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cateringBy popular demand, DinnerandConversation has branched out to offer both personal chef services and catering services.  Check out my new catering menu at the top of the page.  If you find yourself picking up takeout weekly or simply tired of your own meals on rotation, my personal chef services may be perfect for you.  Maybe you just hate the grocery store and want me to save you time and simplify your evenings.  Email me today to discuss designing a plan that works for you.  I can prepare your meals in your own kitchen with packages starting at $100 plus groceries for four chef prepared dinners ready to heat and serve to your family or guests.  We can create any type of custom menu tailored to your tastes, in any serving sizes.  Email me today to learn more – lane@dinnerandconversation.com!

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Key Lime Pie Recipe

Key Lime Pie RecipeKey Lime Pie is my father’s favorite dessert, so I made it for his birthday last week.  I’ve been through a variety of bottled key lime juices over the years.  Between being hard to come by and inconsistent, I decided to give this a go with fresh key lime juice.  Key limes are those teeny limes you see occasionally in the grocery or specialty foods market that are just smaller than a golf ball.  Unfortunately, as seems to be the case with all limes in recent years, some of them are totally dry and tend to yield no juice, while others are wonderful.  Unless you have a powerful electric juicer or a super fancy hand held one, I would recommend sticking with the bottled juice.  I hand squeezed 50 of these key limes last Friday and it nearly killed me.  Not to mention that it took forever.  I was telling my sister I’d have to call it the $50 pie if I wanted to sell it.  Squeezing all those darn teeny limes for such a small yield was a beating.  As for the bottled juice – my favorite brand is the Pompeii key lime juice – all the HEB’s in the Austin area carried that brand but I’ve never seen them in the Dallas area.  For the rest of us non-Austinites, I’d recommend the Nellie & Joe’s 100% key lime juice.  I’ve also heard good things about the Manhattan Brand Key Lime juice but haven’t tried it, yet.

Key Lime Pie Recipe

1 and 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers

5 tbsp butter, melted

3 tbsp sugar

7 egg yolks

2 tsp key lime zest

2 cans sweetened condensed milk (14 0z each)

1 c. key lime juice (takes 25-30 key limes if using fresh)

In a Cuisinart or other food processor with large blade, process graham crackers to tiny crumbs.  In a large bowl stir 1 and 1/4 c. of the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well combined.  Press mixture into a 9 inch pie pan and smooth to create an even layer on bottom and sides.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and zest.  Add sweetened condensed milk and stir to incorporate.  Add lime juice and continue whisking until all combined.  Pour into prepared crust then bake about 25 minutes longer.  Check for a firm center, then remove and cool.  Refrigerate at least four hours, then serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

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Roasted Salmon Recipe with Lemon Caper Butter SauceFish night!  SMIL told me she read somewhere that for perfect skin you should eat salmon, melon, and something else I forgot.  Along with nearly everyone, our family needs to eat more fish.  It’s healthy, it’s quick to prepare, and we are over-chickening in this house anyway.  Luckily I have children that eat and love fish, so fish night isn’t the battle it was in my childhood.  My little guy thinks of salmon as pink chicken.  A word to the wise, if you’re cooking salmon and invite my children over, please note to prepare them an adult size portion or they will consume my entire dinner.  Fortunately for us, über-granni still has a freezer full of wild coho that we are not above pilfering.  Thanks Mr. Richard!

This lemon butter sauce added an extra little zest to the fish, and the lemon pepper was a great choice, too.  My lemon pepper came from a local spice company (Good Spice) I found at the Milestone farmers market.  Coincidentally, the summer season for the Milestone Farmers Market kicks off Sunday the 18th at 4531 McKinney Avenue in Dallas from 11-3.  Last time I went I was the only one there, which was kind of eerie, but they did have local eggs and local butter and other cool stuff.

Roasted Salmon

(serves 3)

3/4  lb. Wild Coho Salmon

grapeseed oil

Lemon Pepper

Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Place rinsed and dried coho in a glass pan.  Drizzle with a small amount of grapeseed oil, then sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper and kosher salt.  Roast for about 15 minutes.  To test for doneness, gently poke center of fish with a metal fork, fish should flake and fork will feel just slightly warm when removed.

Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

(Serves 3-4)

4 tbsp butter

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp white wine

1 and 1/2 tbsp capers

fresh ground pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add lemon juice, wine, capers and stir with a wooden spatula.  Dust surface with fresh ground pepper.  Stir and let continue cooking for 2 minutes then serve.

