Bon Appétit: Earl Grey Yogurt Cake

I'm not sure I can even count the number of recipes that I've made that are inspired by the fact that I have leftover ingredients that I really don't want to go to waste.  But what do you do with a bunch of plain yogurt when you're sick of making it into parfaits for breakfast?  You make this very delicious tea cake, that what.  I definitely used tea from bags, and it was still fantastic, so do whatever is easiest.  Life is stressful enough.

Note: I thought the end result, while delicious, was overly oily, so next time I plan to cut the oil back to ⅔ cup.  I recommend you do, too.

Earl Grey Yogurt Cake

From Bon Appétit, February 2020

1 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea or ¼ cup tea from bags
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoons raw or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a 9x5-inch or 8½x4½-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides.

Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl to combine.

Vigorously whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl 1 minute (seriously, time it!); mixture should be pale yellow and frothy. Whisk in yogurt, Earl Grey tea, and vanilla extract.

Gradually stream in vegetable oil, whisking constantly until incorporated. (Place a kitchen towel under your bowl to stabilize it so that you have two free hands.) Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Gently tap pan against surface to eliminate any air bubbles.

Sprinkle evenly with raw or granulated sugar. Bake cake until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then run a butter knife or offset spatula between the cake and pan to release. Lift it out using parchment overhang and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or room temperature (or even better, toast slices and slather them with butter!).

Veg Recipes of India: Paneer Lababdar

After the disappointment that was Instant Pot Butter Chicken, I really felt the need to cleanse my palette with something cooked the traditional (more delicious) way.  But since I'd already done chicken, I figured I would try something with paneer, which may actually be more delicious in this preparation than chicken.  It's really not that more difficult to make, just a little more time, and the results are vastly more satisfying.

Paneer Lababdar

Adapted from Veg Recipes of India

For the tomato-cashew paste:
1½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes
10 to 12 cashews
½ inch ginger, minced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green cardamom pod
2 cloves

For the paneer lababdar:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
1 or 2 green chilies, slit
Kosher salt, as needed
¼ to ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or as needed
7 ounces paneer, plus 2 tablespoons grated paneer
1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), crushed
¼ teaspoon garam masala
¼ cup heavy cream

for garnish:
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
½ inch ginger, julienned

Preparing tomato-cashew paste:
Place tomatoes, cashews, ginger, garlic, cardamom, and cloves in a small pan and add ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook until the tomatoes are softened. If the water dries up and the tomatoes are not softened, then add about 2 to 3 tablespoons more water and continue to cook.

Allow this mixture to cool and add to a grinder or blender jar.  Grind to a smooth paste without any cashews or tomato chunks or pieces. You may add some water if required while grinding. Keep this ground tomato-cashew paste aside.

Making paneer lababdar:
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in pan or kadai/wok over medium-high heat. Add the tej patta and sauté for a couple of seconds.  Add finely chopped onions; stir well.  Then continue to sauté as well as stir and cook until the onions become light golden or golden.  Then add the tomato-cashew paste. The mixture will splutter if there is water in it, so be careful. Stir very well.  Add cumin powder, coriander powder, and red chili powder to make a masala.  Stir and sauté this masala; you will see the masala clumping and gathering around itself.  Sauté until you see the fat leaving the sides of the masala paste.  Then add 1 cup water; stir very well.  Add green chilies.

Stir and allow the gravy to come to a simmer, then season with salt and sugar.  Add both cubed and grated paneer.  Stir and simmer the gravy for about a minute.  Then sprinkle over the kasuri methi which has been crushed along with garam masala. Stir very well again and simmer for a minute.  Lastly add the cream and butter. Switch off the flame and stir very well.

Garnish paneer lababdar with chopped coriander leaves and julienned ginger. Serve with chapatis, tandoori rotis, or naan. It also goes well with cumin rice or veg pulao.

