Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream

 

Ingredients:

For the Banana Cupcakes:
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1¾ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
½ cup buttermilk
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
3 cups half-and-half
6 large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

To Make the Banana Cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together on medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs, and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again and add the bananas. Beat until just combined. Turn the mixer to low. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
4. Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place them on the rack to cool completely.
To Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
1. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer and keep warm.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together until the mixture is pale, about 1 minute. Whisk half of the warm half-and-half into the egg yolk mixture, then pour that mixture into the remaining half-and-half in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Strain the pastry cream through the sieve and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Put in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, or until chilled.
To Assemble the Cupcakes:
If you have a pastry bag, fit the bag with a large tip, fill the bag with the pastry cream, and pipe out enough pastry cream to cover each cupcake.
If you do not have a pastry bag, use an ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to scoop the pastry cream and dispense it onto the top of the cupcake.
You can also use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes. Top with a single slice of fresh banana or a dried banana chip.
To Serve: You can either top these with the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to serve; or keep the cupcakes at room temperature and top with the pastry cream right before serving.

Source:http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/01/21/banana-cupcakes-with-vanilla-pastry-cream/

Trish Magwood's Butter Chicken

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) yogurt, balkan style
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons (10 mL) minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) kosher salt
• 3 pounds (1.5 kg) chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• Fresh lime wedges
• 3 tablespoons (50mL) butter or ghee
• 1 cup (250 mL) cashews, ground to a paste
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cumin seeds, whole
• 1 serrano chili, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh tomato purée
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) heavy (35%) cream
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh coriander, chopped roughly 

 

Directions

1. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garam masala, turmeric, garlic, ginger and salt (to taste) in a medium bowl. In a re-sealable bag, add chicken and cover with yogurt marinade. Seal bag and toss to coat chicken. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat grill or oven to 400 degrees (200 Celsius). Cook until juices run clear, about 20-25 minutes. Finish with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice. Set aside.
3. In a high-sided sauté pan, heat butter or ghee over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, cumin seeds and minced chili and cook until fragrant. Add tomato purée and cashew paste. Season with salt, stir and lower heat to a simmer. Add cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
4. Chop grilled chicken into bite-sized chunks and add to sauce. Stir to coat chicken with sauce and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully warmed. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Source:http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/trish-magwoods-butter-chicken/recipe.html?dishID=6971

 

 

Spinach and Pecan Stuffed Salmon Fillet with Hollandaise Sauce

The key to flavorful and tender salmon is to cook it medium-rare. Just quickly pan-sear the salmon on each side, then bake in the oven for a few minutes. It will come out moist and delicious.

Salmon by itself is incredibly good for you, and these tasty fillets are stuffed with ingredients rich in essential fatty acids and omega-rich nutrients such as pecans, pecan oil, cream cheese, sweet basil, spinach and onion chives.

To make the dish ultra fancy, I served the fish with a Hollandaise sauce, sautéed button mushrooms and wild rice. I figure that with all the healthy ingredients, a little decadence is deserved!

Ingredients

Yields: 8 servings

4 salmon fillets (about 7 ounces per fillet)
2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, + 1/8 teaspoon for the Hollandaise
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, halved lengthwise
1 dozen button mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons onion chives, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons lemon zest
3/4 cup pecan, halves
16 sweet basil leaves
1 cup baby spinach leaves, tightly packed
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (optional)
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon cold water
7 tablespoons butter (or more), at room temperature
2 tablespoons pecan oil (optional)

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Directions

Prepping the salmon:

Ask your fishmonger to skin the salmon fillets and get the pin bones removed. Divide each fillet lengthwise to obtain 8 pieces. Pat dry using paper towels. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne powder. Plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

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For the onion chive cream cheese:

Combine the cream cheese, onion chives, sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

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How to roast the pecans (at very low temperature):

Preheat the oven to 170°F.

Spread the nuts onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Roast the pecans for about 10 minutes. Let the nuts cool completely. Rub the nuts between your hands; the skins should come off easily. Do not roast the nuts at a temperature over 170°F or you'll risk breaking healthy fats and lose all the nutrients of the nuts.

