Lime-Raspberry Bread

I have some limes and raspberries in the fridge waiting to be used up so today I am making this light and delicious bread. It is a fairly cool, windy day today and a good day to bake. I know that the husband won't be complaining! This is good with a cup of tea or coffee or is a nice breakfast or brunch addition. I got this recipe off of Baking Bites blog and I love it! http://bakingbites.com/2007/10/lime-and-raspberry-bread/Key to this is using fresh limes. It makes a big difference in the flavor. The photo is off her blog.

And it is so moist and rich. MMMM....I can already smell this baking.

Hope you all had a good Sunday!

Lime and Raspberry Bread

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 6 large limes)

1 tbsp lime zest

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 large egg, well beaten
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

2-3 tsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Combine lime juice, lime zest, melted butter and egg in small mixing bowl and whisk vigorously to combine.

Pour into flour mixture and stir until just blended and no streaks of flour remain.

Gently stir in raspberries, then scrape batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with 2-3 tsp coarse sugar, if desired.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Makes 1 loaf.

Raspberry-White Chocolate Coffee Cake

When having overnight guests, it is always a little more special to offer a pretty and tasty coffee cake in the morning. This particular recipe comes from Gracehill, which is a B & B found in the Smoky Mountains. I don't know what it is about B & Bs but they most always have such lovely offerings for breakfast. The last one I stayed in was in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The hosts were welcoming, the home beautiful and comfortable and the food.....OMG. If you are going there and want a really nice experience to go along with your stay in beautiful Niagara wine country (as well as home to the Shaw festival), this is it. The Duncan-Quinn House is just a lovely experience. http://www.duncan-quinn.on.ca/ They served warm fresh tea breads made with fresh berries, had an abundance of fresh fruits and fruit salads and the best French Toast I have ever had. We stayed for 2 nights and it was so relaxing. Ah, but again I digress....savoring a wonderful memory.

This coffee cake is not just a pretty face. It is really, really good. I used fresh raspberries and served it while it was still warm. I used the glaze, but sparingly so that I could maintain the integrity of the flavor of the berries. It actually goes together quickly. And you can prepare part of it the night before. Mix your dry ingredients and place in a sealed container. Add the wet ingredients the next morning and into the oven in goes. By the time your guests awake, your home will smell wonderful and this lovely cake will await! Brew some good coffee and dig in!
Raspberry (or blueberry) White Choc Coffee Cake presented by Gracehill - A Bed & Breakfast in the Heart of the Smoky Mountains
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
2 t baking powder
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup half and half (may sub milk)
1 egg
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (a little tarter) or blueberries
½ cup white chocolate baking chips
Streusel:
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
¼ cup butter
Glaze:
Powder Sugar with enough milk to liquefy.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 ½ inch spring form pan. Make streusel by combining three ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside. Beat flour, sugar, baking powder, butter, half and half, and egg until moistened, then one minute on medium speed. Spread half of batter in the bottom of the spring form pan. Then sprinkle on half of streusel and ¼ cup of white chocolate baking chips and raspberry or blueberries. Then layer on rest of batter and on top rest of streusel and white chocolate. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Drizzle on some powder sugar glaze.

Lettuce Have Lunch Sometime!

Bibb lettuce makes wonderful little cups for appetizers. This recipe actually is for appetizers. Bibb is crunchy and light and has a kind of elegance when you serve it filled with something wonderful.
But this recipe can also be used as a luncheon dish. Rather than spooning the mixture into 12 individual leaves, place 1 or 2 larger leaves on a luncheon plate. Place a scoop of the chicken mixture in the center of the plate and garnish with chopped pistachios and a sprig of fresh mint. It makes a very healthy and light lunch. It's great for a light summer meal! I am growing all my own fresh herbs this summer so I can't wait to make this with my own home grown herbs and locally grown produce.

Greek Lettuce Cups
Stir together 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked chicken breast, 1 tablespoon finely shredded carrots, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

Gently mix in 2 tablespoons low-fat or reduced-fat plain yogurt and 2 teaspoons snipped fresh mint or basil.

Spoon the chicken mixture evenly onto 12 small Bibb lettuce leaves that you've torn from the inside of the lettuce head.

Shake It Up, Baby!

Every now and then the husband has a craving for a milkshake. If we have ice cream in the house, it is usually some sort of frozen yogurt or Edy's Slow Churned which is lower in fat content, and I whip up a shake in the blender with skim milk. Yeah...I know...not the same as a REAL milkshake. Once in a while he splurges to get a shake from McDonald's. They have that great thickness, but in my opinion....not much else....my apologies to McDonald's. So when I received my latest issue of Food Network Magazine, Bobbie Flay's Double Chocolate Marshmallow Milkshake caught my eye. HOLY YUM! (I learned this on another blog and I love it!) Maybe I will whip one of these up for Father's Day as a treat for him....and maybe me too! The recipe makes 4 servings, but I don't know what that means in terms of size. All I know is that this sounds like chocolate heaven in a glass!

Double Chocolate Marshmallow Milkshake

Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream (ideally extra cold), 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract until soft peaks form; set aside.

Combine 1 cup cold whole milk and 1/4 cup chocolate sauce in a blender.

Add 3 cups chocolate ice cream; blend until smooth.

