Layered Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd and Lemon Frosting= Lemony Goodness

This cake recipe is amazing.  I am a chocolate lover, so that is usually my first choice when I make a dessert.  However, a lot of my friends and family dislike chocolate, so I am left with my second favorite: lemon.  A year ago I was asked to make a cake for my grandmother's birthday party.  This is what you need to know about her:

1. She is an amazing baker, and can bake any kind of cake (or pie, or cookie, or muffin, or bread), from scratch, and get it perfect every time.
2. She does not keep her opinions to herself.  I knew if I screwed this up, she'd tell me.
3.  She forgets a lot of things, but never seems to forget those embarrassing moments.  If this cake didn't impress everyone, I knew I'd hear about it for a long time.
4.  I love my grandma.  She does a lot for me, so she deserved a kick ass dessert.

I asked my grandma what kind of cake she wanted.  She said, "Well, I'm tired of chocolate, and your grandfather like either lemon or apple."  Unfortunately for me, my grandma make the best apple cake in the world.  Was I going to compete with that?  Hell no.  Luckily, the only citrus dessert she makes is lemon meringue pie, which left a lot of other lemony options for me.

I searched and searched for a recipe, and I couldn't find one that I loved.  I googled, epicuriused, food networked.  I did practice runs on cupcakes.  I read reviews.  I searched and searched.  Nothing.  So, I combined a few family recipes and recipes with okay reviews, added in my own ideas, and this is what I came up with:-)  I hope you enjoy!  (BTW, my grandma and grandpa loved it, and she begged for this recipe... WIN)

The lemon curd and the frosting should be made at least 8 hours in advance of beginning the cakes, because you will need to chill each for a long time.  You will also combine some frosting with the curd, and some curd with the cake batter, etc.  If you add hot curd or to anything it will ruin the texture.

Do not use Meyer Lemons for the curd.  They do not have as much acidity, and can make the curd runny.

The curd and frosting are pretty sweet, as is the cake.  It does not need to be served with ice cream. It is very rich.  It can easily serve 16 people, or more.  The cake can be made a day ahead of time, as long as it is chilled well.

Lemon Curd (Can be made a couple days in advance, because it has to chill for 8 hours)

2 1/3 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (do not use Meyer Lemons)
4 large eggs, chilled
4 large egg yolks
3/4 cup unsalted butter

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a bowl.  Gradually add in the lemon juice.  Be sure to whisk constantly to avoid lumps.  Add eggs and egg yolk, and whisk for a minute, until the lumps are gone.  Heat on medium in a saucepan, stirring constantly.  Add the butter, keep stirring. Heat until boiling, making sure to stir so it doesn't stick or burn.

Pour into a bowl and chill, covered, for at least 8 hours.  If you add the curd to the cake before it is thoroughly chilled, it will run and the cake will fall apart.  The curd will last, so you can make this days in advance.

Cake

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 to 1 1/4 cup sugar, depending on how sweet you want the cake
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
zest of two large lemons
8 egg whites

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (do not use store bought orange juice, it can make the cake very sweet)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and baking powder.  Add egg yolks, oil, orange juice, and zest. Add 3/4 cup lemon curd to the mixture.  Beat mixture until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until peaks form.  Gradually add in the remaining sugar.  Beat until stiff.

Add the egg white mixture to the yellow mixture in three additions, floding gently between each addition.  Over- stirring could make the flufiness go away, so be careful.

Butter and flour three 9 inch diameter cake pans (with at least 1 1/2 inch sides to avoid spilling over), and line with parchment paper.  Divide batter equally among the three pans.  Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes.  Don't brown the cakes, but make sure when you insert a toothpick, it comes out clean.  Cool the cakes completely before assembling.  They should cool for at least an hour.

Frosting
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups chilled whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Beat cream until peaks form, add remaining ingredients and beat until stiff.  Gently fold into 1 1/4 cups chilled lemon curd.  Chill for at least 5 hours (until firm).