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Penne with Chicken, Nicoise Olives, Capers, and Montasio Cheese Recipe

Due to budget cuts and my continual tendency to overindulge at the grocery store, I’m trying to create only recipes wading through what’s currently available in my fridge and pantry.  It’s a great process for spring cleaning as well as creating new space for future bounty.  This recipe is quite similar to a Mediterranean pasta I blogged about last fall, only it requires a few less ingredients.

Pitted Niçoise olives are my very.most.favorite type of olives, but you probably only have access to them if your grocery has an olive bar.  They’re similar in color to Kalamatas, but smaller and with a more earthy, less astringent taste, IMO.  Kalamatas would certainly be an acceptable substitute if they are crowding up your refrigerator, though!  I also prefer Niçoise olives for snacking with a glass of bold red wine.

Montasio Cheese hails from the northeastern corner of Italy.  It has been awarded a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) from the EU ensuring only cheese made from this specific region can bear this name.  It is an excellent grating cheese.  I purchased some for an herbed frittata I made recently, not realizing I already had an unused block at home (hence the necessity for paring back the fridge).  I absolutely loved the flavor of this cheese over hot pasta.  It struck me as slightly less nutty than a parmigianino reggiano with a more smooth and synthesizing flavor.  You could certainly grate another hard cheese in a similar fashion without tracking down the Montasio, but if you have the means, I highly recommend it.

This recipe also used skinnless boneless chicken breasts, since they were on hand.  You could certainly use split breasts if it suits you or even shred the meat from a grocery rotisserie chicken for ease!

Penne with Chicken, Niçoise Olives, Capers and Montasio Recipe

4 oz dried penne

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Emeril’s Chicken Rub

grapeseed oil

3 c. chicken broth

3 tbsp pitted nicoise olives, chopped

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp grated Mantasio

fresh chives, snipped with scissors

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Rinse chicken and pat dry.  Season both sides liberally with Emeril’s Chicken Rub then sprinkle on a pinch of kosher salt.  Add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil to skillet, let warm one minute, then add the chicken breasts.  Brown on each side for about 3 minutes to a nice golden color.  In a sauce pan, bring chicken broth to a boil, then add browned chicken breasts.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 35 minutes, then remove chicken and shred with using two forks.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil.  Add penne and cook 10 minutes or to package directions.  Drain.  Mix in shredded chicken, capers, olives and Montasio.  Stir to combine.  If no longer warm, heat in microwave about a minute to serve warm.  Top with snipped fresh chives.

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Caprese Salad Crostin with Garlic Balsamic VinaigretteSpring is finally here.  I swear if I see that groundhog, I’m going to wring his neck.  Well not really, because I’m non-violent.  But the extra six weeks of winter literally almost pushed me over the edge!  These fresh caprese salad crostini are a perfect appetizer or make a great addition to a light and simple dinner.  I served them with Chicken Breasts, Roasted Broccoli and Black Beans.  Caprese Salad just tastes like spring to me, and served this way transformed a wintry meal into a burst of freshness.

My fresh mozzarella came from the Dallas Mozzarella Company, a local factory making fresh handmade cheeses of truly exceptional quality.  I’ve been meaning to take their Hands on Cheese Making class for at least five years and just haven’t made it happen yet.  Trust me, I look hot in a hair net.  And the class includes a factory tour, a wine and cheese tasting, and take home samples of your own creations.  I think that’s a description of about my perfect day!  I’ve had a fascination with factories ever since I worked in a service company who sold things via service, but didn’t actually produce anything.  Apparently, the grass is always greener.  It’s a shame I never managed to tour 3M in college when I had the chance.  At that point, of course, endless lectures on the processes, software, and plants involved in making Scotch tape were hideously boring to me.  In any case, the Hands on Cheese Making Class is on my Bucket List.  I can knock out a factory tour and food creation in one fell swoop!

Caprese Salad Crostini

Baguette

1 clove garlic

olive oil

1 /2 lb ball fresh mozzarella

3 vine ripened tomatoes

12-15 basil leaves, halved

Garlic Balsamic Vinagrette

Preheat oven to 425.  Cut baguette into half-inch slices – or approx 25-30 pieces.  Smash garlic with a large knife, peel and break into two halves.  Rub top of each baguette slice with one of the pieces of garlic, as it disintegrates, switch to the other piece.  Using a brush, paint the top of each slice with olive oil.  Place each slice on a cookie sheet and bake 5-7 minutes until your crostini are lightly browned.

