Angel Food Cake and Wine Soaked Berries

You can always buy boxed angel food cake, but after watching Alton Brown prepare it from scratch and seeing how easy it is, why bother buying?:)

If you want to change the taste a little bit, use vanilla instead of orange extract.

You can also add about 3 tablespoons of cocoa to it and have a chocolaty taste. Or you can throw in some cinnamon to add some spice to it. Or add some lemon zest and lemon. Or use almond extract etc. There is just no end to the variations you can come up with.

And then you can top it with berries mixed with a little bit of sugar. Or use Nutella next to it. Or add some chocolate syrup. Then add whipped cream to any of the toppings.

But I will add a recipe from Rachel Ray for "Wine Soaked Berries" which make this recipe really decadent. Enjoy:)

ANGEL FOOD CAKE

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract, or extract of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer.

Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Cook's Note: Since they're easier to separate use the freshest eggs you can get.

WINE SOAKED BERRIES

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry Italian red wine
3 tablespoons sugar
A few grinds black pepper
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced
1/2 pint black berries
Finely chopped fresh mint leaves or orange zest, for garnish

Directions:
Combine wine, sugar, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add berries and soak 20 minutes.

Cut the cake into thick slices. Serve wedges doused with wine soaked berries then garnish with whipped cream and fresh mint or orange zest.

Yellow Rice with Sofrito

I didn't know what sofrito means until I found this recipe at Gourmet. Sofrito is a Spanish word for a well cooked and fragrant sauce. And it's great with yellow rice. This recipe comes out great each and every time.

The amounts for the sofrito was not enough for me, so I doubled the amounts and it came out great. You can also use 1 cup rice to 2 cups of water which makes the measuring easier.:)

I didn't have turmeric handy, so I skipped it, and as far as I'm concerned it was fine without it. And I have been cooking it without it all the time. I keep thinking one day.....:)

YELLOW RICE WITH SOFRITO

Ingredients:
For sofrito:
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced red or green bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander sprigs
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Make sofrito:
In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan cook onion, bell pepper, coriander, and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add turmeric and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in rice, water, and salt and bring to a boil, uncovered.

Boil rice, uncovered, without stirring, until surface of rice is covered with steam holes and grains on top appear dry, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to as low as possible and cook rice, tightly covered, 15 minutes more.

Remove pan from heat and let rice stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Eggplant Dip, Pita Crisps, Herb Pita Crisps

This is a very light and healthy recipe from Self. It makes a great dip, but I have made some changes to it.

Instead of roasting the eggplant in the oven, I roast it on the gas range by putting the eggplant directly on fire. When the skin is charred I turn it until all sides of it is charred. It gives a smoky flavor to the dip which is wonderful. But it can get pretty messy, so either use aluminum foil to cover your range or use a pizza sheet type of a pan which has holes, so that the fire can reach the eggplant. And not only it tastes better, it only takes a much shorter time to prepare the eggplant.

I also add 1 extra garlic. If I have the time, I roast the garlic in the oven before adding it to the dip. But keep in my that roasting the garlic brings the potency to a lower degree:)

I like serving with pita crisps, but if you want to stay healthy, go ahead and use any vegetable you like. So I'm adding two more recipes; one for regular pita crisps and one for herb pita crisps. Enjoy:)

EGGPLANT DIP

Ingredients:
1 1/2 large eggplants, halved
Olive oil cooking spray
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 spring onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon plain lowfat yogurt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon sliced basil

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Coat eggplants with cooking spray. Roast 1 hour.

Scoop pulp into a sieve lined with cheesecloth; drain 1 hour.

Remove pulp; purée in food processor; transfer to a bowl.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes or until soft.

Add tomatoes and paprika; cook 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool.

Stir yogurt into puree; add onion and tomatoes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Chill 30 minutes. Garnish with basil. Serve with raw vegetables and pita chips

Makes 4 servings.

PITA CRISPS

Ingredients:
8 pita rounds, (each 5 inches in diameter)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Split each pita horizontally. Cut each round into 4 wedges.

Toss wedges with oil, garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Arrange pita wedges in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Crisps can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

HERB PITA CRISPS

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 pitas (each 3 1/2 inches), split
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter pitas and sprinkle with chives, salt, and pepper. Cut each into quarters.

Divide between two baking sheets. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool.

Store in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Steak Au Poivre with Frites

There are many steps in preparing this dish from Emeril, but it is well worth it. Especially if you have company coming. It always makes a great presentation.

There really isn't much that can be changed with this recipe, and there are a lot of Au Poivre recipes out there, but this one is the best by far. You might use Brandy if you don't have Cognac handy. You can also adjust the amount of cream while cooking to suit your taste, otherwise just follow the recipe.

There was even a perfect french fries recipe, which I'm adding, and a sauce to serve with the fries. Really really delicious. Bon Appetit!!!:)

STEAK AU POIVRE WITH FRITES

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole peppercorn
2 tablespoons green peppercorn
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard plus 2 teaspoons
4 (12 to 14-ounce) New York strip steaks, trimmed of excess fat
4 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons olive oil
4 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
Big splash Cognac
1/2 cup reduced veal stock or demi-glace
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cream French Fried Potatoes, recipe follows
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat sautepan to medium-high, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grind whole peppercorns in grinder until course. Brush 2 tablespoons of the mustard on the steaks, and season on each side with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and ground peppercorns.

Heat a large skillet until very hot. Add some oil and sear steaks until well browned and crisp on 1 side, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip steaks and put the skillet in oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, for medium-rare. Remove steaks from the oven. Place steaks on a dish and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Place the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the green peppercorns, then the Cognac and cook until almost all the liquor has evaporated.

Whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons of mustard and veal stock and bring to a simmer.

Whisk in the cream. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve immediately with the Frites.

FRITES

Ingredients:
3 large Idaho potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled and cut into matchstick slices
1/4-inch thick Canola oil, fry frying
Salt

Directions:
Place the potato slices in a bowl of water. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Pat dry with towels.

Heat enough oil to come 4 inches up the sides of a large deep saucepan to 310 degrees F. Add the potatoes in batches and cook until just crisp but still yellow, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. In batches again, add the fries until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the steaks.

Yield: 4 servings

AIOLI

Ingredients:
1 egg*
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 pimentos, drained
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, combine the egg, tarragon, the mustard, pimentos, and puree until smooth. Serve with the frites.

* Be careful in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.