Place one cake layer on cake platter.  Spread 2/3 cup curd on it. Add the second cake layer.  Spread 1 cup frosting on it.  Place the third layer on top.  Spread remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, completely covering it.  Pipe chilled frosting around the outside edge of the top of the cake, leaving no space in between pipings.  Add sliced lemon wedges in between pipings for decoration.

Pour about 1/2- 1 cup curd on the top of the cake.  The piped frosting will keep it from spilling over the sides.

Apologies for this photo... my brother is being a nerd;-)

Shrimp and Bacon Florentine

Sorry I haven't been on here in forever... I know, how naughty of me:/  Oh well.  This will make up for it! Ha.

This is a recipe for some yummy shrimp I made a couple weeks ago.  I served it with a pasta primavera type dish and broccoli.

You'll need:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced OR 3 green onions, finely chopped
4  strips bacon
1/2 cup heavy cream
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup Spinach cut into ribbons (or substitute basil leaves... but, then you can't call it "florentine" anymore)

Chop bacon and saute until it reaches your desired crunchy-ness.  Remove the bacon from grease to drain, but reserve the grease.

In the same pan, in 2 tbs of the bacon grease, saute the shrimp, shallots (if subbing green onions, don't add yet).

When the shrimp is done, add the cream.  Turn to medium low heat and stir often so it doesn't burn.  Add the remaining ingredients, including the bacon.  Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parmesan cheese.

For a Latin twist, you could sub lime for lemon, and add cilantro instead of basil or spinach.  Garnish with cotija cheese and serve with rice.

Stock

Stock is the cornerstone for a lot of foods: soups, stews, sauces, pasta dishes, rice dishes, roasts, and on and on...  I use it often in my house, probably more often than others (ex: when I boil rice, I use stock instead of water to add flavor).

Stock is very easy and very hands-off.  Anyone can make it.  Lots of recipes for stock call for a lot of vegetables that are chopped, etc.  My way is easier and much more convenient;-)

Whenever I cook, I save all the vegetable scraps.  I put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.  When the bag is full, I make stock.  EASY!

Here is a list of the usual things I save:

carrot peel

carrot stems/ ends of the carrot

celery leaves

celery hearts

onion peel and roots

parsley stems

thyme stems

bell pepper stems/ pulp membrane

pieces of garlic

shallot roots and peel

potato peel

egg shells (make sure they are clean)

You can use almost any vegetable.  Don't use potatoe chunks or squash, as it can make the stock cloudy.  Tomatoes can make the stock acidic, but if you are going to use the stock in a recipe that has tomatoes (ie tomato soup) then, go ahead!  Basil and cilantro will give the stock very distinct flavors, which isn't good in every recipe. Don't use fruit or anything citrus.

When you have enough scraps, put everything in a large heavy bottom stock pot and fill with cold water.  I usually add a few things for flavor: a piece of garlic, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  If the stock is lacking in herbs, I will add a little dried parsley and thyme.  Let your stock simmer, uncovered, for about three hours.  Don't boil or stir stock- the simmering will do that for you.  If you let it boil or stir it, you can make it cloudy.

I like to use yellow onion peels in my stock.  It gives it a beautiful color (obviously more so than white onion).  Keep in mind the bell peppers will turn the stock color, as will red onions.  If you are trying to make brown stock, stay away from red onions, red peppers, and tomatoes. 

NEVER EVER salt your stock.  Always salt recipes at the end.  Salt flavor cooks out the longer you cook something, so adding salt in the beginning is a good way to increase your sodium intake by quite a bit.  

When the stock is done, it should be clear and a brown or red color, depending on the veggies you use.  Let the stock cool a little and strain, using a colander, into another pot.  Then strain using cheesecloth into another container.  You can refrigerate stock for 7-10 days of freeze for months.

For chicken stock, I add either a raw piece of chicken or the leftover carcass (I hate that word).  If you use raw chicken, you will need to simmer the stock for about 5-6 hours, so the chicken is cooked completely before you strain it.  Bones add the most flavor, so when you can, use bones as well as the meat.

For beef broth, it's best to drizzle the beef and beef bones with oil and roast in the oven on 350 for about an hour, then add to the stock.  Simmer that for about 5-6 hours, the same as chicken.