Makes 6 servings

Allrecipes: Roasted Rack of Lamb

When you come across a beautiful rack of lamb, you can't just walk away.  Normally I get lamb chops, or I cube up some leg of lamb for an Indian dish.  But a whole rack seems daunting.  If you don't cook it just right, you're done.  Luckily, I was up for a challenge.  And this recipe makes the breading a snap.  A beautiful dinner during a difficult time.

Roasted Rack of Lamb
Adapted from Allrecipes

½ cup Progresso Italian style breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons sea salt, divided use
1¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided use
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 (7-bone) rack of lamb, trimmed and frenched
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450°F. Move oven rack to the center position.

In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss in Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons olive oil to moisten mixture. Set aside.

Season the rack all over with remaining salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Sear rack of lamb for 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. Set aside for a few minutes. Brush rack of lamb with the mustard. Roll in the bread crumb mixture until evenly coated. Cover the ends of the bones with foil to prevent charring.

Arrange the rack bone side down in the skillet. Roast the lamb in preheated oven for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness you want. With a meat thermometer, take a reading in the center of the meat after 10 to 12 minutes and remove the meat, or let it cook longer, to your taste. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes, loosely covered, before carving between the ribs.

Allow internal temperature to be 5 to 10 degrees less than you like because the meat will continue to cook while it sits. Bloody rare: 115 to 125°F, Rare: 125 to 130°F, Medium rare: 130 to 140°F, Medium: 140 to 150°F

Makes 4 servings

Alain Ducasse: Braised New Potatoes

Okay, I'm guilty.  I ordered a bunch of little potatoes (so cute!), and I had no plan on what to use them for.  And I really didn't want to just boil them.  That's boring.  So luckily, this recipe popped up in my weekly email and saved the day.  These are delicious and buttery, and the chicken broth adds a bit more flavor, although vegetarians can always just use veggie stock.  Definitely delish.

Braised New Potatoes
From Alain Ducasse as seen at Leite's Culinaria

18 ounces small potatoes
3½ tablespoons canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 thyme sprigs
10½ tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in a Dutch oven or other wide, deep pan. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chicken stock, garlic, thyme, butter, and salt to taste.

Cover the pan with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-ish heat. Reduce the heat and gently simmer, shaking the pan or stirring the potatoes often, until the potatoes are just tender, 12 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.

Remove the lid and continue to cook, turning occasionally and keeping an eye on the heat so the butter doesn’t burn, until the potatoes take on browned splotches on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a dish and season with pepper. Devour immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Indian Instant Pot Cookbook: Instant Pot Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)

At the height on the Instant Pot craziness, I finally gave in and purchased one.  And immediately I heard about this fantastic Indian recipe that worked right in the pot.  Indian in-laws were oohing and ahhing.  The best recipe ever.  Makes you want to try it, huh?  Well, I'm not sure whose in-laws those actually were.  I was not impressed.  I mean, it's good for a super fast dinner.  But this in no way, shape, or form, equals the flavor achieved by cooking with proper technique.  And that's coming from a non-Indian.

Note: Maybe only use ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper if you're a sissy.  I did ¾ teaspoon, and it was still pretty spicy in my book.

Instant Pot Murgh Makhani (Butter Chicken)
From Indian Instant Pot Cookbook

1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala, divided use
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream
¼ to ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

In the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, cumin, and salt.  Mix thoroughly, then place the chicken pieces on top of the sauce.  Lock the lid into place.  Select Manual and adjust the pressure to High.  Cook for 10 minutes.

When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally.  Unlock the lid.  Carefully remove the chicken and set it aside.  Using an immersion blender in the pot, blend together all the ingredients into a smooth sauce.  Let the sauce cool for several minutes.

