Donut Army

As I was making these this morning, I muttered to myself "These aren't going to be worth all this effort." How wrong I was! These are bright and fluffy, and come out almost like stuffed pancakces -- stuffed with ricotta cheese! And, the texture is substantial -- so much so that I wound up tearing off bits with my fingers and dipping the chunks into maple syrup, which turned out to be a great solution for soggy pancakes. Highly recommended! Lemon Ricotta Pancakes Chow 5 T butter 1 c milk 1 1/4 c flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp table salt, divided 3 eggs, separated 2 T sugar, divided 1 T lemon rind 1/2 tsp vanilla 3/4 c ricotta Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until butter has melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, combine flour, powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Sift together and set aside. Place egg yolks, 1 T sugar, lemon zest and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Whisk in a...

This clever version of leek and potato soup comes from Cook's Illustrated , one of the best cooking magazines out there -- if you enjoy knowing why things cook the way they do. The folks at CI came up with a version of this soup that is rich and creamy, but doesn't rely on any fatty cream. Instead, the creamy texture comes from including some bread crumbs into the soup before pureeing - brilliance! And tasty to boot! Creamy Leek-Potato Soup Cook's Illustrated 4 medium leeks, white and light-green parts both 2 c chicken or vegetable stock 2 c water 4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 c) salt 1 small russet potato (about 6 oz), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4" slices 1 bay leaf 1 4" sprig fresh thyme or tarragon 1 large slice of high-quality sandwich bread, lightly toasted, and torn into 1/2" pieces pepper Separate leeks into white and light green parts. Begin with the dark green parts -- half them, r...

Do I hear trumpets blaring in the background? I should! Because this recipe should be introduced with great fanfare. What a tremendous surprise -- to cook and guest alike. Blueberries? In cornbread? To be eaten with the entree? Rest assured, everyone - this is delish. And, was such the hit at my neighborhood chili cook-off this week that they created a cornbread category just for this. So, let's hear the trumpets again as I bring you: Sweet Corn and Blueberry Corn Bread Canadian Living , August 2008 1 1/4 c cornmeal 1 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 c corn, cooked or thawed, in kernels 1/4 c brown sugar 1 c buttermilk 2 eggs 1/2 c butter, melted 1 1/4 c blueberries (using frozen is just fine) 2 tsp sugar (I used turbinado) Whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a food processor or blender, puree the corn kernels with the brown sugar until lumpy. Add buttermilk and eggs. Puree to combine. ...

This is a terrific corn bread recipe! It's a great version for potlucks, for large-group gatherings, or as a hostess gift. Because it is baked in a loaf pan, it is easily transportable. And, you can cut the slices in half to be easily served as finger food or appetizers. Green Chili Corn Bread Gourmet Magazine , December 1998 3 poblano chilies 1 c yellow cornmeal 1 c flour 1/4 c sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 c cheddar cheese, grated 1 c buttermilk 2 eggs 1/4 c unsalted butter, melted, cooled Broil peppers until blackened on all sides. Peel and chop. Preheat oven to 400. Butter 9x5x2.75" metal loaf pan. Whisk cornmeal and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Sit in cheese. Whisk buttermilk, eggs and butter in another medium bowl to blend. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Mix in chiles. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake bread until deep golden brown on top and tested inserted comes out clean, ...

This was my entry in my neighborhood's Second Annual Chili Kick-Off. It was the only vegetarian entry the group, and was a huge hit theoretically because of the use of quinoa. But, as mentioned earlier, I did not win (or place, or show) with this entry. I'm convinced that, among the meat-eating crowd, no dish can compete with ones that features bacon. But for those of you open to a meat-free version, this is delicious, And, look at how few ingredients it takes! Red Bean and Quinoa Chili The Global Vegetarian 1 c quinoa, rinsed 2 c water 1 T canola oil 1 yellow onion, diced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 c celery, sliced 1 carrot, peeled and diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 2 tomatoes, cored and diced 2 15-oz cans red beans, drained (or, 1 1/2 c beans, dried, soaked overnight and cooked 90 min) 1 28-oz can crushed tomato 1 T chili powder 2 T parsley 1 T oregano, dried 2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt 4 scallions, chopped (opt) In a medium s...

This has been my go-to recipe for cornbread for several years now. An infallible recipe, and is a good mix between northern- and southern-style cornbread. Double-Corn Cornbread Cook's Country 1 c cornmeal (yellow or white) 1 c flour 2 T sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 1 c frozen corn, thawed 1 c sour cream 2 eggs 1/2 tsp hot sauce 4 T unsalted butter, melted 2 tsp vegetable oil Adjust oven rack to middle and heat oven to 450. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, powder, soda and salt together in a large bowl. In a food processor, pulse corn, sour cream, eggs and hot sauce until corn is coarsely chopped and mixture is combined. Fold corn mixture into cornmeal mixture. Stir in melted butter. Heat oil in a 10" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Take skillet off heat. Quickly add the batter and place skillet in oven. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cornbread in skille...

I am so excited to put posts up this week! I participated in a chili cook-off a few days ago and while my entry did not win (more on that later...), I did try some interesting (and easy) chilis and some really wonderful cornbreads. I hope you'll find this week fun, too! Today, I bring you this very simple, but flavorful chili. I must admit - I haven't actually eaten this yet as a traditional chili. Instead, while it was cooking, I got a big craving for a chili-based taco salad -- torn greens, tortilla chips, scallions, sour cream, and chili. Oh my - this is a particularly delicious chili when served this way. Highly recommended! Rocky Mountain Chili with Anasazi Beans Lean Bean Cuisine 1 c anasazi beans or red kidney, cranberry, or pink beans - dried, soaked overnight and drained 2 T vegetable oil 1 medium onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 c summer squash, chopped 1 carrot, peeled and diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced 1 la...