I also throw some apple cider vinegar in it sometimes for a kick. Just a little gives a lot it a lot flavor. 

Minestrone- vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and 0 Points on Weight Watchers!

Busy Mama Recipes




There is no "set" recipe for minestrone.  It originates in Italy, and is commonly made with vegetables, stock, and beans.  I was taught that authentic minestrone is made with bean stock, but also that the recipe varies widely in Italy depending on the region and the vegetables in season.


One of my friends told me that every time she makes minestrone it tastes so "blah".  The great thing about most soup is you can add almost anything to them without ruining them.  Hopefully you all will think this recipe is far from "blah".. ;-)


I think one of the things that really makes soups amazing is homemade stock.  If your stock tastes like water, even the most delicious recipes can be boring.  I will post a recipe later for stock... it is very simple and hands-off.  I made the following recipe, so it's vegetarian (although not vegan because I put parmesan in it, and there were eggshells in the stock).  If you want to add meat, just saute it in the same pan, and when it's done, add the remaining ingredients in the same order and follow the recipe as usual.


Another good tip is to use fresh herbs.  You can buy those little combo packs at the grocery store.  They are usually named "beef medley" or "poultry medley".  In this recipe I used parsley, basil, and oregano.  You can of course, use dried herbs or a different combination of herbs.  Use whatever you like best.


INGREDIENTS


2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh spinach cut into ribbons
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 large tomato, diced 
1 small potato, diced
8 cups stock, depending on how chunky/ thin you want your soup.  I used vegetable stock, but you can use any kind of stock you have.
1 small box pasta (I actually used tortellini the other day and it was delicious.  Usually I use shells or macaroni)
1/2 cup wine- red or white, make sure it's dry and not sweet
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice


In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, saute the vegetables and garlic.  If using meat, saute the meat in the oil until it's done, then add the veggies. Deglaze the pot with the wine.  Add the tomatoes and beans.


When everything is hot, add the stock.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to low and let simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and add the lemon juice.  Add the spinach at the end.


At this point you can either add the pasta to the soup or do what I do: boil it separately the serve the soup over the pasta.  I do this because usually we don't eat all the soup on one sitting, so we end up with leftovers.  If the pasts sits in the soup, it will get soggy.  If you are going to eat all the soup in one sitting, there's no use in dirtying another pot.


I garnished this soup with shaved Parmesan cheese and served it with garlic bread.  

*** This soup is a clean-out-your-fridge soup.  You can add whatever veggies you want- fresh, frozen, or canned.  Corn, pees, green beans, etc would all be great additions.

By the way, use more veggies and omit the pasta, potatoes, and beans, and this recipe is: 

 ZERO POINTS ON WEIGHT WATCHERS!!! 

Chicken Tarragon Salad

I used to make a version of this at the cafe I worked at in Bend.  Unfortunately, that place has closed it's doors permanently:-(  I try to keep the memories alive by making the food often.  Problem is... I have to do them from memory, because I wrote very few down.  I was skeptical of this one, as I'm not a huge fan of fruit and meat together, but I was proved wrong.  This was one of our customer's favorites for lunch time:

Ingredients
4 cups chicken, cooked and chopped (I used pulled chicken, a mix of dark and white meat)
3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs spicy Dijon mustard
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced julienne
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved (or quartered, depending on how big you want them)
1/2 bunch fresh tarragon, leaves only, chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in bowl.  Serve on wraps or pita bread with lettuce and tomato.

*** This is a pretty "dry" recipe.  If you want the chicken salad more moist, you can add more mayo and Dijon.

**** Idea: sub craisins for grapes.  The salad will have that tartness and it will last longer for leftovers.  Thanks Deb:-)

Seafood Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Bacon

I made these with my grandma the other night.  They were delicious, I can't wait to have them again.  I was afraid they would be too spicy, but as long as you get all of the seeds and the pulp out of the pepper, they will be fairly mild.  My two year old ate them with no problem.  (However, the filling will be very hot so make sure they have time to cool down.