Slice mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices, then half or quarter as necessary to fit onto crostini.  Slice tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices, then quarter.  Top crostinis with mozzarella, then basil, then tomato, then drizzle with Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Garlic Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

1/2 c. olive oil

1/4 c. water

1.5 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Murray River salt

8 turns fresh ground pepper

For the vinaigrette, combine vinegar, oil, water, garlic, salt and pepper.  Whisk together then let rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.  Whisk again before serving.  Keep remainder in fridge for up to two weeks.

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Grilled Jerk Pork Chops with Grilled Citrus FruitsThis super easy dinner is a tribute to the much anticipated arrival of extraordinary spring weather that’s sure to be followed by lots of sunshine and less time in the kitchen.  Generally, I braise pork chops.  Braising ensures a very moist texture, but is time and heat intensive.  For this evening’s meal, I fired up the grill, threw on some seasonings, and sliced a few lemons and oranges.  It really doesn’t get anymore simple than that!  The jerk seasoning gives the chops a teeny bit of kick and the citrus adds a light and buoyant flavor welcoming you right into early spring.  If you have extra time, I’d try marinating the pork chops in either this citrus marinade featured at LE’s birthday party or Mama Houdyshell’s Chicken Marinade.  The pork chops were very nice without a marinade, but I’m sure either of these style marinades would compliment the pork nicely.

Jerk Seasoning comes from Jamaica and principally includes allspice and hot peppers, in combo with garlic, salt, cinnamon, and other spices.  Add a little of the islands into your backyard and enjoy with a cool Red Stripe!

Grilled Jerk Pork Chops

Bone in Pork Chops

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

2 oranges halved

2 lemons halved

Season Pork Chops surface with Caribbean Jerk Seasoning.  Preheat a gas grill on medium high heat with lid closed for 15 minutes.  Turn heat to lowest setting.  Grill Pork Chops over direct heat for 5 minutes with lid closed, then turn.  Grill lemons and oranges on upper rack.  Check temperature of pork chops after another 5 minutes.  Cook to an internal temp of 155, then let rest on the counter for 5 minutes before serving.  Squeeze half a roasted lemon and half a roasted orange just before eating.

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Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache RecipeThis post should be labeled the very best chocolate cake in the entire world.  Or cake that will change your life.  Or cake that will single-handedly cure seasonal depression and a very crummy day.  And perhaps, cake that will destroy your diet.  I don’t fall victim to sweets all that often, but serious chocolate is a true weakness of mine.  I’ve been working on a variety of dark chocolate cake and frosting recipes this year, but hadn’t  found the one to bring me to my knees, yet.  I saw this Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache Recipe on the Foodbuzz Top 9 in early February as featured on MyBakingAddiction.com.  Chocolate + Coffee + Buttercream + Ganache = my own personal heaven.

I bookmarked the site and made a mental note to make a run to Central Market for the Instant Espresso Powder.  I assume they carry that, though I generally run screaming from anything with the word “Instant” in the title.  Anyhow, I keep forgetting the powder, so yesterday, I just decided to figure something from my regular grocery and make it work.  I no longer have an espresso machine, it broke years ago and has yet to be replaced.  The grocery only had instant coffee not instant espresso, but it did have an impressive selection of ground espressos.  From my high school days working in the coffee shop, I know the two things central to espresso – the grind of the bean and the pressure.  The grind of the bean is central, you want it extremely finely ground.  The pressure can only be duplicated by an espresso machine.  I ran mine through my regular coffee maker, since that’s what I have.  If you have the means,  I’d suggest making a regular cup of espresso, then adding 2 tbsp instead of the 4 tbsps of coffee strength espresso I added to the buttercream.

Today is a lucky day for my DFW area readers.  If you would like one of these cakes, leave a comment in the comment section.  I’ll use a random number generator – unless there’s only one or none of you of course, and I’ll deliver one of these cakes to you just for helping me.  I’d like to experiment with the ganache.  I have another Chocolate Ganache Cake recipe which calls for a Ganache simply of cream and chocolate, no butter.  In my memory it pours much much more smoothly, and I’d like to try it on this cake.  However, I’ve already laid out so many sweets recipes for our family, we’ll all roll into a sugar coma if I run all the experiments several ways.  So, the only catch is, I’ll deliver your cake, minus 1 piece (for photographing and tasting) so I can check to see which ganache I prefer.

