Orange Honey Mascarpone Crepes

My mother in law made this for us when she was visiting once and it is amazing.  We've made it several times since.  

Orange Honey Mascarpone Crepes

SERVES: ABOUT 16 9-INCH CREPES

INGREDIENTS

• Crepe
• 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp. cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 1/2 c. whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• Filling
• 1 c. (8 oz.) mascarpone (or you can mix sour cream and cream cheese)
• 1 tbsp. orange zest
• 1 tbsp. orange juice
• 2 tbsp. honey
• dash of cardamom
• dash of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make crepes ahead. Add crepe ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds or until evenly combined. Scrape down sides if necessary. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. Batter and flavor develop over the rest.
2. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat (much easier with a crepe pan). Once warmed, add a tiny bit of butter to the surface. It should bubble and brown quickly. This will give your crepe a nice color. Pour a little less than 1/3 cup of batter onto the pan. The crepe should be thin. Slowly tilt the pan in a circular motion to move the batter around the pan. Once batter stops moving, place back on the burner.
3. Cook for 2 minutes. Using a thin spatula along with your fingers, flip the crepe and cook for another minute longer. Stack crepes on a plate and repeat.
4. Make filling. In a bowl, add filling ingredients and stir until combined with a spoon or spatula. Skip getting out your hand mixer. Over beating mascarpone will cause it to become grainy.
5. Serve crepes warm. Fill with a small dollop of mascarpone. Fold over twice. Top with berries of choice (blueberries are nice with orange).

Easy Shepherd's Pie (err Cottage Pie)

We hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day!  Mitchell learned at a little pub in Santa Monica that he thinks Shepherd's pie is great!  And we're happy to get some veggies into his little body, so it was win-win.  We made this again for the holiday and Mom and Dad did too (redeeming themselves from their newly wed Shepherd's Pie Disaster.

It should be noted that a Shepherd's Pie is actually made with Lamb.  The ground beef variation is most people's preference and is technically a Cottage Pie, but no one knows what that is.

I think with these you can mess around with the veggies based on your tastes and what you have on hand, I used carrot, celery, peas, and onion, but some of those might not appeal to you

• Mashed Potatoes (Do these however you want but make sure they're seasoned)
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs Ground Beef (or lamb if that is your thing)
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery (optional)
• 1/2 c peas
• 1/2 c corn (optional)
• 1 onion
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 Tbs Worcestershire (or more, we really love this)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 Tbs Flour
• 2 Tbs Butter
• Fresh Italian Parsley

Basic Instructions:

1) Begin making Mashed Potatoes (your favorite way)

2) Brown meat in some oil and season with S&P

3) Drain meat and set aside in a bowl

4) Saute veggies for 5 or so minutes until softened

5) While veggies, create a gravy: cook flour and butter for 2 minutes

6) Add Worcestershire and stock and cook for another minute

7) Add the meat and veggies to the gravy.  Season to taste.

8) In a casserole dish or individual french onion soup crocks, put the meat and veggie mixture on the bottom, top with seasoned mashed potatoes, and some paprika

9) Broil for 6-8 minutes until potatoes are brown.  

10) Garnish top with Parsley

Buche de Noel

We had the parents here for Christmas and wanted to make something special for dinner and dessert (since their usual meals are reheated packages from Costco).  We decided to make a Buche de Noel, which is a French tradition of making a cake in the shape of a yule log.  It is a flourless chocolate cake with a chocolate mousse filling.  It was easy enough to follow that Peter (not a baker) made this for us.  Incredible.  New tradition.

Prep:  45 Minutes
Cook:  15 Minutes
Ready in 1:30 Minutes

"Buche de Noel is the French name for a Christmas cake shaped like a log. This one is a heavenly flourless chocolate cake rolled with chocolate whipped cream. Traditionally, Buche de Noel is decorated with confectioners' sugar to resemble snow on a Yule log."

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (we used Valhrona--go big, right?)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
4. Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.  (Or coat it in the mousse to look like a log like the photo)

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I've tried several different wheat bread recipes and this is the my favorite and the one that works best for me. I make it so much that the recipe is taped to my wall in the kitchen! We had this for our Mitchell Family After-Thanksgiving get together and Maret requested the recipe. Let me know if you try it, it is easy and delicious!


Honey Whole Wheat Bread

2 cups warm water
3 T. oil
3 T. honey
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. yeast
5-6 cups of whole wheat flour (if using white wheat use it 100%, if using hard red wheat I add one cup white flour and the rest wheat since it is a bit heartier)
~1-2 T. gluten

Add warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer, add oil and honey. Add salt, yeast, 3 cups of flour, gluten and mix. Add remaining flour until dough is beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl and mound up. The dough should be the consistency of sticky silly putty. Knead for 10 minutes.

Let rise 1 hour. Divide the dough into two pieces and put in greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise another hour.

Cooke at 350 degrees for 26 minutes. Remove from pans and enjoy!

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes in Lemon-Ginger Cream Sauce

My mother in law made this for Thanksgiving and it was my favorite thing on the table this year.  I believe it is adapted from Cuisine at Home.  I think I'll make this a new holiday tradition!

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes in Lemon-Ginger Cream Sauce

3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely minced or use microplane grater
2 teaspoons salt
8 cups sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled, thinly sliced (2-1/2 pounds)

Directions

1. Boil heavy cream, lemon juice, sugar, ginger and salt in a large pan on high heat. Stir constantly for 15 minutes, reducing to about 2 cups of liquid.
2. Stir sweet potatoes into cream mixture and transfer to six individual creme brulee dishes or one 2-quart casserole dish.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Carrie's Favorite Granola

I always have this on hand. I make a batch about once a week. The kids love it as well. We eat it on yogurt or with milk like cereal. Have you tried the Greek Goddess yogurt? Honey vanilla and salted caramel flavor....ummm, hello! Divine.

Cinnamon Honey Granola:

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon (of course use Penzey's)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mini chocolate chips or dried fruit.

Mix together oats and coconut in a large bowl. Combine sugar, oil, honey, and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over oats and coconut and stir to evenly coat.

Spread mixture in a thin layer onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Watch closely so it doesn't burn. Cool and break up, mix in chocolate chips or fruit and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Korean Beef

This is a quick, easy dinner. I put rice in the rice cooker and can have everything done by the time it is done. And everyone eats it, double bonus! Throw some fruit and veggies on the side and there's dinner!

Korean Beef:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger (or can use 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (depending on how spicy you like it)
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced
Cooked rice

Directions:Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain any fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, salt and pepper and red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.