Lemon Tartlets

These sweet and tangy treats are perfect for spring and summer. I would try to get the crust thinner next time. I tried to make these in mini muffin tins, and it ended up being way too much crust for the amount of filling that would fit, so they worked better in shallow tart pans. These are best made the day before serving them. (Though you could do the whipped cream the day of serving.) They would be beautiful served with an edible flower on top.

Lemon Tartlets

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

3 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

For the lemon curd:

6 large eggs

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup sugar

zest of 6-8 lemons

1/2 cup butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the whipped cream topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add butter, sugar and salt. Mix at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until just combined.

2. Divide dough into 4 parts, flatten into thin discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least two hours.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out circles that are 2 inches larger than each tart pan. Gently push each circle of dough into the tart pans, patching up any tears with extra dough. Chill dough in the pans in fridge or freezer for 15 minutes.

4. Prick the bottom of each tartlet with a fork. Bake until crust just starts to turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling:

5. Place 1 cup sugar in a medium sized pot. Add lemon zest to the pot. Rub the sugar and zest together to help release the oils. Pour lemon juice into the pot and stir.

6. In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the salt. Beat very well. Pour the eggs into the sugar and whisk well. Set the pot over low heat.

7. Cook, stirring constantly until the curd thickens and registers 170 degrees F. 

8. Slice the butter and place in a large bowl. Place a sieve over it. Pour thickened curd through the sieve into the butter. Press through (this will remove zest and any egg bits). Stir until butter is melted. 

9. Allow curd to cool for a few minutes, then divide evenly into cooked tart shells. Refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.

10. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Place in a piping bag fitted with desired tip and pipe cream onto chilled tarts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (These held up well in the fridge overnight, fully assembled.)

Source: adapted from growingupcali and buttermilkbysam

Scallion Pancakes

These Asian-style pancakes are so much more delicious than it seems like they'd be, given the small list of ingredients. It can be tricky to get the temperature just right when cooking (i.e. it's easy to burn them), so keep the heat pretty low. I've been making them in a nonstick pan, but I'm curious to see how they'd do in a cast iron pan. Try to pack as many green onions into each pancake as possible. That's a key to making these taste amazing.

Scallion Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to sprinkle on dough

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup warm water

4-6 stalks green onion

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well and pour in 1 cup warm water. Stir well. Knead until the dough forms a smooth ball, adding more flour if necessary if the dough is too sticky. Drizzle a small amount of oil on top of dough and smooth over dough ball to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 minutes.

2. Chop up the green onion and place in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a small saucepan. Pour hot oil over the green onion mixture and stir to combine.

3. Spray counter surface with cooking spray and divide the dough into 4-5 pieces. Roll each piece into a thin rectangle. Sprinkle on some salt and press it into the dough.

4. Divide the green onion mixture evenly between the dough rectangles and spread the mixture evenly over each rectangle. 

5. Roll a long side of each rectangle down to the middle, then roll from the bottom to the middle. Roll as tightly as possible. Roll from right to middle, then from left to middle. Put one spiral on top of the other one and smash them together. Let rest for 10 minutes.

6. Lightly roll each pancake out. In a skillet, drizzle in some oil and turn the heat to medium or medium-low. Once pan is heated, add in one pancake, put a lid on, and cook for about 5 minutes or until light golden brown on the bottom. Flip, put lid back on, and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until light golden brown.

Source: slightly adapted from tiffycooks.com

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

 I love the flavors and colors in this tasty salad. You can serve it with fresh bread and/or grilled chicken for a complete meal.

Roasted Carrot, Beet and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups baby carrots, sliced in half if thick (or regular carrots, sliced into thick matchsticks)

1 large beet, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic cloves

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon coriander

Red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large avocado, peeled and sliced thin

3 cups mixed greens

1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 large orange

1 large lemon

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

Honey goat cheese

Roasted and salted pepitas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. On a large sheet pan, spread a thin layer of olive oil. On the sheet pan, mix the carrots, beets, 1 garlic clove, shallot, juice from 1/2 of the orange, thyme, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss together. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Let cool to room temperature.

For the dressing:

3. In a mason jar with a lid, combine 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, juice from the other half of the orange, juice from the lemon, red wine vinegar, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Shake to combine.

4. To assemble the salad, arrange greens into an even layer on a platter, then add roasted vegetables and sliced avocado. Add dressing, then top with goat cheese pieces and pepitas.