My grandma bought the jalapenos at the farmer's market here in town, so they were BIG.  I liked them that way, it made them easier to stuff so it went a lot faster.

Make sure that you wear gloves when you handle this many hot peppers.  Be careful not to rub your eyes or touch sensitive skin with juice on your hands.  I learned my lesson the hard way- touched Stewie's face once (years ago) after handling hot peppers, I burned his eye:-(  I felt so bad.  I always wear gloves now, even if I think I can handle it.

Stuffed Jalapenos


12-15 large jalapeno peppers
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 bunch green onions
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 8oz package crab meat or imitation crab meat
Juice and zest of 1 lemon or lime
1 tsp salt
1 tbs pepper
12-15 strips bacon, raw


Cut all jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove all seeds and pulp, rinse with water if necessary.


Preheat oven to 350.


Combine all other ingredients (except bacon) in a bowl and mix until uniform in texture.  Spoon mixture into jalapenos halves, replacing the other halves on top of the stuffing so the pepper sticks back together.  It is okay if the peppers are "overflowing" or if the cream cheese is coming out of the sides.  


Wrap each pepper in bacon from bottom to top.  You can hold in place with toothpicks if needed.  The bacon should hold in any cheese mixture that is falling out.


Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the bacon is fully cooked.  Let cool before serving, the inside with be extremely hot.


**Next time I make these, I am going to replace the cream cheese with bleu cheese crumbles and cheddar cheese.  Kevin also wants to try it with a smoked cheese.  I'll let you know when I try it;-)

Tomato Basil Soup - with Variations for Tomato Roasted Red Pepper or Tomato Florentine Soup

Tomato soup is one of my favorites because you can do so much with it.  You can add almost anything to it, and it wouldn't taste bad.  You could make it any style- Mexican, Italian, Greek, vegan, whatever- and it would make a great main dish, or a yummy side.  Plus, it's very inexpensive to make and goes a long way.  When I make it I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later.


The recipe below is for a creamy tomato basil soup, and below are a list of variations of the recipe and how to make them.  

Busy Mama Recipes


Creamy Tomato Basil Soup


2 quarts canned, peeled tomatoes, whole or diced (You could substitute fresh tomatoes if they're in season)
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 large white onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs oil (I ove Wildtree's Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil, but olive oil or any other oil will work)
1-2 quarts stock (I like to use vegetable stock, but chicken stock works too.  The amount of stock you use depends on how thick or thin you want your soup)
1 bunch basil, leaves only,  cut into chiffonade ribbons
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400.  

OPTIONAL: On one baking sheet, spread out the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic evenly.  On another baking sheet, spread out all of the tomatoes (save the juice in a container for use later).  Roast in the oven for about thirty minutes, or until vegetables are slightly browned.  This will enhance the flavor of whichever vegetables you roast.

In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sautee in olive oil until tender, stirring often.  Deglaze the pot with the red wine.  Add tomatoes, simmer until hot and tomatoes are tender- about 15 minutes.


Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning and sticking (the thinner the soup, the less likely to burn). Turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, uncovered.  Take the soup off of the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing with an immersion blender.  Be careful not to splatter.  Puree until you get the desired consistency.  Add the heavy cream.  If the soup is too thick, you can add some tomato juice left over from the jars or more stock.

I can my own tomatoes from the garden, so they tend to be very robust in flavor and acidic.  The heavy cream helps mellow that flavor.  If you want vegan or dairy free soup, leaving out the cream will not hurt.  


Add basil, spices, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. 

• For Tomato Florentine, substitute spinach leaves for the basil.
• Add cilantro and a roasted poblano pepper for a Mexican style soup.  Serve with creme fraiche, lime wedges, and cotija cheese.
• For a Mediterranean style soup, add chopped fennel bulb and eggplant to the veggies, and garnish with feta cheese.
• For a vegan soup, use vegetable stock and omit the cream.

Crockpot Variation:  Add all ingredients except cream to a crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 7 hours).  Blend with an immersion blender and add the cream at the end.