Chocolate Cake with Espresso Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Ganache

(adapted from Oprah.com)

1 and 1/2 c. sugar

1 and 1/3 c. flour

2/3 c. Valrhona unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

2 large eggs

3/4 c. milk

6 tbsp canola oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 c. very hot water

4 large egg yolks

3/4 c. sugar

2 sticks butter, softened

2 tbsps ground espresso

10 oz water

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 tbsp butter, softened

1 c. heavy cream

1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease bottom and sides of a Nonstick Half Sheet Pan (18″ x 13″ x 1″) – the original recipe called for a jelly roll pan (15 1/2″ x 10 3/4″ x 1) but I don’t have one of those, so I’d imagine you can use either with good results.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Turn on lowest setting and mix until combined.

In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.  Whisk until combined.  Turn stand mixer to medium, then add wet ingredients gradually and mix until well blended, about 5 minutes.  Change speed to low again and pour in hot water in a stream.  Mix until combined.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake about 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Let cake cool.

In bowl of stand mixer, use whisk attachment to whisk egg yolks until a full 2-3 shades lighter and ribbony when you lift the whisk, about 5 minutes.  I couldn’t find a good picture on the Internet of the ribbon stage, so I’ll update with photos of what mine look like when I make the giveaway cake.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 c. of water.  Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until mixture starts to bubble.  Raise heat to high and boil until mixture reaches 238 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer.  With stand mixer on medium, pour sugar syrup in a slow stream into egg yolks.  Leave mixer on medium, and beat until outside of the metal bowl feels room temperature and the frosting is fluffy, about 10 minutes.  In a coffee pot, brew 2tbsp of espresso with the 10 oz of water.  Pour into a cup and microwave for an additional minute, to concentrate.  Add butter small amounts at a time until all added.  Add 4 tbsp of brewed espresso to buttercream, and beat until blended.

In a large bowl, combine chocolate and remaining 4 tbsp of butter.  In a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar to a boil.  Stir, then pour cream over chocolate mixture.  Let rest a minute, then stir occasionally until ganache is smooth.

Invert cake onto a large wooden cutting board.   Use a ruler to divide evenly into thirds, and slice accordingly.  On your cake plate, cover edges with strips of waxed paper, then place bottom cake layer on waxed paper so no plate is showing.  Frost first layer with half of buttercream, add next layer**, then frost with remaining buttercream.  Add third layer, then gently and slowly pour ganache over the top of the cake, as evenly as you can around the sides and top of cake.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes, or until ganache is firm, then gently slide the waxed paper pieces out to reveal a clean cake plate.

Note  ** I had a little trouble on my first cake with the layers slipping and sliding around.  If you have the time and the patience, I’d advise frosting the first layer, placing the second layer, then refrigerating cake for 10-20 minutes before frosting that layer, then again refrigerate 10-20 minutes before pouring ganache.  If you do it this way, just be sure not to start your ganache until you’ve refrigerated the second layer so you it will still be liquid enough for pouring.

Enjoy!

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Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer RecipeI’ve altered my Flaky Southern Style Biscuits Recipe to include a Stand Mixer Recipe as well as some method adjustments. The first recipe uses a rolling pin and kneads the dough by hand. I think it’s personal preference, but I have really loved my results with the stand mixer and find hand patting the dough to give me the greatest rise. Check out how fluffy those biscuits are! I’ve also added my homemade buttermilk recipe to my new FAQ page.

If you find yourself sitting around coveting a fabulous stand mixer, biscuits and cakes and frostings dancing through your head, DoughMessTic has a contest running through midnight this Tuesday where you can win one!  Hope over there, make a comment in the comment section noting you were sent there by dinnerandconversation.  If the random number generator picks your comment number, you can with a Stand Mixer in a color of your very own choosing!  While you’re at it, you can become a fan of DoughMessTic on Facebook and my site!  Just search for doughmesstic or dinnerandconversation.com in your facebook, then click Become a Fan of!