Add the butter cubes, cream, remaining 1 teaspoon of garam masala, and cilantro.  Stir until well incorporated.  The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon when you're done.  Remove half of the sauce and freeze for later, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Add the chicken back to the sauce.  Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Saute and adjust to Less for low heat.  Let the chicken heat through.  Break it up into smaller pieces if you like, but don't shred it.  Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings

Allrecipes: Banana Sheet Cake

You know what the world needs now?  No, not love.  Well, yes, love.  We always need love.  But also banana cake.  Because I ordered bananas in my grocery delivery, didn't use them, and now they're a fantastic shade of speckled.  Which is the best time to make delicious desserts.  And the best part is getting to spread a layer of sweet cream frosting on the top.  Perfection.

Banana Sheet Cake
From Allrecipes

1½ cups mashed bananas
2 teaspoons lemon juice

3 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

2⅛ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups buttermilk

Cream cheese frosting

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

3½ cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 275°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

In a small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

For the cream cheese frosting:

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Makes 18 servings

Red Hot and Blue: Warm Potato Salad

This is it, folks.  The bestest, most awesome potato salad.  And interestingly, also probably the easiest.  This definitely has less ingredients than the other delicious varieties I've made.  And yet, it's somehow....special.  Maybe it's the fact that it's served still a bit warm, so you don't have to wait an hour or two for everything to sit in the fridge.  Maybe it's the rustic feel of it.  Whatever it is, I highly recommend that you try it.

Warm Potato Salad
From Red Hot and Blue, as seen at Food.com

4 pounds Red Bliss potatoes
4 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped green onion, light and dark green parts only
1¼ cups Duke's mayonnaise
1¾ teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt

Steam the potatoes in their skins for approximately 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Hard boil the eggs, then do the same. When cool enough, peel the eggs ONLY (do NOT peel the potatoes - the skin gives the salad part of its unique texture and taste).

In a large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. Chop the potatoes and eggs into bite-size pieces and add to bowl. Mix GENTLY - you want salad, not mush - until blended.

Serve at room temperature for up to 2 hours after making and refrigerate leftovers. It tastes best when room temperature, but is delicious cold, too, so if you are making this in advance, it's fine to chill it.

Makes 12 servings

Double Spinach Lasagna

Since we're now in a bit of a full-blown pandemic panic, I decided to use some of the items already in my pantry and what I could snatch off the bare shelves of the grocery store to make myself some dinner.  A fantastic dinner that keeps well and will keep me fed for most of the week.  And since I'm a huge fan of spinach, it features prominently in this dish.  Also, I'm kind of a saucy lasagna person, so I like using lots of extra; if you're more of a crispy edge lasagna person, feel free to scale back.

Note: I used vodka pasta sauce in mine, but you can certainly go with whatever sauce profile moves you.

Double Spinach Lasagna

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves

1 (32-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
1 (8-ounce) package Kraft Five Cheese Italian shredded cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 large egg
1 pound Italian sausage

1 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

2 (24-ounce) jars pasta sauce
1 (17.6-ounce) package Delverde instant lasagna noodles with spinach

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their water and then it cooks off.  Add the spinach leaves and toss together until the spinach wilts.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, half of the shredded cheese, the Italian seasoning and the egg.  Mix well.  Add the cooled mushroom and spinach mixture and stir to combine.  Set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the loose sausage and the oil, breaking the sausage up into crumbles.  When the sausage is almost cooked through, add the onion.  Continue to cook until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic.  Sauté for another 30 seconds, just until you start to smell the garlic, then add a jar of pasta sauce.  Stir until warmed through.

Spray a large glass or ceramic lasagna dish with cooking spray.  Spoon some of the sausage sauce mixture into the bottom of the dish, then lay down a layer of the instant lasagna noodles.  Spread one third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then spoon additional sauce over the cheese before topping with the next layer of noodles.  Continue layering until ricotta and sauce are all used up and there are noodles on the top.  Pour the second jar of pasta sauce over the top of the bare noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese and the Parmesan.

Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with additional cooking spray, then cover the lasagna dish, sprayed side down towards the cheese.  Bake for 1 hour, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown.  Let set for approximately 15 to 20 minutes to cool slightly before slicing.