Source: adapted from kathleenashmore.com

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

 Sometimes I want some kind of green vegetable to serve with an Asian meal that's mostly meat and rice. These cucumbers are spicy, crunchy and delicious. They should be made ahead of time to allow them to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 large English cucumber)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon harissa (the original recipe calls for sambal oelek, but I used harissa from Trader Joe's)

Directions:

1. Cut ends off cucumbers and then cut into bite-sized rectangular strips. Toss cucumbers with salt and let sit for 30 minutes to let liquid drain off. Rinse cucumbers in strainer to remove excess salt.

2. Whisk together garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and harissa. Add more sugar, vinegar, or harissa, to taste. Add cucumbers and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours, or overnight. Serve chilled.

Source: adapted from tablefortwoblog.com

Asian Sesame Zoodle Salad

 Sometimes the best dinners come from throwing leftovers together.  (And sometimes those concoctions are terrible.)  This was a good one.  Adding leftover zucchini noodles (zoodles) turned a good salad into a great one. I tried adding Asian-flavored ground meat to this salad one time and didn't like it as much.  I prefer to leave this one meatless.

Asian Sesame Zoodle Salad

Makes 2 large (main dish-size) servings

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large or 2 small zucchini, made into zoodles with a spiralizer

1 head romaine

2 Persian cucumbers (or 1/2 of a large English cucumber)

1 red pepper

1/2 cup shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions

2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

Creamy Asian sesame dressing (I use Kewpie brand Creamy Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing and Marinade bought from Costco)

Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel seasoning, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet.  Saute zoodles until tender, but still slightly crisp. Allow to cool while preparing other ingredients.

2. Wash and dry romaine, cucumbers and red pepper and chop into bite-sized pieces.  Add to a mixing bowl.  Top with zoodles, edamame and hard-boiled eggs.  Toss salad with Creamy Asian Sesame Dressing. If desired, top with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning (from Trader Joe's)

Source: inspired by my friend, Seiko, and a reel from Caro Chambers's Instagram account

Asparagus, chickpea and pistachio salad

 A friend made this salad for a baby shower and it's so delicious!  The pistachios really make it great, but the feta, peas, crispy chickpeas and bright lemon dressing add so much too.  I wasn't sure if I would love the radishes when I made this at home, so I tried some with strawberries instead.  It turns out I like it with radishes best.  They add a great crunch and are just a little zesty.  This salad is perfect for spring.

Asparagus, chickpea and pistachio salad

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

Drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

A few handfuls of mixed greens

3 radishes, thinly sliced

1 avocado, pitted and diced

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup toasted, salted pistachios

For the dressing:

1/4 cup fresh basil or a mix of basil and mint

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more as desired

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment, if desired.  It's also fine to roast these right on the pan.  

2. Drizzle pan with olive oil and toss the chickpeas in the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.  Cool.

3. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Prepare a bowl of ice water.  Blanch the asparagus for 60 seconds in the boiling water, then use a slotted spoon to transfer asparagus to the ice water.  After asparagus has cooled, move to a paper-towel to dry.

4. Mix all salad dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine (or whisk together vigorously in a bowl).

5. Put asparagus in a bowl and pour some of the dressing in.  Toss to coat the asparagus.

6. To assemble salad, place spring greens in a bowl or on a platter.  Add peas, asparagus, radishes, and avocado and chickpeas.  Pour remaining dressing on top.  Top with feta cheese and pistachios.

Source: adapted from www.loveandlemons.com

German Chocolate Cake

 

This cake has been a long-standing birthday tradition for my husband.  Just try not to overbake it, because it will dry out the cake a bit.

German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 (4 oz) bar Baker's Sweet German Chocolate bar

1/2 cup water

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

3/4 cup sugar

4 egg yolks, slightly beaten

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment on the bottom.  Spray sides of pans and parchment with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Break chocolate bar into pieces and place in a small bowl with the water.  Microwave until melted, pausing the microwave to stir every 20-30 seconds.  Set aside to cool.

3. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.  Beat in egg yolks.  Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla. 

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

5. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beating with electric mixer until just combined.

6. Clean and dry beaters and beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Folk into cake batter.

7. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.  Cool 15 minutes in pans, then turn onto rack to cool.

For the frosting:

1. Combine evaporated milk, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter and vanilla in saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.  Remove from heat.

2. Stir in shredded coconut and pecans.  Cool until thick enough to spread.

To assemble:

Spread frosting in between cake layers as you stack them.  Spread remaining frosting on top of cake.

Source: adapted from www.food.com (I think the recipe on food.com is also the same as the one that is sometimes printed on the box of the chocolate bar.)  The only big change I made was to decrease the sugar in the frosting.