The very very very best way to make Southern Style Biscuits requires White Lily Flour.  Really.  All other flours yield a biscuit though delicious, lacking a delicacy and levity unparalleled.  If you’re in Dallas, you can pick up your White Lily Flour at Central Market.  And if you’re lucky enough  to be in Austin, you can pick it up at almost any HEB.  Otherwise I hope you live in the southeast or you’ll be paying exorbitantly to ship 5 lb. bags of flour from either the site above or another you google.  Quality ingredients are worth the shipping.  Just ask me about my shipments of Heinz Genuine Dill Pickles.  At the end of the day, my pickles cost over $10 a jar.  That’s almost enough to make me hide them from my children.  But who am I kidding, I can’t blame them for their highly refined palates ; )  And at least I’m no longer buying them from the Piggly Wiggly, who gracefully managed to pack them so that at least 1/3 of my shipment broke every time.  Sigh.

Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Recipe (makes about 14 biscuits)

4 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour (Get thee some White Lily Flour)
4 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 cup very cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 to 1 and 3/4 c.  cold buttermilk
8 tbsps butter, really softened
1 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450° . Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add cold butter 1 tbsp at a time to mixer. Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs, with no large chunks of butter.  Add buttermilk, pouring slowly until mixture just starts to look moist.  The key here is to *not* let the dough look wet.  Dough should be soft and moist; only add remaining buttermilk, if you are still seeing dry flour.  If dough looks wet, add more flour.  If you are using regular All Purpose flour, I find I need the higher amounts of buttermilk.  When using White Lily, be prepared to stop at the low end of the amounts given.  When just mixed, remove paddle attachment and switch to dough hook.  Turn on lowest setting for 2 and 1/2 minutes.  At this point your dough should have formed a ball around the hook and pulled away from the sides.  Like this.  Southern Style Biscuits Stand Mixer Dough Hook

Move dough onto a lightly floured work surface (I find it works much better to use regular old All Purpose flour for this step, oddly enough, save your White Lily for the base recipe).  Pat dough into a 14-by-10-inch rectangle. With short side nearest you, spread top two-thirds of dough with 1/3 of the soft butter, leaving top third, furthest from you, unbuttered. Fold dough into thirds by pulling top third down over center and then pulling bottom third over middle. Turn dough so short side faces you.  Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle. In same manner, spread again with second third of soft butter and fold letter style. Turn once more in the same manner. Pat into a 9-by-12-inch rectangle; spread with remaining soft butter and fold up. Work quickly and gently so as not to overwork dough. Pat dough into rectangle 3/4-inch thick on floured surface. Cut into rounds using the top edge of a wine glass.  Push glass down, then turn to cut dough.  Place on biscuits on parchment, 1 inch apart.

Southern Style Biscuits Cut and Placed on ParchementLightly brush tops with melted butter. Bake in center of hot oven about 17 minutes, until lightly golden brown and firm.

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Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried AvocadosEarlier this week I tackled the Fried Stuffed Avocados I’ve been wanting to try all winter.  Several unfortunate batches of avocados have gone bad while patiently waiting for me to get my act together to no avail.  This recipe takes a little  bit of prep, and does involve frying which is sort of an ordeal, but the presentation is quite impressive.  To balance out your efforts, the chicken was so tasty, I worked an additional dinner of chicken nachos from it, then finished off the remainder snacking it straight from the bowl!

The inspiration for this recipe came from my mamas group back in Austin.  I’d sent a request to the group looking for new ideas in the form of, “If you could order anything from any restaurant tonight, what would you pick?”  The answers were inspiring and unbelievably international.  Stuffed Fried Avocados were recommended by a couple friends, it seems they are the newest food fad in South Texas. They are found stuffed with a variety of fillings from shellfish to chicken to beef.  Mine are stuffed with a spiced chicken and Monterey Jack cheese.  The chicken is very easily spiced with a Cutters Cross Tex Mex Dry Rub Seasoning.  I received my first batch of these spices as a gift five years ago, and highly recommend you get a set of your own.  I was so pleased with the way this chicken turned out I sent a set to my sister, Amelia, because I just had to share.

If you’re feeling slightly less adventurous, but want to try out the flavor combo, try serving the chicken topping on a bed of avocado wedges.  A foodie friend Shizuoka Gourmet had posted an article on fried avocado back in January.  You could skip the relleno batter and just fry the straight avocado then serve the shredded chicken and cheese on top.