Fill 4 glasses one-quarter of the way with the shake; add some marshmallow cream, then more milkshake, then cream, then milkshake.

Finish with a dollop of marshmallow cream and garnish with grated bittersweet chocolate.

I might add in a little chocolate malt powder in with the shake to give it an even different flavor. I am also thinking that this might be kind of fun for a group by making these in smaller glasses and serving them as a fun summer dessert.

Rich Ricotta Cake

My mother-in-law, who resides in a nursing facility near us, turned 85 over the weekend. We brought her to our house and had a little party for her. Several relatives and her children were in attendance so that made it a bit more special, as some of them had traveled to see her. Seeing as it was going to be a beautiful day, we grilled basic foods...burgers, sausage, hot dogs. I made potato salad, romaine salad and baked beans. And we had a bunch of different olives, tomatoes, cheeses, roasted red peppers and caramelized Vidalia onions to add to the burgers. Sometimes simple is best! And there also had to be a birthday cake. I opted to make one and used a recipe that I have had for years and resurrect from time to time. It is easy and refreshing. The neat thing about this cake is that it turns itself upside down in the pan when you bake it. When you start, the cake mix is on the bottom. When you cut into the cake, the cheese part is on the bottom! After the cake cools, put it in the fridge to get it cold. I have served this a couple different ways. For Sunday, I frosted with Lite Cool Whip flavored with sugar-free instant vanilla pudding and decorated the top with sliced fresh strawberries. I have also just dusted the cooled cake with confectioners' sugar and the spooned some warm fruit over the top. What works well is to take a can of sliced peaches in their own juice and add some golden raisins. Warm through in a small saucepan and scoop over individual servings. Top with a little fresh whipped cream and sprinkle with a few toasted sliced almonds. And I have decorated the top for patriotic holidays by frosting with Cool Whip and making an American flag using blueberries and strawberries on top. You can also add a bit of food coloring to the cheese before baking and it will make a pretty presentation when you cut into it.

RICOTTA CAKE

Serves 12-16

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 box Yellow Cake Mix (follow directions on box)

2 lbs. part skim ricotta cheese

4 eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spray bottom of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan and pour prepared cake batter into pan.

Beat eggs just until blended. Add powdered sugar, ricotta and flavoring. Beat until blended. (Don't overbeat or ricotta will get too thin.)

Spoon ricotta mixture over unbaked cake batter. Make sure it is spread evenly.

Bake 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Dust powdered sugar over the top after cake has cooled. Delicious served with warm fruit and syrup. Or, serve cold with whipped cream topping.

More Musings on Vidalias

While on the subject of Vidalia onions, here is another great addition to a meal or to use as an appetizer.


We have all heard of or have eaten those Bloomin' Onions which are a favorite appetizer for many at Outback Steakhouse. But the fat that comes along with them...yowza! So here is a recipe that makes those lovely onions a little healthier. The sweetness of the onion shines through which is what you really want to taste. And if you really need a dipping sauce, use some low fat or fat free Ranch dressing.

Baked Vidalia Onions
4 large Vidalia onions
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Peel onions, leaving root ends intact. Cut each onion into eighths, cutting to, but not through, root ends.
Place each onion on a lightly greased 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Press butter evenly into the onions; sprinkle witih salt, pepper and cheese. Wrap onions in foil and arrange in a 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
You can also make these the night before and pop them in the fridge for the next day.


Happy Memorial Day Everyone.....This weekend I am remembering my friend, Michael Mayne, who was killed in Iraq in February and also remembered on Nancy Grace's show Thursday evening.
Thanks, Mike, for your sacrifice to your country.

We have a boatload of company for the weekend so see you after the holiday!

Vidalia Onions

It used to be that the Vidalia onion could only be found in the south. I can remember several years ago a local service organization would have a fund raiser and sell bags of Vidalias that you had to pre-order. And they were never found in the stores. But as the world became acquainted with eating more "exotic" foods, "va-dale'ya" onions started to appear as a regular staple. Vidalias come from Georgia and are so juicy and sweet. And about now are at their peak. Our daughter lives in Georgia and I am so jealous that she has access to the freshest of these gems.

Did you know that in order to be called a vidalia onion it has to be grown in one of 20 counties in southeast Georgia? And they get their sweet flavor due to the low amounts of sulfur in the sandy soil in which they are grown.

I was pleased to find a nice recipe for a Vidalia Onion Tart in the May issue of Southern Living. And this is another recipe on your table in half an hour. This is YUM! It is nice for a lunch or a side.

The vidalias melt in your mouth and the crust is a nice compliment. It does not have to be perfect; it should look a bit rustic and free form.

Rustic Vidalia Onion Tart

2 Tbsp butter

4 medium size Vidalia onions, thinly sliced (about 6-1/2 cups)

1 -1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or fresh thyme

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 pkg (15-oz) refrigerated piecrusts

Parchment paper

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and next 3 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes or until tender.

Unroll piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll into a 12-inch circle. Place piecrust on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese in center of crust. Spoon onion mixture over cheese, leaving a 2-1/2 inch border. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over onion. Fold pie crust border up and over onion, pleating as you go and leaving a 4-inch wide opening in the center. Brush crust with egg white.

Bake at 425 degrees on bottom oven rack 17-19 minutes or until crust is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.