Makes 12 servings

Leftover Chili

What do you do with leftover meat?  Especially leftover tender expensive meat?  Reuse it, that stuff is pricey.  So I figured that even with the slightly sweet (nearly non-existent) sauce on the beans, I could probably make a decent chili.  And to be perfectly honest, I think I enjoyed this incarnation more than the original.  Feel free to substitute whatever meat and beans you like, just keep testing for flavor until you get a profile you enjoy.

Note: I used the leftover ribs and beans from my Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans, and even though the beans were cooked in soda and were sweet in that dish, the chili powder and cocoa powder worked their magic, and I didn't notice anything off when they were converted to chili.

Leftover Chili

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 slices bacon, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 pound cooked short rib meat, cut into cubes
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini beans or about 2 cups cooked beans
1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat and then add onion, green pepper, and bacon.  Saute until onion begins to soften, then add garlic and short rib meat.  Once the rib meat starts to loosen up, add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is hot and the flavors have melded, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Home Grown: Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans

I don't know what I was thinking when I picked this recipe to make.  I think I'm still searching for the perfect from-scratch baked beans, with that thick sweet bacony sauce surrounding the tender beans.  But alas, today is not that day.  The short ribs were actually pretty good, nice and tender.  But the beans.  Oh, the beans.  They were not the beans of my dreams.  They were sad beans, nearly naked, without that beautiful coating that I'm yearning for.  So the search continues...

Note: I used great northern beans instead of kidney beans.

Braised Short Ribs with Dr. Pepper Beans
Adapted from Home Grown: Cooking from My New England Roots

For the beans:
2 cups dried kidney beans
Canola oil, for the dish
2¾ teaspoons kosher salt
2 to 3 cups Dr. Pepper soda
⅓ cup tomato paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 thick-cut bacon slices, quartered crosswise

For the short ribs:
4 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large tomato, cored and quartered
6 garlic cloves
¼ bunch fresh thyme
2 cups beef stock
1½ cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Make the beans:
Put the beans in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover by a few inches.  Soak at room temperature overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish.

Drain the beans and transfer to a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.  Add enough fresh water to cover and 2 teaspoons of the salt, then bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the beans are just tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Add 2 cups of the soda, the tomato paste, vinegar, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the pepper and stir to combine.

Transfer the beans to the prepared baking dish and top with the bacon.  The beans can be made up to this point, covered, and refrigerated overnight, or baked, cooled, and refrigerated, then reheated before serving.  Bake until the bacon is crisp and the beans are hot and bubbling, about 1 hour, adding more soda to the dish if the beans are beginning to look dry.  If, after an hour, the beans are still not tender, cover with aluminum foil and cook until they are (older beans take longer to soften).  When the beans are tender, remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.

Make the short ribs:
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat.  Season the short ribs with salt and pepper and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  When the pan is hot, add the short ribs (in batches, if necessary) and sear, turning, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.

In a food processor, combine the celery, carrots, onion, tomato, and garlic and process until the mixture is finely, evenly chopped.

Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and the thyme to the pot.  Add the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the browned short ribs to the pot; the liquid should almost cover the meat.  Reduce the heat to bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, and transfer to the oven.  Uncover and check after 15 minutes; the liquid should be just simmering.  Adjust the oven temperature, if necessary, then re-cover and cook.  Cook until meat is very tender, 2 to 2½ hours.  Remove the short ribs from the oven and return the beans to the oven to warm through.  The short ribs can be prepared to this point, cooled to room temperature, then transferred to the refrigerator.  The following day, scrape the congealed fat from the surface and rewarm gently, covered, over low heat.

Transfer the short ribs to a rimmed platter.  Pour the short rib braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or bowl.  Let stand until the fat rises to the top, then skim off and discard.  Transfer 2 cups of the braising liquid to a small saucepan (discard any remaining braising liquid).  Stir in the mustard, then bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil the sauce until it has reduced to ¾ cup, about 15 minutes.  Spoon the mustard jus over the short ribs, sprinkle the parsley over, and serve, accompanied by the warm beans.

Makes 6 servings