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Prepping the mushrooms:

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the halved cloves of garlic and cook until slightly golden. Transfer the garlic to a plate. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate. Season with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of dill.

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Making the salmon wrap:

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Pat the salmon dry one more time. Space out 2 basil leaves on the salmon fillet. Cover the rest of the fillet with spinach leaves. Spread the onion chive cream cheese evenly over the salmon and add a layer of pecans. Carefully roll up the salmon fillet tightly. Secure 2 toothpicks into the salmon wrap. Using kitchen shears, snip the pieces of the toothpick sticking out of the fish.

In the same skillet, place the salmon wraps once the oil is hot. Pan-sear each side of the fish for a minute and quickly transfer the salmon rolls to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Immediately place the salmon wraps in the oven and bake for 8 minutes. (depending on the thickness of the fillet) Remove from the oven, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and pecan oil and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. To check for doneness, a digital thermometer should register 120°F in the thickest part of the salmon fillet.

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How to make Hollandaise sauce:

Using an immersion hand blender (at a low speed), combine the egg yolks, vinegar (if used), cold water and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan (or stainless-steel mixing bowl). Place the saucepan on a double boiler (see tips). Slowly increase the speed of the blender and add the rest of the butter. After a total of about 7-8 minutes, the sauce should be creamy and warm.

It's easy to check the consistency of the sauce: Coat the back of a spoon with the sauce. Run your finger down the back of the spoon. If the line you created with your finger remains, the sauce is ready.

Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (if used). The sauce is perfect when you get a yellow hue on the spoon. Transfer the sauce to a thermos insulated bottle until ready to serve.

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Serving time:

Remove and discard the toothpicks. Line up your serving plates. Place 2 tablespoons of Hollandaise sauce and top with a salmon wrap. Garnish with sliced mushrooms on the sauce and decorate with a sprig of dill.

Serve warm with wild rice and steamed vegetables on the side.

Bon appétit!

Tips

If you don't have salmon, you can make this recipe with any other fish fillets such as grouper. It's just as delicious.

For an easy double boiler, place a small saucepan over a larger-sized saucepan filled with simmering water. I always like to add a little kitchen towel underneath the small saucepan. That way it won't jiggle and there won't be any splatter of water in the Hollandaise sauce.

There's no way you can mess up the Hollandaise sauce if you use a thermometer. Check the temperature of the water in the double boiler; it should register 140°F.

Hollandaise sauce is perfect with steamed veggies such as asparagus or eggs for brunch.

Some people use the blender hollandaise technique by adding warm (melted) clarified butter, but I'm not very comfortable using raw egg yolks. To be safe, you could use pasteurized eggs.

If the Hollandaise sauce breaks (if the eggs have curdled), just let the sauce cool to room temperature, add a little cold water and whisk the sauce until smooth while warming it.

Source:http://www.phamfatale.com/id_917/title_Spinach-and-Pecan-Stuffed-Salmon-Fillet-with-Hollandaise-Sau

Salmon Fish Cakes

Ingredients:

• 200 gm salmon, skinned and boned
• 100 gm potato
• 65 gm pork mince
• 60 gm onion
• a knob butter
• 1 Tbsp whisked egg
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• vegetable oil

Method:

1. Roughly chop salmon into chunks and process in a food processor until almost minced.
2. Peel potato and cut into 2 to 2.5 cm sized cubes. Cook in boiling water, about 20 minutes until cooked, easily poked in with a sharp knife. Drain well and mash into paste. Let cool.
3. Use a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add a knob of butter. When the butter melts, add onion, and cook until translucent, yet still with crisp texture. Set aside and let cool.
4. In a large bowl, mix the salmon, pork, onion, mashed potato and whisked egg thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Use wet hands to shape the mixture into 10 to 12 small balls, then press flat into mini burgers shape.
6. Heat oil in a frying pan. Pan fry salmon cakes over medium heat until cooked, lightly brown on both sides. Serve hot with this sweet and sour cucumber, or any salad as desired.

Source:http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2010/11/salmon-fish-cakes.html