03 March

Archived Posts from this Category

March 26, 2013

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , , |
[3] Comments 

Spinach Salad with

Warm Bacon Dressing

Spinach-Bacon Salad

March 26: National Spinach Day

Popeye loves spinach and Olive Oyl, but we love our spinach salad with bacon just as much! The healthy-green-vegetable leaves go well with a not-so-healthy-but-delicious dressing. The caramelized red onions and sauteed mushrooms lend a yummy flavor and the eggs add a bright color to this hearty and tasty salad. Prepare what Popeye would love, too, and make a spinach salad with warm bacon dressing for National Spinach Day!

Recipe

(Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

For the spinach salad

  • 8 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
  • 1 small red onion
  • 1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
  • 6-8 slices bacon

Directions

Prepare all the ingredients for the salad. Slice the red onion thinly and separate into rings. Slice the mushrooms. Boil, cool and shell the eggs. Slice them and set aside.

Spinach-Bacon Salad

Fry the bacon until cooked and crisp. Reserve 6 tablespoons of bacon grease for sautéing the onions and mushrooms and for making the salad dressing. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.

Spinach-Bacon Salad

In the another skillet, heat two tablespoons of bacon grease and slowly fry up the onions until wilted and caramelized. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same skillet, fry up the mushrooms, adding another tablespoon of bacon grease, if necessary. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Make the warm bacon dressing.

Spinach-Bacon Salad

For the warm bacon dressing

  • 3 tablespoons reserved bacon grease
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon dijon or honey mustard
  • dash of salt

Directions

In a small pan, mix the reserved bacon grease, vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt. Mix well over low heat.

Spinach-Bacon Salad

Assemble the salad. In 2-3 individual salad bowls, layer the spinach on the bottom. Top with the caramelized onions, mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Pour the warm bacon dressing over the salad and toss lightly to combine. Garnish with boiled egg slices. Serve immediately.

Spinach-Bacon Salad 

Notes

 

March 17, 2013

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

March 17: Feast Day of St. Patrick

Slainte! Of all the booze we bake with, Bailey’s is our favorite. The flavor of this Irish cream liqueur is milder than the other alcoholic beverages that we stock in our cabinet. The cream adds a sweet balance to the strong whiskey. Bailey’s is also good “on the rocks,” added as a shot in coffee or hot chocolate and infused as an ingredient in recipes, such as cakes. Highlander most often requests a “Bailey’s birthday cake” from Islander and he takes it to the office to share with his co-workers.

In the “spirit” of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, we baked a Bailey’s cake. More Irish cream liqueur in the frosting enhances the flavor for a festive St. Patrick’s Day dessert.

Recipe

(Adapted from Duncan Hines)

Ingredients

  • ½ cup boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee (we used Muvaldi brand Kona instant coffee)
  • ½ cup Irish cream liqueur (we used Bailey’s brand but Carolans and St. Brendan’s may be substituted)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (we used Hawaiian Vanilla Company brand)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 box (18.25 ounces) Duncan Hines brand butter recipe golden cake mix
  • 1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter (we used Kerrygold brand pure Irish unsalted), softened
  • 2 quantities Bailey’s Irish cream frosting (see the recipe from a past blog post here)
  • 1-2 ounces (1-2 squares) semi-sweet chocolate (we used Baker’s brand), melted
  • chocolate-covered coffee beans (we used Island Princess brand)

Directions

Prepare the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in boiling water. When cool, pour in the Irish cream liqueur. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Prepare the rest of the cake ingredients.

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix and vanilla instant pudding mix. Add the coffee mixture. Beat in the eggs with the butter until smooth and well blended.

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Pour the batter in a greased baking pan (we used a 10-inch round cake pan). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, testing with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan. Transfer the cake to a platter or cake board.

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Make the frosting.  Generously spread the top of the cake and sides. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of the cake in a criss-cross pattern.

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Use extra frosting to pipe swirls on top of the cake (we used Wilton tip 1M). Pipe borders on the bottom of the cake (we used Wilton star tip 18). Finish the cake by garnishing the swirls with chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Irish Cream Liqueur Cake

Notes

  • Instead of chocolate, melt green candy wafers to add an emerald color to the cake for St. Patrick’s Day. Also, substitue the chocolate-covered coffee beans for green M&Ms to match.
  • Search our blog for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes.
 

March 13, 2013

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Posted by HI Cookery under 03 March | Tags: , , , |
Leave a Comment 

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Italian Cream Cupcakes

March 13, 2013: Election of Pope Francis I

Habemus papam—we have a pope! Congratulations to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who was elected as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013. This is a significant event for the billions of Catholics worldwide as the church struggles to stay grounded in Christian morality in a predominantly secular society, deal with scandals and controversy, continue its rich historical traditions, grow in modern times and still keep the faith.

Succeeding Pope Benedict XVI, the first retired pope, Francis I is a Jesuit priest of Italian immigrant parents in Argentina, whose papal name was taken after St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of Italy. Before first blessing those gathered in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on the night of his election, Pope Francis asked that they pray for him. He surely needs our prayers, as being head of the church is not an easy task.

While baking Italian cream cupcakes for a pope prayer party for Islander’s brother’s students, we prayed that the Holy See is made an instrument of the Lord’s peace during his tenure as pope. We topped the cupcakes with tiny Vatican flags instead of a pecan for a festive Francis food. May God bless Pope Francis!

Recipe

(Adapted from Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn)

For the Italian cream cupcakes

  • 1 box (18.25 ounces) yellow, white or French vanilla cake mix (we recommend Duncan Hines brand)
  • 1 1/3 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
  • 1 cup flaked coconut, sweetened
  • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil and eggs. Blend well until smooth.

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Mix in the coconut flavoring. Fold in the flaked coconut and chopped pecans.

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Scoop the batter into 24 cupcake papers lining a muffin pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks. Prepare the frosting.

Italian Cream Cupcakes

For the coconut and cream cheese frosting

  • 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla (we used clear vanilla flavoring)
  • 3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1+ tablespoons water or milk (optional)
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • pecan half (optional)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the butter until well blended with the cream cheese. Stir in the vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar a cup at a time and mix until smooth. Add water or milk to the frosting, if necessary, to make a spreadable consistency.

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Use a spatula to spread frosting on top of the cupcakes. Dip the frosted cupcakes into a small bowl of coconut flakes. Decorate with a pecan half or mini Vatican City flags.

Italian Cream Cupcakes

Notes

  • We used a yellow cake mix and a white coconut cream cheese frosting to match the colors of the Vatican flag.
  • Boost the coconut flavor in the cream cheese frosting by substituting the vanilla for a teaspoon of coconut flavoring. Toast the sweetened coconut flakes to bring out the fruitiness as well as add some color to the cupcakes.
  • The parish we attend, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, is proud to bear the name of new pope!
  • Make Italian cream cupcakes for the installation of Pope Francis I on March 19, the Feast Day of St. Joseph, or on October 4, the Feast Day of St. Francis.
 

« Previous Page — Next Page »