Chicken and Monterey Jack Stuffed Fried Avocados (serves 3)

3 ripe avocados – they work best if they are just slightly on the firm side – ripe but not squishy

flour for dusting

3/4 c. flour

2 egg yolks

3/4 c. beer

2 tbsp canola oil

1 and 1/2 tbsp kosher salt

2 egg whites

3 large chicken split breasts

2 tsp Cutters Cross Tex Mex Dry Rub

1 tsp kosher salt

Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Two hours before you want to eat, halve the avocados and remove seeds.  Use a spoon to scoop out a little of the flesh making a larger hollow for stuffing.  Peel skin from outside, then dust in flour.  Wrap each half in Saran wrap and place in freezer.  In a large bowl, add flour followed by egg yolks, beer, canola oil, and salt.  Whisk together to combine.  Let batter rest for about an hour and a half.

In a large saucepan, cover chicken breasts with water and add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour and fifteen minutes.  Remove chicken from broth using tongs.  Remove skin and bones and discard.  Shred chicken using two forks into a clean bowl.  Return shredded chicken to broth and simmer another 30 minutes.  At this point, turn high heat on sauce pan containing frying oil.  After the 30 minutes has elapsed, strain chicken from broth, then season with Tex Mex Dry Rub and salt.  Set aside.

About 15 minutes before you want to eat, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks.  Delicately fold egg whites into batter.  Remove avocados from freezer, unwrap and use a slotted spoon to gently dip in batter then place in heated oil.  Fry until lightly browned, then stuff with spiced chicken and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  Serve immediately.

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Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

Butterscotch Pudding RecipeAwhile back, my sisters and I dined at the Lark Creek Steak Restaurant.  It happened to be Allison’s birthday, so our over enthusiastic waiter brought us each a butterscotch pudding for dessert.  We all enjoyed it, and I decided to attempt a version for Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite things about eating out is trying something at a restaurant, then endeavoring to make it at home.  The two rules I try to follow when attempting this are to A) Never wait more than a month to try the recreation or you will forget the flavor and B) It’s much easier if you had others taste what your choice to discuss and tweak your efforts!

My Internet research on Butterscotch Pudding led me to a recipe by David Lebovitz, whom I saw speak this fall.  His recipe calls for cassonade sugar.  It seems that cassonade is a french version of very slightly refined raw sugar, while Rapadura is the evaporated, pressed juice from sugar cane.  I’ve trolled hundreds of sites in both french and english trying to figure out the difference between the two, and that was about as much info as I could come up with on the two.  SMIL brought me a brick of Rapadura from Brazil this fall, and I tried out this recipe using it.  Thanks, SMIL!  I love trying out new ingredients!

The Rapadura originally comes in a brick, which you’re then supposed to heat in a 200 degree oven where it melts, then you can break it up into small pieces and run it through a cuisinart to granulate it.  Here’s a pic of mine melted.

Rapadura Melting in the Oven

Mine didn’t turn into crystals in the Cuisinart, instead it turned into a big sticky mess so I just kept it in broken toffee like chunks.  I just popped a bit back into the cuisinart tonight to find it’s less sticky now, though I still think the chunk application will work better for me.  Here’s a pic after processing.

Rapadura CrystalsThe flavor was perfect for the recipe.  If you don’t have either of these sugars on hand, try a panela, jaggery, or a demerara sugar from a specialty foods store, or just regular old dark brown sugar.

Butterscotch Pudding (adapted from David Lebovitz’s recipe)

serves 8 small or 5 large servings

4 tbsp butter

1 and 3/4 c. stacked, broken pieces of Rapadura, (mine are large leaving lots of empty space in measuring cup, if you’re using crystals or dark brown sugar, only use 1 c.)

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 and 1/2 c. 2% milk

2 eggs

2 tsp Jack Daniels

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a sauce pan, melt butter on low heat, add rapadura and stir occasionally with a wooden spatula, heating until sugar melts and is a bubbling mixture.  Remove from heat.

Mix cornstarch and 1/4 c. milk with a whisk until smooth.  Add eggs and continue to whisk.

Add remaining milk  1/4 c. at a time to melted rapadura, whisking continuously, integrating without hardening the sugar mixture by adding too much cold liquid at once.  Follow with the cornstarch mixture.

Return pan to medium high heat and bring to a boil, whisking continuously.  Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook another minute, whisking continuously.  Remove from heat when thickened to a ketchup consistency.  Quickly whisk in Jack Daniels and vanilla, then pour into ramekins.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, then top with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

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