medium and allow to simmer, stirring frequently with a spatula. Cook until it stops hissing, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until fully melted and combined

Combine the sugars, salt, eggs, vanilla, and instant espresso powder into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip together on medium-high speed for 8 minutes, or until very thick and fluffy. Turn speed down to low and slowly pour in the chocolate-butter mixture. Once that is incorporated, add in the flour/cocoa mixture and mix until well combined. Fold the batter together with a rubber spatula to ensure that it is well mixed and that there are no pockets of flour hiding in it. 

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the brownies are glossy and just barely firm. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Potatoes au Gratin

1 1/2 cups cream

2 minced garlic cloves

2 T. melted butter

2.5 lbs. potatoes

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 1/2 cups gruyere cheese, grated

2 t. fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix butter, cream and garlic together until combined.

Peel and slice potatoes to 1/8" thick. Spread 1/3 potatoes in baking dish, pour over 1/3 cream mixture, scatter with 1/3 of the salt, pepper and thyme.  Sprinkle with 3/4 cups of the cheese. Add second and third layer but do not finish with cheese on the top layer.  Cover and bake with file for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the potatoes in the middle are soft. Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until golden and bubbly.  Allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Orange Ricotta Pound Cake

This is a Giada recipe that's GOLD.  Make this.

1 1/2 sticks softened butter

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. kosher salt

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 orange, zested

2 T. amaretto or grand marnier

Powdered sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 350 and great a loaf pan really well.  

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to blend.

Cream butter, ricotta and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, the vanilla, zest and amaretto until combined.  Add dry ingredients being careful not to mix too much.

Bake 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Don't fill the pan higher than 3/4 full.  Once cooled dust with powdered sugar.

Shortbread

2 sticks butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 t. vanilla

1/4 t. almond extract

2 cups flour

Prick dough with a fork and top with sparkling sugar.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour in 9" round pan.  Invert and immediately cut into triangles.

Berry Fruit Cobbler

FRUIT

7 to 8 cups frozen triple berry blend (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

⅔ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons flour 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

TOPPING

2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup melted butter

3 T. sparkling sugar for sprinkling\

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and set aside.

For the fruit filling, in a large bowl, toss the berries with the sugar, flour and lemon juice. Set aside.

For the topping, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the milk and melted butter until small clumps of butter form.

Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain.

To assemble, give the berry mixture a good stir to redistribute juices and spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Dollop the cobbler batter in large spoonfuls over the top of the berries and spread into a mostly even layer. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. 

Bake for 70 minutes until the filling is hot and bubbling and the topping is golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (the filling will continue to thicken as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature.